//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14 - Unwind 
// Story: I am Ruin 
// by XHunter 
//------------------------------//

Seven ponies had gathered around a large table in Golden Oak Library, having turned it into an impromptu conference room to discuss Ponyville's most recent occurrence—"Dizzy." 

Rarity and Fast Pace recounted their personal experiences interacting with Dizzy. They described her lack of any familial connection, clear distaste towards her supposed father, and signs of inner turmoil bubbling beneath the surface.

To Rainbow Dash, however, their words did nothing to sway her. It wasn't that she ignored their words, but that she remembered who Discord was—a trickster. A spirit of disharmony and deception who could twist minds, transform on a whim, and no moral compass to restrain his actions.

In her mind, taking anything at face value regarding Discord and his potential progeny seemed naive at best, and dangerously foolish at worst. She refused to accept any story about ‘Dizzy’ without irrefutable evidence. The draconequus had fooled them with illusions before, he could certainly be doing so again.

"We tried our best to end Dizzy's day off on a positive note," Rarity explained. "Eat dinner together and have a bit of a game night…"

"But she wasn't very receptive," Fast Pace finished. "She went along with it but wasn't actually engaged. I honestly think we annoyed her."

Twilight scribbled notes, brow furrowed. "There has to be more...she seems so ordinarily pony-like otherwise." The lack of concrete behavioral clues clearly bothered her.

"And that's a bad thing?" Applejack asked pointedly.

"Normally, no,” Twilight clarified. “but I was hoping for any insight into who or what she actually is.”

"Maybe that there is your evidence," Applejack offered. "She’s acting like a confused filly because she is one."

Rainbow Dash scoffed dismissively. "No evidence isn't proof of evidence," she said, butchering the idiom. "It could all be an act."

Applejack met Dash's glare. "Alright miss skeptical, you got any proof?"

Rainbow Dash shuffled uncomfortably under the glare of her friend. "Well...she punched some guy hard enough to break his nose!" she said weakly.

"That's it? We both know that either one of us would've done the same with enough prodding," Applejack chastised. "Remember that dragon in the mountains? Did hitting him make you some awful villain?"

"That was totally different!" Rainbow Dash disputed, defiantly.

Applejack took a bored posture, foreseeing the conversation ahead. "No, it ain't. Some inconvenience comes, and you both choose violence to end it quickly."

Rainbow Dash flew into the air in annoyance. "It was a dragon!" She splayed her hooves out to emphasize its size. "You know those big, fire-breathing, terrifying lizards that ea—OW!" Rainbow Dash continued before being hit on the head with a sticker of a smiling dragon, courtesy of Pinkie Pie.

"Redsy didn't do anything to deserve getting hit!" Pinkie Pie admonished. "The worst thing he did was push us away for interrupting his nap!"

"Whatever…" Rainbow Dash grumbled as she returned to her seat. "You guys don't have proof either.”

"Dashie, why are you so paranoid?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "I'm not being paranoid, I'm thinking smart. We can't just make blind mistakes anymore."

Twilight pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I understand caution, but you seem...personally upset over this. Even more than Applejack."

Applejack shook her head with a scowl. "Vermin messed up my farm, broke his word, and betrayed us. I wanna mess Discord up real nice myself, but that don't mean I'm gonna forgo decency over a hunch."

The others were forced to wait for Rainbow Dash's answer. Her reasoning was very personal, and she hated opening up to such an extent. She looked at each of the ponies at the table uncomfortably. They were her friends and despite that, their caring faces dissuaded her from speaking—looking more like interrogators.

Then she looked at Fluttershy…

and her hesitancy washed away.

Fluttershy, half-obscured by her mane, met Rainbow's gaze evenly with a gentle empathy that pierced her defenses more sharply than any interrogation could. It was always like that, Rainbow Dash’s oldest being the only one to break down her emotional shields.

Releasing a breath she didn't know she had held, Rainbow Dash relaxed. "It's just…what if I had died? I was seconds from jumping in before Angle did and, well, that could've been me."

Immediately Fluttershy got up and wrapped a wing around her friend. The others digested Rainbow Dash’s solemn admittance as Fluttershy gave reassuring nuzzles.

"Rainbow…I-I'm sorry, I don't know what to say," Twilight said softly before pausing in thought. "I'm sorry you've been going through that—thinking about your mortality."

Rainbow shook her head bitterly. "It's not about me. I keep imagining you all having to cope if I just...died.” She ground her hooves into the table. “Fluttershy's already hurt, I'm not going to mess up again and I’m not going to let the ponies I care about go through that. "

Fluttershy nuzzled Rainbow Dash's neck. "Please, stop blaming yourself," she firmly stated.

"You should listen to ‘Shy,” Applejack reaffirmed. “You know intervening would’ve made things worse.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. "Yeah…"

"So then stop looking backward, partner, and start looking forward," Applejack gently chastised.

"But…okay," Rainbow Dash said. 

Rarity dabbed at her suddenly misty eye with a tissue held in her magic. "Oh, darling, that's so sweet of you. You’re right, we don’t ever want to think about losing each other."

Rainbow waved it off with an awkward grin. "Yeah alright, getting sappy. Can we move this along?"

“Of course,” Rarity said with a chuckle. “Still, that doesn't justify your actions. You owe Dizzy an apology.”

"Yeah, I'll give her an apology…once we prove she's not Discord," Rainbow Dash responded.

"What did I just say!" Applejack scoffed.

Rainbow Dash lifted a silencing. "Woah woah woah, I'm talking about Twilight's plan. That's why she called us here, a plan to settle this Dizzy weirdness once and for all—get hard facts and evidence."

"Uh huh," Applejack said skeptically. "Stubborn Mule."

"Look who's talking!" Rainbow shot back playfully.







"Ahem, yes, my possible approach for unraveling the truth behind this 'Dizzy' situation," Twilight redirected. She summoned a whiteboard, several papers, and a corkboard filled with notes and red yarn from nowhere. She passed out the papers to each pony present.

Pinkie Pie gasped dramatically. "Wowee Twilight, your conspiracy board is almost as cool as my ‘Cakes to Flanks’ one!"

Twilight blinked. "Um, dare I ask what you could be possibly conspiring about?"

"It’s all in the name!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed “How does Celestia ensure all the cake she eats goes to her plot!"

"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight cried, aghast.

"What? We all want to know! Especially me and Rarity!" argued Pinkie Pie.

Sputtering from embarrassment, Rarity let out a guilty, "No…"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack shared an amused smirk at the fashionista's transparent intrigue for the secrets to having ‘The Royal Figure.’

"Ooh ooh, Fast Pace, do you know!" Pinkie Pie asked.

"No," he said, deadpan. "Why would you think I would?"

"Because you spend so much time with her—as a Royal Guard," she explained.

Looking at Pinkie Pie annoyed, Fast Pace said, "I'm a private, not a captain.”

Twilight loudly cleared her throat. "The plan," she emphasized, "is quite simple given the circumstances, but it should help point us in the right direction. All of us are going to try and be Dizzy's friends, or at least get to know her."

Rainbow Dash wrinkled her nose. "Err...why though?”

"Because that's what the princess tasked us with, silly,” Pinkie Pie said. “Weren't you listening when I told you?"

"After hearing that 'Discord reproduced,' I tuned out," Rainbow Dash nonchalantly admitted. "You were saying a lot, and I mean a lot, really fast."

"No wonder,"  Applejack groaned. "Pinkie, I told you to stay grounded!"

The party pony shrugged. "You know me."

"That I do," Applejack grumbled begrudgingly.

Twilight rapped a hoof on a diagram. "Girls! Focus!” she said. The diagram was a collection of six papers surrounding one another. The outer papers bore the cutie-mark of each pony present except Fast Pace, the center paper possessed a rudimentary drawing of Dizzy's head, signed by Spike.

"We're going to be creating what I like to call a ‘Circle of Commitments,’" Twilight explained. "Each of us is going to spend time with Dizzy and create opportunities for recurring meetings." 
She signaled for everyone to look at their paper. "For example, I'm going to use several tests to examine her knowledge and then offer to become her tutor. I'll be able to see how she does in quiet, low-energy environments, and be able to compare her knowledge to Discord's."

"Twilight, some of the questions are a bit…strange?" Rarity said confused as she peered at a copy of said test.

"It's a dual-purpose psychometric and scholastic analysis," Fast Pace elaborated, reading over her shoulder. "Clever efficiency, Twilight."

Applejack tipped her hat approvingly. "Two changelings with one buck, smart thinking."

"Thank you," Twilight said before resuming her lecture. "I’ve compiled some suggested ideas for everyone to consider until we reconvene tomorrow. But feel free to get creative!"

She levitated copies to each friend except Pinkie Pie, eager to get their personalized plans underway.

"Hey, Twilight, how come I don’t get one?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Twilight cracked a smile. "Because, Pinkie, your role is going to be the most important and last one!"

"Ooh, what's that!" Pinkie asked, excited.

"You're going to host Dizzy’s welcome party!" Twilight answered.

An explosion of confetti rained down as Pinkie gasped ecstatically, bouncing around the room shrieking with excitement. "Yes yes yes."

Rainbow regarded the celebrating pony flatly. "Why are you so excited, that's what you usually do."

"I know! But this time it’s part of an official Step-By-Step Twilight Scheme™!" Pinkie Pie proudly proclaimed.

Everybody shared an amused chuckle at her unabashed enthusiasm., Fast Pace even cracking a smile.

Once the cacophony settled, Twilight resumed. "Now then, Rainbow and myself will be covertly observing interactions to note anything concerning."

A quieter voice piped up. "I'd like to watch as well, if I may." Fluttershy's normally gentle face was set with uncharacteristic gravity. "I want to understand what kind of pony this filly truly is." 

The cold way the pegasus said her intentions caught everyone off guard. "O-of course, you're welcome to join!" Twilight said.

Pinkie Pie’s hoof shot up eagerly. "Sorry, Pinkie," Twilight answered before she could speak. "Any more and our stealth might be compromised."

"Aww," Pinkie Pie groaned. "That's gonna make party planning harder…oh well!"







"Hehe…that was impressive of you," Dizzy said, doing her best interpretation of the villainous stallion, Silent Mist. "At that time…you had already copied my water clone incantation."

Spike covered his mouth with a claw to muffle his voice. "I won't let my comrades die!" He said for White Fang's flashback panel.

"You had your clones say those words to attract my attention…" Silent Mist croaked in the present. White Fang stood behind him, keeping a blade to his throat with his magic. "While the real YOU," Dizzy tried her best to sound more intimidating, "stayed in the Mist and watched."

"Nice plan…" Silent Mist complimented, "but…"

The next panel showed a copy of Silent Mist appearing behind White Fang, Mist's clone pressing his own knife to White Fang's throat. "I'm also not that easy!" Finished the clone.

Spike excitedly pumped his fist and giddily said, "Oh man! This comic is so cool!"

"Yeah, kinda," Dizzy agreed. "Most comics aren't this…tactical, I guess that's the right term."

Spike shook his head knowingly. "Nah, only the popular stuff is like that. Though you still are kinda right, most comics are just bam bang boom and use magic to solve everything—nice to see cleverer resolutions." He briefly pondered if Dizztt had enough context to make deeper comparisons.

Spike and Dizzy had been reading the comic they started two days ago. During their reading, Spike had been subtly pushing Dizzy to be more into her acting, he wanted to test the waters for a question he had. Ever since Twilight had told him of her plan, Spike wanted to be of assistance to his adoptive sister. 

"That's why I don't like popular stuff, it's all the same, lazy garbage," Dizzy said.

"Sure it's all mostly the same," Spike emphasized, "but they're still enjoyable to read. You're not one of those 'everything's derivative' types, right."

Dizzy rolled her eyes. "Am I wrong if it's true?"

"Yes," Spike said flatly, "that kind of approach will make you a buzzkill."

"Rather be a buzzkill with standards than a brainless consumer," railed Dizzy.

Spike flicked a pencil erase at Dizzy teasingly. "Take that back!" He said playfully.

“Ow! Hey!” Dizzy yelped before chuckling.”I wasn’t calling you that, not directly!"

The two exchanged more banter with each other, the insult escalating in harshness but the two never took offense. When all was said and done, Spike realized it was the first time he had heard Dizzy laugh or even give a genuine smile. To him, there was an air of gloom surrounding Dizzy—she only ever chuckled or smiled for pleasantries, and the rare jokes she made were sarcastic quips at the expense of herself or others. This felt more genuine, her guard lowered.

As she tried suppressing more bouts of laughter, Spike seized his verbal opening. "Hmph, well if you're gonna be such a party pooper about creative works, maybe I shouldn't invite you to my Ogres and Oubliettes sessions!"

"Ogres…and Oubliettes?" Dizzy questioned slowly. "What the hell is that?"

Hook line and sinker! Spike thought. Ogres and Oubliettes was his contribution to Twilight’s plan—and quite a good one he would say.

Spike stood proudly and said, "Why, only the greatest tabletop RPG ever made! You can go on big adventures, slay grand beasts, and save beautiful princesses. But the best part," he paused for dramatic effect, "is that you can make your own adventures!"

He studied her closely for any glimmer of interest as she processed the concept. "I think I know what you're talking about…” she finally said. “It's one of those role-playing games with a dungeon master right?" Dizzy asked.

"Yeah!" Spike chirped happily before getting anxious. "You interested?"

"They're okay,” Dizzy said with a shrug. “I guess I could join—it's not like I have anything else to do," she remarked.

Spike pumped his fist subtly in success. "Yes! You won't regret it, I swear!"

Dizzy grinned nervously. "I didn't just agree to some demonic pact or something, right?"







Adam sat on the edge of the guest bed filling out an Ogres and Oubliettes character sheet. Spike had given him the sheet and a spare handbook after the meeting between his 'watchers' concluded. "There are way more choices here than D&D," he said with a mix of fascination and fear—fear at the difficulty of picking one.

The handbook held dozens of races, categorized by location. 'The people of Equustent' described the lore and abilities of various pony tribes—the Earth ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns he had become familiar with, as well as new groups like the Umbra, ponies who gained bonuses to all rolls while in shadows or Zebras being able to use Charisma for all spell casting. 

Mythological races like Dragons, Gryphons, and Centaurs were also listed under a region called the Wasted Lands. They left Adam questioning more of the strange parallelism between Earth and…whatever this world was called.

"Why are there so many choices," Adam groaned. "It's going to take so long to optimize a strategy."

Adam turned to the next page to see 'Travelers from the Eastern Continent.' He got the feeling this section was full of races that would parallel Asia. Sure enough, he saw Kirin listed, and he wondered if they existed or were just a fictitious race. Strangely, an image of a goat decked out in Greco-Roman armor was also labeled as an Eastern species. 

But what caught his interest was the entry on Minotaurs. According to Ogres and Oubliettes lore, the Minotaurs had once ruled a vast empire spanning the entire Eastern Continent, conquering and subjugating numerous races and nations under their cruel reign. The Bastion Empire lasted for centuries, ruled with an iron fist by a long lineage of ruthless Minotaur emperors.

However, ambition proved their downfall—the last emperor led a disastrous invasion of the Western continent, seeking to bring the lands many races under his control. Instead, the divided pony tribes united, garnered the support of the smaller non-pony races, and led the first successful revolt against Minotaur occupation.

When the Bastion Empire fell, the Minotaurs lost control of the many states they had captured and soon found the roles reversed —at the mercy of their once slaves. But instead of vengeance, the subjugated races offered forgiveness and friendship. Now, over two hundred years later, many Minotaurs wander the world as mercenaries, striving to repay the debt their people incurred and honor the compassion shown by their former subjects.

For some reason, Adam felt drawn to the Minotaurs as a character choice. Perhaps it was the way the example illustration wore sleek, samurai-esque armor. Or how the Minotaurs were the only race depicting a darker, conquering past without some overly sympathetic backstory. There was also the fact that they were bipedal, and their general build reminded him of a human. Whatever the reason, Adam immediately filled out the race box with 'Minotaur.'

The guest room door creaked open and Fast Pace poked his head tentatively inside. "Are you busy?" he asked.

"I don't know, you tell me?" Adam replied sarcastically.

Fast Pace paused, seemingly uncertain how to respond. "I can…come back later if you want."

Adam realized how antagonistic he unattendedly sounded. "No no, that didn't come out right. What is it you want?"

"I just wanted to apologize," Fast Pace answered as he walked into the room fully. "For treating you so poorly and not giving you a fair chance before." He reached a hoof into his mane and through some magic pull, produced a glittering golden card.

Adam accepted the card, scanning the elaborate calligraphy scrawl on it. "What is this, an apology card?" he said, arching an eyebrow.

Fast Pace nervously tapped a back hoof, not making eye contact. "Isn't that what I should do?" he asked uncertainly. "To make things right?"

Adam didn't answer as he looked at the card’s inner contents bewildered. Inside was a hand-written apology from Fast Pace, expressing regret for his prior treatment of Adam. At the bottom was a childish drawing of the two of them, Fast Pace's normally stoic face caricatured with a slight smile. Seeing such a juvenile card was enough to make Adam burst into laughter.

Fast Pace's stony facade cracked ever so slightly, a tinge of red embarrassment showing through. "This is what I'm supposed to do, right?" he asked quickly.

"I don't know pony customs, but I never expected someone like you to do this," Adam chortled. Seeing the conflicted expression on Fast Pace's face, he added gently, "That's a good thing."

"I…okay?" Fast Pace said more confused. "So…do you accept the apology?"

Adam considered for a moment. As silly as the card was, Fast Pace had clearly stepped outside his comfort zone. If Adam didn't give him a second chance, wouldn't he be acting just as stubborn and unfair?

"Um, yeah,” he finally said. “We can start over if you want to start over then?"

Fast Pace nodded, extending a hoof towards Adam. "This time I won't be your guard, I'll be your father."

Cringing at the statement, Adam said, "Legal guardian will do fine."

"I can work with that," Fast Pace said before Adam shook his hoof.