The ended up near the back of the Homestead-which was what Fluttershy was calling the pile of sticks and windows-in a dark shadow between the front and the forest behind it. Twilight knew for a fact this wasn't where she was resting for the night.
"Where are we going?" Twilight asked, her mind still glued to the stone walls and the maze, confusion, and fear. Trying to grasp the sense of normalcy, she make a weak attempt at a joke. "If you're here for a goodnight kiss, don't bother."
Fluttershy barely missed a beat before looking back at her friend, glaring slightly. Something about the way the pegasi's eyes stared her down sent shivers down Twilight's spine. "Please be quiet and follow me."
Twilight let out a sigh as Fluttershy turned her back, and followed the small mare along the back of the rough-edged building. The were light on their hooves until the came to a small window, a soft beam of light shining through the stone and ivy. Twilight heard somepony shuffling inside.
"The training room. For the ponies who love to just go crazy and get extremely tough." Fluttershy whispered, and Twilight squinted as a tiny spark of jealously flashed behind the mare's eyes, but vanished in an instant.
"So?" Twilight couldn't understand how a room for practicing to fight was so important at this moment. A thread of unease stitched across her fur.
"Just watch. I don't know if I loved doing this in my other memories, but this makes me really happy when I try this each night."
"Doing what?" Something told Twilight Fluttershy was up to no good. That almost made her as freaked out as when the walls had closed. She did not know this pegasus as well as she thought. "Maybe we shoul-"
"Just shut your mouth and watch. I-I mean you don't have t-to, but I would v-very much like it." Fluttershy quietly stepped into a wooden box that sat level to the window, with sides Twilight guessed were high so when ponies looked up she could hide. She crouched so her head was straight in front, and slowly, but carefully, tapped her hoof on the window, and Twilight gaped as the glass flipped around so Fluttershy could stick her head through.
"This is stupid." Twilight whispered angrily. There could not be a worse time to play a joke-especially for Fluttershy. There could be Pinkamena or Applejack in there. "I do not want to get in trouble-I literally just got here."
Fluttershy just ignored her and almost giggled with anticipation, slapping a hoof over her mouth to stop from getting her cover being blown. Seconds passed while the young mare held a smile as she watched her soon-to-become victim attack each obstacle. Twilight shook her head, her eyes wide as she watched Fluttershy take her other hoof and place it on the other side of her muzzle, the hoof covering it a moment ago parallel on the other side.
NoNoNoNo Twilight's hopes came in vain as Fluttershy took a deep breath, releasing it as a sound most likely comparable to the Cockatrice from earlier. A loud crash emanated afterward, and Twilight snickered herself when she saw the silhouette of a pony spin around, searching for the enemy.
"Who's that!?!" Yelled the mare from the Training Room, her voice scratchy and laced with uncontrollable anger. Twilight almost slapped herself when she realized it was Rainbow Dash-she knew this voice already. Without warning Fluttershy ducked to hide, and Twilight flattened herself against the wall as Rainbow stuck her head out, her face a mix of anger and absolute fury.
Twilight didn't have to be a genius to realize if Rainbow Dash moved any further, both her and Fluttershy would be caught in an instant. She slowly turned her head, and was surprised to find the butter-yellow pegasus staring directly at her, shaking with what Twilight thought was either complete terror or excitement. She only mouthed one word:
Run.
With that one warning Fluttershy pushed herself out into the air, slamming the surprised pegasus straight on the head. It wasn't very powerful, but it seemed to daze Rainbow Dash just enough to let Fluttershy race away and turn swiftly around the corner, heading towards the open glade with amazing speed for her alone.
"I'm gonna kill you, shuck-face!" Was the last thing Twilight heard from Rainbow as she decked her head back through, slamming through multiple obstacles to get to the front door, and Twilight froze as it slammed open.
Twilight finally snapped out of her daze, gasping as her horn lit up in a soft, magenta glow. For a moment, everything was fuzzy and colors swirled around her with great distortion. Then the next second she was standing just around the corner, facing the open-area of the Glade. Never before had she been more confused here then now.
She then mentally slapped herself for being so stupid when Rainbow rounded the corner, like a savage animal on the loose.
She immediately pointed her hoof at Twilight. "Come here!" She yelled.
Twilight's heart sunk in surrender. Something told her she was gonna walk out of here with at least a black eye and broken hoof. Or anything worse judging by how Rainbow looked and what she had done in the Training Room.
"It wasn't me I swear." She slowly said, though as she stood there, her fear eased as she realized she actually sized Rainbow up. She wasn't that big-Twilight could easily take her for a while if she had to.
"Wasn't you?" The pegasus snarled. She pushed herself up with her wings until both ponies were now staring each other directly in the eyes. Twilight shuffled as she felt something on both her sides move slightly under her cloak. "Then how do you know there was something you didn't do?". Twilight just rolled her eyes and said nothing. She was without a doubt uncomfortable but not nearly as scared as a moment ago.
"I'm not a filly, Greenie," Rainbow spat. "I saw Fluttershy's ugly smirk in the window." She then pointed again, is time pushing directly on Twilight's muzzle. "But you better decide quick who you want for friends and enemies, you hear me? One more trick like that and you're anywhere around-even if it's not your foalish idea or not-I'll rip out that horn before you can scream. Got it?" Before Twilight could respond Rainbow had turned to fly away.
Twilight now just wanted this episode to be over. "Sorry." She muttered, wincing at the apology.
"I know you," Rainbow said without looking back. "I saw you while in the Changing, and I'm going to figure out who you are."
Twilight watched as the brash pony glided around and into the Homestead. She couldn't remember much, but the one flashback told her she had been friends with Rainbow. Which surprised her now that she hated the pegasus to the extreme. She really, really, hated her. A small speak made Twilight turn around to find an embarrassed Fluttershy who was shuffling her hoof against the cold dirt. That only seemed to make Twilight angrier.
"Thanks a lot buddy."
"Sorry. If I'd known it was Dash, I never would have done it." Surprising herself, Twilight laughed at the comment. She never though that sound would ever come out of her mouth again. Even Fluttershy looked amused, then stared at her strangely. "What?" Was her only question.
Twilight shook her head, giggling slightly. "Don't be sorry," Fluttershy still stared. "The...shank deserved it. I have no idea what that word even means but it seems appropriate at the time to describe her." She felt much better.
A few hours later Twilight was lying in a small sleeping bag next to Fluttershy and an open garden overgrown with grass and...apple trees. Twilight thought it was a bit strange, but decided not to question it when she saw Fluttershy shake her head slowly to her and the trees. That's also when Twilight realized most of the mares were snuggled around her, curled up a few feet apart. The only thing okay right now was that it was warm outside. Which then went bad as Twilight tried to find out for the millionth time where they were. Her mind had a hard time grasping the name of her old home, who the rulers were at the time, who even lived with her. She was so frustrated her horn sparked with raw energy. And none of the ponies in the Glade had a clue to anything at all-at least, it they were, they were pretty good at hiding it.
Twilight laid in silence for a while, the back of her cloak flapping in the cool breeze that wafted through. Sleep felt miles away, and she couldn't shake the despair and hopelessness the coursed through her body and mind-the temporary thrill of Fluttershy's trick on Rainbow had long since dissipated. It had been one endless-and strange-day.
She just found it so weird. She recalled many small things about life-eating, studying, playing, small magic, general images that were the rules of the world. But any detail that would fill in a whole picture and tell a story seemed to have vanished. Twilight felt like every time she tried it was like looking into a small mud puddle. The only time she had an actually memory was when she met...Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
What made them so special?
Fluttershy interrupted her train of thought. "Well Twilight Sparkle, you survived your first day. Better then I did."
"Barely, and it's okay to call me Twilight." Not now Fluttershy, she wanted to say. I'm not really in the mood.
But it was only in her mind so Fluttershy didn't seem to know she said it. The smaller pegasus draped a wing over Twilight, grinning warmly to try to cheer up her friend. And her plan succeeded when Twilight sent a small smile back. "You'll learn a lot of new things the next couple of days, so be prepared. Alright?"
Twilight wondered about Fluttershy if she was letting on all she knew. She was quirky, shy, and seemed almost too innocent, but who was to say? She was just as mysterious as everything else in the Glade.
A few minutes passed, and Twilight's long day finally caught up with her, the leading edge of sleep crossing over her mind. But-like a pump of magic was shot into her brain and pulled out within the same moment-an idea popped into her head. One she didn't expect, and she wasn't sure where it came from.
Suddenly, the Glade, the walls, the Maze, it all seemed...familiar. Comfortable. A warm sense of calmness spread through her chest, and for the first time since she'd got here, Twilight didn't feel like the Glade was the worst possible situation for her. She stilled, her eyes widened, her breath stopping for a second.
Ironically, the feeling that everything would be okay was making her slightly uneasy.
Not quite understanding how, she knew what she needed to do. She couldn't wrap her head around any of it. The epiphany was a strange one, foreign while familiar at the same time. But it felt...right.
"I want to be one of those girls that goes out there, inside the Maze." Twilight blurted, slamming a hoof over her muzzle not a moment later.
"Huh?" Was the response from Fluttershy. Twilight could hear the twinge of annoyance in her quiet voice.
"Gallopers." Twilight wished she knew where this was coming from. "Whatever they're doing out there, I want in."
"You don't even know what your talking about," Fluttershy grumbled, and rolled over. "Please go to sleep, now."
Twilight felt a surge of confidence, even though she truly didn't know what she was speaking about. "I want to be a Galloper."
Fluttershy turned yet again and used her wing to prop herself up. "Now you can just forget that cute little idea." Twilight wondered her friend's quick reaction, but pressed on. "Don't try to-"
"Twilight. Newbie. My new friend. Forget it."
"I'll tell Applejack tomorrow." A Galloper, Twilight thought. I can't even comprehend what that means. Have I gone completely insane?
Fluttershy laid down with a chuckle. "You're as funny as an apple in harvest," She deadpanned. "Still, go to sleep." But Twilight couldn't quit.
"You wouldn't understand. Something out there...seems familiar."
"Go...to...sleep." Fluttershy's voice was turning darker, but Twilight barely took notice as her mind continued to whirl, with no change of slowing down.
Then it hit her-she felt like millions of puzzles had pieces finally fitting into place. She didn't know what the ultimate creation would be, but the next words that came from her muzzle almost felt like they were coming from someone else. "Fluttershy, I...I think I've been here before."
She felt her friend stiffen beside her, heard the quiet intake of breath. But Twilight rolled over and reused to say another word, worried she mess up the slight twinge of familiarity and relief she finally had caught onto.
Sleep came more easily than expected.
Somepony shook Twilight awake. Her eyes snapped open, to see a too-close face staring down at her, their features still clouded but the lack of light. She opened her muzzle to speak, but a cold hoof slammed down on it before she could. Panic flared when she saw who it was.
"Shh, Greenie, don't wanna be wakin' 'Shy now do you?"
It was Pinkamena-the mare who seemed to be second in command. She blew her long dark-pink locks from her face, and Twilight wanted to shrink away when she saw how the mare's eyes were cold and unforgiving. Though she couldn't help but notice for a moment later the seemed to spark with excitement.
Though Twilight was surprised, any alarm dissipated immediately. She couldn't help being curious, wondering what the girl wanted with her, of all ponies. Twilight nodded, desperately trying to say yes with her eyes, until Pinkamena took her hoof away, leaning back on her tail, which Twilight couldn't help but raise a questioning eyebrow to.
"Come on, Greenie." The pink pony whispered, she reached down and helped Twilight to her hooves-she was so strong it seemed like she could rip Twilight's leg off with ease. "Supposed ta show 'ya something before the wake-up."
Any lingering haze of sleep had already vanished from Twilight's mind. "Okay." She said simply, readying to follow. She knew she should at least have some suspicions, having no reason to trust anypony, but the curiosity won over. She quickly leaned over and checked to see if her cloak was still covering. "Where are we going?"
"Just follow me. And stay close."
The weaved their way through the closely packed room of sleeping mares, Twilight almost stumbling many times. She winced as her hoof connected with someone's back, earning a sharp cry in return, and a punch in the side.
"Sorry." She whispered, ignoring the death glare Pinkamena was giving from a few steps ahead.
Once they left the lawn segments and stepped onto the cold stone courtyard, Pinkamena broke out into a sprint, heading towards the eastern wall. Twilight stared after confusingly, but snapped out of it and followed at the same pace.
The light was dim, but any obstructions loomed as darker shadows, and she as able to make her way quickly along. She stopped when Pinkamena did, in front of a massive wall towering above them like a castle-another random image that floated in the murky waters that was her mind. Twilight noticed small red lights flashing here and there along the wall's face, moving about, stopping, turning on and off.
"What are those?" She whispered as loud as she dared, wondering if her voice sounded as shaky as she felt. Something in the back of her mind told her the red lights held an undercurrent of warning.
Pinkamena stood just a couple feet in the front of the thick curtain of ivy on the wall. "When you need to know, you'll just know, Greenie."
"Well, it's pretty undermining to take me to a place I know absolutely nothing about, and not answer my questions." Twilight paused, surprised with herself. "Shank." She added, throwing all the sarcasm she could into the syllable.
Pinkamena broke out in a laugh, but swiftly cut herself off. "I like you, Greenie. Not shut it an' let me show ha something."
The mare stepped forward and dug her front hooves into the ivy, spreading several vines out of the way to reveal a window frosted with dust, a square about two-feet wide. It as dark at the moment, as if it had been painted pitch black.
A minute passed, then tell. Several more. Twilight shuffled, wondering how Pinkamena could stand perfectly still for such a long period of time. It's unnatural. She concluded.
Then it changed.
Glimmers of eerie light shown through the window; it castes a wavering spectrum of colors on Pinkamena's still body. Twilight stood perfectly still, squinting, trying to make out the small figure on the other side. A thick lump grew in her throat. What is that? She thought.
"Out there's the Maze..." Twilight's guide whispered, eyes sparkling as if she were in a trance. "Everything we do-our whole life, Greenie-revolves around the Maze. Every lovin' second of every gods-foresaken day, we try to find the answer to a place that hasn't even givin' us a clue on the answer, ya know? And we wanna show ya why it's not to be taken lightly. Show you why those sweet walls shut ev'ry night. Why ya should never," she turned around, her eyes glaring into Twilight's soul. "find yourself out there."
Pinkamena stepped back, still holding on to the thick vines. She gestured for Twilight to take her place in front and take a look.
Twilight did, leaning forward until her muzzle touched the chilling glass. It took a moment for her eyes to lock and focus on the small object again, to see straight past the grime and dust. And when she finally saw, she let her breath catch in her throat, like an icy wind had been blown inside, freezing what she needed to circulate.
It was a horrendous bug-pony-like creature, sharp fangs glistening in the early daylight. Blood flowed down the side of it's face, trickling down to the ground below, while almost transparent wings flapped with unimaginable speed. It climbed the opposite wall and lunged for the window, slamming directly in the center. Twilight shrieked before she could stop herself, jerked away from the window-but the creature bounced off, leaving the glass undamaged.
Twilight sucked in two large breaths, then slowly leaned in again. It was still too dark to make out clearly, but the red lights provided her with enough light to find the monster again. She ignored the haunted giggles coming from Pinkamena, and instead focused at the holes puncturing the creature. They seems to go everywhere, from it's legs and body to neck and wings. And just before she could discover more, the bug turned around and disappeared into the shadows.
Twilight felt an icy terror blossom in her chest, expand like a tumor, making it again hard to breathe. Even with the memory wipe, she was sure that never before had she seen something that awful.
She stumbled back, the courage she'd felt the previous night melting away in an instant.
"What is that thing?" She snapped. Something shivered in her gut, and Twilight wondered if she would ever eat again.
"Changelings, we call 'em." Pinkamena answered. "Nasty buggy, right? Luckily Changelings only come out at night. Be thankful for the walls. If they didn't, well..." The mare took her hoof and sliced it across her throat, pretending to go limp. Twilight grimaced when she saw the smirk on the pony's muzzle.
She seems too delighted when it comes to this.
Pinkamena slowly got up and stared absentmindedly out the window. "Know you know what lurks outside these walls at night," She let out a small chuckle and turned to Twilight. "Guess that Runner dream of yours might be dwindling now, huh?"
"How do you know about th-"
"Ah," Pinkamena held up a hoof, rendering Twilight unable to finish her sentence. "Let's just say...I had a sense about it. Anyway, not you know the Maze isn't a joke, my friend. You've been sent to the Glade, Greenie, we'll be expecting ya to survive and help us do what we've all been sent here to do."
"And what's that?" Twilight asked, even though she was terrified to hear the answer.
Pinkamena turned to look her dead in the eye. The first traces of dawn had crept up on them, and Twilight could see every detail of Pinkamena's face, her dull sky-blue eyes, creased down from her eyebrows furring.
"Find our way out, Twilight Sparkle." Pinkamena said. "Solve the crazy Maze and find the way home."