Finding a Place

by Battlecat

Chapter 54 - To Meet

Friday, January 13, 2017 - From the Journal of Sunset Shimmer

The Yaks have gone home. We don’t have a formal treaty yet but the groundwork is in place to finally put one together. Thank Celestia the next steps can be hoofed over to our ambassadors; I’d probably mess the treaty up almost as badly without supervision. I’m just relieved I’m only dealing with Equestria events for the next while.”

Wonderful! You should be proud of yourself. Even if there were a few bumps, you’ve accomplished what dozens of envoys couldn’t. Enough on that; did you see the list?”

YES! So amazing, I can’t wait to see what they look like! I just wish I could have actually helped.

We have about a dozen books left. Would you like us to save translating the titles until you can visit?

Before you ask, as curious as we both are, they’ll keep a few more days. We want to see you and it never hurts to have an extra incentive.

I’m leaving to go to Canterlot for a couple of days to apologize to my old friends and hopefully reconnect with them. That means I won’t be able to visit until next week. Can you wait that long?

To see the smile on your face? Absolutely.

Stop making me blush Silver! Love you.

Love you too. So when can you actually visit? The life of a princess is a busy one after all.

Don’t remind me. Fortunately, I’ve got my tablet out already. This thing is a gift to ponies who love checklists and carefully planned schedules!

So ponies like you then.

Brat. :-P Spike’s using it too. No technology can replace my number one assistant.

True and I’m sure he appreciates it. I see you’ve discovered the classic emoticons by the way. They’re pretty cute handwritten. ;-*

Yes, they’re a fascinating social construct that arose from the human world’s technology and a useful way to convey emotion! :-D. Getting back to planning, the current temporal offset between our worlds makes this more difficult than I’d like. Princess Celestia has confirmed her and Luna can come for a visit on Wednesday next week. Does a trip through the portal right after school work for you that day? It’ll be morning for us but Luna has said she will ensure she is well rested to visit with her family. Afterward, I’ll come back to the human with you and spend the night.

Twilight, are you going to stay up all night just so you’ll be able to sleep when you visit us?

How did you-. . . Yes, but it’ll be fine. I don’t keep regular hours on the best of days and managing sleep has gotten easier thanks to what Luna taught me recently. She taught me a spell to temporarily forgo sleep and to shift my circadian rhythms. I’ll have everything prepared so I’ll be in sync with your time differential during my trip through the portal visit.

Really? That sounds like a spell an obsessive scholar like you could seriously abuse.

Princes Luna insisted I Pinkie Promise to only use the spell sparingly and I’m not going to risk breaking it.

How is a pinkie promise going to keep you honest? I remember you saying it was important but it’s really enough for Luna?

Not a pinkie promise, a Pinkie Promise. Pinkie Pie knows things and I’ve seen her wrath. If you want to see Applejack from this world turn as white as Rarity, ask her about Dodge Junction.

Ok, so don’t cross the pink pony. Gotcha. So where did Luna even find a spell like that?

Luna created the spell for her personal use last year to ensure her occasional daytime appearances don’t disrupt her sleep cycle. It's tailored for Alicorn physiology and I’m actually only allowed to use it when I travel to your world. I think your ancestor might be meddling a bit Silver. I wouldn’t have even thought to ask her about a spell like this one.

Wow, that’s super sweet of Luna. I’ll have to thank her when we visit.

What’s the catch with the spell Twilight? You never get something from nothing.

Yes, magic always has a price but this one is pretty benign. I have to store up the ‘rest’ by sleeping a few extra hours a night under the spell over the next couple of days. It’s perfectly safe as long as I only use it occasionally.

Well, how can we argue with that? Sounds like a plan. See you on Wednesday.

---

Saturday, January 14, 2017

In the human world, Joe’s Café was across the street from the Crystal Mall in downtown Canterlot. Sunset and I arrived about twenty minutes early so we could get a feel for the place. The human counterpart to Donut Joe turned out to be just as friendly and gregarious as the pony version. His shop actually filled two floors, with traditional booths on the ground floor and clusters of comfortable chairs around small tables on the balcony upstairs.

A few booths on the ground floor were occupied by people working on their laptops. Mostly college-aged students from what I could see; there was nobody I recognized at a glance. Once we had some drinks and a donut sampler in hand we settled down at one of the tables on the balcony. It was a wonderfully inviting space with large chairs and even a gas fireplace in one wall with a lovely mantel clock above it. I pulled out the runic translation guide and continued my efforts to learn the bizarre language. Meanwhile, Sunset continued reading the book on soulcrafting she had selected.

There was a steady stream of customers coming into the shop to pick up drinks and snacks. Joe seemed to know his customers quite well as we heard him greeting many of them by name while we waited. Precisely at 10:00, we heard the front door open yet again.

“Good morning Twilight Sparkle!” Joe exclaimed. “You want your usual to go?”

I closed my book and walked over to the balcony of the upper floor. SciTwi was downstairs, looking around the coffee shop nervously. When she finally looked up at the balcony, I waved at her. Her eyes widened with clear surprise and she nodded at me briefly. She adjusted her glasses and turned back to Joe.

“Actually, I’d still like my usual but I’ll be staying here today.”

Joe looked at Twilight for a second and then chuckled. “Looks like it’s a blue moon. Consider it done.”

Sunset and I packed the books into our backpacks to avoid questions we weren’t ready to answer. A few minutes later, SciTwi came up the stairs carrying a plate with two donuts and a large steaming mug. She was dressed in the same school uniform she wore to Christmas dinner and had a large backpack on her shoulders. Her hair was done up in a tidy bun except for two loose strands in front of her ears that framed her black-rimmed glasses. She looked around the balcony nervously as she walked over to where we were sitting.

“H-Hello,” she stammered as she carefully placed her items down on the table.

Everything about SciTwi’s posture was rife with clear discomfort. Even when she stood back up, she was slightly hunched over and her feet were turned slightly inwards. Part of me wanted to give her a hug to comfort her but my rational mind prevailed. Even though she looked like my marefriend, I had to remember this world’s Twilight was barely an acquaintance at this point. Something Sunset and I hoped to change that but these things took time.

“Happy New Year, Twilight,” Sunset said warmly. “It’s good to see you again.”

“I’m glad you could make it,” I added. “Pull up a seat.”

Twilight nodded while shrugging her backpack off her shoulders. She placed it gently on the floor and sat down in her chair abruptly. Her face went a bit pale as her eyes nervously darted between me and Sunset. She picked up her mug, looked at it for a moment before putting it back on the table without drinking anything. She put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The attempt at relaxing clearly didn’t help much since her downcast eyes were still darting here and there nervously.

“You ok?” I asked.

“Sorry,” SciTwi apologized quietly. “I’m not really sure how to handle our situation. I was almost half hoping you wouldn’t be here.”

I blinked a few times, confused by her assertion. “Why would you-“

Sunset put up her hand to stop me and sighed.

“I suspect us not showing up would be consistent with her past experiences, Silver,” Sunset explained, looking at Twilight with a sympathetic expression on her face. “You know as well as I do there’s a strange comfort in having your fears confirmed. Now instead of a depressing but familiar experience, she’s faced with a social encounter that she’s not versed in. Am I right Twilight?”

I stared at Sunset for a moment, thinking about her words. She was right; I’d been through that exact experience during the Battle of the Bands incident. In retrospect, it had been surprisingly easy to walk away once I was convinced my friends didn’t want me around anymore. I looked over at Twilight. Her expression was morose but thoughtful as she examined her drink.

“Yes,” SciTwi whispered. “Your assessment of the situation is startlingly accurate. I have some experience speaking with my father’s colleagues at the observatory but I have not spent much time with my peers. Either you are extremely well versed in social psychology or you’ve had a similar experience.”

Sunset’s posture had tensed up at Twilight’s implied question about her past and she looked over at me. Those aquamarine eyes were slightly haunted as she met my gaze. Knowing Sunset, she was probably remembering how she had isolated me when I arrived in Canterlot. I smiled and gave her hand a squeeze to reassure her everything was alright. Sunset’s expression softened and she relaxed.

“It’s actually both in my case,” Sunset answered, turning back to SciTwi. “Silver has been through something similar as well. The specifics are fairly painful so would you be satisfied if we promise to share the whole story with you in the future?”

“Sorry, I didn’t intend to dig into painful memories, you don’t need to share that with me!” Twilight gasped, blushing red.

I smiled gently. “No need to apologize, Twilight. You couldn’t know.”

She nodded and took a sip of her drink. “If you say so but I feel discretion is still the better path. As Sunset pointed out earlier, I am woefully unfamiliar with the intricacies of social interactions. I fear a social faux pas on my part is inevitable.”

“Oh, I know how that feels,” I chuckled. “You should have seen me when Sunset and the others decided I should be their friend. I was so nervous around them I could barely work up the courage do more than glance at them. I was certain they’d kick me out of the group if I looked at them for more than a few moments.”

“He was so neurotic about not offending us, we were all worried he was going to crash into walls,” Sunset added, giggling a bit at the memory. “Anyhow, when Silver and I began spending time together, we started off by trading questions. No obligations to answer; it’s was just a way to break the ice.”

“I . . . I guess?” She replied, wringing her hands nervously. “It’s an intriguing idea but I’m not sure where to start.”

“Well, then I’ll start,” I replied. “How is your grandmother doing? Shining Armor mentioned she had a nasty fall.”

“Yes, she had a minor fracture in her lower left leg,” SciTwi nodded. “It was a clean crack, not a full break and not a compound fracture, so she’s expected to make a full recovery in a month or two.”

Sunset nodded. “I remember one of my classmates back in . . . where I grew up broke her w- leg in three places. It took over six months for her to get back on her ho- feet.”

Sunset’s moments of hesitation were a clear indication she was trying to censor a memory from back in Equestria. Funny enough, SciTwi visibly relaxed when she heard Sunset’s hesitation. It was probably just a relief in her mind that Sunset was nervous as well.

“Oh wow, that would be awful!” Twilight gasped. “How did she manage that?”

“It was during her fl- I mean she took a tumble off a balcony during a party,” Sunset said, clearly anticipating the question. “Yeah, she just landed exactly wrong and snap!”

“Yikes, I can’t imagine how much that would hurt. So now it’s my turn?” SciTwi asked. When we nodded, she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Alright, I’ve been wondering how you two know my brother. It was clear at Christmas dinner that you’ve met him before and at I guess I’d say more than one occasion.”

I glanced over at Sunset who nodded at me. “We met him Halloween night,” I replied. “He was the first officer on scene when my friends were attacked by a gang.”

“Ohmygosh,” SciTwi squeaked, her hand going over her mouth. “Shiny said a group of kids were lucky to be alive after taking on a gang that night. That was you? How did you escape!?”

“Honestly?” Sunset said, looking over at me with a sly smile. “We didn’t. Silver was nearby setting up for a prank on one of our friends. He heard us, slipped up behind the gang, and kicked their asses with glorious efficiency. They didn’t stand a chance.”

“I got lucky,” I countered quietly. “If I hadn’t caught them off guard it would have been a different story. The knife was bad enough and I dread to think what would have happened if one of them had been carrying a gun. Plus, you and the other girls took down half of them. I couldn’t take on a mob like that solo.”

SciTwi was looking between the two of us with a bemused expression on her face. Sunset smiled and shook her head before looking over at Twilight.

“You and your modesty,” Sunset chuckled to herself before looking over at Twilight. “If Silver hadn’t shown up a few of us would have been seriously hurt in the best scenario. They were armed with clubs and they were ready to hurt us badly. Plus, a week before the incident, he taught us how to escape grabs which allowed one of our friends to escape from what could have become a hostage situation. He taught two of our other friends how to throw a proper punch.”

I cleared my throat. “Anyhow, the less said about that night the better. We’ve encountered Officer Armor a couple other times during less dire circumstances. He was there when my Godfather and I had an impromptu swordfight in front of my school. Plus with my Godfather dating Luna, I’ll probably be seeing him and Cadance fairly often.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Twilight nodded. “You do seem to have an unusually close relationship with your Godfather. He must be good friends with your parents.”

Sunset drew in a sharp breath and I saw her look over at me with a worried expression. I knew she was just concerned about my reaction since Steel Rain had such a close relationship with my parents. To my surprise, I found thinking about my parents didn’t weigh on my heart quite as heavily as before. Somehow my friends and my newly discovered family had tempered my sorrow and the associated guilt into something manageable.

“He’s been teaching me sword fighting and other martial arts most of my life,” I replied. “Steel Rain was mom’s best friend growing up. They ran a dojo together back in Manhattan before she died along with my father.”

Twilight’s hand covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry!” she squeaked. “I didn’t know!”

“No worries, there’s no way you could have,” I replied gently, reaching over to take Sunset’s hand in mine. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Would it be presumptuous to ask how you wound up here?” SciTwi squeaked. “I know it’s not my turn but I’m really curious. Central Oregon seems like an odd choice after New York.”

I held Sunset’s hand tighter and shrugged.

“Truth be told, I’m not sure either. Canterlot attracted my interest when I was decided where to go. Now I’ve met some of the most incredible people; people who treat me like I’m family and who mean the world to me. If the opportunity to change the events that lead to my parent’s death, I’m not sure if I could make the choice. I mean I miss them every day but if they were alive, where would I be now? ”

The three of us were quiet for a moment as we digested the dilemma. I’d been wrestling with it ever since I’d begun dating Sunset. I took a sip of my drink and sighed. I hated it when stuff like this derailed conversations and I was worried SciTwi would clam up after that revelation. Instead to my surprise, it was SciTwi who broke the silence.

“I think Picard phrased your situation best at the end of Tapestry,” she said quietly. “At the end of that episode, he said ‘There are many parts of my youth that I’m not proud of... there were loose threads... untidy parts of me that I would like to remove. But when I pulled on one of those threads... it unraveled the tapestry of my life.’ It’s probably for the best that time travel is impossible.”

I stared at Twilight and felt a smile spread across my face. It was mirrored on the face of the Thestral that shimmered into existence in the empty chair next to Twilight. We still hadn’t figured out a way to clearly determine if he was really there on any given occasion or if I was just hallucinating. The revelation that the Astral Realm had strong links to physical reality was making me begin to suspect the latter. Either way, it was comforting to speak to him face to face outside of the dream on occasion.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard our dilemma expressed more clearly.
I’m forced to agree, Spark. We can’t afford to dwell on what ifs.
It’s not like we can go back and change what happened.
Even with time travel.
Good point, Twilight has that spell that doesn’t really work, right.
Yeah, it makes a stable time loop. I think- . . . what’s that beeping noise?

The sound was coming from SciTwi’s bag that was sitting in front of the chair Spark had occupied. She dug into it and for a moment it looked like she was getting ready to pull out her equipment. Then she glanced over at the two of us and hesitated for a moment. She poked something in the bag, making the noise stop before turning back to face us. Her cheeks had gone slightly rosy from the embarrassment.

“Sorry, I almost forgot where I was,” she said sheepishly. “I was going to get my Everton project out to start analyzing the data that just came in but it occurred to me that might be inappropriate.”

“You’ve got it with you?” Sunset asked. “Are you making progress?”

“Yes and no, Twilight said without meeting our gazes. “I’d prefer not to divulge the details but the energy source I’m researching has been incredibly difficult to pin down. Still, I’m confident I’ll crack the problem soon with my new tools.”

“I’d love to see what you’re working on once you can share,” Sunset said. “Our turn now I think. So Twilight, what’s your favorite food?”

---

We chatted for almost an hour about a variety of mundane things. We quickly discovered SciTwi was as brilliant as her counterpart, just without the self-confidence Twilight had developed during her time in Ponyville. This version of Twilight often hesitated before asking certain questions and stuttered when her nerves overtook her.

SciTwi really began to relax whenever the conversation turned to science and books. Turns out she was as big a fan of the Daring Do novels as her counterpart and she’d watched many science fiction series I had only heard about. We had been discussing the number of intelligent races in various science fiction shows when I made a comment about believing we’d find life out there.

“So you both think life exists on other planets?” Twilight asked.

Sunset nodded. “Well yeah. I feel it’s the height of arrogance to assume the circumstances that lead to life here couldn’t be replicated on other worlds.”

And the fact that she’s from another world has nothing to do with it.
Hush Spark.

“You have no idea how nice it is to hear that,” SciTwi agreed. “Anybody who talks about probabilities of life existing neglects to mention we have an inadequate sample for statistical extrapolation. I prefer facts over faith but in the absence of better evidence, I prefer to believe there is life out there.”

Sunset grinned at her and then looked over at the clock hanging over the fireplace. “I like the way you think. Anyhow, as much as I’d like to continue this chat, I need to get moving.”

“Fair enough. What’s next for your day?” Twilight asked.

“I’ve been looking for work,” Sunset said. “I’ve been stuck with odd jobs but now I’d like to get a proper job. It’s just frustrating looking for work in this season. Most places are still holding people over from Christmas.”

Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Have you tried applying at Machi Sushi? I noticed they had a help wanted sign up in their store window on my way through the mall.”

Sunset blinked a couple times and then shot to her feet. “Seriously? Well, do you want to walk over there with us? It’s almost lunchtime so we could grab a bite before you head out. I never noticed a Sushi place in the food court.”

“It’s not part of the food court,” Twilight said, grabbing her bag as she got up to her feet. “It’s a sit-down restaurant at the opposite end of the mall.”

We walked out of Joe’s Café and across the street to the mall. I’d only been here once when I was shopping for clothes with Rarity. It had been on my list of places to avoid because of the number of teenagers that would be there. Now it was much easier to enjoy. It was a pretty large mall with balcony style walkways to access the second floor. Skylights lined the ceiling, allowing a great deal of natural light into the place. There was a large fountain down one corridor and an indoor garden down another.

The sushi restaurant was hard to miss once we got to the right part of the mall. The entire entrance was decorated in a Japanese style, complete with the traditional Noren style curtains at the entrance. Spark could easily smell the raw fish, soy sauce and other Japanese ingredients from where we stood. He assured me everything smelled delicious. Sunset took a deep breath and turned to look at the two of us.

“Could you two give me a few minutes,” she asked. “I’d like to eat lunch there but I’d like to speak to them about the job first.”

I walked over and gave her a quick peck on the lips which she accepted with a smile. I pressed my forehead against hers for a moment before letting her go. Sunset then turned and straightened her shoulders before walking confidently through the entrance, disappearing into the restaurant. Twilight and I sat down on a bench across from the restaurant. She clasped her hands in her lap and stared at the floor. A long sigh escaped her lips.

“Penny for your thoughts,” I said quietly.

“Just surprised,” she murmured. “I never thought I’d enjoy spending time with . . . well people my age. This was unexpectedly pleasant.”

“We’ll have to get together again sometime then,” I replied.

A small smile appeared on her face. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” I nodded. “We can introduce you to some of the other girls next time if you’re up for it.”

“That could be- . . . oh no.”

Twilight’s face had lost some color as her eyes shifted to look past me. I turned to see what she was looking at and saw four teenagers coming towards us dressed in expensive looking clothes. There were two boys and two girls, most of whom were unfamiliar. One of them had pale blue skin with two-toned pink and purple hair. The other had yellow skin with white and lavender hair. The unfamiliar boy had tan skin with yellow and white hair. He was wearing glasses with white rims that matched his hair and he was dressed in a collared shirt with blue slacks.

It was the other boy that made the hair on the back of my neck prickle. He was the only one of the four I actually recognized. He had grey skin, dark grey hair parted in the middle and a familiar pair of stylish round glasses perched on his nose. There was no doubt in my mind it was this world’s version of Jet Set; Prince Blueblood’s prime sycophant. They all had frowns on their faces and were looking at me with disgust I hadn’t seen since that terrifying day in the Canterlot Arena.

“Oh look who it is,” Jet Set sniffed. “What are you doing out of your cave, bookworm?”

The girls with yellow skin and pale lavender hair rolled her eyes. “It was obviously a terrible idea to let her out. Look at what she’s attracted, Sunny Flare.”

“I see it, Upper Crust,” Sunny Flare snorted. “A worthless CHS student; straight out of the slums. What are you trying to accomplish here Sparkle?”

“I-I- I- wasn’t-” Twilight stuttered.

“Whatever it is, she’s going to sully our school’s reputation getting mixed up with one of those delinquents,” Jet Set interrupted, acting like I wasn’t even there. “It’s exactly like I was telling you Trenderhoof. She’s obviously too naive to be out unsupervised. There are standards we are expected to keep. Go home and stop sullying our school's reputation.”

The moment I’d recognized Jet Set, my body tensed while I tried to assess the situation. I remembered his counterpart had been Blueblood’s most vocal supporter at the gala back in Equestria. I had no idea if the pony version had been a true tribalist or a willing collaborator with the prince’s scheme but the sound of his voice brought the anger from that night right back to the surface. I knew this was a different person but it was more difficult than I expected to keep the two separate in my mind.

That confusion got even worse when they began verbally abusing Twilight. Keeping everything separate in my mind suddenly became irrelevant. These were bullies just like the Canterlot nobility and they were attacking someone I cared about. The fact that SciTwi looked so much like my marefriend may have made it worse.

“Could you be any more cliché?” I growled, making the disgust apparent in my voice. “You people would be better off keeping your mouths shut if this is the kind of tripe that pours out.”

“I beg your pardon?!” Jet Set spluttered.

I twisted my neck to crack it and slowly got up to my feet. Jet Set’s face lost a bit of color when he realized I was nearly a foot taller than him. Still, he stood his ground. I crossed my arms and put the same frown on my face that I got from Steel Rain when I slacked off on my training.

“Perhaps you should get your ears examined,” I snorted. “I’m saying your stereotypical attempts at bullying are doing a much better job at degrading your school’s image. I suppose it just goes to show that prestige and class don’t go hand in hand.”

Upper Crust put her hand on Jet Set’s shoulder to try and get his attention but he brushed her hand away curtly. He glared at me in spite of his moment of nervousness and his lip curled into a sneer.

“How dare you?!” he snapped. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“Nope,” I replied sternly. “Given the toxic personality you and your associates have displayed, I can’t imagine why I’d want to either. Twilight, I believe we have business to attend to where the air is a touch less rancid. Shall we?”

I held my hand out to Twilight. She stared at me with an utterly bewildered expression before taking it. I helped her up to her feet and we started walking toward the restaurant. Once my back was turned I figured there was a pretty good chance he’d do something dumb. It had me on edge and I could feel the tension of my magic as if it was waiting to be called. At the same time, Spark was right there in my head keeping me informed.

Maybe he’ll be smarter than the ones at CHS.
Nope, the grinding teeth suggest otherwise.
Ugh, I hope I don’t have to break his arm.
Keep your cool, Silver. That shouldn’t be necessary. Neither is our magic.
I know, I’m trying to hold back.
I’ll keep it out of reach but I’m fighting the urge too. Get ready.
Count me in.
Three . . . Two . . . one . . .

“Don’t you turn your back on me you coward!”

Sparks timing was perfect. I spun quickly around, leaving the hand that was going for my shoulder grasping air instead. My right arm shot up and made slight contact with his wrist while my left rose into guard, clenched into a tight fist. I didn’t bother trying to grapple or attack him but I was prepared to escalate to defend myself and my friend.

A red haze had closed in around my vision and I could feel my magic crackling in the back of my mind. It was almost screaming out to be used. Spark was doing his best to keep it out of my reach while I fought to bring myself back under control. The last thing I needed to do was pony up in a public space. Fortunately, the speed of my reaction had stopped him and his companions in their tracks. I suspected the others were going to try to escort Twilight away. My eyes were ablaze with barely contained anger as I glared at Jet Set.

“A piece of advice,” I snarled. “Don’t assume a stranger will tolerate your childish attempts at dominance. I answered your words with words. Escalate to a physical confrontation and I will respond. Do not test my ability to defend myself or my friends because I will not hesitate like this if you attack us a second time. Now, are you quite done trying to wreck our day over a pointless rivalry?”

At this point, quite a few shoppers were watching us. More than enough witnesses if they choose poorly. Jet Set just stood there, apparently frozen by indecision. Upper Crust stepped up beside Jet Set and pulled him back firmly by his other hand. He stumbled back and the blank look was replaced with something akin to fear. Sunny Day stepped in front of the two of them and looked at me with a forced smile on her face.

“We’re done,” she said. “Sorry for the trouble.”

I took a step back and nodded to her. “Very well. Have a good afternoon.”

The teenagers walked off towards another part of the mall. I didn’t take my eyes off them the entire time. They glanced over their shoulders at us a few times before disappearing around a corner. Once they were out of sight I slumped back down on the bench and put my head in my hands.

“Gods, I am tired of people like that,” I groaned. “Absolutely certain they have the moral right to push others around just because of their upbringing. Damn nobles.”

Twilight sat down next to me. “You sound like you’ve run into people like them before.”

“Yeah, more often than I’d care to,” I said, straightening up and looking over at her with a tired smile. “Part of that complicated story I mentioned. Are you ok?”

Twilight wouldn’t meet my gaze; she just looked down at the floor. “You barely know me but you stood up to them anyhow. You could have just walked off to avoid the trouble. Why?”

“I couldn’t help it,” I sighed. “I don’t abandon my friends. Unfortunately, sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my ability to shut up. If I just made things worse for you at school, I sincerely apologize.”

Twilight looked over and gave me a small smile. “Maybe but it was worth it. I must admit I felt a petty bit of satisfaction when you called them out on their behavior. I’m sure school won’t be any worse than normal. I barely talk to those three . . . or anyone for that matter.”

It wasn’t exactly a confident endorsement but her answer still made me feel a bit better. I pulled in a deep breath and then paused when something acrid caught my nose. I looked around but couldn’t see anything that would be the source. It reminded me of the time dad had destroyed an old cell phone with an ingot of red hot steel.

“Do you smell something weird?” I asked. “It’s something like burnt electronics.”

SciTwi sniffed the air and her eyes shot down to her bag. The moment she opened it, the smell of burnt electronics filled the air. She quickly pulled a small object out of the undamaged end and put the rest back in her bag. She looked oddly elated considering her gadget was fried.

“Woah, what the heck happened to that thing?” I asked.

“That would be what happens when a sensor gets overloaded!” She giggled, getting up to her feet. “It must have picked up the biggest energy pulse yet! Tell Sunset I’m sorry I had to run but I have to go home. This science can’t wait!”

I smiled at her enthusiasm. “Good luck then Twilight. I’ll talk to you later.”

SciTwi waved and hurried off. I sighed and leaned back on the bench. Thinking over the encounter with Jet Set, I was realizing I had been quite lucky I’d kept control over myself. Using my magic in public could be disastrous and the last thing I wanted was to make Chrysalis’ job harder. A few minutes later, Sunset came out of the restaurant and hurried over to me with a huge smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around me as I stood up.

“I got the job!” Sunset giggled! “I start training as a waitress this evening! Come on, they’ve got a table ready for us. Where’s Twilight?”

“She had to go,” I replied. “Her Everton project combusted in her backpack but she was excited about it for some reason. The good news is, she seemed pretty happy with how the morning went. Well aside from Jet Set and a couple other Crystal Prep students showing up while you were in the restaurant.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed at Jet Set’s name. “Please tell me you didn’t get into another fight.”

“. . . more of an argument,” I said sheepishly. “Maybe a bit of an urge to escalate but I kept myself mostly under control. In my defense, they were being cruel to Twilight.”

Sunset stared at me blankly for a moment. Then she let out an exasperated snort and shook her head.

“I leave you alone for five minutes,” she sighed. “I swear you’re some sort of trouble magnet.”

I paused and looked back at the bench, wondering if I could have done something differently. Whether I could have or not, it didn’t matter. I let some jerks goad me again and nearly wound up in a fight again. Thinking back on it, I was certain I could have handled it better and I felt a hard pit of shame in my chest.

“Sorry Sunset,” I mumbled.

Sunset stepped closer, grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pulled my face down to hers. She captured my lips in a passionate kiss that made my legs go weak for a second. Once she finished, she pulled back and those gorgeous aquamarine eyes gazed into me. It felt like she was looking right into my soul.

“Never apologize for doing the right thing,” she said firmly. “I know you're not a troublemaker but please be careful what you say. There are people in this world just as dangerous as Blueblood and his ilk. I don’t want to see you get in trouble like you did at the Gala.”

“I’ll try,” I replied sheepishly. “So, how about you show me what kind of food you’ll be serving tonight?”

She smiled at that. “I’d love to.”

With a small smile on her face, Sunset took my hand in hers and led me into the restaurant. As we walked through, I glanced back at the bench we had been sitting at. It was hard to say if SciTwi would be our friend after that incident. I just hoped she would have some success with her project. She couldn’t get out of Crystal Prep soon enough if those three were what she was facing every day.

---

Sunday, January 15, 2017

SciTwi – 8:45 am: Sorry to bother you Silver but do you have a minute to chat?

SciTwi – 9:22 am: I don’t mean to be a pest but this is kind of important.

SciTwi – 10:02 am: I hope you aren’t mad about Saturday. I just need a bit of information.

Silver Spark - 10:30 am: Hi Twilight, sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I was out in my workshop and didn’t hear my phone with all the noise. What’s up?

SciTwi – 10:32 am: Fair enough. I wanted to ask you about the mall yesterday. Did you notice anything out of the ordinary? Especially at the time, my experiment overloaded?

Silver Spark - 10:36 am: Nothing comes to mind before I smelled the burning electronics. Granted, I was kind of distracted what with being furious with those twits bullying you. Sorry, I can’t be more help.

SciTwi – 10:39 am: I do appreciate your support with those four. I didn’t realize how deep the disdain for CHS runs at my school. Anyhow, no need to apologize; asking you for observations was a long shot.

Silver Spark - 10:42 am: Did you find something useful in the logs from your device? If you describe what I need to watch for, maybe I can help keep an eye out for future incidents.

SciTwi – 10:50 am: I suppose I can share a bit without giving any technical details. As you know, I’ve been trying to identify a new form of energy. After we spoke at Christmas, I finished the Mk II sensors and deployed them in an attempt to triangulate a source. Yesterday I assumed the overload was caused by a massive pulse but the triangulation result disputes that. The overload was partially from proximity. Something near the mall released a significant quantity of this energy.

Silver Spark - 10:52 am: Huh, wonder why we didn’t see anything. I mean, it was enough to overload your electronics so you’d think it would be visible.

SciTwi – 10:55 am: Agreed. My current hypothesis is that the source was underground or in the air. I don’t have enough sensors deployed to determine elevation, especially given the damage to the one in my bag. Fortunately, I got useable data out of it. I’ll just have to keep refining my tools.

Silver Spark - 10:58 am: I’m sure you’ll figure it out! Thanks again for your company yesterday.

SciTwi – 11:01 am: Thank you! I had fun as well. Well, I have to get started on designing my Mk III sensor now. I’ll talk to you later.

---

Monday, January 16, 2017

It was a crisp, cold morning as Sunset, Applejack, and I hurried from my car to the front door of the school. The bright winter sunshine was barely warming the air and our breath was visible as we hurried towards the warm haven. Even with the sun, it probably wasn’t going to get that warm today. Dash, Rarity and Pinkie were waiting in the lobby for us.

“Morning ladies,” I said with a smile.

“Hoo-ee, that’s a crisp morning,” Applejack chuckled as she unwrapped her scarf from her neck. “Really gets the blood flowing.”

“Ugh, you can keep it,” Dash said with a theatrical shiver. “I’m tired of exercising indoors and I don’t have Viking blood like Silver.”

I raised my eyebrow at her. “Viking? Leaving aside the odder half of my ancestry, I think I’m mostly Scottish.”

“Meh, close enough,” she replied, waving her hand dismissively. “Either way, I’m not fond of exercising outdoors in the cold. I am so done with winter. Anybody heard from Fluttershy? She hasn’t answered her texts with more than one word all weekend.”

Sunset and I exchanged a glance. We both had a suspicion but I was surprised Fluttershy hadn’t warned Rainbow Dash. Before either of us could anything the front door of the school flew opened with a loud thud.

“Well if it isn’t Rainbow ‘The Best Athlete there Ever Was’ Dash!” a male voice exclaimed. “Did you miss me? Oh, what am I saying; of course you did!”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide and her face lost some color. She mouthed the words ‘oh no’ as she turned to look at the front door. It was a tall, gangly young man with pale green skin and lavender eyes wearing a confident smile on his face. His blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun and his face was slightly discolored by stubble with a few long hairs on his chin that looked like a failed attempt at growing a goatee. He was wearing jeans with some sort of frills around the cuffs, some brown shoes with no laces and a gaudy orange shirt under his winter jacket. I heard Rarity stifle a gasp of horror at the sight. Any doubt about his identity was wiped away by Fluttershy standing behind him trying her best to disappear behind her hair.

“Zephyr Breeze,” Dash snorted, crossing her arms. “I thought you were at some fancy private school in California. What went wrong?”

“Nothing went wrong, per se,” Zephyr replied, appearing unaware of Dash’s disgust. “It just didn’t turn out to be my scene, ya know? So come on Sis, Dashie, what are you waiting for!? Introduce me to your friends! I’m sure these lovely babes are just dying to finally meet the Z.”

Rainbow Dash looked over at Fluttershy for help but she was frozen from the sheer embarrassment. Given the absence of support from her childhood friend, Dash rolled her eyes and sighed before gesturing at one of the girls almost at random.

“Fine,” Dash said. “This is Rarity Belle.”

“Oh my,” he said, looking her over with undisguised admiration. “How was heaven before you left?”

“I . . . what? Really?” Rarity muttered, folding her arms across her chest to cover herself. “Hello.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and moved on to introducing Applejack. He was using some of the most cliché lines I’d heard but I wasn’t really listening. Instead, I watched his behavior and my eyes narrowed as I remembered Fluttershy’s warning about him. He was looking at each of the girls over with a roving eye that I didn’t like. The behavior made the hair on my neck bristle but I held my tongue. I was less restrained in my head.

Seriously?! What gives him the right to look at them like that?!
He's not the worst we've seen. You need to calm down Silver.
I AM CALM! I don't like the way he's looking at them!
Really? You call growling, clenching your jaw, and making fists tight enough to crack our knuckles calm?

Spark’s comment kicked me back to reality and I realized the rumbling in the back of my throat wasn’t my imagination. My fists were clenched almost painfully tight. A hand touched my arm making me almost jump out of my skin. I looked beside me to find Sunset looking at me, her eyes full of worry. I bit back my anger and with some effort, I managed to force my hands to relax but it was like pushing against a hurricane. Still, I regained a bit of control just in time for Dash to gesture at the two of us.

“This is Sunset Shimmer and that is her boyfriend Silver Spark,” Dash finished.

Zephyr had just started to look Sunset over and he looked like he was contemplating a pickup line for her but he stopped short when Dash gestured at me. His eyes shot to me and widened in surprise as if he’d just noticed I was standing there. I think he saw something in my face that I wasn’t hiding well because his confident expression evaporated in an instant.

“Hey man,” he gulped. “So . . . you’re friends with Flutters?”

“Hello Zephyr,” I replied in a flat voice. “Yes, your sister is one of my best friends.”

He nodded quickly. “Cool, that’s cool. Anyhow, I’d better go get my class schedule! See you soon Dashie!”

Zephyr hurried off towards the office. For a moment we all stood there in silence. Nobody was entirely sure what to say about that incredibly uncomfortable encounter. Sunset was holding my arm as if she was worried I was going to go after him. My concern was, a part of me wanted to. Finally, the long silence between us was broken by Rarity.

“WHAT on Earth was that Fluttershy?!” she demanded, wheeling around to face her friend. “Darling, that . . . that person was your brother?!”

Fluttershy squeaked in terror and slumped down by the lockers with her hands over her face. I let go of Sunset and hurried over to where she was sitting.

“Be gentle Rarity,” I chided. “She’s having a bad morning.”

“Oh my, I’m sorry my dear Fluttershy!” Rarity gasped. “I didn’t mean to sound like I was blaming you! He’s just . . . unexpectedly . . .”

Rarity trailed off clearly uncertain about the words she could use.

“Forward and unabashed,” Applejack snorted, finished for her bluntly. “Least he wasn’t tryin’ to hide his roamin’ eyes but I coulda done without the awful pickup lines.”

I sat down next to her and gently put my arm around her shoulder. I was caught off guard when Fluttershy turned and buried her face in my shoulder. All we could hear was a muffled whimper.

“Your brother’s behavior isn’t your fault,” I said gently. “I told you last week, we’ll always be by your side.”

I felt her nod against my shoulder but she didn’t lift her head. Dash sighed sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

“Aww geez Flutters, you know he’s right. Zephyr always drove me nuts but it’s not your fault he’s obnoxious. Just wish you’d told me he was coming back.”

“Speakin’ of tellin’ people, do the Dazzlings know?” Applejack commented. “Y’all do realize Aria will break his arm off if he tries that on her?”

“I’ll go track them down and make sure they know to just ignore Zephyr,” Sunset sighed. “At least he kept his hands to himself.”

Pinkie just laughed and held up her phone. “Technology beats footwork Sunny! Aria says she won’t do any permanent damage to him. Says here she’ll only maim him a little bit as long as he keeps his hands to himself. She figures Sonata will just find it amusing. Oh and Adagio says she’ll try not to do any long term damage to his fragile male psyche.”

“Yup, he’s doomed,” Dash chuckled before glancing over at me. “Hey Silver, can I pretend to be your girlfriend? You seemed to scare him so maybe it’ll keep him from bugging me.”

Before I could respond, Rarity laughed nervously. “Rainbow Dash, not all of us are comfortable with the rumors that would accompany such a ruse. I can tolerate the friendly jokes floating around our school but perhaps we could avoid escalating the interest of our fellow students by making the punchlines seem plausible.”

“Fine, I suppose you’re right,” Dash laughed. “Pretending to have a boyfriend my options anyhow, Silver.”

“I’d be pretty uncomfortable with the idea too,” I commented nervously. “Glad you asked instead of just going for it. So, what was that about rumors?”

The amused expressions on my friend’s faces had me a bit worried. Rarity just smiled and shook her head.

“I'm surprised you haven’t heard them but it’s nothing you should be concerned about darling. They’re just silly rumors we should have expected when we added you to our circle of friends.”

I was still contemplating how to respond to Rarity’s reassurance when the first bell rang. I got up and held my hand out to Fluttershy. She took it and let me pull her up to her feet. Her face was still a mask of embarrassment and shame. I had a feeling it wasn’t just Zephyr’s behavior that was bothering her but I knew that conversation wasn’t something I could push. I just hoped I’d be able to coax the truth out of her so we could give her the help she needed.

---

“So does anybody know why Sunset wants us to bring our instruments to the science lab?” Rainbow asked. “I really don’t want another surprise like this morning.”

Fluttershy blushed and she looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know how to tell you he was coming back Dash,” she whispered.

“Aww, I told you it’s ok Flutters,” Dash replied, giving her a half hug around the shoulders.

“Silver, do ya know what’s goin’ on with Sunset?” Applejack asked. “She’s not usually this evasive ‘bout stuff.”

I chuckled. “Yes I do know but I’ll leave the explanation to her. All I’ll say is, it’s nothing sinister and she’s been preparing this for weeks now.”

The final bell of the day had sounded a few minutes earlier and as usual we had met at the music room except Sunset didn’t show up right away. Instead, she texted everyone indicating they should bring their instruments up to the science lab without explanation. Today Sunset was going to be making her first attempts at measuring magic in the human world with a mixture of Earth and Equestria technology. She really wanted to surprise our friends with what she’d put together.

Aside from that, the day had been a bit weird for me. Even though I wasn’t fond of using my abilities to eavesdrop, the conversation this morning had made me curious. I was slightly disappointed I didn't hear any of the supposed jokes about me and the girls. Instead, the hushed conversations were focused on Zephyr Breeze since he was new. He’d made an impression on the students but it wasn’t exactly a great one. From the sounds of things, he hadn't toned back his roving eye or his atrocious pickup lines. Apparently, he hadn't been crude; they just thought he was just a bit forward and egotistical. I wasnt entirely convinced, Fluttershy's worries must have been based on something.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to speak with Silver Spark!”

I was pulled out of my introspection by the loud slam of a door as Trixie burst dramatically out of a classroom door behind us. She had a confident smirk on her face she looked ready to take on the world. I eyed her, slightly confused by her aggressive tone after our conversation at the Winter Ball. My friends looked quite unimpressed by her behavior. AJ and Dash were quick to turn and confront her.

“Are you serious Trixie?” AJ grumbled, rolling her eyes. “I thought y’all were done harassin’ Silver.”

Dash snorted. “Still powerfully trying to compensate for something?”

When Dash chastised her there was just a brief moment where her composure faltered. She almost seemed to cringe back. That moment of fear faded as quickly as it appeared so I wasn’t certain I’d actually seen it. Still the more I thought about it, the more I began to think this was just Trixie being herself. Even if she was going back to her old self, it was still something I could handle.

“Girls, I’ll take care of this,” I said calmly. “Just let Sunset know I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Rarity raised her eyebrow at me and the stared at Trixie. “You sure darling? You don’t exactly have the best history with Trixie. We were lucky with that orange soda last time.”

Trixie flinched again at Rarity’s cold observation but didn’t speak in her defense.

I nodded. “It’ll be fine; don’t keep Sunset waiting! She’s been preparing for this way too long.”

The girls looked over their shoulders at me several times as they left me standing to face Trixie. I gestured for her to lead the way. Without another word, she walked into the library and over to one of the small meeting rooms. I followed and closed the door behind us while she slumped down in one of the chairs as if all the energy had drained out of her. Trixie pulled a cloth out of the pocket of her coat and began cleaning around her eyes. When she was done, the dark circles and bags under her eyes were clearly visible. She looked at me with a pleading expression on her face.

“The exhausted and frightened Trixie recalls Silver Spark’s comment at the dance,” she whispered. “Trixie is skeptical but hopes you were honest in your implication that you could help her sleep.”

“Is this why you weren’t in school last week?” I inquired as I pulled up another chair and sat down near her. When she nodded, I raised my eyebrow. “How often are you having the nightmares now?”

“Every time Trixie falls asleep,” she replied weakly. “Trixie is only asking because the impossible is surprisingly common at this school of late. Trixie can’t imagine what you can do other than recommending a good therapist or sleeping pill but she is at the end of her rope.”

“I’m glad you came to me,” I said gently. “Recurring nightmares should never be ignored when magic is involved. I’ll see if it’s something I can help with tonight.”

She blinked several times. “Forgive Trixie but in her weary state, she must have missed something. How will visiting Trixie’s home help with her nightmares? I don’t believe your girlfriends would appreciate you snuggling away my nightmares.”

I pressed my fingers to my forehead, realizing what I’d said and how confusing my words were. I hesitated for just a moment while I thought about what Trixie wanted to know and what was safe to tell her. The existence of magic was an open secret in our school as was my own magic, though only my transformation was known outside my circle of friends.

So do we tell her exactly what we will do, Spark?
I don’t know. Can we trust Trixie?
That is the million dollar question right now.
She’s asked for help.
We could help without telling her the specifics.
I think she needs to know. Look at her face.

I looked at Trixie again, taking in the exhaustion in her expression. Her shoulders were hunched and she seemed far less sure of herself than normal. It was the fear in eyes that finally cleared any doubt I had away. She needed my help but she also needed reassurance that help existed. I had promised after all.

“I suppose an explanation is in order but I need you to keep this secret,” I said. “The last thing we need is a panic over something that is incredibly hard to explain.”

She nodded. “Trixie believes that is sensible. She will go so far as to take the most sacred promise, as delivered unto CHS by the Pink one. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

I blinked with surprise. “You know that oath?”

“Yes, many years ago Trixie made a promise to Pinkie Pie and she is still bound by it,” Trixie replied, looking around the room nervously. “That girl takes her promises very seriously and Trixie has no desire to invoke her wrath.”

Strangely enough, I found that more reassuring than I would have expected. There were more connections between the students at this school that were apparent when I’d moved here. So much history that it was simply not possible for me to know. Now, the question was how much I should share with my former antagonist.

“I can accept that,” I chuckled. “I suppose what you need to understand is, there is a place called the Astral Realm. Somehow our minds are linked with this realm; don’t ask me why since I really have no clue. The catch is, when we sleep, that connection gets . . . well wider for lack of a better word.”

Trixie stared at me blankly for a moment, then her pale purple eyes widened and she visibly shuddered. “Trixie has a bad feeling about where this is going. What else lives in this Astral realm?”

“Unfortunately, there are creatures that live in the realm,” I said. “There might be a more complex ecosystem in the realm but so far the only creatures I’m aware of are various sorts of parasites and predators that seem to feed off dreams.”

Trixie shivered and looked away. “I hate Nightmare on Elm Street, it creeps me out. Things like Freddy really exist? Is that why I’m having nightmares?”

That would be horrifying!
More than a little.
If I still dreamed, I’d have nightmares about something like him evolving.
We might have to someday. Demon Sunset is far from the most terrifying thing humanity has imagined.
Great. I’m not looking forward to that encounter.

“I haven’t heard of anything like Freddy but thanks for that horrifying thought,” I replied. “The danger of these creatures is real though and they’re particularly fond of magic.”

“I don’t have magic,” Trixie whispered.

I looked up at the ceiling; silently wishing I knew more about my own abilities. I was stretching to explain things I barely understood.

“You probably don’t,” I admitted. “Then again, I would have said the same thing about myself a few short months ago. It doesn’t really matter if you have magic though. I can help you even if it isn’t an astral creature.”

“You have magic that can affect or access dreams, don’t you?” she murmured.

I stared at her, surprised by her quick deduction. “How could you possibly know?!”

A small smirk appeared on Trixie’s face and a tiny bit of her normal confidence seemed to return.

“Trixie would like to point out your absolute certainty that you can help. She also has noted that Silver Spark is not prone to making impossible offers. This Astral Realm business just gave Trixie the context she needed to make a guess.”

“Huh, I suppose that’s’ true,” I replied. “I’ll have to be careful who I tell in the future. You know, I’m a bit worried about your reaction. You seem awfully calm about the idea that I can dreamwalk.”

“Sunset turned into a demon and we have three students who claim to be over a thousand years old,” She shrugged. “The Rainbooms sprout wings and pony ears whenever they play music. There’s even a portal to another world in front of our school. The idea that someone can enter Trixie’s dreams is positively mundane by comparison. Still, she is wary about the idea of someone spying on her dreams.”

“If it helps, I’m oath-bound to keep what I witness in your dreams secret,” I assured her. “I know we don’t know each other very well and you don’t have any real reason to trust me. Still, I’ve been given the responsibility to protect people from Astral Creatures.”

She stared at me quietly for a minute, as if pondering how she reacted. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she examined me. Her expression was almost like she had never seen me before.

“Trixie is surprised by your use of the word, responsibility,” she finally admitted. “It has been hard for her to truly understand the kind of person Silver Spark is. She appreciates your offer and will accept your aid though with a healthy dose of skepticism. Trixie admits she is intrigued by the possibilities if you are being honest.”

I looked over at her and while she still looked worn out, there was a small smile gracing her lips. She ran her hand through her platinum hair and looked up at the ceiling. A long breath escaped her lips and she slumped back in her chair. I smiled; glad to see she was feeling better. A sly smile suddenly appeared on her face.

“Trixie hopes Sunset Shimmer will not take offense to your upcoming journey!” she declared with a smirk on her face. “Only a few will ever have the privilege to go on an excursion to the glorious dreams of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Her sudden shift in personality caught me so off guard an almost equine snort slipped out of me. We stared at each other for a moment and then we both began to laugh.

“I needed that,” I chortled after I had calmed down a bit. “It’s been a bit of a day.”

“Trixie is glad she could amuse you,”

Suddenly, the lights began flickering and strobing. It was like we’d suddenly walked into a rave. Then there was a loud bang as two light bulbs burst in the hall and the power went out completely.

“Trixie is mildly concerned by the sudden failure of the lights,” she muttered. “Trixie is awake, right?”

“Yeah, you’re still awake,” I said, getting up to my feet. “I think it might be my friends.”

Trixie got to her feet and walked out the door with me. “What could they possibly be doing to cause a power outage?”

“Magic research,” I sighed, jogging down the dark hallway towards the science lab with Trixie close on my heels.

I just hoped nobody was hurt. Motes of light began drifting through the glass of the door and soon it became clear it was a swarm of glowing butterflies. Trixie and I stopped to watch the creatures drift past. They were translucent and aside from the glowing, they could have been real insects. Trixie held her hand out to one and it landed on her hand as if coming to a rest. Another one landed on my shoulder briefly and I could feel a tiny bit of heat coming off it. I’d come to realize that strange warmth was my body sensing magic.

“Incredible,” she whispered, staring at the tiny creature on the back of her hand. When it flew off she sighed and looked over at me.

“As nice as it is for Trixie to see a gentler form of magic, she feels discretion is the better part of valor when strange things start happening. If you survive the remainder of the afternoon, Trixie hopes you will be able to help her.”

“Just go to sleep normally tonight and I’ll do my absolute best to find the cause of your nightmares,” I replied with a smile and walked through the door. I could hear my friends muttering inside and

“I’m so sorry Sunset,” Fluttershy whispered in the darkness.

“I told you, it’s ok!” Sunset replied from another part of the darkened room. “It was just an electrical surge!”

Then the lights came back on revealing the science lab was littered with cables and equipment. Some sort of device that looked almost like a spaghetti strainer with chopsticks poked into was sitting on the floor next to where Fluttershy was sitting. Sunset had moved over to the light switches and seemed startled everything was back on.

“Attention students!” Discord said through the PA system. “Whoever is causing all this electrical chaos, you managed to set off five entirely random circuit breakers! Nice job, I was getting bored. Carry on!”

Sunset smiled. “See, this was just a minor setback. I obviously need a secondary surge protector for that device. So, who’s next?”

---

An hour later, Sunset had been battered and bruised by a plethora of increasingly bizarre magical incidents as she tried to record the magical emissions while our friends ponied up. Normally, they transformed and that was all that happened but this the magic seemed almost malevolent. Sunset was buried under a mountain of conjured apples and nearly electrocuted by the static from a swarm of balloons. When she was testing Rarity with a plain old EEG, a cable wrapped around her ankle and pulled her leg out from under her, twisting her ankle a bit. I put my foot down and insisted she wrap up the experiments for the day after a fountain of rainbow ink exploded out of a computer monitor into her face.

Sunset grumbled her frustration that she didn’t understand how magic worked in this world before almost collapsing from exhaustion. I actually wound up carrying her out to the car while AJ held the doors open for us. By the time we got moving Sunset had woken up but she was quiet during the drive home. She looked bedraggled and more than a bit frustrated. When we got home, I made her dinner while she showered and cleaned herself up. Dinner was equally quiet as Sunset stabbed her food and ate it with a sour expression on her face.

Suddenly she pushed her plate away and slammed her fist down on the table.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Sunset growled. “Why is their magic so volatile?! It’s almost like it was attacking me!”

She began pacing the room. “Maybe the magic still doesn’t trust me! Or the girls still hate me!”

“Sunset, I doubt it was intentional,” I said, pushing back from the table.

“Magic just doesn’t work that way!” Sunset snapped. “It’s not random! There’s always intent behind conjurations like . . . WHAT?!”

A frown had appeared on my face and it obviously frustrated her. I resisted the urge to respond and instead just raised one finger indicating she should wait. Sunset was obviously impatient while I got up, walked over and sat down on the couch in the living room. It had given me a chance to compose my thoughts before I responded to my girlfriend’s frustration. I didn’t want to make her angrier.

“Sorry, I was just remembering Mom always said to be wary of statements like that,” I finally replied. “She told me to remember that nothing is absolute. There’s nearly always an exception.”

Sunset wilted and walked over to sit next to me. I put my arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She sighed and slumped back in the chair.

“You’re right. Princess Celestia said the same thing. The moment someone says something is 100% consistent, it becomes even more important to triple check for what they missed.”

“Exactly,” I nodded. “So let’s take a step back. Do you know of cases where magic is random?”

“Yeah, there are a few cases but they don’t really apply here,” Sunset replied. “Chaos magic of course but that only really applies to Discord and his creations. Any pony with severe injuries to their magic cores can have trouble controlling their magic. A broken horn or wing amputation are two examples in ponies but our friends are perfectly healthy.”

I thought about how unicorns used their horns and winced. “So about equivalent to a human losing their hand. What else is there?”

“Foals,” Sunset said quietly. “Magic flares are common in young ponies. The more magic power they have, the longer it takes for them to get proper control. That wouldn’t apply either since our friends are teenagers. Magic flares end long before the Pony equivalent to puberty.”

I blinked. “They’ve only had magic a few months though. Would that make a difference?”

Sunset leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. She tapped her chin and hummed thoughtfully. After a few minutes, she nodded and looked over at me with a smile on her face.

“You might be on to something,” she replied. “Our friends have no ability to control how it manifests outside of their music and that’s not actual control. In fact, the random spells our friends triggered were comparable to my outbursts when I was . . . Buck me, they’re foals with the power of demigods. Wait, then why do you have so much control over your magic?!”

“Well, I’m not an Element of Harmony,” I said scratching the back of my head. “You said it yourself, magic flares last longer with powerful foals.”

“Maybe but I’m not sure about that,” Sunset replied dubiously. “Measuring your potential will have to be taken care of another day. At least I have a legitimate hypothesis about why their magic is so unpredictable. Thanks, Silver.”

“Hey, I just gave you a chance to think,” I chuckled. “You came up with everything else.”

Sunset leaned against me and closed her eyes. “You still thought to ask. So Rainbow Dash mentioned Trixie was back to her old self. What did she want this time?”

“Honestly I’m pretty sure the whole third person thing is an act,” I replied. “She’s been having chronic nightmares since before Christmas and finally decided to ask for help. I’m going to look into it tonight.”

Sunset’s eyes flew open and she sat up with a horrified gasp. “You told TRIXIE about dreamwalking?! I know she apologized but why would you do that!?”

I was slightly taken aback by Sunset’s reaction and I felt

“Magic’s an open secret in our school already,” I replied. “My abilities weren’t going to stay secret forever.”

“I know that,” Sunset shot back. “Still, why would you confide in her of all people? Even though she did apologize, what makes you think you can trust her?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to put my thoughts into words. It wasn’t easy because Sunset was right about one thing. There was no way to know if I could trust Trixie but I had a feeling I could.

“Sunset have you ever seen her let her guard down? Have you ever hear her admit she’s frightened of something? You can’t fake the exhaustion she was hiding under her makeup. Even if I can’t trust her, I still won’t turn my back on her. I need to find out if she’s really being attacked through her dreams. If she is, our assumptions about the dream realm were horribly wrong.”

My girlfriend stared at me and then swore under her breath. “Celestia dammit, you’re right. We always thought nightmares preferred powerful magic. If Trixie is being attacked, anybody at CHS could be a target.”

“Possibly anybody in Canterlot,” I replied. “If it is a nightmare asking permission is out the window. With my immediate friends, I could ask but it’s simply not possible to ask everyone who could be affected.”

Sunset frowned. “And you have to check Trixie first because she’s confirmed she’s having nightmares.”

“Yes but mostly I’m checking because I made a promise at the Winter Ball,” I said quietly. “I said I would do my best to help her if she asked and I intend to keep my word.”

Sunset leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“I know,” she replied. “I’d expect nothing less from you. I don’t like that it’s Trixie who knows about your dreamwalking but I support your decision . . . on one condition.”

I raised my eyebrow. “What would that be.

Instead of answering, Sunset reached out and grabbed the translation book and a pad of paper off the coffee table. She opened the book and covered half the page with a sheet of paper she tore off the pad. Then she handed me the rest of the paper and held out a pen.

“You need to redouble your efforts to learn runic. You’re improving but you need to be able to translate your books faster and with confidence. Knowledge is power and if you’re going to face hundreds of nightmares, I intended to ensure you are formidably armed. So I’m going to test you on everything to find out what you’re still missing. So to start, I’d like you to write the definitions of the runes on this page.”

I looked down at the vaguely familiar symbols and the pad of paper. I winced and looked at my girlfriend who was holding out the pen at me expectantly.

“Really?”

She nodded. “Yes. You can’t just translate the words, runes don’t work that way. You need to understand them properly to use the knowledge in these books! I’m going to insist on at least one hour of practice a night until I’m confident you have them down.”

Hey look, more homework!
Of course, you’re going to help me memorize this, right Spark?
. . . Yeah, I’m going to. She’s right.

I took the pen and looked at the first symbol. I rolled my shoulders, gripped my pen, and began to tackle my newest challenge.

---

My mind was still reeling a bit from the two hours of runic training Sunset had put me through when I appeared in the starscape of the Astral Realm. It was sobering to discover how far I still had to go before I would understand the books I had inherited. Fortunately, Sunset was a patient teacher. Also, the occasional reward of a nuzzle or a kiss kept me away from complete frustration at my ineptitude.

Now Spark and I were in the astral realm looking at the doorway to Trixie’s dreamscape. It was a fairly normal door to a house with no identifying features. It wasn’t damaged the way Fluttershy’s door was but there was still something off about it. Just looking at it made the hair on the back of my neck prickle. Every time I looked at it, I felt like I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye at the edge of my peripheral vision. When I turned to look for it the strange feeling vanished.
Spark glared at the door and spread his wings defensively.

“I don’t like this,” he growled.

I walked over and put my hand on the door. Luna had told us we needed to rely on all our senses. The door was almost painfully cold to the touch.

“If this isn’t being caused by a Nightmare Beast, I’ll have hay for breakfast,” I snorted.

“Let’s do this,” Spark replied.

I pushed the door open and we stepped through into a crowd of people. None of the people had recognizable features, they bordered on caricatures. We were in a massive stadium, one of the big ones that could hold thousands. Trixie was on the stage below attempting some sort of magic trick but it looked like everything was going wrong. She kept fumbling her tricks, almost as if her efforts were being sabotaged.

The crowd’s behavior was extremely creepy. Rather than laughter, their eyes were empty as they stared at a stage below. Their eyes were glowing a creepy blue that seemed vaguely familiar but it wasn’t coming to me. It didn't click until a tall demonic creature stepped up onto the stage. It was Sunset's she-demon form. She strode up onto the stage and sent Trixie sprawling with a brutal backhand strike. She grabbed Trixie and lift her off the ground like she weighed nothing.

Behold, the awful and powerless Trixie! the she-demon declared, holding the limp body up in the air.

She held Trixie up in the air by the scruff of her shirt, swinging her like a ragdoll. The dead crowd suddenly roared with excitement and the room filled with applause. Spark and I exchanged a worried glance. I was half prepared to see Sunset in this form but it still hurt. Now I knew what was wrong with the audience. Their dead blue eyes on were exactly like the zombie students Sunset had created. The demon cackled with delight at the audience’s reaction.

“That’s more like it! Now, let’s salvage this show with a classic; the swords and box trick. Except without the box! Even better, the formerly Great and Powerful here will be my assistant.”

I could see Trixie begin struggling when a reclined table with straps phased into existence.

“No! Not that!” Trixie whimpered.

The demon shoved Trixie’s struggling form against the table and began tightening the straps. The dreamscape was beginning to waver like a mirage as Trixie’s mind started trying to wake up. Demon Sunset chuckled with cold satisfaction.

“What’s wrong Trixie? You’re really in the spotlight now, I thought this was your dream! We’re almost ready for my first trick! Watch in awe as I reveal the insides of a pathetic human with my bare- WHO DARES?!”

Spark and I had taken to the sky as soon as the demon had appeared but the whole space was impossibly large. Physics were more of a convenience than a law in this realm after all. Our ability to manipulate an infected nightmare like this was limited so more mundane solutions were required. We both landed on the stage at the same time. Spark spun around as he flew in and bucked the demon across the stage with all his strength. Meanwhile, I landed next to Trixie with a conjured sword in my hand and used it to slash the straps holding her down. The dream began to waver as she fought to wake up.

“Stay with me Trixie, this ends now,” I said firmly, attempting to keep her in the realm so we could finish our task.

Trixie nodded blankly and the fading dream stabilized abruptly. Still, her face was marred by fear as she watched the demon getting back to its feet. My brother flew over and landed beside me as the demon stood up to its full height, probably topping seven feet in this world. Spark spread his wings wide and bared his teeth.

“You don't deserve to wear that face monster,” he snarled. "Leave while you still can."

The demon laughed with inhuman undertones that sent a shiver down my spine. She looked past us at Trixie with an amused smile on her face. Trixie flinched back and whimpered with disoriented terror at the sudden attention.

“Trixie, you surprise me. I never believed you’d have the strength of will to imagine help after all this time. Delicious! This will make your despair taste all the sweeter when your imagined saviors turn against you. Come now, join me.

Demon Sunset snapped her fingers and looked at the two of us expectantly. Spark and I exchanged a glance as we realized she thought we were Trixie’s creations. It was the same reaction Fluttershy’s nightmare had. A smile spread across my face as the demon's expression became one of confusion and then rage.

“Something wrong?” I inquired cheerfully.

“You should be my willing thrall now!” she snarled staring at us with predatory eyes.

The she-demon sniffed the air and suddenly roared with inhuman fury, making all of us flinch. That turned into slight horror as she began to dissolve into a formless mass. I’d never encountered a creature I’d been hard pressed to describe before. There were constant hints of recognizable shapes but it was like watching clouds. Limbs appeared and vanished as if it couldn’t decide what it actually was. My mind wanted to classify the thing as having a shape but it defied my senses. When it spoke again, the words were completely unintelligible.

“Mnahn’hlirgh! Y-lw’nafh, Y-orr’e. Bug li’hee n’gha”

Vines shot out of the mass at me and Spark without any other warning. I blocked with my summoned sword while others bounced off the Lunar Iron armor hastily summoned by Spark. I felt a flash of pain as one of the numerous claws got through my defenses and slashed into the skin of my arm. I countered, slicing the vine right off. It began to retreat but before it could get far, Spark and I caught up with it.

I wish I could say what followed was a glorious battle but the creature seemed strangely unprepared for our assault. The creature snarled at me when my sword bit into it, causing superficial damage to the thing. Then Spark jumped in with his iridescent claws and lunar iron wing blades flashing in the stage light. The lunar iron blades tore through the beast’s bulk like it wasn’t even there. The thing let out an alien howl of rage as it began to collapse in on itself.

The two of us pressed our attack and just a few minutes later the creature was fading away like smoke. As it dissipated, it felt like a cloud lifted off the dream as if a pressure on my mind I hadn’t noticed was gone. I felt the dream beginning to collapse once again so I hurried over to Trixie. She was curled up on the ground with her arms over her head. Rather than having her wake up frightened again, I put my hand gently on her shoulder.

“Stay with us, Trixie," I whispered. "This is just a dream. Focus on a place you feel safe.”

Trixie didn’t respond right away and for a moment I feared she didn't hear me. Then the dreamscape began to shimmer like a mirage. A moment later we were standing in the living room of a fairly nice house.

“This is an improvement. Where are we?” I asked.

Trixie didn’t reply right away as she uncurled. She sat up and looked around the room as the fog began to lift from her eyes. A small smile appeared on her face as she stood up and it only grew as she looked around the room. I could tell she had become lucid.

”Welcome to Trixie’s home,” she said proudly. “Trixie is pleased her memory was sufficient to craft such a dream. Perhaps she could have been more ambitious . . .”

”No, this was a good call,” Spark said cheerfully. “There’s no place like home after all.”

She looked over at Spark and the back at me and rolled her eyes. “Trixie will refrain from inquiring about the presence of a midget horse. For now, she is far more curious about the creature’s strange words. Was that thing truly speaking and what language was that?”

Spark snorted loudly, sat down, and crossed his front hooves theatrically. "I'm a pony, thank you very much Miss Great and Powerful.

I sighed and shook my head. "Relax Spark. Trixie, I've never heard one of the nightmare creatures speak anything other than English before today.
Something to look into I suppose. So, the good and bad news is that was almost certainly an astral creature. Now that it’s gone your dreams should be peaceful. You can rest assured I’ll be watching for trouble in the future.”

Trixie sat down on one of the couches and stared up at the ceiling.

“How will Trixie know this was real in the morning? She has experienced lucid dreams before and could be suffering from an excessive dose of hope after our conversation earlier.”

I hesitated a moment since there were many ways I could convince her. The most obvious would be the slash on my arm from the Nightmare. In the morning that would be a nasty bruise in the real world that I could show her but I rejected that idea quickly. The idea that dreamwalkers were in real physical danger was something I didn’t feel inclined to burden her with. Instead, I gestured at Spark.

”This equine troublemaker is my spirit guide, though I just think of him as my brother. Terminology aside, he’s part of me. If you have doubts tomorrow, just ask who Spark is.

Trixie nodded. “What will you do now?”

”We’ll do what is necessary to protect our world,” Spark replied. “Just keep this to yourself. The last thing we need is panic before we can check in on the rest of our classmates. We might be able to clear this up before anybody else suffers as badly as you have. Sweet moon this is going to be a job and a half.”

”Trixie will keep her silence on this unusual experience,” she declared. “She feels it would be difficult to convince her classmates even if she did feel inclined to do so. Is Trixie correct in assuming she could speak to your friends?”

I nodded in response to her question and then my brother and I walked over the front door of her house. I opened the door revealing the astral realm beyond. Before I left her dream, I hesitated and looked back at her.

“I’ll leave you to your dream Trixie,” I said quietly. “The good news is, you’re lucid and should stay that way for the rest of the night. You should be able to have some fun before you wake up, so let your imagination run wild. Sleep well.”

She looked excited by the prospect and she nodded. “Trixie will do her best. Thank you.”

I walked out the door and gently closed the door, leaving her in peace. I looked up at the star-filled sky and sighed. I had always known this would be my duty but I hadn't expected it would spiral out of control this quickly. Then there was the mystery of the strange language the nightmare was speaking in, questions about why Spark's thestral weapons were so effective and worries about how much I just didn't know about this realm or magic. I looked over at my brother and saw a confident smile on his face. I believe that was the only thing that kept me from despairing about the scale of our problem.

I smiled at Spark and gestured at the vast starscape. "I guess we've put this off long enough. It's time to get to work.”

Author's Note:

Wow, it took way longer than it should have to get this chapter finished. A million little and big real life things have just gone sideways lately. It's just been one minor disaster after another starting before Christmas. I'd like to say I'm finally past the worst of it but I just don't know for sure. Chapter 55 is in the works but not nearly as far along as I'd like. Still, my current goal is to get back to my chapter a month minimum publishing rate for this story.

This chapter also wound up much longer than anticipated. As is usual with my plans, some events originally planned for this chapter have moved to the next one. I'm still not great at estimating how many words a particular scene is going to need. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading!

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

You know, it always bugs me when authors do that with Pinkie and her Pinkie Promises. Literally nothing bad will happen if you do. She'll just demand an apology. Furthermore you'd have to be pretty damn cowardly to actually be afraid of Pinkie if you break a Pinkie Promise, considering how how cartoonishly over the top her reactions are.

My right arm shot up and made slight contact with his wrist while my left rose into guard, clenched into a tight fist. I didn’t bother trying to grapple or attack him but I was prepared to escalate to defend myself and my friend.

A red haze had closed in around my vision and I could feel my magic crackling in the back of my mind. It was almost screaming out to be used. Spark was doing his best to keep it out of my reach while I fought to bring myself back under control.

Also, how dare you try to lightly grab my solder!

[MorningRose]

Great update. Was a bit worried when there wasn't any updates but I'm glad you are back

[Battlecat]

9461013 - That's a fair complaint and I do agree it's rather easy to overplay Pinkie. On the other hand, I feel there's a solid reason fanfiction authors make the choice to play her that way. Just to confirm my memory, I went back and watch the Dodge Junction Episode (S2E14) and it was as I remembered. If I'd been in the room when Pinkie discovered Applejack had run off, I'd be a bit wary about breaking a pinkie promise again. Even with that and me keeping some of Pinkie's more "paranormal" abilities, I don't intend to turn Pinkie into a caricature so I'll have to be careful going forward. Thank you for mentioning it and for reading!

Also, yeah I'd class Silver's response to Jet Set as a touch of an overreaction. I'd be worried if people didn't see it that way.

9461390 - Thank you, I'm glad to be back to writing. It's been a rough winter. Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

[DragonMaster24921]

“Sorry, I was just remembering Mom always said to be wary of statements like that,” I finally replied. “She told me to remember that nothing is absolute. There’s nearly always an exception.”

Nothing is true, everything is permitted.

i coulda swore i just saw and eagle fly by

[Rainwalker12]

Oh. My. Gosh. This story is so good! What’s it like to be able to craft a tale of such beautiful nature? Seriously, i just finished it for the first time and kinda want to read it again. This is soo goood!!!

[Battlecat]

So yeah, sorry about the time it took to post these replies! The last two months have been ridiculous and it's showing no signs of stopping. I just can't type on a phone to save my life and that's pretty much all I've had access to.

9522981 - It took me a bit to realize where your version of the quote is from. Totally unintentional I swear but I suppose the intent is about the same. :-)

9561107 - Thank you for your kind words and support! Writing this story has been a crazy experience and it sometimes boggles my mind that people actually enjoy my work! I have to say that while there are things I would change looking back, I'm quite pleased with how the core of the story has come together. I just wish I could write faster!

9594450 - It's an acronym for Tender Loving Care. Normally it's used as a way of summarizing that someone will need kindness, love, and attention such as implied by this use: "He'll need a lot of TLC when he gets out of the hospital." Of course, given a different context, the implication can be far less pleasant. Hope this helps clear it up.

[Sorentis Stars]

Are you reworking all the chapters before you submit a new chapter?

[Battlecat]

9854179 - Heh, probably a lot more than 3% to be honest but yeah.

9858586 - Really wish that was the case but sadly I've just been slammed badly by real life issues. I finally got around to putting up a blog post about it. I'd still like to re-work the second arc chapters a bit but onceI get the time and energy to write I'm going to prioritize moving the story forward first. Thanks for reading, glad you're enjoying the story.

[Battlecat]

9860346 - Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it in spite of stuff.

Also with regards to your other comment, Rarity takes some things very seriously.

[TheDerpySoupCan]

Any new updates soon?

[Battlecat]

9902574 - I'm slowly getting back into the groove of writing and I'm hoping to get something out soon. I'm reluctant to give an eta since life seems to like to kick me when I get certain of things lately. Suffice to say, I want to get things rolling again and I think life is finally cooperating.

[TheDerpySoupCan]

9902778 Well I'll wait regardless

[gswaney]

9902778
How ya doing still alive and kickin?

[Battlecat]

10119431 - Still alive, still trying to write. I've just been sick nearly constantly this winter which has wiped out both my energy levels and my ability to focus. I don't think I've ever had this much continuous trouble with health in all my life. Still, I'm not giving up and I'm going to get back on the writing path somehow.

[gswaney]

10119989
Good to hear that you're still up and alive just focus on doing what's needed to fight the good fight till ya start writin again.

[Battlecat]

10152004 - Yup, I'm still around. The current world crisis has thrown quite the wrench into my life just like it has for most people. Still slowly working away at things.

[OuijaSilverstar]

10169276
I hear that. The job I'm in is an essential store and my hours have ranged from full time to "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SEND ME TO EVERY ONE OF OUR STORES IN THE CITY!?"

Other than that, progress for my stories are in cryostasis at the moment.

From one writer to another; stay safe.

[Alot Master]

Will this be continued? Its a really good story that I can't wait to see more of.

[Battlecat]

10199328 - Weird, the notifications didn't tell me you commented! That's a rough schedule, I hope your employer is giving you the tools necessary to protect yourself as you're bouncing from store to store! You stay safe as well!

10224921 - Wow, you got through that impressively fast. Weren't you on Chapter 9 yesterday? To answer your most important question: I'm still here and I have no intention of giving up on this story. The issue lately has been time. You'd think working from home due to Covid would give me more time to write. Unfortunately, that's neatly counteracted by having to act as part time teacher for my kids since they're not in school. It's not all bad but trying to convince a grumpy 7 year old who misses her friends to do her math practice chews up my time and mental energy quite effectively.

By the way, with respect to your other recent comments, I'm never entirely sure how to respond to people ranting at my characters. Guess I'm just glad you enjoy the story enough to call individuals out when you don't agree with their choices. Glad you enjoyed the story!

[Marebook7]

Is this ongoing? Cause I like the story so anxious if you’re still around to update.

[Battlecat]

10367394 - I'm still here! While my life hasn't given me a chance to breath over the past year, I refuse to give up on this story!

[Marebook7]

10368205
Ok, hope you’re doing alright then. Hope to see new chapter soon.

[Mlpfan2]

When it going to update

[H3lios]

10368205
I feel your pain, I haven’t updated my own story in 2 years and every week that goes by I feel worse about it, but there’s just never time.

[Alot Master]

Its dead, isnt it?

[Battlecat]

10567677 - I don't intend for the story to be dead and I refuse to abandon it. Still trying to get the time to finish the next chapter. That said, if I'd known what the past two years had in store for me, I would have thrown the on-hiatus tag on the story at the very least. Wish I had an eta but all I can say is I'm doing the best I can under current circumstances.

[Alot Master]

10568569
Awesome. It only recently hit me that I've reread this story about 4 times now, after I saw all my other comments still at the top

[Clucktimus]

Not going to lie, this was by far one of my favourite fics back when I was more active on this site. Imagine my own excitement when I come back on after a long absence to see a whole bunch of new chapters.

Going to have to start from the beginning to remember the plot, but I don't mind that.

Hope you're doing well at the moment, Battlecat. But don't feel as though you're obligated to finish this in a timely manner. Take your time, focus on life. Eventually you may get back to this, or you might not. Doesn't matter to me either way, as this fic is already a pretty decent work even though it is not complete.

Anyways, hope you have a happy new year when it comes around.

[pianokid]

I found this story just two days ago and couldn’t put it down! I love how it’s developed so far, and hope you’re alright given how long it’s been. Best of luck to you, and thank you for an amazing read! I hope it might be continued in the future, but either way best wishes!

[Shooter5000]

So... any news about a update?

[Battlecat]

Greetings all. I'm so sorry for taking this long to reply to all your comments. Suffice to say, it's been a rough few years and it hasn't exactly let up recently. I really want to get back to writing but every time I get close I get another curveball. This month's headache is my family finally catching Covid. None of us have serious issues thanks to being vaccines but it's still been a miserable experience.

I know it's been ages since a few of you made these comments but I'm still going to do my best to respond to what you asked. Since this is a general reply, I'm throwing my responses to you in spoiler tags if it's regarding later chapters.

10885512: I think the sirens mostly just found it funny. It's briefly referenced when they encounter him for the first time alone in the school hallways. Also regarding the medical database, I'm not sure what plot holes would come from them having it? Getting such a sensitive database is actually far more difficult than you'd think, and you can bet there are some massive restrictions on how the data can be used or shared due to privacy concerns.

10989784: You are absolutely right about the rules of Catan and it's not persnickety to mention it. If I'm going to reference a real-world game in a story, it's reasonable to expect that I should get the rules right. I adjusted the winning score in the story appropriately.

11102008: As mentioned above, it's been a rough few years for creativity. I'm trying to get my act together. Thanks for your kind words!

11130532: Thank you for your kind words. I really hope I can get back to the writing.

11196453: Nothing definitive yet, but I'm not abandoning this story. Hoping to figure things out.

11220629: Wow, glad you've enjoyed the story so much. I'm impressed with how quickly you got through the story! With respect to your one comment regarding the trio relationship, it felt like the decision that Sunset would make at the time. Whether it was a good choice Thanks for reading!

[Shooter5000]

11222478
Hey man, thanks for your awnser, aprichate it! Please take your time with it, we can wait. This story is amezing and I am looking forward for more. Take time for yourself and write at your own once. I wish you the best. :)

[Exvius]

I haven't really read fics much since high school and I'm currently rereading this now as an adult. this fic always had a special place in my heart and it really helped me out during a dark time. I just want to say that you are a fantastic writer and this story will stick with me for a long time. stay awesome!

[Sorentis Stars]

I just realized that there’s no princess Luna tag is that intentional?

[Battlecat]

11499610 - Thank you so much for your kind words and I’m glad to hear my efforts gave you something nice to focus on during a rough period in life. I'd really like to get writing, but a number of things keep getting in the way, as evidenced by how long it took me to reply to this comment!

11513075 - Honestly, I'd have to call it an unintentional oversight that happened to avoid a spoiler. At this point, I think I'll leave it as it is, but you are correct in observing she's involved enough in the story that she could be tagged.

11523375 - Hello! Firstly, that's a very neat idea in your other comment regarding the Sirens. I do make a point of avoiding confirming or denying plot points but I have to say, that's a very interesting theory.

As for your more serious comment about consequences and the lack of them in recent events, I do agree with your assessment to an extent. I honestly appreciate you mentioning it; since it did force me to contemplate my writing a bit. Hopefully, you don't find the following too excessive but you caught me in an introspective mood. :pinkiecrazy

I suppose there are a couple of parts to this issue. Firstly, the fallout from some of the incidents you mentioned in your comment will come up in the current story arc. There will be consequences, they're just mostly unwritten at this point. I just need to get back to writing it (a whole other issue I won’t get into here. ).

The second item could be mild story spoilers for others, so into the spoiler tags this goes. At the point in the story you're pointing to, Silver's decision-making is badly compromised by exhaustion, injuries, and the complete upending of his worldview. In his current state, he's not making rational, logical choices. His decisions reflect a desire to just get out of a confusing, stressful situation as quickly as possible. One of the challenges I've realized comes with first-person style writing is it's hard to make the speaker's state of mind clear. I'll be honest in saying, that's mostly due to my lack of writing experience. This is by far the longest story I've ever written and while I've learned a great deal in the process, I'm not skilled by any stretch of the imagination.

The last reason for the notable lack of consequences appears to be due to one of the aspects of my personality that slipped into the story. I’m a very non-confrontational person, with a preference for avoiding conflict, possibly to an excessive extent at times. I also tend to just let conflicts go rather than pursue punishment, revenge, or whatever else other people might find necessary. I’m painfully aware it’s probably a psychological issue but I think it’s mostly harmless in my personal life at least. Still, that state of mind might have impacted the plot more than I realized. I'll keep that in mind going forward.

That all said I do really appreciate the feedback. I will try to keep it in mind and improve my plans going forward. After all, you're right in saying actions should have consequences. Thank you again!

[SpecHQ]

11524068
Not gonna lie I didn't think I was gonna get a reply so thanks for that and I'm glad you're considering continuing this story because honestly some of the cliffs in this story are super frustrating! Like what was that joke that was going around the school? From context we can assume it's about the Rainbooms all dating Silver but it'll be nice to know for sure.

It's also good to know why Silver made the decisions he did and I for one wouldn't want to be a prince either, too much paperwork...