> An Undertale of Equestria
>  by David Silver
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 - The Tale Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is how my own Undertale began.

It was hardly that simple, but the similarities were hard to argue. I was falling. Something screamed piercingly, and with a jolt of fear, I realized it was me. Since when had my voice been so high? I flailed short arms before my fall was abruptly broken. I crashed with a ripple of pain that ran through my spine. I could still feel it, so I figured I wasn't entirely broken. I could feel some flowers pressing into my face. Had I fallen into flowers? I heard a squeal of surprise near me, but I wasn't quite ready to look in that direction yet, or any other.

"What is it?" asked some voice, shrill with what I assumed was surprise. They ran away, I thought? Was that them? Why did they sound like they were clip-clopping like some kind of horse?

I cracked open an eye, but it felt like my eyes didn't want to do much more than a squint. The sky was high above, bright and blue and very uncavelike to the extreme. Wasn't I inside a moment ago?

I sat up and almost fell over as I scrambled backwards in surprise. There were buildings around me, but they didn't look right, not at all! They had jutting bits of crystal where they weren't made of huge sheets of the stuff. While a few sparkled red and green, various hues of purple and blue overwhelmed all the other colors.

Through the crystal, I could see murky shapes move about. The houses weren't abandoned. The shapes… they looked like horses? No... They were monsters. They had to be. Some part of me insisted they had to be monsters, to be defeated or befriended or avoided, but monsters all the same. They lived in the houses, walked around. One was even running away from me in a wild gallop. This was a whole city of horse monsters.

Wait... That's not right... I'm not... I put a hand to my head and noticed it looked different. I held it out and tried to imagine the hand I had that morning. It was... Darn it... My roommate was going to be so angry! Why did I remember him more clearly than what I was doing just a few minutes ago?

I struggled to make sense of the situation, and a hazy memory came to me:




I nudged through the crowd. Making my wig so long might have been a mistake, as I could barely see. I took a moment to brush it out of the way and the vendor hall of the convention became clear to me. I was standing in front of a booth with a variety of kitschy buttons and things. The man seated behind the table was... Asian or something? I waved at him. "Hi."

"Nice outfit, but you're missing something." He reached under his table and pulled out this big mercy button. It had a black background, a brown border, and brown text that read 'Mercy' with an x to the left. He put it where I could reach it. "Eh?"

It looked perfect! Right out of the game. I reached out and gave it a poke, and it made the sound of scrolling text I'd heard so many times before. "Awesome, how much?"

He gave me this calculating look. "Five bucks."

Five bucks? I could afford that for something that size, and it made sounds too! Totally worth it. I fished out a five dollar bill as my hair fell back in the way, but that didn't stop me from slapping it into his ready hand. With the button paid for, I picked up the button, and I was gone.




I heard the flapping of wings. A horse in golden armor landed in front of me, a spear in its mouth, though it didn't seem to stop it from speaking. "Stop right there." Was my heart going to be exposed? No... I guess that was just videogame logic. I still felt like I was entering a conflict.

Looking over the horse, I could see a few words dimly floating beside him. 'Acquiesce' 'Challenge' 'Compliment' 'Fight' 'Check' 'Mercy' What, where was the item option? Oh yeah. I didn't have any, and if I did, I could just reach out and use them like a normal person.

I reached for the word 'check' floating there, but that seemed to worry the horse. "Please stand still. Identify yourself."

Okay, reaching was bad. Things didn't pause while I picked things. Maybe they were just suggestions? I tried looking over the horse closely, and I felt I knew it better. It was a guard of the kingdom, and took pride in protecting other horses from troublemakers. I didn't have anything to compare its offense or defense to, so I didn't pay much attention to those. Besides, I didn't want to fight the local police if I didn't have to!

"Can you understand me?" He tilted his head a little.

I put up my hands slowly. "I give up. I don't want to fight you." I saw the 'Mercy' option glow softly a moment. My voice sounded different, but from what... I couldn't quite remember.

The guard smiled gently and tucked his spear under one of his legs, propped up. "If you're not here to cause trouble, you have nothing to fear from me. You scared the gardener, and you're still standing in the flowers. Could you please step off of them?"

I looked down to see broken stems and crushed petals. Shoot. I carefully stepped out of the flowers without causing more damage and the guard directed me to the nearest sidewalk. He nodded towards me. "I mean no offense, but what are you?"

I looked down at myself. I was some kind of pudgy, maybe teenaged thing? I wasn't sure. I wasn't quite human either. I was... Frisk, I guess. "I'm a child. I didn't mean to drop in." 'Acquiesce' glimmered briefly. He began to glow a soft yellow like a gentle nimbus around his body. He didn't seem to notice.

"That's quite alright. Are you lost, child?" He sounded concerned. "We should find your parents."

Feeling the need to test where basic conversation ended and the mechanics began, I waved a hand lightly. "I can find my own way. Thank you!"

The yellow aura faded to grey and he nodded at me. "Good day then, but if you need anything, simply call. We're here to help." He spread his wings wide and flapped as the 'Mercy' label flashed, then they all faded away. I wasn't in a conflict anymore.

I felt something jingle in my pocket and checked to find a handful of coins. Well! That worked out well. Wait... Were these his? Was he going to get upset when he noticed them missing? That could wait. First question, what was this city of horses?

Another horse came softly clip-clopping down the same sidewalk. She was bright blue, and had a cocky smile on her snout. She looked distinct enough to maybe be someone important? I couldn't quite put a finger on it, but she stood out from a sea of what I could easily label as NPCs. She wasn't watching where she was going and bumped right into me rather than go around. I felt conflict rise, and words 'Praise' and 'Criticize' appeared as new options besides the basics.

"Who is it that bumps into the Great and Powerful Trixie?" She looked down and saw me. Why were all the horses bigger than me anyway? She quirked her ears at me and her eyes narrowed a little as she seemed to consider me. "The wise and learned Trixie has never seen your kind before."

I took a quick guess. Anyone that spoke third person like that, and had those options? She had to have a big ego. Maybe stroking it a little bit would ease things. "Great and Powerful Trixie, I'm so glad to run into you."

I saw the 'Praise' option flash and Trixie smiled. "You are wise to seek the counsel of Trixie! But she does not work for anypony, and you don't even seem to be a pony?"

I fished out a few coins and offered them to her and a yellow aura flashed around her as she took them quickly. "Well, Trixie may have a few minutes to spare for you. What would you ask of her?"

I looked her over, her triangular hat, her cape, and her silver mane and tail. She was kinda cute! "I'm lost, Trixie. Could you help me? I fell from the sky."

Trixie tilted her head one way before slowly canting it the other, looking thoughtful. "Poor creature. Trixie is not without any compassion, and you have paid her well. You don't seem to be a crystal pony, like the natives... No, Trixie feels there is a powerful magic in you." She raised a hoof to tap at her chin. "In fact, Trixie wishes to know more. Will you accompany Trixie? She will take care of you."

This was a yes or no question. I felt it would influence my future. Did I trust her? I took a little breath and smiled at her. "Thank you, Trixie." She smiled brightly. I suddenly shuffled in place. "Can I call you... mom? For now."

Trixie went a vibrant red in her cheeks, showing right through her fur as if it weren't there at all. "M-mom?! Trixie... has never been called this before..." She glanced away a moment. "This... This pleases Trixie. You may."

Her aura faded to a cool grey with the conflict ending. "Come along now. I have an appointment with some very important ponies, and you shall come along."

She spoke first person? Was she trusting me? I nodded at her quickly, and she began leading the way to this huge castle in the middle of the city. Even with buildings in the way, it jutted up far past them, like a pointer to the sky.

She looked over her shoulder as she walked. "Have you been to many pony cities before?" I shook my head back and forth quickly. She got a little smirk. "We thought not. Trixie has been all across Equestria." Is that where I was? "This is the Crystal Empire, land of Crystal Ponies, snow, and, best of all, arcane mysteries." She turned to face forwards as she trotted along, her tail bobbing with every step. "Do you know any magic?"

Sort of? I stared at Trixie and felt the knowledge of her come to me. She was a show pony, and enjoyed tricks of illusions and wild tales to amuse ponies. She also liked researching magic, and proving she was as good as she claimed to be. I nodded to the knowledge before answering her, "Of a sort."

That caught her interest. One of her big ears swiveled towards me. "What sort might that be? Tell mother."

I giggled a little at that. Well, I had asked her... "I can look at people and learn about them, for one."

Trixie gave a soft mmm. "What does your magic say about Trixie?"

I counted on my pudgy fingers. "You're a magician, and do illusions and you're a storyteller."

Trixie stopped in her tracks and slowly turned towards me. "How can you tell this so easily?"

I continued counting. "You research magic, and you have something to prove."

She colored brightly. "Trixie has nothing to prove! You take that back!"

Uh oh. I went too far there. I nodded quickly. "I didn't mean anything by it. I meant, uh, you like proving theories. You know, like any good scientist."

She blinked and relaxed. "Oh. Oh yes, of course. Trixie understands." She turned away. "That is a dangerous magic. Trixie suggests not to tell other ponies you are reading them like books. You will scare them. Not everypony has the vast mind of Trixie, to understand and accept."

"Of course, mom." That got a little smile out of her as I scrambled to keep up with her. Darn these ponies for all being bigger than me.

Trixie pointed to the tall building as we came closer to it. "That is where we are going. Before we enter, are you hungry, or thirsty? We should take care of such trifles before seeing royalty."

Royalty? I swallowed softly. My tale was getting started in a hurry.
> 2 - To See a Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We walked past two more ponies dressed up like guards, though one of them was as bright and sparkly as most of the ponies wandering around. The other had the feel of being special. Maybe he wasn't an NPC? Or at least he had a line of dialogue or two, so I veered away from Trixie a moment to say hello. I didn't know the difference between boy and girl horses very well. Trixie was a girl, I was pretty sure.

The horse nodded down at me. He had brown-orange fur, blue hair, and blue eyes. He wore the golden armor of a guard. "Hello there. Are you Trixie's friend?"

I nodded at him. I was pretty sure it was a him, if their voices were a hint. "Mom said she has business here."

Trixie suddenly hurried over to us and slapped a hoof over my mouth. "Ah ha ha ha! Trixie's familiar says the most interesting of things."

The horse tilted his head confusedly. "Familiar? Trixie, are you up to something?"

Trixie flashed a bright smile over the top of my head. "Trixie is always up to something. It's one of her better qualities. Now, excuse us, we have an appointment to keep." She pulled me away from the guard. I'd never even gotten to see what words appeared next to him, darn.  She suddenly grabbed me at the nape of my striped shirt and tossed me right onto her back. "There, now Trixie can be sure you stay out of trouble."

Familiar didn't sound nearly as nice as son, or daughter. I still wasn't sure which applied. I was... certain I was a guy before. I was taller. I had a job! I wasn't surrounded by or being given rides by friendly horse monsters...

Trixie woke me from my thoughts. "What are you thinking about up there? Are you bedazzled at this rare opportunity? You should be! To be Trixie's familiar is a rare and prestigious position."

I blinked down at her. "Oh, what does that mean, exactly? I thought you were my mom."

She raised a hoof. "A child made from magic is a familiar. You are clearly not my true child. You're not even a pony! Nothing to be done for that. I am a magician of great renown. Of course, I'd attract a familiar. Where did you come from?"

That was a great question... "I was at a convention..." She nodded uncertainly as I fished for more. "Then I was falling through the sky, but some flowers broke my fall..."

"See?" Trixie got the cutest, and self-satisfied, grin. "Trixie's stupendous magic must have pulled you here just to serve her."

Wait wait wait! "I'm not a slave!" I moved to hop off of her, and was suddenly surrounded in a pink and glowing field that kept me still. It tingled a little where it touched, which was everywhere.

"You misunderstand." Trixie nodded softly. "A familiar cannot be forced. If you truly wish to part ways from the fantastic Trixie, then you simply need say so, but why would you want that?" She lifted me in the magic and set me down in front of her. "Destiny, and Trixie's magic, has brought us together. We may become even more awe inspiring together. A familiar is a boon companion, and your presence may enhance Trixie's magic! Slave? Hardly. Trixie is delighted to have you."

That sounded far less intimidating, and I smiled a little up at her. That was apparently sign enough, because she reached out a hoof and hugged me softly. "Alright? We have an appointment to make. I wasn't joking about that. Keeping royalty waiting is a terrible habit to get into." She rose to her hooves and began walking. "By the way, calling Trixie 'mother'? Please keep that to private times. Otherwise 'Trixie' will do." She glanced over her shoulder. "'Great and Powerful' or 'Mistress' would be nice to add."

With the argument settled, I took a moment to absorb the hall we were walking through. The walls were made of the same crystal sheets that made up most of the city. Adorning them were paintings of very important looking ponies. Soft music played from somewhere, and the air smelled fresh and almost... minty. There were ponies wandering up and down the halls, ducking into rooms or vanishing around corners on their way to things. Most of them were guards. There were unicorn guards, pegasus guards, and just horse guards. A minority of them looked like 'normal' horses, dressed in nothing at all half the time. Clothing was very optional, and nobody raised a brow about it.

Indeterminately sexed or not, I was happy to be dressed. Stripes weren't the first fashion choice I would have gone for. They made me look a bit dumpy, but it serviced, along with the pants.

We stopped before double doors big enough for a giant to walk through without kneeling. The guards there turned their eyes on Trixie, than on me, and back to Trixie. "Business?"

Trixie rose to her full height, head held up high and haughty in pose. "The Princess has requested the presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie. Kindly let us in at once."

One nodded as the other slipped inside a moment. He returned a moment later. "She's still holding an audience, but will be with you in a moment."

Trixie made a soft noise and moved to wait a little to the side of the door, where I joined her. She looked to me and began sweeping her eyes over me. "What were you, again?"

I put a hand on my chest. "I am a human, Great and Powerful Mistress."

My answer pleased her. I could see it in her smile and the way her tail swayed with joy. "Trixie could get used to your presence, loyal familiar. A human? Curious. It only makes sense that her staggeringly powerful magic should summon a creature never seen before."

The doors leading inwards swung open towards the hallway beyond, and a very important looking horse with dreadlocks stepped out, garbed in brightly colored robes. "A pleasure, as always, Princess." He nodded towards the princess, which I couldn't see from that angle, then quickly moved down the hallway.

One of the guards gestured to Trixie. "You're next."

Trixie nodded and suddenly picked me up with magic, setting me back astride her. "Shall we make an impression?" Without waiting for reply, she trotted easily into the room. It was a throne room? I could see a pink horse perched on a tall chair of crystal. She was bigger than all the other horses, and she had wings and a horn, not to mention a crown right on her head. That she could be the 'princess' was much of a doubt. There were a few guards around, to protect her, or so I'd guess.

Beside her was another horse. He had white fur, and a horn. No wings. He sat beside her, equal in importance despite not having her stature or extra parts.

I felt the tension of an upcoming conflict coming on us as Trixie strode up to them without delay. She bowed to the royal couple. "Trixie has arrived as requested, and she has brought something to help." She gestured over her shoulder with her horn. "Behold!"

The words suddenly appeared. The white horse had 'Talk about Family', 'Insult', and 'Say Hello'. The pink horse had 'Hug', 'Explain', and 'Plead' beside the usual options. I felt especially threatened. They weren't just random monsters. They were, or at least one of them was, a boss.

The pink one tilted her head lightly at me. "What..." She spread her wings and suddenly I wasn't in me anymore. I was being pulled right out of my chest with a powerful suction. Oh god! Being a heart wasn't just videogame logic! I hovered before her, a mere red heart that drifted in the air as she gawked at me. "This creature... It... I can see its very nature."

The white horse pinned an ear back. "Is this normal?"

Trixie squirmed uncomfortably. "This hasn't happened before..."

Okay! I had to stay calm. Stay calm... That's a lot easier to say than to do. I was a fricken naked heart! How did I even pick a command?!

Suddenly, the panic melted away. The pink horse reached out with her hooves as her horn glowed. "You're safe here..." Somehow, I believed her. She was a creature... of love? It washed through me and left me weak.

I found myself back in my body with a start.

The white horse looked to Trixie. "Where did you come across this?"

Trixie gestured with a hoof back outside. "Trixie found them on her way here. They fell from the sky, drawn by Trixie's magic."

The pink horse smiled gently. "Is this true, little one?"

I gave a hesitant nod. "I don't know how I came here, but that's as good a reason as anything else. I'm sorry if I scared you."

She tilted her head lightly. "You were far more scared than either of us were. I've never seen somepony just expose themselves so thoroughly. I could feel your nature." She smiled a little. "It was a good nature. You mean well, do you not?" When I nodded, she reached out a hoof. "I don't know what you are, little one, but you're welcome here."

The white one gave a less certain nod. "Sure thing, uh, so Trixie, about why we called you here."

His... wife? She nodded. "Ah, yes. I became distracted. Trixie, are you aware of the purpose of the Crystal Fair, and the Crystal Heart it empowers?"

Trixie held her head up. "Trixie has thoroughly reviewed the history."

The pink one smiled. "Good. We're afraid it isn't as effective as it should be. There are leaks, and it worries us. Our own scholars have determined there is a shadow nest that is growing in power, and could threaten our kingdom. For a crystal pony, even approaching would be a horror they couldn't stand. You, however, are not a crystal pony, and are a talented magician besides."

Trixie seemed surprised. "Trixie is, of course, Great and Powerful, but she admits... Why not inquire of your sister-in-law in such a grave affair?"

The white one sagged a little. "Twilie's busy saving the day somewhere else."

Trixie went tense beneath me. "Of course... Trixie is second call to the likes of Princess Twilight Sparkle..." She sucked in some air through her teeth in a quiet hiss. "If Trixie is to be second to anypony, at least it is royalty. Princess Mi a--"

"Cadance will do," spoke the Pink Horse, Cadance?

Trixie revised her statement quickly. "Princess Cadance, you've called the right pony. Trixie will see all your problems solved."

I slipped off of Trixie's back and moved up towards the two. Even if I had felt they were powerful, it was a good powerful. They were on the good guy team. Their eyes turned towards me curiously, but they didn't stop me. I looked towards the white horse. "Hi."

The 'Say Hello' option flashed and he smiled, looking more at ease. "Hey there, little one. Do you have a name?"

"I'm Frisk. What's your name?"

He gained a soft yellow nimbus, telling me he was willing to stop the conflict. "I'm Shining Armor, but Shining, or even Shiny's alright with me."

Cadance nodded towards me. "And I am Cadance, but you heard that. A pleasure to meet you, Frisk."

I looked at her options and hesitated a moment. Ah hell. You only lived once, right? I stepped up towards her and she looked more and more curious. The guards began to stare at me as I got closer and closer to her. I reached out... She didn't stop me, so I went for it. I hugged her. She was just as warm and soft as she looked. She even hugged back, a hoof wrapped around me, set at my back. "Aw... You'd better take good care of them, Trixie." 

When I drew back from her, I could see she was glowing a soft yellow as well. I could end the conflict whenever I wanted to. That tension, right in my chest, I didn't want that anymore, so I nodded to the both of them. "Glad to meet you both." As I returned to Trixie's side, their auras faded off to a soft grey, and the tension relieved itself. I had 'won'. I heard a faint tinkling and paused. I wasn't going to steal from the princess!

I fished out my collection of coins and showed it to Cadance. "Are any of these yours?"

She looked confused. "I don't keep my bits on me..."

Shining Armor shook his head. "I don't either, unless I'm leaving the castle. Why do you ask?"

Trixie tilted her head. "Trixie would like to know this as well. Familiar, explain yourself."

Shoot. Maybe honesty wasn't the best policy...
> 3 - The Power of Frisk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cadance smiled at me. It was the smile of an experienced babysitter. "I think everypony should calm down. You wouldn't have asked if you weren't concerned. Tell me, Frisk was it? What made you worried about the coins?"

She didn't sound accusing, or angry. She kept her voice harmless. I felt admiration for her building. She was trying to play me like the child I was, with kindness and caring. I still couldn't remember much, but I wasn't a child, not under it. She wanted to know my secrets. Should it be a secret? What was I hiding from? I held up a coin in clear view of the room. "I get coins when I 'defeat' any monster of threat."

Cadance recoiled. "You see me as a monster? And a threat?" She blinked softly. "You defeated me?"

Trixie went pale. "Familiar, watch your tongue. One does not 'defeat' nobility and brag about it."

I shook my head. "Defeat in a different way. When I first came in here, I was a stranger, ugly by horse standards, and a potential threat myself. We were enemies." I smiled at her. "Now friends, I hope? I defeated you, and turned you into one."

Cadance burst into soft giggles. "Oh, yes. If that's what defeated means, then we've both been thoroughly defeated."

Shining Armor nodded in agreement. "I've never been so happy to be defeated before."

Trixie gently nudged me in the side with an extended hoof. "What was that about monsters? We are ponies, not monsters."

"Pony Monsters." On that, I didn't budge. Something... It insisted, they had to be monsters.

Cadance gestured at herself with a hoof. "Are 'monsters' a bad thing?"

I shook my head. "They don't have to be. All the pony monsters I've met so far have been nice. The monsters you want us to defeat may not be as nice."

Shining suddenly sat up. "Wait! Are you going to try to make friends, uh, defeat, the shadows? They're dangerous! Please. We've tried to reason with them in the past, and it's never turned out well. The history books are full of warning stories from failed expeditions."

His fear, and his worry for me. It made me... It filled me with... determination. I would succeed where their stories had failed. I felt suddenly replenished and ready to face fate. "Everyone deserves a chance. They want to be friends, they just don't know how to be."

Trixie plucked me up with her magic and set me on her back. "We've taken enough of your time. Trixie must review the maps and brush up on the shadows before we enter their domain and banish them from your fair land." She turned away from them, only to look over her shoulder at Cadance. "We'll discuss proper payment after Trixie returns with tales of her triumph."

They both nodded towards us, and we were allowed to go. As Trixie began to trot out, I looked at Cadance carefully. An alicorn, one of four known in the world. The second youngest and considered the kindest of them. Special talent: Love. Married to Shining Armor.

Trixie trotted out of the royal hallway and the doors were closed behind us by guards. With a little sigh, she turned left and began moving again. "You are quite the curious familiar. Trixie can feel magic ebb and flow in you. She wonders if even you understand how you work?"

I shook my head. "I'm figuring out some of it."

She gave a soft noise as she nudged into a library and set me down. "Can you read?" Once she got a nod from me, she smiled. "Excellent. Assist Trixie in her research then. We need to know more about the shadows. Their weaknesses especially."

With her half-buried in tomes that she flipped through with her magic, I was left to my own devices. I picked up a random book and blinked at it. This was not English. Despite that, the meaning of the book seemed clear to me, leaping into my mind without further prompting than flipping through. Each book provided a summary, and no more. I grunted softly in annoyance. The best I'd be able to do is find a book that looked interesting and bring it to Trixie to actually read it.

So that's what I got to doing. A lot of them were about things I didn't know much about. 'How to Sharpen your Horn.', 'Proper Polish of Crystal Ponies', and 'A thousand Recipes for Crystal Berries' were just the start of the 'wisdom' to be found there. Some seemed more applicable, and I brought one to Trixie. "How about this one?"

Trixie wrapped it in her magic and drew it over. "King Sombra's Fell Army. A study of oppression by Brightshine Amethyst." She smiled brightly. "A detailed look, from the view of one of the slaves of the time. It may have some useful information. Very good, familiar. You're already proving your worth." Her head tilted a little. "Speaking of which, let Trixie see some of your coins."

I fished out a handful from a pocket and set them in a jumble at her table. She set down her book and turned her magic to a few of the coins, spinning them about in the air. "Standard bits. No magic, at least, left. That isn't to say there was no magic in their making. Trixie felt that. You realize, making bits with magic is very illegal."

Fear suddenly spiked through me, but she just laughed. "Trixie is playing with you. We mean, yes, it is illegal, but you have no control over it. Princess Cadance wouldn't send you to jail for it." She snorted and rolled a hoof. "Did you see her? She looked ready to adopt you right under Trixie's nose. Too bad for her! I saw you first. You're Trixie's familiar."

A shrewd expression suddenly went over Trixie's face. "Wait... Did you 'defeat' Trixie?" When I nodded, she leaned in closer. "Were you paid for this marvelous feat?"

Considering back on it, there was no memory of the jingling sound after defeating her. Trixie took the news poorly. "What?! But you said, defeating any monster that could be a threat caused you to receive bits. Trixie is a powerful and awe inspiring magician! How does she not qualify?!"

Cadance wasn't the first. I could remember the guard producing bits when defeated. Just not Trixie. "I don't know?" Then it came to me. "Maybe it was because you didn't want to fight. You were meant to be a friend from the start."

Trixie seemed floored at the idea. "Meant to be..." Her face lit up with a huge smile. "Of course! You truly were drawn in by my powerful magic. I'm no threatening monster to you. I am your master, and you are my familiar." Everything seemed to be right in Trixie's world. "Er, not as a slave, before you think that." She made a little dismissive gesture. "In fact, in an act of generosity, Trixie frees you from further obligation today. You should explore the city and meet more ponies. How many bits do you have?"

Without counting, the number came to me, and I spouted it out effortlessly. Trixie nodded. "More than enough to buy a few snacks and maybe a trinket or two. Enjoy yourself, and come back when you are ready, or when it becomes dark."

She waved for the door, and out I went, free and independant again. It'd been a while since I had the power of self-determination again. I walked out of the castle and turned around to look up at its huge crystal... mass. It was huge! It filled me with... determination. I would protect it from those shadow creatures and set things to right.

Spinning in place, a little shopping plaza came into view. That seemed as good a place as any! I walked there with a little smile, noting the horses around me seemed mostly alright with my presence. Maybe my coming from the castle had something to do with it? Or maybe a little person smaller than them in a harmless looking shirt and pants just didn't set them off.

Something flickered up above. I glanced up and saw the sky twitch like a bad glitch a moment before it went back to normal. What did that mean?

Putting it aside, I wandered up to the first booth. Crystal corn, or so the sign seemed to say despite being written in horse words. That sounded like something you'd chip a tooth on. The crystal pony behind the booth smiled down at me. "Hey there kid. Want to try one?" He picked up a napkin in his mouth and used that to grab a crystal corn on the cob, then offered it out to me.

Who was I to refuse free food? I reached up with both tiny hands and accepted what felt like a huge corn. "Thanks!" As monsters went, horses were definitely one of the nicer kinds. I sniffed at it. It was like, well, corn, but sweet? I gave it a careful nibble and taste exploded into my mouth. It was delicious! It was also sweet and juicy despite looking like crystals. I started taking big mouthfuls of the delectable kernels as I wandered past. "Fanks," was all that came out around the crystal corn I was eating. Oh man, it was really good!

The stand to the left of me suddenly exploded as a swarm of jet black beetles scuttled out of the ground. I felt the tension of conflict rush in, and the sensation of my body faded. I was in heart mode, but it was no gentle circumstance. These beetles would not be impressed passively and turn away.

Their claws closed on at me, snapping and biting. I could barely dodge the first when the second grabbed me in a painful pinch, bruising my heart, er, my soul. I devoured the last of the crystal corn, or more specifically I imagined I did, and it vanished away. I was healed, just in time for the beetles to close in. I tried to jig out of the way, but they were too fast, and I was too inexperienced. They caught me between three mandibles.

Everything went black. Was that it? No! I couldn't lose that way! I promised I'd save that castle, and the horse monsters in it! I was determined! I couldn't lose. Not like that!

I looked up at the castle before turning away. With a spin, a shopping plaza came into view, and I began wandering that way. Wait. This all happened before. I could remember the missing, repeated, time. The beetles were coming. I quickly tossed a coin on the counter. "I'll take one please." I ran off with the crystal corn without eating it, barely getting out a thanks.

I saw a merchant selling armor shaped for horse knights and rushed to her. "I'll take one of these, too!"

She hiked a hoof up at the price listed on the sign. It'd take most of my money, but winning was worth it! I slapped several handfuls of bits on the counter and she nodded before gesturing at the rack of armor. Apparently I got to pick one. No time! I rushed in and dug around through the rack and came out with one that was shaped perfectly for me. Why would they even have that?! This wasn't the time to ask that. I quickly squirmed into it, and the booth beside me exploded with the black beetles.

Out they came, the deadly trio. This time, I'd face them properly.
> 4 - Friend or Foe
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I kept my cool. I think that's what made the difference. I didn't drift out for them. I kept myself rooted in my body as words appeared beside them. 'Food', 'Click', and 'Scuttle' beside the usual options. "We don't have to fight..." I saw 'Mercy' flash, but the beetles weren't impressed and rushed for me with jaws wide.

I rolled out of the way of the first and scrambled to my feet in time to jump aside of the second. The third's mandibles scraped along my arm, but my new armor was tough enough to turn it into a bruise instead of worse. Okay, that didn't work. Let's try... I pulled out my corn and ripped off a bit of it and tossed it out towards them. "Everyone likes crystal corn on the cob. It's tasty."

One of the beetles paused in its approach and veered off to the corn, starting to nibble away at it with happy-sounded click noises as 'Food' flashed beside it. The horses began to scream and run around in a blind panic, trying to get away from other beetles that threatened them, but I already had three to deal with at the moment. They'd have to wait! Why couldn't things pause mid-fight like they used to? At least the eating one gained an aura of golden yellow, hinting that it was ready to cease the conflict.

The two battle-ready beetles locked mandibles suddenly. Dark energy crackled between them with an ominous buzzing that had me taking a slow step back. The energy burst forth in a beam towards me and I screamed as I dived out of the way, skidding along the ground. The beam struck some poor horse's house and exploded violently. Think fast, think fast... Instead of standing up, I hopped to all fours and made a little scuttly dance. "See, I understand your ways..."

One of them tilted its head at me and made a few clicks in return. A yellow aura danced across its carapace. Despite two of them being ready to call it off, a loud clicking cry from the remaining one got the other two back in and they hopped onto one another before coming at me with all three mandles clicking dangerously.

I scuttled away from them in a bit of a panic as I tried my own clicks, Huffing between each set of clicks. How do you say 'let's be friends' in beetle?! I looked over my shoulder as they were catching up to me, and saw they were all glowing yellow. I did it? I musta! I hopped to my feet and thrust up a hand at them and they pulled up to a sudden halt. "Let's call it all off, alright? You don't need to hurt me, or these horses."

Their auras faded to a dull grey and they slid off of one another. A jingle came from my pocket, announcing the arrival of fresh funds. One of the beetles scuttled up to me. "What can we do? The darkness will get angry at us if we don't do what we're told."

Another beetle nodded quickly. "I don't want to be punished, again. It hurts!"

The third raised a leg into the air. "I just got my antenna straight! What can we do, human?"

It took a moment to realize they were clicking as they talked. I wondered if I was understanding the clicking or they were talking now. I supposed it didn't matter too much. "The horses here want to be your friends. They're super nice. I'm friends with their princess." They looked confused at the word 'princess'. "Their boss." That they understood. "She'll give you a place to live and be happy, just no more fighting."

One of them reared up and faced the other beetles running around wildly. "Hey, guys! The boss of the horses will give us a place to stay and no more punishments ever!"

A loud cheering click resounded through the crowd and the beetles began swarming towards the castle, abandoning their efforts to damage property or chase horses. Did I win? Was it over?

I felt the tension of conflict leaving a moment, only to quickly return. The ground beneath me rumbled just  moments before the biggest beetle I ever saw erupted from in front of me. "Who dares to distract my horde?!" He turned his mandibles towards me. "You, child. You did this, didn't you?!  I'll crush you!"

Despite being a beetle, he had big muscular arms, and he used one to make a swing at me, knocking me across the road to crash into a pie stand and make a huge mess. Blueberries everywhere. I scrambled out of the stand, a bit sore. I gobbled up the last of the corn as I went and the soreness faded as the huge beetle stomped towards me.

Beside him were two words. 'Flex' and 'Shout'. I dimly recalled a monster being flexed out. So I clasped my two little hands and made the most ridiculous flex I think I've ever had the opportunity to make.

The beetle drew up short. "What? You think you're even close to my league! Do you even lift, child?!" He clapped his hands together, all four of them, and his muscles began to bulge dangerously as he strained to show them off.

I turned to show him a profile as I knelt and struck a new pose, showing off my lack of muscles as if they were the biggest things ever. Each time I took a pose, I could see 'Flex' flash.

The beetle roared with laughter. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Look at these pectorals."  He swung his arms over his chest and began to heave before his chest danced on its own, muscles rippling in a mighty display. Oh god, if he wanted to crush me, there'd be little I could do about it.

Maybe flexing wasn't enough on its own? I put my hands up over my head and clasped them in a new pose as I made a flexing pose and began to shout as if in effort. "Rrrrrawwwwwwgh!"

The beetle tilted his head. "What? Oh now it's on!" He began to shout with me as he curled his fists and spread his arms wide, screaming with a force to send chills down my spine. Oh please oh please. I hoped I was doing it right.

As my voice began to get sore, I let the shout die out. A new idea came to me. "You're truly mighty."

"You bet I am!" He stomped the ground in a display of his mightiness.

I clapped my hands together. "Cadance would really like to have someone like you around."

"What, who?"

I pointed to the castle. "The horse boss. She loves big strong people."

"S-she?" He went red right through his carapace. "Do... do you really think so?"

I nodded quickly. "Lots of horses are impressed by that kind of thing." Maybe a bit of a fib. Does running in a wild panic count as impressed? "You should flex for her, like we just did. I bet she'd offer you a job."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "What does she pay?"

Uh... "She doesn't punish beetles for being lazy."

"Sold!" His aura suddenly went yellow, then grey all at once. Even as I heard the jingle, he was stomping off, ready to give a flex audition for Cadance. I hoped she would take it in good sport. I let out a slow breath and slumped against the booth I was beside. I panted for breath as the tension left a bit by bit with every exhale.

I pushed up to my feet to come face-to-face with a horse. "Um, hi. Thanks for helping. Uh... I saw you talking with those beetles. How did you do that?"

Shoot, was I really clicking at them the whole time? "I just tried to see what they wanted. They only attacked because they had to."

The horse tilted his head to the left a little. "Oh, um, thank you again. I have to clean up my stall." He waved a little and trotted off to the pie stand. I winced as I realized that was the stand I had crashed through earlier.

At least I was alive. I turned to look at the castle, taking another slow breath. I would put this shadow thing to rest, and let the horses live peacefully, beetles included or not. I was filled with determination.

"Familiar!" Trixie came around the corner, trotting hurriedly. "There you are. Trixie has been looking for you. She would be very upset if her prized familiar were..." As she came closer, she seemed to notice the mess I was in. "Trixie is too late perhaps? Are you alright?" Her horn glowed brightly beneath her cap and the mess slid right off of me. "Ah, you look fine. You are as clever as Trixie thought. What did you do during that vicious attack?"

I pointed towards the castle. "I sent them there."

Her eyes widened. "What? Why would you send a bunch of murderous beetles to Cadance's throne?"

I shook my head quickly. "They aren't so bad. They're being bossed around."

Trixie tilted her head at me, peering suspiciously. "How do you know this for certain? Familiar, are you being secretive with Trixie? We are partners, I will remind."

"Great and Wonderful Trixie, I know that. I could understand them once we made peace."

Trixie splayed her ears out. "Perhaps my familiar is not as crazy as they seemed when they suggested to end this their way." She paused a moment. "This reminds Trixie. Are you a male human or a female human, or do humans not come in these varieties?" She flashed a grin. "Ha! Put that in your pipe, Twilight Sparkle. She may have made a dragon, but I conjured a creature unknown and unknowable, free of all standard gender qualifications."

She sure sounded proud of that fact, despite the fact that I hadn't even answered her. Which was I, anyway? Only one way to be sure! "Where's the bathroom?"

Trixie looked quite surprised. "Hmm? Oh! Well, Trixie supposes even humans have need of such things. Come, follow her and she will show you." She spun around and guided me away from the wrecked shopping plaza to an outhouse not too far away. She gestured towards the small building. "Trixie will ensure you have your privacy."

I scooted past her and stepped inside. It was quite spacious. That wasn't too surprising. It was made for four legged horses, not little children! I pulled out my waistband and took a quick peek. ... My shriek alerted Trixie, who flung the door open despite any promises of privacy. "What is it? Are you alright?!"

I released the band and it snapped back into place. "I... I don't have either..." I was sure I was a guy. I wasn't that anymore.

Trixie seemed baffled. "While Trixie is as amazed as you are that a species as advanced as you seem to be could be truly without gender, shouldn't you be aware of this?"

I took a little breath, and realized I was still standing in a horse restroom. Yuck. I stepped out slowly and stiffly. "I... A lot changed when I came here, to your world."

Trixie tapped at her chin. "Were you not a human?"

She wasn't going to be a great deal of help with this specific issue. "It's okay, Trixie, really... We may want to check on Cadance and all the beetles."

Trixie perked her ears. "Well, Trixie does not hear screaming coming from there, but a second glance couldn't hurt. Come, familiar." She wrapped her magic around me and gently hefted me up to her back. "Trixie understands you are upset right now. Relax. You've earned this." She trotted off with me.

As rewards went, a little odd, but darn it if riding Trixie wasn't actually kind of fun in a way.
> 5 - Beetle Enclave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn't hard to find all of my new friends. When Trixie trotted into the castle, we could hear a cacaphony of clicks and clacks coming from the throne room and made our way there quickly. The door wasn't even closed. There were too many beetles to fit as it was, and they overflowed into the hallway.

There was Cadance, sitting with a patient little smile. It seemed their foreman had shoved his way to the front, as he was giving quite the flexing audition as the other beetles clicked with admiration and clapped with appreciation with every power-filled gesture he made.

"Ahem, yes." Cadance nodded to the great beetle. "You certainly are... well muscled. What did you do before now, if I may ask?"

He paused his flexing long enough to accept a towel from a loyal beetle and begin wiping himself down. "I oversee the others here."

She nodded. "It's clear they respect you, but tell me, what are you all good at doing... productively."

He looked confused at the question. "Well, we dig? We dig and we bite!"

She smiled, a different kind of smile as she glanced up at me, then back to him. "Tell me, good sir, how would you feel making digging your people's jobs? Minerals are one of our larger exports. If you can help our ponies find veins of valuable metals and crystals and extract them from the rock around them, your people would be welcomed with open hooves."

A lot of querying clicks began to rise among the crowd, but the largest beetle put out his beefy hands, demanding silence. "Relax. I'm as good at negotiating as flexing." He returned his full attention on Cadance. "We demand at least twelve hour breaks!"

Cadance started a little. I got the feeling quickly that ponies usually worked shorter than twelve hour shifts. "V-very well, but I must make a counter offer."

The beetle scowled at her. "Which would be?"

She smiled gently as she gestured to a clock. "Your people must have only eight hour breaks, but also an eight hour time for sleep and recovery. The remaining eight hours will be when they are expected to work."

The clicking resumed, at first querying as they started to work out math, and growing quickly in excitement. The big guy had the poise to not immediately look excited by it. He purposefully tried to keep his cool, looking off to the side. "You drive a hard bargain, pink pony. Are you sure you don't flex a little into the mirror in the mornings?"

Cadance's mouth twitched, resisting a laugh or a grin. "You caught me."

"Ha! I knew it!" He clapped two meaty hands together. "Come on! Let's get to it!"

"Wait! One little matter." She held up a hoof. "Your first assignment. Dig yourself out a barrack from the mountains closest to the city. Something comfortable for you live, sleep, and be happy. When you're done, the forepony will be by to discuss plans for mining. You two will work hoof in...  claw together to see the mining done right. You will also be paid daily, in bits. Use them to buy food, clothes, or whatever else you like in the city." She spread her hooves wide. "Welcome to the Crystal Empire."

A loud chorus of clicks rippled through the crowd as Trixie turned away and trotted down the hallway. "That worked out well, familiar. We should demand a bonus later for securing Princess Cadance this opportunity. While you were enjoying your afternoon off, Trixie was not idle. She has located a darkness detecting spell, and she knows where we need to go. There are six sources of darkness that are letting them get close to the city, and we're going to get them all."

I nodded at her. That sounded... just video gamish enough to make perfect sense. Maybe defeating 'the game' would send me home? I mean, I would miss the horses a bit. Cadance and Trixie were both very nice, for aliens, but I wanted to be a guy again! Not... whatever I was. I held out a little hand and flexed my fingers. It was mostly human? Besides, my roomie had to be losing his marbles. He came up clearly enough in my memories.




He looked at me with a big cocky grin. "I did it, man. Scored the Shift Manager position!" He held up a hand and I met it in a loud high-five. "Dinner's on me, tonight. Let's go hit up that place by the theatre. I've been trying to get that spot forever, you know that."

He led the way, rambling about what he'd do with the extra money and where he'd try to go next. "This isn't the last step, just the first! Hey, you still playing that game?"

I had said something about some game I was playing on my computer and he laughed. "Don't ever change. What do you see in that one, though? The graphics are terrible."

He liked to rib me at times, but he was a good guy. 




Who was going to cover my half of the rent while I was off playing with horses? I frowned, and Trixie noticed. "What's wrong? Are you not ready to tackle the first of the disturbances?"

"Just the opposite. I'm thinking about something." And it filled me with determination. I wouldn't let my friends, or family, down. My family was still lost in the fog, but I knew I had some. Everyone had some, right? "Oh, Trixie, do you have any relations?"

Trixie suddenly stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at me with a penetrating stare. "What brings this up, Familiar?"

I waved my hands at her. "I didn't mean anything bad. I was just trying to get to know you better."

She nodded slowly. "Trixie sees. Very well, she does have a mother and a father. Does that satisfy you?"

With a smile, I reached to stroke over her neck, but that made her more fidgety. "Enough, familiar. We should go." She turned back ahead and began trotting more firmly. "I've labeled them by how close they are. We'll start with the closest." She drew out a map that showed the crystal empire as a city right in the center. "See, the first is still in the city limits." She pointed to a little dot well within the city sprawl. "Where did you get that suit of armor? It's adorable on you, familiar."

I felt a blush sweeping over my face. I hadn't expected her, or anyone, to really notice it. "I, uh, got it in case the beetles didn't work out."

She tilted her head. "How... Nevermind, we should go."

She left the castle and strode through the city, leaving the main thoroughfare quickly as she picked  her way through the crowd that thinned as we got further and further from the center of things. She suddenly lit me up with magic and set me down. "Time to walk."

Riding Trixie had been more fun, but I didn't make a fuss and was soon walking alongside her in a hurry. Horses were faster than I am!

The streets went from thinly populated to entirely abandoned as she folded up her map and tucked it away with her magic. "We're getting close, keep your eyes open, familiar."

I glanced around. "Of course, mom."

She smiled gently and paused before she reached and hugged me a moment. "Be careful." She trotted away before I could recover from her sudden affection.

I watched her go a moment, flexing my fingers. I would do well by her. I was determined. Turning away, I saw an alleyway that wasn't lit. It wasn't just not having light, it was like light fled from the place. It was way too dark to just be a shadow in the day. I wandered over towards it slowly, trying to peer into that darkness, until it was all around me. My steps got quieter, and I got more nervous. I turned back towards the light, but it wasn't there. It was dark everywhere. Shoot, I'd messed up...

Forming from the very darkness itself, a flickering cloud of purple and smoke came before me before a green line split into it, forming a disturbing smile. "Hello, little one. You look lost. Maybe I can help?"

I saw no labels beside him, not even the standard ones, but the tension of being in conflict was coming. "Maybe a little."

"Aw, don't be shy. I'll help you." The cloud's face changed to stick out a tongue of green smoke before it withdrew back into its purple mass. "I would be lost too, skipping through time like that."

W-what? How'd it know about that? It seemed amused at my shock. "You're not the only one with that power. In fact, you're disturbing a friend of mine. He can't use his because yours is stronger. You shouldn't get in the way of your elders, young man."

"What are you going to do about it?" I raised my little fists into fighting position, even if I wasn't sure what I could do about it.

The cloud laughed uproariously. "You are too adorable! I like you. I'll help. All you have to do is let the power gas in, and you'll become as strong as he is." The purple fog began to seep up all around me. "Breathe deeply and we'll have that nasty problem fixed in no time at all!"

I clamped my mouth shut and fanned at the clouds, slowing them down, but not really stopping them.

"Aw, don't be that way. Don't you want to be strong? Strong and powerful? You won't have to worry about taking orders from a pony ever again." The cloud drifted in closer, its green mouth split in a huge grin that was turning into a mask of a skull. "You won't have to worry about anything. Just obey the shadow!"

Despite my wild fanning, the fog was pressing in harder and harder. It was gaining inch after inch up over my short body. I could feel it tickling at my chin. It was going to get me!

"Stop fighting the inevitable. Just lay back and let it all come in!" He sounded more maniacal than friendly. The closer it got, the more excited he became. "You'll help plunge this miserable little world into darkness and enjoy every moment!"

Light suddenly cut through the darkness. "Familiar! Trixie is here to save you!" She came galloping in, her horn a blazing pillar of pink light that send the shadows fleeing away from her. Whatever little clouds of stuff remained were crushed under her galloping hooves as she came to me and grabbed me up onto her back.

The cloud that had taunted me faded along with the rest, leaving behind its face to wink at me before it vanished. It wasn't defeated, just sent away for the moment. I was sure of it.

"Don't leave Trixie's side again!" Trixie was looking over her shoulder at me with a big scowl. "You were in grave danger! Don't you even realize how bad it could have become if she hadn't arrived just when she had?"

She said it in fury at me, but I had a feeling she was more upset and worried. "I'm sorry, mother. I didn't mean to worry you like that."

Trixie brought down a hoof in a loud clop. "See that you don't..." She glanced away, then back at me. "Are you alright?" Her voice had become gentle and soft.

I reached for her neck and she didn't stop me that time. I gently pet her as I nodded. "Thanks to you, great and powerful mother. Thank you."

She smiled silently a moment before she nodded with a little cough. "Of course. Trixie will not allow her new familiar to be harmed so easily. Think of the scandal... Now then, you have found the source. Good job." She turned back towards the end of the alley, where an inky blot of darkness defied her light-bearing horn. "All we have to do is banish it, and we've made real progress."
> 6 - One Down
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie directed her horn at it, her hat lifted out of the way. "Just one little spell and we'll be on our way." A bright beam of purple light fired from her at the black blot and it began to shudder and wither a moment before it rebounded with a solid think. The pink beam turned black by it and rapidly ran up its length in a monochrome wave before colliding with a surprised-looking Trixie.

The impact knocked her back onto her haunches with a little 'oof'. "The very nerve! Nopony dares to defy the Great and Powerful Trixie, especially not some inanimate shadow stuff." She sprang back to her hooves and glared at the black blob as if it had personally slighted her. "Familiar!"

I jumped in surprise before turning to her. "What?"

She extended a hoof. "We will try a combined attack, using your esoteric aura and my magical mastery, we'll defeat this thing before it even knows what hit it."

I reached out an uncertain hand and took ahold of her forehoof and she nodded. "Excellent! Trixie can feel your otherworldly magic." She directed her horn at it and I could see words starting to form beside the blob just before she blasted. Her pink swirled with blue and green speckles, and the blob squealed before popping away. I felt... dirty.

We messed up.

Not that Trixie knew any better. She was looking quite proud of herself. "Ha! Trixie knew having a familiar of such fine quality to match her own would see the task done. Perhaps a treat to celebrate. Do you like oat... Familiar? Why do you look upset?"

There was another way, and I wasn't going to let it slip by. I was de... no! Saving was exactly what I didn't want to do! There had to be a way to load besides losing a fight.

"Familiar?"

I looked around the alleyway. The sunlight was streaming in with the shadow no longer sucking up all the light in the area.

"Familiar? Trixie demands your attention.... Familiar? You're making mother worried..."

I snapped out of my funk as she said the word mother and I saw Trixie staring at me with a concerned expression. "Are you alright?"

How did I explain? The truth seemed like a good place to start. "Everything we can deal with without violence, we should. I saw the way just before we destroyed it."

Trixie tilted her head. "It was nothing but a gathering of shadow magic. Even if you did see it, familiar, it's already gone. How can we do anything about it now?"

I wrung my hands together. "Well, uh. I can sort of go back in time." Trixie raised a brow, but was quiet. "But so far it only works when I die."

Trixie's other brow joined it, looking more surprised than skeptical. "Is this why you're wearing that armor?" I nodded. She put a hoof on her chest. "Trixie has outdone herself in her familiar selection, but if you do travel in time, Trixie will forget. You must promise to tell Trixie when you arrive."

Huh? "Well, sure, but how? I don't know how to get myself back there without dying."

She raised a hoof suddenly. "Trixie can fix that." Oh god, was she really suggesting? "Trixie has complete faith in you. Do you?"

I swallowed thickly as that hoof moved over me, ready to come down. "Alright, I trust you."

She brought it down and I squeezed my eyes shut, only to be lightly bonked on the head. "Trixie appreciates your faith, now let's do this sensibly." She rose up and took a sudden step towards me. "Trixie challenges you!"

I felt the tension of conflict suddenly begin. "Is it working?"

Was it working? We were in a battle situation. I could see words floating beside her. It was a legitimate conflict. "Yes. Why are we fighting?"

"Because you are losing this time." Her horn glowed and rained sparks down at me. Every single one that touched me made me felt sleepy. Should I try to dodge? Or just... I fell asleep.

I saw an alleyway that caught my attention and wandered towards the darkness, only to meet a black orb that split into a big green grin. "We meet again, and so soon. Did you forget something? Or is there really something you want to change so quickly? Oh, I see it, a little touch of darkness. You've tasted it, and now you're in such a rush to get rid of it? What a coward!" He burst into laughter as the fog began to rise quickly all around me.

I was fanning at the cloud desperately and suddenly light burst through the darkness. Trixie arrived, banishing the cloud away with light and stomping hooves even as she grabbed me up onto her back. It was all replaying again. It had worked! With the smoke orb gone, Trixie went to challenge the darkness and gave it a good zap, only to be knocked onto her rump with some unkind words that she spat out at it as she clambered up to her hooves.

"Trixie, wait." She turned and looked at me. I smiled and held up a hand. "We went through this once before."

She tilted her head. "Explain, familiar."

I waved at the black void she was trying to banish. "We can destroy it, together, but there's a better way. It was with your help, mother, that I came back in time to do it right. You made me promise to tell you that."

She flashed a bright smile. "Did I? Then it must have been the right thing to do. Very well, how do we defeat this 'properly'?"

I reached out a hand towards her. "Take my hand, but no blasting."

Trixie looked uncertain a moment before she offered a hoof. When we were touching, the words appeared beside it. 'Vision', 'Mercy', and all the ones I came to expect. Vision? What did that even mean? I tried peering into the darkness. It was, well, dark. Dark and empty.

"Is it working?" Trixie glanced aside at me. "Trixie sees nothing happening."

I ignored her for a moment beside squeezing her hoof. A lot of n... No, there it was.

I was standing in a big dark place, a cavern I thought. There were ponies down there, living a life in the dark. A mother was bouncing a ball away from her foal and challenging him to catch it and they were both having a grand time, then a great flash of light came, and they were sent screaming.

The vision ended, and the darkness was gone.

Trixie gently nudged me with the same hoof. "Are you alright? It's gone and you've been staring for an uncomfortable amount of time."

I did it! What did I do? "I saw some kind of vision. It was a dark place. There were dark ponies."

"Umbrum," stated Trixie with pride. "They were in the books we were looking through. Shadow creatures. It is they that create these disturbances, and the Great and Powerful Trixie that will stop them."

I nodded. "Alright, Umbrum, but they weren't acting very evil. They were living their lives. A mother was playing with her kid. They weren't doing anything bad at all."

Trixie frowned a little. "Everything Trixie read said Umbrum were evil by nature. She will need more than one vision to see them as much more than that. Their greatest, King Sombra, enslaved this entire city and all the crystal ponies!" She turned away. "Still, you were right. This calls for a reward. Do you like oat shakes? They are one of Trixie's favorite treats." Her magic wrapped around me and pulled me right up onto her. "Let's go."

As we rode through the city, I took solace in the fact that I had done things the right way. I was filled with determination, and a few wondering thoughts. "Say, Trixie?" She perked an ear back at me. "All the books you read were written by ponies, right?"

"This is correct," she said with a nod as she trotted along.

I raised a finger, pointing upwards. "Then no one has their side of things."

Trixie slowed to a stop and looked over her shoulder. "... Perhaps so." She smiled gently. "You make Trixie nervous at times, familiar. You have a great destiny. Trixie can tell." She started trotting again as she continued talking, almost to herself. "Trixie wonders, are you Trixie's familiar, or is she your pony, here to help you reach that destiny? A part of Trixie bristles with jealousy..." She looked around a moment to see that no other ponies were close by. "But Trixie is glad. This once, Trixie will be part of something big, and important, and good." She looked back at me. "Do you understand?"

I felt that took a lot, for such a proud pony to admit that she might not be the 'star' of the show, so to speak. "Trixie."

"Yes?"

"You're the most important pony I know. Even Cadance isn't as important as you are, Trixie."

She smiled brightly before continuing on her way. "And you are the most powerful and loving familiar Trixie has ever heard of. She is glad to have called you. Now, what flavor do you prefer?" She stopped before an oat shake stand. They had a whole stand, dedicated to oat shakes! I'm not even kidding.

The crystal stallion that manned the stall was happy to get us two big cups of shakes. Trixie held hers in her magic, and I had hands for mine. "Enjoy! Thank you for your patronage, oh, and thank you for helping my friend." He was looking at me. "He runs a pie stand. He said you fought off a whole army of beetles."

Oh man, the beetle army. I blushed at remembering crashing into that poor pony's pie stand. Good thing he never knew who it was that did that.

"Aw, don't blush. You did a good thing. Princess Cadance says they'll really help the city." He ducked behind his stall and pulled out a card. "Here, show this at the next stall you shop at. It's good for one thing free, within reason. All the merchants in the city accept it. Only once, so pick carefully!"

Trixie took the card in her magic and passed it back to me. "Trixie's familiar is indeed great and powerful. We are thankful for your gift." She gained a crafty look as she looked over the stallion. "Trixie wonders, exactly how did her familiar defeat these beetles?"

He looked a little confused, tilting his head. "Oh, uh, my friend said he literally learned their ways while they were trying to bite him clean in half! Then he out muscled their leader and shouted him into submission, sending him running to the crystal castle. It was a sight to see, for sure. I wish I was there to see it..."

I giggled a little more childishly than I intended. "That's mostly accurate."

Trixie smirked a little, but nodded to the stallion and wished him well before trotting down the street. She sipped from her oat shake with a soft mmm. "We did well today. Tomorrow, we go for #2. Once all six sources are taken care of, the problem should be gone, Trixie gets paid, and the empire is safe."

I leaned over her head and tapped my cup against hers. "To peace!"

She tapped her cup back at mine. "To peace, and fame. Don't forget the fame part."
> 7 - Clean Water
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie unfurled her map of the Crystal Kingdom and set a hoof up against it as it hovered in front of us. "The second one is just outside the city, but is quite important to the ponies here. This is where their fresh water comes from, deep underground. Without it, life would become very difficult for them to say the least. We will save them from this and dispatch the darkness."

I looked at the map a moment. "If it's outside the city, how do they get the water?"

Trixie canted her head. "This is where the darkness is manifesting. The water flows along an underground river into the city, where ponies can get to it from wells and things like that. Do you understand, familiar?"

It made enough sense. "Sure. Are we going to go along the river?"

Trixie paused a moment. "Trixie supposes that isn't a bad idea. Getting to it from above may be quite bothersome." She lifted me in her magic and set me down. "Trixie will get us a raft. Why don't you inspect the main well and ensure nothing has gone awry already." She pointed to the east, I think. "You can't miss it. It's the largest well."

She trotted off with purpose, leaving me alone. I wouldn't let her down, I was determined! I lowered my balled fist and got to half-skipping/half-walking down the road.

"Hey!"

I spun around towards the high-pitched voice, but there was nobody there besides some crystal ponies walking by.

"Helllooo!"

It came from behind me! I turned slowly that time, but nope, nothing.

"Aw come on, you're being rude now."

A hoof tapped me on the back and I spun to see a pink pony with a fluffy mane and tail. "Hiya!" She offered a hoof at me. "Nice to meet you! Princess Cadance said a super cool not-pony had joined the kingdom and I was all 'I have to see this!' and then I saw you there and came up to say hi and you wouldn't face me, so I was all 'gosh, what's wrong with this guy?'"

I took her hoof hesitantly, and a ripe noise of flatulence ripped from the place we touched. She giggled loudly and turned her hoof over to reveal a whoopie cushion attached to its bottom. "Gets 'em every time! You're alright with pranks, right?"

A smile came to me despite myself. I didn't think she was trying to be mean, just a little crazy. "Nah, it's alright. What was your name again?"

"Gosh, I didn't say?" She leaned towards me with a little poot as the last of the air in her cushion was squeezed out. "I'm Pinkie Pie. And you're... familiar!"

Was that a joke? "My name's Frisk. I'm Trixie's familiar."

She clopped her forehooves. "Right! I got the two mixed up. How's Trixie treating you?" She leaned in close. "She isn't being a big braggy sourpuss, is she?"

Indignation welled up in me as I gave Pinkie a little push. "She's been great. She's a good person, and a lot more humble than people give her credit for."

Pinkie brought up her hooves at me. "Woah there, sorry. I didn't mean anything by it, really." She flashed her teeth in a grin. "Kinda funny to brag about being humble though. Anyway, whatcha doin'?"

"Something important."

Pinkie bounced in place. "Which is?" The feeling of tension suddenly rose. She wasn't taking no for an answer. Beside her 'Joke' 'Distract' and 'Prank' floated beside the usual suspects. "Come on! I can keep a secret if it's that important."

I put my arms together and looked at her critically. "Why the long face, Pinkie?"

'Joke' glimmered as she tilted her head, then gave a giggle ending in a snort. "I guess I do have kinda a long face compared to yours, silly billy. Come on, tell me!" She waggled her tail to and fro like a cat getting ready to pounce on me.

I pointed behind her with a surprised look. "Oh wow, Trixie's already back!"

"What, where?" She turned to face away and I dashed off even as I heard the jingle of money. I wondered what sort of threat Pinkie could really be that I had gotten money from it? Maybe she would have really squished me if I gave her a chance. She hadn't seemed like a bad pony, per se, but I had a mission to get to, and I wasn't going to get as easily distracted as she was.

Trixie wasn't kidding about the well being large. It was more of a big covered lake that dominated the center of the square there than anything else. It ran off into the darkness, where I could dimly see a grate, probably to stop any ponies that fell or jumped in from trying to swim along the river.

As I circled the water, some of the crystal ponies loitering around took a notice of me. "Isn't that Trixie's companion?" asked one stallion, pointing at me.

The mare beside him nodded softly. "He banished the darkness in the west end of town." She looked me over. "Do you think he's here to do it again?"

"But I don't see any darkness here?" The stallion looked around slowly.

The water surged suddenly, allowing a horse, a real horse, bigger than all the ponies, made of water to hop out in front of the stallion. "You're not looking hard enough." Its voice was like a running faucet. Little black specks ran through its otherwise blue form. "Crystal Ponies! Kneel and obey your dark overlord, for he returns!"

The mare squealed and threw herself to the ground. "Don't let him punish me! I didn't do anything wrong!"

The water horse turned to look at me. "There you are. Do you hate us? Good, we loathe you. Tremble, little biped, your time has come." It charged at me as tension blossomed. I couldn't get a good read of its words as I dove out of the way of watery hooves and caught one of them over my shoulder in a painful clip.

I rolled up quickly to my feet as it spun around. No time for reading. I'd have to figure it out myself. "Why do you hate the crystal ponies so much?"

He struck the ground, water splashing on impact. "You will know me as Aquator! You would dare ask such a question? They are the offenders. They wield our doom behind their vacant smiles. Die, defender of our enemies." He lowered his head as a huge horn sprouted up mid-charge.

I waited for the last possible moment to try leaping out of the way, but he flowed with my dodge and sent me flying with the crash of our bodies. I came down heavily across the entire pool, landing on the other side.

He stepped towards me slowly as I struggled to stand against the pain. "Pathetic tool of the cursed light. It will be a great pleasure to snuff you, and remind everyone of the darkness coming to them."

With a sudden roll, I got out of the way of a crushing hoof. "This isn't the right way!"

"Not the right way." He tilted his head lightly. "It's the only way, child of light. You won't banish us so easily this time. Your sacrifice will be as a symbol for a new future." He suddenly exploded in specks of darkness that washed out over the area. The crystal ponies caught in it went sill and empty-eyed, while the ones that splattered on me felt like they burned!

I managed to get up to all fours in time for him to slam me back into the ground. "Your way has no hope, child of light."

The water surged suddenly, allowing a horse, a real horse, bigger than all the ponies, made of water to hop out in front of the stallion. "You're not looking hard enough." Its voice was like a running faucet. Little black specks ran through its otherwise blue form. "Crystal Ponies! Kneel and obey your dark overlord, for he returns!"

I started a moment before realizing I had skipped back in time. I had another chance to get it right. Before he could give his speech, I looked at him intently.

Aquator, High Captain of the Dark Waters. Loyal to the King of Darkness. Fears becoming dry. There were some numbers there. They looked higher than the other ones I'd seen. He was more of a threat than the beetles, for sure.

"Child of light! I feel we've met somewhere once before... Is it fate that we should encounter one another here, to settle our differences?" He pawed at the ground as he looked down at me. "Have you come to surrender?"

With him not charging right at me, I could see the words 'Pray for Light', 'Console', and 'Praise'. Did I want to pray for light? I didn't think so. What would I be consoling him about? "Mighty warrior of darkness, you look as intimidating as ever."

'Praise' flashed softly as Aquator rose to his full height. "I have prepared well for this day. It is good that you recognize the terrible strength of your enemy. Your oppression ends here, child of light." He suddenly sprang forward and jumped over me, just to slap me across the face with his tail on the way past in a painful whip. "Pathetic."

One of the crystal ponies shrank away, shaking like a leaf. "Don't let them take us away!"

Aquator stomped a hoof on the ground. "You've done far worse! You will serve for eternity and still not pay it back."

I raised a hand towards the big wet horse. "They didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."

Aquator paused and turned slowly back to me. "Speak clearly, child of light. Are you defending these pathetic mewling excuses of ponies?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, the dark ponies. The mothers and children."

He took a slow step back, 'Console' flashing. "You weren't there! You didn't hear their cries. They were the true innocents! Curse you. Curse you and your light!" His form exploded outward, becoming a rolling tornado of blue and black. "I'll wash you away, child of light. You can say sorry to them personally in the afterlife!"

He washed over me in an instant, but I didn't skip through time, and I didn't feel ripped apart either. Cracking open an eye, I could see a pink dome over me. Trixie approached in a rapid clip-clop. "Trixie is here! Excellent work, familiar."

Aquator shot across the ground at Trixie with the roar of a hundred waves crashing against the shore. The bubble around me popped and reformed around herself, but he engulfed her, bubble and all. I could barely make out Trixie, being battered around in her bubble as he swirled her around violently.

I turned to the crystal mare. "Say sorry!"

"S-sorry for what?" Her eyes were wide and she was shaking badly. It was a little surprising she could even remain upright.

I waved my arms around frantically. "For what his people went through, and mean it."

She looked lost at the idea. Could I get through to any of them before Trixie was battered to a pulp?
> 8 - Drowning in Determination
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The great water horse jumped free of the water with a mighty roar. I was back in time? I had failed, again. But that also meant I had another chance to make it right.

"Aquator, we need to talk."

Aquator frowned at me. "Child of Light. You seem familiar, and you know of me, good. Tremble and fear! What pathetic mewlings do you wish to share?"

I held up a hand towards him. "I saw them. The innocents in the dark. I'm still trying to learn it all. Isn't there a way we could avoid repeating it?"

He bared his flat teeth at me, dark motes swirling dangerously. "Repeating it? A thousand lashes on the back of every crystal whelp here wouldn't come close to it!" He took a slow step forward. "Are your ponies so much more precious than mine, that they should be spared living the nightmare? I should think not, Child of Light."

'Console' dimmed. Was that all I could do with that? Alright, one step down, and he hadn't kicked me or knocked me over yet. Small victories! "You... could crush these ponies at any time."

Aquator rose to his full height, towering over me and everyone else there. "At any time," he agreed. "Such as now."

A bright pink sphere appeared around Aquator. It was Trixie's shield, but turned against him instead of defensively. "Such as never! To think you would harm a hair on Trixie's magnificent mane."

I wheeled to see Trixie standing just at the entrance of the plaza, approaching quickly. How did she know about that? "Trixie! How?"

Aquator suddenly slammed a hoof against the shield, shattering it. "So you do have some fight in you, pathetic creatures of light. Ah, I seem to remember you, blue sorceress. Your magic is feeble, as you are."

"You take that back, you waterlogged shadow!" She took an angry step forward as her horn began to glow brilliantly. For just a moment, I feared she was about to escalate things to battle, but she threw her head to the side, pointing to me with her horn. "My familiar had words for you. You would do well to listen to them. He has far more patience than I."

I gestured around at the cowering crystal ponies. "It won't hurt you to wait. They'll still be here, cowering, after I inevitably fail."

Aquator canted  his head to the side. "You have a point there. Should I crush you after you have endeavored your best, you will cry all the more, lament your fate all the harder... Mmm, yes. I look forward to hearing your blubbering cries to an uncaring world as we crush your hopes and dreams."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "A little melodramatic, aren't we?"

Aquator snorted out a gust of dark mist. "I will especially look forward to breaking you, little witch. Go then. Try your best, knowing I will be waiting just one step behind, to leap on your fallen forms." The water horse laughed as he melted into a puddle and seemed to flow in all directions, vanishing away with only the dimming noise of his gurgling laughter left behind to slowly fade.

Trixie hurried up to me and threw a leg around me. "Familiar! You're safe. Trixie is glad for this."

I hugged her tightly. "I saw him hurting you before and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it."

Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. "Trixie hates to admit it, but that was Trixie's mistake, but one she fixed, thanks to your power."

I stepped out of her hug and frowned at her with confusion. "How did you do that? I mean, how did you know what happened."

She tapped her head. "There is a reason Trixie told you to be truthful to her. Once she knew what was going on, she shielded herself from your Great and Powerful effect, at least her mind. She remembers what happened thanks to a little spell in the library. There is a reason she came after the first time you fell in battle. She was suddenly back in time. It could only mean one thing, so Trixie came to your aid, to find you locked in battle with that big wet fiend."

I sighed a little. "Just to watch you get beat up..."

She lifted her shoulders. "A temporary inconvenience, thanks to Trixie's amazing familiar. Now, she cannot control the coming and going, but remembering means she can learn from her mistakes."

I felt a grin forcing its way out of me as I clapped my small hands together. "I can't think of anyone filled with more determination than you!"

Trixie blinked softly. "Trixie is not sure what you mean by the way you said that, but she accepts it as a compliment. It is true, we are both determined to win, and win we shall." She raised a hoof at me, and I looked at her with some confusion before her magic wrapped around my right hand and brought it up to do a sort of high-five against her hoof. "To victory."

She looked towards the pond Aquator had originally emerged from. "His words lend validity to your own, familiar. Trixie wants to know more of these 'shadow ponies'. Are they the Umbrum, or perhaps an older form of them? Come, we need to get that raft. I didn't get a chance to fetch one with this... mess."

We walked away from the plaza, leaving the shaking crystal ponies behind. They were still paralyzed with fear, but at least they weren't being attacked, so that was a step up, right? I nodded towards Trixie as we walked. "What do we know of the Umbrum?"

Trixie tapped at her chin. "They are said to be terrible creatures of pain and misery. The Crystal Fair ceremony banishes them from the Crystal Kingdom."

"How often is that?"

Suddenly my vision was filled with pink. "Once a year!" She hopped down off my shoulders to land in front of me. "I found him!"

Trixie shook her head lightly. "Yes, very good, Pinkie Pie. We were having a discussion, you know."

Pinkie leaned in closer to Trixie, tail wagging. "Can I join?"

"You may certainly not."

Pinkie pouted. "But I never saw so much breaking and cutting happen all together before."

I frowned at her a little. "Breaking and cutting?"

Pinkie bobbed her head. "Uh huh. First everything was like this." She held out a hoof. "Then it was like that." She moved her hoof a little. "Then it was like this!" She adjusted the hoof again. "Trixie was right. She has the most stupenderiffic familiar ever!"

Trixie cleared her throat. "Yes, of course. As befits the Great and Powerful Trixie. Pinkie, why are you even here? Shouldn't you be in Ponyville, or maybe chasing after Twilight Sparkle?"

I felt a hunch and pointed at Pinkie. "You're here because of me."

Pinkie clopped her forehooves excitedly. "Right on the first try! You keep making things skip skip skip around all funny-like and I wanted to see what it was all about."

Trixie put a hoof over her face. "Yes, of course. At least there's a reason."

Pinkie tilted her head at Trixie. "There's always a reason, silly. What do you think this is, someone's story? Even stories have to have reasons, Trixie. Like duh!"

I looked over the brightly colored pink pony. "So, do you know Trixie from somewhere?"

Pinkie bobbed her head at me. "Sure do! I mean, sure, she kinda took my mouth away for a while, but I can let bygones be bygones."

Trixie colored darkly in her cheeks. "Trixie was not herself at the time..."

"Uh, but you did that? Took her mouth off? How?"

Trixie shook her head fiercely as she walked. "Trixie would rather not speak of it. It was a mistake."

Pinkie closed with Trixie and bumped against her. "Aw, don't worry about it. We're all made up now, right? Which is why you're gonna let me come along and help!"

I only had one big question in mind. "Pinkie." She looked at me with a perked ear and I smiled at her. "Do you believe in peace, or victory?"

Pinkie tapped at her chin. "Oh gosh, that's a toughie. I guess making friends is more important than being right. Winning because you made someone sad is hardly a win, after all."

Trixie took a slow breath. "My familiar is quite determined to discover the past instead of focusing on stopping the Umbrum's current plans.

"Umbrum?"

I pointed back where we had walked from. "The shadow ponies, I think. Something happened with them. If we can figure out what it was, and make it right--"

"Then we can be friends!" Pinkie smiled brightly. "Trixie, I like the way your familiar thinks! He..." She trailed off as she tilted her head at me slowly. "She..." She leaned in and sniffed at me firmly. "He! He has the right idea."

Trixie raised a brow. "Even they could not determine their own gender. How are you so certain?"

Pinkie pointed at me. "I can smell it. They're a colt, uh, whatever you are?"

"Human." I wriggled my fingers at her and she burst into fresh giggles.

"Human. Colt human. Anyway, I'm Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you properly. We'll make great quest buddies!"

Trixie snorted softly. "Trixie supposes there is no way to convince you to go home, is there?"

"Nope!"

Trixie gave a little smile. "She supposed not. Very well, if you are to accompany us, a few rules. First, Trixie is taking the payment for this task. She has already accepted its responsibility."

"Okay!"

Trixie nodded firmly. "Good. Second, you seem to be aware of the time loops my familiar causes?" Pinkie nodded, and Trixie continued, "We can't control them. They happen whenever they lose in battle. However, since everyone here seems to remember what occurred, we should be able to learn from our mistakes, and make any failure the last. Ponies not aware of this have no idea that time has looped, and will only remember it vaguely, if at all."

I moved between Pinkie and Trixie. "We seem to hit a reset when someone else falls in battle. Someone I care about a lot."

Trixie flattened her ears. "Familiar... Ahem, yes... Should Trixie fall in battle, that will send us back as well." She put a hoof on my shoulder and drew me closer. "Because they care about Trixie too much to allow harm to befall her."

Pinkie giggled. "Aw, you two are too cute together!" That was enough to get Trixie to let me go. "Don't be like that. I meant it as a compliment."

I put a hand on Trixie's back and pet once. "Mother doesn't like showing that side of herself."

"Familiar!" Trixie bristled fiercely. "She said not to call her that in company."

Pinkie put a hoof to her mouth, looking like she was struggling not to say anything.

Trixie sagged. "Go ahead. Get it out."

Pinkie flopped over towards Trixie. "You two are super adorable! I wish I had one of those."

"Familiar."

"Yeah, one of those. You two are so close and care about each other so much." She let out a dreamy sigh as she stood back up. "Alright, let's get going!"
> 9 - Rapid Progress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We got a raft quickly, with Trixie casually snatching some coins out of one of my pocket to pay for it. "For peace," she said with a cocky grin.

If I didn't already like her... She wasn't wrong at least. Sure I was basically broke again, but we had to have that raft, so there wasn't much to do about it.

Trixie lifted the front of the raft in her magic as Pinkie  took ahold of the back of the rubbery craft in her mouth and we hurried back to the pool we'd started at.

The crystal ponies had vacated. A step up from cowering in place, or so I figured. Aquator suddenly poked his head free of the waters. "Come to fail, have you? Just remember, I get  to parade you around after you fail. The ponies of this city will know you tried with those feeble hands of yours, and you were the only ones willing to even do that."

Pinkie let go of the raft, which bounced softly against the ground, though still held up in the front by Trixie's magic. "Don't be a sourpuss about it. You might even like it when we're done."

"Of this I have doubts, unless you mean relishing in your defeat." He stepped free of the water and shook himself out as if he was covered in fur, rather than being made of water. "Who are you? You are not bound to the Child of Light."

Pinkie shrugged. "I already have a super amazing team. I don't need two. My name's Pinkie! Nice to meetcha." She bounced up to the big horse as if he wasn't special and offered out a hoof to the confused water horse.

While they got to know each other, Trixie and I got the raft into the water and hopped onto it. It sank into the water, but seemed solid and ready. I turned back to Pinkie. "Time to go! Say goodbye to your friend."

Pinkie flashed a big smile. "That's my cue! See you later, alright?"

As she bounced away, he shook his head with confusion showing on his watery face. "You will wish you hadn't, ignorant topworlder. You may not be one of the accursed crystal ponies, but I will have you as well in due time."

The river looked to be a gentle flow against us. I mean, it was against us, which meant magic and muscle to move, but it was so slow, I didn't see it as...

"Let me make this better for you." Aquator cackled as he put a hoof in the water. "A gift, from me to you." The water vibrated powerfully before its flow reversed and accelerated by the moment. We were being sucked right down the tunnel, and he was soon out of sight as we were plunged into darkness.

Pinkie pulled out a lit lantern from... somewhere? I didn't see in the dark, but I also didn't see any pockets or clothes she could have been hiding it in, especially lit. "Woo! This is way faster!"

Looking ahead, I saw rocks rising from the water that'd tear our raft apart in a quick instant at the rate we were going. "Look out!" I pulled at the raft with a great heave, but I could only nudge it a little bit. Trixie's magic quickly joined my efforts, and Pinkie jumped into the mix. Together, we began to steer the raft as the deadly obstructions sailed past too quickly for comfort.

Trixie pointed up ahead as her magic shifted sides. "Right this time!" Pinkie and I had to scramble for the other side to keep the raft to the narrow channel of safety. A squeak of rubber told us we weren't perfectly in line, but there wasn't a hole, so close enough.

Leaping from the water, a fish of pitch darkness flashed disturbingly bright teeth before it fell back in, only to be joined by several of its friends, apparently all waiting for us to mess up and end up in their water. We wouldn't be lost in the water long with them around.

I heard a dull roar and went pale. "Trixie, how can there be a waterfall if water is supposed to flow into the city?"

Trixie looked thoughtful a moment before she nodded. "Of course, the waterfall must be flowing... the other... way!" Her calm expression turned to abject fear as we smashed into the waterfall and suddenly going up along it. We fell back to the rear of the raft as gravity tried to pull us right out of our rubber boat. Pinkie squeaked as she rolled over backwards and started to fall, but I grabbed her left forehoof and held on tight. When Trixie recovered from the surprise of it, she grabbed Pinkie up around her whole body and pulled her in quickly. But there was no time to relax. Jutting out of the waterfall were more deadly-looking rocks, coming down at us instead of emerging from ahead.

A small part of me, the part that remembers what life was like back on Earth, quailed at the entire thing. We were flowing up a waterfall! That should not be possible! Of course, I was also sailing with a bright pink pony, and a blue unicorn, so maybe the waterfall was just the latest of impossibilities I'd have to accept.

We pulled and heaved, urging the raft out of the way as the rapids carried us along. The top of the waterfall was coming, I could see it!

Then the water began to slow.

Pinkie gulped audibly. "I think our ride's over."

"Jump!" I shouted, and we abandoned the raft, coming down in the slowing water just at the top of the waterfall and paddling madly. The water started to reverse course, and the raft plummeted quickly into the darkness.

Pinkie came up from underneath me and lifted me out of the water as she swam towards the shore, where Trixie was already sprawled out and tired looking. Pinkie came up and flopped over beside Trixie, panting for breath. "That was... fun..."

Trixie raised a brow at Pinkie. "You are mad. Thank you for retrieving my familiar." Her magic pulled at me, drawing me to her side. "She became worried they... he?" She tilted her head at me. "What do you prefer?"

A fair question. I wasn't either, but I remembered being a guy, so why not? "He works."

She nodded. "Very well." She pulled out the map she had before, which had somehow avoided becoming wet. Ponies came with very high quality pockets, it seemed. "We're not too far from where we need to reach. Getting back may be... troubling, but we'll cross that bridge as we reach it."

I looked between the two of them. "Everyone alright?"

Pinkie rolled up to her haunches and shook herself out, sending water flying. "I'm okay! Can we do that again on the way out?"

Trixie raised a brow. "If you have another raft, perhaps Trixie will consider it."

"Aw." Pinkie stood up and peered into the darkness. "Well, we might as well get going."

I held out a hand towards her. "Can I take the lantern? Seeing it bounce around on your tail is making me nervous."

Pinkie brought her fluffy tail around to me and I curled my fingers around the ring on the lantern. It wasn't too heavy, and I hefted it up as we walked forward. "How did this not get put out in all the water?"

Trixie tilted her head. "You will live a happier life, familiar, if you begin to accept Pinkie's antics at face value. She is beyond such concerns."

What was she, a god?

"Nothing like that, silly." She leaned in and nuzzled my cheek before bounding ahead, leaving me staring at her retreating form. 

No! I had to stay focused. I was determined to see this quest through to the end. Then I could go home!

Trixie nudged me from behind, and we started hiking alongside the river. A hint of something caught my attention along the wall and I turned to it, holding up the lantern to illuminate an aged fresco. It showed dark-furred ponies gathered in a circle, all seated on their haunches. In the middle of them all was a black sphere, and they looked happy and content about it. "What does this mean?"

Trixie stopped and turned to look with me. "Trixie is uncertain. They look... not unsimilar to King Sombra, though she admits they look more peaceful in this picture than most of the others she's seen."

Pinkie leaned over onto me as she looked it over. When had she come back from up ahead? "Why are they all so dreary colored?"

I waved a hand at the fresco. "If they lived in the dark, what would they need bright colors for?"

Pinkie tapped her chin. "How did they see then?"

Trixie scoffed. "Pinkie... Just because they live underground doesn't mean they are without magic of their own sort. Trixie is certain the dark did not trouble them."

I turned away from the fresco and we continued our trek. "What if they were used to the dark by amplifying what little light there was, then there was suddenly a lot of light?"

Trixie frowned. "They would be in a lot of pain."

Pinkie threw her forehooves over her eyes. "Ouchie. Is that what happened to them? Poor ponies. How do ya think that coulda happened?" She did a cartwheel forward, just to get caught upside down. "Oops." She began to sink slowly into some kind of tarry sludge.

Trixie reached with her magic and tried to pluck Pinkie free, but the goop didn't want to let go of her and it became a tug of war, with Pinkie going nowhere in a hurry. "You should watch where you're going. We're not on a vacation."

The goop suddenly swirled up over Pinkie, who barely had time to get out an 'eep' before she was engulfed in the form of a tarry pony. "Mmm, she tastes so sweet... What a treat you have brought me."

Tension exploded in my chest as words snapped into being beside him. 'Food' and 'Hug'. I didn't have any spare food on me, and I wasn't sure I wanted to hug something that already ate one of my friends. "Um, hello?"

The tar pony tilted... her? She sounded like a her, and was shaped similarly to Trixie. She tilted her head at me. "Are you the Child of Light? You're a lot cuter than the stories said. They said you were huge and could take on a whole army at once." She stepped forward slowly, leaving tarry puddles behind her with every hoof that touched the cavern floor. "You're just adorable! I could eat you right up."

Trixie crossed between us. "Halt right there. Return the pink pony to us. She may be loud, but Trixie does not wish her to drown."

Tarry, which I had decided to call her, looked at Trixie with a tilt of her head. "She's alright, and delicious. Want to go check on her?" She reached out a dripping hoof. "You look like you could be scrumptious..."
> 10 - A Sticky Situation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I licked over my lips as I tried to think fast. I didn't want to have to reset. Just this once, I'd get it right the first time. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded quickly and smiled, though she had no teeth, just tar that held to the same form that teeth should have. "I'm starving. Your friend is so very tasty, but I want more. Please?"

Trixie raised a brow as she looked between me and Tarry. "How do you survive, waiting in the dark with no food?"

Tarry turned to the water. "Sometimes I gobble up a fish or two. They're not nearly as tasty. I can almost feel... normal again... Please?" She reached for Trixie. "Please."

I wasn't sure, but an idea refused to go away. "Trixie."

She took a slow step back. "Yes?"

"Go to her."

She bristled immediately. "Have you taken leave of your senses, familiar? Trixie does not want to be devoured."

I held out a hand towards her. "You trust me, right?"

Trixie clenched her teeth, her jaw bulging with how hard she bit down. "Trixie... does. You are mad!" She spun back to Tarry. "Fine! Trixie will become the Greatest treat you have ever experienced."

Tarry's expression turned to unbridled joy. "You are the nicest pony I ever met!" She rushed forward and hugged Trixie around the neck. Trixie's screams were muffled by tar as she was pulled right into Tarry's form with wet sucking noises. All too quickly, the showmare was drawn right into Tarry, who didn't grow larger despite having two ponies inside of her. 'Feed' flashed softly as Tarry sat down on her haunches. "Oooo, she's soo good! I feel... I..." She sank her head suddenly. "What have I become?" Little trails of black began to leak from her eyes. "I used to make delicious treats for the others, now all I do is eat... This isn't right at all."

I approached her cautiously, my hands making slow placating motions in little circles. "It'll be alright. Tell me what it was like, and what happened."

She looked directly at me. "Oh, I didn't eat everypony. That's unusual... What do you taste... like?" She was starting to look hungry again, licking over her snout as she slowly approached me.

"Wait! Tell me who you used to be."

She recoiled. "Used to be? Used... I was a cook. I made nice things. The foals would rush to my store after school and beg for treats. I couldn't say no." She smiled gently. "I miss them... The light took them away. It took me away, and left this..." She brought down a hoof with a sticky splat. "She's gone. There's only this... this monster left!"

With a cry of anguish, she lashed out with a tarry hoof and I dove out of the way. I was getting used to the small body I had and rolled away from her next swing and jumped under the one after that, narrowly avoiding each goopy lunge. "You don't have to be a monster."

She drew her leg back, unstretching until she sat down on her haunches. "I don't want to be... But I am! I eat and I can feel for a little while, but it always fades away. I'll be back to... to normal soon..."

I stepped towards her. "There's a difference, this time."

"A difference?"

"You're not alone." I gently hugged her from the front, and she went as stiff as tar could be.

She put a hoof on my back and held me even as I began to sink into her. "I'm not alone..." She grunted softly, then suddenly repelled me, sending me rolling backwards. "I won't eat you! I'll let your friends go, just destroy me quickly, so I'll never hurt again." She swelled up with a sharp inhale before she closed her mouth and blew out despite it, building pressure inside of her as her sides bulged dangerously. Trixie and Pinkie were sent flying out to the left and right, landing a few feet away from her. She wobbled drunkenly before collapsing. "T-there... Destroy me!"

Pinkie bounced to her hooves from her expulsion. "That was crazy! Good job." She saluted me before turning on Tarry. "As for you! Well, that was actually kinda fun, but you should ask before gobbling up a mare. It's just polite." She stuck out her tongue.

Tarry looked befuddled. "You're not angry?"

Trixie stood up with a bit of a face, using her magic to make the tar slide off of her. "Trixie is furious! But she is not without compassion. The Great and Understanding Trixie heard what you said. What was your name?"

Tarry slowly sat back up onto her haunches. "I was... I was Sweet Tooth." Her hooves suddenly hardened, becoming actual hooves instead of loose approximations of tar. "Pickled millipedes were the best..."

Pinkie tilted her head. "I never tried that before."

"Oh, you should!" Said Tar-- Er, Sweet Tooth. "They crunch and it's an explosion of sweetness. The little foals would be so happy when I gave them one." Her nose became covered in black fur, drying out back towards her face in a slow wave of de-tarrification. "I miss them..."

I smiled a little. "Did you have a foal of your own, Sweet?"

She froze. "Oh my... How did I forget him? My little Tummy Rumble!" The drying swept over her own belly as she became more and more of a pony of darkness, and less of a tar monster. "Do you know where he is? Is he..." Fresh tears began to seep from her still-tarry eyes. "I couldn't protect him. What kind of mother am I?"

She suddenly sprang to her hooves and ran off, fading into the darkness of the tunnel almost instantly.

Trixie shook her head. "The more Trixie hears, the more curious she becomes. Where did this first light come from? The crystal ponies call it now to banish hostile shadows."

Pinkie looked off into the dark. "I hope we find her. She really needs a friend right now." She smiled at me. "Good job sticking to your plan, even if it did kind of involve me being eaten by a hungry tar pony."

I gave a little nervous chuckle at that. "Yeah, uh, glad she spat you out."

"Me too!" She pointed at the lantern I held. "Guess it was a good thing you were holding onto it after all. Why don't you hold onto it for now?" Pinkie turned to Trixie. "How close are we?"

Trixie pulled out her map quickly and unfurled it. "An excellent question, for a change. We should be very close. Be on alert."

I lifted the lantern high and did a slow circle. There was one nook where the light refused to go, and instead of rushing into it like I had last time, I pointed it out. "I think that's our target."

Trixie flashed a bright smile. "Trixie's familiar is astute, as usual. Come, let's be done with this." She strode for the pitch black crevice with Pinkie and I followed after her. Her horn began to glow brightly, but the darkness was more stubborn than the shadow she dismissed above ground. 

Despite the gloom, we pressed on, and were promptly separated. At least, I couldn't see either of them, just dark. Even my lantern didn't shed any light in the cloying darkness of the place. From that black nothing came an unfortunately familiar face. Made of smoke and grinning with his big green smile, he lurched towards me as he hovered. "Hello there! Did you miss me? You've been so busy making grown mares cry. I bet you're proud of yourself too."

I lifted the lantern at him, as if it could ward him away. I couldn't even really tell if it was lit anymore. "We freed her from being a monster."

"You 'freed' her from being happy. She ate, and she felt good, and that was all she needed to know. Hero guy, now she's running wildly through the dark, trying to find a little colt that's been gone for centuries. You know who's the monster? You. Little time-twisting manipulator of innocent people. You should be ashamed, but you're not. I was wrong about you. Maybe you are the biggest jerk around without my help."

He was pressing buttons, trying to unnerve me. It bothered me that it was working a little. I did the right thing! I was sure of it. "We'll find her, and save her."

His grin became truly malignant. "Like you've already saved her? Little children like you? You're the worst kind. Go on, spread your destruction." He faded away with a cackle, and the dimness faded to reveal Pinkie and Trixie on either side of a throbbing ball of blackness.

Trixie beamed. "Ah, here it is! Trixie found it."

Pinkie bobbled in agreement. "Good job." They were both just as close to it. "Now what do we have to do?" She reached up and poked the black ball, which jiggled a bit but otherwise didn't react.

I quickly walked up to them and peered at it. No words yet. "I need to activate it. Last time, holding hooves and hands with Trixie was enough." 

She offered a hoof. "Then we start there. Trixie supposes you don't want her using her Great and Powerful magic just yet."

"Not yet." I took her hoof in a hand, but... no words? "Pinkie, could you come over here?" She bounced over and sat beside me before offering one of her own hooves. I took her hoof too and it became clear. It was time for another vision, or at least the word floating beside the ink ball said as much. "I'm going to be like this for a while, but it should be alright from here out."

I gazed into its surface, letting my thoughts get lost in its swirling darkness. I was determined to see the past, and to figure out more of what happened to the shadow ponies, and their true natures. As I began to sink into the shadows, mentally, I was dimly aware of something happening around me, or us. The walls collapsed as ponies of literal shadow swarmed out over Trixie and Pinkie. I was far too gone to go and help them. They'd have to handle it on their own, but he could see them launching into battle, with bolts of magic, and a literal... party cannon?

I wanted to call out to them, but that vision was dimming away, and the one I asked for first was rushing in at me. I'd have to have faith in my friends. to pull things through. Thinking of Trixie, I let go of the last bit of resistance. I'd do my part, and she would do hers, magnificently, of course.

I hoped, at least. The world was darkness, but he could hear movement in it. 

The vision had begun.


> 11 - Dark Ambitions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You," A dark voice shouted at me before pointing a hoof down a tunnel. "Get going. Don't be late, again."

I looked up to see a strong-looking pony... He was too familiar.

He noticed me staring at him, and smiled with a smirk touching on his snout. "Yes, I know ponies like to admire me, squire, but you're needed. Go on. You can tell the others Tor gave you this assignment directly." The rough edge on his voice was gone. He was speaking kindly, as if he knew me for a long time.

I nodded quickly as I felt ears flicking on my head. Was I a pony too? I rushed past him to the tunnel, and it felt like I was running on fingers and toes. It was all wrong, but I didn't forget it was just a vision. I was there to see, and I was determined to do just that.

The tunnel sloped upwards at a gentle curve that had me going around and around as it became so steep that the slope turned into stairs and coiled tightly enough that I could barely see a foot ahead before it circled out of sight. I was panting for breath as I climbed higher and higher, just about ready to give up when I suddenly reached a big metal door. It had a handle, but I didn't have hands. 

Pulling them up into view, I had two perfectly nice black hooves to go with a furry black body. Oh well, in a pony dream, do as ponies do. I grabbed the handle in my mouth and tried pulling, but the door wouldn't move. I twisted my head and it began to turn slowly, creaking and groaning like it needed a fresh oiling, but it was moving!

The door suddenly swung outwards towards me, knocking me down several steps. It didn't hurt despite the jarring blow. Then again, it wasn't my body, I supposed.

"Oh, Little Tite, there you are." A female pony, dark as the others, but with a streak of yellow that ran along the outside of her mane, smiled at me. "You're late, come on." She waved me forward with an eager hoof, then turned away. She was wearing rather ornate robes. They all were.

When I came inside what looked like a large planning room, there were dozens of ponies in similar robes, hurrying around busily. "Just think of it!" She spun back towards me. "Today's the big day! We'll reach outer space!"

Really? How was that even possible? My confused face must have been obvious to her. "Little, haven't we been over this? They proved there is a space beyond the stone, if you go high enough. It's filled with toxic fumes, and dangerous magic, but it's there. Oh, how I wish I could see it for myself."

She circled around me and nudged me forward, her snout getting under my rump and pushing me forward. "Come on now. I didn't win the lottery, you did, you lucky little stallion! You'll put your eyes on a whole new place first." She sighed dreamily. "You'll be sure to write it all down, right?"

The frantic sounding voice of another stallion rose up, "Uh, ma'am, one of the dials is going a little... crazy."

She craned her neck at the pony. "Which one?" She hurried away from me and moved to see what the problem was, leaving me in peace for a moment. Dim memories tugged at me. This was like a rocket launch, but with ponies. I was the astronaut?

"It'll be alright, go on up, Little. Our hopes go with you." She smiled at me and waved forward. "Go on."

The vision dimmed. The mare sat around a table. There were other ponies. Several looked sad, one looked furious. The angry one slammed the table with his hooves. "You murdered them! Worst of all, you poisoned hundreds of ponies." He had long dark red and black hair for his mane.

She shrank back. "I, uh, we tried our best, sir."

"Your best isn't good enough." He waved a hoof in an angry sweep. "This 'outer' space is as dangerous as we thought."

I tried to move, but couldn't. I didn't have a body. I was just a witness to the scene.

A lanky male, the one that had spotted the bad dial, stood up. "Sir, please. The mistake was mine. Don't bl--"

The angry one struck him across the snout, knocking the skinny one down in a pile. "Talk only when you're addressed. You're only here to be charged properly. All research concerning this 'outer space' is suspended. Any attempt to reach, interfere, or so much as discuss it is hereby illegal!"

She rose to her hooves with a new fire in her eyes. "You can't do this! Our future's up there, not down here!"

He stepped towards her, towering over her and glaring down at her. "You've demonstrated quite nicely what 'future' awaits us up there." He waved a hoof to the side and several guards stepped forward, spears at the ready. "Take her away. Let her rot while she considers the consequences of her actions."

They grabbed her by the forehooves and lifted her up, carting her away as she struggled and screamed. "This isn't right! You can't stop progress like this!"

When she was out of sight and hearing, he sank. "Throw the rest out. They're just pawns. Rough them up if you want, I don't care. Just get rid of them."

The other researchers went pale and tried to scatter, only to be caught easily by the trained soldiers and dragged away in a wailing mass. There was angry shouting, and noises of pain, but eventually that became quiet as well.

The angry one was the only one left, and he sagged against the table. "I'm so sorry, my son... I never should have allowed you to take part." He pulled out a picture of a black colt with an innocent grin. "I'll never get you back, but I'll make sure she suffers at least half as much as I am." He kissed the photo, and it all faded away.

I came to with a sudden gasp, just to be bowled over as a shadowy pony fell over on top of me. I quickly remembered the fight I had left. The black ball was gone, and with it, it seemed, much of their power. The shadow ponies were in full retreat, turning to vapor as they jumped into the cracks of the walls to vanish away.

Trixie clopped a hoof on the ground. "And stay gone!"

Pinkie hopped over to me and sat down. "You alright? You were just kinda staring there all googly eyed while we were playing with the other ponies."

I sat up and nodded to her. "Yeah, I'm alright. I saw more of them."

Trixie gave a sweeping scan of the room before she lit up her horn and sat across from me. "You will tell us everything. Trixie wishes to hear this."

I tried to put all the pieces together. "I was a shadow pony who won the right to get blasted into 'outer space', which I think was what they thought of the outside world, you know, beyond their caves. It went wrong, I, uh, the pony I saw through, he died. The scientist in charge took all the blame and the head pony sent her to jail and punished all the ponies involved. I think I might have been the head pony's son or something."

Trixie raised a brow. "You are saying many things too quickly for Trixie to fully understand. The shadow ponies were that organized? They had science?" She leaned forward. "They had love? Why did they wish to reach the surface, to spread and conquer?"

Pinkie snorted. "No, that'd be silly! " She nudged me with a hoof. "They just got scared huh?"

"Yeah, scared..." I stood up from where the flying pony had bowled me over. "They made it illegal to even talk about going outside."

Trixie tapped her chin. "Do you know what went wrong?"

I didn't, and said as much. "Just that a lot of ponies died or got sick from the attempt."

Pinkie stuck out a tongue. "That's a major downer. Twilight'd be super sad if one of her experiments hurt ponies."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "She's exactly the kind of pony that'd try something capable of it. No matter. Familiar, that's two down. We just need to reach the surface again."

"No." I pointed into the dark. "We have to find her. We can't leave her down here as a half monster. She's sadder than she ever was before, and it's our fault."

Trixie looked across at Pinkie, who shrugged. "Hey, he's your familiar, not mine. I agree with him though. We should try to help her."

With a sigh, mother relented. "Very well. Trixie understands. We will find Sweet Tooth. What will we do once she is calmed? Can she even come with us? She can't very well remain here alone. The shadow ponies may hunt her."

We began walking down alongside the river, deeper into the depths. "I don't know, but we'll get to that. First, we reach her, and we do what we can. She doesn't deserve to wallow in pain without even knowing why."

Pinkie perked an ear before she jumped ahead. "I think I hear somepony!" She dashed off, leaving us to hustle after her. We reached a small cliff just steep enough that Trixie and I had to climb down carefully. How had Pinkie just gotten past? She was still up ahead. "Come on, guys!"

Trixie huffed as she stomped forward. "That pink menace. Come, familiar, we need to go faster if we're to keep up with the likes of her." Her magic grabbed me and soon I was riding mother into the darkness. The idea of riding my mother around made me giggle, and a glimpse of someone came up.

My mother. She was a nice woman. Human, not pony. She always invited me and my roomie to come by for the major holidays. She didn't bother me about not having a hugely successful life. "You make your ends meet, and you're happy. That's all I can ask from anyone." She gave great hugs, and cooked even better.

She lived with someone else... my father? I couldn't remember it. As I struggled to do so, I was shaken out of my thoughts. Trixie was looking over her shoulder at me. "Familiar, I've lost her. Do you hear her inane prattlings?"

I tried to listen, but listening wasn't really an active thing. I didn't hear her. "Nothing but us."

Trixie grunted and sat down on her haunches, with her magic holding me up against her. "She makes a better court jester than a traveling companion... Sometimes, Trixie swears..." She stood back up and shook her head. "She is sorry. This has been a long day. Shall we?"

I reached around her and gently tapped her nose. "Let's."

She wriggled her nose and raised a brow at me before continuing forward, with the lantern and her magic to ward off the darkness. 

Did Pinkie have another light?
> 12 - An Offered Hand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Trixie trotted through the tunnel, we could see it branched off into many smaller passages, each one going beyond the reach of our lights. Beside that, I noticed her magic never let go of me for a moment.

I got curious about that. "Mom, what's up with the magic?" Sure, I remembered my real mother, but I felt something for Trixie. She was my pony mom, if that made any sense. In a perfect world, I'd introduce them to each other, and invite Trixie over for thanksgiving. She probably wouldn't like the turkey overly much, but mom's stuffing...

"Familiar?" She was staring at me. Did I space out. "There you are. Trixie said she didn't want us being separated again. The shadow loves pulling you away from Trixie, and she won't tolerate it any further."

That made a kind of sense. "But you can't hold me all day and night. If it wants to get us apart, it'll wait for the right time. I don't think that's the last we've seen of it."

She tossed her mane with a soft hmmph. "Then Trixie will have to banish it properly. Perhaps to Hades. I hear that's an ideal place for ne'erdowells."

Could ponies do that? She laughed at my expression. "Did Trixie not mention how Great and Powerful she was?"

I gave her neck a soft pet and she snorted. "Why do you keep doing that? Trixie is not your pet. Attempt to withhold your overwhelming desire to stroke her magnificent coat."

Her neck happened to be a handy place to hold as she walked, and was soft beside. Still, boundaries. I kept my hands still and leaned over her a little, trying to peer into the dark. "Pinkie could have gone into any of these tunnels. Which one do you think we should try?"

She tapped her chin a moment. "They all look the same to her. All things being equal, it matters little we select." She turned and started for one of the tunnels. as she turned her horn for the wall and it sparkled as a stencil of herself appeared doing a victorious hoof's up. "There. We will know which we have explored."

A form of smoke seeped from the wall ahead of us, quickly forming into one of the shadow ponies. It glared at us but didn't immediately spring to attack. "You took one of ours. We took one of yours."

From the darkness, the form of Sweet Tooth was hurled, still half tarry monster, half softly sniffing pony.

"Go."

Trixie raised a hoof, ready to argue, but I had a different idea. "Alright. We'll meet again."

The shadow laughed, a dry and distant sound. "So easily you concede. Do you like her so little? I will enjoy the look of pain on her face."

I shook my head. "Tell her I know she'll be alright, and that I trust her."

"More the fool be you!" The shadow turned as it faded away, vanishing into the wall.

Sweet Tooth looked up at us a moment before she slowly rolled up. "H-hello again... I'm sorry... I've cost another pony their lives."

Trixie softly snorted. "Trixie does not trust Pinkie for many things, but surviving she can do well."

I gave a quick nod as I tried to slip off of Trixie, but her magic held me tight. "Sweet, do you know how long you've been down here?"

Sweet's tarry ears flicked back as she ran her normal tongue over her black snout. "I'm not sure... Nothing is where it should be. Please, you've been so kind to me, tell me what's going on?"

Trixie turned around slowly. "Come with us, Sweet Tooth. Trixie will show you the way out."

"Out?" She rose to her hooves and started following. "Out of where?"

"Did you ever hear of outer space?" I wasn't sure any but a few of them had, from what I had seen.

She shook her head with blinking eyes of tar. "Isn't that just a made up place? How can we go there? It's not safe!"

Trixie looked over her shoulder. "We made it through there, and we're fine, are we not? Have faith in Trixie and her astounding familiar. We won't lead you astray."

"Y-yes, of course..." She reached up with a hoof to her own face. "What happened to me?"

I took a slow breath as I readied to answer that as best as I could. "Well, you were in an accident. A lot of ponies were. Your old city is gone. We'd like to bring you to our city."

She was silent for a time, clopping along with her head low. "So... he's gone. I'm a terrible mother."

"No! I mean, there wasn't anything you could do about it. Beating yourself up isn't going to fix things."

She gave the ghost of a smile. "And pretending it's alright won't bring him back, either."

Trixie swiveled an ear back at Sweet. "Did you have a husband?"

"No." She pawed at her head again as she walked. "Why am I so hideous? Why didn't you just destroy me when you had the chance?"

I tried to pull away, but Trixie's magic was quite adamant. "Trixie, let me up. I'm not going far, I swear."

Trixie looked over her shoulder as she walked forward. "She doesn't mean to cast doubts, but it hasn't worked out well so far."

Sweet moved up beside Trixie and set a hoof on her shoulder. "Even if he's not here... you have to let them go, or they'll resent you."

Shrinking back from the touch, Trixie huffed. "He is not my foal!" She stopped and lowered to the ground. "Fine, but stay close to Trixie, alright?"

I slid off of her back and moved around to Sweet Tooth. "I don't think you became... this... to hurt people."

"I didn't?" She tilted her head at me. "All I knew was hunger. How's that a good thing? How could that possibly be anything but terrible? I'm still hungry." She put a hoof to her furry belly, rubbing gently. "You're not even safe around me."

I reached for the hoof on her belly and squeezed it as my other hand slowly pet over her tummy. "Think back. When was the last time you saw your, uh, foal?"

She smiled even as new tears began to build in her black eyes. "Little Tummy Rumble... He loved having his belly rubbed, just like that. I remember trying to do something. I was..." She trailed off with a deep scowl. "I can't remember. He was there. I was there. Why didn't I save him? Why am I still here?"

Trixie turned to us. "Trixie sees where her familiar is going. If you can only remember engulfing things, did you try to do this for your child?"

Her eyes widened. Sweet shook her head violently. "I didn't! Oh please tell me I didn't eat him!" She collapsed to the ground, weeping like a broken siren.

That wasn't what I had meant to work towards. "No no! Shhh. You did what any mother could."

"W-what's that?" She looked up, her muzzle running with goopy lines. Every word made them stretch and wobble.

"You threw yourself around him, to protect him. If you could just get him to safety, you thought. If you could take the horror for him. You wanted to hug him so tight you'd be hurt instead of him."

She slowly sat up, nodding even as she shuddered with a silent sniffle. "But it didn't work. Where is he? Why am I still here?"

Trixie reached out and poked Sweet Tooth in the side, where her furry and goopy halves met. "You ejected Trixie when you wanted to. Is he still there, she wonders?"

Sweet went rigid. "Could it?" Her runny ears raised up. "But it's been so long..."

I hugged her, even if that meant part of me started to sink into her. "We're here for you. When you're stronger, and ready, we'll get him back."

She quickly pushed me back with a hoof. "I don't want to eat you, kind, uh, what are you?"

"He is my familiar." Trixie smiled proudly. "He is a human."

"Human, yes. Thank you. Thank you so much." She raised a leg and wiped off her face. "I can handle this. If there's some chance, even a little one, that I can get him back. I'll hang in there."

"Frisk," I corrected, but was that my name before? That didn't want to come to me yet. On one hand, I wanted to hurry it along, but the rest was coming at its own pace. I'd learn about myself as I learned more about these dark ponies and their past. "My name's Frisk. Nice to meet you, Sweet Tooth."

She offered a hoof with a smile. "You saved me, all of you. Thank you." We shook gently as she continued, "We'll find your friend, the pink one. They said I wasn't 'one of them' anymore, and threw me out while dragging her away. It was terrible! What are they?"

Trixie gestured towards the tunnel we had come out of. "Umbrum. Quite a menace to the ponies of the Crystal Empire."

Sweet Tooth had no idea what that was, but we put the question aside for the moment. We had to get out of these tunnels! At least the river gave us a clear path to the city. I kept half an eye on it as we walked. "If it wasn't for that waterfall, and all the sharp rocks, I'd say we could just float down to the city and save a lot of time."

"Would that it were so simple, familiar." Trixie frowned. "Wait, Trixie has a sudden idea. It's crazy, but she thinks it may work." Before either of us could question it, she took a deep breath and bellowed, "Aquator, you sunken example of shadow, come before Trixie!"

The water before us began to froth violently before the familiar shape of water and darkness emerged, forming into the horse-sized pony. "Are you that eager to be crushed early, witch?" His eyes, mere impressions of focus without actual pupils, seemed to turn to Sweet Tooth. "You've taken a hostage?"

Sweet recoiled. "What? No! They're my friends." She took a slow step forward. "W-who are you?"

"I am Aquator, harbinger of the dark and crusher of the light. You would do well to avoid these champions of the light."

Trixie scoffed lightly. "She is in our care, and will be handled well, we assure. We survived your little 'challenge', and defeated the second root of your power. Take us to the surface so that we can move to the next."

"Why should I?!" He stomped a hoof to the ground as he stepped free of the water. "You should rot forever in the dark, lost and alone."

I spread my hands wide. "You won't have your proper victory until we fail against your forces and then, ultimately, you. Besides, we're not lost, or alone. The river says which way to go, and we have each other, and Sweet Tooth."

He frowned, water rolling over water in his scowl. "Your logic infuriates me. Let us hasten your defeat then." He stepped back into the water, but his back remained above the surface. "Get on, and hold tightly, for I will not slow for you. Should you fall, that will be your own failing."
> 13 - The Embrace of the Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was one of the situations where I felt I had an advantage over my larger and stronger pony friends. Even their fancy magic wouldn't let them grab onto the wet hide of Aquator for dear life. Trixie and Sweet Tooth were sprawled out on their bellies, and we were all screaming.

He made our raft ride look sluggish with how quickly he darted down the stream. He reached the waterfall almost instantly and flowed down it faster than mere gravity could provide. The water on either side flew up in wild sprays from his passing, and he was laughing. Oh man, that laughing. Like a lunatic, he whooped and hollered. I swore he was having fun showing off for us, not that we could pay too much attention to anything but not being thrown off into the waters at any moment.

With a huge wave, he came to a sudden halt in the pool we started with. The crystal ponies there shrieked in surprise as they were drenched from mane to tail in Aquator's wave.

He laughed at their misfortune. "Fear not, pathetic crystal ponies. I have only delivered your 'champion'." He stepped from the water and sank to his belly, giving us a chance to get off. "I look forward to seeing you falter. I will be there to claim you, and our game will come to an end."

A new wail suddenly raised. It was no crystal pony, or me, or Trixie. I turned around to see Sweet Tooth shrunk into a ball, smoking and sizzling. "Trixie, get her into shade, now!"

Trixie nodded as she hopped off of Aquator and lifted Sweet with her magic, galloping swiftly to the nearest house with an overhang.

Aquator scowled at the closest of our group, who was me. "If you allow her to come to harm, I will crush you, failed or not." He turned away and jumped into the water, vanishing on contact.

"She's alright," called Trixie and I hurried over to her side. Sweet was breathing hard, but wasn't actively smoking anymore. "What do you suppose caused such a severe reaction?"

I waved a hand at her. "She's a dark pony. This is the 'poison gas' they were afraid of being in 'outer space'."

Sweet rolled to her belly and pushed on trembling legs to her haunches. "What? This?" She squinted out of her shelter at the equally confused crystal ponies that gaped at her. "This is the outer space? Why is everything so bright? I can barely see anything."

Trixie clopped her hooves and reached into her cloak, reaching around until she found a garish pair of pink sunglasses that she placed right on Sweet's black snout. "How is this?"

Sweet smiled brightly. "Much better, thank you. How can you two see?"

I remembered the lantern I had hanging at my side and turned it off with a twist. "We're sort of the opposite. We need extra light to see down there. Up here, it's normal for us."

Sweet nodded slowly. "Your... Your world is under attack?"

Trixie tilted her head. "Hmm? Yes, by shadow ponies. Have no fear, Trixie is on the case! By my calculations, we're one third complete. At this rate, we'll be done soon."

Sweet reached a hoof towards Trixie. "Let me help. I didn't save my son, or my friends, but I can help you, and your friends."

Trixie's expression went flat. "Did Trixie say she required assistance?"

I put a hand in front of her. "Despite that, we would be honored, but it will be dangerous."

"I don't care." Sweet flicked her runny tail softly. "I have to prove I'm not just a monster... to me."

Trixie shoved a hoof in front of me, returning the gesture. "My familiar is growing quite bold! Give us one moment." Her magic wrapped around me and lifted me from the ground as she walked off with me into the light, where Sweet wasn't likely to follow. "Now then, why would you want to take her? She's emotionally crippled, has no useful skills, is frightened, and a liability. There's no good reason to allow her to accompany us."

I glanced at Sweet. She was gazing at us hopefully when she wasn't looking around with wide eyes of tar. Everything was new to her. She looked so eager, and scared. "Look, I know that, but she needs this. She's the first dark pony we've really met, and possibly the only one this close to being a normal pony instead of a 'monster' as she called it. She wants to redeem herself. We should help her, and maybe she'll go back to being all a pony."

Trixie put a hoof over her face. "Familiar, you're making this more complicated than it needs to be. Very well, the Generous and Magnanimous Trixie will allow this, but you must keep an eye on her. She is your responsibility, and if you fail, it will reflect poorly on Trixie. Now, how do you intend to get her around without her lighting on fire, possibly literally?"

I pointed up at the huge crystal castle. "Maybe we should check in with Cadance. In the mean time, a nice big cloak might keep the sun off of her."

"Mmm, yes, a nic--Hey! You are not suggesting!? No! Trixie refuses." She turned her head from me.

I reached for her cloak and gave it a mild pull. "She needs it more than you right now. The Generous and Magnanimous Trixie should let her wear it a little while. It'll be the greatest moment of her life."

"As well it should be!" She stood up and sighed. "Oh very well, but if she gets tar all over Trixie's fine clothing, then it will be your responsibility to pay for any repairs." She flicked off her cape and hat with a flourish of magic, swirling the cape around and bringing it to a still, folded neatly with the hat on top. After wearing it for so long, she looked... exposed. "No laughing! You laugh even once, familiar, and I will change her mind." Her tenses were slipping, I must have been really bothering her.

"No laughing, promise. Let's get them on Sweet."

Trixie and I returned to Sweet, who smiled brightly when we came close. "What were you talking about? Why aren't you dressed anymore?"

Coughing softly into a hoof, she presented her cape and hat. "That is because Trixie has named you honorary magician's student! Do you accept this great honor?"

Sweet's eyes widened before she began to clop her hooves excitedly. "Yes yes yes! But... I can't do magic like you can, Trixie."

Trixie waved. "It is to be expected. None can be quite as Great and Fantastic as Trixie. Go on, try them on."

Giggling nervously, Sweet grabbed the cape and threw it over herself. Trixie's magic grabbed the front of it by the cords and quickly tied it into place before placing the hat gently on her head. Sweet looked herself over, shaking herself a little. "It's gorgeous! Thank you, Trixie. Thank you, Frisk." She gave both of us soft hugs. So long as we didn't try to hug back, she was soft and furry. "Now what?"

Trixie gestured to the castle. "Have you ever met a princess before?"

She blinked softly. "N-no..."

I threw my hands wide. "Today is the day! Come on." I reached for one of her forehooves and drew her into the light. She flinched with fear, and maybe a little pain, but the cloak was doing its job and concealing most of her form from immediate burning.

"Oh, I didn't know your clothing protected from the poison gas... It still stings a little, but it isn't so bad now..." Sweet ventured past me into the light, looking around eagerly. "Can we see more?"

Trixie trotted past her. "There will be time for sight seeing later. For now, we present you to the princess. She is very kind and understanding, and will be delighted to see you."

I walked on the other side of Sweet. "I'm sure she will be. You're the first pony of your people anyone's ever met."

Sweet suddenly stopped. "R-really? I'm the only one?" She shuffled, looking awkward. "The only one?"

Trixie frowned faintly. "Be at ease, Sweet Tooth. If my familiar retains his ways, I'm certain we will find others of your people before this journey is over."

Sweet looked to me with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, but said nothing.

I smiled at her and gave a thumbs up, even if I wasn't sure ponies would  understand that gesture. "Have no fear. We're going to get this done the right way. I'll find them."

"The right way..." She nodded. "Like when you... You pulled me out of that pain. True, there are other hurts behind it, but I... I want to be here. I want to see, and live." She smiled just a little. "I want to live." Her face suddenly became furry. Her eyes drew in the tar around them, becoming deep dark pools with brilliant green irises. She shuddered as she gasped, overwhelmed by the sudden change.

Trixie glanced at me. "See, my familiar has that effect. Is he not amazing?"

"He... He is..." She was crying, but they were real tears, instead of streaks of goop. "Thank you, both of you."

"Are you all normal?" I couldn't see most of her, hidden by her clothing.

She twisted on herself and flicked her tail, showing it was still made of pitch-black tar. "No, but closer... See, I need to be with you, and find myself, and prove myself, to me. Thank you for letting me stay." She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek suddenly. "Let's go."

We walked through the city, even if I was blushing a little. I was perhaps the first thing she'd kissed in, uh... "Trixie, how long has the crystal empire been here?"

Trixie frowned as she walked. "Well, it was gone for a thousand years, so longer than that. Trixie doesn't have the exact year."

A thousand years?! "What do you mean 'gone', exactly?"

Trixie tilted her head. "Did she not tell you? The shadow pony, the Umbrum, Sombra, he was being attacked by Celestia and Luna. Rather than face possible defeat, he cursed the city, ripping it out of existence for a thousand years. He almost reclaimed the city afterwards. Fortunately, they found Cadance and she was ready to activate the crystal heart."

Sweet blinked softly. "I don't understand half the things you just said. Sombra? Umbrum? What are Celestia and Luna? Crystal heart? Cadance is the princess we're going to see, right?"

One advantage of not being the newest one in the group, she asked the questions I was thinking without my having to sound like the clueless one. I just nodded at Trixie, and she began telling us what little she knew of Sombra, and the much greater amount about the Royal Sisters of Canterlot. It was a reasonable way to pass the time as we approached the castle.
> 14 - A Shadow Across Our Threshold
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The guards looked at us with undisguised curiosity. Flash was there and waved lightly as we approached. "Hello, Trixie Lulamoon, familiar. Who are you bringing with you?" Though he addressed us first, his eyes were on Sweet. Her deep black fur and her eyes that were vibrant enough to be mutely visible behind her pink sunglasses made her quite a sight.

I waved to Sweet. "This is Sweet Tooth, a very kind pony that needs asylum."

Flash straightened. "A-asylum?! Do you understand the full meaning of that word?"

Trixie glanced aside at me before nodding at Flash. "A bit dramatic, but true. Her people are homeless and scattered at best."

Sweet brought up a hoof in a curious gesture. "Darkness protect you, sir."

It was as is she'd screamed bomb, the way even ponies stopped dead in their tracks to stare at her with various masks of awe and fear.

Thinking fast, I waved them on. "From the shadow, right?"

Sweet looked baffled. "Without light, there would be no shadow. There can be darkness without light, but not shadow."

She may have been technically correct, but it wasn't calming anyone. Trixie gestured inside. "Princess Cadance will sort this out."

Flash stowed his spear at his back. "I'll accompany you. To prevent misunderstandings, you know."

Just as we began to enter, a rather well-to-do mare marched up us. The tension of conflict blossomed. "You are not bringing that shadow creature inside the Crystal Palace!" Beside her 'Flatter' and 'Mock' appeared with the others.

Flash tried to brush past her, but she was having none of it. "I expected better from you, Sir Sentry. Have you gone turncoat on us? The Princess will hear of this betrayal!"

I looked her over carefully, letting the knowledge come to me. Her name was Cautious Love. Wife of a minor crystal pony of supposed noble breeding. That name, it could have meant so many things... She was quite proud of her clothing, though they looked bland to me.

Trixie waved past her. "Out of our way. Who do you think we're on the way to see, you miserable cow."

"Cow?!" She stomped a hoof roughly on the carpet. "You reject from a rundown circus. You don't even belong in this castle at all!"

Glaring down at me, her insults continued. "And what is this? Some kind of trained monkey? Is it even house trained? It's filthy and smells. Mister Sentry, you've taken all leave of your senses letting this party of degenerates through."

I should have taken the high road. I knew it at the time, but I was feeling angry. With a flat look, I stared at her. "At least I didn't do my clothes shopping in a bargain bin." 'Mock' flashed beside her.

She recoiled back, stuttering and fuming. "W-what? What did you just say!? You take that back, you filthy beast!"

Trixie flashed a predatory smile. "At least Trixie has the decency to go with nothing, as opposed to stooping so low as your current attire. Shameful."

Cautious Love shook with fury even as a few tears began to show in her eyes. Sweet suddenly moved between Cautious and I. "Stop that! She has the right to be frightened, but you don't get to make fun of her clothes."

"Even the monster pities me!" She ran off in a full weeping mode. The tension fell. The conflict was over. I didn't hear any coins result.

Flash let out a little breath. "I'm sorry about that. We should get moving before other ponies want to get involved. This way." He began down the hallway at a brisk pace, and we fell in behind.

I slid over to beside Sweet. "Sorry if we offended you back there. She just really pushed my buttons."

Trixie snorted. "She was looking for buttons to press. Miserable mare, trying to make herself look more important."

Sweet shook her head as she walked. "It's alright... but you should apologize to her the next time you see her. She was just scared... She has every right." She flicked her tail into view. "I am a monster..."

I didn't accept that. "She couldn't even see that. All she knew was that you were foreign and different and that made her scared, not you being an actual monster, which you aren't."

"How am I not?" She tilted her head at me as we walked.

"Being a monster is action, not just form." I crossed my arms. "You made a decision, for peace, and to make friends. You're not a monster, goopy or not."

Trixie flashed a smile. "If you stay at our side, soon you won't be a monster on the outside, but Trixie agrees. You are certainly no monster inside. Why, you even stood up for that insufferable mare just a moment ago. You are a pony with a good heart."

"Oh, I do hope so..."

We became a little quiet until we reached the throne room's door. There were other ponies in line, waiting for admittance. Flash pointed a hoof at it. "Get on line for now. I'll tell Cadance what's going on. You may have to wait anyway. Nobles don't like skipping ahead of them."

I waved a hand at him. "Don't sweat it. We're not a band of monsters, but we're not special either."

"Speak for yourself, familiar."

"I mean, we can wait a few minutes."

Flash nodded with a smile before trotting off into the throne room, leaving us behind. We settled in our place on line. Most of the others chatted with others beside them, though eyes turned our way in furtive glances. One, braver than the others, approached. She had her mane up in a bun and a toga like outfit that shone softly with the same sparkling nature as her pelt. "Hello there."

Trixie nodded at her. "A pleasure to meet you."

She smiled. "The feeling is mutual. Miss Lulamoon. I've heard of you, and what you've already done for our city. Thank you." Her eyes turned to Sweet. "But you're new. May I ask who you are, ma'am?"

Sweet smiled back, trying to match the gesture I thought. "Hello! I'm Sweet Tooth. These two are taking care of me, and I'm trying to help them with their quest."

"Oh how brave of you," said the crystal mare in an appreciative tone. "I hope you don't find this offensive, but I've never seen a pony with such a black pelt before. It's deeper than the black sky. It's... actually kind of pretty, miss, if you don't mind my saying so."

Sweet colored along her ears, turning red there as she looked away. "Y-you're flattering me. Look at you, all sparkling and bright."

She made a dismissive wave of a hoof. "We're all sparkling and bright. That's nothing special. You, on the other hoof. That's truly remarkable. Even outside the Crystal Empire, ponies come in many colors, but such an utter black? And those eyes! They stand out so startlingly. May I see them without the glasses in the way?"

Sweet glanced at us, but neither of us had any objection on principle. She reached up for her glasses and closed her eyes before sliding them off. She squinted them open. It was much less bright inside than it was in the sun, but I could see it was still bright by Sweet's scale. She slowly forced them open bit by bit before she let out her breath. "I can barely see."

The crystal mare reached for the glasses and carefully slid them right back on Sweet's face. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it would be painful for you. Your eyes really are lovely, Sweet."

Sweet blinked the traces of tears away as she became comfortable again. "T-thank you, miss."

Trixie gestured at Sweet dramatically. "Sweet Tooth may become a citizen of your fine empire."

"Oh! That would be lovely." The mare smiled with her sparkling teeth. "Do tell me if you do. I'm Rosey Quartz, and I'd love to become a friend of yours, Sweet Tooth. I'm sure you have interesting... well, interests. Do you read?"

Sweet shook her head. "Not much. I prefer to cook sweet things."

"Oh how delightful!" She nodded firmly. "You let me know if you move in. We'll treat you right, dear." She trotted away with a little wave, leaving Sweet looking flustered, but in a good way.

I decided Rosey was a nice mare. A nice switch of pace from the first crystal pony Sweet had met. "See, you're no monster."

Sweet suddenly shrank a little. "She didn't see that part..."

Trixie snorted. "All the better that we're going to get you all fixed before you move in, and you can be good friends with her and her friends as well."

Sweet put her hooves on Trixie's shoulders. "Do you mean it!? Are you sure? I would really like that... I thought... for a moment there, that the crystal ponies were not good to be around, but she was so kind. Are there others like her?"

Thinking back on the many crystal ponies I had met, I nodded. "I'm new to the city too, and almost all of them are just nice people. They want to be friends, even if shadows spook them easily."

Reassured, she relaxed. "It's good to know you two aren't just a fluke... I mean, if you came to my city, whenever that was, they would have thought you were horrible monsters from outer space, and would not have treated you kindly." She looked at Trixie. "Your fur, it's all... blue. A little blue, that's normal, but everywhere bright? That's not normal, not for us." She reached up for her hat and lifted it off, showing the bright red stripe that ran through her mane, matching her eye color. "See?"

Trixie looked over herself, then Sweet. "Trixie does see, but she is not a dark pony. She is perfectly normal in coloration, even if Great and Powerful. She takes special pride in her lustrous silver mane and tail." She flicked her tail lightly, then gestured at Sweet's bottom half.  "Do you have a red stripe there as well?"

Sweet shook her head. "Most colors only appear in the mane. There are... were... exceptions. One of my friends had a spiral that ran down their entire back. I was so jealous of him." She giggled softly. "Now I feel so very foolish, surrounded by ponies with so much color everywhere, that praise me for being black."

Our turn was coming up soon. I reached and took Sweet's hoof. "There are going to be a lot of ponies in the next room, most of them wearing bright golden armor. They're there to protect Cadance from any bad ponies, not like you. They're harmless. I even hugged her once without them hurting me."

She burst into loud giggles. "You hugged their princess!?" Eyes turned towards her at the exclamation. "You truly are an amazing person, Frisk. Do you think she'll be as friendly with me? I'm so nervous right now..."

Trixie waved off the question. "Calm yourself. You're in the company of the Great and Powerful Trixie and her trusted familiar. We will introduce you to her properly, and soon we will all be familiar. Besides, did she not say Cadance is a kind pony? Do you know what she is the princess of?"

"The Crystal Empire?"

"Well, yes, but before even that, she was the princess of love, and still bears that title with pride."

"Trixie Lulamoon!" Our turn was up. We stood up and walked towards the throne room, hoping for the best.
> 15 - Dark Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Announcing Trixie Lulamoon, and her familiar, Frisk. They are accompanied by a refugee." A pony stepped to the side, introductions delivered.

Cadance nodded at us. "Good to see you all return, and with company?" Her eyes fixed on Sweet Tooth. "Welcome. Refugee they say?"

Sweet tensed up but looked like she was trying to talk through it. "Oh, well, I think my city's been... It's a long time, your majesty. You have a... lovely, um, bright city."

I tried to come to the rescue, sliding partially in front of her. "This is Sweet Tooth. She was a chef a long time ago, before some calamity scattered her people. They lived underground." I put a hand low to the ground. "It's a long story that I'm still trying to piece together."

Trixie tipped her head towards me. "We are still unraveling this mystery. Trixie believes, like the Crystal Empire itself, her people have suffered a terribly long curse. Sweet has mostly shaken off hers, with our help."

Cadance tapped her chin curiously. "They lived beneath the Crystal Empire? How long ago was this? Did they come before or during its founding?"

Sweet shook her head quickly. "I don't know, your majesty. I don't even know how long I... I'd rather not speak of that."

A sympathetic look crossed Cadance's features. "You look haunted, please, relax. Nopony wishes you to be anything but comfortable. Tell me, if you would, why are you wearing Trixie's clothes? And while those glasses are adorable, I presume they are not your usual fashion."

Sweet looked up from the ground to take in Cadance's features for the first real time. Her head leaned off to the left slowly. "I... Miss, why... There's... Nnng." She arched her back up before it exploded upwards in a plume of black, tossing the cloak aside. She was still fuzzy across her belly, legs and head, but her back had become a huge visage of goopy tar with its own face that scowled at Cadance.

The tension of conflict erupted into full force even as the guards brought their spears to the ready and hurried to put themselves between Sweet and their princess. Words seemed to want to appear beside Sweet, but they were distorted badly and unreadable. I was on my own. Putting a hand out, I tried to calm things. "Sweet, relax. We're here for you, as friends."

"I am not sweet," spoke the greasy stuff in an unpleasant gurgle. "I am hungry. Princess of Light, revenge will be mine!" Without delay, it lashed out a black tendril and knocked two of the guards against the wall, where they couldn't escape, all gooped up and glued in place.

Trixie winced as she grabbed her discarded cloak and brought it around herself with almost unnerving ease. "Sweet Tooth, take control of yourself this instant."

Sweet stomped on the ground as she swayed left and right. "I'm trying! Oh... Oh please..."

The monster on top of her didn't care for her pleas, knocking the other half of the guards on duty aside. "Mistress of 'love'. You only sow hatred and death. Cursed with the touch of destruction, you look so delicious."

Cadance's wings shot out. "Get off that innocent mare!" she shouted before her horn lit up and she fired a pink beam into the gooey mass. It roared in seeming pain before it opened before the blast and, ate it, I thought? It began to swell larger on top of Sweet and Cadance cut off the beam. "This isn't working."

From behind us, Shining Armor and two more guards rushed into the room. The creature swung at them immediately, but Shining slid beneath its tendril and blasted it in a sudden slash of magic across its body. It wailed. Sweet wailed. They were both hurt by the strike.

This wasn't the right way. "Stop that!" I rushed between Sweet and Shining, only to get snatched up by a sticky psuedopod and yanked into the air. Despite hanging upside down, I waved my hands frantically. "It's all part of Sweet Tooth, don't blast it!"

I was suddenly gobbled, plunged into darkness. Was I dead? No! I was determined to save Sweet, and myself.

"--usual fashion," said Cadance with a sympathetic smile.

Sweet looked up at Cadance for the first real time, only to find her vision blocked as I rushed ahead of her and hugged her tightly. "It's okay..."

She recoiled in surprise, but smiled gently. "T-thank you. This is all... It's all so overwhelming. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a bother."

Cadance waved a hoof. "You are no bother. A pony in genuine need is not a 'bother'. You are welcome here. What did you say your tribe was?"

Trixie answered that with a smile, proud to have the information. "She is a dark pony. As far as Trixie has determined, they only had one variety, but that could be proven wrong in time. They can see in pitch darkness, though the sun harms them, and even the light of this room is considered glaring, which is why Trixie gave her those glasses."

Sweet smiled at Trixie. "Trixie is very kind to do that."

Trixie laughed softly. "Are you imitating her?" She leaned towards Sweet. "Go on."

They both giggled as I let out a sigh of relief. The catastrophe seemed to have passed.

Cadance nodded to our group. "Trixie, I leave her in your care for now. If you need funds to settle her or get her supplies, just submit the receipts and we'll handle it. She seems very comfortable with you and your familiar's company."

I nodded quickly. "She's coming with us, for now. She wants to see our task carried through, then we'll see about getting her a nice place to stay. She's already made a friend."

Cadance's features erupted into a warm smile. "Oh, has she? That's wonderful to hear. I hope you make many more. A good day to you all."

We were dismissed, and left quietly for the next party to come in for Cadance's time. Trixie moved up quickly beside me. "Do not forget Trixie remembers what she saw. She is glad that worked out. What did you do, precisely?"

I reached out and gently stroked across Sweet's left foreleg. "You were looking a little overwhelmed, Sweet. You haven't fully recovered from your traumatic time. Don't forget you have friends beside you, who care about you." I hadn't answered Trixie directly, but she seemed to catch the hint well enough.

Sweet turned red at her eartips gently. "It's good to know I do have friends like that. I'm still not sure what you see in me. We're so... different." She suddenly burst into giggles. "Oh who am I talking to? You're not even a pony and you obviously love Trixie so much. You don't care if we're different... You look past little things like fur or big snouts, or if someone is black or bright blue or even that tan color you have."

Trixie put a leg over me and smiled. "Trixie's familiar is very understanding." She squeezed lightly. "Even when Trixie thinks it is to his detriment. Stubborn little miracle worker."

We weren't challenged as we made our way through the castle to the exit. Trixie unfurled the map and pointed. "The next point is outside the city, about twenty minute's hike. It's located under a farmhouse. The house is recent, in the newly reconstructed suburbs of the city. All the farmland that had been in use fell back to the wilds after the city vanished. Hopefully the shadow forces there are not bothering the ponies that live there." She folded the map up and it vanished with a pop. "Shall we?"

I was ready to go, except one thing. "In all this rush, we never got some breakfast, and I think we should bring some extra with us, in case."

Sweet clopped her hooves together. "Oh! What do ponies up here eat? May I try some?"

Trixie waved the question away. "Of course you can. You are the guest of Trixie, and the entire city." She raised a brow. "Have you ever tried an oat shake?"

Unsurprisingly, we ended up visiting that oat shake stand. The pony there smiled at us. "Welcome back! Who's your new friend?"

I waved at Sweet from my Trixie mount. "She's Sweet Tooth. She's never had a shake before."

"Never?! Well, that gets fixed today." A tall cup was quickly produced and slid over the counter. "Here you are, mysterious mare. One of my personal favorites, cinnamon dash surprise."

Sweet reached up and cradled it between her forehooves before she could get her lips on the straw and give a soft pull. "Chilly!" She was quick to try sipping again. "Mmmm, but tasty. It's not very crunchy. How do you get the bugs in here so smooth?"

The standkeeper looked baffled. "No bugs, ma'am."

Trixie quickly ordered a shake for me and herself. "Don't mind her. She has exotic tastes, but she clearly likes your shakes."

Sweet had no reply to give, nursing at her shake with a happy little smile.

I looked to the pony behind the counter. "What would you suggest to take on the road, to eat later?"

"Oh, hmm, my shakes aren't good for that kind of thing, but there's a hayburger just one block that way." An out-thrust hoof pointed the way. "They have good to go options. Good luck on your mission."

And off we went, enjoying our shakes and picking up a bag each of what could become lunch later. Trixie sent them off to some other place, vanishing out of sight. "Trixie can retrieve them when we need them, have no fear."

Sweet shook her head a little with obvious awe. "How can you do things like that? I mean, besides being Great and Powerful."

Trixie tilted her head towards Sweet, bringing her horn closer. "See this? Trixie is a unicorn. Unicorns can perform magic, though many do little more than levitate things or tricks specific to their cutie mark. Fortunately for Trixie, her cutie mark is that of showmareship and flash, so she does many amazing tricks naturally. Trixie is also an eager learner, and has learned many more spells than what she picked up naturally."

Sweet huffed softly. "Lucky... I don't have any magic horns."

Trixie tossed her head, sending her mane in a swirl. "Not everypony can be born a unicorn, sadly."

I reached for Trixie's closest ear and gave a little pull. "Great and Powerful Mistress, that isn't a nice thing to say."

"Hey! It's not my fault unicorns have such obvious advantages."

I pointed up into the air at a pegasus sailing past. "Can you do that?"

Trixie looked up where I pointed and huffed. "No, Trixie supposes not... But she has pulled an entire wagon on her own before, as well as any earth pony, and worked on a rock farm when she had to."

Sweet shook her head. "I never did any of those things... I'll help though, I promise." She turned her head forward and focused on the day ahead. 

We had a city to save.
> 16 - Farm Living
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the city proper, it looked like the country side went on forever. There was also more snow out there.

"The city itself wards most of the snow, but the effect weakens as one travels away from it." Trixie looked at me over a shoulder. "We are in the far north, if you weren't aware."

Sweet tilted her head lightly. "Far north of what? We've already gone further than I remember ever going before. Just how large is outer space, anyway?"

I pointed out to the horizon, which seemed to go on and on. "It's pretty large. We can't even see it all from here." I didn't want to think about that much, that is, I meant... If I couldn't get home? "Trixie? If I'm still here after we finish this quest--"

"Why wouldn't you be?" She quirked an ear at me. "You are Trixie's familiar. We are bound for life. That isn't so bad, is it?"

She sounded a little defensive there. I smiled gently and ran a few fingers through her mane. "No, you're not a bad horse mom, just not my original, and I miss her a little, and my friend."

Trixie drew to a stop. "You had a mother? And a friend?" She peeked over her shoulder. "Trixie thought you were alone before this."

Sweet looked up and across at me, her own ears dancing. "You're not that different from me. I miss my boy, and my friends too." She let out a wistful sigh. "I wish I could go back to them, but I suppose that isn't going to happen." She put a hoof over her chest. "You helped me, I'll return the favor."

Trixie quickly nodded. "Trixie is also here. She will not leave her familiar in crisis." She pulled me up with magic and set me between herself and Sweet. "Trixie has been inconsiderate perhaps. If it makes you happy to call her mother... then go ahead."

I was going to say something, I swear, but Sweet grabbed me into a strong squeeze. "You can call me mom too!"

Alright, two horse moms was maybe too much. I burst into laughter at the whole situation. "Sweet, I'll call you a friend."

Trixie nodded and looked a little cocky at my announcement. "Yes, there is only one mother allowed. Though you are both of our friends."

Sweet stuck out her tongue a little, then sighed as she released me. "I shouldn't be trying to replace my child like that..." She looked to Trixie directly. "You have a very nice child."

"Familiar," corrected Trixie. "And he is Great and Wonderful, like Trixie."

Motioning ahead, I tried to remind them of our mission. "We should get going. The mystery's not going to solve itself."

Trixie snatched me back up to her back and they resumed trotting along the road, clip-clopping side by side. Sweet glanced over on the way. "Do you think they were genuine?"

"Mmm?"

"About liking me, despite my being so different than both of them. We've barely even met and they just don't mind that I'm... what I am."

Trixie shook her head. "You are not offensive to begin with. You should use it to your advantage. Groomed and well-cared for, you will strike many as exotic, not alien. There is a difference."

Considering over her situation, I shrugged. "It'd be nice if we could figure out how to get you out of those clothes if you wanted to without you being burned, but that's not your fault."

Sweet gave a little nod, before a smile returned. "The princess said I could have a house, did she not? I can make it nice for me there, where I can be as clothed as I want to, or don't."

As we walked, I imagined her little abode, windows all closed tightly against the light. Would visitors need to bring lanterns? The image was amusing, but not productive. I turned my eyes ahead to where the farm house was getting closer. The fields looked normal. I think they were growing crystal berries? They glimmered and they were round and different shades of blue and red. So long as they weren't as hard as the gems they looked like, I would have tried to sample one, but who could be sure?

Emerging from the farmhouse was a crystal pony with a passive face. A stallion, I thought. I was starting to get the hang of telling one from the other. He walked towards us in no particular hurry. "'Lo there. Ya come from the city? Not much to be seeing here, I'm afraid." His voice lacked energy, and his eyes didn't quite meet ours.

I didn't like it, and I think Trixie felt my tension. "Oh, excuse us. We've come to address a little disturbance and we'll be out of your way in no time at all. I am Trixie, this is my familiar, and our friend, Sweet."

"Yuh huh. Well ya can just turn right around. There ain't nothing wrong around here that needs fixing."

Sweet's nose danced. "Why do you smell like spicy beetles?"

The farmer recoiled in the first true show of emotions. "W-what?"

Sweet nodded quickly. "I haven't had one of those in forever. Just like the name goes, they're very spicy." She gave an appreciative mmm. "Great on their own or in combination."

Trixie raised a brow lightly. "Yes, well, we'll just be a moment, sir."

"Ya don't get to... Alright." That was a sudden shift. "Go on. Ya won't find nothin'. Just wasting your time, really." He stared at us despite the permission given, not moving.

Trixie edged around the crystal pony. "Yes, right. Perhaps nothing at all." She scooted quickly past him, but he turned with us, and began following after us. He didn't say anything, just stared and followed a little too close for comfort.

Sweet pushed closer against us, one of my legs got trapped between Trixie and her. "Why is he following us like that?"

Neither of us had a good answer for that. Trixie raised her horn high and it began to glow softly, then pulse as she turned it around. It began to strobe more rapidly and she veered off into the crystal berries field as she muttered to herself.

Sweet suddenly sniffed loudly. "There it is again. Spicy beetles! Do they live here in outer space too? What amazing creatures if they do." She licked over her lips. "Would you mind if I had one?"

I shrugged. "No harm in that, if you actually see one." I sure didn't see any beetles crawling around. "Trixie, do you know where we're going?"

"Not precisely, but she's almost certain it's close." She did a slow turn with a toss of her head.

"Stop stepping on the berries." The farmer hadn't ever left us, still staring. "That's how I make muh living." He gave Sweet a shove off of a row of immature berries. "Ya sure are causing plenty of trouble."

Sweet span on him and bowed her head. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. I didn't mean to--"

He gave her another shove. "Not meaning ta doesn't fix the crops, now does it."

"N-no. I'm sor--"

He swatted her across the face, knocking her glasses off into the berries. She squealed and closed her eyes tight. Despite her discomfort, he advanced on her. "Why don't you and your friends just git."

Trixie stepped between Sweet and the farmer. "Keep your hooves to yourself. She doesn't deserve this. She said she's sorry, leave her alone."

Tension grew as he gave a little growl, but no words appeared beside him, at least, beside the bare basics.

Basics would have to do. I put up my hands in a placating gesture. "We don't mean any harm, sir. We'll be more careful, promise."

He twitched softly. "Ya think just saying sorry makes everything all better? Well it don't, Git going or I'll have to get mad."

Trixie raised a brow. "Can you get really mad? Trixie does not think she's seen much from you besides that growl."

He brought down a hoof, which struck with the sound of metal on metal. The signal's response was instant. The door to his farmhouse swung open and five other ponies emerged. His wife perhaps? And four smaller ponies. Their kids? Er, foals. They were all coming towards us at a placid walk, their eyes as empty of emotion as his.

Time to make use of an option we hadn't used before. "Mom... run."

Trixie turned her magic to the fallen glasses and dropped them quickly on Sweet's snout. "Run," she passed on, and we were off. Trixie and Sweet bolted away from the placidly irate farmer and his family. We didn't stop running until we were clear of the farm. They weren't following us, thank goodness.

Sweet pawed at the ground. "Why did we run? Were they that terrible? You didn't even run away from me when I was all... you know."

Trixie shook her head. "This is an educated guess, but those ponies are being controlled, and her familiar didn't want to harm them rather than freeing them."

"Got it in one, Great and Wonderful mom." I leaned off to the side to peer through the berry crops. "Those ponies are pretty obviously being influenced by something. We could blast our way through them, but that wouldn't be the right way."

Sweet's expression warmed. "And you don't like doing things the wrong way."

Trixie frowned with thought a moment. "Let's try coming at night. Perhaps we can find the source of shadow without alerting them, and they will be back to normal before they even knew we were involved."

"Night?" Sweet looked baffled. "What is that?"

I pointed up at the sun in the air. "That thing, the sun, is what makes all the light, but it's only up there about half of every 'day', which is what we call a cycle of the sun. When it's out of sight, everything gets darker, and we can see some other things in the sky."

She looked up, only to avert her sensitive eyes instantly from the sun, far too harsh even with her sunglasses. "That isn't a roof? Did it move? H-how?"

Trixie waved a hoof lightly. "That is too complex to explain quickly. Rest assured that her familiar is accurate."

Sweet clopped her hooves. "So it's not so bright half of the time? That's great! I thought it was... you know, all of the time. Do you think ponies would mind if I made friends at night?"

Leaning a little off Trixie, I nodded at Sweet. "Some ponies are active during the night, but let's focus on the here and now. We'll wait until night and be careful in our approach. If we can find the shadow and deal with it, hopefully that'll free the family here."

Trixie righted me with her magic. "Exactly so. Trixie even has an idea. How well can you smell those beetles, Sweet?"

She tapped her nose. "Pretty well, at least when we were in that field. Why?"

Trixie smiled. "Follow your nose, and she thinks we'll find the shadow."
> 17 - Cover of Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie conjured a blue tent with stars just barely large enough for us all to settle in and wait for darker hours, It wasn't terrible, so long as one didn't mind being squished between two horses. At least they were warm.

I don't think I had many opportunities to snuggle before. I had that roomie, but I was fairly sure we didn't do that kind of thing. Did I date a lot? Sometimes. I could remember that as a moderate selection of women, most of whom  only appeared once in my life, though there were two exceptions that dimly floated around my still recovering recollections. 

One of them I met when I was very young. Thinking of her freckly face made me sad and happy all at once. What happened to her? Oh, right, her parents moved away, and that was that.

The other one was older, a proper woman. We were together a while before she moved on. She had ambitions and goals, and a little thing like a boyfriend wasn't going to hold her back. I was happy just doing my job, and that wasn't the fast track for advancement.

And there I was, on an alien world in an alien body, trying to solve their problems. It was almost certainly the most daring thing I'd done. I'd never been so determined to get something done, and just right. My hand clenched, getting some of Trixie's fur and flesh. The ponies had been nice and accepting, overall. Even the 'bad guys', I think, wanted to do this a better way, but they didn't know how.

I must have slipped into a proper sleep, because I felt Trixie gently shaking me. "Wake up, familiar. It's time for us to be astounding, in quiet. Not one of Trixie's favored ways of dazzling a crowd, but being seen means we failed."

I opened my eyes to see the flap of the tent was already open. Sweet was outside, doing slow circles with a look of wonderment on her face. Her glasses were taken off, allowing her brilliant green eyes to almost shine in the light of the moon and stars. "Come here!" she whispered to us. "Have you seen this all before? It's amazing! The big white thing's a little bright, but I can see clearly now, and there's so much to see!"

Trixie lifted me to my feet with her magic before she stepped free of the tent. With the way clear, I followed after her and looked where Sweet was desperately trying to draw my attention, upwards. The stars were brilliant, and there were more of them than I remembered seeing back home. Maybe it was because there was less light out here? I wondered how many more would be visible if we were even further away from the Crystal Empire. The moon was large, but alien. I couldn't get a clear mental image of what the moon used to look like, but I was pretty sure it wasn't that.

Sweet waved a hoof slowly across the sky. "What are all the smaller twinkles? Each one is wonderful, but there are just so many of them! Sometimes moss would glow on the ceiling of our caverns, but it didn't look like this." She jumped suddenly. "That one moved!"

With a patient smile, Trixie banished the tent to wherever those things went, then nodded at Sweet. "Those are stars." She raised a hoof to the moon. "That white spherical one, the biggest thing in the sky, is the moon. The moon is like a star, but much closer. They're all very far away though. Even the Great and Powerful Trixie struggles to imagine the distances involved."

A memory of looking up at the stars came to me. I was with a gaggle of childhood friends. We were in someone's backyard, with a tent not too dissimilar to Trixie's and we spent some time just gazing up at the sky. We had talked about a lot of things I couldn't remember anymore. Bringing my thoughts back to the present, I nodded towards Sweet. "You look more comfortable."

"Oh! I am!" She suddenly jumped over me, just to grab me up and squeeze me against her fuzzy chest. "This 'night' thing is wonderful! It's not perfect, but compared to 'day', I'll take it every time, and it's so pretty!" She waved a hoof up at the sky, her other forearm holding me. "The day doesn't have all of this, not that I could see much even with the glasses. The poison gas is even calmed down."

I gave a little cough. "About that. We really should put that straight." Sweet tilted her head at me, but looked curious. I gave a little smile. "There is no poison gas. It's just the bright light from the sun."

"... Oh. That actually makes a lot more sense." She set me down gently. "They said it was gas, a long time ago. But they weren't here. What did they really know?" She frowned a little. "I feel silly now."

Trixie waved it off. "We've all made mistakes before, even Trixie. The important part is how we react to it." She leaned towards Sweet. "If she may be frank, one time..." Trixie glanced around. "One time, Trixie did not react very well, and made a mess of things."

Sweet put a hoof over her mouth as she gasped. "You? I find that hard to believe."

"Trixie knows! But it is true." She smiled gently. "You're doing very well. Now, let us proceed." She turned back towards the farmland. "Our target is somewhere in that direction, and she's relying on your keen senses to guide us to it."

Sweet lifted her snout high into the air, sniffing around before she put it to the ground and snuffled again, like a bloodhound. She began following the scent only she could detect, leading us right through the berry patch. For a change, I was allowed to walk alongside them. Sweet's pace while following the scent was slow enough to make keeping up with her easy.

Even more like the dog she was acting like, her tail went up and started wagging eagerly. She pawed at the ground and began digging without prompting, and the starlight from above actually dimmed around us, plunging us into proper darkness, only for it to fade moments later to the loud sounds of crunching and slurping coming from Sweet. "Mmm, it's just like I remember it."

That wasn't right, I didn't think. "Sweet, next time you find one, pull it out but don't eat it."

Sweet blushed at the tips of her ears, unlike Trixie's cheek blushing. "Oh! Did you want some? I didn't mean to be rude like that. I'll share the next one, promise."

Trixie shook her head. "Trixie thinks he would like to inspect your discovery before you enjoy it."

Sweet gave a firm head bob before she began to sniff along the ground, slowly stepping away from us. We followed after her and ended up going halfway through the field before she began to dig with a big grin. Darkness descended quickly as she pulled something free. "Here you are."

I felt the thing being pushed into my arms. It was like a giant millipede, all scuttling and armored. At least it didn't immediately bite me. It wouldn't stay still and I ended up juggling it from one hand to another, and I still couldn't see anything, just feel its countless legs scuttling across my arms and hands. "Mother, can you see it?"

"Trixie cannot." Her horn became visible in the gloom, if dimly. "There, that's  better."

The beetle, and it was a beetle, with a lot of legs, was a dull red color, except its mandibles, which were black. I had a feeling there was something about it... "Hey, sorry for digging you up."

The thing stopped crawling around and faced me directly. "You speak click? I didn't expect that."

Sweet tilted her head at both of us. "Are you talking with it?"

I nodded at the beetle. "Yeah. We're trying to find the source of the shadow here. You're dark, not shadow. There's a difference, right?"

"Right!" The beetle wagged some of its legs at me. "You know a lot for a top dweller. The shadow lets us live close to the surface, where food's easy to find."

Trixie looked over at Sweet. "He has many amazing tricks. I'm sure he's handling this."

Hmm. "Do you see the black pony there? She's from the old city of dark ponies. She used to raise beetles."

The beetle turned around to look at Sweet a moment. "She looks right. I've never heard of a dark pony living on the top."

"It's true, I swear." I smiled at the beetle. "We're going to get her a home, and it'll be nice and dark. She'd gladly take care of you all, so you don't need the shadow. Like the old days."

He? I think it was a he, wagged an antenna lightly. "Well, alright, but my grandfather said that the dark ponies didn't just take care of us, they also... demanded sacrifices."

Thinking on it, that was kind of true. "Answer me this. How many beetles get snapped up by predators?"

His legs quivered, in fear I thought. "Too many! Good friends, gone before their time."

I gestured at Sweet. "She's like a super nice predator. She'll make sure there are plenty of beetles left, and treat you nicely and keep you all fed and happy. If any other predators threaten you, you can tell her and she'll take care of them."

He went quiet a moment. "I need to talk to my friends."

I set him down on the ground. "Go ahead, we'll wait here." While he scuttled off, I looked back to my two pony friends. "He's going to get his friends in on the deal."

Trixie raised a brow. "What deal? We don't speak bug, familiar."

I waved in the direction he had fled in. "If they agree, they'll come with us back to the Crystal Empire and live with Sweet. Sweet, you'll have to take care of them and keep them safe and fed, but you get to eat some of them."

Sweet perked up at the news. "I'll get my beetle farm back? This is the best news I've heard all day, and this is the day I saw the stars for the first time!" She grabbed me up and squeezed tight. "Thank you! I'll take good care of them, promise. Do you think the crystal ponies will learn to like our treats? It really is delicious."

Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. "It will take time to warm up the local ponies to the idea. Even Trixie admits to being hesitant to snack on bugs."

Sweet began extolling the virtues of her preferred beetle diet as we waited for the beetle to return. I felt we were closer to finding the shadow lurking in this farm.
> 18 - Predation Protection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There she is," came a click as beetles emerged from every direction, plunging us right into darkness. I couldn't see any of them, but I could hear them when they moved or talked. "The two-legged one said the dark colored one would take care of us and keep all the bad things away."

"But she is a bad thing!" came another's click. "She dug up my friend and ate him right up without remorse."

I turned to where I saw Sweet last. "Sweet, they're nervous because you ate their friend."

Sweet sounded sorry. "I didn't mean to scare them. If they want to live with me, I'll do my best to keep them all happy and fed. I know what beetles like to snack on." She tilted her head. "Can you teach me how to talk beetle?"

Trixie's voice emerged from the dark. "Being able to talk to one's food strikes Trixie as unsettling."

I passed Sweet's message on with an addition, "She does eat beetles, but she also likes them a lot. She would be the last predator you ever had to worry about ever again."

"She can stop birds from finding us?"

"And moles?"

"And ponies running us over while they do their stupid ground bothering?"

I nodded towards where I thought the voices were coming from. "You'd live with her, in her house, away from all  of those things."

Sweet suddenly giggled. "Aw, aren't you just the most adorable thing." I heard little movements. What were they doing? "Aw, yes, come to momma... I'll take such good care of you. I think you're making it hard for my friends. Can you lighten up a little?" They couldn't understand her, but her gentle talking seemed to be winning her friends.

"She seems nice."

"She looks hungry."

"She's fun to ride!"

A beetle nudged at my leg. "What do you want in return?"

I crouched down closer to its level. "For what?"

"For what? You're giving us a new home. You want something in return, yes?"

Ah, right. "Actually, there is something. We need to find the shadow that's around the area. something dark, like you guys."

The beetle clicked thoughtfully. "Well... The ponies get dark sometimes. When the big yellow thing is highest above, they get together and it's pretty dark."

I looked around but it was still pitch dark. "Mom, you there?"

"Trixie is here. Ick, she thinks a beetle is trying to crawl up her leg. Shoo! You want the other pony. Shoo shoo."

"The spell you were using, was it to detect shadow or darkness."

Trixie made an uncertain sound. "Trixie does not understand the... oh. These beetles are what she found. The shadow has to be around here somewhere."

I clapped my hands. "I think I figured it out with the beetles' help. The ponies are holding the shadow. That's why they were acting so funny, and were pretty confident we wouldn't find anything."

Trixie's horn glowed brighter, managing to pierce the darkness dimly despite looking like she was putting in a mighty effort. "Very astute, familiar. Then let's knock the shadow out of those ponies and return to the city. Trixie has no desire to remain out here in the cold."

Sweet, just barely visible under a small pile of exploring beetles, looked to Trixie. "Not literally, I hope. It's not their fault,  is it?"

I waved a hand at the beetle pile. "First thing's first. We should get them away from the farm so they don't get caught up in what we're doing, and we can see." Switching over to clicks, I addressed them, "go on that way." I pointed down the road we had come in along. "Just a little bit, off this farm. We'll fetch you on our way back to the city, promise."

The beetles gave a chorus of agreement, with a few uncertain clicks, worried we'd leave them behind, but they all eventually scuttled off, and the relative light of the night sky returned to us. Trixie's horn became a blindly-bright beacon for a moment. "Oops." She let her magic go out, leaving us in the moon's glow.

Trixie pointed to the farm house. "Do you think we need to approach them together, or perhaps one at a time?"

"From what I was just told, the shadow only comes when they're together, around noon." I crossed my arms. "So that's when we have to make our next move. Defeating the shadow should free them, I hope?"

Sweet smiled at that. "So you won't hurt them? That's good. They're ponies, like us. We shouldn't hurt them if we don't have to. What is noon?"

Trixie glanced at Sweet nervously. "Noon  is when the sun is highest in the sky. It's brightest then."

Sweet's smile faltered. "Oh... I'll do my best." She fished out her pink glasses and set them on her snout. "There, ready. How soon is noon? Is it coming now?" She looked around as if night would abruptly transition to mid-day.

I giggled a little at that. "Relax, Sweet. Night has to end first, and it becomes brighter slowly until it's noon, then it gets a little darker as night comes, back and forth. Not suddenly one or the other."

"Oh." Sweet sniffed the air gently. "The beetles are gone, but I still smell them. They must have been living here a long time. Are you going to teach me their language?"

Like Trixie, that felt odd to me. "Are you sure you want to be able to talk to your food?" She nodded quickly. "Well, I'll try? After we're done here."

Sweet gently nudged me with a hoof. "We have to wait for the noon to happen, so we have time now. Besides, they're not just food. I said I'd protect them, and I will. They'll be my friends." She glanced away. "Delicious friends."

Trixie threw up her forehooves. "How is this alright with you?"

Sweet shrank back from Trixie's sudden outburst. "Is it wrong?"

Trixie set a hoof over her face. "Sorry... Trixie is not used to the idea of a pony predator, doubly not when they can speak to the victim. Trixie is having a hard time understanding it. You don't need beetles, and you obviously like them a great deal, so why eat them?"

Sweet shuffled in place, looking thoughtful. "Maybe... Maybe you're right. Before, beetles were our main food. Up here, you have so many different kinds of food." She reached down with her head and snapped up some crystal berries, chewing quietly a moment. "Not as good as beetles, but good."

We retreated off the farm, to the safety of Trixie's tent. Once secured away, Sweet began prodding me to start teaching her. I wasn't even sure exactly how I had learned myself, but I went ahead with the basics. Things like 'hi' and such. Before I could get into more specific and complicated topics, the tent plunged into dark.

Sweet spoke quietly in a click. "Hello."

"Hello!" came an excitable click.

"One of them hid under my hat." Sweet tried clicking at the beetle, but sounded like a mother babbling at a baby more than anything intelligible. Despite that, the beetle seemed pleased and clicked back at her.

Trixie cleared her throat. "Could you tuck your little friend away? Trixie likes being able to see while she goes to bed."

I spoke without thinking, "you prefer night lights?"

"W-what? No! Trixie... be quiet, familiar!" She crashed to the ground.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to poke fun." I reached out for her in the dark and found her flank, giving it a little pat. "A lot of people like night lights."

The darkness abated as Sweet tucked her little friend away back under her hat. "I think he's scared of being away. I can keep them for now, right?"

I didn't see any harm in it and shook my head. "Go ahead, just remember he makes it too dark for us when he's out of cover."

Trixie rolled over onto her back. "She wonders why they do that? Do they eat the light? How did they survive in the dark underground?"

Sweet tried making a few clicks, but it was that innocent babbling.

With a giggle, I tried for her in a series of little clicks and pops, "why do you all glow black and suck all the light away?"

The beetle replied, though muffled by the hat it was under, "I don't know. Being around light makes us feel good and our shells get harder. That's why we live close to the ground now."

Sweet tilted her head, clearly not understanding the reply. "Beetles eat things in the ground, not light. They eat smaller bugs, and we ate them. Um, ate them... I guess I won't anymore." She sounded quite guilty. "Why do I get into so much trouble with eating? I guess I turned into the right kind of monster."

I reached up to tickle under her chin. "You stop that right there. You're not a monster. You'll be the best pony mom these beetles ever had. Sure, they won't have one as awesome as Trixie, but you're almost as good."

Sweet burst into merry laughter at my compliment. "Do you really think so? I'll try. They'll be safe with me, I promise. What did they say, by the way?"

I pointed up at her hat. "They like the light, it makes their shells harder and tougher. Apparently that drew them out from deep underground to get more light."

"Oh..." Sweet frowned a little. "I'll have to make a part of my house get some light for them. I'll just not go in there during the... day, right? I'll check that room during the night, when it's darker."

Trixie nodded sleepily. "You are getting the hang of this quickly, Sweet Tooth. You'll do fine."

Sleep seemed like a good idea and I curled up beside Trixie. She put a leg over me and pulled me close. Her breathing became calm and silence descended over the tent.

The darkness of the beetle returning washed over me, but Trixie didn't complain, so I just relaxed. I could hear Sweet softly clicking at her friend, at least until I fell asleep too.

There would be things to accomplish in the noonday light, and I planned to be well-rested for it.
> 19 - Family Affair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We woke up the next day and filed out of the tent. Trixie sent it back to wherever she stores things and we could see the farm ponies were up and about. They looked riled up and were poking around, but we couldn't really see what they were looking at or doing from that far away.

Whatever it was, it had them all out and together. Maybe... "Should we approach them now?"

Trixie looked up to the sky. "It's not close to noon yet. Do you think we could keep them occupied until then without being attacked by them? They seem agitated already."

I shrugged softly. "Not sure, but we can at least find out what's bothering them, and maybe get on their good side?"

Sweet tilted her head at us, her pink glasses shielding her from the already bright sun. "I'm not sure they'll want to talk." She ran her hooves through the dirt nervously. "Like me, when the monster had control of me. I didn't want to do anything but eat, and eat..."

Soft clicks came from under her hat. "Not anymore."

"What'd he say?"

I smiled at that. "He said not anymore, as in you're not being controlled anymore. You can decide if you want to eat or not, and when."

Sweet smiled gently back at me, and looked up at Trixie's pointed hat on her head. "I won't eat you, that's for sure."

Trixie ran a hoof through her silver mane, free to sight without her hat. "Well, if you want to try?"

I did. "If we can talk them down like we did for Sweet, that might be best of all. The shadow in them may get more powerful at noon, and they're all together."

Agreed. we trotted, er, I walked, they trotted, out towards them. Eerily, they all turned as one to face us. One of the fillies pointed at us. "There's the trouble makers! They probably know what happened."

The father stepped ahead of the family. "Who dug all these holes in the fields? Were it you? I told y'all to stay off mah farm!"

Looking around, I could see that there were a bunch of holes, each one large enough to hold the beetles. "I think I know what happened."

"Oh? Well, get to 'splaining, quick like, before we run y'all off our land for trespassing!"

Trixie seemed to catch up on it as quickly and gestured at one of the holes. "We've gotten rid of your beetle infestation."

The father looked stunned. "W-what? Ya did?" He walked over to the closest hole and peered inside, then moved on to the next. The whole family scattered, looking into the holes quickly before they came back together and whispered hotly a moment. He turned back towards us. "Well shoot, looks like ya did! Ah... Well, we didn't ask for it, but we ain't ingrates or nothin'. Damn things kept chewin' up the roots of our plants."

Sweet smiled at the father. "I'm going to take them far away from your farm and start one of my own, for beetles. They'll never bother your crops ever again."

The mother pony blinked and adjusted her half-glasses. "I never heard of a beetle farm before, but ah reckon there's no harm in it, so long as it's far away from our farm."

One of the colts raised a hoof. "Wanna come have lunch with us?" The father glared at him and he shrank away. "What? They did us a good one, we should be polite."

The father sighed. "Mah boy's right. Sorry for being coarse with ya. Come on, we'll get some vittles." As one, the family turned back to the house and began walking there in no particular hurry.

One of the two fillies slowed to be beside us. "That's a right fancy hat ya have on there. Where can ah get one like that?"

Trixie raised her head proudly. "That is Trixie's hat, and she had it sewn especially for her after she decided to become a great magician."

"Wow..." The filly tilted her head a little. "Does it give ya magic powers? I don't have no magic on account ah being an earth pony and all."

Sweet turned her green eyes on the filly, partially concealed behind her glasses. "It's comfortable and helps keep the sun away. I like this hat a lot. It was very nice of Trixie to lend it to me."

She raised a hoof at Sweet. "Lemme borrow it a moment? I'll be real careful wit' it!"

Sweet glanced at Trixie and got a nod before she carefully pulled the hat off and held it out. Darkness descended. Not the deep darkness of the night before, but as if a cloud had passed overhead. Sweet looked shocked. "Oh, I'm not burning!"

The filly looked confused. "Why would ya be burnin'?" She took the hat in her mouth by the rim and swung it around to land on her head and giggled with delight. "Look at me! I'm a wizard!" She reared up and waggled her fore hooves as if casting spells. Trixie inclined her head towards the filly and caused little explosions of lights to burst from those wagging hooves. She squealed with delight and surprise and fell back to all fours. "Wow!"

She looked ready to gush about it when a personal darkness ran through her with a powerful tremble of her little body. The brown of her pelt faded towards grey as her eyes half-lid and the spark was crushed by some internal force. She began placidly walking back towards the farmhouse, paying no further mind to the hat on her head.

I raised a brow at that, watching her go. Before she got too far ahead, I snatched the hat off of her head. She didn't even notice. I put it back on Sweet's head, covering the beetle and allowing the light to return. Sweet veered to walk closer to us two. "I think they're nice ponies. We have to save them."

Trixie nodded in agreement. "That filly has a proper appreciation for magic. She is being forced to behave in this unnatural fashion. Come, let us see what we can discover inside."

I was determined to save that family of ponies. Together, we walked inside. It had a homey feel, and old-fashioned appliances filled their kitchen, which was where we entered from. The mother started gathering supplies and cooking quietly. It smelled like some kind of fruity blend. They did grow berries, I supposed that was normal.

Trixie waved a hoof around. "What a... lovely home you have."

The father sat at the dining room table and nodded. "I built it with my own hooves many years ago, and she's served us well ever since. One day ah hope to leave it to mah children."

The colt blinked. "That ain't for a long time, pa."

"Maybe." He leaned forward against the table. "Ya never can tell with life. Best be prepared. If I'm wrong, we can always build another house, together." He smiled, but the wave of darkness crushed the life from him more easily than the filly. His pelt washed out of colors as he looked back towards the table quietly. Didn't any of them see what was going on?

The colt patted a seat beside himself. "Y'all can come sit down. Ma'll be done soon. She cooks real good!" He smiled brightly, though it didn't last long as the almost convulsive shudder squeezed that brightness out of him and he went quiet and pale.

I climbed up into a chair, with Trixie and Sweet following suit around the table. There was one we hadn't talked to yet. I looked to the other filly and smiled at her. "Hey, so how are things?"

She looked at me, then looked away, without saying a thing.

"Don't be rude," called the mother as she worked.

"Oh, yes ma..." She looked back up at me, rubbing her forehooves together. "Ah... Ah guess they're alright..." She sounded far from alright. Looking her over, she had bright off-yellow fur and cream mane and tail. She didn't have the greyness that was leeching on the others. Maybe?

I smiled at her. "Hey, could I see your room? I bet you're an artist."

She blinked owlishly. "How'd you know that?" She glanced around the table, but none of her family were looking at her or paying much mind. "Ah guess, sure... Be right back, ma!" She slipped to the floor and I followed her as she led me to the stairs and ascended to the second floor. I could feel Trixie staring at me from behind. I guessed she didn't like me leaving her sight, but I had to follow my hunches.

The filly stopped in front of a door and looked around a moment before leaning in. "Ya didn't really come for no art, did ya?"

I went with honesty. "Not really, but I wanted to talk to you privately."

She nodded as she shrunk back. "Ah thought so... Nopony comes all the way from far ta see mah things."

I tensed as I realized she actually was an artist. It was a guess! "I'd love to see it. We can talk while you show it to me."

Her expression brightened a little. "Ya don't have to just to be polite."

"No, really." I waved at her. "I never got to see a lot of pony art. I want to."

She grabbed the knob of her door in her mouth and pushed into her room. "This way. I paint."

I could see. Walking into her room was entering a riot of colors and designs. Many were of the farm itself, and plants, and even one of a beetle. I wondered how she drew one of the dark beetles. Maybe during the day when it could only make things dim? They weren't picture perfect, but they had a life of their own. "Wow, this isn't half bad at all." Considering she was drawing with her mouth or hooves, it seemed all the more amazing. "How long have you been painting?"

She smiled, a deep and genuine version for once. "Oh, years now... Paintin' relaxes me and I love what I make." She looked away a moment. "Promise ya won't think I'm weird or nothin'?"

"What's weird about painting? I was never any good at it, but you obviously are!"

She colored at the compliment. "Just promise."

I put a hand over my heart. "Promise."

Reassured, she turned away and nudged a few portraits out of the way to reveal a family picture. All of her family but her were grey as a ghost, with dark shadows that loomed over them. She was off to the side, looking frightened. She said nothing, just watching me and waiting for a reaction. After a silent moment, she moved to nudge a painting in front of that one. "Ah knew you'd think ah was weird."

I put up my hands quickly. "No! That's actually why we're here."

"Huh?"

I pushed the painting in the way aside, revealing the family painting. "We're here to fight the shadow. We want to free your family. We thought it was the beetles at first, but they're innocent."

She gave a little shy smile. "Are ya tellin' the truth? Are ya really here to save them?" She put her hooves on my shoulders. "Please... They used ta be... I miss them. I keep gettin' scared that stuff's gonna come fer me, and then ah'll be dead too."

I pulled her close and gave her a firm hug. She sagged against me and began to sniffle quietly. She really needed a hug, so I just stood there and delivered. We would save her family.

I was determined.
> 20 - Facing into Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She drew away from me and reached under her bed, groping blindly a moment before she pulled out a box in the crook of a leg. "Here."

"What is it?" I moved around her for a better look at the box, curiosity building.

She flipped it open with a nudge of her snout, revealing a portrait among many momentos. The picture was in black and white and a little faded. "We had this taken years ago." She put a hoof on it. "Look how small me and mah sibs are... It used to be hung up, but mom got mad one day and knocked it right down. Maybe she could remember somethin'." Carefully she lifted it and offered it to me, held in her mouth by the very edge.

I accepted the picture and looked at the smiling family within. She was right, the foals of the family looked tiny and even more adorable. All of them looked happy to be there, or at least actively content. It was better than where they were then... "Alright. I'll see if this can't help shake them out of it. Thank you. They're lucky to have a daughter as devoted as you."

She blushed a little and smiled. "Don't say that. I'm so scared. Can ya really brin' them back? Please, don't hurt them, even if they get really mad."

I wondered at that. "How mad have they ever gotten before?"

She shrank back. "I don't like ta think 'bout that... Used ta get mail every week, haven't for a long time." She swirled her forehooves about one another. "'Least he got away."

I winced and turned for the stairs. "I'll be careful." I'd win. Determination was strong in me. That little girl deserved her family back, and they deserved to be free of the shadow.

I descended the stairs to find Trixie and Sweet still at the table. They were eating, but it was quiet, too quiet. No small talk was had. Nobody asked to even pass things around. The colt coughed softly and both of his parents glared him into quick silence.

They noticed me and gestured to a seat without a word. Their forms were dimmed and grey. Noon was creeping closer. Was the shadow growing stronger? I hopped up where I was pointed to and the father set a place in front of me of hastily prepared goopy fruit stuff. It didn't taste bad, but I wasn't paying too much attention to that.

It was time to act, or never at all. "Excuse me." They all turned to me in unison, looking surprised that I'd even spoken. "You don't have to live like this. We're here to help."

The colt looked briefly hopeful, but the father slammed his hoof down on the table. "Who are ya to tell us what we need help wit? This is the thanks we get fer hospitality?"

The mother put a hoof in front of him. "Now now, dear. Maybe we're misunderstanding it. What do you mean, precisely?"

Trixie raised a brow high. "He means we are here to defeat the shadow."

All four of them pushed to their hooves. The mother frowned deeply. "I'm afraid you were right, dear. They're troublemakers, come to make a mess of things."

The colt turned around and grabbed a rifle off the wall before hurling it to his father, who reared up and caught it in his forehooves. How did a pony use a rifle? He looked ready to use it. "We don't take kindly ta troublemakers, so ya best git."

Sweet blinked cluelessly at the object. "What is that?"

Trixie knew what it was and with a sudden flick of a hoof, she threw the tip of it upwards just before it was fired, a loud bang announced the arrival of a new hole in the roof of the kitchen.

I quickly turned around the picture. "I found this. You were so happy back then. Don't you want to go back to that?"

The filly jumped at me suddenly, knocking me to the ground. "How dare ya!" She grabbed the photo away and stomped it to the ground, tears starting to stream in her eyes. "How dare ya!" she repeated. "Bringing back such awful things!"

Sweet slid to her own hooves, looking more perplexed than anything else. "The food was very nice. Thank you for sharing it with me."

The mother twitched suddenly. "Yer... Ah suppose yer welcome."

Trixie didn't have the luxury of conversation as the father swung his rifle at her like a club and sent her crashing out of chair to avoid being clobbered with the makeshift melee weapon. "Stop this at once! Trixie is here to help you, you ungrateful brute."

I grabbed the filly on top of me, putting a hand on either side of her barrel. "Your sister misses you so much. Don't you want to play with her like you used to?"

She wailed and thumped me right in the chest. "Why are ya saying such mean thin's?!" The shadow swirled angrily around her as she thrashed and squirmed. "Leave me alone! All of ya, leave me alone!" She staggered back off of me with a fresh shriek as the shadow exploded out of her into a mass that writhed in the air. "Alone..." She collapsed, unconscious.

Sweet gasped with alarm. "Your foal!" She moved over to help, and the mother looked all the more confused.

"Mah daughter..." She took a slow step forward, just for the last bits of color in her to start pulling away. Her face contorted with pain and defiance. "Mah daughter... Ah'm comin'. Just... wait..." She forced another slow step, sweat matting her entire body as she struggled against the fell influence in her.

The colt suddenly spun around and kicked Sweet with both hind legs in a great buck that sent her rolling away from the fallen filly. "Git away from mah sister!"

I rolled up to my feet where I could see Trixie more easily as she locked hooves with the father, but he was much stronger than she was, and was forcing her to the ground. A thought came to me, a wild hunch. "Hey, stop picking on a mare. What kind of stallion are you?"

The father hesitated. "What? Oh. Uh..."

Trixie squirmed out from under him quickly. "Trixie is a lady and has done nothing to deserve this rough treatment."

"Ah 'course... not." He scowled as his rifle fell to the ground and he fell with it back to all fours. He was trembling much like the mother, in an inner conflict with the influence burning inside of him. I turned to the colt, the only one we hadn't gotten at least into a real indecision. 

He kicked Sweet again. "Don't touch her!" I had a feeling chivalrous entreaties might not work as well with him. What a time for the words to not appear!

Sweet's hat fell from her head  as she tried to curl up and the room suddenly plunged into darkness, deep and full. There were two sounds of powerful suction followed by two pony bodies hitting the floor in a boneless slump.

I could hear the colt, but couldn't see him anymore. "W-what happened? Pa? Ma? Ah don't like tha dark..." He started to sniffle and cry, but he wasn't attacking anymore. I quickly moved to where I thought Sweet was last and pulled her away from the colt, in case he felt the urge to resume kicking her.

"Pa? Ah can hear them. They're still here! Ah can't see them... Please... Pa..." The suction rang out before the colt collapsed to the ground.

The light in the room suddenly returned as Trixie popped Sweet's hat back on her head, covering the beetle. Sweet's eyes were looking up, and I could see why quickly. The shadow of the entire family had gathered over our heads like an ominous storm cloud, little bolts of green and purple lightning running through it. That's what we had to defeat. But how? It looked a lot larger than the other shadow spots. Would staring into it work again?

It was worth a try. I stared into its undulating mass and felt myself being pulled in. Everything else vanished.

I was a pony, a stallion. He was sick, in bed. His friend was beside him, a mare. He reached for her and they held hooves. It hurt. It hurt everywhere. They never knew why. The fair was that day, but I wouldn't be attending. I couldn't attend. I was sick, just like every year. She was so nice to stay at my side despite it. I loved her so much...

I was in front of a crystal heart.  I would destroy it, that source of my sickness. I would destroy it, my hated enemy. The ruiner of my life! Who was this mare? She was tall and stately. She was the ruler of the crystal ponies. How did she know of my sickness? Why did she do nothing? Why is she demanding I show patience now? I was sick my entire life, writhing in agony every year. She knew it. She knew it and did nothing! Shadow magic gathered in me powerfully, and I destroyed her. She deserved worse. She deserved to know pain for years on end, as she had subjected me to. She deserved so much worse.

Her ponies would suffer in her stead.

I awoke suddenly, but the cloud was still hovering over my head. Was there more to see?

Sweet had woken up and sat up on her haunches. "Are you alright? You look haunted."

Trixie nodded. "Is there something we can do to help?"

"Just keep it from leaving." I glared up at the cloud. I had more to see. It tried to hold back the sights, as if recoiling from me, but I sank in despite its wishes.

I felt I was in an alien body, but a familiar one. I was the dark pony from before, the one trying to reach outer space. I was in a capsule of some kind and found the door, pulling at the handles of the wheel and slowly unhinging the door. It popped in and I couldn't see anything. It burned. It burned so badly. I quickly yanked the door shut and collapsed against a wall panting.

Right! I remembered that I was given a thick suit to protect me, from the gasses. Right, the gasses that would burn anyone from our world. I slipped into the multiple layers of protective cloth and the heavy gauze and wraps for my head. Soon I was completely concealed, and I tried the door again. It stung, but it wasn't nearly as bad. I could stand it. I pushed out into that harsh brightness and began to explore as excitement built in my chest.

I did it! I was really in outer space! The ceiling here was so high overhead! I couldn't even really see it, just the blue color came to me. There were great white things that floated up above. What were those? What were these tall things. They felt rough to the touch. Everything was so amazing, alien, and new. I was the luckiest pony ever to see it all for the first time! Sure, it still stung, but it was so worth it...

A loud snap brought my attention around. A few other ponies were staring at me with wide eyes and trembling hooves. They were so brightly colored. Were they space ponies? Were they... friends? Or were they foes? My training said any animal in outer space could be very dangerous. What should I do?

One of them pulled out a long pole with a sharpened bit at the end. Perhaps they were not friends...

I awoke suddenly in the farm house. The shadow was gone. The family was asleep on the ground, but it looked like a more peaceful rest. Their color had returned.

Trixie smiled at me. "Half way done, familiar. What did you see? Tell Trixie everything."
> 21 - Visions of the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I began to recount the vision I had seen, only for Trixie to start asking questions, "Wait, did you get a look at yourself?" I described myself as best as I could and Trixie's eyes widened. "This is... historic! We must return to the city at once!"

I didn't understand. "Well, there were two visions, and I didn't even get through the first one."

Trixie's magic plucked me up and set me on her back. "You can tell Trixie as we go." She turned to Sweet. "Are you alright?"

Sweet nodded with a bit of a smile. "I was more surprised than hurt. That little colt can kick, but he's still a little colt. Will they be alright now?"

I nodded at their sleeping forms. "They should be. The shadow's gone, and they look relaxed." I raised my voice to a holler, summoning the daughter I had spoken to.

She peeked out from around the doorway to the rest of the house. "Is it over?"

"Oops, didn't realize you were that close." I smiled sheepishly. "I think they'll be fine now. You'll keep an eye on them, right?"

She emerged and walked slowly into the kitchen. "Ah course ah will... Um... thank you." She gently picked up the scuffed up photo on the ground and pressed it to her chest. "Having mah family back... Thank you again."

Trixie gave a toss of her mane. "It was a pleasure. You should expect nothing less from Trixie, the Great and Wonderful, and her amazing familiar." She turned for the exit with me. "We have a city to save."

The filly put the photo down on the table hurriedly. "Wait! Ah... Thanks again. Are ya sure it won't come back?"

Sweet flashed a bright smile that contrasted wildly with her deep black fur. "We're making sure of that. Everything will be alright." She moved to the filly and offered a hug, which was accepted in a quiet exchange between the two before we were all ready to depart.

Trixie and Sweet trotted from the house and began their way back to the city, with me on board. Trixie looked over her shoulder at me, "Now then, do continue. Trixie wants to hear every detail."

"Well, alright." I shrugged a little and began explaining what I saw of the crystal heart. Trixie nodded in understanding, then destroying the mare, which brought her to a momentary pause.

Trixie spoke almost breathlessly, "Princess Amore... Speak truthfully, did she really know of Sombra's discomfort?"

"Well, I wasn't in her eyes, but she said so. She said she knew the entire time that I was a shadow pony, and that the crystal heart was hurting me."

Trixie shook her head. "Trixie does not understand this. So much could have been avoided." She turned her head back to the city. "It is too late to stop that, only to move forward. Tell her of your second vision. Did it also have Sombra in it?"

Sweet raised a hoof. "Wait. Was he also a dark pony stuck in the body of a monster?"

Trixie tilted her head at Sweet. "Trixie thinks this is not the case. He was raised in the Crystal Empire from a foal. His betrayal of the city is very well known, though these other facts... Trixie is very curious now."

I spotted something as Sweet got ahead of Trixie a moment. "Hey, Sweet, could you show off your tail?"

She colored in her ears. "Frisk!"

It was only then that I realized how that sounded. "No, really, not that way."

She half-turned and displayed her tail, which had the same red stripe that her mane had, covered in soft fur, whole and complete. "Oh! It's back!" She grinned widely. "I'm almost fixed." She turned towards Trixie and I and rushed up to hug me right off of Trixie and swing me around. "Thank you!"

I held onto her tightly as the world span. "You're... welcome!"

Trixie grabbed me with her magic and set me back on top of her. "Trixie is very happy for you, but let's keep moving, hmm?"

Together, we headed through the countryside towards the warmer interior of the city. I resumed my story as we went. "The second vision put me back in the dark pony that was sent to 'outer space'. He was so excited and happy to see it. He saw a tree and couldn't even comprehend what it could be. Everything about this world, 'outer space', was something to marvel at. I can still feel his excitement. He wasn't scared, just... thrilled. Then the crystal ponies showed up."

Sweet tilted her head. "Trees are those tall things, right?" She pointed off at some distant evergreens.

Trixie nodded at her. "Exactly right. You've been paying attention." She smiled at Sweet, then peeked over her shoulder at me. "What did the crystal ponies do? Was he invited back to their city?"

"I didn't get that impression." I frowned at the memory. "They looked primitive. I think this was before there was a Crystal Empire, or a city. They had spears and looked ready to use them, and the vision ended."

Trixie frowned slightly as she trotted on, probably thinking about the vision. "What did you look like, exactly?"

I described the black furred pony, covered in layers of protective clothing, with a mesh to see out of.

Sweet gasped. "He must have looked terrifying to them, like some kind of monster!"

Trixie snorted softly. "And he was treated like a monster. He looked like a walking shadow..." She put a hoof to her chin a moment before she resumed trotting at full speed. "Trixie has some theories... For now, we should focus on the fourth location, but it is, like the rest of the last three, far from the city. We would be crazy to hike out to them."

Sweet moved over to one of the few and increasingly scarce snow piles and stepped in it, making it crunch beneath her. "Cold! But it's like..." She stomped around in it, seemingly having a good time with it.

Trixie smiled at the antics. "You don't want to hike for miles through that, Trixie promises. We'll get a proper sled. Combined with Trixie's magic, we'll be traveling in style."

I suddenly remembered. I was on the top of a hill, as a kid. Someone pushed me, and everything went soaring past. I was on a low sled. I was having so much fun! The one that pushed me... It was my roomie! From when we were kids? Were we together that long? I guess we were. We must have been really good friends. His name was... Paul. I missed Paul.

"Familiar?" Trixie was looking back at me. "What's wrong? You look sad. You should be pleased with yourself. We've already made the Empire a safer place to be."

I absently pet her mane with a sigh. "I just remembered something. I miss my old life, even if being with you is exciting, to say the least."

Trixie smiled gently. "Being with Trixie is assured to dazzle and amaze. You are Trixie's familiar now. Is that so bad?"

I squeezed her with my legs gently. "No, I mean, you've been a good, uh, mistress, or mom. That doesn't make me miss my old world."

Sweet moved in close with a sad little smile. "I know how you feel, truly. My world is gone too... But I'm surrounded by ponies that like me for who I am." She pointed a hoof at me. "Including you. Even if it hurts." She moved the hoof to her chest. "We'll hurt together, if that makes sense."

I forced a quick nod, even though I felt a little stiff everywhere. "Yeah... it does." I reached for her and she slid in closer, bumping against Trixie as she came into easy reach of a hug. Trixie, bless her heart, endured our moment quietly.

We parted from each other and resumed our walk into the interior of the city. It became warm. There was no snow in sight anymore, and the crystal ponies were trotting around with smiles, unaware of the danger we were working to avoid.

"Hey, Frisk! That's your name, right?"

I turned to see the source of the voice was a familiar pony in an even more familiar stand. The pie stand had returned. The pony behind the counter grinned at us. "How'd it go out there? Another day saved?"

Trixie struck a dramatic pose. "With Trixie and her familiar on the case, was there any room for doubt?"

The pony laughed cheerfully and pushed one of those pies closer. "Here, for your hard work. You can share it. Thanks for putting your all into it."

I reached for that pie, just for Trixie to wrap it in her magic and hover it over her head. The pie baker nodded at us. "I heard you've been visiting my friends, giving them business. Right neighborly of you. Mentioned you got a city commerce token. Have you used that yet? Any one thing you want."

Trixie clopped her forehooves together. "Ah ha! That's how we'll afford the sleigh easily. Familiar, give that to Trixie, if you would be so kind." She held up one of her hooves back up at me and I placed the token in the center. "Thank you, and thank you." She nodded towards the vendor. "Let's be off!"

Sweet's eyes were fixed on the hovering pie, sniffing at it. Before she could ask about it, the surrounding area plunged into darkness.

"We knew you'd forget us!" came a communal cry of clicks. "We didn't forget you!" Sweet's laughter suddenly rang out before the thud of a pony body hitting the cobblestones. She laughed and laughed without pause, wheezing for breath.

Trixie's horn lit up powerfully, dimly turning aside the darkness and revealing Sweet was covered in beetles that were apparently tickling her quite fiercely. Trixie turned her magic on them and made a beetle ball in the air. "Are you alright, Sweet Tooth?"

Sweet rolled to her haunches, still quaking with aftershocks of giggles. "N-no, I'm fine! Poor things. Can we get my home first, so we can put them in a safe place? I did promise." She reached a hoof for the floating ball of beetles. "And put them down! They didn't do anything wrong."

Trixie raised a brow. "Besides plunge the street into night?" She did release them, and they scurried over their new protector. At least they didn't start tickling her again.

I slid from Trixie. "Why don't you get the sleigh while we pick out a nice house for Sweet and get her and her beetles settled in?"

She looked uncertain a moment before giving a slow nod. "Very well, but do not leave the city under any circumstance. We'll meet back at the central plaza in two hours' time." She trotted off into the city, leaving me with Sweet.

Sweet grinned. "First time in a while you're trusted away from your mother, hmm?"

Her words brought a blush to my cheeks. "I guess so. Let's make the best of it by getting you that house."

She nuzzled me suddenly before she turned away and began trotting down the street at a slow pace, one I could keep up with. Time to browse some real estate!
> 22 - Jingle Bells
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We found a nice little place that Sweet thought was more than enough. After settling her beetle friends in and seeing to their feeding, she walked with me towards the central plaza with a smile on her face and a spring in her hooves. "I still can't believe this. After all this time, here I am, in outer space, with a house of my own..." She leaned towards me. "That brave pony that came up before had a rough time, but those were early Crystal Ponies. The ones now mostly like me. I think I'll like it here, especially during the 'night' time when the sun goes away."

I nodded supportingly. "You'll do great, I'm sure of it. If you keep paying attention, you'll be clicking with the best of them shortly too."

She looked up towards Trixie's hat on her head. "It'd be nice to be able to really talk to them. I bet they have their own world that  I know nothing of. I almost feel bad for eating them before, but they were delicious." She paused and raised a hoof. "And that's the last one, I promise."

I chuckled a bit at her eagerness. "I'm sure it is. They trust you, and you like them. Maybe you can find another use for them that doesn't involve hurting them."

"Another use?" She tilted her head as she walked. "That's a good idea. We should all feel helpful. Maybe they'd really like it if they had something to do that'd make crystal ponies like them too."

Trixie was right beside the water fountain. She smiled at us and waved us closer when she spotted us. Beside her was a large sleigh that looked quite out of place in the warm interior of the city. "There you two are. Trixie trusts everything is taken care of?" We both nodded and she rapped a hoof on the sleigh. "Help Trixie carry this out to the snow, and we'll be on our way. It shouldn't be too tough a trip with this."

A pony wandered past with a large ornate hat in a style I hadn't seen before. Curiously, I saw another with the same hat? "Hey." I waved down one of the passing mares. "Does the hat mean something?"

She tilted her head. "Cadance is going to hold the festival early this year, to keep us safe from the shadow. Everypony's in a hurry getting it ready. Haven't you heard?"

Trixie raised a brow. "Entirely unrequired. Trixie and her familiar will have the situation handled before she can even hold it. We're already halfway done without a hitch."

Sweet hopped up onto the sleigh suddenly and looked around curiously before sitting on it. "This will make us go faster?"

I shook my head at her, resisting the urge to laugh at her naivety. "Not here it won't. In the snow, it can slide instead of sinking in, and it's easy to push. We have to get it to the snow first."

Trixie waved off the sled. "Come off of there and help Trixie carry it. You'll get to ride it once we're back out of the city."

Sweet hopped free and joined me behind the sleigh. We hefted up the back end together as Trixie's magic held the front aloft. "Away we go. Next time we come back, it should be as heroes." She turned away from the fountain and began trotting slowly, giving us time to keep up with her with our large ride.

We got it out of the city without incident and it began to grow colder. "Ah, familiar, it is time to reveal Trixie's Great and Wonderful present." She turned towards us with a smile. "Trixie can't help but notice you don't have a fur coat. It's not your fault, so Trixie is not angry, in fact." With a pop, a jacket appeared beside her. "Here!" She floated it over to me. "Try it on."

I took the jacket from its magic field and turned it around. It was striped, like my shirt. It kinda looked exactly like my shirt, but thicker and made to afford warmth in the snowy wasteland we were entering. I thrust a hand through a sleeve and soon had it on. It fit perfectly. I wondered how much of that was Trixie's thoughtfulness, or the same thing that let me find a human-shaped suit of armor in a booth of pony armor. "Thanks, mom. It's a lot warmer." It really was, and I felt more confident about things. Something brushed against me and I noticed a pair of mitts were attached to a sleeve. I pulled them free and got them on. The only thing I was missing was extra thick pants, but I felt warm enough with what I had. "Ready!"

Trixie nodded. "She hopes you both are. Everypony in the sled." She hopped up and looked around as she settled on her haunches with all the look of a captain ready to set sail.

Sweet and I clambered up and took our spots beside her. Her magic grabbed the back of the sled and pulled us forward. We went over the edge of an incline and began sliding briskly through the packed snow. "Here, ring these." Trixie handed me a collection of bells on a cloth strap.

I gave them a little shake and they jingled merrily. "Why am I doing this?"

Trixie smiled deviously. "Besides being part of the song?" My flat expression made her laugh. "There is a purpose. Trixie enchanted these bells to be unpleasant to shadows to hear." She turned to Sweet. "It's not bothering you, is it? Trixie just thought of that, though you aren't an umbrum."

Sweet perked an ear at me a moment as I jingled. "Sounds normal to me, but it does make my back itch a little. Do you think it could scare away the last of the tar and make me a normal pony?"

Trixie shook her head. "She doubts this. You have already clearly demonstrated that true change must come from within." She pointed a hoof at Sweet. "You're already a normal pony. When you finish realizing that, you will overcome this little problem."

Sweet tilted her head slowly. "Already?" She leaned in towards Trixie. "I'll never be a really normal pony, not by your standards. I'm so dark."

I snorted at that. "Black pony, blue pony, all ponies."

Trixie nodded. "My familiar is correct. You are normal in Trixie's eyes. You have also been a valuable assistant for her work." She smiled at Sweet. "She thanks you for that."

Sweet blushed in her ears as she looked away. "Oh, I'm just trying to do what's right... You're welcome." She peeked back up at the onrushing scenery around ourselves. "This is a lot faster than walking! Is there no end to outer space? Every time I think we get close to it, more opens up in front of us." She adjusted her pink glasses as she peered into the distance. "The snow is even brighter..."

It was bright enough to give even me, a not-dark pony, a hard time. I stared less and shook the bells more, until we passed through a wide copse of trees that blocked the sun and brought sight back to me for a moment, but when we emerged, there was a new presence. I turned to the front of the sleigh where a figure like a satyr perched, staring at us with a doleful face. "I don't suppose," he said in a sullen sort of voice, "that I could get you to turn around?" He was covered in black fur from the hips down, and black skin from there up. He had big pony ears and a pony tail that was smooth and long, all black without a stripe like Sweet's.

Sweet squealed in surprise, recoiling from the figure. Trixie just frowned. "Are you a shadow pony, or a dark pony?"

He looked confused. "I don't know the difference. You really should turn around though. I don't want to fight you. Aren't there better things to do? Are you lost?"

Unsure of what else to do, I gave my bells a little shake. He shook his head. "That's annoying, please stop that."

Trixie snorted. "Last time Trixie trusts a spell in a book for folk remedies... Do you have a name?"

He looked perplexed at the question. "Do I?"

"That is what Trixie asked."

"I don't know."

Sweet suddenly put her forehooves on the top of the sleigh, leaning towards the satyr. "Oh you poor thing! You're just like me. I couldn't remember my name either."

His attention slid towards her in a slow pivot of his head. "How did you get it back?"

She pointed at him. "First, you have to stop hurting ponies. Whatever you think you should be doing is a big terrible lie." She moved the hoof to her chest. "What you really need to be doing is in here."

"I can't do that." He suddenly pushed off the sled and came down in front of us. He grabbed the sleigh as it came at him and hefted us up suddenly. We all pitched forward to the front of it as it reared up from the momentum. "I really must stop you. I'm very sorry." Tension exploded in my chest. The conflict had begun properly. It was a bit of a shame I couldn't see him from beneath Trixie.

Sweet pitched over the top of the sleigh, having already been half-over it and went flying into the snow with a panicked squeal that was snuffed with her sudden vanishing into the snow.

Trixie scrambled off of me with an annoyed grunt. "Brute! You unhand Trixie's sleigh this very instant. We have very important business to attend to, and Trixie will not accept delays." She hopped down as I clambered to my feet and hurried after her, only to see the satyr had grown. 

He was about eight feet in height, with dark trails of shadow leaking from his eyes and mouth. Speaking of his eyes, they were shrouded in sickly purple light that struggled to be seen against the shadow. He dropped the sled and sighed with deep melancholy. "I told you to turn around. This is your fault. It will hurt, but only for a moment."

I studied him intently, and the information flowed into me. Long Night was his name, a dark pony fallen to shadow. His defense looked extremely high, and he was sad about everything? Well, I could figure that part without any magic examining ability.

Trixie took a step forward, only to suddenly sink into the snow, lost to sight.

Long looked to me. "I'm sorry..." He reared a hand back in a fist and looked ready to pound me.

"You don't want to do that, Long Night."

His fist wavered in the air. "W-what did you just call me? How could you know?" Rather than calming down, he seemed to be growing more agitated by the moment. "They were right. You really are a monster..."
> 23 - Battle in the Snow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a sudden crash, he brought down his fist where I had been standing. Did Trixie grab me? No, that was me. I had jumped out of the way, only to do it again as he came at me. My little body, unlike Trixie and Sweet's larger pony forms, could stand on the snow without breaking through and I found myself dodging and leaping out of the way of wild fist swings. Dimly, I remembered the pain of being slugged across the face, or the dull wild ache as he caught me dead center of mass and sent me flying. How many times had I failed this fight?

My heart was hammering wildly as I jumped back from a wild spray of snow. "Stop moving. It will not hurt long. I don't want to hurt you."

"Then don't hurt me!" I squeaked as his fist calm down flat, leaving a mark in the snow as I scrambled away. "I don't want to fight you. You don't want to fight me."

"I have to." He grabbed an icy sheet in the snow and hefted it over his head. "You're stopping us. You're against the shadow."

"You're not the shadow!" I zig zagged as he prepared to hurl that sheet at me. "You're something older than the shadow. Talk to Sweet Tooth, please."

With a great heave, it hurled at me, only to explode violently. A few shards flew past me, narrowly missing. Trixie clambered out of her hole, panting. "Yes... stop right there... brute... Listen to my familiar." More quietly, she rolled her eyes. "Trixie does not want to relive this again."

Long Night clenched his fists, trembling, but not trying to smash me. "Why are you trying to stop me?" His arms sagged. "Why won't you let me bring them back?"

That was a lot better than being pounded on. "Who do you mean?"

"Everyone." He thrust a fist into the snow. "I want to go home..."

Trixie slowly pulled herself up to the surface, grunting and heaving. "Your home is a long time ago. We're very sorry, but how is hurting my familiar going to undo that?"

"If..." He suddenly swept up some snow at me, but it wasn't a fist at least. "If the shadow wins, my friends come back." He looked directly at me, his darkened eyes staring. "I want my friends back."

I offered a hand towards him. "We can't go back, but you don't have to be alone. Sweet used to feel just like you."

"It's... true." Sweet struggled to get herself out of her hole. "Little help, please?"

Long reached right into the hole and plucked Sweet free as if she weighed nothing. She smiled at him as she was held in the air. "Oh! Thank you. Long Night was it? That's a nice name, but that wasn't the one you were born with."

He looked baffled. "Why?"

Sweet tilted her head. "In our home, there was no night. What did your mother call you?"

He froze, shock washing over his face. "Y-you're right... There was no night. It was all night..." He set Sweet down before he crashed, shrinking to his original size, the shadowy forces becoming a faint glimmer of potential darkness. "What was my name?"

Trixie hopped up to more secure snow and began walking carefully towards us. "We'd be happy to help you find this name of yours, but we also need to complete our mission."

Sweet and I waved at Trixie. That wasn't the time to be hurrying him along. I smiled at him. "So hey, what can you remember?"

"Not much," he barely whispered, then turned to Sweet. "Remind me. You were there."

Sweet put a hoof on her chest. "I was, and I'd be glad to. Do you remember, when ponies had dinner and were calm, and it was still. If you just went out of your house and listened, listened really hard, you could hear the whole world breathing?"

A slow smile spread over his face. "I remember..." He slowly stood up on his pony hooves, reaching a hand towards Sweet. "Why do you have four hooves, and I only have two?"

Sweet tilted her head. "I was a monster when they found me, and saved me. Maybe you're a different kind of one." She stepped closer. "But being a monster is what you do, not what you are. Will you be my friend instead?" She smiled gently. "I'd like somepony else to talk about the old city... Do you remember beetle pies?"

"Mmm." He put a hand over his belly before he laughed, a sincere sound laced with a lifting sorrow. "You've made me hungry. Your name is...?"

"Sweet Tooth." She bowed. "Pleasure to meet you. Let's keep calling you Long Night. It really is a nice name."

"Sweet." He nodded at me. "Familiar." Turning to Trixie. "Trixie. I'm sorry. I can't go with you... I have to talk to the shadow, find out why it lied to me."

Trixie shook her head. "It lies because it has no morals. Dark ponies seem very nice to Trixie, once they are aware of what they are doing."

That felt too cut and dry to me. "No... The shadow has to have a reason for doing what it's doing too. Nobody does bad things just because they can."

Trixie scoffed. "She will believe it when she sees it. Still... You have proven Trixie wrong once before, so she will not discount the possibility, familiar, just don't make this an ongoing habit." She moved to the sled and picked it up in her magic, moving it so it wasn't pointing at the disturbances in the snow. "Come along, we have time to make up."

I held up a mitted hand at her. "One second. Long, are you going to be alright?"

"No." He shook snow off of himself. "Sweet, maybe we'll meet again." The faintest moment of a smile appeared. "I'd like that."

Sweet reached for him, but he jumped up into the high branch of a tree, and was gone, bouncing from one to the next out of sight. She sighed softly. "Poor thing."

Trixie huffed. "You don't remember it, but Trixie does. That 'poor thing' hurt Trixie's familiar more times than she cares to count." She hopped onto the sled and said. "Come, you did well, familiar. Trixie does not understand how you can still feel bad for him."

I hopped up beside Trixie. "He tried, sure... but I can get over that, he can't get over what's been done to him, and he shouldn't have to."

Sweet clambered up next to us. "I don't understand? Did he hit you? You look fine."

I flashed a big grin at her. "It's hard to explain."

Trixie sat up straight as her magic propelled the sled forward along the snow. "It's easy to explain. Trixie's familiar is Great and Powerful, like she is. He cannot be stopped so easily. Master of time itself, he makes Starswirl the Bearded look like a little foal in comparison when it comes to time magic."

Sweet tilted her head. "Starwho the what? Who is that?" Sweet gently nudged Trixie's shoulder with a hoof. "He is special, but I didn't understand any of that."

Trying harder seemed in the cards. I took her poking hoof off of Trixie and held it. "When I or someone I care about a lot gets hurt where I can see them, I skip back to before that happened, so I can fix it."

Her eyes went wide behind her pink glasses. "What? Are you jo-- Of course you aren't... No wonder you avoided being eaten by me when I was so hungry, and how you're winning against the shadow..." She tapped at the sleigh thoughtfully. "If you're so powerful, why are you trying to find an answer instead of just beating up the shadow?"

"That wouldn't be right." I squeezed her hoof. "I'm also still holding out a little hope doing it the right way might let me get back home."

Sweet drew her hoof back. "If you don't get home, will you feel bad for doing it the 'right' way?"

I hesitated. "That's... a good question. I guess not. I mean... I'm not a psycho. If I can do it right, without hurting people, why shouldn't I?"

Trixie suddenly threw a leg over me. "Being Trixie's familiar isn't so bad. If you stay, Trixie will be sure to treat you well."

Sweet smiled at us both. "I think you are more than a familiar to her."

"W-what are you implying?" Trixie scowled at Sweet, almost daring her to continue.

Sweet shook her head. "I think you two are good friends."

Trixie blinked. "Oh... Yes, we are that." She squeezed me. "You are Trixie's friend, are you not?"

I swung around her and hopped up on her shoulders, hands on her head near her ears. "Definitely!" She wasn't a replacement for my family or friends, but she was a friend.

Trixie snorted softly. "Little ruffian, get down from there." She tried to shake her head, but I was quite attached to her. "Oh fine, enjoy your Great and Amazing seat as we fly through the snow."

Under the influence of her magic, we went soaring across the snow, sending out a light spray of the fluff stuff to either side. From on top of Trixie, I could see further than I had. We were coming towards what looked like a rundown refinery of some kind. Did ponies even have refineries? I guessed they did, since there it was, with great big tubes going and coming from it and smokestacks above, though no smoke was currently coming out. It was definitely not running. "What is it?"

Trixie shrugged, making me wobble. "She isn't certain, but the records she read said it was built recently, then abandoned almost immediately. Perhaps the new owners ran into the shadow and fled rather than trying to deal with it."

Sweet pouted and scuffed at the sled. "I can't imagine going through all the trouble of building something like this, just to give it up. It must have taken a lot of work."

"Trixie imagines it took a team of ponies working for several months to construct it." She tilted her head at the building as we slowed, pulling up to the front door. "And now we get to explore it. It's time to find the shadow and be rid of it."

I slid down off of Trixie and spotted a sign over the metal door leading inside. 'Flim and Flam's Berry Juicery,' it read, with a little picture of some crystal berries in a bunch just under the words, and a picture of two smiling ponies facing each other. It seemed somehow sad, with the whole place shut down.
> 24 - Juicy Progress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As we approached the door, the building gave an echoing creak of metal resisting the wind that blew through the Equestrian arctic. I was glad for my jacket, and a little worried about going into a big old metal building.

Trixie didn't seem to share that worry, and pulled the door open. The interior was a patch of darkness. "Sweet, would you kindly go inside and look for a light switch." When she got a blank look, Trixie made a magical light switch floating in the air and flicked it up and down dramatically. "Push it up for us."

"Oh, alright." Sweet stepped forward cautiously, head swinging left and right before she vanished into the gloom. "Here it is!" A soft click sounded before lights flickered fitfully on and machinery began. With rumbles and clunks, the entire factory was turning on. Who connected that to a light switch?!

Trixie tilted her head. "Very good. Trixie did not expect it to be running. She wasn't even sure if  the lights would work. All the better for us." She gave me a nudge with a hoof and off we went.

I could see bushels of berries dropping onto a conveyor belt and being drawn along to smashers and juicers. The whole thing looked operational. "I don't get it. If they got it working, why would they just turn it off and walk away?"

"I say, brother of mine, even that strange thing doesn't understand our methods." A pony stepped out from behind the machine with a jaunty looking hat on his head.

Coming out from another machine across from it, another pony that looked nearly identical, this one with a moustache. "If they don't know, why did they come here, brother of mine?"

"Couldn't rightly say," answered the first. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves?"

"Do you think?"

"I do!"

Trixie scoffed at them. "Stop this nonsense. Trixie has come on important business and must investigate this building."

"Investigate she says."

"Spying is more like it." They leaned towards each other with a brow raised each. 

"They've come to destroy our machine, again." His eyes darkened, shadowy trails beginning to leak from them.

"They're here to chase us away even from the frozen norths." His brother's eyes went dark as well, making a matching pair.

"Just like they promised."

"Just like they swore."

They began stepping towards us with unwholesome smiles, speaking together, "But we'll never be made to run again."

Sweet moved in beside me, shaking a little. "They're not dark ponies, why are they acting like that?"

I felt the tension growing. Conflict was clearly on us. "I guess other ponies can fall to shadow too."

With a sparkle of magic, Trixie threw up a wall in front of the two.

"Oh what have we here?" One pony drew out something that looked like a can opener. "Nothing the Flim Flam Amazing."

"Fantastic."

"Stupendous Arcane Slicer can't handle." He pressed it to the wall and cut a neat hole in it almost instantly for them to step through. "Now that you've witnessed how reliable our technology is, you're undoubtedly eager to see more!"

Hovering beside one I saw 'Question' and 'Question!' floating beside the others. The other had 'Flatter' and 'Support'. I went with the first one. "So, what kind of amazing technology do you have?"

Trixie raised a brow. "Why are you asking about that right now?"

"Because he has excellent taste!" exclaimed the one without a mustache. "Here, hold this." He threw a ball at Trixie who caught it easily in her magic. It exploded outwards from her grasp and wrapped around her, leaving her head poking free of a big rubber ball that held her tight.

Sweet withdrew behind me, and his brother noticed her. "Aw, don't be shy. Flim Flam technologies have uses for all kinds of ponies!"

"Why, even such delightfully--"

"--fantastically--"

"--deeply black ponies such as yourself, madame. Since your friend asked, here, have a gander at this." They turned as one to a machine to their left, which was softly humming but doing nothing obvious. "Why, with this, cleaning your house is a thing of the past!"

"Indeed it is, brother. With a flick of the switch." His horn glowed and the machine's switch clicked on and began making much more noise. "It's that easy! See how clean it is around here?"

Giving a look around, it really did look clean. The metal floors, ceilings, and walls were all spotless and shiny. The source of that cleanliness became clear as brushes emerged from the machine and began scrubbing dutifully. "You haven't even heard the best part!"

"Indeed they haven't. It gets out stains of all varities, avoids getting in the way, and even serves as a guard dog."

"Just the thing for getting rid of pesky visitors." Their expressions turned to malicious grins as they settled their eyes on Trixie.

Trixie squirmed inside her prison as a brush moved in front of her, pulled back, then swatted her like a golf club, knocking her right out of the front door with a scream, rolling all the way.

"Ta da!"

"Excellent shot, brother. As you can see, it does all that, and more!"

"How many can we put you down for?"

I dug out a few coins. "I'll take one."

Sweet blinked and pulled me against her front. "What are you doing?"

"Making a fine investment!" exclaimed one with a smile. "I knew you were a reasonable soul the moment I put my eyes on you, and a savvy buyer as well."

"One thing." I raised a finger to point at Sweet hovering over me. "I need it delivered to her house."

"Why that shouldn't be a problem."

"No, no problem at all! Just give us the address and your friend there will be enjoying modern living in no time at all!"

I gave them the address and they scribbled it in a notebook. "One thing. If you can make something that fantastic, why make this factory in the middle of nowhere?"

One of them looked downcast, ears going limp and shadow flaring from his eyes. "Nopony trusts, I mean, they fear progress! We put warning labels on the dials, but they usually ignore them, and blame us when it explodes."

"There was that one time we did it."

"I don't like thinking about that. Why do we even put in those higher settings?"

"I don't know, brother. It just feels like the right thing to do."

"Well maybe it isn't!"

I put up my hands. "Easy there, fellas. Science is about learning from our mistakes, not yelling at each other."

They turned on me with some confusion. "You know about science?"

"About innovation?"

"Of course I do." I stepped towards them, their eyes locked on me. "Where I come from, we're ruled by science."

"That sounds like paradise--"

"--an impossible place--"

"--where are you from?"

I shrugged. "Trixie, the one you kicked out, brought me here with magic."

"And is very angry!" Trixie stormed back in through the front door. "The nerve of you, throwing Trixie out like that! The Great and Powerful Trixie deserves respect from two shyster unicorns such as yourselves."

Their expressions darkened. "Look who's talking, brother. Why,  if it isn't Tricksy, the deceiver."

"Tricksy, the failure."

"The Blue Bumbler."

"Ponyville's Reject." 

With every insult they hurled at Trixie, she turned more and more red. "Stop that! Stop that right now!"

"Twilight's little--"

"Stop it!" Trixie reared up, holding a ball of angry magic between her forehooves. "I'll destroy your pathetic little factory if I have to! Stop it!"

"She thinks she's the only unicorn here."

"Shameful really, resorting to violence so easily."

I didn't like the coldly ready looks they were giving Trixie. "Mom, please stop."

"Oh ho, did you hear that? He calls her mother?"

"She couldn't get a stallion to look at her, so she summoned a foal instead."

"Priceless."

"Shameful."

Trixie hurled all the magic she had at them with a pained cry. "S-Stop it! Leave Trixie alone!"

They inclined their horns as one towards the incoming ball and ripped it apart between their combined magic, siphoning it off into the various machines of the factory that began to hum all the louder with the extra power. Trixie collapsed, on her back knees, her forehooves just in front of herself as she began to sniffle. "Stop..."

"She can hurl the insults, but she can't take them very well, can she brother?"

"Not at all. Perhaps little washed up showmares shouldn't step into the ring if they aren't ready to take a punch."

Sweet suddenly sprang in front of Trixie. "Enough! This isn't right. She shouldn't have called you that, but two wrongs don't make it fair."

I glanced back at Trixie, then turned my attention on the brothers. "No, it wasn't right of her. I don't think you two are trying to scam ponies."

"Well there was that one time..."

"Brother..."

I smiled a little. "Tell me about it?"

They both looked uncomfortable. "We were short of bits."

"Broke."

"Yes, well, we needed to get back in the black, fast, and we came up with a... less than honest proposal."

"It had a measurable benefit!"

"We sold fake medicine."

"Ponies felt better after drinking it."

Placebos. I remembered a video I watched about that. "There's a way to sell a thing like that without lying."

They both perked up. "What? How?"

I put up my mitted hands and brought them together slowly. "By not lying. Don't claim they'll treat medical problems, but you can say they'll make you feel better all you want. If they don't, your customers won't buy them, and if it does, then you didn't lie. Give refunds on the ones that aren't happy. The ones that are will keep coming back."

They stared at me blankly for a few moments before the one with the mustache slapped himself in the face. "Could it really be that simple?"

"So easy!"

"Too late for that now." He sagged a bit. "Ponies wouldn't trust us to sell them apple juice, let alone health tonic."

Trixie got back to her hooves, recovering from her intense magical blast, though still shaking a little from her lost duel. "Is that all you want, to sell snake oil?"

They scowled at her. "We dream much bigger--"

"--grander--"

"--fantastically! You wouldn't understand. You don't innovate, you've never even made a new spell before. You just use what others have done for you."

Trixie hesitated. "I... Trixie supposes that may be true... Trixie has not made a spell before. The only pony Trixie knows that has made new magic is Princess Twilight Sparkle."

One of them made a grand gesture around the factory. "We designed all of this."

"From nothing."

"Well we did borrow a few little parts, but most of it is ours."

Sweet tilted her head left and right as she looked over all the rumbling machines. "What does it all do?"

"Glad you asked that!"

"We'll show you!"
> 25 - A Personal Tour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A metal grabbing claw fell down on Sweet suddenly, closing around her barrel as she squealed.

"You're in luck! You get to have a personal tour of our facilities."

"Don't forget to tell them what they win."

"Oh yes! As part of the tour, you get to be part of the future!" 

The claw lifted from the ground with Sweet in tow. I jumped up and got ahold of one of her hooves, just to slip off as she was hauled away deeper into the factory.

"Ah ah ah, be patient. One at a time." The mustached one smiled at me, green flashing out of the shadows in his eyes. "We'll get to everypony in due order."

Trixie huffed, glancing aside at me and speaking quietly, "Trixie admits she can't overpower both of them at once. We can't let them hurt Sweet Tooth. Do you have any suggestions, Clever and Resourceful familiar?"

I did! Just then, it came to me. "I hope you're careful with her. It is her house you're delivering your first sale to."

The two brothers glanced at each other, going still a moment. "Oh, of course!"

"Without doubt."

"We wouldn't dream of harming one of our cherished--"

"--adored--"

"--essential customers!" One leaned in towards the other, whispering, "Leave out the last part." 

The other nodded quickly then stepped forward with a grin. "Now then, direct your eyes above to see the factory in action!"

Lights clicked on, spotlights that shone on Sweet as she was deposited on one of the conveyor belts. "First, our sweet things are dropped here."

"That's a pun."

"That it is, dear brother. They're picked clean of any debris." Smaller claws reached out for the shaking Sweet Tooth and grabbed at her cape and hat, plucking them right off and exposing her still tarry back. She squealed with dismay, trying to grab her clothes back, but they were taken away far too quickly for her to get at. "Oh what's this?"

"Dirt? Well good thing we have the next step! Our patented--"

"--innovative--"

"--thoroughly tested--"

"--and one hundred percent tested sudsomatic!"

Sweet was nudged along by the belt between two stands that sprayed her down with water, quickly making her entire pelt soaked as she sputtered and tried to wave off the water to little effect. The goop on her back began to run down along her sides, to the brother's annoyance. "What a stubborn stain, but what water alone can't manage, we have the cleaning properties--"

"--of our exclusive--"

"--cleansing detergent!" Sweet was carried by the belt only a foot along to new pillars that began spraying her down in bubbles, losing her to sight entirely in almost the blink of an eye as she was submerged in a pony-sized hill of suds. "If this doesn't get her clean, nothing can!"

Trixie cleared her throat. "Trixie does not mean to question your methods." They looked at her with a frown. "Yes, well, our friend has certain... allergies." Their expressions changed instantly to that of horror. The belt yanked Sweet back to the first pillars, spraying her down with fresh water to clean away the suds, revealing Sweet, shivering and miserable looking. Her black coat was run over with countless lines of her tar and she called out to us, though we couldn't hear what she was saying.

One of the brothers waved a hoof. "We had no idea--"

"--terribly sorry--"

"--it was never our intention." The claw returned and grabbed up Sweet, bringing her back towards us quickly.

As one they tipped their heads. "Our apologies."

Set just before us, Sweet flopped on the ground, weeping and shivering. I cringed at the sight. "Do you have a towel?"

"Oh... certainly." He tossed his head, and a towel came flying in to land in my hands. I hurried to Sweet and began toweling her off. "I, uh... we..."

"We've done it again, brother of mine."

"I thought we had all the variables accounted for."

"I did too, but here we are."

The mustached one stepped forward, hesitant and quiet a moment. "So... out of one to ten, how would you rate things?" He smiled with nervousness and shame.

Sweet looked up at him, blinking at him before looking to me. "I don't understand..."

I worked down one of her legs, getting her dry as quickly as I could. "They want to know what you thought of their factory."

She recoiled a little. "It was frightening! I'm not a berry..."

The one without a mustache slapped himself in the face. "Of course! You most certainly aren't."

"But besides that?" They were both leaning forward, eyes shinning with reluctant hope."

Trixie shook her head. "Leaving aside the fact that you put a pony where produce belongs... it seemed... adequate to Trixie."

"Spellbinding?"

"Efficient?"

One turned to the other. "Wait, she hasn't experienced it yet."

The other nodded. "Too right." He looked to Trixie as the claw came for her. "Do you have any allergies?"

Trixie scrambled out of the way of the claw as it clanged against the ground. "Keep that away from Trixie! She thought you learned your lesson. Trixie is not a berry either."

"You have the same color as a berry."

"Very observant, brother."

"And you're neither our client--"

"or our customer. We're in the clear!"

I left the towel draped over the still recovering Sweet and looked to the brothers. "How did you ever come up with the idea for this?"

Their attention slid off of Trixie quick as lightning. "What an excellent question!"

"Quite astute. Our customer proves he has quite the intellect."

"As anyone smart enough to buy from us would have to be."

"Too right. You see, we're always on the lookout for needs not being met--"

"--demands without a supply--"

"--and that brought us here. You see, the Crystal Empire has a bit of an infrastructure issue."

"They have a lot of issues, truth be told."

"Being locked away for a millennia will do that to anypony. They only just got their farming in order, but who's going to get all those berries ready for market?"

"Not the farmers."

"Certainly not! They're already too busy. They can sell to us instead. We take them--"

"--Leaves and stems included--"

"--and we clean and process the whole lot, ready for consumption--"

"--by eager crystal ponies! Ingenious--"

"--is it not?"

I felt we were getting closer to the root of things. "I have a question, as a potential investor." I put up my hands. "No pressure."

They glanced at one another. There was definitely pressure.

"Why was the factory shut down?"

They turned to one another entirely and began whispering urgently back and forth. Trixie settled beside me, speaking quietly, "Thank you for distracting them, familiar."

Sweet lifted a hoof at them, still shaking if a little less so. "Can I have my clothes back, please? I have to make sure they get back to a good friend of mine."

"Oh?"

"Certainly!" The small claws descended, carrying Trixie's cloak and hat. With a relieved smile, Sweet pulled them both on. Trixie tied off the cloak for her without asking and Sweet finally stopped shaking.

Trixie shook her head. "We are going to have to get you your own clothes."

"Can we?" Sweet looked at Trixie hopefully.

One of the brothers turned to look at me. "The circumstances of the factory's closure was entirely beyond our ability to predict or prevent."

I raised a brow at him. "What was it?"

The other ran a hoof up and down his leg. "Well there we were--"

"--ready to open for all the world to see--"

"--when the hoses malfunctioned--"

"--And began spraying black gunk everywhere. We tried to repair it but try as we might, it wouldn't stop. We stopped everything and went up there--"

The other brother pointed up at the hoses. "--We were working on it when it turned itself on--"

"--drenched us in that black concoction."

Together they spoke. "We're proud to say it no longer does that."

"So... where are your workers?" I looked around the abandoned building.

"Funny thing about that--"

"--They were gone when we woke up."

The sequence of events felt clear enough. "Well, I'll say this, I think you do have a viable thing here." They smiled. "But you have to get your workers back." They stopped smiling.

"We don't need them--"

"--entirely unnecessary. Nopony understands our true genius anyway."

Their eyes flashed dark purple. "You don't doubt us--"

"--do you?"

I waved off the comment like it was nothing. "Two smart stallions such as yourselves?" They looked happy to hear that, chests puffed out. "No, I don't doubt you at all. I want to see you succeed. Flim and Flam should be the talk of the city."

"Too right!" They leaned forward. "Why isn't it already?"

"Because genius isn't enough." They tilted their heads at me. "Hold on, I'm explaining. You have the genius, but you need some oversight. Another set of eyes that isn't invested in the creation process. Someone impartial to see the boring details you don't have time for, before they become issues."

They looked to each other before the one without the mustache took a timid step forward. "Is it really that simple?"

Trixie put a hoof to her chest. "Trixie's spells may not be her own making, but that is only because safe spells have been reviewed and tried and vetted by countless other magicians. A pony or two to look over your designs couldn't hurt."

The mustached one frowned. "What if they steal our invention before it's put to market?!"

"That'd be awful--"

"--terrible!"

Sweet sat up and cleared her throat. "I... uh... if you brought your things to my house, I'd be glad to look at them. I'm not a crystal pony, or a normal pony at all. I won't steal your things. Looking is enough for me." She smiled a little. "So long as you don't put me where the berries go."

"You would do that?"

"After what we did?"

"That's--"

"--quite generous..."

"Maybe we should take them up on their offer."

"But they could take it!"

They began whispering harshly to one another as the shadows in their eyes swirled with wild shapes of green and purple.

Suddenly, they turned back to us. "We accept!" The shadows in their eyes suddenly rushed free, becoming a looming shape of those dark colors before it fled into the machinery itself. With a loud crunch, the machines began working in ways they shouldn't. A claw grabbed one of the brothers where he stood.

"Give me back my brother!" cried the other, firing magic at it, to no effect. There were no words beside any of the machines, we'd have to subdue it, somehow.
> 26 - Man vs Machine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As one of them was hauled off towards the berry processing line, other claws reached for the rest of us, each lined with cloying shadows and dark intentions. I ducked just under a smaller one as it sailed through where I had been standing moments before. "Tell me there's a way to turn them off!"

Sweet suddenly smiled and trotted over to the switch on the wall. With obvious pride, she clicked it. The lights died instantly, then her yelp sounded out from the darkness, moving quickly away. I guessed she was grabbed by a still active claw, lights or not.

I heard the voice of the remaining brother explaining sheepishly, "The switch only controls the lights. We had activated the machinery when they came on before. It seemed like the most dramatic time."

Trixie stepped over me suddenly and grabbed me with her hooves, hurrying through the dark. "Well how do you turn them off, you innovative fool!"

"Well we normally do it together. We're a team."

The captured brother's holler came from up above with the sound of spraying water coming with it.

"Oh my, I shudder to think what could happen if the machines take him to the final step. We must rescue him!"

I waved into the dark. "Easier said than done, get the lights back on!"

With a loud click, the lights fitfully sprang to life just in time for several claws to converge on the salespony. He squealed in horror and jumped over one, crashing to the floor beneath the next and rolling out of the way of the third. "Help!"

An idea came to me. "Trixie, do you still have the hayburger food?"

"This is no time for a snack, familiar." She looked incredulous.

I smiled. "Trust me, please, one bag." I held out a hand and with a pop, a bag appeared in it and I quickly tore into it, pulling out a hayburger. I lined up the shot carefully as the claw flailed at Flim, or was that Flam? Either way, I gave it a mighty hurl. I felt time go hazy. Had I missed a few times? Probably. That was a one in a thousand shot. With a loud splat and a wet crunch, it landed right where its undulating gears turned, gumming it up. The claw began to thrash around wildly before it went limp. One down.

"Excellent idea, familiar." Trixie grabbed a mass of hayfries from the bag and floated it to the claw, shoving it right into its weak point and knocking out the claw in short order. Darn cheating unicorn magic. 

"Our machine!" wailed the salespony. "Oh, I suppose this is the price we pay... Please, save Flam!"

I squirmed out of Trixie's grasp. "This one's up to me, I think." I ran for one of the limp claws and grabbed it with god's gift to mankind, fingers, and began to scale as quickly as I could, getting closer to Flam's cries for help. A smaller claw rushed at me and I began playing chase with it, ducking around the larger pole of the other claw to avoid it. With a sudden fit of sparks, it went limp. A glance revealed Trixie giving me a salute with a cocky grin.

Being closer to the running belt, I gave a big jump, almost missing the smaller claw before I started climbing up its cord. For one instant, I began to slip. The very same greasy snacks that had disabled the thing almost sent me to a long drop! I rubbed one hand, then the other on my jacket before I more carefully scrambled up.

"Is that you, curious biped?" asked Flam. He was a soaking, slightly sudsy, mess. His hat and shirt had been cruelly stripped from him and he was shivering on the belt. "Do be a sport and get me off of this thing, would you? I'll give you a discount on the house cleaner!" He tried to move, but his legs seemed secured by manacles to the belt. "Do hurry, I'm afraid we're reaching our... revolutionary... sorter and dicer mark 2000!"

It took me a moment to realize he was pausing where his brother would normally jump in. Were they that in sync? I wondered if, down below, his brother wasn't saying the words without any context, probably baffling Trixie. Looking back along the line, I could see Sweet was getting a fresh washing. Ugh, she was going to get a phobia of anything mechanical.

I started to swing the cord back and forth, working up momentum to get to the belt. With a sudden twang, a few bolts gave loose. The whole arm was going to get pulled out of its socket! I swung as hard as I could back towards the belt and jumped off just as it began to fall to the ground below. I sailed through the air before crashing against the side of the belt, hanging on by one of Flam's hind legs. With a great heave, I pulled myself up, panting for breath. He looked ready to clap, if he wasn't shackled. "Good show! Now get me out of here! Please."

I reached for his hooves and the manacles on them and tried to figure out how they worked. It wasn't just a keyhole waiting for a key. It looked like a puzzle, with a series of three by three buttons. Pushing one button made the button and those around it change from lit to not lit or vice versa. "Did you seriously put a game into your shackles?"

"We thought it would add a bit of levity to the machine."

"It may add a bit of pain to your life!" I began hammering buttons, making the lights dance around as I tried for the right combination. "Am I going for all dark or all light?"

"All light, oh, do hurry." He began to dance as little as the manacles allowed. "We haven't time!"

Turn the right side, no, left, middle? Top! Center... There we go! The console of buttons flashed at me as a cheery jingle played and the manacles popped off of Flam. He threw himself at me in a sudden hug. "Thank you! Let's go save your friend, shall we? I would run if I were you." He jumped over me, leaving me dangerously close to where the belt went off into a rather dangerous looking vat of swirling blades. I went chasing after him in an instant, not wanting to see more of that vat any time soon. The belt was running the wrong way and I had to pump my little legs as hard as they went to slowly catch up with him and his long pony legs. 

He reached Sweet Tooth first and began pressing buttons quickly in a series of clicks, freeing her in only a moment. "Uh, I hate to bring this up, but how do we get down from here?"

Sweet turned away from the end of the belt and began trotting at the same speed as it. As if in spite, the belt started speeding up. I was losing ground, being drawn back into the chamber of blades. This body just wasn't made for running fast enough! Suddenly the belt left from under me. I was held in Flam's magic and drawn over to ride on his back as he and Sweet galloped at full speed against the belt.

I clapped my hands. "Flam, is there a center of all these machines, where everything's organized?"

"Besides Flim and myself?" He looked around the room quickly. "Ah, yes, the power supply." He pointed to a box up along the ceiling in a long rectangular box of metal. "I normally need a ladder to reach that, and we're in no condition to do that right now."

Flam suddenly fell beneath me, a hoof landing on a sliding bunch of berries and sending both to the belt in a slam. There was no time left. I pulled my jacket off and hurled it back, then wriggled out of my pony armor and tossed it too, praying it was tough enough to jam something inside the whirling chamber of doom. With a loud bang and rising smoke, the chamber ground to a halt fitfully. The belt we were on slowed dramatically as if struggling against something before it emitted an explosion of its own and new smoke joined the mess. All around the room, machines began to get caught, overheated, and shut down in smoking piles.

With a cry of horror from both of the brothers, one far below, Flam shook me. "What have you done?! We worked so hard to build this! It worked! It really worked..." He sagged against me, going as limp as his machines. "I'm... sorry, I suppose you had to..."

The smoke began to gather quickly into an angry mass of black, purple, and green. The shadow had arrived. I gave Flam a pat on the shoulder before I turned my eyes up to the shadow. "Watch over me. It's time to end this." My voice raised to a shout. "Show me! I'm ready to see it. It's time to put the mistakes to right."

Emerging from the shadow was a smaller orb, split apart with a green grin. "You think you can do something about this? Ha! All you've done is chase away the shadows like bad dreams."

"That isn't true." I glared defiantly at it. "We've met two ponies from the past, shown one a brighter future, and the possibility to the other. This fighting doesn't have to go on."

"Oh, doesn't it? There's one little thing that'll stop that. Something the crystal ponies will never surrender. They'd rather your new friends die, and they won't even feel bad about it. They didn't care when Sombra was sick in bed, suffering and innocent. What had he ever done to them? Oh, he fixed that afterwards. He fixed it real good."

I waved it aside. "Let me see. You can laugh at me if I can't figure it out once I've seen it all."

"Pfft, right." His face became that of skyward cast eyes. "That may work on Aquator, but he's an idiot. The only reason you can move right now is your little 'trick', by the way." I could see Flam and Sweet were frozen in place. "Which means, of course, no one is going to catch you."  He suddenly came at me like a bullet. I tried to duck out of the way, but he was far too fast for that. He rammed into me like a wrecking ball and I went flying off the belt, falling to the ground far too far below. "And don't think you can just skip past this time. I have time on a nice hard grip. It's time for you to die, little pest."

Wind roared in my ears, but I saw movement below. A blue figure got under me, and I felt familiar magic wrap around me, slowing my descent. "What? Who?! How?!" The small cloud of shadow zoomed down below even as I fell, if much more slowly. Trixie was there with a mask of concentration. The shadow roared in fury. "Stupid pony! I'll make your death slow." Its usual grin became that of a grimace before it faded away into nothing, and I landed beside Trixie.

She collapsed beside me, heaving. "Familiar... That took... more out of... Trixie... than she thought. It's up to you now."
> 27 - Delving Further
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie's eyes closed, and she froze, like everyone else was. I wondered how she managed to move at all, but there wasn't time for that. The angry ball of smoke and shadow above needed attention first. I stared up at it, willing it to reveal its secrets to me. It recoiled and twisted as if trying to hide from me, but there wasn't anywhere to go besides away, and it didn't do that. I felt the vision coming...

I was a small thing. I was shadow. I was creeping. I was almost nothing. The goal was in sight, but all these colorful ponies were in the way, having a good time, making merry. I just had to get... what was happening? The heart shaped crystal spun wildly, then there was nothing but pain, then nothing at all. I was gone.

I was deep underground. Water flowed wildly past me and I was so hungry. I suddenly realized, even in this dreamlike state, I was Sweet Tooth. I was formless and so very hungry. A fish would have to do, but I didn't want a fish... My head suddenly pulled free of the goop, black fur exposed. I was breaking free! I could become normal again, instead of some monster... How long had it been? I couldn't even start to remember, but there was a sharp joy at the possible freedom.

A wave of light penetrated the rocky walls and ran right through me. Where it touched was like fire. I drew back with a hiss, and my head was lost below the surface of the goop. What was I doing? Oh yes, fish...

I was Aquator. I couldn't be anyone else, tall, wet, and gazing into the water. I felt introspective. "My son..." That vision didn't last long.

This wasn't like the other times. It was like a storm of images, each rushing by violently. I saw a princess, like Cadance, but, yes, the one Sombra destroyed. She was speaking to a crowd of smiling ponies, giving some kind of stirring speech before she lit the crystal heart thing. When the flash passed, there was Cadance, soaring through the air and slamming the crystal to where it should be. She spoke the stirring words, and the light flashed. Sombra was banished, but not destroyed.

Not destroyed.

I was in a dark place. His eyes opened before me. "Hello outsider. You, who would dare to meddle in affairs you struggle to understand. You have seen our struggle, do you still feel us unjustified for our hatred?" He swirled around me, great fangs on display. "Once, I was among their number. You've seen it."

I tried to speak, but these visions didn't seem to really allow that.

"Now is my turn to speak. We will meet soon... Will you condemn us? Have you sided with the ponies of the light, to protect them from us?" He leaned closed, eyes blazing. "Perhaps it is for their best, but we deserve more than this. Think. You alone have seen most of the playing field. You cannot hide behind ignorance."

He glanced off into the darkness. "Our time draws short. If you have any of their supposed compassion, then forget me, and all the others consigned to misery. Think of your friend." Sweet Tooth appeared, smiling behind her pink glasses, clearly just an image. "Will you sentence her with the rest? Perhaps you would, no better than the rest of them. Mewling sheep, begging to be saved. Make your choice, outsider. As loathe as I am to admit it, you will be the deciding factor."

I awoke with a start, his burning eyes still flashing in a fading afterimage. The shadow above was gone, and time was back. I knew the latter when Flim jumped on me and knocked me over. "Good show! I don't know what you did, but it's calmed down. I need to get the ladder, one moment." He left me there and scrambled off.

Sitting up, I saw Trixie was asleep. Her breathing was even, and she looked comfortable, unlike me. Divested of both jacket and armor, it was getting chilly, even in the factory. I shuddered to imagine how cold it was going to get outside with just my shirt on. Trixie looked like a source of fuzzy warmth and I curled up with her. She was everything I wanted her to be, soft, and not cold.

Falling halfway to sleep, I could dimly hear Flim rushing back and setting down a ladder. I assumed he was rescuing the others. That was nice...

I woke up to Trixie hugging me. "Poor familiar, what happened to your jacket? You're going to get sick on Trixie. She can't have that..."

Flam stood beside his brother, both dressed, dry, and looking more like twins again. "He gave it up to save us--"

"--You shouldn't be too angry."

Trixie squeezed me tighter. If it wasn't warm, I'd complain more. "Trixie's familiar is clever and resourceful, but he will also catch a cold without something to cover him with.

Sweet trotted up to the brothers and leaned in, snatching the hat right off of Flim's head.

"Hey!"

She didn't pay him mind, carrying it over to me and putting it on my head.

Trixie raised a brow. "That's a start. Are you awake? Ah, you are." She lifted me up. "Share with us what you saw while we look for better clothing for you."

That was harder to breakdown... "There were a lot of things, but the theme was clear enough. Every time the heart shaped crystal thing is turned on, it hurts all the shadow and dark things indiscriminately." I suddenly remembered something. "Didn't a pony say Cadance was going to hold the crystal festival early?"

Trixie nodded lightly. "She remembers this." Realization clicked for her. "We have to stop her!"

"Stop her from what?" Sweet tilted her head, looking confused.

"Besides stealing our hats." Flim pouted.

Flam patted him on the shoulder. "We'll get you a new hat, dear brother. This is a small price to pay for being rescued."

I pointed at Sweet. "If she turns on that crystal thing, it'll force you back into just being a blob. You'll lose all the progress you've made."

Sweet began to tremble. "N-no! I don't want to go back to there... Not after coming this far. Please." She put her hooves on my shoulders. "You'll stop her, right? Why would she even do that? I thought she was a nice pony."

Trixie shook her head. "It's not that simple. It banishes the shadow. According to what I read, it's supposed to keep an entire city... of..." She trailed off, looking like she just realized something huge. "Dear Celestia..."

I shook her a little. "What? Tell us."

Trixie took a slow breath. "Right, yes. The crystal is supposed to keep an entire city of shadow ponies at bay, deep beneath the Crystal Empire."

It hit Sweet like lightning. "My city! My child might still be there, being held prisoner by this heart thing." She frowned sharply. "We have to stop her, please!"

There was something missing from this... "Why would they make this defense without a reason? Something had to happen to put this fear into the crystal ponies in the first place, before Sombra, before the crystal heart. Before any of it, something happened."

Flim and Flam exchanged looks. "We don't know exactly what you're talking about--"

"--But we'd like to help."

"You can borrow our mode of transport--"

"--Just leave it in town. It needs magic to work--"

"--But you have Trixie." They went to a tarp and pulled it off, revealing a rather interesting looking car of sorts. "Ah, the SSCS 6000."

"Do take care of it."

Flam hopped up onto it and had a hatch opened in a flash. "Your familiar can rest in here. It gets warm while the machine's running."

Trixie threw me up onto her back and trotted over to the machine, looking it over. "You made this yourselves?" She sounded impressed. "Why aren't you both rich by now?"

They both deflated at that. "Well we may have approached the matter wrong--"

"--a slight miscalculation--"

"--It destroyed our reputation in the cider business. Besides the Apples are the premier source of, well, apples--"

"--and they won't do business with us for any price."

Trixie hopped aboard the machine before offering me a hoof down. I went off into the compartment. It was larger than it had seemed from the outside, with cushioned seating and even some blankets. It looked like a little bedroom.

The machine rocked a little when Sweet hopped on. "Ready! Let's get going before it's too late.

Trixie looked over the machine before she casually closed the door to the compartment, sealing me into my little dark nook. With a low vibration, the machine began to hum, then lurched forward to motion. They were right, it did start to warm up in there. I fumbled around until I found a lantern and tried to figure out how to turn it on in the darkness when a green grin split in the air in front of me. "Hey kiddo!"

I practically threw myself against the opposite wall, as far from it as I could. "Aw, don't be that way... So you met the big S pony. He probably went on and on about this or that. Shadow or crystal, vanilla or chocolate." He suddenly zoomed in at me, his face taking up most of my vision. "I don't really care about that. Both sides are filled with losers, doing things because they're used to doing them. The way I see it, the whole world would be better off without either. I know you're not like them. You can see beyond the moment. You've seen the past, but are you ready to see a future or two? Hmmm? Whattaya say, pal?"

Pal? So far this thing had been anything but a pal. "I don't think I could trust what you showed me."

Its eyes rolled dramatically. "As if you have any reason to believe the rest of what you were fed. And you are being fed, pal. You're gobbling up those breadcrumbs, going where they want you to go."

Was he telling the truth, or just working me? He certainly hadn't made a good impression so far. "Why the hell would you try to kill me, then come promising you can tell me something I want to hear?"

"Water under the bridge pal." His face changed to pious innocence a moment before the grin returned. "So I tried a little something. You got out of that, now we can move on. Don't you want to know what your actions are going to lead to?" He inched closer. "Besides, every other shadow you got a vision from went away. Maybe I will too! Now wouldn't that be nice for you?"

I was pretty sure at that point he was just making things up. He wouldn't do it if it destroyed him in the process. Why would he?
> 28 - Dark Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm just going to start swirling here. You're free to look, or not. It's not as if you're curious or anything..." The green smile spread out into a miasma of flowing greens and purples.

I reached for the door to the hatch in the dim light provided by the shadow creature, which itself felt a bit ironic, but the door was locked securely. "Hey, kid. Last chance. You wanna get out so bad, fine, but you'll be sorry not knowing."

Was this the right way? This was a lot more complicated than a lot of the other choices given to me. Well, I wouldn't have to take its advice either way. Let it show what it wanted. I looked at it, and the vision came.

I was back in the dark pony explorer of 'outer space'. It hurt everywhere. Bruised and banged up, my hooves were tied up to a post and being carried by two crystal ponies, with a lot of others marching aside us. They spoke in a strange language to one another. They sounded nervous, or excited. With a painful thump, I was set down so the post holding my legs came down on two stones, holding me aloft.

A pony in flowing robes approached me as all the other ponies bowed to them. They said something loud and important, pointing at me before the crowd erupted in a rough shout. The... priest? chief? Whoever they were, they waved for something, and several ponies came in, burdened with a large slab of crystal that they set beside me.

The head pony loomed over me, speaking something in somber tones as the other ponies all sat in quiet. I was certain he was addressing me, but I couldn't understand him. "Please let me go. I'm not here to hurt anypony, promise." He? She? The robes made it hard to tell. They didn't care or understand my pleas.

Light drew my attention. They hadn't yanked my mask off, in a small miracle, so I could still see. Their horns were glowing. Most of them didn't have horns, but the ones that did began to light up, one by one.

"We shall bind this demon of the darkness." Why could I understand them now? "His soul shall infuse the totem, so that we can turn away others of its kind." The various lights seemed to fire at me, forming perfect lines from around the crowd to my prone form. The head pony sang and chanted as everything became dark. Blissfully dark. Maybe they would send me home...

I awoke to the hatch being opened and Trixie's face poking in. "Familiar? Why haven't you turned on the lamp? Oh, are you asleep? Trixie apologizes, but we've arrived. Come along."

I sat up and scrambled after her. "The big green grinning thing came with another vision."

Trixie scowled at the news. "Are you certain Trixie should not have simply destroyed it the first time we laid eyes on it? Go on, tell Trixie what you saw while we go. Sweet couldn't be slowed down." Trixie lifted me up onto her back and began trotting towards the rather obvious preparation of tents, booths, and other things for the Crystal Fair.

So I told her, and I had a few ideas, but they felt more like wild conjectures. "I think the crystal heart might have been involved."

"Did you see any hearts?"

"Well, no, but I did see a crystal. What if they carved it down into a heart shape later?"

She tilted her head. "This is possible, but how would we know for certain either way? Though the heart seems involved one way or the other." Ah, there it is." As we passed by the castle, she pointed to where it floated serenely. Several guards were posted around it, looking alert and nervous. "Trixie does not think they'll let us examine it."

I doubted it. "Let's talk to Cadance first. Is that where Sweet ran off to?" Terror clutched at me at the thought of Sweet losing it in front of Cadance as she had in my aborted save. I was too far to see or prevent it if that happened again. "Let's hurry!"

Trixie broke into a proper gallop beneath me, charging around half-formed stands and looming booths to make her way down the road. There they were! Cadance had a hoof on Sweet's prone form, looking worried, but no explosions of tar looked like it had happened yet. Our rapid approach caught her attention, her and her guards. They moved to stop us and Trixie stomped a hoof at them. "Let us past. We're on official business."

Cadance gave a little wave. "Come here, Trixie. Your friend arrived first and seems ill." That was enough to banish the guards from our paths, and we were allowed to get in close. Sweet was heaving on the ground, hooves weakly twitching. "I don't know what's wrong with her. She appears to be in great pain. Is she sick? Why did she gallop through the city to reach me?"

I hopped off of Trixie and hurried to Sweet's side. "Does the crystal react to the fair's preparation?"

Cadance nodded. "Not nearly so much as the culmination, but yes. It builds up towards it. Why?"

I waved a hand over Sweet. "It's hurting her."

Trixie nodded firmly. "Another way must be found. The heart hurts shadow and dark ponies, as you can see. The dark ponies are innocent and don't deserve this."

Cadance looked guilty a moment. "But there is only one dark pony. I can't sacrifice the safety of the entire city for any, one, pony. I... I'm sorry... I can provide a train ticket, so you can take her away from here?"

I hugged around Sweet's neck. "No. I think this whole thing's like a feud. You have to stop fighting."

"S-stop fighting?" Cadance tilted her head at me. "We don't fight. We just want to be safe. My people want to be safe. That isn't so unreasonable, is it?"

Trixie gestured to me. "My familiar is correct. Every Crystal Fair is an attack. The city of shadows of legend may not be shadow at all, but instead Sweet Tooth's entire city, trapped and miserable under this constant assault. Besides, we've already neutralized four out of six weak spots, why the hurry?"

"I'm glad to hear you're doing well in your quest." Cadance sat on her haunches, taking a slow breath. "You'll be paid in full either way, so worry not. Even if we do activate the crystal, you will be remembered as a hero of our people. You don't have to worry about that."

Trixie trembled a moment before she stomped a hoof. "Forget the payment!" She shook as she said it. It was hard for her to say. I knew she wanted those bits, and the fame. "Forget being a hero. Stop this fair! It's the right thing to do!"

I gently stroked over Sweet's mane. "This war's gone on long enough, don't you think?"

"War?" Cadance frowned at me. "Sombra enslaved this entire nation. We never attacked him. His shadow beasts hunt and attack ponies, we don't go hunting them. If this is a war, it's a very one-sided one." She waved for one of her guards. "Fetch one thousand bits from the treasury." He dashed off towards the castle. "When he gets back, take it, and Sweet, and move her somewhere else. I'm very sorry, but one pony isn't enough."

I raised a hand. "There are at least two."

She closed her eyes a little. "And where is this second? Not that two ponies against a city still counts for terribly much in the end."

Trixie huffed and squirmed a moment. "Trixie thought the sister of Twilight Sparkle would be more understanding."

Cadance recoiled. "How da..." She raised a hoof to her chest before letting her breath out as the hoof moved away. "Look, we're all under a good deal of stress. I know you're all trying your best, for the Empire, and I appreciate that, I really do. But all you have is stories and conjecture. Even if you defeat the last two weak points, the damage has been done. The seal to the shadow city will become broken if we don't hold the fair now. Weighing the very visible threat to my people against the theoretical stories you're weaving, as princess, my choice is clear."

A guard returned with a large bag of bits, placing it besides Cadance with a salute. She nodded at him. "Thank you. Here, take this, and get her to safety. She seems like a nice pony. I'm sorry she can't live here..."

My mind whirred, trying to think of a way to convince her, when it hit me. How was that a vision of the future? It was certainly the past, the far past... The crystal, the sacrifice, the dark pony... "Cadance."

She looked back to me. "Yes? I really must get back to these preparations."

"I think I understand."

"Oh, good." She smiled with relief. "So you'll take her and go?"

"Not exactly." I rose to my feet. "This disturbance was created on purpose, to scare you into activating the crystal early. If you do, you won't seal the shadow, you'll burst it free."

Cadance scowled. "Start explaining."

"Every time it pulses." I gestured down to Sweet. "They're set back. Sweet becomes a creature of misery and shadow. Aquator forgets his child. Everything resets, pushed back. If you set it off when they're already so far back, what do you think will happen? You think the shadow is bad now? They'll truly become mindless creatures of destruction, maybe never to recover. The entire city of miserable dark ponies will become the shadows you're afraid of them being, and surge from their hiding place in a wave you'll have no way of stopping."

Cadance and Trixie stared at me, as if neither really could comprehend the situation I'd painted.

She rose on trembling legs. "That's a very serious accusation... What... would you have me do?" She spun on Trixie. "You've summoned a very vexing creature! What if he's right?"

Trixie held up her hooves. "Wait. Let Trixie and her familiar see the remainder, the last two. When all the points have been put to rest, only then can we move with confidence. The very last thing we need to do is be hasty. Their city has waited patiently this long, it can wait a little longer."

Cadance put a hoof to her head, doing little but breathe a moment. "Right... very well... You haven't led us wrong so far. Please, you must understand, an entire tribe of ponies rests on your action, or inaction. If two days go by without hearing from you, I'll have to assume the worst, and we'll proceed." She turned to one of her guards. "Spread word that the festival will be prepared, but not held until my sayso."

We had time. I hoped it would be enough.
> 29 - Rising to the Challenge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie lifted the weakly panting form of Sweet from the ground and began walking away. Not being sure what I should do, I grabbed the bag which promptly vanished. I had the strong impression the money was available to me to pull out of my pockets when I needed it, so no need to worry there. I ran off to catch up with Trixie, leaving Cadance to her planning. "Got the money."

She twitched an ear back at me. "That's a lot of bits. How are you? Trixie should know better. Her familiar is Great and Powerful, like she is." Summoning her map and unfurling it before her, floating in the air, she lifted a hoof to point. "Our next objective is high in the mountains. The plus side? The two points aren't terribly far from one another, just higher up the mountain."

The sound of a rotor brought my eyes up. There was Flim and Flam pedaling a two-pony machine that allowed them to fly in the air like a personal helicopter so long as they kept trotting in place to keep the machine's pedals going.

"Hello!"

"Salutations!"

I waved up at them as they came in for a smooth landing. "Hey guys. Everything alright?"

Flim hopped off the bike. "Better than alright--"

Flam joined him with a smile. "--We feel ready to tackle the world!"

Together they leaned close. "And it's thanks to you--"

They paused, eyes on the more peacefully sleeping form of Sweet Tooth. Flim tilted his head. "Is she alright?"

Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. "She will be. The sooner we leave, the better. The last place we have to reach, quickly, is the top of a mountain."

"You're in luck!"

"We just happen to have what you need."

They backed off to either side as they gestured to the helicopter they rode in on. "We'll trade, this for our house."

Trixie pointed back into the city. "It's just over there, safe and sound."

I peered at the odd flying thing. "How are we going to get this off the ground?"

"With your hooves."

Flim peered at me a moment. "Which he doesn't have, brother."

Flam snorted softly and gestured to Trixie, then Sweet. "They have sufficient hooves. The boy just has to ride. He isn't very heavy, it shouldn't affect their mobility at all."

"I suppose you're right, brother. Well, thanks for everything. We have a lot of things to get to."

Together they waved. "Ta ta for now!" And off they went, half-skipping towards where the cider car was parked and talking animatedly about how they were going to bounce back from their recent setback.

I hiked a thumb at Sweet's form. "Do you think she's ready to wake up?"

"Only one way to know for sure." Trixie set Sweet down and gently nudged at her. "Time to wake up."

Sweet stirred with a sleepy murmur as her eyes fluttered open behind her pink glasses. When she realized where she was, she bounced to her hooves. "We have to warn Cadance!"

I moved in front of her quickly. "We did that. We have some time."

Sweet let out a loud breath of relief. "Oh thank the dark... Wait, time? She's still going to do it?"

Trixie nodded. "If we can't resolve this, or find the rest of the pieces to this mystery, she will proceed, so we'd best get moving."

Sweet shrank a little, almost bumping into the bike. "Why would she do that?"

I lifted my shoulders. "It's easy from your angle, but from hers, she has to be responsible for this whole city she can see right in front of her. We haven't convinced her there could really be a city of dark ponies, or really any dark ponies besides you."

Trixie pointed to the bike. "Then let's prove it, shall we? Sweet, you get in the back." She hopped up onto the bike, wobbling dangerously a moment. "Alright, have you ridden this before?" Her magic grabbed me and dropped me on a seat between the front and back. There weren't even any pedals for me to reach for.

Sweet climbed up with less confidence, resting her hooves on the pedals and pressing lightly. "No, how do we make it move?"

"We must pedal together. On three..."

They heaved on Trixie's signal and the bike gave a sudden lurch before it lifted into the air under the power of the spinning rotors. "There! You've got it down. Now let's get some supplies before we go."

We hovered around town, picking up a new jacket and food for the journey. I saw a music box sitting there in the store next to the jacket. It was so out of place I had to point it out. The shopkeep had a price tag on it, and it wasn't too much, so I bought it and tucked it away to where the coins went off to. I was getting better at being Frisk.

I remembered having a backpack. I went hiking one weekend with my roomie and some other friends. We had a great time, even when we were busy messing things up. Failing in good company wasn't so bad.  We laughed when we struggled to get a fire going, and cheered when it finally did work. We also drank a lot and I forget a lot of what happened after that. Good times.

"Familiar?" Trixie nudged me out of my thoughts and we got back on the bike. It was time to go! We ascended into the sky and headed out of the city. I had a pony behind and in front of me. The constant fluid motion of their cycling legs was kind of amazing in a way. They were both bigger and stronger than I was, so I just held onto the bars and looked down over the snowy terrain as we went past. 

Pointing ahead, Trixie pulled my attention to a tall mountain we were approaching. "That's where we're going. Our first stop is about halfway up, the last, right at the peak. Trixie hopes you--Get out of Trixie's mane!" Large vulture-sized birds were suddenly swarming us, their forms oozing shadowy contrails as they flapped, squawked, and pecked at us.

Conflict was on us, and their words were a jumbled mess with so many of them on top of each other. "Trixie, pass me a bag from hayburger."

"This is no time!" Despite her complaint, the bag appeared in my hands. 

I opened it quickly and pulled out a burger, waving it around. "Here you go!" One of the birds grabbed it right out of my hand, and another grabbed for it. They began struggling, which drew a third bird into the fight. "No need to bicker, here." I pulled out the bag of hayfries that drew a fresh wave of attention. The bag didn't survive longer than a moment before being torn open. Hayfries were sent scattering to the ground. With a cry of hunger, the flock descended after them, leaving us alone. I heard the jingle of arriving money, conflict resolved!

Sweet smiled behind me. "Good job. What were those things?"

Trixie glanced over her shoulder. "Some kind of birds."

"Birds?" Sweet tilted her head. "How odd. Does outer space have more strange creatures like that?"

I shook my head. "As soon as we can sort this all out, oh, Trixie, you guys have zoos, right?"

"Of course."

"Great, if I vanish, promise to take Sweet to a zoo."

Trixie raised a brow back at me. "You are not vanishing. You are Trixie's familiar. Stop saying things like that. Why are you so eager to leave Trixie? She isn't that difficult to be around, is she?"

She sounded self-conscious in all the wrong ways. "No! Nooo! Of course not. You're the best horse mom I ever had."

Trixie snorted. "Pony."

"Pony mom too." I leaned forward to give her back a pet.

"Trixie is not your pet to be stroked when upset." She snorted again, glaring back at me before turning back to the mountain. "Hold on tight, Trixie thinks she sees an acceptable place to land."

Sweet shook her head. "Where did you come from? Did you have a name before you were 'familiar'?"

"He's Frisk."

Was I Frisk? No... James, right, that was it. I was, no, am, James, son of Sheila and Darrell, friend of Tom!

"Familiar?" We had landed, snow gusting around us and Trixie looking at me with concern. "Are you alright?"

Sweet was standing beside her, looking at me with a little smile. "He looks like I did when I remembered. What did you remember?"

I put a mitted hand to my head. "I remembered my name."

"It wasn't Frisk?" Trixie raised a brow.

"No, uh..."

"Why did you say it was Frisk? Where did that name come from?" Trixie leaned in close.

Sweet nudged her head away with her own. "Easy. He just remembered. We should be happy, not upset." She beamed at me. "Tell us your real name."

"James." Saying it made all the difference. I could remember talking to friends about going to the convention. I could remember the manager I didn't like much, and the one I did. I could remember where my house was, and what state that was in. Current events I saw on the news while channel surfing came back with the memory of a new Coldstone Creamery opening up in town. Everything. I remembered... everything. I could see it all, and I couldn't reach it. I was in a world of colorful ponies, a thousand light years, or one dimensional hop or whatever away. Would I ever get back? Did I want to? Of course I did! I was human, not some... sexless mannequin with squinty eyes. But could I? Would solving this quest send me hurtling back, or did I just have to get used to the idea of having a horse mom and a dark pony for a best friend?

I snapped out of my trance to feel a tongue run over my cheek, clearing away some tears. "It'll be alright," whispered Sweet Tooth.

Trixie cleared her throat. "Yes, well... Perhaps Trixie was a little terse with you... James. The Humble and Apologetic Trixie is sorry to push you so hard." She reached for me and pulled me into a warm hug. "Are you alright?"

I let out a misty breath into the frigid air. "I'll be alright... Either this sends me back, or I'm going to have to get used to the idea of living here."

Sweet tilted her head. "What's so bad about that? The crystal doesn't hurt you, you could be happy with the crystal ponies."

Trixie waved a hoof. "She is unlikely to stay here. She likes to travel." She smiled at me. "Wouldn't you like to see the world?"

If I had to stay here, traveling and seeing this new world actually did sound kind of exciting. "Yeah..."

"See! Everything will be fine." She squeezed me once more before turning to point upwards. "We have to climb a little before we reach the cave Trixie is certain is our destination. Let's get moving."
> 30 - Where He Sleeps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was something different as we scaled towards that cave. I didn't feel even the subtle twitch, that low pulse that danger was coming. Something was waiting for us, of that I was certain, but it seemed to want us there, not to dash us against a rock the moment it saw us. I struggled to relate this. "We're heading towards someone, or something."

"I should hope so." Trixie tilted her head. "We have two more sources of shadow to rid ourselves of before we may know the truth at last." She nudged me with a hoof. "Are you looking forward to it?" Her face hardened a little. "Are you still hoping that sends you away from me?"

Sweet suddenly stepped between us. "That isn't fair, Trixie. Wouldn't you want to get home if you were suddenly in a whole new world, without any ponies at all?"

Trixie opened her mouth a moment before she shook her head. "Trixie does not have a home, per se... She would want to see what there is to see, what magic she can discern and lore that no other pony could hope to obtain. Only after she filled several books on the matter would she consider returning to share this new knowledge."

I giggled a little. "And prove how amazing you are."

"Of course." She nodded with confidence. "You do understand, fam--James. Here, take this." She held out a small coil of rope.

I took it, but had no idea what to do with it. "And?"

"One moment." Her magic wrapped around me and hurled me bodily up the cliffside to a ledge. "Throw it down!"

I was demoted to a grappling hook, great. I looked around for something to fix the rope to, then tossed the other side down to Trixie and Sweet. They scaled up with surprising skill for a species that didn't have hands. "Ready to do that again?"

Up we went, taking two more violent tosses of my little body before we reached the cave.

Sweet sniffed at the air lightly. "I smell something familiar..." She trotted in ahead of us, following the little twitches of her nose through the paths. "Something sweet..."

"I'm always sweet!" Pinkie jumped down from the roof and landed in front of us. Her eyes leaked the shadowy energy of taint. "We're going to have so much fun!"

I didn't need the pressure in my chest to tell me a conflict had approached us, but there it was. Pinkie approached on two legs, a cupcake balanced on either forehoof. "Aw, I didn't bring enough. Who should get one first..."

Trixie took a defensive posture, horn glowing. "Stop right there. You're infested with shadow, and Trixie won't allow you to interfere with her plans."

"Plans?" Pinkie tilted her head at a strange angle, perpendicular to her shoulders. "You planned a party without me? How mean!" She was suddenly gone, and I heard Trixie cry out. I span to see Pinkie behind her, holding her with one arm as the other forced the cupcake towards her mouth. "You get the first one!"

Sweet rammed into Pinkie from the side, knocking her and her dubious baked treats to the rock of the cave floor. "Stop that! We only just met and even I know this isn't the normal you."

I spread my hands out wide. "I'd love to come to your party, Pinkie."

Pinkie rolled up onto her hooves instantly. "You would? Great!" She was suddenly beside me, popping a party hat on my head. "I'm going to have to bake some new treats though, the old ones are all dirty now..."

Trixie scowled at Pinkie. "She knew taking you was a mistake in the first place. Get yourself together. We still have a mission to complete."

Pinkie waved at Trixie. "You're way too strung up about this. Or maybe you're not strung up enough? Let's find out." She aimed a cannon that was certainly not there a moment ago at Trixie, the fuse already lit and burning rapidly. Trixie raised a shield quickly, but it shattered beneath the concussive force of the deafening bang. When the smoke cleared, Trixie was fixed to a wall, confetti securing every limb as well as any glue. "That's better. No more talking out of you." All that came from Trixie was muffled complaints that no one could understand.

She turned towards Sweet. "How about you, are you joining the party, or are you a naughty pony too?"

Sweet waved her forehooves quickly. "I like making sweet things too. That's my name!"

I had to agree with that. "This is Sweet Tooth, remember?"

Pinkie tilted her head. "Huh?" Some of the mania diminished from her eyes. "What do you make?"

Sweet shrank a little. "I used to make beetles, but I found out they have families and are really smart. I feel awful about that, even if they were kinda yummy..."

Pinkie blinked slowly. "Have you tried using flour and sugar instead?"

"What?"

Pinkie put her forehooves to her head. "You don't know how to bake?! Well you came to the right pony." She threw a leg over Sweet and brought her over towards me, popping another party hat on her. "We're gonna bake a nice big cake, together!"

Sweet smiled a little nervously. "I'd love to learn, if you'll show me?"

"Of course! Making ponies happy is..." She fell to all fours, trembling. "It's what... I... do..." The shadow suddenly fled her eyes and she collapsed to the ground.

"Mmmf!" Trixie was still gagged, but I could see she was referring to the big swirl of dark energy gathering in the room.

Before I could focus on it, it came together, forming into the face of a pony the faint outline of what might be a body behind it. A broken red horn rested on its brow. Trixie began panicking and squirming, but there wasn't much she could do. Even her magic seemed cut off.

Sweet hid behind me, despite my being less than half her overall size. The figure opened its eyes, flowing with shadow magic, green, purple, and black. "Frisk..."

"That's James," I corrected with more bravery than I felt. "Are you the one I saw before?"

"Yes..."

Alright, it was talking, not mauling me, that was a good sign. "What do you want?"

He smiled slowly. "The crystals... The Crystal Empire is my enemy, and my treasure. I conquered it. The... The sleepers were at peace."

Sweet's ears perked. "Sleepers?"

He focused on her. "The awakening of the crystal... You should be asleep."

Sweet thrust a hoof at him. "Enough sleep! Our people... Are you a dark pony?"

"No..."

I lifted my shoulders. "What are you?"

"I am shadow. I am Sombra. Lend me your power, for a time..." His attention was squarely on me.

Should I do that? He caused a lot of trouble before, and the shadow was what we were fighting, or was it more exploring? "Do you promise to stay here, and not hurt anyone while we talk?"

Apparently that was close enough to a yes. I felt a powerful suction and new fatigue wash over me as he sank to the ground and stepped from the shadows, garbed in flesh and metal armor. "It's good to be alive, again... You, alien. Your name is James, is it not?"

I fell back against Sweet who caught me and held me up in her hooves. "Y-yeah, that's me."

Trixie was screaming as loud as her gag allowed. Sombra frowned at her. "Be silent." He waved an armored hoof at her and the screams trailed off as she fell into a forced slumber. "You have my thanks. Have you made a decision? Will you be my ally, or must we fight?"

Sweet tilted her head. "Wait! Are you going to bring the dark ponies out, or put them all to sleep again?"

"Sleep is their only peace." He shook his head. "This is not their world. It only holds pain for them. You should understand this. You are one of their number."

"I am!" cried Sweet. "And I'd still rather be awake. There are things to love. There are delights to be had, friends to make. This world isn't that bad... Even the crystal ponies aren't so bad."

Sombra stomped a hoof, shaking the ground. "They tortured me for years, laughing at my misfortune, sneering at my differences. They hated me, from the smallest school foal to the princess of them all."

I pushed up to my feet properly. "Some ponies are like that, but others are not. Sweet already has a friend eager to be with her. Cadance fears for Sweet's health enough to not finish the fair right away. There's still hope."

"Cadance?" He scowled at me. "Who is this?"

"The new princess of the crystal ponies, pink?"

He recognized her quickly. "She defeated me once. She banished me without remorse. You would claim her as a symbol of change?"

Sweet put a hoof down beside me. "Please, this time it's different..." She pulled off her pink glasses and set it aside. 

Sombra looked at her with a loud gasp. "You really are..." He reached for her, trailing a metal-clad hoof along her snout slowly. "Those eyes... You bear the pain of the sun. Why don't you accept this kindness, and sleep?"

She turned her head away from his stare. "Life hurts... I still want to be in it."

I cracked a smile. "I may never get to my friends and family, but I'd take life over the alternatives. I have new friends, and a cause worth fighting for. The crystal ponies and the dark ponies may have gotten off to a horrible start, but it doesn't have to end there."

"They should be punished!"

"They have been." I shook my head. "Enough. You've had your revenge. It's time for healing."

Pinkie roused with a sleepy murmur only to set eyes on Sombra and squeal in surprise. She ducked behind me, what was it with using the little human as a shield? "K-King S-Sombra!"

"It is good to be recognized... Celestia's pony, do you stand against me?"

I thrust a hand back to stay Pinkie from any rash actions. "She's with me. And we're just talking right now. Nobody is for or against anyone yet. Would it be so bad if the dark ponies could meet with the crystal ponies, both with hooves extended in friendship?"

"You paint an impossible picture. Your mind, filled with idealism... So long as they have the heart, they will use it, and the dark ponies will suffer. Do you not understand how the shadow was created to begin with?"

Sweet clopped the ground. "Tell us!"

His fangs were on display. "I will. Perhaps then the truth will be clear."
> 31 - Deciding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The vision came as he stared at and through us. He was no passive collection of shadow. He seemed to press the thoughts on us, and we were whisked away.

It was dark, very dark.

Pinkie drew a flashlight out of nowhere and clicked it on before waving around the bright beam of light. "Looks like a cave?"

It was more than a cave. I heard a choked cry come from deeper within moments before a wave of intense energy washed over us, putting to shame the smaller burst I saw when Sombra had been banished, and even many of the later ones I would see. Putting these visions into chronological order was a challenge, but I was certain this was one of the earlier ones.

I found myself glad that Sweet hadn't joined us on this journey, even if it was close to her home.

From the direction of where the energy had already passed, soft cries and wails began to rise. Pinkie tilted her head. "Who's that? They sound like they're having a bad day."

"So bad, no party can fix it," I said, shaking my head. "Why are we here?"

My vision was drawn upwards. Various crystalline structures vibrated with every wail and cry, pulsing with an increasingly familiar burst of black, green, and purple. Time became hazy as the wave passed over us again, repeating the cries, charging the crystals.

Sombra emerged from the shadow to face us. "The shadow, what the crystal ponies have learned to fear... Me... We were created by the desperate cries of the dark ponies. Our original purpose was to free them of this pain, to destroy the crystal heart once and for all. Each time they cry, we have failed. We were not without our successes."

The scene changed, showing Sombra ruling from on high in the Crystal Palace, glaring down at the hated crystal ponies, but that quickly jumped again, showing a more primitive time. Their huge totem of crystal was set afire along with a circle of others. "They would infuse their crystals with the very soul of what they would ward, and with barbaric rituals would activate them. For most, this simply kept them at bay. The dark ponies had nowhere to go, nor knew what was happening as they were crushed in their own homes. This injustice drew us, for we had no other purpose. We rose as a mighty army." The horizon grew almost fuzzy and indistinct, obscured with a shadow army that spread from one edge of the horizon to the next. "My ancestors came, and we destroyed."

The crystals were shattered, all of them. "We thought we had won..."

A lone crystal pony timidly stepped into the field of broken crystals, sniffing along the ground. They pulled one piece closer to themselves, picked it up, and trotted off with it quickly. "We were wrong. One clever pony reforged the remnants of the crystal totem, becoming the heart that we know today. They constructed a grand focusing device, fell and terrible, that would focus its lingering power. True, its power is still a shadow of its original glory, but enough to strike at them, and to prove us failures once again."

Pinkie tilted her head. "Why didn't you just ask them not to do that?"

I just noticed as she talked that we had a presence, if non-distinct.

"Do you not think we tried? My ancestors were not as... refined as I. It was not until my creation that this was possible, and the damage was done. The crystals that made me became slowly more clever with every passing moon. They knew an outright attack would fail. The crystal ponies were too clever, the shadows too weak individually." His fanged smile spread. "So they made a pony, one of shadow, and sent him to their city. You already know my story."

"I don't," complained Pinkie with a pout.

"You don't count." His eyes fixed on me. "Do you understand?"

Some of it... "Why didn't you smash the heart when you controlled the city?"

His eyes flared with power. "You know how they made it. To destroy it utterly would betray our purpose."

How they made it? I frowned in thought, then it clicked. "The first one, the 'outer space' explorer, his soul's trapped in the heart crystal, right?"

"He is as victimized as those within the city. They all knew peace, for a time, when I held the heart, and their pain delayed when the city was sent away. While his soul resides, outright destruction is beyond consideration, even if it would spare many of his kin."

We suddenly 'woke up', back in the cavern. Unlike the other times, the source of the vision still stood there before us. "Now you understand?"

A familiar green grin appeared in the air, quickly wrapped in the shadowy ball. "I 'understand' that your weakness lets the poor bastard stew in his own juices." He turned towards me. "Hey, kid, nice delaying tactic, but you haven't changed a damn thing."

I spotted Sweet by Trixie, freeing her from the confetti blast. Both fell to the ground in a heap, Trixie still slumbering.

Pinkie pointed at the grinning blob. "What's that?"

"You should already know." He leered at us. "At least one of you, anyway. Sombra, get your ass in gear."

"Do not speak to me in such insolent tones!" A mask of fury, he fired a bolt of almost brilliant dark magic, though the blob easily flowed around it. "He has proven willing to hear our side, more than most."

"Like that matters? He gave you a body, now do things with it. We need Sombra back, kicking little ponies around. You like doing that, don't you?"

I frowned at the shadow. He was quite the pain in the butt. "I want to find an answer, a real answer, not just keep repeating this fight over and over again."

"You would know about repeats, wouldn't you?" His eyes rolled dramatically in its spherical body. "Come on, big guy, It's waiting for you just upstairs. No excuses, get moving!"

Sombra let out a slow exhale. "We will meet again, at the peak." He lapsed into shadow and fled up through the wall, gone.

"Adios, jerks." The orb dissipated into nothing.

Sweet shook Trixie gently, rousing her with a sleeping mumble. "Five more minutes..."

Pinkie turned to me. "I don't really understand everything that's going on, but we need to get you up to that peak." She grabbed me at the collar and tossed me onto her back. "Come on, Trixie's still dizzy, I'll do it."

Sweet climbed up to her own hooves, with Trixie draped over her. "Ready. Do you know the way?"

I suddenly giggled. "I'm going to guess she doesn't, but she's going to try anyway"

"How'd you know?!" Pinkie began bouncing for the exit, proving she was far less smooth a ride than Trixie had been. I took a firm hold of her curly hair as we went, or was that a mane? Right, mane. We emerged into the light of day, dim as it was with a heavy cloud cover, and she spun around. "Well the mountain's right there, so up we go! Goat style?"

"Goat style?"

"Like this!" She jumped up to the closest ledge, just to bounce up to the one beyond it, springing from one rock to the next without a shred of hesitation. "How'd you guys get this far anyway?"

I could see Sweet carrying Trixie back towards where we'd left the bicycle. "We actually pedaled up here, though I guess it's only for two ponies, not three and me."

"Good thing I'm good at climbing then." She leaped onto a large ledge and panted a moment. "Sorry for falling out of the story for a while there." She resumed her climb with a spring. "It looks like you did pretty good though. You don't seem as scared as you used to be."

"Not scared? I'm terrified!" I held on tight as she bounded along. "Especially right now."

"But you're still here." She glanced over her shoulder just before she jumped, a move I don't recommend to anyone. "You're still moving, still trying, still pushing. You might be scared, but you're brave. Hay, you're even trying to do it right instead of doing it easy. Even Twilight sometimes does it easy if she can get away with it." She waved a hoof at me, predicting my next question. "Friend of mine, rival of Trixie's. She's a nice pony. Maybe you'll meet her someday." She turned her attention back to the mountain climb. "So, what do you plan to do?"

That seemed like a fine question. I frowned with thought, no, determination. "We have to free the explorer, the first dark pony to come up to the surface."

"Isn't he in the Crystal Heart?"

"Right..." How did we bust him out? "I assume just breaking it would be bad."

"Besides having the entire empire hating you forevers?"

"Yes, Pinkie, besides that."

On the next ledge, a large figure rose from the snow and ice. Aquator loomed over us. "Enough. You've gotten too far, too close. Our plan's off. I can't parade you around as a failure if you don't fail! Child of Light, prepare to be destroyed."

He brought back a spear of water in his mouth and stabbed it at me. I held up my hands. "Don't you want to see your son again?!"

The spear hesitated, hovering dangerously close to my face. "What... What do you know of him?" The spear melted into a pile of water, splashing Pinkie as it fell to the ground. "Where is he?"

Pinkie shook out her mane. "Sheesh, you could at least say you're sorry."

"Silence, pink one." His body swirled with the black specks that had defeated me several times before. "Where is he?"

I had an idea. I wasn't sure of it... "I think... I need your help a little here, to be sure I have this right. Was it your son that ventured into outer space?"

Aquator recoiled violently. "W-what? I... Yes... By the darkness, yes!" He stomped a hoof, shaking the ledge beneath us. "How could I forget? That damned journey that took away my only child... Have I been hunting a ghost all these years? Is my son truly gone?"

"Mostly." I wobbled a hand. "I think we can free him, but together. We're not on different sides here. If we free your son, the dark ponies will be left alone too."

"Could it truly be so simple?" He reached forward and a black-furred hoof erupted from the water, "Can we be free?"

Pinkie pointed at the furry limb. "I think you're already coming free."

He looked down at himself and began to laugh, a little hysterically. "Is the end finally in sight? How do I know you're not weaving a quick tale to spare you my wrath?"

I spread my hands out to either side, balancing on Pinkie's back. "You can come with us. No more hiding. You'll walk at my side, until we fix this."

"Until we fix this..." His watery head rose towards the peak. "You have my services, until you prove otherwise. Come, let us end this."
> 32 - The Peak
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie pronked her way up the mountainside, while Aquator could still flow, and did just that, rushing up alongside us without difficulty. I was mostly focused on our destination and what awaited us there. This wasn't all making sense. Why would Sombra take orders from a puff of smoke? Sombra was the highest of all shadows, a literal evolved perfection...

There was only one thing I knew he'd defer to, his purpose. He had to protect the dark ponies. The dark ponies... "Oh man!"

Pinkie peeked back at me. "What?"

"You're not a man."

"Of course not, silly." She stuck out her tongue at me. "But what?"

I decided to bounce the idea off of her, maybe she could see an angle I didn't. "I just had an idea. What if the shadow cloud isn't shadow?"

"Sure looks shadowy to me."

"Right, all dark ponies look shadowy while they're lost. What if this is a dark pony, an important one?"

Pinkie tilted her head at me, something I was not entirely comfortable with her doing mid-hop. "Well then we have to break them free, right?"

We arrived at the peak. It formed a bowl, with Sombra and the orb of shadow beside him, grinning its green smile. Touching down nearby was Sweet and Trixie, both awake and working together to make the bicycle work. Pinkie waved enthusiastically at them and joined them with me, and Aquator finished the party, rising up from the rock beside us.

The wind howled. Sombra stared a moment, then stepped closer. "Why do you gather them around yourself? You realize, if you turn against the darkness, you will have to betray them all."

Sweet clambered off the bike. "He won't hurt me."

Aquator pawed at the ground. "He is on the side of right, light, or darkness."

Pinkie bobbed her head. "And we're here to help!"

Trixie gasped. "Wait, it's just what Trixie thought, you are the star of this--"

Sombra glared at Trixie. "Silence."

She shrank back a little, cowed by Sombra's intense presence a moment before she stood back up. "No! He is my familiar, and my responsibility. We're here, together."

I looked past Sombra, to the shadow orb that was approaching us. "I have a few theories I need to get out of the way, if it's alright?"

Sombra raised a brow, but said nothing. Good enough.

"First, Sweet."

She looked to me with perked ears.

"That isn't your name. I don't even think that's what you did, besides a hobby. You had a different job. You spent your last days imprisoned, thinking of better times. You remembered the sweet taste of your favorites, and that's what you held onto, for countless years."

Sweet trembled. "W-what? No... Who am I then?" She glared at me. "You've won my trust so far, don't betray it now."

"You." I pointed at Sweet. "You are a brilliant pony who cast her gaze to the ceiling, and beyond it. You were the one that headed the mission to outer space."

She gaped blankly a moment, sinking to her haunches. "B-but, what? Oh..." She put a hoof to her head. She was remembering, I hoped.

There wasn't time to let her hash that out, so I turned to Aquator. "You were as you are now, in some ways, a large pony others looked up to, both literally and otherwise. You banned reaching for outer space because your son was lost to it." I turned to the ball of shadow. "Your son, Little Tite."

The orb swirled wildly a moment. "Figured it out, did you? Now you've really done it... Look at them, they're waking up, and there won't be any sleep for them again. You ruined them."

Sweet ripped the cloak off her back and let it fall. She was whole and black, except for the red stripes in her mane and tail. "I remember... I remember it all... I never had a son. I was... I'm so sorry, Little Tite..."

"Don't say that!"

"My son." Aquator took a step forward, his other forehoof bursting free of the water as it began running down him, collecting at his feet and rushing off into the rock. He was revealed to be a powerful stallion of black. "You're alive..."

"You call this living?!" The orb lifted higher. "I've been dead for a long time. That damn kid was supposed to break it, and me, but no. No! If I can't have peace, you can all have it instead." He exploded into darkness, wrapping around us. All was dark a moment, with just the soft thudding of my own heart.

Sombra's eyes opened before us. "I am holding him at bay. I had no idea... You've brought us this far, curious creature, now it is time for us to stand together."

His horn shone with shadow magic, and the darkness retreated. Standing beside the dark orb was Long Night. Where did he fit into things?

Little, the orb, snickered. "Trying to figure it out? You're not going to, this one isn't involved in that. This one's mine. Long, it's time."

Long gave a slow, mournful, nod. before he drew out a wickedly sharp dagger.

Pinkie tilted her head. "Are you going to fight us with that?"

Trixie waved a hoof. "Trixie is not afraid of your kitchen knife."

Long plunged it into his own chest, and Little flowed into the gap instantly. Long grunted and fell to a knee before us. His form began to swell and bulge obscenely as he fell to all fours, becoming the pony he once was, I presumed? Armor grew over him, and I recognized it. He was wearing the outer space protective clothing, which made him look like the monster the crystal ponies had hunted all those years ago. His eyes were lost to view, shadow gusted from behind the screen. It was time to fight, and there was no mercy button this time.

Sombra thrust up a hoof and black crystals jut up powerfully from the ground, but Long jumped out of the way and brought a hoof down on Trixie, who shrieked as she dashed out of harm's way.

Aquator trembled, but wasn't fighting. "My son... This isn't how I raised you."

"Isn't it?" called the voice of Little Tite from within Long's enhanced form. "You lashed out at everyone who failed you." Long/Tite crashed before Aquator and lashed out a forehoof, knocking him to the ground. "Like father, like son."

With a loud boom, Pinkie fired her party cannon, splattering the side of the combined beast with confetti. "You stop picking on ponies!"

Sombra drove his hooves to the stone, causing a circle of crystal to erupt around Little/Long. "Why would you have me fail my task? Why would you destroy yourself?"

Trixie came up beside me. "You've done quite well, familiar. This is their struggle, now. Trixie thinks it's well in-hoof."

Sweet approached the circle. "Are you upset I sent you? I thought there would be a wondrous world up here, and... there is... I'm sorry for what happened to you, but we both wanted to see it. I would have taken your place, if I could."

Aquator rose to his hooves. "You're still here. There's still hope. I'm sorry for being blind for so many years, but it's still not too late. You were... unspeakably brave..."

"I..." Little/Tite went still and quiet a moment. "You never said that before..."

Sombra glanced at the dark ponies, then waved away the jutting crystal. "There is still time." His eyes turned to me and Trixie. "Tell us, what would make them surrender the heart to us?"

Trixie jerked up. "Oh, hmm, well, Trixie supposes they won't want to do that until they're certain they'll never be attacked by shadows again."

"Which will not cease until the heart is reclaimed."

It was a loop without end, but it had to end. "It's time to wake them up."

Pinkie looked the most confused of them all. "Wake who up?"

Aquator knew what I meant. "All of them? Yes...  it is time. We either rise from the darkness of eternal misery, or accept it, and I am done accepting that!"

Sweet looked around in a bit of a panic. "How do we even do that? Where is our city?"

Sombra let out a little sigh. "I... we... know where it is. How can we not? Its screams drive us." He half turned away. "I suppose this is the end of the shadow. If you revive them, our purpose is at an end..." 

Long suddenly collapsed to his side. Little flowed from his mouth, and he was still. That wasn't right. I hadn't... This wasn't perfect. I had messed up, somewhere. In some way I'd messed up!

Trixie saw the panic on my face. "What's wrong? We're getting everything fixed. You should be happy, James."

But it wasn't perfect. It was good, but it wasn't perfect...

Aquator was speaking to Sombra, "Your people have lived on our fears and desperate wants too long. It's time you came free of the darkness as well."

Sweet nodded quickly. "Please. You don't seem so bad. If we can learn to live with the crystal ponies, you can too."

Aquator nodded in agreement. "The shadows as well. It's time to start a new era."

My mind wasn't on them. They were acting out the end of the adventure nicely, but I'd failed. I wouldn't be sent home. I'd done all I could, and came so close...

Little Tite swirled in the air. "What about me?"

Aquator held out a hoof. "We will reclaim the rest of your soul from the heart. Whole, we will know what to do. Son, I still love you."

Sweet put a hoof behind her head. "This is so awkward. I spent so long thinking of my lost son, to find out they weren't my son, but you instead. I still want to help, to make you whole again..."

They would get their happy ending. It would work out for them... I sank to the stony floor and Trixie sat beside me. "James? You're worrying Trixie. Please tell her what's wrong?"

"I failed."

"How is this failure?" She waved a hoof at them talking of a brighter future. "This looks like success from Trixie's point of view."

"Well, yeah, but I didn't do it perfectly. We never found out who Long Night was. This wasn't a perfect pacifist ending."

Trixie blinked slowly. "She has no idea what a 'perfect pacifist ending' is, but you did better than even Trixie would have dared to imagine." She lifted me with magic and stood up, placing me on her back. "Come on, let's see this to its end, then look to our own future. Trixie said you would be Trixie's familiar, but she will endeavor to make that a happy thing." She glanced over her shoulder. "Life isn't perfect, but we can make it good."

I let her carry me, hugging into her mane. 

I was sure I'd never see home again.
> 33 - Return of the Empire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweet trotted over to Trixie and I. "We have to go back. If we can stop Cadance, we can bring this madness to an end." She glanced back at the other ponies of dark and shadow. "It's not over until Little Tite is allowed to rest, or brought back entirely."

I considered Sweet. "Alright, that sounds right, I guess." Maybe my whole heart wasn't in it at that specific moment. "What is your real name, anyway?"

Sweet smiled. "I'll stick with Sweet Tooth if that's alright?" She turned to the others. "We have a ride for two, three if James takes the center seat, but there's no pedal there, so let's keep it to a light pony."

Aquator snorted, shaking out his black fur. "I require nothing. I'll meet you all there." He wasn't very wet anymore, but he took off at a powerful gallop, charging back towards the city.

Sombra sighed softly. "My approach would ensure the damnable crystal is immediately used. I will stay out of sight and await your signal."

Pinkie suddenly reached up, grabbed Little Tite and stuffed him in her party canon. "You're coming with me! Let's go!" She rushed for the bicycle with a manic grin. "Destiny awaits!"

Sweet moved beside the fallen Long Night. "I'm sorry."

I clenched my teeth. Who was he? If it worked at all... like that. I rushed over to Long and rolled the big inert pony with some effort, Trixie and Sweet gawking at me like  I was crazy. I put an ear to his bloody chest, nothing. Okay, I never did CPR before, but I've read about it! I've seen it in movies and videos. How hard could it... be? "Trixie, tell me you can do a little electrical zap." I moved up to Long's mouth and sealed our lips like I was giving him the kiss of a lifetime. I blew air into him, drew back, then again. "Shock him." Would it work? It couldn't be worse than not trying at all.

Pinkie tilted her head. "Well? He hasn't been wrong so far, try it!"

Trixie cringed back a half step before her horn began to glow. The glow jumped from her into Long's body, like a powerful stroke of static electricity. He jerked and I rushed back to put an ear on his chest. The faint thump I heard made my own heard beat savagely. I put a hand in front of his mouth, still nothing. He wasn't breathing, damn it. I closed lips with him and remembered something. I pinched his nose tightly and tilted it back as I breathed into him, trying to act as his lungs. Each huff felt like I was trying to blow up a balloon that was too big. Why were all the ponies so much bigger than me! Why were their mouths shaped differently than mine? I shoved these thoughts aside and keep breathing. It had to work. It had to... I was determined.

Suddenly he coughed, right in my face. A small price to pay, but he started breathing. I fell back, panting and wheezing. "Put pressure on his wound, but he's alive."

Trixie stepped forward slowly. "How? Familiar! James, I mean. You are a constant source of miracles." Pinkie hopped off the bicycle and soon she, Trixie and Sweet were crowded around Long, giving basic first aid.

Trixie shook her head suddenly. "Look, you have to go. Trixie's done her part. Very well, she'll have you know, but only you and the rest will get Cadance to change her mind. She'll watch over Long Night, you take the bicycle and return when you can."

Sweet suddenly hugged Trixie tightly. "You are a Great and Powerful pony. Thank you for being my friend." She moved for the bicycle quickly, and I felt I should too.

"We'll be back, mom."

Trixie waved it off. "You don't have to call me mother. We know you have a mom."

Pinkie suddenly picked me  up by the scruff. "No time to talk!" She raced off with me back to the bike and dropped me on the middle seat before hopping on the front and starting to pedal like mad. We lifted violently into the air before stabilizing and tilting towards the Crystal Empire. "Cadance, here we come, ready or not!"

We soared through the air under Pinkie's manic pedaling, returning towards the Crystal Empire a lot faster than Sweet and Trixie's hooves had managed. Sweet had her hooves lifted away from the wildly swinging pedal as if scared to touch it with Pinkie working them. She was amazing! The bicycle's propellers were leaving a trail through the sky with the speed we were going, bursting through a cloud and leaving a fine line of mist behind us.

As we approached the city, we could see there was a huge gathering of ponies milling around outside. Were they already doing the ritual? It hadn't been two days yet! "Take us down, Pinkie. We're running out of time!"

We swooped down like a bird coming to get a tasty mouse, landing with a skid right in the middle of the crowd. It was a miracle we didn't crash into anyone there, but they had the good sense to scramble to either side as we came to a stop. Sweet squealed with sudden pain, trembling, but forcing her way off the bike and to her hooves. "Come on... James... We have to go." I hopped down beside her and took a step towards the stage just to get grabbed up by her and tossed in her quivering back as she galloped for it. "No time..."

Cadance was staring at us along with Shining Armor. When we fully burst from the crowd and hopped up onto the stage, she recoiled a step. "You're alright? We thought..."

Shining Armor shook his head. "We saw, and felt, tremendous dark magic being used. We thought all was lost."

Pinkie drew out her party cannon. "Nope! Everything's gonna be alright." She started to bring it around on the crystal heart. That was bad. I jumped for it with the odd distortion of time jumping felt. Had I failed? It was becoming a lot harder to even know, but I crashed into the cannon and knocked it aside. Little Tite exploded free, but well away from the crystal.

He quivered and wavered where he landed on the ground, but didn't attack anything. I nodded at him then bopped Pinkie on the head. "He wants to break it, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

Cadance looked between us. "Would somepony kindly bring me up to speed? What is going on?"

Sweet dipped her head, trembling. "We have... found it all... Please, accept this envoy of peace, on behalf... of the dark ponies."

Cadance raised a brow. "There was never a doubt that we could accept your people, Sweet."

"And the shadow ponies."

Cadance stepped back. "What?"

Emerging from the ground before Cadance, Sombra flowed upwards, staring at her with his fell eyes. They gazed at one another, the entire crowd stunned into silence.

Shining Armor swallowed heavily, but, to his credit, simply asked, "Is this true?"

Sombra lowered his head a few inches, as close to a bow as ever he might come. "We, the shadow ponies, are willing to negotiate a truce. Our purpose could change." His eyes boring into Cadance's. "Only if you will right this injustice."

Cadance rose to her full height. "What injustice?"

I pointed at the Crystal Heart. "We're not pointing fingers here, but a long time ago, the ponies of the north, you all, would make crystal totems of your enemies and predators, and use it to banish them. It has the soul of one of their number inside. Namely the one quivering on the ground there." My finger lowered to Little Tite's shadowy ball of a form. "He's been fighting for so long, he's ready to die instead of continue it, but--"

Sweet stomped a hoof, almost falling over from the effort. "It doesn't have to be that way."

Emerging from the startled crowd, Aquator's form burst free and hopped up. His form trembled with the pain of the crystal, but he said nothing of it. "Free my son, please. If you know any small bit of compassion in your heart."

Cadance's eyes danced between Sombra, Aquator, Sweet, Pinkie, and me. "This is... a lot to take in."

I waved a hand at the damn crystal. "At least turn that off! They're being hurt just trying to talk to you. You can see they're not here to attack you."

Cadance put a hoof to her chest and stretched it out with a slow exhale. "Yes, right." Her horn glowed softly as its magic wrapped around the crystal and pulled it free. Floating free in the air, its magic dimmed. Sweet fell to the ground, panting with relief. "I'm sorry if that hurt. It..." She glared at Sombra. "You once ruled this city and the entire empire. You dominated and hurt ponies every day without remorse. Why should we trust you now?"

Pinkie thrust up a hoof. "Every pony deserves one chance."

Shining Armor peered at Sombra, then Pinkie. "But he's Sombra!"

Sombra snorted, shadow gusting from his nostrils. "If you do not wish peace..."

Cadance put up her hooves quickly. "No no, let's not be hasty."

A cackling drew their attention as Little Tite reached the heart and flowed around it. "Finally! At long last!" His green smile consumed his form before it faded into the crystal itself. "I... by the darkness... My soul..." Instead of launching in a sudden attack or becoming a demon like I thought he might, he began to sniffle, then cry from within the crystal. He was no returning conqueror.

Aquator trembled. "Please, that's my son... let him free."

Cadance shook her head. "How? How do I even do that? His... He's..." She stepped towards the crystal as she pulled it closer, meeting her halfway. "People of the Crystal Empire, as your princess, I must make a decision." Thousands of perked ears were focused on her, eyes wide with fear and hope. "Your ancestors did what they thought was right, but those times are over." She put the crystal under a hoof. "Sir." She looked at Aquator. "It's time for your child to rest... Do you have any parting words?"

Aquator took shaking steps forward. He was clearly trying to remain composed, but failing. "S-son... I'm... I'm so proud of you..."

Sweet rolled to her haunches. "You were so brave to venture into this place, when we knew so little. You were the best of us."

Little stopped his bawling and eyes appeared in the crystal, not shadowy, but instead deep black with brilliant color within. "Do you mean that?"

Sweet stood up. "If... we could, I would be proud to know, you, as a pony, once more."

Aquator nodded towards Sweet. "This... This will hurt, but you are a child of mine. If anyone can live through this, it is you. Fight it. Fight this one last time, and return to me." He put out his forehooves. "I love you."
> 34 - A Shattered Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cadance pressed down with a bright flare of her magic. A crack ran down through the heart, spreading in a spider's web of lines before it exploded with all the finality of losing a battle in the game I had once played instead of living. The fragments scattered along the ground around her as shadow seeped from them.

Ponies screamed with horror, seeing their most valuable artifact smashed, but I wasn't paying attention to the crystal ponies, just their heart. The shadow was starting to escape, and I didn't want that. I quickly grabbed for a leg of Sweet and Aquator. "Quickly, come with me." I drew them forward. Three legs were much more graceful than a human missing a leg, let me tell you.

They moved to Cadance and the dispersing shadow. "Quick, call to him, tell him how much you miss him."

Aquator drove a hoof on the ground. "In my moments of lucidity, I would think only of you. I wished I'd been a stronger father, that I could have protected you, but you choose this path, and I can't be prouder."

Sweet nodded. "My hopes took flight alongside you. When you set eyes on outer space, you were carrying me with you. When you didn't come back, a part of me didn't either." She spread her hooves. "Come back to us, please. The world is much gentler now. Don't you want to explore this place?"

Aquator glanced aside at her. "You would still explore this place, after it has hurt us all so terrible?"

Sweet smiled. "More than ever... I have made friends, and seen such amazing things. I want to know this world." She kept her eyes on the leaking shadow. "Little, come back to us. Come and see it all!"

Pinkie bounced up alongside the others. "We don't know each other personally, but it's a lot of fun up here. There'll be sweet things to nibble and friends to make. I hear it was a real drag back then, but that's over, so let's have fun, and I can throw the biggest celebration ever conceived!" She glanced at Cadance. "Yes even bigger than your wedding, sorry."

Cadance smiled gently. "I would be proud to honor such a festival. A new festival. No longer to wish the shadow and dark ponies away, but instead to celebrate friendship, and to an end to millennia of battle and hardship." She nodded at the shadow. "If you can do it, Little, return to us. Your people would be happy to have you back."

I felt like it was my turn and gave a little half bow towards it. "We met on curious terms. To put it bluntly, you were kind of a jerk to me, and tried to kill me a few times." I waved a hand. "But I'm willing to put that in the past, if you are. It's time for our happy ending."

The last of the shadow escaped from the crystal, and all became quiet for a time. Did it work?

Sombra lowered his head, more deeply than he had for Cadance. "He will be remembered. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, it is time we finalized our truce. You have done as we asked, but I would ask one other thing."

Cadance turned to Sombra, wariness returning. "And that would be?"

"Bearer of that hated name, let us put the past... behind us. Will you accept those banished from the light among your ponies?"

Shining Armor slid in beside Cadanace. "Shouldn't he be being punished or something?"

Cadance shook her head. "No. No this isn't the time for that. Former-King Sombra, I accept your people's presence in the Empire. How could I not, when the dark ponies may very well have been here before the crystal ponies? As for the shadows... Provided they follow the same laws as any other pony, they will be treated just like that, any other pony." She turned to the shocked crowd. "Ponies of the Crystal Empire, the war is over, forever. Let there be a new festival, to celebrate its end, and to welcome our new neighbors."

The cheer was timid at first, but slowly spread and built, like a fire. Soon the entire crowd was in on it, cheering and calling.

Sombra gave a wane smile. "I didn't imagine the crystal ponies would cheer in my presence without being forced."

Shining shook his head. "They can do a lot of things, if you let them. Now that the war's over, and you're not the king, what will you do?"

Sombra seemed to consider that, licking over his sharpened teeth. "I will speak for the dark ponies. They need an ambassador that is not easily cowed, who can stand for them without fear in the complex arena of politics."

I laughed at his idea, getting a glare from him. "Sorry, No, it's a great idea. I'm just trying to imagine the crystal ponies trying to argue back at you."

Sombra snorted softly. "Let them try."

Pinkie hopped up onto the bike. "I'll be right back. I should pick up Trixie!" She took off in a streak of wildly pumping legs, zooming off to where we left her and Long.

Crystal ponies started to move again. Some seemed eager to talk to Sweet or Aquator. The latter was a little withdrawn, but was acting quite well for a father who lost their son moments ago. It was a brave face, I imagined, something he'd had a lot of practice with.

Sombra got less attention, but not zero. A little filly walked up to him, looking at him with curiosity instead of abject terror. "Are you Sombra?"

He looked down at her. "I am. Ambassador Sombra."

She smiled. "That's cool. Why are your eyes all like that?"

"That is what I am." He settled down to be at her level. "Why are your eyes so sparkly?"

"That's what I am," she echoed back, giggling. "I'm Gem Bundle, nice to meet you." She offered a hoof.

With some hesitation, he extended a hoof, touching it to the small filly's gently and accepting her shake. "I will fight your people, with words, for the rights of mine."

She nodded quickly at him. "Uh huh, that's what amba... ambassasses do. I bet you're a good one too."

He smiled at her. "I will be."

Things began to calm, and spirits lifted. I still wasn't going home. Maybe it wasn't the best ending, but it was a pretty good one overall. I shouldn't complain. Pony land wasn't that bad... I should just get used to it.

Pinkie came back on her bike with two passengers. Trixie was using her magic to propel along with Pinkie, and they had Long along, but he wasn't slumped over. He was upright and holding onto the handlebars as best as he could. How did hooves work with those?

They landed not more than a foot from me and Trixie hopped free. "We have the most Great and Exciting news you've ever heard!" Many eyes turned to her, which she seemed to enjoy. "Behold, Little Tite." She gestured at Long Night, who wasn't Long Night.

He stepped off the bike more slowly than Trixie had, with a blanket covering much of his form. His eyes found Aquator and he smiled brightly. "Dad..."

That one voice pierced the noise of others. Aquator turned, and leaped over those trying to speak to him. They met in a crash of a hug. They were both crying, but I think they were good tears. Trixie came over as they reunited. "Trixie has figured it out. Little Tite split into three over maybe as many thousands of years. His body, his mind, and his 'spirit' you could say." She rolled a hoof. "The crystal held the spirit, Long Night was the body." She leaned in at me. "There, that is your 'pacifist ending', is it not?"

It... It really was. Everything was in its place. Everything was perfect, but I wasn't being hurled home. Trixie could see the disappointment on my face. "James..." I looked up at her. "My magic brought you here. This is my responsibility. I will accept that." She was speaking without third person? "Whatever I need to do to make this right by you, I will do. You are one of the best things to come into my life." She grabbed me with her forehooves and pulled me into a hug. "Just no more mother. Trixie is your partner, not your mother, and you are no child." Ah, well, it was nice while it lasted.

I returned her hug, letting out a sigh into her fur. "I'll... get used to it. It'll take time. For now, how about we help with the dark ponies? They have a whole city to wake up, and some will want to move up here, and some won't."

Trixie nodded. "Let's finish what we started, partner."