//------------------------------// // A Stranger's Devotion - Chapter Three // Story: Lifetime Salvage // by Mokoma //------------------------------// The coldest place on Earth is Antarctica - an obvious fact, and yet no less awestriking considering that the lowest temperatures have reached up to about a negative 90 degrees Celsius. It is a bowl of snow and ice, difficult to both survive and navigate without proper equipment. Furthermore, it takes about ten minutes at a temperature of a negative forty degrees to kill a person from exposure. But this wasteland made Antarctica feel like chilly afternoon - the temperature almost twice as cold...optimistically speaking. Dunes of snow covered acres of land, tall and ever-shifting - in the never ending onslaught of ice and sharp wind; able to cause frostbite within sheer minutes. Not even the most resilient of organisms could thrive here - not on any layer of land but perhaps so deep underground one could feel as if they were touching the ceiling of hell itself. If you were lucky, every once and again - you could see the roofs and tops of buildings. Spirals and belltowers, sticking out through the snow mountains. If one was to somehow find a building that wasn't fully entombed in snow, they would see that even the windows were frosted to the point of being more fragile than thin ice - and even if one could see through it, they would find more snow. More snow. More snow. And more snow...It wasn't ice age. It was extinction. Yet, somehow, She stood. The cold had been painful and froze her to the bone - but she still stood to the best of her ability, stumbling and wading through the snow. She saw this dream before - many times. Yet each time it felt as crippling and terrifying as it did before. She didn't know it was a dream this time - much too paralyzed by the possibility of it being true. Yet, in the icy sky above her, it weren't Windigos that she saw soaring. This time in her dreams, she hadn't seen them - as she did each time before. This time it was different. This time, through the thick blizzard and wind, she saw a different shape - standing on the horizon. A human. Twilight screamed - the sheer size of her castle and the amount of walls making the sound drown into obscurity...Helped by a spell she set up to cancel noise leaving her room - the first time she screamed and woke up Starlight and Spike in the middle of the night. Not something she wanted to repeat. She threw her blanket aside in anger, groaning in frustration that the dreams she had taken measures against were repeating - their haunting of the alicorn seemingly unending. She felt blessed with the fact she no longer had to dream - for the sun was already shining through her windows, the sun's golden morning godrays filling the room, held back by the curtains that shielded Twilight's face. She sighed as she stared at the discarded blanket, and once she got up from bed, had it folded quickly with magic. Twilight stood up to approach a cabinet - using magic to pull out incense; not a gift from Zecora as one could assume, but rather a gift from Princess Luna herself - who had scheduled the delivery in leu of Twilight's dreams. It was made enhanced by the magic of ponies who understood how dreams worked; and the incense should have had the effect of making her feel calm after the disturbing dream, letting the memory go into a haze. A magical spark lit it, and low, thin smoke began to ooze from it. Twilight hated to admit the defeat as she set the incense on a desk, never appreciating having her own memory tampered with even for the sake of her own mental health, but she felt the urge, for it made being awake that much harder. She felt the need to pick up her daily list - but never unrolled it. Today her morning goal was apparent. To visit an old friend to make sure she was fine, and to visit a new one to ensure they were better. Yet, Twilight hesitated to leave the room for an hour. *** Luckily for her morning hunger, Applejack had been late for the same hour just as she supposed last night - finishing with a morning routine involving the pigs and chickens later than she anticipated. The animals were antsy, rowdy - and hard to get a grip on. Only then did Applejack finally gather up with the rest of the family to cook breakfast. But the luckiest ones here were Rainbow Dash and the human - who not only got to sleep in after a tiring night of Daring Do reading, but also didn't miss out on breakfast either. The two heavy sleepers were awoken at a reasonable 7 AM. The two readers believed themselves to be "rebellious cool kids who don't need no sleep", but ironically, their "tiring reading all-nighter" lasted only 45 minutes, with the human falling asleep with their arm hanging off the side of the bedframe, and Rainbow Dash with the book sprawled over her face...All at an even more reasonable 11 PM. Applejack took her sweet time giggling at the sight before hollering them to wake up, and any further attempts to hurry up the two were met by Rainbow Dash pelting her pillow at the door - which got rid of Applejack, but got rid of the soft thing that allowed her head to rest. Applejack in the end got the last laugh, Dash groaning in despair at having nothing soft to nest her head. The human opted not to get up - so in a lazy act of bravery, they instead pulled the rest of their weight off of the bed and fell to the floor - the impact and coldness of the floor giving them a rude, but strong awakening. The two hadn't needed to share words - too sleepy to speak. So when the sweet, enticing smell of baked goods and apples hit their nostrils, they gave each other a wide-eyed stare, and turned the slow awakening into an impromptu race downstairs. "'Yer just in time." Said the orange pony with a smug smirk, not needing to even look to know what they were up to. "Y'all skipped out on supper yesterday so 'ah figured y'all racked up an appetite stronger than a hungry Manticore that's been put onna' diet. 'Fore you start though..." Applejack turned to face the human, who followed Rainbow Dash's cue to take a seat - but stopping when they were addressed. "'Ah'd like 'tah introduce you t'my family!" The human hadn't needed the introductions - but they did want to greet them. Their appetite gave them such a tunnel vision even, that in the unfamiliar room, they haven't realized the three other members of the Apple Family were already there. Granny Smith dumbfounded at their appearance, Big Macintosh smiling calmly, and Apple Bloom gawking over the sight of an unfamiliar species. "Hi guys!" Waved Rainbow Dash, and earning familiar waves from the Earth ponies. Meanwhile, Applejack positioned herself between the human and her family. "Apples, meet the new resident! New resident, meet the other 3/4ths of the Apples livin' 'ere!" Grinned Applejack, and stepping aside knowingly as Granny Smith would be the first to lean in, the elderly mare looking over the human as if they were an anomaly, one eye closed as if it'd give the other more focus. "Well, well...I ain't seen a two-armed hand-havin' bipedal resemblin' you in the longest time youngin'. Eh, matter of fact you remind me of a friend I've got livin' in these here acres - yer' just...a whole lotta less hairy. Smellin' way less of squash too." Said Granny Smith, a little quieter so that all the others heard was mumbling - before smiling and raising her voice to levels all could hear. "Well, that don't matter none! Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, youngin'! After what you did, 'yer welcome here anytime!" "Yeah!" Suddenly chirped in Applebloom, jumping tall enough for a second to meet the human's eye-level. "Applejack told us about the thing you did with the perfume and the smokey-stuff Zecora gave us and the clothes Rarity made! Actually.." Applebloom scratched her chin with her hoof and grinned in realization. "'Ah don't need to remember what AJ told me! I saw the whole thing outside the window of mah room! You were like, goin' up in the air and stuff, and Rainbow Dash saved ya! That was so cool!" AJ gave Apple Bloom a disapproving glare before coughing. "'Ah think what she meant to say was, it was "cool" how you saved the acres. 'Ah mean granted maybe we'd think of somethin', but you helped us with something pretty darn important, stranger - and 'ah can't give you enough thanks...Uh...Right Big Mac?" Nervously smiled AJ hoping to get at-least a word out of him. And so he did, with a big, approving, and respecting smile from the stallion. "Eeeeyup." "He ain't a talker." Chuckled Applejack. "Now that we've gotten familiar, time for some breakfast! I'm sure starvin' - you won't believe what 'ah had to go through this morn'." She said, helped by her brother as they approached the kitchen counter. They had set the food onto plates, while Applebloom ushered the human to sit down - Rainbow Dash already sitting with an eager lick of her lips. Pancakes were pancakes - and the Apple Family was the Apple Family. Therefore, the pancakes set on the table were apple-and-cinnamon, hot and smelling wonderfully of both ingredients. There were about four enormous towers of them on their individual plates. One was enough for Applebloom and Granny Smith, and the other was enough between the human and Rainbow Dash. The other two would sate Applejack and Big Macintosh...individually. There were however more pancakes on the counter - another tower. Applejack smiled for she remembered the upcoming guest, and the promise of breakfast. Twilight Sparkle was seen walking up to the farmhouse with Spike on top of her in tow. "Heh', there she is. Twilight's comin'!" She told the family - Applebloom smiling at the prospect of the princess coming to visit, frowning at the fact she's need to wait a little longer out of politeness. Twilight entered through the door, looking disheveled and a little more unfit for the definition of an "early bird". Spike himself had been rather bubbly and excited, especially at the prospect of breakfasting over at the Acres. "Hi everyone!" He said, getting off of Twilight, while her greeting was a half-pronounced groan that vaguely fit the word "Morning". She shuffled over to the nearest seat, while Twilight was helped up with a small stack of cookbooks to let him sit a bit more chest-level with the table. "Sweet Celestia, Twi..." Murmured Applejack, frowning at her friend's state. "You doin' alright, sugarcube? You look, uhm...What's a good word..." She asked herself as she put another tower of pancakes for the two. "...Not rested...?" "Oh, right..." Yawned Twilight. "Sorry - I've been up reading up on what happened last night..." Said the Alicorn - her chewing mixing in with yawns as she struggled to keep her face away from splatting into the food. "I uh, figured out what's going on!" "Oh!" Applejack sat down as everypony dug into the food by now. "Great! So what in Equestria got those bats so riled up?" "Weeell..." Chuckled Twilight. "I was reading all night in relevant books - A Guide to Vampony Fruitbats, Animal Behaviors and Anomalies, How Bad Days and Calamities Happen; I was about to give up untiiil...Fluttershy came at night." She took a tired sip of milk to deal with the dryness after the pancakes, then continuing. "She told me that one of the baby bats got lost, and she managed to speak with it...Way for all that reading to be in-vain." Sighed the Princess. "Anyhow! According to Fluttershy- uh...The bat--...Flutter--...According to the bat as relayed by Fluttershy, the vampire bat ponies have felt some kind of disturbance...Something that made them scatter for food, and to store as much of it as they could..." "...Wha?" Applejack rose a brow, tilting her head unsurely. "Yer' sayin' these critters just...up and decided to just go ham on the Acres just cause they felt somethin' was off?" "...The way Fluttershy described it..." Recollected Twilight. "It was like an animal's reaction to barometric anomalies." "...Baro-whatnow?" The orange pony tilted her head. "You've seen how Winona acts before a storm, right?" "Golly, 'ah sure do...Poor girl." Applejack frowned, looking at her dog sleeping soundly on the other side of the room, but every now and again, looking around anxiously, before looking at the family - realizing everything was alright - and happily returning to sleep. "She'd curl up and hide all day..." "It's not exclusive to dogs." Explained Twilight. "Many other animals depend on their senses of the weather to act in ways to ensure their survival. It's how and why birds migrate, or why animals go into hibernation." "Don't say the H-Word, Twilight!" Whined Rainbow Dash, frowning sincerely as she even hesitated to continued eating, before allowing the bad memories to leave her once the cinnamon-apple goodness calmed her. Twilight blinked and with her sleepy cloudiness remembered why it was a sensitive word. "So..." The human decided to not be a wallflower and contribute to the conversation, not wanting to be a mere observer and accessory. "You're saying that the bat ponies felt something that threatened their survival? Something that kicked in the idea that they need to stuff themselves with as much food as possible, store it, and maybe even go hide out when it happens?" "Yup." Twilight said, the food and drink giving her some strength and energy. "I don't understand what it is, but...I suppose considering what's been happening with the weather yesterday, it's got to be related! The only question is...How? What's happening, and why? We really need to sort this out sooner than later because we run the risk of another incident like this - like what happened last evening!" "...Is Fluttershy in danger?" Asked the human suddenly. Twilight's gaze perked up to look into their eyes. "Fluttershy? Well, why? On the account she lives with so many animals?" "Yeah." Nodded the human. "I know she knows how to talk with them and the fact she can use the Stare on them, but is it enough to ensure she isn't endangered?" "...Huh, Fluttershy mentioned she uses the Stare?" Twilight asked, finding something odd in the statement, and the human noticing this, attempted to be stealthily defensive. "Uh, yeah...She told me how she sometimes needs to use it..." Said the human. Twilight's gaze looked unsurely at the pancakes, and ate one before continuing, eyes cast on the table - but words directed to the bipedal. "Right...Yeah, she sometimes has to use it when animals get...uncontrollable. I think it's strong enough - and she can talk to the animals anyway, so they might be able to tell her what's wrong. But, if they get too afraid...Then...Well, Discord is with her, so I'm not worried." Sighed Twilight in relief as she secured confidence in her friend's safety. "But you bring a good idea! Maybe Fluttershy's animals can help us understand something we ponies can't observe. Maybe I can ask somepony in Cloudsdale for help to get some data, and I can maybe cross-reference it with what the animals are saying. Or I can--" "Twilight." Dash smirked. "You've got this. We know that much." Twilight smiled at the pegasus and nodded in thanks to these words. "Thanks Dash...And, thanks everypony." She said -addressing all others. "I really wouldn't have made it far as a Princess if it weren't for you, huh?" "Wait, whuh!?" Sputtered Applebloom just before she took a bite. "Are you sayin' 'ah helped too!?" "Of course, Applebloom!" Twilight smiled warmly, giggling as she spoke. "You and the Cutie Mark Crusaders have given me and my friends all kinds of friendship lessons as much as we've given them to you. It's important to know the value of what young ponies can still teach adults." With breakfast almost finished, including with the human, Applejack's own smile went away as she looked outside. Clouds and cold - nothing that helped any crops, not on this farm or any nearby. She looked at the human and pursed her lips thoughtfully. Once she put the empty plate in the sink, she came closer to them. "Hey, Twi? Mind if 'ah borrow the new guest for a min'? Wanted to show 'em around the acres before they have'ta go back." "Great idea AJ!" Twilight said, looking at the human who was surprised to be given such an offer. "Then whenever you wanna go back, follow the path straight to town. It's safe and easy to navigate. I'll wait for you back in the castle." "R-Right." The human had also finished their food by then and stood up from the chair. Applejack picked up her hat on the way out, and the human put on the tattered mango-coat on their way out, not wanting to discard it just yet. They had stepped outside into the chill, hazy fog in the distance and a lack of colour falling upon the myriad of surrounding trees and hills. Not even birds sang. For such a welcoming place familiar to the human, it looked uncharacteristically gloomy. "'Ere, let's have a walk around." Offered Applejack, nodding her head in a gesture for them to follow. The human followed after - the two travelled at a very slow walking pace. "...I didn't do anything bad, did I?" The human reflexively asked, scratching the side of their head awkwardly. "Whuh?" Applejack turned her head, confused as they walked along a dirt path from the house to the barn. "Why in tarnation would you assume that, sugarcube?" "Just a premonition?" They nervously chuckled. "You wanting to show me around sounds more like you wanted to talk in private. Especially since it's too cold for a tour." "'Yer an observant type, eh? Naw, pardner. I just wanted to talk, as you said, but it ain't 'cause I've got bad blood or a bone to pick. 'Ah mean, you helped us out big time. Biggest time in a long time. 'Ah just..." The pony sighed, walking behind the barn so that nopony who gazed out of the window could see them. "...Yes, Applejack?" "Twi' told me how you appeared here. How even if we could bring you back home, you'd rather not. You don't exactly...Have a good rapport with 'yer family, do ya?" "What do you--..." The human figured the question 'What do you mean' was pointless - it was an obvious and direct question, as it was. "...No, not really. If they didn't care about me, they actively made living difficult for me. How'd you know, though?" "'Ah couldn't imagine it, not in a million years." The pony rubbed her hoof with the other. "If we switched roles, I woulda done anythin' to come back to mah family, and mah friends - no matter what it'd cost. 'Ah figured that's why you don't wanna go back." "Sorry, it's probably really jarring for you to imagine people like me exist..." The human awkwardly rubbed their head, gazing at the cold sky. Applejack, somewhat concerned by the words, took a step forward. "Hay now...I ain't disturbed none by what you meant. 'Ah may not understand what it's like or why it's the way it is, but 'ah sure can do my darned best showin' support 'n help in any way 'ah can." The orange pony smiled up at them. "The reason I asked you out here is 'cause...'Ah worry about mah family and friends even when the smallest of things happen. This whole incident happenin' made me lose sleep like a filly on Nightmare Night. And 'ah wanted to ask if you could help us get to the bottom of all this. 'Ah know you risked your life - and 'ah don't want you riskin' it again. But we could use all the help we could get now, no matter how minor...'A-'Ah...Sorry...ah'm just afraid. I don't know why this is happenin' and--" The human by now was already on one knee, and extended a hand to place itself on the joint between her torso and front hoof - where her shoulder would've been, between the bases of her neck and chest. "Hey." The human said quietly. "You don't even need to ask me, Applejack. I'm happy helping you, your family, and your friends. What happened last night was something I just did because I wanted to. Not even on a moral or...ethical level. It was something that went beyond a "calling"." I guess all I'm saying is..." The human hesitated for a moment, taking the time to think over their words. "You may not know me at all - but I am going to do my best for all of you - I have my reasons. You can count on me." Applejack gazed into their eyes - a thankful sparkle appearing in them, along with a small smile. "Thanks, sugarcube...'Ah appreciate it - all of it..." There was an awkward moment of silence - the two's thoughts full. The human wondered - had they seen Applejack in a moment that wasn't..."on screen"? Had they seen one of their favorite characters in a state they couldn't witness otherwise? A moment like this seems out of place in the show - and seeing Applejack so vocal about friends and especially family was nothing new. But there was a hint of fear - desperation, and a dire need for assurance, stronger than what they otherwise observed. Applejack wondered - why was this human so...assertive about "helping"? She had to deal with extreme devotion before - namely with Spike. But Spike knew her for years - so even though it was a gesture of gratitude to saving his life, it made sense. But with this human - one that hasn't even known her for a day, it was different. They seemed to have a reason to be so willing and determined - but they were a stranger. This was their first time meeting. Right? It puzzled her to no end. *** The human walked their way back from the acres to the town; a rather shorter trek than expected, but they had a better idea of Ponyville's size considering how far away Fluttershy's cottage must have been in relation to the Acres, almost on the opposite end. As they walked in their ruffled up coat, they continued to earn amazed looks from the ponies. It's not that there was any reason for them to be considered as a monster or an evil being - after all, it came across to the human that weirder creatures exist in Equestria. They had reached Sugarcube Corner, where sitting at the window was Lyra, grinning eagerly at the sight of the human from inside. Her girlfriend Bonbon disapproved - not because this was a matter of jealousy, but it was more-so annoyance that her partner could finally brag about the mythical "human" being real. Bonbon, and the delicious banana bread she was eating kept her anchored to her seat. The human felt something was off however as they walked. The streets seemed a little empty in places, almost as if there was something ongoing. The cold shouldn't have been enough to dissuade the citizens of Ponyville, since as cold as it was, it wasn't anything a little extra clothes couldn't fix. A very obvious answer came. In the form of a firework that shot up from the next street over. A firework that just, ever so coincidentally, happened to be in the shape of none other than Trixie "The Great and Powerful" Lulamoon. A big grin involuntarily came upon their face. On the other side of the street gathered a crowd. Bigger than what Trixie was used to - before she met Starlight Glimmer, her assistant. Oh, and friend - that was an important factor too. "Trixie..." Starlight nervously swallowed. "I uh...Don't know if this is a good idea--" "You say such nonsense every third performance!" Scoffed the blue unicorn, tinkering with a massive box, and a keypad that was a combination of 25 different little keys, each reinforcing and holding a massive enchanted chain. "And on that third performance, we usually wing and improvise it! Now, help me undo this lock. In the name of me, why did Cratus need to attach all this junk?" "Cratus...?" Starlight rose a brow. "Oh, y'know - Cratus from Cratus' Crazy Critters? The Ancient Beast Dealer? Shows up at the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange pretty often. How else do you think I'd get my hands on half of the creatures we're dealing with? Including the manticore from when I met you?" "Yeah..." The purple unicorn took a moment to smile in reminiscence, snapping back to reality as a concerning thump and groan came from the box. She gulped - the topic of purchasing dangerous creatures on her mind. "S-Speaking of which, you don't...keep these things, right? It seems kind of cruel to just keep 'em caged, and even more-so dangerous..." "Uh, Starlight?" Answered the other unicorn with a disapproving shake of her head. "What do you take me for? A poacher? I let 'em go. After all, I can't afford the feeding costs. And what's the point of keeping them around if repeating the same act gets boring?" "Well..." Chuckled her friend - humored and relieved. "I'm glad to see that you're at-least...a pragmatist?" "Of course! The Great and Powerful Trixie may be aware that she's a genius and observant, but that doesn't mean she's going to be blind to common sense! Now come on, we need to get this Maulwurf out of the box!" "Okay! I'll take off this chain so that--...WHAT!?" Glimmer's mouth was unable to speak further on the account of being agape - but Trixie's next words promptly closed it up so that she could grit her teeth. "What? Yes, I know, Cratus must be one tough stallion to capture a Maulwurf. The Great and Powerful Trixie didn't spend money, just so you know! I traded for him! I had no idea he was a fan of mine either! All I had to give him was an autographed poster of myself. Now there's a stallion who appreciates true talent--" "TRIXIE!" Starlight exclaimed. "You...Brought...A MAULWURF!? TO PONYVILLE!?" Trixie recoiled a little, backed up against the very box that contained the beast, her eyes wide and blinking at the other unicorn. "...Yes...?" "Trixie..." Starlight gulped, looking at the box that was merely wooden and covered in mere iron chains. "This is a terrible idea. You saw what the Maulwurf is capable of when we visited Thorax to help Pharynx, right? We needed them both to help us take it down, and that was only because we could let it go ham on hurting itself. We're in Ponyville - there's a huge crowd outside. A manticore is fine since it's easy to chain - but...a MAULWURF!? What were you thinking, Trixie!?" "...I, uh..." Trixie blushed a little, fluttering her eyes innocently at Glimmer. "...No magician has ever done an act with a Maulwurf before...? Heh..." "I wonder why that is!" Groaned Starlight. "Listen, let's just put the chains back on, and send it back to--" "No!" Exclaimed Trixie, defensively shielding the box with her body. "I'm not cancelling this act! Do you know how many have been hyped up for today's act!? I can't bring in disappointment!" "What kind of act do you even plan to do with a Maulwurf!?" Yelled Starlight - but hushed enough not to offend or harm her. "Cannon yourself into its mouth, just as we've done with the Manticore!? Those mole teeth wouldn't let you get past the mouth!" "Nonsense! Today's act revolves around...Uh..." "...You wanted to cannon yourself into its mouth, didn't you?" "..." "...Didn't you say that a magician never does the same trick twice?" Starlight rose a bemused brow. "I still stand by this statement - and it isn't the same trick. This time, I'm cannoning myself into a Maulwurf's mouth - not a Manticore's. It's technically a different trick - different set of teeth too. Ugh, besides, if you're so displeased, the Great and Powerful Trixie can't improvise new tricks on the fly y'know! Each is meticulously crafted, engineered to perfection, and--" "Hi Starlight!" The human said, stepping behind the stage. She was surprised to see them emerge from behind Trixie, giving them a glad smile and a wave. "Hello to you too." Trixie didn't allow her speech to be interrupted further - but she was quick to spin around with wide eyes and grit teeth. "W-What are you doing here!? Who let you backstage!? Security! Where is the security!?" "Trixie...We don't have security. Not that we can afford any either." Starlight scoffed a little, humored to see the mare look so riled up over nothing. "Then where is the security in your heart!?" Growled the blue unicorn, poking the human straight in the chest, with enough force to knock some wind out of their lungs as they bent a little with a soft "oomf!". "Haven't any ponies taught you decency of not going backstage to magic shows!? Are you trying to spy on us and steal our acts, huh? The Great and Powerful Trixie has zero tolerance towards plagiarists, and--" "Trixie." Chuckled the other unicorn, setting her hoof on Trixie's back comfortingly. "This isn't an intruder. They're a new friend of mine. Remember? I told you how they saved Applejack's farm." "...Now that I think about it, I don't remember any other scaleless non-fire-breathing wingless clothes-wearing dragons other than the one mentioned by you." Humphed the blue unicorn thoughtfully. "Oh well - if my bestie knows you, then this is enough for me to welcome you - to the Grrrrrrreat, and Powerful - BACKSTAGE!" Exclaimed Trixie, and threw her hooves up into the sky - but no more pizzazz came. "...I don't know what you were expecting, though." "Thanks for the welcome!" Smiled the human. "I just wanted to pop in and say hi to Starlight!" "...Oh! How'd you know I was gonna be here?" "...I really gotta stop making these slip ups." The human sighed to themselves. "What was that...?" Starlight tilted her head. "I said I really gotta stop admiring these tea cups." They said, pointing at a pile of tea cups. They knew these were daily "Trixie practice results", and Trixie gave Starlight a smug smirk, loving that someone finally appreciated her "hard work". "They're limited edition~!" Mentioned the blue unicorn - Starlight's eyes rolling in response. "If only." "As for how I figured you were here..." The human bought themselves the time to come up with a reason. "I heard your name go around in the crowd - guessed there weren't a whole other Starlights in Ponyville." "Heh, I'm the one and only, I guess. Anyways, how're you feeling?" "The magic seemed to have fully healed me." Said the human, looking at their arms - devoid of the bite marks. "It's crazy what you ponies are capable of. Where I'm from, bites like these would've landed me in the hospital for weeks..." "Not that it's easy!" Awkwardly coughed Starlight. "Truth is, those injuries were minor. Our hospitals are decently staffed, and there's always work for doctors and nurses. On the account of farming incidents, pegasi flight incidents, spells gone wrong - things you'll need a bit more than a spell and hugs, especially when those hugs risk making the injury worse, heh." "Say, is the healthcare here, uh..." The human gave the surrounding area an ansty look-around - Trixie stepping back with a look of weirded-out-ness. Starlight glared at Trixie, coughing - not to put a finer point that she was being rude. They looked back at the human, still struggling to spit it out, managing barely. "It's free. Right?" "Free...?" Starlight tilted her head. "...What? You mean like, free of charge?" "...Yeah?" "...Uh...Yeah?" Blinked Starlight, almost tempted to check the human's temperature. "Of course it's free. I mean, what's money gotta do with your health, y'know? Imagine if I had to pay money for having a broken hoof treated or something." "Really? That's..." The human rubbed their arm, failing to hide their astonishment and surprise. Starlight bit her lip, frowning deeply. "Not the case where you're from?" "Depends." The human said. "Some countries have--...had it free. But there's a waiting list - a condition might take months before it's treated. In other countries...it's paid for. In some places the price is so high you couldn't hope to pay it unless you pulled a miracle off. Even things that can save your life..." "Oh...That's horrible..." Starlight took a step forward. "Well, here it's not something you'd need to pay for! Whenever you're hurt, everypony's going to be glad to see that you've recovered! Doctors and nurses don't just become doctors and nurses because they just want money, y'know!" "You can say that again..." The human shook their head. "Back in my world, it was a massive motivator, money. Surgeons might wanna save lives, but they get hefty paychecks. I doubt most of them were in it for the "oath"." "...If I may ask, you keep talking about it in...past tense...Why is that?" "...That world is dead to me." Said the human... In a moment, Starlight saw a sight that mildly disturbed her. To say that a world was dead - especially their homeworld, was a fairly disturbing comment of its own. But in the human's face she saw an unfitting expression - unfitting in the context of the spoken words. A smile. Perhaps it was merely a smile of relief that a weight was taken off of their shoulder. But something in the smile struck her as a different sort of gladness. A gladness that was all too happy to say the word "Dead" in the sentence. And the splinters of the Maulwurf's box had rained down upon them - Starlight's adrenaline slowing the world down for her, teleporting the unicorn dear to her, and the human out of harm's way, as a massive claw had swiped their previously occupied position. Trixie yelped as she was teleported meters away to a safe distance, gasping in horror as she saw what had happened. "W-What!? But the chains! How did it...What!?" The Maulwurf appeared enraged as the box was no longer there - and its sheer size made its head visible from the backstage to the gathering crowd. The human, stumbling from the teleportation, heard the sound of a frightened crowd, all running and stampeding away from what they saw. The Maulwurf; a familiar beast that appeared like a giant mole. Nothing as grandiose or complex as a manticore or bugbear; but a powerhouse nonetheless. With one furious swipe, the massive beast tore apart the stage's top support, shredding the curtains all over the three still standing on the stage alongside the beast. "T-Trixie! I told you this was a terrible idea!" She gulped, panicking. "Quick!" She looked at the human. "Get outta here, make sure everypony evacuates the street! Take Trixie with you, too!" "What about you!?" Exclaimed the human, teleported away by Starlight once more as the Maulwurf jumped up and landed back into the fragile wooden stage, destroying it instantly. Now they were on a patch of grass surrounding the stage, in a relatively open area. "I'll fight it back!" Shouted Starlight. A zap of her magic blasted the Maulwurf into the nose, the ugly mole being stumbling and screeching spitefully in pain. But once it regained focus, it found its target. It clawed at Starlight - and once the claws made contact with the dirt, all that was left was a big cleanly-torn crater of earth. Starlight knew she couldn't dodge forever, using spells and teleportation to chip at the beast as best she could. "No way!" The blue unicorn stepped in-front of the human, her horn lighting up in a glow of light blue. "The Grrreat, and Powerful Trixie, isn't letting some ugly mole harm you - Starlight Glimmer!" "Trixie, this isn't the time to mess around--" The conversation proved to distract Starlight to miss her cue, the claw picking her up in a sudden swoop. The grip was strong, strong enough to knock the wind out of Starlight, and make her unable to use spells, the pain making her unable to focus. Trixie's magic may have been considerably weaker - but she was a cunning pony, which few could notice at first glance. The Maulwurf found a foreign object land on its nose - crossing its eyes to properly look at it to understand what it was. Only then did smoke emerge, stinging its eyes. It screamed once more, the smoke-bomb blowing a cloud thick enough for it to thrash in confusion. It subsequently let go of Starlight. It came to the horror of the blue unicorn that her disoriented friend was on the way to hit the ground - and fast. Trixie screamed in desperation, reaching her hoof out, fearing for her friend's life. Starlight landed; into something relatively soft, fleshy, and definitely not the harsh ground. Granted, it wasn't a smooth landing - for the thing that caught her also stumbled, and collapsed with her. The human tried their best to catch her with their arms, but never having estimated a pony's weight before, they only managed to break her fall, falling together with her and spinning around in the grass. Starlight got her composure back quickly, sitting up and looking at the human, wide-eyed. "I told you to help the other ponies leave!" "If we keep it busy here..." The human said, relieved to see the beast not having noticed them yet. "It'll buy the ponies time to run away and get help..." They explained as they swiftly stood back on their feet, giving Starlight a hand. She quickly took it to support herself - and teleported away to Trixie, who was currently hiding behind a piece of debris, gasping in surprise when she saw the two teleport over. "It makes sense - but can the three of us really handle it...?" Starlight whispered - seeing the Maulwurf searching for them as it tore apart debris in its search. "Starlight, what's the big deal?" Whispered Trixie. "You should know the magic needed to take care of this beast, shouldn't you?" "No!" Starlight bit her lip. "The spells I have learned could work if we were somewhere more isolated - there's too much collateral damage to do this here!" "As long as we keep it searching, we can maybe tire it out." The human said. "We just need to keep teleporting and confusing it!" They said. "And I have an idea...Trixie, got any more smoke bombs on you?" "The Great and Powerful Trixie is offended by such a question - of course she does!" "Gimme one!" "What!? Do you even know how to--" The noise gave away their location - the deft claws of the beast slashing away at their position. Splinters shaved away to reveal the two ponies and the human gradually. Seeing a bit of Starlight's hair and her horn, the beast went for it, the claw intending to capture. But as the claw made contact, a sudden gust of smoke replaced them, masking the fact that Starlight had teleported the three away. The beast, not seeing anything leave the gust of smoke, assumed that the target must have been somewhere within. It continued swiping, until its claw made contact with something. Something that tangled around its wrist at this point. It had hooked onto something, and this quite possibly was the tail of one of the ponies - so the beast thought. It pulled - only to feel itself be pulled with the same amount of force, falling onto its face with a shrill cry. The smoke cleared to reveal that as it swiped its claw in the smoke, it had gotten its hand stuck in a lasso of magician's handkerchiefs, that seemed to enter one of Trixie's tophats...Looking back, the beast hadn't realized that Starlight attached more handkerchiefs to its back legs, which seemed to enter a different top hat, implying that, somehow, the handkerchiefs were one line, connected through the top hats that were dozens of meters apart. Whether this was an amazing act of illusion, or magic done by a talented unicorn such as Starlight; it was most likely both, with a bit of the human's help. Starlight wiped the sweat off her brow as they stood behind it. Trixie could only proudly smile before a pair of mauve hooves wrapped themselves around the blue unicorn, the mare gasping in surprise. "H-Hey, Starlight!?" "I was worried for you!" Starlight exclaimed, clenching her tight, happy to see that above all, Trixie was safe, leaning so deep into the hug that Trixie felt much of Starlight's weight pressing her down. "Please, d-don't do that again! Ever!" "..." Trixie frowned at her friend's state, and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "...The Great and Powerful Trixie offers a Great and Powerful apology, Starlight Glimmer...I...I didn't know this would happen. I'm sorry." Smiling at the interaction, the human took the time to approach the squirming Malwurf that was tiring itself out. They crouched near it, not too afraid of it knowing it was subdued. "Eeesh, bit of a freaky thing, isn't it...?" They asked themselves. The Malwurf stopped its struggling as it heard the words, and looked at the human with its wide, alert eyes. And somehow, those wide eyes appeared even more alert - now terrified and frightened. The beast let out a shrill scream that sent the human recoiling back - and for good reason. The beast suddenly broke free of the handkerchiefs, using whatever strength it had left. The two mares, caught by surprise, were teleported away by Starlight's magic, expecting another fight. Except, the beast no longer wished to attack neither the ponies, nor the human. Instead, it began running. Towards the crowd of escaping ponies - much faster than them. "H-Hey! What!? W-Wait, no...!" The human exclaimed, eyes widening in realization of the collision. "Why's it running away!? It's going to hurt the others!" "Perhaps we've scared it off!?" Trixie proposed - and her assistant put the theory to the test quickly, teleporting just in-front of the beast. Were she not in possession of teleportation, Starlight could've been knocked aside as a bowling pin, for the beast continued. She tried again - and even as the beast saw her, it refused to stop. Thoughtfully, remembering that she caught a glimpse of the beast looking at the human before this rampage, she tried something else - and the human, in an nauseating flash and re-balance of their position, found themselves on the collision course with the Malwurf. They winced, putting their arms in-front of their face... Only to notice the beast running in the totally opposite direction now; towards Twilight's castle. "It's running away from you!" Starlight exclaimed, teleporting next to the human in a flash of teal. "We can try to herd it to the Everfree forest!?" The human proposed, unable to properly stand, still not used to teleportation. "No way!" Starlight shook her head. "That cuts through most of the town! We can maybe make it run past the castle, have it run North-East!" "Whatever we do let's act quick. Can you keep teleporting me so that it steers clear of everything else!?" Starlight nodded, and got to work, using her teleportation spell. The human zipped and zapped around the town, nearly falling each time, but managing to scare the Malwurf into ever-so-slightly changing its course, herding it and making it run in a diagonal line that, in theory, should have gone left of the castle, and not hitting the School. But an error occurred as the Malwurf became too overwhelmed. Feeling the human come from all directions, it felt as if there was no way out. It felt cornered. It felt that it had to fight its way out. And so, on what should have been the final teleportation needed to steer it out, the Malwurf suddenly rushed the human, with its claws prepared to slash them in half, which they easily could. Starlight had been unable to teleport them out, gasping - for she had used too much power for the rapid teleportations. The human screamed as the beast rushed them, falling down onto the ground and wincing, hoping desperately not to be hit. The hopes came true - a flash of purple came out of seemingly thin air, until the human identified the source by simply looking up into the sky. The purple alicorn was not going to merely sit this out, and rushed to action the moment she saw something wasn't quite right. The Maulwurf was blasted with controlled magic - the kind that reduced the beast rapidly in size. It suddenly became a tiny mole, completely harmless unlike its previous form, already working on digging itself its own tiny little hole. "W-Where'd you learn that!?" Starlight exclaimed, running up to Twilight. The alicorn gave her a proud smile. "Learned it while me and the girls were stuck with Tirek in Tartarus. Don't worry - it'll return to normal once it's far enough from Ponyville." "...Is that really a good thing?" Starlight cocked her head. "..." Twilight gave her a small glare, but not taking it too close to heart. "Uh, last time I checked, it's not nice to transform creatures into a state they were never meant to be in." "Your words are true!" Nervously chuckled Starlight. They both turned to the human, who nearly felt Applejack's wonderful breakfast build up at their throat, as the rapid teleportation had done a number on them. Trixie by now had ran up and caught up to the ponies. Together, the ponies helped the human up, as they struggled to even stand until they were helped stand straight. "What happened?" Frowned Twilight. "Is anycreature hurt?" "The Great and Powerful Trixie takes partial responsibility." She sighed. Twilight felt a small smirk creep upon her muzzle - but not a smug one. It was a proud smirk, for Trixie admitting the truth quickly; rather quickly for how she usually acted. She knew why - for she didn't want Starlight to get any of the blame, even if for an instance. "But! Partial! The box was sealed in enchanted chains that we hadn't taken off yet! I have no idea how it got out!" "She isn't lying..." Frowned Starlight, brushing some dust off of the human. "I had a brief look at what the Maulwurf's container was closed with. I could feel strong magic - both on the box itself and on the chains. The sort of stuff you'd find holding the creatures in Tartarus itself, by all accounts...We barely undid any of the chains. It could've easily contained a Bugbear, maybe even Tirek himself." "And it just popped out like a jack-in-a-box..." Said the human. "And when it started running away from you..." Hummed Starlight curiously. "That was weird, wasn't it? I mean, it was a Maulwurf. I'm not one to be mean against creatures, but they're not really, uh..."bright". They don't exactly have a great sense of threat assessment..." "All animals have a level of primal fear, though. And I just wonder what could've gotten it scared on such a level...Maybe it had been under such stress and anger that it found enough inner emergency strength to break out." Twilight said, looking at the human. "...Well, it seems that I'm not getting along well with the fauna in this world, huh?" Giggled the human brightly. "Oh." Trixie rolled her eyes. "You haven't gotten an angry Ursa Major on your tail yet." "We are talking about an Ursa Major, right?" Twilight gave Trixie a cheeky, coy smirk. In response, Trixie brushed her hair - and humphed. "It doesn't matter since I've gotten both the Major and Minor one upset - so this only proves that the Great and Powerful Trixie is more than acquainted with her fair share of angered fauna, magical or otherwise." Twilight waved her hoof dismissively, helping the human to the castle as the ponies walked toward it. "In-between Malwurfs, Bug Bears, Parasprites, Ursas...Windigos, Cockatrices, Manitocres...Yeah - we all know what it's like to deal with dangerous critters. Wow, we ponies really do live in a hostile world, huh?" "You could do worse where I'm from. Especially in one continent in particular we had." The human smiled wide, silly-walking indoors. *** "Starlight..." Twilight whimpered at the sight of the human's continued disorientation, as they barely managed to aimed the tea given by Spike into their mouth, constantly blinking and readjusting to their surroundings. "You teleported them too much and too fast!" "Sorry, Twilight! I've never seen this be a problem for anypony - or even anycreature else!" "They haven't ever teleported before. Ever. I can't help but imagine how they must be feeling..." "I do feel...stable." The human blurted out. "It's kinda like being spun around and being made to hit a baseball on a baseball stand. Just with a few less spins...Er, emphasis on "a few"..." "I'm just glad you three are safe after what happened - and that nopony else got hurt. I still can't believe you brought a Maulwurf to Ponyville, Trixie..." Huffed Twilight angrily at the blue unicorn, who was kicking back on one of the chairs available in the castle's lounge. "I followed every procedure in the book, I'll have you know." Proudly she huffed. "...And what book would that be?" "Whichever book lists out the required procedures for storing dangerous beasts." "Again - not her fault." Sighed Starlight. "But the timing considered - what could've made it so...mad?" "...Could it have something to do with me?" The human proposed, setting the tea down on the table and becoming lost in thought. "I mean, if what happened yesterday came out of nowhere, it really does coincide with me showing up..." "..." Nopony said anything for a time - Trixie not having much to say, while neither of the "Lights" liked the implications in a potential truth to the words. "Well there shouldn't be any immediate reason, right?" Said Starlight with a glimmer of hope. "It's hard to imagine just what the cause is - could all be just a coincidence?" "I don't want to assume the worst, but..." Said Twilight without any sparkle to her downcast eyes. "While this entire case is an outlier, I have seen that travelling between dimensions can cause instability; but that was when..." She frowned in remembrance that Celestia asked the subject not to be spoken of. "Well, you would - theoretically - need to visit a dimension somewhat identical to yours a hundred times before the border begins to become unstable. "But that was when the dimensions were remotely similar! At-least with the same ponies and areas. Since your world is so different, well...I don't know..." "Is there any way for us to know?" Asked the human, posture tense. "Or to fix it, if it's related to me?" "...I did want to introduce you to the princesses." Sighed Twilight in defeat. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but I felt it was necessary. Celestia knows a thing or thousand about...different dimensions and realities." 'That's right' - the human thought. The mirrors; as seen in Equestria Girls, and Reflections - in the comic. Celestia was no doubt somepony with a lot of input to the situation, but worse; the potential power to return the human "home". And yet, there was no doubt that something wasn't right. The human wasn't blind to the environment, that it was getting too cold. In-between that and the beasts, what was going on? "We need to go." The human nodded once. "I suppose if anything is wrong, and it is related to me being in this world, then she will be able to fix it." "...I promise that no matter what, me and the girls will do everything we can to vouch and ensure for you staying here." Twilight attempted to reassuringly smile - a noble attempted noted by the human, and appreciated; but a worry-wart attempting to calm a worry-wart rarely had a chance of succeeding. "Thanks Twi..." "And hey..." Starlight chirped in. "There hasn't been an issue neither Twilight nor Princess Celestia couldn't resolve! Granted, one of those issues took about a thousand years, but - it worked out well in the end!" Earning a brief glare from Twilight, Starlight could only nervously smile, but judging that the human had brightened up a tad, Twilight surrendered to the fact it worked. "We'll go tomorrow morning. That should be good, right?" The alicorn asked. "We'll get the rest of the girls on-board too, I know they've been kind of itching to see Canterlot - we haven't been there for a bit." "...Is there anything I should know when I meet the Princesses?" Asked the human - a precaution for things should the show have left something out. "...Yeah! Just, be yourself!...And be ready for Celestia to mayybeeee horse around a little. She does that to ponies she likes." *** The human laid on their bed, staring at the ceiling. The rest of the day hadn't been much too eventful - but it was a nice time to become acquainted with Ponyville just a little more - Pinkie finally finishing her promised tour, thankfully this time without the excess accessories and souvenirs. Still, sleep became hard. It became hard as it was cold - despite the presence of a blanket and heating. The human wasn't able to handle it. They were a shy guest and wouldn't ever want to take something without permission - but Twilight stated at-least five times today - and Spike twice - that the human was free to feel at home. They supposed that perhaps getting a warm cup of hot chocolate, possibly with milk, could sedate them enough. They put on their in-door clothing and navigated through the Castle, using a map personally provided by Twilight, with a magical tracker that pointed not only their location, but Spike's, Twilight's, and Starlight's as well - in-case they ever needed anything and couldn't find them. The kitchen was almost humble - the human needed only half a minute to walk between the drawer containing the hot chocolate powder and the kettle, partially because they tried to walk as stealthily as they could manage, not wanting to awake anypony else. The cup was made with only a few extra minutes of searching and fumbling. The human decided to drink it on the spot, looking out of a window that gave them a view over the distant mountains - and then - Canterlot. They gazed at the capital. Would this meeting jeopardize their hopes and dreams? Would Celestia deem it fit to have them returned, if she had that power? Why did they feel so scared? Why were they so apprehensive? They were excited to meet the Princesses - but the possible fear made them...more than anxious. They felt upset a chance even existed. They felt some sort of emotion that was hatred - not towards the princesses they haven't met yet, but towards the cards the human had been dealt. That of all worlds to yearn to be in, it was one where there was knowledge of how to move to different worlds. As they were caught in the emotions, they took a sip of the hot chocolate. And recoiled as they saw a layer of ice on the recently boiled liquid of the hot chocolate. They gasped - feeling shock from the unexpected drop in the liquid's temperature, coupled with a sudden near frostbiting chill on the cup. They let go of it, and the ceramic object started to descend onto the floor. Thankfully, a turquoise glow enveloped it, and the cup began to levitate. The human immediately recognized this and turned to the door, where a sleepy Starlight stood with a cute little smile, and nearly shut-eyes that winced to every source of light. "Hey." Said the unicorn suppressing a yawn. "Sleepwalking? I get the impression that Trixie's also a sleepwalker - if there was any space for walking in her wagon, that is." She chuckled, setting the cup back on the kitchen counter. "That is to say, I've become used to waking up when some other pony is up. You doing alright though?" "I..." The human struggled to answer in time, which immediately prompted Starlight's counselling self to approach at a better angle to see their face. However while she saw worry and concern, she knew of only one reason. "Worried about meeting Celestia?" She proposed. "Twilight gave me some..."insider info" on what goes in the industry of dimensional-crossing over the last few years. That, and so did Sunset Shimmer - a friend I met under those kinds of circumstances." She said, leaning against the counter. "And after what I've seen and heard, you don't fit the criteria for Celestia to want you gone from this world." She assured them. "...But why not? Especially if I'm a risk to this world..." "Well..." Starlight huffed thoughtfully. "Like - think of it this way. Your world would've needed to be a mirror of our world for you to negatively affect it, having the consistency of the personalities, locations, and history in some shape or form. But seeing as how you're so distant from our world, there shouldn't be any disturbance in the balance between our worlds if it's so...asymmetrical already. That, and your world hasn't been affected by leaks of Equestrian Magic either; meaning your world doesn't experience the appearance of random magical artifacts that keep finding their way in the hand of some very scornful teenagers. At-least that's how Sunset put it..." "There could be another factor..." The human looked at the cup. "Maybe - maybe whatever's happening could be a new, totally unrelated factor. But that being said...Celestia, while taking the risks of dimensional travel very seriously, isn't a tyrant either. If there's any conceivable way for us to keep you here, we'll be sure to take it." "Do you think she or any of the others might want me to leave though if we...figure out that something about my presence is making things wrong?" "..." Starlight frowned at the words. She approached the human and reassuringly put a hoof on their hand that held the cup - too short to reach their shoulder. "Want? No, of course not. In the worst of the worst circumstances, we may need to take measures that may or may not have consequences. If I had to give a guess, I'd say this will all end up with the Princesses, myself, and Sunburst - maybe even Starswirl if it's bad enough - to design a spell that will fix whatever problem it is we're facing. But no matter what we try - no matter what your presence here does - we wouldn't want to just...remove you." "But if it becomes necessary? What if--" Starlight used her magic to make the human's mouth stop making noise. It disturbed them - but Starlight hadn't had much of a consideration for the affect of her spell on others; not a malicious trait, just a clumsy one. The human was aware of this, as Starlight was very generous in her application of magic upon other ponies even after her redemption - age reversal, brainwashing, all that. "Ifs aren't important. It's normal for anypony and anycreature to be more pessimistic than need be. In the end of any problem is at-least a little bit of silver lining. If you consider how close Equestria was to being doomed when either Tirek or Discord had nearly taken it over, you might argue that Twilight pulled off a clutch at 1-to-10 odds against her. Don't get me started on the Cozy Glow incident either...Equestria has seen doom many times - but the resolve of its inhabitants is enough to let it last...If you'd even believe me, I myself have saved Equestria once - alongside Trixie, Discord, and Thorax; when everypony else was captured by Chrysalis herself. Talk about things working out against all odds, right?" "I'm still in shock, I guess - and sometimes I feel that this reality is..."fragile"." Said the human, attempting to scan the kitchen for ways to reheat the cup; the recent thoughts distracting them from the strange phenomenon. Starlight noticed this and gladly helped; levitating the cup over to a microwave that was probably applying magic rather than actual EM-waves. "Fragile? We're not made out of glue and ceramic, ya know." Snorted the unicorn. "Have you ever had a good dream that lasted until morning - near the time you usually wake up?" Asked the human. "Plenty of times, why?" "You've had these moments I guess. A good dream - but since you're waking up soon, your body is becoming more self-aware. And with the additional light and the sounds, it becomes harder to stay asleep. And it feels like every action you take in your dream makes you wake up faster." "Uh-uuuuh...?" "My appearance in this world feels like a really good dream. I've always dreamed of..." The hesitated to form their words carefully. "I've always dreamed of appearing in a world like this. It's peaceful here. Safe, nice...And it's pretty fair and just as well. I have my own reasons as to why it's so special, but waking up in Equestria is a massive dream come-true. It's a fascinating world and it feels too good to be true...But...I'm so amazed I'm actually in a place like this - in such disbelief, that I'm scared that maybe this dream will stop. I'm afraid that if I speak too much or act too much, maybe this will all return to being a dream and I'll be back...wherever I was. And-- OUCH!" Interrupted rudely - the human recoiled at the feeling of a sharp pinching sensation on their arm. They looked to see a smug Starlight, smirking softly. "Here ya go. This isn't just a dream at all. Convinced?" "...Hah, you're...a pragmatist, aren't you?" Giggled the human, rubbing their arm not to nurse the pain, but to savor the pain that made it clear they weren't just sleeping. "I like to be simple and efficient...Most of the time. Sometimes I go with my gut feeling and that sure can be anything but simple and efficient. The Princesses are both aware of how messy that gets." "Yeah, I can imagine..." Leaving the human with a once-again hot cup of hot chocolate, Starlight gave a final reassuring smile for tonight. "It may not go as smoothly as we want, but I have a feeling that it'll all work out - sooner or later. Things aren't doomed just because they seem so. Now get some sleep - we're waking up in like four hours!" "R-Right! Good night!" The human fumbled in their words as they waved to Starlight. They swallowed and frowned when they remembered what happened to the cup earlier, but when they held the cup this time...they were content to see that it was still warm, and not a degree colder.