> Arabian Nights
>  by RidiculousPony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Amira
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early afternoon but the sky was dark. A cluster of black clouds had formed over the Everfree Forest and merged into a frenzied windstorm. Two ponies trudged beneath the trees. Since they entered the vast forest, frequent harsh winds made their enchanted carpets too dangerous to use as transportation. They were slowed to the arduous pace of traveling on hoof over the treacherous forest floor. Roots and vines crept over the uneven ground and covered sharp rocks and hoof-falls. Thick vegetation hindered passage and concealed untold lurking creatures.
 
A light rain fell and the two ponies continued their progress unfazed. KRAKOOM. With a thunderclap the storm broke and the trickle of rain became a torrent. The cloudburst cut through the canopy of leaves and drenched the ponies below.
 
The lead pony’s cloak was more suited for the heat and windblown sands of the Arabian desert than the wet cold of the Everfree and did little against the rain. Her mane and coat were soaked through in seconds. Amira trembled as the rain leached the heat from her.
 
“We need to get to cover!” she shouted over the downpour. She looked back at her companion and saw he fared no better.
 
Brant's dark green mane was blackened by the rain and plastered across his lean face. He yelled back, “Alright! Where?”
 
Amira pulled at the straps that held a large roll of fabric onto the side of her saddlebags. She caught the roll in her teeth and unfurled it on the wet ground. “I’m going to fly up and look for signs of a shelter.” Without waiting for a reply, she kneeled on the enchanted carpet and willed it to fly.
 
It floated into the air unsteadily, weighed down by the accumulated rainwater. Once above the trees Amira was battered by the full force of the wind and she fought to stay aloft. Pressed for time, she frantically scanned the forest before her. At first all she saw was a sea of dark green, rippling with the wind.
 
Then to one side she spotted a large cliff jutting above the treetops. It was part of an elevated ridge that cut through the forest and ran into the distance. Even in the fading light and rain Amira’s sharp eyes sighted a large dark spot at the base of the cliff face—a cave.
 
Below, Brant paced about and kept a worried eye on Amira. When she descended and dismounted her carpet he ran up to her. “That was crazy,” he shouted, “You could have been hurt!”
 
Amira ignored his admonition and wordlessly rolled up her carpet. She tried to put it back in the straps on the side of her saddlebag but the carpet had absorbed too much water. Such weight on one side would leave her unbalanced and in danger of losing her already unstable hoofing. She sighed and gave up, then hefted it across her back. Her legs strained under the shared burden.
 
Aware of Amira’s willful snub, Brant took a deep breath and spoke in a calmer tone, “Well, did you see anything?”
 
Amira smiled proudly and gestured with a hoof. “A cave, a few hundred paces that way, at the bottom of a cliff.”
 



 
The ponies climbed toward the ridge. Their pace was slowed further by the water that flowed downhill over rocks and foliage. They worked together and scaled the slick incline to make it to the cliff’s base where they were shielded from the wind and rain. They followed the cliff-face and moved slowly over the uneven scree and underbrush that littered the area.
 
Amira spotted the cave entrance a few dozen paces ahead. Eager for shelter, she hastened to a run and left Brant behind. He maintained his more careful pace and then shook his head when Amira slid in a patch of mud and nearly fell.
 
At the entrance to the cave, Amira peered into its dark interior and saw nothing. All of our supplies are soaked, even the torches. I guess I might as well put my practice to use, Amira thought. She held one hoof in front of her and focused her mind on the air before her. A faint glimmer appeared and quickly built into a glowing orb of blue light. She flicked her hoof upward and the orb mimicked the motion. She maintained her concentration and guided it to the ceiling where its light illuminated the entire room. Amira smiled wearily. She was satisfied by her attempt at magic yet drained by the effort. She worked to catch her breath as she stepped into the lit cave.
 
Once inside, Amira bucked off the heavy carpet from her back and surveyed the cave. After the narrow entrance the cave widened into a single round room several paces across. The floor was free of bones or droppings—signs of an inhabitant—and the interior was dry since neither wind nor rain reached inside.
 
This should make a safe shelter for the night, Amira thought as she knelt to wring out her soaked carpet. She leaned forward and her cobalt mane spilled from her hood, dripping wet. She paused to squeeze the water from its length and flipped it back over her ear. She returned to wringing the water out of the carpet and laid it out flat to finish drying. Brant caught up and entered the shelter.
 
He appraised the cavern. “This is a nice find, Amira. I’m grateful for those eyes of yours. Spotting a cave in that weather is quite the feat.”
 
Brant glanced at Amira and expected her reply but she hadn’t registered the compliment. She stripped off her soaked clothes and muttered to herself about the awful weather. Brant forced himself to look away and sorted the items in his bag, wet from dry, to busy himself. Unlike Equestria, where clothes were typically worn only for special occasions, in Saddle Arabia it was considered indecent to be seen without a saddle and bridle. Brant wasn’t yet used to the new customs.
 
He chanced a glance back Amira’s way again as he worked. He was rewarded with a rather stimulating perspective of her sleek, unclothed form. Under his bridle his cheeks blushed red, painting his tan coat a shade of auburn. He returned to sorting out his clothes and possessions with renewed determination.
 
He laid out several enchanted objects, ranging from amulets and bracelets to gemstones and talismans. Brant had been a merchant before he had fled Saddle Arabia. He specialized in enchanted artifacts and had managed to bring a useful assortment with him. Brant peered into the last pocket in his saddlebag and let out a relieved sigh. His most valuable possessions were untouched by the rain.
 
Amira finished laying out her wet clothes in an arc across the floor. “Move over a bit. I want to put up a heat orb there in the middle,” she said and gestured with a hoof.
 
Brant backed up from the center of the cave and saw that Amira was huddled under a damp but warm wool blanket. It was one of the few cold-weather items they had thought to purchase as they journeyed northward. In the blue light of the orb her vibrant pink coat looked pale and grey, adding to her drained appearance. “Are you sure? You don’t look too well and that magic wears you out,” he commented.
 
“I’m fine, Brant. I’m not even tired,” she said with a forced smile, “and I need more practice with this—” She corrected herself, “—with my magic.” She held her right hoof outward and her silver eyes gleamed red. A rippling crimson sphere began to manifest in the air before her. Unlike the blue orb on the ceiling this one put out more heat than light. Both orbs were manifestations of Amira's will, so they radiated a peculiar energy that felt... feisty.
 
The ponies relaxed in the warmth and chatted, giving Brant additional practice speaking Equestrian. Brant was proficient at simple conversations and pronunciation but his vocabulary and confidence with the language were lacking. Amira smirked as Brant inched closer to the orb. He still wore all of his wet travel clothes and was attempting to dry them without removing them in her presence. Amira decided to maneuver the conversation onto the topic of clothing, or the lack thereof. “How are you holding up, Brant? Getting over your fear of nudity yet?” Amira teased.
 
Brant blushed. “I’ll never get used to seeing mares just walking around in public without at least a saddle on. Not to mention myself,” Brant said and shook his head.
 
Amira shrugged. “I’ve been to Equestria a few times so I’ve become rather used to it. It’s pretty convenient not needing to get dressed up every morning. And it isn’t like a saddle and bridle actually hide that much anyway.”
 
Amira’s blanket shifted as they talked and revealed her front left leg. Brant spotted a discoloration over the red glow and looked closer. It was a large bruise. “You’re injured! Why are you wasting your energy on magic?”
 
“It’s just a bruise,” Amira replied and covered her leg again. “You worry too much Brant. Besides, it only started hurting when I made this orb. The pain is almost gone again.”
 
Brant was not convinced. "That's from the wolf last night, isn't it?”
 
The night before, Brant had used one of his gems to make their campsite invisible. The trick was effective against most forest dwellers and possible pursuers but had been useless against a predator with a keen sense of smell. A lone timberwolf had attacked them in the night. They fought off the wooden beast thanks to their larger size and Amira's magic, but the experience had been a sobering and unpleasant reminder of the dangers lurking in the forest.
 
“Nah, I probably bumped it when I was running to the cave.” She gestured toward the cavern entrance then brushed a loose bit of mane back over her ear. Amira avoided eye contact, expecting Brant to scold her for being reckless.
 
“Oh, okay then,” said Brant, and he pushed the subject no further. Reminded by Amira’s fidgeting, he moved to dry his own mane. It wasn’t nearly as long as Amira’s but still held a decent amount of water. He struck up a new topic while he wrung it out, “Do you think we’re almost there? Our map has been worthless since we entered this ‘Every Free Forest’.”
 
“It’s ‘Everfree’ not ‘Every Free’ and the map isn’t entirely useless.” She spread their map out on the floor and looked it over. She pointed to a crudely illustrated mountain range that cut into the forest. “This cliff we’re in might be the tail end of Rambling Rock Ridge, so I think we’re close. If the weather was clear, I bet we could even see the castle from here.”
 
Brant’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure the princess will help us? What if the Sheikh already got to her?”
 
“I’m not worried. It would take a lot more than one runaway witch to make Saddle Arabia ask another country for help, nor would the Sheikh want to call attention to it.” Amira smirked. “The princess and I haven’t spoken, but she might recognize me from one of my delegate visits. Also, I heard her title is ‘Princess of Friendship’ now. Maybe she’ll live up to the name.”
 
Brant made to reply but was silenced by a rumbling sound that became a violent tremor. The floor shook and dust was dislodged from the ceiling. Brant leapt to his hooves and discarded his cloak.
 
"Stay near me!" he shouted over the rumbling as he searched for its cause.
 
“No, we need to get out before the cave collapses. Come on!” Amira grabbed her saddlebag with her teeth and made for the exit.
 
With a loud scraping sound the floor tipped out from under the ponies and sloped downward into the mountain. As the floor fell away, their loose supplies slid toward the back wall and disappeared into darkness.
 
“I don’t thinks so, silly ponies. You won’t escapes our tricky trap,” an awful voice reverberated through the cavern, followed by barks of laughter. Large yellow eyes gleamed in the dark. “Gets them!” it screeched and then three large dog-like creatures leapt out of the tunnel. They wore wrought iron armor over their bulky chests and forearms, and gems of varying quality adorned their helmets. Thanks to Saddle Arabia’s copious wealth, the country had no shortage of run-ins with this tribe of gem-hoarding thieves.
 
“Diamond Dogs? Run!” Brant shouted as both ponies clambered for the exit. Their hooves fought for purchase on the smooth stone.
 
Large paws grabbed for the ponies and one found the straps of Brant’s saddle. Another dog—a scrawny mutt—jumped onto Amira’s back, but she reared out from under him and he fell away holding nothing but a blanket.
 
Brant struggled against two dogs that now held him in a firm grip. He yelled out, “Keep going! If they’re working with the Sheikh, then they only want you.”
 
Amira scrambled up the slope with her mouth clamped on her saddlebags. She prayed with every hoof-fall that she wouldn’t slip. Even in her panic she considered Brant’s command. If they take Brant to the Sheikh, won’t he be executed for helping me escape?
 
She stopped at the mouth of the cave with her mind made up. I won’t let Brant sacrifice himself for me. Not for a witch. She looked back toward Brant and the dogs that held him. Light swelled in her eyes. She focused what energy she still possessed toward the spell she had used only once before. The spell that had branded her a witch and ruined her old life.
 
Before Amira released this power, her eyes met Brant’s. In them she saw a pleading determination. A look that begged her to leave. Begged her to run.
 
Tears replaced the magic in her eyes. She gave a solemn nod then turned and ran out of the cave.
 
For several minutes Amira galloped on. She made no attempt to avoid the twigs and brambles that scraped against her as she darted between the trees. She had no idea what direction she was going and her map was left back in the cave. Left back with Brant.
 
She came into a small clearing and stopped to catch her breath. She looked up and saw that the sky was clear—the storm had stopped. Exotic plants and night-blooming flowers filled the clearing. They glistened with raindrops illuminated by the moon's silver light. Small puddles on the ground reflected the star-filled sky. Crickets chirped and night-birds sang and Amira began to sob. She dropped her bag and collapsed to the ground in tears. She trembled from the fatigue and emotions that had caught up with her. Other than Amira’s cries, a sympathetic silence fell over the moonlit garden. She spoke only once more, then joined the silence as exhaustion and sleep claimed her.
 
“Oh, Brant… I’ll come back for you. I promise.”

> Chapter 2: Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amira awoke with a shiver. The wet grass and the soggy ground had sapped her warmth and left her with a painful chill. Splinters of cold shot through her legs when she rose from the damp ground. She longed for the warmth of Saddle Arabia as she tried to shake off the unfamiliar cold. She scanned the clearing, painted purple by the dawn. About an hour until sunrise, by the looks of it, she estimated.
 
I’m not moving on without Brant, but I need to get moving. I will come back for him, once I reach the Princess. She’ll have the guards needed to form a search party, and I can lead them to the cave. I know I can find it again from the air, she thought. I must.
 
Amira grabbed her saddlebag from the grass where she had dropped it and started to walk. Wait… This is too light. Where’s my carpet?
 
“Please,” she pleaded aloud, “please, please be here.” She knew that her saddlebag couldn’t fit her carpet but she emptied the bag onto the wet grass anyway. She saw clothes and other ornaments, a coin pouch, less than a day's worth of provisions, and no rug. As a last act of desperation she searched the clearing, hoping against improbable odds that it had fallen nearby.
 
Yet the carpet was not there, and she should have known it all along. It wasn’t there because she had set it out to dry in the cavern, because it had been stolen away by the sloped floor. She stamped her hoof and tears of frustration welled in her eyes. How can I find Brant now?
 
She felt herself on the verge of breaking down like the night before and restrained herself. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and returned to her saddlebag. Surely the princess will have Pegasi to aid in the search. She has to.
 
She has to, Amira hoped, since I am of no use now.
 
She started to gather the contents that had been strewn around in her search. She simply tossed some into the bag, such as the coin pouch. Others she placed with great care, particularly an elaborate jeweled bridle that was part of her diplomat regalia. At least I still have that. I wasn’t going to blend in among all these little Equestrian ponies anyway, so I might as well dress to impress.
 
Amira fastened the bag and slung it over her back. “This is no time to mope. I’ve got work to do,” she assured herself. She stood up tall. Her slender legs had strength in them yet. I think I traveled north from the cave, so Ponyville should be further to the northwest. As long as the sky stays clear and I stick to open areas, I think I can make it to the forest’s edge before sunrise.
 
She struck out, treading carefully over the uneven ground of the forest and watching for signs of any large wildlife. She pushed her way through the underbrush and the lush vegetation sprung back. The forest bore no trace of her passing, rejecting her like her homeland had.
 


 
After some time, Amira spied open farmland through the gaps in the trees. She was excited to be free of the shadowy woods and sped up to a canter. As she ran, she saw movement in the corner of her eye. It seemed the forest had planned a rude farewell for her.
 
A dark green tendril lashed out from the underbrush and wrapped around her ankle. From the same bush a massive purple flower toppled over into the path. Its petals bloomed and revealed a dripping maw rimmed with tooth-like thorns. The vine pulled and tugged her toward the mouth but Amira planted her hooves and resisted. Once she had a firm stance, she severed the vine with a swift kick. With a parting look of disgust, she shook the remnant off her leg and galloped the last distance into the light.
 
Amira stepped out into a pasture and squinted her eyes against the change in brightness. It was just after sunrise and the fields shined green and gold. She scanned for a place to rest then approached a large flat rock a safe distance from the gnarled trees of the forest. She sat down next to the rock then opened her bag and spread the contents over-top.
 
She lifted out a small mirror that was miraculously unbroken after the chaos of the trip so far. She slipped its woven strap over a hoof and looked herself over in the reflection. She was a bit scratched up and exhausted, but otherwise unharmed. This is worse than I expected, she grimaced. I can’t drop in on a princess looking like this.
 
Amira focused her will onto her other hoof and a green aura formed around it. She swept it over the scratches on her face and body and wisps of magic soaked into her flesh. The visible damage faded as the energy hastened her body’s natural healing ability. Amira’s vision blurred and she shook herself to clear the lightheadedness. This spell was good enough for small scratches but it was quite taxing and would be dangerous to attempt on severe wounds.
 
Next, she set about cleaning up the rest of her appearance. She spent a good half-hour brushing away all the tangles and twigs from her mane and tail. Her coat required equal care. It was matted by days of travel without a good combing and sleeping in the grass had worsened it. A bit of makeup around the eyes accented her natural beauty and also served to hide her lack of sleep. Some polishing of her hooves…and done—You're as pretty as a princess, she thought. Her stomach rumbled, making its own royal declaration.
 
"Right. Food." she said. All the magic and danger had burned through her energy. She made short work of her last remaining rations but her hunger wasn’t sated.
 
Amira began to don her diplomat's regalia. With practiced ease she put on her bridle, stockings, and pearl necklaces. Then came the hard part: securing her saddle while she was limited by the ornate outfit. In the past she always had an assistant help with this, but now she would have to make do on her own. After several attempts she managed to position the bag so it would not fall off every time she reached for the straps. She twisted her neck around and could see them just behind her withers, but she couldn’t quite reach them with her teeth. Frustrated, she stamped a hoof and glared at the straps. I’ve seen Unicorns do this… She continued to stare, pulling at the straps with her mind. Finally a white light enveloped the straps and they started to move. In fits and starts they snaked their way through their corresponding buckles and fastened themselves.
 
“Yes!” she cheered but the smile dropped from her face and she glanced around.
 
I must get into the habit of hiding my magic. She had convinced herself that the Equestrians would be frightened by magic so different than theirs. But in truth if anypony was frightened by Amira's magic, it was Amira. Frightened, and ashamed.
 
Once everything was in place she set off across the open fields toward the town in the distance. Toward Ponyville.
 



 
Amira entered a vast orchard. She followed a dirt path that wound its way through fields of apple trees and near several farm buildings. She admired the orderly fields and trees as she walked and reveled in the contrast from the chaotic forest. As she had expected, there were no ponies around on the edge of town this early. Then she spotted three fillies at play on a distant hill. One of them, yellow with a red mane, spotted her and waved. After Amira waved back the filly turned to her friends and pointed at Amira. The three fillies had an animated conversation then bounded off over the hill toward the town.
 
Amira continued her steady pace and several minutes later she saw the three fillies again. This time they were accompanied by nearly a dozen ponies of various ages. The herd milled about near the houses that made up the edge of the village and waited for Amira.
 
I haven’t even reached the town proper and I’ve already attracted a crowd, Amira mused.
 
When Amira neared, the ponies gathered around her and chattered like birds. Amira stood out over the crowd as she was nearly a head taller than the tallest spectator.
 
“Whoa. She’s all grown up but doesn’t have a Cutie Mark?” marveled the yellow filly from before.
 
“Are you an ambassador or something, Miss?” asked a white Unicorn filly.
 
“No, silly. She’s clearly some kind of performer. Look at her cool outfit,” an orange-coated Pegasus said.
 
“Yay! Is the circus in town? I love the circus!” a brown colt shouted.
 
“Now that there is a fine mare. Hoo-wee!” an older stallion jeered.
 
“I’d visit her embassy any day, if you know what I mean,” said another.
 
After the first wave of remarks had ended and the ponies weren’t talking over each other, Amira spoke. She fell into her familiar high tone and pretentiousness, “I am here on diplomatic business, but I am absolutely famished from my trip. Would somepony kindly direct me to a tea room or similar establishment? I would be ever so grateful.” I hope all of this spectacle distracts them from my suspicious arrival, she thought.
 
An Earth Pony in a tailored waiter’s outfit rushed forward and knelt before Amira. “I was on my way to open my cafe for lunch, but I’ll get it ready early for you, madam.”
 
Amira nodded slightly. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.” She followed him as he led her into town and through the streets of Ponyville. Most of the crowd dispersed and returned to their morning routines as vendors or shoppers in the marketplace, store owners, or farmers. A few ponies stayed and followed Amira like an entourage, perhaps hoping to see something more to gossip about.
 
The waiter talked about his job and his restaurant as they walked but Amira was too hungry and distracted to pay attention. She didn’t even catch his name. A moment later they arrived at a small cafe with a few outdoor tables. He set out a cushion for Amira at one table, directed the tag-along ponies to the other tables, and hurried inside.
 
Amira sat down but couldn’t relax. Again and again the events from the cave ran through her head. If those Dogs are actually working for the Sheikh, they’ll keep Brant to lure me back. But if they’re not, what will they do to him? They were definitely trying to capture us, so I doubt they’d just kill him, but why else would they want him? She rose from the dark thoughts, pulled away by a familiar smell.
 
“Saddle Arabian coffee, for the ambassador,” the waiter beamed and set down a cup. “I thought you might like a reminder of home with all the traveling you must do.”
 
His heart’s in the right place, but I could do without reminders of that place right now, she thought. Not going to turn down Arabian coffee though. She thanked him and took a sip. It was divine. The exhaustion slipped away, beaten back by the coffee’s warm aroma and rich flavor. At least Saddle Arabia still has a few good things...
 
The waiter tried to give her the meal at no charge but she insisted that she should pay. He became much less insistent when he realized the scale of her appetite. She was larger than local ponies and quite a bit hungrier than normal. When Amira had had her fill of pastries and coffee, she paid the pony handsomely and moved on.
 
Amira needed no guide to find her next destination. She could already see the towering spire of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle and it shone with the light of the sunrise behind it. Her eager entourage realized where she was headed and dispersed. It seemed that the business side of being an ambassador just wasn’t exciting enough for them.
 



 
The castle was an unusual sight even to Amira’s traveled eyes. A giant pearlescent tree of aquamarine rose into the sky and clasped a purple structure inside its trunk and branches. Golden rooftops rose above the leafless branches and a large crystal star towered higher still. The massive golden door was prominent and unattended, and Amira pondered the lack of guards as she approached.
 
At the door she drew herself up and took a deep breath. This is the easy part where I get to play ambassador. I’m not looking forward to revealing why I am actually here. She lifted a hoof to knock on the door but it opened before she could touch it.
 
A small, purple dragon with green spines stood in the doorway. He bowed and gestured for Amira to enter. A butler, I guess? He looks familiar, she observed as she stepped inside and took in the strange decor. It seemed that everything was either made of crystal or had a tree motif, or both. “Welcome to the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle,” he said in a pompous tone, then smirked. “It drives Twilight crazy when I call it that, so of course I keep doing it. She’s up in the library right now. She saw you coming and couldn’t remember your name so she’s trying to find it in a record somewhere,” he said and rolled his eyes. “I figured it would be easier to just talk to you. I’m Spike. What’s your name?” he asked and extended a clawed hand.
 
"Ah," Amira paused, caught off guard. “I am Amira Nouri Rosana, ambassador for Saddle Arabia. Thank you for your hospitality despite the lack of notice.” Out of habit, she returned Spike’s greeting by tapping his claw with her hoof. So much for playing ambassador. This became casual awfully quick, she noted.
 
“Don’t worry about it. This castle is so big and empty; we might as well fill it with guests.” Spike led her inside and Amira followed him up the large staircase that ran up the trunk of the ‘tree’.
 
They ascended two floors and stepped onto the third floor landing when realization dawned on Amira, “Wait a minute!” She turned to Spike. “I recognize you. You’re the dragon from the Equestrian Games, aren’t you? It was you who stopped that ice cloud from falling on everypony. Including me!”
 
Spike puffed up proudly. “Oh, you saw that? I was pretty amazing that day, wasn’t I?” he bragged.
 
"Yes, I was there, and that was amazing." Amira smiled. The smile turned a bit mischievous and she added, "However, your singing performance was something else entirely."
 
Spike cringed and his face turned cherry red as he recalled his pitiful attempt at the Cloudsdale Anthem. Amira covered her mouth with her hoof and tried not to laugh.
 
Spike was not amused. "Oh, ha, ha. Let's never speak of that again," he grumbled. He attempted a stern look and failed. That was the problem with being a baby dragon—no matter how serious or angry he was, he always looked cute. The glare he shot Amira reduced her to a fit of giggles.

It was nice to laugh for a change.
 
Amira's laughter was infectious and Spike’s mood relented. "Okay, I'll admit it was pretty bad," he said, and laughed with Amira.
 
When they reached the upper landing, he pointed to the library. “Go on in and find Twilight. I’ll get some tea and snacks.” Amira made to mention that she had just eaten, but he had already scurried off down a hallway.
 
Amira stepped into the library and was immediately overwhelmed. Not only was it decorated from wall to wall with beautiful dark hardwoods and crystal pillars, but it was absolutely massive. Bookshelves lined every wall and towered all the way to the ceiling several stories above. Ornate spiral staircases lead to the higher levels, and golden ladders on rails provided access to every part of the shelves. Every shelf held books of all kinds, from simple to elaborate and from modern to ancient. She couldn’t even begin to estimate their number. She steered clear of one section that was cordoned off with velvet rope. It held perhaps three dozen books that were severely damaged or even charred beyond recognition.
 
She wandered the aisles between the shelves in a daze, distracted by the scale and beauty of it all. A large, gold astrolabe on the far wall caught her eye and she turned her head to look. Her tired legs continued to move forward out of habit and she bumped into a ladder. It slid smoothly on its rails down the aisle.
 
“Ah!” a surprised voice called out overhead. Amira heard the flutter of wings and looked up.
 
Overhead, a purple Pegasus flapped awkwardly and a massive stack of books bobbed and floated, wrapped in pink magic. As it dawned on Amira who she was looking at, she saw the top book slide free.
 
The Alicorn reflexively reached out for it with her magic, but at the cost of her hold on the other volumes. “No, no, no,” she stammered as she lost control of the entire pile. The pink glow disappeared and dozens of books plummeted toward the ground and startled pony below.
 
Twilight Sparkle abandoned flying and pooled power into her horn. Beams of magic shot from her horn, engulfed all the falling books, and slowed their fall to a feather’s pace. Twilight, however, continued to fall at full speed.
 
Amira was rooted in surprise and watched all of this with a detached sense of disbelief. A princess of Equestria is about to fall on my head. Is this really how I die? Squashed under a purple pony?
 
With the books under control, Twilight extended the spell onto herself and breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked down for the first time. “Bwah?”
 
Twilight was startled by the sudden appearance of the large pink pony below. Her concentration faltered and she resumed plummeting. She landed on top of Amira and the impact sent them flying sideways into a bookshelf. A shelf snapped and dozens of books cascaded down onto the two ponies. After the dislodged books settled, the tomes from earlier finished their slowed descent. They landed gently on top of the chaotic pile like fashionably late party guests.
 
“Twilight! Amira!” called a panicked Spike as he rounded the corner at a run. His apron was splashed with spilled tea. “I heard a crash from the kitchen! What happened?” He stopped running as soon as he spotted the pile of books then shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”
 
Spike jumped on the pile and dug into it. He tossed books aside at a lightning pace acquired from years of experience. Soon he had uncovered the two ponies, but it was his turn to laugh at Amira’s expense when he saw her position. Twilight and Amira were entangled with their legs wrapped around the other in an intimate, if accidental, embrace. “Twilight, do I need to put up ‘Warning! Book-valanche zone!’ signs in here?” he joked. He clutched himself and rolled on the floor in laughter.
 
The pink and purple ponies untangled themselves and attempted to stand. They seemed uninjured but both were a bit woozy and neither could balance well. In unison they teetered and sat down on their haunches. Amira chuckled, “Some nobility we are: knocked senseless together in a ring of books.”
 
Twilight grinned. “Personally, I prefer my book forts a little more orderly. I think this one needs to be condemned.” Despite the dull pain and disorientation, or perhaps because of them, they both burst into laughter.
 
Once he knew they weren’t seriously hurt, Spike rolled his eyes. “Mares… I’ll never understand them,” he muttered as he picked up and stacked books for sorting later.
 



 
After a more proper introduction and a little first-aid for bonked heads, the ponies and dragon sat around a small table in the library. Amira didn’t waste time bringing up the topic of Brant and the Diamond Dog attack. However, she was careful to avoid any mention of why Brant and Amira had been traveling in the Everfree Forest. “A rescue party should be formed as soon as possible. Do you have guards we can send?”
 
Twilight snickered at the thought. “I may be a princess, but my kingdom is… different. We don’t have all that formal stuff like guards. What I do have are some amazing friends that will help us, and they even have experience dealing with Diamond Dogs,” Twilight explained. She put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Spike, can you go gather the girls? Pinkie Pie should be at Sugarcube Corner this time of day and she can help you find the others. I’ll stay here with Amira.”
 
Spike nodded and ran off, leaving Amira and Twilight alone for the first time since the ‘book fort’. After an awkward silence Twilight spoke first, “Um, I’m really sorry about falling on you earlier. It’s been almost a year but I’m still learning to use these new wings. It looks like flying and carrying that much at the same time is still a bit beyond me.”
 
Amira dismissed the comment with a wave of the hoof. “Oh, please do not fret it, Princess. I am the one that startled you with that ladder, and I have been through worse on the trip here." Amira fidgeted as she continued. "Actually, your abilities to fly and use magic are both amazing to me. Back in Saddle Arabia, the only natives with wings are the catlike Purrsians but they are pretty rare,” she said. And the only one with magic is… me, she continued in her head. “Your wings are just beautiful, and you have learned to fly so quickly.”
 
Twilight beamed. “Aww, thanks. I still have a lot to learn but I guess having the best flyer in Equestria as my coach has helped out.”
 
As if summoned by the praise, a flash of blue zoomed into the library. It left a rainbow trail in its wake and sent loose papers flying. The Pegasus slid to a stop and blurted, “I was at Sugar Cube Corner when Spike showed up, so I told each of the others and came here as fast as I could. I about caused a sonic rainboom between Fluttershy’s cabin and here.” She looked around. “Nopony else is here yet? Aw, yeah! Fastest again!” Her eyes finally settled on Amira. “Whoa! Who’s the model?”
 
Twilight introduced them, “Rainbow Dash, this is Amira, and she’s an ambassador, not a model.”
 
“Well she could be one,” she remarked then turned to Amira. “Nice to meet you Amira. You should talk to Fluttershy. She was a model once.”
 
Over the next few minutes the rest of the gang arrived and each received an introduction in turn. As an ambassador, Amira was practiced with learning names and faces and she picked them up easily. It also helped that the Elements of Harmony were quite famous. Amira merely needed to place faces to the stories.
 
A light-orange Earth Pony grasped Amira’s hoof with both of hers and shook it vigorously. “Pleased to meetcha’. I’m Applejack and you must be the one my lil’ sister was going on about. Applebloom said she saw the prettiest pony ever out by the orchard this morning. I figured it fer one of her silly adventures, not a real... watcha’-call-it... dignitary.”
 
“Oh, yes. I saw her and her two friends. They were quite lively,” Amira said with a smile.
 
Next, Amira greeted Fluttershy. When Amira mentioned modeling Fluttershy merely mumbled, “I’m not much of a model,” and the conversation fell flat. She eyed Amira’s mane, which was quite similar in style to her own, then sidled away and murmured, “I like your mane-style.”
 
Rarity seemed the most taken with Amira. The white Unicorn fawned over Amira’s delegate outfit, “Oh, I simply must incorporate this style into my next fashion line. I suppose I should save it for my summer line though, to fit the desert theme.”
 
Pinkie Pie was too distracted with planning some sort of welcome party to even introduce herself properly. She hopped circles around Amira and assaulted her with questions, “What’re your top ten favorite foods? Your favorite hot sauce? Your preferred confetti style?”
 
To Amira’s relief, Twilight seemed to understand the urgency of the situation. She shushed everypony and explained the circumstances, “Amira’s friend Brant was captured by Diamond Dogs and taken into a cave system southeast of here. We’re going to rescue him. We’ll have to travel through the Everfree Forest before we even get to the cave, so be ready for anything. Once we’re inside, Rarity and I should be able to navigate the tunnels with her gem-finding spell. This won’t be easy but our new friends need us and we all know exactly what that means, don’t we?”
 
“Yeah!” they cheered in unison. Even Fluttershy joined in with a faint “yay!”
 
Twilight resumed her planning. “Let’s get some supplies together. Spike, can you fetch a couple days worth of food for everypony?” Once he had left the room she turned to Rarity and whispered, “It might get dicey in there. I think it would be better if Spike stayed here. Can you ask him to mind the castle while we’re gone?”
 
Rarity nodded. After Spike had returned and set down the food she waved him over. “Oh Spikey-wikey, I need a favor from you,” she cooed. “We need somepony, or some dragon, to stay at the castle in case Brant returns or anypony else comes by.”
 
“Say no more, Miss Rarity. I’ll stay here and hold down the fort, er, castle.” He stood up tall, barely reaching Rarity’s shoulder.
 
“Thank you, Spike.” She kissed him on the forehead and the little dragon practically floated away.
 
Amira watched the exchange and felt a twinge of guilt when she was reminded of her own treatment of Brant. She busied herself with the provisions and helped pass out supplies to the others. Amira helped prune the excessive luxuries Rarity had packed and assured Fluttershy she wouldn’t need so much safety gear. Eventually, everypony wore a saddlebag well-stocked with supplies. Well, everypony except Pinkie Pie.
 
“Where is your saddlebag?” Amira asked.
 
Pinkie grinned. “I’ve already got everything I need,” she stated matter-of-factly. To demonstrate she pulled a grappling hook, a beach ball, and a layered cake from within her puffy pink mane, then stowed them again. Amira was dumbfounded and could only nod in response.
 
The seven ponies left the castle and Spike cheered from a balcony as they trotted away from Ponyville. Amira hung toward the back of the group and pondered what Twilight had said. ‘...our new friends need us…’ Were they really friends already? Could Twilight and her friends have accepted her so easily? And if they had, could she accept them?
 
Amira wanted to accept them. She wanted to make friends, but she couldn’t seem to get close to these ponies. Not while she was hiding her magic and her motives from them.
 
Here you go again, Amira, misleading the only ponies that care about you.



> Chapter 3: A Time to Act
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The seven ponies galloped together to the edge of the Everfree Forest and came to a stop. Twilight levitated a checklist out of her loaded saddlebag and went over the first stage of the plan. “Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy: you head southeast and look for the cave from above. We only know that the cave entrance is at the base of a cliff which cuts through the forest. Hopefully that’s enough to find it. Come find the rest of us as soon as you see the cave.” She put a hoof to her chest. “I’ll send up a flare spell every minute so that you two can find the group again.”
 
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy nodded. “We’ve got this, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said. She hooked a leg over Fluttershy’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I bet we’ll find it before you even send up a third flare.”
 
“Um, we’ll do our best,” Fluttershy murmured.
 
Rainbow Dash launched into the air. Once she was above the treetops she zipped off to the southeast. Fluttershy followed off to the side to cover more ground and at her own pace. Amira watched them go with a look of doubt.

Twilight rolled up the checklist and then tucked it in her saddlebag. “Girls, remember that this is the Everfree Forest and stay on guard. With all of us together most creatures won’t bother us, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
 
As they started to walk into the sparse trees on the fringe of the forest, Applejack approached Amira. “Hey there, Amira. You haven’t been talkin’ much. Feelin’ alright, sugarcube?”
 
Amira sighed. “I’m exhausted and worried. I don’t even know whether to be grateful for everypony’s help or sorry that I got you involved at all.” Amira blinked, surprised at how quickly she opened up to Applejack. Amira wondered if her being the bearer of Honesty had something to do with it.
 
“Aww, don’t you worry none. We’re helpin’ you and Brant out because we want to. We’d be involved even if you hadn’t asked because there’s a pony out there who needs us.”
 
Amira shuffled her hooves. “But will this be good enough? The forest is so big. What if we can’t find the cave?”
 
“You’re underestimatin’ us. If we don’t have Brant safe and sound before sundown, I’ll eat my hat. Well, not actually, but you get the idea,” Applejack grinned.
 
The five mares started into the dense underbrush of the Everfree Forest. The trek was uneventful but so was the aerial search. After 43 flares with no word from the Pegasi, Amira stopped counting. She absentmindedly followed in Applejack’s hoofprints and found herself thinking back to the disaster in Saddle Arabia that set everything in motion. Despite the time that had passed and her desire to forget, she still remembered every detail of that night.





The banquet was a high class affair filled with nobles and ambassadors, all tall and sleek Saddle Arabians. Amira brought Brant as her guest and he and Amira were huddled in conversation at a small table near the wall.

Brant pointed at a tall, white pony dressed in gold finery. “What about that one?” he asked. “He’s very kind… and wealthy too. A few weeks ago, he offered me a small fortune for some rare book I didn’t have. It pained me to refer him to another shop.” 

Amira barely glanced before she answered, “No, he’s not my type.”

Brant shook his head and sighed. “You say that about every stallion.”

Of course I do, Amira thought and her gaze drifted to a silver-maned noblemare. She bit her lip. Stallions aren’t my type.

“Amira, are you even listening?”

She snapped back to look at Brant. “Yes. The wine’s just making me tired.” And making my eyes wander, she worried. Amira tugged at her bridle and shifted on her seat. “It’s getting stuffy in here. Want to leave?” she asked.

Before Brant could respond, a noblecolt with a light blue mane and coat approached their table and sat next to Amira. 

“You’re looking ravishing tonight, Amira,” he said in a too-intimate tone. He lifted a glass of wine and took a deep drink.

Amira took the opportunity to scoot her cushion away and put some space between them. “Um, thank you, Artaire.”

Brant had noted Amira’s discomfort. “Excuse me, sir. We were about to leave, so—”

Artaire interrupted him. “But now you have reason to stay. Or at least Amira does.”

Brant bristled but he waited and watched Amira. Ever the diplomat, she kept up appearances and made idle chat with Artaire, who continued to drink while they spoke. He inched closer to Amira and his tone became increasingly suggestive. Amira skillfully brushed off the crude comments but Brant was becoming irritated.

Brant glared at Artaire and said, “Can’t you see she’s not interested?”

“Know your place, merchant,” Artaire smirked. “I could easily blacklist your little shop from the bazaar.”

Brant flushed and looked down. He didn’t doubt Artaire could make his life miserable. He sat back against the wall in silence.

“Much better. Now as I was saying…” He leaned in so close that Amira could smell the wine on his breath as he whispered, “If you want to leave, how about you accompany me to my manor for the evening?”

Brant stamped a front hoof on the table and opened his mouth to speak but a different voice called out first.

“Amira, there you are! I was hoping to see you tonight,” said a brown stallion with a short straw-colored mane. He wore an elaborate bridle much like Amira’s and carried himself with grace. He lowered himself onto a cushion across from Artaire. 

Amira brightened and took advantage of the interruption to redirect the conversation. ”I’m happy to see you as well.” She gestured to her left. “I’d like you to meet my friend Brant. Brant, this is my partner, Haakim.”

Haakim smiled kindly and nodded at Brant. 

Amira motioned toward Artaire. “And this is—”

Haakim cut in. “Oh, there’s no need to introduce Artaire. We’ve already met.” He snubbed Artaire and turned back to Brant instead. “In the three years I’ve worked with Amira, I’ve heard much about you, Brant. I gathered that your time with Amira simply dwarfs mine.”

Brant perked up. “I suppose so. We’ve been best friends for nearly twenty years now,” he said with a wistful smile.

Artaire had no patience being ignored. “Enough!” he fumed. “Amira and I were in the middle of a conversation. You should leave, Haakim.” He puffed out his chest and stared at Haakim.

Haakim tilted his head. “You seem to be in the middle of a lot of things these days, Artaire.” He swept a hoof at Amira and Brant but kept his eyes locked on Artaire’s. “Like private tables and... questionable business deals.” His mouth fell open in mock surprise. “Oh! I think the Sheikh might be interested in that second one!”

Artaire stood and scowled down at Haakim for a moment, weighing his options. Finally, he turned to leave and muttered, “Damned filly-fooler.”

Amira stiffened. Her eyes darted between the two ponies across the table. Had they heard?

Haakim cocked an eyebrow. “What was that, Artaire? Do you have something more to say to us?” he said with feigned apathy. Amira had seen this side of Haakim before. He was far more agitated than he appeared.

Amira frantically shook her head. “Nevermind that, Haakim. It doesn’t matter,” she pleaded too late.

Artaire spun around. His lips were pulled into a sinister grin. “She really does have you two duped. I said, ‘Damned—’”

Before he could finish, Amira jumped up and yelled, “Stop it!” Or at least she tried to. Instead, everything she had been bottling up—her pent up frustration and fear of being found out—poured into her voice.

The resulting shockwave toppled noblepony and delegate alike and shattered glassware throughout the room. The ponies nearest the blast were knocked out cold and others were left dazed and confused. Amira had felt the power rushing out from her and more waiting within. She could feel it yearning to take form and to fulfill her intent, and it terrified her.

In the chaos that followed, Amira slipped from the banquet hall and fled through the dark streets of Neighjran. It was after midnight when she entered her apartment that overlooked the Wadi Alhazza valley. Emotionally and physically exhausted, she collapsed into sleep.

The mysterious explosion became the hottest topic of gossip among nobles. Rumor had it that overpressurized wine bottles were the cause, but somepony had figured out the truth. Two days later, three guards visited Amira’s apartment, dressed in golden scale mail with scimitars slung at their sides.

“Amira Nouri Rosana, multiple witnesses have accused you of the crime of witchcraft.” As he spoke, the other two guards moved to flank Amira and drew their swords with their teeth. “By the divine law of His Holiness the Sheikh, all witches are to be executed immediately.”

All three leapt at her with murderous intent, but her magic was faster. In her panic, a shockwave burst from her and slammed into the guards. Their light scale armor did little to protect them.

“Oh no, no, no. What do I do?” Amira stammered. Haakim would know what to do, but he’s too close to the Sheikh. She scrambled over the unconscious guards and gathered her travel gear. Wait… Who reported me? Was it Artaire? He was knocked senseless... She bolted out the door and ran to the only pony she could trust: Brant.

As he answered the door, Amira blurted, “I was accused of being a witch. They’re trying to execute me!”

Brant pulled her inside and closed the door. He understood Amira’s plight—through numerous decrees, the Sheikh seemed determined to keep Saddle Arabian magic limited to the old fairy tales. Even Brant’s trade in enchanted artifacts was under tight legal control and his most powerful merchandise was subject to confiscation by the Guard—the merchandise he let them find, that is.

They wasted no time. They fled the city that night and began the month-long journey to Equestria.
 




“Ascended searching in the ‘Free
They move above the moving trees
to sight upon the cave they seek
And here upon the forest floor
below, six ponies and a horse
Continue trotting as before.”

Amira came out of her memories to the sound of Pinkie Pie singing. This was her third song about journeying through the forest and it was the oddest one yet.

Then a shout came from above. Rainbow Dash dove through the canopy and landed next to the group in a puff of dirt and leaves. Breathlessly she blurted, “We finally found the cave. Fluttershy stayed above it so we can find it again. It’s south of here, not too far.” She looked down at her hooves and fidgeted. “Sorry it took so long. It turns out the cliff face is like totally hidden in shadows this time of day. We had to search the whole length of it.”
 
Rainbow Dash occasionally peeked above the trees to make sure they stayed on course but otherwise walked with the group. She slid up next to Amira and started up conversation, “You’ve got natural flyer’s eyes to spot that little cave, especially during a storm. I’m impressed!” She clapped Amira on the side. “When you get your magic carpet back, we’ll have to go flying together.”
 
Amira smiled, happy to be distracted from her negative thoughts. “I would like that. I have always loved the feeling of flying through the air but enchanted carpets aren’t very nimble. I am pretty jealous of your wings.”
 
“Ha! You and everypony else,” Rainbow joked as she unfurled her wings and gave them two solid flaps.
 
Pinkie Pie was finished with her latest song and chimed in, “Hey! I’m not jealous. Cake batter is hard enough to get out of my mane. Feathers would be even worse.” The pink pony bounded off ahead before they could respond to the odd remark.
 
The ground started to rise and a large rock wall loomed overhead. Soon a dark spot was visible at the top of the rocky slope. They stopped near the cave entrance and Fluttershy landed and rejoined the group.
 
Twilight addressed everypony, “Alright, girls. If this is anything like the last time we dealt with Diamond Dogs, the tunnels will be a total maze. Stick together no matter what so nopony gets lost.” She pointed a hoof toward Rarity. “Like last time, we’ll use Rarity’s gem-finding spell. It will lead us to their gem stash and therefore their base of operations too.” She gave Amira a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Diamond Dogs are more bark than bite. If we make a show of force they’ll probably beg to be allowed to return Brant and all your stuff.”

Rainbow Dash sniggered. “Or we could just let Rarity whine at them.”

“I’ll have you know that my technique was quite effective,” Rarity scoffed.
 
Each pony had a small lantern tied to her saddlebag and Twilight lit them. The group peered into the cave. The trapped floor was back in place as if it was a normal cavern.
 
Fluttershy spoke up for the first time in a while, “Wow, this trap floor is really well hidden. I bet even Mister Bear would be fooled by this. I’ll have to warn him and the other animals when we get—.” She cut herself off, as if surprised that she had dared to speak. “Never mind…” she whispered.
 
“It’s fine, Fluttershy. Thank you for looking out for the animals,” Twilight reassured her. “They’re part of this new Friendship Kingdom too after all.”
 
Twilight’s magic swept the room as she searched for a way to trigger the trapped floor. It revealed a section of wall that could be pushed inward. “Stand back everypony.” Twilight depressed the switch and the room rumbled. The floor dropped away and revealed the entrance to a large tunnel. When the floor had settled they stepped into the cave and descended into the unknown. 

> Chapter 4: Affirmation of the Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All seven ponies scrutinized the tunnels for any clues to Brant’s location. Their search was hindered by the hard stone that showed no hoof or pawprints. Some of the tunnel walls were natural stone but other parts had been widened by tools. For the most part it was wide enough for the ponies to walk two-by-two as they delved deeper into the earth.
 
At the first fork Rarity’s magic guided them down the correct path and again at the next. Amira was supremely thankful for that spell—each branch looked the same as the last and she never could have found her way alone. After nearly two hours of winding through the maze of indistinguishable tunnels they rounded a corner and stopped. The passage was filled to the ceiling with rocks and dirt.
 
Applejack climbed up and examined the exposed soil. “This looks fresh. I bet those varmints were expectin’ us so they collapsed the tunnels behind ‘em.” She dug in and started to drag some of the rocks aside but Twilight stopped her.
 
“It’s no use, Applejack. The cave-in reaches even further than my magic can sense. There’s no way we can dig through in time. We’ll need a new plan.”
 
The mares walked back to the previous fork, a room with four tunnels branching from it. They debated their options on the way and decided to split into two groups. Each would explore some of the tunnels they had skipped and try to catch another trail with the gem-finding spell.
 
“Meet back here if anything goes wrong,” Twilight instructed. She lifted a pocket-watch from her bag. “It’s about four in the afternoon now, so let’s all meet up here at eight-o’clock at the latest.” Twilight waved a stick of chalk. “And remember to mark the tunnels you’ve taken so we don’t end up walking in circles.”

Rarity took the lead for her group. “Very well. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy, could you please accompany me?”

Rainbow Dash seemed to like the arrangement. “Sweet! More chances to show Amira my skills. Are you ready, Amira and Twi?”

Amira nodded slightly and glanced at Twilight Sparkle. Amira was unsure about splitting up but at least she would be safe with the princess. Rumors of her power, especially about her earth-rending battle against Tirek, had reached Saddle Arabia and beyond. Even if those stories were mostly exaggeration, the seed of truth at the core would still be impressive.

“Alright, I’m ready,” Twilight said as she fired up the same gem-finding spell as Rarity. “See you soon, girls.” She waved to the other group as they went down their own tunnel.
 



 
After several hours of exploring, the process of marking off each featureless tunnel had become routine. Once they were sure a path was a dead-end or loop, Rainbow Dash would fly up to mark the ceiling and the trio would move to the next fork.

Rainbow Dash marked another dead-end then spat out the stub of chalk into her saddlebag. “I’m sick of the taste of chalk. You’re marking the next one, Twilight.”

Twilight mumbled, “Uh huh.” She was focused on her horn and continued her thoughtful pace. A moment later, she stopped suddenly—her horn had lit up again with a weak flicker. “I’m detecting something but it is really faint. Give me a second to pinpoint it.” She swept her head from side to side like a dowsing rod and then settled on a fork up ahead.

Twilight moved slowly and focused on the flickering magic. The trio followed the spell through several more branches but the gem signal remained faint. They descended deeper still and finally came to large opening. Twilight cast a light spell and revealed a room filled with odd junk and treasure. From pottery and wine to fabrics and furniture, it all looked to be stolen from merchants and travelers, and any precious gems had been stripped from the ill-gotten gains. Twilight’s gem spell only illuminated a burlap sack near the entrance.

Rainbow Dash, her natural impatience only worsened by the mind-numbing search, rushed to the bag and poured it out on the floor. A green saddlebag was visible on top of the other contents.

“Brant’s saddlebag!” Amira gasped. She grabbed it and uncovered the loose clothing and two rolls of ornate cloth underneath. “And our enchanted carpets!” she exclaimed. After a moment the happiness on her face was replaced with confusion. “This doesn’t make sense.” She looked to Twilight. “Why would your spell lead us to this bag? Other than my ambassador regalia back at your castle, we didn’t bring any gems with us from Saddle Arabia.”

“I don’t know,” Twilight shrugged. “Hmm, let me check something.” She leaned closer until her spell illuminated a spot on the side of Brant’s saddlebag. She opened it and looked inside. “Aha! There’s a secret pocket in the side here.” Her magic lifted out a small silk pouch. Twilight set the saddlebag aside and peered inside the pouch. She let out a small gasp. “Um… I think this is for you,” she said as she passed it to Amira.

Amira set the pouch down and nudged the contents out onto the burlap. It had held two chain earrings. Each had two cuffs that were adorned with small diamonds and supported a solitary teardrop sapphire, surrounded by a crescent of intricately woven gold wire. The Bazaar of Neighjran has never seen the likes of these, she thought. She lifted one for a closer look and noticed a bit of folded paper underneath. “Amira” was written neatly on the outside.

“Oh, Brant…” she sighed.

Rainbow Dash eyed her expectantly. “Well, are you gonna read it? It could be important.”

Twilight put a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder and steered her away. “We’ll give you some privacy,” she said.

Amira took a deep breath and unfolded the note. It was written in Arabic and in Brant’s familiar penmanship. As she read, she could hear his voice in her head.



Amira,
I may be a bit slow sometimes but I'm not completely oblivious and I know you aren't either. We've both spent enough time with each other to put all the pieces together. You must know that I like you as more than a friend. I have for a long time but I know now that you don't feel the same. Through all the furtive glances and longing stares I directed at you, I’ve seen you looking at mares in the same way.
I love you Amira, but I love you as a friend first. Ever since we were foals we've been there for each other and I wouldn’t trade that friendship for anything. I want you to find happiness, whoever it’s with. I'll help you find the one for you and I’ll find my own love too.
By the way, these earrings were my mother's and she would have wanted you to have them. She loved you too. I think she might have figured you out before I did. She never did try to play matchmaker with us.
It may be a while before I finally work up the courage to give you this letter, but I know I’ll feel the same then as I do now.
Forever your friend,
Brant




Amira sat in silence. Tears slid down her face and left dark trails of mascara in her pink fur. Without thinking, she started to brush them away and smudged her makeup even more but she recovered and managed to smooth it back out. She carefully folded the note again and returned it and the earrings to the pouch.

Rainbow and Twilight waited quietly as Amira methodically gathered her and Brant’s reclaimed belongings. She strapped an enchanted carpet to each saddlebag and stowed everything else inside. In a daze she tried to put both heavy saddlebags on her back but Rainbow Dash intervened and extended a leg to her.

“I’ll carry one of those if that’s alright.”

“Um, yes. Thank you.” Amira mumbled, still a bit dazed.

Twilight leaned in close. “Is everything okay, Amira? If you need somepony to talk to about that letter, I’m here for you.”

Amira shook her head. “It wasn’t anything bad. Just a lot for me to process.” A determined look settled on her face. “That’s not what’s important right now, anyway. We need to find Brant.”

As they moved to leave, Rainbow Dash cast a longing look back at all the treasure. “What about all this stuff?”

In a lecturing tone Twilight explained, “It isn’t ours to take, Rainbow. And besides, we can’t carry it with us right now. We’ll tell the town watch about it and they can come collect it later and try to find the owners. I’ll map out the path we followed to this room.”
 



 
The trio returned to exploring the caves. They still hadn’t found anything of note when Twilight called for them to stop. She levitated her pocket watch before her. “We should head back to the meeting point now if we want to get there before eight-o’clock. Maybe the other group had some luck.”

They retraced their steps and made much better time as they passed through familiar tunnels. They entered the meeting room a bit before eight-o’clock. Four mares already sat in a circle on the floor. Brant was not there.

Pinkie Pie bounced up to greet the returning group. “There you are! We were bored and then we were worried about you and then we got bored of worrying and started telling stories, but we got worried again!”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “It’s only been fifteen minutes. There wasn’t enough time to do all that worryin’.”

Pinkie stuck her nose up in the air. “Maybe not for you, but I finished at least four worry-bored cycles since we got here.”

Amira smiled wearily. “Thank you for the concern, Pinkie Pie.”

“See, Applejack? Every good playground has mood swings.”

“Ahem.” Rarity put out a hoof. “Before we get distracted again, let’s hear from Twilight’s group.” She looked to Twilight expectantly. “Well, did you find anything?”

“Yes, actually. We found Amira and Brant’s belongings along with some other stolen goods.” Twilight’s ears drooped as she continued, “No sign of Brant, though.”

“Don’t feel bad, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “We didn’t find anything at all. Just another collapsed tunnel and a lot of dead-ends and loops.”

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “Well, I’m exhausted. I say we set up here for the night and get some rest. We can search more tomorrow.”

Fluttershy shivered. “H-h-here? Do we really have to stay the night in a Diamond Dog cave?”

“It would take over an hour just to get back out of the cave and then we’d be camping in the Everfree Forest. It is far safer in here,” Twilight explained.

Fluttershy squeaked, scared by the mere mention of camping in the Everfree Forest, and nodded meekly.

Twilight lifted the glowing lantern from her side and set it in the middle of the room. Orange light filled the room but left the four passages deep in shadow.

“We’ll need one pony at a time to stay awake and keep an eye out,” Twilight said.

Applejack said, “Ah’ll take first watch, Twilight. Y’all get some rest.”

The other ponies laid out bedrolls and quickly settled in to sleep. Amira fell asleep quickly but didn't sleep well.
 



 
After a few hours of restless stirring, Amira gave up. From her bedroll she saw Twilight’s silhouette against the flickering lamplight. Amira rose and joined Twilight in the light.

Twilight had been writing in a journal and she set the quill down. “It isn’t time for your watch yet, Amira. Couldn’t sleep?” she said in a hushed tone.

“I’m just so worried about Brant. It’s been over a day since they took him and we don’t even have a clue yet.”

“These tunnels can’t go forever, and we’ll make a new way through if we have to. We’ll find him.” Twilight smiled knowingly. “You really care about him don’t you? I can tell you’ve known each other a long time.”

Amira nodded. “We met when we were just foals. He lived nearby and we both loved to run and explore.” A wide smile crept onto her face as she reminisced. “We’ve been best friends ever since.”

“That reminds me of Spike and myself. He’s been with me so long. I can’t imagine life without—” She stopped when she noticed that Amira wasn’t paying attention.

Amira was staring intently into the darkness. “Did you hear that? It sounded like thunder,” she whispered.

With perked ears the two ponies listened intently for anything other than the slow breathing of five other ponies. Crack. A faint sound echoed through the tunnels and into the room.

Twilight whispered, “I heard it that time.”

Amira’s ears twitched. “Not thunder. A whip crack?”

The sound came again and it really did sound like a whip. Twilight and Amira shared a glance and then woke the others. After some whispered explanations the group quietly crept down the tunnel toward the sound.

They had just entered an unexplored section of the caves when a loud crack echoed out of a side tunnel. It was followed by a muffled voice. Wordlessly, the seven ponies took off at a gallop down that path. After about a hundred paces they rounded a corner and skidded to a stop in an open room lit by a few scattered lanterns.

The walls were freshly hewn and some pickaxes were still embedded in the rock. Large metal minecarts were strewn about the room and filled with chunks of raw stone. A hunched grey creature with large ears stood on one of these carts with its back to the ponies. Its right paw held a whip up over its head. It didn’t seem to hear the ponies over its own yelling.

“Get up, stupid pony-horse. You pulls the cart. You pulls the cart!” The whip came down and snapped at the air in front of the cart. CRACK!

Another sound came from the obscured side of the minecart. “I can’t. My leg... I can’t—” The voice fell off into sobs.

Amira recognized that voice. She yelled, “Brant!” and sprinted into the room.

The Diamond Dog turned to the ponies and grinned to reveal yellow teeth and slobbering jowls. “Oh, more ponies want to pulls the carts? Enough carts for all of you.”

Four more dogs carrying armfuls of rocks entered the cavern from a side passage. When they spotted the intruders they threw the rocks aside and rushed at the ponies, growling.

The other six ponies quickly grasped the situation. They also charged into the fray to protect Brant but Amira had a large head start. Amira leapt at the whip-wielding dog and tackled him from the cart. He fell hard on the stone floor and let out a feeble groan. Across the room, ponies fought off the other dogs with spells and hooves. Amira turned her attention to Brant.

“It’ll be alright. I’m here now,” she said, but Brant didn’t respond.

He lay on his side and was fastened into a rusty metal harness. His eyes were closed but his teeth were bared in pain. Amira quickly removed the harness but she froze in shock when her gaze passed over his back legs. The right leg was badly broken. Amira saw the impossible angle and stretched skin. She shuddered. She knew her magic had no chance of healing a wound this severe.

The dog she had tackled scrambled back to his feet and seemed to notice Brant’s leg for the first time. “Oh ho, so that’s what whiny pony complains about. Serves it right. For such a tall pony, it sure is weak.”

Amira’s mind raced and she berated the dog under her breath, “You idiot mongrel! Saddle Arabians aren’t sturdy like Earth Ponies.” Tears welled in her eyes and her speech quickened.

“You hooked Brant up to this awful cart. You worked him to exhaustion.” She slammed her hoof down, and the floor trembled.

Amira’s eyes narrowed on the dog and her voice shook, “YOU did this to him!” I did this to Brant. I lied to him and I brought him here. I’m the reason he’s hurt.

I failed him.

Her vision blurred and tears rolled down her face. Deep within her, the repressed power started to claw its way to the surface. It gained purchase with each memory and emotion. The air began to crackle.

“I can’t fix his leg but I can pay you back...” The tears in her eyes were gone, replaced by light.

The crackling became an angry hum as Amira was engulfed in a rose-colored aura, overpowering the lamplight and painting the room a deep fuschia. Amira roared, “I CAN PAY YOU BACK A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!”

The other ponies stumbled as the earth shook violently beneath them. Beyond her initial surprise, Twilight sensed something was very wrong.

“Girls, get behind me now!” she yelled and summoned a barrier over her head. The ponies disengaged from the equally stunned dogs and scrambled to her. Just as Fluttershy skirted under the pink dome, it slammed down around the six ponies.

“Wait! Where’s Amira?” Rainbow Dash asked, but Twilight said nothing. She merely stared through the barrier in confused awe. Rainbow Dash followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of Amira outside the glowing dome.

Amira’s eyes blazed with crimson light. Droplets of magic overflowed from the corners like tears of blood. Raw emotion stampeded through her mind and every mental restraint fell before it. Wind whirled around her in a deafening howl as she rose upward. Tendrils of power lashed out and swept along the ground, whipping up a storm of dust. Beneath her, in the eye of the storm, lay Brant's broken form.

For an instant everything fell silent. Then her last shred of control slipped and the maelstrom exploded outwards—her regret, her sorrow, her fury made manifest.

It rushed forth with a loud roar. The wave lifted stones, carts, and Diamond Dogs and dashed them against the rock walls. The force and flying debris battered and stressed Twilight’s barrier, but it held strong.

As quickly as it came, the wave of power dissipated and the thrown objects and bodies fell from the walls. The lanterns had been smashed and extinguished. Only the pale pink light of Twilight’s shield illuminated the cave. The center of the room had been scoured down to the bedrock. In the raised center of the ring-like crater, Amira and Brant lay side by side.

Amira heard a frightened voice yell, “What in Tartarus was THAT?!” and then she blacked out.

> Chapter 5: Awakenings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amira knelt on her carpet as it flew over a vast sea of sand. Through the shimmering heat she could make out the silhouettes of palm trees in the distance. She turned to her left and saw Brant’s carpet beside her, vacant. She blinked and the carpets were gone. She looked down at her hooves and they sank into the hot sand. She called out to Brant. Her breathing quickened and her throat burned more with every breath. Her head pounded as the sun beat down on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the bright light and heat. Then she awoke...

She opened her eyes and the desert was gone. Instead, she saw a high ceiling and walls painted a cacophony of color. Angular yellow and pink shards, blue waves, and flickering red flames. She forced her eyes to focus and the chaos of color became something coherent—a stained glass window. Sunlight illuminated a field of flowers against a backdrop of blue mountains and a violet sky. In the center of the meadow, a lone apple tree stood atop a small hill.
 
Sunset or sunrise? Amira wondered as she noticed the glass’s orange hue. She turned her head to gaze around the room and winced. The throbbing headache had followed her from the dream.

A white sparkle caught her eye. It shone on the table next to the bed. Amira turned to look and her eyes focused on a glass filled with water. 

Her muscles ached as she rolled onto her side. She reached for the glass with limbs that felt like lead. She clumsily grabbed the glass between her hooves and brought it to her mouth. 

The water was cool and she drank it in three quick gulps, spilling some down the sides of the glass. To her burning throat it was soothing. To her parched body it was sustenance. To her pounding head it was salvation. 

She wiped the spilled water from her chin, set the glass back down, and fell into dreamless sleep.
 



 
Amira heard a faint pattering sound followed by a light clink. Her eyelids crept open to pale blue moonlight. Spike hummed tunelessly as he swapped the empty glass of water for a full one from the tray he held. 

“Thank you for the water, Spike,” Amira said weakly, and her stomach rumbled. “But could you please bring something for me to eat too?” 

Spike leapt backwards, “Whoa!”

“Is something wrong?” Amira asked, confused by Spike’s wide-eyed expression.

He rubbed his eyes and blinked at her. “Amira! You’re awake!” Spike exclaimed. “I have to go tell Twilight.” The tray clattered on the table as he ran toward the door. He slid to a stop at the doorway and looked back, “Oh, and I’ll bring you some food too. Don’t worry.”

Amira watched Spike leave and then turned to look around the room. Her gaze fell upon a clear vase on the bedside table. It held a bit of water and a single whorl of fresh lavender—the source of the room’s faint floral and pine scent. She rested her head on the pillow and gazed at the flower. She lost track of time until she heard hoofsteps in the hallway.

Amira lifted her head as Twilight Sparkle trotted in. “Amira, I’m glad you’re awake,” she said and approached the bed, “How are you feeling?”

“I suppose I feel well enough,” Amira’s brow scrunched up, “But I... I can’t remember much after we set up camp in the cave last night.”

Twilight’s smile wavered. “That wasn’t last night, Amira. That was about forty-eight hours ago. You’ve been asleep since then.”

“What? Then what about—” Amira winced as she sat upright. “Where’s Brant?”

“Brant is safe and sound,” Twilight said slowly, “He’s recovering at the hospital.”

The hospital… why would he be in the hospital? Amira fumbled through blurred memories, He’s... injured? Was it... something I did? Think, think… Amira closed her eyes and pressed a hoof to her brow. The cave! We were in the cave, looking for Brant. I remember minecarts… He was captured by Diamond Dogs. And then I—

She knelt over Brant. He shivered on the cave floor, shackled into a rusted harness. Tears streamed down his face. She looked upon his right leg which was twisted unnaturally. Broken.

“Everypony else is fine too,” Twilight said, but Amira didn’t hear. She heard Twilight shouting to her friends, yelling for them to get behind her. Then the crashing of rocks, the howling of dogs—

“Amira? Are you alright?” Twilight put a hoof on Amira’s shoulder. 

Amira realized she had been holding her temples with her hooves. “I don’t—” she began, but the memories crashed in again. They hurt Brant! Red energy howled in a whirlwind around her. Her teeth ground together and pressure burned behind her eyes. All other thoughts were scoured away. She was lost to the rage and could only watch as it poured out from her.

“What happened in that cave?” She bent over, held her head between her forelegs, and rocked back and forth. “What did I do?!”

Twilight pulled Amira into a light hug. “It’s okay. I’ll try to explain.” She paused to take a deep breath then continued, “We ran into some Diamond Dogs and we found Brant, but he was hurt. When you saw him, you…” Twilight bit her lip as she struggled for the right words.

In the silence, Spike quietly approached, carrying a sandwich on a plate. Twilight glanced at him and her eyes lit up with an idea. She cleared her throat and told Amira, “You kind of... exploded.” 

Spike grinned at her word choice. “From what I heard, it was really awesome. It was all like, KABOOM!” 

Amira shuddered and curled up again. Twilight shook her head at Spike and mouthed, “Not now.”

Spike cringed. "Uh, oops? Pretend I didn’t say that.” He set down the plate on the table and backpedaled a few steps.

Twilight looked Amira in the eyes and spoke in measured tones, “I’m not sure there’s a better way to describe it. You summoned some kind of powerful magic and then you lost control. Thankfully, I was able to shield everypony from it.” 

When Amira didn’t react, Twilight patted a hoof on the bed and changed the subject, “It took a lot out of you. You fell unconscious and you’ve been sleeping while your body recovered. On that note, you still need to get your energy back.” Twilight stood from the bed and looked back to Amira, “We’ll leave you alone to eat and rest. Stay in bed as long as you feel you need to. Is that alright?”

Amira just nodded. She was too overwhelmed to do more. Twilight turned to leave and pulled Spike along with her.

“Come find us in the library if you need anything," Spike said as he closed the large door behind him.

Once she was alone, Amira let out a slow breath. So that was what happened in that cave… Thank goodness nopony was hurt.

Her mind dwelled on that until hunger distracted her from her thoughts. She reached over and pulled the plate of food to herself. This smells heavenly, she thought as she brought the daffodil-on-rye sandwich to her mouth.

She chewed the first wonderful bite and thought, But what of the Diamond Dogs? They must have been hurt. She shook her head and swallowed. Who cares if they were hurt? They stole from travelers. They enslaved ponies! They hurt Brant, so I hurt them...

Then she remembered one of the Diamond Dogs, pinned to the wall by her magic. She squeezed her eyes shut, but that couldn’t block out the image, clear as day. His eyes were open, but dim and lifeless. His neck was twisted and broken. He was dead. 

I did that. That was me, Amira thought. She set the sandwich down. Her appetite had faded. I lost control again, and worse than before. What if that dog had been one of the ponies instead?

Faces flew by her mind’s eye. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Then Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle. Brant. Amira envisioned him as the one mangled and dead, murdered by her power. She gagged and covered her mouth, disgusted with her magic and with herself.

She took several deep breaths and a drink of water. When the unease had passed Amira pulled the plate of food close again. I need to eat, she thought. She was starving yet she had no appetite.

She whispered aloud, “It was only luck that I didn’t hurt Brant. It was only luck that the others were safe. I came so close to…” Her voice faltered but her thoughts continued, To losing Brant, the only true friend I’ve ever had. To hurting ponies that had done everything to help me, ponies that called me their friend.

She nibbled a loose daffodil petal but it had no taste. My new friends… Have I already lost them? She took a small bite of the sandwich and forced it down. I lied to them. I endangered them. I frightened them away. How could they ever look at me the same way again? Amira pushed the plate away then held her face in her hooves and cried. She felt overwhelmed and alone.
 



 
In the morning Amira left the room and wandered through the castle. She paused on occasion to admire the strange crystalline architecture and sparse decorations. Other than an occasional banner that adorned the walls, the halls were surprisingly barren. The regal setting felt familiar but not quite comfortable. For Amira, every royal visit was like an extended masquerade. She would wear the unreadable face of a diplomat, hold only the opinions of her country, and say only what other ponies wanted to hear. The real Amira was hidden away behind the mask.

Even though her days of being an ambassador were over, Amira found herself wearing another mask. I’ve been hiding my magic and my true self from everypony, Amira thought as she entered another door at random. She looked up from her thoughts and found herself between two towering bookshelves. She had entered a side door into the library.

A murmur of distant voices came from the other side of the room. Amira swallowed hard and walked forward. She rounded the corner and stopped. Where she had expected just Twilight and Spike there were six mares around a table.

They hadn’t noticed Amira yet. She started to back away but Twilight Sparkle glanced up and their eyes met. Amira’s breath stopped until Twilight’s mouth widened into a smile and she nodded knowingly. 

Amira let out the held breath. I can do this, she thought with a confidence she didn’t really have. She slipped a serene mask over her features and strode forward. She headed for an empty spot at the large table of talking ponies. Rainbow Dash bragged about her new record time while Rarity and Fluttershy discussed the importance of filigree in this season’s fashion line. The last bits of chatter wrapped up as Amira knelt on a cushion between Twilight and Rarity. 

Twilight smiled again and said, “It’s great to see you up and moving, Amira. Feeling better?”

Amira nodded and replied, “Very much, thank you.” She thought of engaging in small talk, but it would only serve to delay the inevitable. Nopony else spoke and the conversation died. 

In the silence, Amira swept her gaze around the table and analyzed the other ponies’ moods. Rarity wore a bright smile, but she had been squirming since Amira sat down. As Amira looked Fluttershy’s way she let out a small eep and hid her face behind her mane. Next, Applejack’s face was neutral, but her posture was tense and attentive. Pinkie was beaming and bobbing her head to a tune nopony else could hear. Rainbow Dash was an easier read: she was casting an intimidating glare Amira’s way. 

As Amira had feared, the general opinion seemed to be suspicion. Distrust. On the other hoof, Twilight was at ease and maintained a welcoming smile. Twilight is hiding something… she must already know that I lied. They all know.
 
Everypony was silent and tense like a storm about to break. Nervous eyes darted from face to face. Nopony was willing to make the first move. I could play ignorant, Amira thought, I could say I didn’t know about the magic, or I could say I don’t remember that night. That one is about half true…

Amira took a deep breath. No. It is time I was honest with them, she thought, It is time I stopped hiding. As Amira tried to find the right words, Rainbow Dash broke the silence, “Come on! Somepony say something already!” 

Amira obliged. "I... must apologize for my behavior. I should have informed all of you of my... situation.” She sucked in a quick breath and her pace sped up as she became more flustered. “I was planning to wait until after we saved Brant to tell you about my magic, which wasn't fair to any of you.”

Amira’s composed facade had fallen away entirely. Tears welled in her eyes as she continued, “I put you all in danger. I'm an awful, selfish mare.” She clenched her eyes shut, bowed her head, and stammered, “I’m so very s… sorry." She kept her head down and envisioned what could happen next. They’ll hate me. They’ll banish me from Equestria, send me back to the Sheikh. Or, they’ll imprison me for attacking a princess. Or...
 
“Apology accepted.”

Amira’s head snapped up, “What?”

"Apology accepted,” Twilight said again. The other five nodded in agreement. She continued in a cordial tone, “I wish that you could have trusted us more, but it wouldn't have changed our decision to rescue Brant.”

“It was all my fault!” Fluttershy blurted out. Even she seemed startled by her outburst but she continued, “I was too shy. If I had just talked to you more, you might have felt comfortable enough…”

“No, no, no, silly,” Pinkie Pie countered, “I’m the one that should have been more welcoming. I barely even introduced myself to Amira! What was I thinking? I failed in my duties as Ponyville’s Party Planner and Welcome Wagon Wielder.”

“Shush, girls.” Twilight raised a hoof to silence everypony. “There’s no need to place blame.” She held Amira’s hoof between hers. “Amira, the most important thing is that we want you to feel comfortable here. If there’s anything we can do to help that, let us know.”
 
A soft smile appeared on Amira’s face. It was her first genuine smile in some time. "I guess I’m just not used to feeling welcome anywhere. I will try to open up a little more." Then the smile faded to a puzzled look. “Twilight,” Amira turned to her, “I have been wondering… How exactly did we get back to Ponyville?"
 
"That wasn’t actually too bad," Twilight explained, "You and Brant were unconscious, but the six of us were able to carry you to the entrance. Once we were outside, Pinkie somehow figured out how to make the flying carpets hover—”

Pinkie popped up from under the table, directly between Twilight and Amira, “It was super-duper easy once I realized that they’re just like my flying machine. You just gotta believe it’ll fly even though it totally shouldn’t, and fwoosh!” She vaulted over the table and back to her seat.

Twilight shook her head with a grin and resumed, “We set you and Brant on the carpets and walked them back to town. We made it back to Ponyville and got Brant checked in at the hospital around dawn."

Amira looked up at everypony, with tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you all so much. You’ve done so very much for Brant and I. It has been a long time since I felt this safe.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at Amira, “What do you mean? Are you on the run or something? Are you a spy?”
 
Amira shook her head, “I am no spy, but I suppose I am a fugitive. I recently discovered that I have magic. Like this.” She raised a hoof and concentrated on the center of the table until an orb of wispy blue light appeared there.

Rarity’s eyes went wide, shining in the blue glow, “Why, that is just gorgeous. Magic like that should be cause for celebration!”

Amira frowned and shook her head. “The Sheikh that rules Saddle Arabia despises magic. There are no Arabian Unicorns, and any visiting Unicorns are kept under armed escort until they leave. Arabian ponies don’t have magic, but even rumors about it can be deadly. Supposed ‘witches’ are put on trial and the trials usually end in...” Amira trailed off, unwilling to finish the terrifying thought. The look in the other ponies’ eyes said they understood anyway.

Amira paused to settle her nerves, then said, “It was about a month ago that I discovered that I have this magical power. The Sheikh’s guards learned of it as well and attacked me. I panicked. I ran to Brant for aid and we fled the country." Amira noticed her heart was racing and her legs were shaking. What’s with me? I’m just telling them what happened over a month ago. I’m just being… honest. It struck her that this was the first time she had spoken so openly, so truthfully, with anypony.

She glanced up and saw everypony’s eyes were focused on her. They had been listening with rapt attention and now they patiently waited for her to continue. She turned to Twilight. "I thought of you first, so we set out for Ponyville. We went northeast from Saddle Arabia to the Badlands to lose any pursuers, then northwest towards Equestria. We avoided Appleloosa and Dodge Junction and entered the Everfree Forest  to stay out of sight.”

Twilight tilted her head. “But why me? Why not go to Celestia, or the Royal Guard?”

“I had heard the stories. You’re the Element of Magic, so I had hoped you would understand my magic and…” Amira’s cheeks flushed and she continued, “...help me keep it under control." She stared down at her hooves, "As you saw, I could use the help."
 
"Now don't take this the wrong way," Twilight started in a calm voice, "but I've never seen anything like it. It doesn't seem to be related to Unicorn magic at all. I scoured the library all day and didn’t find much,” Twilight sighed. “The closest thing I found was a fascinating history of shamanistic ponies that could control the elements of nature. These shamans split into groups based on their favored element and their cultures diverged as a result. They managed to live in harmony thanks to the leadership of a single pony that shared all their abilities—not unlike our pony tribes and Princess Celestia, now that I think about it. Then, everything changed when—”

“Ahem,” Applejack interrupted, “Yer veering off course a bit there, Twilight.”

“I suppose so. Thanks Applejack,” Twilight said with a bashful smile, then resumed at an eager pace, “I do have a theory that ponies with your kind of magic could be unique to your homeland, but there wasn’t anything like it in my books from Saddle Arabia. Given what you said about the Sheikh's attitude, I think he’s been suppressing that information.”

Books from Arabia? Amira thought, She wasn’t exaggerating about going through the whole library. She noticed the dark circles under Twilight’s eyes. She may not have slept since we returned to Ponyville.

Twilight continued, “But, that doesn't mean I can't help you. Magic is my specialty and I truly believe we can unravel this mystery. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need."

“Yeah, Twilight can do anything when it comes to magic,” Rainbow Dash said with pride. “She’ll help you figure out your funky magic for sure, Amira.” 
 
"Thank you," Amira said. "But how can I repay you? You've already done so much for me."
 
Twilight grinned from ear to ear. "You've given a student of the arcane a chance to directly study a new form of magic. This is an amazing opportunity beyond even Canterlot’s universities. Scholars would throw themselves at a chance like this!” Twilight saw Applejack giving another stern look and she calmed herself. “I could think of no better payment." 

Twilight stood up from the table. "That can wait, though. I’ve heard that there's a pony at the hospital who wants to see you."
 



 
When Amira, Twilight, and Spike approached Brant's hospital room there were three mares with nurse’s caps crowded outside the open door. They chattered in hushed voices.
 
"He's so handsome."
"And he's so tall, too. Look at those sleek legs."
“Have you heard his accent? It’s so exotic.”
“Aww, I must have missed it. He rarely talks.”
"I heard he has a flying carpet, like in the stories. I just want to fly away with him into the sunset."
"Ahem."
 
The mares turned toward the sound to see Princess Twilight Sparkle raising an eyebrow at them. The three mares bowed nervously and darted down the hall to the nurse station where they tried to look busy. 

Twilight winked at Amira. "You've got some competition. They've been fawning over Brant since we brought him in."
 
Amira broke eye contact. "Haha, indeed..." She trotted to the room, eager to see Brant again. Twilight and Spike remained outside like sentinels to guard against the chatty nurses.
 
Amira stepped through the doorway and scanned the room. Polished checkerboard floors, plain blue wallpaper, and white curtains on rails surrounded the two hospital beds. The one on the right was unoccupied so Amira turned toward the window. A tan stallion reclined against the headboard of a slightly-too-small bed. His leg was encased in a plaster cast and elevated by a pulley system. He was reading a novel, or attempting to—the book appeared to be upside down.

Amira smiled. Seeing Brant again, safe and sound, she could almost pretend that everything that had happened was just a figment of her imagination. Almost. Tears pooled in her eyes and she bolted to him. 

Brant looked up from the book and turned to see her just before she scooped his upper body into a tight embrace. The novel fell away onto the floor as he returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.

She fell into speaking in her native Arabic. "I'm so happy you're safe. You can’t imagine how worried I was about you. Well, how's the leg?" Amira realized his face was pinned to her chest, preventing him from responding. She blushed and released her grip then sat on her haunches next to the bed.
 
Brant smiled and brushed his forest-green mane out of his eyes. He replied in Arabic as well, "The leg's doing alright, but even with magic it'll take a while to fully heal. The doctor says I'll have to stay in bed for at least a few more days and then I'll have a cast on it for a few weeks."
 
“Oh, yeah,” he said then bent over the opposite side of the bed and lifted up his green saddlebag. He set it on his lap and lifted a small pouch from inside. “I heard you’ve already seen this.”
 
"That’s true… and I read the note too," she admitted.
 
Brant sighed in relief. "That saves me some trouble then. I didn't really have a plan for when to give it to you. I guess I was having a hard time... working up the courage.” He took the earrings and note out of the pouch and set them before her. “Well, here you go. Like you saw in the note... well I hope you saw, I don’t know if I was very clear… I love you, Amira, just the way you are, and… I, I wanted—"

Tears of joy slid down Amira’s face and she suddenly pulled him into another embrace.
 
"Watch the leg, watch the leg!" he yelped.
 
“Oops, sorry,” she said as she pulled back. She held her hooves to her chest. She took a breath and bowed her head. "I'm sorry… for everything. I should have told you everything a long time ago." Amira paused for a moment and held his hoof in hers. "And I love you too, Brant. You're my best friend and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
 
Brant looked into Amira's eyes. "Me either, Amira, me either." He waved his other hoof at the window. It looked out onto a sweeping view that extended all the way to the mountains near Canterlot. "We're in a new land now and going to be leading new lives. We might as well start fresh. Both of us." 

A mischievous grin formed on his face. "I’m not sure I’m ready for the dating scene yet, but I might start returning some of the sultry glances those nurses keep sending my way. If that's alright with you."
 
Amira’s melodic laugh rang through the room. "Of course, you dummy. I'll leave those nurses all for you."
 
He smirked again. "Oh? You don't want to compete with this?" He flexed a lean front leg for comedic effect. "Or do you already have your eye on somepony else?"

At that, Amira’s eyes darted towards the door and Brant noticed. “Perhaps that purple mare out there?” he ventured.
 
Amira’s face reddened. "Shh. Shut up," she whispered fiercely. She shot a glance over her shoulder. The door was still open but Twilight and Spike weren't visible. Then she put a hoof to her forehead as she realized they wouldn’t have understood anyway—the whole conversation had been in Arabic.
 
Brant raised an eyebrow. "Now what did we just learn about keeping our feelings secret?" he teased.
 
"Quiet, you. While I'm her guest I'd rather not make it any more awkward than it already is."
 
Brant nudged her with an elbow. “Well, the more time you spend with her the more likely you’ll hit it off.”
 
Amira elbowed him back. “And you won’t be hitting it off with anypony unless you get more comfortable speaking the local language. I thought we agreed to stick to Equestrian to help you improve?”
 
After a second, Brant replied in unsteady Equestrian, “That is true. I’ll work on this and you work on learning that magic.”
 
“Sounds like a plan.” Amira returned the sparkling sapphire earrings to their pouch and then tucked it away in her saddlebag. “Thank you for the earrings, Brant. They are absolutely beautiful, and it will be wonderful to have some jewelry that isn’t a reminder of my former profession.”
 
“You’re welcome. My mother would have loved to see you wearing them,” he replied.

Amira nodded solemnly. “I’ll cherish them and I’ll think of her.” She put a hoof on Brant’s shoulder and said, “As soon as you can leave this room, let me know. There's a delightful cafe in town that has real Saddle Arabian coffee. We'll have to meet up there for lunch or something. I’ll definitely wear the earrings.”

“That would be great,” Brant replied with a smile.
 
They hugged again and said their goodbyes. Amira left the room and saw Twilight and Spike sitting on a bench at the end of the hallway. "Thanks for waiting," she said, walking up to them.
 
"No problem," Spike and Twilight both responded at the same time.
 
After a bit of a laugh Twilight said, "You look happy. How'd your conversation go?"
 
"Really well. I've got the best friend in the world but…” She paused for a second. “...romance wasn't the right path for us. We needed only to be honest with ourselves and with each other and everything worked out."
 
"Oh? I'll have to tell Applejack that honesty saved the day again," Twilight joked, or perhaps she was being serious—Amira was uncertain. "Let's head back to the castle. Since it’s getting late, we can start studying your magic tomorrow.” She turned to Amira. “Are you ready for that, Amira?"
 
She hesitated. Was this all too good to be true? Can things be made right so easily? She found herself thinking about learning to use her magic, about Brant, and about living in Equestria. Somehow, those thoughts no longer filled her with apprehension and fear. Instead, she found herself looking forward to them. To the future.

"Yes, I am," she said finally. She walked back to the castle with Spike and Twilight, never realizing that she was smiling the entire time.