“I feel absolutely wretched for the way I treated you,” Rarity said, serving tea.
“Oh, it’s all right, no harm done,” Fluttershy cooed, glad to see Rarity as her old self.
“Especially you, Fluttershy. As a lady, even in duress, my behavior was deplorable.”
“Aw, you were just feelin’ the sweat. We all went through it before we remembered who we were,” Applejack noted, glancing into the teacup with suspicion.
“I didn’t,” Rainbow said, draining her drink in one gulp.
Applejack and Rarity shared a look while Fluttershy hid behind her a sip of her tea.
Rarity beamed, pleased to be in mutual company. Out of the side of her eye, she saw the last of their group was still off to the side. “Is Miss Amaryllis, all right?”
Rainbow Dash turned over her shoulder to where Twilight Sparkle was still quiet and focused, sitting on a couch that faced away from the other girls. She’d been sitting that way since the minor light show that marked Rarity’s transformation to her usual chromatic self.
“Yo! Aurora! You good?”
Aurora blinked in response.
Rainbow turned around. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. She’s probably coming up with a reason your mane’s all purple now.”
“I will miss the black though,” Rarity noted, flipping her curls. “Such a good look for this body- very chic. Still! I know my colors and my royal purples are best on me.”
Aurora rose, and all the temporary humans looked up at her. She turned mechanically and stared beyond them.
“I have decided...” Aurora said in clipped tones. “I am unwell and possibly a sleeper agent in a nefarious scheme. I will take my leave of you now.”
She bowed like a wind-up doll. She only made two steps toward the door before Applejack and Rainbow Dash bodily seized her.
“Let go! Let go, let go, let go!!” Aurora screeched.
“Oh dear,” Rarity said as the three wrestled. “I do wish I had access to my horn. I could have been able to reproduce Twilight’s memory spell.”
Fluttershy cringed as Applejack managed to get Aurora on the floor and straddled her stomach. The contest was over quickly thanks to the larger girl’s superior muscle and heft.
“Now just calm down Sugarcube,” Applejack said, snatching a flailing arm.
“I will not calm down!” Aurora hissed. “And I’m not a sugarcube! Or a pony! Or a- a- Twilicious Snarkle!”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Rainbow corrected.
“Don’t say the name!” Aurora said and Rarity was convinced on the spot that this girl had to be Twilight. The sharp twitch at her eye, the way her hair was splaying out- Rarity had caught Twilight at her worst before, and this was definitely a fair human representation.
Still jerking about beneath Applejack, Aurora spat between clenched teeth: “Saying the name makes my heart sing and my heart shouldn’t be singing!”
The girls all shared a look.
Rarity cocked her hip and sighed, arms folding in thought. “If only Pinkie Pie were here...”
“What makes you-unf- say that? Sit still!” Applejack ordered. Rainbow slid atop Aurora’s legs to lock her down further.
“Well, last time Twilight was this worked up, I remember that Pinkie had a... Well a way with it.”
“Yeah, she’s real good with crazy stuff,” Rainbow said, hands on Aurora’s ankles.
“Stop saying crazy! You’re confused! I’m just confused!” Aurora insisted.
“Says the girl flailing around like nuts!” Rainbow shot back.
Aurora blinked. With a shudder, her rational thinking centers got back on board and she realized what she was doing. Stilling, she let her limbs go slack. Applejack smiled down at her.
“No more flailin’?”
Aurora shook her head, looking thoroughly admonished. Applejack rose off of her, but Rainbow remained in place.
“Rainbow...” Applejack said with a glare.
“You gonna run?” Rainbow said, eyes narrowed at Aurora.
“No, I’m not going to run, Rainbow Dash.”
Smile popping into place, Rainbow rose up. “Cool.” As Aurora started getting to her feet, Rainbow offered a hand. Aurora smiled and took the help.
Rainbow returned the smile and said, “Just so you know, the way you were wound up, you’d probably crash your car and that’d be way worse.”
Aurora blinked, processing further. Sighing, she shook her head in further admonishment of herself.
“Thank you. Both of you. I’m...” She looked at Rarity and shuddered.
“You’re a friend, Sugarcube,” Applejack said, slapping a powerful hand onto Aurora’s shoulder. Aurora winced under the affection. “We know it ain’t easy for ya, so we’re watchin’ your back where we can.”
Rarity and Fluttershy smiled from their seats, having stayed out of the physical altercation altogether. Rarity rose after setting her tea down and attended to Aurora’s hair. Using a brush she’d grabbed off a table, she worked through the frayed ends.
Rainbow tracked Rarity’s activity and her face lit as inspiration struck her.
“Hey, Rarity, do you know where Pinkie Pie is?” Rainbow asked, head cocked casually.
Rarity shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, I don’t. Aurora, could you sit dear? Thank you. Why would I?”
“Aw, horseapples,” Rainbow muttered.
“We’ve been, ah, catching a handful of breaks,” Aurora said, smoothing her blouse. “The way things were going, it makes sense Rainbow would think you would lead us to the next place.”
Rarity finished putting Aurora back in order and smiled, satisfied. Returning to her seat next to Fluttershy, she sipped more tea.
“Sorry girls. Pinkie Pie and I only crossed paths so often in Ponyville. I can’t imagine how we’d meet as people.” Tapping the cup, she pointed her chin at Rainbow. “I’d think you were the best lead to her, Rainbow Dash. I mean, given all your shared... Jocularity.”
“Our what?”
“Your pranks,” Fluttershy said around a biscuit.
Rainbow frowned and perched on the back of one of the sofas. As she stroked her chin in thought, Terry returned.
“Hi Miss Yuzuki I-” She dropped her keys. “What’d you do to your hair?”
Everyone froze for a split second, eyes darting between each other, then Rarity launched in as if Terry had just wandered into conversation, nothing more.
“Like it?” Rarity said, turning her head for better appreciation. “It’s a bit dramatic, I know, but I really think it’s me.”
“Uh...” Applejack and Aurora caught the slight pink that hit the girl’s cheeks before she turned, coughing. “Sorry,” Terry squeaked. “It... Wow, it really is you, Miss Yuzuki.”
“Rarity, darling.”
“Pardon?”
“Talking with my friends here has given way to a brainstorm, my dear. First off, from now on, refer to me as... Rarity.” The girls all shared a raised eyebrow at the inflection on their friend’s name. “Next,” Rarity continued. “I want you to reschedule all of today and see about tomorrow’s appointments. There is work to be done and I shall require privacy.”
Terry grabbed her iPad and started quickly jotting notes. Aurora’s face wrinkled slightly at Rarity’s pronunciation of privacy as prihv-ah-see.
“Next, I know you that isn’t what is most comfortable for you, darling. Those shoes were clearly bought with only an interview in mind and that blouse- Tsk. We are in fashion, dear, not a temp agency. So starting next week, come in casual. If we need to spruce you up at all, we can do it on the spot.”
Terry blushed slightly as she took the last notes dutifully.
After a long moment, she looked up to see Rarity smiling grandly. “Well dear...? Might want to get to it.”
“Of course, Miss... Rarity.” Terry seemed to light up under the name almost as much as Rarity had. Diving behind her desk, she started making calls.
Rarity bent to fetch her purse and motioned the rest of the girls to the door. “When you’re done, you can lock up can’t you?”
“Yes ma’am!” Terry called from the phone.
“And you will put in that you did a full day’s work, mmm?”
“But Miss Yu-”
Rarity held up a finger with a good-humored warning smirk.
“Of course Miss Rarity,” Terry blushed, going to her work.
Rarity waved one last time and sighed after she clicked the door shut.
“Can you do that?” Fluttershy asked. “The last time we, I mean, Nova and Keiko went out, Keiko talked about how, uh, tight things were.”
“I am the boss, and as such, I may shower affection on my staff of one, if I choose,” Rarity said with a wink. “Besides, a lot has changed since the last we spa’d, my dear Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy blinked, curious and polite.
Rarity smiled in response, leading the girls to the relative privacy of a cafe a few blocks away. “Oh yes, my dear, it came through.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her smile lit like something from a benevolent nature goddess. She squealed, tightly embracing Rarity, who laughed.
“I think I missed something,” Rainbow muttered, watching the pair giggle and hop about.
“Mmm. Heh-heh,” Rarity said, smoothing her suit. “My apologies. You see, I’ve been working local event circuits lately. Fashion shows, art galleries, rubbing elbows at my best.”
“Fancy stuff,” Applejack said out the side of her mouth, earning a nod from Rainbow.
“Eventually, my endeavours paid off.” She opened the door to the cafe and the girls entered a dark, wooden, European-style cafe complete with bar and bakery. Rarity waved to the young man behind the bar, who responded with a smile and pointed with his chin to the alcove by the dessert display case. Herding her friends through, Rarity took a seat in an solid, old chair that was better on the back than it was the rump. “And at a recent fashion show, I made a connection. I made THE connection.”
Rarity lapsed into content silence as her friends joined her around the table. Her smile reminded Aurora of a satisfied cat.
“Okay, what was the connection?” Rainbow asked. She had spun her chair around and rested her chin on the seat back.
“Pierce Ladonne asked for my help with his spring line.”
Fluttershy was the only one who smiled extra wide while the other girls passed glances between each other. Rarity smiled good-naturedly and rolled her eyes.
“He is very respected and well-known in my line of work. His blessing is a door opener for any up-and-coming fashionista worth their hemlines. He even gave me a generous down payment to ensure I had operating capital.”
“How much?” Applejack said, her business ear twitching.
Rarity demurred and whispered in Applejack’s ear. The girl’s eyes widened and she swallowed.
“Boy howdy. Yep. That’s a good start. Congratulations, Rarity.”
“Thank you, Applejack. I don’t know what you’ve been up to this past month, but your praise as a businesspony means the world to me.”
Applejack blushed at the compliment and rubbed the back of her neck as a waitress came up. The girls ordered drinks at Rarity’s urging. “We must celebrate after all. My good fortune aside, we’re nearly all together and that deserves a toast.”
Save Aurora, the girls nodded. A quiet fell as everypony thought about how to locate the lost Pinkie Pie.
Feeling the intrusive odd girl out, Aurora excused herself to look at the display case filled with cakes, pies and other delectable delights. Rarity had been a positive addition to the group. She was similarly gentle and traditionally feminine like Fluttershy, but her steely attitude appealed to the confrontational Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Outside of the group dynamic, her warmth was undeniable and when she looked you in the eye, she gave you her full attention.
Aurora nodded at a triple-chocolate mousse cake. “She’s certainly a lady...” she said softly.
“As long as you don’t take her on in a pillow fight, then it’s all bets off.”
Aurora looked up at the voice behind the counter and came face-to-face with a round-faced, coffee and cream skinned, bubbly-eyed girl. She looked about Aurora’s age with several pink streaks in her otherwise straight brown-black hair. Aurora noticed a pierced eyebrow along with pink, jangling bracelets that seemed at odds with the formal black blouse and slacks. Chin resting on folded hands atop the display, she quirked a smile.
“Heya Twilight,” Pinkie said in her usual chirp. “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you for another month!”
Aurora stared. The girl’s eyes were a blue she’d only seen in cartoons and in crystal clear skies full of possibility. And though her smile was just a smirk, it seemed to dominate her face. Aurora immediately knew her name was... Pinkie?
“My name is Aurora,” Aurora said almost automatically.
Pinkie’s smile faded and cool eyebrows raised in response. “Ooooh,” Pinkie said. “You’re still all native. Gotcha.” She winked merrily. Turning to a young black girl with her hair done in twin afro puffs, Pinkie said, “Hey Shantelle? I’m gonna take my fifteen, ‘kay? I got some friends here.”
Shantelle looked up from the espresso she was making and squinted at Aurora who provided a confused smile.
“Sure thing, girl,” Shantelle drawled. “We’re slow.”
Pinkie bounced a nod and exited the side of the display, lifting a wooden partition up and coming around to hook an arm around Aurora’s. “C’mon, let’s catch up.”
When Pinkie stopped at the table, the girls initially gave her only partial attention as they thought their drinks had arrived. Then, she spoke. Rainbow Dash fell from her chair, Rarity’s jaw dropped, and Fluttershy’s eyes somehow managed to get even bigger. Applejack merely froze as she processed who stood in front of them.
Then, they all moved at once.
There was hugging and laughing, and even some crying. Fluttershy was first and loosed a sobby, messy torrent while Rarity followed second, dashing a handkerchief at her eyes to wipe away noble tears. Applejack and Rainbow were more subdued in their reactions, but Aurora could see both their eyes were glassy with joy.
“Glad to have you back, Pinkster,” Applejack said, wrapping the girl up in powerful arms.
“But I never went anywhere,” Pinkie grunted in reply.
Once released, she turned to look at Rainbow, who had stepped back after the initial group hug and was scuffing her foot.
“You didn’t miss me, did ya Dashie?” Pinkie said brightly.
“Nope,” Rainbow said to the ground.
“Not even a little, cuz you’re too cool for that, right?”
“Yep.”
Pinkie went over and raised Rainbow’s head up. Tears shone brightly in her deep maroon eyes.
“I missed you too Dashie,” Pinkie said softly.
“Aw, now I’m- Come here!” Rainbow embraced Pinkie, lifting her clear of the ground. Twisting her friend side to side in her embrace, she tried to force the hug deeper. Pinkie laughed at the energy, patting Rainbow’s back.
Aurora watched the display and felt like an interloper. Looking to Applejack, she asked, “Are they...?”
“They’re close,” Applejack replied, hooking her thumbs in her belt. “Like Rarity said, they do pranks and spend a lot of time together. Pinkie’s special to all of us, but I think she’s a bit more special to Rainbow.”
“Rainbow seems to have a special place for all of us.”
“We all have a special place for each other,” Rarity said, coming up on Aurora’s right. “Rainbow Dash and Pinkie are just more demonstrative about it.”
“Quit that!” Rainbow said, laughing, as Pinkie chewed on her hair.
“But Dashie, you’re so delicious!”
~
At Rarity’s sizable apartment, Twilight asked to use the bathroom. She swayed slightly as she wobbled in the direction Rarity pointed.
Once Twilight was occupied and out of sight, Rarity turned to the other girls, who were getting comfortable. “She insists on ‘Aurora?’” she said, sliding out of her jacket to reveal a low cut, sleeveless, silk top.
“Ever since Rainbow pushed her buttons about it,” Applejack said. Rarity waved at her boots and the cowgirl took them off the coffee table.
“Hey! Normally you’re the one that’s big on honesty,” Rainbow said from the stairs to the upper loft. “Why aren’t you pushing her?”
“Because we ain’t all like you Rainbow, and a push could push her away if we ain’t careful!”
“Um, maybe we should keep it quieter?” Fluttershy mumbled, wringing her hands.
Rarity patted her hands. “Of course dear.” She shot a look at the brasher pair, who took immediate interest in their respective ceiling and banister.
“Weeeeeell, do we want her to remember it? ‘Cause you guys are really early.” Pinkie had punched out after everyone had finished dinner. Changed out of her work uniform she now wore jeans, a pink shirt, and a jacket made up of more decorative patches than material.
While the other girls had gathered around the coffee table, she wandered between the paintings on the wall, looking them over and making faces.
“What do you mean... ‘Early?’” Rainbow said.
“Early. We weren’t supposed to meet up for, like, another month. I was real surprised to see everypony. Well, that isn’t true, I was excited because my head’s been real itchy and oh yeah! I finally get to do this!”
As Aurora came back in the room, Pinkie Pie reached up to her short, straight hair and tugged the wig off, revealing a tight pink afro. After a beat, it poofed free, much too big to fit under a wig that small.
“Aaaaaah,” Pinkie said, slumping where she stood, tongue out. “I needed that.”
“How did-” Aurora said, finger pointing in astonishment.
“That’s just Pinkie,” Applejack said with a dismissive wave. She paused, hand still in the air as a thought hit her.
“Hey. Have y’all been able to do anything pony style since you woke up?”
The girls responded unanimously with headshakes.
Applejack frowned at Pinkie Pie, wheels turning. “But Pinkie’s still herself....”
Pinkie cocked her head, confused. “Well, duh. Who else would I be? You? No offense AJ, but orange isn’t my color.”
“No, no. Pinkie- don’t know if you noticed, but the rest of us aren’t... All us. I mean, we kinda look like us, but- Ponyfeathers this doesn’t make sense.”
“Yupperoonie!” Pinkie said, bouncing in her pink Converses.
“I’m actually okay about not being able to fly. It’s no trouble,” Fluttershy said.
Aurora walked over to Pinkie as the girls talked. Without preamble, she took the hand holding the wig and raised it up for examination. It was a wig all right.
“Are you a professional magician?” Aurora asked.
The chipper girl grinned. “Nope. That’s Trixie. I’m a professional Pinkie!”
Aurora didn’t frown, but her mouth creased in concentration as she tried to work out this girl, who kept grinning at her with a too-wide smile. As she thought, she realized her brain was already frazzled by a full day of nonsense and an appletini to boot. She deflated, letting air escape and released Pinkie. She then went and sat next to Rainbow, on the stairs.
Leaning her head on the other girl’s shoulder, she said, “I drank too much. World’s weird. Gonna nap now.”
“You had one drink,” Rainbow pointed out.
“Doesn’t matter. She makes even less sense than everypony here.”
Rainbow’s eyes lit, but a pair of hard looks from Rarity and Applejack halted her from saying anything about Aurora’s verbal slip. Coughing, Rainbow looked at Pinkie.
“Pinkie Pie, what’d you mean by ‘another month?’”
“Sorry, Dashie, can’t tell. I Pinkie Promised!”
Rainbow rubbed her face. “Who did you Pinkie Promise to?”
“Twilight, but she’s not here right now.”
Rainbow gave Pinkie a look and pointed at Aurora, who had opened her eyes slightly to smile at the girl with the light pink afro.
Pinkie shook her head. “Dashie, that isn’t Twilight. That’s Aurora.”
“Thank you!” Aurora said.
“But she has to be! She got me out! She remembered Equestria!”
Pinkie shrugged. “I remember Happy Days, but that doesn’t mean I’m Fonzie.”
There was a brief silence as everypony digested that, then Applejack spoke.
“Equestria has to be in danger, ‘cause that just made sense.”
The other girls, save Aurora who was looking at Pinkie like she was her new best friend, stared at Applejack.
Applejack scowled back at them. “We got cable. I doze off to Nick at Nite sometimes.” She lifted her hat to run a hand through her hair. Jamming the back in place she added, “Look, just ‘cause this girl is a lot like Twi don’t make her Twi. I’d say I’m not me, except I know better.” Her freckles seemed lighter as she sighed. “Least, I think I do.”
Pinkie’s eyes got really large at that point. “Oh nonononononono. Don’t fade AJ!” She moved clear across the room in a beat and handed the girl an apple. “Here, eat this and think about your farm.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow at Pinkie, but obliged her and as she bit into the fruit, color returned to her cheeks.
Pinkie sighed, slumping against the coffee table.
“What just happened?” Rarity said.
Pinkie looked at her shoes and closed her eyes. After a minute, they opened and she stood up, going over to Aurora.
The other girl watched her approach with a clearer expression. Apparently, some of the liquor had cleared from her system.
“Hey Aurora, you mind playin’ a game with me? It’s a word game.” Though Pinkie sounded like herself, her voice came out measured and steadier. Had Aurora been watching the rest of the group, she’d have seen them become still and attentive. Had Aurora been a bit more sober, she’d have noticed Pinkie was serious.
“Uh, okay,” Aurora said, confused but willing, since Pinkie was treating her as herself.
“I’m gonna say something and you’ll say the first thing that comes back, kay?”
“Oh. Like a word association? Sure, but I don’t see how that’s a game.”
“You will in a minute. Don’t worry about just associating one word. Say all you want. Staaaaaaarting now.” Pinkie grinned. “Stitch.”
“In time.”
“Saves.”
“Nine.”
Pinkie grinned. “Ooo, you’re good at this, I can tell.”
Aurora smiled back and said, “Accomplished.”
Chuckling, Pinkie went on.
“Flash card.”
“Make more.”
“Library.”
“Books.”
“Elements.”
“Harmony.”
“Baby brother.”
“Spike.”
“Big brother.”
“Best Friends Forev-”
Aurora’s voice caught and her whole body twitched. Rainbow wrapped her hands around the girl’s shoulders to keep her from sliding down the stairs as she shuddered again.
“Letter,” Pinkie said.
“I think you did something to her,” Rainbow said. “Knock it off.”
“Shh, Dashie. Aurora, we’re still playing. Letter?”
“To the princess,” the girl choked out, blinking quick.
“Applejack.”
“Honesty.”
“Fluttershy.”
“Kind... ness.”
“Pinkie Pie.”
“Laughter!”
“Rarity!”
“Generosity!”
“Rainbow Dash!”
“Loyalty!”
Aurora’s body spasmed wildly. Her eyes were scrunched tight and Rainbow did everything in her power to keep the poor girl from bruising herself on the stairs. Pinkie had herself pinned just over Aurora to keep talking directly to her.
Pinkie’s voice dropped to a level the others could just barely hear, and she whispered, “Magic.”
“Friendship!” Aurora bellowed.
Her eyes snapped open, her whole body stiffened and light poured from her- blinding, powerful, and filled with color. The other girls were forced to shade their eyes.
When the shining light faded, Twilight Sparkle, hair a cascade of deep violet accented by a stripe of dark purple and pink, blinked up at the girl in front of her.
“Hey Pinkie,” she croaked.
“Heya Twilight,” Pinkie said softly.
“Bad?”
Pinkie nodded. “Super bad.”
“My wings!”
The other girls, still in shock from the light, rubbed at their eyes and squinted. As Rainbow Dash eased Twilight off her, a pair of sky blue wings that sprouted from her back spread wide.
“Oh. Oh, hello there,” Fluttershy said with a small grin to the pair of canary yellow wings ruffling from her own back. She ran a loving hand over one and in a softer voice said, “Welcome back.”
“Just fine without ‘em, huh?” Applejack said with a knowing eyebrow.
Fluttershy blushed and one wing came out and around to shade her face, hiding her mild embarrassment.
“This is a pleasant turn of events,” Rarity replied eyeing a teacup that hovered at eye level, encased in shimmering blue magic.
Twilight looked at Pinkie and sighed. “I think it just got worse.”
~
Rainbow and Applejack moved Twilight Sparkle, who was now answering to her name without flinching, to the couch. Rarity then fed her tea and biscuits while Fluttershy looked her over.
“It’s true what they say- you really don’t appreciate something till it’s gone,” Rarity said, floating a new teapot over.
“Thanks,” Rainbow said, sarcastically.
Rarity arched a perfect eyebrow. “Then again, perhaps I’ve appreciated you just enough Rainbow Dash.”
That earned a snicker from the group.
“You seem okay,” Fluttershy said, sitting back.
“I am okay,” Twilight said, swallowing. “It was just the awakening spell I tied to this body. It burned a lot of calories. I’ll be fine once I have some food in me.”
Fluttershy squinted slightly at Twilight over that. “If you say so. But I’m watching you, little lady.”
Twilight smiled, placing her hand over the other girl’s. “And I appreciate that. Thank you, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy fluffed her wings happily and she eased back, satisfied.
Rainbow Dash had taken to the air where she reclined in a float. Her glee at being airborne again was obvious.
“So what’s the next move? Open a portal to Ponyville? Save the day, per the usual?”
“None of the above,” Twilight said, her face going grim. “I can’t use my magic.”
That froze the group.
Fluttershy was the first to move, putting a comforting hand on Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight nodded her thanks, adding a smile and taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
“That’s your special talent,” Applejack breathed. She looked at her feet where, even this far from the ground, she could feel the soil so full of potential so many feet deep. Even as Ashley, she remembered feeling close to the growth of the earth. To lose a connection to something so dear... She couldn’t imagine it.
“I know,” Twilight said. “I... I think Aurora’s blocking me.”
Eyebrows went up around the group.
“How can she do that?” Rainbow asked.
“We’re time-sharing these bodies, Rainbow. When we’re awake, the other girls are... Kind of asleep. Just as we slept in them.” Putting her cup on the table, Twilight rubbed tiredly at her face. “I can only guess at this point without proper reference material. This spell was pretty new to me.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Can you back up a bit Twi?” Rainbow said. “Last any of us remember, we went to bed in Ponyville with only tomorrow to look forward to.”
Twilight glanced over at Pinkie, who smiled encouragement. Twilight relaxed and thought, trying to organize herself. Her eyes blinked in a silent eureka and she reached her free hand to Rarity.
“Rarity, if I could?” she asked.
Rarity gave her dominant hand, and Twilight smiled her appreciation. Rarity could feel it as Twilight reached for power and diverted to Rarity rather than her taking on her usual, much vaster reservoirs. They’d done this before when working a spell- Rarity wasn’t surprised that Twilight knew the paths into Rarity’s magic, just as she was aware of the paths into Twilight’s.
“We don’t know his name,” Twilight said, a purple ball tinged with blue began taking shape above the coffee table. “We don’t know where he came from or what his original purpose is.”
Concentration apparent on her face, she squinted and the purple ball stretched out and started taking form. A head grew out as did four long legs. Color changed next as Twilight built the magical visual to share with the girls.
“All we do know is he is the biggest threat to Equestria since Nightmare Moon, since King Sombra... Since even Discord.”
The shape finished resolving as the last details were added, and everypony leaned closer to see a stallion in a suit jacket.
He wasn’t overly tall. Perhaps he was maybe an inch over Applejack’s pony height, but he looked taller thanks to his slim frame. The suit jacket was dark blue with a white shirt and black tie. His coat could have been white, but there was enough color in it to give the impression that he wasn’t albino, merely pale-coated. His mane and tail were dark, maybe black or deep brown and both were slicked straight back and down. The style of his mane accented a longer than usual face that had a simple smile.
Fluttershy openly cowered from that smile while everypony else cringed. It wasn’t a nice smile, like Pinkie’s, or even one like Fluttershy managed on nervous occasion. It was like a razor, cut from one side of his face to the other. And though his teeth were the regular little white squares, they somehow seemed just as sharp.
“He doesn’t have a cutie mark,” Rarity said.
“We call him the Smiling Pony,” Twilight said. “He eats Harmony.”