Millennia Past - Prologue

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Rain plastered the trees of a dark forest. A forest that would not appear to be all that unpleasant if it were not for the rhythmic tap of steps on stone coming from within a small cave. The entrance of said cave was rather small, so small a rudimentary wooden door was placed as the sole guardian of the cave against the water from outside, allowing the creature to pace in relative peace.

The bipedal creature paced in front of a half length, eerie and ornate mirror, its brow furrowed on its impossibly smooth onyx and marble skin; a frown upon its thin lips as its pure, red, pupil-less eyes glowered at everything, between the mirror or the simple walls of the cave as it muttered to what could only be itself.

"It's not my fault that guard raised the alarm! Pah. At least we 'poisoned' her."

The creatures lips did not move, but a response was given by a different, deeper voice. "As that may be, not only will it take forever for the 'poison' to take effect, it was also quite valuable! We could have easily found a better use for it."

It turned, flaring the black and white cape it wore slightly as it glared at the pure black biped in the mirror. "When and where, may I ask? We had that useless thing forever and we would never find a better target than her! Besides. I am the brains that says 'oh, why don't we go through the tunnel net work and surface in the kitchens', you're the brawn that says 'let's burn down the door, steal a cake and blind our enemies with its frosted goodness!"

The twin in the mirror shifted and looked away as it crossed its arms. "That was once and we both know it K."

K shook his head and snickered a little. "Twice C. You forgot the time with the bachelor party where you-"

C seemed to grab the mirror from his side with his teeth bared in sharp, straight rows, as he growled menacingly at K through the pristine teeth, "I get it K."

K shifted a little and stopped snickering. "Well, what are we going to do now? If I know them, which I do, then they will be coming here to use the elements on us. Just like they did Discord." He took a few steps towards the mirror a scowl adorning his face, cape flowing lightly. "I do not, emphasize not, want to be turned to stone, blown up or whatever it is those things do."

C let go of his side of the mirror and nodded, "Yeah, well, you did do a Discord and cause the chain of events that's gonna get us stoned." As he said the last part K snickered again, causing C to give him a very un-amused look, "It's not funny. Discord had the same stuff we do, he didn't even need it, it didn't even help him and he had power over chaos beforehand. He just... sat there. Guess he thought it made him immune. But if we're not careful we'll also be the Princesses garden gnomes."

K sighed as he turned to the side and leaned against the wall, putting a hand against his face, scrunching it slightly. "Where did we go so wrong?"

C crossed his arms, shrugged and gave a chuckle, "I think it went wrong the moment they found out our little secret causing you to act brashly, 'poison' her and hurt her favorite guard to boot." He lent forward, face almost brushing the mirror surface.

K turned back to the mirror with a small frown and mirrored his counter part's stance, "You're right. But that is in the past, doesn't pertain to what we need to do and, speaking of which, what do we do?"

C gave a small grin that belay the twisted ideas inevitably churning within his mind, "We set a trap for them. Like you said, they will be coming to turn us to stone or whatever it is the elements do. And when they do come, we'll be ready."

Even K gave a dark smile to that, "Good. All in favor of setting a trap?" Both of them raised their hand and looked around before lowering them again. "Oh, right Discord's not here." K turned from the mirror and walked towards the door as glowing tendrils of blue and green magic wrapped around each of his arms. He lifted his arms and let some of the magic fly to the door as they started making strange intertwining patterns on the floor in front of the door.

Once the rune was finished and his arms stopped glowing he turned back to the mirror, "When they get here they will be trapped by the magic in the rune and then we can have a nice chat with them."

C scowled a little before giving a contemplative look, "Don't you know it's bad to monologue in front of your enemies?" He placed both of his arms on the stone stand of the mirror, shaking his head, "Discord monologued and became a pigeon playhouse, better to just kill them, teleport them or something."

K frowned again as he put his back to a cave wall and slid down it into a sitting position. "I never get to have any fun."

C gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Well, don't worry. I'm sure the princesses will crash through that door any day now."

Right after he finished that sentence the door shattered into splinters, forcing K to raise his cape as a makeshift shield from the debris. Once the dust cleared away he let his cape drop and gaped dumbly at what stood before him, the Princesses Celestia and Luna wearing the Elements of Harmony in all their glory.

His eyes darted to the floor, the sisters were mere hoofsteps from the rune, its dark blue overpowering the green, blending into the floor of the dim cave. His eyes darted from the floor back to the Princesses, so quickly they did not even have the inclination to follow his gaze. "What a surprise this is! And what an honor! My dear Princesses." He said, getting up to do a mocking bow.

Luna stepped forward, a few precious steps closer to the rune, an angry scowl adorned her face. "We have come to stop thee K! You have done too much in these recent days! You helped Discord, slipped something into our soup and harmed our favorite guard! For these crimes we cannot forgive thee!"

K straightened from the bow, a cocky grin adorning his lips, chuckles passing through his teeth. "Who's asking for forgiveness? Certainly not me." He sauntered in a circle, giving a light hum as he peered at the sisters, watching their body language."You're paying for the door by the way."

Celestia ignored his joke and stepped up to the side of her sister wearing a look of calm tempered by chilling fury. "We just want to know K. Why did you do all of this?"

K once again flared his cape and laughed, "A magician never reveals his secrets! If all secrets were told due to the audience's curiosity, what fun would the world be?"

Luna started to tremble, her angry scowl becoming saddened. "We considered thee our friend K. Considered thee practically family."

K's cocky smile vanished. For but a single moment his eyes held more than just schemes, malice or laughter. They held the slightest amount of uncertainty, of pain, of loss and even regret. If only for a moment. "I did too." He then let loose a maniacal laugh that rang through the small cave, as his smile returned with manic glee. "But, things change! The world cares little for wants and desires, and we are forced into our destiny!"

Luna glared at K, taking a few steps closer until she stood a mere hoof length from the small rune. "What does destiny have to do with any of this K? Answer us! We can help thee!"

K returned the glare with a gleeful smile, "Sorry, but my plans require no such thing to happen, though, you could try and make me!" He lifted his hand which was covered in a spiral of dark blue tendrils of magic and shot a searing bolt of blue at Celestia. She ducked as fast as gravity would allow, her wings flaring on instinct as the bolt whizzed barely past her mane. Despite the dodge the bolt lanced through the open entrance, and with a 'ping' rebounded through the entrance, striking one of Celestia's flared wings. Pain lanced up her wing into and her barrel, as she heard the clank and scrape metal on the stone floor before she even realized she had knelt to it.

Luna let out a scream of fury, her horn charged and flaring with magic as she jumped at K, her sister leaping as well from her kneel. As they neared him, though, a flash of light hit their eyes as the hidden rune's inner symbol shattered. Blue and green chains leapt from the rune, gripping the sisters midair and tethering them to the floor, as well as bringing them down with a crash of flesh and metal.

Celestia glanced at her sister who struggled, cursing and shooting spells upon spells that were swallowed by a blue bubble that phased into existence whenever a spell crossed the runic threshold.

Pain shot through her wing as the chains slithered and tightened, upon closer inspection it had started to bleed lightly. Ignoring the pain she started to examine the symbol the snaking chains had erupted from and spoke above her sister's cursing, "Not only is this beyond your magic K, but we have never seen such a rune before. Who helped you?"

K's cocky smile only seemed to grow even cockier as he gestured to the mirror, where C was waving from. "Besides myself?"

Luna didn't take her eyes off K or the chains but Celestia gaped at the mirror twin. "What manner of mirror is this?"

K started moving the mirror closer as C started to explain, "Well, this mirror is enchanted to let one see their true or hidden side. Me being K's opposite." He put a thumb to his chin and adopted a thoughtful look. "Odd that we agree so much though, isn't it?"

As K finished moving the mirror Celestia shook her head. "Never mind that, answer our last question K, who is helping you?"

K sighed as he leaned against the mirror. "Can't say, Discord set everything up. We never saw his mysterious business partner- least we think he had one. But, who cares about that? Don't you want to know how I trapped you?" He bent down beside the sisters and raised his hands, lights of various, darker colors shone to the ceiling before settling upon three as K lowered his arms, showing his palms as three glowing spheres solidified. One a dark green, another dark blue while the last one was bright teal. "Discord gave us these. And these gave us enough power to trap you here. Beyond that! Let us fool you at every turn! Allowed us to machinate and scheme, all the while so near..." A dark smile flashed across his face. "What do you have to say to that?"

C groaned in frustration, clenching a fist and placing it against the mirror. "K... You're monologue-ing."

This even caught Luna's attention, at least her curses stopped, so Celestia thought it did. Celestia stared, wide eyed at the spheres, drawing K's attention away from C, "What are they?"

K shrugged, "Discord said that they're concentrated magical somethings or others, forget exactly what he said they are."

Celestia tilted her head to the ground and chuckled which confused K. "Well, it does not matter what they are, so long as they fly!"

C's eyes widened as he screamed out to K, but it was too late. Celestia lifted her head with great speed, her horn crashing and borderline slashing his out stretched hands, sending the spheres flying. K was knocked flying as well - never underestimate the strength of a pissed off alicorn - hitting a wall, he slumped there, stunned.

C's eyes only seemed to grow wider at the sight of K's slumped form, and let out a growl of panic, "Time for me to step in!" He vanished from the mirror as K's body started to stand again. With C in control he ran and grabbed the green and blue orbs which had started to rebound off the walls, absorbing them back into their skin. He glanced around frantically for the last one only to be shot by a magical beam sending him flying into his wall once more.

Looking up from his crumpled form he saw Luna had resumed her magic blasting. Angered he returned the hit with one of his own. He threw out his arm that lanced with green energy that gathered at his palm before rocketing towards Luna. The green magic struck Luna, breaking the chains and sending her flying into the rain that seemed to have felt the conflict and risen to a storm.

He looked around once more to see the Teal orb floating gently through the air. He let out a sigh of relief and reached for the sphere, but before he touched it, a blast of pink magic sent it crashing through the roof of the cave and out into the night.

He stood there, arm outstretched and mouth agape at the sight of a small teal light slowly growing dim from beyond a jagged stone hole. He started to regain himself enough to turn, but not enough to wipe his expression away. He saw Celestia, wing bleeding and eyes searing white.

Panicking, he lifted his arms just in time to parry the pink blast with the mirror, sending the blast out the door. By the loud crash the followed he thought it safe to assume a poor tree had been caught in its way. Only to be proven wrong, as the no longer poor tree came hurtling through the door and hit him roots first. As he flew, the mirror fell hitting the floor, shattering, only to float back into place and mend a moment later.

C returned to the now sideways mirror. Clutching his ribs, he groaned, "What do you have to say for yourself K?"

K crawled out from under the tree, blood beginning to trickle down his lips. "Ow?" He stood up, clutching his now torn cape and lifted his arms to return fire. But he never got the chance, as another blast hit him in the stomach, winding him and bringing him to his knees. He glanced at the door to see Princess Luna standing there eyes white as well as the magic of the Elements began to form. "Maybe you were right."

C opened one of his eyes glaring at K from his sideways position as he snarled, "Damn right."

The rainbow fired and twirled around K, individual strands of rainbow color coiling and latching onto him, burning and digging into him as the magic turned him into a marble and onyx statue. "Aah! Those orbs were useless!" Over the sound of burning marble, K swore he heard Discord's distant laugh.

His legs transfigured. "Discord said they were foalproof! Discord said-!"

Beyond the sound of searing onyx, Discord's voice rang from a time past, 'Now remember my bi-colored buddy, these orbs of mine are very particular! Whatever you do, do remember-'

His torso transfigured. His eyes softened from their rage as the memories flowed and colors burned. The stiffening onyx and marble creeping up his neck like the numbness of his failure.

"I'm an idiot..." His head transfigured, leaving him pointing his hand to the sky, his cape snapping off his shoulders and flowing gently away on the magic winds that began to disperse. His enchanted mirror untouched, other than the fact its stand was now of stone.

Luna stood panting, tears slowly rolling do her cheeks, the memories she had repressed the entire night seeping into her mind. Memories of a better, gone time. "We should move him to the gardens."

Celestia glanced at her sister to see how she fared in the fight, searching for the slightest injury. Tangled mane aside, she seemed untouched. "To keep our eyes on him?"

Luna walked towards his statue. "Yes, dear sister and... he always did like nature... did he not?"

Celestia nodded again and lifted his statue with her magic. "We must also be on the look out for that teal orb. Such a magical object could prove harmful to our little ponies." With that said, she floated K out the caves entrance, taking care to guide his petrified form out without harm.

Luna turned to the affected mirror. "Surely such an enchanted object would prove useful." She lifted the mirror only to drop it a moment later.

Celestia appeared in the broken door frame, worry etched into her face and voice alike, "Everything alright sister?"

Luna looked away from the mirror and smiled at Celestia. "Yes, dear sister, everything is perfectly fine," Celestia nodded, ducking out the door once more.

Luna carefully glanced outside making sure Celestia was truly on her way. Once assured she picked the mirror up once more and gazed at the image held within. The image showed what any normal mirror would, Princess Luna standing in a cave, but, what any normal mirror would not show, were the cyan reptilian eyes she had never seen before in her life.

She shook her head. "Merely a trick. Surely." She levitated the mirror behind her and left the cave, stepping into the storm that appeared to have calmed slightly, as if feeling the confrontation had come to an end.

Chapter 1: A Plan In the Wind

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Time passed, and the duo of K and C were lost in the annals of time; their visage, their name and actions forgotten by even the most dedicated of historians.

As the centuries rolled by more pertinent moments of history took Equestria's attention. The most recent of these nation rocking events being the Changeling invasion of Princess Mia More Cadenza's and her groom Captain Shining Armor's wedding and Canterlot at large. While the invasion was repelled, day saved and post wedding party held, even as the good times rolled the Changeling's short lived battle still caused a decent amount of damage to upper Canterlot. While the damage was not the worst Canterlot had ever seen, it was still enough to call for extensive reconstruction and clean up.

As construction ponies worked on patching holes in roads, businesses and homes, even Royal Guards began to pitch in where needed, and where quite a few Guards volunteered was in the gardens. While the main city and roads were covered by average construction workers, one reason after another, whether it be claims of sickness or sudden vacation, only one single pegasus mare was scheduled to fix up the gardens of the palace. Thinking it cruel, a hoof-full of guards decided to help out and take some of the load off her withers.

The mare in question wore a gardening uniform that obscured her dark teal body and cutie mark. She sighed as she shoveled the last clump of dirt into the last hole in her sector of the gardens, a quest that alone took the better part of the week after the wedding to finish. "Gah, why couldn't the changelings land just a little bit softer? Or crash into a snobby nobles home?" She leaned against her shovel, swiping her wing across her brow, wiping sweat and her black and teal mane out of her eyes, that just so happened to match her fur.

She took merely a moment or two to rest her bones before moving over to the statues that still suffered scuffs and burns from the short battle. A hoof-full had even fallen on their sides, which she thanked her blessed stars that she was not expected to set them right.

The mare fluttered lightly as she began to scrub and scrape a statue of an earth pony holding a flag, utilizing the cleaning fluid she kept in her gardening uniform. As she scrubbed the statue she began what had become something of a ritual during her lonely cleaning routine and started to talk to the statue, "Why 'ello there Cavalier. Doesn't seem tah be too bad in terms of damage. Your lovely flag at least didn't sustain any major chips, it would have been obliterated far more easily than anything else in the gardens So... ."

As the sun moved across the sky so did the pegasus across the gardens, from statue to statue with the same routine, some scrubbing, some scraping and some talking to pass the time. She smiled as she went to and fro, that is, until she stood at the base of the twisted form of Discord whom she only held a grimace for. "Hello you barfbag."

Despite her dislike of the Chaotic being she went to work, buffing out any damage, scorch marks, smudge or the like. "I still haven't forgiven you, you know. Then again, I don't think I've been given the opportunity to speak my mind to you. You made my second place summer speedsters camp trophy give me a guided -ponynapped mind you!- tour of half of Equestria... Still have the dang thing locked in a cupboard because of that! And at least I know YOU are listening, compared to all the other statues which honestly felt like better listeners... Ugh, now I don't know what to say you!"

She stayed silent for the rest of Discord's cleaning until she swiped the last bit of grime off Discord's frozen wing. And as she took a step back to admire her work her grimace faded into something of a light frown. "... Why couldn't you have been fun?"

With that said, and finally being free of her duties to fix up Discord, she turned on her hooves and marched away. She let out a sigh as her hooves carried her across the gardens, though a smile affixed itself to her muzzle as a path formed clearly in her mind.

She weaved cleanly through the tall hedges of the gardens, as she opted to walk through the gardens, admiring its beauty in the orange light of the waning sun. In almost no time at all she turned the last corner of rustling leaves to find her favorite statue in the entirety of the gardens. "Hello Mirror Mirror!" She said, as she stepped towards the statue of a kneeling biped that reached towards the clouds, itself divided into two halves of marble and onyx while the mirror standing next to it was held in mere stone.

The mare started to clean the Mirror Mirror statue like every other before it, though one difference in her routine could be heard as the cloth she held glided across the marble. She didn't speak a word as she worked, instead she hummed a tune. While nopony would be able to nail the tune's name, she hummed it from her very heart as not a single note was missed or even all that off key. And as she moved from the kneeling statue to its mirror a few lyrics seeped from her memory to her lips.

♫ "Even as the stars begin to fade,

And we rise from where our heads did lay.

Just remember the lives we've picked,

for we're just a bunch of Lunatics..." ♫

She wiped her cleaning cloth across the mirrors surface, and through the once more clean surface she saw a figure in the sky flying its way towards the gardens. Her face adopted a look of confusion, as it isn't every day you see a pegasus flying around Canterlot when the weather team wasn't in the sky. Even the pegasus guards tended to keep to the ground unless they had somewhere they needed to be fast.

She turned and lifted a wing to shield her eyes and properly see the shadowy speck flying through the sky. As the figure flew closer and became clearer her look of confusion morphed to one of joy as a smile etched itself to her face. As her smile only grew wider she waved her wing in greeting, awaiting the figure to land.

With a light thud the figure could be seen clearly, a light brown hoof brushed blond, silver tinted mane out of amber eyes. Amber eyes that held a bit of worry but majorly showed sparking joy as the pegasus stallion trotted quickly towards the gardening mare. "Prism!"

Prism let out a chuckle at her old friend. "Heya Storm! Whatcha doing here?!"

Storm Watch, an average, if a bit lanky, looking stallion with a somewhat average cutie mark, a dark cloud shooting out two glowing, silver lightning bolts, rushed over to Prism and locked her into a heavy hug. So heavy Prism briefly wondered which would last longer, her lungs or his grip, but she returned the hug all the same.

Luckily for Prism's lungs Storm loosened his grip to look her over. "Are you alright Prism? I heard that the wedding was crashed, that those changelings invaded and- gah! I didn't hear until Rainbow came back and she just said 'I was awesome and everything is fine' and it took me a week before she finally got around to approving my vacation request-"

Prism smiled affectionately at her friends concern before cutting him off, "Heh, you could have just written ya know? I appreciate your concern Storm, but I'm fine. If anything the gardens took more of a beating than I did. Coulda been worse but, ugh, extra work. Especially since Array and Blazy Daisy took off sick. Cowards."

Storm gave a sigh, his face changing to one of slight nervousness. "I know I could have written. It's just... I heard those things could shapeshift and impersonate ponies. And I just wanted to see for myself that you were alright." His eyes suddenly squinted danerously. "What was it that Snowy said to you after getting drunk on Hotcake's signature spicy cider?!"

Prism balked at the sudden shift and awkward memory, though quickly groaned an answer, "Ugh... 'Hey there good cooking, what's looking? Wanna preen?'"

Storm grinned at the answer. "Ah, good! I was worried you were gonna turn out to have been replaced! You know just gotta make sure, I'm sure you understand Pris'."

Prism gave a playful glare towards Storm. "Oh, I'm sure. But, Celestia, that get together was sooo-oh-ho-oh awkward!"

Storm's smile softened and chuckled, "I'm glad you're aright Pris'. Dinner at Hotcake's tonight?"

Prism opened her mouth to give a definite 'yes' before stopping slightly. "Well, I wooould, but I still have like half a dozen things to do before I clock out, and it's gonna be laaate."

Storm chuckled happily, "Well, it just so happens I need to check into a hotel anyway, and besides-" He gave a wink as he turned, "It'll be just like old times!"

Prism scratched her chin with her wing. "Weeeell, alright! You sold me on it! You better be there or I'll kick your plot back to Ponyville myself!"

Storm couldn't help but laugh outright at Prism's playful threat, his laughs fading into a nostalgic sigh. "Ah... It's good to see you again Pris'."

She responded my waving her wing down with a smile. "Ah, get outta here ya big softy and let a gardener garden!"

With that said Storm flew off into what could be considered the Canterlot outskirts and Prism returned to the Mirror Mirror statue to get a move on with her work, a goal planted firmly in her mind to finish her work as efficiently as possible. With that in mind she set about her work.

It wouldn't be until the sun was almost completely swallowed by the horizon and Luna's moon began to replace it in the sky when Prism was finally able to leave. Her work done and uniform replaced with a simple black, pegasus friendly hoodie, she walked down the castle steps. And as her hoof steps echoed through the nearly empty streets of Canterlot a strange silhouette took form in the mirror, seemingly listening to her echoing steps, an eerie and sharp smile upon its shadowy face.

Though that smile wilted slightly as a slightly opaque Discord popped up in front of the mirror with a laugh, "Well, it sure has been awhile since you two showed your ugly mug in that mirror!"

A sigh resonated from the mirror, the silhouette's posture wilting along with the smile. "Thank lord obvious. We've slept the last hundred years or so. Though your little escapade woke us for a bit there. Was fun to watch." The silhouette tilted its head, "Wait. You got stoned, whatcha doing as a milk bottle ghost?"

Discord let out a light chuckle, floating slightly in a reclined position. "What? You think all that wedding business WOULDN'T rack up the chaos? Ha ha. Sadly the Elements little enchantment is still too new, no cracks to riggle out of yet, I'm afraid. So, I'm stuck to minor projections and pranks for now. Like REALLY minor. No chocolate drizzles for even a second sadly."

The silhouette sat there for a moment, un-moving as it spoke, "Either way, it's much better than what we've had. At least your escape and Nightmare Moon's return sure made everything worth watching." The creature's smile returned wider than before at the memories.

Discord returned the smile with yet another chuckle of amusement as he leaned forward, his claw toying with his goatee. "Word through the grapevine says that you two had your mittens in that."

The silhouette gave a chuckle of its own, a darker one, "Only a bit. But, that does remind me that we may very well might be able to get whatever's left of the poison back at this rate."

Discord quirked one of his bushy eyebrows at the silhouette's words. "Hmm, now that sounds downright mysterious, K. Care to let an old friend in on the joke?"

K practically giggled, his plan running through his mind a mile a minute. "Well, I am not sure how we haven't felt it before, but it appears our one way ticket to escape may very well been in plain sight for years. If I have my way, we'll be out in a few months." K closed his eyes and his smile grew, fantasies of the future occupying his mind's eye. "Revenge and destiny will be mine!"

K could almost hear Discord's smile before he even spoke, "Ooh! Can I come along Kwazy? Promise I'll... slightly behave?"

Behind the mirror, K thought it over for a good while before letting out a sigh and an answer, "Fine, but I'll approach her first considering you look disturbing to anyone who knows you."

Discord was silent for a moment to fully absorb K's little jab. "I'll be kind and take that as a compliment for now."

K chuckled once more, turning his gaze to the smooth moon. "Wallow in pride, Dizzy. Cause if I play my cards right, and you and C don't muck things up any, I can set the dominoes in our favor as easy as stealing frosting from the cake pirates."

The two strange comrades suppressed their innate desire to laugh in their sneaky villainy, instead both slowly vanished. K fading from the mirror's view and Discord poofing out of existence. As their quiet chuckles and giggles petered out, no evidence remained that anything out of the ordinary took place in the moonlit garden of K and C.

Chapter 2: Mirror Mirror Tell Me All

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Prism trotted along the streets of Canterlot, the longer she walked the more the pristine paths nobles walked and towering buildings similar to smaller versions of the castle itself gave way to slightly less polished walk ways and buildings more akin to a Manehattan street while still fitting into the Canterlot aesthetic. While it was nowhere as 'Canterlot' as most expect, lower Canterlot was still decent quality living and shopping.

Her journey ended as she stepped towards a decently sized apartment building and stepped through its double doors. She made her way passed the front desk where an elderly gray unicorn sat, seemingly only half awake, so she chose to forgo a passing hello as she trotted up the winding, stone steps to the upper levels of the complex.

She trotted up the steps, her hooves clacking against the stone as she glanced at the passing numbers of every flight, looking for her stop. Once her eyes spotted a big white five next to a door she pushed it open and turned immediately right to face the entrance to her little corner of Canterlot. Taking her key out of her hoodie, turned it in the door's lock before stepping into her apartment proper.

It wasn't anything spectacular, if anything it was a tad run down, but it was what she had called home for more than half her life. It was a simply furnished two bed room apartment with one bathroom and an extra room that could be used for a living room. While it was bigger than some might expect for a simple apartment, it was cheap enough for Prism, and her family before her. After all, you have to make a good deal to convince ponies to live in discount Canterlot while still having to deal with the snobby nobles in the day to day.

She turned to her right, her gaze directed, warmly, to a small picture frame stood upon a small set of drawers. The picture contained a pegasus mare with a purple coat, blue mane and bright yellow eyes, the mare had one of her wings wrapped around a light green unicorn with a charcoal black mane and brown eyes and between the two, sharing their beaming smiles was a young Prism. The Prism of the present put her hoof lovingly to the picture's glass. "Hello ma, pa."

She trotted past the picture, took off her hoodie and threw it onto her bed, trotting into the single bathroom. She let out a sigh as she stretched, grabbing a brush in her wing and began to brush her mane in her post-work cleaning habit, which included what she was best at: talking to nothing in particular, "So, me, myself and I, sometimes you. Made up our fickle mind yet?"

She gazed intently into her reflections eyes. "Should I leave Canterlot? I mean, there's nothing really keeping me here anymore since ma passed. Besides the gardens, it's only really been memories holding me here. Or ghosts." She moved her brushing wing away from her mane and started to brush her tangle tail. "I mean, it's not a bad idea. Everypony moved away. Well the ones who weren't noble snobs anyway. Then the gardens haven't been as bright as of late. What with Discord then the changelings. At this rate it's a betting pool on when the next thing marches out of Tartarus to cause mayhem! Might as well find someplace nicer to be when the next whatever marches over me. But... I don't know..."

She let out a sigh, letting her gaze fall to the floor, her brush gliding across her tail, knots becoming unwoven. A relative peace settling in her bathroom. That is until a dark chuckle rang through her small bathroom. Prism's head shot up, her eyes wide that glanced towards her bathroom door, a single thought billowing through her mind, 'I didn't lock the dang door!'

She walked as quietly as she could to the door and cracked it open, revealing the room as she remembered leaving it. She gently closed it and began to worry, as the possibility and paranoia of changelings coming back or simply regrouping was quite possible and lingered over Prism in that moment of worry. She sat with her back to the door, her eyes locked upon the door handle as she thought what to do when a voice spoke from the direct opposite direction of the door she was guarding, "Is this how you react to everything or am I just special?"

Prism squealed in fear and shock, pressing even harder to the door as she looked frantically in the voices direction, seeing nothing immidiately obvious. "W-where are you?!"

The voice gave a sigh. "T-the mirror. Look into the mirror..."

She placed her hooves back on the ground, shakily, warily making her way to her mirror, her breathing increasing with every step as what was truly in her mirror came into proper view. The closer she got the more she saw that her reflection wasn't entirely her own, as when she stood face to reflected face half of her reflection was stark white including the mane, her right eye a harsh crimson, but most disturbingly was the sharp smile that defied the other side of her reflected face. "Surprise sunshine."

She tried to speak, her heart beating fast and loud and only managed to say very little, "W-w-what?"

Whatever it was that took over half her reflection appeared disappointed, its smile vanished, becoming at least normal looking with Prism's own mouth. "I am not that scary. You are overreacting." Prism felt her heart slow, though it was obviously still beating faster than normal. "Now may I ask your na-"

"NO! You are that scary! You're in my mirror! You ARE half my reflection for some reason! Not to be rude, but what the absolute Luna HECK are you?!" Prism nigh shouted, causing the strange half of the reflection to wince at her outburst.

The reflection and Prism seemed to switch emotional positions in the situation, with it now flustered with Prism in seeming control though it quickly tried to regain its composure with a scowl. "Ah-ba-ga-bah- HEY! Don't you lie! You don't care about being rude! But I am hurt! Even after all this time and the thousands of times you must have seen me you don't recognize me?"

Prism squinted at the albino half until her eyes flew open wide. "Mirror Mirror?"

The white creature gave a wide, almost genuine looking smile. "Actually in a mirror! Though my actual name is K."

Prism groaned and planted her face against her sink. "Not another Discord situation!"

K's smile dropped yet again, even if it was hard to seen from the angle. "Well that's not the reaction I wanted."

Prism raised her head and looked apathetically at K. "I'm gonna tell the Princesses about this. I'm not paid enough to deal with this AGAIN."

K's eye widened in fear at the mention of the Princesses. "DON'T! You haven't even heard my offer! A-and it's quite t-the steal if I do say so!"

Prism merely stared at K with a neutral expression, simply muttering, "Thirty second pitch. Do or die. Start now."

K chuckled nervously before quickly throwing himself into his sell, "You simply live your life! Me and my associates merely hang on for the ride, talk to you, even advise you! No plots no schemes, we just want to see something different for once after a thousand years."

Prism simply gave a somewhat bored frown at K. "And how do I know I can trust you or your 'associates' at all?"

A bead of sweat ran down K's face the Prism couldn't feel. "I-I'll keep them under control! Promise!"

She lent closer to the mirror, her annoyance growing steadily. "See part one of previous question 'bino: How. Do I. Know. I. Can trust. YOU."

K's single shoulder slumped down giving Prism a glare in return. "Oh, sure. Don't trust the mysterious creature offering you something MANY ponies would leap at in an instant. Just look the gift pony in the mouth why dontcha?"

Prism put a hook to her forehead and rubbed it in circles, her thoughts plagued with annoyance and confusion, which she mulled over for awhile. "Fine. Fine, I'll give you and your friends ONE chance. Screw up, I tell the Princesses. Hurt me or my friends, I tell the Princesses. Do anyhting that so much makes me think you are scheming something and I'll sell your plots out to Celestia and Luna before you can beg for a hoof massage. Got it?"

K nodded as best as he could with a nervous smile etched along his not that eerie anymore smile. "Yeah, sure! I get it!" He glanced past Prism with a faux gasp. "Oh, well would you look at the time! It's 'I should go and tell my friends about our agreement' O clock! Don't bother to call us, we'll call you! Cha cha!"

Prism felt and saw her eyelid twitch ever so slightly as the white coat and red eye faded from her reflection. "Never before had I hoped my foalhood friend turned to drugs and I just got a contact high from that hug. But here we are." She turned and walked to her tub, lightly rubbing her eyes with her wings. "I don't care if I brushed my mane. I need a dang shower."

She opened the curtain and stepped into the tub, closing the curtain behind her. She tweaked the heat and cold streams until it was the perfect heat and stepped under the flowing water. Sighing, she relaxed under the gentle fall of the water, as she imagined how nice it would be to have dinner with Storm Watch again, and to get that weird, hopefully, a delusion out of her memory.

_____________________________________

A mere fifteen minutes later and the pegasus mare stepped out of her bathroom, with water droplets clinging to her mane, a towel was wrapped around her barrel and a smile on her face. She trotted to her bed, where she removed the towel and threw it into her hardly used clothes hamper. With a glance to the clock on her wall to see that it was just about time to meet up with Storm, just like old times.

Her smile widened as she picked up the hoodie from the bed and put it on, before trotting out her front door. While remembering to lock her door after that short scare, of course. She trotted down the steps and out the double doors of her apartment complex, and proceeded down the street, looking for the familiar neon glow of a certain diner that had been a local haunt for her and her friends for the longest of time.

It wasn't an upper class Canterlot diner, some Canterlot nobles might even call it seedy, but Prism would pass up every upper Canterlot hangout to be there. Well, maybe with the exception of Pony Joe's, but Pony Joe's was special. It had doughnuts. But, even then, nothing would beat a dinner at Hotcake's Diner.

She grinned gently at the old sign and trotted through the diner's door. A yellow, middle aged earth pony mare with a red mane was sat behind the bar, who grinned broadly at Prism. "I see you came here too, sweetheart?"

Prism chuckled at the mare. "Hey ya, Hotcake. How's business been lately?"

Hotcake shrugged. "Same as it's always been dear. Anyway, Storm is at your old table sweetheart," She winked at Prism, "Maybe you're actually going for it after all?"

Prism chuckled and shook her head. "I told you the last time I was here, Storm is my friend, nothing more. I'm honestly surprised you never latched onto Snowy drunkenly hitting on me."

Hotcake laughed a light laugh. "Last time ya were here was just before Stormy moved to Ponyville. And that's cause I could never get a good read on that girl. Give her a kiss for me, next ya see her, alright?" She waved a hoof, as if in dismissal, still wearing a smile, "But get on then. I'll bring your usual food and drink over. But, I'll let you know, I know a relationship when I see it, and I've never been wrong before!"

Prism laughed as well, shaking her head. "You're right. We do have a relationship. A FRIENDship."

She trotted over to a table near the back where Storm sat. He looked up from the drink he was sipping to smile at his friend. "Hey, Prism."

She felt her grin widen again as she sat down. "Hey, Storm. Well, how about an ice breaker? How's your dad in Ponyville?"

Storm's glee faded and set he drink down. "He... ah, passed a month ago."

Prism gasped lightly and brought a hoof over her mouth. "I didn't know! I'm so sorry. I-I didn't hear anything about it..."

Storm grinned a little again. "Eh, it's okay. I knew you didn't like funerals or, uh, those kinds of emotions, and, just, ah, didn't know how to tell you. After the fact."

Prism looked down at the table, averting her gaze. "Sorry about that..."

Storm shrugged and looked at Prism gently. "It's okay. Dad wouldn't have wanted a big how-to-do funeral anyway. I mean he went the way he wanted, in a small place where it was nice and quiet."

Prism smiled lightly herself, still looking at the table. "He never did like Canterlot."

Storm laughed and put on a gruff, old voice, "That city is full of loud, obnoxious bafoons! I'm going to Ponyville like my sister, where I can actually hear the birds over the sound of others talking about themselves!"

Prism giggled at the impression and looked up to see Hotcake set the food and her drink down. She took a bite of her daisy and rose sandwich, speaking between chews, "Sho, how'sh Ponyville vheen?"

Storm chuckled as memories passed through his mind. "It's been up and down. One moment nothing's going on except a picnic, the next a herd of bunnies run through town eating most of the crops." He shook his head, still chuckling, "Sometimes, I think it's crazier than Canterlot! But, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else." With the highlights of his Ponyville life flashing in his mind he bit into his pizza slice.

Prism nodded, a small smile on her face from the weird land of Ponyville being described to her. "I've been contemplating moving away from Canterlot actually."

Storm almost choked on his pizza. Spluttering, he placed his pizza down and hooves on the table, a troubled frown adorning his face. "Really? But, you love Canterlot. You love the Gardens."

Prism shook her head. "Ever since ma died I just felt like there's been something missing. I don't really know anypony here anymore, other than mister Lockkey, the apartment owner and miss Hotcake, but, everypony else moved away or just minds their own business. Like, you moved to Ponyville to care for your father, even Snow moved to Trottingham to chase after her obsession of mysterious creatures. And heck, after all these years of working at the castle I have more than enough money to be comfortable for, like, ever with my lifestyle."

Storm put a hoof to his forehead, as if in thought, before his eyes went wide, as did his smile. "If you do move to, say, Ponyville, you can stay at my place if you like."

Prism smiled warmly to her friend. "Thanks Storm! I was going to think on it more, scout places and things out an such. But, since lodging seems taken care of I'll start moving as soon as possible!"

Storm nodded happily. "Sounds dandy to me! And, since my vacation will still last a few more days, maybe I can help you with something or other with your move. At least guide ya to Ponyville."

They continued to eat and chat for awhile longer, even as they were the only patrons of Hotcake's Diner at the late hour. Hotcake herself didn't mind, if anything she enjoyed seeing the two young ponies enjoying their time together.

As their meal came to an end, the two pegasi got up from their table and shared a hug, Prism laying out her plans, "Okay, I think I'll make up my resignation letter and hoof it over tomorrow. Not sure when exactly I'll officially be let go. Might take like a week or something."

Storm shrugged with a chuckle. "I'll help you as much as I can, as long as I can." They both left a tip for Hotcake and said their goodbyes, leaving the diner.

Prism walked down the street for the third time that night, a large smile across her face. It'll be nice to catch up more with Storm! And since I won't have much to worry about, maybe I'll be able to see Icy again somewhere down the line! With a giggle and a bounce in her step she headed to her apartment complex once again, a shining tomorrow laying on her horizon, with little knowledge on just how crazy Ponyville was or just how real her encounter with K was. But, in that one beautiful moment, none of those things mattered, for she had a friend to help her along the way.

Chapter 3: The Dreams That Be

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Prism made sure to actually lock her apartment door once home, the smile she got from her time at the diner persisting to even her bedroom. After placing her hoodie in her closet she proceeded to her bathroom to brush her teeth and maintain the strength and whiteness of her teeth that her fillyhood dentist insisted she maintain.

As she finished brushing her teeth she rinsed her brush and mouth, leaving only the slight tang of minty fresh after brush. After finishing her nightly routine and left her bathroom, flopping onto her fluffy bed. As she adjusted her position on her bed she picked up one of her favorite book from her nightstand, 'The Cat That Read Upside Down.'

Upon finishing a chapter or two she sighed sleepily, laid the book on the night stand and turned of the reading lamp on said nightstand. She wriggled underneath her bed covers, letting her head rest comfortably on her pillows as she felt the relaxing darkness of sleep overcome her.

Said darkness of sleep quickly shifted and shaped into a dream, one which showcased one of the best days of Prism's life. She saw herself, Storm and Snowy sitting on a checkered tarp, having a picnic in one of Canterlot's parks. A fond scene from all those years ago. Prism smiled as she saw the scene, as if watching her memories from a projector.

The younger Prism in the memory laughed at a joke that Storm told and turned to Snowy. "Snowy, you make just the bestest sandwiches! How do you do it? I can never get mine to taste anything like this."

Snowy Plume, a bright teal pegasus, with a seafoam and dark blue mane smiled, her piercingly blue eyes glowing from Prism's praise. "Thanks Prim! Mom says I got her dad's cooking skills. Any dish that doesn't actually require cooking I can make perfectly."

The three friends shared a laugh and continued to dine on sandwiches, salads and salsa, until their basket was empty and sun falling across the horizon. Storm patted his belly as he stared at the setting sun. "Thanks for setting this up Snow. All this was really good, even if the salsa was a tad hotter than I like."

Prism nodded, following Storm's gaze towards the sun with a sigh. "I just wish all this didn't have to end. Considering... Tomorrow..."

Snowy frowned with sad eyes before wrapping her wings around Prism and placing her head on the bigger pegasus' shoulder. "It's okay Prim. I can still visit from time to time after all! It's just..." She turned away, joining her friends gaze towards the sunset. "It's just that I don't think I can fulfill my dreams and be happy here in Canterlot. And come on!" She smiled widely and gave Prism and playful shove. "Some day you might wanna get out of here too! We might even end up in the same town! Maybe even become roommates!"

Prism smiled lightly, still feeling a bit sad while Storm gave his wings to the hug. "And as long as we're still friends nothing can stop us from being happy." Prism's smile widened and she didn't need to say anything as she gave into the hug, pulling her two friends closer to her with her wings. She knew they were right, and nothing would ever change that.

The Prism that was watching the memory nodded happily before noticing that not all was right with the scene. Sure, she and her friends were just as she remembered, but the polka dotted trees were definitely not there last time she thought of that happy moment.

Before she could even question the strange discrepancy the memory dream warped and cracked into a different location entirely. Where the park once was a strange field with a dirt road stretching as far as the eye could see, though it appeared to be turning on its axis. The polka dot trees were walking on their roots while slowly turning into checkered pumpkins and back again. Even the moon that could be seen in the sky seemed somewhat fake, or at least a bit odd.

Before she could absorb the wacky world she found herself in, a laugh resonated from the land itself, but before she could turn to look for K the ground itself did it for her, the grass forcing the earth up and spinning on their own tiny roots. She shook her head from the partial sensory overload to only look up and see K from the mirror, only now he had his own full form but still looked like a stark white clone of her with crimson eyes. Prism wouldn't admit it, but seeing K's smile on a full mouth was quite scary.

K fluttered closer to Prism, with a fancy bow accompanied by an orchestral waltz like score coming from the world around them. "Welcome my dear to my little slice of insanity!" It took a bit of will power, but Prism resisted the urge to shake or quiver now that K could potentially touch her. Though she did let out a light sigh as K fluttered on by, she did flinch at the realization that the ground she stood on floated after K. "Alrighty," K continued, "You're probably wondering where you are. To answer, I already told you. To answer other potential questions, A this was the best way to prove I'm real, and B this was best to properly have a conversation with you before introducing you to my comrades. Man these wings are amazing!"

Prism shook her head a bit more, trying to absorb all the information. She looked to K that appeared to have control of the weird dream world she found herself in. "Okay, few questions. Where exactly are we? For one."

K's pegasus head turned all the way around to face Prism, like a freaky crimson eyed owl. "I guess you could say it's a manifestation of our power. If it was just me and C, we wouldn't be able to manage this. Er, let's just say that something you said last time may mark a potential dislike to part of our plan."

Prism gave a partial death glare to K, not liking the implications. "And what does that mean?" K only let out a small, nervous chuckle before turning his head around again. Prism let out a sigh that turned to a sharp gasp as the rotating dirt road and checkered pumpkins had vanished and in place of the ever changing world was replaced with stark stillness of towering pillars of dirt, stone and more. The only thing of note among the world of stone was a single taller pillar, made from dark stone, with something at the top.

The thing at the top, despite being a mere speck from the distance, exuded a feeling of perpetual glaring. A presence that hit Prism so hard she automatically began to regret everything related to that very moment. "What on Luna's moon is that and why does it already hate me?"

K chuckled. The ground rumbled and Prism found herself and K rising, slowly at first but that quickly changed to speeds that would make even the Wonderbolts jealous. The wind whipped her mane across her face, forcing her to close her eyes from the fierce winds until it all came to a sudden stop, and K spoke, "My dear, meet my business partner, C."

She cracked her eyes open only to find the still pony K standing besides a pitch black biped creature the resembled the statue far more than K had the past few times she's met him. While K held his trademark eerie smile the new creature, this C, held a measuring frown for Prism before turning to K. "K. Why are you still pony like?"

K turned to the now taller C. "Well you see, not only did it allow me to not freak our little friend out, but if all my calculations are correct this is a necessary change."

C merely grunted at K before turning to Prism once more. "Don't you worry, now. While I often question K's choices, I'm not one to break a deal lightly."

Prism gulped lightly. "Kay..."

K popped up next to her, placing a hoof around her shoulder. "No I'm K!"

Both C and Prism then found common camaraderie in glaring at K, who shrunk under their combined gaze and flinched at Prism's following words, "Alright. Okay. fine. But you said 'comrades'. Plural. Where's the minimal single other to qualify the plural?"

The moment the words left her mouth a laugh sounded behind her. The laugh pierced through her memories, drudging up a world of cotton candy and once pleasant fillyhood memories tainted by unwanted flights across Equestria. Her face scrunched up in anger, in fury, her eyes twitched as she knew who was behind her without even looking. "Why hello you barfbag."

Discord snaked his head into her view, a mocking false look of hurt on his face. "Why, that hurts! Hurts I say! I hereby demand you refer to me with an appropriate title!"

Prism returned Discord's mocking look with a sneer. "Oh, I'm sorry oh Lord Barfbag of the Empire Motion Sickness, High Overseer of Vomitopia and close cousin to the ever renowned Dirtbags."

Discord was momentarily taken aback by Prism's words but quickly fell into a fit of laughter, with K snickering along as well. "Ha! Oh-ho-oh-hoh! I like her already! If I had known you were this sassy I'd have sought more fun with you all those months ago."

Prism practically growled her response, "Well, I'm glad you didn't cause that was already traumatizing enough as it was."

Discord shrugged. "Well, don't blame me. I was just making up for one thousand years of chaos-less life! That is a lot of chaos to make up for you know. But, if it's any consolation I did get the initial chaos splurge out of my system, so any further chaos, if I have the lovely possibility of letting any loose at all, will be quite minor. Minuscule in comparison!"

C's gaze shifted between Discord and K. "So, I suggest we quickly convene our thoughts. Just in case Luna notices the dreams of one of her subjects are obscured."

K nodded vigorously. "Yes! Indeed! So, dear... uh, I didn't get your name last time."

Prism rolled her eyes. "Prism."

K quirked his would be eye brow. "Just Prism?"

She glared at the not pegasus in annoyance. "Just the part of my name I'm willing to tell you."

K gulped and nodded, less vigorously. "Well okay.... But what are your plans? Anything life changing in the works? Dull drum normal life continuing eternally?"

Prism mulled over her response carefully before answering, "Weeeellll... a friend has convinced me to move to Ponyville. Coming weeks being the most likely. I was planning on writing up my resignation and working the how ever many weeks required while getting everything sorted."

Discord appeared quite entertained by Prism's words, a wide smile taking form. "Oooooh! Ponyville huh? That place was just so much fun when I was free! It will be quite fun to mess with those delightful little Element bearers! Which reminds me: K, would you be so kind as to inform dear Prism on what she will have to do to fully fulfill her part of our little deal?"

Prism narrowed her eye warily at Discord's ominous words. "Wait. The Elements are in Ponyville!?" She practically punched herself in face with her hoof as a thought flashed through her mind. "Gah, Storm said Rainbow Dash was his boss. Okay I'm unobservant. But what's this so far un-discussed clause?"

K cleared his throat, a pinch of nervousness found in his voice, "Well, to properly allow us to follow you around and advise and see, you will need to absorb parts of our power." Prism immediately pulled back from that information forcing K to try and ease her paranoia, "Don't worry! It won't affect you. Too much. It won't let us affect YOU it will just allow us to follow you around and if anything you absorbing parts of our power would more likely allow you to use our powers than us use you as a puppet."

Prism gave a glare to each of the creatures before her before speaking simply and clearly, "Alright. I'll play along for now. But if I so much as think for a second that you guys twitch an eyelid on my face, then I will make sure the Princesses grind your statues into dust. You will watch only, if you want to do something, if your power can be used at all, you will ask and do as I say." Her glare lingered on Discord. "And if I see a strand of cotton candy where it shouldn't be the previous threat applies."

As the three nodded, K vigorously once more, C calmly and Discord nonchalantly, Prism simply sighed. "Okay. How the heck do I get these pieces of power, and if you can lend pieces of your power to go about why haven't you just, like I don't know, forced them on me when I was cleaning your statues?"

Discord hummed gently, floating about the top of the dark tower. "Simple; we can't just force them on you. If I was free I could use chaos to mess with your head, but I wouldn't able to store pure chaos magic inside your little pony head. It has to be entirely mutual. For me all you have to do is touch my statue and I can transfer some chaos I got from that changeling terbackle to you."

K leaned in with his own instructions, "And for me and C we'll, uh, have to see. Our power may be harder for you to absorb so we'll have to play it by ear. But eh, it'll be fine!"

Discord yawned and slid his claw along his arm, revealing a row of clocks. "Well, I don't know about you three but being the major force behind this little dreamscape sure is tiring me out. So if all of you could hurry up and bash all the needed information into your brains so I can rest, that'd be great."

C grunted turning away from the group. "I hardly have much to do with this. The planning and such. So, go ahead and finish up K."

K groaned, straightening his posture. "Alrighty! Recap of niceness; you go and touch our statues, the end. Well, except for me and C's where we tell you more at the statue but blah-gah-bah."

Prism glanced around lightly a single thought occupying her mind at that moment. "So, how exactly does one leave this place?"

K's smile returned in full force, Prism taking a step or two back from the sadistic tint that the smile held. "You wake up. Silly."

It was then K clacked his front hooves together, the obsidian pillar they all stood on fracturing into uncountable bits and then, with a scream, Prism began to fall. She looked down, squinting through the vicious wind to see a large mirror like surface rushing towards her vision. She tried to flap her wings but it only brought a sudden pain, the feeling of her wings joints locking against her will shooting through her radius. She glared in mixed anger and fear at K who simply melted away into the rushing wind, smile and all. The other two nowhere to be seen amongst the crumbling debris of fractured pillars of stone.

Her heart raced to an impossible degree, tears formed and flew away, tears she herself could watch thanks to her mirror demise that raced to meet her like an old friend made of knives. She fell faster. Memories flashed by with eyes of amber and eyes of piercing blue. Her own eyes of teal hardened and glared at her mirror nemesis, resolved to see those two beautiful pairs of eyes again no matter what! Whether or not she was in a dream didn't matter to her in that moment, she didn't know the extent of K or C, and especially not Discord. She garnered her resolve and prepared to face the fall without fear.

In a single instant before the meeting of flesh and glass Prism refused to rip her eyes away.

She hit the glass.

There was a shatter!

And then, as the clatter died within the void, there was darkness.

Chapter 4: Resignation, New beginning

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Prism bolted upright in her bed in a panic, panting and sweating as she tried to absorb the dream that swamped over her like a tidal wave. Sighing, she let her head flop down onto her pillow, turning to see her alarm clock portraying a time that, as Prism would say, 'It's too stinking early...'

As she lay there, she went over the details of her dream meeting with K and the others. Hoping with futility that it was actually all in her head. She laid her foreleg over her forehead. "Alright. So two freaks and Discord wanna use me as escapist realism and I can't tell anypony or they'll freak out, call me insane, or both!" Her foreleg dropped from her face back to her bed with a groan, "What did I do to deserve this?"

After bashing her head into the pillow for a bit, she got up from her bed to straighten her mane out from her bed headed state. She had to look her best after all. She knew that the Princesses loved and cared about their little ponies, but it didn't hurt to try and raise her chances, the last thing she needed was a ticked off princess on her flank.

A groan escaped her, as she realized that she would need to write up her resignation letter. Well, she could request a personal meeting with one of the Princess, but that would typically be during her work hours and besides, she didn't want the ridicule of the snobby nobles who would be nearby and invariably look down on her for being a simple 'commoner' walking away from the Princesses' employment. It was just much simpler and to her liking for a quiet discharge.

Sitting down at her simple desk, she laid a piece of paper out in front of her, quill held in her wing as she pondered how to word the letter. "Well, I guess I could just wing it from the start."

She began to write, starting as what was simply appropriate with 'Dear Princess Celestia.' While it wasn't as common for ponies to write the Princesses directly, with an exception here or there, Celestia had put a system for the lowly workers of the Castle to send letters to her directly, for vacation requests, complaints or in Prism's case, why they wanted to leave. The system was made after a few times of 'misplaced' letters, notes and complaints and could no longer be ignored.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I write to you this day about the matter of my future. Or, more precisely, my resignation.

For while I have lived in Canterlot for many years, almost my entire life, I have hit a roadblock in life; I no longer feel like Canterlot is my home. My nearest relatives are in Phillydelphia, and even then we are not that close, and most ponies I hold dear have moved on and away from Canterlot.

Funnily enough, Discord's escape and the changeling invasion hardly swayed me one way or another, all things considered.

I also wanted to say some thanks towards you, Princess. A thanks for all you've done for Equestria, Canterlot and the castle. And even giving me a job that was satisfying and fulfilling for many years of my life. But, now I feel like I need to start over, seek out new things of life and since a dear friend of mine has offered me some aid, I will be moving to Ponyville as soon as I am able.

Once again, thank you for everything and for the gardens as a whole. I will forever cherish my time working for you in the gardens.

Sincerely yours

- Prism Spectrum Fracture

Dropping her quill upon a spare scrap of paper, she looked over the letter she had written before nodding and sealing it within a small envelope. Quickly donning her hoodie, she placed her letter in her hoodie pocket and left her apartment to set out for her big day at the gardens.

After walking from lower Canterlot to upper Canterlot she entered through the gardens, opening the door to 'The Shed' as it was known. It was more of a greenhouse and warehouse than anything, but the name had stuck from the older times when it actually was a shed. Once inside she placed her letter in a magical box that was a part of the Canterlot Castle letter network. Prism had heard it worked similarly to dragon fire, but she didn't know if that was true.

As Prism was changing into the gardener uniform an all too familiar, posh voice sounded behind her, "Well, well, well! If it isn't Prissy the pegasus, hard at work. Like always."

Prism rolled her eyes at the mare's voice. A voice that, until the night before, was at the top of the 'Voices that annoy Prism' leader boards, which until the night before had only two names vying for top position. Unfortunately for the voice, harsh competition had flown into town and the previous reigning champion was demoted to fourth place. No medal. Good day miss. Though if the voice's owner knew she would probably contest the board standings in royal court. If she knew about the leader boards at all, which Prism sorely hoped she didn't.

Prism turned around, making sure she didn't give the mare the reaction she was probably looking for and faced the beige unicorn mare with a violet mane, who held a somewhat mocking look reserved solely for the pegasus. "I think, Blazy, you'll see that I am prepping to work. Not currently working just yet."

Prism knew that was not what Daisy was looking for, but the unicorn continued to try and poke at Prism. "Well sweetie, the work you've done on the gardens this past week must have been simply tiresome! I assure you, if I hadn't so tragically taken ill after the changeling fluff I would have worked just as hard! Now if you excuse me, I need to prepare to work the gardens as well. Let's do our best sweetie."

And so Daisy walked past Prism, who rolled her eyes once again at the passing mare, muttering, "I'm sure you will..."

Prism toiled for hours, harder than she usually did if only to look good on her resignation day and showing Blazy Daisy up didn't hurt either.

She winced lightly as her clippers cut through a dead limb of a bush, the sound of the limb falling through leaves ever so slightly grating to her ears. Seeing a bit of color in her peripheral vision, she looked up and gave a few friendly waves at some passing ponies who were enjoying the gardens, as well as the guards who were patrolling a bit more than usual. Prism sighed at the sight, fluttering down to gently lean against a specialty non thorn rose bush. "Guess they're trying to make up for being caught off guard. Can't say I blame 'em."

"And what are you trying to make up for?" A voice said behind her.

Prism gasped in shock, recognizing the voice, and spun around with record speed to see a chuckling Princess Celestia. "Oh! I am so terribly sorry princess! I didn't mean to slack off!" She rambled, falling into a bow.

Celestia let out a small chuckle, pushing Prism up from her bow with her hoof. "No, no! It's fine. I saw how hard you've been working all day, of course you'd need a break."

Prism let the breath she didn't know she was holding out and looked up, smiling at the bigger pony. "Heh, thanks."

Celestia smiled back, a warm motherly smile. "Thanks for what? I haven't done anything."

Prism shifted her weight, rubbing her foreleg with a hoof. "Well, it's just you've done a lot for me personally. You gave me this job and never once complained. Even when giant chaos spirits took over the garden under my watch..."

Celestia walked forward while sniffing a rose, smiling all the while adressing the pegasus. "Discord's escape wasn't your fault. Even then, I wouldn't put the pressure of stopping Discord on you. It's my job to watch over you! And besides, why would I complain about the best Royal Gardener the castle has had in decades?" She chuckled over the bush before turning and walking back to Prism until she towered over the small pegasus. She simply sat down and motioned the pegasus to do the same, which Prism complied, taking a seat next to her Princess. "In fact, that's why I'm here." Her horn glowed a golden light and the resignation letter appeared with a 'poof'! Celestia's smile becoming slightly saddened without losing any warmth. "I merely came to thank you for your years of service at the castle, and to say you are welcome here anytime miss Spectrum."

Prim's eyes watered a bit, finding such praise and warmth from Celestia to be a touching display. "If I ever come back, I'll definitely take you up on that offer."

Celestia's smile widened. She got up and stretched her wings lightly. "Oh, and if you wouldn't mind miss Spectrum, I would like to message my student in Ponyville that a beloved employee of the castle will be moving to her town."

Prism waved a hoof, almost dropping her hedge clippers. "It's fine Princess, I already have a friend willing to help me."

Celestia nodded, a light chuckle escaping her. "And while I'm sure that's true, my student will probably help you on her own and on the off hoof chance something happens I want her to know you are a valued pony of the palace."

Prism resisted the urge to shrug, and gently nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Thanks Princess."

Celestia turned and started walking away when she remembered something. "Oh, yes. And if you would permit me, I'd like I could arrange your possessions to be moved to Ponyville."

Prism stiffened, brow raising at Celestia's generosity. "O-okay! But... why?"

Celestia gave one last warm smile to the pegasus. "Well, I like to do something nice for my treasured ponies of the Castle. Going away parties, little gifts. Or if you'd like I could also throw in letting you go ahead and start moving now. With no need to stay through your two weeks notice." Without even letting the poor pegasus talk from her highly confused and shocked state Celestia giggled, and said, almost to herself, "I guess you wouldn't need much of a party anyway. As I'm sure you'll be getting a party quite soon!" And with that Celestia was off, trotting towards the castle and leaving behind one confused mare.

Prism blinked, confused and even weird-ed out by the turn of events. "Snow would have a theory about planets or something with how well everything is falling into place." She shook her head vigorously, gripped the clippers tightly and returned to work. Though, a happy smile had taken place of her confusion, the sun Princess' presence warming the pegasus mare through her appointed rounds.

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After hours of toiling through the gardens' nooks and crannies, Prism had shaped the bushes, trimmed the trees and set the weeds in the green house incinerator.

And as her day neared its end, she found herself near the statues of Discord and K and C. As she stared at Discord's form she couldn't help but feel bad, especially after Celestia was so kind to her. So accommodating and nice. It took a few moments of mulling over in her brain until she came to a decision with steeled resolve. 'I'll just have to continue my duty! As a member of Celestia's trusted staff, erm, I guess imminently ex staff, I'll do my due diligence and watch over these freaks! Keep watch! Keep busy! Protect the subjects of the gardens from terror! Even if they are the ones who would do the terrorizing..."

With a sigh and a hardened glare she put her hoof to Discord's leg. "Wakey wakey, Discord. Do your schtick and let's get this over with."

She practically saw the statues eyes light up, a laugh resonating from it directly into her mind. 'Oh goodie! I was worried you'd get cold hooves and walk away! Now don't you worry, you'll feel just a little bit of a rush."

What felt like lightening rushed up her foreleg and into her body. Energy just bubbling, boiling beneath her skin gave her the feeling she could take on the world! Wrenching her hoof away from Discord's statue, she rubbed the offended hoof with a wing. "Geez! What the heck is in that stuff?!"

From within her skull Discord's voice chortled. "Only something the ponies of Equestria are missing out on! Seriously! Chaos would do wonders for all of you! Now chop chop! Need to bust out the wonder twins and all."

Prism groaned at the sensation of having a voice in her head. "Ugh. This is NOT going to be easy to get used to."

Discord huffed haughtily. "How do you think I feel?"

Prism ignored Discord, instead focusing her thoughts on learning to manage a few more voices in her head. And fervently trying to ignore the terrifying reality that she had an unhealthy dose of chaos magic that had become a part of her being. In that moment she felt she could handle it. So long as no Discord cultists found out and worshiped her she could live with it well enough.

Grass brushed her hooves as she trotted behind a large hedge bush, revealing the Mirror Mirror statue, Discord's amused laughter ringing in her ears. A shimmer upon the mirror drew Prism's attention, the smiling form of K forming within it. "It is time." Prism walked forward until they was face to face, though she glared at the mirror itself more then K himself before giving K her full attention. "Place your hoof to the mirror."

She lifted her hoof hesitantly, slowly, before bringing it near the mirror. To which she gave it a harsh smack right where K's face was. "GAH! What was that for?!" He said irritably, rubbing an eye all the while Discord was losing his already suspect quantity of mind inside Prism's own.

"Sudden fall, brief moment of coming to terms with my own mortality and overall unnecessary dramatics for what was a simple meeting." She said, a neutral expression matching K's annoyed one.

K groaned, rolling his solid red eyes to the best of his ability. "Fine. Point for you. Put your dang hoof to the glass already!"

Complying, a hoof met glass and K mirrored the action, placing his own stark white hoof to Prism's own. From between the area of their almost connected hooves a dark blue light shone, and, as if she knew what to do, Prism and K mirrored each other's action and drew their hooves apart, leaving a dark blue sphere, lolling simply on the frog of her hoof.

An awkward silence settled between the white mirror monster, the dark teal pegasus and the complete mess of a creature currently taking lodging in the pegasus' mind.

Prism glanced between the sphere and K. "Soooooo... What do I do with it?"

"Uh, can you absorb it?" Prism attempted it, pressing the sphere between her hooves, squeezing and squishing but all it amounted to was the pegasus almost dropping it. K cringed, knowing his only other idea would not sit well with the mare. "Alright. You're going to have to swallow it."

"WHAT?! SH- Ugh. Shut up Discord." She partly shouted, but lowered her volume when mentioning Discord despite his uproarious laughter in her skull.

K winced at her shout and attempted to placate the pegasus. "Weeeell, I had hoped you would be able to absorb it but I guess you'll have to get it the way I did. Down the chute." He gave a nervous chuckle. "If it's any consolation I remember it tasting at least decent."

K shrunk under her glare. "Fine... Just know this brings me ever so closer to hating you." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and plopped the dark blue ball into her gullet.

Prism had no way to describe the taste in her mouth. As she forced the magical thingy-bob past her gag reflex, the only way she could call the taste that lingered in her mouth was 'blue.' She grimaced and gasped as she swallowed it away. "Agh! The taste wasn't too bad. But the texture SUCKED!"

She looked to K only to see the mirror empty, and instead practically heard the eerie smile from within, "See? It wasn't that bad! We all have to test our gag reflexes someday!"

Prism sighed and began to march her way to The Shed. "Speak for yourself buddy. Also: What the heck does that even mean?"

Discord decided to chime in with his own charm, "I believe he is speaking out of his rear on that one. Not everypony even has a gag reflex!"

She ran one of her wings through the leaves of a bush, rolling her eyes. "I'm just gonna ignore you two. And if C pops in for a chat tell him I'm ignoring him too."

Moonlight shone down upon the leaves of bushes and the grey stone of the statues as she walked lightly through the gardens. Memories, both good and bad flew through her mind. Her hoof laid upon the handle to The Shed as she looked over the place she had known for so long. Knowing it would be the last time she would wear that uniform in the Gardens. She took a deep breath of garden air, and turned the handle and stepped into The Shed.

As she was placing her gardener uniform back in its place the clopping of hooves signified Daisy's entrance to The Shed. It was odd to Prism, that Blazy Daisy didn't immediately bombard her with any kind of joke, poke or barb. It wasn't until Blazy was standing next to Prism and undoing her own uniform when she turned to the pegasus, expression unreadable. "So, you're actually leaving." It wasn't a question, Prism knew it, but thought little of it.

Prism shrugged, pulling her uniform down and stepping out of it. "Yeah. Things just haven't been feeling right lately, so I'm gonna scope out other horizons."

Blazy nodded lightly, a simple silence settling as she unzipped her own suit. It wasn't until Prism had put her uniform up for the last time and began to make her way to The Shed's door when Blazy Daisy spoke again, stopping Prim for a moment, "Hey. Prissy." Prism turned to see Blazy Daisy, who wore an unreadable expression, "I'll keep the gardens looking pristine for you dear."

A bit of confusion washed over Prism before she put on a perplexed smile. "Keep it beautiful Blazy. See ya."

As Prism walked through the Shed door she could hear behind her, "See you."

K scoffed from the ether. "Snob seeming one ain't she?"

Prism chuckled. "You'd think that. Wouldn't ya?"

Deciding to take one last relaxing stroll through the gardens, as it could be quite some time before she saw it again. Besides, the gardens were the best place to mull thoughts over. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say things were going too well and fast for me. Even Blazy wasn't a complete snob today. Eh, better than Snowy's move so far."

She allowed herself a shudder as she remembered her friend's letter that informed her of the nightmarish experience, which her new head-mates found quite amusing. Discord most especially. "My, my. Maybe I should have been more stealthy. It could have been fun messing with ponies on an individual basis! Ah, hindsight my old friend."

As she neared the Garden's entrance, it felt like her mind expanded, the familiar flowers, bushes, statues and trodden paths she had long maintained and cared for, all taken into her mind. Like a photograph of the mind.

She stepped between the final two hedges of the gardens. The two leafy guardians that stood atop the stone steps of the Gardens. She turned, to take one final sight of the Gardens in. "Good bye Gardens. Take care of Daisy for me will ya? As much as she takes care of you."

Her final good bye out of the way, and a strange mix of freedom and feeling lost in her belly, she stepped down the stone stairs, pondering what she should do between the steps and moving to Ponyville when K forced through her ignoring prowess, 'Well you could get something to eat. Seriously, take it from the brain beast, you are hungry.'

Her eyes protested from their continued rolling. "I guess I could drop by Hotcake's again. Heh, thought I had more time but if my move is on the fast track I best make the most of my time here." She winced at a sudden thought. "Horseapples! I didn't get Storm's hotel or room! Better pray he's there I guess... Why do I suck at planning or forethought?"

Discord's chuckle brought he rout of her monologue. 'Well, you did make a pact with three strange beings so, the 'why' isn't known but can confirm, you don't plan much do you?'

The pegasus just shook her head, as the pristine world of upper Canterlot, its paved roads began to fade into the cobblestone of lower Canterlot that she trotted upon. Guided to the neon light of Hotcake's diner.

Chapter 5: Dinner Before Dawn

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The sound of soft patter upon the cobblestone streets of lower Canterlot signified Prism's journey to Hotcake's Diner, trotting and looking for the tell tale neon sign glow. As the glow came into view she was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame and stepped through the door; The familiar, soft, bell chime telling of her entrance.

The middle aged Hotcake smiled widely as she looked up from her light, dish cleaning. "Ah, Prism! Didn't expect to see ya for awhile! Anything particular bring ya back to my diner?"

Prism returned the smile, taking a seat at the bar Hotcake was wiping down out of habit. "Weeeelll, while it's always a treat to eat here, I was more hoping Storm might have been here. Cause... well I forgot to ask him where his hotel is and what his number was." She rubbed the back of her head, embarrassment awash on her face.

Hotcake chuckled and shook her head. "Oh, Prism. All these years and ya still haven't gained much forethought."

Prism gave a fake huff, crossing her forelegs. "To be fair I've had a lot on my mind recently. The move going faster than I expected, a certain annoyance I can't talk about currently. The Princess herself giving me favors!" That particular piece of information caused Hotcake's eyes to widen in shock.

"The Princess gave you favors?!"
"The Princess gave you favors?!"

Both Prism and Hotcake were caught off guard by the voice that mirrored Hotcake's sentiment. Hotcake leaned to see around the pegasus, while Prism herself turned to see the face of Storm, who shared Hotcake's shock. Prism silently thanked the stars that Storm happened along and that they appeared to be the only ones at the front of the Diner at that late hour to hear their shock.

Prism smiled at Storm. "Ah! Was hoping to see your mug here! Take a seat and listen to my glistening tale!"

Storm did so, turning to his friend. "How the heck did you get favors out of one of the Princesses?" He asked, Hotcake nodding along, wanting the answer as well.

Prism shrugged, a bit of annoyance crossing her face. "I honestly don't know! She just said some stuff about me being a beloved worker in the Castle and being the best gardener for the gardens in years and said she wanted to do nice things for me, as, apparently she likes to give favors for employees. Going away parties, or like me, letting me not worry about my two weeks and even arrange all of my stuff to be sent to Ponyville for me. And she gave me a nice little pep talk and everything!"

Storm quirked his eye brow. "Wow. Have you ever had that much of a one on one with the Princess before?"

Prism shook her head. "No. I work in the gardens. Even when she did go for a walk in the gardens, which was rare enough, it always felt like a bad idea to interrupt her, ya know? She spends all day dealing with nobles, guards and such so I doubt she'd want to be badgered by a gardener as well in one of those few moments of peace and quiet."

Hotcake shook her head once more as she chuckled. "Well, you've never been that much of a social butterfly as it is Prism. I mean, ya never even came to see me in all these years after nopony was around to drag ya around. So chances of ya talking to a Princess outta your own conscious decision was pretty much zilch."

Storm frowned at this, giving Prism a light glare. "Pris... Did you just, for all these years, wake up, work, go home and only shop when needed?"

Prism felt a few beads of sweat trickle from her brow under Storm's glare as she averted her own gaze. "W-w-well! I, uh, ya see... Yes."

Storm groaned in frustration, practically punching himself in the face with his hoof. "Dang it Prim."

Prism practically seemed to shrink at her friends words. "Sorry..."

Storm sighed, shaking his head. "You should be apologizing yourself. No wonder you don't have any ties to Canterlot anymore, you never tried to make any new ones." He looked up, and upon seeing his friends down expression, he put a wing around her back, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you actually go out, do stuff and make friends other than me and Snow. Even if I have to drag you out of the house by your feathers."

Prism gave an apologetic smile. "Well, past in the past. Let's order a pizza or something and you can tell me about Ponyville." She said, seemingly trying to shift the conversation, which Storm obliged. They could always talk about it later.

Hotcake waited patiently as Storm thought. "Hmm, how about a dandelion pizza, heavy on garlic to share?"

As Prism nodded, Hotcake gave the two a wink. "Alrighty kiddos, I'll be back with your order!"

As Hotcake walked away the two friends turned to each other, Prism deciding to prompt the conversation, "So, I know Ponyville is equal parts lazy and crazy. But what about ponies, events or the such?"

Storm chuckled, not needing much time to think up some examples. "Well, there's my boss Rainbow Dash for one. Kinda lazy, yet really driven. Kinda fits the description of 'Ponyville weather manager' to a T. Mostly lazy weather with a few wild storms from the Everfree to deal with. Pinkie Pie is hard to explain and you should meet her yourself so you won't think I'm crazy." That part caught Prism's attention. What could possibly be about that pony to be so fantastic?

Storm continued, "Only other major pony I can think of off the top of my head is Twilight, kinda town librarian and just a general help all around, and of course personal student under Celestia. For places there's the Apple's farm. Just some real nice apples at nice prices, but their cider is to die for! While Ponyville is a tad smaller than other towns, we have a good clothier in Carousel Boutique, some nice nick nacks at Barnyard Bargains, Sugar Cube Corner is the go to sweet shop, and then pretty much anything else you can think of. Well, not a, uh 'gentlestallions club' but pretty much anything this side of that type of entertainment should be there."

Prism chuckled. "Sounds almost like a small city to me."

"It's densely packed." He shrugged. "There's plenty to do, and lots of ponies to do it with. Though... the ponies can be a bit quirky and can drag you into their nonsense kinda easily."

Prism quirked her eyebrow. "Really? It can't be that bad."

Storm looked at Prism with a completely straight face and said, "The whole town once worked itself up about a zebra herbalist from the Everfree forest so much it took the three big ponies I just told you about, plus their other friends mistaking poison joke for a hex and seeking her out for the town to stop being a bunch of wusses. They abandoned their stalls and hid in their homes whenever Zecora came to town before the poison joke scenario!"

Prism gave her friend a blank look. "You hid too. Didn't you." It wasn't even a question.

Storm's straight face broke, trying to conceal his embarrassment. "N-no!" Prism's unflinching look forced him to sigh. "Ugh, ye-" Before he could finish Hotcake plopped a large circle of tasty and two drinks between the two. "Yeah pizza!"

"Eat up ya two, before it gets cold!"

They each began to eat their own slices, Prism spoke between chews, "Ya told meh about some ofa big shotsh, but whatcha bout anypony more pershonal?"

Storm swallowed his own bite of pizza, giving Prism a quizzical look. "If you're trying to imply anything the answer is no, but I hangout with a few ponies. Some from the weather team from time to time like Thunderlane, Flitter and Cloudchaser. I occasionally hang out with a new pony in town, well, less new and more 'is actually leaving her house more after months of being a hermit so it feels like she's a new pony' Noct. Plus a few other regulars around town. Zecora incident aside, everypony is fairly friendly if you are." He paused to take a bite, savoring the cheesy goodness alongside his foalhood friend, like old times.

Prism chuckled. "What? Are you a ladies stallion now?"

That particular comment almost caused Storm to choke on previously state cheesy goodness. After clearing his throat he responded, flustered, "N-no, I'm not. Gah. Ponyville just has a heavy gender imbalance. Like two to one."

Prism gave an amused look to her friend. "So, what you're saying is I can find the mare of my dreams in Ponyville? I step off the train and, like, Rainbow Dash sweeps me off my wings?"

Storm thought he was prepared for anything Prism could say and was safe to enjoy more of the wonderful cheese. Safe to say he was wrong as the visual of his radical, brash, tomboy boss acting lovey dovey towards his foalhood friend caused him to fall into redoubled fits of coughs and laughter.

Prism made a look of mock hurt at Storm's laughter. "What? Is she too good for me?"

Storm took a deep breath, getting the few last laughs out of his system before talking, "I'll tell you, I won't even pretend to know Rainbow's preferences, but you know what? If you want to, go for it. Heh."

Prism giggled. "Well, I'll have to get to know her first before proclaiming my eternal love for her. Besides, what would Snowy think?"

Storm chuckled with a sigh. "Poor Snow is never gonna live that down is she?"

Prism smiled and shook her head. "Nope." She took some time to chew before a thought came to her. "Hey, Storm. You ever hang out with Rainbow Dash before?"

He thought over his time in Ponyville. "It's far from a normal occasion. But we did hang out a few times, but never one on one. Always business stuff or happenstance meetings around town or at parties that last a few minutes at best. I guess I'm just not cool enough for her!" He said, the last part more for comedic effect than anything.

Prism snickered and played along. "Rainbow Dash is just too cool for all of us! Like, how can we even compare with Miss Sonic Rainboom herself?!"

Like they read the other's mind they brought both of their forehooves to meet the other's, Storm continuing their self deprecation, "She's just too awesome to hangout with us lame-os! To her we must just be- be-!"

The two pegasus jokesters pressed their heads together, cheek to cheek as they spoke in unison.

"Background ponies!"
"Background ponies!"

They both broke down into fake sobs that quickly morphed into uncontrolled laughter while Hotcake watched, shaking her head at the two. "Ya two are something else I tell ya what."

The two friends went on to chat and devour their pizza in peace after their joking energies died down. With Storm telling Prism about a few other ponies here and there, and the more exciting moments the town provided until their pizza had run out and the night had began to age.

Storm let out a contented sigh, stretching lightly. "Welp. I think it's time I headed back to my hotel."

Before he even got up Prism spoke, "Hmm, how about you stay at my place tonight?" Seeing his quizzical look she added more details to her thought. "Like, grab your stuff and then head to my place so we're together in the morning instead of meeting up like this we're together off the bat. Like, maybe grab breakfast then grab an early train to Ponyville. Cause I don't wanna find things to do in Canterlot. No reason to make ties now right?"

Storm's quizzical look quickly faded into a warm smile. "Sure thing Pris. Let's grab my stuff, didn't bring too much so it won't be that hard."

As the two left a tip each and headed for the door they were held back by Hotcake's voice, "Now I want to see ya two in here for breakfast tomorrow, okay? Wanna send ya off properly."

They both smiled at Hotcake, Prism giving a nod. "Of course Hotcake."

Storm and Prism exited the diner and began trotting down the road, Prism turning to Storm. "So, what hotel have you been staying at these past few days?"

"Been staying at Iron Hurdles." Prism winced at the establishment's name. "What? I heard good things before I left and it's been a good stay!"

"Yeah... it's just there's been rumors ever since there was a change in management." She said, averting her gaze.

Storm's face paled. "What kinda rumors?"

"You don't wanna know."

Storm stopped and put a wing over Prism's back. "No seriously, what rumors?"

Prism stopped alongside her friend and looked him in the eye. "Listen. You don't wanna know. Array told Blazy. I told her not to tell me but she did. So I'm telling you, you don't wanna know!"

Nothing was scarier to Storm at that moment than whatever was going on at Iron Hurdles. If there was any part of him that didn't want to stay at Prism's, it was totally obliterated into a thousand and one little pieces. To the point that the look of absolute horror had Discord in stitches within Prism's mind.

As the two pegasi began their jaunt once more Prism turned her attention inward, as Storm was too busy letting his imagination have it's way with him. 'I was wondering where you guys were. I was honestly expecting you to screw with me at every turn.'

Discord chuckled his signature chuckle. 'Well let it never be said Discord doesn't enjoy the simple things in life. Besides seeing you two pow-wow it up back there was quite quaint. Quaint quite. This was the point of the deal was it not? Oh, and if you want to know where K is, I put him in time out. Now HE would have been absolutely insufferable!'

Prism hummed in appreciation of the Chaos spirit. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad after all!

While it was awfully silent between the two pegasi, and maybe a bit mean on Prism's part, she found his continued expression of sheer terror too amusing. She maintained the silence until they stood in front of a industrial looking hotel. While still fitting of the Canterlot aesthetic, it stood out for its darker pallet compared to its neighboring buildings. "Never liked this place. Even before the rumor mill hit it."

"... I kinda liked it. Before the rumor mill hit it."

They entered the darkly colored hotel, the inside pretty much matching the inside with the exception of the red carpet on the floor. Well, that and the bored looking scarlet mare behind the counter. They moved past said mare, heading towards the stairwell. "Well, it looks nice at least. Guess ignorance is really bliss with this place."

Storm whined a bit, "It's not fair. I'm ignorant and paranoid now!"

While Storm complained they went up the carpeted stairs which revealed a nice surprise, as Prism was relieved to discover his room was only on the second floor. A much better climb compared to her own apartment stairs.

A quick trot up two flights and they found themselves in front of Storm's room, which Prism was intrigued to see inside of. "You know, I've never actually seen inside one of these things."

Storm shrugged, unlocking the door. "It's nice, nothing special though."

Storm opened the door, revealing a lightly furnished room that should have been comfy looking, but somehow it exuded the feeling of a long term hospital room. While Prism would admit it was 'nicer' than her own apartment, it just felt artificial, even by hotel standards. "'Nice,' huh? Looks-wise sure, but feels off."

Storm turned from Prism to the room. "Hmm, maybe."

Prism instantly grew bored of the hotel, and simply leaned against the wall while Storm gathered his few things he had brought. While waiting, a dark purple unicorn with a dark two toned mane and wearing a heavy coat with an upturned collar had come from around a nearby corner. She didn't pay him a second glance. She'd seen her fair share of weird ponies in Canterlot, whether it be nobles partaking in the latest, weird fashion trend or the weirder tourists from time to time. So a detective looking pony didn't intrigue her too much.

That is, until he stopped and spoke to her. "Hey." His voice was lighter than she expected. Either way she turned to the stallion and cocked an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. "I was hoping you could tell me where the Canterlot Central Museum is? Ugh, I looked all day today and couldn't find it."

Prism scrunched her face up as she thought about it's location. "It should beee.... like, you know the train station? Should be able to go down the main street, take a left and you should be able to see it along the way,"

The stallion let out a relieved sigh. "Ah, thank you. I've been there over a dozen times and I still can't find it on my first day back! Every time!"

Prism's eyebrow rose back into position. "You've been here multiple times and still can't remember the location of a central and well known institution and landmark? Why didn't you ask for directions while you were out looking?"

He merely gave her a resigned look, one she identified with far too much. "Like every time. I was overcome with such embarrassment that I stubbornly marched across Canterlot like a lost foal until I stewed in my own shame to the point I could stomach the thought of asking for directions." All Prism's face held was kinship and sympathy which seemed to open the stallion up a bit more. "I mean. I spend all my time going around weird places I've never seen in my life and maneuver through them without a hitch, but I can't navigate a place I've been to more times than I can count? What's wrong with me?"

A small smile made its way onto Prism's face as the stallion talked. "Take it from me, the universe loves to screw with ya by making the simplest things more complex than the craziest spell. Maybe make a map?"

The stallion gave a simple shrug. "Tried keeping a map. Lost it."

"Wow." Prism said, marveling at the stallion's apparent inability to navigate Canterlot by any means.

He rubbed the back of his head. "Eh, I live with it. Either way thanks for your help. Name's Quill by the way. Might see ya around in my travels."

Prism waved her wing in goodbye as the stallion trotted towards and down the steps. Interesting fellow, she thought, though she doubted she'd see him again.

Discord hummed within Prism's mind. 'Hmm, odd fellow wasn't he?'

Prism turned her eyes upward imagining a Discord above her. 'Eh. At this point you and the freaky twins are my new base level for weird. It will take a universal topsy turvy on my senses to faze me now.'

It would be a bit longer until Storm stepped out of his hotel room. "What took ya so long? I was able to give directions and have a small chat with a dude while you were getting your stuff."

Storm was wearing his saddle bags, of course, and looked a bit abashed. "I, uh, couldn't find my toothbrush for a moment."

Prism shook her head lightly. "Heh. Come on ya goof. Let's get ya checked outta here and go home."

The process went faster and simpler than Prism had expected out of the Iron Hurdle. The scarlet mare behind the front desk spoke with a monotone inflection, with maybe a hint of annoyance hidden within the depths of her soul creeping forth in said monotone, "What hurdles may I help you with at this incredibly late hour, dearest customer?"

Storm held out his hoof, holding his room key. "I would like to check out now, please. Name's Storm Watch."

The mare took the key without missing a beat, while quickly flipping through some sort of record book. "Storm Watch, Storm, Storm, Watch, Storm... Alright, seems like everything's in order. Have a nice night, sir."

"Uh, night."

The two friends left the dark hotel and ventured back up the street they used to get to the Iron Hurdle. They walked until Prism's apartment complex was before them. Storm smiled warmly at the old complex. "Been forever since I've been in there."

They passed through the double doors, the front desk once again helmed by a sleeping gray unicorn. Prism pressed a hoof to her lips and 'shooshed' Storm, bidding him to be quiet until they stepped into the stairwell. "Mr. Lock Key is always sleeping at the desk. I'm beginning to think he lives at that desk."

Storm quirked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you clear everything with him as soon as possible? I mean he's right there."

Prism tilted her head and groaned. "Maaaaybe... but at this hour? I'll just do it in the morning. So as not to bother him at this late hour. He's always there anyway. Seriously. Been here all my life and he's only been gone on Hearth's Warming."

Storm shrugged lightly, a sheepish look on his face. "But if he's gone..."

Prism returned his question with a resigned look and statement, "If he's gone in the morning then may Celestia strike me down when I stand in front of his empty front desk."

Storm shook his head at his friend's stubbornness. "Your funeral. I'm sure Pinkie would love to make a happy funeral party. She loves doing new parties." Prism stuck her tongue out at her friend as she let him into her home, which he looked around fondly. "This place hasn't changed at all."

Prism chuckled. "That's me! Prism! Never changes anything ever!" She was glad Storm was more interested in looking over the room in nostalgia, as both K and Discord let out heavy 'HA's into her mind's ear, causing her to glare in no particular direction. She shook her head to clear it. "But, I guess we should be getting to bed to get up early tomorrow."

Storm mockingly groaned like a foal. "Oh, but I don't wanna get up early in the morning!"

Prism messed with Storm's mane lightly, giving him a playful glare. "Too bad. I don't wanna keep Hotcake waiting, and I don't wanna miss the morning train. I don't know their routes but I assume fewer trains run by Ponyville and I don't want to wait longer than I have to."

Storm chuckled shoved Prism's hoof off. "Heh, fine. I assume the other bed is still here?" After Prism nodded he trotted towards the other room. "Well, night Pris! Wake me if you wake up first and I'll wake you up if I wake first."

Prism sighed as she simply threw her hoodie on the floor, the day feeling overwhelmingly tiring to her due to all the days events. She simply turned off all of the lights in her room and flopped onto her bed, Discord and K's presence clear in her mind once more.

'So. how was-'

'Discord muzzled me!' K's high pitched voice screeched in anger. 'I was only able to laugh that once cause he loosed his control SLIGHTLY!'

Discord scoffed in exasperation. 'Well, excuse me for trying to keep our cover nice and comfy!' K attempted to say something, but Discord quickly and decisively cut him off, 'I don't want to hear a peep out of you! If Prism is too busy trying to block us out or has a hard time stifling her reactions to our japes then her friends will be worrying over her too much to get a move on! And the last thing we need is for some two bit hack to detect foreign magics within her and freak everypony out even more!'

Prism gave a sigh, one of simultaneous relaxation from her cushy bed and of annoyance at her headmates. "Either way. Can you guys not drag me into one of those dreamscape things? I want to have a nice sleep for my big day tomorrow, alright?"

K begrudgingly agreed, but Discord was more than willing to preserve his chaos supply. 'Just know, my dear, you best learn to isolate your reactions of your mind and body soon. For I do not know when my hospitality will run dry.'

Prism would hate to admit it but Discord had a point, if a trio of weird beings dancing in her head was to be the new normal, it would be best to get used to it. Regardless she yawned and snuggled deeper into her cushy bed while mumbling, "Night ya guys..." As she let the darkness of sleep take a hold of her. A feeling of an accomplished day accompanying her into her dreams.

Chapter 6: On Track, Don't Look Back

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The floating darkness of sleep swirled within the depths of Prism's mind. It swarmed, obscuring the few faint dreams from her memories as slivers of light pierced the darkness. Prism blinked the drowsiness of the early morning wake from her eyes. She stretched out her extremities and, once she was at least partially awake, was able to appreciate Discord and K allowing her a restful sleep.

As she was stepping out of her bed she winced as she was greeted by Discord speaking in her mind, ''Ah! You're awake!' Prism hummed groggily in recognition, the last vestiges of sleep commencing their final stand against her awakening mind. 'Indeed. I just wanted to jump you before K sticks his nose in. Since you'll be going to Ponyville today, I'd like it if you were quite careful while there. While I assume most ponies will be oblivious to even the most blatant evidence of our partnership, the Elements may prove an obstacle. One I'd rather avoid if at all possible. Don't want this little vacation of ours to be blown away before it's able to really set sail.'

Prism groaned, an indescribable feeling worming its way through her barrel. "What do you mean? Unless you freaks do something it should be simple- What's the catch?"

She could just imagine Discord floating before her, a single talon on the bottom of his lip in somewhat taunting fashion. 'What ever do you mean?' Prism's tired eyes glared at her wall, merely waiting for Discord to continue. 'Now don't you worry your little pony head, I'm just interested in seeing what a pony who willingly accepted my chaos will do and what will happen overall. I mean, is it so wrong to find interest in a first and more than likely last time event?'

"What? No crazy cults to endorse in the same way?" She said, an annoyed tone on her lips.

Discord let out a distinctive 'pfft' sound of disapproval. 'Please! Those types are always so unimaginative! Every time I ever looked into them they were obsessed with whatever I was associated with at the time -I guarantee you the latest craze is cotton candy chocolate rain clouds- and they never think up their own chaos or just go with their gut, like making a statue of a banana cauldron queen. Or a queen cauldron who presides over bananas. Nope! It's just silly idiots who 'aren't like other ponies!' Bleh! Anyway, I'll keep you informed if I see anything unusual happening with or around you!'

"I don't trust you, but 'kay." Prism said simply as she walked to her bathroom to splash some water on her face. She ran the water and used her wings to cup the water, enough to give her face a solid splash, partially soaking her mane in the process. She didn't bother to shake her head in reaction to the splash. She simply stared at her reflection, the alabaster pegasus form of K flashing in its place for a moment, his voice clear in more than just her mind, Surprise sunshine.

She strolled out of her bathroom, ignoring the memory and weird feeling in her stomach, instead heading towards where Storm slept. As she approached she saw the light rise and fall of Storm's side. He looked so peaceful. Prism practically headbutted his shoulder with her sopping wet head and mane.

Storm squealed and spluttered as he was hit by the cold, solidness of wet mane and face. "Whata gabah why?!" He propped himself up after wriggling in shock, staring at his friend's head that was still on his shoulder, trickling more water onto his person. "Prism! Why'd ya do that?!"

Prism's response came, muffled by his shoulder, "Stooooorm. I'm hungry."

He stared incredulously at the back of her head. "What's that gotta do with headbutting me and making me wet in bed?"

She shrugged, face planted on his shoulder still. "Don't knooow."

Storm groaned, shrugging his friend's face off his shoulder and onto the bed. "Huh, you've really become a morning pony haven't ya?"

Prism tilted her head up slightly. "Bite me." She flopped her head back down, only to raise it again. "Actually, get something for me to bite." Then the flop stuck.

Storm shook his head and stepped off the bed. "Fine, fine. Just let me dry off first!"

Finally, Prism lifted her head from the bed sheets. She stared with a smile after her friend as he stepped toward her washroom, her mind running wild of what the day could bring. What the life changing train ride would bring. The feeling in her stomach creeped back into her consciousness from those thoughts, much to her annoyance.

She rolled her shoulders, hearing the satisfying snaps and cracks from the motion, trying to get her head into a mindset better qualified to face the momentous day ahead of her. Drawing in a deep breath she started to mess with her mane, running her hooves through the dual colored mess, when K's voice came forth from the darkness of her mind like a bad dream, wiping her smile away before she could even enjoy it. 'Butterflies in your stomach?'

"Freaks in my head." She retorted, though after looking up and mulling it over added, "And butterflies in my stomach. Angry ones. Made of dark matter. Hoping feeding em something from Hotcake's will sate their hate."

Prism could practically see K blink at her words. 'Okay I gotta know. If you're complaining so much, why'd you take us up on the offer in the first place?'

She let her head fall back to the bed for one last moment as she answered, "At this point I'm gonna rationalize it as me saving some other poor pony from having to deal with you. Or, Celestia forbid, some conniving noble seeking to grow more powerful only to lead to you and Discord coming back."

'Whatever helps you sleep at night.'

Prism glared in annoyance as she lifted her head for the last time, beginning to move towards her room. "With you three I'm going to assume my sleep is going to grow only more rocky from here." That actually got a chuckle out of K.

She slipped on her hoodie, it having grown a wrinkle or two from its time on the floor, just in time for Storm to exit the washroom. He stared at his friend, taking in her ragged looking two toned mane and slightly wrinkled hoodie, and groaned. "Pris... Have you no self respect?"

Prism grinned widely. "What ever do you mean? I don't work at the Castle anymore. I DON'T GOTTA PRETTY MYSELF ANYMORE ON FREE DAYS!"

Storm gave her a flat look, only tinged slightly with a small smile. "Well, all the girl power to ya."

"Freedom power!"

"You're a real bald griffon."

She gave a hearty laugh and put her hoof to her neck, working out a bit of stiffness. "Agh... Grab your saddle bags, I'll grab mine and throw some essentials in."

Storm gave a playful scoff as he stepped back towards the guest bed. "Oh, 'essentials'. I see. So essential you pack them at the last minute." Prism responded to his jab with a playful raspberry.

Prism didn't put much into her saddle bags, a few books from a hoof full of series, a brush in case her mane and tail got too out of control and a few nicks and nacks here and there. She debated taking her family picture, but eventually decided against it, fearing her not so sturdy saddle bags wouldn't protect enough for her liking.

Prism stretched lightly next to her door as Storm trotted towards her, seemingly having got everything in order. "Well, let's go! I'll turn in my home key and we can trot over to Hotcake's one last time!"

After they stepped into the hallway, Prism locked her apartment and made her way to the stair well. Storm cocked his head slightly as he voiced a concern. "What if Lock Key isn't there?"

The weight of the 'what if' fell heavily on Prism's face, the pegasus letting out a groan. "Honestly, if he isn't there, kill me to save me the shame of being wrong. And, you know, the universe itself seems to be wanting to torture me. Would be nice to be free of that."

Rather quickly the two found themselves in front of the apartments front desk. Very empty front desk.

Storm did his best to contain his mirth as he took in Prism's attempts at coping with the situation. "Pffft... So... ha-how would you like your death t-to go?"

Prism had practically slammed her head on the desk, ignoring her friends jab and the jabbing pain her face began to suffer. "How? How? He's always here. Always..."

Storm stifled another laugh and took a deep breath. "I mean, you can just leave a note and the key?"

Prism merely groaned into the wood. "Noooo.... I can't do that to Lock Key. He's been a big help to my family for years. I can't just up and leave. And besides, changelings. Might yoink key."

Storm's amusement dipped there, as he slapped his hoof to his face. "Ugh, I told you to do it last night!"

Prism turned her head slightly, a mixture of annoyance and some cousin of despair on her sad mug that stared at nothing in particular from the one eye not pressed against a wooden front desk. "He works like clockwork though! You sound like someone berating another for expecting Celestia to be on time with the sun rise! You don't bet against the trend if that trend has such a long lineage of success! It's like betting against the Wonderbolts in a flight competition against a group of newbies! Ugh... make my death swift Oh Luna."

"Or assuming the competition is over when you really just stepped in at a break time." Said a voice behind the pair of pegasi. Prism turned her head so fast Storm was a little worried for her neck, but turned as well to see the elderly, grey unicorn stepping through the front doors of his own establishment, an amused look on his face and abnormally long stick of chocolate in his mouth. How he spoke so clearly Storm would never know, or learn. "And no dying on my property. Bad for business."

Prism immediately perked up, smiling at the unicorn, who trotted back to his place behind the counter. "Oh, thank Luna you didn't just up and leave!"

Lock Key chuckled at Prism's little melodrama. "And why, pray tell, would you be worried about missing old me?"

"Cause I didn't wanna just up and leave without telling ya, pony to pony!"

Lock Key tilted his head in confusion. "Eh? Whatcha mean? what's with all the upping and leaving?"

Prism rubbed the back of her head with a wing, a tad nervous all things considered. "Well, I'm moving out." Lock Key let out an unfortunate gasp. Unfortunate, because all the gasp accomplished was send the long stick of chocolate down his throat, beginning poor Lock Key's chocolate demise. The voices in Prism's head found it a laugh riot, but Prism herself was borderline horrified by the display of chocolaty evil. "Oh, Luna I killed Mr Lock Key."

Storm shared her disturbed look, and while Prism fidgeted back and forth he muttered, solemnly, "Should we help him?"

Prism bobbed her head in uncertain worry as she glanced around Lock Key in subdued panic. "I don't know! I don't wanna make it worse and accidentallybreakthechocolate!"

A mere moment later and Lock Key stiffened, Prism and Storm's faces straining with more indecision and horror which quickly softened into relief as the unicorn landlord's horn glowed and slowly removed the offending chocolate before gasping down air. "Haaaaah... You can't just... hah, drop a bombshell like that Miss Spectrum! Making me almost break one of my own rules like that! It's bad for my health. For whatever reason are you leaving? I hope it isn't my managing."

Prism shook her head lightly, attempting to move on from the near choke situation as quickly as the nearly choked. "Ah, no, no. Just... things and life, with a dash of looking for something new on top of a bit of opportunity calls. It not you. It's more Canterlot and me feeling like I can get more out of life elsewhere." She rambled.

Lock Key adopted a small, almost sad smile, while warily placing the chocolate on his desk. "Ah, leaving the nest at last, eh?"

Prism let out a quiet and embarrassed laugh as she held out her apartment key. "Um, uh, something like that I guess."

Lock Key nodded in understanding, taking the room key from her feathery grasp. "Well, don't you fret even a minute! You run along, spread your wings and fly and all that, and I'll handle all the tedious little things for you. Though... this being such short notice I assume you haven't moved your belongings out yet?"

Prism's embarrassment multiplied under that question, it becoming evident upon her face and even her wings, which twitched lightly. "Uh, no, not really. I do have some plans in place! And I am willing to pay until everything is moved out and settled." She said, trying to placate any worries Lock Key may have had.

Though it appeared that her worries were unfounded as Mr Lock Key's face held only understanding, tinted by amusement. "Oh-ho, it's of no worry. Though, my inner business pony is quite thankful for your continued, if absent, patronage."

Prism let out a sigh of relief. Even after years of knowing Mr Lock Key she just couldn't shake the fear he would take something she said or done badly. Simply hearing his support was a blessing, and really, she could afford to pay for the apartment for a while longer, more than that honestly, but at least until she'd moved everything out at least.

She rolled the tension out of her shoulders. "Heh, it's nothing Lock Key. I couldn't really just expect you to hold onto an apartment for any amount of time for free. It'd just be rude!"

Lock Key smiled and waved his hoof. "And I thank you for that. But, I believe you and Storm probably have places to be and I don't want to keep you up. Just stop by once in awhile! Don't be a stranger!"

Prism and Storm exited the apartment building, saying their goodbyes, and as they trotted down the street Prism could almost feel her eye twitch as her mind played the events back. "I swear, that's the closest I've ever been to a roller coaster."

Storm let out something that some could call a chuckle and shook his head lightly. "Tell me about it. It was like that emotional stage chart; bargaining, despair, relief, fear, relief again and then acceptance." He turned to Prism and smiled teasingly. "Hey! It's like you're already in Ponyville!"

She met his smile with her own smile, though it was tinted with a bit of apprehension at the thought of normal social interactions injected with bouts of stress being the norm. "Don't say such scary things Storm." They stopped their trotting for a moment or two before breaking into light laughter before continuing their march on towards Hotcake's, putting the somewhat odd chat behind them.

__________

A short trot later, done under the early morning light, they entered their dear diner, not as loudly as they had before so as not to bother Hotcake's other, more normal, customers. The two friends took seats at the bar, Prism gave a small wing wave to Hotcake, who did her part by being ever present behind the bar. "So, ya two actually came! Ya know, a part of me was beginnin' to wonder."

Storm gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh, we'd never want to disappoint you, oh dear slave driver Hotcake."

That witty response got a laugh from the kitchens at least, Hotcake turning with an amused smirk. "Har har, laugh it up Coldplate, better pour the mirth into making delicious food!" A muffled response came and went with Hotcake just shaking her head. "It might have been for only a few days ya two came back to comin' back here, but I'm gonna miss ya two."

Prism ducked her head slightly. "Uh, sorry about that, by the way."

Hotcake just waved Prism's words off with a good natured smile. "Bah! It's no problem. No fun to force friends into things or so. But, we can talk more in a sec. Whatcha two gonna have?"

Storm thought for a moment before turning to Prism. "Pancakes?"

Prism nodded enthusiastically. "Pancakes!"

They both turned back to Hotcake, quite happily.

"Pancakes."
"Pancakes!"

Hotcake chuckled, dotting down the simple request. "Alright! Be right back. Don't disappear on me!"

Prism nodded as the mare walked away, glancing around the diner a bit. "... Wish I hung out here more..." She said, quietly.

Storm fidgeted a bit before extending a wing over his friend's back. "Well, you'll just have to make it up later, eh? Spend a train ride back up here from time to time for some Hotcake dining!"

Prism let out a short, dry chuckle, though at least shared a genuine smile with Storm, letting the atmosphere of the diner steep into her mind. It was a better course than moping about past un-acted acts, she thought, better to enjoy it while she had it than let her last regular visit be one of regret.

It wasn't too long after when Hotcake came back, placing two places of large, fluffy pancakes in front of the two pegasi, the speed of the bountiful flatecakes appearing before them almost surprising Prism. Coldplate had always been able to pour out food at ridiculous speed, but Prism and Storm could have sworn that pancake delivery had to be some kind of record.

"So, let's start off simple like. Whatcha two got up to after leavin' my diner last night?" Hotcake asked, leaning against her counter.

Storm shrugged, holding off on devouring a bite of pancake to answer. "Eh, not much really. Just checked outta my hotel so me and Prism could head her right away." He snickered, almost dropping his fluffy bite of pancake. "Thought, Prism almost killed Mr. Lock Key while she was turning in her apartment key."

Prism grumbled through a bite of pancake while Hotcake's face held a look mixed with confusion, worry and a bit of shock. "Uh... He is okay though. Right?" She sighed lightly as Prism nodded. "How the heck did ya almost kill ya land lord?"

Prism grumbled through her bit of pancake, not liking the fact she had to relay the tale so soon, "I jusht wanted to hoov over mah key!" With a gulp, she continued, "Well, he wasn't there at first and I got worried. Didn't wanna just blow him off and not say good bye ya know. Luckily he came back almost instantly with a stick of chocolate in his mouth, which he... promptly inhaled whole and almost choked after I told him I was moving out. I... was too at a loss to be of any help... Too worried about making it worse, ya know." She finished a bit lamely, stuffing another bite of pancake into her mouth.

Hotcake merely tilted her head. "Uh, is an occupant of his establishment moving away really such a shocking thing?"

Prism shrugged, a bit of embarrassment seeping into her expression. "It's probably just that my family lived there for years, my parents then me. So, me leaving after all these years might be just a bit shocking to the old guy."

Hotcake chuckled, shaking her head lightly. "Well, at least your journey didn't start with an out of the blue death right?"

Prism groaned, the only thing stopping her from letting her face meet elevated placement surface once again being her delicious pancakes she didn't wish to maim with her mug. "I fear it to be an omen of things to come more than anything."

Storm laughed, giving Prism a friendly slap to her back. "Aw, come on! I'll make sure nothing bad will happen once we get to Ponyville, and I'm sure other ponies will do the same."

Prism shrugged once more, turning that movement into a roll, relieving a bit of tension from them. "Eh, well that's just part of the journey ain't it? Just need to learn not to let it get me I guess."

Storm smiled lightly, readying more pancake to enjoy upon his fork. "See? That's the spirit!"

Hotcake let them enjoy a bit more of their breakfast before continuing their conversation. "So, whatcha gonna do once ya get to Ponyville? Gonna relax for awhile I assume, but are ya gonna get a job at some point, and if so whatcha gonna do?"

Prism blinked, mouth open, stopped before her syrupy prize. "Uh. Huh, hadn't thought too much there. But yeah, probably gonna relax for a bit, then I might badger that there Rainbow Dash about a weather job. A small town like Ponyville should be easy enough to help with the weather."

Storm was then the one to hesitate to eat his pancakes. "Uh, yeah. Usually. We did have to cause a major storm to keep schedule once though. Lots of complaints from towns ponies on that one. But, yeah, usually calm but can get kinda crazy on a whim."

Prism tilted her head with a hum, her mind drifting a bit to what helping manage the weather would be like. "Hm, doubt it'd be too hard. I mean Canterlot's gardens got a bit crazy at times, and weather control is kinda like gardening, just with fluffier watering cans."

Storm snorted a light laugh around some pancake. "Guess that's kinda accurate!"

Prism quirked her head, happy to make her friend laugh, and sharing a smirk with Hotcake who nodded, pleased with Prism's answer. "Well, glad to know you're not just runnin' off without much of a plan. Now I can get Coldplate to stop plannin' a rescue mission." The two pegasi scoffed, their faces holding amusement and curiosity. "Now don't ya two go asking Coldplate. She'd just be insufferable!"

"You merely deny me my brilliance!" A voice called from the back.

Hotcake rolled her eyes, turning to the kitchens. "Yeah, sure! Brilliance wrapped within stupidity! Three drafts of the plan involved faking a bachelor party to sneak in inside a cake! We can't afford to just waste the ingredients on a giant cake unless it's something quite dire!"

Storm was forced to stifle a laugh a that particular piece of information. "W-wait. Does Coldplate, like, do this often?"

Hotcake groaned as she resumed her leaning pose against her bar. "You have no idea. She's always cooking up something, an if it ain't in an oven it sure as Tartarus in her head. 'Gotta be prepared, just in case' she says."

"Sure as Tartarus helped the diner durin' that bug infestation Canterlot had going few weeks back!"

Hotcake looked a little more than a bit tired at that comment. "She has been using that as an excuse to cook up crazy scheme after crazy scheme, double time like, ever since those dang changelings burst through the roof." She grimaced and shook her head, the affect of Coldplate's madness beginning to shine through on her face. "Wake up in the night hearing just the weirdest things at times." She glanced back towards the kitchens before leaning towards her two patrons and whispering, "Now, don't ever mention this, but I've been gettin' more than a bit worried about her this past week or so."

Prism and Storm both gave Hotcake looks of sympathy, Storm saying, "Won't leave my mouth."

Prism herself added, "Well, all the more reason to come visit ya sometime in the future. And, hey, feel free to send a letter anytime, even if it's just for some small talk."

Hotcake smiled at Prism's words, expression holding appreciation . "Heh, I may just take ya up on that offer. Gonna need somepony to talk to that isn't partially crazy."

Prism snorted some laughter. "Oh, trust me, we're all crazy here."

Storm gave a chuckle of his own. "Oh, you'll definitely fit in at Ponyville."

Prism's expression suddenly strained at Storm's words, a thin smile letting out the muttered word, "Stop."

Storm's chuckle escalated into a laugh. "Aw, don't worry! It'll be better than you think."

Prism's strained expression softened to one more legitimate. "Here's hoping. It'd be a nice change of pace. Then again... it's a lot of changes really fast. It's kinda scary."

Hotcake smiled softly at the pegasus. "Scary or not, your friends got your back girl, and from what I've heard that 'ville you're going to is a friendly 'ville. And if anything should happen... well as much as I hate to admit it Coldplate would rush in to help ya and me along with her."

Prism returned Hotcake's smile, just as warm. "Thanks Hotcake, means a lot to me."

Hotcake nodded happily. "'s what's friends are for! But I think you should get going here soon, don't want ya losing your train on my count."

Storm sighed as he stepped off his stool. "Ah, just been here for such a short time. Really gonna have to visit again sometime."

Prism quickly mirrored her friends movement, Hotcake giving a sigh of her own. "Hope it goes well and hope to see a soon-ish!"

Suddenly Coldplate's voice rang from the back, "Don't forget the juice!"

The two pegasi friends tilted their heads in confusion while Hotcake slapped herself lightly. "Gah! Can't believe I almost forgot it! One sec you two."

Prism leaned against the counter as Hotcake went to the back. "What do you think that's about?" She asked, turning her head towards Storm.

Storm shrugged a bemused expression on his muzzle. "A Coldplate tracking crystal?"

The two feathered friends shared a chuckle as they awaited Hotcake's return, and once she did she carried with her two long cylinders. As she placed them on the counter Prism quirked an eyebrow. "A thermos?"

Storm let out a soft gasp. "I-is this what I think it is?"

Hotcake laughed, a bit gruffly as she patted one of the thermoses. "Yup! Some signature Hotcake Spicy Cider!"

Storm picked one of the thermoses up gently, mouth slightly agape. "You're not seriously giving us these, are ya?"

She nodded energetically. "You bet I am! A little going away gift, if ya will."

Prism all the while had been holding her own thermos, a happy smile beholding the cylinder as nostalgic memories passed her mind's eye. Looking up from the thermos, she turned her smile towards Hotcake. "Thanks Hotcake. It's been forever since I've had some of this."

Hotcake returned the smile. "No problem Pris'. Don't go drinking it all away right away!" She gave a sultry wink to the two. "Save 'em for some time special!" Prism rolled her eyes while Storm shook his head, at least until Hotcake continued, "Liiiiike if Snowy shows up."

"Bye Hotcake!" Prism said, placing her thermos in her bag and beginning her exit of Hotcake's diner, Storm following behind her, laughing along with Hotcake who waved Prism farewell.

The two pegasi walked in simple, if slightly amused, calm away from the diner, all the way to the Canterlot Railway station.

Luckily, they got there with plenty of time to spare when it came to their train to Ponyville arriving. It wasn't even that crowded a morning for the station, though any Canterlot savvy pony would know that would change, if only slightly at times, when the tourists and sightseers would invariably disembark.

Prism gave a light sigh, torn at the fact they might be forced to wade through a tide of exiting ponies that would inevitably pour from the train cars she at last saw rumbling its way closer. Ponyville might have been a known location, but it was never a place many ponies would go, not in large packs at least. That is where the other tear of Prism's mind came in, as the large tide of leaving ponies would leave their train car, hopefully, not crowded, perhaps even granting them a cabin to just the two of them.

The train cars rumbled to a stop in front of the two friends with the screech of metal and hiss of steam. Prism and Storm rose from their seated positions, just in time to see the decent amount of multi-colored bodies leave the various train cars. They let the wave of color disperse well enough before finding an opening for themselves to enter the train.

Once the path was clear of the fleeting visitors and sightseers the two friends made their way to get acquainted with their train accommodations, just in time to hear the train conductor yell, "All aboard! Next stop Ponyville!"

While it would be a bit longer until the train disembarked, Storm and Prism allowed themselves the time to get comfortable, placing their saddle bags down and took the window seats, the visage of the green and grey mountainscape greeting their eyes.

Prism sighed, a mix of content and something else she couldn't place. Storm gave a simple smile in response. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. ... Won't say perfect though, but fine."

Prism snorted in amusement at Storm's words. "I guess that's fair. You'll be with me step by step. Making sure I don't become public enemy number one on day one."

Storm nodded, amusement of his own shining within his eyes. "Besides, it'd get pretty boring if everything went perfectly, right?"

Prism pumped a hoof toward the ceiling at that sentiment. "Got that right!"

Not long after the train began to rumble to life once again, shifting a moving along the tracks, taking Prism the Pegasus away from the place she'd called home for so long. From her seat, Prism saw the city shrink away, slowly becoming engulfed by the green and grey of the mountain.

As she zoomed off, away from her old life and towards her new, once more the feeling in her stomach wormed its way into Prism's mind. She felt conviction in her choice to move on, but she couldn't shake the feeling that nothing would quite be the same again.

'And what fun would "the same" be my dear?' Discord rang through her mind.

Prism gave a wry smirk, perhaps Discord was right. New was what she was looking for, right? Even if new was unknown, even a bit scary, she needed a bit, maybe even a lot of new in her life. Though, that did not mean she lost everything, she thought, as she took one of her books out of her saddle bags. After all, she had a long train ride ahead of her.

Spheres

by Neon Icy Wings

Millennia Past - Prologue

Chapter 1: A Plan In the Wind

Chapter 2: Mirror Mirror Tell Me All

Chapter 3: The Dreams That Be

Chapter 4: Resignation, New beginning

Chapter 5: Dinner Before Dawn

Chapter 6: On Track, Don't Look Back