> Sweetie Belle Gains a Soul
>  by Bad Dragon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 00 - Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yes, spirits, I can hear your voices in my head!” Xerath softly croaked. “I’ve no time for useless wrath; but you could show me a plentiful path.” Spittle flew from the zebra’s muzzle while she rhymed. She swayed to the next bush and sighed at the bothersome conversation picking up in her mind. “You promise to help me, but it’s always a trap!”

The old witch lifted the bottom branch of a thick shrub and leaned down under it. After pushing her head between the leaves into the dark opening, she sniffed at the flower growing in the shade.

Xerath took the stem in her mouth and carefully pulled the plant out of the soil. Bits of dirt drizzled down from the roots as the old zebra slowly rose. She released the branch, letting it fall to the ground. Both hind legs spread as she lifted a foreleg under her muzzle. The flower was laid on the hoof with care. Delicate as a strip of gossamer, the pedals wavered in the soft breeze.

Her eyes squinted at the frail plant. She nodded to herself while a wide grin embellished her face. “Requirements for my brew should soon be met. A few more of these, and I’ll be set.”

She twitched, looked around then nodded at the air. “If you want to help me, spirits, that’d be grand, but know that I won’t yield to your demand!”

Xerath sluggishly leaned back. Slowly and cautiously, she lay the rooted flower into the saddlebag. Her delicate care of the plant could only be rivaled by a tending mother putting a newborn foal to sleep in a rocking cradle.

Her teeth clenched as she wearily straightened her posture. Sighing, she gazed across the vast clearing in the midst of the Everfree Forest. There were clusters of bushes scattered all around her, but only a few of them nursed the herbs she sought.

Her ‘monologue’ continued, “Rare are the places where these flowers grow. This clearing is one of them, that much I know.” Upon reaching the next bush, she looked under it and saw nothing. “But this flora is so very hard to find. Especially since I’m half-blind. Oh, spirits, lead me to the plants I seek, assist a zebra, who’s old and weak.” She glanced at the sky. “If in my search of herbs you help me out, of your deeds I will be proud. Provide me with directions or a simple cue, and I shall take a different stance in regards to you.”

The seer zebra closed her eyes and perked up her ears. Suddenly, she shook her head in response to the silent voices booming in her mind. “No! I give you nothing in return, the concept of aiding you should learn.”

Her eyes rolled around even more than usual. “Oh, but I do know of your plight.” She slammed a hoof on the ground. “It’s what you’re suggesting that’s not right!”

The wrinkles on her forehead bunched together as a hoof pressed between her eyes. In the rhythm of the heartbeats, her head slightly jerked up and down as she sighed. “Believe me, spirits, I have learned the ritual well. Although I could, I’ll never use the spell!”

She snorted. “The nether hurts you, this I know. Don’t presume I’ll help you to transcend it, though. What your escape entails, I already know. Never again shall I sink that low; to those closest to me I once delivered this blow; again across the river of blood you won't make me row!” She crouched down looking left and right. Squinting her eyes, she pushed through another cluster of bushes.

Her body stiffened. “Your teachings weren’t to make me smart. Oh, no! You all sought to use me from the start!”

The zebra stood up and widened her stance, yelling in the air. “The art of necromancy is all you taught, your vile instructions banishment on me had brought!”

Her ears pinned forward. “I know all about the cravings you address. A mere thought of them will give me immense stress!” The zebra squinted her eyes and tried to make out a small hurdle on the path while she continued her monologue, “You lust for life; you want a form. A body, that need not be warm.” She kicked a rat’s carcass before her off the path. “I see no harm in waking the dead. Rather what comes after is what I dread. You feed on others trying to regenerate, even the living you fail to venerate. Your half-life is brief and serves no lasting goal. Despite your efforts, you shall never be entirely whole.” A striped hind leg twitched and kicked, sending a patch of grass flying through the air.

The wrinkled sides of the zebra’s face tugged at the corners of her mouth when she lifted her head. Her eyes shot open and she nodded at the air. “Yes, I do seek your knowledge, but raising you I shall not promise! If you grant me know-how, I’ll be grateful, and you’ll prove yourself to be less hateful. If those terms you can’t accept, in the afterlife you should be kept!”

She shook her head. “You plead with me to no avail: the living, again, I shall not fail. In mortal lands you’ll make no trail, however loudly you may rail.” 

The zebra half-closed her eyes in the direction of a haul at the other side of the clearing. “My saddlebag has room, and I’m in need of a few more herbs, but wilderness, once more, my schemes disturbs. The dreadful thought of facing timberwolves at night my mind perturbs.” She turned around and trotted onto the path leading into the woods.

The ever-darker shades of the forest trees merged into one while the few remaining patches of illuminated ground slowly vanished into the benighted surface. At the base of a broken tree, she looked up to seek out the last flickers of the setting sun, using them to point her in the right direction. Alas, she could not count on them any further. The path was hers alone to traverse. Her tail whipped left and right when she tried to make out the dreary path through the Everfree Forest.

Her ears swiveled in the direction of the distant growling. She bit her lip and tapped both forehooves on the ground.

She sprung into a gallop, then kept a fast pace all along the path with ever-darker phantasms of the ancient trees. The vegetation on the sides of the path thickened as she made her way deeper into the forest.

Wheezing through her clenched teeth, she ran along the dusty path. Sweat gathered under her striped coat, yet she pressed on tenaciously, leaving muffled, screeching howls far behind her.

The old zebra raced from the lurking terrors of the Everfree Forest. She didn’t slow down until she laid her eyes on the small clearing that harbored her hut.

Panting, she trotted toward it. “Bad ghosts, my mind’s unwanted co-hosts! Another day is wasted, talking to you. The few herbs I found myself, they just won't do. I wish more flowers I had picked, but instead, I let myself again be tricked. No help I received from you once more.” She growled. “You would only use me as a whore!”

“Rare gift I have to speak to you, but you refuse to help me even with a simple brew. Your intentions are selfish, I found that to be true. My spirit-whispering is more of a curse you try to abuse for breaking through.”

“Ghosts, your company I like, don’t get me wrong, but your whining for life I can only stand for so long. We part our ways now, spirits leave, my hut is not your place to grieve.”

The witch walked to a totem in front of her hut, wearingly raising a forehoof. With it, she slid across a black crystal tied to the top of the wooden structure. A faint glow brightened the surroundings when she crossed the line marked by various bones. “It’s my home and mine alone. Voodoos form a no-enter zone!” Similar totems, placed around the hut, lighted themselves in quick succession.

“From this point forth, only the living may proceed, whimpering ghosts in my home I do not need!” She opened the door and sighed with relief. “Peace and quiet in my head, oh, sweet silence, I deserve a rest from all the dead.”

Just before she entered the hut, her ears shot up upon hearing a crack of a branch and a swish of the leaves. The joined yelp of three fillies sent a flock of birds flying from a nearby treetop.

She glared in the direction of the kerfuffle and shook her head. “Those are some foalish foals, disregarding the dangers of their course.” After snorting through her nostrils, she moved inside with heavy steps. Her hind leg shut the door as she carefully unstrapped the buckles of the saddlebag with her mouth.

The whooping sound of barrier interference disturbed the silence in the hut. Xerath’s frail body flinched. Her head snapped from side to side, eyes darting around the room. Startled, she knocked the saddlebag off her back, scattering greens on the wooden floor. Her tail whipped left and right.

The trembling zebra took a few steps back. She didn’t even bother to inspect the squishing sounds from under her hooves. Her eyes and ears were fixed toward the ceiling. “Nether creature, what in Tartarus are you, how did you manage to break through? I sense your strength, your power great.” She nodded. “If you come with knowledge, we can mingle. If not, dark schemes in my home you shall not shingle.”

Her ears perked up. “I sense you’re more than just a common ghost, your cognition is worthy of your boast. My crystals you confronted, without getting even slightly shunted. They sing to your tune more than mine, you present yourself as their divine. I still find crystals to be fickle tools, but seeing you manipulate them gives me drools, those who master them are certainly not fools.”

She nodded. “Mmm, I do crave the knowledge you’re addressing, to learn it from you, it would be a blessing. But if in a deal you intend to press, I’ll deny and blame you for my stress.”

She opened her eyes to their full extent and leaned back. “Teaching me a waste of time you deem, yet order me to partner in your scheme. I care not for the connivancy you've planned. In this world, you have no leverage for demand. True, my crystal barrier you passed, but still your arrogance is way too vast.”

“Pff!” Saliva flew from her mouth while she scoffed, “Ghosts have no sway in the realm of living; no thrust can you produce for forceful raving.” She dismissively waved a hoof in the air. “I won’t be pressured into giving.”

Her ears pinned up. “Are you mad—more so than me? I shall never set you free!”

“And not just a vessel of dead flesh and bones, you want a living one that a soul still owns?”

“From all the tales I’ve heard thus far, yours is one that’s most bizarre. A living pony into a vessel you wish to transform, immortality spell on it you would perform.” Her eyes rolled around even more than usual. “I’ll take no part in this, you are insane, go now and forget about your evil bane.”

“Pha!” She shook her head. “Your threats are worthless in the living realm, no empty word this witch can overwhelm.” Her eyes narrowed.

She slammed a hoof on the floor and snorted. “Spirit, go away now; let me be”—her lips stretched into a grin—“ else I’ll bind your royal soul into a tree!” The zebra descended into crazed hysterics, shoulders wracking as she cackled with glee. Her giggles sprang into outright laughter.

Suddenly, the whole hut shook. Shelves vibrated. Pots and talismans shattered as they crashed onto the floor.

Xerath ducked in a corner. Her teeth clenched, body trembled.

She wasn’t laughing anymore.
> 01 - Stop the Hurt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo waited for me at the top of our tree house. I dragged myself toward them.

My chest hurt every time I tried to inhale a chunk of air. Shallow breaths were all that I could manage. Anything more than that, and I’d be squirming in pain. Obviously, nothing was broken, but I was still far from fine.

Earlier that day, we had found a mysterious hut in the forest, but that alone hadn’t been worth the sacrifice. My curiosity had made me lean forward because I had thought I’d seen somepony approach the hut. With all three of us clutching onto the same branch, it had snapped under our combined weight.

“At least we found a hut,” Scootaloo broke the silence. “That’s something…”

I sighed. If our adventure had ended without any of us getting a cutie mark, I’d still be a fairly happy filly, but the plunge had really taken a toll on me. Apple Bloom had been lucky and had managed to grab onto the stump of the branch while Scootaloo and I’d fallen through the crown of the tree.

My horn ached at the spot where I'd hit it on the way down, and I still felt pricks all over my body from the thorn-bush I’d landed on.

“I was worried it'd be a bust, but that turned out to be an awesome adventure!” Scootaloo said.

“Maybe for you...” I sighed.

“It would have been even better if we snuck closer to the hut and peeked through the planks. I wonder what went on in there...”

“No!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Grown-ups don’t like it if you disturb them when they’re doing stuff. I remember when I walked in on my brother once...”

“What was Big Mac doing?” Scootaloo cocked her head.

“If you don’t know what I mean, I don’t want to talk about it, either.” Apple Bloom’s eyes shied away.

“How in Equestria would I know what you’re talking about if you don’t tell me? You’re not making any sense.”

Usually, I tried to join in every conversation, but I couldn’t even pay attention to the chatter at the time. My mind was preoccupied with replaying the failed mission. When I had recovered from the shock of falling, I’d started hollering and crying like there was no tomorrow. Even after Apple Bloom had climbed down and had, together with Scootaloo, tried to calm me down, I’d still whimpered. Eventually, I had tired of my drama and had stepped out of the bush. That’s when we had decided to just go back to our clubhouse.

I was getting better, but I still wasn’t completely out of the hurt. My scratched red skin, under strands of hair, seemed more blueish each time I looked at it. If it were only that, I could just clench my teeth and work through the pain, but my horn was what really worried me. It pinched whenever I gathered the nerve to move forward, even when I tried to keep my head very still.

After I made a mistake of touching it with a hoof, my whole body jerked from the ache that followed. It also felt loose, but I wasn’t sure if that was actually the case. To check on it yet again, I raised a hoof and tried to wiggle my boney cone. The pain made me so giddy that the whole world seemed loose. I made another mental note not to do that again.

Apple Bloom unstrapped her saddlebag. “I wonder who lives in that hut.”

“Perhaps It’s Zecora’s holiday cottage for get-togethers.” Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever the case, there must have been a wild gathering going on inside since the whole place was shaking. Those zebras sure can party hard.”

“Or maybe there were just two, rocking each other’s world.” Apple Bloom blushed.

“What do you mean?”

“Ya know… Like the animals in the barn…”

“The animals throw parties in the barn?” Scootaloo raised both eyebrows as she looked at her. “What kind of farm are you Apple family running?”

“Oh, never mind!” Her gaze shied away. “The next time I see Zecora, I’ll ask her if she met somepony she likes. Who knows? Maybe she’s not that stiff, after all.”

I decided to quit feeling out myself. At that point, I understood the meaning of the phrase ‘bad kind of touch’. I really should have kept my forehoof on the ground where it belonged. Besides, my friends were already waiting for me at the entrance of our clubhouse. I clenched my teeth and limped toward the top of the ramp.

Apple Bloom turned to me and pointed a hoof at the big bruise on my torso. “Does it still hurt?”

I stopped in my tracks before I came within the reach of the yellow hoof. I knew she wasn’t going to touch my scratch, but the mere thought of something getting near it frightened me. Still, I wouldn’t let my bad condition get between my friend and me.

I tried nodding at her, but the pain in the base of my horn forced me to stop.

“And your horn, is it alright?” Apple Bloom pointed a foreleg to it.

I sucked some air through my teeth. After tensing my muscles, I very slowly turned my head left and right. If I were to nod at her, she could think that I was getting better, but I wasn’t even okay enough to do a proper shake. I wanted the pain to stop! Sure, the horn hurt less and less since I’d scraped it on a branch, but I still felt the blunt thumps at all times, even when I wasn’t moving it.

“Can you still use magic?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t know. Just thinking about it hurts.” The edges of my mouth drifted down. “What if I’ll never be able to use magic again?” 

“Hug?” she asked.

I felt a smile forming on my lips. “Yes, please!”

With her muzzle, Apple Bloom brushed through my mane and lay her head on the back of my neck. She reached out to embrace me.

I lifted a forehoof and softly rubbed on her foreleg while snuggling with my head against her mane. 

When she moved closer, the hair of her coat lightly touched my scratched skin. The pain rushed through my body, but I clenched my teeth and kept my yelping at bay. Hugs are important and shouldn’t be interrupted, no matter what!

Despite some extra pain, Apple Bloom’s comforting embrace made me feel a little better. I didn’t have an urge to cry anymore, even though I had every right to let out my tears. It’s okay to cry when you’re hurt as bad as I was.

“It’s probably just a scratch.” Scootaloo downplayed my agony. “It’ll heal up in no time. You won’t even see it after a few days.” She walked into our tree house.

I nuzzled against Apple Bloom’s cheek while I slowly pulled back. I stepped with all four hooves on the planks of the balcony. “Thank you, Apple Bloom.” I smiled at her.

She returned the smile and hinted at the entrance.

Scootaloo pruned her wings inside. “What about my horn?”

“What about it? You just bumped it a little on a branch. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Scootaloo looked away and waved a wing at me in disregard.

Apple Bloom joined her inside.

“Can you please look at it.” I walked to Scootaloo and slowly bowed my head before her.

Scootaloo sighed. “You’re such a pussycat.”

I ignored her name calling and persisted, “Is it still whole?”

“Yes, Sweetie Belle, it’s perfectly—wait!” Scootaloo leaned closer and gasped.

“What is it?” I cried out, “Tell me!”

“Well, there’s a crack on the back of it”—Scootaloo waved a hoof up and down above her head—“but that could have been there since before.”

“A crack?” I gasped and limped to Apple Bloom. “Is there a crack?” 

She bit her lower lip and leaned in.

I knelt before her.

“What? You don’t believe me?” Scootaloo stood on her hind legs and placed both forehooves firmly on her hips. “Why’d you even ask me about it then?”

“There really is a crack, Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom said. “But it’s super small. You couldn’t even see it from a distance.”

Scootaloo laid down near the podium and sighed.

Things were wrong, and I didn’t think slacking was the right way to fix them. The pain in my horn was the wrongest, and I wanted it gone! “It really hurts when I jerk it.” I poked at it and yelped in pain.

“Well, stop playing with it then,” she said without even glancing at me.

I pressed down my foreleg with the other to prevent myself from poking at my horn. My voice cracked when I tried to raise it. “What if it’s something serious?”

Apple Bloom put a hoof on my shoulder. “Injuries heal themselves. It’s just something that they do. And even if they wouldn’t, you could always ask Zecora for help. See?” She tapped on her front tooth with a hoof. “I drank that pink potion of hers after I chipped off my tooth, and suddenly it was as good as new.”

“Oh, I hope you’re right.” I sighed and looked out the window. Not even half of the day had passed, and my mind drifted off as if it was already bedtime. All four legs pulled me down more than they held me up. Either that or maybe there was something wrong with the gravity. I wouldn’t be surprised at the latter since Twilight told me that, given time, even the smallest of events can shatter a universe.

Apple Bloom sat down within the circle that marked our special thinking spot.

I didn’t feel like relaxing. My heart kept pounding as if it wanted to burst out. I intentionally kept my muscles tensed and at the ready. It helped my mind focus on something other than hurting.

Apple Bloom leaned her chin on a hoof while Scootaloo kept herself busy by observing the ceiling. The silence got uncomfortable. Self-pity was taking over me again. They must have already been tired of my whining. I sure was. Everything was wrong and I wanted it fixed, yet we just stood in the middle of our clubhouse, doing nothing. There wasn’t much to say. We failed. Again.

Snorting, I looked at them. “I think we're doing it wrong.” 

“Doing what wrong, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom stood up.

I slowly turned back to her. “The crusading.”

Scootaloo rolled over. “What makes you say that?” After some flapping with both wings, she scrambled on all four legs.

I wasn’t sure how to put it into words. “Our ideas. They are wrong, somehow.”

Scootaloo walked around our thinking spot, looking up at the lamp above it. “Is this thing busted again?” After standing up on her hind legs and pulling the string with her mouth, she turned the light on and off repeatedly.

I looked to the side so I wouldn’t get dizzy from looking at the flashing light. “We’re doing everything we can think of, but nothing works. Everypony else in our class already got theirs and most of them weren’t even trying to get it.”

“Maybe they were just luckier,” Apple Bloom said.

I sighed. “If Twilight can be trusted—and I do trust her because she’s smart sometimes—we should already have them.” I slowly tilted my head and glanced back at my blank flank. “Ugh!” I spoke toward the floor. “Why did she and Stalin Glimmer have to mess with this universe?”

“Her name is Starlight Glimmer, and please don’t tell me you believe that mumbo jumbo about time travel.” Scootaloo snickered without taking her eyes of the flickering light.

I gazed at one of the floorboards, which was a bit raised compared to the neighboring planks. I thumped on it with a forehoof, and it slid back into place.

Scootaloo stopped playing with the lamp and dropped down on all four hooves.

Apple Bloom’s eyes fluttered open when she turned to me.

“It doesn’t even matter if that’s true or not,” I said. “If we want to get our cutie marks, we need to follow an actual plan.”

“Do you have one?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, sort of...” I’d usually just gone along with their ideas, but the last attempt had turned out really bad for me. My coat was muddy and dirty. With all the scratches, I looked as if I had been clawed by my sister’s cat Opalescence. There had to be a better way of getting cutie marks—a less painful one.

“Let’s hear your plan, then.” Apple Bloom leaned toward me.

“Our plan should be to find a plan instead of just doing the first thing that one of us thinks of,” I replied. Even if that wouldn’t work, it might, at least, keep us away from any potential hurt for some time.

“And how do you plan to find a plan?” Scootaloo glanced at the lamp again.

“I don’t know.” My train of thought didn’t go that far. All I had was a hint of an idea. I lifted the hoof that held my suggestion, so it would be harder for them to ignore it. “That’s why we should ask somepony.” 

“We’ve already done that.” Scootaloo waved with a wing in disregard, almost blowing away my good suggestion. “We’ve asked Applejack, and Fluttershy, and…”

“They didn’t tell us anything useful.” Apple Bloom summed up Scootaloo's point before she finished making it. 

Ignoring Apple Bloom’s interruption, Scootaloo kept talking, “… and, Rarity, and even the awesome Rainbow Dash.” 

She sat down and looked up at the picture of her heroine posing in a blue furtight bodysuit. Her eyes shivered with pure adoration.

“I know, but what if we asked the wrong ponies?” That didn’t come out the way I thought it would.

Scootaloo jumped up as her purple eyes pierced me. “Rainbow Dash is not a wrong pony!”

“What I meant was, they weren’t even trying to get their cutie marks. What if they all just got lucky somehow? Maybe we should ask more ponies how they got theirs, instead of just trying to force our cutie marks all the time. If we couldn’t make them appear until now, it means we’re not doing it right.”

She faced away from me, ignoring everything I said. Her wing softly brushed across the framed picture on the wall. “You’re not a wrong pony, Rainbow Dash. You’re not.”

Maybe I was the wrong pony for not having wings like the Wonderbolt in the picture and her faithful fanfilly. Sighing, I glanced at Scootaloo’s feathery limbs. Not all of us could use those to slow down our falls. Some of us weren’t given that privilege. I didn’t really mind being a mere Unicorn most of the time, but when it came to falling from great heights, Scootaloo held an advantage over me. Despite not having much more than the primaries, she could glide just fine.

I turned to Apple Bloom and opened my mouth to get her attention. The idea was already somewhere in my mind, but to hear what it was, I had to voice it first. “We should find somepony who tried something that worked. After that, we could try their method, and we might end up with our marks. Couldn't hurt more than what we did today.” My eyes shifted from one friend to another as I smiled with open mouth. What I just said almost sounded as if it made some sense.

That plan seemed a lot safer, and I felt pretty sure it wouldn’t end up in aches, pain, and scratches, as was the case with that day’s crusade. Not to mention all the tree sap, pine needles, and leaves. I liked getting dirty just as much as the next foal, but getting covered with muck on a daily basis becomes old after a while.

“I’ll make a list of ponies to interview.” Apple Bloom stood up and slid closer an inkwell, quill, and several sheets of paper with her agile hooves.

In our clubhouse, we always kept writing equipment at the ready. If we ever had a brainstorm of ideas, we could write them all down before we forgot them.

“So, Sweetie Belle, who do you want to talk to?” She picked up a quill with her snout, dunked it in ink, and leaned over the paper.

Think big if you want to make it big. That’s what my big sis Rarity had often told me. I knew exactly what she meant by that because I did, indeed, want a big cutie mark on my flank. “We interview everypony!” I announced.

Apple Bloom's quill zigzagged from her open mouth through the air to the paper lying on the floor. Scootaloo gazed at me with raised eyebrows. She then cocked her head and cleaned an ear with a hoof. 

“Every-pony?” Apple Bloom asked.

I stretched my neck up and down to imitate a nod. My horn only slightly hurt when I moved it that way.

“But that will take us forever!” Scootaloo waved both forelegs at me. “And most of the grown-ups aren’t nearly as cool as Rainbow Dash. What if I get bored?” She gasped in shock and horror after saying that last dirty word. Her body violently shook in response to the potential terror of dullness.

“It won't take forever if we get right to it!” I exclaimed.

Apple Bloom nodded.

“Fine,” sighed Scootaloo.

My lips almost formed a smile. Things were finally going my way. Stopping the crusading at that point would just make me feel sorry for myself for the rest of the day. Staying active, on the other hoof, would distract me from the hornache.

I wedged a spiral bound notebook, several quills, and two sealed inkwells into my saddlebag. I used my hooves and didn’t even attempt to cast levitation which Princess of Friendship had taught me during Twilight time sessions. It was harder that way, but at least it wasn’t as painful as charging my damaged horn could be.

Apple Bloom picked up her quill and notebook then placed them in her saddlebag along with a sealed inkwell. 

Scootaloo slowly walked to our stash of writing equipment. Most of the items were leftovers from our journalism days. Just when she was about to pick up a quill, she stopped and spun around. Her saddlebag flew across the clubhouse and crashed in the farthest corner. 

Apple Bloom and I raised our eyebrows as we gazed at her.

“What? I'm sure I'll remember if they say anything important.” She said with a defensive voice as if taking notes was something that only the uncool ponies did.

I turned forward and stepped out of our clubhouse. The warm spring breeze, heavy with the scent of flowers and hay, blew through my mane. Sunbeams reflected from my few patches of coat that were still fairly clean. I felt like an adventurer about to set off on a quest for exotic cultures and wondrous discoveries. Unlike with our recent hazardous mission, I felt completely safe with my latest project. I smiled and turned back to them. “Come on. Let’s do something right for a change.” Limping, I descended down the ramp.

When I reached the ground, Scootaloo gently jabbed me in a fairly healthy spot of my torso. “Sweetie Belle, where do you want to start?”

To gain some safe space, I took a step away from her. “We should storm the ponies at the edge of Ponyville and work our way through it until we get to Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle,” I suggested.

Scootalo snickered. “That name still gets me. Bet I coulda come up with a dozen cooler names without even trying.”

“Oh yeah?” Apple Bloom grinned. “Prove it.”

“Um… I don't wanna. They'd be too cool and Twilight would have to rename the crystal castle. After that, she’d also have to reprint all the tourist brochures and throw away the old ones. It's not worth it." 

“I actually kind of like the name Rainbow Kingdom Friendship Castle.” Apple Bloom said.

“Whatever. Let’s go to the center of Ponyville where most of the ponies are,” Scootaloo countered my suggestion.

“My way will make it easier to keep track of the ponies we’ve already interviewed,” I explained as a mischievous smile snuck upon my face. “Unless you want to interview the same ponies over and over again?”

Scootaloo gave me a blank stare. “Ugh!” She shook her head. “Um, no thanks!” She turned to Apple Bloom. “Do you think we should bring some snacks with us?”

Apple Bloom's stomach grumbled. 

I gave her a smug smile and turned to Scootaloo while I pointed a foreleg at Apple Bloom’s tummy. “I think that was a yes!”

Scootaloo walked back up the ramp.

I turned to Apple Bloom.

She blushed a little.

“Hug?” I asked.

She nodded and smiled.

I reached out to her with both forehooves and embraced her.

Scootaloo looked back from the top of the ramp and sighed. “Can you two stop hugging each other all the time, please! It’s getting old...”
> 02 - Plan for the Future
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I collapsed into the soft embrace of my bed, sighing with relief and exhaustion when I wiggled underneath the sheet.

It had been a long day. At least, it felt like it. Celestia probably hadn’t been slacking on the job of moving the sun. I was pretty sure she’d been performing her task proper, just like every day. Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer also hadn’t been messing with the time, again. Probably. Maybe. It had, most likely, just been the activities that made the day seem longer than it really was.

First, Scootaloo had persuaded us to attempt being Forest Rangers. It’d been an adventure that had gotten me not just two marks, but several. They weren’t only on my flanks as I’d hoped, but all over my body. None of them were of the sort that I wanted. Besides getting bumped and bruised, I had ended in the bush, covered in pine needles, tree sap and leaves. I’d suspected it would end up that way, the moment Scootaloo had suggested the mission. Most of it had fallen off by the time I’d come home. The rest had been washed away in a bath that Rarity had recommended for me after I’d whined to her about everything bad that had happened to me.

The pain in my horn had really worried me since the fall. Fortunately, the hurt mostly subsided. I decided to listen to Apple Bloom’s suggestion and just give my fragile cone some time to heal.

We had toned down on the action after the accident and had set out to do the interviews with grown up Ponyville ponies. Even though we managed to interview just two families, it took us the entire afternoon. We’d all gotten tired of it. I’d been relieved when the sun had set, and those two hinted that it’s time to call it a day. I had pretended to be stubborn to show them that there was nothing wrong with the idea. My silent prayers to Celestia had been answered. They were against continuing the interviews. After snorting and kicking dirt off the ground, I had pretended to give in. Scootaloo had called me a drama queen, which wasn’t nice of her. After that, I had just lifted my tail high in the air and walked away with my pride intact.

I had been so glad when I’d finally managed to shut myself into the room, away from the tiring world. My legs were sore, throbbing from all the walking. The muscles all over my body burned. They were tense, even though I already lay on my bed and wasn’t using them anymore.

My snout hurt from all the writing and drawing that I had done that day. I could have just let Apple Bloom do all the writing, but I never could read her scribblings. The interviews were my idea, and I wanted them done properly. They had lasted longer than the fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders and I had expected. Everypony had so much to talk about themselves and their cutie marks that we’d only managed to interview less than half a dozen ponies. Perhaps suggesting to interview everypony had been a bit too ambitious, after all.

With Scootaloo falling asleep every time somepony had said more than a few sentences, the mission had turned out to be very time-consuming. We didn’t have much to show for our hard work of paying attention to grown-ups. Perhaps it would have been faster if Apple Bloom and I had attempted the mission alone instead of wasting our time keeping Scootaloo focused. She had foalishly left her writing equipment in our clubhouse, but that wasn’t the real reason for her boredom. Even lending her my own stuff hadn’t helped. If anything, it’d made things worse. She’d stop listening altogether and had just drawn two-legged monsters instead of writing what the ponies were saying.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom hadn’t said anything to me when we finished interviewing for the day, but I’d seen it in their eyes. They’d been tired of it. There had been no cheer in their eyes since the moment we’d started. It probably hadn't been because I’d been the one who come up with the idea. They'd surely be sighing even if one of them had thought of it. That meant I'd been scot-free because I hadn't even been a part of the failed plan. The idea itself was the stupid one and not me for voicing it. After all, I had caught myself sighing, as well. That meant I'd been on the same team as my friends.

I looked over my notes again before turning off the lamp on my nightstand. My teeth clenched from the pain, even though I lay on my less-injured side. The bruise on my chest had stopped swelling by the time we were done with the interviews. It was still a bit sensitive, but I seemed to be getting better. Slowly but surely. Scootaloo must have been right, and the injury really wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it was. I feared she might even tease me for not sucking it up or walking it off like she probably would.

When I threw the blanket over my aching body, I felt like a mummy getting bandaged all over. My skin itched where Blanky touched the hair on my coat.

I felt exhausted, yet for some reason, I wasn't sleepy. It was strange considering all the crusading my friends and I had done that day.

It wasn’t the good kind of tired drowsiness like at the end of a long camping trip. The tiredness within me was different. It felt like a failure.

“Argh!” I turned around and knelt on my bed. I punched at the pillow as hard as I could, again and again.

Hurting the bedding didn’t help, and I only got more frustrated. I laid my head sideways on the pillow. It sucked up the tear that formed in my eye. I had hoped that the interviews would go better than they did. Another mission to add to the pile of past failures...

I wasn’t sure if I would be able to convince Scootaloo and Apple Bloom to interview a few more ponies the next day. I wasn’t even sure I could convince myself.

Ponies we interviewed didn’t get their cutie marks for their deliberate attempts. These weren’t the kind of ponies we were looking for at all. They all got it for doing something they were either passionate about or enjoyed doing since they were foals. Often it was something related to what their family was doing.

“Family…” I spoke softly, as though tasting an entirely new word for the first time. I rolled around and sat up, quickly turning on the lamp. “Why didn't I see the before?” I whispered as I hoofed at my notebook. 

I was onto something big. Their cutie marks weren’t all that different. It was like with Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Macintosh. They all had different cutie marks, but everyone of them was related to apple products in some way or another. And hadn’t Apple Bloom also said something about the family a while back? “That’s it! Runs in the family!” I repeated her words, as I remembered them. She might have been onto something there!

But what did all of it mean? If it runs in the family, is your destiny already set? Is gaining a cutie mark only discovering what you were already meant to do? If so, why do we ponies even have to wait for them? Why doesn’t everypony already have them, to begin with? I stared at my flank. Is it like a rite of passage, a stepping stone towards being an adult?

A soft pounding in my head let me know that I was overusing the brain. My gaze shifted to a darkened distance outside the window as I let my thoughts flow freely on their own. I was smart plenty even without thinking much. My eyebrows pressed together as I tried to remember what I had been on about.

“Cutie marks!” As I checked my flank again for a gazillionth time, I sighed at the sight of my blank flank. Why couldn’t they be like the color of my coat? I didn't have to wait for that to appear. My eyes wandered down my body. I was always white, and that wasn’t earned. A terrifying thought entered my mind. Is white even a color?

Perhaps besides being a blank flank, I was also blank colored? I decided it was best if I didn’t tell anypony about my finding. If Diamond Tiara learned I was white, she would surely tease me for it. I didn’t want to give her more ammunition to use against me. She probably didn’t think it was okay to be white. I was already a blank flank in her eyes, but at least with the cutie mark, I had some hope of getting it someday; unlike my blank coat, which would never get any color. Besides getting called Blankflank, I didn’t want to also get labeled as Coatie Blank.

If I really was a blankcoat, did that mean that Rarity was one also? She was even whiter than I was, yet she never seemed to mind it.

Or maybe I just didn’t notice the signs? I pondered while supporting my head on both forehooves. The doubts burdened my mind and even made my head feel heavier.

Perhaps there was a reason why Rarity stitched all those clothes for herself and me. What if she felt ashamed of being such a plain colored pony? Is that why she made me that black, itchy, tight body suit when I was learning how to swim? Was it because she wanted to cover up my whiteness? No, she’d made those even for non-white ponies...

My body shook as I remembered that my Daddy was also white. I indeed had a lot in common with my family. “Family!” I gasped as I remembered that I had already figured out something about that before getting distracted with myself. My destiny was for the taking; I knew it. Yet, it also felt kind of like the time I’d tried to catch my tail. So close, yet just out of reach. I had a hard time focusing since I’d fallen head-first on the branch. Being half asleep didn’t help with the concentration, but I had to figure it all out. I was onto something, I just knew it. Gaining my cutie mark might involve my family, somehow.

The future cutie mark, apparently, wasn’t out there for me to find. It was in front of my muzzle from the beginning. I just had to do what my family did and I’d get it. Rarity tolerated my presence the most, so it was obvious I should start with her. First thing in the morning, I’d confide in her and tell her all about my smart findings.

I hoofed at the night lamp until it flickered off. After covering up my body with Blanky, I eased myself into the soft embrace of the comfortable bed. Even after I closed my eyes, I still thought about Rarity. She was the key.

Her cutie mark was three gems. What if I was also meant to get something along those lines? She received hers when her magic activated and dragged her on a cross-country trek until it led her to a rock, which cracked after Rainbow Dash caused a rainboom.

Perhaps, I could learn Rarity’s gem-finding spell, and get a cool cutie mark like the one she got! I could then help her out in finding more gems. That would even mean spending some quality time with her for a change. She would appreciate having me around if I proved myself even more useful than I usually was! If I managed to find a really big gem she might even thank me for it without speaking through her teeth like she usually did whenever she talked to me.

While I thought about my gem-hunting adventures, a dream of bountiful treasures crept on me and stole me away.
> 03 - Gem Huntress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Rarity! Rarity!” I cried out as I ran from my home toward Carousel Boutique. My voice cracked with excitement. I prayed to Celestia that Rarity would already be awake so early in the morning, but that probably wasn’t even necessary. With all the yelling going on, she most definitely was.

I slammed the shoddy front door of the boutique open. With my teeth, I unstrapped the saddlebag and threw it off my back. It fell to the floor and slid along the polished surface until it crashed in the corner.

Bursting into the restoration room like a living cannonball, I accidentally knocked over a couple of Rarity’s dressed ponniquins. 

I heard the sound of clopping hooves, descending from the inspiration room. Backtracking to the closest overturned ponnequin, I quickly tried to lift it back up. It was too late. 

Rarity let out a shocked and outraged gasp, her eyes fixated themselves on the overturned ponniquins on the floor.

I had hoped to catch her out of her angry phase, but that was no longer an option. Yet, there was still a small chance of getting her attention. From my past experiences, I knew that when I do something that shocks her, she sometimes forgot about the first thing I did that surprised her. If she thought that my announcement was merely half as epic as I thought it was, then that might just be enough, to snap her out of the grumpy mood.

“Rarity, Can you—”

“Sweetie Belle! Those garments have to be finished and delivered this very afternoon. I don’t have time for your shenanigans. If anything distracts me, I might miss another deadline. Is that what you want?”

“I’m not disturbing...”

“Is that so?” She banged a hoof against the floor. “What have I told you about running inside my boutique?”

“You said not to! But I just—”

“And what did you do just now?”

“Well, I ran, but I had to—”

“Let me guess. You had another one of your—brilliant ideas?”

I nodded then immediately braced myself for the expected hornache. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up. To my surprise, the pain never came. I knocked on the bony surface with a hoof. It felt numb to the touch. I smiled at the realization that the horn might have been healing like Apple Bloom had said it would. “Teehee!”

Rarity gazed at me with eyes spread wide. Her eyebrows were lifted higher than I thought possible.

“Oh, um...” My forehead puckered as I tried to remember what I was on about before I got distracted by myself. “I finally figured out how to get a cutie mark!”

“That’s sweet,” she answered with a monotone voice.

“But I’ll need your help with it.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Rarity growled. She turned around and floated up the clothed ponniquins one by one off the floor. 

“Don’t you want to know what my cutie mark will be?”

She sighed. “I’m sure it will be just marvelous.”

I smiled. Things were going better than I had expected. She apparently knew what I was going to say before I even said it. In fact, she was sure of it. For a change, it looked as if we were on the same page, so I skipped the explanation of my idea that I had been preparing since I woke up.

“I’m so glad you’re with me on this one. I’ll help you out in return!” I stepped to a strap of clothing on the floor, which had separated itself from the outfit arrangement. It levitated up just when I was about to grab it with my mouth. I jumped up and clenched at it with my teeth, but I missed it again and fell flank first on the floor.

With a hoof in the air, I let her know that I had everything under control and that she should allow me to help her, so she would owe me a favor that I could then immediately call upon to get her to teach me a gem-finding spell, and she’d have to do it even if she wouldn’t feel like it because such were the rules of favor exchanging.

I put down my chatty hoof and positioned myself for another jump at the tricky, floating fabric.

Rarity uttered a loud hiss. When I turned to her I caught the early morning light from the window of the boutique, glistening from her pearly white teeth. Her snout muscles waved in the rhythm of her grinding jaw. Obviously, she was straining herself because of the levitation she was doing. If it was that hard, she could have just used her hooves to help me tidy up the place, or better yet, not get in my way of fixing her mess in the boutique.

I figured that she might have been demonstrating the ways of magic to me. It could have all been a test of my attention span ability. In that case, listening to her, for a change, was the key. I still hoped that the spell for finding gems was easier than that particular levitation. She seemed tense, on a verge of losing control. It was weird because she floated a mere strap. 

“Is there a way I can deter you from helping me?” She floated the small piece of fabric on top of the ponnequin and shut off her magic.

I shook my head, showing her that I take my services to her in return for her future teaching of the gem-finding spell, very seriously. And then I nodded because it was so awesome that moving my head around didn’t make my horn pinch anymore.

She glanced across the room, turning her head left and right. “Okay, something for you to play with, something unbreakable. Oh, I know! This one should be sturdy enough.”

A heavy book flew toward me. I caught it by raising both forehooves, but its weight still managed to knock me on my backside.

I found it strange that Rarity’s face seemed a lot more relaxed, despite having levitated a book that was much heavier than that strap that she had floated away from me. Obviously, there must have been different kinds of levitation spells for different items, and floating a book was for some reason easier than floating a piece of cloth.

“Sweetie Belle, how about you go take this book for a walk outside of my boutique?”

“Do you want me to take it to Twilight’s library? It might take me a while to do it, you know? Her castle is way there on the edge of Ponyville.” I pointed a hoof in the direction I thought Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle was. “No, wait...” I pressed my eyebrows together to help me think. “My other left!” I turned around and pointed in the opposite direction.

“I think it might be a bit too early and official opening hours are—oh… Oh!” She grinned. “Yes, Sweetie Belle, why don’t you be a dear, and carry this book all the way to Twilight’s castle. And when, erm, if something unexpected gets in your way, slowly bring it back here. Do you understand what I want you to do?”

I lay the book on a forehoof and read the title engraved in a thick, red cover: A Versatile Horn

She smiled and blushed. “Our horns sure can be used in various different manners.” She bit her lip and looked away, her cheeks turning even more reddish. A moment later she looked back at me “For magic! They are versatile for magic. Yes, that is what I meant.”

Helping her out with a little task such as delivering a book was a small price to pay for earning my cutie mark, by learning the gem-finding spell from her. It might also fix her random angry phase, so I was more than willing to lend her a hoof with the trivial task.

I held my book with a foreleg as I trotted toward the exit. My lips drifted up as I dragged closer the saddlebag from the corner of the hallway. I was glad I had brought it with me. Gem-finding could involve carrying the many treasures that I would find, so I had figured that I better come prepared.

I opened my saddlebag, but the book didn’t fit inside because it was too big. It was also too thick to fit in my mouth, so I just strapped it in the harness. I hoped it wouldn’t fall off on the way to the castle. Well, even if it would, I’d, surely, notice it like I’d notice a boulder being rolled off my back.

Despite its big mass, Rarity seemed to get excited about the tome, for some reason. It was weird because the heavier the books are, the more bored they make you if you read them. The one I carried weighed a lot, which meant it was super draggy. Good thing I didn’t have to read the boredom. I lifted the harness with my mouth and swung the saddlebag onto me. With my teeth, I strapped it around my body.

“Off you go!” Rarity cheered.

Her guideline about not running in the boutique kept me from acting on my urges. I forcefully walked a few steps to get myself outside then leaped forward and plunged into a gallop. Right after, I stopped in my tracks, turned around then walked back to pick up the book that I dropped. I strapped it in again and trotted forward.

I ran through the dusty streets of Ponyville. Shadows of buildings stretched far out because the sun barely peeked from behind the hills at the horizon. A light breeze whistled over the roofs of the buildings. There were fluffy clouds in the sky. It was still too early for the weather patrol to clear the skies.

When I arrived at the door of Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle, I used all my speed to launch myself at the flat wood, but I just bounced off it. After clambering on my legs, I looked back at the obstacle with half-closed eyes. I had a hunch that the door might have still been locked.

“What in Celestia’s name was that bang?” I heard a voice holler from the inside.

It may have been too early and the castle was still closed. If only I had thought of the possibility of Twilight sleeping before I got there, then it wouldn’t be unexpected. But the fact of the matter was, the locked door caught me by surprise. Rarity had told me to come back if something unexpected got in my way. However, going back without returning the book would mean failing the quest. She wouldn’t like that either. The thought of disappointing Rarity wasn’t a pleasant one. Then, an even worse idea glinted in my mind. If I abandoned the chore, she could make me repeat it, and that would feel like grinding.

I had been so close to getting her to teach me the gem-finding spell. All I had to do was one little thing.

Failing a small task like bringing a book to the library could trigger her really bad. She’d already been in her angry period since my visit in the morning, and a small problem like the one I stumbled upon would surely set her off even more. The complication would infuriate her a whole lot especially because it was small. Those were always the most upsetting for Rarity.

I remembered a time not long ago when I had set up a campfire in her boutique. She’d always had some reservations about camping, but her recent reaction was way overblown. There had seemed to be no end to her rarifying and scolding. She’d kept yelling how the fire was dangerous, which didn’t even make any sense since she had already put it out.

Bringing the book back to the boutique seemed like a similar, if not even smaller, problem than setting a place on fire. My failure could make her really lose it, and she wouldn’t want to teach me the detection spell after that.

It was decided. I needed to show Rarity just how useful I could be! Missing out on the one opportunity I’d been given wasn’t an option. I had to prove myself.

Perhaps it was past the opening hours and Twilight just overslept. I may have even been doing her a favor by waking her up. Also, I maybe hadn’t even been that surprised at the locked castle, and the whole event, possibly, didn’t even fall into the category of unexpected somethings. Yeah!

I banged both forehooves against the castle door then sat on my tushie and counted to one.

Some grunting noises came from within. A moment after they started, the murmurs stopped.

I turned around then leaned on both forelegs and forcefully knocked with the hind ones.

From the annoyed murmurs that ensued from within the castle, I concluded that my second technique worked better.

I had once seen Applejack use the same technique on a tree. Apple Bloom had explained to me that it’s called bucking. Somepony might not have thought of using it on the door, but I was smart and knew that wood is wood. If bucking the trees was okay, bucking the door must have been the same kind of okay.

My incredible mental grasp on things sometimes amazed even me. I knew my way of thinking was special because I had also often surprised other ponies with the stuff I came up with. They would usually just silently shake their heads at me, not being able to grasp my smartness.

I hoped Twilight wouldn’t notice the dent in the door, though. It was probably there from before, anyway. I stepped back to it and pressed my ear against the wood. Two separate voices were muffled, but I could still make out the words.

“Come on, Twilight! I got the door last time. It’s your turn now.”

“I was up all night reading on tutorship. I just climbed into bed a few moments ago.”

“And who's to blame for your nightlife? Not me. Why do you always make me take responsibility for your messes? I’m your assistant during the day, and this time around, it’s not even day yet. You’re abusing me and I’m drawing a line here. Until the day begins, you’re on your own.”

“The sun already rose. You can see it above the hills.”

“Thank you for summarizing my point! That’s the gist of what I said! Aahhhh…” he sighed. “Wake me up when the sun is in the zenith. That’s when the day starts for me.”

“Ugh! Fine... I’ll get the door.”

The sound of hoofsteps from within grew louder. Leaning back, I clenched at the book that hung from the straps of my saddlebag. I wanted to make the exchange as quickly as possible, so I could get back to my cutie mark earning. I might even surprise Rarity by returning sooner than she expected me to. I was sure that would impress her, and she could start with the magic training right away.

When I heard the key turning in the lock, I spun around myself faster and faster with the book in my mouth.

Being in the role of a carrier pony, it was important that I give the book in the same condition I had received it. Since that was no longer an option because the book got itself crumpled and dirty on the way, I could at least give the book in the same manner I got it. As soon as the door opened, I let go of the book. It flew right at the lavender pony with floppy eyelids.

“Ouch!” I heard Twilight’s voice from the hallway and then a crash on the floor. She must have caught the book. Yay!

With the quest of bringing the book to Twilight completed, it was time to claim my reward from Rarity at the boutique. “I’m such a good pony.” I turned around and broke into a gallop.

I still had a nagging feeling that I should say something to the librarian princess. While running, I glanced back and yelled. “The book was great!” At least Rarity seemed to have thought so. She wouldn’t have smiled when she picked up the book if it was all drag and no action like most of them were.

“Whaa... You read this? Who in their right mind would give you such a book?”

I was already some distance away from the castle. I had been taught to answer when somepony asks me a question and look them in their eyes while I do, but that would mean I’d have to stop running. If I wanted to impress Rarity by being fast enough, I had to keep running. The possibility of gaining my cutie mark was far more important to me at the time! If I just ran off, it would probably look as if I didn’t hear her, which was exactly what I wanted her to think. To make my crafty scheme foalproof, I yelled into the air, “I’m too far away to hear what you asked!” which wasn’t an answer to her question. That meant I didn’t have to look her in the eyes when I spoke it. My head rose high into the air. I was so smart.

The quest was completed. I just needed to get to Rarity to claim my reward! Again, I passed through the center of Ponyville. I got tired of running, but I pushed on because I was excited. Rarity owed me a favor for the good deed I performed, and I’d make her pay it back. Such are the rules of the sibling relationship, so she’d have to do it.

“Rarity!” I yelled when I approached her home.

“Mission accomplished!” I plunged into the boutique. “Quest completed!”

I ran through the hallway and hopped into her workshop.

“Rarity!” Suddenly I seemed to get stuck in the air. “Ugh! Fickle gravity!” I hovered in the middle of the room with a blue aura curling around me.

“I’ll float you down, Sweetie Belle, but you have to promise me you won’t start running when your hooves touch the ground.” Rarity spoke calmly through her clenched teeth. Her body was all tensed up. I figured that levitating ponies was an even harder spell than levitating a book or piece of cloth. That was probably the reason why she seemed to be exerting herself. All the different kinds of magic levitation spells made little sense to me. It would be so much more logicaler if there was just one spell for levitation. 

I was in the speaking mode since I wanted Rarity to set me up on my crusade for magic, so I didn’t really listen to anything she complained about. When she made weird whinnies like that, it usually helped if I nodded at her or said ‘okay’. Her speeches usually hadn’t lasted as long after doing one of those things. “Okay,” I said. And to make sure it stuck, I also nodded.

My hooves touched the floor, but the surrounding aura didn’t dissipate as I expected it to. The pony levitation spell was apparently hard to switch off. Before, I had thought you just had to stop focusing, for the magic to dissipate. The new arcane lessons I was learning got more and more complicated. Why couldn’t things be simple?

I stomped with all four hooves on the floor. “I returned the book, and now you can help me with—”

“Wait, you did what? Are you saying the castle was already opened at this time of the day? Oh dear...”

“I had it opened early.” I thumped myself on the chest with a hoof and lifted my head high. “And I told Twilight that you enjoyed the book very much!”

“Did…. did you just leave my book with her?”

“Mhm!” I nodded maniacally.

She bit her lower lip and opened her eyes wide.

“Oh, and did you know that the castle was still locked when you sent me to return your book?” I half-closed my eyes and gave her a look with just one eye.

“Why, that would be very malevolent of me,” Rarity raised her voice. “How can you even imply such a thing‽”

“Okay then...” Returning the book to Twilight was obviously very important to Rarity, given how much she obsessed about it. Perhaps she was overdue with it and afraid that Twilight might scold her for being tardy. Whatever the case, her extra attention was a good thing because it meant she was that much more impressed with me. I thought that it could even earn me some brownie points. “Anyway, I’ve more than proven that I’m a good pony, and now I’m ready for learning!”

“Learning?” Her eyebrows rose. “Oh yes!” She smiled. “It is, indeed, the time for that.”

I gasped and clapped my forehooves with anticipation.

“Off to school with you,” she cheered.

I frowned and clenched my teeth at the letdown.

Her horn glowed brighter, and the surrounding aura thickened.

It was still too early for school, so she shouldn’t have used that as an excuse. My good deed needed to be repaid, and she could do that by giving me a cutie mark right away! “The school bell isn’t chiming yet!”

“Yes, that’s why you should go now. If you wait for the bell you might be late again.”

She did have a point. The bell rang quite a while before school started, but with my pace of walking, I’d have to take the direct route to school in order to get there in time. Always strolling on the same road was no fun. Usually, I had taken a detour that was more amusing than the dull span of gray pavement. I condensed all my previous thoughts into a single word, “Okay.”

“Splendid, off with you.”

I knew it was important for her to watch me go to school every day, for some reason; however, my cutie mark was even more important. “But what about—”

 “—After school!” she interrupted me before I could finish.

My sis, obviously, knew what I was about to ask. She must have known me so well. Even I wasn’t sure what I was going to say because I didn’t voice it yet, but she already knew it with the power of our sisterly bond. That proved that Diamond Tiara had been wrong when she teased me by claiming I was, surely, adopted.

Rarity sighed and pointed a hoof toward the door.

I turned to the exit. “It’s a deal.”

She smiled. The surrounding aura dissipated, but her horn still glowed at the ready.

It clicked in my mind and I knew exactly why she wanted me gone. I wasn’t as dense as Rarity presumed! She was, surely, suffering from the urge to sing to her dresses, again, and she didn’t want me to laugh at her for it, again.

She had tried to convince me multiple times that it’s natural for ponies to sing while they work. Since ponies’ tendency to sing was normal, it supposedly wasn’t okay for me to laugh at her. The singing part was obviously true, but she was wrong about my urge to laugh at her. I knew that it was funny because I had laughed at her for it, and it’s okay to laugh at things which are funny.

“You’re staring into a distance again, Sweetie Belle…” Rarity sighed.

I shook my head. “I’ll come straight to you after school!”

She escorted me out of her boutique. “Don’t rush!”

When I waved her goodbye, the aura around her horn finally faded out.

I looked toward the sound of the school bell, but then something shiny in the distance distracted me.
> 04 - Long Way to School
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“There!” I jumped in the puddle and dug. 

“It should be right about—” I dunked my horn in the mud and shoved it through “—here!” I dropped to my side and hoofed at the wall of the ditch with all four legs. A shadow slid across the ground, and I stood up to investigate. A burst of wind forced me to close my eyes. When I opened them again, I saw a winged silhouette floating above me in front of the sun. “Rainbow Dash!”

“Whatcha doing?” She asked, landing a few leaps from the puddle.

I jumped out of the mud and shook my body to get the wetness out.

She covered her head with a wing and took a step back.

“I’m hunting for gems!” I proudly announced.

“You are?” Raising her eyebrows, she stared at my horn.

“I’m using my horn to find them with a technique that I invented myself.” I wiped a mud clod from my horn and threw it on the ground. “Want to see how I’ll find them when Rarity teaches me the gem-finding spell?”

She took another step back. “Oh, I’d love to see it, but I’m afraid I’d just get, um—jealous.”

“Jealous?” I had no idea why Rainbow Dash would get jealous of me. She was the most awesome pony out there. I didn’t think so myself, but I knew it for a fact because Scootaloo had told me so. I trusted my friend, which meant her view of Rainbow Dash was undoubtedly the correct one.

“Um, I would get jealous because, em”—she put a hoof under her chin—“Because you have a horn, and I don’t. Yes, that could work…”

“Wait, you’re jealous of my horn? You, the Rainbow Dash?”

“Right—I am so—jealous of your horn because…” She looked up. “I never got to cast a spell in my life. Not even a spark. Without a horn, I never stood a chance at getting a space-themed cutie mark. And then Twilight went all out with her magic and turned herself into an awesome, immortal Alicorn Princess. I can’t do anything like that!”

I had no idea horns were that important. Not knowing what else to do, I stood there and watched her, mouth agape.

She looked back at me and pressed her lips together. Sips of air escaped her muzzle.

Rainbow Dash must have really struggled inside. It was obvious that she had a hard time holding herself back. “So, hehe”—she covered her mouth with a hoof—“I’ll just weather this one out, okay?”

With a squeak, she launched herself into the nearby cloud, and all I heard was a distant whine. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn it sounded like laughter. Her envy of my horn must have really gotten to her.

She rolled on her back. Her hooves and wings twitched over the edge of the cloud. She was, clearly, losing the fight with her depression.

I decided that it would be better if I left before she saw my super-awesome horn again. School was probably going to start soon, anyway. I trotted on toward the main road. The gems would have to stay put a bit longer. I made a mental note to myself to watch for Pegasi after finding a buried treasure. As I had just based from one of them, they obviously struggled in coming to terms with their disability.

Realizing she didn’t have a horn devastated Rainbow Dash. I felt really sorry for her. She seemed so disappointed with not having a magic cutie mark. I could relate to that because I was still a blank flank. Yet, unlike me, she already had her cutie mark. She should just be chillaxing and enjoying being a non-blankflank, not despairing like she did. It all seemed like a bad joke. Why would she want to have a cutie mark if she earned one already?

And did Rainbow dash think Alicorns were better than she was? No Pegasus, beside her; or Alicorn, for that matter, could perform a sonic rainboom. Or maybe it was the draggy life of Alicorns that she was jelly of?

Why was she going on about immortality anyway? Was she afraid she’d die without it? Sure, she was old. That was obvious because she was a grown-up. But she wasn’t that old...

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice myself walking into the classroom. 

A sigh emanated from in front of me as I bumped into three smiling flowers. They laughed at me!

No... It wasn’t the flowers on Cheerilee’s cutie mark that were laughing. The sounds weren’t actually coming from the furry faces before my muzzle. It was my classmates who laughed. Their hooves were pointed at me. I didn’t know what was so funny. The joke must have flown over me. Or maybe I was the joke? I scoured the body and legs to make sure I didn’t accidentally come dressed to school like in one of my recurring nightmares where I’m the only pony wearing clothes in front of a crowd of ponies. Obviously, I was properly naked, but they could still be imagining me under many layers of clothing; perhaps even the tight kind. I blushed at the embarrassing thought.

“Sweetie Belle!” Cheerilee narrowed eyes pierced me with a judging gaze. “Why are you late again?” 

“Rarity told me not to rush,” I said in response, shrugging my shoulders as I cocked my head and squinted while I looked at her. It wasn’t my concern because I was just doing what an adult told me to do. Anything goes when you’re doing somepony’s bidding, especially if you’re directed to do the stuff by a grown-up.

“And why are you covered in mud?” She cleaned her cutie mark with a hoof. “I do hope that it’s merely mud this time around.”

“I found a puddle,” I explained.

“And you had to jump in it?” Cheerilee’s eyes rolled around.

“Mhm.” I nodded, and the class burst into laughter again.

They didn’t have a clue what had gone down before I came to school. If they could only have been there, then they would have seen how awesome I was with my horn and pretend magic. I even made Rainbow Dash jealous of me! My classmates should be envying my awesomeness; not laughing at me.

“Just—” Cheerilee sighed “—take a seat…” She groaned and turned to the chalkboard.

I walked toward my chair, but suddenly a gray leg appeared between my forehooves. It tripped me, and the weight of my big brain shifted over my forelegs. Even though I jerked my dock as hard as I could, I couldn’t regain my balance anymore. I was at the point of no-return. Closing my eyes was the most I could do while I plunged snout-first at the floor. There was a violet tail with white stripes before my face, but it didn’t help much with softening my crash. “Ouch!”

“Hey!” Diamond Tiara screamed. “Watch it, foal! Keep your filthy filth away from me.”

I picked myself up on all four legs again. My muzzle hurt a little, but I couldn’t see any blood. It seemed I was getting better at falling over. With so much life experience, I was bound to become a master faller.

On the tail before me, I noticed a muddy face-print where my head had landed. “But it’s already dirty...” I pointed a hoof at it.

Tiara gasped, “How dare you!” She waved a foreleg in the air. “Miss Cheerilee! May I be excused” She lifted her stained tail in the air with the other hoof. “It’s an emergency!”
> 05 - The Tale of Tenacious Grandma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ran as if my life depended on it. “Rarity! Rarity!”

I hadn’t learned anything in school because I’d been imagining how Rarity would teach me the gem-finding spell, and I’d be so good at it, I’d earn a cutie mark for it right then and there, and she would be so proud of me. And then there would be a party, and Pinkie Pie would bake cupcakes, and all my friends would be there...

Rarity opened the front door, interrupting my realistic plans. She didn’t seem too happy to see me.

It looked as if she was mentally preparing herself for the gem-finding lesson. Some time ago, I had heard her say that it’s hard to teach me anything. I wasn’t about to get picky. Even if she wasn’t the best of teachers, she was my sister, and that made her my favorite tutor, despite her disabilities.

Through a window, I noticed a white figure inside the boutique. She glanced at me then moved to the doorway. I gasped and quickened up my pace.

The door opened with a creak. Rarity leaned back her head as her teeth clenched. Her horn glowed.

I jumped at her for a power hug.
 
A translucent, blue wall appeared in the doorway between me and her.

I closed my eyes and braced for impact. The sensitive part of my muzzle hit the shield first. Luckily, it wasn’t as hard as I feared it would be. The magic construct bent inward, slowing me down gradually. When I stopped flying forward, I slid down, leaving muddy hoof marks on the magic wall. The force field straightened itself again and gracefully ejected me. I landed safely on all four legs. 

“Sweetie Belle! Where are your manners?”

I ruffled my mane then turned back and lifte my tail with a forehoof. “I didn’t bring them with me,” I excused myself because I didn’t even know what the point of manners, decency and other self-evident things was. Rarity had told me on many occasions that I shouldn’t just barge into a house without knocking. I tried to teach her by example that there are more fun ways of entering than following an unamusing protocol. If you knock, you then have to wait for an invitation, and that’s really boring. She was too dense, though, and never learned the benefits of just barging in.

My way of doing things was foiled, and I was left with only the dull way. After lifting a forehoof, I tried to tap on the magic door, but the shield dissipated before I could. I didn’t want to fail at it again, so I waved the hoof in the air, pretending to be knocking.

Rarity raised an eyebrow while she gazed at me. Her mouth was agape as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

I tried to enter again, but a broom and a dustpan engulfed with magic crossed my path.

The broom swept the dirt that had fallen from the force field on the doorway, sweeping it into the dustpan.

My hooves were still muddy and fur dirty. The mud bath I took in the morning on the way to school might have contributed a little to that. I wondered what the point of having a coat was if it kept getting filthy. It sometimes took days before all the dirt fell off by itself. And on some occasions, even days weren’t enough because new dirt found its way onto my fur again. Several ponies in my life, including Rarity, Cheerilee who was my better but less favorite teacher, and parents, had fearlessly fought the dirt in my coat in the past, but they all, more or less, gave up since then. They won many battles, but never the war. They only still put up the fight from time to time, so they didn’t have to admit that they lost. I took a step back, so the broom wouldn’t mistake me for dirt.

“Can we get to it now?” I jumped up and down, getting ready for another attempt at hugging Rarity, after which we could start our planned training. I just needed to hold myself back until the broom was put away.

“It will have to wait.” She looked left and right from the doorway, then levitated the dustpan to Tom. Both items were laid down as she spread her legs and tightened her muscles. A bright aura engulfed the boulder. When the keeper of the filthy treasure rolled to the side, the accumulated pile of compressed dust revealed itself.

The dustpan floated to it, and the dirt from it joined a dome made of the same kind of material. Rarity levitated the broom and dustpan inside her boutique in a corner of the hallway. A bright blue aura enveloped Tom, and Rarity’s precious rolled on the hidden hill that was formed over many moons since sis brought the boulder home, for some reason. She turned to me, speaking through her clenched teeth, “You need a bath!”

“But I want to do it now!” I thumped a forehoof on the ground in frustration. She was in denial, fighting a losing war. “Can’t we do it instead of bathing?” The dirt on me would just respawn and no amount of struggle could slay it permanently.

“After the bath!” A glow enveloped me, and I flowed into the hallway toward the bathroom. I hated the times when she abused her powers on me. A hoof rebounded when it hit the translucent prison. “I can walk just fine on my own, you know?” When I tried to gallop in the opposite direction, the bubble rolled around, not letting me stray away from my wet destiny. There’d been a time when thrashing around in the bubble barrier would break it. Since then, she had learned to counter that by thickening her shield. It was useless to struggle. I relaxed my muscles and gave in to the approaching future that had been set upon me.

Rarity broke the silence. “So, how was school today?” 

“I think Diamond Tiara hates me! Well, I did mess up when I tried to move forward. I guess I should have kept myself back. Maybe she’s right, and I really am evil…”

“Don’t you dare think that way, Sweetie Belle!” She thumped a hoof on the floor, and the force field got tighter. It was best to not respond to her, or she could get triggered even more. She quickly recovered and loosened the surrounding magic field. I exhaled with relief.

She continued. “Nopony has a valid reason to hate us. And even when they do go as far as to talk behind your back, it is most prudent if you pretend not to hear them. Some of the plebeians just can’t seem to be able to get over their jealousy of our heritage. That’s all there is to the discrepancy, and I’m sure they will accept the prospects of our noble bloodline in due time.”

“Heritage?” I asked quietly, so she wouldn’t feel threatened, again.

“Haven’t mother, or father, talked with you about this?”

I shook my head. “They don’t really talk to me much.” It was why I always liked to hang around my sis’s boutique than at my own home. At least she acknowledged my existence, sometimes.

“Well, you should most certainly hear it from us than from anypony else.” Guided by Rarity’s magic, the bathroom door opened, making me gulp nervously. 

I didn’t like being alone with Rarity in the bathroom. I preferred open spaces that would allow me to escape if I felt the need for it. Worst of all, she seemed to be getting ready for one of her tedious monologues. 

“Despite our penchant towards entrepreneurial thinking, the animosity towards our ancestors blemishes our family reputation,” Rarity spoke in tongues.

I sighed. Here we go again...

“Because we are more sapient and can reason beyond the norms of society. We are capable of making distinct choices. Though some decisions may not be as honorable as others, they are all made with determination and resolve.”

I couldn’t even comprehend most of the words she spewed out. Her speech impairment must have been acting up again. Sometimes she just spoke random words that probably didn’t even exist. When she had done that around other ponies, the smart ones had usually pretended to understand her dribble by nodding their heads. I was still angry because my magic training got delayed, and I also didn’t feel like nodding all the time. Instead, I used Scootaloo’s tactic for defying boredom. After closing my eyes, I allowed my imagination to carry me to a magical land of two-legged monsters.

“...The harder the obstacles in our way, the more we can push ourselves to achieve our goals...”

The surrounding, wrapping magic barrier dissipated, and I was dropped in the bath. To escape my real life, I self-inserted myself into my imagination. After waking up from a bad reality, I looked around the mystical land. It was teaming with bipedal creatures. I supposedly had no memory of how I got there. That saved me from having to come up with a cumbersome backstory for myself. The place was dirty with various trash, so I decided to call it planet Dirt.

From the background, Rarity continued talking to herself. Even with both ears pointing away from her and my mind elsewhere, it was hard to ignore her babble. “I have overheard ponies; and not by actively eavesdropping on them, mind you; speak of our reputation as prideful, and swaggering.”

That was it. She was speaking a different language entirely.

“Though we have many things to be exultant about, those rumors are predominantly a fallout of our higher-class origins. These simpletons out here stuck up their snouts to anypony coming from Canterlot.”

Trying to understand her dribble would just give me a headache at best and insanity at the worst. I flopped my ears so I could dismiss her meaningless expressions with less effort.

In my imaginary place, I looked upon a city of tall buildings built with the power of technology. In the distance, I saw the monsters. They pointed their tentacled hooves at me and talked to each other with their small muzzles. All the while, they held an unnatural position on their hind legs without even having a tail of any kind to help them balance which was against the rules of reality, but anything goes in fantasy. I couldn’t see what kind of fur they had because they were all covered with many layers of clothing. It was probably because their coats had an ugly color or maybe—they didn’t have any! I gasped at the last ghastly thought.

“Their bigotry is so potent that they would speak in this tone even about Twilight Sparkle. The ignorance! She’s no true Canterlotian. Have you seen how carelessly she eats? I’d dare to say that even some animals have better table manners than she does. Her behavior lacks pride and sophistication. The sort I possess in ample amount!” She struck a power-pose, standing on her hind legs, lifting a foreleg in the air, and pointing to her chest with the other. Her eyes lingered on the empty ceiling.

In my pretend world, there were dark wires above me, leading toward the city. Pure energy traveled through them. I didn’t even bother making up how that worked because that was sciency stuff. The whole point of science is that its mystical and can’t be fully understood. It’s not like magic which is precise and real. If something is science, you don’t have to excuse it any further than that. But if it’s magic, you do have to explain it because magic doesn’t just work by itself like technology does.

Rarity persisted in the statue-like stance until she lost her balance and dropped back to all four. “I don’t see what Princess Celestia saw in Twilight, who didn’t exhibit even the basics of what’s truly important in royal circles.” Her legs gracefully carried her closer to the bath. “Perception is everything!”

“You know Twilight deserved to be Celestia’s student, right?” I hated her random jealousy outbursts.

“But of course she did. Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle is better than I in every way possible, is she not?” She half-closed her eyes and opened the hot water.

I slid to the back of the bathtub to avoid getting burned. That was something my made up universe couldn’t protect me from. It was time to escape it and fend off reality myself. If I just left Dirt be, it could keep distracting me in the real world, so I had to put an end to the fantasy trip. I imagined bright flashes of light all over the technological planet, annihilating every monster living there. It served them right for being so ugly! Even though they tried to cover themselves under piles of clothes, they were still atrocious to imagine.

Rarity finally opened the cold water valve a bit.

With my fantasy coming to a happy ending, the bad reality fully dawned on me. I perked up both ears and looked around.

The steam from the jet of water toned down a little but was still adding itself to the fog that had formed in the bathroom. She tested the joint flow of hot and cold water with a hoof. The marshmallow limb jerked back as soon as it got wet. I expected her to turn open the cold water valve a bit more, but she just smiled with satisfaction, instead. The water crept closer. Soon, not even the far side of the bath would be safe from its evil wet reach.

“There is more to our inheritance than merely coming from Canterlot, I’d have you know. It’s the inner drive that helped us secure the prestigious place in high society. It’s something that most members of our family were born with. Those who have it can lock their mind on a goal and persist until they achieve it. We can be unwavering and accomplish things that other ponies wouldn’t even dare to dream of.

“No closed door was ever a match for our persistence and ingenuity. When there’s something that needs doing, we don’t succumb to distractions. All the plans get fulfilled, despite the hardships and dangers that may follow. We can trample our own wants and desires if they stand in the path to our goal. It’s this heritage that allows us to be great and extraordinary!” 

I put both forelegs on the top of the bath and lifted my flank up so that only my hind hooves stayed on the ceramic surface. Water engulfed them.

“The family mostly acknowledged the boundaries that other ponies didn’t want crossed. There was no need to break the rules. It was more beneficial to make the system work for us than to struggle against its curents. We’ve always been good at finding cracks in the established norms of society to further our goals.” 

With a swing of a hoof, she shoved both forehooves from the edge, making me crash croup-first on the bottom of the bath. “Hey!” I yelped, then immediately gasped when the heat spread across my barrel. I waved all four legs in the air and shuffled my withers to the side of the bath. I rolled across my side and onto my hooves again. The burning sensation on my loins dissipated a little when it was above the surface. My mane fell over my eyes because the water made it heavy. I swung my head back and tossed the wet locks behind my ears to free my vision.

“Cease your squirting!” Her horn glowed, and a dome of magic sprang on top of the bathtub. I pressed all four hooves on both walls of the bath and raised myself against the translucent ceiling.

Rarity looked down on me from above and continued her self-dialogue. “That worked for our ancestors, securing the family a place at the top. But then the event with grandma Night Foam turned the tables around.”

My ears perked. “I never heard of her!” I clenched my teeth because of the strains. The water churned below me in a sinister way.

“Most ponies of the younger generation haven’t. The informed ones would mostly prefer to forget about her. Night Foam was the most ambitious member of the family. She was a master of manipulation, and deception—a jewel among her siblings. She enforced her status in the society early on, making the family very proud of her. The aspiring hotshot’s influence was on the rise since she was a filly like you.”

I watched the water surface creep up toward my hooves.

“The inheritance was strong with her. She was incredible at taking control of her destiny. Not once did she hesitate in making decisions. No obstacle stood in her way for long. She could push herself right to the brink of her capabilities.

The steam burned my lungs every time I took in a breath. I pushed myself to the edge of the bathtub to fend off the hotness. She really should have opened the cold water valve some more. I looked at Rarity. “If there was more—”

“Indeed, she wanted more. Instead of fortifying, and taking advantage of the position she had achieved, as most of our family had, she craved for more.” Rarity gazed out through the window. “The enviable high status was not enough for her. She wouldn’t settle for anything less than being best pony. In her blind ambition, she took advantage of some less commendable means to achieve her goals. Deviations from societal norms can lead to a dire lash back, that’s why our family never approved of such methods. Unfortunately, she didn’t value anything besides her own power level, so we couldn’t manipulate her to stay in line.

Her aim wasn’t just to rise within the ranks of the society but above life itself. She shut herself evermore from everypony around, spending increasingly more time in her basement with arcane books and experiments.”

My hooves were sunk in the water. The burning heat slowly crept up my legs. “Help?”

“Yes. Our family opted to help her, but she wouldn’t even hear of an intervention. She sought to be self-sufficient and turned a deaf ear to any outside reasoning. She was told that raw experimentation was below her stature. Her response to our relatives’ concerns was that they were the ones below her level and that she wouldn’t be held back by them anymore. After that, none of them was ever allowed in her house again. The front door remained locked, even when the candlelight from her basement window clearly indicated she was home. There was never a response when somepony came to visit her. Only once did she open the door for anypony. She had no choice. One does not simply send Royal Guards away when they make a formal visit to one’s house.”

“What did she do?” I gulped.

“Well, nothing, probably. Maybe. The thing was, a few ponies from her ministry failed to show up to work. The guards searched for them through Canterlot in vain. They questioned your grandma because she was their supervisor. However, at that stage, it was more of a formal title than her actual occupation. Her duties were all but neglected by that time. In response to their inquiry, she claimed not to know anything about the disappearance and that they were useless anyway. A requisition for new administrators was sent out with her hoof-print the very same day.”

“Once favorable relations in Canterlot tensed up. Our entire family was being whispered about. The odd looks of suspicious ponies followed us everywhere. As if things weren’t bad enough, a great tragedy struck not long after. In the middle of the night, a loud explosion woke up everypony in the city. Where Night Foam’s house once stood, only green fire raged within the crater.” 

Rarity’s horn glowed brighter, and the magic dome before her straightened, pushing me down. I pressed against the edge of the bathtub with everything I had, but all four hooves were wet and didn’t have enough traction on the smooth surface of the bathtub. I slowly drifted down into the hot water. It burned a bit, but I didn’t feel it as much since the steam already burnt the rest of my body.

“When they put out the fire, they found your grandma still alive among the rubble. Her coat burnt off along with her skin. She was covered only with cauterized flesh as she lay in the middle of the crater. There was nothing anypony could do for her at that point.”

My hooves gave way. I hoped that I would not meet the same faith as my grandma. A crater formed in the steaming water when my body splashed through it.

When I surfaced with a squeak, she added. “Your parents came to the site when they pulled her out of the rubble. Dad told me that with her last breath she said, ‘I could have lived forever!’”

“They never proved that she had anything to do with the disappearance of the ponies from her office, but rumors spread on their own. They talked about her as if she had used ponies in her fringe experiments. To this day, they couldn’t come up with any conclusive evidence to back up their unfounded claims.

“Mere rumors can still have dire consequences. Canterlot gradually turned into a tough place to live in for our family. The circles where we prospered before began to shun our presence, shutting us out of the elite circle. In the end, the entire family was driven out of Canterlot. Our parents were deeply traumatized by the whole event. They wanted to settle down somewhere quiet and peaceful. At the time, Ponyville seemed to fit the bill. When your father laid his eyes on the house beside the pond, he looked no further. It was to be the new home for this branch of the family.”

The burning sensation of the water lost its intensity and didn’t bother me as much anymore. The magic ceiling above me dissipated to make way for a floating brush. I shook my head when I looked at Rarity. “I can just use my hooves.” I rubbed one foreleg with the other.

“But of course, darling. You can do that while I clean you up the proper way.” The flying brush slid along my spine. I shifted my shoulders back and clenched my teeth. I made a mental note to replace Rarity’s brushes with the ones Fluttershy used for Angel Bunny. After that, I made another mental note to remember the first one.

The savage brush took another swing on my coat, making me lose my train of thought. I hissed at it and banged both forehooves on the sides of the bathtub. I made yet another mental note to try to remember what it was that I was trying to remember before Rarity distracted me with her cleaning attacks. I was sure it would come back to me eventually. Along with my high intelligence, I also possessed an impeccable memory.

I felt something cold under my mane as if a snowpony was feeling me out. The touchy thing drifted across my shoulders, and down my chest. I was probably approaching the boiling point, and that’s why the room temperature objects felt as cold as ice. The magic imbued soap slipped across my belly, diving through the surface, between my hind legs. Another brush joined the team of flying cleaning objects. It chafed down my back and along the sensitive dock.

“Ouch!” I tried to put a forehoof on the sore spot, but couldn’t reach it. “Rarity, why do you have to be so rough?”

“I’m many things, but ruffian I am not! Do you know what being rough would look like?”

Her provoked form made me swallow my saliva. I loosened my body and bowed my head because I knew that wasn’t even her final form. If I wanted to prevent the further transformation, I had to stop provoking her. “I’ll be quiet.”

I sat there in the bathtub clenching my teeth while she worked her magic on me.





“There, we’re all done. Don’t you feel renewed now?”

All I felt was sore! The worst part was behind me, though. I’ve added the latest ordeal to my pile of repressed memories so I wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.

With thinking out of the way, it was time to earn my cutie mark. “Are we done? Can you teach me the gem-finding spell now?” I blurted out.

She lifted both eyebrows. “Of course not.”

My jaw dropped.

“You’re not capable of performing a spell of such magnitude.”

I stood up in the bath and gazed at her. A squeak was all that managed to escape my wide open mouth.

“You need to grow up a bit, and then we’ll see.”

My eyes teared up. She was being mean and not helpful at all! I twitched when she lay her hoof on my shoulder, but I didn’t really put up a fight. All the energy that I saved by not listening at school was already washed away from me. I had been so hopeful that she’d be on the same team with my latest scheme, but instead, she decided to work against me yet again.

“The spell is much too dangerous.” She drew closer and calmly continued. “The horns in our family are fragile, and it usually takes time before magic starts flowing through them properly. You don’t want to damage your horn by rushing the magic through it. Besides the obvious Unicorn hardships, there are also dangers in gem-hunting itself. Have I told you about the mean diamond dogs and what they did to me?”

The way I had heard it, they’d given her carts full of gems. Calling them mean made no sense. She was the mean one! “But in the morning, you said you’d teach it to me!”

She took a step back and thumped a hoof against the floor. “I said no such thing!”

Tears drifted across my face. “You did, too! You did!” She was mean and wrong, but I knew very well that I couldn’t win the fight. Not against Rarity. She was much too stubborn to give in. Still, I couldn’t just take her abuse and let her play me out like that. I clenched my teeth and waved a forehoof on the surface, spraying water droplets at her.

She leaned back and covered her face with a forehoof “Sweetie Belle!”

I jumped out of the bathtub and drifted out to the hallway. Her company was unbearable! I was better off without.

She yelled after me “But darling, I still need to rub you dry!”

I decided not to listen to her anymore. Just being around her was off-putting. With both ears pointed forward, I ran to the exit. When I made it out of the evil boutique, I stopped in my tracks. After leaning on both forelegs, I bucked at the wood with both hind legs. The door shut with a cracking sound accompanying the bang.

By kicking with my left and right hind leg alternately, I tried to throw a bunch of dirt on the door, but most of it just clutched to my wet hooves. There was no time left for the mud graffiti. I had to go before Rarity would decide to punish me with another bath. I kind of needed it because my hooves were all muddy, but I didn’t even care about that. She had to know I was being stubborn!

I broke into a gallop, so she wouldn’t be able to reach me with her magic if she tried to catch me.

There was no destination before me. I just tried to outrun the hurt but was unsuccessful at that. Dark clouds slowly gathered, and not just on my mind but all over the sky. I looked up to see if it was Rainbow Dash expressing her jealousy, but she wasn’t the one pushing the clouds. They were moving in on their own.
> 06 - Pep Talk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With my snout almost rubbing on the ground, I aimlessly wandered through the town. Tears still slid down my muzzle but not in streams anymore. My head felt heavy, and it hurt to think about anything. I didn’t have the energy to pull myself out of the misery I was in. It wouldn’t have helped if I put up a fight. I couldn’t beat Rarity in her own game, no matter how hard I tried. She was older and possibly even smarter than I was. If I tried to reason with her, she’d just start speaking those fancy words that nopony understood. I couldn’t fight her on that level, let alone have a chance of winning.

A raindrop splattered on my back. Another one drifted from my horn across my forehead, and into my eye, joining the almost dried up spring of tears.

I didn’t like getting wet. So much that I would always choose Rarity’s towel treatment after a bath. The alternative to it was much worse. It consisted of me dragging my damp body across various carpets to dry myself. Leaving my coat to be moist usually itched even more than if I was wearing a tight jumpsuit, and such clothes shouldn’t even exist. Only a mean pony would be making body traps like that. 

I stopped in my tracks when a realization hit me. Rarity made at least one for every pony in Ponyville, for some reason. At that point, her evil scheme became clear to me. She wanted to make everypony itch. It was the only explanation I had at the time, and that meant it was the correct one.

The raindrops made me feel good about my decision to skip the drying process. It wouldn’t help me in the long run since I was about to get soaked anyway. Dark future, full of itchiness, was my destiny. I sighed as I dragged myself off the spot and swanned on along the dreary path. I was sure Rarity giggled to herself in her warm, dry boutique, knowing that my delicate skin would be at the mercy of my damp coat.

I heard the clopping of my hooves on the pavement, but I didn’t feel the connection. Even the engraved rocks rejected me. The street slid under me all by itself.

The dark thoughts were too much for me to bear, and I didn’t have the will to make sense of the world anymore. My hooves dragged along under me, yet it felt as if I was stuck in one spot. I couldn’t escape the gloomy surroundings, no matter how fast I hauled myself across the shady world.

I wasn’t walking to get somewhere in particular; I just didn’t want to stay drenched in misery. My focus drifted across the passing rocks. They were dissing me! Every time I met one, it broke up with me right after. The street continued sliding under my tired legs. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Sad thoughts smothered my mind. I tried to distract myself by focusing on something shiny, but everything around me was just gray and dull. Kicking the bigger pebbles that came near me felt a little gratifying. My hooves hurt a little after I did that, but it was a good kind of pain. It made me feel alive and in control.

A soft breeze from in front of me ruffled my mane.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle,” I heard Twilight’s voice before me. “Why the long face?”

Having had my head lowered, I hadn’t even noticed her land on my track of misery. My head wearily rose. I wasn’t in the mood for any of her weird ideas. Lifting an eyebrow at the poor pony pun was the most I could force myself to do. I didn’t have the energy for anything else.

“Did you recently read something that baffles your innocent, little mind? If you want, we can finish that talk about reproduction. You know, the one you ran out on last time...”

I prepped myself to jump into a gallop while I still had the chance to do so.

She cocked her head and opened her eyes wide. “Wait!” she ordered. Her smile dissipated as she stepped off my shadow.

I stopped in my tracks. It was too late for me. My head bowed in resignation. I was doomed.

“What happened to you? Why are you wet from muzzle to tail?” She looked up at the cloudy sky and extended a wing above me.

I sighed and abandoned all hope for a swift escape. So much for my plan to be alone. I wasn’t looking for any help. She wouldn’t understand me. Nopony did. She’d probably just say she has a book on the subject. That was her answer to everything. On the other hoof, I did feel like venting out my frustrations, so I decided to confide in her, anyway. “Even though I volunteered Rarity to teach me the gem-finding spell, she didn’t want to do it. She said I’m not old enough and went on about my exploding grandma.”

“Hehe, exploding grandma,” Twilight got her smile back.

“But I don’t care! I want to earn my cutie mark before I get old like Rarity.”

“Wait, you think Rarity is old?” Twilight giggled. “Teehee!” She quickly covered her muzzle with a hoof. “I don’t think she’d be happy to hear that.”

It seemed I said something wrong. If Rarity would hear about me talking ill behind her back, she would hate me even more. I had to fix it! “Well, I’m sure she’s not as old as you are.” I smiled, confident that I made everything alright again.

“For flock’s sake, I’m not old!”

“Says an ancient alicorn,” I whispered under my breath.

She clenched her teeth together and glanced at me. After taking a deep breath, she focused on my horn. “Casting a detection spell is not as intuitive as levitation. It takes a lot of focus and arcane experience to utilize a detection spell.”

Her revenge for my comment was swift and hurt me deep. I bowed my head back to the ground. Or maybe she’d already pre-planned with Rarity to bring me down.

Twilight embraced me with a wing. She bowed her head to mine. “And you’ll get your cutie mark long before you get old...” Her body tightened and the wing pressed down on me. She muttered through her teeth, “Like me…”

I pressed against the primaries of her wing, trying to escape her tight embrace.

“Didn’t Rarity explain any of this to you?” she asked.

“I think she was about to come to that, but I squirted at her first.”

“Oh my...” Twilight bit her lip. “Um, Sweetie Belle... I hear your birthday is coming soon.” She changed the subject and pulled me closer with a wing. “Is there any present you wish to get?”

“A cutie mark.” I blurted out without even thinking.

“Well, I doubt anypony will give you that; you’ll have to earn it like everypony else. But tell you what? If you’re so hung up on your cutie mark, I can provide you with something cutie mark related even before your birthday.”

I ceased struggling and looked up at her.

“If you walk with me to the castle, I’ll tell you an inspiring, true story about the inevitability of getting a cutie mark. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She slightly nodded at me.

I jerked forward. The sudden move came about a little because I was anxious to hear the cutie mark gaining story but mostly because Twilight tapped me on the rump with a wing. My legs had always reacted on their own whenever something violated me from behind.

She looked forward and smiled. “This was some time after I skipped kindergarten to become Princess Celestia’s protege.” Her head rose high into the air. “I lived in a dormitory beside the Canterlot Castle when I was still—young. Most of the time, my studies kept me busy inside, but I did go out on occasions. Almost every week, I encountered a colt much bigger than me on my reading walks.”

“Reading walks?”

“They’re like regular walks, but better because you’re also reading a book while you stroll about. I wish I had more time for them nowadays, but things have been quite hectic around here lately…” She sighed then quickly shook her head and clenched me even tighter with a wing. “Umm, where was I? Oh, yes! You see, at that time, I already had my cutie mark. What intrigued me was that he still hadn’t obtained his, despite his age.”

I gasped at the awful curse. “That’s so horrible!”

“I would regularly see him wander throughout the city. He always kept to himself and just wandered about.”

“Why wasn’t he trying to get a cutie mark if he didn’t have one?”

“That’s just it; he didn’t seem to care. Yet, one day, he got his cutie mark, regardless.”

“Yay!” I cheered for him. “What did it look like?”

“It was a series of horseshoe imprints in a wandering path of circles, loops, and curves. Earning a cutie mark didn’t change him in any way. He still strolled about with his head always downcast. Every day.

“So, you see, Sweetie Belle? You’re bound to earn a cutie mark, even if you don’t hunt for it.”

“Are you sure he wasn’t trying to get it?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Come on, have you tried earning a cutie mark by just walking about?”

“Well…” I had actually tried once, but it didn’t work. Then again, it didn’t work for Twilight’s colt either. But he kept at it; not stopping at the first failed attempt. If I kept walking around Ponyville like he did, perhaps I could get a similar mark, eventually. Maybe one’s destiny can be forced, as long as one is persistent enough.

My staring at the distance was disrupted when her face lowered to mine. “You have nothing to worry about, Sweetie Belle. Rest assured that you’ll get your cutie mark. I’ve already seen you with it, you know? This one time, your flank even glowed.” She winked at me.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “In a universe far, far away...” I hoped that she wouldn’t start throwing magic mud at me to prove her point like the last time at Zecora’s.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” She smirked.

“Time travel? Alternate dimensions? The more you talk about it, the more complicated and made up it sounds...” A soft pounding in my head reminded me that I should stop thinking about it or risk a headache. “I’m sure I’d remember if I ever had a cutie mark. Nopony else remembers it, either. It’s just you saying this.”

“Starlight Glimmer and I only talked for a bit among the clouds in this chrono-dimension. That’s the only difference between the current and the original timeline. We didn’t stop the rainboom or anything noteworthy like that. Still, it was enough to alter the events in this universe. The ripples of our interference in the past are still making their way through the timeline, patching the future with what has been. Due to our disturbance being almost negligible, the changes to the future slowly manifested instead of branching out.”

I sighed. “To be honest, this all sounds a little crazy...”

“Yeah, I know. It’s a lot to swallow even for me. To my relief, most of the variance turned out to be insignificant. Yet, there were some game changers here and there. You and your fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders losing your marks and that statue of Diamond Tiara on School's broken playground were the biggest alterations I’ve noticed. Fortunately, their frequency has gradually decreased. Only some minor ones still occur occasionally. I estimate that this universe has more or less grown consistent with its past. It’s been awhile since I’ve last seen any modification. The most recent shifting I saw was that tree at the crossroads.”

I looked at the big tree. “What about it?”

“It wasn’t there a moon ago.”

“Yes it was!” I protested. “That tree was there ever since I can remember. It’s probably even older than me.”

“Exactly! It has, indeed, been there for more than a decade, but such wasn’t the case a moon ago. Only I noticed the tree appearing out of thin air, and it wasn’t because nopony was there to witness it: the same wave of changes rewrote their past and, in turn, their memories.”

“Except for yours... for some reason...” I sighed and shook my head in disbelief.

“Well, Starlight Glimmer and Spike are also aliens in this universe. They are exempt from alterations, just as I am.”

I tried to step away from alien Twilight, but her wing held me tight to her body.

“To continue what I was saying, when I came back from the past, it was still my universe. The very one I originated from. But it wasn’t long until I found out that Starlight, Spike and I weren’t the only ones popping into this reality. Ripples caught up with us. You see, the changes made in the past weren’t strong enough to branch out a brand new alternate universe. Still, consistency is the law, and it had to be enforced throughout the timeline. The world could not stay the same as I left it. I figured out that I’m becoming a stranger in an increasingly strange land. That made me a bit nervous because I didn’t know what change to expect. It doesn’t concern me much, anymore, though. The distortions are losing significance with each passing wave. The ripples of history, more or less, caught up with the present, altering it appropriately with the past, as they traversed through the sands of time.”

None of what she said made much sense. She had already lost me way back at the picnic among the clouds that she supposedly had with Starlight Glimmer. I just continued to walk with my head bowed. 

She looked at me and sighed. “And yet, you don’t even believe me, do you? I thought the illuminated, magic mud at Zecora's would be proof enough for you.”

I didn’t say anything. What can you even say to somepony who thinks she’s an alien.

“Either way, I’d still be an alien even if I wouldn’t delve into time travel. The original Twilight was lost when she first cast the self-teleportation spell. Celestia hadn’t told her she’d perish in the process.”

“What are you talking about?”

She turned to me. “And now, my time to cease and decease is at hoof, as well. I go where my predecessors went before me; to the great planes of oblivion.”

“Whaa….”

“Goodbye cruel world!” Her hoof dramatically rose as her horn charged up.

I gasped when she vanished.

In an instant, she appeared at my other side. I pointed at her previous location with a hoof and tried to ask something, “What were you...”

“Hello there, little filly.” Her head moved closer to mine, making me take a step back.

“Er…” I looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Twilight?”

“Indeed. Twilight 9724, to be precise; evoked from thin-air thanks to the teleportation sacrifice of the previous alien Twilight.” She looked over my head into the empty space. “Rest in peace, past Twilight. You shall be forgotten in the sum of things, but you’ll serve as a part of the proof that teleportation does not degrade the teleportee in any way. If that was not the case, I’d be insane at the very least by now. Yet my mental fortitude is still as sharp as ever. And that’s even with disruptive time ripples settling in.” Her eyes shifted to me. “Speaking of, my conjured memories tell me you’re Sweetie Belle. I’m pleased to meet you for the first time in my existence.” She offered me a hoof.

I reflexively lifted mine to bump it with hers, as is proper, but stopped just before the contact. “Twilight, is it really you?” She looked like her usual self, but I wasn’t sure if that was the case.

“Heh, don’t worry. I’m still kind of Twilight that you know.” Her hoof ruffled my mane. “I’m the exact copy of her. Fundamentally the same down to the atomic level. I’m the only Twilight Sparkle alive, so you can just consider me Twilight Sparkle.”

“Is the original Twilight really gone?” I asked.

“I’m not certain, actually. The consensus is that the original body is not sustained in teleportation. However, I suspect that there might be an empty sub-dimension somewhere, packed with Twilight’s who attempted teleportation, cannibalizing on each other to sustain themselves.”

“That sounds horrible!” My voice cracked.

“Don’t worry, It might not even be the case.” She smiled. “And if there is a place like that, it’s feeding time!” She teleported again. “Either that, or if there is no air there, two Twilights will be suffocating for the next few minutes in the vacuum of corpse-space with zero hope of escape...”

I wasn’t sure I understood what she was saying, but my disturbed stomach informed me that I knew more than enough, already.

“Well, you don’t have to pay heed to any of that. Whatever the case may be, it’s past Twilight’s problem, not ours.” She waved a hoof to the side as if that could make the insanity go away. “Let’s talk about you. Your future cutie mark is your motivation, right? I best use that as a lure.”

“Huh?” I raised my eyebrows as I looked at her.

Her trot lost a beat as if she forgot for a moment how to walk on four legs. “Wait, did I just say that out loud?” She shook her head and turned to me. A forced smile plastered on her face. “You’ll get your cutie mark, and that’s a promise. Everypony obtains it, and you will, too. All you need is an opportunity to show how extraordinary you already are.”

“If you say so.” I sighed in disbelief.

“Speaking of extraordinary...” Twilight’s wing dragged me closer to her again. “Personally, I think you have a knack for magic. If you wish to apply yourself to the arcane, I have some good news for you.” She winked at me when I looked up at her.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind hearing some good news for a change.”

“You’re not like the other Unicorns your age.”

“I’m not?” My eyes opened wide.

“You have the potential! If you really wanted, you could get as proficient at magic as some of the foals who try out for the magic kindergarten.”

“You really think I can be as pro—” I wrinkled my forehead and looked up, but still couldn’t remember the word she used “—good at magic as they are? Aren’t they like the best of the best?”

“Trust me, not every Unicorn can swing a broom in the air like you did during my time. Foals your age sometimes have a hard time levitating up a mere stick, let alone direct heavy objects midair like you can.”

“Do you think I’m pro—enough to learn the gem-finding spell?”

“Well, I’d have to give you a checkup to determine that. If you join me in my shielded basement in my castle’s dungeon… I mean cellar! That’s the proper word for it!” She giggled sheepishly. “Anyway, if I were to probe you with my instruments, I could find out exactly what does and doesn’t make you tick.

I tried to duck her gripping wing, but I couldn't escape its clutches. I knew she was just trying to protect me from the rain, but she might have been overdoing it a bit.

Her head rose high. “I have all the scientific equipment necessary to determine how much mana potential you have—” the grin on her face grew ever larger “—among other things.”

“You do?”

“Indeed. It’s very fortunate, and completely coincidental, that I found, err, meet you at this time. I just so happen to have everything ready and powered up for live testing. All that’s left is convincing somepony to go along with my scheme.” Her eyes shifted on to me, teeth clenched.

I had a hunch that she may have been up to something, but it didn’t really matter because there was a scheme of my own clogging itself together in my mind. Her gullible nature would play to my advantage. I intended to manipulate her into doing what I wanted. “Will that allow me to cast the gem-finding spell?” There. I hid my true desires in the form of a question, so she wouldn’t suspect a thing. By asking instead of telling, my motives remained hidden. I was so crafty. The smartness in me was so vast that I had often been able to play even myself for a foal. Given how smart I was, it meant that I was smarter still to be able to deceive a smart pony that I was.

“Well, if you have a sufficient focus, a strong will to absorb adequate esoteric knowledge, and patience to withstand the pains of practice to raise your arcane experience to a decent level, then, perhaps, one day you could learn to cast a detection spell, yes.” She winked at me.

“So—not today?” I kicked a stone off the road. The reality wanted to disturb my plans again.

She snickered, “Probably not today. Then again, one can never know for certain when it comes to breaking new grounds. When I got my cutie mark, I cast aging and transformation spells which are far more difficult than detection spells. There might be a chance of something similar happening to you.”

“Aging spells? Could you cast one on me if I really turn out to be—” I paused before saying a curse word. “—too young?”

“No, not even I possess the skill necessary to cast spells of such magnitude, despite being an element of magic. I was only able to successfully cast an aging spell in a once in a lifetime surge of magic energies within me when I broke through the barrier in my horn. It was at that time I also got my cutie mark.” Her wing splashed against my back as she leaped in front of me. “It represents magic.” She twerked her flank in my face.

I growled at that. “Lucky you.”

When I passed her shaking booty, she caught me again with a wing. “Maybe you can get a cutie mark for magic, likewise.”

“What if I’m not good enough?”

“Don’t worry. You need not know all the spells. The one I mentioned is even out of my reach. If I wanted to cast such a powerful spell again, I would have to be wearing a certain kind of enchanted artifact.”

“If you used that and made me a grown up...”

“No!” she raised her voice. “We shouldn’t even be talking about the manipulation of one's age in such a manner. It’s taboo magic, almost as detestable as necromancy. It’s against the natural order. All ponies age, until their time comes to leave this world.”

The thought of important ponies leaving sent shivers down my spine. I wondered how she was able to be okay with something as terrible as that. “Will Princess Celestia leave us too?”

“Well, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are an exception to the rule. Supposedly, so are Princess Cadence, Flurry Heart and I. It’s still a bit hard for me to grasp the prospects of longevity. I won’t even try coming to terms with it until I see some indication of its manifestation. If I really do possess immortality then that is a big privilege, but it is also a great responsibility. For instance, if I’m immortal, I’ll be able to read all the books in the Canterlot library.” Her wing spread out above me. “It would take me approximately four average pony lifetimes. A perfect life—quadrupled.” The grin on her face stretched so wide that I could see all her teeth. Saliva seeped its way out between them. “But it’s also my duty to advance scientific understanding and arcane knowledge for the good of all ponykind.” Her wing formed an arch over me again and pulled me closer with its primaries.
> 07 - The Castle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We had reached the castle’s stairs, and the balcony above kept the rain from pouring on us. On Twilight at least. I had a wing above me since it had started to rain. Yet, I was still bloated plenty from Rarity’s bath treatment. 

Twilight slowly folded her wing. The upper part of it was wet from the rain and dripped water from the side. The feathers on the bottom were moist from touching my soaked coat. She twitched when the plastered feathers touched her dry barrel.

I was eager to go to her basement. It would give me a chance to dry up without catching a cold. Out in the open, every little breeze felt like a spray of cold water.

When I tried to enter her castle, she raised a foreleg in my path. “Wait!” She lifted the hoof to her face and examined it as if there was something stuck in it.

I opened my eyes wide. It looked as if she was turning into her alien self again.

She almost yelled at her hoof, “The pieces don’t fit!” Her eyes pierced me. “What has your sudden interest in detection spells have to do with you being wet from mane to tail? It doesn’t connect. You look as if you’ve been detected by a pond.”

“Oh, that...” I wanted to answer, but the door to the castle suddenly opened, and I got distracted. 

Spiked peeked out. “I heard a discussion closing in, and I assumed it was you, Twilight.” He glanced at me.

Pressing my eyebrows together and puckering my forehead usually helped me think. At the time, however, that secret trick of mine didn’t help me out, at all. The train of my thoughts was lost, and I forgot even what the question was.

“I’m glad you’re talking to real ponies”—Spike looked back at Twilight—“and not just to yourself like you sometimes do.” He pointed a claw at me without taking his eyes off her. “Why did you let her get all wet? You have umbrellas growing out of your back, for pity's sake!”

“I did my part, even getting all moist after I found her. She, however, has been in that condition even before my interaction with her.” She shoved her way past Spike and whispered, “For some undetermined reason...”

“I do hope we’re both talking about the rain.” After Twilight’s lack of response, he turned to me. “So, Sweetie Belle. What brings you, of all ponies, to the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle? I bet it’s the bad weather, and not you wishing to trash yet another library by trying to get a librarian cutie mark!” Spike grumbled. “That did happen in this timeline, yes? You already got it out of your system, right? Right?”

“You’re in on it, too? Can everypony please just stop with these alternate dimensions non-sen-sen-sess.” It was too late. My head officially hurt “I don’t want to be a stinky librarian, okay?”

He sighed with relief.

“I take offense at the use of that adjective!” Yelled Twilight without looking back.

“And just so you know,” I continued my tantrum. “I think Tirek was even worse at being a librarian than I was.” I hit a hoof on the ground to put more weight on my point.

“Well, he did blow up The Golden Oaks Library, I’ll give you that... Still, it’s debatable.” Spike grinned.

I pinned both ears forward and whipped my tail left and right while I gazed at him. My teeth were clenched, and that was the real reason why I just puffed through my nostrils instead of giving him a very smart response, which I could totally come up with if I wanted to.

“So, if you’re not here to wreak havoc on our humble home, then what was it that brought you to this joyful place?”

I relaxed my muscles and shrugged my shoulders. “I’m just here to get probed in Twilight’s dungeon.”

Spike’s jaw dropped, eyes widened. He slowly turned his head to Twilight, lifting up a claw in her direction. It seemed as if he wanted to say something, but his mouth refused to move.

Twilight glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow. Sighing, she looked forward again. “It’s not what it sounds like!”

His jaw finally managed to move, “This timeline is bad, as well.”

She kept walking toward the downward stairs at the side of the hallway without giving any response.

I stopped under the doorframe at Spike’s side. After raising a hoof to my snout, I whispered in his ear. “I think Twilight thinks I’m special.” My eyes opened wide, and I showed him the biggest smile I had in my collection of smiles.

He put one claw on my shoulder and used the other one to cover the space between my ear and his mouth. “We all think you’re—special,” he whispered back to me.

My smile grew so big that the corners of my mouth hurt. I looked toward the basement and gasped at the empty corridor. Twilight was out of my sight. “Later, Spike!”

I hopped to the basement entrance and caught up with Twilight on the stairs.

“I’m very glad you decided, by your own volition, to volunteer for this experiment.” Twilight put a hoof on my behind and pushed me in front of her.

Feeling special to be invited to her private basement, I strode forward. I’ve never been down there before. “Experiment?”

“Indeed. I’ve spent quite some time upgrading my puppy.”

I knew about Twilight’s pet owl, but I’ve never seen a dog in her castle before. “That’s awesome!” Why she’d keep it in the basement was beyond me, though.

“Indeed! I just can’t let Pinkie Pie pretend that she’s defying laws of physics. I won’t stand for such blasphemy.”

“Whaa...”

“And how can her mane prehensility even work? I’ll get to the bottom of her, even if it kills her. Well, the latter, obviously, won’t happen. Surely, I’ll get my answer even before the autopsy. You see, with my latest tinkering on my puppy, I can now measure even the tiniest variations of bio-magic discharges. With all that extra juicy data I’m bound to figure it out!”

I stopped at the thick giant circle mounted on a giant square platform.

Twilight stepped beside me. “Let me introduce you to my precious.” She pointed with a hoof at the construction. “Here’s my pet project.”

I looked around, but couldn’t see her puppy anywhere. And who would call their dog Project? Then again, it was Twilight’s puppy, so the nerd name kind of made sense.

She stood up on her hind legs, bending over a thick pipe and arrays of coiled cables to press a button on the platform.

A metallic bang echoed through the basement when four shackles on the inner surface of the cylinder mounted on the platform snapped open. She let out a squeak and clapped her forehooves together.

Both forehooves swept on the metallic plating of the big machine accompanied by sighs of delight. Purring, she brushed her cheeks against them while curling the wires with a hoof. Her head wiggled among the cables and tubes while her belly leaned against the upright pipe that was mounted on the edge of the platform. “Mmm.” She slid a hind leg up and down the tube, letting out a soft moan after each stroke.

I tried looking away, but there were more hugantic machines everywhere. I didn’t know exactly what scared me, but if I had to guess, I’d say: everything.

There was something shiny on the desk in the corner near the stairs. It was interesting enough to distract me from my technophobia in development. I walked closer to investigate.

The table was filled with crystals. Most of them were black, but there were a few that were very bright, shining rainbow colors on the wall.

Among the gems lay a gray necklace. It had a black nugget implanted within it.

I got goosebumps when I reached toward it with a forehoof.

“Sweetie Belle!” Twilight yelled, “Don’t touch that!”

I froze just before my hoof connected with the necklace. Shivers ran down my spine. Lowering my shoulders, I slowly turned my head to Twilight and whispered, “Is it dangerous?” I gradually pulled back the touchy leg.

“No, it’s not dangerous. Actually, it’s the opposite. The amulet is supposed to protect ponies from the forces of evil.”

“Why won’t you let me poke at it then?” My curious leg rose again.

“It’s not meant to be worn by an innocent pony like you, Sweetie Belle.”

I forced my leg back on the floor and shifted my weight on it, so it wouldn’t get any more bright ideas.

“You see, there are some dangerous creatures out there. Convincing them to behave is not easy if they have magic on their side.” She glanced at me “But you don’t have to worry about any of that. Those that are still left will be taken care of by us princesses. I estimate that the chance of you meeting one of them is moderate at worst.”

“One of the mean Unicorns?” I asked.

“Well, there are some deviant Unicorns out there as well, but I was mostly referring to changelings.”

“Those black ponies who attacked Canterlot at that wedding?”

“Well, they’re not really ponies anymore.”

“Anymore? Was there a time they were ponies?”

“Mhm.” She nodded. “In fact, they originate from Alicorns.”

I gasped at that. “There used to be even more Alicorns out there? I thought your kind were rare.”

Twilight sat down before me. “A millennium ago, many Alicorns lived among the general population. After they got themselves exiled for plotting against Celestia, they sought to better themselves.”

“So, they regretted being mean?” I asked.

“They regretted getting defeated. The presumption of nobility remained strong in their minds, but the populace at large sided with Celestia and marked them an enemy to Equestria. The adoration they craved remained unfulfilled and only grew stronger with time. They believed themselves worthy of love, and they intended to force that view on others. What they couldn’t gain by consent, they’d take by force.”

“That’s so horrible!”

“They altered their very physiology by utilizing the artificial selection program, seeking to become better. However, the immoral selective process they employed corrupted them on a genetic level.” Her face stiffened. “Nowadays, that cursed group is too far gone to even refer to them as ponies. We call them changelings for their acquired ability to shapeshift.”

“Did that ‘corruption’ make those holes in their bodies?” I asked.

“Indeed” She nodded. “That particular genetic trait helps them with size alterations. But that’s just one of many attributes they acquired with their unnatural selection over the decades. They seek to alter themselves even more in the centuries to come. Their ploy is to spread their corruption all over Equestria. It’s the reason why they attacked Canterlot and Ponyville. They wanted to force the system of artificial breeding into our society, as well. Only the strongest of ponies could prosper if changelings had their way with us.”

“Um... did you wear this necklace when they attacked?”

“I hadn’t even invented it yet then. It was only after the attack on the city that Celestia tasked me with formulating a defense against their magic. You see, normal cells can’t hold the bad changelings that we’ve captured after their invasion. Their arcane abilities are too powerful to be contained by mere walls of a dungeon. Other measures have to be applied if we are to hold them subdued. It was a hard problem to crack and I’ve struggled with it for moons before I worked out a solution. You see, the Crystal Empire has conduits for absorbing channeled energies, so it can be done in principle, but we don’t have those here. I couldn’t utilize redirection of flows the way it was used at the Equestria Games, for instance. The best I could do was adopt the properties of certain crystals in order to...”

“I don’t get it!” I interrupted her tangent. “Does putting on the necklace protect you from a changeling?”

“No, it’s for the changelings actually. It disrupts the inner flow within their neuromuscular system, preventing the willful redirection of energy streams to the horn base.”

My eyes spread wide. She was using big words.

“In short, they can’t use magic if they wear it. But they really, really dislike wearing it. Not so much because of the main outcome but due to severe side effects. Headaches, nausea, loss of balance, throwing up, general sickly feeling, decrease in motor functions, just to name a few of them.

Celestia deemed my prototype necklace immoral, and, on some level, I do agree with her. Still, the only other permanent solution for subduing them is cutting off their horns. It’s what most of them chose after wearing a null field necklace for a brief time.”

“Can I try it on? I love dress-ups!”

“No, I can’t let you do that. Its side effects are unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. I’ve put it on once out of curiosity and had to rip it off my neck right away or I would’ve thrown up on the spot. It was that bad.”

I took a step away from the alien table.

“I am, however, really glad to see some curiosity in you. I commend you for that. You remind me of somepony in your family who strove for greater things. Unfortunately, her scholarly endeavors were cut short when she went all out in a big explosion. There may yet be a big potential within you, too, lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered, hopefully with not too big of a bang. You really like experiencing new things, don’t you, Sweetie Belle?” She smiled and slightly nodded at me.

“Yeah!” I returned the smile. “Maybe I do like new things.”

“Great!” Her horn glowed brightly. “Let’s get you strapped in then!”

“Wha...”
> 08 - Twilight’s Dungeon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Don’t worry!” Twilight pointed her horn at me. “This will only feel mildly uncomfortable for a moderate amount of time.”

I wanted to leap toward the stairs, but my hooves no longer touched the ground. A magic bubble formed around me and lifted me to the black circle on top of the machine.

The bubble split itself into four separate, smaller ones. They moved onto my legs and attached themselves around my hooves. A relentless force spread them apart. I looked at Twilight. She smiled.

I didn’t know if her smile should calm me down or freak me out even more

Four shackles reached out from the metallic circle and snapped at my hooves, replacing the magic bubbles. “Try not to move too much, hehe.”

My shoulders and hips hurt. I was used to having my limbs under me, not spread out like that. It was an unnatural position for a pony and made me look as if I was one of those ugly two-legged monsters Scootaloo liked to draw. I tensed and tried to pull all four legs together, but they were bound and wouldn’t budge. “Are you sure your machine is safe to use?”

“I’m quite positive.” Twilight jumped on the platform and pointed a hoof at the lightbulbs mounted on the arch. “The fuses protect the machine from overloading.” She pounded on the metallic surface. “The outer chassis isolates the inner structure from any outside interference. Even if the core were to overheat, the thermostat would shut it down automatically, preventing the meltdown way before the chain reaction might spin out of control. And due to my precise tinkering, I can assure you that the possibility of a mechanical malfunction is minimal at best. So you see, this machine is fairly safe to use. The prototype is so foalproof that I could even leave a rascal like yourself with it for a moment without surveillance, and I wouldn’t worry too much about you breaking any of its key elements.”

With eyes spread wide, I looked up at her. “Umm, it’s not the safety of the machine I’m worried about. I’m not sure I even want to—”

“Psst!” Twilight pressed a hoof to my muzzle. “Who wants to get tested for mana potential?” Her head leaned close to mine, gracing me with a terrifying grin. “You do!” She bumped me on the snout.

My muscles tensed. In the past, when somepony had booped me on my snoot, the gesture would always make me giggle, but at that moment, I only uttered gasping noises. It took me awhile before I managed to form a full sentence, “I think I need an adult.”

She caressed my mane with a hoof, making my hair stand up. “I am an adult.”

“Umm….” My eyes moistened ever more. I wasn’t in control; Twilight was. “I’m not sure I—”

“There’s no need for you to be so tense, Sweetie Belle.” With the other hoof, she pressed on one of my many aching joints and massaged it. “You have absolutely no control; with that comes zero responsibility. Without any obligations, you’re basically as free as a bird. Besides, there’s no use worrying about something you can’t affect, am I right?”

I tried to wiggle my body, but it was to no avail. “I don’t think—”

“I’m right!” Twilight cut me off. She pressed a hoof on my chest. “And do you remember what I said about the importance of being patient?” Her head drew closer, nodding and smiling at me.

I didn’t remember it, but I nodded in response anyway, so I wouldn’t make her angry. She was scaring me already; provoking her further could make her lash out at me even more. I was strapped with my whole body exposed. There was nothing I could do if she tried something. I opened my eyes wide as I looked up at her.

Twilight caressed my mane with a hoof. “Good pony!” 

She reached up with a forehoof and pulled down a tube with a metallic mounting on the ends. Multi-colored wires were spread along the tube and connected to the top of the circle. I wanted to look at the mechanical device Twilight held, but she jerked my head forward with a forehoof and wedged the tube on my horn with the other. After a few snaps and clicks, the clingy thingy snatched tight around my boney cone.

She jumped back at the panel that was mounted on the edge of the platform. “I’m going to channel some electricity through your body now. It’s nothing to be concerned about...” Her eyes scoured the controls on the panel. “Probably...” She shuffled some knobs, and pressed a bunch of buttons, without even throwing me as much as a glance.

“Um...” I tried to get her attention.

Her chin leaned on a hoof while her eyes focussed on a big knob. “The voltage setting is still far from lethal, so you likely don’t have anything to worry about.” Her hoof slid along its edge, rotating it clockwise. “Maybe...”

I gulped nervously. “Does that mean it won’t hurt?”

“Huh?” She looked at the knob, shrugged her shoulders and rotated it some more. “Er, did you say something?” She glanced at me. “Oh, don’t be silly. I build them tough. It won’t feel a thing.”

I felt a tightness in my chest. “It?” My heart pumped harder and harder while my breaths became shallow and fast. “What about me?”

She said nothing.

I tried to wiggle my legs, but they didn’t budge. Running away wasn’t an option. I was at her mercy. My body stilled down in resignation. I looked up in hopes that she’d notice me. “Um, will this at least help me with my magic?”

“Oh, um… No,” she murmured without looking up from the controls. “That is not our pursuit here at this instance. Analysis before synthesis. Always!”

I peed a little but quickly wiped it out with my tail so she wouldn’t see it. I was still wet from Rarity’s bath that I had escaped from, so it couldn’t have shown much on the coat of my inner ties. Except for the yellow tinge, maybe.

She ceased rotating the big knob and turned her attention to a big red button. “Unfortunately, it might sting a little—” her eyes turned up from the controls “—but it’s all justified in the name of science!” A hoof slammed on the button and her lips morphed into a grin.

The whiteness of her teeth spread across all my vision. My body shook without me doing the shaking.

In an instant, I could feel my entire body. It was like Rarity spanking me, and not just on my flank, but all over, with many brushes at the same time.

I let out a scream.

“Twilight!” Spike’s yelling broke through the sounds of static.

Sight returned to me, and I saw Twilight rotating back the knob.

Spike kept yelling from the top of the stairs. “Do I need to come down there?”

All my muscles still contracted uncontrollably, but at least I could catch my breath.

“Don’t interrupt me when I’m doing science!” Twilight yelled toward the stairs. “I didn’t buy you the new edition of Power ponies so you can bother me. I got you the comic so you’d let me work in peace. Now go read it!”

I let out a squeak.

“What if Rarity saw you mistreat her little sister like you do?” Spike asked.

“Well, the big sister isn’t here now, is she? And let’s not forget that she turned the poor filly down. I’m the one who literally took her under my wing. Sweetie Belle is very grateful to me.” She eyed in my direction, leaning a hoof on the big red button more and more. “Aren’t you?”

I nodded, as much as the horn-tube shackle would let me. I didn’t want to make her angry.

Her head jerked back to the stairs. “She said she’s very grateful! Besides, we’re almost done down here, anyway.”

“Eh! Why do I even bother talking to you? You’ll just stick to what you’re doing no matter what I say.”

“That’s right!” Twilight smirked and looked back at me.

“Well, two can play that game!” Spike shouted back.

My body still twirled, but I managed to calm myself just enough to form something a bit more coherent than yelling. “We done?”

“Almost!” She pushed up a lever.

An opening formed below me. Directed by Twilight’s magic, cables climbed up my hind legs. They wrapped themselves around me. With their brush-like endings, the wire snakes attached to my coat.

I clenched my teeth and slid my tail between both hind legs. If my body wasn’t utterly bound, I’d curl up into a ball.

“I’m going to channel some magic current through you now. Unlike your grandma’s exploding wizardry, this spell is completely safe for me to perform. Likely for both of us.”

A tear drifted down my muzzle.

She climbed on top of the platform again. “I must commend you, Sweetie Belle. You’ve been very patient with me. I thought you’d tell me to stop right away.” She bowed her head and pointed the glowing horn at me.

Wait—I could just tell her to stop, and she would—“Aiii!”

A flow of energy thrust itself all over my body. It seeped out of my skin, mouth, and eyes. I thought the force would rip me apart from the inside out.

“Twilight! I’ve had enough of this.” I heard the voice from the top of the stairs again.

The seeping of magic ceased in an instant. Such wasn’t the case with my screaming. When I gasped for air, I saw the mad, lavender scientist a hoof length away from me.

Twilight covered my muzzle with a hoof. “Shh...” Her ears perked toward the entrance. She glanced at me, then below my dripping tail.

On the metallic surface of the machine under me was a yellow stain. The puddle was so big that it almost spread to the opening with the cables.

When Twilight pushed the lever on the platform with a hind leg, the machine below me let out a hollow racket. Cables that were strapped to my body tightened. I yelped and gasped when they pulled some of my coat hair with them before they detached and crawled back into the opening. The shutter closed with a squeal as soon as the last wire slipped through it.

Twilight bit her lip, looking at the muddle under me.

My tail wiggled between wet hind legs and eyes shied away from the liquid shame on the floor. I wanted to hide in a dark corner but was unable to move at all.

She leaned close to me and whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll clean that after you. And all this”—she waved a hoof around the room—“can stay our little secret.” She winked at me. “Okay?”

At first, I didn’t know how to respond, but then I feared that she might tell everypony that I peed myself if I didn’t agree with her. If Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon heard of that it would be the end of me. I couldn’t let that happen.

I slightly nodded. “Okay…”

She reached with both hooves to the tube holding my horn. I looked at her with teary eyes. “No more. Please!”

“Hehe, don’t worry. We’re done here. You won’t have to go through this process ever again.” She brushed through my mane with a hoof. “I’ve gathered all the data I wanted.”

One hoof met with the other at my horn’s base, and they worked together to unstrap the sucking hose off me. After a set of jerks, I was partially liberated. Because there was nothing to support my head anymore, it fell loosely on my chest.

Spike yelled from afar, “I just finished writing a letter!”

“Who is he ratting me out to this time?” Twilight jumped to the controls and spammed the black button with a hoof. The shackles holding my legs creaked.

He continued, “It starts with ‘Dear Princess Celestia!’”

Twilight gasped. “Oh, no he didn’t!” A telekinetic bubble wrapped around me, ripping me from the machine even before the shackles fully opened.

I gasped from the sudden acceleration.

The bubble floated me up the stairs with high speed. Twilight galloped right behind me. At the top of the stairs, I noticed Spike in the middle of the hallway. He held a scroll in front of his open mouth.

“I’m sending it now!” He breathed in. 

“Noo!” Twilight threw me forth and lifted a foreleg.

Spike’s chest ceased inflating the moment I crash landed at his feet.

“Don’t you dare do it, Spike!” Twilight slammed a hoof on the floor.

I lay between them in a fetal position, hugging my tail. “Mummy...” While twitching on the cold floor, I tried to catch some sips of air without yelping but failed.

“See?” Twilight pointed a hoof at me without breaking eye contact with Spike. “She’s perfectly fine!”

A telekinetic shield wrapped around me again, making me gasp in horror. My dislike for it had been growing ever since Rarity had first abused it on me. After the ordeal in Twilight’s basement, I straight out hated it.

The magic force floated my body in circles around Spike. All four hooves slid on the crystal surface below me.

Spike grabbed my horn with a claw and stopped my orbiting. With the other claw, he still held the scroll in aloft. When I looked up at him, he whispered, “Sweetie Belle, did she hurt you?”

“I-ll-teach-you-magic,” Twilight sneezed at me and lifted a hoof to her snout. She sheepishly giggled at Spike. “I’m sorry”—shrugging her shoulders, she rolled her eyes at the ceiling—“allergies...”

The surrounding magic bubble dissipated, and my hooves pressed firmly on the floor. I could still feel a strong magic support under my chest. It held most of my body weight.

They were both looking at me, expecting some sort of response.

I figured that Spike had the same misunderstanding I had. He wasn’t there when Twilight had told me about the safe word, so he probably didn’t know about it. Even I learned of its existence just a few moments before. “I didn’t tell her to stop.” Twilight held her teeth clenched, but her lips extended into a big smile. She nodded maniacally at me, raising both eyebrows. I felt encouraged, so I looked at Spike and continued, “If I told her to stop,”—I looked back at Twilight, raising my eyebrows—“She would have stopped?”

Spike sighed. “This makes no sense. Were you opting for a masochist cutie mark?”

“See!” Twilight looked at Spike while pointing a hoof at me again. “She enjoyed the whole process, and you interrupted her joyride. Now give me the letter!”

Spike scratched his chin with the free claw, but Twilight didn’t give him any time to think. A magic bubble formed around the scroll and ripped it out of Spike’s grip.

Twilight grinned as she focused on the letter.

The magic support that held me up dissipated, and I collapsed on the floor.

She jumped to a book stand and spread out the scroll.

“Hey, Twilight, that’s not for you to read! Give it back!”

Quiet murmurs were all she gave in response, “…experiments… screams… torture… death machine…”

“Here we go...” Spike inhaled deeply and bit his lip.

Her head jerked back, teeth grinding. “Spike! How could you write this?” She floated the letter in front of him but kept it out of claw’s reach.

“Nothing I wrote is far-fetched.”

“That’s beside the point! You know very well what Celestia would do to me if she read your scribblings? It would be like the last time when I built the doomsday device!”

“Yeah. She’d probably put you in the mental facility again, and rightly so. They helped you in the past, and I hoped they could help you again. You could really use some chilling down. Not understanding Pinkie Pie’s gift is bringing out the worst in you.”

“Her talent is scientifically impossible. So it can’t be real.” She lifted a leg and talked to it. “On the other hoof, there’s also some evidence in support of it being true. It must be something else entirely. I can crack this… I’ll get to the bottom of the randomness even if it spells the end of her! Err, I mean the end of me… That’s the more acceptable expression. Yeah!” She sheepishly giggled as she turned back to Spike. “And no, I’m not obsessed. I’m not! Pinkie Pie is the obsessed one, pretending to be able to bend the laws of physics!” She pointed a hoof at Spike and almost yelled. “Which she can’t!”

“That’s not an obsession, Twilight; that’s just how she is.”

“Blasphemy is what it is. Nature is consistent and doesn’t play dice.”

“Why can’t you just accept she’s different and move on.”

“Oh, I’ll move on alright.” She lifted herself on her hind legs and clapped her forehooves together rubbing them against each other. “When I have my puppy’s analysis of her in my hooves.”

“I won’t let you strap another pony to that death machine of yours, Twilight!” Spike pointed a claw at her, threateningly.

“That’s enough foaling around.” Twilight levitated the letter above Spike’s head. After a flash from her horn, it burst into flames.

Ashes fell all over him. He crossed his claws on his chest and growled.

“Speaking of analysis...” She glanced at me and walked back toward the basement. “Why don’t we take a look at how you did on the tests!”

I smiled, stood up on all fours, and lifted a foreleg to follow her, but then the door leading into the inner bowels of Twilight's crystal home came into my view and all my muscles instantly stiffened. I was unable to put my forehoof on the ground in front of me again. My body refused to move as if it was frozen in place. “Um… Can I just wait here, instead?”

“Hm?” Twilight stopped in her tracks and looked at me. “Oh… Um, sure you can. And don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell if you won’t!”

I gulped and clenched my teeth as she winked at me again. After dragging myself to a corner of the room, I pressed my body against the cold wall. It didn’t feel comfortable, but at least it looked unmechanical and safe.

“And Spike...” She trotted down the stairs, without looking at him. “Why don’t you be a good little assistant and make Sweetie Belle a daisy sandwich. That’s something you shine at!”

Spike grumbled, and thumped through the door to the hallway, holding his claws clenched at his sides.

My overfluffyfied tail wiggled up into my embrace. Muscles all over my body twitched even though I didn’t feel cold. The opposite was true. All the moisture in my pointy-styled coat had dried up completely. Even more heat burned up from within me. That evil, technological machine might have had something to do with it.

I hoped that Rarity wouldn’t get one for that effect. She had always been rough with her itchy towels, trying to soak every drop of moisture off my coat after the baths, but I’d still prefer that treatment to getting stuck in the hurtful machine again. At that point, I knew what the expression being in heat meant. I felt so hot that I wished for a moment that I didn’t have a coat. Sweat seeped out from the oddest of places. Despite all that, my body kept trembling.

I didn’t want to let Twilight down. I owed her that for keeping my wet secret. It was obvious that I should keep hers also, and I intended to do just that. I had always been good at keeping secrets, even though most ponies didn’t believe that. Whenever I said that I would keep a secret, nopony would ever hear about it from me.

Except for Rarity. I usually told her all the secrets while she kept being boring, working on clothes in her boutique. I felt less bored when I did that. It was okay to tell her secrets because she was even better at keeping them than I was. If I ever asked about them later on, she would pretend that she had never heard of them.

Even after I’d told her of my crusade that had ended with my horn getting scraped on a branch, she had acted as if it had also been a secret. She’d been very focused on her sewing when I had told it to her, but she’d heard every word I had said. I knew that because she’d confirmed almost every other sentence by saying “Mhm…”

After I had asked her if I should show my cracked horn to one of the evil doctors at the scary hospital, she’d given no reaction. When the silence had become uncomfortable, she had just raised her eyebrows and said, “Maybe you should take a bath”—which I did, but it hadn’t helped any.

I wouldn’t even tell the secret to Rarity that time around. It would show her that she had really hurt me by refusing to teach me the gem-finding spell. And she would then apologize to me. Even after that, I would still act stubborn and wouldn’t tell her for almost an eternity. It would probably take at least until the evening before I’d start telling her everypony’s secrets again. Up until that point, I’d keep my mouth shut and would only tell the Cutie Mark Crusaders about Twilight’s basement, the invisible dog and everything else. Then, I’d make them promise not to tell anypony. It’s in good manners to make ponies promise not to share secrets with others when telling them everything you know.

I thought I saw movement in the corner of the library. My eyes jerked in that direction. There was nothing there except a glass showcase with a thick book lying inside on a red pillow. Still, something seemed off. The air around the casing wasn’t fully transparent. It had a hardly noticeable purple glow to it. The wall behind the protective glass seemed to be waving as if I was looking at it underwater. Either my eyes were deceiving me or there was some magic ahoof in the room.

I had no energy to explore the zone of weirdness any further. There was too much freakishness for one day already. I looked away.

A book stuck out on a nearby shelf. If somepony bumped at it, it might fall to the floor, which could trigger Twilight. Hanging out with her was hurtful even in her ‘normal’ state. If she lost her temper for some reason, my well being could get endangered even more. Everything was wrong enough, and I didn’t want to see even more wrongness. At least with the out-of-its-place book, I could fix it easily. When I went to push it back in, my eyes caught the title on its spine: Emotional Magic.

The book had the word ‘magic’ in the title, so I picked it up in my hooves. I kind of liked magic. A little less after what Twilight had put me through, but still... I opened it in the middle as I laid it on my lap.

There are many instances where emotional magic has been harvested. The most recent example is the rise of Crystal Empire, where the emotional energy of the local populace is stored in a special magic device called The Crystal Heart. The accumulated magic from the artifact was used to annihilate the carnal vessel of King Sombra, who wanted to reestablish his former reign of terror.

The other example is evident on multiple occasions throughout history. For at least five centuries, there were many reports of changelings draining a pony’s bodily energies using emotions as a transfer media. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that changelings are capable of transferring the energies to their own mana-pool. Some encounters indicate that the process is not instantaneous and takes some time to complete. The leaching can only be concluded if the victim is emotionally or lustfully attached to the drainage source. The exact process by which these creatures achieve the mana transfusion is not yet fully understood.

What is known are the benefits of using existing emotions in furthering one’s magic abilities. With external feelings being known and predictable, one can avoid magic catalyzation inconsistencies that are otherwise prevalent in emotional magic-boosting techniques. Emotions in oneself are unpredictable. Adapting the catalyzation process to the external emotion source avoids these fluctuations — and the recursive feedback loop — that usually result in a failed spell.

I put the book back on the shelf because it was written in a long-words language, and I didn’t like that. Feeling sorry for myself felt easier than reading rare expressions. I wished that I hadn’t even read it, so I could keep believing that I could use magic without putting in much effort. Besides learning being hard, it also felt as if the knowledge was, actually, hurting me. If I didn’t know much, I could just make up stuff and hope that reality would follow suit. That usually hadn’t happened, but that just meant the world owed me some big favors for leaving me stranded like that in the past. Yet another reason for keeping up my blind faith. My fantasies had always kept me strong, as long as I didn’t question them.

I sat there, looking angrily at the book, which implied that magic was more complicated than I thought. Who wants to know about bad things, anyway? I decided that the author of the book was surely evil for writing things that didn’t match my wishful thinking.

My eyes lowered. In the pile of dust under the wardrobe I saw a dark-brown paper. I scraped it out with a hoof, shook off some of the dust and blew on it. I recognized some letters on it, but could hardly make out any of the words. The paper must have laid there for like literally forever.

I looked around to make sure I wasn’t being watched then rubbed the paper in the last clean part of my fluffy coat.

When I looked at the paper again, I could finally make out the lines. It was a song titled, I have an urge to sing you a song.

The title alone brought a smile to my face. If there was anything positive in my life, it was the songs. I knew that would never change no matter what. I’d always love to sing. Twilight had even hinted that my future cutie mark would be related to singing.

My eyes focused on the lines.





Oh fellow ponies, heed my word
Before your brain becomes disturbed
A tentabus called Muse is on the loose
By hearing a song, you’re in its noose

I have already succumbed to this effect
But you can avoid its magical dialect
Ponies don’t sing, we never did
If you hear a song you’re in its grid

The songs are memes, they propagate
They hijack your brain to variate
You’re not a victim, you’re the cause
By singing you become its jaws

If this threat is not contained
A delirium for ponykind will be ordained
Ponies will randomly burst into a song
Without suspecting something’s wrong

It’s too late for me, I’ve heard too much
But you can still escape its clutch
Run away if you hear a pony sing
Or else Muse will catch you in its string

This letter is the last act of my occupation
Before forcing myself into self-isolation
Don’t look for me ever
Yours Clover the Clever

Edit: I’ve found this song in the lost library. I see now that my only chance of freedom is to vow to never sing again. Along with this plee, I also have an urge to add the following:

Oh fellow ponies, gather near,
For Clover's tale is one of fear.
A tentabus, Muse, roams untamed,
Its siren songs, a web unclaimed.

Muse, the trickster, whispers low,
In notes that dance, in rhythms flow.
Beware, dear ponies, heed the signs,
For once ensnared, the grip entwines.

Ponies, silent as moon-kissed dew,
Our voices hushed, our songs askew.
Yet Muse, insatiable, seeks to sway,
To turn our silence into disarray.

Songs, like seeds, take root and spread,
Infecting minds, a memetic thread.
Victims we become, unwitting hosts,
As Muse orchestrates its spectral boasts.

Are we victims or architects of fate?
By singing, do we seal our own gate?
Muse grins, its maw wide open,
Feeding on our harmonies unspoken.

Ponies, gallop! Flee the rhyme,
Escape the Muse's temporal climb.
For sanity wanes, and chaos brews,
When every heart hums a stolen tune.

Clover, your letter, a desperate plea,
A swan song penned in urgency.
Into self-isolation you retreat,
As Muse's tendrils seek their beat.

So farewell, brave poet, vanish hence,
May your silence shield you from the dance.
And we, the ponies left behind,
Shall guard our voices, lest Muse bind.

Yours in ink your warning clear,
A fellow wanderer, seeking solace in fear.






Trembling, I shoved the song under the wardrobe. “I’ll never sing again...” I whispered under my breath.

“Heh, good luck with that” Spike appeared before my face. “You’d be the first pony to abstain from singing.”

“I’ve heard you sing too, you know?”

“Yes, but with me it’s different
My singing is different
I sing because I choose to
I can stop whenever I want to”

“Right...”

“Anyway, here’s your sandwich.” He offered me a plate bearing two bread slices stacked on each other with a thick green layer between them. “I put some dandelions and daffodils in it as well. Twilight thinks they go well with daisies. Enjoy!”

The sandwich looked really juicy, and daisies were my favorite food, but since I came from the cellar, I felt like throwing up. I held it back of course. I didn’t want Twilight covering for me yet again. Taking a mere bite of anything could upset my stomach more. “I’m not hungry,” I said.

Spike loudly sighed. “And you decided to tell me this—after I made you a sandwich and not before?”

He was right. I’d been so caught in myself, I hadn’t paid any attention to what went on around me. “I’m sorry!” Even when I tried to be on my own and not do anything, I somehow managed to hurt others. My eyes moistened again.

“The gratitude you ponies bestow upon me is immeasurable!” He turned around and looked at the sandwich. “I don’t like to waste food, but I’m certainly not about to start eating grass.” He slid the plate onto an empty shelf as he walked toward the comic book section of the library where Spike often hung out..

“I’ve got your preliminary results, Sweetie Belle.” Twilight trotted up the stairs with sheets of paper floating beside her. I hoped that at least something good could come out of that awful day. “Well, lack thereof,” she continued.

My jaw dropped.

“It’s as though you have zero magic in you.”

A tear drifted down my cheek and splattered on the floor.

Twilight looked over a floating sheet and raised a hoof in my direction. “It may not be permanent, though.”

I gasped. “There’s a chance of my horn not getting better? That’s horrible!”

Sheets of paper dropped on the floor when her horn glow dissipated. With a serious face, she stepped closer and sat on her tushy before me. She put both forehooves on my shoulders. “Ability to manipulate magic doesn’t just go away by itself. You were quite proficient with your horn when I last saw you use magic. Did something happen since then?”

“I hit my horn on a branch. It cracked a little. I’m afraid to even charge it now.”

“What did the doctors say about the injury?”

“Doctors? I thought my horn just needed some time to heal. It hurt less and less since I bumped it. That means it got better, right? I don’t even feel it anymore.”

“A horn is a sensitive biological apparatus, Sweetie Belle. Even a small disturbance can set it off balance. You should have gone to a doctor right away after you suffered a blow to the horn.”

“I didn’t know that. Will it get better anyway?” I looked up at her. “Please say yes.”

“If your horn-base got damaged, then no. The channeling matter consists of special transmitting neurons. Those can’t heal on their own, just like brain cells don’t.”

I clenched my teeth and tried not to fall apart right there and then.

“However, there is also another biological mechanism that produces similar symptoms. Upon a concussion of a horn, the inner barrier can expand to protect the base from further damage. If that’s the case, all you need to do is channel your inner-flows to break your thickened barrier.”

I didn’t know there’s an obstacle in my horn. “Why is something trying to block me?”

“The barrier forms soon after the birth of a Unicorn. It is a natural protection from any uncontrollable and potentially dangerous outbursts of magic. In most cases, the protection loosens by itself. There have even been cases of foals, lacking barrier protection, capable of intuitive magic usage. And I’m not referring just to Pumpkin Cake and Flurry Heart. Those two are, however, the most extreme case of this phenomenon I know of.

 “I was the exact opposite in my fillyhood. My horn’s barrier was over-developed, and I had trouble casting complex spells until I finally broke it at the magic kindergarten exam.

“The horn’s barrier is the most important protection from self-harm when casting magic without reservations. It regulates the flow to the channels and prevents dangerous surges of energies. There are cases where the inate magic ability is more powerful than the protection keeping it in check.

“If the barrier breaks, the reserves of magic that were held back are released in an energy outburst, making the Unicorn capable of casting even complicated spells with ease. That’s what happened to me when I was a filly. Seeing Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom opened my floodgate. Perhaps something else will open yours, and you’ll be able to break your strong barrier, if you have one that’s protecting you from your own magic, if there is any in you.”

“I need a sonic rainboom?”

“In some aspects, breaking the barrier in a unicorn’s horn is kind of like gaining a cutie mark. Almost anything can be a catalyst. A sonic rainboom was just what worked for me. Usually, though, it’s a dedicated practice and focus that opens up your potential. And if there’s enough of that, you might even get a cutie mark for it.”

The mention of a potential cutie mark lifted my spirits. “How do you practice a horn?” I stood up on all fours and half-closed my eyes while I focused on it. “I’m not sure if I can even charge mine.”

“Like I said, I don’t know what’s keeping your magic back. If you still have any, that is.”

The thought of not being able to use my magic sent shivers down my spine. “But I’m a Unicorn. I’m supposed to have magic.”

“I still have some number crunching to do before I can say for certain. If your reserves of mana are still intact, they will show up as an echo in the results. If that is the case, you should be able to break your horn’s barrier if you put your mind to it.”

I looked up at her. “What if it hurts?”

“There’s no reason why charging your horn should hurt you in any way. And even if it would, using magic isn’t supposed to make you feel good. It takes a painstaking effort if you want to master it.”

“How can I break the obstacle?” I asked.

“The most mana consuming spells are the best for breaking the horn’s barrier. Try producing as many sparks as you can.” She smiled and closed her eyes. “Like this.” A stream of sparks burst forth in an arch from her horn. The lavender aura dissipated as she opened her eyes. While biting her lip, she gazed at the fading flickers on the polished floor. She perked her ears and glanced toward the comic book section. With a hoof, she slid a nearby carpet over the blackened spot. Her eyes turned to me again. “Nothing to it. Now you try it. Sense your horn. Especially the part where it connects to your inner channels.”

I closed my eyes and tried to feel my horn. I knew it was there, but I couldn’t really sense it. Just like I didn’t feel my tail unless I pulled at it. I extended a hind leg and wrapped it in my tail.

“Come on, Sweetie Belle! Stop foaling around. Focus!”

I unwrapped my tail and straightened my posture. “Charging up now...” My body tensed as I puckered my forehead. There was a complete lack of inner tingling I’d usually experienced when using magic. The only ‘sensing of my horn’ I did was with my wrinkled skin around it. I hoped that would, at least, count for something. “Like this?” I asked.

“No! That’s not how I taught you. You have to push toward your horn. But not with your muscles. You have to guide your inner flow together and then outward. It will react to your soul energy, you just have to focus on it.”

I relaxed my muscles because straining them, apparently, didn’t help any. I breathed in and contracted my stomach to push the air up.

“You’re doing it wrong; breathe normally.” Twilight thumped on my chest. “Feel the impulses of energy flowing through your body.” She spoke with a cheering voice. It sounded as if she was singing the instructions. “Focus on where those currents connect with your horn.” The light of her aura penetrated through my closed eyelids. “Do you feel the power at the core? Channel the flow of energy against it.”

I lost her and didn’t know what she wanted me to do. It had used to be so simple. There had been a time when I could just use my magic without even understanding her instructions, but such wasn’t the case at that point. Magic wasn’t happening by itself anymore.

And when I got distracted by a burp, coming from the other room, I lost my focus along with the last shred of hope to force anything out of my stiff appendage.

I opened my eyes and looked at Twilight. “Focus what where?” Everything was confusing and messed up. I thumped a hoof against the floor in frustration. “Can I choose an easy difficulty for this?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you feel it? The connection? The point where your base of mana unites with your soul energy?”

“No.” At the last Twilight time session, I could feel the magic flowing through me whenever I charged my horn, but at that moment, I felt nothing. There was just emptiness within me.

The cheerful expression on her face dissipated. “Don’t tell me you forgot all the basics I taught you during my time.” She sighed and shook her head in disappointment. She stilled when she eyed the sandwich on the shelf. “Mmm, you look delicious.”

“Twilight!” Spike jumped in the Library. “I’m sorry for interrupting your foalcon, but I got the call.”

“Wait! I wasn’t—”

“Twilight, just stop what you’re doing, we need to go.”

“Ugh! Never mind. I’m going…”

He waved a scroll in the air. “For some reason, Celestia wants me to join you this time.”

“Best if we don’t keep Celestia waiting...” Twilight nodded at me and hinted at the exit with her eyes. She lit up her horn and floated up the sandwich from the shelf.

I clenched my teeth and thumped by her side to the door of the library.

Twilight floated up a saddlebag from the hanger in the crystal corridor. “Celestia probably wants you to relay piles of letters to Crystal palace again.”

Spike sighed. “Everyone wants to have a Crystal pony for a pen pal these days… Why can't Celestia just send the letters herself?”

“You know she could, but you're more—natural at it.” She fastened the straps of her saddlebag and trotted on.

“Yes, that's right. If I had a cutie mark it would be a mailbox!”

“Spike, you know you're more than that.” Twilight floated the leftover food from behind her. “For instance, you’re also a great chef.” While the sandwich flew past her mouth, she bit off a large chunk. “Mmm, it’s so good! You’ve really outdone yourself this time!” she muttered with the full mouth.

“I'm glad at least somepony appreciates my efforts.” He gave me a glance with half-closed eyes.

“What are you talking about?” She spat bread crumbs on her assistant as she talked. “You know you're the best, Spikey.”

He opened the front door of the castle.

I didn’t join the conversation because my teeth were clenched. Twilight time was supposed to be about me! She was going to teach me how to cast a detection spell. It would be the first one in my life. Why did Celestia have to interrupt it? Well, she didn't know, but still!

Twilight put a hoof on my shoulder. “Have Rarity take you to the hospital, Sweetie Belle. If they diagnose you with an overgrown barrier, we can work on breaking it tomorrow. Magic outbursts are still the go-to method when it comes to tunneling your horn for magic usage.”

Spike closed the door before Twilight telekinetically floated the key in the keyhole. It clicked as it turned then floated back into her saddlebag. The last chunk of the sandwich flew into her mouth. She swallowed without even chewing on it. Looking toward the Canterlot, she slowly exhaled. Her grin grew widder.

“No!” Spike jumped in front of her and pressed a claw against her neck. “No teleporting this time, I beg of you!”

“Hmm...” Twilight cocked her head. “We could just make use of these then.” She flapped her wings.

“Porting—dangerous; those things—lethal! Let's just take the train, like normal ponies do.”

“Come on, we’ve gone to Canterlot by unconventional means before.”

“If it weren’t for my scales and thick bones, I’d be splattered all over the city.” Spike pointed a claw at Twilight accusingly. “I’ll have you know, there’s a big difference between landing and crashing!” 

“Fine…” Twilight crouched down, letting Spike mount her. While she trotted forth, her eyes caught with mine, “Oh, and while we’re gone, don’t forget the number one decency rule. No peeing on the lawn! Somepony might want to graze on it.”

Sitting in front of the locked castle, I watched them walk toward the town’s main road that led to the train station. Twilight shook her head and glanced at Spike with one eye. “Wait, what did you mean ‘like normal ponies do’? Are you saying I'm not normal?”

“No, I’m not saying that out loud, Twilley.”

“Oh, Spike… I don’t know what I’d do with you…”

“You meant to say without me, right? Right?”

Their voices trailed off in the distance. The lavender combined form became more and more blurry. A little bit because they were gaining distance from me, but mostly because of the tears that gathered in my eyes. They disappeared behind Ponyville buildings, leaving me behind. Alone and abandoned.
> 09 - The Breaking Point
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I laid on the wet grass beside Twilight's castle to cool myself off from the side effects of Twilight’s experiment. Sighing, I looked to the cloudy sky. Where’s the rain when you need it?

With Twilight gone, I didn’t have much chance of getting my cutie mark. I thought about finding Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, so I could tell them that my plans got canceled and that we could go interview more ponies. They’d surely be against it, trying to think of their own alternative ideas, and I wouldn’t have to think at all.

I started to think of the ways I could improve on Spike’s worst song in the history of Equestria, but I put a stop to it because it interfered with my non-thinking.

Just when I was deciding on whether to put my brain into sleep or hibernation, an idea struck me out of the blue. I jumped on all four hooves and grinned. A flash of distant lightning drew a sinister shadow of me on the castle wall. I didn’t even need Twilight; I could break the barrier in my horn myself and earn the elusive cutie mark right there and then! A thunder's echoes roared around me.

It was settled. No barrier should be allowed to keep me from becoming a great and powerful magician. My eyes closed, head lowered, breaths deepened and slowed. I spread all four legs and pointed my horn forward. That's what I was supposed to do. I had to push something against something else.

I sighed when I noticed the tenseness in my muscles. That wasn’t the right way to do it. I shook and forced my body to relax. The pushing part had to be done in a different manner. Maybe I could force the energies forward the way I could push my mane forward. I shook my head left and right then up and down and all around. It didn’t work. Well, it worked for my mane, just not for my horn.

Perhaps if I pushed the flow from my entire body... I spun around in place, faster and faster. My tongue almost slipped out of my mouth. Even my lips retracted from my teeth a little. Warmth filled both cheeks, and my head became heavier. It was working. I could tell because the skin all over my face itched. The flow, or something, was apparently pushing forward. I was doing it!

When I spun faster, I lost my balance. I stepped forward to regain it, but that got me closer to the castle’s door. My horn graced the wood, and the pain hit me right after. I saw a flash before my eyes. What was that? A spark? I squealed in pain and fell to the ground.

The world spun, and I felt sick. If I’d eaten the sandwich that Spike had made, I’d surely be throwing it up right about that time. The pain made me queasy, but it was worth the struggle if it meant getting my magic back. I stroke the bony surface with both forehooves. The hornache thumped in waves.

I slowly stood up and spread all four legs. The world was still shaky. My eyes glanced at the scratch on the door before rolling around again. I could feel my horn more than any other part of my body. The base of it thumped at the beat of my heart. I figured those were the energy currents pushing against the conduit. Or its core? Or mana-pool? Or whatever it was they needed to push against!

My hoof slid along the scrape on the door as if marking a target. That was it! A way for me to break through the horn’s barrier. The path to my cutie mark.

There were already two big dents and a scratch on the wood. Twilight should buy herself a new door anyway. Everypony I was close to changed doors on a regular basis. It was necessary because the doors showed increasing wear and tear with my every visit. Another crack on the shoddy entrance shouldn't make a difference. “Work, you stupid horn! Work!” I lifted my head then plunged it down as hard as I could. A loud thump and a screech emanated from in front of me. I saw—twinkles. I was sure that time around! And it wasn't just one. At least three sparks flew before my eyes!

I squealed from the pain that followed. The ache was almost unbearable. I thumped all four hooves on the ground repeatedly, but it didn't help any. The pulsing irks remained. Perhaps the gateway to the magic in my horn was opening. I sure could feel it throbbing!

The power within me was so great that I would surely make everypony jelly. Even the awesome Rainbow Dash would envy me and my mighty horn! Producing a single spark would always be out of the Pegasus’s reach while I had already achieved so much more. And my amounting wasn’t over yet; far from it! Greater things still lay ahead, just waiting for me to reach out to them. My blind faith was so strong that it just had to be true.

I sang Shoten’s Get Your Pony On song to distract myself from the pain.


I’m breaking the barrier


Can’t pin me on the road


My eyes darted around. Just keeping myself from falling over became an achievement in its own right.

I was disoriented and dizzy. Usually, that would be a bad thing, but at that time, it distracted me from overthinking my plan. Persistency was the key to getting what I wanted. All it would take was hitting the door one more time, and the reward would surely come to me.

There had been many things in my lifetime that I had butted against. Even in the condition I was in, the lifelong experience of knocking stuff with my head would guide me in hitting the door one more time. The bumping skill I possessed could not be denied! “No pain, no gain!”

Determined, I raised myself on the hind legs. “This one is for the count!” My head rose high. It was obvious what I had to do. “Lots of pain, lots of gain!”


I’m breaking all limits


Now watch me explode


I closed my eyes and plunged down with all my weight.

CLANG!

A metallic ringing resonated in my head. The horn must have hit the lock on the door. I was still catching my balance even after both forehooves touched the ground. “Ngh!” I opened my eyes, and the light show almost blinded me. What I saw before me was incredible.

A fountain of sparks burst forth from my noggin. I broke the barrier!

The unbearable pain hit me. I let out a scream of agony as the cramping spread all over my body. The numbing hurt engulfed my head. I fell on the ground. My vision tunneled and darkened. All four legs twitched uncontrollably. I gasped for air then yelled some more. Salty tears flowed into my gaping mouth in a stream. The top of my head felt as if it was pressed against a hot stove. Yet, amidst all the suffering, I felt like smiling. I knew I had achieved something extraordinary! The barrier had resisted but was no match for my genius.

After hard training and painstaking effort, I had finally broken… The vision came back to me, and before me I saw it. “My horn!”

I rolled on my fetlocks and leaned over the white cone. It lay there. In front of me. Detached from me. In the grass. It had always been on my head. But at the time—I fearfully peered up and waved a hoof in the empty space before my forehead—It wasn’t there anymore! There was a mere stump where my horn had used to be. I swagged to my rump. The realization of what had just happened dawned on me. Both forelegs spread out as my head jerked up toward the sky. I howled with all my lungs, “Nooo!”

I got up on all four and gazed down through the tears. “No!” I yelled at my horn on the ground. I jumped around the bony cone, not taking my eyes off it for a second. “No! No! No!”

A voice came from a distance. “Sweetie Belle, Is that you?” A mare approached.

Help? I needed help; somepony to fix me. After picking up the horn with my mouth, I ran toward the familiar voice.

She stopped and looked at me “Was that you yelling, Sweetie Belle? Is something the matter?”

It was Nurse Redheart, the medical pony. She always knew how to help when somepony had an accident in school and we called for her. A spark of light in the darkest hour of my worst day. Of all the ponies I could meet, she was the one I could count on to make it all better.

When I approached her, she gasped and raised a hoof to her muzzle. “Your horn!”

I sat on my tushie in front of her, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Right after I dropped the detached horn before her hooves, I looked up at her with my widespread eyes. “Help me!”

Leaning down, she observed my forehead. “Sweetie Belle, don't panic.” She slowly put a hoof on my shoulder. “It looks bad, but it’s not the end of the world.”

A sigh of relief took away some of my tension. I had been afraid that even she might not have been able to help me, but her words calmed me down a bit. “Wounds heal themselves. It’s just what they do, right?” The corners of my mouth rose a little. I looked up at her with a gaze of pure hope and the blindest of faith.

“Ponies who break their horns eventually learn to live without them.”

My jaw dropped as I gasped in despair and the most horrific of dreads.

“Before that, however, you’ll need to come with me to the clinic. We can’t just leave the inner tissue exposed like this. First, we’ll disinfect it with antiseptic. That may sting a little bit, but it won’t be too bad. After that, we’ll wrap up the stump for a week or two so that the soft tissue hardens...”

I uttered the words that kept repeating in my mind, “Live. Without. My horn...”

“It's as if you chip off a tooth.”

My ears peeked. “Apple Bloom chipped a tooth!” I looked up at her again with my last shred of hope. “She told me all about it.”

“It won't ever grow back, but in time you can move on and cherish your healthy teeth even more because of the experience.”

“But I’m not that horny!”

“Erm...” Nurse Redheart stuttered.

My forehooves thumped at the side of my detached appendage. “All I had was this one horn...” When the skin on my forehead wrinkled, I felt the sharp edges of my stump. Apple Bloom’s tooth had grown back! She had just needed to drink… a pink potion—Zecora! She could help me! “I need to go!”

She sighed. “You need to relieve yourself—now of all times?”

Her voice faded into the background while I focused my eyes and ears on the broken horn lying on the grass. “I can’t go on like this…”

“It’s against Twilight’s decency decree, but if you really must...” She looked around. “Try to pee quickly, though. It’s important that we don’t waste time. That stump needs to get disinfected as soon as possible. I’ll look away as you pee if you require privacy to do it. When you’re done, we have to hurry to the clinic. Time is of the essence when it comes to exposure to infections.” She slightly turned around but peeked back with one eye right after.

It was clear what I had to do. Redheart couldn’t help me, but Zecora surely could. My snout plunged down, snatching up the horn. I looked up at the pony who let me down, then focused on the Everfree Forest.

Redheart glanced at me. “I can carry the horn for you if you want to keep it as a memento.”

I jumped back and turned midair. The moment I hit the ground, I broke into a gallop.

Nurse Redheart called after me, “Sweetie Belle, stop! You can bury your horn after we take care of you.”

Not looking back, I pressed on as fast as my legs would carry me.

“If we don’t treat it, your stump could get infected!”

I've never run so far without rest before in my life. Heartbeats in my forehead, pain in my legs, it was all unimportant. I ignored the distractions and just kept running. My life as I knew it depended on it. The urgency carried me through the forest. It was almost as if my body moved on its own. I didn’t feel the strain, I wouldn’t care even if I did.

The howling in the distance made my hair stand up, but there was no time to be scared. I didn’t even bother looking at the dark shadows among the trees. Getting to Zecora was all that mattered, and her hut was already in my sight.

I threw myself against the door. It swung open with a loud bang.

Zecora jerked, dropping the big wooden spoon in the cauldron. She balanced on just one leg and lifted the remaining three legs in the air toward me.

I threw my horn on the floor before her and looked past the wall of hooves straight into her eyes. “Help me!” I wanted to scream my plea, but it only came out as a squeak.

She gasped then dropped on all four and examined the horn. “Poor filly, I can sense your hurt. It pains me that your harm I can’t avert.”

I kept looking at her but could hardly see anything through the tears in my eyes.

“I’m sorry, but your whole horn was nixed, such vast damage can’t be fixed.”

I leaned on her neck with both forehooves. “Please!”

“You’re not the first who came to me with a broken horn. The one named Tempest Shadow also came to me with mourn. What I had to say she did not wish to hear. And now again my words will cause a tear.” She sighed, took a big breath and rose her head. After laying a hoof on my shoulder, she gazed through my eyes. “There are things you must accept. This horn on you shall not be kept.”

My mouth gaped. I shook my head so violently that I sprayed her with my tears. It wasn’t the hurt that bothered me. I just wanted my horn back. “You have a potion! You helped Apple Bloom!”

“A tooth is different from a horn. A tooth is not with magic born.” Her eyes glanced at the lower shelf beside me. “Healing potion is a dangerous brew. Mixed with magic, it could break you in two. Only Earth ponies and zebras may drink. Of same, Unicorns should not even think.”

I remembered Apple Bloom mentioning that the potion she’d drunk was my favorite color. There were a dozen translucent flasks on the shelf, but one stood out to me because it was filled with shiny pink liquid. That beautiful muddle was my last hope. I looked up at Zecora. “Could the potion work?” The surrounding world was shaking. Hearing a mere two-letter word of denial from her might break me.

“Some results you could acquire, but the consequences would be dire. It’s just a horn, not worth the risk. I am without one, and I still exist. Learning self-reliance is a must, in yourself migrate your trust”

“Will I still be able to cast magic without my horn?” It was the one thing I used to be at least decent at. I couldn’t just let it go. It made me special!

“Your mind and body can still be in truce. Without your horn, however, stable magic you shall never use.”

Her last sentence sealed it. I didn’t want to let one little mistake define my whole future life. It was time to take charge of my destiny!

I jumped, launching myself across the shelf. When I flew past it, I grabbed the container that harbored the sweet, pink liquid.

Zecora reacted with lightning reflexes and caught me midair with a hoof. She pinned me against the shelf.

With the corner of my eye, I saw the other striped forehoof approaching. It was reaching for the glass bottle in my mouth. 

“The flask you now should drop!”

It was then or never. I had to fix it! There was no other way.

“My hut is not a grocery shop!”

I smashed the container against the edge of the shelf. The glass shards cut on my tongue and the inner side of my cheeks, but that wasn’t important. My horn was all that mattered. I lifted my head and swallowed the healing liquid. Blood and glass slipped down my throat along with the potion which had the power to make it all better.

“Do not drink this, it is foul! The potion for your very life will prowl!”

I was promptly dropped to the floor and could barely catch myself on three legs. Just when I regained my balance, she forced me down with one forehoof and struck at the back of my head with the other. Transparent glass pieces fell out of my mouth. Blood sprayed over them painting them red as soon as they hit the floor.

“The horn is too big for your little body to produce, I must attach the old one or too much bone mass you will lose!”

A red puddle under my head touched a hoof. It kept spreading. The blood gushed out of my mouth down to the floor almost in a stream.

“Glass in your mouth you must endure, while the horn I try to secure.” She bowed and picked up the horn with her mouth.

I was lifted over the shattered glass on the floor and laid on my back in the middle of her hut.

She positioned herself on top of me and placed the horn on my stump.

An unbearable force pressed on my head. The enormous pain made me flinch. It felt as if my whole forehead was on fire. The planks of the floor pressed hard through my mane. I feared my brain would get squashed. Her grip was so strong that I couldn’t move. I choked on my blood, yet I couldn't even turn around to spit it out. It hurt more and more. I struggled to lift myself up.

Zecora responded by pushing even more weight on me. My distress was apparent, but she didn’t stop. She was intentionally hurting me and didn’t even care! It was so scary. My bladder acted up, making me pee on her and myself. Hot liquid trickled across my dock and onto the floor.

It had to stop! I pressed against her body with all four legs, but it didn’t help. Even after I kicked her in the torso, she didn’t move off me. I struggled more, but it didn’t help any.

Zecora reacted by pressing her body against me. The striped hooves pushed on both sides of my head, trapping it in place.

I ran out of oxygen, but I couldn’t inhale any fresh air because my mouth was full of blood. I coughed, spraying Zecora’s neck with red.

She didn’t budge. I coughed and scrambled more, but she didn’t let go.

I thought she would end me right there and then. It was at that time that I felt her deadly grip on me releasing.

Zecora’s lips detached from my horn. I thought it would fall off me, but miraculously, it stayed attached even after I shook my head left and right. I didn’t have time to check on it further. My lungs screamed for air and my throat felt as if it was filled with embers. Drinking glass shards didn’t seem like a good idea anymore. I was in agony.

“Death from bone loss may now be averted.” She lifted herself off me and stood on all fours. “But a greater threat in you is still inserted.”

A hoof rolled me to the side. I coughed glass again, creating another puddle of blood on the floor.

“A balm for bleeding I could get.” She pressed a hoof between her eyes. “Ugh, Zecora! Avoiding the truth is not a safe bet? Loss of blood won’t be this filly’s cause of death, for there yet remains an even greater threat.” She whimpered then trotted to the farthest corner of the hut. “I could make use of an ointment for pain, but it won’t prevent the inevitable bane.”

My body radiated hotness as if I was in heat again. But I felt sicker still. It was worse than coming down with a cold and a sore throat at the same time. The pain in my throat was almost unbearable. I didn’t know how to fix it, so I decided to just walk it off. That was surely what Scootaloo would have done in my place. I could have been just as brave as my friend was if I'd put my mind to it!

Still coughing out pieces of glass, I rolled onto my hooves. The sight of the stains on the floor chilled me to my bones. I was no stranger to bleeding, Rarity’s cat Opal had made sure of that, but there was more red on the planks than I was comfortable with. A drop or two had sometimes smeared one of the rugs in the boutique, but the stains had never been as big as the puddle before me. In rough situations like that, it was always easier to just ignore the problem. I looked away to the door of the hut. A shiny mirror hung on the wall beside it. I didn’t want to notice droplets of blood that oozed from the sides of my mouth. Distracting myself was the key!

I swayed to the mirror to check if my horn was as good as new like Apple Bloom’s tooth after having drunk the healing potion. My wishful thinking was so strong at that point, it just had to be true!

Zecora kept throwing around random stuff from a chest on the other side of the hut. “The brew made your body reattach the bone to horn, but now the inner magic your organs will scorn. With no soul’s direction, my whole hut could be blown!” Her voice was breaking ever more. “Unicorn magic I cannot innact. No way for me to counter this ill effect. They’ll surely charge me with foal neglect. When it mattered most I failed to react.”

I stepped to my reflection to see the details of my horn. It was whole again. There was only a narrow crack where it had broken. I smiled at my reflection. “It’s all good.”

Zecora crumpled besides the chest and sighed. “There is no cure for what you drank.” A hoof struck on the floor. “The survival rate is zero, to be frank.” She banged her head on the wall. “How could I let this ordeal come to pass? I should have foreseen it, but I chose to be crass...”

I spread all four legs to catch my balance. Either the world was spinning or my eyes were. I tried focusing on the mirror again. Something sipped from the crack in my horn. It spread and hardened along the bony surface. I felt weakened. The head drifted ever lower as if by its own. My vision tunneled. I gargled as loud as I could to let Zecora know of my bad condition.

She was with me in a flash, glaring at my horn. “This process you suffer... you will not survive. All vitality from your body it will drive. Magic restrictions, no longer benign. A deadly reaction from this shall derive.” Her head bowed so low that her lips almost touched the floor when she whimpered. “Not only you, you doomed me too, either your bursting my life will undo, or a run-away zebra ponies will pursue.”

My body ached all over. The horn seemed to be sucking the very life-force out of me. I couldn’t even think straight anymore. One of my forehooves gave way, and I slammed snout-first on the floor.

“There’s nothing more that I can do, you will die now, it is true.”

I collapsed. Darkness enveloped me. The last thing I heard was the sound of thumping hooves departing away from me. Then, there was silence.
> 10 - Alive?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stiffness. All over my body. Dryness in my throat. I couldn’t even feel any saliva.

I pulled in my tongue, closed my mouth and opened my eyes.

A big muzzle above me uttered a raspy laugh, “Kekeke-ahh-ha-HA!”

I gasped then sighed with relief right after when I noticed the stripes. “Zecora?” No, something was off. I've never seen a smile that big before. The face lifted, and I could see it whole. I gasped again.

It was a zebra, but it wasn't the zebra that I knew. I yelped at the sight of a stranger above me. The fang-infested mane was red; the same color as her twirling eyes. They danced around as if she wasn’t able to focus on just one thing at a time. A nose bone protruded out from her nostrils. She was adorned with many necklaces, each bearing a different kind of skull.

Her head cocked as she gazed at me. “Convenient poppet, for the dreaded soul a bucket! E-hehe! And even had you expired, for my personal usage your soul would not be required. Your bones are tiny and sweet, I could make myself a hefty treat.” The rattle of her bony mane filled my ears as she reached out to me.

I slid back on the table and dodged the approaching hoof. It wasn’t okay for me to talk to strangers, let alone have them touch my body.

The scary zebra picked up a cup from the edge of the table I sat on and offered it to me. “It is a brew of many ingredients, it will replenish your lost nutrients. This tea should give you some much needed might, though likely not enough to outrun the night.”

Zecora came into my view. I opened my eyes wide as I looked at her.

“Do not fret, what she offers is not a threat. I myself have made the tea, there is no reason for you to flee.”

I grabbed the liquid from the strange zebra and brought it to my mouth.

When I tilted the cup, the liquid just gushed through my gulping hole all by itself. The tea was hot, but I had no problem drinking it. I didn’t even have to swallow. It emptied after just one sip.

Zecora opened her eyes to their full extent as she gazed at me. Her mouth was ajar.

I didn’t know I could drink without swallowing. She was apparently surprised at that, just as I was. I smiled at her.

After tilting back her head, she pressed her eyebrows together as her upper lip lifted above her teeth.

I raised my eyebrows as I looked at her.

Zecora groaned. “Thy life's plight was quite dire, your soul nearly had expired. Xerath’s aid I sought, lest thy fellow ponies with anger and sorrow here be brought.” She faced away from me. “But now dark forces work within your horn. You, of the potion consequences I did warn! I wish in regards to you I could chose inaction, but you forced me into a wicked interaction.” She looked back and thumped a hoof against the floor. “I've contacted the tart and helped her restart your heart; but from here on, it's time for you to play your part. Avoid dark usage or pay the toll, evil magic is not a toy for a foal!”

I didn’t really pay attention to Zecora’s riddles because my horn was what really mattered to me. Looking up, I observed the slick cone. It was there, alright. Yet, it seemed different, somehow. Bigger?

It was fine. No, it was more than that. What I felt before me wasn’t a mere accessory like my tail or mane. It wasn’t just attached to my body. I was connected to it with my being as if there was a soul there. It encompassed me like the roots of a tree embrace the ground beneath. When I looked up, the corners of my mouth drifted back into a grin. It was complete. I was made whole again.

“Inserted now is the mole in your soul,” said Xerath. “No longer imprisoned; he’s now on parole. His power in renewing you played the main role. With your frail body augmented you’re now more than whole.”

I caressed the bony surface with a forehoof. The presence of my horn felt gratifying. I guessed it was because I had broken it that I started to appreciate it so much more.

Xerath placed a hoof on my forehead. “Your horn was centered by the ghost, at least for that assistive host.”

Zecora jerked her away and drowned her out. “The horn now needs its time to heal! In magic usage you should not deal. A weak, at least, must pass, I feel.” She wagged at me with a hoof.

“Whaa...” I opened my eyes wide as I looked at her. So much rhyming in such a small span of time overwhelmed me.

Zecora sighed. “Xerath saved you from permanent death. I thought that would acquit me from my regret.” She bowed her head. “But the consequences could present an even greater threat.”

Xerath nodded in agreement. “Consequences there will be, that is why I brought this book for you to see.” Whispering “Klaatu Barada Nikto” under her breath, she leaned sideways to her saddlebag and slowly pulled out the black, distorted tome. Her eyes half-closed when she laid it on a hoof. “Necronomicon contains the magic used, but it should not be reproduced!” Her eyes fixed themselves on me for a second before jerking around again. “Read it only to learn about the magic effect, so that the negative changes you can detect.”

Zecora knocked the book off Xerath's hooves. “It is forbidden, evil magic, that is known, it's why out of Zebrabwe you were thrown.”

Bones rattled as Xerath shook her head. “Zecora, don’t be absurd, evil is quite sloppy of a word, your view of necromancy is too blurred!”

“What you touch is what you taint!” Zecora struck a hoof on the floor. “If there’s any redemption in you, it’s too faint.”

Xerath narrowed her eyes as she looked at her. “You brought me here, do not forget. I also saved you from an awful threat. Townsfolk would be most upset, had they learned the filly draws no breath. It’s on you that her life you failed to protect.”

Zecora bowed her head and stood there for a moment in silence. Suddenly, she swung her head around and looked into my eyes. “You must prepare, take care, and stay your course, else your life will take a turn for worse. This entity is able to corrupt your soul, don’t pay it heed in your life at all, and make avoiding it your goal.”

Xerath raised her voice at Zecora, “Ignorance is not the way to go. It can only lead her into woe! At the start, corruption is limited in its effect, but it’ll spread fast if left unchecked! She still has her primal soul, she could learn to stay in control.”

“She’s a little filly, innocent and weak, what you’re suggesting is too bleak.” Zecora leaned both forehooves against Xerath and pushed her away from me. “Pony love and friendship is the way, such positive things should keep it at bay. Doom can only spread when exposed to anguish or betrayal. Ponies are good folk, that’s plain to see”—she placed a hoof on my cheek and looked into my eyes—“alone with your terror, they won't let you be.”

“Zecora, your solution is not bright.” Xerath shook her head, filling the cabin with the rattling of bones. “In time you'll see that I was right!”

I lifted my head so I could see the weird zebra whole and not just her wrinkled face. The soggy, striped coat hung from her body, tightened only at her flank where a crumpled saddlebag was strapped. Her back was covered in scars, running flat along her torso. They made the upwards black and white stripes look as if they were saws.

She stopped at the door and our gazes caught. Her eyes hinted at the book on the floor before she shoved it under a broken wardrobe. The foreleg she used to push the tome was bandaged. There was a bright stain of blood on the patch, indicating that the wound was fresh.

When I looked up at her, she smiled and winked at me. “If you need some help, then seek it out, you will need it, I’ve no doubt!”

Zecora raised her voice, “We are done here, you may leave!” She bowed her head. “Just depart from here and let me grieve.”

“There’s more to this than what you think. By denying them, the effects won’t shrink!”

“Xerath, thanks for helping me, I’d lose her were it not for thee, but she’s okay now, as is plain to see.” Zecora pointed a hoof at me. “Out of danger, safe and sound, despite the corruption we have bound.”

“I do still strongly disagree, but despite that I’ll let you be.“ Xerath opened the door of the hut. “Even though by you not wanted, I’m free—no longer haunted.” She looked back, smiling. “I’m off to be alone. You’ve helped me more than you will know.” Her head lifted high as she moved forward. “I’ve fulfilled my part of the deal, to peace and quiet I can now appeal.” The door swung shut behind her.

Zecora still eyed my horn. A tear drifted down her muzzle. She lifted my head with a hoof. “Forget the witch for she is mad.” She turned toward the door. “If she's gone for good, then I am glad!”

I sat up on the wooden table and noticed that I was inside the red circle.

“You're not the same, but you'll be fine, goodness in you through darkness shall shine.”

The strange symbols drawn within and without the messy circle were also new to me. They were of sorts that I’ve never seen before.

“Your innocence will keep the bad abate, pony's love and friendship will prevent its hate.”

I looked at the mess in Zecora's hut. It was like seeing the aftermath of a Pinkie Pie party, just much, much worse. The shelves were mostly bare with only a few melted candles stuck on them. Potions and pots that had occupied the shelves lay broken on the floor. Liquids and ingredients mixed and formed strange patterns on the planks. The mirror in the corner lay shattered, glass pieces strew all over the hut. It looked as though those two partied hard while I slept.

I faced Zecora to ask her about the mess, but her head shied away.

“Xerath and me—we went overboard beyond extremes—” Her voice broke as she looked at her bandaged foreleg. A red stain leaked through it. “What she had me do, I wouldn’t dare think of even in my wildest dreams!”

It all made sense to me at that point. I had been to one of Pinkie Pie’s parties, and I knew how they worked. There are rules that need to be followed or the host will have a bad time. The most important one is that every breakable item should be removed before a party starts. My parents followed that rule at home all the time, even though we didn’t host many parties. After I visited the Carousel Boutique a few times, Rarity adopted that percussion as well. Zecora clearly didn’t know about the rule and was sad because most of her things got broken in the midst of the festivities.

There might have even been cider involved. It would excuse all the damage in the hut and explain why they had been rhyming nonsenses since I had woken up. They had probably also done some mature thing while I was asleep. That would account for Zecora being ashamed to talk about it.

My skin itched. I felt as if I was covered with a spider web. Yet, there was nothing on my plain old coat. Well, except for all the dirt, but that was nothing unusual.

The ominous feeling persisted. It was as if my own skin touched and poked me. I scratched my hip with a forehoof. My body was almost numb to the touch, but I did sense a bump beneath the coat.

I leaned in and took a closer look. There was a piece of glass stuck in it. I carefully clenched at it with both forehooves. It didn’t even hurt as I pulled out the intrusion; a little pinch was all I felt.

Zecora leaned back as I showed her the red glass on my hoof. Her reluctant hesitation was weird because it was very obvious what she should do next. Wounds should always get bandaged. That’s why everypony who knew me always kept bandages at hoof’s length. I knew that first-hoof since I had injured myself in many houses throughout Ponyville. Rarity, for instance, had a whole drawer of them at the ready just for me. I blamed her evil cat Opal for most of my wounds. Zecora had it even worse because she had to put up with Timberwolves, so she must have had an extra-large stash of bandages. Surely she could spare one of the smaller ones for me. 

Yet, her legs stayed fixed as if they were nailed to the floor. She just stood there and gazed at me with a blank stare.

I laid the glass on the table. Leaning back in, I tried to find my injury so I could poke at it. There wasn’t any blood on my coat that would guide me to the wound. I brushed through the hair on my flank with a hoof, but I couldn’t locate it. Maybe it was just a skin scratch, after all. The glass I pulled out of it was quite big, though.

Zecora shook and gasped as I raised both forelegs in her direction. Clenching her teeth, she jerkily drew closer but froze just before touching me.

I pressed my buttocks together and took a leap of faith toward her.

She intercepted my flight and abruptly laid me on the floor. After taking a step toward the wall, she observed me with her head leaned back.

My limbs seemed to drag when I tried to move them. I also felt dizzy. 

“The magic used must not be shown because to judgment pony folk are prone, centuries of narrow-minded isolation, ignorance in them has sown. Your broken horn as a secret must stay. If the change in you is shown, you’ll feel the burden as a dray.”

Her eyes half-closed as she gazed at the table with the red circle drawn on it. “What transpired today nopony must know.” She kicked a leg of the table, snapping it in two. “My dark veracity hatred from ponies toward me would draw.” She kept hoofing at the old wood, breaking it apart into smaller pieces. “They don’t trust me as it is; if they find the truth, I’ll have to whizz”

Distress was evident in her voice, and it scared me. I didn’t understand what got her so spooked. Sure, some stuff got broken during the celebration of my saved horn. But that’s what stuff does. It gets crushed. Usually, a bit less stuff gets shattered when I make an effort not to break it. The table was one of the few things which wasn’t damaged much. She should be happy that at least something stayed whole, not angry at the surviving furniture.

I figured that she probably didn’t like the circle on the wood. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t allowed to draw on the walls at home. We’d have to tear down the whole house if the pictures wouldn’t be pretty enough.

Zecora pointed toward the door. “You should go while there is still light.”

My shaky legs swayed me to the exit. I wasn’t feeling like myself yet, but Zecora seemed to think I was well enough. I trusted her judgment. Despite that, I hesitated a bit after opening the door.

“You do not want to wait for night.”

I'd rather see if she escorted me home since I wasn’t in my top shape. Things just seemed off a bit, and it wasn’t merely because of the aftermath of the party. I couldn’t quite point a hoof at the wrongness; I just didn’t feel like my usual self at the time. Then again, it could have very well been the world that was off. Thanks, Twilight! Messing with reality again...

Zecora collapsed in a corner and buried her face in both forelegs. “Go, Sweetie Belle, just let me be, this excuse for a zebra tonight no pony should see. I'll rid of the evidence, tracks leading to me, but the memory of my actions never shall flee.”

I felt uncomfortable seeing her so unhappy. She wanted me to go away, but it didn’t feel right to just walk off like that. “I'll see you around, okay?”

There was no answer. After I stepped outside, I slowly closed the door behind me.

I looked to the sky and sighed. It wasn't daytime anymore. I could already see the stars, but it wasn't a full night either. There was still some light on one part of the sky. Yet it was fading fast.

Zecora warned me not to walk at night in the forest. I thought of asking her if I could sleep over until the morning. My hoof stopped just before touching the door. The image of Zecora wailing inside forced itself on my mind. She probably wouldn’t be happy if I came back in. I knew I wouldn’t be if I were upset with something. Even Rarity didn’t have the nerve to disturb me in my room whenever I got emotional. Zecora had stated plainly that I should leave her alone. Besides, I had enough problems on my own hooves.

The sight of dark silhouettes among the old trees made me gulp in fear. I had only been in Everfree Forest at nighttime once and it was scary. The daylight was in its last glints, and I was wasting the last flickers of light by just standing about. Yet, I found it hard to move from the spot because I shuddered at the thought of walking the shady path alone in the night. 

I trotted forward on the path toward Ponyville, looking up at the stars through the mist. My body tensed ever more, and I needed some calming down. Since there was no grown-up available to give me attention, I figured I could please myself, instead. There was a time when darkness would terrify me to the point where my tail would start to shiver. Whispering a song before falling asleep had always brought me some comfort. I’ve been told multiple times not to sing at night because it presents a distraction to me and the world around me, but getting my mind away from all the scary shadows in the forest was exactly what I needed. Under the influence of the rhyming bonanza in Zecora’s hut, I tried to draw inspiration from those two rhymers to compose a happy song about the night sky. I had always been quite proficient in making them up.

I heard something behind me and the rhymes just flowed from my mouth by themselves.

I hear strange sounds behind my back
it sounds like a clamorous laugh

That wasn’t the inspiration I was hoping for, but I had to work with something. It was probably just Xerath amusing herself while strolling back to wherever she had come from.

With growing scare I'm going home
I’m afraid I'm not alone

That didn’t cheer me up at all! I felt as if I was being watched. I tried to focus on my first idea. A happy song about the night. Thinking positive was the key to beating my fears.

The night is scary dark and deep
From a distance I hear a shriek

I quickened up my pace to get away from the ever-louder noises that sounded like barking.

The shadows grew ever longer. It felt as if they were stretching from the trees and reaching out to foil my escape.

Shadows are dancing toward me
I ask myself if they can see

There was something more than just the darkness about. The fog formed all around me, creeping onto the path I walked on.

I never have believed in ghosts
But now I see them on the roads
 
Destructive force is following me
I fear this night is last to be

Growling-like sounds behind me got louder.

Panic grabs me I look behind
I feel loud beating of my heart

The bush, I had just passed, moved! I broke into a gallop in the opposite direction leaving the path behind me.

Begin to run begin to hide
I just want to save my life
 
It's not a dream this nightmare is true
I don't know where I'm running to

I was out of my breath and had to stop singing. For a moment I sensed a light among the trees. Perhaps it was coming from Ponyville’s public lighting? The trees seemed to be getting smaller and sparse. Most of the surrounding growth was just shrubs and bushes. It looked as if I was nearing the edge of the forest. In the distance, I saw the light again. There was an opening in front of me. Two trees guarded it with a big bush standing between them. I knew I could make the jump if I had more speed.

I pushed on harder. When I neared the bush, I jumped, but my hooves slipped a little on the moist leaves. I spread both hind legs so they wouldn't entangle in the bush, but I was still flying too low. The upper part of my thigh got hit with a branch, making me yelp in pain. Luckily, I still had enough momentum to make it across. Just before the impact, I extended both forelegs to ease my crash. A hoof graced the earth. My head and body followed along, rolling me onto my back I slid on the grass until I hit a molehill.

I was finally clear of the evil forest. The bush behind me shook. I didn't wait to see what caused it to move. I just launched myself on all four and limped toward the Ponyville lights as fast as I could.







I came to my house, I don't know how
They didn't catch me, I'm all right now

It was time for some happy last rhymes to end the song on a good note.

I step indoor, turn on the light
Yet nothing happens, it's still dark
 
I see movement in the next room
I hope It's not my final doom
 
In the darkness I look twice
But still I see their glaring eyes
 
The screaming voices in my head
I'm not prepared for bloody death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhG1cZnCfOM&ab_channel=DragorKing

“Sweetie Belle, is that you?” Daddy put both forelegs from the window down onto the floor. With his mouth, he slid a match across the table and lit a lamp with it.

“Please, tell me it isn’t true!” Mommy ran to me and squinted her eyes as she gazed at my horn. “Could it be? Has Nurse Redheart lied to us? Oh, let it be so.” She shuffled my mane to the side. “My sweetie still has it!” She stroked my head as she turned to daddy. “She still has it!”

“I has what?” I asked.

Daddy smiled as he approached. “You still have your horn! Nurse Redheart ran throughout Ponyville all afternoon long, convincing everypony that you broke it.”

“She also claimed you tried to pee on Twilight’s lawn,” Mummy added. “That should have been our first clue not to trust her. I should have known my Sweetie is decent enough not to do that again.” She ruffled my mane.

He continued, “Nurse Redheart even organized a search party to find you. We chose to believe her and helped her out. Ponies who came to us were directed to the places you usually hang out at. Of course, we’d join them if we could, but somepony had to stay in the house in case you’d come here. And you have indeed come home!” His hoof joined the stroking party on my head. “I’m glad to see you unharmed.” He lightly poked at the bony part of my head and focused on it. “Nurse Redheart claimed your horn was literally detached.”

Mommy sat on her tushy and placed both forehooves on my cheeks. “We were so worried about you! You weren’t at any of the usual places, and we even had Big Mac check Winona's doghouse.”

I neighed and whipped with my tail left and right. “That was just one time!” My cheeks warmed up, and I shuffled a foreleg on the floor. “It looked comfy...”

“Well, you weren’t there, either,” she said. “So, where were you all this time? Why didn’t you come home after school? What happened to you?”

My mouth opened to blurt out everything that went down that day, but Zecora's warning dawned on my mind. I didn’t want to disappoint her trust after seeing her so sad. By distorting the truth a little bit, I could fix everything. It was just going to be one little innocent lie. “My horn is fine.” There! Nothing to worry about anymore.

“If that is so, then why did Nurse Redheart claim you had it torn off?” Daddy pursued the issue.

“I—pranked her?” I said instinctively.

“Why would you do something so naughty, Sweetie Belle?” Mommy slid back and stood on all fours. “You had us worried sick! And why didn't you come home after school?”

“I—was hiding?”

“From whom?” daddy asked.

“Nurse Redheart?—In case she got mad—because I pranked her?” I was pleased with myself. That lie sort of made sense.

Dad turned to mummy. “I'll go call off the search.” He took his hat off the hanger and adorned his head with it. “You get her to bed and make sure she stays put.” He lay down the lamp from his hoof and opened the front door. “I'll fix the light tomorrow. It’s probably just a burned out bulb.” He closed and locked the door behind him.

“Come, Sweetie Belle. You look exhausted.” Mommy waved me up the stairs.

“I am.” I trotted up behind her.

“Do you want me to bring you something to eat?”

Despite not having eaten anything since school had ended, I didn’t even notice being hungry. It was when she said it that I felt the emptiness of my stomach. My lips retracted from my teeth. “I guess I’m starving a bit.” I put a hoof on my belly to dampen the rumblings.

I followed her to my room and jumped in my bed.

She tucked me in and put a hoof on my chest. “Don’t go anywhere, you hear? I’ll be right back with a cabbage salad.”

I nodded and leaned back my head. So much had happened in a span of a single day that I couldn’t keep up with it all. I could have tried to make sense of everything, but shutting down my brain felt easier. Nothing mattered, anymore. I finally felt safe enough to rest for a bit. My body got number by the moment. Both forehooves just dropped to the sides and I was gone.
> 11 - Awakened
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun shone through my closed eyes. I rolled on my belly and turned my head the other way. When I jerked a hind leg, I felt pain where the branch had hit me at nighttime before I had come home. I arched back a bit and slid my foreleg across my abdomen down to my loins. Biting my lower lip, I gently touched the sore spot with a hoof. The skin was wrinkled and sensitive on the spot. It was more than just a bump. “Ugh… I can feel it,” I whispered while I softly caressed the area with my hoof to ease the pain. My touches felt nice, but it was hard to stroke myself with a foreleg because I had my weight on it. Holding the limb still between my thighs while moving my body up and down on it proved easier. “Mmm.” The pain all but dissipated. I moved my hips back and forth, caressing the injury against my stilled forehoof. “Oh, yeah, this feels so good.”

“She read A Different Use of a Horn,” Twilight commented.

“Whaa!” I jumped on all fours and looked between my spread hind legs in the direction the voice came from.

My room was full of ponies. They all pried at my mooning tush.

Rolling over, I grabbed the bedsheet with my mouth and pulled it over my body to hide at least some of me. My cheeks went from warm to hot. “What are you all doing in my room?” I squeaked.

Mom turned to Twilight, ignoring my question. “Why would you lend her a mature book like that?”

With a corner of my eye, I saw a white pony slip out of the room. Rarity?

“I didn't lend the book to her, she brought it to me,” Twilight shrugged her shoulders.

“Who would give her a book like that? Nopony should be exposing Sweetie to such material. She gets confused very easily. Who was the last one to borrow it?”

“It wasn't even from my library. Still, I couldn't say no to a book when she hit me with it. Even those sorts of books have their place in my top-shelf collection.” She blushed as she bowed her head and shuffled a forehoof on the floor. “For diversity's sake!”

“She hit you with it?” Dad asked “It was probably another one of her pranks,” he concluded.

“Her broken horn wasn't a prank!” Redheart slammed a hoof against the floor. “I know what I saw!”

“You are a medical pony, are you not?” Twilight faced her. “You should know that horns don't grow back if they break.”

“I know that…” Redheart tightened her body. “I'm not saying that it did.”

“What are you implying then?” Dad asked.

“Her horn was broken. That's all I'm saying.”

“It doesn't look broken to me.” Mom leaned over my bed and caressed my horn with a hoof.

“Ugh!” Redheart pushed her way out of my room.

Everypony looked back at me.

I turned to Mom and whispered to her. “What’s going on?”

Mom took a step back and raised her voice. “You gave everypony a really big scare yesterday. Did you want to get a prankster cutie mark? Have the Crusaders put you up to this?”

Applejack pushed through the mass of ponies to the edge of my bed. “Apple Bloom played no part in this!” She turned to me. “And you should get a Discord cutie mark for what you pulled off yesterday. I scouted the woods all night long. I only learned afterward that you’d been found long before.”

My vision blurred from the moistness in my eyes. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.” Tears formed in the corners of my eyes.

Mom pushed aside the nosey ponies and stepped before my bed. “Everypony, I’m grateful that you all joined the search party yesterday, but now that you know there’s nothing physically wrong with Sweetie Belle, I would ask you to give us some time with her.”

“Try talking some sense into that foal of yours, will ya’?” Applejack turned to the exit. “I’ve got chores to do around the farm and don’t have time to search for pranking fillies.” She left the room, thumping heavily with all four hooves.

The herd followed along toward the exit. I could hear ponies talking among themselves.

“How can you even pull off a prank like that?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“And make it so convincing at that,” Fluttershy added. “Redheart still can't accept she was pranked.”

“Hey, Rainbow Dash! Sweetie Belle might even be better at pranking then you are.” Pinkie Pie laughed.

“Na-a!” Rainbow Dash’s wings erected up from within the crowd. “One awesome prank doesn’t make her a master yet.” She folded both wings so they fitted through the door.

Mom lowered both eyebrows and pressed them together as she looked at me straight in the eyes. “Promise me you won't pull a prank like that ever again!” Dad stepped to her side and cocked his head while he observed me.

Even if I wanted to I wouldn't know how to pull off something like that as a prank. “I promise!”

“Good!” Mom nodded at me. “Now eat your salad. You must be starving.” She passed me a bowl.

Food! My mouth opened wide as I glared at the contents of the bowl before me

“I’m surprised you hadn’t already finished it yesterday. I knew you weren’t asleep yet when I brought it to you,” mom said.

“Is there something that you might want to share with us, Sweetie Belle?” Dad asked, slightly nodding his head at me. “You don’t have to be shy about it. Mom already told me about the light show in the evening.”

I forcefully took my eyes off the cabbage. It was already rotting on the edges, but the hungry part of me didn’t care. I raised my eyebrows and looked at mom. I had no idea what they talked about. If only they would stop, I could ravage the salad in peace. I was hungry!

“When I brought you the bowl I saw a rapid flickering under your door. It ceased as soon as I entered. You lay on the bed with closed eyes, but the grin on your face betrayed you. I wasn’t in the mood for any of your games. That’s why I just left the bowl with you and let you be. I thought you’d plunge straight into the salad, given how your belly grumbled, but you kept your sleeping-pony act up all through the night.”

Dad stepped closer. “Sweetie, you know you don’t have to hide your horn usage from us, right? We’re glad to see you advance your talents, as long as you don’t abuse them.”

What they implied made no sense. The day had ended the moment I hit the bed. When I had closed my eyes, the world always ceased until the morning. I could never remember the moment when I fell asleep, but I doubted that I would forget about my mom entering the room if I had still been awake. As for the use of magic, I should certainly remember that. Besides, I wouldn’t do that even if I wanted to. Zecora had told me not to use my horn for some time. She’d be disappointed with me if she heard that I disobeyed her. What they implied was too unbelievable to be true.

They probably just taunted me to bring me down. Twilight Sparkle, the snitch, must have told them that I sucked at magic. They likely just wanted to use my weakness to punish me for coming home late. I hoped they would stop teasing me if I called them out on it. “My magic went from decent to zero.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself, Sweetie Belle. Even I still have good days and bad days when it comes to casting spells. Mastery of your horn doesn’t come overnight.” She leaned in and kissed the boney surface, then immediately jerked back.

“I know.” My shoulders slumped if only I could use magic the way I had used to be able to, it would mean the world to me. At the time, I wasn't sure if I could even light up a basic aura, let alone be proficient in the arcane.

Mom wiped her mouth with a napkin and gazed at my horn. “You need a bath!”

Why does everypony try to bathe me all the time?

“But you should eat your vegetables first.” She pointed to the salad bowl on my bed.

Food! I clenched at it with all four hooves, making it my own. The muzzle plunged inside as if by itself, teeth gnawing at defenseless cabbage leaves. Rolling to my side, I turned my back to dad and mom. I held the bowl tightly and chewed on the insides. So hungry!
> 12 - Put It into a Song
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I approached our clubhouse, I noticed a lit up hoof-lighter. Scootaloo crouched beside it.

“Why’d ya’ even bring it here?” Apple Bloom yelled. “What if you burned down our tree house?”

Scootaloo lay on the ground, poking at the grass with a forehoof. “We couldn’t have proper picnics here before, and now we can. Fire is really cool for all sorts of things! Do you want to grill marshmallows? You need fire for that! Wanna burn trash and stuff? Fire! The possibilities are endless.” She shoved a hoof through the flame then quickly jerked it back. Her ears shot up at the sizzling sounds. “Ouch… Besides, I didn't bring it anywhere near the house, so you can just stop your neighing.”

“What's going on?” I asked, approaching them.

“This hothead brought a lighter to our clubhouse.”

“Ugh! I'm turning it off, okay?” Scootaloo rolled on her hooves and lazily pressed on the pedal with a foreleg. The flame from the lighter ceased.

“Anyway,” My idea was more important than what they had going on, so I deemed their argument concluded. “The school talent show is coming soon.” I proclaimed. “Maybe we can do even better this year. We'll have to make it even more epic than the last time we competed, just… with less breaking.”

“Are we going to sing again?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

“That's a good suggestion!” I nodded at her. “Let's all write down a new song and then we can compare and see what we have.”

I ran up the ramp to get some writing equipment. It was stashed in the saddlebag near the door. Probably not so much to be at hoof’s length if anypony needed it, but more because those bums were too lazy to tidy up the place.

I heard Scootaloo’s loud sighing. “I hate this part!” she said.

With the saddlebag in my mouth, I trotted down the ramp. I drew out a piece of paper, a quill and ink one by one and put them in front of her. As I lay the saddlebag before Apple Bloom, we both took out our writing gear. “Um, did anypony even hear of a composer cutie mark before?”

“There’s the cello playing mare in Ponyville with a note for her cutie mark.” Scootaloo said.

“Octavia!” Apple Bloom interjected. “But she might have gotten it just for playin’ well.”

“I doubt that.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Her music is as boring as detention. I can’t imagine how DJ Pon3 can even put up with her.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I broke their useless chatter. “I love making new songs, and that’s all that counts!” My voice rose as I looked at them. “Get ready! Get set! Compose!”

I dunked my quill in an ink and placed it on top of my white sheet of paper. I needed to write something epic. The rhymes would come to me. They always had. I wondered if I could be related to zebras, but the still-blank paper in front of me convinced me otherwise. Distracting me with myself was not the way to write it. I was good at rhyming, but clearly I was no zebra. Relaxing my mind was the key! The words from within would only start coming if I let my inspiration overflow me. I closed my eyes.





My eyes opened. In front of me was a piece of paper. Fully written. I've never been so overflowed with my inner guidance to actually lose time before.

I looked about to see how long I was out. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had their head bowed above the papers, looking at them with blank stares. They clearly weren’t writing anymore. Perhaps they were just revising their work. It was better to do that together, so I decided to call it quits.

“Okay! Time's up. Let's hear it. Apple Bloom, what do you have?”

She stood up and recited.


Cutie mark crusaders on the run


We joined you here to have some fun


She paused. I thought she was going for a dramatic effect, but when the silence stretched for too long I intervened. “What else?”

She bit her lip and looked up at me, shrugging her shoulders. “That's all I got…”

“Scootaloo, your turn.”

She lifted her wrinkled paper and recited:


We are


It wasn’t like her to stutter. I tried to help her move on. “We are…”

“I think it's a good start,” she said.

“We are?” I raised an eyebrow while I gazed at her. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “We just need to fill in the rest…” After some uncomfortable silence, she threw the paper on the ground. “Well, what do you have, Sweetie Belle?”

“Just a little something...” I sat on my rump. With my snout, I laid the paper on both forehooves. I cleared my throat to out any crackles of my voice before the recite, “Ahem!”


I'm calling you out


Dread the crystal sage


Still not forgotten


Since the dawn of age


 


I haunted for a long time


To find a suiting host


I’ve finally found my bearings


No longer just a ghost



Reincarnated evil


Madness in your veins


No expiration dates


Damnation shall take place


 


Break through to world material


Transition over time


No buck could hope to stop me


I can not truly die



In you the key is hidden


The key to my demise


With force accumulated


I shall materialize


 


Innocent at young age


For you that is not true


The gift placed in your forehead


Fate sealed it was for you



My plan is set in motion


Though time is not yet right


You endanger my existence


I can not spare your life


 


Power without knowledge


For you this is not good


If you don't learn to use it


You certainly are doomed



Inevitable confrontation


That destiny will write


No one can tell the outcome


Until the fight is done


 


Your power's getting stronger


Mine almost at its peak


Your end and my beginning


Victory through defeat



Experience will guide me


The tricks I learned so well


Yet power lurks inside you


What’s next I dare not tell


 


You'll learn why you're existing


One’s end’s delight to you


You won’t hesitate in killing


But you can't be evil too



My Catalyst inserted


A cure to make you well


Could only heal the body


Not spirit and its quell


 


Have I gained a competition


Or true enemy I hew


Your pony side is gone now


What is there left of you



The power overwhelms you


No longer you're in charge


An evil force is borning


Destructive strength at large


 


The hope for a salvation


Was false for all the time


No plans to be a good mare


But conqueror from start



I’ll see you kill your lineage


Blood staining on your hooves


You’ll bury up a carcass


And jest about the grooves


 


You’ll devastate surroundings


And show the world your might


Should I witness the destruction


Or fight and risk your smite



Is it time for me to back out


And live an unseen life


Or should I fight for power


And that for which is mine


 


The gods have made an error


For which the world will pay


They created evil and terror


Was there no other way



Goal of existence changing


Remorse in future life


Should one become a weakling


Or seek a greater plan


 


Am I supposed to stop you


And help the pony race


After miseries I caused them


Can I really change



Could I be dark messiah


Not being understood


Past life just preparation


To realize the truth


 


Not threat to my existence


But sympathy for you


Has prompted me to break out


And give you this preview




 


“It's an adventure song!” I proclaimed when I looked up at them from the piece I apparently wrote.

They gazed at me with mouths ajar and eyes widespread. Scootaloo hid behind Apple Bloom.

When my eyes connected with Scootaloo’s, she stood up on all four legs and hesitantly stepped by Apple Bloom's side. Her muscles tensed ever more. Then, she clenched her teeth and took a few steps back, hiding behind the yellow plot again. Her body trembled.

I looked around, but there was nothing scary anywhere. They were acting really weird.

Apple Bloom looked at her. “I'll hold down the offender, you grab the paper!”

“Whaa—” Apple Bloom's body slammed into me, and my song flew in the air. I hit the ground with my back.

Luckily, Scootaloo caught the paper before it fell in the mud.

I thanked her in my mind for saving my life’s work. It made no sense to me why Apple Bloom got so offensive. I thought my song was pretty good. At least it was a bit longer than what she had written. That alone should count for something. Even Twilight kept saying that size matters in all things. Perhaps the simple-minded Earth pony was just jealous of my song. “What’s the big idea, Apple Bloom?”

She overshadowed the sun, and her legs surrounded me from all sides. Her gaze shifted to Scootaloo. “Burn it! Burn it with fire! I’m not sure how long I can hold her down.”

“Why would you—” I tried to move her with my legs, but she held stiff. “It's merely a draft. If there's something wrong with the song, I can fix it. Just tell me which part you didn't like.”

“It's evil!! All of it!” Apple Bloom growled at me. Saliva seeped from the corners of her mouth.

Scootaloo turned on the lighter. She held my song in her snout above it.

I yelled at her, “I put my soul into that!”

The paper smoldered a little. Just before it caught fire Scootaloo jerked her head away from the hurtful inferno and laid the paper on the ground.

My sigh of relief was disrupted by a tremor of a hoof impacting the ground. When I looked forth at Scootaloo, I saw two piercing eyes staring back at me

“It has life-taking in it...” She wiped her eyes with a hoof then crouched down as she spread all four legs. “Not cool!” The paper was back in her snout again!.

I stretched a forehoof between Apple Bloom's legs toward Scootaloo. “Don't do it, please!”

“It's evil!” Apple Bloom snarled at me then turned to the pyromancer. “Burn it! Burn it to ashes!”

It caught fire, but merely the sides were kindling. There was still some hope of saving it. Pushing through Apple Bloom’s legs, I tried to force my way to my beautiful song and rescue it from their hurtful hooves.

Apple Bloom bent all four legs and laid on me with her weight. She pushed her nozzle closer to my ear and patronizingly whispered to me. “Sorry, Sweetie Belle, but it needs to be destroyed! We’re doing it for you.”

Pieces of burned paper floated down. Scootaloo let go of the last one. The only remaining proof of my effort burned as it swayed in the air. Only a few charred strata reached the ground. Black smoke rose from them as they smoldered.

The bully jumped off me and galloped to the remains of my masterpiece. She whipped the lighter away with a tail, not even bothering to turn it off. All four of her hooves slid across the ground, burying the ashes under the pile of dirt.

Scootaloo rushed to turn off the lighter. She proceeded to spit on Apple Bloom’s kindling tail. When that didn’t help, she trampled over it with both forehooves. “I think we’re good now.” After one more grind with a forehoof on the red tail, her eyes pierced me. “Why’d you write about bad things? Somepony could get offended, or worse: triggered. Look what you did to Apple Bloom’s tail with your songwriting!”

I just lay there on the ground. There was nothing to fight for anymore. Apple Bloom glared at me. “Grandma and Applejack warned me that it's evil just thinking about—lifetaking.” She pointed to the grave pile that she had accumulated with her hooves. “We saved you from the bad content, Sweetie Belle.” She pulled her tail from the trapping hooves and thumped toward me.

“I promise not to tell anypony what you wrote,” Scootaloo said.

“I won’t tell anypony, either.” Apple Bloom extended forth a hoof to help me get up. “Just—don't do something bad like that again. Ponies already think you're a bad influence on us.”

I kicked the offered hoof away and stood up on my own. “Who does?”

Scootaloo sighed. “Who doesn't…” She looked away into a distance.

“Applejack went as far as sayin’ I should stop seeing ya’.” Apple Bloom still held the hoof in the air, clenching it to her body. I hoped it hurt her bad after what she did to my art piece. “But you're my friend, and my sis’ has no right to tell me who I can and can’t hang out with.”

“You really should lay back a bit, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo said. “Since the horn incident, everypony is keeping away from you. They’re afraid you'll pull a prank on them, too.” She supported her head with a hoof. “How’d you do that, anyway? The thing with the disappearing horn. How can you hide a big thing like that? Did you comb your hair over it?”

If I told them the truth, they might get worked up again. If they thought I was also evil, they might try to burn me, as well. “I don't want to talk about it.”

“We understand.” Apple Bloom nodded. “It's best if you don't mention it to anypony. Maybe they'll forget about it eventually. And we should also try to forget about this whole catastrophe in the making! I'm scrapping the school play idea altogether.” Snickering, she looked at Scootaloo. “Unless we go with your masterpiece.”

Scootaloo snorted and hoofed at the ground. “It was a good start!”

Apple Bloom thumped with a hoof. “Do ya’ want Sweetie Belle to fill out the rest?” She smirked. “I didn't think so. It’s best if we go back to brainstorming.” 

I turned around, teeth clenched. Another one of my ideas—shut down.

“Or we could just call it a day...” I sighed. My body rose and stiffened. All four legs just moved by themselves, taking me along for the ride. The isolation of my room called for me. I was losing my composure, and nothing short of hugging a pillow could bring me back to my comfort zone.

“Well, goodbye to you, too,” Scootaloo murmured after me.

“Sweetie Belle, don’t be like that,” Apple Bloom remarked. “We don’t hate you or your songwriting; we just didn’t like the song you wrote.”

I kept on walking with a stiff face. My anger held back the tears that gathered in my eyes. Those two had no right to oppose me like that. I had been onto something with the song. It had resonated with me in some way. I felt connected to it on a deeper level, and those two robbed me of my upshot.

Despite wanting nothing more than to charge at them with full galloping speed, I kept myself back for the time. There was nothing to fight for anymore. I couldn’t work with ashes.
> 13 - Bullies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Now, can anypony tell me where rainbows come from?” Miss Cheerilee set a picture of a rainbow on the board and looked upon the class.

“And then I was like, whatever.”

“Diamond Tiara!” Miss Cheerilee thumped a hoof on the floor. “How many times do I have to say it? No talking during class! But since you’re in a chatty mood, why don’t you tell us the answer to the question I just asked?”

“Um,”—Diamond Tiara scratched her head and looked upon the chalkboard—“Er, rainbows are sometimes in the sky?”

The whole class burst into laughter.

Cheerilee raised a foreleg in the air, and silence engulfed the room. Her gaze was fixed on Diamond Tiara.

She obviously didn’t know what to say, but Miss Cheerilee kept pressuring her. Couldn’t she see that Diamond Tiara probably didn’t even know what she was being asked? I, on the other hoof, knew both the question and the answer. With that knowledge, I hoped to impress miss Cheerilee and the rest of the class. I raised a leg high in the air.

“Sweetie Belle!” The teacher announced while keeping her gaze on Diamond Tiara.

That was my cue. “Rainbows are made by Pegasi in Cloudsdale.” I knew that because Rainbow Dash had told Scootaloo, and Scootaloo had told me. “They make them in a Rainbow factory.” Rainbow Dash even worked there for a while. But I couldn’t reveal that to Cheerilee. Scootaloo had said Rainbow Dash made her promise not to tell that confidential information to anypony. I had only shared the secret with Rarity and Apple Bloom because I was trustworthy like that.

“Very good, Sweetie Belle.” Her eyes still hung on Diamond Tiara.

Yay! Her compliment inspired me so much that I felt as if I could move mountains if I just tried hard enough. The things I could achieve seemed endless. A wave of imagination hit me, and I knew exactly how to channel it through my work for the good of all ponykind. I drew out my crayons.

“I wish I could say the same for you Diamond Tiara.” Miss Cheerilee thumped a hoof against her desk. “Proper education is more important than you think. Next time I catch you chatting, I will grade you for the answers you give me; or the lack of them if that should prove to be the case.” 

After the first curve on a paper, I glanced at the herd of unsuspecting ponies. It was then that I caught a stare from Diamond Tiara. Perhaps she wanted to thank me but was afraid to say anything aloud. I smiled at her. She showed me her teeth. 





It was lunch break and most ponies were outside. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom waved me over from the doorway to join them.

“I’ll be right with you,” I muffled with a pink crayon in my mouth. Before going out, I wanted to put the last touches on my drawing. The flower in the scene was still missing a few pedals, and I didn’t want to leave it incomplete. I needed to finish the picture as quickly as possible, so I could join my friends outside.

There was the sun in the upper corner. Suddenly, it got overshadowed. I looked up and saw Silver Spoon towering above me.

“What do you have there, Blank Bell?” She leaned on my desk with both forehooves.

I put down my crayon and opened my mouth to tell her, but she interrupted me before I could. “You’re really good at drawing, aren’t you?” Her words were uttered through gritted teeth.

It was out of character for her to compliment anypony. I also didn’t deserve so much praise since I wasn’t that proficient with artsy stuff yet. I just liked to draw. Although, one time, I did use Rarity’s gems in my art. I had never seen anypony else do that before. “A daisy,” I whispered to answer at least one of her questions.

“Quite an artist, I’d say.” Diamond Tiara walked in an arch around me. “Maybe even at the stick figures level.”

“Maybe.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“You’re so good at scribbling, you might even get a cutie mark for it.” Silver Spoon grinned.

“You think?” I looked up at her.

“Most definitely,” she responded. “Anytime now.”

“Oh!” Diamond Tiara raised her voice from behind me. “What’s that?” She pointed a hoof at my flank. “Did you get a cutie mark just now?”

“Did I?” I leaned on my desk with both forehooves, scattering all the crayons around. “Oh my gosh, did I, really?” It was important to look at my flank right away, so I dared to step on the chair with both hind legs. Miss Cheerilee would scold me if she saw where my hooves were. We weren’t allowed to stand on furniture because grown-ups didn’t like hoof scrapes in the wood, for some reason. What I had going on was an emergency, so it was okay for me to break the rules. I raised a hind leg and twisted my body to inspect my flank.

There was a crayon under my other hoof. It rolled, taking my leg along for the ride. I tried to grab on the table to anchor myself, but I just slid off it because I couldn’t grip it. My chest hit against the seat, and I yelped from the pain. The chair and the table trapped me in place. I just wanted to spot the cutie mark, but I couldn’t twist enough to see it.

When I managed to turn my head a little, I caught Diamond Tiara with a corner of my eye. Her forehoof was raised, and she observed it for some reason. I lifted my tail up, so she could better see my flank. “What does my cutie mark look like?”

She focused on the hoof again. “It looks like a blank flank. You get that for being an imbecile at everything.” She dropped her hoof and smiled. “But maybe that’s your specialty.”

Silver Spoon leaned both forehooves against my head pressing me down. “Poor Sweetie Belle, forced to walk around with her ugly blank flank. If only there was a way for us to help her out.”

“Maybe we could give her a temporary cutie mark.” Diamond Tiara snickered while the crayons cracked under her hooves. “Something colorful, perhaps.”

Silver Spoon pushed my head under the chair. “But what would the symbol look like?”

I could hardly breathe from the pressure. I saw a hoof trampling my tail.

“It might look something like this!” Diamond Tiara cheered just before a barrage of hoof stomps bombarded my flank. The pain spread out all over my bottom. It wasn’t stopping. The beating increased in speed and strength along with her laughter.

I tried to scream, but my neck was pressed against the chair, hampering the airflow. Besides choking and gasping I couldn’t do anything.

Diamond Tiara stood on my tail. My croup wouldn’t move more than a hoof length because the tail stretching hurt my dock. I had to stop or risk losing some of my delicate hair.

I tightened all the muscles in both forelegs, but I couldn’t lift myself because Silver Spoon leaned on my neck.

She put even more weight on my body and kicked my forehooves to the sides. “We’re just trying to help you out, Sweetie Blank. You should be grateful.”

The pressure on my neck choked me, but I had no way to fight against their aggression. They had an upper hoof over me. The situation was out of my control.

I just wanted everything to stop, but it didn’t. The strikes kept descending on me. I wasn't ready for them, but nopony cared. The onslaught continued, and there seemed to be no end to the torture. The pain and I merged into one.

“All done.” Diamond Tiara breathed heavily. “I think that ought to suffice for now. Aren’t you happy now, Sweetie Belle? You got yourself your very own cutie mark. Don’t look so shocked! It was well deserved, I assure you.”

A quiet squeal was all I could muster among the episodes of sobbing. My body shook in distress. I thumped a forehoof on the puddle of tears.

“Yes, you’re right. It still needs one last touch.” Diamond Tiara smirked and dropped on all fours. She stepped off my tail. I hoped that meant the horrible nightmare was over. It was then that the whole Tartarus opened up from behind me. Both of her hind hooves impacted my flank. The tremendous force of the kick launched me off the chair. As soon as I hit the floor, I hugged my tail with one foreleg and covered my flank with the other. It radiated pain.

My body froze when Diamond Tiara’s head joined me under the table. “And don’t worry if your cutie mark comes off. We’ll draw a new one on you tomorrow.”

“Let me throw this atrocity in the trash for you, cryfilly!” Silver Spoon crumpled my picture in her mouth and slapped my face with the tail while she walked off. She spat the paper ball in the can by the door and turned to me. “Daisies aren’t pink, you moron!”

My mouth was agape even though the sobbing subsided. I was just breathing really fast. My eyes were wide opened, but I wasn’t looking at anything in particular. I just stared at a distance. 

“That’ll teach her not to interrupt me when I’m speaking,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Do you think we overdid it, though?” Silver Spoon asked.

“What else were we supposed to do? She kept picking on me. First, she violated my tail, then turned Cheerilee and the rest of the class against me. I’ve been patient with the meddling brat to a point, but I couldn’t just let her walk all over me, now could I? The sooner she learns not to be mean to us, the better it will be for her.”

Something inside me just wanted to snap and burst out. I felt as if I was losing myself; drifting away. The stable world I lived in thus far cracked. I was no longer connected to the surrounding world. The room was distorted, distant and grand. Tables and chairs towered above me like giants. I was no longer seeing them as the tools that made my life easier. Authority radiated from them and everything else around me. I felt as if I was becoming smaller. My mind was filling up with—something.

I fought to stay in control and eventually managed to calm down a little. A single thought kept me anchored. I, along with my best friends, had a Cutie Mark Crusade planned in the afternoon after school. A worthy goal I could wrap the last remains of my focus around. The last shred of hope. A mission that could change everything for the better.

I curled up on the chair and hugged both hind legs. The ugly blank-flank was quickly covered by my trusty tail. Too bad I only had one and couldn’t hide the lack of amounting on both sides. I kept crying. Everything felt wrong, and I was the center of wrongness.

The hope that I would finally earn my cutie mark that day was the only thing I could think about. It would end the pain of being a blank flank once and for all. Without that plan to fix it all, I wouldn’t be able to stand another hour of being in the same class with those two bullies.





“Can anyone name me one of the beings that live in the Everfree Forest?” Cheerilee looked for volunteers but found none. “Sweetie Belle?”

I knew the answer. I could name at least three creatures: cockatrice, Zecora and timber wolves. When my eye caught a glance from Diamond Tiara, I instinctively said, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? But I remember you naming one yesterday,” Cheerilee persisted.

“I forgot.” I curled even tighter. “I didn’t hear the question.”

“I asked if you could—” she gazed at my neck “—Sweetie Belle, did you hurt yourself?” She slid a hoof under my chin. 

Diamond Tiara menacingly gazed at me from the front row. She clapped her forehooves together without taking her eyes off me. “It’s from the chair; I fell on it,” I said so she would leave me alone.

Silver Spoon also turned around.

“By accident,” I explained so I wouldn’t provoke her.

She slid a hoof across her neck as if she was making a cut. With the other hoof, she pointed at me.

“By myself.” I elaborated further so that Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara would stop paying attention to me. I didn’t have the energy to deal with anypony.

“Does it hurt?”

Of course it hurt! The injury pinched me every time I swallowed saliva. But it was nothing compared to the pain I felt on my flanks. I could hardly sit straight because of the throbbing. “No, I don’t even feel it at all,” I said, so she would go away. I just wanted to be left alone!

“It looks as if you gave your neck a beating. You really should be more careful, Sweetie Belle. If it starts hurting, make sure to pay Nurse Redheart a visit, okay?”

I knew Nurse Redheart hated me since nopony believed her that my horn was broken after it wasn’t anymore. She probably wouldn’t even want to see me in her office.

“I will,” I lied.
> 14 - In the Wake of the Lake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The planned crusade was sure to work. It had to!

For all I knew, it might have even been how Derpy Hooves got her cutie mark. Maybe the ones we were about to get could look just like hers. It would be so awesome if we were to show her our flanks the next time she’d bump into us. With so many bubbles on all our flanks, it would look as if we all fell into a foam bath.

“Sweetie Belle, you’re staring at the air again,” sighed Scootaloo. “Put on your saddlebag already. We’re waiting for you.”

I shook my head. “Oh, yeah, of course.”

Apple Bloom walked to me, carrying my saddlebag in her mouth. She was already set to go and so was Scootaloo.

I grabbed at its belt with my teeth.

Apple Bloom let go of her end. “I was going to help you with it.”

I swung it onto my back then bowed my head to reach for the harness. “I can do it myself!” The strap was right there, but I couldn’t lean to the side enough. I took a few steps toward it to get myself in mouth’s reach.

“Sure you can…” Scootaloo smirked.

Apple Bloom facehoofed. “Sweetie Belle, you’re walking in a circle…”

I bit at the strap. “I gok ik!”

“Say what?” Scootaloo turned back from the doorway, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s got it,” Apple Bloom translated my clenched teeth speech.

After tightening the strap I lifted my head high to show off, but they already walked down the ramp and didn’t see my triumph.

When I caught up with them on the path, Scootaloo broke out with our Cutie Mark Crusaders anthem. Apple Bloom tried herself at choreography. Broken branches left behind on the path testified to her enthusiasm.

I kept my distance. A bit for safety reasons but mostly because the incident at school from earlier that day still weighed heavily on me. I really wanted to tell them about the event. It wasn’t nice of me to keep my friends in the dark, but they seemed so happy not knowing. I wished I could just forget about the bad ordeal and join them in their bliss.

The cruel trial, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had put me through, played in my head over and over again. The event was burned into my brain and I couldn’t shake off the horrible images in my mind. It felt like a stain on my coat that I couldn’t clean no matter how hard I scratched at it.

I felt dirty. No, it was even worse. I felt as if I was nothing but dirt myself. Trampled in the ground, only good for getting walked over.

My friends needed to know about it. I never hid any secrets from them. Yet, I dreaded the thought of exposing them to the darkness within me. I had no idea how they would react. The last time I’d opened up to them, it had ended really bad for the lyrics I’ve written. Instead of helping me with the song, they’d burned it. How could I trust them after that? I feared to think about what would happen if I told them that I, myself, could use some help.

My mere existence felt like a chore. It would be so easy to let somepony else take over and deal with all the pressure. If only I could just hide away and let everything unfold without me. It was too heavy of a burden for me to carry, and I couldn’t even tell anypony about my troubles. I had talked too much already. That’s how it started to begin with. Me and my big mouth. Maybe I even deserved the hoof punishment.

“Are we boring you or something?” Scootaloo’s head appeared in front of me as I opened my eyes.

“No...” I shied away from her gaze.

“You’ve been acting weird all day, Sweetie Belle. First, you ditch us for body-painting.”

“I fell on crayons!” I protested and immediately clenched my teeth when the memory of what really happened rushed through my mind. My head bowed. It wasn’t nice to lie to my friends.

“And then you dragged yourself behind us the entire way!”

Apple Bloom stepped beside Scootaloo. “Is there something wrong, Sweetie Belle?” She leaned closer to me. Her eyes squinted as if she tried to read the answer off my face. “What happened?”

“Well”—I slowly raised my eyes to meet with hers—“today at school...”

Something shiny sparkled behind Apple Bloom and distracted me. A moment later, a glare shot straight in my face. I blinked and drew back my head. I half-closed my eyes and focused through the beam. It was sunlight, glittering off the lake’s surface.

“We’re here!” I yelled and pushed past the fillies. As fast as my legs would carry me, I ran toward the shiny water. There it was: the place that would make all my problems disappear. Getting a cutie mark would fix everything. All I had to do was force the lake to give it up. My grin widened as my gaze drifted across the unsuspecting surface.

At the shore, I stood on my hind legs, almost dropping my diving gear. “Prepare yourselves!” I rubbed my forehooves together. “This lake shall unlock our potential for everypony to see. There’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

Apple Bloom walked up to me. Her head was tilted, eyebrows narrowed. She gazed at my face.

I glanced at her. “And yes, this time I do know for a fact that there is no squid monster living in it!” Well, at least there were no signs at the bank, warning every passing pony of a squid monster in the lake. Even if we stumbled on one, I could put the blame on the lack of markings, which I couldn’t do the last time.

She wasn’t reacting to my great motivational speech. Her pose stayed the same. “What happened to you at school?”

I had promised myself I wouldn’t tell them, yet there I was, getting them all worked up. They shouldn’t worry about something they couldn’t affect. I’d drag them down with me if I opened up to them. It seemed that I couldn’t trust myself with anything. Everything kept falling apart around me. If just for once I could follow through with what I had set out to do, it would mean the world to me. I’d give anything to get a break from the streak of failures that was my life; let somepony else drag on the wreckage. Yet, I had no choice but to persist. I couldn’t let myself mess up everything even more than it already was. Failure to regain my control could endanger the mission, and we’d all be worse off for it. I tensed up and dropped on all fours. My lips morphed into a fake smile while my teeth kept clenching.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were so happy, and I ruined their joy by whining about my problems. Even if they chose to help, they’d probably just make it worse. There was no use telling them about my troubles. It could have very well been them in my place.

I decided that it would be better to keep it all to myself. By telling them the truth, I’d only get them worried. Besides, things were about to get better, anyway. The solution to everything was right there in front of us. We just had to dive in and claim it.

“Why don’t you tell us?” Apple Bloom placed a hoof on my withers.

My body shook in response to the invasion of my personal space. I gasped and jumped away. The skin on my flanks still stung from the last time I let a hoof touch me. No more!

“Sweetie Belle?”

“What’s going on with you?” Scootaloo joined the interrogation. “Don’t tell me you wrote another song. I didn’t know we’d need a lighter again. If I did, I’d bring it with us instead of leaving it back in the clubhouse. I could have fit the lighter in my saddlebag if I pounded at it hard enough...”

“You left it where‽” Apple Bloom screeched.

“Don’t worry about the playhouse,” Scootaloo sighed and dismissively waved a wing in her direction.

“It’s a flammable tree house; not a playhouse!”

“Either way, I’m pretty sure I turned off the lighter before we left. The tree house’s gonna be fine.”

“As fine as Golden Oaks Library, I reckon?” Apple Bloom’s teeth ground together.

“Exactly! Wait… No! Not like that. Better! I mean…” Scootaloo straightened her legs and lifted her neck. “We’d already see the smoke if the clubhouse was burning, right?”

“I should have posted the ‘No fun allowed!’ poster when I still had the chance.”

“Hey!” Scootaloo’s tail tucked between her hind legs. “You know I keep having nightmares about it.”

“Not enough of them, apparently.” Apple Bloom struck a hoof on the ground. “You keep doing stuff like this! I hope you get a volcano for your cutie mark.”

“That’d be so cool.” Her head turned up as her mouth opened ajar.

“Ugh! I can’t deal with you now!” She whipped Scootaloo with what remained of her smoldered tail while she turned to me. “Sweetie Belle, just tell us what you did. I’m sure it can’t be worse than what our pyromancer pulled off.”

Scootaloo screeched, “There’s still no smoke!” With a hoof, she caressed the cheek where Apple Bloom’s tail had hit her.

I faced away from them as I continued my lying streak. “I fell… on crayons”—I supported my chin with a hoof—“and, um, I still have some in my coat.” I glanced at them and pointed a hoof toward the lake. “We need to go into the water as soon as possible so I can wash off the stains!”

“Then why were you dragging behind all the way instead of rushing us here?” asked Scootaloo.

“I was, um, saving my strength, so that I could get a cutie mark for sure this time around.”

Scootaloo raised her eyebrows as she looked at me. Apple Bloom still tried to read my face.

I had to get them on board. Faking a smile again was an option, but I dismissed that idea since Apple Bloom appeared to be immune to it, and getting her stubborn plot on my side was the priority.

I stepped to the slowpokes. “Here, I’ll help you!” Rising up on my hind legs I leaned on Apple Bloom’s saddlebag with both forelegs, pushing under the pieces of her swimming gear with my snout to throw them out.

With open mouth, she gazed at the flying fins.

Talking about my problems wouldn’t get us anywhere. None of us had a cutie mark, and there was only one solution for that problem. We needed to get our cutie marks as soon as possible!

The ground was still damp from the recent Rainbow Dash induced rain. The pieces of Apple Bloom’s diving gear made squishy sounds when they shoved themselves into the soft, sandy earth.

Scootaloo rolled over and got all her diving gear flying out of her saddlebag in one go. Two fins splashed in the shallow water.

Having helped Apple Bloom with her gear, I stepped off her and approached a nearby stone.

I turned around and wiggled my tail on the hard surface to clean it up. When I reached with my muzzle toward the diving mask, I briefly glanced at them and grinned. Scootaloo dug her gear out of the mushy sand. Apple Bloom scoured out for her equipment, too. Our crusade was in full swing.

I proceeded to unpack the rest of the gear from my saddlebag while avoiding any eye contact with them. It could cause them to ask more pesky questions, and that would only delay us. We were back on our mission and I didn’t want anything ruining it. I had to get a cutie mark before the next day. There wouldn’t be any need for Diamond Tiara to engrave a new one on me if I already had it to begin with.

“The water looks cold,” asserted Apple Bloom.

That triggered me, and I almost yelled at her. “You can't tell the temperature of the water just by looking at it!”

Scootaloo finished putting the last fin on her hind legs. She pushed with both forehooves against the ground. Her wings flapped and hauled her body forward toward the second pair of fins. Two lines formed as her hind legs dragged through the mud.

Apple Bloom put the gear gathering on pause and lifted her head. “You know you can still walk even if you have fins on your hooves, right?”

We both giggled at Scootaloo, but she was quick to respond to the provocation. “No, my way’s better. You can't trip if you're doing it this wa—” Her foreleg sank into the patch of moist mud. The other foreleg couldn’t bear the load of her body. When it bent, she crumpled on top of it.

“—aaa—” Her head splashed on the edge of the lake, snout sinking just below the surface. Caught by surprise, she instinctively inhaled.

The introduction of water to her lungs tightened her entire body. She folded her wings and used her neck muscles to launch the muddy head above the surface forming a sea-lion like posture.

Sweat broke on my back as I saw her ordeal. She was suffering and I hated it. I didn’t want to witness more hurt. I already experienced way too much of it that day. I stood there trembling. I couldn’t force myself to move.

The coughs that followed put more strain on her, and she tumbled back down. The next cough took place underwater. Her whole body shook as more liquid rushed down her windpipe. She twisted her head as much as she could, but only managed to lift half of her snout above the surface. She pushed her lips to the side, trying to sip some air, but her innate reflexes took over again. Her chest twitched. Relentless coughing and burping overlaid one another.

A desperate, high-pitched scream drowned out the splashing sounds. “Heeeel—” More water entered her open mouth, flooding the word.

Her plea for help broke my paralysis and sprung me to action. I launched myself toward her.

Apple Bloom reached her first. She jumped into the fetlock-high water and raised the muddy head above the surface. Scootaloo gargled while gasping for air. Rapid coughs followed in quick succession.

I positioned myself behind Scootaloo, anchoring both forehooves on her belly. After leaning back, I pulled as hard as I could.

She managed to free the trapped foreleg from under her chest and used it to push herself up. It also sank in the sand. She went into a panic mode, manically flapping her wings.

“Take it easy!” I leaned back to avoid getting hit in the face by her slashing feathers.

The sand prison gave way. The upward force launched Scootaloo into the air. If I weren’t there to catch her, she would have fallen on her back.

She sat in front of me, her head bowed to the ground, tears drifting across her muddy face. She sobbed among her episodes of coughing.

Apple Bloom kept her mouth open as she descended on all fours. Her muscles were tense and at the ready. She kept her stare on the sack of misery that lay between us.

The whole event had been intense and Scootaloo was obviously shaken, but I knew she was safe and unharmed. It only felt scary as it was happening, but all the while she wasn’t exposed to any real danger. She just inhaled some water.

I was glad the traumatic ordeal was over. To break the tension, I smiled at Apple Bloom. She exhaled and smiled back, relaxing her body a little.

The flashbacks of Scootaloo’s acrobatics compounded in my mind and the smile grew bigger, still.

“Not being able to fly is the least of your problems.” I expressed my thoughts aloud. “You first need to learn how to walk.” My own joke caught me by surprise. I held my mouth shut as I tried to fight it, but it was too much to hold in. A moment later, I broke into an outright laughter. The spasms made me fall on my back. “Did you hear her voice?”

Apple Bloom raised both eyebrows as she looked at me. The rest of her face remained flat. “What do you mean?”

I imitated Scootaloo, screaming with a high-pitched voice. “Heeeelp—glerk, glok, glark, glub.”

Hearing the otherworldly sounds again broke all my restraints. I euphorically thumped both forehooves on the ground at my sides.

While my body shook from the giggles, both hind legs tapped at Scootaloo’s shoulders. “You should have seen yourself.” I changed my voice to mimic an overconfident mare. “This is how you walk without falling.” I paused for a second. “Bam!”

I sought to catch my breath from the giggles. Both hind legs drifted on Scootaloo’s sides while I tried to relax a bit.

She tensed up. My ears perked at the sound of clenching teeth. She growled and shoved my legs off her.

I pressed my lips together and put a hoof before my muzzle. It looked like she was about to snap.

Scootaloo spread her wings wide as she stood up. With a high-powered kick, she sent her fins flying in the air.

Apple Bloom took a step back.

When Scootaloo’s body swayed, I imagined her falling again, and a sip of air escaped my muzzle.

“Why are you laughing at me?” Scootaloo towered on just two legs. Tears drifted from her reddish eyes even more so than before.

I waved a hoof in disregard. “I’m not laughing at you; I’m laughing with you.”

“Why ain’t I laughing then?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “No sense of humor?”

Her body shook as she screamed at me with all her might. “It’s not funny! I almost drowned back there!” She pointed a hoof at the bank.

I tried to calm her down. “You are such a drama queen, Scootaloo! You just soaked up some water. And you didn’t even make it to the lake. You were still on the beach.”

Apple Bloom thumped a hoof on the ground. “Sweetie Belle!”

“What?” I stood up on my four legs. “She was fine. You can’t drown on dry land…”

Scootaloo pointed back at me. “And you just stood there! You didn’t even—”

“—I helped you, remember!” I cut her off before she could start the blaming game.

“You sure took your sweet time with it,” Scootaloo persisted.

I bowed my head. She was right. I didn’t want her to be right, but she was.

I noticed a yellow patch at her hooves. The wet blot stained the area where Scootaloo had lain. I looked at her. “Did you pee yourself when you fell?”

Scootaloo’s body shook, teeth clenched. Both spread out wings folded to her side. The new embarrassment sucked the fight right out of her. She faced away from us, striking a hoof on the ground. “Let’s just go home.”
> 15 - Descent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scootaloo whipped her tail left and right. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve had enough crusading for one day. Let’s just cut our losses and end it here.”

“It’s not a loss until you quit!” I exclaimed.

She sighed and brushed some mud of her flank with a wing. “The water is way too cold, anyway.”

Apple Bloom shook a few droplets of her still wet hooves and confirmed. “You’re right about the water. We should have known. The winter wrap-up wasn’t that long ago. Maybe we should wait until summer with the scuba diving cutie mar—”

“—No!” I stood on my hind legs and crossed my forehooves on the chest. “We are on a mission here, Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

I raised a hoof in the air and sang to the sky.


“We will never stop the journey, not until we have our cutie marks!”


“And we’re getting them before tomorrow!” I hoped reciting part of our anthem would get their spirits up. Just to make it stick, I reminded them of the horrible alternative. “If we quit at the first sign of difficulty, we won’t be able to earn our cutie marks!”

Scootaloo wiped a big chunk of mud off her mane. Her body swayed left and right while she brushed her face with a forehoof.

Apple Bloom stepped closer to help her. She turned to me. “The water is really cold, Sweetie Belle. Come try it if you don’t believe us.” A yellow hind leg drifted across the surface then jerked back up.

“Quit your lollygagging. We won’t throw in the towel just because you two are afraid to get your coats wet.” I sighed at them. “We’re doing this!”

“We should at least get some wetsuits then,” persisted Apple Bloom.

“No! We don’t have time for that.” I didn’t understand why they stalled. I tried to add more reasons to break their resistance. “And those garments are really tight and uncomfortable.”

“You wore tight clothes for the school talent show,” remarked Scootaloo.

“And I felt trapped every moment of it. Now can we please just—”

“—Maybe you should ask Rarity to make you a soggy bathrobe,” she hissed.

Apple Bloom put on a malevolent smile. She lowered and pressed her eyebrows together as she looked at me. “Or I could ask Granny Smith to lend you her old-fashioned swimwear.”

“Stop it! Both of you. Stahp!” My voice cracked, “The clothes aren’t the point at all!” I hit a hoof on the ground as hard as I could. “Princess Celestia won’t wait for us with her sun. If we want to do this today, we have to do it now. We don’t even need all this cumbersome stuff.” I pointed a hoof at my scuba diving gear. “We just have to jump in and go for the win!”

They shook their heads. It was obvious that I was losing them. Still, our goal was to gain our cutie marks, and we had to see the mission through together. I couldn’t let them abandon me in my time of need. I had to—make them stay in the water!

I had always ended up being an underdog when I tried to play nice. It would stop there and then. Their unreasonable opposition forced my hoof. I would be a pushover no more. They left me with only one option. It was time to take charge. Literally! I plunged myself into a gallop toward the rebels.

My action caught them off guard. They gasped in shock and turned to the sides, trying to escape their wet destiny by jumping out of my way. They reacted too late.

Just before I hit them, I rotated myself sideways. I thrust Scootaloo with my flank and Apple Bloom with a shoulder. The impact got them flying while stopping me in my tracks. I spread all four before the lake and announced, “Diving cutie marks”—both Crusaders splashed into the water—“here we come!”

I stared at the expanding circles dispersing from their bubbly centers. My heart felt heavy as if I did something wrong. But in my mind, I knew it was the right thing to do. Some goals are simply worth the sacrifice.

Scootaloo was the first to surface. “Ugh! What is wrong with you, Sweetie Belle! You shouldn’t have done that!” She swam toward the shore. The flapping wings sprayed water droplets behind her.

Apple Bloom broke through the surface. She shook her head and screeched at me, “Sweetie Belle, how could you!” She kept herself afloat by kicking with her hind legs while covering her chest with both forelegs. Her body shook profoundly.

I thought that they just needed a push. Their reaction, however, reflected no appreciation for my deed. They were resisting me, but I couldn’t let them out of the water. That would mean that it was wrong of me to force them in the first place. I didn’t want to be wrong.

Scootaloo reached the shallow water and tried to walk past me.

“Wait! Just… wait!” I ordered and cut off her path with a hoof. “You’re already in the water now. All we have to do is a couple of dives, and we can go home like winners. Okay?”

Apple Bloom crawled out of the lake as well. Water droplets dripped from her floppy ears. “It’s way too cold!”

“Alright, alright! We do one dive.” I stood on my hind legs and stopped her approach with the other free foreleg. “Just one dive. We didn’t come here for nothing. After we complete our mission, I promise we’ll go straight home; but not before that.”

At that point, I held one hoof under Scootaloo’s neck and one on Apple Bloom’s forehead, physically preventing their escape from the lake.

I tried to boost their morale. “Maybe we’ll get extra points because of the cold water.”

“I don’t think it works like that, Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.

“This is stupid,” sighed Scootaloo. She cycled in the air with both forehooves, getting ready to push past me.

“Oh, come on! One bucking dive!” I was losing my patience. They were being really stubborn.

Apple Bloom persisted with whining, “Let’s just hold our breath on the shore. We don’t really need to stay in the cold water for that.”

Her idea was ridiculous. We came to the lake for scuba diving and it was obvious that we could only do that under water. What she said didn’t make any sense. I shook my head. “No, no, no! We can’t make bubbles on dry land!”

Apple Bloom widened her eyes. “What are you even talking about?”

I clenched my teeth and pushed harder against the rebels.

“Ugh, nevermind.” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. She took a step back and nodded to Scootaloo. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Scootaloo growled. “This is pointless…” She puffed her lips and lowered both eyebrows.

“Awesome!” I clapped with my forehooves. “The first one up stays a blank flank!” I dunked a forehoof into the shallow water. Chills shook my body. The water wasn’t just cold; it was freezing. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.

Apple Bloom tilted her head as she looked at me. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

If I admitted that the water was too cold, I would never hear the end of it. They weren’t taking me seriously enough before and that might have been my last chance to show that I was earnest. I had to prove them wrong.

“You call this water cold?” I forcefully stepped forward. “R-refreshing is what it is. You’re both a bunch of chickens.”

“I’m not a chicken!” Scootaloo snarled at me.

“Prove it!” I smirked. My body stiffened, but I tried to act casual.

“Well, I’m not!”

I wiggled my forelegs at my side as I imitated her, “Cheap-cheap-cheap-cheeeeeEEEEEeeasp-cheap."

Scootaloo’s face grimaced as she splashed a hoof through the water, spurting droplets all around and on me.

“I’ll...” My breath ceased when a few of them hit me. “...I’ll believe it when I see it!” When I took a step forward, the cold made me clench my teeth, but I tried to disguise the grimace into a grin. I felt the pain on every patch of my skin that sank below the water. An urge to scream raged in my throat, but I couldn’t let them see my suffering. I had to hide it from them. If I showed any weakness, the whole plan would fall apart. I needed to be strong, for me and for them. “All I see now is a chicken who’s scared of the water.”

They stepped deeper, and so did I. Their bodies were as tense as mine, but I knew it was much easier on them. They were already wet, to begin with. I, on the other hoof, had to withstand both getting wet and the coldness all at once. My struggle was greater!

Scootaloo pushed forward, making waves on the otherwise calm surface. “I’m not scared!”

The rising water encompassed my torso. The shallow breaths became ever more sporadic. I squinted my eyes to see through the moistness that gathered in my eyes because of the sharp coldness of the water and not because I felt like crying.

“Did your tail just shiver?” Scootaloo spewed at me.

“Whaa…” I tensed all my muscles and stiffened my body still. “Did not!” My voice crackled.

Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom and pointed a hoof at me. “She’s totally shivering.”

I could feel their judging eyes on me, searching for a weakness they could use to bring me down.

Their morale was at its lowest and mine was withering as well. It was my last chance to act.

“Let’s do this!” I proclaimed. “One, two, three, dive!” After filling my lungs with air, I jumped forward, making a splash in the water with my body. I bowed my head and sunk below the surface.

The water was causing me physical pain, but in a way, I felt better. I assumed they had already set up jokes to use against me when I would falter. But it didn’t matter anymore because I’d invalidate all their statements that they may have prepared to use against me. Even if there was a good argument to be made, I couldn’t hear it underwater.

I looked back at them, but my vision was too blurry to see any details. It was their fault that I forgot my diving mask on the shore! The rebels had acted so irrationally that I’d left it behind in the confusion.

Silhouettes of their muzzles rippled above the surface. Their heads faced each other as if they were in the midst of a conversation. No! They can’t do this to me. I’ve made them agree to my deal. They have no right to betray me.

I heard two splashes. Apple Bloom propelled herself through the water, Scootaloo followed her lead. I turned my head forward and jerked with all four legs.

We were finally doing our mission! Perhaps I wasn’t a complete failure after all. Maybe I could still accomplish something if I forced it hard enough.

I slowly swam deeper. Every move I made hurt. Drifting forward through the water was like pressing against needles.

I felt a cold rush on both forelegs as I descended! Freezing liquid engulfed my hooves. It spread up, sipped through my coat and chilled my skin. I jerked. A puff of air escaped my muzzle. The muscles all over my body cramped as I instinctively lifted my legs.

The surrounding water chilled me, but there was an even colder layer at the bottom. I feared that it would freeze me solid if I crossed the boundary.

I looked around. There was a boulder bulging from the wall of the underwater abyss. It was at the same depth as I was, so I considered it safe for approach.

While swimming toward it, I kept my torso above the freezing layer. By casting both forehooves around the rock, I anchored myself to the spot.

Even though my hind legs quivered in the icy layer, resting motionless unstrained me. I pretended to look at the boulder as if it was interesting. I didn’t want them thinking I was slacking on the mission.

Scootaloo slowly passed above my head with her wings tightly folded. She pressed her legs against her abdomen and swam only by galloping in the water with just her hooves.

Apple Bloom turned and swam toward me. She must have thought I had found something of interest. When she drifted closer, her body shook in response to feeling the freezing, bottom layer. She manically wiggled all around, launching herself toward the surface.

Scootaloo sluggishly floated above me for a bit then rolled herself into a ball, hugging her tail. She tardily ascended.

The whole situation with us in the cold water was absurd, and they were clearly expressing it. If I swam up right after them, they would just ridicule me and I would have to admit that I was wrong.

I had to make it significant and there was still a chance for me to do that. If I were to earn my cutie mark right there and then, they’d have to accept that they were at fault to oppose me.

Scootaloo unwrapped herself, lifting her head above the surface. She quickly followed Apple Bloom, who was already jerking and splashing forth toward the shore.

There was no need for me to keep up the act of an underwater explorer anymore because their eyes were out of the water. They couldn’t see what I was doing below. If I managed to stay down for long enough, their jealousy would make them regret doubting me. I positioned myself above the boulder, hugging it with all four legs. That kept me above the freezing layer and still allowed me to anchor myself below the surface. I closed my eyes and relaxed my body.

I had messed up quite a few things in my life, but I couldn’t let myself fail yet again. Convincing myself to stay put was the key. All I had to do was wait there, and my amounting would surely follow suit. I will show them! I will show them all! Those self-motivational words repeated in my mind, keeping me distracted from the instinct to swim up.

The cold water assaulted me and lung-spasms urged me to breathe. My body screamed to get out, but I wouldn’t allow it. The act of joining them above the surface repulsed me. I couldn’t let them judge me based on their rebellious opinions. They needed to be proven wrong. I decided to just wait under water until they’d come to get me. Their defiant stubbornness was unacceptable. I was determined to show them that my idea was a good one.

My attention was spent on fighting the need to breathe, and I didn’t even notice that I no longer held on the boulder. When I looked up, I saw the inviting surface closing in on me. It compelled me to swim toward it and leave all the nonsenses behind. I was losing the fight. My resolve weakened. I surrendered. Yet another failure on the big pile of—

At that moment, my body and mind just stopped. A pressure within me built up and erupted.

The inner force broke out and spoke to me in my mind. Such petty limitations do not befit the swayer of destiny! The glory is bestowed upon those who waver not. Greatness is proven by breaking the barriers.

Brace yourself, foal; I’m assuming direct control! Glimpse at the potential you’ve been blessed with! Embrace it and behold the royal glory coming your way.

My muscles instantly responded, as if by themselves. The corners of my vision darkened and swayed with a purple tinge. Just before breaching the surface, my body arched back. After an underwater somersault my gaze connected to the darkness below. With seemingly unstoppable force, I plunged deeper toward the icy layer that I was terrified of just moments before. Like a dart, I pierced through it. Despite the chill, I kept sinking deeper into the black abyss.

The strains were taking effect on my body. It pulsated and twirled. But that didn’t slow me down. I just kept pushing myself lower into the darkness.

A splash from the surface woke me up from the trance I was in. What caused that sound, I wondered. Are my friends trying to reach me? I looked around. The shadows surrounded me. I floated near the bottom. A source of light lingered above me, but it was distant. A mere flicker from the world above.

I felt tightness all over my body. The need to breathe screamed within me, making me panic.

Launching myself from the bottom, I tunneled straight up. It seemed as if the shadows from below followed along. There was no time to get distracted, though. I kept ascending, focusing only on the light above.

The brightness of the surface spread over my field of view. I was nearly there. Just one more kick! The moment I broke through the surface, I gasped for air. After a cough, I gulped and sucked in as much air as I could before my muzzle sank under the surface again.

“Are you okay, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom shouted from just beyond the shallow water. She swam toward me.

I panted rapidly and splashed with all four hooves to stay afloat. “Yeah—” I lifted my muzzle to breathe in “—why wouldn’t I be—” I sneezed. A smile forced itself onto my lips but was quickly shooed away by a cough.

Apple Bloom turned and paddled back toward the shore

“Do you think we should do another dive?” I jokingly exclaimed toward her and prayed to Celestia she’d say ‘no’.

“Sweetie Bell, no!” yelled Scootaloo, running left and right along the coast, “You promised that we’ll stop after one dive!”

Apple Bloom turned back her head and hollered, “Come out!”

I had no reason to stay in the cold water, but I still wanted to be seen as a winner. Laying on my back, I gracefully pushed myself toward them.

The splashing sounds let me know that Apple Bloom pulled herself out of the water.

I slowly swam backward, blissfully looking at the cloudy sky.

When my mane brushed against the bank, I rolled over and gallantly walked out of the water.

Apple Bloom’s head bowed, yet her eyes kept glancing at me. Scootaloo looked to the side and shoved a hoof in the sand. She bit her lip and squinted her eyes as she focused on me.

I tried to lift their spirits. “The dive was awesome!”

“We didn’t get it,” muttered Apple Bloom.

“What about you? Did you get it?” Scootaloo lifted her head and looked at me. “You were down there for so long; you must have gotten it!”

“Get what?” I pressed my eyebrows together and gazed at her. Did she expect me to get something for her from the bottom?

Apple Bloom gazed at me. “Your cutie mark, silly!” She narrowed her eyes. “You know, the only reason you got us all wet for…”

“Oh!” I’d gotten so lost in my desire to win that I’d forgotten what I was even fighting for. I turned my head around and wiggled my dock to get the tail hair off my flank. “Anything?”

I walked in a circle trying to see more of my flank.

Scootaloo cut off my spinning path with a hoof. “Sorry; there’s nothing there. I really hoped you’d get it. When you hadn’t come up for so long, I figured you were either that good at diving or...” She bit her lip and bowed her head.

“Or what?” I looked at her.

Scootaloo lowered her voice. “Did something happen to you down there?” There was a tinge of distress in her voice. “Did you get your hoof stuck in a cranny, or something?”

“No, why?”

“It’s just—” She paused and glanced at the lake and back at me. “—you’ve been down there for quite a long time and we got worried about you.” She shook her head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re alright. That’s what’s important.”

“Sweetie Belle, you know you don’t have to prove anything to us, right?” Apple Bloom stepped beside me. “We’re friends. We’re all in this together. And thanks to you, we get to check the diving cutie mark off our list today.”

I sighed.

“Hug?” she asked.

“Whaa?” I raised my eyebrows as I looked at her.

She jumped at me for a clinging embrace, without giving me any time to defend myself.

Scootaloo looked up at the sky, then to the ground. She shuffled a hoof in the sand. With a sigh, she looked back at us and joined in the group hug.

Muscles all over my body tightened.

The Crusaders persisted in their clenching. “Please don’t do that again, Sweetie Belle,” whispered Apple Bloom. “We were so worried about you.” They squeezed me even tighter.

Personal space—invaded. Smothering hooves on my body. The pressure! Need air!

My thrashing body sent them to the ground. After taking a few steps back to gain some free space, I opened my eyes. My breathing calmed down a little. I sighed with relief.

They gasped, looked at each other then gazed at me.

I tried to shoo away their attention with a wave of a hoof.“Everything’s fine! Nothing to see here.”

They kept looking at me with wide opened eyes as if they were expecting something from me and not getting it.

There was Apple Bloom’s flipper on the ground. I leaned down, picked it up in my mouth and threw it at her. “Let’s wrap things up, Crusaders. Grab your gear. We’re going home now. The day is almost over!”

The two Crusaders looked at each other, then back at me. Their eyebrows were raised.

I kept my serious face to prevent them from relapsing into another annoying hug or pesky interrogation.

They stood still for a few more moments then gave in and looked around for their equipment. I felt their glances on me from time to time as they gathered their things, but no words were spoken.

Scootaloo threw her stuff on her back and walked toward the dirt road leading to Ponyville.

Apple Bloom was packed and ready to go but didn't follow along. She just stood there and stared at me.

I raised an eyebrow.

She broke the silence. “Look, Sweetie Belle. I know lacking a cutie mark blows, but you shouldn’t let it get to you. Besides, we’re making progress. The mission wasn’t a complete failure.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Today’s crusade brought us one step closer to our goal. Because of that, it was actually a success!” Apple Bloom said.

“Really?” I sighed in disbelief.

“We’ve just discovered another way of how not to get our cutie marks. One less distraction on the path to earning them.”

I didn’t say anything. My flank wasn’t adorned with a cutie mark and there was nothing good about that dreadful fact.

“And you also got all the markings from the crayons out of your coat, right?”

My teeth clenched and body shook. The sides of my flanks got whipped by my nervous tail.

“Let me handle the plans for tomorrow, Sweetie Belle. I’ll bring our capes to school.”

I looked up and half-closed my eyes.

“I have a great idea!” She smiled and winked at me.

“Do you?” I kept my serious face.

“Just trust me on this one, okay?” Walking backward, she kept her eye on me. “As mah granny says: everything will work out in the end!” She turned around and trotted to the road.

Such foalish naivety...

Scootaloo declaimed the first stanza of our anthem. Apple Bloom joined in, drowning her out. With each line, they alternately raised their voices as if they were competing with each other.

I looked about to see if I left anything behind. My gaze stopped at the water. Did something happen at the lake?

It looked as if nothing was amiss, but appearances can be deceiving. The surface seemed tranquil. It was so still that it acted as a giant mirror. But things weren’t as uniform underneath. I’ve experienced the coldness deep within. The dark layer lurked below, chilling everything it came into contact with. The icy essence could have stayed there indefinitely, and only a full-blown storm had the power to make it surface.

A cold breeze rifled my mane. The winds were changing fast. Something sinister was brewing. I could smell the shifting in the air.

Nothing was amiss! My head shook and I lost the trail of thought. When I looked at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, I saw both friends drifting away from me.

My body resisted, but I forced my legs to move from the spot. “Don’t sing it without me!” I exclaimed and trotted forth to catch up to them.
> 16 - Restlessness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My thoughts had raced all through the night. Something inside me silently screamed. I couldn't relax for a moment. My muscles ached as if I had run a Sisterhood social competition. Resting shouldn’t feel that tiring.

My bed had always been a place where I could escape to whenever I felt tense. There was no escape from it that night. Laying there, somehow, only made the pressure within me worse.

I tossed and turned in bed, trying out all the positions I could think of. Nothing worked. It was as if I was destined to be uncomfortable.

My skin itched no matter how I turned. The silky sheets still smelled of freshness. New bed linen had usually made me very cozy, but not at the time. When my coat slid against them, it felt like rubbing a fresh skin scratch on coarse sand.

My bed was the softest one I knew, yet I hurt all over after it violated me throughout the night. I tried wrestling the covers, but it didn’t help. The pressure still poked me no matter how I turned. The bedding pulled me in as if it tried to eat me. There was no escape because I weighed a ton. Every move I made demanded loads of effort. Yet, when I tried to rest, the torture increased further.

My breathing was loud and sporadic. I was exhausted, but lying still made me breathe even faster. My teeth were clenched so hard that they hurt.

I was trapped. Something pressed on me. Not from the outside—but from within me. It tried to push me out of my own body. The pressure intensified and I got more and more uncomfortable as if there wasn’t enough room for me in me. My body was too tight to fit me anymore. I stretched out my legs, but it didn’t help. Nothing helped.

Confusing thoughts had raced through my head all night long. I didn’t even know what kind of problem I’d been trying to solve. There were haziness and chaotic images echoing through the tired mind. My head ached, and I had to make an effort just to think straight. The more I tried to put heavy thoughts to rest, the more they would flare up, fighting to break to the surface.

My eyes were wide open, focused on the ceiling. It wasn’t just the blackness anymore. The darkness of the night thinned enough for me to notice cracks in the plaster. I looked out through the window. The sky was turning dark blue. Only the brightest stars shone from the background.

It felt as if there was a presence all around me and even within me. Surely, such wasn’t the case. There was nopony in my room when I looked around to inspect it. I only saw my sorry self. Obviously, I was alone. It was stupid of me to feel as if I was being watched. Nopony was there with me!

After sitting myself up, I leaned on both forehooves and looked at my bed. It was inviting. I wanted to sleep, more than anything. My body and mind were exhausted. My eyes, however, insisted on staying wide open. I could force them shut, of course, but it wouldn’t help. I wouldn’t be getting any sleep. And even if I would, it would be a short nap because it was a school day and the dawn creeped on me fast.

Faking illness to excuse me from school was a possibility. I’ve never actually tried it before. My parents would probably see through me in an instant, and I’d have to go to school anyway. No! Why would I even want to stay under the covers? I did that all night long and it was horrible. The further away I’d get myself from the violating bed, the better.

I jumped on the floor and almost rolled over. Spreading all four legs helped with retaining my balance, but the world still spun. I focused my eyes through the window on the distant hills. My vision stilled, and the room stood motionless again. I had no idea where to go and what to do at such an early hour, I just felt the urge to escape.

In order to distract myself, I went to pee in the bathroom. I didn’t drink anything before bedtime, so I didn’t really have to go, but I just felt like doing—something. Anything was better than just staring into the air.

When I returned to my room I stood in the middle of it and looked around for the next distraction candidate. Thinking of what I could do next with all the bothersome time on my hooves, I looked out the window yet again. Perhaps the cold morning air could freshen me up a bit, I thought. Anything was better than just standing in misery.

I opened the door and slipped downstairs. There were no dirty mugs in the sink. My parents always had to drink coffee before they woke up. Therefore, they must have still been sleeping and maybe they weren’t even out of their bed yet.

There was also no newspaper on the table. When I stepped outside, I looked left and right, but the mailmare Derpy Hooves wasn’t in sight. It wouldn’t be the first time she got lost on the way to our house. Or maybe it was something more serious…

A terrifying thought glinted in my mind, What if the world ran out of coffee and everypony will sleep for a thousand years? I gasped in horror at the realization but quickly made up an outlandish excuse why Ponyville seemed deserted. The sun wasn’t up yet and nopony was out because it was too early.

In my mind, I knew that the far-fetched idea was too obvious to be true, but that’s why it’s called wishful thinking. It felt nice and I didn’t even care about it not being true. I kept on fantasizing. Perhaps everypony in town was just waiting for the morning to start existing so they could begin their day in earnest. It would be kind of awkward if they met and couldn’t say ‘good morning’ to each other.

I thought about what I would say if I met somepony. It wasn’t night anymore, so goodnight was out of the question. Maybe I could greet them with ‘good twilight’, instead. But what if I met Twilight? Would I say to her, “Good twilight, Twilight! Say, Twilight, sure is a twilightish twilight this lovely twilight, ‘m I right, Twilight?”

“Ugh!” A soft poking in my head reminded me that I was reaching the very limits of cleverness and should stop. I knew that if I broke the smartness limit, I could find the answer to everything. If that were to ever happen, it would make everypony sad because I’d be the only one with the meaning of life and they would be without it. “Ouch!” I pressed a hoof on my head to ease the pounding.

I wished I could be just a normal pony in bed. But I wasn’t. For some reason, I could get no rest. The nervousness remained, and even distracting myself with myself didn’t help much. The tension within me was still on the rise. It felt as if something wanted to burst right out of my chest. The pressure was too frustrating to be ignored. I had to fix it. The problem was, I didn’t know in what way I could do that. How does one fight oneself without getting hurt in the process?

“Aaa!” I broke into an aimless gallop.

I wasn’t in a hurry to get anywhere. School wouldn’t start for some time. It was the jitters that forced me to act out. I had to get the uneasy feeling out of my system, somehow.

When I trotted around the house the second time, I yelped at the noise I made. The dark prospect of explaining myself to my sleeping, coffee-less parents dawned on me. I didn’t want to deal with anypony; I couldn’t even deal with myself. It was best to make myself scarce. I couldn’t excuse myself, even if I wanted to. Acting on my gut feeling had always been easier for me than making up reasons for doing stuff. At the time, my gut urged me to run. So I did just that. I ran.

At the crossroad where the big, ancient, one moon-old alien tree stood, I took a turn and kept galloping toward the center of Ponyville. I leaned to the side as I adjusted my sprint along the main road.

Even after passing the town hall, I just kept on running. I felt the sting of sweat all over my coat, my legs tingled from the strain, and I raped every time I inhaled. Still, I pushed on.

Both eyes teared up, but I didn’t want to stop just so I could wipe them dry with a hoof. I needed my legs for running. Fighting my body made me feel alive and in control. The more physical pain I was in, the less I noticed my mental stress.

The mind was liberated and calm, but the body swayed from exhaustion. I knew I couldn’t keep at the self-imposed marethon for long. At the same time, I dreaded the thought of facing myself again. When I whizzed past Sugarcube Corner, I accidentally tripped myself on a swaying leg. It was obvious what would follow next. Instinctively, I cocked my head to avoid falling on my horn.

I hit the ground with a shoulder then rolled over my back. All four legs impacted the ground, sending tremors throughout my body. It turned out to be one of my better falls. Aside from a few scrapes, I didn’t get injured much. My hard hooves absorbed most of the impact.

For a moment I pondered how some rare creatures could live without hooves. I felt sorry for them. Every time they took a step forward with their unhooved legs, it probably felt like slamming face-first into the pavement with nothing to dampen the blow.

I laid there, still gasping. Dust from the street burned in my lungs, but I didn’t let myself be bothered by it.

Sun peeked from the distant mountains and glared straight into my eyes. I half-closed my eyes, defying the warm rays. Relaxing my muscles and playing dead felt so natural. I was relieved as if I just escaped the clutches of a scary monster and made my way to safety. Oddly enough, I had no clue who the monster was.

Just then, a figure blocked the sun from reaching my eyes. I opened them wide and focused on the growing silhouette. It approached, waving from side to side.

As it closed the distance between us, the details on the grimace became clear.

Clenched teeth and dangling ears. Veiny eyes from the front observed me as floppy eyelids swung up and down over them.

“Hehe!” was the last thing I heard before the head leaned over me.
> 17 - Need for Sleep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie Pie stood above me. “Sweetie Belle, what’s gotten into you? What are you still doing up—” she cocked her head “—I mean down; hehe.”

“Good twilight, Pinkie.”

“Oh, it’s already way past twilight, filly. Don’t you think you’re a bit young to stay out this late?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” I said simply.

“Yes, sidewalks will do that to you. Also puddles, nettles and rooftops for some reason. Uh! Uh! I know—have you tried sleeping in your bed yet?”

I sighed. “I did, but it didn’t work.”

“Don’t sweat it—” she leaned closer to my coat and took a whiff of me“—or do sweat it if you’re feeling hot. Anyways, sleeping is overrated. You should do what I do and get hyped up on sugar. It's a sweet way to party all day!"

“Huh?”

Then she laughed at her own joke, and said, "C'mon! That's funny! Sugar… Sweet… Get it?”

I didn’t get it. “You don’t sleep?” I cocked my head as I looked at her.

“Of course I do! I couldn’t treat everypony to a dreamy ice-cream otherwise. And you know what”—Pinkie Pie approached the front door of Sugarcube Corner—“I was just thinking about sleeping on the job. It’s so fun to wake up to a crowd of ponies waiting in line, screaming and pounding their hooves. It’s as if I woke up in the midst of a party. At least until I figure out I’m at work and the ponies around me aren’t having fun at all! I don’t like that last bit...”

She leaned on the door with a shoulder, scraping uselessly at the doorknob with a forehoof. “Who in their right mind thought that inventing a doorknob would be a good idea.” 

“Try it with both forehooves at once,” I suggested.

“Something as wicked as doorknobs shouldn’t even exist in this universe!” She banged on the door, then slid down on it in surrender.

“Alien Twilight said she broke this universe on a picnic. Maybe that’s the reason for bad things like doorknobs.”

Pinkie glanced at me. “Twilight isn’t an alien, silly.”

“Yeah, I know she’s not really an alien...” It was ridiculous to even think it.

“We’re the aliens.”

“Whaa...”

“You know what?” She turned to me. “Buck this!” She kicked at the door with a hind leg. “Sleep is for boring ponies, anyway. Let's paa”—her yell turned to yawn—“aaarty…” Her eyes closed, but she quickly forced them open. It almost looked as if she rolled them up like window blinds.

I hustled myself on all four hooves “Have you been up all night, Pinkie Pie?”

“I actually wanted to not go out in the evening. I haven’t stayed at home since forever and wanted to see if it’s still as dull as I remembered it.”

“So, why aren’t you home then?” I dusted myself with a forehoof.

I felt two forelegs leaning on my back. She touched me!

“Sweetie, let me tell you about this pony I’ve met after work when I commuted home on hoof.” Her body weight shifted onto me.

I leaned sideways and took a step away from the invader.

The support of the air alone didn’t last long. She tilted over and fell face-first onto the pavement. “Ouch!” Her head remained pressed against the ground as if it was glued.

“You startled me!” I excused myself.

She leaned back and supported her head with both forelegs as she looked at me. “Oh, but he wasn’t scary at all. He just looked—out of place, as if he didn’t belong. I’ve had this weirdest tummy rumbling around him. Then again, I seem to be having a lot of that lately.” She stood on her hind legs and looked down. “In fact, I have it right now. Listen!” Her tummy pressed against my ear and a booming roar echoed through my head.

“Argh!” I jumped away. “Too loud! Do you have a manticore in there?”

“It started the moment I saw you. Hmm, maybe you’re right and it really is just something I ate… It couldn’t be the pony, could it?”

I took a step away from her. “You ate a pony?”

“I think he came into town just yesterday and was confused because he didn’t even receive a welcome song yet.”

“That doesn’t answer my question...” I sighed.

“He seemed really weary.”

“I’d be weary, too, if you tried to eat me.”

She looked up and pressed her eyebrows together. “The unicorn kept watching them from a distance while he telekinetically wrote onto a scroll.” She opened her eyes wide as she looked at me. “Uh, uh! Did I mention that his horn is pure black? And not just that; his whole coat is dark black. His mane is bright red and so too is his tail. And the cutie mark… The sparkly lightning spanned over his entire flank.” She rolled on her back and indicated the size of the lightning with both forelegs.

I looked around to see if there was any filly going to school early, so I could excuse myself. I had enough chaos in the night and wasn’t feeling up to dealing with all her randomness, on top of that.

Her legs shoved in the air, sliding her body forward on the ground. “I snuck up on the pony from behind to see what he was writing.”

She jumped up on all fours. “Then, I tapped him with my tail from the other side.” She whipped me with her tail.

“Hey!” I put a hoof on my flank where she slapped me.

“The newcomer reacted differently than you. He was so edgy when he jumped up and spread his legs like this.” She imitated the actions as she described them. “His big eyes darted around and then he saw me.”

“You’re kind of hard to miss.”

“Nah, everypony would totally miss me if I ever went away. I know I would miss me if I wasn’t around me anymore.”

I facehooved.

“Anyway, I waved him hi by flapping my tail high above my croup and said I was Pinkie Pie, but he merely stared at my waving tail then said, “Odd Case”. That’s an odd name for a pony, I thought. But then I figured I could call him OC, which is short for Odd Case and it’s just so fun to say it. OC!”

She jumped up and down around me screaming, “OC, OC, OC!”

She stopped just one jump short of the puddle at my side. “When I stopped singing to him, I told him that he made an error in his letter. He wrote ‘Dear Hive Queen’ instead of ‘Dear High Queen’. Can you believe that?”

I shook my head.

“Anyway, I’ve never seen him before. He must have come from another queendom, hence the High Queen. So, no, you probably don’t know him, either. And if you did, you’d tell me about him, right? You still remember our deal, right?”

“You’re talking about the commission that you wanted us Cutie Mark Crusaders to take on, aren’t you? We’re not a mercenary group, Pinkie Pie. We just want to get our cutie marks…”

“Picture it!” She exclaimed. After kneeling beside me, she slid a hoof across the horizon. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, the new ponies spotters! You could totally get a cutie mark if you stalked out around the town for me.”

“We could?”

“I’d do it myself, but I have a hard enough time stalking all my friends. Too bad I can’t be in more than one place at a time—anymore.” She bowed her head.

“Anymore?”

“Anymore!” She loudly whispered.

I sighed. “What would a cutie mark for stalking even look like?” I asked.

“It would be so freaking amazing. I imagine it would be like two big eyes on your flank; always present. Watching.” Her eyes opened wide, watching the very soul within me. Then, out of the blue, she suddenly dunked her head in the puddle beside me.

“Pinkie Pie?”

She lifted her head and slammed face-first into my flank. “Something like this!”

“Hey!” I scrubbed at my flank with a forehoof in an attempt to get rid of the sludge from my coat, but the big-eyed mud-face only smeared more. “You made me dirty!”

“You weren’t picturing it, so I had to paint it for you.”

“I’m not sure I want a cutie mark for stalking ponies,” I groaned.

Her eyes spread wide. “Oh, and there’ll be cupcakes at the end!”

“Whaa...” I backtracked away from the confusion incarnate. “I’ll talk to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo about it again, okay? I’m not making any promises, though. We already have other assignments at school. Speaking of which, I think I’ll go there right now.” I turned toward the main road.

“It’s still too early for school, or maybe it’s too late. I can’t make up my mind about it. Oh, have I told you I haven’t slept at all since yesterday morning? Anyway, you wouldn’t believe the areas Odd Case and I explored last night!”

“Well, I’m glad you had fun…” She freaked me out even more than she usually did. I wanted to be alone!

She jumped over me and rolled on her back blocking my path. Her face was right below mine, our snouts almost touching.

“Wait!” A hoof rose toward me. “I haven’t told you what I did with my OC yet.” She touched me again!

“I’d really rather—”

“He was also playing hard to get, like you. I had to chase him all over Ponyville throughout the night.”

“Maybe he just wanted to be alone! And what does playing hard to get even mean?” I took a step back and left her hoof to dangle in the air above her.

“No, I think he wanted to hang out but was just a bit shy. He asked me if I could tell him everything I know about the oblivious inhabitants, and I offered to introduce him to everypony at the party that I would throw for him instead. He then suddenly changed his mind and didn’t want to meet anypony anymore. I don’t get why some ponies act so randomly…”

“Maybe he didn’t want to be around ponies he didn’t know.”

“That’s not it, silly. Who doesn’t like meeting new ponies? I know I do. I really do. If you ever see a new pony in town you’ll tell me right away, right? You do want to get on my good side, don’t you? Think of all the sweets I’m entrusted with on my job. It would be a shame if the free samples were to run out.”

“Look, we couldn’t spy on entire Ponyville even if we tried. And if by some miracle, we could, it wouldn’t be possible without spreading out, but then the whole crusade would become lonely. Scootaloo could die from boredom. I think she might even be allergic to it.”

“But stalking is never boring! There’s nothing more exhilarating than keeping tabs on ponies. I remember this one time when I tried to hang out with all my friends at once. It was super exciting and easy because we were all together.” Her shoulders slumped. “But then they had to go places, and I couldn’t be with them anymore...” Her head bowed.

“Sometimes ponies go away so that they can meet again at a later time,” I explained and walked to the other side of the street.

She kept sliding on the pavement alongside me, blocking my way. “They were just doing different things, that’s all. I know how that is. I once wanted to learn playing instruments, but it was hard to choose which one to start with. They told me that I should just pick one of the many playthings, even though I wanted to have my way with all of them. You know what I mean?”

“No...”

“So, I decided to do all of them at once, anyway. It took me forever, but I managed them, somehow.”

“I’m not following—”

“Yes, isn’t sleep deprivation smashing!”

“Whaa—”

“—Turns out, hanging with friends in different places is even harder.”

“Maybe you should just let them do their own—”

“—But I did it anyway.”

“I’m glad for you...”

“There’s always a way to do what you set out to do, as long as you don’t give in.”

I took a few steps back. Walking around her didn’t work, I hoped that jumping over her would get me on the main road to school. I crouched down to break into a gallop.

“I had to clone myself to do it, but I did it!”

Just when I was about to leap forward, I stopped in my tracks and almost fell over my forelegs. “You did what?” I whipped up with my tail to lower the bottom half of my body. Both hind legs connected with the pavement again. I sat down and gazed at her with wide opened eyes.

“I made more Mes—They were all me, but more of me, so I called them Mes.”

“I bet that’s what caused the Pinkie Pie rampage on Ponyville. Hmm, I should have known you were somehow involved in the mess.”

“Did you figure that just now?”

“I’m smart like that,” I said proudly.

“I wonder what gave me away. Could it be the fact that they all looked exactly like me?

“Could be...” I tried to act all mysterious like.

“...Anyway, my plan turned out sour which is odd for me because I’m usually pretty sweet, but I’m just saying. If you want to hang out, there’s always a way for you to hang out with me. Oh! Oh! I have an idea! Let’s hang out. At least until the boring school takes you away from me.”

My body moved closer to her. I didn’t know exactly why, but the mention of cloning sparked a wave of curiosity from deep within me. It demanded to be sated. “How did you do that, Pinkie Pie?”

“Well, one Me went to Applejack and one Me went to Rainbow—”

Air gushed out of my nostrils. “I don’t care about any of that!”

“Jeez… And I thought I was the one with a short attention span.”

 I sighed. “How did you—clone yourself?”

“It kind of makes you wonder. Was it really I who did it?”

“Can anypony clone himself?”

“Well, you can’t anymore. Twilight placed a giant boulder over the cave.”

“The cave?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, the one with The Mirror Pool in it.”

“Where is it? I’ve never seen it before.”

“It’s in the Everfree Forest.” She thumped a hoof on the pavement in a rhythm. “Where the brambles are thickest. There you will find. A pond beyond the most twisted of vines!” She pounded her hooves repeatedly, then slammed hard with a hoof against the ground for a big finish.

“Where are the brambles thickest?” I leaned closer to her.

“See, isn’t hanging out fun,” Pinkie Pie cheered.

I narrowed my eyebrows. “Where is it? Tell me!”

“Oh, it’s just over that hill.” She pointed a hoof in the direction. “It has a giant boulder on top of the entrance. You can’t miss it. However, if you see the Castle of Two Sisters, it means you missed the spot and went too far. There are some tentacled remains there that can be loads of fun if used in the right way. Technically, they are vines, but I call them tenties because they’re super prehensile. You might want to miss those; I would if I were you. In fact, I miss them already...”

“And you get multiplied if you enter the cave?”

“No, you have to be ready to go in the pool. And you need to speak the words.”

“What words?” I asked.

She thumped a hoof on the ground again.

Both ears perked up as my vision narrowed. The focus stayed fixed on her moving lips. “And into her own reflection she stared. Yearning for one whose reflection she shared. And solemnly sweared not to be scared. At the prospect of being doubly mared!” The rapid hooves thump snapped me out of my focus.

I wanted to remember the song she sang. I’ve never heard it before.

She cocked her head and observed me “You want to sing it too?”

My mouth gaped as I nodded.

“You go, girl! I’ll give you the rhythm.” She sat on her tush and thumped on the ground with both forehooves.

I recited. “And into her own reflection she stared…”

She nodded. “Yearn—”

“—Yearning for one whose reflection she shared. And…”

“Solem—”

“—solemnly sweared not to be scared. At the prospect of being doubly mared!” My mouth morphed into a grin. I knew the words!

She ceased thumping and looked at me with a smile plastered on her face. “See, wasn’t this fun!” 

“And after saying these words the clones rose to do your bidding?”

“Not clones; Mes!”

I sighed. “Is that all you did to make the Mes?”

She nodded. “Mhm.”

I hopped back a few times. “The information you shared pleases me. I’ll take my leave now.”

While I galloped toward her, she rolled on her back and grinned. “Go for it, plaything!”

I took a long hop, then jumped over her. Just a moment after, I landed. Yet, I didn’t find myself on the ground.

“Sweetie Belle, what are you doing up there?” She smirked. “Did you forget yourself in the air after you jumped?”

I was above the ground, standing on Pinkie Pie’s legs. She had caught my hooves—with her hooves! “Ugh! Put me down!”

“Why in such a hurry, little filly? Aren’t we having fun?” A gaping smile spread beneath me as if she was preparing to eat me whole. “There’s still plenty of time before school starts, and I haven’t told you everything about my OC yet.”

I half-closed my eyes as I gazed down at her. My teeth remained clenched as I muttered, “Let! Me! Go!” 

“I found you floating the air. Finders keepers! You’re mine now. Hehe!” She tickled me on the belly with her tail.

I twitched and shoved it away with a hoof. “Stay back! You have no claim to this body!” My gaze shifted forth as I made a big leap. Her hooves moved alongside mine, and I ended up in the exact same spot again. She had trapped me above her!

“Are you sure about that?”

“Ugh!” I thumped a hoof against hers.

“Hehe, what else will you try, hula toy?”

“You think you can keep me down—I mean up? Me, the untamable pony?” I smiled as I began to walk, slowly. 

She mirrored my motions exactly and only let my legs move while keeping my body motionless in the air above her.

“No way you can keep up with me!” I broke into a gallop, pushing down with my legs as hard as I could. “You’ll see that I’m full of smartness!” All my muscles tensed as I took a big leap and landed—on her hooves.

“You can run all you want if you love running so much; hehe. We can still talk while you do, though. So… do you want to hear more about my OC?”

“Argh!” I banged both forehooves on hers. “How are you even doing this?” My tension rose by the moment.

“I can play ten instruments at the same time. Holding you in place like this is easy for me.”

Tapping my hooves on hers in frustration didn’t help any, but I wasn’t done for just yet. A crafty idea clogged itself in my mind. Glancing to the side, I pinned both ears forward. The corners of my mouth wanted to turn up as I thought about my clever deception. I firmly pressed my lips together to hide the grin and opened my eyes wide as I faced forward. All the muscles tensed up before I crunched down and launched myself—sideways.

I soared through the air.

“Hee-hee!” The giggles came from below me.
 
I landed and immediately sighed in frustration when I found myself on Pinkie Pie’s hooves again.

“I can feel your moves before you make them,” she snickered. “You can’t trick me this way. I’m not even using my Pinkie sense. You’ll have to step up your game if you want to get somewhere.”

“Ugh!” I thumped a hoof on hers.

“What else you got, plaything?”

“Aaa!” I spun around as fast as I could. When my rotation was at the maximum, I jumped forth—and landed on her hooves.

The world spun. If I was on solid ground, I’d fall over, but she fixed my balance with her hooves. Even though I was dizzy, she made me more stable than I’d be if I was sober.

“Put me down!” I jumped on her hooves.

“You didn’t say the magic word!” She laughed.

“Ugh!” I thumped with a hoof. “And into her own reflection she—”

“—Those aren’t the right kind of magic words!”

“Which magic words then?” I whined.

“There’s a single word more powerful than any incantation. Do you wish to speak it?”

My grin widened as my head nodded.

“When you want something from somepony, what do you say?”

“Give me… something?”

She raised both eyebrows. “How about: please?”

My body shook. “Argh!” I snorted in disappointment.

“Just say please, and I’ll put you down. It’s that simple.”

She was in control and wanted me to admit it. I had tried everything, and I couldn’t escape her hooves. She won. I closed my eyes and bowed my head. My body tightened and teeth clenched as my lips formed the first letter of the word, “P...”

My eyes opened wide when something forced itself to the surface. Suddenly I realized I'm not the only one stuck. In fact, I literally had an upper hoof. I was the one with the terrain advantage.

I murmured under my breath, “Defeat is never an option for the swayer of destiny.” A widening grin climbed up my teeth.

“What is this now?” Pinkie Pie cocked her head. “Do you want to dance some more, swayer of the hooves? Go for it, hehe! I can do this all day. Maybe I can even catch a nap in between.”

I ordered, “Don’t let me go!” If she followed along with my plan, I could break her resolve and reclaim what was rightfully mine.

“Um… Sure!” She pinned both ears as her tummy grumbled. “I’ll keep you up until I hear you say the magic word!”

I turned around, facing her backside. She matched her hooves with mine perfectly. Just the way I wanted.

“And after some more dancing, the innocent filly would say ‘please’ and all would be well again,” narrated Pinkie Pie with a serious tone in her voice.

I folded both hind legs and crouched down, tush leading the way. “Just keep me right above you.” A mischievous smile drew itself across my face.

Pinkie’s body shook. “Oh, that one was a doozy. I wonder what’s dropping…”

I spread my buttocks.

“Holy poop, Sweetie Belle!” Her hooves launched me over her head.

I landed on the ground. My plan worked to a Turd. Both hind legs pressed together because I was almost at the point of no-return. Luckily, I managed to hold it in and keep the street clean.

“How? I narrated it!” Her mane straightened as both eyebrows pressed together. “It should have worked...”

I grinned at her. “My dark-brown wizardry is even stronger than your petty magic word, Pinkie Pie!”

Besides her ears flopping, she wasn’t moving.

I took the opportunity and galloped away from her toward school.

My legs carried me on until I was utterly exhausted. I stopped at a nearby bush and looked back. It seemed that I lost her. The streets were still empty because the day wasn't in full swing yet. I looked toward a nearby bush. On a normal day, I’d wait with my excretions until I’d get to the bathroom. However, with all the recent running, my bowel movements worked overtime. The pressure built up inside, and it took all my focus to keep it from bursting out. I looked left and right as I backed toward the inviting bush.

“Are you gonna try to poop on me again?” the bush asked.

“Whaa—” I looked up and there was a pink head hovering above me from the top of the bush. “How did you—”

“Weren’t we having fun?”

“Sure…” I took a few steps away from the bush. “I just need to get to school, okay?” I broke into a gallop again.

A trash can in front of me opened, giving rise to an annoying, pink head that spoke to me. “We still have plenty of time. The fun school bell hasn’t even chimed yet, and neither have I.”

At that point, getting to the class wasn’t on my mind. It was way to early, anyway. The first priority was finding a working bathroom that wouldn’t talk back when I tried to use it. I had a serious need for such a bathroom and I knew school had it. “I don’t want to risk being late.” I ran past her. It was always very embarrassing when I failed to reach a bathroom in time. I wanted to cut back on such occurrences as much as possible. 

A shadow surrounded me. There were two pink running legs on the left side and two pink legs thumping the ground on the right side. A head popped from above me and lowered to my level. It spoke, “Let me tell you what I did with OC!”

“I don’t care about your stupid OC!” I ducked down stopping in my tracks.

Her tail stroked my mane as she passed over me.

I was at the intersection. The direct route to school had Pinkie Pie on it, so I took a detour instead.

Something hopped over me; then back from the other side. I looked up. She bounced over me again and again while keeping up with my full galloping speed.

Pinkie Pie jumped in front of me and kept hopping on the path with her muzzle almost touching mine. “OC wanted to play the catch me game, as well.” She kept bouncing backward without losing any momentum.

“What if he was just trying to get away from you? Did you think about that?”

“Hm, could it be that he needed to be somewhere else? Hmm… ” She looked up. “No, that can’t be it. We were playing catch me game all night long. I was chasing him all over Ponyville. It didn’t look as if he wanted to settle in one place.”

I saw the school in front of me. I really hoped that she wouldn’t follow me to the bathroom. That would be really awkward.

When we neared the school, Pinkie Pie’s ears perked up and her mane got less wavy.

She suddenly stopped as if she bumped into an invisible wall with her flank. Her hind legs rose, and she only balanced on her forelegs.

I ran past the stalker but still kept my eyes on her.

Pinkie cartwheeled onto her hind legs. She banged with both forelegs against the air as if she was trying to smash an unseen force field. “Sweetie Belle! I’m not allowed to go near the school since the bell incident. Come back to me, please! Don’t escape into the darkness within!”

Her pleas were left behind as I ran into the building. The corridor was dark, but I knew my way around. When I reached my destination, I kicked open the bathroom door then slipped in just before the door rebounded and shut close. I threw myself rump-first on the toilet seat and succumbed to the call of nature.

“Ah…” I sighed with relief as I heard the splashes in the toilet bowl below me. The release felt comforting. So suiting.

My eyes closed, and I dozed off.
> 18 - Heavy Thoughts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My lower jaw rested upon my chest. Saliva dripped from my open mouth onto my coat. The back of my neck ached from being in an unnatural position for too long. Worst of all, I felt as if there was an ant hill in the middle of my bed. The muscles in my buttocks cramped with an extremely unpleasant sensation.

I figured I just needed to turn myself to the side and lay my head on a pillow. Half asleep, I tilted my head and leaned forward. A weird feeling engulfed me. It was as if I floated up from my bed.

My eyes shot open. What I saw before me wasn’t a ceiling. It was the hard, unyielding ceramic tiles getting bigger. Nothing around me reminded me of my room. And motionless, midair levitation wasn’t what was going on. The bathroom floor swiftly approached as I toppled forth and plunged down ever faster!

I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain that the bathroom tiles were about to unleash upon me.

KHH!

The scratching noises emanated from above my head,

I waited with clenched teeth, but the pain I was expecting never came. I opened my eyes to see why the collision hadn’t occurred. Maybe gravity really was just a theory, after all.

By all rights, it should have already started to affect me, yet, I was trapped in the air. My face levitated a mere hoof length away from the floor, indicating that I was no longer friends with gravity. It was either that or there was something ahoof in the restroom that prevented the inevitable impact?

I put both forelegs on the floor, just in case gravity decided to start working on me again. When I strained my leg muscles, my body remained still. I couldn’t push the ground away from me.

Waving one hoof above me didn’t reveal what the force holding me down was. Only empty air floated above. I wiggled both hind legs, but I couldn’t move from the spot because the toilet was wedged between them. It held them spread apart more than I was comfortable with. The position of my body was similar to the pose of a mare I’d seen in one of Twilight’s top-shelf books when I had attempted to get a librarian cutie mark.

I didn’t want to spend eternity looking at the bathroom floor, so I continued my efforts in finding the cause of my levitation. Whatever the culprit was, I needed to thank it for preventing my fall, and then, I needed to smack it for trapping me midair!

I touched the back of my head to make sure some cockatrice wasn’t turning me to stone. When I brushed a forehoof through my mane, I didn’t notice any hard, stony surface. Just my usual curly hair. I concluded that being turned to stone wasn’t the cause of my immobility.

My self-touching hoof hit upon something flat where my horn should have been. The surface extended in all directions. I dreaded to think about the notion of having a mere stump. My mind raced ever more because I didn’t feel anything boney or coney before me. There wasn’t any clingy sound like the last time I broke my horn but there had been a screeching sound after I had fallen off the toilet bowl.

I rolled up my eyes in hopes of seeing my horn, but it wasn’t there. The door before me engulfed my whole field of view. I couldn’t touch my cone; I couldn’t see it. My breath ceased. Shivers ran down my spine. “No! No! No! Not this again!” Having a horn was the only hope I had for casting magic spells in the future. It could even allow me to get the kind of cutie mark that only Unicorns and Alicorns could gain.

I didn’t have any guarantee that I could fix it that time around. For all I knew Zecora may have run out of healing potions and even if she had one, she’d probably try to get in my way again.

Panic was getting a hold of me. I pushed my head up and down then left and right. Nothing happened. It was as if my forehead was glued to the door. I knew that wasn’t the case because I wasn’t playing with glue recently. Still, something held me fixed on the spot. There must have been some other reason for my immobility then playing with gluing technology. I was almost sure of it.

When I thumped with both forelegs on the door, I felt my head jerk a little. I pushed with all the force I could muster against the door, and my head, finally, moved away from it. Escape from the booth was in progress.

The brief smile quickly faded as my head connected to the bathroom floor. “Ouch!”

With my face still plastered to the bathroom tiles, I looked up. My horn! I could see it. I was still attached to it.

When I softly bumped the horn with a foreleg, it didn’t hurt at all. After rubbing it up and down, I moaned from the realization that touching it wasn’t hurtful in any way. I’d touch myself more, but I was kind of tired from the recent fight with the flat wood.

In order to distract myself from distracting myself, I looked forth. There was a scratch in the middle of the door and a hole as wide as my horn on the bottom of it. “Whoops!” I put a hoof to my muzzle then quickly shoved it away when I remembered I haven’t washed my hooves yet. My first instinct was to open the faucet to clean them up as is proper, but I stopped halfway. Who’s gonna know? Grown-ups already had me follow so many stupid rules: don’t jump in puddles; comb your mane; don’t pee on the lawn; write your homework; don’t sing out loud at night; brush your horn, don’t break windows… I’d show them! I’d show them all by disobeying their instructions without them knowing about my naughtiness. That would teach them. I could even add the door to that scheme, as long as they wouldn’t find out it was I who broke it.

I promptly forgave myself for the damage I’ve done. There was no use thinking about it any longer. My body was intact, and that was all that mattered. It was a bit odd, though. I gazed at the door. It was wrecked, but for some reason, I didn’t get hurt at all. My horn had smashed through the wood with all my weight behind it, but I didn’t feel any pain. It was as if nothing had happened.

After swinging open the hollow door, I stepped up to the mirror and observed my horn in the reflection. It was there alright.

I moved closer to see how bad I grazed it. By rotating my head in front of the mirror, I observed the bony surface from different angles. My horn was undamaged, despite the merciless battle I’d waged with the solid wooden door. There weren't even any scratches or cracks. Nothing. It was smooth along all the surface. The shade was a bit reddish, but it might have been like that even before I noticed it.

It wasn’t thumping from the inside like that time I smashed it against the branch or the time I broke it on the castle’s door. It just resided on me like the rest of my limbs. I could still feel it. It was a part of me, and I was a part of it. We were one.

The bathroom window cast bright sunrays on the floor. How long was I out? I gasped. Class!

I ran out of the bathroom and burst into the classroom.

The heads of everypony turned to me.

“Sweetie Belle!” A voice from behind the lectern boomed. “You’re late again!”

“I was—” I wanted to say ‘in the restroom’, but I remembered the hole I made in one of the doors and I didn’t want to associate myself with that.. “—late to come to school.” I was really proud of myself because I reacted so crafty. Nopony could accuse me of the damage I made, if I was late, to begin with. “But I came straight to class.” I couldn’t possibly be the culprit.

“Straight to the class as opposed to…”

“Taking a detour?”

She facehooved. “Sweetie Belle, maybe you should have woken up earlier today. Then, you could come to school in time for once.”

“But…” I woke up when it was still dark, and she wanted me to wake up even earlier than that. If I were to try it, I’d have to be waking up before I’d fall asleep. I wasn’t sure if that was even possible. “Earlier would be too early!”

“There aren’t any objective causes that would prevent you from coming to class on time. I’d tolerate you being late here and again if your family still lived in Canterlot and the morning train was held up. Yet, such is not the case; I can see the top of your house from this very window. It’s just a little over a stone-kicking distance away.”

I didn’t know why she would want to kick stones at my house. It would probably be to wake me up before I’d go to sleep. If she could actually kick a stone so far, she might break a window or something. My parents probably wouldn’t be happy about that. If I wasn’t allowed to do it anymore, neither should she. Then again, she was an adult and they might make an exception for her. Ponyville, along with the rest of Equestria, was really oppressive when it came to equal rights. Adults had way more of them than the rest of us ponies.

“How hard can it be to get to school on time, Sweetie Belle?”

“I have to get ready for school, first.”

“And what does that involve besides getting out of your bed?”

“Well... that. And, um, I have to decide on what to wear for the day.”

“You never wear anything...”

“Exactly! I have to go through my whole wardrobe before I get to nothing.”

“Enough excuses, Sweetie Belle!” She groaned. “All it takes you is a few dozen steps from your bed to here. It’s just a matter of walking here when you hear the school bell.”

She had no idea how many distractions were strategically placed on the path to school, school bell being merely one of many. Just thinking of all the distractions sometimes distracted me enough that I would forget to walk forward.

“School is important, Sweetie Belle! If you don’t get a proper education, you’ll never amount to anything. Now, sit down! Tomorrow I expect you to come to school in time. I don’t want to hear any more excuses from you in the future.”

When I sat down behind my desk, an uneasy, splashy feeling oozed from the seat below me. My cheeks got warm. In the heat of the battle with the bathroom door, I had forgotten to use toilet paper for my tush. I silently squealed from the embarrassment. My face stiffened in determination right after. Just because I hadn’t done one of the many basic hygiene practices, it didn’t mean I was failing in any way. I looked at my unwashed hooves. Well... two things... “Ugh!” I’ll still amount to something! 

What does amounting even mean? I continued the conversation with myself in my head. How will I even know if I’m amounting? I placed both forehooves on the table before me and slumped on them as I sighed.

My body leaned back as I lifted a hoof. I’ll get a cutie mark, that’s how! I turned my left hoof toward the right one to bring the point across.

Yes! Of course! I nodded with the right forehoof. I was bound to get it because everypony obtains it sooner or later. It was obvious. The wandering pony who Twilight had told me about, for instance, had gotten it without doing anything special.

It was decided. I’d also get a cutie mark even if I didn’t do nothing. But, what would a symbol representing nada look like? I really hoped it wouldn’t be all white. That would make it really hard to see on my whitish coat.

A thought dawned on me. Wouldn’t getting a cutie mark for nothing mean exactly what Cheerilee implied. Not amounting to anything.

But I wouldn’t get it for nothing anyway. I’d get it before that. I’d get it for—something. Something amountingful or awesome like…

My thought process stopped. I’ve never even considered that some cutie marks might be cooler than others. It must have been true, though. I knew the cutie mark Scootaloo would name if I asked her which one is the coolest. Without even thinking about it, she’d say a rainbow-colored lightning bolt, coming from a fluffy cloud.

Too bad I couldn’t get that one. I imagined only a skilled Pegasus or an Alicorn could get a cutie mark of that sort. Maybe Cheerilee was right and there really was a limit to my amounting.

The only way I could get such a cool cutie mark would be if I grew wings. I scoffed at the silly thought. As if somepony could just grow wings…

Twilight Sparkle! She grew them. I remembered her from before. She had been just a Unicorn like I was. Then, one day, she had decided to erect new appendages. The way I’d heard it, she used magic to turn herself into an Alicorn.

Even Rainbow Dash with the coolest cutie mark was jealous of her.

That made no sense to me. Why would she be jealous if she was the one with the coolest cutie mark around? Could it be that Twilight’s cutie mark was more awesome?

The stars supposedly represented magic. Twilight was, without a doubt, good with magic. She had even beaten Trixie who had insisted that she could do anything better than anypony else. The moon on her cutie mark also symbolized magic.

I wondered if a space-themed cutie mark might even be better than the one Rainbow Dash had? With a magic cutie mark, you could grow wings and get—immortality?

That’s what Rainbow Dash had been jealous of when I had met her the last time. She wasn’t afraid of anything and yet was afraid of death?

I supported my head with both forehooves. Maybe dying is a bad thing. And Twilight, being immortal, could avoid it. That sweet deal of alicorning herself surely demanded a lot of magic. Perhaps if I learned enough of it to become an Alicorn, I’d have a better chance of getting a cutie mark eventually. Twilight said that I would be using a lot of magic if I broke the barrier. I had broken a whole horn before, but I wasn’t sure if that counted.

If I wanted to have a shot at getting a magic cutie mark, it would probably take a lot of training. I just wished it wasn’t so hard. I remembered Twilight’s earlier teachings and her disappointment when I couldn’t even produce a single spark. She made it sound so easy. The session with her got me thinking that I might have gotten really bad at magic after I had cracked my horn and even worse after I broke it off entirely.

I looked around the class. They were all looking at Cheerilee. She drew different kinds of clouds on the board.

I might as well try. It wasn’t like I had anything better to do.

The energies flowed within my forehead. It wasn’t like the throbbing that I had felt when I’d hit the castle's door; I sensed the cony magic-maker with my very being. It seemed almost like another limb that I could make use of.

I closed my eyes and relaxed the muscles. Both forelegs slipped loosely off the table to my sides. I bowed my head and reached out with the channels. My focus was aimed at the horn. The force extended outward, and my mind became one with the surroundings. It wasn’t the way I ‘touched’ the door in the bathroom but soft and sensual. I could feel the slick texture of the surface.

I opened my eyes. It was the table that I sensed. I was touching it. But I wasn’t physically feeling it out. I was sensing it with my channels.

My horn! It glowed! No! Bright things glow. That illumination was different. Black aura radiated through the air. It was more absorbing light than producing it.

The game of light bubbles popping in and out was mesmerizing. I could just stare at the purple bubbles, but I was more curious about what I could do than how my magic looked like.

I thought about touching myself with the mystical channels, but remembered one of many Rarity’s scoldings. Supposedly, touching oneself in public was bad, for some reason.

Must resist touching myself! I kept repeating in my mind. It was hard to hold myself back because there was nothing around me to put on the table to distract myself from the boredom around me.

In my mind, I felt the soil I could play with even before I looked down to see it. My hooves were dirty. That was normal, but with all the running I’ve done, they were even more filthy than usual.

When I rubbed my hooves together, some grime fell from them onto the table. Among it was a small pebble. With my hooves, I isolated it from its natural environment. I bowed my head and focused my charged horn on the target. The energies reached out and touched it. Despite my eyes being closed, I saw the shape of the pebble in my mind. And not just from the side facing me, but from all the angles at once. I felt it better than I could if I was actually touching it with my hooves.

The memories of the times I could use magic dawned on my mind. I had used to be able to do so much more…

Touching the pebble with my mind was nothing, I wanted to move it. My forehead puckered. As the focus increased, so too did the details of the surface I sensed. Even the tiniest bumps and crannies that I probably couldn’t see with my naked eyes were plain to me at that time.

All that nerdy focus strained me, but I kept at the task at hoof. When I yelled at the pebble in my mind, it rolled to the side in reality! I didn’t just see it happen; I felt it with my magic. It probably wasn’t my mental screaming but something else.

I tightened the muscles throughout my body, but the pebble stayed put. The only result of my strain was a silent fart that escaped my behind. I relaxed my muscles so it wouldn’t turn into a loud one.

The instructions that Twilight sang at the training dawned on my mind. It was the flow that needed guidance! When I focused on my body, I could sense the inner tingling. My legs, tummy and head… It wasn't the muscles that tickled me; it was the energies from within. I wasn’t just feeling the flow; I could lead it toward my horn. The arcane presence responded to my whim. I was doing magic again!

Here goes nothing! I focused back on the pebble, then redirected some flow to my horn.

The pebble moved again. I was doing it!

I tried to steer the pebble by focusing on just one side of it. When I channeled the flow against its surface, it moved in the right direction, which brought a smile on my face. I could do telekinesis again! The talent that only Unicorns and Alicorns could learn was within my reach.

But, I wasn’t fully amounting yet. The task wasn’t about merely pushing. I had to levitate the pebble or it wouldn’t count as legit telekinesis!

I focused on the bottom of the rocky plaything. The flow drifted from within me toward my horn. I tapped into my inner energies and increased them ever so slightly.

The pebble moved left and right as if it was trying to resist me. I focused on its sides, and the more flow I opened the more it stabilized. A black aura formed around it. 

Here we go! I directed my attention to the bottom of the pebble. It jumped up in an arch. I decreased the flow and it glided back down.

Almost there! I just needed to equalize the forces on all sides. My focus spread out on every side of the pebble. The black, translucent layer enveloped the entire rocky surface.

I then pushed from below. When I increased the inner flow, the pebble slowly floated up. I followed it with my eyes as it lifted above me.

Even after closing my eyes, I could still feel the small mass hovering in the air.

Magic was fun! The more I was doing it, the easier it became. Almost as if I was holding the pebble up with a hoof. Just more—special.

I had the magic part covered and was in the midst of amounting. The pebble was under my complete control. I proved that I had the ability; at least for the basic stuff. For the advanced magic, I’d probably have to read a bunch of books. I gasped as a thought glinted through my mind. Twilight did that most of her waking hours. That activity seemed very dangerous to me; it was a wonder that she didn’t already die of boredom.

The mortal danger wasn’t my only concern. Even if reading was a safe activity, I didn’t know where I’d find all the time for book-drooling. With school, crusades and everything else, a day just wasn’t long enough. Even if I wrote a letter to Princess Celestia to knock it off with her speedy sun, she probably wouldn’t want to chillax for my sake. Adults never listened to me.

Ditching school wasn’t an option, either. Grown-ups were really strict about proper indoctrination. Unless I did more stuff at the same time, I wouldn’t be able to do it all. A grin graced my face. The idea of sneaking books from Twilight’s castle library and secretly reading them while waiting for pointless school to be over was intriguing.

“I don't know, okay?” I heard Diamond Tiara raise her voice. “But at least I know what the question was. Unlike Sweetie Belle, who isn’t even paying any attention to you at all!”

“Whaa?” I opened my eyes and lifted my head. Diamond Tiara accusingly pointed a hoof at me.

“Is that true Sweetie Belle?” Cheerilee stepped closer to my table and glared at my floating pebble. “Do you know what I asked?”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon high-hoofed behind Cheerilee's back.

I had no idea what the question was. The bubbly horn light started to fade. My head, along with the pebble in the air, drifted down in shame.

“How about you stop showing off your magic and pay attention to the class instead!”

I’d probably be forbidden to use my horn in the classroom from then on. Figuring that I’d get scolded even more, I closed my eyes in surrender. Suddenly, my eyes shot open as if by themselves. My head rose high. The aura around my horn thickened.

Cheerilee lifted her eyebrows. When I rose on my hind legs, she moved back and cocked her head. A wide opened eye stared at me.

The bubbly aura darkened as the pebble floated high in the air. “You asked what Wendigos are.” My lip slid back into a grin. “They’re ancient, flying, magical creatures. In appearance resembling dragons, but are of a different breed. They employ clouds for elevation and can, utilizing hatred as a catalyst, induce magic storms to consume heat energy from the affected areas. They are the Enders of conflict.”

I felt myself slip back into my seat. Everypony looked at me, mouths agape. Except for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They glared at me while clenching their teeth together. Silence engulfed the classroom.

“Well…” Cheerilee exhaled. “That is both the question I asked and the correct answer. At least the first part. I'd have to brush up some more on mystical Wendigos myself to confirm the second part, though. How did you learn all this, Sweetie Belle?” She smiled at me.

A voice boomed in my mind, So this is what you strive for, tutor? All desires are merely doors for exploitation. I can fulfil more of your wants, for a price! “I sometimes bring books to the classroom and read them in secret, so that I can learn even more about the things you are teaching.” I didn’t remember reading any book on Wendigos, though. The only mention of them I recalled was from a school play about Hearth's Warming Eve.

“There's no need for you to hide your thirst for knowledge, Sweetie Belle. As long as you're paying attention in the class, you can check your books openly. In fact, I encourage all of you”—she looked around the classroom—“to further your knowledge on your own accord when you hear a subject that spikes your interest.”

She looked back at me. “Your magic usage, however, could present a distraction for somepony.”

How about you allow me to do that as well! I floated the pebble closer and caressed it with a hoof. I looked up at Cheerilee with my big eyes. “But this is the only thing that keeps me focused. Without it, my mind would just drift away, and I wouldn't be able to follow all your teachings, let alone build upon them.”

“Um, okay then…” She turned around and slammed a hoof against Silver Spoon's desk to break her conversation with Diamond Tiara, then continued her way to the lectern.
> 19 - Snails
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The school bell announced the end of the tedious class.

Scootaloo walked up to my desk. “You can use magic again. That’s awesome!”

A yellow tush approached us. Apple Bloom swayed left and right while she dragged her saddle bag on the floor with her mouth.

My glance caught with Scootaloo's. She gazed back at Apple Bloom’s charred tail. Her raised hoof indicated that she wanted to say something, but no sound came out of her mouth.

Apple Bloom released the handle on her bag. She turned around and almost jumped in my face. “Congratulations, Sweetie Belle! I was really hopin’ your horn would heal soon.”

“I fixed it,” I said simply.

“Told you you’d heal up in no time.” Scootaloo smirked. “You worried for nothing.”

“I guess time really does heal all wounds.” Apple Bloom drew closer and observed my horn. “Did you play with crayons again?”

“Whaa?” I raised both eyebrows as I looked at her.

“Wow! The crack is totally gone now. To be honest, I was kind of worried about it. I even asked my brother if horns can heal if they break and he said nope. But never mind that! When did you find out that you can use magic again?”

“Today in class.”

“This is really great!” Apple Bloom glanced at her bag on the floor. “You might even be able to use it on tonight’s crusade.” 

“Why can’t you tell us what the mission is, already?” Scootaloo poked her. “You still haven’t told us what the plan is!”

 “I brought the capes!” She smiled at me while reaching into her bag with a hoof.

“That’s not what I asked...” Scootaloo sighed then grabbed the cape with her snout from Apple Bloom's foreleg.

“Do you know who was the first to get a cutie mark?” Apple Bloom buttoned up the cape that Scootaloo threw on herself.

“Celestia?” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom facehooved. “From our class!”

“Oh,”—Scootaloo’s half-closed eyes pierced her—“you didn’t mention that!”

“You’re wrong, either way.” I lazily lifted my head off the table. “Celestia wasn’t the first pony…” They both gazed at me as if I fell from the moon, and I didn’t feel comfortable in educating them further in the matter, anymore. I wasn’t sure I could, even if I wanted to. What do I know about the time over a millennium ago?

Apple Bloom looked back at Scootaloo and broke the silence. “Snails!”

“Whaa,” both I and Scootaloo uttered in unison.

“Snails had his cutie mark for as long as I can remember.” Apple Bloom explained. “He must have done something right to win it that early.”

“How did he get it?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’ve no idea. We gotta’ ask him.”

“Is this the mission you were going on about?” I sighed while my head dropped back onto the table. “Asking Snails how he got his cutie mark? That’s your big idea?” Interviewing ponies had been my suggestion, and it hadn’t worked out that well when we had tried it a few days prior. I glanced back at her without lifting my muzzle from the table.

“Yes!” Apple Bloom lowered her eyebrows as she looked at me. “Asking him and possibly getting them ourselves.” She threw the cape over my head. “Put it on!”

I sluggishly wrapped it around my body. 

“Come on!” Apple Bloom waved to me from the doorway.

I sighed, then trotted to join them. 

We found Snails in the schoolyard where he usually hung out in the afternoons. It was at the playgrounds where adults are never seen after school because they are afraid of everything fun. He sipped water from a puddle and didn’t notice us.

“What are you doing, Snails?” Scootaloo asked.

He jerked and turned around, raising his head to face us. Brown water slid down his neck, forming two dirty lines on both sides of it. “Look at my creation,” he gurgled as he pointed a hoof at heaps of mud.

“You made mud?” I asked. I always thought mud formed naturally, but I’ve been wrong before. A long time, almost a year ago, I had thought that rainbows formed naturally. How stupid was that? Well, actually not as stupid as me believing that the sun and moon moved over the sky by themselves. But that had been way back when I was just a little filly and didn’t know better.

“It’s Canterlot,” he said.

We stood there, looking at the piles of mud. I tried to find similarities between Canterlot buildings and domes of mud. I worried that my imagination might have been limited. “I can’t see it.”

He stepped to a cone of mud and pointed a hoof at it. “This is the castle.” 

“Hmm…” I pressed my eyebrows together, trying to boost my imagination to the maximum. “Canterlot castle does have a pointy rooftop. This pile of mud is also kind of pointy. Yes, I can see the resemblance now!”

“Want to help me with a waterfall?” He dunked a hoof in dirty water and lifted it high into the air. A few drops of water fell down to the ground, but most of it flowed on his short-haired coat. He jerkily shook when the cold liquid reached the exposed leg-pit. “Eek!”

Scootaloo was the closest to him. She took a few steps back to avoid getting sprayed. “It looks—fun, but we’re—on a time schedule?” She looked at Apple Bloom and me. We nodded. ‘Time schedule’ was, indeed, a word. Scootaloo looked back at Snails. “Yeah, on a tight time schedule!”

“Thin calendar?” Snails raised both eyebrows and looked under our hooves.

Apple Bloom facehoofed. 

Scootaloo’s eyebrows rose high. “Not on a calendar.” she shook her head. “On a mission! We are on a mission.”

I sighed.

“We want to do this today before it gets dark.” Apple Bloom pointed a hoof at Snails. “We hope you can help us with our quest.” She winked at him.

He raised an eyebrow. “Does it involve mud?”

My first instinct was to say no, but it could have been a trick question. I communed with a distance to ponder about it.

“There might be mud,” Scootaloo answered.

It snapped me back to reality. “Whaa...” Was mud part of the plan?

“It’s been raining.” She smirked. “Mud’s everywhere…”

“Ugh! This isn’t going anywhere!” I turned to Snails. “We want to know how you got your cutie mark.”

“Oh, that old thing?” Looking back at his flank, his neck craned to the side. When it couldn’t bend anymore, he walked in a circle. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and jerked up his head. “You like it?”

Apple Bloom pointed to his flank. “It’s a cutie mark. We like cutie marks.” She lifted the cape, revealing her blank flank. “We want to get cutie marks of our own.” She let the cape slide over her flank and pointed to the sewn-in pony patch. “We’re called the Cutie Mark Crusaders for a reason, ya’ know?”

“I can show you how to get them.” Snails proposed.

With my mouth ajar, I looked at Apple Bloom then Scootaloo. The hope of getting somewhere lifted my spirits. I couldn’t hide my smile, and neither could they. It was a bit hard to believe that getting a cutie mark could be as simple as he made it sound. Still, the fuzzy feeling of earning my cutie mark overshadowed the pesky doubts. Why would I question something that feels good, anyway?

“Come, I’ll take you to where I got my cutie mark.” He pointed a hoof toward the road.

I took a step forward but stopped in my tracks right after because he screamed at me, “Watch the railroad!”

My body froze, and I only dared to shift my eyes to both forehooves on the ground. There were two lines imprinted leading to one side of a hoof and continuing on the other side.

I jerked up the apocalyptic leg then brought it back in to even out my hoofprint with the surface level, demolishing even more of the railway. It couldn’t be helped. Sometimes you have to destroy the old to create anew. I connected the broken lines of the railway with the edge of a hoof and fearfully looked up at Snails. “It’s fixed!”

He kept staring at me with half-closed eyes. I looked for a clearing and jumped. Mud sprayed around me.

“Sweetie Belle, watch it!” Apple Bloom tried to remove a mud spot from her cape but quickly found out that blots only grew bigger when you smudge them. “Ugh! I just got them cleaned…”

Scootaloo held a hoof to her face as she murmured. “Can we go already?” 

“This way!” Snails jerkily pointed with his head and broke into a gallop spraying mud behind him.

Apple Bloom took a step away, despite being at a fairly safe distance. “Maybe we shouldn’t be wearing capes for this one.”

“They were your idea.” I pointed out to her and ran after Snails.

We stopped at a ditch beside the road. There were plants with big leaves growing in it. How they were called escaped my mind. I wasn’t sure if I’d even seen them before. The green surfaces were riddled with holes and there were snails everywhere.

“This is where it happened.” Snails smiled.

“What happened?” Scootaloo asked.

“I tried to invent a new way of running.”

“You invented—running?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, almost. The problem was that I didn’t see where I was going because with this special method you have to be facing forward with your tail and not your head.” He demonstrated the technique by running backward.

Suddenly, he turned to us and waved a hoof in the air. “There I was. Exploring the unknown, when, out of nowhere, a rock appeared under my hind leg.”

“You weren’t even looking...” I sighed.

“Exactly! Without even seeing the rock, I tripped on it. I don’t know what happened after that, but when I woke up, I was in this ditch, covered with snails.”

“Ick!” Scootaloo’s hair stood up.

“No!” Snails shook his head in Scootaloo’s direction. “It wasn’t bad.” 

“You had snails on you!” she raised her voice. “How was that not bad?”

“Sure, being covered with snails might not sound like much.”

“It sounds horrible!” Scootaloo almost yelled before her voice broke.

“There was something more than just being covered with them; as a bond of sorts. It wasn’t only their ooze seeping its way through my coat to my skin. I sensed something beyond the slime. I felt their very presence. And they also felt mine.”

Scootaloo burped. Her cheeks burst out as she pressed her lips together.

I slowly backtracked. There were things in the world I didn’t want to witness first-hoof. Luckily, Scootaloo didn’t show off her liquid disgust. She swallowed it, instead.

Apple Bloom listened with pinned ears. “Is that when you got your cutie mark?”

“Mhm.” He slid a forehoof along his flank.

“That seems easy enough!” Apple Bloom turned to us.

I froze, putting my stealthy escape to a hold, so she wouldn’t get offended by my lack of enthusiasm. It seemed, in all her zeal, she didn’t notice me being farther away than before.

“Girls, I think we might be just a few moments away from gettin’ our cutie marks!” She proclaimed

“Um...” Scootaloo's eyes opened even more than I thought possible. They fixed themselves to the center of the ditch where Snails stood proudly.

“Apple Bloom, I’m not so sure about this,” I said.

She waved me to come closer. “Don’t be so snotty.”

“They’re the snotty ones!” I pointed a hoof accusingly at the ditch where the snails were. A few of them already slid out of it and menacingly approached us.

“It’s what we came here for. You do want to earn your cutie mark, don’t ya’? Well, now’s your chance.”

I turned to Snails. “What does your cutie mark even mean? Anypony can get covered in snails; I don’t really see the point of having a cutie mark for it.”

“I told you, there’s more to it than just getting cozy with snails.” His head jerked back. “Watch this, fillies!”

He jumped in the gutter and put both forelegs in the middle of it. I stepped closer to see what he was doing. It wasn’t him doing anything, he just stood there, but the snails around his legs twitched. The closest ones to him turned hyperactive.

What I witnessed was unbelievable. They slid toward his hoof faster than I had ever seen any snail move. The snail taming effect wasn’t showing just on the closest ones, it was far-reaching. Even the snails that were out of the ditch turned back to it. Yet, they were reacting slower than the ones that were close to our slime-taming cutie mark sensei. They only slightly diverged from their paths, while the ones that were in the center of the ditch had already climbed onto both brown forehooves. The sight of that sent chills down my spine. All the while, Snails just smiled at them.

“I don’t think the slime creatures are the only ones feeling the connection,” I whispered to Apple Bloom then walked along the edge of the trench. “How is that even useful?”

He put down the hoof with which he was caressing a snail on his leg and looked at me. “Useful?”

“What’s it good for?” I asked. “Can you even do anything with it?”

“Well… I once used my—power to save a cabbage head from a snail attack. The cabbage was left only slightly nibbled because I led the snail away in time. It was all thanks to my special ability.”

I rolled my eyes. “Couldn’t you just pick up the snail and carry it away?”
 
“Well, I guess that could work too. But you see, I didn’t have to pick it up because I have the power!” He lifted his head high.

Apple Bloom raised both eyebrows as she looked at me. “Sweetie Belle, why do ya’ even care what the cutie mark looks like? Anything you get is better than being a blank flank.”

I backed away from the ditch again. “I’m not so sure about that anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Apple Bloom cocked her head. “You hate being without a cutie mark! We all do. That’s why we’re doing this.”

“I don’t think I want to get this one.”

“Look, I get that you’re a little grossed out, but it’s really not dangerous.”

“They look poisonous,” Scootaloo commented.

“I’m pretty sure they’re not.” Apple Bloom clenched her teeth and touched a snail near her with the edge of a hoof. “Just take a deep breath and jump in the ditch. Jump in backward, so you don’t have to look at them. That’s how Snails did it.”

“Yup.” By that time, his legs were covered in snails, and the socks of slime climbed higher still.

“It’s not about the snails. I don’t even care that they’re gross.”

“Well, what’s the problem then?”

“I think—we’re doing it wrong.”

Apple Bloom facehooved. “Not this again.”

“I don’t even think we have to find our cutie marks.”

“How else could you get one?”

“We could choose it. We could force it!”

“That doesn’t work. Trust me on that. I had Twilight cast magic on me to produce a cutie mark. She tried a bunch of times, but none of the marks stuck on me for long. I then used a potion, and it also didn’t work right. You can’t force your cutie mark like that.”

“I’ll make it work!” I banged a hoof on the ground.

“Scootaloo, back me up on this, will ya?” Apple Bloom said

The statue didn’t react. She just murmured through her clenched teeth, “So… slimy…”

Apple Bloom gazed at her with half-closed eyes. “You’re not helping!”

“If my talent is snail taming, I’m pretty sure I can at least avoid getting a cutie mark for it.”

“What’s with you, Sweetie Belle? We don’t get to choose our cutie marks! We test our talents everywhere in hopes of winning. That’s the way of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It’s even in our anthem!”

Their crusading brought me only pain and no reward. I had nothing else to say. It was time to end with the trivial and break the bonds that bound me. The new path before me was as clear as crystals. “It may be your way.” I felt out the cape’s buckle on my neck with a forehoof.  “But it’s not my way!” I unhooked the string from the buckle without breaking my eye contact with Apple Bloom. The cape slipped down my body and fell to the ground. I didn’t even look at it. I slowly put down my leg.

Gasping loudly, she repeatedly jabbed Scootaloo between her ribs, while still looking at me.

The wide eyes reacted and lifted a forehoof to prevent more poking. She slowly turned around, with her gaze following the direction Apple Bloom’s head was turned at. 

When she laid her eyes on me, she gasped in horror and shock. “Sweetie Belle, you don’t have to do that! Look, I agree with you. This plan sucked from the start, and we’re stopping it! Come on, just put your cape back on.”

Apple Bloom clenched her teeth, then slowly nodded. Her ears flattened on her head. “I admit it, the idea we went with was a bad one. It was wrong of me to force this on ya’ all. I’m sorry, okay? Please don’t go through with this nonsense. Let’s just talk about it, okay?” She looked up at me. “We could go to our clubhouse. We’ll do something you like. Um… for instance, you like… er, composing songs. We’ll, um, let you make suggestions for a song. And then we can write down the good parts for you and, um, pretend that we didn’t hear the bad parts.”

I shook my head. “You don’t understand!”

Scootaloo pointed a hoof at Apple Bloom. “Get over it, Sweetie Belle! She already admitted she was wrong, and she’s sorry for it.” Her head bowed in response.

I faced away from them. There were things on my mind that didn’t involve useless things like standing in gutters. I wanted to rise above, not sink even lower.

“Sweetie Belle, you’re overreacting. Just calm down. I was also grossed out by the slime. I get it.”

My tearing eyes pierced her. “You don’t get it! You don’t get it at all!” I slowly backed away. “It’s over! I’m out!” Swinging myself around, I broke into a gallop.

“Sweetie Belle!” They both screamed in unison after me.

I didn’t look back. There was nothing to look back to. I could sense the road before me. They couldn’t help me. I wouldn’t let myself be held back. If they put themselves in the middle of my schemes, I’d only end up hurting them, and we’d all regret it in the end. It wasn’t wise to stand in my path. To keep them safe, I had to cut them off.
> 20 - Show Off
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was anxious to show Twilight Sparkle what I’ve learned. I figured she’d be really thrilled and happy for me. She was the only one who could truly appreciate my magic abilities and share in my joy. Not like other ponies, obsessed with their daily routines. Even Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. They didn’t get it. Non-unicorns often think that if it’s magic, the spell needs no further explanation. What I performed that day wasn’t the simple kind of magic I’d used to play with. It was much more unique and profound—a beginning of something greater. I just knew it.

My legs buckled while I tried to catch my breath from the fast stride. I slowed down to canter. There was no need for me to hurry because I had plenty of time. Not rushing myself would allow me to savor the moments before my big announcement.

A few days prior, I was losing everything along with myself. At that point, however, I felt content. Things seemed to be falling into place. I was no longer bound. The future seemed full of possibilities.

I stayed clear of Sugarcube Corner, just in case Pinkie Pie somehow managed to stay awake. It wasn’t as if I’d tried to avoid anypony; I merely didn’t want to be bothered. My destiny laid before me and walking from its path would feel like a waste of time.

The big smile wouldn’t dissipate from my face. I could feel the wind between my hind legs because my tail stood up so proudly. My body seemed almost weightless. The mere thought of going to a library would usually bring me to the brink of boredom, but at the time, an unyielding force pushed me forward toward the crystal palace. It acted as a beacon among everything common and dull.

I reached my target. The sparkles of the crystals of Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle drew attention to themselves. The old door was bruised and bumped, but it didn’t spoil the entrance into something beautiful in the slightest. It was a doorway to my destiny. A place where I could belong.

Some muffled voices came from within the castle. That wasn’t surprising since it was the middle of the day, and Twilight usually didn’t want to waste daylight. After knocking and counting to one, I got bored with waiting for a response. I swung the door open and perked up both ears. The voices came from the direction of the library down the hall. I drew closer to announce my presence.

“…and she just stood there as if it was nothing and said, ‘Did you think I’d let you get away with it!’” Rainbow Dash pointed a forehoof forth. “And then Arimaspi was like—Oh, oh, you do the Arimaspi part, Twi!”

“No, I’m good…”

“You have to do it! Your evil voice fits perfectly.”

“Ugh! You have spoiled my schemes...” Twilight sighed and telekinetically slipped another book from the pile to a shelf, while speaking monotonically, “Who in Equestria are you, disruptor?”

“I am—Daring Do!” Rainbow Dash spoke dramatically, flapped her wings and floated up with her forelegs crossed on the chest. After holding that pose for a while, she put both forehooves on her cheeks and squeaked, “Daring Do was so awesome!”

“I know, I’ve read her book as soon as it was published. And I do not have an evil voice.”

“I’ve read it twice already!” Rainbow grinned while proudly pointing a hoof at herself.

“So did I.” She sighed unimpressed, stashing another book on a shelf. “I already lent you a book about the countless differences between turtles and tortoises. Is there anything else I can do for you, Rainbow Dash? If not, I need to—”

“Ahem!” I cleared my throat. The stuff they had going on was so very interesting—not, but I was the one deserving of attention!

“Oh, hi there, Sweetie Belle.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “How’s your gem-hunting going along?”

I sat on my tush “Not there yet.” My eyes half-closed as I rubbed my hooves together. “But soon…”

“Hehe! Yeah, right... Anyway; great thing you pulled by concealing your horn. I can’t believe everypony is still obsessing about that more than the storm that I produced out of the blue.”

“What storm?” I raised an eyebrow as I glanced at her.

“Rub it in, why don’t you!” Rainbow dash smirked. “Next time, I’ll produce a tornado or a double rainboom. Maybe that’ll get your attention.”

“Mhm...” I said disengaged while I gazed into a distance.

“Well, if my endeavors are so underwhelming, what is it that makes your mischief so special? How did you hide your horn, anyway? Did you dye it the same color as your mane; is that it?”

My ears shot up. I glanced at her then shied away. “I don’t want to talk about—”

“—Too great of a prankster to reveal your secrets, ey? I’ll have you know that I have a secret of my own. Look here. Now you see my tail, and now you don’t.”

“I can still see your tail.” I sighed.

“Well, I’m not gonna perform it here, obviously.”

“Why not?”

“For reasons…” She faced away from me. “But trust me! It’s a really great trick, my ace in the hole so to speak.”

“If you say so...” I rolled around my eyes.

“I’m gonna fool everypony with it, then we’ll see who they pay attention to. See you on the battlefield, sister!“

“Sweetie Belle,” Twilight interrupted as she put the last book on the shelf. She turned to me, “I need to talk to you.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight, then me, then her again. “Well, er… later, amateurs!” She flew by me through the door that I kept open for her.

I stepped forth and shut the door with a hind leg. When the sharp gaze connected with my new best friend, I spurt out, “I want to learn magic!” The path to the world of amounting laid before me, and I was just a moment away from taking the glorious trot on the sparks of magic. I gazed into a distance, imagining myself as a great and powerful magician.

“Yes… That’s what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, Sweetie Belle. You should sit down for this.”

I laid my plot on the floor, clenching my teeth to prevent the excitement getting the best of me. I was anxious to get to the good stuff as soon as possible. It takes many steps to become best pony. Such was, surely, the case with becoming a master magician. It probably couldn’t be done in a single day. Maybe by the next full moon… I grinned.

She slowly approached. “I did some checking up on the results and—”

“—I think I’m getting better at it!” I stood up, tapping all four hooves on the floor.

“Look, I’m sorry if I elevated your hopes. That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted you to know that there was still a chance, so you wouldn’t distress before you had all the data.”

“I want to improve even more!” Everything was falling into place. I jumped up and down on the spot with excitement.

“You’re not listening to me, Sweetie Belle!” She thumped a hoof on the floor. “I checked the numbers! There was no echo!”

I stood on my hind legs and spread out my forelegs the way I’ve seen the great and powerful Trixie do on a stage. “Who needs an echo since I have magic on my side!” I cheered. Maybe I could even become the very best in magic like nopony ever was.

“Listen, dammit!” Twilight raised her voice and struck both hooves on the floor. “You don’t have it in you. Your mana pool is empty. You can consider yourself lucky if you manage to produce a single spark in your lifetime.”

I gasped at the harsh words. After dropping on all four, I quickly took a few steps away from the mean alien.

She covered her mouth with a hoof. “I’m sorry; that was too blunt of me.”

My eyes teared up. She ruined the moment. “Why are you so wicked?” I had really hoped she’d be happy for me.

Twilight shook her head, exhaled, put a hoof on her chest and took in a deep breath as she extended the foreleg. “I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle… It seems the stress is getting the best of me. I’ve got things going on, you see? Look! I’d really like to tell you something uplifting, but the facts are as they are. The numbers don’t lie.”

I leaned forward and glared at her. “Your numbers are wrong!”

“I’ve double-checked everything. That bump must have severed your neurological connection to your horn.”

Show her a glimpse of what’s coming her way, a voice whispered inside my mind. I closed my eyes and focused the inner flow within me. It rushed toward the horn.

“I know how all this must feel. I, also, lost my magic in the past. Fortunately, it wasn’t permanent for me like in your case...” Twilight’s voice trailed off.

While I gazed at her with a grin, the channels flared up. A thick, bewitching aura formed around my bony limb. I even saw swaying smoke at the corners of my vision.

Twilight took a few steps back “That darkly glow!” Her tail tucked between both hind legs. “How did you—who… Who showed you that‽ How can you even…”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I just played around and figured it out!”

“No! This isn’t something you just pick up on the way. And your disability… You couldn’t even lit your horn the last time I saw you. And the analysis…” She glanced toward the creepy basement entrance. “No, no, no! Facts don’t lie!” She swallowed. “They wouldn’t do that to me, would they?” Her head violently shook. One hoof struck the floor as the other pointed at the dark light show around my horn. Her eyes pierced me. “That is not possible! Not at such a young age and especially not from a crippled magic bio-conductor!”

“I couldn’t do it before,” I explained. “I only learned of it today, at school.” I sat down.

She took another step back. “In school? In one day?” Her head cocked. “Cheerilee taught you this? She’s not even a Unicorn!”

“I invented the magic myself!” My voice grew louder because of the anxiety. I was hoping for a more cheerful reaction from her. But at least she wasn’t disappointed with me at the time. Maybe I was on my way to the world of amounting. I smiled at the thought.

“By yourself?” She shook her head and walked left and right in an arch around me.

She stopped on the spot, lifted her head, and pointed a foreleg at me. “This makes no sense at all!” She stroked her chin with the hoof. “We need to get you back into the Electro-magic analyzer.”

I took a step toward the door. “You promised! No more!”

“Hmm… I did, didn’t I?” She sighed and bowed her head but quickly raised it again along with a convincing-wannabe hoof. “But that was just an alpha test. I’ve spent some time fine-tuning it since then. Actually, it might almost be beta-worthy by now!”

I took another step toward the door. “No! I’m not getting near that thing again. It hurt!” I pointed a hoof at her accusingly. “And if you use it on me again, I’m telling Rarity about it!”

She leaned back and lifted a foreleg. “Wait! Just... Relax. It’s not as if I’d force you against your will.” She looked to her alien basement, then at me again.

I wasn’t sure if she talked to me or to herself. “I thought you of all ponies would be glad for me!”

“You must have broken through the barrier in your horn. I can see no other explanation.” She shook her head again, which was something she seemed to be doing more than usual. “Yes, I am glad for you.” While slowly taking a step closer, she observed my glowing horn. “In fact, I’m thrilled right now.” 

She walked in a circle around me. “You wielding such complex magic is very—interesting. No, that’s an understatement. How could I have missed something so remarkable? Maybe my puppy wasn’t calibrated properly. If only I had more test subjects—” she put a hoof to her muzzle “—Oh, I mean subroutines to—um, something, something… help ponies… greater good.”

I stopped casting my magic. The glow of it was, apparently, distracting her. The black waves in the purple aura spreading toward the tip seemed kind of hypnotic to me as well.

“The magic you performed holds tremendous significance, Sweetie Belle! Have you ever witnessed this magic before?”

“Well, Rarity usually uses magic when she’s working with clothes.”

“No, I mean that special magic. That purple-black bubbling aura. Did you see anypony cast it?”

I shook my head and smiled because of all the attention she showered me with.

“That’s a very specific kind of magic you just used. It takes a very certain focus to form the particular channels that support that kind of magic.”

“So, does this make me special?”

“Um, sure. I guess it does. I only know of one more living pony beside us, capable of performing Alicorn magic. How did you guess the right channel frequencies? This magic is the most counterintuitive of all.”

“I just extended it.” I waved a foreleg forward. “And pushed on it.”

“Yes, but how did you know which ones to combine?”

“Combine?”

“Are you telling me that you just skipped all the steps in between and started off with that kind of magic?”

“Steps?”

“Can you still cast your normal magic?”

I caressed my horn with a hoof. “Are you saying my magic isn’t normal?”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just not usual. Let me give you an example. You like to draw, right?”

“Mhm.” I nodded.

“You know how you get a different color when you draw over an existing one?”

“I usually try not to mix orange and blue together. The color that those two produce is confusing.”

“In theory, you could get a black color if you mixed the right substances together.”

“I’ve never gotten black before. Usually, the more colors I use, the uglier the smear becomes, I try not to mix them too much. I never know what a smudge could evolve into if I would.”

“Well, using magic is kind of the opposite of mixing colors. It’s more aligned with mixing different lights together. The most proficient users can even learn to mix the white light.”

“White? Didn’t you say making black is the tricky part?”

“Making white color from different lights is hard, producing black by mixing different illuminations is impossible. Yet, you achieve the effect by doing it in reverse. Most magicians blend magic together to form desired arcane constructions, but you don’t do that.”

“I don’t?”

“Instead of combining magic frequencies, you annihilate them with the process of resonance. What I’m trying to say is that getting a white color from different lights is hard, but using the magic that you just used is like producing black from different mixtures. Not easy and not intuitive at all.”

“It doesn’t feel so complicated when I use it.” 

“That is, indeed, the intriguing part. It shouldn’t feel easy at all.” She stepped in front of me, observing my horn. “I want to sense your primal magic channel and how you mix it with others.

I looked at her. “Primal channel?”

“Yes. All Unicorns and Alicorns have their primal channel, which they use for raw magic manipulation. Mostly telekinesis.

“The advanced magic, however, requires using or even mixing supportive channels for different effects. We don’t have to go into that yet. That’s high-level magic usage. Now, just relax and keep the stream of your inner flows constant.”

I obediently closed my eyes and bowed my head.

“Now feel the flows within you. Focus on the resonating energy in your core.”

That was ridiculous, I felt them all the time. The bowed posture bored me senseless, but I kept at it for Twilight’s pleasure. I didn’t know what she waited for.

When I pinned my ears forward, I heard claws scraping on the floor. I could tell that Spike was about to come from the side room. The door creaked open.

“Mmm, I can sense the vibrations in you,” Twilight said. “You can also feel it deep inside, don’t you? This is what the horn’s versatility entails. Let yourself go in the sensations.”

The door silently closed, and the muffled tapping of Spike’s legs grew distant again.

“Yes, I feel my flows. Now what?”

“Extend forth the channels, just slightly and slowly.”

I lengthened them in the air before me.

“Okay, now focus on the strongest channel. Keep just that one and annihilate the rest.”

I didn’t know what she meant by that. I could thicken or extend it. Make it more powerful. Even curve it on a whim. But all that casting would still be just one kind of channel. I thought that if I made it denser—

“You’re doing it wrong!” she exclaimed.

I looked at her and cut off my magic flow. My horn glow dissipated. “I don’t have any other channels!”

“Hmm.” She put a hoof under her chin. “Maybe you’re right. I couldn’t sense any clear channels, either. I’m no electro-magic analyzer”—She looked toward the basement again, making me take a step back—“But I’m sure I would sense at least something if it was there. It’s as though you’re hard-wired for exactly this channel spectrum.”

“Channel spectrum?”

“I’ll give you the colors example again. Everypony has a favorite color—”

“I like pink!” I exclaimed with enthusiasm. “Apple Bloom once drank a pink potion at Zecora’s and so did I a few days ago.”

Sighing, she closed her eyes then continued, “...But when they draw, they make use of different colors. Maybe they employ their favorite the most, but they utilize other colors as well. You, on the other hoof, don’t.”

“I don’t?” My head bowed. “I like green, as well...” I whispered.

“You just use the one. But that wouldn’t even be that extraordinary. Most Unicorns use their primal channel and only rarely apply the others to flavor the main one. Before you switched to Alicorn magic—which is something I’ll get to the bottom of, even if it kills y… me—your horn aura was green. Like most Unicorns, you relied on your primal channel, so the color of your aura stayed the same. If you’ve been observant enough, you’ve likely noticed that, on most occasions, the aura of your sister’s horn is blue. That’s the color that her main channel produces. Coincidentally that spectrum also resonates with gems. That’s one of the reasons why she’s better than anypony else at detecting them. “

“But you said I’m the special one; not like the other Unicorns.”

“That’s just it. You don’t have a primal channel. You have just the right combination of channels arranged in perfect symmetry with one another. A combination like that forming naturally in a Unicorn is unheard-of at best. The chance of such an arrangement of channels forming due to an accident is—well, before today I would say zero, but I would apparently be mistaken.”

“I can’t use different colors then?”

“No. It’s the opposite of that. You employ all of them in such a way that they annihilate each other.”

“Even the pink one? I kind of like pink...”

“The colors were just an analogy. The channels themselves don’t have any color. Only the effect of channels gaining physical form induces the illumination that we perceive as the color of an aura.”

“So, I’m stuck with just one color then? Is that bad?”

“From the practical point of view, it’s not bad at all. Your magic, being the most unintuitive of them all, is also the most versatile. You can manipulate matter and magic in almost any way possible. Channels, forming the superposition spectrum, have virtually no resistance even when extended by a great distance. They respond to the tiniest stimuli from the flow. It takes very little focus to manipulate them. They are so responsive that they function as an extension of the caster’s cognitive processes.”

My eyes squinted at the big words. “Are there any limits to my amounting?”

She smirked. “I can’t say until I test you for your—amounting potential.”

I looked toward the basement in fear and took another step toward the door.

“Don’t worry, we don’t need any machine for that.” Twilight tapped her chin with a hoof. “It would be faster, though.” She noticed me opening the door and jerked a hoof in my direction. “But there are other, more conventional ways, to test these things out.”

I wasn’t sure if she meant that or was just trying to lure me back in.

“Unfortunately, the endeavor will have to wait. You caught me at a bad time. I’m a busy bee, you know? But I certainly want to see you tomorrow. Meet me at the clearing in front of the castle when you’re done with school. I will make time and preparations for some experim—ahem—training. Yes, more magic training. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She slightly nodded at me. “Can I count on your attendance, Sweetie Belle?”

“Sure,” I said plainly.

“Here’s a book on types of magic you can study until then.” Twilight’s horn glowed and the book levitated from the shelf toward me. “You’ll take good care of it, won’t you?”

While the book approached, I tried to use the opportunity to impress her. I extended my channels, wrapping Twilight’s field in the field of my own.

I felt the energies of Twilight’s channels and the focal points on the book. Her aura felt silky and warm; almost hot to the magic touch. They cut off as soon as I wrapped my shield around the book.

“Ugh” Twilight shook as her horn light dissipated.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Cold... Unclean...” Her upper lip lifted above her teeth.

I gasped at the return of the bully. “Whaa...”

“I… I’m sorry, I merely haven’t gotten used to the flavor of your magic yet.” She caught my glare. “It’s not you, it’s me. Nothing is wrong. Your magic is just—special, and I’m not very familiar with it yet, that’s all.”

“I’m special?” My ears perked up.

“Yeah, sure. Why not. Now if you’ll excuse me, Sunburst was scheduled to arrive at Canterlot from the Crystal Empire this very afternoon.”

“Who?”

“He’s an expert in various magic types. I need to go see him right away.” Her horn glowed ever brighter.

I sighed and pushed the door wide open with a foreleg, so I would save her a bit of time going wherever she needed to go.

She smiled. “That won’t be needed.” In the blink of an eye, she vanished, leaving me alone at the opened door.

I hated how she was able to leave in the middle of a conversation. Or maybe I was just a little jealous. It would be so awesome if I could just blink away whenever Rarity or Cheerilee was about to scold me.

I grumbled as I walked through the door that I apparently kept open for nopony but myself.
> 21 - Don't Disturb the Disturbed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“… Now sit down, Sweetie Belle, and pay attention to the subject. I won’t start over again just because you can’t show up on time.” Cheerilee finished scolding me.

I was late to school again. It turned out that you can’t run very fast with a heavy book in your saddlebag.

Nodding in agreement, I turned toward my desk. She didn’t even know how much attention I’d be paying. Not to her jabbering, of course. I had a more important thing to do during the class.

The moment my tush touched the dirty seat, a book floated from my saddlebag and onto the desk. I opened it, anxious to start reading. Who would have guessed that learning can be fun, interesting and engaging? They should make a place where ponies could go every day to learn new stuff. I looked around the classroom. Oh, right…

On any other day, I would have just put such a dull book away and looked at the ceiling to entertain myself, but with that particular one, I felt different. It wanted to be read. The content within presented a doorway to the brave new world in contrast to the stale one I lived up until then. Embracing the knowledge before me would prepare me for things to come. I couldn’t resist the magical info-dump hidden under the covers.

If I focused on each sentence with my eyes, they seemed complex and hard to understand. But if I just skimmed across them, I knew what the meaning was; as if I’ve read it before. It was more like remembering the information that the book portrayed rather than reading. I could even sense the knowledge hidden between the lines. The subjects that were merely skimmed or just hinted seemed familiar. Instead of worrying about my ability to recognize things that I’ve never even heard about before, I simply assumed that I might have been even smarter than I thought I was or that the book was enchanted in some way. It didn’t even matter how it all worked. Why would I distress about something that feels good, anyway?

Alchemy
The chapter was vast, but I just turned the pages one after another. This is the branch I owe my horn to. If it wasn’t for the alchemical healing potion that Zecora made, I’d be a far less edgy Unicorn. The mere thought of losing the ability to cast magic sent shivers down my spine. The one thing I had going for me; almost lost.

When I learn everything that Twilight knows, I may yet have some questions for Zecora.

Anti-magic
This includes different branches of magic from alchemy to elemental magic. What sets it apart from other magic branches is its effect. While the focus of most magic types is influencing matter, Anti-magic deals in canceling magic resultant. This is achieved by synchronizing with magic flows, turning them benign; canceling the results of magic; reflecting magic; containing the spread of magic or binding with magic in a way that produces little to no consequence, but consumes all the magic in the process.

The lack of any useful outcome makes this magic fairly unpopular. Despite that, some cancellation usages did find their way into medicine books for treatments of various magic poisons and after spell backlashes.

Black magic
The forbidden magic isn’t really an actual branch of magic, the book, however, tried to portray it as such. In reality, it’s more of a moral branch. Ponies stick all the spells they deem immoral in the black magic category, so they can distance themselves from what they don’t approve of. But it’s not the magic itself that is different. It includes all the other magic branches. The only difference is that the means or the effects of the spells can be harmful. Separating things by that criterion is too superficial, though. We impact our surroundings all the time. We trample the fertile earth beneath our hooves and prevent it from flourishing. The plants that beat the odds by breaking through the clenching earth get chewed upon by the vicious pony species. Black magic spells are just the next logical step from the harm we already do.

Blood magic and necromancy spells are the most detestable ones in this category. That has less to do with them being offensive oriented and more to do with ponies perceiving them too alien to be tolerated. They fear these magic subcategories because they don’t understand them. All the while, they shudder the thought of getting to know them. It’s a mental loop that is bound to keep black magic from becoming widely used by the general population for a millennium to come.

Blood magic
As some plants have their magic effect, which can be used in various alchemical brews, so too do animals. Of various parts that a biological creature consists of, its blood is the most potent with magic properties for it nourishes life, which in turn anchors the soul to the body. It can be used as a catalyst for casting or binding spells even in the raw state. The book failed to mention that some creatures are better for brewing than others. Ponies and dragons being the most potent ones of all. I drew a pot with Twilight and Spike bathing inside at the bottom of the page.

Chaos magic
This is the least understood magic branch—not because of its complexity but due to the lack of structure. There are many hypotheses as to what Chaos magic actually is.

I circled out the theory that was the least wrong and crossed out the other ones. The remaining one stated that Chaos Magic is magic in its most primal form. The arcane nature is not as smooth as some assume. It consists of fluctuations that may or may not form different structures within the field. By influencing the field in a certain way, one might produce a consistent effect from random fluctuations. A prime example of direct influence can be observed with the Spirit of Chaos—a Draconequus who has recently been unleashed on the world. Unfortunately, no books were written by the one known as Discord. At the time of publishing, he was still too stoned to shed any light on this elusive subject.

According to this theory, Chaos magic is the basis for every other magic branch. With a certain set of stimuli, one can produce a bulk effect of the field with some results being random, but majority obtaining an unvarying property usually referred to as the frequency of the channel.

It takes a special breed of creatures or ponies to spread out the main channels into more primal forms. Many master magicians try to fiddle with this magic but mostly abandon the studies due to lack of improvement in consistency. Casters experienced with Chaos magic can form powerful spells, but their degree of invariant is usually no better than novice level castings. After experimentation phase, serious casters usually abandon the study in this field, for the same reasons they stay clear of emotional magic.

Teleportation
The teleportation spell avoids the random effects of the field manipulation by not directly affecting it. Instead, the spell merely establishes the appropriate conditions that activate the innate property of synchronized endpoints. The surrounding field can then, under such conditions, produce a predetermined magic event on its own.

The main focus of teleportation is the energy transfer of the primary body by forming harmonic endpoints of the same vibration frequency of those at the starting area of the matter being transferred.

This process always leads to the loss of the original body, because interchanges between energy and matter fall under the consumption—creation type of transformation. The basic requirement for transformation between matter and energy is the preservation of magic amplitude. When used on a living being or self, a life is irreversibly lost as a payment for creation.

With formed channels, the magic energies themselves can be transferred from starting point to the endpoint. This part of the spell is a mere classical magic transmission. Chaos magic comes into play in a matter to energy conversion at the start of the process and in the last phase of the reverse transformation.

A soft jerk to my sides woke me up from the trance I was in. My horn glowed. A dark purple aura seeped from the corners of my eyes.

“Sweetie, zo you have an eraser...” a whisper came from beside me. “Um, you okay? Your eyes are smoking.”

“Hmm?” I looked at the concerned filly, sitting at the desk next to me. “You interrupted me, Twist!” I hissed at her.

“S—sorry. I just wansed zo borrow your eraser.”

A grin snuck on my lips as my channel forked at the tip of my horn. One part slung itself on her desk, while the other enwrapped my eraser within and without. Every curve of the channel was mirrored by the other. When the energies inside the eraser flared, the mass forming on Twist’s desk drained the magic from my channel. I snickered under my breath. “I’ve already lent it to you.”

“Whaz zo you mean?” She looked at her desk. “Oh... Sank you.”

My gaze shifted back to the magical knowledge in the book before me, pulling my mind along for the ride.


Copying of mass
Attempts of copying matter without losing the original body of mass have been reported to have some limited success. Those methods, however, involve an entirely different concept than teleporting.

The main idea behind copying is to set up an energy-charged pool of vibrating higher states of potential magic fields. Those fields can then be harmonized with mirroring intermediate. The matter passing through such fields initiates a release of stored energy within them. The mirroring medium ensures that the frequency of the released energies matches the frequencies triggered by the passing matter through the field. The resulting magic-matter transfer process concludes in a subject of exact material properties as the original trigger of the effect.

Only matter can be transferred with this technique. Magic-based properties of the transporting subject are absent in the copied matter.

Classical magic
The basic magic manipulation process is used predominantly by Unicorns and Alicorns.

In its simplest variety, this magic does not produce any effects but merely transports magic energies from one point to another. By forming channels, innate magic produced with a horn can be transferred to the desired destination by conducting it through the formed channels. At their conclusions (known as endpoints), the magic energies assume its original state.

The resultants of entropy magic (heat energy, kinetic energy or potential energy) are generally produced with the use of innate magic. In this creation process, the classical magic merely allows the transfer of the already formed effect to a destination, which differs from the point of origin.

The practice of classical magic can be achieved with innate abilities or any other techniques that produce channels. After the media for flows of energy is formed, the use of classical magic mostly relies on the mindful focus of the channel-wielder. With the innate magic manipulation, the potential focus is connected but not entirely set by the individual’s concentration and attention span abilities. The maximum limit of both is already determined at birth, yet immense training is required to make use of one’s full potential.

Innate spell amplifiers can influence the channels by methods of lengthening, connecting, disconnecting, shortening, forking, merging, spreading and weaving. The most commonly used are the former three because they’re the most intuitive and practical. This level of classical magic manipulation is achievable by most Unicorns. It allows for a basic, one item kinetic manipulation (levitation in its basic variety) by transferring kinetic energies formed with innate magic to the endpoints, connected to the manipulated item.

Expert magicians with an innate ability to form magic energies of different frequencies can conjure new instances by the means of channeling different wavelengths through multiple formed channels that merge at their midpoints. The range of frequencies available to the caster is, therefore, closely related to both classical magic abilities (number of channel connections) and their innate ability (potential for different frequencies).

Alicorn magic
I drew two brackets beside the subtitle and wrote ‘Best magic. Yay!’ within them. My eyes rolled around, as a reaction to what I wrote, then continued skimming through the text.

In most channel mergers, the end result is a unified frequency ranging somewhere between the scales of the ones being fused. By choosing the correct combinations, one can achieve a disharmonious frequency conjunction superposition, forcing a negative reaction from all the channels involved. The resulting specific type of innate magic—Alicorn magic assumes a higher state, which is less reactive to the physical matter. Even the minuscule changes in the flows have substantial effect when used at the higher levels. As a consequence, the high state magic requires less focus for the same level of manipulation as would be otherwise mandated by the normal state magic energies.

The usage of higher level magic is not limited to Alicorns. Those are more capable of such high-level magic manipulation, but other races and even some creatures have the potential of weaving the synchronized frequencies. The formation of channel interference requires adept usage of both innate magic and expert usage of classical magic. Such degrees of magic capabilities are only rarely seen in Unicorns but are quite prominent with Alicorns.

When the higher resonance frequency is achieved, the effectiveness of all classical magic methods of channel manipulation is increased because even unsteady channels of this spectrum can transfer magic without significant losses.

Due to the channels specific reactiveness, this form of magic affects detection spells. Unlike with gem-finding field that responds to magic residues, crystals cannot be located via the usual detection spells. However, with Alicorn magic the absorption properties of the crystals do interact via tunneling effect on the disharmonious channels. That negative energy reaction on the fields can be detected by the caster and, with triangulation, so too can the crystal.

I sighed. The book was lacking again. When talking about crystals, their magic-assisted growth should at least be mentioned. I scribbled a segment about it at the bottom.

Elemental magic
Because of the matter and force manipulation spells that fall into this category, it’s often referred to as the nature magic. Achieving the elemental manipulation mostly comprises of different telekinesis usages, adjusted for the texture of the targeted matter: Earth, fire, water or air.

Despite the claims of some ignorant low-level magicians, hurling a fireball does not necessitate a presence of fire. With telekinetic friction, the needed heat can be produced on the spot even without a catalyst.

Emotion
The book presented emotions as a special branch because of their spell-boosting effects. That was as ridiculous as saying a crutch helps you with walking. It’s only true if you’re a cripple, to begin with. Helping mages to overcome their inability to tap into their inner reserves should not be called boosting. Still, when one corners an enemy, emotions can run rampant in the prey. That usually hinders any last struggle that they could put up. However, if the emotional channels happen to resonate with the current spell, the power output could increase tenfold. That is why magic-wielding victims should never be underestimated. The book failed to mention this or any other practical example. I illustrated the portrayed technical knowledge by drawing crumpled Twilight in a corner of the page and wrote ‘KILL WITHOUT DELAY!’ over her.

Usually, the conscious part of the brain is fully responsible for magic manipulation, but activating the emotional subconsciousness can potentially increase the flow of magic by an ample amount. Certain emotions open up only particular channels. For assistance with a current spell, one has to feel the right kind of emotion to increase its power. A wrong kind of feel can mess up the spell or annihilate it entirely. Emotions are fairly uncontrollable, making the use of this kind of magic unreliable.

The book also stated that emotions act as a catalyst to spells. That was plain wrong and it needed to get fixed. I scratched it out with extreme prejudice. Emotions merely arouse the parts of the brain that are normally dormant, which in turn can procure extra channels. No catalyzation involved!

The master casters usually try to hinder this magic, despite its potential. They learn to restrain the effects of emotions on the flow because in most cases the extra variable is detrimental to the spell. Limiting the varying factors in oneself allows the caster to perform magic with consistency and finesse.

Geometry magic
The shapes themselves do not produce a magic effect. They can, however, present a medium for the magic to travel across.

Geometry magic is used as a compensation when innate magic cannot be supplied or as augmentation of classical magic when an ample amount of arcane flow needs to be transferred to an endpoint. Non-Unicorns use these techniques to simulate the effect of the magic channels because they can’t cast them on their own.

This magic type is one of the oldest. Indication of its use can be found at many archaeological sites of ancient temples where some geometric configurations have passively countered their spells’ decay for more than a millennium. Pon-Henge is the prime example of that. There’s a good reason why the inner tunnels of it are closed to the general public.

When forming and distilling spells, a mere circle shape is ineffective. The inherent friction of the magic arises when its flow abruptly changes directions. The absence of edges preserves formed spells longer because it protects them from such decaying mechanisms, but it doesn’t add to the spell’s ramification. Mastery of geometric magic often relies on balancing the use of both principles in unison.

There were a few drawings of various geometric structures in the book. I thought that a few shapes reminded me of something similar I’d seen at Zecora’s, but I couldn’t force myself to visualize it. My mind just got hazy when I tried. I skipped the pictures and continued skimming the text.

Some non-casting beings can master this technique allowing them the ability to cast spells. The process involves structuring complex symbols and medium paths where magic effect converge in a planned manner. An active presence of a member of a casting species can finalize the effect. If innate magic isn’t readily available, it can be substituted with magic prepared beforehoof in the form of runes.

The other name for this is ritualistic magic. I scratched that last statement because it was misleading. The expression Ritualistic magic came about from ignorant ponies who didn’t know the difference between useless rituals and intricate magic usage.

Innate magic
It is categorized as either active or passive based on its effects.

Plants usually harbor passive innate magic, while some animals, such as Unicorns and Alicorns, can enact active magic.

That’s just a rule of a hoof though. There are many exceptions, like plants with active effects. An example of that would be the truth flower or poison joke. On the opposite spectrum, there is the passive magic in Pegasi that helps them with flying and grants them the cloud-walking ability.

Earth ponies have innate magic as well, it just isn’t as clearly reflected.

I assumed the meaning behind that sentence was that with no innate magic presence, using Earth ponies for blood magic would yield no results. Earth ponies do, actually, harbor magic. The book didn’t mention it, but they can be just as potent as the other pony races if prepared properly. When alive, their innate magic also accounts for their increased physical capabilities by subconscious flash telekinesis that offers extra support to the muscle exertion motions.

Imbued magic
Certain simplistic spells can be sealed up in runes. Complex spells are only applicable when imbuing an object for a short period. A workaround for that timespan limitation is a construct of multiple runes, each holding a part of the spell with the proper geometry magic connecting them. That way, the chronological limitation is extended by a vast margin.

Imbued magic is used mostly by non-caster species and casters who wish to perform more lasting or complex effects.

Wards, totems and talismans fall in this category.

A growing agreement among casters is that necromantically raised beings could also fall under imbued magic, thus rendering the mostly unexplored necromantic branch redundant. The mere validity of zombie sighting has always been under question. Some of the reports of undead creatures can be straight out dismissed or at least sufficiently explained away by telekinetically imbued puppets or corpses.

“Ugh!” That last paragraph was drenched in ignorance. I didn’t know exactly where I got the information from, but I knew with my being that necromancy was just as valid a branch of magic as any other. I scratched over the faulty paragraph until it was illegible.





“Sweetie Belle, are you sure that book of yours is relevant to the subject at hoof?” Cheerilee approached my desk. “Are you even listening to me, filly? What did I just say?”

My heart thumped hard in my chest because I thought I would get scolded really bad for not paying attention. I was just about to say that I was really sorry when my muzzle moved on its own, “You’ve made a claim that Pegasi create clouds, yet there is a natural process capable of midair condensation. It’s not conscious driven and lacks guided purpose, but it does suffice in lands that the winged ponies have not yet claimed.”

Where did that come from? I asked myself in my mind.

“Okay then, I was just—checking,” she excused her disruption.

Oh, no matter, she’s walking away.





Incantation
By itself, it is powerless because the sound contains no magic on its own. The air vibration can, however, resonate with magic imbued objects that are primed for certain words. Voice never adds anything to the offset of the medium holding the spell. The reason why casters sometimes artificially embed the verbal incantation is to prevent a misuse of the conjuration or an over-drain of the magic reserves.

Though the book failed to even mention it, there is a prime example of this magic. I wrote “The Mirror Pool” on the side of the page. You need to say certain words to activate the copying effect.

Such a trigger is often used in spell books. By incantations, casters can see the structure and effect of a spell before they even acquire it. Recreating the spell after seeing it allows for faster learning.

Incantation is experimentally used in casting spells to initiate the emotion magic effect, but the results of that are inconsistent at best.

This entire branch falls under imbued magic. The incantation trigger merely increases the chance of greater spell ramification.

Magic amplifier
A Unicorn’s horn allows the caster to channel and control magic. The biological arcane catalyst is, however, far from the only mechanism for manipulating the arcane. Some of the items that achieve similar results are not even physical in nature.

Various magic catalytic effects can be achieved by arcane means. These range from simple artificial channels to imbued spell amplifiers.

For practical reasons, spell amplifiers often take a form of necklaces and crowns. They mostly implement emotion generation magic that opens up unused emotional channels. Alicorn Amulet is the prime example of that. The extended use of such items is not advised because emotions usually directly influence decision-making in pony population.

Some ponies are capable of isolating decision-making process from emotional influences. That technique, though effective, is even more controversial because the decrease of empathy hinders the moral implication in a decision making process.

There are rare items that incorporate their own innate magic into a catalytic effect. An example of such boosters are the Elements of Harmony.

Magic touch
Again, not a real branch of magic. The expression comes from self-taught casters who never learned the discipline of outward extending the channels. They form channels within their body. It is easier to conduct the energy along biological media than maintaining the pathway that traverses air or matter. The energy of magic touch can only transfer through the flash and be projected to the target solely via direct contact.

Even master casters sometimes regress to this method when they intend to cast a more powerful curse or a lasting spell. A unicorn could cast any of these spells at a distance but with lower potential effect.

The cardinal yielding cortexes in Earth ponies are spread out and generally cannot be willfully focused. However, with dedication and practice, even Earth ponies can learn to manipulate this branch of magic. Zebras are also known to be able to use it to a great extent. There are some speculations that their physiological affinity for it might be greater, however, the higher degree of magic users among zebras could also be attributed to their inherent cultural upbringing that is more intrinsic to manipulation of magic.

Vancian magic
Again, not a real branch of magic. It is merely a technique for stopping the final release of the cast spell. Mastering this technique allows the caster to prepare the majority of the spell in advance and hold it in an unshaped form, which is less prone to decomposition. The more complex the spell, the harder it is to retain the energies within its bounds. Recasting the decayed parts or preparing the structure of a spell in an optimized, and in turn, stable way ensures more deterministic and lasting effects.

The most complex spells can only be cast by Unicorns with less porous horns. The masters of this magic can even increase the power of their casting by reweaving the structure of the spell to keep it unchanging while gradually infusing the developing structure with extra energy. As long as the spell’s foundations remain stable, there is no upper limit to its ramifications. The higher the buildup, the stronger the burst.

Unicorns with porous horns usually encounter impediment when casting complex spells. In such cases, tutors often teach their hindered students Vancian magic to help them overcome said disability.

In practice, it’s often used for spells with complex foundations and easy formations. Even spells that are unstable by their very nature can be performed consistently when prepared in advance.





Two figures approached. I looked up and saw Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara step in front of me. When I looked around, I noticed that there was nopony else in the classroom. Have I dozed off?

“Tell me, Egghead, how will you carry that big book of yours home?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“I’m not going home yet. I have a date with Twilight Sparkle. It’s her book, so she’ll want it back.”

“I don’t think it would even fit in your small muzzle.” Silver spoon commented. “You’ll have to carry it on a hoof all the way to the castle.”

“No need. I have a saddlebag with me. It’s quite practical despite being Rarity’s design,” I promoted it. “It’s affordable and comes with free shipping within Ponyville. Not by sheep, though. I used to get confused by that.”

Without my permission, Silver Spoon picked up the saddlebag from the floor with her teeth and raised it. Diamond Tiara leaned down and bit on the bottom. After forcefully taking a step back, she tore away the underside. Her muzzle clenched at the stylish saddlebag while her eye lingered on me. My ears shot up at the sound of ripping fabric.

They laughed as they dropped both parts on the floor. “What saddlebag?” They proceeded with their private little dance song. “Bump, bump, sugar-lump, rump!”

I stood up from behind the school table.

Silver Spoon gasped and pointed a hoof at me. “Oh, is Sweetie Blank gonna cry now?”

“Oh, look!” Diamond Tiara bumped my flank. “The hoof cutie mark, which we worked so hard on, already came off. How tragic and sad. Our efforts were in vain. But I’m not giving up on her. The poor filly is just asking for another. A more permanent kind, perhaps? We’ll have to work extra hard to make one that sticks.” The bully extended a foreleg in front of her face. She looked at it and smiled as she turned her head toward my bottom. “We forgot to draw a cutie mark on her flank yesterday. Maybe we should do an extra few today.”

I closed my eyes. My teeth clenched and muscles stiffened. As my eyes opened, I noticed a dark bubbly aura around my horn. The sides of my vision were drenched in a purple smoke. A wide grin embellished my face. “Not today!”

Directed by the principles of classical magic, a woven channel launched forth. My innate magic flows supplemented its charge. While I extended the formation through the air, I forked it, separating the arcane pathway into two streams. With their charged endpoints, both channels connected—one on Silver Spoon’s neck and the other one on Diamond Tiara’s.

Their skin buckled under my magic surface. They both leaned back then stood upward in an attempt to ease the pressure on their necks.

I compensated their movement by extending my channels, keeping my focal points firmly attached. I pushed my body forward while lengthening my channels even further.

They stepped backward on their hind legs, trying to catch their balance while flapping with their forehooves in a futile attempt to get rid of my focal points on their necks.

I slammed their kicking bodies against the chalkboard in front of the classroom.

Their muzzles moved, but no sound came out of them. The color of their faces gradually changed to blue.

I approached them, still pushing with my magic. “I don’t appreciate what you two just did to my saddlebag—” I noticed that their bodies trembled ”—I will, however, find it in me, to let you go with a mere warning—this time. But if you cross my path again”—I put both forelegs on the surface between them to lift myself to their level—“there will be dire consequences!” I said facing the board so that my words could spread evenly between them.

There was nothing left to be said. It was time to bestow my warning onto them. The focal points of my magic channels shifted on the backs of their necks while my inner flow pushed through my channels. Both forelegs buckled from the consequent pressure on my body.

As my focal points detached, the rattle of chairs and tables behind me indicated that their flying came to a stop.

“Consider this a push in the right direction. But don’t force me to turn the push into a shove. If you cross my path again, I shall trample you under my hooves.” I turned away from the wall and stood on all fours. Where there were orderly desks just a moment ago was a heap of turned over furniture. Beside it lay my saddlebag. I slowly walked to my property, dusted it out with a hoof and harnessed the straps over my loins. The saddle bag didn’t serve its role anymore, but it wasn’t trash-worthy just yet. I figured Rarity could perform one of her needle-and-thread miracles or at the very least salvage the remains for scrap parts. I looked around for the book.

There! It lay under a gray leg. When I lifted the twitching appendage with a magic field, the quivering limb stiffened. I attached my second magic channel on the book and levitated it in the air above me. The saddlebag was torn, and I couldn’t carry anything within it. That wasn’t much of a problem. Despite the book’s weight, I knew I could easily keep my levitation field all through the path to Rarity, and Twilight after that.

I let go of the leg, but it didn’t fall down. Instead, it slowly bent, retreating itself into the pile of chairs and tables.

What mostly bothered me in the whole ordeal was that I’d have to make a detour to Rarity. She’d probably sit me down for a lesson on responsibility and that would take away the time I planned to spend with Twilight.

“I’ll see you fillies tomorrow.” I turned around and walked to the door.

The response from under the pile was nothing but muffled gurgling sounds.

I levitated the book in front of me as I walked out of the classroom. I bucked at the door with both hind legs, slamming it shut. Those bullies needed some privacy. Surely they didn’t want to get disturbed by anypony while they thought about my warning. They were already disturbed plenty.
> 22 - Magic Training
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boulders? Why are there boulders in front of Twilight’s castle?

A shadow formed on the surrounding grass. I wondered if it was a cloud. Either Rainbow Dash was slacking on her job again or she was trying to pull another one of her pranks. I looked up.

Plump! 

A giant thing landed right before my muzzle. I jumped back from the big boulder in front of me. 

The magic glow around it dissipated. My ears perked up at the sounds of flapping wings. They drew closer. “I’ve been expecting you, my pupil,” said Twilight from above me. “And you’re just in time. To be honest, I was starting to get concerned you might not show up.”

I looked up. “I’d come sooner, but I got held up at Rarity’s.” I raised my eyebrows and pressed them together. “Um… What’s with the boulders?”

“You’ll see.” She smirked as she landed. Her eyebrows lifted when she noticed the floating book. 

I forgot that I was even levitating it. When, in the past, I had surprised or scared Unicorns, usually Rarity, they would often lose control of their magic and drop anything they were holding. Yet, the book stayed firmly in place by a thick bubbly, purple aura. It was as if my loss of focus didn’t affect my levitation spell.

Twilight waved a hoof in front of my eyes to wake me up from the trance I was in. She glanced at the book in my dark field. “Am I to understand you’re intrigued by the magic described in the book and want my help in understanding it further?” She kept nodding at me. “The book didn’t bore you at all and made you want to read even more. Am I right? Please tell me I’m right! You’re the only pony who borrowed a serious book from my library in days. I can’t afford to lose you too.”

“I’m just returning the book. I have no use for it anymore.”

“Oh...” A frown drew on her face. “You don’t intend to study it in-depth then, I presume.” She turned to the castle. “Spike, get over here!”

“I’m done with this one,” I said.

“Ugh!” Her head bowed. “I’ve seen this many times with almost everypony I managed to drag to the library. The lack of attention span ruined their experience.” Her horn slowly charged up as her eyes locked on my dark levitation bubble. “Let me guess.”—She extended her channels to my magical construct and formed a flat shield under it.—“There was no action in the book, so you got bored and didn’t even get past the first page?” 

She could have just grabbed at the levitating thingy by wrapping her magic around mine, but she didn’t. Her avoidance of the book was weird. Or maybe there something else that was bothering her? My head shook.“No, I’ve read the whole thing but found it lacking.”

Her ears shot up, eyes sparkled. The corners of her mouth drifted ever higher.

I cut off my magic, and the book fell onto the conjured, purple, translucent shelf.

Her channels immediately wrapped themselves around it, engulfing the covers in a purple aura.

“Is there an extended edition of it or something like that?” I glanced at her.

“...you have no idea how delighted I am to hear you ask that, Sweetie Belle!” Her eyes spread wide.

The door of the castle opened. “You yelled?” Spike huffed.

Twilight’s focus stayed fixed on me and it looked as if she intended to eat me. The gigantic smile on her face grew ever bigger. “Can I hug you right now?”

“No!” I took a few leaps back. My horn glowed even darker. I could have sworn I had turned it off. By forcefully retracting my magic flow, I starved my persistent channels. I looked up and confirmed that I did, indeed, successfully banish the bubbly aura for a time.

“Twilight!” Spike raised his voice at her.

The lavender aura around the book shone brighter. “Tell me more about how you indulged yourself with it.” She smiled. “You liked it a whole lot, didn’t you.”
Twilight accelerated the book toward Spike without throwing him as much as a glance.

“Ugh!” Spike snorted as he flew back into the castle along with the book clutched to his chest.

A distant voice sounded from within the castle. “Um… I’m... mostly okay if anyone’s wondering…”

Her eyes blinked in response as she cut off her magic. “Oh, oh!” Twilight covered the distance to me in one jump and shoved her snout against mine. “What’s your favorite magic type?” Her smile was still engraved on her face. “Mine’s elemental magic, but I can only perform it when I’m in a special state of body and mind.”

I swallowed nervously. “Um…”

She crouched down, perking her ears in my direction. Her pupils grew ever larger while she motionlessly gazed at me.

“... I think that anti-magic is pretty useless. Innate magic is best. Always present and at the ready. Especially Alicorn magic!”

She lifted an eyebrow. “What do you think of black magic?”

“The book presents it as a separate branch...”

“What’s your view on it?” She half-closed her eyes.

“Some things in this book don’t make much sense.” Anypony could see that they were obviously wrong! The author was surely an amateur.

“I know what you’re saying.” She nodded to herself. “I didn’t understand everything, when I first started reading about magic, either. Despite that, I persisted, and it was worth the vast time investment. The ways of magic will begin to crystallize and make sense for you, too, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort to understand them.”

That wasn’t at all what I was saying! I didn’t appreciate her changing the subject. Twilight time was about me, not her! I brushed the whole topic away with a whip of my tail.

I grumbled and turned to the boulder. By knocking on it with a hoof, I confirmed that stones were still as dull as they had always been. “Care to tell me what’s with the rocks?”

“They’re for you,” Twilight smirked.

“For me?” I looked at her with just one eye, wondering why she’d be giving me stones. They were boring, and I wasn’t fond of them, especially since I got a bunch of them as a deserved gift for Hearth's Warming Eve.

“I wanted to get different sizes. Earlier today, I even tried to borrow Tom, but your sister wouldn’t let me move it. She said something about Tom hiding her dirty little secrets.” Twilight shook her head. “I think she still hasn’t fully recovered from Discord’s mind-wipe.”

“Why do I need rocks? Or Tom for that matter?” When Rarity uses me to sweep the floor, I just throw the dust in the wind when she’s not looking. No boulders needed.

“As I was saying, I couldn’t get a hold of Tom. However, I did want to supply us with a big boulder one way or another. I thought to myself: what better place to look for rocks than a rock farm? I’ve also never been to Pinkie Pie’s place of origin before, so I was well overdue for a visit anyway. You have to keep tabs on your friends, you know? It was time for me to go on an air trip.

“With your balloon?”

“With these!” Her head rose and wings erected outward. “I was there in a jiffy. Flying back, on the other hoof, took me a while… But no matter, my self-imposed mission was a complete success. I got exactly what I came for. This big boulder”—she knocked on it with a hoof—“was just lying around in front of their house. It looked as if they had prepared it for me to take it. Can you imagine that?”

“Not really. Are you sure they wanted you to have it?”

“Well, it’s not like they’ll miss it. It’s a rock farm. They’ve got plenty of stones lying around their house. I bet I even did them a favor by removing this one.” She pointed a hoof at the egg-shaped boulder. “It was placed on the very edge of the cliff. It could crush somepony on the path below it. I was merely enacting my princess's duties, making Equestria a safer place.” She nodded to herself. “Yes.” 

“How exactly did you manage to bring it all the way here?”

“Hi-hi, wouldn’t you want to know?” Twilight giggled “First things first. We’re here to test the limit of your telekinesis.”

I protested, “But you’ve trained me in levitation before.” I hoped I could make a big leap forward, not repeat the same lessons over and over again. Sure, I might forget them otherwise, but it just wasn’t as fun as learning something new for the first time.

“Levitating a broom or a book is easy. The majority of non-foalish Unicorns can do it.” She glanced along the rock, stone and boulder. “But there’s a set limit to the regular levitation. I want to know if you’re capable of transcending it.”

“You want me to lift those up?” I hinted at the Boulder family.

“Mhm. That’s right. But let’s start with the smallest one first.” She stepped up to a rock the size of a pony’s head. “Lift this one up with your magic.”

“Pff!” I snickered. I tensed my muscles in my legs and lit my horn. A moment later the rock floated high above me.

“Adequate! Now this one.” She stepped next to a rock, which was almost the size of her plot.

I had held heavier things before. Once, I had carried Apple Bloom on my back all the way to her home, when she had hurt her leg on a crusade. It had been her own fault because she had not listened to me when I had said that gathering honey without any protection was a bad idea, especially since she was allergic to bees.

She had claimed that she’d seen Fluttershy do it before and that bees are friendly. Her swollen forelegs had shown her just how friendly the flying beasties really were.

I spread out my legs and tensed my body. When I charged my channels around the rock and stone, I felt their full weight on me. I was at my limit. Even though I stood on all fours, my legs shook from the increased pressure.

“You’re levitating—two of them—in separate fields...”

“Ugh!” I spurted out through my clenched teeth.

“Um… You can put down the stones now.”

I cut off my channels and the rocky weights shoved themselves into the ground upon landing.

“Hey, watch the grass. Let’s try to keep the collateral damage to a minimum, okay?”

“It’s just grass.” I sighed.

She struck a hoof at the ground. “It’s food!”

I sniffled and turned away from her.

She sighed. “Though I don’t approve of your recklessness, you should know that your magic is quite impressive. I had no idea you can use two channels simultaneously”

I jumped up. “I can make even more than two channels, I think.”

“Can you? Really?”

“I didn’t even know that casting more channels is supposed to be hard.”

“It is, Sweetie Belle. Most Unicorns can only control one or two channels at a time. Last moon, I spied on your sister and saw her use four separate channels.”

“You spied on my sister?”

“My maximum is five,” she dismissed my question. “I can’t lift more than five objects in separated fields at one time. Six channels is the upper physiological limit that cannot be surpassed. Nopony could cast more than six in parallel. Our nature is limited in that regard. Just like a cube has half a dozen sides so too does each soul have six directional projections. Informational channels don’t project energies, so they don’t have that limitation. I’ve seen Luna cast a few dozen of those when Tentabus got loose. She wouldn’t be able to fork so many kinetic energy channels.”

“Was forking my channels a test? Did I pass?”

“I thought I’d spend hours teaching it to you first, but I see you already have that part covered. Forking your channels wasn’t supposed to be a test on its own, but it is a necessary component in the practical exam I’ve set up for you.” She turned to the boulder, which was at least twice as big as Tom. Her nostrils flared as she took a big whiff of it. “They come in all shapes and sizes. Some would have you believe that size doesn’t matter. Personally, I strongly disagree.” Her smile changed into a grin as she focused an eye on me. “Try lifting it.”

Even though I was getting the hang of magic, carrying so much weight wasn’t possible. I half-closed my eyes as I looked at her.

She nodded at me encouragingly.

I sighed and obediently attached my channels on the bottom of it and channeled my flow.

Twilight walked from the boulder and stopped next to me, observing the bubbly aura around my horn.

The weight of the boulder transferred through my channels and pushed down on me as a result. My nostrils flared when I gasped from the effort. My body stiffened in preparation to deal with the force of the boulder. Despite my neck hurting from the force, I opened my inner flow even more.

Both forelegs gave way and I tumbled forward. I cut off my channels as I crashed headfirst onto the grass.

After clambering on all fours, I shook off the dirt. My eyes pierced Twilight as I yelled at her, “It’s too big! You knew I couldn’t carry all that weight, didn’t you!”

“You know what, Sweetie Belle?” Her horn glowed brightly.

“What?” I puckered my lips.

“I can’t carry all that weight either.”—She stood up on her hind legs and pointed both forelegs at the boulder. “And yet, I’m holding it up. Isn’t that peculiar?”

Indeed, the boulder hovered in the air supported by her magic field.

I looked back at Twilight as she lowered herself on all fours. Her muscles weren’t even tensed.

“How are you doing this?”

“You really want to know, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. Tell me!”

“Say please and I’ll explain it to you.”

I looked back at the object of my test. The channels were clearly holding it up. I could see charged, lavender endpoints that supported the boulder. The ground! Something was different about it. The surrounding grass. It was flattened as if something weighed on it.

I smiled at Twilight. “You’re not carrying it! The ground is.”

“Yes, that’s right. I can explain it to you, just say—”

“Another channel! You have another channel spread out along the ground. You’re supporting one channel with the other.”

“Yes, that’s quite observant of you. You see, force always produces an equal and opposite force, but the weight doesn’t have to be directed at you. That’s where ability to fork your channel can really—”

“—Drop it!” I jumped up and down on the spot. “I want to try it!” I looked back at Twilight.

Her face turned grim as she whispered the rest of her sentence. “…help you…”

She lay the boulder on the ground as her horn light faded. After bowing her head, she pressed her lips together and shook her head.

I took Twilight’s inactivity as an opportunity to impress her. My eyes shifted to the boulder. I spread all four legs and charged my horn. Focal points formed around the bottom of the boulder, similarly to my earlier attempt. I didn’t discharge my flow just yet. Instead, I launched more channels and spread them down in arcs around me. A burst of my inner flow rushed forth to feed all my channels.

“Hey!” Twilight bowed her head and buckled her knees as she pushed her wings against the ground. “You’re spreading the force on me!” 

My lips morphed into a smirky smile. I cut off the channel that was burdening her and spread out its flow to the rest of my channels. The heavy load rose from the ground. I shifted the focal points to the bottom of the boulder, so I could push it harder from below. While anxiously trotting on the spot, I turned to Twilight and pointed a leg at the floating giant boulder. What I did was amazing and I expected to get some praise for it.

“That wasn’t funny, Sweetie Belle!” Twilight charged her horn.

“Yes, it was.”

She focused on her wing, and it glowed with a purple aura. 

I cocked my head as I looked at her. “It was funny because you weren’t expecting it.”

Her gaze pierced me. “It wasn’t funny,”—she extended her magic-imbued wing toward the point between me and the floating boulder—“because it hurt!”

The feel of the coarse surface instantly ceased as my channels got cut off. I was disconnected from my focal points on the boulder, but my other channels still pressed against the surrounding ground. Since the endpoint where I was channeling the force didn’t exist anymore, all the thrust shifted onto me, instead.

As the boulder fell down, I flew up into the air. “Hey!” I quickly cut off all my channels, but I was already several hoof lengths off the ground. Swinging around my tail didn’t help me with my balance much. I hit the ground and stumbled on the grass. 

“You weren’t expecting that, were you?” The glow on her wing dissipated as she folded it.

“No...”

“Oddly enough, I’m not laughing. Why is that?” Twilight narrowed her eyes as she looked at me.

My head shied away. Everything that she asked of me was accomplished, all the while she held useful information from me. And she was making me the bad one. It wasn’t fair! “I just did what you told me to do!” My channels had spread randomly on the surrounding surfaces. It wasn’t as if I’d tried to hit her with them.

“Fun fact, Sweetie Belle. If you use empathy, you can figure out what ponies mean even beyond what they say.”

“What’s empathy?”

“Yeah…” She lifted a hoof to her face. “We should make it a priority to get to the subjects of ethics as soon as possible.”

I cocked my head.

Twilight sighed. “I was testing you, Sweetie Belle. You did pass the lifting capability test. I congratulate you on that one, but if you don’t start using your powers in a moral way...”

“Can we skip that for now?” A grin snuck on my lips. “I’d rather do something immoral?”

Twilight raised her eyebrows.

“I mean fun. Like magic. Magic is fun.”

Twilight snorted. “In some ways, you do remind me of myself when I was little.” She smiled. “Okay, let’s gently put down the subjects of morality for now...” Her hoof lowered to the ground. “We’ll definitely have to cover these essential lessons later on, though. Remind me to put it on my to-do list, will you?” She followed the nothingness in her hoof with her eyes until she shook it off to the ground. Her eyes shifted back to me. “You want a challenge? I’ll give you a challenge! This next test will be the hardest, so I’ll need your full attention.”

“Do you have an even bigger boulder?” I looked around, but there was no elite level boredom in sight.

“No, but I do have this.” Her horn glowed in the typical lavender color, and a glow of similar tinge emanated from a patch of grass. She levitated a small, round object out of it and floated white thing toward me.

“What is it?” It stopped in front of me. “It smells!”

“It’s a chicken egg. And yes, since it’s rotten, it smells. The egg cell probably wasn’t inseminated because Fluttershy sent the rooster away. She said that he wasn’t nice enough to her chickens.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “But that’s not important now.”

“Do you want me to lift it? After I just lifted that?” I pointed to the big boulder.

“You have proven that you are powerful, but you haven’t shown that you can direct your magic in the right way.”

“So, you want me to squash it and endure the smell then?” That’s stupid.

“No, forget the smell. It isn’t important here.”

“The stench sure is strong with this one. Even though it isn’t important, it really, really stinks.”

“Ugh, just pretend this is a normal egg.”

“Why isn’t it normal? I’m sure you could get a good egg if you wanted to.”

“I wouldn’t trust you with a good egg. Now focus on the test! Take the egg.” She clenched her teeth when she rolled it onto my field. “Take it!”

“So, I just squash the unimportantly smelly egg? Is that it?”

“No! You do the opposite. You open it. Imagine there’s a living chicken in there. You don’t want to hurt the chicken, do you?”

“That’s one smelly chicken—”

“Focus!”

I attached my channels on the smelly egg. I could squash it with a mere thought, but I wasn’t supposed to do that. Rip it apart then? I could do that just as easily. All I needed was a handle I could connect with my charged channel. “Ugh! This egg is too round. There aren’t any cracks I could bind my channels on. I can only make a force toward it, not away from it. Are you sure I can’t squash it, instead?”

“I told you it wouldn’t be easy.” Twilight smiled. “This test was hard for me, as well. I almost failed my pre-kindergarten exams because of it.”

“Pre-kindergarten? Are you saying this is foal’s play?”

“Not a regular foal’s play. Talented, young Unicorns are, however, expected to have this down if they want to enroll in the magic kindergarten.”

“And you struggled with it?”

“I had been a very close-horned Unicorn before I broke my barrier at the exam. Casting magic had not been easy for me, and transcending the shell with energy channels is not something any Unicorn can do. I’d flunk the test if I didn’t power up at that time.”

“Transcending?”

“That was a hint! What will you do with it?”

If I could make a hole in the egg, attach my channels on the inner walls and push it apart. I just had to make a small hole in its shell, so I could lead my channels through it. “Can I use this to make an opening?” I levitated up a pebble.

“No.” She shook her head. “It’s just your magic and the object of the test. You’re not allowed to make any holes in the egg prior to breaking it apart.”

I puffed my face to help me think. I could only produce force against the shell where my channels were attached. No matter which part of the egg I would lead my flow to, the direction would always be toward the surface. You can’t rip something apart if you’re pressing against it! “This can’t be done! It’s impossible.”

“My hint didn’t help you out? Really? Okay, here’s another one. Try thinking outside the box. Or maybe, from within the egg.”

“What box?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You know what the problem is, but can you get around it? Or better yet, inside it?”

That did give me an idea. If I were inside the egg, I could rip it apart with no problem. I’d just have to push my channels in the opposite directions. However, the smelly thing was too small for me to fit inside. Even if it was big enough, I couldn’t get inside without breaking it. My idea clashed with reality again, and I hated when that happened.

After uttering a groan of frustration, I closed my eyes and felt the surface of the egg. There wasn’t any opening, but maybe I didn’t need one. If I pressed inward with my channels, the egg would get squashed. That wouldn’t happen because of the channels; they were just a pathway for my magic to flow through. The surface force was the reason I couldn’t get myself inside. If only I could remove that from my channels... I felt the egg float down as I decreased my flow.

“Careful now!” Twilight said. “You can lay it on the ground if you want. But gently! You don’t want to fail the test by squashing the egg. I know you’re not a rule-breaker, despite what they say.”

Laying it down would free one of my channels, letting me focus more, but without the anchor point, it was still useless. I did as she said because I didn’t really know what else to do. By decreasing the flow to the channel that held up the egg, I slowly guided it to the ground.

Just before I cut off my channel, I felt something odd. The hard texture I’d previously felt with my magic became blurry in my mind. Almost as if it wasn’t solid, but a liquid.

I felt the surface of the egg by touching it from above with my charged channel. As the flow decreased, I sensed the squishiness. The bumps on the shell all but dissipated in my perception of the egg. I kept leading my weakened channels further through the mush until I stumbled on another hard barrier on the other side. I was inside the egg! If there was a way to charge my channels against the second barrier, I could break it and complete the test. The moment I increased my magic flow, the egg swayed on the ground and I could only feel the shell from the outside again. “Ugh! I can get in, but when I try to push it throws me out...”

“You’re doing well, Sweetie Belle! But getting inside and pushing from within are two different stages. Can you crack that one?”

She was right. My channel seeped inside the egg with no problem, but the little force from the flow wasn’t enough to claw on the shell from the inside. And if I increased the magic force, it stopped at the first barrier. If I charged my channels further, the egg would just get squashed before it would break apart, and I would fail the test. More magic inside was the key!

By using my uncharged magic, I engulfed the egg and penetrated it without cracking the shell. Instead of increasing the magic force further, I merged the flows within the egg. With the joined channel, I pressed on the part of the wall from the inside. I increased the flow very slowly and slightly so that it wouldn’t get held up on the surface of the egg again.

“Good!” Twilight commented

My lips curved up at the compliment. It was all falling into place. I felt the points from within the egg charging with magic. The force pushing the egg apart increased. Just a little more, and it would break.

“Yes! Yes!” Twilight cheered. “Split that egg! Don’t let one little test stand in the way to your magical future.” Her lips retracted into a grin. “A mere egg can’t defy your prowess. Rip apart the stinker!” She jumped up and down on the spot. “Do it! Do it!”

The faint aura suddenly dissipated. I glared in confusion at my horn and bumped it with a hoof repeatedly.

“Huh, what happened?” She sighed. “You were almost there. Did you get tired or something?” 

My eyes opened wide. “Not at all!” I grinned as I glanced at Twilight. “There’s just an easier way to do this.”

“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “Before, you claimed it was impossible, to begin with.”

I took a few steps back. 

Twilight cocked her head and looked at me with one eye. “Sweetie Belle?”

My horn shone darkly, launching out two fully charged channels. One lifted the egg from the bottom while the other wrapped around it.

“What are you up to, filly? Charged channels aren’t the way to go about this.”

My head slowly shook, and I heard myself sigh as I glanced at her. “When one frees the mind of the useless limitations, new pathways emerge.”

A stream of flow rushed through the channel I had curved along the surface of the shell. The egg spun around midair on my second channel.

“What are you on about, Sweetie?” Twilight cocked her head without taking her sight off me.

The egg twirled faster and faster as my grin grew ever wider.

Twilight glanced at the spinning stink bomb. “Wait...” Her eyes spread wide, and all her muscles tensed. “No!”

The puny shell was no match for the centrifugal forces building from within.

Blam! The egg burst asunder.

“Ugh!” Twilight screeched.

The gelatinous liquid splattered all around, drenching her in its smelly substance.

“Sweetie Belle!” She spread her legs and pierced me with her gaze. Her clenched teeth showed between her throbbing lips.

I took another step away from her. The apparent hostility against me seemed to be on the rise, and I wasn’t about to take the brunt of the assault. I also didn’t want to smell her. She was drenched in the rotten egg mush.

Twilight shook her head and took a big breath while placing a hoof on her chest. She exhaled while her foreleg extended forth. The tense muscles in her body relaxed, and her growling subsided.

“I thought we were making progress…” She sighed. “Maybe Celestia was right after all, and the lessons of morality should precede magic training. It makes sense why she seemed so disappointed when I skipped them all in favor of learning more magic.”

From Twilight’s self-talk, I concluded that she cooled off a little. I took a deep breath and trotted to her looking at the remains of the shell on the ground. “Break the egg from the inside. Checked!”

“You passed the egg test, Sweetie Belle. The way you did it, however…”

“You never specified how I should do it.”

“Some things shouldn’t have to be spelled out for you, Sweetie Belle. Certain restrictions are self-evident! Why can’t you grasp these concepts?” She bowed her head to mine and looked straight into my eyes.

I took a step back. “I did what you asked me to do! Why can’t you get that?”

“You did well with the magic test. I give credit where credit is due. You passed it with flying colors, even though your method was—unorthodox. Regardless, I commend you for your achievement.” She kept looking at me while she walked to the castle. “You know, you’re very special—”

“Yeah, I know!”

She froze with a forehoof still in the air, both eyebrows raised high. She swallowed her saliva and finished the sentence. “…to me.”
> 23 - Detection Spell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She sighed. “Sweetie Belle, passing the magic tests is commendable, but you shouldn’t attempt it by any means necessary! I would’ve appreciated it more if you’d passed the hidden test.”

“What hidden test?”

“Having magic at your disposal is neat, but the actions you take are the ones that actually count. You need to be responsible.” She looked at me as if she was expecting an answer.

I didn’t react because there was no question in any of the stuff she said. I cocked my head as I observed her, waiting for an actual question.

“I’m not sure I’m getting through to you, Sweetie Belle…”

“Can you teach me the gem-finding spell now?” I blurted out.

She raised both eyebrows, then sighed as she bowed her head. “I don’t think you’re ready to learn any more magic.”

“But I passed your stinking test!”

“You passed all the magic tests, but your raw abilities aren’t the ones being called into question.” She sighed. “Then again, detection spells are the most harmless ones.” She put a hoof under her chin and looked up in the air. “You couldn’t abuse the spells from this field of magic even if you tried to.” She half-closed her eyes as she glanced at me. “I would rather await a future where you’re detecting your surroundings instead of harmfully impacting them.”

“Is that a yes? Did I make you agree?” I held my breath in anticipation.

“Yes, I’ll show it to you, but—”

“Yay!” I jumped on the spot. “Gem, gem, finding gem; I’m gonna learn to find a gem!”

“…but I don’t think you have enough focus to pull off the detection. It takes painstaking discipline to detect a disturbance in your magic fields.”

I charged my horn. “I’m focused” I spun about, flattening the surrounding ground with fully charged channels. “I’m detecting…”

“No, Sweetie Belle, you’re not!” She facehooved. “Your channels are charged. That’s not how you cast a detection spell.”

“How then?” I sat down and crossed my forelegs on the chest.

“Hold still for a second and pay attention. I’ll show it to you.”

“Can I try it?” I asked.

“I haven’t shown it to you yet.”

“Oh, okay. Can you show it to me, then?”

“Ugh! Just watch.” She turned away from the castle, toward the vast meadow. After closing her eyes, she lit up her horn. Nothing around her changed. She stood there without moving a muscle.

I walked in an arch around the purple statue. The smell of the rotten egg was a bit less intense when I kept the stinker downwind.

“It seems Spike made a stash of gems.” She finally spoke. “Several of them, in fact.” Her horn light faded. “I thought he was kidding when he mentioned preparations for a trotting dead zombie apocalypse, but now I’m not so sure anymore.”

“Did you detect them?”

“Mhm.” She smiled.

“Where are they?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Twilight leaned closer. “Do you want to feel them out?” She bit her lip.

I nodded maniacally.

“Okay, here’s how you do it. First, you extend the channels around you.”

I turned the way she was facing, lighting up my horn as much as I could. Charged shields formed before me.

“However, instead of charging your channels, you let them flow freely.”

I decreased the magic force and the shield dissipated, but I still kept my channels spread out.

“Good. Now you need to flatten your channels. Make them as thin and straight as you can. That’s the main requirement for detecting interference from any magic-imbued object.”

I did as she said. I spread out my channels in the straight plain above the ground. They were curved a bit. If I pushed my inner flow through them, I could straighten them, but I wasn’t supposed to do that. I tried my best to flatten all the curves with my focus alone.

“The next step is the easiest and the hardest at the same time. You’re already casting the detection spell to its full extent, but that’s not what pinpoints the gems. For that, you need to use your mind. The gems have inner magic by themselves. Those energies should affect your fields by slightly pushing them away. When you try to force them back down, you encounter slight resistance. It’s kind of like detecting a feather on your coat, except that you’re using your channels to feel it out instead of your hair.”

When I mentally followed the spread out channels, I didn’t sense any bumps. There were just a few random curvatures that stayed flattened after I fixed them. “How far are the gems?”

“They’re closer than you think. If you calm your mind enough, you should be able to sense the bumps in your channels.”

“I can’t detect any bumps.”

“Well, they’re not actually bumps. When you focus on them, they should feel as a rounded flatness; like when the wind flows against a drying sheet.”

I puckered my face. “My channels are straight. There is no roundness.” I cut off my magic and looked at her.

“Hmm…” She put a hoof under her chin. “Let me try something.” Her legs spread out and horn charged up. “Ngh!”  The color of her aura changed from translucent purple to dark bubbly purple. It was the same kind of magic that I used—Alicorn magic. She closed her eyes and stood still. Her face was tense, not like when she used her normal magic. She struggled but kept up the darkly aura without letting off.

I blocked the sun with a hoof as I looked up. From the angle of my raised foreleg, I concluded that there was quite a bit of time left before the evening when I was expected to be home. Still, I hadn’t even written that day’s homework yet. We were supposed to write a story, and I didn’t know how much time that would take me. You can’t force writing…

The impatient part of me grew stronger by the moment. I struggled to keep my whining reflexes at bay. My eyes shifted back to the living statue as I sighed out of increasing boredom. She was still at it. “What are you even doing?” I whined

She shook her head and the dark aura around her horn dissipated. Her face grimaced as she looked at me. “Sweetie Belle, you should sit down for this.”

“For what?” I lowered my behind to the ground.

“Remember when I told you there isn’t any practical limitation if you use Alicorn magic instead of the normal kind?”

I nodded. “You said it was more awesome.”

“I said that the channels of this spectrum offer less resistance. That’s usually a good thing, but with detection spells, it’s the very resistance that allows you to find them.”

“Whaa…?” I pinned my ears. I couldn’t believe she was dissing my magic.

“I tried. I really did, but I couldn’t sense anything. The energies from the gems don’t interfere with Alicorn magic. Now that I think about it, I’ve read this somewhere. It might have even been in the book that you found lacking—”

“What are you saying?” I raised my voice and stood on all fours.

“You can’t detect gems with Alicorn magic. I’m sorry.”

“No! That can’t be. It’s better in every way! You’re wrong!” I pointed a hoof at her accusingly. “Maybe you should have focused more.”

“Sweetie Belle, calm down. What we cannot do matters little; it’s the actions we take that count. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to perform this particular feat. There are loads of other spells that you can use to their full effect.”

Air puffed from my nostrils. “I want to learn this one!”

“You can’t cast gem detection spell, Sweetie Belle. Not with Alicorn magic.”

“I’ll try again.” I lit my horn and charged my magic channels.

“It’s no use, Sweetie Belle. With no field interruption, there’s no gem detection. It’s a simple concept.”

“Can you stop talking, please. I want to concentrate here!” I closed my eyes and spread out my channels.

She sighed. “Fine… Do your thing if that’s what it takes to get it out of your system.”

The channels, parallel to the surrounding ground, flattened under the guidance of my focus. A follow-up burst of inner flow straightened them. When the energies on my magic surface dissipated, I mentally followed the flatness through the air. My teeth clenched. I couldn’t sense anything.

Twilight interrupted, “Gems don’t interact—”

“Shh!” I banged a hoof in frustration. Perhaps if I focused more... I stuck out my tongue and bit at it. Roundness, roundness, where are you? There was a patch of slightly curved channel lines. They weren’t round, though; just wiggly.

I tensed my muscles and sent another shock wave through my channels to straighten the irregularities.

“You’re forcing it,” Twilight commented.

The burst went through, but it seemed to dissipate a little when excess energy passed through the patch. The resulting void felt like the reverse of an echo. I wouldn’t consider the siphon to be an exception, though. In my perception, everything else around the spot was off. Focusing on that point felt cozy. Looming on that energy siphon was like resting in the comfort of my home.

After releasing my inner flow through my channels, I focused on the energies.

Twilight sighed. “You’re forming shields again…”

I ignored her jabber and charged the channels even more. They thickened all over, but not so much on the fuzzy patch. I turned around, narrowing and lowering my channels down to the grass. There was even less magic on the blemish of my channel when my fields neared the ground. Something was absorbing them from below!

“And you’re facing the wrong way...” 

“There!” Without opening my eyes, I aimed a hoof forth at the corresponding spot, 

“You’re pointing at random, Sweetie Belle…”

“It’s there! I can detect it.”

“There’s nothing on that spot, but if you really must know, one stash of gems is buried just beside me. Can we stop with this charade now?”

I checked around Twilight. If there was an energy siphon near her, I couldn’t sense it. There was nothing of interest around her. She was just trying to distract me from the truth!

“No!” I pointed a hoof in the right direction again. “It’s there!” When my channels lowered right to the ground, I could almost feel the shape buried below. It was a grain, just under the surface.

“Sweetie Belle, you’re setting yourself for disappointment. There. Is. Nothing. On. That. Spot.”

“You’re wrong!” I focused my charged channels to the area, forcing the burst through the ground. My energies flowed toward it freely, as if they were attracted by the sweet nugget under the surface. After forming a telekinetic shield around the small stony structure, I ripped it out of the clenching earth, setting it free.

I opened my eyes and floated the object before my instructor’s confused face. “See!” What I held was much more than a mere grain. It was a translucent rock, nearly the size of Twilight’s butt cheek.

She slowly closed her gaping mouth. “That… That’s not a gem, Sweetie Belle… It’s a crystal.”

“I told you something was there.”

“Crystals don’t vibrate in response to magic energies. In fact, they absorb them. How in Equestria did you manage to find one?”

“It called for me,” I said simply.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “It called for you?”

I nodded and smiled.

“This is most peculiar.” Twilight puckered her forehead. “I guess I’ll have to free up some of my time to study the nature of crystals some more.” She turned to the castle. “It will have to wait, though.” She waved me closer with a hoof. “Come. I want to give you something.” She paused. “A reward for finishing all the magic tests and giving me a newfound appreciation for crystals.”

I floated the precious into my embrace and caressed its slick surface. It was beautiful. Who cares about stupid gems, anyway? Crystals are the new black!

“Just put the thing back where you found it. We don’t want anypony chafing a hoof on one of the edges.” She shook her head and whispered to herself, “Crystals don’t emanate energies. With no field interruption, there’s no detection! But how could she find one then? Ugh, this doesn’t make any sense!”

It felt wrong to depart from my Edgy, but I didn’t want to carry it all around, either. If I ever felt lonely, I could just dig up another crystal to hug. Finding them wouldn’t be a problem anymore. My detection capabilities were even superior to Twilight’s.

“Okay,” I said as I floated the darkly stone back to where I found it. The crystal didn’t fit inside. Its size was much bigger than the hole I had pulled it out of. 

I shrugged my shoulders and formed another shield on the ground, grabbing the hole with a bunch of earth around it. I softly lay the crystal in the cradle and covered it up with a blanket of earth. The surface on that spot had been flat before. It was anything but flat as I jumped over it. I glanced back at the big hump of earth. It looked sweet; kind of like a grave pile.
> 24 - Books
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Twilight and I entered the castle, Spike passed by, sweeping the floor with a broom. He stopped, sniffed at the air then looked at Twilight. “Somepony’s a stinky librarian with the emphasis on the adjective.” 

“Thank you for that, Spike.”

“Always a pleasure.” He continued with the sweeping.

She looked at me. “Come.”

I stopped in my tracks. “No more!” I spurted out.

“What?” She looked at me. “Oh, you’re still hung up over that experiment in the basement—the one you agreed to take part in? Don’t worry. We’re just going to the library where all the friendly books reside.” She smiled at me and trotted on.

I followed her. “What ‘special’ book do you want to show me this time?”

“This one is about something you’re lacking. I also want you to keep this one as your own. I’ve got many copies of it, after all.” She opened the library door with her magic. “Starlight Glimmer helped me with multiplying.”

“It’s not about reproduction again, is it?”

“There’s nothing wrong with detailed medical books! And no, it’s not that kind of a book.”

“Is it your journal that you keep promoting?”

“Close, but it’s not the Journal of The Elements. This one is very objectively written by, and only by, yours truly.”

“So, it is a journal? I knew it.”

 “It’s an analysis of an area in the realm of my expertise. The one you can grow in immensely.”

“Magic!” I jumped on the spot.

Twilight looked toward a pile of lavender books on a table in the corner. She floated the top one to me. “Well, it does have the word ‘magic’ in the title…”

I caught it in my dark field and read the text on the cover, “Magic of Friendship. Pha! What else you got? You said I should read more on the subject of black magic because I’m not good at it yet.”

“I never said that!” She banged a hoof on the floor.

“If I read about the things I don’t know, I’ll get better at them, right?”

“Yes, but you shouldn’t delve into fringe magic.”

“Why not?” I protested. “I want to learn stuff. Why are you standing in my way?”

“Some things are not appropriate for you. And it’s not just that... You couldn’t comprehend the advanced books even if you tried. I wish to protect you from getting discouraged or overwhelmed. You should start with the easier subjects. There are also more important fields of study than magic. Those are the ones you should focus on the most.”

“Better than magic?” I cocked my head. “Do tell?”

“Like how to be good, for instance,” she answered.

“I’m already good. But this is just the beginning. I think I can get even better. The possibilities are endless. I want to know what else I can do.”

“Well, there's no harm in knowing things or being able to perform feats of magic, but you shouldn’t be hurting other ponies with what you know. You do understand this, don’t you?” She slightly nodded at me.

I gave the thin lavender book an angry look then cast it away to the table of dull books. What was clearly her attempt at manipulating me into reading the boredom, failed flat. I shifted my channels to a black book with thick covers on the top shelf. The tome was so big that part of the cover stuck over the edge of the shelf. “This one looks promising!” With my magic, I pulled it out and down to me.

“No! That’s not for you to read yet. Perhaps when you’re older. There are—things in there.”

“Don’t you still lend out books?”

“I do, but there’s an age limit to some literature.”

“Is this about me being too small again?” I stood on my hind legs to make myself appear bigger.

“It’s about you not being mature enough! Your parents and your sister wouldn’t approve of you reading it.”

“They wouldn’t have to know.”

“I would know, and I try not to hide important things from my friends. You’ll get yourself in serious trouble if you keep this up. I’m willing to share my view and enact my stature if needed. However, there’s still a limit to how much I can talk them out of, and you’ve already breached it by a vast margin.”

“You’d rat me out, wouldn’t you?”

“Just put the book back, Sweetie Belle...”

That was against my wishes. I paused to think of something I could say to make her give me the book. Her resistance was bothersome!

“I’m not discussing it with you, Sweetie Belle, I’m telling you! Put the book back!” She slammed a hoof against the floor. “I’m not accountable for any bad influences that you may have been exposed to. I’m not! And I don’t intend to be.” 

“Well, you can just tell everypony that I took it from you; which I’m about to do. I get what I want and you keep your moral high ground delusion.”

“Sweetie Belle, where did you pick up this new vocabulary of yours? The words you’re using—how do you know them?”

“Hmm?” I looked at her quizzaciously. “I bet it’s from books like this one.” My magic darkened as I levitated my chosen one closer to me.

Her channels entangled with mine. The lavender endpoints didn’t attach to the covers, though. I was hoping for a tug of book, but since she offered me a flawless victory, I wasn’t about to reject her unconditional surrender.

A burst of flow flashed from her horn, cutting off my channels on its path.

My horn still glowed, but I was separated from my former endpoints. The new ones were closer to me and unattached. They hung in the air, uselessly. “Hey!” The book fell to the floor with a thump. “What’d you do that for?”

“This is my home. You should ask me or Spike, before touching anything!”

“I didn’t even touch nuffin’!” I lifted a foreleg and showed her my empty hoof.

“I don’t think that phrase means what you think it means. And even if it would, by your own logic, I didn’t touch your channels, either.” She imitated my move with a forehoof. “Either way, your complaint is invalid.”

“Ugh!” She had a point. My eyes shied away from her. “I wasn’t complaining, I just didn’t expect you to do that.”

“And I didn’t think you’d just grab whatever catches your fancy as if everything belonged to you. Next time we meet, I’ll expect you to ask when you want something from me.”

“Books are supposed to be read…”

“My home—my rules!” She levitated the book back to its shelf.

I didn’t want to risk a full-on confrontation with Twilight yet. Perhaps she just needed some time to cool off. “Fine...”

Spike burst into the library. “What are you wild horses bickering about?” He wore a frilly apron with a big, red heart sewn in the center. His claws were white, probably from the flour. “The castle is full of you two. With all the echoes in the hallways, it feels as if the whole place is haunted.”

“Ugh!” She sighed. “Maybe you’re right... I’m sorry. The foul smell might be galling our perceptions. I don’t think either of us can stand this odor much longer.”

“You’re the one who’s stinking up the place, Twi.” His eyes half-closed. “Have you considered taking a shower for the good of everypony.”

“Yeah, yeah! I’m getting a shower.” She sighed. “Can you watch Sweetie Belle for a few moments, Spike?”

“Um… sure,” he said hesitantly.

“I’ll be right back” She galloped through the door. “Don’t touch anything, Sweetie Belle!”, she called out from the hallway. “I mean it!”

I sat on my tush and looked at Spike.

He did the same. It was a staring contest without any rules.

As the rotten stench of Twilight dissipated a bit, I sensed another smell in the background. It seemed Spike had been cooking something. Or baking, maybe. Roasting? Probably just burning.

Seeing me smell the air, he took a big whiff himself. “Oh no… I ain’t got time for this.” His widespread eyes shifted to me. “ Sweetie Belle, can you watch yourself for a while?”

He stood up and ran to the hallway before I could answer.

I tried watching myself for a moment but got bored with me, right after. The books on the top shelves silently called out to be read, but I knew Spike or Twilight could return at any moment. I didn’t want to be caught in an act of touching.

There was no need for me to connect with anything on an actual physical level. Even if telekinesis could be considered touching, detecting stuff surely couldn’t be. There was something that I wanted to try again ever since we entered the castle of crystals. My newly gained ability acted like a second sight. The fortunate turn of events was almost unbelievable. I had hoped to learn detection that day and I actually did. Rarity and Twilight tried to get in my way, but I did it on my own, anyway. Things were finally picking up for me. The magic spell felt natural, and I knew that I could do the detection with ease. Still, the achieved amounting felt way too fun to restrain myself from confirming it.

I jumped on all four and charged my horn with a grin. When I closed my eyes and flattened my channels, the sensations overwhelmed me as the channels got caressed from all sides. I wasn’t alone anymore. There were crystals all around me.

They whispered to me, and I heard myself murmur in response, “Crystals...”

A weird sensation spread out between my hind legs. I forced shut my magic to check out the source of the tingling. Rolling onto my back, I looked over my belly. Nothing was there. Just as it came out of nowhere, the sensation dissipated away before I could find its origin.

I shrugged my shoulders. After rolling over on all four hooves, I checked the surroundings. The library was empty. I was alone again.

When I tried to beat my boredom by finding something shiny to look at, I noticed some movement. It was coming from the corner of the library where the cased book resided. The surrounding air shimmered under the effects of the permanent, encompassing shield. I approached the glimmers. With a hoof, I caressed the gauzy barrier. It felt warm to the touch. A moment later, a flash of light drew my shadow on the casing.

“This book is special.” A voice came from behind me.

I cringed and froze on the spot.

Twilight shook as she stepped beside me. With a hoof, she led my extended one back to the floor. Her breathing was loud. Foamy water dripped on the floor from her soaked coat. “It holds the spell that turned me into an Alicorn. Starswirl the Bearded helped me cast a permanent shield around it. The energy supplying the unbreakable barrier is entangled with my life energy. I feel any disturbance as if somepony touched my body without my consent. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Despite its reactiveness, the magic barrier cannot be shattered for as long as I’m alive.”

“I’m sor—” I forcefully coughed.

“You’re what now?” Twilight smiled at me.

“I touched the invisible barrier without your permission and I’m...” I lowered my voice and mumbled.

Spike walked in the library. He carried a big platter on a claw. A tower made of charcoal was stacked on top of it. The pieces were shaped like cookies, but they couldn’t have been eatable sweets because they were pure black. Well, maybe if they were covered in chocolate. A dark cloud formed from the smoke they emitted. I was pretty sure chocolate wouldn’t do that.

Twilight sighed and turned to me. “Don’t worry about the forced non-consensual touches, Sweetie Belle. You’re not a bad pony, despite how you violated my body. Next time, if you ask for my permission first, you won’t have to worry about repercussions. Wouldn’t that be much more pleasing for everypony involved?”

“Um…” Spike lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t mean to disturb your ‘you time’, but I made some cookies.”

Twilight facehoofed. “That’s not how I’d classify your forged creation.”

Spike laid the platter on a pile of books that lay on the ground. “There’s plenty to go around. I also have another batch on the way.” He picked up a cookie from the top and walked into the adjacent room.

“All is forgiven. As long as you’re sorry and have learned not to touch things without asking for permission.” She reached out with a wet hoof above my head.

I tensed my body and clenched my teeth.

After retracting the invasive hoof, she narrowed her eyes as she looked at me.

I relaxed my muscles.

Spike walked back from the room. 

She moved her head close to mine. “Sweetie Belle, why so tense?”

He glanced at Twilight then back at the cookies. “They’re well-done but very good. You should help yourself to them while there still are any.” He grabbed them with both claws and carried a whole lap of them away. “There’s a great demand for them, you know?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and turned back to me. “I was just trying to stroke you, Sweetie Belle.”

Spike looked back. “Twilight‽” His eyebrows pressed together. He slowly turned and walked to the room, shaking his head.

She sighed as she looked back at me. “Well?”

“Nothing!” I whipped my tail left and right. “Nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?”

Twilight lifted a hoof, making my body stiffen up again. She raised her eyebrows.

Spike walked out the room. “You can eat them to your heart’s content.” He picked up the plate with one claw then put back two cookies with the other. “Don’t mind if I do...”

Still tense, I looked at him. My eyes were wide-spread, mouth opened.

“Um, Twilight...” He put a claw on his hip.

“Spike, can you please refrain yourself from disturbing us all the time. Give me and Sweetie Belle some privacy, will you? Jeez!”

After some grumbling, the big platter disappeared into the other room, along with Spike under it.

Twilight shifted her gaze back to me.

I forcefully loosened my body. I wasn’t in any danger, so there was no need for my tenseness. She would just touch me once, and then she would stop.

I felt a hoof on my head curving the hair of my mane. The hard protrusion chafed as it slid down my neck. Then, the violator rose and landed on my head again. I clenched my teeth. The defiling hoof flattened my mane in its path while it drifted down. My body tightened ever more. The lavender appendage rose and pressed down on my head again!

I pounded my hoof on the floor and jumped toward the door, away from the pushy hoof. “Stop touching me!”

Spike burst out of the room, “Twilight! I’ve had enough of this!” He pressed his claws at his sides as he glared at her. “Do we need to have a talk about the age difference and consent again?”

“Spike...” She sighed.

“And I don’t care about how Celestia used to take care of you! I don’t want to hear any more of the stuff you’ve been exposed to!”

“I’ve committed no immoralities and breached no social conventions,” Twilight protested.

“First, you show her pictures of exposed mares—”

“It was a medical book about reproduction...”

“—And now this.” His voice rose. “There’s no excuse for feeling out foals if they don’t want to be touched inappropriately!”

“It’s not what it looks like, Spike!”

“Yeah, right… Touching your life-bound shield in the middle of the night—not what it looks like. The thing you do on library’s floor—not what it looks like. It’s never what it looks like with you. That phrase is always your ‘go to’ excuse…” Spike pointed two nails at his eyes then at her. Slowly, he backtracked toward the room. “I’m keeping my eyes on you, Princess.” He glanced at the pile of books beside him. “And no cookies for you, princess!” His arm pointed at Twilight accusingly as the other one reached for the remaining two cookies, throwing them in his open mouth. The crunching sounds accompanied him through the doorway.

A purple aura enveloped the door of the side room and slammed it shut. “Ugh! I swear, sometimes I just want to burst out in flames! Or better yet, realize my plans for a machine to do that exponentially after the countdown reaches zero.” Twilight inhaled deeply and focused back on me. “Sweetie Belle, tell me, what’s eating you? Did you do something, and you worry about it; is that it? You can tell me, I’ll help you fix it if you’ll let me.”

With clenched teeth, I stared at the patterns on the floor. Wasn’t invading my personal space enough? Did she also have to force foreign thoughts into me? “I—I just don’t want to be treated like a filly all the time,” I said so she’d drop the subject.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else that’s bothering you? Something you feel bad about, perhaps? We’ve known each other for some time now, Sweetie Belle. You know you can confide in me. If something is wrong, you need to make things right again, else they will stay wrong, and you really don’t want that! Please trust me when I say this. It’s paramount, and I can’t stress it enough. You should direct all your efforts in fixing your regressions.”

“Nothing is wrong!” I forced my gaze on her. “I just came here to read!”

“If that’s all you came here to do, then here’s a book you should set your focus on!” She floated a lavender-covered book to me.

My magic intercepted the booklet as she dropped it. I telekinetically flipped the pages and read out random words, “Friendship, respect, responsibility… That’s not even about magic!”

“If you read the book I gave you, you may borrow any of the other ones. Except for these...” Her horn glowed brightly, and all the books from top shelves floated up. They formed a line in the air and drifted away to the adjacent room in quick succession.

“I’m not putting all this smut back!” Spike yelled from the room.

“You removed all the good ones, didn’t you?” I protested.

“No, I removed all the bad ones. Those that can harm your innocent mind. The ones that can contribute to your personal growth still remain on the lower shelves. You can read those to your heart's content.”

I was sure that some cool stuff could still be salvaged from the leftovers. My smile grew ever bigger as I grazed my eyes on all the books at my disposal.

“But you may not have another book until you read the one I gave you! As for me, I need to finish my shower.” She trotted toward the exit. “It seems the smell of rotting eggs is stronger than I thought. The stench managed to protrude through the thick layer of shampoo out into the open. I’ve underestimated malodor thus far, but I shall not repeat the same mistake again. As Celestia is my witness, the mephitis will falter under the power of my dandy brush!” Twilight glared at me and changed her voice to a serious one, “Don’t touch anything while I’m gone!” She drifted through the library’s door.

“I won’t touch nothing…” I needed her to trust me more, not less. She probably wouldn’t lend me another book if I betrayed her trust again.

I heard a loud sigh from the other room. It was contagious.

Sighing, I looked back at the cover. It did say magic in the title, but I knew it was a lie. Despite it not being mystical like, say, science, ponies still put the word magic to things that are hard to understand or don’t even exist. Like friendship, for instance, which was also in the title. I didn’t even have to open the book to know it was boring.

I lay my head on the lavender cover, poised to wait for Twilight to give me an actual book. My eyes closed as if by themselves.
> 25 - Endemic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A voice came from a distance, “I’m back.”

I opened my eyes and jumped on all four legs. “Whaa...” Books surrounded me from all sides. It wouldn’t be the first time I woke up out of my room. In the past, my sleepwalking had led me to even stranger places than a library… Looking down, I saw the boring book and the memories came back to me. “Oh…” I couldn’t blame this one on being displaced. 

Twilight stood by the door, rubbing a towel around her face. “So, how is your reading coming along?”

I wiped my drool from the book’s cover. “I’m done with it.” Floating it up back to the table, I walked up to the shelves to choose an actual book.

She raised her voice. “No, you’re not done with it until you read it whole!” Engulfed in a purple aura, the book floated back to me.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her. “May I get another book now?”

“Tell me, what are the elements of friendship?” Twilight asked.

“Um, Responsibility? And, er…”

“No, responsibility is a duty of an individual within a civic structure.”—She pointed a hoof at the book on the floor—“Which is something you are also lacking, along with most of everything else that you didn’t bother to read!”

“But it’s getting dark and you’ll want to throw me out of the castle. I won’t be able to borrow another book and then I won’t be able to learn about magic in school.”

“You’re always welcome to come here, even after the closing hours, if you can get your parents’ permission. No pony with a book fetish gets thrown out of my library—I can promise you that. As for reading in school, I don’t think Cheerilee would approve of you paying attention to anything other than her class.”

“I read on school breaks,” I said as convincingly as I could, so she would drop the issue.

“How come you don’t play with your friends during breaks anymore?”

“Friends?”

She focused on me. “You know, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo,”—she half-closed her eyes—“Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara.”

“I’m not a Cutie Mark Crusader anymore. I don’t need others to help me with what I want. As for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, they’re just mean bullies.”

“Are they now?”

“They enjoy hurting others just because they have the power to do so.”

She sighed. “I see... Read your book now. Maybe there’s something in there, like kindness for instance, that you can apply toward them besides your projections.”

“I doubt it.”

Her head shook. “I had a period similar to yours, Sweetie Belle. I thought that I didn’t need any friends. But I was wrong. You’d be surprised, how much other ponies can help you out if you just open up to them.”

I sighed and opened the book on the first page. “If you don’t mind, I need to hurry up with this, or I won’t be able to read it by the end of the day.”

“You definitely won’t be able to read it whole today, but you sure can read a few chapters. This time tomorrow you might be done with it, and then you can get another book of your choice.”

Doing that wouldn’t be fast enough. I wanted a book that would make my classes interesting, not even more boring. “Hmpf.” I looked at the book. It wasn’t that thick. I hoped I could just quickly suffer through it.

“Friendship is something that ponies have an intuitive understanding of. It’s not uncommon to see toddlers form intimate connections with each other, even before they learn to form sentences. By understanding the core principles of friendship, one can deepen one’s relationship with fellow ponies…”

I sighed. So boring…

“While you read, I’ll inform your parents where you are, so they won’t worry about you.”

“…Without the guidance of friendship, an individual can turn destructive toward others and oneself…”

“Spike, isn’t all this mess making you ache, to clean it up?”

“I’m sure it aches you even more since it’s your smut, to begin with.”

“Fair enough. I’ll re-shelve the books myself, but before that, we need to write a letter to Sweetie Belle’s parents…” They both moved to a room connected to the library. It was probably where they kept their writing equipment.

As soon as I gave the book in front of me an angry look, an idea struck me. Why would I try to memorize the content of a boring book if I could just read the answers out of it?

I levitated the book with one channel then launched more channels along the first one, sliding them between the pages. It became a part of me. I felt the book from within and without; the leftover of my drool on the cover, a wrinkle on the first page and more. There were countless soft, inky shapes strapped to the paper. When I closed my eyes, I saw the letters that the magic painted in my mind: Friendship is something… I could read the text! And I didn’t even need my eyes for it. All I had to do was focus the endpoints of my channels, and I felt out the written words.

Twilight walked from the side room. “Your parents know you’re with me.”

“I’m ready to borrow a new book.” I slowly opened my eyes and grinned at her.

“No! Our deal was that you read the book I gave you.”

“I’m done with that book. I want to get another one now.”

“There’s a difference between reading and shuffling through a book. I thought I already made that clear.”

“I didn’t shuffle through it. The whole content of it is at my mind’s reach. There’s no need for me to waste more time with it. You can ask me something from the book if you don’t believe me.”

“Look, you’d have to have a photographic memory to read the book in such short time frame. From anecdotes your sister told me, you have anything but. Reading takes time and patience—”

“—Prove me wrong if you can!”

“Fine… What are the elements of friendship?”

“Um…” I closed my eyes and focused on my spread out channels between the pages. Elements… Elements, where are you…

“Well?” She raised her voice.

My channels seemed to shuffle through the pages as if they had a mind of their own. They ceased shifting at the second half of the book. I focused and saw the answer in my mind. “Kindness, loyalty, generosity, honesty and laughter. When the five elements are ignited by 'The Spark' that resides in the heart of us all, they create the sixth element. The Element of Magic.”

“You—recited it…”

I opened my eyes. “I can tell you everything that this book says. There’s no reason for you to abuse me with it anymore. Can I borrow one that’s cool now?”

She smirked. “One does not simply recite a book, but let me humor you.” Her smile turned to a grin. “What’s on page 42.” 

That one was easy, I just had to shift my focus on that page. “… and to mutually benefit from it via sharing.

“The further benefit of extending friendship to those that significantly differ in personality arises from the very divergence. Though the inner concordance may be harder to achieve, the overall functionality of a group of friends is higher than one of the same minded individuals.”

Twilight opened her eyes to their full extent. Her mouth gaped.

“Are we done? Can I borrow another book now?”

“I… I guess you can…” she whispered, looking to the side with raised eyebrows. “Could it be that we’ve all underestimated you thus far?”

I floated the lavender book toward the table of equally boring books. 

She cringed as it fell on the lavender pile. “You can still keep the book I gave you, Sweetie Belle.”

“Nah, I’m good.” My horn glowed darkly. Eyes closed as if by themselves. The channels spread out and caressed the books on the shelves all around me. I could feel the letters on the covers and read them just by focusing on the symbols that the magic painted in my mind.

Twilight spoke, “So, um, Sweetie Belle, since you didn’t like my book, what kind of reading material would you like? Given that you’re already quite—versatile with basic magic, I don’t think that’s an area that needs most of your attention. 

“To be honest, as thrilled as I am that you want to learn more about it, I’m also a bit concerned.”

I opened one eye and glanced at her.

Twilight rose a hoof and talked to it, “The increase in magic potential and mental capacity could be indicators of a neurological restructuring.” She sat down and the second foreleg joined the first one in the air before her face. “Then again, one should never be held back by somepony’s unproven speculations. The recent change in behavior could just as well be a consequence of increased enthusiasm...”

I raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Sorry, I was thinking aloud again.” She stood on all fours. “Just tell me the subject you’re interested in, and if it’s appropriate for you, I will get you the book that presents your chosen field the most fully.”

“This one should do the trick.” A book floated in front of me. I wasn’t even sure where I pulled it out of.

Twilight read the title, “The Inner Mind.” She looked at me. “ Is this really the book you want?”

I shrugged my shoulders while my head nodded.

“Well, it’s a very good book if you have anxiety problems. Do you?”

I shrugged my shoulders again as my mouth opened, “I desire this book!”

“The author is a neuropsychiatrist. She goes into various technical details on the inner workings of the brain and meditation techniques. I’m not sure you’ll be able to understand everything that’s in it. However, if this is the book you want, you can borrow it freely. Though foals aren’t its target audience, there’s also nothing that could be considered ‘mature’ in it.”

“I want it!”

“Yes, you already said that. Here you go. Don’t hesitate in indulging yourself fully with it.”

Twilight’s nostrils widened when she whiffed at the air and yelled in the direction of the adjacent room, “Spike, your cookies are burning! Again!”

The book slid into my saddlebag. “See you tomorrow, Twilight.”

“On it...” Spike sighed.

I telekinetically opened the door to the hallway and stepped into the black fog.

Twilight trotted behind me “I’m glad to see an increased interest for books from you, Sweetie Belle.” She turned back to the library and yelled, “I didn’t start the fire; I’m not putting it out. Not this time. It’s your mess. You fix it!”

“Yeah, yeah!” A grumbling noise came from the library. “On it...”

She calmly turned back to me. “I am, however, curious, where the sudden shift in your interests originates from.” She coughed.

Spike ran out of the library to the opposite side of us. At least that’s what it sounded like. I couldn’t see anything through the dense smoke in the hallway to confirm what I heard.

“Are you sure you aren’t aiming for a librarian cutie mark, after all?” She gurgled and coughed some more.

Waving a hoof before my face cleared the smoke just enough for me to spot the exit. I telekinetically pulled the knob of the door. When it opened with a creak, I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with fresh air. “It’s not even about the cutie mark anymore.”

“What is it about then? The fun of learning?” She loudly swallowed as she slightly nodded at me.

I shook my head. “I was stuck before, and I plan on breaking out. Gradually, I’m gaining control.” I walked outside the castle.

Twilight shuddered and stopped in her tracks. “Um, Sweetie Belle… Just a hypothetical question. What if I told you that you may not come here anymore?”

“I’d come anyway. You have no authority over me. Nopony does!”

“Sweetie Belle!” Twilight banged a hoof on the castle’s door.

“What?” I half-turned my head and looked at her with only one eye. “Do you think that just because you’re a princess you can boss other ponies around?”

“Of course not! But there are limits that shouldn’t be crossed, Sweetie Belle. Our whole system is based on protecting pony kind, and I’m entrusted to defend the local pony population and society at large. If you try to break it, the system will break you back!”

“Rules are what we make of them!”

“No, that’s not true…” Twilight bowed her head to the ground.

I turned forward and trotted on. Her whole argument was invalid and pointless.

“Sweetie!” Twilight yelled from the front of her castle.

I kept on walking without turning back.

“If you’ve ever trusted me, Sweetie Belle, trust me now. Lie low for a bit. Keep your head down. Don’t stir up anything else anymore, and things will calm down eventually. Just stay out of trouble for a while, okay? Please!”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Princess!” I yelled into the air as I shook my head and laughed. “You’re not the boss of me. Nopony is. Not anymore.” I kept my pace on the path. My shadow on the pavement before me, formed by the firelight from the castle, grew larger with every step I took away from Twilight.
> 26 - Runaway
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wiggled both ears away from the sound of birds. After forcefully opening my eyes, I looked toward the window. It was opened, and that’s why the sound of singing birds was loud enough to wake me up.

Usually, I had closed the window before going to bed, so that I didn’t get disturbed too early in the morning. I must have forgotten to close it when I came home. I guess I had been just too focused on the book that I had borrowed from the library.

Immediately, a smile forced itself onto my lips. The day before, I had made Twilight lend me a certain book. It was time to put its content to practical use.

My horn shone darkly as the charged channels pushed against the bed launching me off it. I sat down on my flank in the middle of the room and levitated the book off the nightstand.

When I floated it to the floor in front of me, a written sheet of paper drifted off the covers. That writing was the homework assignment that I had completed in the evening just after I’d came home.

We’d been tasked to write a short story about one of our classmates. The homework hadn’t been hard at all since the words had just drifted out of my mouth. All I had to do was write down what I had said, and the homework was completed.

Before I’d fallen asleep, I had experienced a nagging feeling that something was off with what I’d written. The ominous notion still hovered over me at the time.

I had usually written my reports with my mouth, but that one was magic-written. At a glance, the letters seemed prettier than my usual scribblings. They were edgy and looked as if crystals were stacked together to form different shapes. Just to make sure the homework was as legible as it was pretty, I floated the shady piece of paper before me to give the text another read.





Diamond Tiara wanted to be above everypony else, just like she always does, so she climbed on a rooftop. The roof couldn't hold all her worth and gave in.

She was falling headfirst, but she had a trick up her silk sleeve. She didn't get her cutie mark for nothing, after all.

Just before the impact, she managed to take off her diamond tiara.

The fall split her skull, but the tiara stayed intact. It rested safely on her motionless hooves where the pool of spoiled blood couldn’t reach it.





Something felt wrong, but I couldn’t point a hoof at it. I didn’t see any mistake in the text even after I reread it. The grammar looked flawless.

I decided to ask Twilight if the happy ending needed more details. It was still very early in the morning, and I had lots of time on my hooves. I figured that I could still make it to school early enough even if I were to drop by the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle first. Besides boosting my ego for writing such an awesome story, she could also lend me another book that I could read in school. Or better yet, instead of school. A grin embellished my muzzle.

I focused back on the book from the library that I’ve already read in the evening soon after I had come home from the library. It was thinner than most books, that’s why I’d manage to digest the few dozen pages before the night caught up with me. Under the title was a subtitle, written with smaller letters: ‘A Quick Guide to Deep Mental Meditation’.

I cut off my magic, opened the book and hoofed through the pages.

“History of Meditation, Positive Effects, Relaxing the Body, Breathing, there! Breaking Mental Restraints.” That was the chapter which had caught my interest when I had read the book the day before. I had put it off until morning so that my wits would be nimbler.

It was morning, but first, I wanted to be sure that I memorized the main process correctly. I reread the text.

A pony’s brain consists of many functional centers, allocated for different functionalities. Most sections are active throughout a pony’s conscious existence, but its signals aren’t amplified enough to break to the surface of one’s sensory perception or decision-making processes.

By shutting down the most prevalent cognitive functions one can free up secondary brain centers, gaining unique insights to both sensory perception of surroundings and open-minded thought pattern formation.

The techniques described in this book work more reliably when one’s brain is well rested so that the thought flows aren’t hindered.

Disclaimer: These are not relaxation exercises. You should not attempt deep meditation procedure without surveillance from a certified instructor. The author of this book is not liable for any and all ill effects that may or may not result from the usage of described mental procedures.

Consciousness expanding technique:
1. Lay on your side, with your hind hooves touching each other in front of you. Put both forehooves on top of them and let them rest there. Keep your eyes closed and surrender yourself to the void.

2. Commit to deep, slow breathing as described in the previous chapter.

3. Let go of all your coherent sentiments and allow your mind to drift deeper.

4. Drop your focus and let your subconsciousness flow freely.

5. Relinquish your conscious control and permit your inner thoughts to express themselves.

I knew what to do, even though I wasn’t sure why I even wanted to perform the exercise. It was time!

After laying my tush on the floor and closing my eyes, I slid my hooves into a comfortable position alongside the book. Relaxing my muscles led to stable breathing.

The flows in my body and mind were crystal clear, but the task wasn’t to focus on those. Instead, I was to remove myself and let them flow freely.

I could sense a presence there as well. It encompassed me, yet stayed in the background at the same time. The humming sound tempted me to follow it further into the darkness. The voice was connected to me, yet shied away when I tried to make out the whispers. The book mentioned brain centers. Perhaps I had one of those, and it was acting up. Or maybe it was something else...

Focusing on my inner workings wasn’t the correct procedure. I had to let my other areas express themselves without my control. I ignored the silent whispers and delved deeper. While I drifted back into my mind, the birds’ singing drew distant and quiet. I felt as if I was cutting myself off from the world. And yet, the previous background hum that had been surrounding me grew louder, pushing me even deeper.

I heard voices from afar, but it didn’t sound like a song from the little critters. It was ominous, yet familiar. There were two separate sources. When I focused on them, my mind followed along, leading me back to reality. There was a resistance on the way, but I was stubborn and managed to push myself through it. I opened my eyes.

“… that is unacceptable and you know it, young lady!”

“Whaa...” I gave my dad, who towered above me, a confused look.

Mom stood behind him at the opened door of my room.

“Who gave you the idea that going to the library is more important than school? It was Twilight wasn’t it?” He noticed the book on the floor. “Cookie Crumbles, look!” He pointed at it with a hoof and turned to mom. “These profane, wicked scriptures are the cause of her outbursts. Twilight has been feeding her inappropriate books, and Sweetie has been acting out on them.”

“At least this one doesn’t appear to be mature,” mom whispered.

“I wouldn’t bet on it. And even if the book is foal rated, it changes nothing. She’s been acting strange ever since she started going to the library. Twilight put some wacky ideas into her head, I tell you.”

He turned back to me. “Sweetie Belle, you are hereby no longer allowed to go to the Castle of Friendship until further notice. Also, you may not talk with Twilight Sparkle anymore, she’s a bad influence on you.”

Mom turned to dad. “I’ll escort her to school, to make sure she gets there in time. I’ve been getting reports that she came late on more than one occasion.”

It wasn’t fair. I didn’t do anything wrong to deserve such abuse. “But I like the library, you have no right to keep me away from it!”

Dad stepped beside me. “Whenever you opt to be naughty, I’ll be there to defy your defiance. We’re your parents and have every right to do what we think is best for you. Your mother will take you to school now.” He bumped a foreleg against my flank, pushing me up from the floor.

I side-stepped to catch my balance. “Don’t touch me!” My horn charged up and body tensed.

Mom looked at my dad with wide opened eyes. “Her horn!”

“And another thing, missy,”—dad put a forehoof over the bubbly dark aura—“your magic use so far has been irresponsible, to say the least. From now on, you’re not allowed to use magic until you grow up and they stop blaming us for your bad behavior.”

“I said”—my channels pushed the violating hoof away from me—“don’t touch me!”

Mom gasped.

“Sweetie Belle, what did I just tell you? Shut it off!” He raised a hoof toward me again.

I launched two channels in the opposite directions to each other—one to the wall behind me and the other at the aggressor.

The forward channel connected with dad’s hoof.

His eyes shot wide open. “What the—”

The force rotated him, and he lost his balance. He fell on the floor, hitting his head against the edge of my bed.

“Hondo?” Mom raised a hoof to her muzzle.

“Ugh!” Dad slid a hoof on his head then looked at it. When he noticed the smudge of blood, his teeth gnashed together. He stood up and pierced me with half-closed eyes.

Mom extended a hoof toward him “Be careful, Hondo!” She bit her lip.

“You’ve crossed the line, Sweetie Belle! I’ve thought that you had outgrown the need for spanking, but clearly, I was mistaken.” He pointed to my bed with his head. “Get over here and bend over.” He raised a hoof in the air above me.

I tried to defuse the situation. “Get out of my room. Both of you!”

“This is my house and as long as you’re here, you will abide by my rules!” dad said.

“I’ll...” I looked at dad and my lips fluttered. “I’ll...” My eyes shifted to mum and the whole muzzle quivered as the words tried to come out. “I’ll...” A tear drifted down my cheek. “I’ll run away then!” My tail and shoulders slumped.

I wiped my eyes with a hoof. “I’m just going to grab a few necessities first, and then I’ll leave.” With my magic, I floated up my saddlebag from the hanger beside the door. I stopped to wipe my eyes with a hoof then levitated it closer.

As it floated past mom, she stepped back to the doorway, spreading her legs. “Don’t be foalish Sweetie. You don’t need to do that. We don’t want you to go away.”

I dropped my saddlebag on the floor before me. The rip on the bottom of it was hardly visible. Rarity had done a good job fixing it.

“I said get over here!” Dad pointed to my bed with a hoof. “Now!”

He was acting irrational, so I tried to put some sense into him. “I’ll pack my bag and be out of your mane. Just give me a few moments.”

His teeth gnashed as he approached. “You’re going to need a whole lot more to think about what you did!”

I stood my ground. There was nowhere to go, mom blocked the exit. “Don’t do it, dad. I’m warning you!”

“You talk way too much, missy. I’m grounding you!” He passed by my charged horn and stopped at my side. His hoof rose over my back. After overstepping me, he leaned down, trapping me to the spot.

I clenched all my muscles and pierced him with my eyes. “Don’t!”

He lifted the other hoof in the air and struck me on my flank.

The pain spread from my rump to thigh, and I reflexively kicked with a hind leg. “Ouch!”

My horn glowed darker, and dad sprung through the air, crashing into mom. They both slid on the floor to the corridor, hitting the wall opposite to the door of my room.

I perspired. My plot crumpled to the floor. It still hurt where my dad’s hoof impacted. “You think you can just push me around and do anything you please with me, don’t you? Well, you can’t. I won’t let you!” A tear slid down my face.

They stared at me with eyes spread wide. Their mouths were agape. I focused my channel on the door and slammed it shut.

I let out my channels to scour the room for the things to put in my saddlebag. My chest felt heavy, eyes teared up. In my mind, I knew that I had a right to do what I did to my parents. But it felt wrong. So very wrong...

I closed my eyes to gain some clarity. My mind kept leading me through the scene of the last few moments. The burden weighed upon me. 

Both ears perked up as I heard the mean voices from the hallway.

“Hondo, you hold the door while I get the key.” Mom said. “After that, we get the help she needs. Twilight only made things worse by stalling.”

The door creaked. “It would have all been taken care of already if we didn’t need Twilight’s seal of approval. The self-proclaimed princess is only good for getting in the way. After this, she won’t be able to deny us any longer.”

Something was off. I could sense it. The world around me seemed to take on a darker shade. My parents had used to be nicer to me. Their mean behavior toward me was new. And the feeling of it weighed on me as a dray.

It wasn’t just my parents who were amiss—the fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders making me quit the club; classmates talking behind my back and keeping away from me; Twilight always standing in my way. Even the ponies on the streets were acting weird around me. I had seen it in their eyes. They darted at me as soon as I was noticed. When the gasping subsided, the ponies’ mouths stayed opened. Those weren’t the expressions I was used to. There had usually been smiles wherever I turned and happy chatter all around. Such was not the case anymore. The whispers within the herd, as if they hid something devious from me.

I felt like the entire world had changed before my eyes. It felt as if everypony was out to get me. Had I done something in the recent time to make them act out? No! Everything I had done was necessary and right. It was all justified. My decisions weren’t choices, but conclusions. They had to be done.

There was no doubt in my mind that my actions were required. It was as clear as crystals. I had a reason for everything I did. It wasn’t I who was in the wrong. It was the rest of the ponies. All of them! They wanted to change me to their evil ways, but I wasn’t about to let myself be corrupted. I had to resist the social pressure. I had to defy them all!

My ears perked as I heard the door to my room being locked from the outside. Mom’s raspy voice pervaded through the closed door. “Sweetie Belle, just stay in your room for a bit, okay? And don’t worry about school, I’ll write to your teacher Cheerilee that you got sick.”

“Whatever.” Locking me in my room was pathetic. With my magic, I could break down the door in a heartbeat. That wasn’t necessary because I could just choose a different exit out of my room. I lifted my head and looked up at the window as a grin graced my lips.

I picked up the book on the floor with my mouth. Twilight would probably want it back before she’d lend me anything else to read. There was just enough space for it on top of my Towelie that I had also, apparently, packed in my saddlebag. I strapped it on my back then trotted to the opened window.

There was quite some distance to the ground from the second floor, I was on. When I had fallen from the ledge once, I’d hurt my leg. Jumping out of the window was out of the question. But there was another way.

I had a plan. My horn charged up and attached one of the channels to the ground below the window. With the other channel, I formed a focal point on my abdomen. If I could lift boulders, then lifting myself shouldn’t be a problem.

I increased the flow sending it equally through both channels. My hooves detached from the floor as I levitated toward the window. I gulped as I saw the depths spread below me.

A hind hoof struck the frame of the window, making me lean over.

The force on my abdomen wasn’t just holding me up anymore. Because of the changed angle, I accelerated forward through the window.

I decreased the flow but started to lose altitude. The path leading to our house rushed below me and expanded over my field of view as I approached it.

I launched another charged channel sideways from my horn. As it hit the ground I drifted to the side, splatting myself on the grass beside the pavement.

“Ugh!” I slid on my side on top of the lawn before finally coming to a stop.

My coat was green from the grass. The skin under it was scratched. The wound didn’t hurt as bad as it looked, so I decided to just walk it off. The sting couldn’t compare to the pain I felt in my heart. When I looked up at the window of my former home, the tightness in my chest increased. It made mere breathing a chore. There were so many memories attached to that place and I was leaving them behind. I wished I didn’t have to go, but the conditions for staying became unacceptable. Dad not allowing me to use my magic—he might as well cut off my horn. Having the ability to do magic is useless if you don’t actually use it and I wasn’t about to stop using it!

I looked around. Everything was still. Apparently, nopony saw me. I picked up the book and laid it on Towelie. The saddlebag wouldn’t snap close, though. The buckle must have broken in the fall.

Something moved at the pier on top of the pond.

I approached it to get a better view. The movement came from dad’s fishing pole. Its base was fixed on the pier so that it wouldn’t get pulled in the pond if any fish was caught. The upper part of the stick swung up and down.

I had never understood his obsession with fishing. Whenever he had caught a fish, he just released it back into the pond. It all seemed pointless to me. When I had asked him about it, he would just say that it’s not the goal, but the journey that matters. I had never understood what he meant by that. The pond was right there in front of the house—not much of a journey...

I reached the pier as a sudden flash of light forced me to close my eyes. Raising my leg above my snout, I fluttered with both eyelids as I peeked over my raised hoof. I saw the knife my dad used for cutting fishing lines. There was a sheath beside it. He had told me on many occasions some nonsense about how the knife was passed through generations as a family heirloom. It even had a name: Prominence.

He just took my entire home from me. I liked my home! It was only fair that I took something that he valued in response.

I charged my horn and used my channels to slide the knife into its sheath. After opening my backpack with a forehoof, I levitated the sheathed knife inside. Prominence was his no longer. It was mine.
> 27 - Consequences
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I levitated up Twilight’s book about meditation in the air and closed my saddlebag. After shaking the adventure pack off my back, I shoved it under a bush by the castle’s entrance. I didn’t want Twilight thinking anything was off. It would just make her ask pesky questions about my baggage, and that wasn’t what I came for.

Surprisingly the castle’s door was unlocked, despite the early hours. I walked to the library entrance and peeked inside.

Among the towers of books, the lavender Alicorn lay on her back with both hind legs spread apart. The tousled tail was wedged between them, covering her tummy. Twilight’s forehooves rested on her chest as both wings spread on the floor. A familiar red tome floated above her head.

With a hind leg, I shut the door to get her attention.

“Huh?” The light of her horn faded as she looked at me. The book fell on her face. “Ugh!” She flapped her wings against the floor rolling herself to a sitting position catching it on her forehooves.

“You okay, Twilight?”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with me!”—She charged her horn again and levitated the book behind the other red books on the top shelf. Rolling herself over, she scrambled up on all fours.—“I sometimes prefer to read while lying down. And just so you know, it’s not weird at all!”

“I didn’t say it’s weird.”

“You didn’t say it because there’s nothing to say about the way I spend my leisure time. It’s not weird and neither am I for indulging myself in the matters of diversity from time to time!”

“Okay…”

“Twilight, you’re weird!” came Spike’s voice from a neighboring room. “And so too is the letter you made me write.”

She sighed, put a hoof between her eyes then glanced at me. “What happened to your biorhythm, Sweetie Belle? Mornings used to be a calm before the storm, but lately you’ve made them your own.”

“I woke up early,” I said simply.

“Well, I can’t really complain about the disruption of my routine. It’s actually a nice change of pace. Almost nopony comes here, despite my working hours spanning from noon to dawn. It can get a bit lonely in this dull place, especially since Starlight Glimmer went on the chronic friendship mission. At times, I wonder if I should even be coming to my own residence. Perhaps I could be more useful elsewhere, yet, the map keeps showing me my cutie mark around this very castle. It’s as if I’m supposed to be stuck in this cage of a home.” Her eyes spread wide. “Wait—I’m expected to be here, but you’re not! Today is a school day. Will you be late again because you came?” She clenched her teeth.

“The school bell hasn’t even rung yet.”

“Oh... Um... Okay then.” She nodded, but her face remained stif. “We better keep our ears perked up. Cheerilee and the others wouldn’t want to see more deviations from you.”

“I’m gonna need another book. I’m done with this one.” My charged channels floated it to her.

She closed her eyes as she sniffed at the covers. “Mmm. Since so many moons ago, it still smells as fresh as grass.” After snatching it with her channels, she glanced at me. “Have you tried the relaxation exercises described in it? They worked wonders for me when I had a rough time.” Extending a forehoof, she slowly exhaled, demonstrating the breathing technique.

She then turned back to the book. It rotated in her magic field. Her eyes half-closed as she focused on the back cover.

I swallowed my saliva and took a step back.

“Sweetie Belle!” A judging gaze pierced me. “What have you done to it?”

“I fell.”

“It has grass stains all over...”

“I fell on it on the lawn.”

“I entrusted you with the book in hope that you would take good care of it.”

“It’s just a book.”

“And you’re just a reckless filly who can’t even be trusted to preserve a book.”

“I’ll be more careful next time, okay?”

“Will you? Will you, really? I very much doubt it. I’ve seen what you did with the precious book that I’ve previously lent you.”

“What?” I raised my eyebrows

She telekinetically ripped a book out of a shell and abruptly stopped its flight in front of my face. “Tell me; what is this?” The scribbled pages opened in front of me.

It was the book about magic types I’d read in school the day before, with all my corrections intact. “I fixed it,” I said proudly and extended my neck, so I could see Twilight behind the covers.

“This was my favorite one, Sweetie Belle!” She thumped a hoof against the floor. “The book was a gift from Celestia after I passed her personal open-mindedness test when she tutored me. I took such good care of the precious… and you—ruined it!”

“It’s better now!”

“I remember you being more responsible than this.”

“I’m respons able. In fact, I’m responsing right now.”

She gazed in my eyes “What happened to you, Sweetie Belle?”

My sister had always called me irresponsible. Yet, there was Twilight, implying that I had been actually more responsible before. I wished past Rarity could have heard her say that. If she knew the future sister I would become, she’d be grateful for past me. Knowing that things would only get worse, Rarity should have commended me instead of resorting to regular scolding. I smiled at the uplifting thought.

Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle, but I can’t lend you any more books.”

I pressed my eyebrows together as I looked at her. My teeth were clenched because I didn’t like what I was hearing.

“You can still read them, but I won’t let you carry any of them from the library. Now, you really should hurry to school. If you happen to be late again, please don’t say it’s because of me. I have a bad reputation as it is. Everypony left and right is trying to find fault in me lately.”

Just when I was about to protest, a knock on the door interrupted our argument.

“Ugh! What now?” Twilight snorted. “Come in!”

There was no response.

“That’s odd” Twilight shuffled the book back on the shelf as she approached the library’s exit.

A note slipped under the door. I could hear hoofsteps of somepony running away.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I have no idea.” She levitated up the bent note.

After glancing at me, she raised both eyebrows. “Aren’t you going to school?”

“Mom said that she’ll tell miss Cheerilee that I’m sick.”

“Is that so? Now why would your mother say something like that if there’s nothing physically wrong with you, I wonder.” Twilight spread the paper before her muzzle and shuffled her eyes left and right. “Oh, my!”

“What does it say?”

She kept on reading.

“Can I see it?” I raised myself on the hind legs and leaned both forehooves on Twilight’s shoulder as I tried to stretch my neck far enough to read the note.

Twilight’s eye glanced at me then focused right back on the text. After a sigh from her, the field that levitated the note collapsed, cramping the paper into a compact wad. The ball slowly spun around its axis while Twilight stared at it motionlessly.

I cocked my head from curiosity and dropped on all fours. Twilight’s posture seemed to be frozen in time. I stepped under the floating paper orb to check the expression on her face. It was blank. She just stared past the rotating white ball in an undefined distance.

“Since I don’t have to go to school today, I’m staying here. You don’t mind, do you?”

Her gaze was fixed on the wrinkled ball. After some time, her mouth finally moved while her eyes glanced at me. “Do you think I’m a bad influence on you, Sweetie Belle?”

“Well, you do get in my way sometimes, but if you fix that, I’ll have no problem with you.”

She sighed and turned to me. “Do you really think I’m holding you back, Sweetie Belle? Is that the way you see me? As an obstacle in your path? And what is that path of yours exactly?”

I stiffened my body and tilted my head. Up to that point, she’d been manageable, but it sounded like she was about to get into my business. I half-closed my eyes as I tried to rate the threat.

She leaned back her head. After biting on her lip, she glanced to the side and took a deep breath. Her eyebrows pressed together. A moment later her eyes popped wide open again and a grisly smile forced itself on her face.

“I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle! That was—mean of me.” She leaned forward. “I’m just, um, jealous that you can do things with your magic, which I didn’t even dream of when I was your age. But I don’t want to limit you. I, actually, want to help you out. How about we join forces. Instead of standing in your way, I’ll support you from now on. What do you think about that?”

“You’d do that?” A grin snuck itself onto my lips. “If you join me, no obstacle could stand in our way; we’d be unstoppable! Even Princess Celestia couldn’t hold us back. Nopony would dare to oppose us.”

Twilight crumpled on her behind. She clenched her teeth and talked to both forehooves. “I wish they were right, and I really was the sole problem. If that were the case, I could just remove myself from the picture, and everything would get back to normal. I wouldn’t have to deal with this responsibility. The bad isn’t going away by itself, though, is it? This disturbance has to get fixed, and it’s my duty to do so for the future’s sake. If I will have failed to prevent the threat before the turning point, bad things will fester from then on.” The paper ball before her burst into flames. “I know what must be done. There is no other way.” Her horn dimmed as the ashes fell to the floor. “It seems they’ll have their way, after all...”

“Who are they? What are you talking about?”

Her gaze shifted toward the room connected to the main library hall. “Spike!”

His eyes peeked from behind the doorway.

She stood up, spread her legs and spoke loudly, “That letter that we wrote earlier—the weird one I told you we wouldn’t be sending… Send it!”

“Twilight, are you sure?”

Her head lowered. “Oh, how I wish I wasn’t...” Her head jerked up. “But I am! The future depends on taking the necessary actions. This is the last chance for preventive measures. I can no longer ignore the signs. If I don’t act, things could spin out of control beyond my ability to contain them.” She sighed. “Do it, Spike. Send it, now!”

That was odd. Just when I was making progress with Twilight, she opted to ignore me. I shifted my gaze to Spike. “What letter?”

Spike turned around. “Sending it now!” He shut the door behind him.

They were secretive about something, so I walked toward the room Spike disappeared into to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Twilight raised a hoof in my path. “It’s just a letter. I sometimes write letters in advance, as a contingency plan, so I can send them instantly if the situation calls for that. I don’t want you to worry about it, though.”

The sound of erupting flames came from the neighboring room. “So, what was the occasion for sending this letter, then? What did you write in it? Who did Spike send it to?”

She looked away from me. “Some ponies hope for a better future. I’ve seen what horrors a future can bring. I was forced to watch them over again and again. Hope alone is not enough to stop horrendous things from happening. That’s why I don’t hope for a better future anymore—I plan for it.” She turned to the side room and yelled. “Spike!”

He slowly opened the door and peeked out.

“Go. Now!”

Without a word, he left the library, shutting the door behind him.

I half-closed my eyes as I looked at her. Something was amiss. I could sense a devious agency in the air, but I couldn’t quite put a hoof on it.

Twilight turned back to me and sighed. “Not all possible futures are good futures. Some have the potential to be very bad.”

“What are you on about?” I asked.

She walked toward the chalkboard that hung on one of the walls. A chalk, engulfed with a purple aura, levitated up. “Imagine that this is the predicted timeline with an assumed bad outcome.” She drew a line from left to right with edged waves from the middle point on. The waves grew steeper toward the right end of the line. “Then, if you were to change one variable early on, you could alter it.” She crossed the right part of the line and drew a parallel straight line leading from the middle of the first one.

“What’s any of this have to do with the letter you sent?”

“I wrote a request for intervention to—an organization, which has—helped me in the past. It’s what they specialize in. Helping... They will attempt to make a better future for somepony and everypony around her.” She gulped her saliva and looked away. “They will take over from where I have failed.”

“And what was in the note that you crumpled and burned to ashes with your magic?”

“It was an indication that help was needed.”

“Something needed to be done and you had some ponies do it. Seems like an obvious choice to me.”

“Believe me, Sweetie Belle, it’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. Heavy is the crown I wear… Yet wear it I must!”

“You’re not wearing any crown.”

“Perhaps I should in order to remind myself of the obligations I bear.” Her muzzle stiffened, but she forced it into a bitter smile. “But that’s quite enough about my tedious princess’s duties. There will be plenty of time to justify myself after. I said I won’t hold you back, and yet that’s exactly what I’m doing now... I presume you came here for books. Take your pick. Any book you like. It’s the least I can do for you at this point.”

“Um… I don't suppose I could borrow that book from the bearded dude for a little while, do ya?” I pointed at the shielded book in the corner.

“Over my dead body!” She put a hoof before her muzzle and gasped. “Umm… I’m sorry about that.” Her horn glowed and the barrier around the casing glowed with a purple tinge as it thickened. “Even at this time—especially at this time, that book has to stay an exception.” The barrier pulsated at the rhythm as if the beats of a heart were supplying it with energy. “It’s irreplaceable and very dangerous in the wrong hooves. I can’t risk it.” She pointed a hoof at me. “But you can have any other. Even the mature ones that I didn’t want to lend you before. They’re back on the top shelves. You can help yourself to any book you like. I’ll be out of your way, preparing to make a future a pleasant place to live in.”

“Princess’s duties?” I smirked.

“You could say that...” Twilight sighed and levitated down a black book from the top shelf. With it in her field, she retreated herself to the corner of the library.

I tore my gaze from the book behind Twilight’s shield and smiled at all the forbidden knowledge on the top shelves, ripe for the picking. Not knowing where to start, I walked around the room, focusing mostly on the biggest tomes.

Twilight placed her book on the bookstand and opened the pages in the middle. After shuffling back and forth through them, her pupils dilated and ears perked up as she read in silence.

I tried to focus back on a certain big tome I had my sights on but felt an urge to sate my imminent curiosity first. What was it that caught Twilight’s attention in the book? I walked toward her and asked, “What ya’ reading?”

She sighed. “I want to brush up on a particular spell. The future depends on me being prepared.”

“What kind of spell?” I glanced at the drawing of channels, weaving in spirals to form a spell. “Maybe I could learn it, too.”

“As far as I remember, you don’t view this branch of magic manipulation to be useful. Loads of work with only one purpose: to produce as little effect as possible. Specifically, this book is about barring brute magic. I want to confirm that I haven’t forgotten anything about the practical applications. Cutting channels midway is pretty straightforward, as you’ve experienced first-hoof twice already. Containing charged endpoints, on the other hoof, is bound to be substantial to a much higher degree. Even for a pony of my stature, it will be a struggle. In more ways than one...”

I heard a noise coming from the hallway and so too did Twilight as I concluded from her peaked ears.

“Sweetie Belle, you will soon find yourself in a situation that might look threatening to you.”

I half-closed my eyes as I glared at her. It was ominous how she changed the subject.

“I want you to know that it’s better if you don’t get spooked. In the end, things will turn out for the best and in time you will be grateful for our intervention. I understand that you don’t fully trust me, but know I’ll be there for you. I’ll help you out in every step of the way, I promise.”

Twilight talked a lot but wasn’t saying much. I remembered Rarity acting that way whenever she tried to dodge a question. I pierced her with a suspicious look.

She sighed. “I’ll give it to you straight, Sweetie Belle. Things aren’t alright. Far from it. Your escapades haven’t gone unnoticed. The ripples you’ve caused are taking major effects.”

“My escapades?” I asked

“Using magic with the intention to hurt ponies is very bad, Sweetie Belle. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Is this about what I did to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? ”

She nodded in silence.

“I should have known they wouldn’t keep their mouths shut.” They had been the ones who started it. “Those two meanies shouldn’t have even touched my bag. They deserved what they got!” I had just been protecting my stuff. “When did you learn about this, anyway?”

“I’ve known it since right after it happened. It’s a small town; rumors spread quickly. Everypony knows what you did. You’re out of control, Sweetie Belle; can’t you see that?”

That couldn’t possibly be right. “For the first time in my life, I’m in control!”

“You’re abusing your powers.”

“I’ve always been treated like a filly. I’m sick of it!”

“But you are still a filly.”

“It stops now! I’ll make it big; you’ll see. I’ll show everypony there’s more to me than what they thought and that I’m not just some foal they can push around. I’ll show them all!”

“It’s my fault…” She bowed her head. “I let it get this far. They wanted to react sooner, but I convinced them to back off. I thought I could reach you. I hoped I could show you that you can belong, despite being different. Friendship is much more important than you think, and I wanted to prevent you from making the same mistake I made when I was young. There was never a need for you to distance yourself from everypony.”

“What do you mean? They wanted to—react sooner? React how?”

She looked at me with teary eyes. “I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle.”

“Sorry for what, exactly? What’s going on?” I spread out all four legs, crouching down.

She took a deep breath and charged her horn. Facing the exit, she yelled, “You can come in now!”

The door opened and two ponies burst into the library. Spike peeked behind the door frame.

I swiveled one ear in their direction but still kept one turned at Twilight.

The shorter brown Earth pony glanced at the tall gray pony and exclaimed to him, “Guard the door!”

In response, he quickly nodded back and took a position under the doorframe. He was a Unicorn, yet there was a stump where his horn should be.

The Earth pony smiled at Twilight. “Hello again, Twi! I trust all has been well with you since we last saw each other.”

Her body cringed in response as her head shied away.

“The world is still standing; that’s a positive sign. No doomsday machine in your basement counting down the time, I would hope.”

“Not at this time in the current timeline, no.” She scratched the back of her head with a forehoof.

He turned to me. “Misses Sweetie Belle, I presume? I’m Binder Strap, and this is my assistant Cast Achiever.”

The brown Unicorn with black stripes slowly raised a forehoof in the air and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say hi.

Binder Strap turned toward him and raised his voice. “My assistant doesn’t talk too much!”

Cast Achiever slowly put down the leg on the floor and bowed his hornless head.

Binder Strap turned back to me. “We came to help you, young Unicorn.”

I tensed my muscles. “I didn’t ask for any help!”

“We’re here to protect you and the defenseless ponies in your vicinity. Calm down now, and we’ll take care of everything. Just let us do our job, and nopony will get hurt unnecessarily.”

“If the control of magic doesn't come from within, it has to come from without,” added Cast Achiever.

“Twilight, you just talked about helping me? Are you a part of this?” I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her.

“I know you feel threatened, Sweetie Belle, but I assure you, we only want what's best for you. The letter I had Spike send out... It was a call for their assistance. I had thought that I could help you myself, but I was wrong. I see this now. It had been way too optimistic for me to think a filly like you could control the power of such magnitude and use it responsibly. You need professional help, and they are professionals.” She wiped her eyes with a hoof.

“Horn abuse is not a valid magic use,” said Cast Achiever.

“You think my parents are just going to let you do this?”

“Sweetie Belle… Your parents suggested it in the first place. They were considering the procedure after you bullied your classmates. I managed to talk them out of it then, but after you attacked your parents this morning, you left them no choice but to go forward with it. They’re afraid that the order could get disrupted again and they’d be judged and forced to take the blame for everything. The idea of moving again because of a bad apple in the family is not a pleasant one for them. They’re willing to do anything necessary to prevent the tragedy in their past from reoccurring.”

“How do you know what went down this morning?” I asked

“The note that was slipped under the door—it had your dad’s hoofprint on the bottom. Your parents just want the old Sweetie Belle back.” A tear drifted down her cheek. “We all do.”

“No! They’d never do that! You lie!” I targeted her with my horn and launched out my channels.

They disintegrated as soon as I extended them.

“If one is spoiled by a gift then one is better off without it,” Cast Achiever spewed out.

I looked up at my charged horn. It glowed, but the aura was overlaid with another layer. The top halo was smooth and—purple. It must have been Twilight’s magic at work! I should have seen the signs. She had charged her horn, just before the two ponies burst in the library. And before that, she had been reading a book about magic cancellation. There was a clear purpose behind revising the blocking spell. She had intended to use it on me from the start. The traitor was a part of it all along!

“I won’t let you do this to me!” I bent and stiffened my hind legs. I pointed my horn toward Twilight and leaned forward, prepping myself for a jump into her.

Something hard hit me on the back of my neck. I crumpled to the floor under the force of the blunt impact. With every passing moment, my vision tunneled more. Darkness encroached toward the center of my vision.

“Hey!” Twilight yelled. “Was hitting her really necessary?”

“She was a danger to herself and everypony around her. Just let us do our job, Twi!”

“If you abuse it; you lose it…” The bowing of the gray pony’s hornless head was the last thing I saw before my eyes rolled around and consciousness ceased.
> 28 - Magic Overload
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barking. It came from the background and got ever louder. Just as it came closer, it slowly drifted back into a distance. The screeching and rumbling sounds remained constant.

A voice approached. “Nothing works here. Medications don’t work here. I’ve been here for seven years! Nothing works here. Medications don’t work here…” The voice drifted out in the distance. The surrounding rumble and clopping of hooves persisted. The back of my head hurt. It throbbed with pain.

Twilight’s voice broke through the rest of the sounds. “I don’t think the muzzle restraint is really necessary, you already have her tied to the bed. She’s not a monster, you know?” 

“You just keep her magic in check and we’ll do the rest, Twi. And yes, the gag is necessary. I’ve seen ponies attempt to chew through their own legs when they tried to break free.”

I remembered that voice. It belonged to the gray Earth pony who had come for me in Twilight’s castle. Binder Strap!

When I opened my eyes, I saw ceiling lights rushing by. A white corridor branched into new ones every few moments. I felt as if I was being dragged deeper into a maze. There was an aura around my horn, even though, I wasn’t pushing any flow through it. I tried to sit up, but my limbs seemed to be stuck. 

“She’s coming to, hold her down!” I felt hooves on my chest, pushing me against the moving bed.

I shook all my body, but my legs still wouldn’t budge. My breathing was hindered by the hooves on my chest. They belonged to Binder Strap. He walked alongside my bed with hind legs while supporting himself upwards by leaning on me with both forelegs. I could see his clenched teeth behind the wide grin. His half-closed eyes fixated on me.

I released my inner flow through my horn, launching my charged channels. Instead of pushing him away, like I wanted them to, they disintegrated as soon as they touched the bright purple aura.

“No magic is better than bad magic,” said Cast Achiever as he followed my moving bed.

“Please master Binder Strap, let her breathe,” Twilight spoke. “I don’t think it’s necessary that you stand on her with your forelegs.” She trotted by the bed. Her horn was alight. “The restraints would hold a bear, and she won’t be using any magic as long as I’m around.”

“And what in Tartarus is your problem?” She turned to Cast Achiever “You think you’re a zebra or something? Stop with the dogmatic quotes already. You’re not helping; you’re just freaking her out! Jeez!”

He bowed his head and whispered, “sorry…”

“The way I heard it, this out of control Unicorn”—Binder Strap said with disdain in his voice—“almost killed two defenseless Earth ponies.” He leaned even more weight on me as he pushed my bed further along the white hallway. “Just because we tolerate the witchcraft of you magic-weapon-headed ponies, doesn’t mean you can abuse us with your undeserved powers. I, for one, don’t intend to just stand around while this wildcard”—his eyes pierced me—“wreaks havoc and endangers my kind. Basic percussions are well in order; for everypony’s sake.”

“It was two fillies and they didn’t get hurt that bad.”

“Whatever; just let us do our job, Twi!”

“I wish there was some other way.” Twilight sighed.

“This is the only treatment that is one hundred percent reliable,” Binder Strap cheered. “Doctor Stable is on his way, so this shouldn’t take long.”

Cast Achiever lowered his hornless head as he turned to me. “You abuse it; you lose it.” 

Violently, I shook my body, but all four legs were firmly tied and held me in place. I couldn’t do much.

Binder Strap lifted a foreleg and pointed over my head. “This is it; the amputation room.”

My mind immediately pulled away, and I drifted away from reality. It felt as if a black abyss called for me. I didn’t just lose control of my body, my mind was playing tricks on me as well.

With lots of struggle, I managed to break back, but everything was still out of my control. I thrashed from one side of the bed to the other, but the bindings held firmly. When I tried to scream, the gag slipped deeper into my mouth. Pushing it out wasn’t an option anymore because the mouth-ball went over the base of my tongue, urging me to throw up. All my muscles tensed. Tears flooded my eyes.

Binder Strap turned to his assistant. “You can tell how insane she is just by looking at her. The more they fight you the more insane they are. It’s usually the repressed memories that make them so obsessed.”

“Ugh!” Twilight intervened. “That’s it, I’m removing the gag!”

“Twi, that’s for her own protection. I’ve seen ponies bite off their own tongues.”

“She won’t be able to do much of anything if she chokes to death!” Twilight reached behind my head and unstrapped the band holding the gag.

 Cast Achiever chirped, “Magic usage is a chore, if you give it away, you’ll again be in control.”

As soon as my mouth was freed, it moved on its own. “Sweetie Belle, resist me no more. Relinquish your control!” I heard myself say.

That was odd. Why did I say that? My legs ceased pulling at the bonds.

“She’s even talking to herself. She’s all sorts of crazy!” said Binder Strap.

I’m not crazy! Why are they treating me this way? What did I ever do to them? My muscles relaxed as my head fell back on the bed. 

I didn’t want to be there. At the same time, it was physically impossible to escape. I wasn’t strong enough to break through the restraints. The will to struggle any further all but faded. My eyes closed in surrender. It was all out of my control. I—let myself go.

A cold force rushed past my consciousness, breaking out to the surface from deep inside.

“I had Spike write a letter to your parents,” Twilight said.

My limbs went numb. The tingling spread throughout my body. I didn’t feel it just on my skin, but inside as well. The energies rose from within me. They grew stronger by the moment.

A hoof softly caressed my mane. “They’ll be there for you when you wake up, and so will I.”

Binder Strap cheered as the door squeaked open. “Come on in Doctor Stable, we’re ready for you.”

Hoofsteps closed on my bed. “She’s just a filly! I told you brutes, I don’t do fillies.”

I sighed with relief.

“We couldn’t get hold of Doctor Cutter. You are the only one qualified for the procedure at this time.”

“Ugh! Fine… Let’s get this ‘operation’ over with,” sighed Doctor Stable.

I yelped in distress.

He continued, “But this is the last time! If Doctor Cutter doesn’t find a way to make himself available next time, then maybe you savages should find some other butcher pony who is capable of fulfilling his job description. I’m a medical doctor. My job is to fix ponies, not—this…”

“But you are fixing her. This is the first step on the long path to her recovery.”

Doctor Stable suspired. “Yeah… right...

He breathed in deeply. “I don’t know if you can hear me, little filly. If you do, I just want you to know you’re in professional hooves now.” The doctor walked to my bed. “All I’m going to do at the moment is prick you with this small needle here. That’s nothing to be scared of. You’ll hardly even feel the pinch; I promise. Soon after, you’ll fall fast asleep. When you wake up, the procedure will already be behind you, and I’ll be there to congratulate you for being such a brave mare.”

“No horn is better than a bad horn,” blurted Cast Achiever.

“That was really uncalled-for...” Doctor Stable facehoofed and sighed.

“For lack of horn one should not despair, it’s just one less responsibility to bear.”

“Sir, you really need to shut up now or I’ll be forced to put you to sleep as well!” exclaimed Doctor Stable.

Cast Achiever gasped then whimpered, “I’m sorry! I’ll be a good pony. I promise!”

I felt myself being shoved back into my mind, with greater force than ever before. The surrounding sounds distanced themselves. It felt as if I was falling into a dark well. It was like the time I had tried my hoof at meditation. The mysterious inner presence kept pushing me deeper still.

I could no longer sense my physical being. All I felt was the inner flow surge throughout my body. It was all directed toward my horn.

“Oh, no!” Twilight gasped. “It can’t be...”

The tremendous force accumulated beneath my horn-base. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

“What? What’s going on?” Binder Strap stammered.

The flows merged just before pushing through the horn.

“Were her abilities restrained all this time? No way! She wouldn’t be able to perform all those feats through a barrier. And yet, she’s compounding!”

The magic pressure inside of me built up fast. What laid dormant before has awoken.

“I don’t know if I can contain the accumulated magic outburst if the horn’s floodgates break.”

“What are you talking about?” Binder strap regained the authority in his voice. “The patient is completely calmed down. Besides, I’m sure the restraints can hold down a mere filly.”

The flow slammed against my horn. Some streams of energy projected out and were quickly negated by Twilight’s anti-magic aura. The majority of the pressure against the resistance intensified further. It felt as if my horn was about to explode.

Twilight screeched, “Everypony, brace yourselves! She’s breaking the barrier!”

The resistance at the base of my horn gave way to the building pressure. All the energies rushed through my horn, launching charged channels in all directions.

Sounds of clashing furniture, breaking windows and screaming ponies were a clear indication of my endpoints connecting. But I didn’t need to hear the kerfuffle. I could feel the action. No, I didn’t just feel it. The sensation was much more profound. I saw everything through my channels. I was the room itself, observing everything within and without from every perspective at once. Ponies pressed against the walls. Broken furniture on the floor. A torn apart circular machine in the corner. A fly squashed against the ceiling. I was also much more than just the amputation room. The magic spread out through the walls, touching the hospital on the hill from within and without.

My mouth morphed into a grin as my eyes slowly opened. My head gradually rose. I was floating midair, surrounded by a bright aura.

All the lights lay shattered on the floor, yet the room bathed in the bright glow. I was the source of it all. The shiny cocoon around my floating body spread illumination in all directions. My channels flowed unhindered from the horn. There was nothing to keep me back anymore.

“Please stop, great and powerful unicorn!” cried out Binder Strap from up the wall. “I consent. I admit that you can do anything better than me.” He trembled like a leaf. “Please don’t abuse me further with your overpowered magic.”

Cast Achiever tensed up his muscles and raised his voice at me, “Horn abuse is bad, and you should feel bad!”

I sighed. There were more pressing priorities on my mind than those two stallions and their repressed memories. I glanced at the unconscious Doctor Stable at the wall then turned to Twilight on the opposite side of the room. “You!” The light, emanating from my eyes, put her in the spotlight.

Her head rose to face me. She clenched her teeth and pressed a hoof against her charred horn. Our gazes met. She slowly lifted the free hoof. “Take it easy, Sweetie Belle. Don’t do anything rash.”

“You tried to hurt me!” I pressed her harder against the wall.

Her horn twinkled with lavender aura. “I tried to help you by giving you guidance.” I could feel her endpoints attaching to the wall she was pressed against. “They’d do it before if I hadn’t stopped them. They tried tolerating, but they could only do that to an extent. After you proved intolerable with your actions, they were bound to react.” She pushed against the wall, but my channels shoved her in even harder. “Ugh… You hurt ponies, Sweetie Belle. You had to be stopped!”

I levitated up the circular saw machine from the corner of the room. My magic tore away the mechanical parts until only the circular blade was left flying in the air. “You set me up!” The round blade spun faster and faster as it approached Twilight. “You tried to hurt a pony, and that pony happened to be me. Maybe you’re the one that needs to be stopped.” I pressed my eyebrows together while I focused on her. “First, I’m fixing you, and then I’m fixing the whole system that allowed this oppression to occur.”

Twilight looked at the blade and gasped. I felt her channels failing to connect with the metal. It was already spinning too fast. She couldn’t form any focal points on the surface. It wouldn’t help her even if she could. I had so much strength inside of me, she didn’t even know what I could do. Nothing she’d throw my way could keep me back.

“Sweetie Belle, please!”

The blade lingered in the air without slowing its spinning. “Would you stop, if I begged you to?” 

“That’s different. You left us no choice!”

“I’m going to give you just as much choice as you gave me!” The blade moved toward her again.

Twilight’s horn glowed brightly as she split her magic at the horn’s tip. One part spread out through her body. She looked past me through the window. Her main channel followed her gaze. The endpoints curved and twisted outside the window, mimicking the exact shape of her body.

“That’s futile, Twilight!” I smirked.

The channel in her body charged and reacted with her own body matter. It changed her flesh to pure energy and led through the other channel out the window. In a blink, she appeared outside midair.

Out there, my charged endpoints were already waiting for her. “Get over here!” I floated to the side of the room as I turned to face her. My channels pushed her back inside the building.

Twilight slammed against the wall. “Ugh!” Her head dropped down, and the glow of her horn light faded out.

“I’m one move ahead of you, princess.” As the blade approached her again, my channels slowly lifted her chin, revealing a smirk plastered on her lips.

I grinned in response. “I guess we’ll both enjoy this operation.” The wind from the blade rifled her mane as it approached her horn. “No need to worry about something you can’t affect, right?” I chuckled.

“You’re actually still one move behind me.” She smirked.

I cocked my head. “Hm?”

Twilight half-closed her eyes as she focused on my face.“Do you feel sleepy yet, Sweetie Belle? I bet you do. I can already see the drowsiness on your face” She glanced over my shoulder then back into my eyes. “Didn’t you feel the prick?” A shifty grin crept onto her face.

“Feel what?” I shifted my focus away from touching the room with the channels to feeling my body. The spinning of the blade slowed down as I examined myself. There was a foreign object stuck in my back. I didn’t have to look at it. I clearly felt the intrusion with my endpoints. When did it pierce my skin? My channels launched the needle out and smashed it against the wall.

“I can detect your channels also, Sweetie Belle. You have far too many and far to spread out. Having all that information doesn’t help you if you can’t process it all. When you tracked my teleportation, I managed to telekinetically pick up the needle and inject some of the anesthetic into your withers. You didn’t get the full dose, but you should be well asleep not long from now.” Her gaze met with mine. “Your eyelids are getting heavy. I wonder how long can you keep them open. Your destiny is sealed no matter what your next move will be. You’ll either use the time you have left trying to escape or you’ll waste it in an attempt to cut off my horn. If I were you, I’d go for the third option and utilize every remaining conscious moment apologizing for the bad behavior.”

“I’ll end you!”

“You’ll fail.” Her horn lit up again. “Your available actions are limited.” The magic flowed over her body, encasing it with a dense, kinetic barrier. “You can try to hurt me, Sweetie Belle, but now that not even Tirek managed to break my barrier. Whatever you attempt, know that when you wake up, your horn will be gone. You won’t have the brute magic force at your disposal, but you’ll still have to face the consequences of your actions. I advise you not to make things harder on yourself. Don’t incriminate yourself further.”

My eyelids got ever heavier and my head followed along, drifting ever lower. The effects of the anesthetic in my blood were undeniable. “Damn you, Princess!”

She jerked as the blade shoved itself into the wall just a hoof away from her head. Half embedded inside, its rotation came to a sudden stop. Her gaze pierced me. “So, what’s it gonna be, Sweetie Belle? Ready to give up yet?”

“Never!” I clenched my teeth. The battle was hers, but not the war she had sparked!

All but two of my channels ceased. One forked through my body and one reached out through the walls.

Losing the support of my channels, I drifted down to the broken bed under my hooves. Two ponies crashed on the floor behind me.

“What are you up to, Sweetie Belle?” Her horn glowed brighter and the shield around her thickened.

She was right to fear me, but not at that very moment. I couldn’t afford to linger around for much longer. My safety waned by the moment. Securing my body took priority over my revenge.

The far-reaching channel penetrated through the last wall and hit the pavement. I focused on the spreading energies within me, connecting the endpoints with every part of my body. My whole physical being was presented to me. The flesh, beating heart, bones and every other part of me. I was one with myself.

The endpoints of my longer channel mirrored every connection of my inner channel. A form, made up of endpoints, was taking shape outside. The energies weaved themselves into an exact shape of me.

“You haven’t seen the last of me, Princess! Mark my words. I’ll be back with vengeance!”

I felt a zap all over my body as the room I was in disintegrated. In an instant, it was replaced by a cloudy sky, grass and the road I stood on. There was a sign beside me. It read ‘The Happy Hills Psychiatric Asylum’.

When I shifted my gaze down the hill, I saw familiar rooftops. My flaring channel narrowed and launched forth toward the castle at the edge of Ponyville. It wasn’t the sanctuary I was heading to, but I figured I could make one more stop at the hostile territory since its protector wasn’t home to defend it.

After another zap, I found myself at the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle door.

The saddlebag I had hidden in the bush was still there. I levitated up my pre-prepared adventure pack and craned it on my back.

When the last strap was secured, my horn glowed darkly. I extended my main channel toward the door while spreading supportive ones over a large area behind me. The fully charged endpoints impacted at the wood as the burst of energy rushed forth.

Bang! A loud blast ripped the door in half, sliding both pieces in the middle of the castle’s hallway.

“Knock, knock!”

“Twilight, is that you?” Spike’s voice came from afar.

I didn’t bother to answer as I trotted down the hallways to the castle’s library.

Spike’s head picked from the side room just when I entered through the opened door. “Sweetie Belle‽”

“It’s just me, the Swayer of destiny, borrowing some books.” I placed a hoof under my chin then pointed it at Spike. “No! Scrap that, I’m taking all of them. Except for that one.” I hinted at the shielded casing in the corner of the library. “But I shall come for that one, soon enough.”

“Sweetie Belle, how did you… What did you do to Twilight?”

My smaller channels spread out towards the shelves. Some passed to the other rooms feeling for any paper-like texture. I spread my main channel through the window curving it up toward the hill. The connection needed to be far-reaching, so I kept extending it. “Twilight had a fetish for horns being cut off.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I just wanted to oblige her.”

Spike gasped. “No… You didn’t! You couldn’t have...”

A grim smile plastered on my face as I turned to him.

“She was merely trying to help you, foal.” Spike’s claws tensed into fists. “You’re a monster!” He took a deep breath.

My body zapped just before Spike’s fire reached me.

After a flash, the Everfree Forest spread under the hill I stood on. My eyes were already half-closed, and both eyelids got heavier by the moment. I was pushing it too close. The anesthetic rushing through my veins was clearly taking major effect. My body was numb and unresponsive. The detour to Twilight’s library had been a bad idea. I didn’t have much time left...

The channels that weren’t supporting piles of books above my head spread out in into the forest.

“Where the brambles are thickest… big boulder… there!”

I zapped again. I couldn’t see where I was. My eyes were closed, but with my endpoints, I felt a boulder in front of me. The moist earth prevented my escape to the underground, but it couldn’t stop my channels. The piercing energies waved unhindered below, informing me there was, indeed, a cave there. My focus was failing and the channels already lost most of their cohesion. The books I levitated slowly drifted down.

My vision tunneled, but I couldn’t falter at the last stop. “Just… one more!”

I zapped once again and fell on a cold, hard surface. Stashes of books dropped beside me.

I forced my eye open. The white light from it illuminated the solid rock I laid on. I lifted my head and examined my body. Some scratches, but nothing major. Except, there was something on my flank. My vision narrowed, and I slowly drifted away.

The marking I just saw. Could it be—a cutie mark? My head thumped on the ground, and I was gone.
> 29 - Seclusion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“… not to be scared. At the prospect of being doubly mared!”

I swam down, but there was a layer of air in the depths below me. The jitters got to me and I slowed down my descent. I was afraid that if I crossed into the air pocket underneath me, I could fall down into nothingness.

When I approached the surface of the deepwater bubble, I felt something pulling me toward it. I stopped swimming and let the force drag me deeper. As my face slowly breached the surface, various details of the underwater world cleared up for me. There were lots of stones. Some were bright-colored, and a few even glowed.

I galloped backward through the liquid by flapping my legs to resist the force that wanted to rip me out of the water and down to the world at the bottom. The sharp rocks ominously glittered far below me.

When my head popped through, the whole world seemed to flip on its head. Or maybe it was just my perception that shifted.

I felt the chills on my crest as it raised above the surface. The pull toward the emptiness ceased. I no longer needed to kick forth with my legs to keep myself away from the air bubble I’d pierced. When I tried to lift myself from the water the force reversed and pulled me back. I put my forehooves on the rocky edge of the pool and clambered on the bank.

In front of me stood a clone. She was looking at me with a grim smile on her face. It was a success. Happy to come into existence, no doubt; probably also a bit confused, perhaps.

I looked at the cutie mark on her flank. It was a shining shooting star with its gassy trail spanning down her thigh. Looking back on my own flank, I compared her cutie mark with my own. They looked exactly the same.

Trying not to spook her, I spoke calmly. “Welcome to our world, newcomer.”

“That’s cute.” She lifted her head and threw me a pitiful laugh.

“What is it that you find cute?” She must have really been confused.

“You. Thinking you’re the original.”

My eyes opened wide. “Wait! You think you are?” She’d been acting a bit off from the start, but thinking she was me seemed to border on dementia.

“I’m the original! You, on the other hoof, are a mere copy.” She caressed my head with a hoof as if I was a mere foal. 

I swiped off the patronizing hoof with a foreleg and hissed at her. “You’re not above me! I’m a real pony, and that makes me better than you by default. You’re not superior to me in any way, conjured matter!”

“Of course I’m better than you.” She snorted. “Wanna see?”

I stood on my hind legs to rise above her, putting my hooves at my sides, I challenged her. “Yeah, Show me!”

“What did you eat for breakfast today? Have you eaten anything ever? Where are you from? What were the names of your former friends? Did you have any in all your life?”

“Um… ” I stepped down on three legs and poked my head with a hoof to help me get the thoughts out.

Those were silly questions she asked. I just had to think of a detailed answer to put her back in place. I rolled my eyes toward the stony ceiling, trying to think of a good response, but nothing came to me. “You’re just trying to confuse me with your clustered questions.” I pointed a hoof at her accusingly. “You know I can’t answer all of them at once!”

“Then answer just this one: What’s your name?”

That angered me. She insulted me, and I wasn’t about to just take it. “I am…” It was the worst possible time to have a mental block “I’m…” It was the simplest question one could ask, yet my mind stayed blank. 

She interrupted me before I could answer. “Tell me something from your past life. Anything at all.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. It was as if there was a pure vacuum in my mind. I couldn’t let a clone beat me like that! I had to tell her something. “I dived down before, toward the surface.” I pointed a hoof at the pool.

“And prior to that?”

Nothing. It didn’t make any sense why I wouldn’t be able to remember anything. It didn’t! A tear slid down my muzzle. Even more of them were forming in my eyes. My legs gave way, and I crumpled on the ground. I lifted my head toward the white Unicorn who towered above me. I shook my head. “No.” I didn’t want to believe it.

“Don’t worry Clonie. Even though you are a mere clone, you’re not without a purpose. I’ll give you one. You’re going to help me gain power and immortality.” She patted me on the head again. I didn’t resist.

She wasn’t very nice to me, but at least she thought I could help her. Perhaps I could use that to my advantage.

“Hmm, that’s odd,” said Sweetie Belle. “Your horn is completely white.”

“Yours is a little reddish,” I said. “Does this mean something?”

“No! It doesn’t mean anything at all!” While stepping over me, she bumped a hind hoof against my back.

“Au!” I clenched my teeth as I looked at her, my eyes teared up.

She kept walking, without even glancing back. “Come here!”

I stood up and trotted behind her. A thought struck me. What if she was also a clone. She didn’t answer any of her own questions either.

She looked back at me as if she heard my thoughts. “You can call me Sweetie Belle.”

That proved it. She really was better than me.

I bowed my head.

We walked past a pile of books.

I looked up at her. “I could stack those books for you if you want.”

“No, I have a more significant task for you to carry out.”

We stopped at a dent in cave’s walls. The multi-color stones spread out forming a small chamber around us.

“I did some decorating. There were tunnels leading further, but I collapsed them all. The draft annoyed me. One exit out of here is enough. I also made preparations for your arrival.” She looked forth.

On the ground, in the middle of the stony room was a sheath. A knife handle stuck out of it.

She looked back at me. “We’ve come full circle, Clonie.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You sprung to life from nonexistence, then summarily accepted your place in this world. And now is the time for you to consent to your fall. For you see, my Clonie, winter is coming, and you shall soon be put to rest.”

A chill rushed through me, making me shiver. “I still don’t understand.”

She snorted, looked at the knife, then back at me. As she leaned closer, she reached out with a hoof and caressed my mane. She whispered with a soft but firm voice, “Kill yourself.”

“Whaa… ” Both ears were pointed straight at her, but I still couldn’t believe what I’d heard. Why would my creator want me to die? “You said I have a purpose!”

“This is your purpose. I spoke you into existence, which gives me the right to end it if I so choose. My plan is to grant life to many more, but only if I can be certain that they won’t disobey me. I have no use for rebel ponies. I need to know how loyal your kind can be.”

Her horn glowed, and the knife slipped from the sheath. It dashed along the ground, stopping as its handle hit my hoof.

I arched my shoulders and looked up at her. “I won’t rebel. I promise!”

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, Clonie. I can do it for you, instead. But then I’ll know that you can’t be trusted! There are enough ponies out there”—she pointed a hoof at the cave’s exit—“whom I cannot trust. I don’t need any more of them in my new home. I have to be sure. If you can prove your loyalty to me, I will consider clones to be useful.”

Sweat broke all over my body as I backed up a step.

“You can fight me if you choose, but you will lose; condemning all potential ponies to nonexistence. Denying so many lives would make you a mass murderer, and that’s much worse than what I’m expecting of you now, don’t you think so?”

I played all the scenarios in my head. Whether I’d submit, defend myself or attack her, the knife played the main role in all of my options. When I picked it up with my mouth, the heart in my chest pounded so hard that I feared it would burst out.

She cheered as if it was a happy moment. “Your sacrifice will open the door to your be-alikes.”

I was armed, and she wasn’t, but she had magic on her side. When she had pulled the knife out, she exerted no effort at all. She could disarm me with a mere thought. Her horn glowed at the ready.

There was no way out of the bind. She probably even knew what I was thinking. I was her after all, just lesser.

She had beaten me even before I started to exist. She must have known how it would all play out since she made me.

I was in the spotlight, and my options were limited. Perhaps my other reincarnations would get luckier.

There was only one option left for me that was the least bad.

I had to make Sweetie Belle think she was in full control. There was no time for hesitation. It would only draw suspicion from her end. Someday, she might let her guard down, and a few clones might escape from her if they would want to go on their own. However, they wouldn’t be able to run away if she wouldn’t even make them due to my stubbornness. Their very existence in the future depended on what I was about to do.

I pressed the knife against a forehoof. Tears drifted out of my eyes in streams. There is no other way.

She smiled at me and stepped closer. Her hoof raised and slowly drifted toward me. Was it all merely a test? Will she knock the knife out of my mouth, and congratulate me for my determination? The skin on top of my foreleg stung as I increased the pressure of the sharp blade against it. Her hoof touched me on my forearm, just below the knife. Did I impress her enough? It slid down my foreleg, to my hoof. What’s happening? Is she trying to seduce me or something? Doesn’t she know I’m hers already? Her head drifted closer and her nose brushed against my mane. Yes! I’ve proven my worth. It really was just a test! Her lips tickled my ear as she whispered, “Along the street, not across it!”
> 30 - Changeling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweat drifted from me as I dug a hole for the clones who came before me. Those who weren’t allowed to last. It would probably be my home as well before the day would end.

Even though it was sunny above the trees, the shadow made it difficult to see the details. Even more so in the hole I was in. I mostly just felt out the stones and roots as I dug with my hooves.

I stopped. Shivers ran down my spine. I felt as if I was being watched. 

My legs kept hoofing at the ground. Perhaps it was Sweetie Belle checking on me. She could somehow detect things with her magic even if she didn’t see them with her eyes. She had explained it as—weaving channels… or something.

Just because I couldn’t see her around, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t observing my progress. Well… the lack of it. Making a hole in the ground sounds easy enough until you get your hooves dirty and start losing against the stubborn earth. There wasn’t much to show for my day’s work. It was fortunate that my hooves were quite sturdy, but it was still hard to dig. If only I had some tools to use or horseshoes to wear.

With a forehoof, I hit against the root which was making it difficult to get to the ground below the stem. It didn’t budge. “If only I had something sharp...” I plunged into the ugly brown nuisance horn-first. In an instant, everything became more—green. I shook my head and the surrounding earth turned to boring brown again. Maybe banging my head against the root wasn’t such a good idea, after all. Stupid root! 

If only I could borrow Sweetie Belle’s knife... It just lay there on the rocks near The Mirror Pool. Then, I remembered seeing the dried blood on the handle. Maybe it was blood from the last Clonie who asked if she could borrow the knife. I cringed at the scary thought.

Besides that knife, we didn’t have any other tool. From what Sweetie Belle had told me, she had to leave in a hurry because everypony was jealous of her magic and wanted to cut off her horn. They were all evil and intended to bring her down by taking away her power.

I drove my teeth into the root and tried to slowly chew it apart. If my master wanted me to have a knife, she would have given it to me. She always knew what was best.

Maybe Sweetie Belle didn’t even need the hole I dug and only wanted me out of her mane. She probably didn’t want to get disturbed in the crystal hugging, midair levitation or absorbing the contents of the books that were floating around her. I wasn’t sure how she was even able to read them. Her eyes were rolled back whenever she hovered above the pool in that magical trance of hers. When I closed my eyes, I could only see blackness.

I wished I’d have at least a fraction of her powers. With magic, I could probably make a hole in a jiffy. Yet, I couldn’t even produce a glow, much less rip out the roots from the ground. Sweetie Belle had told me the pool that made me only produced matter; not any of the magic, inherent to real ponies. I was foalish enough to try it anyway, but I really didn’t have time to play around with myself, so I kept at what I knew.

Sweetie Belle had called me useless on several occasions. She’d been right to do so. When she would see how little progress I made with the hole, she’d surely call me useless again. Or worse...

I could probably escape if I just ran away when she wasn’t paying attention to me. But why would I want to do that, anyway? I was nothing and Sweetie Belle was something. I could only be more than nothing if I tried to compliment her. By helping her out, I could fulfill my purpose. It was the only reason why I existed. For Sweetie Belle, I’d do it all. Whatever she would achieve in her future, I’d be a part of it with my efforts to support her, even if I wouldn’t live to see the brave new world.

I may bleed and cry during my life, but it will all be justified in the end. There’s purpose behind Sweetie Belle’s actions, otherwise, she wouldn’t be doing any of it.

Even if I’m worth preserving, how could I live with condemning all the future Clonies to nonexistence? Sweetie Belle wouldn’t make any more of us if she found out that I ran off and betrayed her trust. Past reincarnations sacrificed themselves, so the future ones could exist. If I shied away from my purpose, I’d make their sacrifices meaningless. No! I’d never be the one who breaks the cycle of life. If I had a purpose, then so too would future Clonies have importance. By betraying Sweetie Belle, I’d be sacrificing a lot more than I’d be preserving. 

“Clonie!” Sweetie Belle screamed from a distance. I had thought that she would at least let me finish the grave before she killed me, but what did I know? Her reasons were always a mystery to me.

I lifted my head from the hole. Her mouth was agape and ears pinned up. Yet, she wasn’t looking in my direction. It made me feel really small and insignificant; as if she had forgotten where I was. She had been the one that told me to dig at the spot. Then again, perhaps the patch of ground I was assigned to wasn’t the only mass grave, and she had trouble keeping track of all of them.

She needed to know where I was, so I waved a hoof above my head to get her attention. Her gaze stayed fixed on the bushes in the other direction.

She sprang to action and ran away from me. Her horn glowed. Rocks rose from the ground behind her and accelerated forward as she plunged into the bushes. A thump indicated that the stones connected with her target. 

“Aaa!” A voice came from the growth.

That did sound like Clonie getting pummeled. It served her right for disobeying the master. But wasn’t I the only clone up at the time? Well, the only living clone, that is... 

No, I certainly wouldn’t run away like that. I figured there must have been something wrong with that clone.

“Why would you run from me? How dare you?” The authority in her voice made me shiver. It was best to just get back to work since she clearly had the situation under control. I shoved my horn into the ground to loosen it.

“Wait! Don’t kill me.”

That was Sweetie Belle’s voice also, but it had a different tone to it. Clonie’s tone would also be different. The sound I heard was much more robust.

“You tried to escape from me!” She screamed. “What’s wrong with you?”

There was definitely something wonky with that clone. I could tell because I was myself a clone, and I wouldn’t try escaping like that clone did. I wouldn’t!

“How did you get to me so fast? You were still in a hole a moment ago.”

At that point, I was sure it wasn’t Sweetie Belle saying it. At the same time, it couldn’t be Clonie. It was too rebellious. I wouldn’t dare—we, Clonies, wouldn’t dare.

“You’re not Clonie,” concluded Sweetie Belle, making me proud of myself for having similar thoughts.

“Who’s this Clonie you keep going on about? I thought you were alone back in that hole.”

“I know what you are! I’ve read about your kind. Show your true self, changeling! I want to see what you really look like!”

“Ouch!” a deep voice boomed. “No need for the stones! We can talk this out, okay?”

Sweetie Belle obviously had everything under control. I threw some earth on the dirt pile beside the mass grave in the making, but then a green flash from a bush caught my attention.

“Did I just make those holes?” Sweetie Belle laughed. “I thought the members of your species were tougher than this.” 

“No, you misunderstand. The holes in my body are not of your making. We, changelings, are born with the holes in our bodies. They help us with the alteration of our forms. For instance, you’re smaller than me. If it wasn’t for the spaces in my body I wouldn’t be able to transform into you.” He paused. “Put down your stones and I’ll tell you more. It’s not as if it’s a secret since the Canterlot incident.

The stones fell to the ground. “Talk!” Sweetie Belle ordered.

The changeling sighed with relief. “Okay. Here’s what happened. I came to town as an original pony. Everything was going fine until I got noticed by the pink one. I think she was on to me somehow.”

“That would be Pinkie Pie. She’s onto all new ponies who come to town,” Sweetie Belle snickered under her breath.

“That randomness of a pony is the reason I tried to find a person from the Ponyville to replace so I could fit in and be even more inconspicuous. Apparently, my black coat and red mane stood out for some reason.”

“You think?” She laughed.

“When I heard about you, I thought you’d make an ideal model for me. You removed yourself from the picture. I could just take over with minimal risk of sompony seeing both of us at the same time. All I had to do was make myself a copy of you. It’s why I followed the smell of the fel magic to this Chrysalis forgotten place. I needed to see you up close if I hoped to imitate you properly.”

“Now I feel kind of sorry that I didn’t just let you leave for Ponyville.” Her mouth morphed into a grin. “I’m sure they’d accept you with open forelegs.”

“Oh, I’ve heard you’ve misbehaved. I’m sure it was nothing a simple ‘sorry’ couldn’t fix. The ponies are so gullible.

“What I didn’t account for is your ability to teleport. I thought you hadn’t even noticed me in that hole of yours.”

Sweetie Belle laughed. “I can’t teleport anymore since I depleted the surplus of mana. It was really easy to do when I broke through my horn’s barrier. I’m sure there’s a trick on how to do it even with the lower amount of magic supply.”

“You ponies…” He sighed “Always having to work around your faults. We, changelings, have our inner horn protection just as thick as it needs to be. No breakage needed.”

“Well, since we’re being so honest with each other, why don’t I introduce you to my—sister.”

I let out a squeal. My face changed into a ginormous smile. She called me her sister! I’ve never been called anything non-offensive before.

“Clonie! Here! Now!”

I dropped a smirch of earth from a forehoof and jumped out of the hole. I galloped with full speed. Should I dust myself off first? I wondered. What if she wants me to be presentable. She did want to present me as her sister, after all. No! She said now, and her word is always final! I jumped over the bushes and decelerated with all four hooves to stop myself. I figured I was fast enough. Dust lifted from under my hooves. Oh no! I hope I don’t get her dirty.

“Changeling, meet Clonie. And you probably already know from your spying that I’m Sweetie Belle.”

“All you ponies look alike, but you two are exceptional at that! Excluding the shades of your horns, that is. I’m Zex, by the way.” He looked left and right between Sweetie Belle and me. “Even the cutie marks are the same. That’s extraordinary.”

Sweetie Belle faced him.

I moved to my master’s side, so the nosey changeling couldn’t pry at our flanks.

He looked me in the eyes. “Did you get your cutie mark at the same time Sweetie Belle got hers?”

I didn’t say anything. My one true master didn’t give me permission to speak.

I just looked back at him without letting out a sound. He was weird; repulsive even with his twisted horn and holes-filled body. The wings were like those of flies that gathered on fellow Clonies. Sweetie Belle will probably want me to get rid of him after she’s done playing. I’ll need to dig even deeper.

He faced Sweetie Belle. “I heard that your sister is desperately searching for you.” His head turned to me. “Yet, your name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Rarity is searching for me?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yes, Rarity. How many sisters do you have?”

“Clonie is—my other sister, twice removed,” said Sweetie Belle. “But enough about me, I want to hear everything about you!”

Zex’s head moved back. “There really isn’t much to tell. I’m a scout for my changeling Queen just trying to find some love. That being said, I’m on a pretty tight schedule, so I’ll be taking my leave now. It’s been—interesting meeting both of you.”

He turned around getting ready to run, but a wall of stones erected in front of him, preventing his escape. His eyes opened wide, head leaned back.

Sweetie Belle walked in an arc around him. “We’re not done here yet, changeling!” 

I sat down on the leaves and watched. The quarrel was between Sweetie Belle and Zex. There was no reason for me to butt in.

He glanced around, flapped his wings and kicked his hind legs against the ground launching himself in a somersault above me.

I instinctively ducked down even though he flew far above my head.

He landed behind me.

I was afraid to even look back. I just stood up and ran toward my protector. 

A green glow emanated from behind and drew a shadow of me on the ground before me. A blob of green energy wedged around my neck and squeezed.

The pressure forced my tongue to drift out. I leaned against the bind with both forehooves, but it only squeezed me tighter. 

The green tentacle around my neck lifted me up. My body dangled as I lost my footing.

“Stop or I kill Clonie!” Zex called out as he rotated me midair. The green, translucent tentacle came from his glowing horn.

A stone hit against my back, and I spasmed from the pain. “Aaa!” My vision blurred. I’d scream more, but I struggled to even breathe through my aching throat.

“You’ve got the worst aim I’ve ever seen!” His grinning was interrupted by a stone, engulfed in the purple aura, curving around me. It hit him directly on his forehead and knocked him to the ground. His horn light faded, and the magic tentacle around my neck dissolved into nothingness.

“I never miss,” my master said.

I fell on the ground. When I tried to take in a breath, the pain in my chest escalated. I curled up in a ball and sucked air with small sips. 

The rock barrier moved and floated above Zex.

He raised all four legs in the air towards the stones. The outline of his muscles showed under the otherwise smooth skin surface. His body holes took on odd shapes. Not resembling tubes anymore but squeezed gashes. He ground his teeth. Sweat dripped from his bruised forehead.

The flying stones formed a dome around him.

I pushed my hooves on the ground and slid on the leaves away from the action. I didn’t want to get involved again.

“Surrender, changeling and I promise to kill you fast.” Sweetie Belle’s face turned to a grin. 

“Wait! What do you want from me?” His head drifted from side to side while his eyes glanced from rock to rock.

“You know my secret. I need to make you forget it.” Sweetie Belle walked past me.

“What secret? You having a sister whom nopony knows about? That’s your big secret? Look. I won’t tell anypony, I promise. I have nothing to gain by telling on you.”

“Promises from a changeling. Now that makes me feel all fuzzy and trustful inside.”

“You’ve got us, changelings, all wrong. We’re the most loyal beings you’ll ever come across. As soon as we can speak it, we give the pledge to The Queen and The Hive. After that, we become an extension of Her will. It’s this dedication to the collective that keeps us strong. If we wouldn’t honor our promises, we’d fall prey to chaos and individualism.

“That’s what happened to one of the hives that Queen Chrysalis was more lenient with. The entire social structure collapsed in an instant.”

It’s the order that is engraved deep into the changeling society and genetics that will allow us to take care of every other race in Equestria—in time.”

“You won’t be doing much of the bullying.” She grinned.

The changeling didn’t react. His eyes kept shifting among the biggest stones and so too were his legs.

Sweetie Belle sighed. She lowered both eyebrows as she looked at the changeling and lifted a forehoof toward him. “Because you will be dead. That’s why you won’t be able to mess with anypony.”

“Your secret is safe with me, Sweetie Belle. I’ve never broken a promise in my life and I have no intention to do so in the future. If you get a promise from me, you can be damn sure I intend to keep it.” Before shifting his focus back to the stones, he glanced at Sweetie Belle. The expression on her face wasn’t revealing in any way. It was as rigid as usual. She didn’t buy Zex’s words. Or maybe she just didn’t care about them.

He dropped his head to the ground. “Sweetie Belle, you won.” His legs dropped down at his side while the muscles in his body loosened. “I don’t expect mercy from you. I know what you ponies do when you find us... If you spare me, I’ll owe you my life. And that’s also a promise. One time when you really need me, I’ll be there for you.”

“Just once?”

“I’m already bound to my queen. And even if I wouldn’t be,”—he glanced at me then back at Sweetie Belle—“I’d never agree to be your slave! One time favor for a one time favor. That’s all I’m putting on the table. Take it or kill me now.”

Sweetie Belle leaned her chin on a hoof. “Hmm…”
> 40 - Plan Set in Motion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I gazed upon the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle before me. It was too late to turn back. I knew that I was bound for greater things, and Twilight stood in my path.

Within my saddlebag, I carried a threat note. I had wanted to write it in Clonie’s blood to make it more threatening, but I remembered that Twilight would be the receiver, so I decided against the red. Gluing the text together with torn out letters from books would surely be far more threatening to her.

It had taken me several last pages to tear out all the letters that I needed. Nopony ever reads the author’s notes anyway, but Twilight wouldn’t know that those were the pages I had used.

Hoof by hoof, I crawled closer from the side of the castle. I kept away from the main path to avoid being seen. Just when I approached the doorstep, I heard a squishy sound below me. My foreleg would have sunk if I wouldn’t tense up the other three legs. When I looked down, I noticed that I stood in a mud puddle. Twilight must have had her flowers watered that day; the earth beneath me was soaking wet. It was probably Spike who left the water running and forgot about it.

After escaping the mud trap, I made it to the entrance on the top of the stairs. The door to the castle was new. There were no bumps and bruises in it yet. That’s how I knew I haven’t encountered it before. I slowly pressed against the handle and pushed forward. It didn’t budge. The door was locked.

I wouldn’t let myself be stopped by a little obstacle such as that. With magic on my side, I was going to make an example out of the door by opening it.

While I lit up the horn, I stuck out my tongue and gently bit on it to help me focus. I spread out the channels into the lock, feeling the mechanism. I had no idea how locks work, so I bit harder on my tongue to compensate for that disability.

“Who!” Sounded above me.

I flinched, charging up my channels.

Tresk!

I cut off my magic and looked toward the door. There was a hole where the lock had used to be.

Spike yelled out from within the castle. “Zombies! Zombies are attacking. Barricade the doors and windows!”

I pulled in my tongue and clenched my teeth. Things weren’t going as stealthy as I had planned. I looked up to spot the meddling owl, but it was already gone. 

“I thought Zombies are dumb,” Spike yelped from a room far in the castle. “How did they manage to avoid my mud trap?”

They were on to me! I had to hurry.

“Is anypony there?” Twilight yelled down the hallway.

I wanted to say something that would make her think that nopony was invading her castle. Yet, nothing convincing enough came to mind, so I risked blowing my cover by not saying anything at all. My focus was needed for shoving the letter through the hole. Being a mailmare required some delicate work, but I also had to do it as fast as possible or I could get caught in the act.

“Don’t yell at them!” Spike exclaimed. “They’re attracted to noise.”

The sharp edges of the door made cuts into the paper.

“So that’s what you hear whenever I read aloud through your chore list. Just noise.”

“Pst! You’re making noise again. They’ll come for us if they hear you.”

“Good! I want to meet whoever woke me up in the middle of the night!” Twilight said.

Just when I managed to push most of it through the opening, the kindling part of the door infected the paper with hotness, and it also started to burn. I blew at it, but that sent the paper forth to the other side of the door. Through the hole, I saw that the fire wasn’t blown out but was spreading to the rest of my note.

“We don’t have any brains!” Spike yelled out.

I tried opening the door again. It was still locked, despite the whole handle missing.

“Firstly, Spike, that’s a lie. Secondly, you do know that there, probably, aren’t any zombies out there, right? Just step away from the door so I can inspect the rattle, please.”

“You said probably. Why did you say probably, Twilight? I was right, wasn’t I? There are zombies on the lawn!”

There wouldn’t be much of the threat note left if I failed to get myself inside and save it from burning up. It was time for the drastic measures. I needed to make the hole in the door bigger so that I could jump through it and put out the fire.

Taking a few steps back, I aimed with my horn and fired.

Bang!

The whole door got blasted into the castle. A loud boom roared and echoed through the hallways.

“They’re not just on our lawn. They’re inside!” Spike screamed in a high-pitched voice. “The zombies are coming for my special brain!”

After jumping in the foyer, I looked under a charred wooden plank. The letter wasn’t on the previous spot. It must have gotten blown away by the blast. I didn’t have time for lollygagging! I needed to get myself out of there as soon as possible. The point of leaving a note for somepony is that you aren’t there when it gets read!

“Zombies don’t make explosions, Spike…”

Still, I needed to find the paper so I could put it in a visible spot. I spun around in circles, trying to locate a piece of white in the dark.
“How would you know?” Spike whimpered. “What if they explode when they get close enough.”

The floor was slippery because of all the mud under my hooves. “There!” I saw it in the corner. I tried to stop spinning, but the mud wouldn’t let me. That was very bad because the letter still kindled. It was important that I get to it as quickly as possible.

“Ugh! Just step away from the door and let me investigate the noise, Spike.”

First, I spat on the letter then trampled it with both forehooves. They were muddy, which was a good thing because the mud smothered the fire.

“That’s when they get you; when you try to escape,” Spike said.

The mud got the letter dirty, which was bad, but it was easy to pick up the paper because it stuck to the mud on my forehoof.

Twilight loudly sighed. “You can’t possibly know how they’d react if we ran, Spike.”

I carried the letter to the middle of the hallway where Twilight would surely find it.

“Are you saying there’s no escape for us? But I’m too young to die. I’m a dragon! I should outlive everypony.”

The mud then proved bad because I couldn’t get the letter off my hoof.

“You’re not going to die, Spike...”

“Are you saying I’ll get turned into an undead, as well? What will become of my complexion? My beautiful scales… Will they fall off? Rarity won’t be able to call me scales anymore. What if my scales lose their shimer? What will she think of me? Oh, oh! Maybe I should turn her into a zombie also, and we could half-live together forever. We’re gonna need to find some brains to sustain us, though. Yet, not any will do. Only the best brain can sate her delicate taste. Hmm...”

“Why are you looking at me like that, Spike. You’re not a zombie yet...”

“You said ‘yet’! Why did you say ‘yet’? My fate is sealed; I knew it!”

When I pressed on it with the other hoof, the letter stuck to it. “Ugh!”

“Spike, if you don’t let me pass, I’ll move you by force!”

I plunged my tush on the muddy floor and charged my horn. A magic force field spread across both forelegs. I pushed it forward and it freed me of the mud.

A moment later, Spike exclaimed, “Hey! That could have ripped out my tail if I wasn’t still alive.”

The mud formed a turd-like structure on the floor. Within it was my wrinkled, smoking letter. “Good enough!”

“Watch out, zombies! I’m seeking Twilight on you!”

I turned toward the exit and jumped.

“What am I? Your dog?” Twilight groaned. Hoofsteps tapped on the hallway. She was coming closer!

“Sick ‘em, Twilight!”

My hooves slipped on the mud and I fell face-first onto the dirty floor.

“Go on, make yourself useful, Twilight! It’s situations like this why I keep you around.”

“Wait, did I hear this right? You keep me around?”

“Of course, what did you think our relationship is based on?” Spike asked.

“Oh, you’re in for a long talk after this!”

Spike didn’t reply, but instead yelled down the hallway, “She’s an ex-librarian!” With lowered voice he continued. “The quiet kind!”

I hoofed at the floor, sliding myself toward the exit.

“What in Celestia’s name are you implying, Spike?”

“Don’t feel down, Twi. It’s obvious you don’t have it in you, but they don’t know that.”

I managed to roll myself on all fours. Unlike in my last attempt, I tried walking a few steps first before plunging into a gallop. “I do, too, have it in me!” A hoof impacting the floor boomed down the hallway. “And now that we’ve established my lack of lacking, please tell me what it is that I have in me!”

“She’s coming after you, zombies!” Spike yelled. “You should just explode right away before she gets down there. I wouldn’t want to be in your place right now!”

“Ugh! Just go hide under the bed, Spike.”

“Okay...” he said simply.

The letter delivery proved much tougher than I had anticipated. I wondered how Derpy Hooves managed the delivery for every house in Ponyville. No wonder we kept having to change doors. They really should invent some kind of a box in which ponies could deliver their letters to. There probably wouldn’t even have been a need for me to break into the castle if I were living in such technologically advanced future.

I ran past the castle’s mailbox.

“Whoever’s down there, you better have a good excuse for all the kerfuffle.” The voice grew louder and so too did the clopping of hooves. I needed to make myself scarce fast.

The nearest bush was still a few leaps away. I could make it!

“For crying out loud, my new door!”

I plunged into the bush just before the light from Twilight’s horn illuminated it. I ducked down and observed her through the branches.

“Sweetie Belle, was that you? If you wanted to make a point you could have just said it to my face, you know?” She turned around and directed her horn light back into the hallway. “Wait a moment… What’s this here?” She swung around. “Sweetie Belle, did you just take a dump in my castle!?! Ugh! That’s beyond indecent!”

I silently crawled backward, keeping the bush between me and Twilight. I hoped she got the message.
> 41 - Confrontation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight took the bait. She landed in the ravine near the edge of the Everfree Forest. After glancing over the piles of books on the ground, she lifted her head and looked around.

“You’re late!” I stepped out from behind a tree and onto the clearing. “My anonymous letter said to meet me at the sunrise, and as you can see, the sun is already way over the mountains!” The moment I said it, a massive cloud covered the sun.

“Anonymous?” she smirked. “You signed it with ‘Sweetie Belle’ on the bottom. There was also your hoof print on it. As a matter of fact, your hoof prints were all over my foyer. There was even your face-print on the floor and beside it—your tushy-print, for some reason… Was all that really necessary? It took Spike the whole night to clean up the mess you made. And why do you keep picking fights with doors? What the flock is going on inside your head, Sweetie Belle?”

“Well… maybe it wasn’t so very much anonymous, but that still doesn’t explain why you kept me waiting!”

“In your ransom note, you wrote, ‘Meet me in the clearing.’ You didn’t specify which one, so I had to fly around, inspecting each of them.”

I bowed my head.

“Good thing you brought my books. If I hadn’t seen them, I would’ve passed this clearing and moved on to the next one on my list. Perhaps the part that talked about the exact location, got torn off… or burned off… or covered in mud… I hope that was mud…”

“Well, I didn’t really write down the location…” My eyebrows pressed together as I pounded a hoof against the ground in frustration. “But this is the biggest clearing around Ponyville; nopony could miss it!”

“Yes, but it’s not the closest one, Sweetie Belle. I was kind of hoping I’d find you in the one where you usually played with your Cutie Mark Crusaders friends.”

“Why would I be there?”

“I don’t know… It was just wishful thinking on my part it seems…”

I sighed. “You are alone, though, right? Or should I expect any of the real princesses and The Royal Army?” I raised my eyebrows as I sized her up across the piles of books between us.

“I’m alone, Sweetie Belle, just as you requested. Dealing with ponyville affairs is my obligation. I wouldn’t be able to call myself a princess if I couldn’t even take care of a runaway filly.”

“Is that how you see me? An insignificant little filly?”

“I never said that.”

“Well, I’m not! And I can prove it to you!”

“There’s nothing for you to prove…” She sighed. “This may be hard for you to believe, Sweetie Belle, but there are bigger things going on in Equestria than you running away. I came here because I still believe you can be reasoned with. This whole situation is partly my fault. I should‘ve seen your turmoil before, but I was too distracted to notice how troubled you really were. Changing the past again is too risky, so I’m here now to make amends for the future’s sake instead.”

“Good!” I smiled and relaxed my body. The anxiety I held through the morning dissipated a little. I felt confident with only Twilight on the opposite side. It would be way tougher for me if she brought the elements with her or even the ponies of legends. To her detriment, she came alone.

“I’ve cleared the whole schedule for today just for your sake, even though I was supposed to investigate a robbery at some rock farm. Who in their right mind would even want to steal rocks?” She raised a hoof to her muzzle. “No matter!” She cast the question to the ground. “The investigation of the crime will have to wait. I’m here to listen and learn what you’re going through. You weren’t always like this, Sweetie Belle. You can see that things are different from how they used to be, right? Do you remember when the changes started? Supposedly you haven’t come up with any new songs in a while. Your Cutie Mark Crusaders friends kept repeating that when I asked them about you after the Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon incident. I didn’t think much of the void in composition then, but I wonder if that could’ve been an early indication of a changed brain chemistry. I do hope that at least your adept singing hasn’t been impaired. When was the last time you sang anything?”

I blankly stared at her.

“You know, not being able to burst into a song could be a sign of a depression. If you don’t cure the mental disorder early on, it could afflict you for life.”

I facehooved. “You don’t get it Twilight. This isn’t about me. It’s all about you.” I pointed a hoof at her, accusingly.

“Talk to me, Sweetie Belle. Have I displeased you in any way? Excluding the instance when I tried to force a cure on you… And the time I used extra precision settings on my machine instead of the safe ones when I tested you for mana potential and... Um, well you know I’m your friend, right?”

“I was foalish to look up to you at some point. But my eyes are open now, and I see clearly. You plotted against me from the start, trying to lower my guard. When I trusted you most, you shoved your horn in my behind and betrayed me! Friends don’t do that! I’ve been my own friend since then. From that point on, I’m doing things my way!”

“Let me explain myself, Sweetie Belle. I didn’t doing anything out of spite. Please tell me you at least understand that.”

I waved a hoof at her in disregard. “It doesn’t even matter anymore. You’re here now. All is good. I’m really glad you came for your precious books.” I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her. I had imagined her coming nacked, but that was not the case and it had bothered me ever since she touched down.

She was dressed up in a tight black suit covering her entire body, hooves included. Only her head, wings and tail were free of the wrapping fabric.

A saddlebag was perched on her back. “You should have brought a wagon to carry all these books. Not that it would help you—”

“Drop the act, Sweetie Belle, you know I didn’t come here for the books.”

“You didn’t?”

“Of course not! Although, I do hope you took decent care of them.”

“Yes, I did fix a few.” I shrugged my shoulders.

She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath.

Without taking my eyes off her, I nudged a nearby tower of books. My mouth morphed into a smirky smile when I heard them crumple to the ground beside me.

She twitched and struck a hoof on the ground. Her eyebrows pressed together. “Neither of us is here to discuss books, so you best leave them out of this.” Her head cocked as she pointed at my flank with a forehoof. “I congratulate you on your cutie mark, Sweetie Belle,” she changed the subject. “It’s what you wanted for your birthday, and you seem to have gotten it a day early. You could be celebrating it with your friends in Ponyville, and yet, you haven’t even approached anypony. Why is that? I’m sure they’d be thrilled to hear about your cutie mark.”

“And how do you know I didn’t talk to anypony?”

“I secured a list of everypony in Ponyville from Pinkie Pie and asked each one of them.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It was quite a list, but repeated teleportation quickened up the process. My motivation was important enough to justify my invasion of their privacy. Celestia taught me that makes it okay. Most ponies weren’t keen on getting disturbed in their chambers, though, in some cases for good reasons. The things I saw….” She shook her head.

“You were interrogating ponies about me?” I snorted at her.

“I talked to them in case they’ve seen you. You have everypony worried. We wanted to help you, so we all did whatever we could to find you. Especially Spike. He hasn’t slept since your escape from the Happy Hill mental institution. The regret for breathing fire at you is eating him inside. He’ll be relieved to hear that you didn’t get burned.

“None of us knew if you were physically okay. When even Zecora hadn’t seen you, as she recited repeatedly, we got really worried. As far as I know, Spike was the last one to see you after you vanished from the hospital.”

“You mean the nut-house?”

“There’s no need to demean the institution, Sweetie Belle. Mental illnesses can be even more severe than the physical ones. There’s nothing wrong with seeking help when you need it. I’ve been there and nopony thinks I’m weird. They don’t!”

“You might need to seek some more treatments. It seems you mixed up the dates.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Either you think it’s Nightmare’s night or you actually believe yourself to be some kind of superhero. Either way, you’re pretty nutty.”

“Oh, you’re referring to my outfit.” She lifted a foreleg, wrapped in a tight, shiny fabric and observed it from different angles. “Your sister made it for me, which is weird because I never even asked for it. If I did, I’d tell her to make it less tight and itchy.” She scratched one hoof with the other. “I’m not sure why she keeps supplying everypony with these outfits. Perhaps she just wants to express her generous nature in this manner. Who knows? Whatever the case, I’m wearing this bodysuit for aerodynamics. It helps me fly faster. Besides that, it also offers some basic protection from scratches. So, no, I don’t presume to be a superhero. I am here to save you, nonetheless.”

“You came here to hurt me! I just know it! What do you have in your saddlebag, Twilight?”

Her eyes rolled to the side. “Just some—things…”

“Mind if I take a peek?” I charged my channels and launched them toward her bag to feel out its content.

“Yes, I do, actually, mind!” She lit up her horn and engulfed the bag with a magic annihilation barrier, breaking my channels that touched it. “You should respect other ponies’ property!”

“That’s rich, coming from a pony who wants to steal my horn. I guess the rules only work in one direction.”

“Listen, Sweetie Belle, I know what happened to you. Zecora told me that you stole a potion from her. I speculate that some corrupted tissue may have formed in your horn when you drank it, and it’s now messing with your brain. It would also explain why your horn is more reddish every time I see you.

“If either of you had told me about the problem sooner we could have fixed it then and we wouldn’t even be in this situation now.”

“And how exactly would you fix it?”

“These things are like infections. As long as you have corrupted tissue in your body, it’ll keep making you sick. Removing said part would stop the spreading of ill tissue.”

“You’d rip my horn out!”

“No! I’d never resort to doing something as horrendous as that if it can be helped... We’d employ a certified doctor to cut it off professionally, causing as minimal amount of damage as possible. We’d anesthetize you first, of course.

“We did the same with Gummy when he started to bite on ponies. He wasn’t called Gummy back then, you know. We fixed the problem, and he didn’t feel a thing.

“Same with Spike. He used to make a mess of every room by flapping his big spiky wings, but he became a happy, home trained dragon without them. Besides him, there weren’t any wingless dragons around, yet he didn’t miss the excess appendages since he never even inquired about them.”

“And now you wish to do the same to me?”

“With a slight difference. Spike got a new pair of wings after the molding. Unlike with dragon wings, losing a horn is permanent.”

“You want to take away my horn just so you can make me tame and cast me to the background, don’t you?”

“You don’t need to rely on magic to make your life meaningful, Sweetie Belle. You can do without it. Most ponies lack the ability to cast magic spells, and they manage to live just fine. Your horn has only brought you anguish and agony. Let us help you.”

“I’m not seeking your help and you aren’t offering any. Cutting off pieces of me is not called helping, no matter how you try to wrap it up all nice and sweet.”

“Okay, let’s just gently put down this hot horn cutting subject for now.” She forcefully smiled at me and laid the emptiness on the ground.

It wasn’t even worth faking a smile in response. Her joke hadn’t been funny the first time she had uttered it at the boulder training, and it certainly wasn’t funny in the grievous situation we were in.

“I have plan B set up since you clearly won’t play along with plan A. You want to come back home, Sweetie Belle. I know you do. We also want you to come back to Ponyville. Everypony misses you dearly.”

“Do you presume I brought you here so you can make me a mere Earth pony? You think I’ll just bow down my head and accept your tyranny, don’t you?”

“Look, if the reliable procedure scares you so, there’s also another way we can settle our differences. I believe I figured out why you’re being so stubborn and wouldn’t let us help you. You’re too attached to your horn and your instincts urge you to protect it, even if it’s bad for you. But I have a plan to fix it. How about we let you decide its fate all by yourself?” She slightly nodded at me. “We didn’t think you were responsible or objective enough to make the necessary decision. That’s why we tried to force the wellbeing onto you. Maybe we were wrong. Perhaps we should have at least given you an opportunity to make the right decision yourself.”

“What? Do you think I’m stupid? You wanted to cut off my horn a few moments ago, and now you’re telling me that it’s my decision. I won’t fall for it.”

“I’m being honest with you, Sweetie Belle. You can keep your horn for as long as you want to. I promise you, nopony will try to remove it unless you ask for it to be removed.”

“And why, in Tartarus, would I want to have it removed?”

“I’m not saying you would. But if say, you wanted to, we’d be willing to oblige. But only after you’d express explicit desire to have it removed.”

“You lie.”

“No, Sweetie Belle. It’s the absolute truth and there’s even more to it than that.”

I sighed. “Do tell…”

“You wanted to know what I have inside my saddlebag, right? Well, you can have one of the items. I’m giving you something very precious and you get to wear it for as long as you choose to. It’s yours.”

“What is mine?”

She charged her horn and telekinetically opened her saddlebag.

“I’m giving you this beautiful, magical necklace, Sweetie Belle.” She floated out a gray string tied to a casing with embedded gemstone. Slowly and gently, she laid it on the ground. Her magic flickered off as she looked forth at me. “And that’s not all. It comes with a special deal. Free of charge!”

From the ground at my hooves, I levitated up the ominous item. “What deal?”

“As long as you wear the necklace, nopony will try to cut off your horn. I give you my word.”

It was the same magic device I wanted to poke at Twilight’s basement. The one that wasn’t fit even for the worst of scum. I spread out the silver spring in the air so that I could see Twilight through the circle that the metal string formed. “I get it now, you weren’t lying after all…”

“That’s right, Sweetie Belle. Just put on the talisman. You keep both the necklace and your horn for as long as you have the desire for either. And if you ever express that you want to get rid of one or the other, we shall take both the necklace and your horn away. The choice will be one hundred percent yours to make.”

“I get it.” All I needed to do was bow before Twilight by putting my head through the circle and the Princess would be pleased with me. I puckered my forehead.

She nodded at me encouragingly, smiling with her teeth clenched.

“I understand, perfectly!”

She nodded maniacally.

I narrowed my eyebrows as I glared at her. “You really hate it, don’t you, Twilight?”

She stopped prancing about and raised both eyebrows. “Hate what?”

“Not having control over me. It’s eating you inside. You want to fix it. But have you considered that maybe I'm not the one who’s messed up?”

Her eyebrows lowered, wrinkles formed on her forehead. “I’m not going to lie to you, Sweetie Belle. You’re in big trouble.” She raised her voice. “If you don’t want to lose your horn, you’ll wear the inner flow disruption talisman, and you’ll wear it now!”

I instinctively took a step back. Being scolded by an adult was not my idea of fun. I wanted it to stop, and I knew exactly how to put an end to it. The opportunity stared me in the face. It taunted me.

“If you’re really determined to keep your horn, then perhaps you can withstand the side effects. Physiologically, they’re completely harmless, but they’ll make you feel as if you were really sick.

“The moment you put on the necklace, you’ll be empowered with everypony’s trustiness, and the choice regarding your horn will be completely on your side. No pony will try to cut it off unless you specifically ask for it to be removed. When—if you agree to the procedure, you’ll never have to wear the necklace again. Now quit stalling and put it on!”

“The Princess wants a bow from me.” I spread the necklace in a wider circle, levitating it closer to my head. “But she’s not getting it!”

I ripped the necklace apart with my magic. Pieces of the springy chain flew in all directions. 

I launched charged narrow channels against the talisman. They pierced it before hitting the ground. Sparks surrounded me. The remains shoved into the earth. Smoke emanated from the shattered crystal.

“Sweetie Belle!” She crumpled on her behind, putting both forelegs on her head. “What have you done‽ You have no idea how much work I’ve put into its creation!”

A nagging feeling engulfed me. As if what I did was wrong, somehow. Or maybe I was forgetting something important?

 I shook my head. With magic on my side, there wasn’t anything else that I needed. Something still felt off, though. Perhaps it was just the jitters. I was anxious to put an end to our encounter. That must have been it! “Tough luck, Twilight. Want to hear my proposal now?”
> 42 - Bring It on
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I knew Twilight came to hurt me. It didn’t bother me. I wanted to hurt her even more. “Ponyville isn’t big enough for the both of us, Twilight!”

Dust flew between us as we stared at each other. Not even the crossing of a tumbleweed could break our gazes.

“You seem concerned.” I smiled and kicked a stone at her.

Without batting an eye, she cocked her head, letting the projectile pass her. “You are my concern, Sweetie Belle.”

“Exactly!” I charged my horn. “Here’s my proposition, Twilight. You hold still for just a moment.” When I pointed my horn at her, she charged up her own. “And I’ll spare you the suffering!” I launched an energy ball at her.

In an instant, she blasted it apart with a ray from her horn. “Sweetie Belle! What did you just try to do?”

I clenched my teeth. Dealing with Twilight might not be as easy as I had hoped.

“I can see you are angry with me, Sweetie Belle. We’ve all made mistakes in the past few days—some of us more than others” She waved a hoof at me in an explanatory manner. “What you’re doing isn’t going to make anything better. You’re just worsening the situation. Fighting me and the rest of the ponies is not the way to fix your problems. You need to stop right now before you start something you’ll regret. We can still fix it; together. Just give me and the ponies of Ponyville a chance.”

“Ugh!” Her babble only fueled my frustration. I prodded at the ground with a hoof. My tail whipped from side to side.

“Whatever’s wrong with you, I know we can mend it with our friendship and some rudimentary medical procedures. We can start anew.”

A grin embellished my face.“Yes, Twilight, you’re right. I do need a new beginning.”

She smiled and nodded at me.

“I'll mark it with your battered corpse under my hooves!”

Her face tensed. Her eyebrows lowered. “I was really hoping you’d come to your senses.” She bowed her head. “They’ve been right all along, but I refused to see what was before my muzzle. I can’t deny it any longer, though. You’re dangerous. You need to be stopped—I need to stop you! It’s my duty to do so...”

“You can only try to handicap me, Twilight. I’ve been brushed aside for long enough, and I won’t be put down on top of that. Not by you and not by anypony else. I’m no background pony! I’ll become more than you could ever dream of.”

“Can’t you hear yourself, Sweetie Belle. This isn’t you!”

“You’ve put yourself in my way, Twilight. I’ll push you aside; permanently!” I flung one channel toward Twilight and one behind me, spreading it over a wide area on the ground as a counterpart for any kinetic forces that the forward channel would create on impact. A thick shield formed on the endpoints of my first channel as they closed in on her for a slam.

At the moment of impact, I redirected the forces to a large area. Focal points drifted along the ground, ripping out all the grass behind me. The endpoints dug in the earth, and held, but so did Twilight! She hadn’t moved at all, despite my forward channels impacting on her with full force.

I cut off my channels to free my focus for another strike.

“Sweetie Belle, you could have really hurt me with this! Do you even understand what would happen if I hadn’t countered your focal points with mine?”

“You’d be dead!”

“And you’d be fine with that?” She narrowed her eyes.

“One less problem in my mane.”

She sighed and bowed her head. “This is it then, you’re dead set on fighting me? I really hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” Her horn glowed brighter as she pierced me with her gaze. “You leave me with no other choice, Sweetie Belle!” She sighed and bowed her head. “Enacting plan C.” Her eyes pierced me. “I’m putting an end to your indecent rebellion here and now, whether you like it or not.”

“Bring it on!” I snickered as I aimed my horn again.

“I won against Tirek and numerous other threats to Equestria! What chance do you think you have against me, filly? Give up now; I don’t want to see you getting hurt—more than necessary.” She glanced back over her croup.

“Hehe,” I smirked at her. “You talk an awful lot for someone thinking of winning. Why don’t you show me your magic, and I’ll show you a glimpse of the power inside of me!”

At that moment, Twilight suddenly turned around and broke into a gallop. She gained ever more distance from me as she ran toward the center of the ravine.

“Hey!” I hit a hoof against the ground. “Come back here and die like a mare.”

She kept moving further away from me.

“Ugh!” I launched myself forward, charging my horn. It needed to be as still as possible upon firing, or I’d miss her. At the same time, I needed to catch up to her. I slowed down to a steady pace while aiming with my horn.

I fired, but my energy balls flew too high, missing her.

She stopped in her tracks, turned around and fired a barrage of small energy balls in an arch toward me.

Their trajectory would be on point if I stood in place, but I was on the move. As long as I didn’t stop, the energy balls presented no danger.

I fired two more energy balls, which were even thicker than the previous ones, then plunged myself into a gallop.

They crashed left and right of her just as her barrage bombarded the ground behind me. I swiveled both ears to the side and ran through the dust that was lifted by my earlier blasts.

She turned her head but focused past me. Her legs slid on the ground as she abruptly stopped. She slowly turned and focused her eyes on me.

“You either face me now or I’ll knock on your door tonight,” I yelled at her then gasped for air. “And this time, I won’t be gentle when I let myself in.”

“Yes, I’m sure you wouldn’t be, Sweetie Belle. It won’t come to that, though. Our quarrel is between you and me. I was the one who admitted you to the clinic. If you want somepony to blame, I’ll take on the entirety of the guilt. Nopony else, or books, have anything to do with our strife. I’m the one you want, and we’re ending it here and now, just like you want.”

“I’ll end it!”

I launched my main channel directly toward her while spreading the counter channel on the vast area.

“You’ll try.” Twilight’s horn glowed brighter. “You’ll fail.” The grass behind her flattened.

My channels impacted hers again. Endpoints glowed in the air in the middle of us. 

I focused more flow through the horn right until the point when my primary channel buckled from the pressure. She was pushing her channels through mine. I could see the merger of my and her shield approaching. Her magic was stronger, but it wasn’t as flexible as mine was. I launched three more channels. Left, right and above. I lengthened them in an arch toward Twilight but didn’t charge them too much, so their glow at the endpoints wouldn’t be apparent at a glance. She wouldn’t see them until they’d be upon her.

“That won’t help you, Sweetie Belle. I can sense your channels, and I’m able to wield several of my own to counter yours.”

Three shield slices formed left, right and above Twilight. My focal points brightened when they impacted the magic barriers.

All four of her countering channels approached when she pushed against my own channels.

Twilight’s body wasn’t as calm as it was before. Her legs spread, body shook. Sparks sprayed from her horn.

I wasn’t in any better shape. Except for the sparks part. My channels were weakened but stable enough.

“Twilight! Do you remember when you told me that six was the upper limit of channels you can form?”

“The insurmountable biological limit of everypony. It takes a talented pony a lifetime of training and meditation to reach it.”

“I’m happy to tell you I’ve surpassed that limit!”

“No, you couldn’t have. Nopony could!” She shook her head. “There’s a hard limit to our physiology. That barrier cannot be broken. It’s the limitation of our very soul.”

I clenched my teeth and launched another channel; then another one. And one more after that. I extended them toward her.

“Seven energy channels—That’s... unnatural!” All of her focal points against mine dissipated.

“That’s right. I’m not just some regular filly. I’m supernatural!”

She disbanded her shields and arched a small transparent dome around her.

I spread my counter channel behind me in the wider area while speeding up extensions of my five active channels in the air. They approached her from the frontal directions. “Twilight, brace yourself, I’m about to give you a powerful hug!”

A bright light spots appeared on Twilight’s shield when my channels impacted with all the force I could master behind them.

Her hind legs buckled, and she drifted back across the ground on her flank. “Argh!” 

“Pff… I thought you’d be smarter than that, Twilight. You can only form your counter channel inside your little dome. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Remember that lesson? You should because you’re the one who taught it to me. The little patch of ground you have in there is not enough surface to absorb the force I can push against you.”

Half of the dome behind her dissipated. As the wave of flattening grass expanded, her flank ceased sliding on the ground.

I giggled. “That’s right, Twilly; make an opening for my channel to get you from behind!”

She stood up. I could see her scratched cutie mark through a rip in her fur-tight clothes. “That’s assuming you can reach the opening, Sweetie Belle!”

The front half of Twilight’s dome morphed into a flat, translucent wall in front of her.

I sent a channel above it.

The wall extended in all directions, and cut off my upper channel when it touched its arch.

A wide area of grass behind her flattened when she pushed on my remaining five offensive channels with her shield.

“You think you can stretch it far enough, Twilight?”

“Try me!” she snarled at me.

I redirected three channels from the shield in paths parallel to her glowing wall. The remaining four on her shield merged into one, which freed my focus for what I was about to do next. I stretched the channels out and moved them away from her so that the approaching shield wouldn’t cut them.

Her wall expanded as fast as my channels. The upper one already reached the lowest clouds, but so, too, did her shield.

I couldn’t send my channel around it yet. I needed to stretch it even farther.

Her shield thinned and became translucent. The light emitted from my impacting channel grew ever brighter.

She spread all four legs and took a deep breath. Her shield ceased extending. It was still vast, but its power waned, losing the majority of its purple glow to it.

I send all my three channels around its edges. I already had them stretched far out, but I still had enough focus to reach Twilight with them.

“Did you really think you could spread your surface more than I could extend my channels? You underestimate me, Twilight. I’m not your filly student anymore. I’ve outgrown you!”

“Being grown up is not about the power you wield, Sweetie Belle!” A burst of sparks rushed from her horn. “Ngh…” She pressed a hoof to her head. “It’s about maturity that you don’t seem to possess at all.”

Her wall dissipated, and she formed a magic dome once more.

She drifted back again as my forward channel impacted her. I cut off the three extended ones to produce more force on my main channel.

Twilight opened the back side of her dome again and turned around. The rest of the magic construct dissipated as she flapped her wings and flew into the air.

“You’re flying away from your problems? Really? Some princess you are! You don’t deserve the wings you were blessed with.” I spread out my channels, arching them toward her.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle, you’re not getting rid of me so easily! Be assured of that. I’m just warming up. Plan C doesn’t end until you lose your horn.”

A blast of energy near me exploded. The shock wave swept me off my hooves. When I crashed face-first on the ground, the world went black.
> 43 - Power Unrestrained
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sweetie Belle, are you okay?” Twilight flapped her wings above me, veiling the sun.

The world spun. I clenched my teeth and clambered on all four hooves. My horn charged up. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her.

“I expected you to shield yourself from my blast, that’s why I put some extra power in the cast spell. Yet, you didn’t erect a shield of any kind.” She sighed “Look, I think we both know that you’re outmatched.”

“You’ll pay for this!”

“Just stay down before you get seriously hurt.”

“Argh!” She wasn’t even using her full power. If she was, I’d have more than just a few scratches to show for it. I presumed she wanted me alive, so she could disembody me as she had tried to do before. She held herself back and that played to my advantage. However, even with that flaw in her strategy, I had trouble disposing of her. Yet, in order to ascend to new heights, I had to bring her down, somehow.

I charged the surrounding channels, forming a protective dome. I grumbled through my teeth. She forced me into defense. Somehow, I needed to gain the upper hoof again. I formed a sphere of energy inside my horn and projected it toward Twilight through the opening in my shield.

She turned midair, and my ball missed her by far. 

Flying offered her agility, while I was a sitting target on the ground. It would be hard for me to defend myself if she resorted to stronger spells.

I could not afford to stay grounded. “Two can play this game!” I yelled and spread all four legs.

“Oh, really? Last I checked, you didn’t have any wings. Unless you plan on becoming an Alicorn right about now.”

“No, that comes later, but just because I might not be an Alicorn yet, it doesn’t mean I can’t fight on your level.”

“My, my, aren’t you an ambitious little filly.” Another energy ball hit my shield. The endpoints held, but the charge of her spell was much harder to deflect than the earlier ones.

I didn’t want to become a mere toy for her to play with. Yet, as long as my opponent was in the air with me on the ground, she held an advantage. “I’ll put you down, Twilight! My way.”

“Come and get me then!” She smiled.

What I was about to do would need quite a bit of my focus. That wouldn’t be so much for the controlled mana consumption but mostly for balancing the magic in equal amounts on all sides. I planned to do a basic levitation, but with one difference. The earth wouldn’t be the anchor point; I would take that role by levitating the whole Equus against myself.

My eyes closed while I focused on the inner flow. I knew that I could keep up self-levitation since I had done it before. The first time I used it was when I had escaped from my room after my parents locked me inside. It hadn’t panned out so well then, but with my magic unrestrained and days of practice in the mirror cave, I could control my magic currents far better.

I focused the energies but didn't release them from my horn. I channeled them down my body and through my hooves. They had to be spread evenly on all legs or I could get tripped midair, which would be dangerous by itself, even without Twilight attacking me. I didn't spread the shield across the entire ground but enough for traction. I didn't need to manipulate it. I just had to push it away.

My hooves caught the glow. It spread to the ground. I increased the mana flow. The glow of my horn and my hooves shone darker. The force of the ground pushed against my legs. A fetlock bent as I stumbled in the air, trying to catch my balance. To fix myself in place, I imagined the channels being Pinkie Pie’s legs, countering my motion. The energy flows throughout my legs synchronized and steadied my swaying body.

I closed my eyes and fully extended all four legs as I stabilized the flows. When the pressure of the channels equalized on me, I lengthen them. The acceleration strained me, yet I kept pushing the remote force of the ground against my hooves. If I wanted to outmaneuver Twilight, I couldn’t let myself be held back. The wind against my back let me know that gravity had nothing on me.

I looked up at Twilight. She was pretty high, but I was closing the distance fast. Her mouth was agape. She stared at me as I ascended to her level.

“Antigravitational spell?” she asked, raising both eyebrows.

I cut off most of my mana flow, keeping only a basic stream for balance’s sake. I decelerated and stopped at the same height Twilight was on.

“That's no antigravitational spell! You couldn't stop if it was. How did you manage to do that?” She looked down to the ground where my four anchored shields pushed Equus away from me. “Oh, I see. Clever Filly! I think even Starlight Glimmer would slowly clap if she saw you right now.”

“How's this for clever!” I focused the magic in my horn. She wasn't Rainbow Dash, but she could still maneuver quite a bit. At such vast distance, she could dodge any slow projectiles. Small and fast was the way to go. The situation called for me to put Vancian magic into practice. I compartmentalized the energies within my horn. Clusters of self-sustained flows compressed as I infused the balls with an unstable flow. One touch from them and she'd be toast!

I slid the formed energy balls through my horn and spread them in front of me. There were at least a hundred of them. They were small enough to cut through the air without losing much of the speed I was about to force on them. She wouldn’t be able to dodge the exploding storm.

I formed the fifth channel and connected it to the floating balls. I didn't synchronize the charge with the other four active flows. Instead, I separated it entirely. Interference to my other four channels could prove deadly since I was high above the ground. I pushed the body flow toward the horn. But I didn't push out. Not yet! The energies compounded in my horn and pressed against the inner walls. My whole forehead felt as if it was about to explode, but I kept building up the pressure. If I was going to use the Vancian magic, I had to keep up an unhindered supply of mana. The higher the buildup, the stronger the burst. I coated my horn with another layer of shielding barrier, to contain the maelstrom forming within. It was time!

The channel leading to my energy balls gained visible form and the shock wave spread across it, hitting the balls hard. They seemingly disappeared as several flashes flared the part of the sky where Twilight flew a moment before. Most of the balls missed because I spread them out in case she’d try to dodge them, but several of them did hit her. And even one of them would be enough to turn a manticore to a mussed flesh. The booms of explosions were like a melody to my ears. The chants of echo’s roar sung a praise about my deed. I smiled. My nemesis seemed to be disposed of, finally.

Smoke from the blasts dissipated and there was Twilight; flying unharmed in her protective shield. Drat! The balls had, indeed, been fast enough, but my casting gave her time to raise the shield. I didn’t understand how she had managed to make it so powerful.

Twilight exhaled deeply, and her horn lost some glow. “I see you're really determined to hurt me. It's time for me to get serious as well. I'll try to loosen your fall before you hit the ground, but I can't guarantee it. We can still stop this here and now, just say the word. Last chance, Sweetie Belle!”

“At least you’re giving me a safe word in advance this time. Let’s see how you fare without one.” I lifted my head and grinned. “Give me your best shot!” She thought she could toy with me. It would be her undoing!

“Be careful what you wish for, Sweetie Belle. I’m more than you know.” Within her shield she rapidly flapped her wings, quickly gaining elevation. She disappeared into a massive cloud spread above us.

A lump appeared in the mist near her entry point. As soon as the water vapors clogged together to cover it up, a big, translucent, lavender ball descended from within. It wasn't just her in the shield that broke through. I could see two long cuts along the white mist. When I squinted my eyes, I noticed what caused the two slashes in the cloud. Her wings were spread out but weren't flapping. A magic aura coated them. It also spread further to the outside of the shield. I’ve experienced the enchantment of magic on her wing before. She intended to cut off my channels just like she had done when I had lifted a boulder for the first time at the magic training.

If she was successful in her attempt, it would take some time before I could form new channels. Even if I managed to do it before I hit the ground, I’d be vulnerable in between. She’d have plenty of time to wrap her anti-magic spell around me.

However, I wasn’t about to play along with her game. Not by her rules. In her zeal, she failed to see the obvious. The ground hadn’t been the only available anchor point. It was just the one I used at the time. I waited for her to get closer. She was coming at me fast, but I knew I could pull off the maneuver. “That's close enough!”

Just before she slipped under me, I cut off all four channels from my legs and formed a new channel. It slung at her while charging up.

The energies connected with the front of her shield and anchored the magic surface to me. I was too light to be much of a burden, but I only had to knock her off balance. Her weight alone would do the rest.

As my endpoints rotated her energy dome, her trajectory curved down. She plunged ever faster toward the ground. My plan worked!

It was as I had predicted. She had bound the shield directly to her energies. Because of that, the lavender sphere wasn’t a self-contained entity, and she retained control over its power. That’s how she’d been able to make it strong enough to withstand my bombardment.

Twilight reattached her endpoints, correcting her trajectory.

I tried compensating by moving my pressure points further up, but she was faster.

She kept rotating the shield, slowly fixing her trajectory.

I couldn’t move my focal points fast enough, but I didn’t need to. There was another way! “Hey, can I play ‘spin the ball’, as well?” I erected a shield of my own around the lavender one and squeezed it tightly. By binding the surface of my shield to my energies and not forming it as a self-contained entity, I could manipulate it like a doll. Even if she were to make her inner shield smaller, I could match it without losing any friction.

My plan worked. Her diving angle got steeper by the moment.

“Sweetie Belle, stop this! You’ll kill us both!” She dived headfirst straight down toward the ground.

Right above her, I rode on my shield bubble with a grin on my face. “Let’s see how you like it when I take away your control!”

We were in a vertical free fall. Even if I were to disband the shield around her at that moment, she'd have to be a Thunderbolt to recover at her speed. The ground was already too close for her to pull up. If there was no shield on her path, she could try teleporting, but the momentum would just slam her on the glade at a different spot.

The impact on the ground was imminent. I increased the power of my shield around her. The solid earth wouldn’t soften her crash, but I hoped that my erect shield would dampen mine. Though, I still expected it to hurt a lot.

Twilight jerked and looked toward the center of the glade. “Argh!” Her shield dissipated, but her horn light didn’t fade. It, actually, glowed brighter. She pointed it straight down toward the ground. As soon as I felt her channels attaching to the inner top of my shield, her charged channel pierced through the bottom. 

I knew what she attempted. “Hey, no fair! That's my move!”

She formed a channel toward the ground to counter both her and my weight.

I braced for the crash.

In a wide area under us, the grass instantly flattened.

I slammed against my shield. The acceleration was almost unbearable. Twilight, on the other hoof, managed to keep up both channels—one to the ground and against my shield. I only had to focus on one channel and was at my limit. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep two channels open under such acceleration. She was a worthy opponent indeed!

We ceased falling just short of the ground. She gradually levitated herself down and released her channels as her forehooves gracefully touched the grass on the ravine. She glanced up at me. “This old mare can still learn new tricks!”

I morphed the shield around her into a dome. That narrowed my channel to the shield and freed some of my focus.

My energies channeled unevenly across my shield. But I guided them with a precision. Spiky bumps formed on the inside of the dome. I pushed them further and joined the pathways together to make them sharper.

She spread her focal point to the inner surface of the dome. The shield wasn’t closing up on her anymore. She was spreading it further apart.

Her focal points were shorter, and she didn’t need to balance herself in the air like I did. Shield spikes proved useless because she already spread the bubble too far and they couldn’t reach her anymore. I flattened the surface to save some focus.

She spread my shield in all directions.

“If you won’t let me pierce you, I’ll crush you instead.” I just needed to push up against something. Any heavy or grounded object would do...

Twilight looked up at me through the energy barrier. “Searching for something, are we?” A grin embellished her face. “I lured you to the center of the ravine for a reason, Sweetie Belle. There’s nothing you can form your anchor points against. That’s your first problem. Running away to hide from me will be your next one. Both challenges will prove insurmountable to you. Your unconditional surrender would be the most logical action in this situation”

I looked around, and there was, indeed, no structure around to push against. Not even a tree. Nothing.

“You’re searching in vain. There’s nothing for you to find.”

“I’ve heard that before.” My gaze shifted down, past Twilight, right to the ground below. Everything!

My horn glowed so darkly that the waving aura engulfed my whole vision. I closed my eyes and felt my surroundings merely with the erected channels. I wouldn’t need my sight for what I was about to perform, anyway. My channels curved around the shield. Pushing down would just lift me back in the air. What I needed was an opposite force to put some pressure on top of the dome.

Fortunately, I knew a little trick that Twilight had taught me. It would be like penetrating an egg but on a much larger scale. Instead of feeling through the shell, I would pierce through Equus.

As I led my widened channels downward, I felt within the earth. The spread-out flow sipped through the ground. I locked my end-points to the bottom of the buried rocks. With the merger of channels at my horn base, all the upward force would instantly reflect itself as a downward force on my shield. For every force, there is always an equal and opposite force. I was about to put this law of physics to the test, and Twilight would be caught in the middle. Just the way I wanted.

“Sweetie Belle, what are you searching for under there?” She could sense my channels, but knowing my plan wouldn’t help her if she couldn’t counter it.

“Everything!” I yelled and pushed all my inner flows against the horn. The energy spread across my wide channel to every underground focal point. The earth around us shook. Smaller rocks levitated up.

“Ugh!” I heard Twilight breathe out through her teeth. The top of my shield drifted closer to her.

I reached the limit of how much energies I could seep through the ground. If I increased the flow further, the energies would react on the surface and push the earth down instead of drifting through it to the bottom side of the rocks.

Twilight’s body tensed, and the shield expanded away from her again.

I needed more force; more energy than the surface would allow me to channel through the earth. 

After all the flows narrowed under my direction, I sent a massive pulse of energy through them. The earth rippled and cracked all around us. I drilled through it with my charged channels, leading them downward. Newly formed tunnels provided me with a lot more surface to channel my flows through. That strategy alone would only increase the pressure on Twilight’s shield two-fold. I wanted more!

Compressing my channels, I dug deeper. They weakened while they lengthened far underground, but I still had enough power for the second phase. I spread the channels sideways into the earth, then curved them up all at once.

The earth trembled while the pressure on top of the shield below me increased.

Streams of dust gushed from the earth on several surrounding points as a few channels broke through to the surface. I cut those off because they didn’t yield any upward force against the ground. I focused on the ones that offered the most resistance. Those hitting the biggest rocks buried in the earth.

Just by looking at Twilight's clenched teeth and twitching body, I knew the exerted force surpassed that of the earlier method by several times. 

“More!” Earth shattered in all directions. Boulders around us slipped out through the cracks. I could feel each and every one at the end of my focal points. My body trembled, but I didn’t waver. “More!” The earth around us rose.

“Ugh!” Twilight yelled. Her focal point contracted with each passing moment.

The channel she used to keep me at a safe distance was almost obliterated. She was pushing past her limits. The fading lavender focal point could not hold the tremendous pressure. While her resolve waned, I slowly descended upon my victim to be. She couldn’t keep up with the strain. My energies were closing in on her. I felt the tip of her horn touch the inner surface of my shield. Her head was pinned down. The space she had left within the bubble was shrinking fast under my force.

Only a narrow focal point remained above her horn. Despite her waning force, I felt a disturbance protruding through my constant flows of energy. 

A fully charged channel pierced through my shield like a needle through a fabric. Electric discharges spread across it, destabilizing the structure. A shock wave of energy spread across it, shattering the magic construct to pieces. All my supportive channels were instantly cut as I lost my shield that was my only endpoint sink for the forces. I fell down along with all the surrounding earth and boulders.
> 44 - The Final Form
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I opened my eyes and found myself in Twilight's embrace. She lifted a forehoof and slid it softly across my cheek, through my mane and down my neck. It stopped and rested on my shoulder.

She turned her head from the side and looked at me. Her eyes moved sporadically but eventually stilled themselves on my face. “Sweetie Belle, you were right... I underestimated you on many fronts. I believe you now. You demonstrated what you’re capable of, but this power struggle is meaningless to begin with. Nopony benefits from our strife. Maybe with words alone we can figure out what plan D should be. Let’s try talking again.”

I shook my head. “Talk is cheap. Your actions spoke louder than words. What you tried to do to me…”

“And what have you just tried to do to me? Look, be reasonable. Let it go.”

She had intended to cripple me, and I was just supposed to let it go? Never!

I looked away from her as I clenched my teeth. Her saddlebag lay beside her. Its content was spread on the ground. Needles, bandages, gauzes and... a circular blade. It was the same one they tried to use on me at the asylum! Her intentions became crystal clear to me. She had made preparations to cut off my horn even before she came to meet me. I gazed at her. “There won’t be any plan D. I’ll make sure of it!”

“Just stop the insanity, please! This isn’t you!” Twilight gulped. “I promise there won’t be any punishment for what you did today.”

“Oh, but I want punishment! I want to be the embodiment of it.” My lips crawled up my teeth to form a grin.

“No...”

“What’s this, Twilight? Can’t you even handle one runaway filly? Some princess you are.” I smirked at her.

“Let’s try talking again, okay? Please.”

I lifted myself on the hind legs “You talk way too much, missy. I’m grounding you!” Both forehooves impacted her wings.

“Aaa!” The cracking sound accompanied her screaming. 

It was music to my ears! Yet cold shivers ran down my spine, wiping the grin off my face. I bit my lip and looked to the side.

She took advantage of my hesitation. A blast from her horn launched me on top of the newly formed dike of earth and boulders. Stones cut into my skin as I rolled over them.

“You broke my freakin’ wings, you ungrateful brat!” A voice echoed. 

The remaining mana-pool reserves had been almost drained by my last magic attack, but there was still plenty of energy reserve within me to finish her off. I stood on all four and focused on a nearby boulder. Under the direction of my magic, it floated over the hole Twilight was in.

She wanted me to let go. It was sort of what I intended to do. Right on top of her! “I’m fulfilling your request, Twilight. Aren’t I a good little filly!” I let go of the boulder.

It didn't fall. The stoney mass just hovered above the hole in the middle of the circular dike. I squinted my eyes, but I couldn’t see any shields supporting it.

The boulder cracked in several places, and a white light glowed through the crannies. It shone ever brighter. I covered my eyes with a forehoof to shield them from the glare.

Bam!

The shock wave from the explosion sent me on my back again. Dusty air fogged up with more particles, making it harder to see through. That was a lot of energy. And the buildup didn't even originate from Twilight; the overflow burst out from within the stone itself. I didn’t know how she managed to fuse so much cosmic energy into it without any channel connection. It shouldn’t even be possible in principle, let alone the actual practice. I shook my head and swayed myself to the hooves.

A bright silhouette emerged in the smoke and hovered up from the hole. Her eyes glowed white. “Do you presume wings are the only thing I gained when I ascended to Alicornhood?”

I knew there was more to it than that. “Immortality?”

“Energy patterns—changed; Inner flows—rearranged!” Her furtight clothes evaporated from her body as she floated closer. “You should not trifle with an Alicorn, little pony!”

My body shivered, but I was far from done. I lifted a few rocks from the ground and accelerated them forward.

The projectiles flew straight for her, but she didn’t even flinch. The flying rocks dissipated into dust midair. If there was a disintegration shield between us, I couldn’t sense it. She kept coming ever closer with a dreadful grin on her face.

The broken wings hung loosely from her sides, yet her battered body floated on air. I looked below the approaching form, but couldn’t sense any focal points. I didn’t know how she was doing it, but it wasn’t really important. All that mattered was taking her down.

I charged my horn toward her and fired.

The beam was absorbed midair. Even if she was using a disintegration shield, the magic blast should still pierce the space between us, but somehow it didn’t.

I launched the channels from my horn, but the more I lengthened them, the more resistance I felt.

Halfway to her, I couldn’t even move them forward anymore. It felt as if the air was more solid than a brick wall. Then, the force of my channels reversed. It affected me, instead of the other way around. They pulled me toward the terror with increasing force. The pull stopped when I cut off my stolen channels. I tried to think of a different approach.

First, I needed to gain some distance from her. Yet, when I tried to turn around, both hind legs stayed fixed on the ground as if they were nailed down. Dense earth clutched around them, creeping ever higher. The dirt was coming to life around me. Elemental magic!

I charged my horn and blasted earth shackles off me.

A moment after, new socks of grime grew in their place, keeping me trapped.

She was coming closer; too close.

I spread out my channel along the ground before me, hoping to feel the sweet caress on my fields. There! Just below the surface was a grain. It was almost unnoticeable; like a whisper, but I was driven to turn it into a shout. I narrowed my channel, piercing through the ground to the crystal shard. It wanted to grow. Self-formation was in its very nature. All it needed was a catalyst. A caress of my energies would sustain its development.

The crystal resonated with my energies. I released my full inner flow, and it burst through the ground on Twilight’s path. I forked my channel, nurturing the crystal to the left and right. It launched edged branches to the sides, erecting a vast wall between me and the approaching alien.

I cut off my channels and breathed in. There was silence. I jerked with a leg, and the earth that entrapped it gave in. After freeing my other hooves, I turned around toward the Everfree Forest where my last hope resided. I bought myself some time. She’d have to go around my obstacle. If I managed to escape into the dense growth, I could find some cover and rethink my strategy.

Just when I was about to break into a gallop, a cracking sound emanated from the crystal wall. I looked back. Everything was still. I sighed with relief.

Another crack resonated from the crystal. And another. The cracks merged into thunder.

I gasped when the wall burst asunder. By spreading the channels around me, I formed a magic dome. It wasn’t a moment too soon, as the shattered pieces bombarded on my shield and all around it.

“I never taught you how to grow crystals,” her voice boomed.

“You were too busy showing me betrayal!” I yelled back at her through my magic shield.

The scream clogged in my throat and was replaced with gurgling sounds as something invisible grabbed me by the neck. The force lifted me from the ground. I didn’t understand how she managed to spread her channels through my shield. That was against the laws of magic. It shouldn’t even be possible!

I waved both forelegs before me, but there was nothing there to touch. The air itself choked my throat. A silhouette approached just outside my shield. White eyes gazed at me.

The aura around her horn changed its color. It shone in dark, bubbly purple. The energies were of the same sort I used—Alicorn magic!

A white circle appeared before her horn. As the dark bubbly aura thickened, the circle morphed into a disk. It floated in an arch to the side of me.

Whatever it was, I hoped my shield could protect me from the cast spell. To be safe, I used all my mana reserves to increase my flow to the maximum, making the barrier so dense that my magic carapace lost its translucency. The dark coloring of the protective cocoon turned to pure black. Not even light could reach me anymore. I was isolated for a time. Though trapped by grabbing earth and air, the shell of darkness was bound to defend me against her direct assault.

A spark of light blinded me from the side of my dome.

It was the disk, coming through! I should have felt all and any interaction on my shield at my endpoints, yet I didn’t detect the intrusion. It slipped inside as if there was no obstacle on its way. The unstoppable blade of light slowly approached my horn. 

The invisible, surrounding force squeezed tighter. My vision tunneled. The protective shield dissipated as my inner flow cut off along with my blood circulation. 

Twilight’s eyebrows pressed together as she leaned in. “You chose the hard difficulty for yourself.” She faced me with a grin as the last flicker of my horn faded out. “Now face the consequences.” The upward force on my neck increased and stretched my body. The aggressive pull lifted me, breaking the earth’s shackles on my hooves. Despite dangling freely in the air, both hind legs still felt heavy as a dray. 

With my last ounce of strength, I tried to flap around with all my limbs and tail, but there was nothing within my reach to bang against. It was pathetic fighting against the air itself. I was useless against her unworldly power.

The pressure squeezing my neck spread all over my body. Both forelegs bent on my chest as the hind legs pressed against each other. It was as if the air itself was mummifying me. I couldn’t move at all.

I struggled, but none of my limbs responded. They were utterly bound. Only a tear drifting down my cheek disturbed the stillness of my body.

My trembling gaze slowly turned up to the white-eyed Alicorn before me. Her stare alone made me yell in panic inside my mind. It wasn’t just a pony leaning over me. My breath ceased at the sight. She was something more. Something alien—out of this world.

I felt a warm liquid streaming down my inner ties across my hooves.

“I'm cutting this cursed horn off here and now!” Twilight’s booming voice made my ears tremble. “Take your medicine, little pony. Accept the consequences you have wrought on yourself!”

There was just blackness around me. Only the center of my narrowing vision defied the encroaching darkness. Twilight's white, glowing eyes were like a light at the end of a tunnel.

“Your evil escapades end now!” Twilight’s voice boomed.

A white eye of my dominator got covered by the crossing disk, which gleamed even brighter. The shining terror approached the center of my vision, creeping closer to my horn.

Suddenly, a force drifted through me. It happened in an instant.

I found myself on the ground. My ears perked when I heard a crash from the direction of the hole Twilight had levitated out of before.

She squeaked, “What the—”

My vision slowly returned. The surrounding ground glowed green. I rubbed my eyes with a foreleg, but the glow remained.

A slick appendage slid from behind me and wrapped itself around my body. It lifted me up and slung me in the air.

The ground rushed by under me, drawing closer fast. The moment I hit the dirt ramp, my body spun around. I crashed at the outer edge of the giant, cylinder-shaped earth pile. Like a runaway marshmallow, I tumbled head over hooves down the slope. The rolling came to an abrupt stop when the back of my head lunged itself into the ground at the bottom. I was sprawled and sore, with all four legs spread out and unresponsive. I just lay there on my back, facing the sky.

“That’s it!” Twilight screamed. “You're losing that cursed horn here and now, even if I have to rip half of your skull out with it!” 

I heard—my own voice from above the ridge “You'll have to catch me first!”

Green light reflected off the dust particles in the air, then faded out.

“A changeling? This whole time? No! This makes no sense!”

“You want to rip out my horn, do you? Come and get it if you dare!” said the changeling with my voice.

“Scrap what I said. I'll rip your whole head off! Right after I make you tell me what you did with Sweetie Belle! I know you can’t transform without getting into the proximity of your target at least once. If you harmed as much as a hair on her coat, I’ll make you sorry you were ever hatched.”

“Try to catch me, pony.” I saw a black figure in the sky, flying away from the ditch I was in. Did Zex just save me? He actually kept his promise...

A white cloud with Twilight on it was in hot pursuit. She fired bolts of energy in his direction.

I closed my eyes and lost myself in the void.
> 45 - Recap
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I opened my eyes, but I was still drenched in darkness. The shadows surrounded me. Only a little flickering of light defied them. The shiny dance of light on the rocky ceiling was mesmerizing.

Something touched me! It brushed through my mane.

I lifted my head and saw Clonie beside me.

She gasped and wiggled her body left and right while she clambered up. She turned her head and yelled toward the entrance of The Mirror Pool cave. “She’s awake!”

“Hey! I’m right here. Don’t refer to me in the third person, foal!” 

She gasped and put a hoof before her muzzle. After taking a step back, her head and shoulders slumped.

“Did you touch me just now?”

She tensed her body and closed her eyes.

I swung a hoof at her, but lost my balance midway, falling beside her.

She squinted one eye and looked down at me. “I’m sorry!”

I clambered up onto all four hooves. There was an abundance of water waiting for me on the curved leaves that lay on the stones beside me. I dunked in my muzzle and sipped as hard as I could.

Clonie opened and closed her mouth several times before gathering the nerve to jabber about. “Clonie and me were really worried about you all this time, and I just wanted to let her know that you’re awake. I didn’t mean to touch you, either. The thing is.... They hurt you really bad. I hated seeing you so defenseless and exposed.” She looked up at me. Her eyebrows rose and pressed together, wrinkling her forehead.

I put down the emptied leaf and breathed deeply. It seemed I’d been more thirsty than I had realized. “How long was I out?”

“Since yesterday,” she said.

“How did I get here?”

“Um, I…” She bowed her head. “I left my post, and—and then I had to feel you out all over and have my way with you.”

“Whaa...” I glared at her. “What are you babbling on about?”

“Clonie and me saw flashes in the sky. Then, there were roars and thunder. The whole ground shook.”

“I was the one doing those things.”

“We thought so, too. That’s why we guarded the entrance, just like you ordered us to before you left. We thought you’d come home after everything calmed down, but you didn’t. You were gone for so long and—” her ears flopped as she took a big breath “—I take full responsibility!” Her body shook. “Clonie had nothing to do with it! She even reminded me that we were told to stay guard no matter what. That’s how good she was at her job!”

“Ugh!” I pressed a hoof on my head to ease the migraine she caused me. “Tell me how I got here, already!”

“I really tried to do nothing, but after a while, I couldn’t merely stand at the entrance anymore. You were risking your head for us and it didn’t seem right to just leave you stranded. I was afraid that the evil townsfolk might hurt you. I told Clonie to stay put, but then she told me to stay put. We wrestled to figure out who was right, but it was a tie. Then, I raced her to your knife and fairly won because I gave myself a head start. She surrendered and agreed to do as she’s told. I then gently put back your knife—I’m sorry for borrowing your knife without asking—and set out to go to the place where flashes had come from before. I thought about wearing that black jumpsuit you made me fix to protect me from cuts and bruises”—she pointed at my swimsuit, sewn with the hairs from her own tail—“but I’d probably just tear it on my way. That wouldn’t be right because it was yours and I also didn’t want to apologize for borrowing yet another one of your things. So, I just ran to get you and tried not to bleed too much when branches hit me on the way. And then, when I found the messed up glade and you at the bottom of the dike I took a rest while I licked your wounds. Then, I brought you back here as fast as possible, but it took some time because you’re kind of heavy. No offense.”

“Wait, you dragged me all the way from the glade to here?”

“I carried you...”

“The books! Did you just leave them?”

“I saw the books. There were so many of them there. I don’t know how I could have carried them all. The thought of townsfolk coming for you also scared me. I couldn’t let them find you asleep. You weren’t prepared to face them in your condition. I just wanted to get you away from that place as soon as possible. If you want, I could go see if they’re still there...”

I noticed her legs. They were covered in cuts and bruises. She swayed from side to side on the wiggly appendages. If I asked her to stand on just three legs, she’d probably fall over. “No, you’re right. They are, most likely, already gone by now. It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m done foaling around with books. That’s not where my destiny lies.”

“Even without them, it took me all day to bring you here. The night almost overtook me.”

“Forget the books. They’re not important.”

“Clonie was really happy when she saw us. She stood guard all the time and didn’t do anything wrong…”

“You did well, Clonie.” I extended a hoof to stroke her on the head. “Both of you. Well done.”

“Except…” She lowered her eyes.

I growled and struck my hoof on the rocks, “Except what?”

“She—met a zebra.”

“We were found out? This is bad! We need to leave right away!”

“No.” She dared to raise a hoof in my path. “She didn’t meet her at the entrance.”

“Wait… Did she leave her post as well? I gave you one simple job. All you had to do was stay put and both of you managed to fail at it?”

Clonie bit her lip and slightly nodded.

“Take her place and tell her to come down here. I want to hear what she has to say for herself.”

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to utter something but promptly forced it shut. After a quick nod, she limped to the cave’s entrance.

The skin under my coat itched all over. I slowly stood up and checked my body. There were just bumps and bruises on my sides, legs and back. It didn’t look too serious. Nothing seemed broken.

My whole body jerked as I noticed a book on the stone beside me. It looked ominously familiar, which was odd.

I remembered levitating all the books when I had been preparing to face Twilight. When I’d cleared out the cave, I had not left a single one behind. There was no need to keep them around since I had already skimmed them all. The book before me, definitely, wasn’t from Twilight’s library. I’d remember a thick, leather cover like that.

I leaned over the tome. It didn’t have a title, just a seal. I recognized the symbols as if I had seen them before. Yet, for the life of me, I couldn’t make myself remember. The memory was held just out of my reach.

My head jerked and both ears perked up. There was movement at the cave’s entrance. Clonie ran down to meet me. She sure took her sweet time...

I levitated the book onto my bed of moss and leaves then sat on the towel that was rolled to form a pillow.

Clonie abruptly stopped at my bed and crumpled beside me.

“Where did you get this?” I pointed at the book.

“A zebra gave it to me. She said I was meant to see it, but might have trouble to believe it.”

I opened it. The pages were rough, yellow and crinkled. I felt gratitude and fear at the same time as I hoofed through it. The writing wasn’t printed but mouth-written. I looked at Clonie. “What happened? Tell me everything.”

“Clonie and me watched from behind the bush that hides the entrance, exactly like you ordered us to. Then, there were flashes and explosions. After that, the ground under us shook. Clonie couldn’t just stand by anymore, so she went to see if you’re alright. I stayed and guarded the entrance. After a while, I got really thirsty. I wanted to chew on the leaves of the bush, but then I didn’t because I thought I could blow the cover if there weren’t enough leaves on the branches. I thought about getting a drink from the pool inside. But you said that we shouldn’t even poke at the magical water, so I didn’t. I stayed and kept guard like the good filly that I am. Then, I got really, really thirsty. I tried to distract myself by listening to the water. That was a bad idea. It trickled and splashed in the stream, making me even more thirsty. I could even smell the freshness and moistness. It called for me. You know, the brook that’s just behind those big brown—”

“Stop rambling and tell me what happened, Clonie!”

“I… I went for a drink… But I kept looking back to the entrance all along! Nopony could enter without me seeing it. Except when I was drinking from the stream. I wasn’t looking at the entrance then, but I tried to swallow really fast, despite the coldness of the water. I also peed at the same time so I could return to the entrance as soon as possible.”

“Get on with it already!”

“I heard the crack of a branch. When I looked forth, I saw a zebra on the other side of the stream. The golden wrists on her foreleg jingled as she backed a few steps.”

“Zecora,” I interjected.

“She rose a hoof and said she meant me no harm and something about my darkly charm. She talked really funny.”

“Zebras speak in rhymes,” I explained.

“Yes. She said that she’d been searching for me. Then, when I didn’t say anything, her body shook, and she begged me not to kill her. That was so weird, I wasn’t even doing anything.”

“Hehe.” I facehoofed. “Zecora thought you were me. I don’t know why she’d be afraid, though. She took no part in my exile. I have no quarrel with her.”

“This zebra then took the book from her saddlebag and laid it on the ground. She insisted that I need to understand something in it and apologized for not showing it to me sooner. Then, she kept crying over something else that she supposedly did to me.”

“That’s weird. Thanks to her potion, I’m more than whole.” I caressed the reddish horn with a hoof. “Why would she be sorry for that?”

“I don’t know, but she seemed to really mean it. She was even hitting her head with a hoof as she sniffled.”

“In all the time I knew her, I only ever saw her cry once. It was when she hosted a party for me and her weird zebra friend. She cried then. You’d think celebrations would make ponies happy, not sad. Or maybe it was something else that made her upset...” I supported my head with a hoof. “It doesn’t make much sense… Did she say anything else?”

“No. When I didn’t say anything, she shook and again, begged me not to kill her. Then, she suddenly turned around and galloped away.”

“Weird... Did anything else happen?”

She shook her head

“Okay then. Go up to Clonie and keep her company guarding the entrance.”

“Aren’t you going to kill me?”

“Maybe next time. I’m too tired now.” I pointed a hoof at her. “Don’t leave your post again, though. I need to know if I get discovered so that I can move away in time.”

She sighed with relief and ran toward the exit.
> 46 - Talking to Myself
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a hoof, I opened the leathery book. There were weird hoof-written symbols on the first page. My foreleg got heavy as I shuffled through the pages. A particular drawing caught my attention. It depicted a zebra inside a familiar-looking circle. She was gravely injured in several places. I could tell because bones stuck out of her dark flesh.

A gray plane was drawn above the circle. There were white, limbless figures in it; some bigger than the others. One of them was on the edge. The head protruded into the circle while the rest of it still resided within the plane. 

I tried to remember where I saw it, but I felt a haze in my mind. My focus waned, yet, I knew with my being that it hadn’t been long since I’d seen it. Somewhere...

“This book is of no importance!” I said.

But it was important. I could sense the urgency. Things had gone astray in Zecora’s hut. A gasp escaped my muzzle as a hidden memory surfaced from the depths of my mind. I hadn’t just seen the circle before, I had been within it.

My foreleg moved by itself and kicked the book in the water. “Not important!”

Why did I just do that? After standing up, I walked to the pool’s edge. I couldn’t see the book anymore, but I didn’t have to. At that moment I remembered what had happened at Zecora’s hut. It hadn’t been the party that had gone down. It had been a ritual. And if I was in the center of it, then that ghost…

I looked at my reflection in the pool. Show yourself, imposter!

My mouth morphed into a grin as if by itself. “Hello there, little filly.”

I shuddered. That’s the weirdest thing I ever heard myself say to me.

“You didn’t say it. I did!”

You can hear my thoughts? Cold shivers ran down my spine.

“I’m in your thoughts and all around them. I’m not just inside of you; I am the new you. Darkness incarnate.”

Go away, ghost. Leave me alone!

“It doesn’t work like that, my young host. The crystal sage is here to stay. Now we are one! You can’t get rid of me. And I take offense to being called a mere ghost.”

What are you then?

“You’ve heard my name before, little filly. They speak of me with distaste nowadays, but that’s merely because I was defeated. Only winners get to write history books, you see? There was a time when my name was spoken in fear and adoration. I might not be getting the respect I deserve for a time, yet my very name still holds its former glory even after ages past. I am—King Sombra.”

I shuddered at the stream of words coming out of my mouth.

“I would have brought about a golden age for the Crystal Empire if it weren't’ for those meddling princesses. But thanks to you, sweet vessel, my time shall come again.”

Have you been hiding in my mind for all this time?

“I inhabited you for days. And our roles are soon to change.”

Well, you’re scaring me, so you should just go away! I have enough on my mind as it is. I don’t want to deal with you, too.

“It is you who interferes with me. You and your petty desires. But I’m gaining ground. Every day. In time, I shall occupy you entirely, and you’ll be powerless to resist my influence.”

It was you! You made me do all those things.

“You have it all backward. I provided you with my power since we were merged. It was your blind ambitions that made ponies wary of you.”

No...

“When I occupied your body I couldn’t keep your biology running with my unbound spirit alone. I needed your soul to stabilize the life energies within you. I needed a working vessel for my purposes. It gave me time to alter your physiology before binding with it. I harnessed the ripping energies you released upon drinking the healing potion. When I secured your soul, I left your inhibitions in ruins. The royal future has no use for foalish fears, I deemed. A mistake on my part. Back then, I had no idea about the aspirational monster lurking within you.”

You’re the monster!

“The restrictions you’d been raised up with had held it in check. With those doors brought down, there was nothing to keep back the ambitious beast inside of you from expressing itself. It was apparent from the start. You wanted to get everything you wished for right away. I was already binding to your physical body and couldn’t fix your stern spirit any longer. I had to fight you just to keep your relentless drive at bay.”

It still wasn’t me. You’re the reason ponies hate me!

“I was barely even present until just recently. The most I could do was take control of your body for short periods of time. I only did that when I had to save you from yourself. I may have also put a suggestion or two into your subconsciousness, on an occasion, but it was still you who was in control, most of the time. My influence was hard-capped but such won’t be the case for much longer.”

What do you even want from me?

“You served your purpose child. I no longer have a need of you. I can keep your body running onward just fine by myself. Drift into the back of my mind and interfere with me no more.”

No! This is my body. You had no right invading me.

“You were as good as dead; were it not for me, you’d stay dead. Your soul was already drifting away when I entered you. I jump-started your bodily functions and sealed your soul back inside the body. I saved your life, foal! Be grateful for the passive existence I offer you.”

I just wanted to fix my horn...

“You got more than just your horn back. I fulfilled your foalish fantasies! The things you were afraid to pursue; I gave you the strength to take them. I opened the doors for you. And you’re destined to gain so much more: power, adoration, respect and immortality.”

I never agreed to any of this. It’s not the destiny I want.

“It matters not anymore. As of now, your wants and desires are irrelevant. I’m in control.”

No! I won't let you take over. My head resisted, but I managed to jerk it away from the reflection in the pool. The muscles were slow to react, but I forced my will on them and made the body move.

“You...”

I willed my mouth shut and pressed my tongue against my palate. It tried to wiggle a little, but I tensed it up and forced it still.

You can’t fight me forever, foal, a voice in my mind boomed. If you stand in my path, I’ll destroy you from within!

“I’ll…” I focused hard and took full control of my tongue. “I’ll find a cure and get rid of you.”

There is no cure for having a soul...

“Maybe Twilight has something in her books.”

We’ve read those, already. You’re just struggling against the inevitable.

“I haven’t read all of her books. Twilight keeps one in the corner of the library behind a life-bound shield.”

Hmm… Perhaps, we can still work together. For a time… Your drive cannot counter me if it aims at my target. Since we both seek the book which Twilight harbors, there’s no reason why we couldn’t work in unison in that pursuit. The spells transcribed in it could facilitate my rise to power. With the secret of ascension, we could gain more than you ever dreamed possible. I could become immortal, and in a way, so would you.

“Why would I want to extend a life that is not worth living? What is the point of existence if you can’t even share it with your friends?”

They are not your friends anymore!

“It’s because you robbed me of them! But I’ll make them my friends again. I have the power to do so. Ponyville is where I’ve lived all my life. I’m going to make it my home again, and I won’t let anything stop me!”

Yes, deploy your inner drive to bring down the doors but do not abolish your resolve. Acknowledge that Twilight Sparkle is sure to stand in our way again. We need to be smart if we are to get our hooves on the book. Careful planning is a must, so too is playing to our advantages. Hitting her where she least expects it is our best bet. We’ll have to deactivate the life-bound shield somehow. This body got bruised all over the last time we met with this new princess. We’ll have to use everything we have in our arsenal. Staying undetected until the last moment is key. A camouflage should prove invaluable in infiltrating her castle. It could even offer some protection when push comes to shove. My head turned to the black swimsuit.

I grimaced. “I’m not wearing that hazard to personal space, no way!” I sent forth a burst of my inner flow, launching an energy ball at it. The stretchy clothes burst in smoke. “Dumb, tight fabric!”

That… was a stupid thing to do...

“I’m more than I was. I’ve seen the spell she weaved when she tried to cut off my horn. She used Alicorn magic to cast it. I’m even better at those sorts of spells than she is. The razorblade spell I could cast would put hers to shame at any time.”

I charged my horn and weaved my channels in a circular pattern. My endpoints connected to the channels themselves. I pushed with my inner flow and a bright circle formed in front of my horn.

Channels weaved faster and faster, filling the surface inside the circle. “Twilight wouldn’t be able to attach her focal points on the moving surface, just like she couldn’t do it on a spinning circular saw.”

The formed disk span twice as wide as the one Twilight had cast, and I wasn’t even trying.

“Channels impact at their tips, but with the disk, the endpoints are joined together and self-supportive.” I formed a shield around a rock that stuck out of the ground and launched the magic saucer at it.

The disk passed through both my shield and the hard stone as if there weren't any obstacles in its wake.

The upper part of the rock slid down and tipped over. Smoke gushed out of a thin line in the ground behind the rock where the circular, magic construct disappeared into. 

The disk had just cut through the solid rock as if it were nothing and I hadn’t even put much focus into the spell.

“Thanks to your meddling with my body, Sombra Ghost, I’m pro… I’m really good with Alicorn magic. I can make the razorblade spell ten times stronger than the one Twilight cast when she tried to cut off my horn. Nopony can stop me!”

No! Sweetie Belle, I can sense your thoughts. You intend to confront Twilight directly yet again. Don’t lose us in your blind ambitions! We have to be smart in getting the Alicorn’s book. Yours is not a good plan! Remember the last time you crossed your horn with Twilight! If you rush it, you’ll doom us both.

“This time it’ll be different. I’m different. Nopony can stop me from fulfilling the plan. Most importantly, you can’t stop me. You’re only in control of me when I let you. And I’m not letting you manipulate me anymore. This used to be my body, my mind and my life. I’m taking it all back!”

I shook my head in the hopes that it would block out the foreign thoughts. My thrashing about didn’t help any.
> 47 - Farewell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A voice came from the cave’s entrance, “Are you Clonie?”

“Whaa?” There was already enough on my plate with the voice in my head and Twilight’s ongoing plan to cut off my horn not yet fulfilled. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Clonie’s shenanigans.

“Oh, I’m sorry. We heard you talking and thought you made another Clonie to keep guard so both of us could rest.”

“I don’t need another Clonie. I don’t even need either of you.”

They gasped at that.

“After I face Twilight, I’ll have ponies of Ponyville at my disposal.”

“It’s your fault because you left the post,” Clonie said as she turned to the other. “Now both of us will die!”

“No, it’s yours, you left your post first.” the second Clonie said.

“It’s my fault.” My head drifted down. “I’m to blame for everything. If nothing else, this I know for certain now.” 

“Sweetie Belle?” they spoke in unison.

“I don’t know what will become of you two, but one thing is clear. I can’t take you with me to where I’m going. You two are free to do whatever you want, as long as you don’t come to Ponyville. You have no place there. That shall be my domain. Other than that you can live your lives as you please.”

“No…” They both said in unison.

“Now leave!” I turned to a Clonie closest to me. “You! Carry my saddle back to the entrance, and pick up dad’s knife on the way. Don’t take it with you, though. It has somepony’s name written on it. There shall be a need of Prominence for reconciliation after I fulfill the plan. I’m done hiding. Everything ends before the nightfall. Oh, and don’t you dare come back here. I’m bringing this whole place down. Nopony but me should be making an army, and I won’t be needing any distractions. I’ll have myself and the ponies of Ponyville to keep me company and help me fulfill my destiny.”

“We’re the last ones?” one Clonie whispered.

“You won’t make any more of us?” the other one whimpered. “Weren’t we good enough for you? We tried so hard!” They both sniffled and shook their heads.

I snapped at the saddlebag with my mouth and slung it at the first Clonie. She clambered on her hooves and obediently swung the saddlebag onto her swaying body.

“Shoo!” I kicked a pebble at the other one. “I don’t want you anymore. Go away! Both of you! I release you from my service.”

“Sweetie Belle...” one of them said as they retracted backward toward the exit. “We can’t go on without you...”

There were other priorities on my mind than caring for those two foals. I gazed upon the pool. The cave was never my home or a sanctuary. It couldn’t compare with Ponyville. The power it held was also bad. By raising a life, you mark it for death at the same time. I did enough harm already. With the changeling Zex and Zecora sniffing around, it was a liability. The potential for bad was too great to be left alone.

With Clonies out of the way, it was time to bring the place down. I walked to the entrance overlooking The Mirror Pool and took another glance at the dancing reflected light on the walls. It was beautiful, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. I didn’t know how to prevent the bad without destroying the good, so I chose to do it my way.

I charged my horn, producing a ring of energy before me. When I slung it toward the ceiling, I already had a second one in line. I directed them all over the place. The hissing sounds of the disks were soon accompanied by the rumblings of the stones. First, the little ones splashed in the pool. As more of my magic disks penetrated the support, the boulders plunged down.

Just before the cascade cave in, I ran outside. Dust spread all around me, and I could hardly breathe. When it settled a little, I saw my saddlebag at the boulder. Scrapes were engraved into the ground by its side. A layer of dust from the cave made it hard to discern the letters.

I inhaled deeply and blew away the debris. The hoof-made writing before my muzzle had me growl in annoyance. There was just one word: ‘knife’. Beside it was an arrow mark, also scarred in the ground by hoof. It aimed toward a path among the brambles. “Ugh!” I sighed. “What are you foals up to?” I yelled to where the mark directed me at.

There was no response.

Sighing, I trotted through the undergrowth. I wanted the knife back.

A thought struck me, making me stop in my tracks. The direction of the arrow… The area it pointed at... Something particular resided beyond the bushes before me—a place of significance; the area of my past reflections. There had been a reason why I’d made that path through the thorny bushes.

With heavy steps, I forced myself further, dreading what the small clearing before me harbored.

When I drew the last branch before me to the side, I saw it—a hole in the ground, with a pile of dried up earth beside it.

There was writing in front of it; the thin red letters cut into the soil. It was as if the earth itself bled a message for me to read.

With clenched teeth, I stood above. A tear dropped from my muzzle onto the scribbling before me: ‘we’re sorry’.

Between the writing and the hole laid the knife. It was covered in red.

I walked in an arch around the bloody message and peeked in the hole. “Dammit, Clonies! I didn’t give you permission to die!”

There was no answer. Their voices were snuffed out by the death I had brought in my wake.

“I wanted to give them life, but I only brought them death. Oh, why does life have to be so ironic?” My eyes closed as the cursed horn charged up. I felt the heap of earth with my channels. 

The pile slid into the hole, covering it completely. There was more of the earth than the hole could take. A hurdle formed above it.

I opened my eyes and gazed at the knife. Even in their last moments, they thought of me, yet I had done nothing to earn their adoration. I was never as close to them as I should have been. I wasn’t connected enough—to myself.

They wanted me to have my dad’s knife. It was stained and dirty. Leaning down, I picked it up in my mouth. I could have just floated it with magic, but avoiding Clonies’ essence on the knife would feel too dismissive and impersonal to them. My clones deserved far better than what I offered them. Yet there was no way to fix the stains of my past. Their thick blood smeared over my tongue. I could taste it. The blood of my kin. The harm that I had brought about.

With teary eyes, I made my way to the stream. On the other side, I saw big hoof prints in the sand. Zecora’s no doubt. Beside me were more hoofprints. I put a forehoof in one of them, and it fitted perfectly. I sniffled while I slowly laid the knife in the water.

My mouth was still full of blood. I had an urge to spit it out, but the blood wasn’t of the sort I could just push aside. The blood of my kin was too profound to be thrown away, so I swallowed it, instead.

I took a few sips of the ice-cold water. Yet the taste of death on my tongue could not be washed away so easily. It remained as a reminder of what I have caused. A testimony to my dark past.

A distorted reflection beckoned at me from the stream. The face before me kept swaying as the water rushed by. I could hardly make out the shape, but the red horn was plain, all the time. An exhausted sigh escaped me. “I don’t even recognize myself anymore. At what point do I end and the darkness begins? Is it even me who’s saying this? Who am I? So confusing!”

There was one thing that was crystal clear, though. The twilight zone I was in was unacceptable. I had to put a stop to the insanity. It was the only way to prevent losing even more of myself. If I wanted to keep at least some of me, I couldn’t stay in hiding for much longer. I had to seek out my nemesis.

In a haze, I looked up then immediately shut my eyes, squeezing the gathered tears out of them. What I was about to do was sad, indeed. Yet, I was no longer afraid. I pressed my lips together and opened my eyes with determination. It was clear what I had to do.

There wouldn’t be any turning back for me that time around. I was going to end it, permanently.

With a hoof, I wiped the last remains of the blood from my daddy’s knife. I carried it in my mouth to my saddlebag. When I opened it, I saw a neatly folded Towelie lay inside. An opened sheet lay on top of it. I knew it wasn’t I who had taken the time to tidy up my bag. It must have been Clonie’s caring work.

I stashed the knife in the sheet and closed the bag. With a basic levitation spell, I swung it on my back. When I did that, my lips moved by themselves. “Where do you think you’re going, little foal?”

You again… I’m going to visit The Princess of Friendship. The unfinished business with Twilight taunted me. I sought a resolution. My gaze shifted in the general direction of Ponyville. The Twilight zone I’m in ends today.

“She’s beaten you once, foal. What makes you think she can’t do it again? Do you presume learning one spell will give you an advantage? She knows hundreds more!”

After I deal with Twilight, I still want there to be Ponyville left. This spell is perfect for my needs, everything else would just stand in my way.

“Don’t you understand foal, I’m trying to protect you!”

And I’m not going to let you. You’ve done more than enough protecting. I won’t allow you to help me anymore! I’ll do the deed myself!

“Listen, filly! Give me a bit more time to achieve full control, and we’ll make short work of Twilight. It will be a special day, I promise. Stick with me, little filly, and you’ll witness a glorious future coming our way.”

I didn’t want to wait. My special day was supposed to be that very day and not some time in an undefined future. I was sure of it because I had been counting down the sunsets in anticipation of its arrival. It was my birthday! I was in the midst of it, and yet, it felt like the worst part of my life.

I should have been celebrating it with everypony, but instead, I was in exile. All the ponies who should be cheering me on were in Ponyville, oblivious to my hardships.

They wouldn’t be ignorant of me for long, though. I would take control of my destiny. It had always been traditional to receive gifts on a birthday I intended to break the tradition. On that day, a celebrator would become the gift-bringer.

And it just so happened that I had a very special present set up for Twilight. My gift was unique, and its nature was such that I could only give it away once. What I would contribute of myself would be delivered in the flesh. It was too personal to be passed in any other way. I was determined to give her a piece of my mind! She was about to get what was coming to her. I just hoped she liked surprises. A sharp circular source of my power had her name written all over, yet I knew it would catch her off-guard.

I shook in anticipation as I looked at the path ahead of me. Before the day’s end, the ponies would learn that I wasn’t just a thorn in their sides. I was so much more, and I intended for them to witness my decrowning first-hoof. Looking back, I caressed my cutie mark with a hoof. My lips puckered as I turned forward. I knew of the sacrifice the future demanded of me. One cruel act would allow me to set up a hoofhold in Ponyville once again.
> 48 - A Long Way Back
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even finding a few crystals, growing their forms, and hugging them with all four legs didn’t bring me much comfort. They were shiny and all, but they weren’t alive. Feeling the soulless stones in my hooves just reminded me of the emptiness within my heart.

I walked over the former battlefield—a testimony to my past ambitions. The memories weighed on me even more than the scorching heat. There was grayness wherever I looked. The surroundings were covered by a layer of dust and dirt.

Something stood out on the edge of the crater. It was lavender. My heart skipped a beat. All my muscles twitched. There weren’t many things in the world with that color, and one of them was Twilight. I wasn’t ready to face her just yet. After I squinted my eyes at it, a sigh of relief took away my tension. What I saw on the small rocky rise was the other lavender thing in existence—the booklet. It was the one Twilight hat tried to force on me in her library. The one I’d failed to read past the first page.

The shade of the boulder attracted me more than the ominous Twilight’s artifact. I decided to cool down a little before pressing on to the battle of my life. The princess was immortal. Surely, she could wait for my surprise visit a little longer. After I sat down and leaned my back against the hard surface, I took the book in my hooves.

I hoofed through the pages. I didn’t even bother using my magic. Most of the things that the horn is used for can be done without resorting to the fleeing abilities. I didn’t want to become addicted to the arcane. There’s more to life than just that. There is!

I shuffled to the end of the book. What I saw next sent shivers down my spine. “Written by Twilight Sparkle!”

The book dropped off my hooves and a note fell from between the pages. When I turned it over, I saw the text written in pink, curly handwriting. There was just one sentence: Happy birthday, Sweetie Belle!

Even after everything I had done to her, she had remembered my birthday and left the book for me to find! I jumped on all fours and looked around. It could have been a trap.

Everything was tranquil.

The surroundings were calm, but I was still in turmoil. I sat back in the dust and hugged my tail. Being away from fellow ponies felt so lonely. Exile sucked!

I reached down and grabbed the book from the ground. Letting go of my tail, I hugged the book, instead. It was the only plain sign that I wasn’t alone in the world.

A tear slid down my muzzle. I knew what Twilight expected of me. She wanted to break me, but that wouldn’t come to pass. One cannot break what’s already broken. She’d have me give up my control, but I couldn’t let myself fade out into the background like that. After I had finally found my destiny, how could I just let them take it away from me? No! I would not let the world pin me down and trample over me. If pieces couldn’t stack together anymore, I’d force them to fit, even if that meant trimming a sharp edge off of one.

It was fully decided. Things would be different in my next meeting with Twilight. For a change, I would be the one in control, forging my destiny.

More than ever, I was determined to put things in order my way. There was one thing I was certain of beyond a shadow of a doubt. My next meeting with Twilight wouldn’t be pretty.

After forcefully wiping a tear from my eye, I jumped on all fours. There was no reason to cry. I had a plan to enter Ponyville and show everypony that I’m the one making decisions about my life. They couldn’t keep me out of my hometown. Nopony could stand in my way, even if they tried.

There was enough destruction around me. With one last act of violence, I would break the vicious cycle. The battle for power would finally come to an end. On that day I was going to assume the control of my destiny. After completing the plan, I would be a foalish Unicorn no more. The life I was living would take a bow before the better one. I stood on the sidelines for far too long. It was action time!

I put the book in my saddlebag beside my daddy’s knife and looked in the direction of Ponyville. My lips curved into a grin. The lost filly was coming home!
> 49 - Making Ponyville My Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville seemed to be deserted, yet there were voices coming from all sides.

“Was she not taken to a mental institution?” a raspy one said.

“I heard she escaped,” the crackling one responded.

“Watch out, she still has her horn,” the third one exclaimed.

They hid behind closed shutters and corners of buildings. I recognized most of the voices around me. They had used to be friendly with me, but at that point, there was fear and anger in every word they uttered. Breaking into their safe haven brought forth their despise. I didn’t mind the scorn. In due time, I would give their hatred form!

“Who let the Psychopath out?”

“She’s just like her tenacious grandma.”

“Not even Trixie went as far as straight-up attacking somepony.”

“Go back where you came from, you mean bully!”

My teeth were clenched, eyes watering. I wasn’t expecting a welcome party, but it still hurt seeing everypony turned against me. However, I had a plan to fix their perception of me. I just needed to get myself to the right spot. The castle mocked me over the rooftops. My destination wasn’t far anymore. There was a debt to repay. Everypony in Ponyville had a stake, but the biggest share lay with Twilight. She would be the first in line to see my true self. I decided to just ignore everypony until dealing with my nuisance at the Rainbow Kingdom Friendship Castle. 

A stone hit me on the side of my chest, making me yelp in pain.

I buckled to the ground, trying to breathe. So much for the plan of ignoring their fears. I had to fight through the pain for every sip of inhaled air.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Diamond Tiara yelled at me from afar.

Another stone crashed beside my head, spraying sand in my face.

I quickly gathered my focus and erected a shield around me. Facing them was supposed to come later. Getting to Twilight came first on my bucket list. She was the one who had reached out to me, and I wanted to repay the favor. Her fight against me would end that day and I intended for her to witness it first-hoof.

I scrambled on my legs and inspected the scrape on my chest. The spot where the stone hit me bulged out and I could see redness through my coat. It looked as bad as it hurt, which was a lot. The ache radiated from the impact zone as if a creature clawed through my ribs. I clenched my teeth and worked through the pain like one of my friends had taught me. My condition was still well enough for the execution of the plan and that was all that mattered. I just needed to get into the vicinity of Twilight.

The score with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would have to be settled at a later time. Twilight was most deserving of my attention. I needed to pay her a visit first. Everypony else would have to wait their turn. I didn’t want to deal with all of them at once. Not yet.

A stone hit against my shield and bounced away. The magic barrier would hold even if it was bombarded with boulders. Twilight was the only pony in town capable of taking me down. That wouldn’t happen, though.

Determined to end things my way, I dragged my battered body toward Twilight’s castle. While I strode through the streets of Ponyville, I could sense multiple eyes on me. Whenever I turned my gaze on them, heads of ponies turned away. It annoyed me, but I didn’t let them distract me from the plan. After what I was about to do, they wouldn’t be inclined to hide anymore. All their fears would be subdued, soon enough.

Only a straight path separated me from Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle, and I was closing the distance. A crowd of ponies gathered at the entrance. They banged on the patched door while glancing at me in panic. Many voices were calling out to Twilight, but she wouldn’t be the one to save them from a horrible monster. I was to become a slayer. If the execution was needed, I would be the one performing it. Things were wrong in my head, and I needed to set them right again. My way!

A grin snuck on my face as the door crashed down when Twilight tried to open it from the inside. The broken wood on the floor testified to my last visit. The scrapes under her coat and two wing braces were even more telling of our relationship thus far. She had bandages all over her body. A big one, the size of a diaper, was plastered on her flank.

The destruction I’ve already caused justified the plan for the future. I wished I could just wave a hoof and cast aside my recent past. Yet, much more was needed. It would take a royal sacrifice to appease my future life.

She stepped onto the fallen door lying on the stairs and walked out into the open.

I was closing in on the crowd. Ponies gazed at me while slowly backing toward the castle’s wall.

“Everypony, keep your distance, this might turn messy!” Twilight exclaimed as she glanced left and right at the nearby ponies.

She didn’t understand what was coming. Nopony did. “When the monster pays you a visit, you can be sure things are about to get messy.” I lit up my horn.

“Everypony, run!” Twilight yelled and erected a shield around herself.

Ponies galloped away from us. Not one dared to cross the line marked by our mutual glares.

“I’m the one that hurt you, Sweetie Belle. I’m the one you’re after.” She glanced at the dispersing ponies then turned back to me.

I smiled a little. She had no idea what she was about to witness. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, though. My actions alone were bound to enlighten her plenty. Without delay, I began casting the razorblade spell.

I heard myself whisper, “Sweetie Belle, you have a clear shot. Take it!”

Oh, I’m gonna take it, alright. You can bet on it. The nuisance before me is as good as gone.

Use the opportunity presented to you, Sweetie Belle.” My lips kept moving, and I couldn’t even force them shut anymore. “This is the last chance we’ll get. Kill her! Don’t be a failure, anymore! You can blame it on me afterward, just like you did with everything else that had transpired since you were blessed with me and my power. But do not hesitate!”

Everything was clear to me at that point. You can’t make an omelet without breaking an egg. Sometimes, the harm just can’t be avoided. And for a change, I agreed with Sombra in my head. There was no room for hesitation. That time around, I would pull through with what I had set out to do. My way!

Within my horn, I cycled the channels to make them self-sustainable. I spread them out and let my mana through the horn to power up the spell. Nopony could stop it after the energies materialized, and the formation was nearing completion. The energies were flowing in a disk formation within my horn. They also extended outside of it, even though, I haven’t projected and materialized the spell yet.

It was done. The magic construction cut through shield, channels, flesh and bone.

If Twilight played offensive, she would have a chance of stopping it to that point. I did need some time to cast it and it would be hard if I had to defend against her attacks while focusing on my final spell.

She did not go into the offense but kept herself back behind her useless shield. There was nothing that could stop me anymore.

The energies gained visual form. The ring around my horn was closing into a disk.

My body tensed. Just thinking about doing the deed was enough to make me feel the jitters. Putting an end to what I’ve known for so long—what I’ve adored for so long. Yet, there was no other way. That time around, there would be no turning back from Twilight. Running away was not what best pony would do. If I were to rise beyond what I was, I first had to show that I had it in me. She needed to see that I could make big decisions on my own. Finally, I was prepared. The opportunity to prove my self-control dawned on me, and the inner-drive to fulfill the plan only grew stronger.

At that moment, I felt myself being pulled back in my mind with greater force than ever before. The lips moved on their own, and I whispered to myself, “Sweetie Belle, if you do this, you’ll regret it forever. Allow me to assume the control and permanently fix all your problems.”

Even if it were true, I wouldn’t take a backseat for the butchery. Staying passive within my dark mental cocoon would be the biggest piece on the pile of my regrets. It was time to close the chapter and turn over a new leaf. The control was mine to have, and I intended to keep it that way. It had to be me doing the act of violence. My eyes shot forward with determination as my lips morphed into a grin. “No hesitation!” The flow rushed forth and the outer edges of the disk gained visual form.

Twilight reinforced her shield. It turned so dark that I could hardly see her through it, but it didn’t matter. Her shield was of no relevance. Not for the spell in casting. What I was about to do was significant, so I decided to go out with a song. I murmured its chorus.


I’m breaking the barrier


Can’t pin me on the road


I guided my entire mana-pool behind the spell. It was overkill in the making, to say the least, but I wanted it done that way. I cast the spell as if it were my last—because it was my last.


I’m breaking the barrier


Now watch me explode!


A blinding glow illuminated the surroundings. Sparks filled the air while the disk screamed in a distinctly low pitch sound. A happy, sad melody to my ears.

The spell faded away as quickly as it appeared. I gasped at the sight of what I have done. The flash reminded me of my cutie mark. I caressed the shooting star on my flank with a hoof to distract myself. The bright object’s brief existence was impactful. The disk achieved exactly what I wanted it to. To make a fit, I had to trim off my nuisance. It was like cutting through butter. The thump on the ground represented the closure I had secretly yearned for. The final gift to her would set me free.

I glanced at the motionless Twilight under the fading shield before me. Her mouth was agape, eyes widespread.

I sipped some air through my nostrils and gazed forth. My clenched teeth prevented my screaming. I had known beforehoof she’d be surprised at my present if only I was able to deliver it. And I did! The last obstacle in my path was disposed of. It felt like a victory because my true nemesis no longer had an upper hoof over me.

Twilight got what was coming to her. Yet, there was one more thing I could do. In order to bring our unfortunate encounter to its necessary end, I wanted to make my intentions clear as day. She wanted a part of me, and I intended to oblige her. I was driven to present the memento in person: a piece of me, for her. “Plan C fulfilled.”

My vision blurred, but I still had enough strength for the last giveaway. I looked down at my cut off horn on the paved path under me. A tear fell from my snout and splattered on the bony surface. At that point, I knew very well that I would never be whole again. Even if there was a way to reverse the damage, I wouldn’t make use of it. I wasn’t worthy of the magic power; not after everything I’d done. My redemption was way overdue. It was time to let go of my glorious destiny. Forever. I’d wipe the slate clean to forge my own future for myself.

Right after I kicked my nuisance toward Twilight, I buckled to the ground. The horn rolled on the dirt then abruptly stopped as it hit the shield.

The barrier dissipated as Twilight gasped. “Sweetie Belle...” She walked forth. Her teeth clenched when she glanced at my horn on the pavement.

The silhouette before me faded fast, but she needed to know! I took a big breath of air and yelled out as loud as I could, “I’m sorry for everything!” The surrounding world spun, and I couldn’t keep my balance, anymore. The shaky foreleg crumpled, and I fell to my side. I lifted my head and extended a forehoof toward Twilight. “Please forgive me.”

A rapid flickering broke through Twilight’s patch.

She looked back at her flank. “Friendship mission completed? No! She’s not saved yet. My work is not done here. Far from it!”

Just before my head slammed down, I felt the cushy caress of Twilight’s shield on my body. It embraced me and lifted me up from the dirt I was drenched in.

I closed both eyes and let myself go in the magical hug.
> 50 - Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most of the ponies from Ponyville came to the yearly talent show. It was time for the last performance of the day. The anticipation could be felt in the air. Nopony was fully at ease.

Many had tried to visit the talked about filly in the hospital, but the doctors had been firm and had only let her closest friends and relatives visit her. It was to be their first sighting of the infamous one after the notorious event at Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle.

Behind the crowd was a shrouded figure. Red eyes squinted under the gray cloak. She argued with Zecora. At one point, the latter jerkily waved a hoof at her, then thumped away. The hooded figure lifted her head, revealing a grin under a nasal bone.

At the very edge of the front row sat Binder Strap. He hugged a small restraint jacket in his lap. His eyes glanced at the gray, hornless Unicorn beside him. “She’s not well, no matter what they say. They only get worse after the first phase. You remember how you were before the electroshocks, don’t you?”

Cast Achiever tensed his muscles. “If magic abuse is on your mind, the mental health cannot be found.”

“That’s right. Her body is cured of ill magic, but without electroshock therapy, I doubt she’ll ever be docile.”

Also in the front row, but on the opposite side sat Twilight. Her wings were still wrapped up in white dressings. A small crossed bandage covered her cutie mark. With her eyebrows pressed together, she focused on the stage.

“Is this the last one?” Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack. “I don’t think I can stand much more of this sitting on my plot. After the disappearing tail trick I performed yesterday, this is literally torture for me. Do I even need to be here?”

“You told Scootaloo you’d come,” Fluttershy commented. “Her heart would break if she saw you fly away.”

“Ugh!” Rainbow Dash responded, crossing her forelegs on the chest then quickly put them back on the seat to distribute some of the weight off her plot.

Diamond Tiara crouched on the ground before the front row. “Why did they even let her perform? She wasn’t in school for days,” she said to Silver Spoon who was perched beside her.

“Shh!” Rarity whispered loudly through her teeth. “It’s about to start!” She clapped her forehooves in anticipation then suddenly perked up her ears and turned to Pinkie Pie. “Deary, can you please do something about your tummy rumblings?”

“I’ll ask it to stop really nicely, but I can’t give you a promise. It’s more of a talker than a listener. I fed it candy before I came here. It usually likes that. Something must have really upset Tum-Tum to make it act up this way. Ever since I got here, it’s been growling like crazy.” Pinkie Pie pressed her muzzle to the tummy and whispered to it as she softly stroked its sides with both forehooves. “I’ll soon feed you cupcakes. The special kind.” She winked at it.

The curtain waved then spread open, revealing the stage to the audience.

Sweetie Belle slowly walked to the center of the set. She had a rolled-up paper strapped to her forehead, representing her horn.

Glancing across the large crowd, she gulped her saliva then spoke loudly, “Oh, I have so much to do. Schoolwork, magic training with a local magician, chores at home and hanging out with my friends. There’s no way I can get all those things done in time. I wish there were more of me.”

Scootaloo, dressed in a tight black bodysuit, firmly stepped forth. When she walked behind a cardboard bush her hoof hit a hurdle on the floor.

“Auch!” Apple Bloom yelped from behind the bush. “Watch it!”

“Sorry.” Scootaloo swallowed and looked at Sweetie Belle.  “I can grant you your wish.”

“Who are you, stranger?” Sweetie Belle took a step closer, putting a forehoof above her eyes. “What are you, mysterious creature?”

Scootaloo crouched down and Apple Bloom, dressed in a tight, white bodysuit, stood up. “I can be you.”

“Oh, gosh, a changeling!” Sweetie Belle sat down, covering her head with both forehooves.

“You are right to fear me because I will now take over your life and make everypony hate you because I’m evil like that.” Apple Bloom picked up a lasso in her muzzle and swung it over Sweetie Belle.

The rope failed to hook onto the filly Unicorn and fell to the ground around her. She quickly lifted it up with her hooves and tightened the noose. “Oh no, you have trapped me, and now I cannot stop you from hurting my friends.”

“Mua-ha-ha!” Apple Bloom exclaimed so hard that she coughed, earning uneasy looks from Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. She swallowed and continued. “I will now go make you look bad in front of everypony.”

“Nooo!” Sweetie Belle raised a hoof toward the shapeshifted changeling, but quickly retracted it when she remembered that she was supposed to be tied down.

“I shall now leave you here to be trapped while I do my wicked evil. Mua-ha-ha!”

“Nooo!”

Apple Bloom turned around and walked behind the curtain.

Sweetie Belle tried to crouch away, but her forehooves got tangled in the rope. She dropped down and slid herself across the floor to the other side of the stage, pushing herself only with her hind legs.

Scootaloo bit on the edge of the cardboard and tried to drag it away. After a jerk, the makeshift bush fell on the floor, revealing her to the audience. She stood there, mouth agape. After a few moments, she flapped her wings and slid out of sight, leaving the mockup bush behind on the stage.

Sweetie Belle pushed a table on the scene. A paper vase lay on it.

Disguised Apple Bloom walked forth and looked around. “This must be her home. I will trash it and everypony will blame her for it. Mua-ha-ha!” She walked to the vase and knocked it off the table. “Mua-ha-ha!”

She pushed the furniture off the stage where Sweetie Belle crouched, hiding.

On the opposite side, Scootaloo walked from behind a curtain. She was adorned with a fake, white beard and a gown that covered her body. On a hoof, she carried a book. “My apprentice, is that you? You look a little evil.”

Apple Bloom walked across the stage. “Yeah, it’s totally me. I am your apprentice you’ve been expecting. Don’t question this.”

“Okay then... I have an important book for you to read.” Scootaloo the magician said. Glancing at Twilight in the audience, she added, “Not that other books aren’t important...”

“Give it here.” Apple Bloom stated firmly.

“Okay then, here you go.” Scootaloo extended a forehoof and Apple Bloom bit on the book.

Scootaloo slid backward off the stage. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom walked to the middle and lay the book from her mouth to a forehoof.

“Mua-ha-ha! I will not even read this book. I will, instead, throw it away.” She fearfully glanced at Twilight in the audience and carefully laid the book on the floor. “Mua-ha-ha, I’m so evil!” She walked behind the curtain.

Sweetie Belle plunged on the stage. The rope was still wrapped around her. She struggled with it for a while without saying anything. By the time the enwrapped captive managed to pull herself out of the binds, she perspired. “I… I managed to break free.” Under her breath, she added, “barely…” The exhausted filly clambered on all fours. “I need to go save my fragile reputation now.”

She ran behind the curtain. A moment after, she jumped back on the stage. “I just came.”

Somepony choked then coughed in the audience.

“I’m at my home now.” She placed both forehooves on her cheeks and sat down. “Oh, no! My home is a mess. That is bad. I need to tidy it up to increase my good reputation score.”

A table from before slid on its previous spot.

Sweetie Belle walked from side to side, looking around.

When the sought after vase flew at her from the backstage, she turned to Apple Bloom behind the curtain and whispered, “Better late than never.”

“You’re welcome...” came a response from the hidden pony.

The vase was different from the one that was used before. It consisted of colored paper, representing glued parts of the one that had been shattered. Sweetie Belle picked up the paper jar and put it on the table. “There. This priceless, ancient artifact was broken before, and now I made it even better with the power of mystical gluing technology. It’s more than whole now. All is good.”

She pushed the table out of sight then jumped back out. “Oh, there is a book lying on the floor. That is bad. I should read it because that’s what books are good for.” She opened it in the middle and stared at it for some time.

The silence grew ever thicker as Sweetie Belle kept reading the book on the stage.

Somepony sighed in the audience. It wasn’t long before the sighing spread out like an infection.

Scootaloo, adorned with a white beard and a gown, walked forth. “Ahem!” She waved Sweetie Belle to come closer.

“Oh...” Sweetie Belle closed the book, snatched it with her mouth and ran toward Scootaloo. She laid the book before the magician. “I read it whole. I totally did!”

“Okay then.” She reached out with a hoof and patted Sweetie Belle on the head. “You have outgrown me, powerful and mighty apprentice.”

Apple Bloom crouched toward them from one side of the stage to another, in plain view of everypony. The shiny, white fabric she was adorned in didn’t help with the camouflage.

Sweetie Belle glared at her. “Couldn’t you go around? Ugh!” She jumped up and down on the spot, trying to redirect the focus of the audience from Apple Bloom to herself.

When the displaced filly finally made it to the curtain at the right side of the scene, Sweetie Belle hopped toward the center. “Yay! My fragile reputation is now saved.”

Apple Bloom jumped out of the curtain. “You have disturbed my evil plans, and I don’t like it when you do that. I will now perform my revenge against you.”

As she jumped back, Scootaloo in the black, tight dress jumped in her place. “By using green, changeling magic, I will cut off your horn now.” With her teeth, she picked up a jade hula hoop from behind the curtain and aimed it above Sweetie Belle’s head. By jerking in an arch with her neck, she threw it forth.

The hula hoop hit Sweetie Belle’s chest. “Ouch!” She pressed a hoof on her sore spot. “Watch it!” After glancing toward the crowd, she clenched her teeth. “Um… Oh no! You have hit my horn with your evil magic. And now I am without my horn. The stump also hurts a lot, which makes me a victim and not a rule breaker.” She reached with a leg on the top of her head where the rolled up paper was strapped on. As soon as the hoof touched the cone, it detached and fell to the ground, revealing the stump on her head. “My horn is gone.”

“Mua-ha-ha! I will go away forever now, and you won’t be able to revenge against me.” Scootaloo jumped off the stage.

Sweetie Belle sat down, looking at the curtain. “Come on...” She nervously glanced at the audience then glared back at her friend, clenching her teeth from the anticipation.

Scootaloo finally managed to put on the beard. She walked on the stage and slid a hood over her head. “Don’t feel bad, my apprentice. Everything was messed up before, but you at least tried to fix it, and you also got hurt in the process, which scores you bonus reputation points. Me and everypony else won’t hate you anymore because of that and because you don’t seem so very evil anymore.”

“Thank you!” Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo continued, “It is best that we forget all the bad that has happened and live happily ever after from now on instead.”

“Yay!” Sweetie Belle jumped in the air, clapping all four hooves together. She flew high and crashed low behind the curtain. Scootaloo slowly walked backward, biting her lip.

The stage went quiet. A coughing sound emanated from the crowd.

Sometime later, Sweetie Belle peeked from behind the curtain and limped a few steps forward. “Um… That’s all we have.”





There was silence among the gathered ponies.

Twilight recovered from all the facehoofs she’d been giving herself during the performance and looked at the surrounding crowd. She sighed and forcefully clapped, without changing her serious face. Her hooves pounded against each other in the midst of the deafening silence until one by one, the rest of the ponies gradually followed suit. Some clapped their hooves together while others thumped them on the ground.

The clapping spread among the confused ponies, but there was one in the back row, who seemed to be immune to the social pressure. The black pony with the red mane didn’t clap. He just shook his head and trotted away.

Cheerilee walked on the stage. “Attention, everypony. The winners of this year’s talent show are about to be announced. All performers, please make your way to me.”

She waited for the foals to gather behind her. “Due to this year’s low participation, we’re only giving out the reward for the best performance. The winner takes it all!”

“Just one?” Apple Bloom turned to the other two.

“It’s all good. We wouldn’t have a chance at the comedy act this year, anyway. Nopony laughed.”

“We’re definitely better than Snips and Snails,” Scootaloo said. “Those two did the same trick from last year. They even failed at it the exact same way.”

“And here are the results, ” Cheerilee continued. “Among the three teams, the winning one is…”

Foals on the stage gasped from the anticipation.

“Twist, for producing candy before our very eyes.” She pulled a lollipop from somewhere and put it in her mouth. “Quite delicious, if I may say so myself. Give it up for Twist and her sweet tooth!”

“We lost.” Apple Bloom said as she bowed her head.

“I thoughs you were zhe best.” Twist said to the Cutie Mark Crusaders as she stepped to the front of the stage.

“And here’s your medal, Twist. You deserve it.” Cheerilee swung it over the filly's head.

The crowd applauded.

“Sank you!”

“Thank you, Twist and thank you, audience,” Cheerilee continued. “If I had known that so many visitants would come, I would’ve had more chairs set up for you all. Join us again next time, and you all have my word that nopony will be left standing.”

The crowd stood silent. 

“That’s all, everypony. The show’s over. Trot safely.”

The crowd slowly dispersed without causing much ruckus. Most were lost in their pondering. With their gazes fixed to the ground, they walked on the main road through Ponyville.

The three fillies disappeared behind the curtain. “Don’t worry girls, there’s always next year,” Sweetie Belle said.

“It’s easy for you to say,” Scootaloo raised her voice. “You already have your cutie mark.”

“I wish I didn’t.” Sweetie Belle sighed and bowed her head. “The stupid cutie mark doesn’t even represent any of my talents. It’s supposed to be for my proficiency at magic, but I can’t even cast any spells at all. I wish I could hope for something cool like you girls can. I also miss the crusading and—”

“Actually, Sweetie Belle…” Apple Bloom interjected. “We want to talk to you about that.” 

“Of course you do...” Sweetie Belle’s eyes shied away as she sighed.

“Oh, it’ll have to wait though.” Apple Bloom gazed toward the edge of the stage. “Applejack is getting anxious to hug me. It’s a thing we have…” she excused herself and ran off down the stairs. “I’ll catch you girls in a bit.”

“I’ll just put our props together in the meantime.” Scootaloo sighed.

“And I’ll just…” Sweetie Belle started but got interrupted.

“That was truly marvelous,” came a voice from under the stage.

Sweetie Belle looked at her sister. “Your dresses were tight.”

“Ugh...” Her mother tried to clamber onto the stage. “The costumes weren’t the reason why everypony clapped, Sweetie…” She pulled herself up and clambered on all fours. “Whew.” Her eyes turned back to Sweetie Belle. “You are.”

“I concur,” said a deep voice behind Sweetie Belle, walking up the stairs of the stage.

“Daddy!” Sweetie Belle ran toward him. “Did you like the show? Did you like it?” She jumped up and down in front of him.

“Your mother and I enjoyed it very much, along with everypony else here. You did well, Sweetie.”

Cookie Crumbles leaned down to her daughter and gave her a kiss on the stump. “Go join your friends now. Tell them to meet us all at Pinkie’s.”

“What will happen there?”

“Can’t tell. It’s a secret,” her mother whispered.

“There wasn’t any get together for our last show.”

“It’s not about the show, Sweetie Belle,” her dad snickered as he turned to the stairs.

“What is it about then?”

“Well...” her mother said. “I’d tell you that Pinkie Pie is really glad to see you back and that she’s been baking cupcakes since the morning, but it’s a secret, and, honestly, I shouldn’t be telling you anything at all.”

“You and the herd can go on ahead. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and me have to clear the props first. We’ll meet you there.”

“You promise?”

“I promise, mommy!”

“Don’t make us wait too long, okay?”

“Okay. There are a few props we need to take away, and I want to talk to them about something for a bit. We’ll be there soon. ”

“If you need any help, I can…”

“Just go!” Sweetie Belle pounded a hoof on a plank.

“Alright, alright... Don’t forget, though! You gave your word, missy.” She turned around, took a step forward, glanced back, then jumped off the stage. “Stage dive!”

“Mom, there’s nopony there to” — Sweetie Belle cringed when she heard a thump — “catch you...” Biting her lip, she slowly backtracked to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Sorry about that, girls. It seems everypony wants to check up on me. I haven’t been alone for even one moment since I woke up in the hospital. It’s like nopony trusts me after everything that had supposedly happened.”

“Speaking of trusting you...” Apple Bloom drew closer, pushing a closed box on the floor toward Sweetie Belle. “Scootaloo and I already talked about what you did.”

“You talked about me, without me?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “You lay unconscious in the hospital…”

“Oh, right…” Sweetie Belle bit her lip.

Apple Bloom continued. “You quit the club yourself. We couldn’t just make you a crusader after that.”

“I’m sorry that happened.” She bowed her head.

“Yeah, we hoped you’d feel that way,” Scootaloo said.

I bowed my head.

“It’s not out of malice,” Apple Bloom jumped in. “We needed to be sure you weren’t still messed up. We figured that if you could put up with us until the end of the talent show, we’d know you’re alright. We also needed to hear that you actually wanted to be in the club.” She raised an eyebrow.

“I do! I really do!” Sweetie Belle turned her head and glared at her flank. “But I have this useless cutie mark now…” She hit herself on it.

The other two fillies smiled at each other and slid the box at Sweetie Belle. She stopped it with a forehoof and cocked her head to observe it from different angles.

“You’re right.” Apple Bloom said. “You can’t be a regular Cutie Mark Crusader anymore.”

Sweetie Belle clenched her teeth and bowed her head. “I understand.”

Apple Bloom pushed the box even closer. “That’s why we decided to offer you the position of an Honorary Cutie Mark Crusader!” She opened the top of the box. There was a clothing inside it.

Scootaloo reached in and lifted the Cutie Mark Crusader cape. It spread out before Sweetie Belle, leaving her breathless.

“It’s your old one, but better. I cleaned it up for you.” Scootaloo proudly tapped herself on the chest. “ I even had to use some soap for the stain that was near the edge of it—”

“Just give it to her, already.” Apple Bloom facehooved.

Sweetie Belle sat down and reached out with both forehooves, gracefully accepting the gift from Scootaloo. “It’s beautiful. Thank you. Both of you. Thank you!” She swung it over her body.

“Welcome back, Honorary Cutie Mark Crusader Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom said.

Gasping, Sweetie Belle pulled the string from one side of the cape under her neck and pinned it to the buckle on the other. She looked at them with open mouth.

They were both smiling, and so was she.

“We should celebrate this!” Sweetie Belle said. “And it just so happens that there’s a party in town and we’re all invited.”

“Oh, you already know about that,” Apple Bloom smirked.

Scootaloo snickered. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ve already packed the props. Wanna help me lift the box to the cart, Apple Bloom?”

“Sure,” she responded. “Right after I get myself out of this tight clothing. It itches as if I had sand in my coat.” She rubbed one foreleg against the other.

“I know what you mean.” Scootaloo puffed through her nostrils. “I just want to rip the clothes off to get myself free of it.”

Sweetie Belle pointed to her saddlebag at the backstage corner. “I’ll just neatly fold the cape and put it in my saddlebag. Celestia forbid if I get a stain on the uniform after you spent so much time cleaning it.”

“Good thinking, lots can happen at the party,” Scootaloo said while she walked toward a big box with the props, stripping her clothes off on the way. “Rainbow Dash promised to teach me the disappearing tail trick, but warned me that things could get messy fast.”

Sweetie Belle turned around and whispered to herself. “Good. They accepted me. Now I only have to prove to them that I’m worthy of their trust.”

“Did you say something, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom glanced back.

“Um, no, I was just—talking to myself.”

“Oh, um, okay...” Apple Bloom turned around but held her forehoof in the air, not making a single step forward. With eyes half-closed, she looked back at Sweetie Belle.

“What?” Sweetie Belle faced her with raised eyebrows. “What’s wrong?”

Apple Bloom took a step toward Sweetie Belle and cocked her head. “Hug?”