> Reflection of Nightmares
>  by Cold Spike
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One: Nightmare's Realm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scootaloo quivered and glanced around while her eyes shifted left to right. Why does it always have to be this dark... After a moment of silence, she shook her head and sighed.

“Just take it one step at a time, Scootaloo. You’ve done this before… just one step at a time.”

Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders and kept going. She spotted a darkened wall and groaned. Too dark, always dark. I hate this... No sunlight, never sunlight. Scootaloo blinked, her posture sagged as she trudged along. 

It's never warm. Never safe.

It didn’t surprise Scootaloo with how dark the long and foreboding hallway was.

She glanced around, as instructed by her superiors, and reached into her saddlebags and rummaged around while rolling her shoulders.

“C’mon, where’s that stu- stupid thing.” 

Her voice cracked a bit. Off in the distance, she heard chittering. She stopped rummaging and stared down the dark hallway in front of her and gulped. She shook her head and continued her search.

After a moment she brought out a small and very portable lantern and tapped the side of it. A warm, inviting glow surrounded her body and dimly lit the surrounding hallway. An emblem of a phoenix on the front of the lantern glowed a dim orange. She smiled and sighed, then hooked the tiny lantern to the back of her bags before cantering onward. 

Illegal, but so useful and no unicorn magic required!

Every step caused her lantern to jingle. The clapping of her hooves on stone steps was loud enough to echo down the foreboding hallways. She shuddered. 

“One step at a time… slow as you can go.”

She rounded a corner entered an even darker hallway. She stopped for a moment and double-checked her map. 

“One- one s- step at a time…”

The moon's light filtered through cracks in the ceiling, providing some illumination, but as she trotted further down the hallway it petered out until only the light from her flickering lantern remained. It was near impossible to make out any details beyond the occasional stone column and odd pony statue which had long ago crumbled to ruins. With every passing step, it became much more difficult to justify moving onward.

This mission is important.

She checked her map again and made one more turn. "A- am I even going the right way?" 

Her lantern flickered with a faint light that pointed ahead. She squinted her eyes, but couldn't make out any details from her surroundings. She took a seat on the cold, unwelcoming stone and waited and took a deep breath, and exhaled. Everything smelled musty and stale. She breathed again, and again.

How do I even know this will work…? Does it matter? What other choice do you have?

She closed her eyes and breathed in and out and repeated this a dozen times. When she cracked her eyes, she felt a calming sensation flow through her mind.

It's so hard to hide now. Almost impossible. The night is eternal.

Her right hoof brought the lantern to greet her eyes and she rubbed it a few times. As if from her own warmth, the light brightened and she sighed.

Even animals don't seem happy anymore...

She slumped her head against the cold stone and felt compelled to sleep, but she managed to stave off exhaustion by rapidly shaking her head a few times.

When did I dream last? Dreams are so hard to deal with now.

She reached into her bag and rummaged around until she found yet another illegal item- a dreamcatcher. It'd been enchanted by some of the most powerful unicorns that Scootaloo had ever met.

And they can still think for themselves. That's kind of a plus. 

She shook her head and scowled toward the dark hallways. "If it hadn't been for this, I'd be dead, or worse."

I'd be one of them. Scootaloo spat on the ground and carefully tucked the artifact back into her bag.

Scootaloo brought her knees up to her chest and fought back her tears. "I won't become like them. I won't."

She sniffled and then gasped and glanced around. Is that... magic?! Several shadows danced off in the distance.

Scootaloo bit her lip as hard as she could and studied the now dimly lit path ahead. It began to bleed and she stopped as a strange sense of elation shot to her mind. The magic ebbed away, her body suddenly itching all over.

It’s getting worse.

Scootaloo rummaged around in her bag once more and found a black felt box. She cracked it open and found several wooden capsules. On either side, she could see the faint etching of a little bird, a phoenix. She yawned and grabbed one of the cylinders and placed the end of it toward her muzzle. Scootaloo pushed the wooden object in and breathed in deep.

A warm feeling mist washed over her tongue before shooting down her throat. Scootaloo took a few deep breaths while the strange magical substance began pouring into her lungs and, finally, into her bloodstream. Her heart began to beat faster and faster, but she ignored her body’s cries for help and finished the substance until the entire thing was drained. When it was done, Scootaloo sighed and blinked in astonishment. She could feel newfound energy coursing through her body and mind; her wings buzzed in excitement. 

Not as good as sleep, but it'll do! 

She then set the capsule aside which collected alongside several other spent ones and shut the box. She shook her head and lit the lantern again before moving on. The first few steps she was forced to pause while her ears began to ring and she could feel the world began to tilt to the side with a wave of nausea hit her.

“S- stupid capsules,” she stuttered while clenching her teeth in pain. 

Panting for air she took a long swig of water from her canteen while she waited out the pain. She was wide awake, sure, but that meant her other senses were just as overcharged, too. As if her whole body was traveling through a fire. It took a solid five minutes before her body let up so she could continue. It was still somewhat painful and she was slowly growing used to the magical drug.

After checking and rechecking the map for the fiftieth time, she finally ended up somewhere that wasn’t just an endless series of hallways. And she wasn't alone.

“Halt young one, show me your face, prove to me that you lack the dark queen’s… grace,” the stranger said, muttering the last word with a grunt of contempt.

Scootaloo stopped in her tracks and quirked a brow, trying to squint through the darkness. Her mini lantern failed to give her many details. “Uh, do you always rhyme like that?”

“...Rhyming is how I learned to speak just like you, but I can see by your tone that your values are not askew.” The stranger stepped forward. The mare that Scootaloo pictured in her head wasn’t at all how she imagined.

“You’re a zebra? But… I- I thought you’d be a unicorn!” Scootaloo scoffed and shook her head.

For a few moments, she didn’t speak and simply circled Scootaloo, examining her from head to hoof. The zebra wore a dark-looking that shielded most of her body.

“Ah, it is most fortunate that a unicorn I am not.
Too many fall to the dark queen’s magical rot.
Bane and boon, can a unicorn’s horn be,
It has the magic to set fallen ones free.
And to protect the mind, it shields,
From the thought control she wields.
But a horn’s magic shines too bright,
It can be seen, as a fire in the black of night.
Because of this, very few who possess a horn are trusted,
Leaving many with horns which are… adjusted…”

“Um, are you saying she can find other ponies by using a unicorn’s horn? Th- that she can find ones in hiding by using that?” Scootaloo asked, already feeling the answer in her gut.

She nodded. “Now I must inquire,
Why travel here, is your news dire?”

Scootaloo was about to reach into her saddlebag when she stopped dead in her tracks. “First, sh- show me your lantern.”

“Ah, forgive me it must have slipped my mind.” She waved her hoof over a near-identical lantern to Scootaloo’s. It slowly illuminated her face, revealing the finer details. It was then that Scootaloo promptly screamed. “Calm yourself, surely this proves we are aligned.”

It took all of ten seconds for Scootaloo to quiet down as she blushed. “I- I’m s- so- sorry,” she stuttered. “It’s just, um, you look kind of scary…”

The zebra sighed, pouted, and looked away.

“The queen’s scouts saw through my trickery 
and gave me this scar upon their victory.”

Scootaloo blanched and nodded. "Oh, I'm sorry about that."

She blinked and shook her head and felt her ears turn red. "I'm sorry! I forgot- My name is Scootaloo!"

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, young Scootaloo,
Call me Zecora. But I believe we have business to do?”

Scootaloo nodded and reached into her bag and brought out a tightly sealed scroll, pulling it from an ornate metal box. It was decorated with various runes and emblems, but none were as important or prominent as the one in the center- a shining phoenix.

For just like the Phoenix could die and resurrect, so too could the sun.

Scootaloo took the end of her lantern and guided it to the front of the scroll's casing. Illegible runes came to life, shining brighter and brighter until they blinded her, each on par with Celestia's holy sun. The seal broke and the case fell open. Zecora smiled and retrieved the scroll while Scootaloo placed the seal back into her bag. 

As Zecora read, Scootaloo tried not to look around, but it was impossible not to. The hallway stretched out into the forbidden darkness.

It's okay to be afraid.

She paced back and forth, over and over. 

And it is! It is. But...

The silence between them stretched and stretched, almost to the point of breaking, and the thought of what would happen when it did consume her. Scootaloo tried to look at Zecora as if her presence could anchor her, but it only served to enhance what she was already feeling.

Zecora turned a page, the scrape of the paper echoed loud.

Scootaloo hadn’t done many deliveries before; she felt entirely out of her element. As time moved sluggishly on, the heavy sensation of the frightening atmosphere grew. She looked back to Zecora who seemed oblivious to the change in the air.

Easy, Scootaloo. Things are fine, she’s just translating the runes or something. Easy.  

She bit her lips and clutched her right hoof onto a cold surface in her bag. The first object was a simple first-aid kit. 

Why do I even have this? She grumbled and moved her hoof to the second object.

The second was a magically enchanted flare.

Wonderful. I can alert the Phoenix to not come here. So helpful to me if I'm on the brink of death!

The third and final item that her hoof brushed across made her pause and blanch. She brought out a glass case that held a spiraling horn, completely detached from any unicorn body.

Still haven't needed to use this. Thank Celestia... The very idea made her feel queasy.

She swiveled the case around and sighed. No skin... just bone and some magic rune stones. Gross.

Zecora jumped to her hooves and grinned toward Scootaloo.
“This map is indeed what I’ve been after, 
a way to escape from this disaster. 
Though without magic to enchant the way, 
I fear we’ll all be stuck here at bay.”

Scootaloo tilted her head. “Um, do you mean we need unicorn magic?”

She nodded. 

“But finding somepony we can trust 
will surely lead to a bust.”

Scootaloo looked inside her bag and motioned for Zecora to examine the creepy horn. Zecora merely shook her head. 

“While that is an effective way to defend, 
its lack of powerful magic will surely lead to our end.”

Scootaloo groaned. “Drat. Where’s the map lead anyway?”

Zecora giggled.

“The map is a very useful guide, 
for if we can activate this mirror,” Zecora said while gesturing to something that Scootaloo hadn’t even noticed before, “we can use it to find a place to hide.”

Scootaloo blinked and looked over to the large, towering object. 

That's a mirror? Looks more like a weird slab.

Scootaloo shone her lantern onto it. Ornate runes and curved, cast iron metal bars bent around the sides for decoration. Five colored gems were studded on either side with a larger gem stuck in the middle of the very top. The mirror was so massive that it towered above Zecora tenfold. Though when her lantern got closer, she could sense that it wasn't giving off nearly enough magic to active it. She sighed.

Scootaloo spat on the ground. “So this could be a way out? A way to escape that- that bitch of a queen.”

Zecora nodded. “Yes but--”

“A bitch is she?!” A voice said from behind, interrupting Zecora. Both ponies whipped around with their eyes widening in horror.

Before either could even comprehend who stood before them, a torrent of lavender-colored magic was shot in their direction, smacking both recipients into a nearby wall. Scootaloo felt dazed, her vision blurring as the dark world around her tried to refocus itself.

Zecora acted much sooner and forced herself into a defensive stance, standing between their assailants and Scootaloo’s dizzy stature.

“- I’m afraid the queen’s servants are after its power, 
if we fall here then it’s not just our world that will sour!”

The apparent leader of the ponies stepped forward into the dim light, a sickening smile plastered on her face. The pony in question was none other than Twilight Sparkle, Queen Nightmare Moon’s second in command. Her horn had been severely altered, sticking straight up in a threatening manner, it no longer looked like a soft spirling unicorn horn but more like a tool or a weapon meant for war. Just like all of the Queen’s slaves and army, her once proud cutie mark had been altered to show who she now was. A six-pointed star cast in the moon’s shadow. “Now then, I’m feeling a tad generous today. Apologize and I’ll spare you both your lives, so long as you come quietly.”

Zecora raised a strange artifact high in the air, a staff with a glowing blue gem placed on its end. Scootaloo watched the two while she clenched her teeth in pain. Scootaloo quickly reached for her bag only to sucker-punched in the gut by one of Twilight’s guards. She couldn’t see just who did it, but that was how they choose to fight, in the shadows. Clenching in pain and unable to breathe, Scootaloo shakily stood up to her hooves.

Twilight snorted. “A smart pony would have stayed down, little one…”

Scootaloo gulped, eyeing her bag with a sense of defeat. 

I’m going to die, aren’t I? she thought and with very little thought for her own well-being, she leapt back to her bag and dug in as quickly as her little hooves would allow. 

Time seemed to slow once she reached for the case of her desire and she smashed it and reached for the dismembered unicorn horn. Then she felt horrid pain creeping up her spine, a knife puncturing her if she wasn’t mistaken. She screamed while the shadow guard punched and kicked at the base of her wings; it was a particularly sensitive spot. 

Good for causing pain.

In her haste, she dropped the horn and what happened next felt like a dream or a nightmare. She was kicked to the side while Zecora seemed to be holding her own, dodging spells and even going on the offensive occasionally taking out a guard by knocking them unconscious. Scootaloo still felt dizzy, but she recognized a few of them as the Queen’s personal guard. A crazy pink mare with a long straight mane and the one who had caught more innocent ponies than any of her guard combined: Rainbow Dash. It was no secret the level of depravity the guard went in order to serve the queen so loyally.

Not knowing what to do and feeling like she could barely put up a fight, Scootaloo carefully crawled over to her bag and held onto it, clutching the thing for dear life. 

“Commendable at how much punishment you zebras can take. Just join us already, I’m sure the Queen will have a good use for you. And look, your little partner’s already given up anyway,” Twilight said nonchalantly.

Zecora chuckled quite darkly at this, though Twilight merely looked on in amusement. 

“You are toying with me, stop playing pretend, 
show me your full strength or face your end.” 

And with that, Zecora raised her staff and twirled the thing several times as if to say, bring it on.

Scootaloo looked on in shock. I- is she crazy?! she thought. Antagonizing Twilight Sparkle, the mistress of fire, the dark queen’s right hoof was quite possibly the stupidest thing you could do.

Rainbow Dash and the pink menace went to step forward, but Twilight merely shook them down which they obeyed. “There’s no winning this, Zebra. You can either die here with your friend, or surrender. Your choice,” she said rather calmly, all things considered.

Scootaloo didn’t wish to die, and she certainly didn’t want to join up with the Dark Queen. What the hay do I do?!

Zecora didn’t have anything left to say and merely held her stance, waiting, practically beginning for the mare to assault her.

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Such a waste. Very well, you’ve made your decision. What of you, young one? Will you join up with our queen? Will you let eternal darkness into your heart? The promise of infinite power?” Twilight’s eyes had twitched a few times while speaking as if she were crazy.

Scootaloo gulped but did nothing.

“Of course,” Twilight said with a smirk and begin to charge up her horn. A sickening laugh from both the pink mare and Rainbow echoed around the halls while the leader’s horn, eyes, and body began to glow from dark violet to a crimson red.

She felt time slow down once again as a giant ball of fire flew at her face. 

She thought back to the first time she shared a kiss with a colt in secret, hiding from the soldiers of the nightmare as she transported something valuable to other members of the resistance, and a pleasant day at the park with her parents. Memory after memory filtered through her thoughts, but it surprised her how few there were. Time sped back up and Zecora's staff filled Scootaloo's vision as it caught the magical fire. As it hit the ancient, gnarled wood, the staff began to glow.

“I’m quite fond of this staff you know, 
and it will help me deliver the killing blow.”

Twilight’s smirk vanished as she began to shriek. “INSOLENT FOAL! YOU DARE DEFY THE DARK QUEEN IN SUCH A WAY?! YOU DARE STEAL HER MAGIC?! YOU WILL DIE IN THE MOST PAINFUL WAYS I CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE!”

Scootaloo couldn't think of anything to do, except sneak away to she could grab her saddlebag. She secured it around her back and went to pick her unicorn weapon and felt shocked when she was able to do so without outside resistance.

Zecora sighed and shook her head.

“Perhaps one day I shall meet my end, 
but this binding spell I’ve used on you is a godsend.”

Scootaloo gasped, noticing just now the sickening glare Twilight had been giving them, struggling to do anything aside from grunt and breathe. Zecora had trapped Twilight and her allies in place.

“Oh, I get it! You--”

Zecora scoffed, interrupting her. 
“Scootaloo, hurry and strike them,
before they cause more mayhem!”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened in shock and she nodded, fumbling with the unicorn horn before suddenly holding it out in a tight grip. Next, she quickly donned the thing over her head while tightening a strap around the back. The horn rested just above her eyes, not unlike a real unicorn would. It felt almost sickening to her, a warm feeling seeping into her mind, a slow buzz, and then a painful feeling, letting her know that the weapon was ready. She grunted and seethed in pain, pointing it directly at Twilight. Seeing this, Zecora directed her staff toward Scootaloo in an effort to aid her with her magic. Both of their spells seemed to go off at the same time.

This is for my parents you bitch.

An equally sickening spell to the one Twilight had cast just moment’s before let loose with the fury of a thousand suns. All sound vanished as it exploded, the light blinding Scootaloo and forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut as she screamed in pain. She kept her eyes tightly shut and her teeth clenched even after it ended, unaware that it was safe to open them.

“The mirror has been awoken,
hurry before the link is broken!”

Zecora ran up to the mirror and held up her map while muttering to herself, She then began using her staff to enchant the various runes on the side, changing and twisting them until she was satisfied that they matched what she read.

Scootaloo blinked and looked around and gasped at the disgusting sight of three very bloodied and burned corpses. The stench wafting from them was bad enough that Scootaloo could feel herself gag. There was no mistaking that all three had not survived the final blow.

“Hurry through the portal, now!”

Scootaloo blinked and grabbed her bag before stepping forward. 

When a magical rhyming zebra told you to do something without rhyming, that’s when you listen!

Before stepping in, she glanced over to Zecora with a frown. “Wh- what about you? And the rest of the Shining Phoenix?”

“I will jump in once you’re safely hidden,
for jumping in together is surely forbidden. 
If my calculations are correct, 
where it sends us should be perfect.
As for the Phoenix from what I’ve learned,
I’m sorry but they have already adjourned. 
Sending you for something this crucial surely
means their numbers are no longer fruitful. 
Rest assured, given enough time they will fall, 
now please hurry and enter, get on the ball!”

No longer hesitating, Scootaloo sighed and slowly entered the shimmering blue portal. She still didn’t fully understand what was going to happen, but she figured anywhere was better than the nightmare that used to be her home. She took one last look at Zecora before the world faded into nothing.
> Chapter Two: Crying Reflection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a moment Scootaloo could sense nothing as she seemed to float around in a dreamless state of limbo. She cracked her eyes open for a second and had to suppress a gasp on what she saw. It was two fillies who seemed to be in dazed and confused states, both rubbing their eyes. She could swear she saw a third, but really she could only confirm the existence of one Earth Pony filly and one Unicorn. She closed her eyes, pretending to play dead and waited. The filly in question walked over to what she presumed was her position.

Then she heard the unicorn filly scream so loud, it took all of her willpower in order to stay still. “Sh- she’s dead!”

The other filly snorted and then Scootaloo felt something on her chest, presumably the filly’s ear. Is she checking my pulse…? Scootaloo thought.

“Nah, she’s plum tuckered out. The thing once happened to Big Mac when he worked the farm for too long.”

The unicorn laughed embarrassingly. “Oh! Uh, I knew that…”

“What happened to the mirror, girls?”

That’s when Scootaloo cracked her eyes wide open. She knew that voice, specifically because it was her voice coming from a third filly. Taking her chance, Scootaloo quickly got up into a position behind the mirror and waited.

“What?” The other Scootaloo asked in utter confusion.

Scootaloo took the opportunity and lurched at them, tackling the bow wearing earth filly to the ground. The unicorn filly and the other Scootaloo was knocked into the clubhouse walls in a daze. 

The knocked down Scootaloo shook her head and tried to focus on the assailant, but her vision was blurry. The earth pony grunted, attempting to buck her in the head, only to be tackled to the ground, Scootaloo snarled down at her like some deranged animal. The earth pony flinched and waited for an assault, but nothing came.

Scootaloo looked around, surveying her surroundings. Looking at everything and everypony like it was all alien to her. 

Where the hay am I?! her thoughts going a mile a minute.

Once their eyes had adjusted, both fillies gasped at the sight before them. “Scoota--?” The earth pony tried to get out, before being interrupted by Scootaloo.

“Where am I?” She asked, her voice hoarse yet sounded oddly familiar. The earth pony gulped and tried to push her off, but to no avail while Scootaloo simply pushed back harder. “Answer me, now!”

“Hey! Get off of her, you freak!” The other Scootaloo screamed. Standing between the unicorn and Scootaloo.

Scootaloo pointed her hoof and glared at the imposter filly. “You stay put if you know what’s good for you!”

“Scoots, ar- are you okay?” The earth pony asked though she had to pant a bit as Scootaloo was not letting up one bit. “Kind of hard to speak no- now…” The filly said, her breath sounding extremely hoarse. 

Probably not a good idea to knock her out… Scootaloo thought and let up a bit.

“Where am I?” Scootaloo repeated.

“Uh, th- the Crusader Clubhouse. You’re on Sweet Apple Acres farm.”

Scootaloo looked out a nearby window to confirm her state, what she saw caused her to quietly gasp. 

It’s sunlight… it was the only thing she could think. Over and over it was repeated in her head. The Sun.

“Could ya get off me?”

Breaking from her thoughts, Scootaloo sighed but did no such thing. “Wh- why do you have the mirror?”

The pegasus filly looked her over for several moments before finally speaking. “Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo merely grunted before narrowing her eyes.

“Well? Are you gonna apologize for attacking us? It wasn’t very nice, you know,” The earth filly said, the others nodding to agree.

“I’m not hearing any information about that mirror,” Scootaloo said irritably.

“Okay, that does it!” The downed filly exclaimed and buckled as hard as she could, taking the signal, Scootaloo did her best to tackle the other Scootaloo looking pony to the ground, but the filly was quite fast and dodged out of the way, but not before the farm filly slipped loose.

Scootaloo scowled and backed up, narrowing her eyes suspiciously toward all of them. The other three studied her, finding the situation bizarre. Scootaloo backed up a tad feeling her bag bump into a wall. Her wing stiffened from her fresh wound as blood continued to pool around it.

The unicorn backed up a bit and shuddered in fear. “M- maybe she’s a changeling! Like at Twilight’s brother’s wedding!”

“...A What? I’m no changeling!”

“A likely story! That’s just what a changeling would say!” The other Scootaloo challenged.

“Well… maybe…” The marshmallow filly replied, feeling a tad unsure of the whole situation.

The farm filly glanced at her, shaking her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Rarity said that changelings feed on love.”

The other Scootaloo snorted. “And?”

“Well, trying to hit somepony isn’t a very good way to do that.”

She considered this and eventually nodded. “I guess not…”

“Now look, ah don’t know what’s going on but what you just did ain’t no way to treat others. And, well, frankly you both look like Scootaloo. It’s very strange, but ah guess either of you could be changelings.”

Still not letting up her guard, reluctantly Scootaloo gave a stiff nod. “I suppose.”

“So what, we just sit here not trusting one another?” The other Scootaloo asked with a snort.

“Look, you, I don’t trust anypony or anything.”

“Not even your own eyes? I’m Apple Bloom, that’s Sweetie Belle, we’re your friends. Well, we’re also Scootaloo’s friends, which there’s two of you. But you get what ah mean, right?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I don’t know either of you, all I know is that I’m Scootaloo, and if what you’re saying is true, so is she. This will be a heck of a lot less confusing if you just tell me why that mirror is in your little clubhouse. Please.”

The other Scootaloo took a seat next to her, examining the filly, scrutinizing every inch of her. “Are you okay, by the way? You, uh, you got a bit of bl- blood on your back,” she said, stuttering a bit in fear. It wasn’t every day you saw a filly so young looking so violent. A small, yet deep wound had been cut into the filly’s side, right next to her right wing. It was bleeding quite profusely, dripping some into the clubhouse wood flooring.

“I’m fine, mirror, talk, now!”

“Look, we don’t know much about it. We were trying to get our cutie marks in… something so Scootaloo here borrowed the mirror from Twilight. But it started acting funny and glowing all orange. We heard some shouting, kind of sounded like your voice. Then a- ah guess you popped out, and that’s really all we know.”

“So you don’t even know what it is? At all?”

Three silly, adorable fillies all shook their heads. The wounded filly sighed and almost seemed to be laughing. 

“Uh, alright. You don’t seem to be lying. Hmm…”

There was an equal bit of silence from both parties as they stared at one another awkwardly.

“Now would mind explaining just why you attacked us like that?”

Scootaloo ignored her and glanced out the window, seemingly staring at something. Everypony remained silent, waiting for a response. After a moment of awkward silence, the orange filly stood up and walked outside, still staring blankly at the farm’s various trees and flora. She swallowed then felt along the tree which held the clubhouse.

It’s real. It’s alive, she thought in a daze. Everything felt like a dream to her, or like waking up from a horrible nightmare only to find herself in an improbable yet beautiful dream.

“Um, gettin’ a little bit friendly with our tree th- there…” Apple Bloom muttered, a sense of dread seeping into her consciousness. 

The fillies glanced at one another rather uncomfortably. There was a strange filly, who looked and sounded like Scootaloo. She had attacked all three of them, came out of Twilight’s freaky magical mirror and was bruised and bloodied. And yet she wouldn’t stop rubbing their tree like it was an old friend.

Scootaloo finally did break away from the tree and stared at the orchard, at Celestia’s gleaming sun shining over everything. A long stream of tears began to leak from her eyes. Despite the attack, the three of them couldn’t but look on in pity. A bloodied filly, crying just from the sight of a tree.

Timidly Apple Bloom approached her and took a seat. The other Scootaloo sighed and did the same, but what Sweetie Belle did surprise the lot of them. She reached out and began hugging the crying filly for all she was worth.

“Uh, Sw-Sweetie I don’t think, um…” The other Scootaloo tried to get out, but instead of pushing her away, the filly merely looked on in shock, not knowing how to respond. 

Though it had been the other Scootaloo’s intent to warn her friend that perhaps this new filly wasn’t up for hugging, really it was the fact that a large part of Sweetie’s brilliant coat was now stained a deep dark blood red. Scootaloo merely gawked in confusion. When she didn’t stop, Apple Bloom nudged her side.

It feels nice… she thought, her brain sending her conflicting messages. Everything felt unreal like she really was trapped in a dream.

This can’t be a dream, right? she thought uncertainty. It was unlikely unless of course her dreamcatcher had been lost or discarded somehow. Though she doubted the dark queen would let something so wonderful go on for so long unless it was her intent to torture her… which was possible.

“Uh, I think she’s had enough huggin’. Why are ya doing that anyway?”

“Cause, she’s crying. I always feel better after a big hug from my sis, when I cry.”

Scootaloo blushed and started shoving Sweetie off of her. “I wa- was not crying!” she stuttered, her voice squeaked with just a hint of nervousness though. The other two also suspected the sudden hug may have brought on a fresh bout of pain from her wound.

Sweetie shrugged and let go. “If you say so…”

The other two fillies coughed into her their hoof, while Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle in an awkward, painful silence. When the unicorn didn’t get the hint, they coughed louder, but still no coherent response.

“Sweetie Belle…” Apple Bloom said rather slowly while pointing toward her coat.

“What? Is there something in my mane?!” She asked, feeling all around it. “Oh, Rarity will kill me!”

Scootaloo merely shook her head. “Um, I’m really sorry about attacking you three. And, uh, about your coat…”

Sweetie Belle blinked in confusion and looked down, her pupils shrinking into pinpricks. She then promptly screamed and in a fashion befitting her bigger sister’s little fits, promptly passed out.





Scootaloo sighed and pressed her ear to the unicorn filly’s chest. I think the other filly said her name was Sweetie Tune? Belle? she thought, not that it mattered much to her. She was simply making sure that she was okay. She heard a nice steady beat of her heart and she nodded.

“She sh--”

“Step away from that filly, now!” a mare’s voice said, interrupting her.

Both fillies flinched while Scootaloo backed up rather quickly. Looking up her eyes suddenly shrunk to pinpricks. Her mind went blank while she tried to comprehend who the mare was. While slightly different looking, she was unmistakably Applejack, though she lacked the queen’s mark.

She watched while Applejack checked Sweetie Belle over for injuries and seemed to look confused when she found nothing. Checking her pulse over, she sighed in relief.

“Alright… ah’m not sure what’s going on here, but ah want the truth! And… why do you look like one another? And just where in sam hill did this blood come from?”

Scootaloo could only stare off into space, fear striking her heart. Urging her to run and find safety, but she was simply rooted to the ground.

“Well?!”

Scootaloo could only shake in fear, her mind unwilling to cooperate or respond. Applejack sighed then turned to face the other two fillies.

“Apple Bloom, explain. Now.”

“Um, well Scootaloo here--”

Applejack interrupted. “Which Scootaloo?” while it sounded like a silly question, Apple Bloom could tell her big sister was being deadly serious.

“Th- this one,” she said while pointing to her friend beside her. “She, um, kind of took--”

“Borrowed,” The pegasus corrected.

Grunting in irritation, Apple Bloom nodded. “She borrowed Twilight’s magic mirror, um, experiment. Before we knew what was happening, the thing lit up like crazy and all this magic exploded, or somethin’ and out popped her,” Apple Bloom said, pointing to the physically hurt Scootaloo, who still hadn’t said anything.

Applejack turned to Scootaloo and squinted her eyes. “That true?”

Scootaloo finally snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded. She didn’t have much to say to the mare though, so again she decided to remain silent.

“Well, okay. So did any of you three,” Applejack said while pointing to the three silly fillies, “do anything to Twilight’s mirror?” she asked in a calm, collective manner.

They all shook their heads. “No! Well, um…” Sweetie blushed while Applejack quirked a brow at her impatiently. “I was going to use my magic on it, but then it just started glowing and going crazy on its own. It happened before we could do anything, miss Applejack.”

She nodded in understanding. “Hmm. Oh and just Applejack is fine, Sweetie Belle. Okay, then that begs the question…” Applejack, however, trailed off and starting looking at Scootaloo before bristling her features and shaking her head. “You know what? This can wait, let me take a look at those wings of yours, sugarcube,” she said in a calm manner.

“Suga- sugarcube,” Scootaloo stuttered, her brain feeling like it was going on fire. Applejack didn’t seem to notice this and began to walk closer. Still frozen in horror, Scootaloo did nothing until the mare began touching the tops of her back. Alarm bells which had been resting deep inside of her flight or fight response starting blazing off. She could sense and see, quite clearly, just what Applejack, the queen’s knight had done to so many innocent ponies. She felt their pain, and she could see every single one she had hurt. In that instant, the happy, calm and warm breeze turned to a cold, wild wind. The warm, comforting feeling of the sun’s rays changed to the freezing embrace of the dark moon. Everything suddenly felt wrong and in that instant, Scootaloo flinched back at an impossibly fast rate. Looking up at Applejack the dark knight with wide, fearful eyes.

Applejack looked shocked before shaking her head. “Look, I know it hurts but I just need to look it over so I can patch ya up, okay?”

Scootaloo’s eyes remained in their fear induced state, still sized to deadly pinpricks. “I- I’m fine. I can p- patch myself,” she muttered quietly.

Applejack stopped moving and tilted her head in confusion. “That so?”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and tried to will away the queen’s nightmares. She knew it couldn’t possibly be real, not anymore. But it didn’t stop her from feeling fear, and feeling like she really was back in the nightmarish wasteland that had once been her home. 

Is this even real? she thought but then shook her head, figuring for now it didn’t matter too much.

After a few moments of this, she gently opened her eyes and was relieved to see everything brought back to normal. Even if a calm, peaceful and happy farm wasn’t exactly normal to her anymore, it still helped her feel better.

“Here,” Scootaloo said and she gently reached into her saddlebag and quickly took out a first aid kit. Stamped on the top of the metal tin was the symbol of the Shining Phoenix; Applejack examined it in confusion but Scootaloo ignored this. She quickly started digging around for some gauze and cleaning supplies before getting to work.

There was a long, awkward silence while she cleaned up her wounds and starting patching things up as best as she could. Applejack looked somewhat impressed, but it didn’t stop the situation from feeling strange. The other fillies merely waited in silence, silently praying that they had avoided punishment.

With the final bandage in place, she put everything away and packed it secretly into her sack for later. “S- see? So I’m fine, but thanks…” she said rather unenthusiastically.

“Well beggin’ your pardon, um, Scootaloo is it?” Both Scootaloo and the other pegasus looked up at this, though it was clear she was only addressing the one who came from the magic mirror.

“...Yeah,” she finally said after another moment of thought.

“Okay, you don’t look fine. But ah suppose you did prove that you can look after yourself,” she stated. There was a quick pause before she continued, “Still, what ah need to know is, how did you get here?”

...Buck, was all she could think. 

Zecora hadn’t exactly given her any instructions, just that the mirror would more than likely give her someplace to hide, so she could stay safe. She thought about it for a while then remembered back to the other Scootaloo’s story and smiled a bit.

“Um, I was messing with a mirror, just like the one up in their little clubhouse,” she said, the other fillies seemed to take offense to that but said nothing. “I think there was a misfired spell and it sort of activated and, uh, yeah,” she finished lamely.

“Okay, misfired spell from who?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” was the immediate reply, after that she simply decided to button her lip.

“Ah see. Okay… hmm. Well ah don’t really know what to do here. And ah really don’t understand how there’s two of you. Just…” Applejack trailed off, figuring that this was all Scootaloo was gonna say. “Fine. Apple Bloom, ah want you two to take this mirror back to Twilight’s place and do your best to explain what happened.”

The other Scootaloo and the farm filly glanced at one another before shrugging. They hesitated, however, when they both glanced back to their unicorn friend.

“I’ll get her cleaned up and wake her, don’t worry about Sweetie Belle.”

They nodded and began the tedious task of getting the mirror back, Apple Bloom would later wonder just how her friend even got it there in the first place. Scootaloo watched them leave and was soon left alone with the farm mare, pondering what to do.

“Well, ah reckon we better get her inside and cleaned up, give me a sec,” Applejack said and began to pick her up.

“Uh, I think I can wake her up. Hang on,” Scootaloo said suddenly and began to sift through her bag. “Let’s see… lantern? No. Case? No… here we go!”

Applejack squinted her eyes and stared at a strange looking vial that was outstretched in her hooves. “What’s dat?”

Scootaloo didn’t respond immediately and quickly uncapped it before walking over to the downed unicorn filly. “Smelling salts.”

Scootaloo gently lowered the tiny jar under Sweetie’s nose and waited while the small bits of aroma traveled up her nostrils, the effect was almost immediate. Sweetie’s eyes were blasted open while she looked around in confusion. Thinking quickly, Scootaloo pulled the salts away and capped it again.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Sweetie grunted and nodded. “Uh, y- yeah but that really stings. What was that stuff?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I don’t really know what’s in it, but it should be harmless. Sorry, but we had to get you up.”

Applejack couldn’t make heads or tails of the strange filly as she shook her head. “Sweetie? We should probably get ya cleaned up, c’mon now.”

The filly blinked and had to resist the powerful urge to scream, instead she hopped onto her hooves and nodded. “Please, bath… blood! NOW!”





Scootaloo waited off to the side while Applejack filled a basin with warm water. She wasn’t sure what to say or do, but it gave her time to think. Occasionally she would glance up at the sun and smile, if only slightly.

It’s really there… can this be real?

Hesitantly, she got onto her hooves and discarded her saddlebag on the ground. She then walked over to a nearby apple tree and felt all around it.

Feels real.

Next, she took a big sniff, and could faintly smell fresh air and the oh so subtle aroma of apples.

Smells real.

She began to drool ever slightly at the sight of the tree’s delicious looking fruit. She even licked her lips slightly, giving them a hungry stare. It wasn’t as though you went without eating while in the military, but meals were still scarce and even if you got a decent meal, the plants and veggies found within were a shadow of their former selves; unable to flourish without the sun’s rays helping things along. Really it was a miracle they could grow things.

“Sweetie’s all clean, Scootaloo. Ah, um, you two should probably go visit Twilight. She’ll know what to do and how to send ya on back.”

Send me back…‽

Scootaloo really wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Of course they’d want to set things right; after all, it was her who told them so little of what happened. It was her who lied about it, too. She could feel the back of her wings begin to itch at the mere thought of ever going back. She resisted the urge to scratch and slowly nodded at the mare.

“Uh, okay. Right.”

Sweetie Belle came up behind her, looking a tad exhausted from the whole ordeal, but much cleaner. Applejack stood off to the side, unsure what else to say.

“Uh, you okay?” Sweetie asked her suddenly, breaking Scootaloo from her thoughts.

“What? Oh, yes. Sorry. I- I guess we’re going to Twilight’s place?”

Sweetie shrugged. “Well, yeah, but you just kept looking up at that tree there. Are you hungry?”

Scootaloo wanted to scream out a definite yes but decided for a more subtle approach. She giggled slightly. “Heh, yeah I guess it’s been a while since I last ate.”

This set off a few more alarm bells in Applejack’s head, but the mare kept her cool. “Well, here,” she said quickly and turned around and then reared up her hind legs and aiming at a nearby tree. She then bucked it forward for all she was worth and well over a dozen apples shot off their branches, showering the two fillies. “Take a few for the road.”

Scootaloo smiled and grabbed a couple, stuffing them in her bag. “Uh, t- thanks, miss Applejack.”

The mare smiled. “You can call me just Applejack, or AJ for short, youngin’. And you’re very welcome.”

Sweetie began munching on her apple quietly and then hummed with a warm smile. “Hmmm, so good! Ready?”

Scootaloo nodded and then donned her bag. The two began to canter off toward the town of Ponyville, though Applejack’s voice stopped them.

“You sure you’ll be alright?”

Scootaloo wasn't entirely sure if she meant going off on their own, or if the question was directed at her. She merely gave the best fake smile she could muster and nodded. “We’ll be fine, but thanks!”

In return, Applejack gave the most unsure stare she could muster but nodded all the same. “Alright, just come see me if you two need anything.”

As they walked, Sweetie couldn’t help but notice that Scootaloo’s frown hadn’t left her. “You okay?”

“Huh?” She blinked and looked over, Sweetie Belle looked on in concern. “Yeah, thanks. Let’s just get there. I- I guess I’m hungry,” she said and reached behind her to find an apple. Without thinking she began munching away at the thing and paused in her step. She froze and it took Sweetie Belle half a minute before she realized her new friend was no longer following.

Sweetie turned back while Scootaloo slowly swallowed her fruit. Finally, Scootaloo blinked once and then hastily and calmly devoured the apple in the span of three solid seconds.

“Wow, uh, heh, didn’t know you were that hungry.”

The sweet juices, the perfect texture on the skin and the delectable taste all combined to form something magical, something that was almost unreal.

Tastes real…

Scootaloo began shaking slightly while she did her level best to hold in her tears. Her brain wasn’t quite sure why she wanted to cry, or why she did before, but her body knew all too well. She was happy for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime ago. She bit her lip and clenched her teeth and was able to cease the small flow of tears.

Keep it together, Scoots…

Sweetie Belle sighed and walked back over to her and took a seat. Scootaloo watched in confusion and backed up a bit. “Are you sure you don’t need another hug or something? You really look like you do and--”

“I’m f-fine,” she stuttered and quickly wiped her eyes, though she could feel a horrid itch bubble up again near her wings. 

“Let’s just go.”

She nodded and they continued on. When they reached the front gates, two guards stood out in front. Each was a stallion and wore an oddly colored armor. It was a mixture of Twilight Sparkle’s coat and mane color. To Scootaloo, they looked like something out a children’s book; to Sweetie Belle, they looked pretty.

“I’m just saying that lavender doesn’t really go with… halt!” The guard trailed off and immediately stopped talking to the other. “State your-- wait, didn’t you just come in through here?” he muttered while looking at the clone filly suspiciously.

Why does she have a castle…? her thoughts mulled over this before shrugging. She had to get inside.

Scootaloo slowly nodded. “Yeah, Twilight sent me back out to go grab, uh, Sweetie Belle here.”

The guard remained stoic. “I didn’t see you leave,” he said, pointing out the obvious.

She snorted. “Duh, I took the back exit. Are you gonna let us in or not?” she shot back irritably.

The guard huffed and leaned down with a scowl. “Little filly, I think you’re being awfully rude. I’m asking these questions for Princess Twilight’s protection--”

“Princess…? I…” Her voice trailed off while she shook her head, interrupting him, “Well you’re, uh… not doing a very good job!”

Sweetie gasped. “Scootaloo! That was so rude! Apologize!” Sweetie demanded, glaring at her.

Scootaloo continued to glare at the stallion, while the other guard remained silent. She turned over to Sweetie and saw the disappointed look. She took a deep breath with closed eyes. She then opened her eyes and turned back to the guard. “Sorry, can we just come inside? We really need to see Twilight--”

“Princess Twilight,” he corrected.

“Right, Princess Twilight.”

He continued to glare, but then a white fluffy thing clouded his vision. Sweetie Belle had walked up and was looking at him while smiling. “Could you please let us in? Mr. Guard? We really do need to see Princess Twilight about something. We promise to be good!”

The two guards nearly broke out in a grin from the obvious contrast between the two fillies. He sighed. “Very well, just don’t cause any trouble,” he commanded, stepping aside and allowing them to enter, he then called back to Scootaloo, “and none of that attitude with the Princess!”

Scootaloo felt lost the second they entered. A large sprawling hallway greeted them which seemed to go on forever. 

Sweetie cleared her throat. “What was that about?”

“I, uh, sorry. I’m used to guards being… um, jerks,” she swiftly replied.

“What? Are they evil, where you’re from?” she asked with a small giggle.

You have no idea, she thought, but didn’t really feel up to sharing. “Just, nevermind. So how do we find- well, wait, why is Twilight a princess now, anyway?”

Sweetie blinked and reviewed all she knew on what had happened. “Twilight grew wings.”

Scootaloo looked back at her skeptically. “That’s it? She magicked wings on herself and now she’s a princess?”

“I dunno. I think there was a bit more to it than that. You can ask her though.”

“Yeah. Do you think--” tried to say, but was interrupted by a rather loud, nasally sounding voice.

“You two did what?!” the voice bellowed.

Sweetie and Scootaloo glanced at each other then started running toward it. “We gotta catch up to them!”

The throne room was plain in sight, as they burst in through it, they saw Twilight Sparkle glaring down at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Her wings were flared out; but definitely not in excitement.

“Uh, you said it was okay…” Scootaloo said meekly.

“Okay? Why would I ever say it was okay for a filly to play around with that mirror? Do you have any idea what you could have done?!” Twilight screeched, not caring that she was causing the two to shake in fear.

“Hey! Stop yelling at them, it was my fault!” Scootaloo exclaimed, calling Princess Twilight out.

Twilight’s eye twitched and she slowly turned around. “...What? You…” Her eyes widened in shock. Dozens of scenarios whizzed through her head. “Changelings, alternative dimensions, magical clones, Nightmare Moon is back seeking revenge disguised as a filly but she didn’t have time to dispose of Scootaloo-- I need to stop reading such dark stories. Changelings!”

Both fillies’ eyes enlarged to the size of dinner plates, even Scootaloo had to admit it sounded dark.

Twilight glanced at Scootaloo and then to the other Scootaloo. She shut her eyes in frustration then sighed. Instantly the doppelganger and Scootaloo were enveloped in her magic, surrounded by a lavender colored glow. As soon as it had come, it stopped. “Not changelings,” she announced. Then she rounded back on the still scared Scootaloo, glaring once more. “What did you do?!”

“I said I did it! I was messing with this mirror and then it started glowing and I fell through, uh, your mirror. Okay? It wasn’t them,” Scootaloo stated confidently.

Twilight’s features softened, but she still looked angry. “You still took it without asking.”

The other Scootaloo coughed. “You still said yes.”

“I did? When?”

“Earlier, you were reading and I asked if I could use it, you said yes.”

Twilight thought back, but could just barely remember Scootaloo being in the palace. “I suppose it’s possible.” She sighed. “Oh, Celestia, I’m sorry for yelling at you two.”

The other Scootaloo sniffed and nodded. “I’m sorry for taking it, Twilight.”

Twilight quirked a brow down at her. “I thought you just said you didn’t take it… at any rate, I forgive you, Scootaloo. But now we have a problem… or maybe two problems.”

Scootaloo walked around the mirror, examining it. “Where’d the mirror come from, anyway?”

Twilight simply shook her head in response. “It was being stored in the royal vault for who knows how long. Not even Celestia seemed to know of its presence until I found it.”

Sweetie Belle started making funny faces in it. “Can you send her back?”

I won't be going back… she thought darkly. Again her wings started to itch, this time she actually gave in and awkwardly rubbed them back and forth using one of her hooves, she felt pain on top of the itch but eventually, the feeling subsided. 

Scootaloo already had the beginning of a plan to break the mirror into as many pieces as she could get away with. She just needed the right opportunity. A part of her wished to just flat out tell everything, but she barely trusted that what she saw was even real, she sure as hay wasn’t going to be trusting everypony on a whim.

I could say it now… she thought suddenly. She could and it would be so simple, but every time she glanced at Twilight, she would shudder in fear. She looked like a kind mare and it seemed like everything was on the up and up, but that’s what made her feel so unsettled.

“I’m not even sure how it works. It’s untested. Without the proper knowledge of how its magic works, I could end up sending her anywhere. Or hurting her… I think you’re stuck here for now. Which is… not great.”

Scootaloo could only blink and nod in response. The Crusaders gave each other an odd, uncomfortable look. Twilight, however, hadn’t really been paying much attention.

“Uh, don’t panic!” Twilight reassured her. “I can figure this out! But you’re gonna have to give me some time first. You said you were messing with a mirror like this? Where are you from?”

So she still wants to try and send me back? Hmm, maybe some misinformation will slow her down. The itch returned. It urged her to keep going, to do the right thing. She bit her lip and eventually blurted out her response.

“Uh, yeah. When Twilight, um, my Twilight wasn’t looking I started messing with all the gems and runes on it, you know for fun,” she said, sounding completely stupid. “It started glowing and I fell through it. Into their place. Which wasn’t… uh, where I had been before?”

“...Why in Celestia’s name would you do a thing like that? Who knows how you even configured it?! Oh, Luna, this isn’t good! Y- you could be stuck here! W- why would you do something so foalish?!”

In that instant, Twilight’s blind fury brought her back to her old world. She could see Nightmare Moon’s second in command, ready to strike with blind loyalty. Ready to kill anypony who dared disobey their queen. Scootaloo couldn’t help herself as she began to shake while she willed her body to relax.

She’s not here, she’s gone. I saw her die! Relax! Fear and pain mixed into her emotions, urging her to act, to do something like run. Instead, she could feel her back again start to feel irritated, but she didn’t move.

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, taking calming deep breaths. “I’m sorry, but that was a very, well, not smart thing to do. I’ll do my best to get you home, but I really don’t know where to start…”

Slowly Scootaloo opened her eyes and no longer saw the dark queen’s assassin, but a kind and caring princess mare. She felt slightly better about her predicament, but the memories of what Twilight had done back in her world would still linger, warning her to stay on the defensive.

Apple Bloom suddenly stepped forward and snorted at Twilight. “Well ah do! How are there two of her? Just what does that mirror even do, Twilight?”

The librarian turned princess simply shook her head. “Well, I’ve had theories, but until she showed up, I wasn’t really sure which one could actually be feasible.”

Apple Bloom looked at her friends who merely shrugged in confusion, but Scootaloo stepped forward. “What kind of theories?”

Twilight gave Scootaloo a strange looking smile, one with extreme apprehension. “Well, first let me ask you something, is there anything different about Ponyville? Something you don’t recognize from where you come?”

She shrugged and nodded. “Sure, you’re not a princess where I’m from and you definitely don’t have a castle,” she exclaimed.

And you failed to stop Nightmare Moon and everypony is doomed, there’s that! she thought rather bitterly.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Twilight suddenly said and started bouncing up and down like an excited filly, only to stop momentarily. “Oh no… no no no. If multi-verse is correct then… oh wow. This is… I don’t know how to feel, you know?”

The four fillies glanced at one another before simultaneously smacking their hooves on their faces and slowly rubbing them down in exaggeration.

“Twi,” Apple Bloom started, “maybe you wanna let us in on the conversation? Hmm?”

Twilight giggled and blushed. “Heh, heh, right. How do I explain… well, have you fillies been taught about the stars? Our galaxy and the universe?”

Apple Bloom gave a sidelong glance and shrugged, Sweetie Belle nodded but looked unsure of herself while the other Scootaloo started to look bored already. Scootaloo, however, spoke up.

“I know a bit. I know that we live on a planet that we call Equis which sort of orbits around Celestia’s sun… but, uh, not really?”

Twilight smiled and nodded while the Crusaders looked on impressed. “Mostly correct, Equis isn’t like other planets out there and it’s fairly difficult to describe, especially when you start talking about our sun.”

Apple Bloom snorted. “But what’s that got to do with any of this?”

Twilight smirked. “Everything. But it’s gonna be a bit hard to explain if you four haven’t been taught about galaxies or the observable universe, yet.”

“Well, where I’m from Equis is part of a large galaxy filled with billions of stars. And I know you can see other galaxies out there if you look far enough with a telescope-- and I guess we just call all of it the universe.”

Twilight clapped her hooves and smiled proudly down at her. “Very good! Have you taken astronomy where you’re from?”

Scootaloo gave a hesitant smile and slowly nodded. “Uh, ju- just a bit,” she stuttered nervously.

More like I was forced into some crazy school where everypony was forced to learn about the stars and how she owned them all… she thought bitterly. She shook her head of those dark thoughts and did her best to focus on the present, however.

“With us so far, girls?” Twilight asked but immediately frowned. The other Scootaloo was lying on her back, busy blowing one of her feathers up and down in boredom. Sweetie Belle looked quite bashful and slowly shook her head, while Apple Bloom busy thinking of apples and nothing else.

“Here, I’ll try and simplify it. It’s possible that this mirror can be used to find other worlds, places different from Equestria which would be housed in their own universe, different from our own.”

The four fillies nodded in understanding, so Twilight continued. “Right, well before Scootaloo here showed up, I had assumed these worlds could be anything. They could be completely alien or maybe just barren places, devoid of life-- or maybe, other Equestria’s.”

“But, how could there be more than one Equestria, Twi? There’s only one…” Apple Bloom pointed out, feeling more confused than ever.

“I don’t have any way of proving there is; Scootaloo here is the only real evidence, but usually the simplest explanation to a problem is the correct one. Just how there’s more than one Equestria remains to be seen as I wasn’t there when the universe was made, but let’s assume there are. Multiverse theory, at least the one I’m thinking of simply proposes there is an infinite number of different universes out there, each slightly different than the last.”

Scootaloo nodded, but again the three fillies could only shrug while not seeming to get it in the least.

“Here, uh, Sweetie Belle!”

The filly perked up and bounced onto her hooves. “Yeah?!”

“What did you do this morning? When you woke up?”

“Hmm… well I ate breakfast then hugged Rarity then hugged Opal-- oh and then I hugged Rarity again because I thought I hadn’t, but she was all “yes you did already but it’s nice that you want another” and then I ended up in the clubhouse and here and yeah…” she trailed off at the end, not really sure where Twilight was going with her question.

“Okay, well imagine if you got up and didn’t do any of that, or maybe you, well, didn’t hug your sister.”

“I’d be a bad sister!”

Twilight smacked her hoof to her forehead. “Uh, maybe, but the point would be that you made a different choice. Multiverse proposes that for anypony or anything, there’s an infinite number of unique things they can choose to do, each one splitting off into their own universe.”

At that point, even Scootaloo felt a tad confused, but slowly nodded along. Thankfully the three silly fillies could only smack their hooves on their heads and sigh.

“Uh, right, too complicated. Just think of it like this: there’s an Equestria for every single choice. One where maybe you three didn’t form the Crusaders, or maybe one where I’m not a princess or maybe something as mundane as Rarity wore a pink dress instead of a purple one. Even something as insane as one of us born as a colt instead of a filly, but to the same family. For every possible choice, there’s an Equestria with it. Well, that’s the theory anyway. Or should I say theories?”

Scootaloo finally understood and was shocked to hear it. It made sense, seeing everything she had seen thus far, but it made her feel rather unsettled for reasons she couldn't quite explain. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had other responses.

“Oh cool! So there’s a world where I’m a Wonderbolt?!” the other Scootaloo asked, bouncing on her hooves over and over.

“Or I’m a famous singer?”

“Or maybe one where ah’m a pegasus?!”

Both fillies gave Apple Bloom a weird look from that while the earth pony blushed. “...What?! Flying sounds like fun!”

They all giggled at this and began going on and on about all the possibilities.

“Twilight! Could you show us some worlds?! Please?!” They all said in unison. “Please!”

The princess chuckled at their enthusiasm but slowly shook her head. “Sorry girls, but I hardly know how it works. I haven’t even activated it myself since I was still studying it until this happened. I’ll have to do some serious research and scientific study or Scootaloo may never get home.”

Let’s hope I don’t go home… Bitterness didn’t even begin to describe how she felt, but she felt somewhat better about her lies. It would slow the princess down and give her ample time to destroy the mirror.

Deep down, she wanted to say something. To fully inform the ‘princess’ so she could set things right. During the war, trust was not easily earned and it certainly wasn’t a given.

You may not be the same Twilight, but you’re still Twilight. All of you failed us… Scootaloo decided then and there that Princess Twilight was not to be trusted. It wasn’t exactly irrational to think this, after all, skepticism and mistrust had kept her alive so far. Why stop now?

The three fillies pouted and gave a unified ‘awwww’, but nodded.

“Well, I’ll have to look into this. In the meantime, I’ll have to deal with something much more dangerous,” she stated firmly.

Scootaloo looked up, raising a brow. “What?”

Twilight laughed, almost snorting. Her eyes twitched and it was apparent she was extremely nervous. “Telling your parents there’s now two of their daughter and they have to take care of both of you.”

Scootaloo raised a brow and quickly glanced over to her counterpart. To her amazement, all the other one seemed to be doing was chuckling.

“Oh crud, mom’s gonna freak, dad will probably joke about it but I bet he’d be cool with it.”

The words echoed in Scootaloo’s mind over and over as if she couldn't comprehend what she was hearing.

“Yeah, sounds like fun to me,” Twilight sarcastically replied, shaking her head. “Princess’s give me strength.”

“Aren’t you a princess too?” Apple Bloom pointed out.

Twilight smiled rather sheepishly. “Right, I seem to forget that quite a bit. Heh, well, let’s get moving. C’mon you two,” she ordered to the two Scootaloo’s, urging them to follow.

“Ah guess we’ll see you later Scoots and uh, other Scoots,” Apple Bloom said and they waved.

“Yeah see ya I- uh, are you okay?” the other Scootaloo asked, glancing at the stunned pegasus. Twilight stopped and glanced down at her and waited for a response.

Mom’s gonna freak… the words echoed in her brain, bouncing around like a sickening plague, making her feel ill to her very core. Her stomach churned and she felt as though she might throw up at any moment. She eventually shook her head and nodded.

“Are you sure? You don’t look so good,” Twilight noted.

“Y- yeah. Sorry just thinking. Let’s go see mom and dad. Uh, I guess your mom and dad,”  she quickly corrected. 

The other Scootaloo snorted.

“Hey, they’re your parents too… uh, sort of?” She asked, looking back at everypony as if expecting some answer.

Twilight shrugged. “I have no idea, but since there’s two of you, I would think yes.”

Both fillies could do nothing but shrug and follow along, with the twin from another realm following behind, thinking to herself, while the other skipped along happily.

Mom’s gonna freak…
> Chapter Three: An Unfamiliar Place
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“When I explain it was my mirror that brought this on, your parents will be ticked at me,” Twilight said, pacing the room back and forth.

Scootaloo walked forward, bringing her attention back onto her. “Uh, wasn’t it my mirror that did it? Well, I mean it wasn’t mine where I’m from, but I still did it. Why wouldn’t sh- she get mad at me?”

“I… I suppose. Let’s just all get this settled. The sooner we get it out of the way, the sooner I can find you a way back home.”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were soon sent back home, with Twilight escorting them, once they were home it was time to escort Scootaloo. Now two Scootaloo’s. One was perched on her scooter, while the other Scootaloo was seated in the back of the wagon. Scootaloo looked around nervously, lost deep in her own thoughts. 

Will they be different? This is so weird!

They passed Carousel Boutique and into the center of town. A familiar feeling crept into the Scootaloo’s mind as they passed by house after house.

“It’s right here!” The other Scootaloo called back to Twilight, who was busy running after them.

The two stopped in front of a rather large cottage that looked to be a mixture of Fluttershy’s place and Rainbow Dash’s cloud mansion. It was a wooden constructed building on the bottom, but the roof was made from pure clouds. It was a bizarre sight, but one that the residents of Ponyville had grown used to. 

Scootaloo got out of the wagon, just as Twilight had caught up with them.

“Finally,” Twilight paused to huff in some air, “we’re here.”

Scootaloo surveyed the place while shaking her head. This is different.

“Hey, Mom! I’m home!” The other Scootaloo called out through the door. The effect was immediate. The door swung open, revealing a rather thin, yet stocky pegasus mare. She too had an orange coat and a similar colored mane and tail to Scootaloo. On each side of her flank was a picture of a few rainbow colored droplets right below a cloud. “Sweetie! I…” She trailed off and looked to Twilight, Princess Twilight, then her eyes shot back to her daughter. 

“What did you do?” she said flatly.

That’s not different… The filly thought, again with a small sense of bitterness but swallowed it. For a few moments, she could sense reality essentially tearing apart at their seams, her senses unable to comprehend the impossible sight before her. Her breathing increased steadily until Twilight’s voice brought her back to reality.

Twilight chuckled. “Well, technically she didn’t do anything. Or much. We have a sort of situation and I was wondering if we could all come in and chat?”

The mare was about to lead them inside when she finally noticed the other Scootaloo standing off to the side. Her eyes whizzed back to Twilight in alarm, and Twilight raised her hoof placatingly. “Please don’t panic! There was an accident and… can we just come inside and talk?” 

The mare hesitated for a long while, before her eyes relaxed and she nodded. “Okay, but I want an explanation from all of you! That includes you, Scoots.”

The other Scootaloo nodded and ran inside, quickly followed by Twilight. “I must say, you’re taking this a lot more calmly than I would have anticipated.”

Scootaloo hesitated for a long while as a sense of foreboding washed over her. Again, her mind seemed to reject the mare as reality, leaving her feeling sick to her stomach. She was looking at a literal ghost brought back to life and it sickened her.

This can’t be real.

The mare chuckled. “Of all the things my daughter has told me that’s happened with her and you and your friends, I’m sure a few of them had to be truthful.”

“Mom!” The other Scootaloo scowled, blushing slightly.

“Oh relax, I’m just teasing. I’ve seen Twilight lift a giant monster over your head with just magic. Compared to that, this almost seems sane!” she said with a chuckle. She was about to shut the door when she noticed the other one hadn’t moved. “Well c’mon, I won't bite. Uh, your name is Scootaloo, right?”

She nodded and quickly ran inside, breaking her thoughts. “Yeah…”

The door was shut and the few were ushered onto couches that were all crafted from clouds. “Good thing we’ve all got pegasus in us,” she joked.

“Heh, yeah. Um, I don’t know too much about how she came to be,” Twilight said, indicating to Scootaloo. “I just know it has to do with a mirror that I’ve been studying. But I’m afraid we don’t know much about it.”

“A mirror? She popped out of a mirror?” she said in a disbelieving voice.

“I fell into one, I was messing with it and it started glowing. I touched it and fell through onto her,” Scootaloo said while pointing to the first Scootaloo.

The mare sighed. “Maybe you better start from the beginning-- oh! Where are my manners? My name is Pale Cloud.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Your daughter is very special, quite adept at learning--”

“And getting into trouble.”

Both fillies huffed, but Scootaloo stopped herself and looked away. That was weird… she thought.

The mare’s chuckled before Pale cleared her throat. “Right. Start at the beginning, girls.”

Both fillies recounted what they knew, Scootaloo doing her best to recount all the lies she had told to everypony. Pale understood their story, eventually, but wasn’t happy about it. Twilight finished for them. “And so you see, we need a place for, er, Scootaloo to stay while I try and find her a way home. Will you take care of her while I try and fix this?”

The mom grunted but nodded. “I suppose. She is my daughter, well, sort of.” Scootaloo looked at her with wide eyes for a moment, then quickly looked away; her bitterness was obvious. “Uh, I don’t mean anything by it, Sweetie. Plus if what Twilight says is true, then you have your own mom and dad out there, somewhere.”

The filly winced but said nothing. Biting her tongue quite literally wasn’t nearly as painful as hearing that come from her own mother’s voice. Again, the sickening feeling crept in as the world around her seemed to turn a touch shade darker. Without thinking she began to rub her back into the cloud cushion left and right, trying to make the irritations to go away.

“However, I’ll care for you like you were my own; I promise,” she finished with a smile. The other Scoots smiled at her mom and bumped her elbow into Scootaloo who gave a shy yet fake smile and a nod in return.

“Thanks…” She said quietly, then trailed off. Say it, she thought, but didn’t move a muscle.

“Sure. So, is there anything else? I kind of wanted to get dinner started. You’re welcome to say if you’d like?” she said, gesturing to Twilight.

“I better not. Spike gets pretty peeved if I’m not home by dark, but thank you.” She then leaned down to Scootaloo and spoke quietly. “You sure you’ll be okay? You’ve been awfully quiet since the Crusaders left.”

She quickly nodded. “Yeah, just getting used to this, uh, house! It’s different.”

“Oh! I guess I hadn’t thought of that! Is anything else different?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Yeah, you’re not a princess, uh, where I’m from. And that tree library is still there.” Sort of…

Twilight nodded, suddenly looking sad. “I… see.”

Scootaloo looked to Twilight and recognized something in her now somber appearance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to remind you…” she said apologetically. 

She probably used to live there or something. Good going, Scoots’.

Twilight shook herself and smiled as brightly as possible. “It’s alright. Any information at all can help me, uh, find where you live. It will help narrow down a search. Well, possibly.” She then stood up and dusted herself off. “Well, I’ll let you get used to her. If you need anything, just come see me, okay?”

Scootaloo hesitated, wanting to say something, but nothing came out. So, she nodded meekly. Twilight started to canter away and heard the three walk away into the kitchen. She cast a nervous glance back at the filly then quickly darted off. She had work to do.





Pale marched up and down the couch around the two fillies. “Alright, since you both look and sound alike, we’ll need some way to tell you two apart. Scootaloo, do you have anything you can think of? Maybe the cape from your little club?”

The Crusader Scootaloo groaned. “I’ve told her a million times, it’s the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Pale patiently nodded. “Well, I’ll be right back, hang on.”

With the two alone, Pale leaned into Scootaloo, speaking rather softly. “Are you sure you’re alright? You look a bit pale, which is saying something for our coat colors,” she said, chuckling a bit.

Scootaloo blanched but quickly corrected herself.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I’m just tired. I’ll be good by tomorrow. Heh, I hope Mom isn’t too upset,” she said quietly.

The ever foreboding feelings continued to ebb into her consciousness. Even saying such a little white lie was enough to unnerve her. Despite Scootaloo’s best efforts, she really couldn’t help but grimace and slump into her seat.

She nodded and started to back away to the kitchen. “If she’s anything like me or she is me, then, yes, she’ll be pretty upset,” she stated flatly.

I wouldn’t count on it.

“By the way, you can hang your saddlebag over there,” she said while pointing to a coat rack near the door. “You haven’t taken the thing off since you got here, silly!”

Scootaloo glanced at her Phoenix bag and slowly nodded. While she didn’t want anypony to know what was inside, she knew to raise suspicions was the last thing she should do so she quickly hung it up rather carefully then came back.

“Found it!” The other Scootaloo had come back with a blue-tinted scarf, similar in style and fashion to her club’s capes. “Sweetie Belle made it for us, it was supposed to match our capes. But I never wear it. Here, try it on!”

She tossed it to her double and she wrapped it around her neck. “Uh, does it look fine?”

The other Scootaloo scoffed and waved her hoof. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. Hmm, what should we call you anyway?” Scootaloo said out loud.

“What? I’m Scootaloo…” she protested irritably.

“Yeah? So am I! I don’t know about you, but I’d get tired of saying ‘what?’ each time my name is called and it’s not for you,” she stated smugly.

She rolled her eyes and nodded. “Fine, I guess. You want me to name myself?”

Pale Cloud had come back in, balancing two glasses of water on her back. “Here you two go. How about Double Scoots?” she offered while offering them each a glass of water.

The double looked at her funny and shrugged. “Why that?”

“Cause you’re her double, it makes sense to me. Or maybe DS for short? C’mon, nicknames are cool,” she said in a tone that moms often used to try and trick their child into something.

Both fillies glanced at each other and blinked before announcing in unison, “Nah!”

Pale scoffed and looked away while Scootaloo wondered to herself about different names. All she’d been for the last several years of her life was a soldier. Sure, she wasn’t always the best at what she did, but it was all she could think of.

Wait, I think I know…

“What about Phoenix?” Scootaloo suggested.

The other Scoots shrugged at the name, but Pale’s eyes brightened considerably. “I think that sounds lovely, Phoenix,” she said with a wink.

Phoenix nodded with a slight smile. “Uh, cool. Now what?”

The mare sat on the couch between them and sighed. “Now, we wait for your father to get home. He’ll have had dinner by now and I ate something. You both want mac and cheese?”

“Sure!” Phoenix said, immediately. Hesitantly she reached out just to touch her, so she could feel Pale’s coat on her hoof.

She feels real…

Scootaloo, however, was less enthusiastic. “I guess. Don’t we have any more of those hayburgers?” she said, her mouth practically watering.

“We don’t, it’s noodles and cheese or nothing,” she said, again in that flat tone.

“Fine.”

Phoenix glanced over at Scoots’ at her as if she had grown a second head, but figured it wasn’t worth making a fuss about.

“Great, easy dinner for mom.” She stood up and walked out, leaving them alone again.

Scootaloo’s somber attitude left her almost immediately. She hopped off the couch and motioned for her double to follow. “C’mon to m- err, our room,” she corrected. “It’s not every day I get to play with myself!”

Phoenix followed her upstairs, chuckling along with her. “Uh, good point, I guess.”

“Hmm… let’s draw!”

The newly dubbed Phoenix watched Scootaloo break out crayons, markers, pencils, and sketch paper. Without warning, Scootaloo dove in and began hastily drawing out something, not even bothering to invite Phoenix to play. It wasn’t needed, she simply assumed that Phoenix did things like coloring all the time.

Hesitantly, Phoenix got down on the floor with her counterpart and took a blank sheet of paper. A very old and vague memory of doing this before surfaced, but it felt very alien to her. LIke she was suddenly visiting an old friend. Eventually, she did get a bit into the spirit of things, opting to draw over thinking about all of her problems. They doodled, sketched, giggled, and played some. Phoenix hadn’t remembered the last time she had done any fun activities. Like a switch, the dark feelings from earlier had simply lifted.

Scootaloo held up a hastily scrawled-out picture of Rainbow Dash. She had it in front of her face and began to talk quickly, and she couldn’t help but squirm with excitement as she spoke. “I’m Rainbow Dash! Fastest flyer in Equestria! You’re no match for me, Shadowbolt!” she roared, nearly tossing the picture into Phoenix’s face. Then she reared back with it sheepishly.

Phoenix held up a different drawing, although it looked quite similar to Scootaloo’s. It depicted Rainbow Dash, only instead of the happy smirk and bright colors, she had on a scowl and was wearing a dark outfit. “Uh F- Fool! I am the awesomer and more amazing Shadow Dash! I am an elite member of the Shadow Bolts and you don’t stand a chance against me, weakling!” Phoenix shrieked in terror and mimicking the actual Shadow Bolts. She felt silly for downgrading a serious threat, one she had encountered first-hoof no less to a mere plaything, but she didn’t care. Fun was fun.

Scootaloo paused, blinking in surprise. “Wow, good villain voice.” She then struck a pose, pointing at Phoenix while discarding the paper. “But you will never stop the Element of Loyalty! Strike me with all your shadow powers, I can take them!” She then charged forward, her head hanging low, ready to strike. Phoenix raised her head and flared her wings out, discarding her picture as well. The filly’s head shoved into Phoenix and began to shove her playfully backward. Phoenix smirked and shoved her body forward, ready to strike up another villainy one-liner. However, Scootaloo was shoved so far backward that her body tumbled over and soon she was flat on her back. “Ow!” Scootaloo wailed and clenched her teeth in pain. “Ow, ow, ow.”

The playing stopped and Phoenix looked on in concern. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

Scootaloo turned over to her side then nodded. “Yeah, maybe not shove me so hard? Okay?”

Phoenix nodded, but both ears perked up upon hearing a mare’s voice. “Are you two playing alright? I heard some loud banging!”

Scootaloo called down before her counterpart could even blink. “Yep! We’re fine, mom!”

“Good, dinner’s ready. Come on down!” she yelled back and Phoenix shot out of the room and ran downstairs.

As she jumped down the stairs, Scootaloo caught sight of the muscle rippling underneath of Phoenix's fur. She looked down to her own and saw, while they weren’t exactly underdeveloped, they could sure use some building up. She shook her head of those thoughts then marched downstairs for dinner. 

“I bet more muscle would just weigh me down,” she muttered, trying to console herself.

Scootaloo soon joined Phoenix who remained silent with a calm smile on her face. One of the fillies laid her head on the table and moaned. “Is it ready yet?” she said impatiently while looking up to her mother. She was leaning on the counter and using her mouth to stir a wooden spoon inside of a cooking pot.

The mare leaned back and snapped at her daughter. “No laying on the table, Scoots. And yes, it is.”

Scootaloo groaned again and sat back up. The sight of two bowls of cheesy noodles flipped her mood back into high spirits. She dug in without even saying a word.

Phoenix saw the bowl then smiled. “Thanks, mo- uh, I mean… I...”

Stupid! She’s not your mom! Phoenix clenched her teeth and bit her tongue ever slightly. She would do anything to stay close to her, even if she knew, deep down, she wasn’t her mother.

“I suppose you can just call me ‘mom’ as well. Makes things easier on ya. And you’re welcome. Now dig in before Scoots devours it all,” she joked.

“Ve-ry f’nny,” Scootaloo replied, her face stuffed with noodles.

“Uh, right.” While she ate, Phoenix couldn’t help but feel quite distant from the other two ponies. It wasn’t so much that the mare in front of her said to just use ‘mom’; it was how casual she had done it. Something about it bothered her deep down, so she remained quiet and ate. Part way through her dish, her emotions began to get the better of her. The bitterness of the whole thing mixed with the amazing flavors from such a rare delicacy had her at her breaking point. She bit her tongue and was quick to wipe any tears away before anypony noticed. Itchy wings returned and each time she rubbed them, she could swear she was ruining her bandage.

“I should probably walk you both to school tomorrow. I’ll have to explain this… situation to your teacher,” Pale muttered, mostly to herself.

To school…? Uh… Phoenix thought, her mind slowly shutting down from the stress of it all. She hadn’t gone to school in ages!

Scootaloo took on a sly smile. “Or… you could just send one of us.”

Her mom looked at her as if she had grown a second head. “Come again?”

Scootaloo nodded over to her counterpart. “It might freak out Miss Cheerilee if two of me shows up, don’t ya think?” she said and wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Her mom chuckled. “Cute, but no. You both will be going, I’ll just explain things. You’re not missing school, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo scowled and crossed her forelegs. “Rats.”

Phoenix looked at her bewildered; her bothersome thoughts now a million miles away. “You were gonna use me to get out of school?! That’s low.”





When dinner was finished the two fillies were ushered upstairs. “Go get ready for bed, if you’re lucky your father will be home before you’re sleeping. Phoenix, there should be a spare unused toothbrush in her bathroom. I doubt you had one on ya when you… fell through.”

Phoenix nodded and quickly found it. Wanting to spite Scootaloo just a little bit, she locked herself in the bathroom first, but not before sticking her tongue out and slamming the door.

“I said I was sorry!” Scootaloo called out then pouted. “Stupid school…” she muttered to herself.

It didn’t take the two long to clean up and brush their manes and tails. They re-entered Scootaloo’s room and found Pale laying out a sleeping bag along with a pillow. “I hope you don’t mind, we don’t have any spare beds. You could also sleep on the sofa downstairs, it might be comfier than the wood.”

The prospect of sleeping on anything cloud-related certainly appealed to Phoenix, but she declined. She didn’t feel like being any ruder to Scootaloo. She climbed into the sleeping bag and smiled up to the mare.

“Alright then. Scoots, you climb into bed too,” she commanded sternly.

Scootaloo, however, stood her ground. “What about dad?”

The mare frowned and looked behind her to downstairs. “I’m not sure. It is getting late. Look, I promise I’ll send him in if he’s back within twenty minutes.”

Scootaloo looked at her in a disbelieving manner, but her mother shooed her to bed. 

“C’mon, in bed. I can’t control when your father gets home. I’m sorry.”

“He’s almost never home, except on the weekends!” Scootaloo complained while snuggling into her covers.

Phoenix looked away and scowled. Better than dying in a losing army…

She smirked and rolled her eyes. “It’s how jobs work, squirt. Besides, you’re always out with your friends, so you never see him.” Scootaloo pouted and looked away, knowing she was correct. “Maybe you could spend some time with him on Saturday. Heh, maybe both of you can.” She gestured to Phoenix who blushed and nodded along with her.

Scootaloo sighed and yawned. “Just… love you, mom,” she said suddenly then stretched back into her bed.

“Love you too, sweetie.” She glanced down to Phoenix, who was looking up awkwardly. “And I know your mom loves you too, Phoenix. Right, try and get some rest, you two. Good night.” She then left the room with the door slightly ajar. A candle had been lit on Scootaloo’s nightstand which was quickly blown out.

While Scootaloo felt content to lay in her bed, Phoenix just felt too weirded out to do such things. She had no choice but to lay in her sleeping bag, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to stand up and scream. Anxiety, stress, nervousness all crept in on her. She was near familiar ponies but in a very unfamiliar situation. It was so freaky that she could swear Discord was just waiting to come and take the moment for himself with a cherry on top.

“Hey, you okay?” Scootaloo asked, glancing down at her.

“Yeah… just miss my mom is all,” she answered honestly. “I mean, this isn’t bad or anything; but it’s not…” she then mumbled something, but she stopped when she noticed that it was basically gibberish.

“Oh. Sorry. I’m sure Twilight can find you a way home soon,” Scootaloo replied, hoping to cheer her up.

Phoenix smiled up at her slightly and nodded. Great…

“Until then, we’ll stick together. Cutie Mark Crusaders stick together, even if this is freakier than Discord!” Her voice rose just a bit louder than it should have, but thankfully Pale hadn’t noticed.

“That’s what I was thinking!” Phoenix said with excitement. “I guess we just think the same?”

Scootaloo blinked and shrugged. “Do you think Diamond Tiara is a dumb brat? If so, then yes.”

Phoenix chuckled. “Uh, I don’t know a Diamond Tiara.”

“Seriously? Well, consider yourself lucky, buster.”

The door suddenly creaked open. “Scootaloo, you can go see him. He just got hom--”

The filly was out of bed and zoomed out of the room before she could even blink. “-e,” she finished.“Hmm, better not see him yet. He was really tired and I didn’t have time to explain him to you, Phoenix. But you can see him in the morning. I’m sure it will help you seem less lonely.”

The filly nodded, closing her eyes while clenching her teeth. 

Stop this… tell them.

“You sure you’re alright? It’s okay to be scared, you know,” she said in a soothing tone, “nopony minds. We just want to help.”

“I’m fine, but thanks, m- Pale. I’ll just get some rest,” she replied in a tone that said ‘please just let me sleep’.

“Hmm, alright, just don’t hesitate to let me know if something’s bothering you. I don’t care where you’re from, you’re still my daughter.” She looked as if she wanted to lean down to kiss her on the cheek, but thought better of it. “Uh, yeah... Sweet dreams.” She then closed the door but left it slightly ajar.

Downstairs, Phoenix could hear Scootaloo happily speaking with her father. The two voices seemed to wake up the whole house; possibly the whole neighborhood. In her bed, Phoenix lay awake listening to it all in pure shock. She felt like the unluckiest filly in the universe, envious of the luckiest downstairs. At that moment she would give anything to be the other Scootaloo. That night, her thoughts turned dark and bitter as her body moved around in turmoil.

Can’t sleep like this anyway… she thought.

Phoenix eventually got out of bed and snuck downstairs so she could grab just one thing from her bag, a dream catcher.

As she laid it out, careful to make sure it was resting just above her pillow, she continued to lay awake in bed, staring up at Luna’s moon.

I could just tell them why I can’t go back.

Her eyes fluttered several times, screaming in pain, urging for her to rest. Phoenix carefully felt around her wings while idly scratching at them. She’d been careful to lay on her side to avoid further injuries, though she half suspected that the constant itching wasn’t doing them any favors. Her eyes fluttered several times while she drifted in and out of sleep.

I could tell them… but what if they don’t listen?

She didn’t know anypony of their world, just their names. And while her mom seemed kind and caring, just like she should be, she didn’t fully believe Princess Twilight had her best interest at heart.

She whimpered in her sleep, her thoughts drifting and mulling over her predicament.

I can’t tell them. I can’t. What if I do and they don’t want me as their daughter?

The thought hadn’t fully crossed her mind until just then, but it wasn’t like Pale hadn’t dropped a big hint about.

She is my daughter, well, sort of…

She felt shame for hearing it, but even more ashamed for still wanting her as her mother. After biting her tongue again just to stop from crying, she had another thought. It was barely there as she was finally at that moment when she could pass out, but it was still quite vivid in her mind.

They could still send me back...





When Phoenix woke up, her head was aching like crazy. She felt as if she had been awake for over twenty-four hours straight. Probably due to the fact that she barely slept all night. How could she? Every time she thought of Scootaloo’s parents it filled her with so many conflicting emotions that it would nearly put her in shock. The laughing of the father would haunt her for a long time to come. Groggily she stood up and began to stretch. She looked up and found her counterpart happily snoozing on her bed.

She considered waking her but figured she’d get up on her own time. When Phoenix reached the doorknob, she paused and sighed. Something about facing Scootaloo’s parents filled her with disgust. She wanted desperately to run downstairs and hug them both. Why shouldn’t she be allowed that privilege? They were her parents after all! Her trembling hooves and tearful eyes stopped her, though. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, and despite herself, she left the room.

It was still dark in the house, and she had to squint to find her way downstairs. She looked around and didn’t find that anypony had been awake yet. 

Must be nice, she thought, and continued to examine things. Before she could even so much as look at the cloud couch, however, her stomach began to rumble like wild. Her eyes darted over to the open kitchen and she smiled. “Very nice.”

After pouring herself a bowl of cereal (purposely not adding milk) and grabbing some toast, she took a seat on a cloud chair and sighed pleasantly. For a while, all that could be heard was the pleasant sound of her chewing and the occasional swallow. Her mind felt blank, which gave her a chance to relax. She didn’t have to think about the problems that she was in or weird and confusing feelings regarding the other her’s parents. It was just bliss.

“You’re up early, Pumpkin,” an energetic stallion’s voice exclaimed.

The mirror Scootaloo’s head shot up in surprise and she gawked at the stallion. He had an aqua blue coat, of all things, with a bright red mane and tail. He giggled, which made the mirror pony gawk even more as his voice was very high pitched. The filly shook her head as he walked up to her.

“Though I can’t blame ya. Your mother told me about what you three were up to. Just think! There’s another of… you upstairs, right now! It’s crazy!”

Memories came flying at the mirror pony like a ton of bricks. He thinks I’m the other Scootaloo! I forgot the scarf! 

“Uh, listen I--”

He walked over to the box of cereal and interrupted before she could get anything out. “I mean, you and that club of yours have certainly shaken things up in town, but this... this is insane! I love you, sweetie, but sometimes I think your mother is holding you back,” he said, confusing her. “It’s not like such young fillies to be causing so much trouble, but that means you three are thinking outside the box! Like I’ve always said: simplicity and routine may get you somewhere, but it won't lead you somewhere special. Risk, true risk, can!” he finished with a smile and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Phoenix shot back in such a fearful shock, her bowl of cereal nearly went everywhere. The stallion stared at her in shock as her own eyes widened in shock and she backed up a bit. “Yeah, heh. But I’m not your Scootaloo. I forgot to wear my scarf…” she said awkwardly.

He stood there frozen in mid-kiss, then straightened up and started to slowly back out of the room. His head popped back in for a moment. “This didn’t happen,” he said and left.

Phoenix’s head promptly smacked into her cereal bowl and she groaned. Several minutes later Scootaloo came downstairs, who was soon followed by her mother. Phoenix finished off her meal and stood up to put her bowl in the sink.

“Good morning, Phoenix. Since you don’t have any of your books from school, you can share with Scootaloo. Now, go and get ready. We need to get there before everypony else,” she stated firmly.

Scootaloo poured her cereal and began to angrily mutter about going to school so early. Phoenix went upstairs to comb out her mane and tail. She gave a quick sniff to her body and found no offending odors, but knew she would eventually need a bath. I guess it’s not all bad here, I’ll get a warm bath. Time seemed to slip through the cracks, and soon she was standing outside their home, with Scootaloo on the other side of her mother.

“Well, c’mon. We have some explaining to do. Hopefully, your teacher won't call the guard on us,” the mother quipped as they walked through town.

“Eh, I bet she’ll pass out or something,” Scootaloo quipped back.

“Or think it’s a prank,” Phoenix quipped as well.

Pale cleared her throat as they neared the school grounds. “Alright, enough joking. We’re going to walk in there calmly and explain the situation. Scoots, no funny business,” she demanded.

“Yeah, yeah…” she replied in a moaning tone, waving her forehoof.

They passed by the playground which was empty considering it was quite early in the morning. Pale was nervous that they had shown up almost too early, but the open doorway forced her to relax. Inside the tiny schoolhouse, they could hear a mare humming away. The place always seemed so neat and tidy with not a single ounce of chipped wood or speck of dirt. Pale smiled and entered, with Phoenix and Scootaloo following shortly behind.

Miss Cheerilee, a rather large earth pony with a stocky build, was seated at her desk. She didn’t look up but did mutter something. “The test should be… hmm…”

“Uh, Miss Cheerilee?” Pale said, gaining her attention.

The mare shot her head up and locked her eyes firmly on Pale. “Oh, yes. How can I help you?”

“Uh, we have something of an issue…” Her voice trailed off and gestured to the two Scootaloo's. Scootaloo waved while smiling and Phoenix reluctantly did the same.

Cheerilee stared in astonishment, before giving the mare a flat look. “Is this a prank?”

Pale chuckled nervously and shook her head. “No. It’s a long story, though.”

Cheerilee stood up and walked over to each Scootaloo. Her hoof reached out and traced itself along each of their backs. She examined her appendage and nodded. 

“Oh dear, what happened to her wing, sweetie?”

Phoenix glanced to her bandage and shrugged. “That’s a long story, but I’m fine.”

Both mares glanced at one another not looking convinced, but Phoenix’s smile seemed to calm them down.

“If I had a bit for every foal who tried to paint themselves for a joke, I could probably buy a new house.” She chuckled and then her eyes landed on both Scootaloo's. “This is a new one, not a prank… So, you were saying something about a story?” She glanced up to Pale, who nodded.

“Yes, well…”  And she started at the beginning.
> Chapter Four: Nightmares Come Real
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class was very strange for everypony. The teacher couldn’t get used to the fact that there were two Scootaloo’s in her class. The other students wouldn’t stop glancing at the two, as if they were about to explode. Diamond Tiara now had another new target to bully, but that also meant it was now four on two, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, plus a dimension traveling filly, against Diamond Tiara and her lackey, Silver Spoon. 

School was more than weird, it was tense.

Cheerilee had to instruct each student, as well as their guardian, upon entering her class, of Scootaloo’s situation. Some ponies responded in kind, others in confusion and a few in disgust. However, the class eventually started to drag on and things soon pushed into its usual routine. To the teacher, it was finally bliss, but to the students, it was still boredom.

“Move over,” Phoenix whispered harshly as she shoved Scootaloo’s body to the right. Both ponies had been going at it all morning. The desk wasn’t large enough to fit two ponies, but as the teacher lacked a spare desk and books, it was the only way.

“I did move over,” Scootaloo shot back, ”you move over.”

When the teacher looked at them, they each responded with a pristine smile, but once she looked away, it was back to shoving.

Apple Bloom leaned into her desk and called behind them. “How ya doin’, Scootaloo? And, uh, Phoenix?” she said, remembering the new filly’s nickname. She then felt quite odd in thinking Phoenix was the new filly in class.

Scootaloo hesitated then called back. “Uh, fine. Just not enough room on this desk.”

When Cheerilee walked away to grab some supplies the class began to talk amongst themselves. 

Diamond Tiara noticed the struggling twins and smirked. “You know from here it’s like Blank Flank vision,” she taunted at them. Diamond was always seated behind the Crusaders, which had their own row.

Scootaloo ignored her, but Phoenix's eye began to twitch, and she would feel her wings began to itch yet again, but she did her level best to ignore everything.

Diamond continued. “Three blank flanks, but now there’s four of you. It’s like your affliction is multiplying.” Silver Spoon snickered in kind, but the rest of the class didn’t seem to notice.

Scootaloo growled but was easily able to ignore her. Phoenix's eye had twitched again.

“Blank-o-vision, coming to a theatre near you.”

Scootaloo almost said something, but Phoenix stood up, distracting her. She turned around while flaring out her wings and pointing to Diamond. Her glare could melt Nightmare Moon into nothing. At first, the two fillies wanted to chuckle at this, but Phoenix leaned into Diamond’s personal space to whisper.

“Shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you,” she threatened then casually slipped back into place.

The class remained so silent that a bit could be heard dropping. All eyes locked onto the now fuming filly, including Scootaloo’s. 

Diamond was locked into a shocked expression, but it didn’t last. The pink filly flashed her teeth and growled at her. “How dare you! You pathetic excuse for a chicken!”

It took every ounce of Phoenix's willpower to not clobber Diamond Tiara right then and there.

“What is going on in here?!” Miss Cheerilee said as she suddenly returned. She looked over the fuming fillies, expecting an answer. “Well?”

“Nothing,” Phoenix said quietly. She quickly returned to her seat while Diamond smirked and did the same.

Miss Cheerilee sighed then returned to her desk as well. “This is going to be a long semester,” the teacher surmised. 

The rest of class was uneventful, aside from Diamond blowing a spitball at Apple Bloom. When the bell for recess rang, Phoenix was quite relieved to get out of there.  When she joined the Crusaders, they looked quite concerned.

“You okay?” Scootaloo said and motioned for her to sit next to them.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. “So, she’s still a brat where you come from?”

Phoenix shrugged. “I don’t really, uh, know her where I’m from. I just thought she was being awfully rude.”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom gasped at this. “Wow, golly a world without Diamond Tiara. I wish I could come with ya, Phoenix,” Apple Bloom said with a giggle.

Oh no you realllly don’t!

“So, anypony up for Crusading after class?” Scootaloo suddenly asked, looking at everypony.

“Uh, what does Crusading even mean?” Phoenix asked.

The three of them gasped, but then all suddenly realized that it actually made sense for Phoenix. After all, she claimed to not even know the other Crusaders.

Sweetie Belle stepped forward while the others sat around her in a semicircle. “We’re on a crusade and we won't stop until we find our special talents! We’re…”

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” The three yelled in unison. The entire class stopped playing for all of two seconds in silence before everything started up again like it was normal for them to scream that.

Phoenix had her hooves clapped over her ears and held them there firmly until Scootaloo gently moved them. “So, what do you think?!”

Phoenix slowly nodded, really unsure what to think. “Uh, cool I guess.”

“That’s it? Cool, C'mon, you should want to join! I mean, you’re a blank flank too!”

Phoenix's eye twitched in irritation at this as she scowled at the words.

“Uh, not that there’s anything wrong with that! We just, you know… I guess it’s sort of a pride thing for us. We try not to show our shame,” Sweetie Belle explained. “You don’t have to join, we just thought maybe you’d like to-- uh, I mean while you’re still here!”

Phoenix softened her featured upon hearing this and slowly nodded. “I guess it can’t hurt. It’s just a little weird to hear is all.”

“Hey, how come you don’t know us two where you’re from anyway? Just how different is your, well, world?” Apple Bloom asked.

Phoenix went to reply but let out an earth-shattering yawn. Her muzzle reached wide enough to ache her jaw in several places while her eyes twitched irritably. She could actually feel her eyes grow slightly puffy, like a sudden onset of exhaustion struck.

I guess I really didn’t sleep much, she thought.

The three glanced at one another and turned back. “Didn’t sleep much?” Scootaloo asked.

Phoenix shrugged. “Not really, sorry. Uh, actually I’ll be right back. Okay?”

Sweetie shrugged. The exhausted filly waved and quickly re-entered the classroom.

Phoenix looked around and quickly found their teacher who looked busy grading papers at her desk. “Ex- excuse me, but is there a bathroom here?”

The teacher glanced up and quickly recognized her blue scarf. “Oh, yes Phoenix, it’s just around the back. Fillies on the right,” she said.

Phoenix quickly thanked her but not before silently reaching into her bag and slipping out a familiar looking black case. Even as she walked away back toward the playground, she could feel another yawn coming on. A sickening headache had also begun to creep into her skull, while the world around her seemed just a tad darker.

Stop thinking about her. She can’t find you here… stop! Phoenix thought and she quickened her pace as she ran around the class, her box tucked tightly under her right wing. Around the back, she spotted a separate building, connected to the old wooden constructed schoolhouse. It seemed a tad more modern, build from fine stone and nice white porcelain tiles on the inside. Phoenix sighed as she ducked into a toilet stall and quickly shut the door.

Even doing this was stressful. Her body was forced to take several deep breaths just to maintain her composure. Despite the nice warm sun seeping into the bathroom stall, everything around her began to feel cold and sickening. Thoughts of her dead parents and the parents she could never have begun to waver around her head. Shakily she reached for the latch on the box and quickly slipped the case open.

Mom’s gonna freak…

Phoenix counted out the number of capsules left while she quickly reached for one. The world started to be drenched in sickening shadows; dark magic seemingly out of nowhere reached for her.

I’m sure your parents love you too…

Smiling sadly, Phoenix brought one of the unspent capsules to her mouth, her body aching for it. Like a drug addict who would do anything for more, her mind was screaming for her to push the end and activate the thing.

This didn’t happen…

She whimpered as the final bits of the sickening world began to crumble around her, her hoof was millimeters away from activating the drugged capsule. Her head pounded incessantly, urging her to sleep. The world around her began to shake and move off center while her balance wavered.

She can’t find me here… she can’t!

Sweet little filly, I am everywhere! You really think you could--

Panicking her hoof finally smashed into the capsule, the effects were instant. The queen’s sickening voice vanished as if it was never there. Light flooded her vision while the horrible headache that had been pounding against her skull was nullified to a very miniscule amount. She still felt tired, but she could feel a sort of artificial second wind pulse into her nervous system. And finally, the world no longer felt off its axis as things finally righted themselves.

Phoenix's hoof slowly fell to her sides with the spent capsule rolling away out of the stall.

She can’t be here… she thought, no longer caring just how much she was crying. She even sniffled some with her body shaking. “N- no, she can- can’t be here,” she stuttered violently. She began to pound her hooves on her skull over and over, wishing to wake up from the ever-present nightmare that was Nightmare Moon. 

“No…”

“Phoenix? Sweetie. Are you alright?”

Phoenix jumped out of her skin, quickly recognizing her new teacher’s voice. She shut her black case and hid it under her wing while doing her best to wipe away any tears. “Y- yeah,” she stuttered and quickly opened the stall. “Sorry I, uh…”

“Have you been crying? Honey, please tell me what’s wrong.”

“Um, I guess I just miss home,” she said automatically. It was a lie and it came out in a rather monotone and emotionless way, but it was all she could think of.

Her teacher gave a kind and caring smile. “I see. I’m sure Princess Twilight is doing everything in her power to find you a way back. If you need to talk about it, though, I’d be more than happy to listen.”

The little pegasus smiled slightly, though inside she was feeling worse than ever. She didn’t want to go home! 

“S- sure, thank you Miss Cheerilee. We should get back to class, huh?”

She shook her head. “Not for another few minutes, I’ll be there but don’t be afraid to let anypony know if you feel uncomfortable,” she finished then cantered off.

Phoenix sniffled once and gathered up the spent capsule, glad that the teacher hadn’t seen it.

What am I gonna do when these are done? she thought miserably. 

Addiction and the side effects that came with it were not high up on the Shining Phoenix's list of concerns when fighting a losing war. A part of her knew what it meant, but she always had something greater to worry about. Such as a magical mirror.

She slowly started walking back toward the classroom, still deep in thought. Could she really be here? Using the mirror somehow?

After several moments of thought, Phoenix finally shook her head and sighed. She figured it didn’t matter, for she was going to break the mirror even if it killed her. Only issue was she needed a way to sneak into Twilight’s castle. She slowly smirked while placing her bag back in the class. 

I’ll need to be sneaky, but shouldn’t be an issue, she thought.





Back in class, the students were each given various assignments to complete, a few math problems and some language topics to work through. Phoenix glanced over and noticed that while Scootaloo wasn’t exactly breezing through them, she could at least understand most of the problems. This was not the same for Phoenix, basic math was fine, but the rest was simply an enigma. After all, schooling wasn’t high up on her priorities when you were constantly running for your life, doing secret missions and simply surviving.

Grunting in annoyance and feeling slightly ashamed, she quickly glanced over to her partner’s work and quickly copied down what she could see. A few of the problems she left blank as she ran out of time.

“Pencils down, please pass those up with your names on them,” their teacher exclaimed.

Phoenix quietly passed hers up then looked away, deep in thought.

I’m gonna need a way to get past her stupid guards. I better scout the place out tonight when everypony’s in bed. She then chuckled quietly to herself. Not like I’m getting much sleep, anyway…

“Phoenix, are you paying attention?”

She blinked and glanced around the class, feeling her cheeks blush ever slightly. Scootaloo had a history book out and was busy reading from it. 

She shook her head. “Uh, s- sorry, were you saying something?”

The other students chuckled, but the teacher remained stoic. “Yes, please read from the top of page sixty-two. About the griffon uprising.”

“Uh, r- right,” she stuttered. Her eyes began to glaze over slightly, blurring the images and text. She rubbed them several times until things finally righted themselves, appearing sharp once more. Slowly, she began to read. She could at least do this since reading didn’t require too much-practiced skill, though she finished much slower than she would have liked with her vision blurring several times. 

Stupid sleep… she thought. She knew why it was happening and how to prevent it, but knowing wasn’t very helpful in her current situation.

“Um, thank you, Phoenix. How about you take over, Scootaloo,” she said. The filly groaned quietly but continued where Phoenix had left off. It didn’t take a genius to notice just how much quicker the little filly was at reading than Phoenix had been, albeit in a bored and very un-enthusiastic tone. A few pages later and another set of surprise assignments eventually led the lunch bell to ring.

“Lunchtime, my little ponies! Go on and enjoy yourselves!”

Phoenix sighed in relief and quickly grabbed her bagged lunch before cantering outside. Something about the whole situation made her feel weirded out like she had been there before. She glanced down at her brown paper baggy and squinted. Written in pink ink were the words “Enjoy your day, my little Phoenix~”.

Enjoy your day, my little Scootaloo…

Phoenix's heart lurched when she finally remembered just why the bag brought back such old memories. She used to do this at school…

“Cmon, Phoenix! We’re sitting over there,” Scootaloo called out, pointing to a nearby bench. The other Crusaders followed along, but Phoenix had remained sitting, a few tears streaming down her cheeks.

Phoenix mumbled something unintelligible and slowly walked over to join them while trying her best to hold onto her emotions in a tight bundle, wiping away any stray tears.

“You okay?” Sweetie asked then dug into her lunch, biting into her sandwich.

There was a slight nod though the others didn’t look so convinced. Apple Bloom nudged her side causing Phoenix to flinch.

“You don’t seem all that okay. Uh, your face is a little damp…”

“Just… miss my home, I guess,” she lied again. It was lame sounding, but to a young filly in a class with other foals, it at least seemed believable.

Scootaloo and the others nodded, giving her kind smiles. “Don’t worry, you’ll be back before you know it! But not before you go on adventures with…”

Dear Celestia, no! she thought and frantically raised her hooves to cover her ears; she had a big enough headache already!

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!”

Phoenix's head began to spin, or more precisely the world began to spin. Her headache, which had been a nice and dull pain, split her head in two as the awful migraine from earlier came back with a vengeance. Her hooves began to shake, though if the Crusaders noticed, they didn’t seem to do anything about it.

“But what Crusade should we do this time?” Sweetie asked.

Three adorable but very loud little fillies began to ponder this while Phoenix nursed her headache, rubbing her hooves around her temples in tiny circles.

“Tree climbers?”

“Did that already,” Apple Bloom and Sweetie replied in unison.

“Lion tamers?”

“...Did that.”

Lions? What in the hay…

“Discord catchers?”

“Scootaloo, last time we tried that my mane turned pink for a whole month! How could y'all forget that?”

“Oh yeah… I still can’t get all that tree sap out of the clubhouse…” she replied with a shudder of fear.

Phoenix blinked in astonishment and slowly shook her head. The Crusaders continued to rant on and on about their previous “adventures” while Phoenix began to munch on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

She cut off the crust… Phoenix thought, her heart lurching slightly.

Getting tired of crying, the little filly bit her lip hard until she could taste a tad bit of blood. It was silly and a tad unsettling, but it was something she grew accustomed to while on her long and dangerous missions. She tasted a few droplets of blood and nearly blanched from the taste. The pain had helped her focus in the past so she could get the job done. Pain was generally seen as something to be avoided, but its existence wasn’t meaningless, after all, it served as a warning to avoid danger.

The little Crusaders may have gone on some crazy adventures in their past, but most were nothing compared to what she’d been through just to get by.

Though I never woke an ancient god of chaos… that’s kind of up there, she thought while swallowing the last bit of her sandwich. She wasn’t sure if she even enjoyed the Crusader's company, but she had to admit, they were an impressive bunch of fillies. Even if they were off their rockers.





By the end of her first actual day of school, Phoenix was in a miserable state. She had long since given up on trying to figure out most of her assignments, opting to instead daydream of her future plans. Everything revolving around the blasted mirror and how to rid herself of it.

What do I do when it’s gone? Just live here?

The thought was quite unsettling, to say the least. True her “parents” hadn’t been all too perturbed by her presence and seemed to love her in some small way, but she doubted that having a literal clone of her daughter live with them forever would be preferable to a temporary engagement. She didn’t want to replace anypony, no matter how badly Phoenix wanted her parents back. There was always the possibility that they could work things out, but it seemed quite slim. It wouldn’t hurt to try, she figured as she wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

She’d given very little thought to what she’d end up doing with her life back in “The Queen’s Realm” if the queen ever fell. What would she have done had the resistance actually won? No home, no parents and no friends beyond a few older colleagues, but she never had free time to think about it, only her missions.

“Class is dismissed! Have a nice day, my little ponies!”

Phoenix slowly packed her things away and got up to leave, though her new Crusader friends were five steps ahead of her, already out the door.

“C’mon, Phoenix! We’re going to the clubhouse!”

“Uh…”

“Are you sure you’re alright, little one?”

Phoenix mouthed the words, little one, feeling alien to her. She gave the best fake smile she could muster at the time, which seemed to fail her.

“You look exhausted, Phoenix. Do you want to talk things out?”

The kind and caring attitude felt so real and so right, but deep down an immense force pushed her to stay away. She swallowed and shook her head, figuring there was no real point. “I’m fine, Miss Cheerilee, really.”

“A- alright. Just, try and have a nice, relaxing day. Alright?”

“Right, thank you,” she said, not knowing how else to respond.

She waved her off and soon Phoenix was riding in the back of a wagon of all things with Scootaloo scooting along in, what else, a scooter. She pulled them along toward the farm where the whole mess with the mirror had started. As they traveled, the wind blowing through their manes and tails didn’t offer much aid for them to converse, as such, Phoenix began to daydream.



The mission was simple: reconnaissance. To observe the enemy as close as she could and report back to The Phoenix. It seemed simple enough when she volunteered, but now she wasn’t so sure of her abilities.

Scootaloo gulped and watched the night guards, a pair of them both stationed at the front gates. The place they were guarding was huge, a sprawling castle with towers that seemed to go on forever. At the tips of each towel was a decorative molding shaped to that of an apple. Just how the castle came to be was still a huge mystery to them, but they knew that it was one of six which seemingly sprang up in various spots all over Equestria.

Truth be told, Scootaloo didn’t just volunteer for the assignment for the credit in the Shining Phoenix. No. She had a far more personal reason.

“Honesty, I’m coming for you...” Scootaloo muttered with a deep scowl.

Many of the castle’s finer details and features were difficult to make out, though it was clear the only two ways in were either flying over or through the front gate. Climbing was a bad move, as was flight since she could spot dozens of guards high up in the shadows.

To her amazement, the guards outside weren’t unicorns. It was quite the common practice for the Queen's army to use mage casters at the front line, or to guard important buildings and structures. Earth Ponies were strong when they needed to be and were quite the fighters, but often were no match against a well-trained battle mage. So, it was odd to see two Earth Ponies decked out in silver clad armor both guarding the front gates.

“Maybe Honesty trusts them more? Hmm…” she muttered to herself while rummaging through her trusty saddlebag. “Here we are!”

She had finally located the object of her desire: a small white box which was felt lined. Inside was a simple bamboo pole, roughly three hooves long. A tiny hole jutted out on either side along with a clear indication on where to load the thing.

“Zebras… such strange weapons.”

Lined alongside the pole were several darts all evenly spaced and gently packed away in the felt. Scootaloo was careful to load them into the dart gun, she also took her time to aim at the nearest guard. She knew that not only she would have one shot at this, but the second he was down, the other would come running.

“I’ll be ready…” she said, though she wasn’t all that convinced on her abilities.

Her aim was true and the strike was deadly. The first guard went down with a loud thump. Everything stood still for a moment, while Scootaloo readied her second dart. She had only glanced away from the other guard for a moment when he suddenly vanished. The sound of crickets and nocturnal animals seemed to seep into the darkness itself.


> Chapter Five: Hiding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We’re here!” Scootaloo announced. The filly glanced back and rolled her eyes. Sweetie Belle’s mane was completely frazzled, while Apple Bloom was giving her a death glare.

“Scoots! You don’t always hafta go that fast, you know!”

Her counterpart shook her head and glanced around. The memories of that mission seemed so vivid, it was as though she was back there. Waking up from such a vision was unsettling, to say the least.

“Yeah, yeah,” Scootaloo said. “Come on up, Phoenix! We’ll show ya around!”

Phoenix really didn’t have time to inspect anything in their clubhouse from earlier, but now she could plainly see that they were each insane in their own unique way. 

Scootaloo had tried to initiate her by using a set of drums and some odd ritual until Phoenix carefully explained that she had a massive headache and wasn’t really in the mood to make it worse. There was also the matter of the crazy amount of parchment plastered on the walls, detailing their failed crusades and what they learned. Some of them baffled her to no end.

“So… you tried all of these? All of them?!”

The three fillies nodded their heads, looking downcast and forlorn. Phoenix inspected a few of them while silently shaking her head in bewilderment. She held up one which showed the picture of a chicken, but all she got was silence.

“Uh, well did you try, uh… researching stuff in a library?”

“We tried that plenty of times, Phoenix,” Apple Bloom muttered. “Ah guess we haven’t done it recently. Maybe Twi has some new books?”

Scootaloo groaned and smacked her head. “Ugh, reading…”

“Rainbow Dash reads all the time, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. Knowing full well the rainbow pegasus loved to read.

“To the library!” Scootaloo screamed, pointing off to the distance.

“Uh, Scoots? Library burned down, it’s in Twilight’s castle now.”

“To the castle!”

So much noise… Scootaloo’s counterpart bit her lip again through her ears perked upon hearing the words castle. She smirked. “I guess we could see how Twilight’s doing on the mirror, right?” Phoenix suggested.

“Heya, Crusaders. How was your day?” Applejack asked, appearing at their doorstep.

“Oh, hey, Applejack! It was okay, we were just gonna head over to Twilight’s an’ get some research done,” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

Phoenix blinked while she examined the mare. She found a kind, caring smile about her features, but her memories of Honesty were far from kind.



“You know, ah gotta admit, yougin’, that,” the mare said while gesturing to the now unconscious guard at her hooves, “that was mighty stupid of ya.”

Scootaloo’s hooves had been encased in a strong magical field, forced to bow to Honesty in the most uncomfortable and unnatural way possible. She clenched her teeth in pain while doing her best to look at her surroundings. She was definitely in a fortress of some kind. Large stone walls and cobblestone flooring were enough to tip that bit of information off to her. She couldn’t see much from her position, but Scootaloo knew enough that she could sense several guards seated behind her.

“Ah mean, ah’ve seen some dumb ponies in my past. That rainbow pest the queen loves so much. A failure of a mail mare, but you, you my dear, really take the cake.”

The filly groaned in place but said nothing in response.

“Ah think she’s had enough bowing. Let her head up, hurry on now,” she commanded.

Suddenly the immense pressure which had been directed on her spine let up and finally, she could look around. She glanced up into the mare’s wild eyes while doing her best now to cower in fear. It wasn’t necessarily how she looked, but what Honesty represented in the queen’s arsenal. The thing she’d heard her do were nothing short of sickening.

The mare took her Stenson hat off and pretended to examine the thing before cantering forward. “Just what is your name, little filly?”

Scootaloo smirked. “Firehen.”

“Wrong!” The mare screamed, causing the filly to flinch. The crazy earth pony ran forward, stopping short of her muzzle. “Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!” she yelled and then smacked the yougin’ straight in the face. Blood broke on her skin, but her assailant didn’t seem to care. Honesty grabbed the filly from the magical imprisonment and forcefully tossed her against a nearby wall.

“You break into my fortress and have the gall to lie to me! Me!” she said, stomping her forehooves on the filly’s chest over and over. Eventually, the little pegasus began coughing up blood on the floor until the assault ceased. The mare leaned down and whispered. “Now, what is your real name and I want the truth…”



“Sco- Scootaloo,” she said truthfully. She began breathing heavily. Now free from the unicorn guard’s spell, she used her free hoof to wipe away some of the blood. “My name is Scootaloo.”

“Hmm, quite the strong little filly, Scootaloo. Shame you’re not one of us.”

“Huh?”

“A true Equestrian. An Earth Pony. Pegasi may have their place, too, ah suppose. But the true strength of an Equestrian can only be in us deemed worthy enough to connect with the planet itself.”

“Y- you’re insane.”

She chuckled at this. “Ah’m not the one that broke in here without so much as ah bit of backup, youngin’.”

“Wh- what h- happens now?” she asked, clenching her jaw and seething in more pain. She didn’t think anything was broken, but she wasn’t about to risk getting on her hooves.”

“That all depends on you, Scootaloo. Kindly follow my guards to initiation and we’ll see from there,” she muttered and waved her off like the whole thing was nothing. Scootaloo wondered just how many she had initiated in her time serving the queen.

“W- wait!” Scootaloo said, just as the guards had appeared at her sides. “Yo- you have to answer me something, please. You’re Honesty, right? Ju… just, please answer me one thing.”

The mare stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around. “Ah suppose. Just make it quick.”

“I he- heard that my parents m- may have come through here. Th-ey they look a lot like me and were in our army. Do you know what happened to them?”

The mare stared down at her for a good, long while. Contemplating what to say. Scootaloo didn’t trust any of the queen’s army, but she knew that this one, in particular, could at least be trustworthy enough to let loose a nugget of truth here and there, it was in her nature, after all.

Surprisingly, the mare bowed while taking her hat off. “Are you sure you wish to know their fate?”

The filly’s heart lurched, already forming the smallest hint on what may have happened to them. Slowly, she nodded.

“Heh. Ah’m not proud of those first experiments. It took some doin’, but eventually, we figured a… cleaner way of doin’ it. But ah’m afraid there were quite a few mistakes back in the beginnin’.”

“Wh- what are you saying?!” Scootaloo asked, her voice squeaking slightly.

“You really wanna know the truth?”

“Y- yes.”

She chuckled quite darkly and leaned in, her muzzle as close as possible to the filly’s face. “We needed more strength in our army, more earth ponies. Ah can’t remember everypony we tried it on, but ah believe a mare that goes by Pale was one of the first…” Scootaloo’s eyes widened in shock, catching the mare by surprise. “Well ah’ll be. Ah guess it makes sense that her daughter got away and all, funny how you ended up back here.”

Honesty paused and watched for a reaction. “She didn’t last long, though she wasn’t helping things by struggling.”

Scootaloo stood still in shock, her mind slowly shutting down as she put the pieces together.

“Now don’t worry none, we’ve since perfected the procedure.” She leaned in and ruffled Scootaloo’s feathers. “You won't even feel ah thing.”

Scootaloo felt dizzy, like the world was spinning despite remaining so perfectly still. She teetered on her hooves, trying to remain steady. Slowly the world started to fade, but in the back of her head, she heard a massive explosion. Stone and rocks spilling everywhere. The last thing that she remembered before blacking out was the shouts of Honesty, and her guards readying their weapons for a long fight.



“Hmm, that so? Doin’ some gentle crusadin’ today?” she asked with a giggle.

Phoenix blinked and looked around in confusion. Hadn’t she just been scouting on a mission? She’d been caught and heard something horrible, a terrible fate for her mother and father. She groaned and rubbed her head in tiny circles, trying to dispel the strong illusions of her nightmares. Already she was craving the itch for another canister.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and nodded. “I guess. Ugh, I thought this would be more exciting with two of me around…” she muttered and huffed a bit in frustration.

“And how you holding up, Phoenix?” Applejack asked her, point blank.

The filly slowly shrugged. “Uh, not bad I guess. Just, um… yeah, not bad,” she said, trying to sound cool and casual.

“Uh huh. Well, ya seem fairly tired, Sugarcube. Didn’t get much sleep?”

“...Yeah, pretty much,” Phoenix muttered while looking away. The three crusaders awkwardly glanced at one another before turning to Applejack, hoping for her to make sense of Phoenix brash attitude.

“Why don’t you three get onto Twilight’s place? I wanna say somethin’ to Phoenix here.”

The Crusaders didn’t have much to argue with, so they left but not before waving to Phoenix who gave a weak nod in response.

The two sat across from one another by quite the distance, each staring off at other trees. It took a while but eventually, the mare spoke.

“Look,” she started and Phoenix looked back to her, “ah don’t know what’s different from where you’re from. And ah just sort of assumed a few things…”

The filly tilted her head in confusion, not understanding. Without warning, Applejack stood up and walked a few paces until she was right in front of her. “My name’s Applejack, it’s a pleasure to meet ya,” she said and offered her outstretched hoof. She smiled nervously down to Phoenix and waited rather patiently. “Twi explained a few things to us, she said it’s possible that you don’t even know everypony that our Scootaloo does since you tread different paths. A- ah’m ah wrong, Phoenix?”

“No, you’re not wrong,” she said truthfully. Applejack did take note when Phoenix backed up rather fearfully, however. The mare backed up herself and grabbed her hat.

“Ah don’t know you like ah know our Scootaloo. And… hmm, ah don’t know why you’re so afraid of me--”

“I’m not afraid!” she hastily interrupted, though this just raised further suspicions.

“Sugarcube, ah think you are,” she stated and then held her hoof out when the filly tried to object. “I don’t know why, and… and if you want to keep that to yourself then that’s your business. But, just please don’t be afraid to come see me or Twilight or even Miss Cheerilee if you need help. And… ah’m gonna say this from the bottom of my heart, Scootaloo,” she said, the filly’s eyes widened in shock while her ears perked. “Don’t give into yer fears, don’t keep bottled up and to yourself. Friendship, true friendship conquers all fears. So, lil’ Scootaloo, will you be my friend?”

It was like a cannon had gone off and struck her heart dead on. She didn’t feel her insomnia or the coming darkness. She didn’t see Honesty or what she had done to her parents. She wanted to say yes more than anything, but something kept pulling her back. An older memory, back when the whole of Equestria, her Equestria, had fallen.



It had been months since Canterlot fell. Scootaloo had eventually broken free from the queen’s wretched initiation school and had sought the military resistance, The Shining Phoenix. When she finally found the place, she had to admit that it was rather underwhelming. The place had an allure of a hastily constructed series of tents and a few buildings. The only good thing she could say about it was that the place was well hidden, deep within one of the darkest and most secluded forests known to pony kind: The Dread Timbers. The place was most definitely off the beaten path; Scootaloo only thanked Celestia that the Nightmare’s soldiers hadn’t reached there yet.

Despite her young age, they didn’t exactly turn her away of course, but her new list of jobs was less than satisfactory. Not that she actually wanted to be out there, going on missions and fighting crazy Nightmare Guards, but she had to admit that the prospect of doing something exciting did have an allure to it.

It was her fifth day in the compound and already she was sick of her duties. She was basically ordered to do anything and everything that the head of the command needed of her, so long as it stayed on their property. Safe from Nightmare Moon. In exchange, she got shelter, a place to sleep and food, though not a ton of food. Without the sun, growing plants had become tricky and the trees and flora that were natural to The Dread Timbers forest were largely dying and fading away into nothing. 

They had various scientists (the ones that were not under Nightmare’s control) working around the clock to come up with strategies to grow food without Celestia’s shining sun to aid them. So far all they had come up with were strange artificial lights which could, at best, mimic the sun's rays. It made for some incredibly bland and stunted fruits and veggies.

“S- stupid commander,” Scootaloo muttered. She had been tasked with cleaning out various tents for the morning and making sure that everypony had fresh water and their rations for the day. This included hers, of course, but it always seemed like far too little.

“Always telling me what to do and then she j- just storms off,” she muttered and started filling another pitcher with water. “Why I oughta--”

“Hey, kid?”

Scootaloo broke out into a fake smile and whirled around, giving whoever it was a salute. “Ready to se- serve! The sun will rise again!”

To her astonishment, it wasn’t another commander but one of their soldiers. A pegasus pony who was chuckling in her direction. “Heh, that’s good to hear, miss…?”

“Scootaloo.”

“Right. How’d you like to earn some extra phoenix feathers?”

The young filly’s eyes lit up and she nodded excitedly. Bits were no longer used. The new “queen” had forbidden them since were a representation of Celestia’s might over her kingdom. But more than that, “Sun Bits” were all cursed by an extremely powerful spell and, as it turned out, The Shining Phoenix learned this the hard way by losing a few of their soldiers to the Nightmare’s curse. Lunar currency did exist, but after watching some of their comrades literally descend into madness, they weren’t about to risk using them. As such, phoenix feathers were invented. Brilliant bird shaped feathers crafted from silver.

“Yes! Y- you have a bunch?” Scootaloo asked nervously.

The mare chuckled and jingled a little baggy in her forehoof. “Sure do. Us soldiers probably get a bit more than somepony of your, well, stature,” she explained, trying not to insult her.

“Ugh, tell me about it. I think I have, uh, one so far.”

“One? Now that won't do… tell you what, Scootaloo, I need to get settled out on another mission for the Shining Phoenix, secret stuff, you understand. But I have a few chores that need doing around this place. Do everything on this list and I’ll pay ya in full, five feathers. Deal?”

“F- five? It took me two weeks to earn just one! Deal!” she practically screamed, her little wings buzzed excitedly. The mare chuckled again and dropped off a long list in front of her. “O- oh wow, thi- this is a lot of stuff…”

“Mhm, get it done in two days!”

“Two days, got it!” she said. “I’ll just… meet you back at your tent when you return?”

“Sure kid, sure,” she said rather dismissively. “Just get them done and you’ll be rollin’ in feathers.”

“Right…” she said, licking her lips. She could already taste some of the things she was gonna buy. Treats, bread, milk! Sure, some of that was allowed in her daily rations, but owning excess of it was always a plus in her book!





“F- finally done,” Scootaloo muttered while she drifted in and out of consciousness. While not needed, she crossed off the final chore of her ridiculous list and sighed. She’d been at it practically all night, but eventually, the mare’s list was conquered. “Time for my reward…”

She felt woozy on her hooves and several times she accidentally stumbled into the wrong tent, but eventually, she made it back to the same spot as the day before. She looked around for the strange mare, she didn’t see here but she hear her off in the distance. Following her voice, it started to become much clearer.

“Excellent work, private. Your rations and feathers for the week and extra for all that work you put in last night.”

“Uh, heh, right. Thank you!”

The mare whistled to herself and quickly exited the tent.

“Uh, I finished,” Scootaloo said and the pegasus froze in her tracks. “Do you have my reward?”

The mare slowly turned to face Scootaloo with a slight frown. “Scootsaloo, heh, right?”

“It- it’s erm, Scootaloo,” she replied rather nervously.

“Right, right. So you finish up the list?”

The filly smirked and tossed over the parchment, every single item checked off. “Yep, everyone! So, uh, got those feathers?”

“No. Not for you, anyway.”

“...What?” she muttered, her eyes widening in surprise. “B- but yo- you said…”

The mare simply shook her head. “Filly, you need to wise up to how things are done around here. You wanna survive and make it through this war?”

Scootaloo gritted her teeth, anger swelling up to rise above her curiosity, though she said nothing in response.

The strange mare’s wings expanded as she was about to take to the air. “The only trust yourself, it’ll get ya a lot farther.”

“I’ll tell the general on you! I- I’ll have you arrested!”

Right before flapping, she began to break down and chuckle, she even giggled a few times.

“What? What’s so funny?!”

“You don’t even know my name and I was wearing this armor anytime you saw me, you silly filly,” she said while gesturing to the Shining Phoenix standard issue white plated armor. “General, this random pegasus promised me phoenix feathers if I did chores for her, I don’t know her name or her cutie mark, but you have to find her!” she said rather mockingly. She probably went too far with how much Scootaloo began to tear up.

She sighed and shook her head. “Look, just do what the Phoenix leaders tell you and trust nopony else. This was… well, a lesson for you, filly. Do your jobs, do your missions to stay alive and trust nopony else,” she stated and then took to the skies, leaving her to sniffle to herself, confused, sad, bitter and angry.



“What do you say, sugarcube?”

Scootaloo’s entire body began to shake with obvious signs of intense sweating around her hooves. Her wings ruffled a few times, but her hooves remained rooted to the ground while her eyes continued to stare, unblinking.

“Ah, look ah understand if you’re scared and--” It took Applejack a few seconds to realize what had happened. 

She was trying to reach out with her hoof, just to give the little filly a pat on the back (obviously away from her injury), but the filly ran. Not on her hooves, by but taking to the sky. She almost didn’t see the little one move, but she certainly heard something rip, like a bandage. Gasping, with the wind and dust that Phoenix had gathered up, she looked around for her but could only see a small orange dot way off in the distance. She knew for a fact that Scootaloo, their Scootaloo, lacked the ability for flight and, somehow, Phoenix could. It just piled on more evidence that Phoenix's realm, world or wherever she came from was very, very different.

The mare glanced down at the discarded and bloodied bandage on the ground and sighed heavily.

“Phoenix… what are you hiding? What are you afraid of?” AJ muttered to herself. 

She sighed and went on to her daily duties on the farm, all the while a certain orange pegasus filly never leaving her thoughts alone.





Run!

That was the only thing that she could think to do. Run and hide, just run and hide. The single thought was dominate, echoing throughout her mind while her flight or fight response kicked into overdrive. Applejack had sounded so nice and so sincere like she had her best interests at heart. This was exactly why Phoenix felt it was necessary to fly as far and fast as her wings would carry her.

She flew for a few minutes until a painful strain on her injured wing caused her to gently float down until she was resting on a small cloud. Phoenix gritted her teeth and looked behind her to inspect the damage. There wasn’t too much blood, but it did itch like crazy and, already, splashes of it were soaking into her bag.

Grunting in pain, she quickly soared down to the ground below and got to work. She wasn’t paying attention to anypony or anything beyond her freshly torn wound and her first aid kit.

After a while and a few dozen calming breathes, her work eventually slowed to a crawl. Next, she wiped the excess blood from her bag (or what little that hadn’t dried) and finally collapsed on the ground. The bandaged filly glanced at her surroundings and let loose a series of laughs. Everything looked pristine while her coat shined a bright hue in Celestia’s gleaming sun. She eventually began to look to her surroundings and noticed that she was on a path which leads out of Ponyville. Godlike rays washed over everything, leading her back into town. Everything looked peaceful and majestic, alien to her. Scootaloo could hardly fathom a time when things were just like it, all of her memories tainted by a dark queen and her nightmare like realm.

The filly tried to comprehend what had happened with vivid daydreams of night’s long past popping up like some sort of virus. Everypony around her just seemed to want to help, with even the world itself inviting her to stay and live. To be happy and prosper, to be free. She could do it without a second’s thought. She’d be away from all the confusion and horrible flashbacks. Away from the so-called Elements of Harmony. Away from school. Away from missions and rules and restrictions. Away from the wretched mirror and the prospect of going back. Smiling and liking all of that very much, the filly began to walk along the path away from Ponyville.

Away from mom and dad.

Phoenix froze in her tracks while gritting her teeth. Slowly, the itching came back, the world was cast into cold darkness from which there was no escape.

“N- no… no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No!” she screamed and pounded her hoof into the dirt. Her head pounded with extreme agony. The itch to reach for another capsule grew while her vision darkened, blurring from a full day’s exhaustion and lack of sleep.

A sickening laugh echoed through the trees surrounding the pathway. She looked around as her heart rate increased with her eyes shrinking to pinpricks.

“Sh- she’s not here… she can’t be here.”

The haunting laugh only increased in volume while Scootaloo began to hastily rummage through her bag, looking for her case of capsules. The first attempt to lift the case out went quite poorly with how much her hooves shook. Already she could sense the dark queen’s presence, seeping into Equestria and heading for Ponyville. Heading for the two ponies she cared about most. She could swear a vision of the mare herself began to appear before her very eyes.

I’ll care for you like you were my own; I promise…

It all stopped. Her anguish, the dark laughing, the cold and darkening world ceased to exist. She blinked and glanced down at the case, staring it at for a good minute before tossing it back into her bag. She wanted another one, desperately, but somehow just the thought of seeing Pale again brought her back from the brink of insanity. Slowly, she stood up and began limping back into Ponyville.
> Chapter Six: A Pinkie Promise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix trudged through Ponyville as slowly as she could. She never once saw Applejack or any of her other friends and she was quite thankful for that. A few ponies had stopped her in town, asking if she was alright and she shrugged them off the best she could. She could help herself and she was doing just fine. Aside from a splitting headache, and the constant nightmare-ish daydreams, things were alright. Her wings were also aching constantly, but that was to be expected from a knife wound.

By the time she had reached Twilight's castle, she was panting for air and had to take a quick break, resting on a bench. “I think I need some water or something…” she muttered.

“Young miss, are you doing okay?”

Phoenix blinked and looked around in confusion.

“Up here, miss,” the pony replied.

She glanced behind the bench and spotted the guards from earlier, the same guards which she had been so rude to before. Nervously she stood up and cantered over to the front gates.

“Uh, yeah, I need to see Twil-- Princess Twilight and stuff…”

One of the guards inspected her Cutie Mark Crusader scarf and nodded. “We’ve been instructed to allow you to pass freely so long as you have that scarf on. But… um…”

“So, I can go in?”

“Well, yes, b- but, i- it’s um…” one of the guards said rather lamely.

The pegasus on the left sighed. “What he means is, miss, you’re quite the mess. Do you need assistance?”

She grumbled something and for the first time, she actually looked the two in the face, taking in their features. Twilight’s first guard, the one on her right, was a unicorn pony with a bright white coat and a red mane and tail. The second, a pegasus, was nearly dark grey with a white-ish colored mane and tail. Both were stallions and both were giving Phoenix quite the odd stare.

“Pardon, miss?”

Grunting a bit, Phoenix looked both in the eyes and gave the most sincere smile which she could muster. “I’m gonna head on inside, okay?”

Reluctantly the two stepped aside while the pegasus slowly opened the door for her. “Very well. Welcome to the Castle of Friendship.”

She smiled at him and trudged inside, though the guards said one final thing in unison, “If you need to clean up, a bathroom is on the right.”

Blushing and nodding, she hurried off to the right, away from trained eyes. I better just do as they say, I don’t want Princess Twilight to think something is up… she thought bitterly.

She quickly found the little filly’s room and glanced around. There was crystal everywhere from the floors to the ceiling to the very stalls themselves. Marble finished off the sinks and everything, every single little detail was pristine without a single spec of dirt. Unlike herself. The mirror painted a rather grim picture of her features. She had dirt mattered in her coat in various places along with dark sweat stains. There were deep bags under her eyes, something she couldn’t do much about. Not to mention the fresh bandage on her wound. Overall, she looked quite typical and Phoenix was well used to this.

Sighing, she began to do a hasty cleanup job, washing her face in several spots and wiping herself clean from all of the matted dirt along her coat. Her face was splashed again several times and she figured that was enough.

“Looking good.. heh,” she muttered. “Time to face the music.”

She had only been traveling through the castle for a few minutes when she heard the distinct voice of Princess Twilight.

“--it didn’t make sense at first, but I was able to narrow down almost everything that we might need,” Twilight said. Phoenix entered the main room and coughed to get her attention.

“There you are!” Scootaloo said. “What took you so long?!”

“Uh, got sidetracked, s- sorry,” she stuttered. “What’s going on?”

Before Twilight could say anything, Sweetie Belle blurted out a response, “Twilight figured out how to send you home!”

Phoenix's eyes twitched in response, she stared unblinkingly. “R- really?”

“Yeah and--”

“Sweetie Belle, perhaps I should explain first?” Twilight suggested. Sweetie blushed and nodded.

“Sorry, I got excited, heh…”

“Right, to explain further, I can’t send you home just now, but thanks to Spike, I was able to locate quite a bit more information on the mirror and how it operates. Many of the ancient scrolls we found talked about its origins which, while fascinating, didn’t help matters much until we came upon this tome,” she exclaimed, levitating an ancient looking parchment just before Phoenix's eyes.

“The most important aspect on the mirror’s function has everything to do with the main gem, the largest one at the bottom,” she stated. Phoenix looked over and found what she was talking about with a quiet nod. “That gem powers everything, the others are for a multitude of functions, specifically coordinates.”

“But, uh, how would you know how to “tune” it? I mean, I think my mirror is messed up, remember?”

She smiled which shocked Phoenix down to her very core. “That shouldn’t be a problem. In addition to the notes found on the mirror, we were able to locate some unique spells, one of which should be able to lock in my mirror’s coordinates onto yours. Well, using you, anyway.”

“...Me? What do you mean?”

“Yes, the spell won't be ready for around two days, but it will home in on your magical signature and from there I can simply tune the mirror’s runes to match that of your own! The mirror should activate with a simple spark of my magic and you’ll be good to go.”

Deep in thought, the filly merely nodded in understanding with a far off look in her eye.

Better go tonight, then. I don’t see too many guards… come to think of it, the only two I’ve seen are out front. Seems like she stores the thing here in this circular room? Shouldn't be too difficult to get to. I can jack the power stone that she mentioned and break it for good measure, then I’ll--

“Phoenix, are you alright? You haven’t really said anything… um a-and I think your bandage is leaking,” Twilight said, breaking her thoughts.

“What?!” 

Phoenix looked back and, sure enough, her wound had begun to bleed yet again. She groaned while watching blood pool around her feathers.

“Here, I think we have a first aid--” Twilight tried to get out, she had been reaching for the back of Phoenix's feathers when the filly flinched back in alarm.

“I’m okay! I’m fine!”

The Crusaders looked on in confusion, glancing up at Princess Twilight for any answers. Twilight chewed on her inner lip and slowly nodded.

“I just want to help, I know it hurts, but if we don’t clean that up and rebandage it then you could get an infection…”

Phoenix grunted and started to slink away. “I’ll be right back…” Twilight watched her leave, presumably to the bathroom while the mare sighed.





Phoenix practically slammed her bag on the marble counter and began rummaging around for the first aid kit. She was so sure that her patch job would be fine. Hastily she tore off the gauze and discarded it all while inspecting the wound.

“It hasn’t healed much…” she muttered, shaking her head in frustration. The filly hissed in annoyance, using alcohol rubbed onto some cloth while pushing it in deep. Next, Phoenix used a pair of scissors to cut out some gauze before getting to work, again.

“Those look like they might need stitches,” a familiar voice said behind her. She whirled around and faced the last pony she expected to see alone, Sweetie Belle.

“...What do you want?” The orange pegasus asked rather irritably.

“Uh, well I wanted to check on you. Twilight said it was a good idea and, well, she’s not wrong…” she replied awkwardly, looking everywhere but her serious wound. “Y- you just look like you need a bit more help than a first aid kit.”

The two waited in silence for a few minutes, then the pegasus scoffed. “Whatever. This will be fine,” she stated confidently while wrapping the wound in thick gauze and taping it up, again.

“I- it doesn’t… wel- well, uh…”

“What?! Spit it out!”

Sweetie flinched back in surprise before shaking her head. “It doesn’t look fine, you don't seem fine and, well, you look like you’ve had a really bad day.”

Angrily she slammed the medkit closed and packed everything away. “Maybe I did, so what? You wanna hug me or something?”

Sweetie’s face screwed up in concentration, looking like she had just been trying to solve a rather difficult puzzle, only to hit a serious roadblock. “Uh…”

The angry filly rolled her eyes and began to walk out of the bathroom; she’d had enough annoyances for one day.

“What’s it like, where you’re from, Scootaloo?”

For perhaps the fifty millionth time in one day, she froze in her tracks. “What? What do you mean?”

“Look, you’re not like our friend. I mean you look like her and talk like her, but you’re… I- I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re pretty different.”

Scootaloo chewed the inside of her mouth, trying to think of a coherent response to that. When nothing came out, the unicorn continued.

“Twilight explained it like going on different paths. She said that our Scootaloo took a different path than what you did and that’s why you don’t know us, well, where you’re from. But I wanted to know, what else is different?”

“Who cares? Twilight said she’s sending me home in two days. Why do you need to know so badly?”

“Well, we just wanted to makes sure you were okay. You seem tense and you’re always annoyed or scared or quiet… or bl- bleeding.”

Why does she care so much? Is this some kind of ploy?!

“Just, I just wanted to know how different it is over there. And maybe… maybe you’re afraid to say and that’s okay, but my big sis always tells me that bottling up things never leads to something good.”

The Phoenix soldier squinted her eyes in suspicion while the young school-aged filly gave a hesitant, albeit nervous smile back. Something in her head snapped, it was incredibly vague and could hardly be considered a vivid memory. Something from a time so long ago. She remembered absolute fear and huddling together with the nearest ponies she could find, a few fillies her age.

Suddenly Phoenix stared right into Sweetie’s eyes.

“I remember you…”

“Huh?”

“I was out at the town meeting f- for the Summer Sun Celebration and Princess Celestia was supposed to show up. I remember it getting suddenly dark and… and dreary out. That never stopped, of course,” she quickly replied. 

Sweetie Belle quirked an eyebrow at her but remained silent. 

“I was huddled in a corner, looking for my mom and.. and I remember being next to you,” she finally uttered, a far off look in her eyes. “You hugged me and I think I hugged back… heh, I didn’t see you after that. Well… not for long, anyway.” The filly vaguely recalled Sweetie Belle, her Sweetie Belle, being in the same school as her, after Canterlot fell.

I never saw her again after I broke out. She didn’t make it to the Shining Phoenix… I wonder what happens to the sister to the “Elements of Harmony”? she thought with a shudder and a twinge of fear. She wasn’t sure if that meant the Sweetie Belle of her realm would be better off, or worse.

“Heh, that was so long ago,” Sweetie Belle said with a shake of her head. “It was a pretty scary night.” Then she giggled and took a seat next to Phoenix. “A night that lasts forever, how silly.”

Phoenix's face screwed up for a second and she coughed, somewhere between a bitter laugh and a sneeze. “Yeah… silly,” she said in a dead, monotone voice.

“Maybe when you get back, you can come find me, uh, well your… me? Whatever and however that works. I was always shy and I doubt I made any friends if we never saw each other after that night.”

“Yeah… maybe.”

Automatically, Phoenix stood up and started to calmly walk away, though she didn't get very far. Sweetie’s magic had taken a firm hold of one of her hooves. “Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital for that? They’re really nice there and stitches aren’t so bad.”

She wanted to say yes; medical treatment in a mismanaged military base was scarce and many were expected to go at their own for most situations... A little knife wound did not count for that unless it was fatal. Still, they’d easily be able to tell it was not a minor injury from flying or a stunt or something, but an honest to goodness combat wound.

They’d want to know everything… She kept having to remind herself why that couldn’t happen until the mirror was out of commission for good. They’ll just send me back if they find out what I am… what I’ve done…

“I’ll wait a day or two and see if it gets better. If not then I’ll go to the hospital, I guess and--”

“Do you promise?”

“Huh?”

Sweetie’s cheeks puffed out in a pout and she never let up on her magic. “Promise me that you’ll go to the hospital if it doesn’t get better. Pl- please?”

“Uh.. o- okay. I promise,” she said. Just saying it felt odd, she was actually making a commitment to another filly that she’d seek help? There wasn’t anything in it for Sweetie Belle, as far as she could tell, beyond making sure that another filly got treated and got better. She doesn’t even know me… she’s insane.

“No! Not like that, I mean a Pinkie Promise!”

“...What?”

“It’s a special kind of promise. Nopony can break a pinkie promise, ever. Or, well, sort of. It’s the fastest way to lose a friend at least.”

Both fillies ears flicked in random directions, where both could swear they heard the sound of a mare’s voice screaming the words forever.

Phoenix sighed and slumped onto her haunches. “Isn’t it enough that I promised already?”

The marshmallow filly would not be deterred, she crossed her hooves and pouted. “No. Now, are you my friend or not?”

“I… uh… um…” the soldier replied rather intelligently. “Uh… y- yes?” she stuttered.

“Good, now, hold out your hoof and repeat after me,” she said in the most serious tone imaginable for fillies their age. “Cross your heart,” she started while doing just that with her hoof, “hope you fly, stick a cupcake in your eye!” her chant was finished off by pretending to stick a cupcake on her left eye.

Feeling quite silly, she repeated the motions and carefully recited exactly what Sweetie Belle had said. The unicorn beamed happily and leaned in to give the pegasus a gentle nuzzle.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, right?”

Blushing, she nodded while feeling an odd, alien feeling overcome her. It tingled her body and made her feel welcome in Sweetie’s- no, in her friend’s presence. Without thinking, she nuzzled back while feeling strangely giddy.

“We better get back to Twi, c’mon!” Sweetie ran off before Phoenix could reply.

Grunting in pain, she donned her saddlebag and went to leave, but frozen and looked in the mirror. She was smiling, even if it was just barely, the reflection in the mirror was a well earned, genuine smile.





“...Oh, I don’t think he meant anything by it. Harry is such a sweetie, though I’m certain he’d apologize for scaring everypony, well, you know if he could talk.”

“T- that voice,” Phoenix muttered just under her breathe.

“Hmm?” Sweetie said.

“Is that--”

“Ah, there you are,” Twilight said, waving them over. Standing next to Twilight, in the middle of the map room, was a cream colored pegasus mare who regarded Phoenix with extreme curiosity.

“Fluttershy, I’d like you to meet Phoenix. And, Phoenix? This is our Fluttershy,” she exclaimed.

“Oh, well, uh, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Phoenix,” she replied while offering an outstretched hoof.

Her mind going blank, Phoenix reluctantly reached out to offer hers. “Uh, yeah, s- same,” she stuttered.

“How do you like it in Ponyville, uh, well, our Ponyville that is? T-Twilight was just telling me that yours might be a tad different and I just hope that’s not too scary or anything…” Fluttershy said in the softest voice that Phoenix could ever imagine coming from her, of all ponies. When she finished, she was nervously pawing at the ground leaving the filly to stare in shock.

“Uh… y- yeah, it’s different. Not by that much but… definitely different.”

She nodded with a very hesitant smile. “Well, if it ever becomes too much for you then you’re welcome to come over to my cottage over near the Everfree. It’s very peaceful there and a nice place to relax.”

“Uh, thanks?”

Twilight and even the Crusaders seemed to want to say something to the filly’s response but held their tongue. Fluttershy smiled and waved before departing, leaving Phoenix be with her thoughts. Of which she had none, her mind had simply shut down on itself. She was vaguely aware of an orange hoof waving in front of her face and other ponies calling out to her, but she didn’t respond until sometime later when a strange appendage, a claw if she wasn’t mistaken, poked her in the side of the rib. She yelped, nearly jumping out of her skin while looking around in shock.

“Told ya it would work,” a new void muttered. Her eyes landed upon a purple drake, a baby dragon to be specific. 

Other Phoenix soldiers had heard tell a strong rumor about a crazed, bloodthirsty dragon that the dark Queen controlled, one with purple scales. This is where it came from…?

“You okay? You kind of spaced out on us for a while…” Spike said while rubbing the back of his head.

Phoenix simply nodded, not knowing what else to say.

Twilight gently nudged him forward. “Oh, uh, I’m Spike by the way,” he explained, offering her his right claw.

The orange filly flinched quite dramatically, but seeing as everyone was staring, she eventually gave the effort to bump his fist. "Um, Phoenix,” she replied awkwardly.

Despite this, Spike was undeterred and simply smiled at her.

“Neat name! Anyway, just wanted to make sure you were alright and stuff…” he exclaimed while waving one of his claws behind his back.

“Y- yeah, never better.” It was a bald-faced lie that nopony bought, least of all Spike, but nopony seemed to know what to say, except Twilight.

“You seem tired, maybe you three should walk her home,” Twilight suggested while gesturing to the Crusaders.

“Yeah, it’s getting late anyway,” Scootaloo replied with a quiet yawn.

Phoenix glanced over at a large stained glass window, only just noticing Luna’s moon dimly shining through the room. While everything seemed incredibly alien to her, she couldn’t deny that the large celestial object was a stark reminder of her doomed home. She felt quite disturbed at how normal and familiar the thing was compared to everything else in her new home.

“Yeah, we should get back,” Phoenix muttered.





The fillies trudged along through the darkness, occasionally chatting amongst themselves. Phoenix hadn’t spoken since the castle and seemed to be deep in thought, again.

“You know your bag is pretty neat looking, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it,” Sweetie Belle commented while glancing at Phoenix. “Though it could use some… sprucing up?”

The bag in question had certainly seen better nights. It was nothing more than a standard issue Shining Phoenix saddlebag, though she could certainly see why the other fillies would find it special when compared to theirs. Aside from the detailed silver phoenix adorned as the clasp, it had many more compartments fitted on either side of the bags when compared to theirs.

“Um, thanks?”

“No, I mean it. My big sis works on clothing all the time. I’m sure she’d be happy to fix it up for ya!”

Sweetie even reached out for it, but Phoenix was quick and ripped it well out of her reach. “N- no thank you,” she mumbled. The other filly hesitated but quickly nodded and the issue wasn’t pushed beyond that.

They kept on trotting, though Phoenix could hear two of them muttering to one another.

“Um, so, how’s your back doin’?” Apple Bloom questioned. “Ow!”

Whipping her head back, Phoenix found both fillies were giving her very obvious nervous smiles while Apple Bloom was rubbing her side in pain. Resisting the urge to narrow her eyes suspiciously, Phoenix merely shrugged. “It’s doing fine, thanks.”

“Uh, good… good,” the farm filly said awkwardly. “Erm, ah guess this is your stop!”

“Finally, I can’t wait for dinner,” Scootaloo said her stomach grumbling for perhaps the third time in the last ten minutes.

“Right, see ya both in class tomorrow!” Apple Bloom said with a wave.

Sweetie Belle hesitated for a bit and whispered over to Phoenix. “Remember our promise…” she warned.

“Uh, r-right.” A bit of a nervous itch made its way into her voice as a fresh bout of pain pulsed, creeping through her spine.

Sweetie smiled and began to trot off. “Good, see ya both tomorrow!”

“C’mon! I think I smell dinner cooking!” Scootaloo exclaimed while practically dragging Phoenix toward the house.

“I’m coming, sheesh,” she grumbled, yanking her hoof back. 

Scootaloo snorted and kicked the door open.

“Mom! Dad! We’re home!”

“Pumpkin!” Her father said happily and then grunted in pain as Scootaloo nearly tackled him to the ground in a comforting hug. 

The filly in question happily bounced from hoof to hoof while talking a million words a minute about her day and what had gone on throughout all of it. Phoenix watched awkwardly from a distance, her eyes unfocused. She could remember a time when she would of acted just like that from day to day, but now just seeing somepony else do it filled her with regret. Days spent playing on her own when she could have had that much more time with her family before they were sent away.

Not wishing to stay still for long, Phoenix darted past them into the kitchen. “Uh, what ya making?” she asked Pale tentatively.

“Hmm?” the mare in question glanced behind her for just a moment before doing a double take. “What happened to you?!”

Phoenix blinked then instantly remembered the current state of her bag and her body. The filly chuckled nervously while looking away. “Um, roughhousing… and playing,” she forced out rather lamely.

Pale squinted her eyes in only a manner befitting a concerned mother and silently shook her head. “Come over to the sink,” she commanded.

Phoenix hesitated but quickly compiled when she repeated the message, albeit a tad annoyed.

Evidently, her cleanup job in the castle restroom hadn't been as thorough as Scootaloo’s mother would have liked. Pale had started by first removing her bag and setting it aside, though she glanced at the offending thing for quite a while before silently shaking her head and looking away; her bag had certainly seen better days. She took a solid five minutes to wipe off dirt, dust and other particles all in her feathers and coat. Phoenix stood stoic and silent while a mix of emotions surged through her mind. Finally, she inspected the blood around and wound and confirmed that the bandage would at least hold tight.

“And that should do it. Honestly, you could give my Scoots a run for her bits in the getting roughed up department.”

Phoenix blushed upon hearing this and looked away.

Suddenly Scootaloo and her dad popped into the kitchen. “When’s dinner?!” they both asked in unison. The stallion looking every bit as childish as her daughter, giving puppy dog like eyes in order to beg.

Pale groaned and shook her head. “Not yet. Now out you two. OUT!” she said and pushed the two out into the living room. Sighing, she returned and froze in her tracks. 

Phoenix was leaning on the counter, carefully mixing her dish with a wooden spoon. The filly was carefully manipulating her feathers, rotating the spoon in soft rhythmic motions.

“I think I remember how to cook this stuff. Been a while,” Phoenix called back.

She turned around and saw Pale just looking on in shock.

“Uh, s- sorry,” she stuttered and jumped down to the floor. “I like cooking,” she admitted rather bashfully.

Pale blinked and shook her head. “No, it’s alright. Sorry, but if I saw my Scootaloo cooking food. I’d think she’d sprouted a second head!”

The filly blinked and looked away. “I guess we're kind of different, huh?”

Pale continued to stir the dish, seemingly deep in thought. “Well, how’d you learn to cook? I’m curious.”

A soft almost warm feeling of pleasure washed over the filly’s body. It was an odd and alien comfort she hadn’t felt in ages, or perhaps what felt like an eternity.

Phoenix smiled and leaned on the counter, watching her mo- watching Pale cook. “Well, I had to learn to cook. I--” she stopped herself before she said anything stupid.

She often did missions on her own, out in the wilderness. Being self-sufficient and learning to take care of one’s needs were one of the first lessons she learned in the Shining Phoenix. But, of course, Pale didn’t need to know this.

“I mean, um, my parents were always out a lot. So I just sort of learned to take care of myself,” she finished rather lamely.

“Are they like us? Your parents I mean.”

Phoenix hesitated. Were they? They certainly looked and seemed to act like them. She remembered her father always being a massive goofball and Pale being a kind and caring mother. Which seemed to pretty much fit the bill. But was that really a fair thing to compare? She had been in the new strange house for a single day and barely spoken to any of them. Really, it was like meeting a stranger that you’ve somehow known about your whole life. Things couldn’t get stranger than that.

The filly shrugged. “I guess so. S- sort of.”

The mother tilted her head but figured a simple nod was enough.

“Dinner’s almost ready. You should let them both know…” she said, pausing as the two children over in the other room started wrestling with zero disregards for the noise they were making. “Just as long as we both grab a bowl full first,” she finished with a wink.
> Chapter Seven: Twilight's Progress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After an afternoon of playing and relaxing, Phoenix lay awake in her sleeping bag. Biding her time.

I have to go tonight. she thought, still wide awake.

She didn’t exactly know that much about Twilight Sparkle. Back where she was from, the resistance knew of the mare’s connection (or previous connection) with Princess Celestia and that she was a gifted student. Somepony who could do the impossible and in a timely manner, so it made sense that she figured out the blasted mirror in no time at all.

Phoenix glanced over at her counterpart and found the filly peacefully snoozing away. Perfect.

Stealth wasn’t something new to the filly since plenty if not all of her missions back with the Phoenix had required a fair amount of it. But she was often far more prepared than she currently was. There wasn’t an outpost to fill up on supplies which meant she was stuck with what she had.

Reluctantly, the filly removed her bag and started rummaging around inside. The thing made far too much noise for its own good which meant the bare essentials for her little mission were required. Her lantern was a no brainer. True, it was no longer needed as a security tool, but it would certainly come in handy with it being so dark out. She carefully dumped the contents of her bag and packed it rather light for the mission.

Heh, mission. Compared to what I’ve been through, should be a breeze.

After double checking that everypony in the house was resting, she darted out of Scootaloo’s window and glided down to the ground. Hopefully, she doesn’t wake up, she thought, glancing up at the now open window.

Looking around, she didn’t spot too many ponies out being so late out. Least this looks kind of familiar, she pondered. Gloomy nights and the lack of noise had been normal for the filly.

Shaking those thoughts aside, she hurried off in the direction of the castle, making special care not to bump into anypony or be seen.

“There we go, her castle.”

Squinting her eyes, she noted the same two guards were out in front, but that it had very little in terms of security. It took her a while, but she was able to sneak around the back and what she found was rather disappointing.

“You only have guards out front? What kind of castle is this.”

Suppose I shouldn’t complain.

Phoenix took a deep breath and flapped into the air, the backs of her wings stung as her injury ached, but she ignored this. A few flaps and she was soon perched on one of Twilight’s many balconies. While things were going fine, she suddenly realized that she hadn’t exactly thought ahead. Just how was she gonna get the jewels out of the mirror? It’s not like she had a crowbar or anything.

Worst comes to worst, I’ll smash the thing and run.

Wasn’t a very solid plan, but she knew time was of the essence. Sighing, she carefully snuck into the castle, making special care to pry open the glass doors of the balcony while gently shutting them a second later. She was in.

There was no doubt that she was now high up in the castle in a massive circular room which spiraled outwards and connected to other pathways. Lavender colored crystal was themed everywhere from the very ground she stood up and spiraling upwards to the ceiling. Though the rest of everything was rather plain despite the elaborate nature of it all. In terms of an actual castle, the place would be a poor fit for defense, but as something that was fancy to gawk it, Twilight’s home definitely had that in spades.

The place is bigger than it looks… she surmised. Now, where would she keep that stupid mirror?

The first few doors she checked on yielded nothing. A few broom closets and what she presumed to be storage spaces. She suspected that perhaps Twilight simply kept the mirror down in the main hallway, though it never hurt to be thorough.

As she got nearer to a long spiraling staircase, she started to hear familiar voices which echoed upstairs.

“... well, what has your progress been… I really think we should…”

Curious, she started following them as her mind drifted to thoughts of destroying the mirror. Really, it was all she could think of.

She ended up in a semi-circular room which overlooked what Twilight had called the Map Room, though it really looked more like a traditional throne room. Seated in each chair was none other than the six elements of harmony all discussing something. Phoenix leaned down to listen and thankfully nopony bothered to look up.

“Look, Twi, all ah’m gonna say is what I saw. Somethin’ ain’t right with her and ah kind of agree with Princess Celestia. Ah just don’t like how we’re goin’ about this!”

The farm pony finished with a huff, crossing her hooves and looking annoyed. Twilight, for her part, nodded.

“Well, darling, I don’t want to speak for all of us. I… I trust Sweetie Belle and I think she might be making some progress in getting her to open up--”

“Has she?!” Rainbow Dash asked, rudely interrupting her.

Rarity scowled. “Not yet, no. But, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” she started and Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I think if we just give the darling some more time, she might feel so inclined as to talk to one of us about all these issues. Whatever they may be.”

Phoenix couldn’t believe her own ears! They were spying on her! While the irony wasn’t lost on the filly, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly angry.

They don’t trust you. Why did you even think they would? She felt so stupid.

“Maybe she just needs a hug… or three? Three hundred?” Pinkie suggested rather cheekily.

“Already been tried with some rather disastrous results, Pinkie dear.”

Rarity patted Pinkie’s back as the mare in question seemed to deflate.

“Um, Twi- Twilight?” Fluttershy started and all eyes seemed to lock onto her. In days long gone by, this may have fazed the mare but now it merely brought on a little nervous squeak. “What do you plan on doing, exactly?”

Closing her eyes, the princess of friendship sighed. “Both Celestia and Luna have advised me not to activate the mirror until we know the full truth. While I don’t want to betray the trust of a friend, even a new one, I… I think I have to finally agree. There’s too much danger in doing it. With the possibility of an entire multiverse waiting behind that mirror,” she said while pointing off into the distance. Phoenix followed her hoof and finally found the thing waiting under a tarp.

“Anything could be waiting on the other end. If…” she sighed and took a very deep breathe, her friends waiting on her every word. “If Phoenix continues to remain in the dark about everything, then it’s likely far too dangerous to move forward. While they have advised me not to, it’s still left up to me. We’ve done all the research necessary and know how to turn it on. But, for now, that mirror will remain dormant until such time as Phoenix steps forward to talk this out.”

Phoenix could hardly believe her ears. That was it? She didn’t even have to destroy the mirror? She could just stay here and… No, she thought. The mirror was dangerous and it wasn’t a good idea to leave it be.

“Uh huh. That’s all well and good, Twi’. But what are you gonna tell her? You already claimed it would take two days to send her back,” Applejack replied.

Yeah, Phoenix thought. What about that, princess?

Again, she closed her eyes and again she sighed. “What do you want me to say, Applejack? She’s left us in a rather tough spot. I was telling the truth when I said two days, the princesses message only just arrived and… despite my rather piqued curiosity on what lays beyond the multiverse. Well, Celestia has a point. It’s dangerous, perhaps the most dangerous thing we could ever think of and that includes Discord on a bad day!”

“Are you or aren’t you gonna tell the truth? Phoenix deserves to know, about all of this. About all of us! It’s bad enough that we’re already spyin’ on her.”

It was strange. The ponies before her were some of the worst and most feared nightmare soldiers in all of Equestria. And yet, here they were, bickering over truths and dangers. There wasn’t anything outwardly dangerous about their mannerisms, appearance or even what they seemed to stand for, but Phoenix couldn’t but look on in mistrust.

I guess the feeling’s mutual…

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy looked away rather uncomfortably, while Rarity was biting her lip. “So what? We just send her home because it’s the “right thing to do”, Applejack?” Rainbow asked, her wings flaring out in annoyance. “You know she could- she could be… I dunno, evil! For all we know!”

Everypony gasped though Twilight merely sank in her seat and slowly brought her hoof over her face in exasperation.

“Seriously, Rainbow?! That’s where you go to?!”

Phoenix really wasn’t sure how to feel about that statement.

“What?! I’m the crazy one now? Let’s review what we know--”

“It’s just I really don’t think we’re being fair--”

“After all the crazy stuff we’ve seen, you think that’s so crazy? The princesses think that mirror is dangerous and we don’t know anything about her world. So far, all we know is that she’s keeping big secrets from us. Why should we be truthful and fair to her if she won't return the favor? Hmm? Case closed!”

The filly backed away slightly with fresh tears pooling around her eyes.

Applejack snorted and bucked her hoof on the crystal table. “The only thing that’s closed right now is that mind of yours, Rainbow. You’all are basin’ that theory of yours on nuffin’! All of you! The only thing we know, and I mean the only thing is she’s scared of us so it’s no wonder that she’s holdin’ stuff in!”

Twilight looked defeated but she mustered up the strength to meet her friend’s eyes. “Applejack…”

“No, Twi! You all need to hear this. Don’t y'all remember being children? At all? What did we do when we got scared? We hid. We kept stuff in, we buried secrets until they were bursting to explode. Phoenix is no different, no matter what you might think she’s done in her past. Maybe she’s not tellin’ the truth and maybe she is, but that doesn’t mean that filly doesn’t deserve the truth as much as any of us would. If you’re even considering lying to her about something so important, well frankly, you should all be ashamed of yourselves!”

Stunned, that was all everypony felt. Phoenix included.

So, lil’ Scootaloo, will you be my friend?

Though she meant everypony to hear this, Applejack’s eyes were mainly focused on Rainbow Dash. The mare in question finally looking as ashamed as she could have been.

Still, nopony said anything so Applejack stood up and dusted herself off.

“You all can keep yer secrets. Tomorrow, Ah’m telling that filly the truth, about everything. And maybe… maybe she will too.”

A few moments later, the front door to the castle slammed shut while the room was bathed in silence. A silence that Rarity was all too happy to break up.

“Well, erm, I suppose that calls our meeting to a close. No?”

Twilight gave a silent nod while looking more exhausted than she had in ages.

“M- maybe I shouldn’t have said that…” Rainbow mumbled while pawing her hooves on her throne.

Twilight rolled her eyes but Rarity stepped forward with a calm smile. “A tad on the extreme, dear. While we all understand your concern on the matter, seeing as how Phoenix is currently living with your “honorary little sister”, I believe a bit of trust on the matter will go a long way.”

Little sister? What does that even mean…?

The pegasus nodded in kind and smiled slightly.

Fluttershy walked over to Twilight and leaned in for a hug, a hug which the princess was all too keen on returning.

“I think AJ is right, Twi. We’re all being a tad harsh toward a filly that we barely even know.”

Twilight walked over to the covered mirror and gently brushed her hoof along the bottom while looking deep in thought. “No, Fluttershy, I know she’s right. I let fear cloud my better judgment. I’m sorry girls.”

Phoenix felt rather awkward as she watched the five mares tackle one another in a unified hug. The filly took a seat while trying to process all of the information before her. She really wasn’t sure what made her feel worse.

The fact that the mares had mistrusted her from the start, or the cold truth that they likely should have.

Evil huh?

Her mind started to wander…

“Got all the supplies, Schroots?”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and took a very deep breath. When she opened, there three pegasi soldiers all looking off into the distance, seemingly ignoring her.

“It’s Scoots or Scootaloo, mam,” she corrected with just the tiniest hint of annoyance.

“Noted,” she said with a casual wave of her right wing. “Now, supplies?”

Rolling her eyes, the filly stepped forward and did a quick verbal checklist of everything they had brought. The others looked through it impatiently before nodding and forcing them all to move on.

She had been paired up with some of the strictest soldiers in the entire military, or that’s what it felt like anyway. They were cold, calculating and most of all, mean. There wasn’t any other way that Scootaloo could describe them.

“...Stuck with a freakin’ filly as the scout. What a joy,” the mare mumbled, though Scoots heard her loud and clear.

Feeling brave, and perhaps a tad stupid, Scootaloo walked along ahead while narrowly missing some mud. “I do more than Scout, Spitfire. And it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit nicer, you know.”

Even as she thought back to that night, it still felt fresh in her mind. It was funny, though, she couldn’t even remember what their mission had been. Just that it had gone very, very badly.

The lot had been seated around a small campfire deep within the EverFree Forest. Entry into the place was, of course, forbidden to soldiers for fairly obvious reasons. The sole exception being missions.

Lucky us, the filly thought with a sigh.

Glancing around, the scout noticed something was a tad off with the others, Spitfire included. The mare in charge seemed to be looking off into nothing with a creepy yet dull looking smile.

Weirdo, she thought.

A sudden noise from behind made the filly jump in shock, though if the others noticed, they didn’t even respond. A quick survey of her surroundings showed nothing.

“Say, Scoots!” Spitfire suddenly said in a strained yet oddly calm sounding tone. It creeped her out.

“Y- yes, mam? What do you need?”

“I need you… to scout ahead,” she said and pointing off into a gathering of thick trees.

There was a good reason why the military had started using children. One, they were desperate for soldiers. And two, they were excellent at scouting and reconnaissance and even stealth. Difficult to spot but also easy to fit through tight spaces.

“T- through there?” she asked rather uncertainty. It seemed like a very odd request because as far as she could see, no pathways lead in that particular direction.

Spitfire barely seemed to be paying attention though, she was bunched over the fire while her muzzle twitched in several places.

“Mam?”

“What? Hurry up! I said scout, filly! Do your job or else!” she snapped and, again, pointed to the trees.

Shaking a tad in fear, Scootaloo glanced at her comrades, but they all had the same far off look in their eyes. Almost like they weren’t really even there. Sighing, she stood up and walked up to the first set of trees. She glanced back and found Spitfire, just staring at her rather menacingly. The strange noises far off in the distance made her hair stand on end.

With a very deep gulp and a squeak of fear, Scootaloo clambered up the first tree and darted on ahead, the sight of their camp and the warm inviting glow of its fire very quickly vanished from sight.

Phoenix wasn’t even sure how long she had been laying on the balcony, but the visions wouldn’t stop coming, like an awful nightmare that just wouldn’t leave.

She had been traveling on the tops of the trees for close to ten minutes but found nothing of interest to report. Really, it just seemed like more trees and absolutely no living creatures or enemies of any kind.

“What the hell is her problem…? There’s nothing here!” she whispered to herself.

“Oh, Scootaloo… Scootaloo.”

The filly blinked in confusion and slowly turned around. What she saw made her petrified in absolute fear.

Blood. Not a small amount of blood, but an abnormally large amount of crimson red gore was coated all throughout Spitfire’s coat, hooves, and wings. The mare was smiling down at Scootaloo rather sadistically, teeth barreled like a wild animal. And if that wasn’t scary enough, her eyes resembled dark slits, not unlike a cat or dragon.

Instinctively she started to back up, but knew there wasn’t anywhere she could hide.

“S- Spitfire?”

The reply was anything but kind. A dark, echoing chuckle that went on for way too long forced its way from the bloodied mare. “Call me that if you wish, little filly. The mare you call Spitfire is no longer.”

“Wh- what did you do to her?”

Another series of laughs while the mare stepped forward, inch by inch. “She did this herself. The Lunar Queen offered her blessing and she accepted, with open hooves,” she exclaimed while casually glancing down at her right hoof. She brought it up to her lips and watched as blood dripped down into the trees. “Pity those other two soldiers didn’t feel the same.”

“R- right. Um, pity. So, I’ll just be going now. I’m sure you have lots to catch up with when your, um, Queen gets here. So bye!”

The filly barely had time to react, but she was at least quick enough to dodge the mare’s insanely fast attempt at a tackle. But the mare quickly turned around and grabbed the filly in mid-air before tossing her onto the forest floor, hard.

She tumbled into the dirt and felt a sickening crunch in one of her hooves. It was painful enough to yell at the top of her lungs.

“What do you say, filly? Join the queen or die. Seems like the choice should be obvious,” the dark Spitfire said as she gracefully and casually hovered to the ground.

Thinking fast, Scootaloo mumbled a response while looking away.

“What was that? I’m afraid you’ll have to speak up.

Please let this work…

She mumbled again and the mare sighed. She walked over to the quivering filly and leaned her head down over her. “Again, if you--”

Scootaloo leaped from her spot and bashed her skull directly into Spitfire’s, hard. The mare stumbled backward in shock and that’s when Scootaloo made her real move. Using her wings to propel her high into the air, she cupped her back hooves together, forming a perfect U shape and then soared downward as fast and hard as she could.

Spitfire was still in a rather dazed state and had no time to dodge out of the way, let alone comprehending what was going on.

Scootaloo’s hooves came down onto the mare’s neck with a sickening crunch and the mare was knocked down to the ground. Scootaloo tumbled to the ground and rolled. Blood had exploded from the mare’s neck, though she could see that Spitfire was still wheezing and moaning in pain. Very much alive.

Thinking fast she dove onto the ground and quickly wrapped her front hooves around the mare’s muzzle and squeezed as hard as she could. She would suffocate the bitch. She tried struggling and gasping for air, but the filly held tight until, finally, she stopped breathing entirely. Spitfire was no more.

Scootaloo slowly limped away from the mare’s corpse while not even bothering to wipe off any blood. Shock coursed through her system, both from the pain and from what she had just done. She could hardly believe her own actions.

The memory faded away from there, she had barely remembered how she escaped from the forest with a sprained hoof. 

Phoenix whimpered on the ground while replaying the vision rather vividly in her mind, over and over. Self-defense was not a crime, especially while in the army, but a mare had still been killed by her head, of all places. Rainbow Dash was more right than she knew, maybe she really was evil.

She wasn’t sure just how long she had been lying on her back, staring up at nothing. But it had to of been close to roughly ten minutes at least. The other mares had already left. The mirror was there for the taking, but Phoenix really didn’t care anymore.

After a little while longer, she stood up and left to go outside. It took her roughly fifteen minutes of flying and trudging along through Ponyville until she found home again. She snorted.

It’s her home, always has been. Not mine…

Ignoring the pain of what was probably another burst bandaid, she flew up and swiftly glided through Scootaloo’s window and gently shut it closed. She found the filly in a deep sleep, peacefully unaware of any of it.

Phoenix carefully repacked her bag and placed it aside, making special care to remove her dream catcher from the bag. Sighing, she clumsily leaned it on something behind her pillow and clambered into her sleeping bag.

Their sleeping bag, she reminded herself. You’re a mooch, remember?

The filly spent roughly an hour just laying awake in her bed, wondering just what her parents really would think of her if they knew the truth. What would they think of the little monster who had and would do anything to survive?

Whimpering a bit, she clutched her pillow and thanked whatever cosmic deities out there that her dream catcher really worked. 

She had enough nightmares while awake.
> Chapter Eight: Nothing Will Ever Change That
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix groaned, feeling a gentle pressure over on her stomach.

“Phoenix? It’s time to get up…”

Whoever was hovering above her was fairly patient while the filly slowly wiped her face with her hoof. She could already feel it before her eyes fluttered open: a massive headache. Likely the worst one yet.

Did I even sleep at all last night? 

She couldn’t really remember.

Again, the pressure continued, and her body was pushed from left to right. 

“You really need to get up, you’re late.”

That got her eyes to crack open. Something about being late and the consequences of it having been drilled into her mind from the army.

Pale looked at her in shock and concern. “Phoenix… have you been sleeping at all? I couldn’t get you to wake up. Scootaloo’s already at school and it’s nearly lunchtime.”

And that got her attention. The filly rolled over onto her back and stared up at the distraught mother with a hint of shame. “Seriously?! I’m so sorry!” She flapped her wings and stood at attention. “I- I- I didn’t mean to sleep in!”

Pale looked her over and tilted her head in various directions which made the filly a bit nervous. “Hmm. Did you sleep at all?”

Phoenix sighed while looking away. “...I don’t even know.”

The mare took a seat on Scootaloo’s bed and glanced down at her. “Has it really been that rough for you?”

“I don’t… I dunno, M- M- Pale,” she stuttered. “I’m not…” Phoenix closed her eyes as she trailed off and took a very deep breath. “I’m not used to this place. It’s weird.”

Pale nodded. “Is it a bad weird? Good weird? Scary weird?”

“N- normal weird?”

Pale giggled and gently patted her on the head. “Well, it won’t be for much longer,” she replied.

Phoenix had grown quite used to holding in her emotions, and so she simply nodded.

"Now then, how about we get you to class?" Pale said. "I'm sure a bit of normal will help counteract all this strangeness. Hmm?"





"Oh, I understand perfectly, dearie. If I was ripped away from my home, I doubt I'd be getting much sleep if any," Miss Cheerilee explained with an honest shrug.

Pale nodded while Phoenix glanced at both of them with a blush. 

"Thank you for explaining, Miss Pale," Miss Cheerilee continued. "Phoenix? Lunch has just started so why don't you run along and join your classmates?"

The filly shrugged and nodded. Before she left, Pale gently patted her head, causing a warm, comforting feeling of euphoria to wash over her mind. She felt peaceful for the first time since she could remember.

“Uh, thanks,” she mumbled and quickly left to go grab her bag while the two grownups talked. It didn’t take the filly long to find the Crusaders munching away on their lunch on a separate bench from the other foals.

“There you are!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “What’s with you and sleeping? I tried shaking you awake and nothing!”

Phoenix rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Sweetie Belle while Apple Bloom sat on the other side with Scoots. “I dunno. At least I don’t have a headache or anything,” she replied without thinking.

The three fillies blinked.

“You been gettin’ headaches a ton?” Apple Bloom queried as she stuffed her face with a sandwich.

Phoenix rubbed the side of her head self-consciously and nodded, figuring there was no harm in sharing that little bit of info.

“Aww, ah’m sorry to hear that. You know when Big Mac and AJ get all roughed up, they’ll visit ol’ Zecora for ah quick fix.”

Phoenix’s eyes widened in surprise. “Uh huh… w- where does she live?”

“She comes into town a lot,” Sweetie Belle piped in.

“Yeah, but she lives in the Everfree Forest,” Scootaloo mumbled through bite-fulls of her lunch.

“The Everfree…” Phoenix glanced behind them, staring at the dense foliage of trees way off in the distance. “Why live there?”

“Ish cause she specializes in all sorts ah potions! All of the ingredients she needs ta grow in that forest.”

Phoenix nodded while glancing back at Apple Bloom. “I guess it makes sense.”

“Oh! Phoenix, wait right there! I got something for ya!”

They all watched Sweetie Belle dash off in a hurry.

“Uh, should I be worried?” Phoenix asked, while finally digging into her lunch.

“If she cooked somethin’ for ya? Yesum,” the farm filly replied with a nod.

Phoenix glanced around and noticed that a good majority of the classroom were seated over with Diamond Tiara. The brat in question was currently busy prattling on about something, every pony listening with rapt attention.

Daddy bought it for me. And blah blah blah…

Blinking in astonishment, she forced her eyes to turn away while Sweetie Belle re-joined them. Something was levitating behind her back, a bag if she wasn't mistaken. The unicorn quickly took a seat and floated the strange object over toward Phoenix.

“Surprise!”

She tilted her head in confusion. There, laying on the bench was a pristine looking saddlebag complete with a nice looking emblem of a feather on both sides.

A phoenix feather…?

“D- do you like it? Rarity helped me put it together for ya.”

Phoenix blinked in confusion. She felt around the side and noticed that the little feathers weren’t just sewn in, they were crafted from polished metal.

“Woah, where’d she find the cool looking feathers and stuff, Sweetie?” Scoots asked as the sides of the bag glistened in the sunlight.

The unicorn shrugged. “Rarity said she was saving them for a “special occasion” but never got around to using them.”

While the fillies kept chatting about Rarity’s clothing line and her process, Phoenix couldn’t help but gaze into the casted feathers with a look of pure disgust. Sure, on the surface the elegant detailing of the feathers looked finely crafted. They seemed nice, but for her, there were deeply rooted feelings about such things.

Glancing around, she felt rather nervous while the other ponies were merely talking and playing as if nothing was wrong. Then she saw him. He was a grey coated pegasus pony walking beside what appeared to be his guardian into the classroom. The colt in question coughed and sneezed quite audibly before disappearing out of sight.

Phoenix felt back to the metal feather and scowled. She could feel every pony she had ever wronged. Every living being she and her fellow Phoenix members had been forced to fight and murder just to stay alive. Shakingly, she glanced around and noticed all of the fillies and colts had vanished without a trace. She turned back to the picnic table and gasped. There was a colt just laying there, dead for the world to see. His body was covered in cuts and bruises along with several small patches of blood.

She reached out and could feel very real fur and hair on the unmoving body. He had a grey coat with a very familiar looking mane and tail.

No… this can’t be real…

Oh, how tragic…

Phoenix shut her eyes tight while her body started to shake. “Shut up…”

Suddenly the body of the colt rolled over on its own and Phoenix reared back in surprise.

“S- stop…” she whimpered.

I’m afraid he had quite the little accident. Show her… show her what happened, young one…

The sickening voice of the dark queen echoed in the fillies mind while she grabbed at her skull and tried to drown it out. She was vaguely aware of somepony shaking her body, speaking soothing words to her, but it was not but a vague sensation when compared to the strong hallucination of the dead colt.

Suddenly the colt stood up and opened his eyes. Phoenix saw them for a second before shutting her own. There had been blood etched all around them along with patches of skin and fur missing from around his muzzle.

“You let me die, Scootaloo. You failed me.”

“No…” she squeaked while on the verge of tears. “I- it w- wasn’t my--”

“YOU FAILED HIM! HIS DEATH- HIS BLOOD IS ON YOU!”

Suddenly the vision broke apart, the colt vanished and all that was left in her vision were three little fillies staring at her with great concern. One of which had just smacked her in the side of the head.

“Told ya that would work…” Scootaloo mumbled.

Phoenix slowly brought her hoof to her face and wiped away all of the stray tears that she knew were there. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had their hooves placed on her back rather awkwardly and a few of the other students were staring at her as if she had just gone nuts.

“Are you ok--”

“Excuse me,” she interrupted and shoved Sweetie to the side. Phoenix ignored their shouts of concern, grabbed her bag from the classroom and before Miss Cheerilee or the other students could even blink, she had run off past the bathrooms and out of sight.





Sweetie Belle could only blink in shock. Just what had they witnessed.

“Golly, ah don’t think ah’ve ever seen somepony freak out so much. What’s her deal?”

Scootaloo went back to munching on her lunch and shrugged. “I really couldn’t tell ya. What was she saying, anyway? Sounded like gibberish to me.”

“Rumble…?”

Apple Bloom and Scoots narrowed their eyes together while tilting their heads in confusion.

“What about him? Ah, think he’s been sick the last few days.”

“No, that’s what she said. I think she was crying about Rumble,” Sweetie clarified.

Apple Bloom scratched behind her bow, trying to figure out the little mystery. “Do… do you think somethin’ happened to, uh, Phoenix’s Rumble? Wait… how does that even work?”

Scootaloo quickly finished what remained of her meal and belched while patting her stomach satisfyingly. “Ya got me. She didn’t know us where she’s from. She didn’t even know Diamond Tiara. I’m kind of shocked she knows of anypony from our class.”

Apple Bloom nodded.

Sweetie pushed her lunch aside and stood up. “I’m gonna go see if she’s okay.”

She started walking off but Scootaloo called out other. “Wait, what about your lunch?!”

“I’m not hungry anymore,” she yelled back. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice, but Sweetie Belle walked off before they could say anything else.

She quickly cantered over to Miss Cheerilee and looked up. “Miss Cheerilee?”

“Oh, yes? What is it?”

“Did ya see where Phoenix ran off to? She was just in here.”

The teacher slowly shook her head. “No, she ran off in quite the hurry though. I- is she still not on the playground?”

“Uh, no she’s not. Hmmm, I’ll check the bathroom.”

“Alright, please let me know if you find her. She is alright I take it?”

Sweetie paled a bit and slowly shook her head. “I’m not so sure. I’ll be right back, though.”

She could sense the teacher wanting to join her, but she held off and Sweetie was able to slink away on her own.

Please be in here…  She glanced into the stalls but didn’t find any hint of the filly. Grunting in annoyance, she started snooping around the back of the bathroom building only to come up empty. The school was surrounded on all sides by a light fence which any filly could easily ‘escape’ from; it was entirely possible that her friend just ran off.

“Where are you--” she stopped talking and listened in off in the distance as her ears swiveled in place.

“It- it’s not real…”

The voice was quite faint, but it was unmistakenly that of Phoenix speaking. It took her a little while, but eventually, she found Phoenix curled up behind the school auditorium. Her body was shaking and her eyes were sealed shut. Hesitantly, Sweetie Belle took a seat next to Phoenix’s bag and waited.

“What--” Sweetie tried to get out but Phoenix flinched and started whining. WIthout thinking, the unicorn started gently petting the back of her friend’s mane in gentle motions. She hated seeing her this way, but what else could she do?

The whimpering and crying was a terrifying sight for the unicorn.

“What happened to Rumble, Phoenix?”

Phoenix got really quiet and, for a while, both fillies could only hear their collective breath and the sound of wind off in the distance.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Sweetie Belle, Phoenix mumbled something and wiped away her tears.

“Hmm?”

“I don’t… I don’t know why I even care. He’s gone and it happened a long time ago.”

“G- gone where?” Sweetie asked, tilting her head very innocently.

Phoenix dared to close her eyes for just a moment but a flash of Rumble’s decrepit body passed by in her memories and she began to shake in fear again.

“Phoenix?”

“J- just gone, okay? I don’t…” she trailed off and took a few deep breaths, though she shuttered on the last one. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

The unicorn furrowed her muzzle in concentration. “I… okay. Do you wanna get back to class?” she asked and offered her hoof to her.

Hesitantly, Phoenix grabbed on and stood up while her bag fell over the side of her body. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Erm, right.”

They walked in silence with Phoenix taking the lead. She trudged along with her head down and an immense frown on her face while Sweetie hung back.

Phoenix had started to calm down, but the sudden itch returned and it made her feel rather ravenous. Food, in this case, would never be enough to sustain her.
You don’t need it… she tried to remind herself, though she couldn’t help but occasionally glance at her saddlebag rather guiltily.

The itching, the awful itching would not let up no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. Nerve ends on her body felt irritated and it took all of her remaining willpower to not break down and scratch like a wild dog.

You don’t… you…

She took one last look at her bag and sighed. Her head was getting worse and worse and she could feel the onset of sudden exhaustion. She had to do it. She had no other choice.

“Um, I gotta go use the restroom, I’ll be right back,” Phoenix mumbled and darted off in a hurry.

“...Okay,” Sweetie called back, though her voice was obviously laced with concern.

The distraught filly darted into a stall and slammed the door shut before hastily peeking into her bag and rummaging around.

“T- three left,” she said while panting for air. “Just three.”

Hesitantly, she held up a canister and revolved it in her hoof several times.

“Just three,” she said, already knowing that it was about to be two. As she forced the can up to her muzzle, she could already feel the air pressure lighten around her skull, and the hues and colors of her vision returning to a far more comfortable manner. Moaning and whimpering in pain, she pushed the canister forward and took a very deep huff.

Suddenly, everything became so much clearer. Her focus and attention were heightened to brand new levels of normalcy and Phoenix no longer felt like taking a nap or two. The headache lightened up and she finally could think with an air of efficiency that she hadn’t felt in hours.

“Two left,” she said and tossed the can in the garbage.

She thought back to what the apple filly had said about Zecora and smirked a bit. “Makes potions, huh? Will have to look into that for later,” she said and rubbed her head in tiny little circles, hoping to stave off her headaches for just a tad longer.

“Right then,” she said and grabbed her bag before rinsing her face off and darting out of the restroom to go finish her lunch.

As she neared the playground, she could already sense something was very wrong.

You’re just a flightless little chicken. Not like anypony would ever want you for anything. I mean, honestly, what kind of pegasus are you, dodo brain?!

What followed next was a round of snorts, giggles and laughs at the expense of one little filly who was now on the verge of crying her eyes out.

When Phoenix finally got into the playground, she found Diamond Tiara and her lackey bullying Scootaloo and the other Crusaders, with nopony in sight to stop her.

The pegasus had broken out in a fit of tears while her friends seemed to be trying to console her.

“S- s- shud up!” Scootaloo exclaimed through fits of tears. A few of the other students chuckled.

“What’s that? I can’t hear you. All I hear is a big flightless chicken!”

Phoenix cracked her neck and stepped forward while her eyes were narrowed on the pink filly herself. The drugged canister was now working at full capacity, pumping her system full of adrenaline and a few endorphins as well.

“Oh ho, and what’s this? Her flightless freak of a clone ready to defend her worthless counterpart.”

Phoenix quirked a brow at this and glanced back at her wings with a hint of curiosity. Sure, they were injured but would hardly consider herself flightless.

“Got nothing to say? Hmm, doesn’t surprise me. You look about as stupid as a chicken and I bet they could fly better than you.”

More laughter, though Phoenix merely cracked her neck again and closed her eyes. Deep in thought.

“Hey! I’m talking to you, bird brain! Oh, what? Can’t understand us? Figures, chickens don’t talk anyway.”

What happened next took everypony by surprise. Phoenix dropped her bag and soared high into the air then did a few twirls while stretching her wings in several places.

Diamond Tiara started stuttering in confusion while the other children merely gasped.

“Chicken huh? Funny,” she said and started hovering just above Diamond’s little tiara. “I see some chickens, a funny looking pink one and an ugly lackey chicken.”

“Y- y- you can fly?!” Diamond screamed in shock. She backed up a few paces but Phoenix merely hovered forward with ease.

“You know,” she started and suddenly grabbed at Diamond’s jewel-encrusted tiara, “there’s something a bit odd about this,” she said rather casually.

“Hey! Give that back you stupid freak!”

“Ah, that’s it,” Phoenix replied with a giggle. “These diamonds are fake. Here, let me get rid of it for ya. Free of charge!”

Phoenix flipped around and flew up to the top of the school roof and carefully placed it at the highest point. She giggled and landed near the Crusaders rather gracefully.

“There, all better! Don’t worry about that old dusty thing, Diamond. You look a little richer without it anyway.”

Suddenly the shock had started to wear off and the other students had turned on the pink filly, giggling with Phoenix like it was all some grand joke.

“Give it back! Give it back right now!” Diamond barked and pushed into Phoenix’s body with a harsh shove. “Now!”

“Buzz off!”

Phoenix then turned around bucked Diamond Tiara square in the chest. The other colts and fillies gasped as she went tumbling head first into a pile of dirt. After she landed, the little brat started to look rather dazed and out of breath. The other students remained silent but Phoenix didn’t care, she’d had enough of the brat’s crap for a whole lifetime.

“Is she… where’s she going?”

They all watched Scootaloo run off in tears. Far away from the school grounds until she was out of sight. Without thinking, Phoenix flew into the air to follow, ignoring the shouts of the Crusaders and other students.





Phoenix had been flying for close to ten minutes when her wing started to cramp rather badly. Sighing, she took a sudden emergency style landing in a dense bush just as Scootaloo had gone out of sight, again.

Moaning in pain and ignoring her bleeding injury, she darted off from the bush and started looking around. It didn’t take her very long to notice just how familiar everything looked.

“Did she run back home…?”

As it turned out, that was exactly what the filly had done. The front door had been hastily shoved open followed by the sudden cries and screams of a very distraught little filly.

Curious, Phoenix leaned up against an open window and listened in.

“S-s-s-sh-” Scootaloo tried to say but simply broke down into a fit of crying and tears.

“Shh… shhh. Calm down, little one. Deep breathes. Deep,” Pale said. 

Phoenix swallowed a little with a large gulp. What did she do now? All she did was fly! She had defended them from the brat and even put her in her place. What was the big deal?!

“Y- you won’t want me! S- she can fly!”

What followed next was Scootaloo screaming and crying, muffled by Pale’s coat, presumably due to the two hugging.

“Shh, who can fly? What happened?”

“P- Phoenix,” she whimpered and went right back to crying. “I- I’m just a loser pegasus… nopony cares about a--”

Pale put a stop to it right there and shushed her by physically placing her hoof on her daughter's muzzle. Phoenix didn’t know what to think.

“I’m not hearing any of that talk, young filly. I want you to listen to me, okay?”

Scootaloo sniffed rather loudly but seemed to nod.

“B- but, she’s basically me only better. Better in every way,” she replied rather bitterly.

“Scootaloo, Phoenix isn’t you,” she reminded her. Scootaloo glanced up and her mother sighed. “You’re my Scootaloo and I love you just like you are. And I bet you bits to baked goods that Phoenix's mother, whatever universe or world or however it works, would say the exact same thing about her."

The other filly watched the two hug while bitter feelings started to bubble up, compounded by the strange drugged canister from earlier.

Buck this, she thought and swiftly took to the air while ignoring her aching wings. She didn’t care. Pain was par for the course in her life and the drugs pumping through her system helped dull the pain a little. As she flew, in a random direction, her mind started to wander.

I hate thinking about that day…

But it was no use, the memories flowed rather freely. And with nothing to distract her and nopony to talk to, they came into her vision as if they had only happened yesterday.
> Chapter Nine: Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scootaloo glanced around with a bit of trepidation and nervousness. Of all the places she could have ended up. She had been assigned to the Shining Dreadnaught, the Shining Phoenix’s last remaining airship still in operation. It was not the ideal situation to find oneself in for the Dreadnaught rarely stayed in one place for very long.

She and several other foals and young recruits had been placed in the ship’s cargo hold for the better part of the last hour. Just waiting for instructions. Glancing around, the massive room had certainly seen better days. With dirty, rotten looking metal littered about and several massive holes on the flooring which seemed to just be rotting away.

There was, thankfully, a bit of light in the place with several flickering candles and the odd assortment of enchanted magical lights which shone over the massive room. Luna’s dull glowing moon wasn’t doing them any favors anyway. The cold, unforgiving metal had been grating on her coat the whole time and some of the other foals had started to shiver and shake from the temperature.

Enough of this! she thought and snorted.

Without warning, the pegasus stood up and started banging on a large set of double doors. A loud clang echoed in the back of the room. The other ponies staring at her like she was crazy.

“Hey! You gonna tell us why we’re here or are we just gonna freeze to death?!” Scootaloo screamed.

She waited for a few moments but nopony came. So she went right back to making noise.

“Hello! Anypony here or is the whole ship dead or something?!”

Click.

A very ominous-sounding click noise was suddenly heard from both doors and the first door was slowly brought open from somepony on the other side.

Thinking fast, Scootaloo ran back to the center of the room and patiently waited. Hoping that nopony would rat her out.

A large pegasus stallion with a tan coat stepped forward. He scowled down at the fillies and colts, looking at them all like they were a disgusting sight. Said stallion said nothing, though judging from his mannerisms and the way he carried himself, it was clear the big colt hadn’t had much in the way of rest or sleep.

“So, it would seem one among you deemed it necessary to make a bit of noise.”

He narrowed his eyes and surveyed the entire lot. A few ponies gulped, but all remained silent.

“Anypony here care to explain why?”

While nopony seemed to point to Scootaloo in particular, there was a gentle murmuring followed by everypony slowly moving away from orange pegasus.

By the time Scootaloo realized what was going on, it was too late. The stallion in question nodded then slowly walked over to the orange filly.

Scootaloo stood her ground and narrowed her eyes rather suspiciously at the stallion.

Suddenly, the creepy looking Stallion smiled rather wickedly down at her then turned to face the crowd.

“All of you, march to the top deck to accept your orders!”

They stayed perfectly still while some foals merely shook in fear. The stallion sighed.

“Get! Now!” he screamed which had the desired effect. Everypony scrambled onto their hooves and darted upstairs. All but Scootaloo who merely stood up rather slowly and started walking rather calmly.

“You know,” the stallion began, “that was rather brave of you. Knocking like that.”

Scootaloo froze but simply nodded and tried to leave, but soon the strange pony stood in her way.

“What’s your name, young filly?”

Rolling her eyes, Scootaloo took a seat and actually yawned which elicited a raised eyebrow from the earth pony. “Scootaloo,” she said. He nodded and went to continue, but the filly beat him to it. “Not Scoots or Schrootaloo or Scootsaloo. Just Scootaloo, got it?” she asked rather irritably.

The stallion chuckled. “Oh yes, I most certainly do. Scootaloo it is. My name is Master Arrow, the captain’s lieutenant on this vessel,” he declared while casually brushing the dust off of his coat. The filly nodded while looking none too impressed. “I’d say you should treat me with more respect, but I think we both know that’s not going to happen.”

Scootaloo tilted her head to the side. “What do you want from me? You didn’t make me go up there, so why am I still here?”

The silence was broken up by the ship’s massive engines roaring along at a steady pace while the room they resided in would occasionally creak and shake. Upon hearing the filly’s question, however, the stallion smiled.

“Scootaloo, I am well aware of your history in this army. This… pitiful excuse for an army,” he stated. A rare thing to admit among the mares and stallions in control. “You were one of the first young recruits and, well, you can see that we need younger ponies more and more. That’s no secret.”

“...”

“I am also well aware of your inability to fly,” he continued which caused her to gasp slightly. “Surprised? While this army isn’t exactly the most organized, I’d like to think we keep tabs on certain things. But, now tell me, what would you give for the ability of flight? Anything? Your undying loyalty to the cause? Phoenix feathers? Hmm?”

Scootaloo chuckled a bit. “You’re starting to sound crazy, you know that. R- right?”

The stallion backed off a bit and nodded. “My apologies. Why don’t we suspend with the theatrics and I can get right to the point? Do you wish to fly? Yes or no?”

The filly gulped while glancing behind the stallion. She could make a run for it and then maybe the weird stallion would just drop the whole thing. But there was something alluring about flight. Even if it sounded incredibly crazy.

“I guess so, yeah…”

Arrow smiled and nodded. “Excellent. Come with me, Scootaloo. We have much to discuss.”





A few hours later, Scootaloo had been briefed and brought up to the ship’s hospital wing. Though given the small size and dirty interior, it wasn’t so much a wing as it was a hastily put together place to treat injured ponies. She was sitting on a hospital bed, staring off at a nearby dirty window, waiting.

A few moments later, the door to the place opened and in walked a unicorn stallion which made her eyes widen in shock. Sure, they still existed and fought in their army, but they were becoming a rare sight.

The unicorn in question wore doctor’s garbs which covered up his cutie mark, but there was something rather striking about him. His horn had been neatly cut in half with the pointy like protrusion that you would normally find missing and filed down to a flat stump.

“Scootaloo, correct?” He spoke and she nodded. “Excellent. My name is Doctor Prickle. I see you’re interested in our… experimental program?”

“...Yeah. I guess. Hmm…” she sighed and nodded while looking down at her hooves.

“I would like to apologize for my appearance. Given the nature of--”

“You don’t have to explain,” she said while waving her hooves. “I know what she can do to unicorns. I- I get it.”

“Erm, right. Of course. A-anyway,” he stated and gently shut the door. “It should come as no surprise that what we are about to do to you is top secret. Only the top most trusted ponies in our army have been privy to the information on these experiments, with even fewer still able to go through with them. That is… if you still want to?”

“Arrow told me all of the risks and stuff. Yes, I still want to.”

“Are you certain? I mean--”

“I don’t want to die. If… if this will help me get stronger. Then, yeah, I’m certain.”

He nodded. “Well, there are still risks. But, as far as we know, nopony has ever died upon receiving their injections,” he quickly clarified.

She narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Right. Of course not.”

She waited rather patiently while the stallion gathered up some supplies and got to work. As he did this, she started to talk.

“Um, h- have you ever used this before on a, well… You know, somepony like me?”

“A child? That’s a negative, Scootaloo. You’d be the first. We’re not fully sure what the effects would be, though we are certain it should counteract your, erm, magical illness. Shall we call it?”

The filly glanced back at her wings and nodded rather solemnly. “Illness. Yeah, that.”

“That being said, there will be side effects. Most common of which are occasional headaches and mood swings. The serum works by enhancing any and all aspects of the pony in question. Muscles, memory, magic… anger and so on.”

“Uh, then why do they get headaches?”

“...We’re not fully sure. As I’m sure Arrow has pointed out to you, our serum has yet to be fully tested. It changes a pony, down to their very being.”

Scootaloo gulped and nodded. She had grown quite used to putting on a brave face at the sight of danger, but she couldn’t deny that she felt rather terrified the more the doctor paddled on about his precious serum.

“You would be the first to receive it who still has yet to earn their cutie mark. It might even change how that functions,” he noted out loud, though he seemed to be speaking more to himself than her.

“W- what does that mean?” she squeaked.

Doctor Prickel remained silent as he finished mixing in the correct ingredients and pouring them into a rather intimidating looking vial with a needle on the end.

“It means if you still wish to accept this--”

“I do.”

“If you do, then whatever your cutie mark would have been might change. As I said before, we have very little in terms of research. We only know that this works as intended. More… trials are needed before we mass adopt it. You would be our first child experiment. The… data we can glean from this might help turn the war in our favor. And you’re very brave for wishing to go through with it.”

My cutie mark…? she thought. The filly glanced to her blank flank and almost chuckled. She had barely thought of the stupid thing in ages. It was rather difficult to focus on such childish things when you had a war to fight. 

It might change… do I even care?

Sighing, she nodded and held out her hoof rather submissively. “I- I’m ready, Doctor. L- Let’s do this,” she stuttered nervously.

He smiled and slowly shook his head. “Sorry, filly, I gotta, um, administer it somewhere else,” he said.

She tilted her head to the side but saw that he was nervously glancing at her flank, of all places. Sighing, she slowly positioned her body to face him before closing her eyes.

“J- just do it.”





The memories quickly vanished and she sighed. The thought of that awful vessel sickened her and so she quickly took to the skies, not bothering to look back. There, no pony could bother her. The skies were clear with very little in the way of dark rain clouds or any other pegasus flying. It was just her and various clouds. Wind flowed through her mane and brushed along the tips of her feathers and the fresh air up there felt good coursing through her lungs.

But despite the clear pleasure of it all, something about flying just felt empty. For so long she had just wanted to fly. She was a pegasus, after all, so why shouldn’t she have that right? What was so wrong with taking what should have been hers in the first place?! She moaned as her vision seemed to double over a bit. Without thinking, she quickly landed on a nearby cloud to rest for a few minutes.

Flapping her wings, she could sense one of them aching horribly in pain. Though, thankfully, her little patch job hadn’t torn just yet. She panted for air and thought back to the moment when her life really had changed forever.





Scootaloo groaned on the examination table. The shot had been administered not ten minutes ago and she was already regretting it.

“Easy, easy, Scootaloo. It will take a little while for your body to adjust. Your core and very being… even your genetics are being rewritten.”

She doubled over in pain and had to force back some vomit. Her insides felt like they were on fire and everything started to hurt. “Wonderful for them,” she quipped, sounding rather annoyed. “Why does it hurt so much?!”

The doctor backed up while the filly kicked and writhed in pain.

“It’s likely your immune system is trying to fight off the drug as some sort of infection. But we accounted for that. A separate serum should be working right now at adapting everything. Erm, it’s probably best if you rest though.”

She coughed a few times and started laughing. The pain was getting close to unbearable levels and the mad doctor wanted her to sleep?!

“H- how? Are you nuts?”

“Right, of course. I’ll just get you a sedative for now.”

The pain seemed to double in the span of a few seconds and she began to cry. She couldn’t help it; the pain was really that bad. “H- hurry…” she whimpered.

Before she could even blink, a small injection had been administered to her spine and she was out like a light.





Even thinking back to it was unpleasant and she could feel the same pain creeping up her spine. In the end, it had paid off, but apparently, the fact that she could even fly had struck a nerve with Scootaloo and Pale.

“Not my fault she can’t fly…” she mumbled to herself. After resting for a few minutes, she figured it would be best if she stuck to the ground for a while. Her wing was still aching pretty badly, so she took a deep breath and soared over to the most secluded spot she could find: somewhere in Sweet Apple Acres.

After landing, Phoenix trudged over to a secluded looking lake and took a seat to rest again.

“Mighty quiet out here, yogin’”

Phoenix glanced behind her and spotted Applejack. The filly nodded and glanced away, deep in thought.

“Strange for a filly to be out ah class so early. Care to explain?”

Phoenix scoffed. “Care to explain why I’m being spied on?”

The mare’s eyes widened in shock while the filly smiled at her.

“What? Surprised that I know?”

Applejack tilted her head and slowly nodded. “Well… maybe a little, but I can explain all of it. Here and now, if you want.”

“...That’s it? You’re not gonna try and deny it or anything?”

The farm pony chortled a tad. “Deny it? Ah, don’t think I'd be a very good “Element of Honesty” by being so dishonest, with a filly no less. No, Phoenix, you deserve the truth. Ah must admit, I didn’t think you’d confront me like this, but I had planned on telling you. Today.”

Phoenix, of course, already knew this, but kept that little bit of information to herself. She straightened up and crossed her front hooves and waited.

“Right. Well, truth be told,  err, Phoenix,” she started. “Ah didn’t trust ya from the start,” she stated very bluntly.

The filly blinked and then blinked again. “Oh. Well, I… that makes sense.”

“Look, ah’m sorry, but you popped out of that mirror and let’s just say that I and the other girls have a bad habit of running into trouble. Especially when it comes to Twi’s cooky experiments. And when I saw you and Sweetie laying there with--”

“I get it. I do. So you all kept an eye on me.”

“At first, yes. But you never did anything bad or nuffin’. In fact, I wanted to find out more about you more than anything. Not because I thought you were dangerous. I was… well, worried about ya.”

The filly gave her an awkward stare back, not sure how to even respond.

“Now don’t go lookin’ at me like that.” the mare said and then snorted. “Despite some of my friend’s more boneheaded ideas on what to do with you… including one mare who shall remain nameless! Well… we were all worried about ya. And that’s no lie.”

Phoenix turned around and resisted the urge to scoff again. “Right.”

“Well, you’re free to think what ya want to. I can't say I'm one hundred percent for not sending you home, but ah think you already knew that, huh?”

“...”

“Nevermind that, I'll forgive you for spying if you can forgive me. Deal?”

The filly swallowed and slowly nodded.

“But ah still have to ask, why are you out of class?”

She shrugged. “Diamond Tiara was being a brat--”

“And the sky is blue,” Applejack interrupted.

Phoenix chuckled and then slowly sighed. She quickly delved into what she remembered happening, all the while the farm pony listened in silence. When she finished, the farm pony merely nodded.

“Can’t imagine what’s going through that filly’s mind. Ah, don’t think there’s been a single day where she hasn’t bothered them three. Ugly thing, bullying.”

“Hmm, yeah…”

 Applejack chewed on the inside of her lip before continuing. “You know, ah’ve been meaning to ask ya.”

“What?”

“Could you… well, ah guess I’ll just right out and say it. Could you always fly?”

Phoenix blinked. “...No.”

“So then, how did you… I mean. Ah, shoot.” Applejack muttered while Phoenix tilted her head in confusion. “Ah guess I can’t pretend to understand just why Scootaloo lacks that, erm, ability. But if you’re anything like her, then ah’m guessing it must be a similar issue.”

“I guess. I wouldn’t know.”

From this, the mare narrowed her eyes. “Wouldn’t ya?”

“W- what do you mean?”

The mare backed up a bit and looked slightly apologetic. “Ah don’t mean to pry, I’m just trying to understand what makes you different, Phoenix. From the sound of things, you’ve got quite the tale to tell,” she said while Phoenix could feel her eyes widen. “Not that you have to. Nopony is gonna make ya if keeping it to yourself is that important. But it sounds like to me that maybe a bit of understanding could help put things into perspective for Scootaloo.” She went to walk away but said something else. “That is if you feel obliged to help the filly.”

Applejack then stood up and tipped her hat to her before walking off. “Just somethin’ to think ‘bout.”





Phoenix wasn’t sure how long she laid there, unmoving from the same spot. Possibly minutes or maybe hours. Time was a fickle thing, after all. The drug in the canister had already worn off, but headaches were normal for her. She felt exhausted in more ways than one.

“I- I guess I shouldn’t have kicked her so hard,” she finally admitted. She shoved you! You big dope! she reminded herself, but she knew the shove hadn’t been that bad. “Scootaloo’s mom is not gonna like this,” she mumbled.

Feeling like her wings were on fire, the filly finally decided to get back to class and in a hurry. The trek there was uneventful, though once she got near the school, she knew that there would be trouble.

Cheerilee’s class had been dismissed however Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, Pale and what Phoenix presumed to be Diamond’s father had been gathered into Cheerilee's class. Immediately all eyes were on Phoenix though Diamond herself backed up a bit in fear.

Pale stood up and narrowed her eyes at her. “Phoenix, just what do you have to say for yourself?!”

“I’m sorry Diamond Tiara. Nopony deserves to be bucked like that,” Phoenix said with utmost sincerity.

Everypony’s eyes widened in surprise, most of all Diamond’s. The filly in question blushed, pouted and looked away in apparent shame.

Diamond’s father was the first to recover. He stood up and snorted. “Be that as it may, young filly, there is never an excuse to use violent force to solve your issues. E- especially on my Diamond.”

Phoenix resisted the urge to snort herself. But merely nodded; Pale kept looking at her like she was some sort of anomaly and she didn’t feel like escalating things even further.

“Ahem, very good,” Cheerilee started and then turned to Diamond. “Now, Diamond, do you have anything else to say?”

The filly sputtered a few times, “M- me? I already apologized!”

“Yes, you did to Scootaloo, but several others on the playground noted that your behavior with Phoenix wasn’t exactly kind, either.”

Everypony stared down at Diamond and the filly sighed. “Fine. I’m sorry Phoenix for- for saying mean things to you.”

“Excellent!” Cheerilee exclaimed. “Now, there is the matter of yours and Phoenix’s, ahem, punishment.”

Some complaining and arguing later, it was decided that Diamond Tiara would not be allowed to attend recess for a week and would instead be kept in the school to study. Phoenix, however, got a far more severe punishment.

“She’s suspended for a week! How is that a punishment?!” Scootaloo asked. “No school for a week sounds fun to me!”

“You know I still have work to catch up on,” Phoenix noted with a hint of irritation.

“Still! No school for a weeeeeeeeeeeek. So lucky…”

Pale, for her part, had remained silent throughout their trek back to their home. Phoenix wasn’t sure what to think, but something about a mother’s disappointed stare made her feel sick in the pit of her stomach.

Once they reached the house, Pale glanced over at her daughter. “Scoots, I need to speak with Phoenix, alone, please. Why don’t you head upstairs.”

The mirror filly tilted her head in confusion while Scootaloo merely nodded.

“K. Heh, nice knowing you,” Scootaloo joked and waved to Phoenix before darting up their stairs.

Phoenix had faced evil beings and unspeakable horrors. She had fought and killed ponies just for the privilege of staying alive another day, but none of them seemed as terrifying as a silent mother staring her down with heavy disappointment.

“Phoenix… what is it that you’re hiding from us?”

The filly blinked. She of course knew and it was a lot, quite a lot. And she had very, very good reasons not to talk.

“You know I wasn’t sure when to bring this up or how much to tell you, but it’s not fair to any of us to keep things this way, Phoenix. Not to us and especially not to you.”

“...”

Pale waited very patiently while Phoenix looked away, deep in thought.

“Nothing? Nothing to say?”

They waited for minutes at a time, but Phoenix felt far too afraid to speak. Thoughts of being kicked out Pale’s home swirled around in the filly’s head, deep down wondering if she had gone too far.

Stupid brat, Phoenix thought rather bitterly.

“Maybe… maybe I’m not being fair to you, Phoenix. I was going to wait to say this, but I’m not quite sure keeping it a secret will accomplish. The truth will come out eventually and you need to hear it.”

“H- hear what?”

“To hear what Princess Twilight explained to me this morning. You were still resting and we didn’t feel it right to wake you.”

Phoenix gulped, but she already knew what Pale was going to tell her, but it didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking to hear, somehow. Even if it was still good news to her, in a way.

“Twilight has explained a great deal to me and I’m not sure how to feel. But, I guess we can just get right to the point: She will not be sending you home, Phoenix. She, along with the other Princesses of Equestria, have concluded that activating that mirror is far too dangerous. I… don’t quite understand all of it, but their logic seems to check out.”

Phoenix, for her part, still stayed silent. Not really sure what to say or do in response. The situation was quite delicate, after all.

“However,” Pale started, which got the first real response from the filly in a good twenty minutes since her ears perked up. “You can repeal this decision, or attempt to, by speaking with Twilight who will relay what you tell her to the princesses. Ahem, do you understand this?”

“Y- yeah. I do.”

“Do… do you have anything to say to me? Anything at all? None of us will be angry or upset, I promise. We really just want what’s best for you, Phoenix,” Pale said with a slight smile. It looked warm and comforting, something any honest mother would give to their children.

“Trust no one, kid. No one, you got me?”

“N- not even you?” Scootaloo asked curiously.

The stallion in question didn’t respond immediately; he simply stared off into the horizon. A dark swirling form of storm clouds had been gathering near Canterlot, among other places and everypony was on edge.

Finally, the stallion smirked. “And here I thought you weren’t listening. Heh, trust me as far as I’ll take you, Scoots. Nothing more and nothing less. Trust can change, allies can change, the battlefield can certainly change. But do you know one thing that never does?”

“Uh, hope?” she guessed quite lamely.

“No. Your instincts. Your gut, child. That’s the one thing you can always trust to stay safe. The only thing.”

Phoenix would have kept going with the oddly vivid memory, but she knew it only lead to dark thoughts and bitter outcomes. But, Pale was different. Her new world was different, right?

“Sweetie…” Pale leaned in and cupped one of her hooves under the filly’s chin then slowly tilted her head so their eyes were locked.

“There’s no need to hide things. You can trust me, you can trust us. Please, say something.”

That had done it. Whatever reserve and patience Phoenix had snapped and crumbled away into dust. Phoenix gently shoved Pale backward and stood up.

“Do you want me here?”

The question was spoken so quietly that Pale could hardly claim to have heard it at all.

“I don’t under--”

“Do you want me to live with you, m- Pale?”

The mare tilted her head, seemingly unsure how to respond.

“I- it’s okay if you don’t,” Phoenix stated rather seriously while Pale’s eyes widened in shock. “I’m used to going out on my own, Pale. But I don’t want a pretend life and I don’t want to be lied to,” she said. At that point, Phoenix knew she wasn’t fully being fair, but she was long past the point of caring.

Pale slowly closed her eyes and nodded. “How… help me understand something, please. How used to it are you?”

Phoenix wracked her brain to try and come up with a reply, something Pale would find acceptable. 

“No, Phoenix. I know that look!”

Phoenix looked on in shock. What did she mean?

“You're trying to decide how much to tell me. Or… or if you should stretch the truth,” Pale declared in an angered tone.

Before she knew it, Phoenix felt her cheeks grow hot and, as if by pure instinct, her ears flopped down nervously. She didn't need to say a thing, Pale already knew she was right on the money.

“Phoenix, enough of this. You're hiding secrets, bad ones. The kind nopony should be holding in, especially somepony so young. Please… please tell me what's wrong.”

“I…”

As the filly trailed off, the front door to their home suddenly slammed open. “Honey, I’m home!”

“Hey, Sweetie!” the stallion said and quickly planted a kiss on Pale’s cheek before smiling down at Phoenix. “What’s up?”

The filly stared up at what was supposed to be her father, but the sight merely sickened her. Her so-called dad had barely spoken to her in the last few days. Fuming, Phoenix shook her head and replied in a bored and angry sounding tone, “Nothing,” she said and slowly marched upstairs with Pale and her husband merely watching in shock.





Pale moaned angrily and stared at her husband, feeling rather annoyed. “You really know how to make an entrance, Feather.”

He backed up while shaking his head. “What? What I do?!”

She sighed and took a seat on a nearby couch while shaking her head. “Nothing direct, but that could have gone better with Phoenix.”

Suddenly Feather looked rather serious while staring back at where the filly had just stood. “Oh? What about her? Any news on that, uh, mirror thing?”

At that, the mare gave a hesitant smile and nod. “Uh, yes. As a matter of fact, Princess Twilight stopped by while you were at work to explain a few things. You’re probably gonna want to sit down for this one.”

Feather slowly shook his head. “Honey…” he started in a warning tone.

Going for broke, the mare dove into the explanation of everything. From Twilight’s decision to not activate the mirror and why then ending on Phoenix’s outburst about her home. Feather, for his part, had remained silent throughout. Though one could tell something was quite wrong as he seemed to stare off into an endless void while his mind tried to reboot and consider the implications of all of this.

“S- she’s stuck here?” he finally said, the fear obvious in his voice.

“I- it would appear so, yes. What are we going to do? Just adopt her? Just like that?”

“I can’t- I don’t- I-” Feather stuttered and tried to get out a real response, but all he managed to do was slowly sink further into the comfort of their living room couch and sigh. One daughter was crazy enough, but could they even afford to feed two? Though they knew that deep down that was the least of their worries.

“H- how much have you spoken with her? I’m curious,” Pale asked while Feather groaned.

“Uh, not a whole lot. Basically none, why?”

“Well, she may not be our actual daughter… however, that works. Ahem, I think she needs somepony to talk to and, right now, that pony isn’t me.”

It took quite a bit of convincing, but Feather eventually agreed to the awkward deed of talking to Phoenix.

“Alright, alright. She up in Scoots’ room?”

“I’d imagine so. Just… try not to provoke her too much. She’s keeping things in, but I don’t think that filly needs to be yelled at. She needs… guidance.”

He stood up, nodded and gave a final kiss to his wife before quickly flying upstairs. “Scoots, are you home?”

“Dad!”

A quick hug and snuggle, which Scootaloo would always deny doing, and soon the two had collapsed into a snuggling pile with a giggling filly bucking and kicking her hooves, while Feather kept trying to pin her.

“Gonna get ya!” he exclaimed.

“Daaaaaad stop!” the filly responded between a few giggling fits.

But the fun was not to last, as Pale cleared her throat from downstairs rather loudly. Feather sighed. 

“Hey, um, kiddo. Seen your clone anywhere?” he asked, making her laugh again. 

Scootaloo shook her head with a smile. “Wasn't she down with mom?” she asked, tilting her head curiously. 

“Uh… wait, you didn't see her come up here?”

The filly stood up and shook her head. “Nope. Hey, dad, I'm gonna go crusading with my friends. That okay?”

He quickly nodded without thinking and the filly zoomed off at a speed that would have made Rainbow Dash jealous. Feather gulped and hastily started rummaging around upstairs.

He checked the bathrooms, spare rooms and everywhere else. “Where the hay did she go? She can't even fly!” he argued in annoyance. 

“You really haven't been paying attention to my ramblings at night, have you?” Pale said in a rather annoyed tone. She walked by him and pointed to the obviously open window. “Phoenix is not like our Daughter, honey bun. She can fly, and her bag is missing…”





Phoenix ran into Scootaloo’s room and looked around. A quick glance behind her let the filly know that her counterpart was likely in the bathroom.

Thinking quickly, she slammed everything she owned into her bag and zipped it closed. “Guess I should have taken Sweetie’s gift. Gross…” even for her the bag was fairly messed up with bits of blood and even old feathers which had been practically mended into the bag's surface.

Sighing, she donned the thing and opened Scootaloo's window before quickly slipping out and taking to the air. “Stupid headaches…” she moaned in pain and tried to focus her vision while it doubled again and again.

She grew quite alarmed when her eyes clouded over and blinking or rubbing them did nothing to clear her vision. Panting and breathing to calm down, she landed on the ground and started taking deep, shuddering breaths. Her vision still hadn't cleared and Phoenix had been at it for nearly two minutes. 

When her vision finally did clear she was shocked to see a lone Diamond Tiara standing on the cobblestone pathway, just staring at her.

Phoenix sniffed the cold night air and nodded to her before slowly walking away. 

“Where are you going? Isn't the blank flank’s place that way?”

There was a small hint or a bratty tone laced under her kind sounding demeanor. Phoenix sighed.

“Do you always have to be so rude? What did those three do to you? Let me guess, nothing!”

Diamond’s face turned red with apparent shame while Phoenix marched up to her. Their heads butted and the pink filly tried to back up but Phoenix wasn’t having it. “You know the world is dark enough, we don’t need stupid bullies making it worse!”

“Dark? What are you talking about?”

“What am I-- Are you stupid? The nightmare…” Phoenix slowly trailed off and looked around. She had spent so much time in her world, knowing that the sun would never rise that her new plane of existence still felt unreal to her. She could spot the setting celestial body off in the distance, calming her and so she slowly shook her head.

“Just, nevermind and stay out of our way. Got it?”

The diamond-clad filly stared at her for a good while but said nothing in response. Phoenix bristled a bit and stomped off.

“When are you going back? To where you’re from?” Diamond demanded.

The pegasus stopped and smiled. “Why? Sick of me already? Worried your popularity is slipping in school?” she asked in a mocking tone.

More blushing and pouting which made Phoenix smirk. She couldn’t help herself as adrenaline coursed through her veins. She marched back up and smirked down at the bully. “You keep calling them blank flanks, well what’s so good about your cutie mark? Hmm?”

Diamond glanced at her mark and went to retort, but Phoenix was too fast. “A tiara? That’s all you got? What does it even mean? What makes you so special?”

“Shut up! I never said I was special!” Diamond screamed and shoved Phoenix to the ground who was quick to get back up. “I never once said that!”

“But you think it, don’t you? You think you’re better and more special than everypony else. You think because Scootaloo can’t fly that she’s worthless and nopony cares for her. Don’t you!”

At this point, Diamond had started to tear up slightly and seemed to be trying to hold it together, but the Phoenix Soldier was far from caring.

“L- look I--”

“Just because you’re rich doesn’t give you the right to be rotten and spoiled to everypony else!”

“Jus- just because--” Again Diamond tried to speak, but Phoenix was on a roll and absolutely would not stop; it felt too good.

“I’ve had enough crap from everypony and been through a living Tartarus to get here. If you think I’m going home after all of this, you got another thing coming you big brat! Now, are you gonna leave us be or what?”

The spoiled filly was on the verge of outright crying and tried to say something, but all that came out were soft hiccups so she merely nodded. She had been defeated.

“Just… just leave me be,” Phoenix finally said and cantered off in a random direction into town, not bothering to look back.





Diamond watched Phoenix canter off into town and let out a shuddering breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She tried to quell her tears, but it took a good minute or two of crying before it finally died down to quiet sniffles and more hiccups. Never in her life had anypony, except for perhaps her mother, had made her feel so low.

And deep down, she knew that Phoenix was right. She often got her way and had the school playground all to herself with everypony waiting on her every whim and command. It’s just how her mother would prefer, but Diamond wasn’t her mother and she never wanted to be anything like her.

So why do I keep acting this way? It was a question that often haunted her and what Phoenix said brought everything about it to the surface. She was a brat and a bully and acted like she was better than everypony else.

But I’m not… I’m not better.

She sniffled a bit and went to turn around but yelped in shock and tripped over something. Looking around she quickly spotted a large hardbound book just laying on the floor.

She blinked and started to gently rub the dust off of it before gasping in shock.

Scootaloo's Journal

The tome in question had certainly seen better days. With scuff marks and even a few drops of blood on the cover. She knew what the right thing to do was to return it to Scootaloo's house so Phoenix could have it back.

But that's not where Phoenix is, she reminded herself.

Diamond bit her lip and looked around while her mind tried to think which way Phoenix had gone. She was no stranger to avoiding home when she felt it was too much. She'd spent many a night at Silver Spoons place and it was almost like a second home.

“But where would Phoenix go?”

Then she considered that the book may hold a clue or two about the strange filly. But reading another ponies personal diary was incredibly deceiving and downright mean. She had learned that the hard way when she once stumbled on Silver Spoon's.

“Still… I don't have any other ideas.”

Moaning over another bad deed, one in a million that she had committed, Diamond took a seat on the edge of a small bridge and brought the book up to start reading.
> Chapter Ten: Diamond's Revelation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take the filly long to start rummaging through the journal.

“Nightmare War? What is this, a dumb story she came up wi…”

Diamond trailed off as her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She had flipped another page and found a colored photograph of something quite disturbing. Something no filly should have in a journal.

It was unmistakably Scootaloo, but the familiar-looking orange coated pony looked far from happy with a clearly bloodied, broken bone clearly protruding out of her leg!

Diamond started sweating and threw the book several feet away from her while resisting the urge to gag or throw up. It took her a good two minutes before she had calmed down enough to keep reading.

“Is this what mother meant when she said curiosity bucked the cat?”

Despite this, she started reading the excerpt under the photo.

Day 122: Our platoon got into a pretty nasty scuffle. At least that's what our lieutenant called it. Three Nightmare Soldiers dead and several others in custody. One got loose and caused all of this to my leg, screaming about some dark queen nonsense. She was dead before she hit the ground and then they gave me actual medical treatment. For once.

It was strange because I didn't even cry. Maybe it's the weird serum making me stronger. It really does help me buck harder, almost like an earth pony or better even. But I guess I'm really not above getting hurt. They said I'd be good and healed in two weeks. I thought they were joking but they have some seriously good healers here.

Diamond blinked in shock. Thinking back, she could definitely see which Scootaloo was the stronger of the two. And apparently a serum had something to do with it. 

“Li- like a drug…”

The children of Ponyville Elementary were no stranger to the word. They knew they were bad but Diamond doubted most of her classmates really knew what they actually were. She had once asked her mom and the answer she got wasn't pretty.

Suffice to say, Diamond Tiara wanted nothing to do with drugs, but supposedly Phoenix felt different.

Diamond flipped toward the beginning of the journal and figured it was best to start there. That's how books worked, after all.

Day On- 1: They told me it was bet- best if I write things down. To get it out and stuff. Whatever.

Been a couple of months since Canterlot fell to darkness.

“WHAT?! WHAT THE HAY IS THIS?!” Diamond screamed uncaring who heard her.

Her head jerked up and she spotted Canterlot Castle looming in the distance. It was there, safe and sound. Phoenix had to be crazy!

But then she slowly remembered back when the weird filly was first introduced to the class. 

“Oh… oh yeah.”

“Good morning, class!”

There was a brief pause followed by the class chanting their own good morning to the teacher. “Good morning, Miss Cheerilee!”

“Right, I suppose you’ve all been wondering why we’ve waited so long to begin and just who this new student is.”

There was a collective nod followed by several murmurs. Diamond glanced behind the teacher to spot a strange looking filly with a slightly damaged wing. A filly that looked awfully familiar. She had tried to find out what Miss Cheerilee had discussed with mother, but was shushed on the grounds that it was private. At least now the mystery might be revealed.

“Of course. I had requested that Princess Twilight be present for the discussion, but she’s far too busy. So I’ll describe it as best as I can.”

What followed seemed like some massive joke, but the giggles and snorts of various children soon died down when Phoenix finally revealed herself to everypony. A series of gasps followed while the children looked back and forth between the two clone fillies.

Diamond could vaguely recall something about dimensions and magic mirrors as the explanation for how Phoenix got to be there. She could barely wrap her head around it, but one thing that did stick out, there was apparently more than one Equestria with Phoenix being the proof. An Equestria that had some awful problems if her journal was to be believed.

Diamond wanted to stop right there. She was going to drop the journal on the ground and just head home to forget about it. But she couldn’t. Something about Phoenix’s story compelled her to keep reading to the point where the filly eventually ended up sipping hot cocoa in Sugarcube Corner as she read Phoenix’s life story. It was simply too addicting and she just couldn't put it down.

“I must say, Diamond, your father must have been worried to send Fancy after you. I don't think I've seen that butler of his out of the house in ages.”

Diamond blushed and nodded to Mrs. Cake. “Uh, yeah, he gets pretty busy. Um, I'm not keeping you up am I?”

Out of all of the ponies in Ponyville, Mrs. Cake had always been one of the kindest to her. Despite her often bratty behavior and negative disposition toward other ponies.

The mare in question was busy polishing up a few of their tables while she slowly mopped around them. “Oh, no. We do close soon but you're fine. Heh, that must be a pretty good book?”

“Uh yeah. Pretty interesting.”

She wanted to say terrifying but she didn't need other ponies suspicious of what she was doing. She had enough of a bad rap as it was.

She flipped a few pages and found a peculiar entry about something called The Nightmare Signal.

Apparently it can only affect unicorns and does so via strange, dark magic. Phoenix had written about its effects as those still with their horns intact would wander around aimlessly, killing without abandon.

Diamond had to stop reading after a particularly disturbing entry when Phoenix and her platoon landed upon an infected town of what she labeled as “Nightmare Infected Unicorns”. What followed was a gruesome and fairly detailed description of a rather messy battle. Phoenix claimed she had tried to free a few from the dark queen’s influence by severing their horn but was forced to “put them down” when that failed.

Diamond Tiara started to feel sick to her stomach. How could anypony live in such a place? Thoughts of horrific alternatives, such as suicide, kept bubbling up to greet her mind. It all seemed so hopeless to her.

“H- how did she live li- like that?” she whimpered to herself. Tears began to spill onto a few of the pages as pity swarmed through her body like a sickening plague. Sighing, she decided to try and calm down and focus on something else in the book.

After a while, she tried to hoof through it to try and find more information on the strange serum that Phoenix kept mentioning. It took a while, but eventually, she narrowed it down to one section on a military airship.

It was all there laid bare for her to read. What she found sickened her to her very core.





Phoenix had quickly lost track of time and as she wandered Ponyville, wondering if she should even bother entering the forest. Debating on if it would be worth it, her memories started to wander as well. Back to that horrible night.

Scootaloo sighed and slumped into her bed. It had been several weeks since she took the serum and it never seemed to get any easier. Every day was more training. Every day they would push her harder and harder, trying to see just how much she could take.

She understood the reasoning why given the circumstances and considering just what was in the serum. Thinking about it made her shudder deep down, but she couldn't deny that it definitely packed a serious punch.

It made her faster, stronger, possibly smarter but it also landed her the previously unobtainable ability of flight. She had flown and not just a little bit, in record time she had started to outfly adult pegasi who lacked the weird drug.

Still, she could sense that very few on the vessel really trusted her. She was a strange lone filly who was now buffed by an extremely experimental, almost desperate attempt at a serum. But she didn't care. If anything the drug gave her hope that maybe they could win the dumb war and finally kill Nightmare Moon.

That alone was worth enduring all the torture and the intense training regiment. Still, something about the whole thing really bothered her.

Just as she considered all of this, her doctor came in, muttering to himself.

“Hey, doc?

“Huh? Oh, uh, yes yes. What's wrong?”

“I didn't really consider this until now but…”

“But what?”

“Is this the only place testing the drug? You know… in the army?”

The stallion considered her words for a while and slowly shrugged. “It wouldn't shock me to learn that other camps and army depots have attempted this, but as far as I know we are the only ones. Why?”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened in shock. “It's just… wouldn't it make more sense if there was a kind of backup in case--”

“ALL HOOVES TO THE MAIN DECK! ALL HOOVES TO DECK!”

Scootaloo shared a frightened glance with the doctor before running along past him while using her wings to propel herself as fast as possible to the main deck. Before she could even decipher what was going on, however, a massive explosion of bright orange fire hit the front of the ship causing everypony to topple over while the metal contraption buckled and moaned from the sheer pressure of it all.

Phoenix moaned while her vision seemed to double over and over brought on by a forceful bump to her head.

“CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA, PREPARE YOURSELVES TO BOW BEFORE YOUR BELOVED QUEEN. YOU LOT WILL HAVE THE HONOR OF DYING BEFORE HER HOOVES! PREPARE FOR DEATH!”

The voice was unmistakably one of Twilight Sparkle which quickly woke Scootaloo up from her stupor. She looked around and spotted a multitude of adult pegasi all panicking and flying off of the ship in random directions. Disobeying orders and defying the army in favor of saving their own skin.

“ABANDON SHIP!” one pegasus stallion yelled and Scootaloo could only watch in horror as he flew off into the distance, only to be shot down by an arrow from the dark queen’s army. An arrow which then promptly exploded upon impact causing blood, guts, and pieces of pony skin to go flying in all directions. 

All the while the same live message continued to echo through the doomed ship.

“ALL HOOVES TO THE MAIN DECK! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! ALL HOOVES TO THE MAIN DECK!”

Considering her options, Scootaloo sighed and started running upwards, through various staircases while the soldiers around her panicked and fled as more and more explosions rocketed the ship back and forth.

As she ran the ship forced her from side to side, with a particularly large explosion caused her to go smack dab into a metal door. She felt her skin break and saw blood explode in all directions, but still, she kept moving. Hoping upon hope that they could salvage the situation. A few minutes after this the message from the captain ceased, even while the dark army continued their relentless assault. Something didn’t feel right.

Swallowing a small hiccup, Scootaloo finally found the captain's quarters and banged the door open with one massive push.

“Captain!”

She looked around and spotted the captain’s chair, turned around facing the battle. Scootaloo gulped and quickly ran over.

“Orders capt--” She started and then promptly screamed. There, sitting in the captain's chair was none other than a large pegasus stallion in army garbs with a massive knife sticking out the center of his chest. Blood pooled around the wound and it was very clear that he was very much dead.

She backed up and quickly tripped over something on the ground. Glancing over she spotted a massive microphone that their captain had no doubt been using minutes ago.

“This is it… we’re all doomed,” she said in defeat.

She considered her options with suicide being the primary one. The captain clearly saw what they hadn’t a moment ago. They were all doomed and it was better to end their lives now then become some mind-controlled slave or worse. Still, there was something deep within her that refused to give up. She knew it was downright stupid, but the weird feeling was a part of her. She couldn’t just give up. So, she sighed and brought up the microphone to her muzzle.

“att-- “ she started but quickly cleared her throat so she could speak louder. “ATTENTION ALL SHINING PHOENIX CREW MEMBERS. THIS IS SCOOTALOO, UH, ACTING CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP. THE CAPTAIN IS DEAD. ALL MEMBERS ARE TO ABANDON SHIP IMMEDIATELY. I REPEAT: ALL CREW MEMBERS ARE TO ABANDON SHIP!”

With that said and done, she turned to the main controls. The entire thing looked vastly alien to her. With large knobs, levers, buttons, lights and tons and tons of other little contraptions, she couldn’t even begin to fathom their purpose. But she didn’t need to know anything about how to fly a ship in order to use a steering wheel. There was one massive one with some speed controls right next to it. She smiled.

“Gotta be the dumbest thing I’ve tried yet,” she said while surveying the battle. Off in the distance, she could see a massive airship with tons and tons of brainwashed Nightmare Guards swarming about. The Shining Dreadnought was absolutely no match for it in a one on one battle, let alone with a ship that was missing half of their crew or more. But a battle wasn’t part of her plan; she doubted even a quarter of their canons were ready and loaded anyway. No, she had something much bigger in mind.

She reached for the steering wheel and turned it gently to the right, aiming the ship straight for the Nightmare Vessel. With a loud moan, she could hear the Shining ship creak and churn to life while its engines tried to keep up with its new captain's commands. With that set in motion, she closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer that her plan would work.

“WHAT’S THIS?! YOU DARE DEFY OUR GREAT QUEEN! WITH THAT PITIFUL VESSEL THAT YOU CALL AN AIRSHIP. YOU WILL DIE FOR YOUR MISDEEDS! ALL OF YOU WILL DIE!”

Scootaloo then quickly cracked her eyes open and promptly bucked the speed control forward as far as the lever would go. Cranking it from slow all the way to maximum speed. Almost instantly lights started whirling and warnings sirens began to blaze from the main controls, warning its captain that the engines would likely burn out in due time.

But Scootaloo didn’t care. The engines didn’t need to last anyway.

The filly watched as the dark vessel got closer and closer. The nightmare soldiers paid her passing interest, that was until they noticed just what their captain was up to. The Shining Dreadnaught was aiming right for them at a blazing speed, and it wasn’t stopping for anything.

“WHAT IS THIS! SOLDIERS! BLAST THAT THING OUT OF THE SKY! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! KILL THEM ALL! DESTROY IT BEFORE-- OOF”

Finally, the engines on the Shining ship ceased movement forever. The two ships collided with the Shining Dreadnought going at near breakneck speeds. Thankfully Scootaloo had been prepared and held onto a bolted down chair. She felt the ship moan and creek and saw explosion after explosion detonate on the nightmare ship’s main deck. The windows to the captain’s quarters broke under pressure and that’s when she made her final move. She extended her wings and swiftly jumped through the new opening before flying downward toward a random ravine that she could spot. The smells of dirty metal and burning ash quickly gave way to fresh open nature.

Within minutes she had landed into a deep and dark canyon. She looked up and saw both ships falling out of the sky with burning flames and pegasus ponies falling out of the sky. One thing began to haunt her thoughts, though. 

Not everypony on board had been a pegasus.





Diamond slowly shut the book for the final time. 

She was seated on a public bench just outside of Sugarcube Corner. She had promised the Cakes she would head straight home, after refusing an escort from one of them. But after reading that, how could she even think about home?!

She finished the book from front to back, all the while feeling quite ill. Everything she had read gone beyond the realm of possibility and seemed completely unnatural. Her home was the opposite of harmony but somehow worse than simple chaos.

She had made fun of others before, cracked jokes, bossed others around and could at least admit to herself, if not out loud, that she could often be downright short with adults. Maybe even rude. But at that moment all she could feel was pity.

The loss of one's parents was never a laughing matter. Diamond had the good sense to at least never go that far when poking fun at others. She wasn't some crazy monster. 

Even if I sometimes feel that way… she thought with a little sigh.

But to lose everything? Not just your guardians but your town, your sun and everything else that you hold near and dear. And then, just to survive, you had to keep living in some nightmare place that just kept getting worse and worse.

What did one say to something like that?

“I'm sorry,” she said rather lamely. 

No, sorry would never cut it. No amount of apologies or talking or even hugs or gifts would likely ever make Phoenix feel better about what she had to live through. 

It was then that another thought occurred to her.

Did she tell anypony else about all of this…?

She very much doubted it. Why would anypony tell others that they had gone so far as to kill somepony? She'd be outed as some freak. Even in self-defense, murder was pretty much unheard of in Equestria.

How Diamond felt about the whole ordeal was tough to say. It really sounded like Phoenix had no choice in the matter. Kill or be killed.

I could never do that… Diamond thought with an inward shudder. Killing was just wrong down to what made ponies what they were. I'm really glad Nightmare Moon was stopped. I wouldn't have survived her… world. However, it works. Diamond lacked the proper words and terms for how Phoenix's plane of existence should be described.

At that point, Diamond was exhausted. She was no closer to finding Phoenix and now she felt super guilty to boot. A mixture of sadness and pity continued to bubble around in her head. She rubbed her hoof on the journal and considered her options.

The proper thing to do, she figured, was to turn the thing into Miss Cheerilee and let all the grownups handle it. It was definitely a tantalizing option and made the most sense.

But Phoenix didn't want others to know. This is her secret, it’s her right to keep quiet.

Diamond was a lot of things, but would never out somepony like that.

Not again anyway.

The pink filly shuddered and sighed to herself. "I should just head back and forget the dum-- the book."

It's not a stupid book. It's her sad life story. Or a horror story, she thought with a shudder. Diamond wasn’t sure which one was worse.

Her mind made up, Diamond turned up to leave when she felt something poke her shoulder.

She whirled around and spotted a strange-looking stallion decked out in what could only be described as royal armor poking her shoulder.

"I'm sorry to bother you young miss, but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."
> Chapter Eleven: Visiting Zecora
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix trudged through the forest and stopped to glance at her surroundings. After living in The Dread Timbers for so long she felt right at home. In fact, The Everfree seemed a damn sight safer.

“Hope I’m going the right way.”

The main path had quickly split off into other pathways. While that would easily confuse other children her age, Phoenix had learned a few things about wild forests. Carefully, the filly patted the ground in several places, making sure not to disturb the dirt too badly. After a few moments of this, she finally hit pay dirt. A carefully concealed hoof print, or what was left of one, was what she found deeply embedded into the dirt. After a few more pats up ahead, she found a few more and quickly smiled.

“Glad this is good for something,” she murmured. It hadn’t exactly come in handy on missions given that most of the false Queen’s army were pegasi.

As she walked, she noted how much brighter it was getting and far more open. She wasn’t exactly sure if that meant anything good, but it seemed far safer so she went with it. She took a few more steps and gasped, doubling over in pain. Her vision blurred and she could sense her heart racing, almost spiraling out of control as it sped up higher and higher. Phoenix fell over to her side, moaning in pain that never seemed to waver.

“W- what is this?!”

Pain radiated through her body while her heart continued to race. It was as if she was stuck in a perpetual state of fight or flight. She tried to call out for help, but her voice felt hoarse and her throat very dry. Just before she passed out, she saw a cloaked figure enter her vision, and then all was black.





Discord sighed. Something was not right. He loved having tea with Fluttershy and didn't even particularly mind the one-sided conversations with the little devil ironically called Angel, but something was just not quite right.

“Um, more tea?” Fluttershy asked.

“Hmm?” he mumbled while said tea seemed to be floating in midair all around him with random splashes of liquid bubbles appearing and reappearing at random.

Despite the bizarre sight, Fluttershy didn’t blink an eye and continued staring at her friend, waiting for a reply.

“Uh, the tea?” she tried again and he nodded without thinking.

“Oh sorry, Fluttershy. You were saying something about noodles?”

The mare blinked and blinked again then she giggled. “No, you silly. I was wondering if you wanted more tea, but I think the tea decided for you…”

"Oh, yes, it often does that around these parts," he mentioned with a quiet yawn.

“Uh, s- sure,” she replied a tad nervously.

Finally, Discord groaned and leaned his head on the floating table as the piece of furniture started to take him for a swift ride around the endless void dimension that Discord often took the two to.

“Sorry Fluttershy, there’s just something I can’t quite place on my mind. Something… strange.”

Fluttershy’s head followed his body as he twirled around mid-flight. “Strange? Isn’t that a good thing for you?”

“That’s just it! No! It’s not a chaotic strange or a fun strange it’s a… sad one. A really sad one. I can sense it in my claws… in my bones,” he started and his body literally ripped itself into pieces while bones of Discord began to float in random directions.

“Ugh, and I don’t know what it is! It’s like I can smell it, right under my nose!”

At this, Fluttershy started shaking as she struggled to look away. “Pleas- please don’t do that…” she whispered rather angrily.

Discord froze mid float and sighed again before snapping his body back together. “Oh, you’re no fun!”

The mare fluttered into the air and turned away from him before making a small whimpering noise. “I can be very fun, thank you. And I’m sorry that your, um, chaos is on the fritz but--”

“Hold on a moment! You stop speaking right there!” he bellowed loudly. “My magic is working just fine, thank you! Hay, I’d teleport to the moon and back without breaking a sweat!”

As if to show off his ridiculous-sounding boast, Discord snapped his talons and disappeared only to reemerge a moment later carrying what could only be described as celestial moon rocks. He dumped them on the floor and waved his arms in their general direction while staring at Fluttershy squarely in the eye.

“See?”

“Discord! There’s no need to show off and get all dramatic. Just relax; I mean if you’re feeling fine and can still cast magic, then what’s wrong? Everything seems perfectly fine to me, you know.”

Discord blinked and stared at her for a moment that seemed frozen in time. He did this for so long that Fluttershy started to back up in fear.

“It’s you… it’s on you!”

“What?! What is?!” she recoiled and started looking all over her body for splotches or signs of something out of the ordinary.

Discord chuckled. "I mean," he started and reached out to feel her fur. "I can feel it on you… the sadness…"

He trailed off and waited for her to respond, but all she did was shrug.

"And that's it… Fluttershy, dear, just what have you and that daredevil purple-haired child been up to?"

She blinked and squinted her eyes at him. "Discord! Have you been spying on me?!"

The chaos being snorted. "Perish the thought, but I can assure you I have not been. I can feel her… essence on you. Her very soul, the thing that makes the pegasus whole. Her magical signature. I can sense it all."

"That's not very, um, chaotic sounding. Are you feeling okay?"

He blinked and slowly shook his head. "Forgive me, I've just not felt chaos like this in a very, very long time. I… oh drat, fine. I hate being nice, you know that, right?"

"Who you, never! I… okay maybe you could stand to be a tad kinder to others."

He nodded and took a rather serious pose. "Fine. Tell me, Fluttershy, just what has gotten that child into such a depressive rut? I'm not even sure old Sunbutt felt this sour when her sister left. And, yes, I felt that one too," he stated rather seriously.

For a while, she said nothing while Discord felt uncharacteristically calm.

She blinked and sighed. "I'm not sure… if it's my place to say. If you really care--"

"I do!" He bellowed.

She gave a hesitant smile and nodded. "Then I think you should ask her yourself."

He groaned and summoned up a wood-crafted table to smack his head down on. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Um, though her situation is a tad more complicated than you're thinking…"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Hmm?"





“I see you’re finally awake, 
though I’m sure you’ve quite the headache.”

Phoenix moaned and blinked a few times. She glanced around and found that the familiar-sounding voice was quite right. She was growing very tired of them but quite used to the annoying things as well.

“Gee, what gave it away?” Phoenix mumbled without thinking.

The figure, who was slowly coming into focus tilted its head. 

“I fail to see what sarcasm will net you,
 now please drink this stew 
for you are quite overdue.”

Before she could even comprehend her current predicament, Phoenix felt a wooden spoon had been shoved into her mouth. She blinked and slowly swallowed its contents. Tastes minty?

“I’m also glad to see that you’re well enough to eat, 
but please you must tell me, what has got you beat? 
I’ve never seen one of you three in this condition,” the Zebra commented while poking and prodding over Phoenix’s body. 

“Or is this a wrongful supposition?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

Phoenix continued to eat the stew, mainly because she was hungry and figured any food was better than none. As she did, the zebra’s words started to make more sense. “Us three… oh. Um, right.”

The zebra shook her head and sighed. 

“Your overall condition
means you should probably see a physician. 
Your wings are torn,
and are severely worn.
But not by some beast or some simple mistake,
I had to do a double-take!”

Phoenix slowly nodded and continued on her stew. She couldn’t think of anything to say and doubted that lying would do much anyway. It was a knife wound, and she could clearly see that Zecora saw right through it.

"Scootaloo, what has troubled you so,
explain this so that I may know."

Phoenix swallowed and sighed herself. “I’m not Scootaloo, Zecora. I mean, I sort am… just not here. Uh, you are Zecora right?”

With narrowed eyes and a defensive stance, the zebra backed up and stiffly nodded. 

“Is this a prank or a joke? 
Or are you a changeling under cloak?!”

Phoenix’s eyes bulged out of her sockets. “No! It’s just… um. It would take a while to explain.”

The zebra nodded and took a seat.

"If it's the truth you bring,
then, please, explain the whole thing."

“Truth…” Phoenix trailed off and looked rather downcast. She hadn’t been truthful with anypony and for very good reason. Hesitantly she glanced back at Zecora and gulped.

Zecora shook her head. 
"Perhaps you're not so wise,
a full explanation I would advise.
You're hurt and in pain so please,
the truth so I can be at ease."

Phoenix sighed again. Then she looked Zecora straight in the eyes and hesitantly smiled. “If I tell you, will you help me with something?” she asked with a hopeful gaze. The zebra scoffed.

“Only a fool would agree to something,
of which they know nothing.”

Phoenix nodded and looked over to her bag and rummaged around in it. After a few moments, she placed a wooden canister down on the floor, next to her makeshift bed. She then motioned to it while Zecora looked on curiously.

“I need you to make more of these for me.”

“A most peculiar request,
but are you sure this would be for the best?”

Phoenix shrugged and went back to eating. “That or if you got a cure for crazy magical sickness and headaches. Uh, and insomnia,” she added after taking another bite.

“And what sickness would this be?
Tell me so I may set you free.”

“I don’t know, okay! They injected me with this weird stuff and I just wanted to survive so badly and it hurts so much. I can’t stop getting headaches and… and worse.”

Phoenix shuddered and looked away while Zecora seemed to pat her on the shoulder. She shuddered from the touch but didn’t push her away.

"You're not making any sense,
your story please and try to condense."

Phoenix chewed the inside of her lip while she thought it over. Zecora’s stare did not waver which sort of unnerved her. “I… guess I’ll tell you everything. I owe you that much.”

Zecora raised her eyebrow and slowly shook her head.

“Uh, well I guess it wasn’t you who did it. I keep forgetting that…”

“The more you speak the stranger you seem,
it's almost like you're describing a dream."

Or a nightmare... Phoenix thought.

“Yeah, I know,” she said and scratched her head. “To tell you the truth, I don’t really understand it all that much. I mean, it’s sort of crazy.”

“Just explain to me what you can,
after we can piece together a plan.”

She nodded and started to explain.





“...As you can see by our projections the upcoming bill regarding imports will increase the crown profits by roughly two percent a quarter which will allow us greater control in maintaining Equestrian controlled counties.”

Princess Luna pretended to care with a quiet nod. “Go on.”

“Well, that’s basically it. All the data you would need to see is laid out on your desk, your majesty. As requested.”

The princess blinked and smiled. “I see. I do appreciate you going through my new procedures, I understand it may have caused a bit of a… oh what’s it called again?”

“A ruckus, y- your majesty?”

“Precisely!” she exclaimed with a smile. “Er, yes that. Though, We see no reason to cloak such bills with fancy layered writings,” she responded. Her magical aura had enveloped the provided scroll while she skimmed through it line by line.

The tall unicorn stallion before her shrugged. “It’s standard procedure to ensure every bill is thoroughly edited, and er, concise.”

She eyed him with a twitching eye. The scroll had rolled off her desk and hit the wall before it was even halfway read. “This is concise?”

“Heh, compared to what was a standard practice only a few years ago? Yes. I am well aware that legal drafts are not always the easiest of reads. But each paragraph and law must abide by every other law it interacts with. Uh, your majesty.”

She flipped through it some more but had to stop. There was no way in Celestia’s great beard that she was going to understand even a fourth of what was written. And that’s what bothered her. Sighing, she addressed him once more.

“We will review this with…” she trailed off and shook her head. “I will review this with my sis--”

She saw him raise an eyebrow at the wording and she sighed again. “Forgive me. This will be reviewed with the proper channels with Princess Celestia, myself, and Princess Cadance present. Is that agreeable?”

The stallion bowed and nodded. “Yes, thank you, Princess Luna.”

“Right, then our business for now is concluded. We bid- I bid you farewell.”
A few moments later another bow and the stallion left, leaving Luna to her thoughts. “You may come out now, sister.”

With a quiet giggle, Princess Celestia, bearer of the sun revealed herself hiding just behind a massive tapestry. “Forgive me, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Princess Luna examined her elder sister with a degree of curiosity. Her usual eternal mane was not blowing in a nonexistent wind, as it usually did. She almost seemed casual.

“I would have forgiven you if you had! It would have helped…” she exclaimed, mumbling the last part with a sigh. “I am not fit to monitor laws and oversee ponies in the day and you know this!”

Luna felt her anger reach the tipping point. She clenched her teeth and scowled at her sister.

“LuLu, I’ve explained to you many times before: this is our duty. This is your right, as a princess.”

The lunar sister sighed and looked away. “It was, once. I just don’t see--”

Celestia spread her wings and flew high into the air before landing just at Luna’s hooves. She watched her elder sister shake her head and sigh herself. “It is now and has always been. I trust you, Luna. All of Equestria does too. Please, don’t belittle yourself. You deserve so much more.”

And without warning, Celestia walked up and nuzzled Luna’s mane. A warm and comforting feeling overcame her, but only for a moment.

“Now, I wanted to discuss Twilight’s little problem. Any progress?”

“Ah. Funny you call it little. But as a matter of fact, yes.”

Celestia smiled. “I knew you could do it! I--”

“It’s not what you think, Tia. This… this little one is not shielded by dark magic or some unknown force. She did this willingly.”

Celestia blinked. “I don’t understand.”

“A dream catcher, sister. This Phoenix wishes to be left alone while she sleeps. She shields herself from her dreams. Or possible nightmares. I cannot in good conscious break that just because I possess the ability to. It wouldn’t be right.”

She watched Celestia look at the ground as if she were searching for something. “Luna, that is perhaps the most thoughtful thing you have ever said.”

Luna tilted her head in confusion. “I suppose. Still, this begs the question. Why go through so much trouble. Last I checked a real Dream Catcher with magical weave is only constructed by the Zebras. It would take considerable effort, or money to obtain one.”

Celestia nodded. “It would. Dreams and their realms are your business and skill. Why do you think she’s done this? If we can’t… betray her privacy, we can at least grasp for clues.”

Luna nodded. “You want my honest opinion, sister?”

Celestia met her eye and gave a kind nod. “Always.”

“She has likely been haunted or traumatized by a severe or catastrophic event. Twi-- Princess Twilight claims those mirrors could lead anywhere.”

“Most certainly.”

“She has also explained her theory on these multiple outcome possibilities, extensively. If we assume anything is possible, then it is very probable that young Phoenix has been through pain. Intense pain. Based on your pupils’ reports and everything we know of the young filly, even if it isn’t much, I can only conclude that her past circumstances revolved around something extremely traumatic.”

Celestia looked away in shame. “That is quite disturbing, Lulu. But I must concur. There would be no other reason to use such a device if not to indulge in some peaceful rest. But still, so many questions and no matter what they try, she remains a closed book. So guarded and so frightened. Simply remarkable.”

Luna shook her head and eyed the unfurled scroll in her magical aura. “Indeed. But, tell me, what do you think will become of her? After all, her situation is far from ordinary.”

Celestia still had a downcast look on her face and Luna noted that her magical mane leaked any presence of the word. It usually spelled bad news, or in Celestia’s case, sour emotions. “That really depends.”

Luna waited patiently, but all Celestia did was stare out into the void.

“I should have never messed with that mirror, dear Luna. Nothing good has come of it.”

Luna smiled, feeling slightly mischievous. “It’s from my understanding that three very curious little fillies messed with said mirror, dear sister.”

The solar princess gave her an annoyed look and shook her head. “You know what I mean.”

Luna snorted. “Oh please. Even if you hadn’t, that would simply mean young Phoenix would have appeared somewhere else. Probably somewhere far more dangerous.”

“A fair point.”

Luna inspected her sister while the other princess stared off in thought. “What is troubling you? Your mane, it does not scream the dear sister that I know.”

Celestia took a seat on the floor, something not normally seen from the two. From Luna’s perspective, she seemed to be searching for something that wasn’t there as her eyes looked all around.

“I thought, for the longest time, that I was in control of things. I have dedicated my whole being, my life, to practicing magic and exploring our world. But after hearing of Twilight’s journey involving young Starlight Glimmer and after Phoenix, I’m just not so sure anymore.”

Luna shook her head. “You’re being cryptic, elaborate.”

The sun princess sighed. “I am saying that I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of this plane, of our world. And if Twilight is to be believed, there are other worlds out there. And then it all comes back to Starlight, she is so talented and so powerful. But that power is far from stable, she is far from stable. I know it’s rude of me to say, but that is my conclusion so far,” she quickly added at the end. “And it’s taken me this long to realize that we really know nothing, Luna.”

“Does that not make it exciting? Exploration has always been an interest of yours if I’m not mistaken.”

Celestia smiled, though she seemed far from happy. “Not if it means endangering my little ponies.”

“Are Phoenix and Glimmer not your little ponies?”

“I… it would not be fair to declare a stranger as my own. She is not from here, after all.”

A small bit of anger swelled in Luna, but she quickly squashed it. She would later note that she neglected to mention Glimmer again. “If she is truly stuck here, then I’m afraid you might not have a choice,” Luna said and then smirked at her. “Given she isn’t even a citizen here, it would make for a rather awkward solution.”

Celestia blinked and then her eyes quickly widened. “Are you saying--”

“That you would have to perform a very special ceremony for her.” Luna then took a seat to join her sister. “One that can only be performed by the solar princess, Tia.”

“That would be up to her, of course. I can’t force her to become one of my little ponies against her will.”

“Of course.”

“Getting back on topic,” Celestia said with just a small hint of irritation, “I am worried, Luna. And for the first time in a long while, I am unable to think of a strategy. Phoenix and Starlight complicate things, but it’s not so much them that I worry about… it’s what they represent.”

“Oh?”

“Mystery, dear Luna. I do not like being out of the loop, especially when we don’t know just how far the extent of our ignorance is.”
> Chapter Twelve: Luna's Assessment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took Phoenix around an hour to explain everything.

“From what knowledge I have acquired,
none of these events should have transpired.”

The filly slurped up what remained of her stew and shrugged. “Yeah, well, life sucks and then you die.”

“Your pessimism clouds your judgment,
your attitude is in need of adjustment.
And the story you weave
Is very hard to conceive!”

Zecora finished her strange rhyming by smashing her hooves on the table that Phoenix had been using. The filly snorted. “I didn’t think that seeing a sunrise was ever, um, conceivable. I also didn’t think seeing… well, I guess not my parents, but I didn’t think I would ever see them again.”

Zecora shook her head.

“You talk of a world ruled by the Dark Queen,
and yet your attitude is obscene!
You have bruises and doom laced over your body,
and yet your self-treatment is shoddy!
Scootaloo, I asked to explain your tale,
but your proof and your explanations lack detail!”

Phoenix narrowed her eyes and met Zecora’s. “Have you listened to a word I’ve said?”

“You have spun quite the story,
that leaves me nothing but worry.
You truly think this is all fact,
but I can’t be sure if your mind is intact.”

Phoenix narrowed her eyes and snorted. “You’re calling me crazy?!”

“That is not what I said,
though your heart is filled with dread,
You are lacking in sleep, quite clear from the red lines in your eyes,
but until you drop your guise I cannot be certain of the truth spun from some of your lies.”

“But I didn--”

Zecora interrupted before she could continue.

“Do not mistake my conclusion for thinking you are lying,
I can see quite clearly that you were trying,
but in your effort to condense,
your explanation makes no sense.”

“...I explained what I could!” Phoenix shot back. Anger soured through her. She doesn’t even believe me? What does she want, my whole life story from birth to now?!

“Perhaps a good night's rest will do you some good,
you can try again in the morning when you are better understood.
Your heart was not in it as you tried to explain,
it seemed to take a lot out of you just to maintain.
But your mind is quite closed,
you need to leave things more exposed.”

Phoenix groaned. “Are you even gonna help? Do you even believe me?!”

Zecora started walking away, not bothering to glance back.

“Help is my intention,
tomorrow you will have my undivided attention.
I will start working on your potion,
and will set things in motion.”

She felt like fleeing and the more she thought about it, the better the idea seemed. But she said she would help with a potion… at least I got something out of this.

She was going to snuggle into her chair when she paused and looked back at the strange zebra. “Don’t you want payment or something?”

“It is in my best interest to help others,
I’ve got you covered.”

“Why?”

“I do not have time to explain,
now please rest or my efforts here will be in vain.”

“Hmm, don’t have to tell me twice,” she mumbled. The chair she was on was twice her size and was easily the most comfortable “bed” she had slept on in a while. Everything about Zecora’s hut was strange, but looking up and seeing the night’s sky and Luna’s stars did at least make things feel more at home. Even if that home was a nightmare, it was what she was used to.

Sighing and yawning, she gently shut her eyes. Sleep took her quite easily.





“Tia, I sense her,” Luna mumbled. She could sense her own eyes glazing over as the eternal realm became open to her. Something in the dream world was calling for her, something quite familiar.

“How? What about her dream catcher?”

Luna shrugged. “Your lack of dream knowledge is astounding,” Luna said with a giggle.

Celestia looked shocked and then surprised her by smiling. “Was that a jest?!”

“...Maybe. But seeing as you’re still confused, allow me to elaborate. Ponies and indeed all living creatures need to dream at some point. Even if they aren’t consciously aware of them or indeed remember them, dreams are necessary.”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated, but rest assured without proper sleep and the state of dreaming, a pony's stability will quickly falter. Apparently, Phoenix is aware of this. That is my best guess, anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Luna went to leave but felt a gentle tug on her tail. “Sister, I request you do not make contact with her, regardless of her need. Do not engage with her in her dreams, only observe.”

The lunar princess smiled. “I’m afraid you do not hold control over dreams, dear sister,” she responded as Celestia frowned. “But I will take it into consideration.”





Diving into the mind of the strange filly was relatively simple enough. “She has quite a few more defenses than the average pony; this doesn’t bode well for her mental well being.” She looked around and noted how dark and dreary everything seemed. “Then again, it’s the same for Starlight I suppose.”

Glancing around, she took note of the similar landscape to Ponyville with small sprawling hills and various thatched-roof buildings, but the similarities ended there. War ravaged was the simplest term she could muster, with very few structures still standing. Trees had been burned and grass had whittled away to dust. Most disturbing of all, a mass assortment of shallow graves had been haphazardly set up off in the distance. Just why a filly of all ponies would dream up such a desolate nightmare was still beyond Luna, but she kept digging.

She considered taking flight, but alerting Phoenix to her presence was ill-advised. Shaking that thought aside, she trudged forward and started looking around for any clues. After a few hills, she could sense that a presence was nearing. Bracing herself she charged forward rather quietly, only to deflate almost immediately. The sight before her was as disturbing as it was simple.

The dream, or the focus of the dream, seemed to be nothing but two houses perched side by side. Standing in front of them was none other than Phoenix, but if she noticed the princess, she didn’t budge. The scene also seemed quite a deal more disturbing than their surroundings.

The house on the right was nearly all burnt to ashes, with a few standing walls left. There wasn’t much detail to describe because almost nothing remained. Next to it was a vaguely familiar sight, one that, if she wasn’t mistaken, she had visited in a young filly’s dream.

Scootaloo’s dream. That’s her home, she thought. But rather than looking grey and dull, it exhumed a vibrant coloration that seemed extremely out of place. Everything seemed so alive and inviting, even the princess herself felt like going in, but she held her wishes at bay.

Focus, she told her dream self. You are here for her.

It was then that Luna noticed that the lively house wasn’t exactly static. No. peering just inside, she could hear and indeed see several ponies in the midst of a party, if she wasn’t mistaken. It didn’t take long for the princess to piece together just what was happening. Phoenix was peering into her current reality, to Scootaloo’s happy and cheerful existence.

But if that’s Scootaloo’s home, then what of the rest of this place? What happened here?

She felt tempted to speak up but doubted that Phoenix was in the talking mood. Whether she realized she was dreaming or not likely didn’t even matter. Speculation was likely all she was going to get and if she were a betting mare, she would place good odds, and this Ponyville being Phoenix’s true home.

Of course, that’s not always the case, but it certainly feels like her home. I could sense it in her soul.

But perhaps the greatest tell was Phoenix’s color palette rendered in the dream realm: it was dull and grey.

Princess Luna watched the scene unfold and listened to a giggling filly inside, Scootaloo if she wasn’t mistaken, having a grand old time with her family and friends. But that’s what was so disturbing. There wasn’t some scary monster trying to frighten Phoenix or some silly fear that constantly gnawed at her. Luna saw no boogie mares or phobias made true to scare her to tears. There was nopony chasing the filly and nopony attempting to harm her. She sensed nopony in the darkness and nopony readying to pounce. In fact, if Luna didn’t know any better, Phoenix was likely not fearful of much. A rarity for a filly her age.

The dull grey filly wasn’t attempting to resist some evil monster or showing up at school while wearing embarrassing attire. She wasn’t morning over a lost loved one or even doing much of anything. Phoenix looked as though whatever nightmare she resided in, she had accepted it. At peace with the crazed dream appreciation.

Swallowing her fear, Luna reached out with her magic and sensed a maddening fear grip the filly. A loop that continued to grind at her inner soul. Haunting her, tormenting her beyond rational thought. It wasn’t just an ordinary nightmare, this was her nightmare. This was how Phoenix truly felt about reality. Hopeless and without a trace of happiness.

And it had to stop.

Among the growing laughter and playful antics of her counterpart in the colorful house, Luna bellowed. 

“Enough!”

The world around them cracked at the seams, and Scootaloo’s cheerful home quickly dissolved into what it truly was, a vision and nothing more. Its three-dimensional shape flopped in on itself until it was but a shadow of its former self, a flat image of something that didn’t truly exist. It left Luna and Phoenix staring at one another with nothing else to distract them.

For once, the princess of dreams felt at a severe disadvantage. The filly did not look at her with awe or comfort and she didn’t see Luna as her personal savior. She looked angry and beyond words.

“What are you doing here!”

Luna tilted her head in curiosity. “I have come to ease your pain, young one.”

“You…” the filly trailed off and shocked Luna by pounding her hooves into the ground. “You have no right being in my head!”

The filly’s mind was already hard at work trying to weed her out. She could sense anger coursing through everywhere and the dream realm was ready to crack at any moment, which would mean Phoenix would wake up.

“Oh? I must admit, I’ve never had that kind of reaction before. But it is my duty to protect my subjects both asleep and awake.”

Phoenix shook her head and snorted. “I’m not your subject.”

Stubborn, quite stubborn, Luna thought. 

“I suppose not. But was I wrong to assume you were in pain just moments ago?”

Closing her eyes, the stubborn little filly looked away and shrugged. “That’s not any of your business. I want you to leave.”

“Quite curious that you’ve already deduced that this is a dream. You really are different from Scootaloo. Though her troubles are vastly different.”

Without warning the world around them shifted and changed. The sprawling hills and dead environments vanished and were swiftly replaced with the deep bowels of a strange vehicle. An airship, if she wasn’t mistaken.

Both Phoenix and herself stood off to the side as a vision of a younger Phoenix stood in the middle, talking to a few stallions.

“Scootaloo is it? My name is Arrow and I’ve been instructed to explain the procedure to you, at least the risks of it. There are several, though I’ve no doubt our doctors will explain further.”

Luna watched in fascination, ignoring Phoenix who was no doubt scowling in her direction.
“Hmm, I was told this could help me fly?”

Arrow nodded. “It will do much more than that. Given enough time, your body will adapt to the serum and your strength will increase, you’ll have a quicker response time in battle and a tad bit more adrenaline when needed.”

Scootaloo backed away a bit. “You mean a- anger?” she asked fearfully.

“Anger can be quite the shield when needed, young filly. It will be just one of the side effects of this drug, but there are others. A detailed list can be provided for you, but am I wrong in assuming that I’ve piqued your interest?”

“Huh?”

The stallion chuckled. “I’m asking, do you still want the serum?”

Luna watched the younger filly chew the inside of her lip, no doubt fearful of the strange situation.

“Where does it come from? Who made it?”

Arrow snorted. “That is top secret information. Why you’re lucky we’re even speaking with you about it.”

“You expect me to just trust you on this with no info?”

The stallion stomped his hooves on the rusty floor. “You’re a soldier in our army, young filly. Maybe a young one, but I expect every bit of cooperation from you as I do any soldier! And if you even think of demanding anything from me after what we’re doing for--”

“Enough! Arrow, cool your jets and let me speak to her.”

Everypony glanced over at a strange-looking mare, a unicorn decked out in military garbs. Her horn was clearly detached from her skull and her coat and mane were dirtied and stained.

“What?! But, commander we--”

“Dismissed, Arrow.”

The scene suddenly shifted and changed again. They were eventually drawn into the commander’s private quarters, but curiously they were also not alone. Standing behind the strange commander unicorn was none other than Princess Cadance whose outward appearance had clearly seen better days.

“Scootaloo, I am Commander Amber Night. It is a pleasure to meet you, young one.”

Scootaloo seemed to fidget some but nodded. “Uh, s- same.”

“I and Princess Cadance wish to interview you over the proposed injection of the serum.”

“Um, not to be rude or anything, but I don’t think I want it anymore. T- thanks.”

“Why ever not?” Candance asked in a calm manner. “You seemed very sure of yourself earlier.”

“I- I was taught not to trust things on promises alone. I- if you won’t even tell me where it comes from, then why should I listen?”

The commander and the princess shared a glance with the former nodding.

“A fair point. Under our laws, I shall need a promise that everything we discuss in this room will never be shared with anypony else, under threat of punishment. P- possible execution, is that clear?”

“Crystal,” she replied without thinking.

“The serum comes from myself,” Cadance responded with a slight smile. “My blood to be more specific.”

“Uh, that’s really weird,” Scootaloo said, her voice squeaking nervously.

“I understand your hesitation. But rest assured the procedure is considered safe.”

“But the side effects?”

Princess Cadance sighed and looked down in apparent shame. “They are numerous, but compared to the non-stop onslaught of the false queen’s army, I would consider the benefit a shining beacon in the night. We leave the choice up to you, but I fail to see what denying this serum will gain you in these dark times.”

The scene changed again to the airship’s main bridge. A very disturbing sight of a now-dead stallion sat in what she presumed to be the captain’s chair. His fresh knife wound was bleeding. Luna could barely comprehend that when the Scootaloo vision finished some sort of speech over the intercom, urging everypony to abandon ship. Again, Phoenix said nothing. With the final command of the now acting captain declared, Luna watched as Scootaloo jammed the controls into high gear and jumped out of the window after the deafening crash.

The scene changed one last time to the desolate and abandoned town of Ponyville, with Luna and Phoenix staring one another down.

“Get out of my dream!”

“I’ve dealt with millions of dreams in my time. Countless nightmares, but none so vivid as that. None so disturbing for somepony so young.”

Tears falling down the filly’s eyes, she screamed again. “I said get out!”

“No. I shall not.”

“Yo- y- YOU BITCH! GET OUT!”

“...” 

Luna felt speechless. If there were any doubt that something was wrong with the filly’s past, the statement made it perfectly clear.

Finally, the filly broke down in tears. Her anger quickly vanished. “J- just leave me alone. It’s your fault. It’s all your fault…”

“I see. My affliction has only caused suffering, in this world and the next.”

Phoenix screamed, and the dream threatened to break.

The once stoic looking filly was at her hooves, crying her eyes out. Princess Luna could feel the fear all around her, with a singular focus. Herself. She wasn’t just angry with herself, she was downright petrified.

“I know what I must do now. If you truly feel this deeply, then I cannot leave you like this. It would be unwise.”

The filly continued to pant and breath, a clear sign of a mild anxiety attack. No doubt brought on by her presence.

“You really wish for me to leave? Would that help you calm down?”

The crying filly wiped her eyes and looked away. “Just leave,” she mumbled.

“Very well. But when you wake I need you to visit Twilight Sparkle. She will have something for you. Something to protect you. Something you desperately need.”

Scootaloo went to speak again, but Luna held up her hoof. “I know you don’t trust me and for you trust is a rarity. I can sense that in your very soul and I can sense that trust for you has very rarely panned out well. I understand. But you must believe that I have your best intentions at heart. You must trust this, Phoenix!”

The crying, shaking filly looked away. She seemed deep in thought, but it didn’t take her long to respond. “And what if I don’t? What if I never trust you!”

“Then it will only harm you in the end. But as you’ve said, you are not one of my subjects. I can’t force you to take it. But I implore you to.”

Luna had never sensed so much hostility toward her in nearly a thousand years. She was also beginning to suspect just what had gone wrong in Phoenix’s world and it frightened her.

Phoenix gave a stiff nod and pointed up toward the moon. “Fine, just leave now!”

Luna bowed before the filly and nodded. “As you wish.”

The dream broke apart after that at a nearly impossible rate. Princess Luna blinked herself awake and looked around. It was still night out and she was resting in her private quarters. “I better see my sister.”





Phoenix gasped and shot straight up. She felt around her body and sensed a healthy amount of sweat and grime, she felt disgusting. “C-crazy princess. Dammit! My head hurts so bad…” she said, surprising herself by giving out a painful whimper.

She laid back on her makeshift bed and glanced around. It wasn’t even bright out, but she could sense that Zecora had left her hut. She sighed and went to stand but her hooves felt achy and her exhaustion was very apparent. “Am I ever gonna get a good night’s sleep,” she mumbled and then hastily lept back into her couch bed.

After a few minutes of yawning and trying to think, everything from the dream came back to her. Just the very thought of it all made her shudder in fear. She gulped and glanced over at Zecora’s giant bubbling pot, her eyes incredibly unfocused. She felt tired, probably too tired. She blinked and gasped, backing up in fear.

Clear as day she could see Rumble, just standing there, looking at her. The spunky little pegasus with the grey coat and blueish yet grey looking mane was standing in Zecora’s apartment. Alive. Blinking. Staring.

Her first thought was that perhaps it was that world’s Rumble, for some reason. But the eerie and quiet feeling around the Hut said otherwise. Animals ceased making noises and she could barely hear herself even breathe. What’s more, the creepy looking colt continued to stare, saying and doing absolutely nothing. Phoenix considered screaming at him, but then she thought better of it. There was something wrong with it being some sort of waking nightmare. Why would it simply blink and do nothing else?

I don’t feel anything off about this. I must be crazy but…

“Um, hi,” Phoenix tried.

The colt cleared his throat. “Uh, sup?”

Phoenix took a few deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves, it didn’t very much. “Listen, this is gonna sound weird but you are real, right?”

“Uh-huh. So you’re crazy? Is that why you three are always destroying things in town and covered in tree sap?”

The colt shifted a bit and seemed to snuggle into a similar-looking makeshift bed to her own. She blinked and noted the thick blankets wrapped around his body and thought back to the night before.

Was he there? Was he always there?

“Listen, I’m tired of being sick and I’d appreciate it if you keep it down. I need, ugh, rest. Stupid pony flu.”

Phoenix took a seat and took a very deep breath. “Your name’s Rumble, right?”

The colt went to speak but broke down into a fit of coughs and sneezes. “Ding, ding. Nothing gets by you, Scoots,” he said in a very annoyed sounding tone. Then he yawned and rolled over to face away. “If Zecora comes back, tell her I’m not hungry for her icky stew. Night.”

Phoenix mumbled an okay and looked down at her hooves deep in thought. She considered the option that maybe she hadn’t paid attention, but she was pretty sure she would notice Rumble of all colts laying in a bed, in the same hut! I guess I’ve been distracted though…

Still, a scary thought arose. What if she was cracking and Rumble really wasn’t there. What if it was just another trick from the false queen? What if it was a weird nightmare?!

Her eyes shrinking to pinpricks, she glanced over at Rumble’s sleeping body and started to feel herself hyperventilate. Just like before, his mane and coat looked mangled and bloodied. He was covered in fatal wounds and old stained blood.

It’s not real. It’s not real! she thought in a panic.

Breathing harder and faster, Phoenix did the only thing she could think of, she started to pull on her mane, hard. Pain flooded her body and with it a fresh reminder that she was in control of things and this was reality. Rumble wasn’t dead here and this wasn’t her Rumble. Deep down she knew this to be true. She repeated these thoughts in her head a hundred times, then a thousand times just to get the message across. She imagined his body new and pristine, devoid of any signs of trauma or death. And when that wasn’t enough, she repeated the message again.

This isn’t real! He’s not dead here!

Suddenly, as quickly as it came, it all ceased. Zecora had cracked open the hut’s and a fresh gust of wind washed over everything. Phoenix blinked and glanced over at Rumble’s body and it was like everything had righted itself. Everything was fine.

“Ah, I see you’ve met my other guest,
hopefully, he wasn’t a pest.”

“...I heard that!” Rumble mumbled through one of his pillows.

“Ah, good you’re awake,
forgive me for I made a mistake,” Zecora replied with a giggle.

“Whatever…”

“Um, was he always here?” Phoenix blurted out.

Zecora shook her head and gently shut the door.

“Rumble’s brother brought him here in the middle of the night,
his hastened illness gave them quite the fright.
and I must admit that his sickness has put up quite the fight.”

“Oh,” Phoenix said while nodding. “Um, any luck on my potion thing?”

“I still need more ingredients,
gathering of which is quite tedious.
I’ve yet to finish and I am behind,
But first, you must tell your story, need I remind?”

Phoenix chewed the inside of her lips and glanced at Rumble, who had turned over from all the noise. He glanced at both of them and moaned.

“Wh- why is she here anyway?”

“I keep getting headaches and they’re freakin’ annoying.”

“Uh-huh. What, you bash your head on your scooter or somethin’?”

“Scooter…” Phoenix trailed off and thought back to a deep memory, something she felt had been locked away for so long. She vaguely recalled owning a scooter and that her parents had gifted it to her when she was very young. Thinking about it made her feel warm inside, giddy even. But then she shook her head.

Just a foal’s toy, she thought with a snort. She shook her head and cleared her thoughts.

“No. I get them constantly. Zecora said she would help.”

“In time I’m sure I can,
now on to finish my plan.”

“Where’s the other two anyway? Don’t you three do everything together?” Rumble asked.

Phoenix snorted. “Look, I’m not who you think I am.”

Rumble blinked. “Oh?”

“I guess you weren’t in class so you didn’t see me and, uh, Scootaloo.”

“You’re Scootaloo!” he exclaimed. “What are ya, crazy?”

“Appearances can deceive,
though her explanation you will not believe.”

Rumble cracked a smile and leaned back as if he were enjoying the conversation. “Yeah? Are ya a changeling?”

“No. I…” Phoenix paused and glanced up at Zecora with a worried expression.

“This is your story to share,
do not dwell in despair.”

“I came from another world. I traveled through a magical mirror and I ended up here.”

“...What?”

Phoenix scoffed and looked away. “This is stupid! I- I shouldn’t have to explain anything.”

“If you lack the capacity to share,
you will only get despair.
Your story is quite long,
but it will not help to prolong.
Only you hold the key to what lies in your past,
but you explain things far too fast.
Sit down and relax, spare no detail.
From the beginning, please share your tale.”

Rumble nodded. “Yeah, what she said!”

Phoenix, ignoring the comment from the peanut gallery, took a deep breath, and sighed. Then she did it again and a third time. As she tried to think of a good way to explain things, another headache started to grow.

“Fine. I… um,” she took another deep breath and thought back to a long time ago. Phoenix felt a very hot tear fall from her eye.

“Are you crying?!” Rumble asked, sounding alarmed.

“No! S- shut up!”

The colt backed away in fear. “Y- you look like you were,” he pointed out in a low voice.

She tried to speak again but felt that she couldn’t. Painful memories of loss and betrayal started to flow into the forefront of her mind. She tried to bite her tongue as more tears poured out, then she shocked everypony but slamming her hoof onto the floor. “I don’t want to! I don’t wanna think about any of that! I shouldn’t have to! T- they’re my secrets to keep! Okay?!”

Zecora and Rumble’s eyes widened in shock while the former backed up a few paces. Phoenix sniffled and looked away in shame. “I don’t want to share.”

“Uh, okay sure,” Rumble replied very hastily. Then he made a show of turning around in his bed and pretending to fall asleep, not fooling anypony in the process.

“Holding in the pain is not the right way,
you will relive your past every day.
My help will only get you so far,
potions cannot heal your mental scar.”

Phoenix looked back at her bandages and already knew that they were leaking. Anger swelled inside of her, but she knew that there was only one pony to blame.

“What are you cooking anyway?” Phoenix asked, trying to distract herself.

“A magic brew to cure Rumble of his flu.”

“Oh.”

“Knock knock. Am I interrupting?”

Phoenix glanced up at the door and spotted a tall grey stallion pegasus with grey hair. If she didn’t know any better, he almost looked like Rumble’s--

“Hey bro! What’s up?” Rumble asked and broke down into a fit of coughs.

“Not much-- oh, I see you’re awake,” the stallion said while glancing at Phoenix. “The name’s Thunderlane,” he said with a small bow.

Rumble broke down laughing. “Bro, there’s no way she doesn’t know who you are.”

Thunderlane rolled his eyes. “Yes, but I don’t know her,” he pointed out and walked in.

“Um, my name’s Phoenix,” she said slowly.

Rumble quickly flew over and whispered something in his brother’s ear. Phoenix couldn’t make it out, but she could swear she heard the words crazy.

Ignoring his little brother, he nodded. “Nice to meet ya. But I came to check up on Rumble’s progress,” he explained and glanced over at Zecora with a nod.

“The brew for his cure is almost mature.”

“Good, I can’t thank you enough. We were at our wit’s end!”

“It wasn’t that ba--” Rumble tried to get out but suddenly sneezed with a loud enough sounding explosion to wake the entire Everfree. “Ouch.”

Thunderlane took a seat next to Phoenix and waited. “So, are you one of Rumble’s friends from class?”

“Fat chance. Cutie Mark Crusaders means no colts allowed,” Rumble said with a snort.

“That so?” Thunderlane asked while looking at Phoenix.

“H- how the hay should I know? I'm not a crusader... thing.”

“Okay, that does it,” Rumble said and flew right into Phoenix’s face. “What happened to your head? Did you fall on it and forget who you were! You’re Scootaloo! You know, that annoying flightless filly who hangs out--”

Thunderlane suddenly stomped his front hooves, blocking Rumble from getting near Phoenix. “Rumble! What did you call her?!”

“Uh, heh, annoying?”

Thunderlane glared down at him and shook his head.

“Nice try.”

“I didn’t… I mean I--”

“Apologize, now!”

Rumble looked down in shame with his ears flopping down. “...I’m sorry, Scoots. I didn’t mean it,” he mumbled. “Just sick.”

“What you said was quite rude and I can see your values are crude.
But I believe somepony here can dispel all the confusion,
Phoenix if you would please rid us of this illusion.”

“I don’t want to,” she said. Her heart just wasn’t in it. Part of her really did want to admit everything, but all she felt was betrayal and pain. So much so that she could feel more fresh tears.

“You don’t want to what?” Thunderlane asked.

She snorted. “Nothing. Zecora, when will my thing be ready?”

“Your potion will take a great deal of time,
but to neglect your injuries would surely be a crime.
Return to me when you are fully stitched,
that is if your schedule will permit.”

“I don’t need stitches!” she screamed. “I can take care of my own wings!”

Phoenix watched Thunderlane and Rumble share a glance before the former cleared his throat. “Filly, your wing looks like it’s nearing an infection. I’d get it checked out at the hospital ASAP.”

“It would be wise to listen,
face it, you’re not in a good position.
Potions can only go so far,
I would hurry before you end up with a scar.”

Phoenix took a deep breath and stared into Thunderlane’s eyes. Something about him seemed trusting and happy. And she really wasn’t sure why she hadn’t just asked for help by now. “I don’t--”

“FOREVERERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

Everypony jumped out of their skin and looked around. A high pitched, squealing voice said the words forever multiple times before slowly fading away. It was then that Phoenix suddenly remembered her dumb promise that was dumb. But it had been a promise.

“That was weird,” Rumble said. “Is anything here normal?”

Thunderlane chuckled and shrugged. “Anyway, what do you say… Phoenix was it?”

Phoenix nodded and felt quite tense. “Fine, but I don’t want anypony asking about how I got hurt. Deal?”

“I’ll be certain not to ask. Now hop on, kid.” Thunderlane exclaimed and leaned down on the floor, beckoning her to climb on.

Without thinking, Phoenix carefully glided into the air and shrugged. “I can fly you know.”

“What? Since when?!” Rumble screamed in shock.

“Great! But further use of your wing may damage it more. Now, I said hop on,” he ordered.

Phoenix landed and looked at Zecora for guidance.

“Trust in others, do not let your feelings be misguided.
Accept the advice that you are provided.
Do not overthink things too much, 
go now, and we will be in touch.”

“Okay,” she said, not feeling so sure. With a very heavy sigh, She clambered on top of Thunderlane’s back and wrapped her hooves around his neck, tightly. As strange as the sensation was, she couldn’t help but feel a pleasant, warm feeling radiant around her body. His fuzzy fur and soft body eased her woes only slightly.

“Comfy?” he joked.

“No,” she lied.

“Perfect, now hang on!”
> Chapter Thirteen: Everything is Broken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix wasn’t sure when her mind had simply shut down. Everything had gone so fast. Thunderlane brought them into Ponyville General Hospital and, before she knew it, a nurse had rushed her down a hallway while Thunderlane had been chosen as her temporary guardian. She was then placed in a private room in the foal wing and given a hospital smock to wear. Now, Phoenix found herself seated on a rather cold feeling hospital bed surrounded by childish-looking wallpaper depicting teddy bears and balloons.

“Just wait right here, please. I’ll be right back. Can you be brave for me and stay by yourself, sweetie?” the kind nurse had asked.

Phoenix felt her eye twitch in annoyance by the condescending talk, but she gave a stiff nod. The door shut and she was left alone, in silence.

Promise or not, I feel stupid. This place feels so… babyish!

She wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much; it wasn’t as if anypony but the staff could see her. But it was a ridiculous stark contrast compared to what she had been used to. Her mind tried to wander, but she couldn’t even bother to think back on dark memories. Her hospital room was simply far too bright and cheerful looking.

Blushing a tad, she couldn’t help but feel a tad better. Sure, she had a splitting headache and her wing had started to hurt something fierce, but for once she felt safe. It was strange.

She closed her eyes and took a very deep breath. For a solid twenty seconds, she held the air in her lungs until they were fit to bursting, and then she released. Phoenix repeated this five times before she felt her breathing steady and her head pain weaken a tad.

Several knocks on her room’s door broke her out of a stupor and a stallion pony wearing a typical white coat and a stethoscope cantered in. He was a unicorn pony with a brown mane and coat.

“Phoenix is it? May I come in?”

“Uh, yeah,” she replied.

“Good. My name is Dr. Horse. So, how are we feeling today? I was told something is wrong with one of your wings?”

She glanced back at her bandaged wing and shrugged. “Um, it’s been hurting.”

Tell him.

“Well, let’s just take a look shall we?”

She felt the fur on her feathers flinch and her body felt on edge while the doctor rummaged around on her back. She hated that feeling but knew it was necessary.

“Does any of this hurt?”

“Not really,” she mumbled. Though she could feel tiny prickly feelings of pain, she doubted that mattered.

“Yes or no?”

She felt him rub around her fur and she jumped away. “Hey! What was that for?”

“I’ll take that as a yes?”

“Y-yes,” she squeaked and then quickly shook her head. “I thought you were just gonna stitch my wings or something?”

“I haven’t gotten to them yet. I apologize for the pain, but there are numerous bruises along your back and I need to examine them,” he explained. Then he shot her a rather curious look. “Is that alright?”

Just like the nurse, he used that same sickenly sweet tone. Just let him do it and get it over with, she thought. “Fine.”

Tell him.

“Good. Just hold still and I’ll be finished in a jiffy.”

Tell him now.

He continued to poke and prod while she winced several times. After every whimper, he would make a few notes and she would sigh.

“It would seem you’ve been doing quite a bit of roughhousing. Do you exercise a lot?”

She sighed again. “No.”

“What about flight training? Is it something you practice a lot?”

Her eye twitched in annoyance. “No.”

“I see. Well, let me just take a look at your wing. I’ll have to remove the bandage, so do you mind laying down?”

“What, why?!” she asked suddenly.

“Because I said so. Please? You can have a sucker after if you’re good,” he said again in a sweet voice.

“A what?” she yelled, feeling her voice squeak. She glanced up at the doctor who stared down at her, bewildered.

“Um, sorry. Perhaps you’re a tad old for that, but it would be a big help if you laid down. Please?”

She sighed and nodded. “Whatever.”

Phoenix waited and soon felt several of her bandages being slowly unwrapped. She winced when the last bit was ripped clean, which had stuck to the wound.

Tell him!

“Oh my. Stay perfectly still, please. I’m afraid you will need a few stitches, after a thorough examination, er, just to be sure,” he mumbled. Though the doctor sounded quite unsure.

He knows it’s a knife wound, she thought miserably. Tell him.

She thought about what Scootaloo’s parents would say if they knew the truth. “You know she could- she could be… I dunno, evil! For all we know!”

I’m not evil! she thought and closed her eyes tightly. She could feel her teeth bite into her lips, hard. Blood seeped out and she felt like the entire world was crashing down from every corner. A sickening, copper-like taste leaked into her mouth and she gagged while shaking. 

“Phoenix?” the doctor said and she felt herself flench and freeze. “Are you okay?”

Tell him…

“Ye- yes. I--”

At an impossibly fast rate, she felt a horrible feeling of bile and sickness climb from her stomach to her throat. Realizing what was happening, she bolted off the table, ignoring the shouts of the doctor, and barely made it above a trash can. She felt her body throw up for close to five seconds; the pain was excruciating. And in a flash, it was over with. Whimpering, Phoenix slowly settled on the floor away from the gross deed, panting for air and trying not to cry.

With a stern gaze, the doctor leaned in. “Are you alright?”

“I- it hurts…” she mumbled. She hated how much pain she was in and how nasty the throw up tasted. Phoenix wasn’t sure how long she tried to catch her breath, but it never seemed to steady; her lungs felt like they were on fire.

The doctor stood up and quickly examined her. “Phoenix, I need you to look at me. Focus on my face, please.”

Her vision doubled, making that a very difficult goal. She tried but ended up slumping further into the floor. “N- need s- sheep,” she mumbled. Everything around her started to shift from complex shapes to fuzzy outlines.

“N- nurse! NURSE!”

Need can…

She heard more shouts and ponies shuffling around, and she could swear she felt somepony feeling around her body. But everything felt so distant and her head pain felt so powerful that it was naught but a pure sting that radiated throughout her body.

“Phoenix, you have to tell us what’s wrong. Where does it hurt?!”

He sounds worried…

Phoenix tried to speak but it felt like a tiny whimper. After a few tries, she found that her vision had cleared some. She glanced around and spotted her trusty saddlebag that she had insisted some with her. Smiling, she pointed. “C- can. Need it,” she mumbled. Just doing that seemed to sap her remaining energy and she suddenly felt an overwhelming need to sleep. Her eyelids fluttered and the world doubled over in her vision, again.

“What? I--” She saw the doctor quickly rummage into her bag just as sleep took her.





Thunderlane couldn’t comprehend what he was looking at. The filly that he had brought in just moments ago was now hooked up to a magical ventilator and had an IV drip hooked into her hoof. The doctors had explained that she also needed emergency treatment before healing up a rather nasty infection and giving stitches around her wings. After that, they explained that the wound around her wing wasn’t some silly accident, but a knife injury.

A knife, he had to remind himself. Who the hay is this kid?!

Thunderlane glanced down at the strange filly’s bag and considered tossing it aside since it was covered in bits of blood, of all things. Theories rolled by his head at a million ideas a second. Was she being abused? What was her home life like? Did Rumble know her that well? Should he respond to the kind nurse who kept giving him googly eyes?!

No dude, focus. This foal needs… well, she needs some kind of help.

Suddenly the doctor from earlier rounded the corner and nearly bumped into him. “Good, now that she’s stable I need to ask you a few questions about young Phoenix here. If you wouldn’t mind.”

Thunderlane shrugged. “Look, I don’t know much about her.”

“Oh? How did she even come to be in your care then?”

“Well, you remember when I took Rumble to see everyone here? And we decided on Zecora.”

“Ah, yes, I do still think that he would have done quite well here, but you are his brother and all,” he replied with a bit of smugness.

“Right, well Phoenix was under her care I guess and I decided to fly her here. Zecora thought it was a good idea too and she wasn’t wrong.”

“I see, so you don’t know this child that well?”

Thunderlane glanced at the sleeping filly. She had bags under her eyes and looked beyond exhausted. Then he looked down at her bloodied bag and sighed. “No, but I don’t think she should be alone right now.”

“Agreed. I’ve sent one of my assistants into town to see if anypony is looking for a lost foal, meanwhile. Anyway, I do have some other guests to attend to. Would you mind sitting with her? And calling a nurse if she wakes?”

“Oh, uh sure.”

With that, the doctor left them be, and with a sigh, Thunderlane sat on a nearby chair. He couldn’t help but study her body with immense pity.

That could be Rumble laying there. She looks awful like she fought a Manticore and lost or something.

The stallion watched her breath in and out as his mind trailed off, trying to comprehend her existence. Who the hay would stab a foal?! It's monstrous!

Curiosity getting the better of him, he unzipped her bag and started rummaging around. The first thing he took note of was a metal container that had a symbol of a phoenix on it and a familiar-looking red cross. “First-aid kit? Uh, okay.” A few red flags started firing, but it wasn’t too unusual.

Setting that aside, he found a strange-looking lantern, miniature in size. “What does she need this for? Is that a sleeping bag?”

More red flags and then he found the strangest object so far, a small bone inside of a glass case. A bone that, if he wasn’t mistaken, belonged to a unicorn’s horn. He blinked and blinked again and then a third time. Slowly, Thunderlane looked over at the filly with a new sense of fear.

“No,” he said and shook his head. “Gotta be a toy or something,” he told himself, but he wasn’t sure if he even believed that.

“Okay, Thunderlane, get a grip. You’re a Wonderbolt. You’ve been through more training than almost anypony in all of Equestria. You’ve faced every challenge set forth by Spitfire and beyond. She’s just a foal, nothing to be afraid of.”

But then why wasn’t the fear leaving him?

He glanced back at her and frowned very deeply. That wound, he told himself. I’ve never even met somepony who's been stabbed before, let alone a child! You call yourself a Wonderbolt? Look what she had to go through!

With a very deep breath, he got up and inspected her wound. He couldn’t see much behind the bandage, but he knew that the thing was big enough that it couldn’t have been just some silly accident.

Children do get into things though, he reminded himself. If I had a bit for every time Rumble’s broken a window or flew into something or somepony. I’d be kind of wealthier than I am now, he thought. But that. That doesn’t look like some accident.

Even if he gave her the benefit of the doubt and toyed with the idea that maybe she accidentally flew into something sharp, it didn’t account for just what in the hay she was doing all alone in the EverFree Forest. Thunderlane wasn’t even a local to Ponyville and he knew of the dangers there. The doctor still hasn’t found her folks, either, he reminded himself.

The sheer pile of red flags was piling on. He shook his head and tried to think of some sort of rational explanation, but that only reminded him of a dear friend and her drawn-out story.

Is Spitfire even a friend? Eh, I think it’s fair to call her that.

It hadn’t been unheard of for pegasus ponies to be placed in their own care early on. He knew thinking in this way was a dangerous path to thinking that the other kinds of ponies were different, and that was a form of racism. But, deep down, Thunderlane held no hatred or pity for the unicorns and earth ponies.

But parents are a different story.

It was true that the older generation of ponies often kept to their old ways of doing things. The way modern pegasus ponies were raised nowadays would be considered babying or coddling their young. When Spitfire and Thunderlane were young, they were expected to go off on their own and fend for themselves. It was just how they did things. Spitfire, however, was different. When most adults would make sure they knew how to fly at an early age before they let their young go on their own, Spitfire’s folks simply kicked her off a cloud one day.

She was four.

Things turned out fine, though not for her folks. Accusations of endangering their child and arrests were swiftly dealt out. The biggest consequence being that poor Spitfire was on her own. She became a runaway and worked her way up from there. Her life had been harsh.

Thunderlane stared at the child before him and considered the similarities, with what little he knew of her. Could it be the same? Or something similar?

He may have been jumping to conclusions, but he didn’t have a lot to go on. He sighed again and slumped into his seat. Phoenix didn’t seem like she would be rousing anytime soon and he had very little to do.

“I should send a letter to Spitfire. Let her know I’m gonna be missing for practice tonight.”

Not knowing what to say really, he asked a kind nurse to send a simple letter to the Wonderbolt Academy. He explained that it was an emergency and if she needed him, he’d be at Ponyville General.

“She’ll understand, but boy is she gonna let me have it when I get more free time,” he mumbled. Thunderlane took another glance at the filly and felt frustrated beyond anything else. “Who are you, filly? Really?”





Diamond stood frozen to the spot while Scootaloo’s parents stared at her with raised brows.

“Please, we just need to know if you’ve seen Phoenix anywhere? I- I believe you’re one of her classmates. Diamond was it?”

Diamond stiffly nodded, deep in thought. She had seen her, but she didn’t much feel like divulging that. They had a fight, after all. Sort of, she told herself. More one-sided than anything.

“Good, my name is Pale and this is Feather. We’re Scootaloo’s parents. But I’m afraid Phoenix has run off in a hurry. She was upset. We just need to know if you’ve seen her.”

“Uh. I did. I think she was running that way,” Diamond eventually said. Pointing to the EverFree Forest.

The two gasped and shook their heads.

“Are you absolutely sure she went in there?!” Pale exclaimed in a hurry.

“W- well no. Uh, I don’t-- I mean I--” she trailed off and had to resist the urge to sniffle. She was angry with herself, angrier than she ever remembered being with anypony. And that included the stupid Crusaders. Biting her lip, Diamond looked away and mumbled something. She tried to explain things in a calm manner, but she felt far from relaxed.

“What was that? You need to speak up, please.”

“I don’t… I--” Diamond stopped herself and glanced at Phoenix’s diary. Without thinking, she tossed the thing to Pale. “T- this is hers. She dropped it when she ran off. It’s her journal,” she said. Diamond felt so wrong for reading the stupid thing, but adults usually knew what to do. Usually.

Feather stepped forward and looked into Diamond’s eyes. “Sweetie, are you feeling okay? You look a little ill.”

“Y- yeah. I think I should head home,” Diamond mumbled and started to walk away. She felt awful and really just wanted a good night’s rest. She didn’t even feel like playing tonight or doing much of anything fun. She didn’t deserve it.

She heard the two ponies talk amongst themselves then suddenly Pale flew over and stopped in front of her. “I think it would be best if I walked you home, Diamond. You don’t look well, plus it’s pretty dark out. C’mon,” she urged and surprised the filly by draping her massive wing over her body.

It felt warm and comforting, and it even made her blush slightly. “But what about Phoenix?” she squeaked.

Feather stepped forward and pointed off toward the forest. “I’ll be looking for her in the forest. Thank you for letting us know, you did a good thing, Diamond.”

Diamond Tiara watched the stallion fly off with wide eyes and an empty stare of her own. I did a good thing? Huh, she thought.

“Well then, let’s get going. I believe your house is on the other side of town?” Pale asked.

Still draped in the mare’s wing, the duo started walking. “Uh, yes, mam.”

“Right. It shouldn’t be too long.”

Their trek continued in silence though occasionally it would be broken up by Diamond’s harsh breathing.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem awfully nervous. I promise you’re not in trouble, you know.”

“I know!” she exclaimed, perhaps far too hastily. “I don’t like the dark that much,” she lied.

“Oh? Well, I suppose I should have brought a lantern. But it won't take long. So, how well do you know Phoenix? I’m curious.”

I read her life’s story. Pretty well, she thought but was thankful enough not to blurt it out. Even if she really wanted to. Deep down, it was like keeping a nasty secret that had to come out. Something that gave her an immense feeling of butterflies in her stomach and of extreme guilt. Did Pale even know about her journal?

“I dunno. Uh, not a lot. I saw a few pages in her journal though,” she finally forced out. It made her feel a bit better, but then the negative feelings only tripled when Pale suddenly stopped.

“Oh? What did it say?”

“I don’t, uh. I just skimmed it,” she replied lamely. She didn’t really know what to say. “Are you gonna read it?” Diamond asked curiously.

“I had considered it, yes. If it helps us find her anyway. It would be rude to do it without permission, but we need to make sure she’s safe.”

“Right,” Diamond said but then they stopped again. She could sense the adult glaring down at her and knew the jig was up. She was in trouble.

“Diamond. Did you read through all of it?”

“W- what?! No!” she squeaked. But her voice had cracked and she knew it was sort of a dead giveaway that she was lying.

Pale sighed. “It’s just, we’ve been asking around town and Mrs. Cake noted that you were in her cafe, reading a book that looked like this.”

As the words spilled out, Diamond felt her emotions spiral out of control. From disbelief that Pale knew the whole time, to outright betrayal for not saying. And then anger and sadness. All of it came spiraling up to her mind at such a speedy rate, she couldn’t quite keep her emotions in check. She felt the first of many tears to come and soon she cracked. She started crying and crying with hot, salty tears leaking down her face.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” she said, but she had immense difficulty keeping her voice level. “I found it, and I kept reading, and it was horrible!” she practically screamed. “There’s all these horrible things in there! H- how can anypony live like that?!”

She cried and cried and sniffled and huffed. As the seconds ticked by, she only felt worse and worse while the awful memories of the book pooled into the full front of her mind. Suddenly she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling on her face. Pale had brought her in for a surprise cuddle and without thinking Diamond hugged back, soaking the mare’s fur in her salty tears.

“Shh, deep breaths, Diamond. Shh.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she mumbled into Pale’s fur over and over. She really was sorry. She didn’t mean to lie, but she also didn’t want to relive what she had read. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you’re sorry, Diamond. Shhh. Here,” Pale said and surprised Diamond again by perching her up onto her back. Diamond held tightly and hugged the mare for all she was worth. It didn’t help much, but it certainly felt comfy. Pale walked them over to a nearby bench soaked in light and carefully set Diamond down.

“Deep breaths,” Pale reminded her.

Diamond sniffled and nodded. Her crying had downgraded to a minimum, but she was still doing it. She hated feeling this way; crying and she just didn’t mix well. But what else could she do? Everything about Phoenix’s story was plain awful and she kept reliving it again and again.

“Maybe it would help if you talked about it?”

“M- maybe,” she mumbled and took a long sniff. Her tears slowed to basically nothing, and she took a very deep breath. She felt a bit better and couldn’t help but lean into Pale’s side for support. It was comfort, a nice and warm feeling that she had needed. A feeling she hadn’t gotten from her parents in a long time.

“I could read this diary, but it sounds like what’s inside hurt you dearly. I’ve… well, I’ve been suspecting something is wrong with Phoenix. That sounds horrible when I say it out loud since she looks so much like my Scootaloo.?

Without thinking, Diamond blurted out, “She’s not like her, at all.”

“Oh, I know. It doesn’t take a scientist to figure that out, but it did take me a bit,” Pale admitted.

Both ponies glanced down at the diary and sighed together. “Okay, so you’ve read this and you say it’s awful? How so?”

Diamond remained silent for a good minute, trying to think up the best answer.

“You can take your time, I promise nopony will be mad at you.”

And there it was again, that nice, warm feeling that washed over her. Something she hadn’t felt in so long. Finally, she went for broke. “War, it’s about war,” she admitted. And there it was, the guilty feelings vanished almost immediately and she almost felt like smiling. Almost.

“You’re saying Phoenix wrote about a war? In this?” Pale asked for clarification. Diamond nodded and looked away. She really didn’t want to repeat some of the things she read in the blasted thing.

“Okay. Are you saying she… fought in it?”

“Yes…” Diamond said and bit her lip, hoping that Pale wouldn’t ask any more than that.

The mare took a very deep breath and sighed. “Okay. Diamond, did she mention anything about her parents?”

Diamond thought back and nodded, though a tiny tear dropped down just from thinking of them. “S- she said they d- died,” Diamond mumbled nervously.

It took Pale all of two minutes to respond after that, she spent that time petting Diamond which sent shivers of warm delight radiating up her spine. It felt so right and she wondered, deep down, why her parents had never bothered to do something like this with her. Was something wrong with her?

“I was afraid of that…”

“...”

“Alright, I won't ask anymore, Diamond. Why don’t we just forget about it and--”

“I can’t forget this!” Diamond practically screamed. “How can anypony say that?!”

Diamond glanced up at her with tear-streaked eyes and whimpered again. “T- that book is horrible, but it’s her life! I can’t just forget it!”

Pale sighed. “Maybe that was a bad thing to say. How about we just walk you home, okay?”

Feeling utterly exhausted, Diamond nodded and was surprised again when Pale leaned down to offer her back. With a timid smile, Diamond clambered up and hugged Pale around the chest. With Diamond’s hooves wrapped around Pale’s wings, she couldn’t fly so the duo walked off in silence. The filly drifted off into a dreamless sleep a few moments later.
> Chapter Fourteen: Broken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thunderlane sighed and considered his options. Since Phoenix wasn’t gonna wake up anytime soon, he didn’t really have much to do. Sure, he could ask a nurse for some food or something, but he didn’t want to be rude and they all looked rather busy with other foal patients. Must be flu season or something?

Shaking his thoughts to clear his head, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I didn’t think hospitals would be this boring. Maybe if--”

He stopped talking as Phoenix’s heart monitor suddenly started going haywire. When before it had been flat beeps to indicate that everything was fine, it suddenly started beeping at an increased rate and, once more, her body was shaking.

“Shit. Nurse! Somepony!”

In a manner of seconds, a few nurses rushed over to see what the fuss was about. Two of them started working on her machines while the third suddenly rounded on Thunderlane.

“What happened?”

“I dunno, it just started happening suddenly. What’s going on?”

“We’re not sure. Her heart rate is dangerously out of sync; she’s experiencing severe heart palpitations,” one of the other nurses exclaimed. The mare leaned in and set her heart directly on Phoenix’s chest. With a startled shock, the eyes of the filly suddenly cracked open wide.

“W- wh- what’s going on?!” Phoenix squeaked.

“Shh, it’s okay,” the other nurse said while trying to say soothing things. Thunderlane was surprised again when a unicorn nurse levitated up a sharp-looking needle and quickly poked it into the filly’s shoulder. “Shh, just rest,” she said.

Thunderlane saw her struggle slightly, but a few minutes later and she was out like a light. The doctor returned and rounded on Thunderlane, demanding to know what happened. A few explanations later and another injection into Phoenix’s UV and everything was fine. That just left Thunderlane resting in his seat as the day turned to night, wondering when the hell things had gone so crazy?!

“No letter returned from the captain. That’s not like her,” he mumbled as he kept watching the sleeping filly.

“Thunderlane! What in the heck--”

“Shh, this is the foal wing of the hospital and some of our patients are trying to sleep,” a unicorn nurse exclaimed.

Thunderlane glanced up in shock to see none other than the captain herself, Spitfire. The commander of The Wonderbolts.

“Uh, sorry,” she said and quickly marched over toward Thunderlane. He gulped.

“Yo, h- how are you doing, captain?” he asked with a quick salute.

Spitfire grumbled and shook her head. She quickly took off her sunglasses and placed them in her saddlebag. “Grumpy. Because my number one isn’t here for practice and all I got was “it’s an emergency.”

“Oh right, right. Yeah, that would get me pretty mad,” he mumbled nervously.

Spitfire then glanced over at the sleeping filly and blinked. “And who the hay is she? Where’s Rumble?”

“T- that’s Phoenix. She’s Rumble’s friend and I have no idea how things got so crazy. I’m just as confused as you are, and I think I’ve lost control of my life.”

She blinked again and smacked her hoof across her face and slowly brought it down. “Uh-huh. I don’t know why you’re here either, but it doesn’t look like some “emergency”, so let’s get going,” she whispered harshly so the other foals wouldn’t wake up.

“I, um, I can’t.”

She went to leave but slowly turned back. “Wanna run that by me again?”

“I’m her guardian, temporarily. I can’t leave, captain. I’m sorry.”

The captain narrowed her eyes and went to inspect the strange filly.

“Thunderlane, what in the hay is going on? This filly looks like she’s gone through our obstacle course, twice. What did you do?!”

“Me? Nothing!” he said, his voice squeaking slightly.

“Shh! These foals are sleeping!” the nurse exclaimed.

“Sorry!” they both replied in unison.

Thunderlane tentatively met Spitfire’s eyes, she had a stern look as always and he sighed. He explained everything he understood in detail and by the end of it, her anger had waned significantly.

“...A knife wound? This filly was stabbed?” she said in bewilderment. “What the hay.”

“Yeah, it’s what I said. But until they find her parents, I’m kind of stuck here. I’m sorry,” he said. “I know I let you down by not making it to practice, twice.”

She sighed and shot him a rare smile. “No, I’m proud of you, Thunderlane. I just didn’t know you had such a soft spot for foals,” she said. “Maybe your new nickname ought be Foal Doctor or somethin’.”

“Har, har. Very funny. But, yeah, that’s her story I guess. Still doesn’t explain much.”

Spitfire took a seat on the end of his bench and glanced at Phoenix’s strange bag. “That her stuff?”

“Oh, yes. Not the prettiest bag, is it?”

“...Spitfire. This is a filly, a foal. Her bag is covered in blood. I… what the hay is going on? Why do I feel like this is beyond even us?”

Thunderlane almost laughed. “Oh, I’m way ahead of you on that one. For a while, I thought this was some strange dream or something. But I don’t think dreams last this long.”

Suddenly the two heard a quiet moan from Phoenix’s bed. Glancing at one another uncertainty, they stood up and waited.





Oh wow. I feel like I flew for ten hours straight or something, Phoenix thought with a painful moan. Her cloudy mind could instantly feel a rather painful headache mixed in with other pains she wasn’t quite sure of. But it wasn’t that painful, she noted.

Glancing around, she saw that she was undoubtedly laying in a hospital bed with an intravenous drip sticking out of her hoof. “W- what happened,” she mumbled.

“You alright, filly?”

Phoenix blinked. She recognized that voice. The heart monitor that she had been apparently hooked up to started to beep louder and with more increments than before. She felt immense adrenaline rush her body as she cracked her eyes open. The calm, warm feelings from her body were swiftly replaced with an immense feeling of anxiety and fear. Blinking, she recognized the mare known as Spitfire, with her fiery looking mane and tail and her yellow-tinted coat. Thunderlane was to the side which reminded her of the events from last night. But she didn’t care: her whole attention was on Spitfire.

She heard the mare whisper something to Thunderlane, something about stars or starstruck? But all Phoenix could do was stare at the mare which she had killed with unblinking eyes.

Of all the ponies she had to find when she cracked her eyes open, it had to be her. Phoenix no longer felt safe or calm. She no longer felt like sleeping, she just wanted to run.

“Um, maybe we should call the doctor,” Spitfire whispered, but Phoenix heard her.

She glanced up and looked at her intravenous drip. Buck this, she thought and surprised the two by yanking the thing out and standing on her hooves. She felt the world turn incredibly dizzy almost instantaneously. Phoenix also had immense trouble staying upright, but she didn’t care.

“Woah, filly! Calm down! You’re gonna hurt yourself!” Spitfire yelled.

She didn’t care. Despite the ache in her wing and the loopy feeling in the back of her mind, she knew one thing was clear: she had to leave. Adrenaline pumped through her body, and she braced herself for the insanely stupid thing that she was about to do. Phoenix ran as fast as her hooves could carry her and she spread her wings in an attempt to flee. But then she yelped in pain and slid to the ground directly into a wall. She moaned and closed her eyes.

Her ears began to ring and the vision around her started to spin. Her massive splitting headache only tripled in scale and she knew that she wasn’t going anywhere. Despite herself, she began to shake in fear. She hated how she felt and just wanted all feelings to go away.

“Phoenix? Are you okay?”

Just hearing her voice brought up painful memories. She whimpered and shook her head.

“Get the doctor,” Spitfire commanded and Thunderlane ran off. “C’mon, filly, you need to get back in be--”

Phoenix slapped her hoof away and stared up with burning tears in her eyes. “D- don’t touch me. I- I don’t want to b- be near you,” she declared. She watched the mare stare at her with shocked eyes. Phoenix breathed and moaned and tried to get as much air into her lungs, but it hurt, her whole body was in horrible pain. She saw several of the foals whip up in bed in shock, staring at them, but she didn’t care.

“J- just stay away,” she commanded very weakly.

“Filly, I’ve never met you before in my life and I know you’ve never met me,” Spitfire said in a very calm manner. Phoenix looked away while breathing and panting, angrily. “I don’t know what your problem is, but you can’t just run away. C’mon, let me help you into bed. Okay?”

Memories and vivid nightmares flashed through her thoughts. She could feel herself striking the mare over and over. The killing blow that seemed to split her soul in two. Made her feel like less of a pony. Like she didn’t belong in Equestria and that she had let Harmony itself down. She could feel blood on her hooves that had refused to wash off for several days. It was like it had stained her irreparably. 

Phoenix broke down and cried. She whined and screamed and sniffled and just couldn’t keep her emotions in check anymore. The dam that had held back everything was a crumbling mess of emotions and pain. It broke completely.

She saw Spitfire back away in fear, but it didn’t matter. She felt every horrible thing she’d ever done in the name of the Shining Phoenix. She couldn’t stop seeing herself murder the mare. It just kept coming and coming and the tears that had been kept so long behind a sealed dam continued to pour. It all felt so painful, but she had to keep crying. It provided a slight relief to the awful pain.

Suddenly, she felt a strange and fuzzy feeling encompass her entire form. A warm body had pressed itself into her own and she felt comforted for the first time in a very long time. It was like going to meet an old friend who had died ages ago. Still bawling her eyes out, Phoenix instinctively wrapped her hooves around the fuzzy feeling thing and tightened her grip significantly. She heard herself scream that she was sorry over and over.

“Shh, shh. Deep breathes, filly. Shh,” Spitfire said.

Phoenix didn’t even care if it was Spitfire. Deep down, she knew that this Spitfire would never harm her. The quiet hug and cooing from the mare washed over her emotions like a calming blanket. She cried and sniffled and apologized over and over. And still, the mare told her to stay calm and to relax.

“Shh. I know you’re sorry. I don’t know why, but we all know you’re sorry. You’re not in trouble and I promise that everything is okay,” Spitfire said.

Phoenix didn’t want to let go, she couldn’t. The snuggle from the mare was like a heavy medicine that her mind and body desperately craved. More than her drugged canisters or coffee or a good night’s rest. So she snuggled her head into the mare’s chest and sniffled again. She even felt snot leaking its way onto Spitfire’s majestic-looking fur. But still, the mare did not let go. 

She cares, Phoenix thought.

“Shh, deep breaths, filly. Everything’s okay.”

Phoenix believed that even if it was just for a single minute. She really did feel okay in the mare’s presence. Her soldier’s tough filly outlook had completely fallen apart, and it felt wonderful. It was like going for years in a jail cell only to be set free. “I- I’m sorry,” Phoenix whimpered.

“Shh. You don’t have to be sorry.”

“B- but your fur,” Phoenix pointed” S- sorry bout Snot,” she mumbled.

Spitfire snorted. “Filly. I know when somepony is crying to get attention, and when they really need to cry. This was obviously the latter. Take as long as you need,” Spitfire said and continued the precious snuggle.

Feeling utterly exhausted, Phoenix finally leaned her head on Spitfire’s chest again and sighed. “S- so warm,” she mumbled.

“C’mon, let’s get you into bed.”

It was an awkward affair with Phoenix refusing to let go of the mare. Apparently, Spitfire had accounted for this. Before Phoenix knew what was going on, the two were comfortable resting in the same foal sized bed. Again, she snuggled her head deep into Spitfire’s chest and sighed. Something about the mare’s presence relaxed her as a feeling of pure elation washed through her muscles.

“Feeling better?” Spitfire asked.

Phoenix nodded and sniffled once more. She glanced around and noticed that everypony was staring at them, from nurses to a few doctors and even some foals. I woke them, she thought with a grimace. Blushing, she looked away and tried to calm down as much as possible, but even breathing caused her to hiccup occasionally.

She hadn’t said much in her screaming fit, but she knew it didn’t matter. Everypony in the room knew something was up and there was no way she could just hide that. The jig was up. 

Spitfire even stared at her for a good while. She couldn’t think of much to say except a mumbled sorry, though she doubted that anypony really heard her except Spitfire.

She felt the mare lightly touch the top of her head with a hoof and she gently started to pet her. It was a strange feeling, almost unexplainable. But it was very pleasant and again she shut her eyes. In a manner of minutes, she drifted off to sleep.





Not wishing to disturb the filly, Spitfire awkwardly shifted in the bed and sighed. Thunderlane walked up and stared at her in bewilderment.

“What?” she barked in the harshest sounding whisper possible.

He flinched and shrugged. “S- sorry, just kind of surprising is all. Never seen you like t- this,” he stuttered.

Spitfire smirked and shrugged. “I have a niece her age and I can tell when somepony’s actually upset. Naturally, if you repeat what happened here to anypony, you’ll be doing stairs for a month during your training exercises, on your hooves only,” she warned.

He stiffened and nodded. “Naturally,” he said, his voice squeaking a bit.

While they talked, the doctor from earlier gently attended to Phoenix’s new wounds and reattached her intravenous drip. The doctor sighed.

“I’ve never seen a foal react so badly before,” he said with a heavy sigh. Then he turned to face Spitfire and shot the mare an apologetic look. “I would appreciate it if you stay here for the time being. Obviously, I can’t make you, but we can’t have her reacting like that again. She could have seriously hurt herself.”

She groaned. “Was afraid you’d say that. Fine, but I want an explanation from somepony when this is over,” she exclaimed, though she glanced in Thunderlane’s direction.

“That makes two of us,” the doctor grumbled.

She growled, feeling beyond frustrated. “Well, somepony’s gotta know something!”

“Shhh!” more nurses exclaimed and she sighed.

“Sorry,” the three of them said in unison.

The doctor used a bit of his unicorn magic to straighten his glasses. “Right now, I think the only pony who can explain things is sleeping in that bed. I’m… reluctant to leave even for my break, but I think things are under control. for now. Heh, knock on wood.”

Eventually, the doctor did leave things in the nurse's hooves, though he made the two Wonderbolts promise to call if she woke up.

Spitfire shuffled into the bed into a more comfortable position, as she did this she heard Phoenix mumble something in her sleep.

“F- fuzzy,” Phoenix mumbled.

Spitfire blushed and sighed. “You repeat any of this--”

“I got it,” he said and tried to focus on something other than the cuddling ponies. “I got it.”

“Yeah, right.”

Just who is this freakin’ foal? I’ve seen fillies and colts beg for my autograph, one or two even asked for a hug once. But nopony has ever reacted like that before. What the hay is going on? she thought.

Suddenly the doors to their wing burst open and another set of nurses shushed whoever came in.

“Sorry,” the mare said and both Spitfire and Thunderlane stared in awe. It was none other than Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship.

“P- princess?” Spitfire asked while shedding her sunglasses.

“Er, yes, but you can just call me Twilight if you wouldn’t mind.” The alicorn stepped forward and examined Phoenix. “What happened here?”

After some heavy explanations, the princess took a seat next to Thunderlane and shook her head. “I didn’t think her problems stretched this far. This is almost beyond me,” she mumbled sadly.

Spitfire scoffed and shook her head. “Okay, I’m losing a good grasp on this situation and I really need to know what’s going on, pr- Twilight. Why did this filly break down and hug me like her life depended on it? Why was she stabbed?! What is going on?”

Twilight Sparkle slowly shook her head. “I only know bits and pieces, Captain Spitfire. And I didn’t think she’d even be here, but I figured it was a good place to look after her par- guardians said she went missing.”

The captain glanced down at the foal again, and almost instinctively she went to preen one of her wings but stopped herself. “Err, maybe you better start from the beginning?”

“I can try, but even after knowing her this long, it’s all still so confusing. We still don’t even know what exactly is wrong and she refuses to open up.”

Spitfire nuzzled the filly without even thinking and then shook her thoughts aside. Hay is wrong with me, she thought. Blinking, she shook her head again and shrugged. “Sometimes foals are afraid to face the truth and they bottle stuff inside. Well, I guess it's the same for us “grownups” but doubly so for them,” she said while gesturing to Phoenix.

“That’s true,” Twilight replied with a sigh of her own. “It’s something I should have realized from the start. I did that plenty as a filly,” she admitted with a blush.

“Well, start from the beginning. How do you know her?”

“Well…”

Spitfire listened intently while Princess Twilight did her best to summarize things. It didn’t last long.

“Huh, and I thought our job was hard. You six are nuts,” Spitfire exclaimed and Twilight blushed yet again. “What is that orb anyway?”

Twilight blinked and looked down at her saddlebag and gasped. “I nearly forget,” she said and used a bit of her magic to levitate a mystical looking orb. It shined in all directions but only faintly. “It’s a gift from Princess Luna, but she said only Phoenix can accept it. It can’t just be given without consent.”

Thunderlane poked it a few times. “What’s it do?”

Twilight shrugged. “She said that it would help Phoenix whenever she felt stressed or alone and that it would help her “find peace” when she’s in need.”

“That’s not cryptic at all,” Spitfire said and had to stop herself from nuzzling the foal yet again. “Okay, that’s it,” she said and quickly got off the bed. They all heard the sleeping foal whimper a bit, but a few quick pets from Spitfire quieted her down. “Was getting cranky in that position,” she lied.

“I guess we just wait for her to wake again,” Twilight said while putting the orb back. The three glanced at one another, knowing full well that they were stuck until that happened. 

They all sighed as one. It was going to be a long night.





It didn’t take Pale long to reach Diamond’s mansion, but it did take a rather lengthy explanation of why Diamond was sleeping on her back. Filthy Rich looked angry at first, but quickly changed his tune when she explained everything. A few moments later and Pale was seated just a few blocks away on a public bench. She stared at Phoenix’s journal for a long while.

This could explain everything. It would be so simple to read it, she told herself. But then she thought back to Diamond’s reaction to the blasted thing and that stopped her from even opening the first page. It frightened her even.

“What’s the right thing to do? Dammit, this is infuriating.”

All of the answers were right there, but she really didn’t feel like opening it. For one, it was a violation of the foal’s privacy which was made doubly weird since it was technically her foal.

Technically. This whole situation is more messed up than one of Pinkie’s late-night parties. She’s not my daughter, but she feels like she is.

Her hoof rubbed the journal in tiny circles and she leaned back on her bench. A few heavy sighs later and she only grew more frustrated. She was getting nowhere. Nopony had found Phoenix and she doubted the journal would give the right answers.

“It’s not like it’s gonna say where she went and I’m not a detective,” she mumbled. “Okay, my mind’s made up. M- maybe she decided to come back home.”

It was a sound argument in her head, though it seemed rather far fetched. “I don’t even know her. I know nothing about her, only that she’s like my Scootaloo.”

With a heavy sigh, she set the book in her saddlebag and took off in the air. It was time to check on her daughter again. She’s no doubt wondering where we went anyway, she thought.

Pale flew for all of five minutes and quickly spotted her home. She blinked in surprise and saw her daughter sitting on their doorstep, looking bored and sad.

“Mom! Where the hay have you been?!”

Pale landed and glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. “Scootaloo…”

“I- I know I should be in bed like you said but I couldn’t sleep and you two weren’t here and… and…”

Pale’s heart nearly broke, Scootaloo had almost cried. Smiling, she brought the filly in for a hug and nuzzled the top of her head. “I understand, but you should be in bed. Just like Phoenix should be…”

“Where is she, mom?”

“I wish I knew. Your father’s still out there looking for her. I tried for a while but I’m exhausted,” she exclaimed while sighing.

Scootaloo smirked. “But you’re not gonna stop looking, right?”

Pale grinned and nuzzled her chin. “Oh, I dunno. I may need to stay here so a certain filly can get her rest. You might miss me too much,” she exclaimed and quickly kissed her daughter on the cheek.

“Ew! Mom! Gross!”

“Oh, so I can’t kiss my daughter and give her little nuzzles? You’re too big for that now?” she asked in a serious tone.

“Way too big!” she replied with a scoff. “Obviously.”

“Of course, then I guess you’re too big for dessert after dinner oh and can’t have you going to your filly scout meetings anymore. Those are way too immature for you,”

“Wh- what?” she squeaked. “L- let’s not be too hasty.”

“And no more crusading, after all, that’s for foals who haven’t gotten their cutie mark. Not for big filly’s who don’t need their mommies nuzzles anymore.”

Scootaloo surprised her and quickly leaned in for a nuzzle of her own. “Mom,” she said in a whiny tone. “I- I like nuzzles,” she admitted with a blush.

Pale grinned and gave another back. “I was just teasing, my little Scootaloo.”

“Nah little,” she mumbled and suddenly yawned. Her adorable daughter rubbed the sleep from her eyes, but couldn’t stop yawning while they walked through their home. “Nah tired,” she said in a whiny tone.

“Of course not. But big fillies need their rest and their nuzzles,” she said and gave Scootaloo another.

Her daughter smiled and leaned back in. I’ve missed this, Pale thought and surprised Scootaloo as she started preening her wings in a gentle manner.

The filly nearly jumped out of her skin and looked around, apparently trying to make sure nopony was watching. “Mom… that’s embarrassing,” she said, but she didn’t push her away.

“But you need them, sweetie. Just let mommy do this last one,” she said and she smirked. Her daughter was suddenly sleeping while standing up. A warm smile was on her face.

Giggling, she finished up the task and carefully placed her daughter into bed. A kiss and a nuzzle later, and Scootaloo was sent off to dreamland. Pale smiled and turned around only to stop. She had stepped on something metal.

“What is this?”

There were a few strange-looking metal feathers on the ground, all piled up in the back of Scootaloo’s closest. She opened the doorway and stared down at the pile of feathers in bewilderment. She picked one up with her hoof and studied it all over, a quick whiff confirmed that they were solid silver.

“This came from her, without a doubt,” she said. She counted nearly thirty in total that had been haphazardly dumped in the closet. Each one a shining looking silver feather. “It’s like the mysteries about this filly keep piling up and up,” she mumbled. Though they did seem harmless, at least.

Pale gently shut Scootaloo’s door and took a seat in the living room. She sighed heavily and gently shut her eyes. What am I gonna do? We don’t know where she is and I’m already exhausted beyond belief.

Suddenly she heard several knocks on the front door, making her jump. She rushed over and found a white pegasus pony wearing doctor’s garbs.

“Yes, is this the residence of Scootaloo and Phoenix I was told? I’m afraid you need to come with me, immediately.”





Twilight rubbed her temples in tiny circles and tried to stay in a relaxed mood. Thunderlane and Spitfire had explained Phoenix’s little outburst and everything regarding what he saw at Zecora’s which just caused more and more mysteries to sprout up. The sheer amount of red flags going off in Twilight Sparkle’s head was beyond even her ability to count.

I could wake her up and demand answers, she thought. But she’s just a filly and she needs her rest. I would feel awful if I caused another outburst like the one Spitfire described. That’s not me, she told herself firmly. She really wanted to know what was going on, but she had to wait patiently. She rested her head on her hoof and sighed. I hope Spike is okay by himself.

“So, uh, Twilight, right? What are you gonna do with the foal?” Spitfire suddenly asked.

Princess Twilight Sparkle shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. She hasn’t done anything wrong as far as I know and she’s in immense pain. No foal should ever have to go through what’s happened to her and I can only imagine what the truth really is. The more I think about it, the worse the outcome seems to be. I still don’t know what’s really going on, but it can’t be anything good. I’d almost hesitate to say that it’s beyond me. I’ve been through scuffs before, faced evil villains and monsters. But I’ve never been stabbed and she’s just a filly!”

All the while they were talking as loud as they’d like. Twilight had cast a silencing bubble around them.

“I kind of got that vibe from her, too. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to just let this one go. I honestly don’t want to leave,” Spitfire said, sounding as though she had been chewing on her words for a while.

“It sounds like she really needed some comfort,” Twilight eventually said. “Heh, reminds me a lot about Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.”

“What about Rainbow?” Thunderlane asked.

“Well, she’s sort of mentoring a young filly named Scootaloo. Obviously not this Scootaloo, but the one that’s from here. She’d never admit it, but I once caught the two hugging each other. It was very sweet.”

She watched Spitfire clean her glasses with some cloth while blushing. “I’m not really a huggy mare, Princess. But this one really needed it and I’m not cruel.”

Thunderlane coughed suddenly and got both mare’s attention. “I’m not a huge expert on foals, but it kind of looked like Phoenix was bonding with you. LIke she didn’t just need that comfort, she really needed it, C- Captain,” he said a bit nervously. “Just a thought.”

Spitfire groaned and again looked away. “So, what, I’m Momma Spitfire now or something? Get real, the day I have foals is the day Celestia croaks.”

Twilight gasped. “Don’t say that, please. That’s a horrible t- thing to say!”

Spitfire chuckled. “Sorry. But I’m just saying I’m not exactly the best pony when it comes to foal sitting or bonding.”

“I think you did great, Captain,” Thunderlane said.

“Yeah, well, who asked you. Freakin’ filly getting snot all over me,” she mumbled.

Twilight couldn’t help it, she giggled.
“And what’s so funny, princess?’

“You are. You’re just like Rainbow when I bring up Scootaloo. Oh, she might deny it, but she loves that filly with all her heart. Snuggles and all.”

Again Spitfire blushed. “Luna, give me strength.”
> Chapter Fifteen: Awake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix stirred and tried to look around. She was getting tired of passing out so easily. She also hated waking up while feeling so sluggish and exhausted. Her eyes felt like they were sinking back into her skull and her mind could barely fathom what to do next. A faint aroma of strange-smelling chemicals and overly clean scented bed sheets caused her nose to tingle in annoyance.

After a few minutes of pretending to sleep, the events of earlier started to flood her mind. She felt shameful about what she did, but still, she couldn’t pretend to sleep forever.

Taking a chance, she glanced up and cracked one of her eyes open, only to meet Spitfire eye to eye. They stared at one another for a long while and the only noise that got through was the occasional beep from her heart monitor. The uncomfortable silence surrounding that was only slightly less irritating than the feeling of an intravenous drip in her hoof. This time she decided not to yank it out.

“Hmm, morning,” Spitfire said. The mare stood off to the side with quite a few other guests in her room, all of them sleeping.

“Hey,” Phoenix mumbled. She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, even now with several other foals off in the distance just staring at her. A torrent of emotions struck her in the chest and she could feel what she’d done play out again and again. She had never felt that sad before and certainly never let her emotions spill out so freely before.

“You know it almost seems surreal, uh, you know what that word means, right?” she asked awkwardly.

Phoenix snorted and nodded.

“Right. It’s just, usually, children go nuts when they see me, especially pegasus ponies. But not normally in that way,” she stated rather fiercely.

Phoenix had no real response, all she wanted to do was end the conversation, but that wasn’t gonna happen anytime soon she was sure. She was growing grumpier by the second and the lack of a good night’s rest was taxing her.

“I mean, usually I wish for all of them to just quiet down, but now that I have it… “ she trailed off and shook her head.

“Why are you still here?” Phoenix spat out. “I’m fine now, or whatever. You can, you know, leave,” she pointed out.

The mare scoffed and even chuckled a bit. It grated on her nerves. “Yes, because you seem perfectly fine on your own.”

Clenching her teeth, Phoenix slowly stood up on her bed and cracked her neck. “I’m not dead. I’m fine.”

For a while, she just stared at Spitfire who seemed to be comprehending what she had said. The mare’s eyes had closed and she was taking deep, steady breaths. “You’re not dead... Filly, that does it. I don’t care what any princess or doctors or nurses have said to me. I don’t care one bit anymore. You and I are going to have a little chat and I’m not leaving you until we get through it. Understand?”

There was venom in her voice and Phoenix could quite clearly tell that she had struck a nerve. After a few more moments of staring, she slumped back into her pillow and groaned. “Whatever. Talk all you want-- could somepony get me some coffee or something first? If you’re gonna blabber on I’d at least like this headache to be gone first.”

“...Aren’t you a little young for that?”

Phoenix had grabbed her pillow and squashed it over her face in an attempt to drown her out. “Aren’t you a little… shut up and get me some or I’m sleeping.”

Phoenix expected the stupid mare to respond or to shuffle off, but when she heard nothing she peeked under the pillow and spotted a glaring Spitfire. Their staring contest lasted for minutes before Phoenix’s heart monitor started to flare up. The filly felt her headache worsen and her vision doubled over.

“Are you--”

Phoenix waved her hoof and closed her eyes. She took steady breaths and tried to calm her nerves, but the monitor kept going. “C- cof- coffee please,” she mumbled.

That actually got Spitfire to fly off in a hurry, literally. Phoenix spotted several of the foals and a nurse who looked up in shock at the speedy mare. A doctor yelled in her direction, but he was swiftly ignored and a moment later the mare had returned with a steaming cup of coffee and her doctor. The latter of which seemed dizzy and quite confused.

“You, lay down,” Spitfire commanded while pointing in her direction. Phoenix gulped and nodded.

Spitfire turned to face the doctor and barked out another order, “Can she drink coffee, yes or no?!”

The doctor bristled slightly and scoffed. “I would appreciate it if--”

“Yes or no?” Again her voice was practically dripping with venom. At this point, Phoenix was clutching her head with her front hooves as the world around her continued to spin. The pain didn’t stop and she could feel the ever-present compulsion to down a Shining Phoenix canister. Or coffee, whichever came first.

Suddenly she felt something gently push her hooves out of the way. Blinking, she noticed the doctor was carefully examining her all over.

“Well?!” Spitfire said. It was clear her patience was running thin.

Phoenix backed up a bit. Her doctor was now focusing on her eyes and only her eyes. “W- what?” she said, though it came out as a tiny squeak of a voice.

“You’re on some sort of drug, aren’t you?”

Phoenix nearly choked on her breath. She went to deny it, but both adults just stared at her with a knowing glance. Spitfire squinted her eyes, it was subtle, but it was enough to let Phoenix know that she was in deep trouble. She sighed and looked away.

“Yes. Ca- can I please have some of that coffee?” she mumbled. She felt so tired and she wasn’t shy about sharing it anymore.

“Are you insa--” The doctor stopped himself and took a deep breath. “What drug have you ingested? It’s important, Phoenix,” he said, raising his voice as Phoenix turned away again. “Please. We found your… canister in your pack but we have no clue what it is. But you do, don’t you?” he pressed.

Phoenix chewed the inside of her mouth and considered her options. The pain had grown from a dull ache to a piercing feeling in the back of her head and radiated outwards towards her eyes. She tried taking deep breaths to calm it, but it did very little.

“Phoenix, we need the truth. Please, it’s for your health. You could be in serious danger and if we don’t know what it is then--,” the doctor tried to get out but Phoenix interrupted.

“Coffee or I don’t talk,” Phoenix mumbled. Already the intoxicating scent of the dark roasted drink was driving her mad. Her body needed something to satiate the addiction to her drug. Coffee would certainly do as a substitute.

The doctor cleared his throat and shook his head. “I cannot advise that--”

“One sip, kid. One sip and you tell us everything. Right here, right now.”

The doctor shot Spitfire a dirty-looking scowl, but she seemed to ignore him. Spitfire gave Phoenix no smile or angry stare, however. She waited, patiently.

Just sniffing in the aroma sent shivers of delight radiating throughout her body, it was enough to ease the headache by a fraction of a bit. She sighed and gave a stiff nod. The steaming cup was brought up to her muzzle, held out by Spitfire, and Phoenix gave the tiniest sip. Just the heat alone cleared her head just enough to think with a tad more clarity than before. The beverage flowed down to her stomach and radiated a warm, pleasant feeling that didn’t let go. Phoenix had closed her eyes and hadn’t opened them yet. It simply felt too good, like a niche that she hadn’t been able to scratch for hours that suddenly stopped. But, eventually, she let out a quiet sigh and pushed out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“Better?” Spitfire asked.

She nodded.

“Right,” she started and set the cup aside, “let’s start with this drug. What is it?”

Phoenix shrugged. “I don’t know its name, really. I just know where I got ‘em.”

“Where?”

“The Shining Phoenix, um, an army.”

“What army?”

At this point, Twilight had stirred awake and surprised everypony by stepping forward. “You were in an army?”

Phoenix figured there was no more use in keeping it in. They knew something was up, she wasn’t going anywhere, and fighting them was pointless. She sighed, again. “Everypony was, we had to be. Better than dying.”

Twilight and Spitfire shared a look, but the former spoke up. “Maybe you should start from the beginning. Take your time, please. We really just want to help.”

Phoenix looked away from her and stared through the window out to Ponyville. She still felt tense, but it was better than facing their eyes. “It started really fast, it was at the Summer Sun Festival. Things got dark, really dark. And it just stayed that way. There was so much screaming and chaos. It was nuts. Then she showed up. Nightmare Moon. Nopony ever saw Princess Celestia again, she was just gone. We were left to fend for ourselves. Heh, it seemed so long ago…” the last part she had mumbled and simply trailed off.

“Nopony stopped her over there?”

Phoenix turned back to face the Princess and shook her head. “You lot tried, um, I think-- Elements of whatever. She used mind control and you, uh, failed,” she said lamely.

Twilight just shook her head in bewilderment. It just didn’t seem possible, but she stayed quiet and nodded for Phoenix to continue.

“A lot of foals were tossed into these camps to be re-educated,” she said with air quotes. “It didn’t take me long to bust out of there, and that’s where the real fun began,” she spat.

Phoenix closed her eyes and tried to focus on the sweet aroma of the coffee cup, it wasn’t much, but it helped her relax just enough to keep going. Thinking back on her memories was painful, but not enough to cry.

“Most of the adults I found were under her spell. I had to run quite a few times, lots of close calls. Eventually, I don’t remember how long… I heard of a resistance movement. But I didn’t know how to find them, they were scattered and hidden.”

It was subtle, but Spitfire had leaned in and actually let her sip just a bit more of the heavenly elixir that was coffee. Phoenix smiled slightly and quietly thanked her.

“I wasn’t sure what to do. At one point I was just hiding away at this abandoned camp in the Everfree. I didn’t feel safe, but safer than being out in the open. I guess.”

A few moments later, she felt something soft and fuzzy hold onto her left hoof. She didn’t know who it was, but Phoenix never brushed it off. It felt nice.

“I wandered for weeks. I didn’t really have any plans, I just didn’t want to get caught. Occasionally I’d bump into some small groups, but they weren’t much help. Sometimes we’d stick together for a day or two and we’d try to figure things out, but I still couldn’t find the resistance. I remember one night I was beginning to think that they’d fallen, or maybe they didn’t exist. I heard so many stories of what happened to ponies who were caught. Mind control, imprisonment… death.”

The hoof now held on tight and it took Phoenix a minute to collect herself. “I don’t know what got over me, but I got this idea. I had to think deeply. Where could ponies hide anymore? I’d seen the dark queen’s army all over, even in the forests. But surely there had to be somewhere so hidden and so… deadly, that it would hide you. And then it hit me: The Dread Timbers.”

“Y- you c- can’t just go there, Phoenix. What--”

Phoenix held up her free hoof and opened her eyes. Princess Twilight had been the one to embrace her hoof and was speaking. She stopped talking and matched eyes with her. “I know it’s dangerous, but what choice did I have? I didn’t have anything left to lose--”

“You had your life to lose!” Twilight exclaimed. “You could have… you…” the princess trailed off and looked away.

“Could have what? Nopony was left, Twilight. Not you, not any princess or anypony. I didn’t want to die. I really didn’t want to die, but I didn’t have any options left.”

There was more uncomfortable silence, which Phoenix was starting to hate. So, she pushed forward.

“The first few nights weren’t exactly fun. I didn’t sleep the entire time… it didn’t seem like anything slept there. On the third night, I noticed that I was drifting off randomly.”

“Without sleep, your body will start taking micro naps during the day. You could end up getting really sick!”

“It wasn’t just that, I think I was poisoned. One thing I’d heard about that forest is to never touch the trees if you can help it. Took me four more days to find the army. I was starving and hadn’t drunk any water in a very long time.”

She wanted to keep going, but the Princess stood up and took a very deep breath. “I think we should stop here. T- this is getting a bit disturbing.”

“Then you can leave,” Spitfire said rather coldly. “She needs to get this out,” she pointed out rather stiffly. Twilight’s pout was swiftly ignored.

“I don’t have to do anything,” Phoenix said.

Spitfire sized the filly up and examined her for a few moments. The little pegasus pouted and looked away with a mild blush. After a while, she smirked and looked away. “Then I’ll just leave,” she said and surprised everypony by stepping away. “I wash my hooves of this little nightmare. Farewell.”

The doctor began to sputter nonsensical syllables. “B- but yo- you can- can’t just--”

“Yes, I can. He is her guardian, not me,” she said while pointing to the sleeping Soarin’. “If little miss perfect doesn’t want others knowing about the life-threatening drug that she’s on, then who am I to--”

“I don’t know what it is you stupid old hag!”

The silence that overtook the foal wing was so definite that you could hear a bit drop. More so, you could hear Phoenix panting and breathing while her heart monitor started beeping louder and faster.

Spitfire narrowed in on the filly and crawled onto her bed which made Phoenix back up in fear. “Consider yourself incredibly fortunate that you’re sick or you’d be in a world of trouble. Now, I’m sure you don’t know what it’s called or exactly what it is, but I bet you know where it comes from. You must have details on what’s inside, something. And that something will help save your life.”

The doctor continued to stutter out his words. “I- I never said her life was necessarily in danger, Miss Spitfire.”

“I doubt you would share that information with a foal, especially in this scenario. But you were thinking it, no?”

“I… “ Phoenix glanced over to the doctor and couldn’t help but whimper a tad. The stallion sighed. “There is a slight possibility that the strange reactions that you’ve been having could eventually destabilize your magical signature. I- in fact, it may have already started doing that.”

“...” Phoenix looked away and started to nervously clutch her hooves together, she even began petting one in a vain attempt for comfort. Something about what the doctor was talking about seemed awfully familiar.

“If that happens then it won't take long for--”

“I get it, I’ll die. You can stop sugar-coating it, doc,” she said with a scowl.

Spitfire leaned back and cracked her neck in a few places. “So, this isn’t exactly the right time to be stubborn. And trust me, I know stubborn. I know when it’s necessary and I know when it gets in the way. So, out with it, filly.”

I could actually die. Already she could sense the growing headache and weakness that came along with it. She sighed. “I, erm, I don’t know the ingredients list. B- but I know what they probably used.”

Twilight shot her a skeptical look with her ears raised. “And that is?”

“Alico- Alicorn Blood,” she said very quickly. Just saying it made her feel ill and she could see Twilight blanching at the mention. “P- Princess Cadance was part of the resistance and she volunteered to help. I was never allowed to know what was in it, but s- she kind of hinted that it was her blood which helped make the serum.”

It took the mare known as Princess Twilight Sparkle all of three seconds before she outright fainted on the spot.