//------------------------------// // Trickery & Deception // Story: More Than Just The Music // by Renegade3299 //------------------------------// It’s been a while since the Post Winter Festival, and the band and me had been keeping pretty busy. Tonight, we’d just finished doing the last show of our second tour in support of the new album, which was released about a week after the Post Winter Festival. By the way, Striker and Lightning were fully recovered by the time the tour started, and were in top shape for every show. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie generously served as our first instrument tech’s that we’d had. We were now getting ready for another small break. The only show we had planned was in two months at the Crystal Empire, where the band, as well as the other six, would be honored at the Crystal Fair as special guests. We were playing there to “kick-off” the fair, in a matter of speaking. Later on after the Fair, the Gala would finally be coming up. We were all stoked, that was for sure. Rarity was kind enough to make tuxedos for the four of us, and would also be crafting the dresses for her friends, as she usually did. Both Rainbow and myself constantly spoke of what our night there was going to be like. No, I still hadn’t told her of how I felt about her- in due time, it would happen. Nonetheless, both of us were sure to have a magical night together at the Gala. The new album had been very successful, and already, we were getting ready to enter the studio and begin recording for our next one. We had an interview here in Ponyville booked in a few weeks to discuss the forthcoming album and future tours. We were constantly busy, but we were having fun. Such is the life of a successful musician. **************** I was on my way to the Ponyville Nightclub, where I would be meeting up with Rainbow Dash. I was looking forward to this night. I had just gotten done playing a small local show with the band here in Ponyville. I approached the club and was let in. Laser lights and music surrounded me as I walked inside, looking for Rainbow Dash. No sign of her yet. So, to kill time, I went up to the bar and ordered a mug of cider. I grasped my mug, keeping an eye out for Rainbow. Then, I heard a voice behind me. “Hey, Shadow Chord!” I looked up and saw Glamour Gem walking toward me. “Evening.” I answered, wondering why she was here. She’d been leaving me be for quite some time now… but then again, this was actually the first time I’d seen her in quite a while, so I kept my guard up nonetheless. “Long time, no see!” she said, standing next to me at the bar. She ordered a cocktail and paid the server when he gave it to her. “…So, how are things with you?” I asked after a few seconds of awkward silence between us, still being as cautious as possible around this mare. “Pretty good.” she said. “You guys did a great show tonight, by the way.” I looked down at my cider, then at her. She wasn’t acting the way she usually acted around me- she was giving me a regular grin, and was simply telling me that she had enjoyed the concert. “Thanks.” I said, trying to be courteous, yet keeping my guard up. Sudden personality changes weren’t common, and I wasn’t sure if she was truly attempting to engage in normal conversation with me. “So, when will you be performing again?” she asked casually, stirring her drink. “Not for a while.” I said, feeling a bit more at ease upon hearing her question. “We’re in the process of writing our next album. We might do a few shows here and there, but we definitely won’t tour until the next album is out.” “Jeez, even when you aren’t touring, you guys stay busy, don’t you?” she inquired. “It’s a busy lifestyle, but then again, everypony has a busy lifestyle, one way or another. We’re actually taking a break for a bit before we hit the studio again.” I took a large swig of my cider, immediately noticing a different taste to it. This definitely wasn’t regular cider. But it wasn’t a bad taste- it was actually quite interesting, so I figured it must have been a seasonal type of cider or something like that. “Are than any scheduled events that you know for sure are happening?” she asked me. “Well, in a couple of weeks, we’re doing a live interview at the Ponyville Express Studio. Then we‘ll be playing at the Crystal Fair, but that‘s all we‘ve got right now.” I grabbed my mug and in one quick gulp, I drank the last of the cider that was in the mug. That was the final thing I remembered before completely blacking out. **** RAINBOW DASH’S P.O.V.**** I walked through the doors of the nightclub, happy as could be. The show was awesome, the tours were finished, and now I had even more time to spend with Shadow Chord! Just a couple weeks ago, we all were shown our dressed and tuxes for the Gala, and Rarity did an awesome job as always. The music blared throughout the club as I looked for Shadow Chord. He wasn’t on the dance floor, so I went over to the bar. Looking around, I didn’t see him, but I came across Lyra. “Hey Lyra- have you seen Shadow Chord anywhere?” “I haven’t seen him yet,” she replied, “But I only got here a couple of minutes ago.” “Well, if you see him, could you let him know that I’m here?” She nodded with a smile, and I continued my search. I check outside and then the bar one more time, but was not able to locate him. I was wondering if he might not have arrived yet- he could have been back at the concert venue. I turned to go back outside and head to the venue. As I approached the door, I stopped dead in my tracks and my heart caught in my throat. I could not believe what I was seeing. There was Shadow Chord… sitting on one of the sofas, with his foreleg around Glamour Gem, looking into her eyes with a soft smile. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head, thinking that my brain was playing tricks with me. I looked again, and saw the same thing. My heart started pounding and my breathing became heavier. I swiftly moved over to the two. “Shadow Chord!” He didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at me. He just caressed Glamour’s cheek, which astounded me. What was he thinking? Didn’t he know who this was?? “Shadow Chord, what’s going on?” I asked. “What does it look like, Rainbow Dash?” Glamour answered for him. “What do you mean?” I demanded. “Come, now, Dashie.” she said, looking up at me smugly as Shadow ran his hoof over her mane, “It’s obvious that he’s finally come around. He’s realized that I’m the mare of his dreams.” “Oh no, you don’t!” I shouted, “Don’t even think about it! You know how he feels about-” “Look at him, Rainbow.” she cut me off, “See the way he’s treating me? When has he ever done that for you? And how do you know… that we haven‘t been meeting up like this for a while, now?” My heart sank, as I realized that he hadn’t even looked at me. I put my hoof on his shoulder, my nerves going berserk. “Why, Shadow?” but to my surprise and grief, he pushed my hoof away. I could not believe what was going on. “Why?” I whispered again, my heart falling into pieces. “Because you’re not good enough for him, Rainbow.” Glamour bragged, “Do yourself a favor, and get out of here. He’s not even paying attention to you, because you’re nothing to him, and you never will be. There’s no hope for you and him.” I stood there, looking at Glamour Gem, who had a vain expression of victory, and at Shadow, who continued to look at Glamour with a lovey expression on his face. This was just too much for me to take in. What had I done to him? Why was he acting this way to Glamour Gem? Was he just like any other stereotypical rockstar after all? Going with any girl he pleases? My emotions were tearing me in half now as I felt the tears stinging my eyes as I realized the truth- he'd chosen Glamour Gem after all. I wanted to just disappear and never come back. My trust was broken, but more importantly, my heart was too. This was an absolute nightmare. I turned and swiftly moved out the door, trying to conceal my sorrow. **** SHADOW CHORD’S P.O.V.**** I finally came to my senses... and found myself in the most awkward of positions. For some reason, I was sitting beside Glamour Gem. I then realized that my foreleg was around her, which I immediately jerked back, wondering what was going on. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?” I asked to no one in particular. “Oh, she just left. She realized that she wasn’t good enough for you.” Glamour responded. “WHAT!?” I yelled, not knowing what she meant. I quickly got up and rushed outside. I could see Rainbow about a hundred feet ahead, walking away swiftly. I took flight to catch up with her. “Hey Rainbow, where are you going?” I asked once I was close enough. “Where do you think?” she said bitterly, “Away from you!” “Away from me?” I asked, confused, “What are you talking about?” “Don’t play stupid!” she shouted. “Just go back to Glamour Gem and get away from me!” Rainbow Dash ran away and then took to the skies. I was unable to catch up, but moreover, I had no clue what was going on. Why was Rainbow upset with me? And what did she mean by going back to Glamour Gem? So that’s what I resolved to do- return to her and find out what was going on. I went back to the club where Glamour was waiting at the door for me. “Hey, babe.” she greeted. “Whoa, whoa, don’t call me that, Glamour.” I protested. “Why not?” she asked, the grin fading away. “Because I’m not your babe.” I answered in a serious tone. “Now, tell me- what in Celestia’s name is going on? What happened that made Rainbow Dash so mad?” A could see a look of confusion in Glamour Gem’s eyes as well. My brain was about to explode, it was all too much. “You… you know,” she hesitated, “You don’t want anything to do with her. You’re with me now, remember?” “No…” I said cautiously, wondering what she was talking about, “When in the world did I make those statements?” Was this mare going insane? “Like, half an hour ago!” she answered, her voice becoming rushed. It was clear that she was not sure why I was saying these things, “We’ve been cuddling together here for a while now. You’re with me!” “Glamour, did you hit your head on a metal pipe or something?” I inquired. Then, I remembered that I blacked out, and when I came to, my foreleg was around her. I began to feel panic rising. “What's been happening for the past half hour?” I demanded. Before she could respond, Diamond Tiara came running in through the doorway. “Hey Glamour Gem,” she asked, not taking the time to notice that I was there, “Did the love potion… work?” her voice faded and she took a step back when she saw me, realizing she'd spoken too quickly. Love potion? Was THAT what I tasted in my cider? Upon hearing the question, everything pieced and came together in my mind within an instant. “Love…potion?” I asked, folding my forelegs and giving Glamour a look of severe seriousness. She looked at the ground, as if searching for a response. I felt my temper flare like never before, and I shouted at the top of my lungs, catching the attention of the club staff. “YOU GAVE ME A LOVE POTION!!!???” “But… but it was supposed to have a permanent effect!” she stammered, not even talking directly to me. “Why didn’t it work?”. Now I understood why she was acting surprised that I wasn't being affectionate with her. “I don’t know, but I’m glad it didn’t.” I sternly accosted her. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Glamour. And you’ve gone too far.” “No, no!” she responded, her voice shaking in nervousness, “It… it was Diamond Tiara’s idea!” “What!?” Diamond gasped in shock. “Yeah, she told me that she knew of a way to get you to fall for me!” she babbled, “Diamond said that she could brew up a love potion and slip it into your cider while I distracted you! I didn’t know it wouldn’t work. Why… why didn’t you warn me, Diamond? Why didn‘t you tell me it wouldn‘t work?” “But this wasn’t my idea!” she answered, a hurt and betrayed expression on her face. "You're the one who came up with it!" “Don’t try to get out of trouble, missy!” Glamour scolded, putting her forelegs on her hips. You should know better than to try things that won’t work. Now, Shadow, if we can just talk this over-” “Why are you lying and saying it was my idea?” Diamond begged, her eyes welling up “You told me that you’d adopt me as your little sister if I helped you with this!” “I said stop trying to get out of trouble, Diamond! You-” “THAT’S ENOUGH!!” I screamed, making the two stop bickering. I quickly asked an approaching security guard to get the authorities. Hearing what had just happened, he obliged. I continued to speak. “Glamour, you know that the plan you spoke of is WAY too complicated for a filly her age to figure out. And you know it‘s illegal to give anypony a potion against their will- I won‘t stand for that!” “Diamond, if you just tell the truth, I promise you I’ll be your big sister.” Glamour Gem said in a desperate attempt to saver herself. I shook my head in disgust. “But Glamour, you know I didn’t think of this. You did and asked me to help. Why are you saying that I‘m the one who did this?” Glamour huffed in anger. “Well, if you’re not willing to help me out, then I guess we can’t be sisters. I’m appalled that you’d let me take the fall for this.” “That’s because you’re clearly the one who came up with the idea, Glamour Gem. Ever since you met me, you’ve been trying to get with me, and I would not put this past you. And here you are, not only denying it, but you‘re trying to put the blame on a little filly. I‘m the one who‘s appalled here.” I stated as the authorities approached. I explained what had happened, and they took Glamour Gem away, informing her that she’d be staying the night in jail. Security informed me that Diamond Tiara’s father had been informed and that he was coming to get her, since she was not supposed to be out this late. I was about to leave, when I saw Diamond sit on the sofa and break down in tears. I couldn’t stand to see a young filly in this state, even if she was a bully. I’d known for a while that she’d looked up to Glamour Gem as a big sister, and I’m sure that this must have been almost unbearable for her. So, I seated myself next to her. “Diamond, it’s okay. I’m not upset with you. And I’ll talk to your father- I’ll let him know that it wasn’t your doing.” “It’s not that,” she sniffled, “I just can’t believe this. I don’t have a big sister anymore. Glamour Gem hates me.” Putting a hoof on her shoulder, I said, “I understand that you’re upset about that. I’m sure it’s no fun having your big sister turn her back on you. But Diamond, if you had continued hanging out with her, you would have eventually gotten yourself into some serious trouble. She’s not the kind of pony you should be around. She’s a very bad influence.” “But she’s the only pony who’s ever been something like a sister to me!” Diamond said. “I know, and I’m sure it’s painful to have her do what she just did. But look at it- she blamed you entirely for something that she did, and talked you into doing. She’s not being like a sister at all to you.” “I just…” Diamond wiped a tear away, “I just want to have a sister! That’s all I want! Somepony to hang out with, somepony to be there for me! Is that too much to ask!? It just isn’t fair! Those stupid blank-flanks have sisters who are always there for them! Even Scootaloo has Rainbow Dash! Why do they have sisters and not me?” That’s when I had an epiphany about why Diamond Tiara might have treated my friends’ sisters the way she did, but I needed to find out. “Diamond…” I started, “Is that why you don’t like those three girls?” She bit her lip and looked at the ground, not willing to answer the question. It seemed like I might have been on track. “You don’t need to be afraid to admit things, there’s nothing wrong with that. Nopony is gonna make fun of you for it.” She took a deep breath and poured out her emotions, “Yes! That’s why! They’re not as rich or popular as me, but they have something better- they’ve got their big sisters who have their back!” The young filly began crying freely now, having let Celestia-knows-how-many months or years of inner jealousy out. “It isn’t fair! It isn’t fair! I just want a sister!!” I spoke to her in a soft, understanding tone, “Diamond, I’m sure you can find somepony out there who would be a great sister for you. But Glamour Gem is NOT the pony. Trust me, because I know someone who had a brother that didn’t care about him.“ “Who?” the little filly asked. “Me.” I answered, which took her by surprise. “My brother- and my mom- never cared about me. They didn’t want anything to do with me. And I realized that if they truly didn’t care about me, then I didn’t need to be around them.” “But didn’t it upset you that you didn’t have a brother there for you?” “I admit, it was hard at first. But after I came to Equestria, I found the other members of my band- they’ve been just like my brothers. They're more of a family than my mom and brother have ever been. We’ve been through so much, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But you need to keep this in mind- I‘m caring and respectful to everypony around me, and you should be the same way. Nopony will want a little sister who is mean to other ponies, especially if they’re jealous for a reason that can’t be helped.” “Can’t be helped?” “Right.” I replied. “It isn’t your fault that other ponies like Sweetie Belle and Applebloom have big sisters, but remember- it isn’t their fault either, and it isn’t a bad thing. It’s not to make you jealous, they just happen to have sisters. All you need to do is find a sister with a good influence.” “But who would take me now? I know that I’m mean to a lot of ponies.” she admitted, in a defeated manner. “Nopony will want me for a sister.” “You can change that. You just need to treat everypony with respect, like I do, and like a lot of ponies do. Diamond, remember when you first met me and I talked to your class? If you remember, I said that nopony should ever make fun of others for who they are. Just be respectful and kind to everypony around you, and you’ll find a sister figure in no time!” “You think so?” she asked, brightening up a bit. “I sure do. Just remember what I told you, and it’ll be no problem for you.” For a few minutes, she sat there, deep in thought. I could tell that she was thinking about what I'd been telling her. Then, I saw her father approaching the doorway, so I spoke to her once more. “Listen, your father’s here, so I’m gonna go and talk to him. Like I promised, I'll make sure he doesn't punish you, because I think you're truly sorry. Now, it’s up to you whether you change or not, Diamond. But if you don’t, you’re gonna wind up just like Glamour Gem. So, do you think you can change?” She smiled and nodded. “Good. Now, if you ever need anything, just come and talk to me. That’s what I’m here for.” I approached her father, who spoke up. “Thank you for informing me, Shadow Chord.” he stated, “I can’t believe she’s been hanging with that Glamour Gem again. I told her to keep away from her.” “It’s really no trouble,” I told him. “I just ask that you take the punishment easy on her this time. I had a talk with her, and I discovered that she wants a sister figure in her life, and she’s been looking up to Glamour Gem. But she showed her true colors tonight and tried to blame the whole thing on Diamond Tiara. Your daughter knows now that she’s not the right type for a sister.” “I appreciate you speaking with her.” Filthy said, “I’ll let her slide on this incident, since I know what happened now. I’ll just make sure she stays away from that mare from now on. I do apologize for the trouble that they caused.” “Don’t worry about it.” I said, “And don’t worry, I’m sure she’s gonna stay away from Glamour from now on.” Filthy Rich smiled and approached Diamond Tiara. He knelt down and I could see him speaking to her, but not in a scornful manner, before he took her hoof and began walking to the doorway. On the way out, Diamond stopped and hugged me. "Thank you for helping, Shadow Chord." she said, "And I'm sorry about what happened." "Don't worry about it, Diamond. I'll see you soon. Keep you head up high." Her father thanked me once again before escorting her out of the nightclub. I, however, had a much more important priority to attend to. Now that Glamour Gem and Diamond Tiara had been taken care of, I knew that I needed to speak with Rainbow Dash as quickly as possible if I was to make things right. I sped as quickly as I could over to her house and was relieved to see that the lights were on. I took a deep breath and knocked. Nopony came to the door. “Rainbow Dash?” I called, but received now answer. I couldn’t let it end like this, so I knocked again. “Rainbow, it’s me.” Still, nopony came to the door. “Listen, Rainbow, I know that you’re upset, but there’s an explanation for all of this.” The door swung open, and I saw Rainbow Dash standing in front of me. Her eyes were red and swollen, indicating that she had been crying. However, her look right now was one of fury. “Oh, there’s an explanation!!??” she yelled. Before I could say anything, she continued venting, “Sure, there’s an explanation! That’s what anypony says- but that still doesn’t make up for the fact that you had your hoof around a pony who always makes fun of me, who belittles me every single chance she gets!” Pointing her hoof at me, she kept fuming, though her voice began cracking and tears began to stream down her face. “And you know that she does- you’ve seen her do it, Shadow! Ever since we met, I’ve always been there to help you ‘fill your void’ as you call it! I know that you went through a lot of hard times, and I heard you out on every occasion! And now I find you getting all lovey with somepony who likes to make fun of me and puts me through hard times! That’s nothing but betrayal! And to think that you’ve been calling me your best friend… I guess that isn’t what it turned out to be! You can forget about going to the Gala with me, Shadow Chord. Actually, you‘d better just forget about me completely!!” She slammed the door shut, and I could now hear her sobbing from the other side. I felt so helpless, so horrible for her. My heart felt a searing pain, unlike anything I‘d ever felt before- not even when I was growing up. I knocked again, desperate to let her know what had really happened. “Rainbow Dash, would you just hear me out?” “I’ve done that enough for you!” she growled. “There’s nothing left to say, Shadow. Just… leave me!” “Rainbow, she-” “I said, LEAVE!!” I heard her hoof steps fading away before I saw the lights in the house go off. I hung my head and stood there for what must have been a good five minutes. I could not believe what had just happened. My mind was just blank. In a sort of daze, I unfurled my wings and took off in flight, flying faster than I’d ever flown before. I had no clue where I was going, I just continued to fly, flying over the Everfree Forest, and beyond. Ponyville soon became a speck on the horizon behind me, but I kept flying forward into the night. We’re not indestructible Baby, better get that straight I think it’s unbelievable How you give into the hands of fate And some things are worth fighting for Some feelings never die I’m not asking for another chance I just wanna know why I‘d lost all sense of time by now. I was flying with a myriad of thoughts going through my head, and yet at the same time, I was blank-minded. And now tears were running down my face- more tears than I’d ever shed before. I was now flying over a section of land I’d never seen before. But I continued forward. There’s no easy way out There’s no shortcut home There’s no easy way out Giving in can’t be wrong I sliced through the air at a speed I’d never flown at before, passing over rivers, mountains, and meadows. I’d been flying abnormally fast, and I was aware of that much. Perhaps it was caused by all this chaos. I did notice that the golden pick on my necklace that I regularly wore began to glow, something it had not done since I had first received it. It began glowing brighter and brighter. I simply flew faster, perhaps thinking that somehow I could elude the glow. Then, all of a sudden, a bright light blocked my vision for a few moments, with a loud ringing sound surrounding me. It grew more and more intense, making me move my wings even faster, just wanting it all to stop- the light, my guilt, my chaotic mind- I just wanted it all to stop. Just when I thought that I could not longer take it, the ringing turned into a loud ‘CLANG’ and then there was silence. The bright light began to dim as well. After the light died down, I finally stopped flying. What had just happened, I did not know- my mind seemed to be a bit more in order now. But the only real thing on my mind was Rainbow Dash. I’d broken her trust, and our friendship. My best friend… the girl I loved…and I’d taken that all away. But was it really my doing? If it weren’t for Glamour Gem and Diamond Tiara giving me that stupid love potion, this wouldn’t have happened! Couldn’t that mare have just taken a hint and left me alone to begin with? I never wanted to hate anypony, but I couldn’t help but despise her for making fun of my friends- especially Rainbow, whom she put down the most. And now, Rainbow Dash didn’t want anything to do with me, all because of Glamour’s selfish intentions. I’d never felt this horrible in a long time. I was actually feeling the emptiness come back from so long ago. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was feeling as bad as I used to when I lived in Terretia. And somehow, that thought made me look around- as if in response to that last thought, I realized... I actually was now in Terretia. Somehow, someway, I had flown all the way from Equestria to Terretia, the land where I grew up. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if that was what had happened with the bright light and the loud clang. And I was in none other than the town I once lived in. I landed on the ground below and stood there, blank-minded again. Strangely, there was no cloudy atmosphere- the sky was clear and the moon was out. I wasn’t used to that, but it gave me the chance to look around to see that Terretia had not changed one bit- not for the worse, nor the better. It was the exact same way it was when I’d left years ago, kind of like stepping back in time. After gazing around, I just began to walk, reliving in my mind all of the times I’d had with Rainbow Dash. I don’t wanna pacify I don’t wanna drag you down But I’m feeling like a prisoner Like a stranger in a no-name town I see all the angry faces I’m afraid that could be you and me Talking about what might have been Thinking about what used to be As I continued walking, my heart heavy and my mind now ablaze, a voice brought me out of my train of thought. “Well, would you look who it is!” Two ponies began trotting up to me. I recognized them from my school years; Hotshot and Copper Coin, two colts who loved to poke fun at me. I kept my guard up, ready for anything. The two came up to me and trotted alongside me as I made my way down the sidewalk. “Well, where on earth have you been?” Copper Coin asked. “Away from here.” I answered flatly. “Is that so? Where?” “None of your business.” “Whoa, chill out.” Hotshot said. “We just asked a question.” “And I answered.” I told them. “Well, we haven’t necessarily missed you.” Copper Coin said. “Oh rest assured, I haven’t missed you either.” I retaliated. “But we have missed beating the money out of you.” Hotshot grimaced, “So, for old time’s sake- how much you got on you now?” “You’re not getting my money, boys.” I said. “Is that so?” Hotshot said, amused, “Maybe you don’t remember how it used to go- but we’ll remind you. If you don’t give us what you have, we’ll pummel you into the dust!” I turned around and braced myself. What these two didn’t realize is that in Equestria, I’d taken years of martial arts defense, so I was ready for an attack. “Just turn around and go away. I am really NOT in the mood to deal with you guys right now. It’s for your own good.” “For our own good!?” Copper Coin laughed, “Did you hear this midnight-maned freak? He says that we need to leave him alone for our own good! Listen, you have one final warning- give us your money.” “And you have your final warning- go away.” “I guess he just hasn’t learned…” Hotshot sighed, “That’s okay, I was looking forward to stomping you into the dirt!” He swung a foreleg, but I grabbed it before it hit me. I hit him square in the throat, causing him to double over. I followed up with a shot to the back of his head, causing him to hit the ground. Enraged, Copper Coin approached me, but with a swift kick, I struck him, causing him to fall on his back. The two scrambled to their hooves, surprised and shocked at what they had just experienced. “This isn’t over!” Copper Coin shouted as the two of them ran in the opposite direction. “I’m sure.” I mumbled to myself and continued down the sidewalk. After walking for a while, I looked up to see that I was standing at my old house. The lights were off, and like everything else here, it looked at same way as if I had left. I wondered if my mom and brother had been let out of prison yet. I sighed to myself. “Prison or not, I’ve gotta have somewhere to take shelter right now.” I walked up the steps of the two story house and approached the door. Knocking twice, I received no answer on either try. I turned the handle and found it unlocked. As I opened the door and stepped inside, it was like warping back in time all over again. The house was the same- the furniture in the same place, as well as any decorations and accessories. And though nopony was here, there was no dust or cobwebs anywhere. It was chilling enough to make me shudder momentarily. I went up to my old bedroom and found it just the way it was when I left for Equestria. I stood there for what felt like an hour, taking all of this in. But then, once it had all settled into my mind, the immense sorrow returned, and tears began to well in my eyes again. I approached the window and looked up at the night sky, at the full moon that illuminated the land with a silver glow. I could almost see Equestria over the vast distances from this place. I wiped the tears away and whispered, “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash.”