//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Crap! We're destroying Ponyville! // Story: Zeno's Paradox: A Fluttershy Effect // by Flint Sparks //------------------------------// The four friends left the bakery, puzzled at Mr. Cake’s declaration. Sure, Ponyville celebrated the Summer Sun Celebration once a year, but the princess wasn’t scheduled to visit this year for the public celebration. Regardless, summer had only just begun. The celebration was supposed to take place a week after term let out, leaving the four unusual ponies further confused. They discussed for a several minutes on the whereabouts of their idols and their current situation. “Wait, I think I have it!” Zeno declared, feeling intelligent. As a unicorn, he was naturally inclined to read more than his hornless counterparts, and therefore increasingly book smart. Turning the page, however, was harder for him considering he had to use his hooves rather than magic. Regardless, his friends often looked up to him for the ‘egghead stuff.’ “Hm, I’m curious as well. What is it, Zee?” Lu asked as he ran a hoof through his white mane. He wasn’t vain, but his mane still stunk of Dust’s hooves. Zeno opened his mouth and- splash Zeno and his companions froze in their places, completely damp as their manes and tails drooped. A single cloud had wandered above them as they were distracted, and some pegasus had just dumped its contents. Zeno sighed, his patience honed after several years of practice. Skates and Dust sat down and began preening their wings, drying them off. Lu, the only earth pony, completely lost his patience. “Hey! Watch it, would ya?” Lu shook a hoof at the passing cloud. A cyan head peeked over the edge. The mane seemed multicolored and short. Zeno scratched his head, it seemed awfully familiar. “Sorry!” The mare waved back meekly. She sounded like this had happened before, a guilty consciousness weighed on her. Lu put his hoof down and rolled his eyes. “Sorry doesn’t cut it, we’re soaking!” Lu shouted back. He was supposed to be the most level-headed of the group, but it came with an anger streak. A sigh sounded from the cloud. “Don’t wooorry about. I’ll take care of it,” the pegasus reassured, gesturing with her hoof casually. Before Lu could reply, the pegasus zipped out from her cloud and circled the group in a blur, creating a localized rainbow-hued tornado. In less than ten seconds the four were completely dry, albeit a little unkempt. The pegasus laughed and dashed off into the air, off to search for a new cloud to nap on. “Well, at least my mane doesn’t stink anymore.” Lu performed a hair flip and with a sharp crack, his hair whipped back into shape. It was like nothing had happened to it. “Speaking of manes, how do you do it?” Lu asked as he pointed at Zeno’s messy green mane. It was only slightly unkempt as always, but the rainbow tornado hadn’t any other effect beyond drying. Dust shook his head in a dog-like manner as Skates slicked his hair back. The boys were immature, but they still cared about their appearance. Zeno shrugged. “I guess it’s already at its limit. Anyway, as I was saying, I think Ponyville is having a private celebration,” he explained as he walked toward the town square. A fountain of a rearing earth pony seemed like a good place as any to him as he sat his plot on top of the concrete, facing his followers. “It makes sense, if you think about it. The princess making a private visit, Pinkie Pie running around without everypony knowing. I guess our idols value their privacy more than we thought.” Zeno shrugged. “Does that mean we don’t get to meet them?” Dust whimpered as his tan wings and head lowered in shame. He idolized the Princess of Pop more than anypony else, losing this once in a chance lifetime weighed heavy on his heart. Zeno’s heart nearly broke in two as he gazed upon the downtrodden pegasus. Skates, his brotherly instincts taking over, laid an orange hoof upon his shoulder and gave rubbed a small circle comfortingly. “Dusty, it’ll be okay,” Skates reassured his stepbrother using his nickname. Only close friends were allowed to use it. Skate’s warmth slowly took effect as Dust’s ears slowly rose to their natural position. “Even if we don’t get to meet Pinkie, at least we made it, right?” “Yeah…” Dust agreed, giving a meek grin. “I guess we have to go home now.” “Screw that! I’m out!” Lu cried out at the tender moment. The other three turned their gaze to him. Lu began pacing and his nostrils flared. “Today I stole a teleportation box, been knocked out twice, and had to suffer that wretched stench you call a sock. We’ve worshipped these ponies our. entire. lives.” He stomped his hoof with each word. “Great. We made it, we’re here. If we turn back now, that just makes us cowards.” “Whoa Lu,” Zeno cautioned as he jumped off the fountain and onto his fours. “You’re being a little hasty. Look, these girls are heroes. One flip of their manes and we get our plots hauled off to Canterlot prison. I don’t know about you hot shot, but I’m too pretty for prison.” Zeno fiercely stared into Lu’s eyes. “That sure is something. Of all ponies I know, I never figured you’d be the one to wimp out, Mr. Adventurous,” Lu scoffed as he poked Zeno’s chest with a powerful hoof. Zeno winced as it dug into his chest, but he refused to budge. “Look, Alucard,” Zeno spat Lu’s given name with venom. A snicker interrupted his rebuttal. His tongue stumbled and before he knew it, he was watching two laughing mares pass by. One seemed familiar… the mint unicorn, to be exact. Zeno turned back to Lu, and sighed. In the brief moment he had looked away, his mute-hued friends had dashed off. Even Dust had joined in on the Lu’s lobby. It was the easiest trick to pull off, and had a high success rate. Zeno felt sympathy for all the past foalsitters who’ve watched over him. No matter, Zeno thought as he trotted off to search for the chaotic stallions. “Let’s see... what’s the best way to find an apprentice of Chaos?” Zeno muttered to himself as he stared at the ground while walking. He conjured memories of his professors’ lectures when it hit him! Zeno got off the ground and rubbed his head, a side effect of instant memory retrieval, regretting the pain but remembering the information he needed. “To find the apprentice,” Zeno recited as he lifted his muzzle to the air. BOOM The ground shook as the air vibrated in a violent shockwave. A few ponies ran screaming the opposite direction. Zeno had widened his stance to avoid being blown back, having experienced this event several times. He smirked and began trotting at an even pace toward the source. “Just follow the explosions.” The colorful wooden door was blown ajar, still intact but scorched. Zeno poked his head back into Cupcake Corner, taking in the site. The scarlet unicorn had heard legends of the miraculous party cannon, but had never seen its effects firsthoof. Banners and streamers littered the entire store; it seemed that every possible surface was either covered in confetti or glitter. Malformed balloons littered the ceiling as they bounced off each other. Scorch marks were seemingly painted on the walls. A rattling noise emanating from behind the counter drew Zeno’s attentions. The yellow-orange stallion from earlier was in fetal position, his teeth chattering, crying. Zeno gingerly stepped forward and nudged the stallion’s shoulder with his muzzle. Mr. Cake sniffed and opened a single eye, making eye contact with the new arrival. He tried to stand up, but stumbled on his own hooves. Zeno grabbed his shoulder strap with teeth and tenderly helped the elder up. The stallion fixed his crooked hat with a hoof. “What happened here?” Zeno asked, looking around the bakery as he spoke. Mr. Cake involuntarily shivered. “Seriously sir, talk to me.” Mr. Cake’s whole body merely quivered in response. “I-i-i-i-“ Mr. Cake stuttered, words unable to form. Zeno placed his front red hooves on the older stallion and gently caressed his shoulders. “Come on Mr. Cake, just tell me what happened,” Zeno cooed. His blues eyes refused to blink as they made contact with green. The shoulders lost tension as they relaxed under his gentle hooves. Zeno persisted, he wouldn’t let go until the stallion was completely was completely. Mr. Cake opened his square jaw once more. “She-sh-s…” he trailed off. Zeno rolled his eyes. A shoulder rub and comforting words were not working, so he had to resort to less than honorable methods. Zeno resumed eye contact and slowly raised a single hoof. smack! “Hey! What was that fo-“ “GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF COLT!” Zeno violently shook the older stallion. Mr. Cake became a blur as Zeno shook him until he could hear his eyeballs rattling in their sockets. Zeno slowly stopped his unruly method, as to avoid giving the stallion vertigo, until only Mr. Cakes eyes were rolling. smack! “Wha-what happened?” Mr. Cake asked as his eyes began to focus again. Zeno clicked his tongue. “You tell me sir. What happened here?” Zeno waved a hoof, pointing around the store. Mr. Cake’s ears drooped as his voice dropped to a whisper. “Sh-she happened,” Mr. Cake whispered as he ducked underneath the counter. Zeno bent down on all fours and joined him. Mr. Cake looked around, making sure they were alone. Mr. Cake leaned in and whispered in Zeno’s attentive ear. “He c-came in and they started talking. I don’t know what was going on until he handed her a blue can.” This caught Zeno’s attention. Zeno’s eyes widened. “Oh, no he didn’t,” Zeno whispered. He turned to face Mr. Cake. “What was in the can?” Mr. Cake stared at the floor and drew a pattern in the fallen confetti. “I’m not sure. Something about bulls?” Mr. Cake shrugged. A gasp escaped Zeno’s lips. “Oh no. This is not good, not good at all,” Zeno whispered as he began fidgeting in place. His left hoof twitched as his right ear began flicking at an invisible fly. Dust must have snuck it in his saddlebag! Mr. Cake watched this strange spectacle before speaking. “Do you have any idea what it was?” Mr. Cake whispered. Zeno stopped his twitching and answered. “Blue Bulls. It’s a drink in my country. It’s caffeinated. Extremely caffeinated. I take it Pinkie drank it?” Zeno whispered back. Mr. Cake nodded. “Yes, and then they… partied. It was horrible, it was as if Princess Celestia herself puked a rainbow and left confetti everywhere.” Mr. Cake shuddered at the thought. Zeno’s ear began flicking again, to his annoyance. What was the deal with Ponyville and Celestia, anyway? Wasn’t it time to forget the previous ruler? “Alright, thank you for your time.” Zeno stood up and began walking out from the counter and toward the door. There was no point in asking where they went, he would just follow the trail of destruction. As he stepped out the door, he was stopped by Mr. Cake. “Wait! Miss! I never got your name,” Mr. Cake shouted from behind the counter. Zeno sighed, ran a hoof through his dyed green mane, and turned around. “My name is Zeno. And I am a stallion, thank you very much,” Zeno huffed as he turned around. Before the older stallion could answer, he whipped around and galloped out. Several of the houses Zeno passed were several different colors and shapes, very much like home. He couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic. After the Elements of Harmony had become famous, the Mayor of Ponyville decreed that the village would remain a historical site and would retain its classical design. Other than the occasional reconstruction of damaged buildings, there were few renovations made to the town. One particular building caught his attention as he galloped past some mares. Zeno slowed down to a trot and looked up at the building. He remembered visiting it as a foal with his foalhood friend, Lulu, on a field trip. It was the home of her mother Lyra, one of the various citizens of Ponyville. As he recalled, she sold the house to move to Discordia after her daughter began showing early signs of magic. Despite being the splitting image of her unicorn mother, Lulu had a different form of magic and there was only one teacher in all of Equestria who could help her: Discord. Zeno, in a bout of reminiscence, crept forward and laid a hoof on the pink door. Somepony coughed behind him. “Ahem, can I help you?” A mint mare asked Zeno as he whipped around in surprise. It was that mint mare he saw earlier! A unicorn, to be exact. Closer examination revealed her eyes to be a warm, familiar amber color. The unicorn snorted as they touched snouts, the red one had accidentally scooted closer. Zeno shook his head and hastly scooted back, rubbing his head nervously. “Uh, sorry! You look like somepony I know,” Zeno commented, trying to save himself. The unicorn scoffed, pointing her nose to the air. Zeno couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the snobbish act. Deciding to take the cue, he held out a red hoof. “Hi, I’m Zeno. Just a visitor from town.” The unicorn took his hoof on her own and began shaking. “Zeno…?” She asked. The scarlet unicorn shook his head, his green mane covering his eyes. “Just Zeno. I don’t use my last name,” he replied. “What’s yours?” “Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings. Nice to meet you!” Lyra greeted, excited to meet a new pony. Zeno’s eyes widened in surprise as their shake refused to end. There were posers in Ponyville? Well, it’s been a few years since he last saw her. Perhaps she bought her house back after her daughter got accepted into Canterlot University. She looks really young, Zeno thought. “Yeah… likewise,” Zeno replied. “I’m sorry, but have you seen any of my friends?” Zeno briefly gave a description of his three comrades. Lyra put a hoof on her chin and scratched, deep in thought. Her eyes twinkled as she raised her hoof to answer, but rescinded as she brought it back to her chin to ponder more. Zeno impatiently tapped his hoof; his patience threshold was wearing thin after being tested the entire day. “Well, I did see an earth pony gallop by earlier. Gray, you say?” Lyra asked after ample consideration. Zeno sighed. “Well, technically he’s grey,” he explained. “Yes, that’s what I said: gray.,” she replied. “No, he’s grey.” “Gray?” “No, grey!” “Gray!” “Grey!” “Are you two going to make out already or can I enter my home?” a female voice inquired nearby. The two arguing unicorns, horns crossed and creating multicolored sparks, looked at the source of the voice. A cream colored mare with a dual colored mane sat in front of them sorting through a key ring for her house key. The blue and pink colors of her mane looked like candy, enough to make Zeno’s stomach growl. Lyra giggled. “Yeah, that happens to me too. Say, Zeno, want to eat with us?” Lyra offered. Zeno thought about accepting the offer, having not eaten lunch yet, when he felt a small tremor underneath his hooves. Zeno squinted and stared in the direction he suspected it came from before dashing toward the source. Lyra and Bonbon looked at each other and shrugged. “You silly fillyfooler, I just can’t leave you alone, can I?” Bonbon giggled as she trotted to the door and unlocked it. Lyra followed close behind. Bonbon made sure to smack her muzzle with her tail, teasing her. “Whatever Bons, you know you’re the only mare for a silly filly like me!” Lyra snickered as they slammed the door behind them. Many shenanigans ensued. Zeno galloped as fast as his hooves could carry him, hoping to minimize the damage his friends were causing. If only they had listened to him! Well, at the very least everypony on campus will hear about their exploits and invite them to the good parties. He hadn’t been to a proper party since that one time Skates drained the pool and used it for some air tricks. Which wouldn’t have been so horrible if there weren’t sea ponies swimming in it. Shame too, some of them were quite cute. The images of writhing bodies were still burned in his retinas, haunting his dreams. The fact nopony would ever let them forget it only served to further annoy him. Despite all his resistance put forth, boredom began settling inside Zeno. Zeno shook his green mane, trying to dispel the malignity. The last thing a pony aligned with chaos need was boredom. A bored pony was a dangerous pony. The red unicorn stopped moving and shook his head. Boredom was a snake inside his mind, eating away at the thoughts he tried to focus on. A tendril of shadows reached into his mind, trickling around his neurons and reaching the hypothalamus. A single touch drove Zeno to insanity. “Oh my! Are you okay, mister?” a young, soothing voice called from beyond the darkness. Zeno’s ears perked up to the sound of musical bells, as if an angel was speaking to him. He couldn’t see at the moment, not that he would want to. Zeno was lying on his back, hooves convulsing in each direction, as foam frothed from his mouth. He felt a small hoof lye on his stomach and shake, as if somepony was attempting to awake him. A few more cries pierced the darkness before he realized a concerned foal was crying for him. Zeno opened his eyes. A small, white unicorn filly with a fluffy pink mane was staring down at him, a tear at the corner of her eye. Crap, he thought. He had just broken the first rule of Chaos. He needed to rectify the situation fast, or the crying filly would forever weigh upon his soul. As much fun as his faux seizure was, making anypony cry was despicable. He hadn’t meant to have any witnesses on the rural dirt road he was on, but the filly must have been passing by. Quick, what do I do? He questioned himself. He abruptly leaped onto all fours, surprising the unicorn filly. He pulled out a toothbrush (don’t ask), and began brushing his teeth. The unicorn tilted her head, plopping down onto her plot. Zeno tapped his other hoof ten times, making sure to brush for the appropriate time (to set a good example for the young filly). When he was done, he lifted his head up, sloshed his own spit in his mouth, and spat out the foam to the side of the road. A few miles away, a blue unicorn cheered for absolutely no reason. “There, all better,” Zeno announced as he wiped his mouth. The filly continued to stare at him after the spectacle. “What were you doing?” The unicorn asked, curious. Zeno scratched behind his ear, unsure on how to answer. Chaos was hard to explain to anyone aligned with Order, especially unicorns. The filly only radiated a small amount of Chaos that was present in everypony, meaning she had no potential whatsoever to learn the branch of magic. “Silly filly, I was just brushing my teeth!” Zeno beamed, revealing his pearly whites. The filly sniffed and wiped a stray tear, unconvinced. She stared at him with her wide green eyes. Green met blue, unblinking. Zeno stared, unable to look away. Her eyes widened; her iris and pupils enlarging on her pristine face. Her fluffy mane and big eyes combined to make what may be the most adorable filly Zeno had laid eyes on. His willpower finally drained when she scrunched up her lips and sniffed. His head drooped. “I’m sorry, I was just bored and wanted to have a little fun,” he admitted, drawing a line in the dirt with his hoof. The filly perked up and bounced around him excitedly. “Wow mister, how’d you do that? Are you an actor? Oh oh are you from Manehatten? Hi, I’m Sweetie Belle!” The filly bounced in front of him, her smile widening each second. Zeno couldn’t help but return the smile. He absolutely loved foals. Thanks to his androgynous appearance and experience with chaos, he made several bits as a foalsitter. “Well…” He tapped his chin with his hoof, unsure how to respond. A small wisp of smoke snaked over to the unsuspecting unicorn and touched his nose. Zeno sniffed, taking in the scent. “Well, that’s not good.” “What’s not good?” Sweetie Belle asked, tilting her head in confusion. Zeno put his nose on the ground and sniffed frantically. He got a faint scent of earth, cider, and cologne. Catching the scent he needed, he raised his muzzle into the air and searched for the source. It seemed to deviate only a small degree off the path, meaning he could continue on the dirt road without missing anypony. “Smoke, I smell smoke,” Zeno admitted as he began trotting down the path. The filly gasped and jumped in front of him, forcing him to stop. “Smoke? There’s a fire at Sweet Apple Acres? I have to go help Applebloom!” Sweetie Belle squealed and began circling the older unicorn in a blur. Zeno nervously bit his lip. If Lu had damaged the legendary orchard in any way, not even Discord himself could save him from the corporate hell of a lawsuit coming his way. If he recalled correctly from the newspaper Discordian Duration , Applebloom was Applejack’s daughter. Perhaps if he brought her friend with him, Applebloom would be grateful and it would help with appearances. The power of the press might save them. “Come on, let’s go!” Zeno suddenly ordered. Before the filly could respond, he leaned down and bit the scruff of her neck and threw her onto his back. He reared up and whinnied, kicking out his hooves, before touching back down and galloping toward the farm. Sweetie Belle gave a short squeak, but didn’t complain. For a unicorn, Zeno was decently fit and fast. He wasn’t an athlete, but his ineptitude with magic forced him to move around the library more than he’d like to. The dirt road slightly curved to the left ahead of Zeno. As he took the turn, Sweetie Belle noticed his left ear tilted to left. Her curiosity gnawed at her as she adjusted her seating so her hind legs, keeping a secure grip on Zeno’s sides. Before he could ask what she was doing, Sweetie Belle poked his right ear. “Hey! That’s not funny!” Zeno complained as his trajectory strayed to the right, causing his right shoulder to grind against a wooden fence. A nice green pasture was beyond it, the sun beginning to descend toward the horizon. Sweetie Belle giggled. The ground trembled, causing Zeno to full stop. “Uh, that’s not good,” he said, plastering his ears to his head. The tremor was louder this time, coming from the direction of the farm. He was closer, but it would take some time to get there. The road was beginning to snake around in contrast to how straightforward it was earlier. Unless he hopped the fence, it might be too late before he’d make it. “Hey Sweetie, mind doing me a favor?” “What?” Sweetie Belle asked, wincing from the tremor. “Steer,” Zeno ordered as he pawed the ground with a single hoof, preparing to charge. If he did a full charge, she could steer and they could make good time. He was beginning to tire, but the time it’d save might be enough to save his neck. “Alright mister! I don’t suppose you could get a cutie mark from steering, could you?” The filly pondered this thought. Without her more hyperactive friends around, there was nopony to blow it out of proportion. Sweetie Belle shook her head, that’d mean riding cows or something and she hated having Rarity bathe her if she got too dirty. “You ready, squirt?” Zeno asked. Sweetie Belle kicked his side with her back hooves, bringing him to a trot. Zeno began picking up the pace as Sweetie Belle grabbed onto his mane. Zeno reared once more. “Yeehaw!” Sweetie Belle shouted as Zeno whinnied. He dropped down into a full gallop, the scenery beginning to blur together. Sweetie Belle squinted, watching the dirt road ahead of her. She pushed down the corresponding ear to each turn they came across, guiding Zeno on the path. Because of how naturally playful she was as a filly, Sweetie Belle did not understand the significance of the trust Zeno had placed in her. Underneath her, his eyes were completely closed as he breathed erratically. Zeno felt a tug on his mane, causing his hooves to halt all momentum. Exhausted, he fell forward on his face. Sweetie Belle hopped off and shook his head to wake him. “Come on, mister. We’re here,” she told him. Zeno rested for a moment, and then stood up. He took the opportunity to examine the legendary orchard. Apple trees were planted as far as the eye could see; in the middle of the farm were a single house and a barn. Wow, I wasn’t expecting something so… normal, Zeno thought as he panted. While Ponyville was a historical site, he assumed Applejack had expanded the original farm before becoming the cider tycoon she was today. Then again, she probably valued her home more than a few bits. She was voted “Most Honest Businessmare” for reason. The damage wasn’t as bad as he thought, so Zeno relaxed. Other than a few small craters scattered across the field, only one tree was on fire. One lone mare was sitting by the barn, so the two unicorns trotted over. It was an orange earth mare: blonde braids and a farmer’s hat. So this must be Applebloom. “Uh, hello miss,” Zeno greeted nervously to the side of the mare. The mare slowly turned to face him, her teeth chattering. Oh no, not again. “Is everything alright?” The mare took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Mah brother. Ah’ve never seen him go full out before,” she whispered. Zeno whistled. At least she hadn’t faced “Pinkie party time.” The Apple family was famous for their strength, especially Big Macintosh quite a few years ago. Big Macintosh was voted “Most Eligible Bachelor” on one of Zeno’s favorite gossip magazines after he built an entire orphanage himself on Discord’s request. Even in middle age he was quite the brute. “Was that your friend?” Zeno nodded. “Yeah, I think so. How was he?” ‘Applebloom’ pondered for a moment before answering. “He ain’t no match for mah big brother, that’s for sure. He doesn’t seem all that tough, but he can take quite the lickin’,” she answered truthfully. Zeno agreed. Blocking out pain with the rubber body technique was foal’s play. Though that didn’t explain all the craters the two had left behind. As much as he could remember, nopony in the Apple Family was aligned with Chaos. Honesty ran through the blood too thick to allow it, perhaps it was Lu’s doing? “They don’t seem to be nearby, and the tremors have stopped,” Zeno observed as he pawed the ground. “However… are you alright?” His question took the farmer off guard. “Yes sir, never been better. Just a little surprised, that’s all,” she answered with a nod. “So, uh… need any help with that tree?” Zeno asked, pointing toward the flaming apple tree. The instant he called attention to it, the fire contracted stage fright and ceased to exist in an act of desperation. “Oh, well that takes care of it. Guess Lu got a little carried away,” Zeno laughed as he began trotting off in a random direction. “Guess so. Ya seem new to town, are ya missing a few friends?” she asked earnestly, trotting after him alongside Sweetie Belle. One of Zeno’s ears perked up at ‘few.’ He turned his head and made eye contact. “Yeah, I am. You’ve already seen Lu, but have you seen two pegasi running around? High strung, kind of obnoxious, and a few straws short of a haystack?” Zeno motioned with his hooves. The mare considered his description for a moment before answering. “Well, I saw a pegasus earlier, kinda hyper. He had a brownish coat,” she commented. “Was he flying or not?” “Well yeah. Most pegasus do, what of it?” she asked, surprised. Zeno didn’t bother to answer as he stepped closer. “Mind showing me where he is?” Zeno asked earnestly, giving his best pleading look in the eyes. The mare took a step back, maintaining eye contact. The scarlet unicorn and tangerine mare locked eyes in a struggle of wills. A sigh was let loose as she finally relented. “Alright partner. Don’t blame me if you can’t handle ‘im,” she warned, tipping her hat. Zeno nodded, motioning her to take the lead. Rather than set down the path, she walked up to the barn’s wall. Zeno merely stood watch as she turned around, lifted her hindquarters, and bucked the wall. Whump A tan mass of feathers and fur fell from the roof onto the ground before Zeno. Zeno shuffled his hooves nervously as Dust sat up and rubbed his head in agony. His blonde mane was disheveled, his wings had loose feathers in desperate need of preening, and his coat was stricken with frosting and glitter. The poor pegasus glanced at Zeno for a brief second before rearing up and retching. Sweetie Belle tried not to lose her lunch at the disgusting sight. Zeno strode over and held his luscious blonde locks as Dust puked rainbows. “Dust, I know this is a terrible time to remind you, but isn’t giving caffeine to Pinkie Pie, ya know, illegal?” Zeno asked. Indeed, it was illegal. Ever since the invention of Blue Bull, the famous pop star was banned in twenty countries from ever consuming the beverage, or any similar drink, ever again. In fact, the drink itself was facing a nationwide ban because of the peculiar aftereffects. Rainbow puke was rather hard to clean up, after all. “See what Ah mean?” The orange mare approached Zeno’s side, holding her hat to her chest in apology. Lacking any magical finesse to do it himself, Zeno resolved to herd Dust to the nearest bathroom to wash off. Sweetie Belle, intrigued, followed at a safe distance. The poor pegasus’s wings were twitching in agony. “Yeah,” Zeno replied. He moved a green lock out of his face. “If you see my friend, tell him to haul his plot off to the town center, okay? Sorry for the trouble,” he apologized. The mare understood and nodded. He felt as if he was getting off easy, but at least he was sincere. He then began hauling Dust off back to town with Sweetie Belle trailing after him. “Ugh…” Dust moaned. Zeno wished he could scold the pegasus, but his injuries would have to speak for themselves. Nopony could help but pity the fool who’d face the essence of partying herself. Giving Pinkie Pie caffeine was the equivalent of a thousand parties. With cannons. On the sun. “Achoo!” Zeno sneezed, stopping the two’s progress. The scarlet unicorn wrinkled his nose, feeling ticklish. Something between his eyes fell off toward the ground. He picked up the object with his hoof and held it in front of him. “Huh, that’s strange.” “Wha..?” Dust moaned semi-conscious. Zeno shook his head. That’s impossible! She rarely visited Ponyville from what he heard, being Princess Twilight’s left-hoof mare and fellow princess. Still, having somepony familiar around might make things less hectic. As wistful the thought may be, it probably wasn’t hers. Zeno sighed, tossed the small object, and continued on his journey. The midnight blue feather slowly floated to the ground, as if it was sinking in water rather than air. As it touched down onto the fence’s shadow, dark vapors poured out of the feather until no evidence remained.