From the Ashes

by Benjamin Lawe

Chapter 2: Quarrel in the Moonlight

From the Ashes

Chapter 2: Quarrel in the Moonlight

Marco squirmed as he resisted Twilight’s levitation spell.

The interrogation had been long-winded, but he had been compliant considering he now identified her as one of the ‘Elements of Harmony’, which made her part of the team responsible for thwarting Nightmare Moon.

“Let me get this straight...” she began, recapping on the discussion thus far, “You call yourself Marco, but your name is actually Lawmark. You came in through Everfree Forest, but you’re actually from a town called New Eureka...

“A town you say was destroyed by rampaging monsters...” she continued, counting off all the inconsistencies, “But it was actually Princess Luna.

Twilight sighed softly, almost smiling at the ludicrousness of it. “Stop me if I’m missing something won’t you?” she asked, eyeing the stallion suspiciously.

The unicorn’s sarcastic tone struck a nerve within Marco, but despite being held magically in mid air, he maintained his composure. “Look... I know I’m in the wrong here, but these are sensitive issues for me.” he pointed out, “I’d appreciate a little respect.”

Surprised by this, Twilight made to defend herself but quickly re-thought the idea. Even if he was lying, Twilight’s attitude was inappropriate. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it like that...” she apologised, easing up somewhat, “But let’s not forget I was woken up in the dead of night by some stallion sneaking into my house. You have a lot of explaining to do.”

As the words left her lips, the magic holding Marco in place suddenly dissipated, leaving him to land solidly on the wooden floor. He felt better just by having his hoofs back on solid ground, but it didn’t escape his notice that Twilight was still magically keeping the door shut tight.

“You don’t have to apologise.” Marco replied, ignoring it and smiling lightly for the concerned unicorn before him, “After all, I can hardly hold a grudge against somepony who saved my life.”

“Yes, well...” Twilight suddenly paused, not understanding, “Wait, what?”

It was then that Marco went on to tell her about his recent revelation concerning the Elements of Harmony and the role they played in stopping Nightmare Moon, and how he’d made such a discovery just before she had caught him in the act.

“I was so shocked to see that the elements of harmony were real ponies, even more so when I realized I actually knew some of them.” Marco said genuinely, “And then you found me down here, and I instantly recognized you from the photo.

“Twilight Sparkle, the element of Magic...” he continued, his voice somewhat distant, “You played a key role in defeating Nightmare Moon and bringing back the sun, which in turn saved me from the darkness. I owe my life to you and your friends.”

Twilight tried to shake off the idea that she had inadvertently saved somepony’s life. “Wait...” she help up a hoof as if to prevent Marco from continuing, “Are you telling me you snuck in here during the night trying to get information on Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony?”

“Yes.” Marco replied evenly, already knowing what was to come.

“Why?” Twilight shot back, “For what purpose did you come all the way to Ponyville? What’s your aim?”

Marco’s eyes narrowed. He’d been preparing himself for this moment ever since Twilight started firing away with all those questions. If he did this right, things might finally start going his way...

“I came seeking an audience with Princess Celestia.” he lied, “As I am all that is left to speak for the tragedy that befell my hometown, it’s my duty to make sure the same story I have told you gets the reception it deserves.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the mention of her teacher’s name. Even still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this guy was suspicious. She was perceptive enough to know he was leaving something out of his story.

“I’m going to be honest with you Marco.” Twilight said formally, “I think you’re holding back on me.”

Marco hid his interest in Twilight’s powers of deduction. She was clearly more level-headed than he thought.

“I’m also going to tell you something I don’t have to.” she continued, taking back Marco’s attention, “I know the princess rather well and can arrange for a missive to be sent.”

Marco was more than surprised. If such a thing was true, meeting this unicorn was an even greater opportunity than he had realized. “However...” Twilight added seriously, “I can’t say that I trust you to act independently, so I must compromise. I will write and send the request on your behalf.”

“Twilight please, you have to understand...” Marco begun, “The things I need to tell her are not for somepony like you to know. It’s painful enough just discussing this much with you. What I have to tell the princess... I just couldn’t-”

He couldn’t allow Twilight to see what he intended to write. He cut himself off in an attempt to create dramatic effect. It worked.

While Twilight’s instinct was to deny her exclusion from the letter, she found herself feeling somewhat for the poor pony. ‘I guess it makes sense...’ she thought, ‘Whatever he’s refusing to tell me, he would have to tell Celestia. It’s understandable that he doesn’t want me to scribe.’

Twilight looked up to assess Marco. The stallion wasn’t making eye contact and was looking down timidly. Without a word, Twilight dispelled her magic on the door and hovered a piece of parchment and quill down towards Marco.

She reluctantly turned away, heading for some upstairs bedroom. “Be as sincere as you possibly can.” Twilight ordered, “Don’t make me regret my leniency.”

“I am indebted to you once again.” Marco said softly, “Thank you.”

He may have sounded grateful, but inside his head, diabolical gears were turning. This was his chance.

Upstairs, Twilight had arrived at her destination. “Spike...” she whispered, nudging the baby dragon from his sleep, “Wake up; I need you for a minute.”

By the time Twilight managed to get Spike awake and focused, Marco had finished his writing. She returned to his side just as he sealed the letter, prepared to have it sent off. She made to ask him how it went, but his face said it all. His eyes were watery and his posture carried the distinct kind of stillness that embodied the fact he had just done something very difficult.

And while Marco’s appearance was convenient and it suited his strategy, this time it was genuine. Twilight just approached reassuringly and gently took the letter from him.

“Spike.” she said passing the letter to the groggy dragon that had followed her from upstairs, “If you please...”

Without concern for who this grey pony was and why he had been woken up so late, Spike just incinerated the letter without delay, enveloping it in green flame so as to teleport it to its destination.

Seeing the green and grey smoke float away, Marco had trouble disguising his increasing seriousness with his solemn expression. The letter that had just been sent to the princess was not hiss account of the atrocities at New Eureka.

Indeed, it was not even his name signed at the bottom. It had been replaced with the that of somepony else...

*

In the quiet confines of her private study, Princess Celestia continued to dwell on the research that had kept her awake beyond the coming of night. And with everypony else who occupied the palace having retired some time ago, the only pony left who could convince her to abandon her secretive work was herself.

With a long drawn out sigh, the tired princess closed the tome in front of her with the pulse of her magical horn and hovered it out of reach. She could deny her tiredness no longer, and she knew full well that the fast approaching morning could not come without her consent. Even still, many thoughts were weighty on her troubled mind. She had yet to determine a way to appeal to her tormented sister, and her research had yielded more questions than answers. And while she didn’t like to admit it, her efforts had raised further concerns instead of granting her the relief she so dearly desired.

Celestia shook her head. This was enough for one night. She rose from her position and made towards the door, letting her tired eyes close for the briefest of moments...

No sooner than she did however, she heard the crackle of fire from somewhere behind her, and she turned just in time to see a tightly sealed scroll flame into existence and drop harmlessly to the floor. Wondering who in their right mind would think to send her a letter so late in the night, the princess did not delay before she wrapped the parchment up in her magic and floated it up to her eyes.
Curiosity commanded her to break the seal and discover who would have cause to contact her like this. All but ignoring the contents, she allowed her eyes to drift to the bottom so that she could determine the author. In seeing the name written at the bottom, Celestia’s eyes flickered with some kind of unidentifiable emotion. Letting it subside, she proceeded to read the letter in its entirety.

Dear Princess Celestia

I apologize for the plainness of this missive, but the matter is urgent. New Eureka is facing disaster at the hands of the rampaging beasts beyond our borders. I have little time to elaborate, but I fear the worst may happen if you and your guard cannot lend us your assistance. I pray that this letter reaches you swiftly, and that you receive it before it is too late.

Your faithful student, Arabelle.

The letter was a flawless forgery; Marco had perfectly adapted the style in which Arabelle wrote. The princess would have no way to tell that it was a fake...

Her eyes intense, Celestia discarded the letter and let her horn glow a brilliant yellow. A few seconds later, a droning alarm could be heard crying out from the far side of the hall outside. As quickly as it had come, the sharp sound subsided, but before silence could return, the hall was filled with the sound of brisk hoof-steps as a band of royal guards galloped their way to Celestia’s chamber.

Leading the hurried bunch was none other than Captain Caliber, fully armoured and alert, his reaction to being so suddenly woken up brought on by countess drills. “Celestia?” he questioned, putting a cautious hoof forward into her study, the half-dozen guards behind him following suit, “What’s the emergency?”

“Guards!” she boomed, her voice embodying authority, “We have urgent business to attend to! My student is in danger!”

*

Back at the library, Marco was continuing his explanation to Twilight of the experience he had with her friends.

“Wait...” Twilight interrupted, “How did you end up going from passed out in front of the Everfree Forest, to across town at the hospital, then all the way to Fluttershy’s cottage?”

“Well, we walked back from the hospital... but I honestly never asked how they found me, or how they managed to get me over to the doctor.” Marco replied frowning, “I’m afraid I didn’t get much of chance to ask questions, but I did get the impression it was Rainbow Dash doing most of the leg work. I know Fluttershy lent a hoof, but I’m pretty sure Applejack just got caught up in passing...”

Even though Marco talked normally, his mind was racing in an attempt to develop a method by which he could get out of Twilight’s house without causing suspicion. ‘My best bet is to keep talking about my relationship with her friends...’ he thought, ‘I could get her to trust me more if I get her to believe that her friends also trust me.’

He felt compelled to lie and say that they not only let him leave Fluttershy’s cottage, but also told him to come here. The fact that the two places were connected was exceptional, if Twilight turned around and said that it was chance or dumb luck that he went from one to the other it would be hard to back it up with logic, even though it was true.

Marco recalled how Twilight saw through his deception earlier. ‘No, that won’t work...’ he thought, ‘This one’s too clever.’

He was right. Twilight might be able to accept that her friends trusted Marco enough to send him here, but she would never accept that her friends would expect her to trust somepony she didn’t know, especially if he came alone. One of the girls would have to accompany Marco to vouch for him.

“Well I can’t imagine anypony other that Dash carrying a big stallion like you all the way to the other side of Ponyville...” Twilight said casually, taking Marco away from his thoughts, “Least of all Fluttershy...”

“About her...” Marco said, picking up on Twilight’s relaxed tone, “Is she a doctor or something?”

“She’s not qualified if that’s what you mean.” Twilight responded, “Still, she’s quite knowledgeable and if anything goes wrong she’s usually the first pony we see.”

“She must really know her stuff then...” Marco replied, “I was on my last legs when they found me, yet it seems as thought I’ve recovered rather quickly.”

“She knows a lot yes...” Twilight said, looking at the stallion seriously, “But I would say your health has more to do with her devotion than anything else.”

“Devotion?” Marco questioned, “What do you mean?”

“Her kindness.” Twilight begun, “The element you now know her to possess. If you’re feeling better, it’s because she wanted you to feel better. If you were under her care then you would have figured that out even before coming here and discovering her element.”

Marco looked down and nodded slowly. “Yes, you’re right; I couldn’t help but notice her selflessness. They were all so selfless.” Marco took a deep breath, “Which makes what I’m about to tell you hard to say...”

Twilight moved in closer; she could tell this was important. “They might have had faith in me, but I refused to tell them what happened to me or why I came to Ponyville.” Marco’s voice was low, “I... I didn’t trust them. I waited for them to fall asleep and I ran away.

“But it’s different now!” he exclaimed, his eyes imploring, “Coming here led me to find out just how connected to all of this they are. I don’t want to lie to them anymore, and now I don’t have to! They saved my life in defeating Nightmare Moon, and they saved it again by taking me in! Like you, they all deserve to know.”

Marco gulped, and decided to make his move. “I’m sorry Twilight, but I have to go.” he said suddenly, “I can’t afford for them to wake up and realize I am gone. It would be impossible to explain...

“I won’t let that happen.” he said determinedly, “I won’t loose their trust like this.”

Marco didn’t look at Twilight for her response, but addressed her for what would be the final time. “Don’t worry.” he said, reading her thoughts as he gestured to the tired figure of Spike behind her, “In my letter to the princess I mentioned that the dragon over there sent the letter for me.”

He began to move towards the door. “Her reply will come through you, and I’ll be sure to return before it arrives.” he continued, “Until next time. Thank you for all you’ve done for me...”

He knew how much Arabelle meant to Princess Celestia, which made him certain that she would have already departed to the remains of his hometown. But more importantly, the main body of the Equestria royal guard would have gone with her.

Twilight watched Marco leave, her hoof placed thoughtfully upon her muzzle. There was something that he had just said didn’t sit right with her. And as the door closed behind him, she suddenly figured out what it was. So she ran after him.

His mention of Spike didn’t make any sense. He had written and sealed the letter before Twilight revealed the means by which she used to communicate with Celestia, which meant he had no way of knowing how his letter would be sent. He had lied about telling the princess where the letter came from and doing so, shattered whatever faith Twilight had in the truth of whatever else he had said.

She bolted through her front door, accusations at the ready. But when she saw what was waiting outside, everything she was about to say was absolutely erased from her mind...

Outside, Marco was tensed up aggressively, surrounded by half a dozen royal guards. But Twilight’s eyes were immediately drawn to the sight of Princess Celestia, looking down on him condemningly.

Twilight reeled, absolutely flabbergasted. Marco had also been silenced by the princess’ appearance, but eyes his were narrowed with burning intensity.

“How?” he scowled, his teeth grinding in dark frustration.

Celestia’s expression was impassive. Slowly, her eyes wandered from the enraged pony before her over to her utterly shocked student. “It truly was a remarkable forgery.” she said flatly, her words as impassive as her face, “However, I am more impressed that you managed to send it. I could not think of a more likely place for you to find someone able to contact me so directly.”

Twilight was worried. Her teacher’s tone was unfamiliar. She did not recognize it, and she most definitely did not like it.

As her student remained silent, Celestia looked back to Marco, her tone tinged with the tiniest sliver of aggression. “Shall I assume you tricked her?” she asked, her prejudice clear.

Twilight had no idea what was going on. Questions clouded her mind but she was too afraid voice her concern; the words were choked out of her by the grim atmosphere.

“Leave her out of this...” Marco growled, “How did you know it was a fake?”

Celestia closed her eyes absently and sighed deeply, more focused on her thoughts than the words of the grey coated stallion. “It is how you imagined it.” she finally said, “Your letter was perfect. You must have known her well to be able to recreate her style so flawlessly... but I knew it was a forgery the instant I saw her name.”

Marco didn’t understand, but he refused to let his confusion show. His face remained the visage of anger. He watched as one of the guards opposite Celestia, apparently the leader, approached her and passed her a scroll.

“Because...” she continued, levitating the scroll disarmingly over to Marco, “I had already received her final message.”

Marco’s intensity wavered as he looked down at the letter and back up to the passive look of Princess Celestia. Abandoning his pride, he lunged for the letter. Reading this meant far more to him than any notion of maintaining his cool in front of the princess and her guards. With trembling hoofs, Marco unfurled the missive and became consumed by its text...

Dear Princess Celestia

I know that this letter will not reach you for some time, given the current state of affairs. If perchance the destined six return the sun, then I wish for you to accept this letter as our final correspondence. I know that you value me as your treasured student, but I am afraid I must disappoint you. I fear that I cannot allow myself to flee from the ensuing chaos. I also know that you didn’t simply send me here to maintain communication with the settlement. I am sure you know that once upon a time, I despised the earth ponies and their culture and I hated you for your decision to put me amongst them. I realize now that you were trying to change my attitude, and all it took was one foal full of eagerness and the will for learning to make me come to love them. It is my duty to them I cannot shirk. Marco is like a son to me, teacher. I know it is selfish, but I could never live a life without regret if I abandoned him now.

I have to have faith that he is still alive. I have to have faith that the sun is not yet extinguished. I have to have faith I can still protect what needs protecting.

Your faithful student...

Arabelle.

Celestia could tell Marco had finished reading. Everypony could. His eyes leaked painful tears; it was obvious he was done...

When the princess finally spoke, her tone was distant. “The moment Twilight and her friends thwarted my corrupt sister and I found that letter, I sped to the remains of New Eureka. I saw the rubble and the ashes.” she said, her voice weighted by sorrow and regret, “Even I could not stand idle as my guard upturned every demolished structure and every blackened home. We all sifted through the ashes in our search... but we found nothing. It was all gone.”

The princess pulled herself away from the memories of the destruction, resuming her stare at the stallion before her. “Marco. I don’t know how you survived, but you did. You pulled your dying body from the ashes and made it all the way here.” her tone became serious once more, “And now, I stand before you. I will not allow you to continue down this path young one.”

Marco said nothing. He just matched Celestia’s stare with his watery eyes, caught between sorrow and anger...

“Yours is a tragic fate Marco, but I cannot let you pursue Luna.” her voice became more gentle and caring again, “Can you not find it within yourself to forgive? The Arabelle I knew did not save you so that she could be avenged, and the West she told me of would not-”

“Don’t you dare say their names!” Marco yelled, the tears in his eyes glazed over and totally enveloped by rage, “What happened to them is bigger than you, me, and your sister! I will not let their deaths go ignored! I will not allow such an injustice to thrive!”

The royal guards tensed at Marco’s sudden outburst, but Celestia didn’t break composure. “Marco...” she begun, her voice carrying with it a grim seriousness, “I hoped it would not come to this, but I stand between you and my sister. I will not stand idly by if you will not cease your attempts at revenge.

“If you make Luna your enemy...” her words cut through the night air, “Then you make an enemy out of me.”

Everything suddenly fell quiet. The tension was unbearable.

“Let me say this only once. For I will not repeat myself, nor will I change my mind.” Marco said evenly, unfazed by Celestia’s overpowering statement, “Someone must be held accountable, and the blame lies solely on your sister’s head.”

Marco’s eyes became deadly. Looking on in fear, the fury in his words terrified Twilight to the core. “I do as I must princess.” Marco said, taking a defiant step forwards, “If you will not do the same, then get out of my damn way!”

Celestia just looked down at the brave, foolish pony. Neither of them would back down, and the grim choice was hers to make. “The dead do not suffer young one, nor are they capable of holding a grudge on the living.” Celestia tried to reason with the stallion for what would be the final time, “Can you not see that you are the only one haunted by this hatred?”

Marco did not reply. He didn’t need to. True to his claim, he refused to repeat himself, maintaining his threatening posture and sinister stare.

Celestia closed her eyes with regret, and let her long horn pulsed for a single terrifying instant. “Then I have no choice. I will make you understand...” her voice carried as the light from her horn enveloped the area, “Whether or not you can make peace with what lies ahead remains to be seen, but regardless... this tragic tale ends with you.”

Marco just dropped where he stood, gone before he even hit the ground. Without a word to the terrified Twilight, Celestia just left Marco where he lay. She wanted to be rid of the scene, so she ushered her escorts over to the carriage. But before they could make to leave, Twilight finally worked up the nerve to pursue.

“What have you done to him?” the unicorn managed, shocked beyond belief at her teacher’s actions, “Is... is he? Did you-”

“I did my duty as the princess.” Celestia said without looking at her student, “For the sake of us all I could not allow his pursuit of revenge to continue. Unfortunately even I was unable to dissuade him...”

Twilight’s eyes boggled. She didn’t want to believe what she had just seen. Or rather, it was easier to believe that she was mistaken than to accept that the princess could do such a thing...

Celestia could read her troubled student’s thoughts like a book. “Fear not, I have not stolen from him his life.” she said darkly, “But nothing we could have said would’ve changed his mind. I believe you saw that in his eyes just as well as I.”

“What did you do then?” Twilight asked, not understanding, “What happened to him?”

“I forced him to look inwardly.” the princess replied flatly, “I forced him to search inside for something without which he will not be able to wake. If there is any chance he can yet shed himself of his rage, then he must find the ability within himself.”

Even in her delirious state, Twilight could tell Celestia was being intentionally cryptic. The confusion showed on her face, but it seemed that the intention behind the princess’ words was something other than creating an understanding.

“However, if he fails this test I have imposed upon him, then his body will fade.” Celestia continued grimly, “You should return to him my student. Without the aid of you and your friends, I fear that he will not find a way from his torment.”

Twilight made to go, but a final comment from her teacher halted her. “But first, I must warn you...” she said purposefully, “Avoid getting too attached. No matter how this ends, it will bring only pain.”

Twilight had more to ask, but seeing this new side to her teacher made her speechless. Before she could bring back her voice, Celestia was gone.

The first thing Twilight did when she returned inside was send the traumatized Spike to Fluttershy’s cottage. It was beyond question that Marco was in dire straits, and at a this time of night, Fluttershy was the only one she could call on to provide a medical insight, at least for now.

Twilight looked over the motionless Marco. In forcing herself to push his eyes shut, she found it hard to believe that he was still alive.

Frantic, and with a potentially dying pony on her hooves, she couldn’t help but recall Celestia’s mention of her friends and how she would need their help. “Owlicious...” Twilight called, trying her best to remain calm, “I don’t even know if you understand, but please... see if you can find Rarity and Pinkie Pie and lead them back here! Do whatever you can to get them to follow you!”

*

“Marco did what?” Fluttershy asked bewildered.

“The princess did what?!” Rainbow Dash added.

“What in the hay is going on here Spike?!” Applejack threw in...

Secured on the back of Fluttershy’s currently galloping body, Spike took hyperventilated gasps with the aid of a paper bag. It seemed that now he was headed back to Twilight’s library, he was starting to stress out about what awaited.

The little dragon was breathless, having run all the way from Twilight’s house to Fluttershy’s cottage. He himself had no clue what in the world was going on, but much to the dismay of the unlikely group carrying him back home, he was failing to accurately explain what little he actually did know anyway.

All the girls knew was that the frantic dragon had charged in and woken up everyone staying at Fluttershy’s cottage, spouting some stuff about their being an emergency at Twilight’s house, and that Marco and Princess Celestia were somehow involved.

The telltale glow emanating from Twilight’s library quickly came into view. With not much else to consider, and Spike well beyond his ability to shed any more light on the situation, the unlikely group raced down the deserted street. Since the first-aid kit Spike had insisted they bring was weighing Applejack down, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy led the way as they closed in on the front door to their friend’s home.

At the same time as this was going on, in a more quiet corner of Ponyville, a pink bubbly earth pony bounced her way through the main street.

It hadn’t been very hard for Owlicious to tempt Pinkie Pie into following him back to his master’s library, and getting her to spring out of bed and out into the night was really rather effortless. In truth, it almost seemed as if Pinkie required no incentive to follow the feathered creature. Not that there was ever much convincing on the part of Owlicious; the pink pony just bounced along playfully in pursuit, trying to coax him into hooting.

Regardless, the keen creature led his pursuer onwards, aware that his partner in crime Spike was doing something quite similar on the opposite side of town. But while the dragon’s task was more or less completed, Owlicious’ mission was only about half done. There was still one detour the determined owl had to make before he could return to the library.

Further away from where he flew, that very same library was fast becoming something of a mess. Twilight had shoved all the books off of a spare table and magically floated Marco onto it.

It wasn’t looking good. In what time Twilight had, she had checked him for the basics. He was still breathing, though it was very weak. As for his heartbeat-

Twilight was interrupted by Fluttershy blasting through her front door with Rainbow Dash close behind. The yellow pegasus immediately raced over to the two of them. “Oh my goodness!” She exclaimed when she saw Marco, “What happened?”

“That will have to wait...” Twilight said seriously, “He’s barely hanging on! If we don’t do something I’m afraid he won’t be getting back up!”

Fluttershy didn’t wait for Twilight to finish before pressing her ear up against Marco’s chest as if to check his heartbeat. She heard a thump, followed by a long pause. Too long. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for a second beat. As the realization struck, Fluttershy felt a cold panic grip her; Marco’s heart was only moments away from failing at this rate...

“Where’s Applejack?!” she called out, the desperation clear in her voice, “She has my first aid kid!”

Rainbow Dash made to answer, but was stopped when Applejack charged in, carrying with her a pair of heavy looking saddlebags. “Here!” the orange earth pony replied, virtually breathless, “What’d you need?!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy called frantically, “Grab the red needle from the kit!”

Without even letting her friend even remove the saddlebags from her side, Dash buried her face in the leftmost one and begun to rummage around. When she emerged, she had a vicious looking needle gripped between her teeth.

“What’s in it?” she asked as she zipped over to Fluttershy’s side and passed it to her, the yellow pegasus’ concerned expression worrying Dash considerably.

“Adrenaline.” was all Fluttershy had time to say before she hit Marco with the business end of the needle, and injected the full dose right into his chest without wasting a second.

But to her abject horror, the stallion did not rise. His body remained motionless, and to understand what that meant, Fluttershy’s jaw dropped. “Oh no...” was all she could manage.

“What’s wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking between the reactionless Marco and the appalled Fluttershy, “What happened?!”

But Fluttershy wasn’t listening, her mind racing to think of some solution. No matter what was wrong with anypony, a direct dose of adrenaline would always, always wake you up. She put her ear to Macro’s chest once more. She could barely hear a silence between the raging thumps of an energized heart.

“No!” she squealed, “Why won’t he move? The energy from the adrenaline isn’t being offloaded! It’s all going to his heart!”

“Isn’t that good?!” Twilight asked alarmed, not understanding her friend’s fear, “It keeps his heart from stopping right?”

“But it’s way too much!” Fluttershy exclaimed, “He’ll have a heart attack at this rate! The blood pressure is too high!

“We can’t take back the energy... we can’t lower his blood pressure.” Fluttershy resigned, caving into stress, “We can’t slow his heart! There’s nothing I can do!”

Medicine or no medicine, it was clear to everypony that Fluttershy was now useless. She had practically collapsed, and was totally frantic. It was all the small crowd could do to stand there and watch helplessly as Marco’s heart essentially begun to beat out of his chest.

Even Applejack stood there perplexed, her concern making her oblivious to everything around her. She didn’t notice as Rainbow Dash returned to her side and started to dig through the first aid kit still strapped to her side.

For Dash, there wasn’t time to doubt, or even think about what she intended to do. Grabbing the desired object between her teeth, Dash bailed across the room and towards Marco, paying no heed to what her friends might’ve been doing or thinking.

The only thing she knew, the only thing she could know, was that if somepony didn’t take action, the stallion before her would be dead. Whether or not that action was rational, instinctual, or even sane did not matter. All that mattered was that somepony did something before it was too late.

And so, without even a semblance of a second though, and to the absolute horror of her friends as they saw the shiny tool gripped firmly between her teeth, Rainbow Dash made her move...

*

Her face slathered in a nourishing goo and her mane coiled up in rolls, Rarity mumbled dreamily as she slept, with the occasional light and dignified snore sure to be in keeping of her regularly refined composure. She jostled peacefully, rolling to the side while still managing to keep the thick cut slices of cucumber covering her eyes in position.

Regardless of the measures entailed by Rarity’s unique take on sleep, it was something that she had earned. A deadline for some of her fashion designs had been baring mercilessly down on her for the past week and she been hard at work trying to complete them. She had spent dawn to dusk scribbling away, cutting, stitching, correcting and redesigning, determined to complete her designs before she took to rest.

And completed them she had. A series of large, intricate sketches lay overlapping one another at the far end of the room, propped up next to her open bedside window.

And overlooking the whole scene with his beady eyes was the motionless figure of Owlicious, perched silently upon the windowsill by the stack of papers. In a flurry of feathers, the little owl broke from his statuesque trance and floated over to Rarity’s bedside. In an effort to stir the sleeping unicorn, he splayed his wings wide and let loose a mild hoot.

She rolled over as if to face his way, but her eyes remained closed behind their cucumber shields. To Owlicious’ dismay, Rarity’s sleepy mumbling resumed as did the rise and fall of her chest. She was still asleep.

Time for plan B. Owlicious fluttered closer to his target and sunk his talons into the blanket covering her. In discovering that her blanket was too thick for his claws to reach the pony beneath, he pecked furiously in an attempt to have his impacts penetrate.

It worked... sort of. The nuisance dismissed for what it was, the still snoozing unicorn rolled over once more and sent Owlicious hurtling from her back. Taking wing before he hit the ground, the frustrated creature shook his head vigorously from side to side. No more Mr. Nice Owl...

As his deceptively keen avian mind concocted a new plan, his observant little eyes flickered deviously as they happened upon the stack of sketches by the window. It seemed as if it was time for a change in tactics.

Making absolutely no effort to be subtle, Owlicious whipped up a storm of papers as he glided over to the designs and snatched them up in his grasp.

Rarity was out of bed and on her hooves in seconds. “Stop right there you scoundrel!” she cried, the cucumber popping dramatically from her eyes, “Don’t you dare touch my-”

But now that she could see the true nature of her unconventional intruder, whatever threat that was to follow jammed up in her throat. “Wait, aren’t you...” she begun, surprise and recognition melding into an expression made all the more comical thanks to the pasty green mud mask covering her face, “Twilight’s companion? What the devil are you doing here?”

Owlicious simply hooted coyly, reminding Rarity how foolish it was to ask him any sort of question. She wiped the goo from her face as she tried to adapt to the situation, but it was pointless. Before she could piece anything together, Owlicious flapped his wings and dived out of the window, taking his prize out into the night.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rarity exclaimed as she pursued, flicking the rolls from her mane with a quick flick of the hair, “Get back with my designs!”

Through some unfathomable process, in between gunning it from her bedroom upstairs to the front door on the ground level, Rarity emerged from her house invigorated, clean, dressed, and with her mane styled to its regular perfection.

And hovering above her, dangling the designs before Rarity like he would a red cloth before a bull, was Owlicious. And like a bull, the rage-filled unicorn snorted aggressively, her eyes locked firmly upon her target, her focus unwavering...

“Hi Rarity!” a familiar voice chimed out, “Whatcha doing out here?”

“Pinkie?!” Rarity exclaimed, seeing the pink pony bounce into view from the opposite side of her house, “You scared the living daylight out of me! And I could ask you the same question!”

“Well whadya think I’m doing?” Pinkie asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes as if her motives were the most obvious thing in the world, “I’m following Owlicious, duh!”

“Ah, that’s right!” Rarity swapped her gaze to the aforementioned owl, “Unhand those designs this instant!”

To Pinkie’s delight, Owlicious hooted pointedly and flew further out into the night. Sensing an adventure, she resumed her following of him, a spring to her step despite how late it was.

“Oh, what in blazes has gotten into that bird?” Rarity said, joining next to her friend, “And how come you of all ponies are up and about and chasing this, this... nuisance?”

“I thought he wanted something, so I decided to follow!” Pinkie beamed, her enthusiastic trot evolving into a full-blown skip, “What’s up that’s got you following him?”

“What’s up?!” Rarity repeated, her frustration clear, “What’s up is that I’ve spent every waking moment of the last two days working on my latest line of dresses! And when I finally finish and try to get my beauty sleep, Twilight’s infernal little minion sneaks into my room and makes off with all my hard work!”

“Oh...” Pinkie hummed, “Well, I’m sure he’s got a good reason!”

“Isn’t that a bit optimistic dear?” Rarity asked, “Besides, I believe I asked you what possessed you to be running around so late.”

“Oh right. It’s actually a funny story!” Pinkie replied, still leading Rarity onwards as the pair pursued Owlicious, “There I was, trying my bestest to crash for the night. But wouldn’t you know it, I couldn’t get to sleep no matter how hard I tried!

“You see, for some super-weird reason, my tail was a-twitchin’ and my knees were a-shakin’ like crazy!” she continued, animating her words by recreating the jittery spasms of which she spoke, “They wouldn’t settle down no matter what I did, and to be honest, I was kinda starting to freak out!

“And just when I didn’t know what to do...” Pinkie thrust her hoof out so to point at the flying figure of the owl leading them on, “Owlicious here flies into my room from out of nowhere, goes ‘hoot’ and zips out again!

“And you just followed him?” Rarity asked confused, “That doesn’t make much sense...”

“Pinkie Pie doesn’t believe in coincidence!” the bubbly pony announced, not caring for her friend’s doubt, “Ear flops and twitchy tails aside, the mystery of the sleuthing owl was one I just had to solve!”

“Oh good...” Rarity replied sarcastically, “Perhaps you can start by telling me why he come to terrorize me in my sleep them? Or explain to me why he would steal my designs?”

“Don’t say that! Of course Owlicious wouldn’t actually steal your drawings!” Pinkie Pie replied reassuringly, “And if we follow him we’ll definitely find out why he’s got us running around!”

“Sorry dear, but it all sounds a bit too silly for my tastes.” Rarity confessed, “I’m afraid you may be the only one who thinks this is some kind of adventure...”

“Now who’s being silly?” Pinkie shot back, laughing it off, “Can’t you tell he’s trying to lead us somewhere? He did a pretty good job rounding us two up, and now he’s taking us to a new place!”

“I still think you might be a bit too optimistic dear.” Rarity said doubtfully, “Even so... isn’t Twilight’s house just up ahead?”

“Oh gosh, you’re right!” Pinkie gasped, the surprise of the realization apparently rather strong, “Twilight must’ve told him to come get us!”

“Now why would she do that?” Rarity shook her head in disbelief, “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if that girl was still up at this late hour, I would be surprised if something was troubling her that couldn’t wait until morning.”

Even as she expressed her doubts, their continued pursuit of Owlicious brought Twilight’s unique tree-house into view.

“Looks like she’s still awake!” Pinkie Pie said, noticing the light emanating from her friend’s unique library, “She really must want to see us!”

Rarity still doubted Pinkie Pie’s conclusion, but as she saw Owlicious flutter on up to the windowsill close to the top of Twilight’s house and finally release his hold on the precious designs, she couldn’t deny the whole situation was quite curious.

“Perhaps you’re right.” she conceded, reclaiming her papers while looking up at the innocent figure of Owlicious perched above her, “It would seem that something truly ‘is up’ after all.”

“Well? Go on...” Pinkie Pie indicated Twilight’s doorstep with her eyes, “You first!”

Rarity gulped and put her hoof to the timber, then carefully and gently pushed the door open. No soon had it glided open however, Rarity stopped mid-stride and gasped as she unwittingly entered a world she was in no way prepared for.

The centre of the room was quite the shocking spectacle. Twilight fiddled and grappled with what appeared to be a chemistry set while Applejack of all ponies looked on, huffing and puffing like she had just ran a marathon. All the while, not too far from the pair, Rainbow Dash sat with her mane and coat soaked with water and eyes transfixed on some invisible object.

But these out-of-place things were only recognised in passing. Because, as her eyes connected with the floor in front of her, all of her attention went straight into making sense what had become of the carpet. It had been dyed a grizzly shade of red and Rarity knew better than to guess at how.

“W...wha...ga...” Rarity stuttered, the words not properly coming, “What’s going on in here?! Oh, please tell me that’s not what I think it is!

“It is, isn’t it?” she continued aghast, recognising the manner in which Rainbow Dash looked up to acknowledge her, “By Celestia... what in Equestria happened here?!”

“It wasn’t any use Twi...” Applejack panted, paying no heed to Rarity’s panicked questions, “I couldn’t find the doc anywhere! I checked the hospital, his house, everything! He musta been called out of town or something...”

“Then I guess this will have to do.” Twilight grumbled, the assortment of chemistry items coming together at the command of her horn, “It should work if we find somepony we can hook him up to...

“Speaking of which, where’s Rarity and Pinkie Pie?” she continued, apparently being too distracted to register the former enter and make a fuss, “They should be here by now-”

“Hello?!” Rarity announced herself again, not quite fathoming how her earlier questions managed to fall on deaf ears, “Don’t ignore me! I believe I asked you just what in blazes is going on-”

“Hi girls!” Pinkie Pie interrupted, bouncing past Rarity and sidestepping the red mess to take stance by the tired figure of Applejack, “Did you guys send Owlicious to come get us?”

“Yes, but there’s no time to explain!” Twilight exclaimed as she practically lunged over and pulled the pink pony with her as she made for upstairs, “I need... well, we need your help!”

“Whoa!” was all Pinkie Pie could reply with as Twilight dragged her along, the strange tube-like apparatus that the unicorn had pieced together bobbling behind them, levitated as it was by her magic.

Rarity could only watch the pair leave, left only with Applejack and Rainbow Dash to attend to her still unanswered questions. “Applejack, what was that you said about a doctor?” she asked, deeply concerned, “Is everything alright-”

She trailed off as she made the important connection. The blood could not have belonged to her friends, as they were obviously unharmed. But as she continued to think on it, her heart sank to realize one such friend was still unaccounted for.

“Fluttershy...” she said under her breath, “Where is she? Please, please tell me she’s okay!”

“Cool your jets Rarity...” Applejack replied weakly, seemingly exhausted, “She’s upstairs, and she’s okay. I’ll explain everything but... ah, just give me a minute.”

Rarity gave her friend time to catch her breath, but it was beyond her to simply wait for an explanation. She turned to her last resort, but Rainbow Dash was by all appearances even less fit than Applejack to bring peace to her concerns. The poor pegasus was saturated from head to hoof, and shivered from something other than the coldness of her wet body.

Nurturingly, Rarity powered up her magical horn and levitated a nearby towel over. She didn’t delay before seizing it and setting about the task of drying Dash off. Rarity became worried by her friend’s lack of response, but before she could ask what was troubling her, Applejack finally begun with the explanation she had promised.

“Yesterday morning, she found some stallion washed up outside Everfree Forest.” she begun, her words oddly neutral, “I don’t know all the details, but one thing led to another and he ended up under Fluttershy’s care...

“Then this morning, I was there helpin’ out.” she continued, noticing that Rarity paid due attention despite not knowing how this information related to her queries, “Over the day he told us about what he was doing here and where he’d come from. And we ate it up.”

“He wasn’t lying.” Dash suddenly said from underneath the towel trawling across her soaked body, “Don’t you remember what happened the first time you jumped to conclusions?”

“Then why don’t you try explaining what the princess did?” Applejack retorted, her voice insistent beyond her fatigue, “Because I’m betting Celestia didn’t just feel like ‘magicifiying’ Marco like she did!”

“Celestia? Magic? Marco?” Rarity counted off the confusing themes, “I don’t understand... can you go back the beginning please?”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash simply stared at one another for a for a moment or two, a point of difference having clearly been reached. “We’ll have to wait for Twilight to explain it better once she’s done with Pinkie up there.” Applejack conceded, “But the point is, Celestia put the stallion I was telling you about, Marco’s his name, under.

“Fluttershy tried to help when his heart nearly gave out, but it ended up almost killing him.” she continued, briefly looking between Rainbow Dash and the red puddle corrupting the floor, “There’s no doubt that Dash saved his skin.”

It didn’t take Rarity long to join the dots. “Wait, what?!” she exclaimed suddenly, eyes only for the pegasus she was idly drying, “You did... this?”

“I didn’t know what I was thinking!” Dash shot back, retreating inside somewhat, “The medicine was tearing the idiot’s heart to pieces! And... and I...”

“You did the right thing!” Applejack cut her off in an attempt to reassure her, “After all, it worked didn’t it?”

The true nature of what the pair was talking about continued to elude Rarity. But as she finished patting down Dash’s now-scuffed coat, she realized why she had been wet in the first place. And if Dash needed to clean herself so bad that she didn’t bother to dry, then Rarity needn't guess at what mystery substance had defiled her.

“What worked?” she asked gently, despite being significantly confused and alarmed, “What did you do Dash?”

“Fluttershy said we had to cut the blood pressure.” the cyan pegasus replied grimly, “So I cut it. I thought that, I dunno... if less blood was getting pumped, the pressure or whatever would go down!”

Applejack put a comforting hoof to her disturbed friend’s shoulder. “If you didn’t do what you did, he would’ve died right then and there.” she said, not a hint of doubt to her words, “You saved his life. And that’s a fact.”

Rarity could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Until now, it had just been a normal day. But to think that while she had been minding her own business back home, something like this was also going on... she didn’t like the feeling.

“Is that what is going on upstairs?” she asked, remembering how Twilight had rushed Pinkie Pie on up, “I mean, this stallion you mentioned... is he up there?”

“He is, but I couldn’t tell ya what’s going on.” Applejack answered honestly, “Fluttershy took the lead and sent me out to try and find the doc just as soon as I got here. My guess is that she’s been trying to fix up Marco’s, ah... cut.”

“Well of course she would be indispensable considering the circumstances...” Rarity replied, rolling her eyes in thought, “But me? Pinkie? Why where we brought here so urgently and why did Twilight need Pinkie Pie so badly?”

“I don’t know about you...” Rainbow Dash spoke up, knowing more about it that Applejack, “But Twilight needed Pinkie because-”

She never got a chance to finish her sentence. For in the next moment, the aforementioned pink pony came tumbling down Twilight’s staircase like a slinky. When her rolling came to a rest upon the bottom tier, Pinkie Pie’s eyes rolled about in their sockets, their owner rendered dizzy as she recovered from her comical stumble.

“I said...” Twilight’s voice rung out from upstairs, “Try to stand still for a moment!”

“Is she okay down there girls?” Fluttershy’s quiet voice followed behind, “Do I need to come down?”

At this, Pinkie Pie bounced up from her dazed stance and shook away the stars beginning to circle her head. “Relax guys, I’m fine!” she shot back, “I told ya, I give blood all the time! It’s no sweat!”

“So that’s what that funky tool was?” Applejack said to nopony, the image of Twilight’s odd contraption fresh in her mind, “But why did she need Pinkie?”

“She explained it before, but I don’t remember.” Rainbow Dash replied, her own recollection fuzzy, “”While you were gone, she had a whole set of weird chemical contraptions testing something. Egghead stuff.”

“I didn’t know you gave blood Pinkie.” Rarity said, moving over to her friend’s side, “Since when, may I ask?”

“Dunno, but I do it like, once a week.” the bubbly earth pony replied proudly, “I’ve got a super-rare type so I like to share it around!”
“How generous...” Rarity commented, not so much surprised but intrigued, “I don’t mind the concept, but... well, doesn’t it hurt?”

“Nah, not really.” Pinkie Pie dismissed, “The first time can make you all sick and dizzy, but I’ve been doing it long enough that it doesn’t affect me anymore.”

“You just fell down the stairs darling.” Rarity reminded her, “Forgive me for saying that it seems you are significantly affected...”

“I guess you’re right!” Pinkie giggled, “Twilight needed a fair bit of it after all!”

Listening in on the pair, Dash deflated somewhat in the background, disheartened by what her friend had just implied. Pinkie must not have demanded an explanation before donating something as precious as her blood, so she was apparently still ignorant to the fact Rainbow Dash was technically responsible for making such a selfless act necessary.

“Is Mar- uh...” Applejack cut herself off, not sure of what Pinkie Pie knew, “Is ‘he’ okay?”

“I think so.” she said uncertain, “I was gonna ask Twi what was up, but she said to ask you guys ‘cause I wasn’t allowed to bother her or Fluttershy.

“Oh, and she said they’ll be back down here soon.” she continued, tapping her head as she tried to remember the rest of her ‘orders’, “And Twilight also told me to tell you that they want Dash here to... ah, what was the word? ‘Procure!’ Dash needs to procureate a cart and bring it back here. Fluttershy also wants Rarity to come up and help with something.”

“Me?” Rarity questioned, confirming the obvious by indicating herself with a hoof to the chest, “Did they say why?”

“Nope.” Pinkie replied simply, “You don’t need to worry though, it’s got nothing to do with giving blood! Probably...”

Her friend’s carefree attitude prompted a subtle frown from the elegant white unicorn, but she moved on up the stairs regardless. Judging by the instructions Twilight had tasked Pinkie with delivering, it seemed she’d get a better explanation by joining her upstairs.

“I don’t get it...” Applejack frowned, “What do you reckon we need a cart for?”

“Well, even if we can’t find a doctor, there’s no way we can keep him here.” Dash replied, the conclusion obvious to her, “I’ll go find something we can use to-”

“No. I’ll do it.” Applejack interrupted, fearing that her friend was not fit to be going anywhere just yet, “You just sit tight for now R.D. I’ve got an apple-cart we can use parked over by market square. I’ll go get it.”

Silently watching the earth pony make to leave, Rainbow Dash could see that Applejack was still very exhausted from running about in a fruitless attempt to find a doctor. Even in her current state, it was clear that her friend was not the pony for the job. And with Pinkie Pie falling down staircases, it was obvious who should go.

“It’s alright A.J, I’m quicker.” Dash finally said, doubt no longer weighing down on her so much, “I’m fine now. Really. And you seriously need to rest a bit more, not go running off again.”

“I owe ya one Rainbow...” Applejack resigned, her exhausted mind taking the first chance it got at reprieve, “The cart I mentioned is about a block down from Sugarcube Corner, by the side of the main road. You can’t miss it.”

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Dash said confidently, her regular gusto returning in full force, “Count on it!”

And with those bold words, the cyan pegasus was gone into the night, a rainbow flair trailing behind in her wake.

With her gone, now there was only Applejack and Pinkie Pie left downstairs. With nothing else to do, the orange earth pony collapsed into a sitting position and took a few deep breaths.

“Hey Applejack.” Pinkie Pie spoke up, “Can I ask you something?”

Applejack exhaled and pivoted to face her friend. “Shoot sugarcube.” she replied weakly.

“I was just wondering...” Pinkie tapped her muzzle in confusion, “What in Equestria is going on here?”

“Well...” Applejack sighed again, “Where should I start?”

While this was going on, Rarity was upstairs and thus confronted with yet another grizzly scene. Attended on one side by Fluttershy, and flanked by a book-absorbed Twilight on the other, the unconscious figure of Marco was obviously having a bit of a bad day.

“Oh my...” Rarity breathed, noticing the seemingly stitched up gash taking up a significant portion of the stallion’s chest, “This must be that ‘Marco’ I was told so little about.

“Did you stitch that up?” she asked the pegasus beside her in disbelief, inspecting the cut contaminating the otherwise rich ashen coat, “Fluttershy, I had no idea you were capable of such a thing!”

“Oh, don’t get me started!” Fluttershy said, obviously pressured, “I’ve never had to do anything like this, even with animals! I’m just glad Spike made sure I brought the first aid kit!

“Is the stitching okay? she asked Rarity in her rut, “It’s not going to come undone, is it?”

“I’m afraid I am a sewer, not a surgeon.” Rarity said, not wanting to look at the ugly wound anymore, “Though, I suppose it should hold.”

“Hey! Fluttershy!” Applejack’s voice boomed out from downstairs, “If Marco’s alright, can you come down here? Pinkie ain’t looking so hot!”

“Oh my.” Fluttershy breathed, “I told her to lie down and take it easy. I better make sure she’s okay.”

The shy yellow pegasus took one step away from Marco’s side before wavering and turning to Rarity once more. “Quickly though, before I go...” she started, “Can you help Twilight out? The, um... ‘cut’ needs cleaning and anything but a steady hoof could cause problems.”

Without waiting for a reply, Fluttershy handed the unicorn a rolled up bolt of linen. “When you’re done, have Twilight float him downstairs with her magic.” she ordered, practically out of the door when she made to address Rarity one last time, “Do you have any questions?”

She most certainly did have questions. But there were far too many, and as they competed for superiority and the chance to be voiced, she had little choice but to remain silent in an attempt to decide which one was most relevant. Unfortunately, this silence told Fluttershy that she could leave Rarity to the task.

With Twilight enthralled in whatever it was she was reading and Fluttershy gone from the room, the only thing Rarity could direct her attention towards was the unconscious stallion she had been instructed to attend to.

She looked down with disgust at the ugly mark slashed into his chest. How her friends expected her to lower herself so far as to clean such a ghastly thing was beyond her. However, this was but a momentary lapse in her generous spirit. Like Fluttershy had indicated, it did need cleaning, and it was quite clear to her that it would be a delicate operation. Even she could tell that the makeshift stitching her friend had forced herself to apply was flimsy at best. Regardless of how Rarity felt about performing such a sickening task, she most certainly was the only one around who could do it safely.

And so, grabbing the appropriate materials with the pulse of her magical and precise horn, Rarity set about her task, lending her aid to this stallion which she did not know.

Downstairs, Applejack stood beside a laying down Pinkie Pie as Fluttershy flew in to attend to the pair. “We were just talking...” the panicked earth pony said, not understanding, “Then all of a sudden, she gets all wobbly and falls down and doesn’t get up!”

“I told you to stop worrying.” Pinkie mumbled form her position on the floor, her voice disorientated and weak, “I do this kinda thing all the time...”

Having given the pink pony the once over, Fluttershy dashed off and returned only a second later. Between her hooves she balanced a half-filled jug of water. “Drink this.” she ordered, putting the lip of the jug to her friend’s mouth, “Like I told you to do earlier!”

“Sorry...” Pinkie mumbled from her position on the floor, “I guess it slipped my mind.”

Fluttershy simply sighed and shook her head. “It’s fine...” she breathed, “Just lay there and rest for a minute.”

“What do we do now?” Applejack asked, still standing by Pinkie’s side, “Everything’s been happening so fast...”

“I need to go back and help Rarity.” Fluttershy directed her gaze upstairs, “Can you please keep an eye on Pinkie for me? Until Dash comes back, we’re all just waiting.”

*

Celestia’s escort finally touched down outside the royal palace. None of them, especially not the princess, had said a word during the return trip. Complementing the grim mood, the grounds on which they landed was cloaked with a cold midnight mist.

Sensing the atmosphere, Caliber disengaged himself from the carriage and turned to face his shaken group of royal guards. “Alright, listen up you guys.” he spoke, his breath forming into puffs of fog in the sharp night air, “You are free to return to your regular quarters, but you will not speak of what has happened, even among yourselves.

“Until the situation has been resolved, you are henceforth sworn to secrecy in regards to this matter.” he continued, his authority absolute, “I understand you may have concerns or questions, but this is my final word.”

The rag-tag group of royal guards looked between one another uncomfortably. For her part, Celestia simply stood a few paces from the carriage as if she was waiting for something. Caliber did not need to guess at what it was.

“Leave us.” he commanded, not even looking back to his pegasi.

Recognising his seriousness, the armoured band of royal guards flew off into the night, the only remnant of their presence a stray feather floating back down to earth.

Celestia watched it trail down, remaining silent until the moment it came to rest on the cold grass. “What of you captain?” she asked distantly, “You speak of questions... of concerns. Have you any?”

“I... will continue to trust you no matter what has or may yet happen.” Caliber said vaguely, “Regardless of whether I understand what is going on or why, that will not change.”

At his response, the princess simply sighed. “A perfect answer from the perfect captain...” she commented coldly, “But I do not believe you are being honest. I would prefer the truth.”

Caliber’s eyes intensified. He knew better than to lie to her. “The truth then?” he said uncertain, “Yes. I have questions.”

Celestia finally turned to face the pegasus. She stared down in such a way that she needn’t ask him to elaborate.

“What did you do to him?” Caliber questioned, “What was the magic you used on him?”

“Hearing him recount to me his pains, and in seeing the rage burning in his blinded eyes, I could gleam a touch of madness deeply rooted inside of his mind.” Celestia replied as if this was the question she had expected, “It was as clear to me then as it now that there is only one who may purge him of his demons. Himself.

“My spell was akin to something you would know as hypnosis.” she continued, finally being specific, “In order to wake, he must face his own horrors and prevail them, lest they consume him any more than they already have.”

“He seemed very twisted to me...” Caliber replied, driving the explanation closer to it’s crux, “What would happen if he couldn’t make peace with his darkness?”

Silence reigned. It appeared he had really driven the issue home. “Would he die?” Caliber asked, his voice sharp, “Like you said, would his body fade away?”

“Yes.” Celestia finally answered, “Without defeating the evils that lurk inside, he will not wake.”

When a deep silence resumed, the princess made to walk away, believing it to signal the end of the sombre scene.

“I have another question.” Caliber spoke up, “One that has haunted me for a while. One that I have yet to ask.”

Celestia turned. She had not been expecting this. “What is it?” she asked, knowing that her captain was not the sort to let concerns linger, “Speak.”

“What happened at that town of his... we’ve known since the day after it happened.” he begun, “It was Nightmare Moon’s madness that wiped it from the map, yet as he claimed, the world does not know this. Why?”

“I cannot change what is past. No one can.” Celestia replied, “I have lived a long time, and I have seen how vengeful obsessions play out. Pain breeds pain, and those who once had cause become consumed by their own vicious cycle.

“The dead are not able to hold a grudge. Whatever pain they are claimed to have is nothing but an illusion in the minds of those who choose to inherit their burdens.” she continued, her seemingly ideological words a product of experience, “We searched for survivors, but we could not find the one who has now been brought to bear down upon us. So I chose not to spread the pain. My sister’s hatred did indeed bring ruin to New Eureka, but that hate was buried along with the victims. As much as I wish I could bring back the souls of those unfortunate ponies, the only thing that would be revived if I were to speak of what had happened would be the same hatred that brought about their end.”

“I understand, but tell me just one thing...” Caliber said, “In hindsight, would you have still done the same thing?”

“It wasn’t an easy choice to make, but I feel as though it was the right one.” Celestia replied firmly, “Instead of allowing the seeds of chaos to spread, I chose the path that bred but one enemy. After tonight I am less certain of what is right and what is wrong, but regardless of if he will conquer or fall prey to his evils... that stallion is a foe I intend to be rid of.”

The princess’ words trailed off as some realization gripped her. Perhaps it was more of a feeling than a realization, but she had lived long enough to not discount such things. She strained her eyes in exacerbation as a series of unprecedented concerns emerged from the hidden crevices of her uncertainty.

“Princess?” Caliber spoke up, grasping at the nature of her silence, “What’s wrong?”

“I have a bad feeling.” she said, her words heavy, “As though I have overlooked something important. It is a something that warns me that the hardship of this night is not yet over.”

“What do you mean?” the captain questioned, not sure where this had come from, “What have you overlooked?”

“I have some more research to do.” was all Celestia replied with, even though it was directed more to herself than the Caliber, “For you captain, there is a task I would have you do...”

Caliber quickly shook off how Celestia weaved around his question. “From me?” he confirmed, “What do you need?”

“I cannot shake this feeling...” she said again, “Is it possible for you to organise the guard and raise defence for the city tonight?”

“Eh?” Caliber broke composure in surprise, “Well, it is possible, but only if I briefed the royal guard big-wigs and convened-”

“That’s no good...” Celestia dismissed, not wanting to waste time nor spread the knowledge of the incident beyond her control, “I suppose there is no other choice but to go over their heads.

“Captain Caliber.” she said with absolute authority, staring at him with unerring seriousness, “By royal decree, you are to double the night guard and organise defensive measures for the night palace.”

“A royal decree?” Caliber stammered in shock, “But princess... there hasn’t been an intervention in the guard for over-”

“I know how long it has been since such a decree, but it is possible that Luna remains in danger...” Celestia cut him off, “Let it be done.”

“Acknowledged.” Caliber bowed, “If we are done here, I will proceed immediately...”

“Please refrain from utilising any of the royal guards who accompanied us to Ponyville.” Celestia bowed her head too, “I do not wish for the night guard to know why they have been organised.”

“As you wish.” Caliber replied, taking wing, “Good luck on your end.”

“Thank you.” she said, her thanks extending much further than the simple acknowledgment of his well-wishes, “I shall need it.”

And need it she would. The mysterious studying she had been engrossed in prior to receiving Marco’s forgery was now made all the more prevalent. There would be no sleep tonight, the revelation of having talked with him might have been the missing piece that had rendered her research fruitless.

And so, with Caliber gone from the grounds, Celestia departed. She headed directly to her private study and, with any luck, the key to unravelling the mystery that had been secretly eating away at her.

*

“Steady... steady...” Twilight willed her magic, guiding the levitated figure of Marco downstairs, “Ah, there we go.”

The luminous magical aura that enveloped the unconscious earth pony faded away as he was gently laid down upon a cleared table that had been pushed to the centre of the library.

Applejack looked up and assessed the scene. The stallion was still well-and-truly out of it, and coiled around his chest was layer upon layer of linen bandage. Leaving the sleeping Pinkie Pie beside her, she joined Fluttershy who was standing idly by the re-purposed table. “How’d it go?” she asked, looking to the pegasus in preference of Marco.

“Good.” she replied quietly, even optimistically, “I keep checking on his heart, and it’s staying at a healthy rate. I don’t think it’s about to drop any time soon.”

“Well that is good...” Applejack said relived, and turned to Twilight standing perplexed by the other side of the table, “What about you sugar-cube? How are you holding up on your end?”

“No luck yet. I can’t find a spell that resembles anything like what the princess used.” Twilight closed and discarded yet another tome she had hoped to find some answers in, “But I have to figure something out soon. It’s a miracle Dash found a way to-”

“I wasn’t talking about him this time. I meant you. Are you okay?” Applejack cut in, genuinely concerned, “It looks like a whole mess of trouble’s bearing down on you, and we don’t properly know what even happened here...”

“Please Twilight...” a tiny voice surprised her from behind, Fluttershy not even looking up from Marco a she spoke, “I nearly killed him with that adrenaline...

“The only kind of thing that would keep him from waking up like that is magic.” she continued, her words with an uncharacteristic edge to them, “And if it wasn’t yours, then I know who’s it had to be!”

Twilight was startled by Fluttershy’s serious tone. “Look.” she begun, her tone uncertain, “I can tell everypony what happened, but even I don’t believe it-”

“I don’t think you understand Twilight.” Applejack cut in, her voice plagued by a grim seriousness as well, “Dash found that fool all beat up outside the forest, Fluttershy took him in, and the three of us were helping him back on his hooves and getting to know him as we went.

“But then for what seems like no reason, he runs off, ends up here, and we come along to find out that he got into a fight with the princess?” she exclaimed, her honest eyes staring imploringly through Twilight, “And then what happens? He starts dying, poor Fluttershy nearly blows his heart up with adrenaline, and Dash-”

Applejack cut herself off and caught her breath. “Who is this guy?” she continued, asking the million-dollar question, “Why did he come here? What did the princess do to him and why? Tell us Twilight, we deserve to know just what kind of mess we’ve gotten ourselves into!”

Everybody in the room shifted their gaze to Twilight. Applejack had asked the question everybody wanted an answer to, and they were looking at Twilight to provide.

“Okay listen... I’ll start from the beginning.” Twilight inhaled thoughtfully, not sure of how to put it, “Did Marco ever tell you what happened to his home town?”

“He talked about it once...” Fluttershy said, “But he didn’t tell us anything about what might’ve happened to it.”

Applejack found herself thinking back to how Marco had reacted during her misguided interrogation. About how he had commented vaguely on the history of that hat of his. “Why?’ she asked, “What happened to it?”

Twilight was surprised by Applejack’s question. It seemed that Marco had been telling the truth when he said he hadn’t told her friends anything. “You all remember what happened when Nightmare Moon came back?” Twilight asked, “About how sun was stolen away?”

“Remember?” Rarity questioned, “My dear, how could we forget? It was not that long ago.”

“Well, the point is, we weren't the only ones having problems.” Twilight continued, “Far way in this ‘New Eureka’ town, the night apparently came alive with dragons, hydras, manticore and every other type of vicious creature. I don’t know how, but there was something about Nightmare Moon’s darkness that made the monsters all full of rage. In the time it took for us to free Celestia and Luna from Nightmare Moon, the town was overrun and destroyed.”

“Oh mercy...” Applejack breathed, “Then what about Marco?”

“It seems as if he was the sole survivor.” Twilight replied, “He told me that it was because of this that he had to meet with Celestia and make sure she was aware. but...”

“But?” Fluttershy encouraged, “What happened?”

“When Celestia showed up, she revealed to me that Marco had been lying the whole time.” Twilight shook her head, “The letter he convinced me to send her was a fake, and in truth he didn’t actually want an audience with the princess. Celestia told me that what he really wanted was revenge.”

“Revenge?” Rarity interrupted, “As in, against Luna?”

“Yes...” Twilight answered with a sigh, “I think so. Celestia tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn’t back down so she-”

“There’s no way!” Fluttershy interjected, “You never saw it, but while he was still in our care he was genuinely kind!”

Twilight made to retort, but Fluttershy talked over her. “You said he deceived you and lied, and I already knew he was keeping secrets from us...” she continued, “But it’s not hard to understand why after what you just told us...”

“But it was a lie wasn’t it?” Twilight shot back, “I felt for him too, but the moment Celestia showed up, he changed instantly. He was so angry... so full of hatred.”

“Fluttershy’s right.” Applejack dismissed, “I can’t even describe how bad it must’ve felt for Dash to do what she did, so I can’t even imagine what it must take to want somepony dead. I know it, Fluttershy knows it, Dash knows it, and even my sister knows it; while he was with us, he was genuinely kind and grateful for our help. I refuse to believe that somepony like that is capable of hurting anypony!”

“Applejack, I know how you feel...” Twilight replied evenly, “But you didn’t see the anger inside him when the princess confronted him. It was terrifying.”

Applejack felt a measure of anger welling up as well. “I don’t think you understand.” she accused with a hint of venom, “You heard from him what happened, and after everything he’s been through, isn’t it understandable for him to be angry?”

“Of course I understand!” Twilight lashed back, “But it’s no excuse to go after Luna!”

“I’m not saying that.” Applejack replied, “But it is Luna’s fault isn’t it? Is this what he gets for blaming her?”

Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to speak up. “It’s not fair Twilight...” she said meekly, “He hasn’t done anything bad yet. I can’t accept what Celestia did to him, it’s just... wrong.”

“What did Celestia do to him?” Rarity asked, trying to steer discussion towards a solution.

“Like Fluttershy said, it was strong and strange magic.” Twilight replied, “I can’t figure out what it is exactly, but I know for a fact it’s what’s keeping him under...”

“So what you’re saying is we need to, hrm... what’s the word? ‘Neutralize’ the spell before he’ll wake?” Rarity asked in an attempt to keep the pace, the ponies around her watching the Twilight.

“No, I don’t think so...” Twilight thought back, “The princess told me that-”

“You might not yet noticed, but some of us don’t exactly trust Celestia right now.” Applejack cut in, “It doesn’t matter what Marco was planning on doing, the princess was out of line.”

“She’s right...” Fluttershy threw in, “We can’t leave it up to her to solve this mess. Not after what she’s done! We have to be the ones to fix this!”

Twilight could feel the two of them closing in on her. While she didn’t want to doubt her teacher, the objections were overwhelming. “Okay!” she cried, conceding, “But honestly, I don’t even know where to start! The spell is just too weird. Anything I could try would only backfire and make things worse!”

“You have to find a way...” Fluttershy pushed, “There isn’t anypony with stronger magic than yours. You’re the only one who can help!”

Somewhere in the background, Pinkie Pie sprung up from her once-sleeping posture and giggled heartily. “Hey! I’ve got an idea!” she said cheerfully, receiving a few strange looks, “When you have a weird problem, what you need is a weird solution!”

“Pinkie, this is not the time for your antics...” Rarity said gently, “This is serious.”

“I am being serious silly!” she said disappointed, “Come on girls! What do we always do when we have strange problems?”

A deep silence and collection of raised eyebrows awaited Pinkie Pie’s question; they weren't following her. Seeing their confusion, she responded with an exaggerated sigh, and curiously, hummed a little tune. It was familiar, and upon realizing what is was, her friend’s faces brightened one by one.

“Now you’re getting it!” Pinkie chimed, seeing her their reactions, “So tell me, who do we know who’s like, an expert on all things weird?”

“Pinkie you’re a genius!” Twilight exclaimed, “Certainly she will have something to help!”

“Who?” Rarity asked confused, everypony but her apparently having figured it out...

“Why, Zecora of course!”

Comments

[Bookmaster]

Woah that was intense

[Phys]

seeds of chaos to spread

not a reference to season 4

and also... the mlp devs might have read this story