Broken Mirror

by GMBlackjack

VIII - Settling in

>> I wish I had an angry bear I could unleash to get my points across. Everyone would understand many lessons after getting chased by an angry bear. They'd perceive on a personal level that nature is not their friend. That danger fills the world. That bears are not teddy bears, and without proper training, bears will eat whatever they see - including anyone in front of them.

But perhaps the most important thing to take away from a bear encounter doesn't hit until after the running, screaming, scrambling, and the adrenaline rush. A moment is spent to catch a breather, a moment used to enjoy the continued state of existence and life. A serene moment of thanks is given to the universe.

That is, until the pain hits. Running from a bear is no easy task. Of course, during the conflict, the brain tells the body not to worry about silly little things like pain, the very continuation of life is on the line. But after the brain realizes it's still alive, well, it lets the body feel all the pain it had accumulated over the ordeal in one single rush.

Often this pain is worse than the bear itself. <<

~~~

Inspector Rarity Belle and the similar mare now known as Iris Shard walked down one of Neighagra Falls's most populous streets, the two of them right out in the open for all ponies to see. The stunt was intentional - if anypony thought that 'Iris' looked anything like the Inspector, well, that was just silly, both of them were seen walking together. If anything, the two might be related, but nopony had any way to figure that out. Furthermore, asking an Inspector about her family was not the smartest thing somepony could do with their time. There would be no mistaking the two unicorns, and it wouldn't even be seen as unusual - it was hardly odd for Twilight to task an Inspector with introducing somepony to town.

Iris - or, more accurately, Rarity - was finally getting a chance to enjoy herself. The chaos was over - she was no longer running for her life. She could appreciate this new place she was in - take a moment to appreciate the bright culture!

"Oh, what's that?" she asked, speaking up slightly to get over the noise of the falls, which was loud enough to be prominent in this part of town.

The Inspector followed Rarity's hoof. "That's a house. Nothing unusual about it."

"But the architecture is so different from the others! The vast majority aren't as well constructed, nor with a balcony!"

"Somepony just had some good architectural talent when they came in. Most ponies build their own houses when they move here - or hire one of the many builders. They tend to like experimenting with designs."

Rarity blinked. "...Am I going to have to-"

"No, we've rented out an apartment for you and Pinkie, did you forget?"

"Well, I had thought that maybe it was temporary."

"Interesting thought, but no, you should be able to keep it as long as you need. You'll find it to be very simple, but not uncomfortable. And above all else - it's inconspicuous."

"It'll be great just to have a bed that isn't in a hospital..."

The Inspector looked at her, monocle glinting. "You really have been traumatized. I would say you need to see a specialist, but we don't have any that'd keep you under wraps. I suggest confiding in friends as much as you can to stabilize yourself."

"You sound like you speak from experience, Inspector."

The Inspector looked far into the distance. "Indeed I do. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Twilight and the girls.."

"Want to tell me about them?"

"Not right now, we have to get you to your shop platform."

"Setting up a new location..." Rarity smirked. "Oh, another Rarity for You shop, coming soon to Neighagra Falls!"

The Inspector glared at her, scanning the crowd to see if anypony was paying attention.

Rarity grinned sheepishly. "Er... Iris for You."

"You need to watch your tongue."

"Very much so, yes, I do, dear."

"Why do you talk like that?" The Inspector asked, appearing genuinely curious.

"It is the speech of high class," Rarity said. "Though I myself didn't start out among them, I eventually proved myself a lady through my deeds. It was because of my vernacular that I was taken seriously among those I admired."

"Things must be extremely different where you're from. The idealist 'class' of Canterlot isn't trusted. Nopony wants to be a self-absorbed snotty arrogant accas - pardon my language."

Rarity let out a soft chuckle. "Trust me, I've gotten used to it from Commander Minuette."

"Presumably..." The Inspector stopped mid-sentence and instead looked behind Rarity with an incredulous look. Rarity slowly followed her gaze to an area of the street with a higher concentration of ponies, a concentration of which increased before their eyes. There was a surprising majority of earth ponies in the crowd, while there had been almost none of them when Rarity and the Inspector had arrived. In the center of the congealing crowd, there was a makeshift stage, upon which a tall zebra stood, his eyes darker than Rarity thought possible.

"Oh no..." The Inspector said.

"Who's that?" Rarity asked.

"Amplify. The leader of a... certain Movement offshoot."

"Hear me, earths of Neighagra Falls!" As his unnaturally loud voice rang out, Rarity could swear she heard the cascading noise of the falls die out, as if they feared to interrupt his voice. He had the attention of every pony in the square, regardless of if they were earth ponies or not. "War, as you all know, has broken out in our already defective and horrendously uncaring world. On one side we have the impersonal, savage, madness-driven Concretes, fighting to exterminate magic from the world. On the other, us - and as a nation, can we really say we are any better? We may not be corrupted by the allures of technology, the savage forces of violence, nor the madness of knowledge; but in the Concretion, every citizen is treated equally. In the Concretion, what you say won't get you killed. In the Concretion, all ideas are heard and considered. We have none of these things."

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the crowd. "Am I saying we should back down from the fight? No! I'm saying this war is taking our minds off another enemy close to home. Just because a cruel, corrupted power is laying siege to our capital does not mean we should stand down and let the horns and wings trample over us! If anything, it should serve as a wake-up call to those of you who are undecided; who think their position in life is just fine! Who do you think will be thrown away first if the Concretes get here? Who do you think will be abandoned, destroyed, and left to rot? The earths!"

He paused for effect. "We, who are the backbone of society. We, who grow almost all their sustenance. We, who serve them day in and day out - we are denied. Given such a pathetic slice that it goes beyond an insult - it becomes poisonous. It must be stopped."

Rarity turned to the Inspector. "Why does nopony listen to him?"

"Wait for it," the Inspector said.

"We must turn the tables!" Amplify yelled. "We, the wingless and hornless, the powerless, will take the place in society we deserve! We will rise to the top, show them that our lack makes us stronger than them!" He raised a hoof into the air. "The power of the earth is at your backs! Use it! Together we will stand and defy, and take what is due! We are the Movement, and all you promins better be ready to give up because you won't be able to take us!"

The earth ponies in the crowds cheered. Most of the unicorns and pegasi looked nervous, frightened - few could keep an intense glare on such a large group.

"Does... Does he realize what he is doing?" Rarity asked.

"We don't know," the Inspector said. "He showed up one day and tried to rile earth ponies up. Some listened. We attacked them numerous times - and they always survived, somehow. To be part of Amplify's group is to paradoxically both have a target on the back of your head and to be protected. We all know they want a fight. We had considered giving them one - even Twilight thinks they're dangerous - but now... We can't afford it with the war. And they know it. This is... bold, even for them."

Rarity gulped. She felt a lot less confidence in her ability to understand situations.

"Earth power!" the crowd yelled. "Earth power!"

"Now listen here ya' crazies!" A voice rang out - one Rarity recognized instantly. She didn't believe it at first - but she soon saw the pony running through the crowd. Orange, yellow mane, apples on her flank, a hat on her head. Applejack leaped onto the state next to Amplify, standing in a manner identical to the mare Rarity knew - even the hat looked the same. She spoke once again, the voice indifferentiable from Rarity's friend in tone, power, or accent. "Realize what you're doing! If y'all make a move now, you doom Equestria in this war!"

The Inspector let out a sigh of relief. "I was concerned she wouldn't show up for a moment..."

"Ah..." Amplify grinned at his opponent. "Our resident mingler-traitor."

"That doesn't matter right now," Applejack said. "What matters is that you think! Take a moment. We're at war. Do y'all want to invite the Concretes in to lay waste to our kind? 'Cause if you rile up now, you might as well throw open the gates!"

"I say let them come!" Amplify shouted. "They'll expect a town with weakened defenses and occupied army, thinking in their misguided way that without the promins, we are nothing. Well, won't they get a surprise when they find us! We will meet them in the streets and demonstrate our power!"

"How many of us will die doin' that?" Applejack pushed, leaning closer to him. "How many mothers? Fathers? Children? How many will be left behind, Amplify?"

Amplify glared. "You think it matters? What matters is that we take the place we deserve, at any cost! This cannot be won with peace, this cannot be won by any of your wishful methods. The time to take a stand is now! Do not look away when challenged! Fight back! Hold your head high! Defy! Defy! Command!"

Applejack turned to the crowd. "Y'all going to risk it? Y'all want to doom us! No! Stop this madness! We don't need command. We don't need to be dominant. We can coexist! You want to do something about our position? Help win this war! Prove yourselves!"

Amplify smirked. "Oh, Applejack, Applejack, wherever did you go wrong? Was it those mingling friends of yours that distort what is meant to be? We are not pegasi. We are not unicorns. There will always be a separation. We cannot prove ourselves equal because equal does not exist! We cannot play by their rules, for they will maintain their unrighteous dominance! We need to make our own rules."

"How can you really believe that?" Applejack yelled. "You aren't even one of us!"

"Oh, playing the 'zebra' card, are we? I thought you were against differentiating?"

"Ah was usin' your words!"

"Well then let me use yours. Why aren't you out fighting the war? Why aren't you working alongside them?"

Applejack twitched. "You know Ah have a family to look ou-"

"There you have it!" Amplify yelled. "The mingling traitor is also a hypocrite! Why listen to her when you can listen to what's in your hearts? I can lead you to that - I've never betrayed you, I've never changed my mind on you. I've never offered advice that I wouldn't use myself."

"Hogwash!"

"Once again you stoop to extreme lows. Why don't you go cry to your little Mingler's Society about how crazy I am so you can validate your own sad, sad lifestyle. You are all a disgrace to the Movement's name. Why-"

"Shut the buck up!" These were not Applejack's words - they were those of a pony in the crowd. Throwing off a cloak, a white pegasus revealed herself, wings extended aggressively. The mare charged towards Amplify, murder in her eyes.

Amplify simply lifted a hoof. The pegasus hit the hoof, stopping dead in her tracks - her momentum should have been more than enough to toss Amplify to the ground, but no such thing happened. He didn't even budge. "What?" she said, baffled.

"You disgust me. Stay with your own kind where you belong." He tossed her over his shoulder, his facial features darkening with unnatural blackness.

"Candlelight!" Applejack yelled. The moment she saw the pegasus was okay, she turned to glare at Amplify.

"She attacked me, Applejack. Everypony here saw it." He smiled at his opponent knowingly. With a soft chuckle, he leaped off the stage. "Act now, or forever consign us to stagnation!"

The Inspector attempted to follow Amplify through the dispersing crowd - but he seemed to vanish the moment she tried. It was then that a dozen or so Inspectors arrived to clean up the mess, glaring venomously at the crowd; they made a handful of arrests by freezing rowdy earth ponies in crystal.

"They arrive now!?" Rarity shouted, running after the Inspector. "Why not earlier? Why didn't you do anything?"

The Inspector shook her head and sighed. "I said we tried in the past. Confronting Amplify directly only makes things worse. Ponies disappear. Lives are ruined. He's brutal, and his ponies seem to like that."

"How can he do that? He's just a zebra!"

"We don't know..." the Inspector said. "All we know is that whenever we threaten or lock up or kill any of his Movement... Bad things happen to us. Even when he himself is behind bars..."

Rarity furrowed her brow. "That zebra needs to be stopped."

"I know. Twilight's working on it. Applejack's Movement - Mingler's Society or whatever you want to call it - have been the most effective at combatting his influence. But as I said, the war has us occupied."

Rarity frowned - had she misjudged the Inspector earlier? "Those other problems you have are giving him an opportunity."

"Yes," the Inspector sighed. "I know. We know. But we don't know what we can do about it."

Rarity looked at the now empty street and drooped her head. "...I was just thinking I could like it here... ...Where do I go to help Applejack?"

"No, absolutely not. That'd draw attention to you." The Inspector shook her head. "Even if the membership is a secret one, we can't have you doing that. Too risky. You will have a target painted on the back of your head without the protection."

"But..."

"Just leave the problems to us, okay?" the Inspector asked. "Maybe after some time you can play your part, but for now you need to lie quietly. ...Let's just get you to your shop."

"...Fine," Rarity said, her stomach in knots. The two walked in silence, Rarity's head hanging low the entire time. They passed a few other soap-box ponies, yelling out their opinions - each one startling.

"They all need to die!"

"Cooperation is key!"

"Earth power!"

"Magic makes might makes right!"

"We can get on our clouds and leave at any time!"

"Fight as one, live as three!"

Rarity folded her ears back, trying to drown it all out. Why did they have to come out now? Did Amplify just give some sort of 'now's the time to shout' signal? Neighagra Falls had been pleasant just an hour ago...

All of this was put out of her mind when they arrived. The building was plain, for a shop - white, square, and affixed with big windows. They stepped inside the undecorated interior, and already Rarity's mind went to work imagining what she could do with the space. Curtains here, drapes over there, a few soft lights, a small chandelier, and a collection of ornamental vases to start... Some racks to the left of dresses, and jackets to the right... Hats over in the corner... She'd need to rearrange the boxes of fabric first, of course.

"Will this do?" the Inspector asked.

"This will do nicely. Spectacularly, really," Rarity said, leaving the events of a few minutes ago in the deep recesses of her mind.

"I'll leave you to it then. Have a fantastic time - inform the Inspectors' office when you're ready to open up shop." She looked Rarity in the eye. "Don't worry about problems that aren't yours, you have a new life. Good luck, Rarity."

"Iris," Rarity corrected with a smirk on her face. The Inspector smiled back for the briefest of moments before leaving. Rarity was left alone. She took a moment to breathe - a soft smile upon her face. She began to hum to herself as she unpacked and rearranged the fabric boxes - literal tons of material in all colors and patterns alongside seemingly endless supplies of threads, needles, and dyes. no sewing machine - which wasn't all that surprising now that she thought about it. She didn't need any machinery to do her work, luckily. Perhaps slowing down and doing it old fashioned would be good for her anyway, get her to slow down in real life as well.

She color coded the fabrics next, placing them in neat stacks on the shelves. She found a particular blue-and-white pattern she liked and draped it over the windows - she'd create proper curtains later, but they'd do for now. She arranged the threads in their trays, tying the black and white off for easy use. She quickly became absorbed in the creation of her little shop, humming the time away, making the place elegant.

There were only two mannequins - both unicorns. Again, she wasn't that surprised. Regardless, they'd do just fine for her purposes. She set them by the main windows and smiled, proud of her shop. It was still bare-bones - and lacked any products to sell - but it looked presentable now. It was time to actually sew something. She decided to start simple with a hat.

She grabbed some white fabric, a pair of scissors, and the black thread. She worked quickly, slicing out sections of the cloth, shaping it into the shape of a simple triangular hat held together by simple stitching. It was a horribly bland and uncreative piece, but it was a hat. She could still do it with ease - she was doing it, just like back at home.

Home...

She wasn't home. She was so far from home her brain didn't even have a way to perceive it. There would be no friends coming into her shop just to say hi... No candid talk...

She could make new friends though. She's already made some in fact - Minuette, the Inspector, and Twilight. She wasn't truly alone, either. Pinkie was in town, presumably having the time of her life at the Falls. Rarity knew she was now able to live a normal life doing what she loved. She finally felt safe enough to relax.

Her eyes drooped as she moved to the next hat, a yawn coming from her lips. She spent more time on the hat - she wanted to do something more complex than the rushed hat at her side. She tried to force herself to focus on the job at hand but was only able to give herself a headache, bringing her work to a halt for a few minutes. She was terribly sore all over - bruised, scuffed, and scarred where the bullet had hit her leg. Every part of her hurt.

Had she really not taken a moment to really look herself over until now? Had she really not let herself relax?

She looked in a tall mirror to her left, making sure she took her time to take it all in. She wasn't dirty or mangy, not anymore, but she had cuts in many locations, the one on her face being the most prominent; it was probably going to scar just like the bullet wound. She moved to her chair and sat down, wincing from her sore muscles. How had she been running like this for so long? How had she gone on? Was it just because she had to - because there was no choice?

She let out a sigh and set her jaw - she could sleep later tonight. She had work to do - she needed to prove to herself she was fine. She went back to it, working through the pain, crafting a beautiful purple hat with three feathers folded over the top. She looked at it, eyes sparkling. She set it atop one of the mannequin heads.

It looked perfect.

Something about it told her that everything was fine. That it was okay now. That it was safe. This stirred something deep inside her heart; a churning, curdling mess of emotions that had been pushed deep into the recesses of her mind came bubbling to the surface, unleashing itself all at once. She burst into tears, eyes never leaving the hat even as she sunk to the floor, devolving into a horrid heaving wreck of conflict. She tried to stand up, but pain shot through her leg, preventing her from returning to a stable position.

She tore her gaze from the hat - she couldn't look at it anymore, and she didn't know why. She crawled along the floor to her counter, covered in leftover scraps from her recent work. Tears still falling, she climbed into her chair. She lashed out spontaneously, wiping an entire section off her counter, an action which sapped too much energy from her body. She leaned back in her chair and didn't budge, allowing herself to cry it out.

What was she crying about? Nothing. Everything. There was too much held back to focus on any one thing - it was about herself, it was about Pinkie, it was about home, it was about this new 'home', it was about the horrors - and yet, it was about none of those things. She just needed to purge her system of... everything. She knew it couldn't be healthy, but at this point, it was too late to do anything else - just cry it out in a torrent of concentrated sorrows.

She didn't know how long she sat there before the tears finally stopped coming. She didn't know how long she sat there afterwards, either. She just sat, lethargic, no desire to go anywhere or to do anything. She felt emptied - was that good? Bad? She didn't know - not yet. She couldn't really think about it yet.

The front door to the shop opened, ringing a little bell hung from the ceiling. Rarity didn't look. "...We're not open yet."

"Oh. Sorry, I was just... Looking for a hat."

Rarity tilted her head upwards to see a pink earth pony standing in the doorway. Lily. Rarity sighed. "I... Suppose I can give you that hat," she said, pointing at the purple one. "But..." she blinked, slowly realizing she probably shouldn't be talking to an earth pony. She decided to screw that. "You know what? Just take it and don't tell anypony I gave it to you."

Lily's eyes widened and she nodded in understanding. "Thank you." She darted her head left and right, warily. "I saw you at the speech."

"Oh?" Rarity said, trying to muster the energy to give an appropriate response.

"If you feel up to it you can find us two nights from now on fourth street, in the abandoned brown building. Wear something inconspicuous that hides your face."

Rarity forced a smile. "I'll... think about it."

"Please do. We can always use more." She put the hat on - notably right over where a horn would be if she had one - and left the shop.

It took Rarity five minutes to fully realize what had just happened. She had just been invited to a Mingler's meeting. She shouldn't go, the Inspector would be furious - but Rarity knew, somehow, that she'd end up going anyway, and that nopony could stop her. She smirked mischievously under her tired eyes.

~~~

The Falls were louder than a stampede of raging buffalo, Pinkie decided. She found that as she neared the neverending cascade of water, she was unable to hear the sound of her own hooves on the pavement - or anything else for that matter. This close - close enough that she could see the falls hit the waters below - it was almost unbearable.

However, Pinkie, being Pinkie, took it in stride, trotting up the pathway at a brisk pace. She would have preferred to bounce along, but there was no reason to hurt her hooves doing that. Plus, she could see the falls better this way - they were beautiful, streaking down to the earth with speeds so fast the falls blurred before her eyes. Water sprayed everywhere, misting the surrounding area, transforming it into a brilliant prism. Natural rainbows shone in all directions, generating the illusion of a multicolored web spreading out from the Falls - truly, a natural wonder.

Pinkie found herself shaking with anticipation - she was supposed to give tours of this wonder and the cave system behind it! It was just so exciting! She was almost close enough to touch the falls! She stuck her tongue out, stretching it to impossible lengths, and licked the stream of water. The cascading volumes proved to be a bit much for her to handle, shoving her tongue back sharply. Rapidly moving water was no pushover, she decided.

She rubbed her sore tongue and continued on her way, arriving at the entrance shortly thereafter. She couldn't see much besides the large counter with a bored pegasus mare manning it. Above the counter was a large bright sign that read 'Welcome to Neighagra Caverns.'

"Hello! I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm here for training!"

She realized the pegasus didn't even know Pinkie was there, and with the Falls drowning out all the noise, she was going to have to work to get noticed. She took out a megaphone. "HELLO, I'M PINKIE PIE!"

The pegasus didn't even look up. Pinkie frowned - was she being ignored? She tapped her front hooves on the counter, a motion which finally prompted the pegasus to look up and blush in embarrassment. She started moving her wings rapidly in complex patterns.

"Sorry, I don't know wing-sign..." Pinkie admitted sheepishly.

The pegasus rolled her eyes, taking out a card and handing it to Pinkie. I can read lips, just speak towards my eyes, it read.

"Oh. I'm Pinkie Pie! Hi, nice to meet you! I was told to come here for training?"

The pegasus looked confused for a moment. She reached under the counter, locating a sheet of paper with official looking text all over it. She shrugged, nodded towards Pinkie, and opened the left side of the counter.

"Thanks! Where do I go?"

The pegasus pointed down the cave towards a large purple curtain draped from the rocky ceiling. Pinkie nodded in thanks and bounded over to the curtains. They were heavy, taking considerable effort to move out of the way enough for her to pass through to the other side. She was stunned to notice how dampened the sound of the Falls became once she passed to the other side - the crescendo was still ridiculously loud, but she felt like she could probably be understood if she yelled at the volume of a normal pony, no need for a megaphone at all.

The next thing she noticed was the real reception area of the Neighagra Caverns - and it was pretty disappointing. There were only two stands set up, one for food, and one for tours. The tours kiosk was currently empty - 'out on tour, back within the hour' - while the food stand had a sleeping mare Pinkie recognized instantly.

"HI RAINBOW DASH!" She yelled over the waters, rushing to the stand.

Rainbow Dash lazily opened one of her eyes. Now that Pinkie was closer, she could see a number of scars on Rainbow's face and a chunk missing from one of her ears - the mare had evidentially been through a lot. The pegasus muttered something Pinkie couldn't hear.

"What was that!?"

"I said - 'oh, great! You!'" Rainbow Dash shouted back.

"So you knew I was coming!?"

"Yes, I did, piggering cloud rooter!"

Pinkie frowned. "Oh, there must be some mistake, see, I'm a unicorn, not one of those silly earthers!"

"Wow! You really don't have any submissive instincts! Good! That's what I was hoping for!"

"Huh!?"

"Have a snow cone, rooter, on the house!" Rainbow tossed Pinkie a cup full blue slush.

"Thanks! Still not a rooter though!"

"Constant denial! I like you! You can drop it though, Twilight told me the whooole schtick ahead of time! Quite the story!"

"Oh, you know Twilight? Awesome!" Now that she mentioned it, Rainbow Dash hadn't been surprised when Pinkie knew her name, and she had already known she was an earth pony. Pinkie took a sip from the snow cone. "So, what do I do here!?"

"Well, for one, I hope you've got a voice!" Rainbow Dash laughed. "You have to talk about this loud most of the day! Bucking noise won't be blocked!"

"Cool! I can do that! I can even sing that!"

"For the love of... don't sing!" Rainbow Dash waved her hoof around. "After that, well, be entertaining! Draw the eye to the caverns!"

"I can totally do that!" Pinkie yelled, pulling out her party cannon and blasting confetti into Rainbow Dash's face. She raised her hooves and wing in defense.

Wing.

Singular.

Pinkie's face must have made a visible change to indicate her shock because Rainbow Dash facehooved. "Yes, I only have one wing! That's not all either!" She lifted up the hatch and rolled herself out of the food stand, revealing a wheelchair - and her two back legs that looked like they hadn't been used in years.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! That-"

"Don't be!" Rainbow Dash snorted, rolling yer eyes. "I picked a fight with a zebra, brought this on myself! Stop it with the sorry face! I said stop it, bucker!"

"But it's so sad!"

"For the love of... it is what it is! In Ce- nevermind, done, you saw it, now we're good!" She twirled her wheelchair around. "I gotta teach you how to give a tour!"

Pinkie glanced at the tour stand. "Shouldn't we wait for the current group to come back!?"

"Nah, that's just there because Farundael didn't show up today! There's no tour right now!"

Pinkie looked down the bumpy cave system, frowning. She glanced back at Rainbow Dash's wheelchair, pursing her lips. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but Rainbow Dash didn't give her the chance. "Yes, I'm abso-friggin-lutely fine, dammit! I'm not a helpless twat, get over it already!" She pointed her wing menacingly at Pinkie. "I will break that cosmetic horn of yours even further, screw Twilight!"

"Oooookay then!" Pinkie said, grinning nervously. "How's this go?!"

"The first step of a tour is to stand behind the kiosk over there and wait for a group to show up! Some days, none come at all! Others, we get about a dozen! Make sure they've got a paid ticket and didn't just sneak past Quartzite! Then you point them to my station to see if they'll buy our overpriced refreshments!"

"Pretty substandard too!" Pinkie said, sipping her drink again. "I could probably help with that! Here!" She pulled a slushie out of her mane and handed it to Rainbow Dash.

The pegasus took it, eyed it skeptically, and sipped. "...Luna's bald asshole that's delicious."

"That swear and that observation shouldn't go together! It sounds unreal!"

"Buck your muzzle!" Rainbow Dash shouted back. "I'm going to need you to stock up the food court with that stuff later. Some magic you got there!"

"Yeah, it's unique!"

"Which is why you're here, and not out there! Now, listen up, the first part of the tour is a long winding tunnel of boring cave! So you have to make it sound as interesting as possible!" She began rolling down the cavern, navigating the uneven ground expertly. "You'll need to memorize this spiel, so pay attention! Ahem! As you can all see, here we've got a hefty deposit of sedimentary metamorphics that formed back when this place was a lava field! There are no bats, don't worry, they can't stand the shape we have here! Look to your left - that's the largest boulder in this tunnel! Some think it may be the fossilized remains of an ancient dragon egg! Don't wake the little baby! Up ahead we've got the rock of horrible nightmares, formed from the unholy combination of a dragon and a griffon long after this cavern was created! And here we have the magic water spout, preparing to erupt any day!"

Pinkie looked at the water spout. "That's a hole dug by a shovel!"

"Huh, good eye, I didn't even know that!"

"Is any of that speech actually true?!"

"Quartzite told me it was utter shit one time, but I couldn't be bothered to learn what it all actually was, Farundael wrote the nonsense, and Quartzite can't really give tours can she?!"

"Guess not! Isn't it weird that we've been talking to each other in yells this whole time?!"

"Eh, I'm considered too loud out there, so I really don't give a buck! Yell, yell, we all yell!" She slurped her drink, smiling blissfully. "Damn, that's good!"

"I was a baker back home!"

"We don't need anything that fancy! Anyway, we've done the boring walk - you missed half the speech though - but now for the things ponies actually want to see!" Rainbow Dash led Pinkie through a narrow archway into the largest cavern Pinkie had ever seen. They stood on a ledge lined with precarious railings, and Pinkie couldn't see the other side, or the bottom.

"Woah..."

"Yeah, we don't know how far it goes either!" Her voice echoed back at her from across the expanse. "Ah, there's the signal to stop yelling!" Sure enough, the Falls weren't deafening anymore - regular conversation could be maintained.

"You're still yelling," Pinkie observed.

"Yeah, well I'm loud!" Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Just kidding, I can be quieter."

"...Well, you're not yelling anymore..."

"And you can go buck yourself," Rainbow Dash laughed.

"Eh, pretty impossible considering."

Rainbow Dash's laugh stopped cold as she processed Pinkie's remark - and then it resumed with a boisterous intensity. "You. I like you."

"I figured that out a while ago!"

"Oh well, then, Miss observant, how many feathers do I have behind my back?"

"One. The middle one," Pinkie said.

Rainbow Dash took out her wing - and it was exactly as Pinkie said it would be. "Huh. You know if I wasn't friends with Twilight I'd find you beyond creepy." She laughed, pulling Pinkie in with her wing to give the pink pony a surprisingly intense noogie. Pinkie slipped out of her grasp like jello, laughing.

"You're quite the pony, Rainbow Dash!"

"I'm an idiot," Rainbow Dash said matter-of-factly, moving along with the tour before Pinkie could comment. "We know this place by an absolutely inspired name: the Endless Cavern. In the list of most boring names for interesting things, this is the fifth worst."

"What's the worst?"

"Concretion. Death-city within sight range of Canterlot that's the size of a damn forest. But they don't call it Destrikka or Abbadon, no, they name it after an artificial rock."

"Yeah, that is kinda boring. Then again, I'm from Ponyville. We're a village. We have ponies."

Rainbow Dash burst out into laughter once more. "Not sure if that beats Concretion, but it's damn close."

Pinkie nodded vigorously. "Now what? What's the next cool thing?"

"The rickety bridge," Rainbow Dash said, gesturing towards the oldest and most decayed looking bridge Pinkie had ever seen. The haphazard series of ropes and planks led to another part of the cavern. Many of the wooden boards were missing, and the ropes looked ready to unravel at any moment. She even saw a mouse eating one of the ropes.

"We have to cross that?"

"Buck no, the point is to make the tourists think they have to. They actually go through this exit here to another chamber." Rainbow Dash rolled herself across the narrow ledge towards an opening in the cavern wall, working against the steep incline.

Pinkie looked at the wheelchair with a concerned look.

"I've done this hundreds of times!" Rainbow Dash panted. "Stop the damn worrying, it's not like the thing fell off yesterday, for crying out loud."

"Sorry."

"And stop the apologizing, mud. You don't need to apologize to me for anything ever. Got it?"

Pinkie nodded. "Yep! Sorry!"

Rainbow Dash fixed her with a glare. Pinkie facehooved. "Oooooooh sorry about that - AUGH! I DID IT AGAIN! SORRY! AUGH!"

"You need help. Lots of it. Not for this job, but in general. Regardless, here we are." The two arrived in a cavern much smaller than the previous, but much more impressive. Every inch of the space was lined with multicolored crystals of all kinds, many of which were actively glowing, sending beams of light out in a neon web. "Welcome to the Luminescent Cavern. You'll probably spend the most time here. Let them spread out, look around, and give them some horseshit about how you think the crystals formed."

"Pretty..." Pinkie said.

"That's what they all say."

"This'd make a great disco room."

"...And that's a new one. Well, can't say I'm surprised at this point."

"You are taking this all pretty well," Pinkie observed.

"Rooter, when you see what I've seen, been on the adventures I've been on, not much fazes you anymore. Not all these marks are from that damn zebra, merely most. For whatever reason, the universe has decided to make my sorry excuse for a life the focus of adventure, fate, and other damned stupid things."

"Hey! I'm sure you've had a pretty good life, you seem all right!"

"That's what they all say," Rainbow Dash sighed. She pointed up ahead. "We'll be getting closer to the Falls soon, so we won't be able to hear each other at all."

"Okay!"

"You'll take the group out over the pier here and have them look out over the town. I say give them ten minutes, or until their ears start to bleed! Then take them up to the next place!"

"Okie dokie loki!" They soon passed through another large, heavy curtain, back out into the sunlight. They were behind the waterfall, many stories above the ground. Stepping to the side, they could see the entire town through the mist - castle, clock tower, walls, all of it. As she leaned on the railings, Pinkie's face was one of glee. She would get to see this view every day and she'd get to share it with others! This was perfect for her!

She turned back to Rainbow Dash. The disabled pegasus was sitting at the base of a large staircase, breathing heavily. Pinkie moved to help her up, but Rainbow Dash extended her wing, giving Pinkie pause. Rainbow Dash flapped, sending a powerful gust of wind downwards, launching her and her wheelchair up one step. She flapped again, rising up another step. With each powerful flap, she moved up one more step, straining her body further and further.

Pinkie gawked - her Rainbow Dash was known to use the 'one wing hover' trick occasionally, but her Rainbow Dash was a stunt flier. How hard was this Rainbow Dash working to do this?

Rainbow Dash arrived at the top of the stairs, exhausted, breathing harder than an athlete after a long run. She made no move to pass through the curtains before her.

Pinkie grabbed the wheelchair from behind and rolled it through the curtains. Rainbow Dash gave no argument, vocal or otherwise, she just sat there while Pinkie wheeled her through the new tunnel. Pinkie smiled as the sound of the Falls receded behind them. The cavern spiraled downward until it came to an artificially carved cavern lined with podiums, upon which many interesting rocks were placed.

Rainbow Dash took a breath to explain what to do in this location, but Pinkie beat her to it. "And here we have a wiiiide selection of amazing rocks found right here in these very caverns! That one over there lights on fire when exposed to certain magics! That one over there was found by an evil dragon centuries ago! And that one tastes like cotton candy - I lick it once a day, just to make sure it never changes!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Can I have a lick?"

"No, sorry, it's already too small to see!"

Rainbow Dash laughed again, still short of breath. "I think you're going to do fine Pinkie Pie. That cavern over there returns us to the entrance. Let's get to business. Got any more slushies?"

"An infinite amount!"

~~~

Minuette marched into the main hall of Twilight's castle. Twilight herself was sitting on her throne, whispering something into the ear of a buttery yellow pegasus with a soft pink mane.

"Commander Minuette reporting as ordered!" Minuette saluted, touching her new red-striped hat. Celestia, it felt damn good to be able to say that. She thought she'd never get the Commander stripe.

"Ah! Minuette! Welcome! I was just telling Ambassador Fluttershy all about you. Come on in!"

Fluttershy looked Twilight in the eye and narrowed her eyes. "You shut it off," she said with a soft, beautiful, but also strong voice.

"Uh, yes, yes. Minuette isn't used to it and-"

Fluttershy glided over to Minuette with a single graceful movement, raising an eyebrow. "The Princess needs full access to the thought processes of both her enemies and allies in order to do her job effectively. You should get used to it quickly."

Minuette gulped - something about this pegasus mare scared her, not that she'd ever admit it. "I'll do whatever is necessary."

Twilight nodded, turning her mental screening back on with a twist of her head. "Very well. Fluttershy, Minuette. Minuette, Fluttershy. Minuette is to be my personal Commander, my mouth to the military. Fluttershy is my eyes and ears abroad, in other towns and nations, such as the Empire or Griffonstone."

Minuette moved to speak, but Twilight smirked, indicating it wasn't necessary. "Fluttershy's well aware of Rarity and Pinkie, that we are protecting them, and why we are doing so. We've been talking about almost nothing else this entire meeting."

"Your presence has changed everything," Fluttershy said.

"Yes, I know we-" Minuette began.

Twilight interrupted. "-We're not talking about the war you caused, that was going to happen anyway. Nor are we talking about the fact that by being here you paint a target on us. We-" She stopped. "Go ahead, Fluttershy."

"Thank you." She looked right at Minuette, making the unicorn twitch involuntarily. "What you brought over spits in the face of our society. A world where not only do all three races get along, but there are many cities, technology does not bring doom, and a race change spell exists. The mere fact that all of this is true somewhere is dangerous to the perceived ideals of this nation." She paused for effect, making Minuette even more nervous. What was it about this pegasus that was so... commanding?

"...And that's a good thing," Fluttershy continued, surprising Minuette. "I've spent almost all of my career trying to get us past these horrid boundaries that limit us as a people. Most ponies hadn't thought it was possible for us to move past this - most think it isn't meant to be, that this is the way things are, so this is the way things should be. I myself had begun to have doubts as to what I could do. But those two ponies..." A smile burst out across her face, but somehow she didn't lose her authoritative presence. "They are proof that it's possible. It can be done. They represent hope in our mission. I can't thank you enough for bringing them here and coming around yourself."

"Uh... Okay?"

Twilight chuckled. "She's terrified of you Fluttershy, and it's confusing her."

"I know," Fluttershy said. "You'll get used to this after some time, Minuette, like you'll get used to the mind reading, or Rainbow Dash's mouth."

"Who?"

"You'll meet her eventually," Twilight said. "Regardless, you need to be fully briefed on our purpose in Neighagra Falls. This place is an experiment, an experiment that would have been purged long ago if it wasn't for us. Our goal... is Harmony. Most ponies don't realize that being the Princess of Harmony puts me at direct odds with their worldview. The hatred, the stubbornness, the divisions, the lies - all of it, they take for granted, and my friends and I oppose all of it. We let this town grow into what really should be called a city. We do what we can to help the earths and the minglers - we let ponies be free to choose, as free as we can allow."

Twilight frowned, sensing Minuette's doubt. "No, it doesn't work completely. Many of the blocks are self-imposed. You'd be surprised how many earths don't want freedom - don't want change. We've also made mistakes. Letting Amplify become strong was our largest so far. But Fluttershy has toured Equestria, and she can say for certain that the society we have here is by far the most tolerant. It's both a wonderful sight and a bit disheartening at the same time."

"In the end, our purpose is absurd and simple," Fluttershy said. "Get all people to live together in harmony."

"You're insane," Minuette said.

"Very," Twilight smirked. "But we can't not try. I can't just stand by and let the world stew, continually getting worse. Things didn't use to be this way."

Minuette raised an eyebrow. "They didn't?"

"It's been removed from our history books - conveniently not mentioned - but before the Nightmare Fuel came, we did live in Harmony. I've spoken to both Celestia and Luna on the matter, and they remember the years fondly. They wish to go back to a time when everypony treated each other like actual ponies... But the corruption swept across the land, and we still haven't recovered from that. Our society actively fights the recovery, actually getting further and further set in our ways... If we just lie down and let our world continue on the path it's on, it may fall."

Minuette reeled - this was a bit much for her to process. She wasn't even aware there had been any problems until a few days ago! ...At least not consciously.

"Oh, we're not done yet," Twilight sighed. "We're now at war, and war is never a good way to heal wounds. Your actions may have started it, but now that we're fighting it I don't think they'll stop even if they get what they're looking for. They hate our magic. It'll be a delicate time over the next few weeks, especially since we're slated to lose."

"What!?" Minuette blurted.

"Fluttershy just returned from Canterlot and Nova. Canterlot is already under siege and predictions say the magic defenses will give out before the Concretes do. Nova is expecting an attack within a few days they're not sure they can repel. And we're the only other major stronghold in Equestria. As defensible as we are, we're not designed with a military purpose in mind, like Nova."

"We can't-"

"I know. The Concretes are even worse off than our society. They've had most of their morals and soul removed from them. They cannot have Harmony." She paused as if consulting something in her mind. "It's tragic, is what it is."

Fluttershy put a hoof on Twilight. She didn't say anything - she didn't need to. She never needed to.

That has to be weird, Minuette thought.

"Used to be," Twilight said. "But do anything for a few years and it becomes normal."

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.

"...Which is one of the problems with our society..." Twilight sighed. "Sometimes I wonder, who are we to shape the world?"

"If not us, then who?" Fluttershy asked aloud for Minuette's sake.

Twilight glanced knowingly at Minuette. "So, you are now my link to the military, Commander. I know you can easily pretend to be in charge and get information out of nearly anypony. You are not to raise suspicion of yourself, but you will promote Harmony and reward those who are Harmonious when you are able. You will also join me in all major meetings so I may scan your thoughts for anything you can think of, just like how I use Fluttershy for political information and speeches."

Minuette blinked. "Wait. How much of what you say is-?"

Twilight's eyes sparkled knowingly. "Quite a bit are her words, not mine. She doesn't speak all that often, but she sure makes her position known. That's a secret, by the way, few know about this repertoire we have here." Twilight glanced at Fluttershy. "Repertoire? Really?"

Fluttershy sighed. "I can have some fun outside the meetings. There's one tonight, Minuette. You'll need to be there."

"Anything-"

"Sunset will be there," Twilight said. "And there'll likely be questions about you, Rarity, and Pinkie. Answer everything truthfully but don't mention what their world is like. Pretend like it isn't important or that you don't care. We don't want to cover up another scandal." Sensing Minuette's incoming question, Twilight continued. "Until then, I'll just announce you to the base and General Amethyst. You don't have to hide anything from her, she's on our side, but most of the Commanders and Soldiers are not. You'll get to know how the army is run here, probably even be given a personal tour by Amethyst."

Minuette nodded. "Yes, Princess!" She bowed.

"Just call me Twilight. In private, anyway. It's a complex game we play here, and a dangerous one - but I sense you're just taking this all as a challenge."

Minuette grinned. "You better bucking believe it."

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at the swear but didn't comment. Twilight nodded. "Then let it be done." She lit her horn and teleported herself, Fluttershy, and Minuette to the top of a building within the military district. Ponies in green hats were marching in formation under the careful eye of a purple unicorn in a gold-striped hat - presumably Amethyst. The soldiers all stood to attention, saluting as one.

"Soldiers of Equestria!' Twilight boomed. Minuette noticed Fluttershy's face becoming one of intense focus and calculation. "I have selected a member from your ranks to serve as my connection to the military! She represents my will among you - and your will among me. Commander Minuette, step forward!"

Minuette did so, face set. She raised a hoof in a salute to the crowd. The entire crowd returned the salute, including the General. Minuette kept her face straight, even though she was giddy inside.

"I leave her to you," Twilight addressed Amethyst.

"Yes, my princess," Amethyst bowed. "This way, Commander."

"Yes sir," Minuette said, leaping down from her position. Now among the regular soldiers, the unicorn General and Commander began to head towards a small building marked 'General.'

"The rules are simple," Amethyst said. "One, my word is law. Two, do anything to jeopardize the functionality of this unit and I will jeopardize the functionality of you. Three, don't be stupid."

"Yes sir!"

"Glad we have an understanding. Good to have you on site, Commander."

Minuette nodded, swiveling her ears to listen to the other soldiers. Most weren't saying anything, and others were just talking about what this change meant for them. But one voice stood out...

"Who even is she? I bet she's some pompous runter out of Canterlot who doesn't know the first thing about military operation-"

Minuette grabbed the offending pegasus with her magic, dragging her to the ground. Minuette snorted. "Name and rank."

"...Cadet Brownie."

"Well, Brownie, let me tell that preening mind of yours something. I was in that base that was destroyed by the Concretes. I've been in an operation that took drones down. I've lived with the shadow of the Concretes over my head for weeks at a time. And what have you done Brownie?"

Brownie said nothing in response.

"Thought not." Minuette tossed her over her shoulder, smirking at the thump the pegasus made when she hit the ground. "Anyone else?"

There was no response.

Amethyst smirked. "You don't take any shit, I see."

"Depends on the shit."

"Good. Have to be able to identify the good and bad shit in this job."

Minuette chuckled. She liked it here already.

Comments

[Ponygood11]

Ponies in green hats were marching information...

Why? Does the information need to take a daily walk?

[Keywii_Cookies55]

8201160 You'd be surprised what Information does when there's spy networks nearby.

[BleedingRaindrops]

We will me them in the streets and demonstrate our power!"

You’ll do what to them?!

And that one tastes like cotton candy - I like it once a day, just to make sure it never changes!"

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you meant ‘lick’.

If we just lie down and let our world continue on the path ti's on, it may fall."

This one need not be highlighted.

It's a complex game we play here, and a dangerous one. But I sense you're just taking this all as a challenge.

This should be one sentence.

And at last we find some direction. I think I've identified what I found most perplexing about this story so far. We're lost. Obviously that's the point—Pinkie and Rarity are pulled into an alternate universe for an unknown reason and have no idea what's going on or which way is up—but it's disorienting to the reader, and extremely offputting for some. I applaud your ability to place us in the same boat as our characters, because it makes this chapter that much more compelling. Finally, some answers, some direction, and some hope. Where before we were hopelessly lost in the woods, now we have gotten our bearings, and begun to chart a course out. Well done.

[Crimson Dawn]

I really enjoyed how Pinkie and Rainbow Dash interact in this story.. I hope there is a lot more of that.

[ferret]

Got any more slushies?"

And so the day was saved, and the Concretion destroyed forever, buried under two hundred million tons of slushies.