//------------------------------// // The Flip Side // Story: Population: One // by Trials //------------------------------// *************************************************************************** Population: One By Trials Proofread by Fluttrick Special thanks to Alondro and Amit *************************************************************************** Chapter 4: The Flip Side *************************************************************************** “Shining! Look at how many sweets I have!” said Twilight Sparkle, a smile spreading from ear to ear. “Hey, that is quite a lot,” the older brother admitted, “it'd be a shame if someone... took all that.” Shining Armour suddenly plunged his hoof into Twilight's bag, taking some of her well-earnt candy. With a sinister grin, he began sprinting away into the darkness of the night. “Mum! Dad! Shining took my candy again,” Twilight whined, pouting one of her famous pouts. “Shining Armour, you know what happens to ponies who steal sweets,” her dad began, unnervingly quiet. “Nightmare Moon comes and... gets you!” In an instant, Twilight's brother had returned with her candy in hoof. He patted her gently on the head before placing the confectionery back in her bag with a nervous smile. “There you go, little sister, good as new! Nothing to worry about!” She giggled at the sight of him watching out for Nightmare Moon with desperate eyes, his pride gone in mere seconds. Nightmare Night had always been one of Twilight's favourite nights. The costumes, the candy and even the cold made the night so unique and special. She was able to disguise as whoever she wanted to be, and nobody would know that it was her. As it happened, she wanted to be a vampire this Nightmare Night. Cloaked with a black cape, and face-painted in white, she was a true vampire. A small trickle of red paint fell from the corner of her mouth, and when she smiled, a set of sharp, plastic teeth were revealed. “The night's still young, Twilight. Plenty more trick-or-treating to do, no?” Twilight's mum said. The small filly nodded violently, as if the intensity of her nodding would exaggerate her point. “Go on, then!” her mother said, pointing her hoof to the next house. With another eager smile, she looked at where her mother was specifying, only to find Ol' McGregor's house. Twilight gulped. Not Ol' McGregor's house... He had always been a boring, old fart ever since they'd moved into the street. Twilight remembered last year, when the old colt shouted at her to leave him alone. The young unicorn turned to face her mother in an attempt to protest, but... it was almost like she was forcing her. Twilight couldn't stop her stopping her. “Go on!” she said with a raised voice, “isn't this what you wanted?” When Twilight shook her head, her mother simply rolled her eyes before leading her up to Ol' McGregor's, hoof in hoof. She pressed the doorbell with the tip of her hoof, only to walk back down the path again. Twilight tried to call her back, but she couldn't feel the words leave her mouth. She was on her own — not even her brother accompanied her in trick-or-treating. Odd. He would never miss a chance to snag some candy. Twilight stood on the doorstep. She could hear the hoofsteps of the old grump approaching, but there was also something else; it was the almost soundless pitter-patter of smaller feet. The sounds of the locks being undone jumped her, and she could even hear the gruff groan of the colt. Twilight looked back to her parents, but couldn't find them. All she could see was the path she was on — the entire neighbourhood had disappeared. Darkness surrounded her, and fear instantly kicked in. Twilight was no longer a filly. She looked down on herself with wonder, only then realising that the memory had changed, and that it had been, in actual fact, a memory. Where were her parents? Why would they just leave her like this? The door opened. Twilight turned to face two salivating dogs, who both growled and hissed at her. Hunger filled their eyes, and cold fueled their limbs. Ol' McGregor appeared behind them with what looked to be the first smile she'd ever seen him plaster on his wrinkled face. A cackle escaped his lips, and Twilight felt a sharp, sudden pain spread across her. Every bone in Twilight's body ached and screamed at her, willing her to stop and rest. Just as she was about to drop off into sleep, she saw the purple bubble slowly dissipate. The entire horde of lurkers began advancing on her, sensing the prey to be on its last legs. They were willing to play with their prey, though, much like a cat with a mouse. One even licked its lips in preparation. They didn't try to vocally bombard Twilight — there was no point when she was already defenceless. She had to commend them for their efficiency; the lurkers knew when not to go all out, unlike herself. As one last act of defiance, she put her last energy into a final protection spell. It cut off the main bulk of the lurkers, but still trapped four... no, five in with her. Still enough to finish her. Twilight sat up with a gasp. The lurkers didn't even bother toying with her, anymore. They were going to eat her, use her body as energy, then kill more creatures with her fueling them, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. One had managed to dig its sharp teeth into her left hoof, but she didn't care. At this point in time, she couldn't even feel the new pain through the clouds of pain already floating around in her body. As the scent of blood tempted the noses of the surrounding lurkers, they began circling ever closer. “Come on, then,” she said weakly, staring into the first attacker's eyes, “finish what you started.” From its blank expression, Twilight knew that it didn't understand. Before long, a warm sensation began dripping down her hoof. “What are you doing?” Twilight said. She eyed the group without emotion, though silently wishing they would just hurry up. A strong kick to the temple stopped her staring. The darkness faded in once more, taking her back into the nightmare she'd just escaped. Wherever she went, either into reality or into her mind, there was a nightmare, and there was no waking up from either. Almost instantaneously, the dogs were on her. She was pinned to the cold pavement below her. The dogs barked, scratched and bit at Twilight, using their sharp canines to rip into the defenceless pony. She held her hooves in front of her face instinctively, attempting to seek a form of defence. It meant nothing to her attackers, who only mauled at her extended limbs. The dogs were barking and tearing into Sparkle. She cried at them to stop, and at Ol' McGregor to call them off, but neither replied. The reality had become twisted and malformed, changing from a sweet, childhood memory to nothing other than violence. A voice called out in the distance. It was too vague and obscure to hear the exact words, but the volume could easily be recognised. As Twilight looked into the direction of the voice, she saw the light. It wasn't like an ordinary light, as it almost blinded her in its brilliance. The dogs atop her began to cower away, whimpering at the sight, or the lack thereof. Relief filled Twilight like warmth, and she calmed down instantly. Though the pain stayed, she knew she was safe. The light called her, beckoned her, almost forcing her to do... something. “I don't understand!” she cried out, “what are you saying?” A face emerged from the light. “Wake up,” it said, “time to wake up.” Twilight groggily opened her eyes to find a lurker fighting its fellow pals. Nothing out of the ordinary — food was a scarce commodity for them, so any scrap would be fought over. She watched it as it challenged every one of its competitors. No sharing in this world, it seemed, and certainly no rest for the wicked. The fighting lurker looked strange, though, as if not used to the power it controlled. At times, it would windmill its limbs to attack, or even use more trained techniques than just simply slashing with claws. An occasional kick would surprise a lurker, and a hoof to the throat would temporarily stun them. Perhaps a new lurker? Twilight wasn't exactly sure of how one became a lurker, so maybe the process was still ongoing. Twilight suppressed a giggle. It was funny thinking about it — they were fighting over the right to eat her. Only the worthy may do so, and the weaklings are crushed underhoof. Sounded quite like reality, really. Twilight was overjoyed to see the lurker, who had previously sank its teeth into her flesh, fall unconscious to the ground, however, and the continuing battle somehow amused her in a twisted way. Eventually, the defending group began working as a team. As one would fight the attacking lurker head-on, another would sneak behind to attack. The flanking attempt worked the first time, injuring the lurker with a chomp to the leg, but the second lurker to try was not so lucky. A sneaky feint by the domineering lurker lead it to believe otherwise, but it was quickly corrected by a hoof to the face. Twilight watched it fall, its snake-like tongue lolling to the side of its mouth. Amusingly, it fell on top of the first victim, much to the discomfort of the lurker. “Two down, two to go,” Twilight commented meekly. She had bets on this attacking lurker. Hell, now that she was here waiting, she may as well come up with a name for it. With little thought or negotiation, she said the first name that came into her head. “Yorke!” she exclaimed loudly, “that's your name!” The lurker looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, but was quickly reminded of the situation by a bite to the leg. “Sorry,” Twilight apologised, “my bad.” Wow. She was even feeling sorry for lurkers about to devour her. That was impressive. That's what happens when you get so desperately lonely. At least this one deserved it. One of the defending lurkers managed to wrap a foreleg around Yorke's neck. It held it with such strength and severity, that Twilight could see the veins bulge in the throat. Yorke was slowly suffocating, and the addition of the other lurker kicking him in the chest didn't prove helpful. It didn't look good for the lurker that had previously done so well. Just as Twilight could see the final rise from his chest, the lurker choking Yorke sailed over his head. The other lurker unknowingly booted its ally square-on in the face. While its leg was in motion, Yorke ducked and brought a hoof to its groin. Both lurkers lay in a groaning heap of tangled limbs; a sight for sore eyes. Twilight would've laughed, and laughed hard, were it not for the winner to stare down at her. He licked his lips, and began circling around her. She could take on one lurker, even in her injured state, but she would have to bide her time — wait for the perfect moment to strike. Twilight lifted a hoof off the ground, using the others to support her weight. She now had a weapon ready, and as Yorke got closer and closer, her instincts kicked in. Twilight made a sweep for Yorke's legs, bringing them crashing to the ground. Once the rest of the lurker had joined them, Twilight leaped on top of it. She reached for a nearby rock with her other, weak hoof, and— “This, again!?” the voice beneath her yelled. “Wasn't my rescue attempt evidence enough?” A familiar, green light shone below Twilight, almost blinding her by the surprise. The form changed completely, and Effingo lay beneath her for the second time that week. Effingo. Again. If only Twilight was stronger, the hug she gave would've seemed more authentic than the actual slump the changeling received. “Effingo!” Twilight cried weakly, “I thought I'd never see you again!” “It's only been four days, Twi,” Effingo said with a wry grin, “and you know I prefer 'Eff'.” “Oh, sure. Eff. Eff for efficiency. Eff...iciency. Eff, ha!” “Twilight... you don't sound so good. You okay?” Eff asked, her voice unsure. “Just dandy!” Twilight replied with a smile. “I think I may have lost quite a lot of blood, though...” Twilight could barely see the changeling lean over her body. It was hard to focus, even hard to see past... well, everything. Everything was unfocused, and every colour seemed duller than usual. Not quite black and white, but definitely duller. Twilight looked over to where Effingo was looking, instantly noticing the large patch of pinkish liquid. “Hey, that's quite a lot, right?” “Yep,” Eff replied coolly. “Twi, you got anything I can cover that up with?” “I think I've got some... in the...” The darkness took Twilight again. And again. Once more. It was a flashing image of both her dream and reality, like a flip of a coin. One second she was basking in the light, listening to that beautiful, beckoning voice in her dream, and the next, she was staring up into Effingo's turquoise eyes. It became too much. Too fast. Twilight tried to shut her eyes, but it didn't help in the slightest. Voices were on both sides now — both sides of the coin. One side became louder than the other, almost like a side was more weighted than the other. Reality grew in length until the dream was nothing more than a quick, occasional flash. One of the voices disappeared completely, if only for a mere second, but the other sounded loudly. “Twilight! You still there? Where were those bandages?” “In the...” Twilight began before bowing her head in laughter. “Heehee! You know what's funny, Eff-For-Efficiency? I wanted someone to talk! Someone, somebody, anybody! You know—” “Twilight, this isn't the time—” “Oh, but we've got all the time in the world, Eff-For-Efficiency! The world's gone to damned manure, and you're worrying about time? You need to get out some more, Eff. I wanted someone to sing, Eff-For-Efficieny! Like you did! You talked to me for the first time in... ah, who cares? The thing is, they did talk to me! All of them. The lurkers. Too much, I think, but still. Driven me a bit... craaazy! That's what's so funny, though, I wanted someone to talk! And they did!” “Ha, yes, that's very funny, Twi,” Eff said, the sense of urgency growing stronger in her voice, “now, where are those bandages?” “Bandages?” Twilight asked genuinely, tilting her head. “Why, are you injured?” There was a sigh, and then the sound of ripping. Twilight looked down to see her precious coat being attacked by sharp teeth. “Hey! That was really expensive, but you can—” The first clump of material went straight into Twilight's mouth. She tried to pull it out, but stronger hooves pinned her down. “This is for your own good, Twi,” Eff said before silently adding on: “and for mine”. Twilight couldn't move, but she could see exactly what was going on. Twilight could see the pieces of her beloved coat being pressed against her wounds before being tied at the ends. Someone turned the metaphorical 'pain' switch back on, and then broke the handle. She screamed through the muffle until saliva dripped down her chin, but it fell upon deaf ears. Effingo was simply too busy trying to save her life to care about the consequences. It didn't take very long, but she could feel every pain-filled second. After the hooves released her, Twilight began aimlessly batting at her saviour. “How dare you... why did...” she began, her movements becoming slower until they came to a full stop. Her extended hooves lolled uselessly in the air, and her eyes slowly shut. The last thing she saw before the darkness took her for the final time, was a changeling kicking several, unconscious lurkers out of her light dome. “Twilight, wake up. Time to wake up.” Twilight woke with gasp. Effingo stood above her, offering a hoof. She took it in her own, picking herself up from the floor. Her eyesight was blurred, but not as badly as before. With a glance around, she saw the inside of Sugarcube Corner, which looked as dusty and decayed as her own library. Cobwebs littered the ceiling, and the smell of mould hung in the air. It wasn't exactly in the pristine state she last saw it in, what, with all the cakes, decorations and, of course, Pinkie Pie. Then again, she hadn't seen any of those for Goddess knows how long. She took a tentative step towards the counter, but yelled in surprise. Effingo caught her again, before placing her firmly against a table. Oh, the pain was definitely still there. Her chest and hoof were fully covered up with material, but blotches of crimson painted them. “Heh,” Twilight began, “I guess I was pretty injured.” “You don't say,” Effingo quipped, raising an eyebrow. “Um, sorry about... all of that, but thanks for saving me,” Twilight said. “No problem. You've only been out for an hour or so,” Effingo said. “On the plus side, your coat looks much cooler, now.” Twilight looked down, and it had to be admitted: her coat did look pretty darn cool. It had tears and rips at the end, all of different lengths, which gave her that image of... ruggedness. “I'd pay for it if I could, but I thought saving your flank was more worthwhile,” Eff said with a sad smile. “It's fine,” Twilight consoled, “just a random coat I found, anyway.” Twilight had a good look at the changeling, who only had a better look back. She was, more or less, in the same condition Twilight had last seen her, but there were a couple of obvious battle scars. A large patch of her coat was tied around a part of her thin, insect wing, and several, smaller pieces were wrapped around her left ear. She must've taken some scratches in that fight she had, as the colour of crimson seeped through the material, much like Twilight's own bandages. A brief glance upwards found Effingo staring back just as deeply as Twilight. She made a polite laugh. “So, why did you come back, Eff?” “I was just running with the group, and I saw you in trouble. Those voices had you down, and I couldn't just watch you go like that,” Effingo admitted. “You heard them, too?” “Of course; I was right beside them when they started. Did my head in, I can tell you that,” Effingo said, looking outside the window. “I think they're still going on with it, but your little bubble dulls it down a bit.” Twilight tried listening to the hushed masses outside. “Traitor. Deceiver. Imposter,” the lurkers chanted, “Backstabber. Deserter. Betrayer. You sit on a throne of lies. Traitor. Deceiver. Impo—” “Shut up!” Effingo cried out the window, “or so help me...” “What's that about?” “I don't know, do I?” the changeling exclaimed with a wave of her hoof, “probably on about me betraying them.” “Probably,” Twilight confirmed. “You were saying?” “Well, I saw you were in trouble, and I came to save you. That's it.” “Without you, Eff, I would've been a goner for sure. Seriously, thanks.” “Anytime,” Effingo said with a grin. “Anyway, want to hear about what I learnt?" Twilight nodded vigorously. It had been a fair few days since Twilight had heard some news, and even then, it hadn't been good news.“You know that device I told you about? That turned everyone into those... 'lurkers', as you call them?” “Vaguely,” Twilight admitted, stroking her chin, “something about a queen using it?” “Yep, that's it,” Eff said, “well, I found it.” “Really!?” Twilight asked, her mouth hanging wide open. “Did you find anyone in there? The queen? Survivors?” “Whoa, hold on there, pony,” Effingo said with a laugh. “I know where it is, and I know what it is, but there was no one there but me.” Effingo pulled out a chair from the table beneath, as if readying herself for a great tale. Twilight tried to do the same, but her chest didn't allow her. With a small pout, she sat rather sadly on the table. “Have you heard of this guy called 'Discord'?” “You mean the Element of Chaos? He had something to do with this? What kind of sick, twisted joke has he—” “Seriously, slow down there, Twilight. It wasn't so much him as it was his followers. I assume you know of what happened with him and the Princesses of the Sun and Moon ages ago?” “Yup. They had a fight, and he was turned into stone,” Twilight said with a smug grin. “Right. Well, his followers weren't so happy about that. I say 'followers', but it was more of a cult, here. I'm not talking about a bunch of fanmares — this was a cult of devoted ponies; a group that practised his ways of chaos and jeopardy on those unfortunate enough. They decided to continue his reign of chaos, but the trouble was: none of them held a candle to the power Discord had. Sure, they could cause a bit of mishap, perhaps steal an old mare's purse now and then, but they couldn't launch any massive chaos attacks.” “So, they created this device. The basic function was to send chaos over a large area, just because none of them could match the power of Discord. No one really knows how the device came into being, because the entire thing was shrouded in mystery for—” “How did you find it, then?” Twilight asked. “The only reason I found it was pure luck. I followed this bunch outside, and they seemed to take orders from the device. Let me explain the whole thing, and then you can ask questions, okay?” Twilight nodded, though she completely disagreed. She wanted her questions answered, and she wanted them answered, now! Though glaring at Effingo did nothing for her case, she thought it would satisfy her questions for the time being. “Pretty much, the device is an amplifier. It takes magic from unicorn horns through a hole, and makes it more powerful, distributing it in quite a large radius. When the cult used their own magic to send waves upon waves of pure chaos into the land, most, if not, everyone caught wind of the goings-on. It wasn't long before the cult was apprehended and the device was blocked off from the public. Such a powerful device couldn't be destroyed easily, so there it stood, and there it still stands. After it was sealed away, peace took over the land once more, and blah, blah, blah.” “That's it?” Twilight asked, “but how does that have anything to do with the lurkers?” “Oh, you thought it ended there? No way. So, this device stayed under wraps for ages, and, of course, only few knew of its existence. Time went by, wars were fought and lost, races extinguished and expanded, but time carried on normally. Then, ninety-four days ago, one of those few happened to come across the device once more. She also happened to have a special horn, the likes of which even scare me. It turned the device from a machine of simple chaos to a machine of pure evil.” “Whose horn was it, Eff?” Twilight asked, “it's not like horns randomly fall off of unicorns...” And then, the answer hit her. This was no ordinary, run-of-the-mill horn. This was the very same she had come into contact before. She had seen the power it contained first-hoof, which was an experience she would never soon forget. Even the days of loneliness hadn't made her forget, but had actually reinforced the memory through the similarities they shared. “You can't guess?” Effingo said, raising an eyebrow. “It was the horn of King Sombra.” “King Sombra!? But I thought he disappeared!” Twilight said, her voice alarmed. “He did, but his horn didn't,” Effingo explained, “it doesn't mean anything, now. I know how to beat him, Twilight, but I need your help.” “What can I do? I can't even fend for myself, anymore! Look at me — I'm weak, battered—” “Again, it doesn't mean anything,” Effingo interrupted. “I've seen your magic, I've seen your spells, Twilight, and I know what you can do. To use the device, you have to have a certain level of magic, and your abilities are far better than my own. I'm not able to do it myself, and you're the only sane being I've seen for ages. Please, Twilight, only you can do this.” “Ah. So, that's why you came back for me,” Twilight mused. When the changeling didn't instantly respond, Twilight's shoulders slumped. Effingo opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She watched the floor of Sugarcube Corner, rubbing one hoof on another. The unicorn knew she was right. Of course. No ulterior motive? My plot, Twilight thought. Sure, it was all for a good cause, but the changeling wouldn't go out of her way just to save Twilight. Hell, at this point in time, even Twilight wouldn't save Twilight. “Are you with me, or not?” the changeling said plainly, looking as far away as she possibly could. “Fine.” “I'll give you some time to rest, and then we'll be off. You'll need all the strength you can get.” And with that, Eff walked off. Where to, exactly, it didn't matter. She was gone. Punctual. Efficient. Eff-for-efficiency, nothing more, nothing less. Conversation time was over, the point of the meeting had been conveyed successfully, so she was gone. Twilight sighed deeply before gazing around the room. Sugarcube Corner was more worse for wear than Twilight was. She could remember it in its glory days, attracting all kinds of customers from all kinds of places. It had been renowned for its glorious ranges of confectionery, but the only kind of customers were lurkers, nowadays. It used to smell of such sweet, delicious treats, but only the smell of dampness and grime resided in the air. As soon as Twilight would've walked through the door, Pinkie Pie would've come bounding down the stairs, perhaps with a new flavour of cupcakes or a picnic they could share, but even the party pony wasn't there. In short, Sugarcube Corner had just simply become: 'The Corner'. Twilight wondered what had happened to the Cake Family. They were the ones who had lived there previously, but they obviously weren't, anymore. Mr and Mrs Cake would've been waiting by the dusty, old till over there, waiting for the bell of the door to ring, or perhaps the bellowing and screaming of the Baby Cakes... The Baby Cakes? What had happened to them? Twilight knew they were fairly resistant, but lurkers were far more dangerous than the average foe babies had to face. For all she knew, they could be still normal. After ninety-odd days, though... It didn't matter. She couldn't change their fate, anyway. Whatever happened, she couldn't fix it. Effingo was right. Twilight would need a lot of strength to keep moving. She found a dryish corner — at least dryer than the other corners — and fell to the tiles. Her hooves would just have to do for pillows, and her coat would have to do for a blanket. It was more of just a lie-down than a rest, but it'd have to do. Though the pain didn't help, she eventually found her eyes closing. Her body was shutting down, and all she had to do was sit there. “Twilight, it's been an hour. The lurkers outside are getting agitated. Time to go.” The unicorn woke with a gasp. There'd been no dreams for that sleep, and it had felt as if she'd only sat down to rest a minute ago. Only an hour? What kind of irresponsible creature would sleep for that amount of time? It was a scandal, but Twilight didn't feel like complaining. “You know where you're going?” Twilight asked, rubbing her eyes softly. “Of course. Been there before, but the real trouble is getting out of Ponyville,” Eff said. “There are a couple of ways getting out, but there are far more ways of getting eaten.” “Well, I'd prefer not getting eaten,” Twilight joked. “As would I, but it's still a possibility.” Eff said, unflinching. She clearly had no emotions. “Have anything in mind?” “Sure do.” “Effingo, I'm really not sure about this.” “It's worth a shot, isn't it? Better than trying to sit this out.” “I suppose so,” Twilight said, lying on Effingo's back, “but even I could've come up with a better plan.” “Look, just shut up, play dead, and everything will go smoothly. If you cock this up, my neck's on the line, too,” Effingo said sharply before adding: “and if you get me killed, I'm going to kill you”. Twilight sighed. She knew there was no point in arguing, and delaying action any further would reduce their progress to a snail's pace. Even so, she didn't feel totally happy walking past an entire horde of lurkers whilst playing dead. Of course, Effingo could make it work with her disguise. “All right, Twilight, whenever you're ready,” Eff said, turning around to face her. Twilight nodded, and used her teleportation spell. Effingo and Twilight both knew that a teleportation spell was limited in terms of the amount of distance they could travel, but neither of them suspected exactly how limited. They materialised on the flank of the horde massing on Sugarcube Corner. As they had planned, Twilight cancelled her protection spell around the shop, and resumed her best dead pose. The lurkers charged at Sugarcube Corner, all of them snarling and licking their lips. Twilight could hear their screams and cries as they attacked, but she didn't dare open her eyes to watch. One mistake, and the lurkers would be on them in an instant. Twilight couldn't see a thing. Various, unpleasant smells got through her nostrils, but not being able to see the lurkers whilst being right next to them phased her. She liked to know where they were, but that was impossible here. Twilight heard the sound of sniffing, and her body instantly tensed up. She wanted to go back to Sugarcube Corner; she wanted to tell Effingo to turn around. She could either survive, make it to this device and save the world, or die. Twilight needed to be brave, not only for the sake of herself and Effingo, but for the sake of all living creatures in Equestria. Celestia give her strength. Her back was hurting. Being sprawled out across Effingo was hardly comfortable, but it was much better than just walking on her own hooves. They still hurt from her last encounter. How long did she have to wait? Surely, they would be out of Ponyville by now. Twilight could feel her limbs going dead, and the continuous jogging of Effingo's movement didn't offer any comfort. She had always hated pins and needles. C'mon, Effingo, Twilight thought, her mind racing to distract the pain rising in her body. She didn't know what was worse; it was either the prolonging sense of fear or the prolonging sense of pain. Twilight knew of the pain the lurkers could cause, and the presence of such a threat sent shivers down her spine, but she was also beginning to lose sense to her hooves. The unicorn tried to adjust herself to a more comfortable position, but a warning bump from Effingo stopped her. She had to play dead, but she feared that that would be the least of her worries soon. Twilight heard a sudden growling. They were probably far away from the massive horde, but the growl sounded a little closer to home than she would've liked. It was getting closer and closer, growing in volume and ferocity. It sounded very much like a dog, and a very close dog at that. She wanted to talk to Effingo, to ask her what to do, but there was no way. If she talked, she would give it away immediately. She could feel the warmth of the lurker's breath on her back. It could smell her. It could sense her. Her fur stood on end, as it got closer until it finally— Thwack. Twilight opened an eye, just in time to see the lurker fall to the ground, unconscious. Effingo had obviously noticed the poor thing, otherwise it wouldn't have a hoof-shaped mark on its face. Twilight could've kissed her. Even though they were far away from the library, Twilight stayed in position until she was told otherwise — Effingo could obviously handle herself. After what seemed like an eternity, the hooves beneath Twilight's own came to a stop. She could feel Effingo stoop down. “Twilight,” the changeling said, “I think we're outta dodge, now.” “Were it so easy,” Twilight muttered. She took the message as a cue to get off. With a grunt, Twilight made contact with the cold ground, and after a few shakes of her legs, she felt the blood return to them. “I've always hated pins and needles,” she explained to Effingo, who looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Twilight hoped to inspire any other response than just 'whatever', perhaps elicit a joke or two, but her plans ultimately failed when the changeling did the exact thing. “Whatever,” Eff said, shrugging in dismissal. “Look, the device isn't far from here. I'm quite surprised you ponies didn't find it yourselves, what, with it being so close and all.” “Well, we never really go into Everfree Forest,” Twilight said. “I don't know who said not to, but...” The realisation hit Twilight like a train. “Yeah, you just think about that,” Effingo said, raising an eyebrow. “C'mon, let's get started.” When Effingo said that the device wasn't far from here, Twilight believed she was telling the truth. Maybe it was just the different interpretations of the distance, but the walk was much further than she first thought. Her legs were tired, her hooves were tired, hell, she was even tired of being tired. It was a tiring effort being tired of being tired, but it was only Twilight's burden to carry. Effingo, as it seemed, was effortlessly strolling through the forest. They both knew that the forests would have less lurkers, as towns and cities were more populated. Why did Twilight stay in Ponyville? Well, she was a creature of habit. Eventually, just before the unicorn's legs gave out, Effingo held up a hoof. Twilight assumed she meant for her to stop, because when she carried on for a couple of steps, the changeling turned on her with eyes that could stop a cockatrice cold. “Sorry,” Twilight mumbled, though secretly and silently laughing under her breath. Eff was certainly a survivor, but not so much a comedian. “Right, the device is up ahead,” Effingo whispered, “a couple of things you should know: the horn is Sombra's, who has this crazy ability to make your worst nightmare reality. What you should do—” “Eff, I've already been attacked by Sombra,” Twilight said with a wry smile, “I know what I'm doing.” “Right,” Effingo confirmed, “well, uh... care to share?” “What was that?” Twilight asked, a hint of teasing on her voice. “You don't know what to do?” “Um, no, not really.” “So, why did you try to tell me what to do?” “Makes me sound like I know what I'm doing.” “That's doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.” “No, I suppose not.” A silence fell between the two. Twilight didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. She had been following someone that actually had no clue of what to do. On the other hoof, she'd been doing a darn good job at it. The changeling had kept Twilight alive multiple times, and she always seemed so resourceful. Aside from now, of course, where Effingo simply looked like a filly admitting to several, covert cookie jar raids. She grinned at Twilight nervously, hopping from hoof to hoof. “The best thing, really,” Twilight began, “is to just remember that it's only an illusion. Sombra's putting on a show for you, and you're only watching it. Just try to remember that it's all a dream, and you'll come right out of it.” “Just like a nightmare?” “Just like a nightmare,” Twilight confirmed. "But I don't like nightmares." "Surely, that's the point of nightmares?" "Even so, I don't like 'em." "You don't have to like them," Twilight said, "that's why they're nightmares." “Whatever,” Eff said, shrugging in dismissal, "let's just go save the world already."