//------------------------------// // Old Wounds // Story: Little Keys // by Skijarama //------------------------------// Twilight caught up with the rest of the group shortly, and together they set off, following Minuette’s lead deeper into Canterlot. Twilight took the opportunity to try and catch up with her old friend some more, hoping to lift their collective spirits with the other unicorn’s infectious enthusiasm. Thankfully, Minuette was happy to oblige, sharing stories of her career as a dentist, and the crazy things she got up to with Lemon Hearts and Twinkle Shine. Apparently, those two were still the same as they had ever been. Lemon Hearts was still timid and soft-spoken, while Twinkle was her usual cocky, brash, outspoken self.  It was comforting to Twilight, knowing that even with all of the crazy things her life had thrown at her, some things never changed. Twilight, in turn, took the chance to speak of her time in Ponyville. Rainbow and Spike were more than happy to join in on that conversation, sharing their takes on Twilight’s stories while also telling a fair few of their own. Minuette was a great listener, but also a very talkative one, constantly interrupting to ask questions or make some kind of goofy comment or other. Not that Rainbow or Spike really seemed to mind. They smiled and laughed just about every time Minuette piped up. Pretty much the only one who wasn’t invested in the discussion was Rarity. She was fairly quiet through it all. Probably out of a desire to not intrude on the long-overdue reunion. But it didn’t take long for Minuette to start prodding her to share some of her own stories. Thankfully, Minuette was a much better listener with Rarity. If there was any irritation left in Rarity over Minuette’s earlier antics, it evaporated in mere moments once she was brought into the conversation. Soon enough, Rarity was laughing and chattering with the rest of them as if she had known Minuette her whole life. To be expected, given Minuette’s… odd special talent. Their path eventually took them out of Minuette’s residential district and out into a large, busy plaza surrounded by an assortment of establishments from clothing stores, antique shops, and various eateries. It was around lunchtime, and as such, there was a near-constant rush of ponies eager to get in a quick meal, or in the cases of those who did not have work to get back to, to spend their free time doing what they wished. In such a stampede, Twilight was thankful to discover that their little troupe was easily overlooked. Only those who passed right next to them even had a chance of recognizing the princess and alicorn in the public space, and even then, most only had eyes for the royalty. Most would simply give a quick nod of their head and a soft greeting to their princess, but otherwise just kept going on with their day, leaving the whole group more or less undisturbed. Twilight felt grateful that Rainbow had drilled it into this city’s head to not make a big deal out of her being in public when they were foals. Minuette paused next to a lamppost, shielding her eyes with a hoof and scanning the plaza with a comically exaggerated squint. A few moments passed before her eyes lit up, and she pointed at a smaller building nestled comfortably between one of the aforementioned antique shops and a candy store. It was a humble, single-story affair with tall windows in the front. Stacks of books stood on display, and even from here, Twilight could tell that it was a bookstore. “As if Moondancer would work anywhere else,” she thought with a small smile. Minuette grinned, bouncing in place. “There it is! Told ya I knew where it was!” “Great! So, what’s the plan?” Rainbow asked, turning to the others. “We just wanna go in and ask around?” Twilight hesitated, suddenly hit by a wave of doubt as something occurred to her. She bit her lip, considering their options. A moment later, she voiced her concern. “Well… what if Moondancer is at work right now?” “Well, wouldn’t that be ideal?” Spike asked, tilting his head.  “I mean, then we could skip all the subterfuge.” “But Moondancer doesn’t want to talk to me,” Twilight countered. “If I go in there, she might get paranoid. What if she thinks I’m stalking her? What if she thinks I want to hurt her again? That won’t go over well… I don’t want to get anypony in trouble, and I don’t want to cause her any grief at her work of all places.” That gave the group pause. Everypony looked amongst themselves. After a moment, Rainbow shrugged. “Meh. I’ll go in and scout it out. She hasn’t seen me yet, so she probably won’t make a fuss if it’s just me. Besides, last time we were trying to dig up info on a mare without causing a ruckus, you all went in without me. My turn.” Twilight decided against pointing out the fact that, last time, they had only left Rainbow behind because she was the one likely to cause a scene. “Very well, then, dear,” Rarity nodded at the pegasus. “We’ll wait for you out here, then.” Without a word, Rainbow made her way to the store.  Twilight shifted uneasily on her hooves, watching as Rainbow disappeared inside. It didn’t take long for Rainbow to come back out and beckon to them with a grin. Coast clear, then. Twilight stepped in first and was met by the sight of a very well-kept, homely interior. Warm lights shone down from a set of four hanging chandeliers, accented by the shafts of sunlight pouring in through the display windows in front. Several rows of bookcases made of finely carved wood were arranged before them, and Twilight’s mind was immediately drawn from her present endeavors to her overwhelming desire to read. Minuette shot her a knowing look and giggled. “Eheh~! You gonna start drooling?” Twilight sucked in a bit of saliva and shook her head. “N-no!” Everypony looked at her skeptically. She shrunk in on herself a bit. “...No?” Rainbow snickered and clapped Twilight on the back. “Ha! Tell ya what, when all this gunk with ‘Dancer is sorted out, I’ll bring ya over here myself. Just the two of us. My treat.” Twilight smiled at her, a warm bubbly feeling swelling in her chest. “Heh… Alright. It’s a date.” Minuette perked up. “Wait, date?” Rainbow went visibly rigid. Spike’s face was split as a tiny malevolent smirk befitting a red dragon about to devour a poor damsel for lunch. “Oh, yeah, those two have it bad for each other.” Minuette inhaled sharply. “Oh my gosh! Really?!” “Anyways moving right along,” Rainbow cut Minuette off, ushering the group deeper in. “Gotta job to do! Let’s do it, yeah? Got it? Got it. Kay, good, awesome.” Rarity tittered under her breath. “Adorable…” Before the group could get much farther, somepony cleared their throat off to one side. Twilight turned and saw a bright pink unicorn mare with a two-toned red mane and tail tied back into a stylish bun smiling back at them. She had buttery yellow eyes set behind thick-framed reading glasses. Her cutie mark was of an open book being written in with a quill. She wore a practiced, welcoming smile. When she spoke, her voice was high and airy, filled with optimistic cheer, and just slightly accented. “Hello! Welcome to The Open Tome! I’m Bookmark Ribbon, but you can just call me Ribbon! Can I help you find anything?” Twilight took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Er, not exactly… We were actually hoping you’d be willing to answer a few questions for us?” Ribbon quirked a brow, eyeing her customers with more scrutiny. It was then that she noticed Twilight’s wings, and the color drained from her face somewhat. Twilight felt a pang of guilt, and a stab of frustration. “Is it too much to ask for somepony to recognize me and not be afraid?!” “You know how small-minded these ponies can be,” Midnight spat. “They will never look at you the same way again. They blame you for acts brought about by their own silence and ignorance.” Twilight flinched back, taking a deep breath. “I… er…” Ribbon muttered anxiously, glancing at the rest of the group. Rainbow stepped in to save the day. “She’s here on my authority. There isn’t a problem with that, is there?” she asked in a friendly tone. Ribbon all but jumped out of her skin as she realized that there was a princess in the party. She quickly bowed her head low, frantically babbling out an apology. “O-oh! I’m sorry, Your Highness! No, no problem at all. I just… wasn’t expecting this today.” Rainbow nodded slowly. “I gotcha. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. We’re here on personal business, so don’t go getting your bun in a knot on our account. We would still like those questions answered, though. It’s kinda important for Twilight’s, er… legal stuff.” “Truly, the prime example of the eloquence of royalty,” Midnight jabbed sarcastically. “What a joke.” Twilight closed her eyes, forcing herself to take a deep breath and quell the tingling in the back of her skull. She couldn’t deal with Midnight right now. Ribbon stood back up and adjusted her glasses. “Of course, Your Highness. Whatever you need.” Twilight opened her eyes and put on a friendly smile. “I’m sorry for startling you.” Ribbon paused, tilting her head slightly. A moment later, she visibly relaxed and put on a smile of her own. “Apology accepted. What can I do for you?” Twilight let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Finally! Progress! Fighting the urge to grin, she leaned forward slightly. “I was hoping you’d be willing to tell me a little bit about Moondancer. I was told that she works here?” Ribbon’s smile faded, and she frowned. “...Moondancer? I don’t know who told you that she works here, but I’m afraid they were mistaken.” Twilight blinked, an uneasy feeling settling into her gut. “What do you mean?” Ribbon sighed. She took off her glasses and rubbed at the bridge of her snout. When she spoke next, her voice sounded tired and dismayed at her own words. “...Moondancer was fired last week.” Twilight blinked, her mind racing. Moondancer had been fired? But, then… Ribbon put her glasses back on, her brow furrowed and her eyes reflecting her dissatisfaction. She shook her head. Rarity stepped forward carefully. “Why? What happened, if I may ask?” She asked in a respectfully low voice. Ribbon shrugged. “I wasn’t there that day. All I can tell you is that she had a meltdown in the store. Started yelling at somepony for some reason. The manager caught her doing it and fired her on the spot.” Minuette deflated, looking at the rest of the store. “Just like that? Even if she was yelling at somepony, that seems harsh…” Ribbon looked away. “It wasn’t the first time something set her off… I don’t know what all that mare was going through, but I could tell that it was a lot. It’s such a shame, too. Whenever she was in a good place, she was a really smart and sweet mare. Usually. But most of the time, she just seemed so far away. I tried to reach out to her a few times, but she always brushed me away.” A heavy silence fell over the group from this new information. Twilight took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her rampaging thoughts and focus. As upsetting as this was, they still had a job to do, and she wasn’t about to be dissuaded so easily. She leaned in pleadingly. “Please. If there is anything else you can tell us…” Ribbon gave Twilight an appraising look, her eyes narrowing in thought. “What is it to you, anyway? Why do you want to know so badly?” she asked. Twilight hesitated, not sure how to form the words. She didn’t want to put it out there that Moondancer had been one of her victims. Ribbon’s trust was already strained, even with Rainbow’s influence. But, in the end, Twilight decided to settle on the simplest, and most honest answer she could. “I want to help her. She’s my friend.” Ribbon was quiet for a few seconds, her frown persisting. A moment later, she relented. “Well, I’m not sure what else I can tell you… She usually kept to herself. She was quiet, but polite most of the time. She spent most of her time reading when she wasn’t dealing with customers or tending to the shelves. She was good at smiling for customers, but I could see that the poor thing was not in a good place. She always came in looking exhausted, and I could see that she was hurting all the time. Like, physically hurting. Like she was sore and stiff, and she was just gritting her teeth to bear it in front of the rest of us. And she was so easy to upset, too… One time, a little foal was talking about, er… the changelings…” Twilight’s ears folded back. Ribbon continued. “It was like somepony flipped a switch. Moondancer dropped what she was doing and went to the back office. When I went to check on her, she looked like she was having a panic attack in the corner. Hyperventilating and the like. When I tried to ask her what was wrong, she practically yelled at me to get away. She looked terrified.” Rainbow looked down, a grim look settling over her face. “She must’ve had it bad, then…” Ribbon nodded. “Everypony had it bad. The Changelings didn’t discriminate… But yes, I can only guess she had it worse than others.” The group was quiet for several seconds. Twilight’s eyes were locked onto the counter, unfocused as her mind spun. She momentarily imagined Moondancer being forcefully encased in one of those vile cocoons, probably fighting back for all she was worth. But it hadn’t been enough. “Oh, Moondancer…” she breathed, closing her eyes. It wasn’t right… “Where can we find her?” Rainbow suddenly asked, her tone firm. Twilight’s eyes shot open, and she turned to face Rainbow. The hardened expression on the pegasus’ face sent a chill down Twilight’s spine. Her jaw was set into a grim frown, her brow was angled sharply, and there was something raging behind her eyes. It was the same look Rainbow had when they came to Canterlot for the first time after Twilight awoke with amnesia. Ribbon was clearly taken aback by Rainbow’s expression, leaning back. “I… Er, she lives in an old apartment complex down near that old stadium. It’s about a twenty-minute walk from here. Room six, I think?” Minuette suddenly perked up. “Oh! Oh! I know where that is! I passed by it last time I went to a Wonderbolts show here!” Rainbow nodded, her lips quirking up into a hollow smile. “Good. Then I guess we know where we’re headed next, don’t we?” she said before addressing Ribbon. “Thanks for the info. You’ve been a big help. Twi and I are probably gonna be by here sometime in the next couple of days to do some browsing.” Ribbon perked up slightly at that, clearly enticed by the prospect of business from royalty. “Oh, uh, well, I look forward to it, Your Highness! But uh, if I may ask…” Twilight stiffened slightly when Ribbon’s gaze fell on her again. It wasn’t stern or suspicious, but there was clearly doubt hidden in her eyes.  “If you find her… what do you plan to do?” Ribbon asked a few seconds later, her voice low and tentative. Twilight was quiet for a moment, then sighed, shaking her head. “I’m not really sure, yet. But I’ll figure it out.” Ribbon nodded slowly at that. “Alright… just be gentle with her. I don’t know her all that well, but I still care about her. Be careful, won’t you?” Twilight gave Ribbon a small smile. “I will, don’t worry. If she doesn’t want my help, I won’t force it.” Ribbon managed to smile in turn. With that, Twilight stepped out of the bookstore. The others pooled around her, an uncomfortable silence settling over them as they processed this new information. “So, are we going directly to Moondancer?” Spike asked once they had all assembled outside, gathering by a lamp post as their haunt. A brief silence fell over the group as they considered their options. Twilight looked down, her brow furrowed and her lips drawn into a thin line. Moondancer had been volatile this morning, and now they knew she had been this way for a while. Things must have been really bad if she was willing to yell at Minuette or even a total stranger in a bookstore. It was hard to imagine the shy, socially awkward bookworm Twilight had known being so hostile. Had she not been on the receiving end of her ire, she wouldn’t have believed it.  Twilight spoke her mind a few seconds later. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. She’s probably still fuming after our last encounter… And after everything we’ve learned today, it sounds like she’s in a really bad place. Maybe we should give her some time to cool off and calm down a little?” Rarity glanced at her quizzically. “Are you certain we have time for that?” she asked uneasily. “You are on a time limit, darling, as much as it pains me to say it.” “And you said it yourself. Moondancer’s in a really bad place,” Rainbow reminded them, her brow furrowing. “And I get why. I’ve been there. The last thing she needs is to be left alone to let her own thoughts eat her alive.” Twilight flinched, looking away from the pegasus. A moment later, Rainbow cupped her chin with a hoof and turned her head so they were eye to eye. “I get that it’s probably gonna be rough, and I ain’t gonna force you. But Twi… I really think we should go to her as soon as possible.” Twilight blinked as Rainbow sighed and turned away. “I can’t leave her hanging, remember? Especially now.” Twilight fell silent, biting her lip as she went over the options in her head.  “Why bother delaying the inevitable?” Midnight groused impatiently. “If you’re going to go and make a fool of yourself in front of that mare, do it now and stop wasting everypony’s time.” Twilight grit her teeth behind closed lips. “If I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” “I think we established long ago that you’ll get it regardless.” Twilight sighed and shook her head to dispel her demon’s snapping remarks. She looked up at Rainbow, who had turned back to face her. Her gaze drifted between those of all of her assembled friends, and as her anxiety and fear redoubled, so too did her refusal crumble into dust. Rarity took a gentle step forward. “I know it may be… unpleasant, darling,” she said softly. “And indeed, it may not go well at all. You may walk away empty-hooved and distraught. But it’s not about you anymore. It’s about Moondancer.” Something in Twilight gave in. She looked down at the ground again, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. “Okay… okay, you all win. We’ll go to her,” she said before looking back up. “But if she asks us to leave, we leave. We respect her privacy. If she doesn’t want our help, we can’t make her accept it.” “She’ll appreciate the offer, I’m sure of that much,” Rainbow noted with a sharp nod of her head. “And if it makes you feel better, I can take the lead again. Talk to her ahead of the rest of you. Ya know, soften the landing, break the ice a little. I mean, she doesn’t have any reason to be pissy at me.” She then frowned and glanced back at Spike. “Right?” “All I can think of is the time you scared her with that ‘medusa’ costume of yours that one Nightmare Night, but that was ages ago,” he replied with a shrug. “And even then, she laughed with you afterward.” Twilight smiled at Rainbow, her heart fluttering at the offer. “That would be a big help, Rainbow. Thank you.” “Then it’s settled!” Rarity declared with a sharp nod. Somewhere deep in her eyes, Twilight thought she saw the faintest hint of a spark, and a pressure that had been advancing on the edges of her mind withdrew all at once until it was just a subtle tingle at the edges of her mind, forgotten as quickly as it was noticed. Rarity then turned to Minuette. “Minuette, dear, if you would be so kind as to lead the way?” Minuette giggled and jumped in place, clearly eager to get a move on. “Alright! But first…” Her tone suddenly dropped. All eyes turned back to her, and Twilight was startled to see what could only be described as the murderous delight of a trickster imp blazing in her old friend’s eyes. Minuette stomped up to Twilight, each step almost enough to shake the earth beneath her hooves. “Uh…” Twilight leaned away from Minuette, growing increasingly anxious. Had she done something wrong? She looked back and forth at the others, hoping for an explanation, but they all looked just as confused as she felt. Minuette glared into her face for a few seconds, before grabbing onto Twilight’s shoulder and shaking her with the fury of a yak with Pinkie energy. “WHEN WERE YOU GONNA TELL ME THAT YOU AND RAINBOW ARE DATING?!” Minuette’s shriek bounced up and down the streets like the wail of a banshee. So loud was the call that Twilight’s ears were ringing long after the echoes faded into silence.  A silence that existed because everypony on the street had stopped to stare at the congregation. Twilight’s cheeks began to heat up from the looks they were getting. Rainbow didn’t look much better, shrinking in on herself. Minuette seemed utterly oblivious to their embarrassment, as the murder in her eyes rapidly morphed into unrestrained delight. “Oh, wow! I always knew you two were, like, the bestest of best friends when we were fillies, but I always thought you were more like sisters! But now you’re dating, and I can totally see it, and that explains so much about all of the little looks and all the physical affection and GAH! It’s so CUTE!” And then Minuette hugged her. Twilight’s brain was having a hard time catching up. Spike, meanwhile, fell right over onto the stone street, laughing hysterically. Rainbow buried her face in her wings. “Minnie… d’ya think you coulda picked a worse spot to announce that to the whole world?” It was at about this time that Minuette seemed to realize the gravity of her mistake. She pulled away from Twilight and looked toward the passing ponies with a sheepish grin. “Eheh… um… oops?” she ventured weakly. “It’s… okay, I guess?” Twilight said, though there was no strength in her voice. After a moment she shook herself and started down the street. “So. Uh, anyway… Moondancer?” she said eagerly, hoping to get the group moving away from the staring crowd. Minuette realized her motives easily enough and soon took up a position at the head of the pack, leading the group away from the plaza and all of the staring eyes. Rainbow came up beside Twilight as they went, her face still beet-red from embarrassment. A few moments passed before Twilight gave her a sideways smile out of sympathy. “Hey, it could’ve been worse,” she said. “Blegh,” Rainbow dismissed, sticking out her tongue. Twilight simply giggled at the response before focusing ahead. The walk through the Canterlot streets was spent largely in silence. At least, that was how it felt to Rainbow Dash as she followed Minuette toward the old stadium. The structure loomed against the rest of Canterlot’s pointy skyline, standing out like a sore thumb. It was made even worse by the still-evident signs of damage leftover from Chrysalis’ invasion. Not that the structure was damaged, but patches of new stonework were visibly more pristine than those that had been spared, making the entire structure look patchy and disjointed. It was like an old quilt that someone was trying to extend with new squares of fabric. The rest of this part of the city had a similar feeling to it. These streets were narrow and claustrophobic, even when compared to where Minuette made her home. Rainbow couldn’t help but furrow her brow as they went, casting her eyes this way and that. The buildings here were smaller and clustered closer together. Many, she imagined, would struggle to house more than one pony. Parts of the street beneath their hooves were broken open, but not by damage from the invasion. No, it just looked like regular wear and tear that just hadn’t been repaired yet. Similar signs of age marked many of the homes as they passed, making Rainbow grimace uncomfortably. “Goodness…” Rarity whispered, looking around with wide eyes. “I do not say this to sound rude, but I hadn’t realized there was any part of Canterlot that looked quite so… rough, so to speak.” “Canterlot’s a big city, Rarity,” Rainbow said solemnly, glancing to one side as they passed by a family of other ponies heading the other way. Her gaze lingered on them for a few seconds before looking ahead. “It’s nicer than most, but it’s still got places that don’t get a whole lot of love.” Minuette sighed, looking forlornly off to one side. “It got worse after the invasion, you know… A lot of ponies lost their homes.” Twilight let off a quiet hum to Rainbow’s right, drawing the pegasus’ attention. The alicorn’s eyes were downcast, her lips drawn into a thin line. Rainbow wondered what was going through her mind, but Rarity spoke before she had a chance to prod about it. “That’s awful… But Celestia and Luna helped those ponies who were displaced by the fighting, yes?” “Uh-huh,” Minuette replied with a sharp nod. “A lot of relief packages, shelters, food drives. You know, stuff like that.” “But they couldn’t help everyone,” Rainbow thought bitterly, taking a deep breath. “And some things just can’t be fixed by throwing royal money at it.” The group, at last, came to a four-way intersection. Heading straight would have taken them directly to the stadium, while left and right would take them down long, narrow streets of more low-income housing. Minuette came to a stop and pointed to a building on the corner to their left. “There it is!” she chirped. Rainbow blinked. It was a simple two-story affair, with three front-facing doors per floor. The walls were the typical Canterlot stonework, although the intended splendor of such construction was marred by the odd crack and sign of erosion. The foundation was marked with stains of mud and growths of moss. A staircase on the left side of the building went up to the upper set of doors. “Looks cramped,” Spike commented quietly. “Very…” Rainbow agreed with a slow nod, squinting at the old complex for any sign of which door was Moondancer’s. After a moment, she turned back to the others. “So, this the part where I go in and solo things?” There was a clear air of discomfort around the group as she asked the question, but nopony offered up any protest. The only one who spoke was Twilight, her voice gentle. “Just… please, be careful. Try not to upset her.” Rainbow put on her trademark smirk to hide any and all uncertainty she might have been feeling and ruffled Twilight’s mane. “You worry too much. I got this,” she said confidently. The show of bravado seemed to do wonders to ease Twilight’s concern, and she was even able to put on a small smile. Rainbow pulled out of her hug and nodded at the others. “Alright, all of you hang back. I’ll come get ya if and when I need ya.” “Good luck, Dashie,” Minuette offered. Rainbow nodded, puffed up her chest, and then turned to the apartment complex. A small pit formed in her stomach, and her smile faded. Somewhere deep in her mind, a part of her told her that she was not the right pony for this job, that she’d just stumble over her words and make things worse for everypony. The same tiny voice that always screamed at her for being so powerless when it mattered. She took a few deep breaths and chased that voice away with a firm shake of her head. Wordlessly, she took to the air with a few flaps of her wings and soon alighted on the walkway in front of room six. It was a plain, brown wooden door with a peephole and a metal knocker. Rainbow only hesitated for a moment, shot a glance back at the others, and then knocked three times. There was a moment of silence before the door popped partially open. The interior space was dimly lit, but Rainbow could make out Moondancer’s face in the gloom. Moondancer squinted at her for a moment, giving Rainbow a second to really see the mare her old friend had grown into. Her heart twisted at what she saw. Moondancer looked beyond exhausted; heavy bags under her bloodshot eyes, her once tidy and well-kept bun of a mane messy and with the odd hair poking out all over. Even her sweater looked ratty and old, seeming like it would be terribly itchy to wear. Rainbow swallowed heavily. “Uh… Moondancer?” she asked quietly. Moondancer’s purple eyes shot wide open with recognition. “Rainbow Dash…?” she breathed, blinking several times. “Princess Rainbow Dash? What… why… why are you here? What do you want?” Rainbow put on a tiny smile. “I think you can guess.” Moondancer stared at her for a few seconds longer before her eyes narrowed. “...You’re here because of what happened with her, aren’t you?” she asked, a strange mix of dread and venom seeping into her whispered words. Rainbow nodded carefully. “Yeah. I am.” Moondancer screwed her eyes shut, taking a long, deep breath. Rainbow took the chance to speak again. “Can I come in? I just wanna talk.” Moondancer let out her breath in a frustrated groan, then opened her eyes. There was a clear fury burning behind them, but reigned in and controlled by something else. “Fine. If you have to talk about it… Let’s just get this over with,” she relented, opening the door the rest of the way and withdrawing inside. Rainbow glanced back over her shoulder at the intersection. The others were all watching her from a safe distance up the street, and she doubted a non-pegasus would be able to recognize them from this far without knowing where to look. She locked eyes with Twilight for a moment, hoping to convey comfort through that small connection. Twilight met her gaze for a moment before giving a slow nod of her head. Rainbow took that as her cue and stepped into Moondancer’s home, closing the door behind her.