//------------------------------// // Incorruptible // Story: A Glimmer of Hope // by Gordon Pasha //------------------------------// “I, for one, don’t understand why Hope can’t just teleport us to Las Pegasus,” Dr. Fie said as the three of them, covered by their cloaks, walked down an old trail leading south. “I’ve never tried to teleport that much of a distance before,” Hope responded. “I don’t think that I could.” “Such defeatist thinking never got anypony anywhere, dear child,” Dr. Fie said. “This from the pony that teleports objects whenever he tries to teleport himself?” Starlight Glimmer said. “Besides, if I know Twilight Sparkle, she’ll be trying to track us by now and has probably blanketed the western coast of Equestria with magic-detecting spells. Trying to teleport that distance would alert her to our general area. Best not to do that.” “As though we should be taking dictations from a manipulative, egomaniacal fanatic!” “I am the only one of us with adequate experience as a dictator,” Starlight said. “And all of us are manipulative, egomaniacal fanatics.” “Speak for yourself!” the doctor responded. “I am no fanatic!” “But you are manipulative and egomaniacal?” “I am resourceful and I possess a healthy level of self-esteem. Are these traits by which ponies should be judged harshly now?” “Not ponies, just you.” They had been bickering like that all the way from the snowy valley outside Seaddle. Radiant Hope tried to tune them out and was, most of the time, reasonably successful. After all, she had quite a few things of greater import on her mind. Particularly the Umbrum. Thinking about them always made Hope feel deeply uneasy inside. She put her hoof to her saddlebag, feeling Sombra’s horn within it. She hoped it would give her comfort, but she received little. Hope had turned Invidia’s taunting words over and over in her mind. However much she wanted to deny it, he did know her well. He knew that she would walk straight into his trap, willingly and of her own accord. He knew that she would not let more ponies get hurt. She wouldn’t let any pony get hurt. Not another one. She would face doom rather than allow it. That had to mean that she wasn’t a monster, didn’t it? Maybe it was time for a distraction after all. “Starlight, how do you know Stirring Words?” she asked. Starlight turned to her, looking rather pleased. “You want to know more about me?” “We are traveling together and we’re putting a lot of trust in Stirring. I would like to know a little more about him.” “But Hope, you can’t expect everypony to tell you every little detail about themselves while you still keep so many secrets. How about I tell you if you first tell me something about yourself?” Hope looked away. “You don’t need to know any more about me than you already do.” Starlight invaded her personal space. “But I do! If we’re going to be partners, I want it to be mutually-beneficial. What would you like me to do for you?” “‘Throw yourself from the highest peak in Equestria,’ would be my request,” Dr. Fie said. Starlight ignored him and focused on Hope. “I could make you a princess. Think of it, Hope, you help me turn Equestria into a utopia of equality, and you can be the ruler of that utopia. Of course, I would be your loyal chief minister, focusing on all those boring affairs of state that princesses shouldn’t have to worry about.” “Why does everybody assume that I still want to be a princess?” Hope said. “It was a long time ago and it can’t come back.” “I could bring it back for you, Hope. Can you really tell me that you don’t want it?” “I don’t want it.” Starlight looked at Hope, looked deeply at her. “You’re lying. I can always tell when you’re lying.” You haven’t been able to tell before, Hope thought. But she said nothing, instead concentrating on the road in front of them. Starlight waited for a response, but when it became clear she would not get one, she sighed and said, “Stirring is from my town. The one that I founded to be an exemplar of Equality, a place of happiness, tranquility, and harmony.” “A veritable 'city upon a hill,' I’m sure,” Dr. Fie said contemptuously. “It was in a desert, actually,” Starlight responded before returning her attention to Hope. “Stirring was one of my most loyal followers. He was one of the first to join the village and he stayed loyal even after Twilight had managed to turn most of the others against me.” “It didn’t bother him that you still had your cutie mark?” Hope asked. “Hope, when you revived Sombra, I’m sure he did a few things you could not understand, but you stood by him, didn’t you?” “I knew he had reasons for what he did,” Hope said quietly. “Maybe they weren’t the right things to do, but I knew why he did them.” “Stirring is the same. He accepts that, with any great undertaking such as ours, sometimes corners must be cut and sometimes we must go against the letter of our cause to uphold its spirit. He understands that I had to keep my cutie mark for the spell to work and that hiding it was necessary to prevent suspicious minds from thinking I was a mere hypocrite. When I was banished from my town, he came and found me and has been helping me ever since. Nothing can shake his faith in me.” “I knew he was daft from the moment I met him,” the doctor said. “Locally-grown radishes on a sandwich! Really!” “He didn’t mind giving up his cutie mark?” Hope asked. Starlight laughed. “Nopony minds giving up their cutie marks. They merely forget, after they have had them removed for a while, how troubled their lives truly were when they had them.” “I meant, even after getting it back, he still didn’t want it?” “I’ve told you before, Hope, that cutie marks are too difficult to interpret to bring happiness. Stirring understands this. When he got his writing cutie mark, he spent all his time penning doggerel poems left and right. They were absolute drivel, and he knew it. By the time he met me, he was so miserable that he gladly gave up his cutie mark and would do it again, if asked.” “My dislike for him grows every minute,” Dr. Fie said. “Anypony that would so butcher our native tongue and the fine form of poetry deserves nothing less than the gallows.” “But, if he doesn’t want it, why does he still have it?” Hope asked. “Shouldn’t you have removed it again?” “I wish that I could,” Starlight said, with a look of (probably staged) remorse. “But cutie marks are so unpredictable. When Stirring was trying to find ways of helping me during my wandering, he started writing again. That newspaper of ours was his idea. He thought that, if he could spread our message, we could start to build up a following and maybe even a new town. Stirring’s special talent, it turns out, is not in poetry but in propaganda.” “So, cutie marks are useful sometimes?” Hope asked. “They can be a necessary evil,” Starlight said. “And now that I’ve answered your question, would you please answer mine? Do you want to be a princess?” “I already answered that.” Starlight looked down for a moment, probably thinking through her next avenue of attack. When she looked up, she said, “Maybe you don’t want to be a princess anymore. But Hope, we both care about others. It’s why we do what we do. Don’t you see that Equestria needs a pony like you as princess? Celestia, Cadance, Twilight Sparkle — they are all corrupt. They cannot lead Equestria anymore. But a pony like you could.” Hope sighed. “And you really think that I’m not corrupt?” “You are as uncorrupt as I am,” Starlight responded. “Whatever ponies think of our actions, we did them out of selfless motives. I always have. That’s why, at the Rational University, they used to call me Starlight Glimmer the Incorruptible. Because I never backed down and I never compromised. Hope, you’re the same way.” She quickly turned to Dr. Fie and said, “If you dare claim that you’re the only incorruptible pony here, I’ll buck you down the next gorge.” “The truth hurts, does it, Starlight?” the doctor responded. “I think I see a gorge now.” Dr. Fie jumped back a little and tried to put some space between himself and Starlight. There was no gorge anywhere in sight. Starlight turned back to Hope. Hope was staring blankly down the road. It was hard not to suspect that she was losing her. She needed to reel Hope back in. “Do you still want to save Sombra?” Starlight asked. “That’s impossible,” Hope said, in a distant, foggy sort of way. “If I’ve proved anything, it’s that Sombra could never be saved. He was always....” “Always what?” Evil Hope could not bring herself to say the word. She was aware that Starlight was staring at her, waiting for her response. She did not care. “Well, there must be something we can do. I can help you with that, Hope. I will help you with that.” Hope finally answered Starlight’s gaze. “Don’t make me promises you don’t intend to fulfill. I’ve done that enough that I know when somepony is doing it to me.” Starlight put on an innocent ‘who me?’ face. Hope was unmoved. “But, Hope, what do you want, then? You can’t still want to free the Umbrum!” “I just want to put the past behind me. I just want to live without being constantly reminded of it. I don’t want anything else.” Starlight gave her a knowing look. “You don’t want that. That’s not the type of pony you are.” Hope looked ahead. “Everypony seems to know what type of pony I am. Except for me.” “If you just wanted to forget, you wouldn’t still be using that healing spell of yours,” Starlight said. “You wouldn’t have ended up at a major hospital. Hope, you still want to help ponies. You still want your life to have meaning and purpose. You still want a full and fulfilled life. I can give it to you.” “A full life?” Hope spat out. “A fulfilled life? You mean, a happy life?” Starlight never seemed to be surprised. But she was surprised now. More than surprised, actually. Startled. “Of course, a happy life.” Hope looked to Starlight again. Starlight was even more astonished. There was a fiery look in those blue eyes that she had never even thought Hope capable of. Hope spoke, her voice rising in pitch. “Can I have a happy life? Let's see... I lost both my parents when I was a foal, my only real friend was turned into a monster and banished my home for a thousand years, a thousand years which I spent in a dank, smelly prison. At least I thought that I had at least found a family there. But they hated me. I gave them all the love I had to give, but they still hated me. They made me their weapon, and I let them do it because I thought they cared. I nearly destroyed Equestria, just to save Sombra, and even then it wasn't enough. I did everything to save him, how I gave him every opportunity, and yet, he still... he still....” Hope’s voice grew very weak. “He still betrayed me. Everyone betrays me.” For a moment, Hope was silent and crestfallen. Starlight seemed about to speak. A piercing glare from Hope and she held her tongue. She clearly had decided it was better to wait out the storm rather than jump in the middle of it. Hope's voice rose again. “And all so I could end up stuck with the two of you! A thousand and sixteen years! Never gonna get them back! And I don't think I'll get another thousand to make up for them, either. I think it’s a bit late to be trying for a full, fulfilled, happy life!” Starlight did not respond immediately. She still seemed a little shaken. But then all of her evident uncertainty seemed to evaporate. Starlight stood up straighter and regained her usual self-possession and confidence. She offered Hope a gentle smile and a reassuring voice. “Hope, I know it’s difficult, but you must think about ponies other than yourself!” “That’s all I’ve ever done,” Hope responded. “And it’s turned out so well, hasn’t it?” Dr. Fie let out a dramatic sigh. “Hope, dear girl, we really need to talk about these flights into self-pity that you keep having. They practically reek of self-importance.” “Hope, I’ve suffered too,” Starlight said. “I lost my mother when I was young, so I know what it’s like to feel robbed of your parents. It wasn’t easy for my father raising me. Especially considering that the family was convinced he murdered her.” “It’s no wonder you turned out how you are, having come from such distinguished stock,” Dr. Fie said. “He didn’t murder her,” Starlight responded, staring coldly at Dr. Fie. To Hope, she said, “And then, I too had a friend, only one real friend. But I lost him, just like you lost Sombra. And then, when I tried to make everything right, Twilight Sparkle came in and stole it all from me. So you don’t exactly have a monopoly on unnecessary suffering.” “Remember, too, dear child, my many sacrifices,” Dr. Fie said. “To narrate all the episodes of my life is too daunting a task to be done in my current weary condition. Besides, I wouldn’t want to spoil anything from my upcoming five-volume autobiography. But let it suffice for me to point out the many hardships I have endured just since being spirited away from my modest yet agreeable home in Seaddle. I have had to eat cheap sandwiches, subject my delicate back to sleeping on the hard ground, been forced to climb up and down these dangerously uneven dirt roads, suffered the unbearable extremes of weather, and so on. But do I ever complain? No, I put on a brave face and go stoutly about it. No matter what hardships fortune throws my way, I face them with courage.” “Be quiet, both of you!” Hope snapped. She increased her pace so as to leave a gap between her and the other two. Starlight glared at Dr. Fie. “We were starting to win her over until you had to go overboard with that last part.” “I hardly think your continued persecution fantasy regarded Twilight Sparkle inspires much confidence in her, madam,” Dr. Fie responded. “When my revolution succeeds, you’ll be the first to be stood against a wall and shot,” Starlight said. “I look forward to seeing you on the gibbet on some fine day in the not-too-distant future,” the doctor responded. “Let me talk to her. I’m sure I can get through to Hope.” Dr. Fie ambled forward so that he was now beside Radiant Hope. “Leave me alone, doctor,” she said. “Hope, dear girl, I apologize if our companion once again showed herself to be an uncivilized brute,” Dr. Fie said. “But we don’t want to see you beating yourself up like this. It’s true that your life has been one-thousand-plus years of unending and utterly meaningless misery, that you’ve been an unloved, uncared-for pawn throughout nearly the entirety of your existence, but that is really no reason at all to be as gloomy as you’ve become. Brighten up, dear girl!” Hope gave the doctor a biting look. “You really don’t get it, do you?” “Don’t get it? I get it perfectly well. Better than you do. I understand that your existence seems pointless, one of missed opportunities and undeserved agony. But you don’t see how lucky you are, dear girl. After all, an opportunity greater than princesshood has presented itself to you and you aren’t even aware of it. You see, child, you’re one of the few ponies who has ever gotten to actually meet me. Just think of how many have lived their whole lives without ever getting that chance, merely because they had the misfortune — Oh, grave misfortune! — of being born before I was. But those thousand years that you lived, all the circumstances of your life, they all sent you along the path to meeting me. And isn’t knowing me for even the briefest period a massive recompense for everything you’ve had to endure?” The two stopped in their tracks. Hope stared at Dr. Fie. “I don’t know whether I want to hug you or to smack you,” she said. “The latter,” Starlight said from behind. “Definitely the latter.” “But you still don’t get it, doctor,” Hope said. “You just don’t understand.” And she began to walk again, leaving a stunned Dr. Fie to watch her go. Starlight came up beside him. “Nice job getting through to her,” Starlight said. “Oh, pish-posh!” Dr. Fie responded. “If she does not see things my way, it is only because my empty stomach has dulled my powers of argument. If we can halt for a moment in order to nourish ourselves, I shall soon persuade Hope.” “We just ate two hours ago,” Starlight said. “Has it been that long? No wonder I feel so weak. A lesser pony would have already collapsed under these trying exertions.” As they began to move again, Dr. Fie opened his saddlebags and began to dig through for any morsel he could find. “Oh, cruel fate!” he said at last. “We’re out of food!” “I figured it would be about now that what Stirring gave us would run out,” Starlight said. “Though it might have lasted longer if somepony hadn’t insisted that he ‘needed nourishment’ constantly.” “Don’t berate me for your precious subordinate’s inability to calculate the necessary number of meals for such a massive expedition as ours,” Dr. Fie said. “We’ve avoided other ponies so far, but we’ll have to stop at the next town and get some supplies,” Starlight said. “All of us need to keep our hoods up and stick together.” “Nonsense,” Dr. Fie said. “Whatever settlement is out here is much too far from civilization to have heard of your unfortunate escape.” “Never underestimate the speed with which gossip travels, doctor,” Starlight said. “Let’s just find a town and quickly get what we need.” “I think I see one up ahead,” Hope called back. “It’s a little off our path, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to reach.” The three passed a few rows of shacks as they entered the outskirts of the town. Dr. Fie looked at these dwellings and turned up his nose. “A rustic little hick village,” he said. “Charming.” “They remind me of the houses in my town,” Starlight said. “Then your tastes in architecture leave as much to be desired as those in food and company,” responded the doctor. “Let’s not start this again,” Hope said. “She’s right,” Starlight said. “If we keep bickering like this, we’ll attract attention. We need to keep our heads down and our hoods up.” “Madam, as I said before, there is no way this backward corner of Equestria would have heard anything about—” They had entered the commercial district, though in an area where few other ponies were. But as Dr. Fie was talking, Starlight pointed to a nearby wall. There were three 'wanted' posters, ones with likeness of herself, Hope, and the doctor, in that order. On each was a request for information and the promise of a reward. “ —us….” The doctor held his hooves to his chest and his eyes grew wider. In a voice nearly breaking, he said, “That can’t be us. Look at me! I don’t have a nose like that!” “I can see our names,” Hope said. “It’s us.” “Like I said, we have to be careful,” Starlight said. “I have a feeling Twilight is going to pull out all the stops to catch me this time. Let’s find the nearest grocer or market and resupply.” There was currently a farmers’ market going on in the commercial district and the three soon found their way to it. Starlight and Hope both pulled their hoods further down over their heads as they walked between the stalls. Dr. Fie did not, but he did keep turning his head every which way, expecting danger around every corner. “Keep together,” Starlight said. “We need to get in and get out.” And so they did. All went well for the majority of the afternoon. It was a chilly day, and the sight of ponies in cloaks and hoods, while somewhat uncommon, was not so ridiculous as raise much suspicion among the vendors — most of whom were too busy accepting and giving back coin and glancing over their wares to even look up at who was buying from them. “Nearly finished!” Starlight whispered to the other two as they approached the last stall from which she intended to buy. However, the pony at this stall, a rather heavy earth pony mare, was far more attentive than most. “Hey, you’re a crystal pony, ain’t you?” she said to Hope. Hope nodded while trying to keep as much of herself under the hood as possible. “Yes, I am.” “We don’t get many crystal ponies around here,” the vendor continued. “How’d you end up in this part of the country?” “I’m just passing through,” Hope said. “We’re saddlebagging across Equestria,” Starlight added. “Avoiding the tourist traps and looking for its… its true heart.” The vendor sighed. “Oh, you’re a couple of those ponies….” Hope could hear a rare timber of alarm in Starlight’s voice when she said, “What do you mean by ‘those ponies.’” “University students. During the summer, we get so many of them, trying to find the ‘real Equestria.’ Which means, as far as I can tell, whichever part of Equestria has the strongest cider. You’re those ponies, ain’t you?” Starlight did not miss a beat. “Yes, we are! Rational University of Canterlot! Go Parasprites!” “Are you sure you should be giving her your actual alma mater?” Hope whispered. Starlight shushed her. The mare at the stall nodded. “At least it’s not more unicorns from the Royal Academy. A bunch of snobs, the lot of them.” “Looks like my alma mater is better than yours,” Starlight whispered to Hope. “That doesn’t sound very equal,” Hope whispered back. “Without exclusivity and elitism, it wouldn’t be college.” Hope pulled back her hood just enough to give Starlight a sharp look. Starlight smiled. “Don’t worry. There will be no colleges in the new Equestria. I do have some ideas for an ‘Academy of Equality,’ or an Academequality, if you will.” “I don’t want to hear your five-year plan.” “It isn’t going to take five years.” The vendor rolled her eyes as she watched the two ponies in hoods whispering back and forth. “College fillies. Always the same….” To them, she said, “You know, we don’t get much of you college kids during winter break. It’s always in the summer months.” “We’re iconoclasts,” Starlight said. “Ain’t all college kids?” The mare now focused on Hope exclusively. “Hey, crystal, I been hearing that one of your types is on the run in these parts. They say she’s some nutjob who nearly brought down the Crystal Empire last year. Brought back King Sombra and everything. What do you think about her?” Starlight and Hope exchanged nervous glances from underneath their hoods. Each was trying to silently reassure the other, without being reassured herself. Both tried to put on a calm front, but Hope thought she heard Starlight gasp a little as she waited for Hope to say something. “I… I don’t know,” Hope said, managing to sound completely calm and even a little uninterested. “It’s been a while since I lived in the Crystal Empire.” “Well, if she were here, I’d buy her a cider,” said the vendor. “I got a cousin in Vanhoover who writes to me complaining about crystal ponies, suddenly just appearing from the north and taking all the jobs that normal ponies used to do. It’s about time somepony put them in their place!” “Don’t take her up on that offer,” Starlight whispered. “Let’s just pay and go.” “Nice talking to you,” Hope said as she gave some bits to the vendor. “Do me a favor, crystal,” the vendor responded as Hope and Starlight walked away. “If you see any more ponies like you, tell them to stay away from here! We’re all honest hard-working ponies here, and we don’t need those metallic freaks taking that away from us!” Hope did not bother looking back. She hurried out of the general vicinity as quickly as she could. Starlight had to quicken her own pace to keep up. “I’m glad that’s over,” Starlight said once they were out of earshot. Hope shook her head. “I thought only the Umbrum hated crystal ponies that much.” “You suddenly pop out of nowhere after a thousand years and add yourself to Equestria’s population, and ponies are going to hate you,” Starlight said. “It’s a fact of life.” Hope raised her brows a little. “I’ve learned that the hard way.” “We got lucky back there. Let’s try to avoid situations like that again,” Starlight said. “At least Dr. Fie didn’t go off on one of his absurd tangents and get us found out.” “He was rather quiet, wasn’t he,” Hope said. “I’ve never known him to be that quiet. Ever.” Starlight and Hope once more exchanged nervous looks. Things had become clear to them both at once. Slowly, they turned their heads in unison to look behind them. And then each looked along the side of the market nearest to her. “Hope,” Starlight said, “where is Dr. Fie?” “Excuse me, dear boy, but are you equipped to send telegrams from this establishment?” Dr. Fie asked as he entered the building. “This is a telegraph office,” responded the grey earth pony, a young male with an unruly black mane, from behind the counter. “What do you think?” “I’m a traveler,” Dr. Fie said. “An eminent naturalist, in fact. I’ve come studying the flora and fauna of this area and I need to get an urgent telegram to my colleagues in Canterlot. I can’t send it by pegasus mail, because it needs to be there immediately.” “What? Discover a new species that’s about to leave for a vacation to Griffonstone?” asked the pony behind the counter. “Don’t make smart remarks, dear boy,” Dr. Fie said. “No one likes a pony with such bad manners.” “Whatever. Just fill out a telegram and give me your bits.” Dr. Fie took a piece of paper and a quill and started to write his message. He nearly dropped it when he looked up and happened to see himself staring back at him from the wall. “I still say the nose looks nothing like mine,” he said. “What?” said the telegraph-pony. He then looked to the three ‘wanted’ posters. “Oh, those. You better be careful out in the woods there, mister. These three fugitives escaped from a mental ward the other day. Some folks from the government came in earlier and told us to be very careful, as they’re all supposed to be highly dangerous. My guess is they must be psychotic, coming from a mental ward and all.” “Psychotic, indeed!” said Dr. Fie, standing up tall. “Highly dangerous, indeed! I’ve never heard something so preposterous in all my life!” “How would you know, mister?” the telegraph-pony said, eying Dr. Fie suspiciously. Dr. Fie quickly pulled the cloak down over his face and huddled over the piece of paper. “The first two, I’ll grant you, are clearly highly-dangerous and probably psychotic,” he said, stealing glances at the telegraph-pony. “But is it not obvious that the third one is not?” “No.” Dr. Fie pointed his hoof theatrically toward his own portrait. “Observe the high brow and large forehead. These are signs of intellect. Observe too the classical features of the face and the firm outline of the jaw. This is a pony who is refined, cultivated. But no dainty dilettante is he, no, sir! He is a pony of action, fully capable of mustering courage when courage is what is called for! It is quite evident that he is an innocent in the whole affair. I do not doubt that those two vicious fugitives have taken him against his will and that he wishes for nothing more than to return to the simple, albeit distinguished, law-abiding life from which he was so-cruelly torn.” The telegraph-pony studied the portraits. “Nah,” he said, “I don’t get that at all. Now, those two girls are cute, but the guy? He looks like the real criminal to me. I think it’s those shifty eyes or the way that grin of his makes him look like he’s gloating. Or maybe it’s that nose.” “I should sue whoever drew that and made my nose so hideous,” Dr. Fie said under his breath. To the telegraph-pony, he said, “It is clear that your mind is too much in the gutter to appreciate the marks of genius! This pony — no, this prince among ponies — is no more a criminal than you or I!” The telegraph-pony raised his hooves. “Okay, buddy, calm down! You act like you know the guy or something.” Dr. Fie barely managed to suppress a squeak of anxiety. “Know him? That’s absurd. It is merely that I am an excellent judge of character. I can take the measure of anypony instantly. I have never been wrong before and I doubt very much that I am wrong now.” “The poster says the guy’s a doctor. I guess all you intellectual-types stick together, huh?” “Only those of us with the very greatest of minds.” Dr. Fie, in a huff, quickly scribbled down the remainder of his message and floated it over to the telegraph-pony. “That’ll be two bits,” the telegraph-pony said. “Two bits? For a single telegram? Why such an excessively exorbitant amount?” The telegraph-pony shrugged. “I don’t set the prices. The company does that.” Dr. Fie reluctantly parted with two bits. “Well, I think whoever runs this company should be the one with his or her face on that poster instead of that innocent, kindly doctor over there. This is highway robbery, and you do it in broad daylight, too!” “Where do you want the telegraph sent to in Canterlot?” “The headquarters of the Equestrian Intelligence Service!” The telegraph-pony looked from Dr. Fie to the ‘wanted’ posters. Under each one was the words, “If you have seen this dangerous fugitive, contact the Equestrian Intelligence Service immediately.” “Don’t look so suspicious,” Dr. Fie said when the telegraph-pony looked back to him. “My colleagues and the EIS both have offices in the same building. Not wholly a satisfactory arrangement for either party, but they both manage. They’ll make sure the message gets to the right ponies.” The telegraph-pony stared at Dr. Fie, looking him over carefully. “Well, get a move on!” Dr. Fie said, shooing the pony along with his hooves. “I do not get paid enough for this job,” the telegraph-pony said as he began to transmit. “Any luck finding him?” Starlight said as she and Radiant Hope met up again. “No, he was nowhere to be found,” Hope responded. “He wasn’t down my end, either. Hope, how could you let him get away?” “I didn’t know I was in charge of him,” Hope said. Starlight gave a light whack to the back of Hope’s head, nearly causing her hood to fall off. “Don’t do that,” Hope said. “You’ll expose me.” “Oh, I think you’ve done a fine enough job of that!” Starlight said. “You’re the reason I’m even keeping the doctor with us, so he’s your responsibility.” “You keep him around because you think it gives you leverage over me, is that what you mean?” “Hope, don’t make it sound so calculated. But, yes, I keep him around because of what he means to you.” Hope looked down the nearest aisle of stalls. “Maybe it doesn’t matter that he left. We don’t need him.” “We need him not to turn us over to the authorities,” Starlight said. “I really wish I had knocked him into a gorge when I had the chance.” “It wouldn’t be smart to turn us in, since they’re looking for him, too,” Hope observed. “The word smart does not describe your Dr. Fie, Hope,” Starlight said. “You’re right,” Hope responded. “He’d probably use brilliant, genius, or some other word like that.” “This is serious,” Starlight said. “We have to find Dr. Fie or—” “I thought I heard my ears burning.” Dr. Fie walked up beside Hope, with a basket of various fruits, vegetables, and a bottle of wine floating next to him. “Especially, when the terms brilliant and genius were employed.” Starlight knocked him to the ground. As she stood over him, her horn beginning to smolder, she said, “Where were you?” Dr. Fie’s own horn lit up. He managed to magically catch all of the foodstuffs in his basket before any hit the ground. He missed the wine, though. The only really terror on his face came when it nearly shattered on the ground, but Hope managed to catch it with her magic at the last moment. Looking at Starlight’s furious face, he smiled. “I merely bought us some real food — or at least what passes for it in this podunk town. All of this may only be imported from around Canterlot, but it’s better than what your pony was feeding us. And probably better than what you bought. You should be thanking me, madam.” “Starlight, get off of him,” Hope said. “No,” Starlight said. “He must have been doing more than buying groceries.” “You’re making a scene,” Hope whispered to her. Starlight looked up to see that ponies were beginning to notice the tussle of the hooded strangers in the middle of the street. She resumed a dignified posture and backed off of Dr. Fie. With one of those fake smiles she was so good at, Starlight said to anypony watching, “My friend just had one too many ciders today. We’re helping him up.” The explanation seemed enough, as the other ponies went back to their shopping. Dr. Fie rose to his hooves and began brushing himself off. “I know you did something,” Starlight said, her voice deceptively sweet and kind. “When I find out what it is, I will blast your horn off of your head.” “Starlight, calm down,” Hope said. “You don’t know that Dr. Fie was doing anything. If he alerted anypony to our presence, don’t you think they’d have come for us by now?” “I have an alibi, see?” Dr. Fie said, shoving the basket in Starlight’s face. “You think a demanding connoisseur such as I could pick all this up in a flash? It takes patience and diligence to find the best this market has to offer. How could I possibly have managed to have made the acquaintance of any authorities while I was doing that?” Starlight looked from Dr. Fie to Radiant Hope. “Do you trust him?” she asked. “He might be telling the truth, at least about this,” Hope said. “Oh, thank you, dear Hope!” Dr. Fie said. “You stand by your beloved Dr. Fie. Oh, what loyalty!” “He does need to have the best of everything or he starts to whine,” Hope continued. Dr. Fie’s expression changed to one of offense. “I do not need the best of everything! I simply cannot agree with the opinion that one should deny oneself of it when it’s there just begging to be taken!” Starlight looked from Hope to Dr. Fie. Suddenly, a smile reappeared on her face. “Fine. I’ll believe you. For now.” She began walking. As she passed Hope, she whispered, “It’s on your head if he’s lying.” Then, to the both of them, she said, “We’ve got everything we need. We should get a move on so that we can make camp somewhere before nightfall.” “Actually, I think it will be nightfall before we reach the outskirts of this Celestia-forsaken place,” Dr. Fie said. “I recommend that we should find some lodgings for ourselves for the night and continue on first thing tomorrow.” Starlight stopped. She looked to Hope, her eyes narrow. “He does have a point,” Hope said. “We lost too much daylight looking for him.” Starlight looked up at the sun, which was quickly setting. The moon would be out very soon. Reluctantly, she nodded. “Let’s find someplace where they accept bits and don’t ask too many questions.” “There’s an inn down the street,” Hope said. “I noticed it when I was looking for Dr. Fie. From what I saw, I doubt that they pay much attention to the clientele they get. It might be the best place for us.” “Hope, take us there,” Starlight said. The inn was a small place, two stories and barely that, and not very well-maintained. Most of it was dark, but there were a few lights on the bottom floor. There were windows, but most of them were boarded up. Radiant Hope and Dr. Fie waited outside while Starlight made preparations. Dr. Fie sighed. “I had hoped for something with a five-star rating.” “You won’t find many stars in this place,” Hope said, “but if you want to stay in town, this is the best we’ll get.” “Oh, dear me,” Dr. Fie said. “The sacrifices I make for the greater good.” What did Dr. Fie's message say? Read on.