(I own nothing but the plotline and characters. MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro and Lauren Faust. Any attempts to sue me or my affiliates will be met with crying, pleading, and with negotiation, a written apology.)

Falling from the Sky

By RD-loves-RA

Chapter 12: Separate Ways

“Alright everypony, listen up! Thundervolt and Rainbow Dash are heading out soon. It’s time for them to gear up and get prepared. We want the headed out as quickly as possible, so let’s get them organized!” I levitated my checklist and quill in front of me. “Okay, let’s run down the list of supplies. Rations?”

“Check! We got here a few of the finest apples from Sweet Apple Acres, some of mah specially made apple flavored energy snacks, enough water tah last you a couple of days, and a guide to edibles in the Everfree Forest, courtesy of Twilight’s collection of books.. How’s that sound Twi, got everythang?” Applejack asked confidently in her usual southern drawl.

“Excellent, applejack! Looks like food won’t be an issue.” I checked off the corresponding box on my clipboard. “Survival gear?”

“Right here, darling.” Rarity cooed from across the room. She dragged behind her a medium sized knapsack. “I’ve got all the necessities! Mirror, emergency make up kit, grappling hook, field sewing kit, flares”—

“Pardon Sugarcube, but… grapplin’ hook? What in tarnation would they need that for? They got wings. Come tah think of it, why do you have that?” Applejack asked with an air of confusion to her voice.

“Oh Applejack, dear. A lady never ventures out of her element without being prepared.” Rarity patronizingly lectured.

“Honestly Darling, it’s best not to question it. If they don’t need it, they won’t use it.”

Mental Note: Ask Applejack about the grappling hook incident…

“Then they’ll have tah carry it! Just leave it behind!” Applejack said obstinately.

“If I could cut in?” Thundervolt moved from the back of the crowd and motioned towards Applejack. “It only looks to weigh about 5 pounds and who knows, we might actually need it for something. I’ll carry it.”

“Leave it to the handsome gentleman to settle the dispute. Thank you dear.” Rarity hummed.

“Actually Twilight, I have something else for our gallant adventurers.” Rarity said coyly. “Just a little something to keep them safe on their trip.”

“These are your new sets of Adventure gear!” Rarity said enthusiastically. “These vests should serve you two well and increase your safety while you brave that dreadful forest.”

“Adventure gear?” Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt asked simultaneously, eliciting glares from one another, and a snicker from Fluttershy.

“Yes, Adventure gear. Gear for your adventure. As if that wasn’t blatantly obvious.” Rarity perked up and looked around the room. “Would any pony like to inquire further? Don’t be shy, I’m open to criticism.”

“I’ve got a question. How are vests gonna protect us? I’d rather rely on my own hooves and wings to keep me safe.” Rainbow Dash stated brashly, flaring her wings.

“Excellent point Rainbow Dash. Twilight? Be a dear and attempt to ravage my creations.” Rarity said confidently.

“Yes dear, ravage. Destroy, kill, maim… any of those if it gets the point across to our intrepid friend easier.” Rarity looked disgusted even uttering such negative terms. “In other words, test their strength.”

“If you insist, Rarity. I just hope these didn’t take too long to make.” I voiced with audible concern.

I charged a potent destruction spell and focused my magic into my horn. I focused my energy for a moment, not wanting to direct such a strong spell anywhere particularly harmful. I nodded to Rarity after collecting myself, who then flung the vests into the air with her own magic. I cast my spell in two shots, hitting both targets dead center. The vests that should have been reduced to ash then fell to the floor unscathed.

“What? How are they still intact?” I asked, more than a little surprised. “Did my spell”—

“Now now, Darling. Don’t worry, your magic is fine. I assure you. It’s all in the fabric. Remember the vest our fetching friend was wearing when we found him?” Rarity inquired.

“Yes, that’s the one. When we took it off of him, I examined it and found that its fabrics were based on one of my creations. It’s made up of magic resistant fibers.” Rarity stated proudly.

“I see. What exactly did you do to them?” I asked, already guessing in my head.

I’d say she used a strong enchantment to make the fibers negate magic. But how would she manage that? I don’t know that she could do that…

“Well Twilight, I read up on the subject and enchanted some test fibers for an older design.”

Oh?

“I’m not nearly as skilled in that field as you are Twilight, so I had to be creative with stitching. Two kinds of thread, one made of flexible yet strong material to reflect magic, and another material designed as a sort of sponge to soak up the magic’s energy. I interwove the threads, giving them a grooved pattern.” Rarity ended her explanation as if to let me finish it for her. I jumped at the chance.

“That’s brilliant Rarity! The reflective material diverts incoming magic away from the wearer, and towards the spongy material for absorption! Why hasn’t this been adopted by”—

“The Canterlot Royal Guard? Darling, what do you think they wear under all that armor?”

“It was a very lucrative business venture, but the safety of the Royal Guard means more to me than money. The princesses give me enough funding to keep my shop open. The rest of the money I donate to charity funds around Equestria.”

“Rarity, that’s fantastic! Where did you find the time to work this all out? You had to have had some help.”

“Oh, I had more than some help. Applejack was on board the entire time. I couldn’t have done it without her, isn’t that right?” Rarity glanced appreciatively at Applejack.

“Well now that’s mighty fine of you tah say Rarity, but you were the one who did all the work.” Applejack stated modestly.

“Nonsense dear, I won’t have it! You were an absolutely necessary addition to the project. You were my inspiration for finished product and you were also the majority of my motivation and tact. Quite frankly, I don’t know what I’d have done without you.” Rarity said sweetly.

Rainbow Dash made a gagging motion with her hoof, causing Thundervolt to laugh under his breath. Rainbow Dash saw this happen and began chuckling herself until both pegasi were laughing hysterically.

“Don’t mind them; they’re just very impressed with yours and Rarity’s gift.” I glared at the convulsing pegasi. “Right?”

Both Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt snapped straight up upon hearing the irritated inflection of my voice.

“Party Supplies!” Pinkie Pie exploded into the room, confetti and streamers trailing off of her.

“Twilight! You’re just the mare I was looking for! I need your library!” Pinkie zipped off leaving a puff of smoke in her place.

“What in the world do you need the library for!?” I asked, growing impatient with the bubbly pink pony.

“Location! Location! Location, Twilight! Duh.” Pinkie said enthusiastically.

Before I could utter another word, Pinkie materialized a familiar looking confetti colored briefcase.

Oh no, she isn’t going to…

A small, similarly colored cannon popped out of the briefcase and Pinkie Pie adjusted it, changing the trajectory of the incoming party projectile.

*BLAM*

Before he knew what was coming, Thundervolt like the rest of us was totally enveloped in a storm of party supplies. When the confetti finally settled, the room was flawlessly decorated and stocked for a celebration, Pinkie Pie style.

“It’s time for the “Be safe on your adventure/Welcome to Ponyville Thundervolt/Hope you get your memory back soon” Extravaganza!!!” Pinkie smiled widely.

“Pinkie, we don’t really have time for this! They need to get on their way so they can reach shelter by… by…” I trailed off looking at the suddenly motionless party pony.

Pinkie halted all of her sporadic movement and her pupils dilated, filling with genuine sadness. Her hair straightened and she turned a greyish pink. The only movement left in her was the gleaming of her eyes, and the quivering of her lip. Standing before me was a pony born to celebrate things that wasn’t able to celebrate things.

“Hooray!” The greyish pony suddenly popped back to her bright pink, curly haired self. “This is gonna be the best party”—

“We have a half hour!” I exclaimed my one condition over Pinkie Pie’s celebratory intoxication.

“Hooray! This is gonna be the best mini party ever!” Pinkie paused and looked around the room. “Say, where’s Thundervolt?”

“Over…here!” Everypony turned to look at the source of Thundervolt’s voice, only to find the pegasus pinned against the wall, upside down, wings flared, and pupils constricted. He had been blasted backwards by the sheer force of confetti and party supplies traveling at sub-sonic speeds. “Save me a slice…”

“Phew, that was a good break from all of this planning. Thanks Pinkie!” Twilight said cheerfully to her ecstatic pink friend.

“Thanks Twilight! How did you like the party, Thundervolt? It was your first ever Pinkie Party!” Pinkie asked excitedly.

“It was really nice. I can see why you love to throw parties; even the short ones are great!” I said, praising the pink pony.

The festivities came to a close and everypony was getting ready to see us off. We had finished packing before the party, so all that was left was to make our way into the forest. Most of our supplies managed to fit in our vests, so we didn’t need to carry much else. I had an extra saddlebag draped over my back for extra supplies, and for the stone we were setting out to retrieve.

We all left the immediate vicinity of Ponyville and reached the eastern border of the Everfree Forest in a relatively short amount of time. The sun was high above the tree line, indicating about ten o’clock. The dangerous forest exuded an inviting aura, almost as if it was calling us to come explore its mysterious depths. It almost felt right to do so.

“So here we are. You both know what to do, right?” Twilight said with an air of worry to her voice.

“Basically. Travel by day, shelter at night, and don’t harass the wildlife. We’ll be fine.” I said reassuringly.

“Yea Twilight, we’ve got this. No sweat!” Rainbow Dash overflowed with confidence.

“If anypony can do it, it would be you Dash. Just… be safe. Seriously, we all want you back in one functioning piece.” Twilight said with gleaming eyes, her last words catching in the back of her throat.

“Don’t make me a promise that you might break!” Twilight snapped at Rainbow Dash.

“Well Twilight, looks like you’ve left me no choice. I Pinkie promise that I’ll be safe!” Dash retorted proudly.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye! There’s no stopping me now!”

Rainbow Dash leapt forward and planted a deep kiss onto Twilight, who subsequently melted in the cyan pony’s hooves. Twilight’s cheeks turned every shade in between red and her normal lavender coat as a wave of passion and happiness washed over her, pushing her worries behind a wall of budding love. Rainbow Dash pulled away, slowly at first, then moving quickly past me into the forest.

“I’ll be back before you can say ‘Sonic Rainboom’, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash was completely out of sight.

I looked at the crowd of ponies standing in front of me and realized I should be on Rainbow Dash’s trail.

“Uhh, I’ll be safe too. See you all soon! Oh, and congrats Twilight, you two really are adorable!” I turned and rushed off into the forest after Rainbow Dash.

I’ll keep yours safe, Twilight. You just be sure to do the same for me.

“You’ve got yourself a deal” The lavender pony responded in my head.

With a burst of energy and a shift in focus I raced towards my companion, aiming to keep my promise in the hopes that Twilight would do the same. It was going to be a long trip.

Both of you had better stay safe, or so help me I will never forgive you.

Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt were now gone, leaving everypony behind to worry. I stood there completely motionless for a few moments, unable to do anything but watch the forest. A pang of anxiety and comprehension sounded in my mind, and I snapped back to the situation at hand.

I turned around to see four ponies looking at me, three of them with mouths agape and eyes wide. Fluttershy looked to have just snapped out of a trance as well. With her best friend and love interest in relative danger, she was probably much more distraught than I was.

Wait, why do they look so surprised?

Realization struck me like a brick at high velocity.

“Twilight, Rainbow Dash KISSED you! You kissed Rainbow Dash back! *GASP* you kissed EACH OTHER!” Pinkie Pie burst out in surprise.

“That’s great! Oh, you two are so cute together! I’ve got to get to work on a congratulations party, and then I have to bake you a special cake to celebrate, and maybe make a poster, no! A banner!”

“Pinkie Pie, stop! That you very much for the thought, but all of that can wait. We’re losing precious time here!” I said anxiously.

“Whatever do you mean, Twilight I was under the impression that seeing off our adventurous friends was our only task today.” Rarity said with concern. “Is there something else you’ve been keeping from us?

I realized that Rarity was a bit irritated I hadn’t come to her at all to discuss my romantic feelings towards Rainbow Dash. Knowing Rarity, I should have taken the time to speak to her, but there was no getting around that now.

“I’m sorry about that, it just kinda happened. I would have told you my feelings sooner if”—

“Nonsense dear, it’s nothing to worry about right now. Of course I expect full details when you have a free moment, but that can wait.” Applejack blew a raspberry at Rarity’s gossipy behavior. “Applejack, don’t make me come over there.”

“I’m ever so sorry dear; I’ll try my absolute best to behave!” Applejack taunted in a very refined southern belle accent, uncharacteristic for her. Equally uncharacteristic was the raspberry Rarity retorted with.

“*Sigh* Now, what’s on your mind? You still look dreadfully worried.” Rarity’s already audible concern increased.

“What’s gotcha so riled up, Twi?” Applejack mirrored her friend’s distress.

“What’s got me ‘riled up’ is this whole situation! Fluttershy, did you hear about what’s going on?” I asked hurriedly.

“Yes, Thundervolt told me. We had a long talk this morning, so I’m up to speed on everything. I don’t know how we could have missed it until now. How I could have missed it.” Fluttershy sank at her last sentence.

“What’s the matter with you Fluttershy, does this have something to do with you?” Rarity continued asking questions.

“It’s… It’s R-Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy blinked away a tear. “Her memory… she…”

“Rainbow Dash can’t remember most of her childhood.” I stated plainly. “It’s been that way since before any of us met her.

“What in tarnation are you talkin’ bout, Twi? Wouldn’t she have noticed by now if she don’t recall anythang?” Applejack said skeptically.

“Twilight, what exactly are you implying?” Rarity asked, most likely aware of my answer.

“You think somepony… took RD’s memory? What kinda low-life would do something like that?” Applejack said indignantly.

“I didn’t even know you could do that! That has the potential to ruin any party in the whole wide world!” Pinkie said.

“Do you know this for sure Twilight? It seems a bit peculiar if you ask me.” Rarity was beginning to become doubtful.

“No, but I’m not willing to let the idea go yet. We have two amnesic ponies now. Anything is possible.” I replied grimly.

“*Ahem* ‘In the practice of investigation there are, in fact, no such things as coincidences. Everything, no matter how insignificant, is connected’.” Pinkie said in a dignified and proper, if not bubbly tone.

“Duh, ‘Sleuths and Snoopers: A guide to investigation and criminology’. I read it after I messed up my search for the perpetrators on the Friendship Express.”

“Pinkie, as your friend, I’m very happy to hear that your pursuit of knowledge was fruitful. However, as the town’s librarian, I have to tell you… That book is a month overdue! You owe a late fee of about thirty-two bits!” I yelled, letting my compulsive behavior take effect.

“Oh, look at the time! Gotta go, bye girls!” Pinkie zipped away, disappearing almost immediately.

“T-Tell them our plans, Twilight. If you don’t mind doing so.” Fluttershy said, mumbling like her normal self.

“Well, something just isn’t adding up. I’m not sure, but it feels like we’re missing something. We need to look into Dash’s past, further than anyone has ever gone.”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I’m going to ask.” I stated as if it was obvious.

“Cloudsdale is a big town. Someone had to have known Rainbow Dash as a filly. It shouldn’t be too hard to dig up a lead.”

“Brilliant, dear! I assume this means you and Fluttershy will be gone a few days. Have you the”—

“Necessary provisions?” I asked, cutting Rarity off. “Yes, I prepared saddlebags for me and Fluttershy for a few days.”

“We’re all set. Rarity, Applejack? I don’t want to be a bother, but could I ask you to ask your little sisters crusade group to do me a favor? Angel Bunny won’t be able to keep the animals in line all by himself, so I’d like the crusaders to look after them a bit while I’m away. That is if it isn’t too much trouble.” Fluttershy asked.

“My, that’s a doozy of a task… Ah think it best we take care of that Fluttershy.” Applejack said insistently.

“Agreed. Applejack and I will handle it, lest we have to quell the disaster that such arrangements would inevitably cause.” Rarity said.

“Alright then. Spike should be back any day now, so the library won’t need any attention until he gets back. But if you could let him know what’s happened, I’d appreciate it.” I said, hoping for the safe return of my assistant.

Gee, when Spike hears about all this, he’ll keel over! Then he’ll wake up, complain that he misses all the excitement, and eat the whole pantry in protest of boredom. Oh, Spike.

“We’ve got everything under control Twilight. You needn’t worry about a thing.” Rarity said encouragingly.

“Yea, it’ll be easier than eatin’ some of Granny Smith’s famous apple pie, Sugarcube.” Applejack said, supporting Rarity’s reassurance.

“Thank Celestia we have friends like you girls. Fluttershy, get your saddlebags! We’re going to Cloudsdale.

Chapter 13: Light in the Dark

It was very peaceful in the Everfree Forest. Peaceful until Rainbow Dash and I blundered into a large nest of wasps. And then Rainbow Dash fell into quicksand. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, until the noise from her ‘suggestions’ to exhume her from the trap attracted what Dash called a Manticore. It was irritable to say the least.

I thought we were in trouble, but luckily the horde of wasps decided to channel their hatred of us into the mixed beast, distracting it long enough for us to make our escape into a large thorn bush. An abnormally painful thorn bush that stabbed not only my flesh, but also my hopes and dreams. After about ten yards of pain and frustration we were clear of the menacing foliage and free to experience the rest of the wonders the woods had to offer.

“Yea, it does, doesn’t it? So… Where exactly are we?” Rainbow Dash asked, observing our surroundings.

“I’m not sure. I wasn’t exactly scanning for landmarks while we were running for our lives. And on that subject, why aren’t we flying again? We could avoid all of this in the air!”

“You think I’d be on the ground if I had a choice? The canopy wouldn’t give us any visibility to reference the map, and the weather above the forest is still too dangerous to fly in. We have to travel by ground and look for the path on the map.” Rainbow Dash said adamantly.

“I guess you’re right. Just like I was right about that wasps nest.” I shot Rainbow Dash a disapproving look.

“How was I supposed to know wasps don’t make honey!?” Rainbow Dash said defensively.

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe because your best friend is an animal expert? Not to mention the fact that just about everypony besides you knows that?” I said condescendingly.

“Laugh it up; at least I’m not the one who woke the Manticore. What happened to ‘Don’t harass the wildlife’?”

“I only ran into him because I was busy running away from a squadron of angry wasps that you threw rocks at!”

*ROOOAAR*

Rainbow Dash and I immediately moved closer to each other, frightened by the sudden noise. It was a few moments after the roar subsided that we realized we were wrapped in each other’s hooves, pressed together cheek to cheek in terror.

We turned away from the distant call of the beast, and with assistance from Twilight’s map and compass, headed in the right direction. The dense jungle-like foliage opened up slightly, revealing a natural path. We followed the path, deciding that the tradeoff for being overly exposed would be an easier and less frustrating walk.

After a few relatively silent minutes of travel, Rainbow Dash and I reached the mouth of a cave. I glanced at the cyan pegasus who then nodded, and pulled from my saddlebag a list of landmarks.

“Okay, where on here does it say ‘big menacing cave thingy’?” Rainbow Dash asked half sarcastically.

“Well, it says here this is called ‘Starlight Cavern’. It goes under the mountains and comes out where we need to be. That’s pretty convenient.” I said.

“There’s a bunch of other landmarks on there! What the hay did we miss?” Rainbow Dash asked with a frustrated tone.

“Uhh, your Zebra friends hut which we passed like eight hours ago, the ruins of the old castle which we passed about five hours ago, and this smudged ink mixed with an apple energy snack we passed two minutes ago while our flanks were being abused by unnecessarily sharp thorns.”

“Good thing you’re paying attention.” Rainbow Dash said indifferently, tossing one of the remaining apple snacks into her mouth.

“So I guess we head inside and make shelter for the night. Our terrified running got us much farther than I thought we’d get in a day’s travel. We might even get back to Ponyville before sunset tomorrow!” I said enthusiastically.

Rainbow Dash returned the list to my saddlebag, and led us into the cave. The large mouth of the tunnel quickly narrowed into a dark, constricted pathway. The claustrophobic walls and smooth floor only served to amplify our every step, creating a symphony of taps and trots.

We carried on, winding along the dark path for what seemed like an eternity. In reality, the trip had only started about an hour prior; though in total darkness time seemed to slow down. Eternal Darkness sounds awful.

And familiar…

The sound of running water moved across my ear and I quickened my pace, Rainbow Dash following suit. Our brisk walk soon turned to a full gallop as the sound of the water quickly grew into a deafening roar. No sooner had I felt the mist that we emerged from the tunnel behind a large underground waterfall. The path looped around the left side of the towering feature, and into one of the most amazing sights I had ever seen.

The waterfall flowed into a majestic river that carved through the rock in a smooth pattern. The enormous cavern was lit by an opening high up towards the ceiling. Soft blue light from what was most likely the moon cascaded through the crevice, reflecting vibrantly off the walls in the manner of a million angled mirrors. The walls were made up of a rocky quartz crystal that caused the light to pulse like starts, creating a natural portrait of the beautiful night sky.

Rainbow Dash and I stood in awe, taking in the glorious sight for a few precious moments, wondering how something so beautiful could come to be in such a dark and lonely place.

“Fluttershy and Twilight would love this.” I said softly under the continuous sound of the waterfall.

We reluctantly took our eyes off the majesty of the cavern and followed the path down a few hundred yards towards a lit-up section of rock. Set into the side of the wall, the smooth space offered relative protection from all sides, and a place to lay our sleeping bags.

“This looks like a good place to camp for the night.” Rainbow Dash said, dropper onto her flanks to sit.

“As good a place as any I guess.” I responded, dropping my bags beside her. “What do you think, rest? Or are we settling for the entire night?”

“Either way, we’re taking a meal break. It’s chow time!” Rainbow Dash began digging through my saddlebag like a hungry bear.

“You can go ahead and eat, I’m not hungry.” My stomach rumbled loudly in protest. “I lied, feed me.”

Rainbow Dash patted the ground next to her, motioning for me to sit down. I trotted over and obediently took my place beside her. She produced two shiny red apples from the saddlebags and handed one to me. Both of us quickly dug into our meals, savoring the sweet tanginess of the fruit.

The large, open cavern was surprisingly well ventilated. The mist from the cascading tower of water floated gracefully through the room, cooling us off with a light layer of moisture. The water high up towards the ceiling swirled in the current of the air, reflecting the light from the moon, and from the walls of quartz.

“Hey, you know what that looks like?” Rainbow Dash said, pointing at the swirling pink and blue light. “It looks kinda like an aurora.”

My mind drew a blank on the term. Rainbow Dash seemed to notice this, so she began to explain.

“I learned about them from Twilight one of those times I was at her library. It was a late night, she was up studying and I kept her company. We were watching some stars and I noticed this weird patter of colors flowing in the sky. Twilight said they were a phenomenon called an aurora. She told me all about them.” Rainbow Dash said, smiling at the memory. There was a long pause before I finally spoke up.

“Oh. I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention. I was just sitting there staring at her while she talked. She looks really cute when she’s explaining things.” Rainbow Dash blushed, her smile growing wider.

“Like really cute… I don’t think you understand.” Rainbow Dash continued gushing about her lavender lover.

“So when’s the wedding?” I asked sarcastically. “What’s up with you two anyway? I assume you’re together?”

“Ye- Well… I think so, at least I hope so. I didn’t really get a clear answer.” Rainbow Dash looked away, running something through her head.

“Well that’s because you ran off before she said anything. I just said ‘congratulations’ and left.”

“Right. Well I don’t know if we’re together then. I do know one thing though.”

“I’m going to do everything I can to be with her and make her the happiest pony alive!” Her resolve was infectious.

“Then she’s already yours.” I stated surely. “You’ll keep to your word. After all, you are the element of loyalty.”

I wondered what she meant by that, and realized that I shouldn’t know that. Nopony had ever mentioned it. I didn’t even know what that meant, let alone where I heard it.

“Oh, uhh… Fluttershy! Fluttershy mentioned it!” I stammered, hoping to avoid being suspicious.

“Oh, that makes sense. She likes talking about me. Not like a gossip! She’s really close to me, it probably just came up. I talk about her too…”

I was too busy with my own thoughts to listen to Rainbow Dash reason with herself. I tried to make connections in my head, but nothing surfaced. I genuinely felt like I was in dark.

You’re in a cave; of course you’re in the dark.

Between my lack of knowledge about the situation, and my own sarcasm, I wasn’t getting anywhere. I turned my attention back towards Rainbow Dash.

“Oh. She’s like the nicest pony in the whole world! She’s the kind of pony that would give up her wings to see you smile. If she wasn’t so shy, she’d rival Pinkie Pie for having the most friends in Ponyville.”

“She’s just so down to earth and sincere. She does all this amazing stuff, and she has this serious passion for all the little things in life.”

“Oh my gosh, was it the kind she makes with the flower, and the fancy tray?”

The memories from that night with Fluttershy suddenly poured through my head. Everything from her natural grace to her reserved disposition captured my heart, holding it not in a vice grip, but a tender, loving embrace.

“She’s only made that tea once before. And I can tell you she was far from gloomy.” Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle.

“Celestia, you’re thicker than concrete. Fluttershy may keep to herself, but she isn’t a shut-in. You’re the second pony she’s been interested in.”

“Huh, I can’t say I’m surprised. She had to have had some experience before. Did… Did they hurt her?” I asked seriously.

“I’d be lying if I said no. She was strong though. Took it in stride, became the bigger pony and rose above the situation.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes brightened. “I’ve never been more proud of her.”

I thought it best not to ask about the details. I’d hear about it in time if it were important. The main piece of information I kept with me was the fact that Fluttershy was interested in me, and nothing stood in my way of being with her.

That you know of…

“I guess I’ll have to make sure I’m not the second pony to hurt her then.”

“So, you and Twilight, huh?” I probed cheerfully. “Match made in heaven, right? Why her?”

“Oh, right.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Twilight… She just makes me feel… amazing. Like she loves me for all that am, all that I’ve been, and everything I can be. She makes my heart soar.”

“She feels the same way about you, ya know?” I looked straight at Rainbow Dash. “When she looks at you, all I can see is her faith in you.”

“She’s also stubborn and loyal to a fault. Perfect for you!” I said, teasing the cyan pegasus.

“You’re pretty hard-headed yourself! In fact, you remind me a lot of the pony Fluttershy liked before.”

“Don’t worry, that’s not a bad thing. You’ve got something they didn’t have. Something really important.”

“The desire to be more than just her best friend.” Rainbow Dash said seriously.

It was at that moment I made the connection. I felt blind for not seeing it sooner. There was a long pause before either of us spoke. I finally broke the serene silence of the moment.

“How was it?” Rainbow Dash said nothing, simply looking towards me expectantly, waiting for me to continue. “How was the tea?”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened momentarily, quickly softening with the rest of her features. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling of the cavern.

“Her tea… made it that much harder to say no to her…” Rainbow Dash shed a tear that she quickly wiped off her face. “Five years. I can’t believe it’s been five years…”

“No, it’s nothing. What’s done is done. Just promise me that you’ll… that you’ll treat her better than I could. She’s my best friend. She deserves more…”

Without another word, Rainbow Dash rolled onto her side, remaining silent and still. I looked at her and thought about everything she stood for, everything that drove her. I thought about what drove me, and what I stood for, finding that there was so much already defining me.

Twilight was right. I did have a lot to lose. No matter who I was, who I am is what’s keeping me going. In the space of a few days I’ve managed to become connected to so many amazing ponies. Ponies who accept me and support me without question.

Am I really willing to risk all of that out here in this forest?

Rainbow Dash rolled over to face me once again. Her expression was different than usual. She looked unsure, and even scared.

“Mhmm. My memory being gone and all… It’s freaking me out… Where was I that whole time? And what about you? I only noticed it once you showed up. How do you fit into all of this?” Rainbow Dash was clearly worried.

“I don’t know. Bits and pieces are all I have, and they don’t make any sense. Not even a little.” My own insecurities began to surface.

“Then I guess that’s why we’re here. To make sense of it all…” Rainbow Dash sat back up, looking disheartened.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I brought this on you…” I said, choking on my words.

“Then why am I so convinced this is my fault!?” I burst out in frustration. “What gives me the right to show up and disrupt everypony’s lives!?”

“For all we know I could be a threat! I could be endangering all of you! I could”—

*SLAP*

My face stung from the impact of Rainbow Dash’s hoof. No sooner had I gathered what happened, I was overwhelmed with emotion. The stress and insecurity of the past few days moved to forefront, gathering in the pockets of my wide eyes.

Rainbow Dash moved close to me with a stern, yet compassionate look on her face. Without a word, she wrapped her hooves around my neck in a familiar embrace. Her tough exterior dissipated and left me with a pony just as vulnerable and confused as I was.

Her warm body pressed against mine brought with it a sense of protection, much like Fluttershy’s did. Instead of feeling alluring and intoxicating however, this simply felt sincere and supportive. Rainbow Dash’s grip shook loose the tears I worked so hard to hold back, causing them to run down my face and onto her neck. Her own tears followed suit, falling off her cheeks and into my dark blue mane. The sound of heavy breathing and the smell of salt enveloped us as we unloaded our burdens wordlessly to one another.

“No matter what happens, no matter what we find out…” Rainbow Dash hesitated. “No matter what we have to go through, we’re in this together. All of us.”

I wiped my eyes and looked at the cyan pegasus standing before me. She wore a serious and resolute look below her now puffy eyes, indicating she meant every word she had said. I thought about her proposition, about all that could go wrong, about what I could lose. Rainbow Dash had just offered her unwavering support, and the support of all her friends. Our friends. I had a safety net. Ponies I could fall back on, and that I could lean on. I had a home to make it back to.

“Together.” I said smiling. I grabbed Rainbow Dash once more, this time shedding tears of joy.

Chapter 14: Aurora

It was about three hours ago that Fluttershy and I departed from Ponyville in the hot air balloon, intent on gathering information about our friends memory loss. We were nearing Cloudsdale, as evidenced by the increase in cloud coverage. As we passed through the puffy giants, my deep purple mane and lavender body became moist and heavy with condensation, giving me the sensation of stepping out of the shower.

Riding with Fluttershy was a peaceful affair, being relatively silent the whole trip. Most days I spent with her were like this, us peacefully going about our own silent activities, making light conversation, and enjoying the serenity of a quiet afternoon. Fluttershy made a good companion for my study sessions away from the library.

As we moved ever closer to the two pegasi's home, Fluttershy started to look more and more restless, her usual air of grace replaced by an anxious weight. I decided I should ask her what had her worked up before we touched down.

"Fluttershy, is everything alright? You seem a bit nervous... More so than usual."

"It's just that I haven't been home in so long, and Rainbow Dash usually comes with me when I visit..." Fluttershy's head sank as she thought of her friend.

"Hey, if anypony is capable of handling that forest, it would be Rainbow Dash. Besides, is not like she's alone out there. She has Thundervolt with her. If nothing else, he'll stop her from doing anything reckless." I said reassuringly.

"I think you're forgetting how similar those two are..." Fluttershy said with concern.

"Celestia, you're right... So we can count on them making it out alive, but they will most likely do something stupid and/or dangerous." I said nervously.

"I’m more worried about them getting bored and looking for something d-dangerous to do."

The rest of our trip was spent in silence much like before, but with a dense air of concern hanging over us. I increased the power of our torch, and the balloon rose up higher through a large layer of clouds. For a good ten minutes we were surrounded by thick, airy moisture, unable to see anything around us. Then, with one last burst from our balloon, we pushed through the cloud cover and into the city.

Fresh from a zero visibility approach, the sunlight reflecting off the city's terrain nearly blinded us. Our eyes quickly adjusted to the brightness, and we looked upon the majesty of the city in the sky. The entire city was made from stark white cumulous clouds, accented by the baby blue sky and sparkling pools of rainwater. Pegasus of all shapes and sizes were moving around the city, going about their late afternoon affairs while the weather factory was churning out storm systems for all of Equestria. The city, being close to five times the size of Ponyville, was full of life.

After a few minutes of soaring sightseeing I lessened the thrust of our balloons engine, taking us down gently to a small clearing. We touched down with a soft thump, and prepared to disembark.

Fluttershy left the balloon first, floating down to the floor with her usual grace. She sent a friendly smile my way, indicating that the clouds were stable enough to support us. I charged my horn and focused magic into my hooves. I stepped out of the balloon's basket, and fell onto the floor, the soft terrain catching my hooves in a moist, spongy grip, supporting them at every angle.

"That's it; Rainbow Dash needs to share her house with me. My feet have never felt this good." I said.

"Is that the only reason you want to move in with her, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked with a giggle.

“Oh my, I'm sorry Twilight! I don't know what came over me." Fluttershy said apologetically.

“It’s fine. I just didn't expect that... We didn't really... establish our relationship." I said uneasily.

“Twilight, if I know Rainbow Dash, and I do know Rainbow Dash, then you two are together as long as you want to be. When somepony that loyal falls in love, they stay in love whether they want to or not."

“Yes. Not only that, but all she ever did before this was talk about you. I had my suspicions for a long time, but never asked." Fluttershy's eyes glimmered.

“There’s something you should know now, before you find out about it later. Rainbow and I... We... Well, I..." Fluttershy began to mumble uncomfortably.

“Fluttershy, what is it? What happened?" I asked, curiosity gripping my throat. “I... I had a c-crush on Rainbow D-Dash..." Fluttershy stuttered nervously.

Why didn't she tell me that!? Does anyone else know about this? Oh Celestia, does Rainbow still have feelings for Fluttershy? Does she still have feelings for Rainbow? Why isn't Fluttershy saying anything!? Wait, her lips are moving, turn on your ears!

"Please don't get mad Twilight; we haven't talked about that for a long time. Neither of us have feelings for each other anymore. I’m the only one who ever felt like that, and I put it behind me a long time ago." Fluttershy stated with relief.

"I know they don't. This was five years ago, long before any of us ever met you. I barely knew the other girls, and Rainbow Dash had just moved to Ponyville to take up leadership of the local weather team. I hadn't seen her in so long..."

"No!" Fluttershy exclaimed in defense. “We never did anything big. Like I said, this was one sided. She didn't feel the same way, and so nothing happened. It took a while, but I moved on and managed to stay friends with her. She doesn't treat me any differently than before." Fluttershy said happily.

“And she's lucky to have a marefriend like you that understands that. She really likes you Twilight. Speaking as her best friend, I've never seen her so happy." Fluttershy said sincerely.

"I didn't realize that I made her that happy... Maybe we can have something good. I'm going to do my best to make her as happy as she can be." I said, gushing with appreciation for Dash.

My Dash...

“Well then Twilight, I think you’ll succeed." Fluttershy said confidently.

"I really hope so." I said, looking forward to the future for the first time in a while. "Alright, we should really get started. Which way is town hall?"

"Center of town, overlooking the stadium. Just head straight through the marketplace. You can't miss it." A female voice said, seemingly from nowhere.

Fluttershy and I both scanned our immediate vicinity, but couldn't locate the mare who spoke to us. After sharing a confused look, we made for the marketplace on the mares instructions.

Cloudsdale awaited us as we pushed forward towards our destination. Town Hall was the best first step to take. They would have records on all citizens of the city, including former residents. This made it the logical choice to investigate, at least providing us with a place to start. In about a half hour, Fluttershy and I made it to the courtyard outside of the establishment. I turned to her and decided to confirm our plans.

"You know what to do?" I asked, turning my attention to the creamy coated pegasus.

"I’m here to keep track of your investigation, and point out the obvious so you don't have to." Fluttershy said softly.

We walked into the inconspicuous looking building and were surprised at what we saw. Unlike the rest of the city, this building seemed to be constructed much more intricately. The city streets were soft and puffy, almost like pillows, but the floor of Town Hall was almost solid in comparison. The entire building appeared to be painstakingly constructed from compacted clouds, a form of architecture unseen since the early years of pony colonization. Colors of the rainbow adorned the ceiling, sparkling with the glint of sunlight that poured into the room from multiple openings high on the walls. Pictures of Cloudsdale's previous leaders hung low on the walls leading to the receptionist's desk, weaving together a rich history of the city in the space of a few yards.

Fluttershy spotted an older looking teal pegasus mare standing behind the reception desk and noted that she may be the receptionist.

So far, Fluttershy is doing an excellent job of pointing out the obvious. I thought with a smile.

I walked towards the receptionist with Fluttershy in tow, prepping myself for a long and rigorous conversation with her. I wouldn’t just be able to walk up and get a pony’s life story on request. I would have to share our story with her, and convince her that sacrificing a pony’s privacy could very well be the key to finding her personal salvation.

I won’t let her tell me no, I won’t let her keep those records from me. This is going to be a challenge, but Rainbow Dash is worth it! Remember that and you will succeed! Just don’t be obvious, that won’t—

“Hello, w-would it be ok if we looked at the city records for a pegasus named ‘Rainbow Dash’? We’d really appreciate it.” Fluttershy said politely

“Why of course dearie, let me get those for you right away!” The pegasus mare stated cheerfully, moving towards a set of filing cabinets away from the counter.

Work…

“So now we look through Rainbow Dash’s records and see what we can find, right Twilight?” Fluttershy asked as if she didn’t already know the answer.

“Ugh, yes Fluttershy. That’s exactly what we’re gonna do. Even if it takes all day, we’re going to find something we can use in that file.” I said resolutely.

“Excuse me, miss.” The pegasus mare returned with a large file under her wing. “It seems that your friends file, though quite large, is…incomplete.”

“I don’t like the sound of that…” I said with a worried expression on my face.

“What exactly does that mean?” Fluttershy asked, verbalizing what I was thinking.

“Well, we have just about everything on your friend here, but, well… How do I put this…” The teal pegasus was visibly perplexed.

“Just say it! What’s wrong with her file!” I said rather impatiently, starling the receptionist a bit.

“There is a large period of time where she doesn’t appear in the records!” The pegasus mare said, almost shocked at my outburst. “She was left here in the orphanage, and she enrolled in flight school, but nothing shows that she even existed in between those two points. Feel free to look over the file and see what you think.”

The pegasus mare looked flustered as she walked away, leaving the thick file on the desk for us to examine. I felt bad for yelling at her, but she would likely forget soon enough, and there was no time to go apologize for my eruption.

I levitated the file off the desk, and walked with Fluttershy to an open table on the far right side of the room. I dropped the file onto the table, also made of ‘hard’ cloud, and flung it open with fervor.

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here.” I peered closely at the first pages of Rainbow Dashes file, focusing even more than usual on the information in front of me. As I finished reading the first page, my heart sank and I felt terrible. “Oh Dash…”

“What is it Twilight?” Fluttershy asked with concern, glancing down at the page. “Oh…my.”

Both of us stared at the document before us, taking in the whole page multiple times.

Name: Rainbow Dash

Age: 22(1.5) Current(Arrival)

Sex: Female

Blood Type: O Negative “-O”

Description/Identifying Features: Cyan coat, Rainbow Mane (Natural). #Updated# Cutie mark in the shape of a cloud w/multicolored lighting.

New citizen of Cloudsdale, designated “Rainbow Dash”, brought to city under largely unknown circumstances. Left at the Tempest Orphanage in eastern Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash has no immediate/secondary/tertiary family contacts. As a result, she will spend her childhood in the orphanage, until she is adopted, or comes of age.

“So it’s true then… Rainbow Dash was… is an orphan.” I felt empty inside, as if the whole world fell apart around me.

“Twelve years, and I couldn’t tell that she was all alone. Some best friend I am…” Fluttershy said, devoid of emotion.

The weight of the situation continued to press down on the both of us. We both discovered that our close friend was an abandoned child, and that she spent her early years in an orphanage, with virtually no support. Somehow, this unchangeable fact brought with it a feeling of dread and regret, one that couldn’t be shaken easily, if at all.

How could she live with that secret and not tell anypony? Celestia, how she must have felt in that orphanage. How she must still feel to this day… This is horrible.

By force of habit, I continued scanning the pages, perhaps trying to find something to quell my need for good news. None came as I scanned through her infancy, noting multiple instances of hardship for her. The depressing trend continued until she reached the age of two. I turned the pages of the file to see what she had to deal with as a filly, but was greeted by her enrollment in flight school.

That receptionist was right, Rainbow Dash's file is incomplete. Is like she didn't exist during these few years. What in Equestria is going on here?

"Twilight, who's that?" Fluttershy asked.

I shifted my gaze from the table and turned my head in the direction Fluttershy was looking. It didn't take long for me to see who she was looking at. A light pink pony quickly ducked out of sight, making their way towards the exit.

"I have no idea. Let’s find out, shall we?" I closed the file abruptly and moved for the door.

"Have a nice day ladies!" The receptionist called after us as we bounded out the door.

We emerged from Town Hall into the bright light of Cloudsdale. The marketplace was still bustling with life, creating a collidescope of colored ponies for the pink pony to disappear into. I scanned the crowd, searching desperately for any sign of them when a fast moving blur close to the ground caught my eye.

With the creamy yellow pegasus behind me, I gave chase into the crowd. I must have been rivaling Rainbow Dash for speed as I careened through the thick population of the marketplace. The adrenaline pumping through my veins served to focus my senses, giving me an almost constant line of sight on the mysterious pony.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't match their grace. I bumped into just about every pony we passed, hearing disgruntled yells and rushed apologies behind me. It quickly became clear that I needed an edge over the runner if we were to get a hold of them.

"Fluttershy, get up in the air and keep them in sight! I’m going to try and box them in!" I said, charging my horn heavily.

Fluttershy obeyed, shooting up into the sky to act as my spotter. I zeroed in on the pink pony, and focused the magic in my horn to her location. In a flash of purple light, I appeared in front of the fleeing pony, catching them off guard. They quickly moved around me, attempting to lose me again, only for me to enact my strategy.

It became a game of tag between the two of us. A dodge by the pink pony, a teleportation in front of them by myself, avoidance, another teleport. I was transporting myself all over the place, cutting off the pony at every turn. They began to slip, becoming sloppy and erratic with their movements. The pony finally ducked into an alley, effectively trapping themselves between me and the solid cloud wall.

"You can't go anywhere. You might as well turn around and tell me why you're following us." I said forcefully, as Fluttershy descended from the sky to join me.

The pony begrudgingly turned around, giving me a clear view of her for the first time. The largely noticeable feature about her was her light pink coat that seemed well groomed and manageable. Up close, I could look directly into her vibrant neon green eyes. They were crystal clear and focused on me with a vengeance. Nothing was getting past this pony. Her mane was styled roughly, looking to be almost layered. Forest green was the dominate color, with deep blue stripes throughout. Her tail was short, sharing the same style and color as her mane.

Her expression was calm and analytical, and she made no sudden movements. It was as if she didn't care that she was caught, almost as if she had the intention of leading us away from the crowds. So she could have us alone...

Oh she's good.

"So now that you've figured out why I ran here, I suppose someone as curious as yourself would like an explanation as to why that is the case." The pink pony said flatly, hinting no emotion whatsoever.

"I would much rather know how you’re doing that. I don’t know many earth ponies with the ability to cloud walk." I said, commenting on her lack of wings or magic.

"I wouldn’t read into that little detail too much. You yourself know that my situation is far from impossible. I’ll just say for the time being that I have a magically gifted friend who was more than happy to lend a hoof, or horn I should say." The pink pony said, sounding a bit sarcastic.

"Fair enough. So, what brings you to this lonely alley today? Any nefarious plots, hidden agendas,"—

"Ulterior motives, dastardly schemes, evil plans? No. I have my reasons for being here, and you two have yours. Your reasons just may concern my own."

"You're trying to uncover what your friend forgot. More accurately, what they were made to forget."

"Whoever your friend is, they were most likely involved in something important or secretive. Something they couldn't be allowed to remember while walking free. They probably remember the majority of their life minus a few days, maybe a few months at the worst."

"Must have been some serious cover-up for them to forget that much. You have my attention now..." The pink pony perked up at that new information, genuinely curious.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy said, meekly attempting to get my attention. "Should I… still point out the obvious?"

"Look what she's wearing. Does it look familiar to you?" Fluttershy asked, trying to make me realize something.

I looked towards the mysterious pony and paid close attention to detail on this pass. She was still coated in pink, with her boldly colored mane, however I noticed she wore a piece of clothing over her chest. It seemed to be a simply woven vest, dark blue and relatively thick. I stared at it, trying to make the connection Fluttershy wanted me to. A second later, it hit me.

Fluttershy had barely finished her sentence before the petite pony rushed her, forcefully pinning her to the wall.

"Where did you get that name!? What do you know about him!?" The pink pony yelled, throwing her calm demeanor out the window in favor of a distraught and threatening one.

The pink mare turned to face me looking aggressive, confrontational, but also confused, as if she wasn’t aware of what I meant. A look of realization flashed across her face, and she immediately let Fluttershy go. She wore an apologetic look for a split second before returning to her calm state and moving a few steps back.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you any harm.” The pink pony said to Fluttershy.

“That’s*cough*ok. I didn’t mean to offend you…” Fluttershy apologized, unaware that she wasn’t at fault.

“It wasn’t you who set her off Fluttershy. It was his name. Thundervolt.” I said, glaring at the pink pony.

As if on cue, the pink pony winced a little, quickly dispelling the anger his name brought forth. For a second it appeared that she may become violent again, but something clicked in her head that filled her eyes with hope.

“If you know his name, then you’ve probably been in recent contact with him. How long ago did you see him? Did he say where he was going?” She asked anxiously.

“I saw him about three years ago. He owed me some money, so he told me he was going to the bank to get it for me.” I said, rolling my eyes. “Why should we tell you anything? You’ve been nothing but secretive and elusive.”

“I’m sure you think that sarcasm is being cute, but in reality, it only serves to piss me off. Tell me what the buck you know and I won’t hurt you!”

“Celestia, we thought his mouth was bad. I’ll bet he got that dirty language from you.” I said, enraging the mare further. “And as far as threats go, just try it. See how far you get!”

I charged my horn again, mostly as an intimidation tactic. The earth pony mare didn’t take kindly to it, moving to a much more aggressive stance. We stared into each other’s eyes, ready to move on the first one to advance. The situation became more and more tense, pressing down on me heavily. Beads of sweat fell across my forehead as I began to wonder exactly what the mare was capable of. She had the same focused eyes, however she looked completely calm. She didn’t think she could beat me, she knew she could.

I began to become more anxious, hoping it wouldn’t come to violence. I readied a defensive spell in place of the force spell I had charged. If I missed, I’d be open to her strikes. With this spell, at least I wouldn’t get hit. I saw movement and panicked, casting my spell and tumbling over into the fetal position with a small yelp.

Oh Celestia, she’s gonna kill me! Not the face! Or the horn! Just don’t hit anything!

A few moments past as I held my hooves over my face, clutched in my own panicked fear. I realized that I hadn’t been assaulted as I thought I would be, so I opened my eyes. I saw Fluttershy standing in between me and the pink mare. Fluttershy wore a look of concern, while the mare looked like she pitied me. My face warmed considerably, indicating I was blushing.

Seems accurate, considering I just embarrassed myself completely…

“So now that we’ve gotten that over with, I believe your pegasus friend has something to say.” The pink mare said emphatically.

“I think that she is a friend of his. She looked very concerned when she pushed me against the wall. It was like she was desperate to find him.” Fluttershy looked back at the pink mare, who looked at the ground in acknowledgement. “I think that she could help us.”

“You’re pretty slow, aren’t you? I could look into your friend’s memory issues for you. Try and figure out if it’s anything remotely important. I’ve seen this a number of times, and you may have nothing to worry about.” The pink mare said matter of factly.

“And in return, you want us to help you find Thundervolt.” I said, bringing about another small wince.

“So it’s settled then. We can all cooperate and stop yelling.” Fluttershy said with a smile. “What next?”

“We need to share information with each other, so I suggest we do so on the ride home. There isn’t anything left for us here.” I shifted my attention to the pink earth pony. “Are you afraid of heights?”

She looked at me as if I was stupid, then looked down at the floor to reaffirm the fact that she was standing on clouds high above the ground. She then looked at me with pure sarcasm radiating from her gaze.

“You can stop pointing out the obvious now, Fluttershy!” I snarled, causing Fluttershy to reel back a bit. “Then it’s time to head back home. Let’s get back to the balloon!”

“I’ll go ahead and get it ready! See you girls there!” Fluttershy flew off towards the balloon, leaving me with the pink mare.

“My friends name is Fluttershy. My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s most faithful stu”—

“I’m not one for subtitles. I just wanted to say that I’ve never had anypony stand up to me the way you did today. I admire your nerve, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Never do it again.” The pink mare said, getting up directly in my face. She then put on a calm look and began to walk out of the alley. “Come on, we don’t have time to waste.”

She paused for a moment as if to consider my request. She then turned to face me, now wearing an uncharacteristically sweet smile that sent a chill down my spine.

It would appear that she hath finally surfaced. Twas only a matter of time before I found them. Now all that is required of me is to patiently await their return. Perhaps this time they will reconsider their betrayal…

“Luna, what are you doing awake? It’s the middle of the afternoon. Were you astral-projecting again? You should really just go outside one of these days.” A familiar voice pulled at the princess of the night, dragging her away from Cloudsdale and into her room in Canterlot’s royal castle.

Luna’s piercing teal eyes shot open, accenting the anger on her face with a hint of ferocity. She looked to her now open door, the only source of light present, to find her older sister looking in on her. Princess Celestia, ruler of all of Equestria.

And she has nothing better to do than disturb me. Wonderful…

“Seriously Luna, come outside with me. If you’re up, you might as well enjoy the wonderful day I brought about!” Celestia said, half boastful and half sincerely.

“Much like how you delay your own rest to relish in the glorious nights that I bestow upon this land?” Luna replied, completely sarcastic.

“You come back from the moon after a thousand years, and in less than two you manage to master the art of sarcasm. That screams your personality, little sister.” Celestia said with a smile.

Luna couldn’t help but grin at her older sister’s comment. The shroud of Nightmare Moon had completely left her, though Luna still felt as though she let her kingdom down in her absence.

“*Sigh* Fine, Celestia. I will oblige you. Lead me to wherever it is you wish to go. I will follow and bask in your radiance.” Luna said, somehow increasing her output of sarcasm.

“That’s what I like to hear! The part about you basking, not the overwhelming sarcasm. That I could do without. Come sister, we’ve much to see!” Celestia said happily, moving from Luna’s doorway.

Luna took a moment to gather herself before following her older sister, dwelling still on the scene she had previously left.

If Twilight Sparkle and her friends have become involved in this situation, it will be much more difficult to sway them. I may have to look into this matter more closely. I hope in all honesty that I’m not forced to do anything drastic. Considering how close the two are, upsetting Twilight could easily bring Celestia into this conflict. I can’t have her intervening and ruining everything. And all I need is another lecture from her highness.

“Come on Luna, if you can raise the moon every single night, you can raise your hind end off your bed and follow me!” Celestia called from outside the room.

“If thou can raise the sun per diem, practicing quantities of forbearance should be achievable!” Luna bellowed impatiently, reverting to her old equestrian tongue.

“If you’re done speaking like you just jumped out of a history book, I’ll be out in the garden awaiting your arrival!” Celestia retorted, moving down the hall towards the lower floor of the castle.

Soon enough they will come to me. If nothing else, the girl should keep Twilight from contacting Celestia. This affair will be handled covertly, and all shall be well. It is only a matter of time.

Content with her own thoughts, Luna stood up and moved out her door in pursuit of her older sister, closing the door behind her, enveloping the room in total darkness.

Chapter 15: Separation Anxiety

“Thundervolt, I didn’t mind the first time you bumped into me. I didn’t mind the second time you bumped into me. The third time was pushing it, but I forgave you.” Rainbow Dash said irritably

“My point is that the next time you bump into me, I’m gonna turn around and kick your flank!”

“You mean you’ll try. Besides, I may be bumping into you, but that’s only because you keep cutting me off! If you have to be in front”—

“Yes, I have to be in front to make your lazy flank move faster.” Rainbow Dash interrupted brashly.

“Since you have to be in front, why don’t you move a little faster, slowp”—

“Say what? Slooooowpoke?” I made sure to sound as condescending as possible.

“You want speed? I’ll give you speed! Just try and keep up wise guy!” Rainbow Dash turned away from me and bolted ahead.

I followed her, doing my best to keep up with the cyan blur. To my surprise, it was easier than I had imagined. Still in the wide open quartz crystal cave, keeping track of her wasn't difficult. Though she had a few yards on me, I could see her moves as she made them, adjusting my course to shave precious seconds off of my flight time.

She entered a small passage, similar to the passages we used to enter the cave in the first place, and disappeared into the darkness. The tighter space of the corridor made it more difficult to maneuver. Between the lack of vision in the pitch black cave and the narrowing circumference of the tunnel, it should have been much harder for us to move. Contrary to that theory however, Rainbow Dash sped up with me hot on her tail.

What started as a tactic to disprove my insult soon became a friendly contest, provocations and jeers hanging on the wind for me to run into.

Her insults brought a strangely familiar smile to my face, but I couldn’t get complacent. If I let Rainbow Dash hold the lead for much longer, I’d never hear the end of it. My sprint almost doubled in speed as I flapped my wings to assist. I came up behind her fast, taking her by surprise. I jumped, folding my wings and body tightly in an effort to squeeze past her.

With the utmost grace and control, I felt myself flying right above her, about to come out in front. While my grace was unmatched, my senses were a bit on the dull side at that particular moment. What I perceived as a successful vault turned out to be me landing directly on top of Rainbow Dash, combining our momentum into a boulder-like inertia.

Folded together into a sphere made of pure, unadulterated pegasus, Rainbow Dash and I rolled through the dark tunnel at high speeds, unsure of where we were going. Rainbow Dash tried to shout something out to me, but between her face hitting the floor and the commotion of our struggling, I couldn’t hear what it was. My focus was drawn elsewhere, towards a bright light quickly getting closer to us. Within a few seconds the light enveloped us entirely, causing my eyes to lose their sight momentarily.

With a heavy thump, Rainbow Dash and I came to a screeching halt, separating from our previous tumbling formation. My eyes adjusted, and I found that we had rolled into a small clearing just outside the dark tunnel. Unwittingly, we had found the exit of Starlight Caverns and navigated our way to a staging area for a quick look around.

“Ugh… Nice job! You managed to actually taste the rainbow!” Rainbow Dash said irritably, noticing me spit out a multi-colored ball of hair from her mane.

“Outside.” Rainbow Dash reached for the map in my saddlebag. “Even I figured that one out.”

I didn’t respond, merely stared at her with indifference until she got the hint and looked up our position on the map.

“Well, it looks like we just exited the caverns from the western exit. The map says the stone isn’t far from here. It should be somewhere close by, most likely a valley.” Rainbow Dash tossed the map from her hooves, bouncing it off my head and into the bags.

Rainbow Dash did not hear my quiet complaint. She had taken to the sky, presumably for a bird’s eye view of our position. Feeling that my wings could use a stretch as well, I jumped into the air, following her lead.

I took up a position next to Rainbow Dash, hovering about fifty feet above the clearing, and looked out towards the general direction the map pointed to. Contrary to what I expected, a horrible, malicious looking valley of death, I saw a beautiful sight.

The sun, just rising in the sky behind us lit up a panoramic image of a lush and tropical jungle. The canopy was very thick, with random trees jutting out above the main tree line, evidence that they were feeding better than most. The sun’s rays reached out to about half of the jungle, the rest covered in a soft darkness that was slowly dissipating in the early morning sun. Out on the horizon, about fifteen miles away, was a majestic looking mountain with a snow-capped top.

Halfway through my sentence, I noticed a bright shining light coming from the top of the mountain. The sun had reached a higher point in the sky, reflecting off of something on the mountain. At that distance, it would have to something very polished and very reflective.

“I think the stones on that mountain.” I said directly. “We should start walking over there.”

“Haha, if you think I’m walking anymore, you’re crazy.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and rotated her hoof near her head for emphasis. “We’ve passed through the major weather system that was heading over the forest, so we can fly straight there. No sweat!”

“Well that’s some good news. I like flying.” I said, rubbing my sore hooves. “I haven’t really had a great flight since my wing healed up anyway.”

“Then it looks like we’re flying!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly. She took off higher into the sky, heading towards our distant goal.

I took off after the cyan blur and cruised alongside her. High above the clouds, in the crisp, warming air of the morning sky, we soared effortlessly on our wings. My back was lightly heated by the sunlight creeping over the valley, and my chest and face were cooled by the rush of the air. My entire body was filled with the sensations provided by our aeronautical journey.

I looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was calmly soaring beside me. I had seen her fly before, if you could call her adrenaline filled rainbow twists flying, but I had never seen her fly. As the wind flowed through her hair, she looked ahead with an unnaturally calm demeanor. It was as if she was separate from the world on the ground, content with being one with the air above it. If nothing else, this was her home.

“You’re burning a hole through my head, Thundervolt.” Rainbow Dash spoke suddenly, sounding firm but composed. “Something on your mind?”

“Oh. No. I was just… You belong up here. In the sky, I mean.” I said awkwardly.

“I guess that’s why I was born with wings.” She said, almost sounding serious.

“No, I mean more so than other pegasi. You’re a different pony up here, especially when you take the time to slow down and soar.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I fly like this when I need to think. When it’s just me and the clouds, it’s pretty easy to be alone with your thoughts.”

“You looked pretty thoughtful a moment ago. Have something on your mind?” I looked back towards Rainbow Dash to find her looking even more serious than before. “I’ll take that as a yes…”

“Once this is over with, and you have your memories back…” Rainbow Dash paused to contemplate her next words. “Once you remember everything, what are you going to do?”

“Exactly. Are you going to stay? I mean, would you even have a reason to leave?” Rainbow Dash said in a worried tone.

“I… I don’t know. I suppose it depends on what I remember. If I have a family somewhere, they could be looking for me…”

“What about Fluttershy? And Twilight? Applejack? Rarity? Pinkie? And…” Rainbow Dash trailed off and looked away.

“And what about me!?” Rainbow Dash yelled, a tear flying off her face and down to the jungle below.

I choked up, unable to answer her questions. I hadn’t thought about any of this beforehand. The prospect of having my memory back was too exciting to pass up. I never stopped to think how any of the ponies would react if I were to up and leave. How would I take it? Getting my memory back wouldn’t erase what I’d been through here; it would only answer my question.

“One of the few ponies I can stand to be around.” Rainbow Dash said sincerely.

“*Sigh* No matter what… I can’t ignore what I’ve got here. Fluttershy, the girls, you. All you ponies kept me safe, and welcomed me into your lives. I’ll be forever grateful for that, and that’s why I can’t leave you. Any of you.”

“You say that now…” Rainbow Dash looked to be in pain. “You might not feel the same way once you remember that something better is waiting for you on the other side.”

“Maybe some things are better left forgotten.” Rainbow Dash said, giving in to the despair.

We continued flying for what seemed like forever. Rainbow Dash put her stern look back on, flying resolutely forward. I became lost in thought, grappling with myself over this decision. A flash of realization widened my eyes, and as if on cue, I stopped my flight. I hovered in the sky, watching as Rainbow Dash continued forward. Moments later, she turned back and flew to my side.

“I mean I’m letting you decide. We can keep going, get our memories back, and risk separating…”

“We can go back to Ponyville. I want to know who I am, so badly…” I gazed towards the mountain where the focusing stone lay. “It’s just not worth losing everyone because of it…”

Rainbow Dash looked shocked that I would even propose something like this. Her eyes stayed wide and attentive, fixed on my face. I could see her thinking deeply, gears turning under her rainbow mane. Her eyes glazed over and she seemed to come to terms with something before speaking again.

“You care about us. Enough to be willing to sacrifice whatever life you had before. That won’t change once you get your memory back, so no matter what happens, it will be fine.”

“Shut up. Let’s just get this over with. The curiosity is killing me. Besides, this emotional stuff is getting to be way too frequent. It’s a load of hay if you ask me.” Rainbow Dash smiled gently.

“Sorry. I know that anything remotely expressive makes you wanna vomit.” I shot Rainbow Dash a sarcastic look, and returned her smile.

“Just try not to land on me this time!” Rainbow Dash said smugly. “Last one there’s a rotten dragon egg!”

Patience. Patience… I need to be… patient.

Luna was in her room, lying reclined in the total darkness brought about by her abodes enclosure. The princess of the night had decided it would be best to wait for a development. She didn’t want to stumble into Ponyville and kidnap the two traitors. That would not be very subtle.

I wonder… Could I silence an entire town? Is there even room in the royal dungeon? Wait, do we still have the royal dungeon? Blast it. That must be the new rec room Celestia keeps driveling on about. We need to get a new royal dungeon. Where else will I keep all the good snacks?

Luna sat up, unable to fall asleep. It was a perfectly good morning to nap. It was warm enough to be comforting, cool enough to keep away the sweat, and bright enough to keep her from going outside. However, something was keeping her up. A nipping feeling at her brain that said ‘you can be doing something useful right now’.

There must be a little for me do. I have to wait for them to make the next move, lest I muck it up with needless intervention and other frivolities…

Suddenly, it dawned on her.

Nova!

With no hesitation, Luna threw off her covers and charged her horn with a midnight blue aura. With nothing more than a flash, she was gone. Her bedroom door opened a moment later to reveal none other than her big sister, Princess Celestia.

“Luna? I have a very important meeting with to attend within the hour. I was thinking that we could go play in the new rec room instead, enrage the nobility a bit! I know how you love enraging the nobility~” Celestia said, looking around for her dark blue sister.

The room was empty and dark, leaving Celestia to wonder where her sister had gone. She had her own suspicions however.

“Oh if you’re in there without me again, I swear to myself that I’ll punt you right back to the moon!” Celestia said teasingly to the air around her before exiting the room.

On the other side of the castle, Luna reappeared in a flash of light. She was now down in the lower keeps of the palace, near the guards’ chambers. The majority of the guards in Canterlot were on patrol at any given time, but there were always a decent number of ponies present in the hall.

Luna did not enter the main room however. Instead, she went down the stairs to the right, heading towards her own personal guards barracks. She entered the room and saw that there were only a few ponies not presently on duty. They immediately perked up in response to her presence, to which Luna quickly dismissed. She continued to the edge of the room as the guards went back to what they had been doing, walking towards an inconspicuous door at the end of the room.

Luna passed through the door to find a set of spiral stairs leading down to a room underneath the guard chambers. She delicately descended them, making sure to tread carefully on the worn stone. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, the room below opened up significantly, revealing a very large area.

A small laboratory had been erected, spanning across the entire room. There were numerous alcoves filled with various experiments, a main work area for multiple uses, and an area towards the back that served as living quarters for whomever used the facility.

The room was well lit, but looked to be dark nonetheless. The dark blue floor coupled with the stone walls made for a very gloomy looking room. The area was completely lifeless, sans a single presence

In the middle of the room, fiddling around with a machine console was a dark grey unicorn with a blood red mane. His eyes were blood red as well, and were intensely focused on his work. Both his mane and tail were streamlined, clearly styled to stay out of his way. He looked to be an older colt, experienced and very hardy. His cutie mark was that of an exploding star, white in the center, red rays shooting outwards.

“Princess Luna!” The unicorn turned from his activity and respectfully bowed. “To what do I owe the honor of speaking to you during your sister’s day?”

“Hello Nova, the pleasure is mine. How goes your work?” Luna asked out of curiosity

“It goes well, your highness. I’ve managed to isolate the gene we’ve been looking into. It’s only a matter of time before I can begin the testing for replication and repurposing.” Nova stated with excitement. “Things have been going much smoother here than with the last project.”

Luna winced at the dark unicorn’s statement, holding back irritation. She quickly shook it off and readied her reply.

“Yes, that’s actually why I’m here. Aurora has finally resurfaced.” Luna said, eliciting a cocked eyebrow from the unicorn.

“Is that so? It’s been at least a year since we’ve heard anything from her. And what of our overzealous winged friend?” Nova inquired further.

“I have not encountered any sign of Thundervolt yet. I believe that Aurora is attempting to reunite with him, which is why I have been keeping a close eye on her.”

“I’m afraid we’ve lost all hope of finding him. He’s been gone for more than five years, long before the others deserted. That, however, is not the most pressing issue.” Luna said, garnering Nova’s attention.

“You know them better than I do. What would you have me believe?” Luna asked almost condescendingly.

“You’re absolutely right.” Nova said with a sigh. “I’ll prepare the holding cells and get everything in order for when they arrive. I won’t be letting them slip by me this time.”

“I should hope not. You convinced me you could handle this project by yourself, and you managed to lose three of our most valuable agents. I’ll consider this your last chance before I intervene and take over the operation myself.” Luna said in a harsh tone.

“I will not fail you again. You have my word, your highness.” Nova once again bowed, this time as an oath.

“Very well, I shall take my leave then. Continue your work, and I will notify you if and when they resolve to move. Let me know immediately should you learn anything.”

“Have a good day’s rest, Princess.” Nova said, bidding Luna farewell as she ascended the stairs of the laboratory.

On her way out, Luna could not help but feel a bit better. Her visit with Nova had at least given her something to do, and now he was aware of the situation.

This should prove to quell my need for action, at least for the moment. Though I am not any closer to regaining my agents, I am at least at ease knowing that Nova is now uncomfortable. If he’s preoccupied with their preparations, he won’t have time to bother me with his scientific ventures. Twilight is more suited to that type of discussion…

With that thought, Luna teleported back to her room and laid down for some overdue rest.

Chapter 16: Basket Case

The sun was still high in the sky as Fluttershy and I traveled back to Ponyville in our hot air balloon. The basket of the balloon was slightly more cramped on this leg of the trip, thanks in part to our unexpected guest, Aurora.

The small, pinkish pony had been very quiet for the majority of the trip, only speaking when spoken to, and not much during those few instances. Fluttershy was too shy to engage in any conversation, and I was busy watching the balloons flight path as well as trying to think of questions to ask her should she decide to speak.

Aurora shifted her gaze from the cloud filled sky to me, and furrowed her brow with mild annoyance. She looked away from me, towards Fluttershy, who was stretching out her wings.

"Fluttershy, why don't you take a quick flight? You look like you could use the break from sitting still." I said, watching Aurora's now suspicious eyes.

"Right. See you soon Tw-Twilight... Aurora." Fluttershy hopped out of the basket and zoomed up into the sky, leaving me with the wary pink pony.

"Whoa whoa whoa, calm down! I just wanted to talk." I said nervously, backing off from the pink pony's threat.

"I told you, you'll hear everything once I talk to Thundervolt." Aurora said calmly.

"I see... Let's try something else." Her neon green eyes moved towards my words. “Information trading. We ask each other questions, and every time you answer a question, the other pony owes you an answer to one of your questions."

“You looked interesting, and I heard enough about your situation to motivate continued surveillance." Aurora said flatly, thinking momentarily about her question. "Why did you put so much effort into chasing me down?"

"Well, you looked interesting, and I saw enough of you to motivate continued pursuit." I replied smugly, hoping to bait the pony into slipping on some tender information. "Why do you know so much about our friend's memory loss?"

"I know this much because I've seen it before." Aurora replied as simply and as vaguely as she could. "I can't imagine their situation being very special. What is this friend’s name?"

"Her name is Rainbow Dash." Recognition flashed across her neon green eyes. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

"No." Aurora looked stoic and thoughtful. "It probably means something to someone else though."

“What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, noting the small pony's pause on her last statement.

"I believe I'm owed an answer." Aurora stated, in a surprisingly friendly tone. "Where are we going? You withheld that information from me on the grounds that I might try to go there... unsupervised."

"Fair enough. We're heading to Ponyville. We should be there pretty soon, actually." Another look of recognition from Aurora. She didn't hide it as well this time.

What is up with her? What is she hiding? Or better yet, what am I not asking?

"Judging by your reaction, I'd say you've been to Ponyville before. Where are you from anyway?" I asked hoping for background information.

"No, I've only had the pleasure of hearing about it. And where I'm from?" Aurora thought for a moment. "I guess I would have to say Canterlot."

"It's my turn for a question, Twilight." Aurora said in a somber tone, looking away before asking her next question. "What do you think of the nobles and royalty around Canterlot?"

"Something you'd like to share, Ms. Sparkle?" Aurora said almost condescendingly.

"I’m just not sure how to answer your question. I guess that I do my best to judge everyone I meet as a pony, not as a job title. The majority of 'important' ponies I meet are stuffy and hard to converse with. I have better luck with princesses." I shoved my hoof in my mouth, not meaning to speak of the princesses.

"I've been Celestia's personal student since I was a filly. I actually tried telling you that, but somepony doesn't care for titles." I said, poking fun at the pink pony.

"Ok... Luna is...misunderstood at times. She was gone for a long time, and needed time to get adjusted. She's still a bit introverted, but she is a very capable leader, and one of my good friends. I'm surprised to hear you ask about her. Ponies tend to ask about Celestia much more often."

Long awaited return? It sounds like she knew about Nightmare Moon before she appeared... I guess others must have made the connection as well. I can’t be the only one with the ability to read a book.

“Is that so? Why so interested in Princess Luna?”

“If a giant alicorn suddenly materializes in the middle of Ponyville with the intent to forever mar the visage of the empire and disrupt the natural cycle of celestial bodies, wouldn’t you at least look in their general direction?” Aurora asked sarcastically

“I get one question for telling you about Luna out of turn, and another for your last response. You answered my question with a question.” Aurora looked irritated, but accepted my reasoning.

“Very well… Ask your questions.” Her neon green eyes shifted back towards the clouds.

Despite my pushing for additional opportunities, I did not have any significant questions to ask the small pink pony. I started at her contemplatively for a few moments, taking in her image in detail for the first time.

The rosy pink pony’s coat was similar to that of Cheerilee’s mane, albeit a little creamier. Her mane, still majoring in a thick yellow-green, was accented with a pattern of deep blue stripes that were the same color as Thundervolt’s.

She was one of the smaller pony’s I had seen, though she looked very fit and capable of at least as much athleticism as Applejack or Rainbow Dash, if not even more. The dark blue vest she wore over her chest wrapped around her tightly, protecting her from superficial magic and physical projectiles.

Her face looked young, perhaps around 20 years old. This put her closest to Pinkie Pie in age, her being the youngest of our group at 21. Her youth, however, didn’t cover up the experience in her vibrantly shining eyes. They looked as though they had seen sights that would amaze, and even horrify normal ponies. The most disturbing part about this fact was that this quality was shared by Thundervolt’s eyes.

His bright golden eyes and her vibrant neon eyes had both gone through a lot to be that knowledgeable and focused. Her freckled face offset the age in her eyes enough to give her the look of a young mare ready to take on the world.

Her most defining features had slipped past my vision beforehand, and caught my interest quickly. Her right ear had a small chip in it, as if she had been in an accident of some kind. Cosmetically, it blended in well enough to pass by most pony’s eyes, looking like an earring gone bad, or an unfortunate fall.

Her Cutie Mark, which I had completely neglected to look at, was the most intriguing and the most thought provoking. Branded on both of her flanks was a simple, petiolated leaf with a small chip in the left side, reminiscent of her ear. Its forest green complexion seemed to look real, like an actual leaf had been glued to her sides.

Much to my surprise, her Cutie Marks behaved in an all too familiar way. Small bits of energy seemed to flow from the stems of the leaves, and outwards towards the edges, just as Thundervolt’s now gray clouds occasionally crackled bits of lightning. Shifting Cutie Marks were something that I had never encountered. To see them on not just one pony, but two was a strange occurrence.

I thought very hard about what to ask her, wanting to know all of the gritty details, but also wanting to keep her involved in this game I had arranged. After a few more moments of thought, I finally decided on a pair of questions to ask the waiting pony.

“Tell me about those interesting features. What does your Cutie Mark mean? And how did you get that chip in your ear?”

“Those weren’t the questions I expected to hear.” Aurora said with surprise.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t really think of what else to ask, considering you won’t really tell me anything useful.” I cringed a bit, not meaning to sound so annoyed.

“Haha, very true.” Aurora said agreeably, much to my surprise. “My Cutie Mark is fairly straight forward. Your friend’s mark is of butterflies correct? I assume this means she is good with animals. Just as yours, clearly some sort of magical spark implies that you’re gifted with magic.”

“Your powers of observation and reasoning are quite amazing if I may say so.” I noted, visibly impressed.

“I’ve had some time to work on that. I’m sure yours is just as good. So what do you think my Cutie Mark means?” Aurora asked, testing my own perception.

“I’d say you were good with plants, or at least nature as a whole.” My eyes lit up, waiting for the words I loved to hear.

Yes!

“I am much attuned to nature, plant-life specifically. It’s as if I can hear them as they grow, giving and taking from them where I can. I rise with the sun, just like the undergrowth, gaining strength from the sun.” Aurora seemed to catch herself, adding an afterthought. “Figuratively speaking of course.”

“Well of course, it’s not as if you actually get enriched by the sun. I love basking in the sun as much as the next pony, but I’m not going to get superpowers or anything.” I said with a chuckle.

“So how about that chip in your ear? It looks like something bad happened there.”

Aurora frowned at first, as if she didn’t know what I was talking about. Her frown quickly turned into a half-smile mixed with some grief.

“Oh, that. I’m sorry, but I don’t really want to talk about it. He feels bad enough about it without me spreading the story around…” Aurora looked back at the clouds, recalling some memory from the past that I could not see.

Wait a minute… Can I?

Without taking the time to weigh the options in my head, I subtly focused energy into my horn, and then my mind. Glancing towards Aurora, who was still lost in thought, I cast my spell.

My vision heavily blurred, refocusing in a new scene. Though still indistinct, I could see Aurora with her back at the edge of a cliff. Out of nowhere, something forced her off the edge and plummeting towards the ground below. Buck, no! Somepony, help! Aurora’s thoughts at that moment spilled into my own. The sound of wind whistling, and of her own screams filled my head, further distorting the already cloudy image.

Through her own eyes, I saw a white blur racing up towards her, perhaps to catch her. A second later, the white blur glowed with energy and snapped towards her at blinding speed, passing by and clipping her in the ear ever so slightly.

The memory suddenly became completely clear. There was no sign of the white blur, and all that was left was the falling sensation. My spell had become more involved now, as I could feel what Aurora remembered. All of her emotions washed over me in a sudden wave. Terror, hope, regret, all leading towards the tree line below.

Heading in much too fast to be safe, Aurora’s body hit the branches of a nearby tree. I could feel her limbs and stomach scraping against the hard brush, becoming bruised and lacerated. The ground, far away just moments ago, suddenly rushed upward, meeting her body at full force and shattering her ribs.

“AAAH!” I clutched my chest and reeled back towards the far edge of the balloons basket.

The vivid experience of the memory had brought me to feel the pain Aurora had felt at that moment in time. It was so powerful that it broke my spell out of shock. I realized that the pain was only mental, and that I was fine. Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked at Aurora again, only to find that she was staring intently at me. She wore a look of betrayal and distrust towards me.

“I understand completely. You’re an intellectual pony. You couldn’t get the better of the curiosity, and this time it hurt you.” Aurora’s voice was low and fear provoking. “If you spend enough time around me, you’ll find that when I don’t want to talk about something, you wouldn’t want to hear about it. I’m going to let this slide, only because you had to feel what I did. I wouldn’t wish that upon any pony…”

“If you ever read my mind again without my permission I will personally see that you never walk again.” Aurora said with no emotion, as if threatening ponies was second nature.

Aurora looked at me seriously, taking a moment to think. “Yes, we’re even.”

“Oh my gosh, Twilight! Are you ok!” Fluttershy hastily landed in the basket of the balloon, rocking it significantly.

“Ack, Fluttershy! Yes, I’m fine. We’re fine.” I looked over towards Aurora who wore the same indifferent look on her face. “Why the rush? Did something happen?”

“Twilight, I heard you scream! It sounded like you were really hurt; s-so I came rushing back. I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to disturb you…” Fluttershy said apologetically.

“You didn’t disturb…nevermind. Good to have you back, Fluttershy. How was your flight?” I asked, hoping to break the awkward tension I brought about with my spying.

“Oh, well it was…nice.” Fluttershy said, sinking into herself in front of Aurora who was now staring intently at her.

“Nice like how? Did you see anything, I don’t know, interesting?” I felt bad for putting Fluttershy on the spot, but I wanted something, anything to distract from my own guilt.

“I, uh… I saw…” Fluttershy gulped, trying to brave the rest of her sentence. “I saw a tree…”

“I like Sycamores.” Aurora stated warmly, causing Fluttershy to smile and uncurl from her defensive position.

“I do too. In fact, I’d like to be a tree like that.” Fluttershy said happily.

At that statement, Fluttershy completely warmed up to Aurora. The two continued talking about trees. And only trees. I tried to chip in with my own understanding on the foliage, but Fluttershy and Aurora seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of trees.

I was shut out of just about every conversation as the two vividly and excitedly discussed their favorite trees, their best memories involving trees, how you could relate to trees, how trees could save the entire world from blah blah blah blah…

If I have to hear any more about trees, I may just explode…

“My friend Applejack has a whole orchard filled with apple trees!”

“Are you sure? You aren’t getting restless at all?” Fluttershy continued concern in her voice.

Fluttershy’s observation was correct. In the distance was the quaint town that she and I called home. I could almost smell the fruity tinge of Sweet Apple Acres, and the sweet aroma of Sugarcube Corner. The majestic little town filled my heart with happiness. It was truly amazing how a day away from home could make you miss it so much.

“Well Aurora, get ready to meet the locals. We’ll be touching down in about ten minutes.

Chapter 17: Homecoming

Are you actually trying to be this irritating?

As I flew towards the heckling mare, our destination came into focus, dispelling my competitive mood and filing me with curiosity. The once distant mountains were now close enough to land upon, and covered in a thick, naturally fallen snow.

Equestrian weather is strictly controlled by all ponies, especially the pegasus. Areas in and around pony settlements are monitored by Weather Pegasi all over the country who gather data, which they relay to Weather HQ in Cloudsdale that manufactures and sends out the appropriate weather systems.

At least that's how Rainbow Dash explained it. Being captain of Ponyville's weather team, she knows more about weather than most ponies. She told me how the Everfree Forest and places outside Equestria generate their own weather autonomously, and how dangerous it could be. Tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, anything.

It made me wonder why other regions didn't manage their own weather. If such a prevalent force could be harnessed, it seemed like a stupid opportunity to pass up.

Or maybe it's just luck that Equestrian weather is so manageable. Pegasus are built for the job after all...

My thoughts were interrupted by Rainbow Dash making a spectacle of herself, and her victory.

"I made it here first! I am undeniably, unquestionably, unbeatable!" Rainbow Dash cheered to herself.

I didn't know what bothered me more, the fact that I lost a race to somepony as boastful as her, or that I was actually being a sore loser. I decided it would be best to drop it and let the pegasus have her victory.

"I want a rematch after this is all over." I said, compromising with myself. “Now come on, we have to find that stone."

Rainbow Dash complied and fell in step behind me as I landed and began to walk up the mountains path. We would have continued flying, but the air at our height was much too thin to fly in. It would make us less maneuverable, and we would have trouble breathing, making the ground our only safe option.

Relatively speaking, of course.

We trekked up the path for about a half hour, raising our overall altitude by about a hundred feet; a negligible increase considering how quickly we were used to covering such a distance by air. The climb was not an easy one, as the atmosphere around us was very thin. Struggling to get enough oxygen for the strenuous activity, Rainbow Dash and I continued to inch our way up the treacherous path. Despite a few close calls and slips, we eventually made it up to the uppermost plateau of the looming mountain.

In front of us was a relatively large, open space adorned with fresh snow, glistening brightly in the early morning light. The ground itself was twinkling like the stars in the night sky, but looked as brilliantly lit as the sun itself. The peak of the mountain extended upwards another two hundred feet, dwarfing us in its presence. Carved into the side of the cliff face was a humble indent that didn't quite belong.

Rainbow Dash and I moved closer to inspect the blemish and both caught a glimpse of something shining, stopping us in our tracks for a moment. We turned towards each other, exchanging excited looks before running towards the source.

As we galloped forward, the snow crunched under our hooves, chilling them slightly. The cool feeling emitted by the snow below us mixed with the warmth of the morning sun, creating a soothing blend of temperatures. Between the feelings, and the marvelous sights, I found it hard to focus on the task at hand.

We reached the side of the mountain and marveled at the object creating such a vibrant light. The Focusing Stone, the purpose of our journey, and the savior of our memories, was embedded in the rock. Though its shine was unmatched by anything I'd ever seen, the stone itself was not particular impressive. It looked to be an ordinary chunk of crystal, but with a slight tint of color that changed from every angle of observation.

“Yea, that's nice n'all, but you should get it out so we can go." Rainbow Dash said impatiently. “I’m getting a bad vibe from this place..."

“Alright then, let's see what we've got here." I moved my left wing out, and ran it across the stone. "Ouch, what the"--

My wing lost all feeling to a burning sensation and fell limply to the side of my body. I tried to move it, but had no luck. My wing was paralyzed.

"Thundervolt, are you ok!?" Rainbow Dash asked frantically. “What happened to your wing?"

"I-I'm not sure... I touched the stone with my wing too get a feel for it, and then it just stopped working." I said, sounding surprised. “Whatever you do, don't touch it directly."

"I have an idea!" Rainbow Dash reached into my saddlebags and began to rummage around for something.

“What are you looking for? You ate all the food already!" I said, harassing the rainbow maned pegasus.

“Very funny. You're the one who wanted to bring the stupid thing, where did you put it?"

"You mean this?" I turned my flank towards Rainbow Dash, showing her the grappling hook mounted behind my vest.

“Yea, give it!" Rainbow Dash took it from me and with the sharp end of the hook began hitting the wall around the stone with it. She had essentially improvised a pickaxe.

“Told you it would come in handy." I teased, sticking my tongue out to add to the immaturity.

“Shut up." Rainbow Dash took the grappling hook and smashed it against the stone itself, freeing it from its mountain prison. She picked it up in a cloth she produced from the saddlebags and stored it away for safe keeping. "C'mon, let’s get outta here."

*CRACK*

The harsh sound came from the base of the mountain peak, startling us both. Everything else was quiet, minus the sounds of our nervous breathing. A low rumble became audible, and I looked towards the source on the top of the mountain.

"RUN DUMMY, RUN!" Rainbow Dash yelled at me, sprinting towards the edge of the plateau.

My legs immediately followed her instructions and went to work. The snow continued to crunch under our hooves, the sound now laced with a feeling of urgency. Within a few panicked moments, I had caught up to Rainbow Dash, who had her wings outstretched and ready for anything. I tried to do the same, but only one of my appendages cooperated.

"We're gonna jump!" Rainbow Dash yelled over the increasingly loud rumble of snow collapsing onto the plateau.

"I only have one wing!" I looked back to see a wall of snow and ice hit the ground, feeling the vibrations just a moment later. "I can’t fly!"

This is going to be very very bad...

The mass of snow was almost on top of us as we reached the edge of the cliff, side by side, getting ready to plunge off the tall mountain and into the clouds. I looked over to Rainbow Dash, hoping that she had a plan. She met my gaze and began to speak:
"Jump in Three... Two... O-ah!" Rainbow Dash unwittingly ceased her countdown, having been hit in the head by a rock mixed in with the snow.

"DASH!" I dove for her falling body and grabbed her just before the snow wall forced us over the side of the mountain.

For a moment, everything went cold and dark, the snow engulfing us instantly. A bright light stunned my vision for a second. We had been forcibly uncovered somehow. Chunks of snow and rock were floating around us, looking to be weightless. Realization hit me as I felt gravity pull down on me and my unconscious companion. Rainbow Dash was completely limp, acting as dead weight on my wingless side, and preventing me from maneuvering much. I looked down and saw that the drop off the mountain was enormous, the ground resting far below the clouds, ready to claim our lives.

I attempted flapping my good wing, fruitlessly trying to slow our descent. I then extended my wing and kept it there, which just ended up spinning us around in a roll. It looked just about hopeless, but then I remembered the grappling hook that Rainbow Dash had bludgeoned the stone with. I took it off my vest and tied the free end around the unconscious mare in a secure and stable knot. I took the hook and begin spinning it rapidly in my right hoof, simultaneously praying to whatever entity controls ridiculous situations such as falling off mountains and swinging to safety.

Come on universe, Rarity needs her grappling hook back, and I don’t feel like staining the ground with copious amounts of my own blood. Let this work!

I flung the grappling hook away from us towards the mountain, hoping that it would catch blindly on something, anything. I grabbed onto Rainbow Dash and held onto the rope for dear life.

"We're falling to our death, that’s what’s going on!" I replied hurriedly, not watching my previous solutions progress. "Hurry up and-OOF"

Without warning, and quite roughly, the grappling hook found its home on a small ledge. The rope tightened and sent us both swinging in a large arc parallel to the side of the mountain. Snow, ice, and rocks were falling all around us, narrowly missing our bodies multiple times. After a few swings, and a break in the stream of hostile plummeting objects trying to eviscerate us, we finally began to slow down enough to get our bearings and see if we were alive enough to go home.

"Once my wing wakes up, sure. Otherwise you're carrying me." I responded sarcastically.

Rainbow Dash looked at my drooping wing and punched it ferociously.
"Ouch, why did you"--

I glanced over my shoulder and found that both of my wings were functioning as normal, as if nothing had happened.

"Violence is never the answer my rainbow flank!" Rainbow Dash said in a celebratory fashion. "I can't wait to tell this story to Twilight and Fluttershy!"

"Untie me, and I'll race you back. The skies are clear all the way home, so we can be there by lunch."

"You're just hungry, aren't you?" I said sarcastically, freeing the enthusiastic mare.

"I will be after I beat you to Ponyville!" Rainbow Dash said smugly, taking to the sky on her own wings.

I tested my own wings, and upon finding them to be sufficient, retrieved the grappling hook and gathered myself.

"How about we race when I’m not carrying all the supplies. I’m ok with hurrying, but racing would be better on a full stomach and a good night's rest." I said, hoping for a calm flight after the previous ordeal.

"Fine, we'll let you kid yourself into thinking you stand a chance. Take your break, I'll be enjoying the flight MY way; full of stunts and action. Feel free to appreciate my awesomeness!"

With that, the cyan pegasus took off ahead of me in three general direction of Ponyville, twisting and turning at high speeds without a care in the world. Considering we had almost died just moments before, she looked very happy. Though I had other things I wanted to ask her, I let Rainbow Dash enjoy herself. The time for serious discussion would come soon enough.

Too soon if you ask me. You are me. Shut up, why did you answer me? This is why Twilight thinks we're crazy. Because you talk to yourself in your head? No, of course not, that's just silly.

My own thoughts began to disturb me.

“Dash, wait up! I’m driving myself crazy over here!" I quickly flew off into the distance to rejoin the cyan blur.

"And those are my favorite kinds of tree leaves!" Fluttershy said enthusiastically. "I don’t think we have any other trees to talk about now."

Thank Celestia, my nightmare is over!

"Ooh, we should talk about bushes and shrubs now!" Aurora said, shaking her head up and down in excitement.

Aurora and Fluttershy both stared awkwardly at me, confused by my outburst. They didn't seem to realize that all their talk about plant life had driven me a bit insane, so their confusion was natural. I decided to play it off in an effort to maintain everypony’s good mood.

"Uh, I mean... No, don’t do that were just about to land, so why don't you save the shrubs for some time else?" I smiled sheepishly, hoping they'd buy it.

"What do you say, Aurora? Tea over at my house for shrub talk sometime? I mean, if you want to..." Fluttershy asked meekly.

"I'd love to!" Aurora looked away from us and glanced over the side of the basket, down towards Ponyville. "Were right above the town, aren't we?"

"Yes, you can see every landmark very easily from here." I took up a position next to the petite pony and began pointing things out. " That's the library, that's town hall, over there is Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy's house is out that way, right below us is Sugarcube Corner, that's"—

"Sugarcube Corner?" Aurora asked, looking frightened. "Did you just say Sugarcube Corner? Please tell me you didn't say Sugarcube Corner!"

Aurora was now wide eyed and jittery, looking all around as if to check for something. Something she appeared to deem threatening enough to panic her.

“Does she live here!?” Aurora turned her attention to me, shaking me by my shoulders. “Is that where she lives!?”

“Twilight! Fluttershy! You’re back!” A voice called out from the town below.

“Hide me! Don’t let her see me!” Aurora yelled, rushing to hide herself behind Fluttershy’s slender frame.

“Yea, who are you hiding from?” The voice from below said, this time standing next to me in the balloon.

“I’ll never understand how you do that Pinkie. Not in a million years will I understand it. How are you?” I asked the bright pink pony now in the balloon with us.

“I’m doing super-duper well now that my best-est friends are back safe and sound, silly! This calls for a celebration!” Pinkie Pie produced confetti, seemingly from nowhere as usual. “Who’s your friend? And why is she hiding behind Fluttershy?”

“OH MY GOSH! RORY!? IS THAT YOU!?” Pinkie Pie picked up Fluttershy and moved her to the side, exposing Aurora to the hyperactive party pony. “I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN A MILLION BAJILLION YEARS!”

Pinkie Pie ceased her loud yelling and pulled the terrified pony into her arms, almost crushing all of her bones in the most agonizingly strong hug ever recorded by pony kind. Pinkie beamed with happiness for some unknown reason, while Aurora convulsed in pain and tried to wriggle free. She did not succeed.

“H-Help… Me…” Aurora begged in staggered breaths, still being squeezed by Pinkie.

“Pinkie, you should probably let her go. You might just kill her at the rate you’re hugging her.” I said. “We need some information from her, and if she’s dead she isn’t very useful to us.”

I glared at Fluttershy, still irritated about the dreaded foliage I had heard so much about. I turned my attention back towards Pinkie Pie, ready for a round of questioning.

“How on earth do you know this pony, Pinkie? You don’t really seem the type to be friends with someone like her, if you don’t mind me saying so. How did this even happen?” I gestured towards the both of them.

“Nope, that’s okie doki loki! We actually met by accident about a year and a half ago when I went out to Manehattan to visit my sister! We bumped into each other and hit it off right then and there, like two cupcakes in a deserted forest!” Pinkie beamed, flashing her trademark smile towards me.

Ignoring Pinkie Pie’s strange euphemism, I looked at Aurora who seemed to put aside her fearful demeanor in favor of an irritated and defeated look. This was a look that I had seen on too many ponies before her to mistake. Aurora knew Pinkie Pie, and had a decent knowledge about her antics. At least enough to be afraid of interacting with her.

Can you honestly blame her?

“Bumping into one another implies that we met up under unplanned circumstances. You physically smashed into me!” Aurora argued, fuming at the bright pink pony. “I was knocked unconscious and you kidnapped me!”

“Not kidnapped silly! I just moved you somewhere you could rest! And besides, you ended up going where you wanted to be!” Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes with a smile. “If I hadn’t knocked you out, you might have never found Octavia! Ooh! We should throw a ‘Pinkie Pie is Right’ party! We can have balloons and cake and music and games… Oh, and streamers!”

“Ugh, we’re getting nowhere with this. Aurora, is Pinkie Pie your friend? Or is she your deranged kidnapper?” I asked, not sure which answer to expect.

She looked at Pinkie Pie with a bit of a guilty expression, back to me with the same look, and lowered her head, letting out a very large sigh.

“I suppose she’s my friend… though I have no idea why that’s the case.” Aurora said, giving in to the energetic pink pony.

“Oh Rory, I knew you couldn’t stay mad at me!” Pinkie pulled Aurora into another bone crushing hug, this time letting her go before any real damage could be done. “So, what did you guys find out in Cloudsdale? I bet Rainbow Dash is a secret agent! That’s it isn’t it? I KNEW IT!”

“No, that’s not it at all. We didn’t find anything at all, except Aurora here, and you know more about her than we do. We have to wait for Thundervolt and Rainbow Dash to get back before we can do anything else.” I said, wincing a bit when I realized I hadn’t shared that information with Aurora.

“Anything else you’d like to share before we touch down?” Aurora said, clearly agitated with me. “Is this town actually a band of cannibals waiting to swoop in and eat me?”

“No silly! Everypony here is really friendly, just like me!” Aurora’s eye twitched violently at Pinkie’s statement. “I’ll bet once he gets all his memory back Thundervolt will make a ton of new friends around here!”

“When he gets his WHAT back!?” Aurora turned towards me and unleashed her anger. “What in the world did you psychotic ponies DO to him!? Why are some of his memories missing? Why are ANY of his memories missing? Did you cut open his head!?”

“I-I, No! We didn’t, I mean he’s just…” I sank back into myself, unable to respond to the onslaught of questions. Before I could even think of what to do, Fluttershy of all ponies stepped in between us.

“We found him on the outskirts of town a few days ago. He was in a crater, badly wounded and unconscious.” Fluttershy stated calmly, subduing the angry neon green eyes bearing down on me. “When he woke up, he had no clue who he was, or what he was doing in Ponyville. Ever since then, we’ve been caring for him and trying to help him figure out who he is. That’s why we were in Cloudsdale. Our friend Rainbow Dash has the same problem, and we thought that both of their conditions were connected somehow. Then you showed up, and here we are.”

“So I’d appreciate if you could stop with the anger and show my friend a little more respect.” Fluttershy stated firmly, yet softly. “Please.”

Aurora held her ground, staring at Fluttershy. The creamy yellow pegasus stared right back at her however, not giving in an inch. Fluttershy was a very submissive pony by nature, but once she had learned how to be assertive, she was prone to occasional fits of emphatic behavior that still managed to surprise us. Aurora realized she wasn’t getting around her, and backed off.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get so angry. It’s just… I’ve been looking for Thundervolt for over a month now. We lost contact with one another, and I got worried. I get a bit… neurotic when it comes to his well-being, as he does for me.” Aurora’s eyes suddenly looked hurt and depressive. “Or used too, if what you say about him is true.”

“If I may cut in?” I spoke up, gaining the attention of everypony aboard the balloon. “We’ve already found a way to fix his problem. It’s what he and Rainbow Dash were working on while we were in Cloudsdale. They should be due back in a day or two, and we can hopefully solve everything. We can go over the specifics in the Library in a more comfortable setting.” I glanced over the edge of the basket. “Besides, I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”

A short distance away standing outside the library in anticipation of our landing was Applejack, Rarity, and the newly arrived Spike. My heart swelled upon seeing my #1 assistant again after so long. It had been too long, and with all the new distractions going on around Ponyville, some familiarity would do me some good.

Our balloon at last began its final descent into the field next to the library, ready for a landing long overdue. Applejack ran over and helped tie off the balloon while I secured the sandbags to the sides. After three days, two of which were spent in the air, we were finally home. I took my first step onto solid ground for the first time in days, and was sorely disappointed.

“Maybe you should ask Rainbow if’n you could move in with her. I’ll bet mah orchard she’d say yes tah that offer!” Applejack teased, eliciting a snicker from Fluttershy.

“Oh Twilight, you simply MUST let me design your wedding dress! I can see it now! I could sew you a beautiful gown, a simplistic yet elegant corset with a ruffled hem and veil to match. I could even add some constellations in pearl! Couldn’t you just die!” Rarity gushed, piggybacking on Applejacks unnecessary comment.

“I didn’t know you played for that team. I figured you for the straight-laced type.” Aurora said non-chalantly. “Though it does make some sense. I understand that many of the educated types are curious.”

“Twilight, what is everypony talking about? Did you finally come out of the library and tell everypony about… you know?” Spike added, deeply disturbing me.

“It’s Rainbow Dash, right? I can’t really see you with anypony else, no offense to any of you ladies.” Spike snapped his fingers towards the rest of the group.

“Of course that’s who it is. They’re perfect for each other!” Fluttershy said, happier than ever to confirm the correctness of my relationship.

“Awesome! Now I don’t have to watch Dash try to flirt with Twilight anymore. It was getting so bad, it was almost embarrassing.” Spike rolled his eyes, only to catch my gaze, which was now focused into a hardened anger that froze him solid. “But, you know it was sweet…and stuff. I’m gonna go finish unpacking, let me know if any of you ladies needs something!”

With a wisp of dust left in his wake, Spike had vanished. Though I hadn’t been too fond of the subject matter, I was glad to hear his voice. I turned my attention once again to the mares standing before me, who all seemed to be waiting on my words.

“So, is everypony done commenting on mine and Dash’s relationship? Wedding plans and living arrangements settled in your imaginations?” I said, everpony nodding in affirmation.

“Good. How about my sexuality? I’m sure somepony is just waiting to poke at that subject with a pointy stick. So how about it? I’m waiting.” No response. It seemed everypony had taken my hint and dropped the subj—

“My sister Octavia likes mares too!” Pinkie Pie broke the silence, happily inserting her own fact into the conversation.

“Wonderful! Let’s go inside before I do something I’ll regret!” I said with an enthusiastic smile. I led everypony inside, and closed the door.

*Knock Knock Knock*

“Oh what now!?” I turned around and flung open the door, only to be tackled to the floor. A kiss was planted on my cheek, and my heart fluttered. “I missed you.”

“You’re darn right you did, I’m amazing!” Rainbow Dash said, helping me off the floor. Did we make great time or what?”

“There you are! You almost lost me. Hey Twilight!” Thundervolt said, entering the library after Rainbow Dash. It looked as though he had been chasing after her. Not surprising in the least. “I hope we didn’t interrupt anything… Who’s that?”

I looked over to the other side of the room and saw Aurora looking directly at Thundervolt, refusing to avert her eyes. She looked dejected and upset, but nonetheless wore a genuine smile on her face.

Chapter 18: Reunion

“Thunderdolt?” Rainbow Dash said, barely holding back her laughter. “I am so using that!”

Rainbow Dash grumbled unhappily, eliciting a chuckle from Thundervolt, which in turn caused Rainbow Dash to punch him in the shoulder. The entire display made me smile, but now was not the time to mess around. I turned my attention back towards Aurora, who still wore a solemn, yet relieved look.

“I’m fairly certain I know the situation Twilight. Thank you though.” Aurora said flatly, sincerity evident in her voice. “If it’s alright though, I’d like to ask him a few questions.

Thundervolt looked towards the light pink pony and nodded his head, wordlessly agreeing to the interview.

“So you don’t remember anything, do you? About what you were doing? Where you were?” Aurora asked curiously.

“No… I didn’t even remember my name until I was knocked out. I was dreaming, and I heard a filly call me by it.” Thundervolt answered hesitantly. “It didn’t really make sense, but Twilight says it may have been remnants of some of my older memories.”

“Was there anything else to this dream? Anything particularly disturbing, or familiar?” Aurora asked, genuinely interested.

“Well, there was a booming voice. It sounded like a female voice, but it was just so powerful…” Thundervolt looked to be in awe from the memory. “I’ve never heard anything like it before…”

“You may just think you haven’t. What do you remember before your accident? Cases like this usually preserve snippets of memory just before the accident.” Aurora said with an air of professionalism. “Was there anything significant or recognizable that you can remember? Anything at all?”

“Like I told everpony else, all I remember from before the accident was a lot of overbearing stimuli. Bright light, screeching wind, and a really really hard fall. It was like I was launched away from something.” Thundervolt said speculatively.

“We found him in pretty bad shape. I didn’t think that he’d be alive, let alone recover the way he did.” I added. “Though I figured that one out quickly enough.”

“Ok, so you’re more informed than I thought. You know about his healing ability. I should also warn you about his overactive metabolism. He can put away his food really well.” Aurora said with a smile.
“I’ve seen that firsthand.” Fluttershy said shyly, causing Thundervolt to blush and rub his head, smiling sheepishly the whole time.

“Is nopony gonna ask how we did out in the forest? I mean, we were gone for a while, and you haven’t even asked if we got the stone!” Rainbow Dash yelled, sounding unappreciated.

“Rainbow Dash, did your amazing adventuring skills get us the focusing stone from the deep, dark depths of the Everfree Forest?” I said, sounding a bit patronizing. Dash didn’t notice.

“You’re darn right they did! It was a piece of cake!” Rainbow Dash continued to boast. “Oh, and Thundervolt helped too.”

“Now Dash, don’t be modest. I only carried the saddlebags and saved your life. Your contributions were much larger.” Thundervolt said sarcastically.

“Hey, I covered your flank multiple times! And I’m the one who got the stone out of the mountain with the grappling hook!” Rainbow Dash argued.

“Yea, and I used that same grappling hook to keep you from hitting the ground at terminal velocity!” Thundervolt argued back.

Hearing the dangers they faced on their journey made me shudder. I expected them to run into a few obstacles, but it sounded like everything that could have went wrong did. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. I was the one responsible for sending them out into the forest, and if anything had happened to them, I don’t know what I would have done.

Well, you sure wouldn’t have forgiven yourself. And if Rainbow Dash hadn’t come back, you would completely lose it. You’d be committed to the psych ward in the Canterlot Hospital for the Mentally Handicapped.

I looked over to Fluttershy, who shared my worry apparently. Her look was much more intense however, consisting of panicked horror. Her best friend and love interest went into the forest together. I couldn’t even begin to fathom what kind of loss that would have been.

“Aha! I just knew that my contribution to your little adventure would serve its purpose!” Rarity interjected, breaking Fluttershy and I out of our fearful stupor. “I can’t tell you how many times that little trinket has come in handy while on the go.”

“I reckon a lot, considerin’ how much ya talk ‘bout it. Maybe if’n ya got the time you could share some a’them tales with me.” Applejack said, sounding a bit annoyed.

“Oh Applejack, I already told you; A lady never loses her temper, and a lady never tells other ponies what they do with a grappling hook in their spare time.” Rarity said, laughing off her embarrassment, or guilt depending on how you perceived it.

Fluttershy and Applejack, apparently closer to Rarity than the rest of us, wore the same look of disapproval. I had no intention of asking, but I had a feeling that Rarity wasn’t going to hear the end of this anytime soon.
“I don’t mean to interrupt anything, but I assume you’ll want to take a look at this.” Thundervolt reached into his saddlebags, and pulled out a cloth. “Be careful, touching it causes temporary paralysis. I learned that the hard way.”

“That’s really odd. I didn’t read anything about that in my book. It’s only supposed to reflect and amplify magic, not paralyze anything.” I said, levitating the cloth in my direction. I unfurled the stone from its covers and looked it over. “I’ll have to make a note of that in the entry. Don’t want anypony else suffering the same side effect.”

“You sure did Dashie!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing into the conversation out of the blue. “No matter what happened, I’m just glad you’re both safe and sound and completely not dead! This calls for a celebra”—

“Pinkie! Not now! We really don’t have time for any more parties.” I said, disappointing the vibrant pink pony. “Once this is all over you can throw the biggest bash of the year, a fantastically amazing party, a”—

“Yes, even a super duper soirée.” I said, satisfying the party pony’s itch to have a good time. “For now though, we have to help our new friends.”

“And we both appreciate it, I’m sure.” Aurora said, shooting a sideways glance towards Thundervolt, who didn’t know how to react. “How do you want to proceed? You seem to be the one overseeing the memory reclamation.”

“Well, seeing as how the stone checks out, we can start at any time. I just want to make sure that Thundervolt and Rainbow Dash are prepared for it.” I turned my attention towards the two pegasi in question. “You guys ready?”

“Well alright then, let’s get this started. Everyone out of the lobby, let’s move this down to the lower section of the library.

I led everypony down the stairs into my makeshift study and got them situated. Aurora looked at her surroundings very carefully, much like Thundervolt did the first time he walked the library on his own four legs. She scanned the entire room as if to take a mental image, and then took her place next to the other ponies. Now, it was time to present.
“Ok everypony, this process won’t take ridiculously long, but we’re still in for a good wait. I’ve found a spell to amplify that will return all of your memories in the safest way possible. There were some other spells that just put the memories in your head, but considering the amount you would be recalling, that could seriously hinder your cognitive abilities in the future.” I said, setting up for my explanation.

“I’m glad you asked. The spell I found essentially boils down the most important memories, and lets the user relive them from an observational standpoint. Basically, Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt will be standing outside themselves, watching their lives unfold before them. Scenes will flash before their eyes, and lesser memories will slowly fill in as more essential memories are experienced.”

“Our lives will literally flash before our eyes? Isn’t that a little cliché?” Thundervolt criticized.

“Would you rather your head explode from a massive intake of new information?” I asked sarcastically, silencing the pegasus.

“Well then what are you waiting for? Let’s do this!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I don’t know about Thunderdolt here, but I wanna get this over with!”

“Agreed. The sooner I remember things, the sooner I can get some much needed perspective. I’m tired of being in the dark.” Thundervolt said seriously, a look of determination forming in his golden eyes.

“Well, if you two are so dead set on getting this done, I guess there’s no reason to wait. Before we get started though, I have to warn you. This spell is very intense, and some ponies have been known to experience sensory overload. Everything you see will feel real. You can see, smell, and hear, but you can’t touch anything. It may get confusing, so just remember that it isn’t really happening and you should be fine.” I explained seriously, warning the two anxious pegasus.

“We got it Twilight. We’ll see you on the other side!” Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically.

“I’ll see you again with my memory in tow.” Thundervolt stated, sending a smile towards Fluttershy.

“Alright then. Both of you stand over here.” I gestured towards the center of the room and both pegasi quickly took their places next to one another. “Here goes nothing…”

I levitated the stone in between myself and the two pegasi, and began charging the memory spell. The spell itself was a complex one, so it took all of my concentration to manifest it into my horn. Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt stood in anticipation, watched by all of our friends, waiting for my spell to engulf them.

The spell completed charging, and I focused it directly on the tip of my horn. I took careful aim at the focusing stone, making sure to align it perfectly between the two pegasi and my own magic. Satisfied with my preparation, I released my spell into the awaiting stone.

A beam of lavender light shot into the focusing stone, turning it a variety of colors. The stone brightened up considerably, shining like a small sun onto everything in the room. The vibrancy of the stone soon gave way to a dimmer light, accented by a low humming sound. A moment later, a beam of multi-colored light shot from the stone, into the two pegasi.

The beam of light gave off a powerful humming sound, and vibrated the room slightly. It slowly covered both Thundervolt and Rainbow Dash, encapsulating the two in a bright white dome where they fell out of sight. The dome settled slightly, becoming dim, and humming at a lower decibel measure, paralleling the stones behavior.

Everything in the room settled, and all that was left was to wait until all of their memories had been experienced properly. There would be some time to relax, get some food, and introduce Aurora to the group.

“So now we wait. They’ll be in there for a few hours, so I suggest we rest up and get something to eat. Anypony hungry?” I asked, hoping for a resounding yes as my stomach rumbled audibly.

“Ah believe yer stomach answered yer own question there Twi.” Applejack stated cheerfully. “I’m feelin’ a bit peckish mahself. I’m willin’ tah cook for everypony if that’s alright.”

“Well it sounds like our friend Aurora is in for a treat. She’s never had the privilege of tasting Applejack’s delicacies. Not even the refined tongues of Canterlot’s elite can resist her cooking.” Rarity said, making Applejack turn bright red and tip her hat in appreciation.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had any of your apple cinnamon fritters AJ, so why not? Spike? Would you mind helping Applejack out in the kitchen?” I asked.

“Of course not. That means I get to lick the bowl, right?” Spike asked Applejack.

“It right well does, Spike! I mean, what’s cookin’ without lickin’ the bowl?” Applejack said, bringing a smile to the purple dragons face.

“Oh boy! Your fritter batter is even better than topaz!” Spike said, licking his lips in anticipation. “I’ll go get everything set up!”

“I’d like to help too, if that’s alright with you of course.” Fluttershy said, clearly eager to put her culinary prowess to work as well.

“Of course, the more the merrier Granny Smith always says.” Applejack said reassuringly as she walked up the stairs. Fluttershy flew up after her, leaving me alone in the room with Rarity, Aurora, and Pinkie Pie.

Well that ensemble was short lived…

“I suppose that just leaves us.” Aurora said, looking at Rarity and I expectantly.

“I suppose it does. I say, Aurora, where ever did you get that lovely vest?” Rarity said, noticing the origin of the fabrics design. “I’ve only seen a few that looked so elegant, and they all came out of my dress shop. Who bestowed this gem upon you?”

“This vest was given to me as a gift of sorts. My line of work was very… hazardous. It protects me, and it’s even saved my life a few times. Are you the one who designed this fabric? I had heard that it was the work of a master seamstress worthy of any client in Equestria. I suppose that’s you.” Aurora said, bringing an amazingly wide grin to Rarity’s face.

“M-Master s-seamstress? I simply can’t believe that someone thinks of me as a master of my craft! That’s humbling to say the least! I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful compliment!” Rarity said, nearing hysterics.

“No thanks needed, without your work, I’d have been in much worse shape on many occasions.” Aurora said appreciatively. “You’re also known for your other designs I understand. It seems to me that you don’t know your own reputation. Considering the praise I hear for you, I’m surprised you don’t have shops all around. I’d love to have one of your designs. They’re much more original than the rags lining Canterlot’s shopping district.”

“I never took you for the fashion type, Aurora.” I said, skeptical about her opinions.

“You’ve known me for the better part of forty-eight hours. You’ll find that underneath this hardened exterior lies a mare who knows fashion. I don’t do any designing myself, but I like to look good.” Aurora said, sporting a confident, yet flirty look to illustrate her point.

“And look good you shall! I have the perfect design in mind for your color scheme. It will accent your mane and bring out your already fabulous eyes! You simply must let me work with you!” Rarity said, sizing up Aurora’s petite figure.

“Let you? I’d be honored to have an original design by Rarity! How much are you charging?”

“Oh, have fun with that question.” I said, aware of what Rarity’s next statement would be.

“Darling, no! I can’t charge you for the privilege of designing for you! You simply must take it, free of charge! I won’t take no for an answer!” Rarity said, imparting her usual generosity on the light pink pony.

“It really is true what they say. The most generous unicorn this side of Fillydelphia. Well, if you won’t take bits then I’ll just have to find some other way to pay you back. I’m the last pony to forget a debt, whether it’s mine or not.” Aurora looked happy as she warmed up to yet another of my friends.

“I’m glad to see you’re getting along with my friends, Aurora. You really are quite the socialite.” I said, verbalizing my thoughts.
“Well, your friends seem to be very interesting ponies.” Aurora said, smiling at Rarity. “It also helps when they don’t try to read your mind without permission.”

“Twilight, what did I tell you about that? Though it may serve as a means to an end, mind reading is an invasion of a pony’s privacy, and isn’t just rude, it’s wrong.” Rarity lectured. “Honestly, I don’t know how many times I’ve had to reprimand you and the others for behavioral problems like this that could have been fixed with a little attention to detail.”

“Sounds like I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the most sensible pony in this town. Rarity, I do believe you and I will become good friends if you’d allow it.” Aurora said, wearing a genuine smile. "Between you and Octavia, I'll be able to have refined conversation wherever I go.

“Of course dear, it would be a pleasure to have a pony around that can stimulate my refined personality and carry herself with such class. I look forward to many spa days with you and Fluttershy in the future.” Rarity said, sealing the deal of her new friendship. “So Twilight, what do you think is happening in there? Are Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt regaining any of their memory?”

“It’s hard to say exactly what’s going on in there, but if I were to make an educated guess? I’d say the majority of their childhood should have passed by now. Depending on what was forgotten, they may be in there a long time. We can only wait and see.” I said looking at the white dome as it pulsated with a dim light.

The humming sound originating from the shell filled the room, replacing the once active conversation with an enigmatic aura, and leaving us all concerned for the fate of the two pegasi.

And so ends Part III of Falling from the Sky. I hope you all enjoyed our characters little adventures! Now it’s time for Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt to uncover their mysterious pasts! Thanks for reading!

Falling from the Sky

by RD-loves-RA

Part III