I awoke the next morning with the side of my face stuck to my travel book. After giving my brain a few seconds to process this information, I reached out with my magic and gently peeled it off—luckily, the page did not tear like I feared it would—then set it aside.
Wow. I must have been more tired than I thought.
I raised my head and looked around the room, which was still very dark and dreary. I looked at the clock on my bedside dresser; by the light of my horn, it read a little after 2am. In the gloomy, silent room, the clock’s precise ticking seemed to pound inside my head. Since I was acutely aware of it, there was no way I would be able to sleep.
Why did I even wake up? No offense, Princess Luna, but I’ve only been asleep for about three hours.
I groaned before lying back on my pillow. In spite of my short sleep, my mind raced. There was no use rolling over and attempting sleep again. I flopped my forelegs out to my side and hung them over the edge of the bed. Careful to not wake Pinkie, I walked slowly and deliberately to the window and parted the curtains with a hoof. Truly, we were in the city that never slept: the majority of windows and light poles were still lit up, and I could see buskers and other street performers down below among the surprisingly large crowd.
If only this city had been around in the early days of the Princesses’ reign. There’s no way Princess Luna would have ever become Nightmare Moon if she had a whole city of ponies enjoying her night like this.
A click from outside our room drew my attention. Ears to the ceiling, I released the curtain and turned to the door as I heard voices.
“Thank you, my dear. I will treasure this night the rest of my life.”
“Of course you will, puppy. Now be a good colt and head back to bed, okay?”
“Yes, but… may I? One final time, please?”
“Hmmm… okay, sure, since you asked so nicely.”
After a few seconds of silence, I trotted quietly up to the door and put my ear to it. The first voice was unremarkable, but the second was excessively sweet, like honey taken straight from the hive above Golden Oaks. As I listened to the rest of their conversation, I felt a mysterious pull in the mare’s sugary tone.
Could it be…
“Goodbye, Miss A.”
“Farewell.”
I heard hoofsteps, and a door closing. I shrank back from the keyhole, my breath bated and my heart racing—wait, heart racing?
That settled it: it had to be… her.
I glanced over at Pinkie Pie, flopped out and sprawled over her bed like she was determined to get her money’s worth from every square inch of the spread. Her mouth was open, a drop of saliva hanging out off the tip of her tongue. A small transparent bubble grew and shrank with each quiet snore she gave. Should I wake her?
My heart began to slow as the hoofsteps faded. No. The mare might be long gone by the time I do. And the Medallion’s noise might give us away. I’m going it alone this time.
“Sorry, Pinkie,” I muttered under my breath. “This is for the mission.”
Using my magic, I grasped one of the keys on the bedside table and brought it over to the door with me. Carefully as I could, I cast a muffling spell on the lock, turned the key in the hole, and peered out. As I looked out to my left, I glimpsed the flick of a curly blonde tail disappearing around a corner. My breath caught in my throat.
It is her.
Thinking quickly, I shot a small particle of magic into the air and concentrated on my target. Seconds later, I felt the magic particle attach to one of the mare’s tail hairs. With my horn still alight, I sensed the direction its unique signal gave off. Wish I’d thought of this when I saw her the first time.
I spent the next five minutes following the mare around corners as she descended two flights of stairs and departed through the hotel’s sliding glass doors. I let her exit before I, too, descended the final flight of stairs. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention from the countermare.
The night air was cool as I stepped outside, easily a good five degrees less than inside the hotel. Were it not for the situation at hoof, I might have enjoyed it. But the magic pinged to me again, from around yet another corner. Still concentrating, I followed the signal and kept my distance. Rounding the corner, I saw the mare slide effortlessly through the crowded street and cross the road.
She’s heading for that same alleyway as before. I’ve got her this—
“Hi!”
“Whoa!” I jumped backward as a beaming stallion appeared in my face. My concentration broke, the spell dissipating. “Hey, you made me lose my focus,” I said, shooting him a glare.
“Oh, sorry to startle you, missy, but I was just wondering if you would consider supporting the Parasprite Equal Treatment Association. We’re a hard-working bunch dedicated to integrating misunderstood parasprites into regular society as garbage disposal—”
“Uh, no thank you,” I said. Looking across the road, I watched that lavish pink body step toward the alleyway “I’m kind of in a hurry—”
“Oh, this won’t take a minute, ma’am,” he pressed. “You see, ponies have always feared the parasprite as a destructive, mindless, selfish beast, but we know they can be domesticated—” the mare vanished off the street “—and trained to only eat garbage scraps—”
“No!” I yelled. “Sorry, but I really have to go!”
I galloped across the road amid the stallion’s protests. Dodging around two carriages, I slowed and stepped carefully up to the corner. Heart pounding, I took a deep breath and chanced a peek around the corner.
Once again, the mare was nowhere to be seen.
“Heya, Sleepy McSleeperson! Time to rise and shiiiine!”
Blinding sunlight pierced my vision as the high voice pierced my eardrums in kind. With a low moan of disdain, I brought a leg over my eyes and rolled over.
“Pinkie… wha… what t—uh-uh—ime is it?” I asked, fighting a huge yawn in the battle for coherence. I creaked open a single sleep-encrusted eye and stared at her, my vision blurring. “It’s got to be right on... sunrise. Why are you awake so early?”
“Oh, Twilight, I'm always up early!” she replied, wiggling her tail from side to side. "I'm always up with Princess Sunny Celestia!”
"Of course you are. Of course you have to be.” I closed my eyes and let gravity take me back to the inviting embrace of my pillow. My muscles ached, and my eyes burned.
“Uh huh!” Pinkie bounced on the spot, her inexplicably proink sounding every second next to me. “Oh yeah, do you know if this place has a complimentary breakfast? I was going to check for myself, but I didn't want to leave you here to starve.” She looked up at me as she lay down on my bed and crossing her hooves over the edge.
"Well—” I felt a familiar gurgle and watched my stomach ripple “—you know, that actually sounds like a wonderful idea. Just… let me wake up first, okay?”
Pinkie nodded then jumped back over to her saddlebags. While she rummaged through their innards, I flopped out of bed and made for the shower. A burst of hot water would do the trick.
After toweling off and fixing my mane with the supplied magic-activated hairdryer, I exited the en suite with a sigh of content, feeling fresh as a daisy. I shook my mane a final time and grasped my saddlebags with my magic, dropping them across my back.
“Ready to go, Pinkie? You’ve remembered everything?”
“Yup yup yup!” Pinkie beamed and ran out the door faster than I could follow, leaving me standing there wearing a dazed expression. A few moments later, Pinkie dashed back through the door—still facing the same way—with an embarrassed smile on her face. “Ehehe… coming?”
I rolled my eyes but smiled as I went to her side. The room door closed behind us while we strolled down the hallway together. Down the two flights of stairs, a stallion stood directing ponies into a mess hall to the right. He tipped his hat to us as we passed a sign that read Breakfast: sunrise until ten (free for overnight patrons only).
Pinkie literally bounced into the mess while I walked in after her, looking around at the offerings; my stomach growled at me again. We both laid eyes on the smorgasbord at the same time: Pinkie let out an ecstatic squee and zoomed right up to the feast.
Tables upon tables of delicious breakfast delicacies greeted us, just begging to be eaten. Toast with butter and various spreads, muffins, oatmeal, some exotic quinoa dish, mixed berries, apples, milk, tea, coffee… only at Canterlot Castle had I seen such a banquet.
While I continued to take stock of the choices, Pinkie immediately dug into some of everything after wading her way through the line of already-waiting patrons, many of whom gave her very dirty stares. Some of them looked at me, making our connection. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.
“Pinkie!” I hissed. “Stop it! You're making a scene!”
Chewing loudly, Pinkie suddenly appeared right next to me. “Oh come on, Twilight! They don’t really mind. Look! They’ve already forgotten about me.” She waved her hoof back at the line of ponies and bit into a blueberry muffin held in that hoof. How she managed such a feat while standing on two legs—the rest of her plate’s contents wobbling like a tower of jell-o but never falling as she held it with her remaining forehoof—was beyond me.
Forget it, Twilight. It’s just Pinkie’s freaky… whatever it is she does.
I grabbed a bowl of oatmeal topped with blueberries, a glass of apple juice, and a slice of buttered toast then made my way over to the table that Pinkie had already secured. As I approached, I noted how some other patrons moved their chairs around slightly. Cheeks cooling—but still a little warm—I sat down and was about to tuck into my oatmeal… until I felt a particular unwelcome pressure.
“Uh, Pinkie, can you watch my food and stuff please? I'll be right back—I need to use the mare’s room.”
At Pinkie’s nod, I deposited my saddlebags under the table and left the mess hall. Walking back through the entrance hall, I quickly found the bathroom and jogged through the door.
***
A pink pony stood outside the Hay and Stay Hotel, her eyes focused on its interior. As soon as she saw the familiar lavender unicorn step away from her friend, she took her chance, shifting her features to match those of the unicorn. After giving herself a quick once-over, she stepped into the mess hall where Pinkie hummed to herself, taking food off the towering plate at random.
“Gee, Twilight, that was fast!” Pinkie exclaimed, setting down a chocolate chip muffin. “I don’t think even I can manage—”
“Shut up!” Twilight bellowed; all chatter in the mess hall ceased, plunging it into an eerie silence as she commanded the attention of almost everypony in the area.
“Uh, Twilight, are you—”
“I said shut up, you imbecile!”
Twilight seethed while Pinkie frowned and looked at the ground; everypony stared at the pair, all breath bated, casting the room into total silence. “I am sick and tired of you! And we’ve only been on this trip for two days!” she yelled, her usual purple eyes flickering bright green.
“I… I… D-did I do something wrong?” Pinkie stammered, her eyes shining. “I-I didn't mean to—”
“Yes! You did! You joined me on this stupid trip! You just had to be paired with me, didn't you? Why am I always stuck with all the bad luck?” Twilight stamped a hoof on the ground.
Pinkie's head dipped back to the floor. “I-I'm sorr—”
“No you're not! You'll be right back to your old dumb self in minutes!”
Tears flowed freely from Pinkie's eyes.
“You were never my friend,” Twilight spat. “I was only ever being nice to you.”
Ending her rant, Twilight smirked while many onlookers began to murmur amongst themselves. Some of the ponies looked like they might have approached Pinkie to console her, but none got the chance; the floodgates opened as Pinkie let out a choked sob and fled from the hall, geysers from her eyes leaving salty puddles in her wake.
The unicorn grinned as she left the room as well, transforming into a blue mare once out of sight.
***
Whoa. Who muted the volume in here?
When I left the bathroom and returned to the mess hall, I found the angry faces of many ponies greeting me. The entire room seemed fixated on me. I let out a nervous chuckle. This is not right... “Er, can I help any of you? If this is about my friend, please excuse her. She can be—”
“How could you do that to her? She didn't do anything wrong!”
“Are you just that cruel?”
“You can't just lie about friendship like that!”
My eyes darted from pony to pony. Something seems very off... “What? What is going on?” I asked.
A lone stallion wearing an aggressive grimace pointed down the hall. I had just enough time to spy Pinkie sobbing uncontrollably, galloping back up to the room.
“Oh no,” I muttered as I ran after her. “Pinkie! Come back! What happened?”
I reached the hotel room, only to find that Pinkie had locked herself inside. A clever tactic, but it proved faulty when I simply teleported inside.
“Pinkie Pie, what’s gotten into you?” I approached her bed, where she covered herself in pillows and blankets. “And what was with all those ponies down there?”
“G-go away! You don't l-like me! So why are you even here?” Pinkie screamed into one of her pillows. She lay face-down, her hair straight as a cascading waterfall.
“What?” My eyes bulged as I processed the words. “When did I say that? Why would I ever say that?”
Pinkie lowered the pillow just enough for me to see her puffy, bloodshot eyes. “Y-you can’t just stand there and tell me that n-never happened back there!” Her pillow continued to muffle her yells. “Everyp-pony heard those nasty things you said! How you were sick and tired of me… how you’ve never really been my friend at a-all...”
I raised an eyebrow. “Pinkie, honestly, when did any of this happen? One minute I was in the bathroom, and when I came out it was like I walked into the Grand Galloping Gala without an invitation. I have no idea what’s going on—you have to believe me!”
Pinkie slowly lowered the pillow further, but kept quiet. Treading carefully, I approached her, but she shrank away across the bed from my impending touch. With a sigh, I lowered my outstretched hoof. “Please, you're one of my best friends,” I said, circling around the bed to sit before her. “No force in Equestria could ever change that. I may not be Applejack, but that makes my words no less honest. I love everything about you. I could never say anything terrible like those things about you, or any of our friends.”
Pinkie sniffed up a trickle of mucus with a loud, long intake of breath. She ran a hoof across her face and blinked rapidly at me. “So… you really didn’t say anything bad to me? But… then who did? They definitely looked exactly like… like…”
“Exactly like me?”
As the answer hit us, we gasped. Of course! How could we have both missed the obvious?
***
In spite of Rarity’s generous offer of perfectly cut diamonds, and even her promising him more personal gifts further down the line, Cashmere insisted that he get to spend one more night at home in his beloved mansion before joining us. I told Rarity that she could decide what we did, and while I knew we should have been in a hurry, we spent an admittedly comfortable night being treated to a scrumptious dinner before sleeping in one of his lavish princess-sized beds.
Rarity was no-nonsense the next morning, though; as soon as the morning sun glimmered through our drawn blinds, she was up and pounding on Cashmere’s bedroom door. We left Canterlot after a modest yet delicious breakfast, Cashmere occasionally turning back as if to see his home and things still behind him.
It was my turn to wear the Medallion now. After Rarity draped it around my neck, it began to flash again after having been completely dull and silent the entire night. It seemed brightest when I faced toward the northeast, so off we set. It had been two days since we left Ponyville, and already we had found one of our targets.
I hope the others are doing okay, I thought as the three of us headed toward the sunrise. We could either cross over the Unicorn Mountain Range, or weave our way around the mountains. Either way, we hard a hard choice to make: the path through the Unicorn Mountains was undoubtedly faster, but it rose so high into the sky, and ponies had been known to get lost in there for days; on the other hoof, passing around them would easily add an extra day to our travel time, and we still had no idea when the invasion was coming.
All things considered, Cashmere’s complaining began to grate on my nerves. I wanted this whole thing over with and to be back with my animals as soon as I could.
“Why did I ever agree to this?” he moaned for the third time. “I have to go back! I have to know that ponies aren’t stealing all of my treasures!”
“Um, because it’s the right thing to do?” I said.
“But… but my things, my heirlooms… I can hear them calling.” He turned unexpectedly and made to trot back to Canterlot. “Surely I can just check on them, one final time—”
A shining blue aura surrounded him and lifted him off the ground.
“Cashmere, darling, I think you should lead us,” Rarity said smartly.
The spoiled stallion crossed his forelegs in midair. “This is not fair. You unicorns have far too much freedom with your magic.”
“Now, you really should not argue with a lady,” Rarity said before setting Cashmere down in front of her. “Behavior like that is most uncouth.”
“This is feeling more like an abduction with every second,” Cashmere grumbled.
“Abduction? Pardon me, darling, but if I recall, you agreed to come with us under promise of reward. Which I do fully intend to let you keep.” Rarity’s pouch of diamonds floated in front of Cashmere just beyond his reach. “Would you feel better if I let you hold onto them?”
WIthout another word, a thin strip of silk snaked its way from out of her saddlebag. Rarity wove the fabric through and around the pouch’s neck and tied it off, forming a makeshift necklace. “Here you go,” she said as she slipped it over Cashmere’s head. “Now you have something to remind you of our agreement always in plain sight. And remember—there can be a lot more where they came from.”
While Cashmere’s eyes sparkled at the sight of his precious loot, I turned my head to Rarity. “Um, I know it’s for the mission, and… yes it’s all very important to save Equestria—” I hid my face under my mane “—it’s just, well, I’m not very comfortable around strange ponies. And he doesn’t seem to care about anything except treasures. I’m really kind of nervous about all this.”
“Fluttershy, you need not worry about Cashmere—” she dipped her voice “—I have him wrapped completely around my horn.” She winked and then raised her voice. “I'm sure Cashmere is a lovely pony.”
“Rarity!” I hissed. Feeling my cheeks grow hot, I hid behind her while Cashmere laughed.
“Well, of course I can be. I'm not a cruel pony, per se.”
“‘Per se’?” Rarity raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. Everyone has those moments, you know?” Cashmere replied, staring at the scenery as we walked. “I do my best to be a model citizen of course, but we each have a nature about us that makes us… different from others.”
I remembered that I was holding the Medallion, causing it to glow a very dark green. I occasionally caught Cashmere lustfully staring at it—at least until he remembered what happened last time he tried to take it—only to frown to himself soon after.
In the meantime, Rarity and I went over our map; the Medallion flashed brighter when I faced the Northeast.
Manehattan. Could that be it? Is that where we’ll find our second Sin? I groaned internally. It’s so far away from home… and the train is too expensive for such a trip… I thought about voicing my concerns to Rarity, but we had already come this far, so I stayed silent.
“So, Cashmere—” Both he and I turned to Rarity “—tell us about yourself. You seem like an interesting stallion to know.”
Cashmere nonchalantly looked away. "Oh, I'm nothing special. I’ll bet you two are much more interesting than I am.”
“How so? We both come from the humble town of Ponyville. I am but a simple fashion designer there.”
“Oooh!” Cashmere said. “I do have a soft spot for beautiful things.”
“Cashmere, you flatter me, really.” Rarity lifted a hoof to her head and gave an exaggerated swoon. She giggled then looked at me. “Fluttershy, aren’t you going to say something?”
“Yes... um, I-I watch over the critters in P-Ponyville…” I stuttered.
“Oh. Okay then.”
“Now, why don’t you tell us about yourself?” Rarity asked, seeing my expression wilt at his disinterest in my life’s calling.
Cashmere sighed. “Fine, since you two have... I’m a doctor at the Canterlot Local Hospital.”
Rarity automatically snapped to attention. “Wow! Really? That is a most impressive and noble profession!”
“No, it's nothing special really. Anyway, I transferred there from Manehattan a few days ago. That party you interrupted yesterday with your revelations? That was my house-warming.”
I felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe this stallion isn’t as bad as we thought in the beginning. Then again, he did go a little crazy on us.
“But never mind that now. What’s done is done.” Cashmere shook his head. “Where was I? Ah yes. Well, I am a graduate from one of the most prestigious doctoral schools in Equestria. I am also fluent in two languages. I was born in Manehattan on...”
I shot Rarity my best what-have-you-done glare.
***
“Are ya sure this is the place, Rainbow?” I asked. “Don’t look like anypony could be livin’ here. Why, it’s fallin’ to pieces more’n my old barn I had you destroy.”
Rainbow and I stood before a real fixer-upper of a place: it was a stone and moss covered house with a simple chimney and a very bland, wooden door. Nothing about the house really stuck out, except for the fact it looked like nopony had cared for it in many years.
“Uh, yeah, A.J., it is.” Rainbow pointed to her chest, the quickly blinking Medallion backing up her words. “You think I’d ever lead you astray?”
“Well, we did waste all of yesterday ‘cos you just had to insult the leader of the weather team here. What’s it matter if their clouds aren’t as ‘awesome’ as Cloudsdale’s? You didn’t have to flat out tell ’em they sucked at their job.”
“Hey, don’t blame me. I didn’t know comparing talents here was worth a stay in a cell overnight!” Rainbow grinned. “Besides, we got free accommodation. Didn’t have to pay for a place to sleep, right?”
“Rainbow, if we hadn’t gotten locked up in the first place, we coulda been gone from here before dark yesterday… you know what? Forget it.” I pulled my hat down over my head, thankfully giving me less trouble after a day’s rest. “We’re here now—let’s just get this done and move on.”
“Fine, fine.” Rainbow shrugged and held up the Medallion to the door a final time; I watched it flash so quickly that the gray light almost went fully solid. Dropping the Medallion, Rainbow flew up to the door and knocked as I ran up behind her.
No response.
“Come on, Rainbow,” I said with a smug smile. “Let an Earth pony handle somethin’ like this.” I knocked instead, thumping on the door far harder than Rainbow. “Hey, anypony in there, we needa talk to you!”
Again, still no response.
“Guh!” Rainbow threw her hooves up into the air and flat out rammed the door with her shoulder. “Open up! We need to talk to you!” she yelled as she started banging on the door repeatedly with both forehooves. Still, nopony came to the door. Rainbow even tried simply opening the door so as to barge in, but of course the door was locked.
“Hey! Rainbow, cut it out—Rainbow!”
I grasped her tail in my teeth and pulled her back to the ground. “No point bangin’ on like an enraged buffalo. How about we try somethin’ else?”
Rainbow glared at me and massaged her tailbone. “Like what, then?”
“Uh…” I looked around and spied a window. “There.” I pointed. “Check it out and see if anythin’s there.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes but flew up to the sill. As she peered through it, I saw her expression change: her eyes widened and she recoiled slightly.
“Applejack,” she said slowly and deliberately. “You need to see this.”
I walked over to the nearby window and peered through it. “What’s up, Rain—”
My breath caught in my throat, strangling my question. I saw a sandy colored mare, lying on the floor in a heap in front of a couch. Her alabaster mane was all over the place. I looked at her flank, which depicted some weird black shape I didn’t recognise.
A thick red liquid stained her face and her hooves.
“I’m busting in.”
“Huh?” I looked from the window to Rainbow, who had already backed up several feet in midair. “Waitaminit, Rainbow! We can’t just—”
“I'm coming!”
Rainbow put on a burst of speed and crashed through the locked door before I could do anything. The wood splintered, leaving only half of the door behind to hang loosely off its hinges.
By the sisters, Rainbow Danger Dash! After looking around to check for bystanders, I ran into the house after her, only to see her already standing over the mare.
“What do we do? What do we do?” she said frantically.
“I don’t know! Do I look like a doctor?” I countered. “How ’bout you dash off and find the nearest hospital, and I’ll—”
A small cough interrupted us, both of us looking down; the sandy mare’s eyes fluttered open, revealing two sunflower orbs. She remained on the ground, but shifted her gaze from me to Rainbow Dash. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching out her legs. We just stood there, slack-jawed, as she calmly and casually stretched each leg. When she was all done, she looked us each in the eyes and spoke in a slow, tired voice.
“Excuse me, but what are you doing in my house?”
The Medallion stopped flashing and faded to a dull gray.