//------------------------------//
// 56 - Grift 
// Story: Gladiator 
// by Not_A_Hat 
//------------------------------//

"What’s a 'gas station'?" Sunset looked at the sign. "And why does it smell?" She wrinkled her new snub nose.
 
"Hey, I like the smell of gas." I grinned. "It’s made of liquid exploding dinosaurs! It reminds me of motorbikes. Yeah. Maybe we can explore those later."
 
"Answer my question." She gave me a flat stare.
 
"Sorry!" I raised my hands defensively. "A gas station is a place that sells the oil used to fuel cars. I did mention they run on refined petroleum, right?"
 
"Oh. Hmm." She surveyed the area. "So, what are we doing here?" I grinned.
 
"Two questions." I held out the twenty-bit bill I'd borrowed from Pinkie. It had confused both of us for a good five minutes. "Have you ever used arcanology?"
 
"Secret spending?" She frowned. "Of course. Pen-and-ink communication is built around it."
 
"Ah, no. I mean, have you ever considered it for divination."
 
"To discover unknown secrets?" She gave me puzzled look. "No. It's a slick idea, but it's fairly useless in practice. Especially over distance." My smile grew wider.
 
"Second question. Have you ever played the lottery?" Her eyes widened slightly, as she realized what I was suggesting.
 
"But a raffle can't be affected by arcanology. Not until the result is actually known." She put a hand on her hip, and gave me challenging glare. "Unless it's rigged. What are you thinking, Wes?"
 
"I'm thinking that this world might have a different form of lottery." I led her into the gas station. "One that might be a little easier to bespell." I pointed to a display of scratch-off tickets. Recorded secrets, nearby, with clearly visible identifying numbers. Small enough to be unnoticed by the authorities, with instant payout.
 
"Hey." She grabbed my sleeve, and I turned back. "Are you doing this just to play with magic? We need to lay low."
 
"We do." I shrugged. "As much as possible. But we need at least a little money. I really don't want to beg from mirror-Rarity. Besides, this isn't illegal. Just impossible."
 
"Still." She jabbed at the display, which stated an ID was required for lottery tickets. "Your plan has a problem."
 
"Ah." I pulled out a pen and a notepad, and started to construct a simple numismatrix. "You'd be right, except I expected this. That's why the first secret we're going to need is a name."
 
"Hmm." She cocked an eyebrow. "Fine. I'll go along with this for now. But be careful, Wes."
 
"Of course!" I grinned, stepping towards the next person to enter the store. "This won't go wrong in any way!"
 



 
"I can't believe that didn't go wrong in any way!" We were sitting on a bench in the concourse of the mall. Sunset's eyes kept locking onto various strange things as people walked by.
 
"Heh. Told you it would work." I surreptitiously recounted my stack of bills. Nearly four hundred bits, half of what we'd managed to win. "That guy… what was his name? Silver Shill? After the third card, he was sold."
 
"Heh." Sunset sipped her soda, a celebratory drink. "That's no surprise. Ponies - people who play the lottery must be gamblers. But he actually believed your horseapples about a fancy math scheme. Did you see him eye the algorithms you were scribbling?"
 
"Why do you think I scribbled them?" I grinned. "It was all patter. After the third gas station, I think he’d have jumped me for the paper if I hadn't handed it over." I shrugged. "He wouldn't believe it was magic. But math? Everyone believes in math. The rest is just salesmanship. And since it's not actually a con, that wasn't hard."
 
"I've run cons, and even if it wasn't illegal, that smelled like one. Still shocked that it worked. I at least expected him to wonder why you weren't doing it yourself. What did you say? Something about 'observer bias' and 'quantum entanglement'?"
 
"Wave a bit of fluffy science, promise results, invent a testimony or two, and some people will bite at even the most specious of claims. He'd have been angry if I hadn't delivered, but all you need to do is make them want to believe. I'm sure you saw the same thing in Equestria. Fake magic amulets? Bogus potions?"
 
"Huh." She swished a mouthful of soda, and swallowed speculatively. "Cross-cultural context, okay. That makes more sense. Think he'll try again, on his own?"
 
"What's he got to lose?" I grinned. "I did tell him I'd crunched the numbers on my computer, but I bet he'll try something. He's missing more than half the method, though. He never saw my wand. It's a slight advantage, not having it nailed to my head."
 
"Thanks." Sunset gave me a flat stare.
 
"Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course!"
 
"Of course." She tossed her bottle into a nearby trashcan.
 
"You're really starting to get the hang of those." I nodded to her hands.
 
"Not like I've got much choice." She shrugged. "I think this body knows what to do. At least somewhat." She poked me in the ribs, and I flinched. "Besides, they have their uses."
 
"Mmm." I folded the bills again, and tucked them away. We were here for a reason. I climbed to my feet, and offered her a hand. "It's getting late. Let's get what we came for, get some food, and head back to Pinkie's. Tomorrow, we need to brainstorm on Glisten, check on Bit, and maybe… maybe think about whether we should recruit the others."
 
"That's going to depend on what Glisten's up to." She grabbed my wrist, and I heaved her upright. She frowned. "I've been thinking about that."
 
"Yeah?" I set off towards the nearest electronics store.
 
"Yeah. She took your stone. That's not a good thing."
 
"It kinda is."
 
"Heh, Ok. Kinda. It's good it's gone from you. It's not good it's in her hands."
 
"Why? Besides her actually wanting it, I mean. Specific reasons."
 
"Hmm. A little complicated."
 
"Yuck."
 
"Heh."
 
"Here." I waved her over. "Pick a color." She perused the display of phones for a second, before pointing at a dandelion yellow clamshell.
 
"What are these?"
 
"In a minute. Go on." I selected a white one and a black one, and slid a few pre-paid cards off the end of the display. All I wanted was calling capability.
 
"When I was in Canterlot, Celestia had me researching anything and everything we could find on Sombra."
 
"That was her idea of 'quality time'?"
 
"Don't judge, okay?" Sunset sniffed. "I like studying. And you can learn a lot about somepony from their reference material!"
 
"The more things change…" I gave her a speculative glance. In some ways, she was so different from Twilight. "Sorry."
 
"It's fine. Anyways, we were trying to dig up stuff on his magic." She paused for a moment as I checked out, peeling bills off a thick wad. I needed a proper wallet. "There wasn't much. Most of it was on the Crystal Heart."
 
"Oh, huh." I turned her new phone on and began activating it, but most of my attention was on Sunset. "That's surprising."
 
"When I say 'most', that doesn't mean there was a lot." Her smile was wry. "But there was something. What do you know about the Heart?"
 
"It was created by Clover the Clever, in an attempt to fight the windigoes. Like most of her magic, we're not sure what it is, or how it does what it does. But it's able to take in emotional energy… something like a changeling, honestly, and convert it to magical power. It's very multipurpose. The Empire used it to moderate the weather, monitor public opinion, and maybe even affect the seasons. Oh, and stop windigoes, using something like 'magical friendship fire', although no-one's really sure what that means nowadays."
 
Sunset stared at me for a second.
 
"Need more?" I grinned. "I think I can remember - "
 
"No, no." She rubbed her temples. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you're not an incompetent scholar."
 
"You and me both." I shrugged. "Seriously. It's not mine."
 
"Oh right. The… wait a minute." She frowned. "You still remember?"
 
"What do you… oh. Oh." I frowned, equally perplexed. A hand rose unconsciously to my chest. "Yeah. I still have Twilight's memories, despite the soul-link being gone. Um." I gave her a quizzical stare. "It is gone, right?"
 
"How should I know?"
 
"Magic?" I suggested hopefully.
 
"Seriously, Wes."
 
"Can't we… measure it?"
 
"Have you made a widderspindle from scratch?"
 
"…no." I sniffed; we were walking through the mall, and the signature odor of cheese, bread, and tomato sauce called to me. "Pizza."
 
"Hmm?"
 
"Pizza okay for supper?"
 
"Sure." She waved a hand, half-listening. "Lend me your wand?" I casually passed it over, ignoring her musing while I ordered a cheese pizza. My nose wanted onions, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, and mushrooms, but I decided to play safe.
 
"It's gone." I looked over at her. She was holding the wand pressed between her palms, and staring at me.
 
"Tell?"
 
"I checked for Twilight's signature. If she's far enough away a vivre-card won't reach, your link would attenuate at best. With what you described from the warp… I think we can be confident you're separated."
 
"Hmm." I frowned, unsure. "The memories?"
 
"Probably permanent. I don’t know what Twilight did to link you in the first place, but you said 'soul mixing' happened. Permanent side-effects don’t surprise me. Be glad they’re mostly harmless."
 
"Hmmhmm." I set the pizza box down. We sat and stared a second, inhaling the savory aroma, before helping ourselves. "I think I understand." I mumbled around a mouthful of mozzarella. "Okay, we'll go with that. Which means Twilight's still got my memories. She's welcome to them. But she probably thinks…" I stopped, realizing just what Twilight was up against. I dropped my pizza, suddenly nauseous. Sunset waited.

I rubbed my eyes, thinking back. Most likely, Twilight thought I was... But she still had... I swallowed convulsively and grabbed a napkin.
 
"Th-that was one of my biggest fears.” I wiped my mouth. Sunset gave me a concerned stare. “The idea I’d be left carrying her memories, her… ghost. Another one. If she thinks I’m dead - "
 
"We'll return." Sunset's voice was confident.
 
"Really?"
 
"Believe in yourself. Or better yet, believe in me." She smiled cheekily. "Its worked before."
 
"Heh." I smiled weakly. "We'll need every scrap of hope we can beg, borrow, or steal. Your magic is throttled, and I never had much."
 
"Maybe not much magic." Her glance was speculative. "Don't sell yourself short. Anyways, I just need time to adjust." She waved the wand, and sparkles flew from the tip. "That's what I’ve been considering. Magic, and what we've got. Back to the soul-stone and the Crystal Heart."
 
"Right." I hesitantly took a bite of pizza, appetite slowly returning. Twilight hadn't shared my fears; she would be okay. ...right? I grimaced, and shoved the thoughts aside. I wasn't dead. We'd make it back, and we'd learn more. Maybe enough to help me move towards Earth.
 
"I'm convinced your soul-stone was based on the Crystal Heart."
 
"That's… surprisingly plausible." I frowned. "Sombra had it for ages, and definitely studied it. It's basically an archetypal 'powerful artifact'. The idea that he prototyped… Dang!"
 
"Hmm?" Sunset looked up wide-eyed, in the middle of a bite. "'Forry?"
 
"She called it the prototype! Glisten did!" I wracked my brains, trying to remember exact words.
 
"Proves nothing." Sunset waved a hand.
 
"Yeah, but…" I dropped my head into my hands. "Still makes me want to scream. I carried it for how long? I have no idea what it does!"
 
"Yeah, because experimenting while it’s attached is a great idea." Sunset pointed a finger at me. "I'd have kicked you into last Wednesday if I discovered you doing that. Numancy is illegal for a reason, Wes. A very good one. I can count on one hand, heh, the number of numancers who weren't evil, made significant contributions to magic, and lived to publish."
 
"Starswirl." I rubbed my eyes.
 
"You are not Starswirl the Bearded. I'm not at his level. Clover wasn't at his level. Twilight might be close, if she'd pull her snout out of a book and get actual experience. Thing is, Starswirl’s advances weren't even in numancy. He dropped it like a sensible mage. And I bet you've learned something."
 
"Come again?"
 
"I saw Twilight's widderspindle casting. It was so heavily annotated, I could barely see the original numbers. That mare was looking for something, and I'd be shocked if she didn't have some idea. Not that it does us much good."
 
"Twilight..." I groaned.
 
"Something wrong?"
 
"I… Yeah. I just don't know what." She cocked an eyebrow. "Right before… this," I waved a hand, "I discovered Twilight was keeping secrets. I think she noticed something about me." I rubbed my eyes. "She was reviewing the widderspindle reading?"
 
Sunset set her slice down, and stared for half a minute.
 
"Something on my face?"
 
"Thinking." She shrugged. "I have no idea what she saw. But… you were okay with this?"
 
"I…" I sighed. "Not really. Trust, right?"
 
"Heh. As you say." She frowned. "I hope it doesn't hurt us."
 
"Me too." I took another bite. "Back to the Heart. My soul-stone was based on it?"
 
"Maybe." She shrugged. "It's my best guess, but that's not all. I'm nearly as certain the Elements are based on it."
 
"Really."
 
"Yeah. They’ve frustrated researchers for a long time, but consider this. Both were made by Clover."
 
"We know that?"
 
"Yes!" She thumped a fist down, and I jumped. "Okay, so maybe there's no actual proof! But just because a bunch of stuffy professors can't see the obvious composition similarities doesn't mean - "
 
"Woah, calm down!" I raised my hands placatingly, and glanced warily around the crowded restaurant. Thankfully, background noise masked her outburst. "Um, I should mention. Talking about magic isn't a problem, but yelling about it may draw attention."
 
"You got to run your game," she huffed, and crossed her arms.
 
"Yeah, but…" I scratched my head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be overbearing." I spread my hands. "It’s a public place. Please?"
 
"Fine." She relaxed but leaned close over the pizza, blue eyes serious. "Look, Wes. The Elements and Heart have significant parallels. Clover had a strong hoof in shaping both. One." She counted on a finger.

"They were made in the same decade. Two. they’re built on similar substrate. Three. They are holistic formulations, encompassing something entirely. Four. Inheritance principles mean the Elements could be a refined version, but function nothing like the Heart. Five. Clover's lost journals supposedly contain research on a school of magic uniquely suited to holistic effects. From the fragments we have, I believe that runeform would explain the artifacts’ unique properties and, six, make them the indecipherable mess we now face. I can continue."
 
"Hmm." I rubbed my jaw. "Good enough for me. Not proof, but I'll buy."
 
"Alright." She placed her palms on the table. "That's one half. Your soul-gem was the same. And that's a problem." She breathed deeply, and sipped her drink. "If it's based on the Heart, it also shares a holistic formulation."
 
"That’s a problem?"
 
Sunset eyed me speculatively.
 
"Have you seen projections on exposing an Element to inter-reallity?"
 
"No." I frowned. "When we visited the Empire, we had no problem."
 
"Oh, that." She waved a hand impatiently. "They weren't exposed. They were bound to their bearers. Like your gem."
 
"Okay?" I gave her a puzzled grin. "I've never read the projection."
 
“I’ll summarize. Holistic formulation encompasses an entirety. The Crystal Heart uses 'love'. The Elements are 'magic' - but also 'friendship', by aporiasis. For your gem, I have no idea. Possibly just 'you'. In order to encompass, they need to be anchored to something concrete, a phenomenotional object that represents the concept. That's the Bearers and the Empire. For the soul-gem, that's you."
 
"And inter-reality?"
 
"It scrambles the real-world of the equation. Things can run wild. Have you seen a burnout vortex? From shattering a rune-circle?"
 
My hands suddenly clutched the table, memories of loss and pain surging.
 
"Wes?"
 
"Sorry." My voice was quiet. I steeled my nerves, and ran through a few of the breathing exercises I'd learned. "So that's what you’d call it."
 
"Are you all right?"
 
"No, probably not." I laughed harshly. "But I'm getting better."
 
"Can I…" She trailed off, as I slowly relaxed.
 
"Sorry." I wiped my forehead. "That surprised me. Burnout vortex. Yes, I think I have. If by that, you mean what happens when a soul-gem breaks." I grinned starkly. "I've seen one up close." Her eyes widened in understanding.
 
"Splinter." Her voice was soft.
 
"Yeah." I nodded. "That's what you're talking about, right?"
 
"Mmmhmm." She nodded slowly. "I didn't…" She rubbed her eyes.
 
We took a moments silence.
 
"So. My gem could trigger a vortex? Would Glisten just break it?"
 
"She might have a better way." Sunset took a bite, scowled at the cold pizza, and dropped it. "If she’s careful, she can get some control by breaking your connection without shattering the gem.”

“What would that create, if not a vortex?”

“Hard to say. The projections were for the Elements, and they’re unpredictable. For the soul-gem… you’d at least get a surge. Enough power for even a poor teleporter to punch a hole in reality." Her smile was sad.

“It's no push-button solution. Artifacts are tricky, temperamental. The target of the spell needs to switch. It's during the re-structuring that magic is released. For an Element, you’d need a ceremony. For Magic, I'd suggest a coronation. Grabbing it and declaring ownership might trigger something, but you'd as likely go crazy and burn yourself as get a useable effect." She shrugged.

"If there’s no alternate target, you’d get a burnout. If I had the Element of Magic and could get a proper coronation going, we could have some fun." She grinned. "As it is, we need Glistens plan. If she knows what she's doing, opposition may be… difficult."
 
"Hah." I swigged the last of my soda. "Alright. Glisten taking the stone was bad." I shrugged. "Now we deal. But we're not without advantages." I slid her yellow phone across the table. "Welcome to the technology of my world. Let me teach you a thing or two." I rose, and she followed, picking up the phone. "This is called a 'cell phone'."
 



 
"Why is there a rabbit on me?"
 
I rubbed my eyes, sitting up slowly. I'd slept like a rock on Pinkie's couch, but it was the morning now, and something fuzzy was nosing around my toes.
 
"Plot twist?" Pinkie suggested, baby-blues wide with innocence.
 
"Huh?" I swung my feet off the couch, and scooped the rabbit into my lap. "Is… is this Angel Bunny?"
 
"Oh, you know him!" Pinkie grinned.
 
"Is Fluttershy here?"
 
"Mmmhmm! She's talking to Sunset." Pinkie frowned slightly. "I think. I haven't heard any words. But she said she was, so maybe they're quiet?"
 
"Maybe." I yawned. "Listen, Pinkie, thanks for letting us crash here. You just met us yesterday." I stopped, mulling that over. Right? I gave her a speculative glance. Just how much did Pinkie Pie know? How much did she hide behind that silly façade? She'd twice assured me she was always serious, and I was beginning to believe her.
 
"You're welcome!" She grinned. "But you Pinkie Promised to be my friend; that's enough for me. Besides, it's like a big sleepover!"
 
"Heh, yeah." I pushed my introspection aside. "Any idea why Fluttershy's here?"
 
"She wanted to ask about your pony." Pinkie gave a pensive smile. "Or… whatever Bit is."
 
"A changeling. Shapeshifter." I grimaced. "Yeah, something needs to be done. I'd better make sure he's got what's necessary." I picked up Angel Bunny, and started for the dining room.
 



 
"U-um, this is my house." Fluttershy lived, perhaps unsurprisingly, in a slightly worn house on the edge of a forest. To one side, a fenced field adjoined a barn-like shed.

"Okay." I nodded.
 
"It's super fun!" Pinkie bounced alongside.
 
"…nice?" Sunset quirked an eyebrow, unsure.
 
"Thanks." Fluttershy whispered. I glanced at the two of them. Sunset had borrowed some clean clothes from Pinkie, and Fluttershy was carrying Angel Bunny, who looked distinctly annoyed. At least that infuriating rabbit was dumber in this world.
 
I sighed, as we all fell back into silence. I'd found Fluttershy and Sunset sitting, perfectly quiet, across a table in the dining room, morosely eating donuts for breakfast and avoiding eye contact.
 
"W-would you like to come in?" Fluttershy swung the door open. Pinkie bounced through, and Sunset followed slowly. I paused.
 
"In a minute." I nodded to her. "I'm going to check on Bit."
 
"Okay." She hid behind her hair and turned away. I let the door swing closed and turned to the field. A moment to hop the fence, and I scanned, searching for my ward.
 
I spotted an ivory tail extending from the corner of the shed and walked over.
 
"Hey, Bit." I sat crosslegged, and leaned against the shed. From this angle, only the forest was visible. Bit was staring at the ground. "Sorry I had to ask for silence." I shrugged. "In this world, ponies can't talk, and I wanted them to underestimate you."
 
"It's okay." Bitterbloom's stare was unreadable.
 
"Well, I'm glad." I crossed my legs, and took a few deep breaths. "How are your reserves?"
 
"Suspiciously high."
 
"Heh." I laughed, wryly. "Sorry. I used your emergency reserve, trying to make sure you were okay." I paused. "Are you okay? I poured enough condensate into you, but…"
 
"I am troubled."
 
I winced.
 
"Sorry, Bit." I placed a hand on its neck. "We came as fast as - "
 
"No."
 
"Huh?"
 
"Not the rescue." It shook its head. "You… you helped as you could. But the Phoresians… I don't understand." Bit pointed to the ground. There was an anthill, inches ahead. "How did they not see? I think they were…" It mulled for a minute. "Insane? I think they were insane."
 
"Hmm." I drew a breath of fresh green air, feeling myself relax. For a moment we were merely teacher and student, all my worries dissolving. "Tell me what you noticed." The first step of teaching Bit anything was understanding what it saw. It could be surprisingly hard. It had asked about ‘wind-fish’ last time we were in the Everfree, and I still had no idea what it was talking about. It had even given up trying to explain.
 
"They didn't see it." Bit turned to me. "I explained several times. Keeping you away was impossible. They didn't understand." It shook its head. "Even the Queen. I told her you were coming, but she laughed." Its ears quirked slightly. "Is that funny?"
 
"Haaaa." Where to even start? "First, insane." I tapped my head. "Sane measures normal thinking. It’s what's common, not what’s true." I spread my hands. "Take Pinkie. She is not 'sane'. However, she knows what’s true." I shrugged. "Judging Phoresy insane isn’t useful. But there is this." I pointed to the anthill. "They are totally self-centered." At Bit’s puzzled stare, I elaborated. "They think of only themselves. Sacrifice may happen within that, but the hive is their largest concern, overwhelming all else."
 
"Onyx taught that." Bit gave a slow nod. "Changelings can’t live so."
 
"Right. Tezecans understand. Phoresians don't. They're incapable of community. That might be insane. We have a word for it; 'psychopath'."
 
"Mind-sick?"
 
"'Suffering mind' might be closer to the root." I shrugged. "You know the qualities of friendship. They all require someone else. Without interaction, and compassion, friendship is impossible. Phoresy didn't understand your warning because she can’t understand friendship." Bit nodded slowly. "I hope you can do better."
 
"Am…" Its ears drooped slightly. “I disappointing?"
 
"No, Bit." I ruffled its mane. "No. But can you remember what I said when you first asked to help?"

"You wanted my help…” Bit paused, thinking, “because I needed you to want it."
 
"Right. Do you understand that, yet?" My voice was soft.
 
"I…" It looked up, and slowly flattened its ears. "Maybe."
 
"Look." I spread my hands. "Bit. I care for you. Honestly more than I ever expected to. You're a great help. Teaching you is fascinating. You've never disappointed me, and you've never done less than your best." I turned away, scowling. "My problem is with your Queen." I shook my head, trying to disperse my emotions. "But that's not your concern. Bit, the reason you knew I was coming was because you knew me. So, if it doesn't hurt, please answer. Do you understand what I meant, yet?"
 
Bitterbloom lowered its eyes, and thought.
 
"It hurts." Its voice was a whisper.
 
"Then don't worry - "
 
"No." It looked up, voice strengthening. "No, I am beginning to understand." For the first time since I'd met Bit, I saw a tear glimmer in its eye. "I… I thought I was being helpful."
 
"You are helpful!" My words were softly vehement.
 
"But you don't want - "
 
"I want your help." It jerked slightly at my tone, but didn’t drop its eyes. "It's true, I once didn't." I shrugged. Dissembling was pointless. "At first, I saw you as a burden." I stopped, careful of my past. I'd seen Bit as more than a burden; a constant reminder of my suffering, a taunt from Tezeca.

"You changed that." I threw an arm around its neck. "I’ve learned you’re as innocent and genuine as a sunbeam. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything. I am proud of you. But Bit… while you've been helping me, I've been trying to help you." I took a deep breath. "I want your help. But I don't want to own you. Remember, you're not a pet." It nodded slowly. "I'm sorry if this is hard."
 
"I will survive."
 
"Any idea why I brought this up?" I rubbed my eyes.
 
"No."
 
"Do you remember your offer, right before I broke the mirror?"
 
"You asked me to risk my life."
 
"Yeah." I shrugged. "It hurt, that I couldn't say this to you then. I've wanted to say this since meeting you." I leaned over, and looked it deep in the eyes. "Bitterbloom, you own your life."
 
"I - "
 
"Hold up, I'm not done." I raised a finger. "When we first met… I don't know if you recall. But your Queen gave me your life." I shrugged. "I… disliked that, to put it mildly, but had little choice. You've needed me since. Everything I've taught is preparing you to take it back. The reason I felt so uncomfortable about risking your life is that I’m not sure you're ready to make that decision." I sighed.
 
"Your friends do."
 
"You are also my friend." I gave it a serious stare. "Believe that. But Bit… my other friends are adults. You're an incredibly smart little bug. But intelligence and experience are as separate as knowledge and wisdom." I shrugged. "We submit to each other as leaders, because we can choose that. We understand the consequences."
 
"Can't…" Bit paused, looking around. "Can't I choose that?"
 
"Yes." I shrugged. "You can. When you're old enough."
 
"How old?"
 
"A little older." I grinned. "Just a little."
 
We sat in silence for a while.
 
"Bit, you'd better draw what emotion you can." I settled more comfortably, and started my meditation. Bit would wait till I was ready, but as my breathing slowed, my eyebrows furled. Something nearby clinked glassily, quietly.
 
Something behind the shed.
 
I rose silently, and stalked to the corner. Someone was just around it, if I'd heard right. Someone was listening. I tensed, and leaped out.
 
"Meeep!" Fluttershy yelped and danced back, almost dropping her tray. It had tall glasses and a frosted pitcher of iced tea on it, the source of the clink. I relaxed as I saw who it was, but tensed again as I realized what happened.
 
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I just got close, and I couldn't help but overhear you and your… talking… pony…" Fluttershy's eyes grew wider and wider as she realized what she'd just stumbled across.
 
"Your pony can talk!" She rushed forward, shoving the tray at me. I barely rescued the drinks from the dirt. She fell to her knees beside Bit. "Please tell me! What are you thinking?"
 
"You smell nice." Bit gave her a wide-eyed stare. Fluttershy nearly melted. I facepalmed.
 
Well, that was one decision out of my hands.
 
Here's hoping the rest could be as harmless.
 
Hah.