//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - When War Meets Peace // Story: Nighttide Star // by Vertigo-01 //------------------------------// Still stuck on the sofa unable to move, Nighttide laid her head back over her foreleg. There wasn't much to do but wait and entertain herself best she could. Occasionally, a small animal would pass by on the floor or in the air, and she would watch with intense curiosity while her systems scanned the little things. Some creatures appeared bright and cheery, while others were slow and lethargic. Some were even colorful, while others looked dull by comparison. But all of the creatures seemed to be equally happy and healthy, and that was something Nighttide hadn't seen in many years. After a while, Twilight returned and let herself in. “Fluttershy still rounding up the others?” Nighttide lifted her head. “It would seem so.” “Then I'll take this opportunity to talk with you about something important.” Twilight unfastened her saddlebag and placed it next to the door before trotting over to sit next to Nighttide. “I contacted Princess Celestia. Thankfully, she was able to reply before I left. She would like to meet you tomorrow around mid-day if possible. Considering your injury, she's decided to make a trip out here to meet you. She would meet with you sooner, but she's currently tending to some legal matters in Canterlot.” “Canterlot?” “It's the capital of Equestria, where the Princesses live.” She grinned and added, “It's also where I'm originally from!” “I see,” Nighttide said as she furrowed her brow, her gaze drifting in thought. “This Princess of yours. What exactly will she want to know of me?” She looked at Twilight. “Some info is classified - I can't share it even if I wanted to.” “She will probably want to know where you're from, what it's like, things like that. But most of all, she'll want to get to know you.” Twilight gave a reassuring smile. “I can't say for sure what questions she may ask, but I promise it will be a pleasant experience.” Nighttide scrunched her muzzle. “She doesn't sound very aristocratic. Does she do this with every new pony that shows up?” Twilight giggled. “No, but we seem to have a knack for attracting ponies and creatures from foreign lands, and she does like meeting them.” Just as Nighttide nodded, the front door opened to reveal Fluttershy, followed by an entourage of colorful ponies. “Sorry it took me so long, Twilight. Nighttide and I were chatting for a bit after you left.” “It's alright; we were just chatting as well.” Twilight glanced at Nighttide with a grin before standing up to greet her friends. Nighttide slowly sat up on her haunches to watch the new visitors pile into the house. There was an orange pony with an oddly-shaped hat and three apples on her flank, a white unicorn with an elegant mane and blue gems on her flank, a light blue pegasus with a colorful mane and a lightning bolt on her flank, and— “So, this must be the new guy in town,” the blue pegasus shouted from above the group. “Twilight, should you do the introductions?” Fluttershy asked. “Sure!” Taking a spot between the mares, she said, “Nighttide, these are our friends. This is Rainbow Dash.” Twilight suggested to the blue pegasus who flew down between them. “Glad to meet ya, Nighttide!” As the two shook hooves, Rainbow Dash gawked at the mare’s hair. “Whoa, cool mane!” Nighttide stared blankly at Rainbow Dash's bright, prismatic mane. “Uh… cool mane yourself.” “This here is Applejack,” Twilight said, suggesting to the orange pony. “Howdy, partner! Welcome to Equestria!” Applejack walked up and gave Nighttide a firm hoofshake. “This is Rarity.” Twilight suggested toward the white unicorn. The unicorn eyed Nighttide up and down for a couple seconds before stepping closer. A faint glint formed in her eyes as they reflected the sheen of Nighttide's body. “Greetings, Nighttide. You simply must tell me who your fashion designer is – I adore your color scheme!” Nighttide cocked her head aside. “Actually, this is just—” “Hey, wait a sec,” Twilight interrupted. “Where's Pinkie Pie?” “Well,” Applejack said, “she was the last one we needed to pick up, and sure 'nuff, soon as we found her and told her there was a new pony in town—” “Let me guess: she gasped and took off running, right?” “Eeyup.” Twilight sighed and threw a hoof to her forehead. “That Pinkie…” Walking back up to the couch, she said, “Sorry Nighttide, but you're going to have to wait to meet Pinkie Pie. Every time she hears a new pony's in town, she has to throw them a party.” “A party?” “Yes.” Nighttide squinted at her. “…For every new pony?” Twilight nodded sternly. “That's right.” Nighttide looked away for a second, confusion glazing over her face. “But how can you…” She tilted her head ever so slightly, causing a few of the others to giggle. “Don't worry,” Twilight reassured her, “it'll all make sense once you meet her.” “Since when does Pinkie ever make sense, Twi?” Rainbow commented from above. __________ Once everyone had given their greetings, the group took to mingling with one another while Fluttershy stepped away to prepare some refreshments. After taking a moment to speak with her friends, Twilight sat back next to Nighttide. “Alright, so I guess the first order of business is finding a way to fix your leg. Obviously I haven't had much time to do research, but while I was back at the library, I grabbed a couple of books on spells that have to do with manipulating objects in a confined space.” She cleared her throat and eyed the saddlebag over on the other side of the house. “It's fairly advanced magic. I'm not sure if it will come in much use, but since your legs are made up of machinery, I may be able to use them. Can you tell me if anything is physically missing from your leg?” “Aside from hydraulic fluid, no,” Nighttide answered. “The damage is moderate, but everything's still there.” “Alright then, I think I have an idea. If you can provide me with an idea of how your leg works and where everything needs to be, I may be able to use my magic to put everything back together. Minus the fluid you were talking about.” “Which is a problem. Without the fluid, I can't operate my legs.” “Do you know where we could find some?” “It's a petrol product, made from other materials. Do you ponies have machinery or equipment that requires lubrication under pressure?” “I'm sure we probably do, but I'm not personally familiar with things like that.” Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin. “There is someone we know who is pretty skilled at mixing stuff together, though. At the very least, she may be able to help guide us in the right direction.” “Who is this pony?” “Zecora. Well, technically, she's not a pony. She's a zebra.” Nighttide's ears perked up. Assuming she had never heard of them before, Twilight continued. “Zebras are a distant relative to our kind, and Zecora lives in the Everfree Forest.” The thought of a unique race related to ponies sparked Nighttide's curiosity. She had never heard of such a thing in her homeland. Losing sight of the matter at hoof, she pointedly asked, “Can you describe this 'zebra' to me?” “Uh, sure.” Squinting in thought, Twilight said, “They have stripes… their manes are usually thicker than ours… and they're originally from a land far from here.” She shrugged. “Honestly, Zecora is the only zebra I know. Everything else I know about them is either from books or straight from her.” Nighttide nodded, trying to picture this 'zebra' in her mind. Her systems were already doing a search for related information to see if anything matched up in her knowledgebase. Nothing. “Anyway,” Twilight said, “there's still a bit of daylight left. I can go check with her and see if she can help out. We have a plan to fix your leg, now we just need to get that fluid.” Twilight stood up and turned to the door, looking back with a smile. “How's that sound?” “Sounds like a plan,” Nighttide said, a little surprised by how much this stranger was going out of her way to help out. Before Twilight walked outside, she said, “Could you perhaps see if Zecora would stop by as well?” There was a hint of curiosity in her voice, almost like that of a school foal learning something new for the first time – and Twilight was quick to pick up on it. Stifling a giggle, she said, “I'll be sure to ask if she would come pay us a visit.” “Thanks for that.” Nighttide smiled a little as she waved the pony off. Soon after Twilight was out the door, Rainbow Dash flew over next to Nighttide. “Hey, where'd Twilight go?” “To a zebra named Zecora's house.” “Seriously? Why's she going to the Everfree Forest just to visit her?” “Apparently, Zecora may be able to help repair my leg.” Rainbow took a closer look at the mare's injured leg, noticing the sheen of its alloy surface. She gave it a knock with the back of her hoof, and quickly recoiled in pain. “Ouch— hey, what gives! You're hard as a rock!” Nighttide smirked. “Alloy. And I am not. This is just my suit and legs. They're made of metal.” Rainbow tilted her head each way as she continued to examine the shiny surface. “It looks so… heavy.” Nighttide snorted. “Yes, it is a little heavy. But it doesn't slow me down.” Rainbow was clearly not convinced. “I dunno. How can you even run in this thing?” “Well, I have to. My legs are artificial.” Rainbow Dash blinked at her. “So, these aren't your real legs?” “Nope.” “Can…” Rainbow bit her lip for a second, then said, “Can I ask what happened?” Nighttide idly glanced around the room. “How about another time?” “Fair enough.” Shifting her gaze back to the mare’s legs, she said, “Well, lemme ask you this. You said you can run in these. But just how fast can you run?” “My last test clocked me in at around 50kph.” “Sooo… how fast is that?” Nighttide furrowed her brow at the mare, confused as to the line of questioning. “Faster than most land creatures in our world. Even faster than some of the birds we have.” “On the ground?!” “Yeah. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a 'pegasus', as you ponies call it.” Nighttide leaned her head to the side to look at the pegasus’ collapsed wings. Noticing where Nighttide was staring, Rainbow Dash spread her wings with a smug grin and stepped forward. “Tell you what. Once you're feeling better, how 'bout you and I go for a race? I'm the fastest in the air, but…” She paused for a moment and looked around, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Even I have a challenge keeping up with ponies like Applejack on the ground.” She glanced back at the orange pony across the room to make sure she couldn’t hear. “And I'm always up for a good challenge. If you say you're fast, then prove it!” Nighttide reared her head back from the mare slightly, taken aback by the sudden proposal. Nevertheless, she liked Rainbow’s spirit. Hesitant as she was, there was a part of her that did indeed want to get to know her better. After mulling it over for a moment, she relaxed and said, “If I'm still around when I'm back up to speed, you and I can go for a race.” “Awright! This is gonna be so awesome!” Rainbow kicked off the ground and did a mid-air flip, then flew over to tell Applejack the news. Nighttide stared blankly for a moment before a smirk instinctively made its away across her muzzle. Something about the idea was just... fun, she thought. “So, Nighttide,” Rarity called out as she walked over from the two. “Where did you say you were from again?” “I didn't, actually… That's strange. Twilight never asked.” Nighttide pondered the point before continuing. “Anyway, my homeland is a place called Roanne. Have any of you ponies heard of it?” “I can't say that we have, no.” “That's what I figured. It's part of a large continent, which is otherwise surrounded by water and islands.” “That sounds like an interesting place. What's it like?” Nighttide's ears folded slightly as she glanced away. “Dreary.” Rarity tilted her head. “Come again?” “It's hard to explain since it's what I've lived with almost my whole life, but…” She narrowed her eyes. “It's dim. And wet. Unlike your land.” Rarity pursed her lips at that. Behind the mare, Applejack trotted up to join the conversation. “So, Nighttide, whatcha' do for a livin’?” “A lot of nothing,” Nighttide muttered. Sitting a little more upright, she continued. “Technically, I play an important role for the government. Like I was telling Fluttershy and Twilight earlier…” She cleared her throat and looked away in preparation for a negative reaction. “I'm a war pony.” “A… a-what now, dear?” Rarity asked, leaning closer. “A war pony. Cyborg, specifically. I'm part-machine, part-pony.” Nighttide took the next minute to fill the two in on what she had told Twilight earlier while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash set out some refreshments. “So,” Applejack said after a bit, “you’re tellin' me that when the government gives a holler, you go out and do their biddin’?” “More or less,” Nighttide said with a shrug. “My goodness, dear,” Rarity remarked, “that sounds like a dreadful job.” “Honestly, I haven't even started my job yet. I'm just… a project.” The more Nighttide thought about it, the more it brought her spirits down. ‘Come to think of it,’ she realized, ‘this is the first time in awhile that I’ve felt this comfortable around others.’ Fluttershy seemed to have been the perfect gateway to communing with these other ponies, and she didn't want her home life to disrupt any of that. “It all sounds a might bit dangerous,” Applejack admitted. “But if Fluttershy and Twilight trust ya, then I trust ya as well.” “The same goes for me as well,” Rarity chimed in. Nighttide breathed a chuckle and smiled at the two. “Thanks for that. It's nice for once to meet some ponies who aren't completely turned off by all of this.” “Well, we'd sure like to be your friends as well, given that's alright with you?” Applejack gave her an honest smile and Rarity nodded in agreement. Nighttide’s smile suddenly faltered. “That's… mmm. Thank you. It's just…” “It's just what, dear?” Rarity asked. A knot formed in Nighttide’s throat. She gulped through the sensation and said, “Give me some time, everypony. This is all very new and unfamiliar to me. Plus, I don't know how long I'll be in the area. This all kind of happened by accident, anyway.” She wanted to say more, as she simply couldn't understand why these ponies were being both so friendly and so trusting, but anxiety was quickly creeping in. After all, she was in a foreign land with foreign ponies - with foreign appendages to boot - and as comfortable as she had become in Fluttershy's cottage, the unfamiliarity of everything was still distressing to her. Applejack spotted the nervousness forming in her expression. “Don't worry, Nighttide. Fluttershy gave us the rough version of what happened on the way here — er, at least as much as she knew.” “Right. Well…” Nighttide glanced away as she ran a hoof through the back of her mane. “It's a lot of technobabble. Honestly, I'm not really sure what happened myself. All I know is I was in one place, and the next thing I knew, I was here. I have no clue how far I am from home; it's a little alarming I've never heard of this place, and you all haven't heard of mine.” “Well,” Rarity said, “that does sound like something Twilight could help out with.” Nighttide nodded. “She's convened a meeting for me with your Princess Celestia tomorrow. I'll probably end up giving her most of the details then.” She looked over at her injured leg. “Right now, I'd just like to be back on my hooves again.” Applejack chuckled. “Can't say I blame ya.” She glanced over at Rarity for a second, then said, “Well, we're not gonna push ya into anything you're not alright with. If you want to be friends, that's great. Just do whatever feels right to ya.” “Agreed,” Rarity added. “We don't want to make you uncomfortable during your stay.” Nighttide returned both mares a weak smile. “Thank you. You're both very kind.” Having finished setting out the refreshments, Fluttershy approached the group. “Would anyone like some tea and cupcakes? I have some left from Pinkie's last batch.” Everyone chimed in their approvals, and Nighttide gave an earnest nod. Unable to move from her spot on the sofa, Fluttershy brought over a cup of tea and a saucer with a cupcake on it. Nighttide scanned the cupcake, identifying many of the same materials used in fresh-baked goods back home. Fluttershy noticed her staring at the cupcake. “Is there something wrong?” “No,” Nighttide said with a wave of her free hoof. “It's just, with everything being so different here, I have to make sure whatever I intake isn't harmful. It seems as far as food and water are concerned, you ponies have the same things we do. At least they're made of the same ingredients.” Nighttide took a bite out of the cupcake, and her eyes widened with a gleam. “On second thought, these aren't the same. These are amazing. What in the world…?” Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, those are Pinkie's own cupcakes. She puts a lot of love into making each batch.” Nighttide sat upright with her cupcake in one hoof and tea in the other. “I must meet this Pinkie Pie.” “Well, how about you meet her RIGHT NOW,” a shrill voice sounded from outside the cottage. Suddenly, the front door burst open with a whirlwind of confetti and streamers. Beneath the cloud of party favors waltzed a bright pink pony with a huge curly mane and balloons on her flank, pushing a cannon through the door’s opening. Nighttide scrambled upright on the sofa and unlocked all of her weapons to prepare for a full assault, right as Fluttershy spoke up. “Pinkie, what are you doing here?” “That's what I should be asking all of YOU,” Pinkie shouted with a scowl. “Why didn't anypony tell me you guys would be here?” Seeing this was the Pinkie Pie mentioned before, Nighttide quietly locked all of her weapons and sank a little into the cushions, hoping nopony noticed. “Well,” Applejack said, “if you hadn't run off like ya did, we could've told you where we were goin’” “But guys, the party?! You know how this works!” “Why ‘ont we ‘ust haff it hurr?” Rainbow Dash suggested above through a cupcake-filled mouth. “Hey, yeah! Let's do that! Glad I brought my cannon!” __________ Within minutes, the cottage was filled with balloons and even more refreshments that seemed to appear from thin air as Pinkie Pie bounced around setting things up. Nighttide was visibly entertained. When she let slip that she had never seen balloons like theirs before, Pinkie collected most of the ones she had placed around the room and hoofed them to her. When she went to sniff one, it popped in her face, causing her to nearly cartwheel off the couch. “WHOA! Wha… what happened!” Nighttide scrunched her nose as a piece of the popped balloon gently fell on top of her muzzle. Everypony in the room burst into a fit of laughter. “Well, whatcha think?” Pinkie Pie asked after the giggles died down. She was clearly eager to make the mare happy. She appeared to be doing a good job too, as Nighttide looked around at all the balloons she was holding with wide eyes and a dreamy expression. “They're so small. And there's so many colors! It's like... I dunno, Rainbow Dash if she were made out of elastic and helium?” Rainbow Dash's ears perked up from the other side of the room. “Um, should I take offense to that?” Nighttide sat straight up and frantically waved a hoof. “No no, sorry! I was just analyzing the compounds that make up these party favors! I didn't mean to off—” Rainbow Dash laughed at the panicking mare. “I'm just teasin' ya, Nighttide. Relax! Have fun!” Nighttide nodded and grinned nervously as the pegasus walked off, who was now mumbling something about there being another egghead in Equestria. Off in a corner, Fluttershy had a smile of her own. She was quite happy to see her guest in high spirits. Several minutes passed as everypony enjoyed their refreshments and got to know Nighttide a little better. Pinkie was eventually caught up to speed as much as everypony else, asking at one point, “So does this mean you can shoot confetti whenever you want too?” Nighttide also better explained to everyone how her suit worked and a little bit about where she was from, wanting to save the important details for her meet with Princess Celestia. As much as she was enjoying herself, being stuck on the sofa with nothing to do but eat, talk, and stare at balloons was exhausting. Before long, she was craving another nap. But before she could get too comfortable, Twilight returned with a most unusual looking creature following behind her. Nighttide leaned forward on the edge of her cushions to get a better look when her breath caught in her throat, violet eyes wide and lost in the presence of the rugged pony-like creature now striding into the cottage. Staggered stripes of dark grey ran over lighter grey coat along her legs and across her back. A thick crop of mane ran down in a straight line from the tip of her forehead down the back of her neck, which appeared to be far coarser than typical pony mane. The creature wore several gold rings around her neck and one of her legs, and the mark on her flank looked resembled something like a sun. Twilight spotted Nighttide's quite visible rapture while walking her friend inside, so wasting no time, she introduced the two. “Nighttide, this is my friend Zecora. Zecora, Nighttide.” Zecora cantered up to sofa and extended a hoof to the mare. “Hello there, friend! Welcome to our wonderful land!” Nighttide blinked, ears forward and perked, as she sat mesmerized by the zebra’s exotic accent. While her systems silently scanned the equine’s figure, she caught a whiff of a myriad of unknown and intoxicating scents wafting off the zebra's coat. Several seconds passed before she realized she hadn’t returned the greeting. “I-it’s nice to meet you, Zecora,” she stammered, stumbling to extend a hoof. Zecora shook her hoof with confidence and a warm smile. “Some simple help I heard you need, for your wounded leg does bleed?” Nighttide cocked her head slightly. “Um, yes. Do you think you could make some hydraulic fluid if you take a sample of it home? I have a list of the basic materials needed, but I'm not sure if you will be able to find them readily here in Equestria.” Zecora looked over the mare's injured leg. As she kneeled down to examine the limb, she said, “Lend me home a sample to take, and I will see what I can make.” Nighttide loosened the gauze around her leg just enough so that Zecora could get some of the fluid in a flask. As she was filling the flask, Twilight stepped in and spoke up. “Zecora, Princess Celestia is coming down tomorrow afternoon to meet with Nighttide. I would have preferred for us to travel to Canterlot ourselves, but considering Nighttide's condition, the Princess is choosing to fly down here instead. Do you think there's any way you can get the fluid before then?” “I will do what I can do,” Zecora replied flatly to Twilight. Turning to Nighttide, she added, “And I will do my best for you!” “Uh huh,” Nighttide muttered with a lost look. When Zecora shot her another smile, it took her every ounce of effort to keep from blushing. Once the flask was filled, Nighttide gave Zecora her thanks, and the zebra took off for home. After talking with the others for a few minutes, Twilight walked over to her saddlebag and pulled out a couple of small tomes, carrying them over to the couch. “So, those are the books?” Nighttide asked. “Yes. In these, I may be able to learn a spell that will fix the damaged parts of your leg. Do you have a way to detail the parts I'll be working with?” “Sure do.” With a twitch, Nighttide switched on a holographic projector built into her back. Within seconds, a green-speckled image of her leg's basic schematics began floating over the mare's back. Everypony in the room looked over at Nighttide in awe. “My goodness,” Rarity said. “What in Equestria is that?” “A hologram,” Nighttide answered. “It's a device that displays an artificial image without need for a solid surface.” Twilight's jaw dropped at the sight. In all the magic she had witnessed over the years, the fact that such a thing could exist with no magic was astonishing to her. “Nighttide, what…? How…? I don't even know where to begin.” Blinking at the steadily brightening image, she said, “How does something like that work?” “It's a bit complicated.” Nighttide glanced back at the hologram with a tired smirk. “For now, let's just say it works. The sooner I'm on my hooves, the sooner I'll feel up to answering everypony's questions – and asking some of my own. Right now, I'm just ready to get off this couch.” Twilight nodded with a sigh. After laying the books across the floor and flipping to specific pages, she took to studying Nighttide’s hologram. As the minutes rolled by, the other ponies began to head home, each bidding their adieus to Nighttide in passing. “Don't forget about that race,” Rainbow Dash called back as she was walking out the door. “Got it,” Nighttide replied with a smile and a wave. Pinkie was the last one to leave, having stayed behind to help clean the party mess and bid Nighttide a very loud – and very musical – welcome to Equestria. Eventually, it was just her, Twilight, and Fluttershy. Twilight continued to study the books and hologram in silence while Fluttershy brought in a couple blankets. Since it was the beginning of spring, she made sure to keep plenty of warm things on-hoof for the chilly nights. “Here Twilight, in case you get cold.” “Thanks, Fluttershy.” Twilight lay down on the floor with the books so she could read more comfortably while Fluttershy sat on the chair beside Nighttide, enjoying a cup of warm tea only after everypony else had been served. By this point, Nighttide was pretty drowsy, but wanting to stay awake for Twilight, she tried to keep some conversation flowing. “Fluttershy, may I ask what you do for a living?” “Well, for the most part, I take care of the creatures that live around here. I just love to care for all my forest friends.” Nighttide gave a single nod. “What about you, Twilight?” Twilight let out a nervous giggle and glanced at Fluttershy. “Um… well, technically, I'm a princess.” Nighttide sat back with a confused look. “Then why is it necessary for me to meet with Princess Celestia?” “Even though I'm a princess, I'm not the ruler of all Equestria, like Celestia and Luna. My sister-in-law, Cadance, she's a princess as well and rules over the Crystal Empire.” “So, does that make you the ruler of Ponyville?” Twilight dabbed at the floor with a hoof. “Not exactly. I'm still trying to figure out what being a 'princess' really means for me.” Picking up on Twilight's discomfort, Nighttide nodded and let the subject drop. Even though she didn't know these ponies very well, she was careful to not prod too far for fear of hurting their feelings – or alienating herself from the group. A few more minutes passed before Twilight sat up, looking a little more enthusiastic. “Alright, I think I'm ready to give this a shot.” At the same time, a knock came from the front door. Fluttershy opened it to find Zecora standing with two small pots hanging over each side of her back. “What you need now I have brought; it will help you, or it will not.” “Thank you so much, Zecora,” Twilight said. “You're just in time. I'm about to attempt to fix Nighttide's leg right now.” Zecora dropped off the two pots of murky liquid and bid the group a good night, as she still had things left to do at home. Fluttershy and Nighttide watched from their seats while Twilight closed her books. She then walked over to Nighttide’s injured leg and lit her horn, squinting right where the damage was located. After a moment, Nighttide detected movement inside her leg. The intensity of Twilight's magic increased as she focused her attention on the spell and the damage within the leg. In a moment, she was all but completely hunkered down to the ground and seemed to be struggling to get things just right, as magic began to spark off the tip of her horn. The scene lasted for two long and arduous minutes, and nearing the end, both Fluttershy and Nighttide began to visibly worry about Twilight. Just as Nighttide was about to move, Twilight barked through gritted teeth, “No! Stay still! I'm… almost there…” A few seconds later, Twilight's horn went dark, and the alicorn fell to the floor with a huff. Rolling onto her back panting, she looked up at Nighttide. “There! Try… that now.” Using the little bit of fluid contained in her backup reservoir, Nighttide instructed her systems to refill the leg. After a moment, she felt some movement in her joints. Soon, she was able to move each part again, from top to bottom, with no issue. Astounded at this literal work of magic, Nighttide said, “I think it worked! My systems are showing green for this leg!” A little dazed and confused, Twilight spat up, “Huh… green. I guess that's good?” “Yup. It means everything is as it should be. Fluttershy, can you bring me the fluid Zecora brought?” Opening a square cover near her flank, Nighttide instructed Fluttershy to carefully pour the fluid into an orifice within until her systems checked twenty percent capacity. She cycled the fluid and analyzed its molecular makeup. While it wasn't exactly hydraulic fluid, it did have the necessary properties to serve the purpose. Fluttershy then poured the rest of the fluid, using both pots until Nighttide's system registered a comfortable eighty percent. As Twilight regained her strength, so did Nighttide. Soon, the mare was on all four hooves again and moving around with relative ease. “How wonderful, Twilight,” Fluttershy quietly cheered, “she's able to walk again!” “Uuuggghhh,” Twilight groaned from the floor. “Can I go home now?” Nighttide giggled as she and Fluttershy helped her impromptu mechanic back to her hooves. “Thank you again, Twilight. I've never had anyone personally go out of their way just for me – not in a long time, at least.” Breathing a sigh, Twilight wiped her brow and said, “Well, I'm just glad I was able to help. Now, are you planning to stay the night here, or do you still need a place?” Nighttide looked over at Fluttershy. “Oh, yes, of course,” Fluttershy said. “Would you like to stay here, Nighttide?” “Sure. I don't know of anywhere else to go. Plus,” Nighttide added, “you ponies have been a lot of help. And I still need to find a way home. If it's not too much of a burden, I would like to continue to ask for your help while I try to figure out how I got here in the first place.” “Of course,” Twilight said, “that's not a problem at all. We've got plenty to discuss tomorrow anyway, so that'll help us figure out how to help you.” She glanced over at Fluttershy with a tired smile briefly before saying, “On an unrelated note, what did you think of our friends?” Nighttide gave a soft chuckle. “They seem like a very warm bunch of ponies. It was... really nice, actually. I enjoyed myself quite a bit tonight.” “That's great to hear! I was hoping you might be able to make some friends during your stay here.” Nighttide nearly choked at the sudden mention of friendship again. Collecting herself, she said, “Yes, well. Thank you for that. I already talked with Applejack and Rarity about this earlier, but… as far as friends go, I'm going to have to take it a little slow. I don't have the greatest track record with friends.” “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. “Let's save it for another time,” Nighttide said, stretching her neck before yawning. “I don't know about you two, but I'm exhausted.” Twilight gave Nighttide a playful smirk. “Yeah, I'm sure you're exhausted after resting on Fluttershy's couch all day.” Nighttide returned the smirk. “Well, try warping through space and time to a different world, then see how you feel afterward.” Twilight blinked at that. Nighttide suddenly realized she hadn’t explained the experiment that led her here, but before she could say anything, Twilight gave her a strange sort of knowing look. “I’d be careful what you say if I were you,” she said as she walked out the door. “Who's to say I don't know?” With a smile and a flick of her tail, Twilight was on her way home. “Uh…” Nighttide turned to Fluttershy and pointed at the front door. “Does she…?” Before Fluttershy could say something, Nighttide sighed and hung her head. “Actually, nevermind. Between wings and magic, I think everything can wait 'til tomorrow.” __________ After feeding the animals inside the house, Fluttershy led Nighttide to an upstairs bedroom. “Will this be alright for the night?” Nighttide looked around the pleasantly decorated room, largely adorned with bird homes and plant life. The open ceiling above exposed the wooden framework that held together the apex of the roof. The furnishing and construction of the modestly sized bedroom gave it a natural atmosphere unlike any that Nighttide could ever remember experiencing back home. She turned to the pegasus with a tired smile. “More than alright. Thank you for your hospitality, Fluttershy.” “Oh, it's no problem at all,” Fluttershy said, turning back for the hall. “If you need anything, I'll be downstairs on the couch.” Nighttide's expression broke. “Whoa, wait a sec. This isn't a guest bedroom? Please, don't let me—” “Oh no, it's fine,” Fluttershy insisted. “You've had a very long day. I want you to get the best sleep possible. You deserve it.” She gave a small, sweet smile before walking back downstairs. Wondering if she should argue the point or not, Nighttide turned and gazed at the comfortable looking bed – a far cry from the sofa she had been resting on for most of the day. Fatigue won the battle in her mind, and she decided to accept her gracious host's offer. Enjoying the ability to move about freely, Nighttide explored the small, cozy room, noticing the big butterfly-patterned comforter that lay across the bed. She walked up to one of the windows and looked outside at the clear night sky, daylight long since having settled. She crossed her forelegs on the window sill and stared out at the starry canopy. 'Been a long time since I've seen this as well,' Nighttide thought to herself. 'My namesake. The time between dusk and dawn.' “As much as I want to see the sun,” she murmured aloud, “it's just nice to not see any rain for once.”