Rift in Ponyville

by xnaturalblue

23

Deep under the hardened dirt of Sire’s Hollow, beyond the roots of the lush greenery and cold rock beneath, a warmth swirled furiously. Its bloodlust had only been temporarily quenched; its meal just fulfilling a small amount of its hunger. Listening intently, the darkness quivered with eager anticipation until two words sent it spiraling toward the roots of Ponyville at an incomprehensible speed - ‘Fated Eight.’

---

The journey back to the Crystal Empire was awkward at worst and quiet at best. Marshmallow Creme had half the mind to keep quiet this time around, but it only lasted about an hour before she was asking Marigold Meadow about her hobbies. The more Fire Bolt watched the two interact, the more she realized that the earth pony had been succumbing to her own thoughts and desperately needed the distraction. As the conversation continued, Lava Lamp and Iris Tenderheart joined in to praise Marigold’s musical abilities who simply brushed and shrugged the compliments off. Sapphire and Jelly started to murmur amongst themselves, leaving Sonar and Bolt to trail behind quietly.

“What are you thinking about?” Sonar inquired quietly, skipping his hooves a bit out of boredom.

“Cadance,” Fire Bolt said simply, pursing her lips as she pondered. “I wonder what she’s been up to while we’ve been gone…” She trailed off, deciding whether or not to continue. “Or if she’s still there.”

“I’m sure she’s doing okay out there, Boltie. She’s a princess, you know?” He said unconvincingly. “We were only gone for a little while, too.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” She looked over to her partner, watching as his eyes gave away his swirling thoughts of doubts.

“What about you, what’s on your mind?” Bolt asked.

“Same thing, pretty much.”

“Pretty much?” She tilted her head as Iris laughed in the distance.

“I’m curious about Misty. She hasn’t visited in a while, and… I dunno. I’m just curious.”

Bolt glanced down at the pendant hung around his neck, swinging with each step he took, with a burning curiosity. “Yeah,” She eventually murmured, forcing herself to look ahead instead. “I am, too.”

“That doesn’t… Misty isn’t a problem for you, is she?” Sonar stuttered out, and Fire Bolt furrowed her brows.

“A problem? What do you mean?” She asked.

“I don’t know, it’s just… You know I only love you, right? You don’t have to worry about a hundred-year-old ghost-mare,” Sonar smiled a bit, but he still radiated anxiety.

To his surprise, Bolt barked out a laugh, wide-eyed. “Oh! Moonbeam, don’t worry! I’m not… Dude, I’m not worried about you having a special connection to a mare beyond the grave. It’s really awesome that you have that. Plus, if you did try it, you know I’d put you in the land of the dead with her anyway!”

Sonar wheezed out a laugh, stopping in his tracks to catch his breath with tears in his eyes. “You would! And I’m just fine with that.” He grinned, trotting to catch back up with the group. “It just seemed like you were a little… distant when I mentioned her, is all.”

“I was just thinking about her, too. I was wondering what it feels like to be back there… I miss that.” Bolt sighed, a faint smile still on her lips.

“I like her cottage, too. It has this weird feeling to it.” Sonar thought of the flickering fireplace and the warm rug on Misty’s wooden floors.

“I was only there for a second, but it was… nice.” She watched as the other six in front of her joked and lept around in conversation. “I miss that other place, though. The… What did she call it? The stage thing. My old home.”

“Oh,” Sonar Moonshadow said abruptly. “I understand that, but none of it was real, Boltie. You have to remember that there was something toying with you. It could never be…”

“Like it was.” She finished his sentence grimly. “I know. I guess I just miss pretending. It was so real.”

“That makes sense. I’m sorry.” He looked in his partner’s direction sympathetically, seeming to struggle for words. “I mean, hey! I miss being able to see, that was cool. Crazy that you guys can do that all the time.”

Fire Bolt smiled. “You’re not missing out on much. Except for that darling face of yours!”

“Hey! Quit flirting, we’re almost there!” Sapphire shouted, pointing toward the shimmering terrain not too far ahead. It wasn’t long before the sound of trotting hooves turned to a sharper click as they entered the threshold of the Crystal Empire, and Jelly Splash seemed more relaxed by the moment. It seemed to be almost brightening even without the help of the sun; the crystals shone a more vibrant rainbow and the thick layer of dust that coated each surface seemed long gone.

As the eight of them approached the steps of the castle, a loud clattering bang froze each of them in their steps, a chill running up several spines. “Hey! You’re back!” It was only Cadance, looking down at them from a balcony with a smile.

“Cadance!” Jelly exclaimed, racing for the doors with Sapphire Swirl and Marshmallow Creme hot on her heels. The princess descended the stairs gingerly with… a prosthetic hoof! Bolt smiled as Cadance huffed at the landing proudly and giggled under her breath as Marigold Meadow, Iris Tenderheart, and Lava Lamp fell into a bowing position. Jelly Splash seemed to be fighting the urge herself.

“Please, rise, my friends! It’s lovely to meet you three. May I ask your names?” She squinted vaguely in their direction.

“I’m Iris, and this is my sister Marigold and our friend Lava Lamp. It’s truly an honor to meet you, Princess,” She awkwardly stood up straight.

“No need for formalities,” Cadance snickered. “What do you think of the new look?” She gazed down at Jelly Splash with a grin. It seemed the princess had manufactured herself an eyepatch and cut both her mane and tail into a choppy bob.

“You look lovely! Is… Hold on, is your forehead already scarred?” The unicorn leaned in for a closer look. Indeed, a white scar had rapidly taken the place of the stitched-up gash on her forehead, the stitches seeming to be the only cause of irritation on her face.

“My recovery has been… quite swift, yes.” Cadance nodded.

“Swift indeed.” Sapphire squinted. “How did you… Sorry if this is out of line, but what’s up with the new hoof?”

“Oh, how rude of me!” The alicorn exclaimed, carefully hobbling back up the stairs of the shining palace. “Come, come!” Sonar and Bolt glanced at each other before cautiously approaching the stairwell, climbing each step with hesitation. Once everyone had made their way to the second level, Cadance took a breath and pushed open a door. “I have been… located by a friend.”

Inside the guest room stood a midnight-blue unicorn, her expression surprised and then flustered. As Bolt took a closer look, the mare’s freckles and markings sparkled like tiny stars across her coat, and the shimmer seemed almost… vaguely familiar. The unicorn stammered out a shy greeting. “Hello, nice to, um… nice to meet you.”

“This is Star Streck! She’s been residing in Canterlot with Celestia’s guards. Star was very active in medical aid during the beginning of the Nightfall, and then… she found me!” Cadance held out her shining prosthetic with pride, the metal sheets catching the crystal moonlight and flashing it around the room.

“I thought somepony might need some medical help back here… I’m glad I was able to help.” Star Streck chipped in quietly.

“Indeed she did! Twil- oh! Erm, sorry! Star Streck had never made or installed a prosthetic before me, and she did a stellar job, didn’t she?” Twisting the metal around, Cadance beamed. “Sorry, you just remind me of her.”

“I’ve heard it plenty before.” Star shrugged.

“Hi! I’m Marshmallow Creme, it’s nice to meet you!” The pegasus lept forward, shaking the mare’s hoof with enough force to rattle her teeth. “I like your pretty mane! And your coat! Gosh, you’re just gorgeous, aren’t you? Have you ever considered modeling?” Star Streck shriveled up a bit as Marshmallow overwhelmed her senses, a weak smile planted on her face.

“Marshie, give her some room!” Fire Bolt scoffed before smiling and introducing herself and her other friends to the unicorn.

“It’s- wow- it’s good to meet all of you. I don’t think I’ve seen a group as big as you guys outside of Canterlot since the first few months of the Nightfall.” Star Streck blinked a bit, squinting at everyone’s features like she needed glasses. “I, erm, you guys did really good with Cadance’s wounds. My hypothesis is that the Heart is progressing her quickly towards her normal state.”

“That’s great news,” Jelly Splash said, looking up to the Princess fondly. “You did great with the hoof.”

“Thank you.” Star smiled softly.

“Really glad to see how you’re doin’ princess, but I’ve got a coupl’a questions.” Lava Lamp spoke up suddenly, moving to the front of the crowd. “You sent these folk to Sire’s Hollow, yeah?” Cadance nodded. “They showed up, one of us died. Did you know?”

The tail end of Lava’s voice echoed throughout the crystal bedroom, a stiff silence following it as just about everyone immediately tensed up. Marigold sniffed, and it sounded like she was stifling a cry. “Oh.” Was all Cadance said, and Iris stiffened in frustration as the silence resumed.

“Did you?” Lava repeated herself, and Cadance tensely pressed her lips together.

“I knew there was a great risk of injury or death, yes.” She decided to retort.

“That risk is everywhere in Equestria, she didn’t ask that. Did you know my sister would die?” Iris said shakily.

“No! I didn’t know anypony would die!” Cadance replied frantically. “I’m deeply sorry for your loss, but I had nothing to do with it.”

“Then why did you send these folks to us?” Lava took a step closer, agitated.

“Luna sent them, not me.” Cadance said sternly.

“May I please interject?” Star interjected awkwardly. “I hate to put a pause on your conversation, erm, but I need the help of some of you.”

Lava Lamp sighed out a breath, already having mellowed out, and Sonar’s ears twitched with interest. “Our help?” He inquired.

“Well, preferably a pegasus. Actually, maybe a unicorn. I don’t know what would be best for sure. Cadance is doing well, and her recovery has been… miraculous to say the least. However, my studies imply that rapid regeneration in an alicorn can lead to some adverse effects if it’s not guided properly with her own magic. I thought the Crystal Heart would help, but it hasn’t… one of my books mentioned a certain berry called Metabew.” Star Streck explained, anxiously scraping a hoof against the crystal floor.

“That only grows in the Everfree Forest.” Sonar raised an eyebrow.

“That’s the part I need your help with.” Star smiled sheepishly at the wave of groans that came from the group of ponies. “Well, only two or three of you need to go! You know, for security!”

“I can fly in and out. If Sonar stays in Ponyville, I can bring it back for him to identify.” Fire Bolt theorized, already preparing for her game plan.

“No shot, Princess Celestia died in there. I don’t want you to go in alone!” Sonar protested.

“Well that kind of danger is everywhere, isn’t it?” Bolt rebutted, furrowing her brow. “It would take four seconds with these things.” She stretched out her wings exaggeratedly.

“The forest is dangerous to traverse alone–”

“That’s fine, because we’ll go.” Sapphire Swirl suddenly cut off Star Streck, a hoof around Jelly Splash’s shoulders. Jelly herself didn’t seem aware of the sudden change of plan, but she didn’t protest it, either. “What’s this plant look like?”

Before anyone could interject, Star Streck produced a journal from around the corner and magically flipped to a particular page. Jelly Splash retrieved it with her own magic, pulling it close to squint at the drawing. “That should be what you’re looking for. If you think you’ve found it but you’re unsure, you can flip around to see the other descriptions.”

“Cool. Sapphire, let’s get out of here.” Jelly turned to leave, and the casual nature of the two left everyone else in stunned silence.

“Be safe!” Fire Bolt finally shouted out a beat too late, and a chorus of similar sentiments came soon after. When the large doors to the castle thudded shut a few moments later, Marshmallow Creme flew to the window, watching as the two strutted into the darkness.

Star Streck suddenly gasped in surprise before galloping to catch up to the two. After nearly startling them to death, she led them to the abandoned train. “I would love to rest my hooves, but this thing’s not going anywhere.” Sapphire sighed.

“Trust me! Jelly Splash, check this out.” In a matter of minutes, Star was able to teach the fellow unicorn a spell that would propel the train car for a few minutes at a time, prompting both of them to gasp in surprise.

“This would’ve been so helpful a few days ago!” Jelly laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Erm, yeah, I bet. Well, that’s all! Bye!” The indigo pony looked around awkwardly before turning and racing back toward the castle steps.

“So… What are those berries gonna do, anyway?” Marshmallow suddenly quipped as she watched the pair board the train car through a window, magic letting it rumble to life.

Sonar Moonshadow answered. “They regulate medical magic.”

“A botanist yourself, yes?” Star asked in surprise as she re-entered the room, slightly winded.

“You could say that. I just like to know the best safety precautions for intense magic. You never know when you’ll need it nowadays.” He sighed.

“Indeed, it’s only good practice.” She agreed.

“Are any of you hungry? Would you like a meal?” Cadance suddenly blurted out a bit too loudly, and Marigold jumped in surprise.

“We ate before we came, but-” Fire Bolt started.

“We’d love to have a meal.” Iris Tenderheart suddenly interrupted her, a tense look in her eyes that was almost undetectable.

---

The train slowed to a crawl for the third time as Jelly Splash let go of her magic with a sigh of effort, shaking beads of sweat from her stiffened mane. “I’m sorry Sapphire, but it’s gonna be a minute before we get there.”

“I don’t mind a bit! I think you’re doing great. I mean, I can see Cloudsdale already!” The pegasus replied with a cheery tune before returning to lounging across three seats.

Jelly huffed out a laugh before straining to start her magic again, this time only needing about half the effort of the past several attempts. As the car crawled to life once again and the atmosphere settled into a cool silence, the unicorn suddenly opened her mouth to speak before shutting it and trying again. “Don’t you want a break?”

Sapphire took a moment to respond, opening only one eye to peek at her. “Hmm?” They finally hummed.

“You know, all of… this. I’m not saying I loved living alone in the Empire, but… I don’t know. This whole adventure thing is just a lot.” Jelly Splash found a serenity in the constant hum of her magic, predicting that she’d be able to keep the train car moving for far longer than before.

“I miss my house in Ponyville, if that’s what you’re asking. My bed, more specifically. It’s huge.” They closed their eye then, seeming to imagine said bed.

“You should show me around there sometime. You know, Ponyville. I don’t think I’ve been there more than once for a school trip.”

“Are you kidding me? That would be awesome. Especially once we’re done with all of this and it’s sunny again.” The last bit sent both of them into a stale silence, and Sapphire shifted comfortably to get a nap in during the ride.

Jelly Splash watched Sapphire sleep for a long while, her magic steadily keeping the train car thumping and rolling over the mossy, overgrown tracks and thought about a sunny future. She imagined a grassy field, perhaps an orchard – maybe even the famous Apple Orchard – with a sleepy Sapphire Swirl curled up in the plush green earth. Their mane fluttered in the wind, and their eyebrows twitched as the breeze disrupted their rest. It was only a moment, though, before they were drifting off again, and Jelly Splash felt her heart thrum in her throat as the minutes passed, her imagination putting her in the field with the pegasus as they lay down together. The sun warmed the two as Sapphire hummed sleepily and shifted closer to the unicorn, and–

The train thudded to a violent stop that sent both of them slamming against the seats. Sapphire awoke with a huff of breath, and Jelly jumped out of the car before either of them could say a word. She’d initially thought it was her own drifting (and confusing) thoughts that had brought the vehicle to its harsh stop, but it had turned out to be a completely broken train track that was responsible. It seemed like Sapphire had simply materialized behind her when she turned to face them head-on, and she jumped a foot in the air.

“Jeez, sorry! Looks like it’s the end of the road for us, eh?” Sapphire leaned around her to observe the mangled train track, and Jelly Splash suddenly felt… nervous.

“Yeah, looks like it. I don’t think I can move an entire train car around that, sorry.” She laughed sheepishly, suddenly looking at the edge of Ponyville.

“Don’t think we’ll need it. Look.” When the unicorn turned to face the darkness that she felt on her back, the Everfree Forest stared back menacingly. “Come on then, we can be back in forty-five minutes if we start now!”

The two trotted into the greenery, Jelly creeping around more nervously than her counterpart while levitating Star Streck’s journal. As the trees thickened, it somehow got darker than eternal night possibly could, but she thought she spied a familiar plant not too far ahead. She took to a steady trot, adrenaline spurring her to get in and out as quickly as she could. As she observed the leaves, however, her hope was diminished as she realized that it wasn’t a match. When Jelly turned back, her disappointment melted into horror as she realized that the pegasus wasn’t behind her. “Sapphire?” She called out softly, hoping not to catch the attention of anything but the pony. After a long moment of silence, she tried again, louder. “Sapphire!”

“Jelly Splash!” Called their voice from the left. “Where are you?”

“Sapphire!” She yelled back in relief. “I’m still here! Where’d you go?”

“I didn’t go anywhere!” Wait. “Where did you go?” Sapphire’s voice was… further away? And was it to the right now? Or behind her?

“Stop moving! I thought I saw the berries, but I didn’t go far!”

“I’m not moving!” Sapphire Swirl’s voice sounded miles away now. “I think I found them over here!”

Meanwhile, Sapphire truly had only moved a foot or two… right? As they observed the berry bush in front of them, they quickly realized how useless it would be without the precision of the notebook. Jelly had stopped responding, but a rustling in the bushes drew their attention to the pony. Well, they thought they’d seen the pony, but it was simply a fleeting shadow. Feeling their adrenaline spike, Sapphire shook their head and starting moving in the direction they last saw the teal unicorn. Another shuffling sound had them whipping around to nothingness once again, and their pace quickened. A feeling of being watched never left their mind as they moved and a sudden bang brought them down in a defensive stance, ready to take on the threat with quivering hooves.

But… it never came. Sapphire scanned their surroundings once, twice, then three times, but no signs of danger ever presented themselves. It was only after a few more moments of frantically thrashing through brush and thorn bushes that Sapphire Swirl noticed a dimly lit window, and as they got closer, a clearing exposed a small cabin. With a sigh of relief, they circled the property for a door and knocked confidently. The thought of danger residing inside somehow didn’t cross their mind until they removed their hoof, but it was too late now – Sapphire didn’t imagine there were many ding-dong-ditchers who made it out of the Everfree Forest alive.

The wooden door creaked open, and a dark snout poked out of the tiny opening, twitching curiously. “Hello? Who are you?” Said a deep, masculine voice.

“Um, hey! Sorry to bother you, but my name is Sapphire Swirl, and I lost my friend-” Before they could stammer through the rest of their reasoning, the door swung open to reveal two figures in the softly lit foyer.

“...Sapphire! Welcome. You may enter.” Said a different voice, and with a feeble smile, they looked over their shoulder once more and trotted inside. Once the lighting evened out as they entered the home, Sapphire realized that it was two male zebras who had welcomed them inside. “You have lost your friend, you say?”

“Yeah, she’s a unicorn. Pretty stiff mane, angry face, but a real pretty one?” The pegasus raised an eyebrow optimistically, but the darker zebra shook his head sympathetically. His strikingly blond mane was tied into cords across his stripes, gold jewelry lining his tail. “Uh, sorry to barge into your house, but what are your names? I might be able to trade you some food if I can linger around the area while I look, I promise I won’t disturb any wildlife! I mean, later, that is. I forgot my saddlebags.”

“There is no need, my new friend.” Spoke the zebra with the lighter coat, his wavy mane falling around his kind yellow eyes. “I am Nuru, and this is Giza. You are welcome to stay until you find your friend, and we may be able to help.”

“In fact, we believe we have been expecting you.” Said Giza, and the two looked at each other with a knowing glance that made Sapphire feel like they were missing out on something.

“Erm, well I sure wasn’t expecting to be here!” They replied with a sheepish giggle.

“We are practitioners of the art of alchemy. Potion magic. Our last batch of the nutrients that both feed us physically and spiritually told us quite the tale.” Nuru said with a soft smile. As if to emphasize his point, a cauldron in the home hissed in a whisper of incomprehensible words as Nuru spoke once again. “When the old oak tree whispers, in the breeze’s caress, a message is carried, with ancient success.”

“Stand beneath its branches, in reverence due, for after its whisper, a gemstone seeks you.” Giza explained in a faraway voice, his lips twitching into a smirk. “You seem to be the gemstone we have awaited, Sapphire.”

“Our purpose must be giving you a helping hoof with your friend today, yes?” Nuru’s eyes lit up, and Sapphire gave him an encouraging grin.

“Wow, your practice is really incredible!” The pegasus looked around the decorated home with a look of wonder before jumping, startled, as the front door swung open.

“Thank you, Sapphire Swirl, we are happy to share it with you. But I regret to tell you that the Everfree Forest has become far more dangerous than it once was, and we must find your companion in time.” Giza stepped into the darkness with Nuru on his heels, so Sapphire raced to catch up and close the door behind them.

“In time? What does that mean?” They asked, keeping up with the quick pace that the two zebras had set.

“Darkness resides here, and selfishness draws ponies in. Your friend is a unicorn, yes?” The blond zebra asked, eyes flitting around the trees with determination.

“Yes, she’s a unicorn, we-”

“You must not take your eyes off of us, do you understand?” He suddenly said sternly, and Sapphire simply nodded with a nervous gulp. “You will not realize that your surroundings have changed until you are too far away from us to reach. Is this what happened with that friend of yours?”

“I only would’ve looked away for a second, she was checking out the berries we need. Hold on, too far for you to reach? Is she in serious trouble?” The pegasus tried not to panic, but the pace of their trot and the tone of the zebra’s voice was intimidating, to say the least.

“It’s possible, my dear friend. But do not fret, as the darkness feeds on your energy. Now come, visitors that are led astray typically end up in one of three places.” Nuru said with a reassuring smile. “We will help you with your berry journey once your friend is located.”

Sapphire Swirl walked between the two, a bead of cold sweat slipping down their neck as they stared at Giza’s hooves intently. They decided that their only purpose for now was to keep their eyes on zebra stripes, and it didn’t feel like long before the three of them found a clearing. Jelly Splash wasn’t anywhere in sight, and when the pegasus called out her name, nobody replied. Urgently and wordlessly, they kept moving, shouting in each of the three clearings for the unicorn to return until Sapphire suddenly tripped and took a rough tumble to the ground. Frantically, their eyes tore back up to find a zebra but found a unicorn instead.

“Jelly Splash!” They exclaimed, practically jumping onto the pony with a crushing embrace.

“Dear fucking Celestia, Sapphire, you scared me!” She shuddered but reciprocated the embrace.

“This is quite unusual, no? She came from nowhere.” Nuru murmured.

“Unusual yes, but quite fortunate as well,” Giza whispered back. “I cannot imagine it would have been long before she was lost to us.”

“Please tell me you’ve at least found the Metabew berries!” Jelly exclaimed as she pulled back from the hug, eyes flitting to the unintroduced zebras.

“Uh, so that’s funny, because…” Sapphire trailed off, looking at the other two with a sudden realization. “Oh! Sorry, guys, this is Jelly Splash. This is Nuru and Giza, they live here in the forest!”

The unicorn smiled and nodded in a polite greeting, and Sapphire immediately noticed her pleasant and unguarded demeanor with a smile of their own. “It is good to meet you, especially in these conditions. Now, if you are only looking for some Metabew, we have some in our home!” Nuru said cheerfully, but an underlying anxiety caused him to seem a bit frantic.

“Seriously? That’s great, let’s head back!” Sapphire picked up on the electricity in the air, starting a quick trot in the opposite direction.

Without needing to search for a missing pony, the trek back was just a few short minutes, and the warmth of candlelight and shelter relaxed the tense group. Giza took Jelly Splash on a quiet tour around the home while Nuru showed Sapphire to their storage cabinets, chatting about Metabew’s properties and various other plants. “And while you are here, please allow us to serve you one of our meals. I assure you that the magic is not harmful, and I feel it will keep your stomachs full and guide your journey!” The pegasus felt their stomach growl at the sound of a warm meal, and they graciously accepted just as the jar of berries was located. “You may take the entire container, for your own collection. I can harvest them any time I please.”

“I don’t want to take your supplies, Nuru!” Sapphire protested sheepishly, and the zebra rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh.

“Do not be ridiculous, Sapphire! I tell my friends when they are being crazy, and you are now my friend… You are being crazy! Take it!” They laughed as he shoved it into their hooves, and the other two returned before they could protest further.

“Nuru, would you get the cauldron warmed? I feel we should host our guests before they enter the forest alone again.” Giza asked, moving to remove various vegetables and dried herbs.

“You read my mind, mpenzi! Sit, you two, sit, and we will serve you!” The ponies were ushered to a set of cushions, and the atmosphere of the home almost let them forget that they had just been in serious danger — and always were.

Everyone got to know each other as the cauldron bubbled, its energy seeming to grow as laughter filled the room. Although Jelly Splash knew that her friends were likely worried, she couldn’t find it within herself to care much. The lighthearted fun of friendship felt so scarce, and it was a refreshing environment. It wasn’t long before Giza politely shushed everyone, ladle in hoof, as the warm liquid hissed to life.

A soft warm glow filled the room, and Nuru whispered something incomprehensible into the stew. It bubbled back, its steam swirling in unnatural patterns before the faintest of words came out. “Beneath the veil of sorrow, where tears obscure the sight…” There were several moments before it began again, slightly louder. “A truth must be unveiled, lest the sky keeps the night.”

“Is that the-” Sapphire whispered.

“Shh!” Jelly hushed.

It was a long minute of silence before the voice hissed again, losing volume. “For though grief engulfs them, in its relentless stream, the peril of a lost sister’s betrayal must be seen.” The light fizzled out, and the zebras began to nonchalantly serve up bowls of soup. The ponies, however, sat frozen in their seats.

Sapphire wordlessly took a bite, lost in thought, as Jelly Splash nervously sparked up a conversation once again. “It is beautiful magic, is it not?” Giza smiled as he ate his soup, and Sapphire nodded tensely.

The urgency to get back to the palace was dwindling by the moment as the realization that the two would not only need to bring berries back to their friends... but also, a horrifying truth.

Author's Note:

star streck (and lava lamp but i cant remember if i mentioned that :p) belongs to my dear friend! drinkdino has been so helpful for the entire process of this story!!! :>