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// Chapter 11: Critical Stage  
// Story: Ink 
// by Cyanjames2819 
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  It has been two weeks sense the concert and I just feel terrible every single day. I am now very homesick, Luna and Fluttershy try to keep up beet and happy, it's working, but only a bit.

I tried to distract myself by playing my fiddle, walking around, helping out Fluttershy with her chores and reading, but all of those just reminded me of home. I need to do something new to distract me from home.

Twilight's doing her best to figure out on how to get me back home, but only figured out that I'm in a different universe. Great, I'm the only species of my kind here, only more reason to be homesick.

I was out in the middle of the night again, sitting against a tree where I met Luna.

I just watched the bright full moon in the dark sky. I have no way of communicating to my friends and family, unless I die, and that's the last thing I would do.

Then I heard a loud thud and flapping wings, "Hey Luna, how's your night?" I greeted. "I should be telling you that" she went up beside me and rested down.

"Winter, having you been crying?" she asked. I looked at her and she looked at me with worry. "What?" I said in confusion. "Your eyes and cheeks are wet" she pointed with her hoof.

I whipped my eyes and cheeks, and sure enough, they were wet. "Oh, I didn't really notice" I said and whipped away the rest.

"Are you doing okay Winter?" she scooted closer to me. "Of course not, I'm worried about my friends and family back home. I just wish they're doing okay without me" I answered with a gloomy face.

"You'll get back home, just have faith in Twilight" she said to me. "I do have faith, I'm just homesick. I just need to distract myself with something" I said to her.

With moment of silence, Luna spoke again, "Um, just how do you ride your, um, Bike" she asked. "You keep your balance on it and…" then it struck me, "That's It!" I yelled with a bright grin and pointed my index finger to the air. "What?" she asked confused. "I can make you a bike and spend the time showing you how to ride it! Ha-ha! Finally something to do!" I danced around happily.

Then I stopped, "Wait a second, I'm not a blacksmith" I said to myself in realization. "Well, our palace has blacksmiths. Maybe one can help you out" Luna suggested. "Really? Cool, okay. How about tomorrow morning?" I asked. She nodded in agreement, "Okay" she said.

"But what about Fluttershy? I can't just leave her here" I realized again and started walking back and forth. "You can leave me to that Winter, don't worry" Luna said to me. "Really? Thanks Luna" I thanked her again.

Luna looked at the moon and stood up, "I have to go now Winter. Have a goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow" she said to me with a smile. I smiled back, "Thanks again Luna, have a goodnight too" I replied. She spread her wings and flew off.

The next morning, I heard a knock on the entrance. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I sat up on the bed and stretched my arms. I slumped back down and scratched my back.

Fluttershy yawned, sat up beside me and rubbed her eyes. Then another knock echoed through the halls. "Hm? A visitor at this hour?" Fluttershy got off the bed and started going through the hall with a tired expression.

I got off the bed and started putting on my clothing. I heard the door open, "Princess Luna? May I help you?" I heard Fluttershy. "Good morning Miss Fluttershy, may I come in?" I heard Luna next.

Then it came all back to my mind in a flash. I slipped up my pants and hurried down.

I slipped at the last step and landed on my back. I groaned, "Ow…" I said painfully. "Oh my Winter, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked and helped me up. "Yup, I'll fine" I answered, hunched over.

I then cracked my whole spine and sighed a relief, "That's better" I said with a smile.

I looked at the Princess sitting on the couch, "Good morning Luna, how are you?" I greeted her. "Doing good Winter, and yours?" she asked. "Well, I just woke and almost broke my back. Yeah, I'm doing fine" I answered.

Luna looked at Fluttershy beside me, "Miss Fluttershy, do you wish to come with Winter to the palace?" she asked. "Um, f-for how long?" she said. Luna looked at me.

I counted my fingers and it reaches up to six days. "Well, about a week" she answered. "Oh, um, what about the animals?" Fluttershy seem hesitant.

Luna whistled and four mares came in the cottage, "These four will take good care of the animals. They're at your command now Miss Fluttershy" Luna said to her. "Oh, um, h-how are you four with animals?" she asked. "Very well ma'am, we take great care of many species" one answered.

"Oh, um, okay" she turned to Luna and nodded. "Just give them the instructions and they'll do their job" Luna said to her. "Now pack up and get ready to go you two" she said to me and Fluttershy and smiled.

I went upstairs, went into my room, grabbed my glasses, backpack and journal and went back down. I saw Fluttershy giving instructions and a list to the four. "Um, if you have any more questions, just as Angel bunny" she said to the four mares. They saluted and immediately started working.

I got over to the entrance, put on my shoes, my hat and Luna went out. I looked back at Fluttershy and she was talking to Angel, "Um, I'll be checking on you every day Angel, don't worry, okay" she said to the bunny. He nodded and started pushing her out the door.

I got out, "Keep yourself fed up and hydrated and be safe, okay" she said while being pushed by the little bunny. He was either very strong, or she was very light, either way, he got her out.

"See you later Angel" Fluttershy said to him. He nodded and closed the door. "Whoa, I think he'll be doing well with the four mares" I said to her. "Hum, I hope so" she said while sitting on the ground.

I grabbed my bike and I and Fluttershy went down to the carriage. I tied up the bike on top of the carriage, went in and sat beside Fluttershy. "Okay, let's go and make a bike" I said to Luna.

She nodded and the carriage started to move. It got off ground and flew through the air.

After a moment of flying, I felt a light weight press on my left shoulder. I looked and saw Fluttershy sleeping, leaning on my shoulder. I took off my hat and put it on her, to shade her eyes from the sun.

"She looks rather tired" Luna said. "Well, we just did get up from bed" I said. "Do you wish to rest when we get to the palace?" Luna asked. "No thanks, I'm well awake now" I answered. "As you wish" she replied.

We landed down and the doors opened. I gently held up Fluttershy and kept the hat on her. We got out and Luna waved a guard over. He galloped up to her "Yes your majesty?" he stood strait. "Untie and take the contraption to the blacksmiths" she said to him and he saluted.

She went up beside me, "Now to your living quarter. Follow me" she leaded.

After a moment of walking, we stopped in front of a rather large door. She opened it up with her magic and gestured in, "Your bedroom" she said.

I walked in and it was just huge. The bed was larger then Fluttershy's bed; it had drapes, large windows, a large bookshelf at the other end, a work table in front of the windows and a bathroom beside the bookshelf. "Whoa" I looked around while holding onto Fluttershy.

"There will be a guard outside the door whenever you both need anything" Luna said to me. I lay Fluttershy carefully on the bed and pulled up the covers for her. I draped the bed to prevent the sun from waking her early and put my hat back on.

I went up to Luna, "So where do I work?" I asked. "Oh, you want to work now?" she said, surprised. "Yes, I need a distraction from home" I said to her and we both went out the room.

She closed it with her magic and a guard now stood to the side. "What about breakfast?" she suggested. "An egg sandwich is good enough" I said.

Then a familiar mare maid went up to us, "Oh, hey Sunny" I greeted. "Good morning Winter" she greeted me back.

"She will now be taking orders from you" Luna said to me. "Uh, okay" I said. "Um, can you get me an egg sandwich, I will be with the blacksmiths" I said to her, she nodded and went off.

I turned to Luna, "Okay, so where are the blacksmiths?" I asked. "This way" she leaded again.

We went one floor under ground and she opened a wooden door. Inside were ten ponies working beside fire pits and anvil, all working on armors and weapons.

But one smith was looking at my bike on a wooden table. The mare's coat was brownish red and her tail and main were a little darker. Her main was bundled up back and her cutie mark was an iron heart with a hammer and a nail making an 'X' at the back of the heart.

We got up to her and the mare turned to see who came by. "Hello Ironheart" Luna greeted her. She bowed, "Good morning your majesty" she replied.

She went back up, "This is Winternight, he needs your help on making a bike for me" she said.

I brought out my hand, "Nice to meet you Ironheart" I greeted her with a smile. We shook, "Nice to meet to you too" she replied.

"I will be leaving now" Luna turned. "Wait!" I went in front of her, "I need to measure you first and need to figure out your weight" I said to her. "Oh, okay" she answered and stood her ground.

I grabbed a piece of paper, a pencil, measuring tape but there was no weight gauge.

I measured Luna's length and width. Then Sundance went in and put the plat of sandwich on the wooden table. "Hey Sunny, can you get a weight gauge for me" I asked and she nodded then went off.

I grabbed a rather large piece of paper and sprawled it out on the table. I wrote down the measuring in on the top right corner of the paper.

Then I saw Sundance come back with the gauge on her back. I grabbed it, "Thanks" I thanked her and set the device down on the floor. "Okay, get on top" I said to Luna.

She nodded and stepped on top of a small gauge. She had a bit of a trouble balancing at first, but she figured it out. "Two fifty, not bad" I said and wrote it down on the paper.

"Okay, now I just have to make a design and make the bike" I said to her and went over to the table. "You can go now" I said to her. "Okay" she answered and went out.

"Uh, so are you two?" Ironheart said. "Friends. I need to distract myself from home, so I'm making her a bike" I said to her. "Oh, okay" she said.

I drew out the design on the paper and used my bike as the bass for the larger one.

I put the pencil down on the table, "Okay, now to start" I said. "Um, Winter, it's lunch" Sundance said to me. "Really? Wow time flies" I said to myself and rubbed the back of my neck.