Sometimes, you just have to get away from it all for a while. And Equestria is as good a sanctuary as any.
Tragedy and hardship are, sadly, facts of life. There are those who spend nearly every day in peace, with only the occasional megalomaniacal tyrant to disrupt it. Others are subject to cruelty and unfathomable horrors on a regular basis. Even those who try to avoid trouble as best they can sometimes get swept up in events outside their control. One such person arrives in Equestria from another world entirely, after a string of traumatic experiences, just to get away from it all for a while in someplace calm. She'll make new friends, and leave with plenty of stories to tell.
Twilight sighed as she pulled yet another document off the huge stack of paperwork on her desk, this one in particular a subsection of the provisionary trade agreement. As it turned out, opening up diplomatic relations with a new nation was a dull, time-consuming process. She knew it was important to welcome the reformed changelings with open hooves, but that didn't change the fact that she'd rather be doing anything else at this point. Sure, Twilight liked paperwork far more than the average pony, but she now regretted volunteering to take up the lion's share of the logistics.
She plopped her head down sideways onto her waiting hoof as she scribbled ink onto the pages. Her face no longer bore the slightest hint of joy as she worked. When she had finally finished the section she had allocated for the day, Twilight checked the clock. It was past six. She had literally spent the entire afternoon working.
Groaning her frustrations, Twilight pulled herself out of her chair and stretched the kinks out of her legs. Then, she trotted over to the exit of her study. "Spike! I'm done!"
When the young drake did not reply, she trotted off into the castle, searching for him. She went to the kitchen first, figuring he'd be starting on dinner soon. However, Twilight found him sitting on a proffered stool just outside it, reading a comic book. He heard her approach, and looked up.
"Spike, let's go to the Hayburger," she said. "I really need some mind-numbing grease in my system after today."
Spike stood, placing the comic under his arm. "Actually, there's somepony waiting for you in the library. Says she wants to talk to you personally about something."
Twilight's eyebrows rose. "Really?"
Spike nodded. "Yeah. I told her you weren't free, but she said it was important, and that she'd wait. So she's been sitting in the reference section reading for like three hours." He shook his head. "That unicorn's almost as book crazy as you."
Twilight was going to chide Spike for that last comment, but her thoughts snapped back to the mystery mare in question. Nopony other than her, Starlight, or a schoolfoal had entered the reference section in months. She liked her already. "Ok, let's go," Twilight said, smiling.
She and Spike walked into the library, past multiple crystalline shelves, and through the back door which led to the section in question. Immediately, her gaze fell upon the mare in the center of the room. A quill hovered above a scroll in her copper aura, and her muzzle was buried in a thick encyclopedia. Other tomes of various subjects were piled onto the reading table at which she sat. Her coat and mane were both white, and the latter was tied into two modest side buns. Draped over her withers was a set of faded gold saddlebags. Her cutie mark was a bound scroll with a quill behind it.
So engrossed was the mare in her reading that she didn't even notice them enter. Twilight's smile widened, and she shook her head. Usually, she would be the one lost in the pages. Walking up next to her, Twilight cleared her throat.
The unicorn mare gasped in surprise, and she dropped her quill. She turned to face Twilight, bowing her head. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I didn't see you enter."
Twilight giggled. "It's ok, really. And just Twilight is fine. What's your name, by the way?"
She paused for a moment, her mouth set in a line. Only after rolling up her scroll and placing it in her bag did she reply. "It's Tamiyo."
Tamiyo? That was a strange name, Twilight thought. Spike had a similar reaction, and he looked up at her in confusion. Turning back to her guest, Twilight didn't question it. "Well, Tamiyo, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Tamiyo glanced down at Spike and took a deep breath. "I'd prefer it if we discussed that in private, actually. What I wish to speak of involves a secret of grave import. And I'm afraid of how anyone else here might react."
Huh. She hadn't been expecting that. Now Twilight was even more curious.
"Hey, I can keep a secret!" said Spike. "Besides, I'm way more level-headed than Twilight is anyway." He then straightened his posture in an exaggerated manner. "Anything fit for the ears of the Princess of Friendship is fit for mine!"
Twilight giggled, but maintained her composure. "Spike's right, Tamiyo. You can trust us. We won't judge you, whatever it is you came to me to get off your chest."
Tamiyo uttered a faint sigh of relief. "Very well. Just... brace yourselves."
With that, Tamiyo left her seat and took a few steps back. Her eyes met Twilight's, and she lit her horn. In an instant, the unicorn mare had vanished, replaced by a tall, bipedal creature with long ears that dangled on the sides of her face.
Twilight gasped in surprise, her wings flaring open.
"Woah!" said Spike.
Twilight continued to gape at the transformed Tamiyo. Her eyes, hair, and bag were all pretty much the same, but she now wore white and green robes with leggings that matched the bag, and swirling purple markings adorned her forehead. Suddenly, her desire for secrecy made a lot more sense.
Just as Twilight was about to burst with questions, Tamiyo held up her forearm in a placating gesture. "I'm sure there are many things you want to ask, but please allow me to state my piece first. Long story short, I was hoping to stay with you here in Equestria for a month or so." She then lowered her arm.
"What are you?" Twilight blurted out, completely forgoing all pretense of proper social conduct.
She smiled, as if she had expected that. "My people are known as the Soratami, or Moonfolk," Tamiyo explained.
Twilight processed this. In her long years of study, she had definitely never heard of either race before. "That doesn't answer anything! Just where are you from, then? The moon?"
"Afraid not," she said. "I am from another world entirely: Kamigawa. As for how I got here, well, I'm a Planeswalker."
"What's the big deal about that?" asked Spike. "Plains are flat, most animals can walk across them."
Tamiyo snorted. "Not a plain as in the geographical feature, a plane of existence. Planeswalkers can arise on every world, and are able to travel through the Multiverse."
Twilight's jaw dropped again. This must have been the real secret she had mentioned. "But - but - how? Ponies can't do that, even with magic!"
"The spark required to become a Planeswalker is only present in one-in-a-million sentient beings. And even then, it must be triggered by great emotional torment." Tamiyo shrugged. "It's not surprising you haven't heard of them, Twilight, since Equestria is so peaceful. And Planeswalkers from offworld tend to avoid this place."
"Why?" Twilight asked. At this point, her mind was still struggling to process all this.
Tamiyo reached out towards the table, grabbing a book in her now completely invisible magic. She flipped it open to an image of Celestia, shaking her head. "Many Planeswalkers, in their power, foolishly fancy themselves as being above other beings. Actual gods tend to drive away most. Plus, you ponies are more xenophobic than the average race, or at least you were when I was here last a few centuries ago."
"A few centuries?" Spike asked.
She nodded. "I'm probably about the same age Princess Celestia is."
Ok, Twilight thought. Tamiyo was an ancient Soratami from another world with never-before-seen dimensional magic born of stress. She would certainly love to interview her, but suddenly recalled that she was supposed to be helping her. "So, why are you here now, Tamiyo? Why announce yourself to us?"
Her face sunk. "Well, Twilight, that's... let's just say I need a friend right now."
Twilight stared. She could do that. Smiling softly, she gently wrapped a wing around Tamiyo. "Then you've come to the right place. We'll get you settled in right away."
Tamiyo looked down at her, blinking away tears before they could fall. "Thank you."
Tamiyo awoke to the unfamiliar sound of hooves on a hard surface. She groaned and sat up, unfamiliar sheets clinging to her body. Prying them off, she blinked, taking in her surroundings. The pink crystal was an instant reminder: she was in Twilight's castle. Relief filled her as she recalled the prior day's events. Twilight Sparke had been even more accommodating than she had anticipated from her preliminary research.
Stretching out her limbs, Tamiyo changed out of her sleeping robe and then invoked the true meaning of He Who Frightens the Sun to reapply the veil of illusion around herself. As long as she didn't lie, all would see and hear what they expected to. Preventing the ponies from trying to nuzzle or otherwise touch her would be a simple matter of asking nicely.
Not in the mood for steps this early in the morning, Tamiyo hovered down the spiral staircase to the ground floor, and followed the smell of fresh confections to the kitchen.
Opening the door with her magic, Tamiyo entered. Spike, Twilight, and a pinkish mare she had never seen before were all busy eating some sort of pockmarked pastry topped with fresh fruit. As Twilight was facing the door, she saw her first, and swallowed her current bite to speak. "Good Morning! You sure slept in," she said cheerfully.
Tamiyo shrugged. "What can I say? It was a long day, and I'm a night owl."
The mare opposite Twilight set down the fork and knife in her magic and spun to face Tamiyo. "Twilight, who is this?" she asked.
Twilight's ears drooped. "Oh, right! I completely forgot to tell you. Starlight, this is Tamiyo. She'll be staying in the castle for a while. Tamiyo, this is Starlight, my friendship student."
"Oh, uh, hello," Starlight said, waving. "Is there any particular reason you're staying here and not, say, at the inn? Are you Twilight's cousin, or something?"
"No, we are unrelated," she said automatically. Meanwhile, Tamiyo wondered what sort of person needed to be specially tutored on friendship. Such skills almost always develop during that innocent period of youth she so adored.
"Well, she's from abroad, and wanted to make some friends," Twilight explained to Starlight. She smiled at Tamiyo. "Even though it's kind of my job, I'm still flattered she came here first."
"Yeah, of course. I'm still kinda amazed at how much you've changed, Twi," said Spike, taking another bite of his breakfast.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight gestured for Tamiyo to come sit, and she did. Grabbing a portion from the nearby counter with her magic, Tamiyo took a tentative bite. Her eyes widened at the flavor, and the next piece she popped into her mouth was twice as large. "I have never had anything like this before. What's this dish called?"
"Waffles," said Starlight. Then, she added "huh, you really are from out of the country."
Tamiyo nodded, preoccupied with eating.
"Anyway, Starlight and I are both busy today," began Twilight, "so unfortunately you're going to have to find somepony else to spend the day with, Tamiyo."
Tamiyo gulped down some water, then turned to face her. "I hear the Element of Laughter is very accommodating to new ponies. Is she free today?"
Twilight's smile shrunk a tiny amount. "Probably, yes, but she prefers 'Pinkie'."
Spike set his fork down on his now-empty plate. "Actually, Tamiyo, why don't you come with me instead? Rarity asked me to help run the boutique with Sweetie while she's away checking on her other two stores. We could use an extra set of helping hooves."
"Great idea, Spike!" said Twilight.
Tamiyo pondered this. She had actually never tried working as a merchant before, but she knew the basics. It seemed like it could be fun, especially with fresh company. "That sounds nice."
"Cool!" Spike exclaimed. He hopped out of his seat. "We can leave whenever you're ready, then!"
Grinning at his enthusiasm, Tamiyo finished the meal in silence. As Spike was cleaning the plates and utensils, she inferred that he had also been the one to cook it, and thanked him. His ensuing blush was surprising, as dragons on other planes couldn't.
The pair of mares said their goodbyes as Tamiyo walked off alongside Spike, and out into Ponyville. She was immediately greeted by the warm sun shining above. The crisp autumn breeze accompanying it was almost too perfect, and it brushed through the orange leaves of the distant trees.
Spike began making small talk as they traveled, explaining that he loved assisting Rarity, the Element of Generosity. He also said that her sister, Sweetie Belle did too, but was far less successful. However, Tamiyo started to zone out a bit as they entered the town proper. She watched as ponies of all tribes and colors went about their day. Some tended to foals, while others watered flowers or just chatted with neighbors outside their homes. The homes themselves were quaint, usually with distinct white and brown paint rarely seen on other planes. The style was most similar to—
As soon as she thought of Gavony, Tamiyo immediately regretted it. She could not stop the memories of that place from busting into the forefront of her mind. Memories of unearthly howls and moans echoing through the streets as buildings burned, the roar of the flames only outdone by the volume of the pounding in her skull, the stench of death and things she could not name assaulting her, the—
"Tamiyo?" someone asked. It snapped her out of her trance. It was Spike. Right. When did he get ahead of her, though?
"Are you ok?" he said, clearly concerned. "You're shaking."
Tamiyo looked down. She was. Centering herself, she took a deep breath. "I'm alright, now."
Spike looked up at her for a few moments, unsure. He sighed. "If you say so."
With that, they continued through the town, and Tamiyo paid closer attention to Spike's playful banter. Eventually, he stopped in front of a curious building that looked almost like one of those rides on Bant with all the fake leotau that moved in a circle, only with pink trim. Tamiyo noticed three signs on the front. The first read 'Custom Orders Currently Unavailable' and the second read 'All Winter Accessories Buy Two Get the Third FREE'. The last one just said 'Closed'.
"Here we are: Carousel Boutique," said Spike.
"Well? What are we waiting for?" Tamiyo asked.
Spike just smiled and walked over to the front door. He pulled it open with a flourish, and a bell chimed. "Ladies first."
"Why, thank you, Spike," Tamiyo said, grinning.
The interior was as lavishly decorated as the exterior, Tamiyo noticed. The only real difference between them was the presence of multiple racks of clothing and pony-shaped mannequins dotted around the floor. Also, the adorable filly currently levitating some hats out of a box and onto a hat rack in the center of the room. Once the one she was holding was safe, she trotted over.
"Hi, Sweetie!" said Spike. "I see you're already getting stuff set up."
"Uh-huh!" she replied. "Rarity will be so proud when she gets back!" Only after this proclamation did she see Tamiyo. She blinked up at her, her muzzle scrunching a bit. "Sorry, miss, but we're not open yet."
Tamiyo giggled. "You misunderstand, I came with Spike to help. My name is Tamiyo, I just got here yesterday."
"Oh, ok. But I'm still the primary salesmare," she said, placing a hoof to her chest.
"She never said she was," pointed out Spike.
"Still, though," said Sweetie. After that, she adopted an authoritarian tone. "The last thing left on Rarity's list is to finish taking out the scarves and hats. Spike, Tamiyo, you two put up the scarves."
Well, just look at the budding entrepreneur, Tamiyo thought. Her own children rarely strove for anything beyond the family Shiritori record. Happy to oblige, Tamiyo nodded in affirmation and set off for the other open box with Spike. Tamiyo hung scarves one by one with her magic starting from the top as Spike did the same from the bottom. There was only one empty horizontal rack, the one next to the sets of long socks, so that was where they went.
They finished at the same time as Sweetie did. The filly practically skipped back to the entrance, changing the 'Closed' sign to 'Open'. She and Spike stood at the ready, the former failing to fully contain her excitement. Tamiyo stationed herself behind the intricate mechanical currency holder, which was still close enough for her to participate in conversation and watch.
It wasn't long before their first customer trotted in. The brown stallion wore a neutral expression equal parts hope and loss.
Sweetie flashed him a toothy smile. "Hey, Dr. Whooves! What are you here for?"
He paused, blinking. "Oh, well, hello young lady. And to you as well, Spike. I'm here to... buy some new scarves, I suppose."
"Really?" asked Spike. "Don't you always wear that really long one all the time?"
Dr. Whooves sighed. "I did. Unfortunately, my lovely marefriend loathes the spotty old thing, and wants me to get some new ones before winter rolls in."
"Then you've come to the right place!" said Sweetie. "Right this way, sir." She led him over to the scarves, then stood off to the side with Spike, rocking back and forth on her hooves as the stallion browsed.
Eventually, he found three to his liking: a blue one, a tan one, and a grey one, all woolen. He turned to Spike. "Do you think these look good?"
Spike nodded. "Yeah. None of those have stripes."
"The blue one matches your eyes!" chimed in Sweetie.
"That it does," Dr. Whooves said. He then turned and walked up to Tamiyo, shaking his head. Reaching into his bags, he paid with exact change.
"Thank you for stopping by," Tamiyo said.
"Yes, yes," he said. "Say, I don't think we've met before. At any rate, you must have your work cut out for you." The Dr. gestured behind him with his head.
Tamiyo got the message. He must have thought she was being paid to watch them along with the store. She smiled and shook her head. "I'm just running things with them. I enjoy spending time with kids, even rambunctious ones."
Dr. Whooves shrugged. "If you say so. Allons-y!" he said, cantering out the door.
Tamiyo's focus was then quickly drawn to Sweetie Belle, who was pouting at her. "I heard that," Sweetie said. "If anything, I'm exceptionally composed for my age."
Spike raised an eyebrow at her.
Sweetie sighed. "Oh, just say it. The others won't stop anyway."
"You're also a dictionary," he said, chuckling.
Tamiyo's smile returned as she watched Sweetie playfully jab Spike on the shoulder, only for Sweetie to start chuckling too. Their innocent joy was infectious.
The rest of the day flew by for Tamiyo, buoyed was she by the atmosphere perpetuated by her impromptu coworkers. Around a dozen customers had shown up to prepare their wardrobes before lunch, and another dozen came after. Spike and Sweetie were unpredictable: acting professional one moment and blunt the next. She had never really spent much time observing kids besides her own, her relatives', and Nashi. The similarities were both reassuring and almost frightening.
Throughout the rest of the day, nothing had been accidentally destroyed, which was nothing short of a miracle according to Spike, and only one pony had stormed off in rage. This was after being yelled at by Sweetie in a quite squeaky manner for buying socks to give as a Hearth's Warming present. Tamiyo had gently scolded her after the fact, though the mare would likely hear worse from her own family later.
For a fleeting moment, Tamiyo wished this day could go on forever, and on this world it was possible. But even if Celestia stilled the sun, she knew, time would march on. Everything always changes, even if she tried to avoid it herself. That was why she spent her life recording stories and cherishing those important to her.
A voice snapped Tamiyo's attention back out of her thoughts. The three of them were standing outside the boutique in the waning light. "Bye Spike. Bye Tamiyo," Sweetie said. "It was nice meeting you."
"See you, Sweetie," said Spike, waving. "Have fun at Scootaloo's."
And so they parted ways. Tamiyo returned with Spike and ate a nice, quiet dinner. But afterwards, she was unable to continue her research into Equestria's recent history as she had planned to do for the rest of the night. Her mind refused to quiet itself, thoughts of recent relief and less recent pain bouncing back and forth behind her eyes. Restless, sleep did not claim her until quite late.
A few days later, and Tamiyo had pretty much gotten acclimated to life on Equestria. It was quite quiet, really, which was nice. Currently, she and Twilight were sharing a pot of tea in her living room by the fire, each reading a book. Much to Tamiyo's amusement, it seemed Twilight also couldn't bear to read something new without taking records, and both of their scrolls sat on the table between the plush chairs in which they sat. The more she spent time with her, the more she realized that Twilight was her kindred spirit in many respects.
The occasional glance away from her borrowed copy of The Crystal Empire: Past and Present afforded Tamiyo an interesting point of comparison, however. Twilight's style of note-taking seemed to be far more concise than her own, but she was covering practically everything within her tome, as opposed to full transcriptions of the most notable passages.
Time flew by as the vivid descriptions of sharp towers and joyous celebrations leapt off of the page to form themselves anew in her mind. But just as she was about to ask Twilight if Spike truly had been 'brave and glorious' during their shared quest, the door slammed open with a harsh, echoing crash.
A mare with a mane that surely couldn't be naturally colored was flying over to them, sweating from stress. They had never met, but Tamiyo inferred that this must have been Rainbow Dash.
Twilight snapped her book shut and pouted up at her. She took a deep breath. "Rainbow, this had better be important. Tamiyo and I were in the middle of study buddy time!"
Rainbow nodded frantically. "Of course it is! You see, umm..." She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof sheepishly. "Do you remember what happened last year just as winter was scheduled to start?"
Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Yeees?"
"Well... as I kinda-sorta completely destroyed the weather factory, Ponyville's weather team won't be getting any snowclouds this year. Or any of them after that for a while." She preemptively cringed away.
Twilight sighed in relief. "Oh, is that all? No snow for winter? We'll be perfectly fi—THIS IS A DISASTER!" The alicorn immediately began hyperventilating. Dash slowly backed away.
Then Twilight leapt up and started pacing in circles. "I can probably get the proper forms filled for a royal pardon for you and get the clouds back but I'm already so busy and even when I get them done they won't be filed in time for this winter and then everypony will be so disappointed that—"
"Twilight!" Tamiyo exclaimed. "Please, calm down. It's not the end of the world." Tamiyo would know.
She stopped, turning to her. "You're right, Tamiyo. We can fix this somehow."
"Look, for what it's worth, I'm really sorry," said Rainbow. "I'd totally help if I could."
"I know you would, Dash," said Twilight. She paused, and then the spark of an idea flashed across her features. "Actually, you can help."
"How?"
Twilight was already trotting out of the room. "By helping me find a spellbook that can teach me to conjure clouds."
Rainbow opened her mouth as if to object, but instead ended up groaning. "Ok..." She flapped off after her.
Tamiyo followed as well, her body moving on its own without real input. Twilight's idea reminded her of the fact that she actually already knew a spell that could make snow. But she wasn't sure she could blanket an entire town by herself. Moreover, the last time she had used it was to combat Avacyn.
She had not been eager to fight that night, but that naïve Jace had insisted. The mad archangel's face was still almost visible every time Tamiyo closed her eyes. Such a holy being, plagued by the same force... she understood Avacyn now, and that made it seem worse. Especially when the vampire had disintegrated her before their very eyes, her last scream of rage lingering in the still air of the cathedral.
Would it really be that bad to help Twilight now, though, to get involved again? This was a much less dire problem, but it was one with a known cause, and the mare in question would work to fix her error. It wasn't Tamiyo's responsibility, nor was it her fault that the weather wasn't automatic here. Yes, it would be better to leave the problem in the hands - er, hooves - of the ponies.
They were in the library now, Tamiyo suddenly noticed. Twilight and Dash were starting to comb through the books in the Magic section at a rapid pace. There was no reason she couldn't aid in their search, she realized, and went to grab some volumes. Tamiyo skimmed the indices of random spellbooks for anything related to weather. There wasn't much.
"Twi, I'm coming up empty," said Rainbow.
She groaned, smacking her face against one of the books hovering around her horn. "Me too. I was hoping to find something, but pegasi have dealt with the weather for over a millennium. I didn't expect much to begin with. There wouldn't ever be a need for a unicorn to invent any weather spells."
Dash's wings sagged. "Can't you make one?"
Twilight shook her head. "I've never been the creative type."
"Horsefeathers! What are we gonna do, then?" Dash wailed.
"That's," started Twilight, "umm..."
Rainbow stomped her hooves. "Even if everypony forgives me, they shouldn't have to miss out on snow because of me!"
Tamiyo's instincts screamed for her to go and console Rainbow, but she held herself back. Still, she couldn't bear seeing both of them this stressed over such a relatively minor problem any longer. She steeled herself. Surely if she meant well, everything would work out, right?
"Actually... I know a spell that can make snow," said Tamiyo gently.
Both Rainbow and Twilight turned to face her, eyes widening.
"Really?" Twilight exclaimed.
"That's great! Why didn't you say so earlier?" Rainbow asked.
"I'm sure she has her reasons," said Twilight, carefully.
"Oh, whatever," Rainbow said. Hooves outstretched, she lunged over to Tamiyo.
Tamiyo sidestepped out of the way, and Rainbow's attempted glomp met with the ground instead. "Sorry," Tamiyo said. "I would prefer to keep my personal space right now."
Rainbow stood, brushing her coat back into place. "It's cool." She smiled wide and jumped back into the air. "Just be ready to whip up some white stuff all over everypony tomorrow!" With that, she sped off, back to who-knows-where.
"Phrasing!" Twilight shouted after her. When Dash failed to reply, she shook her head.
Now, it was just her and Twilight. Tamiyo averted her eyes for a moment. "Thanks. For covering for me."
She just smiled. "What are friends for, Tamiyo? Besides, I've already drafted a whole list of questions to ask you later! What's a few dozen more?"
They stared at eachother for a minute, then burst into a fit of giggles.
* * *
Tamiyo stood with Twilight and Rainbow out on the castle balcony overlooking Ponyville, a chill breeze ruffling her clothes. The view was quite stunning, but would look even better with snow shrouding the earth. For that, she needed to concentrate. Rainbow's impatient hoof-tapping wasn't making it any easier.
"Are you ready?" asked Twilight, quill and scroll in her aura.
Tamiyo nodded in reply, then faced away, up into the heavens. She closed her eyes, pressed her hands together, and remembered. The grand, white vistas of Oboro, the mists which danced around her home in Otawara, every rock and waterfall from her homeland, all of them lent her their power. For a spell of this magnitude, she would need that much mana and more.
Her body shaking from the barely-contained energy, Tamiyo began to direct it. The words of Winter's Howl welled up from her heart and mind, almost as if the spell wished to make its impact on the world. It wanted to unleash itself at once, as a blast of supreme ice to freeze all in its wake, but Tamiyo spun the magic into a different form, one of volume instead of force.
Once the energy left her body, Tamiyo collapsed, and then forced her eyes back open. A huge storm cloud was hovering above, already producing snow.
"Are you alright?" asked Twilight, already at her side.
Tamiyo forced out an affirmative "Mhmm."
"That was awesome!" exclaimed Dash. "Rest up, girl, I'll take it from here." She smirked, then shot off like a prismatic arrow, breaking off pieces of the cloud with her hooves and beginning to ferry them all over town.
Tamiyo was so totally drained that she almost didn't notice Twilight waving her tail. "Come on, Tamiyo. There's something else I think you'd like to do today."
Slowly rising to her feet, Tamiyo shambled behind her down the stairs. She really needed a pick-me-up cup of tea right about now, or her own story might end in a most embarrassing manner.
"That illusion spell you have is quite something," said Twilight. "If it wasn't for the unique magical signature I was picking up, I really would have believed I was watching a powerful unicorn mage!"
"Mhmm."
Tamiyo couldn't see it, but she suspected Twilight was rolling her eyes. "I know, you're exhausted. I've been there. You try carrying a Ursa Minor halfway across town without alicorn magic. Seriously, that was—" she stopped herself. "Oh, we're here."
She turned the corner after Twilight, and was immediately assaulted by screams of "SURPRISE!"
Tamiyo nearly tripped from the shock. Standing in front of her were Spike, Starlight, and four other mares. Behind them, there were tables laden with food set up, along with multicolored balloons. A large banner hung overhead proclaimed 'Thanks for saving winter! Also, welcome to Ponyville!'
Once Tamiyo's ears had stopped ringing, she actually managed to process the fact that this was a party, and one for her at that. She shook her head. "You didn't have to do this."
The pink mare's jaw dropped. "Uh-huh, yeah we did! Twilight said she'd made a new friend, so of course I had to throw you a welcome bash! But then she told me you were shy, and I had to cancel it. But then Dashie said you were being a huge help, so I figured just a teensy-weensy one would be fine. So, here we are!"
"Yeah, what Pinkie said," added Spike.
Tamiyo sighed, and smiled. It would be too rude to just leave with no explanation. And she had nothing better to do. "Oh, all right."
The party was quite fun, Tamiyo admitted to herself later. First, she had been introduced to the other Element Bearers, each of whom matched their descriptions. They were all so different, and yet clearly shared special bonds. Spending time with lot of them at once was somehow both exhilarating and draining at the same time, especially once Rainbow returned from her weather duties. Even Starlight and Fluttershy, who both kept their distance, relatively speaking, were clearly close to everyone.
As it turned out, Rarity had heard about what she had done for her shop and slipped her some gems, not taking no for an answer. At the same time, Pinkie had provided her with a much more welcome gift: homemade green tea flavored sweet buns. Upon tasting them for the first time, Tamiyo had immediately proclaimed waffles to be inadequate and stuffed her face, producing a chorus of laughter.
By the time it was over, Tamiyo had barely thought the party had even gotten started. There hadn't even been any liquor! Ravnicans did always say that time flew by when you were having fun, but she hadn't truly understood what they meant until then. This type of unbridled joy, not motherly or scholarly... it was like a whole new level of friendship. Such feelings as those were the kind she hoped she could experience always.
Tamiyo sat at a desk, reading. There were so many books in the library, all begging to be read. She was happy to oblige, and dove in with fervor, her quill flying across the page. So many interesting things had happened on this plane, and so many strange creatures called it home.
Soon, however, Tamiyo's eyes began to hurt. She reached up with her hand to rub them. They weren't dry, but something felt off. Maybe she'd been reading for too long. However, Tamiyo realized, her eyes would not close, and the pain only increased. Then, something dripped down her face and onto the pages. It was blood. She shot up in shock. What was happening? Her heart beat faster and faster in her chest.
She spun and bolted for the door to get help, but something snagged her foot, and she tripped, landing face-first on the floor. Rolling onto her back, she looked at her feet. Fleshy, orange-purple tentacles had sprouted out of her legs, rooting Tamiyo in place. It was Her.
Tamiyo screamed at the top of her lungs in terror, only for no sound to escape. Spongy lattice bulged in her throat and across her lips. All at once, her arms exploded into more tentacles, which shot out and grabbed the desk. As she was dragged back to her seat, Tamiyo writhed with all her might to no avail, unable to escape her own body, further screams stifled before they began.
The lumps of flesh that were once her hands had merged with the wood of the table, rooting her in place with searing pain. In her mind, Tamiyo continued to scream in agony, in protest, for help, even as her sight dimmed and her ears rung. When the ringing faded and her whole body was fully transformed into a reflection of Her, she began to hear Her voice.
Unimaginable relief flooded Tamiyo as her senses returned in a rush of white light. The mutant growths all over her instantly reversed themselves in a shower of tingling sparks, returning Tamiyo to her natural form. The adrenaline slowly began to ebb out of her system.
When the light had faded, there before Tamiyo stood a magnificent being. Though a head shorter than she, the deep blue equine had a mane like the night sky, and it waved through the air like water on the sea. The aghast expression on her face did not suit her, Tamiyo thought.
"I have no idea what manner of creature you are, but that doesn't matter," she said, slowly trotting up to Tamiyo. Her voice shook. "Are you alright? What could have possibly prompted such a horrible nightmare? In all my years, I have rarely beheld anything even close to this level of terror in someone's mind before!"
Nightmare? Oh. Everything came flooding back to Tamiyo. Yes, this was a nightmare. She'd been having the same one fairly regularly after that fateful night in Thraben. But she was getting better now, or trying to. She should be having the nightmare less often, rather than have a savior suddenly appear to end it. Wait... Oh! She was on Equestria! That meant this alicorn was...
Tamiyo quickly dipped into a bow. "Thank you so much, Princess Luna! Words cannot express my gratitude!"
Luna sighed. "Thank goodness, you seem to be fine now." She paused, staring up at Tamiyo with a serious expression. "Though, now I have but more questions. You've heard of me, clearly, but I can't say the same."
Now fully composed, Tamiyo nodded. She saw no reason to keep Luna in the dark, given that her peer already took the news well. "I'm Tamiyo, a Planeswalker, visiting from another world. The last time I was here, I read the story of your banishment. I'd heard you'd returned a few years ago, and now patrol the dreams of your subjects."
There was a long silence.
Luna's eyebrow rose. "Indeed? What brings you here, then?"
Huh, that was easy, Tamiyo thought. Figures the warden of dreams would be open-minded. "Currently, I'm staying with Princess Twilight." She waved her hand in a wide arc. "She's been helping me get my mind off of the source of these nightmares."
She frowned. "That's a good idea, in theory, but mere distraction will not work. Whatever plagues you must first be acknowledged and addressed."
Tamiyo's brow creased. "I suppose I could recount the story of my time on Innistrad for you."
"Don't tell me. Tell Twilight. I've done my job, now you must let the young princess do hers. Have her help you, really." She winked. "It worked for me."
She looked intently at Luna. It made some sense that after all she'd been through, a magical purge wouldn't have fixed everything, at least emotionally. And Luna was probably right anyway; what little she had read of therapy suggested that the first step was to disclose the source of the problem. But...
"Alright," Tamiyo finally said. "If Twilight gets nightmares like mine though, I'm telling her to blame you."
Luna laughed. "That's certainly fair." Turning, she lit her horn, and a portal appeared next to them. "I must be off now. Feel free to keep in touch if you wish."
"Wait," Tamiyo said. "Before you go, there's something I think you'd appreciate knowing."
"Yes?" she asked.
"Remember when I said I read of your history as Nightmare Moon? Well, my magic comes from stories, and yours operates as a sealing spell. To summarize, I ended up using it to trap a truly monstrous being within a moon not unlike your own. So, in a way, you saved nearly a whole world of people from suffering in the manner you just witnessed."
The expression on Luna's face as she processed this was a mixture of surprise and melancholy. Silent for a time, she eventually said "Thank you for letting me know," and stepped out of Tamiyo's dream.
* * *
Tamiyo was hesitant to start the day. She sat on the edge of her sweat-soaked bed, wondering how best to approach Twilight with last night's revelations. Should she take the direct approach like last time? This subject matter was far more delicate, though, and they were already acquainted. She didn't want to strain their relationship so soon over all this... baggage she now carried.
But alas, Tamiyo did not get to decide, for there was a knock on the door. "Tamiyo, it's Twilight. Did you sleep ok? I heard screaming coming from in here last night." To Tamiyo, her voice oozed concern.
Tamiyo rose, and floated over to the door. She just had to believe Twilight would stay by her side. Pulling the door open, she met Twilight's eyes. "Good morning. And to answer your question, no, not at first. But Princess Luna visited me in my dream."
She tilted her head up. "Really? That's good. It must have been a bit shocking to see her, though!"
The beginnings of a smile formed on Tamiyo's face. "Yes. As well as ending my nightmare, she also gave me some advice. She told me to tell you about its cause: the very same reason I'm here in the first place."
Twilight paused, wearing a quizzical expression. "Ah, so I can help you work through it." She giggled. "First Luna, then Starlight... I might as well go for a degree in psychology at this point! Anyway, I know just the place where we can talk."
When Twilight moved to leave, Tamiyo followed. They ended up in Twilight's bedroom, the alicorn sitting with her legs folded neatly on her enormous bed. Tamiyo rested next to her.
Twilight took a deep breath. "So, what exactly brought you here?"
How would she tell her? From the beginning? So much had happened, Tamiyo thought. Many events would require context or background information to be properly explained. Twilight was more inquisitive than most; an abridged version wouldn't satisfy her, but the full version would take all day.
It was then that Tamiyo had what was likely an extremely poor idea. But it was the best one she had. "Perhaps, if you agree, I could show you."
"Huh?" said Twilight.
"With one of my spells. It can copy memories from the caster into someone else."
"Oh, wow! That certainly would be faster."
Tamiyo shot her a hard stare. "It would be. But you don't have to. What I've seen, and felt... it is terrible beyond words, but I could try to use them anyway."
Twilight returned her stare with one of resolve. The muscles on her back visibly tightened. "I want to. I understand, and I want to, Tamiyo."
"Are you certain?"
Twilight nodded fiercely.
"Very well." Tamiyo carefully pulled out the scroll containing Original from her bag and skimmed it to refresh her memory. Tamiyo drew upon her well of mana, the energy bouncing invisibly between herself and Twilight as the particular set of memories to be passed grew clear. Once she cast the spell, Twilight would remember everything of her time on Innistrad as if she had been there herself, all at once.
Tamiyo reluctantly did so.
The effect was immediate. Twilight's pupils shrunk to pinpricks, and she wailed, the loud sound magnified by the crystal. Tamiyo could feel her shaking though the bed. When her scream ended, the poor mare started panting for breath. Tears cascaded down her face.
"Twilight?" Tamiyo asked.
She just kept shaking, completely unhearing. Seeing her in such a state make Tamiyo tear up as wall, and she reached over to stroke her mane gently, disguise be damned.
Eventually, Twilight's sobs had been reduced to sniffles. She looked up at Tamiyo, the sadness on her face heart-wrenching in intensity. Tamiyo pulled her into a tight hug.
"You're fine, Twilight. Everything's fine," Tamiyo said, using the same tone she adopted with her children.
They sat together like that for a while, taking solace in eachother's warmth.
Twilight wiggled her forelegs out from under her, wrapping them around Tamiyo. "I understand now. All those abominations. And then, you were... violated."
"Yes."
"But Emrakul is gone. You're safe, now."
"We're safe," Tamiyo confirmed.
Twilight laughed bitterly. "Still, now I'm definitely going to give another very strict talking-to to Starlight. Mind control is not ok."
Tamiyo nuzzled in closer. "Can it wait for a while?"
"... And then there's Nashi, who we adopted a few years ago. He's sweet, but can be a little shy sometimes," Tamiyo said. "Another Planeswalker burned down his village."
Twilight's face fell. "Oh. That must have been painful for him."
"Nashi was fairly young at the time, which is both a blessing and a curse. He doesn't remember much about what happened. We've been taking tare of him as best we can, making sure he knows he's loved just as much as our other children, even though he's a Nezumi."
"That's good to hear," she said.
Tamiyo waited for Twilight's next question. When they had started their promised interview session, Twilight had began by frontloading her with questions on the nature of Soratami magic and that of others as it related to Equestrian arcane theory. Only after her curiosity on that topic was fully sated did they move on to more personal questions. Tamiyo had ended up learning much about Twilight too. Who knew her brother was the prince of a neighboring nation?
"Ah, here's a good one," Twilight said. "Out of all the planes you've visited, which one was the most interesting and why?"
Tamiyo thought that was indeed a good question. "Well, from an academic standpoint, they're all interesting. If I had to choose... Equestria, maybe?"
Twilight huffed. "You can't say that! It defeats the entire point of me asking! I don't know... which one is the most unique, then?"
"Oh, that's much easier. Mirrodin, certainly. That world is made up of layers of metal, some kinds entirely absent elsewhere."
Twilight appeared perplexed. "The whole world? No rocks or dirt or anything?"
Tamiyo nodded. "The whole world. Even the inhabitants. It's quite something to behold. Rolling hills of chrome, trees of copper... when the landscape catches the light of one of the suns, Mirrodin can be extremely beautiful."
"That does sound like something else." Twilight's gaze started to drift, clearly imagining what it must be like, and there was a lull in the conversation. Tamiyo was surprised by her lack of follow up questions.
"Is there anything else you wanted to ask me, Twilight?"
"Hmm? Oh, right." She glanced down at her list. "Actually, that's pretty much it," said Twilight. "I was going to ask about how you got your 'spark', but I didn't want to bring up another touchy subject so soon. We had such a great rapport going, after all."
"How very kind of you." After their impromptu two-way therapy session, which took up all of yesterday morning, Tamiyo was feeling much better overall. She wanted to keep that equally dreadful set of memories in the back of her mind where they belonged.
Then she realized the implication behind Twilight's statement. "Wait a minute," Tamiyo said, "What about my stories? You said you wanted to read a few of them at some point."
She smiled. "Actually, I had a better idea: I invited the Crusaders over!"
"The Crusaders?"
Twilight nodded. "That's what Sweetie Belle and her friends go by. I know you like kids, and she told me the other day she wanted to see you again. Figured I'd feed two dragons with one stone by just listening in on storytime."
"Really? That sounds lovely," Tamiyo said.
"I'm glad you think so, because they should be—"
She was cut off by the sound of galloping. Two fillies rounded the corner and ran up to them, both clearly excited.
"Hi, you must be Tamiyo! I'm Scootaloo! Great to meetcha!"
"And I'm Apple Bloom!"
Twilight frowned down at the pair, and looked like she was about to break into a lecture, but instead just sighed.
"Wait up you guys!" Tamiyo heard Sweetie Belle exclaim from down the hall. She trotted in shortly after, panting a bit.
Tamiyo failed to hold back a mirthful chuckle. "You seem to be doing well."
Sweetie just rolled her eyes, still too winded to speak.
"She's fine," said Scootaloo. "Anyway, you are Tamiyo, right?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Then thanks for helping Dash fix winter!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
Tamiyo waved it off. "It was nothing, really. Anypony in my position would have done the same thing." It never hurt to come across as modest. Bonus points for nailing the local speech patterns.
"That really was you?" said Sweetie. "I didn't think it was true."
Scootaloo pouted. "Hey! That's not because I told you, was it?"
Apple Bloom raised a hoof. "She's right there, y'all. We could just ask her. Ain't that why we're here?"
"Close enough," said Twilight. "Why don't we all sit down?"
One chorus of okays later, and the five of them took their positions, with the crusaders across from Tamiyo and Twilight off to the side.
"So," said Apple Bloom, "What's it like where you're from?"
"Well, it's not too unlike Equestria, really," Tamiyo said. "The culture is quite different, though, and that's the part I like to study the most when I travel to new places."
"The culture?" asked Scootaloo. "Like the Wonderbolts?"
Tamiyo grinned. "Not just them. As a story keeper, I've been to many places, and recorded many tales of heroism."
"Cool! Can we hear one now?" asked Apple Bloom.
"Yeah!" said Sweetie Belle. "I've been excited for this all day! I'm sure you've read plenty of rare, ancient legends."
"Indeed I have," Tamiyo said. "And I think I know just the one to share."
"What is it?" asked Apple Bloom as she practically bounced in place. All three of them were, really.
Slowly, to build suspense, Tamiyo pulled out a worn-looking scroll with her magic. The fillies watched in anticipation as it unfurled. "This is the oldest story I have ever discovered on my travels," Tamiyo said. "It is a tale from the distant past, long before Equestria even existed, perhaps even predating ponies themselves."
The three oooed in unison.
"Shall I begin?"
They nodded vigorously.
Smiling, Tamiyo began to read. "Hand of Justice. Long ago, there lived a wise man in a city of fools."
Sweetie Belle's hoof shot up. "What's a man?"
"It's what the race who wrote this story called their stallions."
Sweetie put her hoof down. "Oh, ok."
"May I continue?" she asked with a sigh.
"Sorry," Sweetie said sheepishly, Twilight giggling softly in the background. "I'll try not to interrupt."
Tamiyo cleared her throat. "His name was Sabul, and he was a powerful guildmage who worked in the ancient city of Kipamu, a wondrous place. Not content with the riches they already possessed, numerous feuds broke out between the factions of the nobles, embroiling the once peaceful city.
"Sabul's uncle Tartesk was the archmage of the civic guild, meant to enforce the law. Against Sabul's warning, Tartesk performed a great ritual to secure his guild's rule over the others. Having performed a similar ritual in the past and learned from the experience, Sabul knew that it would likely end badly for all involved. This ritual would summon a divine avatar of great power to smite all the worst wrongdoers in Kipamu. It was called the Hand of Justice."
Her four listeners completely enraptured, Tamiyo continued. "The Hand, a tall, vast form of white, cloaked in ribbons of holy mana, was at first complacent. It allowed Tartesk to guide it to those he deemed in need of punishment. Coy smugglers, cautious counterfeiters, and heartless murderers, all were dealt with swiftly by its immense power.
"But soon, it stopped listening. The Hand began to roam the streets at all hours, probing minds for any sign of misdemeanor and meting out justice harshly and without mercy. Even the simple thieves who had only nicked pieces of fruit from market stalls found themselves cursed with pus-filled boils."
"That's not too harsh!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Farmers work really hard to grow their fruit!"
Twilight leveled her eyes at Apple Bloom. "Uh, I agree with the author," said Twilight. "Such a curse does seem a bit excessive."
"Anyway," Tamiyo said, "Sabul saw this, and grew furious. None should have the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner. And the denizens of the city agreed. But Tartesk did not, and would continue to allow the Hand to do as it pleased, so long as his position was assured. Moreover, the Hand's power was too great, and the guildmages could not dispel what they had brought.
"So Sabul, seeing no other means to save Kipamu, approached the necromancer's guild, and met with its leader, the old crone Jhossendea. After clearing up some misunderstandings and explaining the situation, she agreed to put their differences aside for now and help him solve their mutual problem.
"By freeing numerous prisoners and accumulating sin, Sabul lured the Hand to Jhossendea's mansion, where the pair sprung their trap. There was a great battle of fierce magics, both holy and unhallowed, but the Hand proved to be nigh indestructible. Employing some quick thinking, Sabul surrendered himself to the Hand for judgment, only to spin away at the last moment, revealing the mirror behind him. Now judging its own mind, the Hand, appalled by what it saw, vanished with a wail."
"Whoooah," said Scootaloo.
"Afterwards, Tartesk apologized to Sabul for his hubris, and the latter convinced him to make peace with the necromancers, ending the feuding. Never again in Kipamu would justice fail to be tempered by compassion." With that, Tamiyo closed the scroll with a flourish.
Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves in applause, joined soon after by the others.
"That was neat!" said Apple Bloom. "It had a message, but wasn't borin' at all."
"I can really see the appeal in what you do now, Tamiyo," said Twilight. "Short as it was, that story was fascinating."
"Why'd they have to skip over the fight scene, though?" asked Scootaloo.
"It wasn't about that, Scoots," said Sweetie. "Weren't you listening?"
"Of course I was! Action just makes everything better."
Tamiyo found herself unable to get a word in edgewise. Which was good, as it meant she had succeeded in giving them much to discuss. She elected to watch in satisfaction.
"No it doesn't," said Sweetie. "Who would want stuff attacking them all the time? Like in the bathroom, or at a big ballroom dance?"
"I dunno, but Princess Cadance's wedding got attacked by Changelings and it was pretty awesome," Scootaloo replied.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was talking with Twilight. "I suppose that makes sense," Apple Bloom said. "If everypony took the law into their own hooves, things would get way out of control right quick."
"Honestly, I'm starting to doubt my own authority as a princess because of this. Do my friends and I really have the right to just determine what counts as harmony and what doesn't, even though the very tree which embodies the magic thereof granted us the power in the first place?"
Apple Bloom cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Uh, 'course you can. You're the princess of friendship."
Suddenly, Scootaloo shouted over the group. "Hey! Tamiyo, can we get another story, please?"
"I second that," said Twilight.
Similar affirmations followed from the others. Tamiyo smiled and shook her head. Who would she be if she said no? "Oh, alright."
* * *
As the Crusaders scampered back out into Ponyville, Twilight walked over to sit next to Tamiyo.
"Well, that went great," Twilight said. "I'm surprised you aren't the least bit exhausted. I know you like kids, but those three are on a whole other level."
"What can I say," Tamiyo said. "I've been a parent for decades."
Twilight giggled at that. "Anyway, those stories. When you use them for your magic, what spells do they generate? You said it comes from the deeper meaning, right?"
Tamiyo nodded. "When I invoke it, the magic of Hand of Justice redirects a harmful spell back onto the caster, as long as they have never felt its effects themselves before."
"Oh! That makes perfect sense! Just as Tartesk's ritual backfired on him in the end, so too will others feel the full extent of their own decision!"
"Exactly."
"So, the second story, the one from Kamigawa..." Her eyes lit up. "That one is the illusion spell you've been using all this time isn't it?" she exclaimed.
"That's right. You're quite the quick study," she said, grinning.
Twilight blushed a bit. "Oh, stop."
Tamiyo raised an eyebrow. Twilight did not embarrass that easily. "Surely you're not... attracted to me, are you? Because I'm straight. And not actually a pony. And married."
"What? No!" Twilight sputtered. She took a deep breath. "It's just... I'm going to miss this. Having someone like you around... we've connected on a deeper level, literally and figuratively. Not quite as much as my other friends, but still. None of them share my passion for books."
That was... hmm. "Truthfully, I feel the same, Twilight. Perhaps this is a sign I've overstayed my welcome. I wouldn't want you to shed tears on my account."
Twilight's mouth set itself into a firm line. "I don't care! If anything, that's good! It means we have memories to cherish. And who says you can't come back and visit?"
Leave it to Twilight to perk her right back up. "You're right."
"Well, I am the leading authority on the subject after all," she said, raising her chin in mock bravado.
"Ha Ha."
Twilight giggled. "Anyway, I have to go, now. The Annual Ponyville Hearths Warming Decoration Budget isn't going to check itself! Have fun in the library without me!"
Twilight's horn dimmed. "Ok girls, the spell should last for twenty-four hours. Have fun up there without me!" Waving goodbye, she then turned and trotted back inside.
"Hope all your work goes off without a hitch!" said Applejack as the castle door thudded shut.
With a small 'alright, then', Applejack started walking as well, leading the way for Tamiyo and Fluttershy. It was a fine morning, with the warm sun on Tamiyo's skin contrasting with the crisp breeze.
Fluttershy's mane ruffled a bit as she turned against the wind to face her. "I'm glad you decided to come, Tamiyo, but you really didn't have to. Applejack and I could have taken care of this ourselves."
"Nonsense, I'm happy to help. Plus, I'd been meaning to visit Cloudsdale at some point."
Applejack twisted her head around. "The work'll go by faster with more ponies. And it's more fun that way."
"Well, yes, I suppose," said Fluttershy, her brow furrowing. "But Tamiyo hasn't even met my parents before."
Tamiyo chuckled softly. "It'll be fine. If they're anything like you, we're bound to get along swimmingly. Why are they moving, anyway?"
"That there's the kicker," Applejack answered. "Fluttershy's freeloadin' brother finally got his lazy plot out of the house and found a job, so now they can downsize."
"Cloud homes are also harder to maintain than regular ones, so having a smaller one will be easier for them," added Fluttershy.
Applejack snorted, shaking her head. "Dash don't seem to care about that, though. That mare has plenty of cloudworking skills and plenty of ego."
"Really?" Tamiyo smiled wide. "Does hers have something outlandish like flying buttresses that actually fly?"
"Ha, I don't think so," Applejack said. "It does have a half-dozen rainbow waterfalls, though."
Tamiyo facepalmed. "Why am I not surprised?"
All three of them laughed at that.
Once all the chuckles had left her system, Tamiyo noticed that they were approaching a balloon pier. Resting on the wooden platform was a bright pink hot-air balloon, prepped and ready to go. There was no sign of the pony responsible. Though that was curious in itself, Tamiyo was too confused and excited to care. She hadn't been expecting such a mundane form of transport. It would be much more relaxing than the pegasus-pulled taxi she had assumed would carry her skyward.
One by one they entered the basket, and with a tug on a rope from Applejack, they were off. Tamiyo gazed downwards as they ascended, watching as the town slowly shrunk. Leaning over the edge a bit, she took in the magnificent view of the snow-capped buildings and joyful denizens. In her peripheral vision, she could see Applejack doing the same thing.
"I reckon seeing the world from this high up really puts things in perspective," she said suddenly, holding a hoof to her hat.
Tamiyo glanced over to her for a moment. She supposed Applejack was right. For those confined to one world, such was the only real way for the true scale of existence to make itself known. "It does."
"Makes me grateful for family, ya know? More so than usual, anyway. Can't lose yourself if you've got kin to keep you on the right path."
She sighed. Applejack was certainly wise beyond her years.
Tamiyo couldn't make out individual ponies on the ground anymore, the height and the sun's glare making it harder to see. She pulled herself fully into the balloon again, sitting on the floor. Applejack turned with her, and looked like she was about to ask Tamiyo something, but kept quiet.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy's eyes were trained upwards on the approaching mass of clouds. Her tail swished back and forth slowly, perhaps in anticipation, nervousness, or both. She could always fly ahead, but Tamiyo supposed she just didn't want to, for her own sake or theirs.
Save the wind and the flames of the engine, all was silent. Soon, the details of the city were coming into view, and what a city it was. Enormous layers of puffy cumulus stretched higher still into the air, and covered an area many miles across. Spiraling, wispy pathways connected the various platforms, supported by towering columns. All manner of cloud buildings sat upon them.
"It's beautiful," Tamiyo said.
"If you're partial to white, I suppose," said Applejack.
"I was never really a big fan of being so high up," added Fluttershy.
Applejack snorted. "Not to mention the complete lack of critters, right?"
Fluttershy nodded. "That too."
"Not everything needs to be beautiful in the same way, or to the same eyes," Tamiyo said.
This thought switched both of her new equine friends to a more introspective mood. The silence returned, with only the sounds of breathing passing through their lips. Applejack steered the balloon in past the city's limits, the contours of which now loomed across Tamiyo's entire field of view. Pegasi of all shapes and colors flitted about through the sunkissed sky. They came in for a slow, gentle landing upon a small patch of wood amidst the clouds: another airship dock.
Fluttershy and Applejack disembarked onto the clouds with little ceremony, the latter likely having made this trip before. But when Tamiyo followed onto the plush surface displaying equal nonchalance, Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wow, Tamiyo. Most ponies get a little scared stepping onto clouds for the first time. I know I would be, if I wasn't a pegasus," she said.
Oni dung, Tamiyo cursed inwardly. Of course a travelling unicorn wouldn't have done this before. Soratami, yes, but not unicorns. She'd gotten too used to being forthright here. How could she talk her way out of this one without lying? Suddenly, the obvious solution came to her. "I can see that."
Fluttershy huffed adorably as Applejack laughed. A smile crept its way back onto Tamiyo's face.
Now, Fluttershy led the way through Cloudsdale at a modest pace, quietly pointing out various landmarks (skymarks?) as they went. Among these were a Theros-style coliseum for hosting athletic events and a sprawling weather factory. Tamiyo was hoping she could pop in for a visit to the factory at some point, unique as it was. Perhaps next time.
As they beheld the city, so too did its citizens turn to them with curious gazes. She and Applejack were somewhat out of place, Tamiyo reasoned. She assuaged their tensions somewhat with a few friendly waves at passerby as they moved along.
Applejack's expression grew inquisitive. "It's funny, despite all those books, you didn't strike me as the city-hoppin' sort of traveler, Tamiyo," she said. "I got the impression y'all were more appreciative of the great outdoors than Twi', at least."
Tamiyo tore herself away from the scenery in full. "Oh. That's mostly true. I do prefer field research much of the time." She sighed. "This place just brings back memories."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"
She clicked her tongue. "Well..."
Fluttershy broke the ensuing awkward pause with a quiet 'ahem'. "We're here."
Tamiyo glanced back up. They were now standing in front of a periwinkle abode with a cloud roof and purple trim. A large stack of empty boxes could be seen through the open windows.
Trotting up to the door, Fluttershy carefully knocked twice with her hoof. Shortly thereafter, it swung open, revealing a pair of perky pegasus ponies.
"Oh, hello, Fluttershy," greeted her father, with a voice little more than a whisper.
Fluttershy pulled them in for an affectionate embrace. "It's great to see you."
"I missed you too," said Mrs. Shy, equally quiet. She then extricated herself from the hug, facing outside. "Come on in, you two."
"Yes ma'am," said Applejack. "If you'd like, we can get started on the packing right away."
"Oh, that's not necessary. Relax a bit first. It must have been a long walk," Mrs. Shy said.
"Nonsense, there'll be plenty of time for that once all the work is done," said Applejack.
She wing-shrugged. "If you say so, dear."
Taking that as a sign to proceed, Applejack started walking into the house. Fluttershy and her parents parted to make room, and Tamiyo followed in shortly after. She could see their family resemblance to Fluttershy the moment they opened the door, but her parents were also almost comically similar to their daughter in terms of mannerisms too.
As Tamiyo watched Applejack size up the task ahead, Mr. Shy approached her. "I don't believe we've met, actually," he said.
She dipped her head politely. "Tamiyo. Fluttershy and I just met recently."
"Well, any friend of my daughter's is fine in my book," he replied. "Thanks for helping us. I hope we aren't being much trouble."
Tamiyo waved it off. "It's fine, really."
An exclamation from the other side of the room drew their eyes away. Applejack was delegating jobs to everyone present. The Shy couple would be sorting their possessions into the boxes, while she, Fluttershy, and Applejack would carry everything over to them. Since this was a good idea, there were no objections, and certainly none from Tamiyo.
Soon, Tamiyo lost herself in the rhythm of exertion as she set about systematically dismantling the house. However, this didn't stop stray thoughts from popping into her head when prompted. A framed photo here, a childhood memento there, and her mood had slowly turned melancholy. Precious memories of her own were bubbling up inside, no longer suppressed. Her family must have been feeling the same sort of longing for her by now. She'd been gone for a while, she hoped Genku wasn't worrying too much.
Ever perceptive, Applejack noticed almost immediately. As they passed eachother in the hall, she raised a hoof out to stop Tamiyo in her tracks. "I know that look. Seeing all this treasured stuff, plus everything from earlier... you're homesick."
Tamiyo shied away. "Yes. I am."
She set down the large jewelry box on her back. "Then you should go home. It's that simple. Trust me. Twilight and the others will understand."
The mare had a point. Tamiyo had already been in Equestria for a few weeks now, and the nightmares and flashbacks echoing her recent travels had stopped. She'd recovered. The reason she'd come here was all taken care of. She'd have to leave everypony here, but Tamiyo had always known that. "You're right, Applejack."
She smiled, eyes gleaming beneath her hat. "How's about we finish up here first, then we can all send you off tomorrow?"
Well, Tamiyo thought. This was it. She was finally about to close this chapter of her life for good. She was going home, anxiously anticipating a proper return to form. She could face her family with a smile. And she owed it all to those standing before her now. Twilight, Spike and the others, even Starlight and the Crusaders had all turned up to wish her well on her journey back. They were here for her then, and they were here for her now.
The experience was moving, to say the least. "It looks like this is goodbye for now," Tamiyo said.
"Looks like it," said Rainbow Dash. Then, she struck a pose. "A mare's gotta spread her wings, but even Daring Do can't adventure forever, right?"
"Take care of yourself, now," said Applejack, crossing her forelegs.
"We'll miss you," said Sweetie Belle, her adorable puppy-dog eyes on full display.
Tamiyo's breath hitched. Bittersweet emotions began to well up behind her eyes. "I don't know... if I'll be back."
"That's no way to think, darling," said Rarity with an uncharacteristic tension. "This sort of thing is always a matter of when, not if."
"Yeah," said Pinkie, fiddling with her tail. "If you never come back, how will I get to make you smile again?"
Starlight snorted. "When you put it like that, Pinkie, it sounds like you're in love with her or something."
Tamiyo had to force herself to chuckle with the rest of them, too busy trying to keep her composure.
When the laughter died down, Spike cleared his throat. "Just, keep thinking of us, ok? 'Cause we'll do the same."
Fluttershy nodded in confirmation, resolute.
Taking a deep breath, Tamiyo faced Twilight. Though she hadn't spoken, Tamiyo knew it was because she just didn't have the words. The alicorn's violet eyes shook with emotion.
Without thinking, Tamiyo found herself rushing forward, and wrapped Twilight into a fierce hug.
Multiple gasps sounded from around her, but Tamiyo saw none of their reactions, for her eyes were shut tight.
"T-Tamiyo!" Twilight stammered.
"Thank you," Tamiyo whispered.
Tamiyo released Twilight, and stepped back. Shock and confusion gave way to light and pain as the group's eyes each looked up at hers.
"Thank you all," she said.
Tamiyo took a deep breath, gathered her mana, and Planeswalked away.
