Split Struck Spare

by Josh Crapo

Mentors

"Okay, so what was that uncontrollable blinking I had back in the new abandoned castle?"

"That was a part of earth pony magic. It’s like a sixth sense that predicts the immediate future. The name of the sense depends on the pony it’s in."

"So, would my sense be called Aura Sense?"

"That actually makes a lot of sense. Maybe my sense would be called the Wiff Sense. So would yours be... the Stone Sense?"

"Yeah. That’s just a third of it though. Give a few days and you’ll see what I mean."

Aura Draft teleports back to Appleoosa, leaving Dry Stone and Air Wiff to their matters.

"Actually during the few days I have to rest, why don’t I start putting my pegasus magic to good use for once."

"Sure. I can help with that."

---

The day after, things seem to start going wrong.

"Ugh! My head! Must’ve been some dream I had, whatever it was. I haven’t had a headache this bad in forever. " Dry Stone turns on her whitewatch.

"Who do you want to contact?"

"Wrench."

"I’m sorry, there are no results."

"Ugh... damn it."

"Who do you want to contact?"

"Shell."

"Okay. We have two results. No. 1: Shelter... and... No. 2: Shell."

"Number 2."

"You have previously talked to... Shell... once. Do you want to save the address you want to contact?"

"Yes."

"Okay. shell@politicians has been saved for... 60 days."

"Call."

"Calling..."

"Yes, Dry Stone? I am still on my way to the capitol of Changico."

"I need to talk to Wrench."

"Okay, but it will be hours before she’s gotten the chance to call you even if she went as quick as she could with the process of getting a whitewatch account."

"Oh."

"I will call you back when I-" The video feed is interrupted by short static followed by a ringtone.

"Oh, who could it be?!? I was in the middle of a call with the queen!!!" Dry Stone picks up the video feed that interrupted the previous, which turns out to be Air Wiff. "Hello?"

"Dry Stone, did you get a headache waking up?"

"Yeah. Did you? ‘cause it looks like you burnt the tip of your horn."

"I had a headache when I woke up today. So, I guess it has something to do with our horns since yours looks burnt on the tip too."

"Do you know what spell we conjured up?"

"I have no clue here in the blue skies."

"Well, I’ll explore Canterlot some more. Meanwhile, I was in the middle of calling Queen Shell."

"Whoops, my bad, Doraston."

"If you were trying to say my name in Coltanese, you forgot the “i” in Doraiston."

"I don’t know whether I should be shocked or laughing."

"Why were you attempting to say my name in Coltanese?"

"I wasn’t. I just heard explore and I-"

"OKAY!!! That’s it!!!" Dry Stone stops the video feed and sighs in frustration. "Damn it Air Wiff!! Stop being so random!" Suddenly, the same ringtone makes her jump. "What the-" Picking up the next video feed, this one is someone very familiar to Dry Stone. "Mud Stick?"

"Yep. That’s me. It’s very lonely here in Manehattan. I have all this space, and I don’t know what to do with it."

"Oh, here’s a hint. Come over to Canterlot, unless you want me to pick you up."

"Are you sure about that? I get air sick and-"

"Not literally!!!" Dry Stone sighs again. "Sorry. I just got through talking with Air Wiff on the whitewatch."

"I understand. Hey, have a question."

"Shoot."

"Do you miss Wrench?"

"Of course I do. I just asked Queen Shell if Wrench was available. Why? Who do you miss?"

"Node."

"Oh. I miss all the changelings. But hey, you know. I think Queen Shell is quite the influence on them. Before she took the throne over at Changico, changelings had a very low reputation. I just wish the royal sisters could’ve held the same all the way through."

"Prince Rok in a nutshell." Mud Stick snickers afterwards.

"Who again?"

"Node told me about Prince Rok while we investigated before that earthshake."

"Oh. Now I remember him. It was the guy finishing up what he was saying when I tuned into 950 back after it."

"It’s still a good thing that the yaks and the changelings are still around. Hey, since Equestria’s so empty and abandoned, why don’t they just close that population gap. It’ll make things a lot easier to clean." Somehow, it doesn't come across to Dry Stone that Mud Stick had a predictive suggestion.

"Yeah, but that kind of project will take two years at least, especially with all that cleaning up they’d have to do across 'former' Equestria. Most likely, every building either has golden stains, skeletons or golden stains and skeletons."

"If I had wings, I’d spread them out right now. I knew Manehattan became a skeletal- oh, just forget it."

Dry Stone gets curious about what Mud Stick was starting to say. "No, what were you about to say? I want to know."

"Okay, WASTELAND... Not that other word I was about to say. I knew I was in a skeletal wasteland called Manehattan but all of Equestria?!?"

"Well, I have to go. I’m expecting a call back."

"Okay. I’ll go to Canterlot for you."

"Bye." After a short time of static Dry Stone picks up yet another round of the same ringtone, "Wow already?" and picks it up. "Hello?"

"I’m at my home at Changico and Wrench is right with me."

"Oh! Let me talk to him."

"Okay." Queen Shell turns to Wrench. "It's for you."

"Hello?"

"Hey Wrench. Finally get to talk to you after awhile. Oh, I forgot what I was going to ask you."

"What was it about?"

"Oh, now I remember. Could escort Node over to Canterlot? One of my friends is on her way and really misses her."

"Mud Stick?"

Dry Stone nods. "Yes."

"Okay. It’ll take a while though. Where’s Mud Stick coming from?"

"Manehattan."

"Then I don’t think she should be there too long before Node and I get there. I’ll contact her as quickly as I can."

"Thanks."

"Anything else for the pony I changed into?"

"That’ll be all." Suddenly, the feed turns to static in front of Dry Stone. "Oh NO!! No!!! NO!!! Who’s calling Queen Shell?!?"

---

"Hello?"

"Yes Air Wiff?"

"Could I talk to Wrench please?"

"As you wish."

"Wrench?"

"Air Wiff? What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

"I’m starting to miss Hut. Do you think you could get her to Cloudsdale?"

"Sorry, I’m about to fulfill a request for Dry Stone."

"I will bring her."

"You will?"

"Sure."

"Thanks Queen Shell."

"Not a worry, Air Wiff. Although, you still look depressed. What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Wait a minute, Shell. I noticed that Air Wiff looked more depressed when I mentioned Dry Stone." In response to the second mention of Dry Stone, Air Wiff starts to sniffle.

---

On Wrench and Shell's end of the feed, the whitewatch turns to static, leaving Wrench especially worried. "Something clearly happened to Air Wiff when she and Dry Stone contacted each other."

"Node?"

"Hut?"

"Yes," both say.

---

"Leaning forward, falling inward, none takes gravity... Seeking exits, I don’t comment, if I still relieve..."

After hearing knocking on the door, Dry Stone turns off her radio, previously listening to one of her older songs. "I got it."

"Hey Dry Stone."

"Do you realize how long it took- no I’m kidding. Come inside. Node should be here at some point. Maybe soon."

"Awesome. So, what to do in the meantime..."

"I guess you could listen to my new song."

"O-"

"Look who’s in the flesh at last!" Wrench comes through the open door with Node behind her.

"NODE!!!"

"WRENCH!!!"

Both pairs come to their embraces. They hold a moment or two before letting go.

Dry Stone is particularly astonished. "How’d you get here so fast?!? I knew you’d probably be soon, but not THIS soon!"

"You’d be amazed at how fast a group of changelings could fly, Mud Stick. It applied when me, Node and the other seven were about to meet you all, but it also applied when I escorted Air Wiff."

"Speaking of that, I think I might need a more focused mentor on flight."

"Really now." Wrench has an expression of shock glued to her now.

"Yes."

"I’ll be willing to help you if you can teleport to Changico City with me."

"Actually, I’ve never been there before. Plus, I haven’t learned any unicorn magic yet."

"Then I could help you with that." Wrench disappears, taking Dry Stone along with her.