//------------------------------//
// 61 - Recall 
// Story: Gladiator 
// by Not_A_Hat 
//------------------------------//

Vuuuuum…
 
"Okay, it's awesome." Lyra nodded slowly, staring at my vibroblade. "But how do you not slice your arms off?" We were in a courtyard, borrowed from the Royal Guard. Lyra had been in the audience yesterday, and she'd tracked me down early this morning.
 
"Because it's echonarchy!" I gave her a wide grin. "I can feel where the blade is! I mean, I'm actually powering the thing myself. I don't know if anyone else could even use this." I tossed it in the air; the blade winked out. I caught it again, and it returned. "I could maybe add a power reservoir, or re-charge the gem enough to run on its own, like the gun originally did." I frowned. "Or, maybe I could - "
 
"Enough!" Lyra cut me off. "The theory is neat, but that's not important right now." She gave me a harsh glare. "Are you planning to seriously to fight with this? Make it a part of your style?"
 
"Yes." I nodded slowly. "I've used weapons before. I should probably drill with a cane, but…" I shrugged. "If you're worried about me taking it seriously, I've already given it some thought. I'm going up against more and more powerful opponents, and I need an edge. You don't think much of weapons, and I mostly agree; personal power is the strongest power. But the quickest way to being more effective is a decent tool, and I don't know if I have time for the long road. I think I can handle a shortcut. Unless you decide it's too early." I gave her an uncertain look. As my teacher, she could veto this, at least for training. If she thought it would hurt me more than it helped, I'd trust her judgment.
 
"Weapons aren't the problem." Lyra shook her head, slowly. "No, I'm okay with you using a weapon. But this is much more lethal than your warhammer, and you want to integrate it completely into your training. It's a big step up from hand-to-hand."
 
"I'm ready to go all-out, teacher." I gave her a firm nod. "If I'd had this in Phoresy's hive, we'd have made the stage in time."
 
"…yeah, we might have, at that." Lyra gave a slow nod. "Alright, I'll train you with it. Don't get dependent, though."
 
"Yes ma'am." I saluted, touching the handle to my forehead.
 
"Tag." A hoof tapped my shoulder; I spun, blade raised. Luna smirked. "You need to be more aware, Wes."
 
"No fair!" I switched off my sword. "How can you sneak so well with hooves?"
 
She flicked a wing in response.
 
"Practice for a few centuries, and you'll be just as good. Lyra, may I borrow your… what was the word?"
 
"Padawan." Lyra smiled. "Of course, Princess. But what do you need him for?"
 
"I would like his input on a project." She grinned. "We are working on contingency plans, and he's planning on returning to Ponyville this evening with the rest. Collaborating in dreams is convenient in some ways, but it's difficult to write things down."
 
"Thanks, Jedi." I bowed.
 
"Aw, get going." Lyra waved a hoof. "Just be sure not to get sucked through any more portals. We were all worried sick, you know?"
 
I nodded, and turned to follow Luna.
 



 
"Well, that's enough for now." I tapped a spoon against my teacup; Bit stepped in and carefully refilled it. I nodded thanks. "But what is all this for?" On the table in front of us, plans, schematics, drawings and calculations. "I mean, really. Could this even be used? Isn't the Dawnhammer more effective? Actually…. Why could Celestia even use her huge laser?"
 
"Could?" Luna tipped an eyebrow.
 
"Well, yeah." I waved a hand. "The energy density you magical types wield is ridiculous, but I can't believe you're the only ones packing that sort of firepower. Checks and balances must exist. We had a similar thing. We called it Mutually Assured Destruction."
 
"Ah." She frowned. "I don't doubt your ability, Wes, but… you reached Impasse without magical weapons?"
 
"Impasse. Hum." I crossed my hands behind my head, leaning back in my chair. "I believe the quote is: 'I don't know what weapons world war three will be fought with, but world war four will use sticks and stones.' None of our weapons had the sophistication of the Dawnhammer, but they were no less lethal for all that. It only made the prospect of war more terrifying. Still, before I… well, left, we had deterrence capability, as did many other countries. How does it work here?"
 
"Mutually Assured Destruction." She nodded slowly. "Yes, that sums it nicely. Indeed, there are deterrents to even the power of me and my sister. Several other nations have assets that we… respect. Has Celestia ever mentioned our threat assessment system?"
 
"I think so." I frowned. "you use letters, right? A, B, C'?"
 
"Well, somewhat." Luna shrugged. 'D', 'C', 'B', 'A', 'S', and 'SS'. Aerie's Five Winds, Minoa's Great Snarl, the Eastern Archipelago's Lord of Waves… They are not threats to scoff at."
 
"Wait, S and SS?" I frowned. "It goes higher?"
 
"Not exactly higher… The first four letters are rough estimates of known threat levels. An average pony is a C, My sister and I are A. S and SS are at least as dangerous, but also unquantifiable or potentially immeasurable threats. They may not be stronger than us… but our not knowing puts them in a different group. The Five Winds are all S level; I think I could take one, but…" she shrugged. "I might be wrong."
 
"Huh." I mulled that over a minute. "So, do you have treaties on the use of your power, or what?"
 
"Nothing formal." Luna gave me a bemused glance. "This strength is personal. They can't bind us any more than they could lock the Canterlot Main Gate. Although we may not be quite as free as the average pony in some ways. One of the reasons the Elements are so useful is their precision and non-lethality. They can actually be deactivated; we can't. Celestia hasn't been skiing for years, because Alpen considers her crossing their border an act of war."
 
I sniggered, imagining Celestia on skis.
 
"Um, so, those griffons; the Five Winds, are S class. Does Equestria have any S's?"
 
"Esses?" Luna quirked an eyebrow. "Lyra might count, if she wasn't so scrupulous. It's a stretch, but I don't actually know how strong she is. The Elements, when they're all together, easily. Twilight… hmm. Twilight may actually be the first friendly SS we've seen for a while." Luna gave me a serious look. "I honestly have no idea how strong she will be when she's done growing, but she'll be no lightweight."
 
"Celestia expects her to surpass both of you." I nodded soberly.
 
"She may, at that." Luna shrugged.
 
"What about Discord?" I sipped my tea. "Surely he's an SS?"
 
"No, actually." Luna raised an eyebrow at me. "He's powerful, for sure, but he's not actually growing. Sombra might be an SS, but we don't even know enough to label him. Despite the versatility of Discord's power, it does have limits. He has trouble affecting anything he can't see, and simply repelling his magic doesn't take much. Celestia has enchanted the Elements to resist him. If he was any less chaotic he'd already be an A, but we simply can't be sure we really understand him. Remember, S and SS are threat, not power. We've labeled creatures much less powerful than him as SS, simply because we didn’t understand them."
 
"So he might be stronger than you?" She nodded.
 
"Truth be told, neither of us are willing to fight the other directly. We used the Elements on him, and managed to forestall whatever plan he had in the works. It could have easily turned the other direction if Celestia hadn't moved promptly."
 
"Wow." I grimaced. "That close, huh?"
 
"Wes, it's always that close. Strength is built on a thousand small decisions. We're not overwhelmingly powerful at certain times; we're consistently effective all the time. But discussing theories of power will have to wait; the start of the night court draws near."
 
"And I'm on the evening train." I cautiously accepted a hug, took Bit by the hand, and started for my room. I didn't have much to pack, but it was all necessary.
 



 
I woke to pounding on my door. I rolled over and considered ignoring it, but it returned insistently.
 
"Weeeees!" A gravelly voice called.
 
"It's unlocked, Rainbow!" I called back sleepily. Something warm and smooth rubbed against my feet. "Hey, Bit." I poked the bug with a toe. "Wake up." It was curled in a ball at the end of my bed, a smooth lump under the covers.
 
"Waaaaaaaah!" Bit sat up abruptly, stretching and yawning hugely, thin cotton robe pooling around its slender form. "Oh." It looked around, surprised to find itself in my room. "I sleepwalked again." It slipped to the floor, and padded over to the door.
 
"It's fine." I climbed out of bed, and gave the wool blanket a flip to neaten everything. "How are your reserves?"
 
"Nearing the levels needed to return my ordinary shape." It plucked at the its clothing. "It will be nice to change back. I miss Sakura."
 
"You could visit. I'm pretty sure she'd recognize you, since she knows you’re a shapeshifter.'
 
"Undoubtedly." It dressed with a flicker of illusory magic, and hung its pajamas on the door. It had nothing to hide, but had adopted the custom for my sake. "Which creates difficulty. If I search her out things would quickly become confusing, complicated. I know I have a cover story, but deception is difficult. If I could be sure of catching her alone, I could explain, but the only place I'm sure to find her is around others. And she can be resolutely clueless."
 
"Well, she'll likely come looking for us. She knows I'm back in town, I bet." It nodded and stepped out the door, headed for the kitchen. 'Bitterbloom' the pony was on a business trip with Onyx, the merchant. This was my friend, another traveling human, coincidentally also named 'Bit'. Most ponies wouldn't think twice, although they might remark on the name. Actual shape shifters were beyond rare. I pulled on clean clothes myself, and followed.
 
"Breakfast, Rainbow?" I opened the freezer, searching for something edible. I hadn't had a chance to shop; we'd gotten back into town late last night, with the rest of the Ponyville contingent.
 
"Tea?" Bit set the teakettle on the stove, and started rummaging for cups.
 
"I'd have some tea." Rainbow flopped into a chair, and carefully set a steaming pot on the table. "But I brought breakfast."
 
"Really." I tipped the lid; scents of cinnamon-apple oatmeal and thick cream wafted out. "Wow. This smells delicious!" I pulled bowls out of the cupboard, and snagged a jug of milk. "What's the occasion?"
 
"Oh, you know." Rainbow helped herself to a scoop. "I figured, since you'd been out of town, you might not have much to eat."
 
"Huh." I gave the pegasus a long glance, before yawning again and serving. Rainbow had many wonderful qualities, but 'thoughtful' she was not. I took a bite; the food was as good as it smelled. Most of her troubles stemmed from lack of forethought. She just didn't think things through. Mostly, she didn't need to.
 
So she was up to something.
 
Still, it would be rude to refuse. Besides, she claimed there were no strings attached, and she could be taken at her word.
 
"So." She broke the silence. "Can I try your brain-magic thing next?"
 
I nearly swallowed my spoon.
 
"Hack." I tried to not choke or spit oatmeal across the table. "Cough!" After a few seconds, I managed to recover. "Um…" I gave Rainbow a careful look. She stared innocently back.
 
Bit sighed, and dolefully took another bite of oatmeal.
 
"What's wrong, ladybug?" Rainbow gave the melancholy changeling a sympathetic pat.
 
"Nothing." Bit assumed a carefully bland expression, but Rainbow wouldn't be fooled.
 
"Don't be like that, Bit! Tell your friends." Rainbow threw a hoof around its thin shoulders.
 
"Wes might share with you, but not with me."
 
"Huh?" Rainbow gave me a confused look. "What? Why not?"
 
"It's… complicated." I shrugged. "I, um. Rainbow, why?"
 
"It sounds like fun?" Rainbow flicked an ear. "And, Rarity thought - " She stopped, realizing her mistake, as my eyes narrowed.
 
"Yeeeeees?" Thoughtful might not apply to Rainbow, but it did apply to Rarity. "Please tell me. What sort of scheme has your little conspiracy hatched?"
 
"It's not a conspiracy." Rainbow huffed, and took a bite of oatmeal. "Look, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and I talked a little on the train, while you and Pinkie napped. You told everypony what happened, and a little about how you felt. Rarity figured you might need a little help adjusting to your new magic, and I volunteered to help."
 
"This… isn't exactly new, though." I frowned.
 
"Exactly! That's what you need to adjust!" Rainbow jabbed a wing at me. "Your magic seems the same, but it's not! Look, Wes, you thought this link thingy was a side effect from that evil artifact, right?"
 
"Uhuh."
 
"Well, it wasn't. But you've been thinking like that for so long, you can't get it out of your head! This magic isn't evil, it isn't from an artifact, it's you." She poked me firmly with a hoof, and gave me a piercing stare. "Just like these," she flared her wings, "are part of me. And if there's one thing I know about my magic, it's awesome. Magic is to make life better! So, you need to change the way you think! Give it a chance! And that means, use it!"
 
"Uhhh…huh." I swallowed another spoonful of oatmeal. It was just the right warmth for the chilly morning.
 
We ate in silence for a minute.
 
"Rainbow, I'm not sure - "
 
"Look at it this way." Rainbow finished her meal, and pushed her bowl away. "If you work with me, now, you'll have an excuse to give Pinkie, later."
 
"Ah." I paused. "Alright. I'll do it - "
 
"Yeeees!" Rainbow pumped a hoof. "Okay! How does this work?"
 
" - after lunch." I set my spoon down with a clink. "Your idea's good, and I appreciate the thought. But I've got somepony I need to meet at the library; Luna's having me work on a project, and we've got deliveries coming in."
 
"What?" Rainbow gave me a perplexed look. "You're seriously going to choose egghead stuff over hanging with me?"
 
"Look, Rainbow." I threw an arm over her shoulders. "You're awesome, no doubt. But I've got promises to keep. Your curiosity will have to wait. Besides, Bit's got the day planner." My secretary looked up from the slim book it was annotating. "If you can get it away from him, then I'll have free time. Otherwise, it's going according to plan." Bit's eyes narrowed, and Rainbow sighed.
 
"Fine, ladybug, you win." She threw a wing around the changeling, pulling us all close together. "But I'll come with. Maybe I can find something interesting."
 



 
"Don't touch that!"
 
Rainbow froze mid-poke. She was staring at a glass tube, carefully inked with formulas and resting on stands.
 
"Seriously, Rainbow. Can't you go upstairs? Read a book?" I looked up from the pieces I was assembling on the lab bench. Bit was holding a light for me. "You don't actually need to be in the lab, right?"
 
"What is this, anyways?" Rainbow casually ignored my admonishment.
 
"A weapon." I snapped a few pieces together. "It's based on Luna's magic, and several concepts from my planet's science, with a pinch of echonarchy. We outlined the principles yesterday and she sent the parts from her lab overnight, so I could run some tests to see if it's actually feasible. She calls it 'collateral', although I'm still not sure why." I held up a green sliver of glass, carefully meshed into metal supports. "She's definitely got stronger spells. And although it's a pretty good system, a dozen unicorns could do better with the same stuff." I shrugged. "The only thing I can think of is she needs a mostly non-magical weapon."
 
"Uhuh." Rainbow's eyes re-focused after I stopped talking. "Anyways, you about done?"
 
"It's not even ten, Rainbow!" I gave a frustrated sigh. "Look, here's the plan. Work here until noon. Get a bite to eat. Then, fun with mental magic. As long as - "
 
"Hello?" A curious voice called from above. "Wes?"
 
" - nothing comes up." I set the assembly down with a sigh. "Bitterbloom, is that who I think?"
 
"Chances are, it's Sakura." Bit sat the lamp down, and gave me a hopeful look.
 
"She won't leave us alone now. Go on, have fun." It nodded, and dashed off. "Well, that's that." I shrugged to Rainbow. "Without my assistant, this will be twice as frustrating. I'll knock off early, and we can go be awesome." I neatened the bench, and scrawled a note for Twilight. It was her lab, after all.
 
I frowned, thinking of her. I'd gotten a message with the supplies this morning; she'd talked to Celestia, and she planned to tell me everything. Since she had a few days left in Canterlot, she'd scheduled a dream-conference with me and Luna.
 
I shoved the thought aside as I climbed the stairs; enough time for that later.
 
"Weees!" An excited pink filly latched onto me, wrapping me tightly with her wings.
 
"Ooof! Hey, Sakura." I smiled at her. "How's my number-one fan?"
 
"I'm good! Are you good? Did you have a good visit to your homeland? Did you do everything you needed?" The impulsive teenager released me, and started bouncing in small circles. "Did you bring me souvenirs? Please say yes! Pleeeease!"
 
"Actually…" I drew the word out, watching her excitement grow. "I did."
 
"Yaaaay!" She threw her wings in the air. "What did you get? Where did you put it?" She started trying to look in my pockets, and I stepped back, startled again by her vivacity.
 
"Um, it's not on me. Bit?" I glanced at my aide. "Plans?"
 
"Your schedule is clear, sir." Bit passed me the day planner. "I think if I spend time with Sakura, my reserves may rise to a useable level." It shrugged. "May I have the rest of the day off?"
 
"Of course." I smiled warmly. "Why don't you two head back to the house, and get Sakura's gift? It's in the bag Pinkie gave me, labeled 'To Wes' Number One Fan'. I’m a little curious as to what it is."
 
"I got shoes." Rainbow raised a hoof, showing off the synthetic horseshoes Pinkie had sent her.
 
"They look funny!" Sakura's eyes widened at the artificial material.
 
"They're super light." Rainbow grinned. "And really comfy. I almost know how Pinkie does it now." She bounced experimentally.
 
"Anyways." I shrugged to Bit. "We'll be around. If you two want to eat at the Corner, Bit, you can put it on my tab." Sakura's grin broadened at the prospect of cake.
 
"You should come with!" She wrapped a wing around me again, and tried to draw me along.
 
"No…" I glanced at Bit, and patted the wand at my waist. "No, Rainbow's going to teach me about, uh, thermoclines?" I tried.
 
"Oooh, thermoclines are fun!" Sakura spread her wings. "When you hit them, you can just cooooast! Come on, Bit!" She pretended to fly away, trotting out the door. Bit glanced between Rainbow and me, following uncertainly.
 



 
Biiiiing.
 
"Ugh." Feeling exhausted in a dream was strange and new to me. I considered pretending to not notice Luna's call. She would respect me, if I refused her entrance.
 
But that would send Twilight mixed messages, and that was not the way I wanted to be.
 
I lounged on my cloud for a bit, thinking. We were going to finally deal with Twilight's secret. I was glad of that. This whole thing had made me very uncomfortable. I honestly hadn't felt good about my relationship with Twilight ever since Discord had shown up. I frowned. Blech, Discord. I sighed, lurched to my feet, and reached for the ripple, opening an imaginary door and stepping through.
 
I expected to see Luna's moonlit meadows, but instead, found myself on a tall, open tower. Storm clouds hung low on the horizon, a red sun low in the sky opposite.
 
"Princess?" I turned, looking for Luna.
 
"Wes, over here!" Behind me, the purple and blue alicorns were standing by the edge, looking down over a broken and barren landscape.
 
"Not feeling so good?" I gave Twilight a wan smile, gesturing to the nightmarish scenery. She returned a wry grin.
 
"I'm a little apprehensive."
 
I nodded. I knew the feeling.
 
"So, um - "
 
"WOAH!"
 
Suddenly, a multicolored blur sped past us.
 
"Rainbow?" Luna and Twilight turned in sync, following the pegasus.
 
"This place is wicked! Wes, did you know we're floating?" Rainbow curled around to touch down in front of us, prancing with excitement. "The whole tower!"
 
"Huh?" I looked down, leaning over the edge; sure enough, the tower was shattered halfway down, debris and rubble hanging in mid-air like high-speed photography.
 
"Wait, what?" Twilight gave Rainbow a confused glance. "How are you here?"
 
"It's part of the link, right? You did it too!" She grinned at Twilight. "We've been experimenting - that's the word, right? Experimenting? All day!"
 
"All afternoon, at least. More like, we've been trying to apply it to aerial stunts." I shrugged. "I'm not complaining, but I think I'm about to fall asleep - in your dream, Twilight." I rubbed my eyes. "This one doesn't know the meaning of moderation!" I pointed to Rainbow.
 
"Come on! Awesome doesn't have brakes!" She clapped a wing on my shoulder. "Besides, you have no idea how useful it was, to get an actual outside look at my stunts! I’m telling you, Wes, magic is to make life better!"
 
"Heh, well. I won't say I didn't enjoy it." I shrugged. "Honestly, I had a blast. But it was exhausting."
 
"Well, we're asleep now, right? We can try more stunts!" Rainbow turned to me, trying her best for a CMC pleading look.
 
"Normally, I'd be all for it." I dropped to the stone floor, sitting cross-legged. "But I actually need to talk to Twilight about something, and…"
 
"It's heavy stuff." Twilight sat in front of me.
 
"Oh." Rainbow laid her ears back. "Sorry."
 
"Not your fault." I waved a hand. "I should have seen this happening, honestly. I knew they'd be showing up for me."
 
"We can go." Luna pulled Rainbow close with a wing. "If you'd like privacy."
 
"I… I don't even know." I shook my head slowly. "I mean, I don't really mind. But I have no idea what's up, honestly. Twi?" Twilight bit her lip, and cast her eyes down.
 
"I, um. If you're okay with it, they can stay."
 
"Very well." Luna took a seat on my left, while Rainbow settled herself opposite.
 
"Just, don't interrupt." I pointed at Rainbow. "Bite your tongue, or I'll tickle you until you can't breathe… with my mind." I tapped my temple.
 
"You can't do that."
 
I cocked an eyebrow. Twilight coughed.
 
"Can he?" A note of uncertainty entered her voice, as I smiled.
 
"His dream powers are impressive," Luna deadpanned. Rainbow's eyes widened slightly.
 
"Shush." I tapped her nose. She subsided. "Alright, let's do this." I gave Twilight a square look, and took a deep breath. "Twilight, you have something that's mine. I don't know what it is, or why you have it, but I'd like it back. I won't hold what you did against you, but we need to make this right, or it will poison our friendship. Can you tell me?" I swallowed, anticipation and fear squirming in my belly.
 
"Yes." She nodded firmly, but her voice was weak. "Yes, I know a secret - two secrets - of yours. I kept them from you because I thought it was for your own good, but it wasn't my responsibility, and I should have at least asked permission." She drew a deep breath. "Celestia and I both think telling you everything is the right course of action." She grimaced. "I'm still unsure how it will affect you, Wes. Can… Um…" She shook her head. "No, I won't ask you to promise anything. But please, please! If this bothers you too much, please ask for help?" She gave me a pleading stare.
 
"I, um." I swallowed. "I won't make promises either, Twilight. But… well, I'll think twice."
 
"Thank you." She sighed. "Okay. Well, firstly, the reason we're doing this in a dream is because I thought it would be best to show you what I saw, as best as I could."
 
"We could link, maybe?" I hesitated; would the link work in a dream?
 
"N-no." Twilight shook her head. "Sorry, Wes, but that won't be… well, it might be possible, but it won't be simple. Since I've become an alicorn, I have the magic of all three races. They're not one smooth power, but more of a trilogy; three discrete chunks. We'll have to run some tests, but I'm afraid the link would be scrambled at best, and dangerous at worst. I did have an idea, though..." She trailed off. "But later. The link isn't a good idea now. So this is the best we can do." She shrugged. "I think it'll be enough." She took a deep, steadying breath. "Let me start at the beginning."
 
"Okay." I nodded slowly.
 
"This was, honestly, all an accident." She lowered her eyes. "I never intended this. Heh. Paved with good intentions, right? Well, I noticed something was up when I read these." She motioned, and a stack of stapled paper materialized. I picked it up, and skimmed through. Most of it was blurry; she hadn't memorized everything, apparently. As I reached the center, though, one chunk stood out clearly.
 
"This is my report from Manehatten." I frowned. She waved again, and another appeared. I skimmed through it. It was the same, but from Rarity. "What…?" I trailed off as I reached another clear bit. I set them down, side-by-side. "Is this it?"
 
"The start." Twilight said soberly. "I'm not sure if anypony else thought much of it." Her voice hitched. She rubbed her eyes. I re-read the text.
 
Both reports were open to the account we'd given of the auction and banquet. Each of us had written a blurb on the painting. They were the only clear text in the whole document; not even Twilight's prodigious memory could perfectly reproduce something she'd only skimmed.
 
I read Rarity's account. I read my account. I read Rarity's account again. I frowned, and read my account more slowly. A chill started to creep up my spine.
 
I underlined part of Rarity's account. I compared it to mine. Both of us had gone into detail on the painting. My account had a complete description of the canvas, including a blurb on the execution of the painting and the evocative subject. I also described the strange, ornate patterns I'd noticed on the frame; curling, spiky, almost tribal, but with no obvious symbolism. They'd almost seemed to extend onto the painting.
 
Rarity's account was much the same, but it differed in one specific particular. She described the frame as 'plain, almost rough wood, completely devoid of ornamentation or interest.' I swallowed, and read them again. I rubbed my eyes, thinking back.
 
"So plain. It could do with a few jewels," she'd said. I'd thought it strange at the time, but dismissed it.
 
"Th-this…" My voice was hoarse. "There's something…"
 
"That's the first thing I should have told you." Her voice was sombre. "Wes… something's affecting your perceptions."
 
"Ugh." That hit home hard. I bent over, rubbing my eyes. How long? I tried to control the churning in my gut. Something was affecting my mind. I shuddered at the thought. Mental manipulation was scary. If you can't trust your senses, you can't trust yourself. And here was proof; seeing, for me, was not believing.
 
Was this because of the spell she used to heal me? Because of what the changelings did?
 
Had there been other things?
 
I frowned. The patterns. Curling. Tribal. Spikey. No obvious symbolism. I'd seen them before Manehatten. There had been something like that in the Crystal Empire, after the stairway in the throne-room reverted, and above the entrance to the Caverns of Shade and Sound. Fluttershy had trouble finding me! She kept glanced backwards!
 
That was after both the spell AND the changelings. Manehatten was the last time… No… No! That wasn't right. I had seen this pattern more recently, and in a very different place. It was on the door we summoned to return to Equus! It had appeared with chimes!
 
So… it wasn't from Twilight's healing spell? Unless… the effect had persisted. I groaned quietly. This was getting nowhere! I drew a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Whatever was happening, we could deal with it. It wasn't hurting me… probably. Yet. That I could tell. I focused on calm.
 
Suddenly, I had a thought.
 
"You said you had two secrets?" She nodded soberly.
 
"This is the first. And it leads to the second." She drew a deep breath, and gave me a woebegone look. "These reports are a formality. They mostly get filed and forgotten. Nopony else would read both. Even if they did, the chances of them being compared were slim. It's just a sentence or two." She shrugged. "But it caught my attention… So I had you remember it for me."
 
"Right…" I thought back. When she'd asked me for particulars of our trip, I'd remembered the painting across the link, so she could take a good look. "Because of the pattern?"
 
"Mmhmm." She nodded slowly. "Seeing it shocked me."
 
"Huh? Shocked?"
 
"Yes." Her voice was strained. "Um." She stopped, mouth working. "Um, well. Do you remember doing memory games, to test our synchronization?"
 
"The bad old days." I cracked a smile, but she looked away. "Yes. Why?"
 
"I, um. You remember, I was better at recall? Even with your memories?"
 
Another chill walked down my spine.
 
"Twilight…?"
 
"I remembered this pattern. From your memory." She swallowed. "And I still didn't tell you."
 
"From the - " I stopped. "From where?"
 
"I'm still not sure." She shook her head, slowly. "I need to show you." She stood. A harsh wind started to blow. The scarlet landscape around us slowly dissolved, until we hung in space. Walls and a floor appeared around us. I tried to focus on them, but with dreamlike logic, I couldn't make out any details. Twilight remembered this better than me, but it was still fuzzy.
 
Despite the blur, dream-logic told me the four things surround me were 'walls', and the ground was covered in 'grass'. The blurry green lump in one corner was 'bougainvillea'. Things got a little clearer as I approached the center. Luna moved quietly around, examining. Rainbow scrutinized the table and chairs, the clearest pieces in the… yard? Yeah. This was someone's backyard; I knew that. Suddenly, the walls focused slightly; an opaque fence, formed from tall white planks. The grass was short-trimmed, and there was a sandbox on the corner. The bougainvillea had been eating that corner for years.
 
"I… remember this, a little." I shook my head. "This is my grandfather's backyard."
 
"Really?" Twilight's ears perked slightly. "That… um. Wait. You haven't seen this bit yet." She motioned me to the table. "Do you remember him?"
 
Seated at the table, was… a manikin? It was human-shaped, formed from something like smooth white wax, but with no eyes, mouth, or nose. It was frozen in position. Again, the dream gave me pieces and impressions. I glimpsed gears, belts, and chains; intricate mechanisms. This… man? Thing? It… might be a robot? My memory shifted. At the same time, I got impressions of might and strength, indomitable power, strangely limited. Like the wind or waves. A force of nature, but unable to choose or decide.
 
"Ugh." I put a hand to my head, straining to understand the welter of impressions. "I.. .um." My gaze fell to the table, and I blinked. The clearest piece of the dream was sitting there. A tiny, intricate, spreading, crystalline tree, only as tall as my hand. A slender trunk split into a profusion of branches - slivers - shards - crystalline threads, which again split and split and split. I didn't see any actual leaves, but it hardly needed them. The shape was perfect, like a giant seen from a distance. The intricacy was incredible.
 
It sat in an impossibly shallow pot, and on the table around it was… A spikey, thorny pattern, which drew the eye strangely. It had no obvious symbolism.
 
"It's the tree!" I pointed to the tree. "It's casting a shadow! Or… an aura?"
 
"I thought the same." Twilight nodded. "The… tree? Is projecting the pattern, somehow. That's what I remember."
 
"This… " Luna's voice was soft with wonder. "Wes, this is in your memory?"
 
"I… guess." I answered slowly. "I'm not remembering much yet, but it's becoming clearer."
 
"When is this memory from?" Luna gave both of us a stern glance. I shrugged helplessly. Twilight looked away.
 
"Twilight?" My voice was strained. "Tell me."
 
"I, um. I'm not sure, but I think… well, look at yourself." I glanced down.
 
I was wearing my clothes from Earth. They were mostly clean and soft. I patted my pocket; my cellphone was there. I wasn't wearing my watch.
 
"Is this…" I stopped, unable to continue.
 
"I think so." Twilight nodded slowly. "It… it might be. Either from just before, or just after…"

"The day I arrived." I swallowed, as the full impact hit me. "Twilight, I…" I trailed off, unable to continue. Was this… was this a key to my return? An answer as to how I got here? Why I was here? I looked around again, trying to take in the whole thing. There wasn't much here, but I tried to fasten every piece in my memory.
 
This was the second secret. Twilight knew something about how I'd arrived. No, I knew something about how I'd arrived. I clapped a hand to my forehead, suddenly feeling faint. How dare she keep this from me? My home! My heart rate suddenly accelerated, and I grit my teeth.
 
No. I squelched the reflexive anger consciously. I wouldn't hate my friends. She knew she was wrong; she'd apologized, and was working to make it right. That anger was exactly why she'd been afraid of telling me. Letting it out now would only confirm her fears. Besides; I didn't want to be an angry person. Was this even useful? It did seem to be…
 
"Before." I said slowly. "I still have my  cellphone. It has to be - "
 
"After." Luna interrupted, gaze still fixed on the crystal bonsai. "It has to be."
 
"Huh?" Both Twilight and I gave her disbelieving stares. "Why?"
 
"This." She pointed to the tree. "There's no way it's from your memory. You must have seen it."
 
"What?" I gave her a confused glance, anger fading to training and curiosity. "Why…"
 
"Because this isn't what it looks like." She gave me a sharp glance. "Not in real life."
 
"Oh?" I stepped forward, staring at the tiny crystal tree. "This almost looks like something Pinkie…" I trailed off, trying to think. What had Pinkie said about her crystal tree?
 
"Pinkie?" Luna frowned. "What does she have to do with this?"
 
"I have no idea." I shrugged. "Twilight, do you remember any more about… any of this? The tree? Him?" I pointed to the manikin.
 
"He's powerful. Or you thought he was. Like a force of nature, almost, but just as limited. You… pity him?" She cocked her head. "I feel like you two were talking."
 
"Yeah…" I paused, as her words resonated with me. "He was saying something…" I tried to recall the words. "He'd… called me? Or.. Sent me? Or… caught me? Was I… falling?" I frowned again, trying to grab bits and pieces of memory as they floated by. I could almost… almost remember. Maybe…
 
I slowly pulled out the chair across from him. I'd been sitting here.
 
I carefully crossed my legs at the ankle, leaning my chin on a hand. I'd sat like this.
 
I closed my eyes, imagining his voice. It had sounded like a thousand thousand clocks striking as one, or a thousand thousand gears grinding unstoppably.
 
<"Arc…"> Just one word, but it was important. I could feel it.
 
<"Arcana…"> I trailed off again, fishing for it. I almost had it.
 
<"Ar - ">
 
<"Arcanaclypse."> Twilight finished, eyes going wide. "He was saying that! And it made a huge impression on you! That's why you remember this, just this bit! <Arcanaclypse!> It's important!" She paused, puzzlement creeping into her expression. "What does it mean?" She looked at me. "Wes?"
 
Arcanaclypse. Arcana - clypse?
 
"No idea," I lied, suddenly scared.
 
"Really? But - "
 
"Nope." I shrugged, plastering a false smile on my face to hide the returning turmoil in my gut, cold fear pulling hot anger back. "Is this everything?" My voice was cold, and she wilted. I called on my dream-powers to hold my expression neutral. Luna blinked as reality warped, protecting my calm demeanor.
 
"Y…yes. Wes, I… "
 
"It's fine." I gave another hollow grin. Rainbow, silent this whole time, was staring at me with her ears laid back. I smiled at her, and she flinched. "Really, guys, I'm okay. I just need some sleep." I pulled on the dream-fabric. "I'll talk to you later, okay Twilight? We'll work things out."
 
"You're not mad?" She looked up, hopeful.
 
"No more than before." That was nearly truth. I'd decided to forgive her. I needed to deal with these feelings on my own. "I won't hold this against you. Just give me a bit of alone time to cool off, okay? I'll get over it." I tried to give her a warm hug, but the coldness in my chest stiffened it. "I'll be okay. I'll see you when you're back, but I need time to think. If you're done…?" She nodded slowly, and I concentrated.
 
"Wes!" Luna called, but I ignored her, focusing on waking up.
 
The dream dissolved around me and I awoke. My bed was warm, and Bit was curled up at my feet again. Silly sleepwalker; it couldn't be comfortable. Still, better than the floor outside my door.
 
But my heart was cold. I pushed thoughts of the secrets aside; I knew, now, and I could think that over later. Twilight was still my friend. I would not let this come between us permanently. No, I had to think about that word, but the more I considered it, the more chilling it was.
 
<Arcanaclypse.>
 
This was bad.