//------------------------------// // Sisters Old and New // Story: The Last Crusade // by CyborgSamurai //------------------------------// Chapter 6: Sisters Old and New “Psst! Wake up, Shmage!” A pair of hands gently shook my sleeping form. I blearily opened my eyes, and saw a pudgy red-haired girl a few years older than me standing at my bedside. Her purple and white pajamas hung awkwardly on her teenage frame as she happily danced in place with a blanket around her shoulders. “Come on, get up!” Shmangie smiled to reveal a mouth full of braces. “It’s Saturday!” The words cut through my grogginess like a razor. My eyes flew open with a surge of adrenaline, and I jumped out of bed with a whoop. Shmangie and I ran out the door together, giggling all the while. “It’s finally here, it’s finally here!” I sang as we bounded down the hall. “The new season of My Little Pony! It’s gonna be great! Twilight and Pinkie and Applejack and Rainbow and Fluttershy and… and…  shoot! Who’d I miss?” “Rarity, tonto!” Shmangie tousled my hair. “How could you forget her? She’s only the best pony in the entire show!” “Is not!” I said with mock indignation. “She’s second best! Twilight is the awesomest, smartest, coolest pony of all!” “You’re in denial, kiddo.” Shmangie twirled the blanket around her like a cape. “The fabulosity of Rarity cannot be denied! One day you’ll admit the truth, and on that day, I’ll get to style your hair in any way I want!” “Never!” I put a hand to my heart and raised my chin. “I shall stay true to the way! ¡Inteligente Púrpura ahora y para siempre!” Shmangie laughed. She hugged me and ran her hand down my face like she was petting it. “Never change, Shmage, never change.” We got to the living room and began the age old tradition of hunting for the remote. I searched under the couch and loveseat, but found nothing but dust bunnies. I got up and started digging through the cushions to see if it’d fallen in between the cracks when I heard Shmangie from behind me. “The item of power has been found!” She pulled out the remote from inside the recliner and sang out a familiar, four-note tune as she held it up above her head. She turned on the TV and flipped through the cable channels to get to the Hub. “I’m gonna get some cereal!” I dashed away to the kitchen. “Hurry!” Shmangie called after me. I went through the kitchen door and saw the good cereal on top of the refrigerator. As quickly as I could, I scrambled up onto the counter and snatched the sugary bounty. I didn’t bother with any milk, as Mom wouldn’t let us take liquids out into the living room. “It’s starting!” Shmangie yelled. “¡Apúrate!” “Coming!” I grabbed a pair of bowls and jumped down to the floor. I ran out of the kitchen and turned the corner. The world blurred. I found myself in a circular workroom with mauve-colored walls and flowing fuchsia curtains. Featureless mannequines were carefully displayed in a row, each of them fitted with unique dresses of peerless quality. Cabinets and shelves stuffed full with fabrics and sewing materials lined the walls, and the setting sun shone in from from a bay window. “Sweetie,” a familiar voice said from my right. “Bring the amethysts over here, would you?” Rarity stood hunched over a workbench running a piece of cloth through a sewing machine. Not a single kind of makeup adorned her naturally fair face, but her mane and tail were in their usual elaborate coifs. A pair of sewing needles were in her mouth as she hummed to herself and adjusted her red-rimmed sewing glasses. “You just want them on the table?” I said, paying no attention to that I was now in my pony body. “Mmhmm,”  Rarity replied without looking up. I trotted over to her and set down the bag I was carrying a short ways away. It became enshrouded in a blue glow, and a cloud of tiny gems floated out in her magic. Rarity interrupted her song to mutter a few complex syllables, and the amethysts dissolved into a fine dust. The dust then spread itself over the cloth and embedded itself within to give the fabric a beautiful, sparkling sheen. “It looks so pretty!” I said eagerly. “What else can I do to help?” “Nothing,” Rarity said. She turned off the sewing machine and placed the unfinished dress on a mannequine. “We’re done for today.” She stifled a yawn and took off her glasses. “I’m thinking it’s a take-out night. What do you say?” My eyes lit up. “Ooh, ooh, ooh! Can we have pizza?” I started hopping circles around her. “Please, pretty please?” Rarity chuckled at my sudden burst of energy. “I was thinking something a little more refined, but... you know what? You deserve a reward for being such a marvelous help all day. I wouldn’t have gotten ahead of this deadline without you, so pizza it is.” “YAY!” I clapped my hooves. “Can I pick what we put on it? I want a large deep dish spinach and mushroom pizza with extra cheese and alfredo sauce!” Rarity stared at me with unfocused eyes. She shook her head and snickered. “I think I gained two pounds from just imagining that. I suppose if we’re going to forego all restraint, we may as well get those heavenly cinnamon breadsticks Pinkie had at her last party.” My mouth watered at the potential feast. “This is gonna be so great!” I zipped forward and enthusiastically nuzzled her side. “You’re the best sister ever!” Rarity laughed and nuzzled me back. “I try, dear, I try.” We walked out of the Inspiration Room together. Rarity went to the kitchen to place our order, and I went to the living room and settled down on the couch. My stomach growled in eager anticipation as I nervously shifted back and forth. I wished I could have some kind of snack while we were waiting! It was going to be at least a half-hour before the food got here! Maybe I could get some— “That’s the new villain!” Shmangie said through a mouthful of cereal. “Ooh, he looks so freaky! How many animals do you think he’s made of?” I blinked. Shmangie was suddenly sitting next to me and munching on a bowl of dry cereal. Her face was scrunched into a grimace as she stared at the TV across the room. “Wait, they’re going into the hedge maze?” Shmangie rolled her eyes. “Ugh, now there’s a trap if I ever saw one. Why isn’t Celestia helping them? And where the heck is Luna?!” “Uh… ” I began, but I stopped when I saw myself. I was nude, with my body caught halfway between human and pony. A bowl of my own was in my lap, and it was enshrouded in a field of emerald magic. I watched with fascination as several small cinnamon squares floated up and into my mouth. “Sweetie!” Rarity appeared in the doorway wearing an exasperated frown.“Don’t go eating now when we’ve got dinner on the way! Say goodbye to Shmangie, and come help me set the table.” “NO!” Shmangie leapt off the couch and stood between me and Rarity with her arms outstretched. “You’re not Shmage’s sister anymore, I am! You don’t get to tell him what to do! He’s not even sure he wants to see you at all! Your part in his life is done, and all seeing you will do is bring him pain! Go back to Equestria where you came from and forget you ever had a sister at all!” I was utterly dumbfounded. Why would Shmangie say something so horrible to Rarity? That’s not how family treated each other! I tried to say as much, but found that my mouth was glued shut. I tried to move, but I was paralyzed by some unknown force. All I could do was sit on the couch and look on helplessly with rising dread. Rarity stood agape for a few seconds, but then her mouth twisted into a snarl. She stepped into the living room, and as she did, everything began to twist and blur. The room now flickered between the human and pony world like a TV channel picking up two stations at once. “Sweetie doesn’t belong in world of barbaric, warmongering apes,” Rarity said in a quiet, dangerous voice. “She was never meant to be here in the first place! She was a pony first, she was my sister first, and there’s nothing you, or anypony else can do to change that!” “You expect me to just give up the brother I’ve had for twenty-five years?!” Shmangie’s body shifted, and she now an adult. She was tall and slender, with long, flowing red hair that was stylishly curled at the tips. She wore a fashionable business suit that accentuated her features, and a diamond-shaped sapphire necklace glittered around her neck. Her face was flawless, save for her hazel eyes, which burned with indignant rage. “I was there for him whenever he was hurt!“ she snarled. ”I kept him safe and watched him grow! We experienced things together that you’ll never know, and you expect me to just throw all that away?” “Yes,” Rarity said. She stopped a few feet away, and craned her neck to fearlessly meet the gaze of the irate alien towering over her. “I am the Element of Generosity, but if there’s one thing I’ll never give up, it’s my family. I don’t care what you did, or what moments you shared with her. I’ve already lost Sweetie once. I’m not going to lose her again.” I tried to squirm. I tried to scream. I couldn’t even blink or twitch. I was nothing more than a vegetable as I watched my two sisters fight. They now stared at each other in silence, neither of them willing to back down so much as an inch. “We both know there’s only one way to solve this,” Shmangie finally said. “Indeed,” Rarity replied icily. As one, they both turned to me. “You must choose,” Shmangie said. “You must choose,” Rarity echoed. The living room was now gone. The couch I was sitting on melted away.The world was a blurry mess of color that swirled around us like a vortex. I still couldn’t move, but now I’d regained control of my mouth. “Stop it!” I yelled. “Idiots, both of you! You can’t expect me to make a decision like that! There has to be another way!” “There isn’t.” Shmangie’s eyes were cold and hard; a corrupted version of the determination and drive I knew and admired. “You are a being of two worlds, hermano, but you cannot live two lives.” “You are displaced.” Rarity’s horn flashed, and the Element of Generosity appeared around her neck. “Out of balance with the natural order. You must decide one path or the other so that harmony may be restored.” “Screw harmony!” I struggled as hard as I could, but it was to no avail. “I’ll find the other ponies! I’ll study magic and science and technology all my life! I’ll get the government to help me! I’ll get Twilight—no, the princesses! They have to—” “Fruitless,” Shmangie said. “Pointless,” Rarity said. I felt something wrap around my neck. I was brutally yanked forward to be only inches away from both of my sisters. Their faces were now stretched and malformed with wicked, sharp teeth. “Choose,” they said in unison. “NOW.” “I CAN’T!” My face was now a mess of mucus and tears. My eyes were puffy and red, and my breaths came in shallow hiccups. The thing around my neck was cutting off my air, but I managed to get out a single, defiant scream. “I LOVE YOU BOTH TOO MUCH!” Rarity and Shmangie hesitated. They both looked at me curiously without speaking, but then, they both broke out into chilling laughter. “Pathetic.” The vortex of colors pulsed, and my sisters blended into a familiar, monstrous entity. Discord towered over me with a wicked grin on his mismatched face as his eagle's claw glowed with the power of the curse. “Did you think you’d be able to free yourself without me noticing?” Bolts of violet lightning shot out from the chaotic storm at his words, and his tail doubled its grip around my throat. “You’re nothing but a puppet to me, and I don’t like puppets who cut their own strings." Discord snapped his fingers, and a multicolored roulette wheel appeared next to us. "Consider this a warning. Free anyone else, and I’ll make you watch as I send both your sisters to separate dimensions. Heck, I'll even let you pick which ones by taking a spin on the Wheel of Banishment!" Among others, the wheel had a picture of a volcano, a man screaming on a pier, an accordion, a set of interlocking gears, and a bear trap. I tried to see more, but then Discord then leaned forward to press his face against mine. My vision clouded from both lack of air and mind-numbing fear, and the last thing I saw were his mad, red eyes that blazed like stars. “Don't get in my way, gnat. Equestria is mine, now and forevermore.” *** “DISCORD!” I awoke with a gasp and a shout. I shot bolt upright and flailed around in a fit of confused panic, screaming all the while. “YOU BASTARD! IF YOU HURT EITHER OF THEM I SWEAR I’LL—” My voice died in my throat as I realized I was alone in Babs’ room. The lights were off, the door was closed, and I was sitting on the bed with the blankets strewn about. All was silent save for the sound of my own heavy breathing. “Damn it all...” I covered my face with my hands and sobbed. “Damn it, damn it, damn it all! What am I supposed to do now? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!” Discord had us trapped. He knew we’d broken the curse. He knew we had a tool to help our friends and family, but he’d make us pay if we tried to use it. They’d all treat us like complete strangers, and there wasn’t a thing we could do about it. “I don’t w-want to be weak anymore.” I balled my hands into fists. “I’m t-tired of not being able to help… of feeling helpless… I want t-to be able to do s-something!” My frustration and despair pooled together into a cold, hard ball of rage. It swelled in size, filling me with the desire to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible. I didn’t care if it wasn’t right. I wasn’t interested in becoming some kind of righteous hero. I wanted revenge, plain and simple, and I’d do anything to get it. “I want to be strong…” I lowered my hands. A strange warmth burned behind my eyes. My vision turned green, and I raised my head and screamed as loud as I could. “I WANT TO BE STRONG!” There was a fwoosh, followed by a high-pitched whine. A sudden pressure built up in my head, then shot out with such force that I was thrown onto my back. I yelled in surprise as I was pushed deep into the mattress, and a painful tingling circulated through my body that made my limbs seize up. The force discharged itself with a crackling, sizzling sound, and the smell of ozone filled the air. The sensation ceased. My body went limp, my vision returned, and I rubbed my eyes as I slowly sat up with a groan. “What in the—oh, jeez...” I trailed off as I beheld a scene of destruction. Well, okay, destruction was too strong a word, but I’d definitely made a mess. The pictures on the wall had been knocked askew, all the items on Babs’ dresser had been blown off, and the garbage can had been knocked over and spilled refuse everywhere. Dirty clothes were also scattered, though I wasn’t sure whether that was because I’d knocked over the hamper or they’d been like that to begin with. Most disturbing of all, though, a single charred, black line ran from the middle of the ceiling all the way down the wall behind me and onto the headboard. “So that’s what a Flare feels like,” I muttered. A part of me was grateful I wasn’t as powerful as Twilight, as I doubted I’d know what to do if I turned somepony into a cactus. Then again, if I had that kind of magic I’d probably be able to solve a lot of my problems. I reached up and gingerly felt my horn. It was hot and sensitive to the touch, but was rapidly cooling down. I noted that it also felt longer than before, but I didn’t have a guess as to its actual length. I lifted the covers to see if any other part of my body had changed. Nothing immediate was apparent, although I did notice that I was naked. “Scootaloo!” I pounded the bed and looked around for my clothes. I didn’t see them anywhere. Babs’ clothes were all around, though, and she was the same size as me, so I figured she wouldn’t mind if grabbed some of hers. I chose a baggy white hoodie and a pair of jeans with a coffee stain at the knee. My hooves were fully formed now, so I didn’t need to bother with socks or shoes. I idly wondered how much longer I was going to have hands as I used a pocket knife I found on the dresser to cut a hole for my tail. I pulled on the jeans with practiced ease... only to have them slide off my waist and onto the floor. “What the?” I stared at the jeans for a moment before picking them up. I examined the tag on the back, and found they were the same size I always wore. I held them up to my waist again. Not only were an inch and a half too big, but they were also a few inches long at the leg! I scratched my head. What was going on? These pants should fit me! The only reason they wouldn’t was if… I was.. Oh, for Luna’s sake. I facepalmed with an audible smack. This was something I hadn’t been sure about, but I’d sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be the case. Reverting back into a filly had its perks, the big one being an extended lifespan, but I’d had enough adventures going through puberty once. I didn’t want to repeat the experience! Ponies probably didn’t get acne, but there was undoubtedly something else just as bad I’d have to suffer through, and there was little chance I’d do so with dignity. “Oh, to be young again,” I muttered ironically as I went over to Babs’ closet and hunted for a belt. I wasn’t going to parade around in the buff until I had most of my coat back. End of story, this was not up for debate. I found a nice green belt that matched my eyes. I pulled it out, then put on the jeans again and cinched them up. Much better. I did a quick walk around the room to make sure the belt held. At least I knew now why the girls had taken off my clothes. Come to think of it, though, where were they? I was screaming pretty loud when I woke up there, and my Flare had to have been anything but quiet! I’d have thought they’d have come running at that, but I didn’t hear any sounds coming from anywhere in the house. I wasn’t sure whether to be curious or fearful as I went out into the living room, but either way, the mystery was short lived. I looked out the window, and saw all three of them milling around my car. Apple Bloom was bent over the engine and pouring oil in through a funnel. Babs was stuffing a duffle bag into the trunk, and Scootaloo had just walked around from behind the shed with a bag in her hand. All three of them were clothed, even Scootaloo, though she wasn’t wearing a shirt. The reason why became quickly apparent, as she stopped and vigorously scratched her shoulder blades. Babs noticed her scratching and slapped her hand away, which earned her a one-finger salute in return. I sighed and watched them for a few minutes. It looked like they’d gotten a lot done while I was out, and a glance at the living room clock told me it was a little after ten. I felt bad that I hadn’t been able to help them, but it looked like they had things under control. My mind turned back to Discord’s threat, and with a jolt, I realized that his knowledge of our freedom completely changed our plans! We couldn’t try and send a message on TV when he was watching us! He’d track Rarity and the others down, and, and… Wait. Why did Discord resort to threatening my family in the first place? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just put the curse back on me? I mean, I saw his hand—paw, whatever, glowing just like it was before, it didn’t make sense why he’d try to frighten me into cooperating unless— “Hey, Sleeping Beauty!” I jumped. Scootaloo was making her way up the stairs while scratching her back. “Welcome back to the land of the living! Guess this means I don’t get to kiss you awake. Too bad.” “Scoots,” I said. “We’ve got a problem.” She raised an eyebrow. “A new problem? Or are you referring to the splendiferous clusterfuck we’re currently trying to claw our way out of?” I stared levelly at her. “Discord knows we broke the curse.” Scootaloo stopped at the top of the stairs. Her face fell, and her ears drooped. “So the former, then.” I took her hand and pulled her over to the kitchen table. “He appeared to me a dream, and told me that if we tried to free anyone else—” “Hold on.” Scootaloo put her other hand on my shoulder. “You’re gonna have to explain in the car. We’re getting smaller by the minute, and we’re not gonna be able to drive to the city if we hold out much longer. We gotta get to Angie’s now.” I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure if going to Angie’s was the right thing to do anymore. On the one hand, Discord seemed pretty insistent that going against him would result in severe consequences. On the other, his actions in the dream didn’t make any sense. Could he just not reapply the curse in a dream? Did he not have access to the human world? Why would he make his knowledge of our actions known instead of just hunting us down and taking us out? Something more was going on. I wasn’t sure what it was, but if my suspicions were right, it meant that Discord was putting on an act. A rather successful act, mind you, but an act nonetheless. It seemed that our next moves would have to be planned carefully, but there was no way in Tartarus that I was going to flat-out stop. That bastard had threatened my family, and for that, I was going to make him pay. I let go of Scootaloo’s hand. “All right. Is everything ready to go?” “Mostly,” she said. “We packed up everything while you were out, but we haven’t been able to get ahold of Angie. I know she’s really busy these days, but we’re on a timeline here. We’d figured we head down there anyway and weather the freakout, so I came in here to get you so we could go... and also so I could scratch my freaking back in peace!” I clicked my teeth. I really wished Shmangie was better about returning calls, but she’d always been that way. She didn’t even call our parents back half the time! Scootaloo was right, though, we didn’t have time to putz around. We were just gonna have to show up and hope she didn’t throw too many things at us. I walked around to see Scootaloo’s back. None to my surprise, it was covered in soft, orange feathers that were lined up in angular, overlapping rows. I brushed a few back, and saw that the quills were protruding directly out of her skin. “Gaaaah, gentle, gentle, gentle!” Scootaloo said in a desperate voice. “They don’t have any magic in them yet, so they’re just normal feathers! I already broke one of them taking off my shirt, and it hurt like hell to pull out!” “Sorry!” I said quickly. Her actual wings hadn’t started forming yet, so right now it just looked like she had a feathery blanket wrapped around her back. I left the nascent appendages alone and gathered my presents from beside the living room table. I tied the rapier to my belt, then gestured to the door. “Shall we?” Scootaloo smiled and raised her fist in the air. “For great justice!” *** The car ride to the city took a little over two hours. I told the others about Discord’s threat in that time, and they came to the same conclusion that it didn’t make sense. There was the possibility that it was nothing more than a dream and we shouldn’t pay attention to it, but we were all pretty open to the possibility of dream communication at the moment. Discord obviously hadn’t spared me out of the goodness of his heart, but as to what his true motives were? We didn’t have a clue. “I’m bettin’ he ain’t watching us all the time,” Apple Bloom said. She was the one driving the car, as she was the tallest of us when we were fillies. “He may be powerful, but he ain’t omnipotent. He prolly got somethin’ tied into his magic that lets him know when somepony messes with it.” “He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you’re awake…” Scootaloo was sitting beside me in the backseat heartily munching away from the bag that I’d seen her carrying earlier. It turned out that it was filled with leaves. I was surprised at first, but then I’d felt my teeth and realized I’d lost my incisors. I’d joined her in the snacking after that. “So as long as we don’t free anypony else, we can stay under the radar?” Babs stared out the window through the drawn hood of her hoodie. “Are we just gonna not tell ponies we can get them their memories back?” “Unless you see an alternative,” I said. I was concentrating on a small pebble resting in my palm. My vision zoomed on it, and I felt all its contours inside my mind. I felt the warm feeling behind my eyes again, and my horn glowed with emerald light. With a small hum, the pebble became enveloped in my telekinetic aura and hovered up a few inches in the air. “Nice, Sweetie!” Scootaloo poked the floating pebble. “You’ll be slinging fireballs and lightning bolts in no time!” I snorted and let the pebble fall. “It’s not much of a feat to do something all unicorns can to do by the time they’re ten. If anything, I’m a few decades behind the curve.” “Hey, so am I!” Scootaloo pointed to her back. “Thirty-three years old and I’m still a dodo! We can go to remedial classes together! I hear this week they’re learning how to count to potato.” “Better study for that one,” Babs said while barely keeping a straight face. “I hear it’s on the final.” “I see an alternative, Sweetie.” Apple Bloom cut in. “We could let ponies know what the risks are, and ask ‘em if they’re still willing to go through with it. Course, that’s dependant if whether or not you’re willing to take the risk. From the way you’re talkin’, I’m not sure if you are.” I didn’t reply. It was true that this whole memory thing was riding on me, and I was the one who’d pay if we drew Discord’s ire. I loved both Rarity and Shmangie more than words could express, and I didn’t think it was fair to make this kind of decision without talking to both of them. I wish I’d told the others as such, but fortunately, I didn’t need to. Without me even saying, they all understood how I felt. “This is the exit, Bloom.” I motioned to the upcoming turn off the highway and pulled out my phone. “I’ll keep trying to get ahold of Shmangie.” “Got it,” she said. *** Shmangie had done well for herself in the years since she’d struck out on her own. Choosing to forego college, she went straight into the workforce and began working at a fitness center while living with a group of friends. She’d learned a great deal about the inner workings of a business as she made her way up the chain, and by the time she would’ve graduated with a bachelors, she was in charge of her own club and was being looked at for a district. Recently, she’d been allocated into human resources, and was now in charge of hiring for clubs in four states. Her above-average income, lack of a student loan payment and social network allowed her to nab a townhouse in the suburbs for cheap, and it was this townhouse that we currently found ourselves in front of. “Doesn’t look like she’s home,” Babs said. “Should we wait?” “Ergh, I don’t know!” I re-dialed her number for what was probably the hundredth time. It wasn’t even ringing anymore, just going straight to voicemail. I’d already left four messages. “She’s bad about answering her phone, but never this bad!” Apple Bloom squinted at the dark windows of the two-story home. “Think somethin’ happened to her?” “Better not have,” Scootaloo growled. “Else we might have to buck some faces.” My sister had always been a responsible sort, so it wasn’t much surprise that she’d been roped into keeping an eye on the four of us several times over the years. Fortunately, Shmangie was awesome, so it wasn’t an issue. The others were very fond of her as a result, and as Scootaloo was currently demonstrating, more than a little protective. “Let’s not call in an orbital strike just yet,” Apple Bloom said dryly. “You know where she works, right, Mage?” I nodded. “About fifteen minutes from here.” Apple Bloom shifted the car back into drive. “Tell me where I’m goin’.” “And what are we gonna do when we get there?” Babs gave us all a pointed look. “We’re not exactly presentable. We don’t even look much like our human selves anymore.” “We’re not that far-gone yet,” Scootaloo said. “Well, you three aren’t, at least. My wings are starting to come in. If I put on a shirt it’ll look like I’ve got a tumor.” I couldn’t help but notice that I couldn’t see as far out the window anymore. I’d already readjusted my belt twice, and it was already starting to get loose again. Apple Bloom was having to raise her chin higher and higher to see over the steering wheel, and at the rate we were shrinking I guessed we had about an hour before we ran out of time. I supposed we could try having one of us steer while another worked the pedals, but that seemed like a monumentally stupid idea. “I’ll go in,” I said. “You girls stay out here and keep the car going.” “You’re not gonna be able to hide your horn,” Babs said with a tap to her forehead. I looked at myself in the rearview mirror. My cheeks had become fuller, my eyes were wider, and my chin looked almost pointed. I looked like a girl in her pre-teens, and combined with my furry ears, cute little horn, and locks of mane spilling around my neck, I was reasonably sure I was downright adorable. “Don’t worry,” I said with a mischievous grin. “It won’t be a problem.” “What’re you gonna say?” Apple Bloom asked. “What do you think?” I pulled out the pocket knife again and started cutting my pants so I wouldn’t trip. “I’m gonna ask for Shmangie.” Scootaloo pulled out a second knife and helped me with the other pant leg. “Isn’t she a big-wig now or something? I doubt they’re gonna let you just see her without a reason.” I laughed. “Oh, I'll give them a reason.” *** “Hello, Ms. Raimundo?” a woman in her early twenties said over the phone. “Yes… yes, I know you’re going over the membership figures with Tony… yes, I know you’re technically on your lunch break, but a little girl showed up at the front desk and you’re the only one here who speaks Spanish...” “¿Dónde está Mamá!”  I wailed with very convincing tears. “¿Dónde está Papá! No quiero estar más aquí! Da miedo y huele raro y me quiero ir a casa!” “Hey, hey it’s okay.” An older guy said in a soothing voice. He was crouched next to me and was trying to give me a candy bar. “We’ll find your parents, don’t worry.” I ignored him and continued to bawl. The man ran a hand through his wispy hair. “Frick, it’s been twenty years since I took Spanish… um... ¿Cómo te…yannas? Yalos? Yaras?” It was evil. It was wrong. It was glorious in every definition of the word. No one even questioned why I was wearing a pony ‘costume.’ I was a panicked minor without a guardian, and the law said they had to take care of me whether they liked it or not. They’d taken me to a daycare room filled with toys and small plastic playground slides, and the woman was over by the door talking with my sister. I wasn’t sure how she’d gotten a hold of her. Maybe Shmangie had a work phone she hadn’t told me about? Regardless, I could hear the exchange thanks to my heightened hearing. “No, no English at all.” The woman spared a quick glance at me. “She just walked in from the parking lot and started crying… dressed up like a unicorn of all things, I think she’s supposed to be in a play or something… no, I haven’t called the police yet, I made an announcement over the PA and was waiting to see if anyone came up to claim her… alright…. yes… she’s in the kids’ room right now with Dan and I… okay, yes, we’ll try to calm her down... two minutes? Thanks.” I withheld my sigh of relief. My biggest worry was that someone other employee here that spoke Spanish, but I’d lucked out. I kept up the waterworks for a little while longer, then gradually dialed it back until I was quiet. The man whose name was apparently Dan was still trying to ask me questions in abysmal Spanish, but I turned away and sat down with my knees hugged against my chest. The smell of cinnamon perfume tickled my nose as the door opened with a beep. Shmangie walked in wearing a stark white, knee-high skirt with matching jacket and high heels. The same diamond-shaped sapphire necklace from my dream caught my attention as she spoke a few words with the woman at the door, then dismissed her and made a beeline for me. A flicker of recognition crossed Shmangie’s eyes as she closed the distance. My heart skipped a beat, but then I heard her mutter the reason why under her breath. “Dios, that’s a good Sweetie costume.” I fiddled with my hands and tried not to look at her. No matter, I hadn’t really expected her to know it was me anyways. That was why I had a Plan B. The click, click, click of Shmangie's hurried steps made Dan look up. He patted my shoulder and stood to address her. “Hey, sorry to drag you away. I got her to stop crying, but now she won’t say anything at all. Maybe she’ll—” As soon as Shmangie was close enough, I sprung up and zipped behind her in a flash. I whimpered and buried my face in the small of her back. “Miedo hombre,” I said. There was a dead silence. Shmangie stiffened from my sudden movement, but then my words registered with her. She looped an arm around me and pushed me completely behind her. “Dan,” Shmangie said slowly, “what did you say to her?” “Nothing!” Dan held up his hands. “Well, I did try to ask her some questions in Spanish, but I don’t remember much so I might’ve accidentally—” “Out. NOW.” I shivered as I remembered all the times that commanding, authoritative tone had been directed at me. I couldn’t see Dan’s face, but I could guess what his expression looked like. He didn’t argue further, he walked past us and left without comment. It was only when the door had shut did Shmangie squeeze my shoulder and kneel down to be eye level with me. “What’s your name, sweetie?” she asked in Spanish. I smiled warmly at her. “Your favorite season is fall.” Shmangie blinked. “What?” I took a deep breath and spoke as quickly and clearly as I could. “You had plastic surgery on your nose from when you fell off a swing and landed face-first your sophomore year. You love to draw, especially black and white portraits. You once spent an entire month sleeping on your back with your arms crossed because you thought you were a vampire. Your favorite chip flavor is sour cream and onion. You used to throw a blanket in the dryer right before we were leaving for school because your first car didn’t have heat. You’re a huge Batman fan and you secretly have a crush on the Joker. You don’t like taco seasoning, so Mom always had to fry your portion of the meat separate.” Shmangie’s jaw was slack. She was reeling from the torrent of memories and random facts I’d spewed at her. There was new recognition in her eyes now, but it was tainted with fear and disbelief. “How do you...” I kept going. “You once got grounded for a week for throwing a party while Mom and Dad were gone. To this day, you think I told on you despite my repeated insistences that I didn’t. You held my hand the entire time I had to get stitches in my eyebrow. Your favorite color is blue. We used to have a dog that would hide behind the toilet whenever there was a thunderstorm. You once ruined an entire load of laundry because you accidentally poured in bleach instead of detergent. You hate coming home because Mom always nags you about getting a boyfriend. You absolutely love My Little Pony, you’re goddamn TERRIBLE about answering your phone, and most importantly of all, you’re one of the people I love most in this world.” The fear in her face faded away. Her hand on my shoulder tightened. The disbelief morphed into incredulousness, and she whispered one word that carried all the weight of the world. “Shmage?” A new tear escaped my eyes, this one as real as they come. “Shmangie.” I ran my hand down her face like I was petting it. “I need your help.”