Libero

by Discombobulated Soul

Milvus

"Hey Button," Mommy whispered with a mischievous lilt in her voice, "d'you wanna help me prank Momma?"

The foal curiously cocked his head to the side even while a wide grin split his muzzle thanks to hearing his new name. Mommy was hunkered low to the ground, running her hoof through his mane as she stared deeply into his eyes. Her mouth formed its own smile, a playful expression that framed the scheming twinkle in her yellow gaze.

PRANK?

Confusion, vehemence, and other such annoying emotions swirled in the back of Dark Night's mind as the Others discussed the current happenings.

The foal simply ignored such matters, blinking inquiringly up at Mommy as his unspoken question echoed throughout the living room.

"It's like a funny trick to play for the fun of it. We're gonna pretend to ambush her, but I need your help to do it."

FUN!

This certainly sounded entertaining, and that was all the convincing it took for Dark Night to agree. He vigorously nodded his reply, an impish grin replacing his smile as he stood, filled with excited energy. Mommy leaned close and her eyes lingered for a moment on his wagging tail before she continued.

"Alright, Button. I'll move in first, so give me a minute to get into position. Then, on my signal," Mommy winked conspiratorially, "we strike. Momma won't even know what hit her." This caused the foal to let out a slew of giggles, which Mommy reflexively staunched with a hoof to his muzzle as she covertly glanced over to the kitchen.

Dark Night intended to follow her gaze, but instead found his eyes stuck on the graceful figure that towered over him even while stooped low. He felt a content expression settle on his face as he took a moment to appreciate his Mommy, even while the Others continued to noisily argue.

The foal grabbed Mommy's much-larger hoof in his own, rubbing it against his cheek and causing her to emit a surprised snort. He ensured, though, that when he opened his eyes again to stare back up at her, only the most wickedly-mischievous smirk adorned his features.

"Let's get her!" He exclaimed in as hushed a tone as he could muster, to which Mommy adopted an expression that mirrored his.

And together, the pair of mighty hunters set off to stalk their prey.

---

Something was up.

Bon Bon Heartstrings suspiciously eyed her surroundings, letting the ceramic bowl she'd been washing clatter back into the sink. Dual clicks reached her swiveling ears from her front hooves regaining contact with the floor, but her eyes narrowed when no further sounds did the same.

The former agent's trained senses were going haywire and she couldn't shake the feeling--the knowledge--that something was hunting her.

A moment of consideration later, though, and a wry grin spread across her muzzle.

The defenses Twilight installed would've vaporized anything hostile. So the only thing that could possibly be 'stalking' me...

"Oh, how incredibly odd," the mare stated, raising a fetlock to her forehead in distress that could not feasibly be any less genuine. "I feel as if I'm being watched. Gee, I sure do hope nothing's coming to get me..." The earth pony just barely caught a blur of movement as her predator ducked into the pantry. The only feature she could distinguish was the mint-colored tail streaming out behind, but that plus the hushed clacking of hurried hooves told her all she needed to know.

Rolling her eyes in good-natured irritation, Bon Bon strode over to the pantry and leaned against the doorframe to inspect a hoof while raising a disdainful eyebrow.

"Really, Lyly?" The rest of what would have been some witty quip about her wife's maturity went unspoken as Bon Bon instead expressed it through her expression alone.

Lyra looked for all the world like a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar.

Except the filly was thirty-five with a stable job and the cookie jar was the large bag of powdered sugar she'd failed to slip behind in time.

The couple blinked at each other for several moments. A sheepish grin appeared on the unicorn's muzzle, while the earth pony's eyebrow only ventured farther up her forehead.

Suddenly, Lyra's grin turned victorious and she leapt forward to grab Bon Bon's forelegs.

"Button! NOW!"

The former agent had only the time to realize the cunning trap she'd so foolishly walked into. Her horrified expression was cut short with a ruthless tackle straight to her withers. Ordinarily, the force wouldn't be nearly enough to topple her against her will, but combined with Lyly pulling her legs out from under her, the mare had no choice but to fall to the floor.

Vanquished, Bon Bon futilely attempted to squirm out of her capturer's grasp, but, pinned as she was beneath his weight, there was no hope of success. Her naivete shone through when she genuinely believed that to be the end of it. Believed, that was, until she shivered under a wet sensation as her son began nibbling on her right ear.

"No. No, please! Not the ears!" Bonnie's squirming began anew and with far more vigor as the dreadfully-ticklish feeling spread throughout her body. Lyra had to enlist her levitation to help pin the writhing mare to the ground as uncontrollable guffaws shook her figure.

Former Special Agent Sweetie Drops was a formidable combatant with few weaknesses to speak of. Even still, one continued to haunt her to this day, as it had since she'd been so foolish as to share it with her special somepony. Why she'd ever trusted the information to her wife, she didn't know. Especially since the secret had evidently been spread to their family's newest member.

Laughter filled the home, echoing throughout its very frame as the torturous assault continued. It grew threefold when Bonnie finally burst free of her bonds and promptly returned the favor to her unicorn assailants. Reducing Lyra to a wriggling lump of giggles was easy enough, and Button proved quite ticklish as well.

Soon, all that remained of the once-proud Heartstrings family was a happy heap of breathless chortling sprawled together on the pantry floor. All three could only gasp for air, but only the widest of smiles split their faces as they lay with various limbs entwined in a jumbled mess.

"I love you, mom." Button's confession was thoroughly muffled thanks to his face being buried under a tan hock, but thankfully still audible.

"Which one?" Lyra playfully responded, nudging his shoulder with the tip of her horn. The foal let out the faint ghost of what might've been a giggle, but seemed unable to do much else; even Button's near-limitless supply of energy appeared drained from the events. The mares were hardly faring any better as they stared tiredly up at the ceiling, lacking the breath to so much as move their necks.

"Both!" Was Button's slightly-affronted retort, and Bonnie felt something grab her hindleg before nuzzling into it with ferocious abandon. The earth pony broke into another beaming smile at this, somehow finding the energy to roll to her hooves and lumber over to the collapsed unicorns.

"Alright, c'mere, you!"

In one lurching movement, Bonnie swept her family up in her forelegs--much to Lyra's gasping protest and Button's cheery excitement--and promptly fell back to the floor, squeezing them against her barrel with what little strength she'd regained after the tickle-fest. The foal let out another breathy giggle, seeming content to simply lay there for the moment. Lyra, on the other hoof, weakly squirmed in place to little avail before slumping defeatedly with her nose buried in the earth pony's neck.

"Can we go now?" Was the minty mare's somewhat-whiny inquiry, to which Bonnie stubbornly shook her head and tightened her grip.

"Nnnope!" Button giggled again at this and shifted in place to mutter into his mommy's flattened ear.

"I think we're stuck." And Lyra sighed again, in a tone that tried to be irritated but couldn't fully mask her amusement at their shared plight.

Bon Bon closed her eyes, deeply pondering what on Equus she did to deserve such wonderful ponies in her life even as she held those same loved ones hostage. Laying in their current position--the unicorns held tight against the bottom of her barrel while she laid on her back with her muzzle pressed into her son's mane--she was able to catch a hint of something that made her pause.

Ponies of all tribes, Bon Bon knew, each had their own distinct scent, one that couldn't be removed for long even with immense dosages of perfume or other such substances. The leading theory was that each individual flavor was a reflection of the pony's special talent and therefore an essential part of their very identity, every bit as key as a cutie mark.

Darkest Knight, Bon Bon recalled, had not possessed any distinct scent of his own. Just after she'd rescued him from the hydra, he'd only smelled like dirt, sweat and blood. Once she'd cleaned him up, his coat had held onto the fragrance of the shampoo she'd used for many weeks. Really, it seemed like whatever scent he was exposed to the most was the one he latched onto, which definitely wasn't the norm.

Right now, Button smelled like her and Lyra.

And not just because they were nearby; that was definitely Lyly's minty tang she detected from his mane, and her own sugary aroma was indisputably there as well.

Fortunelessly, Bonnie's further musings were cut short with a knock on the door.

Instantly, she could tell Button was shoved away to let Knight begin fronting, and she didn't need her wife's warning glance to know that holding him against his will was hardly advisable. The earth pony relinquished her grip, letting both unicorns roll to the kitchen floor.

Knight popped up and ducked behind Lyra as the mares stood, exchanging meaningful glances. Bon Bon strode to the door while Lyra headed for the couch, gently shuttling the suddenly-anxious colt along. The earth pony reached for her front door's handle, but stopped long enough to shoot a reassuring glance his way.

"It's okay, Sugar; she's only here for a little get-together, just like last week." If her words had any effect on the shivering foal, she couldn't tell, but when Lyra gave her an affirmative 'thumbs-up'--a gesture, she'd long ago learned, that took much finesse and was nowhere close to a wave of the hoof no matter how closely it resembled that--Bon Bon had no choice but to continue.

Well, there was always the option of slamming the door in Starlight's face or perhaps showing anypony who dared frighten her child what for. But while those choices crossed her mind more often than she cared to admit, Bonnie knew that--with the exception of Stormy Night--beating somepony up was not an acceptable answer to her troubles. Also, Starlight was wholly in charge of the situation and had been since the airship, so it was probably best to just do as she said.

That didn't make it any less disappointing to have their family time so abruptly interrupted, though.

The door opened with a soft creak, but not before Bon Bon placed her hoof on the adjacent panel to deactivate the home's magical defenses. Just outside, a lilac-colored unicorn mare with a well-managed smile stood, nodding in greeting.

"Hello, Bon Bon," Starlight said, then tilted her head to indicate the orange stallion beside her, "I brought my sidekick this time. I'm hoping he'll get along with your son, but if he doesn't play nice, a spray bottle usually does the trick." This elicited raised brows from both the earth pony and the robed unicorn, though the latter merely rolled his eyes while the former could only blink confusedly.

"You see what I have to put up with?" He seemed to realize himself then and promptly raised a hoof to shake. "I'm Sunburst, Starlight's lackey. Feed me snackies, and I promise to be a good little gremlin. Or so she tells everycreature we meet." Bon Bon absently took his hoof in her own, dazed. After a moment or two of consideration, though, a wry grin appeared on her face instead.

"Oh believe me, I have my own eccentric unicorn wife to suffer through, so I get it." Sunburst's smile grew devious and his head tipped to accentuate the camaraderie between them.

"Utterly engrossed with a slim selection of interests, to the exclusion of all else?" Bon Bon nodded knowingly and returned with:

"Obsessively needy, to the point that you're shocked she ever lived on her own?" To which Sunburst chuckled and spoke the final line in unison with her.

"About as mature as the children she gets along with so well, despite being a grown mare?"

Starlight Glimmer's outraged expression cut through their shared cackling, but only long enough for her to say her piece before it resumed tenfold:

"Hey! You guys aren't allowed to start bonding yet! No fair!"

Once recovered, Bonnie stepped aside to make way for her guests, who entered and closed the door behind them. The earth pony's expression hardened when she took in the white lump shivering on the couch and even more so when she saw her dutiful wife's fruitless attempts to console him.

"Alright, here's the plan," the former agent's attention was drawn by Starlight's hushed voice and serious tone, with the mood having changed to match. "Last week didn't turn out so well and Sunny here needs to meet Knight properly. He's still scared of me, so we're going to split up." The therapist mare gestured to the saddlebags her husband was currently wearing. "Lyra, Knight and Sunburst can all go to a separate room and hang out for the duration. He has a few activities planned, so hopefully it'll go better than last time. Bon Bon, you'll stay here with me and catch me up on how things have been going."

There was a distinct change in Starlight, Bonnie decided.

For all the time she'd known the mare--which really wasn't that long, to be fair, but the ex-agent felt she had a good grasp on the unicorn regardless--Starlight had been dedicated, straightforward, and rather blunt. A mare on a mission. She could be friendly, yes, but only to the extent that it helped move her goals closer.

What was more, there'd been...not anxiety, per se, but a stress that built deep within her the more troubling her newest case proved to be. Bon Bon had seen it erupt last week when the unicorn burst into tears, but the tightness had been present long before that.

Now, though?

Starlight Glimmer was as light, cheery, and happy as could be. And the ex-agent had a feeling that the bespectacled stallion beside her had something to do with that.

It was then that the plan was enacted and everypony shuffled off to their respective destinations. Bonnie kept her musings about her superior's emotional state to herself as she settled back on her favored sofa. Perhaps she'd share her findings with the therapist, perhaps not. She was honestly unsure where her relationship with the other mare stood as of yet, even though an in-depth analysis of one's feelings seemed right up Starlight's alley.

Regardless, Bonnie steeled herself for the conversation to come, watching somewhat forlornly as her loved ones followed after the stallion she'd met mere minutes ago. With Knight not present, she expected Starlight to drop all pretenses and simply interrogate her for information.

Ah, well, she'd do her best.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

---

Warm.

WARM?

GOOD WARM! MOMMY WARM!

Okay.

Mommy was warm.

The world outside was cold, cruel, and coarse.

But so long as you held onto her hock, things were okay.

Safe.

Need I remind all of you that we are currently heading towards certain doom?

MAYBE HE'S FRIENDLY!

Trail behind Mommy as she strides onwards.

Uneasily eye the strange stallion leading you.

Clutch the green leg harder as anxiety takes hold.

I don't know. Maybe if--

Of course not. When has anypony ever been 'friendly?' He has it out for us, just like the mare who came before.
Or have you forgotten already? I would not put it past one of your 'intellect.'

BUT MOMMY'S OKAY WITH HIM!

Hesitantly smile back at the mare's reassuring look.

That means absolutely nothing. You should not trust her in the first place.
Do you even remember what that mare is capable of?

I TRUST HER MORE THAN YOU!

...

We're stopping.

Fidget nervously as the stallion settles down in the hallway.

Cling to Mommy when she does the same.

Whine softly as he starts to dig around in his saddlebags.

What's he doing...?

Picking which weapon to use to beat you senseless with, obviously.
At this point, though, he likely will not have a hard time of it.
You need to run while you still can. Do not be like Darkest. Do not put us in danger.

I...

Huddle closer to the mare.

Pant for breath as she runs her hoof through your mane.

Study the stallion's every movement.

I don't know...

Please, Knight.
You cannot fall for their tricks.
Even I can admit you are better than that.

IT'S OKAY!

MOMMY'S SAFE!

IF SHE SAYS IT'S OKAY, THEN IT'S OKAY!

"It'll be okay, Sugar. He just wants to hang out with us."

Shiver as Mommy's wonderful voice rocks your world.

Form a slight grin at your new nickname.

Bury your nose in her side and inhale her scent so your tension eases.

No. Dark Ni--

BUTTON!

Button's right. Mommy's safe. I love her.

She'll make sure I don't get hurt.

Sigh heavily when the stallion simply pulls out a pad of paper and some pencils.

Ah. Fine, then.

Watch warily as he starts to draw.

I see how it is.

Raise a brow when Mommy does the same, borrowing the supplies needed.

Just you wait. You shall see I was right.
When your sick addictions fail you, you will come crawling back to me.
I can wait. I am patient. And when your so-called 'mother' stabs you in the back--

I sincerely doubt that shall happen. Methinks we have seen quite enough of the mare to know that she hardly intends to do us any wrong.

Cringe as something inside you boils with unimaginable wrath.

SHUT! UP!
GO AWAY!
NOPONY WANTS YOU, DARKEST! LEAST OF ALL US!

Wince when sudden agony ripples from a section of your mental space.

"Hey. Knight, is it?"

Shoot to attention as the stallion speaks for the first time.

Tentatively take in his inviting grin.

Blink when you find no malice whatsoever in his expression.

"Would you like to draw with us? It's great fun. I find it helps calm the mind."

That sounds like exactly what I need.

FUN!

Take hold of the materials Mommy proffers to you.

"Though, granted, I'm not too good at it."

The stallion remarks with a teasing wink.

Continue to blink when that's all he says for quite a while.

Eye the paper, disgruntled.

I...don't know how to draw...

FUN!

Shrug and lift the pencil after inspecting it for suspicious properties.

Put pen to paper.

Squint in concentration.

FUN!

Let's see what happens.

---

Three unicorns sat there, drawing in content silence, for quite some time.

Eventually, they all seemed to finish their separate projects and set the various utensils down as one.

"Very nice, Mrs. Heartstrings. I like the shading."

Lyra had, rather badly, drawn a stylized landscape. Truth be told, the image was clearly amateur and Sunburst visibly struggled to find anything good to say. Still, the mare appreciated the positive comment and set the paper aside, eager to see the others.

"I myself drew a kite. Or, well, tried to. I think I might be better at flying them than picturing them."

These words rang true and the other two unicorns winced accordingly when they saw the failed attempt on the page. Despite half an hour of work, the picture might as well have been hastily scrawled by a caffeinated child.

"My wife is obsessed with kites. Though, I suppose it's one of the few passions I share with her."

Sunburst smiled gently back at Knight's cautiously curious expression.

"There's a lot of symbolism in kites. We made and flew them all the time as foals, whenever we could. They reassured us that we could one day fly free, just like them."

Sunburst tilted his head down, a nondescript twinkle in his eye. Knight shivered, feeling a connection of sorts take place as he gazed into it.

"Would you like to fly kites with me, sometime?"

A slow nod. A happy, genuine smile.

"Wonderful."

---

"He needs to go outside."

Starlight whinnied in surprise, whipping her head around to stare disbelievingly at the robed stallion walking beside her.

"How and why is that a good idea?" Sunburst pursed his lips at this, not turning to face her at all and instead bowing his head in contemplation. "You know he won't feel secure outside the house. The only reason he can interact at all is because he has a status quo to predict and expect. A trip would disturb that. He could have a panic attack, or worse..." Starlight trailed off at her husband's headshake, raising a brow.

"I know all of that. It doesn't change that fact that he needs to go outside."

Sunburst finally looked her in the eye, cutting off her retort with his sincere expression.

"Do you know what he drew, Starry?"

A blink. A shake of the head.

A sad smile.

"Himself. Enclosed in a labyrinth that pressed in on all sides. What do you think that says about his mental state?"

The couple walked on through the streets of Ponyville in silent contemplation. They drew curious looks and whispered musings from the townsponies around them, though thankfully none stepped up to break the thoughtful reticence. Finally, when their crystal destination was just ahead and Starlight showed no signs of speaking, Sunburst sighed again and attempted to lighten the mood somewhat.

"Look, you mares might not understand him as well as a stallion like myself. I get it: Our masculine connection is beyond your female comprehension." The therapist winked at his wife, who rolled her eyes but smiled all the same as they reached the crystal door. "The fact is, Knight and everypony else in his head needs to be let out. Just for a little. We're planning on flying kites."

This made the mare come to a sudden halt, ears perked.

"Kites? We haven't flown those in a long time! Not since..."

"...Prance," Sunburst finished when she trailed off, a knowing--and somewhat smug--look on his face. Starlight glowered at him for a few seconds, but the thought of kites ended up being too tempting and she broke into an excited grin.

"Okay, you've sold me. When can we go?" This was asked with childlike glee and the stallion chuckled accordingly as they headed inside the castle doors.

"Next week, when our next meeting is scheduled."

Starlight pouted a little at this, but not for long. Already, she was hopping with excitement and mulling over which of her wide selection of kites would best work for Ponyville's climate.

"I can't wait!"

---

In the green hills bordering Ponyville a strong wind blew, causing the blades of grass to wave and the many clouds to travel faster than usual. A pleasant afternoon sun shone down on the biome, dappling the ground with its rays and casting small, lumpy shadows. Mount Canterhorn gleamed in the distance, all but smiling down on the area as the fine, cool weather lifted spirits and kites alike.

Bon Bon led her family further across the hills, carrying a stressed lump of white on her back as she made her way to the lone stallion standing ahead. Starlight Glimmer sat a few hills away all on her lonesome, seeming entranced by the fabric currently sailing high above her head. Manes and tails blowing in the wind, the Heartstrings finally reached Sunburst and began to converse with him.

And watching all of this from an oddly-stationary cloud above was none other than Rainbow Dash.

The usually-restless pegasus sat incredibly still, intently observing the goings-on below her. Her cerise gaze landed on the colt that was once in some bygone era her friend and stayed there, unmoving. Studying his every move. Watching for signs of...something or other. Something that said she could help. Something that meant she needed to swoop in and save the day, like she always did.

Something that told her she was needed. That he needed her.

Because she knew she needed to help him.

A shadow. The faint flutter of feathers.

Rainbow knew who'd settled on the cloud beside her without looking; she could recognize that wing pattern anywhere.

"Dashie, you know you shouldn't be watching them. What if somepony catches you? What if he sees you?"

The cyan pegasus nodded her understanding, but couldn't make herself stop peering over the edge of the cloud, let alone make eye contact with her oldest friend.

"Please, 'shy," she croaked, "I really need this."

And Fluttershy sighed her understanding, settling down next to the mare and draping a yellow wing across her withers. They sat in silence, but not for very long; Rainbow was the type that had feelings and tended to be quite vocal about them.

Besides, some things needed to be said.

"It was supposed to be our job, Flutters. The princess chose us. We were gonna make him better. It was going so well, too! We helped him, didn't we?"

A hum. A nod. A supportive rub.

A sigh. A sniffle. A dejected whine.

"I just don't understand what went wrong. Why does Starlight just get to take charge like that? And why are we suddenly so..." a brief pause, "...useless."

Under normal circumstances, Rainbow would likely begin fidgeting, eternally-restless as she usually was. As it stood, she could only watch Knight take up his own kite, receiving instructions from the stallion beside him. The first attempt failed spectacularly, with the fabric immediately slamming straight to the ground and somehow rolling down the hill despite the strong wind. Undeterred, the colt simply levitated it back, nodding along to the further advice offered by Sunburst.

"You're not useless, Dashie. You're a Wonderbolt now! I'd say that's about as far away from useless as you can get."

The words were an empty comfort and both pegasi knew it. Fluttershy winced, but let her apology be expressed through her consoling gestures rather than verbally.

"You're loyal to a fault, Dash. Right now, it hurts that you've been forced away from a friend, especially one that you had a duty to." The yellow mare paused, a remorseful look about her face. Still, her voice was strong, leaving no room for argument. "But you need to accept that you're not the best pony for the job. It doesn't mean you're useless or that they'll never need you. Just that right now, there's not much you can do to help. And that's okay."

It was not okay.

Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, miserably laying her head on the soft surface of the cloud as her friend delicately stroked her back. The dull roar of wind drowned out any sounds from below, present as it was everywhere except for the air around their perch. Truly, the breeze wasn't strong enough to be called a gale, but only just; it was the perfect speed to get a kite in the air without it flying wildly out of control.

"Look at him, Dash." Rainbow scoffed, opening her eyes long enough to roll them and communicate her disdain before they shut again.

"That's all I've been doing this whole time, 'shy. Honestly, I--"

"No, Rainbow Dash. Look at him."

The cyan pegasus' eyes bulged in surprise at the commanding tone in her friend's voice. Dubiously, she took in the yellow mare's stony expression. The Wonderbolt's cerise stare wandered across the shortened manestyle of her companion, which hadn't changed since it was severed that way when Darkest went rogue. Usually, it appeared quite out of place on the embodiment of Kindness--it was still a mystery as to why she hadn't gotten it fixed--but now it highlighted her dour look as she disapprovingly shook her head.

"Not me, Dash. Look at Darkest."

Hesitantly, the mare obeyed, turning once more to gaze down and at the colt in question, who was now hopping excitedly as he scurried over to Bon Bon. Rainbow's ears twitched, barely able to pick up an ecstatic shout over the rushing wind:

"Look, Momma! I'm doing it!"

Darkest's borrowed kite--a fairly standard model, carefully painted to closely resemble a phoenix--soared triumphantly high above his head, its connecting spool of string held in his telekinetic aura. The Wonderbolt twitched as he tripped, pitching down the side of the hill, but relaxed when Bon Bon reached out and deftly caught him. A wide grin appeared on the earth pony's face when she saw his expression and she clutched him tight to her barrel, nuzzling his mane.

"He looks happy." Rainbow remarked, to which Fluttershy hummed affirmatively.

"Yes, Dashie. He's happy. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Rainbow didn't answer.

Far below, Bon Bon's stare tracked the soaring kite, but was soon drawn to the sole stationary cloud above. Surprise, then suspicion flashed across her face as her eyes roved its puffy form. Finally, recognition settled on it when she locked gazes with Rainbow Dash.

The mares stared at each other for several moments. Bon Bon performed an understanding nod, but squinted her warning soon after. The message was clear, and the Wonderbolt felt a full-body shiver of fear at the intensity in the mother's expression. She couldn't help sighing in relief when the earth pony broke eye contact to return her attention to her adoptive son.

Suddenly, the rustle of approaching wings announced yet another pegasus alighting on the wispy white surface and Rainbow turned to face them. She recognized Flitter, whom she'd become well acquainted with during her days as a weathermare. Flitter seemed greatly displeased, her melrose coat bristling with agitation while her muzzled formed a vexed frown.

"What do you two think you're doing? We have orders to steer clear of the Heartstrings, same as the rest of Ponyville. You need to get the hay out of here before..." The light blue-maned pegasus trailed off, seeing both Fluttershy's sad smile and Rainbow's pathetic--for lack of a better phrase--puppy-dog-eyes.

Flitter sighed irately and stomped her hoof, punching a small hole in the cloud as she glowered at them. "Give me one reason I shouldn't drag the two of you right out of here right this second."

Fluttershy glanced at her cyan friend, her eyebrows raised in moderate alarm. Rainbow Dash ignored her, staring intently at Flitter as she waved a wing.

"I can't leave; who do you think is making all this wind?"

The weathermare's anger was instantly replaced with shock. Her magenta eyes bulged and her jaw all but dropped away as she glanced between Rainbow's oscillating feathers, each minutely moving as if puppeteering some invisible marionette, and the rushing near-gale that covered easily four acres of land.

"You..." Flitter gulped, thoroughly impressed, while the Wonderbolt simply smiled. "I never took you for somepony with such fine control," she finished lamely, to which Rainbow simply shrugged.

"It comes with the job description."

And Flitter scoffed, rolling her eyes, but finally settled down next to them, though refrained from peering down and instead kept her gaze on the pegasi.

"Alright, Miss Wonderbolt. You win."

There they sat for quite some time, watching as Lyra and Bon Bon eventually got kites of their own into the air. The white colt they were so familiar with eventually settled down next to Sunburst, still fascinated by the works of art soaring high above their heads. Eventually, more advanced maneuvers such as flips and rolls were attempted, with mixed results. Still, the pleased, beaming grin never once left the foal's face, not even when Starlight Glimmer ambled over to sit by her husband.

"Do you feel useless, Flitter?" Fluttershy inquired. The mare in question hummed in thought, but it wasn't long before her reply broke the silence again.

"No. How could I? Darkest and his moms are able to live and work in peace, without fear of interruption, thanks to my efforts. However small my part in this whole thing is, I know that my contribution matters, and that's enough for me for now." Flitter's gaze was drawn towards the nearby town and a wistful expression settled itself across her visage. "I think most, if not all, of Ponyville feels the same. We're all obligated to help, but some of us are better equipped than others and it does nopony any good to have our lives completely devoted to this one cause."

The weathermare let out a small chuckle, turning back to face the Bearers with a brow raised. "I doubt Darkest would like to face a town's worth of ponies to answer his every beck and call, anyway. That's not what's needed. What's needed is that we stay out of his way for now, and welcome him back with open hooves when he's ready, and not a moment before."

Rainbow Dash was surprised to find herself nodding, but that was her honest reaction.

She found, after a little introspection, that she could wait until her friend was ready.

And maybe, just maybe, he would need her sooner rather than later.

And that thought filled her with hope.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

How is Lyra “mildly psychotic“? She didn’t seem to be like that in the show?

[Discombobulated Soul]

11674190
I'd like to turn your attention to the dark grey, two-worded tag above. I essentially get the power to make any changes I like, unbound by canon limits. Yes, that's too much power, yes, I shouldn't be trusted with it, but here we are.

So, in short, it's an alternate universe and not constrained to canon personalities.

[Cold Philosophy]

Yes yes yes yes! This is exactly what I was hoping for with the Sunburst introduction! Bit more snark than I expected, but I love it!

Interesting to see the kid's mindset and the inner thoughts of the different personalities. I like what you did with that.

Good to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy too! Just how powerful is Dash, anyway?

I do hope that he can someday go into the town without fear. Any degree of recovery is good.

Keep up the good work!

[Asterient]

I'm honestly impressed with your allowedly fantastical presentation of DID! When the other identities began to present themselves in Darkest, I started to worry, knowing how often people tend to get such a complicated disorder wrong. But things are for the most part accurate! I'm looking forward to more updates!

[Truthseeker]

Awesome new chapter. Can't wait to read the next one.

[FIygon]

I'm like a whole month late, but I couldn't read this chapter and not do fanart. Especially since it really feels like this chapter is the end of the story arc. Darkest Knight getting comfortable enough even while out of the house for a bit, Sunburst's appearance, the prank at the start, and even the conversation with Flutter and Rainbow. It wraps up nicely in a neat little bow. It really feels like things are going great after this chapter, and it makes me happy! And it was just sitting there waiting to get drawn so I had to oblige.

i.ibb.co/SwmXqQQ/liberokite3.png

Hope you like it!

[Razorleaf]

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Aww thats so cute <3