The sun rose that day like the constant cosmic marker of the beginning it was. Yet, to the well trained eyed, it may have seemed a bit different than the normal. It seemed to rise with a hint of sluggishness as if it too was struggling to get up out of bed. It was almost comical but then you remember the fact about Equestria’s sun: its motion is not guided by the universal powers of gravity and planetary alignment. No, instead, its movements are based upon the will of a goddess.
The goddess in question, Celestia, stood upon her balcony as she looked at the sun she raised a few hours before. Even now, dressed in nothing more than a white negligee and slippers, she looked like the regal figure that would make the burning celestial orb rise on her whim. It was something she made certain occurred for over millennia. The times were it did not happen could be counted on one hand with the most recent involving the return of her forlorn yet dearest sister, Luna.
“Sister, art thou well?” Speaking of which, here she was now. The blue alicorn with the body of one many, many…many years her junior and adorned in pajamas of purple with black kittens. “I may hast been gone for some time, but I seem to recall the sunrise being more fluid than that.”
“Of course you would notice. You always had an eye for detail, down to the tiniest star.” Celestia sighed. “If only I could be so observant.”
“It isn’t hard to notice when one realizes that by now you would normally be at the table breaking your fast as I also eat with you before preparing for bed.” Luna gave a slight grin, before faltering into her question. “Now what troubles you?”
Celestia was quiet for a good long moment before curtly answering. “Twilight never sent me a Friendship Report.”
“Well perhaps she was simply tired from her journey home.” Luna began, trying to elevate the tension building up on the balcony.
“You don’t understand, Luna. In all her years as my student, Twilight has never failed to send me some notice of her situation. Whether it was a simple note that said she was too sick to come to a lesson, or a long apology for being up all night researching material related to a new spell she learned, I always received some confirmation of her status in some shape or form.”
To hear such a claim made Luna fear the worst for her newly formed friends. “You don’t think-”
“Oh, mother above, no!” Celestia quickly ceased that thought with a hand to her heart. “If they were…if the worst came to pass, we
would both be…well informed. Those that are connected to The Elements never quite forget the bonds that they formed after all.”
The message was clear and unspoken: If they died, they would certainly know. Luna took a bit of comfort in hearing that, morbid as it was, but still worried over her sister’s implication.
“I am certain Twilight will respond as soon as she is able. She simply must be working hard on this report due to it involving a diplomatic mission. So it can be reasoned that thy worries are simply unfounded.” She tried to perk not only her sister, but herself. “She is your student after all! Surely we art both simply making an issue out of nothing!”
Celestia sighed, but gave a hint of a grin. “You are probably right, Luna. Twilight always was able to keep a calm mind when it mattered most. I’m sure she is probably spending the time write now just trying to come up with the proper wording to convey what happened yesterday.”
[}0{]
“Errgh! Why can’t I remember?!” Twilight banged her head on the desk for what was perhaps the fourth time. In front of her was a blank sheet of parchment, and an ink well with a feather dipped at the ready. Yet despite using every method she could think of, she couldn’t recall the most important part of yesterday’s events.
It was a mystery that confounded her and derailed her entire day. From waking up with no recollection of how she got into bed, let alone how she was able to get home with her friends, to discovering that she slept in TWO HOURS beyond her usual wake up time her whole schedule was just thrown off today!
“Are you sure I didn’t say anything about yesterday, Spike?” Twilight asked out in near desperation at the other occupant in the room. “I seriously doubt I wouldn’t tell you anything about the trip or to make even a note to send to the princess.”
The individual she was speaking to sighed as he had already gone over this multiple times. He was a young lad, but was not of the pony species like Twilight. He had purple scales, and green rounded spikes running from the top of his head to near the end of his tail that were evident of a reptilian nature. Instead, he was a young drake, who was no bigger than a colt despite his protests of at least being a few years younger than Twilight. Still, you would make the mistake of thinking he was just a kid due to his simple purple t-shirt and green shorts he wore. This was Spike the dragon, the loyal assistant to Twilight Sparkle, and practically her younger brother in all but blood.
“I’m telling you Twilight, that’s what happened. You came inside, saw me, picked me up in a great big hug, carefully put me down, and went to bed.” He shrugged in his own state of confusion. “I figured that you were probably worn out from dealing with the whole dragon problem, so I let you sleep in for five more minutes like you usually set. Yet somehow I couldn’t get you up for a couple more hours!”
That was surprising for the purple unicorn to hear. “Not even with-?”
“Not even with any of those contingencies you ordered!” Spike ran a clawed hand through his head spikes as he explained a bit further. “I tried the alarm clock, the smelling salts, the air horn, and even splashing you in the face with water, but nothing woke you up! At that point, I was worried you were under some sort of spell that needed ‘true-love’s-kiss’ because you were clearly breathing by the sounds of your snoring.”
“I do not snore!” the unicorn protested. The young drake squinted his green and slit-pupil eyes vehemently as he argued back.
“Well you did this time! And you wouldn’t stop or wake up until the clock chimed 10:00 on the dot!” His protest disappeared as he took up a defensive front with his hands waving about. “It wasn’t my fault, Twilight! I tried to get you up! I swear!”
“I believe you, Spike. However, this whole situation is concerning. I haven’t slept in that late since I was a filly!” Twilight pulled out her checklist as she saw that by now she should be having lunch instead of trying to play catch up with what should have been a daily routine. “Even if I was to skip out on my creative spell work period, and to minimize my mealtimes to ten minutes, I would still not catch up to my daily schedule! Still, I don’t know why I can’t recall a single part of yesterday that took place after we entered the cave. I mean, I faintly recalled meeting a dragon, but I don’t think it was red…or a drake…maybe it was a she?”
“Well, maybe Fluttershy would know.” Spike muttered as he looked at the list as well to see if he could be helpful in reorganizing it in some way.
“Huh?” Twilight broke out of her faint musings. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, I remember how she said something about getting together today to go over stuff as she was picking up her animals.” Spike remembered. “She didn’t say what, but being that it was after you went to bed, I’d figure it was no big deal at the time.”
“Did she say where and when?”
“Well, she said that she would come by later, but she seemed to be trying to think where to meet.”
At that moment there was a knock on the front door. Twilight went down to see who it could be, only to find the yellow Pegasus in question with the rest of their friends waiting to enter.
“Umm…can we come in?” Fluttershy asked quietly from her spot behind Applejack. Even among friends, Fluttershy lived to embody her name. Still, she seemed especially nervous today for some reason, which made the pile of mysteries Twilight had going through her mind consider her to be especially involved in some way.
“Fluttershy said she has something to tell all of us.” Rarity started to explain as she entered. She was carrying a large hat box in her magical grip alongside her. “She wouldn’t expand further until we all agreed to meet up. Oh Spike, would you be a dear and set this on the table!”
“No problem, Rarity! Anything for you!” He eagerly reached for the box. When the white unicorn ceased using her magic, he found himself struggling to lift it. Strike that, he was struggling not to drop it and possibly be crushed by it. Still, he tried to play it smooth as he placed it on a table in the center of the room next to some chairs. “That wasn’t so hard! I could have mistaken it for being empty. Heh-heh…still what is it?”
“That, Spikey-wikey is one of the reasons’ why I thought coming here at Fluttershy’s insistence was a wise choice.” Rarity gave a slight grin as she sat down. The other three mares were already seated, but were a bit preoccupied with wondering what could be in the box. The fashionista then looked pointedly at Twilight in a manner that suggested that they should get on with their business.
Twilight took the hint to get the conversation going to the point. “So Fluttershy, what is this about?”
Fluttershy nervously withdrew into her sweater as she mumbled a bit.
“Come on, Shy! This isn’t a presentation at flight school!” Rainbow huffed in annoyance. Yet, she still seemed a bit gentle with how she was trying to nudge her fellow pegasus into speaking up.
“Um…well….first of all….” Fluttershy looked around at the others. “What do you remember about yesterday?”
“I remember getting pumped up to face off against a drake!” Dash grinned. But then she faltered. “I don’t recall if I did though.”
“Same here.” Applejack agreed. “I remember getting ready and going with you gals up that mountain, but for what happened after, I have as much recollection as a rattlesnake has left feet.”
“Ok. How about today? Anything unusual happen?”
Pinkie jumped up into a handstand on top of the hat box as she rushed into her day’s events. “I slept in late, which as much as I enjoy dreaming, I usually get up before the sun comes up to help the Cakes get the day’s goodies all goody and ready! Instead, It was when the clock went ‘ding-dong’ ten times instead of six that I finally leapt out of bed and had to hurry up and help all those hungry customers get some yummy foods!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, and yet somehow perfectly mimicked the sounds of a cuckoo clock’s hourly chimes in her retelling. At least until she fell back into her chair in a tired heap. “But I wasn’t able to be as fast on my hooves today because I very tired and sore too! –Gasp!- Do you think there was a plot to keep me asleep by a rival bakery to sabotage all of the Cakes’ business?!”
“I do not believe that is the case, Pinkie dear. I normally do not partake in sleeping in since I have to open the shop at a certain hour, so I must take the time to especially prepare myself.” Rarity twirled her mane a bit as she gathered her thoughts. “However, I suppose I needed a couple hours more of beauty sleep, but I was certain that was only because of the harsh environment we had to tread through yesterday.”
“I woke up at 10:00 too, which is surprisingly early!” Rainbow Dash complained, making it seem like it was a really bothersome thing. “I mean, why would I get up that early? It’s not one of my workout days and the weather can wait till I’m ready to deal with it, right?”
“Only you would think that was early!” Applejack huffed as she crossed her arms. “I was supposed to be up and about ready for the chores by the time the sun got up, only that didn’t happen! Instead, I got another lecture of responsibility and not staying up late from Granny. Land sakes, I haven’t gotten one of those since I was barely old enough to wrangle in the sheep.”
“Wait, you all woke up at 10:00?” Twilight asked, noticing a pattern.
The mares, besides Fluttershy nodded.
“So did I! Spike even said that nothing else he tried could wake me up any earlier.” Twilight went on to explain her morning to the others. The mares looked at one another as they could all clearly see something most unusual was afoot.
“So what happened?” Rainbow asked.
“Sounds like some form of magic, but why would we all be effected in such a way?” Rarity pondered. “And why can’t we remember our events beyond going into the cave? Most peculiar.”
“Well, uummm…I know what happened yesterday.” Fluttershy muttered. All eyes went to her and she instinctively withdrew her head into her sweater again at them.
“What happened?”
“Well…” She settled her feathers that anxiously stood up on her wings as she took a breath to begin. “I suppose it all started when we finally reached the dragon’s cave. Only, there wasn’t a red drake, but a green dragoness…”
And thus Fluttershy told them the story of what they couldn’t seem to fully recall. It was of how they reached that cave expecting to have to find a way to convince a drake to leave. Instead they found a green dragoness named Tsavorite who was previously driven out by a greedy drake. She wasn’t big, scary, but rather nice.
Yet she served a sorcerer named Mysterio. At that the story changed tone. It was revealed that he used his magic to drive away the red drake, take control of a manticore pride, and cast a spell on the mares that not only made them vulnerable to suggestion, but also was the cause for their memory loss. And it was through this act that they all moved the dragoness’ hoard to a location that was secret to all but Tsavorite and her master. He said he did it to avoid ‘making a bad impression’ on them, but even Fluttershy gave the indication that she didn’t believe that reason for a moment.
Each mare had their own reactions to this apparent and blatant use of ‘Mind magic’.
Twilight was of course startled. Strike that, she was immensely distressed. Mind magic was forbidden and with good reason. It was capable of doing a horrid assortment of dark affairs: making the innocent into slaves to the user’s whims of self-indulgence, turning one’s own kin against the other, and hiding debasement to one’s self just to name a few examples. To think that she had no recollection of what this sorcerer looked like or even his name was disturbing for how could she report his crimes to Celestia?
Rarity was scandalized. Growing up as lady of class (albeit with more ‘humble’ origins) she grew up up hearing stories of males using charms to get their desires sated whether they came in honeyed words or spiked drinks. To think that she could have possibly came close to something of that nature, with the forbidden form of ‘Mind Magic’ no less caused her to instinctively withdraw herself into a curled up seating position. Even with Fluttershy’s reassurance that nothing that untoward occurred, she felt as if she was nearly burnt by something malicious.
Pinkie was sad. She didn’t look like it coming into the library as she was trying to keep up her normal (for her) public image. Yet even with her exuberance, she felt a bit off her ‘Pinkie sense’ making her tap her hooves as if she was on pins and needles. It meant she was off her party track and needed to reschedule one that she accidentally skipped to make up for it. It may seem senseless, but for the party planner it was a great concern for she never missed a party that she planned even on the spur of the moment. However, finding out that she was made to forget one that she wanted to throw was enough to deflate her normally poofy mane in sorrow.
Rainbow Dash was mad. She was mad at the fact that she didn’t get to show off her skill against a dragon. She was mad that somepony else took care of the problem. She was mad most of all at how she was apparently beaten by a magical blowhard who claimed to be ‘great and powerful’…again! The next time she ran into this Mysterio guy, she would be sure to show him why it was a dumb idea to mess with the fastest flyer in Ponyville.
Applejack was even angrier at the situation than Rainbow Dash. As a member of the Apple family with their humble and rustic upbringing, she had a natural aversion to magic from the start. Yet for her it went much further than that. Needless to say, the next time that sorcerer decided to show up, he may find himself getting a heavy beat down from the mare that bucked apple trees as part of her daily routine.
Fluttershy was a witness to all this, and so she felt bad at being the one to tell her friends this information. And she still had a more destressing detail to tell them. “Um…But that is not all.”
“What else is there?” Twilight asked.
“Well, umm, I’m not sure if Mysterio was just not aware of how well our other senses are…or that maybe he just didn’t know about how well I could navigate the area…”
“Well, c’mon. What is it?” Applejack nearly pushed.
Rainbow Dash’s patience was thinning out as well. “Yeah Fluttershy! Spit it out already!”
Fluttershy reflexily blurted out her theory. “I think his home is around where we met Nightmare Moon Because we came out of the Everfree Forrest!”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Say what?”
“-Gasp!-“
“Dun-Dun-DUUUH!!”
“Well, the route we took wasn’t the same, but I recall that before we started going underground, I smelt that musty smell that was where we found the Elements.”
This was definitely worse news as it got Twilight to start pacing as her mind raced with the dastardly possibilities of Mysterio’s possible location. “He’s not only close to Ponyville, but the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. If he’s found something there, or makes a move with something from that environment then Equestria is in great danger! We have to tell the Princesses and get the Royal Guard here as soon as possible!”
“Maybe we shouldn’t!” When she saw all the eyes on her, Fluttershy hid her face in her mane. “-Eeep!- I mean, maybe we could…not send the royal guard after him.”
“Fluttershy, darling, mind magic is some of the most punishable and crucial magic to be used on somepony. The fact that he used it on us, uggh!” Rarity shivered. “I don’t want to consider what he might of done had you not been somehow immune to his magic.”
“But he didn’t do anything! He said he wouldn’t!”
The other mares looked at each other unsure as to why Fluttershy was trying to stick up for Mysterio, albeit in a timid and reluctant fashion.
“Why are you trying to defend him, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “Sure you weren’t affected by his spell, but that doesn’t make what he did any better.”
Rainbow Dash was questioning this as well. “Yeah, you should be hoping he gets put away too!”
Fluttershy looked most unsure as she recalled something more personal she learned about the one named Mysterio. “Well, it’s what he said when I asked him why he really felt it was better to erase our memories of him.”
[}0{]
The treasure chamber was being organized nicely thanks to the five mares doing their best to utilize their talents to get the job done. Were it not under some form of enchantment, Fluttershy would find it just as amazing as she did when she saw her friends do the same at Tsavorite’s old mountain cave. Instead she felt sad seeing her friends act so…automatically, without any of their enthusiasm or spirit being shown in their work. It wasn’t right, but there was nothing she could do but sit there in a pile of treasure with her knees in her arms and her wings wrapped around her as she felt more helpless than usual.
“Is there anything I could do to make you more comfortable, Miss Fluttershy?” Mysterio said as he walked by.
“Oh, no thank you.” She shook her head. She didn’t want to impose any more than she was probably bound to.
The sorcerer just nodded, and was about to turn away before he was suddenly stopped by Fluttershy’s words.
“Mysterio, um sir, I’ve been thinking about how you said you wanted to make sure you made a good impression with my friends which is why you wanted to erase our memory of meeting you.” The yellow pegasus steeled herself as best as she could to get her point across.
“But I don’t think that is the reason at all.”
The sorcerer tilted his round head as he gave the impression of turning his full attention towards her. “Oh? Then what do you think is the reason?”
“I think…I think you are trying to avoid something that will happen if you were to introduce yourself to us. That you are trying to stop something worse from happening by using something that should be bad.”
Mysterio said nothing, nor did he move to give any hint that she guessed right. Still, Fluttershy continued with a personal experience of hers. The young mare didn’t smile, nor did she frown. She just told the story as simply as she could for it was a moment of her life that was definitely mixed in emotions that were hard for her to determine right away.
“It’s like when my mama was worried when I moved out of my home that she made sure that I understood what was in the Everfree Forrest. She stayed with me for a little while when I moved near there. It was there that I first saw how harsh nature could be for a pack of timberwolves hunted down a family of bunnies that lived near my home. To think that timberwolves don’t even need to eat being made out of wood, yet they have hunting instincts that are very mean and scary. Yet it was also because of that event that I met my pet bunny, Angel.”
Mysterio was still silent, but it didn’t seem like he was looking in her direction anymore. If anything, he looked deep in thought.
Fluttershy finished her point with this. “Everyone tells me that there is nothing to be afraid of and that I shouldn’t feel so shy. I understand that, but I’m still frightened all the time. But it’s not just at how scary the world can be, but at how even when something should be ok there is still something there watching and waiting to get you. It may sound unreasonable but it’s what keeps me going in spite of my special talent.”
For a good while she sat there, waiting for the enchanter to say something. At this point, she was not the only one, for she could see in the distance Tsavorite stopped focusing on her meal and was inconspicuously watching out for her master’s reaction.
With a sigh, Mysterio finally spoke out. “There is just something about you six that frightens me immensely. I don’t know why, but it feels as if each of you has something very deadly about you.”
Fluttershy was certainly not expecting that answer. “Even me?”
“Even you, Miss Fluttershy.” Mysterio nodded in affirmation. “In fact, you may be the most frightening of all! The others right now don’t seem to make me feel weary seeing as they are busy with their work. Yet, your being here seems to be unnerving in more ways than one.”
Now this news was something Fluttershy was certainly not anticipating to hear that anypony-that anyone could be afraid of her.
“I had hoped I could just have you all wave this whole thing off as nothing more than a dream, one in which you felt like you accomplished what you came to do, despite another doing it for you.” He gave a slight shrug. “It would help me in the long run.”
“Well maybe we can help you. It seems we were able to do so much together to help Miss Tsavorite.” She looked hopeful. “Shouldn’t we be able to help you more without this spell?”
“If only it were that easy.” He focused his attention on Tsavorite, who seemed to be directing the mares to gather bits and pieces of the collection into the wagons they brought with them. “Yes, you six seem to be quite courteous and I am grateful for such. I am most thankful especially for all you were willing to do for my dear servant, Tsavorite. However, you six are but a handful of individuals in a population of what? Hundreds, thousands, maybe millions? Who’s to say that all of you will be just as welcoming or as tolerant?”
“But we can be, Mysterio.” Fluttershy got up and started to float in place as her wings began to flap in her new determination.
That determination seemed to dissolve entirely as Mysterio confronted her. For at that claim, Mysterio turned to face Fluttershy directly, causing her to flinch as he had a way to break her argument.
“Really? Because I’ve heard differently. I’ve made a friend who gifted me with the knowledge to save Tsavorite’s life. She told me of a town beyond the borders in which she lived where she is constantly eschewed. Knowing her appearance, I guessed that she must be an entirely different species than what they know. Imagine my surprise, seeing the six of you gathered here, with your multitude of colors, appendages, and figures. Now this may be just my eyes distorting my perspective, but I find myself thinking this:” He spread his hand towards the five mares that were now just standing still, their work complete, and now waiting for new orders. Yet Mysterio used them as examples of his major remonstration. “All she has that differs from you on the surface is that her color pallet is monochromatic instead of rich and vibrant. Yet, she is an outcast from your whole society. What do you think is going to be the reaction if I were to make contact? I who am one of the strangest beings you have ever come across?”
Fluttershy slowly lowered herself to the ground. She felt that there was nothing she could say to counter Mysterio’s words. She wanted to say he was wrong, but even if she wasn’t so shy, she did not feel that she had the will to speak against him.
Mysterio sighed in displeasure. “I’m sorry about my opinion, Miss Fluttershy, but that is what I believe. Tomorrow if your friends ask you what happened, tell them what happened. But don’t lie on my behalf for that will only be a lie against yourself. Instead, tell them that I am sorry for my choice to act on this decision, but that I don’t for a minute doubt that they would have acted in a similar manner if they could.”
[}0{]
“That’s what he said. So I don’t think we can judge him that harshly.” Fluttershy finished.
There was a good deal of thinking at that as each listener considered what Mysterio meant with his words and his subsequent actions.
“It’s like Gilda.”
“Huh?” Twilight turned to find that Rainbow Dash of all people was the first to break the silence.
“Back at flight camp, she was given a lot of shit for being the only griffin to attend.” The blue Pegasus huffed and she tried to shake off the feelings of the last time she saw her old ‘friend’. “It took a while for us to somehow become friends, and even with the way she is now I’m not sure what caused her to open up to me.”
Not wanting the mood of the group to sink even lower due to the mention of Gilda, Rarity was the next to speak up. “Well, I don’t want to simply advocate a possible abuser of mind magic, but I suppose if there is one thing to be said, he did pay us for our services.”
“Say what now?” Applejack asked.
“Well how else do you explain this?” Rarity opened the hat box she carried with her. Only the contents revealed were not anything hat related, but rather an abundant collection of immaculately polished gemstones and gold pieces. “I would certainly remember if I recently purchased such fine stones for my lines, darlings. Since I cannot, I can only assume they were given to me by our apparent…benefactor.”
“That don’t excuse the fact we’ve been worse than lied to! At least when yer telling a lie, yer only gonna get yerself in trouble when the truth comes out. With this darn ‘Mind Magic’ we can’t even find this varmet to bring hims to justice.” Aplejack was unyielding in her opinion. “It’s like trying ta lasso a dust devil: Impossible! Yer just grabbing at dirty bits of thin air.”
“I don’t know about that, dust devils are dirty, so they got to be able to be touched since everything they touch is dirty. Maybe Mysterio is just as dirty, but does that mean Tsavorite is dirty, too? I hope not, because I still need to give her that ‘You just met a Dragoness for the first time, didn’t get charred to a crisp, and made friends with her’ Party.” Pinkie stuck out her tongue. “It’s not her fault her boss is a meanie-beanie who didn’t want to party-hardy!”
“What I think everyone is saying, Fluttershy, is that we still have to tell the Princesses.” Twilight reasoned aloud as she decided to break up the craziness from going further than it had.
Fluttershy conceded at that. “I know, but please, Twilight. Try to make it sound…a bit nicer…”
The purple unicorn kept a tight lipped expression towards that request as she simultaneously went over the facts that she knew. Her conclusion was that this would not be a report she would ever look back on with favor.
“Spike, take a letter!”
“Right away!” the young drake saluted as he got a parchment and pen ready. Thus Twilight began to dictate her letter.
[}0{]
Dear Princess Celestia,
To start off, I wish to apologize for the tardiness of this report. Due to unforeseen circumstances I was not able to send it as promptly as I should. Rest assured that we in Ponyville are fine and that I will be sure to never be late with a Friendship Report again.
As you are well aware, my friends and I were given the task of negotiating with an adult drake into relocating to another dwelling for his hundred year nap. The other Element Bearers and I prepared ourselves to undertake this journey to the dragon’s place of residence and were ready to give it our best attempts to assure everything went to plan. However, they did not.
Now this is account is based on the observations of Fluttershy for reasons that will be later explained, but apparently the drake in question had in fact stolen the lair and treasure from a female dragoness named Tsavorite. The dragoness served a master, who in retaliation to his servant’s mistreatment, personally cast out this malefactor using his skills and prowess as a master of the arcane arts. Lady Tsavorite told this explanation as well as other details of her master, named Mysterio.
He is a sorcerer and lord of a castle. Sadly, besides Fluttershy, none of us can recall enough detail to aptly describe him. That is because of his magic which is most disconcerting: he appears to be a spell caster who is capable of performing ‘Mind Magic’. He was able to subjugate an entire pride of manticores to being servile to his will. More notoriously, he cast a spell on us to not only erase our memory of meeting him, but to entrance us into moving the treasure to another location and be unable to recall just where it resides. It seems it even had a wide post-cast effect, for those off us that were affected did not feel the effects of the suggestion leave us until we all awoke at 10:00 a.m. this morning. Already it seems this Mysterio is guilty of breaking one of our most scrutinized laws regarding magic. IF that wasn’t enough, we suspect that he has taken residence somewhere in the Everfree Forest.
While his actions and location are to be given a great deal of concern, Fluttershy was somehow immune to his magic. She has gone on to tell us these events that have transpired and who was involved. Also, she is surprisingly adamant in supporting Mysterio’s side of the events. According to her testimony, Mysterio tried to erase our memories so that he could avoid the conflicts of a confrontation with him. While I know that we would certainly use more peaceful forms of diplomacy, he seems to be under the impression that we are a more discriminatory-prone race. At least, that is what I understood from Fluttershy’s secondhand account of his words.
Princess Celestia, I honestly don’t know what to do. You’ve taught me that ‘Mind Magic’ is one of the most corruptible forms of magic and that those that use it on a whim are a dangerous sort. Yet Fluttershy swears that this Mysterio didn’t mean to harm us, but instead had a misguided notion to protect himself and perhaps us by trying to make us forget him. Normally I would take his words to be nothing but lies, but the oath he swore seems to be above the level of a ‘Pinkie Promise’ (which according to Pinkie Pie even you would dare not break). His servant also paid us with a very substantial amount of treasure for the help we provided which when considering what little we know of Draconic culture is practically unheard of. So perhaps he is not as bad as he seems but could use a reeducation of proper magical conduct?
Always your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
P. S. Please, please, please! Do not tell Shinning about this! I heard how he got injured the other day due to a training accident of some sort and knowing him, he probably tried sending some of his recruits to come and check up on me. I’ll write to him to tell him I’m fine, but I don’t want him to overreact. The last thing we need is to have him go AWOL after he recently made Captain of the Royal Guard.
[}0{]
“Oh, Twilight!” Celestia let out a tear as she finished the letter. She was overjoyed to receive confirmation that her student and her companions were alright, but saddened by this new development that required her counsel. “Of all things you must be tested with, I certainly did not foresee this!”
“We shall hunt for this scoundral at once!” Luna bellowed as she readied herself to take flight. Twilight was her newest friend, and she and the other mares brought her from the darkness and back into the light. To think somepony would dare try to turn them into beings without wills drove her absolutely livid. “After that we shall truly teach him the meaning of pain-”
“Luna, that’s enough!”
Luna stopped with a startled scoff. “Sister! Don’t you care-?”
Immediately she stopped that sentence because she saw her sister give a determined glare despite the tears. She was angered as well, and was trying to hold her composure.
“I care. But what can we do?” Celestia wiped her eyes as she regained her cool, calm and collected bearing as best as she could. “We know very little of this foe other than conjecture.”
“We have a multitude of methods to hunt for him!” Luna lowered herself to fly to her sister’s gaze. “By nightfall alone, we can search the Dream Yard for him!”
“Yes, but there are other factors to this we must consider before we act, lest we end up aggravating an already volatile situation. I made that mistake once of assuming the worse, and seeing an enemy, only to end up creating one.” She didn’t specify which one, and unfortunately Celestia found that a good number could be specified in that statement; especially, in her next avowal. “I made that same mistake again of not hearing the other side and ended up losing my sister.”
Luna nearly dropped out of the air at that reminder of why she was estranged for a time. “Sister-“
“And I keep making that mistake and finding myself losing more than I gain.” Celestia continued with lament. “Is this to be my sin? To constantly make enemies instead of friends for the sake of my little ponies?”
Luna was quiet for a while, before she considered her sister’s words long enough to at least be less obstinate for the sake of dealing with the problem. “Then what do you suggest, dear sister? This Mysterio cannot simply receive a mere slap-of-thy-wrist for his transgression. In my time, we had public executions for illegal use of ‘Mind Magics’ as well as sentences to the Gates.”
Celestia knew that, for it was because of Mind Magic that the Gates to Tartarus were opened last. Still, she felt the perplexity of her royal duties for she had to play the parts of a diplomat, and a judge simultaneously.
“Luna if I could, I would have the guard search the Everfree with a spear in one hand and a comb in the other. Even if we had the numbers, I dare not consider it. There are much more dangerous things now dwelling there since the time you saw it last.” She breathed out heavily as she made her decision. “As of right now, we are to regard this ‘Mysterio’, under scrutiny. If we have an opportunity to meet with him, then I shall give him an audience under the rules of diplomacy. However, without a doubt, he will be considered an enemy of the kingdom at the moment he shows his true colors as one who dares to harm my little ponies.”
Luna conceded to that decision. She may not like how they had to wait for a possible enemy to show their hand, but she trusted Celestia’s judgement. “Then by thy will, sister. So mote it be!”
Thus was the day that the being named Mysterio would be known by those of the Royal Guard as a suspicious character to be given audience to her Royal Majesty for questioning.
Yet a few days later, he would be given more priority for royal inquiry when certain events took place involving a small junky corner of the desert known as ‘Clutter Coulee’.