//------------------------------// // Some Glory in Their Birth, Some in Their Skill // Story: The Mulberry Mare Disappears in the End // by Yuu //------------------------------// Two mares, the grey one and the mulberry one, entered the library. Three other mares sat around a big round table: the pink one, the yellow one, and the gamboge one. The cerulean one still slept on a pillow near the table. “Thank you all for coming,” the mulberry mare said. “I want to apologize for forgetting all your names. For the time being, I will have to address you using your descriptions.” “Sure,” the gamboge mare said. “But we have a more pressing issue: the disappearance of ponies,” the mulberry mare said. “I don’t know what’s happening in other cities, but I think we should fix our problem here first, before worrying about them.” “I agree,” the grey mare said. “But I don’t see our pink friend here, what has happened to her?” “Hey, I’m here!” The pink mare waved her foreleg to the grey mare. “She is here in this room, she actually has greeted you. But somehow only I can see and hear her. At the same time she can see and hear us, so I can repeat after her if she wants to say anything.” “That’s very sad,” the yellow mare said. “I hope we can talk to her again soon.” “I can still see plenty of ponies around here, I think,” the gamboge mare said, “but there are also some issues with my family members, which may be related to your problems.” “I see,” the mulberry mare said. “Well, I have a theory.” “Please do tell,” the grey mare said. “We know that some strange things are happening to everyone; someone can’t wake up, someone can’t be seen. Other ponies in town might be having similar problems, and while many of them could decide to just hide to cope with their problems, others might be looking for solutions.” Other mares nodded. “Do you have any ideas about who could help us?” the grey mare asked. “Let’s think about it together,” the mulberry mare said. “I have one idea so far, it is the chimera-like person, his name was... I still can’t remember his name.” She turned her ears to one of the windows. “I think I heard something outside, I will take a look.” She trotted to the door and went out. She looked around, but there was no one nearby. The streets were as empty as before. She returned to the library and sat near the table with her friends. “Unfortunately I couldn’t find— Wait a moment.” She looked at the gathered ponies. “Something is different. There are only four of you. Where is the sleeping one?” The grey mare was looking at where the cerulean mare used to be. “I’m sorry, I don’t know. She was here just a moment ago, I only noticed she was missing when you mentioned it.” “I’m not sure either,” the yellow mare said. “She probably went to another room.” “Maybe she has just disappeared?” The pink mare asked. “I saw her fly through the window.” The gamboge mare pointed to a closed window. “But the window...” The mulberry mare switched gaze between the gamboge mare and the pink mare. “Never mind, we might all have some kind of sickness we don’t know about.” The pink mare vigorously nodded several times. “I have a question.” The mulberry mare looked at the gamboge mare. “Can you see our pink friend here?” “No, I can't see her.” “Well, how many ponies do you see here, excluding me?” the mulberry mare asked. The gamboge mare looked around. “I see the grey one, the yellow one, the purplish one—” “Wait, the purplish one?” The mulberry mare began turning her head. The gamboge mare nodded and pointed her foreleg to a spot near the entrance door. The mulberry mare made a step in that direction. “Could you please describe her?” “She is rather small,” the gamboge mare said. “She has a light grey curly mane and a light purplish-grey coat.” “That sounds familiar,” the mulberry mare said. “I’ve probably seen her in town before.” “Yes, I have seen her before too,” the gamboge mare said. “Well, is she doing anything now?” the mulberry mare asked. The gamboge mare turned her ears to follow her gaze, tilted her head, then explained, “She says that everything is fine and it will be over soon.”  “It will be over soon?” the mulberry mare asked. “Does that mean ponies will return? Or stop disappearing? Or—” “You should stop this,” the gray mare said. “I prefer thinking that we will find a solution.” “We’ll get through this, we’ll get through this,” the mulberry mare muttered, then took a deep breath. She returned to the table. “I hope so. I’m still on edge, sorry. But I agree, We can look on the positive side of things. Let’s think of who could be responsible. Any ideas?” “It may be that chaotic guy you mentioned,” the gamboge mare said. “He's certainly very powerful.” “The shapeshifting ponies could be responsible,” the gray mare said. “Well, what about some other species,” the yellow mare said, “like a griffin, or a dragon?” “That’s possible, and I also have one candidate,” the mulberry mare said, “but I can’t remember who exactly. Maybe it will come back to me.” “I remember some notorious criminals,” the gamboge mare said. “One tried to capture ponies to sell them abroad as slaves, and another one also captured ponies, but to sell them as meat.” “I don’t think they can be responsible,” the gray mare said, “because they’ve both been dead for a very long time. By the way, I’m sorry, I need to visit the restroom. I will return in a moment.” “Sure,” the mulberry mare said. “I’ve heard of some good candidates so far, but does anyone have any other ideas?” “Let me think for a moment,” the yellow mare said. “Of course. By the way...” The mulberry mare grimaced and slumped on her pillow. “I’m sorry, I forgot what I was going to say. Where is our gray friend?” She stood up and looked around the room. The gamboge mare pointed to the door. “She just went to—” “I need to see her.” The mulberry mare trotted to the door. She reached the restroom, but it was empty. “Maybe I just can’t see her. Maybe she is still here.” Her gaze travelled from the floor to the ceiling and back. “Please, if you are here, do something.” Nothing moved in the restroom. The air was still. Silence. After waiting for some time, she returned to her friends. “She disappeared. I don’t know what to do.”