For Want of a Horseshoe Nail

by Sixes_And_Sevens

Discovery

“—And if you’ll follow me, here are the fillies’ cabins,” the counselor droned on, waving a hoof in the general direction of a group of cloud buildings.

Spike resisted the urge to smack his head into the nearest wall. “How different from the colts’ quarters can they be?” he muttered to Maple, whose back Lyra had eventually shifted him to. “Perfectly neat, beds are made, suitcases put away…”

Maple snorted. “Yeah, sure. Anyway, this is exactly what we need. We’re looking for little Rainbow, remember? A filly?”

Spike grunted in reluctant agreement. “Then can we go back to the TARDIS?” he whined.

“We’ll see.”

Spike sunk back, arms folded over his chest. “That’s just another way of saying ‘no,’” he griped.

Thunderlane was beginning to flag as well, but he hiked himself up the steps into the cabin. Passing over the threshold, he was immediately struck by just how messy the room was. Bedsheets were rumpled, if they were on the bed at all. Flight suits and sundry other clothes were strewn around, kicked into the corners of the room. Posters were taped haphazardly all over the walls. The charcoal stallion nodded. This was more or less what he’d expected.

“Wow,” Spike said, staring around. “This is—”

A golden aura quickly glued his lips together. “Very nice,” Lyra interjected smoothly. “Particularly considering that this is a surprise inspection.”

Maple’s eyes fell on one bed in particular, with the covers wrapped around themselves. “You have a griffon here?”

The counselor blinked mildly. “Why yes,” they said. “We actually have quite a few, along with the pegasi. We don’t discriminate; Why, if a changeling showed up and wanted to learn how to fly, we’d let it in so long as it was between the ages of seven and sixteen.” They frowned. “How did you know?”

Maple blinked in surprise. “Oh, well, uh, just… the nest, you know… and the…” she waved a hoof vaguely at the wall. “Griffish sports stars…”

There was only one small picture of a griffon attached to the wall. The counselor looked at the cream pegasus oddly, but said no more.

“I’m more interested in this bed over here,” the Doctor interjected suddenly. All heads turned. The blue pegasus was examining a neatly-made bedspread, its covers tucked and the sheets a sparkling white. “Who’s the odd filly out, then?”

The counselor’s mouth drooped at the corners. “That camper is… no longer with us,” they said quietly. “She went home two days ago. Her parents… passed away in a train wreck.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened slightly. “I’m very sorry to hear that,” he said slowly. “Where will she stay now?”

“I’ve no idea,” the counselor said with a shake of their head. “Her uncle came by to pick her up. I don’t think I ever so her so still… poor, dear Rainbow Dash. She may have been a daredevil, but she had skin like tissue paper and a heart of marshmallow fluff. Destroyed her as sure as if she had been on the train herself.” They stared into space for a long moment, their face unreadable. Then, snapping to, they turned back to the others. “Well. Onto the kitchens, then?”

“T-that won’t be necessary,” Maple stammered. “I believe we’ve seen everything we need to, haven’t we, Lyra?”

The mint unicorn twitched. Maple nudged her with a wing. “Haven’t we, Lyra?” she repeated, slightly louder.

“Hm! Oh! Yes, yes, all very good. Grade A all around,” the mint unicorn said, shaking herself. “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful. Do have a nice day. And a nice evening! And perhaps a nice cup of coffee…”

Maple rolled her eyes and draped a wing over Lyra’s back, gently guiding her out of the cabin.

“Somehow, I don’t think that was part of the original timeline,” Spike muttered.

“Not to hear Apple Bloom tell it, no,” Maple agreed.

Lyra shivered. “Let’s get back to the TARDIS? Please?”

“Of course,” Maple said with a nod and a faint smile. “Been a bit of a busy day for us all, hasn’t it?”

“Aaaand there’s also the fact that I can feel the cloudwalking spell starting to wear off,” the mint mare continued sheepishly.

Maple looked down. Lyra’s hooves were indeed beginning to sink into the cloud layer. “Stratus! Why didn’t you tell us— never mind. Move!”

The two mares set off at a gallop, Lyra stumbling along as best she could and Spike clinging on to Maple’s neck as though his life depended on it.

“Where did we park?” Maple shouted.

“I thought you knew!”

Spike gestured wildly. “Left here!”

“What did we leave here?” Lyra asked, glancing around.

“No! Turn left here!” Spike shouted.

“Left?” Maple asked, tilting her head so she could hear better.

“Right! I mean— correct!” Spike replied.

Lyra shrieked as one of her forehooves punched through the cloud layer. “No!” Maple shouted, wrapping her hooves around the unicorn’s barrel and pulling her back.

Lyra struggled for a moment, then shakily managed to raise herself up and balance on her hind hooves. “I’m good. I’m good,” she gasped. “I think I can keep the spell stable on two hooves. Minimize surface contact. Spike, help hold me up as I walk.”

The little dragon managed a passable salute and grabbed the mare’s forehoof. “Okay,” Maple breathed. “Left, you said?”

***

There was a firm rap at the blue doors of the TARDIS. Apple Bloom glanced up from her book. “They back?” she asked mildly.

“Let us in, you big blue jerk!” Maple called angrily. “Lyra’s about to fall through!”

Quickly, Zecora leapt to activate the door switch, and rays of sunshine illuminated the room. Lyra immediately fell to the floor. “Oh, sweet solidity! I’ll never take you for granted again,” she gasped, spreading her limbs eagle as if to give the ground a hug.

“Didja find li’l Dash, then?” Bloom asked eagerly. “Was she alright? Didja find Starlight?”

Spike coughed. “Well… no…”

“Maybe we should wait for the Doctor and Thunderlane,” Maple suggested.

“Why?” Bloom asked, her face falling. “What happened?”

Maple bit her lower lip. “I… we should wait for the others,” she repeated.

“Oh, come now, don’t keep us in suspense,” Zecora wheedled. “What news? What happened? Tell us the chain of events.”

Maple glanced at Bloom for a moment, then glanced away. “We’ll wait,” she said firmly.

The yellow mare felt a hot rush of blood flowing to her face. Did Maple think that she couldn’t handle the story? She started to open her mouth, but then she caught sight of Maud. The grey mare was observing her quietly. Bloom breathed out slowly. “Ah think we’d all really like t’ know th’ whole story,” she said. “An’ th’ sooner ya tell it, th’ sooner we can work out a plan ta try an solve whatever happened.”

Maple opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. Her lips flapped like those of a fish. “Well, I,” she started, but nothing followed.

“She had to go home,” Lyra said from her position on the floor. “Her parents died.”

Bloom’s eyes went wide and her jaw popped open like a steamer trunk. Zecora looked at her with evident concern. “That— Ah mean, that’s terrible!” the yellow mare said, blinking rapidly. “Uh, did they say how?”

“Their train crashed, I think,” Spike said, clambering down from his position on Maple’s back. “Did that happen in your world, too? ‘Cause, right now, that’s probably our best bet for where history came undone.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes flickered for the briefest of seconds. “Ah never met Dashie’s folks,” she said slowly. “Ah reckon Ah don’t know much o’ anything ‘bout ‘em.”

Maud’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say a word. Bloom regarded her warily. “Ah’m jes’ gonna… go… t’ th’ library…” she said, slowly backing out of the room, faltering under the combined gazes of the assembled. As soon as she hit the hallway, she took off as fast as her legs would go.

Maud stared at the closed hall doors dispassionately. Stiffly, she turned and sat facing the main door.

Lyra peeled herself off the floor. Glancing around, she frowned and leaned over to Zecora. “Did something happen while we were gone?” she murmured.

“An slight attitude problem from Apple Bloom. Maud thought she’d managed to banish her gloom,” the zebra replied in an undertone.

The unicorn pursed her lips. “Well. I guess she was wrong.”

The TARDIS doors swung open and the Doctor trotted in, sprightly as ever. Thunderlane slumped in right behind him. The Time Lord glanced around and raised an eyebrow. “Well, aren’t we a lot of Gloomy Gusses. Gussies? Gertrudes, perhaps. Lovely name, Gertrude…”

“What’s up?” Thunderlane asked. “Where’s Bloom?”