//------------------------------// // Celehnon // Story: fyre-flye // by uhrora //------------------------------// fyre-flye II - 3 Celehnon Twilight Sparkle, open your eyes. It's still dark outside. Today's the day I'm going to teach you to control a world's gravitational pull. Twi's eyes flew open and she sat up in bed with a gasp, blankets tangling around her rear hooves. She knew that voice. How could she forget it? "P-princess Celestia?" "No, just me, dear." Rarity was sitting by her bed, and that was when Twi saw that it wasn't her bed. She was on Sereinity—in the infirmary. The white lights seemed to press against her tired eyes and her body and head ached like they sometimes did when she overtaxed her magic. Fluttershy's hospital bed reeked with the pungent smell of disinfectant and now, apparently, belonged to her. Pinkie sat in her own bed across the room and was sitting up as well, staring at the unicorns with those huge blue eyes that Twi found so unnerving. "You must have been having a bad dream if that big meany queeny was in it!" Pinkie remarked. "Pinkie, dear, would you mind finding your brother and bringing him here?" Rarity asked, turning her head slightly to smile at the earth pony. Pinkie frowned, not understanding. "But… I don't think I'm supposed to leave." "Oh, nonsense. Did he ever actually tell you that? You leave when you need to use the lavatory, and this is certainly just as urgent. Besides, wouldn't you like to stretch your legs a bit? I daresay it gets a bit, well, boring around here." "Yeah," Pinkie replied mournfully. "It is boring. I hate boring." She frowned but it didn't seem to take much to convince her. "Okie dokie lokie! I'll go. But if I get in trouble, it's your fault!" The pink pony slid out of her bed and left the infirmary, a little hop to her step. Rarity felt bad for the filly. It was hard to be so enclosed. That was how it felt on land, sometimes. When Pinkie was gone and the door had closed behind her, Rarity turned back to Twi. "All right. We don't have much time and we have much to discuss. I have a shuttle and so I can take you home once we land on Celehnon. It should be any minute, now." "No!" Twi protested, eyes wide. "Wh-why would you say that? I can't go back!" She brought a hoof to her head, trying to massage her sore skull. Now she had even more to worry about. "This is getting a bit silly, your highness, if you don't mind my honesty. Nothing should be more important than your own life. Perhaps you don't remember it in such detail as I do, but you were… Well, you were coughing blood. Your horn is turning grayer and grayer with every hour. The Doctor has done his best, but it won’t last forever. We do not have time for this tired family drama." Twi's mouth hung open. "You… really are being honest." "Yes, I am." "But…" Twi sighed. "I just can't go back." "I simply won't allow you to be so foalish. You may not ever have been responsible for somepony's life before, but I have. And making the wrong decision is something that I simply will not face again." "What do you—" "There is simply no time. Celestia will be able to cure you. We need to go to her at once. Any petty problems you have can be worked out; there is more at stake here. Am I making myself clear?" Twi stared at her, trying to find out what to say. She looked down at herself. She was hooked up to an IV. There was some horribly cold feeling in her throat and chest. She was dizzy and her whole body felt constricted, like a star on its path to implosion. And wasn't that so horribly apt? "I can't see her." "Surely your brother—" "I can't see any of them. It's not petty. It's not." "I see no other option." Twi hesitated. There was another option, but she'd hoped she'd never have to do this. Especially not so soon after leaving. "I have a friend. He… he stayed behind. He had to. But he said he'd always be there for me if I needed help. He still has the second-highest security level. He won't tell them I'm there. I trust him." She took a quick breath. Speaking so much seemed to take all the air out of her lungs. Rarity raised an eyebrow. "What makes you trust this friend more than your own family?" "I don't trust anypony." "Then—" "He's not a pony." Rainbow Dash let out a long whistle. "I don't know why, but that never gets old." She was on the bridge with Applejack and Soarin as they began their landing on Celehnon. The planet—although it once had been—wasn't as populated as other Core worlds like Celestinium or Persepony, but it had an elegance to it that was visible even beyond atmo. The gently sloping edges of continents, the calm blue color of the generous oceans—but most of all, the lights. The planet twinkled like it was alive with millions of tiny stars. It had always been that way, even before the war. Luna’s old world, the planet now called Celestinium, had certainly changed since the war. It was close enough to appear as a bright beacon across the black, with a steady stream of full-sized ships and shuttles coming from that direction. Even with this distance, Rainbow Dash felt uneasy at the sight of it. Once, the “blue planet” had paled in comparison with Celehnon’s bright glow, but there had always been a beauty to it that escaped Celestia’s world. After all, it was impossible to look right at the sun. Now, though, that beauty was all but lost after rampant development. The cities jutted up towards the sky in high-rises, some with several hundred stories; parks were rooftop gardens. Those who occupied the first several floors of a building rarely saw the sun. Aflame with industry, central government and a culture that seemed never to sleep, Luna’s old world was now even brighter than Celehnon. Still, after the Rim, Celehnon’s lights were nearly blinding. Rainbow sat in awe, but not all ponies appreciated their retinal burn. Including Applejack, unsurprisingly. "Seein' as it's all lit up with the blood of Rim ponies, it's real pretty." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Don't you ever think something is just, you know, shiny? You don't always have to think about where things come from or what poor Rimtrotter's getting tebeda for them." Applejack shook her head. "Says a true native of Horsperides." "Okay, okay. We don't need a fillyfight right now," Soarin broke in. Two sets of glaring, narrowed eyes turned on him. With a nervous grin, the pegasus continued: "Seriously. This is about the closest we're going to be to Celestia in a long time. The princess and all the royals will most likely be attending this party." "And you'd know because you used to go to all these things as her little wusha," Dash muttered. "Hey, at least I was one. You never even made it into the Wonderbolts." Applejack tapped her hoof against the ground. "C'mon. Soar's right. We're all a mite testy from this whole party-crashin’. Let's at least be civil to each other. If I can manage that, so can y'all wedded folk." "Party-crashing?" Soarin looked surprised. "Well, Rare's going to the tea party. We're just gonna be on the same planet. Cow pies still stink, even at a few paces." The mentioned planet was drawing nearer and nearer to them as they spoke. Rainbow Dash turned back to the helm. She pressed the com to announce their position to the rest of the crew. "We're about to go into atmo. Seatbelts, please. It'll be a little bumpy." The pilot surveyed the traffic around them as Applejack and Soarin buckled themselves into the two extra bridge seats. The air congestion wasn't terrible, but still much worse than usual. Celehnon's traffic was never great—it was a vacation world, after all—but this was altogether different. Elegant cruiseliners, sleek shuttles and a few multi-gun warships descended upon the planet. Once Sereinity joined the crowds, Dash was forced to pull back, reducing speed. "Ugh. I hate traffic." "Careful. Don't want to dent one of them fancy ships, seein' as their hulls are no tougher than a 'Corn," Applejack chuckled, using the derogatory term for unicorns from the Central Planet. It fit—most of these ponies would be unicorns. And they were certainly not from the Rim with ships like these. Thankfully, Fancy Pants had added their ship to the list of those allowed entrance for the occasion. Otherwise, by force of some invisible barrier or some, more unpleasant unicorn magic, they wouldn’t be able to go much further. They entered atmo and, in a few seconds, the turbulence began. Rainbow rolled her eyes as she noted the floating signs dotting the air around them: REDUCE SPEED AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM OTHER SHIPS. MERGE INTO LANES CAREFULLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE. HAVE A HARMONIOUS DAY! "Who said this was a good idea again?" Soarin asked with a nervous laugh. "Derpy. And I trust her, even if you don't," Rainbow snapped, still irritated with her husband from their earlier fight. And for that comment about her never making the Wonderbolts. All of a sudden, the ship began to pass through the clouds. They were almost on land. The lanes would begin once they'd cleared the cloud layer. And then, there they were. Pegasi wearing Wonderbolt uniforms sat on a few scattered clouds, pointing the ships into lanes. Soarin shifted, uncomfortable with the Wonderbolts nearby and his wife's accusation. "I know. I was just—" "Why don't you stick to doing your job? I'm doing mine," Rainbow Dash said as she began to merge into the lanes, "and Derpy can do hers, too. If you want to fly out there and join the Wonderbolts, you’re welcome to it." "I was joking." "Sheesh. Y'all are having the least harmonious day I can imagine. Better comply with the wishes of the princess.” Nopony replied. The captain groaned. “Hurry up and land already, R.D. I can't take much more of this marital bliss," Applejack quipped. Nopony replied. The lane moved along steadily, eliciting several heavy sighs from Rainbow Dash, until Sereinity began to come into dock. Summersun Docks was everything Persepony’s Wingsdown Docks was not: It was highly-organized, clean and minimalist. All the displays had been set to the same broadcast—harmonized, so to speak. On every screen surrounding the Docks, Princess Celestia smiled. "Welcome to Celehnon," her gentle voice came over the loudspeakers. "If you've come to attend my Royal Tea Party, I'm so excited to meet you. Please remember to bring your invitations, as they feature a hologram scan individual to you. And please do enjoy your time here on the beautiful planet of light!" Rainbow Dash landed as the image flashed to attractions the planet had to offer. Beaches and mountain vistas, upscale casinos and Wonderbolt race tracks, vineyards and showrooms. This was certainly where the elite came to play. Sereinity's engine hummed down and Applejack looked around at the world. "Best get started." Sunlight. Derpy stepped out into it, took a deep breath of real world air, and sighed in relief. Farmpony born and raised—never mind the wings—she always felt a kind of joy about being back on land. Sure, being up in the air with an engine to care for was her calling. Her cutie mark, after all, was an assortment of ship engine nozzles with the light blue color of flames. Only a pegasus pony with clipped wings, who spent her days on land looking up at ships taking off across the 'verse, would recognize that symbol. Still, there was something about returning to a world; of feeling dirt beneath her hooves. Derpy looked around at the ponies milling around Summersun Docks. Ordinarily, she'd be struck by the glamour of these Core ponies. Their dresses and suits—she couldn't imagine a pony wearing those for traveling instead of a ball!—clashed with her own crew's drab attire. Of course, Rarity always dressed in style and the Doctor had his share of Core vests and coats, but Derpy's own mechanic's shirt was dotted with grease, and brown-outfit-lovers Applejack, Soarin and Rainbow Dash always got a hoofful of glares from those who remembered the war colors. "It seems strange to feel the heat from the sun after such a long time," murmured the Doctor. Derpy jumped. He'd snuck up on her somehow and she turned around quickly, taking a nervous step away from him. "Yeah… Um… You'll get used to it. I mean, if you stay on Sereinity much longer. Who knows, right?" "Well, I think Pinkie quite enjoys it. And a doctor always comes in handy." Derpy didn't say anything. He frowned. "Are you feeling all right? Do I have something on my face? You're not looking at me." Well, how could she, when she'd seen the dumb colt kissing Fluttershy! "I have to go find a shuttle," Derpy replied, turning around. There! She was cold, just as Rarity said a mare should be when something like this happened. Rarity never would have already cried over it, though. And it was easy for Rarity to act cold, anyway. There were dozens of stallions tripping over each other to be with her. That wasn't the case for Derpy. She'd never been good at acting cold, either. It just made her feel guilty. She was about to turn around and apologize—though, for what, she didn't really know—before she caught the sight of Rarity exiting the ship. The Coltpanion didn't know about Derpy's crush, but she knew that Rarity would support her decision to keep her distance from the Doctor. After all, if Fluttershy was his type, Derpy certainly wasn’t. Fluttershy was quiet, and elegant, and always so gentle… nothing at all like Derpy. "Rarity!" she called out as she hurried over to her. "Are you going to meet your stallion now?" Rarity shook her head. She was wearing one of her ensembles, as she put it: a dusty rose jacket and matching headscarf, along with large black sunglasses. "No, I'm afraid I have some shopping to do first. We're meeting for brunch tomorrow before the tea party." "Shopping! I wish I could come!" "Don't you need to find the new shuttle, dear?" "Yes. Hey! I guess I get to meet your stallion before you do!" "Well, have fun. I expect to hear about the meeting later tonight." As Rarity trotted away, Derpy turned to look at Applejack and Soarin. They were trying to work out the coordinates of Fancy Pants' location. Big Mac and Dash were next outside of the ship, the former headed to his sister's side. "Derpy, Dash, y'all are coming along. Need you two to look over the part," Applejack was saying. “Don’t worry about that, AJ. I already memorized the route,” Rainbow Dash said proudly, stretching her wings. Derpy stepped over to them as the captain continued: "Mac and Soar will come too." Big Mac shook his head. "Ain't certain the ship'll be safe under the watch of the Doc. We got Fluttershy and Twi down, and that Pinkie's a loose gunship if I ever seen one." Applejack turned to him. "Summersun Docks're gonna be a mite safer than the back alleys of some parts tradin' district." Mac snorted. "AJ, we're on Celehnon. Ain't nopony here rougher'n Celestia's hooficure." "And that's exactly what's going to get us in trouble," Soarin pointed out, his voice low as he glanced around the docks. "You can't say anything about Celestia, or the war, or Harmony, or anything like that here. Rim barons might be angry and tough but these weak-fetlocked gentry folk are the ones with all the power in the 'verse." He paused, grinning at Big Mac. "Nice one about the hooficure, by the way." "Got it from Rare. The lady can be real improper 'bout Harmony with a few mugs of cider in her." "All right, then, Mac. You want to stay, you can stay. We walk into a snakepit, my cold pony ghost is gonna haunt you," Applejack warned her brother. "Saddle up," he advised, then looked at Derpy. "Not you." She grinned, the thought of herself with firearms ludicrous. "Never!" "Excuse me, dear, but could you kindly point me towards the Sunrise District? I seem to have gotten a bit turned around with the redevelopment of the Terrace District." The unicorn Rarity asked looked at her, suspicious. "The Sunrise District?" she repeated. "If you don't know how to get there, how will you get in?" "Beg pardon?" "The Sunrise District is gated," the unicorn said with a sigh, impatient. "They don't just let anypony in." "Gated?" Rarity frowned. She was no newcomer to Summersun City; in fact, she'd been raised there. She had only visited a couple times after moving to Amberglade, where Celehnon's Coltpanion temple was. After her studies, she'd left the world, with a few visits back on occasion. But the Sunrise District, although the most exclusive, had never been gated before. "When did that happen?" The unicorn raised her eyebrow. "Where are you from?" She gave Rarity's outfit a quick once-over. "The Outer Rim?" Rarity's eyes widened. "As a matter of fact, I grew up in this very city and later excelled in my studies at Amberglade. I simply haven't had the time—or desire—to stay around my city of birth for such a long time. So, please, at what point in my travels around Celestia's glorious universe did you notice the Sunrise District becoming gated?" "Ah… well, after the war. Of course." "Of course," Rarity repeated, looking down her muzzle at the unicorn. That probably explained why the Terrace District’s street names had changed, too. "Thank you for your assistance." She continued on her way, trotting down the familiar streets towards the Sunrise District. The westernmost part of the city, before the suburbs began, was where the elite few lived. With cobblestones and sloping thoroughfares with filtered light through tree cover, the Sunrise District was quaint and charming. It was up the hill from the rest of the city, with a view of—predictably—the sunrise over Summersun's spired skyline. At the center of the district was one of the twin Core palaces—and one of Celestia's two official residences. After traveling a few more minutes, the district came into view. Surrounding it was a tall and translucent barrier, with the leafy mansion-filled portion of the city behind it in full view for those outsiders. Rarity continued on the street straight up to the massive wall, where shuttles, rovers and ponies on hoof were being stopped at the gate. She joined the line of ponies, careful to keep her poker face—and keep in character. She was tired, she was bored and she was ready to be past this dreary line. Luckily for her not-all-that-fictional character, the line moved quickly and soon she was facing one of Celestia's royal pegasus guards. "Name?" he asked. "Rarity." "And… your last name?" He looked up at her. "I am a registered Coltpanion here to meet a client. The name I use in my business is, simply, Rarity." "And which resident are you here to meet with?" Rarity glanced behind her at the line, lowering her voice. "Out of discretion, I cannot say in good conscience." The guard sighed. "Madam Rarity, I'm afraid we just can't go by the honor system here." "And sir guard, I agree with you entirely! After the horrors of the war, how can I not? Those… savages out there, ready to… do Celestia knows what to somepony like me!" She shook her head. "I shudder at the thought. Your wall here does a lovely job of keeping out the unwanted, but I assure you I am very much wanted. May I please remind you of Article Six of the Coltpanion Book, in which it is written that any registered Coltpanion, regardless of rank or gender, may be allowed to pass into the home of a legitimate client unmolested?" "Un…what?" "Unmolested. Yes, dear sir. Unmolested and undeterred. Without this, Coltpanion rights can be severely undermined by local customs and guidelines, which, as you know, are prone to sudden and catastrophic changes thanks to the capricious minds of those in power. Without a single law, such as that of Harmony, all those little worlds could be running themselves, destroying each other and performing acts so vile a strong stallion like yourself would faint like a filly. The law is necessary, and this is the law, sir guard." The pegasus stared at her for a moment. "Well…" Rarity sighed. "Shall I have to contact the local Coltpanion representative?" She hesitated. "I do believe she lives in the Sunrise District herself." "No… no, I apologize. Let me just scan your cutie mark and make sure you're a registered Coltpanion." Rarity raised her eyebrow. "You expect me to know all that legal information otherwise? Oh, very well." She sighed, taking a step forward to the scanner. This sort of treatment was something she did not miss about living in Celehnon. Certainly there were scanners in some of the bigger cities outside the Central Planets, but they were much harder to come by. The lights of the scanner traced the three diamonds of Rarity's cutie mark, then turned them blue for a split second before giving a friendly beep. The pegasus guard read over the words that appeared in the air, above the scanner. Although they were invisible to her from this angle, Rarity knew exactly what they said. He gave a nod. "Registered Coltpanion. Yes, you're free to go through. I apologize for the wait." "It's quite all right," she told him, adopting a gracious smile. It was her responsibility as a lady of stature to be patient with underlings, after all. "Mistakes happen." She stepped through the gate, and then she was in. The sweet smell of flowers wafted over her and she suddenly felt calm, warm inside. Rarity looked back; found the outside of the wall dreary-looking compared to the Sunrise District. Here, ivy crept up the sides of stately buildings and the cobbled steps up the side of the hill were framed in moss. Willow trees swept the streets; hanging flowers on trellises provided small archways. Everything was gorgeous, serene, surreal in the way that only an illusion of the Core could be. Rarity frowned. Where had that come from? Applejack was certainly rubbing off on her. This was no illusion, simply a better life. She continued along the curves up the hill. The homes were stunning, with stained-glass windows, pillars, balconies overlooking the city. Luxury shops, restaurants, bakeries lined the streets. This was new: Rarity did not remember the district having its own shopping area, but perhaps that was what happened when it became gated. She was nearing the top of the hill. Around a turn, she was left breathless from the view and the climb. There, nearly at the top of what felt like the entire 'verse, was the palace. It was still a few levels up, occupying its own space while clothed in tree branches and climbing flowers. The area she was in now had the largest homes. That was when she saw the tree house. In Celehnon's eternal quest to be one with nature—a nature lost long ago on Equestria-that-was, a nature created by science ponies in labs—a tree house did not surprise her. It wasn't as big as the mansions surrounding it, but it was built up into the trunk of the plant, with balconies and makeshift turrets on every side. This was it. Rarity strode up to the front door and rapped on it with her hoof. "Who is it?" came a male voice from within. "I'm here on business. I hear you're a collector?" "Not interested." She frowned. "I need you to find a book for me," she said carefully, trying to remember what Twi had told her. "It's called The Wane. I hear it's rare?" There was a silence. Then, the sound of the lock clattering and the door opening quickly. Rarity was looking directly into the face of an adolescent dragon, his green eyes wide as he took her in. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice a whisper. Rarity smiled. "Lovely to make your acquaintance, Spike." "And we can do each other's manes!" "Y-yes. As long as we're careful and don't pull each other's manes too hard, because that—" "And we can eat lots and lots of chocolate!" "Well, that sounds nice, but chocolate is so terribly expensive, so maybe we can—" "And we can dance for hours!" "Well, I can't because of my gunshot wound, and anyway I don't really dance, but you probably can as long as you turn off the music when it's time to go to bed, because we all need a good night's—" "And we can tell scary stories!" Fluttershy stared at Pinkie. "Oh… um… w-what?" "Scary stories!" "You mean like the story of the pony who lost her favorite stuffed toy but then later she found it?" "No! Like the story of the pony who lost her head and never found it again!" Fluttershy disappeared beneath her blanket. Pinkie had come into the pegasus' temporary passenger quarters to hop up and down and talk about their plans for the upcoming sleepover. Unfortunately, Rarity couldn't come. She was, as Pinkie put it, “having a sleepover with that pony with fancy pantsy pants.” So it was doomed to be Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Derpy. The pegasus did not want to hear the scary stories either of them came up with. "Aw, come on, silly! It's just a story." Fluttershy peeked out from the blanket. "A true story!" Pinkie cackled. Fluttershy was gone. Pinkie grinned. "Well, okie dokie lokie. As long as you're getting your sleep now, we can stay up all night!" "The sleepover isn't tonight. Your brother said I need to get another good night's sleep before having all the… uh… fun." "So get as much sleep as possible. It’ll be really fun!" Pinkie left the room, her bouncing a bit more exaggerated. She skipped up the stairs, humming to herself. Ever since Pinkie had been allowed free reign of the ship, her pink color was returning, her mane and tail curling ever so slightly. And the bouncing was happening. And the giggling. Right now, with nearly everypony off the ship, Pinkie could do whatever she wanted! What she really wanted was to go and eat chocolate, now that she'd brought that up with Fluttershy. But the pegasus had told her it was expensive… An idea dawned upon Pinkie as she reached the top of the stairs. She knew who had money! Not her brother anymore. Not her, either. But Rarity had lots and lots of money! She must have it, anyway, with all the pretty dresses and things. Of course! Pinkie could also buy a pretty dress! She wasn't wearing one, which was sad and boring. Ooh, it could be frilly with lots of pink and ruffles and things! Or, no, maybe she wanted a green one because her coat was pink and pink and green went together well. But yellow was nice too! Yellow would match Fluttershy and then Pinkie and Fluttershy could both be pink and yellow! They'd be like sisters! Pinkie knew that her brother had already kissed Fluttershy, anyway, though she wasn't actually there and so she shouldn't mention it or they'd look at her funny like they kept doing when she said things she wasn't supposed to say. Remember to try and act like you're ordinary, Pinkie—there are boundaries! But anyway, that kiss, even if it was just on her hoof, meant they were probably getting married soon. So Pinkie and Fluttershy would really be sisters! Yes, Pinkie knew she had to have a yellow dress immediately! The door to Rarity's shuttle was unlocked, so she opened it and pranced into the room. "Hmm… money. Money, money. Where would I keep money if I were a fancy lady like Rarity?" Pinkie mused to herself. Well, of course, she'd probably keep it in one of the banks or something, like Pinkie's parents did. Of course! Rarity wouldn't have money. Having money was for poor ponies. Rarity would have an account that she would use to buy things. But—Pinkie's heart dropped—her account was only accessible through her cutie mark. And unless Pinkie was a Changeling—which she was pretty sure she wasn't—she didn't have the same cutie mark as Rarity. Pinkie sat down on Rarity's chaise lounge with a sigh, resting her head on one hoof. She looked up at Rarity's collection of gems that rested above her bed. Wait. Gems could buy things, too! Pinkie's grin returned to her face. She was going shopping! Saddlebags packed and stored beside his weapon wall, Big Mac went to go see about his partner. First, though, he stopped by the infirmary. Twi was there, eyes half-open in a state of semi-consciousness, a cough-suppressing band around her neck. The faint smell of sneeze leaf hung in the air, and the Doctor was scowling as he ground pieces of the leaf together. He noticed Mac as he entered the room and turned to face him. "What, exactly, is wrong with this crew? I ask your sister where the cold medicine is kept and she gives me these… tree branches!" He gestured towards the leaves, exasperated. "Sneeze leaves," Big Mac informed him. "Of course. Typical Rim superstition as a replacement for real medicine. Why should I expect anything else?" he grumbled. "Ain't no other cold remedies growin' on trees," Mac told him, patiently. The Doctor continued to grind up the leaf. "Does anypony out there even use the medical supplies we send? Celestia, there must be hundreds a week, going to every remote location missionaries and do-gooders can think of!" "Sure, we use 'em. We use tourniquets and adrenaline." "But not cold medicine?" Mac snorted, amused. "There ain't none of that. Supplies sent to the Rim are for emergencies. What else you use tourniquets and adrenaline for? Ponies get chopped and thrown around real good in the fields with machines all gone haywire. The mines're where they need med kits the most, but nopony in the Core wants to waste nothin' on Diamond Dogs." The Doctor was silent for a moment. Then he looked down at the sneeze leaf. "What about the other supplies?" "Sell the pain meds and them other things we ain't got use for." "Well, maybe you should tell the ponies who send them what you need." "Oh, but we do got a use for ‘em. For bits, anyway. Pain meds fetch a pretty penny. Too pretty for us to use them ourselves. Besides, we got cider and the like." Mac paused, looking at the Doctor's hoof work. "Here, you don't got to grind it too much. Just enough so as you can smell it. Put it beside Twi, save the rest for later when the smell's gone." The Doctor looked up at Mac, smiled tightly. "Thanks," he said. "I'm sorry. It's just… frustrating." "Sometimes all you got's superstition." The Doctor nodded, then noticed the small saddlebag on Mac's shoulders. "What's that for?" "Just a delivery. Good luck, Doc." Big Mac nodded and left the room, heading to the passenger quarters. It was surprisingly quiet; a rare thing lately since Pinkie Pie had been bouncing all over Sereinity. Mac came to the door of Fluttershy's temporary room and knocked on the door. He heard a tiny voice behind it. Mac opened the door and stepped in. "Hey there, Sharp." Fluttershy, in bed, had a book open across her belly. "Hello," she squeaked. "How you feeling?" "Um… I'm just fine." "You must be itchin' to get up, huh." Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I'm fine! I mean, maybe a little bit, but being here… is… it's… nice." "Nice." "Yes… Um, relaxing." Big Mac glanced at the cover of the book she was reading. "Dragons: Carin’ for Our Scary Friends." Mac read the title aloud in his own accent. "What's that all about?" Fluttershy looked down at the book. "Oh, just what it seems like, uh, caring for dragons." "Where'd that come from?" "It was just, well, I ran out of books and I asked Rarity if she had any. She brought me some, but she mostly just uses her tablet to read, so after awhile all she had left was this one called the Pony Sutr—" Fluttershy cut herself off, face reddening. "Um, soIcouldn'treadthat!" she said quickly. "S-so, I asked Twi before she was sick and she gave me this one." The pegasus took a breath. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm talking too much, please tell me what you've been up to. Also, did everypony go and get that shuttle?" Big Mac stared at her, amused. "Eeyup." "But you didn't go?" "Somepony's got to stay here, look after the ship. The Doc ain't more'n a pile of string beans and Twi, magical as she is, is all knocked out. Wouldn't trust them Central folk with the ship, anyway. Only one I'd trust is down here." "Y-yourself." "Eenope." "…Pinkie? She was down here earlier." Big Mac didn't respond to the inane question. "Sharp, I'm headin' out soon. On a little side mission. Can't tell anypony, not even AJ, you hear me?" "What…what do you mean?" "Can't tell you details. But I need to know—and this is real classified—if I left this ship… would you come with?" Fluttershy stared up at him, puzzled. "What?" her question came out as a whisper. This was too much to think about. Why would he ever leave Sereinity? His sister? Everypony else? "Don't need an answer now. But here. I got you somethin'." Mac hoisted the small saddlebag over his head and set it down beside Fluttershy. "Rest up now, Sharp." He left the room, leaving a bewildered pegasus behind. She opened the saddlebag with some difficulty, then peered inside. Sitting there were three strawberries. The air left her body as she saw them. Real strawberries. They must have cost Mac his whole paycheck. Fluttershy closed her wet eyes and breathed in the scent. They might not have been fresh. They might have been created in a science lab. They might not have been like the ones she used to eat, that came growing from the shade beneath trees. But right now, they were everything. "…so she gave me the directions and told me how to get here. She said she trusted you and that you wouldn't tell anypony about this." The dragon, Spike, had hardly closed the door to the treehouse before Rarity began to tell him the entire story of Twi's running away. He'd attempted to lead her into the sitting room, but the usually proper pony was now determined to talk as quickly as possible. They'd moved into the room now, the unicorn speaking all the while. Unlike the outdoor appearance of the house, it was all modern without a hint of that attempt towards nature. It was almost impossible to tell they were actually inside a tree. "You won't tell anypony, will you?" Rarity pressed. "No! Of course not." Spike was finally able to lower himself onto a couch. He looked down at his feet, his spiny tail curling around him. "I would never betray Twilight. She's the closest thing I have to family." Rarity took a seat on the opposite couch. It had a low, long seat, meant for a pony. Spike's was taller, a place to sit for two-leggers. At Spike's words, Rarity tilted her head. "Strange, a bit. I've never heard of you, and I know all about the Royal Family." "Twilight raised me. Since she was just a filly. I guess she always wanted to protect me from that kind of life. She never wanted to be a part of it, either. She just wanted to study with the princess…" Spike sighed, pressing his face into his claw palms. "When did it all go so wrong?" he muttered. The dragon seemed younger than Rarity, even if he was taller. His belly was green and the rest of his scales purple. Tiny wings protruded from his back; they probably weren't big enough to support him in flight yet. "My apologies, Spike, but there is no time for this. Twilight needs help, and she needs help fast. She's very sick." "Right." He took a deep breath. "You said that. So, what exactly are her symptoms?" "She said she's been feeling congested. It escalated into her coughing blood. Her horn has turned gray, and—" "What?" Spike looked up at her, startled. "Her horn. It's gray around the end. She can't use any magic or she gets very dizzy." "No. That's not possible." "Well, it is, apparently. I know she's quite the magician, but—" "The virus." Rarity leaned closer. "Come again?" Spike closed his eyes for a moment. "The virus. It's afflicting a huge number of ponies in the Core. Haven't you heard of it? No, I guess you've been out there in space." "I have, but I imagine I would hear about the big things happening in the Core." "Well, it started here. On Celehnon, of all places. All of a sudden, ponies were getting deathly ill. It starts as a kind of fever, then turns into… I don't know. Something terrible. Ponies are completely incapacitated. They lose their energy, lose their will to live… and all the while, it breaks down their bodies." Rarity shook her head, holding a hoof to her chest. "That's terrible. Celestia, how awful...” She frowned. “But how would Twilight catch something from Celehnon? There haven’t been any royal vacations here until now, for the tea party.” Spike scratched his head. “Well... I guess Twilight trusts you or she wouldn’t have sent you here, so...” He looked up at Rarity, watching closely to see her reaction. “She didn’t live on Celestinium. Not anymore. She had left and had come back here, to her first adult home. She... wasn’t happy there. I don’t know if she ever had been.” The unicorn looked around the room silently. There were pictures of Twi and Spike together, books lining the walls, pony-designed furniture. It made sense. “I see. And she caught the virus when she was here. But, Spike, my home planet is Celehnon. This is my home city. Why wouldn't I hear about something like this?" "The only thing I can think of…" Spike grimaced. "The Royal Tea Party is coming up. Celestia wouldn't want to make a scene." She watched the dragon carefully, without saying anything. Did he truly mean that? She couldn't imagine Princess Celestia acting in such a way. After all, no information could really be hidden. "Healthy ponies began to flee Celehnon. Many went to Celestinium or Persepony. Any other world they could get to." "I certainly would have heard about that," Rarity protested. "No, it's…" Spike's eyes widened. "It's not that. Celestia's tea party is simply overshadowing all of this. When news gets too big, create something bigger," he murmured. "How do we cure the virus?" she asked, trying to direct him back to business. Certainly Celestia had her flaws, but she didn’t want to think of her in that way. The dragon looked back at her. "It's not that easy. The other thing the virus does is attack ponies based on their cutie marks." "I don't quite understand." With one claw, Spike pointed at Rarity's own cutie mark. "Your cutie mark is three diamonds." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Yes, though I'll thank you not to stare at my flank." He averted his eyes, mischievous smile on his face. The Coltpanion rolled her eyes. Teenagers. "Anyway, that means your talent is, what? Jewelry-making?" It was Rarity's turn to smirk. "No, actually. My cutie mark stands for my ability to make the best of a situation. Some see bland, basic rocks while I see the potential, the gem within. And I have the ability to help ponies see their own potential themselves. Figure out what there is good, deep in their hearts." Spike whistled. "That's pretty deep." "I also make jewelry on occasion, when an outfit calls for it." "So let's say you contracted the virus. It's hard to say exactly what it would do, but it would make you incapable of that in some way. Maybe you wouldn't be able to see the good in ponies anymore; maybe you'd grow malicious and show them all the bad about them. Maybe it would just affect your ability to find real gems for your jewelry-making." Spike shrugged. "As you can see, it's pretty serious." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "I don't appreciate sarcasm, young man. Gems are not to be taken lightly." "I know that!" Spike replied. "Of course I know that. I'm a collector. I have a whole room of gems." "Well, you'll simply have to show me another time. Right now, we need to help our friend." "Twilight's cutie mark is a star. It means she stands out. She shines the brightest at whatever she chooses to excel in. That happens to be magic. If she can't use magic… I imagine Twilight would feel pretty useless. When a pony feels useless, their will to live can't be… It's…" "Please, Spike. The cure." The dragon leaned back, crossing his arms with a humorless smile. "And that's the issue. There is no cure." Rarity stared at him in shock. She couldn't find a word to say. "For now, anyway. Celestia is producing one as we speak. She's going to disperse it." That was a relief. The unicorn nodded. Spike raised an eyebrow, dubious. "Uh, I don't think you understand. Celestia is going to disperse it. She will choose everypony it goes to. It's not like you can just go to a hospital and get it. She knows." "What can we do?" Rarity's voice was quiet. She was not used to feeling powerless, but this was something beyond her control. It was a horrible feeling. Spike considered this for a moment. He set his jaw. "I know where it's being made." "We're getting close now. It should be up here on the right." Rainbow Dash didn't often go along with Applejack and Soarin on their hoofed missions, but the captain was starting to wonder why. With the mind of a pilot, Rainbow's navigational skills were superb. She was proving to have a near photographic memory when it came to a location she'd seen on a map. Not far from the Docks, this part of town looked to be a smuggler's dream. Of course, all that was hidden by the legitimate claims of warehouses left and right, but anypony knew better than to trust those companies as entirely lawful. Well, almost everypony. "Ooh, Orange Sun," Derpy gasped, pointing out the logo on one of the warehouses. It spelled out the company's name in block letters, with a half-sun almost identical to Celestia's cutie mark showing itself below the words. "You think this is headquarters? I mean, it seems big enough to be headquarters. " "No," Applejack replied. "Keep a move on, filly. Don't want to get stuck too close to that." "Yeah, except we have a problem." Rainbow Dash, in the lead, had stopped. She pointed down an alley. "That's our location." Applejack stepped beside her, then looked at the path of Dash's hoof. It was one of the loading docks for Orange Sun's warehouse. "Scheiße," Applejack muttered. "I thought this guy had his own business?" Soarin said in a low voice. "Maybe Orange Sun is his own business!" Derpy suggested. Three sets of eyes turned on her. "Or… or not." Applejack shook her head, stepping forward and making her way towards the loading dock. "Come on. It ain't headquarters or nothin'. Less belly of the beast, more like… ah, a hoof. Hoof of the beast. That's right. Not so scary." The rest followed. Although unarmed, Derpy looked the least nervous about entering the warehouse. Before AJ could knock, the door swung open. Standing there was the stallion she'd spoken with over the com. His sloppy drunkenness gone, Fancy Pants looked like the respectable gentlecolt he was: vest, monocle and everything a proper ‘Corn should have. "Yes, hello, hello. Please do come in. Quickly, now." Fancy Pants' eyes scanned the street, the whites a bit too large for Applejack's liking. "Pleased to be acquainted. I'm Applejack." The captain craned her neck, looking around the place. The loading dock was separate from the rest of the warehouse, with a couple of huge garage doors lining the wall. Other than a pile of crates marked with the Orange Sun logo, the dock was empty. When they were all inside, Fancy Pants closed the door behind them, then exhaled with relief. "Just on time. Thank you very much." He looked over the group, an expression of puzzlement appearing on his face. "I say, quite the assortment here." From Rainbow's odd-colored mane to Derpy's eyes, it was easy to see why they stood out. Besides, AJ herself wasn’t exactly groomed like a Core filly. Soarin, too, stood out if one had a good Wonderbolts memory. Those were the Wonderbolt glory days, after all, and he was the highest-level traitor there was. "Thanks, I'm sure," Applejack replied. "Now, I know you'll be wantin' to get ready for this here tea party everypony's on about, so we won't keep you." She reached up, pressed a small button on a device clipped to her saddle. If he was recording the conversation for any reason—but did a Core colt need a reason?—it would be garbled. Time to get to business. "Should we take the shuttle now or pick it up later? At night, or when we drop off the Coltpanion would be best—" "Oh, heavens, no!" Fancy Pants exclaimed with a laugh. "My dear, I trust you understand our agreement." Applejack raised a brow. "I require payment first, before any goods exchange hooves." "So that means…" "You may certainly take the shuttle. After the tea party, and after my date with the lovely Coltpanion you've arranged." Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "No ruttin' way! And how do we know you're not going to buck her and pretend you've never heard of us when the time comes to get the part?" "Rainbow Dash," Applejack warned her. She turned to Fancy Pants. "My less-than-eloquent friend here makes a point." Fancy Pants looked amused by Rainbow's display. "And I assume my word is not exactly valuable to strangers such as yourselves?" "Valuable, I'm sure, but not so dependable, beggin' your pardon. Like you said, strangers and whatnot." "Then what would be dependable?" Applejack shrugged, the guns on her saddle gleaming in the dim lighting. "Maybe something with a bit of jingle." "And how do I know you won't take my money and run, leaving me all alone with nopony?" "'Cause of this." Applejack turned, grabbed a slip of paper from her saddlebag with her teeth. "It's a certificate proving we've already paid the Coltpanion for her services," Soarin explained. Fancy Pants' horn glowed and he tugged the certificate out of Applejack's teeth. He examined it. "Yes, this looks legitimate. Rarity, you say? What a charming name." He sighed. "I suppose this is as much security as I'm going to receive. Very well." "'Less you want us to do a switch at the same time," Applejack said carefully. That was the plan, anyway. Her plan. It would be a lot simpler that way. "Oh, I most certainly do not! No, my dear, the optimal time is the day after the party. In all the hubbub, there shan't be many eyes on shuttles aloft." Fancy Pants drifted the certificate back to Applejack, rolling it and tucking it into her saddlebag. "I'm sure you understand." Applejack nodded. This wasn't her way, but she was getting this shuttle for a damn good deal and she wasn't going to complain on such a little thing. That sort of whining could turn a deal sour fast. The captain hadn't spotted any weaponry on Fancy Pants; he was also alone. But that hardly meant a thing in a place like Celehnon. Appearances were never trustworthy. Besides, the mere face that he was alone meant that he was not concerned about his safety. Even alone, Fancy Pants had an edge on them. It made Applejack a bit anxious, but anxiety was never something to dwell upon in a deal. "Can I ask a question?" Derpy piped up. "Later, Derpy," Rainbow Dash hissed. Fancy Pants ignored Rainbow. "Certainly, my dear." He smiled at Derpy, just the slightest bit off guard. "Is Orange Sun your own business? And also can we get a tour or samples or something?" The unicorn stared at Derpy, then began to chuckle. "I'm afraid not. The warehouses are closed to the public. They're rather dull, as well." At Derpy's clear dejection, he added: "What sort of products do you fancy?" "Well, there's…" The mare glanced at Applejack. "Never mind. I just…" Applejack fixed her with a lopsided grin. No matter her antics, Derpy had certainly calmed her nerves—even if stealing her thunder, a bit. She needed to give the filly more credit. "Go ahead." "Oh. Well, the unicorn fizzy. I mean, is there maybe just a vending machine?" "Unicorn fizzy?" Fancy Pants repeated. Orange Sun carried three speciality lines of carbonated beverages for each type of pony. Each line had six flavors in all the colors of the rainbow—apple, carrot, hay, grass and so forth. And every can of fizzy came with a collectible item, such as a certain spell in unicorn soda, or cloud dust for pegasi. "I've been looking for the hay flavor," Derpy told him. "It comes with the spell to make little fireworks." To his credit, Fancy Pants didn't remark on the absurdity of a pegasus looking for a unicorn product. "I'm afraid there isn't a vending machine around here. Perhaps try around the Docks, or on Flare Promenade?" Derpy nodded. "Shiny. Thanks!" "You're traveling on a fyre-flye-class ship, correct?" Fancy Pants asked, turning back towards Applejack. "I haven't seen one of those for years." "She's as solid as any, without all the flash to weigh her down," Derpy said quickly. "I agree. Charming model." "Where'd you find the shuttle, then, if you ain't seen any?" Applejack asked. "Oh, parts come and go. Shuttles aren’t so rare. Now, where shall I have the payment made?" "We're at docking station three-nineteen in the blue section," Rainbow Dash supplied. "Three-nineteen, blue. Perfect. I'll arrange for a delivery to be made there." Applejack nodded. "Thank you kindly. We'll be seein' you day after tomorrow, I reckon." "As do I. It's been a pleasure." Fancy Pants bowed to them deeply before his magical aura opened the door for them. Back in the squinting sun of the outside, Soarin caught up with Applejack. "You trust him?" he asked under his breath. "‘Course not." Behind them, Derpy was remarking to Dash, “Hey, he never told us if Orange Sun was his own company!” "What's the plan?" Soarin asked. Applejack shrugged. "The plan is we don’t care. The plan is we need a shuttle." Soarin nodded slowly. "And also that we stay saddled up." When Rarity returned to Sereinity, she was greeted at the door by Big Mac. If she didn't know better, she would have thought the relaxed stallion was nervous about something. He seemed to be pacing back and forth and jumped as soon as she entered. "Rarity. I got a favor to ask." The urgent tone to his voice startled her. At the same time, it was slightly irritating—she had urgent business to attend to, as well, and she had a favor to ask of him. "Yes? What is it?" "I need to get over to Persepony. With the spare shuttle busted and all, there’s no way for me to get there except…" He trailed off, looking at her knowingly. At first, she didn’t understand. And then it dawned on her. "Oh, no," Rarity gasped. "My shuttle? My petit boudoir?" "I can pay you for the trouble. I just… got to get there." Oh, but what a dilemma. She couldn't help but soften. After all, Rarity knew all too well that ache of distance. "I won't take it until you leave tomorrow. You got my word." "Yes, that's all right, dear." Her words almost surprised herself. She studied Big Mac's eyes. "I understand. Even being here on Celehnon… Why, it's simply impossible. If I didn't have these cursed responsibilities… to Twilight, and to…" She froze, realizing her mistake. Big Mac caught it, too. "Twi…light?" he repeated with a tilt of his head. "Don't tell anypony that," she said quickly. There was a chance none of them would know who Twilight Sparkle was, but it wasn't worth it. Somepony like the Doctor or Pinkie would probably be happy to educate the rest of them. In fact, they might already know. Twilight Sparkle was not exactly a public figure, with her bookish tendencies, but she certainly made some appearances before the universe. How could she not? "Yes, let's have that be our trade. You won't repeat that to anypony, and I will allow you to use my shuttle. For transportation purposes only, of course. My bed is made and shan't be used under any circumstances. And believe me… I know when it's made properly, with my own magic, and when it's made by some earth pony." She cleared her throat. "No hard feelings." "Ain't got none," Big Mac drawled. "I'll fly'er there and back, won't do nothin' else in’er." "Perfect. Now, dear, please come with me. I have an announcement to make." Rarity walked to the com in the cargo bay and pressed the button with one dainty hoof. "Everypony, this is Rarity. I request your presence down here at once. Please. This is extremely urgent." She stepped away, turned back to Mac. "I suppose you'll be leaving for Persepony and won't be able to help with my favor. Quite a shame, but I know how you feel. I wish I could…" "I'll help in any way I can, Rare." "I don't know if that's possible," she replied as the flutter of wings brought Rainbow Dash and Soarin into the room. Following them were Applejack and Derpy, while the Doctor emerged from the infirmary with Pinkie bouncing behind him. She was wearing a new yellow dress; a bit of an obtrusive color in the light. It wouldn't have been Rarity's choice, but fashion was not the focus right now. "Hello, everypony. I have a job for you all." "What's this all about, Rare?" Applejack asked, drawing closer. "We already got a job." The unicorn turned towards the Doctor. "How is Twi?" she asked, making a mental note to keep abbreviating her name. He shook his head. "She's not doing so well. She's stable, but not improving. Perhaps if I had some more advanced medicine than those sneeze leaves…" "Twi doesn't have a cold. She has what's called the virus. It's a new epidemic afflicting many ponies on Celehnon at the moment. It attacks a pony's Celestia-given talent." There was silence. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak. "No offense, Rarity, but that sounds kind of fake." "It's not. I don't know how it works, but somehow it is able to attack whatever a pony's cutie mark stands for." Applejack shook her head. "That's a mighty shame. What's the cure?" "There's a cure being made right now by Celestia. Only certain ponies can get it. Twi, for whatever reason, cannot," Rarity told them, glossing over the other parts. "That is why I need you to break into the laboratory where it is being produced and steal some of it for Twi." "Can I go?" Pinkie asked. "None of us are goin’," Applejack said decisively. "Are you crazy, Rare? Thinkin’ we can just waltz right into Celestia's royal laboratory or whatever the buck?" "Yes. I do." Rarity's fiery blue eyes met Applejack's. "And why in tarnation would you believe some horse apples like that?" "Because I made a friend today. He has the second-highest security level in the 'verse. And he'll help you." "No. I ain't trusting' somepony with the second-highest security level. That's just askin' for death by Celestia-fire." "You'll be entering the lab during the tea party tomorrow. All eyes will be on that event. Most security will be there. Celestia will be distracted." "I agree with Applejack," Soarin added. "We're already going way out of line trusting Fancy Pants to deliver us the shuttle. I don't think I can handle to make any more Core deals with devils." Rarity's eyes narrowed. "Do you not care about the life of Twi?" "We haven't known her that long. It kind of makes more sense to care about our own lives," Rainbow Dash told her. "Look, she's from the Core. I reckon if we take her to a hospital they'll take care of her. They treat them on the inside real good. It's us from the Rim they hate," Applejack said. "That's not an option!" Rarity slammed one hoof against the ground. "Does anypony—anypony here—think that Twi should not die a horrible death? “I just said—” “Is anypony willing to help her? In the way I proposed?" Nopony responded at first. Then, Big Mac nodded. "I am." Rarity smiled at the colt beside her. "Thank you." She didn't feel like it was the time to divulge that he wasn't going to be around for her proposed heist. "I am, too," came the Doctor's voice. "When I became a doctor, I pledged my life to helping those in need." Rarity was touched. "You… you're a fugitive. You have the most to lose." "Even so." He took a deep breath. "I know that Pinkie is safe in your hooves." He gave a crooked smile. "And, anyway, I'm assuming that there are other medicines or cures in this laboratory. Stocking our infirmary with the most up-to-date products would be lovely. There might even be something there to help my sister." "Other meds?" Applejack asked. Rarity frowned. "Beg pardon? Does that interest you?" “Well, yeah, but it still ain’t worth it.” “Perhaps, then, I shall have to go with my new friend. Just the two of us. Of course, I’d have to miss my engagement with Fancy Pants, poor dear, but I’m sure he’d understand.” She considered then, then shrugged. “Or perhaps he wouldn’t. You did him such a favor, after all.” Rarity didn’t care if she was threatening them. Twi’s life was more important than that, and it wasn’t fair for them not to help her. Besides, Applejack, Soarin and them—they always came through all right. They were of tougher stock than poor Twi. There was silence for a moment, Rarity’s words hanging in the air. "Do y’all have any idea how much Rimtrotters need meds?" Applejack asked. Soarin nodded, slowly at first. "Yeah, or how much other ponies are willing to spend on royal products?" The Coltpanion stared at them. "Let me see if I understand. You're not willing to do this to save Twi's life, but you are willing to do it for money." "Nah, Rare, you got that all wrong. It's not just for money. It's for a huge amount of money," Applejack corrected her. “And a shuttle.” Rarity rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Applejack, I don't understand this mercenary side of you." False. "Course you do. You're a…" Applejack trailed off as the heat from Rarity's glare intensified. "…a lovely young mare." "A mare? How dare you call me that, like some… old mare!" Applejack laughed, then looked towards Soarin. "You'll come with. Big Mac, too." "And what about me?" the Doctor asked. "We need you to stay with them invalids. Fluttershy, Twi, Pinkie. They need you." "You'll never know what to take. I know what's the most expensive." The captain snorted. "Sugarcube, you're underestimatin' us. You might know what fetches the most coin here, but out there it's a 'verse of different. Painkillers, sedatives. That's what we're lookin' for." "I have a job of my own, AJ," Mac broke in. "Already made the payment on a shuttle rental to Persepony tomorrow." Applejack stared at him. "Everypony, you're dismissed. We'll go tomorrow during the tea party, as Rare said." She watched the ponies file out of the room, Rarity glancing back at the siblings before heading off to her shuttle. With everypony cleared out, Applejack turned to her brother. "Big Macintosh, what am I going to do with you?" she hissed, stepping closer to him. "I hired you as a brother, a friend and a hard worker. You're s’posed to be all them three." "And I am all of those things, AJ. But I got to go tomorrow." "Why?" "Well, I promised I'd visit when I was back in the Core." Not this. Not this again. Luna, would he ever learn? Applejack was sick and tired of dealing with this! "You… you're impossible!" she spat. "You know, I'd like to take some time off, too. Take a little trip. I ain't got that luxury, 'cause I'm stuck as captain of y'all, and y'all are incompetent sometimes! If I weren't always havin' to be crewmother all the time, maybe I'd get to have my own life, too!" Big Mac stood there, silent. There was nothing to do but stay silent and let Applejack vent. As always. "I hired you 'cause I thought you'd be there when I needed you. I needed you when we went to meet with Fancy Pants today. And I need you tomorrow if we're breakin' into Celestia's damn bedroom." "I can't go," he told her, his voice low. "Ain't nothin' gonna change my plans." "Fine. Go break that poor filly's heart again. Be irresponsible. You know, we're your family, too, Mac. I thought it was always about family for you." "Everypony’s gotta be selfish sometimes." "I see that." Applejack turned away from her brother, not wanting him to see her eyes, watery with frustration. Betrayal. "Maybe I'll ask Fluttershy to come, then. Need a set of guns along." "AJ, she ain't all healed yet—" "I know. It ain't fun to think you might lose the pony who matters most to you, is it?" Applejack reddened, ashamed of the mind trick while at the same time getting a thrill from his reaction. What had it come to, if she was playing games with him like that? "I'll be back as fast as I can." "Unless you decide to stay this time." "I won't. You already predicted I'd break that poor filly's heart; whatever you said before." "Yeah. Well, hers or mine. There's no winning." Applejack closed her eyes. That was enough. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to talk to her brother, either. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and try to sleep off all these years of heartbreak. In a place like Celehnon, the only way for Applejack to escape the light was by going into her little hole in Sereinity. It felt too much like hiding, but she didn't care right now. Applejack walked away from her brother without another word.