The Powers of Harmony

by CyborgSamurai

Chapter 20: One Rises, Another Falls

Meanwhile-

The tallest tree in Sweet Apple Acres was an ancient specimen discovered by the Apple family seventy years ago when the Ponyville property lines were being drawn out. It rested in a grass-covered sinkhole a few hundred yards away from the Everfree River, and its actual size was hidden from a distance. The hole was forty feet deep, one hundred fifty feet wide, and upon its initial discovery, the tree's canopy was just shy of being visible out of the hole. It was from this tree the family had taken their first seeds to plant the orchard, and the entirety of Sweet Apple Acres owed its existence to this one single specimen. Since then, the tree had continued to grow until it looked to be the same height as the other trees of the orchard, and now this place, called the Sunken Grove by the Apple family, provided for the perfect secret training grounds for Applejack and the others to practice their newly discovered powers.

“So I just gotta concentrate on bein' honest, eh?” Applejack had her eyes closed as she searched within herself.

“Concentrate on the truth,” Strauss corrected.

“The Element of Honesty revolves around the idea that the truth is a pure, unblemished constant.” Norric sat on his haunches a short ways away. “It's strong, reliable, and unbreakable... just like you.”

There was a dry chuckle. Applejack opened one eye to see Granny resting in the shade of the ancient tree with a pair of knitting needles, clicking away as she watched her granddaughter's progress.

“Flattery'll get you everywhere,” she said sagely to Norric. “Though I don't think Jackie's interested in datin' a magical clone.”

Applejack flushed. “Granny!”

Granny laughed again.

“I think it's more that she's not interested in liars,” a voice called down from above. Rainbow was perched in one of the wide branches of the apple tree with Esra and Tastar, who were going over the powers of the Element of Loyalty with her.

It'd been an interesting night. Applejack hadn't wanted to listen to Norric and Strauss after discovering they'd been hiding their true nature all this time, but Granny had made her sit and listen while she grilled them for everything they knew. They'd been about halfway through the story when Rainbow had come barging in through the front door, teeth bared and red eyes glowing like torchlights. Esra and Tastar had tried to break the news to her as gently as they could, but she'd filled in the blanks with assumptions and had flown off to get the others.

Granny looked up at Rainbow with a hint of reproach. “Bitterness don't suit you, honey. Holdin' grudges like that'll give you wrinkles like mine before you hit forty.”

Rainbow gave a slight intake of breath as she took in Granny's weathered features. She sighed, then turned her attention back to Tastar.

Rainbow had been friends with Applejack long enough to learn about the hardships Granny had faced in her long years, and held an enormous amount of respect for her as a result. She knew that the wisdom and character born of such a trying lifetime wasn't to be ignored, and so it wasn't hard for Granny to not only get Rainbow to calm down, but to sit and listen to what the Echoes had to say. It was a rare thing to see Rainbow slip into the role of a follower, but it proved just how strong of a mare Granny really was.

“I got the seein' and hearin' parts down, all right.” Applejack reached up and rubbed an ear. She could feel the Element of Honesty now, like a solid chunk of emerald in her heart that made her feel solid and connected with the earth. “What does physical strength have to do with it?”

“Those who are brutally honest hold fast to the truth, staying strong with thick skin so that they're able to take and deliver it,” Norric clarified. “Your Strength power manifests by making your body harder and denser, which in turn allows you to generate more kinetic force. It also makes you resistant to damage and immune to poison and disease.”

Applejack whistled. “That'll be handy come wintertime. I always hate gettin' them dang flu shots.”

Rainbow and Applejack's anger had largely dissipated when they'd heard about Horizon, and they'd both had agreed to learn to use their powers so they could help him. However, both of them also wanted to talk to the Princess. Rainbow wanted to go right away, but Applejack was hesitant to go anywhere with Applebucking Season so close. She wanted answers, but her commitment to the farm wasn't something she could just throw away. Granny had told them to wait until morning to talk with the other girls and make a group decision before traipsing up to the palace.

Applejack looked over at Fluttershy, who was beside a large exposed root with Megnii and Spesci. They'd found her the next morning in her cottage, locked in her room and refusing to come out. Her guards had told her the news last night, and things had gone well at first. She was surprised to learn of their true nature, but she didn't blame them for just doing what they thought they were supposed to do. She sympathized with Horizon, and was willing to do anything she could to help.

“You need to stop trying to fight it,” Megnii fidgeted as he looked down at Fluttershy. “You're going to hurt yourself at this rate.”

Fluttershy was laying down, her expression downcast as she rested her chin on the tree root. Her eyes were shining brightly with a soft pink light that cast shadows along the blades of grass. “I don't want to fight it, I want it to go away! How can it be a kindness to invade other ponies' privacy?!”

The problem had come when they'd told her the specifics of her powers. She'd been horrified when she found out when she'd been exuding an aura that influenced those around her, and when they told her about her Telepathy and Fearsense, she'd panicked and hid herself away. Applejack and Rainbow had managed to coax her out, but the prospect of going to Canterlot terrified her. She didn't want to go anywhere near large groups of ponies in her state, and was content to wait until the Princess was ready to come to them.

Spesci crouched to be eye level with her. “It's not an invasion of privacy if you have permission.”

You've always wanted to help others, and now you have the best tool to do it. What are you so afraid of?

Fluttershy flinched and looked away, but her thoughts were heard nonetheless. This is too dangerous! I don't need to be telepathic to know what's wrong with others! Everypony's always been nice to me, even before we used the Elements. I don't want or need some kind of power to make them be like that! I don't care if it makes others be kind and helpful to others, it's still making them do things they might not want to do!

Ironically, not wanting to use the Element of Kindness for fear of inadvertently intruding on other ponies’ thoughts was causing it to do just that. The soft light within her had grown brighter and brighter as her trepidation grew, causing her to hear the surface thoughts of everypony around her since last night despite her best efforts to try and block them out. It'd gotten so bad that she was projecting her own thoughts as well, and Megnii and Spesci were worrying she was either going to have a heart attack or burn out her Element at this rate.

Megnii was undeterred. “I told you back on the island that the duty of a soldier is to protect the things they care about. The oath of a knight is no different. Our predecessors fought for what we believed in so that ponies like you could live in a better tomorrow. If we naturally feel that way already, doesn't it make sense that we'd be so vulnerable to your aura?”

Fluttershy reluctantly turned to meet Megnii's earnest eyes.

You're not making us do anything we don't want to do. We used to think you were dangerous, but that was before we got to know what kind of pony you are. You're the literal embodiment of Kindness, Fluttershy. You've no reason to be afraid of yourself.

Fluttershy shuddered as she took a deep breath. She wanted to trust him. She wanted to trust the Princess too, but she was wary of being treated like a foal or used like a tool. Such a thing had never happened before, but that didn't mean she was ignorant of the possibility. Her strengths, not just those of the magical variety, were incredibly passive things: quiet, easily overlooked and difficult to demonstrate, but all the more dangerous for it. She was aware of terrible things she could do with these new gifts, and while what she wanted most of all was to not have this power in the first place, she was afraid of learning to control them for fear of abusing them.

However, she also wanted to help Horizon and her friends.

The pink light in Fluttershy's eyes dimmed as she relinquished her stranglehold on her powers. She slowly got to her hooves.

“I—”

Pinkie giggled as she hopped up beside Fluttershy and gave her a hug. “You worry about the silliest things! You feel BAD about making ponies want to be nice to each other? Where's the sense in that?!”

The surprise of Pinkie talking about making sense was almost as startling as how she'd put her powers to use. Applejack and Rainbow had found her at Ponyville Nursing Home, organizing a group photo with an old view camera that had a cloth hood. They'd walked in just as she took the picture, and they saw the blue wave of light that emanated from her along with the camera's flash. Applejack and Rainbow watched in dumbfounded awe as scars disappeared, wrinkles faded, dim eyes sharpened, and faded coats gained color. Several of the ponies blinked several times, looking around in confusion as they suddenly realized where they were.

Fluttershy meeped at Pinkie's sudden display of affection, but didn't protest. She hung limply in her friend's grip as she sorted through her thoughts.

“That doesn't make it right. I want ponies to be nice to each other because they want to, not because an outside influence pushes them.”

Pinkie scratched her chin. “I suppose, but look at it this way. Some ponies don't know how to be nice because all they've known is the crummy side of life. Your power sparks that tiny little hope, that itty-bitty little piece that never fully goes out, no matter how hard it's beaten or bruised or stomped on! You can show kindness to those who don't even know what kindness is! Isn't that something to be proud of?”

Fluttershy's wings twitched. “I-I want it to be... but I'm not sure if I can...”

Pinkie set Fluttershy down and flopped down on the grass, staring up at the leafy canopy. “The power's yours now! It can be whatever you want it to be!”

Applejack and Rainbow had managed to set aside the implications of what Pinkie had done in the nursing home to talk with her about current events. They somehow weren't surprised that she'd known for a while now, and had been waiting for the others to realize it on their own. Ras had filled in the remaining holes for her the previous night, specifically about Horizon and the barrier, but practicing with her powers to speed along her recovery was something she'd wanted to do anyways. She'd tried to lie to Applejack and Rainbow about her reasons for not wanting to go see the Princess, but Applejack had made her fess up.

Ras's scruffy visage appeared in Pinkie's field of vision. “Trying to recruit a partner in crime?”

Pinkie's eyes literally lit up, a dim sapphire light appearing in her pupils. An apple fell from the branches above, landing a few inches away from her head. She took it and happily munched away. “Oh, come on. Kindness and Laughter go together like sugar and spice! With Fluttershy's help, I can find out who to blast with my awesometacular Healing beams!”

In truth, Pinkie wanted to help the ponies of Ponyville before doing anything else. She feared that the Princess might keep them in Canterlot for some reason, and she'd miss her chance to help the ones she loved the most. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but she didn't want to leave until she helped those who she felt needed her.

Vigil walked up beside Ras. “Why not just make up an excuse like you did at the nursing home and hit everypony at once? You'd save a lot of time that way.”

Pinkie closed her eyes, although whether it was due of the taste of the apple or the prospect of healing the entirety of Ponyville wasn't clear. “It'd be pretty hard to gather everypony together on a whim... I could probably manage it in a few months, but that wouldn't do you guys much good. Well, except for you, Viggy.”

Vigil had taken the news much as he took everything else—with stoic acceptance. The pony he'd been assigned to guard was the avatar of the power of an ancient relic? No problem. His partners were all magical clones from a thousand year-old war? Not so much as a twitch. A horde of ravenous monsters could be set loose upon an unsuspecting world? Yawn. Vigil's job was to guard the Bearer of Laughter, and as long as these 'details' didn't affect his orders, he didn't give so much as a lick.

Vigil shrugged. “This is important to you. I'm sure we can help you to get things moving faster than that.”

Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “I'm not even sure what you guys could do.”

Vigil raised his eyes to the sky. “We could organize a fundraiser, go around passing out fliers, go to the town hall and speak with the mayor about renting out a public venue, contact the local businesses to see if they'd be interested in exchange for free advertising, contact some performers to provide entertainment at a cheap rate, or maybe—”

Vigil stopped and looked down. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Ras were staring at him in dim surprise. Megnii and Spesci were chuckling with small shakes of their heads.

“...What?”

Pinkie cocked her head. “You're being oddly helpful today.”

“Not to mention talkative,” Ras added. “Haven't heard you say this much in the three years I've known you.”

Vigil flattened his ears. “What's wrong with wanting to help? I'll have you know I have experience in organizing public events. It's not nearly as hard as most ponies think, and a little kindness goes a long way in getting ponies to cooperate... with you...”

Vigil's mouth fell open as he realized what he'd just said. Fluttershy turned beet red as Megnii and Spesci burst out laughing.

“I... see,” Vigil managed.

“I'm sorry,” Fluttershy murmured.

“Don't be,” Spesci said immediately. “About time somepony pulled him out of his shell.”

“Didn't know you were such a nice guy,” Megnii teased. “No wonder you never say anything.”

Vigil narrowed his eyes. “I think I liked it better when I could pull rank on all of you.”

“You still can,” Ras drawled. “It just doesn't mean squat.”

Vigil exhaled out his nose and looked to Fluttershy. “Looks like I've been caught red-hooved.”

“This is wrong!” Fluttershy wrapped her overly large wings around her barrel so she could sit on her haunches. “I don't want to make you act in a way that you don't want!”

“What's a greater kindness?” Megnii asked. “To let ponies hide behind a mask, or to remove their inhibitions and let their true self shine through?”

“I agree tampering with free will is wrong, but that's not what your aura is doing.” Spesci sat down beside Fluttershy. “It's coaxing out something that's already there. It just seems like you're making them act in a way they don't want because most ponies try very hard to suppress their natural tendencies.”

“Which actually makes them more vulnerable.” Megnii gave Vigil a pointed look.

Vigil coughed loudly and looked away.

Applejack squinted as she watched the conversation from afar. It'd taken her a second to realize who Vigil was, as there was something about him she hadn't known about until now. She walked up to the group, analyzing him with a scrutinizing eye.

“I didn't know your coat was gray.”

Vigil blinked. He turned to meet Applejack's glowing emerald eyes.

“What?”

Applejack lowered her chin. “I always did think it strange that all the others are natural colors and you're the only one who's pure white. What're you wearin' a disguise for?”

Vigil's entire body tensed as his eyes shrunk to pinpricks. He licked his lips and looked away. “I-It's just a h-habit of mine to keep the D-Disguise spell on that all the R-Royal Guards wear.”

Applejack didn't hear an echo, but that didn't mean she accepted his answer. Norric and Strauss had told her how they'd been getting around her Truthsense power.

“That doesn't answer my question, now does it?” Applejack said quietly.

Vigil swallowed hard. His eyes flickered over to the Echoes, who were watching him with newfound interest. He traced a line down his smooth, unblemished barrel.

“WAHAHA!”

Everypony jerked at the sound. Rarity stood over by a patch of marigolds, clapping her hooves beside a plush red couch with an elegant golden frame. Elo and Grovi were nearby, nodding and smiling approvingly.

“I did it!” she cheered, her eyes glowing with a cool silver light. “I really did it! I—”

Rarity stopped as she put a hoof to her head, swaying back and forth like a leaf in the wind.

“Whoa there,” Grovi rushed over, steadying her and guiding her over to the couch.

Rarity had been the last one the others had gone to, and they'd found her in her kitchen having an argument with Elo and Grovi. They'd spent the morning telling her everything, and she'd gone through all the natural reactions: surprise, confusion, disbelief, anger, but it'd all turned into pity and acceptance upon hearing about Horizon. She immediately agreed to help 'the poor dear', and wanted to get started with training right away.

Rarity waved a feeble hoof as she tried to wave Grovi away. “I'm fine, really! I just need to—”

Grovi's silencing stare could've given Granny a run for her money. “You haven't slept in two days, and this morning we found you working full-bore in your Inspiration Room despite Piro's insistence that you not use any magic at all. Forget using your powers, I’m surprised you're even able to stand.”

The issue was that Rarity also wanted to make three new dresses for Canterlot Fashion Week, and she only had nine days to do it. Elo and Grovi figured that she could kill two birds with one stone by using her Creation power to make her entries, but Rarity refused because she claimed such a thing would be cheating. She'd make her dresses the old fashioned way like everypony else, and practice her powers by making other things.

Rarity swished her tail as Grovi pushed her down onto the couch. “You’re getting to be as bad as Mother. It's not like I'm some porcelain doll that—”

A tiny, porcelain figurine that was the spitting image of Rarity appeared beside her on the couch. She stared at it dumbly for a few seconds before breaking into a giggling fit.

“This is astounding!” she exclaimed. “Does this Creation power have any limits?”

“Size, complexity, and familiarity.” Elo picked up the figurine in his magic and examined it. “Bigger things take more energy to make, as well as things that have a lot of parts to them. However, if it's something you're familiar with making, such as a dress in your case, it'll take less effort.”

The light in Rarity's eyes dimmed out as her voice went low. “I've already told you I'm not going to do that, and I'll thank you very much to stop making insinuations.”

Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie had asked Rarity what she wanted to do about going to the Princess, and she admitted she did want to go, but not when she had so much to do. That had made the vote three against, one for, and one unsure, so they decided to wait for now. Rarity pointed out they were planning on going up to Canterlot in nine days anyway, so why not take the time to train with the Echoes now, and they could go up and talk to the Princess then? They'd all agreed to that, and so they'd gone to Sweet Apple Acres to meet up with Granny, who'd suggested the Sunken Grove as a training ground.

Grovi noticed that the others were looking at them. He leaned forward to whisper in Rarity's ear. “You've already got enough on your plate as it is. I don't know why you're so dead set on creating more work for yourself in your condition!”

Rarity gritted her teeth and spoke out of the corner of her mouth. “If I can't succeed using the skills I've honed with my own blood, sweat, and tears, then I don't deserve to make it all. You're asking me to throw my morals out the window and take the easy path to success just because of a few bouts of insomnia?! I'd rather—”

“Feelin' alright, Rare?”

Rarity stopped as she saw that Rainbow that flown down from the tree, looking at her with concern. “You don't look so hot.”

Rarity feigned exuberance. “Just a little taken aback from all of this. You have to admit it's quite the shock.”

Tastar and Esra came down to hover beside Rainbow. She clicked her teeth as she looked at them, then over to Elo and Grovi. “Maybe you two can answer this for me. Was the whole thing about Luna being weak a lie?”

“I can't say.”

“No.”

Grovi looked at Elo with a wrinkled brow. “We shouldn't be saying things that we aren't sure about.”

Elo slowly held up a hoof to silence him. “I'm sure you remember what Princess Luna looked like when you used the Elements on her.”

Rainbow cringed. “Like she hadn't eaten in weeks.”

“Filthy, too.”

They all looked at Rarity with scrunched eyebrows.

“What?” Rarity shrugged. “She was covered in dust, and her mane looked like she hadn't brushed it in the entire one thousand years! I feel sorry for the royal attendants that had to clean her!”

“I was actually referring to her stature,” Elo said. “Luna always was a bit shorter than Celestia, but not by much. In the time of our predecessors, they were very similar in size and appearance.”

“She had the ethereal mane and everything,” Grovi said. “Although it looked like the night sky instead of the morning.”

Elo nodded. “The only one of us who’s caught more than a glimpse of her is Blair, but even from what we've seen, we know she looks more like a filly. We've been told that she's 'recovering', which implies that she's getting stronger, or possibly aging at a faster rate, but that's it. I don't know how weak she actually is, but I don't think what she told you was false.”

Rainbow snorted. “It just may not be what we're assuming it is.”

“I told you that you can't expect the Princesses to tell you about everything that's going on,” Esra said. “They're the immortal rulers of our country, and the issues that they deal with are on a scale that's far beyond our simple, paltry lives.”

“And I told you to stop putting them on a pedestal,” Rainbow said with a flick of her ears. “They're immortal, but they make mistakes just like the rest of us.”

Tastar sneezed, a noise that suspiciously sounded like 'Nightmare Moon.'

Esra glared at him.

“What?” Tastar raised his hooves in deference. “Horizon must be allergic to marigolds, or something.”

Esra rolled his eyes. “We're sharing his body, you dolt.”

Rainbow snickered. “Look, all I want is to know the truth. If Luna needs our help, we'll help her. If Horizon needs our help, we'll help him. I don't understand why they'd keep this from us, and it's driving me nuts wondering!”

Rarity put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. “If it's bothering you that much, you can always just go on your own. We all know you've never exactly been one for patience. ”

A dim, fiery light appeared in Rainbow's eyes. “And leave you gals behind? Nuh-uh. Besides, it's not gonna change what we have to do. Bottom line is that we gotta recover so we can use the Elements again, and that's only gonna happen one way. I'll focus on this for now, and help the rest of you out if you need it.”

Rarity smiled. “I'm glad for that. You're no stranger to training, after all.”

“All right mares, gentlecolts, and things pretendin' to be gentlecolts.” Granny had moved from her spot and was now sitting in a bed of heather on a small mound. “I reckon we should talk about what's gonna happen now for the next few days until ya go up to Canterlot.”

“Ooh! Ooh! I was thinking about that!” Pinkie bounded over to Granny, circling around to look at everypony else. “We should totally have outfits!”

Rainbow eyed her dubiously. “Outfits?'

“Yeah!” Pinkie reared and put her forehooves on her hips with a cheesy smile. “Think about it! We're kinda like superheroes, aren't we? Superheroes wear costumes to hide their identities!”

Rainbow blew a multicolored forelock out of her eyes. “I'm gonna need a lot more than a costume to hide this.”

Rarity's pupils went huge as ideas flashed through her head. “What a fabulous idea! Oh, the styles, the designs, the colors I could come up with! Winter's coming up, so they'd have to be warm, but they're supposed to be completely covering, so that works out. I wonder what kind of fabric I could—”

Granny loudly cleared her throat. “That wasn't quite what I meant. It sounds like ya'll were gonna head up to Canterlot anyway in a little over a week, so ya decided that you're just gonna stick to that and have these boys help ya out in the meantime. That about right?”

“Yes'm,” Applejack settled down in the heather. “I just wish we remembered about Twilight leavin'. Woulda liked to get her input about all this.”

“She's in good hooves,” Strauss said, nibbling on a nearby stalk.

Applejack adjusted her Stetson and ran a hoof through her mane. “I ain't so sure. From what you told me about what that Libra, it sounds like Blair's pretty dangerous.”

“That's not as bad a thing as ya think.” An odd smile formed on Granny's lips. “Better he be dangerous then some know-nothing greenhorn.”

“Edith,” Rainbow began.

Granny turned to her. “Yeah?”

Rainbow landed, shuffling her hooves for a moment before meeting Granny's vibrant eyes. “Why're you so calm about all this? I thought you'd be angry, like I was.”

“My perspective's a tad different than yours, hon.” Granny glanced over at the massive tree in the center of the Grove. “The Apple family moved to Equestria with a group of pioneers migrating south from Tarandus by way of the Yakkhari Mountains. Princess Celestia received us, and she was the one who gave us permission to settle in the Equius Valley and found the town of Ponyville. She looked the exact same then as she does now—ageless, tall, regal, with a mane like the dawn and a soothing presence that could calm down a raging Ursa Major.”

Granny turned back to Rainbow. “That was seventy years ago. I was a foal barely outta diapers, and now I'm an old mare. In that time I've loved, married, foaled, mourned, built, rebuilt, met countless ponies, seen countless things, and performed countless deeds. I've got regrets, burdens, sorrows, and even a few skeletons in my closet.”

Granny exhaled out her nose. “All that, and it ain't even been a century. Princess Celestia has lived at least twenty times that, but I'd be willing to bet it's actually a heckuva a lot more. She's ancient, honey, and I know she ain't crazy because a crazy pony couldn't do a fraction of the things she's done, and continues to do this very day. I recognize the wisdom of my elder just like you respect the wisdom of yours, and if these boys say, 'Princess Celestia doesn't want you gals goin' up to Canterlot', I'm gonna respect that, and believe there's a damn good reason for it.”

Rainbow took in Granny's words with contemplative silence. “Well, when you put it that way... you really trust her that much?”

Granny laughed. “Do I trust the mare that showed mercy on me, my family, and all the exhausted settlers in that caravan by giving us a good place to lay down our stakes for free, and by extension, brought all of you here to this very spot so we could have this conversation? Yes, Rainbow Dash, I do.”

Rainbow scratched the back of her neck. “And here I thought I was supposed to be the Element of Loyalty.”

“Not you too,” Granny said with a chuckle, looking over at Pinkie and Applejack. “You're at the beginning of your road, and you're talkin' to somepony near the end of theirs. Frankly, I'd be embarrassed if I didn' have one or two things to pass on to each of ya.”

The other Bearers laughed, and Granny turned to the ten guards, who were each standing beside their respective charges. “I've suggested this place as somewhere safe for the girls to practice if they want. If ya'll know of a better place, be my guest, but as somepony who's lived here all her life, I can tell ya you're not gonna find much better.”

Elo bowed. “On behalf of all of us, I thank you for your wisdom and assistance.”

The other guards nodded their thanks.

Granny raised her chin. “We'll get along just fine if you don't gimme a reason to doubt ya. Be mindful of that, and ya'll will be welcome to use this grove anytime ya want.”

Pinkie tittered. “I wouldn't get a lot of practice down here. Don't worry about me... I have plans.”

“I know I need the practice.” Applejack looked over at a grotto that led towards the river. Around it were several mossy boulders that were half stuck in the ground. “This Strength power'll come in handy for Applebuckin' Season, but I'm gonna need to gauge it or I'll wind up punchin' holes in the trunks.”

Fluttershy spoke up. “I'd like to use this place, if you don't mind. It's really nice, and I won't be affecting anypony way out here.”

Rainbow looked over at Fluttershy. “You want some help?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth, then stopped and considered. “Well, if I have to read anypony's thoughts, I'd rather do it with somepony I'm comfortable with, so if you don't mind...”

“Say no more.” Rainbow put a wing around Fluttershy's shoulders. “I was thinking we could actually help each other out with our powers. You could probably use a little Inspiration and Courage, anyways.”

Fluttershy giggled. “I might benefit from that.”

Granny looked over at Rarity. “How about you?”

Rarity had zoned out with a lethargic stare as she lay in the heather. She snapped to her senses as she realized she was being addressed. “Oh! No, thank you. I think I can do what I need to do at home, and I'm going to be terribly busy over the next few days as it is.”

Granny squinted at Rarity. She could tell there was something wrong, but couldn't place whatever it was. A slight strain in her smile, a flicker in her eyes that betrayed a deadened look, but it was all so faint that it was hard to get a read. Granny made a mental note to keep an eye on her, but decided not to press it for now.

“That's that, then,” Granny turned to the guards again. “You boys get nine more days of these gals stayin' put before three of 'em go up to Canterlot. All I can say is I wish I was goin' with 'em, because whatever reason Celestia's got for all of this is gonna be one humdinger of a tale.”

“And all I can say,” Rainbow grumbled, “is that it better be.”

Neighagra Falls was a trio of enormous waterfalls in a naturally formed gorge connecting two massive freshwater lakes. Thick, misty waves of spray continually rose up from the falls, causing sheets of color to rise above the water’s surface and create wispy rainbows that hovered in and above the chasm. The place was a well-known tourist attraction, and ponies came year-round to take in the majestic sight. Twilight and her guards were among these tourists, and they now stood at a scenic outlook with a small crowd as they beheld the natural wonder.

The awesome spectacle was lost to Twilight as she stared down at the ground. She’d always wanted to come here, but Blair’s bombshell about her impending issue with her Absorption power was eating away at her. She hadn’t seen the big deal at first, but the more she’d considered, the more she saw why it was a problem. Blair had assured her she’d be able to handle it with his help, but hadn’t had a chance to say anything more as they’d joined in with the crowd of ponies heading for the falls, and she’d been alone with her thoughts since then.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Blair said as he sidled up to her. They were standing at the edge of the outlook, where only a waist-high railing separated them from a sheer cliff that dropped into the obscured depths below. Ace and Piro were at a picnic table fifty feet away.

Twilight could barely hear him over the deep rumbling of the falls. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Blair raised his voice. “Are you worried?”

She looked up at him to read his lips. “What do you think? I’ve only been freaking out my entire life because of the power I already have, and here you are saying I’m going to have even more? Not exactly the best news I’ve gotten.”

Blair chuckled. “What is the best news you’ve gotten?”

Twilight gave a wistful smile. “That I could stay in Ponyville with my friends.”

Blair took a deep breath, savoring the vaporous air. “I know it’s not easy to leave behind the ones you care about. One of the hardest things Libra ever had to do was accept the consequences of his actions, and it tore him apart knowing that he’d never be with his friends again.”

“Was his duty really that important to him?” Twilight asked. “That he’d throw away any kind of personal gain or salvation for the sake of the greater good?”

“It wasn't that simple.” Blair lowered his head. “I hope you don't believe what Piro said about Libra just wanting to be a hero. I'll admit that was a factor in his decision, but it wasn't the sole reason. It wasn't even the primary one.”

“What was, then?”

Blair could feel the earth shaking beneath his hooves as thousands of gallons of water cascaded into the basin. “Fear.”

“Fear of what?” Twilight asked.

Blair made a circling motion with a forehoof. “Failure, weakness, change, humiliation, death... Libra knew there was nothing else he could do to fight against Nightmare Moon's army, and everything he knew and loved was going to be torn down around him as he died a gruesome, painful death. He was willing to do anything to make sure that didn't happen, and if it meant he had to be exiled, well... at least his friends, family, and country would be safe.”

“So he saw his act as a sacrifice, and put the needs of the many before the needs of the few.” A strand of Twilght’s mane fell in front of her face. She blew it out of the way as she adjusted the manepin Rarity gave her. “I can see how that could justify your actions, but I don't think that applies to my situation. You got me out here so that I can practice without hurting anyone else, but I'm worried that training is going to make me more of a hazard, not less.”

“Because you don't trust yourself,” Blair said. “It's not fair to keep your font locked away just because of a little accident you had ten years ago.”

“I turned my parents into potted plants, trapped the four instructors in an Anti-Magic Zone, and transformed Spike into a forty-foot tall behemoth,” Twilight said dryly. “I don't think that qualifies as 'little.'”

Blair's eyes went wide, then he burst out laughing. “So that's why Tastar was claiming he saw a malformed Amethyst Wyrm ten years ago! We all thought he'd gone nuts!"

Twilight blinked several times. She'd been expecting Blair to be intimidated by the story of her Flare, as it was certainly something that terrified her parents every time she brought it up. Then again, perhaps they were still traumatized from being changed into flora.

“It's not something to laugh about,” Twilight said. “I could've seriously hurt somepony.”

“You run more risk of hurting yourself or somepony else without training your powers,” Blair said. “I'm not saying you're unpredictable, it's just that if the time ever came where you had to use your full strength, you wouldn't know how to do it.”

Twilight glowered. “You've no idea what you're asking me to do.”

Blair gave Twilight a condescending look. “I know exactly what I'm asking you to do. The problem is that you don't trust me. Things would've gone differently if I'd had my way, but I can't change the past anymore than save Horizon without your help. I need you to do this, Twilight, if not for me, then for Equestria, because it'll be in serious peril if you don't.”

Twilight bit her lip, her eyes shifting back and forth as she considered his words. Blair watched her intently, leaning forward as he hid his hope behind a mask of indifference.

“I... just don't know.”

Blair resisted the urge to facehoof, and instead left Twilight to stand alone at the edge of the railing. He walked over to Piro and Ace, who were splitting an order of hay fries at the table. Piro noticed Blair's approach and moved over to make room for him, but Blair shook his head and remained standing.

“Trouble in paradise?” Piro asked.

Blair looked back once at Twilight, who was still staring out at the falls. “She's kept a lid on her powers for so long that I don't think she knows how to take it off.”

“I tried to warn you,” Piro popped another fry into his mouth. “Flat-out terrified of herself. I saw it within the first few times of talking with her. Why do you think I was going to resort to putting her in danger?”

“Did you finish that Dampening Array you were working on, by the way?” Ace asked.

Piro traced a groove in the wood with a hoof. “It's still experimental, and I don't like how much I've had to tinker with it to get it to work, but I'm confident it'll keep her from turning her immediate surroundings into a barren wasteland.”

Blair raised an eyebrow. “What's this, now?”

“Just a little project I've been working on these past few weeks.” Piro gave a lopsided smirk as he produced a long, rolled up sheet of parchment Blair had seen him with several times. He waved it once at Blair before putting it back. “Hopefully I won't have to use it.”

The sun disappeared behind a passing cloud, and Blair raised his eyes to the sky. Of all the problems he'd anticipated, this was the one he wasn't sure on. He'd figured hearing about Horizon and the threat to Equestria would be enough motivation for Twilight, but apparently her fears were more deeply rooted than he thought. He could understand it, of course, better than most ponies did in fact, but that didn't mean he knew a safe way to get her over it.

“I doubt you will,” Blair said. “I don't think she's going to use her powers. We're going to have to find some other way to do this other than getting her to cast magic. Maybe we can—”

Blair felt a sharp twinge in the back of his head, quick, brutal, and agonizing. He clutched his head as he yelled out, staggering and falling onto the table.

“Blair!” Piro said, getting to his hooves. “What—”

Piro and Ace flinched as they both felt a similar pain in the back of their heads, nowhere near as bad as Blair's, but enough to stop them dead in their tracks.

Ace gritted his teeth, looking around to see if anypony around them had noticed their strange behavior. “Was that—”

Blair knew the sensation he'd just felt. It'd been only two nights ago, after all. It'd been instant, gone as quickly as it came, and left no lingering pain, yet still the message couldn't have been clearer. Both Piro and Ace eyed Blair warily as he stood back up with a dark look in his eyes.

“Blair...”

Piro knew that look all too well, and that combined with the spike of pain, he had a pretty good idea of what'd just happened.

Blair turned to his oldest friend, a faint, resigned smile playing at his mouth. “I keep forgetting I'm not the one in charge.”

Piro took a step forward. “Blair, don't do anything rash. We can figure out another way—”

“Ophiuchus disagrees,” Blair cut in, “and I think he's right. Twilight and I aren't so different, and the only way I was able to face my fears was to be threatened with death.”

Blair's horn began to glow the same color as the churning waters, and Twilight shivered as she was hit by a light spray. The water vapor traveled past her and gathered around Blair, swirling and circling around him. His features slowly faded to a silhouette as the vapor formed into a fog, finally fading away completely. The wind shifted, blowing away the mist, and Blair was gone, vanished without a trace.

Ace's jaw dropped. “He's not...”

“Blair!” Piro yelled after him. “Think about what you're doing!”

The endless roar of the falls drowned out Piro's protests. Twilight continued to look out at the scenic vista, unperturbed.

“Should we do something?!” Ace asked, turning to his superior.

Piro gulped. “I-I...”

Piro was a planner. He'd never been good at thinking on his hooves, and it'd always been Blair who'd made the tough decisions in such situations. Scorpio had hated his own indecisiveness, but one of the reasons why he'd stayed with Libra was because he was afraid of having to make difficult choices by himself. He knew he could count on Libra to do it for him, but it meant Scorpio had to live with whatever was decided, and the guilt that it generated was like a burning crucible in his gut.

Piro hung his head, his whisper lost to the din.

"Let him do what he thinks is best.”

Twilight was lost in thought, oblivious to the world around her. She was trying to think of some way around having to use her magic. She paid no heed to the drop in temperature around her, the magic in the air, or the swirling mist that settled around her. She was too complacent to think that she might be in any kind of peril, and even if she was, her guards would be there to help her.

A flowing, watery whip coalesced out of the air, wrapped around Twilight once, then hung her out over the abyss. She yelped, struggling and squirming against the magic, but it held her fast as a part of it covered her mouth to keep her from screaming.

A pair of teal eyes formed out of the air in front of Twilight's face, and Blair's voice sounded like the crashing of waves against a shore.

“Horizon's tired, Twilight. He threatened to kill me and break the barrier himself if I don't push you, and your reluctance is going to damn thousands of innocents to death if I don't take more drastic measures. I've given up too much to have the country fall prey to the maws of demons, and if it means that I have to force you to take this plunge...”

Blair's eyes flickered down once before fading away.

“Then so be it.”

The whip spun Twilight, and in a single, fluid motion, threw her over the edge of Neighagra Falls, her screams fading along with her as she fell into the misty spray.

Twilight was paralyzed, both with fear and betrayal as she fell. Her mind was whirring faster and faster with thoughts and analysis of the situation, achieving a greater and greater clarity as her terror forcefully activated the Element of Magic. She realized with a start the point of what Piro and Blair had said—there really wasn't any time for logical analysis in a fight... not for normal ponies, anyway. It was a different story for her, as her thought processes were going at a rate that made time seem to slow down in her eyes, and she found she could even push aside her shock so that she could assess the situation.

She was in free fall, and there were several dangers to her life. Hitting the water from hundreds of feet up would be enough to seriously injure her or make her lose consciousness, and even if she survived the fall, the force of the current would likely keep her from surfacing. It was doubtful there were any rocks at the bottom of the falls, as they would've been eroded away by such a large volume of water. Magic could save her, so the question became what spell to use.

Teleportation was risky, as her fall had likely caused a stir and ponies would be running everywhere. She wasn't familiar with the area, and there was a high chance that she could accidentally splice herself with an innocent bystander. A Flight spell would take too long to cast, she wasn't familiar with Water magic, and a Freezing spell wouldn't work because of how fast the water was moving. A personal Barrier spell could work, but the amount of power she'd need to put into it to shield herself from the fall, as well as the volume of the water crashing down on her would be considerable.

Twilight pursed her lips. She'd been able to analyze her situation and recognize the best course of action in a span of less than two seconds, but that didn't mean she liked it. Blair had forced her hoof, risked her life, and put other ponies in danger, and by Celestia, he was going to answer for it.

Twilight released the incantation that restricted her access to her font. The Element of Magic responded, turning her core into a raging river of raw power. Twilight's eyes became half-filled with light, and a thin corona formed around her body, first turning magenta, then brightening to purest white. Lances of magical energy sparked off her horn, striking the water around her like miniature lightning strikes. A glowing sphere rose up around her as she struck the waters below, holding fast against the ceaseless pounding as she was driven deep under the waves.

Twilight judged that she had a few minutes of air inside her barrier, so she could just ride the current out to safety. Teleporting underwater wasn't advisable due to displacement, although she could propel herself forward with telekinesis. It'd be slow going, but hopefully she could get to shore so she could—

“Not bad.”

Twilight jumped at Blair's voice. She looked up and saw the vague outline of his upper body hovering above her like a formless ghost. His words echoed all around her as he spoke.

“I'll admit that was impressive, but we both know that you're capable of far more than a simple forcefield.”

Twilight narrowed her shining eyes. She'd forgotten that Blair was also a Water specialist, and now he had her right where he wanted her. She wouldn't be able to teleport away from him while she was underwater, and she doubted he was going to just sit back and let her surface.

“Are you insane?!” Twilight yelled. “You could've killed me!”

“That death would've been merciful compared to being ripped to shreds by Nightmare Moon's army.” Blair body melted and retreated into the river, but his voice was still heard among the muted silence. “You haven't heard the screams of the damned and the dying. You haven't watched your home be destroyed by monsters. You haven't had to comfort your friends as they mourned the loss of their loved ones. I have, and I'll do anything to prevent anypony from having to suffer that ever again.”

“What about the Princesses?” Twilight's voice was strangely distorted inside her protective sphere. “You honestly think they'd just sit idly by and let that happen? I doubt they'd even let the army get out of the pocket dimension!”

“Luna can't go anywhere near the army,” Blair said. “The Undying Loyalty power has taken tangible form inside the Astral Guard, and Nightmare Moon will be awakened once more if she's exposed to it. Not only that, but anypony who's loyal to Luna now will also be infected. Celestia has her own agenda, and while I trust her, I also understand that her perception of mortals is skewed, and Ophiuchus isn't going to leave matters to chance anymore.”

“Are his demands more important to you than those of the Princesses?!” Twilight demanded.

Blair reappeared in front of Twilight and crossed his hooves. “Considering he's the one with his hoof on the dead-mare's switch and can kill me at any time? Yes.”

Twilight gritted her teeth. Blair had made it clear that he didn't want to push her, so the only reason he'd suddenly be so aggressive is if Ophiuchus threatened him again or gave him some kind of reminder. It was clear Blair was a victim here, but she wasn't feeling very sympathetic at the moment. She was running out of air, and the longer she sat here, the more likely it'd be that Blair would make another move. She needed to get away, but that would prove difficult in her current position. If she knew Water magic like him it'd be a different story, but she'd never learned magic like that, and it's not like she could just...

Twilight lowered her chin. “So, Ophiuchus, you'd use Blair to force me into a corner in the hopes that I'll fight back? Not a very smart move. I suppose 'bite the hoof that feeds you' isn't the proper phrase in this case, but the implication is still valid.”

Blair said nothing, but Twilight swore she saw a prismatic glimmer in Blair's eyes like a dancing kaleidoscope. Then again, it could've only been a trick of the light filtering beneath the waves.

The corona around Twilight's body intensified. “For ten years I've felt restless, like I'm stuck in a tiny box that's pushing in on me from all sides. I feel a constant pressure on my font at all times, like a wild animal pulling on it's chains just begging for release. It's only gotten worse since this magical growth spurt started, and now I feel a constant tingling in my horn, like my magic is trying to spill out. I've desperately wanted to let go, to just start firing off as much magic as I can, but I haven't because of what happened the last time I did that.”

Twilight's barrier expanded to twice it's size, pushing the water away with a loud slosh. “When I had that Flare ten years ago, I experienced a sensation like nothing I've ever had before, nor since. Not only was I completely immersed in my own magic, but all the magic around me, as well. I could see the safety wards in the room and all around the castle, the magic being cast by students in the school, and even all the magic out in Canterlot itself. For the briefest of moments I was connected to all the unicorns around me, and when I saw all of that, it was a simple matter to unravel the spell surrounding one little dragon egg.”

The light in Twilight's eyes pulsed. “It felt good—no, it felt amazing. In that instant I had access to more magic than I'd ever dreamed, and I wanted it all. I wanted to learn every single spell I saw, and then I wanted to learn every other spell there is, as well. Since then I've dedicated my life to understanding as much about magic as I can, but it’s never enough because there’s just so much. Equestria is huge, the world is huger still, and the universe is of a size and scale that’s beyond comprehension. We haven’t even scratched the surface of how magic works, and all I want is to learn and see as much of it as I can. I know my work will never be finished, but that’s comforting in a way, because the saddest day of my life would be the day there’s nothing left to learn.”

“So why have you been holding back?” Blair asked. “Your Absorption power will help you achieve more than you could ever dream.”

Twilight closed her eyes. “Because I won't able to stop. Back then, I just wanted to keep having that feeling of immersion and connection with all the magic around me, and I tried to take all of the magic around me into myself. I didn't know what I was doing, and instead of absorbing the magic, I redirected it to the ponies around me. It's a small miracle nopony was hurt, and didn't want to take that chance again.”

Twilight felt the Element of Magic inside her, like a seething, crackling livewire that filled her whole body with raw, untamed power. She was in the center of her font, a sea of magic, and all of it was at her disposal.

“And you want me to return to that,” Twilight whispered. “I stood at the edge of a terrible precipice that I was only barely able to turn away from, and you'd have me take a running leap off the edge?! You'd force me to release something I know I won't be able to control because I couldn't even handle it's shadow?! I only have one thing to say to that!”

Twilight opened her eyes, now completely filled with shining white light.

“BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!”

Twilight's barrier exploded like a depth charge, blasting all the water around her with a massive shockwave that went out for one hundred yards. Twilight exuded a bright aura that coiled about her body like a thick plasma, and her coat and mane waved softly in the wind. She hovered in midair, held aloft by her own telekinesis as the Element of Magic awoke fully inside its avatar.

Twilight saw Blair, who'd been caught off-guard and was knocked away by the force of her ascension. She saw all the spells laid upon him, just like ten years ago. Only this time, she knew she could take them for her own. She teleported to him and touched his shoulder, seeing and understanding as her mind greedily soaked up the new knowledge like a sponge. The Watermelding spell, how to create an Echo, the Lifesealing Ritual, and how to create a pseudo-body partially comprised of matter and energy. She knew that his Lifeforce addiction wasn't magical, but rather a symptom of his mind thinking that the largest amount of Lifeforce he'd been connected to was the amount he should actually have, and wasn't something she could take even if she wanted to.

Twilight saw the prismatic flicker again in Blair's eyes. She squinted, and she could now see one last piece of magic in Blair. No, not magic, at least, not completely. It was a presence, shattered and incomplete, spread out, wounded, but alive all the same. She reached out to it, and as she made contact, Twilight suddenly found herself standing on a plane of white before a ghostly stallion with prismatic eyes. His mane hovered about him like a veil, and his cutie mark was a 'U' with an odd squiggle through the middle.

Twilight glared at Ophiuchus with her brilliant eyes. “You.”

Ophiuchus winced at her biting tone. An image formed in her mind—that of him holding Blair by the throat in an opaque, multifaceted sphere. One of Opuhiuchus' hooves was a jagged blade, and he was holding it above a golden tether that connected Blair to the silhouette of a pony in the center. Vicious, depraved screaming came from below them, and Ophiuchus quickly impressed a series of emotions onto Twilight: regret, sorrow, frustration, helplessness, desperation, remorse. The memory faded, as did Ophiuchus, but before he vanished, he left behind two words that inserted themselves into Twilight's mind.

Forgive me.

Twilight hissed and shied away from Blair, melting into the water and swimming away from both him and the blast. Blair didn't pursue, and didn't seem to be bothered that she'd just learned how to use his magic. He went up to the surface, reforming his body save for the bottom of his hooves, and stood on the water, sweeping his mane out of his eyes as he addressed the pony that was always with him.

“I hope you're happy, kid. You got what you wanted, but she's gonna be long gone now, and now that you've let her loose like this there's no telling what she's gonna do. You'd better pray that she goes back to the Princess now, or else—”

“Or else, what?”

Blair felt his hackles rise at Twilight's echoing voice. He turned behind him to see Twilight ten feet away, still awakened, standing on the water much the same as him.

Blair frowned. “You're still here.”

Twilight's clenched her jaw. “Because you still have something I want.”

The realization dawned. “The Symbols of the Elements.”

Twilight nodded. “I've a proposal that I think everypony will find agreeable.”

Blair raised an eyebrow. “I'm listening.”

Twilight looked down at her reflection. “I can feel the magic of the unicorns in the area, and the desire to absorb their magic is like a physical pull. Your experience with this kind of thing isn't something I can just ignore, and I'll admit it'd be nice to have some help. However, you've violated my trust. I understand why, but I can't dismiss that you might do it again.”

Blair's ears drooped, but he said nothing.

“Staying with you is a risk,” Twilight continued, “but your actions were partially my fault because I didn't understand the magnitude of what's at stake. I'm willing to recognize my portion of the blame, but only if you give me recompense for what you've done.”

“So you want the other three Symbols right now.” Blair idly tapped a hoof on the water with a light splash. “What's to stop you from leaving right after I give them to you?”

Twilight gave a devilish smirk. “Nothing.”

Blair looked up at the thick gray mist above them. That Twilight was willing to compromise at all after what he'd done was something he was having trouble believing. It was a risk, yes, but he supposed it was only fair that he give her a little trust in return for breaking hers.

“All right,” Blair said.

Three long, thin tendrils of water rose up from the river in Blair's aura to hover above the two of them. The one on the right formed into a perfect circle with two coils curving away from the sides in opposite directions.

“Honesty.”

The center tendril split into three coiling lines like a chair, two on the bottom and one on the top.

“Kindness.”

Blair took a deep breath, and the last tendril formed into a sideways figure eight with curved, two-pronged branches on each side.

“Generosity.”

Twilight's eyes went wide. “That's the same symbol that Rarity made a necklace out of!”

“I know,” Blair said. “Her Foresight power showed it to her, but she doesn't know what it is.”

Twilight felt a twinge of annoyance, but pushed it aside as she committed each one of the Symbols to memory.

“Okay,” Twilight said slowly. “Now then, before we go back up, there's just one more then I want to say.”

“What's t—”

The wind was knocked out of Blair as a ball of water rose up and nailed him in the gut. He fell to his knees with a gasp, and suddenly found that his legs were encased in a white aura. He looked up at Twilight, whose eyes were narrowed dangerously as her aura blazed and her horn glowed like a spear of blazing fire twice it's normal length.

The rumbling of the falls came to an unnatural, sudden halt. Blair looked down, and saw that the river was now encased in white. He looked over at the titanic falls, and felt a chill as he saw the thousands of gallons of water halted in midair, the droplets of water glittering as they hung in place. The rumbling resumed, and the water of the falls was redirected to flow above and around them like a river in the sky.

The deluge coiled itself around Blair and Twilight like a massive serpent, then began to spin as a narrow, watery tornado formed around them that stretched hundreds of feet into the air. It swirled faster and faster, reaching speeds that would tear a pony to shreds upon contact. The water underneath Blair and Twilight was sucked away into the vortex, but the two of them were held in place by Twilight's magic. They now hovered in the eye of the magical storm, only feet separating them from the vicious, slicing waves.

“Ophiuchus.”

Twilight flew over to Blair and forced him to look into her featureless eyes, each of them shining like a miniature sun. She spoke, and her voice shook with equal parts power and rage.

“We'll save you, but if you ever, ever, EVER force the Echoes to do something like this again to me or one of my friends, the things I'll do to you will make Zemblani's actions look like a traveling circus act. And as for you Blair, if you so much as try to nudge me down a single step of stairs, I'll rip you out of Horizon myself, shove you in a Font Gem and leave you to rot the ages away in some Celestia-forsaken crypt. Got it?!”

Blair glanced once at the deadly tornado of water around them, then at the irate effigy of power before him. He briefly had a moment of deja vu as he took a rasping breath and manage to shakily give his response.

“G-Got it.”

Rarity staggered into her bedroom feeling like her head had been cleaved in two. She hadn't been happy about going all the way out to Sweet Apple Acres in her state, and it'd at least been a small blessing that Elo had been able to teleport her there and back. Arguing with him and Grovi over practicing with her new powers had taken a lot out of her, as well as cut into her time for dressmaking, and she'd left the Sunken Grove not long after meeting with the other girls to resume her work. She'd made amazing progress, but it'd drained her more than she'd realized, and now it felt like there were nails being driven into her skull.

Rarity knew she'd overdone it. She'd never felt this bad before, and what was worse was the amount of work she still had to do. It was tempting, so unbelievably tempting to use her Creation power to just will her dresses into being, but doing it that way would be an insult to everything she'd worked for, and she wouldn't be able to look at herself again if she did that. No, all she needed was some sleep, and as long as her Foresight power didn't manifest tonight, she'd be fine. Elo and Grovi had told her about her dreams, and while it was an interesting notion to try and understand their meanings, it didn't explain why it was affecting her insomnia, and therefore wasn't something she had time for right now.

Rarity tried her hardest to stay on her hooves and walk to her bed. She wasn't going to crawl. A Lady didn't crawl. She could make it under her own strength, and while she might not be in the best shape, she wasn't anywhere near that bad. She was glad, though, that at least Sweetie wasn't here to see her like this, or, Celestia forbid, her m—

The tinkling of the entrance door bell was like the herald of doom as the familiar voice called out from downstairs.

“Rarity? Dear, are you upstairs?”

Rarity groaned. This couldn't be happening. She wasn't sure if she could keep up the fac—what was she saying?! This wasn't an option, she couldn't, under any circumstances, let her mother know how weak she was! Why, if she were to find out, the consequences would be... undesirable.

“Yes, Mother!” Rarity called.

Rarity didn't think that the bed was the best place for her mother to find her, so she simply waited in the center of the room. She glanced once in the mirror to see if her makeup was still intact. It was a little faded, but it was still presentable. She magically dimmed the lights, and as she did, she stifled a cry as the pain in her head spiked up again.

Garden walked into Rarity's room, mercifully without the saddlebags this time. She gave a wan smile as she met her daughter's eyes.

“I'm sorry for dropping in on you like this. I was passing by, and I thought we should talk.”

“Oh! Er, sure,” Rarity said.

Passing by? What a joke! Their house was on the other side of Ponyville, and she worked in Canterlot! She never came to this side of town for any reason other than to see her!

Garden rubbed a forehoof. “I... feel like we've grown apart these last few years. We never do anything together anymore, and I doubt we'd see each other at all if I didn't have to pick up Sweetie every week.”

Rarity blinked. Was this actually what she thought it was?

“I know we've had fights about your condition.” Garden went over to the bookcase to examine Rarity's collection. “I imagine it hasn't been easy being both my patient and my daughter, and that's why I've tried to let other doctors examine you as much as I can. They couldn't help you anymore than me, though, and it killed me to see you suffer so much. The medicine was the only thing that seemed to help you, and that's why I was on your case so much about it. I may have gone overboard in my efforts though, so I'm sorry for that.”

It really was. After all these years, her mother, ever proud and diligent, the mare who treated her less as a daughter and more like a test case, was actually trying to make amends.

Laughable.

Dozens of retorts danced on the tip of Rarity's tongue. She wanted to say that a simple apology wasn't enough to make up for the years of dispassionate parenting, that it'd take a lot more than a sudden guilty conscience to clear her name in Rarity's eyes, and using an eight-year old as a pawn to spy on her wasn't going to win her mother of the year anytime soon.

Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to get into it right now.

“It's okay,” Rarity managed to choke past the bile. “You were only trying to help me, and it was wrong to fight back as hard as I did, so... I'm sorry, too.”

Garden's ears twitched, She slowly turned to face her daughter, her lips parted and one eye squinted.

“What?”

Rarity's headache throbbed, but the only thing she gave away was a slight twitch of her eyelid.

“I said I'm sorry. I shouldn't have argued with you as much as I did. You were right, and I see that now.”

Garden's eyes did a familiar sweep of Rarity's body. She closed the distance to her daughter, biting her lip as she did.

“What's wrong?”

Rarity felt her stomach drop out. “What do you m—”

“You're trying to get me to leave,” Garden observed. “And you're shaking.”

“I'm fine!” Rarity insisted. “I don't—”

A thin trickle of blood oozed out of Rarity's nose, dripping down to land on the floor.

Rarity felt the wetness on her muzzle and raised a hoof to her face, only to find it stained a dark red. She looked up at her mother, whose eyes had filled her head.

Rarity tried to come up with an excuse. “This isn't—”

“SIT. DOWN.”

Rarity's entire world turned upside down. She instinctively cowered before Garden, whose neck was corded, her nostrils flared, and her teeth gritted. No longer was this the tired, goofy, middle-aged mare who worried too much and nagged her all the time. This was her mother, the one who had brought her into this world, cared for her all her life, would do anything for her, and loved her unconditionally without thought, question, or hesitance.

And she was angry.

Rarity planted her backside unceremoniously on the ground as she obeyed the command. All her confidence, maturity, success, stubborness, and pride were gone, her entire image shattered by brutal, harsh waves of guilt. Time froze, and all the past memories of failure hit her full force as she was caught in her mother's withering stare. They weren't in Rarity's house anymore, and she was an adult no longer. She was a naughty filly before her all-powerful parent, and the cold, heavy dread in her gut was enough to make her whimper.

Garden took her daughter's sudden submissive behavior in stride. They met eyes for a moment before she put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder and delicately touched their horns together. Rarity felt a jolt as her mother's presence entered her mind, then a tingle in her spine as she felt out her magical font, gingerly poking and prodding it.

“You're in the Danger Zone,” Garden snapped as she continued the Cornuoscopy. “Your font is showing signs of extreme extended wear, and you might've already done irreparable damage to—”

Garden recoiled away from her daughter like she'd been slapped.

“The magic of your font is acidic!” She said in alarm. “It burned me when I tried to immerse myself in it! What in Celestia's name have you done?!”

“Nothing!” Rarity protested. “All I've done lately is a little Spell Fusion, and—”

“Enough of your lies,” Garden spat. “I'm no expert, but I know forbidden magic when I see it.”

“Forbidden magic?!” Rarity echoed. “What are you talking about?!”

Garden shook her head in disgust. “I think I'd know what the font of a unicorn with fifty Hornpower feels like after performing Cornuoscopies almost every single day for the past twenty-two years. Did you think that your font wasn't growing from all the stress you've put it under? Unicorn fonts are extremely adaptive muscles, and due to the constant punishment you've put yours under, it's grown to immense proportions. I don't know how much magic you could potentially have, but it doesn't matter because you've never let it recover, and now I'm not even sure it can!”

Rarity was flabbergasted. She didn't think that was how unicorn fonts worked, as she thought they were like other muscles in the body. True, she hadn't been paying much attention that day in Health class, but she'd thought she'd gotten the gist.

“I-I... didn't know,” Rarity mumbled.

“You didn't know?!” Garden facehooved. “Are you so ignorant that you didn't see all the signs?! Constant, worsening headaches, dizzy spells, dry heaves, nausea, lack of magic, inability to concentrate, physical weakness, hallucinations... the list goes on and on! You're telling me you're so blind that you can't see what you've done to yourself?!”

“I didn't think it was that bad...” Rarity trailed off.

“Not that bad?!” Garden screamed. “You're KILLING yourself! You're one or two spellcasts away from Magical Exhaustion, and if you try to cast any magic in that state, You! Will! Die! That isn't a theory or an unknown, that's a definite! I've told you countless times that Lifeforce isn't something to be messed around with, but you can't seem to get that through that thick skull of yours, and if you're going to make me choose between crying over your coffin or the door of your cell ward, I'll take the latter!”

Rarity's forelegs gave out. Canterlot Mental Hospital. Her mother had thrown that ultimatum out only once before, when Rarity'd said she wasn't going to take her pills at all when she moved out. Garden was friends with several orderlies at the facility, and Rarity had been taken there once for an examination when they were trying to find the cause of her insomnia. It was a cold, desolate place with sterile hallways, stoic-faced doctors, and unstable tenants. The rooms were like prison cells, and an aura of hopelessness hung about the grounds like a shroud.

Rarity stared up at her mother in utter terror. “You can't. You wouldn't!”

Garden looked down at Rarity, and the pain that flashed across her face was like the spasm of a seizure. “I've tried everything I can to prevent myself from resorting to this. I've reasoned, argued, threatened, begged, and compromised with you. I've given you facts, chances, alternatives, and every opportunity I could think of to try and address your health issues on your own. You've ignored them all, pushed beyond your limits, and now your life's at risk. I've no choice but to believe you're suffering from some kind of disorder, and the only thing I can do is take you to get help.”

Rarity was paralyzed, rooted to the spot. She'd had nightmares about being committed there, and now it was actually happening. She was crying now, the tears spilling freely from her face as she looked helplessly up at her mother.

“You'd go that far...”

Garden wavered only for an instant, but then her face became like steel. “I wanted you to be happy. I tried to let you make your own choices and mistakes, but now I see that was the wrong thing to do. You're clearly unable to handle such freedoms, and any reasonable mother would've put their hoof down long before this. It's partially my fault for letting it get to this point, but now that it has, I'm left with no other choice.”

Rarity said nothing. She was staring at a spot on the wall, trying to stop her lower lip from quivering. She was about to lose it all: Her career, her future, her individuality, her friends, everything. All she'd wanted was to make it on her own, to show the world the beauty and magnificence that was Rarity, but it seemed her body had conspired against her. It's a cruel thing to fail due to the limitations of the flesh, and she could do nothing but cry as she now realized that her career was over. Her life was over. Everything was over.

It doesn't have to be over....

The voice was like a nail being driven into Rarity's ears, and she felt a sensation like a siphon pulling on her shallow magical font. Her eyes watered further as she jerked around, searching for the speaker. There was nopony in the room but herself and her mother.

“Who...”

Garden closed her eyes as her horn glowed. Rarity yelped as she became enshrouded in her mother's aura, which picked her up and pinned her to her bed on her back, with all four of her limbs splayed out.

“Mother?!” Rarity tried to fight against the telekinetic grip, but her weakened state made her attempts useless. “What are you doing?!”

“Restraining you,” Garden replied. “I'm going downstairs to call an ambulance, and I'm not going to risk you attempting suicide while I'm gone. You might as well get used to that position, you're going to be in it a lot for the foreseeable future.”

“You can't do this!” Rarity desperately wiggled and squirmed, but to no avail. “You've no right!”

“I'm your mother and your doctor. I've every right.” Garden turned and started to walk away.

She's leaving... she's going to take everything from you...

The voice was pure agony as it ripped through Rarity's mind, draining even more of her meager magic away. Rarity tried to cast a spell on impulse, but her concentration broke as a cloud of fog fell over her vision. She didn't know what was going on, but her attention was diverted by an adrenaline rush as her mother's shadow headed towards the door.

“Don't do this!” Rarity's voice rose into a scream. “MOTHER! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!”

Garden stopped at the entrance to the room, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. The tears that leaked out of the corners of her eyes went unseen by Rarity, and all she heard was her mother's strong voice as it resonated through the empty room.

“Everypony has limits, Rarity. I know what this will do to your career, but I'm not going to let your dreams steal you away from me. Regardless of whether or not you ever speak to me again, I want you to know that I love you beyond words, and nothing, not you, not your obsessions, not even Celestia herself can change that.”

Do you want to stop her?

Rarity's eyes rolled into the back of her head from the pain. She barely even heard her mother's words as the fatigue of not getting a full night's sleep in months and not sleeping at all in days hit her all at once. Her body felt like it was made of lead, her thoughts were dim and muddled, and now all she could focus on was the voice that kept lancing on her head. Did she want to stop her? Yes, yes she did, but there was something Rarity wanted more than that, and now that one thing was all she could focus on.

“I want... to sleep...”

I can make you sleep, the voice replied. All I need you to do is two little things, and you can sleep for as long as you want. Would you like that?

Rarity's magic was almost gone, and it felt like the voice was ripping her brain to pieces. Rarity wasn't in a state to care though, as the voice was promising it could give her what she wanted above all else.

“Yes...”

A black aura surrounded Rarity's body, and she was freed of her mother's magic. Garden stopped as she felt her spell break.

“What the—”

First, take off your jewelry.

With all the strength she could muster, Rarity obeyed. Her horn sputtered, and her earrings and the Symbol of Generosity necklace slid off her to clatter onto the floor. Her pain and fatigue became worse than ever before, and Rarity felt an odd sensation in her font—an emptiness, a kind of exposure that she'd never known before. It was like she was standing in the bottom of a well, looking up to see the sky far, far above.

Good. Now, just one more thing...

“NO!” Garden ran to Rarity. “STOP! DON'T CAST ANY MORE MAGIC!”

“Anything,” Rarity droned.

Garden was halfway to Rarity. The voice made no effort to hide its triumph as its next words were enough to push her over the edge.

Let me in.

Rarity's eyes fluttered, and the bottom of the well gave out. The world fled away, and she fell without protest into darkness, fading, sinking into the crushing void, finding blessed sleep at last.

Rarity went limp just as her mother got to her. She checked Rarity's pulse, but didn't feel a thing. She checked her mouth, and found Rarity wasn't breathing. Garden touched her horn to her daughter's, and found that her font was empty, dropless, completely bone dry.

Garden fell to her knees as she beheld her daughter's lifeless body.

“No...”

Rarity's eyes suddenly snapped open, a cruel, manic grin forming on her face.

“Yes.”

Garden jolted. “Rarity?!”

Rarity responded by picking Garden up in a dark aura. Her telekinesis kept her hanging helplessly in the air, constricting her throat just enough so that she couldn't cry out.

“Not quite,” Rarity said, her horn glowing purest black.

“Rarity... how...” Garden gasped.

“So sorry.” Rarity hopped lightly down off her bed and walked up to her mother. “Rarity's not home right now. You'll have to leave a message.”

Garden's eyes bulged. “What... have you done... with my daughter?”

'Rarity' laughed, a vindictive titter that sent a chill down Garden's spine. “She wanted to sleep, so I put her under for a while. You should be grateful, if I wasn't here to keep her body going, she'd be dead before you could get her to the hospital.”

Garden tried to break the telekinetic grip, but found it was like iron. “You... did this... to her... didn't you?”

'Rarity' made a 'tut-tut' sound. “You always say a Lady never kisses and tells. Although that's hypocrisy at its finest, considering how much gossip you partake in every Saturday night with your little bridge club.”

Garden's face was turning blue. “What... are... you?”

“What am I?” 'Rarity' approached Garden's helpless form, their faces only inches apart. She blinked, and for an instant, her pupils shifted into predatory slits. “Many things. I suppose I have to be called something though, so you can call me Cetus.”

“Give... Rarity... back...”

Cetus raised a hoof to her chin in mock contemplation. “No, I don't think I will. I've been shaping and feeding on her magic for a few months now, and I happen to like the taste. Be proud, Garden Wishes, your daughter has been chosen to perform a great service, and will be granted the greatest of rewards as a result.”

Cetus released Garden, who fell sprawling to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. She looked up dimly at the imposter, whose horn was now glowing brighter with a different kind of magic.

“You're lucky killing you will blow my cover,” Cetus sneered. “The Princesses know I'm hiding in one of the Bearers, but they don't know which one, and they know I have enough reserves to level this town if they try to find out. I need the Bearers for my plans as well, so we've been stuck these past few months in a pathetic little stalemate. That's all about to change, though, and while it's been far too long since I've tasted fresh blood, it'd be a shame if a millennium of waiting and planning slipped through my hooves just because I decided to jump the gun.”

A beam of ebony light lanced out from Rarity's horn, striking Garden right between her eyes. Her posture went slack, and her eyelids went half-closed as she fell into a kind of stupor.

“You came to see your daughter this evening, and found her sleeping in her room,” Cetus intoned. “You're happy that she's taking her medicine and finally addressing her physical needs. On the way home, you came down with a nasty cough, but you figure it's probably due to the change in seasons. You'll find another sitter for Sweetie this week, as Rarity's getting as much rest as she can before Fashion Week and can't take the time to watch her.”

Garden's chin lowered as the Memory spell took hold. With her eyes still unfocused, she got up and walked out the door without looking back. Cetus smirked as she heard the tinkling of the entrance bell a short while later.

Patience was a virtue that Cetus had mastered. It hadn't been easy lying low, slowly siphoning away Rarity's magic bit by bit, slowly forcing her font to expand and thereby worsening her symptoms, but now she was in prime position to make her move. Rarity's stubbornness had actually worked to her benefit, as Cetus would've certainly would've been found out if her host hadn't hid her condition so well. All Cetus had to do now was wait a little longer, and everything she'd worked for would pay off in a shining moment of glory.

Cetus magically picked up the earrings and necklace on the floor. Taking chances like that wasn't her style, but she'd had to make Rarity voluntarily remove the wards Grovi had put in place. Cetus would've lost everything if Rarity had decided not to take them off, and the stakes were too high to leave anything to uncertainty. Cetus have to ensure that the Echo's meddling was justly rewarded.

“It's all falling into place,” Cetus murmured. Zemblani had failed, Nightmare Moon had failed, but she wouldn't. Their slip-ups had pushed all the attention away from her, leaving her free to work in the shadows and plot out her moves. As a result, she had power, she had opportunity to take even more, and soon the world would revel in her beauty while languishing in despair. Eternal Night would reign supreme, and Cetus would be master over not just Equestria, but the entire world.

All she had to do now was play pretend for a little while longer.

Cetus chuckled to herself as she magically turned out the lights and laid down on the bed. It'd take a week of sleeping for Rarity's body to fully recover from the punishment she'd put it under, but now that the foal was comatose and Cetus wasn't forcing the Element of Generosity to activate in the middle of the night, she could get that without issue. Nopony would stop her from getting extra sleep, as that's what they all wanted her to do, anyways.

Cetus sighed as she relinquished control of Rarity's body, letting it fall into true, unhindered rest. The days ahead were going to be exciting, and she needed to be at her best to be ready for Canterlot.

Too bad it wasn't going to be ready for her.