Brothers 'N Antlers

by Elkia Deerling

Chapter eleven: underground

In the weeks that passed, Elkia didn’t sit still.

Well, in a literal sense of the word he did sit still. Immediately after his brief visit to the town, Starlight Glimmer put him to work. He was chained to a table which was fixed to the ground, sat on a chair, and had his typewriter in front of him all the time.

And he worked. What else could he do? Starlight Glimmer gave him various writing jobs to complete. Elkia wrote posters which soon hung all around the town, preaching the promise of equality and sameness on every street corner. He also wrote speeches for Starlight Glimmer, so that she could have motivational talks with her subjects every single day, reinforcing her reign with words of iron. But there was time to write creative works as well. Under the watchful eyes of Starlight Glimmer, he wrote a couple of books, children’s books too, about how beautiful life in the village was, and how awful and chaotic the world outside was supposed to be.

Yet, Elkia didn’t feel happy about it. Starlight Glimmer had given the builders the order to make an extra house, and until that time Elkia slept in his cage in Starlight’s place. But that was not why he was unhappy. He was forced to write things he didn’t agree with, things that went against everything he was told as a child, and everything he had learned of the world after that fateful night almost a year ago. But that too, was something he could live with. Elkia just shook his head, furrowed his brows, and did what Starlight Glimmer asked him to do: write stuff. The thing he was most unhappy about was his brother. Not a day went by when he wasn’t thinking about him. Elkia knew he’d never see him again. Hay, after the escape attempt, Elkia reckoned his brother might have been murdered for that. Elkia had no idea if Alces was alive or dead, and that thought tortured him every day.

Starlight Glimmer treated Elkia well. She gave him enough food, prepared by her personal chef who also still had his cutie mark, and made sure not to put too much pressure on the shoulders of the elk. In fact, after the first week, she removed Elkia’s leg irons, saying he was no longer a prisoner, but a member of the community. Even though Elkia didn’t feel like that at all, he was welcome.

The daily mind readings soon turned into something done once every two days, then three, up until the point Elkia couldn’t remember when Starlight last read his mind. The dictator slowly gave him more and more personal space and alone time. She was happy with what Elkia produced. Whatever it was, if it came from Elkia’s hooves, he made sure to make something beautiful out of it. That was the spark, the artist’s spark Starlight Glimmer had suspected housed in Elkia’s body and mind. Of course, she had been very right. Although they barely spoke to one another, Starlight showed her apprehension by the little freedoms she gave back to the elk.

Despite the leg irons gone and the mind readings growing more and more rare, Elkia was cautious. He never thought about diverging things when he was around Starlight Glimmer. He tried to keep his mind as hidden from her as he could, pretending to embrace the philosophy of her town, however hard it was. Yet he often went on walks around town, visiting the different shops and stores and bars and cafés, trying out horrible recipe after horrible recipe. But of course, he didn’t just go outside to clear his mind and try the local delicacies. He was still thinking about some way out.

Elkia knew he was in the middle of the desert, and he also knew he had no idea where exactly he was, but he also reckoned there must be some way out. There always was. In every good story, there was a way to escape. He looked at the distant mountains, fantasizing a secret tunnel which led back to civilization—real civilization, not the plastic one created here. He looked at the sand and imagined a spirit or ghost popping up from the dunes and guiding him towards another place. However strange and fantastical these thoughts were, they did pave the way for a more realistic idea popping up in his mind.

The dry and arid desert was a bad place for farming. The sand was not that fertile, and the small farms that tried to grow fruits and cactus juice could barely sustain the pony population. And where did they even get the soil needed to grow stuff? Elkia walked past the gardens and pondered over that question. The tiny little gardens, the recipes and ingredients, and the clothing the ponies wore indicated that some things were imported.

And right at the same day, Elkia’s theory proved to be reality. Something strange floated high in the sky, right over the village. At first Elkia thought it was a flock of vultures or other black and nasty birds like crows, but he was wrong. When Elkia returned to Starlight Glimmer, she immediately asked him to get pen and paper and make an inventory list.

‘An inventory list?’ Elkia said. ‘Like a delivery?’

‘You’re smart, Elkia, and you’re right,’ Starlight Glimmer said. ‘Right now, as we speak, ponies are busy unloading the zeppelin in a hidden cave, dropping off much-needed supplies. When a grey pony with a blue mane returns to me, he will tell me exactly what is in the boxes, and you will write that down.’

‘But, do you mean—’

‘No more questions,’ Starlight Glimmer said. ‘You must be desperate to go and see for yourself if you can use the zeppelin to get out of here.’

‘How did you know—’

‘If you’re caged and doing forced labor,’ Starlight said with a cold smile, ‘you would be an idiot not to think about some means of escape. I don’t have to read your mind for that.’

‘I… I understand,’ Elkia said, his gaze to the floor in shame.

Starlight took Elkia’s chin with her hoof and lifted it. ‘I just don’t want you to get yourself hurt trying to do silly things,’ she said in a tone that hinted at compassion. ‘That hidden place in the mountains is far away from the village, and it will make your collar turn the darkest shade of red. Trust me, Elkia. There is no way of escape there.’

And so Elkia’s plans of escape were dashed, momentarily. The whole thing with the zeppelin delivery didn’t leave his mind, and questions swirled around the big, black shape. Where was the zeppelin coming from? And, a question that interested Elkia much more than the first one: how did Starlight Glimmer signal the captain what she needed?

Today was yet another sun-glaring, hot, and dusty day. Elkia was walking outside, strolling over the main street (and only street) that cut through the village. The villagers were quite used to him now, and knew what he was doing. Everyday they saw the posters he made, and every night they read their colts and fillies from the books dripping with propaganda which Elkia had written. Elkia never had to pay for anything, and the villagers always wished him a good day and smiled towards him. If Elkia didn’t know better, he’d say that he was actually getting famous and loved. But then again, Elkia never knew if the smiles were genuine, or just a mask painted on the face.

Yes, despite Elkia living in the illusion Starlight Glimmer created, he was still looking for genuine ponies. He was still looking for ponies that were willing to talk with him in an honest way, and not say the same thing everypony said. ‘The village is nice, and Starlight Glimmer is nice, and being equal is nice, and having no cutie mark is nice.’ Nice, nice, nice, everything was nice, according to them. Elkia silently wondered how many were lying and how many were telling the truth. He rarely managed a smile himself, as the very thought of this fake community made him sad.

Suddenly, Elkia noticed something was different. When you walk the same street every day and watch the same houses every day, differences are easy to spot. There was a new shop in town. How long had it been here? The clay and limestone of the house were just as weatherworn as the rest of the houses, so the building itself wasn’t new, but the freshly painted sign shaped like a cupcake rocking gently in the wind surely was.

‘Do you like it? Made it myself.’

‘Whoa!’ Elkia hadn’t noticed the pony standing by his side, looking at the sign as well. Her hide was a very, very light pink—more grey than pink, actually—and her purple mane was tied up in a neat bun, just like many others of Starlight Glimmer’s village. Her eyes were a deep turquoise, and she looked curiously at Elkia.

Elkia regained his composure, and scratched the back of his head. ‘Oops. I’m sorry, I’m a bit jumpy. Must have something to do with the weather or so…’ He glanced once more at the pony, rubbing his goatee. ‘Have I met you before?’

The pony giggled. ‘I have seen you walking around town a couple of times. We don’t get that many elks in town, and with “not that many” I mean zero.’

‘Oh, okay.’ Elkia stuck out his hoof. ‘Pleased to meet you. The name is Elkia Deerling, and I am’—he bit his lip and forced the words out of his mouth—‘I am Starlight Glimmer’s personal writer.’

The pink pony took the hoofshake, looking as cheerful as the other villagers. Nothing special there. ‘Name’s Sugar Belle. I didn’t even know Starlight Glimmer had a personal writer.’

‘Well, she does, and it’s… me,’ Elkia said. ‘Weren’t you at my big “initiation?”’

‘I don’t think so. I must have missed it,’ said Sugar Belle.

There was a very awkward silence, broken only by the breeze and the rocking of the cupcake-shaped sign. Elkia poked at the sand with his hoof, unsure what to say. The only thing he thought about was how strange it was that Sugar Belle had missed that awkward moment where he met everyone in town. Apparently, it hadn’t really been everyone.

Luckily, Sugar Belle helped him out. ‘I have actually been living in the village for a very long time, but I finally decided to take the step and open a bakery for myself just a few days ago. Would you care for a muffin?’

Elkia found himself nodding, but before he could say something back to Sugar Belle, she already headed to her door. ‘Just take a seat anywhere and I’ll be right back, Elkia.’

‘Oh, yes, thanks…’ Elkia searched for a shaded spot and sat down. He should never have said yes to Sugar Belle’s offer. However sweet and cheerful she looked, Elkia wasn’t in the mood to have his stomach twisted by an awful feat of bakery. No, if anything, he wanted to be alone and think, think about the zeppelin and how he could use it to get out of here.

The table he had chosen stood opposite of Starlight Glimmer’s house. Elkia could see her moving around in the living room through the window. Her horn glowed. Was she writing something? Elkia had never before seen Starlight Glimmer write something down. Usually, she would dictate something and he himself would write it down. However small and unimportant this little discovery seemed, Elkia kept eyeing his master through the window.

Starlight was done. She floated the pencil away and read her note over. Elkia noticed that she was holding just a small piece of paper. He reckoned that whatever she was writing, it wasn’t important. Perhaps it was a list of groceries?

Starlight Glimmer moved towards one of the other windows. Elkia could barely spot her now. Only her purple and blue tail could be seen. She opened the window, and then something truly curious happened. Suddenly, a big, black bird landed on the veranda. It cawed once, twice, and then Starlight let the bird in. Just a few seconds later, it flew out of the window again, and disappeared into the distance.

Elkia’s eyes were wide. By sheer luck, he had found out how Starlight sent her messages. He felt his breath quicken, and fidgeted with his hooves. He was already thinking ahead, thinking about something he could think to cover up his discovery. He knew something that Starlight Glimmer tried to keep a secret!

‘Elkia, are you okay?’

Elkia jolted. Once again, Sugar Belle stood next to him, bearing a platter with a muffin, and once again, he hadn’t heard her coming. ‘Yes, yes, I’m fine,’ he said, rubbing his temples. ‘I was just… deep in thought.’

‘So, you’re the thinking kind, huh?’ Sugar Belle said. She put the platter down in front of Elkia. ‘It’s good to think a lot, I do that sometimes too. But now I won’t disturb you further. Bon appétit!’

Sugar Belle disappeared. For a brief moment, Elkia regarded the muffin. It looked drab and grey, just like the houses in Starlight’s village. This was not going to taste good. But Elkia knew he wasn’t here for the muffins anymore. He sat still and observed Starlight’s house, all the while taking small bites and trying not to let the awful taste of the muffin interrupt his musings. How was he going to catch one of those birds? How was he going to write a message in secret? And how was he going to make the bird head on over to Scribblers’ City and deliver the message to the right ponies? No matter how much he stroked his goatee or nibbled his muffin, he couldn’t come up with a plan.

A while later, Sugar Belle reappeared. She took the empty plate and regarded Elkia. ‘Was it good?’

‘The best,’ Elkia said, not even half aware of his lie.

‘Would you like another one?’

Actually, Elkia wouldn’t even want a muffin if Sugar Belle paid him for it. Yet he still wanted to sit here and look at Starlight Glimmer’s house. Maybe she was going to write another message? ‘Yes,’ he said, but then he caught himself, remembering something from Scribblers’ City. ‘Wait! Do you have lemon muffins too? Those were my favorite from the city.’

After a five second silence, Sugar Belle grabbed the empty plate and retreated into her bakery. ‘Coming right up.’

Elkia waited and waited, all the while looking at Starlight Glimmer’s window. But, much to his disappointment, she couldn’t be seen again. Perhaps she was reciting her new speech in the writing room. Silently, Elkia hoped she still had a message to send, or maybe the bird would return with the answer.

TAP, TAP, TAP.

Someone tapped on the window. Not starlight’s window, but Sugar Belle’s. Elkia raised his eyebrows and looked through the window on his right.

TAP, TAP, TAP, the sound came again.

Did Sugar Belle want him to pay inside? But… Elkia looked down at the table. His lemon muffin had never arrived.

TAP, TAP, TAP.

‘Alright, I’m coming,’ Elkia said. He stood up and entered the bakery.

‘Shush! Be silent,’ Sugar Belle hissed to him once he was inside.

Elkia cocked his head. She didn’t sound so friendly anymore. Her smile had disappeared, and now her eyes looked left and right and left again, as if she were waiting for someone.

‘I beg your pardon?’ Elkia said.

Sugar Belle moved past him, closed the door of the bakery, locked it, and turned the “open” sign to “closed.” ‘Follow me.’ Sugar Belle retreated further into the bakery, and motioned for Elkia to follow. Perhaps the cash register was somewhere in the back?

They entered a hallway. Sugar Belle suddenly leaned down, rolled up a piece of the carpet, and exposed a cellar door underneath it. Without a word, she opened it. Warm candlelight flickered down below. Once again, Sugar Belle motioned for Elkia to go ahead.

‘Wait, in there?’ Elkia had no idea what was going on now, but he was certainly not going to walk into a trap.

‘It’s our hideout,’ Sugar Belle hissed. ‘Just go in there and I’ll explain everything later on.’

Elkia took a moment to look into the pink pony’s eyes. Her brows were furrowed, and her whole expression looked dead serious. She bit her lip, and glanced backwards, but there was nopony to be seen. ‘Hurry!’

‘You go first,’ Elkia said, warily as he was.

‘Ah, I understand. You’re a cautious creature, aren’t you?’ Sugar Belle said. She stepped in front of Elkia and down the stairs into her cellar. ‘Just make sure to cover it up behind you.’

Elkia shook his head. What the hay was going on?! Sugar Belle hadn’t looked evil when she served him, yet her whole poise radiated something new now. Something strange and uncomfortable and sketchy, almost like Starlight Glimmer. Hesitating, Elkia did a few steps into the cellar. He did as she asked, reached back, and covered up the hidden door with the carpet as well as he could. Then he went down.

‘Party Favor, Night Glider, this here is Elkia Deerling, our newest asset.’

It took Elkia a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim light of the cellar, but when he finally could see something, he saw two hooves reaching out to him. Out of reflex, he shook them.

‘Glad to see more recruits are eager to fight for the good cause,’ one of them said. He was a light blue unicorn with a darker blue, curly mane. As he talked, the corners of his mouth went upwards, so it looked as if he were smiling as he talked.

‘Yes, glad to see that even a celebrity like you is on our side. And by the way, what did you think about the lemon muffin thing?’ the other pony, a pegasus dark as the night with a white mane said as she shook Elkia’s hoof. ‘I thought that up myself. Nopony is going to get in here without my ingenious passphrase.’

Elkia looked at them all, and then glanced around the cellar. There were about two dozen other ponies in there. There was a bar with a stallion behind it, serving food and drinks to whoever wanted some. There were some tables and barrels to sit on, and a huge blackboard covered the side of the room, well-lit by chandeliers with many candles. The whole place had an aura of secrecy around it, drifting in the dusty air. It was the same aura Sugar Belle wore.

But Elkia was quite tired of this secret thing. He wanted some answers. ‘Well, I don’t know what to think about the lemon muffin, because I didn’t even get any,’ he said. ‘The only thing I got was a tour to this strange place, and I must say I am terribly confused. Can somepony please tell me what’s going on here?’

A few ponies, sitting and talking around a table, ceased their conversation. Elkia felt gazes glare at him from everywhere.

‘You mean you were actually ordering lemon muffins?’ Night Glider said slowly, stressing every word as if speaking to a hard-hearing old stallion.

‘And you are not with the others?’ Party favor said.

Only Sugar Belle was silent, but gasped with wide open eyes, as she realized her mistake.

‘Which others?’ Elkia said. He still didn’t get his answer.

‘”O-t-h-e-r-s,”’ Party favor spelled out. ‘Other-thinkers.’

‘Well, I do think a lot myself, and yes, I do have certain opinions of this place, but—’ and then it dawned to Elkia. This secrecy, this underground place, this ominous name… He jumped up, bumped his head against the roof, and spoke rapidly. ‘Y-y-you mean you’re all… Is this some kind of resistance? A secret group?’

Night Glider and Party favor shared a glance with Sugar Belle, an angry one. ‘Sugar Belle, you had one job,’ Night Glider said. ‘To recruit new other-thinkers if they know the passphrase. And now you let him in? Don’t you know who he is, Sugar Belle? He’s Elkia Deerling, the personal writer of Starlight Glimmer. I thought it was strange for him to be here with us, and now my suspicions are correct. He’s not with us! In fact, I know for certain that as soon as he walks out of this room, he’ll tell Starlight all about us. We’re doomed!’

Sugar Belle bowed her head in shame. ‘I’m sorry, everyone. I… I thought he knew the passphrase.’

‘Whatever,’ said Party Favor. He looked over to Elkia. ‘We can’t let him leave this place. Glider, fetch a rope. I’ll tie him up.’

Once again Elkia jolted, bumped his head, and backed away. His long legs got caught in one of the barrels. He stumbled and fell, but quickly got up again and threw his hooves in the air. ‘Please, no! No need for that! I… I am an other-thinker too.’

But Party Favor already had a rope in his hooves, and advanced on Elkia. ‘We can’t be sure, Mister Deerling. We can’t take any risks.’

Looking at the table and what was on it, Elkia got an idea. He snatched up a jug of water from the table, and splashed it over his cutie mark. Immediately, the equal sign melted away, revealing his very own, unique cutie mark: his initials, which formed the antlers of a stylized elk. “Deerling”—member of the herd forever.

Everypony in the room gasped. Party Favor dropped the rope.

‘If I didn’t have my cutie mark, I wouldn’t be such an able writer,’ said Elkia, his voice sounding strange in the silence. ‘Starlight wouldn’t have any use for me.’

Suddenly, all hell broke loose. Ponies got up from their seats and walked over to Elkia. They threw their hooves in the air and shouted salutes. Many stuck out their hooves, and Elkia returned every hoofshake. He recognized some of the faces, ponies he had talked to or to whom he had sold a book. They knew him, and now that they knew he was on their side, they were quite happy about that.

‘Deerling! Deerling!’ they shouted. Some burly stallions grabbed Elkia and carried him out of the crowd. Elkia ended his crowd surfing session next to Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider. Who all looked down and smiled.

Party Favor helped Elkia back on his hooves. ‘It seems we have gained a powerful ally today,’ he said.

‘And all thanks to Sugar Belle,’ Night Glider said, patting her on the back.

‘Oh, please, enough about my silly mistake,’ she said with a grin. ‘Why don’t we show our newest member around? I’m sure he is as flabbergasted as us right now.’

‘Even more so,’ Elkia said. He was smiling too now, as he knew it was definitely no trap he had walked into. ‘Lead the way.’

They moved through the underground café, where everypony was once again doing what they were doing. ‘This isn’t just some ordinary secret society,’ said Party Favor. ‘This is also a place of recreation. Right here, in Sugar Belle’s basement, ponies of the other-thinkers have a chance to be themselves again. They don’t have to smile all day long, and they can happily discuss things and talk to one another without the fear of someone turning him or her in to Starlight Glimmer.’

‘I see,’ Elkia said. At every table there was a conversation going on, and Elkia was sure that every conversation would be about Starlight Glimmer and her regime. The ponies here were talking with earnest faces, yet the atmosphere was also laid back and sometimes even cheerful. Some stallions were laughing away, smiling real, genuine smiles. Somepony must have told a funny joke, a genuine funny joke. ‘I see what you mean. Ponies can relax and get a break from everything.’

‘Exactly,’ said Party Favor. ‘We all are not happy about Starlight’s reign. Most of us are quite new here in town. These are ponies who soon realized that with their cutie unmarking, they didn’t just lose their cutie marks, but also a piece of their soul, and their freedom. The ones that have been living here for a very long time, the old ones, have unfortunately been thoroughly brainwashed and indoctrinated.’ He elbowed Sugar Belle. ‘Except for our very own recruiter here.’

Sugar Belle blushed. ‘Oh, please.’

Party favor resumed his tale. ‘We might be able to win the old ones over eventually, but that’s just a future dream.’

Elkia nodded. They reached a room, and opened the door, revealing a strange machine inside.

‘I know what that is,’ Elkia said. ‘I used to gaze all day long at the printing presses in Scribblers’ City. This looks like an older model.’

‘It is,’ said Sugar Belle. ‘It was already standing here when I took over the house, with paper and ink and everything else ready to be used. You’d almost think the previous owners left it on purpose…’

‘The previous owners?’ Elkia said.

‘Don’t ask,’ Night Glider said, when she saw Sugar Belle wasn’t going to answer. ‘They disappeared without a trace, as sometimes happens around here.’

The way Night Glider said the word “disappear” made Elkia shiver. He didn’t ask for more details.

‘Unfortunately, we don’t know how to use it,’ Sugar Belle said after a short silence. ‘We do have a pony who used to be a reporter. He got stuck here when he was sent to investigate rumors of our town in the desert. But unfortunately he has been unmarked, so he can’t use his special talent to operate the machine.’

‘I…’ Elkia looked the machine over another time. ‘I think I can make it work.’

Night Glider and Party Favor exchanged a hoof bump. Elkia noticed it and smiled. ‘So that’s why you are all so happy with me. You want to use me for something.’

‘Well… if you don’t mind,’ Sugar Belle said.

‘Let’s go back to the drawing board!’ Night Glider announced. They walked out of the printing room and back into the underground café. Soon they became bathed in light, and stared at the blackboard. ‘This is our board of ideas,’ Night Glider said. ‘Here we can write whatever we like.’ She pointed to a corner. ‘In here we have information, anything and everything that can be used against Starlight Glimmer is written right there.’

When Elkia let his eyes wander over the sentences, he saw one caption that caught his eye:

Still has her cutie mark?!

Elkia walked up to that line and rubbed it out with his fur. ‘No need for that,’ he said, ‘for I can tell you right here right now that that is true.’

Night Glider and Party favor exchanged a mildly startled glance. ‘He’s good…’ Party Favor said with a grin.

‘And what’s this side all about?’ Elkia said, motioning to the right side of the blackboard.

‘Those are our actual ideas,’ Night Glider said. ‘Boycotts, strikes, raids, revolutions, and other acts of civil disobedience. Basically, everything that would make Starlight’s regime fall.’

‘That seems quite… drastic,’ Elkia said. ‘Have you guys ever actually done this?’

Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor shook their heads. ‘No, we’ve never tried one of those plans,’ Night Glider said.

‘I understand why,’ said Elkia.

‘You do?’

Elkia nodded. ‘You have built yourselves a solid community with real friendship. I know that having a community of your own is valuable, and needs to be protected.’ Elkia’s mind wandered off to Scribblers’ City. ‘If necessary with a wall and guards.’

‘You’re not stupid, Elkia,’ Night Glider said. ‘You know what we think. Of course we would want to do such things, but we don’t want to miss this’—she motioned with her hoof around the cellar—‘or each other.’

‘If such an operation failed, the society of other-thinkers would be wiped clean, and we would all be reformed one by one,’ Sugar Belle said.

‘Reformed…?’ Elkia said.

Everypony was silent for a few seconds, and shivered. ‘Please, just… just don’t ask,’ said Sugar Belle.

‘Very well,’ said Elkia. ‘But… how can I help you with my writing skills when you are next to powerless against Starlight’s regime?’

Night Glider shook her head. ‘We’re just too few. If we had maybe a few dozen more ponies, we could easily execute one of these plans, and make a difference. All of us want our cutie marks, our identity, and our freedom back. Everyone is willing to fight for that. We simply need more ponies. But reaching out to potential members of the other-thinkers is so difficult. It’s just so hard to know who can be trusted, and once we do find somepony not completely corrupted by the regime, we are having so much trouble communicating. The passwords, code phrases and quick messages’—she rubbed her face with her hooves—‘it’s just so hard!’

‘Yes,’ Party Favor said. ‘We’re sure that if more ponies knew of our existence, more would join. And if more would join, we can build an army, or at least an angry mob. That’s sure to frighten Starlight, and make her see her wrongs. Hay, if we have ponies enough, we might even be able to overthrow her.’

‘Imagine that,’ Sugar Belle added, ‘a whole new village, with a democracy where everypony gets to vote, and everypony gets to share his or her opinion. And of course, a new village where everypony is free to use his or her special talent, and build a brand new society—together. That is our ultimate goal. Doesn’t that sound nice?’

‘It does,’ Elkia said. ‘It does…’

Night Glider swooped down and poked Elkia on his belly. ‘And that’s where you come in, Deerling. With your writing skills, you are able to make flyers, or books with coded messages or maybe even a newspaper for us to hand out. We know who can be trusted, so about the distribution you don’t have to worry. Just think up some nice lines with inspirational texts, and we’ll make sure they end up at the right ponies.’

Party Favor nodded. ‘With a bit of careful advertising, we’ll be sure to win the hearts of more freedom-loving and other-thinking ponies.’

There was a small silence. Elkia knew that now he was supposed to say something. He rubbed his chin. ‘I don’t know. It sounds awfully dangerous. What if those papers end up in the wrong hooves?’

‘That’s a risk we have to take,’ said Night Glider. ‘But remember what I told you. We know who to trust and who not to trust. And if we all get caught, we’ll make sure to keep our mouths quiet. Nopony is going to betray you, and certainly not after everything you did for us.’

‘No guts, no glory,’ Party favor added, smiling as he said it.

Sugar Belle softly stroked Elkia’s fur. ‘This might be the only chance we’ll ever get. It’s all in or nothing, and I’m sure all of these ponies will be dying to do something about that pretty little princess in her pretty little castle.’

‘I’m not going to sow hate,’ Elkia said. ‘I’m just going to tell everypony the truth.’

‘So you’ll do it?’ Night Glider said.

‘To tell you the truth, I’m really not up for more secrecy,’ Elkia said. ‘I have had my belly full of secrecy the first day I arrived here.’

The others’ hopeful smiles turned upside down into grim disappointment. Yet, they understood Elkia’s choice. They did know that they asked quite a lot from him. Was it too much?

‘But…’ Elkia continued, ‘I myself am also dying to spread the truth. I have used my writing skills only in favor of the regime, both in Scribblers’ City as well as here. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to put my talent to good use—to honest use.’

After Elkia’s words, there was total silence. Conversations died down around them. It was as if everypony felt that an important decision was being made, and everypony was eager to hear the outcome.

Once again Elkia thought about everything and everypony he had encountered during this strange afternoon. This whole operation did sound dicey, but if he could pull it off it would make him feel good. Hay, even if he’d get caught making secret pamphlets or newspapers he would feel good. In any way, he would feel as if he genuinely helped somepony, and was once again part of something bigger than him alone. Elkia made his decision.

‘So yes,’ Elkia said, ‘I’ll do it.’

Once again, all hell broke loose, and the crowd around them transformed into a cheerful mob—a mob ready for another chance.

Elkia stayed for a few more minutes to lay out the plan, but then he returned to the surface again. On his way to Starlight’s home, he looked at the sun, and estimated how long he had been inside the headquarters of the other-thinkers. He hoped it hadn’t been too long, and that Starlight Glimmer hadn’t noticed. He reached the front door, opened it, and went inside.

‘That was quite a long break you took, Elkia,’ said Starlight Glimmer. Her tone of voice betrayed her suspicion all too clearly, and it made Elkia’s neck hairs stand on end.

‘I was visiting a new shop in town,’ Elkia said. He didn’t need to stutter or hesitate, for he told nothing but the truth. ‘They sold muffins there.’

‘I see…’

Elkia headed over to the writing room, as he knew that’s where Starlight Glimmer wanted him to be. He sat down and shoved his typewriter closer to him. He was just about to type the first few words of his next project, when Starlight’s hoof barred him the way.

‘Mind reading. Now.’

A flame lit up in Elkia’s stomach. He felt as if somepony caught him stealing. He had a lot of trouble forcing his hooves not to tremble. He licked his lips, and slowly moved his head to look in the dictator’s eyes. ‘Really? I thought, eh… I thought you trusted me. I thought we were partners. I thought I was a part of your beautiful society. I thought—’

Starlight’s horn flashed with pale blue, shimmering light. Her eyes flared up, as she concentrated on the elk before her. ‘How was the cupcake?’

‘Great!’ Elkia said. Panic gripped his heart and dominated his mind, so he hadn’t noticed his mistake.

‘Liar,’ Starlight said. ‘You said you were having muffins, not cupcakes. And right now, I can see how much you disliked it. You actually thought sand would be better to swallow than the dough of that “treat.”’

Elkia swallowed. He wanted to back away, but found that he couldn’t get up from his chair. Starlight had him cornered, both physically as well as mentally.

The cold tip of Starlight’s horn touched Elkia’s forehead. Starlight’s eyes narrowed, as she browsed through the pictures in his mind. She smiled. She always loved using her powers. ‘Oh, look at that,’ she said. ‘It seems you found out about my secret air express mail.’

Elkia could see his own thoughts and memories flipping by his subconscious eye like the pages of a book. There was no denying it. Starlight Glimmer could see everything. He wanted to bow his head in shame, but he was locked into position.

More glimmers of magic emanated from Starlight’s horn. ‘Well, don’t worry about that, Elkia. I knew you were going to find that out sooner or later. But don’t think about using it yourself. My birds are trained to head over to the leaders who are my puppets in my play. And besides that, I keep a magical lock on both my bedroom door and the cage with crows. You’re not going to use them.’

‘I’m not going to use them,’ Elkia said, repeating Starlight’s words with a dull, emotionless voice. He felt as if he had lost complete control of his body.

‘Let’s see what else is there…’

No! The next scene would be the secret meeting with Sugar Belle, Night Glider, and Party Favor. She was not supposed to see that. Elkia focused his willpower in his head. He had to shake the imaginary fetters loose, if only for a moment. He had to cover up the thought.

‘You are struggling,’ Starlight said, her voice cold and harsh.

Indeed he was. Elkia tried to overload his subconscious with images of things that had nothing to do with what he had experienced today. At first, he thought about something that had been on his mind for a long time today. He thought about the children’s book he was working on. He wondered how he should write the climax, what to write and what not to write, and which characters to include.

Foxy and mousy and little piggy too. Perhaps they discover the secret Mousy has been keeping. Yes, that would make for an interesting plot twist. I should totally do that.

‘Stop it, Elkia,’ said Starlight Glimmer. Her eyes flared up with blue magical light. ‘I know you can’t be thinking about your projects all day long. There must be more.’

More, more, more! Elkia tried to think of more things, anything at all. Reaching back into dark corners of his mind, he went back to Scribblers’ City. He wanted to remember happy things, and thought about a special somepony he had left behind. He thought about the light brown mare with the mane that wasn’t quite blond and wasn’t quite red. He thought about her lovely smile, and how she always talked to him as if he were a little foal. He liked that. It made him feel loved and cared for. Yes, Strawberry Blonde had been like a mother to him, the mother he had lost. She had comforted him, kissed him, loved him.

‘That mare?!’ Starlight said. She sounded genuinely angry now. ‘Get her out of my sight, Elkia. I want to see more. Why are you even thinking about her so much anyway?’

Elkia thought about her because he was still not sure if he’d forgive her. They had been together until that strange and awkward night. And yet, for a moment they actually had been together after that. When she visited Elkia in his cage, right before he was shipped off, she had tried to show she still loved him. Elkia realized that she probably didn’t even know where he was. He realized that she was perhaps home, sitting on her bed, softly crying and wishing for that one special somepony—that one special some-elk—to be back with her. To be back with her and be his funny, silly, naïve self. To be back and enjoy many more lovely and cozy moments together. To be back and cuddle, kiss, and create beautiful stories, just him and her.

‘You’ve been lucky, Elkia,’ said Starlight Glimmer. Her anger was shoved to the background, and only lesser irritation remained. But there was more. ‘You’ve been lucky to see true friendship and camaraderie, maybe even love. That is how friendship should be.’

Elkia blinked. Somehow, he found himself talking back. He was regaining control of his own self. ‘Did you never have that, Starlight?’

That was a bad mistake. Starlight Glimmer gritted her teeth and frowned. Her magic turned from blue to red. The beam of energy became a lightning bolt, striking in Elkia’s mind and burrowing aggressively for information. ‘Just let… me… see… the… rest!’ she shouted.

Grimacing against the pain, Strawberry Blonde got dismissed from Elkia’s mind. It wasn’t enough. What else could he think about? While the lightning bolt dug deeper, darker thoughts and worries surfaced in Elkia’s subconscious, with his greatest worry on top.

‘Alces!’

There he was, the strong, battle-ready and gruff brother. He was hard to see, covered in shadows. Where was he? Was he alive? Was he still in Scribblers’ City? Elkia tried to see, but the picture didn’t reveal anything else to him. The only thing he could see was how Alces waited in the shadows, his eyes full of fire, brooding on something. But at least he was alive. Or wasn’t he? Was this just a memory of his brother, or was this something more? Could he somehow see through all the miles that separated them, and check on his brother this way? Questions flooded his mind, and he knew, however much he wanted answers and not questions, that this was good.

‘AARGH!’ Starlight Glimmer grunted. She reared on her hind hooves, and doubled the assault on Elkia’s mind.

Now Elkia grunted too, as the magic flowed through his head and the rest of his body. It tickled and stung him at the same time. It sought out every corner of his mind, every weak spot, to break through the door that held the secrets. Elkia tried to resist, even though new thoughts didn’t appear in his mind. He thought his head was going to explode soon, or that steam would drift out of his ears.

Suddenly, it all stopped.

Elkia flew off his chair, and fell down upon the ground. When he got up, he watched Starlight Glimmer intently. Had it worked? Had he kept his thoughts hidden from her?

Starlight Glimmer blinked slowly. She shook her head, and her breathing calmed down. ‘Now, that was quite… interesting,’ she said.

Elkia saw a faint trace of a grin on his master’s face. He knew that couldn’t be good.

But Starlight was not going to reveal anything more to Elkia. She turned around. ‘Go back to work, Elkia. We’re almost done for today. I only need to write one little message and then we’ll review your work together.’ Without another word, she turned around and headed for her bedroom door.

Elkia watched until the door shut with a click.