//------------------------------// // Chapter 23 // Story: Refined Starlight in a Broken Vessel // by the-pieman //------------------------------// ~Fluttershy~ “One, two, three, four.” I chant to myself, counting the number of wraps I’ve put on the poor weasel’s leg and back. The dear was hurt by a brick thrown out of Ponyville, and needed the splints. All around me are my friends, ranging from tiny little beetles helping carry medical supplies, to Harry the bear, making sure none of the hurt animals can cause any accidental harm to the others until they’re fixed. I stop to wipe my brow, as the sweat is tickling my eyebrows, and it’s rather not nice. Still, I’m nearly done, and it’s best if I get to work again. Scooting around the deep, dark shadow of the nearby tree, I make my way to the injured Manticore, also with a rectangular bruise and several similar, but minor, contusions, though it’s not him I’m worried about. The poor dear’s nest was what was mainly hit, and his cubs are looking so sad and are in so much pain, and there’s only so much I can do. The first’s wings are badly crumpled, and the Manticore has to help me hold the little one down and keep the tail away from me until I can get the splints on, and the poor thing is going to need to come back in a week to get them checked out, which I tell the Manticore. Thankfully, he understands. The second cub, a young female, has to have one of her rear legs bound tightly, and I’m nearly in tears as she yowls in pain as I set the bone in three places. The spurs found on a female manticore are just growing in, meaning she’s only a year old, but her wings are already tattered, likely from the cave-in at the nest. Oh... she’s never going to fly. Now the tears begin to fall. Wiping them away and sniffling, I turn to the last cub, and have to choke back a sob. There is no way I can fix this cub... the way the chest is caved in, the slow, ragged, wet-sounding breathing... I can’t fix enough in time. I hold the cub and sing to her, until the pain stops... it’s so unfair. I hear the familiar sound that accompanies Rainbow Dash slowing from a rather unsafe speed and look up. Sure enough I can see the blue and rainbow streak slowing, the tears in my eyes obscuring her to blurry shapes. “Fluttershy! Are you okay!?” Her first question before she even touches down. I look up and nod to her, trying to clear the tears, but it’s not working, and she hugs me. She always knows what I need. “Hey, don’t worry, Anthony took care of the demon and the town’s already pretty much fixed. I know I’m not exactly a doctor but uh... you need a hoof with anything?” I shake my head. “N-no, I’ve done what I can.” I say, then remember to say ‘Thank you’, oh I hope she’s not disappointed in me. A faint spike of icy fear goes through me at the thought. She looks a bit concerned though, not mad. “Well, alright. You just seem pretty torn up and uh... you know... I wanna help if I can. Hey, how about we get you inside?” I sniffle, but nod. It’s getting really dark outside, and the shadows look like they’re reaching for me. I know I’ve been told they aren’t but I can never shake the feeling they really are. Once inside, I feel better; all the rooms are well-lit, all my animal friends are safe and happy or recovering, and even Angel Bunny is being helpful. Not that he isn’t, just that he’s being even more helpful now. After making some tea, which Rainbow Dash refuses, I sit down in a different chair. After all, Rainbow Dash might want to lay out on the couch, and I wouldn’t want to take up too much space. She does indeed take the opportunity to stretch out on the couch, but what I don’t expect is an apology. “Sorry nopony showed up to check on you sooner, we’ve just been busy rebuilding... that thing did a lot of damage...” “O-oh, it’s perfectly fine. I’ve had so much to do myself, and Anthony stopped by-” I flinch as Rainbow Dash raises her eyebrows, and I retrace what I said, in case I said something offensive. I don’t think I did, so what is she-? “Anthony? Really? Well... that’s cool I suppose just a bit.... I figured he’d just been spending all his time cashing in favors and such for taking out that freaky monster.” So she isn’t mad? Then why would she startle like she did at first? “W-well, he just had dinner, and it was nice. He said he didn’t know we ate fish. We, uhm, we talked about that. And animals, he likes to talk about animals a lot too.” I say, hoping to catch her interest. She’s very rarely interested in my animals, but I know she cares. “Wow, sounds like you two are getting along... Idunno, he just seemed a little rambunctious to worry about others... what? I know words.” I wasn’t thinking she was dumb! I- I swear! Either way, though, I shake my head. “No, he was very nice, and he even read a story for me, so I could sleep.” “Really?” I just nod and Rainbow shrugs. “Guess there’s more to him than a good punching arm after all. I mean, he also helped with some of the rebuilding, too. Heh, guess Pinkie isn’t as nuts as I thought when she said she liked him.” Rainbow switches around to lay on her back, not looking at me, thankfully understanding my problem with eyes. “But I’m not here to talk about him, the demon said something about despoiling you. I originally thought he meant he was gonna... anyways uh, what would a whacked-out thing from Tartarus want with you?” I shake my head. I don’t want to remember, but I can’t say that, or she’ll worry. “I don’t know.” I hate lying, but I don’t want her to feel like she has to be there for me. I can’t be a burden on her, I just can’t. “Yeah, figures as much. Like you’d know what it’s after, right? I mean, duh. Just uh, just asking. So you’re alright? I notice that the damage didn’t reach your cottage. How’d your animals get hurt?” “Oh, the m-monster threw a lot of bricks, a-and other things. Some of the animals got hurt just by accident.” I say, thinking again about the poor manticore cub. Rainbow nods, thankfully understanding. “So, Ponyville is mostly back to normal, you wanna check around town, see what we could help with whatever’s left?” “Oh, yes, I need to pick up some more bandages, some cherries for Angel’s dinner, and a few bags of rice and corn.” I say, thinking about the list. Thankfully, I don’t have to ask for help, though I would’ve done it without if she hadn’t wanted to help. “Sounds like a lot of stuff. I’ll help ya carry ‘em back.” Rainbow rolls off the couch onto her hooves and heads for the door. “Ready when you are, ‘Shy.” Thankful, I follow her, pausing only to pick up my saddlebags, and follow her. I mean, it’s my errand, but I don’t want to be presumptuous. I just hope everypony isn’t staring at me again. They’ve been whispering about me, but only when I haven’t been looking. It’s been happening whenever I go out, ever since the word got out that the monster was after me. I take a deep breath and follow Rainbow Dash into Ponyville as she points out landmarks of damage from the demon and the status of the town’s repair. “So the Apple Family came by and helped, and it went pretty well with all the help. It’s a good thing we decided to build houses out of stone and covered it with hay. Houses went up like crazy and supports fell, but overall most houses were still standing.” Rainbow fills me in on the various small jobs that are still going on and why. “Over there...” She points to a large charred spot on the ground, and I can’t help but imagine some terrible event. “Was where Anthony punched the demon and blew it up. We had to clean up monster bits for a while. The stuff went everywhere and... oh, sorry.” I’m shaking, and I can’t help it. There’s too many shadows, and everypony’s watching me, and they’re judging me. I- I can’t take it, not today!” I turn to flee, my wings helping propel me along as I head for home. Warm home, safe home. Dodging the shadows, the leering eyes... it’s too much! “Hey, wait, I’m sorry!” I barely hear Rainbow’s words, before I’ve already gotten home and hidden under the bed, where I keep a spare lantern ready to light at a moment, and I stay there. ~Rainbow Dash~ Wow, I screwed that up... I didn’t mean to... wait it’s not my fault, everypony just stares at Fluttershy now since the demon attack. I don’t know why, but I know they know she hates that. And the way she was with the animals I’d say she’s got enough on her plate as it is. I glare at everypony who was staring at Fluttershy and they back off. Sighing I decide to help out and do Fluttershy’s shopping for her. Let’s see. She wanted bandages, cherries... corn... uh... oh yeah, grain! I look around at the shop stalls and find a produce area. Not sure where Fluttershy goes to get those giant bags she always buys though, most ponies sell them in small boxes. I go up to a stall selling cherries and get a few, she said she only needed some. “Hey.” I ask the mare at the counter once I pay. “You know where I could get some corn? Like, in...” What was that term, I never do this shopping thing much for a reason... “Bulk, that’s it. Bulk bags of corn or grain?” “Sure, Rainbow Dash!” The mare replies and I grin. It does feel nice to be recognized. “That store over there has what you’re looking for.” I thank her and head over to the store and note that it’s one of those bigger stores that seems more at home somewhere like Manehattan. Oh well, if they have what my friends need I guess it’s not all bad. Just hope they don’t start building skyscrapers on Ponyville, I like being able to fly around without worrying about crashing into somepony’s home. I find the bags, simply labelled “Corn” and “Grain” in big letters on the tightly woven bags. They’re almost bigger than I am though. How does Fluttershy carry these things? I grab one with my teeth and try to pull it off the shelf, but that puts a lot of strain on my neck so I just grab it with my hooves and drag it, flapping furiously trying to lift it. Why is this corn so darned heavy? Soon enough I get it to the front counter. The stallion behind the register sees my efforts and grins, handing me a pulley with wheels. “For carting it home. Just bring it back, miss.” I look back and see a few ponies using it while they do their shopping. Dangit... Oh well. I pay for the animal stuff and, waitaminute. “Hey, how come this stuff is so cheap?” “Bulk purchases are lowered in price as it helps move merchandise quickly, and to encourage you to come back when you run out.” “Really? You sure this isn’t just some kinda... Idunno, it just seems way too heavy and way too much stuff for just four Bits.” “If you think you ought to pay more, you’re free to I suppose, but-” “Just take the Bits...” I sigh and the stallion takes the money. That is... really weird. But I did get a lot for only a bit of money... maybe they sell other stuff in ‘bulk’ beyond just animal feed. That said, the pulley-thing makes moving these things a breeze... just wish I could fly with this thing. I hate being grounded... sighing I walk back to Fluttershy’s. Loyalty. Doing something for someone even if it doesn’t benefit you in any way. That’s the way Twilight describes it. Guess that does fit me, I’m certainly getting no fun out of this. But it’s normal, not loyalty, right? I mean, we’re friends and that’s what friends do... Oh well, not like being an Element hurts my PR. I take another look around the town and I do recall that the damage is a bit more severe than it usually is. I mean, with Discord everything was just zapped back to normal, and with the usual monsters it’s only one or three houses destroyed. We should be finished cleaning up the town yesterday by now. And that thing didn’t look anything like I imagine a demon from Tartarus looks like, but what else could it be? Still, I’ve faced my share of monsters, but that thing unnerved me. It didn’t scare me, hah, no way, but still... Haven’t seen anything like that before, and I’ve never seen Ponyville take such a beating either. And Anthony looked really messed up but he wasn’t worried about himself. His first question was about Ponyville. He doesn’t even live here... kinda. Then he heads over to check on Flutters? I mean, when he showed up he was just a pain. So full of himself, insulting us, and all. Now he’s being a nice guy. Did somepony hit him with the Elements somehow or something? Nobody makes a switch like that. I still don’t trust him, but... we do owe him a lot. Ugh, stallions, so confusing. Especially ones that aren’t ponies. I get to Fluttershy’s house and knock on the door but, as expected, she’s not answering so I just leave the supplies by her door and fly off, returning the pulley-thing. Wonder what everypony else thinks of Anthony... I can’t be the only one who still doesn’t trust him completely, right? But he got Flutters to talk to him. Maybe I should ask Applejack. “So whaddya think, AJ? I mean one day he’s messing with us, the next day he saves us.” Applejack sighs, and leans on the fence between us. “Ah have ta say, Ah’m not too sure myself. Ah mean, he hasn’t caused any real harm, but somethin’ about him just doesn’t sit right with me. Every time he says his name, in fact, Ah feel like he’s tryin’ to get away with something. But it’s not like someone would lie about their name, right? He ain’t in his home, so it’s not like he’d have to worry even if he was a criminal.” she says. It’s always weird to hear her go on and on about something, but I guess if all you’re doing is bucking apples, thinking’s the only other things you can do. I nod. “Yeah, but what would he be a criminal of if he is? I mean, sure he’s a jerk, but... I gotta admit, he beat that monster for us, and even helped rebuild. Bad guys don’t help other ponies, right? And then he goes to check on Fluttershy. So if he’s not a bad guy, what do you think he’d be lying about his name for? What’s so important about hiding a name anyway?” Applejack shrugs. “No idea, sugarcube. But it’s been botherin’ me like crazy. Ah don’t know if that’s just me, or if it’s me bein’ the Element of Honesty and all that. Ah don’t even know if there is a difference, to be honest.” she cracks a smile at her choice of words,a nd I do too. “Heh, well as the Element of Loyalty, I have to say that bad guys don’t stick around and help out victims. I mean, Fluttershy said they talked over dinner and he read her a story...” A thought comes to me. “You don’t think he’s gonna try courting her, do ya?” “Ah don’t know. And ah think a certain party gal has her eyes set on him anyways, RD.” “Got that right. I wonder if he even notices though. That could be trouble. Pinkie isn’t one to take denial lightly.” I shudder at what happened last time she thought we were giving her up or whatever. “You think we should, Idunno, do something?” AJ shakes her head. “Ah don’t have the time to be playin’ matchmaker, and Rarity’s more the type anyhow. Besides, he’ll notice eventually, she ain’t bein’ too subtle about it. I mean, I saw her browsin’ Roseluck’s shop for pink flowers, and you know what that means.” she says, and I nod in agreement. It’s feathers for pegasi, flowers for earth ponies, and rings for unicorns. Those novels were good for some learning, after all. “Yeah. Still, he’s being real nice with Fluttershy all of a sudden. Maybe he’s just trying to help her cope, but isn’t that my- er, our job?” Applejack shakes her head. “It’s her friends’ job, and Ah’m not one to monopolize that. She’s allowed to have other friends, after all.” she says, level-headed as usual. “Yeah... but not friends that rub us the wrong way, right? I mean... look at the way he acts with Twilight. She can take it, but what if he starts treating ‘Shy that way?” “Well... does he?” she asks, and I have to admit, he doesn’t. But still... nopony’s that different-acting around different friends, right? I mean, I know not to push ‘Shy too hard, when I remember, but I’ve also known her forever! “No... but maybe we should be careful, you know? Watch out for Fluttershy. And Pinkie too. He’s weird, and not always in the good way. I wonder what Twilight’s managed to figure out about him. She said she was gonna do some work on him, didn’t she?” “Somethin’ like that. I thought she said she was writin’ some notes, too. Might be helpful in case a body snatcher or some other crazy thing gets his powers instead. He at least doesn’t go on rampages.” “Yeah, but he does tend to act like a foal sometimes, hey, wanna come with me and check on Twilight? See how things are going?” “Nah, Ah got some chores to do t’day. Ah can keep an eye on him another time, if he ever decides to hang out here; t’ be straight with ya, he doesn’t come ‘round here often.” “Huh, strange... if he’s willing to make the trip to see ‘Shy, you’d think he might come up here. Didn’t Applebloom invite him over that one time? What was he like?” “Ah didn’t see much of ‘im, actually.” “Oh, just dinner then. Still, he’s quite the strange guy. That said, I’ll see what Twi’s got on him, maybe we can figure out a way to get him to loosen up. Or whatever he needs. Seeya later Applejack.” With a wave goodbye, I rocket off the ground. That’s another thing that bugs me about his weird powers. That glowing thing and how fast he is. I mean, I beat him in that race but... it’s pretty dangerous to pull a Sonic Rainboom so close to the ground, but I’d have lost without it. I’d have lost. I know everyone says I’m a sore loser, but that’s mainly because I don’t lose, it just doesn’t happen! At least not with races. And then this guy comes in and just starts glowing and he’s faster than me... almost faster than me! I shake my head to clear it. Don’t wanna crash into Twi’s window like last time. I touch down on the balcony and tap on the door but get no response. Probably in her basement again. I walk inside and down the steps and sure enough there’s Twilight, but the place looks trashed, nothing like the way she usually keeps it. “Woah... what happened down here?” “A successful experiment! Mostly.” Twilight says, though that doesn’t really mean anything, so she might as well have not answered. “If this is a success, what would a failure look like?” I look around at the damage and paper everywhere. “Well, if containment had failed, it would’ve looked like, well, a crater the approximate size of Ponyville.” Uuuh... that’s not good, but doesn’t explain what she was doing that might blow everypony up.  I notice Spike helping with the cleanup and decide to ask him, he’s good at translating Twilight’s vague... stuff. “What were you doing down here?” “Uh, Twilight said it was a test of Anthony’s limits, for his electrical powers. I’m not actually sure what most of this data’s for, but Twilight thinks it’s helpful.” Uh... huh. Well then. Waitaminute. “Anthony did this? What did you do, make him super mad again? Say, where is he, shouldn’t he be... Idunno, helping clean or whatever?” If he sticks around to look after Fluttershy, shouldn’t he also take responsibility for making a mess like this? “Oh, no, I just had him charge as much as he could, and discharge into a set of conductive panels inside the shaped-matrix isolation cells. As for the notes, they need to be collated in order, and I can’t do that with too many distractions. As well, Anthony wandered off before I could request his help.” The last part is grumbled, and I can totally understand. It sucks when you can’t get someone to help ‘cuz you didn’t think to ask in time. “Looked more like Pinkie dragging him through the wall to me.” Spike adds. “Twi tried to turn Anthony into a pony but she just made Pinkie look like Anthony, and then Pinkie started glowing and flying. And she had these huge... things on her.” “Weird.” That said, Pinkie running off with Anthony only has so many results, and with her the way she is... this may not be so bad. I remember Rarity blabbing about stallions acting weird and just needing a special somepony to set them straight. Heh, maybe Pinkie is helping him cool off right now. Still... “What do you mean she looked like Anthony?” “Well, she looked a little different, cuz she was kinda curvier, but she looked like a human. I think that’s what Anthony called himself, right?” he thinks about for a second before nodding. “Yes.” Twilight replied, not looking up from her organization. “And had she stayed I’d have a chance to study female human anatomy. But, well, Pinkie was being Pinkie. That said, she did exhibit properties similar to Anthony, and she was giving off even more stellar energies than Anthony does. Well, not as much as he did when he was charging his powers but-” I blink at Twilight and she sighs. “Alright, alright. Pinkie had powers like Anthony did. That means that if something manages to take control of him-” “Like a body-snatcher!” I blurt out. “I was thinking the same thing!” “Well... they wouldn’t even have to snatch his body, merely copy him and they could do whatever he could for however long they can hold the spell.” A thought runs through my mind. “So, if a Changeling somehow copied him, do you think... Idunno, they could make an army of Anthony’s?” Twilight’s expression becomes grim. “Or worse. As I stated, when Anthony’s form was transferred to Pinkie she showed even more power on a general basis. For all intents and purposes, it seems Pinkie unlocked some potential that Anthony hasn’t yet.” My eyes go wide. “So, you’re saying that if you did the same thing and gave me his powers, I’d be faster than him? I mean I am already but... just hypo-thematically.” “Hypothetically, but yes. In fact, you might transcend beyond conventional concepts of speed, which could be extremely bad. As such, I’d rather if you didn’t speak of this to anypony, alright?” “Alright, alright. Just wondering... wait, what do you mean transcend speed? Like... like that thing Anthony did where he moved while standing still with the demon fight?” Twilight looks at me sternly. “What, I’m not talking about it with anypony, I’m talking about it with Spike!” “No, she meant breaking the barriers of conceptuality and potentially exiting the universe into the formless void beyond where unspeakable horrors would take note, tear you apart and then invade Equestria.” Spike says, then pauses. “Maybe. Or you’d just go really fast.” “For real? You mean Anthony could do that? Just... what rip open a hole to Tartarus by running?” Twilight sighs. “Not Tartarus. The void between realities. And monsters don’t live there Spike, there’s likely just an empty void of nothing. But tearing a hole to it would still be dangerous, now we are done talking about this, it’s too dangerous to even think about.” “Fine fine... just saying it might be neat to be the first pegasus to go into this void-thingy. So where do you think Pinkie took Anthony?” “I have honestly no idea, they went through a wall into the solid ground. And they were moving fast enough that I’m not sure there’s been a spell invented that could track them without a previous lock on them.” Twilight says, throwing papers in the air in frustration, collecting them on the way back down and organizing them. “Ah.” Suddenly the door upstairs slams open and I hear rapid hoofsteps. “Twilight! You gotta make me like Anthony again, the spell wore off and we haven’t found Rainbow Dash yet- Oh, uh... Hi Rainbow Dash!” “No!”