Diprosopus

by WritingSpirit

Of The Merry Band Of The Caravan

"Wake up already, lass! Wake up!"

Pinkie let out a soft murmur in her daze, squirming about the plains of sleep once the exhilarated voice pounded into her head, opening them only when a loud squawk screeched through her ears, nearly jolting her up to her hooves.

"Rise and shine, Pinkie Pie," came the calm voice of Phoenix Mellow, laughing heartily while pushing the cheeky Ollivander out of the pink mare's bunk, to which she had shared with the light turquoise stallion now standing over her. She gave him a huge grin, her woolly mane merrily prancing about as she stood up with a small yawn.

"Had a fine sleep last night?" he asked.

"Super!" was her cheerful reply, already starting to bounce on the spot. Phoenix gave a small chuckle, before leaving her humming in the room while combing her mane.

Pinkie couldn't remember how she was stuck with the jubilant bunch, only remembering of their adventures they've been through in the past year. One minute, it was total darkness. The next, she found herself face to face with the stallion in a forest, unsure of what had happened. Phoenix took her in soon after and, of course, she soon became a part of his group of friends, all trying to help her, as they were helping each other, figure out her place in the world; one she had seemingly lost.

So far, throughout the one year they were together, she remembered her name, her age, her favorite color and other casual things. There were a few brief memories jolts: Shards, Phoenix had called them. They were only there for a split second, and so far from them, she had seen flashbacks of rocks, flames, and a pair of purple beady eyes. She always tried to make sense of it, and yet the answer will never pop up in her head.

Maybe one day, Pinkie. Maybe one day.

Trotting onto the creaky floorboards of the caravan, Pinkie soon stepped out into the wilderbness, breathing in the fresh air of pine, oak and mint (they found a mint patch when they stopped for the night) streaming through the atmosphere. They were on a wide expanse on green, their caravan parked beside a stack of rocks that were called the Vestus Cairns. Her eyes soon turned to the group outside, all smiling once they saw the pink mare approaching them.

Despite having lost her memory, she found out, ironically, that she had a very good one: from the various faces in the group, she had basically remembered each and every one of their names ever since Phoenix introduced them the very moment she was invited into the group.

Sitting on the left, with the mug of cider that he personally brewed raised to beckon her over, was Ganger Deuce, known to the rest of the gang as, well, Ganger. He was an aquamarine unicorn with a short, grizzly lime green mane, his Cutie Mark a wooden ladle, showing his knack in cooking, brewing drinks and potions and his queer interest in botany and herbs. "Hey, Pinks!" he hollered the mare over with a flail of his hooves, proving his lively personality, which could not be said the same for his twin sister.

Dapple was her name. Dapple Deuce. Like her identical twin brother, she was also a unicorn, though she did not share his jubilant expression. Her Cutie Mark was a blue flame, showing her knack in weaponry of any sorts, be it swords, arrows or spears, and her taste in magic. She was the one-mare-army of the whole group, always wearing a deadpan expression, though her straight lips soon curled once she saw Pinkie heading towards her. Phoenix had told her that he met the Deuce twins while they encountered each other at a border crossing, the two eventually joining their team after fighting off a few stray bandits.

At the right side, also drinking Ganger's homemade cider, was a hunky minotaur named Brute Force, nickname Brutus. He was usually silent, as if in deep thought, and would usually grunt if he decided not to use his bellowing ability of speech. He was discovered as a mercenary for hire in a pub, but stopped after a bounty was placed on his head, eventually deciding to join the group once the gray unicorn with the dark red mane right beside him paid off his bounty.

That pony was Velvetine Willows, or Velvet for short. He was one of Phoenix's oldest friends. He was their archives keeper, recording and cataloging each and every event on their journeys, as well as, surprisingly, the team's assassin, always the chief planner for silent murder and setting up traps, shown on his Cutie Mark in the form of a dagger.

Seated right beside the twin siblings was Selena Violetta Gust, or Salvo Gust, though she preferred to be called Selena. She was a bright yellow pegasus pony with a long, streaking mane of red and white. Her Cutie Mark was a stick of dynamite, which was enough to show her talent in pyrokinetics. She was found trying to blow up her hometown after she was wrongly framed for a crime, and would've done so if not for Phoenix and Ollivander stumbling upon her and requesting her to join them. The judge convinced her to leave town, and the mare couldn't be more happier to do so, especially when she became Ollivander's marefriend.

Ollivander was another of Phoenix's old friends; together with Velvet and Phoenix himself, they formed the original band of the Caravan. He was a gryphon, having always been a good scout and a natural flyer, though these days he spent more time with Selena, despite their differences. Pinkie would usually see the couple flying around in the sunset, laughing warmly at the prospect of having each other.

"What do you want for breakfast, eh?" the gryphon asked suddenly, his voice rich of his Highland accent as he stepped out with a tray of cakes in his talons and settling beside his marefriend.

"Just a little bread," was the pink mare's subtle reply, stretching her hooves in the cold air of morning. She breathed in, the bubbling smell of mushroom and leek stew brewing from a cauldron in the center rushing into her snout, making her lick her lips hungrily at the warm brew, knowing full well who would've cooked something such as that in the wilderness.

"That looks delicious, Ganger!"

"Told you she would like it, D," he spoke triumphantly, nudging his sister.

"She said that only because she was being nice."

Dapple rolled her eyes once Ganger gave out a loud, defiant snicker, as if going against his own sister's words. With an irritated growl, she smacked him on the head, leaving him in a daze while the rest laughed at his predicament.

"Don't try to act loony all around me, Ganger. I'm warning you."

"Just relax, Dapple," Selena piped in among their laughter.

"It's his personality. You would know him better than the rest of us."

"That doesn't mean I like it," she snapped, crossing her hooves and turning to glare at her brother to prove her point; in response, he stuck his tongue out at her, the sight making her growl.

"Plus, he should know better than to piss me off, since he's my twin brother."

"Pfft..." Ganger's voice broke in suddenly, chiseling into the last supports of her crumbling wall.

"No wonder you still don't have a coltfriend, Miss Grumble."

"What the heck did you say?"

Pinkie merely chuckled as the pair of siblings resumed their squabble, seating herself on a log across Ollivander and Selena. Without further ado, she scooped some of the broth from the cauldron in the center with a wooden ladle, before pouring them into a clay bowl, the wafting aroma tingling her taste buds already.

"Where's Phoenix?" she asked the gryphon, who beckoned his head to the large caravan as his answer.

There, stepping out from the backdoor of the caravan itself, was Phoenix Mellow, her savior and her roommate. He was a pale turquoise Earth pony with his mane a pale blue and his tail a pure red, depicting its ability to light up spontaneously at its owner's will. He was the group's proclaimed leader, though he mentioned that everypony in the group is their own leader, and he will never take part in managing and controlling their lives. He was also a story-teller and bard, though his usually somber personality proved otherwise. His Cutie Mark was a compass, exhibiting his sense of adventure, though the stallion himself said he see it more as a sense of direction.

Roosting on his mane was Fleetywit, a green sprite dragon and Phoenix's loyal pet. One might ask whatever a sprite dragon was if they had never heard of them, having been one of the rarest miniature dragons that still lingered around. The best description would be that a sprite dragon was basically like a small lizard with wings, always connected to the world in all sorts of ways. Fleetywit's connection was that of nature, and he had been indispensable with knowing what was going on in the wilderness. He let out a chirp of delight once his yellow eyes spotted Pinkie Pie (unlike dragons, sprite dragons could not talk), prompting a wave from the pink mare.

"Come on, Phoenix!" Velvet called him, gesturing his hoof over.

"We have to take off sooner or later! Have to make your feast a quick guzzle!"

Phoenix just returned a smug grin, settling right next to Pinkie.

"I can finish breakfast in my own way, thank you." he replied, serving himself a bowl of stew. The sight of him smiling was a little refreshing for Pinkie; he was always wearing a frown, and was never the type of pony who would bother with any exciting shenanigans that they could get into. He seemed more like a father than a friend sometimes, but none of them dared question his actions, lest they get any singeing whippings from his flaming tail.

Fleetywit let out a croaky purr, the frills around his neck buzzing silently. So far, only Phoenix knew what the dragon was saying, as the rest could only watch in confusion while he sniffed the air a little.

"Moisture's a little heavy... Fleetywit's right: it's going to rain soon."

Phoenix forcibly swallowed the rest of his soup, placing it alongside the rest of the utensils. With a humdrum whistle, Ganger gathered the dishes and cauldron, his horn glowing a distinct dark blue to ease the job. The rest huddled back into the caravan, which was more like a mobile house that can accommodate every one of them, thanks to Dapple's transmutation magic, which can enlarge it into a castle or shrink it (as she does it most of the time) for it to be slid in a satchel and carried around.

Pinkie stepped back into her room as the first patters of drops assaulted the wooden roof, settling back in her bed. It became the norm during these few days; Velvet did inform them it was the rainy season. It wasn't long before she dozed off again, just as the caravan started to move through the hilly plains and onward through the storm while she dreamt of happier times: where she knew who she was.

Where her name wasn't just a fractured memory, but a calling; one that she was now trying to find.

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"More red wine, sir?"

"Certainly," came Stellar's hearty reply, the aging colt smiling whilst wiping the edges of his snout with a white napkin. The sight of Canterlot's utterly splendid cuisine on his plate was one that soothed his sore eyes and, after he was done, his voracious stomach. It wasn't long before the servant returned with another bottle, twisting the cork open and pouring its contents into a crystalline wine glass.

No sooner than that did Stellar drank it all in one gulp, earning a brief look of surprise from the servants and guards watching and pampering him, and Caduceus Brineheart himself midway in his food, sitting across his old friend for the first time since the events of the past year. Stellar suddenly raised his glass jubilantly, hollering out:

"Another glass, please!"

"Ease off the wine, Stellar!" Caduceus finally broke in. It was the eighth glass his friend had guzzled, and the last thing the Princesses have to see when they will arrive later is his friend going drunkenly mad and dancing on the table.

"You have to remember who's about to visit us. Consider at least the business we'll be dealing with here."

"And we will discuss of it, I'm sure," his friend replied, raising the ornamental silverware in his hooves.

"But for now, we must feast! The finest salads of the Eastern Bay, topped with lettuce, leek, carrots, tomatoes, cabbages, all topped with diced onions and peppers unparalleled to the mush I've ate on my way here... it's an exquisite dining experience, if I must say so myself."

"Then I'm glad you're enjoying our services."

All the ponies in the room, including Stellar and Caduceus, who rose from their seats, quickly turned to the door at the instant their ears heard the tranquil voice, each of them bowing as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stepped into the elegant dining room, responding reflexively with nods of their own.

"My dear Princesses," Stellar started first, his head still hanging down.

"It's an honor to be in your presence once again."

"The honor is ours," Princess Celestia replied, the two alicorns seating themselves at the opposite ends of the long table, their beckoning hooves urging the two colts to sit back down.

"It has been a while, hasn't it, Lionheart?"

"A long one as well."

Stellar started to sip on his wine instead of swallowing it down as he did earlier, not wanting to show any disrespect to the alicorn sisters in the room. He could hear Caduceus snicker under his breath and, with an inaudible growl, he kicked his friend's hooves, prompting the doctor to stop immediately.

"I'm sure my friend has notified of the reasons for my arrival?"

"Indeed," came Princess Luna's shunning voice, still retaining the power she held throughout her life despite her current condition. Stellar could only wonder at how she could've recovered from something devastating as the nano-bomb rooted in her body; one which even the elder alicorn had said it would take a miracle for somepony to recover from that. Nevertheless, she did.

Her wings were noticeably bandaged, being the last to heal after his friend extracted the fragments of the bomb from her body. Caduceus did tell him she had just finished physical therapy, and would proceed to flight therapy once the bandages can be removed.

"What does our faithful servant say of the recent attack?"

"I bring tidings from the Northern Beyond."

Stellar's words practically surprised all three of them: Caduceus rose to the edge of his seat, unable to believe what he had just heard his friend say, while the two alicorns furrowed their brows, Princess Celestia being the first of them to question:

"You crossed beyond the Borders of Equestria?"

"It was a necessary procedure I had to take, albeit a dangerous one."

With that, Stellar carefully placed his weapon onto the table, unwrapping the linen around it to reveal the golden rapier that he sheathed within. The rest of them, especially Caduceus, widened their eyes at the sight of it, knowing the last of where they had seen the weapon before.

"The Patriarch's blade..." Princess Luna quipped.

"How were you able to obtain this?"

"I didn't," was his suddenly grimacing reply. With that, he unfurled a small map from his sleeves, not to show the Princesses and his friend its markings, but of the contents that he wrapped around it: a silver amulet with a garnet embedded in the center. He slid it across to Caduceus, who picked it up and examined the runic carvings on it, unable to perceive what he was holding in his hoof.

"I'm sure you and I know of this," Stellar spoke.

"Sicarius Nox..."

That was all Caduceus could mutter, and was enough for both Princesses to frown immediately.

"Where did you get this?" Princess Celestia asked while her sister examined the amulet. There was no possible way that the dead organization truly revived: the Palgiot bloodline was lost. Broken in the past events that had seized the northern city of Pendant Lakes into oblivion. They wouldn't just spring up without their leader to guide them.

"Off the Leviathan Mountains," he replied.

"It was from an assassin. A scout, I believe. I was passing by the Leviathan Basin after hearing rumors of an occult gathering from the nearby town, where I saw the blade being heralded by some priests. Stole the blade when they were asleep, though some chased me until I reached the Ralthar Ruins, where I dispatched them and got the amulet."

With that, he took out some photographs, showing a robed pony raising the glinting blade, the large bonfire behind him flaring brightly in the dark night. The crowd of ponies below the rocks he was standing on were all in the midst of cheering, their hooves raised with various weapons in them.

"They call themselves the Salii, Your Highness," he explained.

"Priests of beginnings. Of transitions. They're followers of somepony forgotten, they said. Somepony lost in the secrets of life, time and space, waiting to return and be consecrated by his holy power. Apparently, the remaining rogues of Sicarius had bonded with them, along with other groups I've noticed."

"What groups?" Princess Celestia asked, her voice sounding more harsh.

"Name what you can."

"There were the Riders of Tollenaar: zebra bandits of the southern deserts, and the minotaurs of Windrelhyme and Southmarch Plateau. There were the magi of Hollowforth Keep and the griffins of the Swynthern Wraiths, the Jundern Trysts and the Black Dryads. I apologize, for there is more in their ranks which I do not recognize."

"No need for an apology, Lionheart," the white alicorn replied. "You did what you can."

She soon settled in deep thought, trying to run through Stellar's words. If these... Salii priests, can gather their mortal enemies from around the world, then their leader must be powerful, and by that, extremely dangerous.

"I have one question however," she spoke suddenly.

"How were they related to the recent explosion of the Rembury?"

"I've read some of their plans, Your Majesty," Stellar answered.

"They have infiltrated the major towns around Equestria, with Manehatten, Cloudsdale, Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia and Canterlot itself listed. They sent vandals. Saboteurs instead of fully-trained assassins. In other words..."

"Bombers," Princess Luna concluded, the two alicorns exchanging darkening expressions.

"What could this mean, sister?"

"I don't know..." the other alicorn muttered.

"But something very dark and powerful is at work here, and will advance upon Equestria when the time is right. We will have to gather our own forces, and find these saboteurs before anymore harm can be done."

"And... of the Elements of Harmony?"

Caduceus's question could only halt Princess Celestia in her orders, forcing her to stop and ponder. Twilight and her friends would not know of what seemed to be a growing threat arriving at any moment, and even if they did, it would be nearly impossible to stop such a powerful force, added to the fact that they lost the one of laughter in the chaos.

"We'll have to leave them out of this," she began her conclusion.

"For now."

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"...and we'll head northwest to Three Hoof Mountain, where we will camp for the night, then the next day we'll travel down the mountain pass to the Vaarksteed Ruins to stop for a break, then take the road across the Fuchsia Valley and reach the Shetland Isles."

"That will be enough time," Phoenix said, patting Velvet on his back. The two of them were in the archives room of the caravan, which was the messiest room of all, with tattered books and frayed papers jutting out from every crack of the shelves on the walls, making the already suffocating space even tighter. At the end of the narrow corridor was a small table, holding up stacks of books with a stunted candle the only source of light in the room.

It was at the table where the two friends were discussing of their visit to the Shetland Isles, a small archipelago situated in the middle of a small lake. There were rumors of a grand kingdom there, which perked Phoenix's interest immediately once he heard them on the way here.

"If we can make it, that is. Vaarksteed is a notorious nest for bandits. A kingdom, even. We'll have to put up one heck of a fight if we're unlucky enough to meet them there."

"It's just mere bandits, Finn," his friend replied, using his childhood nickname.

"We've fought bandits before. You yourself could tango with five of them using your blasted tail!"

"It's not me I'm concerned of."

Phoenix let out a sigh, hearing the rapidly advancing sounds of hoofsteps, before the door creaked open, the two colts turning and giving their best smile once a certain mare popped her head in.

"Hey, Pinkie," he called, giving a small wave.

"Whatcha guys doing?" she asked, squeezing herself through the corridor. Her eyes sparkle jubilantly once she saw the markings of the map that they were discussing over, and she would've bounced gleefully on the spot if not for the low ceiling of the caravan.

"We're going somewhere new!" Pinkie cheered at her conclusion, trotting her hooves excitedly.

"Is it going to be fun over there?"

"Well, I'm not really sure..."

Phoenix chuckled once the pink mare squealed with glee, giggling like a schoolmare at the prospect of a new adventure ahead of them. He could feel her happy vibes wriggling around the air, the feeling of joy already curling his lips.

"Why don't you go and find the others?" he suggested.

"I'm sure Ollivander and Selena need some help with the thistle branches again."

Pinkie immediately raced off once he said so, leaving him and Velvet to laugh softly at her quirky personality. It wasn't long until the latter's smile faded, eventually turning back to the business at hoof.

"We have no choice," the grayish colt clarified.

"It's either we make the crossing of Vaarksteed, or we don't reach the isles in the planned month at all. Any alternative road would take at least three months, Phoenix."

"We have to teach her about combat if we were to cross the ruins, Velvet," Phoenix responded.

"It's a miracle she hasn't been into any endangering encounters in the past year. Still, teaching her to wield a weapon isn't going to be easy unless she's some damned natural."

With a small sigh, he added another question; one that would mean the world to the pink mare if they had discovered their answer:

"Have you found anything about her yet?"

"Nothing so far," Velvet answered, his friend's shoulders slumping immediately.

"There were no records of any families with her surname. Nothing of her middle name 'Diane' either. And certainly nothing of the hoop you found her wearing. It's like she was created out of nothing, Phoenix. She doesn't exist in the books, she doesn't exist in the world."

Phoenix could only place his head into his hooves, unsure of what to do with the mare in question. There must be some way to know where she came from; she couldn't just emerge from out of nowhere right in front of him, bruised and battered with a bleeding head and a golden hoop. It doesn't seem right.

He could remember the days when she was still getting used to the group. When, strangely, her mane and tail was flatter and less frizzier than now. At that time, Pinkie only wanted to be with Phoenix, trusting only him in the start, but as time grew, so did her sociability. It was just only last week when she suddenly burst out from her quiet shell, making friends with the whole group almost instantly, even with the usually silent Brutus.

"Remember why we made this group for, Velvet," he reminded his friend sternly.

"We're here to give everyone a direction in life. To find their true purpose in this world and help those who needed it. The reason I wanted to go to the Shetland Isles was that we need to know of things, and there are ponies there can help us with them and, probably, with Pinkie as well."

"So what do you suggest?" Velvet asked hesitantly, to which both knew there was only one answer; one which Phoenix said it aloud:

"We'll just have to take the long way."

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"You sure she wouldn't mind?"

"I'm sure Rainbow Dash would be delighted to see you again, Twilight dear," Rarity assured, riding the lavender mare's balloon towards their friend's hovering house. The two unicorns decided to visit Rainbow Dash after breakfast while Spike, Applejack and Big Macintosh helped move Twilight's belongings back into the library and, along with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo after school, renovate it.

The cyan pegasus hadn't been seen around town for a week, though her husband was always around town for a brief moment of time: Soarin' was spotted in the marketplace buying food and such, but that's about it. Rarity could only imagine what the Wonderbolt was going through, seeing him deprived of any sleep or energy from the sluggish walk he was exhibiting.

Twilight's horn lit up as they neared the porch, capsuling both her and Rarity's hooves in a cloud of magic, hovering about like a temporary shoe. She stepped forward first, slowly placing her first hoof onto the cloud porch, sighing with relief once she didn't sink in.

"It's safe now," she said, beckoning the other unicorn to step onto the cloud as well. Their gaze turned to the double doors looming over them, with a doorbell at the side in the form of wind chimes.

"Well..." the bookish mare muttered, reaching her hoof out.

"Here goes nothing..."

Holding their breaths, the two mares gazed at the door, bracing themselves once Twilight flicked some of the chimes, the metallic instruments clinking against each other. The lack of response that followed soon after prompted her to try again, with the same, disappointing silence met at her second try and her third.

Her fourth try was more desperate, the mare deliberately ringing it endlessly to attain her friend's attention and, unintentionally bring her an experience that she will ruefully never forget.

"HAVEN'T I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR ALREADY? FOR THE FIFTH HUNDREDTH TIME, I DON'T WANT ANY GUESTS IN MY HOUSE!! DON'T YOU HEAR ME? NO! MORE! GUESTS!!! YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE SOMEPONY'S HAVING A BABY MEANS THEY CAN'T KICK YOU IN YOUR FLANK? YOU LIKE MY COMPANY SO MUCH, HUH? THEN STAY!! STAY BECAUSE I'M GONNA GIVE YOU IDIOTS A KICK YOU WILL NEVER FORGET!!"

Rarity and Twilight just turned to each other, both a little stunned at what seemed to be Rainbow screaming through the door. Soarin's muffled voice soon cut into the biased conversation, the two unicorns able to hear him groveling almost in a pleading tone at the other side of the door:

"Please, Rainbow! You're going to be a mother, for Celestia's sake-"

"AND WHAT? SO THAT ALL THESE BRATS CAN COME AND JUST TICK ME OFF?! IT WAS YOUR BUCKING FAULT, SOARIN' GLORYTAIL, THAT THIS HAPPENED! YOU'RE CELESTIA-DAMNED RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING, AND YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST, WHAT, PLAY THE GOOD GUY FOR THEM NOW AND TRY TO BE NICE TO ME? GET OUT OF MY WAY, OR I'LL SEND YOU TO TARTARUS MYSELF!!"

The door swung open suddenly, revealing Rainbow's enraged expression that nearly surprised both Twilight and Rarity. Her mane was rustled into the worst case of bedhead, her face steaming a beet red and her wings frayed with a few feathers beginning to fall off. Her baby bump was large; having already been in the third trimester that wouldn't be much of a shock for them.

"NOW WHICH ONE OF YOU WOULD... would want... Twilight?"

"Uh..." the violet mare began, stuttering sheepishly while blinking her eyes

"Hey, Rainbow Dash?"

"I-I... I can't believe it!"

Rainbow clumsily trotted forward, giving her friend a tight hug. Rarity smiled warmly at the sight at the reunion of her two friends, before the cyan pegasus wiped her leaking tears away, guiding them towards the door.

"C-Come on in!"

Despite her friend's uproar, the house was surprisingly neat, without anything tumbled or toppled over as Rarity and Twilight had expected it to be. Soarin' gave them a small, gesturing wave, before disappearing into the kitchen and away from her wife's calming wrath.

"Sorry 'bout earlier," Rainbow began, carefully settling herself onto the couch with a small laugh.

"You know how it is... hormones and all..."

"Yeah...!" Twilight chuckled nervously, with Rarity following along. "Hormones!"

"So when did you get here, Twi?" the pegasus asked.

"I didn't know you were coming back already."

"Just yesterday afternoon," she answered.

"The rest of them were waiting for me at the train station. I figured you will be there too, Rainbow, but when Rarity told me you and Soarin' were having a foal... I just had to see if you were handling things alright."

Rainbow just grumbled at the mention of her husband, prompting a small, dismissive cough from Rarity as the fashion designer herself began to ask:

"So is it a colt or a filly?"

"Doctor said it was a filly."

The cyan pegasus gazed down at her own belly, nuzzling it with a warm smile on her face.

"She's going to be a pegasus, just like her parents," she said with a chuckle.

"Well... what about its name?"

"Firefly," was Rainbow's simple and straightforward, albeit deadpanned answer. Her brows furrowed as her face startedmustering into the most determined frown the two unicorns had seen.

"Firefly Spectra Glorytail." she clarified. "Nothing more, nothing less. It sounds perfect that way."

Twilight let out a faltering laugh, her thoughts remembering on how they got the name from Pinkie Pie when they were on the train to Palgiot Palace. She sighed with a hint of grief, gazing down at the floor in a mourning moment of silence with the rest of her friends when she remembered the mare's ill fate that night.

"A-Anyways," Rarity broke in, trying to venture into more happier things.

"Tell her of what you've done in Canterlot, Twilight."

With a faltering smile, Twilight did so, telling the mare of the boring and the not-so-boring accounts of her stay in Canterlot, leaving Rarity to focus on her thoughts once again.

She would never forget the events of Pendant Lakes, which only mystified her more than assured her once the town became nothing but a crumbling wasteland. There were so many questions left unanswered, and so many problems left hanging, she wasn't sure if it was over. One such example was the glass pendant that she and Spike found in Spring's bedroom, barely escaping a falling wall of glass for it.

What was it trying to tell; by it, she meant the obscure situation they were in. Why would somepony need the main crystal of the Dreamscape Machine for his own needs other than the ability to see the fabrics of time? Why would ponies blow up the Rembury Hotel to show their power?

Something bigger was suppose to happen when he was alive, she thought to herself. Or is it still happening now?

A pony like Janus wouldn't fall that easily, Rarity concluded. She could see ambition in his eyes, his lust for power. His salvation for the downfall of the Princesses. But is that all? She gazed down at the glass pendant around her neck, which she had worn it for safekeeping, knowing of all these bombings recently.

With a sigh, she turned back to her chatting friends, knowing that, in the end, she could only rely on one thing.

Faith.

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[Fury of the Tempest]

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