Diprosopus

by WritingSpirit

Vesuvian Lakes

"Yer sure he's doin' a mighty fine job in that there meetin' of yers?"

"You could say he was trying his best," Twilight answered the concerned farmpony.

"He is a foreign dignitary, after all. Draconis wouldn't send him and his brother if they didn't have any connections with the Princesses. I'm sure the other foreign ambassadors and the ministers would understand."

"Well, it ain't pretty once that dragon goes mad."

Applejack tossed her blonde mane to the side, catching a glimpse of their subject of attention and, reserved to her, affection, having a small, lively chat with Apple Bloom. She herself had heard his tales, mostly on how the dragon kingdom beyond the safety of Equestria's borders were like, such as their bustling stone cities and their daily patterns of life, yet it was only his account; a part of her wanted to see the actual thing.

"Ah don't know 'bout now, but when Kane's angry, it spells trouble," she murmured.

"Ya should've seen 'im when we first met. Rotten rascal he was, back in the day..."

"The Princess did told me of how you... how shall I put this... tame him."

"So ya think what, Ah'm a dragon tamer?" the orange mare retorted, chuckling.

"Ah'm used to herdin' sheep and cattle, but dragons? Granny Smith don't want none of them hoodingies on the farm. One's already enough for her. And me."

"Same here," Twilight replied with a sigh, raising her hoof.

"Look at Spike, for example."

"He ain't half-bad as Kane was, that fellow. He still knows how to help out at the farm and all. He even runs the library a few times when ya ain't around in Ponyville--"

"And I came back to see a few stacks of burnt books at the corner," the unicorn cut in, the mere tingling memory of it making her shudder with visible frustration.

"I'm surprised he hasn't had the whole library burnt down yet, to be honest. It's not like I want to nag him or anything but he really needs to learn how to organize. Sometimes I wonder how in Celestia's name Rarity puts up with him."

"It's just one of those mushy things," Applejack replied nonchalantly.

"Speakin' of which, where is Rarity and Spike anyway? Sweetie Belle said she hadn't seem them at all since lunch this afternoon."

"They're should be down any minute now," was the answer.

"You know how it is with Rarity and wanting to look her best."

"Ah guess..."

Time passed on languidly, with the last rays of Celestia's magnificent and dazzling sunset flickering in the distance, before diminishing in between the distant mountains. Both mares preoccupied themselves by watching Kane and Apple Bloom having a small flight session, before being joined by Sweetie Belle in a sparkling dress and a more reluctant Scootaloo wearing a black woolen sweater.

"Hey there!" Applejack hollered them over, breaking out a smile.

"What took ya guys so long?"

"Sweetie Belle wanted a little treat from the kitchen," Scootaloo answered in disgruntlement, her friend giggling sheepishly with a blush right beside her.

"We're already going out for dinner already. I don't think it's right you had to get that blueberry toffee from the chefs."

"I have cravings, you know!" Sweetie Belle retorted.

"Plus, blueberry is so... mm~mmmm!"

"Alright, alright," Twilight said, cutting in to their little bickering. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, bringing them to the side just as Kane drifted down, reuniting the giggling Apple Bloom with the rest of her friends.

Applejack marched towards the dragon, both exchanging grins before nuzzling each other. They were rarely seen displaying their affections for each other, and when they do, it was as heartwarming as it was priceless. Sometimes, the unicorn staring at them would feel a little jealous, though she wouldn't let it get to her head.

"Hey guys!"

The sight of three pegasi: Rainbow Dash, Soarin' and Spitfire joining the growing herd was a sight for sore eyes, with both husband and wife wheeling a stroller each, containing their newborn daughters tucked within the folds of their blankets and sleeping silently.

Another whistle from the side revealed Rarity and Spike, hoof-in-arm striding up to them with beaming smiles. Flaunting in a purple dress that glistened in the evening light, the mare gave her sister a hug, with her drakefriend dressed in a suit, complete with a black bow-tie.

"Wow, Spike!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, eyes shimmering.

"You look pretty smart in that suit!"

"Heh heh," the dragon chuckled, scratching his head.

"Rarity said she wanted me to dress for the occasion. You know how it is with her and important gatherings and all..."

"It's just a celebration dinner for Rainbow Dash," Twilight said.

"You don't have to dress this formal for something like that, do you?"

"Don't have to?" Rarity responded, mouth gaping in utter shock. Everypony looked at her in surprise, bracing for the melodrama that the said mare was notorious for causing.

"Why, this is to celebrate Rainbow becoming a mother of not only a filly, but twins! It is but the most wondrous news of Equestria ever since Fluttershy conceived Amber Rose last year!"

Immediately, Rainbow and Soarin' started to blush, embarrassed at their friend's words with a glance at each other, the sight making the rest of them laugh, secretly surprised that their friend hadn't hiss or rasp at them yet.

"I-It's not really that much of an...erm... achievement," the cyan mare stuttered, shaking her head in denial.

"Just looking forward to dinner here, yes we are! Speaking of which, where the hay is Fluttershy anyway?"

"Last Ah saw her," Apple Bloom piped in.

"She and Mac were gettin' some new toys for the baby. Said somepony she knew very well in the palace can help her or somethin' like that."

"In the palace?" Spike asked, confused.

"Getting new toys in the palace? From who? Don't tell me she's asking Princess Cadance for some of Radiance's old ones? I don't think Amber is going to like battleships and toy figures of the Canterlot Guard to replace that broken butterfly doll she chewed."

"Maybe she's just asking Cadance to name some suggestions," Twilight guessed.

"After all, she is experienced in these kind of things. I'm sure Fluttershy would get the best answer from her."

"Well, y'all spoke too soon."

Applejack's words prompted them to turn to her, following her gaze of disbelief to see Fluttershy and Big Mac heading up towards them, the mare cradling her daughter who was seemingly playing with some psychedelic-colored rubber duck that looked as if it was picked out from an ice-cream store.

What surprised even more was the figure joining them; one that made all their eyes widen. It was a guest that neither of them had expected to join along, not to mention ever see again after his extended leave from Equestria, and the thought of spending dinner with him again brought back a trembling nostalgia into their heads.

"Ah! My friends!"

Rainbow would've spat in his face. Applejack would've bucked her brother back to Ponyville. Soarin' and Spitfire would just stare in shock and disbelief at each other. Kane would've just grunted in displeasure. The Crusaders would've cowered behind Rarity, who would faint onto the floor and prompt Spike to catch her. It was lucky Twilight decided to step back from her research to join them.

"What are you doing here, Discord?" she rasped.

"Why, I was simply invited by Fluttershy here to your small dinner party of yours!" the draconequus replied, wearing his cheeky, one-fanged grin. He was dressed in some sort of crooked, patched tuxedo and a worn-out top hat, and in his right paw he twirled a candy cane, stopping only to take a few munches at it.

"Plus, it was really unnecessary to feel shocked at my appearance," he continued with eyebrows perking upwards, much to the mare's annoyance.

"I've turned over a new leaf, after all."

"Now, now," Fluttershy cut in, going in between a harrumphing Twilight Sparkle and a raspberry-blowing Discord. Both humphed in displeasure at each other, crossing their limbs only to leave their butter-colored friend to stare at them in uncertainty.

"Twilight..." she mewled.

"Can you please listen to me? Discord... he's just a--"

"A real sweetheart, we get it!" Rainbow yelled.

"What I don't get is why the hay would you invite him to dinner! Remember the last time we had dinner with him? Back at your cottage?"

"Now that's a bit harsh, isn't it? Sure, it's my fault for ruining your night, but you did say mean things about the gravy boat and candles that night. I'm surprised if they didn't go to your bed at the night to attack you and... what are their names again? Firefly and Mayfly, right?"

In that split second, the cyan pegasus zoomed towards him, gripped back only at the last minute by the combined effort of Soarin' and Spitfire, clenching their jaws against her friend's streaking tail. Rainbow flailed her hooves, trying her best in her state to reach his neck and strangle it, tear it apart, or do whatever her raging mind could think of doing.

"YOU TOUCH ONE SINGLE HAIR ON MY DAUGHTERS!! I DARE YOU!!" she screamed.

"I'LL KILL YOU!! I'LL DESTROY YOU!! I'LL RIP YOUR BUCKING HEAD APART, YOU HEAR ME?!!"

"Touché, touché," Discord began, though not before noticing Fluttershy's look of dissatisfaction, a single eyebrow raised when his eyes met hers. His throat lurched, the words he was about to say chased back into nonexistence accompanied with a step backwards.

"No hard feelings, Rainbow Dash. My, my, me and my first impressions..."

"Discord!"

"I sincerely apologize," he renewed his words hastily, Fluttershy's coarse voice sending the clear message.

"It was really outrageous of me to blurt things out like that. I'm sorry."

"You should be," Soarin' griped, guiding her wife away, the mare already on the verge of tears.

The draconequus painfully watched as the couple strolled away, carting their daughters with hooves gripping tighter onto the handles than before. Fluttershy nervously crept to his side, uncertainty drilling her head at the disquietude that already begun even before dinner had initiated.

"Look, Fluttersh'ah, Ah know ya mean well," Applejack began.

"But... Ah'm not certain about this. Ah know he's just came back from his duty and all, but..."

"I understand."

The butter-colored pegasus sighed, glancing between her concerned friends and the sulking Discord. Even her husband looked ever the more doubtful about her choice to bring the draconequus along, and the thought of only raising her friend's antipathy made her wonder.

"B-But... Discord's my friend." she stuttered.

"Friends never leave each other behind."

"Rainbow's your friend too," Twilight protested.

"It's just that Discord struck too deep into something private and personal in Rainbow's heart. I... I honestly don't know if it's okay to bring him along now. Before this, I thought I should just let it slide, but now..."

"I... I don't know..."

"It's alright then, Fluttershy," Discord suddenly said, breaking from his somber mood.

"I think it's best I leave you be. Perhaps we would meet again tomorrow?"

"Oh... um..."

"Tomorrow it is, then."

With that biased decision in mind, the draconequus took off, soaring away from the garden and away from the group that stared at him with looks of worry, especially Fluttershy. It was a misunderstanding that completely veered them all off course, and already they began to wonder if Rainbow would have the appetite after something such as that.

Twilight was the first to strut forward, the confidence she withheld now stirring back up the hairs of her chest. Stiff lips curled crookedly, she said:

"Shall we go for dinner then?"

Hesitant nods followed, and soon the bunch trotted after the absent couple. Silence shadowed the group, with only a few murmurs from Fluttershy to Big Mac on how devastating the conclusion of her decision came to be. Of course, none of them would blame her for it; they would always blame Discord. It's always Discord.

Twilight sighed, turning back to where the draconequus once was. It was somewhat sad to see him go, even though she knew it in her heart that he was the one that started it. Perhaps he didn't mean to? Perhaps he just wanted to get along just like friends would?

All thoughts of that soon shattered when she saw a flurry of white feathers speeding back from one of the windows of the palace looming over them. She knew full well who it belonged to, those pair of wings, but the sheer thought of her watching them... her gut started to clench like a vise in that instant.

Was she concerned? Worried, even? Why was she watching them like a maniacal stalker? It was just a trip towards one of the outdoor restaurants in Canterlot, not some leaking of information to some of Janus's subordinates. With a gulp, Twilight trotted after her friends, shaking away all the lingering thoughts that rooted deep in her head.

"Princess Celestia..." her mind echoed the question, her mouth muttering along.

"What were you looking for...?"

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"Get those planks down here."

Stellar Lionheart poked the teetering mesh of rotting wood with a makeshift spear, made from a broken rock attached three broken chair legs tied together with strong rope. His teeth clenched tighter onto the lantern, quivering drops of sweat dripping from his forehead with his gaze fixated onto the crumbling structure towering above him and the equally cautious Caduceus.

"Be careful," his friend warned, to which he rolled his eyes at. He knew he had to be: one wrong stab , and the whole building comes crashing down onto them. Plus, the last thing he wanted to do was to perish in the hellhole he was in, which also meant ending the mission in a complete failure. No, he would only die when Janus dies. It's a sworn promise.

One more cautious poke, and the former butler held his breath at the single plank he was planning to obtain pivoting above its counterparts, shaking off the copious mounds of dust that had assembled around its edges. All it takes one more push... one single, little breeze of a push...

"Here goes..."

The last prod proved them fortunate: the sound of resourceful clattering onto the floor was music to their ears. With a sigh of relief (for his life being intact) and frustration (for lifting the bundle of fuel), Stellar knelt down to collect the rotting boards, shooing away a few large termites that had dug chasms through it for the bountiful storage of food that they could find within.

Coughing at the scattering dust, he marched out to the pre-established, temporary campsite, carrying the planks towards a half-complete circle for a campfire. Caduceus had settled down next to Jovern, the dragon's ears perking at whatever terrifying sounds lurk in the dark. It became a routine for him to be the watch-drake, making sure no horrid creatures like the one they've faced earlier would sneak up to them.

Progress was anything but satisfactory: after two days of swerving about Harbor Street, they had stumbled upon yet another impossible barricade. It was Caduceus's decision to have a stop and rest for the night, the doctor having planned the next few moves that lead them to a ruptured yet all-too-familiar place.

To many ponies, it was known as the twin lakes. To those in Pendant Lakes itself, it was called the Sanctuary. It was here that the founder of said town, Parsan Palgiot, had stopped for a drink during an expedition across the north, and soon enough built his once-grand estate on the nearby Hoovingaar Mountain. It was also here that Noir Palgiot had decided to build the family's grand mausoleum, complete with a secret passageway leading towards the palace itself, not to mention the long-obsolete academy of trained assassins: Academia Nox. The granite entrance was now nothing but a wreck of stone, lying in pieces on the floor

With a sigh, Stellar threw the planks into the pit, glancing back to see the decrepit cottage that he had obtained it from. His heart tingled with nostalgia, for it was the former abode of one of his oldest and greatest friends that had long passed, Sidus Sirenheart. Already he had missed his friend smoking puffy rings of colored smoke engineered from his mechanical pipe whilst sitting in a rocking chair.

A small blast of heat prompted him to turn around, just in time to face the crackling fire that Jovern had just made. It illuminated the surrounding environment of barren trees and cracking ground, the radiance, although small, made him felt safe in the light.

"Got any dragon food in that satchel of yours?"

"Would these count?" Stellar asked Jovern, raising to him a packet of finely-crushed gems.

"I know it's not much for you, but it's all we have."

"That will do," the dragon said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I have a peculiarly small appetite right now. Must be the atmosphere of this place."

The former butler couldn't help but smile in agreement, digging through his belongings to take out his one-week ration of a loaf of bread. Grumbling, he snapped off a small piece, munching it slowly as his gaze turns to that of Caduceus traversing about in the distance, one hoof covered in a sling as a result from his fall, the other lifting a lamp that revealed his somber face in the encroaching dark.

"What's he trying to do?" he asked the dragon with meek sarcasm.

"A land survey?"

"Something like that."

It really looked like he was scanning the ground, but as Stellar marched closer and closer, his friend's actions grew deeper in clarity. Edging right next to his friend, he followed the direction of the doctor's grim stare, looking downwards to see the jaws of an opening earth, wide enough only for three twigs to enter. At the very deep bottom was what seemed to be lava, spurting and gurgling with the heat rising from it enough to replace a broken radiator.

"Saw the lake yet?" Caduceus suddenly asked, to which he shook his head.

"It was bubbling a little and there was that faint scent of sulfur, so I thought I should find out what's happening, to know what we might be getting ourselves into."

"And you found this."

One clear nod made him frown a little. The idea of the fabled Sanctuary tainted with fissures of lava branching all around striking a deep chord in his heart. However disheartening it was, he only prayed it wouldn't impede them in their journey or probably even consumed what they were looking for in the first place.

"Imagine what he would say if he saw this," he muttered.

"Who?"

"Parsan Palgiot," Stellar answered, grimacing as he trotted towards the lake. The sight of the once-clear water being a slightly foggy, polluted red with swirls of blackness (ink?) in them and the grimy moss forming at the side of its banks was disheartening if not disgusting, as if it was fertilized by the remains of the dead Palgiots buried here.

"What do you think he would call it if he discovered it like this?"

"Um... Vesuvian Lakes?"

"Vesuvian Lakes..."

It has a nice ring to it, Stellar could agree. After all, the lake matched the hellhole, and since Pendant Lakes was named after it when it was still the grand place it was, there wouldn't be a more appropriate way than to name it again.

"Anyhow," he continued, snapping out from his thoughts.

"Aren't you hungry? You aren't trying to save up that much food now, right?"

With a shrug, Caduceus trekked back to the campsite, his friend following closely behind. The bonfire was warm in the cold depths of the ruined city, and it was with that in mind that they, along with Jovern, sat around it, striking up a few conversations to pass the lengthy time.

Eventually, the need of sleep engulfed then, prompting them to spread out their camping beds and, for the two colts, laying their respective weapons right next to them. It would be easier to do so if it weren't for the echoing whispers and sometimes even screams that replaced what would've been a senile, lifeless silence, and as Stellar himself clenched his eyes forcefully once more, he was lulled towards a better world, until his ears picked up a voice so freakishly familiar that it sent him spiraling from his realm of fine dreams down into a crooked, jarring nightmare.

"He's mine!! HE'S MINE!!!! ALL MINE!!!"

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"Nopony loves you..."

"No...there's somepony..."

"He never loved you. You don't even know him..."

"No! I do! I... I-I... he... I... know..."

"Pinkie?"

Light filled her vision when Pinkie Pie opened them with a breathless gasp, the sight of a pair of concerned red eyes looking down at her and reassuring her from her fears. She rose from her bedding of leaves and hay, blinking a few times to clear her foggy mind as she glanced around the large hallways of empty beds made specifically for the pilgrims's stay, with its current inhabitants being only her and the pony that woke her.

A small oil lamp was the only source of light of this windowless room, hiding all hints from her that it was already mid-afternoon. It was the reason why Phoenix came back to find her, having not seen her at the dining table for their last lunch with the pilgrims and the alicorns before their departure tomorrow in the morning.

"Did you sleep well last night?" he asked, worried.

"A-A little..." she muttered, brushing the hairs of her mane draping over her cheeks, the sight of which made the stallion widen his eyes.

"Your mane..." he voiced his thoughts aloud.

"It's flat again."

"I guess..." the mare responded somberly. It was unlike her to be this expressionless, with her lips rigid and straight and the spark in her eyes absent, leaving only a dull glaze of pale blue in her pupils. Her bright pink skin was tinted with a faint shade of gray, which darkened at the edges of her glowering face.

"Where's everypony else?" she asked, obviously not wanting to pursue the subject about her mood.

"They've just finished lunch."
Phoenix rose from his bed, handing to the mare a small stick of celery: the only thing he could salvage from the leftovers of a grand feast. Nevertheless, Pinkie accepted it, though deep in his heart he knew she would've preferred the stick to be made from cinnamon instead.

"So, about Valewood..." he began again.

"Once we've settled down, we would have a visit with Velvet's friend, remember? Maybe he could help you get some of your lost memory back and such."

"Y-Yeah," Pinkie stammered.

"But how can we be sure that I really do get them back? That I actually... learn something about myself? What if... what if I learned nothing at all?"

"Then it would've been worth a try."

Without further ado, the aquamarine stallion marched towards the door, the mare reluctantly following him into a terrace, slightly shielding her eyes from the cascading rays of light. Already the heavenly smell of nature rushed into their heads, filling them with a sense of what they would call harmonized bliss. It was like a drug that nopony can ever get addicted to, yet the emotions it unleashes contradicted that sentence easily.

The sound of trotting hooves prompted Phoenix to stop at a junction, allowing a few robed children to scamper across, chasing a few hobby-lanterns that mischievously darted about, too absorbed in their antics to care. The sight made Pinkie elicit a tiny giggle and, although small, was enough to make the other pony's face light up with a smile.

"Is Brutus awake yet?" the mare asked during their aimless wandering. The minotaur hadn't opened his eyes ever since he was beaten up that day, and she couldn't help but pray for his safety, seeing all the horrific gashes and lacerations inflicted upon him.

"He's coming to," Phoenix answered.

"Hopefully, he'll be awake before the night falls. If he were a pony, those wounds would've killed him right on the spot. Did you see how brutal his torture was?"

Pinkie shuddered. "I'd rather not," she replied.

The two continued their gentle march, their minds focusing on the same thing: the condition of their friend. Pinkie herself was certain that he would wake already, and the thought of him still lying unconscious in the medical ward just down the hallway was enough to make her worry. It was with that in mind that they've soon decided to pay him a visit and expecting him to be awake, though the melodic chanting emanating from the doorway proved otherwise.

Turning to the right, both ponies stepped into a room, plunged into a deep, glowing blue from the circle of dancing flames surrounding the unconscious minotaur, who was floating a few feet from the ground. His arms and hooves were wrapped in some sort of ethereal chain, which pulsates rhythmically from each spurt of energy flowing from the other end of the stream.

Four unicorn priests bound themselves to each respective limb, cuffed to the otherworldly link and chanting in deep prayer as if in a hypnotic trance, hooves tucked together with the tranquility of a statue. Parish explained that they were the Sagairt Ocrais: the Hunger Priests, who form a spiritual bond with somepony in medical care to transfer the nutrients and energy of the food they have ate to the patient. From what they knew, it took a tremendous amount of stamina and mental preparation to perform it. They were rarely called upon and when they are, it was usually in the most dire of times like this, when the patient hasn't awoken in a day.

Princess Terra was there, overseeing the process of Brutus's recovery like a sentinel with her stern, watchful eyes glancing between all four. With her were a few curious pilgrims, along with some of the hobby-lanterns floating around like dainty, neon-colored fireflies. Pinkie could spot Luster shimmering within the group (she was the only yellow spirit light among her friends) and while she wanted to go up to her and greet her, she feared it would interrupt the strange yet necessary ritual before her eyes.

"Is é bhfuil a spiorad á athchóiriú."

"His aura is being restored," Phoenix whispered the translation of one of the priest's observations to a clearly-puzzled Pinkie.

"Meaning he might be waking up any second now."

Aura seemed like a foreign word to the mare, but she knew enough that it was one pony's life force that connects the mind, body and soul. Accompanied by the expelling of hollow, cold wind echoing through the cracks, the resounding aura seemed to grow more mystical as well as abnormal, the chants growing louder yet smoother as the minotaur was somewhat being lowered back to the ground by the gentle hands of gravity. The fires dancing about and illuminating the room immediately died down, prompting Phoenix to light a lamp with his tail.

He was settled down onto a stone bed blanketed in grass and hay, the chains connecting him slowly retracting back into the quartet of priests that tended to him. Phoenix could've sworn the minotaur was glowing a little, though it ceased to bother him when a familiar grunt echoed through the room.

Pinkie silently gasped when she saw the minotaur open his eyes, joining the rest into their greeting of warm smiles as they welcomed him back into reality. He stared and blinked a little, his confusion evident from the inquiring flicker in the dead center of his pupils.

"Welcome back, my friend," Phoenix said, placing a hoof onto his shoulder.

"Wh-where..."

"Where's what?" Pinkie asked.

"What were you looking for?"

Brutus stared at her with what she assumed was the longest stare that he had ever mustered upon her, glancing away when he saw her perplexed look. She was about to ask again before a set of galloping hooves cut in, the mare making way for the rest of the caravan.

"Thank Celestia you're safe," Velvet said, graciously giving him a hug.

"You had me worried there, you big ol' brute!"

"Mino'aurs ain't that 'ard to ba'er up!" Ollivander chided.

"Ya need more than a 'ammer to bash up them thick skulls!"

The caravan readily laughed, even the minotaur himself, who was already smiling for the first time in a few months. Pinkie remembered the last time he smiled when they celebrated his birthday, yet... yet there was something missing. There was something in place...

Pinkie was accustomed, if not an expert when it comes to smiles. It was extremely clear to her the difference: he was not fully content. What took its place was that he was disappointed, crestfallen even. The only question was: what was he expecting or, perhaps more accurate and probably impossible at the same time:

Who was he expecting?

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The Sentiments Of The Alicorns

It was common belief that alicorns are the sentient beings of the Equestrian society, superior to most of its inhabitants in prowess, wisdom and dignity. It was what many ponies have been searching for in the ages past, yearning to understand what makes an alicorn 'alicorn', what gives an alicorn his or her 'alicornian' nature, and what an alicorn possesses that differ from other ponies.

Many alicorns inhabit the world, but few do not have the nobility of the two main figures that represent alicornhood: the Royal Sisters of Canterlot, Celestia and Luna. Many ponies would give the main reason why: that they control the sun and moon and, in turn, the times of day and night. It was with this in mind that ponies marvel at the surrealism of their power and sure enough, grew to bask underneath its splendor for the rest of their lives.

But the question remains: what makes one an alicorn?

Is it spiritual belief? Is it the influence that they possess over ponykind? Is it the possession of such otherworldly magic that a normal unicorn would forbade his/herself to use? And why would they have wings and a horn? Why possess the two features that make one either a unicorn or a pegasus? Taking that into account, why do Earth ponies exist?

My growing curiosity refused to die down and to sate it, I had ventured into the deserts of Saddle Arabia, where supposedly a lead to becoming an alicorn was rumored to be situated in. It was in the mind-numbing, body-wracking dunes of the desert that I stumbled upon the locales and asked about it, to which they answered with an object of otherworldy importance, yet camouflaged in the most unexpected of circumstan-

Page ripped from the Saddle Arabian Library. Was hoping it would give me a lead, but it certainly said that I had to look for it somewhere else. Had a strange feeling of being watched in the town square, but it might be the desert heat.

The transcripts obtained from the excavation still meant no sense to me. Memento to send a copy to the Lord Praeclarus in the near future.

Twilight grumbled at the derisive ending of the entry, having brought the journal to the cafe to occupy whatever free time she could have during her slow wait for the bill. Clasping it shut, she turned back to her group of friends, a little nervous at all the gloomy expressions around her.

Dinner was somber, to summarize it. Everypony was silent all the way through, all too afraid to anger the glowering Rainbow Dash. She had never seen the cyan mare so protective of anypony, not to mention anything at all! Maybe it was her motherly instincts kicking into gear, although she herself didn't really know.

Fluttershy was the one that was the most afraid of the pegasus, up to the point where she would've probably bolted out of the restaurant if not for the company of the rest of her friends, and for a very good reason. Applejack and Big Mac tried to reassure her, yet it only served to feed her vexation, along with the few glimpses of Rainbow's face.

The silence was mortifying, making them seem more like mortal enemies ready to strangle each other than the best of friends. Worse still that it remained even during and after the meal, the attempts to start a conversation in their heads as needy as it was unenthusiastic.

"U-um... Rainbow Dash?" the yellow pegasus finally spoke with a shiver.

No reply.

"I... I-I j-j-just wanted to say... I-I... I'm s-sorry..."

"Sorry...?"

"Th-That's right! I'm sorry, Rainbow... I w-wanted to apologize, from me and from Discord--"

"Don't you dare mention him!" Rainbow yelled, halfway standing whilst slamming a hoof onto the table.

"Just don't... just... just don't..."

"But he didn't really mean it," Fluttershy began to protest.

"He... he just wanted to c-congratulate you for having F-Firefly and Mayfly--"

"By THREATENING me?!"

The cyan mare's sudden raise of volume was met with bewildered stares from her friends around her and the unwanted audience of turned heads from the other tables, though none of that mattered. She thrust a hoof towards Fluttershy, sporting a dagger of a glare at the whimpering pegasus as she continued:

"You know what Discord is capable of! I wouldn't be surprised if one day he just decides to turn you into some bullying brat who pushes everypony around like it's some sort of sick joke! You think it's funny, Fluttershy?!"

"N-No! No, I was only--!"

"I don't want to risk my daughters to some weird creep knowing that Janus is coming!! He wouldn't spare any of us, Fluttershy; look what he did to Pinkie!! Do you think that, for a second, I'll let him join so that he could steal Firefly and Mayfly away from me as blackmail?!"

"Discord wouldn't do such a thing! R-Rainbow, just hold on for a moment--!"

"What if Janus came for Macintosh?!!"

The sound of nervous whimpering stopped, the butter mare's head drooping into a veil of shadow.

"What if he just takes Mac away?!"

The said stallion held a look of concern, as does his sister once they turned to each other. At that point, Amber Rose started to cry in her pram, prompting Apple Bloom to shush her with eyes still glued to Rainbow's ranting. It was Twilight's turn to grow nervous, glancing between the two pegasi in the heated battle.

"What if he just kidnaps Amber Rose?!" Rainbow continued, making the other mare's ear twitch.

"What do you think of that?!"

"What do I think......?"

Fluttershy's voice was abruptly dreadful, sharper than the edge of a razor. Already Rarity started to shift towards Spike, Twilight and Applejack exchanged fearful looks and Big Mac himself already heading up to his wife, reluctantly reaching his hoof out to her.

"Now now, F-Fluttersh'ah..." he began.

"D-D-Don't--"

"LET HIM COME!!" the usually quiet pegasus screamed suddenly.

"Does he dare? DOES HE DARE?!! WOULD HE MARCH THROUGH THOSE GATES TO GET AMBER ROSE?!! NO!! NEVER!! NEVER!!!!!"

Even Rainbow herself started to back away, her rage immediately changing to that of extreme terror as she watched Fluttershy grit her teeth, plunging a knife down into the wood of the table with a loud bang. Panting deliriously, she stared straight into all of them, giggling with deranged glee as she ripped the knife from the table.

"Amber is MINE!!!!" came the devilishly booming shout.

"And if he's here you know what I'll do?! Do you know?!! I'LL SLASH HIM, I'LL RIP HIM, I'LL STICK THIS BUCKING KNIFE INTO HIS THROAT!! JAB IT A HUNDRED TIMES... no, A THOUSAND!! MILLION!! BLOOD!! HIS BLOOD WILL BE EVERYWHERE! RAINING EVERYWHERE!! AND I'LL SHOW AMBER!! I'LL SHOW AMBER HOW GREAT HER MOMMY IS!!! THEN SHE'LL REALLY LOVE ME!! SHE'LL LOVE ME!!!!!"

The sound of her maniacal laugh echoed throughout the cafe, followed by the screech of metal against wood as she scraped her knife deeper into the table, carving out a crude drawing of a pony. With two hooves raised and eyes turning into the size of needle-heads, Fluttershy raised the knife in her both hooves, wings frantically flapping along with her rapidly-thumping heart.

"TAKE IT ALL, JANUS!!!" she screamed again, continuously stabbing into the table over and over and over.

"TAKE IT ALL, YOU BUCKING WRETCH!!!"

Before she could stab into the crude figure for the twenty-second time, she suddenly collapsed, hooves wobbling before giving away as she fell backwards, knife clattering on the floor. Big Mac quickly caught her, and everypony rushed to their side, watching frantically and worriedly as the stallion urged for her to wake up.

Their daughter was sobbing loudly, as if the filly too understood how terrifying were her mother's screams. Somepony seemed to have called an ambulance, as the sound of a distant siren approaching was heard.

"Ya gonna be alright, ya hear?" Big Mac shouted hastily, hoping in his heart that his unconscious wife could hear.

"Ya gonna be alright!!

Comments

[Fury of the Tempest]

Damn... one slip of the tongue by Discord and things take a turn for the worse, he really hasn't got the hang of the friend thing. Which honestly makes sense as he has little experience with it.

'stamina and They' I see a mistake.