//------------------------------// // S2 EP5:The Child? // Story: Discovering Friendship // by Saro0fdemonz //------------------------------// Panic. Panic was the first thing that came to mind. Rainbow had slowly awoken to find she was alone in bed. Heading downstairs proved fruitless as she searched high and low for Twilight. Okay, just...relax. Maybe she went off with Spike somewhere? Y-Yea that's gotta be it...ugh, then why do I feel sick? Wait, I've still got that spell Rarity gave me Rainbow argued with herself. She sat down on the couch, letting out a slow breath as she was filled with Mana. "Dash?" Scootaloo asked, snapping her concentration in half. Rainbow opened an eye, looking at her adopted daughter. "Mornin' Squirt. How'd ya sleep?" Rainbow asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. Scootaloo seemed to have missed the panic filling her voice as she simply stretched and smiled "Pretty good. I was kinda worried things would be weird at that dance but it turned out alright." She chuckled. Rainbow smiled, leaning back against the couch. "That's awesome Squirt. Heh, I was a pretty terrible dancer as a kid ya know..." Rainbow sighed. They sat there in silence for a moment, Scootaloo climbing up on the couch. "Hey I uh...I wanted to thank you..." Scootaloo said softly "Tch, for what?" Rainbow scoffed "For adopting me...I uh...I know you let me win..." Scootaloo mumbled "What makes you think I LET you win?" Rainbow argued "Come on Dash...you're the best flyer ever. I'm just some kid who can't even fly..." Scootaloo squeaked as Rainbow slumped forward, slamming her hand on the table. "You aren't just some kid Scoots. I had the doctors to force me to keep going...You...You had nothing...and here you are...if it'd been me...I woulda just laid down an died...So quit sellin' yourself short Squirt." Rainbow said quietly, wincing as Scootaloo hugged her. She smiled, returning the hug. "Although...I have been training...so next time we race I'll definitely win!" Rainbow grinned, Scootaloo smiling up at her and nodding quickly. "Alright, go get some breakfast Squirt, I got some stuff to do." "Lemme guess, 'Boring Adult Stuff'?" Scootaloo deadpanned, Rainbow answering with a nod. Scootaloo rolled her eyes, hopping off the couch and heading into the kitchen. Rainbow watched her for a moment, retaking her position on the couch and closing her eyes. The spell slowly took form in her mind, filling her vision with an image of Twilight, only to be smashed to pieces, sending Rainbow reeling over the back of the couch. She stood slowly, a hand against her head as pain lanced through her body. THAT was new. The spell had worked perfectly before, so why wasn't it working now? Maybe she's in one of those 'Barriers'. Which means she really is with Spike. Rainbow sighed to herself. She blinked spotting Scootaloo looking at her worriedly "I'm fine Squirt, just uh...practicing a spell and it kinda backfired." "I thought we weren't supposed to be using magic..." "You aren't" Vinyl said from the doorway. Rainbow rolled her eyes as she stood, dusting herself off. "I was just worried alright? You guys don't tell me what the hell you're up to and I wanted to know where Twi was." Rainbow explained herself. Vinyl stared at her for a moment. Rainbow's eyes widened as realization set in She doesn't know where Twilight is either... "Scoots, why don't you go ahead to the Schoolhouse? I've got a lot of work to get done today and I gotta have a talk with Vinyl here. More boring adult stuff." Rainbow chuckled. Scootaloo frowned for a moment but nodded "Alright...But you an Twilight still owe me Magic Lessons!" Scootaloo giggled, slipping on a jacket and stepping into her shoes before rushing past Vinyl. "How long as she been gone?" Vinyl asked "I don't know. I woke up and she wasn't there. I tried tracking her down and all I got was a damn wall." Rainbow sighed. "None of my wards went off. She had to have left of her own free will. Maybe she's in a Seal?" Vinyl wondered aloud. "Or maybe those bastards have her again" Rainbow growled "I doubt it." Spike added, causing both Vinyl and Rainbow to look up. Spike hung from the cieling by his tail, arms crossed and eyes closed. "They wouldn't risk being caught. They knew about me when they attacked and they would know I'd up my game if they were caught. Those spells they hit me with are proof enough they were waiting for me. It also speaks volumes of their experience. DragonSlayer spells haven't been practiced in ages." Spike explained as he dropped silently to the ground. "So then where is she?" Rainbow demanded. "I don't know. She has a bit of a talent for sneaking out. She used to do it as a kid to get into the library." Spike sighed. He glanced at Vinyl and then at Rainbow before tucking his hands into his pockets. "We'll set up a perimeter and see if we can't find her. We can assume the worst, but lets not panic over it. I'm sure she just needed some time alone to think." Twilight smiled, finding the girl had finally relaxed and had even stopped crying. Though she still couldn't recall her name or how she had ended up in the bushes...or anything else about herself. "We seem to be in Everfree...Which means a Teleport wouldn't be too difficult. I just need to figure out where we are relative to Eraville..." Twilight murmured. She blinked, looking down as the girl let go of her hand and found her pawing at the ground. "There's something here..." the girl said softly. Twilight knelt down, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. This...this is where they dragged me...the grass is bent this way so...Eraville has to be that way... Twilight cleared her throat, holding out her hand. "That's a great find! Now I know where to go. Hold on tight, okay? This might feel a little weird." Twilight warned. She squeaked as the girl hugged her and held on for dear life. She sighed, wrapping her arms around the girl as her magic welled up inside of her. Turning her gaze toward Eraville, she let her magic flow freely, surrounding the two of them within the spell before they popped in and out of existence, stumbling into Rarity as she came out of the Spa. "Twilight! What are you doing using Magic? I thought we had talked about this and..." Rarity stared for a moment, realizing Twilight was in her pajama's and noticing the girl clinging to her. She gasped, eyes wide as the girl glanced up at her. Twilight's eyes widened as well, quickly wrapping her magic around Rarity's mouth and shaking her head. "Rarity please don't freak out." Twilight hissed. Rarity took a calming breath, giving a nod and waiting until Twilight's magic faded. "Forgive me dear but...what is going on?!" Rarity demanded, doing her best to keep her voice level. "I...I honestly don't know. Could we um...talk in private?" Twilight asked, looking around at the stares her current attire was drawing. Rarity mumbled something under her breath, the trio appearing in her shop. Twilight blinked in surprise, looking at Rarity. "My magic might not be on par with yours Darling, but we Filigree's have our tricks that come in handy. Now...an explanation please?" She gulped, the girl still clinging to her as she did her best to explain. "I...I woke up out there Rarity...where they had me. And she was there j-just...crying...she was all alone out there in a thorn bush a-and if I hadn't found her who knows what could've happened?" Twilight cried. "This is all very strange darling...And...well...she has an uncanny resemblance to...well..." "I noticed...but she ISN'T her Rarity. She's afraid and alone, she doesn't even know who she is." Twilight argued. "Then should we not get the Princess' assistance in this matter?" "NO! We can't! J-Just...LOOK at her Rarity...They would see those eyes and...and..." "Alright Twilight, calm down dear. I can't quite understand your connection with this girl but...she seems rather important to you. Is everything alright Twilight?" Rarity asked softly "I...No Rarity. Everything is not alright. I'm...I'm scared. But that girl...there's something about her. I can't just leave her." Rarity sighed, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "What is your plan then? Simply hide her from the Princess'? What of Spike? Surely he would report this." Rarity pointed out. Twilight stiffened, her eyes wide. "I...I don't know." She realized "Well, you should hide her." Pinkie suggested, causing everyone to jump out of their skin. "PINKIE! I have told you before not to..." Rarity began, silenced by a cupcake "It was an emergency this time! I mean, look!" Pinkie held up her hand, Chaos swirling around it and leading towards the girl. "She's DROWNING in this stuff! If I didn't find her then Vinyl would and then the Princess would!" Pinkie argued. Twilight let out a sigh of relief. "T-Thanks Pinkie...but...why?" Twilight asked. "Because she's important to you. So she's important to me. That's what friends are for Twilight. But I can't keep this up forever...We need a plan if we wanna keep her safe." Pinkie said softly. Twilight frowned, looking down at the girl. "We seem to have forgotten about her in all the excitement. How are you darling?" Rarity asked the girl. She blinked, looking up at Rarity and then at Twilight. "I-I don't know...I'm scared but...Twilight saved me..." she said softly. Rarity groaned, biting her lip. "She's adorable...Alright. I don't know how we are going to pull it off but...perhaps there is something I can do to assist you." Rarity sighed as she stood. She marched over to her worktable, pushing aside a few materials and smiling as she spotted a pair of round-rimmed spectacles. Humming a bit, she held them gently between her fingers, her eyes glowing dimly as she mumbled something under her breath. She turned to Twilight, slipping the glasses on and smiling. Her dark blue eyes shifting to a golden yellow behind the lenses. She removed them, holding them out towards the girl. "Try these on dear, I think they will be a perfect fit for you." Rarity smiled. The girl hesitated, glancing up at Twilight. The Magian nodded, giving her a smile. She turned back to Rarity, accepting the glasses and slipping them on carefully, her draconic eyes shifting behind the glasses and appearing normal, though the color remained. "It's a start Darling." Rarity murmured. "She still needs a name! What about...Twinkle?!" Pinkie squeaked, everyone shaking their heads, the girl included. "It's not really fitting Pinkie, but the effort is appreciated Darling." Pinkie frowned for a moment, tapping her chin and racking her brain for more ideas. "Nyx..." Twilight mumbled, everyone looking at her. She looked down at the girl and smiled "How does Nyx sound?" Twilight suggested. "Nyx...my name is...Nyx?" the girl mumbled, smiling up at Twilight "My name is Nyx!" she squealed, hugging Twilight tightly "Well, that solves one dilemma, but leaves another. How do we keep her a secret from the Princess', let alone the Knights?" Rarity asked. Silence reigned over them as they wracked their brains for any sort of plan, little Nyx clinging to Twilight's arm and looking between them, her eyes latching on Pinkie Pie and the Chaos swirling around the Gaian's hand. "OH OH OH! I've got it!" Pinkie cheered with a snap of her fingers. She lurched forward for a second as if she was going to be sick, her hair deflating a bit before she sat upright and cleared her throat. "Heh, sorry. I uh...haven't done this a whole lot ya know..." she mumbled, glancing at her hand. "We understand dear and we appreciate it immensely. But what is this idea of yours?" Rarity wondered. Pinkie blinked, snapping her fingers again, a piece of paper floating in front of her along with an envelope. She squinted a bit, rubbing her chin and nodded, the paper floating over to Twilight. Rarity looked over her shoulder, reading along with her. "Are you sure this'll work Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "Of course it will! You get this letter from some distant family in some far away place asking you to watch after your darling cousin Nyx for a while. I show you some tricks to keep her off the radar and we come up with something better later!" Pinkie cheered "That's...rather brilliant Pinkie..." Rarity murmured. Pinkie nodded, snapping her fingers once more, the letter vanishing. "If we're lucky, they'll find that sitting on your desk." Pinkie smirked. "Girls...thank you...so much." Twilight gasped as both of them hugged her "Think nothing of it Darling. Now...Pinkie, you should get started on those lessons. Meanwhile, I'll put together something for Nyx to wear." "I don't like this..." Vinyl mumbled, crossing her arms and peeking over her shades at the early morning streets of Eraville. "I hate it when you say that." Spike sighed in her ear piece. She scoffed, adjusting her shades. "Then stop giving me reasons to say it." She shot back, her eyes glowing dimly behind her shades as she laid a thin blanket of mana underneath herself, spreading it throughout Eraville. "Wouldn't be doing my job otherwise" Spike mumbled, Vinyl catching sight of him for only a second before he was gone. She never did figure out how he just simply vanished. At first she had suspected Chaos, but she would've been able to sense it, just like the few chaos signatures lighting up Eraville as of late. One was obviously Fluttershy, another being the Apple Family girl, Applebloom. Another that flickered in and out constantly HAD to be Pinkie Pie, and for a moment she swore there was another, but it was in the same direction as Pinkie... "Just what is she anyway?" Vinyl growled. She sent another pulse through the blanket of Mana, letting out a sigh of relief as she found Twilight with the baker and Rarity. But there was another there. Someone she didn't recognize but at the same time...felt...familiar. "Spike, I found her. She's at Rarity's." Vinyl muttered softly. "Good work." was all he replied, going silent once more. She frowned at that, but let it go. If Spike had something to say, he would say it. And if he was staying quiet, then it was something she'd rather not hear. "Oh! Good morning Spike," Fluttershy greeted with a smile, wincing as Spike grabbed her arm. "You haven't recovered much...Shouldn't you be resting up?" he asked softly. She frowned, glancing at the bag balanced between her arm and hip. "I needed to feed my animals..." she mumbled, as if the argument would stop Spike. It didn't. With that same smile, he gently, but forcefully, took the bag of feed and went to work, leaving Fluttershy to watch as he handled her daily chores. "Couldn't I just..." "No." "But, it won't hurt if I..." "No." She sighed, marching into the kitchen and putting on a pot for tea. "I'm not some dainty little flower..." she mumbled under her breath. "I'm well aware. I got a taste of one of Applejack's kicks and I'd rather not do it again. You caught it like it was nothing." Spike called from the living room, reminding the Skyborn just how powerful his hearing was. "I-I..." "Shy, it's fine. It doesn't matter how strong you are. You're injured and working an injured body leads to further injury. So, until you recover, I'll be handling your chores, okay?" he spoke softly. Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, her eyes wide and heart pounding in her ears. Spike glanced around, exhaling slowly. "Fluttershy..." he began, the Skyborn shaking her head. "Spike, I-I um...Its gone, but...that was...she was..." she slowly sank to her knees, hanging her head. "She's back..." "WHOA!" Twilight cried out as she fell into her bed, Pinkie Pie flopping onto the floor. Twilight reacted without thinking, snatching Nyx out of the air in her magic and pulling the girl against her chest. "Sorry Twilight! I was aiming for the front door." Pinkie sighed. Twilight shook her head and chuckled. "It's perfectly fine Pinkie. It was better than walking and I doubt I could've done a proper teleport." Twilight smiled. Though her smile instantly vanished as Rainbow kicked her door open. "WHERE THE HECK DID YOU GO?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA...?" Rainbow screamed, stopping as her eyes latched onto the girl in Twilight's arms, her glasses askew and revealing her eyes. Rainbow's eyes lit up for a moment, the Skyborn finding herself in a full nelson hold by Pinkie, the door locking behind the Gaian. "Now Dashie, let's just be nice and calm. Deeeep breaths Dashie. You love Twilight right? And you wanna see her happy right? So let's not scream or shout. Just...calm..." Pinkie said slowly. Rainbow grit her teeth, her fists clenched and her body shaking. "I want an explanation...NOW!" Rainbow screamed. "It's my fault! I-I-I woke up out there a-and..." "WHAT?!" "TIME OUT!" Pinkie yelled, flipping Rainbow onto the floor and sitting on her stomach. Nyx hid herself in Twilight's embrace, clinging to her shirt the moment the screaming started. "Okay...okay, I'm good Pinks...I just...I freaked okay? I woke up...and Twilight was gone and no one knew where she was and I just...I..." "It's okay Dashie. When you love someone, you worry. So! This is Nyx, Twilight's cousin. Isn't she adorable!?" Pinkie squeaked. Rainbow gave her a deadpan stare "I wasn't born yesterday Pinks. I saw those eyes. Now what in Celestia's name is that?" Rainbow demanded. "She's innocent in all of this Rainbow, just look at her..." Twilight whispered. Pinkie helped Rainbow to her feet, the Skyborn hesitantly stepping closer. Nyx glanced at Rainbow, still clinging to Twilight for dear life. "Okay, so its a cute kid. But..." "She just looks like her Rainbow. She doesn't know anything. I found her out there where they had me." Twilight explained, telling Rainbow everything. At the end, Rainbow was sitting cross legged on the bed, staring intently at the girl in Twilight's arms. "So...this kid is drowning in Chaos and has those eyes and you wanna keep her here instead of telling the Princess'?" Rainbow asked. "Could you have turned Fluttershy in?" Twilight asked suddenly. "Wait, hold up, that's different Twi! I've known Shy my whole life!" Rainbow argued. "I know, but...I just feel...I CAN'T leave her alone and if I give her to the Princess' who knows what they'll do to her..." Twilight explained herself. "They'll imprison her, question her, experiment, see what makes her tick, that's what people do in Celamont Twi. So I guess we're hiding her." Rainbow sighed. "How you gonna pull it off?" she asked. Twilight looked down at Nyx, giving her a smile. "Well...we work on the glasses...and we introduce her as my distant cousin. It'll take time for anyone to dig up records to disprove it and will give us time to think of something better." "That's a good short term plan Twi', but its bound to backfire. When they find those records, when she drops her glasses, when they figure out she's a Sun-cursed Celestian, it'll backfire. I don't wanna bring you down Twi', but we need something better than that." "Well...it's all we've got..." Twilight sighed. "It'll have to do I guess. We'll just burn that bridge when we get to it. Welcome to the family kiddo." Rainbow chuckled. Everyone froze in place as the sound of a door opening echoed through the library, followed by footsteps on the stairs. "Hey Rainbow! We found Twilight!" Spike called out. He stopped at the door, finding them on Twilight's bed. The aforementioned Magian clutching a child to her chest and offering Spike a weak smile. "But I guess you knew that already heh." Spike chuckled. It didn't take Twilight long to realize he had reverted to his old self, not wanting to reveal his true nature with a stranger in the area. Spike opened his mouth to speak, Twilight jumping in before he could "Spike, I'd like you to meet my cousin Nyx." she said a little too quickly. The girl glanced at Spike, tightening her hold on Twilight. Spike froze for a moment before chuckling nervously. "Your cousin? Wow, I didn't know you had a cousin so young Twi!" Spike laughed. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat. "M-Me either actually. But she's going to be staying with us for a little while." Twilight continued. Spike glanced between them for a moment, Twilight visibly sweating. Spike only shrugged "Hey, as long as I get to keep my room." Twilight held her breath as Spike marched away. Rainbow glanced at Twilight, swearing under her breath as she chased after Spike. "How long until we arrive?" Gilda demanded. "Two days by train Sir. Security checks have been causing delays, but it should be a smooth ride from here on out." "Good, that will be all." she dismissed the officer, turning her attention back to a few folders strewn across her lap. Notes on each bearer of Harmony. She already knew Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash rather well, the other four were the ones she was interested in. Though the one that really caught her eye was the Element of Laughter. "Just what are you?" Gilda murmured as she opened the file again. All of her spies, her entire network, all of her connections, and all she had was a single page of information on Pinkie Pie. Basic information, height, age, place of birth. Something anyone could find. Her only juicy bit of information was that the girl seemed to be stronger than the average Gaian, and even faster than an Avaros in their prime. But there was something off about her, something that just wasn't...right. "I'll just have to get my claws on her and see what makes her tick." she sighed, setting the folder aside. Her next big target was the vampire, Rarity Filigree. It hadn't taken much digging to find the little Family Secret, even if it had cost the lives of two of her best men. All she needed to get control of her was to stop the flow of Donated Blood being sent. The important target however was Rainbow Dash herself. The Skyborn was heavily devoted to her friends. If Gilda wanted her plan to go off without a hitch she would need to convince her that she had her friends safety in mind. "The things I do for power..." she sighed, the gem hanging around her neck glowing dimly. "Spike..." Rainbow gasped, the dragon simply standing there. "Twilight has several extended family members, only three of which are Magian. The rest are mostly of Gaian descent and are simple farmers. Not to say its impossible for a Magian to be born among Gaian's. Just unlikely." Spike said calmly. "I don't know why Twilight would lie to me about something like this. But I trust her, and I trust you Rainbow." He finished before she could speak up. With that he left. Rainbow clenched her fist, blinking as she found Pinkie beside her. "I knew he was a big softie..." Pinkie giggled. Rainbow relaxed, shaking her head. "He probably knows everything huh? But then why wouldn't he do anything? Isn't it his job?" Rainbow wondered aloud. "Because sometimes the best thing you can do is not always the right thing." Pinkie answered with a sad smile. Rainbow glanced at the baker, only to find she was gone. "This day needs to stop being weird..." Rainbow grumbled. "Somethin' weird is goin' on 'round here." Applebloom mumbled, blowing her nose into a crumpled up tissue. "Is The Chill acting up?" Scootaloo asked, Applebloom nodding. She glanced past her Skyborn friend, eyeing Spell Nexus next to the Doctor, the two discussing the next lesson plan. "Somethin' ain't right 'bout him. Ah ain't never felt th' Chill this bad before." She sighed, unable to focus through her pounding headache. "Maybe he's evil?" Sweetie Belle wondered, the three girls turning to look at the strange teacher from Celamont. He SEEMED normal, but something was still off. Everything about him was fake. His smile, his way of speaking, all of his actions. But at the same time it was hard to believe he meant anything but good, for a moment it was easy to fall for his smile and to see a better person underneath. But then it was lost again. "What would an evil teacher want anyway? Extra homework?" Scootaloo scoffed. Applebloom sighed, laying her head on her arms. "Ah guess yer right, still, somethin jus' ain't right." "Mistress, I know it is not my place to ask this...but..." "You are curious as to how Celestia and I are not at one another's throats?" Luna finished for her student, looking at Trixie over her cup of tea. Trixie lowered her head. "I-I apologize Mistress, as I said, it was not my place to ask..." "No, it is a fair question, one I am sure many have wondered. I take full responsibility for the Darkness in which I was consumed. I let it take a hold of me and I let myself drown in it until I could no longer understand reason." Luna explained softly, taking a sip of her tea. "Despite drowning in that darkness, what good there was inside of me remembered...Every night...she cradled me so gently in her magic as she lifted the moon. She did her best to craft the stars to match one of my masterpieces, and as morning came, she just as gently lowered me to slumber." Luna smiled sadly, setting her tea down. She lifted Trixie in her magic. "Tell me my apprentice, what do you feel?" Luna asked gently. Trixie blinked, taking a moment to carefully think out her next words. "Warm, Mistress. As if without it being said, I know you would never drop me." she answered. Luna nodded, gently setting Trixie down. "When one is as magically intuned as we are, and is held in the Magic of another, we can feel their emotions, their true feelings. It was much the same between Celestia and I while I was imprisoned. She felt only regret that she could not have saved me from my fate. With my mind free of the Darkness, there was only clarity. I came to realize how far I had gone over my jealousy. Our people have changed much in the time I was gone. I was rather surprised to discover they even seek my council during the later hours. It warms my heart to know that after so long, I am not just her shadow. We are equals and we always have been...I was just too blind to see it then." Luna finished. She lifted her cup once more, taking a small sip. "Thank you for your question." "O-Of course Mistress" Rainbow sat in silence, watching as Nyx sat in Twilight's lap, the two enjoying an encyclopedia of all things together. The silence was broken as Scootaloo burst into the library, dropping her bag next to the door and flopping onto the couch. "Ugh, so good to be home." the Skyborn sighed, smiling up at Rainbow. "How was School?" Rainbow wondered, glancing at Twilight. "Eh, it was alright I guess. Bloom is convinced one of our teachers is evil and the others are just weird. And no one has seen Ms Yearling in a while...did she leave?" Scootaloo wondered as she sat up. "I'm not sure Squirt, I haven't seen her either. But she writes books, maybe she had somethin' important to do." Rainbow shrugged. Scootaloo turned to Twilight, caught by surprise when she noticed Nyx. "Oh hey." she waved, Twilight and Nyx looking up, the two jumping in surprise. "Were the two of you really that lost in there?" Rainbow deadpanned. "S-Sorry. I guess we both just really like to learn." Twilight giggled. Nyx nodded agreement, careful to keep her spectacles balanced. "Soooo, who are you?" Scootaloo wondered, tilting her head to the side. Nyx cleared her throat, calming the pounding of her heart and putting on a smile. "I'm Nyx." she introduced herself. With Rarity's help they had dressed Nyx in a white undershirt, the fabric light but thickly woven to cover up any obvious markings. On top of that she wore a dark purple vest, a pitch black skirt completing her outfit. Her hair was kept in a ponytail, something Pinkie had suggested to further throw off her similar appearance to Nightmare Moon. "Huh, never seen you before. You new in town?" Scootaloo asked as she sat in front of them. "You uh...could say that..." Nyx mumbled, suddenly very very interested in the knitting technique used on Twilight's rug. "Nyx is a distant family member of mine. She'll be staying with us for a while Scootaloo." Twilight explained with a nervous smile. "...So she's family? Cool! Wait, am I sharing my room?!" Scootaloo panicked "Nah, Nyx is more nervous than Fluttershy, so she is always latched onto Twilight. You get to keep your room to yourself Squirt but i'm losing my favorite spot on the bed." Rainbow pretended to grumble. "S-Sorry Rainbow..." Twilight apologized failing to notice the humor in her friends voice. Rainbow simply shook her head. "Eh its fine. But she's gotta let loose at some point Twi', you can't keep her cooped up in here." Rainbow pointed out. "I know, but..." "I'm not ready..." Nyx finished for Twilight. "Pfft, I guess I can understand that. It kinda sucks out there sometimes, but you can't make friends trapped in here Nyx.. Hey! That gives me an idea. Can I bring AB and Belle over? We won't break anything!" Scootaloo begged. Twilight sighed in defeat and nodded, Scootaloo jumping to her feet and rushing for the door. "Is this a good idea Twi?" Rainbow asked. "Well, this way, Nyx can make some friends. What do you think?" Twilight looked down, the Celestian in her lap fidgeting a bit. "What if they get mad at me like Miss Rainbow did? Or panic like Miss Rarity did?" Nyx wondered, hanging her head. "Aw c'mon, I didn't get mad." Rainbow sighed. "They acted like that because you are different Nyx, they didn't know how to react. But Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom are different too. They won't get mad, or panic, or anything like that. But, you can't exactly tell them everything just yet either." "Why? Whats wrong with me?!" Nyx demanded, blinking as Twilight hugged her tightly. She looked up, seeing her own tears mirrored in her caretakers eyes. "Nothing is wrong with you Nyx...but not everyone understands that..." Twilight said, barely above a whisper. The two tensed up as Rainbow joined the hug, wearing a smirk. "I don't understand either of you, can't even try to lie. But I'll be damned if I let either of you be sad while I'm around." "It's good to see you Cadence, though I wish it were on better terms than this." Celestia sighed. "I agree, though there is good news to be had as well." Cadence giggled, holding up her hand. Celestia smirked, glancing at one nervous Shining Armor. "It's about time. I was wondering if you'd ever have the courage Captain." she teased. Shining Armor cleared his throat, tapping his wrist. "Can we get back on topic? Namely, the Nightmare Armor. How did it get out of here? And Discord...how did he manage to hide here for so long?" Shining wondered. "I am sad to say I don't have any of the answers you are looking for Captain. The only thing I recognized of Discord were his eyes...he must have hid them from me with an illusion...In any case, I SHOULD have known it was him. I apologize Shining Armor, in this, I failed you." Princess Celestia lowered her head for a moment, catching Shining off guard. He cleared his throat, shaking his head "No. I don't think shifting blame around on ourselves will fix anything Princess. But there's something else bugging me, something I'm forgetting...Someone else who had ties to the Nightmare Armor." Shining realized, clenching his fists. "Spell Nexus, he was there Princess, he shared Discord's story and alibi." "I understand your concerns Captain, but Discord dug himself deep undercover. If we suspect everyone who agreed with anything concerning him..." Celestia began, Shining shaking his head. "I can feel it Princess. Something just isn't...RIGHT. I felt it when Nightmare attacked, I felt it when the incident in the lab happened, I felt it when you needed me most and it's even stronger now Princess...At least allow me the chance to speak with Spell Nexus." Shining Armor almost begged. Celestia folded her hands in her lap, glancing at Cadence who only nodded. "I am afraid I cannot allow you to leave your post Captain, not while a supplementary Captain is still only in training." Celestia spoke up, Shining hanging his head. "But...I could call on Spell Nexus on a matter of important business, and were there to be any possibility of danger, I would need my Captain by my side." she said with a smirk. Shining Armor chuckled, bowing his head. "Understood Princess."