//------------------------------//
// Breaking Point 
// Story: Seasons Turning 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 12: Breaking Point

“No offense boss, but…”  Quicksilver took a deep breath.  “Are you out of your mind?”
“The jury’s still out on that,” admitted Blenheim, “But Ah’ve made mah decision.  As the pony who’s in charge of this here jaunt to Ponyville, as well as the pony who pays yer salaries, Ah expect ya to abide by it.”
“I’m with Quicksilver on this,” said Garnet, her voice tense, “It’s clear that…colt…got to you.  You can’t be thinking clearly after that encounter you just had.”
“Ya may be right about that,” said Blenheim, “But Ah’m thinkin’ clear enough when Ah say that yer not gonna go botherin’ him.  Do Ah make mahself clear?”
The dark-red mare and silvery stallion exchanged uneasy glances.  They turned their attention to the two other ponies in the bunkhouse common area.  Mayweather was watching the tense exchange, her eyes flickering nervously from Blenheim to the pair that had been questioning him and back again.  Rivercrest was sprawled out on a nearby couch, reading through a novel he’d brought with him from Appleloosa.  The grayish-white stallion had retired there the moment Blenheim had given his orders, genrally being the most easygoing of the group and perfectly happy with abiding by Blenheim and Mayweather’s decisions.
Quicksilver and Garnet both looked unhappy with the decision.  However, they knew better than to try and argue with their employer.  Instead, the two turned and left the bunkhouse, leaving Blenheim alone with Mayweather and Rivercrest.
Mayweather let out a breath she hadn't even been aware that she had been holding.  "Well, that was unpleasant."
"No kidding," interjected Rivercrest without looking up, "I don't think things have been this tense since...ever."
"Ah don't blame 'em," said Blenheim softly, "Ah know this goes against the grain, but it's the best Ah can think of right now."
Mayweather gave him a questioning glance.  "Did meeting Dawn throw you off that much?”
Blenheim sighed and took the hat off his head, examining it as he turned it over in his hooves.  "When Granny always tried to tell me and Valencia that the Order wasn't fer us, Ah never listened.  Ah've done great things with the Order, Ah feel it's made mah life richer because Ah can dedicate what Ah do to somethin' greater.  The ponies who stand against us, they only know that one side 'o us.  It ain't our prettiest side, but it's important that evil be extinguished.  It's our duty to protect the innocent from the dark things 'o the world."
"Then what changed?" asked Mayweather.
"When Ah met that colt, at first it seemed like everythin' was comin' true, that he was some monster steppin' straight out 'o our old texts.  Ah could practically hear a proselytizer screamin' in mah ear, tellin' me not to listen to a thing he says, that he would try to lead me astray, that he'd lure me away from the proper path and plunge me into darkness.
"But when Ah talked to him, he just seemed so tired...like he didn't want any 'o this.  'Course, that could be just because he wants ponies to stop tryin' to stop him from doin' any dark deeds.  But then Ah asked how he could prove that he wasn't what we thought he was...then he..."  Blenheim shuddered at the memory of the incredible pressure, the sensation that he had been only mere seconds from a painful and messy death.  "Then he said somethin', somethin' that made me think about how Ah'd been thinkin' 'bout things, thinkin' 'bout him.
"He got me wonderin'.  What if Ah was just a normal pony, but there was somethin' 'bout the way Ah looked that made ponies think Ah was a monster?  How do Ah prove Ah'm not a monster?  How do Ah prove that mah sole purpose in life ain't to make life miserable fer ponies?  All the good behavior in the world ain't proof 'o anythin'.  Ah'd never be able to satisfy anypony who demanded that Ah show Ah wasn't a threat."
"You think that's what Dawn has to deal with?" asked Mayweather.
"Ah know that's what he has to deal with," replied Blenheim sharply, "Ah know because Ah was one 'o the ponies who expected him to prove himself.  And Ah know Ah was ready to just wave away whatever evidence he came up with 'cause Ah was just gonna see it as proof that he was good at hidin' his true nature."  He sighed.  "Ya know, when he got angry at me, Ah thought he was gonna grind me to dust.  I thought that was gonna be mah proof 'o his evil.  The demon was gonna try and shut me up, to keep me from blowin' his cover.  But when he reined it in, when he didn't do that, when he just dismissed me and walked away, that's when Ah realized that somethin' was wrong.  And fer the first time, Ah got the feelin' that it was me who was wrong."
Silence pervaded the bunkhouse's common room.  Finally, it was Mayweather who spoke.  "What do we do now?"
"We do what we came to do," said Blenheim, "We finish the harvest.  Then, when we head back, Ah'm gonna make a detour and see the Supreme Pontiff.  Ah think there's more to this than we know.  And Ah'm gonna get to the bottom 'o it, if Ah have to go all the way to the top."



"Well, now what?" asked Quicksilver as he and Garnet looked across the trees of the orchard.  The farm spread out before them, rolling hills, lined by row upon row of apple trees, many of them now bereft of their fruit now.  In the distance, they could just make out the thatched houses of Ponyville.
"The boss made his decision," grumbled Garnet, "Do you really want to go against him?"
"Do we have a choice?" snapped Quicksilver, "Even if it's the boss's orders, how can we shy away from doing what's right?  That colt's a genuine threat.  I could see it in the boss's eyes.  He was questioning himself, questioning his convictions.  That colt undermined his belief; Mayweather too.  That demon's sunk his claws into their hearts and souls and is threatening to pull them into damnation.  If we let things go on like this, who knows how much damage that monster could do."
"But he already has most, if not all of Ponyville under his thrall," Garnet pointed out, "Even the Elements can't match him.  Look at Applejack.  She should have seen right through the colt's deceptions and struck him down.  But now she's trying to protect him."  Garnet gulped nervously.  "I think we should take this to a higher authority.  We need to get back to Appleloosa and let a proselytizer know.  Then we can get a proper force into Ponyville to exterminate that monster."
"We can't afford to wait," countered Quicksilver, "That demon knows we're onto him.  In the time it takes for us to get help, he'll probably turn Ponyville into a bloodbath before he escapes, leaving us wondering where he'll strike next.  We have to stop him now!"
Garnet paused, mulling over Quicksilver's words.  "Alright," she said, "But what do we do?  The boss isn't gonna let us wander off."
"We'll have to play along for a little bit," said Quicksilver, "We'll act like we're going along with the boss's orders, even if we don't like it.  Then, we'll take advantage of the first opportunity to go into town and find that colt."
"And then what?"
"I don't know," said Quicksilver, "We probably won't be able to do anything about him right away, but we'll get an idea.  We need to try and get him alone, where he can't call on any of the townsponies to protect him.  Then..."  Quicksilver closed his eyes and gulped nervously.  When he opened them again, they were filled with the resolve of the righteous.  "...Then we do what's necessary."
Garnet nodded and, together, the two of them turned to make their way back into the bunkhouse, both unaware of the presence of an azure stallion, his blue coat blending into the night, watching and listening to their conversation.



It was another two days before the opportunity presented itself.  Perhaps sensing modicum of defiance in his employees, Blenheim worked Quicksilver and Garnet twice as hard in the orchards, upping their allotments so that, when they returned to the bunkhouse at the end of the day, they were too tired to even contemplate trying to put their plan into motion.
In spite of their irritation, Garnet and Quicksilver both buckled down and worked as hard as they possibly could, trying their best to finish ahead of their daily allotment.  The more trees they got harvested ahead of time, the more time they would have to deal with Dawn Lightwing.
Then, on the third day, the furious pace Blenheim had set paid off.  Before the day was half over, they'd cleared the entirety of the western fields.  Applejack, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Red River were working the southern fields, the only fields left to harvest.  The apples from those fields would be going directly to cider production, which was set to begin in just a few days.
Lifting the brim of his hat, Blenheim took a deep breath as he watched his workers pulling the last of the carts full of apple bushels into the barn for storage.  In spite of the drought earlier in the year, the trees had put out plenty of produce, ensuring that Sweet Apple Acres was going to finish the year in the black.
Wiping the sweat off his face, Blenheim turned to regard his workers.  "Alright you sorry lot, Ah think we can knock off fer the day.  If ya want to go help AJ and the others with the south fields, that's fine.  Otherwise, yer dismissed."
Turning around, Blenheim began making his way wearily towards the bunkhouse.  Combined with his age, the grueling pace he'd set for the past two days had taken its toll and he was in desperate need of rest.  Behind him, Mayweather, Rivercrest, Garnet, and Quicksilver looked to one another.
"I'm going to help out in the south," said Mayweather, after a moment's though, "Anypony want to come with me?"
"Sure," said Rivercrest.  Together, the pair of them set off to help the other members of the Apple Family with the remaining harvest.
Behind them, Quicksilver and Garnet grinned at each other.
"Now's our chance," said the stallion softly.
Turning about, they made their way towards town.  Their behavior over the past two days had assured Blenheim enough of their compliance, that he apparently no longer felt the need to keep an eye on the two of them, a trust that the two were quick to take advantage of.
As they walked, the two discussed their plans.
"The boss and Mayweather both said they met the kid at the teahouse," said Garnet.
"Yeah, but that was after the lunch hour," replied Quicksilver, "That's going on right now, so the colt's probably at school still."
"What are you thinking of doing then?"
"Well," said Quicksilver, lowering his head in thought, "We'll need to at least get a look at him so that we can pick him out from a crowd, not that it'll be all that hard with those eyes of his.  If we can keep an eye on him, we'll find a time where he's by himself and we can take it from there."
Garnet frowned.  "But he's a pegasus," she pointed out, "If he takes to the air, it's gonna be awful hard to follow him."
This earned a laugh from her companion.  "Even a pegasus has to come to ground sometime," Quicksilver jibed, "It's not like this is Cloudsdale, where ponies like us can't even walk without a unicorn's help.  This is an earth pony town.  That colt's gotta come down somewhere."
Garnet nodded in agreement and the two of them set off for the schoolhouse, oblivious to the fact that they were being carefully watched from above by a storm cloud-colored pegasus stallion.



"Thanks a bunch Mayweather, Rivercrest," said Braeburn gratefully as they loaded the last bushel of apples onto the cart, "Thanks to all yer help, we got the harvest done ahead 'o schedule."
"It sure is nice to have some breathin' room, that's fer sure," said Applejack, grinning lightly now that the long days of work were behind them, "With this, we can get a jump on the end 'o the year sales, maybe even extend Cider Season.  Ah know Rainbow Dash'll be pleased as punch about that."
"I'm glad we could help," said Mayweather, chuckling as she watched Dinky bouncing in excited circles as she followed Big Macintosh, who was pulling the wagon up to the barn.
"And we're mighty glad that Uncle Blenheim brought y'all along," said Applejack, "Ah understand that this might not've been the smoothest 'o harvests, but we're glad fer yer help all the same."
Mayweather nodded.  "Although, since we finished earlier than we planned, I don't know that we'll hang around.  Blenheim might want go ahead and head on back now that we're not needed anymore."
"Suit yerself," said Braeburn, grinning eagerly, "After all that build up, Ah just gotta find out what all this hubbub is about.  Ah'm gonna stick around a little longer 'til the festival."
Meanwhile, Applejack and Red River looked uneasily at each other.  "Any particular reason that Blenheim would want to leave early?" asked Red.
Mayweather's smile faded as reality set in and she remembered the conversation from the other day.  "Well...he's uncertain about that colt.  He wants to go and see the Supreme Pontiff about him."
"The Supreme Pontiff?" asked Red, raising an eyebrow.
"That's a mighty highfalutin' title if ya don't mind me sayin' so," said Applejack, "Just who is this feller?"
"The leader of the Order," explained Mayweather soberly, "History tells us that the Order of Celestial Light fell into decline shortly after the banishment of Nightmare Moon."
"And just why did the Order go into decline?" asked Red.  He knew the actual reasons behind it, of course, but he was interested in hearing their version of events, if only to gain further insight into their mindset.
"It was punishment from Her Radiance," said Mayweather, lowering her head.  Nearby, Rivercrest also looked saddened by the story.  "Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon from the world, but the ponies of the Order grew arrogant, trying to claim Nightmare Moon's defeat as their victory when, in reality, victory belonged to Her Radiance alone.  To teach them humility, Princess Celestia refused to bring about the Unending Day and instead chose to arrange for Nightmare Moon's release a thousand years later so that we might be tested once again.
"According to the Supreme Pontiff, this time it will fall to us to finish what Her Radiance started, to bring about the end of Nightmare Moon and cleanse this world of darkness once and for all.  Once that happens, only then shall we experience true paradise."
"I see..." said Red.
"Anyway," explained Mayweather, "The Supreme Pontiff ascended around ten years ago.  With his vision and his brilliant leadership, he brought the Order back out of obscurity and rebuilt our strength.  However, he stressed the importance of humility and vigilance.  We must not openly advertise our strength, but restrain ourselves and carry out our work quietly and dutifully."
"And what else can you tell us about this Supreme Pontiff?" asked Red, his eyes narrowing.
Mayweather shook her head.  "There isn't much I can say about him.  Few ponies know his true name.  Even fewer have laid their own eyes upon him.  It takes a great deal of persistence to finally obtain an audience with him.  Those who do get to see him generally become proselytizers."
"Proselytizers?"  Red raised an eyebrow.
"The ones who bear the Supreme Pontiff's words and will to the rest of the Order," replied Mayweather, "They say that those who succeed in meeting with the Supreme Pontiff directly are given a special blessing that cleanses their spirits and drives them to dedicate their lives to the cause of Princess Celestia."
"I see," said Red softly, "Interesting..."
"By the way," said Braeburn, looking around, "Where'd Quicksilver and Garnet get to?"
"They..."  Mayweather stopped when she realized that she had no idea.  She turned to look at Rivercrest, who answered her unvoiced question with a shrug.  "I don't know."
Applejack gulped as a bad feeling began to settle into her stomach.  Ah hope those two ain't up to somethin'.



"There he is."
Quicksilver nodded in agreement as they watched the colt calmly eating his lunch in the schooyard, his gaze politely fixed on one of the other foals, a white unicorn filly, as she chatted excitedly about something or other.  It seemed that their suppositions had been correct.  It hadn't been hard to pick Dawn Lightwing out of a crowd at all.  His eyes were clearly visible, without the slightest pretense of concealment.
"Sweet Celestia," whispered Garnet, "What kind of hold must that monster have over these ponies that he doesn't even need to hide his eyes from them?"
"Weird though," mused Quicksilver, "The eyes aside, he seems like a pretty normal colt.  Even if he isn't hiding his eyes, he's certainly going out of his way to act normally."
"Why bother asking why demons do what they do?" scoffed Garnet, "The question now is what should we do.  We can't do anything with all these other ponies around."
"Stick with the plan," said Quicksilver, "We'll wait for our chance."



Unbeknownst to the pair, they had already been spotted.  Though he avoided looking directly at them, Dawn was already monitoring the pair out of the corner of his eye, having sensed their scrutiny all too easily.  At the moment, he was only half-paying attention to the current conversation, being careful to spare some of his awareness for the ponies he sensed meant him ill.  Just like old times, he thought ruefully.  Though the situation was rather ironic as it was now his persecutors who were skulking about, trying to avoid scrutiny.
Dawn's attention was drawn back to the conversation when he felt Scootaloo nudge him in the ribs with her elbow.  "Everything okay?" she asked.
Dawn nodded.  "Everything's fine," he said softly, secretly impressed by her growing awareness.  Even if she hadn't sensed their covert audience, it was a sign of her continued growth that Scootaloo was able to pick out the subtle hints from Dawn's own behavior, getting the impression that something was amiss.
Not that this is necessarily a good thing at this time, mused the colt, his mind going back to Scootaloo's aggressive display towards Mayweather the other day.
After finishing their lunches, the group made their way towards Arkenstone's teahouse, ready for yet another afternoon spent serving customers.  After that, Dawn and Scootaloo had planned to head out to the quarry for their regular training session.  As he went through their plans for the remainder of the day, Dawn tried to figure out when he could find time to deal with the ponies shadowing him...and what exactly to do about it.  Mayweather and Blenheim had avoided starting hostilities, but Dawn's instincts told him that the pair that was following him now were not so reserved.
Even as he thought, he was subtly aware of Scootaloo's attention now, a sign that she hadn't taken his assurances at face value and continued to pick up on the signs of his caution, though he hoped she hadn't yet figured out why.



The day was proving largely fruitless for Quicksilver and Garnet.  They'd carefully followed the colt all throughout the afternoon, hanging around the teahouse and waiting for him to come out.  When the colt did, he was with the orange pegasus filly they'd seen him hanging around with earlier.  The pair had flown off as soon as they'd left the teahouse, leaving the two earth ponies struggling to keep up.
Though Garnet and Quicksilver ran as fast as they were able, they were unable to keep up with Dawn and the filly, who had the advantage of being able to travel by air directly to their destination, wherever it was.  The pair quickly lost sight of the foals as they struggled to keep up.  The proceeded in the direction the foals had been going, all the way up to the edge of town.  There, the ground rose up into hills, covered with scrub brush, leading away into some desolate territory.
"What on earth could be out there?" asked Garnet, panting as she came to a stop.
Quicksilver wracked his brain, looking for some memory of what lay out on this side of town.  He remembered looking over a map once, but not in detail, particularly not at areas outside the town limits.  "I don't know," he said, "I remember that there was something out here.  But, whatever it is, it must be abandoned."
"Then why did they come out here?" asked Garnet, "You don't think he could be doing something to that filly, could he?"
Quicksilver grimaced.  "It's possible," he said.
"Should we go out and look for them?" asked Garnet, looking warily out, "It could be a trap."
"If it is, then we still need to go," said Quicksilver, "For that filly's sake, if no one else's."
The two of them set off in the direction they had last seen the foals travel.  As they walked the brush and hills eventually gave way to level ground that had obviously been cleared by ponies.  "This must've been an old quarry or something," mused Garnet, her eyes flicking back and forth nervously.
However, it was their ears that picked up the first indications that they were approaching their quarry.  A low roar sounded out ahead of them, the sound of wind howling.  It was accompanied by crackling and the occasional boom of thunder.  The two earth ponies exchanged wary glances before proceeding onward.  As they did, they could see clouds of dust billowing across a nearby rise.  Close to the rise was a low ridge.  On the other side of the ridge, flashes were visible, with the occasional crackling bolt of electricity dancing upwards.
"That's...pretty extreme," muttered Quicksilver as the two of them pressed warily forward.
Topping the rise, the two adults let out a sigh of relief as they laid eyes on the orange filly they had seen accompanying the colt earlier.  She was alone at the moment, with Dawn Lightwing nowhere in sight.
"Thank goodness," whispered Garnet, to which Quicksilver nodded in response.
However, then Quicksilver noted that she seemed to be standing strangely still.  "It's like she's in some sort of trance," he mused.
To their surprise, she burst into motion, her left wing snapping straight out in her side while the other went into a sweeping dip, rolling downwards and forwards.  From that same movement, the right wing swept sharply upward.  As it did so, the filly suddenly lunged forward, jabbing directly ahead of her with the left wing.
Even though the disconnected movements were strange enough, even stranger still were the powerful gusts of wind that accompanied each maneuver, tearing along the ground and eroding a trench along its path.
"What in Celestia's name?" whispered Garnet.
"I don't know..." mused Quicksilver, "It almost looks like some kind of martial art."  Not being a pegasus, he found the moves foreign and indecipherable.  However, he could see the polished result of continued practice as the filly continued to go through the moves of the form, her wings moving independently of one another, but never completely losing synch, like they had divided into two separate organisms, only to come together as one again.
"But what about the colt?" asked Garnet, "Where's he?"
"Over there, I'm guessing," said Quicksilver, pointing at the ridge with a hoof.  They could still hear the crackling of electricity and the occasional bark of thunder.
"So now what?"
Swallowing nervously, Quicksilver stood upright, coming out of the crouch he'd unwittingly sunk into.  "We need to talk to that filly, try and get her away from the colt.  Then we deal with the colt."
Shortly after he spoke, the filly finished going through her form, her wings settling into a level position, half-extended from her side.  Her fuchsia eyes snapped open and she turned to glare at the two adult ponies that had been spying on her practice.
"What do you two want?" she asked, glaring at them.
Quicksilver and Garnet quickly trotted down the rise and up to the filly.  "We were worried," said Garnet as gently as she could, "What's your name, young lady?"
"Scootaloo," said the orange filly, her expression not softening in the slightest, "You're the ones who've been spying on us all afternoon aren't you."
"Wha-what do you mean?" asked Garnet, stepping back from the obvious hostility in Scootaloo's tone.
"I knew that Dawn was bothered about something, especially when we were outside at lunch," said Scootaloo, her eyes flicking between the two earth ponies in front of her, "He tried to act like nothing was wrong, but I could tell he was worried.  You two have been following us.  What do you want?"
"Miss, I'm not sure you're aware of this," said Quicksilver, in as businesslike a tone as he could manage, "But you should know that the colt you're with, this Dawn Lightwing, is quite dangerous.  You shouldn't be out here alone with him."
Scootaloo's eyes narrowed dangerously.  Quicksilver and Garnet began to sweat as they felt pressure building in the air around them.  Scootaloo stepped forward, the single motion being threatening enough that both adults matched it with an unconscious step backwards.
"Don't you dare talk about him like that," she growled, "I know who you jerks are.  You're from that Cult Solar bunch, just like that one mare and Applejack's uncle.  You think you can just come into town and spew a bunch of horseapples about my friend, just because of the way his eyes look, then you've got another thing coming."
"Now listen here," said Quicksilver as firmly as he could manage, given the circumstances, "I don't know what that colt has told you, but he's no ordinary foal.  Look at what he's done.  He's brought you all the way out here to a secluded place, where nopony could find you easily-"
"So what?" snapped Scootaloo, "We've been coming out here together for months now, ever since he started teaching me."
"Teaching you?" scoffed Quicksilver, "Are you mad?  That monster won't teach you a thing.  He's corrupting you, trying to lead you away from Celestia's light.  You need to get away from him now!"
"I'm not the one who needs to worry about Celestia's light," Scootaloo scoffed back, "You ponies have your heads so far up your plots, you wouldn't know her light unless it came in a su-sup-su...what was that word Sweetie Belle used again?"
"Your mother would have a fit if she knew you were using that kind of language," commented a dark-gray stallion in a purple silk shirt as he came in for a landing by Scootaloo, "And the word you're looking for is suppository."  He gave Scootaloo a stern look that made her shy away slightly.  "I may have to have a word with Miss Rarity if you learned that from Sweetie Belle."
Scootaloo grinned sheepishly and blushed a little.
"Who are you?" demanded Quicksilver, trying to get back on top of things, now that the strange pressure had abated.
"I am Storm Front," replied the pegasus stallion sedately, "And I am here to tell you that you are being missed back at the farm.  You should return with all due haste.  I suggest you not make any attempt to leave it again, unless it's to return to Appleloosa."
"Forget that!" yelled Garnet, "You're under that demon's thrall too.  You need to get out of the way and let us do our duty and purge the world of that unholy filth before it corrupts you any further."
Storm opened his mouth to restate his instructions.  He fully intended to use force to dissuade these ponies if necessary.  However, his words died in his mouth as he practically felt something snap in the air next to him.  Looking over, he saw Scootaloo practically radiating pure rage as she glared daggers at the two cultists before her.  The air was responding to her magic, curling about her wings, condensing in preparation for her use.
"Don't. Talk. About. Him. Like. That," she snarled, the muscles along her back tensing, "Take your lamebrain rants and your hokey religion and get the hay out of Ponyville.  You're not wanted here.  Hay!  Princess Celestia thinks you're a bunch of jerks.  For your information, she knows Dawn and she likes him.  Everything you stand for is a pack of lies and you're a bunch of idiots for believing them."
"Scootaloo," said Storm in a warning, tone, his right arm tensing as he readied the meteor hammer concealed in his sleeve.  He watched her worriedly, wondering if he would be forced to employ the weapon against her.  In her current state, her attack would do more than discourage the ponies in front of them, it was likely to pulverize them completely.  As much as Storm could sympathize with her desire to do so, the fact remained that it wasn't the right thing to do.
"That's enough."  Unbeknownst to all of them, thanks to their distraction, the sound of lightning and thunder had ceased and Dawn had made his way over the ridge to see what was going on.  Landing next to Scootaloo, he gently waved his wing in her direction, disrupting the air currents she was manipulating before she could turn them on the ponies before her.
"But Dawn...!"
The colt simply raised a hoof, forestalling Scootaloo's protest.  "I didn't teach you the Gale King to use it for this," he said softly, "It won't help.  If anything, it will only hurt more in the long run."
Scootaloo's expression softened and her body relaxed, wings slumping down.  She let out a defeated sigh.  "Fine."  However, she raised her head to throw one last glare at Garnet and Quicksilver.  "But you two had better go back to the farm and stay there.  We're all getting sick of your horseapples."
The three pegasi lifted off, flying back towards town, leaving Quicksilver and Garnet alone in the quarry.  Garnet let out a breath.  "Great Celestia!  I thought that filly was gonna kill us for a minute.  That colt must really have his hooks deep in her heart for her to go that far."
She looked over to see how her companion was faring.  However, she was shocked to see that Quicksilver was trembling, his muscles seized and tense as he gritted his teeth, glaring at the space where the three pegasi had stood.  "No," he growled, "That filthy brat hasn't been tricked or deceived.  She knows exactly what that thing is and chose to follow him.  She even dared to insult Her Radiance by suggesting that she would choose that demon over us...I won't forgive this!"
"Quick!  What are you talking about?" asked Garnet, backing away nervously.
"It's worse than we imagined," said Quicksilver, "These ponies aren't dupes or thralls.  They're something worse.  They're heretics!"
"Are you sure?" asked Garnet, aghast at the suggestion.
"Why else would she say such loathsome things?  You saw the way that filly looked at the colt.  She doesn't just serve him.  She desires him.  Even knowing what he was, she chose to turn her back away from Her Radiance's light and give herself to that demon!  She's beyond salvation."
"So what then?" asked Garnet, "If this town is full of heretics, then the Elements as well..."
"We'll have to get out and get word to the rest of the Order," said Quicksilver.  However, he bared his teeth at the spot where Scootaloo had been standing.  "But I'm not going to leave without teaching that filly the price of blasphemy."
Garnet's jaw dropped as she realized what Quicksilver was suggesting.  "Quick!  Be reasonable.  Our priority is to get out!  Don't do something that could compromise that by going after a filly...even if she might be a heretic."
"She is no filly to me anymore," spat Quicksilver, "As far as I'm concerned, she's not even a pony.  She's nothing more than trash.  Before we leave, I'm going to show this town just how unsightly trash really is."



"Goodnight," said Dawn softly, stepping away from the door.
"Dawn..."  Scootaloo reached out with her hoof towards him, resting it against his shoulder.  "Please don't be mad.  I couldn't stand the things that they were saying about you."
With a sigh, Dawn reached up and placed his hoof over her.  "I am tired of that as well," he said, "But we only need endure it a little longer.  Hopefully we can bring this to an end soon.  Until then, you have to restrain yourself.  If you use your power in anger, then you risk simply making matters worse."
Nodding silently, Scootaloo stepped back from Dawn.  "Guess I'll see you tomorrow then."
Dawn nodded and spread his wings.  As the colt took flight, heading back to his own home, Scootaloo closed the door behind him and headed back towards the living room.  There, on the living room table, awaited her homework, which needed to be finished before she could call it a night.  The onset of the Harvest Season meant a reduction in the workload students carried, so there were only a couple of worksheets that required her attention.
"It sounds like you had a rough afternoon," observed Melon as she came in, settling on the couch as Scootaloo seated herself and picked up a pencil.
"Yeah," muttered the filly, carefully holding the writing instrument in her primaries.  Learning to use her wings the way Storm Front did wasn't the easiest thing, but it beat sticking her pencil in her mouth.  She'd had difficulty at first, but her writing was now at the point where it was legible again.  Using her wings to do her homework was good practice.
A quiet hour passed as Scootaloo worked her way through a sheet of math problems, occasionally pausing to ask her mother to look over her answers and check her work.  She was nearly finished when there was a loud pounding at the door.
"Now who could that be at this hour?" asked Melon, standing up and looking at the clock.  It was well into the evening now, the time when most ponies would be in their homes, most of them getting ready for bed.
As she walked towards the door to see who it was, the pounding didn't decrease in intensity.  In fact, it increased, to the point that the door was shaking on its hinges.
"I'm coming!" Melon shouted over the racket, "Honestly, have some patience."
She undid the lock and turned the knob, only for the next blow to send the door slamming open.  Melon barely managed to jump back to avoid getting hit in the face.  Backpedaling, she hurried to put distance between herself and the door, while also keeping between it and her daughter.  She glared angrily at the silver-coated stallion who stepped through.  "Who the hay do you think you are, barging into somepony's home like this?"
Quicksilver's lips pulled back in an angry snarl as he stepped into the living room, his gaze sliding over everything until it game to rest on a gaping Scootaloo, whose expression of surprise and fear was melting into one of anger as she saw who had come calling.
"Get out of my house!" shouted Melon.
Quicksilver turned and returned her glare.  "Get out of my way!  I'm here to teach that brat of yours a lesson..."



Stifling a yawn, Dawn slipped the completed worksheets back into his saddlebag.  The sound of gentle hoofsteps drew his attention to Fluttershy as she came trotting into the living room, a tray with a pair of glasses on it balanced on one wing.  As she set the tray onto the table, Dawn lifted a glass off and took a grateful sip of milk.
"All done?" she asked.
Dawn nodded and looked around the living room, his eyes following several of her animals as they went about their business.  By the end of the season, the cottage would be more or less deserted as the majority of Fluttershy's friends would be going into hibernation or leaving on their yearly migrations.  The colt had long grown used to the the sounds of animals on the move throughout their house, and wondered if he would get used to how empty it would feel once most of the animals left or went into hibernation.  However, the current plan was to spend the winter at Caramel's house, which meant something else for Dawn to get used to.  Admittedly, the colt found himself looking forward to it.
The quiet moment was interrupted by a heavy pounding on the door, the sudden noise causing Fluttershy to squeak in fear and dive into the couch and duck her head under the cushion.  She might have been growing more assertive and courageous lately, but her tolerance for surprises, particularly loud ones, remained rather low.
Getting up, Dawn trotted towards the door and opened it carefully.  He couldn't sense any sign of hostility from the pony on the other side.  To his surprise, Rainbow Dash was there, the cerulean mare panting loudly, her eyes wide and her expression anxious.
"What's wrong?" asked Dawn, his heart-rate increasing as he took in the expression on Rainbow's face.
"It's...It's Scootaloo..." gasped Rainbow, trying to get her breath back after apparently breaking a few of her speed records to reach the cottage as fast as she could.
She found herself backpedalling as Dawn thrust his face towards hers, his draconic eyes wide and his own expression terrified.  "Where is she?"
"She's at the hospital!" exclaimed Rainbow, "She's-"
Sadly, the rest of the phrase was unheard as Dawn bowled her over, taking to the air and hurtling towards the hospital as fast as his wings could carry him.