Have you ever felt that the weight of the world is on your shoulders? That, at any moment, you might be crushed beneath its weight? It certainly doesn’t do any favors for one’s mood. Starlight and friends were certainly feeling this way as they trudged through the Everfree. All save for Berry Punch and Maestro Spectrum, both of which seemed oddly chipper, considering the pressure of the task before them. The group stopped for a bit, drawing Berry’s attention. “Hey, why’d we stop?”
Maestro sighed. “The others seem to be in a rather somber mood. Just look at them! So downcast and worn out.” He looked to Berry with a grin. “I say they could use a little bit of a pick-me-up, so to speak.”
With that, Berry brightened, and got to work. Using her knowledge of the plants of the Everfree, she whipped up a batch of punch for everyone, and spiked it just a smidge , to open them up a bit. She served it to her friends, all save for Maestro (he refused, saying he wasn’t much for alcohol), and was enthused when they loosened up, chatting amicably. Their laughter warmed her spirits, as she watched them tell tales of past blunders. Thunder spoke of her brush with poison joke, where it made her unbearably slow. Cherry talked of the time that she almost burned down her house as a filly. Serenity wound a tale of intrigue, of how she tormented a pack of Diamond Dogs. Crescendo revealed a tale of the time she accidentally put her audience to sleep. Starlight spun the time she blew up at Blueblood in such a way as to make it comical. Berry even joined in with them, absorbing in the cheery atmosphere, adding to it her mishaps with bad dates. The conversation then turned to the abstainer of the group, Maestro. “*Hic* Hey Maestro!” He turned to see that it was Starlight addressing him. “Don’t you have any funny stories? What with being a previous student of the King and all.”
He chuckled. “Well, there is this one involving my half sister, Servo.” He smiled slightly. “So, do you want to hear it?” The group nodded, and he continued. “It was a cloudy winter day, one that promised snow any minute. The four of us were playing together, back when we’d first found each other. I was acting a bit distant, however, so Servo did something to knock me out of my stupor, as it were.” He shook his head. “She started acting like one of those ‘robots’ one reads about in sci-fi. She acted like she was bent on a warpath, and it warmed my heart to see her come out of her shell, if only just a little. It was one of the happiest memories I had with her.”
Thunder tilted her head, the buzz abating. “But wait. It’s the Enigma Three, not the Enigma Four. How come we haven’t heard about her before?” The rest of the group seemed to be pulling out of the buzz as well at this point.
Maestro looked away, a dark look barely visible. “Servo… she was… taken out before she could garner much fame. Nobody outside the family, and now you guys, even know that she existed at all. I don’t like to dwell on it much.” He then stood. “Let’s get going. We’re almost there.”
As he walked away, Starlight noticed that the others were just as concerned as her. They’d seen a bit of his coldness seep through. She knew that the others would see it eventually, but she didn’t think it would happen this soon. However, she knew they couldn’t lag behind. So, she urged them to follow him, deeper into the Everfree. The former Royal Palace was nearer than ever. A snake slithered away in the distance, back to its mistress It seemed disappointed that it had failed so badly- it wished not to disappoint its mistress. However, it was surprised when its mistress smiled. “You did your job well, my pet. Now, only one more obstacle shall I place between them and the castle. Your services are no longer required.” And, in a flash of indigo, the snake was gone.