//------------------------------// // Chapter 13, Suspicion // Story: Darkness Rising // by SkyHighFlyer //------------------------------// Twilight rolled up the scroll she received in the mail and made adjustments to her schedule for the next day. Nearly a week had passed since the night she and Fluttershy had left for Manehatten to teach her to feed and the events of the evening after. Fluttershy had begun teaching Twilight to fly using her new wings and she was making progress. She was far from matching Rainbow Dash, or even Fluttershy, but she could at least keep herself off the ground, if only for a few moments. Fluttershy was helpful, but being a unicorn vampire left her at a disadvantage. Having a completely different wing structure made it difficult to teach her, even for somepony who took care of bats. It would be better if she was taught by another vampire, but because of location it simply couldn't happen. Twilight had been making an effort to begin integrating herself with the rest of her race. Having only ever gotten a chance to meet Silver Wing because of their relationship and proximity, and having been with Fluttershy for a few years before she became a vampire, she was left with eight others she had never met. Being who she was, a leader and ruler, knowing the others of her race was a priority. With Silver's help she had prepared to meet with others, and she had finally received a reply to her first request, to meet a pony by the name of Mythic Dusk. She was set to meet him and his daughter in their home in the wooded areas outside of Fillydelphia. She thought it would be a good idea to bring Fluttershy along, believing that meeting other vampires might be beneficial for her. She locked the scroll away in a drawer and went back to her reading, at least for a few moments before Rarity came in. “Can I help you?” Twilight asked looking over her book. “It's about Rainbow,” Rarity said, “I know she means well, but this has gone on long enough. Quite frankly, it's gotten to the point where we can't stand her anymore.” “I know she's been a little overboard recently...” “Overboard!” Rarity half shouted, “This have progressed far beyond overboard, this is on the edge of insanity! She can't be dissuaded, and she won't leave the rest of us alone.” Twilight closed her book and said, “I don't understand, why isn't she just giving up. She's protective, but never this much. Do you think something happened to her?” “I have no idea why, but she's absolutely convinced that you and Fluttershy are threats, and it's more than just baseless accusations anymore, she's begun presenting logical theories. She has no proof of anything, but now she's presenting patterns and connections. Nothing conclusive, but I will admit that all of her theories are possible, and they certainly make sense.” “Well, what kinds of theories have you been hearing?” Twilight asked. Rarity paused for a moment nervously, “Well, it's mostly all been conspiracies, and she's basing them all on the information that she has about the... events that happened last month. I don't mean to sound accusing or anything, but if I didn't trust you more than she, I would be inclined to agree with her, at least some of the time.” “No offense taken, but I asked what kind of theories she was putting forward,” replied Twilight. “Nothing that actually worries me,” said Rarity, “She's been saying the same things as before, but now she's trying to convince us using circumstantial evidence. She's been explaining theories about a cult, and other theories about you trying to take over or maybe even destroy Equestria. All of it is admittedly too far fetched to believe, at least without more concrete evidence.” Twilight quickly levitated the book she was reading, unfortunately titled 'Cults and Underground Societies' back onto the shelves, hoping that Rarity didn't catch the title or notice anything to indicate that she wasn't just putting it away as she would normally during a conversation with a friend. “Could you explain in a little more detail please?” Twilight requested. “Well, one of the more plausible ideas is that you and Fluttershy are part of some cult with unknown intentions. She says that maybe one of you recruited the other, or even started it. She explains the incident last month as either an attempt at gathering information or assessing my potential, as it were.” “Rarity, I apologize to you if I influenced this in any way, I had no idea it had gotten this bad.” “No need to apologize Twilight,” Rarity said, “You couldn't have done anything about this. She's been avoiding you and Fluttershy, so unless you were to track her down you wouldn't be able to talk her out of anything.” “Rarity, are you saying that she's been admitting she's uncertain about what she's saying? Are you saying that she’s not being overconfident about how she knows exactly what's going on?” said Twilight as the thought crossed her mind. When Rarity nodded, Twilight continued, “This might be worse than I thought. She's normally so confident in everything... Rarity I think she's actually worried. I think she's actually trying to push you into investigating this yourselves, or at least trying to make you aware to whatever danger or evil she thinks is present, in her own way.” Twilight paused for a moment, but Rarity didn't break the silence, absorbed in thought. What Twilight had said unfortunately made perfect sense. Rarity would never have admitted it to herself, but she could see plainly that this wasn't some antic or prank. Rainbow Dash was scared, and she wasn't even hiding it. Maybe Twilight was right, and this was just Rainbow's way of getting Rarity's attention. In the momentary silence Rarity glanced at Twilight, and saw a possibility, one just as paranoid but just as possible as any one of Rainbow's theories. She saw the possibility that Twilight had just made a mistake. If Rarity didn't believe that Rainbow could be right in any way before her influence was getting to Rarity now. Twilight had pointed out that Rainbow had been scared. She may have simply been admitting, honestly and as a friend, that Rainbow was scared, but if Rainbow was scared enough to abandon the tough pony image she was so careful to maintain, even around a friend, she must have had some kind of feeling that overpowered her sense of pride, and if she was right, even if only slightly, Twilight may have inadvertent tipped Rarity's allegiance away from her favor. Finally, after a moment that seemed like eternity, Twilight spoke, “I think you need to get the other girls and talk to Rainbow. “I'm going to be out of town tomorrow, and I'm planning to ask Fluttershy to join me. While we're out, get together with Rainbow and talk to her. Explain your opinions, listen to hers, and then talk it out. Don’t dismiss anything without considering it from both points of view, but support your own sides. Maybe if you can come to some kind of understanding we can all put this behind us and move on.” “Thank you for the advice, I think I'll get the others and we can try to talk this out.” Twilight stood up and smiled, “Any time. Is their anything else you need?” Rarity shook her head and smiled, to which Twilight reciprocated. Just before she prepared to leave however, one thing came to mind, “Just out of curiosity, where are you leaving to tomorrow?” Twilight caught herself before she could show any signs of worry, and after a very brief time to consider her next words she said, “I'm just going out to meet somepony, a friend of a friend if you want to call it that,” Rarity smiled and nodded, and then left silently, her growing suspicions amplified, as were her uncertainties. Meanwhile, Twilight went back over to her desk and opened it. She retrieved a piece of parchment and a quill and inkwell, and set about writing a short letter. ----- Dear Silver Wing, I'm writing to report a potential danger. Somepony close to Fluttershy and I has grown suspicious of us. Target's name is Rainbow Dash, pegasus, currently suspicious with circumstantial evidence. No specific details, though she aware of some level of deception and the incident last month regarding the inquiry into dark magic by Fluttershy, and she is not believing the current cover story for events. She is currently influencing several specific others, with at least one of them confirmed to have doubts regarding the situation. I am requesting advice to resolve the situation, nonlethal unless otherwise impossible, as I do not believe this event will simply blow over, even with current effort to indirectly dissuade her suspicions. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle