Wind Chimes

by flutterspin

Burning Questions

"Help me!" a filly cried out.

Fire ripped up the walls around me. Smoke crawled across the ceiling. A thick fog of dust and ash encompassed the room. The building was burning, and my quickest escape route through the back door was blocked by the crisp snaps of broken wood. The large room contained two more doors for me to choose from. I needed to hurry. My vision faded every second that passed by.

"I'm in here!" the voice cried out again.

It was coming from behind one of the doors. Remembering what our teacher told us, I tapped on the knob to check for heat. The fact that it wasn't warm meant it was safe to open the door. However, something wedged on the other side kept me from opening it all the way no matter how much force I exerted on the door. A support beam extending away from the ceiling and onto the floor rested behind the door's exterior. A hoof lunged through the gap and grabbed hold of the door frame. There lied a unicorn, purple in shape and form, squeezing her entire body through the narrow hole.

"Thanks... Moonlight..." the little filly said in between breaths.

The heat from the fire peeled away the walls. A large pop resonated near the other door. Another load bearing collapsed blocking our only other way out. My legs refused to move as the flames bled through another wall. My eyes were filling with ash. Time seemed meaningless as fear led to panic. Three large pounds came from somewhere nearby, followed by the sound of glass shattering.

"I'm coming!" a pony filled with fire-resistance attire, an oxygen tank, and a gas mask cried out while pushing through the window. Her hoof slipped when the desk she applied pressure on snapped. Striking the floor with a tool that looked like an axe with a flatter head, she raised herself up and reached out to us. The lack of speed and eloquence suggested a bruised pony beaten to exhaustion. Yet at this point, any help was highly appreciated regardless of the circumstances.

She led us over to where the window pane was and lifted us up onto the desk. A pegasus reached inside and pulled us out of the building. When I looked up to see the face of the one who assisted me out of the fire, a bright light blinded my eyes.

---

A familiar face did emerge in front of me upon opening my eyes, though not one I expected to be so close. With a cheerful smile and excited eyes, a wild Pinkie Pie appeared to greet me. "Hello!" she shouted with not a moment too soon for an eager pony waiting on a friend to rise. Her sudden pronouncement pierced through my sleepy mind.

Caught off-guard from the confines of the library, my legs wiggled and jolted inside the blanket on the bed. The rapid movement nearly knocked me onto the floor. I surely thought a certain pony would have locked the door, and I'm absolutely positive I didn't request a wake-up call before falling asleep last night. I kept forgetting how no one could escape Pinkie's surprise visits, no matter how many times we've told her to stop in the past. Pinkie Pie never really understood personal boundaries.

Catching myself on one hoof before collapsing on the floor with the covers wrapped tight around me, I realized how much my body needed a good night's rest. My energy had returned to me. My vision was clearer than last night. The knot on my back was reduced to a small strain. Yet I could not exclude the thought that it was all because of my physical reaction from being instantly scared out of my wits.

"Pinkie! Please! Ever hear of personal space?" I clearly scolded, agitated to the bones.

"Nope," Pinkie said in a playful manner.

The covers fell off as I slid off the bed. I quickly brushed my mane back and glanced at Pinkie. "What are you doing here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be working at Sugarcube Corner with the Cakes today?"

"I took the day off," Pinkie responded.

Finding out why Pinkie chose this day, of all days, to spend time away from work and come visit the Golden Oak Library at this hour, of all hours, would have proved futile. Even just trying to figure out how some of her responses could consist of a single word riddled my brain. I was not about to spend a moment longer questioning her motives. She was a very resourceful young mare and has a habit of finding out about things without any proclamation. No doubt, she probably already has some good idea of what happened yesterday.

For a brief moment, I feared Sumica snuck out during the night. That momentarily skip in my heart rate subsided when a long thread of green hair rolled over the cot lying in front of me. I half-expected Pinkie to hover over Sumica and provide her the same warm welcome when she opens her eyes. Yet, such a thought drifted away from my mind when the sound of friction from the sheets above grabbed my attention. A couple of legs popped out the side.

"Morning Twilight," I preemptively stated. Twilight's mane curled in all directions as if a mother bird prepared a nest for her young. "Nice hairdo."

Twilight wandered over to the mirror and grabbed her hairbrush. "Heh. It was a long day. How did you rest?"

"I slept great!" Pinkie shouted.

I replied, "Good. I had another dream."

"What was it this time?" Twilight asked.

Before I could say more, a murmur crept out from underneath the covers. Wings shot out the sides. Sumica's legs moved like she was trotting in place. "No...No..." She implored with tension in her voice, "Day Star!" She startled us with an unexpected thrust.

Sumica glanced down below, then rested her hoof on her head. As the covers receded, a silver-touched necklace with a slim metal chain slipped down around her neck. The pendant held a small jewel in the center surrounded with designs too tiny to distinguish. At first glance, the stone appeared faded and valueless. The gem didn't shimmer or shine under the sunlight. My gemology wasn't as keen as Rarity or Maud Pie, but the red hue suggested the gem could have been a ruby or a garnet. Though upon further inspection, I noticed finely-drawn swirls interwoven in the black and red cast. The design made the gemstone come alive while dangling in the air.

Twilight inquired, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sumica stated as she pulled herself together. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it."

Twilight and I have had this conversation before. We both knew full well the anguish that comes from stressing over things. If something bothered Sumica, it would be up to her to mention it. A sort of unspoken agreement was made between us that moment to let the matter rest until a more opportune time.

Amusingly, Pinkie was too busy with other things to mind. A new pony, a new guest to admire and see. A thousand questions to ask and a thousand stories to tell. That is what revolves around inside the mind of a Pinkie Pie. And the smell of what to come showed she made preparations in advance.

"Is that coffee?" Twilight asked as the aroma filled the the air. "But Spike is in Canterlot assisting Princess Celestia."

"Oh! I almost forgot. Or to say I forgot and then remembered," Pinkie commented with exuberant joy and exaltation. "I knew you guys would be waking up soon, so I made some coffee! I even brought marshmellows. Would you like some?"

Pinkie hopped up the steps and carried down a boiling pot with a large black handle. She went to the center table where the books used to rest and poured coffee into one of several cups already placed there beforehand. The caring pony then laid the cup into Sumica's hooves. Pinkie patiently waited for a compliment from the pegasus. A simple grin seemed to satisfy her fervency.

Steam rolled over Sumica's nose. "Nothing better than a cup of coffee to break out the wings in the morning,"

As Pinkie reached over to grab another cup, Twilight interrupted, "Sorry Pinkie, but-"

"Oh!" Pinkie shrieked as another thought went through her mind. She hustled up the stairs and brought down another pot with delicate swirls printed around the top. She carefully filled a cup and offered it to Twilight. "I made you tea!"

"Why, thank you, Pinkie," Twilight admirably said as she received the cup. "You sure are on top of it this morning."

Pinkie turned around and faced me. She smiled and, yet again, rushed up the stairs. She retrieved a third pot colored white all over. She filled a cup and offered it to me. "I remember you don't like coffee or tea so I made you some water."

"Thank you," I enunciated, staring inside the cup. Though I wanted to conform to the rules of sipping from tiny cups, my quenched mouth demanded something a little more severe.

My response delighted Pinkie before she blatantly asked us, "Are you two married?"

I spit the water in Pinkie's face and choked on the notion. Pinkie's muscles didn't flinch, not one bit at all.

"Oh, Pinkie. Once a jester, always a jester. You will find no rings on this pegasus," Sumica insisted.

The water slowly dripped from Pinkie's mane and chin. I levitated a napkin from the counter and tapped it upon her face. The napkin swooped lower as Twilight prepared her next question.

"Are you brother and sister?"

The memory of my childhood proved hazy at best. I looked towards Sumica expecting a truthful reply. The validity of her answer didn't matter too much to me, but a positive answer would help better explain her familiarity to me.

Sumica lowered her cup and shook her head. "Our relationship isn't of love, blood, or contract. It is far too complicated to put into words. You could say I'm a guardian of sorts, an expert into things kept secret and true. Our encounters are mere accidental, I assure you. My investigation simply brought me here, to this spot, of all places."

"Guardian?" I asked, placing the napkin down.

Sumica admitted, "My duties are not structured like the royal guard. And do not think my larger size makes me some sort of princess. I do take orders from them both equally, but my responsibilities do not hold me to any particular place."

Pinkie prodded, "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, I hit sort of a snag. I've been given two direct orders that conflict with each other. And with that, I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. I've been thrown around so much that I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing anymore."

Twilight questioned, "Does this have anything to do with Starswirl the Bearded?"

"You must have found his journal," Sumica replied. "No, meeting him was an accident."

I blurted, "That was years ago! How did you manage to get there? It was Ordain, wasn't it?" I watched Sumica nod in agreement. "What happened?"

Sumica inquired, "Shouldn't Rainbow Dash be here before we begin?"

Twilight remarked, "Up to you. You can always give her the abbreviated version when she arrives."

Sumica sighed, "It's a long story, but I guess I have some time. I won't bore you with every explicit detail."

Pinkie reached into a giant white bag and pulled out some marshmallows. "A story? I love stories! Tell us! Tell us!"

Sumica explained, "Well, I was on a search for a missing guardsman from Manestone when a foul creature emerged from the Everfree Forest. He spouted off some nonsense about kidnapping the princess and demanded I do exactly what he told me to do."

Twilight guessed, "That must have been Ordain."

"And did you?" I asked.

"Pfft, no! I didn't believe him. I knew he was probably the culprit behind my missing pony case. I charged him, but he disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving some crazy magic tear behind. At the time, I didn't know what happened. One moment I was in a forest and in the next I ended up in the middle of this old dusty room filled with books."

Twilight placed her cup down on the nightstand and browsed her selection of volumes on the shelf. She pulled down the book Predictions and Prophecy with her magic and broke it open on the table. After turning to page 87, she angled the book towards Sumica. "This page contains a part of Starswirl's journal. You are completely different than what I imagined from this account."

Sumica placed down her cup and wandered closer to the book. After she read a portion of the page, she let out a small chuckle. "Spycraft 101. A good way in obtaining information out of a curious pony is to appear helpless and vulnerable. Chances are they will volunteer themselves and help you with your situation. 'Cowering in fear,' he says. I implore you I was in complete control of the situation. The pegasus in distress - oldest trick in the book."

Pinkie Pie pulled the pillow from Sumica's cot and plopped it underneath her. "Then what happened?"

"I'm not sure," Sumica replied with a bewildered look on her face, "I remember this... flash of light, and I ended back in Cloudsdale as if nothing ever happened. The guardsman returned later that day."

I imposed, "How did you end up at the Gala?"

Sumica rolled her head up high as she looked at the ceiling. "The Gala? The Gala? Ah yes. The Gala. One moment I was... uh, visiting a friend. The next, I remember this strong wind coming out of nowhere. Then, suddenly, I was in this building, Stitch In Time, I think it was called. I don't get what the big deal is with dressing up for some of you 'proper pony folk', but that lady there with the fancy glasses would not let me leave without wearing one of her 'creations'. Something about me having the perfect shape for her dress. She was obsessed in 'making the magic.'"

Pinkie asked, "Did you make it in time to see my big premiere? Wasn't it awesome?"

"Uh, no Pinkie."

"It wasn't awesome?" Pinkie pouted.

Sumica stuttered, "No, I... I mean I wasn't there for the premiere. I assume it was awesome if you were in charge."

Twilight assessed, "How did you get in? The Gala is invitations only."

"It wasn't easy," Sumica stated with a grin on her face. "It required some rope, a pair of sunglasses, and a shovel."

"What?" I asked.

Sumica laughed. "You are so gullible. The dress came with a special pass."

"But why were you there?" I implored.

"I was in a nice dress, specially tailored to my figure, with a free invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala. Why in Equestria would I pass up an opportunity like that?" Sumica clarified.

Twilight was glued to Sumica's story. She didn't raise her cup in the past few minutes. Pinkie was still munching on marshmallows. After realizing my cup was empty the third time I picked it up, I finally took the time to bother refilling it. I knew Sumica's tale would be a wild one, but most of her ventures appear to be by happenchance. That was until she told the story of her strange chase with Night Star.

---

That was a close one. I think I shook him. I know Day Star told me that the mission takes priority, but can't a girl have a little fun now and again? I didn't think any pony would actually try to start a conversation with me. Maybe it's the dress. I have to get out of this dress.

The wind called out to me. "Sumica, stop this."

I recognized Moonlight's voice, but I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. The only things visible were the moon and the stars. The residual echo in his voice could only be caused by a nearby space tear. Was the event horizon happening right now, or could it be coming from another time? The rate these rifts occur seem to be increasing. I have to find the source before it rips both worlds apart.

A flash of light proceeded a chilling wind. It prevented me from flying any farther. In my persistence, my wings only flapped harder. Yet in an instant, the world changed again. The lamps that lit the roadway disappeared, and a multitude of guards appeared at every junction. I had feared the worst for the people of my world. There was very little time left before my presence here would go unnoticed. I had to find cover and quick.

Luckily, the closest tower was minutes away. I flew through the window into a quaint little room. Inside the spire contained a large bed and a locked chest. In a small closet with its door wide open hung some clothes with a set of armor lying on the floor. On top of a dresser at the far end of the room inclined a hoof-sized mirror. A dusky staircase led downstairs to the main road.

I crept over to the dresser and spotted a tiny photograph in the corner of the mirror. It was a picture of my good friend Night Star next to another pegasus, yellow in appearance, saluting one of Princess Celestia's servants that, by the cut of his mane, must have been Jade. The mirror's golden frame may have covered the pegasus' head from view, but within the context of the picture the identity of that pegasus was his brother, Day Star.

Before I could investigate further, there was a disturbance outside. I jumped into the closet and carefully tugged on the door, leaving a gap just large enough to see through. It might not have been the best plan of mine, but it will have to do for the time being.

"I'll show him. I'll show both of them," the pegasus grumbled. He bent down and reached for something underneath the bed. "Nightmare Moon and Moonlight think they can just dismiss me like that?" He stomped the ground in distress. "Ugh! It's not here! Where could it be?"

The pegasus pacing around the room sounded like Night Star, but the tone of his voice was more rigid and crude. The words he spoke insinuated a story from a fairy tale. No way Nightmare Moon could still be present in Equestria. Princess Celestia made sure of that. And what about Moonlight? Could he be the cause of all this? There's always the possibility of another temporal distortion. Never thought something like this would happen twice in the same day.

A sudden pause in Night Star's movement surprised me. I feared he might have detected my presence. I tucked my wings in further and hugged the back of the wall. With the clothes now obscuring my vision, I carefully braced my hooves next to the armor's bitter cold steel. If the door moved just a little bit, using my momentum to charge forward was my only means of escape.

"If only you were here," Night Star lamented, "you would know exactly what to do. I hope Ordain keeps his word for the sake of all Equestria."

I inched forward to peer through the clothes, but Night Star was no longer in view. He must have been standing next to his dresser, conversing with the photograph as if his brother stood in front of him. The name he mentioned wasn't familiar to me. However, if Night Star held him in such high esteem, I must discover who he is.

Night Star strolled to the window and prepared his wings. He launched outside the bedroom empty-handed. I waited a few seconds and pulled open the closet door. I had to chase him. He was my only lead in finding out more about this new world.

I kept low to the ground to bypass the sky security. I maintained a steady distance without losing the trail. The pegasus stopped short and scanned the perimeter. Down below was a residential area with a wide-range of merchants and entertainers in the streets. I ducked down behind one of the buildings and roamed through one of the street alleyways.

The feeling of electricity tugging against the hair on the back of my neck overwhelmed me. A flash of light encompassed the entire town. For a few precious seconds, I saw the town of Manestone streak in front of me piece-by-piece with all of the humble homes that held dear to my heart. Yet my hope was fleeting when another wave broke the hourglass once again. The residence returned to the despicable ruins under Nightmare Moon's reign.

Things were not proceeding according to plan. Night Star's trail turned cold near the boundaries of the Everfree Forest. Worse, I failed to stick to the shadows and now the shadows were following me. Moonlight Sonata and a band of pegasi hooligans trailing behind him were closing in fast. No doubt he must have alerted the guards. I had no time to fight a dozen henchmen. Let's see if they are willing to follow me deeper in the forest.

I was introduced to a new adversary and its bark was worse than their bite. The Everfree Forest entangled my wings with long stretches of vines dangling from the tree tops. A thick bog encroached from the swamp as if Nightmare Moon's grasp stretched outward from the depths of the waters. Barely any moonlight shined through this area. The darkness could be compared to the dungeons of Canterlot.

Something smooth rubbed around my neck and pulled me back into a tree. Night Star, who was supposed to be my friend, stood over me with his hooves digging into my shoulders. His metallic braces, damp from the swamp's humidity, slid across my chest. The pressure he applied was immense. "Who are you? Who sent you? he asked with great emphasis on every word.

"Night Star," I stated while grasping for breath, "It's Sumica."

"I don't know any pony by that name. You're here to spy on me, aren't you?"

The pegasus with an iron grip around my neck was all intents and purposes physically identical to the Night Star I knew at the academy. Yet he clearly didn't retain any memory of me through the space anomaly. His actions conveyed a desire to kill me, but his eyes divulged a form of sadness I've seen far too often in my line of work.

I slipped from his hold and swept the legs. I pinned him to the ground with the weight of my calves. "Now see here! I mean you no harm, but you are going to answer some of my questions. Let's start with Ordain."

The mere mention of Ordain's name enraged Night Star. He grunted, bucked loose my footing, and broke free from my grasp. He enwrapped himself around my chest and shoved me against another tree. The wood held strong despite the applied force. "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't take kindly to those who intrude into my personal affairs. He warned me I might encounter some trouble."

Night Star's stubbornness was more powerful than I anticipated. The struggle for dominance between the both of us lasted for a few more minutes until our momentum pulled us towards a giant log sticking halfway out of the ground. Its hidden roots lifted us off the ground and broke us apart. Mud slapped into my eyes as I rolled down the hillside.

The exhaustion and pain from the debris breaking my fall was too much for me to handle. I had only a few more moments of consciousness. Looking through the specks of dirt hanging from my eyelashes, I spotted a single house in the middle of nowhere on the fringes of the forest with its door wide-open. Distraught and delirious, my legs carried me meter by meter into the house until I felt something soft and gentle. A couch rested in front of me as if it was personally gifted and delivered from Princess Celestia herself. With the last of my strength I pulled myself upon the comfortable cushion tops and collapsed on the pillow.

---

An eerie pause filled the room when Sumica finished telling her tale. Once again forgetting to drink the water from the cup in my hoof, I looked directly into Sumica's bold eyes waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, the words I wanted to convey didn't come out exactly the way I wanted them to. "If I wasn't there myself, I don't think I would have believed it."

Pinkie hopped up from the pillow and punched the air. "You should have given him the one-two combo and glomped him!"

"Glomp him?" Sumica asked inquisitively.

"You know, surprise him with a giant hug," Pinkie elaborated.

The revealed events that Sumica told did match up with my own experience. Yet, a problem occurs when defining the exact time each event happened. The painting of her on the couch occurred an entire year earlier, and not once did she mention her encounter with Fluttershy. The ruptures might have overridden each other and erased the specific timeline from her memory. Whatever the case, there's no need debating the details of the past. Time-travel is already hard enough to understand without a theoretical physics degree.

Almost completely ignoring the three of us, Sumica walked closer to the window and looked up towards Cloudsdale. She let loose a huge sigh as she rested her head against the library's bark. "I hope I find a way back home."

Pinkie Pie conferred, "Where do you live?"

"Cloudsdale," Sumica admitted.

"Can't you just fly home?" Pinkie responded.

Sumica turned around and paced around the center wooden table. "No, Pinkie. I... This place is so different. As funny as you are, you aren't the same entertaining jester that makes us all laugh."

Pinkie exclaimed, "I could be!"

"And you, Twilight, might live in a library, but you are not the same rambunctious Twilight I know." Sumica lifted her cup at me. "I even doubt you are the same Moonlight I knew all those years ago."

I placed the empty cup down onto the table. "What do you mean?"

Sumica grinned. "I mean, Moonlight, you and I were friends when you were younger."

"I was?"

The tension in Sumica's face tugged against the muscles in her ears. Her expression reflected that of a pony holding all the cards close to the chest. The shallow breathing tucked away a hidden secret far too big to express into words. Yet her relaxed posture denoted something to the contrary. She wanted me to know whatever was causing her distress.

Sumica stumbled over her own words. "I... they... let's just say that we happened to meet when Equestria was under attack by an unknown force."

Twilight beseeched, "That must have been terrible! What happened?"

Sumica tilted her head sideways a little to the right. "It certainly wasn't one of our toughest battles. A small band of renegades were sabotaging various facilities all over the map. It wasn't until Twilight, I mean Princess Sparkle, devised a plan to dissuade their attacks for good." Sumica shook her head with disbelief. "I still can't get over seeing you here like this."

I chuckled, "Why, what she do?"

Sumica smirked. "Let's just say she is a mare you wouldn't want to cross with."

Our conversation was interrupted with a knock at the door. "That must be Rainbow Dash," Twilight deduced.

When Pinkie opened the door, we were greeted with the kindest of words. "Oh, I didn't know you had company. I can come back later when you aren't busy."

"Fluttershy?" I asked, recognizing her tone. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, well, I was supposed to meetup with Rarity at the Boutique. We were going to take the fillies on a trip... excuse me, a 'cutie mark adventure' after school and... Who's your guest?"

Sumica glided over to the door and bowed her head. "My name is Sumica. It is nice to meet you."

"What's this about Rarity?" I asked as gentle as I could.

Fluttershy's mouth quivered and her eyes swoon. "She said she would be at the Boutique finishing some alterations. When I got there, the door was open but no one was there. I figured I would come here and see if you guys seen her."

Twilight contemplated, "Well, that's odd. Unlike Rarity to miss an appointment."

"She does get carried away sometimes," I commented.

Pinkie imparted, "Rarity wouldn't leave Sweetie Belle hanging like that."

Twilight added, "Especially after their time together at the Sisterhooves Social."

Sumica inquired at Twilight, "What would you suggest we do?"

Twilight placed her hoof on her chin. "We can always check the school and see if she's there. If not, we can ask the girls if they've seen her."

"Ok," Fluttershy softly remarked.