//------------------------------// // Parties, Lies, and Assorted Dramas // Story: Rest for the Wicked // by Embershade //------------------------------// Embershade looked around carefully as Twilight ushered her into Sugar Cube corner. The place, already cheery and bright, had been spruced up even more- with all the confetti and ribbons and other decorations around, it looked almost like a cannon had littered the room with color. She recognized Pinkie Pie, bouncing up and down cheerfully in the corner, talking with a stylish white unicorn and a pink-maned pegasus pony that looked quite nervous. She cast her eyes around, checking out the other guests as well. Most of them weren’t too interesting, save for a blonde earth pony wearing a cowboy hat and a cyan-colored pegasus mare with a brilliantly multi-hued mane and a lithe, athletic body that almost made Ember drool. Twilight pointed them out one at a time, naming them; The unicorn was Rarity, the local fashionista, the shy pegasus was called, quite aptly, Fluttershy, and was a master with animals. The cowgirl pony was Applejack, the honest and hardworking head of Sweet Apple Acres, and the rainbow-maned pegasus was Rainbow Dash- who, according to Twilight (and Dash herself, who proclaimed it loudly from across the party) was one of the best fliers in all of Equestria. Ember made a note of their names- she was quite sure she wouldn't have any trouble keeping track of which pony was which, as they were all quite unique. As Twilight led her over to where Rarity and Fluttershy were talking to Pinkie Pie, she ran over a few key details about them so that she wouldn't be tossing Ember into a creek without a paddle. "Fluttershy's a little timid, but very kind. Give her time to adjust to you, and I'm sure you'll like her alot." She advised, keeping her voice low so that it didn't carry to the subjects of her hurried conversation. "As for Rarity..." Twilight began hesitantly, poking Ember's carelessly messed mane with a hoof; "Well, you may have to adjust to Rarity. She's a little overbearing when it comes to style and neatness." The violet unicorn finished, rolling her eyes as a punctuation to the statement. "As for Pinkie..." Twilight began to speak again, but Ember cut her off. "We've met." She said, a look of dread clear on her face. Twilight almost fell flat for laughing so hard. Ember gave her a hard look, not amused at being made fun of. "What's so funny?" She demanded, taking a few angry steps back. Twilight took a few moments to compose herself before answering, and even then she was still shaking from laughter. "I'm s-sorry Ember. Look, I promise that Pinkie isn't that bad, just a little bit... eccentric." She assured, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. Ember shook her head and rolled her eyes, but followed anyway. Fluttershy, as Twilight had predicted, shied away when Ember approached. Rarity and Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, were eager to say hello. Rarity, while pretty, had a kind of obnoxious tone that Ember had long since come to associate with Canterlot- and home. It was a painful association, so Ember tried to focus on bringing out Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus pony took a lot of work to adjust, it seemed, so Ember made small talk with the other three ponies while she waited for Fluttershy to become accustomed to her presence. Or, rather, she made small talk with Rarity and Twilight whilst giving Pinkie Pie the occasional confused look. Ember had reached the conclusion that the excitable pink pony was fun to be around, despite how overwhelming her presence could be. Just when she thought she couldn't bear another second of Rarity's fashion talk and was considering leaving, Fluttershy opened up a little bit- or, at least, she decided to finally start talking. Her first words to Embershade were a compliment; "I like that necklace, E-Embershade. It's nice." She said in a soft voice- the first words Ember had heard from her that weren't a tiny squeak. Of course, Ember's first words to Fluttershy were a lie. She eyed the necklace with deeply hidden distaste- it had been forced upon her by a spell. The spell, cast by Luna, made Ember incapable of removing the necklace. Only a learned pony would recognize the symbol, as it hadn't been bestowed for decades. The symbol marked it's wearer as a traitor, a committer of high treason. "Oh, yes." Ember murmured. "A... I... It was given to me, a long time ago." She almost blushed at how bad her lie was, and looked around in vain to try and find a new subject. Fluttershy, of course, didn't take the hint. "Ooh. By who? It's so pretty." She said, gushing just the tiniest bit. Twilight eyed it suspiciously, and Ember finally made the connection between Twilight and the scrolls in her saddle bag- Twilight was a learned pony. Ember did her best to casually obscure the necklace while she hurriedly came up with another lie. "My sister, Red Feather, gave it to me." She said, doing her best to appear nonchalant. Twilight tapped her chin with one of her forehooves, and Embershade bit her lip nervously. The lavender unicorn raised an eyebrow and eyed Embershade carefully. "I know I've heard that name before. What does your sister look like?" She asked, "Where's she from?" Ember relaxed a bit, satisfied that the necklace was, for the moment, forgotten. "Well... she was a deep, vibrant color of scarlet, and her mane a midnight colored blue-black." She said. "She lived in Cant- err, Fillydelphia." Ember finished, catching her mistake just in time. All three ponies gave her an odd look, and Ember knew they'd noticed her foul-up. Fluttershy put a hoof on her shoulder. "Um.. what do you mean 'was', Embershade?" She asked, her voice soft and kind and a look of deep concern on her face. Ember heaved an internal sigh of relief- yet another bullet dodged. Then her heart sank- she didn't like to talk about Red Feather. "Uhm... She's... I don't wanna talk about it." She said, averting her eyes from Fluttershy's kind face. The yellow pegasus pony only got more concerned. Then Twilight put her hoof on Ember's other shoulder, and she knew she was trapped. "Well... Are you sure? Maybe it'll help to talk about it." She said, a look of concern that mirrored Fluttershy's now covering her face. Ember sighed, and resigned herself to her fate- she was going to have to make up another lie. "Umm.." She began eloquently, casting her eyes about for inspiration. She settled them on a plate of cupcakes. "It was a few years ago in Fillydelphia- I was in bed sick, and Red Feather was going out to get some food and medicine and things." She said all this in a low voice, taking to her tale and making a convincingly miserable spectacle of herself. "She didn't come home all day. Or the day after. Eventually, a couple of police-colts came knocking on the door. Some crazy mare kidnapped my sister and cut her all up... and baked her into cupcakes." She said, looking down and faking a sob quite well. Fluttershy and Twilight hugged her, murmuring consolations while Rarity seemed to have lost her appetite. Pinkie Pie had mysteriously vanished from their little group, which to Ember was a relief- that pony was crazy. After a few moments, she heaved a breath and assured the girls she was alright. They released her from their embrace just as Rainbow Dash tumbled into the group and almost knocked Ember into a snack table. "Um. Oops?" She said, rubbing the side of her head and grinning ruefully. Behind her, Applejack was rolling around on the floor, laughing so hard that it was infectious. Before long, everyone was laughing. Rainbow Dash looked around, an angry eyebrow raised. "Hey! Knock it off!" The cyan pegasus demanded, her expression starting to go from joking to hurt. Eveypony stopped laughing, but Twilight giggled on for a few more seconds. "Tell me, Dash" She began, already giggling more. "Do you crash into every new pony you meet?" She asked, and everypony gave another lighthearted chuckle, even Dash. "Naw, Twi'. Just the ones that look like they'd cushion the impact." She said, snickering. Both ponies stared, affronted. Ember recovered first. "Did you just call me fat?" The reddish-orange pegasus pony asked, poking a hoof into the rainbow-maned offender. Twilight, on the other hand, was more dignified. She used her magic to drop a plate of cupcakes on Dash's head. The end result of that was that Rainbow's mane and tail were now not the only parts of her that were... well... rainbows. The resulting glare she gave Twilight was so powerful, Ember almost felt the heat as it flew past her. Rainbow turned and flew out of the party so fast, the cupcake icing seemed to just slide off of her. Ember looked around, concerned, but Applejack caught her expression and waved a hoof, as if saying 'don't worry about it'. Then she did. "Don' worry about Rainbow, sugarcube. That happens about once a day 'round here." She reassured Ember, still laughing a bit. She finally managed to compose herself, and held out a hoof. "Anyway, Ah don't believe we've met. Name's Applejack." She said, and shook vigorously when Ember took her hoof. "Embershade. It's a pleasure." Ember replied, slightly jostled by the country mare's enthusiastic hoofshake. She didn't really find it a pleasure. All the ponies in this town are crazy! She thought to herself, eying them all somewhat nervously. The orange mare laughed, releasing Ember's arm. "Likewise, friend, likewise." She said, backing off and settling down. She grabbed a cupcake off the nearest tray and took a large bite out of it. She tried to talk around the mouthful of cupcake, but Ember didn't catch a word of it. Instead of saying anything, she just raised an eyebrow and hoped that the country pony would catch the hint. She rolled her eyes, swallowed the large bite of cupcake, and repeated herself; "So, what brings ya to Ponyville, Embershade?" She asked between bites of her cupcake. Ember shrugged and looked around. "Just exploring Equestria. Twilight convinced me to spend a few days in town." She explained, regretting the decision. Applejack smiled. "Well Sugarcube, ya couldnta picked a better town to stop in. Ya oughta come by Sweet Apple Acres sometime before ya leave. Pretty as a picture, and lotsa delicious apple treats, too." She advised, sounding suspiciously like an advertisement. Ember just nodded and smiled agreeably. Suddenly, Pinkie dropped from above- how she managed to be above the other ponies a mystery- and crammed a cupcake in Ember's face for the second time since she'd come to town. "ENJOY!" She yelled brightly, hopping in circles around the spluttering pegasus pony. For the second time since Ember had come to the party, everyone in the room was laughing. Ember gave the party pony a stern look as she wiped her face off. "Why, Pinkie Pie, do you keep doing that?" She demanded, poking the pink mare in the chest angrily. The crazed pony poked Ember in the side with one of her forehooves, her smile never wavering. "'Cause you're looking a little thin in the skin, silly pony! You should eat more cupcakes!" The baker advised, grabbing another cupcake off the tray. Ember snatched it out of her hand before she could receive another icing makeover. "Fine, Pinkie, fine." She said, devouring the cupcake in the vain hope that it would make the wild-maned earth pony leave her alone. For once, the pink pony complied with her unspoken wishes and bounced away cheerfully. Ember flashed Twilight a look. The unicorn shrugged, apparently just as confused as she was. "Pinkie... there's just no explaining her." She said, shrugging. "Believe me, it drove me crazy trying to accept that." She said, and Ember was inclined to believe her- she was crazy, as far as the flame-colored pegasus pony was concerned. After a few moments of awkward silence, the group of ponies lapsed into small, unimportant conversations and mingled away the rest of the night. -------- Twilight shut the door behind her, leaving Embershade in the makeshift guest room she'd set up in the library- She'd offered to allow Ember to stay with her for the remainder of her stay, to protect the pegasus pony from overexposure to the madness of Pinkie Pie. Her real motivation was getting a closer look at the necklace Ember'd been wearing- she was sure it was some sort of Royal Canterlot insignia, as she'd seen it before in the Palace while visiting Celestia. So, during their walk to the library, Twilight had committed the symbol to memory. She felt bad for deceiving her new friend, but she had an itching feeling that Ember had already told her many lies, and she wanted to know why- surely there was a good reason, right? So, Twilight used her magic to pull her copy of Equestria's Crown: A History of Canterlot; the book had an excellent chapter on royal insignias and markings, complete with detailed illustrations. She flipped through the book, quickly finding the chapter she'd been looking for. She browsed through it until she spotted the symbol she'd been looking for. A cloud with a smooth, almost beautifully written letter X in the center The entry was quite interesting, and Twilight hissed through her teeth as she read it. The "Lying Cloud", more commonly known as the Equestrian Mark of Treason, was first created and used five hundred years after Nightmare Moon's banishment, when Hagar Thorn abducted and impersonated the Mayor of Cloudsdale with magic. The facade carried on for thirty years before Celestia uncovered his treason and freed Cloudsdale from his tyrannical grasp. Rather than imprison or banish Hagar, Celestia instead took away his ability to use magic and bestowed upon him the Mark of Treason- a brand over his cutie mark that would forever reveal him to be a traitor. In modern times, the Lying Cloud takes the less barbaric form of an irremovable necklace, though it hasn't been bestowed more than twice since the days of Hagar Thorn's Mayoral Simulacrum. For the most part, Equestria doesn't remember the true meaning of the Lying Cloud. Twilight was stunned, and had numerous conflicting emotions- disbelief and anger were having a no-holds-barred wrestling match in her stomach, whilst annoyance at how poorly the article had been worded had her concern for poor Embershade in a headlock. She... well, Twilight didn't know what to think. This was new for Twilight, so she did the only thing she could do- she had spike take a letter to Celestia. Dear Princess, I have stumbled across something that not only disturbs me, but leaves me quite confused. A pegasus pony named Embershade recently arrived here in Ponyville, bearing a most interesting symbol. She is staying with me at the Library for a few days, and I'd like to know... well, I just need your advice. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle Twilight bit her lip and tapped her chin with her hoof for a moment, trying to think of anything else to add to the letter. Coming up with nothing, she had Spike send the letter and delved back into her studies, researching all the times the Lying Cloud had been forced on somepony- none of them were good, and almost all of them had changed Equestria forever. She wasn't surprised that the old book had no record of Embershade- the pony was probably a year younger than Twilight, and Twilight hadn't been eighteen very long. She was surprised to see that, of the seven ponies that had received the mark, six were murdered afterward- the magical mare hadn't realized that ponies were such a violent group. Before long, Twilight had a stack of almost sixteen books surrounding her and the sun was just starting to peek in through the windows. She heard spike belch upstairs, and her exhausted, exhausted heart lifted- she'd recognize the sound of a letter from Celestia anywhere. She turned around and watched as Spike trudged down the stairs, grumbling about overwork, a scroll in his hand. Twilight simply pulled the scroll from his grasp with her magic and told him to go back to bed, turning her attention almost immediately to Celestia's reply. My Dearest and Most Faithful Student, The issue regarding Embershade is delicate, and can not be fairly handled via letters. It is my wish that you come to Canterlot for a few days so that I may explain things to you. It would be most convenient if you would leave immediately and tell nopony why you're visiting. Princess Celestia Twilight's magic was already packing her suitcase by the time she was done reading. --------------- Embershade stood alone in the streets of Canterlot, drenched in the Chocolate Milk that was pouring from the fluffy, sweet pink clouds... and then someone was there, holding an umbrella over her. Her elder sister, Red Feather, stood watching her with a twisted mixture of concern and disgust. Her eyes, precisely the same multi-shade sunset as Ember's, were sparkling with tears. The umbrella was the extent of Feather's kindness. "What were you thinking?" She demanded, her nose inches from Ember's. "Don't you see what you've done? Look around you, Ember! Equestria is falling apart!" She shouted into Ember's face, tears flowing freely now. Ember just stood there- and that only served to further Feather's rage. "What's wrong with you, Ember? Why won't you look me in the eyes?" She asked, lifting Ember's chin up with her hoof. Her eyes, once the color of a vibrant sunset, were a blank, lifeless gray. An eerie chuckle echoed through the air, and Discord seemed to step from nonexistence. He put an arm around Ember and ran a finger up her cheek affectionately. "Like the changes I made, Red Feather?" He asked, eating the paper plate out from under a handful of apple slices. "It's much more efficient than making them completely gray." He gushed, hopping up and down excitedly. Red Feather had sat down heavily upon seeing Ember's lifeless eyes. Her body shook with sobs. "What... What did you do to her?" She managed to stutter between sobs, her anger with Embershade all but forgotten. Discord let out a deep, throaty laugh and thunder shook the fluffy pink clouds above. "I made some improvements." He said simply, shrugging. "She wasn't playing by the rules anymore, so I... re-taught her the rules." The master of chaos chuckled as he said this, and Feather's heart sank. Discord caught her expression. "Aww... Don't be sad, my little pony. Your sister's happier now!" He said, gesturing towards her. She smiled as he did so, a vacant expression. "Look! Now she doesn't have to worry about how you abandoned her to work in the palace, or how she's spent the past three years in an orphanage, being picked on by the other ponies! So, don't be sad, Feather." He said, patting her head. Feather looked up at him, a look of resolve hardening her face. "What do you want? In exchange for her?" She pleaded, looking on helplessly as Discord ran his fingers through Ember's mane. The lord of disharmony snapped to attention, eying the red pegasus pony carefully. "How about you? I'll trade her for you. She goes free, and you get to my new favorite little pony." Discord waggled his eyebrows as he finished his offer, and Feather grimaced... but nodded "Fine, Discord. Fix my sister first... and then I'm all yours." She replied, standing up and bracing herself. Discord chuckled at her expression. "What?" She spat, stomping a hoof. He tapped Ember in the middle of her forehead, and her eyes slowly got back their color. She blinked slowly and shook her head. "Wha- where?" She mumbled, looking around. After a moment, she recognized Red Feather. "Red? What's going on?!" She asked, a note of panic entering her voice as she took in the grave expression on her sister's face. Red Feather took a moment to smile serenely at her younger sister; "I love you, Embershade. I'll miss you." She said, just before Discord tapped her on her forehead, and her gaze was stripped of all it's warmth. Ember shook her head as the hysteria set in... Why the fuck did her sister have a dramatic streak a mile wide? Embershade woke up in a cold sweat.