//------------------------------//
// Chapter 20 - Shedding Light 
// Story: A World Without Princesses 
// by PonyTom 
//------------------------------//

The room seemed almost deathly silent, with only a few sounds occupying the ears of the inhabitants of the room.  Macintosh found himself in an unusual (if slightly awkward) situation, trying not to stare (and largely failing) as the Cakes fed their children.  His eyes would start off on their son, Pound Cake, a little pegasus foal, before traversing to their daughter, Pumpkin Cake.

A small, infant unicorn.

Many things went through his mind as he took in this sight.  Not one, but two unicorns had been right under his nose this entire time.  The little filly lay in her father's foreleg as she suckled the bottle he held for her hungrily, the soft noises the only thing besides the ticking clock to break the otherwise awkward silence of the room.  Her brother, meanwhile, was being fed by their mother, and seemed to be a little more energetic in his eating, practically trying to tug the bottle away from Cupcake.  It was at that moment he looked up and saw Carrot Cake flashing a dirty look at him, much to his surprise, and he looked away, trying to pretend that his eyes were simply wandering about.

"Got a problem with my daughter?"

Macintosh was almost surprised by the threatening tone in Carrot's voice.  Still, he could not say he didn't understand his concern.  "Nope.... she's adorable..."

"Yeah," said Carrot, not sounding entirely convinced and not taking his eyes off Macintosh.

"Now Carrot," chided Cupcake, frowning at her husband, "be nice to Big Mac... little Pumpkin is probably the very first...." she stopped herself, shaking her head, "second.... unicorn the poor dear's seen!" Cupcake looked back to Pound, who seemed to be finished eating.  "I'm sure he means nothing by it."

"Nope," said Macintosh with a nod, looking at Pumpkin again as she continued to eat, the little unicorn no different from any foal he had ever seen before, besides maybe the horn on her head.

'That lil' girl doesn't realize jus' how different she is,' he thought to himself.  'She don't care.  That's a thought that doesn't even exist in her mind.  All she knows is her mother, her father, an' her brother... an' she probably don't even realize there's anything different about any of them...'

"... What's it like...?"

"Hm?" The Cakes both looked towards Macintosh, curious.  The stallion cleared his throat, trying to be careful where he tread.

"... Havin'... havin' a unicorn daughter...?"

Carrot seemed to get a little indignant, but Cupcake noticed this and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which calmed him down, and smiled at Big Mac.  "Well... she's not much different from Pound Cake, or any other foal I imagine."  She patted Pound's back gently until he gave a little burp, and then cradled him in her hooves and gently rocked him back and forth.  "She occasionally has magic surges that Twilight was kind enough to help us learn to deal with, but she's very sweet."  Cupcake looked at the baby and Macintosh and smiled a bit.  "Would you like to feed her?"

Macintosh's eyes widened.  "Oh, I-I-I dunno anythin' about foals--"

"We've been friends for years," said Cupcake with a smile, "I am pretty sure you can do it."  It had seemed that Big Mac's protest fell on deaf ears.  Carrot seemed reluctant at first, but a smile and a nod from Cupcake seemed to urge him to change his mind.  He stepped close to Macintosh and carefully handed Pumpkin to the stallion, along with the bottle.  Macintosh was very tense at first, holding the bottle so the little unicorn could eat, while holding the unicorn as well.  She seemed a bit confused at first, but when she caught sight of the bottle, it didn't matter anymore, and she continued to suckle.

Big Mac watched as the little foal suckled the bottle, both under his care.  Once more, he was reminded that she simply did not care.  Earth Pony, Unicorn, Pegasus, those weren't even details to her.  As she ate, he felt an odd sensation.  The edges of his mouth pulled slightly into a soft smile.  "Wow... she's... a hungry'un ain't she...?"

"Eeyup," said Carrot Cake, in a failed attempt to imitate Macintosh's voice, an uneasy smile on his face.  "They both got appetites, but she eats more than her brother sometimes."  Big Mac chuckled, looking back down at the baby unicorn, and noticing that she seemed to be pulling away.  He withdrew the bottle carefully, a bit nervous, hoping he hadn't done something wrong.  "Oh, seems somepony's full.  Here..."  Macintosh saw Carrot Cake approach and, carefully, he handed Pumpkin to her father, who held her close and gently patted her back until she gave a little burp.

"We love her and our Pound Cake very dearly," said Cupcake, a loving smile on her face as she looked down at the now sleeping foal in her forelegs.  "We were nervous at first... neither of us knew anything about raising a pegasus, let alone a unicorn..." The mare giggled a bit, looking to her husband.  "Remember when I was pregnant and things started moving around on their own...?"

"Ah yes," said Carrot Cake with a smirk.  "We thought the house was haunted at first.  Called ponies in to look into it, but nothing ever came up it."

"Not until we met Twilight," said Cupcake, her smile becoming weaker.  "One day, Pinkie brought her into the bakery... she seemed... cold.... and distant... even irritated, when we told her we thought the house was haunted."  The smile began to return, the mare shaking her head and looking up at Macintosh.  "When we told her what was happening, she asked if she could stay a night, monitor the house, see if she could find anything."

"No need for it," continued Carrot with a chuckle, "at that very moment, I think Pumpkin felt her mama become stressed, because a muffin flew off the table and hit Twilight in the face!"

"She was so shocked!" Cupcake laughed.  The Cakes began to snicker at the situation, but when they remembered the mare in question's predicament, they seemed to become sullen.  Macintosh lowered his ears, looking off to the side and brushing his hoof against his foreleg.

"... That day, she asked us a lot of questions," said Cupcake with a nod.  "Questions about our family mostly, which was difficult to answer...."

"My great-great-great grandfather was a bastard," said Carrot with a shrug.  "Nopony knew who his father was, and my great-great-great-great grandmother was generally ridiculed by the public for it."

Cupcake nodded, moving towards one of the cribs and gently setting Pound in it.  "Twilight left for a few days before returning and revealing that I was likely pregnant with a unicorn.  The news was more than a little shocking to say the least, but..." Cupcake sighed and smiled, looking at Pumpkin who slept in her father's forelegs.  "... The very moment I saw her... I knew I loved my baby... and everything about her...."  The Cakes leaned against each other, nuzzling one another.

Macintosh looked at the two ponies hold each other close for a moment before they broke apart and Carrot took Pumpkin to the unoccupied crib, gently setting her in.  The three ponies stepped into the hall and Carrot gently pulled the door behind them, leaving it open a crack.  The two ponies looked to Macintosh and Cupcake sighed.  "Twilight was kind enough to help deliver the twins, and has given us some details on things we have to know about raising Pumpkin."

Carrot Cake smiled and put a hoof against his cheek.  "I'm actually figuring when they're old enough, we might start trying to figure out who our mysterious unicorn ancestor was."

Cupcake grinned and pressed her nose against Carrot's.  "Oh, from the day I met you I knew there was something absolutely magical about you."

Carrot smiled and rubbed noses with her.  "Oh my little shnookum you're absolutely adorable..."

Macintosh cleared his throat, catching the attention of the Cakes, who looked towards him and blushed a bit and grinned impishly.  "Oh, uh, sorry," said Carrot Cake with a chuckle.

"But I'm curious," said Macintosh, looking at the door and frowning, "do you hide your kids? Are you gonna spend your entire life hiding them?" At this, the two ponies frowned and looked towards each other, and hung their heads.

"No," said Carrot Cake, shaking his head.  "We won't make our children endure lives in hiding.  It just isn't right."

"But.... what will you do then? When ponies realize...?"

They looked to him once more, sad frowns on their faces.  Macintosh noticed that Cupcake seemed like she might tear up.  Carrot held her close and pressed his head against hers, and she nuzzled against his neck.  Carrot sighed, looking to Macintosh.  "... Well... we've considered a few options... but all of them end with us making a trip to Zauberstadt... the City of Magic."

Zauberstadt.

That was a name Macintosh recognized.  The name Twilight called her hometown by.  "Twilight gave us the means of getting there," said Carrot with a nod, holding his wife close, "but after that... well... it all depends on if they'll let us stay or not..."

Cupcake smiled, though she still seemed ready to cry.  "If they will... we start over... leave Sugar Cube Corner to Pinkie Pie... raise our babies among unicorns... and build new lives... a fresh start..."

He was loathe to ask, but Macintosh found himself asking a lot of questions he was afraid to ask today it seemed.  "... And if they don't...?"

At this the two froze.  Cupcake's lip quivered and her eyes became wet, and she held Carrot closer.  "If not... then Twilight promised they would at least take Pumpkin..."  At first, Macintosh didn't understand what that meant, but the moment it hit him, his eyes widened.  Cupcake choked and forced a smile on her face.  "My baby girl will not live in hiding..."

Even Carrot seemed to tear up a bit, though he held himself together better than his wife, who seemed ready to break any moment.  Carrot sighed and nuzzled Cupcake to comfort her.  "Pound Cake might have it difficult for a while, being a pegasus... but he'll have a good start, which is something few pegasi can claim... but with Pumpkin? There's no way of knowing..."

"Sweety," said Cupcake, sniffling and pressing her head into his neck, "I'm going downstairs..." The mare placed a half-hearted kiss on his cheek and made her way past  Macintosh, hurrying downstairs.  The stallion watched her leave and felt a hint of guilt, looking back to Carrot.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," said Carrot with a sigh, shaking his head.  "It's... something we've thought a lot about recently... and while it's something neither of us wants to do, it's something we realize we might have to accept..."  The stallion turned his attention to Macintosh, a small frown on his face.  He sighed and shook his head.  "Big Mac... I know we're not particularly close... but I trust you... so please... whatever you do... don't tell anypony about our children..."

Macintosh looked to Carrot and gave a nod.  "You have my word, an' my word is my bond."

Carrot smiled.  Then his lip quivered.  Then he hugged Big Mac.  The stallion tensed up a bit, not used to being hugged by other stallions.  He forced a smile and gently brought a hoof up to pat Carrot on the back.  When the baker released him, he relaxed, and Carrot wiped a tear from his eye.  "You're a dear friend, Big Mac," said Carrot with a sniff.

As Carrot made his way downstairs to join his wife, Big Mac found himself alone in the halls of their house, his mind racing with new-found knowledge.  He turned around, making his way down the hall and towards the door leading to Pinkie's penthouse, and gave it a soft rapping.

"Come in."

Slowly, the door pushed open, and Macintosh stepped inside.  Though he had been in the room before, this is the first time he was actually not panicking and could take a moment to look it appreciate it.  There were balloons and toys everywhere, as if the room itself was a celebration.  Pictures of Pinkie's friends and family lined the walls - including an image of her with Big Mac and Braeburn at the county fair.  He set his sights on Twilight and Pinkie, Twilight laying in the bed while Pinkie fussed over her, serving her her a bowl of soup.  All things considered, the unicorn seemed in good health; she was wearing a shirt Pinkie had loaned her to get her out of the one she was wearing, which was both damaged and blood-stained, and beneath that shirt she had a bandage wrapped around her wound.  It was fortunate that Twilight had remained conscious enough to tell Pinkie what to do, otherwise he might have panicked and taken her to a doctor anyway, though he knew she would likely need real medical attention soon.

"Twilight, you have to eat or you won't get better!"

"Pinkie," said Twilight, a slight hint of annoyance in her voice, "I've eaten two bowls of soup, an apple fritter, and three bowls of oats since I've gotten here..."

"And you'll eat several more before the day is done! Eeeat!"

"Pinkie," said Macintosh, causing the mares to turn their attention to the stallion, "what's the sayin' about leadin' a horse to water?"

Pinkie Pie's lip trembled as she stared at Big Mac, looking back to Twilight.  "B-but..."

"Pinkie," said Macintosh gently as he stepped towards his might-be cousin, placing a hoof on her shoulder and smiling, "she's fine.  You don't have to worry."

Pinkie Pie's pouty lip continued to shake, but she eventually relented and sighed, hanging her head.  "Oh alright..." She quickly turned to Twilight.  "But if you need anything, just ring this bell!" The mare jammed a hoof into her own mane, producing from it a small bell and placing it on the nightstand next to Twilight.  She began to walk backwards, her eyes locked on the two, until she bumped into a nearby wall.  She did not remove her gaze, instead placing her hoof on the wall and feeling her way for the door, until she tumbled down the steps, causing both ponies to wince.  "I'm alright!"

Once they were certain Pinkie had left the room, both ponies sighed, turning their attention to each other.  "Thank you," said Twilight, shaking her head, "I thought she'd never stop fussing..."  Big Mac chuckled and offered a soft nod to the unicorn.

"Well... she was worried you was gone."

"I told her three times I was still conscious..."

"You know Pinkie."

"Yeah..."

The two ponies chuckled at that, and then became silent.  That silence seemed to engulf the entire room for a moment as many questions lingered in the air.  As Macintosh readied himself to ask one such question, he noticed Twilight staring at him, and suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"What?"

Twilight was quiet for a moment, but he noticed something about her, a sort of sad understanding in her eyes.  She reached a hoof towards him, much to his confusion, but he stayed still.  When he felt her hoof touch the bare spot of his neck, he tensed up, realizing he had forgotten something important to him, but he did not move.  Her hoof brushed his neck, and her expression became sorrowful.

She couldn't take her eyes off it, and he knew it, and that made him more scared.  The hoof brushed over the shape, and he could swear he could feel every bit of it.  That spot where his bandanna always hung until it was used to keep her from bleeding out.

A jagged scar on his neck.

"... I see..." said Twilight, as she brushed her hoof over the scar.  "... That's why you always drink so much..."  Macintosh pulled away a bit, shifting around and pulling his shirt up a bit to better cover the scar.  Twilight winced a bit, withdrawing her hoof.  "I-I'm sorry... "

"No..." he said calmly, looking away from Twilight and placing a hoof over the scar.  'How could I forget? How could I be so stupid?' Macintosh looked around the room, trying to find his beloved green bandanna, but it was no where in sight.  He grimaced a bit to himself, sighing and hanging his head some.  "It's alright..."  Once more the room became quiet, neither pony having the nerve to look at the other for a moment.

"Macintosh, I'm sorry--"

"Nothin' to apologize for Miss Sparkle," said Big Mac, feeling a bit guilty, "Nothin' at all.  It's a scar.  Ponies get them.  Everypony gets them.  Some worse than others."

"Not just about that," said Twilight, though quieter.  He looked back to her, confused as she looked off to the other side.  "For not telling you about what I really am..."  Macintosh fell quiet a moment, not really knowing how to respond.  He could understand why she wouldn't tell him, and he did not blame her in the least, and yet he found himself still trying to wrap his head around it.  "... I wanted to tell you... I did... but I...." She winced a bit, shaking her head, looking back to the red stallion.  ".... I was worried that if you knew, you would... be afraid..."

Macintosh raised a brow.  "Be afraid? Why?"

Twilight seemed almost surprised by the prospect.  "Because... I'm a unicorn... "

Big Mac looked away from her a bit, pursing his lips and offering a gentle nod.  "Eeyup."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

Macintosh didn't respond at first.  His eyes moved a bit, as if scanning his thoughts externally.  He brought a hoof up to his throat and brushed it gently, turning his attention back to Twilight.  His mouth opened to speak, but no words came out as he tried to ponder just what to say.  He turned his attention back to the floor, letting his eyes drift back to Twilight.  She noticed the sadness in them as he turned back to her.

"Miss Sparkle... you're the third I've ever seen in my life..."

Twilight's eyes widened a bit.  She seemed to tense up as Macintosh turned his gaze away, brushing his hoof over his scar.  "...The first... she was dying when we found her... me an' my pa.... an' the second...." Macintosh paused.  He squeezed his eyes shut and held his hoof over his scar.





It was a dark night that night, so many years ago.

"Looks like it's gonna rain..."

The red-coated, gangly colt looked up to the sky as the clouds seemed to pull together to form great big masses of darkness.  They were so close to home, so he hoped that the rain would hold off just a bit longer, just long enough to allow them to get indoors without getting drenched.

"Eeyup," said a deeper, thicker voice.  The colt looked to his side, to an impressively sized, rust-red stallion with a white muzzle, orange eyes and a blonde mane.  He looked to the sky himself, rolling the straw in his mouth from one side to the other as he shoved his straw hat up some to get a better look at the sky.

"I think we should just book it, pa, 'for it starts up an' we get soaked."

"Nope."

The colt sighed, looking up at the sky again.  He knew any moment it would rain, and he and his father would be wetter than fish.  "Slow an' steady boy, ain't rainin' yet."  The cold wanted to argue the point, but he knew better.  With grim dignity, he accepted his father's argument, though that did not mean he had to like it.  Ponyville was within sight, the walls visible with various rooftops poking just above them.  At least he had comfort in knowing it wouldn't be much longer before they were home, and he could relax and read his stories.

The two ponies, father and son, pulled a caravan down the dirt path to their home town, returning from the next town over.  While the colt had tried to convince his father that a train would have been much faster and easier, the older stallion insisted on walking instead.  As they walked, the colt would let his eyes wander around, taking in the sights.  He sighed a bit, thinking to his stories of fairy tales and fantasies; heroes going on adventures, saving damsels, searching for treasure.  His father would berate him for having his head in the clouds, but it was his pastime, and he wanted to enjoy it.  As his vision scanned his surroundings idly, he noticed something off in the distance, something dark, with a soft speck of white, on the ground.  As he squinted, he noticed that the white spot looked vaguely like a snout.

"Pa... I think there's a pony over there..."

The older stallion tilted his head, looking past his son, squinting.  His eyes widened a bit.  "Unhitch yourself boy... follow me and stay close, and keep an eye on the caravan."  The two ponies released themselves from the hitches, allowing them to abandon their caravan and make their way towards the mysterious figure.  As they drew close, they noticed that the figure was indeed equine, wearing a cloak that seemed to cover their face.

And on their side, a massive slash, the cloth stained dark and the white fur beneath crimson.

"Oh my-- excuse me! Are you okay!? Can you hear me!?"

The shape twitched a bit, and suddenly their body moved with clear signs of breathing.  Slowly, the pony turned their head, revealing their face; a mare, blood in her mouth, her tired blue eyes barely focused.  Both ponies froze, however, when they noticed something more.

A horn poking from just beneath her mane.

"Oh my stars..."

The mare gasped and panted, clearly panicking a bit.  The elder stallion shook his head.  "Calm down, don't panic, you're hurt very badly... can you move? Can you stand?" The mare did not reply, however, she stared at them, confusion etched in her widened eyes.  "My name is Big Alex, an' this is my son, Mac... we got medical supplies in the caravan, we can--boy, go get that first aid kit!"

"M-my children...!" the mare panted, lifting her head and moving her hoof to drag in the dirt.

"Hold on there, you're gonna hurt yourself--"

"I don't..... care about myself..." said the mare, trying to pull herself to her hooves, but failing to even budge herself from the ground, panting and gasping.  "... My.... my children..."

"Tell me where they are," said Alex, leaning down and looking her in the eyes, "I will find them, and I'll bring them to you, and we'll get you somewhere to fix you up."  The mare stared at him, her eyes wide and confused.  "You have my word..."

She was quiet for a moment.  Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled very faintly.  ".... They're... hiding in the woods," she said, he voice weak, "... just find the tree.... whose branches make it look like a star.... they're in the cave... tell them.... their mother.... loves....."

Alex stared at the mare.  She continued to stare at him, a smile on her face, eyes wet with tears.  Macintosh stared blankly at the sight before him as his father stood up to his full height.  The stallion gently reached for his straw hat, and removed it from his head, placing it against his chest.  He turned to Macintosh and sighed, placing his hat back on his head.

Macintosh had never witnessed death before.  He had never seen a unicorn either.  And as he looked into his father's eyes, he saw this stallion whom had always been a pinnacle of mental, emotional, and physical strength shed silent tears.  "Boy.... go to the caravan... grab a lantern, an' meet me at the edge of the woods..."  The colt nodded and, without question, he turned, making his way back to the caravan.  Standing idle by the hitches, the colt tried to process everything in his head.  'It's too much,' he thought to himself, trying to sort things out in his mind, 'What is goin' on?'

"Get away from her!"

His ears perked up and Macintosh turned his attention back to where he had just come from.  In the distance, he saw a new figure appear, wearing a dark cloak and charging towards his father, knocking him off his hind legs and throwing him backwards.  Big Alex placed a hoof over his side and rolled a bit to his side, clearly in pain as the new figure slowly approached him.

"Pa!"

Macintosh ran quick, fast as his legs could take him, faster than he had ever run before.  His father turned to look towards him, and in that instant, he saw the elder stallion's eyes shrink to pinpricks.  "Mac! No!" In that instant, his attacker, a blue-coated stallion with golden eyes blind with rage as a golden aura enveloped his blood-stained horn, turned his attention to Macintosh.

Macintosh felt his hooves leave the ground, and in an instant the world spun around him, but the image, that face, burned in his thoughts.  As he twisted and turned uncontrollably, that face continued to stare him in the eyes from the back of his memory.

The sound of wood splintering, of the caravan being knocked over and managing to roll with the force he had struck it with.  Pain all over his body, crates bouncing against walls and him.  A sharp pain in his neck enough to make him cry out, but that only  hurt more, and elicited no sound.  And then, finally, everything stopped as he fell, hitting the side of the caravan wall which was now on its side, a box over his leg, which he was fairly certain was broken, as his throat in agony.

He couldn't move.  He couldn't speak.  He could barely think.  Everything hurt.

Tears filled his eyes.

'Pa.'

No words left his mouth as he silently made his plea.  He was terrified.  He was hurt.  He needed help.

'Pa...'

He was dying.

Tears filled his eyes.  He was too tired.  Too weak.  His will was burning away.  His spirit was fading.  He didn't even know if his father yet lived.

And then he felt a rain drop hit his cheek.

The sound of hooves on wood caught his attention.  Slowly, he turned his gaze towards the source as somepony peaked into the caravan.  Angry, yellow eyes staring down at him, filled with tears, with hate.

"You bastards killed my wife... you....."

And the anger faded.  Slowly, those eyes shifted from anger, to realization.

"... You're just a colt... "

Macintosh trembled fearfully, his eyes overflowing with tears.  He moved his mouth once more.

'Pa....'

The unicorn stallion stared at him silently.  "... You're not..." The stallion brought a hoof to his muzzle.  "... What have I done..."

Macintosh, however, could no longer be bothered to care.  His will was gone.  He closed his eyes slowly.

"No! No no no! Don't sleep! I... I'll go get help!"







Pain.

It was his entire existence the moment he woke up.  He could feel nothing else, knew nothing else, think nothing else.  Slowly, in spite of this pain, he slowly opened his eyes, discouraged only slightly by the bright light that assaulted his vision.  He tried to move his head, but every muscle hurt.  He tried to talk, but when he did, all that came out... no... that wasn't his voice.  The sound, the sensation, was as if somepony were scraping rocks against his vocal cords.  He did not like it.  He turned his head, slowly and carefully, trying to endure the aches in his muscles as he forced himself to look down.  His body was covered in bandages, one of his forelegs and the opposing hind-leg both in splints.  He could see some of the bandages he wore had slight staining on them, which was more than a little unnerving.

As he adjusted, he realized he was in an unfamiliar room.  As he turned his head, he caught sight of a familiar figure nearby.  An elder green mare slept soundly in a chair, using it as a makeshift bed.  'Granny' he tried to say, but what came out was like gurgling stones and hurt more than the last time he tried to speak.  So, he lay there.  For how long, he could not say.  It may have been seconds, it may have been hours, it could have been days for all he knew, but it was one of the longest waits in his life.

It wasn't until he saw a familiar orange figure step into the room that the monotony broke.  A small orange filly with green eyes and a blonde mane looked towards him and, upon seeing him, those eyes widened.  "Mac... Mac's awake! Mac's awake!"  The filly bounced and jumped, running from the room screaming those words.  Granny snorted and opened her eyes, seeming to not quite know where she was or what was going on for a moment, but when she looked at him, realization hit her and she was out of the chair and at his side.

"Oh thank the heavens above!" The mare wrapped her forelegs around him and hugged him tight.  He whimpered as pain shot throughout his body, and the mare pulled away, tears streaming down her face.  "Oh I'm sorry boy, I'm so sorry, I just... I just..." The mare stared at him, her mouth trembling.  She choked and shook her head, hugging him again, though this time much more gently.  "Oh... oh my little baby boy..."

Macintosh barely moved as he tried to remember what had happened.  Slowly, however, the memory returned to him.  It would hurt, but he had to know.

"Pa...?" he whispered.

At that moment, he felt his grandmother tremble.  She hugged him tighter, and though it hurt, he did not protest.  She was quiet for a moment, and then he felt her take a deep, rattled breath.

".... My baby boy...." The words were cracked.  Sad.  She didn't need to say anything else.  He wanted to hug her back, but he couldn't move.  All he could do was press his head against hers and shed his own, quiet tears.







Twilight stared, wide-eyed at Macintosh as he absentmindedly brushed his scar, taking a drink from a bottle of alcohol that Pinkie had left behind for disinfecting purposes.  "... When they found my pa... he was already gone... said he'd been roughed up... stabbed... bled out... and they had even thought I was dead when they found me..."  He sighed, looking up at the ceiling.  "They said that somepony told them there had been a terrible attack outside of town... lead them out there... and disappeared before they could ask questions."

The unicorn mare's gaze shifted, though she was clearly still focusing on the story.  "... So he just... attacked you in a blind rage...?"

"Don't know..." Macintosh shook his head, taking another drink from the bottle.  "Always assumed it was some kind of mistake... but I don't think I'll ever have the answer..."  He sighed, waving the bottle around a bit.  "... I... tried to tell them what happened... but they attributed it to the trauma somehow being mixed with my love of fantasy stories... said we were likely attacked by bandits and in my broken state of mind I made them into unicorns to cope with the horror and tragedy of the situation or some such."

Twilight didn't respond.  She stared into space for a few moments, and Macintosh took another drink from the bottle.  He had no idea why he was so thirsty.  He felt fine, really he did.  The unicorn mare looked back towards Macintosh.  "I'm.... I'm so sorry..."

"Nothin' to be sorry about, Miss Twilight," said Macintosh, not turning his gaze towards her.  "You didn't do anything.  You weren't there.  It wasn't your fault."  Macintosh was a bit surprised when he noticed Twilight pull herself closer to the edge of the bed and sit herself upright.  "Now now, you've gotta relax Miss Twilight or--"

She wrapped her hooves around him, and gently pulled him into a hug, effectively silencing the stallion.  He didn't do anything at first, but slowly he brought his hooves around her and returned the embrace.

"... What happened to you was horrible," said Twilight, and much to Macintosh's surprise, he felt a bit of wetness on his neck.  "... It doesn't matter if I did it or not... it shouldn't have happened..."

They sat like that for a few moments before finally pulling apart.  Twilight used a hoof to dry her eyes before fixing them back on Macintosh's, sympathy clear in them.  "Macintosh... I don't understand... if your father was killed by a unicorn, then why don't you hate me? Hate us...?"

Macintosh didn't respond at first, his head simply hanging slightly, his eyes half-lidded.  "... Because it was only the second unicorn I met that was a monster.... " The stallion sighed, closing his eyes.  "The first... was a dying mare who was terrified for her children..."  He looked up and smirked.  "The third was a slightly tight-knit no-business bookworm who might give ya a hard time but she means well."

Twilight tried to look offended, but could not hide the edges of her mouth tugging up.  "Thanks for that..."

Macintosh nodded.  "... And... well... the fourth is a baby who probably doesn't even realize there's a difference between her an' the rest of her family..." Macintosh looked back to the door and frowned, lowering his head.  "... They're absolutely terrified at the idea they might have to give her up..."

"It happens sometimes," said Twilight with a frown, looking away.  "Unicorns are urged to avoid outside contact, especially romantically so, to avoid situations like theirs."

"Would they take them? The whole family?"

"I can't say..."

Once more the room became quiet, and Macintosh found his mind buzzing with questions.  "... Twilight?"

Twilight's ear perked up.  "Yes?"

"What's yer hometown like...?"

Twilight was quiet for a bit.  Macintosh wasn't sure if now was the right time to ask or what, and wondered if he should apologize.

"Zauberstadt is Germane for 'City of Magic,'" said Twilight, a smile on her face.  "Founded hundreds of years ago by unicorns who wanted to build a new kingdom... one that existed secretly... one that was safe... secure..." Macintosh wanted to tell her that was not quite what he meant, but the starry look in her eyes told him he should let her talk; besides, he might learn something new.  "Zauberstadt is one of a few hidden Unicorn cities in Equestria... collectively referred to as the Unicorn Kingdom, the Invisible Kingdom, or Hidden Equestria, among other titles."  Twilight looked towards Macintosh and smiled.  "And... as for your question... it's not much different from any other village, with the exception of the fact that magic is as abundant there as technology is here.  We have entire academies of learning formed to educate unicorns in advanced casting."

Big Mac found himself intrigued by the idea of a city of unicorns, and may not have realized he was leaning forward a bit.  "Do y'all have your own farms?"

Twilight giggled.  "Well, of course we do.  While an Earth Pony will always grow better food than a unicorn of equal skill and learning, we can still grow our own food.  Some ponies even use magic to help it grow faster, though traditionalists argue that it ruins the flavor."  Big Mac found himself grinning at the prospect.  Twilight smirked, raising a brow.  "I'm... surprised at your interest, I must admit.  Even now many ponies are iffy at the prospect of magic, unicorns or no."

Big Mac chuckled and waved a hoof.  "I was a weird colt growin' up.  Always wanted to be the hero.  Save the damsel, fight evil, go on adventures... I always had dreams of that sorta stuff.  Pa said it was unhealthy, but Ma always encouraged me to dream."  He smirked and looked up to Twilight.  "I remember for the longest time my Ma thought I'd end up bein' a writer.  She saved up money for me to go to college since I was a colt."  He sighed a bit, and looked off to the side.  "But... then we lost Pa... an' Ma passed away givin' birth to 'Bloom... so... I kept that money and started savin' up so Apple Bloom could go to college..."

The unicorn mare frowned.  "... You gave up an education so you could give one to your sister...?" Big Mac nodded, a smile on his face.

"... I got real unlucky," he said, somewhat quietly, "... but her? She didn't even get to meet her parents... an'... I want her to have better."  He looked back to Twilight, and his smile grew.  "I don't know where she'll go in her life... but I want to help any way I can... an' that's the best way I can think to do it."

"That's... very noble of you..." said Twilight, a soft smile on her face.

"Thanks," replied Macintosh with a nod.  He wasn't sure if he was noble or not, but he liked the compliment nonetheless.  "Rich... was going to partner with us... pay us top dollar to acquire rights to the farm... " Big Mac hung his head a bit.  "I was tempted to take it... just so I could give her a guarantee... but I turned it down.  And sometimes, I wonder if I made the right choice..."

"Yeah," said Twilight, tapping a hoof to her chin, "he has been making a lot of property purchases as of late... I understand he's actually trying to gain ownership of the entirety of Old Ponyville.  Due to the general condition, I can't imagine he'll have to put up much of a fight to get it..."

"What? Why would he want to buy Old Ponyville?"

Twilight shrugged.  "Your guess is as good as mine."

A knock at the door drew both ponies' attention to it.  When it opened, Pinkie stepped into the room with a bowl of oats balancing on her head, much to Twilight's dismay.  However, she also came in with Fluttershy and the rainbow maned pegasus in tow.  Fluttershy immediately came to his side.  "Oh, Rainbow Dash! You didn't tell me you knew Big Mac!"

The rainbow maned pegasus balked.  "You two know each other?"

"I should think so," said Big Mac with a nod, "this mare may very well have saved my life."

'Rainbow Dash' as she was called, seemed stunned.  "Well... what are the odds of that happening?"

"About the same as the odds of finding a unicorn," said Twilight with a casual expression.

"And about that," said Rainbow Dash, turning to Twilight, "what the hell!? Unicorns are real!? You're an actual magical being!?"

"Yes I am," said Twilight with a nod.

"Then why didn't you just magic me and Gilda away when we broke into your home!?"

Fluttershy gasped.  "You what!?"

Twilight rolled her eyes.  "Well, for starters if I did I would have had to kill you to be sure nopony found out, and I consider myself a pacifist."

"Just because she's a unicorn doesn't mean she has to be violent," said Fluttershy, though this seemed to turn the rainbow pegasus on her.

"Wait, you knew!?" Admittedly, it was a question Macintosh now found himself curious about as well.

"Ever since we went into the castle," said the mare with a nod.  "And I promised her I would never tell anypony, and so I didn't."

"Thanks for that, by the way," said Twilight.  Fluttershy smiled.

"You're welcome."

"Okay, hold up!" Rainbow Dash held her hooves up and looked around the room.  "Alright... did anypony in here not know Twilight Sparkle was a unicorn this morning?" Nopony answered.  Rainbow looked around the room until she saw Macintosh, who was holding his hoof up slightly.  "Okay," said the pegasus with a sigh, "at least I'm not the only one who learned unicorns exist today."  Macintosh knew he could say something, but decided not to.  Rainbow Dash sighed and clapped her hooves together.  "Alright, moving on... I am going to state the obvious right now.  As of this evening, me, the big guy, the unicorn, and the little dragon are all likely on Filthy's shit list, and he's savvy enough that he's likely going to act as though he expects us to have made it out of there alive, so I doubt we'll be able to simply pretend we died and hope he doesn't do anything."  The mare flew so that she was in the middle of everypony and crossed her forelegs.  "What this means is that we're going to have to be very, very stealthy from here on out.  The good news is that you got me and I know what he knows."  Rainbow Dash grinned, sure of herself.

"I imagine," said Twilight, not bothering to hide her disapproval, "you're one of his flunkies."

"Former flunkies," added Rainbow Dash, holding up a hoof, "and for your information, I was a hired spy and thief, and I've been doing this job long enough to know when to be selective about details I share."

"Wait," added Twilight, her eyes widening, "you're the one who was spying on us!?"

"Yep!" Dash nodded, pointing a hoof at Twilight, "and as far as Rich knows, I was only following you, Big Mac, Pinkie Pie and his cousin.  I didn't tell him about everypony..."

Macintosh was quick to piece it together and looked towards Fluttershy.  "You kept Fluttershy a secret...?" This made the butter yellow pegasus' eyes widen for a moment.

"Yeah," said Rainbow Dash, frowning and rubbing the back of her head almost bashfully.  "Fluttershy and I go.... a long way back... "

"Don't be so modest," said Fluttershy, fluttering her wings and floating next to the rainbow maned mare and hugging her, "Dash and I were dear friends as fillies.  She always stood up for me."  Macintosh smirked, seeing Dash act embarrassed at the hug although he could tell the mare appreciated the gesture.

"Come on 'Shy, I'm a thief slash spy for hire, this is totally killing my vibe..."

"Oh, sorry..." Fluttershy broke the hug and drifted back, still smiling at her friend.  Rainbow Dash tried not to, but the edges of her mouth tugged upward ever so faintly.  The rainbow pegasus cleared her throat in an attempt to redirect the conversation once more.

"Here's the deal," stated Rainbow Dash, looking at everypony in the room, "as far as he knows, with the exception of Fluttershy, each and every pony in this room is in cahoots.  He's not likely going to openly challenge anypony either... he'll likely consider his display at Twilight's house a message of what he's willing to do to get what he wants."

Macintosh frowned.  "You sayin' he wasn't tryin' to murder us?"

"I don't think so," added Dash, shaking her head, "I think he trusted Twilight to find a way out... though if I'm to be honest, I don't think we should ignore the possibility that he might kill any one of us if he deems it necessary."

"But will he hurt our families...?" Macintosh added, looking to Dash with clear worry in his eyes.  It was a question he had been pondering ever since they had fled the house earlier that day, and it was one that frightened him.

"I don't think so."  Dash folded her forelegs together and lowered her head.  "He's... weird to say the least.  Every time we had a meeting, had a conversation, he would refuse certain options... Gilda had considered holding Twilight's accomplices' families for ransom and forcing Twilight to hand over the book or face the revilement of everypony in town, and he turned it down flat out.  As crazy as he is, he's got rules, and I don't think he likes to involve ponies who have nothing to do with the situation..."

Macintosh sighed and relaxed a bit.  "... I just happened to be involved..."

"Precisely," added Rainbow with a nod.  "But what he considers 'involved' can shift if we're not careful.  I propose that tonight, we disappear."

Macintosh froze.  For a moment, he was certain his heart had stopped.  "... For how long...?"

Rainbow looked to him with a raised brow.  "Well, I don't know, how long do you think Rich is going to be crazy?"

Big Mac shook his head.  "Are you sayin' we.... we just... leave? Leave behind our friends and family?"

"Not all of them," added Dash with a smirk, "clearly we're going to have to collect your cousin."

Big Mac's head was swimming.  He tried to think of something, anything.  He couldn't simply leave behind his family, his home, and never return.  "But... my whole life is here..."

"Yeah," added Dash with a sigh, "and so is Rich, and he's... well... rich."

Macintosh's jaw moved wordlessly.  He tried to think, tried to rationalize it.  Then it hit him; his ace in the hole.  "What about Nightingale? His niece? She's real sweet on me! I can talk to her, convince her to make Rich see reason!"

But Rainbow Dash only laughed.  "What!? You don't think she's in on this!? She's practically Rich's right hoof in this whole thing!"  Macintosh felt his heart sink as the pegasus flew closer to him.  "In fact, attacking Twilight's house was her plan!"

Macintosh felt his mind crack a little.  "No... she's a sweet mare, she'd never--"

"Never what?" Rainbow said, prodding Macintosh in the shoulder.  "When Rich called us in about dealing with Twilight, his original plan was simply to threaten her with eviction and pulling her funding.  He made a point of purchasing the property Twilight was using.  But she insisted it wasn't good enough.  'She would just leave and take the Elements with her' she argued.  'Best to catch her by surprise and give her an alternative she cannot accept.'"  The two ponies stared each other in the eyes, Macintosh trying to find any hint of dishonesty.  Despite everything he knew about this mare, however, he could see the seriousness in her.  If she were lying, she was doing a very good job.  He looked back to Twilight, who seemed unnerved by the information, though he could also see her looking at him with some level of concern.  Was it for him?

Dash sighed and stepped away, shaking her head.  "For the past few weeks, Gilda and I were scouring the house to find notes, clues, anything we could to just steal the Elements and Twilight's research.  Rich wanted to do this without a fight, but then he realized Twilight was scared, and likely taking every precaution.  He eventually admitted we'd never find what we were looking for unless she gave it to us willingly.  So, he finally decided in favor of Nightingale's plan and decided to launch a surprise attack on Twilight and give her an ultimatum; give up or be exposed."

Twilight nodded, looking at her hooves.  "The message she left me was his final warning."  Twilight's horn faintly glowed, a moment which Macintosh found mystifying as a piece of paper drifted from her coat, which hang on a nearby chair and drifted in front of Macintosh, who opened it and read it.


This is your final warning.

I have been patient and I lenient up until this point.  When we forged our partnership, it was under the understanding that we would share all materials and knowledge gathered, and I am aware that you have been holding out on me.  I have granted you funding, resources, and have even kept your secrets.  I have shown my reliability, but you are failing to show any in return.

I have run out of patience.  Tomorrow I will be paying you a visit to collect what is mine.  What happens next is entirely up to you.

Your Benefactor.


As Macintosh read the note, he found his mountain of doubts only growing larger.  He held the parchment towards Twilight, staring into space as he pieced everything together in his head.  Nothing in the world made sense anymore.  Everything was starting to turn on its head.  The stallion brought a hoof to his forehead, trying to calm himself.

"What happened, Rich...?"

"What happened," said Twilight, holding a hoof up, "are the Elements of Magic."  Everypony turned their attention to the unicorn mare.  "When we met, Rich and I were studying the same things, though we didn't realize it until we started grabbing the same books.  Turned out that Rich was something of a scholar... or occultist, depending on some peoples' views... and had been doing research on unicorns, magic artifacts, and any other esoteric knowledge he could gather."

"But why?" Dash flew between Macintosh and Twilight again, staring the unicorn in the eyes.  "What could Rich possibly want?"

"A few things," said Twilight, looking to the side as she pondered her thoughts.  "Since we forged our partnership, we've done a bit of excavating.  We've been in tombs, elder libraries, places even unicorns haven't set hoof in for generations, and we've discovered any number of mythical artifacts.  If he could find just one of them, he'd be happy.  The Elements are top priority for him, but he has a practical laundry list of mystical artifacts he wants to find, all of which are likely either destroyed, buried, or in the Unicorn Kingdoms."  She frowned and looked off to the side slightly, as if guilty.  "More than once he's tried to convince me to take him to Zauberstadt... "

"Good thing you didn't," said Dash, letting herself land and picking up the bottle Macintosh had been drinking from earlier and taking a swig.  "I have no doubt in my mind that he'd be willing to wage a war against a mythical people if they didn't give him what he wanted."

"It'd be a war he'd lose," said Twilight, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"So," said Rainbow, clucking her tongue and taking another swig of the alcohol in her hoof, "what's our next move then?"

Twilight and Macintosh exchanged looks and looked towards the pegasus.  "Our next move," said Twilight with no shortage of curiosity, "what do you mean our next move?"

"Well," said Dash with a shrug, "it seems I'm caught up in this whole escapade now.  Don't get me wrong, I'm used to living off the grid and on the move, but I wouldn't feel right leaving you ponies to do this alone."

"Well, that's quite generous of you to offer," said Twilight, though Macintosh knew immediately she was being sarcastic, "but we don't really need your help."

"Sure you do," said Dash, stepping closer with a knowing grin on her face.  "You see, I can already tell our farm-boy friend here isn't too keen on spending the rest of his natural life avoiding his family," a sentiment that gave Macintosh some level of hope, "and while you probably have a great deal less to lose, you're going to have some trouble going this without somepony who has resources to replace what you've lost."  Dash leaned against the nightstand and took another swig of her drink, her grin more arrogant than before.  "I have contacts.  Safe houses.  Favors I'm owed.  I can give you almost anything you can possibly want.  Whether you like it or not, you're going to need me, unless you don't mind the challenges of finding a new base of operations and doing magic tricks for money on the streets hoping that nopony decides to stake you."

Macintosh looked at the arrogant pegasus for a moment and turned to Twilight.  The bookworm mare seemed upset, maybe even begrudging of the fact, but he could tell she wasn't able to argue the point, and perhaps that's what upset her the most.  Twilight bit her lip as her eyes darted left and right, trying to conjure some debate in her head, some way to say 'no'.

"Look," said Dash, wrapping one foreleg around Macintosh's shoulders and pulling him close, "if not for me, do it for this big lug.  You said Rich wants other artifacts too, right? Well, I propose we find something that interests him and buy him off.  I don't know what's so important about those Elements of Magic or Harmony or whatever, but by the sounds of it, they're all you want, right?"

"Right now," said Twilight with a grimace, "they're the most important things in the world."

"Then it's settled!" Dash grabbed Twilight and held her close.  "We leave in the morning! You write a list of artifacts and I'll look into my contacts, I know for a fact I know ponies who deal with supposedly magical doodads, and I'll also grab us a safe house to work from.  Sound good?"

Twilight frowned and contemplated the prospect Dash was offering.  She turned her attention to Big Mac, who stared at her with big, pleading eyes.  The unicorn mare grimaced a bit and shook her head.

"Fine... just don't make me regret this."

"Great! So, where we heading?"

Twilight placed a hoof over her mouth a moment, deep in thought.  "Well... the texts said that the remaining elements were left to her blood, her castle, where her dream city would have been built, traveling nomads, and ponies in the clouds... which I can only assume is Cloudsdale..."

Rainbow Dash bit her lip and exchanged a glance with Fluttershy, who seemed rather solemn.  "Uhh.... yeah... you might have to get that one on your own..."  Twilight merely rolled her eyes as if having expected the answer.

"Well, I have two of them, and we have some idea where another might be, which seems to be in Manehattan."

"Ahh, great! Manehattan!" Dash grinned and rubbed her hooves together.  "Lots of ponies, lots of places to hide, pockets to pick... it'll be great!"

"So wait," piped Pinkie Pie, jumping into the group, "if we can't go out because ol' meany pants is lookin' for you ponies, does that mean we get to have a slumber party!?"

Macintosh raised a brow.  "That's alright, if'n y'all got a guest room I--"

"Nonsense, we won't bite! Slumber party!" Pinkie bounced up and down.  "I'm going to go get snacks, and drinks and we're gonna stay up all night telling ghost stories and it's going to be so great!" Macintosh watched Pinkie bounce around the room excitedly and smirked, rolling his eyes.

"We still gotta get your cousin," added Dash, to Macintosh's surprise.  The mare seemed dead serious on the matter, so he knew better than question her judgement.

"Well, how do we get 'em without raisin' alarms?"

Dash looked towards Twilight and raised a brow.  "Thing is this... can we trust him to keep a secret?"

Twilight blushed and waved a hoof.  "Oh... uh... I can just put on my hat again and--"

"Not gonna cut it," piped Dash.  "You got magic.  Call me nuts, but I think that's cool, and we'd be stupid to not use it.  Really, I'm surprised you didn't use it when me and Gilda invaded your house."

Twilight sighed.  "Actually, it's 'Gilda and I' but.... the answer to your question is mostly that as I like to consider myself a pacifist, I didn't want to alert you to it and risk you exposing me."

Rainbow Dash seemed to consider this a moment before offering a soft nod.  "Right.  Understandable."  She looked back to Macintosh.  "Still, I think it's within our best interests if we're going to bring him along to make sure there's no secrets.  And right now, it's in his best interest to be with us."

Macintosh looked at Dash, and then towards Twilight, who seemed unusually shy in this instance.  It was certainly something he wondered himself.  He had no reason to think Braeburn wouldn't be accepting, though he was also not sure how the stallion would react on top of all the pressure that had already been piled on him.  He sighed and looked to Dash.  "He... might be shocked, but he won't say a thing, especially if I tell 'em not to.  Just... let me talk to him before we show 'em anything."

"Good," said Dash with a nod.  "I'll go fetch him, we'll stick to the shadows, and we'll explain everything when he gets here.  He's going to want to be with us tonight, because if he's where Rich can grab him there's no telling what'll happen."  The pegasus turned about and made her way out of the room, and at that moment Macintosh felt a tapping at his shoulder.  Turning, he saw Pinkie Pie holding something in her hooves.  He looked down to see a familiar green cloth.  His eyes widened and he looked up to see Pinkie staring at him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I cleaned it for you," she said quietly.  Macintosh looked at her for a moment, then down to the scarf.  He slowly took it from her and gently wrapped it around his neck, deftly maneuvering his hooves and mouth to tie it in place.  He did not look at Pinkie, avoiding eye contact.

"Thank you," he said quietly, his voice slightly cracked.  The pink mare tilted her head.

"You need some water?"  Macintosh nodded his head softly, and Pinkie smiled, turning around and stepping out of the room.  Macintosh looked up to see Fluttershy nearby, staring at him.  Her own eyes seemed concerned, sad even.  He didn't like it.

'Don't look at me like that.'  He wanted to say the words, but he couldn't.  Instead, he stood up and silently walked past Fluttershy and out of the room.  The pegasus blinked in confusion, looking towards Twilight.  "Did... did I do something wrong...?"

The unicorn frowned and shook her head, looking to the door as it gently closed behind the stallion.  "... No...." She closed her eyes and hung her head slowly.  "You did nothing wrong... nothing at all..."