• Published 29th May 2012
  • 5,242 Views, 211 Comments

L'amore è femmina (Out of Love) - Ospero



The Elements are faced with a bigger threat than ever. Sequel to "Love Will Set You Free".

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La La Love

November 4th, 9 a.m., Sugarcube Corner

Pinkie Pie didn't know what was wrong.

Her Pinkie Sense kept buzzing away in the back of her mind, occasionally adding a twitch or two, but the combinations just didn't make sense. She had never felt anything like this before, and considering that tomorrow was Colt Fawkes Night, the final event of the autumn season, the timing could hardly have been worse.

The bell above the bakery's entrance took her back to reality, and when she saw who had just come in, she smiled. "Fluttershy! You're up early today."

The pegasus looked at Pinkie from beneath her mane and shook her head. "Actually, I didn't sleep much last night. Something is..." She halted, looking for words.

"Wrong?" Pinkie felt alarm bells going off in her head. "You too?"

"So you feel it as well?" Fluttershy seemed almost relieved. "Thank Celestia, I thought it was just me."

Pinkie took two strawberry cupcakes from beneath the counter and slid one over to Fluttershy. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Fluttershy admitted. "I just feel that something's terribly wrong. But I can't put a hoof on what it is."

"Same here." Pinkie tossed the cupcake into the air and caught it with her teeth, swallowing before she spoke again. "None of the other customers said anything, though, so maybe it's just the two of us?"

"Maybe, but I don't think so. Whatever this is we're feeling, I think it's something big." Before Fluttershy could elaborate further, the bell rang again.

A large red earth stallion marched in the door, looking about as exhausted as Pinkie felt. "Howdy, miss Pinkie."

"Hi, Big Mac. What can I do for you?" Pinkie asked, smiling.

"I need something to keep me awake. Didn't get much sleep last night."

Fluttershy and Pinkie exchanged glances. "What happened?" Pinkie asked, getting a cup of coffee ready.

"Oh, just bad dreams, is all. AJ screamed the house down something fierce round about midnight." Big Macintosh emptied the cup in one go and pushed it back to Pinkie. "Another one, if you don't mind."

"Sure." Pinkie did as asked.

"Um, Big Macintosh, what did Applejack dream about?" Fluttershy asked.

He turned to the pegasus, slightly stumbling over his words. "Don't know. She wouldn't say, and neither would Apple Bloom." The earth stallion took another deep gulp of coffee. "We've all been feeling a bit under the weather. Probably just the time of year."

"Oh, maybe." Fluttershy averted her gaze, and Pinkie couldn't help but see the deep blush on her friend's cheeks. The earth mare grinned inwardly. Tomorrow night. You've waited long enough.

From time to time, Pinkie had entertained the thought of forcing the two to see what was directly in front of them, but she had always shied away from doing that. One false move might do irreparable harm, and while Pinkie was as random as most ponies believed her to be, she was neither insensitive nor irresponsible - six years of babysitting for the Cakes had taken care of that. But the party would be the ideal environment for them to finally take their feelings out into the open, and Pinkie would make sure that it happened.

He's been pining after her for four years now. Celestia knows how long she's been dreaming of him. Auntie Pinkie is at the ready to get you two together. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.

***

Carousel Boutique, two hours later

"Rarity?"

The white unicorn slowly opened her eyes. I must have nodded away. She blinked a few times, and the blob of white and purple in front of her slowly resolved into her sister. "Hello, Sweetie. What brings you here at this time of day?"

The younger mare suppressed a yawn. "I wanted to check on the new dress you promised me for Colt Fawkes Night."

Rarity shook her head one final time and really focused on Sweetie Belle, gasping as she did so. "Darling, whatever happened to you? Frankly, you look terrible."

"I know." Sweetie yawned again. "I didn't get much sleep last night. Do you have a feeling something strange is afoot?"

"Strange that you should say that," Rarity answered as she walked over to one of the ponyquins. "Pinkie asked me the same when I got my breakfast this morning, and she said that Fluttershy was also feeling it."

"Maybe this has something to do with that vision you had yesterday evening?" Sweetie suggested.

"How do you know about that?" Sweetie Belle hadn't been there, and Rarity hadn't seen her after the vision.

"Apple Bloom told me, when we met at the hospital last night." Sensing the unspoken question, Sweetie Belle continued. "Don't worry, I was there just now, and Scootaloo is already back on her hooves. She took a nasty bump to the head, but," the young mare laughed, "Celestia knows how often that happened back when we went crusading."

"Only too true. Now, where were we?" Rarity withdrew the tarp from the ponyquin. "What do you say?"

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened as she took in the dress, a simple affair in white with some pink highlights. "Fantastic! This is exactly what I was thinking of. Just how do you do it, Rarity?"

"You're my sister, Sweetie. If I didn't get what you wanted, I might as well close my shop right this instant, because I certainly wouldn't be able to do proper work for friends or strangers." Rarity smiled. "Simply go out on that stage tomorrow and blow them away."

"With that dress? Foal's play." Sweetie looked around. "Say, where's my dear brother-in-law got to?"

"He's in Canterlot. They're celebrating Colt Fawkes too, and he's coordinating it all over there. And where has your current beau got to?"

Sweetie's smile froze. "Featherweight? We broke up two weeks ago. Didn't I tell you?"

Rarity just stared at her sister in shock. "No. No, you didn't. That's, what, the fourth colt in one year?"

"Fifth, actually." Sweetie Belle cast down her eyes. "I don't know what it is, it just never seems to work out with me and colts. Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course I can."

Sweetie turned away, head still bowed. "Sometimes I'm jealous of you."

Rarity was silent for a moment. "Sweetie, I'm almost nine years older than you. Give it time."

"What about Apple Bloom, then? She's my age, and she's been with the same colt -" Sweetie Belle hesitated. "Okay, the same dragon for six years now. What's she doing right, and what am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing at all, Sweetie. Yes, there are some who find their special somepony very early, but that's rare. Do you know any other couples your age who have been with each other for even two or three years, much less six?" When Sweetie Belle just shook her head, Rarity touched her shoulder lightly, causing her sister to turn to her again. "Dearie, there is somepony special out there for you. Keep searching."

Sweetie Belle smiled weakly. "Perhaps you're right. Now..." She broke off and turned her head around, as if searching for something.

"What is it, Sweetie?" Rarity tried to follow her sister's gaze, but she couldn't see anything unusual.

"For a second, I thought I saw something." Her smile deepened. "Nevermind, it's probably just nerves."

***

Ponyville Hospital, the same day, 3 p.m.

For the hundredth time that day, Gilda's eyes were drawn to the necklace now lying on her nightstand.

I'll have to talk to that egghead unicorn - Twilight Sparkle, wasn't it? - about this. I need help finding out what this means.

She stared at the gemstone embedded in the centre of the necklace and saw a dozen yellowish reflections of herself staring back. Something about her seemed to have changed, something she couldn't put a talon on.

She blinked, and when her eyelids opened again, the hospital room was gone, as was the necklace - no, that wasn't true, she was wearing it again.

Gilda looked around. Nothing but featureless, flat grey, stretching as far as her eyes could see.

"Where am I?"

Welcome to my home, Gilda of Boldfeather.

She recognized the voice even before she turned and found herself beak-to-muzzle with that weird alicorn again. "Oh. Hi again. What do you want now?"

You still bear much hostility and pain inside you, Boldfeather. But your healing has begun. Excellent.

"I guess I owe you thanks, alicorn. Care to explain what happened to me?"

The strange purple eyes turned solid black. I cannot do that. I know that your Element is bound to Twilight, not Day or Night, for I would not be able to speak to you otherwise. Yet even I do not know who the other Hidden are, or what their Elements signify. But perhaps you can form your own impressions. Look and see. The alicorn waved a paw, and a golden disc rose out of the ground.

Gilda looked at the disc for a while, trying to find anything special, but nothing showed. It was just a featureless circle of gold. "That's supposed to give me any information? It's a golden disc, no more."

Oh, but it is. So much more than you can see with your eyes. Try to really feel it.

Gilda closed her eyes and tried to do as the alicorn had told her. For a long time, nothing happened, but then she opened her eyes again and saw a golden shimmer around the outer rim of the disc that vanished quickly even as she looked at it. She couldn't say why, but that light filled her with dread. "Whoa. What in the blazes was that?"

The first sign of the Dawn of the Seventh. I know what you felt when you saw the light, for I feel the same. Whatever this Dawn may be, it is by no means a good thing. You need to overcome your difficulties with the Elements of Harmony and Unity, or all of you shall fall.

Gilda blinked again, and found herself staring at a dozen yellow-tinted reflections of herself again. She thought for a moment, then she pushed the button next to her bed.

A few seconds later, a white earth mare looked in the door. "Can I do anything for you, Ms Boldfeather?"

"Yeah. You can tell me when I can leave." Gilda tried her best to push her contempt for this whole town and its ponies away, and found to her surprise that it was a lot easier than it had been seven years ago. Maybe I have changed, after all.

The nurse consulted a file. "Well, according to this, there's really nothing to keep you here anymore. Just don't overexert yourself for a few days."

Gilda grinned. "Trust me, I'm none too keen to end up here again any time soon."

"I'll go get the discharge papers, then." She turned away.

Gilda hesitated for a moment, then she called after the nurse. "Hey, Nurse...?"

The mare turned in surprise. "Redheart."

"Thank you." Again, Gilda found herself surprised at how easily the words came to her.

"You're welcome." Nurse Redheart smiled, then turned away.

Gilda let herself sink onto her bed again. What is going on here? I'm having visions of some scary stuff, and yet I feel ... right. As though I'd found my place.

Maybe this whole thing will turn out for the best, after all.

***

Sweet Apple Acres, the same day, 11.30 p.m.

The trees were dried-out husks, clawing their roots into parched soil beneath a relentlessly burning sun. The farmhouse looked close to collapse, the barn had long since come tumbling down, and only a few bleached bones were left to tell of the animal population of Sweet Apple Acres.

Worst of all, though, was the face of day itself. The sun's mild yellow glow had been replaced by a remorseless golden glare that brought nothing but death to the face of Equestria. Five words echoed around the desert that had been Ponyville's premier farm.

Harmony. Discipline. Virtue. Power. Community.

***

Spike managed not to scream as he shot awake, but he couldn't keep a gasp from escaping him. He stormed to the window and looked outside, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of a nightly Sweet Apple Acres decidedly not burnt to a crisp by a merciless sun.

He sensed her approach before he heard the hoofsteps. Hooves wrapped around his chest, and he heard her whisper. "What happened?"

"A nightmare," he replied without turning. "Like the one you had last night, only more vivid."

Apple Bloom turned him around and looked him in the eyes. "It's happening again, isn't it?"

"No. It'll be worse this time." He hugged her, needing to feel her touch.

"No matter what happens, it will turn out alright." The words were quiet, but full of conviction.

He gritted his teeth, then he smiled at her. "If the Element of Confidence says so, who am I to argue?"

She leaned in to kiss him when he suddenly felt a familiar grumble in his chest, leaving just enough time to get out the warning. "AB, get out of the way!"

Apple Bloom knew what this meant, so she leaped to the side as Spike burped up a green flame that swiftly manifested into a letter bearing the royal seal.

Spike picked it up gingerly and stared at it. "Why would Celestia write to me at this time of night? Besides, she should know that I'm not with Twilight this week." He broke the seal and unrolled the letter. His eyes widened.

"What is it, Spike?" Apple Bloom asked worriedly.

"Look for yourself." He held out the letter.

Dear Twilight and Spike,

my sister has denied you access to the Royal Canterlot Archives for reasons unknown to me.

I won't put much of what I think is going on in writing, but suffice it to say that I'm not sure of my sister's motives any longer. She is not to be trusted at this moment. Rest assured I am researching what is happening to her. I have attached the most important passages from Stargazer's prophecies to this letter. Memorize them carefully, for the letter will burn itself to ash within five minutes of anypony opening it.

Difficult times lie ahead, my little ponies. Prepare yourselves.

Princess Luna