//------------------------------// // Who Framed Derpy Hooves? // Story: Trails and Trials // by Mazzyrazzy //------------------------------//         Under the cover of darkness, the hooded figure waited for the perfect moment until finally the two sentries changed positions. She knew she had 1.5 seconds to jump the wall or risk being seen, knowing only too well her would-be assailants would rather destroy the treasure rather than have it stolen. A snap of a twig could mean the difference between success and… capture? Torture? Sold into some kind of daycare/gladiatorial combat operation where you had naught but your wits and a padded wiffle ball bat to survive?         Not today.         Quicker than a wisp on the wind, she sprang from her protective bush, over the 10-foot-high wall, which obviously was protected by razor wire and and at least a hundred radioactive monkey ninjas. The masked mare use her wings to lightly touch down on the other side, holding her breath and tuning her ears to the sound of any alarm. After thirty seconds, all she could hear was her own heartbeat thumping in her ears. Even the wind was dangerously still.         Crouching behind a convenient chest-high wall, the pegasus slowly allowed her eyes to wander to the other side, only to be startled by the sudden steps of approaching guards. She quickly shot back down, closing her eyes to once again attune her ears for any irregularities in their steps. They came and went without so much as a whisper.         She peered over the wall once again, and was this time able to gather more information about the compound. They seemed to take security more seriously that she once anticipated; security cameras circled around the whole area, only noticeable by their tell-tale blinking red lights. Even worse, she seemed to have trapped herself into the only blind spot. With no way around the cameras, she knew she would have to dawn a disguise if she ever hoped to reach the treasure.         She waited another few minutes before the guard rotation sent another guard her way, this time alone. Before you could say “two days from retirement”, the mare dragged the surprised guard behind the wall and knocked him out cold.         Although the disguise would fool the security cameras, she knew she wouldn’t pass a close inspection from another guard. She waited until another rotation of guards to pass before she jumped over the wall, knowing she at least at a minute or two to work with. She crept along the path like a normal guard, every now and again stopping to inspect something, giving the cameras a good show. Finally, she saw a tent guarded by two armed sentries. She timed this masquerade she that the sentries on the tent were just about to go under a shift change. They were at the end of a long, boring shift, and likely exhausted. She could use that to her advantage. The mare once again hugged the shadows of an adjourning tent. She knew she had to act before one of the guard said some endearing comment that would mark them as something other than the “incompetent guard #1” and “incompetent guard #2” personas; something that would give substance to their character, making it harder to see them as your enemy. It was too late. “How’s that orphanage of yours going, Phil?” One guard sniffed casually. “Wonderful as always, Ted,” The other guard remarked. “ We’ve had some setbacks, but if nothing goes wrong in the next two minutes, I can use the paycheck to finally buy some decent blankets for the harsh winter ahead.” The first guard raised his eyebrows. “Just how many orphans depend on you, Phil?” “Oh, I’d say about a hundred of the most bushy-eyed, cute little buggers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I love ‘em to death,” guard one said proudly. “You’re a saint among pony-kind, Phil.” “How about you, Ted? How goes the fam?” “Oh, you know,” Ted shrugged. “my two daughters are the light of my eyes. After their mom died, it was up to me to put ‘em through school. It’s been a long journey, but with this final paycheck, I should be able to get out of this shady business.” Phil nodded nonchalantly. “Isn’t one of your kids deaf, Ted?” “Why yes, Phil.” “You’re just a stand-up dad, Ted. Anyone would be better for knowin’ ya.” “Thank ya, Phil. There sure is a lot riding on these final two minutes going smoothly.” “Right you are there, Ted.” Ponyfeathers. The mare plopped her flank downed and waited the two minutes, allowing the sentries to finish their shift. Two awake, and much more alert guards replaced them at the entrance of the tent. From around the corner, the mare slowly crept closer and closer until… “So Gary, you were telling me about that there charity you were—” “Not today!” The mare whispered before pouncing between the two guards and knocking their heads together. They both slumped motionless to the ground. Finally the moment had come. She marched her way into the tent and took off her disguise to reveal who she really was: Daring Do! The greatest, bravest, pegasisest pony that had ever lived! On a small table lit only but a dim, flickering light was a metal briefcase. She attempted to open it, but was met by a three-digit combination lock, ranging up to 60. it would take a while to brute force it, and she didn’t have that kind of time. Picking the lock was probably her best bet, though she was a bit rusty. She swung her pack across her shoulder and fumbled through it for a few moments before retrieving her torsion wrench and pick. It was slow work, and her heart stopped at every sound; even the click of the tumblers made her cringe. As the last tumbler finally clicked into place, she wiped her forehead and allowed herself to breathe. She carefully gripped the sides of the case, and with great caution, slowly lifted the top before swinging to open to reveal… A muffin! The most perfect muffin anyone could have ever possibly laid eyes upon. The top appeared gold-brown with the perfect percentage of flakiness. The pink wrapper did little against the bulbousness of the muffin top. In fact, the whole delectable treat seemed to glow. Licking her lips, Daring Doo slowly reached inside to caress the muffin. Mere inches away, she began to tremble; maybe she wasn’t ready. No! She’d came too far to back out now. It was time. With a delicate hoof, she touche the muffin.          ~*~*~        “...Annndddd that’s all I thought of so far!” Ditzy announced cheerily. She took a bow before Twilight, revering the imaginary awe from her friend. “I know I got some kinks to work out, and it obviously has to go through some proof-readers, but I think this has what it takes to be a grade-A fan fic. I don’t think I’ll finish it now though; I think I’ll wait two years.”        Ditzy threw the manuscript over her shoulder with a giggle. “I hope you liked it! I know you read all the real Daring Doo books, so I decided to make one up.” Ditzy shifted uncomfortably for a moment. “It’s all thanks to you, you know. Writing stuff, I mean.” Silence filled the room; the only response to Ditzy’s thoughtful gesture. “I-I hope I’m not being a bother,” Ditzy stammered. “Just thought you might like hearing a friendly voice. By all means say something if you want me to stop.” She looked at her friend, almost expecting her to say something. Any sign that what she was saying was reaching her. An eerie quiet filled the room. Ditzy’s ears drooped in disappointment as a brief spell of futility rushed over her. It quickly passed however, and by the time she shook her head, she was back to her perky self. “Well then, I’ll just keep going!” She whisper-shouted. She scooted her chair closer to twilight’s bed, and rested her head on the soft bedding. “Have I ever told you about my flight to the valley of the Griffins?” Go to bed, you’re tired, she imagined Twilight saying.         “No! I want to stay, just a little bit longer, okay?” Ditzy leaned in expectantly. She knew what her friend would do in this situation. Twilight would look down at her ever so kindly before nodding with only the touch of a graceful smile on her face.         Okay, a little bit longer.          Ditzy clapped her hooves together giddily, like a filly told she could stay up an hour past bedtime. “So what’cha wanna talk about? I’ve pretty much covered everything.”         I don’t think you’ve told me everything.         Ditzy was taken aback. “What do you mean?”         A pause came from Imaginary Twilight. Ditzy, do you remember the second day after I met you?         The excitable mailmare beamed brightly, remembering the day as if it only occurred a few months prior. “Do I ever! I mean, the trip to the spa could’ve gone a bit better I suppose… but having good company helped! Oh, oh, and, and, and the next part when we went to Sweet Apple Acres and I played horseshoes with Applejack! That was an awesome day.”         Do you remember what happened before we got to the spa? Ditzy shifted curiously, feeling like she was being quizzed on her own life. “Well, yah Twilight. We bumped into Rarity and Fluttershy.”         Before that.         “Spike and I had a race?”         Getting warmer. Just a few minutes after we left the library.         Ditzy caught her breath. She was talking about the run-in with Destiny Dawn. “Y-you mean when we ran into…”         Destiny, yes. You hid behind me that day, and honestly I’ve been curious ever since. I don’t think you noticed me noticing, but I did. What happened?         Ditzy looked away from Twilight, unable to formulate an answer without dumping it all. She was not a mean pony, and she did not like to gossip, especially if it sounded like she was complaining. It just wasn’t her style.         Imaginary Twilight noticed this.  You know you can tell your friends anything.         “I, I don’t know what you want me to say, Twilight. Destiny is a… very good mailmare who always does her job right. She’s really nice to everypony,” tactfully leaving out the ‘everypony except me’, “and that’s the whole story.”         Imaginary Twilight remained silent inside Ditzy’s thoughts for a while—pondering within pondering. “So then why did you hide from her?”         The grey pegasus waved a hoof, attempting a façade of nonchalance. “Eh, you know her: she likes to play around a little. I just didn’t feel like…you know, talking with her when I was… already talking to you?” Ditzy flinched. It was almost believable until she spoke it with a questionable inflection.         That doesn’t even make much sense, Imaginary Twilight pointed out. You’ll have to do better than that.         “...We were playing hide-and-seek?”         Nope.         “I found a bit on the ground and was bending down to snatch it?”         Try again.         “I found the wall behind you legitimately interesting.”         Possible, and somehow I believe the most honest statement you’ve said so far, but still no deal.         “I left the stove on.”         How does that pertain to this situation?         “My refrigerator was running and I had to go catch it.”         You’re not even trying now.         “And while we’re at it, why were you standing in front of me?”         What!?         “Yah, you heard me. What if I wasn’t hiding behind you, but instead you were hiding in front of me?”         What.         “What are you hiding, Twilight? Care to share with the class?”         I think there’s been a shift in control and I’m not okay with it.         “Your lack of an answer pretty much confirms it.”         It confirms nothing.         “YOUR FACE!”         My face confirms nothing?         “It confirms everything.”         About what?         “I don’t know anymore.”         Imaginary Twilight sighed. I don’t know anymore either. You just seem to act a bit strange whenever one of our friends brings her up in conversation. It’s always rushed, like you can’t get through the topic fast enough. But if you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t push you.         Ditzy leaned back over Twilight worriedly. The defeated tone of Imaginary Twilight’s voice was enough to wash away any alleged victory. The mailmare tapped her forehooves together nervously, then slowly—with purpose—cleared her throat. With her own defeat imminent, she forced a small fracture of the truth to escape her barely-parted lips.         “Well… she does like to play around sometimes,” Ditzy whispered.         That recaptured Imaginary Twilight’s attention. She sat up on the bed. Playing…like hanging out? What we do?         Ditzy shook her head. “No, more like…she like to pull some light-hearted pranks every once in a while.”         Her friend frowned. “light-hearted” meaning…?         The mailmare shuddered as she recalled the incident when she returned home with a bloody nose and hot tears that stung her eyes. Still, she persisted with her interpretation. “Nothing too serious. I mean, Rainbow Dash pulls pranks all the time, and we’re still friends, right?”         Somehow I feel like it’s not the same thing, am I right?         “When did you become a psychologist?”         I’ve read a few books on the subject.         “Oh really, which ones?”         Oh, a good few! Let’s see… there was The Psychoanalysis of Pony Play-dates; it has helped me through some dark times. There was a rather informational report on mares in current society entitled Mares: The Overwhelming Majority and Other Viable Options, which happened to go into great detail on how we as a society live with such few males, even mentioning the fact that some mares—Wait, you changed the subject on purpose, didn’t you? “What, me?” Ditzy put her best shocked face on, and then she blinked. “What was that about mares?” Oh no, not this time. You’re going to sit there and talk to me about this. Ditzy’s eyebrows arched pleadingly. “But Twilight, there’s nothing much to tell. Sure, I get pranked every now and again, but it’s all in good fun right? That’s what I’m all about. Besides, I haven’t even talked to her much since our last run in, so I think she’s actually backing off. Maybe she feels sorry.” Imaginary Twilight’s voice softened. Ditzy, if she’s making you feel uncomfortable, that’s something you have to tell ponies. Nopony will be angry with you for telling them how you feel. “Twilight,” Ditzy stated a bit more firmly than she intended, “there’s nothing wrong. Like I said, I think she might be backing off now, so there’s no need for that.” A silence permeated the room for a few moments as Ditzy realized how tense she had gotten. At once, she released a breath and slumped back into her chair, running a hoof over her weary eyes. “I…I’m sorry, Twilight, I don’t mean to be snippy,” she muttered unhappily. Imaginary Twilight hesitated for a moment, but then responded with a small smile. It’s fine Ditzy, you’re tired. You should go get some rest. The mailmare looked up sadly, more at herself than anything else. She was about to respond when suddenly the illusion shattered, and the broken Twilight lay before her; bandaged and unchanged in her neat hospital bed, where the only signs of wear was upon the spot Ditzy had touched. The sorrow upon sadness could not be held inwards like all her usual emotions. She was left sitting there, in that dark medical room as the walls closed in around her, confessing that despite her other friends, family, and acquaintances she had attained along the way, she had never felt more alone. ~*~*~ Ditzy was in such a deep sleep, that at first, she didn’t react to the gentle prodding of her side. As the prodding became more insistent, she finally began to stir. She let out a tremendous yawn, arching her back like a cat before opening her eyes lazily. The Doctor stood in front of her. “Good morning, Ms. Doo. It seems like you had quite the adventurous night last night,” he said, shifting his glasses. Ponyfeathers, Ditzy thought as she snapped to full consciousness, my perfect plan gone awry! I covered my tracks so perfectly, there’s no way he could know! He has to be bluffing. “Wha—, whe—, huh?!” Ditzy sputtered incredulously, feigning offense. I have no idea what you mean! I’ve been a good little pony, here in my bed all night long.” “Then,” the Doctor began, “why are we in the hallway?” Ditzy looked around. At first glance, he appeared to be telling the truth; they did indeed appear to be in a hallway of some sort, however Ditzy was not ready to rule out the possibility of hallucinatory drugs. “Are we, Doctor?” Ditzy asked. “Are we really?” “Yes, Ms. Doo,” he answered. “Huh,” Ditzy affirmed. “Is it too late to plead insanity?” “Ms. Doo,” he deadpanned. “Fine!” Ditzy shouted, startling a nurse who was walking by. She began sobbing into her hooves. “I admit it! I was a bad pony. Please don’t take me to hospital jail, or sick your hospital ninjas on me!” The Doctor just stood there, appearing unsure how to react. Finally, with a sigh, he removed his glasses magically and rubbed his eyes. “Lets just get you back to bed. It’s still quite early, and you shouldn’t be out and about yet.” The announcement of her bed reminded her of the wing, which was still throbbed with pain every few seconds. She must have slept partially on it, because she had to let out a seethe of air as she stood up. Her legs wobbled unsteadily for a moment before the Doctor supported her. “Yah, maybe you’re right…” Ditzy half-smiled. With help, Ditzy hobbled back into her hospital room, still propped open, and laid on the bed. She glanced at the clock as she nestled in. The Doctor was right—it was so early the sun wasn’t even up yet, and as a yawn consumed the grey mare, she knew it wouldn’t take much to get back to sleep. “You’ll have your daughters to look forward to in a few hours, they’re pretty eager to see you. Until then, sleep well,” the Doctor said as he began walking out of the room. With a quick flit of magic, he dimmed the lights and shut the door behind him, and all was silence once again. The idea of her daughters visiting her in a few hours perked her up quite a bit. As she closed her eyes, she allowed herself a small smile. Her dreams were haunted with flashes of lightning. ~*~*~         The early morning sun was only beginning to rise as the shadowed mare peered out over the crest of a home. In the distance, the unicorn she had studied for the past few days had started on her normal walk an hour before she usually did.         The prissy one’s early, the hidden mare gritted her teeth. Only a minor setback. It might even work in my favor…         Taking one last look at the distant unicorn showed her she was carrying all sorts of supplies in bags; unfortunately too far for her to detail anything specific, but knowing the unicorn, she already had a pretty good idea. Quicker than a blink, she stealthily flew off the building, landing in one of the alleys she knew the unicorn would cross.         She adjusted her bag, knowing that any moment the unicorn would be here, and she wanted to look convincing. She steeled herself as the sound of hoof steps proceeded ever closer, until she began the countdown.         Three...two...one… now!         As if she was running late, she sprinted out from the alley—right into a very surprised unicorn.         Crash!         The mare’s head spun as she rubbed her head (at least, that’s what she wanted it to look like). She blinked her eyes a few times to focus them, before gasping in shock and bolting to her feet.         “O-oh my, Ms. Rarity! I-I can’t tell you how sorry I am! Please let me help you up…” Destiny said, lending a hoof out to the dazed unicorn.         “Eehhh…” Rarity let out a moan as she righted herself, “quite...quite alright, dear. Half my fault, not exactly the quickest reflexes right now.” The unicorn took Destiny’s hoof and slowly worked her way upright.         Destiny feigned a look of sympathy, “I know… it was a long night for you.” It readily became apparent now on closer inspection that Rarity had bags under her eyes. To most ponies, it meant she was tired, but to Destiny it meant she was that much more manipulable.         “For all of us, dear,” Rarity said with a half-smile, putting a hoof on Destiny shoulders for comfort. “I know Twilight is your friend too.” “Much obliged, darling,” Rarity’s smile becoming more and more genuine, “looks as if you dropped a few of your own.” The two giggled together and silently began reorganizing their belongings with magic. After a few moments, Destiny gathered up the “mail” into her mailbag she had been carrying. The large amount led Rarity to adopt a curious stare. “My my, busy morning?” Rarity asked. “I could say the same to you,” Destiny winked. She shifted the bag on her shoulder. “Double shifts for me for the time being; Ponyville stills needs their mail delivered.” She began to chuckle, but immediately raised a hoof to her mouth as if she had just offended Rarity. “O-oh, I hope you don’t think I mind this at all, I’m happy to do the work! Anything to help Derpy get back on her feet.” Rarity looked at her with admiration. “Nonsense, you’re being a great friend. Ditzy is lucky to have a friend like you.” Pfft. Right. “That’s kind of you to say,” Destiny returned. “I’m surprised it took me running into you to strike up a conversation, I don’t get many opportunities like this with how busy I am.” “Oh, preaching to the choir here, darling,” Rarity drolled. “You should really come by for tea some time.” “In your boutique!?” Destiny gasped. Rarity was taken aback by the candor. “Er...yes.” “I’ve looked into its windows so many times! This is kind of embarrassing, but I must say I’m a fan of your work.” Rarity’s ears perked up with new interest. “You’re interested in fashion?” On the inside, Destiny was grinning a devilish grin. I almost have her… she thought. “Oh, absolutely!” Destiny said with shining eyes. She realized she might be becoming too overbearing, and adopted a skittish nature. She back up and coughed into her hoof while her cheeks burned red. “I...I mean, you know… more of a hobby, really. Which mare doesn’t dream of growing up to be a fashion designer?” “A lot, actually,” Rarity chuckled. “Do you actually do any designing?” “Well…” Destiny paused, as if she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue. “Some stuff…” she continued meekly. “But it’s nothing compared to a professional such as yourself! If you want, maybe we can get together and you can look at some sketches I made.” “An absolutely marvelous idea!” came Rarity’s enthused reply. “Say, this Saturday afternoon?” “Looking forward to it,” Destiny responded with a shy smile. It was time, she decided, to turn the conversation onto another path. “Will you be going to see Twilight and Derpy later?” she asked casually. Rarity took a few moments to respond, jarred by the sudden switch of mood. "Yes...yes I will. Though I don’t know for how long… I’m exhausted enough as it is.” “I understand,” Destiny nodded sympathetically. “Just give them both my best, would you? I’ll be working until the late hours tonight.” She sighed and shook her head. “I just hope ponies aren’t giving Derpy too hard of a time.” One of Rarity’s ears twitched as she frowned. “What do you mean?” Destiny let herself shift uncomfortably as she broke eye contact and bit her lip. “You know…” she began, acting as if she wasn’t hoping she didn’t have to say it. “About how the other ponies—you know what, nevermind.” She turned as if she said too much and was about to leave. “No, no, what do you mean?” Rarity inquired with a serious, yet curious, tone. “Well…” Destiny’s eyes shifted from one side to the other. “I-I don’t want you to think that I thought Derpy had anything to do with what happened, but there are some ponies that…” Dramatic pause… “Blame...her,” she finally finished, as if it pained her to say. Rarity’s eyes flashed to their usual intensity for a moment. “Outrageous! Why would they be saying nasty things like that?” she spat. “You… don’t know?” Destiny added, her ears drooping. She looked around to make sure no one else was around before turning to the unicorn and talked in a whisper. “Every delivery cart is double locked from behind to ensure what happened, doesn’t happen.” Destiny shook her head sadly. “The only explanation is Derpy forgot. Perhaps if she had remembered…” Destiny widened her eyes and covered her mouth. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. I know I’ve said too much. Please don’t think even for a second I blame her for what happened; it was a freak accident and nothing more.” The mare witnessed the briefest shadow of uncertainty cross Rarity’s visage, and she knew the seeds of doubt had been planted. “Of course, darling… nopony could have seen that coming,” Rarity answered, though her voice wavered and she looked visibly uneasy. Mission accomplished, now to get out of here. “Hey, I better get going. See you this Saturday?” Destiny asked cheerily. The fog lifted from Rarity eyes. “This Saturday? Oh, yes! Of course. Looking… forward to it, Destiny.” She gave the mailmare the friendliest smile she could muster and began to walk off. As Destiny walked away in the opposite direction, she finally allowed a slight, but obviously devious smile creep onto her lips. One down, four to go. ~*~*~ The next thing she could remember was an abnormal tingly sensation. Ditzy woke up on her own accord a few hours later with her left foreleg completely asleep. She must’ve been snoozing on it without reservation, because that thing was so dead, she was already prepping for amputation when the doctor re-entered the room. He ambled in to discover her gnawing at the base of her upper foreleg like a feral wolf caught in a bear trap. He was so desensitized to the mailmare antics that by this point he didn’t question her motives.         This of course didn’t stop her from answering the inexistent question.         “It’s gunna have to come off, Doc,” Ditzy moaned miserably. To demonstrate the leg’s uselessness, she waved it around as if all the bones had vanished.         The doctor rolled his eyes while he walked over towards the bed, then reached over and slightly elevated the aforementioned hoof, allowing the blood to drain quicker. “How does it feel now, Ms. Doo?”         “Hmm,” the mailmare inspected, “seems to be getting better!”         “Remarkable,” the doctor said humorously. “I’m glad you’ve woken up on her own; much longer and we would’ve woken you, lest we condone this night owl habit.”         Ditzy rubbed her eyes and allowed herself a stretch before responding. “Really? How long have I been sleeping?”         “Oh, it’s just a bit after noon,” the stallion answered, gesturing at the clock.         The thought made her cringe. She had always been an early-to-rise pony that was up before the sun. Waking up at such a late hour made her feel like she slept the day away. Perhaps the doctor had a point: as much as she adored the night, she enjoyed being well-rested and waking up at a reasonable time a touch more. The sunshine throughout the room was enough to convince her that waking up at this late hour was unacceptable in the future.         “Oh and I nearly forgot to mention,” the doctor began somewhat sarcastically, pausing as Ditzy’s attention refocused on him, “you have some visitors.”         Before reaction was possible, the pattering of little hooves echoed through the hall outside with a scream to accompany it.         “Mommy!” came the trill of a filly. Dinky Doo was on the hospital bed in mere seconds. Ditzy wasted no time and embraced her daughter warmly, careful not to lean forward or strain too much. “I was here for you yesterday mommy, but you were still sleeping,” the little filly sniffed. Sparkler walked in a moment later, more composed but visibly relieved. She approached the bed and put a hoof on the ruffles of the blanket near Ditzy.         “Hey mom, how are you feeling?” the mare asked.         “Better now that you two are here,” the mailmare said smiling, hugging Dinky tighter against her. “Were you guys alright last night at the library?”         “Don’t worry about us mommy, worry about you!” Dinky stated. “Are you okay? I-is your wing…?”         “N-no, I’m gunna be fine, I promise,” Ditzy stuttered. She meant physically, but chose not to allude to it. She pulled her two daughters close and gave them a tight hug.         Two audible sighs of relief filled the room before Sparkler spoke up. “When will you be able to come home?”           Ditzy saw the doctor took that chance to step forward. “Your mother’s wounds will heal with time. Fortunate for you, that time can be spent at home.” The doctor looked directly at Ditzy. “You’ll be able to go home tomorrow, though your bandages will need to stay on for a time. You’ll also need to stop by here at least twice a week so we may clean the bandages and check the healing process. Flight therapy will also be a must if you plan on flying again, though I warn you,” the doctor paused, “you may never be able to fly as fast as you once did.”         As her two daughters turned to her after hearing the news, she could tell they were distraught but honestly, Ditzy was relieved. She was just happy to be alive, and the promise that her wing would even restore part of its function was good news. Besides, Ditzy didn’t want to think much about flying anyway. All it did was remind her of the purple lightning.         Ditzy smiled softly. “Oh, I don’t really care about that. I still have what’s…”         Her grin faded as she remembered Twilight.         “…Important,” she breathed. Again she was reminded of the heavy guilt that began accumulating since the moment of the accident. The change in mood seemed to go unnoticed by her two daughters, who beamed at Ditzy’s optimism. It was enough to fractionally restore her disposition.           “I’ll get to work with Spike. We’ll have to make a special dinner for your first night back home,” Sparkler thought aloud.         “Will Miss Twilight be okay by then? I think she’d want a special dinner, too,” Dinky asked innocently. The sad reminder of Twilight’s condition rendered the other ponies in silent. It was Sparkler who spoke.         She walked up to her little sister and gently ruffled her mane. “Miss Twilight is going to need to stay here for a little while longer…” Sparkler started, but then looked right at Ditzy, “…but she will get better soon, and then we’ll have a super special dinner waiting.”         Ditzy knew her daughter had said that for her sake and less for Dinky’s. Still, the filly smiled at her big sister’s news. “Yah!” she cheered. The mailmare adjusted herself in her bed as the pain resurfaced. Luckily it was a dull ache, and she was able to suppress any facial expressions that would have given it away. The muscles were beginning to tighten, so she rolled her shoulder gently to get her wing muscles moving. As long as she did it with care there was relatively no pain, only soreness, as if she had flown overnight. Once alleviated, she turned her attention back to her daughters. “So did Spike come here with you, or did he stay at the library?” “He’s here too, in Twilight’s room right now,” Dinky piped up. “He’s such a good friend,” Sparkler commented with a smile. “He was up late last night writing letters to anyone who might care about Twilight condition. The longest ones were sent to Princess Celestia and her parents. I have a feeling we can be expecting them soon.” Ditzy wondered if the Princess could wake Twilight up with her alicorn magic. It was the most powerful, afterall. It was worth at least a glimmer of hope, because no pony really knew what Princess Celestia was really capable of. She must have learned a trick or two in the eons she’s been alive. Who knows? Maybe the Princess sneaks into hospitals at night and heals all the sick. Come to think of it, Ditzy has been noticing a disturbing lack of plagues recently. On the other hoof, the mailmare didn’t know how she was going to face Twilight parents. It was quite possible that they would blame her for the whole thing, and they wouldn’t be unjust in doing so. All her life Ditzy worked to improve the lives of others through hard work and laughter, and now all she’s done recently is make everypony sad. She had a gut-wrenching feeling that at current, she was in the eye of a storm and about to hit a wall. She would have to deal with those when they come up. She told herself that she’d be able to handle anything, but she knew  that if Twilight parents weren’t able to forgive her, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. “Has anyone written back yet?” Ditzy asked. Sparkler shrugged. “I don’t know, I haven’t asked him. He’s taking this pretty hard… I don’t think he’s slept since it happened.” Ditzy wondered what Spike was thinking. He had been Twilight’s friend the longest, so she could only imagine how much this affected him. Years he had been not only her assistant, but like a little brother, and that type of bond doesn’t go away. “Maybe being in Twilight’s company will do him some good,” the grey mailmare said hopefully. “It did for me, at least a little bit.” Everypony in the room was unsure of her comment, including Ditzy herself, but they all nodded in agreement. Now may be the time to switch topics, she thought to herself. “Dinky, how has school been going?” she asked. The little filly’s eyes sparkled and took in a great slew of air, her chest puffing out like a balloon, knowing full well her stories would take several more. ~*~*~         It seemed power of friendship was as easily undone as it was made, if not quite a bit easier. It baffled Destiny’s mind how easily ponies let themselves be manipulated, and how much she could make a pony do only barely knowing them. It affirmed her theory that friendship was only an illusion to cope with a world of struggles, but once that world of struggles turn to the detriment of a relationship, ponies would rather cut ties than expend the energy to quell their own fervent emotions. Equestrians, afterall, let their emotions guide them for better or worse, so everyone may be read like a book. The weaknesses of these dear ponies were laughably unchallenging to predict.         She thought back to how easily Rarity was susceptible to her words. Her trust was so easily gained when it came from a pony she immediately respected. In a few short minutes, months of hard work on Derpy’s behalf cracked like a wall about to crumble, and Destiny knew what it would take for it to all topple on her head. It had been just as easy to convince the others. After a long day of work, Destiny had visited Applejack at her farm, Fluttershy at her cottage, and Rainbow Dash on her… cloud. Grifting was an art form, and after a time the seed of doubt had been planted in them all. Nothing outright; none of the ponies were completely convinced. They still held loyalty to their friend close to their chest. It wasn’t Destiny’s delusion that it would be so easy to destroy a friendship so strong. The excitement came in toppling the first domino and letting them undo themselves. Everything that had happened, had gone according to her elaborate plan, and there was only one more piece to set before everything tumbled down: Pinkie Pie. The sun was setting over Ponyville, no longer visible over western buildings of the centre of town. The orange glow was all that was left of a fantastically sunny, cheery day, the irony of which was not lost on her. Across the way was Sugar Cube corner; it would be closing in about ten minutes. With only a few ponies out and around, it made for a perfect time to be alone with the infamous party pony. She watched as the last customer exited the confectionary shop, and that’s when she moved forward. Her hooves clacked off the cobblestone walkway, announcing her presence even before the ring of the bell on the door. It chimed two short musical notes, gaining the attention of Pinkie, who was in the process of cleaning the counter. Destiny had decided before hand on which persona she would use. The other had been boringly effortless; all she had to do was mimic the personality traits of the pony she was going after. Pinkie would fare a little different. She gathered that Pinkie was the type of pony who enjoyed helping ponies out of their shell. So she chose a persona that was pathetic yet somehow lovable, giving off the “friendless but optimistic” vibe that was always grating to her very core. She would act like Derpy. She just knew the scatterbrain pink pony would eat it all up. “Hello, Pinkie Pie,” Destiny greeted bubbly. She let her eyes droop only a bit, which wasn’t entirely an act. After the long day she has had, it was easy for anypony to be tired. “Wait!” Pinkie shouted before looking up. She quickly covered her eyes. “Let me guess who it is.” She began to hum a tune that became more intense as she swayed around. After a few moments, she let out a gasp. “Roseluck? No, not her… how about Destiny Dawn? No wait—Big Macintosh, final answer!” She opened her eyes with the biggest open-mouth grin which quickly fell from her face when she saw who was standing there. “Drat!” she frowned, bring her hoof down on the counter. “Should’ve gone with the gut instinct on that one. I’ll get it right next time!” Destiny had to hold back rolling her eyes before continuing on into the store. “That’s Destiny: one, Pinkie Pie: zero,” she said with a giggle. “How are you doing today?” “I’m great, thanks for asking!” Pinkie trilled as she hoisted a bag of sugar from a pile. She took it into the kitchen out of sight, but continued talking. “Busy day today. Everypony wants treats on a sunny day like today.” “That’s why I’m here!” Destiny smiled. “After such a long day, I thought I’d treat myself to something sweet.” “Oh yah!” Pinkie called out. “You’re Ponyville’s only mailmare now until Ditzy can get back up on her feet. Shouldn’t take too long though; I visited her today and she seems better!” Destiny’s eye twitched but she kept her composure. “Yah, I don’t mind the work though. She can take her time healing up. How much better is she feeling?” Pinkie worked her way back into the front room and leaned against the counter. “I got there just when her daughters were about to leave and we had this mini cupcake slash muffin party. Did you know Sparkler loves cupcakes like me? I didn’t! I’m going to make her a super special one for tomorrow. I don’t know what kind of stuff to put on it, but I’ve already got a few names worked out, like the Sparkler Sparkling surprise, where there would be like a billion sparklers coming out of it, or maybe even—”         Pinkie would not stop talking, and with each sentence, her speech got faster and faster until finally Destiny interrupted her with a cough. “A-and what about Derpy?”         “Oopsie, forgot all about that! She said the doctor is letting her go home tomorrow! Isn’t that wonderful? I hear Sparkler and Spike got some big dinner planned. I may have to crash that party and get in on it!” Pinkie gave an even bigger gasp than before, startling Destiny. “I could invite everypony! Fluttershy, and Rarity, and Rainbow, and Applejack, and Mayor Mare, and Granny Smith, and Cheerilee, and—”         “Don’t you think she might want a quiet evening her first night back?” Destiny said, raising her eyebrow playfully.         “You might be right…” The pink mare laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Any wootles, you’re here for something, aren’t you? What can I get for you? A triple-decker caramel-cream cake with chocolate frosting to go?” Destiny began to laugh, but it was cut short when she noticed the pink mare was serious. “No, nothing so elaborate. I could really go for some cupcakes right about now.” Pinkie lit up. “How many? Should I set you up with a baker’s dozen of a baker’s dozen?” She leaned in really close to Destiny and began to whisper. “That’s 169 cupcakes in case you don’t want to do the math.” “Umm… half a dozen would be just fine, thanks! Can I get five cupcakes and one muffin?” Destiny answered. “Okie dokie lokie,” Pinkie saluted. “I should have at least that many in the back!” Destiny waited patiently for Pinkie to return with the cupcakes. through the kitchen door, she began to hear a bunch of crashing, a goat bleating, and even a jackhammer. She gave a curious stare as all went silent when Pinkie re-entered the room carrying a small carton of frosted cupcakes. “Here you go!” Pinkie smiled as she handled them over. “Thanks, Pinkie,” Destiny smiled back as she handed her the coins. “I’m going straight to visit Twilight. Maybe the smell of these delicious cupcakes will help wake her up!” She gave a wave before walking away from the counter. She knew she wouldn’t have to walk very far. “And tell Ditzy I said hi, too!” Pinkie yelled after. Destiny stopped, an acted as if she was nervous. “A-actually I’m probably going to just see Twilight. Bye, Pinkie.” Once again, she started walking off. “Why?” Came the curious reply. Got you, Destiny smiled to herself. She dropped the smile before she turned around with an anxious demeanour. She shuffled her front hoof from side to side and didn’t make eye contact with the pink mare. “I-I… I just want to see Twilight, is all. Besides, Derpy might be resting by now…” Destiny knew that wasn’t going to be good enough for Pinkie, and she’d keep prodding until she received a solid answer. Luckily, Destiny wanted to give her just that, but not before some reliable acting. “Destiny, if you have a problem, you should tell your friends! That’s what we’re for,” Pinkie reply sweetly, arching her eyebrows. Biting her lip, Destiny sighed. “I… I just don’t want to see Derpy right now. What if what everypony is saying is right?”         Pinkie turned her head curiously. “What are ponies saying?”         “You know…” she began, ready for the line she had used on all the others, “that it was… her… fault.” She let the last word escape like it pained her. Destiny waited for the worried inflection in Pinkie’s voice; the sign of not true admittance but the circling cloud of doubt beginning to take hold. Much to her shock, that did not happen.         Pinkie smirked, trying her best to hold in a laugh. Unable to do so any longer, she let out a long volley of belly-erupting laughter, pounding her hoof down on the counter. This was not the reaction Destiny had been expecting, and she was frozen with genuine confusion, unsure of what to say or do. Out of all the outcomes she had planned for, never did she think she would get laughed at.         After many seconds of continuous laughter, Pinkie finally started to calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes. “You’re so silly, Destiny! Everypony knows it was an accident. Accidents happen all the time! Just today I added brown sugar instead of normal sugar to a cake! Boy did that turn out nasty.”         Destiny was taken aback. “This is a little different from that, don’t you think? Twilight was seriously injured.”         “Twilight will be fine,” Pinkie said with an assuredness that irked Destiny. “With her friends and a few doctors by her side, she’ll be up and around in no time, just wait.”         “But...but what about the cart! Derpy should have double checked the lock. If the cart had been locked, this whole thing would’ve been avoided,” Destiny countered.         Pinkie tsked Destiny while shaking her head. “Do we really have to go back to the brown sugar example? Accidents happen! Ditzy and Twilight will be up and around before you know it.”         Destiny was starting to get annoyed by the continued optimism of the insane pink pony.         “That’s not how the world works, Pinkie,” Destiny said bluntly. “If Derpy caused the accident due to negligence, she can be in serious trouble.”         “Don’t you think she’s already punished herself enough?” Pinkie replied seriously. She then shook her head and gave Destiny a confused stare. “Wait, why does it sound like you’re trying to convince me?”         Ponyfeathers, I came on too strong! Destiny chided herself.         “I’m sorry, Pinkie,” Destiny tried to laugh it off. “After the long day I had, my nerves are starting to get frayed, I’m sure you—”         Pinkie’s ear flopped three times. Her face went from confused to hurt in a moment. “You’re being dishonest with me. You...you didn’t even want any cupcakes, did you? This was all about Ditzy!”         Destiny stood there, mouth agape incredulously. She recovered in a heartbeat, and began to back away. “I don’t know what you… I-I mean, how could you even consider…?”         Pinkie’s piercing stare was all Destiny needed to know that her cover was blown. Somehow, she had seen right through her. For once, she decided to drop the act.         “Eh, fine, I’m tired of being all friendly with you anyway,” Destiny sneered.         Pinkie didn’t even look mad. Her eyes continued to waver sadly. “Why are you doing this?”         “Why does it matter to you?” Destiny hissed. “All you need to know is one thing: Derpy is on a one-way ticket out of this town, and if you want to go down with that sinking ship, I’m not going to stop you.” She walked calmly to the exit and open the door. She took a few steps outside before she turned around.         “Oh, and thanks for the cupcakes! They look yummy,” she said sweetly, back in her Ditzy persona.         The door got slammed shut, and Pinkie was left there in the middle of the floor, speechless for the first time in her life. ~*~*~         As the sun began to set, the visiting hours in the hospital began to dwindle down. Sparkler, Dinky, and Spike had returned to the house an hour earlier to make something to eat before bed. Dinky wanted to stay longer, but Ditzy had reminded her of school in the morning. She gave both her daughters a gentle hug and a kiss goodnight before they scurried off to the library before it got too dark. True to his word, the Doctor had put a spare bed inside Twilight’s room so she may sleep there tonight. It still needed to be made, so for the time being she had to stay in her room. She had a feeling that she wouldn’t have to wait too much longer though. She began to feel antsy after spending so many hours in bed, so she decided to slide down her covers and onto the floor with a quiet tap. With a gentle motion, she planted all four hooves onto the ground and stabled herself. After a few quiet moments, she took a few soft steps to the other side of the room, and then walked back to her bed, trying all the time to walk normally. She could accomplish it, but the pain always seemed to force her left shoulder to hunch down, and she had to actively tell it to stop. With her head held high, she took another lap around the room, attempting her very best not to let the pain show in the way she walked. After a while, the bruises started to get a bit meaner and she had to take a break. That minimal amount of exertion was enough to make her sweat. She found herself leaning against the windowsill, so she reached up and opened it wide, allowing the sweet scent of flowers and clean air to waft its way in. She stood there with her eyes closed, letting the wind ruffle her mane into an unkempt fluff ball. She liked to pretend she was in a shampoo commercial. “Ahem,” she heard a polite cough behind her. Ditzy slowly turned around and was immediately shocked to see Princess Celestia standing in her room. “Ma...ma...ma...ma…” Ditzy stammered, mouth gaped open like a school filly. Princess Celestia waited patiently for Ditzy to finish her thought. “Ma...make y-yours-s-self at home, Princess,” Ditzy finally stuttered out. “Good evening, Ms. Ditzy Doo,” Celestia greeted warmly with a slight head nod. “Or… do you prefer Derpy Hooves?” “E-e-either or, your Highness,” Ditzy responded. What is the master of the sun and everything it touches doing in my room!? Princess Celestia went over towards the small table in the room and sat down at it, moving the small chair aside that was clearly meant for a smaller pony. As she settled down, she let out a content sigh and refocused on Ditzy. “I hope you don’t mind me popping in here; Twilight always wrote so highly of you, and I always enjoy meeting her new friends.” Derpy had regained her composure and slowly made her way over to the table, and sat in the chair opposite of the princess. Once she sat up, the Princess smiled. “I see you’re doing better. I’m glad to see you walking around with little difficulty.” “Huh, yah…” Ditzy agreed nonchalantly, rubbing the back of her neck. “These bruises will heal… and even my wing, mostly. At least that’s what the doctor said.” Celestia smiled. “You’re a brave pony, Ditzy. Your resilience in such times is to be admired. I can see why she thinks you’re special.” Ditzy blushed at the compliment and broke eye contact. “I-I’m nopony special. I’m just the pony others know deliver their mail, and on occasion eat muffins. Twilight is the real somepony; Equestria needs her. No pony needs me.” She shrugged. “I wish we could swap places.” The Princess’s eyes softened. “And if your places were indeed reversed, she would be saying the same thing, because that’s how true friends act. And besides,” Celestia smiled, “I can think of a few ponies you mean the world to. You have friends, family, and a whole town of ponies to support you. Your little acts of kindness may have a bigger impact that you suspect.” A warm glow filled Ditzy’s chest. She knew the Princess was right. “Th...thank you, your Highness. That’s super kind of you to say.” The Princess nodded in acknowledgment. As she looked up at the clock. “Hmm, it appears we are quickly running out of time. I was hoping for a few more minutes to explain this to you.” Ditzy gave a confused stare. “Explain what?” Celestia was quiet for a moment. “Ditzy, what Twilight needs right now is the best care possible. We need to study and learn why it is she hasn’t woken up. The doctors here have told me this isn’t a normal coma, which means it could be magical. If it’s magical, we may be able to help her.” Ditzy exploded in a cheer. “Yes, yes, yes! I knew you would be able to help! You are the most powerful pony in Equestria! I bet you have some awesome secret healing magic that can snap her right awake.” The Princess extended a hoof to Ditzy’s uninjured shoulder to calm her down. “I’m afraid even I don’t have that power, my dear Ditzy.” Confused again, she asked the obvious question. “Then how can you help her?” “Well,” she started, before pausing. “We need to get her to Canterlot. The medical faculty is much more equipped to study and handle Twilight’s condition.” “You’re...taking her away? Away from Ponyville?” Ditzy asked as a dark pit formed in her stomach. It made her sick, the very thought of Twilight being so far away, unable to help, or be there for her. Ditzy searched the Princess’s eyes for any sign of jesting, but there was none. “Y-you can’t!” Ditzy shouted passionately as she shot up from the table. Pain exploded on her side, and she crumpled to the ground as tears filled her eyes. She wasn’t sure if they were tears of pain or desperation, most likely both. “I-I need her, and she needs me!” Ditzy struggled back onto the chair, with the help of a gentle hoof. She looked up and saw the Princess right above her. Celestia’s eyes were full of understanding. “You know this is best for her.” Ditzy’s eyes wavered and her lip began quivering violently. Finally, she relented to her emotions and buried herself in Celestia’s pristine white coat and began to sob uncontrollably. All the pent up emotion from the past two days came pouring out. The physical pain, the survivor's guilt, and the depressing thoughts burst forth. Ditzy cried for several minutes, catching her breath as often as she could manage between the weeps and whimpers. The entire time, Celestia was silent, lightly rubbing Ditzy back, careful to avoid her damaged wing. Her expression was that of a nurturing mother. There were no more tears left by the time she was done, no matter how much Ditzy tried. Unsteadily, she parted from Celestia’s warm coat, now matted and wet with her tears. She sniffed before reaching over and attempting to clean some it off, but the Princess stopped her. “That’s quite alright, Ditzy. It’s good to get our emotions out from time to time.” Ditzy nodded before sicking up on the floor. “C-can I at least come with you back to Canterlot?” she said through a sniffle. Celestia put a hoof under Ditzy’s chin and raised it so they were looking into each others eyes. “You are more than welcome to, once you are fit to travel.” “I’m fit to travel now!” she contested, standing up a bit too fast. She winced as another spasm of pain coursed down her spine. She looked back up at the Princess knowing that she would not be able to fool her. “Your job now is what Twilight would want if she could speak,” Celestia said wisely. “To rest and get better. You know this is true.” Once again, the Princess was right. Why does she have to be so all-knowing? Not knowing what else to say, Ditzy let her head droop down, a final tear streamed down her cheek as she gave a meek nod. “When is she going?” “Tomorrow,” came the answer. And there it was. After tomorrow, Twilight would be out of her life for goodness-knows how long. It was hard to believe this moment was real; it felt like a dream, or even a nightmare. Any moment she would surrounded by the purple lightning and it would consume her for good this time. It never came. “It’s time for me to be off, Ditzy,” the Princess whispered. “I hope to see you in Canterlot very soon.” She craned her long neck towards the door. “Oh, and it appears you have another visitor.” Ditzy looked up and her stomach dropped. Standing in the doorway was Destiny, holding a parcel of some kind. “Good evening, Princess,” Destiny bowed, “if you don’t mind, I’d like a moment of Derpy’s time.” “Of course,” the Princess smiled politely. She gave one last fleeting glance at Ditzy before getting up to exit the room. On her way out, she paused and took as she took a closer look at the bowing pink pegasus. “Have we met before?” the Princess asked her. “No, Princess,” the mare answered simply, her eyes still averted. Celestia waited only a moment more before nodded. “Goodnight, both of you,” she spoke as she walked out the door. Ditzy caught Destiny make a quick glance in Celestia direction before her eyes turned towards her. Using a hoof, she delicately shut the door. As if this was the most casual of meetings, Destiny walked over to the same table Celestia had sat and placed the parcel down. “So how are you feeling, Derpy?” she asked mildly. “F...fine, thank you,” Ditzy squeaked. She was still sitting in the same spot on the floor near her bed. She was afraid to move as it would draw attention to her. She shivered as a cold night breeze floated in from the window. Destiny looked over. “Your shivering. Let me get the window.” She began to rise before Ditzy stopped her. “No thank y-you. I’d rather have it open,” Ditzy responded. Destiny gave her a weird stare before shrugging it off. “Suit yourself.” She took her time pulling up the chair Celestia had cast aside. Taking a seat, she rubbed her hooves together before opening the top of her parcel. She grabbed a napkin from a small stack and used her teeth to reach in a grab something. She pulled a cupcake out of the box and placed it on the napkin. “Hope you don’t mind if I eat, Derpy. It’s been a busy day for me, double shift and all,” Destiny said in a friendly tone. She took a mouthful of cupcake and gulped it down instantly. “I’m not complaining; us pegasi have to keep busy, right?” “Yah, I guess you’re right,” Derpy smiled nervously. Why is she here? Destiny took another mouthful of cupcake before continuing to talk. “Any of your friends come to visit today?” “Just Pinkie Pie, a-and my daughters,” Ditzy answered. Destiny raised her eyebrows and nodded as if she was interested. She finished the first cupcake with one final chomp. The smell of the delicious cupcakes made Ditzy’s stomach rumble. “I could’ve sworn all your friends said they would come today,” Destiny remarked in a casual way. “Well,” she shrugged, “not entirely true. They said they visited Twilight.” “They all came to see Twilight today?” Ditzy asked, confused. Why hadn’t they stopped in her room? She had to be lying. “That’s not true, they would’ve at least stopped in to say hi.” Destiny gave another bored shrug, her attention focused on the box of cupcakes and not on the injured pegasus. “Ask Spike if you want, I guess.” She brought out another cupcake and eagerly took another bite. “Mmm, Pinkie sure knows how to make a mean cupcake. You got some of these coming your way, you know. Pinkie’s making some special just for Sparkler, but don’t tell her,” Destiny giggled and gave a sly wink. Ditzy was still reeling from the last comment. “Why...why wouldn’t they come say hi to me if they were just across the hall?” Destiny stopped munching and arched her head up thoughtfully before continuing to chew. After she swallowed, she turned her attention back to Ditzy. “They probably feel awkward around you. They know she wouldn’t be in there if you hadn’t been flying so carelessly.” That made Ditzy flinch. “Of course they don’t outright blame you,” Destiny added. “Emotions run high in these troubled times. But here’s the thing,” Destiny began to whisper as if telling an interesting story, “as they have to wait longer and long for Twilight to wake up—as days turn to weeks—you’ll see their resolve slowly slip away. It’ll be little things: they won’t make eye contact, they won’t call you by your name, they won’t invite you to outings. In time they will figure out what you and I both already know.” Ditzy’s lip trembled as she backed up against the post on her bed. She wanted to cover her ears and retreat inside herself but she didn’t do it. “W-what do I know?” “That if Twilight dies,” Destiny spoke smooth as silk, “it’ll be all your fault.” Destiny giggled playfully and sat back up in her chair, refocusing on the box of cupcakes. “Ooh boy, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this one. I think it’s best to save it for later.” She used her teeth to put the half-eaten cupcake back in the container. “Oh! And I almost forgot,” Destiny pepped up. She took a single muffin out of her  box and placed it neatly on the table. “I got this for you. I hope you like it.” She hopped off her chair with her box and headed for the door. As she opened it, she turned to Ditzy who still sat wordlessly on the floor. “Pleasant dreams, Derpy,” she said with a wink. As quickly as she appeared, she was gone. Ditzy sat on the floor with her eyes cloths for several minutes, shaking uncontrollably. Before she knew it, her face was in her hooves and she was once again sobbing, though more reserved. She laid there in a fetal position considering what Destiny had said. She was not only losing Twilight, but possibly her other friends now too? It was if all her hard work these past few months had been blasted away from one tragic event. She craned her head up and saw the muffin, blurry through teary eyes. With a sniff, she stood up on shaky legs and walked over to the table. She picked up the muffin in her hoof as her stomach growled for a second time. With what might she could will forth, she threw the muffin out the window.