Chapter 1 — Catalyst

— Chapter 1 : Catalyst —

“Girls, this is serious! Those changelings had clearly defeated us, and if it weren’t for my brother and Princess Cadence, Canterlot would look very different today. We could have lost everything back there!”

“Yeah, but we didn’t! It’s still there, Canterlot was still saved, and everything's just fine! We're still awesome!”

“Even though we got our rumps right handed to us, huh?”

“Hey! I was only taken down because there were too many of them. I was still awesome!”

“But that’s what I’m saying. We should make sure that ‘too many of them’ can never stop us from saving Equestria! As the Elements of Harmony, there's a real chance we may be called upon to save it again, and we owe it to Equestria to be be better prepared next time. I suggest we start on this training schedule—“

“Hey uh, Sugarcube? Ah think it’s terrific you’re takin’ your role in all this so seriously, but it’s about to be harvestin' time at Sweet Apple Acres. Maybe after that’s taken care of, we could do this trainin’ thing.”

“And I have to get started on my fall line up. Our dresses for the wedding earned me a few orders, and left me itching to translate my designs into more casual wear.”

“And… uh… I need to help some of the weaker animals gather food for winter. I mean… If I don’t, they might not have enough, and get hungry, and—“

“And I gotta train for the Wonderbolts!”

“Aren’t ya always trainin’?”

“Yeah, but I’m going to try out soon. They’re busiest during the summer, but in the winter they do fewer shows and hold tryouts. I figure it’s about time they add the Dash to their lineup.”

“And I just had a brilliant idea! I need to get ready for back-to-school parties!”

“Ew. Pinkie, seriously, who would like one of those parties?”

“Ugh, girls! This is serious!”

“Dear, we understand," Rarity said as she set her cup down on the table. "Normally we would, but we’re just so busy." She glanced around the table at her friends, and everypony's face but Twilight was filled with understanding. "Your concern has considerable merit, but we simply don’t have the time right now. You must understand, we have to be secure in our own endeavors before we can ‘train’ for some disaster that may never happen. I must take care of Sweetie Belle, especially now that our parents are so far away on vacation.” She threw a pointed gaze at Applejack. She caught the message.

“And Ah always have Applebloom.”

“Besides, Twilight," added Rainbow Dash, almost knocking over her cup, "my training for the ‘Bolts will keep me in tip top shape to fight any evil-doer that so happens to think they can mess with the Elements of Harmony— no, with the... the Mighty Mares of Ponyville!.”

Pinkie Pie burst out laughing, flailing her forelegs. She would've spilled several of their drinks completely, if Rarity hadn't had the reflexes to grab them all with her magic. Mrs. Cake shot a disapproving glance from behind the counter across from the bakery at the loud ruckus. “Who are these Mighty Mares, Dashie? Some superhero group?”

Rainbow Dash sat down, her cheeks hot. “No, it’s us, y’know. Because we’re unbeatable and pretty amazing. We kick flank!”

“Hehe, so I’m a superhero? How super cool! When did this happen? I think this calls for a Super Party!”

Fluttershy nudged her dessert with a hoof. “I don’t think I’d make a good superhero… I only talk to animals.”

“Girls!" Twilight gave the table a quick rap with her hoof, grabbing everyone's attention. "We need to be in top form! We are the guardians of Equestria, the Elements of Harmony. Now that the princesses aren't connected to the Elements anymore, we are Equestria's greatest defense. We can’t let another creature try to take over. We can't let another monster confuse us. We were useless the last two times we were needed. We can’t lose again! We can’t have another Discord!”

There was silence around the table. If they had been paying attention, the girls would've noticed everyone else at Sugarcube Corner had grown quiet as well.

Applejack was first to speak. “Shucks Twi’, Ah have to say Ah’d prefer it if we let that Discord nonsense rest. Ah know we were out of sorts and it wasn't our faults, but that’s still a pretty fresh barrel of sour apples.”

“We certainly weren't at our best," Rarity agreed. "We’ve learned, since then.”

“Yeah, I’ll never be grumpy again," Pinkie somberly added. Immediately, she perked up. "I may have to set up an anti-grump picnic!”

“And I’ll never say those things again. That was just too awful.” Fluttershy's face was barely visible behind her hair. She had completely lost her appetite for her cupcake.

Rainbow Dash simply crossed her forelegs and looked away. “I said I was sorry for the whole abandoning you guys for Cloudsdale thing! Discord confused me, you know that! I never would have left if he wasn't being all t-twisty with his words! That wasn't really me.”

Twilight had slowly slouched back into her seat, looking at her hooves. “I’m sorry, it’s just— our track record hasn’t been as perfect as I'd hoped, and..." she gulped, knowing she was losing ground to her friends. It hurt, due to how important she knew this was. "...And it would be insane for us to think we’d change our success rate if we keep all the variables the same.”

Sensing the Twilight's somber attitude, Pinkie tried a joke. “Variables? Do they have anything to do with Mareeios?”

“Sweetie, that’s just a breakfast cereal, variables are-“

Twilight looked up. “No, they don’t. I’m saying we have to get better to expect to be better. We have to put effort into it, and as great as our bestowed powers are, as great as the Elements of Harmony are, relying only on our endgame gambit is not conducive to our responsibility as protectors of this kingdom.”

“Ah’m sorry, but like Ah said, now’s not a good time. Applebucking and Applebloom-”

“And Sweetie Belle-”

“My animals…”

“Super back-to-school parties!”

“Wonderbolts baby!" Rainbow Dash flew over to Twilight, and reached over and patted her on the back. "I promise, Twilight, we can do your training later. I'll make sure of it.”

“Come on girls! If disaster strikes, there won’t be any more Wonderbolts, or any of that! There won’t be any more parties if we don’t-”

“Look, Twi’, we have our reasons. You're right, especially when you've gone and put it like that. Ah care about you, and all of you girls, in addition to my family and my farm, and Ah know we could be much better. We never said we won’t, only that we can’t right now.”

Everypony nodded. Twilight stared in disbelief, her eyes jerking from pony to pony. Eventually, she slumped down. Do they not understand? There were no smiles, except for Pinkie Pie, but even Twilight could tell it was only so she didn't feel bad. It wasn't working.

Suddenly, Twilight stood up. "Fine!" She stormed out of Sugarcube Corner leaving her cupcake uneaten, prompting Mrs. Cake to look up from the counter, concerned. There was silence around the table. Fluttershy meeped and finally took a bite of her cupcake to break the tension, and Rainbow Dash simply re-crossed her forelegs and huffed.

Rarity was the first to speak. “Well, we told her we have responsibilities. Even so, I feel we should stop by sometime— soon, to check on her. You know how Twilight gets when she's worked up over something, but she does have a good point”, she suggested.

“Ah start applebuckin' tomorrow, so how about this weekend? Ah reckon this isn’t as pressing as when she was tardy, so givin’ her till the end of the week won’t be so bad. We'll go on down to the library this weekend and see what she'll have us do. Ah think we should at least give her that,” said Applejack.

Again everypony nodded, but remained quiet. They remembered the changeling Queen and how surely they thought Twilight was wrong. They remembered Discord and how all of their friendships, and even the state of reality itself, had hung in the balance that day. They remembered what happened the last time Twilight was ensnared in one of her own crises, and the resulting chaos the young mare had managed to cause in one afternoon. Of course all was forgiven and the past was the past, but making the same mistake twice would be reckless, even though they would like to think Twilight would learn from the past.

The group ate the rest of the sweets in silence, with Pinkie Pie eating Twilight’s untouched cupcake without challenge. It was getting late in the evening, and by that time they were the last group of patrons in the bakery. Realizing there was nothing left to say, they mutually agreed to head home. After the usual goodbyes, each mare took off, with Pinkie staying to help the Cakes close up shop. Applejack and Rarity split off on their own path to their homes, to retire for the evening. As Fluttershy was walking toward the edge of town, Rainbow Dash hovered in place in front of Sugarcube Corner watching her go.

“H-hey Fluttershy, let me walk you home,” Rainbow Dash called.

“Sure Rainbow Dash, thank you.” Fluttershy smiled. To anypony else, Rainbow would’ve came off as bossy, but she knew when her friend was asking to talk. She set out along the dirt path to her cottage, Rainbow silently floating behind her.

“Do ya think Twilight had a point? I mean, we’re the Elements of Harmony. If the fight gets too tough, we can just blast the bad guy with our friendship cannon, right? She says we shouldn't rely on our trump card, but it's such a good one.” Rainbow made a charade of putting her hooves together to charge some energy, then shooting it at an imaginary foe.

Fluttershy dipped her head. “But… We were helpless to stop the changelings.”

Rainbow paused. She wanted to say just how many changelings she had put out of commission, but even she knew it didn’t change anything. In the end, it was Shining Armor’s shield charged with Cadence's love that anat day. “Okay, but what about Discord? We totally kicked his flank, Elements and everything! Saved the day— no, saved all of Equestria,” Rainbow concluded, looking proud of herself.

Fluttershy stopped walking. “But we almost lost against Discord, too.” The yellow pegasus turned to face her friend, and shivered despite the warm night. “Rainbow… We almost came out completely different ponies." She closed her eyes and her thoughts floated back to the animals at the gala.

She had seen something in herself that night, and Discord’s return, however brief, had shown her it still was still slithering about inside her. Even later, she almost lost herself again when some bad advice almost cost her her dearest friends, further cementing her fears. Fluttershy was a shy pony, and despite the strides she had made being social with her friends, this was a side of her she never wanted to talk about, or even let enter her mind. This was something she’d have to carry to her grave, with the sole possible exception being Rarity. However, she wasn't even close to being ready to tell the fashionista.

Rainbow landed and blinked a few times, surprised and even a little intimidated by how solemn her old friend had suddenly become. After a few breaths, she waved her hoof. “Whatever, we won though. Why can’t she just accept it?”

Fluttershy almost spoke, but instead sat quietly for a moment before turning around and continuing down the road to her cottage. Rainbow Dash stared for a second before catching up, mulling over the “what if’s” spawned by Fluttershy’s comments. They finished their walk in silence. When they arrived, Fluttershy opened the door and Angel Bunny greeted her with an impatient look and a tapping paw. They said their goodbyes, and Fluttershy closed her door.

As Rainbow flew away to her cloudhouse in the sky, her thoughts tumbled to her frustrated friends and their close shaves. Maybe the egghead was on to something?

***

“Come on…. Come on…” grunted Twilight, as sweat ran down her face. She had her eyes shut tight as she concentrated on her assistant. The glow from her horn intensified. Papers with her scribbled notes were flying everywhere and the many books that lay open were galloping madly through their pages.

Spike gulped. “Are you sure you can’t just try this on somepony else?" He quickly glanced around, and caught sight of the other resident of the tree house. "Hey, look! Owlowiscious isn’t doing anything! He can take my place while I get some gems to eat.” Owlowiscious simply hooted in response, and started to fly out an open window. Spike shot him a look and growled.

“Don’t act like that again," Spike called out. "You know I’m talking to you!” Another hoot, followed by more growling from Spike.

“Spike! Please. Stay still. Quiet. Concentrating”, Twilight forced out. An overglow came over her horn as she tapped deeper and deeper into her magical reserves, bringing a brighter light filled with more complex shades of turquoise with it. Spike cringed a tiny bit as the wind inside the library almost doubled causing a handful of flapping books go airborne. Just as the air around Spike was shimmering, the door slammed open.

Suddenly, Twilight smelled cupcakes and rainbows, and opened her eyes. “Hiya Twilight!” shouted a huge grin with a bundle of curly pink hair.

“Ah!” Twilight shrieked as she jerked back, releasing her magic into the top of her tree trunk. The bolt flew through the roof of her library as if there was nothing there, leaving a gaping, sizzling hole. She lay on her back, panting.

“What are you doing?” Pinkie sang as she bounced around the room. Behind her, Applejack walked in, followed by Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, who was carrying a basket. Applejack nudged over a seat cushion, and Rarity grabbed two with her magic, setting one down next to Fluttershy. Pinkie continued to bounce about as Fluttershy set the basket down beside her. Rainbow Dash was content as always to hover in orbit above everyone's heads.

“Whoa Twilight, just what were you trying to do to me?” Spiked asked. He trusted Twilight, but that hole looked like it would have quite uncomfortable to say the least, even with his tough hide and dragon scales.

“I’m sorry Spike,” Twilight said, as she hastily repaired the hole. She made a mental note to patch it properly later, which added yet another task to the mountain of magical skills she was working on. She started to grab books and papers with her magic to hastily straighten up. “I was only trying my hoof at transfiguration, atom rearranging. I want to be able to do more than mustaches, and when I made those wings for Rarity, it left me exhausted." She picked up a few ink bottles that had tumbled. Thankfully, they had their stoppers plugged up tight, and their contents remained undisturbed. "I guess I lost the spell when I was,” Twilight eyed Pinkie, “surprised. Sorry for the mess, I’ve been at this all week. I just have to get all these spells under my hooves before the next unplanned crisis shakes Equestria to it's very core!”

Her friends looked around the room. Books were scattered everywhere but the she parchment covered most writing surfaces. Cringing, they exchanged nervous glances. Maybe they waited too long to stop by, as that kind of talk was definitely reminiscent of the day Twilight was tardy.

Applejack looked Twilight over, and cringed all over again. It definitely was like that crazy day. Twilight was still determined as ever, even almost a whole week later, and it showed. Despite her physical state, she was still sharp. Applejack didn’t fare nearly as well after her week straight of applebucking her orchid alone last year. It left her seeing all sorts things.

Twilight's mane was disheveled, her eyes had bags deep enough to fit a barrel of apples. The hair around her horn was slightly singed, probably due to her horn’s overuse. They were both headstrong mares, even if one was physical and the other mental. She turned her gaze upward and whistled, eyeing Twilight’s handiwork in the roof. “Remind me to never let you give me wings unless we know where Pinkie is. Are you feelin’ alright, Twi’?”

Twilight was also becoming aware of how tired she was, and could feel the week of work beginning to set in as she finally let herself relax. She glanced up too, and chuckled nervously, “Eh, I’ll fix it later.”

Spike gave Pinkie a disparaging look. She took no notice of him, too busy investigating if Twilight had acquired any more useful books under ‘E’.

He shook his head. “We’ve been working on this spell for most of the week. I’ve missed most of my naps, and today I’ve be since dawn! Dragons are never supposed to be awake before noon unless it’s voluntary! I could totally use a bite to eat, and maybe even a nap afterwards,” Spike complained.

Spike had protested waking up so early on a Saturday, but when Twilight was on to something she was stubborn and tenacious, and couldn't let it go. He was especially conflicted, since it turned out the weather ponies had done a great job of giving Ponyville one of its last clear and sunny summer days of the year. He sighed. He understood Twilight’s reasoning, but he only felt obliged to help because she was his oldest friend, and he was her number one assistant; otherwise, he’d rather be outside munching on a topaz and relaxing in the shade enjoying the warmth of Celestia’s sun.

Twilight, however, rolled her eyes at him. She turned to her new guests. “Anyways, hello girls. What brings you to the library? Especially you Rainbow." She glanced at a calendar near the door to her kitchen. "Especially on a Saturday”, Twilight added flatly, her surprise barely hidden.

Rarity stood up. “Well Twilight, we haven’t seen you all week, and we decided to give you a nice picnic-”

“Girls, I told you we have to-“

“-OR a nice lunch indoors, your choice. Maybe after we eat and you catch your breath, we can take part in this... training you speak of, and maybe after we help you this afternoon we could enjoy the nice weather together. And relax,” Rarity added. As somepony used to working well into the night on hard deadlines, she could see Twilight was near the edge.

Twilight perked up at the offered assistance, but quickly huffed. “I don’t know girls, I just— I don’t want to ever be too helpless to help again.”

“Geez Twilight, you’re the Element of Magic. You don’t need to train. You’re probably already the strongest unicorn in all of—oomph!” Rainbow Dash felt Applejack give a not-so-gentle ribbing from below, and shot her a look. Rainbow Dash countered with an annoyed gaze and continued, “But anyways, yeah. We’re here to help you out, and to get you to unwind a bit. It's such a great day outside.”

“Thank you girls. Just, let me clear my table. Spike, go grab some plates and things,” instructed Twilight. She reached out and grabbed the last of the books she had been studying and started to set them aside as Spike made his way to the kitchen, still grumbling under his breath. As she lifted them, Rarity eyed a couple of the covers.

“Oh my, Twilight. I’m no mage, but some of these books look like heavy subjects. Some of these I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. I know I’ve at least skimmed through that red one you have. If I recall correctly, it was purely offensive magic, the stuff of ruffians. There were some awful spells in there,” she said, a hint of concern in her voice.

Twilight paused. “Where would you come across these?” she asked, hesitantly.

“I saw them here, in your library. I figured I should work on my magic too. I do so from time to time, to expand the number of items I can control at once." To emphasize her point, she snagged the plates from Spike as he entered the room, spun them around everyone's heads and gently placed them around the table. The girls ooed and awed. "Besides, it caught my eye as I passed it on the shelf,” Rarity said simply. Spike gently floated unnoticed back into the kitchen for more dishes, in awe of the lovely lady Rarity.

Twilight resumed shelving and put the red book with the rest. As she noticed Spike reenter, she magicked the dishes from Spike as he emerged from the kitchen. Rarity grabbed some as well. While Rarity could never match Twilight in strength, she possessed quite a bit more finesse and dexterity to her magic thanks to sewing most of her life.

“You're right, Rarity,” Twilight began as she set the table. “It’s a rare, old book, back from before Nightmare Moon and her Lunar Knights were trying to take over Equestria."

They set a place for all seven of them around her equestrian bust. Fluttershy moved next to Twilight carrying the basket in her mouth, and Twilight enveloped it with her magic to set the spread. They had brought daisy sandwiches (Twilight's favorite), a nice ruby from Rarity’s collection for Spike, and sassafras tea. Twilight’s stomach chose that opportunity to remind her of the hasty meal she dared call breakfast she and Spike had gulped down that morning, and felt a tiny bit bad for the baby dragon.

"It was originally transcribed only for her followers as a book full of secret weapons," Twilight continued, "but one of Celestia’s Solar Guard found a copy and brought it to her, putting her forces on an even playing field. However, since danger is no longer a daily thing in Equestria anymore, it has become more of a collector’s item. Almost no one would be want to be caught reading it, due to it's history concerning Nightmare Moon, especially after the banishment, and even more so now that Princess Luna has returned. That aspect of Equestria is far behind us and long forgotten." Twilight noticed Spike had entered the room carrying all the cups and silverware at once, and decided to help him out before he broke something. Spike was more than relieved to see a purple aura form around the dishes and feel them lift from his arms, and was appreciative of the girls being so helpful today.

"This one book in particular is on loan from the Princess Luna's personal collection. I borrowed it a while ago, and I’ve neglected it all week until recently. It turns out the tome still has some tricks we could use. However, I've already breezed through it. It’s mostly simple stuff, and even the powerful spells I learned were just... just concentrated magical energy thrown like a… Like a ball or a frisbee.” Twilight finished setting all the cups and plates. She let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

Rarity lowered her last plate and raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press the subject anymore. Twilight was the Element of Magic, Celestia’s student, and at the very least the most gifted unicorn she’d ever encountered or heard about. If anything, Rarity figured there was nopony else better suited for responsibly studying an ancient book on magic.

They all took their places as she passed out the sandwiches, Rarity filled the cups, and everypony started eating. Rarity looked down at her sandwich, a tad disappointed. She was used to finer snacks and hoof-foods. If she were to have a sandwich, she’d prefer the small ones with the crust cut off. However, they were there for Twilight, so she kept her complaints to herself. She picked up her sandwich between her hooves and took a bite, being mindful to be polite to the non-unicorns in the room. She doubted they would notice, but from time to time she liked to be respectful. Besides, she thought, it is a pretty delicious sandwich. Delightfully simple.

“So Twilight, what awesome spells have you been working on?” asked Dash, crumbs spilling out her mouth. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Rarity cringe and her mumble something that sounded like ‘uncouth’. Dash ignored her.

Twilight washed down a bite with some tea. She float over her checklist, and got started. “Well, as I said earlier, I had already pretty much grasped the concept of most offensive spells, so I’ll refine those later. Again, the most powerful ones seem to be mostly throwing your magical weight around and that all comes from sheer magical reserves, which isn’t a problem for me. I don't expect to use them too much, actually. They're a little bit reckless in modern Equestria.'

“I’m currently working on defensive transfiguration. I long ago learned how to do small things like top hats and moustaches.” Spike looked up from his ruby and grinned. “However, I want to expand that. Remember when I gave Rarity wings? I could only do that once, and it tired me out immediately after. My goal is to increase how often I can do spells like that, and increase the variety. If I can figure it out, I could do other things like give horseshoes extra resistance or create exoskeletons.”

Pinkie looked up from her plate with crumbs all over her face. “Oooo, neat?”

Rarity practically fainted, and a whimper escaped her lips. Exoskeletons?

"What exactly are exoskele-whatnows?" Applejack had to ask.

“They’re what bugs have. Basically, they’re the outer shell of an insect. It’s like their armor,” Fluttershy responded, smiling at her own answer. She took a bite of her sandwich.

“And I bet that’s what makes them go crunch,” laughed Rainbow Dash. Immediately Fluttershy’s smiled flipped and she grimaced. She forced down the bit of sandwich she was eating, and then left the last few bits of her sandwich on her plate untouched.

“Exactly, Fluttershy. Armor. And yes, Rainbow, that’s what makes them 'go crunch'. To us, their exoskeletons is fragile and worthless. However, if I could scale it up give one to one of us, we’d be able to shrug off whatever a foe could throw at us. We’d be able to fight without getting tired, or even getting hurt, if I can get a good understanding of the spell.”

Applejack tapped her chin for a second. “That’s some pretty fancy stuff right there. Ah figure Ah could use a little of that on some of my horseshoes so they'd last a bit longer. Those orchards aren’t too kind on ‘em.”

“Yeah, or give my kicks some extra oomph to make the next changeling I meet see stars!” shouted Rainbow as she floated up from her seat and tossed some punches into the air. Pinkie Pie lit up and moved to pretend to take one of those punches. She fell over, producing a white flag and waving it in mock surrender.

“Not just horseshoes, girls, full suits of armor. And thanks to it being biological and organic, it would weigh less and be more intricate than armor that the Canterlot guards wear. However, I’m not so good with transfiguration,” Twilight added, finishing her sandwich. She sipped on some tea. “Ask Spike, and he’ll tell you just how little I know about it. But Pinkie's interruption gave me an idea.”

Pinkies head poked up from beneath the table and raised an eyebrow. “I did?”

“Yes, you did. If you remember how I got my cutie mark, Rainbow Dash’s rainboom gave me an incredible boost in my magical abilities. I was thinking, if you’re willing and able,” Twilight gave Dash a big smile, “Could you do another one while I try to get this spell under my hoof— er, horn?”

Rainbow Dash immediately lit up. “Alright Twilight!” she said as she did some loops around the room. “Now that’s some training I could do, no problem. Why didn’t you say so from the get go? Of course I’ll help!”

Rarity leaned forward to open her mouth to protest, but was interrupted. “Aw man Dashie, another rainboom! They’re sooo pretty,” Pinkie swooned.

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” commented Applejack.

“Now Twilight, you remember that small, little thing you mentioned where you turned your parents into potted plants and Spike into a full grown dragon. Are you sure it’s safe?” Rarity asked. Being a unicorn, even one without great magical strength, she could still sense the potential pitfalls this plan had. She had never experienced a power surge while designing or finding gems, but Rarity could still imagine how dangerous a powerful unicorn such as Twilight with runaway magic could be.

“That was a long time ago, Rarity. Twilight’s come a long way since then,” Spike defended.

Who knows, though? Rarity considered. Twilight maybe had since learned to handle herself. Spike was right. that was over a decade ago, and before she was taken under Celestia’s wing.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Spike. You’re right Rarity, but Spike is too. I was young, just a filly. I was inexperienced, and I admit had no control. Since then, I’ve read many books, received much instruction, and attended numerous lectures on magic. I’ve even had a few lessons from Celestia herself about this very subject. Even when under huge strain, like when I had to cradle that Ursa Minor all the way back to the Everfree forest from town, my magic didn't waver once. I feel one hundred percent confident everything will be alright. I may have trouble with transfiguration on an application level, but mechanically I understand the workings of the spell, through and through. I just need an extra boost, that’s all.”

As Twilight spoke, Rarity could see her determination. She knew that when Twilight had a solid idea, she wouldn’t let go until she truly tested it and mastered it. Besides, she felt Spike was right. None of their other friends protested either.

By that time, everyone had finished snack and tea, and Spike collected the dishware and stepped out to return them to the kitchen. Yawning deeply, he deposited them into the sink.

"Twilight, since your friends are here, is it alright if I take a nap, pleeease?" Spike closed his eyes and crossed in fingers.

From the common room, he heard Twilight's approval. He gleefully took his cue and plopped down in the first empty seat he could find in the kitchen at the table. Going up the steps to his basket was just too far after a weeks worth of Twilight on full blast.

“Thanks Spike, sleep well." Twilight turned to her friends. "Alright then; I need a new volunteer,” she declared.

After a beat, Fluttershy was the first to step up. “I’ll… I’ll go,” she offered meekly, but with determination.

More than one pony gasped

“Wow Fluttershy, that’s really brave of you, but you don’t really have to,” Twilight said, thoroughly impressed. While she wasn’t a pushover anymore, Fluttershy was once probably scared of her own shadow, may very well still be. In all fairness, she was probably frightened still by a number of things. Of those, Twilight was positive the idea of rearranging the makeup of the atoms in her skin would be most frightening to her out of all her friends.

“No, I’ll do it. I was helpless when we fought the changelings. I don’t think I’ll ever be as strong as anyone else, but I think if I’m protected, I’ll be less scared. Besides, I trust you Twilight,” Fluttershy added. And I still need to become a better pony.

She her eyes were stern, but her mouth quivered. Everypony eyes widened. Fluttershy had made leaps in personal progress since they all met her, but this was surprising. Even though her words were brave, she still shook a little from the anticipation.

Rarity, however, stepped forward.

“Fluttershy, that’s simply big of you to offer yourself up like that,” Rarity cut in. “You sure have come a long way from when we first met you, and I’m so proud of you. However, I must offer my hoof in your place. Twilight’s dealing with some potent spells, and even though my specialty is fashion and not magic itself, I think I’ll be better suited for transfiguration. Another benefit in being a unicorn is that I’ll be more 'in tune' with what Twilight is trying to do. With that I can at least provide a small bit of assistance, if not less resistance.”

Fluttershy looked down and let her hair fall over her face, clearly ambivalent to being overruled. She really wanted to help Twilight, but Rarity had a good point. She disliked being so ineffective against both Discord and the changelings, and a part of her was simmering at Rarity. It went away before she took notice. Finally, she replied. “Alright Rarity, whatever is most useful,” she said wistfully.

There was an audible sigh from the other four mares. Applejack walked over and placed a leg around Fluttershy. “Shucks Fluttershy, that was mighty upstanding of you. Ah’m proud of ya too, too. But if what Rare says is true, don’t feel bad. This is all about making us more efficient-like, so if Rarity’s better suited then it’s alright if she’s the one instead.”

“Okay,” whispered Fluttershy. She tilted her head up and let out a half-hearted smile. She had been more outgoing than ever since a certain minotaur's self-help seminar, but being denied by her friends still stung a little, even if the reason was legitimate. For Fluttershy, every personal victory counted, internal and external.

“I promise Fluttershy, after this day is over, we can hit the spa,“ Rarity offered. “I’ll upgrade our spa treatment today to the premium level, all on me. Besides, I may need a massage after whatever it is Twilight does to me. You wouldn’t want to be me, it would ruin your beautiful coat.” She knew both of them cherished their private alone time at the spa, and after this Fluttershy would need something to unwind from this social confrontation, no matter how small. Fluttershy looked up, smiled more broadly, and nodded.

Rainbow Dash perked up. “Finally, that’s settled! Let’s get this show on the road! I’m ready for a sonic rainboom, anypony else?” She puffed her chest out and did a few flips to prep her wings.

Pinkie Pie jumped up. “Wooo! Me-me-meee!” she sang.

With her plans back on schedule, Twilight took charge. She was determined to get this spell right. Her week since the conversation at Sugarcube corner was less than ideal, but with all of her friends back at her side she felt she had a proper bearing again. “Alright, everypony stand back. I’m going to start casting. Rarity, stand in the center of the room. Rainbow Dash, you can head out now and begin. I figure by the time you work up enough speed, I’ll be at my magical limit. When you pass over, it should be enough to get this exoskeleton buff to work. If not…” She looked at her friends’ pleading faces. “…I guess I can take a break.” Everyone cheered.

“A party break?” Pinkie asked, her eyes wide like the plates they just ate off of. "Everypony's been so busy; we haven't partied in for-EV-err! It’s been like a whole week, and all I've done is bake and sell cakes and write birthday cards!”

"But Pinkie, isn't that what you always do?" asked Fluttershy flatly.

Twilight sighed, but smiled. She was quite exhausted. “Yes, even a party break. Now I still believe we should be getting prepared for another incident, but… I guess it has been a long week.” It was true. She had been having study sessions from dawn until way past midnight. The week was taking its toll on her physical state, but thankfully not her magic. She should be on her last legs, but as long as she felt she could do it Twilight was determined to try. She took her position across from Rarity and looked at everyone. “Thanks for checking on me,” she added.

Applejack smiled. “Aw, no problem Sugarcube. Now take care of this so we can enjoy the rest of the day. I bet Winona is back home just itching to play outside.”

“Yes! Enough chit chat, let’s go!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Like a bolt of magic, she took off for one of the many windows she used as her own personal entrances to the library. Twilight was thankful she elected keep it open just in case of times like these. The ponies could hear Dash roaring through the sky and fading away.

“Now Twilight, please be careful. I’d rather not get my beautiful mane destroyed. I know I'm going to the spa later, but I recently had it styled,” Rarity said.

Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle. “Alright Rarity, if I singe it I promise I’ll model whenever you want me to for the whole winter.”

Rarity smirked. “Including trips to the spa with Fluttershy and me?” she asked pointedly.

“Yes,” Twilight chuckled, “I'll do those too.”

Rarity nodded, and closed her eyes with a smile. “Deal.”

Twilight leaned forward, and began to cast. It didn’t take long for her to build back up an overglow over her horn. Scrap paper flew everywhere and books left off the shelf flapped wildly from the gusts. Rarity tried to stand as calmly as she could, but she couldn’t help but feel nervous. Her wings turned out alright, but she had the inclination that this was something else. All of her skin would turn into some sort of hard carbon shell. She tried not to imagine how much more painful a spell would be if it messed up what she already had instead of messing up adding a couple new appendages.

“Now Twilight, if you sense anything wrong feel free to let go it go.”

“No. Will. Not. Fail.” It took every ounce of spare strength for Twilight to utter those few words. The power surging from her horn was giving off incredible amounts of energy, and Twilight was turning that onto itself to drive the spell harder. She was sure she was going to do it this time, she was so sure of it, she could even feel it. She was so close with Spike; she knew this spell was going to work. Once she had gotten it down, casting wouldn't be a huge affair like this was. She just had to do it once. She could feel the energies in the air bending to her will, the spell forming exactly as she had read.

Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie watched in anticipation. Applejack stood on the edge of the room next to a still-yawning Spike (who had been awoken from his short nap), and had to hold onto her hat from the gust picking up from the buildup of energy. Fluttershy stood as close to Applejack as possible, her hair flailing in the wind, and Pinkie Pie kept inching closer and closer to Rarity, munching on some popcorn. She was convinced this was going to be the coolest thing Twilight had ever done. Well, second to when I used her as a magical turret. Or maybe third to bursting into flames out of anger.

***

High above them, Rainbow Dash was almost finished achieving the altitude she would need. Vertical sprints were the most tiring of all pegasi, so as she got close she began to round off her trajectory. She deduced she would also need to put some distance between herself and the library as she worked out her angle of attack. As she traveled farther and father away, she decided to reward herself after the boom with a quick flyover of Ponyville and the forest before returning. It really was a beautiful day, and the park was filled with ponies enjoying it. She even spotted Zecora emerging from the forest. Driven by her little treat to herself, and the ever-present prospect of being awesome, she kept on flying.

Eventually, Rainbow Dash felt she had enough room. She could see Ponyville way down below in front her. Before she began her descent, she took a look around. Rainbow Dash didn’t usually fly this up, since the only friend she had who could fly was basically afraid of heights.

Ha, a pegasus afraid of heights. She laughed; no matter how long she's known that shy pony, that joke never got old to her. I’ll get her up here one day, she’ll thank me for it.

She noticed that over Everfree some dark clouds forming. She knew that whichever pony that was stuck with cloud kicking duty was going to have a terrible time breaking up that storm tomorrow. I guess I could swing by later and see what I can do, she thought. Right after I’m done with Twilight. Those rookies would be lost without me.

Rainbow Dash did a few flips and rolls to stretch her wings. After she felt nice and loose, she locked on the library.

“Ok everypony, here we go.”

She threw herself into her vertical dive. Gravity dragged her down to the ground, while her wings kept pushing her along, faster and faster. She was dropping straight down over the outskirts of Ponyville. She would have to pull up eventually to achieve her proper angle.

Immediately she could feel exhilaration of flight take a hold of her. As she accelerated, her worries peeled away from her mind and flew behind her from the wind. Twilight’s drive, Fluttershy’s bravery and Rarity’s dramatic intervention all felt like a vivid dream. The argument at Sugarcube corner felt less and less real, and the only thing that mattered was this moment. She couldn't have asked for a better Saturday; helping her friends and performing a sonic rainboom.

The cone of the rainboom was forming around her. While it was an easy, peaceful day in Ponyville, Dash’s world was filled with roaring and whistling wind. She saw a perfect cloud in her descent, and did a few rolls to line herself up with it, sacrificing her speed. She may have hurt her flight path, but the refreshing mist and satisfyingly soft yet firm *thump* caused by slamming through the cloud was completely worth it.

As she refocused and realigned herself with her original descent, the cone started to build again. This was the hard part. As the molecules of air passed over her wings, she had to flow through them just right. It was almost an otherworldly experience feeling every little bit of air flow past her tight muscles and outstretched wings. This is what she lived for. Applejack was a strong mare built for brute force, but Rainbow Dash was a mare of speed.

The ground seemed to be desperate to catch her, but she was determined to not let that happen. She grew closer to her mark.

Eight…

Three…

One mile…

Just a few more seconds…

Finally, her mark. She pulled up with all her might, and saw the library ahead. She had less than a fraction of a heartbeat to think during this last half mile of her flight. She could feel the cone pushing onto her from all around, and the wall of sound in front of her with her hoof, and she could feel it splintering. Rainbow just had to keep pushing, keep trying. At the last second, thought crossed her mind.

Hehe, this is gonna be so loud. I bet Pinkie is gonna flip out.

...ssshhBOOOM!

Chapter 2 — Convulsion

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— Chapter 2 : Convulsion —

Down below, those in the tree house instantly felt the sonic rainboom’s vibrations through every part of their bodies. Windows slammed open, and books were shaken from their shelves. This time the few ink bottles that fell, cracked open.

“G-g-g-guys, I’m sh-sh-sh-shaaaaking!” Pinkie said as she vibrated along the floor. Applejack had taken a defensive stance, trying to protect Fluttershy from the falling books. Fluttershy lay at her hooves with her own over her head. Rarity’s legs were shaking violently, but she remained in her place by giving herself a little magical nudge here and there.

Spike was knocked off his feet, and promptly was knocked out as a heavy tome landed on his head. Whatever book that was, Spike told himself he was going to send some of its pages to Celestia in spite, right after this true snooze he had been looking forward to.

Twilight’s eyes were shut tight, trying to hold on to the spell. Rarity was beginning to doubt this would ever work, when suddenly the room grew dim. Twilight’s horn generated another overglow, and her eyes snapped open. They were completely white, and spilling light into the room.

Rarity started mildly perspiring as she watched as all the energy condensed to the tip of Twilight’s horn, changing hues to a pure white. Twilight looked like she was running a marathon with how damp her coat was. She dropped to her knees as she struggled to keep the spell going. As the last bit of glow from her horn reached the tip, it separated and floated gently into the air. When Twilight was finally released, she collapsed all the way down, and groggily watched her work. All she could think about was how this spell has to work, and how nice that spa was going to be.

Immediately the air stilled, the shaking stopped, and the room went dead quiet aside from the faint rumbling still echoing from the rainboom. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity all watched the ball of white light lazily flow through the air to Rarity.

“Oooo, it’s like a dandelion seed!” cooed Pinkie Pie. The small ball of light fluttered through the air. Even as she spoke, the light shuddered, as if the air from her breath was disturbing its flight.

Rarity stood tall as the light approached her. She gulped, however. I’m ready, she thought. Twilight wouldn’t hurt me. Besides, I can detect barely any magic from this thing. I hope she didn’t tire herself out for naught.

The ball of light had gone in a large lazy arc, and closed in on Rarity, its flickering light casting long shadows around the darkened room. Rarity gazed into the light, inches from her face. It fluttered, flickered once, and then touched her horn. Rarity felt a small fizzle of energy shoot from her horn to her shoes, and... nothing else. She paused. A few moments went by, then ten seconds. She sighed. “Well, that was disappointing.”

Of all the ponies watching, Fluttershy looked the most disappointed and hurt. She was a tiny bit frustrated Rarity took her moment of bravery away for nothing, but she knew it was for the best. She took a step towards Rarity. “Gosh, I guess it wasn’t so bad after—“

“AH!” Rarity shouted in alarm, almost scaring herself with her own voice. She stumbled, but caught herself.

...what is this...?

"What's wrong, Rare?" Applejack asked quickly.

It was short, almost to the point where she wasn't sure it was real, but she sure she had felt the worst possible pain. It had been everywhere, inside everything, and even though it had left as quickly as it came it made her skin itch.

“I... I think it was nothing or at least it's gone now. Twilight, what exactly did- Uh... Ah! Aaahh!” She screeched, and fell in a twitching mass. It was coming and going, with more frequency. Fluttershy froze. Applejack returned her hat to her head, her eyes wide. Pinkie stopped eating popcorn, her hoof inches away from her face. She dropped her hoofful. Nopony spoke.

A band of energy shot out, and connected Rarity to Twilight’s horn like a bolt of lightning. Then, Rarity screamed again. Applejack flinched from the sound, but Fluttershy sprang into action. She approached Rarity, quickly scanning her body to see what was wrong. Rarity’s body began to shake even more violently. Her screams grew louder.

"Help me, Celestia, please someone make it stop!" Fluttershy frantically tried to see a cause. A black mass of goo began to seep from the base of her horn down to her hooves all over Rarity's skin. It slowly crept down her face, leaving her eyes exposed but falling into her mouth. As she still thrashed about, it crept over everything. She was trying to spit it out, and some got on Fluttershy’s front legs. She looked down. It looked like dried blood.

As Fluttershy stood over her, Twilight was slowly rising.

“Oh Celestia!” Twilight immediately ran to Rarity. Rarity’s convulsions were more even violent now, and she was flopping about, knocking piles of books over. The floor beneath her was full of pockmarks from where her hooves had slammed into it. Flecks of the black mass had flaked off and were getting everywhere, and staining everything. Her screams were accompanied by liquid and dust came that came out every time she made a sound.

…is this a gift…?

“Fluttershy, can't you tell what’s wrong?” Twilight asked frantically.

Fluttershy, whose voice was normally never much higher than a whisper, had to yell with everything she was willing to give to be heard. “I-I don’t know! She was fine at first, and there's nothing I can see wrong, and nothing happened but then- No." She turned to Twilight. Her voice became hard as stone. "You caused this. Twilight, you tell me what’s-“

CRACK. Fluttershy’s and Twilights pupils shrunk as they look each other, then they looked down at Rarity. She was completely covered in black. A thin line ran along her hind leg.

SSHRACK... The exoskeleton sheared apart and erupted, blowing the skeleton and blood onto Twilight and Fluttershy. Fluttershy blinked, and saw that Rarity’s rear hoof lay exposed. She gasped as she could see Rarity’s muscles still convulsing. Rarity’s scream become unlike anything Fluttershy had ever heard in all her life as a veterinarian.

“IT HURTS! IT HURTS! T-T-T-TWILIGHT STOP IT, IT HURTS SO MUCH!”

Fluttershy’s heart was pounding against her chest. She felt powerless to help. "Not again," she whispered to herself. Rarity’s words almost sounded feral.

Applejack finally snapped out of it and sprang into action. She ran over to Twilight and shoved her down and stared into her eyes. They were misting over. “What in Celestia’s name are you doing? Stop it! Stop it right now!” She shouted over Rarity.

“I-I-I don’t know what I’m doing! I have no control!” Twilight shut her eyes. Her horn was sputtering madly. “I’m trying to stop it, I am.” Tears were leaking. The screaming seemed to get impossibly louder.

Applejack raised a hoof. “Stop it now Twilight or I’m stopping it!”

“I can’t… I can’t Applejack!” Twilight was sobbing now.

…so strong…

“TWILIGHT PLEASE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! SOMEPONY! FLUTTERSHY! SWEETIE BELLE!” Rarity was so loud Applejack couldn’t hear her. Applejack felt like she was running out of seconds by the heartbeat. She reared back and closed eyes, and struck Twilight on her horn as hard as she could.

Twilight screamed, blinded by pain and tears. She didn't know what hurt more, Applejack's blow to her horn or that she was responsible for all of this.

Applejack glanced over at Fluttershy and Rarity. Fluttershy was now holding Rarity down, but she could see her rear leg slowly disintegrating. As the exoskeleton cracked away, the exposed tissue was falling apart, breaking down to a mix of organic soup that looked like dark blood and splashing all over as if being expelled. Rarity’s rear leg was gone and her other hooves had already started to disappear.

Applejack turned back to Twilight again, looked at Rarity, and then left Twilight. Twilight laid there, blood trickling down from the base of her horn. She knew she was able to stand, but she couldn’t force herself to. Applejack had struck her down. Applejack. She could no longer see, everything hurt too much.

By the time Applejack walked across the room, everything was drenched. All of Twilight’s precious books were unreadable, and the timeless tomes from the Princess were lost. Some were even flying around in the wind. Fluttershy’s face was stricken with horror. Everything was so wrong. She had to deal with injured and frightened animals before, but this was beyond her. Her best friend was dying, bur all her training and caring for animals couldn't help her in the slightest.

When her legs were done, the exoskeleton peeled back, revealing her torso. Rarity’s screams became choked, and finally some of the noise quieted down. Without legs to thrash, about she merely shook her head back and forth while the spell ate her insides. Rarity’s eyes bulged and twisted, swiveling around to look every which way. Her voice finally gave completely as her rib cage was pulled away, exposing her innards. Then they too quickly disintegrated into the liquid. Fluttershy was sick, and Applejack pulled her hat over her eyes. Twilight lay still. Pinkie hadn’t moved, despite the blood that had darkened her coat.

There was nothing they could do but watch their friend be eaten alive. Soon, her neck was being consumed, then her jaw. The screams had stopped, and a grave silence fell over the tree house. Fluttershy was still looking down at her friend, wishing with all her might to Luna and Celestia that this was simply a mistake, one of her many nightmares, and that she’d wake up soon like she always does.

Applejack tried to pull Fluttershy away, but she shouted something incomprehensible and bucked her off. She wouldn't leave her friend. As only the top half of her skull remained, Fluttershy kneeled into the puddle of red, trying to get as close to her friend as she possible. Rarity’s eyes were wild as what was left of her was still processing the last of the pain. The sound had stopped, but the wind had picked up again around the edges of the room and was still rumbling and accelerating around the tree house. Finally, the spelled claimed one of her eyes. As the spell consumed it, it disintegrated into dust, liquid poured over the last bit of exposed muscle from her snout.

Fluttershy could barely see now, and realized tears had been streaming down her face. She tried to wipe them away.

Twilight tears were being ripped from her face by the wind, and her ears were still ringing. At her last moment, Rarity’s single eye rolled around and gazed up into hers from across the room. As the last part of Rarity gazed up at Twilight, her horn shattered. The last bit of Rarity vanished, leaving behind flakes that floated around the room like ash. The wind immediately died, with some of Rarity’s mist falling on the exposed pages of the books that were that were laid open by the storm. To Fluttershy, the end of spell brought with it a deafening silence. No pony moved.

Then, another sob emitted from Twilight. Just like that Applejack was broken out of her trance. She stormed back over to Twilight, hefted her up, and pinned her on the wall.

“What was that?” She yelled, her voice conjuring up all the emotion she had coursing through her heart at the moment. Her blood was pounding. “What, in Tartarus, was that, Twilight Sparkle? Where is Rarity?”

“I-I don’t kn-“

“What did you do?” Applejack’s volume caused Twilight to wince, as if it caused her physical pain.

“I don’t know, I don’t know! This is all wrong! I… I was only trying to make an exoskeleton.”

Applejack’s face tightened. “Ah don’t care about what you were tryin' to do! Ah have to know!”

“WHERE. IS. RARITY?”

Both Applejack and Twilight froze. Slowly, they turned to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy was shaking. She had never screamed this loud in her life. All the mares in their circle were special to her, and while Rainbow had the most history, Rarity was special. Rarity was her emotional rock. Their time together in the spas always filled her soul with ease when she had no other pony to talk to, which was far too often. Twilight may have brought them together and cracked her shell, but it was Rarity who broke it open.

Applejack paused, broken out of her trance, then put down Twilight and turned around to face Fluttershy. Twilight coughed, and continued to silently cry where she lay.

Applejack started towards Fluttershy and her tone instantly softened. She could sense there was something seriously wrong with her. Her tone was downright venomous, and despite not being the recipient of her rage, it hurt her too. “Whoa there sugarcube, now just calm down a bit. I lost my head, but we can work this out—”

“WHAT DID YOU DO WITH RARITY?” Fluttershy shouted again. She pushed past Applejack and stared at Twilight, nose to nose, wettening Twilight's with the remnants of her friend that had settled on her face. Twilight looked up into her eyes and gasped as she was pulled into a dark void filled with Fluttershy. The library and everypony else started to fall away, leaving her in a world with only her and Fluttershy. Her heart started pounding faster than it had all day. She felt like she had lost control of her own being, and was at the mercy of her captor.

Fluttershy was a mess. Her mane and belly were drenched in red, and the half of her face she left unhidden was splotched as well. It was twisted in a horrible manner, quivering from the turmoil writhing just under her skin. A line ran down under her eye, the only hint she had been weeping only a few minutes ago; the only hint to anypony that anger wasn't her only emotion . She was shaking, she was hurt, and she was rage incarnate.

Applejack tried to calm her, but made no attempts to approach. “Ok, let’s just calm down. Look, Ah’m sorry Twi', I lost my head but we have to do something. Fluttershy, please-“

“WHERE IS SHE TWILIGHT? WHERE IS SHE, YOU WITCH?” Applejack was speechless. Twilight flinched like she had been hit again. Fluttershy paused, then shut her eyes and slowly sunk to a knee.

Twilight let go of the breath she was holding, and felt the room zoom back into place. She tried to drink the air to refill her now freezing lungs. Fluttershy was still simmering, but she couldn’t stop crying. “Where’s my friend? Where’s my Rarity?” Her voice was fading. She fell all the way down, back into the ever dispersing puddle that used to be Rarity. Her coat was getting ruined. "Why, why, why, why Rarity?"

Applejack closed the distance and picked up her limp body. She hugged Fluttershy close, shushing her.

Fluttershy had never cried so hard in her life. Her friend was gone, in the worst way imaginable. She opened her eyes and tried to wipe her tears away again. Still feeling moisture on her face, she looked at her hoof quizzically. Finally, she realized she was wearing Rarity. Her voice had shrunk till it was barely audible. “Where is she? Rarity! Oh, Rarity…”

Fluttershy’s sobs brought Twilight back to reality. She quickly stood up and looked around. It looked like way more than one pony had been torn apart. The walls and the ceiling were covered in red splashes, but it didn’t compare to the floor or worse, Fluttershy’s face. Twilight's eyes widened.

Oh Celestia, she used her stare on me. As Twilight took it in, something snapped. I can’t be here. I just… destroyed somepony. There was literally blood on her hooves. No, I murdered somepony. I murdered Rarity. I can’t fix this. I have to go. Twilight slowly backed to the door. She had to buy time to do... something, anything she could to make this go away. She had to escape.

Pinkie still sat there, staring at the spot where Rarity’s head was. She still hadn't moved an inch, or made a sound.

Applejack looked up, and saw Twilight making for the exit. “Now you hold on there missy, you ain't goin' anywhere till you bring her back.”

Twilight didn’t stop, and only moved quicker. “B-b-but… I can’t. I don’t know how. I don’t know!”

Applejack stood up, and started cautiously walking towards Twilight. “Now, don’t do anything silly. You have to fix this. You just have to. Ah know you can.”

Twilight paused. She had reached the door. She looked from Applejack slowly advancing, to Fluttershy still quietly screaming. Her eyes landed on poor Pinkie Pie, still staring that the spot where Rarity had been just a few minutes ago, still frozen in place with a half grin on her face, as if waiting for a punchline. Twilight knew she had to leave; the crime she committed was unspeakable.

No, I can’t stay. How could my friends ever forgive me? Worse, how could Celestia ever forgive me? Her mentor would at the very least imprison her for life; at the worst banish her till everypony she knew was long gone before ending her. The longer Twilight played out her options, the more she realized she had none. She no longer had a home, her friends, a family, a teacher, or anything she could call her life. In one mistake, she had destroyed all she had worked for since being sent to Ponyville, since the day she had gotten her cutie mark. She had obliterated her past life in one afternoon, along with one of the best of the few friends she had.

Her mind was already thinking about how to leave. She’d run outside to lure her friends away, teleport upstairs to grab a few things, then start heading away from Ponyville and Canterlot till there was no more land in Equestria to put between her and this spot. A list, I need a list! I’ll need some maps, some money, some—

Suddenly Rainbow Dash slammed the door opened behind her, and Twilight jumped. "Oh man, I hope it worked. I nearly threw a wing out making the boom that loud! So Rarity, how do you look—?"

Rainbow had only a few moments to see everything covered in red, the white pieces of what she only guess was a horn, and Twilight’s pinprick eyes staring at her in panic, waiting for her move. "What the? What is all this? Rainbow took a shaky step into the room. “T-Twilight…? Where’s—“

“Grab her Rainbow!” shouted Applejack.

"No!" Twilight shouted. A quick flash and she was outside the library and on the street running for her freedom.

“Go get her Rainbow!” Applejack shouted.

“Applejack, you gotta tell me. Where’s Rarity?” Rainbow pleaded. The strange substance was slowly spreading across the floor, and she couldn't ignore the stench.

Applejack put her hooves on Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, and looked her square in the eyes. “Ah have to take care of Fluttershy and Pinkie. Make Twilight tell you when you get her, she knows. Go. Get. Her. Now.”

Applejack's voice sent shivers down Rainbow’s back. She took a step back, seeing the mix of disgust and horror in Applejack’s eyes. It terrified her. She turned and took off, trying to catch a glimpse of the purple unicorn from a high altitude. She knew that look. She had only seen that look on one other pony once before.

...how… useful.

Chapter 3 — Desertion

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— Chapter 3 : Desertion —

Twilight ran through the street, the world a blur around her. She was completely outside her comfort zone, completely outside her ability to think logically. Ponies jumped out of her way, and shouts of concern and annoyance arose behind her as they saw the splotches of blood and grime on her coat. As she fled for what she felt was her life, all she could think was that she needed to get away as fast as possible. Also, she felt like she was was almost out of magic.

Finally, a spark in the darkness. “A train!” she shouted to herself as she ran. Up ahead was Mane Street. She pulled a hard right, throwing a couple of carts off course. Looking down the street, she could see the station in the distance at the other side. Gearing up, she put her all into her hooves.

Rainbow dropped out the sky and tackled Twilight mid-gallop. Immediately all the air was knocked out of her, and her vision became a whirlwind of colors. The two ponies tumbled over and over in the street, sending Twilight way off course.

Just as they were about to roll into building, Rainbow saw Twilight’s horn flare, heard a crack, and shortly crashed into a storefront, alone. The pain from smashing through the glass stung, but only sharpened Rainbow’s senses. Looking out the freshly broken window, she could see Twilight wheezing and desperately trying to straightening herself and start running down the street again. After a couple of quick apologies, Dash jumped through the window back out onto the street and continued pursuit.

What is Rainbow doing? Doesn't she know I have to get away? Twilight was terrified now. All hope of explaining to her friends was gone now that Applejack had let loose Rainbow on her. She felt more alone than her days in Canterlot.

Twilight pumped her legs are hard as she could. She glanced behind, just in time to see blue hooves reaching down to grab her. Another flash, and she jumped ahead. Rainbow Dash rolled where Twilight had just been, caught a hoofful of solid ground, then launched herself back into the air in smooth motion, her momentum unbroken.

"Come on Twilight, stop messing around! Come back with me me! I can help you!" Rainbow Dash was getting frustrated. She knew she was the fastest flyer in Equestria and could beat anypony in a race, but Twilight could teleport anytime whenever she willed it. If this chase continued as it was, losing Twilight was an inevitability.

“Twilight, wait!” Rainbow called. She landed in the street, skidding to a stop.

Twilight slowed and looked over her shoulder. Seeing Dash stopped in the street, she paused and whipped around to face her.

Rainbow Dash cringed. Twilight had looked tired when they stopped by, but now she looked almost feral. Her eyes and her nose had been running unchecked down her face. Her mane was matted, with splotches of red clumping strands together which seemed to originate near her horn. Her coat fared no better, with splotches of sweat all over. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, but her irises barely showed. She was shuddering and heaving, clearly fighting the ‘flight’ part of her fight-or-flight response. Rainbow could see she was losing.

By now, ponies had come out of their shops to get a look at the commotion. The murmuring Dash heard wasn't anything she wanted to hear, and she sincerely hoped Twilight wasn't paying attention.

Rainbow began to slowly approach Twilight. “Look Twilight, I don’t know what happened back there, and yeah it looks pretty bad, but we can make it through this.”

Twilight shuddered. “No Rainbow Dash," she choked out between breaths, "there’s no going back. I can't go back. I have... stained my hooves.” She started to cry again. She sat on her haunches. “Dash, I... I murdered her....”

Rainbow Dash's heart stopped. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck. Murdered? Just the sound of that word was so archaic and alien. Searching her memories, Dash couldn't even find a synonym. She was no child; The Daring Doo novels she read always had had the bad guys try to capture the titular hero, and usually ended up with them suffering minor injury by being thrown overboard or caught in a trap, but that was simply fantasy. No pony ever permanently hurt anypony in real life. Not intentionally. Not ever. Shaking her head, she took another step.

“I don't know what you mean. Look Twi', just calm down. We can talk this out. I'm sure you have an explanation. We... We can ask Celestia for help.”

Rainbow Dash stepped on a landmine. The pain Twilight’s heart felt doubled at the mention of her mentor. Nightmare Moon had been banished because she was an immortal alicorn, unable to die. She had to be purged with the Elements of Harmony. Twilight was only a simple unicorn. She shuddered again at the thought of Celestia ever finding out what happened today. She had trespassed to a place nopony should ever tread, a place she was only privy to due to her constant proximity to a living relic all her life.

Twilight wiped her eyes. The tears had never stopped. “I’m so sorry, Rainbow.” Twilight flared her horn and, with a crack, disappeared. Rainbow immediately launched herself into the air to see where she could’ve gone, but she couldn’t see any purple pony fleeing the scene. After some time, Rainbow slowly lowered herself to the ground, and began her slow walk back to the tree house, her head hanging low.

***

Twilight materialized in the train station with heavy shivers, as if she had been doused with ice water. Coughing, she rose from the platform and looked around. She was surrounded by ponies going about their business. She needed to find a train to take her as far away from Canterlot as possible. As she paused to catch her breath and collect her thoughts, she noticed the ponies closest to her had stopped and stared. Looking around, she saw that there was a semi circle of ponies staring at her. Soon, she could hear whispers of people asking "Isn't she that young librarian?" Even worse, "Isn't that Celestia's personal protege?" Remembering herself, Twilight realized she was still covered in red. While the common pony wasn't familiar with the idea of murder, it was only a matter of time until someone realized something was gravely wrong.

Suddenly, there was a scream, and all the ponies who could see her face immediately gasped and shied away. Twilight tried to ignore them, and tried to look over the crowd for someone to disappear to. Spotting a train at rest on the tracks, she teleported to the last car. She found herself in a seemingly empty train car. She started for the nearest compartment to find a suitable hiding place. As she reached for the door handle, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“Hey Twilight, is that you? Yeah, I remember that cutie mark. I haven’t seen you in ages! I thought that was you outside, what’s going on?”

Twilight froze. She didn’t know what to do. The voice got closer. “I’m headed... to...”

Twilight slowly turned, and she could finally identify the mare that recognized her. She was mint green, with a lyre cutie mark.

The mare speaking had trailed off and froze in place. If she hadn't seen her cutie mark, she would have never believed the face of the red covered purple mare that stared at her was Ponyville's quirky librarian. She caught a whiff of of Twilight and realized exactly what she was covered in.

“Whoa. Twi… Twilight?”

A crack, and Twilight was gone.

***

Lyra stared at where her old friend had been. Eventually, she flung open the compartment door and looked out into the crowd on the platform, looking for any sign of Twilight. All she saw was a bunch of wide-eyed Ponyvillans.

She sat down, and tried to run through her thoughts as to why Twilight could appear for a second covered in what looked like blood, and then leave just as quickly. In all the years she had known of Twilight, nothing would explain what she just saw. And she had looked so frightened...

“Er… Sorry about the unfortunate event folks, but it seems all is well. All aboard to Canterlot!” A nervous conductor shouted.

Lyra jumped up, and re-entered the main hallway. She reached out with her horn and lifted her bags. She paused, looking at the spot one more time, then began to make her way back to her compartment. As concerned as she was for Twilight, she had a journey to make.

***

At the far edge of the town, Twilight materialized, and flopped to the ground to catch her breath. She had stretched the limits of her magic today, yet she still wasn’t finished pushing herself. She looked back towards Ponyville. In the distance, she could see Rainbow Dash flying in circles around the town. Twilight seized up, realizing she could still be spotted. She reached deep within herself, dipping into some of the very last of her magical reserves for one final jump.

Poof..

This time when she materialized, she collapsed. Her magic was spent, and all she wanted to do is rest. She couldn’t keep her heart still, even as she lay there. She felt like she still needed to get up, and get away. She couldn't rest yet.

Twilight rolled on her back and looked up, to take in her surroundings. At least I'm covered. The thick canopy would protect her from Rainbow’s searching eyes. Looking towards Ponyville, she could barely see anything through the trees. Feeling at least a little safe, Twilight let herself close her eyes. She dreamed, and it was most unpleasant.

***

Applejack felt like she was piecing together a smashed vase, water included. Fluttershy was a wreck, still lying in the pool of blood. Pinkie had moved, but was flipping through the bloodied spell books and talking to herself. She pushed the one she was looking through on the floor as if by accident, then moved to another one. Applejack approached her.

“Pinkie.”

Flip, flip, flip.

“Pinkie….”

Flip flip flip.

Applejack laid a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. “Pinkie Pie.”

Flip, flip, rrrip. Pinkie’s sticky hoof had caught on a page and pulled it free. She held it up to her face, inspecting it for something.

From where she stood, Applejack could tell she wasn’t actually reading the page. She put a foreleg up to Pinkie’s and lowered it. She kept her voice even and quiet, but terse. “Pinkie Pie, snap out of it! We need to clean up ourselves and leave. We can’t stay here.”

Pinkie ice blue eyes glided over to Applejack’s, and gave her a thin smiled. “Sorry AJ, we can’t go yet. I’m playing hide-and-go-seek with Rarity. She’s such a good hider, I can’t find her anywhere.”

Applejack jumped back at this, her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach. She stared wordlessly as Pinkie calmly put the page down, and started flipping through the book again

Flip. Flip. Flip.

Discouraged, Applejack looked back over at Fluttershy, who had grown silent. In the corner she saw Spike laying on his side, still out cold. Applejack could only hope he missed the worst of it. She needed to take charge and get her friends out of this library.

Applejack heard a click, and looked up to see Rainbow entering a window. “I lost her Applejack, I’m sorry. I chased her down Mane Street. She was teleporting all over the place, and I couldn’t catch her, and... eventually I lost track of her.” She landed next to her, taking care to keep her hooves out of red pool.

“That’s alright, we’ll find her later. Now we need to get these three outta here.”

Rainbow glanced over at Fluttershy and Pinkie. “What’s the plan?”

“They ain’t goin’, so we’ll just have to throw ‘em on our backs. Ah’ll grab Pinkie Pie and you grab Fluttershy. We'll come back for Spike. We’ll wash them off a bit in the bathroom and they should snap out of it. Normally Ah’d wait to let them pull together, but,” she gestured around the room with her hoof, “they can’t look at this any longer. Ah can't look at this any longer. While they’re cleanin’, Ah’m goin to find Sweetie Belle and tell her she’s staying with me. Ah’ll meet y’all back here, and then we’ll go from there.”

There was a long pause. Rainbow stood there. “Applejack, what is this?”

Applejack looked Rainbow square in the eyes and whispered, “This is Rarity. All this mess is what Twilight done to Rarity.”

“W-w-w-what? Stop kidding AJ, that’s really terrible,” Rainbow chuckled nervously. Applejack was silent. After a second of more looking around, Rainbow's face contorted into a horrible grimace, and she flew to the kitchen making retching sounds. Applejack could hear that Rainbow finally understood what she meant, or at least as much as she understood herself. She lowered her head, and pulled her hat down for a moment of silence. Eventually, she turned to Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, you may be a lil’ sore at me after this,” Applejack sighed, “but Ah promise it’s for your own good.” Applejack reared up, and tackled Pinkie. Immediately, she screamed.

“Let me go, let me go AJ! She’s here, I know it! Let me go, I have to find her!”

Applejack hooked her front legs around hers from the back, and slowly made her way upstairs.

Rainbow Dash wiped her mouth as she walked back in, and watched silence as Applejack dragged Pinkie up the stairs. She turned to Fluttershy, and gulped. She slowly hovered over to her. “Fluttershy, we need to get you cleaned up. We have to leave, and-“

“I’ll go, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy shakily raised her self out of the pool. Her belly had been completely soaked, and liquid dripped onto the floor. She looked down and caught her reflection looking back. She shut her eyes and took a few breaths, before putting one quivering foot towards the stairs. After two more steps, she collapsed.

Rainbow Dash zoomed over to her. “Fluttershy! Are your hurt?”

“N-no, I just… I can’t do this myself.” Here eyes were shut, but still leaking. “Pl-please, help me.”

Rainbow bit her lip, then gingerly embraced Fluttershy from behind the back. A small amount of red smeared on her coat. She could feel Fluttershy’s heart still beating quickly, and the sobs that racked her body now shook hers too. This was almost too much for Rainbow; these type of emotions were foreign to Dash, and she wanted it to stay that way.

A few flaps and Rainbow had brought Fluttershy to the second floor. Inside Twilight’s room, they could still hear Pinkie crying out.

“Applejack, leave me alone! I have to find her! I swear she’s downstairs! Pinkie swear, Pinkie swear!” She thrashed, knocking over anything within reach.

Applejack eyed Rainbow coming up the stairs. “Rainbow, help me with this crazy mare,” she called out.

Rainbow gingerly sat Fluttershy down, and slowly approached the pair. Her best friend looked like a complete mess. This was too much for Rainbow Dash. She wanted to fly away, pull several G’s and stop thinking about anything.

After some thought, she flew past them into Twilight’s bathroom, and found what was she was looking for. She tipped over the waste bin, and filled it with cold water from the sink. She flew over to the pair. As she got ready, Applejack stepped away from Pinkie, who paused, confused, from suddenly being released. Pinkie then got a face full of water. Immediately she stopped struggling.

There was silence again in the library. Pinkie simply sat on her haunches looking at her feet. He mane was drooping, covering her face. Rainbow’s stomach lurched; the way Pinkie looked now reminded her of when she found Pinkie sulking the day of her surprise birthday party. That was a side of Pinkie she never wanted to see again.

Applejack was panting. “So… Are you gonna… act right, Pinkie?”

Pinkie didn’t look up, her face half hidden by her mane. “I’m sorry, Applejack.”

Silence again. Applejack sighed and headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Rainbow set the bucket down, then walked over to Pinkie, and extended a hoof. Pinkie slowly raised her head, her mane parting and letting a solitary eye stare into Rainbow’s. Rainbow shuddered as the ice blue orb pierced her; it felt like only half of her friend was there.

As she lost herself in a gaze, she heard the door open again and Applejack stepped out with a clean coat. Rainbow Dash blinked, confused as to how fast that was. Wait, how long have I been sitting here? After a beat, Pinkie flashed a smile, grabbed Dash's still extended hoof, and helped herself off the floor. She then walked herself to the bathtub, shut the door, and locked it with a click. Dash heard water begin to run.

As the tub began to fill, Pinkie looked at herself in the mirror, and let out a huge gasp. Immediately there was a banging at the door. “You alright in there Pink?”

“Y-yes AJ, I’m fine,” Pinkie called back. She turned back to the mirror, and felt ill. She was covered in red from mane to tail. The wake up splash she had received had done little to clear away the blood as it had started to cake, and she could clearly see where it had caked on her face and her mane. She had found Rarity. She chuckled, and immediately was disgusted by herself.

Outside, Rainbow floated over to Fluttershy and picked her up from where she left her. She gingerly sat her on the bed, and landed beside her, making a point to not touch her coat anymore than she had to.

“R-Rainbow Dash, c-could you t-turn me towards the window?” Fluttershy asked.

“Uh, sure thing Fluttershy.” Rainbow softly spun her around to the window; she could feel her trembling.

Outside Celestia’s sun was just about to begin its descent. The afternoon was just beginning. Rainbow Dash felt dizzy, wondering just how much time had passed. Ponies were out enjoying the sun, a few making their way to the park and others to nice outdoor restaurants. She could see birds flying around outside, tweeting away happily. It felt so surreal looking out and seeing everypony so calm and happy with what had transpired. Rainbow Dash hoped they would cheer Fluttershy up.

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy released a sigh she was holding as she melted into the bed. She breathed deeply, taking in the view. Outside, it was nice and relaxing. It kept her mind calm, and off of that Luna-forsaken unicorn, Twilight Sparkle.

Applejack turned from listening to the bathroom door. “Alright, y’all two stay here while Ah go get Sweetie Belle.” Rainbow Dash could feel Fluttershy tense up beside her. “Ah figure she’ll be better off living with me, since Ah have Applebloom and their clubhouse is on my farm. If we’re lucky, Applebloom will keep her from askin' too many questions. We have to send word to her parents. Rainbow, you’re in charge till I get back from taking her to the farm.”

There were no objections. Nopony else would be able to handle Sweetie Belle. Rarity’s little sister hadn’t crossed either mare’s mind. Fluttershy was secretly glad she wouldn’t be taking care of her. She would’ve tried if asked, but she didn’t need a daily reminder of today, or of her friend.

“Hold on, just what are you going to tell her, AJ? She’ll freak if you tell her what happened,” said Rainbow.

Applejack tilted her hat. “Well, what’s wrong with the truth? Ah’m not gonna tell her a story.”

Fluttershy's face flashed anger, but she was turned away from the arguing mares. No one noticed.

“You can’t do that, AJ! It will crush her! This isn’t a joke, she’s just a filly,” Rainbow protested. She knew it wasn't Applejack's nature to be dishonest, even with minor things, but she figured she’d have more tact than that.

Applejack made for the door. She paused when she made it to the frame. "Fine, Ah'll let her parents tell her. In the meantime, Ah'm only going to say Rarity's gone, or something."

"Applejack, I think if you mention she was called to Canterlot, you'll be alright," Fluttershy added quietly.

The mare stood in silence. Eventually, she tilted her hat, and stepped out.

Rainbow Dash sighed. There's no way a young filly would be able to handle what happened today. She wasn't so sure she'd be able to. Then, she cringed.

“Heh, oh yeah, Spike.”

Fluttershy remained silent, and the bedroom remained that way for a few minutes.

Dash spoke up. “That poor dragon is going to be so lost without Twilight. We need to find her. Fluttershy, she was terrified when I saw her. I’ve never seen anypony so scared in my life. She’s probably helplessly panicking somewhere thinking that Celestia will throw the sun at her at any second.”

Fluttershy grumbled something disdainful about a certain missing unicorn.

“Hey ‘Shy, what did you say? You gotta speak up.”

A click, and Pinkie stepped out of the bathroom. Rainbow was relieved to have someone else to talk to. “Oh hey, Pinkie Pie. Are you done?”

Pinkie Pie walked to the middle of the room, and simply stared. Rainbow followed her gaze, and found it pierced an empty spot on the wall. Pinkie had dried her hair and it resumed its usual curly shape, but Rainbow’s thoughts kept drifting to how it was after she had been doused. Those tight curls pulled straight made her feathers shake.

Fluttershy rose and eased herself off the bed. “Do you need any more help, Fluttershy?” asked Rainbow. Fluttershy walked into the bathroom and shut the door. “Okay… what was that?”

Pinkie Pie took that as a cue and moved to bed, filling the spot where Fluttershy was. Rainbow looked Pinkie over as she sat felt the pony sit down right next to her, but Pinkie was just staring outside. She raised a forehoof and placed it around her friend, and Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously.

After a while, Pinkie asked, “Rarity isn’t coming back, is she Dashie?”

This was not a conversation Dash was ready to have, but she tried to put a lid on her emotions and be there for her friend. “No Pinkie Pie, at least not anytime soon. I think she may be gone for a long time.”

Pinkie Pie sniffed. A tear rolled down her cheek. “And Twilight?”

Instantly Rainbow Dash felt several tugs in her heart in all directions. She felt like her body had become a compass, but with the arrow spinning in all directions. She had been distracted by the scene downstairs, but instantly she knew what she should be doing, the hardest tug being very clear. She had to find Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow stood up and walked off the bed. Pinkie whipped her head around to see if Rainbow had disappeared, and whimpered.

Rainbow Dash started to pace back and forth. She had let Twilight go instead of tracking her down and letting her know she was there for her. She was out there alone and ashamed and afraid. Rainbow knew her friend would be going completely out of her mind right now, and yet she had given up her chase so easily.

“I’m going to find her, Pinkie. Ugh," Rainbow Dash facehoofed, "I can’t believe I left her out there! I’m going to find her, Pinkie and bring her back and we are all going to work this out. I have to go right now.“ The more Rainbow Dash spoke, the more she was sure.

Pinkie made a small gasp, and was instantly off the bed and at Rainbow’s hooves. “But Dashie! You can’t leave! W-we need you!”

Rainbow slowly slid her off her leg. “Pinkie, you guys have each other. You’ll be alright. Twilight's all alone. She probably thinks that, at any moment, Celestia herself will show up and send her to the moon or something.”

“What… What about the weather ponies, huh? You can’t leave them without notice!”

“They have enough ponies to cover for me. They’ll hate me for it, but I have to go, Pinkie.”

“But you have to watch over Tank!”

“Fluttershy can watch over him.” She walked to the window.

“But what about my new cupcake recipes?”

“Applejack can taste them.” Rainbow Dash unhooked the latch.

“But what about our pranking? No one else is as good as you.”

“Do them by yourself, Pinkie!" Dash said curtly.

Pinkie shrank into herself from this.

Rainbow Dash sighed, and collected herself. “Twilight needs me and I’m going to find her and that’s that!” She pushed open the window.

Pinkie wracked her mind for a suitable excuse, but found none. The rainbow mare had always been easy going, and she had little responsibilities to tie her to Ponyville. “But Dash…" she pleaded, "I need you. Please, don’t go.”

That made her pause. Rainbow Dashed closed her eyes. She hated it when emotions got rubbed bare. “Pinkie Pie. I’m going to find Twilight. I’m your friend, but she’s our friend too. She needs help, and I’m going to give it to her. I'm not coming back ‘till I find her.” She jumped to the window sill. She thought about looking back, but took off before she did.

Pinkie pie slumped to the ground.

The bathroom door opened, and Fluttershy stepped out. She had managed to to get most of the blood off, but her coat still had a subtle tint of red in the direct light. She noticed the open window. Her eyes narrowed sharply.

“Did Rainbow Dash leave?” she hissed.

Pinkie whimpered.

“Let’s go, Pinkie Pie.”

She didn’t move.

Fluttershy walked around till she was in Pinkie’s line of sight. “I said get up.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, and she looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes in disbelief. They were uncharacteristically hard. Fluttershy’s usually light voice had found an edge, and sounded like two stones being ground together. “Is this... New Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy started laughing, softly. Pinkie’s eyes shined, and she started to grin, but Fluttershy cut her laugh short and gave her a hard look. “Get up, and let’s go,” she said coolly.

Fluttershy turned and walked out of the room. Downstairs, she passed Spike on the way to the door, still unconscious. She stopped to consider her options, but still decided to get him. She kneeled down, and used her wings to slide Spike onto her back. Pinkie looked on from the top of the stairs, her eyes dull..

“I’m going home. Are you coming or not?"

No answer.

"Goodbye, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie didn’t move an inch.

***

Applejack didn’t know where to begin to look for Sweetie Belle. She figured she would be with the other Crusaders, but their crusading could take them anywhere, especially on such nice day over the weekend… or what had started as a nice day.

Applejack, accustomed to working outside, could feel that the temperature had dropped some. It wouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoying the day, but it was noticeable nonetheless. Eventually she had settled on starting at the clubhouse.

As she had walked, she felt like everypony had eyes on her. She wasn’t at fault for what happened to Rarity, but she couldn’t help but feel responsible, like she was carrying a huge secret. Every single pair of eyes that passed over her felt like an accusatory glare despite the warmness of any greetings she received. The attention was distracting her from spinning a story to Sweetie Belle, and was serving to only increase the already relentlessly horrific day. As she was deep in thought, a passing mare waved hello and spoke.

“Hello Applejack, lovely day huh?” The mare was a soft cream color, with pink and blue mane in tight curls. Applejack paused for a moment trying to remember, and a glance at the mare’s candy cutie mark gave her just what she needed.

“Hey Bon Bon. Sure is.”

iBon Bon. Applejack had seen her from time to time, and her pseudo-rivalry had Pinkie Pie and the Cakes referring to her occasionally. Indirectly, of course. Applejack knew little of her, other than she worked at a sweet shop and was always seen playing straight-mare to a mint-green pony, who surprisingly wasn’t stuck to Bon Bon’s hip at the moment. Applejack didn’t personally know Bon Bon too well, but could always appreciate a fellow level-headed and hard-working citizen. Unfortunately, she was busy.

“How’s the start of apple bucking season? Did you have a good yield this year?” asked Bon Bon innocently.

Applejack had to get away. She was on a mission, and as well meaning a she was, Bon Bon was slowing her down. “It’s great.” She kept her answers short, hoping Bon Bon would pick up on her rush.

"Did you hear? It sounds like Celestia's star pupil and Ponyville's finest weather pony had a tussle on Mane Street earlier. What was that all about? Aren't they your close friends?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to go, it’s an emergency. I’ll catch you later." And before Bon Bon could also say anything, Applejack had galloped off. Bon Bon shrugged, and went on her way to the train station.

Looking at Celestia’s sun, Applejack noticed it was just starting its descent. “It’s still the beginning of the afternoon, and it already feels like today has lasted forever,” she remarked to herself. She made her way for Sweet Apple Acres. “Ah guess the girls would still be over near the clubhouse. This is not my cup of cider, but Ah figure Ah’m the best one to deal with this. Rainbow wouldn’t be delicate, Pinkie is shaken up, and Fluttershy...”

She stopped in her tracks. Pinkie had seized up, but Fluttershy had been a complete mess. What was strange though, was when she left, she had been serene, almost too much. AJ hated leaving her like that, but she could only hope Rainbow Dash got a hold of the situation. Being generally meek, and due to her attachment to Rarity, Applejack could only imagine what was going on inside Fluttershy’s head, as she tried to pick up the pieces. “Shucks, Ah’m trying to pick up the pieces too.”

Applejack figured the girls would be at the treehouse, and that’s exactly where she found them.

“C’mon girls, Cutie Mark Crusaders high divers wasn’t a complete success, but maybe synchronized swimming will do the trick!” Applejack could hear Applebloom trying to rally the troops.

“No offense Applebloom, but I’m cold, and my wings are wet. I just want to bask in the sun. I’d rather try Cutie Mark Crusaders sun tanning company instead.”

“Heh, or Cutie Mark Crusaders beach volleyballers,” suggested Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo and Applebloom rolled their eyes. “What beach would we use?” asked Applebloom.

Outside Applejack readied herself. “Ahem, girls? Ah need to have a word with y’all.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry Applejack! I promise I’ll return the...” Applebloom’s sentence trailed off as she read Applejack’s face, and realized that the set of tools she had lost earlier was not on her mind.

“You and me are gonna have a little private chat later, but Ah’m here on much more important business. Uh, Sweetie Belle? Step aside with me, would you?” Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up in attention. Applejack swallowed hard, then began.

***

Twilight Sparkle woke up in the dirt. Everything burned, and her forehead felt numb. The air was cool, and as she slowly opened her eyes, she could see that night had fallen over the forest.

She slowly raised herself, and took stock of her situation. Everything was still attached, and she was lucky that she had collapsed at the edge of the forest, where the bigger things inside rarely tread.

She slowly walked out of the tree line, and could see all of Ponyville before her, lit gently with lights. Slowly rising, Luna’s moon illuminated the immediate area with a soft glow.

Luna, Twilight thought. Twilight’s transgression that afternoon was beyond forgiveness. The devastation she would cause her friends would forever darken their hearts, hers included. She could never face them again, for she feared their reaction almost as much as she feared Celestia's.

Celestia. Twilight had done her best not to think of her mentor, but now that her heart wasn’t beating a mile a minute, thoughts of the Goddess filled her mind. Rainbow Dash had tried to talk her out of running, but she didn’t understand. She had never studied pony history. Her friend didn’t know the weight of her sin. Twilight wondered if Dash had even figured out what she did to Rarity.

Rarity. A flash of skin floating away and a terrible shriek struck Twilight’s mind, and suddenly she was sick.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get that out of my head.” She spit the remnants of her sick out her mouth. “I don’t deserve to, at least.”

As she glanced over at the town. The closest structure to Twilight was was Fluttershy’s cottage, and she could tell the lights were on. While still a ways off, Fluttershy owned the closest building to the forest so she could help any wayward animal too timid to to venture all the way into Ponyville. Or, so she said; Twilight believed that before she met Fluttershy, it was also because she was too timid to venture into Ponyville herself, except when necessary.

Twilight sighed. “Well that’s good: Fluttershy’s home”.

She longed to go to her friends, and tell them that she was sorry. They probably believed that was the best course of action, and they should all go to Celestia and ask for forgiveness. Unfortunately, Twilight knew the truth. Celestia would simply do away with her. What was worse, even with all their power, the Princesses couldn't save Rarity after today.

An idea struck her. While her plan to flee Ponyville was uncompromisable, maybe she could write a letter? Yes, one last letter to let her friends in on her reasons. She loved them too much to simply leave them in the dark. She gazed out at the town again. The library looked dark from where she stood.

She took a deep breath, and in a flash, disappeared from the edge of the forest.

***

The afternoon had fallen away to early evening over Ponyville. The sun had almost finished setting as Applejack stumbled back into the library, exhausted.

“What a day”, she practically exhaled as she shut the door the behind. Immediately the smell hit her hard, and she gagged.

After a bout of coughing, she looked up towards the second floor. “Girls,” she called out, “sorry it took me so long. Ah had to walk to Rarity’s to pack Sweetie’s stuff, then we had to get Scootaloo’s stuff because of course she had to be included in the 'sleepover', and then Ah had to explain to Big Mac and Granny Smith what went down and y’all know how hard it is for me to keep a secret. Ah thought they’d never leave me alone, and then Derpy came by with some news and... Girls?” The library remained quiet.

She made her way upstairs and opened Twilight’s room. Inside, the curtains were still drawn and moonlight poured into the room. The waste bin was sitting on its side in the middle of the room, but no other signs pointed to anypony being there for hours. She walked around and checked a few rooms and down in the kitchen, and found no one.

Her stomach let out a deep growl. She sighed, and popped open Twilight’s fridge. Inside she found some apples she had recently given her. “A-Ah’m sure she wouldn't mind.”

While she was in town, she felt like everypony had their eyes on her. She wasn’t at fault for what happened to Rarity in the slightest, but she couldn't help but feel responsible just from being there. Being there, too, was a problem in itself. By simply knowing what happened, Applejack was now carrying a huge secret, which weighed twice as heavy on her heart as the next pony.

Even worse, her friends were all out of sorts. Two were having some sort of breakdown, and the only one still sane as her wasn’t the gentlest soul when it came to touchy materials. One was on the run, and due to her abilities, would be nigh-impossible to find, and that was all because...

No. Applejack her eyes stung, and it felt like something was caught in her throat. Immediately she changed her thoughts. She was the rock of the group, she knew that she, out of everypony, would have to keep it together.

She finished her apples, and walked back to the main room. Standing there in the dark, she felt alone. “I guess someone should clean this up...”

The floodgates broke. She fell to her knees, and immediately shut her eyes to fight back the wave of tears she felt. It didn’t help help.

“This? This? How dare Ah?” She rolled back and looked at the ceiling. “This is my friend, one of my few, one of my best. Oh Sugarcube, how could she do this to you? How could we have let her do this to you?”

She laid there in the dark, sniffing.

"Rarity, we my have had our scant few differences, but Ah already miss ya. What Ah wouldn't give for another sleepover right now." She laid there in the dark, trying to force herself to stop.

Poof.

Applejack perked up instantly and opened her eyes to look around. She could have swore she heard something. She slowly rose to her feet, trying to make as little sound as possible.

There! She heard some scratching from upstairs. Slowly, she crept up the stairs. She heard scratching, like quill on parchment. It sounded frantic. As she neared the peak of the stairs, she could see a faint purple glow from underneath Twilight’s cracked-open door.

She crept up to the door frame, being extra careful not to make any noise. When she made it, the scratching continued, and she held her breath. What would I say?

Seconds turned to minutes as she stood pressed up against the wall, just around the corner from the source of the noise.

Applejack couldn't wait any longer. She dashed around the door and into the room.

Twilight snapped up from her parchment. “Applejack!”

“Twilight, wait! Let’s talk! It’s—”

Poof.

All that was left was a fluttering quill and paper, both slowly floating to the ground. Applejack clenched her teeth and stomped her hooves. Letting out a deep breath, she walked over to it as it landed face up on the floor.

“Dear friends...”

Applejack’s eyes widened as she continued to read.

***

“How dare they leave us?”

Pinkie Pie sat at Fluttershy’s table, head in her hooves. Some time ago Pinkie had slowly started crying, and hadn’t stopped. “Which one are you talking about?”

Fluttershy snapped her head to Pinkie. “Both of them!”

Her words were barely louder than normal, but Pinkie could feel Fluttershy losing control behind them. She whimpered. Fluttershy continued to pace.

“How dare they leave us, when we needed them the most?” What had been simmering all day was slowly spilling out of Fluttershy’s mouth.

Pinkie Pie slowly gazed around the cottage. None of her animals were in the house save Angel Bunny, who was out in the living room with a still-unconscious Spike. Fluttershy had shooed the critters out as soon as they arrived.

Even though Fluttershy left her in the library, Pinkie Pie eventually followed her home. She had no place to go for the solidarity she was looking for. She had rarely been to Fluttershy’s house this late at night, and by herself. Despite being in a room with one of her closest friends, Pinkie Pie felt alone, making her regret this visit. Being at home with the Cakes wouldn’t be the same or nearly as comforting; at least, being here was supposed to make her feel better.

“W-who knows? Maybe Applejack got caught up with-”

“Ha ha, Applejack? She couldn’t even come back to us. She probably didn’t want to deal with two pathetic, broken ponies.”

Pinkie Pie stared at Fluttershy, who was still pacing and hadn’t missed a beat. Her heart had been hurting already, and Fluttershy was not making it any better.

“How could she leave us sitting in there? In that library? With that SMELL? With Rarity still on the walls?” Fluttershy’s voice, originally meek and small, was building in volume.

Pinkie Pie wasn’t liking where this was going at all. “Please Fluttershy, we don’t know what happened. Today has been... hard. For everyone. Just give her time to explain and I’m sure—”

“— we’ll find out just how unimportant we are to her!” Fluttershy never missed a step. Around the corner, Angel peeked into the kitchen to see what was upsetting his mistress.

"I wish Rainbow Dash was here, she’d say something cool and make us feel better.”

Fluttershy shot her a look. Pinkie missed it because she was taking a drink from her glass. “Well guess what, she took off! Some ‘Element of Loyalty’ she is. In a time of need, she simply dashes off and leaves us to pick up the pieces. Ha, ha!”

Pinkie Pie felt her soul grow cold and her world shrink around her. What in the world had gotten into Fluttershy? She was pulling off an incredible hoof-face turn, and Pinkie couldn’t figure out a reason why.

She took a bite of her sandwich, and chewed it in silence. Fluttershy continued her march. She gulped her bite down.

“I wish Twilight was here.”

The next thing she knew, Pinkie Pie was thrown off her chair, her plate and glass falling with her. With a loud crash, she landed, sprawled out on the floor. When she looked up, she came eye to eye with Flutttershy.

“Don't you EVER say her name again! She’s gone! She’s as dead to me as Rarity is! She’s... she’s...”

But she couldn’t finish. Pinkie’s eyes had glazed over in tears, and they ran almost as quick as blood from a fresh cut down her face. Her mane lay limp on the floor behind her, and she merely stared up, past Fluttershy, as if she wasn’t even there.

Fluttershy wanted to continue, to tell Pinkie Pie how exactly she felt, the deep, deep hurt coursing through her. Instead, all she saw was a broken doll. She looked up and saw Angel’s horrified face. She shut her eyes, and flew up the stairs and straight to her room, shutting the door. Immediately she began to scream. She started smashing her room apart, knocking over pictures and her lamp, instantly darkening the room. Fluttershy jumped in her bed, and tried her best to rip her pillows apart. When that failed, she simply fell into them, and sobbed.

Angel had rushed up behind her, and on the other side of the door he could hear everything. His ears drooped as he heard his mistress’ temper tantrum finally subside into pure heartache.

“Why?” Fluttershy screamed. “Why her? Why not me? Oh Rarirty, what have we done? I should’ve been the one! Rarity!”

Slowly her screams turned incomprehensible. Downstairs, Pinkie Pie slowly curled herself into a ball, her mane spread out straight all around her, her eyes as empty as her mind.

***

...Poof.

Twilight popped into being at the edge of the forest, and ran for several seconds before she relaxing. She had calculated right and her magic had held out, but she was still exhausted from the two cross-town jumps. Leaning on a tree, she caught her breath.

Unable to finish her letter, she hoped what she written was enough. There would still be some unanswered questions, but at least they’d know what she planned to do. She composed herself, and looked deep into the dark forest. Lighting her horn, she took her first step in her plan: leave Ponyville behind forever.

She looked back behind her, and through the trees she could make out Fluttershy’s Cottage. She stared at it for some time, soaking in the last of chapter in her life. She had a while to go before she’d make it to the other side. After a deep sigh, Twilight Sparkle turned and walked deeper into the Everfree forest.

High above, Rainbow Dash was on her way to Canterlot.

Chapter 4 — Arrival

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— Chapter 4 : Arrival —

“Twilight!” Her eyes snapped open. “Bon Bon...” As the images of a terrified Bon Bon and a red-faced Twilight began to fade rapidly, she shuddered. "What a horrible dream."

As she slumbered, she had dreamt of a red-faced Twilight standing over Bon Bon. She watched helplessly as the mare begged to be left alone, all the while some unseen figure kept laughing in a deep tone. It wasn't long before it had faded away to only a picture in her mind. She tried her best to remember what else happened in the dream, but all could recall now were faces. Even those were fading. “How unfortunate.”

Her hoof fumbled in the dark, and she flipped a switch. The compartment instantly lit up, but she was more interested in outside.

She could tell it was night; all she could see was her reflection looking back at her through the darkness. Her pale, greyish mint mane was more tussled than usual, to the point where it hid her horn. A quick hoof-through, and it was back to its usual messy-but-neat style. Her aquamarine-green coat wasn't groomed how she liked it, but it would have to do for the time being.

The compartment was a small one, but being the lone occupant allowed her to have all her belongings laid out on the seat across from her. They wasn't much; all she had was her saddlebags and an instrument case. The bags didn't carry much, just her bits, and a few articles of clothing so she wouldn't feel completely naked in Canterlotian society. The instrument case, however, contained her pride and joy: her lyre. She looked at it fondly. In actuality, she probably could have brought only that. It was her favorite object in all of Equestria. It was even her cutie mark.

After a while, she turned back to the window. She tried to look past her reflection, cupping her hooves against the glass, but it was too hard to see anything. Reaching over, she flicked the lights back off and took another look. The dark world was speeding past the train as it clacked down the track. While the trip between Ponyville and Canterlot was over half a day, there wasn't much of anything between it. Occasionally she’d spot a couple lights in the distance, and she wondered if they were hermit huts or stage wagons stopped for the night. She secretly hoped the latter, as she loved that feeling of freedom. That feeling was why she left Canterlot, why she particularly picked Ponyville, and why her heart sank as she neared the capital.

After a few minutes sitting in the dark, her mind started drifting back to that dream. She shuddered; it was time to find something to do.

The compartment door slid easily enough, and the unicorn stepped out into the car. The car’s walkway was predictably empty for the time of night. Electing to head for the dining car, she headed left, towards the front of the train. As she walked, she tried to sneak glances into the compartments she passed, but almost all of them were dark and those with the lights on, had their blinds shut.

As she made her way, she feared she was going to be the only one awake in the car. Just as she was feeling nervously alone, she opened the door to the dining car door. Looking around, she spotted a particular cherry-colored pony sitting by her lonesome.

“Bwah? Ms. Cheerilee?”

The pony was sitting at a table in the corner. Cheerliee looked up and, despite the pen in her mouth, gave a smile worthy of her namesake.

She quickly trotted over to the school teacher. “Wow, I’m surprised to see you here, especially since school’s started,” she said. She eyed the table; it was covered in a few papers, an inkwell, and a single candle. “Wait, you already have papers to grade and you’re making a trip to Canterlot?”

Cheerilee set the pen back in the inkwell. “Hello Lyra Heartstrings, funny meeting you here. Fortunately, school actually starts after next week. These are merely lesson plans.”

“Oh.” Lyra nudged out the chair facing Cheerilee. “Getting a head start, I see.”

“Ha, actually I’m behind the curve,” Cheerilee said bashfully. “How unbecoming of a teacher. I’ll finish in time, however.

Lyra sat down heavily, getting comfy. She sat on her rump, her back vertical and her hind legs hanging over the edge. “Heh, that’s understandable. It’s been so nice out, I bet even you can’t resist these nice summer days we’ve been having. Well, what’s taking you to Canterlot?

Cheerilee's faced looked askance at Lyra's posture, but the years of minding awkward fillies meant she didn't mention it. “As for Canterlot, a week ago I went to Twilight’s library to pick up some books I’d like to do a lesson on. I’ve noticed some bully-esque behavior from my students last year, and this year I wanted to start with a lesson focused on improving the relationships between my students. Imagine my surprise when she didn’t have any books on the subject!”

Lyra grinned. “Oh, knowing Twilight, it would never cross her mind to have those kinds of books on hand.”

Cheerilee stifled a chuckle. “She didn’t have anything I needed. However, she offered to make an order to Canterlot’s library. Twilight said that while she has Spike to send personal correspondence, she still has to play by the rules when she checks out from the Canterlot Library, or at least she chooses to.”

Cheerilee paused to wonder how much of what that eccentric mare does is from following rules, and how much is from some crazy form of personal control issues. After a beat, she waved her hoof. “Anyways, she told me she’d have to send an official letter of request and wait for a response, but seeing as I had this free weekend open I decided to simply hand deliver the letter and pick the books out in person. Maybe I’ll enjoy the capital while I have time to.”

Lyra nodded in approval. “I like your thinking, it sounds like a plan. How long are you going to stay?”

“Almost the whole week. It’ll be Sunday when we arrive, right? I should be back in my home Thursday evening.”

“That sounds great. Hopefully I’ll run into you,” Lyra said.

“Yeah, hopefully. What are you heading to Canterlot for, and where’s your friend, the candy maker—”

“Canterlot, yeah,” Lyra quickly interrupted. “I have to go take care of some business.”

“Ah,” Cheerilee paused, and looked at Lyra who was practically fidgeting. Slowly, she asked, “...How long will you be staying?”

Lyra let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Oh, ‘till I finish what I start. I can’t say. Hopefully shorter than longer.”

“Hmm,” was all Cheerilee had to add to that.

"Sorry for the curt responses. I know it's not fair that you told me why and I'm not, but I'm going to Canterlot for business, not pleasure, and it's the kind of business I dislike." As quickly as she sat, Lyra rose. “Hey, I’ll see you around, alright? I’m tired; I’m going to go back to my compartment and catch a few more winks. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the issue. She was used to her students skimping out on personal issues with her, and while Lyra was an independent pony, she was still a young mare. “Alright Ms. Heartstrings, goodnight. I hope I'll see you around.”

Opening the door, Lyra said back, “Sorry I have to go all suddenly, but I’ll seeya in Canterlot!”

Lyra made her exit, leaving Cheerilee to wonder. What in the hay was up with that pony... Cheerilee looked down to her work and sighed. ...and how much longer till I get to catch winks too?

***

It was a combination of the change in altitude and the strobe of Celestia's sun that woke Lyra. She only had to feel it on her face twice to know they were making the ascent up Canterlot's mountain base and passing in and out of the tunnels that lined the slopes.

Looking out, she could see all of Equestria in between the periods of darkness as the train spiraled up the mountain. As the train rose, she could see Ponyville, followed by Everfree, the Rambling Rock Ridge, and Foal Mountain, all probably a day’s worth of travel by train. Getting around the north side of the mountain, there were no landmarks, just land as far as Lyra’s eyes could see. She knew Neighagra Falls was out there, and that Cloudsdale was floating around to the northwest somewhere. Lyra relished the sights; the ascension was the best part of the whole ride. Her ears were starting to pop.

As the train neared the top, it approached a split in the rails. While the right one continued up into the city, the train went left and entered a tunnel as it neared its destination; the underbelly of Canterlot. Canterlot had always been a relic of the past, being in existence for a little over a thousand years. When modern inventions called for improvements on infrastructure, it was almost impossible to expand on a city that simply had no room to grow in land area. Ponies either built up or down, and some brilliant minds decided that, in order to keep up with the times, most trains were to arrive under the city. There was one small station above ground, usually reserved for special guests to the palace or smaller trains. All heavy traffic went below.

Once inside the tunnel, Lyra sat in the dark as she watched the lights pass her window. Her expression changed from the wonder she always had while ascending the mountain, to a sullen one. She sighed. She was really back in Canterlot again. She thought it would be years before she made this trip. Funny how life turns out.

The lights passed more and more infrequently, until at long last, the walls opened up and revealed the underground station. "Ha, underground at thousands of feet above sea level," Lyra chuckled. The train made one final lurch, and she had arrived.

Central Equestrain Station, more informally known as the the Grand Stable, was as grand as it always had been. Most of Equestria's stations were either open-air or huge complexes. Canterlot engineers, not wanting to be shown up, had given the subterranean station the feeling of both. Everything was huge. More than a few trains could fit inside the station with room to spare, and the ceilings were impossibly tall, leaving Lyra to wonder if they were enchanted. Pegasi used the ample room to fly through the air, delivering messages amongst the trains and the ticket booths to keep everyone on their tight schedules. Most of the business in the underground were entire buildings, some with even a second story. They were laid on about a dozen moderately-sized streets that surrounded the main platforms.

Tossing on her saddlebags and securing her instrument case to her back, Lyra stepped out of her compartment and into the main passageway. She saw a few familiar faces from Ponyville as they filed out the railcar, but most of the occupants were ponies from Appleloosa and Las Pegasus who had been riding much longer than she had. Everyone was groggy and shuffling, unaccustomed to such long journeys via trains. The ride had left Lyra’s energy unaffected, being used to traveling. Slowly, she got in the line of the slow march to the doors.

As soon as Lyra stepped off the train and onto the platform, she was greeted with a wave of nostalgia. She had arrived on the exact same platform she had used when she snuck away from her old life. The smells from the vendors filled her nose with hayfries and fresh salads, and the roar of ponies filled her ears with a pleasant hum. Despite how old her memories were, she still could remember when she and her parents used to go on vacations.

However, as spectacular as it was, it was nothing new. Soon, Lyra found herself on her way, heading to the grand staircase to the second overlooking tier of the station. Reaching the stairs, she took them two at a time to reach the top, just like she did when she was a filly. She made her way to a balcony overlooking the loading and unloading section, and paused to pony watch for a bit. Tons of ponies were filing in and out, waiting for luggage with screaming foals tugging at their tails. She was so glad she could pack light for this journey, as even though the Grand Stable was the largest station in all of Equestria, it was only a little bit more efficient than the next, and that wasn’t very much.

After soaking in the sights a little more, Lyra headed for the exit. Lots of ponies were milling about here waiting for their carriages, loved ones, or their next train on their journey. Some were rummaging through the gift shops, and a few with plenty of time to spare were eating on the second story balcony of a restaurant she passed. She rounded a corner, and at the end of the road lay the final set of stairs, just as she remembered. Swimming to through the ponies coming and going, she ascended the steps.

Stepping through the gates, she was blinded by the sun. As her vision adjusted, she found that Canterlot was just as grand as she remembered. The entrance to the station lead her into Caelum Square in the business district. She looked around, and took in the sights.

Many shops lined each and every side of the street. Some of the best earth pony architecture in all of Equestria resided in the business district of Canterlot, and it was evident on the face of each building. Everything looked sturdy. Lyra smiled; the style reminded her of her Ponyville. The buildings there was timber-framed, but here the frames existed as a complement to the stone that most of the businesses were constructed of.

Reveling in the nostalgia, Lyra looked up and gasped. There was a beautiful bold rainbow directly overhead, with peculiarly vivid colors. It arced from the east, and passed directly over Canterlot castle. For a second, it made her forget why she was back in Canterlot, and the strange dream she had. Lyra was convinced it a sign of good luck, inwardly smiled, and continued her journey. Maybe returning home wouldn't be so bad.

Ponies were bustling everywhere, or at least what felt like everywhere. Lyra's short time in Ponyville had gotten her used to a thinner crowd. However, all around her vision was filled with ponies of all colors going about their day, trying to make bits to feed their families or pursue their dreams. Glancing at a clock that was displayed on a nearby bank, she noted that it was shortly after noon. She realized she was in the middle of a lunch rush in the busiest district in Canterlot. She was bumped into plenty of times, but just like the other locals, she didn't mind at all. Again, that warm feeling of the past came back.

Her destination was in the residential district on the east side of town, so she made her way to the nearest carriage stop and raised a hoof to flag one down. After a time, one rolled up.

"Where are you heading little lady?" asked the cheerful driver. Lyra peaked inside. The cabbie looked friendly enough, and (thankfully) the cab clean enough. His cutie mark was, what Lyra guessed, a road.

"I'm looking to go to the residential district. My address is—” Lyra paused. Looking through the window across the street, she saw a post office. Her jaw tightened. "Hey, sorry about this. I have something I need to do. If you could wait for me, I'd appreciate it, but I'll understand if you don't. Thanks anyway," she added with a pleasant smile.

Closing the door on the confused cabbie's face, she made her way across the street. As she walked, sighed and dreaded what she was about to do. She glanced up to look for her good sign. Strangely, it was already gone. Lyra kept walking.

Stepping inside, Lyra almost immediately regretted the decision. The patron part of the post office was nice, with a stamp and envelope dispenser near the counter, a couple of tables with various forms, and a not-so-long line to the counter. As she approached the envelope dispenser however, she got a look at behind the counter.

Pandemonium.

Several shouting post masters and delivery ponies were in a mess of papers strewn about, spilt coffee, and scattered packages. Lyra couldn't believe what she was seeing, till she saw the source of the cacophony. She had to do her best to stifle a laugh, for behind the encounter, was Ponyville's sort-of-dependable but ever-cheerful mailpony Derpy Hooves, looking stressed as ever and apologizing to any and everypony that wasn't busy trying to clean up behind her. The mess then became completely understandable.

Chuckling, she fished out a couple bits from her saddlebags and nabbed an envelope, a stamp, and some parchment, and walked over to an empty counter space away from the commotion. If she could get her letter in before Derpy left, she was sure it would reach its destination in a timely fashion, if wrinkled.

She looked at the blank parchment for some time. Lyra did not want to write this letter. A special somepony had let her down, and just the memory soured her thoughts. She disliked feeling this way, with personal issues resting on her shoulders. She yearned to be carefree. It was why she had found herself in Ponyville in the first place.

Lyra exhaled, and began writing. She decided to be the bigger mare. She scribbled a quick message, and shoved it in the envelope. She wrote ‘Sweetie Drops Confectionery, Ponyville’ on the front, and slipped it into the box. Feeling slightly better and proud of herself, she turned to the door. She almost made it, till someone called out to her.

"Excuse me, miss? Is that an instrument case over your shoulder?" asked a smooth, sophisticated voice. "Particularly, a lyre?" Lyra turned around and saw that the earth pony from the front of the counter looking back at her. Her coat was dark grey, her hair black. Her cutie mark was a violet treble clef, matching the color of her eyes.

Lyra grinned. "You betcha. It's quite the beautiful instrument."

The pony smiled, and turned back to the counter. She removed a package from her saddlebags along with a few bits, and slid them on the counter, then turned back to Lyra. Walking up to Lyra, she continued.

"Indeed, it is," she continued in a strong It's quite musically versatile in accompaniments, or playing melody. It may not be as versatile as a harp, but it plays well and isn't as cumbersome. It's a challenging instrument to sound competent with."

"Well, I'm one of the most competent players you'll probably meet. I've been playing for over a decade. I even got a few compliments from some old greats. Once, Gentle Chimes himself paid me a compliment."

The pony cocked an eyebrow. "Hmm, it's odd. I don't think I know you".

Lyra continued to smile, but blinked twice. "Well, I'd think it pretty odd if you did, seeing as we've never met. I'm Lyra, by the way."

"Yes, but I should know you," the pony insisted. She walked around Lyra, looking her up and down. "Peculiar. Are you, by chance, new here?"

"Well, yes and no. Short answer: no. I know my way around town." Lyra's smiled dipped a tiny bit. Who is this pony, and what's that accent? It sounds like a false posh one residing over an already elegant Canterlotian one.

The earth pony took a step towards the door. "Hmm. Lyra, where are you headed? I'm headed to the art district. Would you care to join me?"

If it was another destination, Lyra would've said no. However, the art district was on the way to the residential district, and this pony seemed to know a thing or two about appreciating music. Plus, despite it magically disappearing, she still took the rainbow as a good omen. "Y'know, I wouldn't mind in the slightest."

The two ponies stepped out the door, and made their way across the street. As they approached the carriage stop, Lyra noticed the cabbie she waved down was still parked. She walked over.

"Hello sir, were you waiting for little ol' me?" Lyra said playfully.

"Oh no, no no no, I'm merely was on my brunch break," he said mischievously. "Go ahead and hop in, I'm done."

Lyra hoofed the door and stood aside. "After you miss...?"

The pony walked past into the carriage. After taking a seat, she looked Lyra in her eyes. "Miss Octavia, if you please."

***

Octavia sat across from Lyra, lounging on her seat. "What a humorous tale. The Equestrian countryside sure does sound... adventurous, to say the least. However, I'd like to know you're musical history, Lyra. If you don't mind."

Lyra much preferred talking about Ponyville, but decided to oblige. "Certainly. I've been interested in music since I was a filly. I was lucky enough to go to several orchestra performances. To keep this short, they were awesome! Performance pieces included Maurice Stable, Colt Debussy, and Igor Trotvinsky. Y'know, all the contemporary big wigs. Eventually, I became interested in making my own sound. My parents bought me a tiny flute to keep me occupied. It didn't. I could not for the life of me make the sound I wanted to come out of it. It was the beginning of a long line of instruments that didn't feel just right. All the usual stuff, you know? The instruments got less and less traditional for 'little fillies' until they finally gave me this." Lyra glanced over and patted her case.

"I've always wondered if I was destined to play the lyre because of my name, or if it was just happenstance. Anyways, I immediately fell in love. It sounded heavenly; exactly what I had in mind the whole time. Not only did my playing sound great to me, it sounded great enough for my parents. Great enough, for them to attempt to enroll me in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorn's music program. It didn't take long for the judges to decide I was more than a great fit for the program. Full ride."

Octavia's eyes were wide open as she cut in. "How marvelous!"

Lyra blushed. "Yeah, I guess. The rest is mostly history. I spent years growing up and being immersed in music. I got to meet a hoofful of prestigious musicians, I wrote a decent amount of pieces I still play today, and when I graduated I was even offered a job at the Canterlot Philharmonic Orchestra."

Octavia's eye's narrowed. "What? The CPO? I don't believe it. I've never seen you, I've never heard of you, yet you were good enough to get an offer from the CPO? And why in the world did you not take it?"

Lyra stared Octavia in her eyes, and then reached for her saddlebags. She scooped out her lyre case, and unlocked it. Upon opening it, Octavia saw a weathered instrument, one that was once extremely beautiful but had suffered damage not from misuse, but from love. Lyra picked it up with her hooves. She sat up, in the upright position she got made fun of by all her friends in Ponyville, and looked at Octavia in silence.

Then, with a grin, she started to play.

Slowly, Octavia's jaw dropped. The first couple of notes sounded like Lyra was trying to tune, but slowly a mood built up around it. The single whole notes became accentuated with just the right lead lines that faded in and out. The piece was slow but not a grave, just slow enough to entrap the mind of anyone fortunate enough to be within listening distance. Octavia's ears were eating it up.

Lyra's face was solemn, and her eyes were closed in concentration. Eventually the piece shifted. The mood it was creating started to take on a more traditional style, and a consistent melody eked out of the lyre, with accompanying two note chords. By then, Lyra had hit her rhythm, adding triplet flourishes and unique chord voicings, her hoofs dancing around the instrument. By then, Octavia was in a trance.

She she kept the theme relatively simple, sticking to the palate of sounds she had established. With the variation, she stripped the chords to bass notes and added a counter melody. It sounded as if two souls were dancing. It was beyond beautiful. Octavia started to blush, embarrassed for ever questing this mysterious pony's abilities.

Instantly Lyra changed gears. All of the sudden the piece became wild. Notes were coming faster than Octavia thought possible for that kind of instrument. More importantly however, were what pitches actually were. What the notes were saying. At first, it was heavy and melodic, but now it was frantic and strong and searching. To an untrained ear the sound would've tread a little too close to noise for their liking, but Octavia's ears, immersed in music longer than Lyra had been alive, lapped it up hungrily.

As the piece came to a close, Octavia's spirit slowly floated down from where it had been elevated. She found her breath was quick, and she felt like she had had ice water dumped on her then pushed into a furnace. She felt as alive as when she listened to her favorite composers, and she felt it, even if she wasn't sure what it was.

Finally done, Lyra looked up with a steel gaze, catching Octavia's eyes. After a beat, she broke a smile.

"Ms. Heartstrings! That was... marvelous! That was stupendous! That was, if I may, awesome! I apologize I ever doubted you, and—” Octavia’s eyes widened as she realized. Lyra was sitting up with the lyre still in her hooves. Her hooves! "You... you played... without magic?"

"Yeah. My professors were quite cross with me about that. I was at a school for 'gifted unicorns', y'know, but I insisted I played with my hooves. They eventually they let me be, but the disapproving stares never stopped. It feels good, y'know? To feel it in your hooves. Too actually feel what you're playing." Lyra ran a hoof down her old, weathered friend.

Octavia's eyes shined. They sat in silence for a while. Eventually, she said quietly, "Thank you."

"Oh, no problem. I wrote that when I-"

"No, Lyra. It's not just your music. It's how you play." Octavia stroked her mane. "Obviously, I play with only my hooves too, and it's been so... hard..." She paused. Being open with others is not something Octavia liked to do. She lowered her voice. "It's been so hard. To learn how to play my favorite instruments with hooves. I heard the sounds, I heard them in my heart but the struggle to make them real was immense. Even when I was finally capable, to get people to even take me seriously in this city was a trouble of itself. To not get laughed off before given a chance."

Octavia turned to face the window. "Of course, that was a long time ago. Lately I've finally reached my dreams, but I remember years ago fighting tooth and nail for every note I was allowed to make on stage. Most people, even my colleagues, don't remember what I had to do to get where I am today. I am the only notable earth pony cellist in the city, Lyra."

Lyra sat in silence. She was well aware of how Canterlot operated. She knew the stigmas that still pervaded behind Canterlot's pretty face. Of course, it wasn't out of malice, but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt, and it occasionally closed some doors prematurely.

"I feel conflicted, but good, though. Here you are, a young unicorn mare mastering an instrument so thoroughly, a feat I take after my own heart. And, you chose to play the way I have to." Octavia looked back at Lyra and smiled sheepishly. "I want to feel at least a little sour, as if you were showing off, but I know that's not the case."

Lyra gave her usual grin. "Definitely. On top of it all, I can barely play with my magic. Can you believe that?" She let out a small chuckle.

Luckily, Octavia joined her. As their laughter died down, they sat in silence a bit. Then, Octavia perked up.

"Uh, sir? Why are we stopped?" Octavia asked the cabbie.

"OH! Oh, sorry miss. I was just, ah..." The cabbie looked around. He had parked on the side of the street. "I guess I forgot myself, miss."

Lyra laughed again. "It's quite alright good fellow! A well laid tune can entrap any poor soul within earshot. I take it as a compliment; I thank ye," she said in a goofy voice.

"I'll just, uh, keep goin' then." The carriage started to ease back into traffic, and continue to the art district.

The carriage pulled up in front of a lavish apartment. It was gated, with a cast iron fence around it. It even had a mini park, where several foals were playing under the watchful eyes of their parents.

"Here I am," said Octavia. She gathered her saddlebag and tossed it on her back, and stepped down from the carriage onto the cobbled street. Quickly, she turned around, holding the door open. "Lyra, today has been... special. I want to properly thank you again for what you did."

Lyra blushed again. "It was nothing, Miss Octavia."

Octavia let out a coy smirk. "Simply 'Octavia' will suffice. I would love to spend some time with you to speak about music further, especially while I'm in the company of my cello. Would you care to meet tomorrow after my rehearsal?"

"Sure thing," Lyra replied. "Tell me where and when."

Octavia fished out some bits and paid the cabbie. Turning back to Lyra, she opened a side pocket on her saddle bag and pulled out a card. She set it down on the seat besides Lyra. "Meet me at 4:30 behind this building. Ta-ta." And with that, Octavia closed the door and made her way to the gate. Puzzled, Lyra reached down to pick up the car, and paused with her mouth open as she read the card. Instantly she was at the window.

"Whoa, you work there?" she shouted after Octavia.

Octavia smiled to herself, and then turned. In a haughty voice, she replied "You're not the only one with talent, Miss Lyra."

***

Lyra woke from her nap. It was only a quick rest, but she had dreamed. As it faded, one image still hung in her mind. It was one of the ones from before.

Twilight. Covered in red.

Lyra was wondering just what that purple unicorn was up to when the carriage stopped. As Lyra stepped out and tried to pay the cabbie, only to find out Octavia had covered her fair. She was greatly appreciative of her generosity, especially considering her circumstances. However she didn't want to be a charity case. As the carriage pulled away, she couldn't help but feel herself shrink, figuratively and physically. She slowly turned, and let out a deep sigh. "Whelp, welcome home Lyra."

The residential district did have a lot of apartments. They were all insanely expensive, costing thousands of bits a month. Artisans and engineers stayed there, gifted ponies who were some of the most talented minds in all of Equestria. However, no matter how expensive apartments where, they had nothing on the actual houses in Canterlot. Did she say houses? She meant mansions, and the one owned by Lyra's family was one of the largest in the capital.

Pegasus architecture always had a regal and exotic look about it. The style was only meant to be applied to clouds, and it was insanely expensive to try to mold solid rock into comparable structures with at least decent structural integrity. The process took the strongest earth pony hooves, the most delicate of unicorn magic, and at least one willing pegasus to put up with all the complications long enough to get the job done. Despite all this, Lyra's house was nothing but pegasus architecture.

As she strolled down the lawn to her front door, the pit in her stomach deepened more and more. The house was full of happy memories, mostly, but returning now was the last thing on her list of wants. The walk was slow, and it wasn't just the length of the lawn; it was the sullen dread that hung over her.

Lyra paused at the steps to her front door. "No. This is going to continue to be a good day," she said to herself. "This is going to be a pleasant stay. I'm not going to let it get me down." She inhaled deeply. With newfound confidence, she scaled the steps. Taking a key out of her bags, she opened the door and stepped inside.

The foyer was just as Lyra remembered it, maybe a bit bigger. It was a two story room, with a balcony overlooking it. The room was furnished lavishly, filled with modern design and art. Every inch of floor space was covered in a carpet as soft as clouds, and the three main-level exits lead to grand hallways were lined with paintings, pictures and display cases. It was the room of somepony trying to impress, and that somepony was very successful at it. A sound from the balcony made her look up. A cobalt earth pony wearing a high collar was approaching the balcony

“Who’s there? Who's this coming into my house? You better have a good reason for breaking in before I break y— Lyra? Lyra, my filly! Aria, come here!”

“What is it Granite?” A brilliantly malachite-green pegasus in an evening gown approached behind the earth pony. She gasped loudly. “Oh my, is that our Lyra? My little Lyra?”

Lyra threw her grin. “Hi mom, hi dad.”

In no time at all, her parents had made it down the grand staircase and Lyra found herself in a tight embrace.

“It’s so good to see you! Why didn’t you send word? We were worried about you so much. Where have you been? What did you do to your hair?” asked Aria.

“My hair’s been like this since I left. I happen to like it, thank you very much.”

Aria paused a bit. “It’s funny, after telling you no all while you were growing up, I think I kind of like it.”

“So Lyra, where have you been? You didn’t actually go to Ponyville, did you?”

Aria cut him short. “Oh Granite, leave her be. We can talk about it at dinner.”

“Actually, yes, among other places.”

Granite frowned. “And what have you been doing in... Ponyville?” Lyra felt like her father spat out the word, like it tasted like dirt to him.

“If you must know, I’ve been having the time of my life. I’ve seen so many wonders. I’ve had a run-in with parasprites, an ursa minor, and even Cerberus himself. I’ve seen a couple of dragons, I’ve seen a real-life superhero, I’ve participated in wrapping up winter and I got caught in the skirmish in Appleloosa, if you can actually call it that. Did you even hear about it all the way here in Canterlot? Did you know I was there for the return of Princess Luna? I even saw Nightmare Moon, in person!” Aria audibly gasped at this. Lyra took pleasure from it, and kept on. “And I thought that was rough till Discord came and turned Ponyville into his personal domain for half a day. Or several days, technically, since he was manipulating the sun, moon, and stars.”

Her mother stared speechless at her. Her father's frown deepened.

“Don’t worry, I was safe. There’s a local group of mares that seem to always keep the town safe. They get into all sorts of trouble, but no one’s been hurt. Our local paper calls them The Ponyville Six. Maybe you've heard of them? One of their names should be quite familiar. But speaking of them, it reminds me. I’ve made friends. A ton of them.”

Lyra paused, looking away. “Some of them are no longer with us...” After a moment, she turned back to her parents. “But they were special. They are special. All my friends in Ponyville are special. Not that the friends I had here were bad, but these ones are refreshing and won’t ask about your social status or anything. We've been through real life together, and I love it.”

Granite huffed. “‘Real life’? Do you even work?”

Lyra rolled her eyes. She walked over to the couch and plopped down, discarding her saddlebags. “Of course. I work at a candy store.”

As Aria sat down on a couch opposite of Lyra with her husband, her eyes lit up. “A candy store? That sounds highly amusing.”

“It doesn't sound like well-paying work,” said Granite as he joined his wife. “Or glamorous work. Or even hard work. Work worthy of my lineage. You can’t possibly have enough to take care of yourself.”

Lyra frowned. “Of course not, but my boss is particularly nice—”

“You have a boss?” both her parents shouted in unison.

“Weird, I know.” Lyra rubbed the back of her head. “She can’t pay me in bits right now, so I get compensated by being allowed to stay with her. She’s very hard working, and she reminds me a lot of you, dad, if you ever decided to live life a little.” Granite simply huffed in response.

“Working there is fun, and I do get vacation sometimes. I took off work to go to the Grand Galloping Gala last year, and it was wild! Those six mares I mentioned earlier showed up and utterly destroyed the place!" Lyra was flailing her arms, getting wrapped up in her tale. "Saved it from being a snore fest. I also took off to go to a wedding once, and changelings attacked! I was even impersonated by one! Again those six mares did a lot to save the day, again! It’s interesting, they seem to get around, and I’m pretty connected to one of them...”

Lyra finally looked at her parents. Her mother looked dejected, her father furious.

“Unless I’m mistaken,” he said evenly, “both of those events happened in a placed called Canterlot. A place where your two loving parents reside. Two loving parents who had no idea where you were, for how long, was it?"

Lyra swallowed hard, continued carefully. “Well, I didn't have a lot of time to hang out, being employed and all, and I only ever visited for specific reasons so I didn't have time to—”

“Time to visit your family?” Aria snapped at her. Aria’s tone was tense, but wavering. Lyra gulped. "Lyra, we love you. We raised you. How could you forget us like that?"

Granite rose. “I’m happy you’re safe. That is what’s most important to me, but clearly you don’t have your values in proper alignment. Your time in Ponyville is being wasted. Being a candy maker won’t carry you anywhere in life."

He slowly approached Lyra, grinding his teeth. Eventually, he towered over her. "You're above that! You’re Lyra Heartstrings, you should be either making music or in construction like me, or something worthy of your time. It’s unbecoming to be a nobody at a specialty store, surrounded by a bunch of common ponyfolk. We sacrificed too much to get you where you were before you left us, and every day you slack around makes me feel like one big bucking joke!"

"You're the one who's joking if you think I feel any remorse for not repaying favors I never asked for!" Lyra shouted as loud as she could.

Granite gave his daughter a look that could've cut glass. It took all of her might to return his gaze, but Lyra stood her ground, looking up to him. Seconds passed.

Eventually, Aria sniffled behind him. With that, he made for the stairs.

“Dad!” Lyra started, but then her mother rose as well to follow him. “Mother?”

Aria shook her head, and wiped her eyes. She ascended the steps with her husband. At the top, she turned and faced Lyra, still rooted to the spot. With a pained expression she looked into her daughters eyes, and said, “Welcome home, Lyra.”

Chapter 5 — Quotidian

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— Chapter 5 : Impressions —

Lyra had spent her ride to the art district in silence. How could I have let slip I visited Canterlot after my exodus?, she lamented. Of course Mom and Dad wouldn’t take that well. She sighed, and tried forced herself to think about something else. Being negative was not her cup of tea. Instead, she wondered what Octavia had in store for her. Despite her excitement of meeting this new and accomplished musician, she hoped it ended in bits; she was technically here for business, and not pleasure. Or at least give me higher bit-potential.

Eventually, she arrived at the concert hall. Lyra fished in her bag of bits to pay the cabbie. She noted she was getting painfully low. It wouldn't last her more than two weeks if she really stretched it.

More than two weeks? She recoiled at the thought of being away from Ponyville for that long. Glancing at the bag again, she also hoped that her new friend would help her put some bits back in sooner, rather than later. She threw her saddlebag on and stepped out onto the busy cobbled street.

The Lunaris Concert Hall was simply grandiose. Lyra had to crane her neck all the way back just to see the top. Above the doors, the brilliantly lit gold sign was bright even in daylight, and it was flanked on both sides by gorgeous stained glass windows. On one side, there was Princess Luna looking downcast and remorseful, surrounded by pegasi foals carrying roses. The other was Princess Celestia looking over at her sister lovingly and longingly with a soft smile, surrounded by more flying foals. Lyra appreciated the art, but wondered if Luna did.

Despite the art district's already lengthy history, the Lunaris' seniority reached back farther than any other building in Canterlot. The rumor went that the Princess of the Night's favorite haunt before the fall was a concert hall by the same name in the old capital. After her banishment, Celestia ordained the capital to be moved from its place near Everfree to the top of Canterlot mountain, some say in an effort to try to bury the past. Celestia also decreed that the Lunaris be restored in the new capital, making it the first building built after Canterlot Castle was completed. Many improvements were made on the theater, and the stained glass windows were added as a gift to the fallen princess. Lyra was amused at how forgiving Celestia had been.

Lyra made her way around back to the alley. She laughed as trotted around the building, thinking of how shady her entrance to such a grand of a place was going to be, and wondered if any local ponies were giving her odd stares. In the rear of the building, there were a few doors to the concert hall. All but a hooffull of the doors had no doorknobs and were one way exits to the outside. While waiting, Lyra took to leaning against the wall, but kept switiching which side she leaned on; she found herself too excited to stand still, but didn’t want to come off as a giddy young filly. After a while, one of them opened, and a pony peeked out. Lyra grinned as Octavia caught sight of her and beckoned her over.

"Good, you're on time. Follow me," Octavia said as Lyra approached.

Stepping inside, Lyra found herself in a stairwell. Octavia silently led Lyra up a couple of flights, and through several doors, and up even more stairs. Lyra didn't like the feeling of being drawn into a maze. Her apprehension overrode her desire to maintain Octavia’s unofficial silence, and she chose to ask about something other than their destination.

"Sooo, Octavia, what do you have planned today?"

Without halting her steady march or turning her head, Octavia replied, "We're going to play." She didn't elaborate.

As they continued, Lyra could tell they were nearing the top right corner of the building; if not by time traveled, certainly by steps taken, as she felt the tiniest bit winded. A fleeting thought left her wondering if the city was sapping her energy and her health, but she dismissed it. They neared an old wooden set of double doors, unlike the more regal ones below. Octavia creaked them open, and invited Lyra in.

Inside, Lyra was floored. The room looked like an old studio apartment that was covered from wall to wall with instruments. Every family of instruments had their fair share of representation. There were bassoons, flutes, xylophones, trombones, and much more. In the center, there was a few chairs and an upright piano that obviously called a vacant space along the wall home, but was pushed out for a recent concert. A huge furry circular rug was in the middle under the chairs. Besides all the instruments, the room felt extremely cozy, with planked wooden floors and huge windows. Lyra approached the windows, peering through them.

"Whoa, you can see the entire district form here!" Looking out, she saw the art district in all its glory. Most of the buildings here were two or three stories tall. Due to the circumstances behind the capital’s move to the mountain, it was one of the first districts built, second only to Canterlot Castle. The architecture reflected its age, looking like days long past of knights in shining armor, but with modern advances in construction on top of the old. This city always looked like a work of art in the middle of its creation to Lyra.

Octavia soaked in Lyra’s reactions, and merely smiled. As Lyra turned back, she noticed the final thing that really set the mood. "Oh wow, and you have a fireplace."

"Yes," Octavia nodded, "it is quite a lovely little room."

Lyra walked around the room, inspecting all the instruments. "What exactly is this place?"

Octavia walked over to the piano and lovingly struck a few notes. "My colleagues call it the storage closet, but to me, it is much more than that. Currently, I call it my personal inspiration room, as everypony else rarely comes here. Formerly, what feels like a lifetime ago, I once called it home."

Lyra made an audible gasp. "Wait, you stayed here?"

Octavia answered with a smirk. She walked over to a huge, ancient instrument case. "Take out your lyre, and pick a chair. Come, sit with me in the middle." Cracking open the case, Octavia removed an ancient cello. The poor thing had seen better days, but it would do. Octavia placed it on its side, where it had wheels installed, placed the bow on top of it, and rolled it over to the circle of chairs.

Lyra was sitting patiently and waiting. Octavia paused, confusion clouding her face. "Why are you sitting like that? It looks dreadfully uncomfortable."

Lyra was sitting up with the flat of her back against her chair and her legs hanging over, how she always sat in chairs. She rolled her eyes. "How else would I play if I don't use my magic? Don't mind me, let's just go."

Octavia shook her head, and picked up the bow with her mouth. After bringing the cello upright, she placed the bow into the crook of her hoof.

"Oh, so that's how you do it?"

"It took months of practice before I could find a way to play with the bow without my mouth. But that's also a story for later. There's a few pieces I would liked to play. Let’s start with Trois Poèmes de Stèphan Mallmaré, Maurice Stabel. I know we don’t have the proper instrumentation, however fill in as needed; I’ll be playing melody. I know you were made to learn this piece, right?"

"It's been a long time, I'm not sure if I can remember it all—" Lyra caught Octavia's ever-so-slight frown. "B-But don't worry, let's play. I'll keep up."

Octavia stood next to her cello, and Lyra cradled her lyre. Exchanging a few nods, they began to play.

***

Hours later, the sky outside was a brilliant orange, with red and purple starting to creep in. Their song had evolved to a session of improvisation, and had finally died down, leaving a sense of longing and wonder for Lyra. The pieces Octavia had chosen made her ponder the life of a member of the CPO, to be able to play pieces that reach out so profoundly to others night after night. Lyra concluded it wouldn’t get her to leave Ponyville— not for long, anyways.

After a moment of silence, Octavia spoke up, surprised she was out of breath. "This was quite fun, Lyra."

"Heh, yeah, I'll say so."

"I hoped to play longer, but I have important things to prepare for tomorrow. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all."

Octavia lowered her bow and set the cello on its side.

"Why are you in town?"

Lyra swallowed. She thought briefly of playing the question off, but the opportunity at hand and Octavia’s stern, unwavering gaze convinced her otherwise. "To be honest... it's because I'm poor."

Octavia laughed. "You have to be affluent to stay in an actual house in the residential district of the capital of Equestria."

"I'm here with my parents, but I myself am poor,” Lyra explained. “I'm trying to make my way without them. I'm in town to make some money, then I'm back off to Ponyville."

"Ponyville you say? I've been told it's a nice place, and that I should visit sometime... when not on business," reflected Octavia.

"You really should, I love it there.” Lyra looked out the window. She knew Ponyville wouldn’t be visible, but she looked nonetheless. She had no idea the town would grow to mean so much to her when she first arrived. “Yeah, a good friend of mine is making me mature up or something. I don't know. I just have to come back with enough bits to carry my own weight."

"Ha, that sounds like a good friend. You should keep them around. Lyra, while you're in town, I'd like to meet like this more often. You are truly talented, and I am deeply curious about what all you can do. However, I know you're on a mission and you want to leave, so maybe if you keep surprising me like you are right now, I can help you out."

"You may not find the bottom of that well in the time I'm here," Lyra grinned.

"You may be quite right. Anyways, I can't meet tomorrow, but how about Wednesday, same time and everything?"

"That's alright, assuming I'm not working by then."

"Yes, hopefully that good fortune does not comes to pass."

Lyra laughed, and returned her lyre to its case. Octavia pushed the cello back to the corner, and approached the door.

As they made their way back down to street level, Lyra had to ask. “Hey, Octavia? How'd you get your cutie mark?” To her surprise, Octavia turned about.

“It's nothing special, really,” she recounted in a mechanical tone. “It's not from playing cello, either. I can play a few other instruments. As a filly, I had a song in my mind for a long time. I was lucky enough to be taught rudimentary musical notation, and when I wrote my first song it appeared immediately.”

“Aw, don't discredit yourself. Of course it’s special. You're a brilliant musician.”

“Maybe so,” Octavia pondered, “however, I'd have more than enough bits to fill your saddlebags if I had one for every musician whose story is like mine.” She resumed walking.

Lyra shook her head and followed, walking the remainder of the journey in silence.

Outside, Octavia waved down a carriage. As it pulled up, she turned to Lyra. "I'm sorry I stole precious job-hunting time away for you."

"Oh, it was nothing. Time spent having fun isn't wasted," Lyra shrugged it off.

Octavia gave Lyra sidelong glance. "I'm not so sure of that. Anyways, let me pay for your carriage fare— I insist," she added as Lyra began to protest.

Lyra stepped into the carriage. Placing her lyre on the seat and closing the door, she asked the driver to hold on a bit. "I don't know what I'll be doing with my life until I run into you again."

Octavia laughed. "I know of a few things that might be up your alley. I know you're well versed in classical, but I can tell you like to have a fun time."

Lyre let loose her big grin and nodded.

"I'm not sure how long you've been away from Canterlot, but the party scene has flourished heavily.” Octavia waved her hoof in the air. “Nobles throw grand parties for the common pony and let new and flashy 'musicians' keep them entertained. For example, there's a hooffull of DJs around here who can really put on a great time. Lots of food, a small amount of games, but a lot of dancing and even more loud music." Octavia shuddered at the thought of the abrasive songs, but could tell Lyra was intrigued, as expected.

"Heh, all that reminds me of a certain party pony from Ponyville."

Octavia smiled. "Yes, I bet it does. Anyways, you should look into it whenever you have free time. I think you'll enjoy it."

"I’ll keep an eye for it."

With that, Lyra headed home.

***

It was almost dark when Lyra slowly eased open her front door. She felt like she was glowing; experiences like that were few and far between in Ponyville, where everyone had talents that were more tailored towards being practical than artistic. She did appreciate being one of the few great musicians in town, but it got boring for a while.

As Lyra approached the kitchen, she could see a light on. Walking in, she saw her father standing near the coffee pot, sipping a brew.

"Hello, Lyra. Where have you been all day?"

"I've been playing my lyre," she answered coolly. She remembered when her parents would retire upstairs shortly after the sun went down, but she guessed he had been waiting to see if she had been productive.

He arched his eyebrows. "That doesn't exactly sound productive."

Lyra almost laughed. Typicl. "That's because you don't know who I was playing with. To make a long story short, this is going to lead to a job, possibly the career you so desperately want me to have. Today, I played my lyre with Octavia."

Granite's eyes narrow. "That name sounds familiar. That earth pony from the CPO?"

Lyra was actually surprised her father was aware of a CPO musician's existence. She figured her mother must have said it in passing. "That's the one. The cellist. She's quite good. She asked to keep playing with me in the near future, and said she'll be asking around to see if I can fit in any—" Suddenly, Lyra found herself in a hug.

"What promising news! Your mother would be proud. I'd prefer if you'd come work for me, but let's face it: hard work is not your forte." Granite was laughing and spinning Lyra round, who was admittedly getting a little dizzy.

The kitchen got brighter. Aria had flicked on the rest of the lights. "Honey, what's going on? Where have you been, Lyra?"

Before she could answer, her father answered for her. "She's been playing lyre with a new friend."

"Wait, what?" Aria had a perfectly good reason to be confused. Normally, her husband didn't approve of any musical activities that didn't end in recognition or a paycheck. "That sounds like something you'd be none-too-happy about."

"She's been playing lyre," Granite said, "with Octavia."

Aria didn’t need the inflection to know who Granite was talking about. The effect was instant. The next second, Lyra was in yet another hug. "Oh my gosh honey, that's amazing! It’s about time you started making progress being a somepony! What's she like? Nopony really knows anything about her. Ooo, did she offer you a place in the CPO? What piece did you play? Was it pieces? Were you with her all day?"

Lyra dislodged herself from her mother. "Relax, there's nothing promised. She only said she'd try to see if there's somewhere I could fit in."

Despite Lyra’s insistence, it sounded like a sure thing to her parents. Their faces were beaming. Lyra wasn't used to this kind of praise for her folks, but she had to admit Octavia's words sounded auspicious.

“This is what we’ve always wanted, honey!” Aria tried calmed down, and asked, “What would you do if you landed a spot in the CPO?"

Where is she getting this ‘we’ stuff? Lyra exhaled. The thought of playing with the CPO was a fragile mirror, and she felt if she looked at it too hard it would shatter. It would be a prestigious position, and an absolute honor. Her father would would be proud, and her mother’s unsettling drive for her to do music would be satiated. However, her thoughts turned to what her heart really yearned: a not-so-quiet country town and the companionship of a mare with a blue and pink mane.

“I’m... not sure,” Lyra pondered. She spoke slow. “I feel lyres are more for smaller ensembles. Personally I’d be very happy, I guess. It would be a big step in establishing my independence. Playing with the CPO would be like a dream.” However, she wasn’t exactly sure if it was her dream.

Granite and Aria were still pleased. “You could do big things, Lyra, if you wanted to. Don’t forget that,” said Granite.

“This is what you’ve been working towards,” Aria added pleasantly. “There’s still a second chance. Make sure to seize it this time, Lyra.”

Granite and Aria stepped out of the kitchen, while Lyra quietly thanked Luna they didn’t press the topic further. She doubted the prestige could ever replace what she had found in Ponyville.

She made her way upstairs, and flopped on her bed. Her room had been tidied up in her absence, probably by her mother.

She closed her eyes. As happy as they were with her perspective endeavors with Octavia, she was frustrated her parents still weren’t on her side concerning her true feelings, and worried about when her parents would find out this wasn’t permanent. Ponyville’s call was too strong to ignore forever. She rolled over, and closed her eyes.

That night, she dreamed of playing with Octavia in front of a filled audience. Luna was sitting side-by-side with her sister, and was beaming, feeling welcomed. After their last note rang out, Lyra looked into the sea of smiling faces and embraced her applause. As she gazed through the crowd, her eyes fell on the doors in the rear. A red-faced Twilight slowly applauded, and a sad Bon Bon turned and walked out the door.

***

Lyra stepped out of a store into the business district of Canterlot. She felt she deserved a lunch.

It had been a busy day filled with walking. There had been so many introductions, conversations, and applications. Lyra felt like she had spoken to every business owner in the district in her pursuit for employment (even if it was far from the truth).

Bon Bon would’ve been proud, she thought. Unfortunately, all that work had landed her nothing. Well, maybe she would give me an ‘A’ for effort?

She looked up, and saw the sun hanging at what she guessed was at the lunch time position. Her stomach confirmed this with a low rumble, and Lyra began to walk down the street.

Lyra craned her neck, looking for any signs that indicated cheap and easy food. This proved easier said than done, as the business district was mostly filled with ponies with jobs, and they could afford a nice meal with a nice-sized portion. She considered heading to the art district, but it was too far away for her tastes.

Finally, she caught a glimpse of a white tower behind a building. It clicked; Canterlot Castle. Instantly Lyra’s disdain turned into anticipation. While the actual castle wouldn’t have any cheap eats itself, the grounds were home to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and more importantly, the Royal University. Where there was a university, there were students, and where there was students, there was cheap food.

Lyra’s pace quickened. She trotted around a corner, and found herself on one of the main streets that lead to the castle grounds. Canterlot was like a semi-circle of sorts, with Canterlot Castle in the middle and the three districts laid out in front of it. From right to left in an arc lay the business district, the art district, and finally the residential district. Each district had two or three main roads that fed into the castle grounds.

The castle appeared to rise up as she approached. Around her, the business buildings began to grow sparse, and the streets widened. As she neared, the gates came into view. The royal grounds were surrounded by a large wall. Thankfully, the gates remained perpetually open for visitors. Lyra walked past the guards, and entered the grounds.

It was just as she remembered. She made her way to the central plaza of the grounds. In front of her, to the north, was Canterlot Castle in all its glory. To her left lay Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Lyra looked upon it fondly. She spent her entire youth here, honing her craft and living without a care. Life was much simpler back then.

Looking to her right, she saw what was once one of her possible futures. Graduating near the top of her class from the Gifted Unicorns program, or the GU program, afforded her many choices. In addition to the offers to join the Canterlot Philharmonic Orchestra, she could’ve attended Canterlot Academy, the next level school that welcomed all pony tribes. She had most of her expenses waived, and had even taken a few classes there while in the GU program that knocked off a year of schooling for her. If the CPO wanted her fresh out of the GU program, they would’ve have fought the Royal Sisters themselves to have her after more focused education. Alas, it wasn’t in Lyra’s heart; back then, getting away was all that mattered to her.

Now, she had returned. Amusingly, instead of entering the Academy to take a class, Lyra was entering it to get a bite to eat. She made her way to the steps leading up to the academy, and walked inside.

Being unfamiliar with the interior, she had to find a directory to locate the cafeteria. Memorizing the journey, she made her way and realized that cheap food at lunchtime came at a price: the lunchtime rush. Lyra groaned and rolled her eyes. She grabbed a tray with her magic as she queued in line.

Eventually, she made it through. Her stomach was having a conversation with itself at this point. She relinquished some more of her precious bits for a daisy sandwich and a side of hay fries, and brought her food to a distant corner of the cafeteria. Just as she was about to reward herself with her delicious sandwich, a pony came approached her from behind. Sensing the newcomer behind her, she looked up with an intent to shoo. She found herself looking at Cheerilee.

“Hello Lyra,” said Cheerilee.

“Hey, Ms. Cheerilee! How’s it going? What perfect timing. Care to join me?” Lyra responded, cheerfully.

Cheerilee nodded and moved to sit. “Just what I was hoping for. It’s nice seeing a familiar face in all this craziness. I feel so out of place. My university days are long behind me, and this place is quite prestigious, more so than my alma mater.”

Lyra scoffed. “Nah, don’t let these younger ponies get to your head,” she gestured at the body of students behind her. “They may be here at the school of all schools, but they’re just spoiled rich kids or eager beavers. We’re all just ponies.”

Cheerilee chuckled. “I guess you’re right. It’s just so exciting to be here, I guess it’s making me nervous.” Her eyes narrowed. “What brings you here? You can’t be a student, I see you working in Ponyville. Or, is that still something you rather not discuss?”

Lyra nudged her tray. “I’m here for food,” she laughed. She downed the rest of her hayfries. “The business district was too rich for my blood, so I figured I’d walk down memory lane and grab an affordable bite to eat. What about you, what brought you here?”

“I’m here for my books,” Cheerilee answered plainly. She didn’t laugh at Lyra’s deflection, but gave a deflated smile. “I thought Twilight’s order would come from the University. I should have known Twilight would only order from Canterlot Castle’s Royal Library itself. It was nice to finally learn that after a morning of searching in the university’s catalog. I was about to head over, but I noticed you as I passed the cafe. If you’re finished, would you care to join me? It would be nice to be in the company of a friend in this big city.”

Lyra gleefully wolfed down the last bite of her sandwich. “Sure!” she said before swallowing. All sense of focus on getting employed was out the window with the potential for an excursion to the castle. “Let me just toss my trash.”

***

The Royal Library was huge. Cheerilee was no longer surprised Twilight had missing books; Golden Oaks Library could fit inside of this library, branches and all. The front desk was manned by a dozen ponies. The reading space was inset into the ground, and filled with almost fifty tables of various sizes. The shelves resided in the back of the impossibly large room, towering and mazelike, and a selection of pegasi and unicorns retrieved books from the top shelves for those needing a hoof. Lyra whistled.

“I... I didn’t know it would be this... extensive,” Cheerilee remarked.

“This is gonna take all day. This place needs a map,” said Lyra, rolling her eyes.

“Hold on. I think I’ll just ask the front desk.” Cheerilee made her way to the front desk. After a quick exchange, the librarian rang a bell, and a soft green pegasus with a chalk white mane flew over. More words, and Cheerilee and the pegasus walked back to Lyra.

As they walked up, Cheerilee gave the introductions. “Lyra, this is Gentle Breeze. Gentle Breeze, this is my friend Lyra Heartstrings. He’s offered to lead us to my books.”

Gentle Breeze was clutching a list between a couple of his feathers. He glanced at it, looked at the neighboring book shelves, and seemed to come to a conclusion. “Right this way, ladies,” he said, and the three ponies entered the book maze.

They walked for minutes, with no detectable rush. The isles were just wide enough for two ponies to walk by each other. Gentle Breeze lead, with Lyra bringing up the rear.

Lyra being in the rear was a mistake. Despite abandoning the school life, she still appreciated the knowledge surrounding her, and she was doing her best to read as many spines as she could. She preferred a more hoofs-on learning experience, but hey, even the best scores of music have to be written down sometimes.

Eventually one caught her eye. Earthly Concertos of the Post-Discordian Era. She skid to a halt, and plucked it from the shelf with her golden aura. She set it on the floor and quickly started hoofing through it. The book was about what she thought it was, Earth pony music. There were so many novel ideas. Lyra couldn’t believe these songs were played without magic, the notes were so furious, the melodies so passionate, the—

“Ahem, Ms. Lyra?”

Lyra looked up to see Gentle Breeze and Cheerilee looking at her from the end of the isle. She blushed, and set the book back on the shelf.

As they walked, Gentle Breeze would periodically fly up to the top shelf, return with a book, and place it in Cheerilee’s bag.

As they went along, Lyra found yet another book. Earth Pony Pieces for Cello sat plainly on a bottom shelf. Instantly, Lyra thought of Octavia, and snapped it up. She levitated it up to her face, and kept walking.

The book was filled with pieces for cello written by or for Earth ponies. Lyra glanced at the checkout slip, and saw the book hadn’t been checked out in a number of years. Feeling pleased with her find, she slipped it into one of her saddlebags and looked up to find herself alone.

Instantly, Lyra facehoofed and groaned. This library was not where she wanted to go lost in. Instead of calling out, she decided to simply walk back to the lobby. She set the book down, and began walking.

As she wandered around, she realized she definitely should have stayed with Gentle Breeze and Cheerilee. The library section she had found herself in was incredibly different from before. She must have been in a wing, because the ceilings were remarkably shorter than she remembered.

Lyra took a left, then a right, and another left indiscriminately. Her last turn brought her down a row of books with shelves leading off to her sides. As she was walking, she spotted the end of shelves down one of the isles. She galloped to the end, expecting to find herself in the foyer. Instead, she found herself in another part of the building, facing a sign that read ‘Keep Out’. Lyra groaned again.

She glanced down the hallway. She had entered on a far end, and it stretched for a while. There was a lavish carpet stretching the length of the hallway, with long and slim tapestries. Shields and swords adorned the length of the hallway. Lyra was fairly certain she was on the opposite end of the building.

Still feeling the sting of adventure (barely), Lyra figured since she was here, she’d have a look around.

Walking along the hallway was quiet. The combination of the rug and tapestries deadened sound considerably, keeping her hooffals silent. About halfway down, she noticed a door and a locked gate facing each other. Peering out the window of the door, she could see outside, and two Solar guards facing away at attention. Lyra quickly shrunk away, and turned to face the gate. Behind it was a darkened room. Glancing at the sign atop the gate, Lyra read that this was the Star Swirl the Bearded wing.

“Whoa, that old coot has a wing? I guess Professor Shimmer Tome wasn’t exaggerating his importance all those years ago,” she said to herself. She laughed, very much surprised. She approached to the gate, and looked inside, trying to get a good look. Inside she could see shelves, much shorter than the ones in the main library, arranged in a circular pattern around the middle of the room, surrounding a giant hourglass with a sunroof above it. She reached for the handle.

“—That sounds incredibly odd. Why was she here, sir?”

Lyra froze up, hearing voices from the other end of the hall. Someone was coming.

“I wouldn’t know, she had a private audience; even we weren’t allowed in. I didn’t like it one bit. We are her guards,” said a second, much deeper voice. This voice was in a foul mood.

Two guards! Lyra panicked. While she doubted trespassing in a forbidden area of the Canterlot grounds would warrant the most extreme punishment, she couldn’t afford being unable to receive word from the jobs. Sshe could only imagine what Octavia would think if her new promising friend ended up in jail for a spell, or worse, if she was unable to make a session. Octavia rubbed her as a pony who would probably turn her nose up at such an idea.

“That’s interesting, sir. Was it just her?”

“Yes, just her. We never get just one of the Elements just by themselves, do we? It’s crazy, the strongest magic in Equestria being trusted to a bunch of young, childish mares. I don’t know what the Princess sees in them, or what she sees in her. They’ve gotten lucky, but they’re far from worthy of being our ace in the hole.”

Lyra looked back down the hall, and knew she wouldn’t be able to cover the distance in a run before the guards would be around the corner. This is not what I needed. The voices came closer.

“Did you ever find out what was discussed, sir?”

“Not exactly. Not exactly sure it was a discussion, either. As my men were outside, they heard a raised voice, then spotted the mare flying out of Canterlot Castle and into the city faster than I’ve ever seen before. We have ponies looking for her in the districts, on Celestia's orders.”

Lyra decided her best bet was to simply turn and walk back to the other end of the hall. Hopefully they won’t bother her if they didn’t feel she was important. She took up a nonchalant stroll and tried to keep as whimsical as possible.

“That probably explains the lack of guards around the castle grounds today.”

“It’s not just that. Lunar Knights have been dispatched to Ponyville to find out what’s up, Luna’s orders.”

Lyra flinched as she heard the younger guard gasp. She faltered, but continued to her walk. She began to rush; she wanted to be as close as to the entrance as possible.

“The Lunar Knights? Just what in the hay is going on, sir?”

“It sounds precarious. Think about it, we have an Element hiding out in the city, refusing to return and appear before the Princesses, and by the sounds of it Twilight Sparkle may be missing and—”

“—H-hey, you there! What are you doing in this wing?”

Lyra paused. They had found her. She slowly turned around.

“Oh, me?” she asked innocently. “I seem to have gotten lost.”

The younger guard’s face softened. “Oh, I’m sorry miss.”

The older guard rolled his eyes and shoved his younger companion. “How’d you get lost here when there’s a sign? Come here, I’m going to need you to come with us.”

Lyra slowly approached the guards, her eyes cast downward. She felt like she was walking through water at the bottom of the ocean. She tried to think of a white lie to keep her from trouble, but no matter how fast her mind spun its wheels, it was going nowhere. She gulped, the last thing she wanted was to spend a few nights in Canterlot Castle’s jail. Besides the obviously bad ‘jail’ part of the ordeal, Lyra was sure Octavia would be more than cross with her.

Octavia would finally show some other emotion besides stern or tart. She would have laughed to herself if she could risk it, but something told her the guards wouldn’t be appreciative of it. As she faced her consequences, she started to sweat, and hoped someone was watching out for her.

Chapter 6 — Cacophony

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Go forth, my servant. Your weakness now yields purpose.

— Chapter 6 : Cacophony —

Applejack woke with a start, covered in sweat. Another restless night. Another nightmare with Twilight Sparkle, face covered in red.

She sat up in bed, and found herself panting. She jerked her head around, glancing around the darkness for hidden eyes. Finding herself alone, she wiped her forehead with her hoof, and felt icky. She got up and showered in the cold, then headed downstairs.

She found herself alone in the kitchen. Usually Big Mac was up cooking breakfast, but it wasn’t dawn yet, and wouldn’t be for a little while. Applejack felt a twinge of sadness, as she would love to talk to her brother over some of his grits, but she was by herself in the dark. The morning crickets were the only sound keeping her company.

She poured herself a glass of water and grabbed a hay biscuit from the fridge, not bothering to warm it. Sitting down, Applejack bit into the biscuit, took a swig of her drink, and lost herself recounting the dream. It was like looking at a broken mirror with every cracked piece reflecting jagged memoires.

She saw flashes of Twilight staring silently from a forest, watching the town, watching her. She was in the library, still painted crimson, with Rarity’s scream still ringing in her ears. She wept as her friend suffered molecular destruction, and she was helpless to stop it.

Applejack heard a clatter on the floor. Flinching, she gasped for air and coughed, the spell broken. She reached up to cover her mouth, and found her face wet. She opened her eyes to a watery room, but quickly blinked away her grief.

“Why did Ah do that to myself?” she asked no one. Her visions answered the question. She couldn’t let the others deal with that. And yet, she swallowed hard. She was made out of strong stuff, but this was a new kind of problem. As much as she’d love to, she couldn’t just buck it till it budged. She picked the glass off the floor. It was trembling in her hooves. She was thankful she was alone for this.

Applejack refilled her glass. Slow, drawn out swigs emptied it, and periodic trips to the sink kept it full. She drank in the silence, and did her best to empty her mind. Time passed indiscriminately.

She first heard the rhythmic footfalls before she looked up. Big Macintosh stepped into the kitchen. Meeting Applejack's gaze, he stopped, one hoof inches above the ground. Applejack kept her face even, but Big Mac's eyes knew what they saw. Applejack never said a word, so Big Mac continued his routine.

Big Mac was awake, so Applejack looked outside. As expected, through the windows, she could see the sky warming up. She rose from the table to meet the day, leaving her half empty glass behind. She didn't see Big Mac retrieve it for her and deposit it in the sink.

Applejack opened her front door to a promising day. Looking out, she could see light breaking on the horizon, slowly creeping across Sweet Apple Acres and Crunchy Carrot Fields next door. Ponyville was in the distance, just beginning to be touched by sunlight. It was a sight she loved. Her anxiety finally began to slip through her hooves. Her heart was still.

As she stared longer, she noticed three figures approaching from the road. Applejack shielded her eyes from the rising sun. They walked with purpose, their gait driven by their dark armor. She had seen them once before, last Nightmare Night. They were Lunar Knights, Luna’s infamous right hoof. Applejack tensed.

“Big Mac,” Applejack whispered into the house, and waited. She wasn’t sure exactly when he arrived, but suddenly she could feel his presence behind her on the porch. “Listen, Mac. Ah know you’ve probably noticed how Ah’ve been actin’ lately. Ah’ve been all skittish like a newborn foal. Ah appreciate you keepin your questions to yourself, but Ah’m gonna have to ask you to keep some more.”

Applejack turned to Big Mac, and looked him in the eyes. “We got some visitors comin’ up the road. It looks like they’re pretty important. Ah’m not sure what they want, but let me do the talkin’. If the young ones wake up, keep ‘em upstairs too, will ya?”

He held her gaze. Big Mac raised an eyebrow. Applejack remained steadfast, never breaking eye contact. Eventually he simply nodded. “Eeyup.” He returned to the house. Applejack turned back to the knights.

The Lunar Knights were curious ponies. To Applejack, they looked like pegasi crossed with bats, with their pointed ears and featherless wings. Their skin and coats were all various shades of grey or blue. They looked odd in daylight, their armor reflecting the excess light they were not used to operating in. Twilight had mentioned they used to be more prevalent, but The Fall stripped them of their status and drove them into seclusion. Applejack guessed they were appearing more now that Luna had been redeemed. Whatever the reason, they were here, now.

The center one stepped right up to the Apple’s porch while the two flanking guards looked around. She scrunched her eyes. “Good morning, pony citizen. We are representatives of Princess Luna, and are acting upon her request. May we please speak to the head of the household?” Her voice was surprisingly warm, not at all what Applejack expected. Surprisingly young, too. She was sure she had a few years on the Knight.

Applejack raised the brim of her hat. “Speakin’.”

“It has come to our attention that something may be... amiss, in Ponyville. Has anything seemed out of place to you?” Her flanking accomplices were scanning the farm, but kept one eye on Applejack.

“Oh, yeah,” she began boisterously, “uhm, there’s been an accident—” Immediately, the flanking guards’ attention snapped to Applejack. Applejack gulped. “Y’see, there was this... uh… there was...”

The center one spoke again, her expression unchanged. “Please go on, miss.” She leaned in. Again, her voice struck a chord with Applejack. It sounded like an echo.

“Yeah, there was... one of mah wagon wheels got busted, all suspicious-like. Normally they’re made sturdy as mah brother Big Macintosh, but Ah was surprised at how fragile it was. Very suspicious,” she nodded enthusiastically. “Ah don’t have any enemies though, so Ah can’t tell who did it.” Applejack worked up her face, and tried to convey earnest concern. She hoped her mask was convincing. The look on the leader’s face indicated otherwise.

“Let me be a little bit more direct.” The veil hiding the danger in her warm voice lifted. “We’ve been lead to believe there’s been a disturbance in the Elements of Harmony. One may be missing. Have. You. Heard. Anything?”

One of the other Knights coughed excessively at the remark. She took no notice of him.

There was a long pause. Applejack said nothing. The leader unfolded her wings and spread them out as she stepped forward. Her eyes narrowed under her helmet and she opened her mouth to speak.

“—Ah’ve heard not a thing from nopony. Ah had a minor row with some of my friends, but it’ll blow over soon,” Applejack blurted out. She tried to put on her best smile, but inside she was reeling.

The leader huffed, and refolded her wings. Her companions turned and began heading to the road. “I don’t have time for this.” She trotted up to Applejack, and jabbed her in the chest. “You think long and hard about what you’re saying, and I’ll ask again later. In the meantime, I need to do my job.” She leaned in, her helmet centimeters from the brim of Applejack’s hat. “You think this may be funny, but I doubt this farm could suffer a spell with its hardest worker indisposed for very long. My Goddess could use a new lawn ornament.”

Applejack’s stomached dropped. Her mind shot through several thoughts. Applebloom. Big Mac. Granny Smith. My friends. “Hold on now—!”

“—In the meantime,” she turned, “I’ll be going.” She began followed them back to the road. Applejack’s heart was in her throat as she desperately tried to say something, anything, to the mare. Before she had a chance, the knight spread her wings and quickly flipped back around. “Wait. I feel I know you. I know you, or I know of you.”

“I’m nopony,” said Applejack. Her words flowed automatic, all inflection dropped.

Her amber eyes burned into Applejack’s, but neither wavered. She waited for more questioning, but it never came. A moment later, she was back to following the other Lunar Knights off the farm. Applejack watch them march to Carrot Top’s place next door and let out a huge breath when they were out of listening distance.

She listened to the sound of the wind in the trees on her farm. She stepped out and felt Equestria beneath her hooves. The earth pony in her felt the comforting touch, and responded with the quiet joy she and all earth ponies felt standing on earth. She thought of that joy being replaced with a ornate pedestal and a display stating her crimes.

Then, she felt ill. She felt it deep down, under the internal graveyard that housed the memories of stubbornness with Twilight, abandoning her friends after the rodeo, and Discord’s trickery. A lie? Me, a lie? And to a royal official? Her head bobbed in an ocean, and she needed to come up to breathe.

“Big Mac,” Applejack called inside, shaking the water off her mind, “let Sweetie and Spike have mah share of breakfast. Ah’ve got something to Ah have to take care of. Now.”

Without waiting for a response, Applejack was dashing down the road. There were ponies she needed to talk to.

***

Applejack's mind turned over on itself as she walked the winding lonesome road to Fluttershy’s cottage. She had to get her thoughts off her chest. She had questions that had been building up all morning. What she had found out worried her. Worse, who she hadn’t found was incredibly troubling.

The dirt path took her away from town, winding up the gentle hills to the solitary dwelling. As she approached the door, she heard a raised voice, full of intensity. She paused, just out of range to hear what was said. She didn’t want to eavesdrop on Fluttershy.

Fluttershy is home!

A weight was lifted from her shoulders. Then, there was a shout. Applejack galloped up to the door and tried the handle.

Locked.

“Fluttershy, are you ok in there?” She shouted at the door. Listening intently, she heard a meep, and a glass shatter. Swiftly, AJ crouched, at the ready.

“Alright you varmint, Ah’m comin’ in there, and if there’s a hair hurt on Fluttershy’s head—!” Applejack turned around, prepared to give the door a savage kick. She heard a click. Looking over her shoulder, Fluttershy's face appeared in the crack of the door, darkness obscuring the room behind her..

“Oh. S-s-sorry I took so long to answer the door, Applejack.” Fluttershy looked shaken, like she hadn’t slept in too long. Most importantly, Fluttershy was there.

Applejack’s face flipped from apprehensive to overjoyed. She reached into the doorway and pulled Fluttershy out for a tight hug.

“Thank Celestia you’re here, Fluttershy!” Applejack practically sung, previous danger forgotten. “Ah thought Ah was all alone for a second!”

Applejack whooped as she spun Fluttershy around in joy, causing the pegasus to get disoriented. Applejack finally noticed, and sat her down, smiling. Fluttershy shook her head, trying to rid herself of stars.

“Heh, whoops,” Applejack said bashfully.

“I-i-it’s OK, Applejack,” Fluttershy said as she tried to rid herself of stars. “What’s got you so excited? What do you mean alone?” She stood up and started walking to her door.

Applejack was breathless. “Sorry there, Shy. Mind if Ah come in? There’s some things Ah really need to talk to you about.”

Fluttershy froze. Without turning around, she said “Uh, sorry, Applejack. Now’s not a good time. It’s... messy, in there.”

“Well shucks, Fluttershy, no need to be so modest. Ah live on a farm, remember? Ah've got critters just like you. Ah’m sure you’re cottage isn’t as bad as mah barn.” She stepped towards the cottage.

Fluttershy turned, and stepped in front of her. “Oh no, Applejack. I just couldn’t, you know? It’s just so bad inside, and, and some of my animal friends are sick. It would be best if we stay out here. You can’t get sick at the beginning of applebucking season.”

Applejack side-stepped Fluttershy and continued towards the door. “Jeeze, girl, it ain’t that serious. Besides, Ah have something I really need to—”

“No!” Fluttershy yelled.

It was Applejack’s turn to freeze. She had heard that tone before. There was an edge to Fluttershy’s voice, a timbre that triggered dark memories. The voice dug at her skin, a million soft bristles being pushed into the flesh, but it was still light and fair. Subconsciously, she shivered, and quickly stopped advancing.

Then that Fluttershy was gone, replaced with the one Applejack remembered. “Sorry, Applejack,” Fluttershy said sweetly as she floated past her. “I just can’t let you inside right now.” She grabbed the handle with her hooves. “How about I make you some tea next time, to make it up to you?” Fluttershy gently closed the door. “I hope you understand.”

Fluttershy's tone sounded as nurturing as ever. The change made Applejack feel queasy.

“Now,” Fluttershy said as she turned around, “How about you... accompany me to Froggy Bottom Bog! I have to check up on how the frogs are doing. They’d be lost without me. I hope you don’t mind. We can talk along the way.”

Applejack was rooted to the spot. “Uh, are you ok, Sugarcube?”

Fluttershy turned, and gave Applejack a sweet smile. “Just fine.” Applejack knew it was empty.

***

The walk to the woods was silent, but as soon as they crossed the threshold into the Everfree Forest everything became alive around them. Birds sang from the canopies. Many unseen creatures spoke from the underbrush. Animals bounced around the air between the trees, barely registering to the pair. Occasionally, a roar that could easily belong to a manticore could be heard in the distance, declaring the creature’s dominance. Fluttershy led, while Applejack flanked closely behind her. Fluttershy didn’t mind, and secretly enjoyed being the lead for once.

Besides Everfree Forest generally being a place Applejack didn’t enjoy spending free time in, Fluttershy's reaction was eating away at her. It was eerily just like her breakdown the day in Twilight’s treehouse, only she had snapped out of it just as fast as it came. In addition to that, the trees were steadily getting thicker, and light was dimming. Applejack felt increasingly uncomfortable.

She must still feel it, Applejack mused. Shucks, I still feel it. I'm losing my mind, knowing Twi and Rarity aren't here. And now... How do I even bring this up gently?

Applejack continued to follow in silence, trying for once to be tactful with someone she cared about. All the topics on her mind swam around her, and every time she tried to play out a conversation in her head it ended with her stumbling to get her point across.

“It’s been a while, Applejack,” Fluttershy spoke up. “I haven’t seen you since...”

Applejack didn’t need Fluttershy to finish her sentence to know what she was talking about. She gulped. This was not how she had hoped this would go. "Uh... Sweetie Belle’s doin' alright,” she said conversationally. Internally she grimaced.

“How is she?” Her sweetness remained, ignoring the deflection.

Understanding as always, thought Applejack.

“Sweetie Belle is dandy,” she continued. “Overjoyed she gets to romp around with Apple Bloom all times of day, since school hasn’t started yet.”

Applejack slowed, and looked at her hooves. Fluttershy noticed and slowed as well.

Applejack’s voice fell. “Ah hate lying to her. Every day is another one to me.”

Fluttershy placed a hoof on Applejack’s back. “But you have to, Applejack. Even if she deserves to know, it’s not your place to tell her.”

“But there’s no tellin’ when her parents’ll be back. Vacationing is easier than wrangling hens when your other daughter's old enough to foalsit. Ah still feel it’s unnecessary to be gone so long. There’s always work to do.” Applejack thought vacations longer than two days was a waste of time. “Spike’s there too.”

“How is he?”

“Quiet. Silent even. Never says a peep, never notice him till you trip over him. As far as Ah can tell, he hasn’t told Sweetie Belle. He hasn't spoken to anyone. No letters, even. Ah wish Ah could say something to him.”

“Let him grieve,” Fluttershy said solemnly. “He lost everything. We lost everything, too. We all react differently.”

Both of them had experienced loss before. Grief was part of the business when caring for animals. Applejack had nothing to say. Fluttershy began to walk again, and she followed.

***

Applejack could hear several splashes as they continued through the forest, and soon enough they broke through the trees, into the bog. True to its name, Applejack spotted plenty of frogs at play in the shallow waters of Froggy Bottom Bog, more than she’d have the patience to count. Fluttershy took this cue as to start trying to corral the amphibians.

Applejack watched on as Fluttershy spoke softly to the frogs. She still hadn’t brought up why she sought her out in the first place.

“Fluttershy? Ah think…” she took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Ah think Canterlot may know about... Rarity. Luna’s Knights came to my farm this morning.”

The effect was immediate. Fluttershy dropped the frogs she held in her hooves. Spinning around, Fluttershy’s face flashed through emotions too fast for Applejack to catch. None of them were reassuring.

Carefully, slowly, Fluttershy asked, "What did you tell them?"

“They asked about us, the Elements. Seems someone reported something about the ruckus.” She rubbed one foreleg with the other. “Ah... shrugged her off, Ah guess. Ah hated doing it, but Ah wanted to talk to you girls first.” She looked to Fluttershy with a pleading look in her eyes. “It's like every day Ah'm tellin’ more lies; at least it wasn't completely untrue.” Fluttershy didn’t meet them.

“As soon as they left Ah looked for you girls— you're the only one left, did you know that? It’s odd, where is everypony?” She kicked a stone into the water, sending ripples everywhere. Finally, it was out. “When I couldn’t find Dash or Pinkie…” She trailed off.

“Danggit, Ah hate all this.” She cast her eyes downward. “The knights even threatened me, ‘Shy, threatened to turn me to stone, to take me away from my family. Can you believe that? Ah bet Luna would be livid if she heard about it.” Or so she hoped. Her lips curled into a cruel smile. “Maybe that’s more Celestia’s cup of cider. Discord did say Celestia had a penchant for it in days gone by.” She chuckled weakly.

Fluttershy smiled warmly. She approached Applejack, fluttering on her wings. Landing softly, she reached a hoof to Applejack's cheek, raising her head. "Aww, don't be that way. Now, Applejack," she cooed softly, "what did you tell the guards?"

“Oh it was nuthin’, Shy. But Ah felt so wrong. Ah’m more than scared. My family needs me; how can Ah put Twilight or Rarity before my family?” She made a face, realizing what she said. “Why do Ah have to make that choice?”

“Applejack.” Fluttershy’s eyes flashed. Applejack felt weightless. She felt her conscious lull into a freefall. "You need to tell me, Applejack. I need to know."

Applejack sunk lower. Fluttershy’s profile grew to dwarf her, like a mother’s to a filly. She would be there to take care of everything. The problems of the week peeled off of her, one by one, and Applejack began to wonder if there was ever anything worth worrying about at all. As she sunk deeper, she found her rock.

Of course, she thought, my family.

Applejack jerked away from Fluttershy's hoof and instantly felt the ground beneath her hooves again. She give her a long, hard look. Fluttershy’s mouth hung open, but didn’t speak for herself. The frogs were silent in the bog. "Like Ah said, Fluttershy, Ah didn't say nuthin’. Mentioned we were in the midst of a dispute, but nothing else. It felt like lying.”

"Oh," was all Fluttershy had to say to that. Her mind was much more verbose. If Fluttershy knew anything, it was that her friend was deeply troubled by this, and yet it wasn’t important now, not immediately. She had her own concerns, and as much as she’d like to ask Applejack for help she could never. Slowly she lifted off the ground, and flew back to the frogs, who had started to get away. She resumed grouping them together, trying to count them.

Applejack took a deep breath. “But Ah know something. That night when I was cleaning up, Twilight appeared."

Fluttershy’s head snapped around like her neck had been broken. “What? What did you say? What was that mare doing in town? She’s not still here, is she, hiding under our noses? I can’t believe—” Fluttershy bit down on her words, but Applejack could smell the loathing off of them. She slowly lowered her head. Her eyes emptied out, focusing on nothing, and waited for a reply.

Applejack’s eyes narrowed. She took a step forward. “What is wrong with you, girl? What was that earlier, huh? Why are you so ornery about Twilight?” She could hear Fluttershy breathing hard. “You make it sound like she’s not our friend anymore.”

The snarl on her face was a blight on her normally motherly features. Applejack never thought she’d ever feel this uncomfortable in Fluttershy’s presence. Her expression gradually eased, the tension passing. Her eyes started to shimmer, and her lips quivered. “Why did you abandon us? We waited all night for you.” Her mind jumped to Pinkie Pie looking broken on the kitchen floor, and to her pouring her soul into her pillows as she wailed.

Applejack stared at her blankly, unsure what to say. Fluttershy looked into her eyes, and she could see the pain behind it. She should have known better. She wanted more than anything to tell her, to say how she was in a puddle of her own tears at the end of the night. She wanted to tell her how many times she emptied her stomach that night, or how she still smelled it to that very moment, and she didn’t know when that was ever going to go away. How could she expect her friends to be any better, especially Fluttershy?

She walked past Fluttershy, so she wouldn’t see her eyes misting over. “Ah’m sorry, sugarcube. Ah really am.” Her voice was barely over a whisper. “Ah spent all night cleanin’ the library. Ah had to go home after that. Ah had to sleep that off. Ah’m sorry.”

Fluttershy’s face became non-emotive. Applejack paused before continuing.

"Ah heard her in her room. Ah rushed to try and talk her out of leavin’, but she teleported away too quick, before she even listened to a word Ah said. However, she was in the middle of something, and she left this.” Walking to a dry patch of ground, Applejack lifted her hat and retrieved a folded sheet of paper and unfolded it on the grass. “Ah want you to read it.”

Fluttershy gave her a curious look, but walked over to the paper and began to read.

“Dear Spike,
I'm sorry you have to lose your oldest friend. You mean more to me than you ever know, but I can't stay any longer. You’re still my number one assistant, and I need you to assist me in taking care of the library. I love you.
Please Forgive me
Dear Friends,
To you girls, who have made my life so bright since I arrived in Ponyville. I'm so sorry. I should have listened. You’ve done so much for me since I’ve gotten to know you, and made me a better pony. I can't imagine my life without you in it, which makes this so difficult. I love you girls.
Please Forgive me
Dear Shining Armor and Princess Cadance,
I'm so happy for you two. I wish I could be around to meet your children. Take care of Shining for me, Cadance. He'll be lost without us girls. I love you both.
Please Forgive Me
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm sure you had high hopes for me, likely as high as my own. I'm sorry I've brought such a blight on our family. I thank you for all the opportunities you gave to me, and the times you pushed me to be better. I love you both.
Please Forgive me
Dear Princesses Celestia and Luna,
I am
Please please forgive have mercy on me
Dear Rarity,
What I did to you was unspeakable, an act of violence long forgotten to modern society. I've taken you away from everything you had, and everything you ever hoped to achieve. I violated our friendship, which you so generously gave to me. I seek atonement for what I've done, and I won't stop till I've traveled to the ends of Equestria and beyond—”

The ‘d’ in ‘beyond’ was scratched across the page, as if the pen was ripped away. Fluttershy looked up at Applejack.

Applejack waited. For what, she didn’t know. For something. Anything, to hear Fluttershy say the words she wanted to hear. After a while, she realized she had to speak. Fluttershy made not a sound.

“Maybe there’s hope?” Applejack said, half pleading with herself.

"You don't think she's looking for a way to help Rarity, do you? To bring her back? She's gone, Applejack.” Fluttershy spat out the word like it tasted of bile. “Both of them. Th-there's no coming back from what happened to her. What happened to us."

Applejack stomped hard. “What happened to us?” she asked the air tersely. Fluttershy flinched, back to herself for a moment. Applejack let the question hang in the air.

Applejack hooved at the ground. "Ah’m sorry, sugarcube. Ah wouldn't know. Ah think if anyone knew a way, it would be Twilight, with all those books she keeps. But now you see what Ah mean? Ah couldn't just tell them what happened. Twilight may still find a way, make everything right, and Ah wouldn’t want to jeopardize that. But it doesn’t change what she did, and doesn’t change what Ah have to risk, so maybe Ah should have. Ah... Ah don’t know."

Fluttershy’s eyes was cold, and she was silent. She hated in Applejack’s indecision, as it reflected her own.

Applejack continued. "The only other person who knows is Spike. Ah thought it would do him good to read this, but he’s still…” Her thoughts trailed as she thought of the baby dragon. She briefly wondered if the Lunar Knight’s appearance had anything to do with the dragon’s direct connection to the princess, but quickly destroyed that thought.

“The odd thing is, Ah haven't told any one of you girls.” Applejack tapped her chin. “So yeah, why are Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash gone? That’s why Ah showed up today. The Cakes haven't seen Pinkie, and are incredibly worried. The weather team is furious Rainbow has left them high and dry. They probably want her grounded for a long time. Do you know anything?”

"I'm sorry, Applejack,” Fluttershy turned back to the frogs. “I don't know." She waded out into the bog.

Applejack folded the paper back up and slid it under her hat. “So, what do we tell them?” She asked. The extra kindness she sprinkled in her voice for Fluttershy was nearly gone. “The Lunar Knights?”

Fluttershy was paying her no mind. The frogs just would not listen. They would corral for a few moments, then hop away when Fluttershy turned her gaze. She was visibly irked by this, but pressed on.

Applejack approached the pond’s edge. “Fluttershy.”

Another frog jumped out of her grasp. She slapped the water with her hoof, causing a frog to jump noisily back out into the pond. The sound sent the others jumping away. Growling to herself, she began her task again. One frog, two frogs—

“Fluttershy, this is important, girl! Do we tell ‘em or not?”

She only had a few frogs left. “Come on, my babies,” Fluttershy cooed. She made a move for the last of the frogs with her wings, setting them down in front of her. Satisfied, she began counting. Halfway through, Fluttershy heard a loud croak. Looking up, she spotted a huge frog she had missed, his eyes meeting hers. He was perched on a log, and was preparing to jump. Fluttershy froze.

Her voice was barely a whisper, as to not disturb the frogs already there. It skimmed across the pond’s still surface to Applejack’s ears. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

The frog let out a giant croak, louder than before, and splashed heavily into the pond, sending out huge ripples. The frogs in front of her jumped away.

Applejack chuckled, but knew this wasn’t time for games. “Fluttershy, will you quit messing around and—”

“You! Why, I oughtta—! Ugh!” Fluttershy shouted incomprehensibly and began thrashing her hooves in the water. To Applejack, Fluttershy looked like a filly throwing a tantrum. It may have been endearing if she were one, but Applejack was irritated.

“Fluttershy, Ah’m serious!” Applejack entered the pond, reared up and kicked a huge wave of water at Fluttershy, soaking her. Immediately, she stopped. “Ah want, Ah mean Ah need to hear your thoughts on this, and Ah’ve been askin’ and askin’, and you’re just playing with those critters over there. Do we put our bits on Twilight or not?”

“You should know what I’m going to say!” Fluttershy growled through gritted teeth.

Even when angered, Applejack barely felt any force exude from the pegasus. She was just too dainty. Even in frustration, Fluttershy can’t help but be gentle. “Ah’d like to hear it,” replied Applejack.

Fluttershy stomped her hoof, getting herself even more wet. Applejack waited, satisfied she had her full attention. Fluttershy let the question hang in the air for as long as she could. Finally, reluctantly, she answered. “Twilight, of course.”

Applejack gave a small smile, but it quickly faded as she continued. “But what should Ah say to the Knights? “ Then, she heard it.

“I don’t care,” Fluttershy said dejectedly, finally collecting herself.

Applejack didn’t hear Fluttershy’s dismissal. She sensed something in the forest, something huge. She wasn’t sure if she heard it or felt it. “Shh, Fluttershy, something’s up,” Applejack said.

Fluttershy grumbled and went back to the frogs. Applejack froze, her ears straining to hear and her eyes doing her best to see into the trees that surrounded the clearing, trying to find the source of the sound she heard. Fluttershy chose that time to release another exasperated shout, and slam her hooves into the water creating more splashes. The splashes seemed to bounce back off the trees to Applejack, making them sound way too loud. Her eyes widened.

“Shy! Hush!” Applejack said harshly. There were no time for pleasantries.

Fluttershy’s head snapped around. “What is it?”

“The forest,” Applejack said softly, oblivious to Fluttershy’s annoyance. “When did it become so quiet?”

With little warning, Applejack’s entire body vibrated with noise. She felt her spine shake as her ears filled with the sound of a beast that couldn’t be of Equestria. Ahead of her she could see Fluttershy silently screaming at something behind her, her voice drowned out by the sound. Applejack turned around and was face-to-face with a roaring monster as she had never seen before.

Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what exactly was she looking at. The fear pumping through her wasn’t helping in the slightest. She only had enough time to think to herself that this thing was way too big to be a manticore when it lunged forward, catching Applejack off guard. It reached out with one of its many claws and sent Applejack airborne with a vicious swipe.

The earth and sky became a whirlwind of color. Her hat flew off as she flew past a yellow blur and skipped across the top of the shallow waters of the bog before hitting a tree on the other side. Immediately she scrambled to stand up. Her sides hurt, but Applejack was more dizzy than anything. She thanked Celestia that she was an Earth pony, or else that may blow could have been the end of her.

Fluttershy continued to scream as Applejack tried to collect herself and shook her head. Looking up, what had struck her slowly came into focus. From the distance, it looked like a huge stallion, several times larger than Big Macintosh. Its head was equine-esque, but it’s patches of dead skin and numerous forelimbs made it something else entirely. Its lumbering conveyed a deep hunger, and it was closing in on Fluttershy.

Wasting no time, Applejack got up and galloped as hard as she could, fighting the splashes from the bog that lapped at her underbelly. The blow still had her head spinning, and she had fight herself to keep as straight a line as possible. The creature was closer than her to Fluttershy, but its gait slowed it considerably; she could tell all of its speed was in its arms’ dexterity. As she ran, she saw it rear up, and open its gaping maw.

Applejack got as close as she could in the time she had, and leapt at Fluttershy. Her strength from years of applebucking sent her soaring through the air, shoving Fluttershy out of the way. She swore she could feel the monsters breath like a blow to the face as she passed under its bite.

She hit the ground and skid to a halt, immediately feeling the impact from where the beast’s deformed snout struck with the ground. She didn’t look back to see how hurt it was, instead electing to make sure Fluttershy was ok. Fluttershy rolled to a stop a ways in front of her, dizzy but unharmed.

“Run, girl! Get up and outta here!” Applejack shouted.

Fluttershy rose, shaking worse than she ever had in her life. She’d never had such a close brush with death.

“Fluttershy, please! Run!” Applejack tried again.

Shaking her head, Fluttershy blinked once, and caught Applejack’s eyes. Her fear scared Applejack almost more than the beast. She looked as if to say something, but nothing came out. She turned, and disappeared into the forest.

Before she had a chance to stand up, Applejack felt a claw grip her hind leg. One of the beast’s grotesquely lanky griffon-like arms had her. She was dragged backwards, hooves leaving deep grooves in the dirt, and was soon airborne again. The beast pulled her in an arc, and slammed her into the ground. The air rushed out of Applejack, who was thankful she passed on breakfast. Before she had time to think anything else she was off the ground again.

The second blow gave her double vision. Her teeth painfully smashed together as she felt every bone in her body vibrate from impact. She tried to move, but the beast roared and she was slammed her again.

On the way down, Applejack braced herself. She landed on her back facing the creature, and instinctively curled in her free leg. Sure enough, it leaned in, convinced its prey was out cold by now.

It opened its maw, revealing rows and rows of teeth like knives, its saliva sloshing around as it anticipated its meal. Gobs of it spilled out of the creature’s mouth and dripped onto Applejack. Its breath was almost worse than the library. This beast wants meat, Applejack thought, but she wasn’t inclined to give it any.

“Big mistake!” she shouted. Her leg shot forward like a train’s piston into the bottom jaw of the creature with a satisfying crunch. The beast’s head whipped back on its thick neck, sending spit flying. It flipped over onto its back from the force of the kick, and howled, writhing in pain. It flailed about, slamming its bevy of claws into the ground creating divots and sending up soil, but it stayed down.

“You must’ve never tried to tangle with a real earth pony before,” Applejack taunted, breathing heavily. Satisfied, she stood, hearing several of her joints crack. She could feel that her insides were sore, and that she would be out for at least a week of applebucking, but she had her life and had saved Fluttershy’s.

She looked over the beast while it thrashed. Its multiple arms all spawned from fleshly lumps where its forelimbs should be. Its body had dead and diseased skin with bits hanging loosely, and on its head, she could see the muscles and moving beneath the holes in some spots. From where she stood, it looked as the other side of the beast’s face was horribly deformed. She walked around to try to get a better view.

As the beast’s spasms began to die, the beast’s wound came into full view. Applejack gagged. Half of the beasts face was a crater. Something had blown out the left side of its head. Above the jaw, a gaping hole of charred flesh yielded a cross section of twisted flesh, oozing a pale fluid. Strings of skin that remained flapped like streamers. She thought she saw it's brain through a smaller hole in it's cranium.

She sucked in a quick, deep breath. That thing shouldn’t even be alive.

She averted her gaze, and spotted her hat resting in the bog. The frogs had long since abandoned the clearing, leaving the hat floating on the still waters. Walking past the squirming, shrieking creature into the shallows, she retrieved it, wrung it out, and replaced it on her head. Before turning back, she heard another gut-shaking roar, several thumps, and turned just in time to see the beast run into the forest.

“Horse apples!” It was the same spot where she had saw Fluttershy disappear into. Instantly, she was on the chase. If that thing catches Fluttershy—!. Applejack disappeared into the treeline, leaving the bog, hoping she’d never have to find out.

***

Trees raced past Fluttershy’s vision as she ran through the woods. She was nowhere near a path, just running in one direction as fast as her weak legs could take her. Branches whipped her face as she stumbled through the brush, causing her to flinch. The canopy kept everything dim, despite her being sure it was still before noon.

She was lost. For all she knew she was running further and further into the forest, eventually trapping herself and letting that beast get her, or any of the numerous creatures that resided in its depths. Encountering a manticore or a hydra would only make this waking nightmare worse.

Hitting a clearing, Fluttershy’s eyes were hit with the bright light of the sun, causing her to instinctively raise a hoof to shade her eyes. As her body leaned to land on the raised hoof, she tripped. She tumbled a few times and landing awkwardly. Quickly she pulled herself together and dashed across the open space to the trees on the other side, hiding behind one.

She drank the air into her lungs, trying her best to hear any signs of danger. Her wings were flared, letting off as much body heat as she could. Seconds passed and as her pulse slowed, she could hear the forest buzzing softly. Not as loud as before, but enough to giver her some comfort.

Maybe the beast got lost? Maybe It’s still fighting Applejack? She gasped. Maybe it’s eating Applejack! The very thought made Fluttershy physically sick, tearing up at the thought of losing yet another friend.

She knew creatures of the forest rarely chose ponies for snacks (and she couldn’t remember a time when one was ever successful, even the mighty hyrdae), but that beast was unlike anything she had ever seen in the forest, or even heard of existing. She noticed its malnourished skin and horrific head wound as soon as she saw it, but her empathetic connection to animals was dead to that creature. Her nightmares couldn’t have conjured such a monster; in her wildest dreams she couldn’t imagine caring for it. The dragons she feared had nothing on that abomination. At least they were sentient.

Wiping her face, she walked back into the clearing and looked around. It was a very tranquil meadow with small, soft hills. It was the kind of place she would visit to meet with the critters of the forest, the ones who didn’t want her for lunch. Pockets of flowers flourished all around. The whole place had a warm glow.

A long-dead tree was in the center of the meadow, surrounded by several yards of dirt, as if the forest shunned it away from its healthier specimens. It possessed horrible scorch marks along the bark, and a sudden end to the trunk several stories up. Above its highest branches there was a clear shot of the sky. Fluttershy wondered how such a tree with such ample room to grow had been robbed of life.

Looking up at the sky was like seeing a sea above the forest, a forest she desperately needed to leave. Fluttershy felt like she could fall right in if she wasn’t careful. She found the sun. She had lost track of time, but unfortunately the sun’s position did nothing for her. She spread her wings, and ascended, leaving the ground behind on muted wing flaps.

Fluttershy cleared the canopy of the forest to a welcoming sight. In front her, still a ways away, was the end of the forest. Beyond that, in a soft haze of colors, lay Ponyville. She had been running towards the town at a angle, but was closer than she dared hope. It was still too far for her to fly the rest of the way, but she was faster on hoof anyways.

She smiled, embracing the moment of hope in the grimness of the— she checked the sun— morning. Maybe she would be able to wake up soon, and pretend this never happened.

The tranquility was ruined with a shout from below.

“Move it, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy had never heard Applejack’s voice had so full of panic. She looked down, and almost fainted. On the ground, she could see Applejack in a full sprint breaking the tree line of the clearing, but directly underneath her, ascending the tree to meet her with a low rumble, were the jaws of the beast. Several rows of teeth shined in the sunlight, and several gangly arms ending in claws reached out to her, too many to count in the heat of the moment. She squeaked, choking on the fear.

Down below, Applejack thought quick, and never stopped running. She approached the dead tree in a full sprint, hoping this would work.

To Applejack, an earth pony’s four hooves belonged to the ground, but Fluttershy was more important than that. She jumped as hard as she could to the highest branch she could reach, letting instinct carry her. Feeling a sturdy branch under her hind hooves, she thanked Celestia and braced her forelimbs against the trunk before pushing off again to the next highest branch, quickly gaining on the monster.

Collecting herself, Fluttershy began to flap away from the tree. The beast occasionally lost ground when hollow branches gave away, but was already near the top, and she could see its massive hind legs preparing for a jump. Try as she might, she knew her wingpower would not put her out of its range. The beast was a big cat, and Fluttershy was a hopeless canary begging to become food.

It roared, and lunged. The tree swayed heavily, almost shaking Applejack from her place and causing her to brace herself, losing time. Fluttershy had nowhere to go. Her wings froze up, and she began to fall. She watched the beast fill her vision, it’s multiple arms spread out to grab her. She closed her eyes, the wind whipping the tears from her face.

As the tree swung back around, Applejack harnessed the momentum and launched herself after the beast. The tree propelled her faster than the monster could ever hope to jump, and she quickly gained on it. Taking a page from Rarity, she extended her leg in the form of a vicious kick, and tried to make her body as aerodynamic as possible.

Fluttershy wondered what would Applejack think of her when, after this beast devoured her, she visited her abandoned house to collect her things. She wondered what Applejack would feel, finding her secret. The thought almost caused Fluttershy grief, but at that point, though, it wouldn’t matter.

Fluttershy never felt the jaws close around her.

Applejack violently connected with the beast’s side, knocking it just enough out of it’s trajectory to miss Fluttershy with its mouth. It’s arms swiped uselessly at the pegasus, suddenly off course from its prey. Applejack was in top form, her face in a tight snarl, and doing her best to plow through the abomination to the other side.

As Fluttershy fell, the beast passed above her. She couldn’t help but break into a smile as Applejack soared above her. She was so happy that, of all her friends, Applejack was still with her. Her smile quickly became a grimace as a stray arm reached out, and a talon made contact with her wings. The pain almost blacked out Fluttershy, and the blow sent her into a spiral. Applejack watched as she tumbled out of view below.

Applejack found herself way higher than she expected. Out of the corner of her vision she could see the monster fly way off target and into the trees. She began to flail, her hat flying away as gravity reclaimed what belonged to it. Her momentum rotated her view towards the ground, which was all too eagerly trying to embrace her. Her earth pony strength wasn’t going to protect her already strained bones from this height.

A few breathless seconds later she felt a sudden jerk and a much kinder embrace. She looked down to see yellow hooves holding her, and looked up to see Fluttershy struggling to carry her. If there was any wind left in her, she would have whooped at the sight. They coasted to the tree line opposite the beast, and crashed landed, tumbling over themselves.

Applejack was first to recover, stood up, and looked herself over. Despite the ugliness of the landing, she was still alive, and able to walk. Her muscles screamed obscenities at her, but she had to ignored them. She spotted her hat a few steps away, and snatched it up. She looked over Fluttershy, who was slowly rising.

She looked hurt, with scratches all over. Her fur was clumped with patches of dirt and dust. A wing hung limply to her side but, to Applejack’s knowledge, it didn’t look broken. Fluttershy sat on her haunches, coughing hard.

Applejack walked over and yanked her into a tight hug, taking care to mind her wing. Fluttershy hung limp in her arms, caught off guard. Applejack nuzzled her deeply then released her, and smiled. Fluttershy collected herself and, after a while, smiled too.

She cried. “I’m sorry.”

She smiled. “Ah know.”

An earth-shaking roar filled filled the forest. Thunder claps sounded as trees were broken aside. Giant choked footsteps were nearing, beating an odd meter into the earth.

Looking over, Applejack could see the beast almost upon them, only a few steps away. She only had enough time to push Fluttershy away and cock her legs before the beast was upon them. A swift kick deflected the monster away from them. It kept running, its momentum carrying it a couple paces. She turned to face it, placing herself between it and Fluttershy, who was crawling along the ground away from the monster. Before the beast could correct its path, she kicked again.

The arms hit by the repeated strikes were writhing in pain, like a dying spider. The beast roared at Applejack. She stood her ground.

“Now git, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy scrambled to her hooves, and took off for Ponyville, breaking the tree line. The beasts’ eyes followed. It saw what it needed to see: the slight limp, the hanging wing, the frail body. It made a lunge for her past the orange, rigid, frustrating pony.

Applejack side stepped and planted another kick to the intact side of the creatures’ face. She felt something shift beneath her hooves as her blow knocked the creature on its side yet again, more arms broken and squirming on its upturned side. Its thick hind legs kicked at the ground, slowly spinning itself and moving chunks of earth. It thrashed about like a wounded animal, and howled at Applejack for letting its meal escape.

Paying no mind to its screams, Applejack ran over to it before it could recover. Three of its five arms on its exposed side flailed uselessly at her, broken in various places. Its two others pawed at the ground, trying to bring the creature back to its feet.

Applejack gave it a swift kick to its face, feeling bones crunch. She thought she shouted something, but she was too in the moment to hear what it was. The beast instinctively swiped at her, catching her off guard and sending her careening into tree nearby.

Still, she slowly rose. She knew Fluttershy only had so long to get to the town, and hopefully she’d warn everyone. She had to buy her all the time she could. In front of her, the beast rose as well. It reached around itself with several good arms, and audidiably reset its damaged limbs back into place with several loud cracks. The roar from its pain and frustration shook Applejack’s insides, and she gulped. She said a quick prayer to Celestia, hoping she could afford the miracle she was buying. Yanking her hat down, she crouched, prepared to do what she could.

The beast wasted no time, and moved for the treeline.

“Oh, no you don’t!” shouted Applejack as she charged. Throwing her weight into its side, she found the beast much more sturdy than she anticipated. It had to catch itself, but immediately grabbed Applejack with a couple of talons and slammed her on the ground in front of it. The blow knocked the wind out of her, and she struggled to get free. Using two more of its talons, it pinned all of Applejack’s legs down.

The beast roared. Saliva and blood trickled down like plasma from its gaping mouth onto Applejack’s belly, matting up her fur and ruining her coat. She struggled to get free, but she smelled her death. Despite the situation, she couldn’t help but laugh imagining how Rarity would react in if she was in her horseshoes.

She could feel her rear left legs being cut into from the sharp talons, their grip like a vice. She had to have been bleeding by now, but should couldn’t give in. She fought through the increasing pain, her mind and mouth screaming incoherently against the beast. She fortified herself, preparing for whatever the abomination had in mind for her.

She wasn’t prepared for the beast to lazily toss her over its back. Flipping a couple times in the air, Applejack landed in a heap in a tangle of limbs, as the beast resumed its pursuit out of the forest.

Applejack lay on her back, catching her breath, staring at the sunbeams piercing the canopy. She was stiff, and her breathing was ragged, but she had her life. That wasn’t wright. She had expected a thrashing.

She blinked. “What the hay?” But she didn’t have time to ponder. She sprung to her hooves and began running.

In front of her, the beast was making its way through the trees, mostly by knocking them over and snapping their trunks. Applejack thanked her stars she was built out of stronger stuff. She used the path it was creating to catch up. Shortly, she was right behind it.

“Hey you ugly brute!” Applejack shouted, sure she was destroying her voice. “Hey, you stay away from ‘Shy, you hear?”

The beast glanced over its back, spotting the pursuing pony. It half-heartedly flung one of its useless limbs at her. It flung awkwardly, not getting anywhere near Applejack. It looked forward and continued its trek to Ponyville.

Applejack’s paced slackened, trying to work out the beast’s angle. Still determined, she broke off the path and starting running alongside it through the trees.

Applejack plowed through the underbrush, electing to ram most of the brush out of her way. The situation was too urgent for anything less. This monster can’t reach Fluttershy, I have to stop him. But he’s too big, I’m going to have my morning oats beaten out of me before I can stop this thing. At least he seems pissed off enough to ignore me.

As the beast’s loud trek through the forest started to quiet behind her, Applejack began to drift over into its lane. As she ran, she was scanning all around her for the best place for her to hold her ground. She hoped Fluttershy was running for help, but something told her it was unlikely.

Eventually she lucked out and found and adjacent path. Following it, she jumped a log and dodged a tree, and through the dim light finally saw what looked liked a clearing ahead of her. Her heart leapt, and she surged forward.

Breaking into the light, she could feel the sun’s rays on her, a comforting glow. As her eyes adjusted, however, her heart sank. She looked out in front of her, and she almost fell to her knees. In front of her, in the valley, was Ponyville

“How the... I’m back?” She had broken the tree line, and found her self only a little ways down from where Fluttershy and herself had entered the forest earlier today. She looked up at the sun, which was still rising into the sky. “It’s still morning?” She said with an exasperated shout.

Applejack strained her eyes, but she could catch no glimpse of a pink mane running towards the town. Ponyville looked incredibly placid, like it looked every day. She couldn’t see any sign of trouble. “Well, Ah guess that’s not exactly a bad thing,” she said to herself. She racked her brain for a solution to the monster. “Ah wonder if the Lunar Knights can—” She heard a treetrunk whiz past her, flying down into the valley in front of her. It struck the ground, creating a wave of soil.

Applejack only had a second to feel the ground tremble beneath her hooves before her world exploded. The ground beneath her erupted. She went airborne, joined by trees and chunks of earth. Her ears were pierced with a horrible sound, like the cry of a newborn colt, but hideously distorted as if impossibly old and cruelly tortured . Her insides shook.

She was sure she was still rising when hit the ground. Sprawled in a heap, she looked up to see the beast walking past her. It stepped over her, its ten forelimbs moving in a hypnotic rhythm, with its massive hind legs thundering over her.

She called out to it. “You better... stop right there you... m-monster.” Her voice frightened her; she couldn’t hear it. Wait, is that my voice? It’s so... weak...

The beast reared up on its hind legs, and flared out it’s seven unbroken arms and roared again. Following it’s gaze, she noticed it had seen Ponyville.

“No! “ She strained with all her might to be noticed. “Stop, leave them alone!” Her mind went out to the girls. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Twilight Sparkle. They were gone, Fluttershy was out of her mind, and no one in town had any idea what was coming or how to protect it. She was crying. “Leave mah home alone! Take me instead, just leave them!”

The beast ignored her, and began its descent down the hill towards the town. She could do no more in her current state. Her eyes were heavy, and Applejack shut them. She was too sore to stand up, so she laid there. There was nothing she could do now, and did what her body demanded of her. She closed her eyes, hoping that when they open there would still be a town to save.

Applejack passed out, as the ground beneath her rumbled with hunger.

Chapter 7 — Impressions

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— Chapter 7 : Impressions —

Lyra was sweating. She looked around, looking for an exit. The door across the hall lead outside, but also to two more Solar Guards. Looking back at the guards, they stood impatiently waiting for her. She could turn and run, but she doubt she could outrun two trained warriors. Looking back, the guards were almost upon her. Her mother, father, and Octavia would be incredibly disappointed with her. And Bon Bon…

As she walked out the gates to the wing, she heard a voice.

“That’ll be enough, sirs. Please stop harassing my assistant.”

Lyra and the two Solar guards turned to look as an old, bespeckled blue stallion stepped from behind the gate. Lyra couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Dr. Haydon!” She leapt to the stallion and hugged him.

Dr. Haydon disengaged himself, pushing her off, and straightened his tie. “Sheesh, Lyra, I expected you an hour ago.”

Despite the situation, Lyra was ecstatic, “Sorry professor, you know I get lost too easily in the library.”

“What will I do with you? I waited so long, I had absentmindedly locked the gate!”

The guards just looked on with a bewildered faces. The veteran was first to recover, and advanced towards Lyra. “Doctor, she’s going to have to come with me. She wasn’t with you when we let you in. She is an intruder.”

Lyra flinched, but Dr. Haydon stepped between her and the advancing guard. Despite the bold move, he kept a cheery smile. “I’m sorry, she just likes to be late sometimes. It’s her hobby.”

The veteran stepped up and got nose to nose with the doctor who, despite the invasion of personal space, kept that smile on his face. “Irrelevant. You didn’t write down on your form you were going to have a guest. Rules are—”

"Look," said the doctor. He brushed the guard aside, catching him off-guard with how much force he used. “If you mules simply must harass me— no offense, sir.”

A passing mule janitor tipped his hat to the doctor. “None taken,” he said in a slow voice, and kept walking.

“If you mules must harass me, send your boss to my office later. We’ll settle it then.” He walked back to the shelf he came from, grabbed some books wrapped in a strap with his teeth, and brought them over to Lyra. Lyra’s heart was beating hard, and it took a second for the nonverbal cue to reach her. She used her magic to open her saddlebags, grabbed the books and deposited them inside.

“Now if you’ll excuse us, I have research to do.” Dr. Haydon began to walk towards the door, nose in the air. Lyra took this cue to move as well, and followed him through the gate, never taking her eyes off the guards.

“You’ll be hearing from us soon enough,” the veteran said hotly, however he didn’t pursue.

The doctor never turned around. They cut a left, and walked back to the where the hallway connected with the library. Lyra didn’t exhale till she was back between the shelves.

“Thank Luna you were there, Dr. Haydon!” She jumped on him again, and this time, to her relief, he gave a proper nuzzle in return. After a moment, she gave him an incredulous look. “It’s my hobby? Really?”

Dr. Haydon raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been late one hundred thirty-two times, over the years.”

Lyra chuckled and rubbed a hoof through her mane. “Oh, wow. It seemed considerably less in retrospect.”

After a moment, Dr. Haydon dropped his stern look and smiled warmly. “Hello, Lyra Heartstrings. It’s so great to see you. I always thought the next time I’d see you you’d be on stage somewhere. Where in Equestria have you been?”

Lyra disengaged, and looked down. “I... I went to Ponyville.”

Dr. Haydon made a face. “Ponyville? What’s in Ponyville? What happened to the aspirations of my favorite student?”

Lyra pawed at the ground with a hoof. “I never went through with them. After graduation, I left— No, I snuck out of the city and I went to the country. Ponyville was the first major town, and I stopped there.”

Dr. Haydon reached over and lifted Lyra’s chin. “But what of your dreams? I was looking forward to seeing you perform in the Lunaris.”

Lyra let out a small smile. “I wasn't ready, it wasn't meant for me.”

“Lyra, where are you?” a voice called.

Lyra and the doctor turned to the center isle of their section. Lyra looked back at the doctor. “Y’know Doc, you’ve always had my back, so I guess I can tell you a secret. My dreams changed, but maybe, just for you, I may have to do something nice. Keep your eye on the schedule for the Lunaris.” With and a smile and a wink, she began to trot off.

“Hold on.” Lyra spun around to find Dr. Haydon was pointing at her saddlebags. She chuckled, and magiced them open, retrieved, and returned the Doctor’s stack of books. She gave a quick, loose salute, and turned back around, headed to the source of. “Lyra, I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m cautiously eager in finding out.”

Lyra laughed. “I’ll see you around, Dr. Haydon.”

***

Lyra stepped into view from behind a shelf.

“Oh Lyra,” Cheerilee signed, “Where have you been? Gentle Breeze? I’ve found her” she called. Gentle Breeze landed between them a moment later.

Lyra waved a hoof. “Sorry, sorry, don’t mind me. Did you find the books you wanted?”

Cheerilee nodded her head. “Yes, thanks to our guide. Where have you been?”

“Well, then let’s go? I’m ready to get out of this library.” Lyra began to walk off, but shortly felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Gentle Breeze hovering behind her.

“Excuse me, miss. The entrance is that way.” He pointed in the opposite direction. Lyra chuckled and rubbed the back of her head.

The group made their way back to the front, with Lyra making extra effort to remain attentive. She didn’t want any more attention. In the lobby, Gentle Breeze bid them farewell. Cheerilee walked up to the counter to check out her books, and Lyra found herself looking around the room.

All around her were students and professors reading, studying, and researching. Lyra’s heart panged, remembering the familiar feelings of school work. It wasn’t the life for her, she told herself. She knew she was much happier in Ponyville, with the slower paced life and a touch of action here and there. However, she would be kidding herself if she didn’t miss it from time to time.

Cheerilee walked up, interrupting Lyra’s train of thought. “Ready to go, Lyra?”

“Yeah! Er, wait." She just remembered. She opened her saddle bag to retrieve the Earth pony songbook. Instead, she found it open. "Oh. Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Lyra confirmed.

The two mares turned headed to the exit, but only Lyra stepped forward. Confused, she looked over. Cheerilee look flustered. Lyra was sure she could see that she was blushing. Following her gaze, she found she was staring at Dr. Haydon and some other unknown, similarly aged stallion.

Lyra grinned. “Why don’t you go talk to him?”

The remark snapped Cheerilee back into reality. “What, me? No, no, no, I can’t. Do you know who that is?”

“Uh, Dr. Haydon?”

Cheerilee shook her head. “No no, the blue one. That’s Professor Neigh!”

“Uh, who?”

Cheerilee rolled her eyes. “Professor Neigh. Bill Neigh! He’s one of the brightest minds in all of Equestria, but is more importantly a great educator. He researches intensely and makes plenty of public speeches, but will occasionally travel around Equestria sharing what he’s learned. He’s just brilliant.”

Lyra nodded in feigned understanding. “Cool.”

Silence passed between them as Cheerilee kept staring. Professor Neigh and Dr. Haydon were walking towards the exit.

Lyra gave Cheerilee a long stare, but she didn’t move. “So are you going to say hello?”

Again, Cheerilee waved her hoof. “I can’t, Lyra! He’s so famous, so well known. He’s practically a noble, and shares a distant relative with that one unicorn prince. I can't talk to him.”

Lyra facehoofed for the second time that day. She wasn’t about to let Cheerilee miss this chance. “Look Cheerilee, we’re all ponies. So what if it was even Princess Celestia herself? Again, we’re all just ponies.” She began to walk towards the two professors. “Hey there!” she called. The two ponies turned around.

Behind her, Cheerilee turned a deeper shade of maroon and caught up. “Lyra,” she hissed in her ear, “what are you doing? Stop! Don’t waste his time!”

Lyra glanced at her and threw her a cheeky grin. Turning back, she saw the educators had stopped. “Yes, you with the glasses.”

Cheerilee couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Lyra finally caught up to the ponies. “Hello again, Dr. Haydon,” she said with a smile.

Dr. Haydon nodded. “Hello again, Lyra. I didn’t expect to see you so soon. You were calling for my colleague, yes?”

Professor Neigh smiled warmly. “How may I be of service, young lady?”

“I have a friend who’s dying to meet you,” Lyra responded. Behind her, Cheerilee was blushing and trying to disappear. Lyra smiled, and stepped aside.

***

Lyra was sitting in an art district’s diner casually enjoying her lunch. Opposite her, Cheerilee was having a fangasm.

“I can’t believe I met Bill Neigh! He was so kind! So smart too! Talking to him is like falling asleep to knowledge. He has such a way with words, even advance concepts are completely understandable. And his philosophies on teaching? They’re superb! I’ll have to try some on my students this semester!” Cheerilee rambled and rambled.

Lyra sat silently, enjoying the happiness Cheerilee was experiencing. She never knew the composed school teacher could act just like the fillies she taught. She laughed to herself as she continued to munch on her hay fries. She was able to actually enjoy these, with Cheerilee having hoofed the bill as repayment.

“What did I tell ya? We’re all just ponies. Sure, I get star struck sometimes too, but I can approach anyone.” Lyra said matter-of-factly.

Cheerilee nodded her head. “Thank you so much Lyra, I really appreciate that.”

Lyra nodded, and downed the rest of her daisy cheesecake. She leaned back in her seat and glanced around. As usual, her awkward position still grabbed odd stares. Even Cheerilee gave her a quick look, but she returned to her food.

She signed. At least in Ponyville everyone was used to it. She paused. Near the front of the diner on the notice board, she saw a poster. On it, a pale-white unicorn with a spiked blue mane had her head tilted down, looking serene. The whole thing was shimmering, as if it was enchanted with magic. Squinting, she noticed it was advertising a show.

“Hey Cheerilee, how do you feel about catching a show tomorrow There’s this DJ...” Lyra glanced back at poster, “DJ Pon Three?”

“Sorry Lyra, I head home tomorrow. I’ve already had my excitement. Today alone was worth the trip. Besides, I’m too old for that.”

Lyra gave her a sly look. “Ha, just how old are you?” Not expecting an answer, she looked back at the poster for a time. She choked on a fry, and almost jumped out of her seat.

The image from the poster was right in front of her now. And it was smiling. She was smiling. “Aw man, is that a daisy cheese cake?”

Lyra coughed hard. “Why would you do that?” she shouted. Cheerilee looked and also had a brief flash of shock cross her face.

“Why do you sit so funny?”

After a fit of coughing, Cheerilee and Lyra stared at the mare. She was a unicorn. Her figure was slender and lean, almost unusually so. Her coat was a brilliant white with a slight blue tinge, and her hair blue with electric cerulean streaks in her hair, and it was the definition of was unruly. Here eyes were hidden behind dark purple shades, but Lyra felt them anyways. She was chewing on something.

The mare’s horn flared light cobalt, and she used her fork to take another slice out of Lyra’s cheesecake. “Why do you sit so funny?” She asked again.

“Who are you, miss?” Cheerilee asked tenderly.

“And why are you eating my cheesecake?” Lyra hissed.

The mare pulled a chair from a nearby table full of young ponies without asking, and sat down. Lyra noted that none of them challenged her, or even batted an eye. The stranger smiled. “I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine.”

The new mare went for another slice, but Lyra reached out and slapped her fork away. It clattered to the ground. “Who are you, and why are you eating my cheesecake?” she shouted.

Instantly the sound in the resturant died, and Lyra could feel the eyes on her back. She didn’t care, and was trying her best to strike this mare down with her eyes. The blue haired mare was returning her glare, but she wore a lopsided grin. Why the hay does she look offended? This was my cheesecake!

Cheerilee tried to alleviate the situation. “Hey Lyra, it’s alright, I’ll just buy you another—”

“Hey waiter!” the mare called out to a stunned worker standing nearby. “Bring us the rest of this cake, ASAP!” He nodded and took off. She took her seat.

Cheerilee was concerned, but silent. Lyra was still standing, glaring at this mare who dared disrupt her meal. The mare was looking straight ahead, past her and Cheerilee. After a while, she turned and looked back at Lyra, and sucked her teeth.

“Sit down,” the mare said. Lyra, surprising herself, obliged.

There was silence at the table.

Cheerilee smiled. “Uh, let’s try this again. Hello there, what’s your name?”

Without missing a beat, the mare replied curtly. “What are you, a school teacher?” Cheerilee looked down.

Lyra interjected. “Hey, you watch your tone you—!”

“Here’s your cake, Pon-3. You guys enjoy yourself.” The waiter set the remaining three- fourths of the cheesecake on the table, and trotted away. Lyra was sure she heard the word “lucky” under his breath. Lucky for what? Surely for not sharing company with this insufferable mare.

“Ah, cake. Dig in.” The mare snatched some more silverware from another table with her magic, and started on the cheesecake.

Lyra was about to tear her mane out. “Look, just who are you?”

The mare stopped eating, with the fork hovering inches away from her face. Slowly, she looked at Lyra. Her gaze drifted to Cheerilee, then back again. “You guys... you two really don’t know who I am, do you?”

“Of course we don’t,” Lyra shouted, “we’ve asked you three times already!”

The mare set the food down, and exhaled deeply. “Geeze, sorry, ok? This is so weird. Everyone knows who I am. You guys must be new here.”

“I’m guessing your name is ‘Pon-3’,” Cheerilee said curtly.

“Well, in a way. But what if I told you,” she leaned in and paused, a little bit too long, for dramatic effect, ”names aren’t important?”

Lyra went to open her mouth, but the mare cut her off. “You. You are why I’m here.” She looked Lyra up and down. “I have literally never seen anyone sit like that. Why do you do it? It’s fascinating. Does it hurt?”

The mare didn’t pause for answers. She took matters into her own hooves, and sat up in her chair like Lyra, with her spine along the back of her chair, and her rear legs hanging over the side. She set her front hooves on the table. She sat silently with a determined look on her face. Then, slowly, she simply fell out of the chair, causing a loud crash. Again, the other patrons looked over, but she merely dusted herself off and resumed sitting the way most ponies did. Lyra and Cheerilee exchanged concerned glances.

“Well, certainly harder than it looks, isn’t it? So cool. I guess I can introduce myself, in a way. I am a rather talented young mare. Fresh on the scene but I drop hits like I was born to. I am a queen of the nightlife, a patron of party. Music is the blood in my veins. Who are you?” She was looking at Lyra, who was beginning to suspect this pony didn’t care about Cheerilee in the slightest.

Lyra used her magic to grab herself a slice of cheesecake, and take a bite. She close her eyes, trying to wrap her brain around this crazy mare who was ruining her hang out session with Cheerilee. This is some good cheesecake though.

She opened her eyes. “I’m Lyra Heartstrings. I play lyre—”

The mare burst out laughing. Lyra gritted her teeth. “A lyre? Isn’t that a ‘ye olde’ instrument? Did you dig it up out of the ground from an archeological dig?”

Lyra rose quickly. “Come on, Cheerilee. Let’s go. This pony’s just a jerk.”

“Wait!” The mare reached out and set a hoof on Lyra’s shoulder. She looked back, and almost flinched. The pony’s smug was gone, and she looked almost... concerned? “I’m sorry. Let’s start over. I guess I can tell you my name. I’m Vinyl, Vinyl Scratch.”

Another staredown occurred, but finally Lyra yielded. Grudgingly, she took her seat. She was still sour, but something about the mare’s face made her feel like it wasn’t time to leave yet.

“As I said I’m Lyra, and my friend here is Cheerilee. Be sure to be respectful, she is a teacher, and is one of the better ones out there.” Cheerilee blushed. Lyra gave her a wink.

“Oh wow, that was totally a guess. That’s hilarious—” Vinyl caught the look on Lyra’s face. “—Or not. Anyways. Are you a music fan, Lyra?”

Lyra let out a grin. She was more than content to let the conversation transition to something in her field. “If I do say so myself. I’m quite skilled at playing it, too. Did you catch my cutie mark?”

Vinyl violently shook her head. “No,” she said curtly. “You sit weird, caught my eye, had to say something. Now that I’m here, I figured I’d ask.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.”

Vinyl smile. “It is, trust me. What kind of music do you like?”

“All kinds. I mostly play classical, but I haven’t found a song that I can’t find something I like in it. I especially liked some of the dance songs they used to play here a few years ago. I’m guessing you’re the same.”

“Yup, you betcha. Little less enthused about the classical, but it’s growing on me. Not that I have a choice.”

Lyra looked glanced at Vinyl’s cutie mark. Two black, bridged eighth notes. “I guess music is a big thing for you huh, looking at your cutie mark. How’d you get yours?”

Vinyl voice was like steel. “Do not ask me that. I do not care about cutie marks. I care about the ponies they belong to.”

Another moment of silence passed, and more exchanged glances passed between Lyra and Cheerilee. Vinyl finished her slice of cake, and smiled. “Ah, that’s some good cake.”

“Ha, I wish you could say that to a few of my students. All they care about are getting their cuties marks. I’ve been telling them to wait,” Cheerilee added. Vinyl looked as if she had not heard her.

Lyra blinked a couple of times., and let out a disappointed “Huh.”

Suddenly, a younger colt appeared next to Vinyl. “Um, hello there, Ms. Pon-3”

“Please, no need for the formalities. DJ Pon-3 will do just fine.”

Lyra looked at Cheerilee and Cheerilee raised an eyebrow and mouthed back “Pon Three?” Lyra shrugged.

Vinyl turned back to them. “Well, Lyra and... Huh, I never caught your name. Anyways, it’s been fun. I’ve let those fans over there speculate enough. I guess it’s time to sign some autographs. Lyra, if you’re free, you should come to my show. You’ll have a good time, I swear.”

Lyra tried to keep her face unreadable. “Maybe. When is it?”

Vinyl laughed. She shook her head, and pointed to the sign Lyra was looking at earlier. “Use your powers of observation.” And with that, she stood and left. It turned out all the other patrons were just waiting for her to leave. She was shortly surrounded by fans, and they followed her out of the shoppe, leaving it mostly empty.

“That. Was. Annoying.” Cheerilee said flatly. “You should have just told her go to away.”

“Maybe,” pondered Lyra. She put another piece of cake into her mouth, then almost spit it back out. “Wait a minute Cheerilee, she didn’t pay for the cheesecake!”

They both facehoofed. “Ow,” hissed Lyra, rubbing her forehead.

“It’s... alright, Lyra. I’ll cover it.”

“No no no, I’ll...” Lyra peered into her saddlebags, and noted just how low in bits she was. She could afford this cake, but she’ll be making home lunches for the rest of the week. “I’ll pay,” she said anyways.

Cheerilee placed some bits on the table, and shook her head. “No thanks, I will. This was all my treat, anyways.”

Lyra rubbed the back of her head, messing up her mane. “Thanks Cheerilee.” She rubbed her shoulder, and fiddles with her cheesecake. “I never told you why I was here in Canterlot.” She looked at Cheerilee. She had her full attention. “I... I had some problems at home. My real home, in Ponyville, and I have to raise some money fast if I want things to go back to the way they were. I’m in Canterlot because I am bitless , and I’m looking for a job. So thanks for covering the meal.”

Cheerilee nodded. “I understand. Then it’s all the more fitting I cover the cake. This is me helping you on your journey.”

“Thanks, Cheerilee.”

They stood, and left. Outside, there was a slight chill in the air. Lyra was reminded that she was thousands of feet in the air on a mountainside. The two mares smiled at eachother, then stepped in opposite directions. Noticing, they both stopped and looked awkwardly at each other.

“Oh, I thought you’d stay in the residential district, Cheerilee. At least, that’s where most of the hotels are.”

“True, but I have a room to myself on the Canterlot Campus. School isn’t in session yet, so they let me stay in a dorm room. I guess knowing Twilight has some perks.”

Lyra rubbed her foreleg. She was hoping for company on the walk home, for she surley couldn’t afford a carriage now. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you back in Ponyville, whenever I get my life together.”

“It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Heartstrings.” Cheerilee extended a hoof. Lyra grinned, and returned the hoof bump. Cheerilee smiled, and turned on her way.

“Vinyl was wrong,” Lyra called out. “You’re still young.”

Cheerilee looked back. “Oh I know, Lyra. Maybe if you’d check out the night life in Ponyville sometime, you’d know.” She winked. Lyra watched her turn and begin down the street again. In a few moments, she turned a corner and was gone.

***

Lyra slowly forced herself to walk home. Leaving the Canterlot Catle grounds via the closest exit, she found herself in the north end of the art district. She looked up, and saw that the moon was beginning to rise. She had a while to go before she would make it to the residential district to the west. There were probably some shortcut to make the trip much quicker, but Lyra wasn’t privy to the routes, and decided to stick with the main roads.

Time passed, and the moon was steadily rising. She took the time to reflect on such an eventful day. Just what had Twilight gotten herself into that one of her friends came all the way to Canterlot to speak to the Princesses about her? She can’t be doing too well. And who the hay was that Vinyl mare?.

Lyra had to stop walking and take a few breaths to calm herself. If I find her, we’re going to have a stern conversation about dining and dashing..

Her route took her down the main road of the art district. It was well into dusk when she turned on the street, but it was much brighter than the one she just turned off of. Down the road, she spotted the Lunaris theater. It was lit up, hosting a show.

As Lyra kept walking, and she started to make out the lights... Exploring Maurice Stabel. She longed to hear the symphony, but she didn’t need to waste any more bits.

As she neared, however, she noticed the featured performer.

“Octavia?” Lyra said, shocked to herself. She figured Octavia was just an enigmatic face in the orchestra. She didn’t think that Octavia might actually have a name for herself.

Glancing at the ticket booth, she saw the pony behind the counter counting up his register. She almost stumbled herself to make it to the window before he closed the shutter. She slammed into the side, and the pony jumped, spilling some bits on the floor. He swore under his breath.

“I need to get in this show!” Lyra was already fishing for her bits with her magic.

He gave her a hard look, adjusting his glasses. “The show is about to start ma’am, I’m not sure you even have enough time to find your seat.”

Lyra reared up on her hind legs and slammed her front hooves on the glass, causing the attendant to jump again. “Just get me in there!” She placed all her bits on the counter.

“Alright, alright!” The pony hoofed in the required amount, and issued Lyra a ticket. She scooped the remaining bits and her ticket with her magic, and took off for the door.

***

Inside, she arrived at her seat. Her saddlebags were noticeably lighter. She hadn’t counted how many bits she had since she arrived in town, but this was the last straw, and tomorrow she would have to be serious. Ha, I sound like her now. Great.

Grabbing a last minute seat meant she was way in the back with a terrible view, but she could still see the stage. Just as she was getting comfortable in her seat (earning questioning stares from her neighbors), the lights dimmed. She got comfortable, sitting her her prefered upright position, which earned her stares from her neighbors. She waited, and then…

There she is!

Octavia looked as composed and poised as ever. She was wearing a simple black dress, with highlights that were the color of her cutie mark. She was followed by another musician, an orange unicorn. He wore the traditional tux in concert black with penguin tails.

The unicorn was levitating his violin with him, however, Octavia’s cello was already resting in the center of the stage. Lyra could hear murmurings of disapproval, and yearned to speak on Octavia’s behalf, but she knew Octavia would take care of that in a second.

Octavia walked up to the cello, grabbed the bow in her mouth, and lifted it up. She stood on her hind legs, and transferred the bow to the crook of her hoof. The motion was well practiced, and looked effortless. The unicorn remained standing, and simply brought his violin in front of him. They ceremoniously tuned. It was superficial, Octavia’s instrument was in perfect intonation.

Octavia looked at him intently. After a moment, she nodded off a count, and they set off on a musical journey.

It was beautiful. Octavia was in top form. Despite her face remaining emotionless throughout the piece, Lyra could feel the music’s highs and low clearly. The music flowed over her, making her heart race. Lyra sat there in awe, at her luck to have met Octavia, and at her life overall. It had been one adventure, and it felt like this song perfectly encapsulated what her life had been since she left Canterlot.

Octavia played a small flourish of notes. They were quick, a cascading variation on the established melody. Lyra smiled to herself, for they sounded like improvisation. However, with what little she knew of Octavia, she was sure it was a mistake on her part. A beautiful, musical mistake that most in the audience wouldn’t notice, or care. Lyra loved every bit of it.

As the last note faded into the darkness, an immediate applause erupted. Every patron was stomping their hooves to where it shook the whole building. From her vantage point, Lyra can see Octavia bowing along with her accompanist. Octavia’s face was still frozen.

Shaking her head, Lyra smiled for her. Hearing this is just what I needed, she felt. Her saddle bags were light, her parents were frustrated, and her home life was afoul back at her real house in Ponyville, but right then and there, Lyra felt good. It had been too long since she had the pleasure of experiencing a true performance.

Octavia had the connections Lyra needed to get out of the city. She seemed cunning enough, maybe a tiny bit uptight, but she was willing to put up with Lyra to make her wishes real. Besides, her playing was magnificent. She was pristine. She was perfect.

Maybe this Octavia is exactly the friend I need in Canterlot?

Chapter 8 — Tourniquet

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Now, while their backs are turned.

— Chapter 8 : Tourniquet —

A low rumble shook Sweetie Drops Confectionery. The yellow mare behind the counter barely registered the tremor, and resumed ringing up the purchases of the two young ponies in front of her.

“This town is cuh-razy,” she mumbled. The mare scowled under her breath as she pressed the ‘sale’ button on her cash register. She put on a smile and turned back to her customers. “That’ll be six bits, ladies.”

The ponies, each one different shades of pink, dug through their saddlebags and put together their money. She noticed one was just a filly. They slapped their bits on the counter, and the older one grabbed their impressive haul. “Thanks, Ms. Bon Bon,” they chimed simultaneously as they headed for the door.

Bon Bon waved cheerily as they walked out the door. “Anytime.”

The two ponies began to walk to the exit. In a swift motion, the older pony levitated out a piece and tried to sneak it into her mouth. The the other saw it. “Hey, save some for me, Sparkler!” she said.

The young mare called Sparkler held the bag aloft with her magic, and made a cold face. “I’m gonna eat all of them, now that you called me that!”

The smaller one jumped and tried to snatch the bag out of the air. Sparkler simply raised the bag higher. The filly grit her teeth and glared at Sparkler, then ran for the door. “I’m gonna tell mom on you when she gets back!” she called back.

The unicorn was hot on her tail. “Dinky, you better not! You know I was only playing! Here, you can hold the bag,” she said, extending the bag to her.

Dinky paused, eyeing the bag hovering near her. She snapped at the sack, and placed it in one of her saddle bags. She buckled the bag down as Sparkler rolled her eyes.

“Come on, Dinky. Let’s go to the gazebo. We can munch on the treats there.” Sparkler walked out the door without looking back. Dinky stared back after her, but hesitantly followed the mare outside in short steps.

Bon Bon had watched all this silently. When the door closed, she deflated with a heavy sigh. It had been a busy morning. School was starting soon, and the colts and fillies of the town were eager to spend the last of their summer allowance at her shop. This was Bon Bon’s first lull of the day, long after her scheduled lunch break. She wanted to complain, but she had no one to complain to. If she was to be honest with herself, she needed the money that this great day of business brought. Her shop was third behind the empires known as the Cakes and the Apples, and she felt it every day.

Bon Bon unwrapped a piece of candy and plopped it in her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored the sweet, juicy morsel, relishing her craft. The candy was delightfully tart, but only just enough to give it a bite. The strawberry taste was prevalent and succulent. No wonder they were a hit with the kids. If only more kids wanted them.

“Wow, Bon Bon, you, like, totally outdid yourself,” said a comically girlish voice. It sounded like it belonged to a very young mare, the kind who had rich parents who paid for everything.

A strong, raspy voice answered back. “Thank you, Bon Bon.” This one sounded like an old mare tired of ‘youths these days’. “I worked very hard for this. You wouldn’t believe how long it took to get the strawberry to taste so pure.”

“Oh yes she would,” Bon Bon replied.

A hoot sounded from behind the counter. Bon Bon jumped out of her chair before snapping her head around. Resting above a glass container filled with jawbreakers sat an amber colored owl. The owl turned to the frozen mare, and hooted again.

Bon Bon laughed, mostly at herself. “I forgot you were here, friend.”

The owl hooted again.

An old, sage-like voice emanated from the yellow mare. “But Bon Bon, How could you forget me already? I’ve only just arrived!”

Bon Bon walked over to the owl and patted its head, and spoke plainly. “Sorry sir, I hope you can forgive.” She silently petted him. He never flew away. “You’re quite tame. Are you a lost pet? Maybe I’ll have to ask around and see if you have an owner. In the meantime, it’ll be nice to have some company.”

“But Bon Bon,” said the raspy voice, “didn’t you want to be alone?”

Bon Bon looked down at her hooves. “Not alone, just… She needs some time.”

The girly-girl returned. “Oh come on, girl. Don’t like, lie to yourself.”

“You know, the mare who needs time didn’t get on a train last weekend. ‘She’ is standing right here,” chimed the raspy mare.

Bon Bon didn’t have a reply to that. She sat alone in her store front, with the owl softly hooting. Shortly, she looked up, smiling. “Sorry for that, Mr. Owl. I hope you can forgive me, I get… distracted, sometimes. Talking to myself.”

She sighed. “You know, you could use a name. How about—”

A stronger tremor shook Bon Bon’s store, vibrating everything. A few glass jars teetered close to tipping over, but fortunately fell back into place.

“What in Tartarus…? Those mares better not be up to something crazy again!” she growled through gritted teeth.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a yellow pegasus running past her shop. Bon Bon spotted a distinctive pink mane flowing behind the pony. Bon Bon’s eye twitched. “So it is one of them! At least it’s only Fluttershy. I swear, this town already interesting enough as it is without those six—”

The house across the street erupted. Timber and furniture launched towards her storefront. Bon Bon could feel the force of the destruction underneath her hooves. Through the airborne debris, she witnessed the emergence of a creature she had never seen before. Mid-jump, it looked like a thing from the nightmares of a filly.

Before she could make head or tail of the monstrosity, the debris reached her storefront. Windows and display cases shattered around her from the incoming debris, and she reached up to shield her eyes.

With only three hooves on the ground she was not prepared for the beast's landing, which shot another shockwave into the store. Bon Bon went airborne. The shockwave knocked most of her jars to the ground. She slammed hard onto the floor, glass shattering around her. Candy rolled all over the store. Bon Bon lay dizzy on the floor as the beast launched itself down the street.

***

“Omph!” Gasped Fluttershy as she ran into her fourth pony since she entered the town. The stallion yelled something after her but, as much as she wanted to say an apology, she couldn’t speak. She was running almost too hard to breathe.

Fluttershy’s heart was shooting black lighting into her veins. She could feel every thud from her heart, and from her horseshoes. Her muscles had long been burned down to nothing, but she wasn’t going to stop. She couldn’t stop. She didn’t know where she was running. She just needed the forest and that thing long behind her.

The frightened pegasus was turning randomly, not caring for the stares of the ponies she passed. She was out of breath and too scared to warn them, and could only hope her expression was all they needed. She tried her best to put as many things between the beast and herself as she could. Hitting a hard right, Fluttershy found herself on a narrow side street, devoid of ponies. Her pace slackened for the first time since leaving the forest, and she wondered if she had lost the monster at last.

A scream, followed by a roar that shook her feathers, answered her.

Fluttershy jumped and hung off the ground, her eyes scanning up and down the street. Only then did she realize she was truly in Ponyville. Slowly it dawned on her. She had been too scared to think of anything but ‘run’. “I’m sorry,” she quietly whispered to no one.

Fluttershy didn’t dare fly high enough to spot the beast, for it would surely return the favor and hunt her down. Sounds of destruction faintly bounced off the houses around her, the echo preventing her from knowing where it truly was. Despite the displacement of the sound, she could tell it was getting louder. So were the screams.

Suddenly, a house several blocks down the street exploded, sending timber and furniture into the sky and onto the street. Fluttershy whipped around, and gaped dumbly at the sight. Her knees failed her, and she collapsed wide-eyed on the ground in a heap.

The monster from the forest landed before her in the street, shaking her bones. “No,” was all she said in quiet protest.

In the bright, unfiltered light of the village, the beast looked even worse. It was past the point any creature Fluttershy knew about could live. The rotting flesh smelled putrid, and hung in pouches and tatters. From where she sat, she could clearly see the crater in the beast’s head in the unfiltered sunlight. Muscles moved, and tendons stretched. Blood coated the front of the beast, more than there was before. Fluttershy tried not to think about that. The smell filled Fluttershy’s nose, even at a distance, making her cough.

The beast’s one good eye was scanning left and right, but its ears twisted towards Fluttershy. Fluttershy willed herself to be the smallest and quietest she’d ever had been in her life. It roared, and began a lumbering gallop towards Fluttershy, its multiple front legs creating an odd-metered stride toward her.

She wasn’t going to outrun this beast now. She would tire out long before it did, and when it caught it it would feast upon her, and move on to the next pony it saw. She had one move left. Fluttershy reached down, deep inside herself, preparing to use her stare. The beast was only a two blocks away now, and it would need to be closer for her to have the effect she desired. She would have to be in the kill zone any second, but she had to hope her spirit could tame the beast.

The thuds grew louder as it approached. Its claws and hooves left divots and craters in the ground as it smashed down the street, destroying mailboxes and upending unattended carts in its wake. Fluttershy took a deep breath, and Stared the beast down. Her vision was blurry, her cheeks were wet with tears, but she stared nonetheless. Her insides were jelly, but maybe she could trap the beast if she tried, if she really, truly tried. At some point, she realized she was screaming.

As the beast started to enter range, she Stared it. The steps did not stop. The beast did not stop. Fluttershy knew something was wrong. She blinked a couple times, and Stared the beast again, and again to no avail. She started to panic.

“Please!” She begged. “Please, please!”

“Shut up. You almost had my shop destroyed you sniveling diva,” shouted a raspy old voice.

“Diva?” Distracted, Fluttershy had no time to react to the beast upon her. She crumpled, and waited for the beast to gorge itself upon her.

She didn’t have to. The mare from Sweetie Drops Confectionery stepped into the path of the best. She dug her hooves into the ground. As the monster ran full speed into her, she wrapped her forelegs around one of its claws, lifted, and twisted.

The beast lifted up and over herself and Fluttershy, and slammed face-first into the ground with quickness unseen and a sharp crunch. Bon Bon let go of the beast, allowing its momentum to carry it tumbling down the street, leaving a streak of red behind it.

“You pegasi are too fragile.” She turned towards the beast and began marching.

The beast rolled to a halt. It found its footing, and rose from the ground. Turning back to Bon Bon, it flared its multiple arms and roared. Bon Bon’s eye twitched. A knot formed in her stomach.

“Y- Y- Y- You get away from there!” She screamed. Her hooves were moving before she told them to.

Fluttershy was alarmed by Bon Bon’s heightened voice. She responded instinctively. A voice from deep within came to her lips, surprising herself. “What’s wrong, miss?” Asked Fluttershy.

“My… My store!” was all she shouted as she charged the beast. It saw her coming. It charged her, and Bon Bon got low, ready for another grapple.

The beast dug its claws into the ground, grinding to a halt within Bon Bon’s reach. Bon Bon grabbed the beast, lifted and twisted. There was no momentum. Nothing happened. The monster bent over and roared, its gaping mouth destroying Bon Bon’s ears. She reached up to cover them, and was immediately struck by the beast. Her earth pony strength kept her upright, but she sank several inches into the dirt.

Immediately after, the beast struck her from the side. Bon Bon slid down the street, her hooves leaving long divots in the ground behind her. She came to a stop and collapsed. She struggled to stand up, but fell on herself.

The beast turned to Fluttershy, and licked its lips. Fluttershy silently screamed, feeling the terror grip her heart again. Like a drop of water in the dark, one thought echoed in her mind.

Why didn’t I run?

Saliva dripped onto the street. The monster started to gallop. Each step reverberated through Fluttershy’s skeleton louder than the last. She yearned to fly, but her wings felt like they were welded to her sides. Her legs felt like a newborn foal’s, dumb and useless.

Before the beast had her in its killzone, a falling shadow caught Fluttershy’s eye. Before she had time to look up, it flew down and struck the beast’s head at alarming speed. In a flash, its head was slammed onto the ground.

Atop its head was a pegasus, decked in black armor, frozen in calculated posture as its hind leg drove into the beast’s skull. Fluttershy gasped. The pegasus was a Lunar Knight, and even with the distance, her amber eyes shone fiercely in the sun.

The moment didn’t last. The beast braced itself with its multiple forelegs and whipped its head back, sending the Knight skyward. It turned yet again and lumbered toward Fluttershy. It was so close her mind shook.

The knight tumbled upwards through the air, the world spinning around her. Finally gripping air beneath her wings, she righted herself high above Ponyville and shouted a command.

“Yes sir, Amber Eyes!” Two voices called out in unison, followed by two more Lunar Knights flying out of an adjacent alley, their hooves grazing the ground. They slammed into the beast’s side, catching it mid stride. Their combined blow sent the beast into a house, demolishing the front of it with an earth-shattering boom.

Fluttershy stood dumbfounded in the street, blinking at her good fortune. Her ears were ringing.

The beast gripped rubble and dirt, pulling itself out of the house and roared at its new assailants. It pawed debris off itself and threw it at the new knights, who dodged them. It turned back down the street and made for Fluttershy once more.

The knights didn’t let up, and continued to strike the beast. Blow by blow, the beast slowed. It swatted at them annoyed. It stood its ground, slashing through the air with its claws. The knights were swarming around the monster, doing their best to dodge or deflect the assault of arms and get in strikes of their own.

Her mouth twitched as Fluttershy realized that someone had come to her rescue. She felt like she could breathe again. She continued to cry, silently. Again, I am the one who needs saving. She tried to wipe her eyes but she couldn’t stop crying.

She heard hoofsteps behind her. Looking over her shoulder, Fluttershy saw the female Lunar Knight approaching her. Her black armor seemed to suck the sunlight out of the air as she walked with a noble stride. Fluttershy seized up, forgetting about the beast completely.

It’s her!

Her stomach dropped. It had to be the knight Applejack mentioned. The dark armor and the fierce eyes made Fluttershy quiver. She was already stammering, thinking of something to say to get out of this pony’s presence. However, as the mare walked up to her, Fluttershy’s words failed her. All she could ask was, “What is that thing?”

The mare called Amber Eyes shifted her gaze from Fluttershy to the fight going on down the street. The hurricane of limbs slicing through the air continued, sending showers of dirt whenever they struck the ground. The intensity was staggering, but the Knight in front of Fluttershy remained stone faced.

“That beast is known as a hekkatron,” she answered coolly. She didn’t break her gaze.

Fluttershy’s expression must have conveyed confusion, with tears still creeping down her face. Amber Eyes sucked her teeth, and continued. “It is an old foe, and one of the last things I’d expect to see on a day as mundane and as asinine as this one.” Fluttershy gave the mare a puzzled look, but the mare showed no interest in discussing it further. “Get out of here. Go home. You are in the way.”

The lack of reaction from Fluttershy made the knight suck her teeth. She struck Fluttershy on the flank. “Get out of here now!” she shouted.

She blinked. Finally coming to, finally realizing that this was her exit from her nightmare, Fluttershy turned and ran. She pumped her legs hard, and disappeared around the block. As she rounded the corner, the Lunar Knight turned back to the fight, and dove in.

***

The Lunar Knights swarmed the beast like hornets. They flew in separate orbits around the hekkatron, dishing out stinging blows. The beast would retaliate and clip a Lunar Knight, sending it spinning into a building. Despite the blow, they would immediately rejoin the fight.

At first, they were flying and striking as hard as they could, determined to put the beast down. However, the hekkatron showed no signs of being anything but annoyed, and with each subsequent violent ejection, the Lunar Knights took longer and longer to rejoin the fight. Despite their best efforts, unless something changed, this was a fight the Lunar Knights were going to lose, and Amber Eyes knew this.

One of her Knights collided with the other, sending them crashing to the street. In the moment that their leader glanced at them, the hekkatron reached out and grabbed her, tossing her down with her subordinates, dirt flying into the air. She skid in the dirt down the street. When she came to a stop, she found her knights already flanking her, lifting her up and dusting her off. They muttered apologies, but she slapped them both with her wings.

“What kind of flying was that, Antumbra?” she hissed.

An emotionless ‘Sorry, sir,’ was all Antumbra had to say.

She turned to the other knight. “Any ideas, Penumbra?”

“None, Sir. If I may say, what in Luna’s name are we doing fighting a hekkatron? Are they not supposed to be—”

“Penumbra!” Amber Eyes cut him off sharpy. “I do not care what anything is supposed to be, I care about what something is, and this thing is a threat to this town, ourselves, and tangentially our Princess. It must be destroyed, now.”

Antumbra spoke up. “But how, Sir? Have one of these ever been truly defeated?”

Down the street, the hekkatron was approaching, seeming to have finally forgotten about its yellow snack. The lead Knight gave no command.

“Sir?”

Their leader placed a hoof on her head and grimaced in anger. “I expected to wake up to a much more peaceful Equestria than this,” she said under her breath. She looked up, and saw her knights staring at her, waiting. She glanced down the street. The hekkatron would be upon them in seconds. She grit her teeth. “Knights! Wings up!”

All three Lunar Knights extended their wings and launched into the sky like rockets. Not a second later, the hekkatron stumbled dumbly where they had been, and tried futilely to swipe them out of the air. Above it, the Knights circled like hawks, flying out of range of its claws.

“The enemy is an old one,” shouted their leader as she as she dodged a blow that would have easily ripped a wing off, “even if it is tough. We will put him down! Strike! Rake out its eyes and break its forelimbs! Smash what is left of its skull into the ground! Do what we must, for our Princess! Line up!”

“Sir!” exclaimed Penumbra and Antumbra, and they flapped even harder.

The Knights peeled away from their orbit, prompting the hekkatron to give chase. It ran hard, but the knights were pulling away. After obtaining enough room, the knights turned and headed straight for the hekkatron. Their hooves grazed the ground as they pumped their wings as hard as they could. As they flew, they formed a spear. Penumbra, Antumbra, and then their commander bringing up the rear.

The knights met the beast. They were right in its kill zone, under its cruel maw and in the range of its arms. Penumbra pulled away, hard right, as two arms of the beast reached out to slice him in half and only met air. Antumbra pulled a hard left, pulling three arms after it, leaving the commander as clear of a shot as she could ever hope. The wind whistled furiously through her ears.

The remaining arms were busy keeping the beast upright in mid stride. The commander brought her wings in tight, slipping between them.

“Eat it, Tar-head!” She screamed. I know you’re going to feel this one!

With the beast unable to defend itself, she headbutted him directly in the chest. Her helmet tore flesh and hit bone with a thud that reverberated up and down her armor. She could feel the destruction as the waves of energy ran up and down her suit, and the distinct sensation of breaking bone was not lost on her.

However, the hekkatron did not fall. It staggered, but stood its ground. The commander found herself in silence and without momentum. She blinked, and hesitated. In that moment a claw reached under and snatched her.

The beast slammed her against the ground, all while roaring in pain. Amber Eyes felt her lungs empty and felt something pop in her shoulder. Her mind screamed and bounced around her skull, but she forced herself to stay focused. Instead of another slam, the beast threw her hard into a side alley. Her armor clanked as she tumbled down the narrow street. As she came to a stop, she said a quiet thanks to her Princess. She rolled over to look at the entrance to the alley, and saw the hekkatron begin to advance on her, wedging itself between the buildings.

She tried to stand, but her right foreleg gave out. She landed on her face, eating pavement. “Horse apples,” she hissed. She tried to stretch her wings, but they ached immensely. After much effort, she was airborne. She could fly, but she wasn’t going anywhere fast. “Knights!” she yelled.

The beast was about to enter the alley when Penumbra and Antumbra struck it again. It made an odd yelping noise as it disappeared from the end of the alleyway. The leader laughed to herself, until her two knights flew back across the alley. She grew silent, as the hekkatron’s claw gripped the corner, and her stomach sank as its disfigured head looked around the corner.

A voice shouted behind her, originating from the other end of the alley. “He’s right here, Big Mac! Let him have it!”

Hooves approached quickly from behind. A red blur whizzed past her and slammed into the beast in front of her with a hit so hard she felt it. Catapulting it airborne, the blur flung the monster into the storefront behind it. In its place stood one of the largest stallions Amber Eyes had ever seen, larger than any pony in the Princesses’ forces.

A hoof fell on her shoulder. She winced and turned to scold the fool who dared hurt her. She found herself looking into the face of the woefully obvious liar from the morning. Her eyes narrowed. “You,” was all she said.

“You can thank me later, ma’am,” Applejack replied, “but for now, let me get you out of here.”

Applejack moved to hoist the knight, but she shoved her away. “My ponies are still out there. I cannot leave them.”

“Maybe so, but you’re no good to them now. My brother will help them.”

Amber eyes looked back down the alley. Sure enough, the brute of an earth pony was going blow for blow with the hekkatron. Above, her knights fought with the beast’s arms to get in strikes when they could. Combined, they were holding their own against the beast well enough, but she could tell winning still wasn’t a viable option. She looked to the sky, and said a prayer to Luna under her breath. She then froze.

“Come on, girl. Let’s go. You’re too young to be in a fight like this, if you ask me.” Applejack tugged, but the knight kept looking skyward. She frowned. “Ah said—!”

“—Let go of me, country mare!” she spat.

Applejack let go, but was about to share some terse words, when the knight pointed up. Following her hoof upwards, she saw a huge carriage hanging over the city. Squinting, she could see a envelope displayed on the side of the carriage, and a grey pegasus holding the vehicle in the sky. “What’s so important about that?” Applejack asked.

She turned, but found that the knight had gone. Looking up again, she saw her slowly rising to meet the pegasus. Her armor was clearly dented, and her flapping was laborious.

“Fine, you crazy mare!” Applejack shouted after her. She turned and ran down the alley, away from the fight, to find any more stragglers in the area needing a helping hoof.

***

“The beast is hurt! Go for its chest!” Penumbra shouted. “Try to force it out of town!”

“Eeyup,” was all the new combatant said as he continued to tussle with the hekkatron. Big Mac was a strong pony, with Earth pony magic augmenting his already peak physical condition. Glancing blows from the beast were nonexistent, and Mac's headbutts were devastating. It was only with his help the Knights have any hope of leading the hekkatron away from town. Leading, but not defeating.

Big Mac approached the hekkatron, which punished him with a blow to his side. Without flinching, Big Mac sidestepped, and headbutted the beast's side from his improved angle. The hekkatron reached around slammed Big Mac's back with two claws. Gave the monster a quick shove for space, pivoted, and bucked the beast hard, sending it down the street. He grunted, and kneeled to catch his breath, unsatisfied with his skirmish and eager to return.

While down, the two remaining Lunar Knights swooped in. The hekkatron's elbows, knees, and already wounded chest were battered by the airborne assailants. They were precise, and merciless, leaving reddening welts where their horseshoes struck. The beast trashed madly on its back, desperately trying to rid itself of the buzzing Knights.

One of its arms clipped Penumbra, launching him in a painful arc into the next street over. Finding himself alone, Antumbra switched to defense as he was barraged with the snatching arms of the hekkatron. Dodging as well as he could, he continued to lure the beast down the street.

His flying grew sloppy as time wore on, and he quickly grew tired. Then, a misstep sent him into the dirt. Whipping his head up, he had just enough time to see the claw coming. Shutting his eyes, he felt the claw slam into the road beside him. Looking up, he saw Big Mac standing between him and the beast.

Big Mac began fighting the beast again, with renewed vigor. On his left, Antumbra heard flapping wings, and turned to see Penumbra landing. He extended Antumbra a hoof, which he accepted. They spread their wings and launched back into the air. They had to keep fighting, no matter how much stamina the beast had. Despite their best efforts, the beast wasn't stopping. They were losing.

In the next street over, Applejack was following them.

She had instructed a few ponies cowering in their dwellings to flee already. She made no attempt to fight, as her bones still ached from the earlier encounter, but she wasn’t going to flee the town until everypony else was gone. She was responsible for this disaster, and she had to do everything she could.

She could feel the rumble from every fall the beast had, and it made her hopeful that maybe they could pull it off. She trotted along as fast as her pain would let her, in an attempt to stay ahead of the fight.

The brawl started to drift towards the open town square. She pressed ahead, running to the center. It was completely quiet, and she sighed with relief. The beast had obviously chased Fluttershy through here at some point, as there were many shallow holes from where the beast trampled. The gazebo that sat in the middle of the square was in poor shape, as if the beast had slammed up against it. A nondescript banner hung off the side, one of its support ropes ripped.

She picked her ears up, turning left and right, hoping for something. Applejack almost sighed with relief. It was then she heard a noise. Her heart leapt up in her throat. It was a filly’s sob.

Applejack looked around wildly, trying to find the already distant source of the noise over the sound of the fight. The fight was echoing off the deserted streets, making it that much harder. She trotted up to houses around the outer edge of the square, and began to call.

“Hello?” she shouted, walking the perimeter. “Ah heard ya in there! Come out, you gotta get out of here!”

She heard no response. She picked a house at random and ran in, busting the door down and immediately wincing. She found herself in a living room, with papers thrown about the floor. She saw no one. She ran to the back of the house, and saw a dinner table with hot hay sandwiches sitting out, still steaming. Still, nopony was around. She turned and ran back out into the street.

“Ah know you’re there!” she shouted. “Ah can help! Just let me know where you are!”

Silence answered her, or as much as silence as a nearby fight with a carriage-sized monster would allow.

Applejack stood, her ears up and soaking in for the tiniest peep. She heard nothing except the fight nearing. Maybe she didn’t hear anything at all in the first place? Applejack began to walk away, before something stopped her in her tracks.

“Miss Applejack?” she heard call out from a distance.

She turned, and stared out across the square, trying to find a source of the sound. There, in the middle, under the shade of the damaged gazebo, were two pink fillies.

***

High above, Amber Eyes was slowly approaching the suspended pegasus.

She gritted her teeth. “You, citizen! I need your help!” She almost spat out the words, and loathed saying them. Asking for help was for those without power, she thought. She had to, however. The hekkatron needed to go down.

The pony became clearer as she flew closer and she could see she grey mare had blonde hair. A quick glance at her cutie mark revealed bubbles. Disappointment crossed Amber Eyes face; this pony is weak. Thankfully, the carriage she was carrying was indeed a mail carriage. Judging by its bobbing, it was filled with undelivered packages. Amber Eyes smiled.

“Citizen, I am recruiting you for a mission of utmost importance—” she paused. As the mare turned to her, she saw that one of her eyes pointed in the wrong direction by an extreme margin. Her eyes widened, but she continued. “Surrender your carriage to me.”

The pegasus’ good eye shifted from the Knight to the town, and back to her. “Uh, how do I do that?”

“You’re telling me you don’t know how to perform an airborne tow switch?” She facehoofed, and breathed deeply. “I don’t care. The town is under attack, and I need you, and more importantly, your hefty cargo.”

The pegasus glanced over her shoulders at the large load she was carrying. “What do you need with this mail? I can’t let it get damaged. I could lose my job.” She half-grinned. “It’s already hard enough to get hired.”

Amber Eyes didn’t have time for this. “There is a hekkatron—” she spotted the look of confusion on the mare’s face. “—a monster destroying the town right now. It’s tough, and while my two knights are giving it trouble right now, they won’t last. I need you. I. Need. Your. Cargo.” She pointed at her load. “I need you to drop this carriage on its head, as hard and fast as you can. I do not have time for this!”

She expected immediate compliance, but the grey mare simply gulped. “I… I can’t. I’ll lose my job. I have to take care of… T- T- Those mares will be here soon, right? They always show up when there’s trouble...” The mare’s face slowly descended into pure terror as she looked below, her eyes bulging.

Amber Eyes looked down, and couldn’t stop herself from letting out a gasp.

***

Applejack started towards the fillies. “Listen here, youngins. We’ve got to get out of here.” She tried to keep her voice even, but the commotion was rising behind her.

The smaller one was crying. The older one she was holding onto just shook her head.

“If we don’t scram, who knows where that monster will come next. Ah just need you to come with me, to head to the outskirts of town, and then you’ll be safe.”

On cue, she felt her world begin vibrate. A huge tremor shook the square. The fight had reached them. The gazebo, already damaged from the hekkatron’s earlier rampage, began to fall. Applejack saw the roof begin to sag, and took off running. She took a flying leap at the ponies, hoping that when she hit them they’d be alright.

Flying through the gazebo, Appleack ran into the older mare, sending the two fillies out the other side. She scrambled to her feet. “Run!” She shouted, before the roof fell in on her.

The blow of the roof was mercifully negligible, but when Applejack tried to rise, she couldn’t move. She looked behind her and saw that her hind legs had been pinned. “Horse apples,” she swore, but looking up she was relieved to see the fillies shaken but relatively unharmed in front of her. “Now run on! Get!”

But they didn’t move. Slowly, the young pegasus extended a hoof above Applejack head. Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief, but she did turn around. Looking behind her, she saw the hekkatron rise up from behind the demolished gazebo. She wasn’t safe. She hollered for help, but neither Big Mac nor the Knights were in sight. It licked its lips in anticipation.

The young filly screamed.

***

“Oh, my Princess,” Amber Eyes gasped as she saw the beast approach the three ponies in the square. She frantically searched for any sign of her Knights or the red stallion, and spotted them laying in the street a few blocks over. The rest of the town had been deserted, her troops dispatched. Even if she dropped like a rock and attempted to stop the monster, she would be useless. She was too weak to stop it. “Oh, my Princess,” she said again.

“No, please Celestia no! My foals! My babies!” Shouted the mare next to her, almost forgotten. Amber’s heart leapt to her throat from the sound. Her eyes misted over. She was immensely thankful she was at such an altitude that her knights would never know— assuming they made it through the day.

Without warning the mailmare dropped out of the sky. She was flying with pistons on full, furiously flapping her wings as she plummeted to the town far below, yanking the carriage behind her. Amber Eyes watched solemnly, as the pony descended, her payload in tow.

***

“Run!” Applejack screamed. The fillies from the gazebo rose to their feet, but they were moving too slow. Applejack tried to buck off the boards, yet nothing happened. The collapsed gazebo groaned, but didn’t budge.

She could hear the beast walking, stalking. She shuddered, waiting for the killing blow. She felt a glob of saliva land in her mane, and she shuddered. “Ah’m sorry,” she said to no one.

The beast bent forward, and sank its teeth into the nape of Applejack’s neck. She tried to stifle her scream in, but it slowly leaked out until she couldn’t help it anymore. She screamed her lungs out, her forelegs kicking and scraping the ground. As she drew in more breath to scream, she could smell the beast. The stench reeked of death and decay.

The beast let go, catching Applejack by surprise. She was panting hard, but alive. She looked at the wound, and immediately turned away. It looked nasty, but she knew it wasn’t too serious. This bite was not meant to kill, only to maim, to stop her from running away. The next one would do her in.

The ground beneath her quickly turned red. Applejack laughed sickly, but kept struggling to get free.

The beast roared in triumph, and went for the kill. Applejack tensed and closed her eyes.

“Stop right there, Mister!” shouted a soft voice. Applejack waited, but never felt a bite. She looked back, up at the beast. More blood oozed from her wound, but Applejack saw that the beast had frozen, his attention on the approaching mare. If Applejack was free, she would have hugged her.

Fluttershy was quickly approaching. She landed in between the fillies and Applejack, and looked at the beast who was almost upon the gazebo. The hekkatron recognized his prey from earlier. It roared a huge roar, and set its eyes upon the yellow pegasus.

“Big mistake, mister!” shouted Fluttershy, and she stared him.

The effect was immediate. The beast’s eyes glazed over, and he froze in his tracks, three claws off the ground as it was about to step on the gazebo.

Fluttershy flinched, as if she just realized what she was doing, but she held her gaze. She held it as she turned her head slightly to the side, and addressed the fillies. “Can you two sweeties help Applejack out, please?”

They wasted no time rushing over the Applejack. The older unicorn grabbed a few boards with her magic and lifted them just enough for Applejack to slide out.

“Thank you girls, Fluttershy,” she said as she tried to steady herself on three legs. The fillies looked at her wound, but she shooed them and turned it away. “Now let’s go, on the double!” The two fillies finally ran. Applejack paused to look at Fluttershy, whose eyes were still locked on the creature. She couldn’t think of anything to say, and hobbled after the fillies.

Fluttershy was alone with the beast. “You’ve been a bad monster, haven’t you?”

The beast stared blankly at her. It didn’t move a muscle. Fluttershy wasn’t sure if it understood her, but she spoke anyways.

“You will go back where you came from, and never hurt anypony ever again. Do you understand me?”

Again, blankness. Fluttershy waited for the beast to turn, but it never did. Slowly, its head dipped. It started to make a sound like purring. Fluttershy panicked.

“I- I- I- I said it’s time for you leave, okay?” she said feebly. The beast answered with a shrill roar, and lunged towards her.

“Watch out!” shouted a voice.

Fluttershy was bounced off her hooves. Her ears filled with noise as a sickening crash assaulted her ears. She was sure she was screaming, but she couldn’t hear herself. She landed on her back, dazed. From nowhere, the hekkatron had seemingly turned into a pile of broken, flying debris. A spoked wheel whizzed past her head. The banner from the gazebo slowly floated down and draped over her as a cloud of dust rose around her.

The square was quiet as a meadow. Fluttershy’s ears rang. She coughed as the dust floated into her mouth. She pulled the banner off her, picked herself up, and started in a direction. She hesitated, waiting for a sign of the monster. Just because she couldn’t hear the beast, didn’t mean it was safe. She instead stood, rooted to her position as the dust slowly dispersed.

She gasped. The hekkatron was spread eagle on top of the gazebo. Its eyes were vacant. Its neck was clearly, horribly broken. Bones poked out in odd angles, and blood flowed from the punctures.

Fluttershy sunk in herself at the sight of the injured monster. Despite it being seconds away from killing her, she couldn’t help but let a piece of her heart go out to the beast. She shut her eyes.

“Fluttershy!” Applejack called. Fluttershy didn’t answer, but sat there, waiting to be found.

Finally, Applejack staggered up to Fluttershy. “Thanks, Fluttershy. Ah thought Ah… Y’know. Thank you, so much.” Fluttershy finally opened her eyes and looked at Applejack. She was a mess, worse than Fluttershy had ever seen anypony before. She started to cry again.

Applejack looked down. She went to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she slowly neared Fluttershy. She sat down, reached her good hoof around her, and squeezed. She hugged her, and nuzzled her. She said nothing.

Slowly, Fluttershy placed a hoof around Applejack. She started to cry even more into Applejack’s coat, her tears mixing with the sweat and blood.

“Where are they? Where are they!” A mare shouted.

Fluttershy turned, looking for the owner of the voice. It was the same voice that warned her before the explosion took out the hekkatron. A grey pegasus walked up, her eyes searching around frantically. Fluttershy noticed that her eyes were always looking in two different places, but held her questions. One of those eyes landed on Fluttershy and Applejack, and she rushed over. She ran in front of them to speak, and recoiled when she saw Applejack’s wound.

“Oh dear, are you going to be alright?” the pegasus asked.

Applejack grunted. “Yeah, Ah think so. Ah’m not going to lie, though, it hurts.”

“Never doubted it.” Again, another half grin, but her expression quickly returned to a more serious one. I’m looking for my foals,” the pegasus continued unsurely. Applejack could tell she was making a point to avoid looking at the wound. “The ones who were in the gazebo. Please, did you see where they ran off to?

“We’re right here, mama!” said small voice behind her. The grey pegasus turned, and saw a young unicorn waving at her.

“Dinky!” she yelled, as she flew forward and wrapped the young filly in her legs and wings. She kissed her all over her face. “I’m so happy you’re okay!” She suddenly held the filly away from her. “You are okay, right? No scratches?”

“Yes, mama,” Dinky said. The pegasus began to hug her again. Eventually, she set her down.

The pegasus looked around. “Where is Sparkler?”

“Don’t call me that,” said a pink unicorn. She walked up to the group of ponies, wearing a look of disdain for the scene.. They grey pegasus smiled, but didn’t approach. She looked over at Applejack, who was still being supported by Fluttershy. “You could do with a trip to the hospital.”

“It’s… not that bad…” Applejack said through gritted teeth.

Fluttershy knew she was right, but it looked bad. She got up, and moved for the banner. She grabbed it off the ground and tore several strips with her teeth. Returning to Applejack, she began wrapping her wound as best she could.

The pegasus spoke. “I’m sorry, Amethyst Star. I’m just so happy to see you. To see both of you! That you’re okay! I was so worried, I just didn’t know what to do. I love you two so much. So, so much, you know?”

Dinky pried herself from the pegasus, and looked at the hekkatron still lying in the rubble of the gazebo. “Whoa, did you do that, mama?”

“You are so fired, you know that?” Asked Amethyst Star.

The pegasus grimaced. “I… I did what I had to,” she said. “I didn’t mean to… If there was another way, if I didn’t have to, I would have…”

Dinky didn’t wait for an answer and hugged her mother again. Amethyst Star stood nearby, looking away.

At the edge of the square, Fluttershy could see ponies approaching the destruction.

Amethyst Star walked over to the beast, and poked it with her hoof. It remained unmoving. “Really though, what is that thing?” she asked, then almost retched. “And where’s the rest of its face?”

On silent wings, the ponies in sleek, black armor landed before them. The two flanking ponies landed gingerly, but the center one stumbled. The flanking ponies moved to help, but she quickly righted herself up and shot them a glare.

“As I’ve said before, that thing,” she said, turning her amber eyes upon the beast, “is a hekkatron.”

There was silence, until Applejack spoke up. “And what in tarnation is a hekkatron? Ah’d really love to know. That thing was more vicious than any beast I’ve ever heard about in the Everfree Forest.”

Behind the knights, Big Mac approached. He looked bruised but otherwise unscathed. “Eeyup,” he agreed. Applejack smiled warmly.

“That’s because it’s not of the Forest. It’s not of Equestria. It belongs to Discord.”

The silence was long. Applejack’s heart stopped. “You’re not saying he’s escaped, are ya?”

The Lunar Knight laughed. “No, he’s still a lawn ornament in Canterlot. I’m saying that this beast is tainted by his magic. I thought they were no longer a problem in Equestria. I’m surprised we won.”

“What do you mean, ‘no longer a problem?’” asked Fluttershy. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Me neither,” wheezed Applejack. “Besides, when we faced Discord, his magic reset. Everything went back to normal.”

The female Lunar Knight hobbled over the hekkatron. Her knights never left her side. She sucked her teeth, and kicked the motionless body. Fluttershy made a noise of disgust.

“We have to report this to our Princess immediately, Sir,” said Penumbra.

“Yes, I know,” replied the commander. “Soon enough. We’re not done here.”

Antumbra looked over at his shoulder at the crowd that was gathering, but they respectfully remained out of earshot. Fluttershy followed his gaze, and scanned the gathering ponies. She potted Bon Bon, who looked bruised and cross, but otherwise said nothing. Fluttershy quickly averted her eyes from her. She also saw Nurse Redheart and some of her staff among the ponies, checking injuries and treating those hurt. Waving her down, Fluttershy asked her to bring a stretcher. One look at Applejack and she disappeared into the crowd.

“What is more important to our Princess, sir?” he asked. He was ignored.

“Hey you, miss, what exactly is a hekkatron?” asked Applejack. “Tell me what you’re hiding.”

The commander flipped as fast she could to stare Applejack in the face. Fluttershy slunk beside her. “I’ll tell you once you tell me what you’re hiding, you liar.”

Some ponies, recognizing who the Lunar Knight was talking to, gasped. Fluttershy tensed beside her, but said nothing.

“Hey, now, you watch your words, Missy!”

“Or what, you’ll bleed over me?”

Fluttershy spoke up. “Or I’ll take care of you.”

This caused Amber Eyes to pause, and stare at Fluttershy. Fluttershy said nothing, and returned the gaze. She held tighter onto Applejack, however. Applejack returned the squeeze.

“You,” said the knight. “I saw you stop the beast in tracks, after one of my headbutts, and his—” she pointed at Big Mac”—beatings did nothing. How did you do it? No one has ever stopped, much less caused a hekkatron to pause like that in any way, except maybe to make it consider which pony to devour first. Do you have an evil in your eyes, eh little pony? Worse than Discord?”

Fluttershy meeped, and Applejack shot the mare a cold look. “You leave her alone.”

“Sir, we need to go,” reminded Penumbra.

Amber Eyes shot him a dirty look, but didn’t say anything. She looked back at Fluttershy and Applejack. She admired their courage. In a town full of ponies that fled, these two stayed. They stood together, and stared in the face at what Amber Eyes thought was certain death for each one of them, and for those two fillies. Then it clicked.

“You. You both,” she said slowly, smirking. “You’re Elements, aren’t you?”

There was a pause. Applejack eventually responded. “Yeah we are. So what?”

Amber eyes smiled. “You’re the ones responsible for resealing Discord and… ‘helping’ our Princess. I guess it’s also fair to say you ‘helped’ with the changeling uprising, too, huh?”

“Helped? There was no uprising because…” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ugh, nevermind. So what if we’re Elements, lady?”

“So, this will go quickly. I’m tired of playing games, so I’ll be straight with you. I have been commanded by our Princess Luna to ask about the whereabouts of Twilight Sparkle. Where is she?”

Applejack began. “Well. She’s. Uh…” Amber Eyes began to cock an eyebrow, displeasure spreading across her face. Applejack sigh. “She’s on the ru—”

“—She’s on a vacation,” interrupted Fluttershy flatly. Applejack looked at her, flabbergasted. Thankfully Amber Eyes didn’t notice Applejack’s expression. Her gaze was on Fluttershy, and her anger was rising.

“A vacation?” asked Amber Eyes.

“She’s traveling, conducting research,” said Fluttershy.

“That sounds like fieldwork,” replied the knight coolly. “Which is it, Elemental? Is she vacationing or conducting research?”

Fluttershy kept her voice even. “If you knew Twilight, you’d know that they are one and the same. It should be common knowledge to anypony serving under the Princesses, as I’m sure you know she is Celestia’s pupil. Are you sure you’re a Lunar Knight?”

Amber Eyes practically lunged at Fluttershy. Fluttershy didn’t flinch. “I am Amber Eyes!” She spat, her voice lined with venom beyond her years. “I am Luna’s right hand mare! I have seen things that would haunt you forever while under my Princess’ service”.

Amber Eyes stepped up to Fluttershy, inches from her face. “Look here, you Elemental. Question me about my knighthood one more time and I’ll do something about it.”

“Do something about it and Ah’ll do something about it,” said Applejack.

Feeling something sting, Amber eyes looked down, and noticed Applejack’s hoof on her shoulder— her injured shoulder. She shot her knights a look, and saw that they were subtly crouched, ready to strike. However, this was no time to get into a fight. Amber Eyes could only imagine the scolding and punishment they’d receive if they fought one of Celestia’s most precious, and a wounded one at that. She sucked her teeth, and looked back at Applejack, and then Fluttershy, and then smiled.

“Let me guess. Loyalty,” she nodded at Applejack, “and Courage, or something like it,” she nodded at Fluttershy. Fluttershy and Applejack looked confused, but they didn’t say anything. Finally, she eased back. Applejack’s hoof slid off her shoulder. She turned, and walked back to the beast.

“I will answer answer your question. A hekkatron is a child of Discord. While almost all of Discord’s magic resets, not all of it does. The things that don’t, get put away. Forever.”

She kicked the beast hard, knocking its head to the side. Its exposed brain turned up. Everyone around her recoiled, but she didn’t move a muscle. Her eyes remained callous. “This beast is supposed to be in Tartarus. It’s from before My Princess’ Fall. As for it’s face, I’m going to guess we weren’t the first ones to encounter it. Judging by this battle, whoever it found before us is most likely a mess of organs now.”

Dinky whimpered. Fluttershy and Applejack looked at each other, then back to the knight.

She spread her wings, and her fellow knights did the same. “One more thing. I understand that Twilight Sparkle is off doing whatever, but that should leave five Elementals guarding the town.” She turned back to them. Her voice lowered. “Where are the other three? I know there are other ponies missing in this town. Aren’t they your friends?”

Applejack’s jaw was open, but Fluttershy’s was firmly shut. They gave no answer. Amber Eyes’ lips began to curl. “I don’t think you two would be unwise enough to lie to a Canterlot official, but I can tell that’s a bit of a raw subject. I won’t coerce an answer out of you, not today at least, but I know one of you knows something, and chances are the other does not. Find them immediately. What would have happened if we weren’t here? If that pegasus with the eye was late with the mail? Would her fillies still be here?”

Dinky stuck her tongue out at the knight, but her mother just hugged Dinky tighter. Applejack and Flutterhsy remained silent. Amber Eyes looked them over for a moment, then turned.

“Wings up!” she commanded, and the Lunar Knights were airborne. It wasn’t long before they disappeared into the sky, headed back to Canterlot.

Nurse Redheart returned with a couple ponies and a stretcher. They took Applejack off of Fluttershy’s hooves, and laid her on the stretcher. As they were about to walk away, Applejack asked them to wait a moment. She looked at Fluttershy. A beat passed, and Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak. Applejack cut her off.

“Ah’m sorry, Fluttershy. Ah’m glad we made it through that, and Ah’m sorry you had to deal with that alone. Ah needed to go find Sweetie Belle. Ah didn’t think it would take so long. Ah didn’t mean to leave you alone. Ah’ll talk to you soon. We’ve got to find them, Shy. Dash, and Pinkie.”

Fluttershy froze. Her eyes widened, and she held her breath. She looked Applejack in the eyes, looking for signs. Anything. She saw nothing. “I’m sorry too, Applejack,” was all Fluttershy said in return.

The emergency ponies carried Applejack away, and Fluttershy turned to the beast. “Tartarus?” she said to herself. She shuddered, and looked down, and sucked in a breath sharply. She was covered in red, just like that day. Just like Twilight. Her stomach dropped, and her mind drifted. She felt weightless.

Red is not your color, darling.

Fluttershy shook her head violently. “R- Rarity?” she asked under her breath. No one answered. As the seconds ticked by, she became aware it was rather loud for being outside.

She jumped, despite herself, then realized where she was. The crowd had finally enclosed, and Mayor Mare was instructing construction ponies on how to remove the monster. Ponies were whispering amongst themselves, and they were looking. Looking at her. Fluttershy felt like she was suffocating. She spread her wings and flew into the air.

I need to go home, she thought.

***

Fluttershy had lost the strength to fly before she made it home. She began to slowly walk, meandering around the empty streets. Over and over, a thought played in her mind. It smothered her, filling the corners of her mind. It was all she could think about.

She knows.

The Lunar Knight commander had to know. She was sharp, Fluttershy could tell, and what she said right before she flew off had her worried.

She knows.

By the time she walked to her door, the sun had set. She creaked open her door, and was greeted by Angel impatiently tapping his foot. Fluttershy didn’t even look at him as she walked past. Instantly sensing his owner’s distress, he shut the door behind her and followed her into the kitchen.

She has to know.

Fluttershy stepped in the kitchen, and quickly sat down. She stared at the table as tears pooled beneath her chin. “Angel Bunny,” she said. “I can’t do this. All this violence. All these lies. I can’t, Angel. I can’t…”

She can’t possibly not know.

She cried, hugging herself. Angel hopped onto the table and rubbed Fluttershy’s mane as she cried. As he comforted her, he looked behind him, across the table, where another pony sat.

The pony’s normally cheery cheeks were gaunt. Her aura of happiness had become haunted, and almost tangibly empty. Abnormally thin, the mare sat catatonic, barely showing signs of life. She made no effort to move across the table and comfort one of her best friends. She simply stared off into the ether, unseeing and unfeeling. Her hair fell like old streamers in her face, but through the pink locks Fluttershy could see a blank, smiling face. In front of her, a plate of food from that morning sat in front of her, cold and untouched.

Fluttershy slowly rose, and walked around the table. She took a hoof and gently stroked the hair of the empty mare. She waited for some reaction, but as always, there was nothing.

Pinkie Pie was wasting away, and all of Fluttershy’s nurturing wasn’t doing anything.

Chapter 9 — Inquisition

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— Chapter 9 : Inquisition —

Rainbow Dash stepped out of darkness and set a cautious hoof into the Golden Oaks Library. Moonlight fell through the upper windows, dimly illuminating the deserted treehouse. Despite the muted visuals, she could see the darker hues of red still splashed against the toppled books and scattered papers. She was thankful there wasn’t a smell.

A familiar tug pulled in her. Dash had felt it before, but couldn’t recall when. The feeling was like trying to remember a long forgotten mirage of a memory. It sat in her chest like a half-cocked cough from an organ she couldn’t name and wasn’t sure she really had. The tug never pulled in a particular path, just simply forward. It was not a direction, but a general sense of progress of putting road behind you. And so, Rainbow Dash moved. Stepping gingerly over the echoes of destruction, she began to scour the treehouse.

She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she was certain she’d know it when she saw it. A quick look around the main collection revealed nothing. Neither did the kitchen, nor most of the rooms upstairs. Dash approached the last unsearched room, and rested her hoof on the door handle to Twilight’s bedroom. Collecting her courage, she opened it and quickly slipped inside. To her slight surprise, the room was just as she left it. The bedsheets were still ruined. The carpet was still wet from Pinkie Pie’s wake-up call. Peeking inside the tub, a ring of red grime gave more evidence of that day. Rainbow Dash was disappointed she didn't find anything, but she had no reason to suspect she would otherwise.

Twilight wasn’t there, but she hadn’t been looking for Twilight, really. Not exactly. And whatever it was she sought wasn’t in the room. She returned downstairs and began looking through books, setting them down gently where she found them.

She felt something. Or did she hear it? The tug pulled lightly. She froze, straining to pick out whatever appeared in the room with her.

Rainbow heard footsteps. Forgoing her desire for respect of the space, she took to the air.

“Who’s there?” she shouted as she slowly spun around, scanning the darkness. “Y-you don’t belong here!”

A shadow appeared at the top of the steps. “That is what I want to know,” it said. “Who has entered my domain?”

Rainbow Dash’s stomach clenched. She tried to make out who it was in the darkness. Slowly her eyes started to make out features. A horn. A straight mane. Recognition struck her and she sucked in her breath. “Wait, why would you be here?”

Twilight Sparkle descended down a few steps into what little light existed. “You are the one trespassing. What are you doing in my library?”

Rainbow blinked several times. “Tw-Twilight? What are you— How are you here? I saw you… This mess…” Momentarily she grew quiet, images of that day dancing in her eyes. She found her voice again. “What happened? Why are you gone? Where have you gone?”

Twilight looked down her nose from halfway up the stairs. Her mouth was like a thin crack in ice. “So you know nothing.”

Slowly, she resumed her descent. With each step, her coat burned away in blue smoke, her purple fur turning to midnight. Dash drifted to the ground, staring in shock at what was happening to her friend. However, as she kept walking, horror turned to confusion, then understanding. As she reached the bottom, Twilight was no more, and Princess Luna had taken her place. Dash instinctively gave a shallow bow. “What happened here, Rainbow Dash? We need answers.”

Dash looked at her feet, half in reverence for her princess, and half in shame. “I… I can’t tell you. I wasn’t even there. I don’t know.”

Luna paused for a somber moment, a look of befuddlement on her face. Dash expectantly waited for a reply, but Luna simply nodded, and turned away as if dismissing Dash.

In a flash her vision filled with a large red-faced Twilight, engulfing the room and everything she saw. The face pushed to every corner of the room, and she could feel it screaming. Just when she was certain that she’d drown in the apparition, Dash awoke, finding herself screaming, miles above the Equestrian countryside on a cloud.

She gasped for breath, choking. Waking up that high in the stratosphere felt like diving into an ice bath. Dash had her Pegasi magic to thank for her resistance against the harsh weather, save for the most extreme cold. Despite that, the dream still left her feeling exposed, acutely aware of the chill in the air.

As her breathing returned to normal, she replayed the dream in her head, her mind snagging on its most concerning feature.

Luna? Luna!

She stood up and stretched her wings, allowing the high altitude winds to play along her feathers and fur. She wasn’t ready to fly yet, but sensation helped calm her down. She hadn’t imagined being visited by the Princess of the Moon in her dreams was possible. The experience was unpleasant. Worse yet, it confirmed her suspicions. She had said too much in the throne room. She guessed that if Luna was finally asking her about Twilight, then at some point she asked the rest of her friends. Dash inhaled sharply, the blood draining from her face.

“Whoa. Did Applejack… lie?” She knew it had to be Applejack; she doubted Fluttershy would have the stomach to talk to Luna alone. The idea made her own stomach leaden and turn cold. She was being truthful with Luna when she said she wasn’t there, but if whatever happened was so terrible that Applejack herself would lie about it...

She didn’t dwell on it any longer. She opened her wings and continued her flight into the rising sun. After an entire day of flying, she was only halfway to Manehatten, and she was determined to get there in two.

***

The mist of the morning hit her face as she flew through the clouds, almost causing her to forget why she was up there. Droplets rolled off her cyan wings and the wind whistled in her ears as Dash drunk in the exalting joy she felt every time she was airborne. She felt she had time, so she performed a few aerial maneuvers, just for some fun.

Eventually tiring of the dampness, she closed her wings and dropped from the cloud cover, just for the off chance she’d see a stray purple mane on the ground far below. The clouds parted to reveal an expansive, bustling metropolis beneath her.

"Yeah, right on time!”

The city of Manehatten stretched in all directions, and filled her vision as she descended. Dash opened her wings and began to glide in a wide circle. She was still high up, above the traffic of the local pegasi. If she knew Twilight, her first move was obvious. She began scanning the streets for huge, official-looking buildings; anything that looked like a library. Or, at least anything Rainbow Dash thought looked like a library. Less than a minute into her search, she found a promising location.

“Aha, I’ll check—! Wait, there’s another. Okay, two buildings, shouldn’t take… Four? Wait, one more… Aw, c’mon!”

A few minutes into her circle, she realized that even her speed wouldn’t help her here. The city was too big, with too many buildings. The window of opportunity she’d had became a peephole. She scowled.

Feeling the sudden urge to act out against her fortune, she folder her wings, and dropped out of the sky. Caring not where she fell, Rainbow Dash dropped through the middle of flight lines full of pegasus traffic. She fell too fast to hear if the ponies who suddenly had to dodge her descent had anything to say about it. The wind whistled loudly in her ears as she neared the pavement, and finally she decided to open her wings and decelerate. Rainbow slammed into the pavement hooves first, creating a shockwave that startled all the nearby ponies walking about their day. She smiled inwardly. The small show cheered her up, if only a little.

Immediately a stallion dressed in a gaudy suit shouted at her. “Hey, some ponies are walking here!”

A mare chirped in. “Yeah, you coulda’ hurt somebody!” Other voices began to join the dissent.

“Geeze, sorry!” Rainbow shouted back. She began to move away down the sidewalk. She had no time to get into it with the locals.

She spotted a stallion in a tropical shirt with his foreleg raised by the edge of the sidewalk. Her wings flared, and she zoomed over.

“Where is the largest library in town?” Dash demanded.

The poor stallion was not expecting his view to suddenly fill with rainbow, and he fell on his hindquarters with a shout. He raised his hoof to shield his face. “Hey, take it easy! I’m just trying to get a cab.”

Rainbow Dash stomped her hoofs on the ground. “I’m not gonna ask twice!”

“I-I-I’m sorry, I don’t know! I don’t read books, they’re just for eggheads.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes and snorted. “Yeah, right!” The irony of her ire was lost upon her.

She jumped into the air with an audible bang, leaving the stallion to pick himself off the ground. The parabolic arc of her wing-assisted leap took her a couple streets over, and Rainbow landed hard again, turning several heads. She spotted a younger unicorn sporting an outdated frilly blouse floating several books behind her. Again, after a quick lightning step, she was in the unicorn’s face. She promptly dropped all her books.

“Hey, you watch where you’re going!”

“Where’d you get those books?”

“At the bookstore, duh.”

Rainbow Dash stomped a hoof. “Whatever! Do you know where a library is? The biggest one you know.”

“The public library, duh.”

“Well, where is it?"

“Are you going to help me pick up my books or what?”

“Maybe if you tell me where I can find that library.”

The unicorn glared at Rainbow, who scoffed and trotted away to the edge of the sidewalk. She stuck out a hoof, and shook it. Sure enough, a cab sped up to her and parked in the street. A cabbie with a great moustache stuck his head out. “Where to, miss?”

“Do you know where I can find the largest library in Manehatten?”

He gave her a flat look. “Well, you’re already doing step one well: be in Manehatten.”

Rainbow stomped a hoof again. “Seriously? You know what I mean! What’s the largest library in this city?”

He chuckled. “The Manehatten Public Library, of course. It’s just north a few blocks and west a couple more. I can take you—”

Dash didn’t listen to the rest of the directions and instead jumped into the air with a strong flap of her wings. With every second, this city was creating distance between her and Twilight, wasting time she didn’t have.

***

Rainbow Dash dropped from the sky onto the steps of the Manehatten Public Library, her horseshoes making a loud dull clang on the old stone. Heads turned again, but Rainbow trotted up the steps without looking behind her, and soon those ponies resumed their day.

At the top of the steps stood three porticos, each several stories high. Spotting an open door in the center portico, Dash slipped through with the daily traffic inside. Ponies jostled her left and right, and Rainbow had to throw out several complaints as she wormed her way through the crowd. Annoyed with getting bustled, Rainbow jumped into the air to hover and survey the area.

Realizing she was able to go airborne indoors made Rainbow Dash pause. She found herself in a grand foyer taller than the ceiling of Twilight’s treehouse, with great marble steps to her left and right, and an even greater hall in front of her (but puzzlingly, no desk). The space she entered was much larger than she expected. Around her were several candles on tall candlesticks, and above her were chandeliers composed of intertwining geometric shapes. They gave the building a soft glow, adding to the old regality of the place.

The library alone didn’t give wonder, the patrons did too. A bunch of gabbying fillies walked her past her, with their teacher trying to get everyone to stand together. A bunch of ponies her age were being led around by whom she guessed was a tour guide. Dash laughed at the initial idea of having a tour guide for a library, but thinking of the size of it made her change her opinion.

As a newcomer to the joys of reading, the only libraries Dash had previously visited were the school libraries teachers had forced her to visit as a foal and Twilight’s house-library hybrid, and neither compared.

Taking all this in, she returned gently to the ground with Twilight temporarily forgotten and one thing on her mind:

Where do they keep the books in here?

She trotted up the steps to her left, arriving on a landing, and began her exploring. She made a turn here, and ducked through a door there. At least once she opened a door to a janitorial closet, sheepishly shutting it back. Eventually, she spotted a room with many ponies filing in and out, and quickly queued in line. Once inside, her smile widened.

The room looked as large as the Wonderbolt’s performance field. Directly in front of her was a reception desk, a tiny island of counter in the middle of the room. On her half of the room there were huge tables set up and down the hall. Well over one hundred ponies had books and parchment and pens and even more books strewn about the tables, reading and studying the day away. More interesting, beyond the tables, past the reception desk, Dash could see the beginnings of bookshelves. They were massive, stretching in rows from halfway down the hall to the other end, with another set of doors like the ones Dash stepped through. She was certain one could fit all the books in Twilight’s library on them.

The thought of how many books existed for her to read left her in awe and put a smile on her face, but it wasn’t until she looked up that she gasped. Surrounded by embroided wood, the ceiling contained three huge murals stretching from from one end of the room to the other. Even better, she saw pegasi flying across the open expanse. Taking the invitation, Dash spread her own wings and flew up to the paintings.

She was never a girl for art, but the ceiling was nothing if not inspiring. Depictions of huge battles stretched across it. To some ponies it would have been a peculiar choice for a library, but Dash simply found it awe inspiring. Ponies facing great struggle from multiple points in Equestria’s history also decorated the ceiling. She saw the ponies at the summit from the foundation of Equestria, each tribe staring each other down, and was gleeful when she picked out Commander Hurricane’s fierce glare in the painting. There also was an image of two great monsters squaring off. One was gargoyle like, accompanied by the Princesses and someone whom Dash guessed was the pony Twilight had dressed up as for Nightmare Night. The sight of Luna made her tense reflexively for a moment. Across from them, the other monster was a menacing black and red centaur, and while he was in the background he clearly towered over the quartet opposing him. Rainbow Dash wasn’t familiar with this scene, but thought it was cool nonetheless.

Another corner of the ceiling caught her eye. Rainbow Dash had to blink at first, as the painting seemed to depict another fight between ponies, something that rarely, if ever, happened in history. Unlike the previous pictures’ confrontations, this was a physical one. The fighting was cool to her in a way, but the image was unsettling. The only instance she could remember of ponies having fought was during Nightmare Moon’s ascension, and this didn’t look like that. However, as she took it all in, obvious details she had missed in her first glance began to show themselves. She spotted the unmistakable shiny black hide, insect-like wings, and cruel beak-like muzzle of the true source of the conflict, and what troubled her became clear. She had fought these creatures herself not months ago. It wasn’t a conflict between ponies.

Changelings.

Her heart skipped a beat, as she scanned the picture again. She couldn’t tell how old the pictures were, but in a weird sense of relief she could tell it wasn’t their battle in Canterlot. Changelings weren’t monsters she was familiar with before the wedding, and they still unnerved her a bit. If Twilight hadn’t been so perceptive, they all would’ve fared much worse than they already had.

Twilight.

Rainbow Dash slowly landed as her mind returned to the present. Ponies walked past her, uninterested, as she refocused herself for the task at hand. She rose off her haunches and trotted up to the reception desk.

“Excuse me,” she asked. Her voice didn't get the attention of the attendant. It also surprised herself for the same reason; it was so soft. She chalked it up to nerves. Dash coughed, and tried again. This time, her tone was her old self. “Excuse me. This is going to sound like a weird question, but have you seen Twilight Sparkle?”

The librarian’s eyes moved left-to-right a few seconds before she paused. She looked up at rainbow as if coming out of a trance. “Oh, sorry, just finishing the page. A Twilight Sparkle, huh? Nope, can’t say I’ve heard of a Twilight.”

“What? Are you serious? You’ve never heard of the Ponyville Six? The Elements of Harmony?”

“Sorry, can’t say that I have,” she said in a sing-song voice. Her eyes were beginning to drift back to the book.

“Oh, come on. S She’s only Celestia’s star pupil! We’ve saved all of Equestria from Discord and the Changelings!”

“Hehe,” she laughed lightly. “I’ve read about those two before. The changelings weren’t that interesting, but any tale with Discord is a great book in my eye.”

“A book, are you crazy, I—!”

Rainbow Dash took a long second to realize that this mare was probably how Twilight would be if Celestia never got her nose out of books.

“Nevermind. How about this. Do you remember seeing a unicorn mare looking for any spells?”

“Of course, we get them all the time.”

“Not just any type of spells, serious ones. Powerful ones, probably something ancient.”

The mare tapped her glasses a couple times, scratching her chin with the other hoof. Slowly her gaze faded out far behind Dash. Rainbow eyes grew narrower as the silence.

“Look lady—”

“Aha, I think I remember! Unicorn! Spells! Old stuff! I remember her. She was here about, oh, 500 pages ago.” She quickly ruffled the pages of the book she was reading, before returning to bookmarked page. Dash noted that it was easily a couple thousand pages, and face hoofed. “What a determined soul. It was almost admirable, something definitely was driving that pony. It was romantic, like Star Swirl the Bearded’s determination to end the terrible torment of the Sirens, and he even—”

“—Don’t care,“ Dash said abruptly. “What did that unicorn check out?”

Eyebrows waved impatiently as the bespeckled mare huffed. Rainbow kept staring.

“Just a moment, ma’am.” The librarian stepped out of the kiosk and approached a door against the hall’s wall. She disappeared behind the door, and shortly returned with a piece of parchment balanced upon her head. She walked back to the kiosk, then tilted forward, a map fluttering down in front of Rainbow. The mare picked up a pen in her teeth and began drawing, as Rainbow watched eagerly.

“I can’t tell you what she checked out, because she didn’t check out anything. However, here,” she pointed at one point on the page, “is where we are. There,” another point, “is the section I believe the mare went. It’s apart from this main collection. That’s what she asked for, anyways. This,” her hoof swept through the page, following the line she drew, “is the route. And this is the section I.D. number, in case you get lost. Do you think you can find it, you brute?”

Dash didn’t hear the insult. She tucked the map under her wing as she strutted through the halls, leaving billowing papers and angry cries in her wake. The library shimmered past her as she flowed through crowds, only occasionally pausing to check the map. She followed it until she came to a grand archway. She glanced at the name: The Secondary Reference Section. She stepped through the threshold.

It took her a while to find the section number the librarian scribbled on the paper. It was in the back corner of the dusty room, next to a small window. Dash blinked. She figured a reference section would be more prestigious than this, especially after the main hall she traveled through.

Dash began to hoof through the titles.

“Extra Enormous Equestrian Feats? No. Wacky and Wild Wildebeest Wrecords? Ugh. Ghosts of Everfree Castle? What?” The next one particularly made her groan. “Rusty’s Can You Maybe Believe-It-Or-Not Really? Okay, what kind of a reference section is this?"

She glanced to her right, and eyed more serious sounding titles; titles she expected Twilight to read. She double checked the sheet the librarian handed her. The shelf of goofy titles was the right section, but she hadn’t found the book yet. Book after book wasn’t what she was looking for. Frustrated, Dash started pulling books out at random, flipping through all the pages, and shoving them back into their place in frustration. Then she began to leave them on top of the shelf.

“How am I supposed to tell which one of these useless books was Twilight’s?!” Finally she started dropping books at her hooves.

“No. No. No. No! No! NO! NN— Wait-a-second!”

She hesitated, midway through Fantastic Beasts of Equestria and Where to Locate Them. She put it back on the shelf, and reached for the book she just dropped. It was thin for a reference book, with gaudy shiny title font and pop art that may have interested school children a couple generations ago. Slowly, she began to flip through it again.

“I thought I saw…”

Her eyes widened, frozen to the open book. There was a page ripped out. When she found her voice, it was a whisper. “Whoa, Twilight would never— Is she that desperate?” She reached out and touched the page, imagining a Twilight who was looking over her shoulder in panic, trying to find what she was looking for as fast as possible.

She shut the book, and looked at its title. The Truth Behind the Forgotten Fables of Equestria: Pre-Nightmare Moon Myths. Dash reopened it and looked at the page, her face grim. If she was honest with herself, it was a grim situation all around, but she tried pushing the thought away to stay focused. Rainbow Dash had firsthand knowledge about how Twilight revered books. To see that the unicorn was so scared she was becoming careless with such a core part of her personality was…

She tried pushing the thought away to stay focused. She began reading.

There is a little known tale out there called The Dragon’s Jewel. Growing up, many a parent used it to educate fillies and foals about the dangers of dragons. Essentially, a pony has the gall to steal from a very powerful Dragon, and the consequences were dear. Perfect story to keep fillies from climbing up mountains and hurting themselves, right? Only we may have found some evidence, echoes of this story. There’s an incredibly large cave on the side of a mountain outside of—

The page ended there. The next page number jumped by three, and the only evidence there was something in between them was a sliver of torn paper in the middle. Dash kept reading the next available page.

—evidence is mostly inconclusive, it’s still creepy that maybe, some time ago, there was a dragon, and a foolish prince.

That was the end of the section, and it continued on to a new investigation. “Ugh, is that this? That’s like the whole thing!”

And then another aspect of the book caught her eye. One of the very last pages had its corner bent in. Turning to it, Dash found herself in the index. Inside there was a faded yellow sticky note, with the word ‘source’ written in impeccable handwriting. Writing only capable with the deftness of magic, Dash noticed. It lined up perfectly along the bottom of a book title.

Filly Tails, vol. 2 by Glum, etc.

Dash turned on the spot and lightning speed-strutted through the halls. Complaints and glares were thrown, but shortly Rainbow Dash found herself back at the help desk. She tossed the book onto the desk, which slid across the surface and bumped the one the librarian was still reading. She pointed at the underlined title.

“Where is this book!” said Dash. She was nearly breathless.

The look the bookish mare gave her would’ve stayed a dragon’s breath. “Can’t you see I’m reading?”

Rainbow Dash was unfazed, her voice lined with an edge. “This is your job. Where can I find this book?”

The mare looked down her nose through slits at the open book, her eyebrows furrowed. “Well, if your friend is on a quest, you did pick a good book to start with. It’s old, extremely rare, and full of tall tales,” she said as her eyes flicked over the page, reading the title. “This was my favorite volume of the series, whenever I finally got my hooves on it for a chance to read it.” She looked up at Rainbow, wearing a warm smile. Rainbow’s face only showed annoyance and impatience. “Anyways, we don’t have that book.”

“Oh, come on!” Dash punctuated her frustration by slamming a hoof on the table. Several nearby ponies hushed and turned and looked. Slowly, they returned to their bustle.

The librarian’s disappointed look only deepened. “This is a library, ma’am. One of the best in the kingdom, I might add. Please keep your voice down, and quit being dramatic.”

Dash wanted to shout some more, but held her tongue. Twilight would have jumped out of her fur if she saw her acting like this inside a sacred library, even if it was the librarian who was acting like a character. She swallowed hard.

“I’m sorry. Look, there’s some crazy things going on, and I need to find my friend. This is the only lead I have, so if you don’t have the book, where can I get it.”

The apology had no visible effect on the mare’s facial features, but she responded anyways. “Just a moment, honey.”

She disappeared back into the door in the wall again. This time, she returned much more quickly.

“You’re in luck. It’s at one of our satellite branches in Vanhoover.”

“Isn’t that across the country?”

“Yup,” the said with a smirk she couldn’t help.

Dash’s face fell. “Their public library?”

“No, it is on a college campus. The local community college, to be exact. I’m sorry your quest isn’t going as easy as you’d like. If you want, I can order it for you.”

“How long will that take?”

The pony put a hoof to her chin. “Well, for free I can send a request in the mail tomorrow, and it’ll be as fast as a typical airmail pegasus. When they get the request, they’ll send it back with the mail. Or, for a small fee, I can send the request through the Canterlot relay, and it’ll be on its way here tomorrow. It’s currently Thursday so using the relay should be here by Tuesday or Wednesday. This all depends on whether or not the book is checked out already, of course.”

As soon as she heard ‘Canterlot’, Rainbow Dash jumped up. “Uh, no thanks,” she said as the mare finished. “I’ll probably get there before the mail pegasus does anyways. Thanks, bye!”

Before the librarian could say anything else, Rainbow Dash was flying through the halls above the heads of the other patrons. The mess she left in her wake upset anyone unfortunate enough to be in her path. She dived through the exit just a young stallion opened it for his very special mare, making them both jump. Dash slipped between them, and landed hard on the steps. She crouched low, and then launched herself into the sky with a powerful flap and a bang. Once she was clear of most of the buildings, she did a quick look around to see the location of the sun, then shot off to the west, leaving a rainbow behind her.

She didn’t expect to be flying so far. She’d never flown across the country with her own wings. Her lips curved at the challenge, but her face remained pinched, focused. “If I have to circle to whole country, so be it. I will find Twilight.” She flapped hard, Manehatten becoming a glossy patch of land behind her.

Miles behind, the librarian was shocked, unable to believe that a pony could move that fast. She pushed the glasses back up her nose, and tried to resume reading, but the odd pegasus wouldn’t leave her mind. She put up a break sign and left the island desk for the back room one more time. That pegasus was obviously distressed, she thought. She could only imagine her frustration if she got there to find the book checked out already. She began to scribble a message.

As she finished, she couldn’t help but smile. The pegasus’ search reminded her of favorite types of stories. “Good luck on your quest, you brute.” She departed with a few of her own bits, and submitted her request.

***

Rainbow Dash found herself inside the Golden Oaks Library yet again. She immediately ran for the door, opened it and jumped through, only to find herself inside the library again. The transition momentarily gave her extreme vertigo. When she heard the voice, she jumped.

“Rainbow Dash, what are you looking for?”

She turned to see Twilight again, but it definitely wasn’t her voice, not completely. It warbled between the Twilight she knew, and something much older and regal.

Dash knew whose presence she was in. Her bow was slight and without ceremony. “Princess. Why are you here again?”

Twilight’s hair slowly grew, until it framed her face and brushed the ground, her tail following suit. It faded from purple into the signature starlit glow of the night princess’ mane. Despite the ethereal mane, her body remained that of Twilight’s, but her voice finally settled on Luna’s cold nobility.

“We are concerned for her, Rainbow Dash. You cannot expect otherwise. It has been a week since this all began, and we need answers.”

Familiarity took over Dash’s demeanor, and she relaxed just a little. “I’m getting answers.” She said it the way a child would tell their mother, that despite her doubts, they already completed their chores.

“Rainbow Dash. You’re an Element of Harmony, a valuable asset to our Kingdom, and a great friend. Please tell us what happened. Celestia is—” she paused, searching for the right word. “She is anxious.”

Rainbow Dash absently touched a book, looking away. She waited for Luna to speak more, but found she had to break the silence. “You weren’t there, but once Celestia came to take Twilight away from me, from us, her friends. We stood in between them, and I demanded she back off. I was there for her. This isn’t anything different.”

There was a pause. Understanding flashed briefly behind Luna’s eyes, but Dash saw none of it. “We will ask one more time. But tonight, we are done.”

Dash rounded on Luna. “I have a lead!” she pleaded.

The Luna-Twilight spoke no more. She simply stood at the top of the stairs, and looked down at Rainbow Dash until time became funny and the room melted away. There was a brief flash of red, and Dash felt immense terror pushing on her. It was over soon, and Dash awoke on a cloud.

She stretched, yawning deeply, shaking off the unpleasant dream. She was infinitely thankful that Luna’s late night trips still allowed her body to rest, even if her mind did not. She hadn’t done this much endurance flying in her life, and she was only halfway to Vanhoover. She looked south, and saw the back of Canterlot’s mountain far away. Even if Canterlot faced her, it would have been too small to see other than a tiny shimmering speck of reflected light. Shaking off the chill she got, she once more took to the sky.

The rest of the journey westward was of little notice, with days of flying punctuated by short nights of light sleep. Two days from her the end of her journey, she was fortunate to catch a glimpse of Cloudsdale to the south. Upon first glance it appeared only as a huge cloud, but the longer Dash looked the more she could pick up the subtleties. The giant floating city, its abundance of archaic columns and rainbow falls, drifted lazily in the sky, meandering around without purpose.

“Whoa, it’s kind of far north from where it usually is,” she said to herself.

Dash hadn’t been fond of her hometown for a long time. She had left for a reason, and was content to let it float away back south, and out of her mind. West lay Vanhoover, and off in the distance behind it was the shimmering ocean. She felt the ambiguous tug, and kept on flying.

***

Dash soon found that the city itself was shimmering as well. Vanhoover was a metropolis of glass. It was half the size of Manehatten, and unlike the Big Apple this city was constructed with art instead of splendor in mind. The coastal seaport of Vanhoover wasn’t as big as Manehatten, nor as tall, but it had all its own charm, bustle, and mystique.

The University of Vanhoover was easy enough to find after a few flyovers. Nestled in the middle of the city, the greenery of the campus looked similar to the Canterlot Castle grounds that housed the academy and Celestia’s school. Unlike Canterlot, the buildings were very much modern, built with uniform red bricks. She kept an eye out, hoping to find a pink streak in someone’s straight purple mane, but none were found.

The campus was another world to Dash. She had no need for more education than what she had as a filly, so being surrounded by all the scholars was weird to her. If she had been any more introspective, she probably would’ve felt self-conscious being surrounded by ponies her age who were still advancing their studies, but Rainbow Dash’s dream didn’t require higher education, and thus it was outside her mind. It didn’t prevent her from being a blatantly awkward outsider, however no one bothered her despite not carrying a bookbag like most of the ponies around her.

The library sat in a corner of campus. A quick glance to the sign out front labeled it the Weaving Library. It looked like a regular enough building to Rainbow Dash, who found that fact amusing. Then again, she wasn’t qualified to determine what was or wasn’t a regular library, but she was satisfied with thinking this one seemed like a normal, typical library.

The pony, a cool blue unicorn, looked up with a wide smile. “Ah, another new student. Whelp, welcome to J. F. Slate, our quaint community college library!”

Dash shook her head. “N-no, I’m not a new student— Er, not exactly. I’m here looking for a unicorn. She probably would have asked about powerful spells, or looked into old stories about filly tales or fairy tales or something.”

“Sorry, doesn’t ring any bells. Honestly, I’m a new student as well. The semester just began, so if she came as early as last week, I wasn’t here to assist her. This library actually is open year round, so if anyone helped her it would be our head librarian… who is off today.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Ugh, figures. Fine, just help me find this book. It’s called Filly Tails vol. 2. I’m not sure who it’s by, I was told it was a ‘compilation’ or whatever that means. Something like that.”

The stallion blinked. “Oh, you’re the one that book’s been waiting for. Hold on a moment.”

Dash’s eyes followed him in silence. Waiting for me? Why would they know I’m coming? She couldn’t shake that somehow that was a bad thing, but she couldn’t figure out why.

The Librarian hoofed through a cart of books situated behind the desk, before picking one up and returning to Dash. “I’m sorry, but the book’s been damaged. Would you still like to check it out? If so, we can look into securing another copy for you.”

Dash didn’t say anything at first. Her eyes fixated on the book. She wondered if this book was like the last with pages missing and frantic scribbles. Frantic, but beyond what a wing or mouth could produce. She wondered how little time Twilight had to learn what she needed, and how much she took on the road. The thought brought her out of her trance. “No time, just let me read it.” She made a grab for the book, but the librarian pulled it out of reach.

“When you're done, please bring it back here. Don’t leave it on the return carts,” he said as he gestured to the cart where he had retrieved the book, “as we do need to get this book repaired or replaced. We decided to let you read it as this book is hard to find, and you traveled such a long way.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. The librarian slid the book across the counter to her. She took the book under a wing and walked off to find herself a secluded spot to read.

Again, Dash found amusement in just how small the library was, relatively speaking. Not just its size struck her as interesting, but its shape and layout as well. The entire library was about a third of a circle, fanning out in front of her as she left the desk. Directly in front of her were a few chest high shelves filled with newspapers and magazine. Behind that featured a layer of tables and chairs, where barely any ponies read books this early in the school year. Beyond that lay the portion of the main collection that resided on the ground floor. Above, a line of arches overlooked the selection. She looked left and spotted some stairs in the far corner, and headed for them.

Taking the stairs by hoof was something she rarely did, but with the book gripped snugly under her wing, she trotted lightly up them. Stepping out onto the second floor, she found the it curved as well. It was about half the floor size of the first floor, and for a good reason; each arch she saw from below was an alcove with a booth and table that overlooked the main reading room. To her left, the second portion of the collection lined up against the wall in rows.

Moving to an alcove, Rainbow Dash set the book down and immediately began to hoof through it. It wasn’t long before her mouth was agape again. As she suspected, the book had several missing pages, however the destruction was worse this time.

Her eyes narrowed. “What is it you found, Twilight?”

She continued. As she neared the end, she noticed almost the entire reference section was ripped out. She flipped to the page before the missing pages began, and read.

The Dragon’s Jewel, by Y. Spinner

A long time ago, there was a foolish prince with a bright red shirt with a flowery gold collar and a silly silver sash. He traveled the lands with a big smile on is face, looking for a bride. After months of searching, he found one in the princess of Lepidopetra, a grand kingdom to the southwest. She was gorgeous; her horn was like polished coral, her wings like a strong phoenix's, and her mane like wild rose thorns. She was bold, just like the prince liked. However, she saw through his hollow charms for the fool he was. She needed a stallion who could protect her.If Dash wasn’t at least partly convinced that this book would help her find Twilight, she would have dropped it immediately and let lay on the floor until retrieved by the librarian. She didn’t care what Twilight would’ve thought, the story was already lame. She shook her head, and kept reading.

There happened to be a dragon resting on a mountaintop nearby. The prince, knowing that dragons had vast amounts of wealth stored in their caves, concluded that he needed to steal a jewel from the dragon to prove his worthiness to the fairest maiden he had ever laid eyes on. He set out, conquering the mountain in no time at all. He snuck in while the beast was napping, and stole its most prized jewel. As soon as he touched it, he was imbued with the strength of ten ponies. With his newfound strength, he left the cave with his head held high. However, the foolish prince left behind his sash, casting it aside as the new him didn’t need its immature appeal any longer. Upon returning to the castle, the princess was wowed by his daring and bravado. This newly changed prince that greeted her was more of a stallion than the fool that left for the mountain. She agreed to marry him, and they had the most splendid of feast, inviting both of their kingdoms to unite and celebrate.

Dash wasn't eager to read what happened next. Happily ever endings were boring to her.

However, the dragon’s jewel did more than invigorate the prince. It changed him. He was not the lovestruck prince from before. He began to tease the princess, then taunt her, and slowly he used his strength to dominate her. It wasn’t enough she loved him; she now needed to submit to him. It wasn’t enough that he was the strongest, any stallions caught looking, glancing at the princess needed to be detained. Locked up. Eliminated. The changed prince began to bend the kingdom to his will, and the subjects cried out for reprieve. Then, tracking the prince’s scent from his discarded, the dragon descended upon the kingdom. He granted their wishes, and left nothing standing.

Rainbow Dash let out a slow breath, perturbed by how darkly the fairy tale had gotten. The jewel was more than she expected. The next page was missing, so Dash wasn’t sure if the story was over or not. She was not the type of mare to simply check the table of contents, either. “Again, just as it gets to the juicy bits... Think, Rainbow. Where can I go for more info?”

A smile quickly teased her lips, and she hoofed through the book. It also quickly left as she couldn’t find any pages with dog-eared folds in the corner. She humphed in disappointment. Flipping through once more she looked to see if there were any sticky notes left on a page, and a small smile teased her lips. She probably had missed it the first time, since it was black ink upon black words, but now she noticed a little thing she skipped over originally. It was the word ‘jewel’, circled in ink, in the middle of a story.

Dash wasn’t defeated just yet. She turned to the start of the story, and read the title.

The Love Poison, author unknown.

Dash knew this one. It was a story every young pony was told at some point or another. Of all the antiquated fairy tales tied to Hearts and Hooves Day, it was both the oldest the most famous one, which meant Dash was inherently uninterested, and skimmed through it.

Less than a sentence in, Rainbow Dash was rolling her eyes a second time that day. Why do all these stories need a prince? She returned to her reading.

—a prince found a princess he adored above all else. His every waking moment was consumed by the lovely and fierce princess. However, the prince wasn’t sure if he was up to the princess’ famed standards. She was a mare content on her own, and had turned away the advance of every suitor thus far. He considered wowing her with a large jewel, or heroic acts, but thought neither would be enough. So, the prince hatched a foolish plan.

She was a little put off at how unimportant the word ‘jewel’ was in this story, and wasn’t sure it was even worth noting, or even circling. She guessed that it was at least some sort of connection.

To compensate, he concocted a love potion to woo her. However, he made a mistake in it’s creation.

Dash knew the story from here. The prince screws up the potion, and poisons the princess and himself. Then there’s something about kingdom falling, and chaos reigning, and— her eyes widened as recollection struck her— a dragon! Dash turned through the pages of the first story she read, and stared at the title. Her jaw was tight. The chance of two fairy tales involving a dragon was nothing Equestria-shattering, but as it felt like she was following a trail. It was a particularly dangerous trail it seemed, as both stories ended with a dragon seeking revenge and everyone dead. On one hoof, it was nothing more than a typical ending for bad ponies in fairy tales. On the other, Dash was unsure if Twilight would tempt a fire breathing beast to save her friend, and that was before she saw the ripped pages. She gulped, stuffing the thought in the corner of her mind.

These two common words, dragon and jewel, were huge signposts advertising to her she was doing something right, that there was a connection however weak. She turned back to the page she was reading. Admittedly, the destruction was the only good part of the story in her eyes, but she skipped it because time wasn’t and was never on her side. Inside, she could feel a slight tug, deep and mellow. The story ended just as she remembered.

Lost in each other’s eyes, royal duties laid unattended at their hooves. As their respective kingdoms fell around them, they never left each other’s side, drowning in love till their lands were buried in history.
The End.

Dash was officially done with the book. She had what she thought was important, and love stories were not her thing in the slightest. “Give me a Daring Do book any day. She doesn’t need some... incompetent prince to make her interesting.”

Her thoughts went back to the connection that shot through her brain like a rainboom-ing pegasus. She felt— no, knew both stories shared something, but so what? That signpost only declared she was in the right place which, while helpful, wasn't what she needed. What she needed was where to go next.

She held her head, laying it on the table. “It can’t end here! I’m so close, I know Twilight’s been here!” She half expected someone to shush her, but the library was nearly empty, with the students having no reason to visit this early in the semester.

She sat up in a slump, leaning against the table, and sighed heavily. She flipped back to The Love Poison, read the title and the proclamation that the story was author-less, then back to The Dragon’s Jewel, and read it too. She looked at the author. “Spinner, why are you so important?”

Reluctantly, she closed the book.

As if shot by lightning, Rainbow Dash bolted up, snatched the book and strutted to the desk as fast as one wing would allow. The librarian looked surprised at how fast Rainbow ran up to the desk. Surprised but, Dash noticed, not annoyed like the librarian from Manehatten.

“Whoa there ma’am, what can I do for you?”

“This guy, Spinner.” She dropped the book onto her desk, open to The Dragon’s Jewel, and pointed to the name. “Who is he? Where can I find out more about him?”

The Librarian looked at the author’s name. “He doesn’t immediately ring any bells. The only way we’d have any real info on him would be if he is really famous, or say a researcher.” He shrug was conveyed in his voice. He was pulling at strings. “If he is one, may have a way to contact him in case new information comes to light about his field of study. I mean, it’s a stretch, but hold on. I’ll grab a directory.”

Dash nodded, too excited at the chance to say much else. He hurried off to Celestia knew where, and Dash stayed at the desk. She took the air, lightly flapping to keep afloat, too eager to stay grounded.

“Ah, Rainbow Dash. Fancy meeting you here.”

The voice from behind was so familiar, and very friendly. It spoke with a history one reserves for old friends. Dash twisted in the air, and was surprised to find—

“—Sh-Shining Armor. This is a surprise! What are you doing here?”

He offered a soft laugh. “I don’t work twenty-four seven. I do get days off. And I did just get married.”

“What a lame place to go on a honeymoon.”

“I already had my honeymoon, actually. Cadance is back home,” Shining said. “I’m visiting the city, and I heard that despite it’s size, this library was the best one in town.” Shining approached the counter, and flipped through the fable book. At first he didn’t look at the pages, but he soon noticed the damaged ones. He shook his head. “Twilight would lose her mind if she saw any book in this condition.”

Her friends brought her back to Earth. Dash slowly lowered to the ground. “W-Why are you here, again?”

“I’m sure you can guess.”

Her eyes widened, and her ears perked up as her body involuntarily switched to alert mode. A muscle twitched and longed to run, but she fought it and stayed rooted to the spot. Instead, she took a pleading step towards him. “No, you couldn’t be here for… Shining, please, I—”

“—I’m back!” The librarian started enthusiastically, reading from a sheet of paper. “Okay ma’am, it turns out that he is indeed listed in one of our researcher directories. The story he wrote was the only one he ever published, the rest were scientific writings. What a lucky break. He currently resides in his home in Las Pegasus. It’s an exciting place for a researcher to live, honestly. Anyways, he seems to have been there for years, and hasn’t published anything in some time, but he hasn’t requested to be removed. He’s even still connected to a school down there. My guess is he’s keeping an ear open for more news about… whatever it is he’s researching. Anyway, I wrote down his address for you on this slip. If you like, I can point you towards a post office. Uh, Ma’am?” He finally saw Dash’s strained face. He followed her eyes, and gulped audibly.

Shining looked over at Rainbow Dash. She didn’t dare move as she got a good look at him. She now noticed he was adorned in his Captain of the Guard regalia. The purple and gold plate armor was pristine.

The silence hung in the air for seconds, the librarian staring at the both of them, more so at the new knight in his presence. Shining Armor was the first to speak. He was still looking at the book. “Las Pegasus? Is that where Twilight is?”

Dash stood her ground. “What do you want to know.” It wasn’t a question.

Shining turned to Rainbow Dash, squaring up. He stood tall, with his chest out. Dash was aware of how much he looked like a guard, and not like one of her best friend’s siblings. “I’m under orders to find out what happened to Twilight Sparkle. And that’s my sister; I care about her. What is going on, Rainbow Dash?”

Dash grit her teeth. “How did you find me?”

A new voice laughed a boisterous, joyless laugh. A huge Earth pony stepped up to them from across the room. The magazine racks only came up to his knees. Dash lowered her ears and a slight snarl formed on her lips. She was sure she could feel his steps as he neared. “You’re not exactly the most stealthy pegasus. It came to our attention you like books for little fillies.” He laughed again. Dash emotions were too frantic to register the insult. Instead her mind finally made the connection, and cursed the well-meaning spaz from the Manehatten Public Library to Tartarus and back.

“And sure, you don’t do it often, but you’re the only pegasus we know that leaves a trail of rainbow in the sky. You’ve been in quite a hurry,” the new pony leaned in close to Rainbow Dash, who began to crouch expectantly. His voice shrank to a low rumble, laced with an unspoken threat. “Where are you goin’, lass?”

“Easy, Anchor,” was all Shining said, and the Earth Pony backed away slowly, deliberately, not looking away from Rainbow Dash. His face made it clear he didn’t like being reeled in.

Dash continued to glare at Anchor as he backed up, but eventually she looked down. “I can’t say what happened. I’m not even sure myself. I don’t even want to think about it until I find Twilight.”

Shining turned back to the book on the counter, but he wasn’t reading it. His mouth was a thin line, a slight grimace. “Understand that if I can’t get the information myself, then I have to take you in to face the princesses.”

“You can’t, because Twilight needs me. I don’t think she realizes what she’s getting into.”

Shining raised an eyebrow. “What is she getting into?”

The thought of dragons broke the surface of her mind briefly, but quickly faded. Dash’s eyes snapped to shining. “C’mon, you should know by now. I’m. Not. Telling. You. Anything.” Each word was punctuated by a firm step towards Shining. She had her snout in his face. He leaned back, but kept his hooves planted. “That’s the way its gotta be. Take me, and Twilight is lost. Make a move.”

Shining Armor stood his ground, as still as a guard should be. He never tensed, nor crouched to spring a sudden attack. When he moved, it was to turn his back on Dash. “I will let you go this time.”

“Let me go?” Dash meant to sound tough, but she couldn’t hide the surprise and relief in her voice.

Dash’s jaw wasn’t the only one to drop. “Seriously?” said Anchor. “After all the work we did, Sir? She’s right ‘ere!”

Shining whirled on Dash. “But next time, a choice will have to be made. I am a knight of the Solar Guard; I have to do what my princess commands of me.” His voice softened. He looked over his shoulder, and instead of the burly knight his persona shrank to something less. “But please know, we mean no harm. Underneath all of this formality, we are simply worried. Again, that’s my sister, my L.S.B.F.F.”

Dash smiled at Shining’s acronym, but it shortly turned reverted. She looked away as well. “Then the best thing you can do is leave me alone, until I find her.”

Shining Armor didn’t reply. He stared at Rainbow for a few more seconds, silently sizing up the fierce rainbow mare. He finally waved a hoof in the air, and turned to leave. Anchor hesitated, but eventually followed Shining’s command as he made his way to the entrance. Shining never looked back, but the pony called Anchor did, with a knowing grin that dared the pegasus to try anything. Rainbow Dash stared after them as they went to the entrance, exited, and never came back. She counted the seconds under her breath to be sure that she was truly going to be left alone.

“Uh, miss?”

The librarian’s voice almost scared Rainbow Dash. “Oh, sorry. I’ll just take the paper.” Dash quickly scooped up the slip, and bolted out the door. Bursting back out onto the open campus, a quick look around showed that Shining was really gone. She jumped hard and flew up into the sky as fast as she could, and didn’t dare look back.

Below, three ponies watched intently for the rainbow in the sky.

***

The darkness faded into the library yet again. Dash was familiar with the omen this meant by now. She turned from the door, and looked up the stairs. A Twilight with a shorter flowing mane of night than their last stood there. However, she never spoke. She merely looked down at Dash, contempt and, Dash guessed, mild bewilderment playing across her face.

“You know I’m not going to talk.”

“Perhaps,” said Luna, nigh indifferent, or at least in a way that Rainbow couldn’t tell her intentions.

Seconds, or hours, passed in the dream in silence. Dash crossed her forelegs. She was growing bored of the encounter. She decided to ask a question that seemed more obvious now than ever before. “Why don’t you just dreamwalk Twilight?”

Finally the mare showed emotion. Twi-Luna’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t think I have?”

The mare began to descend the steps. Her regular steps punctuated her speech. “I try every night. I walk the dreamscape. I trot through my domain, trying to find Twilight’s nebula. Most nights, I cannot. She rarely dreams anymore, and when she does it is a horrid black nebula of dark clouds and sludge.”

She was nose to nose to Rainbow Dash now. During her rant, Luna’s mane had flared, moving towards her normal flowing mane, but now it receded, almost appearing like Twilight’s straight locks. Swirls of stars still shone faintly in her hair. Rainbow’s feelings were flickering, giving her odd feedback. She wanted to reach out and touch her friend, the pony she’s been searching for days, almost weeks now, but she knew that wasn’t her. This was just a dream. The imposter was just Luna, and her mask was imperfect. Dash almost didn’t care.

“I have only encountered darkness like that twice in the past millennium. I’m sure you can guess when.”

Realization and red bloomed across Rainbow’s face, and her insides shuddered. The subjected felt incredibly taboo for the company she held. Normally, Dash wouldn’t be fazed about it at all, even if Luna stood in front of her, and brush it off in a brash quip. However, being in her domain, and the tone of her voice, made her feel like this was information she shouldn’t be hearing.

“You’ve met the Mare in the Moon, Rainbow Dash. I speak freely of her, as that past is behind me. While I do not suspect Twilight is going to turn into a dictator of dark magic, this is far from a good omen.”

Dash turned away. Her eyes fell on the red that had appeared in the room. It was everywhere she looked, more than before. It made her feel more worried. She found she couldn’t keep looking at that, and reluctantly her eyes returned to Twi-Luna’s.

“I’m not here to make you talk, my little pony. I’m here to make you understand. You must understand that we care for Twilight. You must understand we are frightened for Twilight.”

She reached out, and touched Rainbow’s cheek. It took all of Rainbow’s power to not press the false hoof against her skin. Even as she fought the urge, she whispered Twilight quietly into the dream. If Luna heard her, she did not react. She was so close, so very close to finding her friend, bringing her back, and letting her know she was there to help pick up the pieces, and to help face what picture those pieces formed. She could do no less.

Twi-Luna withdrew her hoof. “So, Rainbow Dash, when you are brought in tomorrow by the Captain of the Solar Guard, please understand that it is not out of malice, but necessity.”

Her words snapped Dash back to life. “Wait! I swear I’m close! I’m almost there!”

But Twilight’s figure was already fading to black smoke, and drifting apart. Then the red in the room began to spread, to gurgle up from its splotches and begin to engulf the room. Dash took the air, and tried to open the front door. Locked. She went for a window. Locked too. The red kept spreading, moving over the upturned table4, the dislodged paintings, the displaced equestrian bust. And as the room was finally engulfed in red, it shut on her like a bear trap, a deep buzzing and humming of screams touching her insides.

Dash screamed into the cold air. The sensation of freezing wind whipped her face. She coughed, choking for her breath. She propped herself, gulping deeply. The nightmare she thought was waning away had never progressed so much. She wondered if Luna was preventing it from happening, but letting it go a little farther every visit.

To the far east, she could see the sun rising, its rays still trapped at the horizon. Rainbow Dash knew she wasn’t returning to her slumber. She stood with noted effort, and moved to the edge of her cloud to look down at the city beneath her. The nightlife of Los Pegasus was still going strong. The lights lit the underside of the cumulus cloud she rested on. Rarity would’ve been ecstatic.

A deep sigh shook her body. She was exhausted. She had flown more in the last two weeks than she had in her whole life. Endurance flying for hours on end, day after day had made her wings sore and stiff, and her eyes were darkened with the little sleep she allowed herself to get. However, she still felt the tug. It was how she kept focused all this time. Twilight needed to be found, and needed to know that in all this time, Rainbow Dash hadn’t abandoned her.

She descended on quiet wings.

Chapter 10 — Reprieve

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— Chapter 10 : Reprieve —

As she hid behind a tree, holding her breath, Twilight Sparkle almost wished that this would be it, that the beast would find her. She would end here, in the forest, and she wouldn’t have to continue her existence. Deep down, she felt that while this would be a painful, violent end, it was a cheaper price to pay than answering for her actions.

The thought almost brought her to tears, but the notion vanished when the tree behind her exploded. The beast’s swing made contact, showering her with splinters. It had found her.

Her mind blanked and she lunged blindly right, as hard as she could, hoping she’d pick a direction that held safety. When she landed, she held her breath for just a moment, laying frozen on the ground. When she wasn’t immediately grabbed, she dared to look over her shoulder. It was still there. The beast of a pony, its several over-sized arms swinging in its gait, turned and spotted her. She felt its eyes.

She ran, the beast right on her tail. It reached out, with claw after claw, to yank her and pull her in, to devour her, but branches kept blocking its reach. Twilight dared not look back, and kept running, ignoring the scratches the same branches left on her face.

A hoof snagged on an upturned root, and Twilight was tumbling. She rolled several times, coming to a rest on her side. Immediately the beast was on her. It brought it’s mouth right next to her head and roared, making her insides quake from the volume.

She screamed in terror in return, but for who she didn’t know. She willed herself to teleport away, hoping to be lost on the other side. She saw her vision fill with the familiar light, then darkness, of her teleport spell. Twilight poured herself into her jump, hoping to disappear completely, navigating on the back of her magic.

*crack*

Her jump occurred instantaneously. She reappeared on her hooves. She looked up from her standing place, and paled when she saw her jump took her less than ten yards away. She was still in the beast’s line of sight.

It roared, letting its hunger and irritation be known to the forest, and was upon her again before she could react. It wasted no time lashing out. She felt the sharp claws grab her legs, then her torso, then her neck, dragging her.

Twilight struggled and cried out, more to herself than the beast. She searched her options of escape, but with each passing second her available lifelines were diminishing.

The monster brought Twilight up to eye level, its mouth opening. Her mind spun like a roulette looking for a way to save herself, and landed a spell. It was one of the old ones, from Luna’s book. Basic. Quick. Brutal. Exactly what she needed.

“L-Leave me alone! I don’t want to do this! I never want to hurt again!” Looking up, she saw its mouth descending and knew, despite her hidden wishes, she couldn’t let herself die. Not yet, at least.

“Don’t! Please!”

As the its mouth was closing she screamed, and fired the spell off from the tip of her horn into the mouth of the beast.

For an instant a bright, red light pulsed throughout the forest. A loud whine like steaming water filled the air as the spell blew the beasts’ face apart from the inside out.

The monster wasn’t prepared for its meal to fight back, making no move to shield itself and eating most of the spell. Its head jerked back with a loud crack, beyond an angle Twilight thought it could survive. Blood exploded from the creature. Most of it sizzled and evaporated before it traveled far.

Twilight felt the blast too, and hot magic washed over her face from the close impact. She could feel her face burning, both from the heat and the raw magic pouring from her, and was sure she singed her mane. As the the whine died out, she found herself cackling from the huge discharge of magic. In that moment, her pain barely registered, and Twilight felt what it was like to fight for one’s life, and then survive. Or, so she thought.

She dared open her eyes, and through the beast’s shredded mouth she saw meat, bone and sunlight. She caught a glimpse of what was surely the creatures brain and gagged and giggled simultaneously, in awe of herself.

Twilight was dropped painfully on the ground, and the beast swung blindly through its pain. One of its claws made contact, and Twilight shrieked. She flew past several trees before striking one and landing hard on the ground. Twilight coughed, expecting to spit up blood. Focusing hard to keep her eyes open, she rolled onto her stomach, wincing at the pain, and fought to drag herself away.

Everything hurt. The air was knocked from her lungs, and she was wheezing, trying to fill them. From the burning lines of fire on her back and belly, she could tell the attack was serious. She didn’t know pain could be this intense, and her eyes opened to tears. Through her coughing, she could hear the monster thrashing about.

On second thought, that is pain.

She began to chuckle, but snatched the laugh back down her throat. Her eyes widened. “Rarity,” she whispered to no one. She shook herself, and began to stand.

With her first step, the effect of casting the spell descended upon her. Twilight felt empty, hungry, and exhausted. However, she could still feel her magic running, still buzzing and bubbling inside her. She hadn’t cast since the night she left Ponyville, and its absence was poignantly noted. It felt good. It felt like she was visiting a familiar friend who had been forgotten.

Twilight hated the feeling, and hated herself for enjoying it.

Behind her, the beast continued to writhe around. Twilight could feel the vibrations under her hooves. She moved faster. Her body and brain was screaming for her to quit and just lie where she lay, but she resisted. As the beast tore holes out of the ground and destroyed trees nearby, in rage Twilight Sparkle dragged herself around the trunk of a nearby tree, out of sight.

Twilight collapsed on herself, heaving, still fighting to stay conscious and focused. The buzzing was beginning to be a distraction. She listened to the destruction on the other side of the tree. The fight wasn’t over. Before she could rest, she had to rid herself of her pursuer.

She swallowed hard, and weighed her options. Another jump was out of the question. Besides not having enough strength to cast it, her last jump didn’t take her anywhere. Twilight filed the problem for further research, in case she made it out the forest alive.

I need a distraction.

Twilight reached inside herself and touched her magic, which was vibrating with energy, but she had trouble holding on to it. She pulled at it, hard, and forced it to one point. She molded the spell into something useful. Opening her eyes, a purple unicorn greeted her.

Her doppelganger looked as if she had been drawn by a foal. Twilight laughed— a choked, heaving sort of sound. She couldn’t help but sigh. It would do.

She peeked around the tree, and saw the monster searching for her, apparently done with its pain. It sniffed the air, and snapped its head toward her. Twilight pulled back behind the tree quickly, but she knew the beast saw her. She waited for a beat, then sent her familiar left, into the woods.

The beast nearly tipped over itself as it bolted after the image. Twilight felt its thunderous steps get right on her as it approached the tree. She shut her eyes tight, and held her breath.

Then, the footsteps become quieter and quieter as the monster veered off into the forest, chasing the doppelganger. She held on the spell as long as she could, and then some more, to ensure the beast was as far away as possible. Finally, as she felt the last ounce of her magic fade, she let the spell go. Wherever it was, her familiar was most likely nearly faded due to the range, but now it was certainly gone. Twilight hoped the wild goose chase would lead the beast far astray, as far away from her as it could.

Finally feeling safe, Twilight sunk in on herself. She was in the crook of the roots of some great tree, and it started to feel very comfy. She felt starved for air, and tried to drink it in. The forest began to slowly rock around her. She looked down, and saw streaks of red on her belly. Twilight wanted to panic, but she was too tired. Her eyes closed, and the last thing she remembered was the feeling of rising up, weightlessly. Gently. She smiled. It reminded her of her teacher.

***

Twilight woke as she felt the gentle touch of magic.

Everything hurt. She grimaced, but kept her eyes closed, hoping to drop back into unconsciousness, but a bright light shining through her eyelids held sleep at bay. She turned away from the intrusive light, and snuggled deep into the sheets that wrapped her. She was beginning to drift when the pleasant smell of food arrived at her nose. It smelt like hay, apples, and spices. It reminded Twilight she had a stomach, and that it was empty.

Someone was in the room with her. They said something. She didn’t catch it. Twilight wasn’t sure they were even talking to her, so she ignored it. She snuggled deeper into the sheets and stuffed her hunger down, seeking refuge from the shimmering light, and the deep, thorough pain.

Sheets. So soft. But… But what about the…

...the monster?

The monster!

Twilight bolted up in bed and screamed. Immediately, hooves held her down and covered her mouth, and it only made her scream louder.

“Shush, miss!” urged a voice.

The bright light shone in her alert eyes, and as it quickly faded, Twilight looked up to see an earth pony holding her. He had a brown coat, and even darker brown mane. He was smiling, so much so that Twilight felt nervous, on top of already being confused. Even his eyes were smiling. His collar and tie hung loosely around his neck. Everything about him carried levity. “Please hush, miss. You’ll wake the entire inn.”

Twilight scrunched up her eyes, and reluctantly looked around. Sure enough, she was inside a room, which she assumed was inside the inn he spoke of. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all made out of planks of wood. To her left was a window to darkness, and to her right a door and a nightstand with a lit lamp and the source of the delicious smell, a bowl of soup. In front was another door and a chair and desk. The earth pony, who was now loosening his tie even more, was sitting next to the bed.

A bed! She didn’t expect to sleep in one so soon, if ever again.

A thought bolted through her mind, and she looked frantically all over the room, and then back at him. “The monster—!”

“—is gone,” he responded.

“The forest—!”

“—is where I found you, and I’m glad I did.” He chuckled softly. He walked over to his suitcase and placed his tie inside. “You weren’t pretty in the slightest.”

“Where?” She sat, waiting an answer. This time the pony did not cut her off, but it was all Twilight could say.

He approached the bed again. “This is the Darkwood Inn. You are in the recently settled Darkwood,” he said plainly.

Twilight could tell that, despite his pleasant demeanor, he was studying her thoroughly. She didn’t like being read. She began to speak, but he cut her off again.

“–I know you have questions,” the pony said, “but you’re safe. That’s what matters. You will live to see more days, and to ask more questions. Thanks to me, I might add.”

Twilight held his gaze, then looked down. She shuddered. Her entire torso was covered in bandages. She moved the blankets, and found her legs were wrapped as well. Now that she noticed, it hurt to move anything. Even returning her gaze to the pony hurt her neck. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them with a scowl.

She finally found her voice again. She had many questions, but the one she felt was most important bubbled to the surface first. “Who are you?”

The pony nodded, and replied. “I’m Doctor Whooves. It’s flattering that you ask me my name, but are you sure you remember yours? You took a nasty beating.”

Twilight stared at the pony, trying to get her mouth to work. She couldn’t be herself. She couldn’t be Twilight Sparkle ever again, to anyone. Still, she couldn’t let go of everything at once. Slowly, she replied mechanically, “My name is Velvet. Velvet Shine.”

Her heart ached as she said it.

Velvet, her mother’s first name.

Shine, her father’s last.

Doctor Whooves stared hard at Twilight, who gulped. He remained silent, and showed little emotion. Suddenly he nodded, and laughed. “Of course it is. Well, Miss Velvet, you were involved in a dreadful, vicious attack. A multi-armed monstrosity, one I’ve never seen before, assaulted you, and left you for dead. I watched it all, and collected you after the ordeal. You’re tough, you know. I almost thought I was going to walk up to your corpse. Your familiar looked atrocious, but it was clever.”

“How long have I been out? Has anyone been to see me?” Twilight asked, rapidly firing off questions as she finally came to.

“Not as long as I expected. It’s been over twenty-four hours. You sure put a damper on my travel plans, that’s for sure. I didn’t expect to stop here,” he gestured with his hoof, looking about the room as if outside. “I honestly didn’t even know this village was here until I stumbled upon it. It’s actually quite the lovely little village, even if at times— Please don’t get up now, miss, you’re still injured!”

Twilight had tried to sit up on her legs, but she gasped and collapsed. She felt wooden, like a puppet without a master. She looked dumbly at Doctor Whooves, who laughed again, cheekily. Her face flushed.

“You’ll need about a week’s rest in your condition before you even think about leaving this room. Oh, don’t look like that,” he added after seeing her face fall.

“But you don’t understand!”

“No, you don’t! You’re very hurt, ma’am.”

“I have to leave! I can’t be here!”

“I’m sure the innkeeper is just fine with you staying—”

Twilight was half screaming now. “No, Equestria! I have to—”

“—Just calm down, miss.”

“I have to—!”

“What is wrong with you, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight stopped speaking. She looked at the Doctor with wide eyes, mouth agape. She trembled. Doctor Whooves looked at her the way a parent looks at a child when it disappoints them.

Twilight was breathing hard, waiting for his next move, anticipating hers. She felt for the buzz deep inside. Faintly, it was there.

Doctor Whooves was about to speak, when there was a knock at the door. Another earth pony stepped through.

“Why hello there, Doctor. I see my guest has awaken.” A very dark pony stepped into the room. His coat was coal-colored, his mane near silver. He looked older than Doctor Whooves, but his years had made his tone much warmer. While his smile didn’t radiate like the Doctor’s, it was an easy one. “It’s about time, too, I was getting worried.”

The new pony closed the door behind him and approached the bed. He glanced at Twilight and clearly saw something that worried him on her face. He snapped his head back to the Doctor’s. “Is everything alright? I thought I heard raised voices, but I wasn’t sure.”

Doctor Whooves laughed. “You worry too much, sir.”

The pony waived off the comment. He turned towards Twilight, whose eyes were burning holes into the Doctor. “What’s your name, hun?”

“My name is, uh…” Twilight drifted off. She had come too far for this Doctor to reveal her. She was already thumbing through her mental spellbook. Nothing too dangerous. Just… Just in case.

The Doctor gave a sideways look to her, then returned to the new pony. He cleared his throat, and spoke as if introducing royalty. “Her name is Miss Velvet. Miss Velvet Shine.”

Again, within the span of seconds, Twilight was caught off guard. She looked at Doctor Whooves and tried to say or ask something meaningful, but all that was came out was ‘Guh?’

“Ah, Velvet Shine. Nice to meet you! I’m Night Watch.” He stepped up to the bed, and gave a slight bow. “I own this inn. I hope you, and your room, are just fine now.”

Twilight remained silent, staring at the Doctor. Night Watched leaned over and whispered, “I guess she’s not all there yet.” Doctor Whooves nodded in agreement, a smirk on his face. A silent joke that Twilight picked up quite clearly.

“Well that’s alright, deary,” said Night Watch. His voice had a slight growl to it, as gruff as a friendly voice could be. “You can rest here as long as you need.”

Twilight protested. “I can’t stay! I… I don’t have any bits. I can’t pay you.”

“Miss Velvet, if you think I’m going to kick a hurt young mare such as yourself on the streets, you’re crazy. Besides, we’re hardly busy, being a new town and all, so I doubt we’ll even have to kick you out.” He and Doctor Whooves laughed, but Twilight already had a question.

Slowly, she asked “New… town?”

“Village, really,” the Doctor said.

“We’ve only just begun building. There are a few houses, an eatery doubling as a grocer, and city hall. And then, there’s this here inn. We’re looking to become a new spot on the map of Equestria. You’re actually our first customer.” He paused for a second. “Well, occupant.”

With Doctor Whooves’ hooves on her face fresh in her memory, Twilight shot him a dirty look. “‘Wake the whole inn’, huh?”

She wasn’t acknowledged. “I was surprised myself to stumble upon this village—”

“—Town—”

“—Village as I was transporting you. It made my intended trip a whole lot shorter. Well, intended trip to save you. Actual trip, much delays,” said Doctor Whooves.

Twilight sat silently. She was only half-listening to them. She instead focused on the dull, aching streaks across her back. She guessed it was where the beast struck her. Quietly, she asked, “How long will it take to for me to heal?”

Doctor looked at Night Watch for a second, and then back to Twilight. “You’re not going to like the answer. As I said, It would be an entire week before I’d let you out this room, and yet another before I let you back on your journey, and several more before any doctor worth his license would consider you a healthy little unicorn.“

Twilight remained quiet, her eyes stern.

Doctor Whooves rubbed the back of his unkempt mane. “However, feel free to use your magic as crutch. Nice perk of being a unicorn, it is. Cheer up, kid, this won’t be as bad as you think.”

There was more silence from Twilight. Night Watch and Doctor Whooves exchanged glances again. Finally, she spoke.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. She offered no more resistance. She laid down on her side, staring through the door.

The Doctor clamped his mouth shut, and Night Watch looked down, both unsure what to say. Moments passed in silence, until the Doctor coughed.

“Ahem, it’s about time I left. I see that you’ll be fine, Miss Velvet— relatively speaking, I mean— so I must continue on my journey. Night Watch, thanks for being an upstanding chap. I bid you farewell. Good luck with your village.”

As Night Watch stood by her beside, Twilight watched Doctor Whooves bow out, around the door. As it was about shut, Twilight noticed the suitcase still sitting up against the wall

The door nearly closed, Twilight tried to call out. A tiny ‘suitcase’ is all that came out her mouth.

His head popped back in. “Oh, thank you Miss Velvet. Where would I be without it?”

The suitcase glowed shimmering white, and zipped through the door. It happened so fast, Twilight wasn’t so sure she saw it. She glanced at Night Watch curiously, but Night Watch had only been looking at her.

“Toodles,” he said with a wink, and the door closed behind him.

“What a strange stallion,” said Night Watch. “And how dare he call this town a village. It’s only a matter of time before we’re getting a train station.” He glanced back at Twilight who was still agape.

“But, how? What? What! That doesn’t make any sense!”

Night Watch just laughed. “It’s not that serious, Velvet Shine. Just relax, maybe take a sip of that soup, and sleep easy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He left Twilight alone, opening and shutting the door as gently as he could. With no one to talk to, and nothing to do, she took a sip of the soup, finding it was delicious. Despite its taste, and her hunger, she found she didn’t have an appetite. She forced herself to take another sip, then blew out the lamp and turned to look outside.

***

Hours later, Twilight was still awake. She stared into the darkness. She was tired, and still in pain, but she fought to stay awake. Her mind churned.

A whole week here, she thought. That was simply unacceptable. She didn’t even have a single book. A couple day’s bed rest, sure, but until Twilight was completely confident of how far she was from Canterlot, true rest would escape her. If she was honest with herself, she wouldn’t sleep peacefully until Equestria was behind her. She hoped that, in the morning, she’d find it a lot further away than she was dreading.

All of that may not matter, though, depending on the actions of Doctor Whooves. He knew me. He knew my name, and he just walked away.

Twilight rolled over. On one hoof, she was glad. Twilight didn’t wanted to leave a trail to follow. Every scrap of information, from her name to her appearance, was proof of her travels, proof that could flow back to Canterlot. The Doctor playing along helped her escape immensely.

Escape? I'm... I'm really running away. I'm never going back. Not ever.

She never expected this to happen. Canterlot was her life until recently, as she rarely strayed outside its walls until her move to Ponyville. Even there, she always felt Celestia's watchful, loving eye from the nearby mountaintop.

On the other hoof, Twilight wasn't safe. A handful of ponies knew where she was. One knew her name, and possibly who she was, and where she was from. Worst of all, this pony was walking away. Twilight had no idea where he was going. She shuddered, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

He could have played nice with me now to run free to Canterlot. He could find my parents.

He could go to Celestia!

He will find her and and tell her what I did! That... That fiend! Why did I do that? I have to, I've got to get up. I should get up, right now. Help my legs with some spell, storm downstairs, and… And… M-Make sure he doesn’t talk and tell them.

Twilight sucked in a huge breath, and exhaled slowly. She couldn't bring herself to cast any magic. Her body was aching. There was no way she was getting out of that bed tonight. Besides, Doctor Whooves didn't know what happened in Ponyville. He didn't know Rarity was in a million pieces in the wind. He didn't know she was on the run. All he knew is she didn't want to be identified.

“I just have to let him go.”

Instantly she recoiled. “‘Let him go?’ Since when do I say things like that?”

She was scared, unsure of what he was up to but mostly of herself. These were thoughts and fears Twilight never expected to have. She needed the comfort of the pursuit of knowledge. She stirred as she trained her mind onto a different aspect of the mysterious Doctor Whooves. Particularly, the light.

Twilight couldn’t believe she was about to ask this, but she couldn’t ignore what was in front of her face. Was that… Magic?

It looked like it. She only caught the end of it as she opened her eyes, but she wasn’t sure what else it could be. The shimmering, swirling light was the signature of any unicorn casting magic. Twilight was aware that earth ponies and pegasi had their own magic, but it didn’t manifest itself visually, at least not in the visible light spectrum. The Doctor’s light was very faint, but it came from his forehead.

It was unlike anything Twilight had ever heard of. Never had Twilight read about earth ponies using unicorn magic, or about mixing magic from any of the pony clans. Celestia had never said anything about it, either in one of her personal lessons or even in passing, ever being remotely possible. Discord could certainly manage it, but Twilight was confident he was still frozen in Canterlot Castle’s garden.

Twilight hit a dead end with her knowledge, so she filed it away for later when she had more time and resources.

Her breath caught in her throat at the thought. She had no idea when ‘later’ would be. The three greatest sources of knowledge she knew about would be inaccessible from now on.

She’ll never step hoof in her library again. Her heart out went to her books, whose pages she would never read again. Her favorite books will probably remain unread for decades. She briefly wondered who would become the next librarian.

It went without saying that the castle’s library would also be off limits. She had less attachment to the capitol’s library, as all her special books resided in Golden Oaks, but it did have a wide berth of knowledge, wider than what she could fit inside the treehouse.

The last one hurt the worst. Celestia, and all of her great knowledge, would be forever lost to Twilight. In a past life, when her friends were only the written words in her textbooks, Celestia was a shining light in her life. She was the first pony with more knowledge than what Twilight could get her own hooves on, sometimes even having first-hand accounts of events that piqued Twilight’s interest. Twilight was in constant awe of her as a filly. Truth be told, she was more so as an adult.

Memories flooded Twilight. The first time she met Celestia for private instruction, bringing with her ten pads of parchment, six pens and ink, and her favorite history book, and when Celestia brushed them all aside and began to simply talk to her. The first time Celestia took Twilight to her tower and showed her her personal collection. The first time Celestia nuzzled her with pride of her accomplishments. The times Celestia read Twilight to sleep, wrapped in her wings.Her mentor, one of her oldest and greatest friends. Her princess. Her sister. In some ways, even her moth—

NO! thought Twilight, but her mind was already hooked, and was yanked further down into the dark.

Her mother. Her father. Her brother, and her new sister-in-law she’ll never get to know as an adult. Spike. Her ponyville friends.

Dear Celestia, it’s all over.

She raised her hoof to cover her face, and she was crying.

We were only just beginning. I was just starting too…

She grabbed a pillow and pressed it into her face. No more fangirling over new Daring Doo novels. No more modeling for new clothing lines. No more perfect parties all throughout the week. No more hard work under apple trees, and no more quiet, tranquil afternoons listening to the birds chirp without a care in the world.

It was all gone. Her only solace would be her fragile memories. Her unfinished stories. Their tourniquet history.

But at least they will continue. At least they will still grow without me.

Twilight choked again. She shuddered, and gathered the covers tightly around her as she rolled onto her side. Everything fell away. Celestia, her family, friends, one by one the pillars toppled until the last one loomed above her, impossibly huge and expanding to block out the light.

She was crying for the life she chose to leave behind, and it disgusted her. Twilight chose. She still had the ability to choose, to have a choice, even if it was a hard one, but her new destiny was still hers. She was still on a path, and it wasn’t fair. She was a thief.

Because Rarity has no destiny.

Twilight had snatched it away. She ripped and plied it from Rarity’s soul, leaving nothing but a room painted red and charred black flakes fluttering in the wind.

She cried. She didn’t know how long. The ache went deep. The white lines along her belly burned less than the gult. She cried for Rarity, and she cried for herself.

If Celestia ever finds out… When Celestia finds out… What would she say? Do?

“Thrown in a dungeon in the place you were banished to,” she said quietly to herself. Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle. It was ugly and wet, more a hiccup in the middle of a sob. How could it not be funny, at least a little bit?

Staring her guilt in the face, embracing her sorrow in the dark room, Twilight found out what kind of pony she was, and she hated herself. She hated how she was turning her back on her friends, and her life. There was nothing noble in her quest for self-exile. There would be no closure for anyone, and it was so unfair.

I’m not brave enough. I’m not strong enough to go back there, and answer. Simpy their faces, it’ll destroy me. I… I just can’t.

She moaned, and cooed. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, I love you all. I do, I promise. I promise! I just can’t be the better pony. I’m too scared.”

Twilight knew she was alone, and it would be crazy to hear anyone respond, but the silence of the empty room still hurt.

She lay there, in the dark, and allowed herself to drown in her own contempt.

Chapter 11 — Repudiate

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— Chapter 11 : Repudiate —

The music died as they set their instruments down. For a few moments, Lyra and Octavia simply smiled and basked in the afterglow of their duet. Lyra looked over and let out a small chuckle. The wide smile on Octavia’s face seemed out of place, uncharacteristically content for the professional pony. As the moment passed, her smile faded, but her high spirits remained.

Lyra was the first to speak. “So Octavia, knock out show last night.”

Octavia’s head turned a few inches, looking away reflexively. It was slight, but Lyra caught it. “You saw it?” she asked, almost curtly.

“Yeah, I loved it. I actually caught it by accident, completely by chance. Of course, your playing was magnificent. You do so much with your instrument,” said Lyra. Octavia turned her head back. Her face was inquisitive. Lyra’s voice softened. “Your performance really said something to me. It said that everything would turn out alright, here in Canterlot. Oh, and I enjoyed the small improvisation you did. You’ve got quick hooves.”

Octavia’s slowly blooming smile flipped. “You heard that nonsense?” Her eyes darted away. “It was garbage, without substance. I apologize. I prepared as much as I could, but I can’t be here all day, and home isn’t the best place to practice, for reasons outside my control.”

“Hey, take it easy, okay? You did great, Octavia. Don’t fool yourself into thinking otherwise.”

“I guess you’re right,” Octavia said. She still held a grimace, but Lyra was sure it was meant to be a smile. However, she noticed how tired and defeated Octavia looked in this moment, and Lyra wasn’t convinced.

“I am right,” said Lyra, but decided not to push the issue any longer.

Octavia rubbed her hooves together, a gesture Lyra was surprised to see from the a mare so self-assured. “H-How is your job search going, Lyra?”

The question caught her off guard, but Lyra’s response was near-instant and rehearsed. “Well, I’ve applied to a hoof-ful of places, and a couple have actually written back to me. Of course, they were rejection letters, but I’m ever hopeful. I have to be. I even have an interview today.” She smiled wide, but was sure Octavia would see through her ruse.

She didn’t respond immediately, letting Lyra’s words hang in the air. Octavia worked her face up, as if she was considering something great. She waited until the unicorn became visually uncomfortable. Octavia stood from her chair. “If any more jobs contact you, ignore them. I’ve gotten us a most special audience; lunch with Gentle Chimes.”

Lyra’s mouth flung open in awe. Octavia continued. “He is the stallion who approves my accompanists, and he will be offering you a chance to accompany me on my word, provided you leave a good impression.”

“No way.” It was all Lyra could do to keep her voice even.

Octavia paced in front of Lyra. “You’d be like an understudy. Your lyre is a perfectly serviceable instrument, however I’ll be teaching you everything I know, starting with cello and piano. If you’re good enough— and show dedication— with time you could even play with the entire CPO.” She turned sharply to look at Lyra. “Emphasis on ‘with time’, but it is a start. Speaking of time, him and I will arrive at the eatery at 12:23, at the westernmost table out front. It’s a peculiar time I know, but if you remember Gentle Chimes you know that’s just how he is. How does all that sound?”

Lyra’s only response was to widen her mouth further.

Octavia rubbed one foreleg against another. “Do you remember? How I was surprised I didn’t know you? Now you can probably figure out why. I’ve known Gentle Chimes for some time now. He’s brilliant.“

Lyra remained frozen, still mouth agape, with a look of pure joy on her face.

“Are you going to say anyth—”

Before she could finish, a squeal creeped out from Lyra’s lips. She quickly crossed the distance between them and gave Octavia a hug as tight as she could manage, raining yes’ and thank-you’s on the pony, before dancing with Octavia in her arms. Octavia dealt with it as long as she could, then eased herself out of Lyra’s grasp.

“That’s quite enough, dear, but yes, this is something to be excited about.”

Lyra jumping in place. “Of COURSE it is!”

“Be sure to wear something presentable. A simple dress, maybe.”

Lyra almost lost her smile. It certainly dropped. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” said Octavia. “This is an important meeting, and you must look your best. I’m surprised you haven’t taken to clothes since you’ve been back in the city.”

Lyra flopped back into her chair. “Come on, I know the maestro, we go way back! Can’t I simply wear a collar and tie like you?”

Octavia raised her nose in the air. “No you can’t.”

Lyra thumped a cushion with a hoof. “Well, why not?”

Octavia gave Lyra a vacant look, distant and cold. “Because you simply aren’t Octavia.”

Lyra stared at Octavia expectantly , but her face slowly drifted to confusion and annoyance as Octavia refused to elaborate. Her eyes narrowed. Seconds passed before Lyra noticed the edges of Octavia’s mouth curling upwards. That was all she needed, and she let out a good laugh, half from the joke and half from Octavia’s attempt to tell one in the first place.

Octavia’s lip spread into a smile. Still flat, and mostly impassive as always, but clearly a smile to Lyra. “I wasn’t sure if you’d find that funny.”

“Sorry, I just needed a second to see past—” she gestured at Octavia “—you,” Lyra said through giggles. It took a minute until she was done. Octavia never joined in, but Lyra could see the subtle pleasure on her face, even if she was trying to mask it.

“Oh, today was good fun,” said Octavia. She turned to the huge window that looked out over the art district. Outside the Lunaris, the sun hung in the middle of its downward arc. “I think it’s about time to wrap things up.”

Lyra packed up her lyre and headed for the door. Octavia remained behind, looking out of the huge glass window. Lyra looked back expectantly, but quickly knew the answer to her question. Octavia wanted to be alone.

“You know,” began Lyra. “I really did like your concert. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished instead of scrutinizing your greatness.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Lyra”. Her voice was warm. She didn’t look away from the window.

“Seeya, Octavia.” Lyra turned to the door and opened it. She wondered if maybe she shouldn’t have said anything about the show. It’s sometimes it was hard to tell with Octavia. She walked through the doorway. Just before the door closed behind her, she heard it meet resistance.

“Lyra,” Octavia said behind her. Lyra turned to see Octavia hanging out the door. “Make sure you are exactly on time, not a minute early or later— You remember how Gentle Chimes is. And seriously, wear something nice. No ties. Don’t cramp my style.”

And Lyra was laughing all over again. “Cramp my style? Ha! Where’d this comedian come from? Two in one day, you must be in a great mood!” It wasn’t something she expected out of this upstanding pony’s mouth. She waved goodbye, descending the long staircase of the theater, and walking into her day with the highest spirits she had since she left Ponyville. Still, as good as a mood she was in, she decided to walk home, to save her bits in case she needed them. Of course, there never was an interview.

***

During her walk home, Lyra passed through the business district, trotting right through Caelum Square where she had resurfaced into Canterlot. It was late afternoon, between the lull of traffic that occurs after work and before dinner, leaving it notably empty compared to her arrival. Ponies who stayed late at work were walking home, and a couple of cabbies hung around, but mostly the street was hushed compared to normal.

She looked towards the center of the square, to look at the mouth to Canterlot’s Grand Stable. It had only been three days since she arrived, emerging from those steps over yonder with a timid yet determined spirit, but it felt like it had been weeks already. A combination of all the ponies and trouble she’s met since she arrived had made each day’s adventure seem longer than reality. Lyra couldn’t help but smile to herself, as she didn’t expect to be this happy this shortly after leaving Ponyville.

A memory flashed behind her eyes. Reflexively she stepped into the street, walking across the square, retracing her steps from days before. Her hooves took her in front of the post office of destiny, or so she felt it should be called. Lyra had to be honest with herself; she had been incredibly fortunate to be spotted by the Octavia, to go to this post office, to have seen that rainbow.

She glanced up. The sky was a murky color, the sun shining behind cloud cover. There was no rainbow. She looked back at the post office. Didn’t she already write her a letter? She should have responded by now, right? She would if she really cared about her… Right?

Her mood shifted, from its normally bright demeanour to just like the sun above, hidden behind a veil. Her bits stayed in her pocket, and Lyra continued home.

***

Lyra found her parents upstairs. She hung in the long hallway outside, peering in at them. In a wide, carpeted room with warm light, Granite sat in his luxurious armchair in front of a tall mahogany bookcase filled with business tomes and business trophies, reading a paper or some building plans, Lyra didn’t care to know. He reached down and scratched his cutie mark, which he claimed was a dimension stone. Lyra knew it was just a rock.

Across the room, Aria played the piano, a baby grand of polished black, accompanying a gentle melody she hummed, swaying her hips in the air to the three-fourths count, rocking her songbird cutie mark back and forth. The tune shifted, as if Aria found new gusto, and a quick key change later she had launched into another song.

Lyra’s lip trembled, and her heart tightened. It was a tune her mother used to hum to her as a child, back before she could pick up an instrument. Her mother playing that particular song, as she came to share her good news, seemed like another omen that finally things were going right. She wondered if her father knew how important the song was to her, or if it was merely one of the many tunes Aria plays that illicit a response akin to ‘that’s nice dear’ from him.

Lyra quickly composed herself and stepped into the room, crossing the plush sand-colored carpet silently. Despite reaching the middle of the room, her parents still hadn’t noticed her, both locked in their routine. She stood like this for a little longer, enjoying the moment and building resolve. It wasn’t often all three of them could share a room and it remained this calm. She smiled to herself, and resolved to make this announcement as fun as possible for the family. She was sure they’d be overjoyed.

The melody devolved into light improvisation on the theme, and eventually came to its rambling end, and Aria retreated from the piano back onto all four hooves. She smiled, pleased, content, and turned. Spotting lyra, she jumped. “Lyra!” she said, “you gave me a scare. How long were you standing there? How was your day? Any good fortune in your quest?”

Lyra’s smiled faltered. There was good news, but she still hated being asked. They didn’t get the new-friend pass on politeness Octavia did. To be honest, she still didn’t like Octavia asking about it either. However, she stood on her hind legs, and gestured wildly. “Yes, in the three short days I’ve been home, I was able to get gainfully employed. Your daughter has ascended unto steady paycheck status!”

“That’s great news, dear,” said Aria.

“As expected,” said Granite. His head snapped up. “Good job,” he quickly added, then returned to reading.

Lyra returned to four legs, and simmered. She wanted more accolades than this. Her parents completely missed her sarcasm, souring it further. “Actually, I didn’t get a job.”

Audible sighs of disappointment came from her parents.

“That’s unfortunate, dear,” said Aria.

“That’s not funny, that’s what it is,” said Granite. He resumed reading and uttered words that conveyed ‘typical’ and ‘disappointment’ to Lyra’s ears.

Lyra wrinkled her nose. You don’t ever find anything funny. She was hoping for giddy excitement, not dismissal. Lyra stuffed down her ire and pressed on. She dropped her ploy, and gave it to them straight. “Fine. I don’t have a job, but Octavia— Yes, that one, father— scheduled me to meet with Gentle Chimes tomorrow for lunch. I’m sure you remember him, mother. It’s not just a meal, though, she presented it like an interview and this is my first step into the CPO.”

The effect was immediate. They moved faster than Lyra thought possible of ponies the age of her parents. First Aria embraced her, then Granite, and Lyra felt like she was being tugged apart.

“Oh my goodness, Lyra, you’ve done it!”

“That’s the daughter I know!”

Lyra vaguely wondered if she was the daughter he actually knew, or if he spoke of the daughter he wanted.

“You’re your own mare now! And Gentle Chimes? Oh, it’s been so long!”

“There’s greatness for you yet, my girl.”

Try as she might, Lyra couldn’t enjoy their praise. The realization would’ve troubled her, but she was too focused on the conversation at hand.

Granite drew back, still looking proud. “So, let’s celebrate!”

Aria look at at Granie with surprise, but immediately moved back to the piano, taking his uncharacteristic cheer in stride. “Yes, how about a song, Lyra? Here, go grab your lyre.”

Lyra remained stationary. “Actually,” she said quietly, “I think I’d like to just go to my room and lay down. It’s been a long day. Don’t worry,” she added as her parent’s faces fell, “I’m sure we can celebrate later, such an occasion ought to have dancing at least. Just now, I’m tired. Trust me, we’ll celebrate.”

Her mother nodded not in approval but understanding, and her father merely grunted and mumbled, but it wasn’t a disappointed gruff, and went back to his paper. As she left the room, she could hear the piano start up again. Her heart stopped. This time, her mother wasn’t just humming her song; she was singing the words to it, for her little Lyra, for the first time in years. Lyra had almost forgotten what they were. She stood rigid until the song ended, unable to tear herself away.

Greetings little Lyra
It’s time that you were welcomed to
This world you parents built for you
It’s beautiful
Morning little Lyra
You cant ignore your tonic fate
You’ll harmonize to something great
It’s magical
Little silly filly, who would believe
You’d be here, outside our dreams
I’m so lucky that you deemed
Me to be your new mommy
Little silly filly, who would believe
You fill our lives with smiles gleaming
You fill our lives with love that’s seeping
Out your heart into our being
I’ll tell you
A thousand times
One day you’ll be
The star of our lives

***

In her room, Lyra walked past her desk, and flopped in her four-poster bed. It was a long day, and she laid there awhile, letting it all sink in.

Her eyes scanned the room. She spent as little time in here as she could, both up until her departure and since she returned, but today she needed this, a place to feel what’s happened. Her room was largely untouched. It was the smallest bedroom in the house, originally being a guest bedroom until Lyra wanted something simpler. Despite that, it neared the entire living space above Sweetie Drops. She had a large desk, normally covered with stacks of staff paper and quills, now covered with just a couple of envelopes. In front of it was an open-backed bench, the only sitting furniture in the room. It was a sly suggestion that her parents didn’t approve of her posture.

The walls were decorated in ornate musical theme that used to annoy Lyra due to the incorrect notation of the painted notes. It was likely done by some clueless painter, but Lyra never had the patience to correct it, especially since growing up she hardly spent any time in her room. Most of the floorspace was just that, space, empty, with a corner of the room filled with the rejected toy instruments from her childhood. Her closet was a walk in, definitely larger than her bedroom in Ponyville, and filled with garments Lyra only wore once, for whatever occasion her mother had bought them for. The room didn’t represent her from at point of her life, but the solace it brought was all hers.

She rolled over to look out her window. Out past their vast yard, and over rooftops, and out into the huge abyss and all the way down was a dim light in the dark she wanted to believe was Ponyville. She pulled her legs in close, and shuddered. She wasn’t sure she was allowed to feel this happy this far away from home. She was sure she’d be back there soon, however, which made her only happier.

The years of struggle, the ups and down of her life, the daily frustration of living with her parents had taken a toll on her and left her with a gaping hole in her heart. Granite only loved her when she was consumed with work, toiling away at homework or practice, or anything that would one day either increase her worth to the world or their family’s wealth. Aria only loved her when she had a song on her lips or her lyre in her hooves, in the grips of creativity or performance. It was as if without the crescendo of music, Lyra was just a multimeasure rest in her sonata.

But with how everything had been falling into place, Lyra felt swept up in destiny. Had Ponyville had only been a diversion to where her actions originally steered her, a life of music in Canterlot? It— no, she— had turned her away, as if Lyra didn’t deserve the simple life, as if she knew all along Lyra didn’t belong. Maybe Lyra didn’t need to return to Ponyville so soon. Or did she see it in her, and simply gave Lyra the push she needed to succeed?

Lyra jumped out of bed and scrambled to her desk. With a swipe of her hoof, the open envelopes that were strewn across it were on the floor. She was already pulling a quill to her as she sat on her bench. Lyra dipped the pen in ink, wrote the letter ‘B’, then stared at the page. She thought again about how she hadn’t written her back. She thought of the harsh last words exchanged between them. She thought of the lonely trip up the mountain. She thought of the rainbowless sky. She swallowed, wiped an eye she didn’t know was wet, then put pen to paper.

B
My Chocolate Sweet,
Progress. Would you believe I got a gig? And I did it by being a slack-off musician, just like that foolish mare you know. Literally played lyre a couple of afternoons and boom, interview tomorrow. Okay, it’s not that simple, but you can appreciate the irony.
My parents are insufferable, Canterlot is a drag, but I am getting my life together, just as you commanded. As soon as I have enough, I’m out of this place and back in your forelegs, as it is your embrace I wish to reside in forever, even if the pony attached to it can be insufferable and inconsiderate sometimes. I know you hate poetics, but I couldn’t help myself.
I know you haven’t written back, and maybe you’re still sore at me— though I should be the one livid, to be honest— but please write me back, even if it’s just to say you read my letter and you're still mad. Because while the old nag and the city filly may be angry, I know you’ve gotta feel something other than ire by now. That would be enough to keep me going in this city of forgotten pain.
There I go, poetics again.
With patient, tepid affection,

Lyra paused. She was about to sign with “humorous mare”, but decide that was too much of a mouthful. Wanting to do something new, but keep the implication, she settled on a contraction of the two.

Your Humare.

It made her chuckle as she went to stuff the letter in an envelope, but found she had none. She looked down at the ones on the floor, but was surprised to find them all opened and damaged. Lyra didn’t recall opening them, but she was on a mission, so she kept searching.

She rose from the desk, floating the letter above her head, and went to the door. She took one step into the hall and stopped. Lyra had no idea where the envelopes were kept in the house. She had never written a letter while home. Until she left, she had no one to write to all her friends lived nearby, and after she was gone, anyone she’d care to write to was either in Ponyville within walking distance, or visited often enough. Lyra entered the hall, using the glow from her horn to light her way while she ventured into the house.

Lyra checked several rooms, upstairs and downstairs, but finding an envelope was proving difficult. The house now felt foreign to her, the little familiarity she had disappearing in the months she was away. However, her search did come to an end. As she passed the doorway to it, the location of where to get an envelope became obvious. She didn’t think to go there first, because she never entered the room before.

Lyra stepped into her father’s office, a room she had been forbidden from entering ever since she toppled a display case as a foal, a memory she couldn’t recall but didn’t care enough to dispute. She sniggered at the decoration, exactly what she’d expect for a business pony like him. The room’s walls were lined with more bookshelves, and the desk was a huge slab of rock, which explained why her father settled for an office on the first floor; the rock rose from the floor, from the bedrock of Canterlot itself. Lyra had always wondered why her uppity father’s office was on the first floo. Her father was definitely an earth pony.

She fished around the desk, which hid smooth marble drawers flush against its rear surface. It wasn’t long before she found her envelope. She snagged it and a stamp and left the office.

She stepped out, intending to return to her room After a few steps, a deep unpleasant feeling invaded her mind, and reminded her she had slept through dinner. Lyra briefly considered dealing with it till morning, but remembered that being home meant that her fridge was probably loaded with extra food. She turned around and headed to the kitchen to satiate her hunger pains. Once there, she popped open the massive refrigerator and saw a treasure trove of little snacks.

Well, at least there’s one good thing about being home; there’s always food here.

Lyra resisted the urge to grab everything in sight, and settled on a particularly voluptuous apple. She shut the fridge behind her and sat at the breakfast table. She took pleasure in eating there, as her folks would insist the breakfast table is only for breakfast and she should be in the dining room. She sat down the letter, envelope, and apple, and wrote an address:

Sweetie Drops Confectionery

Lyra took a large bite of the apple. Her eyes widened in surprise. She was sure this was a Sweet Apple Acres apple just by the taste of it. Her stomach instantly responded, asking for more. She obliged, finishing the apple in only a few more bites.

With the apple devoured, she rose and searched for whichever corner of the multi-sectioned kitchen the trash can now resided. Everything in their house was pointlessly large, and the excess bothered Lyra even more after her time in Ponyville. Finally finding a bin, she bit into the apple one last time, eating the last little bit of fruit still on it before throwing away the core. It made her think of home, the one she really belonged to.

She was upstairs and asleep in minutes. The letter lay forgotten on the kitchen counter.

***

Lyra woke up well after breakfast. She stretched her limbs in all directions, ruffled her mane with her hoof and yawned deeply. Her sleep had easily been the best she’d had since returning to Canterlot. Actually, even before then. Ponyville had been leaving her with restless nights full of worry leading up to her departure.

The sun’s light glowed under her blinds, and her room looked as if it was in half-shadows. She looked at her clock. It was 10:00 AM.

Instinctively she threw her blanket over herself. “I’ve got enough time,” she mumbled as she drifted back to sleep.

She shut her eyes for a moment, and re opened to them. 10:54. Lyra crawled to the edge of her bed to the corner where her saddle bag rested on the floor. Rummaging through the contents, she counted her bits.

“Sweet, enough for cab fare.” She quickly did some math, accounted for time to find a taxi, and the average speed of a taxi in lunch hour traffic. “Great, so I should have about thirty more minutes.”

Lyra rolled back over. There’s enough time, I’ll just have to skip breakfast, but I’ll be eating lunch soon anyways.

She shut her eyes for what felt like just one more moment before opening them. She stretched and yawned, satisfied with the rest she got, feeling like a million bits. As her yawn subsided, she glanced at the clock.

It just turned to 11:50 PM.

Lyra sprang out of bed. She hurried out her room, and quickly made for the steps, before remembering her saddlebags. She did a heel-turn and trotted back into the room. She threw them over her shoulder, and ran out the door. She made it to the steps again before remembering what else she needed.

“Ugh, I need a dress,” said Lyra. She immediately cringed and sincerely hoped she’d never have to say something so disgustingly dull again.

Thankfully she already had one in mind. The dress she used to wear for her recitals growing up would do just fine. Hopefully.

Those weren’t that long ago, right?

She should still be able to fit them, or at least wear them, and she already knew Gentle Chimes’ reaction to it. Barely favorable, but it would do. Lyra opened her closet, and tore through garments. Dress after dress were tossed over her shoulder, and during Lyra’s frantic trip down memory lane she realized just how ugly all of them were. After everything that once hung was now on the floor, she slumped in a defeated squat. Her dress wasn’t there.

Her heart beat a little faster, and she checked her clock. It wasn’t good. “Okay, maybe I was being a bit dramatic before, but if I’m was going to make it I’m going to have to find a decent dress somewhere.”

She had an inkling of where to go. She threw her saddlebags back on, leapt to the hall, and dashed down the hallways of her house. Despite being behind the clock, she was enjoying the rush of running around the huge house. She never was allowed to run as a child. Now, she cared not for her parent’s rules, and used the long hallways to build up momentum, turning her gait into bounding leaps as she topped off her speed. Her bags hit one of the pedestals that lined the halls. The trophy that adorned it rattled dangerously close to the edge, however Lyra never looked back. She did note the lack of a crash, and only ran harder down the hall. It was only a hop, skip, and a jump until she come the huge double doors she was looking for.

She pushed them open, and found herself in the one place that would solve everything, but only for today. Otherwise, Lyra would never voluntarily take a step into the shrine. She smiled as she trotted into her mother’s beauty room, which doubled as her second closet. It quickly flipped when she realized her mother was in it.

Lyra didn’t hesitate, She spoke first, to make this encounter as swift and painless as possible. “Mother. Dress. Now.”

To her surprise, her mother replied with only a sly look, and went right into her closet.

“You know,” she called from inside, “I had a feeling you’d come see me before you left. There’s no way Gentle Chimes would have an audience with you without the proper attire. However, I expected you a lot sooner. Aren’t you a bit late?”

Lyra eyed the clock in the room, but didn’t acknowledge the remark, too anxious to trust her words to her mother at this time, and too concerned with getting out of there. Aria returned almost immediately following her sentence, and floating in the glow of her horn was—

“Mom,” Lyra said quietly. “You didn’t!”

Aria only smiled as she floated over Lyra’s old recital dress to her. It was barely recognizable. Lyra had picked it out because it was the most basic, plain, practical, and passive dress she could find. It even came with pockets, and Aria was horrified, but after Lyra finally agreed to a dress Aria was ready to move on with her life.

However, the dress that floated before Lyra was now fabulous. It was a soft maroon, and it flowed more elegantly than she remembered. The shoulders were stylish, but not the goofy puffballs like she’d expect on a dress of this quality. It had just enough lace to appear regal without looking like a fairytale princess garment. Most importantly, the skirt had been shortened, letting Lyra keep most of her mobility, an aspect she hated about it’s old design. Lyra secretly lamented the loss of its pockets, but she was a grown mare now. She had saddlebags.

Lyra grabbed the dress with her own magic, and Aria turned to her dresser. “When your mother was starting out, I had to make my own dresses y’know. Good thing I already got my cutie mark, because I was good, and could easily have been making dresses for all my life.”

Without another word, Lyra set down her bags and tried the dress on. It felt the same way on her skin, and on her body, but there was happy newness all around. Lyra loved it as much as she could ever love a dress.

Aria stepped up behind her in the mirror, looking pleased. It wasn’t long before the look faded. “And now, how about that scruff of hair on your head. You know, just because you live in the boonies, dear, doesn’t mean you have to suffer a tragic mane.”

“Tragic!” Lyra protested pulling away, “You should know I like the way I look! You said you liked it a few days ago!”

Aria was already shushing her, taking clippers and manespray out of the drawers with her magic. She even reached out and shut the double doors with magic, preventing Lyra’s escape before tugging her back to her using her tail. “I do. The problem with the way you look is it isn’t the way a pony looks who going to have lunch with Gentle Chimes. Or, more importantly, play for the Canterlot Philharmonic.” Despite her words, she paused, her scissors millimeters from chomping down the middle of a clump of hair she had grabbed with her magic.

“Mother I do not have time for this. I’m going to be late!” Lyra hissed, ignoring the pain of her snatched hair. She then paused, as was tradition, to allow her mother to say something back, but all she could hear was the faint shimmering of Aria’s magic.

“Mother?”

“You’re really doing it. You got a second chance.”

Lyra’s focus snapped to her mother. Her mother’s voice was meek, tiny, foal-like. Lyra responded as gently as she could. “It’s more because I can, than because I want to.”

Aria was silent. “You’re right, you are a grown mare I guess.” She released the tangle of hair. Lyra stepped away, but Aria set a hoof on her shoulder. “Do you really want to keep this… Garish display of hair? Fine. I can still do something for you, at least. This has been such a long time coming. I’ll not have you messing up my opportunity.”

Lyra shot her a dirty look, but again kept her mouth close for the sake of time.

“Trust your mother, Lyra. You’ll still be you, but you’ll be gorgeous.”

She turned Lyra back to the mirror. Lyra protested, but Aria popped her on the flank and said to quit worrying. She began to snip, here and there, and as it went along Lyra realized she had nothing to worry about. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Aria wasn’t just giving her a trim, she was bringing out the hairstyle Lyra always wanted.

While Aria took care of her mane, Lyra really took a look at herself in the mirror. Her mane had grown long. It did have split ends. Aria took care of all her hair’s problem with finesse. Just when Lyra thought her mother was done, Aria started combing down her mane around her ears. When she was done, Lyra’s random tufts of hair that stuck up were combed down and sprayed, and she did look the part.

“Yes, I get it, child,” she said as she worked. “It’s just an interview. But I know how that scene works. I know the way Octavia has commanded respect, and we both know how Gentle Chimes favored you. You are trotting into a job offer. You have to look like you already own it.”

Lyra looked at herself, her expression tight. Her mother never let her be her own mare, and in a way she hadn’t still, but the inches Aria have given today still spoke volumes to her. She stood there, in her galant dress, her hair done well. Her heart trembled. Aria stood next to her like a timid foal, as if she was the child there. In some ways, she always was; she was the one who never let go of her dream.

“Mother…” Lyra had to stop. Her voice was betraying her. However, Aria waited in silence. She gave a knowing nod at Lyra, trying not to rush her. “Mom, I’ve got to go.”

Aria gave a soft laugh of disappointment, but was beaming nonetheless. A tear fell from her face, then another. “Sorry I made you late. I’ll see you when you come home, sweetie. Before you leave, go show your father how great you are.”

Lyra threw her forelegs around her mother mother, and stood there for a long time. She eventually lowered them, and nuzzled her a few good times before finally stepping back. She took one last look in the mirror. For a second, she felt s if she could step out onto the stage of the Lunaris, and actually belong there, somewhere, for once.

She stared stared into Aria’s eyes. “Thank you, Mom.”

Without anymore fanfare, Lyra left her mother's room and made a beeline for the front door, straight to the steps, and straight across the foyer. She had made up her mind before stepping out the studio that she would not be seeing her father. She glanced a clock on the wall, and saw it was 12:01 PM, barely enough time to ride a cab over. As she approached the door, reaching out to open it, she remembered the last thing she needed to get before leaving.

Her letter.

Lyra set her saddlebags by the door, and ran to her room. Shortly after entering most of her belongings were scattered on the ground, but her letter was still missing. She sprinted to her father’s study, knowing if Granite were to walk in on her rummaging through his stuff, it would be tough cookies. She had to find that letter.

With no sign of it in his office, she was back in the hallway, panting deeply and wracking her brain for where the letter could be. It’s location escaped her, and she was already pushing the clock. With a hung head, she started back to the entrance. She wracked her brain, retracing her steps from the day before. She could have sworn all she did was announce the interview, sleep, then wrote the letter. She sat on her desk and wrote it, got a letter from the study, and that was it.

On the way to the front door, she remembered. “The kitchen!” As soon as she stepped in, Lyra went straight for the table she knew she left the letter on. As she approached, she frowned. It still wasn’t there. She glanced around, and still couldn't find it.

“Oh come on!” she shouted. She was out of time, she needed to leave right then. She moved to exit the kitchen, but before leaving however, she checked the dining room on a whim.

She walked out of the kitchen into the adjoining room. It was huge, with an incredibly long dining table and ample room to host guests. Immediately she noticed the letter on the table. Except now, the letter was open, its creases smoothed out. She could have sworn she sealed it last night, right? She moved to grab it, but she noticed the pony sitting next to it and her hooves faltered. Her father looked up from the paper he was reading.

The connection was made. Lyra stood still, waiting for her father to make the first move. She knew this wasn’t going to be fun, not in the slightest.

“You look nice, Lyra,” he said. He didn’t lookup from his paper.

Lyra hesitated. It wasn’t a compliment her father paid her often, if at all. “Thanks dad,” she uttered, then went for the note. As she neared, she realized it was open.

“Don’t worry, it was you who forgot to seal it,” said Granite without looking up again.

“Ah, well, I’m just going to grab it any head leave for my lunch.”

“It’s such a shame, though,” continued Granite, “that all this effort, and all this… this time, is going to balled up and thrown away. Completely wasted.”

Lyra looked from the opened note, to her father. “What do you mean?” Her gut began to tighten as she realized where he was going with his speech. .

Granite laid his paper on the table. “I won’t mince words with you. I know you don’t plan on staying with the orchestra. I know you plan on running back to that hovel called Ponyville. I do not approve.”

The comment caught Lyra completely off guard. She held her breath, struggling for words. In her silence, Granite attacked.

“I should have seen it coming. When have you ever held onto a real dream? Substituting the CPO with the academy. Substituting the academy with some ‘mentor’ in Ponyville. Funny what that turned out to be. When will your quest for mediocrity end?”

Lyra finally collected her wits. She swallowed hard to try and keep her voice even. “You don’t know me, you’ve got it wrong.”

“But I do, Lyra,” he continued, colder than usual. “I know you’re a loser. Every success you’ve had, it’s been because you were lucky. If it wasn’t for your parents, you would be nothing, because you can’t pull yourself together long enough to accomplish anything. I know you’ve received nothing but rejection letters since you’ve returned.”

Lyra’s eyes were reddening. Granite words sounded like he was speaking to a business associate, which made them worse.

“I guess I am thankful this is another chance,” said Granite, eyeing the letter. “Ponyville is beneath you. I came from that. I came from nothing, with a dream beyond my reach, but I worked hard and made it real. Those ponies down there live in the mud. I’m not like them anymore, and you never were.”

Her eyes widened at her father’s words. “How can you say that? Do you know who lives there? Twilight Sparkle—”

“—Your old friend?” Granite interrupted. "That wunderkind couldn’t find her way out of a book, so I doubt she’s independent down there. If I had to guess, she’s receiving all sorts of favors and support from our Princess. And besides, at least she remembers her family at least; didn’t you say you went to her brother’s wedding? The gala? At least she knows who her family is, and will make time for them.”

Lyra wasn’t ready for her father to break down her example so thoroughly. She didn’t believe he knew all his points were true, but that wouldn’t change anything in his mind. “I know you know the Cakes. Their baking is renowned through all of Equestria.”

“You’re right, who doesn’t? Their baked goods are divine, however it’s easy to have a business like that in a village, with space for the huge ovens they need. It’s not like they are trying to be a part of an orchestra. Does Ponyville have an orchestra?”

“No,” Lyra growled. Every pony she mentioned was thrown back in her face. She shook her head in frustration, switching the subject. He was smiling to himself, aggravating Lyra further. “I’m not lucky, I earned this chance. Octavia saw me and thought I was worth something.”

“Are you worth something, Lyra? Because I know you’re a quitter. What do you have going for you? You abandoned the CPO for Canterlot Academy. That wasn’t so bad as it would only have improved your worth to the orchestra in the long run, but then you left Canterlot Academy, despite sliding your way into a full ride— which you only got that because your mentor Gentle Chimes took pity on you— you never applied yourself in class. You told us you left the academy for more training with some private instructor we’ve never heard of, and you didn’t even tell us until after you were gone. You didn’t even say where.” He tapped the envelope. “Only it wasn’t an instructor.”

Lyra looked down. He was right. When she finally got the guts to inform her parents she had skipped town, she couldn’t bring herself to explain why, and concocted the lie. Their response never convinced her they completely believed it, especially considering how readily they accepted her not mentioning any instruction upon her arrival. Back then they never pushed the issue though, and never mailed her back. Lyra was eager to return the favor.

“You’ve only ever done just enough to make sure you made it, and never all you were capable of. That’s why I know Octavia was a lucky break. You probably were being lazy, busking in the street, and Octavia happened to walk by and happened to be in a good mood. I bet you’ve been hanging with your friends most of the time.”

“You’re wrong!” She wiped her damp eyes. Granite couldn’t help but smile, knowing his daughter had nothing left to say. It burned Lyra up to see him pleased at her sadness, that she still fit inside the box of disappointment he kept her in. That’s not how it was supposed to be between a father and his daughter. Her anger shook her, but Lyra knew the truth was too close to Granite’s idea of it to change how he felt.

Granite closed his eyes like a woefully apologetic politician. “But It’s okay Lyra, I’m not perfect either.”

Her entire life, her father had built the image that he was literally a stone, an unmovable and unfailing thing that only earned success. To hear him, now, talking about a time when he was anything but, caught Lyar off guard and immediately softened her fury. It was still there, but it was quiet, waiting for an explanation.

“It’s an age old business trick to never put all your capital into one investment. It’s one of the first rules. It’s a mistake I once made as a young businessman, before your mother and I had you. It almost destroyed all I had worked for, but I slaved for years and finally bounced back, replacing every bit I lost and then some. Thanks to doubling down, you never knew struggle. But here I am, having made the same mistake again, with you.”

Her thoughts were getting noisy with panic. She did not like the implication. Despite the unease, she took a firm step towards her father. “What do you mean?” Her voice was filled with warning.

“In simpler terms, we shouldn’t have let you be an only child.”

“Are you serious?” Lyra slammed her hooves on the table. “I’m not a bucking business investment, father! In case you’ve forgotten I’m your daughter!”

“But you should have been my legacy. Children are our immortality, and you’re carelessly destroyed everything we set out to do for you.”

“You destroyed your own legacy! I make my choices because I’m the pony you raised! If you’re so concerned about this legacy, how about I disappear? I’ll fade out in anonymity.”

“You’d only prove me right. You would prove that you are lazy, you are a coward, and you can’t make any of your desires real.”

Lyra’s thoughts was scratching around to find footing. She was caught in her feelings, all other responsibilities muted in the whirlwind.

Granite looked over the letter again. “I didn’t expect you to be tenacious, being born with your mouth in a silver feeder. I admittedly wasn’t doing anything special either when I was young. I didn’t know what was out there. I thought laying stones was the extent of my talent, my fate. I didn’t accept that, though. However, when I left home, I realized I was better than that. Where you fell, I rose to the challenge. If my family was still alive I know they’d be proud of me.”

Lyra’s sneer curled. “Unfortunately for me, my family is still around to tell me how disappointed they are.”

The strike on the table was incredibly loud in the empty room. The sound made Lyra flinch. Granite was on his feet, his anger spilling out unrestrained for a flash.“If you ever suggest something like that again, you won’t have a family to worry about, filly.”

“Bon Bon is more family than you’ve ever been,” Lyra shot back. “She’s been better to me than you ever.”

Granite could only laugh. When he spoke again, his volume had subsided. “And there it is. That’s who this letter is for, isn’t it? I doubt she’s given you a house this grand. An education that good. A life devoid of hardship. You know, It’s been hard to be good to you Lyra when you’ve squandered every last thing we gave you. You aren’t considerate at all. Do you know how distraught your mother was during your absence? And not just that, but all the dangerous situations you’ve been in? It’s ridiculous! Frankly, you were never good to us either.”

Lyra’s teeth were clenched so tightly, she had for force her next words out. “You started this whole thing. Everything used to be fine.”

“When have things ever been remotely fine with you, Lyra?”

She glared at him, trying to hold her fierce gaze, but eventually she faltered. Lyra shrunk into herself. “You don’t remember? When I needed you, when I needed you two to be my parents the most, you dropped the ball.”

“What are you even talking about?” Granites face placid with doubt.

At first she didn’t respond. She shut her eyes tight, but after collecting herself she spoke with none of the flame she had moments ago. “When I first had trouble— When I first learned about struggle— I know you remember. I had to play the lyre with magic for school. You know I hate that. I prefer my hooves, to feel the strings myself. I resisted for so long, but when I realized late into the year I was bound to fail, I crumpled. I worked my flank off to change that.”

Granite tilted his head but offered no comment. Lyra continued. “I practiced. I go for so long you would peek in and tell me to knock it off. You should remember how how hard I worked. And when it was said and done, I barely passed, but I did it nonetheless.” Lyra paused, swallowing.

“I was so proud of myself,” Lyra said. She could help but form a small smile. “To have been that close to failure, and then to really experience for the first time hard work, abiding by your oft-repeated mantra. I was elated that I came out of the other side. You really did teach me right. You always said, ‘Try your best and everything will be okay. Try your best and your mother and I will be proud.’” Granite nodded in agreement. The nod disgusted Lyra. She closed her eyes and sniffed loudly.

Her voice softened. Her smile faded away. She opened her eyes and tears fell out, surprising her. Lyra found that she couldn’t look at her father anymore as she continued the story. “And then you saw my grades. Everything came crashing down. It didn’t matter that I passed anymore, that I did my best; those marks weren’t worthy of me, and weren’t good enough for your golden child.”

Her voice began to break. “You yelled at me. I backed away until you had me leaning against a wall, no where else to go. I felt completely ashamed. Then you shoved me, hard. I fell down, and I don’t know what hurt more, my pain or your actions. You said things that destroyed me, that’ll haunt me for years to come. Things you should never say to a filly, that I can’t bring myself to remind you of, even now. It’s the only time you ever struck out against me, but I hated you for it.” She let the sentence sit in Granite’s mind before asking quietly “When was the last time I hugged you? I initiated contact? Haven’t you noticed? It’s always your or mom. If you can’t tell, you’re about to lose your daughter.”

A moment of silence passed between the pair, then Granite solemnly looking over his daughter. His face had softened as she told her tale, giving her the strength to go on. Finally, he gave a response.

“That was a whole load of manure.” His flippant tone felt like a strike to face. “That never happened. You’ve always been this way Lyra, it’s always been a struggle since we got you into that school. I can’t remember a time when you didn’t disappoint me in some way, and this tall tale is nothing short of a lie.”

Lyra gasped for air, gritting her teeth. She had been wrong. His denial had hurt more than anything else he had ever done to her. It felt like a punch to the stomach. “This is what I’m talking about,” she said through tight breaths. “This is why I belong in Ponyville, and not here.”

“Why, because you can’t face your own past? Because that stupid candy mare indulges in your victim fantasy? Because she babies you? She's a candy maker. She's a laborer. She can't create as we can.”

All form of control was gone from Lyra’s voice. “You don’t even know her!”

“Watch yourself, filly. I know she’s a thoughtless mare, competing in a business she has no business in, with a talent that's not worth recognition, not even a cutie mark. The only good thing she’s done is realize you don’t belong in Ponyville. And the mare herself— why a her? Your mother wants grandfoals. I want our legacy to continue, for everything I've done to last. To mean something when we are long gone, for I have worked too hard for to be limited to one generation. You should have ended up with with a stallion; this is a disgrace.”

“You should have worked harder at being a father!”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that. Does this matter?” he pointed at the envelope. “ Does that country mare really matter?”

“ You’ve never met her!” Lyra was past losing her cool. Yellow shimmered into existence around her horn, and when she next spoke, her voice was louder than anything she could’ve said herself. “She’s better than you!”

“Don’t you DARE raise your voice to me, child!” Granite slammed a hoof on the table, making it jump an inch. His voice dwarfed hers, even without the aid of magic. “Don’t you get it? I don’t care about your art. At this point I don’t care you’ve got another chance. Please, for once in what has been your pitiful life, don’t be a disappointment!”

Lyra stomped hard, but couldn’t find anything else to say. She screamed in frustration, a garble of the loathing her father made her feel. As she caught her breath, she said, “Just— Just give me a letter! Give me my letter, dammit!”

Granite’s hoof snapped down hard on the letter, and he pulled it to him. “So you can walk out on this chance? You have another shot! If I give you this, you’re not just mailing it, you are giving up any chance you will commit to this. You’ll just be waiting for a response, doing just enough to stay in the orchestra, and the reply will give you another reason to abandon your dream.”

“It’s your dream!”

“Don’t choose to be useless!”

“Give it to me!”

“No!”

Lyra crouched low, then lunged at the letter across the table, shouting all the while. Her father turned his shoulder against her, and she crumpled into his side. Lyra landed between him and the table, painfully.

Granite put a hoof on the letter, and slid it down to the end of the table. Finding her footing, Lyra stood and charged. Their shuffling hoofsteps echoed around the empty dining hall.

Reaching the end of the table, Granite knew he was caught. He turned to face Lyra, one hoof still on the letter. Lyra hit him with all her weight. Granite merely huffed, taking a single step back, but Lyra fell at his feet again with a yelp. She felt some of the fabric of her dress give way, but she didn’t care.

She hopped to her hooves, then jumped at Granite again. He turned his shoulder and she bounced off his body, but this time she caught herself, and prepared for another lunge. Granite raised his free foreleg, catching Lyra’s chest. Lyra screamed and swiped her forehooves uselessly at Granite, who kept her letter behind him, still under his hoof. They stood like this, balancing on their hind legs.

“How dare you strike out against your father!” his voice boomed. Granite’s fury would have quelled Lyra into submission any other day, but she was not going to back down on this one.

Lyra was nearly snarling at this point. “Why do I only matter when I follow your dreams and not my own?”

Granite shook his head, his voice even and low, but boiling with anger. “It’s time your grow up, Lyra.”

“It’s time you acted like a father!” Lyra blinked away her tears. Her hinds leg quivered from the stress, and Granite immediately surged forward to shove her away. A quick shuffle later, and Lyra braced against him again, regaining her footing.

Granite snorted. “Does this really matter that much to you? Does that country mare really matter over—”

Lyra screamed. Her horn shimmered with gold. From her shoulder, a lump of milky gold spouted, growing first into what looked like a branch, then bending in the center. The tip split, then one of the segments split itself, and the tendrils hooked viciously. This happened in moments, before Granite could even shift his eyes to react. Just as he registered his daughter’s spell, the outreached golden arm came down on the table.

The ancient wood broke in half. Granite, still with one hoof pinning the letter to the table, lost his balance and began falling into the splintered wood. Lyra slammed the claw of her magical arm into the ground. She leapt after her father, and used the arm to propel herself through the air, faster she could with leg strength alone.

They connected in mid-air. The claw’s grip slackened, and Lyra and her father flew several yards into one of the chairs around the now destroyed table. It broke under their combined weight, and they went sprawling.

Winded, Lyra rolled away to her feet. She stood quickly, panting hard. Ignoring her father, she sifted through the debris to find the letter. The magical arm hung low by her side, twitching, as if begging for more action.

The assault caught Granite off guard, but he was still the stronger pony by far. He was hardly breathless. Slowly he rose, unscathed and annoyed more than anything. Lyra spied her stationary beneath him. Granite followed her eyes, and quickly stepped onto the paper. As he did, Lyra shouted again. The arm grabbed what used to be one of the table’s legs and hurled it at her father. The she missed, and the leg flew into a display case and shattered some of her mother’s treasured china. Granite didn’t flinch at all.

Lyra walked towards her father, one stomp at a time. All the while, the arm would grab debris fling them at him. Most of the projectiles missed, and the few that hit Granite didn’t phase him.

When she was in striking distance, the arm came down again on her father. He was ready, and stood firm, all four limbs bent slightly, muscles taught, his back straight. The blow rang true, but Granite didn’t even blink. Lyra drew back in the shock, before swinging the arm around again and striking him in the face. Granite twitched an eye, but otherwise was motionless. Lyra cried out, and struck him repeatedly, each hit causing the arm to fade till finally it phased through him, merely being an illusion at this point. She got in his face and hit him with her hooves, but he refused to budge, and Lyra, close enough to see her rampage was having no effect, finally gave in. She sank to her knees in sobbing.

She felt something drip onto her outstretched forelegs, and looked up to see her father glaring at her, his scowl twisted in with pleasure and disgust for his daughter’s suffering. There was thin cut along where she struck his face, but he paid no attention to the blood. He merely gestured his head behind Lyra, who turned to see the hands of the great clock show 12:18 PM.

Lyra staggered, the weight of her mistake and the pain from her tantrum hitting her all at once. She was sure her father would be ultimately unscathed from the episode, but she could already tell she would be sore for days. It didn’t hurt as much as seeing she’d be unquestionably late. That didn’t hurt as much as her father's pleasure in her mistake.

A cruel laugh came from Granite. He slid the paper across the floor, tearing it even more. It flipped over and came to a rest next to Lyra. It was tarnished and nigh unreadable. She became aware at herself, and looked down at her dress. It was ruined, with scratches and stretches all over the front of it. Every tear on both the paper and the dress felt like an open wound to Lyra. “Go ahead, send the letter. Obviously Ponyville holds your new family, since you seek to destroy this one. You have been relieved of your kin. When you step out that door, be sure to never come back.“

Lyra’s head snapped around. She gazed at her father with what she reluctantly realized was fear, her eyes wide and her blood pounding. She wiped her face indignantly. “F-father?”

“Not anymore. It seems I’ve lost my daughter.” He turned, and walked to the end of the room. He took one look back at the room, surveyed the damage, shook his head. “You know, I’d bill you if I knew you’d be able to pay for it, but I’ll save both of us the time.” Granite walked through the double doors and, as best he could, out of Lyra’s life.

Lyra chased after him and stumbled, gasping at just how sore she felt. As she ran, she glanced at the damage she had caused. Not only was the table in splinters, there were pockmarks in the walls, and even a leg stuck in place near the exit. The room was destroyed, and she knew it would take more money than The Sweetie Drop made in a year to fix everything, and much more to replace the priceless possessions destroyed in the collateral. She pushed the thought from her mind, unable to worry about it in her tirade.

She turned and ran out the dining room and down the hall to the foyer, and stopped. She saw her father standing in the distance by the door, but right outside her mother leaned up against the wall, crying. As Lyra neared, she looked up. The face of her mother wore was twisted in pain, and she was crying. Lyra had to look away.

“I heard…” began Aria, but she couldn’t finish her sentence. Lyra shut her eyes in shame.

Aria didn’t say anything more, and didn’t make a noise outside of idle sniffling. Lyra walked passed, her head down, to the foyer. As she entered Granite opened the door, but remained at the threshold. She glanced back, and saw Aria staring after her. Her mother lifted a shaky hoof. Her lips parted in a soundless word, before turning and walking further into the house, out of view.

Lyra crossed the foyer without looking back. Her horned shimmered as she pulled her saddle bags to her and, without looking at her father, stepped outside. The door slammed behind her. It locked, but Lyra knew she’d never try opening it again. She stood for a few seconds, letting herself feel the hopelessness engulf her for moment. Once it had passed, she pulled herself together and dashed to the gate, down the sidewalk, and into the heart of Canterlot. Her mother’s last words had been her name.

***

With no carriages in sight, Lyra was running flat out through the streets of Canterlot. She didn’t have time to wait for one. The run across town was the hardest in her life. After too many minutes of running, she arrived at the square from the west, at the worst possible time.

“Oh dear Luna…”

The square was full of ponies. She stood frozen observing the obstacle, then dove into the crowd. Lyra fought her way through the rush, and the mass of ponies pushed back in annoyance, occasionally putting her on her rear. Pleasantries were cast aside, the only thing that mattered was meeting Octavia— she glanced at the clocktower and her thoughts backtracked and swore under her breath— reaching Octavia before she left.

It took minutes the cross the entire square, each one putting her into a debt she couldn’t pay back. Near the edge of the square the crowds thinned and Lyra spotted an opening. She grabbed purchase with her hooves and was galloping down the street, full speed, no reservations.

She ran until everything burned.

Finally, in the distance, she saw the storefront of the restaurant. Squinting, Lyra was able to make out two shapes at the furthest front-most table, and her heart nearly exploded from relief. She began to slow her trot, her legs flopping around like a dolls as she tried to remain upright. She came to a full stop, and took a break to bend down and simply breath.

Being able to think clearly again, raised her head to begin walking again. She hesitated, panic gripping her. The two ponies seated at table weren’t Gentle Chimes and Octavia. Ponies she had never seen before stared at her, along with the rest of the guests who were curious about the ruckus Lyra had caused with her arrival.

Maybe they couldn’t get their spot? Lyra knew the answer before she walked into the restaurant. She marched to the doorway, looking over at the small, boutique eatery. She didn’t see a single familiar face.

She stepped back onto the pad, walked up to every table, looking into the face of every sitting pony just to make sure. Patrons expressed their disapproval and called for her ejection, but Lyra didn’t care. Face after face was someone else. Lyra felt sick.

“Excuse me, ma’am, do you have a reservation?”

Lyra looked over to see a waitress trying to corral her to a seat or out of the establishment. Lyra tried to reply, but found she was still panting, still out of breath. Her face was hot, and her mane was sticky along her neck. Lyra swallowed hard, shook her head, and walked into the street. The waitress followed, but stepped back quickly. “Ma’am, your dress… Are you okay?”

Lyra stood frozen in the middle of the thoroughfare. Shad missed them, and her opportunity. Lyra looked behind her across the street, at all the happy ponies enjoying their lunch, a lunch she would probably never be able to afford, with happiness she felt like she’d never have again. She wondered what Octavia would say the next time they spoke, imagining the pony’s disappointment. She sat on her haunches, and shut her eyes, and tried to shut out the world. She heard ponies shout at her, telling her to move, to get out of the way, but it hurt too much. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to go home. She wanted a home.

The voice she heard was quiet, and delicate. “Lyra Heartstrings.”

Her eyes snapped open. The voice possessed the half accented elegance she was growing familiar with all week. She looked up, and found Octavia standing over her. Lyra opened her mouth—

“—Do not speak. I do not want to hear your words.” Octavia’s speech suddenly had edge. Lyra shut her mouth back, and kept looking straight. She could manage her father's ire, but Octavia was shaking in anger; it frightened her.

“I should’ve cast you aside as soon as you stated your intent to return to Ponyville. I should have known from your laissez faire attitude that I could never sway you otherwise, that you’d never take this opportunity seriously. I’m angry at myself for that. But despite my own shortcomings, you don’t ever disrespect my master like that, and you never disrespect me like that. I want you to take a guess how many ponies I’ve stuck my neck out for in this town.” Her question was met with silence. “Guess!” she barked.

Lyra tried to utter something intelligible, to convey just a fraction of her guilt and regret. She didn’t dare look her in her face. “Octavia, I—”

“—Not ONE!” she hissed. “I already have to deal with my roommate; do you think I’ll be insulted by some… some slacker, dreamless nopony?”

Octavia stopped to collect her breath. Lyra noticed there was an audience now. Ponies whispered. She was sure some of them knew the angry grey pony, if not personally then who she was. On top of that, she could tell Octavia was doing her best to keep it together. This wasn’t just anger, she was hurt. She was sad.

“You will not call for me in any way, until I to you first, if I ever deign to do so again. Continue your quest for employment elsewhere. Go mock someone else’s charity.” And finally, her rage broke. Her next words were barely above a whisper. “How could someone like you, an irresponsible rich unicorn brat, be given a chance at the CPO when I had to work so hard.”

Lyra turned and stared at Octavia, surprised to find her in tears. With how fierce the pony had been since they’ve met, the sight of her vulnerable made Lyra’s stomach dropped.

Octavia whispered again, her voice starved and rotten. “How could you, while I’ve slaved!” She slammed a hoof down into the cobbled street, completely shattering the stone beneath. Lyra felt the blow in her hooves, her heart stopping from the force that Octavia commanded.

Octavia backed away. Her face was drawn more than ever, twitching in pain, one moment on the verge of baring her teeth, and eyes full and shimmering the next. Lyra only watched out of the corner of her eye, unable to face the mare.

By now, ponies were definitely looking at them. Several ponies had stopped in the street, and the patrons of the restaurant were looking over at them, and a murmur erupted as they bore witness to the display. Octavia didn’t care. “I have slaved, Lyra Heartstrings!” she shouted about the noise.

Lyra open and closed her mouth, unable to say anything. She fell to her knees. Finally finding the resolve to look up, she only saw her grey coat and black tail swishing away into the crowd as quickly as Octavia could manage. Slowly, the ponies around her returned to their day. Those in the know whispered about the green unicorn that brought so much pain to the enigmatic Octavia to illicit the most emotion she’s ever shown in public.

She wanted time to stop. She didn’t have the will to face the next agonizing moment of failure, and remained on the ground. She didn’t know how long she laid there. After some time, Lyra heard the thunderous clock tower bell strike once. She finally stood up, and walked groggily into the thick of Canterlot, disappearing into the lunch rush with nowhere to go.

Chapter 12 — Fracture

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— Chapter 12 : Fracture —

As she awoke, the first thing that crossed her mind was pain. It was deep, throbbing in her mind, a ring of fire and lighting across her shoulder. She stirred, eyes still shut, and felt soft sheets over her. Finally, she opened her eyes to pure light. It burned, causing her to hiss and shut them again. A groan eked out of her.

She tried to remember how she ended up like this. Flashes of red, echoes of a thunderous crash, and scarred monster were all her mind could put together.

No need to be a brute, darling.

Applejack flinched at the voice. She let the desire pass and the memories floated away till discomfort remained. All that was left what the ringing, growing slowly louder till it bounced about her skull. She stayed like this until there was a knock at the door.

A voice called. “Attendant here.”

Applejack grumbled, touching her bedhead mane. She felt her mane, and a bandage. “Wait, where’s my hat?”

“Oh, you’re awake!” Hoofsteps approached where Applejack lay. The nurse continued to speak. “When you went to sleep last night, you looked like you’d never wake up.”

The volume of her voice was delicate, but it didn’t stop Applejack’s headache from worsening. “Land sakes, this must be what my apple trees feel like when I buck ‘em.”

The nurse laughed. “I’m sure, Miss Applejack. Let me check on some things real quick, and I’ll get Nurse Redheart and your visitors— Would you like visitors?”

Applejack opened her eyes again. The brightness of the room didn’t hurt as much, but her vision swam slightly. “Ah don’t know if I’m ready for visitors.” She closed her eyes again.

“Oh, are you sure? Your family is worried sick about—”

Applejack’s eyes shot open. “—My family? Why didn’t you say so? Of course they can come in.”

The nurse smiled and nodded. Applejack saw she was teal, with blue mane; not the nurse who brought her in. “Alright, I’ll let them know in just a moment.” She looked at monitors outside of Applejack’s field of view. Applejack wasn’t curious, and simply closed her eyes to keep the spinning at bay. She heard writing, then heard the nurse move away to the door. Curiously, Applejack didn’t hear it open. Instead, she heard the hoofsteps stop, then approach again. She opened her eyes to see the nurse standing next to her bed again. The nurse was smiling at her.

“I promised my family I’d thank you. We have a gaping hole in the side of my house, but we have our lives. It’s always scary when something happens here, and we townsfolk just run as fast as we can. Thank you so much, Applejack, for standing between us and that...”

The nurse didn’t finish, but she didn’t have to. Applejack cracked a stiff simile. “Ah just did what Ah had to.”

She gave a slight nod and backed to the door, then bowed out, smiling all the while. Left alone, Applejack tried to piece back together what she had meant, and the day. Slowly the images came back in violent spurts. She remembered the fire in the eyes of the Lunar Knight commander. She remembered absolute terror in Fluttershy’s face in the clearing, and how she leapt from the tree to save her. She remembered her own fear, following the horrible bite from the… Hekkatron, they called it?

Then her vision turned red. She shuddered, suddenly showered in pricks of pain from her shoulder, and sweating profusely. She was distinctly aware that through all that pain, she wasn’t sure she could feel her injured foreleg beyond her shoulder. Through the pain, she fumbled with the sheets, trying to tear them away. She struggled, pulling and pulling, until finally underneath she saw her leg in a splint. Her breathing eased. The hue in her vision returned to normal. She sighed, then chuckled at her fortune; Applejack had never been so thankful that the post was on time.

The door opened. The first thing Applejack heard was “Applejack, you’re okay!” Applebloom practically screamed. She winced.

“You gave us such a fright, deary.” Granny Smith said. At the sound of her voice, Applejack heart swelled. Her granny had made the trip from the farm all the way to the hospital. For this, Applejack smiled.

“E-yup,” chimed in Big Mac.

“I made you some sweets, Sugarcube,” said Granny Smith. You’re not gonna get any better eating this hospital food. Big Mac set down a basket on the table next to Applejack. “I know what makes an Apple right again, more than these so called doctors.”

“Thanks so much, Granny,” Applejack said weakly. She realized she was hungry then, and looked at the basket with unrestrained greed.

“I heard you kicked that monster’s flank!” started Applebloom. “I heard you helped all the frightened ponies get out of the way, then you stood up to him. Even when he went chomp, you didn’t run away! That’s so cool sis. You must be so brave, like a real hero!”

“Aw shucks, Ah didn’t feel brave. Anypony would’ve done what I did. I didn’t do nuthin but offer some suggestions to some lost ponies.” Applejack looked away, out the window. “When that beast bit me, it felt like that was my last scuffle. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind if I didn’t face anything like that again...” She looked back and saw Applebloom giving her a worried, questioning look. “—But of course I’ll do what I must to keep this town safe. I am the most dependable of ponies. Ah didn’t mean to make you nervous, sis.”

At this, Applebloom’s cheer returned, but a frown quickly returned. “Where were all your friends, Applejack? It was just you and Fluttershy. Don’t the rest of them help out with this kind of stuff?”

“Yeah, how could none of them have my Grandfilly’s back?” Granny Smith asked irritably.

Applejack gave the filly a somber look. She sighed. “I honestly don’t know why. I wish I did.” Unable to wait anymore, she grabbed the juiciest apple from the care basket and took a bite.

When no one said anything, a new voice spoke up. “I want to say thank you, too, Applejack.” The voice gave Applejack pause. From behind Big Mac stepped a familiar white filly. “Thanks for saving the town. Applebloom is right, you are a hero.”

At first, Applejack didn’t reply. She stared at the filly, the memories flooding back, fighting the pain in her head and the sudden dose of reality that was like diving into a frozen lake. Applejack noticed Big Mac and Granny Smith giving her curious looks, and quickly recovered, her grimace fumbling into the best smile she could manage. She swallowed the bite of apple in her mouth. “Y-you’re welcome, Sweetie Belle.”

“You can always count on my big sister,” said Applebloom gleefully. She set a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, and she immediately recoiled, sucking in air with a hiss. “Applejack?” she asked with worry.

Applejack looked into Applebloom’s face. She could tell the filly was scared for her, despite her claims of bravado. Applejack mustered up the strength to raise her foreleg a little bit. She felt the pain travel along the burning ring of teeth marks under her bandages and through all of her bruised bones, but she forced a smiled. “Ah’ll be fine in the end, Applebloom. As long as my family’s behind me, I’ll be able to pull through anything.” Her company collectively smiled and nodded. Truer words couldn’t be spoken.

“Applejack?” Sweetie Belle asked gingerly. “I heard about the Lunar Knights. You talked to them, right?”

The nervousness returned. “Uh, yes Ah did,” answered Applejack.

“I heard they asked about Twilight. Is she missing?”

“Uh, well…” She stole a glance to Big Mac. She wondered if he’d heard her conversation with Amber Eyes the other day.

“I thought she was with Rarity in Canterlot. Is she missing too? I also hear a few ponies saw Rainbow chasing her through town before she left. Do you know what that was all about?”

“Uh… Uhh…” Her pause was noticed. She glanced at Granny Smith and Big Macintosh. Granny raised a grey eyebrow and Big Mac narrowed his eyes. Searching for an answer, any answer, Applejack found her voice with the help of the truth.

“Twilight's still lookin for her… Magical things. Studying magic. And Canterlot… was just the first stop on their trip. They probably are just really, really searching hard into parts unknown. As for Rainbow, maybe she was trying to prank Twilight. You know how she can be.” The half-lie came out easier than Applejack hoped, and that shocked her. She glanced to Granny Smith and Big Mac, who were both giving questioning glares that stung like a bug bite. They didn’t compare to how Applejack felt inside; the fib burned more than the bite along her neck.

Nurse Redheart broke the silence, much to Applejack’s relief. “Applejack, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go over your condition now.”

The room quieted, but quickly Applejack nodded, eager to change topics. “Ah can’t wait to get healed up and get back started on the farm. I need to relax.”

No one spoke. Applejack frowned. She looked from pony to pony, and finally back to the nurse. “Well, spit it out.”

Nurse Redheart hesitated for only a moment before smiling. A moment Applejack noticed. “The good news is that you’ll be back on your feet in just three days.”

Instantly Applejack’s frown deepened. “Three days?” she asked through gritted teeth. “Ah won’t be out till Friday. You tellin’ me I’m gonna lose a whole week to this?”

“It should be a lot longer. Thankfully your Earth Pony resilience will bring you back to health soon. If you belonged to any other tribe your leg would’ve simply gone lame.”

“If that’s good news Ah almost don’t want to hear the bad news.” Applejack attempted to cross her forelegs but abandoned it when her nerves shouted in pained protest.

The nurse looked around the room. Applejack followed her gaze and noticed her family’s hard faces. “What’s wrong, Granny? Big Mac?” She looked back to Redheart. “Well, what is it?”

Redheart audibly swallowed. “You can’t applebuck anytime soon, or you won’t heal as you should.

Applejack’s voice was quiet, but grave. “How long, doc?”

“Two—”

“—two?” questioned Applejack, her voice strained.

“—to three weeks.”

“—three weeks?!” Fire burned behind Applejack’s eyes.

“It easily could have been several months, Miss Applejack.”

That fact did nothing to subdue Applejacks anger. “I’m already days behind on my applebucking! My family can’t do it without me!”

Granny Smith huffed. “Be mindful of your brother. Big Mac has been working extra hard in your absence.”

“Ma’am, the recovery process is too important to ignore. You could cause permanent damage down the line if you don’t let yourself heal correctly. If you’re patient, at least this way one day you’ll be back to full strength. In the interim, you could call on some family to help. I know you Apples are a large bunch.”

“The Apples all have their own crops to be harvistin’.”

“Your friends could help,” the nurse offered.

“My friends are—” she choked on the word. She realized didn’t know. She glanced quickly around the room once more. Somepony she expected to be there was missing. “Where’s Fluttershy? Anyone seen her?” The room shook its head, and she slunk back into the pillows behind her and she simmered. She felt alone.

“Ah’m sorry, y’all. It’s just…” This wasn’t the first time she needed help, nor the first time she didn’t have any friends to lend a hoof, but she never expected to be caught in the same situation again. After all they’d been through, finding herself alone felt so wrong. Her thoughts drifted back to last week when the five of them turned Twilight down. She bowed her head at the memory. She was not without blame.

“We will take care of the farm until you get better.” Big mac announced. His tone was firm, a declaration of truth.

Applejack smiled, and the room visibly relaxed as she did. “Okay, fine. But Ah swear Ah’m gettin out of here in two days, tops. Ma and Pa wouldn’t appreciate one of their own being so lazy.”

She laughed at her own joke, and everyone smiled reluctantly. With nothing left to say, Nurse Redheart began to usher her visitors out of the room.

“Big Macintosh? Can you stick around?”

Big Mac exchanged a look with Granny Smith before returning to Applejacks’ side. Applejack looked past him to the door until it shut behind Redheart. Her eyes snapped to Big Mac’s.

“How is Sweetie Belle? Is she frettin? Askin’ questions?”

“Nope.”

“Is Spike still…”

“E-Yup.”

Applejack visibly relaxed, but barely.

“Something doesn’t add up to a full barrel of apples here,” said Big Mac. His gaze was critical. Applejack knew he was suspicious, but also knew he couldn’t bring himself to actually question her. Her reputation spoke.

He didn’t need to say more. “You’re right. Ah can’t tell you yet, Big Mac, partly ‘cause Ah don’t know what’s what myself. Ah’ve got hope, but that’s all Ah’ve got right now. Hope that Ah’ll know how all this is figurin’ sooner rather than later.”

Applejack could see the frustration in Big Mac’s eyes. It was not unlike when Granny Smith would ask if she scared the cows again as a filly. She knew Applejack meant well, even if she shouldn’t do it.

“You’ve got more than hope. You’ve got family too.” Big Mac didn’t wait for a response, and was closing the door behind him before Applejack could say anything. When he gently closed the door, it felt like a slam. Applejack winced as it clicked shut.

She leaned back, and watched her family leave. While she couldn’t see Ponyville due to the side of the building her room was on, she could see the farm in the distance. As the day’s glow began to fade, she found herself so very tired. She ate the rest of her care package, and finally allowed herself a moment of rest. She didn’t dream.

***

Knocking awoke Applejack. The nurse from the day before peered into the room. Noticing the her patient awake, she asked, “Good morning. Visitor?”

However groggy Applejack was, she instantly woke up. “Ah’ll take’ em.”

The nurse left, and stepping into the room in her place was the pony she expected yesterday. Fluttershy looked as fragile as usual. Even so, Applejack couldn’t stop herself from looking away instead with a frown. Outside, a sunless sky held gorgeous blues as far as she could see. Fluttershy walked to the bed.

“It’s a bit late, innit? I reckoned you’d be here sooner.”

Fluttershy looked at Applejack in confusion, then stared at her hooves silently. She clearly didn't know what Applejack meant, and it irked her. Eventually she perked up. “This is a nice room,” offered Fluttershy. She stepped past the bed to the window. “The view is great too, even if you can’t see most of Ponyville.”

“The sun reminds me of the chores that need doin’, and the apples that need buckin, and it don’t help the farm’s out there if you know where to look,” said Applejack, her voice getting progressively harder.

Fluttershy flinched. “O-oh, sorry.”

They looked out the window in silence. It was a calm morning.

Finally, Applejack’s turned back to Fluttershy, her voice soft. “Sorry ‘Shy, I’m just on edge. These last few days have been more than this simple farm pony can handle. I’m glad to see you, Ah’m sure you were caught up yesterday. It looks like there’s something on your mind?”

A tear ran down Fluttershy’s face. “Are you alright?” she whispered, her voice haggard.

“Am I alright? Oh!” Applejack realized just how worried Fluttershy probably had been for her. “Ah’m more shaken than when Granny Smith loses her teeth. However, Ah’m alive and all my legs are still attached. Ah’ll be fine, promise, Ah didn’t mean to worry you.”

Fluttershy was still looking down. Applejack frowned at her odd reluctance today, but before she could voice her concern the pegasus wiped her face and spoke up again. “How long do you have to stay?”

Applejack tried to cross her hooves again, and again her nerves cried out in response. Instead, she turned up her nose and snorted. “Till Friday. It sure is a chip in my plough.”

“O-oh,” said Fluttershy. She grew pale. “Well, I guess that’s not so bad.”

“But that’s not all. Ah haven’t been on the farm in almost a week. Even once Ah’m out, Ah still can’t applebuck for two more weeks at least! This is prime bucking season, Fluttershy! Ah hate this so much, and mah family’s gonna be in a bind.”

Each point felt like a sting to Fluttershy. “I’m so sorry Applejack.” She closed the gap between them, softly touching Aapplejack’s unbandaged shoulder.

Applejack shook her head. “But that nurse can’t tell me nuthin’. Ah will be back on my farm a whole day early.” Applejack looked at Fluttershy with a grin, and saw her relax. It made her heart warm, seeing the poor pegasus feel some reprieve from beating herself up. “And,” she added, “we will see about them two weeks.”

Fluttershy finally smiled, the color returning to her cheeks. “I’m rooting for you, Applejack. I’m sure you’ll be better sooner rather than later.”

Applejack beamed, happy to see her friend smile, even if it was still marred with sadness. “Great, now that’s the Fluttershy I know. Familiar faces are what Ah need right now. Speaking off, you haven’t heard wind of Pinkie Pie, have you? Ah know Rainbow’s off, doin’ who knows what, and we know about the other two… but her...”

Fluttershy’s smile was snatched off her face. “I… She went home after we talked.”

Applejack arched an eyebrow. “You sure? The Cakes haven’t seen her since Saturday. Ah can’t think of anyone else who’s seen her.”

“I’m sure.” Fluttershy nodded along with her words, willing them true.

Applejack was quiet a moment. Something was off. “Well, at least she didn’t have to deal with that thing.”

After a pause, Fluttershy embraced the change the subject. “That was the most frightening monster I had ever seen. It just looked so…”

Applejack involuntarily shuddered. “Not of Equestria.”

Fluttershy gave a slight nod of agreement. “It felt twisted. It was wrong, and it felt like it knew it was. It was hurt, too. Badly. I didn't know Discord could make such creatures. I don’t remember any when he returned.”

Applejack chortled. “You say it was hurt, and Ah say not hurt enough. Ah thought Ah was gonna buy the farm. If it weren’t for that mailmare dropping out of the sky, Ah wouldn’t be here.” She closed her eyes. “And, as much as Ah hate to admit, Amber Eyes too.”

A frown marred Fluttershy’s face. “Oh, who was that again?” she asked loftily.

“You remember,” Applejack asserted. “The leader of the Lunar Knights. That little ball of steel and nerves. She’s wound up tighter than Twilight when talking to Celestia.”

“Right.” Another slight nod. Outside the sun was beginning edge over the lip of the roof, and shine down into the room. Noon neared. Fluttershy swallowed hard.

“Applejack?” Applejack looked at her expectantly, but worried. Fluttershy began, cautiously. “Those Lunar Knights? You know they will be back. Eventually. Sooner than later, something won't add up and they'll wonder what we know. “

Applejack’s eyes didn't leave Fluttershy's, who kept looking away. She kept her voice low. “Ah don't think so Fluttershy. They will look all around Equestria for her. Maybe they'll be successful, maybe not. “

“What if another disaster happens?” Fluttershy looked over her shoulder at Applejack. She tensed at her stern expression, but continued. “What if we have to use the elements?”

Applejack responded instantly. “Well, we’ll just...” She faltered. She frowned.

Fluttershy turned around, moving on. “What did you end up telling Sweetie Belle?”

Puzzlement was all over Applejacks face. “I told her Rarity went to Canterlot with Twi.”

“I don't think that was the best idea.”

“Ah did what you suggested,” said Applejack tersely.

“I'm sorry Applejack, but I didn't make that suggestion. Rainbow did.”

Applejack made to reply, but held her tongue instead. She tried to remember the specifics, but found weird gaps, slices of her memory from that day gone. She shook her head. “Even if it was Rainbow Dash, I still stand by it. Ah'm doin all I can to protect that filly. Loss at that age is far from pleasant, I'll have you know. Having that hole in your life so early is terrible. “ The last of her words came through clenched teeth.

Fluttershy reflexively winced. Applejack rarely spoke about her parents, to the point where wasn't sure if she had mentioned them to Fluttershy before. A nerve was touched, but she wasn't finished. Fluttershy’s voice was nearly a murmur, quieter than normal, and ignoring Applejack’s remark.

“What will you do if they talk to Sweetie Belle? It’s only by luck they haven’t asked her yet, being her closest relative. At first, your tale to Sweetie Belle and your tale to Amber Eyes won’t clash. It’s when they dig they’ll realize. Rarity is known in Canterlot. All the Princesses have to do is ask the right ponies and they’ll know she hasn’t been to the city in months. Even if she wasn’t, Twilight’s arguably more notable.”

“Well—!”

“—So when they can’t find them in Canterlot, and they can’t find them across Equestria, they’re going to ask where did those suggestions come from? They may ask Sweetie Belle, but it all comes back here. They would ask us. They would ask you, the honest one.”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Speak plainly, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy tried to meet Applejack’s eyes, but could only look at her own hooves. She shut her eyes. “Maybe we should have told them that Twilight ran away. Maybe we should tell them now.”

A deep scowl twisted Applejack’s features. Deep breaths went in and out her nose. “They would want to know why.” Her voice was rising. “What would we say, that she ran away because of an accident? That we accidentally… did what we did to Rarity? That she’s scrambling for a cure?”

Fluttershy didn't look up. She forced herself to speak up, but her voice was still tiny following Applejack’s. “We didn’t do it to her, Applejack. It was only Twilight who killed her.”

Applejack gasped. Her face was a mask of disgust and indignation. Her voice was shaky. “Ah ask again, ‘Shy. What is this talk all about?”

“It’s Twilight or us.”

“You just want Twi to fail, is that it? Is that why you called her what you did in the forest? She is our friend!”

“She hurt me, Applejack!” cried Fluttershy.

“I’m hurt too, but I’m not suggestin’—”

“—No, you don’t understand. Rarity meant so much to me. Rainbow Dash too. And they are gone, and,” Fluttershy was looking all around the room, panicking, “and now I don’t even feel sad anymore, not really. I feel almost nothing, just a hole. We were all I had, and now I just feel lost, like I’m not myself.” She looked at Applejack longingly, hoping she would understand.

“You don’t think they weren’t important to me too? They’ve changed who Ah was, and Ah’m not a pony to go making adjustments in her life. Our friendship made me an even better pony. We can’t just give up Twilight to the Knights. Who knows what’ll happen to her?”

“How can you do this, Applejack?” Fluttershy was sobbing now. “How can you protect the mare who took so much from us?”

“How can you lose trust in our best friend, who is trying to make things right?”

“Do you honestly think that’s what she’s doing? Or did she do the smart thing and run while she could?”

“I reckon she’s working right now to fix her wrongs. You think she’s doing anything else?”

“I don’t know. Who would’ve thought Rainbow would’ve left us, but she’s not here. Where is she, Applejack?” She swallowed some deep breaths as her crying shook her body. “You’re supposed to be honest, Applejack, but you lied. You lied to Amber Eyes.”

Silence filled the air. Applejack listened to Fluttershy’s sobs. She didn’t feel pity for the pegasus, only dense frustration. “Ah know Ah did. Ah hate that Ah did. Bein’ honest is a huge part of who Ah am, and if you think Ah’m okay or Ah’m sleeping like a rock after talking to those Knights, after what Ah’ve told Sweetie Belle…” She clenched her teeth, doing her best to remain calm. “After all we’ve seen? Well, you’ve got another thing comin’. You forget there’s another part of who Ah am.”

She straightened up as best she could in bed. Her voice was like stone scraping stone. “Ah am also the most dependable ponies. Twilight can depend on me to help her make things right. How could we do anything different? Wish for anything else? If she’s trying to help Rares then why are you trying to stop her? Where is the kindness in that?” she snapped.

Fluttershy took an involuntary step backwards, as if she was struck by a blow. Her face was painted with shock. “B-B-But Applejack—”

“—Leave.”

She stepped back again. “You don’t understand. She— Twilight—”

“—Now. How could you want to sell her down the river, to save your own hide? Go, now. I’ll talk to you when I get out of here.”

Fluttershy sat rooted to the spot. Applejack said no more, but her eyes spoke for her. They burned, the anger in them foreign and feral, and she ground her hooves into the sheets. Finally, Fluttershy raised a hoof, and moved it towards the door. Then another. After a couple shaky steps, she found herself running, out the door, past the nurses and doctors, and into the bright afternoon..

Applejack fumed. She couldn’t believe Fluttershy’s gall. She refused to consider the alternative to… misleading the Knights. She laid her head down, and shut her eyes, in anger and exhaustion. It wasn’t long before she had a nightmare. Her sleep was unceremoniously disturbed by the nurse, checking on her. As she set about replacing her bandages, Applejack caught a glimpse of the clock.

“Whoa nelly, it’s that late?” She stared in disbelief, it showing just how past afternoon it was it was.

The nurse responded without missing a step. “Yes it is. Trust me, I didn’t want to disturb you, you looked so peaceful. Unfortunately, your breakfast did get cold.”

Applejack looked to her bedside table, and indeed the hardened remains of what barely looked like any breakfast she’d become accustomed to resided there. She made a face. As the nurse finished the bandaging, she managed to catch it.

“Don’t be silly, I’ve brought you dinner.” Stepping aside, Applejack noticed the tray behind her. She exchanged the sub-par breakfast for mediocre dinner, and smiled politely. Applejack gave a half-cocked smile, the best she could muster.

“Before I leave, would you be up for some more visitors?” The brief flash of uncertainty in Applejack’s eyes made her continue. “Please say yes, I think she’s dying in anticipation.”

“Ah’ve had my fill of visitors today.”

The nurse glanced back to the door, and Applejack did too. A eye was pressed up to the small pane of glass in the door, looking around the room. She looked back to Applejack, clearly irked by the pony outside. “Sorry, she’s been here for hours. She’ll be bothering me otherwise.”

Despite her protest, the nurse retreated to the door and opened it. As she stepped out, in stepped the a grey pegasus with a straw colored mane and muffin-adorned saddle bags. She was beaming and smiling and nearly skipped into the room. As she turned around to face the door, Applejack caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were looking in different directions.

Applejack’s friendly demeanor faltered, but quickly surfaced. Familiarity struck Applejack, however the pony’s name remained elusive. “Heh, Ah didn’t expect you.”

The mare stared into nothing for a moment, before her enthusiasm turned to annoyance. She beckoned, and a small lavender unicorn walked in. After a pause, the pegasus gestured more aggressively and another mare walked through, this one magenta. She was clearly the older sister, but not yet Applejack’s age. The young filly looked down at her hooves, while the older one looked out the window.

The grey pegasus turned back to Applejack kept smiling at Applejack. Her face didn’t smile in the way one would expect. Like her eyes, it shifted unexpectedly, and at times looked like a grimace. However, her joy was always there, at constant risk of breaking the surface.

Applejack broke the silence. “Uh, hello there?”

Like a wind up toy let loose, the pegasus began to speak. “Hello Applejack! I’m known as Derpy Hooves. These are my foals you saved the other day. We are here to say thank you!”

“I’m not a foal, mother,” said the older one.

Derpy didn’t stop smiling. “The grumpy one is Amethyst Star. The little one is Dinky Hooves.”

Applejack could see she was doing her best to speak through her smile, which refused to leave. Her cheer amused her.

The pegasus turned to her daughters. “Well girls, what do you have to say?”

“Thank you for saving us,” they chimed together.

“Can we go now?” asked Amethyst Star.

Derpy laughed, pleased. “Now, that wasn’t that bad, was it?”

Applejack smiled warmly. “Shucks, you’re welcome,” she said.

Derpy turned to her children. “Thank you girls. You can wait outside now.”

The two young ponies quickly left through the door, and Derpy approached the bed, or at least she tried to. She tripped on seemingly nothing, and hit the rolling tray next to Applejack’s bed. Applejack’s dinner noisily landed on the floor, the tray clattering.

Applejack leaned over the edge of her bed. “Whoa there, are you alright?”

“I’m okay!” she claimed.

Derpy rolled off her back and with great exaggerated care stood up. A nurse poked her head in.

“What in Equestria was—” She spotted Derpy, and her face fell flat. “Oh, you. I’ll be back when you’re finished in here, ma’am.” She shook her head and left, Applejack eying her as she left.

Derpy chuckled weakly, before turning back to Applejack. Quickly her demeanor changed, and her face sombered up. She looked Applejack in her eyes. Or, one of her eyes did. The other seemed permanently fixated on a ceiling tile from Applejack’s point of view. She tried not to stare.

“Are you okay, Applejack? How long did they give you?”

Applejack nodded, and chuckled. “Ah’m not gonna die. Doc says three days. Ah’m supposed to be out Friday, but we’ll see about that. But even then, it’s still rest till I get back to full strength.” She have to elaborate. Derpy’s face was full of understanding.

“I’m sorry to hear that. But at least it was for something. My girls are my everything.”

Applejack simply nodded. Derpy’s reputation didn’t prepare her for the sincere tone in her voice. Applejack could tell true words were being spoken. There was no trace of the smiley mare from before.

“I understand what you did for me that day, but I'm not sure you do. I am a mother. I would stand between them and a dragon. You stood between them and the hekkathingy when I was absent. You fought for them when I could not. I am eternally grateful.”

Applejack rushed to interject. “Ah watch out fer mah lil sis, Applebloom. Ah do understand; Ah did what Ah had to do. Besides, It weren’t just me. You finished it off. That mail carriage must’ve been mighty heavy, I could feel that impact up and down my legs.”

Derpy nodded, with a modest smile. “My job gives me the heaviest load sometimes. They know only I can fly them. It must have hit that monster with maybe several thousand newtons.”

Applejack blinked twice.

Derpy pawed the ground, suddenly awkward in her actions. “Uh, nevermind. But what you did, it’s not lost on me. I have lost ponies I love, and I am thankful I did not yesterday. Here, I brought you something. It’s very important to me, and I want you to have it. It will make you feel better. Open it later if you’re feeling down. I promise these were baked good.” Derpy winked, and began digging in a saddlebag, and brought out a brown sack. She sat it on the edge of her bed. Derpy’s smile was stretched to the fullest

“Thank you,” said Applejack with a curious look.

Silence passed between them, and eventually Derpy’s smile faded to her regular grin. “If you need anything, call me, and I’ll be there lickity split. I live next door to you, on the carrot farm with Carrot Top.” Derpy tilted her head, then laughed. It was just like a filly’s, extremely unrefined and infectious. It instantly made Applejack brighten up, flushing at the levity of it. “Oh, I should probably say Golden Harvest; I’m not sure she likes that nickname.”

She continued to laugh, and Applejack’s face continued to redden. She held onto Derpy’s offer close to her chest.

The laughter died, and Derpy stood there for some time not saying anything, just smiling. Finally, she became aware of herself, and made to leave. “Well, I guess it’s time to go. I should make sure those two aren’t being attacked by another monster.” She smirked.

“Hold on,” Applejack before she could stop herself. Derpy looked back, expectantly. She tried tried to hold the pegasus’, gaze, but looked away before finally speaking. “I, uh…”

Derpy sat back down next to Applejack, her features opening up, her smile becoming subtle, and she leaned in. Applejack saw all of this, and knew Derpy would listen to her. Yet, it still was a struggle to put to words just ha she wanted. She mulled it over for a minute, as she knew Derpy wouldn’t rush her. Finally, she found a place to start. “It’s been a sleepless night. Ah still feel restless.”

Derpy slightly tilted her head, but nodded anyways. “Of course you do. You belong on Sweet Apple Acres.”

With reluctance, Applejack smiled. Derpy grinned in return. She waited expectantly.

“Well… I…” There was much on her heart, true, but her mind drifted to the consequences of sharing the burden. She could never let the ponyfolk of Ponyville know the secrets she kept.

“Go on,” urged Derpy.

Still, she wanted to say she hadn’t slept well since she saw her friend torn to pieces so small she had to wash it out of her mane, or how she’s essentially lying to cover up the fact that another friend was the one responsible for the destruction, or how she was lying to Canterlot officials about the whole ordeal. Worst of all, she couldn’t talk about the poor filly who one day would find out she was now an only child.

She knew opening up would destroy her name. The town would turn on her. Even her family would disown her for such a gross thing. It made her wonder if her choice was the right one, when she had to be in the dark. Despite the cowardice of her words, Fluttershy had a point. Applejack was beginning to feel alone. No, she was alone. The pony that should be here for her to work through with she sent away in tears. Her words still made her angry, and she tried her best to think of something else. Instead, she focused on what mattered.

She looked into Derpy’s eyes, or one eye. One was still looking at the ceiling, but they were both smiling patiently. It was a look Applejack was familiar with, but couldn’t place where from. It was comforting, and she felt secure. She opened her mouth. “Derpy, I could really—”

“—Hold up!” Applejack choked down her words with a cough. “If we’re gonna get heavy, you might want to open that bag now,” she said, pointing to her gift. “It doubles as an important tool for heart-wrenching talky emergencies such as this one.”

Applejack looked confused, but Derpy winked her good eye and laughed. She opened the bag, and retrieved a muffin from inside. “It’s an emergency muffin,” Derpy explained, “to help make you feel better. It always works for me, at least. I brought you two. And I promise, these muffins are baked goods.” Derpy winked again.

Applejack was completely lost. Derpy huffed, then feigned vomiting violently onto the floor. The callback clicked and Applejack blushed but laughed, and Derpy joined in, laughing harder than before. “Sorry about that, I didn’t know where my head was that day,” said Applejack, but Derpy shook her head.

“I know you didn’t mean nuthin by it, it was funny. I’m just happy you got the joke, I thought it was going to go over your head.” As her laughter subsided, she waited expectantly. Applejack bit into the muffin, and Derpy was right. It was absolutely delicious. There was no way this muffin came from a baker in Ponyville. It was unlike anything she’d ever tasted before. She involuntarily shuddered with content from the flavor and the hospitality.

As she chewed, she looked at Derpy. The pony was immensely pleased with herself, grinning and rocking a bit on the spot. When she finished the muffin, Applejack mustered her courage, and began again. Finally feeling secure, she began to speak. “Have you ever had someone you care about, just , do something that changes everything? And Ah mean in a bad way.”

Derpy’s face was back to the somber look. She didn’t prod.

“Nevermind. Let me start over. Ah’m in a bad place, Derpy. Ah thought I could… My family has a lot on their plates. My friends are gone. Ah’m no use to nopony anytime soon. Ah hate asking for favors—”

“—I can tell,” Derpy interrupted. “You’re like my Amethyst Star when she needs something. All this buildup, but still no question. What do you need, Applejack?”

Applejack chuckled. “Ah’m normally don’t beat around the apple barrel. I’ve learned my lesson on asking for help, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Derpy, could you help me with my farm? Until Ah get on my feet again?”

Derpy nodded furiously like a child would, shaking her mane, but her face held complete seriousness. “Of course Applejack. If you’re asking me for help, then I know it’s a big deal.”

Applejack decided not to protest of Derpy’s assessment of her character. She wasn’t the foolish mare who poisoned half the town due to her exhaustion anymore, but the mailmare probably didn’t know she’d changed.

“Ah need something else, Derpy. And this one is the big big favor.”

Derpy gave an inquisitive look. “Bigger than helping Applejack herself with her farm?”

Applejack nodded. “Yes, much bigger. Ah saw what you can do out there. Ah saw your bravery. You acted when you were needed. And, if need be, could you help me protect Ponyville?”

Derpy’s smile faltered. Her head tilted down, deep in consideration.

“Look, Ah know you’ve got your girls,” said Applejack. “Ah don’t want you to do anything that can jeopardize your or their safety without reason. But if you’re up to it, Ah’d just like another pony alongside me while trying to save everypony.”

Derpy looked at Applejack, genuine curiosity on her face. “What about your friends?”

Applejack’s face was stone. “They were a great help that day, weren’t they?”

Derpy’s smile completely left. She sat in silence. Finally, she responded. “Applejack, please know my girls come before everything. Admittedly, I easily get confused, so I have to be in tip top shape to handle them.”

Applejack nodded, suddenly ashamed she had asked. “Of course they do. Family always comes first.”

“But by saving the town, I’ll be saving them, so I promise I’ll do what I can when I’m needed. As you can see, I’ll do what I must to save them, and everypony, including nearly getting fired from my job.” She smirked. “They gave me a two week leave of absence instead, which was so nice of them to do so.”

“Thank you Derpy, that means so much for me.”

“I’m a little surprised at all the favors. I feel like next I am sure you’re going to tell me you’re going to stay here till Friday instead of tomorrow—”

Applejack’s melancholy gaze hardened, and she looked at her hooves.

“—not that there would be anything wrong with that,” Derpy quickly added.

Applejack didn’t look up. “Ah haven’t decided yet.”

Derpy touched Applejack. “It’s okay if you need the rest. You work so hard anyways.”

“How’d you know it was on my mind? How sorry Ah look? Ah bet Ah look like a filly who missed out on rodeo tryouts”.

Derpy gently shook her head. Her good eye still looked at Applejack, but the other eye now settled to the floor. “When I listen with my mother’s heart, I could tell. You earned the rest. If you stay, no one could say anything bad about you.”’

Applejack thought of how Fluttershy and Big Mac felt about her, and silently disagreed. Regardless, Applejack sank into her bed, a weight off her shoulders. “Thanks Derpy, I needed to hear that.”

Derpy smiled. “Anytime, friend. If you know you’re healed, leave when you like. I’ll seeya later!” She turned to walk to the door, and immediately ran into the food cart again.

“I’m okay!” the mare said before Applejack asked. Applejack did her best not to laugh, but during the commotion she let out a small snicker. To her surprise, Derpy was still smiling anyways. The nurse returned, and Derpy slid past her as quick as she could while uttering apologies. The nurse rolled her eyes and began cleaning up the mess.

“Wow, everypony is right; I swear if that mare isn’t the clumsiest bunch of feathers I’ve ever seen,” she said as she set a newly prepared dinner on the cart.

“Hey,” Applejack said. “She was the one who took down the hekkatron.”

The nurse looked over. “The what now?”

“You know, the rampaging beast. That monster that destroyed your house and put me in here.”

The nurse paused, her face paling, and said a simple “Oh,” and returned to her work.

Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Ah hope you thanked her too.”

The nurse finished picking up the spilled food, smiled unpleasantly. A whinny of contempt escaped Applejack. She hesitated near the door. “If you truly wish to leave early, you can fill out a release form. We can either bring it to you, or you can find it at the front desk.” She left quietly.

She turned to the window, the news of the release form spinning in her head. Outside she managed to catch Derpy hovering around her children as they traversed the path back to Carrot Top’s farm, which resided beyond Sweet Apple Acres. She looked more animated than they were, hovering over them and obviously talking more than they were. She looked like a deeply loving mother.

Applejack finished the dinner given by the nurse quickly, forcing it down with water. She then reached into the bag and ate the second muffin. She watched, the sky show its hidden regal colors of dusk. The muffin was delicious, just like the first, and in the bed, with the light, Applejack was comfortable. She rolled to her side, careful to keep her injured leg steady, and passed into sleep. She wanted to dream of leaving the hospital in the morning, returning to her smiling family on her farm. Instead, the nightmares returned.

***

“Eat it!” she shrieked.

Fluttershy flung a pan across the room. It whizzed past Pinkie Pie’s head and hit the wall with a loud clang. Any critters still in the room scattered, leaving the only the two mares and Angel. Fluttershy stomped up to the table and slammed it, rattling the bowl of porridge in front of Pinkie.

“Eat it! Please!” she begged. Her jaw was tight, and she was panting. Pinkie’s head was tilted down to the bowl, her hair hanging like loose silk around her face, covering her eyes.

“I’m trying to help you! Why won’t you—?” Fluttershy felt a small tap on her ankle. She whirled around. “What!” It was more of a scream then a question.

Angel Bunny glared up at her, unflinching. His ears were lowered and his little arms were crossed.

Fluttershy stared at him, furious. The tiny bunny remained poised. “I just— This is just—” A tear fell from her eye. “Everything is so wrong.”

She shut her eyes and another tear emerged. She turned back to Pinkie. “I just want her to eat.” She walked around the table to Pinkie and ran a hoof through her hair. It spilled back into her face like a waterfall.

“I am losing my friend— all my friends. And I’m losing myself, too.”

She paced the room. “Why am I so angry? This isn’t like me at all, I’m supposed to be Kindness.” Fluttershy jerked her head to the side, as if the realization was a physical blow. “No, they’re the one who’ve changed! Why is Applejack lying, going against who she is? Why is Twilight a… Oh, I can't even say it. It turns my stomach, she didn’t even apologize. And Rainbow— Rainbow!” She stomped. “Why did she leave us? Why did she leave me? I’m her oldest friend. Doesn’t she love me?”

She shut her eyes, recoiling at her own words. “I can’t believe I said that.” She knew her friends loved her dearly. They had been there for her through so much, and they’ve been so patient and kind for her. She wished she could force her heart would accept that, despite recent events

Angel bunny tapped his foot, his glare unchanging.

“That was a long time ago,” she answered him. “Iron Will was trying to help me. I learned my lesson.” Angel Bunny’s face continued to be unconvinced. Fluttershy didn’t dare mention the scene she made at the Galloping Gala. “If I have to be a meanie because my friends are in trouble, well, I’ll do what I must. I’ve done it before.”

Fluttershy lightly shook Pinkie, hoping this time she’d come to. Of course, Pinkie’s head just rolled about. Fluttershy drew back an eyelid. Pinkie’s eyes were still pale, barely twitching. She looked back to Angel, her eyes pleading. “But what do I do when my friends are the trouble?”

Angel raised his tiny furry paws in a shrug.

“Me neither.” Fluttershy turned back to Pinkie. She put a hoof to her face. Her voice softened to the nurturing tone she was known for. “I’m sorry I said those things, Pinkie Pie. I didn’t realize they would be so hurtful. That’s the last thing I want to be to anypony ever. I never would do that on purpose. I’m just so scared.” When she spoke, her voice shook. “Do you remember? She floated away in pieces. I can’t close my eyes without seeing it happen over and over again. I’m scared and I can’t help anyone, even my animals.”

She was met with silence. There were no squeaks or squawks or any sign of life in the room. The only evidence of life in her cottage were overfull food bowls and torn open seed bags. Angel’s frown remained, but he walked up to his owner and laid a soft paw on her side. Fluttershy flinched.

“I know she needs help. I’ll take her, I promise, but I can’t let Applejack see.”

Inside, Fluttershy was shaking her head. She knew with an injury such as her, Applejack would need all the rest she needed, and possibly longer to ensure there were no long term effects. If the tissue healed wrong, Applejack could look forward to horrible joints in old age, all her natural ability prematurely robbed from her. She felt bad she encouraged this choice.

But Fluttershy looked Pinkie over. She was in terrible shape. She was taking in shallow breaths through chapped lips. She couldn’t last like this. Applejack would be fine in the end, but Pinkie needed help now.

She noticed Pinkie’s head resting in the bowl. Fluttershy rushed over to pull her out, and forced her mouth open to clear out the food that could get stuck in her throat so she didn’t choke. Fluttershy had assisted animals with food before, baby ones. Pinkie was a pony, and was just one year younger. She never expected to give this kind of care to a pony, especially not one who wasn’t elderly, just one year her junior. The activity was disgusting to her.

She was pale, her hair limp in her face, a visage disturbingly un-Pinkie Pie. She was thin, the constant stream of sweets she ate interrupted by her condition. At night, Fluttershy was sure she was talking to herself, in voices. Scary voices. Her eyes looked dry and empty. They had lost their shine. She hadn’t slept in days, and Fluttershy barely slept more than her. She needed real help.

“I can’t let her know I did this,” she whispered again. “She said she’s not staying the whole time in the hospital. By this afternoon, she’ll be home, and I can take her.”

A a splash and a clunk sounded behind her, and she turned to see Pinkie no longer on the table. She was on the ground. The smell of ordure reached her nose.

“Pinkie? Pinkie!”

She was pale. She was thin. She was talking to herself, in voices. Scary voices. Her eyes looked dry, empty. They had lost their shine., and she hadn’t slept all night. Her lips were cracked, dry too.

Angel slapped Fluttershy, who snapped at him. “What do you want?!” screamed Fluttershy tearfully. But Angels expression froze her. He had never looked so furious. She held his gaze. She already knew. She looked for the time. Applejack should be getting discharged at this very moment. She longed to make the journey at night, but she looked back at Pinkie, smelled the stench, and knew she couldn’t wait anymore. She quickly cleaned the mess, ran out the door to retrieve her wagon, and began to load her shell of a friend into the cart.

***

Applejack left her room uncontested. As she limped to the front of the hospital, no doctors ran after her, screaming for her to get back in bed. She entered the lobby, and while the receptionist glanced up at her, she did nothing. In the lobby, Applejack could see some of the less able-bodied citizens of Ponyville checking in for minor injuries. She saw bandages, and ice packs, but nothing like herself. She looked down at herself. Her entire right foreleg was bandaged, and most of her torso. Her joint was splinted, allowing only just enough movement to where she wasn’t lame.

She looked outside. It was pouring down rain, and the path leading up to the hospitals roofed patio was waterlogged. She knew no work would be getting done in the farm today.

Instead of walking forward, towards the double doors and out into the air and back to her farm, instead Applejack turned and walked to the desk. After a quick conversation, she had the room number she sought. There was another thankless pony residing in the hospital. She took one more look outside, and retreated back into the innards of the small hospital.

It didn’t take a lot of searching to find who she was looking for. As she neared the doors, she heard hushed voices. Three mares bickered in hushed voices beyond the door. Applejack hesitate for just a moment, but figured she was neighborly enough to deal with her company. She knocked.

“Ms. Bon Bon? Ah hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

As the door swung open, Applejack caught the cream colored mare quickly spinning to the door with a glare in her eyes. When Applejack first saw her face, it was a scowl, before quickly changing into something much more cheerful. She glanced around the room, and saw they were alone. “I swear I thought you had company.”

Bon Bon shook her head. Her curls bounced about. “It’s just me. Hello Applejack. It’s good to see you’re bouncing back. I’ll be getting released sometime today, myself. It’s time I go back to my shop. I wish they would let us leave now. Just a few more hours."

"Us?"

She quickly turned to Applejack. “You and I,” she answered cheerfully. For a moment, she could see Bon Bon with a vacant look on her face, like a filly caught in a lie. In a flash, it was gone, replaced with an equally playful smirk.

Applejack didn’t trust the cheer, but responded in kind. “That’s great to hear. Ah’ve got more time myself. Ah can’t wait to get back to work.”

“What’s life without it?” Her tone was now listless.

“Not as fulfilling, that’s for sure.” Applejack grinned, and asked, “You’re a hardworking mare too?”

Bon Bon nodded. “I’ve got to stay busy. I tell ya, I hate being stuck in here. No one’s around to get my shop in order except me. I’ve had to write some letters, but I much prefer face to face. It’s easier to explain what I need done, how I want it done, when it needs doing.

“For what it’s worth, the break is nice. Ah’m always busy with my farm.”

“I don’t take breaks.”

Despite her tone, her anxiousness was apparent. Applejack walked up to the window beside Bon Bon. Bon Bon raised a hoof to lean on the glass and said, “You can only see the back of the roof of The Sweetie Drop from here.”

Applejack looked out. Through the rain, she could only see a sliver of roof exposing the shop. “Nothing looks bad from here, what all happened to it?”

“You’re right, it wasn’t too bad,” she said flatly, her hoof dropping. “Just had my front windows blown out, several display cases destroyed, loss of product. It’s the worst my shop has ever been damaged from a monster attack, but yes, it is much better than it could have been.”

“Ah’m sorry to hear that.” Applejack squinted, but as far as she could tell the shop looked fine. “That’s part of why I’m here. As you said, it could have been worse, so Ah want thank you. Ah had tried to stop the hekkatron from getting to Ponyville, but I failed. Thank you so much for standing up to it until help could arrive; you saved a lot of ponies that way.”

Bon Bon glared at Applejack, as if reading her. She eventually turned back. “Actually, I was just mad it damaged my shop.”

“Oh,” said Applejack. “Well, anywho, thanks.” Applejack sat staring at the pony beside her. Her brow was furrowed under her curly mane, and she was squinting at her shop, though Applejack knew she couldn’t see anything. Her mouth would twitch through various expressions of annoyance and disgust. She couldn’t tell what from. She decided to press on anyways. “Ah have an idea. Would you willing to lend a hoof to help fight monsters?”

A chortle escaped from Bon Bon before she could hold it back. “Why would I do that?”

“To protect your neighbors.”

“You already do that.”

Applejack arched an eyebrow. “Then to protect your shop.”

“I definitely already do that. If you’re still living in Ponyville after the ursa, the hyrda, Discord, what have you, then you’ve got it coming. Look, I’ve made my peace with the local wildlife and chaotic happenings. I can take care of my own.”

Applejack couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Maybe, but you seem to have a knack for wranglin critters from what Ah’ve heard—

“—Oh, what have you heard?” Bon Bon’s eyes were squinted, sharp. They were re-appraising Applejack.

“That you’ve got some uncommon talent. It would be put to good use standin’ against the fiends from the forest. Specifically, I heard you flipped that hekatron upside down in one move. Ah’m impressed, that’s a doozy of a move.”

Bon Bon smiled, but didn’t say anything. Silence passed between the ponies. Applejack was content to let it play out, having said her piece.

“Tell me, Applejack. You rarely make them, but I’m very curious about your family’s cupcakes. What do you use in them? Is it extra shortening? Do you include brown sugar?”

Applejack replied without hesitation, but with feigned innocence. “It’s actually applesauce and sauerkraut. It’s less fattening than butter and oil, and of course, apples.” She couldn’t help but chuckle.

Bon Bon left out a choked laugh. “That sounds horrible.”

“But you can’t taste it, can you?”

“I can’t lie, they’re delicious. I always found the texture interesting too.” She paused, appearing to be deep in thought. “How can you just let that information go so easily?”

“Honest question gets honest answers,” said Applejack playfully. The gears turned behind Bon Bon eyes, but Applejack wasn’t liking what she saw. The mare had taken an attachment to her answer, and was thinking something up.

“But then what about the fritters? They don’t have any horrible secrets, do they?”

Applejack winked. “I can’t go telling you everything, now. That was a freebie, for being so kind as to save the town.”

Bon Bon nodded. “Of course. Nothing is free. So, now we're even. I helped out with the hekkatron, and you gave me a secret.” More silence, and Applejack could see in Bon Bon’s eyes that she wasn’t going to like what the mare said next. “That can be the baseline. When you need my help, answer whatever question I have, and you’ll have me for a whole day.”

“Now hold on there, I can’t just be giving away family secrets like that. That goes into business. ‘Sides, some of those aren’t even mine, but Granny Smith’s”

Bon Bon tilted her head. “I can’t just be giving away my time like that. I have a business to run, and time away. Do you know how far I was set back this week?”

Applejack stomped her hoof. “You won’t have a business if everypony is driven from Ponyville.”

“We all know everyone’s not going anywhere, not unless it gets really bad. And then, you and your friends can take care of it. If the wunderkind can’t handle it, Celestia will send Wonderbolts if she sees fit. If you want my time though, you’ll have to buy it.”

It was Applejack’s turn to glare. Bon Bon said her terms matter-of-factly, but she didn’t smile, nor gloat. She was as serious as Applejack was. “So what, you want some advice? That’s awfully strange from a pony seems to keep their own consul so tightly. Don’t you run your shop yourself?”

An eye twitched, but otherwise Bon Bon didn’t react. “Only a fool would let help slip by.”

Applejack stared Bon Bon down, but she never turned her eyes away. The longer she stared, the more Bon Bon’s face took on a stupid grin. Applejack hated that grin, and hated how someone with so much could offer so little help. She stood, and sulked to the door, not saying another word to the crooked mare.

She left, stepping in the hallway. As she walked away, the ire remained. Halfway back to her room, she decided she needed to go outside for some air, even if it was damp. No one stopped her before.

As she neared the lobby, she heard someone shouting. Applejack began to walk faster, as much as her leg would allow. When she entered, she wasn’t ready for the scene before her.

Fluttershy was at the counter yelling at the formerly disinterested receptionist, who was full of energy now. Her friend was covered in scrapes and bruises, and dirt coated her. Behind her was a trail of mud, and following it, Applejack saw a sight that made her heart leap off a cliff.

Pinkie paid in the middle of the trail, which lead out the double glass doors and what to Applejack guessed was Fluttershy’s destroyed cart. Half of it was embedded in the dirt path. Pinkie herself laid like a discarded toy on the ground, looking worse off than Fluttershy. Her mane was caked with mud, tangled over her face, but her figure was unmistakable. She was overjoyed, but horrified.

Fluttershy’s voice reached her ears. “Please! Please, I can’t help her!”

The receptionist assured her everything thing would be alright, and the doctor would be there soon, and rushed out the office and past Applejack. Fluttershy watched the nurse leave, until she passed Applejack, and their eyes locked. The color drained out of Fluttershy’s face. She stared at Applejack as if she were a dragon, about to breathe fire upon her.

Applejack moved first. She wrapped Fluttershy in a tight hug, nuzzling her intently. “You found her! Thank Celestia!” She laughed, and her vision swam. She fought back tears, doing her best not to cry. “I’m so happy to...”

She let go of the wet pegasus and hobbled past. She didn’t notice, but Fluttershy’s eyes didn’t leave her. When she approached, the smell hit her first. Through the mud, Pinkie smelled foul, and unclean. Applejack bent down and tried to wipe away the dirt from her face, and jumped back as she saw it was vacant. She tried desperately to clean the mud off her, and as she scraped off the slowly drying earth, hair easily came with it, leaving splotches of bruised skin along Pinkie’s body.

She looked at Fluttershy, silently mouthing her fear. Fluttershy's horror was frozen on her face. She looked back to Pinkie, and tried to lift a leg. She dropped it instantly. It was so light, so limp.

“Excuse me, step away ma’am.” Before she knew what was going on, an orderly was guiding her away from her newly found friend, while another set her on a stretcher. A doctor hovered around Pinkie, examining her. Soon, she had an IV in her.

“What’s wrong with her? Pinkie, can you hear me?”

The doctor signaled the orderlies to push Pinkie down the hall into the hospital. He spoke briefly with Fluttershy. Applejack huffed and walked up to the doctor, tapping him on the shoulder. “Excuse me? What’s going on here?”

The doctor glanced at Applejack. “She’s horribly ill.” He turned back to Fluttershy. “Come with us please, we have some questions.”

“No, I need to know what happened to my friend,” shouted Applejack.

Fluttershy stepped in. “She’s just weak, she hasn’t eaten in days. I can’ figure out what’s wrong with her.”

“And it’s a good thing you did, I think more is wrong. She’s horribly malnourished, and we think a possible vitamin deficiency. Now excuse us, we have a life to save!” The nurse continued to push Pinkie down the hall, leaving Applejack and Fluttershy.

“What did the nurse say?” asked Applejack.

Fluttershy was shaking. “Sh-sh-she said Pinkie is comatose. She needs medical care and close medical watch.”

“Well, she’s in the right place, but land sakes I’m so happy she’s here but I’m scared, Shy. How did she end up like this?

“I don’t know, Applejack.”

Applejack became quiet. “Tell me, what’s wrong with her?”

Fluttershy obliged, reciting the nurse’s assessment of her health.

“And tell me, what caused this.”

“I, I think maybe she got lost in the woods?”

“Fluttershy. Please. We’re such good friends. Are you… Lying?”

The accusation caused Fluttershy to fall down, and back away. “I’m… But I’m not, Applejack.”

Applejack took a solid step forward. Her face was immense shock, twisted with a scowl and frustration. “No, you’re not doing this right now, Fluttershy. Just tell me what happened to her.”

Fluttershy took another step back, and bumped the wall behind her. She gasped, and looked all around. The hallways had gotten smaller, and turning back to Applejack she dominated her vision. Her eyes were focused, her pain forgotten, and something horrible rising to the surface.

“Please calm down.” Her voice dripped like honey.

Applejack froze, and her face emptied. She teetered in place, one foot still in the air. Fluttershy rose from the floor, her eyes locked on Applejack’s. “How about we talk about this later? Our friend is so sick, and she needs her rest.”

Applejack slowly nodded.

“I didn’t hurt Pinkie Pie.”

Applejack blinked, and shook her head. “No, no you found her. Conveniently.” She blinked more, here pupils shrinking. “I can tell, you’re… you’re not telling the whole truth, Fluttershy. Everything got all weird, and…”

They stare at each other, seconds ticking by. Fluttershy’s breathing was shallow, her her heart rate red lining. Applejack’s lowered her brow, her teeth grit. Her eyes begin to mist over.

Fluttershy bolted. She lunged down the hall, her wings taking over, beating as hard as she could make them. She flew down the long hallway to the entrance, aware of the hooves clattering behind her.

“Fluttershy! Don’t your dare leave! I have words for you!” Applejack’s voice echoed after here, filling the hall as if she was everywhere at once. Fluttershy chanced a look behind her. She was whipping by doors, trays. Knocking things over in her gait. When a turn came Fluttershy would glide around the corner, while Applejack slammed against the opposite wall, pushing off reserve momentum. Fluttershy came up to the last stretch, the last bit of hallway before she’d be out of the hospital.

She burst through the doors to the lobby, making a bee-line for the exit. The few ponies waiting to be seen shouted in shock. Fluttershy didn’t hear them, she was pumping her wings with all her might, and hoped beyond hope that they were enough, that1 the turns were enough to keep Applejack off of her.

Behind her, the Applejack stumbled through the doors, and landing on her bandaged shoulder. She let out a yelp, and Fluttershy hesitated, looking back. Applejack rolled to her feet, and in Fluttershy’s hesitance, closed the gap.

Fluttershy felt a yank from behind, and as she was brought to the tiled floor instantly, her breath knocked out of her body. She looked behind her, and saw Applejack with a mouthful of her tail, with a look that hurt more than anything. Fluttershy rolled on her back, and began to back away. Applejack spit out her tail and advanced on her.

“Tell me, Fluttershy!”

The ponies were paralyzed. Some had risen to help up Fluttershy, but Applejack’s anger froze them in their tracks.

“Where did you find her?” Applejack roared, her anger seemingly knowing no bounds.

Fluttershy shrunk in herself, shutting her eyes as she cried. “S-She was never lost.”

“Why is she like that?”

Fluttershy tried to speak through her sobs. Her words came out bubbly. “I’m so sorry. I… I screamed at her. I couldn’t take it, she… she was… I’m so sorry!” Her eyes pleaded with Applejacks.

Moments passed, no one in the lobby making a move. The only sound was Applejack’s huffing, and Fluttershy weeping. When she spoke again, Applejack’s voice was smoldering. “And you kept her hidden all this time.”

“Because it’s my fault. Because I made her this way and I thought I could help, and no one know.”

“What a great help you’ve been.” The words were like whips.

“Please believe me, I didn’t want—”

“—Go away, Fluttershy. It doesn’t matter what you wanted. What you’ve done to Pinkie, what you’ve said about Twi’. I know what you did in Everfree, Fluttershy! I know what you did just now. You used your stare,” said Applejack. Her face was twisted, and she was shaking her head. “How could you? How did you lose yourself?”

Fluttershy sucked in her breath, but her tears did not stop. Applejack looked down at her, the entirety of the last week playing out before her. It had been a nightmare. No, worse, as at least in her nightmares, her friends are by her side, helping her fight. The pony being wheeled to the depths of the hospital was no longer the friend she knew, to no fault of her own. The sniveling pegasus before here was not her friend, twisted by fear and hate. Applejack flinched slightly, the thought causing her pain. Hate was never a word she thought she’d ever associate with Fluttershy. How did she let that happen to the best of them?

With the pain of that thought came the pain of her body. She looked down. The bandages around her foreleg were draping, and the stitches along her shoulder had gotten loose. Trickles of blood ran down seeping into the fabric, and into the floor. In a corner, a nurse watched, clearly concerned about her wounds but unwilling to encroach upon them.

“I’m not a bad pony, I just made a bad decision!” cried Fluttershy pathetically.

Applejack looked back to Fluttershy one last time. “Make sure to tell that to Twilight when you see her again. She’s not the only one of us who stole a friend away.”

She turned, and walked to the double doors, and soon the nurse made for her. Applejack didn’t resist as she was lead back to her room, cleaned, and left alone. It was exactly how she felt, and exactly what she felt she deserved.

***

“That fall you took yesterday will set you back. You can still leave today, but we don’t recommend it.”

“That’s fine. Ah’ll stay here, with her.” A orange colored hoof stroked a cotton candy mane.

“We had to redo some of your stitches, and your brace will have to be replaced, and—”

“—Tell me about her, doc.”

The doctor looked at Nurse Redheart, then looked at his patient. She refused to stay in her room, wouldn’t leave the side of her friend. She looked like a mare who just lost family. “Alright. Pinkamena is horribly malnourished. It seems in the five days she’s been missing, she hasn’t eaten nor drank. On top of that, it seems like a vitamin deficiency. She’s leaking body fluids and any sustenance we put into her. Her fur is falling out. The thing is, while all of these are typical symptoms for her ailment, they’re not supposed to happen for months into it. Something has terribly accelerated her status. She’s stable now, but she’s going to need constant personal care for the foreseeable future. Even if she recovers from what’s physically wrong with her, who knows how long she’ll be comatose.”

Applejack sniffed. The Doctor offered her a handkerchief she promptly used and returned. “Ah hate seein’ her like this. It aint right.”

The Doctor looked back at Pinkie. “She threw my daughter a birthday last year. I’ve never seen my daughter’s face light up so. She was so happy, Pinkie made her feel like a princess. Seeing her like this, laughless— It’s terrible something like this happened to a pony so loved.”

Applejack looked over at the doctor and nodded, still stroking Pinkie’s mane. She noticed him quickly wipe his face.

“Have you found someone yet?”

Applejack shut her eyes tight. “No.”

“I’m sure the Cakes are relieved she’s been found.”

“Trust me, they really want to. Pinkie means so much to them, and they burst into tears when they saw her, but they can’t commit to the care she needs right now. They have two new foals, and Pinkie would be like a third, they can’t take on a third and run their business.” The response was robotic. Aplejack felt like a hollowed tree, like the slightest nudge would make her break.

“You friends..?” His voice trailed off when he saw Applejack’s immediately grew hard. “I mean, aside from...”

“Who knows with them.”

“And are you sure your family is out of the question?”

“My brother Big Mac will be on the farm all day, and my sis is too young to take care of herself. Granny’s in no shape to be lookin’ after a pony with Pinkie’s needs, and Ah... Ah’m not in no shape to take myself. How useless would Ah be takin care of somepony with her kind of needs?”

“Okay, we understand.”

“Ah’d never leave a friend in need, but... Ah’m, not a bad pony for this, am Ah?” Applejack’s voice was whisper quiet. She could feel the pricks in her eyes as she asked the question. “She gave us… me, control of her well being. If I could, Ah swear to Celestia herself Ah would.”

Nurse Redheart stepped forward. Her face was soft. “Of course you’re not, dear. You’ve given so much. You’re not wrong in this situation. This isn’t the first time a hard call has been made, and it won’t be the last. It’s just your turn to make it, and your turn to be taken care of. We’ll send word immediately. Her closest family should arrive soon after to retrieve her.”

Applejack looked into her face. “Could you please let me know who gets her? Ah can’t leave things like this.”

The Doctor Spoke up. “I’m sorry, Applejack. Since you have deferred your responsibility, that’ll be the kin’s decision.”

Applejack stared in shock, but didn’t say anything. As her gaze returned to Pinkie, she understood. Applejack knew she’d want a say so for her family’s well being before anyone else. At any rate, she was numb to everything. Even when Pinkie gave them the right to decide her fate, a move that of course Pinkie would do and plan before hand, she failed her now.

“Don’t worry. She won’t need medical treatment shortly, just tender love and care. We’re sending her to her family, Applejack. Who better to watch over her?”

Applejack turned back to her friend. The sight of her made her feel ill, that something so bad could happen to somepony so nice, but she forced herself to look. She had to steel herself, for the next weeks of her life will be the most difficult. She leaned in, and whispered to her Pinkie. “Ah guarantee, as soon as Ah’m on four legs again Ah’m comin for Pinkie Pie.”

Shortly, the doctor and nurse left Applejack and Pinkie alone. She should be resting, letting her newly sutured stitches mend, but none would dare ask Applejack to leave. She stayed there, through the day and night, napping on the bench in the room, until it was time for her to leave.

A knock at the door woke her up, and she groggily lifted her head from the covers of the bed to see Redhart looking at her. Applejack took one last, long look at Pinkie, and left. Each step felt as hard as a buck to a tree, but she managed to walk to down the halls to the lobby, where her Granny awaited. They hugged tightly. After reviewing some release forms they were walking back in silence, Granny Smith respecting Applejack’s silence. It felt like the road home took twice as long for Applejack, her foreleg stiff, uselessly slowing her the entire way.

Sweetie Belle and her friends were playing in the yard, trying another scheme of theirs. For once, Applejack wasn’t interested in what the crusaders were getting into. She noticed Sweetie Belle slow in her play, and was watching her. Applejack turned back to the house and followed Granny Smith inside.

As soon as she was inside, she felt the comfortable weight of one of her stetsons. She looked to her side to see Big Mac had rested it on her head, and he was smiling wide. “Thanks Big Macintosh. I haven’t been feeling myself lately, but this sure does help.”

E-yup.” Big Mac stood silently. His gaze passed from happiness to concern. Applejack saw him eye her leg.

“Oh, don’t dote on me! It’s okay Big Mac. I’ll take it easy, Ah promise.”

Granny smith called from the kitchen. “Now that we’re home, these these hayballs and applesauce aren’t gonna eat themselves! I’ve had them ready all day waiting for you, sugarcube!”

At the mention of food, Applejack’s stomach called out for the delicious layers of apple sauce and baked hay. A good meal, for once, after a week of hospital food.

“I’ll be right there, Granny Smith!” she called. Applejack walked past the kitchen and made for the stairs, and knew she didn’t have to look back to know Big Mac was staring at her. They would talk eventually.

At the end of the hall Applejack slowly opened the door to what was normally an unoccupied guest bedroom. She walked to the edge of the bed and gingerly got on it. When she didn’t get the response she wanted, she laid a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. He flinched, but remained silent.

“Are you alright, Spike?”

He was under the blankets, looking out the window. He nodded.

“Are you hungry?”

He shook his head now. A quick look showed that there was a plate of gems at his bedside table, untouched.

“How are you sleeping?”

“Just fine, Applejack.”

Applejack smiled, as he sounded like his old lazy self when he said that. But, the smile didn’t last.

“Has Celestia written?”

Spike pulled an arm from under the sheets and pointed to the corner, a series of letters in a pile. Applejack picked one up and read

“Dear Spike.
I wasn’t expecting that. I thought you and Twilight were inseparable, but I guess she decided to let you have a break. I am anxious for Twilight suddenly going on an expedition without her most faithful assistant, but I know she made that decision with lots of careful planning, even if her reasoning was… odd. I do look forward to hearing what she learns on her trip when she returns.
Your Princess,
Celestia.”

She looked back over to Spike, who had turned away towards the window. Applejack wiped her brow, closed the door behind her, and ate her first real dinner that week.

Chapter 13 — Preparations

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— Chapter 13 : Preparations —

A deep trance of swirling black filled her mind. It pulsed, pushing itself through her veins, down through her body, and back to the source. Time was at a near standstill, and in the darkness it felt like nothing changed, as if this is what it has always been. It was all around her, but in the distance, dimly, she thought she saw something. There was a small, crooked smile, cheshire like with lips twisted cruelly. It laughed, a joyless and cruel snicker. She laughed too.

Twilight awoke suddenly. One moment in the dark, and the next she staring at the exposed wood of the ceiling. Her vision spun, and for a moment she felt locked to the bed, as if invisible chains held her. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and she realized she was panting. Slowly, she felt the world turn to align itself with her vision. When it stilled, the world shimmered and wobbled in front of her. She wiped her eyes.

She glanced around the room, surprised she was indoors until she remembered.

That’s right, I’m in an inn. An inn in the town of…

The owner had said it yesterday, but she couldn’t recall, nor his name. She let it fade to the back of her mind, trying to focus on the present, what was important.

She got up, and walked to the door she assumed was the bathroom. She stopped in front of it, more so catching herself. Her nose was inches from the frame. She stared at the handle, frowning. Eventually, she reached out with her hoof, and opened the door, the action feeling both unfamiliar but correct.

She had guessed right. She walked to the sink, ran some water, and splashed her face. An unfamiliar Twilight looked back at her.

Nothing about the pony’s face appeared different on first glance, aside from the bandages. Nonetheless, she could see it in the way her mouth turned down, the way her eyes stared unfocused but scrutinizing. It was unnerving, knowing that the pony looking back at her was so different from the pony she was just a few days ago, so fractured inside but externally perfectly normal. It looked like she was just having a bad day.

Twilight never considered that before. Everypony she ever came across was usually pretty plain with themselves to others, except in cases like those cheats Flim and Flam. She wondered how many ponies she joined in keeping a dark secret. She wondered if any of their secrets were as black as hers. She wondered if she was alone. No, she knew she was alone. She stuffed that thought back where it came from and refocused.

It has only been two days since I’ve thrown away Rarity’s life… as well as mine. I’m still not free.

“I need a list.”

She considered the scientific method. If she was being honest, she wouldn’t need all the steps this time. Nonetheless, a flutter of a smile played across her mouth, unintentional and unrecognized by Twilight.

She spoke aloud, as she found it easier to keep organized that way.

“The first step would be the question phase, and the questions were obvious. Where is here, and how fast can I leave here whilst being prepared? For research: ask the town folks for information on location and what they know of the surrounding area. Hypothesis: a list of things I’ll need to survive.”

She mulled it over. There would be no time to test it nor analyze what worked and what did not in order to rework her hypotheses. That section of the experiment could only be completed once, so technically the experiment would be a live field test; she would merely take what she collected and flee. The only acceptable result was exile.

This meant the next step was research.

Her thought processes settled into the time-tested mantra of the research step. “First,” Twilight said, “I need to prepare for data collection with the hypothesis. Second, I must collect the data. Third, I must analyze the data. Finally, I must act upon the data.”

She would have to prepare to collect data discretely by hiding her identity. Going by Velvet Shine wouldn’t be enough with how prolific she was, and who knew where the ponies from this town had originated from. She could run into an old neighbor or even one of the many ponies who have witnessed any of her feats since her departure to Ponyville.

Her bright streak needed to go, and her cutie mark needed to be hidden. Thankfully the bandages helped with the latter, but it could be some time before she could do something about her mane. She doubted the town had something like a manedresser or a stylist. She ran a hoof through her messy mane, straightening her bed hair a best she could. She noticed the edges were singed from the destructive spell she cast on the monster. Instantly her heart picked up and her mind went to dark places, but she quickly stuffed that memory back down. She decided that she’d just have to let it go until she could find someone to take care of it. She couldn’t cut it herself, unfortunately. She’d have to have some sort of headgear.

Twilight turned to look at her cutie mark— or at least where it would be. Turning back and forth, she found that there were bandages over both her flanks. That solved her problem in the meantime, but she would still need to cover it up when she was healed. Thankfully, it would be easy; she just needed some clothes. Clothes were a staple of more populated cities of Equestria where style was less a luxury and more expected, but she couldn’t afford to fit in if it made it easier to identify herself. She sighed, remembering her decision to write her note before gathering supplies. If she had known she would have been interrupted by Applejack, she would have done things differently. She didn’t dwell upon it.

She came up with what she needed from the town. In addition to where she was, she needed to know how far away she was from Canterlot. What kind of dangers existed between the town and the kingdom’s borders? Where can she get a map? Has there ever been an earth pony that cast unicorn magic?

The last topic intrigued her greatly, constantly floating in the back of her mind. Actually, the last one may need to wait a while, who knew when she’d find someone who could answer that. Back to the plan.

“As for analyzing the data… Hmm.”

In this situation, analyzing the data would be near instantaneous, technically a frivolous step for such a small plan. What will matter will be acting upon the data. After finding out where she is, she’ll be able to properly prepare for a departure, preparing for the elements around her. Once she knows where Canterlot was, she would turn around and walk in the opposite direction, and never look back, with this detour town long forgotten. Finding the lay of the land would be critical to her survival. She needed to know how to take care of herself away from civilization. She decided a book about it would do.

Secondary objectives will be keeping an eye out for anyone who recognizes her, and taking steps to… Prevent that? Twilight didn’t want to think too hard about what she’d have to do if she found out a pony recognized her. Again, that urge, the same force that made her consider stopping the doctor— forcibly. What was wrong with her? She shut her eyes until the notion passed.

It wasn’t her best list, but that would do. A week was too long to wait, much less two. If she could help it she would be out on the town today, ignoring the recommendation of bed rest. If she wasn’t gone in a week she might as well be caught. What she needed was a library with an atlas inside. With how fragile she felt after last night, a library would probably do her mind good as well.

Satisfied that she was prepared to face the day, she turned around and left the bathroom, crossing the room and making her way downstairs. She walked quietly down the wooden steps, half due to the pain still in her body, half trying not to alert the innkeeper. Despite her efforts, the floorboards moaned under her hooves.

As she arrived at the first floor, she looked out into the empty lobby. To her right was a desk with a door behind it, shut. To her left was a scattering of tables and chairs. The door beyond it was open into another room. There was also an opening for order pick-up in the wall, and looking through Twilight could see the kitchen.

A small voice called to her. “Are you my mommy?”

Twilight nearly jumped out of her coat. Her heart quavered, and she shut her eyes and willed it to steady. It sounded high, familiar, with a small crack in her. Her breath caught. She dared speak the name on her lips.

“S… Sweetie Belle?”

“Who?”

The voice that replied was not Sweetie Belle’s. As she opened them, she saw a young dark grey colt standing opposite her from the table. She glanced around, wondering how she didn’t notice him the first time. The pony looked back at her quizzically, confused by the name.

“I'm sorry, what did you say?” asked Twilight.

“I asked ‘are you a mummy?’”

Twilight made a face, but looked down at herself. While not wrapped completely, she couldn’t ignore the truth in the observation. She smiled to herself and sighed.

“Well, hello there! What’s your name?”

He walked around the table, and up to Twilight. He tossed his short, brownish grey mane out of his eyes, briefly revealing his small horn. “My name is Writing Desk.” He continued to eye her bandage, waiting for an answer.

“Hello, Writing Desk. No, I’m not a mummy,” said Twilight.

“Good, Nightmare Night isn’t for almost two months. Does it hurt?” He reached out with a hoof and poked one of Twilight’s bandages on her legs.

Instantly Twilight recoiled, rubbing her forelimb. She looked back at Writing Desk, whose face was filled with both concern and wonder. “No, it's fine,” she said to assuage the colts fears. “Not as much as it should,” she added.

She heard a door open behind her, and turned to see the owner appearing behind the front desk. He looked cross. “And just what are you doing here, Writing Desk?”

The colt shrunk, and looked away. “I’m just asking our new guest some questions, get off my case.”

The innkeeper growled. “Stop bothering her! Isn’t it time for school?” He looked down at the desk, and scowled. “Of course it is. Git goin, boy!”

The colt begrudgingly walked to the entrance. Twilight watched him drag his hooves the door, but he gave a huff before stepping out. She watched the door swing shut, then slowly turned to the owner.

“G-Good morning Mr… Uh…”

The pony let out a big laugh. “It’s okay, I don’t expect you to remember my name so soon, and especially after what you’ve been through.” Twilight blushed. “I’m Night Watch. Good morning to you too, Velvet. Er...”

Twilight looked away, but could feel him looking her up and down. She quickly spoke. “Mr. Night Watch—”

“—Night Watch, please.”

“Ah, sorry. Night Watch, I know what your’e thinking, and I’m fine.” She tried her best not to wince while saying this. “Please don’t mind me.”

“If you say so,” Night Watch shook his head. “What’s got you out of bed then?”

“I was just wondering about the town. Has there been a library built yet? If I need my rest, a few good books will keep me occupied. Particularly ones about the area.”

Night Watch laughed again. “A library? Sorry Miss Velvet, but unless you want to read some children's books at the school, this town doesn’t have a real library. But it’s on the to-do list.”

Twilight's face fell. Night Watched stopped laughing, looking unsure of himself. Then, his face lit up.

“But! I’m sure you can visit the town hall for some information. Just what are you looking for?”

Twilight rubbed her right leg on her left, and looked away. “Just, uh, some reading, you know. If I’m going to be bed-ridden, a good book will pass the time.. Most of all I’d like to know where we are.”

Night Watch nodded in approval. “Well, I’m not sure how you’d consider a book on the lay of the land a good time, but the town hall is a good place to go. Matter of fact,” he leaned down behind the desk, and rose with a small bag of bits in his mouth. He set it down on the counter, and slid it forward. “Well, if you’re absolutely determined to go out in your condition, could you buy me a map? I’ve gone and lost mine, and it was never that great anyways. A new map would be great. I believe like all inns should map with a ‘you are here’ star on it. And, seeing as you were so concerned about paying me last night, consider this favor your ‘payment’, since you’re so determined to give me one.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“Great, I’ll see you later.” He retreated back into what Twilight was now certain was a closet.

Twilight looked unsurely at the bag, and back at the door. Twilight didn’t move. The door swung open and Night Watch stepped back with something new he sat on the desk. He eyed the bag and Twilight.

“Well go on.”

Twilight stood still. She focused on the bag, which focused right back on her. It spoke softly, lightly. The longer Twilight stared, the clearer the message became. The bag mocked her. She clenched her teeth.

“Hello, earth to Velvet Shine?”

Twilight jumped, startled by the innkeeper, then looked down at her hooves. “I… I can’t. I know I said I’m alright, but… not with…” Her face was a pleading one, hoping the innkeeper would catch her meaning before she had to say it aloud. “It’ll be some time before I use it again. I burned through a lot of it, fighting off that monster. Plus, just...”

Night Watch’s smile faltered with understanding. “Ah. Well. Sorry, miss, I didn’t know that was a thing unicorns had to deal with.”

She sighed in relief as her meaning came across. There was a moment of silence between the two. Night Watch’s eyes flicked between Twilight’s and the bag.

“Whelp, if you can’t just magic stuff above your head, you’ll need some saddlebags, won’t you? Here.” Night Watch disappeared back into the door behind the desk. Twilight guessed it was some sort of storage closet. Her guess was confirmed when he came back carrying a plain brown set of saddlebags.

“Here you go. I wore these on the pilgrimage here. They’ve been through a lot, so they’re very valuable.”

Twilight looked at the saddle bags again, and noticed that they were coming apart.

“Do you think you have something I can wear to cover up these bandages? If Writing Desk is asking about them, I’m sure the rest of this town will be curious too. I don’t want to recount my story to the town whenever I go.”

“I don’t think too many of us will bother you. But y’know, I have just the thing.” Night Watch disappeared back into the closet, only to return with a folded piece of cloth on his head. He walked over to the long table, set it down, and began to unfold it with his teeth. Twilight watched as the tight bundle became a traveling cloak. It was a deep red, with a dull gold lining around the outer edge. framing the hood too. Along the back, a giant red bird made out of basic shapes spread its wings to either side. It had an earthy sheen to it’s color, but deep within it’s threads it shined in a subtle way.

“Oh wow, I couldn’t take this. It’s beautiful.”

“Pretty neat, isn’t it? Don’t fret. It used to be my wife’s, but you see where I got it. It’s hardly used anymore. Go ahead, take it.”

Twilight wrapped the cloak around her. It provided warmth, but the cloak simultaneously breathed, making it still comfortable in the late summer weather. She pulled the hood up and tucked her singed mane inside. “well, that solves my headgear problem.”

“It looks good on you. I was worried it wouldn’t work with your coat.”

Twilight felt vigilant. She felt safe. “Thank you so much.”

“Again, no problem dearie. Just finish up that favor and get me that map.”

Twilight nodded and turned headed to the door. Just before she left out, Night Watch called after her. “And Velvet?”

Twilight turned to look, one hoof on the door.

“Do not stay out after dark. I’m cooking dinner.”

The offer sounded oddly like a demand, but Twilight didn’t think much of it. “Okay,” she said, then she left out into the day. The sun was bright, and it took a minute for Twilight’s eyes to adjust to the light. It felt like she hadn’t seen the sun for days, and when she thought about it, she was right. She waited where she stood, enjoying the soft bustling of the town, not unlike Ponyville. As her vision adjusted, she gave a horrid, choking gasp. Above the treeline high atop she spotted Canterlot Castle.

She fled around the corner of the inn and into the shadows. She pressed her body up against the building, and counted the seconds. Thoughts of panic bounced around her head, making as much noise as her distress did. She didn’t care about the stares passers by gave, she just kept counting. Then a minute passed. Then two minutes. Cautiously, she peeked an eye around the corner and looked up has her heart fell into her horseshoes.

There was no mistaking it. Darkwood was situated in a clearing in the forest, a forest Twilight now realized was Everfree Forest. While Canterlot was carved into the eastern side of the mountain, It’s topmost spires— where Twilight had her lessons with the princess— were visible over the slope It glared down at her, it’s towers like angry misshapen horns on a masked face peeking to see where she had fled.

Her heart thumped as she continued to hug the building, however, no Wonderbolts flew at her. Most importantly, no alicorns pursued her. She gulped.

“I didn’t realize…” she gasped. “I’ve barely gone anywhere…”

Her plan needed to be accelerated. She was as close as Ponyville was to Canterlot, which wasn’t far at all.

Her body ached, as if remembering she was injured. The dash around the side of the building didn’t help things at all, leaving her body sore. She took a deep breath and stood up tall, which caused even more pain and made her hiss. Twilight took another breath and tried to continue walking as if nothing happened. She tried to ignore the stares from the handful of ponies who saw her.

Finding city hall was a simple matter. Darkwood was based around one road stretching east to west in the middle of the clearing. At both ends the road cut through the trees and disappeared off into the woods. Twilight figured the road to the west must’ve ran straight to the base of the mountain.

In the middle of the town along that road sat what must be City hall. It was also near the center of the town. If Darkwood had streets like a regular town, she guessed the hall was only one or two away. There were no roads yet aside from main street, just dirt paths of where the townponies traveled the most. Twilight struck out straight for it. Her gait was slow as she marched through the unattended grass.

As she walked, she looked around at the developing town. Houses were being built throughout the town, but from what she could see there was already a post office, a restaurant, and a general store. Twilight made a mental note to stop by before she left town, as chances are it had everything she would need. The boxy storefronts had a cozy charm to them, almost an old west, frontier kind that reminded her of Appleloosa. The thick surrounding forest robbed the town of true pleasantry, casting a hint of dread on the sunny day. Also by the looming mountain.

The city hall looked nothing like Ponyville’s. It was hastily constructed and tiny, nowhere near as large as the inn, which seemed to be the largest building in town the more structures Twilight saw. Twilight walked up to the door, and turned the handle.

The inside the hall was surprisingly well kept. She found an empty desk in a small room, with a couple doors. The door behind the desk was ajar, and Twilight figured it was the door to the mayor’s office. She walked around the desk, and pushed open the door.

“Heh… Hello?” Twilight pushed the door open.

In front of her stood two stallions in the center of an office. The shorter one to the left was glaring at the other who turned to Twilight with raised eyebrows.

“Hello, uh, miss. Can I help you?” the taller one said without looking up. The shorter kept glaring. Twilight was sure she heard grumbling.

Twilight shrank back into the door, wary, and rubbed one foreleg upon the other. “Ah, yes. Yes, you can.” She feigned a cough. “I was hoping you had a map, preferably an Equestrian one, but one of the local area would do.”

The tall pony chuckled, his deep voice carrying over to Twilight. The pony looked over at her. “Did you lose the one issued to you?”

Twilight made a face. “Issued? No, I never was given any map. I don’t know what you’re talking about, you may be mistaken.” Twilight realized she was rambling, and tried to stop talking. The nervous habit wouldn’t be helping, and minimizing character traits would help her stay unrecognized.

A silence fell. The shorter pony, studying Twilight, started to loose the anger in his eyes. He looked at her hard, like a politician studying a legal document. Simultaneously, the taller one made faces as if he was chewing over something, and that something was rocks.

“—A visitor?”

“A visitor!” they both exclaimed. The shorter continued to look confused, but the taller one was elated. “This is marvelous!” he continued.

Twilight blinked, regretting coming into the city hall. “It is?”

“Yes! Everyone in this town came here via an expedition to found a new town. If you don’t have a map, you must be our very first visitor! I’m the mayor of Darkwood. Are you staying at the inn?”

Twilight frowned, thinking of Night Watch. “Everyone, huh?”

“So, how did you find us?” The mayor continued as if he hadn’t heard her. He grinned and rested his hooves on Twilight’s shoulders.

Twilight decided to keep it short. “I was dragged here against my will to save my life after being nearly slaughtered by a creature I’ve never seen before.”

The mayor and his assistant exchanged glances. The mayor chuckled unsurely.

“Okay Sweetie, where are you from?”

Twilight sucked in her breath. Her mind scraped by another bit of unfinished business from Ponyville, and guilt took a bite of her. “Please, don’t call me Sweetie,” she said, her voice just over a whisper. Her eyes watered, but her mouth turned to stone. “Now, may I purchase a map?”

The mayor raised an eyebrow, but spoke plainly. “Sure thing, but they’re free y’know?” The mayor turned to the shorter one, and nodded. When the shorter one did not move, Twilight turned to him as well. She recoiled a few inches, as he was staring at her again, just as intently.

“Basil?”

Twilight could tell there was something odd about this pony. She tried to avoid his gaze.

“Basil?”

Twilight looked back. Basil was still staring. Something shifted about Basil. A flash of some detail Twilight wasn’t able to discern flickered across his face. The hairs of her coat stood up. Basil took a step towards her, his eyes squinted. Twilight sucked in her breath.

“Basil, you dolt, go get that map right now!”

Basil’s eyes ripped from Twilight’s and pierced the mayor’s. The mayor’s expression didn’t change at all. The look on Basil’s face was of somepony splashed by water. Whatever Twilight felt, he felt too.

“What is wrong with you, my good pony?”

With that Basil eased back. He walked away looking tired and defeated, muttering under his breath.

The mayor gave Twilight a bashful look in the brief moment it took for Basil to return. “Sorry for that ma’am. Uh, here you go! Just… remember we’re not all like this. The village of Darkwood will grow roots and prosper, yet!“

Twilight put the map into her saddlebags and excused herself as quick as she could. As she walked into the lobby, she could hear the Mayor giving that Basil a scolding. As she retreated out into the air, she exhaustion washed over her. She grumbled under her breath, annoyed with with the pain. In truth she was also annoyed with the Doctor’s haughty attitude, and that she couldn’t silence him before he left.

Back outside, she shuddered under the gaze of the castle. Twilight looked back at the inn, taking note that while other stores had ponies going in and out of them, the inn remained lonely. She decided to wander. The town was in a circle. The inn sat south of city hall. Most of the town’s stores were along the main road, closer to the Canterlot side. Houses dotted the rest of the glade a ways away from main street. She went west, towards the castle, towards the entrance of the town. Her eyes constantly glanced up, her hooves taking shorter steps than normal. She saw the edge of the town. It was quieter here, no ponies bustling about. In front of her was a welcoming arch signifying the end of the forest and the start of the town. The forest descended into darkness after not too many steps, just like it did on Ponyville’s side. She turned, to traverse the stores west to east.

The stores were what she’d expect in a frontier town. In addition to what she saw earlier she spotted a hardware store, a carpenter, a doctor clinic (where was that doctor when she needed him?), a lumber yard, and a school. She paid small visits them, to check out the prices of the store. She didn’t buy anything, having no bits. The bits Night Watch gave her clinked as she made her way through the shops. North of main street was a bunch of farmland, where numerous ponies worked. There was a market, where ponies went to trade the crops they grew on their plots to other townsfolk and any visitors passing through. There was one restaurant, not counting the inn Twilight was sure meant to be one some day. It was at this moment when Twilight noticed the sign on the inn. It didn’t just say Inn, it also said Saloon. “That explains the layout of the ground floor”.

She went to the school anyways,despite Night Watch’s suggestion. It was a one room affair. Where Twilight had entered through was right next to the teacher’s desk, with the student’s desks stretching to the back. Less than half of them were occupied.

“Excuse me—”

“How can I help— a visitor!” she said, her voice hushed but still excited. Despite that, a quick glance showed that all of the kids had noticed she was staring. In the back was Writing Desk. His eyes were full of amusement. “Hi there, my name is Meadow Joy. What brings you to Darkwood? Are you staying at the inn?” She paused, as if realizing herself. “What made you want to visit our school?”

“Good afternoon Meadow Joy. My name’s Velvet Shine. I’m a big fan of learning, as one of your students may know.” Twilight had raised her voice towards the end of the sentence. She paused to wink at Writing Desk. His smile was unmistakable even from that distance, and he waved. Twilight couldn’t help but wave back. “I’m here looking for some books. I’ve noticed you guys don’t have a library yet, and was wondering if you could help me? Surely a schoolteacher has a personal collection?”

The mare’s confused frown spread back into a credulous smile. “While this school is filled, mostly with books targeted to a learning foal or filly, I do have my own. I could only take so much with me on this adventure, but maybe I have something of use for you. What are you looking for?”

“Funny you say adventure, because that’s on my mind. I’m looking to go on one, and was wondering if you could point me to a book about the land around here, and how to live off it.”

And then inevitably, the teacher took note of Twilight's condition. “Are you sure you should be adventuring right now? Thank goodness you’re wearing that cloak, my students may have been scared.”

Twilight tried to laugh it off, but her face flushed. She was sure it sounded like one of her typical inauthentic fake laughs. “Oh no, I won’t be adventuring now. I’m due for a lot of bed rest to be honest, but having something to read during it would be fine.”

Meadow Joy nodded, and Twilight was thankful for no more questions. “As you can see, I’m at work, but I don’t live far. If you don’t mind watching the kids, I can dip out and see what I can find for you. Shouldn’t take long, but you’d have to watch the desk for me.”

Twilight didn’t voice how unbecoming she felt for the teacher to leave her post, but didn’t find her words to protest as the teacher dashed out of the place. She reminded her of Cheerilee, who she envied so much in that moment. She was going to the palace library for research, while Twilight was hoping the personal collection of this school teacher from a small town had something useful.

Twilight stood, just looking at the kids. None of them were working at the time, they were just writing away. “Wow, this town sure liked visitors,” she said to herself.

A student raised a hoof. Twilight naturally acknowledged him, to the amusement of Meadow Joy.

A young blue filly asked “What hurt you?”

“Oh, this? This is what happens when you adventure unprepared, children.”

A brown foal raised his hoof, and didn’t wait to be called on. “Is it true, that you’re the best at math?”

Twilight caught a glimpse of Writing Desk lowering his head, looking bashful. “I’m not the best, but it’s safe to say I know what I’m doing.”

Another white filly raised her hoof. Twilight smirked, and pointed to her as well.

“Why did you kill her?”

Twilight took a step back, her mouth agape. The white filly wasn’t just white, she had a curly purple mane as well. Sweetie Belle looked at her, her stare accusing and knowing. Here eyes bore into Twilight, each one feeling like a searing beam of light. She fell to her haunches, grimacing.

“I’m, sorry! I didn’t mean to! It was a—”

“Ms. Shine?”

A hoof on her shoulder rested on Twilight’s shoulder, making her whip around, Meadow Joy stood next to her with saddlebags on her back. “What’s wrong, ma’am?”

“I… Nothing. Nothing at all. I just, that monster, you know? For a second, I thought a monster was here with me.” Twilight didn’t mention that the monster she sensed was herself.

Meadow Joy’s look remained curious, but the pony opened her saddlebags with wings that Twilight had failed to notice before. She laid them in the blank spot on the messy desk where the papers lay before. Two books sat before her. “So, they’re all about good ole survival out here. They were entertaining to me, before I went on this adventure, but not too useful. We had guards escorting us here, and they did the adventuring for the civilians. But still, it had it’s place in my backlog. Teaching fillies in Canterlot was cool, but not as cool as teaching fillies on the frontier.”

Twilight chuckled. “Judging by Canterlot Mountain, isn’t Dodge city just further out of the forest? And Appleloosa southwest of that?”

Meadow Joy grinned. “Yeah, but this is still uncharted. We cleared out this section of the forest ourselves, it was only half its size when we found it. We’re like a southern Hollow Shades. A smaller southern Hollow Shades.” She frowned. “With a much less cooler name.”

Twilight looked at the books. One knovel was titled A Dirt Scout’s guide to the Wild The other was simply an atlus. For a brief moment, Twilight allowed herself to wonder why a pegasus would have an earth pony’s adventure book, and if chasing that lead would provide any insight to explaining whatever the Doctor had done. The answer was likely that it was simply useful, but it gave her pause. Meadow Joy just smiled at her. “Can I just, borrow these?”

“Yup. I’m kind of settled in, no need for adventure anytime soon. Every day feels like one here. Everything is something unfamiliar. The crops behind the school keep everyone fed, and I’ve got a cottage on the east end of town. My journey was to this settlement, and now yours is to wherever. Besides I've memorized these books, mostly. Where are you headed?”

“I don't know yet,” Twilight said, which was the truth. “I'm just going to pick a direction.”

Meadow Joy nodded. “I like the sound of that. Just be sure to tell ponies about us, it’s all I ask. I want to see Darkwood flourish one day. I've got to go now, individual study time is almost over and to be honest I don’t think any of them have been studying.”

Twilight bid the school teacher farewell. Writing Desk had managed to call out to her, and she waved goodbye to him too. She walked out into the afternoon sun, and it wasn’t long until she was back at the inn. Stumbling in, she deposited the folded map and extra bits on on the counter. Not wanting to struggle with carrying the books upstairs, she kept the cloak and saddle bags on. Took them out, set them on her bed, before making a trip back downstairs to deposit the cloak and bag next to the map. When she returned to her room she was exhausted. Instead of reading, she crumpled onto her bed and went to sleep.

Writing Desk’s arrival home awoke Twilight. The slamming of the front door and the subsequent yelling of Night Watch shook her from her nap. She yawned, and then her belly yawned as well. She moved downstairs hoping for dinner. Instead, she found Writing Desk where she saw him this morning, at the main table. He had a book and some paper out in front of him, his forehead knotted and his mouth over his eraser, chewing absentmindedly while his pen floated unstable-like . Twilight looked towards the stairs, hearing her bed calling back for her and her injured limbs to come back, but something compelled her to walk over to the table.

Writing Desk didn’t notice Twilight until she pulled out the chair next to him. He jerked up.

“Hello Writing Desk, what are you up to?”

A huge sigh came from Writing Desk. “I’m having the worst night of my life.”

Twilight laughed. “Isn’t this homework? That’s the best part! You get to take all the wonderful things you learned at school home with you.”

“I hate it. School is for school, why is this home with me?”

Twilight looked at Writing Desk’s work. She grinned. “If you want, Writing Desk, I can help you with it,” offered Twilight.

Writing Desk eyes searched Twilight’s. A smile spread on his face “Definitely! I’m sure you know how to do this stupid math.”

“Now Writing Desk, math isn’t stupid.” Twilight went to work. It was easy; she learned this level of math when she was younger than Writing Desk. Whenever he made a mistake, Writing Desk was quick to make it known and complain. His frustration was palpable. It was so unlike what Twilight experience when it came to learning. She had to praise his every success and downplay every failure to drag him through the process, but it wasn’t long till they finished.

“Thanks Velvet,” said Writing Desk. Despite the fight he put up through the process, his smile and levity was sincere. He huffed, though. “Dad’s clueless about this stuff, all he thinks about is this inn and his conspiracies. He never was that great with math. It’s probably why he was a guard. If mom were here, I’d have no issues. She helps me like this, just like how you have.”

“Your mother sounds so nice. I’m thankful to use her cloak, and for helping you as she has.”

Writing Desk’s demeanor changed. “Yeah. She is, I guess... I can’t wait till she finally moves here with us, whenever that is.”

Twilight smiled. Writing Desk perked up immensely when speaking about his mother, and she was happy to see him in a better mood. “What does she do that keeps her away?”

“I don’t really know. I know she’s important and works in Canterlot Castle.”

“What did your dad use to do?”

“He was a part of the Solar Guard.”

Twilight froze. She knew it was pure luck that an ex Solar Guard member didn’t recognize her. True, they didn’t always exclusively operate in the palace, or even within Canterlot, but she was surprised Nightwatch Didn’t recognize a pony that fit the description of his charge’s sole student. Night Watch could possibly have spent a good chunk of his career stationed away from the castle. Twilight felt the walls close in.

“So, are we done here?”

The indifference in Writing Desk’s voice brought her back to the present. She looked down at his completed work sheet. Satisfied with her work and Writing Desk’s progress, Twilight stood. The room tilted to the left as she shuffled and caught herself from slipping. “I…” she yawned for some time. “Oh goodness. I apologize Writing Desk. I’m just so tired. Yes, we’re done here. I’m going to go to sleep, alright?”

It wasn’t until a gentle knock at her door roused her. She answered, groggily.

“Good evening Ms. Velvet,” said Night Watch. It’s dinner time. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Twilight shivered, but her stomach protested her staying in bed, so she got up and walked to the door, and followed Night Watch downstairs. Upon entering the main room, she saw that the long table had been set at one end. Night Watch went and sat at the head of the table, with Writing Desk already seated to his right. An empty pate sat to his left. They looked up when Twilight reached the bottom of the steps. Night Watch smiled, and beckoned her. Twilight moved to sit down with the grace of a wheelbarrow.

She looked at the food. It was a gorgeous salad, with some sort of dressing over it with a tangy aroma. It was simple, like what she ate before, but at this point simple was just fine.

“I hope the food is good,” said Nightwatch. “I’m not exactly my wife, but I try.”

Twilight had to stop herself from licking her lips. “Thank you for the hospitality. I’m sure it’ll be quite filling.” She moved for a bite.

“Don’t be modest dad,” chimed in Writing Desk. “You shouldn’t be cooking at all.”

Twilight took a bite and almost spit it back out. The years in which she shared meals with Celestia using good table manners kept her from opening her mouth. She worked her mouth, eventually swallowing it. She glanced at Night Watch to see if he had seen her expression, but he was looking at his son.

“Complainers don’t eat, son. Here, let me add yours to Velvet’s plate.”

Twilight quickly butted in, half her mouth full with food. “No-no, that’s fine!” She glanced at Writing Desk as she spoke, who had a grin.

“Dad, don’t!”

Night Watch just laughed, setting his son’s plate back down. They all ate the salad with trepidation, but it grew more apparent that it was rather lackluster. There was dead air as everyone worked chewed their food. It was Twilight who broke the silence.

“I met the mayor today. He actually gave me the map for free, as you probably guessed by seeing the bits on the counter. He was very,” she paused to look for a word to convey his crazy, “very enthused to meet me. I didn’t know I was your first visitor. So this inn isn’t full, is it?”

Night Watched replied with a laugh, and no comment. Twilight continued.

“However, his… assistant? He was odd. He kept staring at me, and I don’t think it had anything to do with my bandages.”

“Well, the assistant was never known for his courtesy,” Night Watch scoffed. “All along the journey he always had something to complain about. Never would follow the orders of the mayor. And what good is a servant who doesn’t follow orders?”

“And he smells,” chimed in Writing Desk.

“Ignore him, I say.”

Night Watch and Writing Desk crossed their forelegs and nodded their heads in unison. Twilight smiled. Despite their constant calamity, they really were family.

She took a bite, and swallowed hard, hiding her grimace. Despite the taste, it was great to be catered to. That’s what she grew up with, anyways. Her parents, Cadance, the royal cook, all of them fed her through her youth. This was the worst food she had eaten in awhile, and she was sure even Spike would have—

Twilight stood with such force the glasses jumped. Writing Desk and Night Watch turned, their fight forgotten.

“I—” Twilight’s voice caught. She swallowed. “Excuse me.” She made for the stairs, leaving her hosts staring at each other.

Back in her room, Twilight lay awake, caught in another black hole.

Spike. How could she have ever pushed him to the side? He is the who that allowed her to function and continue to function outside of Canterlot, and stuck with her when she was on her own. What is a great researcher without a great assistant?

She hoped Applejack had passed on the letter she left, even if it was incomplete, but the more she thought about it the more shame filled her conscious. It was written on such short notice, a poor excuse of an apology. If she hadn’t already had the parchment laid out, she would have skipped over it, and that truth hurt. In a fit of self-preservation, she had forgotten the one most responsible for her successes post-Canterlot.

She wondered if he sat there now, in the dark, waiting for her to come back. If she were to be honest, she doubted Spike would ever enter the library again if he had anything to say about it, not without her.

“Spike,” she whispered. Her words wouldn’t have been audible to anyone in the room. “It’s my duty to report to Celestia, but I just… I can’t. I’m so scared, and I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you. I shouldn’t have left you with such a horrible last message. I wish you were here to tell me not to worry, to tell me that that Doctor isn’t headed straight to to Celestia to tell on me, or that Night Watch and Writing Desk are fine ponies for giving me a place to stay, and to tell me some jokes about that rude assistant.”

Her words spurred some thought. Maybe the town wasn’t so bad. She hadn’t heard of it before. She didn’t notice too many ponies staring while she was out. .

An internal force bubbled to the surface. Twilight felt a second, shadowy thought that while was her own, felt foreign and desperate.

“Don’t even think about it. Leave while you are still a ghost to them. Darkwood isn’t safe. Canterlot’s shadow is cast over the town every sundown. Do not help the foal any more. Don’t hold on. That life is over and you know it. Equestria will never accept you back into its hooves.”

Twilight sat in silence in the dark. She trembled. It was her throat that moved, her air that passed, but the origin of the warning was unknown. She hesitated to speak, unsure if she would be answering herself or someone else.

“I-I can still leave whenever I want. I will leave, I just can’t leave now. I’m too hurt. But this town isn’t so bad, at least not the innkeeper’s family. And the school teacher is kind too, so why not enjoy them while I’m here? Why not help out?”

The darkness deepened as Twilight waited for a response. No words came forth. Instead, Twilight went to sleep, ever-wary of the future, knowing every day was one closer to being caught.

She collapsed on the bed. Her head spun. Rest came with difficulty. She was already wary of her past, and the fact that Night Watch a Solar Guard made her uneasy. She imagined his ilk the kind to one day find her and drag her back to Celestia. The dull ache of her wounds had grown a point after her short day out, and she was in pain. Twilight attempted tugged off her cloak, but after many unsuccessful reaches, and her limbs protesting, she fell into a dark sleep in it.

Twilight awoke from the common blackness. The shift from sleeping to waking was sudden and left her disoriented. She clutched her pillow in her forelegs, and her body was damp with sweat, as if she awakened from a nightmare. It was at this time she noticed her room was without a clock, but she noticed sunlight peeked through the window. She stumbled to the bathroom.

She removed her bandages and washed. The entire process was lengthy and painful. Twilight had bruises and wounds in places she didn’t know, and too often she winced and dropped the soap and rag from her hoof. By the time she finished the water had run cold. Her horn remained unlit.

After delicately drying off, she attempted applying new bandages. It was almost impossible without magic, and what she was left with was a childlike pantomime of a real bandage change. Quite a few parts of her wounds were exposed, and stung in the air.

She returned to her bed. She looked at the books, considering the survival guide and the almanac, and she felt reluctance. It's not that she didn't want to read them; by virtue of being books she haven't read yet, she desired to read them. But the need, the urgency, was muted. However, she did pick up the the altus, the lesser commitment of the two.

She found a map of the south east region of equestria, and despite the age was able to make a rough guess of where she was at the south eastern top of Everfree Forest. She noticed the ruins of the castle of two sisters want that far north. She decided that the path south between Appleloosa and Dodge junction was her route. She had been to one and was sure the other would have many ponies who would recognize her. She'd have to travel for several days walking the countryside with nothing but the prairie expanding out to either side for leagues. Eventually, she would come to the badlands.

She turned a few pages, and found a mail of the badlands. It was curiously lacking the detail the other maps had. There was no scale. It looked like a barren dressy save a feature that looked like a black mountain. It was labeled Carsaurelia, and had a red letter “x” next to it. A quick look at the legend showed one entry, “do not enter”. Twilight was curious, never recalling Celestia mentioning this place. However, the reasoning didn't seem malicious, as Twilight had little inclination to ever travel there growing up. In truth, Twilight didn’t want to travel anywhere between the palace library and her room. She hadn't heard about it from anywhere, now that she talky thought about it. It seemed nopony was interested traveling the any time soon.

She closed that book, and opened the Dirt Scouts book. The name made her chuckle. The intro made this seem like an East pony’s equivalent to Flight School for Pegasus, or even Magic Kindergarten for unicorns, though she was sure this group was founded much earlier in history. The table of contents revealed this is exactly what she needed. There were some useless pages like helping an old mare across the street and how to make a paper mache volcano, but the chapters about camping struck out to her.

If she was to make it out on her own, the number one thing she would need is shelter. Exposure to the elements would wear her down before anything else and cause her to turn back on her mission. She turned to the page where she saw marked tent. The tent was bare bones. A rope, a waterproof sheet,and rocks to hold down the corners. The next page featured a tent that had more components, socks and a lot more fabric. Twilight didn't need that. I don't deserve it, too be honest. She made a mentalist to go to the hardware store to pick up rope.. if she had money.

As she made her way downstairs, she heard a shout, like an innkeeper losing his balance. Going as fast as she could, she walked downstairs to hear grumbling coming from behind the front desk. She approached to find a pile of knick knacks coming from the closet behind the desk. Night Watch was busy trying to shove it back into the closet, and shut the door. Twilight was keenly aware that his attempt was futile.

“Ah, excuse me?”

Night Watch’s head whipped around. Finding Twilight standing there watching him, he gave a coy smile. “Good morning Velvet Shine. I’d offer you breakfast, but that was hours ago, and lunch is soon.”

He stood up, kicking a knack with his rear hoof to the closet. It banged noisily off of the frame, and bounced back, striking his haunches.

“Are you okay there?”

“Yeah, just this darn closet is so disorganized. It hardly stays shut some days. Are you okay?”

Twilight could see he was eyeing her bandages. She her cheeks warmed. “I, could use some assistance, if you don’t mind.

Night watched looked left and right, then pointed at himself. “Are you sure I’m the one to help, ma’am?”

“Yes you are,” Twilight said while chuckling. “Nopony else is going to do it.”

Night Watch walked over to Twilight, who turned to the side to allow access to the knots she made. He shrugged, then went about redoing them, using his hooves and teeth. He had surprising dexterity. Twilight was most impressed. She could feel his breath on her though, and it tickled her fur.

Twilight coughed. “Thanks again, Night Watch. So. If you’d like, I could do another errand for you.”

Night watch didn’t reply immediately, finishing the last not. He stood back, satisfied. Twilight didn’t look like a raggedy doll coming apart anymore. “I don't think I have anything pressing right now to be honest lass,” Night Watch said as he went back to struggling with the closet.

Twilight put on her syst voice, half earnest apprehension, half entrepreneur spirit. “I could help you straighten out that closest. Organization is my strength. I’m sure it was almost my cutie mark.”

Night Watch gave her a look-over. “Are you sure? You looked dog tired last night. You really shouldn’t even be out of your room.”

“Trust me. Nothing will be more relaxing than fixing your glaring storage issue. And… maybe I can earn some of my keep?”

He raised an eyebrow at the words ‘glaring’ and ‘issue’, but Night Watch couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright Velvet, why the hay not? I’ve been at this for weeks now and, well, you see where it’s at.”

Twilight smiled, happy to be doing something. She hopped in place, but shortly collected herself. “Alright, first, I’m going to need you to do what I say. Second, I’m going to need pen and parchment.”

They got to work. The closet behind the desk was cluttered from being a coat closet, a storage closet, a pantry, and a tool shed all at once. Once Night Watch was finished with any task that removed him from his post at the front desk, the remaining utensils ended up in the closet. Twilight had to hide her distaste from the state of things, but she managed.

However, despite the mess, Twilight’s face warmed. She was doing something she loved, and it calmed her. She took inventory, sorting every last knick nack into categories and subcategories, and even further by size.

It felt normal. Dear Celestia, it felt normal. She felt in control. Night Watch was no Spike, and that thought made her do mental gymnastics to recover from the notion, but he was competent in following her suggestions and orders. She was right, too. If her cutie mark did not reflect her magical prowess, it surely would have been a filing cabinet.

They didn’t stop until Night Watch spoke up. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Twilight was about to protest before her stomach agreed for her. “It seems like my stomach is speaking for me.”

Night Watch laughed. “Thought so. We’ve been at this some time; lunch was an hour ago. Here,” he reached into a saddle bag that had been hung next to the other saddle bags at a convenient eye level. He set it gingerly on Twilight. She could hear the bits inside. “Since I never got around to cooking anything, go have some lunch, as a thank you. I think I’ll be able to finish up by the time you get back.”

Without her asking, he went back to the closet and retrieved the cloak he had let Twilight borrow the other day. Twilight touched it as it draped over her. She had her camouflage back. She was beginning to like it. Barely anyone could see her hide, but the town was very friendly. Twilight took comfort in believing they would be respectful if someone managed to notice.

“I’ll be back soon. Thank you again, for the cloak.”

“Thank you for the help. It looks good on you.”

Twilight stepped out of the inn for the first time that day. The sun was high above, but blocked by softly crying clouds. She forced herself to look at Canterlot. Even though it was naught but a vague shadow in the distance, she grasped the cloak as if it was something to protect her, but she still flinched. No pursuers, but Twilight doubted she would ever be comfortable looking at her home again.

She made off for the eatery she saw yesterday, the cloak floating behind her. True to his word, the cloak seemed to shrug off not just the mud from the paths, but the rain itself. Twilight made a note to learn what enchantment the the cloak had. After a slow walk, she arrived. The selection was varied which surprised Twilight. She thought this backwoods town would have a limited selection. She bought the cheapest snack,and was handed hay fries. They didn’t take long and arrived on a tray, and she carried it to a vacant table, the leftover bits clinking in her saddlebag.

She chose to eat out under the roofed patio, partly because of the her cloak giving her protection from Canterlot, and partly because the building was still under construction and she didn’t want sawdust getting in her meal. Also, she was alone.

She sat down with care. Her meal smelled fresh, and wouldn’t be surprised if the daisies were picked from the forest surrounding the town this morning. It tasted like they were.

Her quiet meal was interrupted by a familiar huff behind her. Twilight paused mid-bite. And held her breath. When no Solar Guards attacked her, she took another bite. Another mouthful of fries sent her back to heaven, leaving the huff in the background.

Another huff, and then another, kept interrupting her desperate quaintrility. She swallowed hard, and turned. It was Basil, eyeing her from the cruel corner of her eye from a nearby table. Across from him sat a sulking local, and facing away from Twilight was surely the mare.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, then rolled them. Basil tapped the mayor on the shoulder, and he looked around where Basil pointed. Twilight met his eyes and smiled, happy to see a friendly face. The mayor scowled deeper than Basil, before returning to the local without missing a step.

Twilight tried to return to her food, but she couldn’t help but wonder why was the mayor so rude today too. Looking back, Basil had ceased paying attention to her and was… on the lookout? Twilight wolfed down the last of her fries and left.

After lunch her next move was the general store, which was only a few shops down.

She first asked how much a ready made tent would cost but the store didn't have any. Instead she bought a long length of strong rope and a tarp. Still personally bitless, she had to haggle to by them at the amount the leftover lunch money could afford. She hoped she could use stones she found in the wild as her stakes to hold the makeshift tent down. As the shopkeeper was putting the goods in a bag, he spoke up.

“You know, you remind me of this other pony who came with us out here but shortly left. Stole— or should I saw borrowed— some survivalist gear. Just like you she didn't look the adventuring type. She was so serious about it, though, that she’d make it out here. Despite trekking out here like the rest of us she doesn't even stay in town. Some of us came here to start a new life, but I think trouble came with her; she gets sideways glances if she shows her face.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You know I get side eure looks too,right?”

“Well, you’re a visitor. Besides, I'm sure ponies are friendlier once they see that you're not that threatening under that hood you're wearing. You look like you took a wallop. Golly”

“Are you one of those ponies?”

The clerk smiled. “I’m gossiping with you, aren’t I?”

He set Twilight’s good into her saddle bag, thankfully without her having to ask. “Well sir, if you could, please don’t gossip about me. I’m just some nopony passing through.”

He winked. “Sure thing, miss.”

Twilight hobbled home. Judging by the sun, she was sure Writing Desk would be home soon. The ponies she passed on the street didn’t bat an eye at her. She followed the dirt path home and closed the door with haste.

She sighed, and slumped against the door. Her wounds throbbed the day’s walking, and she lay there wishing they would calm down. She looked up, and found Writing Desk seated at the table same as yesterday, looking at her. Just as expected.

“Yay, you’re back Velvet! I thought I was going to have to do this nonsense by myself.” Twilight forced herself to stand and smiled. She steadied herself, then walked over. She shrugged her saddle bags off on the floor and sat down hard next to Writing Desk. It hurt, but anything that got her mind off the mayor was good. She could tell Writing Desk was amused by her candid actions, smirking at her. She returned it.

“I have to say thank you Velvet Shine. Meadow Joy passed back my paper, and look what I got!” Writing Desk’s horn lit up and slid a paper out of his school folder. “Thanks so much, you made homework not a bore, and I got a good grade on it. Aren’t you proud?

And then Writing Desk wasn’t himself. He was Twilight, younger, happier. She was showing off her first assignment post cutie mark, the “A+” written the flowery horn writing of Celestia. Her smile was bright.

Aren’t you proud, Mother? Father?

We sure are, Twilight.

“Are you alright, Velvet Shine?”

And then young Twilight was Twilight was Writing Desk, her immense pride replaced by his concerned look.

“An A+, good job! I knew you had it in you.” Writing Desk’s concern didn’t wane. She swallowed hard, but smiled back to Writing Desk. “I’m sorry, just an old memory. You did good, Writing Desk. You should be proud. So, what’s up for tonight?”

The homework was a review of everything they learned the weak regarding math, in preparation for the test tomorrow before the weekend. After their session yesterday, Writing Desk was able to pick up the week’s previous work with little trouble. It took a while for Writing Desk’s to relax, but soon the work engrossed him. Twilight found herself remaining silent, the soft scratches of pen the only sound in the large empty lobby of the inn. It wasn’t too long before Writing Desk had conquered his work.

Hours passed by while Twilight helps Writing Desk with his schoolwork. Night Watch would walk through the room, from upstairs to the kitchen, or the kitchen to the closet, but he would always observe, never interject. Twilight could sense Writing Desk’s tension when his father entered, his focused sharpened and the playfulness fell out of his voice, but she’d counteract his nervousness with a compliment there, and a smile here. While he never solved a problem completely on his own, Twilight was aware she was steering his hoof less and less. A quick check by Twilight and they were done. Twilight was beaming, pleased with not only the lad’s progress but with herself.

Twilight rested her heads in her hooves, her eyes drooping. Soon she realized they were alone. “Is Night Watch around? I’m surprised he’s not here rummaging around for something.”

“He stopped sulking about looking for a problem halfway through my assignment. I guess he went to run an errand,” said Writing Desk. His relief at that fact was sincere. He was sliding his chair in, packing up his stuff.

Twilight frowned. She could’ve done the errand for him. Night Watch must be going easy on her; she needed his bits more than his sympathy.

They book was closed, and “You know, I already can see an improvement in both your skill and your attitude,” she said.

“I still think it’s rubbish,” Writing Desk protested, but Twilight could see he was trying to hide a smile.

“It’s so useful, though. Let’s say one day you decide to run this inn when your father retires.”

“There’s no way I’m running this inn. It sounds like too much work, and I’d rather do science experiments or write a book.”

“Well, if you did math, formulas in science will get easier in the future. However, you could still have a lab here, just clean out that stuffy closest.” Twilight laughed. “You could even run this place while being a writer, I’m sure it’s not too high maintenance. Keeping this place would probably make your father happy. He’d be so happy to see his son mature, and bloom into the person you were meant to be. To grow and become a contribution to society.”

“Twilight?”

Twilight gasped, becoming aware of herself. Her blurry vision cleared, and she had to wipe her face for the second time that night.

“You’re not okay?” asked Writing Desk. The sincerity of his voice caught Twilight off guard.

Twilight stood and looked away, wiping her tears. “No, I’m not okay. It hurts, but I’ll manage. Like I said, it doesn’t hurt as much as it should.”

Slight pressure on her foreleg caused her to look down. Writing Desk had extended a reassuring hoof, and he was staring into her eyes. “No one as kind as you should hurt like this.”

Writing Desk was a good foal, and helping him made Twilight feel something. She returned the hug, thankful for his tenderness, then left him to finish and went upstairs. It didn’t take long to pack the tarp and rope in one side of her saddle bags, and the Dirt Scouts book into other. When she returned to the lobby she found it empty as she walked through it, no trace of Night Watch or Writing Desk.

Twilight shut the door behind her, and breathed deeply. She dried her eyes. It was almost twilight on the gloomy day. The drizzle from earlier was gone, leaving everything damp in the humid afternoon air. She allowed her her thoughts to flash pieces of her encounter with the monster from the other day. It made her appreciate the quiet so much more.

She looked up at Canterlot. Her breath became slow and ragged. The setting sun was pushing canterlot’s shadow over the town. From where she could see, ponies had slowly left the crop fields across town leaving only the determined farms left. Those leaving were returning home, some after a few stops at the market or the handful of stores Darkwood had. The loudest sound was the critters in the forest, and they were only a soft murmur she had to strain to hear. Twilight walked around the inn to the edge of the forest. Its canopy cast everything in dim shadow, but despite everything she entered. It wasn’t long before she couldn’t see the town behind her through the trees of Everfree Forest.

***

Tying a rope to a tree without magic was one of the hardest things Twilight had ever done. At least half an hour of struggling transpired between her unpacking her gear and getting the rope to hang nicely between two trees in the dry clearing she had found. She may have screamed in exacerbation once or twice before remembering herself and resolving to stay quiet. At a point managed to get both end tied and she threw the tarp over to find it hanging uselessly too high off the ground, requiring her to redo the knots lower. Despite all that, she did not miss her magic— or, she told herself she didn't.

As the shadows grew long, Twilight managed to pitch her tent. It was shorter than she was expecting, shorter than head level to ensure the two walls of tarp were wide enough to lay between. She shrugged off her saddle bag, removed Dirt Scouts and slid it under the tarp. She spread the book out, and rested her forelegs on the bag. She began to read.

The forest’s pratter of noise underneath the warm last light of the setting sun made Twilight feel safe and snug, to the detriment of her cognition. She turned to the page of edible plants with little conviction, and only skimming for useful informations. Instead, a thought appeared in her head, one that was growing over the past two days. One that muted the forces driving her to act.

“I really could stay here.” The words escaped her mouth before she could stop herself. The internal force rose to react, but she was quick enough to stop it. A ghostly “no” echoed in her thoughts, but nothing more.

Twilight knew the force was not truly gone, and she knew she was being overly optimistic. In an effort to appease it (or herself?), she tried to refocus. Her thoughts searched for something useful she already knew, to make this search easier. She remembered from the map that the badlands were seemingly untraveled desert. She would need to work out out which foods could grow despite poor conditions. With luck, they would clue her into what she could find in the that wasteland.

“Bitterberries,” she read aloud.

“Bitterberries are an edible fruit by many species in the Rubus genus and local to the San Palomino Desert. They are grape sized, and are blood red with orange markings near where the fruit connect to the stems. They grow in bunches on bushes low to the ground. When picked, the pit stays with the plant, leaving a hollow center. They’re incredibly sweet, with their name a reference to their tenacity of growing in the hot and rainless climate of the desert, and not their taste. The pits grow easily, requiring the same care as the full grown plant; little but occasional rain and lots of sun. They’re popular treats for all desert wildlife, and as such can be hard to find. The stems of the bitterberry plant are palpably tart, but eating them will soon make one horribly sick, if not outright requiring medical attention. Any Dirt Scout ingesting the stem should immediately inform a parent, guardian, or a senior Mud Scout. Furthermore…”

“Daddy, can I join the Dirt Scouts?”

Twilight bolted upright to a headache at the base of her horn. She knew that voice, it was small and unsure, but enthusiastic. Her vision swirled, and she tried to hold her head. Her breathing was a hiss against the throbbing pain.

“Ask your mother, son.”

That voice she knew better. It was Night Watch. Her sight started to steady

“Can I join the Dirt Scouts, mommy?”

Twilight shrieked, jumping up. She tangled herself in the rope above, and fell to the ground in a heap in the tent. Her heart pounded. The voice had asked her.

A couple minute passed as she laid there. Twilight’s breathing settled. The hornache faded, and while she was sure her vision was back to normal she couldn’t see anything. She dared not think what any of that vision meant, and locked it away right next to her attack.

She began to rise when there was a sound. It made Twilight freeze in place and hold her breath. The forest was still full of the soft sounds from earlier, but what she heard didn’t sound apart from it. It was too rhythmic.

The sound happened again, this time from another direction. She struggled to remove herself from the tarp and finally stood up. Some time had past. It was dusk, with only deep purples in the sky above. The glade was cast in deep shadow, and was still empty except her, but this time Twilight knew what she heard. The subtle thuds were uniform in a recognizable pattern, as shuffling hoofsteps always were.

A few breaths went by without any sound, so she uncovered the book and saddlebag from the mess of tarp. There was silence as she slid the bag on. Every movement came with a long pause as she strained to listen to the forest, her ears scanning all around her. Whoever was there, they could see she was alert. She was sure her thumping heart could be heard clearly.

A voice yelped in the woods. Twilight turned around just in time to catch the horrible sight. Two disembodied eyes above a cruel, cheshire like smile launched directly at her from the woods. It’s lips twisted cruelly, eager to surely eat her. She stay rooted to the spot, terrified, as they chomped down on her…

...and passed through her. She felt the wind carrying the face made of light rustle her mane, and that was all. She looked, seeing the inverse of the face as it floated to the tree line opposite of her.

Was that an illusion? she thought to herself.

When the illusion neared the trees, her stomach dropped even further. The light from the spell started reflecting off unseen shiny bodies. One, then two, then three, the numbers grew until the spell finally faded. The silence was only a courtesy, Twilight had seen them and they had seen her. She weighed her options for a moment, then took off running to her left, away from both whoever cast the illusion and the beings of the forest.

A fight broke out behind her. She could hear critters running away, as if to escape, but over that she heard the voices of many ponies grunting and yelling. Flashes of green and red painted the trees in front of her, lighting her path, as she could hear a struggle behind her. Twilight dared not look back, sprinting as fast as she could given the limited vision. The further she ran, the quieter the struggle became and the dimmer the lights grew, but she became aware of a new sound. The sounds of many flapping wings too many to count, was following her.

Twilight couldn’t see the danger as she ran, but they were gaining. They never stumbled along the ground when she did, their wings carrying them almost tirelessly towards her. The sound grew ever louder, filling her ears. She screamed for somebody to help her.

Twilight broke the tree line. She kept running right into a wooden wall, where she crumpled. Adrenalin picked her up, and she continued screaming, knocking on the wall as she tried to round the building. A door opened, striking her and throwing her on her haunches. Night Watched peaked from the other side.

“They’re coming, help me!” Twilight hissed. “Help me, save me, please!”

Night Watch took a glance at the forest, then started to stomp over to her. His gait was hurried, anger in his eyes.

He rounded on her “What did I say?” His volume matched hers, but his voice was joyless. It scared Twilight. She scrambled back, pressing herself against the wall of the inn. “I said get in before dark? Can’t you listen, lass? Now get, get inside!”

There was no warmth in his voice, just furious urgency. Twilight started to cry, despite herself. “Why are you yelling?”

Night Watch shoved her towards the door, and Twilight fell to the ground. “Get in!”

Twilight scrambled to stay up. Her wounds both her muscles and her wounds were giving her pain. Night Watch took a strong step forward. She glanced at the woods, the horror fresh on her mind. Nightwatch Bent down and bit the straps to her saddle bags, and began dragging her to the door. She fought to get away, but she couldn’t undo the straps, and she couldn’t trump the strength of an earth pony.

Of a former Solar Guard.

Nightwatch tossed her through the open door. He took one look into the dark forest. From behind him, Twilight could still see the colored flashes dimly from within the forest. At the edge, staring back, where three figures, their bodies outlining them by reflecting lights from behind. Nightwatch stared them down, before slamming the door behind them.

“What did I say?” he bellowed.

Twilight tried to say something. “I'm… I’m sorry!”

Night Watch took a step towards her, growling. “I give you one order and you can't adhere to it?”

Twilight whimpered.

Night Watch lumbered back to the door, looking through the window. Twilight could only see blackness on the other side of the glass. Hoofsteps caused them both to turn, and Writing Desk was at the base of the stairs.

“You go to bed,” shouted Night Watch, his voice only barely calming down for his song. Writing Desk didn’t resist, turning back up the stairs but not before giving Twilight a concerned look.

However, it was enough to cause Night Watch ‘s tirade, to falter. He closed his eyes, composing himself. When he spoke again, his anger was there, but his volume was speaking level. “You’ve met them,” he said to himself.

Twilight still heard. “Who?” she croaked, finding her voice raw.

“Those figures you saw. Those dark stalkers,” he said, his words full of contempt. “The ones too afraid to give a pony a fair fight, who prefer deceit and trickery to achieve their goals— and who always, no matter what, achieve their goals. Always, until now.”

Night Watch smiled, but it carried no joy in it. “You actually did me a favor. You confirmed my suspicions. You met the Lunar Knights.”

Author's Notes:

Now this has been a long time coming. I created the original document that became this chapter on February 10th, 2015. I've put out three chapters since then. My last chapter came out a year to the day! But sometimes these things take a while.

Many times this year I thought about quitting and just posting what happens in a blog post. I did other projects. I lost my editor, and to be honest I deserved it. I'm in three bands right now. I've switched roommates. I've fallen out and mended ties with my best friend. There's been lots of up and downs since the last time I was able to grace your screens.

Thank you for sticking around. I'm sure I've lost some of you since I started just shy over four years ago, and I deserve it. Nevertheless, I'll continue to work to bring to you my story. I present to you readers the next chapter of Modulation. The plot only gets deeper from here. Please let me know if it was worth the wait.

Chapter 14 — Exhume

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— Chapter 14 : Exhume —

As Rainbow Dash descended on quiet wings, she got a full view of the glamorous Las Pegasus. Downtown— or was it uptown?— floated on clouds beneath her. She flew in a wide curve, circling the city and making it spin as if in a display case. Lights shined up to her, annoying her eyes with the high contrast to the otherwise dark Equestrian countryside. Dash leaned away from the city, turning her descent into a wide spiral circling the main thoroughfare.

The floating city was grandiose, where Dash had to acknowledge it. It wasn’t as large as Cloudsdale, but it didn’t need to be. Cloudsdale was a community for families; this was a haven for those ponies who wanted just a bit more fun in their lives just a bit further from the eyes of Canterlot.

In the center of downtown there was one center golden walkway connection the four main floating islands, each cluttered with garish, flashy glass buildings. One even held a mini fairground, complete with a roller coaster circling a ferris wheel. The top of each floating island supported a solid platform around the base meant for the flightless ponies visiting. Dash could see from this height many ponies traversing the pathway despite the late hour. The sun wouldn’t be up for a few more hours, but it was long past Luna’s hour.

Eventually, Dash passed the threshold of the platforms and was under the city, it spiraling away above her. She noticed spotlights dancing on the undercloud, lighting up the perpetual party from below.

She tilted forward, increasing her rate of descent and sweeping her eyes along the undercity. It spread out underneath her, a wide, flat, almost eternal subdivision where all of the ponies who made Las Pegasus run like clockwork twenty-four hours a day rested. Lights glowed softly in neat rows for miles. There was a small splattering of high rises in the middle of the city, directly under the floating uptown, where Rainbow Dash could see the source of the searchlights; a large waterpark resort nestled in the middle of downtown. Dash glanced around at the desert that surrounded the town in utter darkness. In the distance she could spot lights, presumably taxis bringing earth ponies and unicorns to the floating tourist part of the city.

She dived low to find some nocturnal pony to ask for directions.

***

Looking back to the street, Dash saw iron fences lined both sides, periodically broken by brick pillars containing mailboxes. At least Dash thought they were mailboxes, but the doors could easily be confused for a garbage receptacle if they weren’t higher off the ground and numbered. She wondered how a pony indicated they had mail to be picked up. Beyond the fences was greenery obscuring the dwellings further back in the lot, along with the cover night. She walked the street, looking for the number she needed. It wasn’t long before she found the lot that belonged to her author. It was a two story building that looked like a mansion in all but size. The house was smaller than what the lot implied, about as wide as Fluttershy’s cottage but longer. She briefly contemplated the buzzer on the outer wall before leaping into the air and over the gate.

She flew to the front door. She rapped it twice, and waited in the dark. Soon enough, a light turned on upstairs, and footsteps approached the door. She could hear the locks of the door turn too quick for Dash to ready herself and suddenly the door was open.

The pony that opened the door simply glared at her. He was old, much older than what Rainbow Dash was expecting. His mane was a fading dirt red, his beard white and neatly trimmed. Under his plush-looking house coat his actual coat was a lightly tan brown.

“Well?”, he snapped, his voice gravelly. “Are you going to explain why you’re ringing my doorbell at this Celestia-forsaken hour?”

Dash took a firm step forward. “Are you Spinner, the author?”, she demanded. Her voice was hushed, but terse. She had traveled so far, and this was all she had left.

“Did you miss the sign out front? Who else would answer the door? Look here sweetie, I don’t like my sleep to be disturbed so get on with what you want or get off my porch.”

Dash was taken aback. The pony’s voice was fragile, yet stern. Dash took a step back, but straightened up. “If you’re Spinner, I need your help. My friend is in danger and she’s following your work, and I need your help cutting her off.”

The pony looked her up and down, and Dash did the same. He was elderly, probably not as old as Granny Smith but certainly up there. His eyes were sharp however, and remained critical.

“If you’re gonna help, can you do it now?” Dash said as she glanced over her shoulder. “There’s ponies who don’t exactly want me to find her- my friend- at least, not as soon as she should be found.”

Finally, the pony stepped aside. “I am Spinner. You’re welcome inside, for now. You better have a good reason to bother me this late.”

Dash stepped in the entryway and Spinner closed the door behind her. To her immediate left and right were doorways into rooms too dark to see. She was in a wide hall, and ahead stairs went up on the right while the hall continued on the left. Spinner walked past the stairs, further into the house. Dash followed.

Spinner’s house was like a time capsule. The walls were lined with knick knacks the way restaurants were, but Rainbow Dash suspected they were authentic. They stepped into the a dim room, decorated with dark shapes she couldn’t make out, until Spinner lit a candle, illuminating the room. They were in a kitchen. Dash’s stomach made its presence known.

A low grunt came from Spinner, something Dash wasn’t sure was a laugh or not. “I figured you’d be hungry. I’ll make you a sandwich, but in the meantime, I want a more complete reason as to why you’re here.”

As Spinner began to rummage for ingredients, Dash began to speak. “First off, not many ponies know where I am and what I’m doing, so keep quiet about me being here, ok? Don’t tell anyone I was here. Anyone at all.’

She continued, “as I said, I’m looking for my friend. I’m at the end of my rope for clues, and it seems like you’re my last chance at finding her. So far, every clue I found was either written by you or was connected to your work.”

“Clues?” asked Spinner as he set the ingredients down.

“Clues. Books. Your name in the index, author of a story, another story being similar to yours. Stuff I keep finding keeps pointing to you.”

He set out four slices of bread. “I am a scholar, these things tend to happen. Continue. Who is this friend? Why do you have to find her?”

“My friend she, she caused an accident. A bad one, and it has people looking for her. And she’s scared. I haven’t seen her in weeks, but I remember her face when I last saw her. She was really afraid, she knew this was a bad mistake. I wanted to ask her questions, but I lost track of her.”

“Really? A pegasus lost track of someone?”

“She teleported away.”

“Mhmm. That would explain it.”

“Something wasn’t right. I had to follow her, to find out why was she so afraid. At first the trail was cold, not even her mentor had heard what happened, but if I know my friend, she loves books, and going to the largest library in Equestria proved to be worth my while. She had been there. I found a silly book, about fact or fiction, and the writing in it was of a unicorn’s. Pages were ripped out, and your name was circled. From there I flew to another library that had the book that was referenced, and there were more pages ripped out.”

“If your friend is who I think she is, I already dislike her. Ripping out pages of books? Out of my books?” Dash cringed at his look. Of course a scholar wouldn’t appreciate a copy of his work being defaced.

“But that’s the thing, she would never do that to a book, but now all of a sudden she’s ripping out pages? I know something has really gotten to her, she’s really afraid.”

“If she is so afraid, if this mistake is so large, why do you have to be the one to find her? Aren’t there more… authoritative ponies who could handle this?”

It was Dash’s turn to study Spinner. “The same reason why I’m here. It seems like she found a way to fix her mistake. Actually, to at least help her fix it. And that’s where this trail gets dangerous. That’s where you come in. She’s looking for power, I guess she can’t cast the spell she’d need without it. Why else would she be looking for that jewel?”

Spinner froze. “Child I know of what you speak of. The Dragon’s Jewel. That piece of stone has shaped so much of my life. If your friend seeks it, you’re right to be worried.”

“So you can help me find it?”

“I don’t know where it is.”

Rainbow Dash sunk back to her stool. “So you researched it but never found it?”

Spinner stood. “I didn’t say that,” he grunted. “Eat this. We’ll talk in the morning.”

Dash stood too. “So you’ll help me?”

“You’re the second pony to ask me about my work so recently. I’m curious to see what’s got people interested again.”

Dash’s head snapped to Spinner. “Second? Who was the first?”

“It was… Uh...” Spinner scrunched up his face and tapped his chin with a hoof. “I don’t remember.”

Dash leaned forward. “Was it Tw—” Her words caught in her mouth. She dared not finish the name. She searched Spinner’s face for an emotion, something to tip he understood anyways. Spinner’s face was blank.

“That does sound familiar,” he finally replied. “She was cloaked, but I believe she mentioned her name began with a ‘T’.”

Dash stared intently. She began another question and swallowed it. How much does he know? Finally, she asked “Can you tell me if she a unicorn?”

Spinner nodded and set down the simple sandwiches in front of Dash. “Yes, I was sure of that. And if helps, her coat was of a cool color, as opposed to warm” He disappeared down into the main hallways, leaving dash to chew over the information. Dash saw a light come to life from one of the side rooms near the entrances. She took that time wolfed down the sandwiches, grateful to eat something aside from grass, before Spiner shortly returned.

“Then what’s next?” she asked. “What do we have to do?”

“We need to go to the local university library. My partner and I operated out of there, and his report has been resting there for some time now.”

Dash crouched, ready spring. “Great, let’s go!”

“Slow down flygirl, we’ll do it in the morning.”

“We don’t have until the morning!”

Spinner raised an eyebrow. “The library isn’t open for hours.”

Dash floated back to the ground and chuckled. “Oh yeah. Well, it wouldn’t be the first building I’ve broken into.” Spinner didn’t return her humor. She stood, clearly unsure of what to do with herself. Spinner, deciding he made her suffer enough, said, “you can sleep in my spare bedroom.”

“Yes!” said Dash. She was ready to go back and sleep on a cloud, but it would’ve left her exposed to whatever Luna or Shining Armor had in store for her. She followed Spinner up the stairs, and into an empty guest room. It was incredibly barren compared to the rest of the knickknack-laden house, and a regular bed would never compare to a cloud bed, but Rainbow Dash was please she was sleeping inside for once. She would remain concealed with no one knowing she was here.

“We’ll take off in the morning. Until then.” Spinner nodded at Dash as he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Dash walked over, her paranoia flaring. She tried the handle, and found the door unlocked. She sighed, sitting back on the bed. Despite her nerves, it wasn’t long until she was also under the covers.

The smell of breakfast helped rouse Rainbow Dash from her sleep. She stopped by the bathroom before heading downstairs. Her host was infinitely more welcoming in the daylight, and the shapes hiding in the shadows turned into objects of great interest. They were likely trophies from Spinner’s youth. Most of them were photographs inlaid into some of the most obtuse picture frames.

She arrived at the bottom of the stairs and turned down the hallway to the kitchen. She spotted Spinner slowly heaping more and more food onto a plate. When she stepped into the kitchen, the smell became overwhelming.

“Please tell me that’s for us.”

Spinner, despite his obvious joy from cooking, still replied flatly. “I’m not about to toss it in the trash.”

Rainbow Dash pulled up to the counter and began eating. Spinner kept himself busy cleaning up. Before Spinner was finished, Dash set her dish on the counter next to him. He gave her a stern look, but Dash didn’t notice; she was pacing.

Spinner sat down to eat. Dash huffed,and it wasn’t long until her pacing took her out of the room. Spinner watched her leave, but remained silent, chewing his food.

Dash walked down the long hall to the entrance. She didn’t realize just how densely packed Spinner’s house was when she got there in the night. She passed dressers stacked with books, tools, and memorabilia. She got to the entrance and looked back. Spinner was looking at her, but didn’t say anything. Dash dipped into a side room. It was full of pictures. Dash was looking over all of them, and Spinner was in most, if not all of them. There was something she noticed, though, Spinner was young in all of them. One of them caught her eye. She plucked it off the wall and tucked it under her wing.

Back in the kitchen, she set it down on the counter as Spinner was rising to wash his plate.

“Hey, how do you know this guy?”

Spinner glanced over. He froze, the dish half in the sink, and his pupils shrunk.

Dash wasn’t looking at him. “I swear I’ve seen him around Ponyville— that’s where I’m from.”

The picture was four ponies, two stallions and two mares. The mares, an earth pony and a pegasus, didn’t look familiar at all. The stallions on the other hand, were what caught Dash’s attention. One was obviously a young Spinner. He looked about as old as Cheerilee. The pony next to him though was familiar. A grayish amber coat, a dark brown mane. The only thing that felt missing was his tie.

“T-That’s… That’s…”Spinner’s voice was straight. He coughed, composing himself. “Time Turner, my old partner.” Spinner wasn’t a very emotive guy, but the coldness in his voice was obvious even to Dash.

“I… Think that was his name?” She scanned the picture again and frowned. “Hey, what’s his cutie mark?”

“If I remember correctly, it was a trowel.” Spinner grabbed another photo, this time with just the two of them, and they looked even younger, Just barely older than Rainbow and her friends.

“The guy I know has an hourglass.”

“Well, a light brown coat and a dark brown mane isn’t uncommon.”

“I guess. Who are the rest of the ponies in the picture”.

Spinner finally resumed the dishes. “They’re nobodies, hired help for the expedition.”

Dash looked at the two mares harder. The pegasus had a sun obscured by a cloud as her cutie mark. The earth pony, surprisingly, had a cloud as well, with drops of rain under it. Dash didn’t know many earth ponies with weather related marks. “Wow, an expedition, just like Daring Doo. Why did you get this photo anyways?”

Spinner grumped. “No, not just like Daring Doo. This was real life, and we were professionals. Anyways, funny you grabbed this picture. This is of what we need. Your friend is looking for the Dragon’s Jewel? These are the ponies who went looking for it. Time Turner was my best friend. This journey is why I wrote those books. I always wanted to be a writer, but I was good at archeology, which was also fun.”

“Wait, if you found it, did you tell Twilight? Why can’t we just go there?”

“The answer to those questions,” said Spinner, not missing a beat, “are that I don’t know where it is.”

“What? You were there! Don’t give me that!”

“I quit the expedition. I didn’t see it through to the end.”

“You abandoned your friends?”

“They abandoned me. The ponies I left on that trip weren’t the ponies I started with. I feel things started to change as we went along. The Jewel was affecting them, I think, just like in the stories.”

“Well, what happened? Did they find the Jewel or not?”

“They did, but I left shortly afterword. I haven’t heard from them since.”

Dash looked back to the picture. “Spinner, this picture is from when you were my age. How have you not heard from your friend since?”

“You don’t know how changed they were. How changed he was. It was disgusting, I could only see a sliver of my friend, and only the worst parts.”

Dash wasn’t happy. “So you don’t know where the Jewel is, then? I doubt he let you take it.”

“He wouldn’t have let me take it, assuming I would even try. It’s something nopony should own. I don’t know where it is, but I have a hunch where I can find it. The day I left that expedition was the day I left archeology, or at least fieldwork. I retired, came here, the town of my college, University of Las Pegasus. I tried to ignore what happened, but I was angry. I knew Time Turner would publish my work that I did for him even though I left, so I kept my connection open, my line to the school to send word if anything was published by him. He finally did it, all this time later.”

The silence hung in the air. Spinner looked over the bridge of his glasses at Rainbow Dash, watching her work it out.

“What took so long?”

“I don’t know. It came as a surprise, actually. I’d mostly forgotten about them, him, until I got the letter from the college alerting me the work had been submitted. The findings weren’t a big splash, the journal it was published in didn’t regularly carry this kind of work, and it was unknown even to me at the time. I don’t know what took so long, because I never read it.”

“How could you not read it? That was your whole life once! You’re now a bitter old man and you haven’t ever read it?”

“If you please, can we leave how I live my life out of this? You have a friend to save, don’t you?”

Dash landed on the ground. Her face was stern, but she didn’t reply.

“The plan is simple. We go to the library—”

“—a Library?” Dash’s disinterest was apparent. “Real archeology is boring.”

“Boring? Boring! I—” but Spinner caught himself, and shook his head. “As I said, we go the library, we read what happened, and we go from there. I never told your friend where the Jewel was because I couldn’t, only that it was in the desert, but I doubt Time Turner has parted with that jewel in all these years. But the report should give us a starting point on figuring out what happened, and where the Jewel rests today. Or maybe it won’t, but that’s our first step and all I have right now.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

“For me to grab my coat.”

***

Rainbow Dash and Spinner stepped onto the desolate street. Spinner shut the gate behind them. In the light, Dash could easily see that Spinner’s grand house was incredibly modest among the others in his cul-de-sac.

“Where is your university?”

Spinner nodded generally West. “It’s on the other side of town—”

Dash rocketed into the sky, leaving the sentence unfinished. She quickly rose through the air, high enough to see to the other edge before she caught herself. When she returned to street level, Spinner was giving her a disappointed look.

“I’m glad you remembered me. You may not need to be a student or faculty to read books at the library, but the journals there will be much more difficult to locate and I doubt you’d be allowed into their section alone off the street.”

Dash paced. “Well then are you coming or not? Can you call a cab?”

“Out here? We’ve got to get much closer to do that.”

“Ugh. How about I go get a cab, and bring it back to you?

“I don’t know if that—”

Dash was in the air, and didn’t hear his sentence. Spinner huffed, glancing at the sun’s position in the sky and wondering how long this was going to take. However, it wasn’t long until Dash was back, and with an airborne cab flying close behind.

“Hey, he’ll take us to the Library. Hop in, let’s go.”

Spinner looked from Dash to the cabbie and back. He grunted, and slid into the cab. The cabbie rose into the air, and Dash followed.

Spinner spent the trip keeping his eyes on Dash, as if studying her. Dash could tell, but she didn’t care. She was sure she was exciting enough to warrant study. Instead, her eyes remained on the ground, scanning for any sign of Shining and Anchor. She wasn’t afraid of them; far from it, but but no need to land if they were anywhere nearby.

The university was on the other side of the town. The flight took long, and every second Dash was burning to know what the report held and what would it tell her. She tried not to think what would happen if she got to Twilight after The Dragon’s Jewel wrapped her in its apparent curse.

Dash flew over the library several times before joining Spinner on the ground. He had since paid the cab fare and they had left.

“So what’s the plan?”

Spinner chortled. “Plan? This isn’t one of your Daring Do books, girl. We walk in, ask if the report is here or out on loan, and we go have a look. We read, we learn, we walk out. This is the boring part of archeology, the research part, the real part.”

Dash was listening, but she was also looking around the front of the Library. It was vast. Unlike the Weaving Library at the University of Vanhoover, this one was several times its size and, at least by the time she got down there, ponies were attending class. The alien feeling returned, and she stuffed it away. What replaced it instead was unease.

The college campus was packed with ponies coming and going everywhere. In the middle of the day, there were easily hundreds of students wandering the plaza. Dash couldn’t keep an eye on them. She glanced back to the Library. Her flyover revealed a lot of windows, but not a lot of exits. She doubted she’d have the time to open one and fly away. She also doubted she could just fly through one. She knew the window she broke in Ponyville was a fluke, and she could’ve gotten hurt.

She also remembered she owed that store another window, but it would have to wait.

“Spinner, I need you to go in and find it alone. I’ll… watch from outside.”

Spinner considered for a few seconds, but agreed without resistance.

“Good. I’ll be hovering outside, waiting to see if you worked out anything.”

“You know, I won’t be able to bring the material to you to see. If it’s where I remember it is, it’s in storage room with all the out-of-date journals.”

“That’s fine. Look, tell me the info you need, and that should be all I need.”

Spinner nodded, and turned to walk up the steps to the entrance. Dash leapt up, fling to one of the broad windows. Ponies stared, but she didn’t care. Inside she saw Spinner head to the main desk. She couldn’t get the best angle, but the conversation was short and he was on his way. Spinner glanced out the window, locking eyes with Dash briefly. He began to walk.

Dash followed him as Spinner walked the halls. It wasn’t long before Dash realized he was taking a long route, but one that kept him visible. Finally, he came to a door along a hallway. The actual entrance was directly behind a bookshelf, and Dash could see down the rows but couldn’t see him. He looked at her once more before disappearing inside.

Dash waited. Dash hated waiting. Ponies passed through the room, walking about their day. This was the longest she had to sit around, and it ate her up. She liked to be moving, and preferably towards her goal.

Her string tugged gently.

Finally, Spinner came to the window, forcing it after a few shoves. “Dash, there’s a rough map. It looks good enough to help but…”

Rainbow Dash noticed Spinner was despondent. “What’s wrong, Spinner?”

He was looking past her. He swallowed, and slid his glasses to his hoof to wipe his face. “I… you should read this. You friend is in incredible danger.”

Danger?” Dash asked as she floated in. Spinner closed the window behind her with a heavy click.

Dash followed Spinner down the long bookcase, across the hall, and into the record room. The journal was laid out, looking pristine and untouched for being 50 years old. Dash had seen brand new Daring Do books in worse shape after only a week at a Twilight’s library. Spinner continued to be silent, staring at the paper. Dash began to read the page laid before her.

...the desert trek wasn’t worth it. As per our study, we sought the desert jewel to determine its existence, and to see if it held any magical properties. While we can confirm the jewel exists, it held no properties but ill fortune. Raindrops and Sunshower were studying the jewel in its resting place when the dig site collapsed. Neither made it. I was unable to save them, and the experiments of the stone were showing no signs of any remotely magical properties. The experiment was a failure, and I returned, following my partner back to our respective colleges. The site is marked by raised hill of shallow sand with hard rock underneath, approximately at the coordinates ...

“Those names...” Dash began as looked back to the author It wasn’t hard to put together. The mares in the photo. “Oh geez, Spinner—”

Spinner raised a hoof and hook his hand. “I’ll tell you this, Dash. The coordinates are right, or at least close enough. But there are some things I don’t understand. We had extracted the stone, and were studying it. We had begun experimenting with it. Here’s what the report doesn’t tell you. Here’s why your friend should be careful.’

“Time Turner was a determined pony. He was driven by science, by going to places no one had been before. This wasn’t the first expedition we did for a magical stone, but this one was a legitimate power stone. We both were driven to find its secrets. It proved difficult to get any information from the stone, true; we were shooting in the dark. But over time, Time Turner became more ruthless, suggesting more and more to accelerate our experiments, to involve living ponies in our experiment already. I pushed back, but he struck me down, literally. That’s when I gave him my final warning, and left him with our two other members.”

“If you knew it was affecting him, why did you leave? Why didn’t you stay and make them leave with you?”

“That’s not how we worked.”

“That’s a load of horse feathers and you know it!”

“No, he lead. He was the brains. He was the charismatic one, the tenacious one, which is why this truly disturbs me. Why lie about how far we got the stone? Did he figure something out? Did they… Sunshower… Raindrops… Did they really, are they really…?”

Dash watched Spinner. He set a hoof on the table, and shut his eyes, his frown deepening.

“He didn’t publish for years, and hasn’t since. Why did it take him so long? It says it was guilt to our teammates, respect for informing their families first. Hold on—”

Spinner lumbered out of the room. Dash watched him go. She went to the journal, flipping through the report, looking for anything useful. Spinner’s story about Time Turner’s change alarmed her. Twilight was desperate, the last thing she needed was to be changed by jewel for the worse. The coordinates meant nothing to her, but reading directions from a map is a basic skill of any pegasi looking to travel any sort of distance. It wasn’t long before she calculated the miles it would take to reach the estimated dig site. It was close, a fast pace for a few hours would bring her to the rough square couple of miles of where the site could be.

Spinner opened, the door, looking fully distraught. “Hey, are you okay?” Asked Dash.

Spinner walked over to the report, and fell into himself. He slouched, looking dumbfounded at the paper. “Rainbow Dash, they’re all dead. Even Time Turner. He passed away decades ago, his estate sold off, according to his obituary. The two mares were reported technically missing but assumed dead, after this report was made.”

“I’m so sorry Sp—”

“—I was a fool, Dash! I let my best friend get lost, lose himself to that stone, and wrote him off. I can never forgive myself for that. He was with me from the start of my career, one year ahead, always leading us to great studies, worthwhile adventures, and now he’s lost, along with the rest of our crew. We were like a family before it fell apart. I never told Sunshower how I felt.” He turned to Dash, his old eyes lit, his face grim. “Dash, you have time to avoid this fate.’

“Look, you pegasi are good with directions right?” He pointed at the map. “In the desert you will come to a solitary hill around this part, map to scale. Make a heading of South West West from Las Pegasus, and when the tallest mountain peak is directly east of you you’re in the right place. If it’s how I expect it, the dig site will be underground.’

“If you have any shot in catching your friend, this is it. I don’t know if she knew where to find the jewel. She could be lost in the desert and you know exactly where to go. Go, now! Hurry!”

Dash took a step back. Spinner rounded her and pushed her towards the door. Dash stumbled. “Hey you watch it!”

“Go now, Rainbow Dash, before they show up.”

Dash looked back as she was shoved at the door. Before she could utter a response, she met resistance and fell to the floor. She looked up. Anchor looked down.

Anchor stretched his neck, working out the kinks and cracking it. “Hello.”

Dash shot off, her lightning trot carrying her to the window furthest away from Anchor in a straight line. She built up speed, flapping her wings and preparing for the impact that was surely going to hurt even if she made it clean through the window. At the last moment she brought her wings in, gave one last kicked, tucked her legs in and shut her eyes to the breaking glass.

She slammed into the window and fell back. She shouted, half in surprise, and half from the pain of the collision. She rolled, and skidded to a stop. She picked herself of the floor, pain shooting down her spine. She gingerly flexed as she rose, relieved to find that despite her headache and the pain racing up and down her limbs, nothing was noticeably broken. She looked back the window to find it a wall of translucence pink before it, swirling with wisps of wind.

“Rainbow Dash, we’re here to take you in.”

Dash turned, and instinctively recoiled. Anchor sauntered down the down the hall of the wing, military march forgotten in the thrill of the hunt. Dash could tell he was sure he had her. Behind him, she saw Shining Armor rounding the corner. He glanced at Spinner, and the look they exchanged was all she needed to know.

“You told them, Spinner? You told them I was coming?”

Anchor was the one to reply. “Wrong, lass. We knew you’d be here, we just wanted a guarantee.” Anchor tugged at a strap at his chest with a teeth. After a great tug, it loosened, and his body armor fell off. It thudded to the ground, loud enough for Dash to feel it. “We needed to make sure you made your appointment.”

Dash didn’t wait for Anchor to get any closer. She dashed around the corner to immediately stopped. She saw the translucent pink wall continue around the corner. She was locked in Shining’s bubble shield.

Anchor rounded the corner. “Yeah, you’re not going anywhere, Rainbow Dash.” He paused, placing a forehoof on his helmet. A strong heave later, and it rose and landed on the floor. It didn’t clatter, just a rough crunch as the wood splintered beneath it. “You’ve got nowhere to run, and I’ve been itchin’ for a jog. The journey here left me a bit stiff. I hope you run, y’know? I need the exercise.”

“I’d like to see you catch me.”

“I’d like to see you escape this shield.”

Dash turned to run, but already Anchor was moving towards her. His speed caught her off guard, and she stumbled trying to catch herself. With unreal speed, Anchor was upon her. She could see his mad grin, could see him lowering his shoulder, and could see his rear hooves launch him. Dash regained all of her footing just in time to feel the force of a a sonic rainbow crash into her side. She was airborne, revolving through the air, and crashed against a shield. When coughed, struggling for breath.

“Anchor!” Shining called out. He slowly walked around the corner, following after Anchor who stopped mid charge. He looked back, and shrugged.

“She’s wanted by the Princess.”

“And if you deliver her broken? Watch yourself, Anchor. This is a friend of the kingdom, not an enemy of Equestria! We will not stand to see her delivered broken to our Princess.”

“Understood, Sir. I’ll dial it back.”

Dash’s head was spinning, but she forced herself to stand. She stumbled again, but was able to catch herself. Her sense of down spun with her vision. She could see the glow of Shining’s horn disappear, then reappear. Suddenly the wall was much closer behind her, and Anchor was much closer. The shield was recast. The walls had closed in.

Dash was up again, but Anchor was already running. She leap, but the ceilings weren’t high and she quickly had to stop ascending. Anchor leapt and wrapped his forelegs around her. He rotated, slamming his back into the ceiling. The impact shook Dash mane to tail. He pushed off and spun on the way down, slamming his back into the ground as well,using his body to break the fall but the thud hurt even worse than the first. Dash coughed, but refused to scream. Balancing on his rear hooves, Anchor shoved Dash towards Shining Armor, who was still quite a few bookcase isles away. She rolled to a stop between the ponies.

Shining continued to walk as if his spell was a dinner plate balancing on his horn. “Rainbow Dash, please agree to come with us.”

Dash rose to her hooves, unsteady. Her head was spinning, both from the double slam, and from confusion. While she was aware earth ponies could run, with her own friend keeping pace with her, she’d never met one able to intercept her once airborne. She swore under her breath, and realized what was happening.

Spinner had lured her into the library. Spinner had told Shining, somehow, she’d be there. The library had tall ceilings, but Dash couldn’t fly away. She was trapped, but they should know better. Dash doesn’t give up on her friends.

“You’ll have catch me first.”

Before Dash lifted her wings, she felt the first thud behind her. By the time they were lifted, she felt the second. She smirked at Shining, and instead of pushing off she used her wings to force her body low. Her view darkened as the shadow of her opponent passed over her. She reversed her thrust, and wiped her hind legs out. She was off the mark, catching Anchor in the stomach. He’s fast, she thought, surprised, but she still connected.

Anchor’s leap was extended, and he flew towards Shining. Dash intended to stare him down, smug at the play, but instead Anchor looked at her as he flew through the air, propelled by her kick. His face was cruel yet stern, accepting of Dash’s play. The lack of ire made Dash worried for some reason. She turned away, raising her wings and beginning her lightning step away from the pair of guards.

That face quickly went away when he crashed into Shining. Dash had already accelerated to full speed towards the edge of Shining’s shield. She quickly neared it, and for a second she thought she had miscalculated. As she was running full speed, it fell, and Dash was free.

She followed the path Spinner took to get in. She was sure there were faster ways out, but she didn’t want to take the chance of running into a blind corner. Books flew off the shelves in her wake, and ponies exclaimed their annoyance, but this wasn’t like last time. Last time, she ran due to impatience. This time, she ran for Twilight.

She made it to the lobby in no time. Ponies were entering and exiting the front doors. Dash tucked in her wings, and hoped if she collided with a pony they wouldn’t be too angry.

She slipped through, however, and was above the courtyard. She flared her wings and began a parabolic arc upwards. She didn’t need just distance, but she also needed height. Anchor was disturbingly quick for an earth pony, and Dash was willing to believe he could jump much higher. She pumped her wings hard. She dared look over her shoulder.

A brilliant pink flash flashed briefly below her, and just as she expected, the library and the surrounding city blocks were covered in Shining’s shield. Dash laughed, leveling off her flight to bask in her glory. Far below, a lumbering mass of pony exited the library. Dash couldn’t hear what he was saying from the distance and the bubble, but she could tell he was far from a happy pony. Dash stuck her tongue out, not caring if he could see, and flew higher, to Uptown Las Pegasus was floating above.

The lack of sleep and unexpected exertion was weighing on her. She would never hate flying, but Dash was distinctly aware her body was begging her for rest by this point. However she continued to ascend, pushing for the Strip, hoping to use the cloud cover keeping it afloat will to hide her from Shining’s eyes, allowing her to find a place to relax.

A shadow slammed into Rainbow Dash. Her world turned upside down and her lungs emptied in a choked cry. Immediately she was in a spin out, losing altitude. The wind whipped her mane, and her wings struggled to gain purchase through the whipping air all while she fought for breath, having the wind knocked out of her. Her cough was raspy, trying to capture some of the fleeting air and push it into her lungs. Below, Shining’s shield was rising to meet her.

She cursed herself for not training for spin outs, always brushing it off as for a pony who couldn’t fly as well as she could. She stuck her wings out as straight as she could, and willed her tail to the side to provide some sort of counterspin. Eventually, Dash was able to tap in the the latent pegasi magic she had and stopped spinning enough to roll out into a stable dive form. Her magic righted her, and she pulled up hard, halting her plumet halfway between the shield and the city above. She scanned the horizon, looking for whoever hit her, yet all she could see were the regular carriages transporting earth and pegasus ponies to and from the flying city.

“Hello Rainbow Crash!” a voice called. On instinct Dash slammed her wings down, ushing with her magic to flip forward. Looking behind her, the world upside, she saw a black streak cross where she was moments before. It was fast, but Dash was able to catch its wild grin.

The dark splot flew down towards the ground, a gleeful laugh fading in and out as it passed, lost among the features of the lower city. Then in the distance, impossibly far, she saw a flash in the sky. Rainbow Dash didn’t wait a second longer and rose to the city, accelerating into a vertical sprint. She pushed hard, willing herself to ascend. Her muscles continued to protest, but the cloud cover high above was to her salvation. She had never had a dogfight against another creature of flight— she wasn’t sure pursuer was a pony— but she knew if she landed on the ground she wouldn’t be able to hide. She had to hope that with being the best flyer in Equestria, even an off day like today would prove her the best.

Ten seconds into her climb and she noticed the black dot behind her gaining. She looked up, doubling down on her efforts as the upper city rushed to meet her. She aimed for the narrowest sliver between buildings, gunning for it, and slipped through the clouds.

The moisture gave her a slight reprieve from the physical exertion. Her muscles, pumping fire, enjoyed every moment of the cool cair enveloping her before she exploded out onto the other side.

She had picked well, rising between two skyscrapers. A few yards either way and, at her speed, she would’ve became a pancake. With a few flaps she leveled out, flying horizontally from between the buildings to the center of the rotating uptown strip she flew past the night before. Behind her the black figure erupted from the clouds, but continued to climb upwards, as if it didn’t see her.

When she exited the alley, Dash had to immediately pivot her wings. She rolled and missed an air cab transporting a family of tourists. Familiar angry horns shouted after her, but Dash could barely hear them.

She was on a path straight to the central walkway of the Strip, where several ponies stood admiring the admittedly grandiose view. Dash shouted commanding them to make way. She glanced back, and saw the dark creature change its course in one sudden, angular motion, losing none of its momentum. Her eyes widened. There’s no way any pegasus can move like that.

Dash looked forward with just enough time to command the sight seeing ponies to make way. They moved and she slammed hooves first onto the ground and rebounded in the air in one smooth motion.

Dash aimed for the the ferris wheel behind a resort building. The pegasus may have moves, and she may be running for her freedom, but she couldn’t escape what she felt. The early laughs. The incredible agility. The competitor in Rainbow Dash was watching closely.

They both reached the ferris wheel within seconds of each other despite Dash’s lead. That fact spurred Dash onward, and she threw herself into the amusement park attraction.

Immediately, gravity began to grab at her. As she wove through the metal struts, her mane twisted and flapped all around her as she spun this way and that, moving counterclockwise through the structure. Whistling filled her ears as the bars of the ferris wheel whizzed dangerously past her. Every so often a rotation would have her briefly look back, and to her annoyance the pegasus followed with little effort, his eyes never leaving Dash. She couldn’t get a good look at him, but could see he was clearly smiling.

Dash heard a yelp, and glanced back to find her pursuer missing. In that moment she hit one of the struts herself and cried out. The force of the bar vibrated her entire body. She spun out and landed on one of the gondolas. The metal dented under her speed, and her head swam as it teetered from her impact. She laid there, feeling her whole body sting, her eyes shut to the stinging pain.

“Rainbow Dash, right?”

She seized up. That was the voice from earlier. The voice from before. She wedged an eye open, and caught a shadow zooming past. It continued to speak.

“My dear Luna, it is you,” the voice said as it passed. It flew over once more. “Well, I knew it was you, but here you are.”

Dash was angry, it spoke as if he had won, as if they both hadn’t crashed. She managed to stand up. Her breath was ragged, which surprised her. It annoyed her this thing had caused it.

The gondola rocked violently as the shadow landed, causing Rainbow Dash stagger. She tried to finally get a good look at her pursuer, but then the ferris wheel crested and the unfiltered light of the sun blinded her.

“This is amazing! I’ve always enjoyed your flying. I never expected that I’d be allowed to hunt you down, you’re an Elemental! But when they asked me if I wanted to chase the fastest pony alive, I was filled with joy! I hope we’re not done. C’mon, keep flying! Go faster!”

The Ferris wheel dipped back into the shade of itself. She turn around, and instantly took a step back. Before her stood a bat pony in their signature dark lavender armor. His eyes were smiling under the helmet, underneath, he was grinning.

“Are you impressed, Rainbow Dash?” he called out to her. He looked younger than Dash. That pissed her off.

“Who are you? Are you with Shining Armor?” Dash demanded.

He mocked her, pretending to think about it for a moment. “Would it make you fly faster if I said yes?”

There was a hesitation. Again Dash thought about her experience in fighting airborne. It seemed without a doubt this was one of Shining’s lackeys; why else would a Knight be chasing her all the way in Los Pegasus? But what would he do? Taking down another pegasus in flight and catching her on the free fall would be his only move. Instead of answering, Dash launched herself into the air again. The knight beneath her laughed, and took his time following. “C’mon,” he called. “Keep flying! Go faster!”

Dash breathed deeply. She’d never flown against a Lunar Knight before, but she knew she could beat a Wonderbolt in a race. The thought brought her the slightest big of calm. They were the best flyers in Equestria, and technically an arm of the military; what chance did this Lunar Knight have?

She smirked, and shot into the second floor of the open building. Instantly a focus came over her, and as the pillars of the unfinished building whizzed by she wove through them with determination. The obstacles weren’t difficult in and of themselves, but the speed in which she was flying gave every exposed metal beam and piece of rebar more danger than any hoop from Wonderbolts practice. She zigzagged her way through the floor, attempting a diagonal path through the construction. She cut the corners hard, close enough to feel the feathers on her wings brushing surfaces she skimmed over.

Rainbow flew through the unfinished corridors of the building, soaring past bare rebar and exposed steel beams. At this point she was running beyond her lightning strut. It was all she could do to round the corners without colliding; still, her feathers brushed the surfaces. The scatterbrained path fell away momentarily as Dash entered the elevator shaft.

Her wings found purchase and she ascended, the floors of the building falling beneath her in a blur. Moments later the sun greeted her as she flew up and out of the shaft, above where the building’s unfinished roof would eventually be added. Dash snatched herself backwards, flying back to the top floor. A stairwell resided in a corner of the roof. Dash flipped herself, and made a beeline right for it. She never made it.

The Lunar Knight, seeing Dash in the open air, took his chance. In the middle of her loop, he flew directly at her and rammed a shoulder into her side. The blow threw Dash off her flight path. She fought against the spin, gravity, and the pain to keep herself awake as she crested over the side of uptown Las Pegasus and into the open air, nothing between her and Downtown far below.

For the first time since she was a small filly, Rainbow Dash was airborne and scared. The blow had given her a dead wing, completely numbed out, and there was nothing between her and the ground. She was spinning so fast she couldn’t tell which was was down. She couldn’t hear anything but her panicked gasps for air, trying to catch the fleeting air and put it in her lungs.

Dash cried out as she forced her wing out. It wasn’t broken, but it felt like her whole side had fallen asleep, and instead of the swirling sand sensation one gets when leaning on a limb too long, it was swirling pain. Keeping her wings straight, her legs tucked, her tumbling turned into spinning, and she was falling headfirst down.

Look up, she could see the Lunar Knight following behind her. She was confused. She was almost too sore to fly, and he could grab her at any moment, but instead he watched, his face a slight frown. Then, a purple light flashed in the corner of Dash’s eye. The Lunar knight looked towards it, back to Dash, then pulled away.

Dash, still spinning, was unable to follow his movement once he left from directly behind her. She straightened her wings with much difficulty and straightened her tail out, turning it against the spin to counterspin, with time, she stopped her tumble and eased into a controlled dive. Or, as controlled as a free fall could be.

The knight was flying towards a rising airship. It was smaller than Dash thought they came in. The balloon supporting the craft held Celestia’s cutie mark. Her stomach sank.

Come on, pull up! she screamed to herself. As her wings began to catch air to level herself out, the pain came back, a tight and exacting sting in her wing muscles. She fought against it, until she finally evened out, not far above the tallest buildings along Los Pegasus’ suburbs. Looking back, there was no doubt where the airship was headed. High above, it turned towards the desert, towards where Stinger had shown her on the map.

Did Spinner talk? It didn’t matter, Dash needed to get there before Shining and his posse did. She flapped after them, keeping low, willing herself to go as fast as she could. The true speed she needed was beyond her now, there was no way the bruises and tiredness she felt would allow her to pull a Sonic rainboom, but even the fastest airship would have difficulty matching the speed of a trained pegasus.

She was catching up with the airship high above, until the Lunar Knight met it in the air. The airship accelerated. He must’ve donned a harness.. Dash groaned, but even with the Knight’s help, the airship was still slower than her. It just meant she’d have less time to track down the Jewel or search for any clues once she landed, and she didn’t want to be arrested midway through searching for the dig site.

What Twilight had already stopped by, grabbed the jewel, and was long gone? Am I too far behind? Ultimate, it didn’t matter; the trail for Twilight was running cold, and this was all she had. She couldn’t imagine how else to find her if there wasn’t any clues at the site, so she forced it out of her mind.

The airship had several miles on Dash, but after an hour of flying she was able to meet and pass it. Flying underneath the ship, despite being so far beneath it, had been a tense moment. She expected the Lunar Knight to disengage from the airship and knock her out of the sky, but it never happened— its course remained steady. With enough time, she was far ahead of them. Even in her weakened state, she wasn’t dragging along a multi-ton ship.

The edge of Los Pegasus was odd indeed, and they passed it shortly into their long race. It was a rather lush and well-to-do suburb filled with more houses than Dash thought possible. Suddenly at the edge, it fell away. In the backyard of the last house, there was a fence, and then sand. And it went for miles. Her flight took her so far that Los Pegasus becoming a shimmering pair of dots on the horizon, getting harder and harder to see as the Sun began to set behind it.

She spotted the telltale silhouette of a mountain some miles away. With her best guess, she flew to where the ground and began stumbling around. Her shadow was long when she landed. Dashe swept at the sand, looking for anything that would tip off that she found the right place. She glanced back. Los Pegasus was too far to see, and she also couldn’t see the airship despite the clear skies. However, that brought her no comfort, and assumed the fading light was what hid them.

She walked to the place Spinner told her to go. The soft sand beneath her hooves grew firm as she ascended what she hoped the telltale hill. Near the top sand Dash’s footsteps began to ring out. A hoof caught in something and caused her trip. Looking down, she saw it was an antiquated shovel. Her heart beat faster as she rose and continued scrambling.

She stood atop the hollow ground. She looked up once, and saw the airship descending from high above. Gritting her teeth, she jumped up for some breathing room, then slammed her hooves at the top of the center of the hill, breaking through the fragile ceiling.

She fell into darkness, sand falling in behind her. It ebbed away as her eyes adjusted, and she could see she was in a small room. It was smaller than the bedroom in Spinner’s house. In the middle was a pedestal, wide and short. There was an indentation in the center, but the pedestal was empty. Whatever had rested there was gone.

“No!” Dash stamped her hoof. She should have expected she’d be late, but it still stung. As she rose to the hole, she could hear the deep thus of the airship landing. She panicked. To leave now would definitely show that the jewel nor Twilight was there, and they’d swiftly capture her. She flew into the center of the room, scanning for sometime place to hide. However, it was a barren room. Just the raised the steps to the pedestal, the rocks, and…

Dash landed, walking to the rubble. Some of the sand that fell in behind her was sinking under a rock. She pushed it aside, and it revealed a hole with smooth round edges behind it. Behind it was utter darkness. It would be nighttime soon enough, and what little light the room had would soon be gone.

“Here she is Captain, just as he said she’d be!”

Anchor shouted from above. Dash didn’t look up, she didn’t think twice. Tucking her wings in, dash Dove headfirst into the hole. It was tight, and continued long… too long. Dash tried to open her wings but they brushed along the side of the hole, too narrow to catch any air. She dug her wings into the wall in a primal desire to fly, to stop. Feathers ripped out from the friction. She couldn’t stop herself from screaming she fell, unable to control her descent. Her wings continued to scrape until suddenly the walls fell away.

Her screams, rebounding up and down the tight hole, dissipated into the vast blackness that now surrounded around her. Dash’s now fully extended wings caught air and she jerked back into control again, leveling out and gliding the rest of the way. Long after she had stopped screaming, she could still hear her voice echoing distantly in the chamber. She decided not to change running into the edge of the chamber and flew dow0n a quickly as she could without slamming into the floor. She glided silently, refusing to flap once and create the sound of ruffling feathers.

She was slowly gliding down in a room of complete darkness, with the hole above her the only source of light. By the time her hooves met the floor, her eyes were better adjusted. She could make out the outline of a nearby pillar. Above her flowed the only light into the room, the hole from whence she came. From the light behind it, she could see shadows moving. She ran behind the pillar.

“I didn’t hear her body slam on the floor.” The familiar voice of the young Lunar Knight also felt like a drop in a bucket. His eagerness continued to annoy her. “I’ll go down first! I doubt she died. It’s probably enough room to break a fall.”

The sound of metal scraped against stone bounced all around the room. He did not scream like Dash.

The knight slammed hooves first into the ground. The echo from their armor was incredibly loud. Again, the trail of the echoing reverb gave her the sense the underground hall she found herself in was massive. She picked a direction away from the noise and walked, holding her wings in front of her. She stumbled for a moment; the floor still had piles of sand, which she walked over periodically. Her eyes should’ve completely adjusted by now, but she could only see phantoms of her wings in front of her, barely outlined by the light from the above hole. The air was stale, as if no one had breathed it in ages.

“So Moon Shadow,” called Anchor. Dash involuntarily shuddered at his voice. “Just how deep is it? Can’t you see her?”. His voice was extremely deep in the reverberating space. Dash shuddered.

“No, my eyes are still adjusting. Give them time.”

“I forgot you freaks can see better than usual in the dark.” Dash could hear the sneer in Anchor’s voice. I wonder if he ever said anything with a straight face.

“I forgot a ground-bounded lughead such as yourself could remember facts for more than five minutes.” Moon Chaser’s voice was ever cheerful but held no love for his party member. A swish of armor sounded, and the knight kicked off.

Dash couldn’t help but quicken her step. She bumped into a wall and stifled a grunt. Or, as her wings went wide, a column. She walked around to the other side. She crouched down, wings flared, peeking at where she came from. She could see the black form of the Lunar Knight called Moon Shadow hovering right under the hole, scanning the room. She turned and kept walking.

A rush of feathers sounded. “Come on, Rainbow Dash. We don’t have all day.”

The voice was suddenly closer. Dash backed up until she bumped into the wall and froze. She slid around it until she found a cranny in the wall, and she slunk in. It felt like he was right on top of her. The sound of hooves landing nearby all but confirmed it.

A sudden bark from Anchor saved her. “Moon Shadow, get up here! The Captain says the plans have changed.”

Dash heard the footsteps stop near her hiding place. They stood still. Dash was holding her breath. A hoofstep fell just that much closer.

“I said get up here, bat. Help get the doctor down.”

“I said never call me that!” Shouted Moon Shadow. For the first time, Dash could hear something in his voice that wasn’t pure amusement.

She heard a rustle of wings, and then silence, assuming Moon Shadow had taken flight. Still, Dash didn’t move. She could hear muffled speaking, but despite how still the cavern was she was still too far from the entrance to hear anything. A light illuminated the hole, but it moved around from the inside. She assumed it was Shining.

There was arguing. Shouting. The pony called Anchor was clearly upset about something. Dash could only make out one word in the tirade, “again, again?” Finally she heard Shining’s unmistakable voice cut him off. There was silence.

“Dash!”

At the bottom of this hall in the corner she found herself, it felt to Dash like all the warm had left from Shining Armor’s voice.

“We’re done here. The archaeologist says the gem hasn’t been here in ages, judging by the way the dust had been disturbed. Our trail trail is cold1 just like yours. We know Spinner was your only hope. We’re going back to Canterlot to report. My job was ultimate to find Twilight, if you were to have cooperated. Now that we can’t, we hope you come back to Canterlot with haste. I won’t force you, not today. I’ll personally tell Celestia you have nothing to add to our search and, Dash, I hope to hear that that’s true. Goodbye.”

The light moved to the hole, and intensified, creating a narrow shaft of light in the center of the room. The surrounding area was still cast in shadow but Dash took note of just how far she was away from the hole in the roof. The room was vast, and she still wasn’t sure if she was at the end or just a cutaway. Finally, the light dimmed, fading back from magical illumination into the failing natural light. With the way the holes were aligned, the room would only stay the most bright at high noon.

Time slowed. The faint light the hole provided grew more and more dim, to the point where dash could no longer make out anything aside from the hole. As she remained underground, her sense of space grew warped. The walls fell away, and soon she felt like she was in a mass ocean of darkness, sitting beneath the surface. Her unease was palpable.

But was it a trap? Was Shining and company sitting atop the hole, waiting for her to be caught the moment she showed one feather aboveground? Or, maybe, they had long left.

Dash wonder this as Celestia’s sun was laid to rest for the night, and the only way out disappeared, leaving her in the darkest knight she’d ever face.

Chapter 15 — Circuition

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— Chapter 15 : Circuition —

Lyra wandered Canterlot for some time. She was in a daze, walking until her sadness would momentarily catch up to her and she’d flinch from the memory of earlier that afternoon, of Octavia shrieking at her. She’d lean up against a wall and shuddered as if the Windigos themselves were blowing upon her until the sensation abated just enough for her to slouch away from the begin her aimless journey again.

She searched for a familiar face as she stumbled through the city, hoping to find someone in the city who was, in any way, on her side. She wandered Canterlot Castle’s grounds. She couldn’t find Dr. Haydon, learning he was out of town making a speech at some faraway university. She tried to find Cheerilee in the dorm, but halfway through speaking with an annoyingly cheerful Resident Assistant, Lyra remembered Cheerilee had left town already, having found her book and having no desire to stay longer. She apologized for troubling the RA, and wandered off the campus and into rush hour, where she was lost again.

Going back to the city, she swallowed her pride and walked to the house of an old friend. The front door of the large dwelling had a ukulele displayed above. The sight of the building comforted her, but when she knocked, no one answered. Her heart plummeted when she realized that in her attempt to keep her eviction a secret, she neglected to tell Meadow Chaser or any her other Canterlot friends she was back. Who knows if she was around. Lyra’s slunk more, feeling guilty she didn’t think to do so until now, at her lowest. Slowly rising, she left the porch, and wandered back aimlessly into the city.

Eventually the streets emptied and night fell. Eight tremendous bell tones rang one after another. She looked up to find she was back under the clocktower, back near Caelum Square in the heart of Canterlot. She had a moment of vertigo trying to remember where she had been, but the thought glanced painfully off of the events from earlier in the day, what she’d spent all afternoon trying to force out of her heart.

However, in that brief moment she let herself feel something. Her body decided to let her feel that her stomach was rumbling. Being by Caelum Square meant she was only a few blocks from the eatery her and Cheerilee ate together the other night. Remembering the delicious food, she shuffled in that direction, the dark streets around her nearly deserted.

***

Just this morning she was sure she’d be out of Canterlot in a matter of months, and now she found herself trying not to cry at her table. The pay and prestige she’d have while playing the Canterlot Philharmonic, she’d probably be able to visit Ponyville while still working up her bits, but now she had closed off pretty much the sole huge money maker job to a musician like her in the city. She could do her own shows, and she probably would, but she’d make no more than if she was a fry cook or a janitor. She’d never be let back into the CPO, at the very least as long as Octavia and her mentor Gentle Chimes existed within the organization. Their silhouettes hung menacingly over Lyra’s shoulders. She shut her eyes.

Hoofsteps approached Lyra’s table. A familiar voice spoke. “Hello ma’am, how can I help you? Oh, it’s you, welcome back! I have some cool news for—” Lyra looked up at him, and his words stopped dead in their tracks. “Are you okay ma’am? Ma’am?”

Lyra tried to speak and croaked. She realize she hadn’t said a word since Octavia left her alone. She wiped her eyes, nodded, and tried again “Y-yeah. Actually, no, but I have to be.” Her voice sounded ragged.

The waiter clearly was out of his element, and couldn’t think what to say to comfort the mare. He stood there, awkwardly waiting for something to happen. Lyra moved to remove her bit bag, and hoofed through the few coins she had left. Having exactly the amount she knew she’d be charged plus a meager tip, she sighed and ordered. “Just, bring me a slice of that cake I ate yesterday.” Her voice was ragged.

At this, the waiter spoke up. “Oh yeah, as I was saying, you have a free meal coming to you, courtesy of your guest from the day before. Are you sure you just want the cake?”

“Right now, yeah, I need that cake.”

“Alrighty, hold your bits and I’ll be right back!”

Lyra blinked, but didn’t question her good fortune. She quickly returned her bits back into her bag, a quiet thanks in the back of her throat. She knew Cheerilee was the one truly deserving of the cake, but how could she say no now? It wasn't long until the waiter was sliding a slice of cheesecake in front of her. Also on the plate was an envelope. The waiter offered no explanation, and was gone before Lyra could ask about it. She obeyed her stomach and wolfed down a bite from the cake before opening the letter.

“Hey, Lyre Lyra, what’s up? Sorry about leaving you with the bill, so have something from me on the house. I was serious about coming to my show. The password is ‘perfect eight.’”

Maybe she did have a friend in town after all? Or, at least someone who cared, of which she was immensely thankful. She started to sniff, wiping her eyes. She was sure she making a scene, but she didn’t care. The warmth felt by the gesture was intoxicating, filling a hole she felt not just since she arrived in Canterlot, but from the night her ultimatum had been dealt. Of course, Cheerilee had been a source of warmth, but Lyra decided to be irrational in her grief. She took another bite of cheesecake savoring its friendship.

She looked over at the shimmering poster again. Vinyl’s grin subtly shifted on the enchanted advertisement, her eyes hidden behind the purple shades, music notes wiggling around her. The wording underneath stated the party was tonight.

Tonight? Lyra laughed, and wondered how the pony knew she’d be back so soon. Or maybe she didn’t, and things just worked out for her that way?

It was then where it all clicked. She knew Vinyl. Well, knew wasn’t the right word, but the pale unicorn had been the DJ to at least one party Lyra had been to in Ponyville. It was odd that such a seemingly prolific DJ would go to Ponyville for some party, but there wasn’t any doubt in her mind. She also knew without doubt that Vinyl had no idea who she was, but she was okay with that. Lyra wondered if the warmth she felt had been from this hidden familiarity. Either way, the pony had touched her, and she was going to reach back out. When the waiter came back, she asked for directions.

“Whoa, DJ Pon3 bought your food and invited you to her secret show? I’m so jealous!”

Lyra silently looked between the waiter and the large poster advertising the “secret” show, and simply laughed. He explained where she had to go, and after a few more bites the cake was in her belly and she was out the door, a generous tip left on the table.

***

The directions took her back to Caelum Square. The instructions insisted she descended down the steps, and she obliged, thought she knew the steps only lead to the Grand Stable. She came to the same landing she stopped at on her way into the city, the one that lead to the pony-watching balcony. The instructions indicated to make for her left, but Lyra was confused. She’d traversed these same set of stairs several times as her parents took her places, and she had always known it as one long descent. Her face wrinkled, and she shoved the thought of her parents from her mind.

She squinted around the landing— for it was technically a dimly lit cave at this point in the stairs— walking along the wall trying to find something, whatever the instructions could be referring to. From the entrances to the landing, it seemed like it was one smooth dome, however when she happened upon it, what she was looking for became abundantly clear, noticing something that had eluded her her whole life. There was a slim hole in the wall, it’s entrance at a hard angle making it appear flush and invisible from regular traffic. Lyra had never noticed the fissure before, and was amused how it hid in plain sight. However, her confusion did not include hesitation, and she went blindly into it and down the stairs it hid. The tunnel eased into a much wider one, going on far longer than she expected, much deeper than the steps to the Grand Stable. It started to curve, and Lyra realized the steps were now spiraling down. It got gently brighter, and as she stepped down to the last stair her eyes lit up.

The tunnel opened up to a street flanked on both sides with buildings easily as large as the ones that resided above in the Canterlot she was from. Way out in front of her, she could see a square, and beyond that what looked like a wall formed of deep hues of purple and orange. As she neared the square, what she was looking at became apparent. There were barely any ponies around, and the ones she saw were in little hurry.

She stepped out looking around. The place she was in felt just like the Canterlot above, except a couple of notable notches down the luxury ladder— her father would never approve of her being down here as a foal, maybe not even now. She then looked up, and came to a stop in awe.

Above her it looked like the inside of a massive cave, or at least half of the enclosure did. In front of her, the ceiling looked almost smooth, but definitely had some cracks and damage that had been smoothed over with time. As her eyes traveled back she started noticing the stalactites that hung from the ceiling, starting with tiny ones she could barely make out at that distance, to others that were larger than some of the buildings surrounding her. At the end of some of them were huge carvings of what Lyra assumed were stars dotting the “sky” of the cave.

As Lyra kept looking, she turned around and realized that the tunnel she came out of was itself a huge stalactite that had merged with it’s stalagmite. It was a wide, giant column, sprouting out from the ceiling and spilling out on the floor. Its outer walls had even more carvings. Lyra walked around, and sucked in her breath.

Off center from the ceiling, there was a moon carving. This one was painted, and subtly glowing, and it’s image made Lyra tense. The Mare in the Moon stared down at her, and she flinched instinctively. Looking at it again, she realized it wasn’t an image of the fanatical tyrant, but of the loving-yet-awkward princess of the night, Luna. Being a composite image made up of dark circles, the imagery was easy to confuse, but once understood Lyra appreciated the space even more.

It dawned on her that there was something off about the multi-colored wall she saw earlier. Immediately she began trotting up to the strange wall. The ground beneath her hooves were cobbled. As she neared the square, she paused. In the square was a plain fountain, and in the middle sat a tall and mighty larger-than-life statue of Luna. Her wings were open, and she stood tall with a mother’s love in her eyes, not the starved love of Aria’s thought Lyra. She looked much happier here than on her stained glass display on the Lunaris.

Taking her eyes off it, Lyra walked past the statue and finally to the “wall” she saw, and gaped as she neared. Instead of some enchanted magical wall, there was no wall at all, just a short stone railing to make sure nopony went toppling over the edge. The “wall” she saw was instead the front of the cavern opened up to the entirety of Equestria, lit up by the glow of the setting sun in the far distance. Lyra was standing underneath Canterlot, on a hidden terrace unable to be viewed from the ground, looking out to the open space around the mountain. Looking back, she saw the cut in the mountain covered almost the entire length of the City above. The amount of buildings down below likely doubled the total population she thought the city had, explaining what she’d wonder for years.

Lyra was amazed, never being here before. She looked out, and it became apparent why you couldn’t see the lower terrace from below. She couldn’t see the train tracks anyways, and she couldn’t see Ponyville unless she really leaned over the wall, which she could only bring herself to do for a moment before quickly retreating from the vertigo. She wiped her eyes dry, and only distantly could she spot Cloudsdale, slowly drifting north. This part of Canterlot was hidden flush along its bottom, half encased in the mountain, unable to be seen by those below.

The sound of high laughter brought her back to reality, reminding her why she ventured down to this hidden terrace. Reluctantly she pulled her eyes from the view. The cobbled square was still deserted, with lamps flickering to life to light the streets. For a moment she fretted, concerned that there was a place in Canterlot, so close to the Princesses, that wasn’t safe, hidden from their protection. She looked at the statue of Luna for reassurance, and the notion passed. The quietly pleased look of Luna’s statue cemented her relief.

Soon she left the square in the direction of the laughter she heard. The nights in Canterlot can be a solemn place for those out late, but being underneath the city added a layer of magic and excitement to tonight’s adventure. The laughter continued to bounce off of corners, always hidden out of view. Lyra began to feel like she was the only pony on the streets tonight.

She came around a corner, and that’s when she first felt it. A pulse under her hooves, inside the street. After some time, she felt another. Then another. She could still hear the laughter, and so she walked on, and over time she realized that the pulses came in expected intervals. Over time, she realized she was feeling the pulse of music.

Eventually, she came to a nondescript alley off of a forgettable street. A couple ponies hung out at the mouth of the alley, watching her. As she stood at the entrance, she was sure the source of the vibrations came from the wall at the end of the dead end beyond the watching ponies. She stepped beyond them, and they didn’t move or speak up, their faces unreadable.

As she neared, Lyra was sure the source was beyond the wall, if her ears weren’t playing tricks on her. However, one can’t enter a wall, so she back tracked and walked around the building, figuring the entrance in the back. As she came all the way around, she realized the building had no entrance at all. She huffed in annoyance, and looked over her shoulder back to the street. One of the ponies across the street was looking at her. She flinched, but the pony lifted a hoof and pretended to press an invisible button. He then nodded back at Lyra, then tilted his head to the wall.

Lyra turned back, and did as she was told. Pressing the hoof against the wall, she found it sunk in. The wall rippled around her hoof, and as she could feel it penetrate to the other side, she could feel vibrations all along her foreleg. Lyra tilted her head, and walked through the fake wall. As soon as she completely crossed the threshold, she immediately sensed the pressure of the air all over her. She had entered into a roomful of noise.

It was so intense, the for a moment all she could do was simply hear, her other senses taking a lapse in transmitting her surroundings. When she remembered she had eyes, she looked around the room.

The room was square, and dim, with high ceilings that faded into a solid black as if it had no roof, a feat Lyra was sure was enchanted like the entrance must be. Posters adorned the walls, declaring the variety of music acts that had played the hidden venue, names Lyra didn’t know at all, despite dates showing they occurred while she lived in Canterlot.

There was a bar in the back corner, the bartender cleaning a glass like there wasn’t a deafeningly loud concert going on. There was a stage at the front of the building. Most of the space was occupied for a dance floor spread wall to wall with only a few tables near in the back near the bar. Only no one was dancing, just standing in a circle. Lyra couldn’t see into the middle of it. Oddly, it sounded like the oppressive music came from the center of the floor, but Lyra couldn’t see any speakers on the dance floor.

Wanting to get away from the sound, she glanced along the walls again for company. Around the dark corners of the room, Lyra noticed a handful of pockets of ponies pressed up against the wall. She caught a bewildered look from one of the ponies, and made for their group.

After a few steps, Lyra stopped in shock. Impossibly, the music had gotten even louder despite moving away from its source. Glancing around, she still couldn’t find a speaker, and volume was driving her mad. She looked back to the pony watching her. The pony was vaguely familiar, and signaled her to keep walking. Lyra had to grit her teeth, moving one step at a time as the music became almost painful.

Then, when she was but a few yards away from the wall of the room, the music fell away abruptly, and became an incredibly hushed rumble, Lyra looked back over her shoulder, confused.

“I can’t stand how she does that. She plays her music so loud that you pretty much have to be on top of her to actually enjoy it and not be crushed by it She does it to keep people on the dance floor.” Lyra looked back to the voice, and the familiar unicorn was staring at her with a smile. “Are you going to join us Lyra, or are you just going to stand there?”

Familiarity hit Lyra like a flying mail carriage. She took a few rushed steps, and made a quick glance at the pink mare’s cutie mark, just to make sure. It was a ukulele, just as she remembered.

Lyra smiled deeply. “Meadow Chaser,” she said warmly, her eyes shimmering. Her voice had a haggard quality to it she hoped her friend wouldn’t notice. “How have you been?”

Meadow Chaser walked around her table and reached a foreleg around Lyra neck, and nuzzled her deeply. When she pulled away, she looked Lyra up and down. “From the looks of it, better than you.”

“Oh.” Lyra rubbed her eyes, but she couldn’t get rid of the redness. “It’s nothing.”

Meadow Chaser sighed. “Right, “nothing”. Always the same, then, Lyra. Let me switch subjects so you don’t have to”. Lyra opened her mouth to object but Meadow Chaser kept on. “I’m here with these two tonight, waiting for the actual dancing to begin after this pre-game show. This is Shining Star and Cut Curtains.“

A silver pegasus mare waved at her, and a brown earth stallion took an exaggerated bow. Lyra exchanged pleasantries.

“So,” said Lyra, “Have you known Meadow Chaser long?”

Shining Star spoke up. “Long enough to be clubbing buddies.”

“I didn’t know Lyra had these kind of clubs. Do you go here often?”

“I just found out about them myself,” offered Shining Star, “never knew these were here.”

“Exactly,” said Lyra. “I was born in this city but I can’t remember hearing about dance parties in the hidden underbelly of Canterlot. Are you from here too?”

Shining Star nodded. “I am, but Cut Curtains is from Ponyville.”

Lyra turned to the earth pony. “Really?”

“Yeah,” said Cut Curtains, finally speaking up. “And you can call me Curt for short. I think I’ve seen you around. You know the candy mare, right?” His voice was lighter than Lyra expected.

“What brings you to Canterlot, Curt?” asked Lyra.

Meadow Chaser shook her head outside of Lyra’s field of view. Cut Curtains faltered, but resumed. “Well, for one, there’s a big gaping hole in my house.”

Lyra didn’t immediately respond, her smile frozen in place.

Shining Star took Lyra’s silence as an invitation. “Yeah, he’s staying with me in the meantime while his home is rebuilt. But you know, typical monster stuff from Ponyville from what I’ve heard of the place.”

“And I figured if I’m inviting my good friend Shining Star, then I can invite Curt too while he’s around,” added Meadow Chaser.

Shining Star nodded cheerfully, but Cut Curtains took a sip of his water. “Actually, I may not go back. You say ‘typical’, but this time it was terrible.”

All eyes turned to Cut Curtains. Lyra spoke first. “What happened?”

Cut Curtain took another swig before continuing. “I was working in the fabric store, and I felt rumbling. I saw ponies run by our storefront, and then a giant foot planted for a few moments before vaulting off. I looked outside to get a better look, and bam—” he hit one hoof into the other— “a huge beast is fighting— you know Applejack, right? Her and her brother. It was a long fight, and a lot of houses were destroyed in its wake. Even the beast’s blows were strong enough to shatter windows down the block. The beast ran through most of houses without even noticing it was tearing through a building.”

Lyra gulped hard. “Was it an Ursa Major?”

“ No, it was something new. It was ugly. It was like, like pony with several lesions on its neck, except each lesion had an arm with a crooked claw at the end. There must’ve been seven or eight arms all together, and it was using all of them to grab. And claw. And attack!”

At the word claw, Lyra’s heart tightened. She involuntarily looked away, trying her best not to think about the events of the day.

“Hey, easy Curt. It was defeated, right?” asked Meadow Chaser. Lyra’s eyes snapped back to Cut Curtains.

“Yeah, by the funniest thing.” He looked at Lyra. “You know Derpy Hooves, right? The mailmare.”

Lyra answered, unsurprised to find her mouth dry. “I know of her. Is she alright?”

To her relief, Cut Curtains chuckled. “Yes, completely. See, Applejack and, what’s his name, Big Macintosh were going hoof to hoof with this thing, and they were losing until some palace guards showed up. Not the regular golden clad ones, these had to have been Luna’s guards, and these guys meant business. Derpy was delivering the mail, but hanging over the city due to the attack while carrying a giant mail carriage. The leader of the guards flew up to her, exchanged some words…”

Lyra felt her cheeks redden. “No way…”

Cut Curtains had a mad grin as his story reached crescendo “Yes! The next thing I know, the carriage is hurtling down at the beast. At the last moment of her dive, Derpy unlatched her restraints and pulled away, and dropped a full mail carriage on the beast!”

“What happened next?” asked Shining star.

“Did that even hurt it?” asked Meadow Chaser.

Lyra’s gut was tight. “And that was enough?””

“Was it ever! The impact was tremendous, it shook all of town, and it left a huge crater in the square. It was like a meteor, almost like as if Derpy’s penchant for bad luck exacerbated the impact. The sound was massive and trust me, that beast was kaput. Also,k so was pretty much every letter in the mail that day, but I’ll take the end of a rampaging beast than my letters.”

And like a light bulb turning on, Lyra felt her cheeks redden at the thought of her earlier letter. “Oh. That’s what happened.”

Meadow Chaser nodded in awe. “Wow, that kind of calamity kind of makes my problems seem like less of a big deal.”

Shining Star nodded in agreement. Lyra stood, every muscle strained and her stomach swimming.

“D-do you know if Sweetie Drops Confectionery was damaged?” Lyra’s voice was small and shaky.

“Do you mean the one run by the cream colored mare? Yeah, there was a little damage. Its windows were busted out, but that’s about it. Crazy thing, I heard she actually fought the monster at the beginning, and she managed to hold her own. I never would’ve guess she’d have a talent for wrangling monsters.”

Lyra jolted up. “But is she alright?” she demanded, her hooves digging into the table.

The ponies at the table looked at each other. Meadow Chase broke the silence. “Lyra, are you okay?”

Lyra didn’t look away from Cut Curtains. “That depends. Is she okay? Is she alright?”

“Yes, yes, she’s fine, now,” Cut Curtains answered swiftly once he saw Lyra’s discomfort. “The beast walloped her, but the professionals shortly came by and drew the monster away her. She was retrieved and taken to the hospital, but she’ll be fine. There were a few injuries, but no casualties, nothing lasting.”

There was silent around the table, and all eyes were on Lyra, and hers were burning holes into Cut Curtains, clearly watering up. She finally laughed, a choked and fake laugh, incredibly relieved.

“That does sound like her, especially if her shop is involved.” She laughed alone. The rest of the ponies were still staring at her from across the table.

“Lyra, are you okay?” Began Meadow Chaser. “We can talk—”

“—I…,” Lyra interjected. No one else at the table spoke. She swallowed before continuing. “We don't have to talk about me. It's just been a very long day, and I'm still not through it. But seeing you, Meadow Chaser, has made it so much better. You guys too. I honestly didn't think I had a single friend in Canterlot.”

Meadow Chaser smiled and rubbed Lyra’s shoulder. “Of course you do, I live here silly. I’m curious though, if you supposedly don't have a friend, how did you get here? There's only one way to get into this venue, and that's to be invited. Literally. I mean, we’re friends, but obviously I’m not the one who got you in here.”

“What do you mean?” asked Lyra. “I saw posters for this. Wasn’t this event advertised?”

Shining Star spoke up. “Yeah, the posters tell you about it, but not where it is. Even then, you still have to get an invite.”

“As you probably guessed by the wall you walked through, not just anyone can get in here,” said Meadow Chaser.

“I thought that was just for the sound,” said Lyra.

Shining Star shook her head. “You’ve got to speak to someone who’s already invited to the event. There’s a password, too, but personal invitations can be granted. Who can do the inviting is determined by the organizer, the one who cast the spell. Using a password is useful when the organizer is busy. You don’t even have to say it aloud, just simply know what it is. Despite that they still need a street team to get the word out, but chances are with this event only the organizer was permitted to give out personal invitations. I mean, you know who’s show this is.”

Meadow Chaser and Cut Curtains looked at Shining Star, then to Lyra eagerly. Lyra disappointed them. “I think I got an invitation.”

Meadow Chaser huffed, but couldn’t hold the question any longer. “Who told you to come?”

“Vinyl Scratch did,” said Lyra simply.

The reaction wasn’t what she expected. Meadow Chaser and Cut Curtains look at each other in confusion, then to Shining Star who was looking thoroughly confused.

“Who is Vinyl Scratch?”

“Yeah, I’ve never heard of that name before.”

Lyra laughed. “Isn’t she the headliner? The ice white unicorn mare with purple glasses. Electric blue mane? Terrible manners?”

The ponies at the table stared at each other before laughing in return. Lyra sat in silence, searching their faces for an explanation.

Shining Star answered. “That’ definitely DJ Pon-3.”

As she calmed down, Meadow Chaser managed to ask, “Where did you even get Vinyl Scratch from? That’s way too silly and trite of a name for a DJ.”

Lyra stomped her hoof under the table. “She told me herself! DJ Pon-3 has to be her stage name.”

More giggles came from her company.

“Duh, it’s her stage name,” said Meadow Chaser, “but nobody knows her real name. She hasn’t told anyone. No one’s even seen her without her glasses. And trust me, there are some hardcore fans out there would love to know.”

Lyra shook her head. “She told me, as I just said! I was eating cheesecake, and she came over and started eating mine, and gave me and my friend a hard time. I almost clocked her one.”

“Wait, DJ Pon3 ate your cheesecake?” Meadow Chaser was trying to keep a straight face but snickered at that. “DJ Pon3 doesn’t take much interest in others, much less their cheesecake. I guess she’s a tiny bit rude—”

“—A TINY bit?!”

“—but to ponies who are popular, are worth knowing. On top of that, she’s extremely aloof, spacey in a way. Well, she’s grounded, but she’s grounded on the moon. She’s very anti-personal with her fans. Was anyone even there to see it?”

Lyra made a face. “Yeah, of course. It was in the middle of a diner. They’re probably here for the show, hold on.” Lyra scans the crowd, and sees that none of the fans she saw at the cheesecake shop was present. Even in the darkness, she couldn’t pick out any coats that matched who she could remember from that fateful dinner. “That can’t be right, they should all be here. You should’ve seen the way they fawned over her, there’s no way those fans would’ve missed a show from Vinyl.”

They snickered over the name once more. “Everyone fawns over DJ Pon3, but not everyone is allowed to see her perform,” explained.

“Allowed?” asked Lyra indignantly.

Curt Curtains finally spoke up again. “That story was ridiculous, Lyra, but it was funny. Let me buy you a drink. To humor, and to new beginnings, too!”

The group laughed, got up, and walked to the bar, leaving Lyra ever so bewildered, but without any more fight. She couldn’t believe no one else had ever heard Vinyl’s real name. However, as she watched the group order drinks and bring them back, was secretly thankful they found it funny, as she was fresh out of bits and full of thirst.

As they came back to the table, the trio downed their drinks. Lyra joined in without further ado, and immediately coughed. It kicked a bit, burned a little. “What kind of cider is this?!” The company laughed her, but before anyone could explain the lights dimmed and the music pulsed louder. A moment later, she started to feel like the drink itself, liquid and smooth. Lyra tried the cider again, and found she liked it the more she sipped.

The dense circle of ponies in the center of the room was still illuminated. Slowly, the crowd dispersed and the spotlight narrowed towards the centered. A small, slender unicorn walked out out of the center, towards the stage, the spotlight following her.

She leaped up, and turns, and Lyra recognized the rude mare from the restaurant, DJ Pon3, or Vinyl Scratch, or whoever she really was. The performer’s horn flashed magenta, and objects from both sides of the stage were slowly dragged to the center. As they came under the spotlight, Lyra was wowed. Both were tables covered with a long tablecloth, and both had what appeared to be record players, but without the speaker horn she is accustomed to seeing. Vinyl bent down behind them, came back up with a record in each hoof. She slammed them on the turntables. She cracked her neck to the right, stretch both forelegs above her head, then slammed her hoof again.

Immediately Lyra’s world became sound.

Her world was swimming, her eyes shaking. Bass filled the room, expanding the barrier of sound ever so closer to her table, and she could see everyone on the dance floor cheering. Lyra felt it. She needed it.

Deep in her heart, Granite and Octavia swam around poisoning her, forming one hateful, ever-unsatisfied individual that scorned Lyra in the worst way, but this musical assault pushed them from her mind. She tried to resist, tried to stay at the table with her friends and keep nursing her unfinished mysterious cider, but the air was so thick of music she could swim in it. Being who she was, unable to ignore the call of a tune, she couldn’t stand it any longer. So she took one final, deep swig, emptying the mug, and stepped onto the dance floor, lost to the groove.

***

Later rather than sooner, Lyra was panting. The bass of this song was massaging her body, making her very being vibrate. Suddenly, she was illuminated in light. Then, booming over the sound, she heard a voice.

“Look at that mare, getting down! Your drinks are gonna be free tonight, babe, and this next one's for you. To the lyre-slinging mare who bought me a cheesecake!” The words reverberated through her skeleton, and vibrated her at a frequency she found more than comforting. She loved hearing that voice, feeling that voice; even if its words were without substance.

The crowd around her cheered, and Lyra laughed. She felt like she hadn’t done anything special. If she was honest with herself, she was still kind of mad at Vinyl for all she’d done; with her words to Cheerilee, the dining and dashing, her ugly persona, but the adoration didn’t stop. Lyra stole a glance to the ponies she was hanging with earlier, and couldn’t help but chuckle at their stunned faces. She grinned and winked, and let the music take her back.

A few songs later, when she finally came out of her dancing, drunken stupor, she found she had obtained a dance partner. A tall, maroon stallion was matching her wild moves had slipped over to her and was matching her rhythm step for step, as if he floated above the ground instead of walked. Lyra smiled, and danced crazier in response. It was no challenge to the stallion, who was still keeping pace. She looked at his cutie mark. It was a record player. He noticed him eying hers and gave a smug smile.

As if a response to their dance, the music grew harder. More abrasive. Lyra thought she lost the groove for a moment, and had a couple of choked steps as her senses searched for the start of the beat, but shortly she was back in the cut, dancing at the quickened tempo. She was tickled. Vinyl was spinning something strange, and the time has switched to the odd meter of seven counts per phrase, one less or three more than regular dance music. Lyra took it in stride, and the dancing stallion still kept pace. She caught a quick sweep of the room, and saw a few ponies who were no longer dancing, who had lost the beat and were clearing the floor, and Lyra felt pride. She danced even wilder, her and the stallion occupying the space left with grand vaults and jumps in their dance.

Slowly over time, the tempo dropped, and the music decrescendoed into a deep, throbbing bass. Lyra matched the ritardando, coming to a slow, wobbling existence in time with the music. Her head felt like it was underwater, but she felt like a queen. The cider still sloshed inside her.

She heard cheering around her, and looked up to see Vinyl, or DJ Pon3, descending the steps. Her fans swarmed her, but she was trying to look out into the crowd. It was then Lyra noticed she was a little shorter than most, and smiled to herself. Such spunk from such a cute pony, she caught herself thinking.

Her and Vinyl’s eyes met, or so Lyra guessed, and Vinyl set out for her, shoving fawning groupies out of the way.

“Why don’t you come with me after this party?” Her dance partner finally spoke. “You must be a mare of talent to have Pon3’s eyes on you.”

Lyra turned, curious. “What do you mean by that?”

“Whatever you’re here for in the city, if you sing, if you play—” he pointed at her cutie mark— “whatever that is, let it be me to bring you to fame. And maybe…” He stepped in close, and leaned in. “Maybe more, if you’re my kind of mare. Whatever you want.” He nuzzled Lyra again as he delivered the last line. Lyra shivered, unnerved by the unexpected invasion of personal space… but also not disliking it. Then, as quickly as he drew in, he backed away, flashing a smirk.

Lyra fought her mind for words. He was so close, and so friendly. He spoke quickly, direct to the point with a sense of urgency that made her excited but she didn’t know why. Before she could speak, Vinyl reached them. The Stallion next to her spoke. “Hello DJ—”

“—Step away.”

Vinyl’s voice was like an ice bucket to Lyra. For a moment the swirl of the room subsided, and she became intently focused on the two ponies, for all the levity that was in the stallion’s voice, Vinyl was irritated. The stallion’s eyes squinted, but his smile and tone remained the same. “Really? Sorry, I didn’t think she’d be interesting enough for you.”

Lyra wanted to be insulted, but had a hard time caring through the pulse and the cider.

“I won’t ask again. Buck. Off.”

The suave facade of the stallion dropped, and his face fell. “Y’know, I’m sick of the way you think you have the underground in your hoof. It’s a community. We’re in this together. You should share sometimes. You can’t always get the good ones.”

Vinyl narrowed her eyes and sucked her teeth. “It’s my party,” was all Vinyl said, and then the music faded. The stallion didn’t bother with a response, and instead to finally show his open contempt with a scowl. It only made Vinyl angrier. “It’s. My. Party.” With each word, her voice grew.

And then, Lyra heard something strange. Or did she? It started barely above a mumble.

“Get out.” With that, the volume of the sound jumped several decibels. It started as what Lyra would flatly called the worst song she ever heard. It had begun as a mumble, but now she could hear it. The sounds were alien, unlike any instrument she’d heard before. For some reason, a buzzing began in her skull. Lyra was confused what was happening, and looked back to the stallion. She gasped. The stallion was laid out on the floor, his eyes wide and twitching, his entire body was shuddering as if fighting with itself.

“GET OUT!” Vinyl’s voice jumped again, and it was louder than Lyra thought possible, matching the intensity of all the bass heavy music that came before. However, whatever she thought it sounded like, by the way the stallion was crumpling to the floor she could tell he was getting a much more concentrated blast of “it”; whatever it was. Vinyl advanced on him, leaning over him with as much menace as she could exude.

She panicked. “V-Vinyl?” Lyra set a hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder, and instantly she stood back straight. The strange music started to make sense again and fell back to a regular volume, and the deep pulsing continued as if her set hadn’t missed a beat. Vinyl’s head snapped to look at who touched her. The snarl in her mouth told Lyra the pony was furious, even if her eyes were hidden behind her shades. Vinyl breathed deeply under Lyra’s hoof, and brushed it away before turning back to the stallion.

The stallion stood up like he had been hit by a carriage, and tried to leave the party with as much dignity as he could muster up. All eyes followed him out. Each step was full of tremors, as if something had scarred him. When he came to the entrance to the club, Lyra noticed Vinyl’s horn flared briefly. The stallion hit his nose on the brick and staggered back, and glared at Vinyl. She laughed, and quickly the rest of the crowd laughed to match her.

“Try it again bozo,” she called after him. She sounded like a kid, like a schoolyard bully.

The pony snorted. He turned, and this time the stallion phased through the wall and disappeared into the night.

The laughter died, and no one spoke, as if waiting for instructions. Lyra looked back at Vinyl, who was still staring at the wall where the pony left. Her mouth was a sneer, and her teeth were clenched. She looked fierce, as much as her obfuscating shades would allow.

As she was working through her drink for something to say, a fan spoke up first. “Wow, DJ Pon-3, you showed him.”

Vinyl let go the sigh that was living in her shoulder. “Yeah, what a creep.”

“Why did he even come anyways?,” someone in the crowd said. “I don’t think anyone actually likes that guy.”

Voices in the crowd offered their approval of Vinyl’s actions. Slowly, her facial expression faded to her usual blank slate. She breathed deeply and, with another bit of magic, the music bumped back into life with another dance song, and the crowd began to dance again.

As if coming out of a trance, Vinyl ignored the crowd around them and turned quickly to Lyra. “Hey, did you like my opening set?” Lyra saw Vinyl’s mouth move, but it didn’t feel like her voice was coming from her mouth. It felt like everything was being swallowed by the bass. She said as much.

“Come, let’s cross my threshold and get a drink.”

“Another one?” Lyra said with mild panic, which also fell on deaf ears, as Vinyl didn’t respond and lead Lyra back to the bar. As they neared it the throb of the music subsided into something tiny again, having crossed the invisible edge of the dance floor.

Lyra finally worked out something to say. “How is that possible?”

“How’s what possible?” It wasn’t a tone that invited discussion, but Lyra ignored Vinyl’s stubbornness.

“The sound here,” Lyra continued. “It behaves unlike any venue I’ve been to. It’s contained[i/]”

They made it to the bar, and a couple of golden drinks awaited them. Vinyl winked at the bartender, downed hers in a flash, and looked at Lyra expectantly. Lyra hesitated, but eventually the drink was had. The sound felt like an ocean now, and she could feel the ground tilting beneath her.

Vinyl tsked. “Well, the sound has to do with my cutie mark.”

Even in the stupor from the drink and dancing, Vinyl’s words caught Lyra’s attention. “Whoa. You. Mentioning cutie marks— of all ponies?”

“And that’s all I’m saying. If you say anything about it again, I’ll kick you out. It is my party,” she said, her voice suddenly dark and threatening, “and I can do what I want to.”

Lyra wasn’t sure how to take that, so she decided to laugh. Still, she looked for clues in Vinyls face. From the distance and the darkness, she couldn’t get a peek behind her shades. However, she noticed her mouth was in a gentle sneer, so she laughed some more. Then, she realized; shades at night? And Lyra laughed even harder, tearing up from the combo, from the complete opposite she was feeling now compared to the rest of the day. From then, Vinyl’s smile widened fully, and Lyra knew that the mare was both serious, and doing her best to be funny.

“I’m glad that’s over. Now, come here.” Vinyl dragged Lyra to a booth in a corner. Following her, Lyra noticed something. Her movements, her step, was to the music. The whole time, she didn’t miss a beat.

The booth was the farthest away from the dance floor, away from the all the lights in the room. It likely was the quietest spot in the building, which still didn’t say too much. The ponies still had to try to make their voices heard.

Despite Vinyl being the one who brought her over there, she wasn’t saying anything. She just sort of stared at Lyra, her lips still in her grin from earlier. Lyra spoke up instead. “You know, Vinyl, no one knows your name. For being the “Queen of the Underground”, you sure are an enigma.”

“But you know my name.” As she spoke, Vinyl kept glancing over to the dance floor, her horn subtly shimmering and the music slowly evolving in time.

“Yeah, cause you told it to me. You ever introduce yourself to anyone else?”

Vinyl sharply sucked in her breath. Lyra was just able to notice it.

“No, I don’t have to. Everyone is my fan. Everyone knows who I am.”

Lyra shook her head and chuckled. She felt she was laughing way too much that evening, but the longer it went on, the more she was determined to let every issue bounce off of her.

Lyra, sitting upright, leaned back into the soft cushion of the chair. “How long have you been in the scene?”

“Long enough that it’s mine,” Vinyl said vacantly.

“Cool,” said Lyra. And for a time, neither said anything, just listening to the throb of the beats. Vinyl’s mind was elsewhere, or she was just being herself. Either way, Lyra was enjoying the music and drink too much to be concerned with the stubborn mare.

“You know, I’ve been practicing how you sit,” Vinyl said suddenly. She arched up, putting her back against the back of the seat, just as Lyra was sitting, hooves on the table. “I can see why you like to sit like this. It’s totally uncomfortable.”

“Heh, what? Lyra asked, everything feeling funny now. “That sounds like the perfect reason to dislike it.”

Then Vinyl moved, quickly sliding over to Lyra, closing the gap. Vinyl leaned forward, in front of Lyra, and touched a hoof delicately on Lyra’s chest.

“But that’s my thing.” Her hoof pressed a little harder. “I like uncomfortable.”

Lyra swallowed. She could smell her mane. It smelled in a way Lyra could describe as “earthy”, like the smell of a bunch of wooden instruments in a practice room. However, the aroma was tinged with sweat. Not surprising with the effort the mare put into her shows. Lyra tried again to look past the deep purple of Vinyl’s glasses, but she still couldn’t see anything, couldn’t read anything. She opened her mouth to ask where she even heard that phrase. The mare was such her own thing, so unpredictable, that when Vinyl pressed her lips against hers, it was a complete surprise.

Their connection came with a spark, almost as if whatever spell Vinyl was using to amplify her music transferred to her for a moment. Lyra tensed; it was a surprise, but it didn’t frighten. It felt right. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel alone, and more importantly she felt wanted. She sighed into Vinyl.

Her thoughts swam briefly by the face of a mare. It was foggy in her mind, from somewhere long ago, of a cream colored mare with pink and blue hair. It made her feel initially remorseful, but then Vinyl bit her lip, snatching her mind right back to the present, right back to the DJ. The face passed from her mind, taking away a bit of pain with its departure.

And with that, Vinyl had her. She decided that the shock had felt good. With Vinyl pressed against her, she felt for the first time a long time like she wasn’t alone. That she was wanted. She shuddered, and allowed Vinyl’s hoof to push her back further into the cushions of the booth. Each time Vinyl pushed a little more, a wave washed over Lyra, one of both longing and contentment. Her eyes fluttered closed, shutting down one of her senses in a desperate attempt to amplify her others, to enjoy it more than she could.

Behind her specs, outside of Lyra’s perception, Vinyl didn’t blink. Her eyes remained wide and hungry, drinking in Lyra’s reactions.

In the middle of a wave, Vinyl suddenly drew back, leaving Lyra jerking forward to where the mare was just seconds before. Lyra struggled to raise her eyelids.

Vinyl turned her head away slightly. Vinyl spoke first. “That was as good as I expected.”

Lyra wanted to say something, say, ‘Tell me you’re on my side,’ but it came out garbled. Whatever it was it made Vinyl laugh, and Lyra smiled and nuzzled her. VInyl tensed, but didn’t push her away, enjoying the moment. However, as Lyra’s wits came back to her, she realized yet again they had an audience. Down towards the bar, the friends from before were laughing. Meadow Chaser’s face was wide with shock.

She should have known the party always followed Vinyl, the source of the soul and lifeline of the event. She also realized Vinyl was practically on top of her, too. Lyra tensed, but before she could move, Vinyl was off of her, sliding away, and pulling Lyra along by the hoof.

“Come on. I have a song to dedicate to you, and we have have more dancing to do.”

Lyra followed her to the center of the dance floor. Vinyl momentarily left her to switch out the vinyls on the turntables, but jumped down the stage to return her. Lyra found the action daring, and laughed.

“This one's for you. Try not to cramp my style.”

A lightning bolt hit Lyra. “What did you say?” But the venue fill with bass and strings, and the most delicate fluttering harp she had ever heard, and Vinyl didn’t hear her. She got close to Vinyl, wanting to ask again, but Vinyl swept her away before she could speak and they danced against each other, danced until Lyra’s world became a swirl of light and sound with Vinyl’s face in the middle.

***

The bump on the head jolted Lyra awake. Her hooves caressed the lump she was sure was going to form.

“Ow ow ow ow ow, what’s going on? Where am I?” Lyra moaned.

“I’m taking you home.”

Immediately the walls closed in and her stomach chilled. “No, I can’t go home. Don’t take me home!” She flared, and ended up kicking Vinyl in the side.

“Ouch, whoa, chillax yo! We’re going to my home, and you’re definitely can go there,” said Vinyl. She rubbed her side for a moment. “But just so you know, that’s genuinely freaky. Your reaction? You might wanna get that checked out.”

Lyra stopped struggling, and went limp again. When her vision still moved, she looked around herself and realized her view was shimmering, bathed in magenta. Vinyl was carrying her up the stairs in her magic’s aurora.

“Hey, let go of me!” Lyra struggled again. Vinyl half shrugged, and released the magic, and Lyra fell hard on the stairs.

“Ow,” she cried. “Sweet Celestia, why’d you do that?”

“I did what you asked.”

Lyra waved a hoof vaguely in the direction of Vinyl’s voice. “Go away.”

“Please. You need me. You’d be helpless otherwise. Still at the venue, still slouched in the booth I found you in.”

Lyra had no reply for that. She looked around. They were near the top of those hidden stairs she took down to the party. They were near the entrance to Caelum Square. Vinyl had carried quite a ways up the steps behind them. Lyra stood but quickly lost her balance, and Vinyl swiftly ended under her, supporting her weight. While stunned, Vinyl gave her a quick nuzzle.

“I appreciate a lot of what you’ve done, but it’s not like all of a sudden we’re…” Lyra stopped.

Vinyl turned with a grin. “What, together?”

The night’s events started to come back.

“Oh geeze. Oh man oh geeze I messed it up Vinyl, I’ve messed up everything.”

“Things will be fine.” Her voice was lofty, carefree. “They always are fine. That’s why I’m taking you home, to avoid, say, an unfortunate run-in with a guard. To keep things fine. And now, it seems to save you from your own home.”

At her words, Lyra went limp in her hooves. “I… I’ve messed it all up.” As she spoke, her voice rose. “I had a chance, a second chance and I still threw it off Canterlot mountain!”

The ponies stopped to take a break. Vinyl set down Lyra off to the side and leaned up against the wall. “I messed up,” she called behind her. “Those stairs were a pain.”

Lyra laid motionless on the ground and moaned. “Stairs?”

“Well this sounds like someone’s first time with Sweet Apple Acres’ Hard Cider. The stairs I just dragged you up. We were just talking about them”

“Hard Cider?”

“Yeah, Hard Cider.”

Lyra rolled over onto her back. “Okay, I’m from Ponyville, where they make the stuff, and I’ve never heard of Hard Cider.”

Vinyl leaned up against the wall. “That’s cause they ship it out to the city instead of keeping it locally. Ponyville is way too quiet to have Hard Cider. It’s probably a law or something.”

Lyra didn’t respond. She struggled up the rest of the steps and they resumed. Vinyl did not once offer to help her again. They reached the street, rising to Caelum Square felt like a breath of fresh air for Lyra. She briefly glanced up. Despite finding the artificial stars in the dome below pretty, she was used to and thankful to see the real stars above. Vinyl walked past her to a waiting carriage, and she followed.

“Good evening Ms. Pon3,” said the excited young cabbie as he opened the door to the rear compartment. As they got in, Vinyl immediately drew up the privacy shutters, shutting out the starstruck fan. Vinyl lit up her horn, and Lyra heard the outside world fade away. Lyra was vaguely aware they were moving, but was too inebriated to wonder how Vinyl was so lucky at this time of night. Eventually all she could tell that they were moving was the small, dull thuds coming from the wheel. It was eerie.

“I think I actually like you more when you’re sober,” said Vinyl as she looked out the window. “Which is a surprise. Most ponies are annoying when they’re sober, too uptight, too constrained.” She turned back to Lyra, confusion displayed clearly on her face despite her spectacles. “This stuff should’ve worn off by now. Is this your first time?”

Lyra grinned at nothing. “First time kissing a mare?”

Vinyl laughed, nodding to herself. She went back to looking out the window. They traveled a few blocks in silence, before Lyra broke it. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“I meant the cider. It can do that to newbies.”

“Oh Celestia, I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

Vinyl’s voice was clearly agitated at this point. “Jeez, no need to make me feel bad. Besides, trust me, I kissed you. You were good though, to be fair.”

“Aren’t I older than you?” She actually wasn’t sure, but that kiss implied one was more experienced than the other.

Vinyl swishes a dismissing hoof in the air. “Again, details.” That was Lyra’s clue to drop it.

Lyra fought to sit up straight in the cab, and ended up leaning against the door instead. “I just think that, this will make somepony I care about angry.”

“Oh please, they can chill out. It was between friends.”

“Friends?” The word sloshed out. Lyra wiped her mouth. “That’s one of the best kisses I’ve ever had.”

Vinyl grinned wide. “I’m going to remember that. And I would hope so.”

“Why?”

Suddenly all the play dropped from Vinyl’s voice. “I just like to make out with friends. So what? This conversation is getting old. I already deal with this, and it’s insufferable. She’s insufferable about it. About me.”

A silence descended over the carriage, amplified by the noise canceling spell Lyra was sure Vinyl had cast. Lyra felt bad, and really wanted to ask Vinyl what she meant, but rolling along the cobbled was already doing a number on her addled brain, and she accepted Vinyls order to drop the subject. She didn’t want to upset her host, after all.

It wasn’t long until the carriage pulled up to a tall apartment building. Vinyl hopped out without a look back. Lyra slowly edged out of the carriage, however the pony pulling it never did say anything about the unpaid fair, and only signed in clear admiration. When she was standing on the pavement, it pulled away without a word.

Lyra felt a gentle nudge, and noticed blue magic was pushing her. She looked over to an impatient Vinyl tapping her hoof. Lyra followed Vinyl through the tall iron gate, and found herself in a nicely trimmed yard. The path from the gate to the doorway of the building was straight with grass on both sides. To their right resided a small playground.

She smiled, and without a word stepped off the path and headed for the jungle gym. Despite Vinyl’s audible disdain, she quickly scaled the structure managing to stay on four hooves. The hard cider made her feel weightless, and her world spun as she ascended, but as she stood atop the structure with the first hint of autumn’s wind blowing through her mane she felt— well she wasn’t sure what, but she was certainly dizzy. Dizzy and pleased. As her world finally stopped spinning, she remembered herself. She turned to see Vinyl paying her no mind while sitting on the nearby carousel, slowly spinning. She finally noticed Lyra looking down at her.

“No, go ahead wonder mare, I didn’t want to interrupt. I have a bet with myself, to see how long it’ll be before I’m picking you up off the ground again.” Vinyl laughed, but Lyra looked solemnly down from her temporary throne.

“Vinyl. So… Are we friends?”

Vinyl’s laughter continued.

Geeze, what’s so funny to this pony?

Finally, she answered. “Friends buy friends cheesecake.” And she was laughing again, unable to hold it.

“Well, no friend of mine dines and dashes! I have higher standards,” she yelled from her perch.

“Give me a break,” said Vinyl. She stood from the carousel and approached Lyra. “I know you got the food I paid for. You wouldn’t be hanging with me tonight if you hadn't.”

Lyra wanted to shout that it didn’t count, but held back. Even as Vinyl climbed up the jungle gym and sat beside her, she was fuming. Vinyl leaned up against her, and stared into Lyra’s eyes. Lyra returned the stare, unsure of herself, until Vinyl leaned in some more. She drew away.

“I… I already have… a...” she mumbled.

Vinyl held up a hoof, and shook her head. “Hold up. I wasn’t joking when I said it was between friends. I wanted to, so I did. There’s nothing behind it. If I’d have known you’d be touchy about it, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

Vinyl stood up and walked to the other side of the jungle gym. Her frustration was palpable and, despite not wanting any more intimacy with her, Lyra regretted her leaving. She was suddenly cold, and shivered against the night. They sat in silence for some time. She was expecting Vinyl to get fed up and walk inside, leaving her out there, but she never did.

“I know about that, though,” Lyra began. “My… I have a... she’s insufferable. So many rules. So uptight. Working all the time, so concerned about, I don’t know, legacy I guess? I just want her to live a little, to live with me a little, but it’s business so much with her, an impossible mountain she’s climbing. As soon as she gets near the top, she sets her goals higher.”

“Heh, she sounds familiar. We may have the same taste in mares.” Lyra shot Vinyl a cold look, but Vinyl wasn’t looking.

“Who is she?”, asked Vinyl.

“She is…” Lyra shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “She is a friend, too.”

“Hmm, something like that. Ha, what good are friends right? You’ll be there for them, do everything you can and try not to mess things up, but they are too self-absorbed and they throw you out. Well, not literally out, but no matter what you do, there’s always this distance.”

“I’m not sure about all of that, but right now?” She drew up into herself, and rested her chin on her forelegs. “Yeah, what good are they?”

Vinyl was laughing again, but this time Lyra could tell it was exaggerated. She sat quietly while Vinyl got her fill. She laughed long, with abandon. Lyra hoped she could laugh like that one day again. In that it felt like she wouldn’t, ever.

When she finally quieted down, Lyra spoke up again. “Vinyl, please. I want to know. Are you on my side?”

She heard Vinyl’s footsteps approach, and Lyra shut her eyes, afraid of the answer. When she reached her, Vinyl simply stood without saying a word. A quite low, quiet drone whistled far away, wind scraping against the ancient stone. Canterlot was incredibly still at this time of night, and nothing but the high winds of the mountain made any sort of noise.

“Come inside, you square.”

***

The pair entered the apartment and climbed the stairs, with much effort. For Lyra, who was still feeling her hard cider, the steps passed in a painful blur. Vinyl was beginning to show irritation with a frown, but she never chased her for their slow progress. Unfortunately for the both of them, Vinyl lived on the top floor Of course, Lyra grumbled.

Finally getting to the top, they stepped out into a small landing, with a single door left of the stairs. Their footsteps were muted on the soft carpet as they approached the door. Vinyl’s horn flared with magic, and the door opened. Four more steps, and they were inside.

“Whelp,” Vinyl said with genuine cheer, “this is home!”

The apartment was gorgeous and hideous. It was nearly spotless, but every so often, along the counters and on the floor, were piles of things. At first, Lyra thought things like records, albums, and parchment comprised most of the piles, which was understandable given what she knew about Vinyl, however as she kept looking things got worse. She saw broken strings, piles of cables, and, she gulped, empty boxes of take out everywhere. However, around these piles, it was spotless, with all grime and dirt cleared away. It looked like someone put all the mess into piles and cleaned around them.

Despite the contents of the room Lyra was able to see just how grand it was beyond it. The ceilings were tall, and the furniture were from stores her parents shopped at. The walls were adorned with framed albums and a trophy case contained various awards in the shape of various musical notes.

They had entered on the corner of the room. To their immediate right lay a dining room table stretching almost the length of the apartment. The table was set, awaiting guests, but it too had piles of junk on top of it. As Lyra walked up to it, she noticed it was made out of the same rare wood as the one she smashed earlier that day, and whistled quietly. She turned away from the table and found herself in the kitchen.

It was open; the entire apartment was. It sat in the exact center of the apartment. The kitchen has tiled floor and marble counters, including an island. It had a bowl of fruit, some of which had dark splotches on it.

Turning around, from the kitchen, Lyra noticed the stairs.

“Whoa, Stairs? This apartment is two stories?”

Vinyl walked past her into the kitchen. She slid a plate from under a pile of junk, and went to the fridge. “Yup.” She began to pile some ingredients onto it.

Lyra may have been born into luxury, but she never expected to see such the DJ have such lavish dwellings, especially in an apartment. “What’s upstairs?”

Vinyl walked out further into the apartment sitting down on a couch in the living room. She moved everything off the coffee table in front of it, moving even more piles of stuff before setting her plate down with a sandwich on top. She looked up and winked at Lyra. “Why you ask? Do you really want to visit my bedroom? I thought you didn’t want that?”

Lyra went red. “Don’t be coy! I didn’t think about what could be up there” She followed Vinyl into the living room, and flopped on another couch, opposite from Vinyl’s. The floor was carpet again, just as soft as the one outside. “This is cool though. So, so, so roomy.”

Lyra got up to peer out the nearest window. “Wow, you can easily see the Lunaris from here,” said Lyra. It was half enthusiastic, half strained as she remembered how long today was. “What a day.”

Vinyl didn’t reply, her mouth full of food.

Her eyes drifted along the room. Indeed, floor-to-ceiling windows looked out into the surrounding art district on every side of the apartment. She could see the slight glow of the place. She realized that’s where the very soft lighting was coming from. Every window had its curtains drawn, and the soft glow of the district seeped into the room. The only light on in the apartment was the kitchen light above the stove.

And then Lyra gasped. In the corner, she saw a baby grand piano. She dashed over, looking it up and down.

“How did you fit a piano up here?”

“We just used a bit of magic, doofus.”

Lyra rolled her eyes. Vinyl remark wouldn’t derail her enthusiasm.

“She’s beautiful. It’s in such great shape for being so old. You can tell by the wood, this beauty must have had many hooves on her over the years. This wood, it looks all original too, it’s absolutely gorgeous!”

Vinyl still laid on the couch. “Yup, that it is.”

Lyra opened the piano. She stepped on the damper pedal, and lightly pressed a key. A beautiful, full E flat sounded, and Lyra almost melted at the sound. “It sounds gorgeous too!”

Suddenly Vinyl was beside her, closing the piano. “Hey, let’s not break this toy. Come here, I have something better, anyways.”

Lyra pouted at Vinyl, but she obliged and followed Vinyl to the other side of the living room, where a weird desk surrounded by cabinets was positioned in a corner of the apartment. Vinyl swung around the back, and Lyra followed. Immediately her eyes lit up. Vinyl noticed, and grinned. “This is where my magic happens.”

The desk was multi-tiered, with many devices and gadgets lit up and wired together. In the center was a keyboard, and what looked like a drum pads, but all around was technology featuring lots of dials and knobs. At her feet, there were boxes with knobs and switches faced up. Next to the row of boxes was what looked like a kick drum pedal, but with no drum. Vinyl followed Lyra’s eyes, and pressed down on the pedal. From seemingly nowhere, a low, thunderous kick sounded, just like the ones from her music earlier. Lyra practically jumped, and didn’t realize that the “cabinets” lining the nearby walls were actually speakers.

“What does all of this stuff do?”

“Well you got my synthesizer, then my portable effects— they modify the sounds that come out— drum machine, sequencer, lots of crazy stuff I’ve had to spend a lot of bits on and maybe learn a spell or two to get them to play nicely.”

Vinyl flicked a few switches, and the status lights on the devices flashed. She twisted some knobs and tapped a few buttons. When it looked like she was content, she gave the foot pedal eight solid taps, producing eight kick drum hits. After the eight one, she hit a button and the hits continued to sound without her input. She then pressed her hoof onto a small, shiny flat surface on another device. In response, impossibly low bass bumped in time with the kicks, and as she moved her hoof across the surface the timbre of the bass melted and hardened and became alive. Another press, and it too was locked in a loop. Vinyl stole a glance at Lyra from her work. Lyra was smiling like it was her birthday, and Vinyl turned back to her desk with glee. Lyra, however, noticed the hint of self-doubt from the musical mare. This was a special performance for Vinyl, for reasons she didn’t know.

Vinyl took to the keyboard, creating two note chords that swelled up and down. Locking them in place, she took to another device and messed around with it, yielding a very rhythmic but flowing melody. Once it was in place, Vinyl turned on and off the various boxes at her feet. Each one added a new color to the song, spinning it out of control with stuttering, and throbbing, and rising noise.

It was too much for Lyra. In her stupor, in her sadness, she was astounded by Vinyl’s creativity and workflow. She laughed, but her voice was drowned out by the sound, which was so loud. Too loud.

“Quiet!” a voice shouted from atop the stairs, full of anger.

Vinyl scrambled for a knob and twisted it quickly, bringing the volume down to a more reasonable but still too loud level for that time at night. Vinyl grinned a stupid grin at Lyra, as if caught with her hooves in a cookie jar, shrugging her shoulders at Lyra. However, Lyra was pale, or would’ve been if her coat could turn colors. She felt ill, and she sat down hard on the floor. She knew that voice. It was the same one that told her off hours before.

“Vinyl, if you’ve brought home another one of your mare-friends…” the voice called down.

They heard steps descend the spiral staircase. “Look, fine, we’ll talk about it in the morning, but could you please keep it down, it’s literally 3 in the—YOU!”

Lyra was spotted. Octavia’s face jumped from aggravated to furious. Her teeth were bared, and if she could she surely would’ve struck Lyra down with magic as soon as she saw her. Lyra gulped as she felt like a child in the glaring spotlight that was Octavia’s eyes. They burned. Vinyl looked between the two, her eyebrows raised but her mouth shut.

The rest of Octavia’s descent was ungraceful. She nearly stumbled down the stairs in a hurry. She reached the bottom and stomped across the apartment.

“You! You, you, you, you!” She screamed louder with every step, every word. She stopped in front of Lyra, leaning over her, mirroring her stance from earlier. “Why are you here, in my apartment?”

Before Lyra could reply, Vinyl was at Octavia’s side, a hoof on her shoulder. Her voice was tender. “What’s wrong, Tavi?” The care in her voice was one of the most sincere things the pony had said all night. That fact made Lyra even more afraid.

“I… I didn’t know you lived here,” she tried to explain.

“You made a fool out of me!” screamed Octavia. “How dare you come to my home?”

“What did you do, Lyra?” Vinyl Scratched turned to Lyra. The shades may have blocked her expression, but the tone chilled Lyra nonetheless. It was the tone she used with the stallion from before.

“Octavia,” Lyra begged, “it wasn’t on purpose! It was out of my control!”

“Get out! Get out of my house!”

Lyra’s eyes were tearing up. “I… But…”

“Get out!”

Vinyl stepped in front of Octavia, shielding her from Lyra. At this point tears adorned both Lyra’s face and Octavia’s. Vinyl turned to Lyra, and her face changed. There was no hint of the fun mare she got to know all night, in its place was a terrible coldness, far removed from any semblance of friendliness. She regarded Lyra the way a fruit bat would an apple, a momentary thing that would be soon devoured.

“How dare you? Suffer,” commanded Vinyl.

Vinyl’s horn flared, and Lyra’s eyes and ears exploded. Her muscles gave out, and she collapsed. It sounded like every sound under the sun was playing at once deep in her ears, rattling her brain with all the abrasive sounds imaginable. Her vision was filled with a swirling purple light, hypnotizing her and locking her down,unable to shield her ears from the cacophony that engulfed. Even then, she knew if she managed to get her hooves on her ears, the sound wouldn't stop. It was inside her, writhing under her skin and digging into her bones, shaking every bit of her, pressing tighter on her being. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t breath.

And suddenly, it was gone, she fell on the floor as the world started to fade in.

“...stop, Vinyl, don’t hurt her!”

As she came to, she saw Octavia now standing over Vinyl, who was also on the ground. Octavia was panting while standing over her, her anger still present. Between her legs, Vinyl looked away. Her shades rested beside her. Vinyl’s horn flared and the shades glowed and returned to her face, but not before Lyra saw her eyes. They unnerved her; they were a deep, blood red.

“She hurt you, Octavia,” Vinyl said. The lack of feeling in her voice chilled Lyra. “She can’t do that.”

“I don’t care. You can’t do that to ponies, Vinyl!”

Vinyl didn’t reply, but kept looking away. The room was quiet. All Lyra could hear was a terrible ringing in her ears, and Octavia’s deep, frustrated breaths. Finally, Vinyl spoke up.

“I’m sorry, Octavia.” With that, Octavia got from over her. Vinyl casually got up and walked to the stairs with a slight limp, her side noticeably in pain. Octavia loudly cleared her throat, which gave her pause. Without looking over, Vinyl spoke. “I’m sorry too, Lyra.” She walked upstairs without saying anything else.

Octavia approached Lyra, who realized she was still on the floor, she struggled to her feet.

“That lunch meant so much to me,” started Lyra, “I promise you it wasn—”

“Go home, Lyra.” The quietness in Octavia’s voice startled Lyra. Her ire was still there, but it was much more controlled. Muted. Octavia was finally under control again.

Lyra stared back Octavia. Tears streamed down her face. Eventually, words bubbled up. “I don’t have a home.”

Octavia gave her a look of disdain. “This is far from the appropriate time to lie to me.”

“No, that’s why I was late,” sobbed Lyra. “I had a falling out with my family and, and I can’t go back, even if I wanted. I don’t have anywhere to go. Everyone who I know, they’re out of town or unavailable or, something..”

Lyra waited, watching Octavia turn to sit on the couch. She put a hoof to her head, and sighed. Lyra could see the emotions playing across her face. It was unsettling to watch. Octavia was always so put-together, and to see her get worked up like this, twice in one day, was didn’t sit well with Lyra at all.

“I want you gone by the time I get home from work tomorrow,” said Octavia, standing. “You can sleep on the couch.”

Lyra watch her walk to the stairs. She wiped away her tears. “Th-thank you, Octavia,” she stuttered. The echoes of Vinyl’s spell still bounced around her mind.

“In a way, you should be thankful,” Octavia said. The malice in her line matched her rage from before. “I doubt Vinyl wants to play with you anymore.”

Without further explanation, Octavia ascended the steps and was gone. Lyra managed to get herself to the couch, and after some time managed to fall asleep through silent tears, looking out the window into Canterlot’s illuminated night.