Chapter 9: First Impressions
"Ugh! I can't believe I screwed up," groaned Caramel, his head low as he walked alongside Fluttershy.
"It's alright," consoled Fluttershy, though she couldn't keep a nervous expression from her face. Her coltfriend had just arranged for them to spend the afternoon with a pony who'd belonged to a group that had been threatening her son for most of his life. If she remembered correctly, Dawn should have been working at the teashop right around this time of day. Hopefully, that would reduce the chances of them running into him.
"There she is," said Caramel, jerking his head towards Sugarcube Corner. Through the window, they could see the mare's distinctive green, blue, and magenta stipes, quietly munching on a scone as she waited for them.
"She seems nice enough," said Fluttershy, shrinking back a bit, her natural timidity asserting itself just as much as her concerns about the mare's affiliation to the Cult Solar.
"She's pretty nice," agreed Caramel, "Though she introduced herself by asking me out."
"What?"
Caramel flinched at Fluttershy's tone, though, in his own mind, he was patting his back on a successful ploy to bring out Fluttershy's assertiveness through the careful application of jealousy. Maybe it was a bit manipulative of him, but he hoped it would help keep Fluttershy from being completely terrified throughout their afternoon with Mayweather. "It's okay," he said gently, "She backed off as soon as I told her I was with you. She's a very nice mare and I'm sure you two will get along fine."
"I guess so..." said Fluttershy uncertainly. After all, there was only so much she could accept about Mayweather when they knew her true affiliation.
The two of them stepped through the door and immediately moved towards Mayweather, who smiled brightly when she saw them. "Hi there," she said cheerfully, "This place is great. That pink mare might be off her gourd, but she sure is tops in the kitchen."
Fluttershy giggled. "Yes, Pinkie Pie is like that. It's nice to meet you. I'm Fluttershy."
Caramel had to stop himself from whistling at her delivery. There was no trace of stutter, practically miraculous considering that this was a pony she'd never met before, much less...
"Mayweather," said the earth pony, extending a hoof, which Fluttershy took gently. Mayweather looked Fluttershy over for a moment before grinning sidelong at Caramel. "I never thought your fillyfriend would be such a looker. You sure are a lucky son of a gun. If she weren't taken, I'd probably have a go at asking her out myself."
Fluttershy's cheeks turned pink at the compliment. Caramel blushed as well. "Th-thanks," he stammered, "A-anyway, maybe we should head out."
"Sure. Just a second..." Mayweather took a moment to bolt down the last of her scone and wash it down with the mug of coffee she'd gotten to go with it. "There," she said, after a satisfied sigh, "Let's get this show on the road."
The three of them proceeded outside. Fluttershy and Caramel began to show Mayweather around the town and the surrounding area. They took her along the winding trails through Whitetail Wood, as well as showing off the park. They also brought her as close as they dared to the Everfree Forest, though neither Fluttershy and Caramel were keen to take her inside.
"I've heard stories about this place," commented Mayweather, eyeing the foreboding edge of the forest warily, "There are some pretty evil rumors about the things that live here. There's supposed to be all kind of evil spirits roaming around."
"I don't know about evil spirits," said Caramel, "But there are plenty of monsters of the mundane variety: manticores, cragodiles, timberwolves, hydras, and so on..."
Fluttershy nodded. "Most of them aren't so bad though," she supplemented.
Mayweather eyed the yellow mare a bit warily. "If you say so..."
"Actually, there's a friend of ours who lives in there," added Fluttershy.
"Really?" Mayweather raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Somepony actually lives in that creepy place?"
Fluttershy giggled. "Actually, she's a zebra. She's very good with potions and things like that. She's a great help to the town."
"A zebra huh?" Mayweather blinked and looked over at the forest. "That's the last place I expected to find one."
After that, Fluttershy and Caramel led Mayweather back towards town, hoping to wrap up their little tour without incident. On the way, they'd taken the mare past Fluttershy's cottage, where Fluttershy showed off her small menagerie of animal guests to the perplexed, yet quite impressed, Mayweather.
As they headed back into the town, Mayweather's eyes zeroed in on their most prominent landmark. "Is that a tree with a door?"
"Oh," said Fluttershy, "That's the town library. Our friend, Twilight Sparkle, lives there."
"Twilight Sparkle?" Mayweather's ears stood straight up. "As in the Twilight Sparkle: Princess Celestia's personal student, Element of Magic, Archmage of Equestria?"
"Archmage?" Caramel gave Fluttershy a confused look. "When did Twilight get that title?"
"I don't think she did," Fluttershy answered, "That's probably an exaggeration."
"Huh? That's what the boss called her sometimes," muttered Mayweather.
Fluttershy and Caramel shared an uncomfortable look before turning back to Mayweather. "But yes, Twilight does live in the library."
"Do you know her?"
"Oh yes," replied Fluttershy, smiling widely, "She's one of my very best friends."
Mayweather froze and her two escorts could practically hear the gears in her head turning. Finally, something seemed to click in her head. "Wait! Fluttershy! Are you one of the...?"
"Yes," said Fluttershy nervously, "I'm the Element of Kindness!"
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Mayweather, quickly orienting on Fluttershy, looking scandalized, "Please forgive me! I had no idea-"
"Mayweather!" Though she didn't raise her voice, something about Fluttershy's tone completely cut through the stripe-maned mare's building tirade of apologies. Mayweather's jaw snapped shut with and audible clack as she turned to stare, wide-eyed (and a little frightened) at Fluttershy.
Caramel smiled warmly. I guess living with Dawn has really helped her work on her assertiveness.
"Please don't get carried away," said Fluttershy, "It's not just me. We all don't really like getting special treatment because of the Elements. We'd rather be treated like normal ponies."
"I don't think Dash and Rarity feel that way," commented Caramel with a wry smile.
"They want to be treated exceptionally because of what they do with their lives, not because of their Elements," countered Fluttershy before turning back to Mayweather, "We aren't really all that special and we certainly aren't special because we have the Elements either."
Mayweather worked her mouth silently, apparently wanting to protest, but the stern look Fluttershy was giving her caused those protests to die on her lips. "Alright...I'm sorry about that."
"It's alright," said Fluttershy, smiling as she gently patted Mayweather across the withers, "Would you like to meet Twilight for yourself?"
Caramel shot Fluttershy a surprised look, which she met with an encouraging nod.
Not seeing the exchange between Fluttershy and her coltfriend, Mayweather's head shot upright. "I'd love to!"
"Then let's go see her," said Fluttershy cheerfully.
They headed off, leaving a perplexed Caramel behind. The evil cult we've been on the lookout for is an Elements fan club...the world is a strange and amazing place sometimes. With a sad shake of his head, Caramel trotted to catch up with the two mares.
Fluttershy knocked politely on the door to the library before opening it and heading in. As she trotted inside, she glanced around for any sign of Twilight. However, the only one there was Spike, who was currently balanced, rather precariously, on a ladder as he carefully slid books into their places on the shelf, one by one. "Hello Spike."
"Hi Fluttershy." The purple dragon turned his head to look down at her from his perch. To Fluttershy's surprise, she noticed that his neck was starting to look longer and more flexible, allowing him to almost completely turn his head to look over his shoulder without turning his shoulders themselves. His snout was beginning to elongate as well, the once-plump features of his face stretching as his nose and mouth began to protrude outward in the beginnings of the beak-like muzzle that mature dragons possessed. In fact, it seemed that just about every part of his body, from his arms and legs to his tail, was beginning to lengthen. More noticeable were his wings, which had fully sprouted from his back and now fluttered weakly between his shoulders. They were still much too small to carry him in flight.
"Is Twilight here?" asked Fluttershy, once again looking around the library.
"Sorry," said Spike as he turned to resume his shelving, "She and Arkenstone are at the old quarry now. They're working on her training again."
"What kind of training?" asked Mayweather excitedly as she came in behind Fluttershy while Caramel brought up the rear.
Spike opened his mouth to answer when a low, echoing BOOM sounded, making the ground shake. The leaves on the tree rustled furiously, while the wood and bark groaned. A second later, a cascade of thuds sounded out as books plummeted off the shelves, leaving the library floor covered in the dropped tomes, including the handful that Spike had been balancing when he'd been working. The young dragon managed to save himself from falling off the ladder by only the barest of margins as his sour gaze looked over the mess that served as the remnants of the past few hours of work.
"That training," he deadpanned.
Arkenstone coughed and waved his hoof in front of his face to clear the air around him. Smoke and dust filled the area. If he had eyes, he would have been unable to see anyway. The beige stallion came to a halt at the very edge of the wide, yet shallow crater that had just been excavated, having been blasted out of the solid bedrock below.
"Everything alright Twilight?" he shouted down into the crater.
A series of coughs reached him before a wave of violet energy blossomed outward, driving the dust and smoke away to reveal Twilight, whose coat was darkened by spots of soot and ash as she continued to cough and wheeze to expel the last few particles from her throat, mouth and nose.
"Note...to...self..." gasped Twilight between her attempts to clear her much-abused lungs, "Need to refine...skills...before attempting lyrical-grade spells under...duress..."
"We may also want to move our practice a little farther from the town limits the next time you attempt something like that," commented Arkenstone, his ears swiveling back towards town as he frowned nervously.
"I'm so sorry Spike!" gasped Fluttershy, her wings fluttering as she buzzed around the library like an oversized honeybee, gathering up books and stacking them.
"Not your fault," replied the irate dragon with a shrug as he gathered the books, working at a much more sedate pace, already isolating the books into stacks by section and author so that he could easily transfer them to the shelves when they'd all been gathered. On the other side of the library, Caramel and Mayweather were doing their best to help. Between the four of them, they were making good time. However, given that the three ponies lacked Spike's training in library organization, the dragon suspected that he'd spend a good bit of time resorting the other piles, but he appreciated the sentiment all the same.
The very first thing Spike had done after the shaking had subsided was dash down to the lab in the basement to make sure that none of Twilight's more...unstable compounds and chemicals weren't about to explode. When he didn't immediately emerge, screaming for everypony to get out, Fluttershy and the others relaxed a little, assuming no harm had been done.
"It's a good thing she takes precautions with those things," muttered the dragon as he'd come up the steps, "Wish she could've done the same for the library though."
Once they'd managed to get all the books together, Spike went through the laborious task of rolling the ladder across the shelves to put the books back in their proper places. Fluttershy did her best to help out. The pegasus' ability to fly up to the highest shelves was a great help, one that more than compensated for the fact that she had to ask where nearly every book went before putting it in its proper place. Caramel and Mayweather supported the effort as best they could from the floor, putting books back on the ground-level shelves, while Spike moved up and down in between them. Spike suspected that Twilight would find more than a few books out of place when she got back, but didn't really mind.
"Sorry to rope you into this," said Caramel as he and Mayweather continued to shift books about.
"Does this sort of thing happen often?" asked Mayweather, torn between her own desire to help and her fascination with what was happening, even though it was a rather mundane situation all told.
Caramel shrugged. "Not too often," he said, "Fluttershy's friends have their moments, but just living in this town is an adventure in and of itself sometimes."
"I see..."
Settling back on the floor after his latest trip up the ladder, Spike looked around to see that they'd made a good deal of progress. "Well..." he said, letting out a breath, "I can finish up here. Twilight and Arkenstone'll probably be back before long. They're probably gonna head over to the teashop first so that Arkenstone can take over for Dawn."
"Dawn's at the teashop without Arkenstone?" asked Fluttershy, surprised.
"Yeah," said Spike, "Arkenstone's been leaving him in charge when he and Twilight head out for her battle magic training...At least, that's what they do when Dawn's not in school."
"I'm surprised that Dawn has the time," mused Caramel.
"He's got more than usual," said Spike, "The school's operating on reduced hours for the harvest season before they close for the winter.(1)"
"Oh yeah," said Caramel, memories of his own years as a student coming back to him.
"Who's Dawn?" asked Mayweather, causing Fluttershy and Caramel to freeze up as the two of them remembered the other party of their conversation.
"Dawn's Fluttershy's son," said Spike casually, completely ignorant of the reason for Caramel and Fluttershy's uneasiness.
"You have a son?" asked Mayweather, turning to Caramel and Fluttershy, "But you're still so young...uh..."
Even with how dire the situation was becoming, Fluttershy couldn't help but blush. "Oh...It isn't like that...really!"
"Yeah," added Spike, "Dawn's adopted."
"Oh!" Mayweather blushed herself as she realized how she'd misinterpreted the situation. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply."
"It's perfectly alright," placated Fluttershy gently, "I understand why you would think that."
"So...Do I get to meet him?" Mayweather wasn't so oblivious as to miss the uncomfortable look that passed between Fluttershy and Caramel. "Is something the matter?"
"Well..." Fluttershy was beginning to feel slightly panicked, completely at a loss at what to do or say, now that Dawn's existence was out of the bag. If they turned Mayweather's request down, she would wonder why, which could lead to her and her cohorts getting suspicious. If they investigated in earnest, who knew what they were going to turn up.
But if they agreed...and Mayweather met Dawn...then what?
Fluttershy shared one last uncertain look with Caramel. She remembered Dawn's own resolution, that he wouldn't hide away from Blenheim, Mayweather, or any of the others. Gulping nervously, Fluttershy steadied her resolve and turned to face Mayweather. "Alright, you can meet Dawn. But I want you to promise me something."
"What is it?" asked Mayweather.
"When you see him, don't panic."
"Why would I panic?" wondered Mayweather, her head tilting.
Fluttershy let out a sigh. "You'll see..."
She and Caramel led Mayweather out of the library, leaving a confused and concerned Spike behind. However, Spike decided that, whatever was going on, Fluttershy and Caramel could handle it...he hoped. Otherwise, Twilight and Arkenstone would be back soon. However, the nagging voice of concern in the back of Spike's head prompted him to set down the books he'd been stacking and follow the trio to the teahouse next door.
Fluttershy, Mayweather, and Caramel stepped into the teahouse and picked out a table for themselves. A moment later, they looked up to see Rumble approaching with the menu of available teas. "Hi everypony," said Rumble, smiling cheerfully as he deposited the menus onto the table with a deft flick of his wing, the movement having obviously seen much practice recently. The Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to be spending a great deal of time in the teahouse helping out. The fact that Arkenstone supplied them with a decent wage for the time they worked probably had something to do with it.
"Is this him?" asked Mayweather, eying Rumble curiously, causing the gray colt to nervously shy away from her speculative gaze.
"Oh no," said Fluttershy quickly, "This is one of Dawn's friends."
"Did you want to see Dawn?" asked Rumble.
"Yes, in a moment," said Fluttershy. She quickly chose her favorite blend from the list of available teas. Caramel did likewise. Mayweather took a moment to look down the list of available options until Fluttershy pointed out a delightful oolong blend that used several types of dried fruit to enhance the flavor and aroma.
After taking their orders, Rumble went into the back. As they waited, Mayweather turned her attention back to Fluttershy and Caramel. "Can I ask why you two are so nervous about me meeting your son?"
"Uh...well, he's not my son yet," protested Caramel softly, his cheeks coloring.
"It's...difficult to explain," said Fluttershy, "Especially since you're...well...Applejack told us you're with the O-Order-"
"The Order of Celestial Light," said Mayweather, "But why would that bother you? We're like anypony else really."
Fluttershy sighed. "Well, I don't want you to get upset when you see him. It may be too much to ask really."
"Why would I-?" Mayweather began to ask before she was cut off by Dawn's soft, yet resonant voice.
"I'm here." The colt arrived with a tray of teapots and cups balanced on one outstretched wing.
Looking over, Mayweather's eyes widened when she saw the colt. When her burgundy eyes met Dawn's turquoise slit-pupil orbs, her own pupils contracted and she reflexively leaned back from him.
Seemingly unfazed by her reaction, Dawn proceeded with distributing the cups and pots with precise movements of his wings. When he was finished, Dawn retrieved the tray and tucked it back under his wing. At that point, he finally raised an eyebrow at Mayweather before turning to Fluttershy. "Hi mom."
All too conscious of Mayweather's tense silence, Fluttershy fidgeted nervously. "Hi Dawn," she said, before sighing and nuzzling him gently.
Turning his draconic gaze back on Mayweather, Dawn saw her flinch back from him. "Hello."
"Y-y-y-you're..." Mayweather's stammering lapsed into several panicked breaths as her body began to tremble.
"Oh dear!" exclaimed Fluttershy as she watched the stripe-maned mare begin to hyperventilate, "Dawn, could you fetch a paper bag please."
The colt trotted off quickly and returned with the requested item. Taking the bag, Fluttershy held it over Mayweather's muzzled as she gently rubbed the mare's back with her wing, whispering quiet reassurances to her. "There there, it's alright. You're perfectly safe. Nopony's going to hurt you."
As Mayweather's panic attack began to die down, Dawn noted that the little hourglass he'd set out with the teapots had run out and quickly retrieved the mesh baskets from each of the pots to keep the tea from over-steeping. Taking the pot that held Mayweather's blend, he poured a helping into her cup before adding a generous helping of honey to it. Sliding the cup on its saucer, he placed it in front of Mayweather.
"This will help," he offered.
Mayweather fixed the colt with a frightened look before turning to look over at Fluttershy, who gave her an encouraging nod. Hesitantly, Mayweather took the cup, a handleless Eastern-style mug, and lifted it to her lips to take a small sip. After waiting for a moment (possibly to ensure that she wasn't immediately going to die of poisoning), she took a longer sip and set the cup down with a grateful sigh.
"Are you feeling better?" asked Fluttershy, still gently rubbing Mayweather's back.
"Yes," replied Mayweather, though she pointedly avoided looking in Dawn's direction as the colt busied himself pouring cups for Caramel and Fluttershy.
"I suppose you understand why we were worried," commented Caramel as he took a sip from his own cup.
Mayweather gave him a trembling nod. "S-so...they're real then...The Eyes of Nightmare are real."
"Well they are," agreed Fluttershy, "But not in the sense that you're thinking. Dawn isn't a monster or a demon or anything like that."
"Th-then why...?" asked Mayweather.
"We don't know yet," admitted Fluttershy, "Twilight says that it's a condition that affects the meridians in his eyes that acts like a transformation spell."
"H-how can you be s-sure that he's...that he's not p-possessed?" demanded Mayweather.
"Because Princess Celestia said so," replied Fluttershy cheerfully, "When Applejack first saw Dawn, she thought he was a demon too. She even attacked him and put him in the hospital. After that, Princess Celestia came down and met Dawn for herself."
Mayweather gulped and turned to look at Dawn again. Dawn settled back onto his haunches and dauntlessly met Mayweather's gaze. "I-I'd heard stories and rumors," said Mayweather, "All the older ponies, the boss included, used to tell us about this monster that wandered from town to town and how he always needed to be chased out before he started corrupting ponies and leading them away from Her Radiance's guiding light. They said that even though the monster had vanished, there were still ponies on the lookout for him. I'd always thought that they were just stories. Even the boss said he'd never seen any evidence..."
"Well now you have," said Dawn, "Though as evidence of what will be up to your interpretation, as always." He sighed and turned away from her, making his way around the table to Fluttershy's seat as the canary-colored mare returned to it. Fluttershy gently wrapped a wing around her son and drew him to her side. Dawn leaned into the embrace and rested his head against his mother's shoulder.
"Why is he with you?" asked Mayweather, staring incredulously at the sight, "How could you have taken him in?”
"He saved my life," replied Fluttershy with a happy smile. Taking a deep draught from her cup of tea, she began to retell the story of their meeting, of Dawn coming home with her, the conflicts he'd had with Applejack, and his ultimately settling in Ponyville as Fluttershy's son.
Mayweather listened silently to the story, not saying a word. It was clear that she was having trouble reconciling what she was hearing and seeing with what she'd been taught during her time as a member of the Order. Looking over and seeing Dawn, resting quietly and comfortably beneath Fluttershy's wing, she couldn't imagine him as a demon, particularly since Dawn had closed his eyes for the moment, making him look like a completely normal colt. The situation felt completely surreal to her.
What do I do? Deep down, a part of her was still panicking. Given the stories she'd heard about the demon, about it's powers of deception, part of her was horrified, believing Fluttershy and all the others around them to be under the demon's sway. And if the creature had taken hold of one of the Elements of Harmony, then it was possible that all of Ponyville was under his control as well. With but a thought, he could set the entire town on them. Already, Mayweather's eyes were flicking between the ponies occupying the teahouse, seeing potential enemies everywhere.
However, she'd always thought that the stories were nothing more than stories. She'd never encountered anything like a demon before. Although she believed in the Order's message and revered Princess Celestia appropriately, she had a hard time swallowing stories about demons that possessed stillborn foals. It sounded like so many other old folktales she'd heard from a dozen sources. Ironically enough, to her rational mind, the fact that Dawn was here, his eyes on display for everypony to see, seemed the greatest evidence against everything she'd been told. Aside from his eyes and his strangely adult demeanor, he seemed like a perfectly normal foal, especially now.
As it was, Mayweather was distracted from her quandary by the sound of the teahouse door opening. Looking over, she saw a certain lavender unicorn stepping past the threshold, followed by a beige earth pony.
Twilight Sparkle looked more than a little beleaguered. Her mane and tail were tangled and frazzled. Her coat was stained by splotches of soot and ash and her steps were heavy and haggard.
Dawn's eyes snapped open and, without waiting for any word from anypony, he headed towards the back of the teahouse. Arkenstone followed behind the colt as Twilight settled into an empty seat at the table Fluttershy and the others already occupied, letting out a sigh and coughing a little to clear her throat.
"I'm bushed," groaned Twilight, leaning forward to rest her chin on the table. She looked like she might nod off, waiting for the tea Dawn and Arkenstone were making for her. However, she shifted her glance up and saw Mayweather, who was staring at her incredulously. "Oh! Hi there."
Forcing herself upright, Twilight grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Fluttershy, I didn't realize you had company."
"Uh...It's...it's alright," said Fluttershy bashfully. "Twilight, this is Mayweather. She...She uh...she's from Applejack's farm."
"Oh so you're one of the workers..." Twilight's voice trailed off as comprehension dawned on her. She closed her eyes for a second, before opening them widely and directing a startled look at Mayweather, who flinched back. "What?"
Twilight immediately leapt out of her seat and jumped to position herself between Mayweather and the back of the store, where she knew Dawn was, her horn already alight, a spell preparing itself. "I don't know what you're trying to do but don't you think of-!"
"Twilight!" Fluttershy's urgent tone cut Twilight off and she immediately froze, the light building at the tip of her horn extinguishing.
"Calm down and sit," said Fluttershy sternly, "I know what you're thinking, but Mayweather hasn't done anything wrong."
"But she's..." Twilight's head whipped between Fluttershy and Mayweather, the latter of whom was beginning to look like she might faint. "But isn't she...?"
"She is," agreed Fluttershy, "But she hasn't tried to hurt Dawn at all. She even listened to me when I told her his story."
Twilight sighed and slumped down, climbing forlornly back into her seat. "I have no idea what's going on."
"To be fair," replied Caramel, looking between the three mares, "I think we're all pretty bamboozled here." All four of them nodded in unison.
Twilight's nose wrinkled and she caught the familiar fragrance of her favorite blend as Dawn carried out the pot it was brewing in on his tray. Arkenstone followed behind, carrying his own teapot by the handle, which he held clenched in his teeth. Setting it onto the table, Arkenstone sat next to Twilight while Dawn took up his position next to Fluttershy.
In the background, various ponies had stopped what they were doing to watch the near-confrontation. When any conflict failed to manifest, most of them went back to their own drinks, though Rumble and Sweetie Belle paused in their work to glance back at the group.
Twilight waited patiently for her tea to finish steeping. After pouring it for herself, she took a deep draught from her cup and set it back on the table with a sigh. "Okay," she said, "Explain."
Caramel and Fluttershy explained their situation. Mayweather was thunderstruck when she realized how awkward the situation had been. They hadn't wanted her to meet Dawn and were originally planning to steer her away from him. More importantly, she was shocked to see that Twilight Sparkle was supporting the strange colt as well.
Maybe the stories were just wrong, she thought, After all, Twilight Sparkle is supposed to be one of the greatest minds in Equestria. The proselytizers are always shouting about her brilliance after all. And she's the Element of Magic. Surely, if this colt were a demon, there's no way he'd be able to fool her.
That thought settled her mind a little and she was able to look at Dawn without cringing. However, the nagging doubt still hummed at the back of her mind. "So...if a demon isn't responsible," she said, "Then why are his eyes like that?"
"I'm not entirely certain yet," said Twilight, "I've been researching his condition ever since I met him. From what we've been able to determine, I believe it to be an ancestral trait."
"An ancestral trait?" asked Mayweather, "You mean like mane or coat color."
"Sort of," said Twilight, "There are all kinds of things that can get passed down through family lines. I believe the Eyes are one of those things. Recently, I've been researching to find anypony else in Equestria who might have those traits so that I can examine them. With enough subjects, I can narrow down and identify the factor responsible."
Mayweather blinked in shock. "You mean there are others?"
Twilight smiled happily. "Of course there are. In fact, Princess Luna is one of them. I interviewed her in Canterlot just a few weeks ago. Normally, the trait is passive and not visible. However, when the correct conditions are met, it becomes visible. Dawn's condition is actually anomalous because his Eyes seem to be stuck in their present state."
A chill went down Mayweather's spine at the mention of Princess Luna's name. "S-so you've spoken to...her...have you?"
"Of course I have," said Twilight, her eyes narrowing, "Princess Luna is a perfectly nice pony. She's actually a favorite of the foals here in Ponyville after she played with them during Nightmare Night."
"S-she p-played with the foals?" asked Mayweather, beginning to quake as her fears redoubled. It was one matter to think that stories about demon-possessed ponies to be exaggerations or misidentifications. However, one of the most strident lessons she'd been taught during her time with the Order was that Princess Luna, or rather, Nightmare Moon, was unquestionably evil and always working to plunge Equestria into Night Eternal. "Are they alright?"
"They're fine," deadpanned Twilight, giving Mayweather a flat stare, "I'll be honest with you. The stuff you've been taught by the Cult Solar is a bunch of hooey. I know Princess Luna. I'd even go so far as to call her my friend. I'd trust her with my life in an instant."
"B-but she's Nightmare Moon!" exclaimed Mayweather, backing away, "She tried to plunge Equestria into eternal night. You know that right? You're the ones that stopped her."
"That's right," agreed Fluttershy, "But Princess Luna wasn't herself then. She was very angry and upset after all the bad things ponies had been saying about her."
"Admittedly, even I think that causing a global catastrophe is a bad way to respond," snarked Dawn.
"Hush," said Arkenstone.
"Princess Luna was driven past her limits by ponies who decided that she was evil for no reason," said Twilight grimly, "They never stopped accusing her and they never stopped pushing her. She snapped. Ponies do that. The problem is, when an alicorn that controls the moon and night snaps, really bad things happen."
Mayweather was backing away and slowly edging towards the door. The entire situation was taking a turn for the horrifically surreal. She was surrounded by ponies who had met Nightmare Moon and called her friend. They were accusing the ponies of the Order of being the ones responsible for Nightmare Moon's depredations. Oh Celestia help me! I was wrong! The demon does have control over them! It was all real! I'm so sorry for doubting.
"Uh Twilight," ventured Caramel, flinching slightly as Twilight's still angry gaze landed on him, "I think you need to tone it down. Mayweather looks like she's about to bolt."
Twilight looked and realized that she'd overlooked the signs of how distressed Mayweather was becoming. "Oh! I guess I overdid it."
Mayweather's legs went out from under her. The sudden change in tone of the conversation left her stunned. Frantically, Mayweather looked around, expecting the other ponies in the teahouse to be closing in on her. However, while she was indeed the center of attention presently, most of the ponies watching her were doing so with an attitude of quiet bemusement, uncertain of what to make of her behavior.
"What are you going to do to me?" She knew that they wouldn't want her talking to Blenheim or the others about this. She was terrified to think about what they had in store for her.
"Nothing," said Dawn instantly, prompting surprised glances from those around him.
"Wha-what?"
"Like I said," replied Dawn, stepping away from Fluttershy and heading towards the back of the teahouse, "We aren't going to do anything to you."
"Are you sure Dawn?" asked Twilight nervously, "I mean, if she tells the ponies that came with her..."
"I said I wouldn't hide," replied Dawn, "If she tells them, that is her business. What they do afterwards will be their business until they make it my business." He turned and fixed Mayweather with an empty gaze that was almost sad somehow. "For all the things that you've said, you've done no harm to me, so I will do no harm to you."
Twilight sighed. "Well, I don't like it, but he's right," she admitted, "We wouldn't be helping our case at all if we tried to stop you from doing anything."
Mayweather slumped down, unable to process what was going on, the logic of the situation at war with everything she'd been taught and told. She was surprised when she felt something warm press up against her side and settle over her back. Looking over, she was shocked to see Fluttershy settling in beside her, resting a wing over her back. Fluttershy smiled gently at Mayweather.
"I know that this all seems strange and wrong to you," said Fluttershy, "But it isn't really like that. Dawn is a good colt and he's my son now."
"I-I don't know what to think," said Mayweather, unable to keep meeting that kind, earnest gaze.
"I understand. When you've believed something your whole life, only to get told that it was all wrong, it's hard to take." Fluttershy smiled. "But I know that you're a good pony and you don't want to hurt anypony either. So I think things will turn out fine."
"What if I tell Blenheim?" asked Mayweather.
"I-if you must," said Fluttershy sadly, "I'll be honest. I want Dawn to get through this season safely. He and Twilight have something planned. And even if it goes right, he'll be in danger. I'd like to at least spend the remainder of this season peacefully. But..." She used a hoof to guide Mayweather's chin so that Mayweather was looking straight into her clear teal eyes. "...do what you need to."
A few minutes later saw Mayweather leaving the teahouse, her mind awhirl with confusion as she tried to make sense of everything. Making her way down the road to the farm, she was so lost in thought, she almost missed the flutter of wings as a pegasus touched down in front of her.
Looking up, Mayweather blinked in surprise. It was a bright-orange filly with fuchsia mane, glaring up at Mayweather with similarly-colored eyes. Dredging her memories, Mayweather remembered seeing the filly moving about the teahouse along with that little unicorn and the gray pegasus colt. Mayweather realized that, whenever she had seen the orange filly, said filly had been glaring at her.
"Um...can I help you?" asked Mayweather, nonplussed by the sight of a filly she'd never met before glaring so balefully at her.
"Stay away from Dawn," snapped the filly, her eyes narrowing and her wings spreading slightly.
The quality of the air around Mayweather abruptly changed, as though it was closing in on her like a giant vice. Her body trembled and she instinctively recoiled from the intense pressure that the filly was sending her way. What is this foal?
"Stay away from Dawn," repeated the filly, advancing forward, "Don't even think about trying to hurt him or I'll make you sorry."
Mayweather backed away, everything about the situation making her feel distinctly uncomfortable. This was not a sensation she'd ever imagined she'd experience, much less at the hooves of such a young filly. The little one's hostility was so fierce that it was almost tangible.
"Scootaloo."
The soft, familiar voice of a colt cut through the tension like a knife. Mayweather glanced behind herself to see Dawn on the road behind her, the sight of his eyes still sending a chill down her spine. She half-expected the colt to pounce, now that she was alone and her way was blocked by the strangely intimidating filly ahead. However, Dawn instead spread his wings and hopped over Mayweather to land in front of her, interposing himself between her and the filly apparently named Scootaloo. Mayweather took a couple steps back.
"Dawn?" asked Scootaloo.
"Calm down," said Dawn, stepping towards Scootaloo, "She hasn't threatened or tried to hurt me. Let her be."
"But...but she's..."
Dawn sighed and walked straight up to Scootaloo, spreading his wings and wrapping them around her neck to pull her close enough that their foreheads could rest together. "Threatening her won't help, nor will hurting her. It may not be the safest thing, but it is the right thing."
"O-okay." Scootaloo stepped away and Dawn turned to face Mayweather.
"I'm sorry about that," said Dawn, bobbing his head respectfully. He turned and led Scootaloo away from Mayweather, the two pegasi taking to the sky and flying back in the direction of town. Mayweather watched them go, unable to say or do anything.
"Whew, Ponyville sure is a nice town," said Garnet as she settled into her seat for the evening meal, "The scenery 'round these parts is beautiful."
"Forget about the scenery," said Rivercrest, taking his own seat, "It's the food that's incredible."
"I can't argue with that," said Quicksilver, who was bringing a platter of roasted hay and vegetables out of the kitchen, "But I'm hoping you saved some of your appetite for dinner."
The door to the bunkhouse swung open to admit Blenheim and Braeburn.
"Hey there boss," called out Garnet, "We weren't sure you were gonna be joining us."
"Like Ah'd skip out on dinner with you lot," said Blenheim with a cackle, "Ah need to stick around just to make sure ya kids remember yer manners."
"How's the family?" asked Rivercrest politely.
"They're doin' fine," said Braeburn, "Big Mac's got himself a fillyfriend and he's lookin' after her daughter while she's outta town on business."
Garnet's mind turned to the impressive specimen of a stallion that she'd occasionally seen while working around the farm. "So he's got a fillyfriend already...darn."
"And the fillyfriend has a kid," interjected Quicksilver, "It ain't his, is it?"
"Nope," said Braeburn, taking his own seat, "Ah can't rightly say where she came from. Mac ain’t told me that yet.” He paused to take his hat off and, with a deft toss, hang it from one of the pegs lining the wall at the door. "Ah do know she's a little darlin' and cute as a button to boot."
Blenheim chuckled good-naturedly. "Ain't that the truth."
The door opened once again to reveal Mayweather, who stepped though silently. Her gaze was distant, not focusing on anything in the room around her, sliding across everything and everypony without the slightest acknowledgment. She almost tripped over her seat before she realized that it was there and pulled it out to sit down. For a moment, she simply stared vacantly into the distance while everypony else watched her.
"Mayweather?" prodded Blenheim, "Ya okay hon?"
Blenheim's voice cut through the fog in Mayweather's brain and the stripe-maned mare snapped out of her daze with a startled blink. "What?" she yelped before realizing where she was.
"Everythin' alright sugarcube?" asked Blenheim, resting a gentle hoof on her shoulder, "Ya look mighty unsettled. Somethin' happen to ya in town?"
Mayweather opened her mouth, her eyes falling across the concerned looks of her friends and her employer. She was a mere breath away from telling them everything, especially who she had found in that small teahouse by the library. However, her breath caught in her throat as memories rose up unbidden in her mind. She saw a colt leaning against the mare who had adopted him, his eyes closed in a quiet display of contentment. She saw the same colt placing himself between her and somepony that had threatened her, protecting her from someone who wanted to protect him. She remembered the comforting feeling of Fluttershy's wing over her back as the canary-colored mare told her to do what she believed was right. The entire situation was too new, too strange, contradictions on top of contradictions.
Mayweather's mouth closed and she gulped. "No," she said after a moment, "There's nothing to worry about."