//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 - Lost // Story: Nighttide Star // by Vertigo-01 //------------------------------// Nighttide felt as if she was spinning through a dark void filled with the sound of raging fire. She couldn’t see anything, but the sound came from all around her, filling her head with the noise. Nothing tangible presented itself for her to gain a bearing on her location, but she did feel something inside her. It was faint at first, but the feeling quickly began to permeate her entire body. The sounds were frightening her. In an attempt to escape the darkness, she instinctively flailed her limbs in every direction, but it seemed hopeless. She could feel nothing around her. Fear grew fast – she didn’t understand what was going on, the only thing that was imperative was that she escape the darkness and figure out where she was. She attempted to access her internal computer system, but nothing lit on her retinal display. There was only darkness. Without warning, her body suddenly collapsed on a gritty surface, followed by the loudest bang yet. It was still dark, but she could at least feel the ground beneath her frame. As the fear began to bleed away a few moments later, she briefly heard a familiar voice begin to speak, right before she fell unconscious. __________ “… 1032. Distress beacon. LAB-1032. Distress beacon…” As Nighttide slowly regained consciousness, her ears flicked at the sound of a synthetic female voice resonating through her suit. Once she was a little more awake, she silenced the distress beacon and switched it to a radio transmission. Her head felt heavy, and the muscles in her neck struggled to work. Having to muster an unusual amount of effort, she rolled herself onto her stomach and tried to open her eyes – only for a bright light to hold her back. For the first time in years, she felt a pleasant sort of pain as she attempted to adjust to the brightness of the world around her. It had been some time since she saw the natural light of the sun and felt its warmth, and while she couldn’t tell where the light was coming from yet, it felt the same. It felt familiar. After taking a minute to adjust to the light, Nighttide slowly stood up and began a diagnostics scan of her systems. The same voice from before droned, “DIRE LAB-1032. Reactor online. Sensors online. Weapons online… All systems nominal,” followed by a series of beeps. Nighttide drew a breath of cool air and took to examining her surroundings. It wasn’t long before she realized she was no longer anywhere remotely near the facility where she began. The mare stood in a small grassy clearing, her mis-jump having left a charred crater in the ground where she woke. The terrain surrounding was filled with colorful flora of all different kinds, given life and vibrancy by a variety of fauna. A large mountain range sat visible in the distant horizon, silhouetted by a clear blue sky. She blinked. For a full minute, Nighttide started straight up at the brilliant blue of the sky, before returning her attention to ground-level again. After running a sensory sweep of her immediate surroundings, she decided to try exploring the area. But soon as she took a few steps forward, one of her hind-legs began to buckle, eliciting the sound of grinding metal within. She looked back with a groan. Nighttide lay down on a patch of pristine grass a few hooves away from the crater and allowed her systems to do an evaluation. “LAB-1032 Diagnostics. Damage report: Rear-left gaskin, biceps femoris. Artificial tendons severed. Hydraulics unresponsive. Hydraulic leak detected. Fluid purged to recovery tanks. Superficial damage to left flank.” Nighttide looked back to see that the domes on her flank were in fact scuffed, and that she was overall filthy from her rough jump. ’This won’t do,’ Nighttide thought to herself. ’But I can’t repair the damage on-site.’ She looked around again, but saw nopony and no building in sight. Only the lushest of nature made up the land around her. Then, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. At first, she thought the object was yellow, but upon turning her head, she saw a small white creature with long ears hopping toward her from some nearby bushes. Nighttide unlocked two metal plates from each side of her barrel. She called out calmly to the animal, “White creature, identify yourself.” The creature stopped part-way, taking a moment to fiddle with one of its ears before hopping toward her again. Nighttide repositioned herself to face the creature, extending the plates out and away from her barrel to reveal two rotary cannons. She called out again – this time, with feeling. “White creature, identify yourself. Friend or foe?” The animal continued to hop toward her, undaunted by the mare’s voice or appearance. Just as the rotaries of Nighttide’s cannons began to spin to life, a timid voice sounded from the bushes behind the creature. “Angel, wait!” The white creature stopped just in time for Nighttide to halt her weapons. She stood up to face the voice from the bushes. A second later, a yellow mare with a long pink mane scampered toward them. “Angel, you should know better than to keep running away like that!” As the mare approached her and the creature, Nighttide examined the pony, noting no visible threats. Nevertheless, she kept her position fixed and her weapons trained as she called out to the mare. “Yellow pony, identify yourself.” The mare picked up the white creature and looked up, her teal eyes meeting with Nighttide’s violet. With a nervous blink, she said, “Oh, uhm… hello. My name is Fluttershy.” “Friend or foe?” Nighttide droned. Fluttershy furrowed her brow, looking at the strange objects protruding from the stranger’s sides. When she realized she was staring, she quickly lowered her head and averted her gaze. “Um… well, friend, I guess?” With a hiss of steam and hum of hydraulics, Nighttide retracted her weapons and introduced herself. “My name is Nighttide Star. I am a weapons-grade model of DIRE, ident LAB-1032. Would you be able to assist me in determining my location and a place to undergo repairs?” Fluttershy looked up at the mare again, her expression shifting from apprehension to concern. “Repairs? Do you mean you’re hurt?” Nighttide repositioned herself to show her scuffed flank. “I suffered some damage during an experiment.” With noticeable hesitation, Fluttershy approached the unfamiliar pony. As she looked over the black scorch marks etched into the surface of her flank, she said, “Oh dear, this isn’t good at all. Does it hurt?” “Weapons-grade models have selective nervous systems and an exterior alloy hull,” Nighttide flatly replied. “Only vitals sense pain to report a biological issue.” Fluttershy looked at the mare with a confused expression, although her concern for the welfare of this new pony took precedence. “I’m not sure what that means, but I would be glad to help however I can.” She went to touch the damage on her flank, but Nighttide pulled back a little, unlocking her weapons again. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you,” Fluttershy assured her with a soft smile. “May I?” Nighttide hesitantly nodded. With a gentle motion, Fluttershy ran her hoof across the scuffs on Nighttide’s flank and found to her surprise not coat hair, but rather a cold, hard substance. As she looked over the three domes protruding from her flank, she murmured, “Oh my. What does this cutie mark mean?” Nighttide tilted her head. “Cutie mark?” Fluttershy turned her head toward Nighttide with wide eyes. She knew this was no ordinary pony. Taking a small gulp to calm her nerves, she said, “Nighttide Star, I think you should meet some of my friends. They may be able to help more than I can.” “Understood.” Nighttide locked her weapons. “But first, can you tell me our location?” “We’re just outside of Ponyville.” Nighttide tilted her head again. “…In the land of Equestria. Does that help?” “Unfortunately, I have no records of such a land.” Fluttershy blinked. “Okay. Um… let’s go meet some of my friends and see how we can help. Can you walk?” Nighttide nodded, but as she took a few steps forward, steaming red liquid began to gush out of her injured leg. Fluttershy gasped at the sight with a look of horror. “Well, I can’t walk far I guess,” Nighttide calmly said at the sight of the leaking fluid. “May I ask for your assistance?” Fluttershy stared a moment longer at the gushing fluid before looking up at the mare. With a single flap of her wings, she landed next to Nighttide and offered to help carry some of her weight. Nighttide had not noticed her wings before, and shocked by the sight, she asked, “You can fly?” “Why, yes. I’m a pegasus.” Nighttide examined Fluttershy’s one outstretched wing and noticed it was a natural part of her body. After staring blankly for a moment, she shook her head and said, “Apparently I’m going to have a lot of questions… in due time anyway,” she added as she watched the warm fluid trickle down her leg. __________ Fluttershy helped Nighttide limp to the nearest road while Angel brought up the rear. They were a little closer to her cottage than they were to town, and Nighttide’s limp appeared to be worsening. “Nighttide, are you sure you can make it?” “How much farther do we have to Ponyville?” “We haven’t reached the farm yet, so it’s still a little way.” Nighttide looked down at her leg. The red fluid was leaking out profusely, and most of it was being left to dissolve in the dirt and grass they had trodden. Noticing the concern in Nighttide’s expression, Fluttershy perked her head up and smiled. “Tell you what. My home is not far from here. Why don’t I take you there and tend to your leg, then I can go get my friends and bring them back?” Nighttide nodded, the fatigue from the mis-jump and balancing her weight on Fluttershy’s side beginning to take its toll. “Yes. That will be fine.” The walk to Fluttershy’s cottage was a struggle, but they eventually made it. Upon opening the door, Nighttide saw a number of small, unfamiliar creatures scurry through the house. She thought about deploying her weapons at first, but Fluttershy remained calm, taking the lead inside the house with Angel in tow. She slowly followed suit, eyeing the various moving creatures carefully as she entered. Fluttershy had Nighttide lay on the couch at the other end of the room as she retrieved a first-aid kit. Wrapping Nighttide’s injured leg in gauze as tight as she could, she managed to get the fluid to stop leaking. “Alright, that looks a little better,” she remarked with a nervous twinge as she closed the first-aid kit, silently wondering what the strange substance she had cleaned up was. It certainly wasn’t blood. Wanting to wait until she could gather her friends before asking any prying questions, she redirected her concern. “How do you feel?” Nighttide looked indifferently at her. “As I said, I can only feel pain in vitals.” “Oh, uhm… right. Well, is there anything I can do to make you comfortable?” Nighttide shook her head, but Fluttershy walked over to the corner of the room anyway and grabbed a quilt, placing it at the top of the couch. “Here, just in case you change your mind. Let me get you a glass of water as well.” As Fluttershy trotted into the kitchen, Nighttide watched with quiet curiosity while her sensors did a sweep of the interior of the cottage. A few of the animals stared at the mare from afar as a low electrical hum emanated from her suit. A minute later, Fluttershy returned with a glass and set it on the end table beside the couch. “I’m going to check in with one of my friends and see if she can help us out. It shouldn’t take long. Will you be alright waiting here?” Nighttide nodded. With that, Fluttershy told Angel to behave while she was away before setting off for Ponyville. Left alone with the creatures in the house, Nighttide examined them from her spot on the couch. Most of them were now either hiding or resting. Even Angel was minding his own business elsewhere. After scanning the room and recording the information to her system, she realized that the land, the animals, even the furniture in Fluttershy’s cottage were completely different from those found in her homeland. And yet there were still some familiar things, such as their language, the fact that there were fellow ponies – even if some had wings apparently – and of course, the warmth of a sun overhead. ’The sun,’ she thought to herself. ’That was a brilliant sun out there. It was so warm… Was that even the same sun?’ A few minutes passed in silence before she grabbed the glass of water. She examined the liquid with a scanner, and after getting a green-light, took a few sips. It was clean and cold, devoid of any traces of chlorine or contaminants. Setting the glass back down, she looked over at the patchwork quilt resting atop the couch. She stared at the quilt for a moment, then grabbed the edge with her mouth and tossed it over her metal torso, lying down in the process. The quilt was soft and warm against the exposed coat of her neck, and something about its design radiated warmth and love. The quilt, along with everything else in the cottage, seemed to be infused with something pleasant. Nighttide couldn’t place her hoof on the feeling, but this too was familiar. Something about the air of the cottage was reminiscent of some place or thing she had once known in her life – or so she thought anyway. Not wanting to overthink things for once, she nuzzled against the cushions of the sofa and soaked in the comfort of the quilt. Nighttide listened to the low murmur of strange creatures go about their business nearby. While the unfamiliarity of everything pressed against her, she didn’t feel as if she was in danger. Nothing in the air, nothing in the home felt threatening – and in a way, that fact alone was a bit unnerving. She wanted to know more about what was going on and where she was, but she knew she couldn’t go anywhere until she got repairs. Eventually, she embraced the peaceful silence of the cottage. “There’s nothing for me to do until that pony returns,” Nighttide mumbled to herself. Activating her passive defenses which would alert her to any immediate danger, she decided to rest and wait for Fluttershy’s return. ’Not a bad way to spend an afternoon,’ she thought to herself before falling fast asleep. __________ “… NIES. WARNING, INCOMING PONIES. WARNING—” Nighttide bolted upright, her vision blurred from sleep but quickly fixed by her systems. Her infrared sensors flicked on through her retinal screen, and she could see the figure of two ponies heading toward the front door from outside. The silhouette of one was familiar. Nighttide aborted the alert and shut down her sensors, attempting to shake off some of the sleep. Her internal clock showed that she had been asleep for a little over thirty minutes. Surprisingly – with the exception of the rude awakening – she felt fairly relaxed. A moment later, Fluttershy opened the door, followed by a lavender pony with wings and— ’A horn?’ Nighttide focused her vision on the unfamiliar pony. ’What is the horn for?’ she wondered. “So, um… Nighttide Star? This is my good friend, Twilight Sparkle.” Fluttershy walked the horned pony over to the couch. Nighttide sat a little more upright, causing the quilt to fall off her back into a small pile next to her. “Hello Nighttide Star!” Twilight greeted the mare with an extended a hoof. “Nice to meet you.” “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle,” Nighttide reached out with a metal forelimb and gently shook her hoof, causing Twilight’s eyes to grow a little wide at the sight. “If you prefer, you may call me Nighttide, as most ponies back home do.” Off to the side, Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, sh-should I have realized that earlier?” Nighttide shook her head. “It wasn’t a pressing matter at the time.” Seeing that Fluttershy still appeared a little distressed, she nodded once and gave her a small smile. It seemed to do the trick. “And you can just call me Twilight,” the other pony spoke, still eyeing her metalwork. “So uh, Nighttide, I hear you’re not from around here?” “Apparently not,” Nighttide said with a shrug, casting a glance out the window behind her. “I didn’t recognize any landmarks on the way here, and little else seems familiar aside for some very basic things.” Twilight furrowed her brow at the grey mare. “You mean, not even the landscape?” “Correct,” Nighttide answered cordially. “I am a weapons-grade model of the Daedalus Institute of Research and Exploration. Built within me is a system that carries an extensive record of the geography, geology, and history of most of my homeland. Little of what I observed on my trek here has matched up to any records I have on-file.” Twilight blinked a couple of times in visible confusion. “That's... definitely new to me. May I ask how you got here?” “I’m afraid I don’t know.” Nighttide paused for a second to consider what information she should keep confidential before continuing. “We were running an experiment when an accident occurred. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a clearing not far from here.” “I see.” Twilight quietly eyed Nighttide’s body once more. “And you said you were a ‘weapons-grade model’? What exactly does that mean?” “I’m what’s known as a cyborg - a living pony that is made up partly of machinery, and in my case, built for the purpose of carrying out military operations ordered by my government. A war pony, if you will.” Twilight and Fluttershy’s expressions quickly turned apprehensive, though Nighttide continued. “Stored within me is a set of weaponry that can be used in battlefield or close-combat settings. I also have the ability to analyze surroundings using various natural senses, alongside electronic sensors built into my systems. A computer runs most of the functions, and my mind is hardwired to that computer.” “Whoa, hang on a minute – this is a lot to take in.” Twilight turned back to face a saddlebag tied around her barrel. Suddenly, the horn atop Twilight’s head began to glow with a soft violet aura, creating a gentle hum as she directed the aura to open a pouch. Nighttide blinked - hard. She watched with wide eyes as a notepad and quill levitated out of the pouch, now wrapped in same glow as Twilight’s horn. With a startled inflection, she said, “W-wait a sec. Twilight… are you...” Pointing, she said, “H-how are you able to do that?” Twilight’s ears flicked toward the mare. “Do what?” “Your paper and pen! They’re floating!” Twilight looked at Nighttide with a raised eyebrow. “This is called magic.” She waited a moment to see if the statement clicked with the foreign mare, but she continued to stare at her silently, violet eyes filled with wonder. “Unicorns and alicorns can use magic for a lot of different things, like picking up objects.” Nighttide tilted her head. “Unicorns and… alicorns. What’s the difference between the two?” “Well, unicorns have only this horn,” she said as she suggested to her forehead with a hoof, “and the ability to use magic. Alicorns like myself also have wings, and a bit more magical prowess.” Furrowing her brow, Twilight said, “You’ve never heard of us before?” “No. No, I... I’ve never even heard of ‘magic,’ let alone... unicorns?” Nighttide’s gaze drifted away as she recorded the information to her database. She wanted to ask more, but before she could, Twilight had her notepad and quill at the ready. “Okay, let me get this straight. You’re a pony that has weapons, machinery, and a thing called a ‘computer’ inside of you, correct?” Nighttide nodded. “And you were ‘built’ to serve for a military?” She nodded again. “And you’ve never heard of magic?” A third time. “...I’ve never heard of such a thing in my life.” Twilight stepped closer, examining the mare’s body more closely. She noticed the scuff marks along her flank and the dressing wrapped around her leg, now slightly damp with red fluid. Her cutie mark didn’t look like a cutie mark at all, and like Fluttershy before, she noticed that it was a physical protrusion rather than flush. Twilight drew a breath. Standing upright, she said, “Nighttide, I need to ask you one important question before we go any further.” She looked the mare squarely in the eyes. “Are you a threat to anypony?” Nighttide pursed her lips slightly and considered her question for a moment before answering. “Technically, yes, I am. I’m capable of killing, after all.” Twilight and Fluttershy’s ears folded back, their eyes widening at her statement. “However,” she continued calmly, “that doesn’t mean I’m designed just to kill. I’m still a living, breathing pony. I make my own decisions, so ultimately, it is up to me to determine if someone, or something, is a threat. At no point will I hurt or kill arbitrarily, nor will I use my weaponry during times of peace.” Nighttide glanced around the room. “And apparently, you ponies live in some sort of eternal peace.” Twilight let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, Fluttershy’s home could make you think that. But I promise, our world is not perfect.” She tapped a hoof to her chin. “So just to be clear, you’re not going to hurt us or anypony else unless they’re considered a threat?” “That is correct.” Twilight squinted a little at the mare. “What exactly merits someone being a threat?” “If someone or something jeopardizes the health of somepony registered in my system as important, or the progression of an assigned operation is at risk, which I currently do not have.” Twilight pondered the point for a few seconds before speaking again. “Can I ask you to promise me one thing while you’re here, Nighttide?” Nighttide tilted her head. “I’m not sure. What is it?” “Can you promise me that you won’t do anything dangerous here? Our world may not be perfect, but at no point in recent history have we had to resort to killing to resolve an issue.” Nighttide had already opened her mouth to respond with a scripted answer, but before she spoke, she paused. Looking up into the stranger’s eyes, she was surprised to see so clearly the earnestness behind the mare’s request. After considering the question a moment longer, she replied, “I should tell you no, and I admit that I can’t make that promise yet. However, if nopony presents themselves as a threat, I could make that promise – at least until I find my way back home.” Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged glances. After giving each other a knowing nod, Twilight looked over. “Alright then,” she said with a relieved smile, “I think that will be acceptable for now.” “How is your leg, Nighttide?” Fluttershy asked, stepping a little closer to the mare. “I’ve lost almost all of my hydraulic fluid – the stuff that helps my legs move – and the wound itself is not actually fixed. Unlike biological parts, my limbs won’t heal themselves. They require repairs.” “You mean, like a surgeon?” Twilight asked. “In a sense. More so a mechanic, since there are mechanical parts broken inside of it.” Looking up at Twilight, she said, “Perhaps I should ask: is your culture familiar with robotic prosthetics?” “Robotic? Can’t say I’ve heard of them, but we do use a type of prosthetics for broken limbs.” Nighttide lifted one of her front legs. “The machine parts that make up my legs? Technically, they are considered robotic. I’m concerned that if I can’t find someone experienced in this field, I may not be able to get the necessary repairs for my leg.” Twilight crouched down and examined her body more closely. With her permission, Twilight touched Nighttide’s injured leg and found that it, like the rest of her limbs, was made up of the same hard material as that surrounding her barrel. She looked up at the mare. “You said you were a pony, Nighttide, but… I’ve never seen anything like this. This is incredible.” She paused for a moment, then said, “Are you really a pony?” Nighttide reared back slightly at the question, eyes wide. After a moment, her expression softened, and she lifted her head with a muffled sigh. “Feel of my face and mane.” Twilight blinked at that. Taking a seat on the floor in front of her, she lifted her hooves and gently touched Nighttide’s muzzle and mane, all of which felt perfectly normal to her. She slid her hooves down the side of the mare’s neck, where she could feel muscles and tendons flexing gently beneath grey coat hair. She then touched the dark grey collar surrounding her neck, made of a slightly softer metallic substance than the rest of her body. “I am a real pony,” Nighttide reassured her with a soft tone, watching as Twilight rubbed her collar with a hoof. “But most of my body is encased in alloy.” Twilight leaned back to examine one of the mare’s outstretched forelegs. Lifting it in her hooves, Twilight felt the weight of the limb rest in her soles, which was on order of magnitude heavier than any of a natural pony’s. She manipulated the limb and watched as the forearm and cannon pivoted along the knee just as they should, and as effortlessly as any real limb. “These joints… they’re so intricate. Are these your real legs as well?” Nighttide shifted her legs a little toward her stomach in a reflexive response. “No. Those, are not. I lost my legs when I was still a filly.” “Prosthetics… Now I get it.” With a somber tone, Twilight looked up and said, “Nighttide, I’m… I’m so sorry. What—” “In any case,” Nighttide cut her short, “do you have any ideas for repairs?” Twilight blinked. She decided not to press the point. Standing back up, she said, “Give me some time to do some research and see if I can find somepony who can help. In the meantime, I need to contact Princess Celestia and inform her of your presence. She will probably want to know more about you.” Nighttide tilted her head. “Princess Celestia?” “Yes, her and Princess Luna are sister rulers of Equestria.” Nighttide raised an eyebrow. She understood the significance of reporting to higher-ups, but she wondered what sort of affiliation Twilight would have with royalty. Before she could ask, Twilight turned away. “Fluttershy, I’m going to head back to Ponyville and have Spike send a message to the Princess. Can you round up the others and bring them here? I’ll be back as soon as I get the letter sent.” “Sure thing,” Fluttershy said from beside the couch. Twilight looked over her shoulder at Nighttide and gave a little smile. “It’s been nice meeting you, Nighttide. I’ll be back in about an hour or so.” As Twilight walked out the door, Fluttershy grabbed the quilt from next to Nighttide. “Were you able to get some rest while I was gone?” Nighttide nodded. “Yes. Thank you.” She smiled a little while the pegasus fluffed the quilt before laying it back across the top of the couch. With just a bit of hesitation, she said, “You know, it’s been awhile since I’ve been anywhere new.” “Really?” Fluttershy asked as she took a seat next to the couch. “Do you not get out much where you’re from?” “No. Not at all.” Nighttide looked over at an errant piece of furniture next to her. A moment passed before Fluttershy spoke again. “What’s it like where you’re from?” Nighttide eyed the various fixtures in the cottage before answering. “It’s dim. Nothing like your home here.” Fluttershy hung her head slightly with a frown, her long pink mane traipsing over one of her eyes. “Do you not have fun where you live?” “Some ponies do. I mean, I don’t have anything against fun. It’s just…” Nighttide drew a silent breath. “I’ve been cooped up in one place for a long time, serving commands from older ponies. While they’re not so bad, they’re always busy with something related to the Labyrinth project. Never anything fun.” Nighttide blinked a couple times, realizing just how relaxed she was talking to Fluttershy. “Sounds like you don’t get a lot of attention,” the pegasus murmured nearby. “Actually, I do. I’m the main figure of the Labyrinth project, or LAB.” Nighttide took a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. “Well… First off I guess, DIRE is a corporation that’s contracted by our government. I guess I’ll explain that more when Twilight returns. Let’s just say for now that being a part of DIRE, especially being one of their pet projects, means I don’t get to spend a lot of time outside.” She expelled a short breath and lay across the sofa. “In fact, for the past two years, I’ve been stuck at the Ridley facility. I’m cooped up mostly with ponies older than myself, and the ponies that are my age are usually either afraid of me, or jealous that I’m the ‘number one’ project pony.” “What does ‘project pony’ mean, exactly?” Fluttershy asked, leaning forward a little with perked ears. Nighttide dared a glance over and was surprised to see how interested the mare seemed to be in her story. Clearing her throat a little, she then continued. “It means what I was telling you and Twilight earlier: I’m a war pony, but not just any war pony. I’m the pony that is supposed to herald in a new age of military technology – a walking, talking, breathing machine of special use.” She rested her head on a foreleg and sighed. “And DIRE would have me act like a machine as well if they could help it.” Closing her eyes, she said, “It’s hard to draw a line between being a pony and being a machine when you’re expected to behave and speak in a manner that fits certain guidelines all the time. The only time I can even kind of be myself is around the Colonel, and even then, I feel like I have to stick with protocol speech just so I don’t slip up later and get punished.” “Punished?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah. Old school drill-type stuff. Do this many push-ups, do that many laps around a track. And yet, I’m part machine. All they’re doing is wasting my time, not wearing me out.” Nighttide let loose a groan and looked over at a rather confused Fluttershy. “I’m sorry if this is boring or confusing.” “I’ll admit that I don’t understand a lot about where you come from, but it doesn’t sound so pleasant.” Fluttershy squinted in thought for a moment, then smiled. “Maybe you can make some friends while you’re here!” Nighttide cocked her head aside, raising an eyebrow. “But this isn’t my home.” “No, it’s not,” Fluttershy said with tender sincerity in her voice. “But there are lots of good ponies around here who like to have fun, and I’m proud to call some of them my best friends.” Fluttershy’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. “Oh gosh, our friends!” She hopped off her chair and trotted to the door. “I’m so sorry Nighttide, but I forgot Twilight wanted me to get the others. We’ll talk more later – I-I’ll be back as soon as I can!” She opened the door, but before disappearing, she looked back and asked one more time, “Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?” Nighttide shook her head, “No, but… thank you. I’ll see you when you get back.” With a smile, Fluttershy quietly closed the door and headed off to gather the others. ’Friends, huh?’ Nighttide thought to herself. ’Seems about right. Make some friends here, then lose them a few days later. That would be the same as usual, I have a feeling.’