Broken Mirror

by GMBlackjack

XVII - Arbitrary Prison

>>Too good to be true.

Many things are in life. Free food. Mercy from nowhere. Friends. Marriages. Perhaps even life itself can be put on this list. There's always a catch, a consequence, to everything.

In theory, at least. But sometimes, food really is free. Mercy really does come spontaneously. Sometimes something is exactly what it seems.

When that's the case... When something is too good to be true, but somehow is anyway... What then?

Will complaints be found regardless?

Will it be accepted?

Or, perhaps, will it be revealed that 'good' isn't all it's cracked up to be?<<

~~~

Starlight led them out of her mystical house and back into the cave proper. A small crowd of a few dozen ponies had formed - faces marked by curiosity and excitement.

Twilight waved a hoof. "...Hi."

Murmurs spread through the gathering. "Oh my gosh it's really her..."

"...The Princess?"

"The Princess, without a doubt!"

Roughly a third of the ponies bowed - much to the ire of the single griffon in the crowd.

"Now, there's no need for that..." Twilight said.

"Oh, but there is," Starlight said. "You are still the chosen of Celestia, the Princess of Harmony, even down here." She bowed herself. "The least we can do is recognize that."

"Not like she has any actual say..." Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Rainbow, can it." Applejack rebuked. Rainbow Dash surprisingly shut up, looking down at her mount, Pinkie, in introspection.

A pegasus in the crowd gasped. "Miss Fluttershy?!"

"Oh my, guess I've been made out too." She smirked to herself. "Yes, I'm Fluttershy-" Then she realized who she was talking to. "...Dumbell!?"

The stallion smirked. "Long time no see!"

Fluttershy blinked. "...I thought you were dead."

"Merely... Disappeared."

"We should catch up later," Fluttershy said, smirking at him.

"Yeah, we still hold meetings down here, even if we're not really a secret. You should come and speak!"

Fluttershy blinked, pondering this. "That'd be nice... Though it may be a while - I still need a house."

The crowd laughed at this. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.

"It's not going to take long to build, it is it?" Rarity asked.

"Nope," Starlight said. "That hill over there, that's where it'll be built. Do you mind if our little crowd comes along?"

"Not at all," Twilight said.

"It'll make it easier to set up a welcoming party!" Pinkie grinned. "I am about to do the impossible - throw my own welcoming party!"

Starlight scrunched her muzzle. "...Great." She set off, adjusting her glasses as she examined the hill. "I think the ceiling's tall enough here..."

The Inspector raised an eyebrow. "I am very curious as to how you will construct a building of such complexity in such a short time."

Starlight smirked and looked closely at the picture. "...Any images of the interior?"

"Nope!" Pinkie said. "Sorry."

"I can get it from their minds," Twilight offered.

"Ooooooh cool! Doitdoitdoitdoit!" Pinkie giggled.

Starlight looked like she was about to say something to object but Twilight already lit her horn, creating a few more images from Pinkie's mind. "There you are."

Starlight picked them up, nodding slowly. "You will not get an answer to your question, Inspector." She lit her horn, encasing the entire hill in a blue-green bubble of magic. Nothing seemed to change on the inside, but upon closer inspection, it seemed like the grass was rippling.

"Woah..." Pinkie said.

"Give me a... minute." Starlight leaped in - the moment she crossed the barrier her speed increased a hundredfold. Inside the bubble of the magic spells flashed, crystals were torn out of the ground, and the interior became such a blur that it was hard to even tell Starlight was in there.

"Double woah..." Pinkie commented. She stuck her head inside the bubble, and suddenly everything seemed normal. Starlight was trotting along the grass, setting up some crystal beams. She was sweating profusely, but had one of those crazy determined grins on her face.

Pinkie chuckled, pulling her head back out. "Triiiiiple woah!"

Twilight gawked. "That's how she pulled us in from outside - she didn't channel a magic level higher than mine, she just made herself channel faster with time distortion!"

"...I want to be able to do that," the Inspector said. "Just imagine all the utilities of it."

"Sorry Rarity, she channeled more than triple the amount I've ever seen you do. You probably can't use these spells. Neither can you Minuette. Don't ask Pinkie, just don't ask."

"How many apples could an apple bucker buck if an apple bucker could buck apples?"

Rainbow Dash laughed at the question while Rarity and Twilight facehooved. "PINKIE!"

"Predicting me is like teaching a ham sandwich. I'm sure you could do it, but it'd involve breaking several rules of your own."

Applejack grunted. "Ah'm learnin' that firsthoof..."

The bubble came down, the time acceleration stopping in a single instant. Before them stood a smaller version of Friendship Castle, the blue crystal coursing all around the structure, strands dangling from the branches reflecting the fake sunlight to create a brilliant aura, and giant double doors wide open.

"...How'd I do?" Starlight asked.

"...Perfect," Rarity said, eyes sparkling.

"One minute and two seconds," the Inspector said.

Starlight pulled out a stopwatch and glared at it like it had failed her. "Shoot, I was sure I could do it in a minute..." Starlight created a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off herself. "Well, time for a tour. Not enough room for the entire crowd, unfortunately, sorry."

The crowd drooped their heads, but nodded in understanding, trotting off into the distance. Starlight led the mares to the double doors, throwing them open to reveal the main hall. Rarity let her jaw hang open and her eyes go wide - it looked a lot like the interior she remembered. The doors on either side, the dual staircase in the back, the shining ceiling - all just as she could see in her mind's eye. Though on closer inspection she could tell the pattern of crystal growth wasn't the same, and a few of the walls were slightly off. But that didn't really matter - it still felt familiar.

"The doors on this floor lead to private rooms for each of you to do with however you please. The rooms are pretty empty now though, so I can show you it late-"

Pinkie stuck her head out of the door with her cutie mark on it. "You're right, very empty."

"I can confirm," Rainbow Dash said from atop her.

Starlight blinked."...Yes, well, up here." She led them up the stairs to yet another familiar room - round, with a chandelier made of roots above, and a circular table below with a map of Equestria on it - the Equestria they were in right now. The circular form of the Concretion was a dominant feature, far larger than all other cities, including the crown of Griffonstone and the graceful spires of Canterlot. The Inspector walked up to it, examining everything. "Nova... Crystal empire... ...No Neighagra Falls. ...This is accurate."

Starlight nodded. "I try."

"What's that?" Applejack asked, pointing to a spire-like structure at the southern edge of the map.

"Zurduk," Starlight said. "The Zebra 'meeting' city. Bit of a secret to non-zebras, but those who live here have spoken of it."

"...Zebras don't have cities or towns," Twilight said. "They're tribal and nomadic."

"Few live there permanently, from what I know. It's just a meeting place. You should ask a zebra about it, I generally don't keep up to date with the outside world. You eight are, frankly, a bit of an exception to the rule."

"Well, outside's shit, and it's going further and further into that shit," Minuette said. "I don't blame you."

Twilight sighed. "Yeah..."

Pinkie sat in the chair with her cutie mark on it. "Feels... different. I like it!"

Everypony took their seats, eight mares, each sitting in a chair with their mark, even Minuette. Rarity sat down last - and a look of mild disappointment crossed her face. Starlight didn't see it, and Twilight said nothing.

"Well," Starlight began, "the balcony's over there, and the way to the attic's over here. I think I'll leave you to settle in."

"Wait!" Fluttershy called. "What are our responsibilities in this place? If we're living here..."

"Nothing you don't want to do," Starlight said. "We produce more than enough food, and survival isn't an issue. You may find something to do as you live here, but there's no rush. You have all the time in the world." She smiled warmly. "Come to me if you need anything."

"We will," Fluttershy said, waving at the unicorn as she left.

Soon as she was gone RainbowDash slammed her hooves on the table. "Okay, what's the escape plan?"

"Escape plan!?" Minuette blurted. "What?"

"Oh we can't be buying this crap! We are not staying down here the rest of our lives!"

"Rainbow..." Rarity said. "...What would we do up there?"

"Wh- are you all... Really!? The bucking Tartarus is wrong with all you?"

"Dash, calm down," Applejack said. "Ah don't like it either, but we were going to live in exile. Personally, Ah think this exile here is much preferable to Griffonstone."

"The exile wasn't..."

"It was going to be permanent, Rainbow," Twilight said.

"What? What do you-"

"Rainbow, I betrayed my ponies, and by consequence, the crown. If Sunset can't calm her ponies, the problem goes deeper than just 'there's a war going on.' I don't think we can ever go back - the ponies of Equestria will no longer recognize us as ponies, frankly."

Rainbow Dash turned to glare at Fluttershy. "Nice speech, preener."

Fluttershy shook her head. "Actually I told her to suggest we could go back after the war was over. That speech was all hers."

Rainbow Dash glanced back and forth between the two of them. "...You've changed."

"Our world ended," Twilight said. "Maybe... maybe it's time to start anew. See if we can take this little slice of the world. Time to... Well, just live. When was the last time any of us felt safe? It's all been nothing but dangerous game after dangerous game... I really think I could stand to have it end. So I can live without controlling the very ponies around me."

"I say we stay until we receive some indication that the outside world accepts us or needs us," Fluttershy added.

Rainbow Dash slammed her hoof on the table. "No! Come on! You can't all just want to sit here and give everything up! Inspector! Pinkie! Back me up here!"

The Inspector avoided making eye contact and Pinkie just shook her head slowly.

"Buck you all. Seriously. Go buck yourselves." She crawled out of her chair, dragging herself to the stairs.

Pinkie moved to help her. "Dashie..."

"Don't touch me," she spat, slowly crawling down the stairs. "I'm done. I'm so done."

"Let her go," Twilight said, tears in her eyes.

"Oh look at her, so high and mighty, knowing how I'll react. Goodbye, buckface." It took a few minutes for her to make her way, painfully, out the door. But she managed, leaving an empty chair and silence in the room.

"Will she... be okay?" Rarity asked.

"I don't know," Fluttershy said. "She's a volatile mix of stubbornness and self-deprecation issues. I'd normally send somepony to talk to her - but we're all her enemies right now."

"I'll do it," Pinkie said, sitting up quickly. "I'll go talk to her."

"Are you sure that's wise?" the Inspector asked.

"No. But do you have any better ideas?"

Fluttershy sighed, shaking her head. "You're welcome to try... Though we did just let her go..."

Pinkie ignored this latter remark, wasting no time. She leaped into the air and ran down the stairs. She threw open the front doors - Rainbow Dash was still within sight, crawling along a dirt road. A colt pulling a wagon passed her by. He looked at her scooting painfully along. "Hey... You can have my wagon. It looks like you need it."

"Buck off," Rainbow Dash said.

"But... You're in pain."

"I said buck off!" Rainbow Dash screamed, a blood vessel popping in her head. The colt screamed and ran off at high speed, leaving the wagon behind. Rainbow Dash stared blankly into space or a few seconds before climbing into the wagon and rolling down the path.

"Dashie!" Pinkie called from a nearby bush. Rainbow Dash didn't respond.

Pinkie appeared on top of a nearby house. "Rainbow!" Still no response.

She appeared next to a large rock. "Rainbow Dash?" The pegasus just wheeled on past her.

She leaped into the path next, holding out a hoof. "Rainbow Dash, stop."

Rainbow Dash didn't slow down - she collided with Pinkie, the wagon overturning. The two of them tumbled end over end, limbs impacting the dirty ground multiple times, bruising them all over.

Pinkie stood up, wincing at her newfound headache. "Forgot I can't tumble like that anymore..." She felt the wound on her forehead, wiping off a small amount of blood.

Rainbow Dash groaned, similar scrapes and bruises all over her body. "Why'd you have to do that, rooter..."

"I needed to talk to you. You're... going off the deep end."

"You don't get it Pinkie," she said. "I've always been apart of something bigger, brighter, more damn important than useless little me! Ever since that day, I've been with Fluttershy and the girls. I've done everything I could. I've worked for something that might have darn well made a difference! Something bigger! Now!?" She threw her hoof wide, despite the bruises. "Does this look like something a pathetic disabled headstrong idiot can help in any way? Just look at that kid and his wagon! I'm making things worse by being here!"

"Dashie, you don't have to prove yourself to anypony! you've done so much for all of us already. You've challenged us with your ways, called us out on so many things, and been a team guide! You brought all of your friends together, even!"

"By picking a fight with a zebra!"

"That doesn't matter! You are the center! The reason for this group! You provided everything! You are the reason any of us are still alive! Rarity and I probably wouldn't have made it without help from the Inspector and Twilight - and they would never have turned from their ways if it weren't for you!"

"Oh, so what you're saying is that sometimes the world needs a failure?"

"Dashie, I'm not..."

"It's what you're thinking, isn't it? I can feel it! I can feel that you believe that. No... You know it. You know the world needs a failure - me. Just like you know all those other things you have no right knowing."

Pinkie gulped. "Dashie, I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Causality. You just seem to know how things work. And you know you know this too. You see more than we do. I don't think you understand, but you know. The universe hates you. There's hardship. Things must be done. And there have to be screw ups."

Pinkie took a step back.

"I'm right. I bucking knew it.The universe needed a failure to bring everything together. Well, it damn well got one. Look at Rainbow Dash, universe! See what you've done! You happy!?"

"Dashie, you're scaring me-"

"Maybe I should be!" She spat. "Maybe you need to stop taking all this terrifying stuff in stride and giggling all the time! Maybe you should take a moment to think about what all this stuff means! Or maybe I'm just a failure at talking too, ever think about that!?"

"You've done so much-"

"Pales in comparison to what I've done by bucking up. Even if it was for good in the end." She climbed back into her wagon. "I can't do this Pinkie. I can't stay me. I won't."

Pinkie gulped. "Don't do this, please. I'm begging you, Dashie. Don't roll away. We can help you work through this..."

"You all just accepted me. That is not what I needed, nor what I want! You can tell that to Fluttershy. Let her know that some ponies need to be rejected from time to time! Get roughed up!"

Pinkie fell silent.

"I'm done, Pinks. Nice try, but I'm going." Rainbow Dash rolled away, towards the big blue doors out of the cavern, a look of determination on her face. Pinkie sighed. There was no way Rainbow Dash was getting out that way, the cavern was too steep and Pinkie was certain Starlight would know if Rainbow Dash somehow made it. Rainbow Dash'd have to come back and talk then. Maybe she'd have cooled down by then. Pinkie began to head back to the castle, mulling the conversation over in her head.

I'm done... I'm going... Nice try...

Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks. Oh no.

Rainbow Dash was going to get herself out of here or die trying.

Pinkie turned tail and dashed in a burst of pink to the blue double doors, which were wide open. She stopped short- there were two ponies in there. Rainbow Dash and... Starlight.

Rainbow Dash was glaring at Starlight. "You going to stop me?"

"No. I'm not. Because I know you can't get up this chasm in your state."

"Buck you I can't."

"You know you can't."

"So what? I'll at least have tried!"

"Sometimes the strongest move is inaction."

'This isn't one of those times, runter!"

Pinkie could have sworn Starlight's look became murderous for a second. Her tail tucked between her legs instinctively. "You... Little..." She took a sharp breath. "...Are you sure killing yourself can be a strong move?"

"In some cases."

"Is this one of them?"

"Maybe not. But that's definitely not a damn change from the status quo, so big whoop!"

"I thought you all had devoted your lives to changing the status quo?"

"Look where that got us!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "City destroyed! Home gone! Ponies dead!"

"You're trying to change the status quo now."

"How so, o wise one?"

"The status quo here is that no-one leaves. That this place remains safe. That it remains secluded."

"You know what? Just stop," Rainbow Dash spat. "You're the bitch that made this place accept everypony, to let them stay without problems. That's not how it works lady. Some ponies can't-"

"Hermit Horsehair hung himself in his cabin fifteen years ago. The Elen triplets went on a murderous rampage. Fomalhaut attempted to assassinate me. Geraldyr went insane. Finkus tried to climb out and fell to his death. I know full well not everypony will accept this."

Rainbow Dash reeled back in horror. "How can you... do this then?"

"They're a minority," Starlight said. "Most come around - or are at least willing to live, eventually. And I can't ruin it for them." She took off her glasses, looking at Rainbow Dash with ancient, tired eyes. "I really wish you'd reconsider. I think you could learn to live here. Don't do it for anypony else though. Do it for yourself. Prove to yourself that you can do it. Please. Show us all you can."

"But... I can't... That's not how I work..."

"Look at me," Starlight said. "That can be changed. Here, your path is fluid. You can choose this failure - or you can choose to come back. Going up there will certainly be easier, but you don't strike me as the easy type."

"...No. No I'm not."

"Your life is your own," Starlight said, putting her glasses back on, walking out. Rainbow Dash just sat, unmoving, staring at the exit far above.

Pinkie Pie nodded to Starlight as she left, taking it as her cue to walk in. She sat herself down next to Rainbow Dash, silent.

Rainbow Dash pulled her into a hug.

Words weren't needed.

~~~

A few hours later, Minuette stood up. "I'm going for a walk." She trotted out of the hall, leaving five mares behind.

Twilight sighed. "Everyone... I... I feel like we all need to say something, but I think everything's been said. we all know where each other stands, and we all know how each other feels. I... I just don't like where it's ended up."

Applejack shook her head. "Twi, it's called life."

"Yeah..."

Rarity frowned. "I do hope this will let us escape the constant drama we've been subject to..."

"It looks like that may be the case," Fluttershy said. "This place... It's amazing. It's a heaven. It's... It's what I couldn't do."

"Fluttershy, you did amazing things," Twilight said.

Fluttershy nodded slowly.

"Stop thinking those things, you did the best you could. You poured your life into your dream."

Applejack and the Inspector nodded in affirmation. "You're an inspiration to us all, darling," Rarity added.

Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you." She looked around, face sad. "This is hard for all of us. Forced to admit that our time is over. That we did what we could, but now it's out of our hooves. But... I've been thinking. we failed, but we didn't fail completely. We made a statement. We told the world what we thought. We established a society of like minded individuals across the nation. We have to believe in them - the cause isn't lost. It's likely what we did will make ponies confront the fact we exist. That their own princess was so devoted to the cause. We are done - but we left a mark." She smiled. "Maybe, in the end, our goals will be met."

"We opened up a can of worms," Applejack said.

"Indeed," the Inspector agreed.

Fluttershy smiled sadly. "Yes... Yes we did. We can take pride in that. But.. Our role is done now. I guess we're in retirement.

The Inspector sighed. "Retired activists, only in their late twenties..."

"Fluttershy's thirty," Twilight offered.

"Not helpful."

"Sorry."

"Don't be," Fluttershy said. "Let's try to make this as great as possible."

"Yeah!" Twilight grinned. "We can put our lives to something new!"

It hit Rarity in that moment. "...Twilight won't be able to find us. Our Twilight."

Twilight paled. "You... are right. She probably won't..."

"If we receive news of her, we will try to leave, despite whatever Starlight says," Fluttershy said.

"O... kay. But... could we leave? Should we leave if that's the case?"

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, time is slowed down. It could be months or years for us before she shows up, if she can."

Rarity drooped. "Right..." She looked out the balcony. She rose from her chair and walked to the railing, looking out at the secret world they were in. "You know... I don't think I'll complain. Considering what we just left... This is paradise."

A swift breeze blew through her mane, and she felt like all her fears were relaxed.

~~~

Minuette started down the path, marching as she had been trained. Left left, right right. Left left, right right.

Then an earth pony walked by her. "Good afternoon!" She said as she passed by. Minuette stumbled slightly as the greeting registered. She turned around, looking at the receding pony with a blank expression.

Then it happened again - a pegasus flew by, waving at her with a smile on his face. Minuette's marching fell out of time, becoming more of a stroll. She began to wave back to all the ponies who greeted her, a small crawling up her face. A skip began to form in her step, and she leaped off the path into the grass with a peppy bounce to her. The greenery felt good under her hooves. She pranced through the grasses, stopping to smell the flowers and to enjoy the shade of a large tree.

She danced around, waving to ponies around her, actually starting to laugh. A few of the bystanders got into the mood with her, skipping around and humming in tune to some unseen music.

"What is this place
Filled with so many wonders?
Casting its spell
That I am now under?

Grass oh so green
Ponies so welcoming!
World was so mean
Our lives were just failing...

No more!!!

Oooh, what a magical place!
And I owe it all to Miss Starlight's place!
I asked for a break, and prayer answered
This is how things should well be, damn world shunned!

Yes, this is the answeeeeeeer!"

Minuette laughed and rolled around in the grass, the townsponies applauding her heartsong, a few while still dancing themselves. A small white earth pony extended her hoof to Minuette. "Welcome home, Commander."

Minuette took the hoof, standing up. "How did - oh right. The hat." Minuette took her hat off, looking at it closely. "You know, this is contradictory. It's both a badge of honor and a reminder of the horrors..."

The mare smiled. "It's best to be both. I don't wear mine anymore, I have it at home, mounted."

Minuette smiled. "I suppose that's good. I'm Minuette. You?"

"Redheart."

Minuette's jaw dropped. "R-redheart? You're General Redheart!?"

Redheart smiled. "The very same. I take it I'm still a bit of a legend back out there?"

"Buck yes you are! You were the only earth pony General, course you're still talked about! ...Admittedly, I didn't realize I should probably admire you until right this very now... Most of it isn't very flattering."

"Of course not," Redheart laughed. "I spat in their faces by merely existing. They tried to kill me so many times, eventually had to just get out of there. Ended up here."

"Well... It's an honor, General!" Minuette saluted.

Redheart saluted back. "Likewise, Commander. We should talk more later. But I have some bread in the oven and I'm hoping that by joining in your song I haven't burnt it."

Minuette laughed. "Go check on your bread!" She looked around. "...I think I'm going to go thank Starlight."

"I saw her heading down that road a few moments ago," Redheart offered.

"Thanks!" Minuette trotted down the path at a brisk pace, keeping an eye out for Starlight. She followed the path down a 'frosted' area of the caverns, towards an area filled with treehouses and huts. She saw Starlight knocking on one of the doors, Zecora's journal held in her magic. She looked... mad, for some reason. Minuette decided to hang back before saying anything.

An aged zebra opened the door. "Starlight? What brings you-?"

Starlight shoved the book in the zebra's face. "Zecora, I'd like an explanation."

Minuette blinked. That was Zecora!?

Zecora's eyes went wide. "How did you-"

"Newcomers brought it in. It's how they found this place."

"Impossible, the book was sealed-"

"One of them was an alicorn," Starlight twitched. "But that's not really what I'm mad about - I would have liked to be aware of this book, but probably wouldn't have done anything even if you had told me about it. No, I'm mad about something else. I know enough Zebra to tell that you were working with someone else in here. Who is this AN?"

"He is not important. Neither is any of my past." Zecora grabbed the book.

"Oh, I think it is. AN knows about this place, doesn't he? He saw that map!"

"The plan changed. We no longer needed to search for the Element of Magic. He has no reason-"

"He's a zebra, right? Corrupted with shadow?"

"...Yes."

"He'll come here all right, eventually. The corruption ensures it."

"Then you'll take care of him like you took care of me."

"But who else will he tell!?" Starlight demanded.

"Likely no one. Our tribe was small. The only witness will be the Nightmare Fuel." Zecora looked ashamed of something.

Starlight sighed. "...And I suppose it already knows because of you... Fine. I would still like to know what's in that book."

"It was the plan to restore Equestria's Darkness."

Minuette gasped audibly - causing Zecora and Starlight to look right at her.

"...Bootstrap," Starlight swore. "You heard that."

"Uh, yes, yes I did," Minuette said.

"That's... bad."

"No kidding."

Starlight took in a deep breath, and released it. "Look. I know what you're thinking. You want to know what this plan was. You want to know if it was stopped. You want to go warn your ponies. You have to understand, I-"

"I don't want to leave," Minuette said.

Starlight blinked. "Even after...?"

"No. I don't. I want to stay here. I'm so done with all this 'fate of the world' shit. I just want a life I can live. I don't want this."

"...You'll have to excuse me, that's a little unexpected." Starlight adjusted her glasses, frowning. "You really are tired aren't you?"

"Yes. Yes I am. I was... coming here to thank you for this place. I..." She took in a sharp breath. "I don't want to go. I want to stay here. Away from... everything."

Starlight smiled. "I'm glad you see."

"...Twilight's going to read my mind, and she won't let this be. She'll drag me out with her when she demands to go. Remove my memory of this, please. Please. I can't have this go away now."

"Abandoning your nation, your loyalties? Betrayal?" Zecora blurted.

"Shut up. You should stay hidden. Rainbow Dash wants to murder you."

Starlight bit her lip. "This... is complicated, Minuette. I really don't want to wipe your mind-"

"Do it. Do it to protect your secret. Twilight can never know of this."

"...Okay..." Starlight said. "I'm sorry." She lit her horn... And Minuette dropped to the ground.

Seconds later she stood up, rubbing her head. "Oooogh... Where am I?"

"You were talking and you passed out from what I can only imagine was exhaustion," Starlight said.

"Oh... Sorry." She shook her head. "Been running on damn near empty lately."

"I know," Starlight said, smiling sadly. "Go back to your friends. They probably miss you."

"Right... Right... Thanks again for all this!"

"...Don't mention it."

Comments

[Ponygood11]

I can understand why people, or ponies, would want to relax after a long life of conflict. But, personally, I believe that if you have the opportunity to make the world a better place, you have to take it, or else you might as well just give up on the rest of your species. And the one quality I dislike the most about anyone is the tendency to give up.

[Crimson Dawn]

Glad to see Pinkie trying to comfort Rainbow Dash. I have a feeling they will be figuring something out really soon.

[Keywii_Cookies55]

8340720

The thing about that is, while I agree with you, of course, not everyone does. Our world is filled with limitlessly different opinions, philosophies, and subjective experiences.

While you might want to improve the world, some just want to not bother and accept what they consider to be good with their world.

[Keywii_Cookies55]

I like several things in this chapter, but I think what stands out the most is when Minuette sang and started rolling around laughing. It was really adorable. While also being appropriate to the situation. She's had a life of discomforts, even if she didn't think anything was wrong until recently "that's just the way things work" she was far from happy. And when some one like that, who's survived all their life no longer has to and just finds somewhere they can breathe a sigh of relief? Well, it's nice to see, from an outsiders perspective.

[BleedingRaindrops]

HAHAHAHA you cheeky bastard. That was purely for the reader's benefit and no more. Well that was certainly a creative way to create third person omniscient by using only third person limited, I'll give you that.

Here's some proofreading errors you missed.

You should as a zebra about it,

ask*

"You're the bitch that made this pace accept everypony,

place*

[FridayPie]

She began to wave back to all the ponies who greeted her, a small crawling up her face.

smile?