Chapter 1: Tea and Consolation

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A gentle breeze blew through an open window to a desk showered in moonlight and papers tossed about. Manuscripts and messily written drafts lay unorganized on the small wooden desk propped up near a bookshelf. The seat in front of the unorderly mess remained vacant until a strong breeze picked up and threatened to knock over a stack of hard work. A dark blue hoof reached out at lightning speed to catch the papers before they descended below, carefully rearranging them to be more stable on the desk.

The unicorn mare breathed a sigh of relief before seating herself down at the desk. She levitated a cold glass of water to the farthest side of the desk, careful to not put any of her recent work in its potential splash zone and directing her attention to the writing in front of her.

A snowy feather dipped itself in a newly opened bottle of ink before gliding across the pages silently, leaving behind a trail of letters. The mare mumbled to herself and sounded out the sentences under her breath as she continued to cover the page with pieces of her imagination and creativity.

And then, a knock sounded from the other room. The sudden noise startled her and she dropped her quill, making a tiny ink splatter in between a paragraph of words.

"I've fixed that scene at least five times now," She sighed in frustration, flipping the page over. "Who would have the nerve to knock at this time of night?"

She slipped out of her seat and quietly made her way out of her bedroom. Her trots were barely audible as she quickly switched on a lamp and found herself standing in front of the entrance of her home. The thought of somepony needing her so late frightened her a little. Normally only crazy ponies would pursue someone during this period, especially those who were alone and suffered from an awful sleep schedule as she did. Was it safe to open her door and see who was outside it? She had no idea, she wouldn't know until she did.

A harder knock sounded on the door and she jumped, her heart pounding in her chest. Her breathing quickened as irrational scenarios appeared in her head and so many reasonings for not opening that door. The poor mare's anxiety was practically driving her mad.

"Flusk, are you awake? Hello?"

"Wait, Drizzle?"

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I understand if it's a bad time."

Flusk's anxiety immediately dissipated as she threw open the door. Her best friend Drizzle Dots stood at the steps of her door looking anxiously up at her. Despite being relieved that it was only him, she took notice of his appearance the moment she saw him. Dark circles that outlined the bottoms of his eyes, messy mane, his pear green eyes even seemed to lack their normal luster as dejection clouded them.

"What happened to you? You look rough. Where's-" Flusk asked worriedly before she was interrupted.

"It's kind of a long story. I came here because I was wondering if you'd let me stay the night or something until I can figure out where to go," Drizzle turned his gaze downwards in embarrassment. "I hate to ask this of you, I just didn't know who else would be willing to let me stay. Although, I understand if you can't…"

"No, no, of course, you can stay. You're always welcome here. Come on in!"

Flusk pushed the door open wider, allowing Drizzle access into her home. He proceeded to settle himself on her couch as she double-checked that her door was locked out of concern for her previous fretful thoughts.

"Would you like anything to drink or eat? I just went out yesterday and stocked up."

"Just a coffee would be good right about now, thanks." Drizzle yawned, laying his head on the arm of the couch.

"Oh, I don't drink coffee so…" Flusk smiled sheepishly.

"Oooh, right. Sorry, I forgot about that. My mind's kind of fucked up at the moment."

"I do have some apple juice or milk if you'd prefer those instead. Or, well, water of course."

"Nah, it's alright. I'll just stick it through."

Flusk approached the couch Drizzle had positioned himself on, his physical form instantly reminding her of the blatant rejection he had made to his self-care.

It was common for Drizzle Dots to look this way after something depressing or debilitating had occurred to him or somepony dear to him. If it was enough to affect his mental health, it was enough to affect his physical health too. This wasn't Flusk's first rodeo in seeing him like this and it certainly wouldn't be her last. However, it would be fruitless to try and get him to do anything at the moment, especially in this state. Prying into the source of his sadness would be the only thing she could do, even if it wasn't the most respectful thing to do.

"So you never did explain why you look so exhausted and had to find a place to stay. And now that I let you in, I think it's only fair that you let me in on the situation here."

"I told you, it's a long story."

"And we have all the time in the world for you to tell it now that you're here," Flusk smirked.

"I hate when you do that. You purposely try to trap me in a way that you get what you want." Drizzle glowered.

"It's not because I necessarily want this for myself, it's because I want to be able to understand why you're like this so I can help you. You know I'm not someone with cruel intentions."

"Yes, and that also should mean that you respect that I don't want to talk about it."

"I would respect it in a normal circumstance but seeing as how urgent the situation appears to be, I need to know. I can't just sweep it under the rug because you're not feeling it at the moment."

Drizzle went silent, turning his gaze towards a pink feathered dream catcher in the corner of the room. Flusk could feel his anger rising, especially in the way he turned his head away from her and how he spoke. But she refused to be deterred by his emotions.

"She kicked you out, didn't she?" Flusk queried wistfully.

He didn't answer and that was enough to let Flusk know she was right on the nose.

"I knew it. I can't say I'm surprised though, we all weren't that fond of her in the first place. She's always had this strange vibe about her that seemed fake and entitled."

When she was met with his stillness once again, she sat down on the couch beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, giving him a shoulder hug. He didn't respond negatively to it thankfully, he just stared down at the floor emotionlessly.

"I'm sorry…If there's anything I can do to help you feel at least a little better then let me know, alright?" Flusk said gently.

"Yeah…" He replied quietly.

She held onto him for a moment longer before releasing her arms and allowing him some space. The stallion hunched over before lying down again while Flusk approached the lamp in the entryway of her home. She glanced at him once more and saw the unicorn shutting his eyes, preparing to doze off on her couch. She figured he would be pretty exhausted after the fiasco he had experienced earlier. Not that she minded of course.

"Would you like me to turn this off?" She asked.

He nodded and she flipped the switch off on the lamp. The room was shrouded in darkness and she could only see the tip of his blue horn where the luminance of the moon shone into the still room.

"Goodnight, Drizzle…"

He didn't reply but she assumed he had drifted off to sleep already so she headed back to her bedroom.

By now, midnight had already passed and Flusk decided it was time for her to retire for the night as well. She cleaned up her drafts into a tidy pile on her work desk before slipping under the covers and resting her body on her mattress.

Perhaps with a good night's sleep, Drizzle would be in more of a better mood tomorrow to talk to her in detail about what occurred. She already knew the basics of what happened with his marefriend but she didn't know why or what led to this. Hopefully, it would be just a misunderstanding that would blow over soon…Or maybe this was what he needed.

The next morning, Flusk was giddy to get up out of bed and see Drizzle. She didn't normally have guests over for the night, especially not her own best friend as he always was with his significant other so it made her exuberant to have a friend staying with her.

"Good morning, Drizzle! Did you have a good sleep?" Flusk called excitedly as she made her way into the living room.

She stopped when she saw Drizzle at her front door holding something in his hoof. He stared down at a sealed envelope with scribbled writing across the front. His expression appeared to be serious as he caressed it with his hoof, furrowing his brow.

"Oh, did the mail pony get here already? That's strange, usually it's a bit later before anything arrives. Is it a letter for me?" Flusk questioned, grinning.

Drizzle shook his head as he used his magic to lift the seal off the letter.

"It's a letter for you? Who's it from?"

"Just hold on a second…" Drizzle mumbled.

He turned his back to her as he unfolded the letter, reading to himself in his head. It seemed private and something that Drizzle didn't want her to see. But why would a letter addressed to him show up at her doorstep? It wasn't like anypony knew he had been here last night.

"Are you sure it's not mine? You know you can get in huge trouble for opening somepony else's mail. Especially if it's mail from any big corporation."

"I told you it's not for you, now shh, I'm trying to read."

Flusk finally left him alone as she simply watched him, waiting for him to finish. It felt like an eternity before he was done reading the letter but once he was, she saw it softly drift to the ground like a feather floating through the air. Her focus moved to the back of his head as she saw his ears fold over.

"Drizzle?... Are you okay?"

"It was from her…She sent me a letter." He replied faintly.

Without any hesitation, Flusk swept up the letter with her magic and began to read it. Her eyes darted across the words as the situation started to become more clear. It was a very harsh letter written out of anger by his marefriend, or rather, old marefriend. It consisted mostly of her telling him she wanted nothing to do with him anymore and that he was abusive and an awful partner to her. He wouldn't be allowed to return to her home and she wished to never see him again. That was all that was said before the letter abruptly ended. She also noted that the letter was covered in watermarks as if somepony had been crying on it, before closing it.

"I'm so sorry…" She said suddenly, unsure what else to say to remedy the situation.

There was a minute of silence before Drizzle broke down onto the ground, sobbing loudly and startling Flusk. Her ears folded at the extreme distress of her friend as she too felt rather heavy and perturbed over his strong emotions. She did the only thing she could think of and embraced him into her arms, allowing him to let it all out.

A little while later, Drizzle sat quietly on the couch again, left to his own devices. Flusk assumed it would be best to let him relax and come to terms with things by himself.

Meanwhile, Flusk was attempting to bake a cake but struggling to follow the directions. What would be the second knock at her door in a short span of a few hours alarmed her and she dropped the cookbook she was previously peering into.

She made her way to the door, her social phobia plaguing her mind once again as she lifted the door open. She was pleasantly surprised to find another one of her best friends, Zozer standing at the door. They were a tall draconequus with fluffy violet hair and glasses. She was a hybrid of many different animals which normally would be pretty terrifying to somepony who had never met a draconequus before but Flusk was quite used to them. She had been introduced to a few of them already and found them to be quite intelligent and astounding creatures who behaved just like ponies. Besides, why would she fear one of her friends?

"Hey, Flusk!" Zozer greeted her happily. "Sorry to drop in so suddenly, I was just curious what you were doing today."

She saw Zozer's tail wagging behind them like a dog and it put a small smile on her face.

"Hey, I'm not doing anything at the moment. I was trying to bake a cake but that's sort of uh…A disaster at the moment. I'd recommend not looking at my kitchen." Flusk looked to her right, seeing the flour-covered counters and spilled milk everywhere, cringing internally.

"Oh, do you need help with that? I'm good at baking." Zozer grinned.

"No, no, that's alright! I'll just take care of it after." Flusk waved her off.

"Well, if you're sure," Zozer replied. "To be completely honest, I came here because I wanted to ask if you wanted to join me, Whisper and Meadow at The Flying Beans Cafe this afternoon! We all wanted to have a little get-together and thought we should invite some friends too."

"The Flying Beans?" Flusk chuckled at the name. "Is that the new cafe that just opened up?"

"Yup! We wanted to try it out and see if it's good. Of course, we'd love it if you came along."

Flusk gazed behind her to where Drizzle sat on the couch reading an old spell book he borrowed from River Breeze Library earlier, one of the most monumental libraries of their state Ifera ByFlame. He was always very intrigued by anything to do with powerful magic…

Should she invite Drizzle to come along? It would be sort of rude for her to just leave without asking him if he wanted to join. But she wasn't even sure if he'd be up to it considering how he had reacted previously.

"Oh, I'm not sure if I can. I have Drizzle staying over right now."

"Wait, Drizzle's here?" Zozer asked before sticking her long neck through the door. "Hey, Drizzle!"

Drizzle looked up from his book and waved at them, clearly being oblivious to Flusk and Zozer's conversation from before.

Zozer exited their neck from out of the doorway. "Well that's okay, he can come along if he wants to! I was going to go to his house after I came here."

"Yeah but…" Flusk lowered her voice. "He's not really…Himself right now."

"What do you mean?" Zozer adapted her voice to be quieter as well.

"He's going through something right now and I don't think it's the best idea for him to be going out and about."

"Ahh, I see. Well, you never know! Maybe you should ask him first and see what he thinks."

"Hmm, alright."

Flusk rotated around to face Drizzle. "Hey, Drizzle? Zozer wanted to know if we wanted to come to check out that new cafe that just opened in town. Meadow and Whisper were going as well and I thought you might want to go too. Although, you don't have to if you're not up to it yet."

Drizzle shut the magic book he was deep into and slid off the couch. "Sure, I wouldn't mind going. At least now I can get that coffee I wanted."

Flusk wasn't expecting that answer from him but was delighted to know he would follow them. It was always enjoyable to hang out with friends every once in a while and she had a feeling their company would brighten his spirits.

"Alright, well show us the way, Zozer!" Flusk said.

The sound of a tiny bell rang as Zozer pushed open the door to The Flying Beans Cafe. It was a cozy little cafe that had the powerful smell of fresh coffee beans the moment the three walked indoors. A buttermilk colored stallion was grinding down a fresh batch of beans at the counter, his backside to the group. To his right, there were two pegasi seated together chatting at stool seats with their beverages in hoof.

A hazelnut-colored pegasus with a long pink and chocolate-colored mane shyly cradled a warm cup of rose tea in her hooves, listening to her companion beside her chat away. The one who was presently speaking was a light green pegasus with a curled blue and green mane. Her two pink bows tied into her hair swayed idly as she was deep in conversation about an interest of hers.

Flusk watched as Zozer waved at them enthusiastically, ecstatic to get their attention.

"Whispy, Hazey!" Zozer called.

They both turned and grinned when they saw the cheerful draconequus and waved back. Zozer sprinted up to them and launched themself into a group hug. The hazelnut pegasus almost spilled her tea from the sudden action but Zozer was swift to save it with her dragon tail, being rather observant of their surroundings. Zozer planted a small kiss on her cheek before pulling away and perching herself on a stool alongside them.

"I'm back! And I see you two ordered without me." Zozer pouted jokingly, putting their paw and claw on her hips.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry…We thought you wouldn't mind…" Meadow Hazel stroked her mane anxiously, a small blush moving across her face from the affection she received earlier.

"I'm just teasing, dear. You can order if you'd like." Zozer smiled warmly.

Flusk and Drizzle made their way over and Meadow perked up upon seeing the two familiar guests Zozer brought along with them. However, the pony next to Meadow caught Flusk's eyes and the pegasus averted her gaze immediately when they approached.

"Hi, Flusk, Hi, Drizzle," Meadow's gentle voice traveled to them, the mare smiling shyly. "It's nice to see you both again."

Flusk scooched herself onto an empty stool, about to reply to Meadow when she nearly tipped herself over onto Drizzle who was presently positioning himself onto a stool at her side.

"Woah, watch it!" Drizzle snapped.

"Sorry…" Flusk apologized, startled by his overreaction.

An uncomfortable silence passed over the group as the three watched Flusk and Drizzle bewildered. Zozer narrowed her eyes at Drizzle before eyeing Flusk and finally gazing at their partner, Meadow to see her reaction. Meadow politely glanced away out of worry she might have accidentally caused this while the pegasus beside her resorted to guzzling down her tea to distract herself.

Flusk cleared her throat and briskly changed the topic. "So, what did you both order?" She motioned to both Meadow and the pegasus beside her. "I've never been here before so maybe I could get some suggestions."

"Oh, well I just ordered some rose tea. It's my favorite tea," Meadow turned to the mare beside her. "And I think Whisper ordered earl grey tea."

"Whisper? I don't believe we've met before."

"Oh right! This is Whisper Heart," She rested her head on Whisper's shoulder and smiled softly. "We've been together for a little while now."

"And I'm more than happy that our Meadow is so loveable that she has room for both of us in her heart," Zozer added, wagging their tail gleefully and nuzzling Meadow.

"Aww, I'm so glad to hear that!" Flusk replied.

Drizzle nodded in agreement with Flusk, although he didn't utter a word. He remained quiet while the small poly group excitedly chatted with one another about their different interests. While Flusk herself didn't feel fully a part of it, she couldn't quite understand why Drizzle was more short-spoken. He wanted to be here to feel better and there was no way of accomplishing that if he at least didn't try to engross himself into the conversation.

Even Whisper Heart was participating more than him and while that could be because she was with those she felt most comfortable with, Flusk took her as somepony who wasn't much of a conversationalist. In comparison, Drizzle was really out of his element here.

Flusk gently nudged Drizzle in the side. "Hey, why don't we go up and order something? You said something about coffee earlier, right?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Sure, why not."

Flusk and Drizzle made their way up to order, inviting Zozer as well to join them since she had been so enthralled in their discussion with the others that she forgot the whole reason they came to this cafe.

Drizzle ended up purchasing the coffee he had asked for before, followed by a chocolate sprinkled donut. Zozer ordered some sort of tea that Flusk could not remember for the life of her, and once it was her turn, she ended up just getting a normal hot chocolate out of fear that she was taking too long peering at the menu.

"Is that a hot chocolate?" Drizzle asked.

A question that Flusk was afraid she'd get…

"Yes?..." She answered, turning her head anxiously.

"Out of everything you could have ordered, you chose a hot chocolate? You can get that anywhere, Flusk."

"I know…" Flusk replied in a tiny embarrassed voice.

She lightly licked the whipped cream off the top of her hot chocolate, quivering with self-consciousness after being called out on her choice of beverage. On the bright side, it tasted delicious and was probably one of the best hot chocolates Flusk had ever had in her life. She didn't entirely regret her decision in ignoring everything else on the menu.

"Wow, this is so good!" Zozer exclaimed. "We need to come here again sometime."

"I agree, the atmosphere is nice," Whisper commented.

"I've learned that cafes aren't my thing but don't let me stop you." Flusk smiled sheepishly.

"At least it's a nice alternative to when Flusk lacks coffee in her house," Drizzle said. "Which is all the time."

"Hey!"

"Speaking of which, I was curious why Drizzle was staying at your house earlier. Were you having a sleepover or something?" Zozer asked curiously.

Drizzle nearly spit out his coffee. "A sleepover?! No-"

"That's kind of a long story and I don't think it's my place to speak on his behalf. It's up to you Drizzle." Flusk interrupted, glancing over at him.

Drizzle paused, setting down his coffee. He debated whether it was worth bringing up his weighty problems to his friends. Especially since they were all having so much fun together and having a nice break. Would they even care if he did? Or maybe he would just bring them all down instead.

He felt that same sick feeling in his stomach he had felt when he first read the letter. He gripped the stool underneath him as thoughts and worries swirled through his head, making him question all the things he had done in the past.

"Drizzle?" Flusk asked, noticing his uneasiness.

"Oh, sorry," Drizzle came to his senses. "I don't feel that comfortable saying."

"That's okay!" Zozer reassured him. "I'm not going to force you to say something that makes you uncomfortable."

"Thank you, Zozer." Drizzle smiled.

After that, the topic promptly swapped to something more light-hearted and Drizzle was relieved to find everypony forgotten about it as quickly as it was mentioned.

Late into the afternoon, the crew finished their beverages and treats and went their separate ways, Drizzle returning with Flusk to her home and Meadow, Whisper and Zozer heading back to their place.

On their way, they trotted across a stone path as the sun beat down upon them. They had idle chat every once in a while but for the most part, it appeared Drizzle was more intent on observing the things around him and listening to the light swaying of the trees above them. Flusk didn't mind but she did happen to have one question weighing on her conscious.

"Do you feel better now?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess it's impossible to feel better so quickly but I wondered if maybe that little get-together distracted you from her."

"It did...Up until the end. But that's not to say that it was entirely ruined because that situation was brought up, I enjoyed it. It was nice to catch up."

"Will you ever tell them? I mean, they're going to notice at some point that you don't live with her anymore. It might become important that you inform them what happened."

"I need some time to think about that...I'm just not ready to face that yet. I haven't even really accepted the fact that we're no longer together anymore. I just...I just need some time."

"Okay…"

For the rest of their stroll back home, Drizzle remained mute, not wanting to speak anymore on the topic. Flusk respected his wishes but it certainly didn't make their journey home any less awkward.

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Mooncaster

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"So, you wanted to go back to the library to return that book, right?”

“Flusk, I already told you that you didn’t need to come. I’m not a colt, I’m an adult and I can do things myself without another adult insisting they follow me.” Drizzle retorted.

“Well of course I’m not going for that reason. I’m an author, remember? I’m checking out their monthly book display! They always have some interesting reads at the beginning of the month.”

Well, that was half a lie. She did indeed want to see what new books they had for a recommendation but she also wanted to spend time with Drizzle, or rather keep an eye on him. One couldn’t be too sure with somepony who was emotionally unstable and had been dumped by their former marefriend about three weeks ago.

Flusk pranced her way in front as she and Drizzle walked through the busy afternoon of River Breeze. As they passed by, Flusk could hear the chattering of ponies debating on the new mayor of River Breeze and how much they either disagreed or agreed with his plans to add a fountain in the town square. They argued it was a waste of their bits and that it was completely unnecessary architecture fit to please those who traversed Ifera, not those who resided within River Breeze.

And then there were the usual vendors positioning their freshly picked fruit and vegetables upon their stands that they had labored for the highest quality possible to make ends meet. Flusk even saw a filly assisting her mother in lifting a gigantic watermelon into its place as ponies flocked to their stands to buy their produce. A slice of watermelon did sound refreshing on this balmy summer afternoon…

“I know you’re lying. You wouldn’t be this invested in following me if it were just for a couple of books.” Drizzle replied.

Ignoring his previous comment, Flusk leaned her head to the side to get a good look at the volume hugged tightly to Drizzle’s chest. It was a tattered old book that had most likely been borrowed many times in the past by unicorns who sought the knowledge of spell makers who had long passed before their time.

Drizzle was a bit of a “magic nerd” as Flusk coined it, who enjoyed educating himself about spells old and new and attempting them himself. Remarkably, he was capable of performing many and was much stronger in his power than Flusk ever would be. Perhaps it was because he always had his muzzle deep into a page of millennia-aged magic, or that Flusk was simply incapacitated from reaching that stage of mental advancement. Whatever the case, the stallion’s pride relied on a lot of his skill in controlling magic and talent to create artistic pieces of work.

“What’s wrong with that book?” Flusk asked, pointing at it. “You seemed to be enjoying it earlier.”

“It wasn’t what I was looking for. I’ve already studied a lot of these spells and they’re common knowledge amongst unicorns. I’m trying to find more advanced spells to study instead.”

“I hope you don’t try performing any of those inside my house. The last thing I need is you breaking anything.”

“I’ve been studying magic for a long time. I have excellent control over it and would never perform anything complicated indoors. You should have a little more faith in my ability, Flusk.”

“It’s hard not to be skeptical considering your past…”

Drizzle stopped in his tracks and gave Flusk a forbidding look. “What do you mean by my past?”

“Dark magic…When you use to-” Flusk replied shortly.

Drizzle interrupted her. “I haven’t done that in years, long before I ever met you. You think I’d ever go back to that awful habit?”

“Well, I don’t know if you will or won’t. It’s just a concern of mine since you said you couldn’t control yourself back then.”

“Dark magic is akin to a drug. It controls your mind and feeds it with thoughts that aren’t your own. I wasn’t in my right mind when I used it but normal magic is different. It doesn’t have addictive properties and it can’t do that to me.”

Drizzle quickened his pace to avoid the conversation from going on any further as he was already ticked off from the mention of something he wasn’t very proud of. As much as Flusk understood it was a touchy matter for him, she also understood that Drizzle was easily bribed by power.

He had made this same mistake about seven years ago when he first delved into the mysterious magic that promised strength and immense intelligence. But like many things that seem too good to be true, so were the dark powers. They abused his mind and filled it with cruel scenarios and thoughts that were inescapable, all the while providing him with what he desired most, power. At least, that’s what he had described to Flusk when explaining what he had endured for harnessing it.

The potential of it happening again terrified Flusk and all she wanted was for him to take great caution when investigating new spells he had never encountered before. Sure, none of these were anywhere near dark magic in theory but she couldn’t bear the thought of him losing his mind to such a manipulative incantation again. Dark magic was already hard enough to strip magic users away from once they started…

“Well, we’re here.” Drizzle said.

Flusk nearly trotted into a solid stone statue of a unicorn balancing a scroll on its hoof. Another statue which differed from the other stood to the right and was of a unicorn rearing onto its back hooves, reaching for the sunlight. They stood guard at the grand staircase that led to the entrance of River Breeze Library.

The library had been a building that stood against centuries of war and climate that threatened to demolish it eons ago, yet it remained as one of the oldest pieces of history within Ifera ByFlame. It carried books and manuscripts by authors who had been lost to time and had the privilege of being remembered for their best works. And presently, its existence was used for young magic users to study the old and new spells of famous sorcerers who had made their impact. Or if you’re Flusk, the new trending and burning hot books placed brand new on the shelves.

Upon entering, the library had a musty smell Flusk didn’t remember getting a whiff of when she last came here. It appeared the aged property needed another cleaning again as not only the stale scent but cobwebs and dust accompanied it. Flusk wrinkled her muzzle in disgust as she hurried to follow Drizzle to the front desk of this establishment.

“Welcome to River Breeze Library, how may I assist you.” An old mare with a salt and pepper mane asked monotony as if she had said this very line far too many times.

“I would like to return this book, please.” Drizzle replied, sliding over his beaten book.

The old mare studied it for a moment before reaching over for a notebook and flipping through the pages. She traced her hoof over his name. “It says here you borrowed this book almost a month ago. The due date was last week.”

“Oh really? I thought I still had more time. I’m sorry, I’ll bring it in earlier next time.”

“Next time, eh? All you young ponies say that and end up never bringing it back. Then I have to chase you lot down…”

She narrowed her eyes on Drizzle and leaned over the counter, staring him down. The stallion nervously shifted backward to avoid her getting any closer as he smiled sheepishly.

“That’s uh…A bit offensive to say but I promise I’ll bring it back. It was only a week late after all.”

“I once had a colt who looked quite like you that borrowed a book. I never saw him again until I found his address myself. Do you know what I did to him?”

“Uh…No?...”

Flusk surveyed the situation happening in front of her with both confusion and apprehension as she observed the elder mare nearing Drizzle’s personal space. She could tell that Drizzle was restraining himself from just beating up an old lady out of self-defence but knew that he would most likely be arrested for it so he didn’t go through with it. However, she wasn’t going to stay behind to find out.

“Uhh…Hey, Drizzle, I’m going to go check out some books. Let me know when you’re done!”

Flusk practically sprinted away before he could reject her from leaving. She felt guilty for letting him deal with that unhinged mare alone but she wasn’t about to put an end to it either.

Once she was a distance away from them, she slowed her pace to a trot and halted in front of the display section. The latest award-winning books were positioned in front of her and she inspected them with both excitement and curiosity.

“The Adventures of Princess Faithela,” Flusk murmured to herself, reading titles. “Discordant Origins, The Kitsune…Oooohh, they have Lullaby’s Voice here!”

Flusk nabbed a baby blue book off the display which depicted a young pegasus filly perched on a tree branch, musical notes swarming all around her as she sang to her heart’s content. Her hoof brushed over the front cover as she could barely contain herself over being able to find this novel here.

“Hold on a second, is that who I think it is?” Flusk squinted at the book.

Her eyes fell on the nominations of awards and ratings given to the book before falling on one specifically. Besides the judging from Robin Wings Publishers, one of the rulers of Ifera ByFlame, Princess Aphrodite had also submitted her own judging. She had rated the book highly and recommended others read it if they were in need of a sweet story. Flusk nearly lost it at this information.

“Princess Aphrodite? The Aphrodite?”

Flusk suppressed a squeal and squeezed the book to her chest. Princess Aphrodite had been an idol that she long praised and admired for a long time. A shy but elegant princess who did not need to say many words unless it were necessary. She was always seen at the shoulder of her older sister, Princess Regalia who was far more confident and carried a strong voice.

The younger sister was a bit of a mystery to most of Ifera but she was well respected and loved equally as much. The way she held herself was so graceful and selfless that Flusk couldn’t help but fall in love with her, perhaps quite literally. The fact that her favorite princess had commented on a book she had been intrigued by reading was all the more reason it was a perfect pick.

Making up her mind, Flusk cradled the novel in her purple aura as she prepared to make her way back to the front desk to sign the book out. However, just as she turned around, her flank accidentally knocked over a book off the display table.

“Oops!”

She levitated the book off the floor and in her line of vision, dusting off any smudges or dirt on the cover.

“Hmm, Ifera ByFlame’s Myths and Legends…That doesn’t sound like a newly published book.”

She rotated it around and read the synopsis. It appeared to be a book that had been written preceding the time of Princess Aphrodite and Princess Regalia’s births and was updated every few centuries once new tales emerged. It certainly didn’t belong on the display table and didn’t look like it either as it was in similar shape to the book Drizzle borrowed but it piqued Flusk’s interest. Perhaps she would have two books to sign out today?

She looked back and forth for anypony around her in case they were judging her for grasping such an unappealing book and darted for the front desk.

Drizzle was still standing there when she returned but he and the old mare didn’t seem to be having a quarrel anymore. In fact, she instead was recalling memories of her past and reminiscing happily. The expression on his face as he was forced to listen to her stories for the past fifteen minutes made Flusk think he quite literally wanted to kill himself. Luckily she had a reason to shut her up.

“Hello, I’d like to sign out these two books please.” Flusk interrupted, placing them on the desk.

The old mare was momentarily irritated to have her nostalgia paused but once she saw the aged book Flusk possessed, her mood lightened.

“Ah, mythology. I love reading those old stories about dragons and ponies with the power to control rain. You have a keen eye, my dear.”

She stamped the two books and scribbled something down in the notebook before sliding them back to Flusk. Drizzle gazed at her with his mouth agape, utterly astonished and envious of her somehow getting on the mare’s good side by doing virtually nothing.

“Now, sonny boy, are you going to sign out a book or what? I don’t have all the time in the world.” The mare changed her tone.

Steam was practically coming out of his ears as Drizzle grit his teeth. “I’ve been trying to return a book this whole time but you keep talking!”

“Well, why didn’t you say so? I would have been lickety-split and had you out the door by now.”

“Why you piece of-”

Flusk proceeded to drag Drizzle away by his tail before he could finish that sentence. She didn’t need her best friend having them both banned from the library permanently.

The old mare simply shrugged when they finally exited the library and she placed the book Drizzle had attempted to return in a box stacked to the window. She returned to the desk shortly after, settling herself to prepare for more ponies to assist but suddenly paused.

“Wait, Ifera ByFlame’s Myths and Legends wasn’t it?...”

She thought to herself before recollecting a conversation she shared with another pony recently.

“That was a book the author requested the library take off the shelves…Oh, dear.”

Dusk had fallen over River Breeze once again and Flusk and Drizzle had long since retired back home before the sunset. Drizzle was slumbering on the couch again, not wanting to spend the late hours conscious and with his reflection on the events that occurred with his former marefriend. They always became far more distressing at night.

Meanwhile, Flusk was in her usual place in her bedroom, pouring over the books she brought home today. While it was expected she’d be reading Lullaby’s Voice first, she decided to take a closer look at the other book she just happened to bump into.

She flipped through the contrasting legends and myths of ponies blessed with the gift of immense strength from coming in contact with a large rock and the strange rituals old villages of the past performed to ward off destructive dragons. In all honesty, these stories seemed like tales told to young fillies dozing off before bedtime and weren’t as exciting as Flusk had hoped. She may as well have selected a picture book from the filly’s section of the library instead.

Feeling rather drowsy herself, she moved her hoof to shut the book but abruptly ceased her action when she noticed a familiar image on a page. A large mountain with a blanket of snow on top caught Flusk’s attention as she shifted her desk lamp to face the text.

“Mount Mooncaster?...” She mumbled.

Mount Mooncaster was a mountain that resided a few miles from the general area of River Breeze. Flusk had known about its existence for her entire life, including those who inhabited the village. For tourists, it was an attraction that most refused to miss and visited River Breeze to take in its magnificent sights, especially on the night of a full moon. The light of the moon would cast itself upon the mountain and create an illusion of the natural landmark glowing, thus the reason for it gaining the name, Mooncaster.

But the mountain had been for only viewing purposes and was outlawed for anypony deciding to climb the beast. Flusk wasn’t exactly sure why and what had occurred for such a decision to be made but she had been told this since she was a little filly and never really had a desire to trek up the mountain anyway. However, seeing as it was mentioned within this book, she wondered if there was more to the story.

She smoothed out the page with her hoof and began to read.

“Mount Mooncaster, a mountain that formed long before the creation of its neighboring village, River Breeze, has always been a point of suspicion for geologists and historians alike. Its rock formation appears seemingly normal, however, it carries a foreign aura that many unicorns have accounted for with no source of where it’s coming from. To add on to it, records of the mountain dating thousands of years ago bare no mention of the mysterious magic emanating from its surface, nor much about the mountain at all.”

“Amongst this missing information is a circling legend about the interior of Mooncaster being an area where the royalty of Ifera ByFlame have been banishing ancient and destructive artifacts for centuries, perhaps even dangerous entities. It’s predicted the effect of these objects and existing life in the mountain has been a reason for the wild magic appearing upon its surface and why the princesses have outlawed pony civilization from investigating it further.”

Although this information wasn’t entirely confirmed, Flusk found herself absorbed in its content and had many questions on her mind about the mountain. In fact, for the first time, she felt like she wanted to know the secrets it was hiding and why the princesses attempted so hard to hide the truth. What lies beyond the warning signs and cautions of the ponies?...

Flusk closed the book and dived into her bed, knowing she would stay awake wondering if she kept herself occupied with the page. She had a new goal in mind and a motivation for what she would do next. Whether Drizzle would agree with her plans however was a different story…

“No, no way in hell.” Drizzle said.

“Come on, I can’t go by myself! What if something happens to me?” Flusk pleaded.

“I’m saying no to both myself and you. There’s a reason why that mountain is blocked off and I’m not testing it.”

Drizzle approached a watermelon stand with Flusk in tow, the owner of the fresh produce excitedly moving to receive his currency in exchange for a particularly juicy watermelon.

“But you’re all about learning new things, especially stuff that involves ancient magic.” Flusk pulled out the book she had been reading. “And, I read that Mooncaster has strange magic coming from its surface and they still don’t know why. Doesn’t that sound at least a little interesting?”

“Interesting, yes. Worth risking my life over? Fuck no.”

Drizzle heaved the purchased watermelon with his magic off the stand and allowed it to gently levitate beside him as he trotted onwards.

“You don’t even know if it’s dangerous or not yet!”

“Let’s see, blocked off trails, sightseeing at a distance, and not to mention all the stuff you told me about them thinking the princesses are just throwing dangerous artifacts in there for safekeeping.” Drizzle listed off. “Even if the legend isn’t true, if it’s illegal to enter, then that’s enough reason for me to stay away. I already have enough on my plate.”

“But how is anypony supposed to find any answers on what’s going on if they all just gallop away with their tail between their legs? You have to take risks to find out the truth sometimes.”

“Funny, you willingly talk about investigating unknown territory that could kill us yet you were so concerned earlier about me reverting to my old ways and using dark magic again. Don’t you find that a little hypocritical, Flusk?”

Flusk halted and Drizzle turned his head to gaze back at her. Her ears were folded to her head and she glared down at the earth, refusing to look him in the eyes.

“This…It’s different this time,” Flusk hesitated with her words. “I feel like I need to be there somehow…Like, I’m being called to find whatever is hiding there.”

“Dark magic has the same effect. It can make you hallucinate about your name being called and lead you to different places without you even knowing. To me, this just sounds like you want to get us both involved in the same power that once took control of my mind.”

“I’m not trying to put us in harm’s way! You know I would never.”

“Then why suggest something so horrendous when you already know what the outcome will be? Death, Flusk. We’ll fucking die!” Drizzle snapped.

“No, we won’t! In fact, I'm going to go find somepony to accompany us on the trip up the mountain that will not only prove we’ll be safe but prove Mooncaster is worth the risk!”

And without another word, Flusk dashed off to meet with her undisclosed pony in mind. Drizzle didn’t bother pursuing Flusk and observed her galloping away scornfully. If there was one thing he hated more than anything about Flusk, it was her stubbornness to give up something she was passionate about. Especially if it were futile.

Chapter 3: Into the Deep

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Heavy metal music echoed across the neighborhood, disturbing nearby ponies and angering next-door neighbors. An old stallion from across the street grimaced at a small home in front of him where the loud music was arising from and slammed his window shut, shaking his head and leaving to resume his hobbies downstairs.

Despite the majority despising the disruptive music plaguing their clear morning, the only two who experienced merriment from the blaring tune were the ones creating it. A chalky white unicorn with an even red and milky colored mane concentrated on strumming a bass guitar to a backing track. Her companion, a light blue pegasus with ruffled dark purple hair was seated on a stool at her side, idly tapping her hoof to the beat.

In between the song, the unicorn found herself slowly losing her pace and her hoof began to strum at the strings faster in an attempt to catch up. She gazed upwards at the pony accompanying her and saw her shaking her head and making a hoof motion. She abruptly stopped playing.

“You were playing too slow again. You can’t just cover that up by rushing the notes.” The pegasus said.

“Yeah well, I’ve done this same part about ten times now. I’m trying to get it.” The unicorn scowled down at the guitar in her hooves.

The pegasus laid her wing over her back and smiled in reassurance. “Why don’t we take a break? This way I can go over if the magic method is better or we should just revamp that part.”

“I guess so.”

She gave the other mare a playful shove with her wing and sprung up from the stool. “I’m going to go make a sandwich. Call if you need me.”

The unicorn peered down at the instrument before moving to set it back on the wall. She was presently feeling a bit discouraged that she kept fumbling on the pacing and didn’t exactly feel like practicing anymore today. As much as her marefriend had tried to make her feel better, she somewhat felt that she too was a little irritated that she couldn’t keep up.

“Scarlet, Scarlet!”

Her head perked up and her eyes searched the disordered basement, stacked ceiling-high with old junk, boxes and schoolgirl skirts. The thumping of hooves could be heard from above along with a clattering noise and the shrieking of her partner upstairs.

“What the fuck, there’s a pony in here?! Scarlet, get your ass up here, somepony broke in!”

Scarlet rushed to climb the stairs and was met with the other mare holding a butter knife between her teeth, a dribble of butter remaining on it. A plate smashed to pieces resided next to the fridge and two halves of bread followed by a cheese slice lay on the floor nearby. It appeared she didn’t get the chance to enjoy her sandwich as she intended.

“Chaos, what are you doing?” Scarlet asked.

“I have a knife and I’m not afraid to use it!” Chaos called out to the intruder.

“That’s a butter knife. It’s almost impossible to kill somepony with that.”

“Shh, don’t let them hear that!” Chaos whispered to Scarlet.

Scarlet and Chaos Melody discerned somepony swiftly galloping through the living room and they both rushed to follow the sound. They ceased their movement when the two reached the entrance and Chaos defensively held out her butter knife whilst Scarlet rolled her eyes.

Scarlet carefully trotted her way into the living room, leaning her head left and right to check small crevices and areas the trespasser could be hiding. She paused when she noticed a fluffy dark blue tail poking out from behind a couch pillow and she levitated it out of the way.

“Flusk?” Scarlet’s eyes widened.

Flusk shuddered with her hooves over her face protectively. “Please don’t kill me, I didn’t mean to break in! The front door was open so I thought I’d just come in and announce myself. But then the other pony got scared so I ran around trying to find a way out and-”

“You know her?” Chaos interrupted.

Scarlet sighed. “As much as I don’t mind you coming over, knocking would be nice. You scared the shit out of Chaos.”

“Why are you being nice to someone who just broke into our house?!”

“She’s a close friend of mine, she’s not dangerous. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

“If you say so,” Chaos lowered her butter knife and walked back to the kitchen, muttering angrily. “She made me drop my sandwich…”

Scarlet turned to Flusk as the dark unicorn repositioned herself from previously cowering in fright.

“Seriously though, you need to work on your entrances.” Scarlet furrowed her brow.

“I know, I’m sorry. I came here in a hurry because I wanted to ask you if you would come to Mooncaster with me.”

“Wait, Mooncaster? You mean that giant ass mountain over there?” Scarlet pointed in the general direction she predicted Mooncaster was.

“Yes. I need an answer like…Right now. A simple yes or no suffices.”

“Isn’t that thing like haunted or something? I don’t know if mountains can be haunted but I heard there’s some wild shit going on over there. I don’t think that’s very smart.”

“Yes, there is some wild shit going on over there!” Flusk shouted impatiently. “But you know what, I don’t care. I’m sick of other ponies determining whether I should or shouldn’t do something! I’m going to do it whether you come with me or not!”

Flusk panted from her outrage as Scarlet simply stared at her in surprise. Once she came to her senses, she exhaled and pushed her mane out of her eyes shyly.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to yell at you like that.”

“I take it that others have been telling you the same thing, huh?”

Flusk nodded and gazed down at the floor embarrassed.

“Well, if it means that much to you I’ll go. But don’t expect me to know anything about hiking and mountains or whatever. I wouldn’t choose to go to Mooncaster if it were up to me.”

“Really?” Flusk grinned widely. “Thank you, I’m glad somepony believes in me.”

“I’ll go tell Chaos and we can leave right after.”

Unfortunately, it took a bit more than just telling to get Chaos to budge on allowing Scarlet to follow Flusk to the mountain. Chaos was well aware of how illegal it was to be in Mooncaster’s vicinity and warned Scarlet to stay away, absolutely refusing her from getting herself into trouble.

Nevertheless, Scarlet was far too stubborn to listen to her cries of caution and only replied that she was familiar with treacherous climates and areas, especially in the sense of war. She had been on the battleground many times and although Mooncaster was not in any sort of conflict between ponies, she used the fact that she was a war-hardened pony to get away with doing something highly illegal. It wasn’t a reliable explanation but it worked long enough for her and Flusk to dart out the door.

By now, Flusk and Scarlet had made their way into River Breeze square and spotted Drizzle seated on the ground near the watermelon stand. The watermelon he purchased sat in a bag this time at his side while he gaped at Mount Mooncaster in the distance, seeming to be contemplating the trot up the mountain.

“Drizzle, I’m back,” Flusk called. “And I brought somepony with me!”

Drizzled rotated his head around and his expression immediately changed to repugnance when he realized who was with her.

“You brought her along?” Drizzle said in disappointment.

“Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine,” Scarlet answered sarcastically.

“I don’t even know why you don’t like Scarlet. She didn’t even do anything to you.” Flusk responded.

“You want to know what she did to me? She’s talked smack about me behind my back, she says the rudest shit to your face and she’s quite possibly the most self-centred and uncaring pony I’ve ever met.”

“To me, it sounds like you described everything you are to a tee,” Scarlet replied sharply.

Scarlet and Drizzle bore into each other, looking like they were about to throw hooves with one another when Flusk stood in between them.

“This is ridiculous. You two fighting each other isn’t going to get us any closer to investigating Mooncaster. I’d appreciate it if you both learned to tolerate each other for the journey so we don’t run into any unnecessary problems.”

“I never even said I wanted to go! You just ran off and decided everything for me after I explicitly said I wasn’t going!” Drizzle complained.

“Come on, we’re already here. Just this once, please?”

Flusk pouted and gazed innocently at him, hoping to persuade him to agree. Drizzle leered at her momentarily before he sighed and gave up.

“Fine.”

“Yay!” Flusk cheered.

The excited unicorn cantered toward the direction of Mooncaster and Scarlet followed shortly after. Feeling like he had no choice in the matter, Drizzle continued along with them as they began their adventure to the mountain.

“Wait, no one even thought to bring any supplies with them? Are you insane?!” Drizzle yelled.

The sun was lower in the sky as Flusk, Scarlet and Drizzle hiked down a rocky trail that for the most part was deserted. They trotted past a few sight-seekers who wore cameras around their necks and conversed excitedly about the view behind them. This could only mean that the group had reached as close to Mooncaster as was legally allowed by the princesses.

Flusk galloped up to a crowd of ponies overlooking a cliff above a large ravine. Beyond it was the massive mountain of Mount Mooncaster. Thick clouds hung aloft on the summit while small birds in the distance glided overhead, swooping in and out of the fluffy exterior. And just as she recalled from the book, a faint but evident green aura illuminated the outlines of the trees residing on the mountain. This aura would become stronger and more visible at night time once the moon rose in the sky.

Drizzle stood at Flusk’s side. “Well, we’re here. Why don’t we just have a quick look around and then head back home? I was going to order a pizza and-”

“No,” Flusk interrupted. “We came here to climb Mooncaster. I’m not going home just yet.”

“Hold on a second, you never said we were going to climb it.” Scarlet showed a bit of concern on her face.

“Don’t say that so loud! There are ponies everywhere here and they might hear you.” Drizzle cautioned.

“I’m sorry, I guess I should have explained better but I felt like if I did, you’d never be on board.” Flusk frowned.

“I mean, I’m not just going to gallop off now that we’re here but I definitely wouldn’t have come if I knew that.”

“It probably wouldn’t have even mattered, she’d just drag you here no matter what. I still don’t want to be here yet I’m here!” Drizzle protested.

“You followed us, you had every chance to walk away but you didn’t. Don’t act like you were brought here against your will.”

“But I was! Did you not hear her earlier begging me to go?”

Their discussion faded to silence within her mind as Flusk had her eye on two security guards standing on duty. They stood in front of a barbed-wire fence that lined the edge of the cliff with neutral expressions. She took note of the fact they were both pegasi, purposely chosen in case another pegasus decided to fly right over the fence or even a unicorn used teleportation to get to the other side. They would be able to chase them down through the air and promptly arrest them. She could tell they were skilled fliers and it wouldn’t take much effort either.

“Hey Drizzle, would you mind lending me a hoof? Or rather, a horn?”

The grin on her face said it all and Drizzle immediately dreaded whatever she had in mind for him.

Scarlet and Flusk concealed themselves behind a bush a short distance away from the barbed wire fence. A security guard stood on their side, oblivious to the two mares plan as they focused on monitoring the crowd.

“Alright, so Drizzle is going to use a flashbang spell on the guards to disorient them. While they’re stunned, I and you are going to climb that fence and dive over into the ravine. If we’re all fast enough, they won’t even be able to see us once they regain their senses.” Flusk explained, keeping a hushed tone.

“Do you understand how crazy that sounds?” Scarlet asked quietly. “We’re diving into a ravine from the air.”

“There’s water below, I checked.”

“Is Drizzle even okay with that either? He’s a prick but even he shouldn’t be forced to do something this extreme.” Scarlet glanced over to her left, searching for Drizzle on the other side.

“I mean he didn’t say he wanted to but he’s over there preparing his spell. I’d say he’s already agreed to it.”

“What happened to you? You would never do this normally. Especially something to this extent.”

“There’s something important about Mooncaster and I have to find it. If I walk away now, I’ll never know what’s calling me here.”

“Well, fine, but you’re going to a mage after this so I can make sure there’s no foreign magic luring you to your death or something equally threatening.”

Flusk observed as Drizzle squeezed himself through the crowd to get in closer range with the security guards. He crouched down, his legs noticeably shaking in fear as he utilized the tightly knit ponies around him for shielding the brightness of the glow of his horn. A few of them looked at him once or twice with confused expressions before turning their attention back to the breathtaking view in front of them.

His horn smoldered with bright violet magic as he aimed carefully. The bright aura was the agreed-upon signal for Scarlet and Flusk to ready themselves and once the flashbang was released, it would be on them to get across.

Drizzle lunged forward and a loud explosion and blinding luminosity followed as screams and yells emanated amongst the area. Flusk could hear the bewildered shouts of the security guards while she and Scarlet shielded their eyes and galloped toward the fence.

Flusk strained, using her magic to boost herself up the fence and threw herself over. The crunch of grass beside her indicated that Scarlet got over it as well. She reached her hoof ahead and found that there was no land to support it.

“Are you sure you still want to do this?” Scarlet’s voice spoke beside her.

“We’re going to be arrested if we don’t!”

Scarlet took that as yes as she dived off the cliff, followed by Flusk. A rush of air consumed them, aggressively throwing their manes behind them and forcing them to shut their eyes. Flusk felt the urge to scream inside but it never escaped her mouth as she fell through the air, feeling like her entire world had stopped. Eventually, she found her limbs limply following the violent nature of the wind rushing past her and surrendered to it.

Shortly after doing so, she and Scarlet dropped into the cold ravine water below and liquid began to fill her lungs. She fought with her arms to swim to the surface and gasped once she reached the top. She broke into a coughing fit, expelling water from her throat.

“Flusk, are you okay?” Scarlet asked, drifting towards her.

She wanted to respond but she was too busy trying to stay afloat while her body forced her to hack up all the water she inhaled. Scarlet carefully lifted Flusk onto her back and proceeded to doggy paddle to the nearest piece of land. Once she pulled herself up onto the ground, she gently helped Flusk off.

“T-Thank you…” Flusk panted, letting out a few coughs.

“I can’t believe you jumped in there without knowing how to swim first,” Scarlet said sternly.

“It was…The only way.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t. You just didn’t want to think of another plan in a short amount of time.”

The rustling of trees nearby alerted Scarlet and she whipped her head around, rotating herself so that she faced the evergreen behind them. There was an audible poof noise as Drizzle came bursting out of some tree branches and fell right on his flank.

Drizzle groaned and massaged his flank with his hoof. “Ughhh…I’m never doing that again.”

He turned his gaze to Scarlet and Flusk who were sopping wet from head to hoof, Flusk looking worse for wear and Scarlet having her usual scowl at him.

“Uh, what happened to you two? You both look like shit.”

“We took a dip in the ravine and Flusk ended up almost dying,” Scarlet responded bluntly.

“I didn’t almost die! I was just struggling.”

“You could barely keep your head above water, you weren’t just struggling.”

“This whole thing is a suicide attempt,” Drizzle said, ringing his mane of twigs and stray leaves. “I don’t even know if those guards saw me, never mind the rash and short thinking on Flusk’s part.”

“Would you stop hating everything I do? I’m trying my best and you’re not making me feel any better about it!” Flusk snapped.

“Good, you shouldn’t feel good about it! You dragged us all the way here, evading the law and almost killing yourself in the process. If Scarlet weren’t here I don’t know what would have happened to you.”

“Is that a compliment or?...” Scarlet trailed off.

Tears stung the corners of Flusk’s eyes and she glowered as she pulled herself up from the ground. Her head raised to gaze up at the rocky peaks of Mount Mooncaster, large rocks jutting out of its surface down. They appeared to be stable enough to climb, perhaps even hold a pony.

She huffed angrily and fought back her tears as she placed a hoof on a slab and strived to climb the mountain by herself. She breathed hard and grit her teeth, one of her back hooves slipping off a stone.

“What are you doing now?” Drizzle asked angrily.

“Just forget it, I don’t want to bother you anymore. I’ll just go by myself.”

“Hey, I’m still here, you know. I want to go too.” Scarlet replied.

The unicorn trotted a few short steps from where Flusk ventured up the steep climb. A rock suddenly gave out underneath her hoof and she went descending through the air screaming. Luckily, Scarlet’s horn glimmered to life and she was able to break Flusk’s fall and seize her from striking the ground.

“And I would prefer I join you as well. You have no sense of safety for yourself.” Scarlet commented, grimacing as she softly set Flusk down.

Flusk laughed awkwardly. “Yeah…I think it would be best if you came too. This is the second time you’ve saved me today.”

“It certainly won’t be the last.”

The two ponies proceeded to ascend the mountain together, Scarlet using her magic to assist Flusk where she could and pointing out stable rocks that would be safe enough to hold their weight. While they were halfway upwards, Drizzle simply stood there, utterly dumbfounded that they were both continuing with this appalling plan. He hadn’t even got the chance yet to castigate Flusk for compelling him to possibly put his entire future on the line for one measly mission. And for what, a trailblazer job? He was outraged at what he had been previously subjected to.

Whilst climbing, Scarlet paused on a large rock and turned her head around to stare down at Drizzle below her.

“Are you coming or what?” Scarlet asked with an attitude.

“I don’t know, am I?” He returned it. “I’m being used as a fucking scapegoat left and right so what’s the point.”

Scarlet glanced up to see Flusk farther upwards than her and decided to take this rare chance to give that stallion down there a piece of her mind.

“Look, asshole, I’m not going to pretend and say I like you but you’re Flusk’s best friend. I’ll never understand why or what she sees in you but what I do understand is that you’ve not been a very good friend to her as of late. The least you could do is get your lazy ass up here and help her.”

Scarlet rotated back around and carried on with her climbing. Not even a few moments after her speech, she could hear the rolling of small rocks and Drizzle straining below her to catch up with them.

It wasn’t before long that the three ponies paused to take a rest on a protruding cliffside elevated off the mountain. By now, the air had become much chillier and the swarming clouds above were not far off from their current destination. Accompanying the frigid atmosphere was an unusual feeling that was almost indescribable. It was foreign and unknown yet not particularly frightful or menacing. It was like energy from an outworld that possibly shouldn’t belong here but remained all the same.

“I’m not liking the frequencies I’m getting here. It feels very off and ancient.” Drizzle said, rubbing his hooves together to warm them.

“You feel that too? I thought that was just me.” Flusk replied.

“It’s f-fucking freezing here…” Scarlet stuttered, her teeth chattering from the cold.

“I do remember that book saying there’s some strange magic here on the mountain. Maybe it’s affecting the atmosphere here.”

“That’s great and all but can we find shelter? I can’t take this.” Scarlet complained.

“Where are we supposed to find shelter on a mountain? It’s all rock and more rock.” Drizzle retorted.

“We could try there!”

Flusk motioned to a dingy cave that was boarded up with signs and cautionary warnings, explaining that if anypony set hoof in, the legal authority would have full consent to punish that pony. Along with mentioning there was a high-level magical force field placed around the mouth of the cave, making it strenuous to get in. But not exactly impossible.

“Uhh…Are you blind?” Drizzle asked genuinely. “Do you see all that stuff on the outside of it?”

“Holy shit, it’s extremely illegal to go in there,” Scarlet paused. “I’m doing it.”

“You both are beyond help.”

Scarlet and Flusk approached the cave but were abruptly stopped as they slammed into an invisible wall that prevented them from getting in. Scarlet began punching it with her hoof, making the force field sparkle and reflect light but it wasn’t exactly beneficial to their ultimate goal of getting in. Drizzle was only counting down the seconds before they requested his help considering his magic level and understanding.

“Drizzle, can you destroy this force field for us?” Flusk smiled at him.

He sighed. “Don’t you think we’ve gone far enough today?”

“Don’t you realize that we’re so close to figuring out the secrets of Mooncaster? We can’t stop now!”

“I know that you’ll never listen to me but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to you.”

After stating that, he seated himself on the cold floor stubbornly and watched them expressionlessly.

“Drizzzleeee…Are you kidding me? You’re the only one who can break it!” Flusk whined.

“Exactly, you can’t go any further without my assistance. I’m stopping you both from continuing on this pointless pantomime.”

“I don’t even know what the fuck a pantomime is.” Scarlet chimed in.

“You’re not going in that cave whether you like it or not. I refuse to let you two endlessly throw yourselves into danger and drag me with it. I’m done with this.” He responded indignantly.

Displeased with his answer, Flusk galloped at the barrier and hammered at it with her hooves. Her breath hitched as her anger and frustration raised in her chest, enraged that they had come all this way for Drizzle to deny them access to the one place nopony dared to go. They were on to something that could change the whole of Ifera ByFlame forever but he was holding them back for his egocentric feelings. It was insufferable.

In a fury, she let out a scream and forced herself against the force field, her constant pace of hitting it beginning to slow. With every impact and strike, the magic flickered and rebuilt itself to replace the damage she had caused, making her efforts futile.

She exhaled loudly and collapsed against the impressive spell, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. She wanted to keep going but without the capacity to cast something more than levitation or teleportation, her strength and undying determination to see the other side were in vain. Not without that ignorant unicorn’s help.

Before relinquishing her courage to pursue this, a glint of green magic suddenly caught her eyes towards the force field in front of her. The barrier had become luminescent with the unknown aura, startling Flusk.

“What is that?” Drizzle’s eyes widened.

“Touch it…”

A whispery voice invaded her consciousness, persuading her to interact with the barrier. Her hoof slowly lifted in the air, feeling an electric connection of tendrils in between the space of her hoof and the force field. It was unlike anything she had experienced before and she could have sworn she felt a few strands of her mane float into the air.

“Touch it…”

She hesitated before taking a deep breath and closing the distance between her and the mysterious power. The moment her hoof rested on the surface, an exhilarating reaction traveled through her arm and she heard the crackling and sparking of the barrier. The green aura began to attack the ancient spell with her influence and reduce it to but a simple luster that her hoof passed through effortlessly.

“It…It’s gone?” Flusk inspected her hoof, a small sheen being left from the spell.

“How did you do that?” Drizzle stood up from the ground, perplexed. “That’s not even physically possible.”

“It’s possible for Flusk. Maybe not you.” Scarlet replied snidely.

Excitement and adrenaline overwhelmed Flusk and she sprinted inside the cave, giggling in elation from successfully finding a way inside.

“Hey, don’t run off in there!” Drizzle shouted.

She slowed her run once the path she followed started to dim and the light from the outside world was beginning to not affect the cavern from within. Instead, she softly cantered over small rocks and propelled dust behind her while she examined the cave. It was a tiny bit warmer here but the primeval environment of this cave felt lifeless and icy so it wasn’t much of a difference as she had thought.

“Ow!”

Pain tinged through her right hoof as she gazed downwards to see she had stubbed her hoof on a midsized crystal sprouting from the floor. It was a vibrant blue color that was quite similar to Drizzle’s coat.

“Hey, I found a crystal in here!” Flusk hollered, her voice bouncing off the walls of the cave.

It wasn’t long before Scarlet and Drizzle showed up, Drizzle looking distinctly anxious.

“Did you touch it? Please don’t tell me you touched it…” He asked, deliberately standing a distance away from the crystal.

“I stumbled upon it while exploring the cave so I guess I did touch it, yeah.”

“Ugh, I didn’t study enough curse banishing spells to properly deal with this.” He lowered his head shamefully.

“Wait, why would you need a curse banishing spell? It’s just a crystal.”

“Are you serious? Crystals are used to contain incantations and all sorts of banes. This thing is highly evil.” He scowled at the crystal.

“Does that mean all of them are evil then?” Scarlet asked.

“What do you mean by all of them?”

It was then the stallion noticed that this tiny blue crystal on the floor was only the introduction to the hundreds of other gems hanging off the ceiling and walls of the cavern. They illuminated the path forward the more adjacent they were to each other and provided a natural light source.

“Oh, this is not good.” Drizzle’s ears flattened to his head.

“Woah, it’s so pretty! I knew there was something special about this cave.” Flusk grinned.

“I kind of want to just take some home for myself. You don’t think that’s going to disrupt anything in this cave, right?” Scarlet queried.

“Just don’t touch any of it, not a single speck. As long as Flusk doesn’t touch any more of them she should be fine.” Drizzle responded sternly.

But just as expected, Flusk was already ahead of him and stepping two and fro on the crystals lining the floor. Drizzle was practically choking himself from his frustration as she trod over each one, her hooves barely touching their sharp edges before leaving.

“She looks fine to me,” Scarlet remarked. “You just seem paranoid.”

Seeing as it was safe, Scarlet followed her approach and strode over the crystals, careful not to stand on them for too long. Again, nothing special happened and there appeared to be no curses released or any sort of troublesome magic. Drizzle’s magic classes he attended way back when proved to be useless in this regard and he was quite ticked off about that. So much so, he rejected their technique and resorted to just drifting over the crystal clusters with his magic.

Luckily, the rampant amount of crystals dwindled and they found themselves trotting over sand and tiny rocks. Flusk halted the group abruptly when she saw something ahead of them blocking their path. A large lump of dirt lay ahead of them, noticeable traces of sparkly magic being mixed in with the sand and muck.

“What is that?” Scarlet squinted in front of them.

“It looks like somepony buried something there. I wonder what.” Flusk rubbed her chin in thought.

“Probably the corpse of somepony’s dead wife or something. They needed a place to hide her so they chose the most awful place in all of Ifera.” Drizzle replied sarcastically.

“You mean the best place to hide a body in all of Ifera!” Flusk smirked.

“The fact that you’re smiling about that terrifies me…” Drizzle mumbled.

“I don’t think anypony could trek up here with a dead body and not get caught or drop it on the way here. I think we’re safe.” Scarlet replied.

“I guess it’s safe to dig it up then!”

Flusk began running her hooves through the clod and tossing it behind her, forming a new pile of dirt at her back hooves. Scarlet conjured up a shovel and dug it through the earth more efficiently, hurling it at her little pile. They plowed through pounds and pounds of the soil before Scarlet’s shovel collided with something solid underneath the dirt.

“My shovel just hit something.”

“Oooohh, let me see!”

Flusk used her hooves to clear away the small layer of dust left to reveal a hardcover book underneath. One that had most likely not seen the light of day in centuries. Flusk gasped and turned to Drizzle.

“There’s an old book in here, come see!”

Regrettably, Drizzle made his way over but his whole demeanor seemed to change once the book was in his field of vision. Interest and wonderment at the enigma of a book buried for who knows how long lifted his mood. The desire to know if there were any undisclosed spells or information tucked away inside not known by the regular unicorn drove his mind mad, overthrowing his once cautious nature of this place.

Before anypony else could, he levitated the book out of the pit and gently blew away some of the dust. It was a book with no title and no author, a plain piece of junk is what he predicted Flusk or Scarlet would say about it. But he didn’t exactly believe in precious knowledge being presented so easily to the naked eye. After all, power was earned, not given.

His horn glowed brightly and he shot a small beam of magic at the book’s cover. He waited for any results to arise and found his suspicions correct as the book responded to it by opening its pages and flipping through them drastically without his help. By now, the blank sheets of paper had begun to turn into but a blur at the rate they were turning by themselves.

“Uh…Is that normal?” Flusk asked worriedly.

“For the creators of magic, it’s only a precaution added to prevent those who aren’t as interested in working for knowledge from taking a peek at their secrets.” Drizzle explained.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Scarlet replied after.

The pages abruptly ceased there movement and remained open for Drizzle to see. There was nothing written on either side, leaving Flusk and Scarlet muddled with his words.

“I don’t see anything. I think this book is just a trick.” Flusk said.

“Uh, is he okay?”

Scarlet gestured to the side of her where Drizzle stood motionless, the book balancing on his forehoof. His green eyes were glossy and reflectionless and his mouth agape whilst he peered down at the book in his clutch. It was almost as if he wasn’t there and it was just his body standing there with no control of itself.

“Drizzle?” Flusk called his name anxiously.

The book slipped off his hoof, thumping to the ground on its spine and tumbling flat as he doubled over, arching his back. Drizzle let out a horrifying scream of agony as his entire body shuddered and he held his forehead firmly, his breath short and rapid.

“Drizzle, what's wrong?!” Flusk practically shouted over his screaming.

“M-My head…My b-body…I can’t.” He muttered.

“Scarlet, what’s happening to him? I don't know what to do!” She panicked.

The normally slackened mare wore a look of unease as Drizzle endured his torturous pain, his legs and back twisted in unnatural positions while he tried to fight it. Tears stained his eyes as he hopelessly stared up at the ceiling, praying that some sort of god would end his suffering and banish these intense sensations.

“We need to take him to the hospital.” Scarlet finally said.

“The hospital? But we’re up in Mooncaster! There’s no way we can carry him to a hospital from here.”

“I know, but we have no choice. He might die if we don’t try.”

Flusk was astounded at the level of empathy Scarlet was currently showing towards Drizzle’s difficulty to bear. She and Drizzle were always at each other’s throats and she had very little regard for his opinions and feelings no matter what it was. The very joy of getting to roast him or make him feel like shit for the way he behaved towards her was what she strived for most.

Regardless, here she was now taking the situation with unrivaled maturity and assuring they would undertake the journey back down the mountain with Drizzle no matter if it was possible or not. Even if there was no mutual liking between either of them, Scarlet had put that behind her to save somepony. This was certainly something Flusk would characterize as out of the ordinary for her.

“Lift him, would you? I have an idea.” Scarlet gestured to Drizzle.

Flusk slid her arms underneath Drizzle and began to hoist him up onto her back. His mass on top of her small frame made her legs bend a little to compensate for the weight and she exhaled out of fatigue.

“Please don’t touch me, please don’t touch me…Stop!”

He repeated over and over, his tone weary but high as he begged Flusk to stop. She could imagine moving his torso and limbs around would only heighten the aching he was feeling but she had no choice. It was the only way to transport him for medical attention.

“I’m sorry, I have to. But don’t worry, we’ll get you to River Breeze and find a doctor that can help. Just try and take deep breaths if you can.” Flusk tried to reassure him.

She finally had him adjusted onto her back and he limply rested there with his head overhanging her side, attempting to get through this. She glanced at Scarlet for further instruction.

“I’m not sure if this is going to work or even improve the current situation but it’s better than not trying,” Scarlet waved her over. “Come stand by my side.”

She positioned herself next to Scarlet’s shoulder, watching to make sure she didn’t bump Drizzle into Scarlet by accident. A dark-ish gold aura began whirling around her horn as she shut her eyes and concentrated. Flusk could feel Drizzle tensing and straining on her back with every moment and all she could do was yearn for a cure for his agony.

With a poof, the three disappeared and Scarlet teleported them to what she anticipated would be the tall bridge in the center square of River Breeze.

Chapter 4: The Deity of Knowledge

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One, two, three…

“Please, somepony help! He needs a doctor!”

One, two, three…

“Lift him onto the stretcher and take him to the emergency room immediately.”

One, two, three…

“He’s fallen unconscious, turn him onto his back!”

One…Two…Three.

The same three numbers kept repeating through his head with no ending, unable to comprehend anything that was happening to him anymore. He could discern the hasty communication between the nurses and doctors surrounding him but everything was dark and muffled. He couldn’t even feel his own body as he rested his head limply on what felt like one of the hospital pillows.

One, two, three…

Stop saying those same three numbers, he thought. Why had he even been counting? What was he counting for? All that he saw was pitch black darkness and nothing more. Not Flusk, not that annoying Scarlet, not his friends, nopony. How did he even get here in the first place?

One, two-

“Shut up already!” He shouted.

Now with a physical form, Drizzle stood amongst the shadow, his light blue coat clashing with his surroundings. He was solitary and appeared to be the only thing existing in this abyss apart from the space itself. His hooves sunk through the misty shade as he rotated around, the haze shifting with his every movement.

“What, where am I?” His voice resonated through the area. “How did I get here?”

With his questions unmet, he groaned in frustration as he attempted to squint through the fog circling him, trying to find some sort of answer.

“I would have been more eager to assist you with an explanation of your whereabouts had you been much kinder to me, but it appears you lack any decency for others around you.”

A light voice that was as smooth as butter made its way through the darkness, filling the silence Drizzle had once only broken with his voice.

“Who are you? Are you stuck here too?” He asked.

“Not quite. It wouldn’t make much sense for a possessor to be imprisoned within their realm, now would it?” The voice answered with a small giggle at the end.

“Are you saying that…I’m imprisoned?!”

Drizzle’s breathing started to quicken as he began to feel claustrophobic. In reality, the volume of this place was enormous and there was plenty of room for Drizzle to situate himself. However, the thought of being trapped here for who knows how long horrified him and made him antsy to find a way out.

He nervously jogged in place, trying to think of a solution before he strained to ignite his horn. Unfortunately, no magic appeared to sprout from his horn which left him quite defenseless and useless in this situation. At this point, he was in a pure panic from both his power not working and no other plans of action in mind. His hooves found their way to his chest as he pressed against it and panted.

“Calm down, my little friend. There is no need to stress. No harm will come upon you here.”

A tender force touched his back and stroked it at a slow pace as he found himself loosening his clutch on his chest. His airways no longer felt constrained and his anxiety slowly dwindled with every touch. Eventually, he was able to sit in place without fear or worry while his back was massaged continually.

He turned his head around while in the relaxed state to see his mysterious comforter and found a shadow mare who gleamed a blue hue behind him. Her mane flowed in place quite like Princess Regalia and Princess Aphrodite’s hair whilst her eyes lacked any sclera or iris. They were a sky blue shade that faintly glittered, including the tips of her ears and hooves. While she looked like something Drizzle might see in his nightmares, she had an affectionate nature about her that he just couldn’t exactly find a reason to be uneasy about.

“Are you feeling any better now?” She asked softly.

“A-Are you using some sort of creepy magic on me?”

“I assure you that I’m not here to cause you any distress. My only goal has and always will be to assist you and give you what you have deserved for a long time.”

“To be honest, you sound like those ponies who show up at my door saying they have a wonderful offer for me, only to scam me out of my money and leave me empty-hoofed. I’ve also just met you so this is all kind of weird.”

Her caress left his back as she stood upright. She towered over Drizzle, almost intimidatingly as two pointy bat wings tucked themselves to her sides.

“Allow me to enlighten you then,” She gestured to herself with her hoof. “I am Apate, a deity of great knowledge and divine power that uses her abilities to help mortals reach their full potential. I have been called upon by you to aid your journey to your ascension.”

“My ascension? But I never called you.”

“You freed my book from its chains underground. I was long ago banished by ponies who could not understand my kindness for others and have been forgotten ever since. But you broke through their barriers and have allowed me freedom once again. Therefore, it is my duty to fulfill your wishes and bring you eternal happiness.” Apate smiled.

“Wait, are you the writer of that book I found in Mooncaster?”

“I didn’t just write the book, I brought it into existence. It is the main connection between I and ponies who seek a bright future.”

Drizzle now on his hooves recoiled away from Apate, his ears pinned back. “You’re the one who made me feel like I was dying…I’ve never felt anything like that before. It hurt so bad…”

“I caused you pain? I am truly sorry, my dear. I did not intend to inflict my powers so intensely upon your fragile body. It was a necessity to connect with your spirit but now it seems I have made a grave error.”

Apate attempted to advance toward Drizzle but he immediately stopped her, holding up his hoof.

“Stop, don’t come any closer! I’m not going to let you do that to me again.”

“I promise that was the last time I will be required to do so. I am already in contact with your conscience and do not need to make an entrance again. I do not wish to hurt you.”

She reached her hoof out comfortingly but he only flinched in response. She frowned and pulled her hoof away before turning her back to him.

“Perhaps you need more time to come to terms with my presence. I will send you back to where you were and allow you a period of solace to calm your senses.”

The world around them began to distort and wave like disturbed water as slits of light made there way into the space. Drizzle gazed around worriedly while Apate kept herself turned away from him.

“I will return to discuss your wishes soon. Ponder this moment we have shared in the meantime.”

Intense light consumed the realm as Drizzle shielded his eyes with his hoof. He squinted just over his arm to see Apate be snuffed out like a candle with a burning flame. Except it was the other way around, the light invaded the darkness and rid it of its impurities, including Apate from his vision.

A monitor at the side of Drizzle’s hospital bed beeped, recording his heartbeats in waves visually on the screen. An IV had been attached to his arm, feeding fluids into him while he laid his head to the left, remaining unconscious and unresponsive to anything around him. He was in stable condition and no longer experiencing intense pain, at least Flusk had hoped, but he hadn’t woken up since he was in Mooncaster.

Flusk and Scarlet had been incredibly lucky to have got him to the hospital before whatever was ailing him had taken over. As the staff of the hospital were settling him into a bed, Flusk could have sworn she saw the light drain from his eyes as his body forced him to black out to cope with the unimaginable agony plaguing his being. And even so, they were unable to find a root cause for his mysterious pain. He appeared to have simply stabilized himself eventually and was hooked up to various machines to monitor his condition in case doctor assistance was necessary again.

Knowing that Drizzle was in safe hooves, Scarlet had already left hours ago to catch up on some much-needed rest after the whole ordeal during the day. However, Flusk had insisted on remaining at Drizzle’s side until he awoke so he would have a friendly face to greet him. Although, when he would arise from his unconsciousness was a question Flusk, unfortunately, didn’t have answers to. Instead, she took to situating herself on an uncomfy plastic chair at his bedside and mentally resisted the urge to doze off whilst seated. She attempted to keep her eyes focused on his still body as her neck weakened, struggling to support her head from lowering forwards due to exhaustion.

She was about to lose the fight when suddenly the brightness of the hospital hallway cast itself onto Drizzle’s shoulder and pulled her from her drowsiness.

“Flusk, is that you?”

Flusk shifted herself in her seat and rotated her head around. “Heart…Strings?”

A pink pegasus stood at the entrance to Drizzle’s room, a clipboard in hoof. A hot pink bow tied around the back of her mane gently swayed with the movement of her head as she peered at the scene in front of her. Flusk’s disheveled appearance and dark circles under her eyes caught her interest first before she gazed at the hospital bed where a blue unicorn horn peeked out from under the covers.

“What are you doing here? I think visiting hours ended a little while ago.” Heartstrings asked.

Flusk rubbed her face, squinting at the light invading her eyes. “I could ask you the same thing. Since when were you a doctor?”

“Oh,” Heartstrings giggled. “I’m not a doctor. I’m just helping my mom out with keeping track of all the patient's paperwork. No way could I ever deal with the amount of stress that comes with saving other ponies lives.”

That’s right, she forgot that Heartstring's mother was a doctor who regularly worked in this area. It was often why Heart was able to provide useful medical advice from things she had been taught by her mom. Of course, she’d never be able to replace the professional, but she had been able to suggest alternatives and remedies to her friend's illnesses. Like when Flusk had caught the common spring cold, she suggested a mixture of honey and rose petals for her scratchy throat. Although it was simple, it worked like a charm and saved her a visit to the doctor. Having a friend present who was related to a medical practitioner made things a lot easier on the group.

“Who’s in the bed?” Heartstrings gestured beside Flusk.

“Drizzle,” Flusk sighed. “He was in a lot of pain so we brought him here as fast as we could. He seems to be okay now but he hasn’t woken up since.”

She didn’t think it was wise to tell Heartstrings that they had gone to potentially the most illegal area in all of Ifera ByFlame before Drizzle collapsed and began writhing in agony. She didn’t even know if being in that location had anything to do with how he was faring now. It was best if that little travel was kept secret between the three of them until necessary. Or, the security guards who were maintaining the perimeter report back to their superiors. A whole lot more trouble could be waiting for them in the next few days had they recognized the three trespassers.

“Oh no, I hope he’ll be okay.” Heartstrings sympathized. “Do they know the cause of it yet?”

Flusk shook her head. “Nope, I haven’t been told a thing, even when he stopped thrashing around. It seems like they’re just as clueless as I am.”

“I’m sure they’ll have a diagnosis for him soon. You just have to wait a little longer.”

Heartstrings smiled at her warmly before she turned around and hung her arm around the door frame, her body half in and out of the hallway. She looked behind at Flusk as her clipboard balanced on her right hoof.

“I’ll let my mother and the others know you’re allowed to stay with Drizzle past visitation. And let me know when he wakes up too, okay?”

“I will, thank you, Heart.” Flusk smiled gratefully.

Heartstrings quietly trotted down the hall while Flusk resumed her watch over Drizzle. But just like before, her eyes started to feel heavy and she found an inner battle within herself to keep them open. Her will to observe Drizzle until he roused from his sleep was soon lost as the night beckoned for her slumber, gently drifting her away to her dreams outside of the hospital room.

“F-Flusk?...Flusk…”

A murmured voice filled her head as she slowly opened her eyes, steadily shifting her position from resting half off the chair to seated once again. The brilliant light of the sunrise spilled through the hospital window and blinded Flusk’s sand-filled eyes, alerting all her senses almost immediately. She promptly gazed over to where Drizzle used to be resting, him now sitting, leaning against his pillow and fidgeting with the IV attached to his arm.

His mane was untidy and his coat seemed to lack a little of its usual blue color but overall his appearance had improved far more than when he was previously brought in for care. It was almost as if nothing had even occurred yesterday and he was his usual self. Well, except for the fact that he was presently attempting to yank his IV out of his forelimb.

“Hey, don’t do that! You might hurt yourself.”

She clasped her hooves over his and firmly held it in place in assurance he wouldn’t be able to continue. After a few moments, he let his hoof slowly leave his arm and return to his side, determining Flusk wouldn’t allow him to pull the IV out himself.

“Well can you get somepony to remove it instead? I don’t like how it feels,” Drizzle grimaced at it before glancing around. “In fact, why am I here in the first place? I thought I was sleeping in my own house.”

“You don’t remember what happened?”

“I mean, I guess I sort of do? We went to Mo-”

Drizzle hesitated before continuing his sentence. Knowing they were in an area occupied by multiple ponies with the right to inform law enforcement of their crimes had they listened to Flusk and Drizzle’s conversation, he decided against dropping the name of the particular mountain.

“The mountain…And then I fell? Or maybe I tripped on something…My memory’s kind of fuzzy on what happened back there.”

“You fell to the floor and started seizing and complaining about being in a lot of pain. I’m surprised you don’t remember that. Last night, you looked like you…Y-You were going to-...”

Flusk had to turn away before her emotions got to her. What she had witnessed yesterday and how terrifying it was to observe her best friend fall into an incoherent state with no explanation, even now, was traumatizing. All she was capable of doing was watching him flail and beg for somepony, anypony to take away the pain. She never wanted to see anything like that ever again. It tore her apart inside and left her with an unimaginable amount of guilt for not having the ability to help him.

He might not recall what happened, which brought Flusk some relief that he couldn’t replicate the feeling in his memory, but she wanted to make sure he never felt that again. She wanted to leave this hospital today knowing that they had done a thorough examination of Drizzle and concluded the reasoning for his unknown agony. She wouldn’t go until they promised her that much.

“Flusk, are you okay?” Drizzle’s voice broke through her thoughts.

She frantically dabbed at her eyes before rotating around. “O-Oh, sorry! I was just thinking. What were you saying?”

“I wasn’t saying anything. It was you who was explaining to me what happened but you just stopped.”

“O-Oh, right,” Flusk coughed nervously. “When we realized it was really serious, I and Scarlet brought you here. She left sometime last night but I stayed here. The doctors didn’t have any answers yet so I wanted to be here with you until they did. I didn’t want you to be alone.”

Flusk looked away, a dopey smile spread across her face while her cheeks became flushed. Drizzle paid no attention to her sentiment and remained stony-faced.

“I’m guessing you did all the work getting me here, huh?” He replied sharply.

“What?”

“That ignorant asshole, Scarlet. I bet she ditched you once it started and left you to carry me here yourself. I know she wouldn’t give a shit if I keeled over and died.”

“She did. If it weren’t for her, I would have never got you here. She helped me a lot.”

“Really?” Drizzle’s eyes widened. “Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know,” Flusk shrugged. “Maybe because she’s just a good pony. You can hate somepony while still believing everypony’s life matters.”

“That doesn’t seem like an ideology Scarlet lives by.”

The click of a doorknob being turned alerted Flusk and Drizzle from their discussion as a stallion dressed in lengthy white scrubs peeked his head into the room. A stethoscope dangled around his neck as he held a pen in his mouth. He nodded at Drizzle before sticking the pen in a small pocket.

“I see you’re finally awake, Mr. Dots!” The doctor said merrily. “I wasn’t sure if it was too soon but I wanted to pop in to see your condition. You seem to be doing a lot better than previously expected.”

“Oh, hi, Doctor Silver,” Flusk replied shyly.

Doctor Silver cantered into the room, inviting himself in as two other ponies trailed behind him. Flusk recognized all of them from their assistance with the mess last night, well, except for Heartstrings who fortunately didn’t have to see all that.

She gently followed behind Doctor Silver, careful not to make her presence too eminent in case she might interrupt his job. She probably wasn’t necessary for Drizzle’s checkup but they allowed her to come in. Maybe because they knew she was friends with him. Either way, it eased Flusk’s nerves to know another friend would be joining her in his diagnosis.

“How are you doing now, any pain?” Doctor Silver queried.

“No,” Drizzle shook his head. “I feel…Tired but no pain.”

The doctor made a soft hum in understanding as he gazed downwards at a sheet of paper held in his hoof.

“You have a medical history of seizures, is that correct?”

“I do, yeah. I was diagnosed with epilepsy a few years back. But I take medication for it so I haven’t had one in years.”

“Did you perhaps forget to take your medication yesterday?”

“Wait…What?” Flusk muttered confoundedly. “What does that have to do with anything? I thought you had a diagnosis for him.”

Doctor Silver sighed and adjusted a strand of his mane behind his ear. “You see, Miss Flurry, Mr. Dots is a bit of a rare case. He came here with an extremely high heart rate, seizing, and completely incoherent. He was not even responsive to any of our staff when he was brought in and was presumably unconscious,”

He began to pace the room as he continued.

“All of a sudden, he was normal. His heart rate dropped, his body immediately relaxed and other than a few bruises from possibly collapsing, he was completely fine without any assistance from our doctors. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened to him.”

“W-What…That’s impossible!”

“I know it seems hard to believe but I only wish to help my patients and would never lie if I knew this wasn’t the truth. The only possible reasoning I can see for his episode last night would be a seizure.”

Flusk turned her head to Drizzle, searching his eyes for some sort of denial or questioning about the doctor’s conclusion. Instead, his eyes remained blank, neither disagreeing nor agreeing with him. Did he not care about what happened to him or what he might have? Did he not even remember the horrible feelings he had gone through with no source or pony to blame for how he felt? Why wasn’t he worried?!

“Drizzle, do you remember anything that happened yesterday?”

She tenderly rested her hoof on his shoulder, attempting to coax a truth out of him she knew he had inside him. She had to know who did this to him. It couldn’t be just a seizure, it couldn’t have.

“No.”

Her eyes widened as he shrugged her hoof away, locking his truths behind a million walls that Flusk could never break through. Her hoof shakily rested in the air for a moment, trying to reach into his mind somehow, trying to reassure him it was okay to tell her. But mentally, he was so many miles away that even if he wanted to, she’d never hear him. They would never meet at a distance where he could confide in her and she would hear his words. So many doors and gates bordered his thoughts, she would never get in.

Doctor Silver’s voice broke the silence. “Memory loss is a common symptom of seizures, this further confirms my hypothesis that he had suffered a severe seizure.”

“No, it can’t be just a seizure!” Flusk argued. “He was still conscious when it started. He was talking and said he couldn’t move, h-he was in a lot of pain and-”

He interrupted. “Perhaps a partial seizure then? Victims are still able to talk and have small amounts of control over their body.”

“Please, please, please, do more tests on him, anything!” Flusk begged. “I swear that this isn’t just his epilepsy. It has to be something else!”

Her entire body shook with desperation, trying to reason with Doctor Silver. With Drizzle rejecting any chance to explain himself, she had to fill in for him instead and try to convince the doctor that this wasn’t something to be overlooked.

She felt a hoof land on her back and she shuttered a little, unprepared for the sensation of contact on her skin.

“Flusk, I think you should take a break. You seem really stressed out right now and a walk might do you some good.” Heart suggested softly behind her.

“B-But Drizzle, I-”

“It’s okay, he’s not going to be leaving this hospital for a few days anyway. I’ll watch him here for you while you take a walk.” She smirked a little. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble while you’re away.”

She really didn’t want to leave him, especially knowing that he was hiding something and he wasn’t going to confess it no matter what. She couldn’t just idly take a walk while the doctors believed it was a little seizure when there was something more serious lying under the surface. But it was clear that Doctor Silver was set on what he had assumed of Drizzle and with no solid evidence against it, it was useless for her to continue this.

She removed herself from her seat and left wordlessly out of the room. Her head hung low to the floor in guilt, ashamed for fighting for the truth of somepony who could not care less if it came out or not.

Late in the evening, Flusk had done more than just take a canter around the hospital. She had left the premises to trot through the marketplace of River Breeze, busying herself from her thoughts and concerns on the recent matter.

She spent the majority of the last hours of daylight browsing wares and hoof-made pieces of decoration by the local community. She had been enticed into purchasing a knitted tapestry of an astral bear and an exotic quill from a rare collection but she refrained herself, not wanting to spend everything she had in one place. Instead, she decided upon a gift for somepony else other than herself.

Although the item wasn’t obvious at first, she felt a strong connection to it, one that would be important had she given it to the right pony. Maybe they wouldn’t decipher her reasoning for choosing it but she had a good feeling about it and requested the seller to have it sealed tight with a light purple bow.

With the present at her side, she checked herself back into the hospital at the waiting room and returned to Drizzle’s door, a soft knock sounding on the outside.

“Drizzle, I’m back,” She said in a cheery tone. “Can I come in?”

She could sense on the other side of the door that he didn’t necessarily want to invite her in but didn’t want to send her off upset again. Not for her own feelings but for the silent judgment he’d receive from those around him.

It took him a second, but he gave in. “Sure.”

She didn’t expect a warm greeting from him or for him to appreciate her dropping by once again, she simply pushed open the door and let herself in.

Like last time, he was seated in bed, a couple of pillows propped up against his back for him to lean on. However, this time he no longer had to fuss about an IV being attached to his arm as the doctors had removed all of it, seeing as there was no need for it at the moment. He was still a bit disheveled looking but after being awake for hours and coming to terms with his diagnosis, he appeared a tiny bit more “alive” at this point.

There had also been a new addition to his room, a small bedside table to his right. A half-filled glass of water sat in the middle of it, air bubbles rising to the liquid’s surface and popping once they met the top. This water had been sitting out for a few hours to be able to gather so much air within it.

She walked around his bed with the present held behind her back and grinned. “While I was gone, I got you a little something! I hope you’ll like it.”

She revealed the gift to him as he adjusted himself in bed. It was a small striped box with the tightly knit purple bow she had requested be used to seal the box. He slowly took it into his own hooves and gazed downwards at it.

“After everything you’ve gone through in the past twenty-four hours, I thought you deserved a little present.”

He used his magic to unwrap the bow, loosening its grip on the two sides of the box. Once it was free, he removed the lid and peered into the bottom.

“...A scarf?”

A light blue scarf unraveled in his magic while he wore a perplexed look on his face. It certainly wasn’t something you’d expect, especially at this time of year.

“I know, I know, it’s not winter yet. In fact, it’s far from winter. But scarves don’t always have to be for keeping you warm!”

“Isn’t that the point?”

“Weeelll, sure, maybe scarves were invented initially to keep your neck warm. But now they’re also a style choice! You can pair them with any outfit and they can really compliment your look! Or even just wear one by itself.”

“Do you mean a snowsuit? I’m not wearing a coat in the middle of summer.”

Flusk slapped her hoof to her face and whined. “Nooo, you’re not listening to me. Look, the material is light so you won’t get hot if you wear it. And, it’ll look adorable!”

She waited for his approval excitedly but he only eyed the scarf before setting it down on his blanket and narrowed his gaze at her.

“You only bought this because you won’t stop pestering me about what happened yesterday. A scarf isn’t going to make me talk.” He replied bitterly.

“What do you mean? That wasn’t my intention at all! We’re best friends and I care about you so I wanted to buy you something nice,” She lowered her head. “Something I thought you might appreciate…”

“You were pretty insistent earlier on arguing with a doctor who’s attended years of schooling to get here while you don’t even have a degree in anything.”

“Because I know that it isn’t just a seizure! It can’t be, I’ve never seen anything like that before…You looked so-”

“You’ve never even seen me have a seizure. You don’t know anything.” He snapped.

“You’re right, maybe I don’t. But I can tell from how defensive you’re getting that you know something I don’t. You don’t have to tell me what it is but please, at least tell the doctors so that they can help you.”

“You don’t know anything.” He repeated dangerously, his tone rising this time.

Flusk didn’t instigate him further, staring into his enraged eyes with a disappointed expression. She knew if she continued pushing him, he’d eventually reach his breaking point and not only vent his anger verbally, but physically. If she was lucky, he’d only end up punching a hole through the nearest wall. Although, she wasn’t intent on paying the hospital for the damages he caused.

“I’m going home, I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” She replied impassively, making her way to the door. “I’ll grab your sketchbook and pencils and bring them with me so you’ll have something to do while you’re here.”

“Okay.”

She hesitated to exit the room, wanting to say a million things to him that wouldn’t make sense or make the situation better. All she really wanted to do was linger here but there was too much tension between them right now to make it reasonable for her to stay.

“Goodnight.”

She didn’t wait for a response as she quickly shut the door behind her and hurried down the hall. Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she kept her gaze fixated on the floor, trying to avoid any questioning from potential bystanders on why she was crying. All she wanted to do was throw herself into bed and bury her face into her pillow, hiding from the world for the time being as she sobbed the night away.

She let out a shaky sigh. “I’m such an idiot…”

Chapter 5: Forlorn Memories

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“Have you contemplated upon what your wish shall be?”

“I don’t really know if I want to wish for anything. There’s nothing in particular that I truly want right now.”

“Come now, I can fulfill more than material objects. I can alter and rearrange a period that was less desirable within your life and recreate it the way you would prefer, all by my own hooves. Or perhaps adjust a pony’s personality and place in a mysterious trait, one that would make them intolerable to those around them. If you seek it, it will be yours to possess.”

Deep within Drizzle’s mind, he had been transported back to the unknown pitch-black void he first encountered Apate in. One moment he had rested his eyes, the next he was drifting into a dream about being chased by flying monkeys? (It was for the best that he wasn’t dreaming about that anymore) And finally, he had been ripped out of that dream, physically leaving a gaping hole in his dream realm and forcefully inserted into what he would call Apate’s Territory.

There was nothing in this territory, other than just his blue self clashing with the infinite darkness surrounding him and Apate who appeared as if she lived in it. It worked well for someone who looked like they had just crawled out of the deepest pits of hell and begun selling their services to strangers the second they reached the surface. Which, she was presently attempting to achieve with him.

He hadn’t even been here for a solid five minutes and she was already pressing him about what he would like her to grant him. Continually promising that her powers were beyond imaginable and could do incredible things for him, as long as he allowed it had only made him question her further and whether she was valid or not.

“As much as that all sounds wonderful and possibly tempting, I don’t need any of that. I don’t have any enemies I’d like to ruin the lives of.”

“Petal is not someone you’re bothered by?”

“What?” Drizzle’s eyes widened, completely caught off guard. “How do you know that name? I never told you anything.”

“You didn’t need to. I have access to your memories after connecting with your consciousness and can observe the events that have occurred. I understand fully well who she is and what she did to harm you.”

Drizzle avoided her gaze and stared down at the murky ground, mildly embarrassed that Apate had just invaded his memories like that. It felt like a large breach of privacy that he had never asked for and now had to face the fact that somepony else knew what happened. It almost made him a little angry that she went ahead and peeked and drew her conclusion. They were his memories, not hers.

“I don’t appreciate you going through private things like that. I never said you could, neither agreed to you just making yourself at home in here.” He gestured all around him. “I haven’t accepted your shady deal yet and as long as I haven’t, you don't have the right to do that.”

“I have to disagree, the moment you retrieved my book and released the lock upon it, you offered me a gateway within. Had you not done so, I wouldn’t have been able to enter. You chose to seek my guidance.”

“I didn’t! I didn’t know that old shitty book had a creepy lady in it, otherwise, I wouldn’t have touched it in the first place! But now I’m fucked because you consider that me consenting to you doing as you please!”

“Little one, you’re stressing yourself out again. You must relax and breathe, my presence is not a curse upon you.”

He could feel his chest tightening again and the will to breathe becoming increasingly difficult, his airway feeling like it was crushing into itself. He clawed at his throat, a choking sound emitting from his mouth as he fought to breathe.

In one swift movement, Apate threw herself at him and embraced his body into her own. She wrapped her wispy bat-like wings around his midsection and hugged her arms across his chest. She gently held his shaking hooves with hers, encouraging him to let go of his neck and assure him there was no reason to panic. She looked over his shoulder as her tall frame held him tightly, not in a restraining way but enough to convince him to quit choking on his own breathing.

“Shhhh, you’re alright,” She whispered into his ear. “None of the sensations you are feeling right now are truly happening. Your mind is simply conjuring fearful scenarios out of overreaction. As long as you believe you are fine, you will be.”

“How a-am I supposed t-to believe that?” Drizzle stuttered, clearly shaken still. “I-I can feel it...I-It feels like-“

“Do not focus on the feeling. Focus on here, our location, yourself, myself.”

Her hooves now gently caressed his chest, shifting the small blue fur with a slow stroke. Her touch felt cold yet comforting in an indescribable way. She was on top of him, unable to bring him any sort of warmth from the lack of body heat but she still brought a feeling of safety.

However, her circling hooves over his chest didn’t help him think much clearer considering a large female was towering over him right now and stroking him casually. Had this been a normal circumstance, he would have already lost it and played along. He held a bit more restraint with this one.

“Your breathing has slowed, is it helping?”

“I...Um, I’m not sure?”

He didn’t really know how to answer that. Quite frankly, he couldn’t even tell if he enjoyed this right now. He felt so confused with what was happening right now that he didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop or continue.

“Hm, perhaps less intense.”

She removed her hooves and resorted to hugging him with her entire body. A tingly sensation began where her form touched him and left a numbing feeling in all the areas he was being embraced. His eyelids relaxed a little and he slumped over a bit, finding enjoyment in this.

“Better?”

“Mhm.” He nodded, unable to utter a word due to his current state of relaxation.

Seeing as he was calmer, Apate continued to use her power upon him while also pressing for her recent question earlier.

“About the mare earlier, I saw she truly hurt you and left you mercilessly. If I may, what was her reasoning for doing so?”

Drizzle sighed, seeing as there was no way around this. “I don’t know. She just didn’t want to be with me anymore I guess. I’m over her now so it’s not a big deal.”

“Do not lie, I can sense it still hurts you. You are free to be truthful with me, I promise, there is not a soul I would tell.”

“I mean, I guess it still hurts but don’t all breakups hurt for a while? I just think it’s not that important and this kind of stuff isn’t worth mentioning if it’ll go away eventually.”

“Of course, it’s important, little one. It hurts you, she hurt you, all of it is important. Just because it is a common occurrence among ponies does not mean receiving comfort and discussing the subject is opposed.”

“...Really?” He gazed up at her.

“Yes, do not feel shame for feeling pain over this,” She rested her chin on his shoulder and smiled. “In the end, it is she who will forever lose a pony so very special and worthy.”

A small blush crossed his cheeks at her compliment. Despite her wordy and strange ways of explaining things, she had a point. He had tried his hardest to give his best to his marefriend by listening to her, gifting her things out of his appreciation for her and always putting her happiness as his top priority.

But unfortunately, she would never see it that way. Even when he sacrificed his own happiness and let his self-care go for her, it wouldn’t be enough to convince her of his intentions.

But maybe it wasn’t entirely his fault? Maybe it was hers? The statement Apate had posed to him, “it is she who will forever lose a pony so very special and worthy.” made him think and question if he had been blaming himself for nothing all this time. Had he truly done everything wrong, or was it her?

He rubbed at his tinged pink cheeks, almost as if he were trying to rub away the color out of embarrassment.

“Um...Thank you,” He replied nervously. “I appreciate that.”

“It is my pleasure. Know that I’ll always be here to provide my support when you need it.”

He couldn’t help but smile, happy that he finally told somepony the situation and was met with understanding and kindness. He hadn’t felt understood by anypony in a very long time and knowing Apate was willing to lend an ear and assure him of things he was unsure about made him feel good about himself again.

She was still a sketchy character to him and it was unknown what her intentions truly were, but if she was willing to be there for him like this, perhaps she wasn’t as terrible as he thought.

“We shall continue this conversation at a later time, it appears there are those in the waking realm who demand your attention more than I.”

“Who?” He broke his embrace with her.

“You will know once you awake. Farewell, for now, Drizzle Dots.”

“Wait,” He held up his hoof to stop her. “Don’t go, I have to ask you-“

But the abyss fell apart and Apate was swallowed by an ocean of inky darkness in front of him. It wasn’t before long that he was swimming in the mysterious dark liquid, trying to keep his head above the surface when he suddenly awoke in his hospital bed to find a new day had begun.

A sharp knock at his door disrupted his drowsiness and he quickly wiped the sand out of his eyes before acknowledging it.

“Yeah? It’s open.”

The door practically slammed open as a pony he least expected to be here trotted in.

“Scarlet?...”

Her hooves dragged across the shiny floor and her whole body language showed she did not come here by choice. Her eyes remained fixated on his as she wore an even grumpier expression on her face than she usually did. It was impossible to become even more bored of life and exhausted with it than Scarlet already was twenty-four hours a day, but she somehow broke the record today. Somepony had definitely pissed her off and that somepony was most likely Drizzle.

Apart from her threatening expression, he noticed she was levitating an object with her, two objects? What could they be? As if she got him a get-well-soon present. This was Scarlet and he was on her most hated ponies of all time list.

“Surprised to see me, dipshit? I’d be too.” She replied, starting his day with an extreme attitude.

“Yeah, why are you here? Last time I checked you didn’t give a shit about me unless Flusk was involved.”

“Right, I’m not here for you.”

With a bang, Scarlet threw the two items she had with her against his bedside table. Colored pencils spilled all over the floor and a sketchbook fell face down, a few sticky notes scattering out of it. The box that the colored pencils had been stored in knocked his untouched glass of water off the table and sent it flying, splashing water everywhere and shattering to pieces once it made an impact with the floor.

He gasped out of shock and irritation. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“Everything,” She sighed and turned her back to him to leave. “Including you.”

She went to exit the room without a second thought at what she had just caused, intent on leaving him with the mess.

“Wait, but where’s Flusk? She said she was going to drop off this stuff.”

Scarlet rotated her head around to glare at him. “She doesn’t want to see your sorry ass anymore.”

“Tell me the truth and spare the insults.” He massaged his temple with his hoof.

“You don’t remember the shit you pulled last night? When you sent her off crying because you didn’t like the gift she gave you?”

“She was crying?” He asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, maybe if you paid more attention to how she felt you would have followed her and seen the tears running down her face. She went home crying and has kept to herself pretty much ever since. I was lucky she even told me what happened.”

“Oh…” His voice trailed off.

“Oh?” She mocked him. “Best friends and that’s all you say? You’re a pathetic excuse of a best friend, you know that? She was kind enough even to still want to send these to you,” She gestured at his art supplies scattered everywhere. “and you still don’t care. Fuck you, man.”

Scarlet stormed out of the room and was about to turn into the hall before she paused and hung in the doorway.

“You better hope that she still has some patience left for you. I sure as hell wouldn’t have even come back after this.”

And with that, Scarlet left the facility, leaving Drizzle with the gigantic mess on the floor and repeating the same few sentences in his head.

“You better hope that she still has some patience left for you. I sure as hell wouldn’t have even come back after this.”

“You’re a pathetic excuse of a best friend,”

“Maybe if you paid more attention to how she felt you would have followed her and seen the tears running down her face.”

It stung, it really did. So much so that he didn’t have the motivation to leave his bed and take care of the disaster underneath his bedside table. He just sat there, his mind wandering as a heavy weight hung over his heart.

“Mr. Dots, are you okay? I heard a smash noise-” A nurse gasped from the hall. “O-Oh my goodness! What happened here?”

“Flusk, I’m back,” Scarlet called outside Flusk’s door. “The job’s done.”

“Door’s open,” Flusk answered from inside.

Scarlet rotated the knob with her magic and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. Flusk was seated at her dining table, hunched over and staring at the different patterns in the wooden material of the table. She wasn’t crying anymore but her eyelids and around it were puffy and had tear stains across her face. Even as Scarlet made her way in, Flusk didn’t look at her.

Scarlet inhaled, opening her mouth to say something but Flusk immediately shut her down.

“I know what you’re going to say, I know what you think. You don’t need to say it.”

“Okay, well are you going to finally listen to me this time?”

“Does it matter that much to you that I think and do what you do? Because it doesn’t matter to me that you think and do what I do.”

“You’re avoiding the question and making it even more complicated than it has to be. It’s simple.”

“No, it’s not,” Flusk turned to look at her. “It’s simple for you because you hate him. I don’t and you’re asking me something that’s completely out of the question for me.”

“Look at what he says to you, look at how he treats you-“

“It was an overreaction!” She shouted over Scarlet. “He was just in a massive amount of pain and thrust into a hospital. He’s stressed, he might understand what happened to him and that might be what’s scaring him. I need him to understand that he can talk to me and tell me what’s wrong.”

“How many times are you going to say it was just an overreaction? How much do you believe your friends take that excuse? It’s happened so many times in the past few years that I’m not even sure you can convince anypony anymore.”

“Fine, I don’t need to convince anypony!” Flusk snapped. “I’m his best friend and he’s mine! We know the truth and that’s all that matters. Not you or anypony else!”

A flame had been lit within Flusk as she stared daggers at Scarlet, prepared to defend Drizzle despite anything she or anypony else said. For years she had been told by others that Drizzle was bad news and she was being used, she wasn’t going to take it anymore. She wouldn’t stand idly by and allow these misunderstanding entitled ponies to control her friendship with him. She loved him and understood him on a level nopony else did and nopony else would, she knew the real stallion behind all the anger and knew that if all else failed, she would have him.

Scarlet didn’t argue with her but for the first time, a short-lived sadness presented itself on her face before she turned around to hide it.

“I have to go now. There’s a concert I’m seeing with Chaos in an hour.”

She didn’t say bye, nor received one in return. She just left the house quietly without another word.

Flusk placed her hooves over her eyes, attempting to prevent the tears from spilling out again as her lip quivered.

“...Why can’t you just be nice to me?” Her voice broke into sobs.

“The pony who invaded this room, Scarlet, that is what she is called, yes?”

“Holy fucking shit!“

Drizzle nearly chucked his pencil across the room, instantly stopping its motion in the air with his magic. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief as he rested it back with his other pencils in his lap. Unfortunately, in his panic, he managed to smudge his sketch with his hoof. He groaned in irritation, snatching his eraser and scrubbing at the page with it.

“You speak a lot of unnecessary language that’s considered quite informal and disrespectful to most. Why so?” Apate asked, referring to his swearing earlier.

“You speak a lot of old pony shit and don’t understand the concept of privacy. What about you?” He snapped at her.

“My apologies, should I announce myself before I speak?”

“Just don’t fucking talk out of nowhere, you scared the shit out of me. I thought you could only talk to me when we were in that weird dreamscape thing.”

“I can, but I am also now capable of speaking back and forth even when you are within the waking world. It is a pleasant revelation that you trust my existence here.”

“Cool,” Drizzle ignored her. “Don’t do that shit again.”

Apate’s voice fell silent as Drizzle scrambled for his pencil and furiously redrew his outlines, squinting down at the paper and shifting his pencil rapidly. His lines carefully followed a wavy-looking structure that darkened in hue downward of the page. In the middle of the lighter area of the waves and the dark was a figure, head first falling into the darkness. They showed no panic, no will to stay within the light, their body just slowly drifted into the dark in acceptance. They had succumbed to an ocean.

“May I ask what you are creating?”

“Didn’t know you could see me here too.” Drizzle muttered in between drawing.

“Communication through the waking realm and vision is a part of my connection with you.”

“Riiighhtt…” He replied, sounding a little unconvinced.

“As I inquired previously, what is your creation?”

“I don’t know,” He stopped drawing for a moment and peered down at his work. “It’s...It’s art?”

“What is it depicting? I do not understand its purpose.”

“Do you have to know? I swear, you ask way too many questions.”

“Hmm, allow me to inspect it before coming to a hypothesis.”

Her voice no longer rang through his head as she was presumably looking over his drawing. He couldn’t see her hunched over it, nor shoving his head out of the way to seek a better position to view it considering her form wasn’t present in this realm, but he could somewhat sense her presence in the room with him. He didn’t know why or how, but he wasn’t bothered by it necessarily. Perhaps just another power that came with the disturbing fact she was connected to his brain in a way.

“A suffocating ocean, unrelenting and merciless to its victims,” Apate described his sketch. “Once caught underneath the surface, forever bound and trapped in its eternal darkness. Unable to navigate an escape, those lost among its folds eventually led to acceptance in their dreary circumstance.”

Drizzle paused. “Uh…What?”

“Was I correct?”

“I understood none of that. Except maybe the ocean part?” He pointed his hoof to the descending opacity of his sketch. “This is an ocean.”

“A pity, you lack an imaginative and poetic perspective of creation and life itself. If you are incapable of perceiving things in a detailed way, I fear you may be missing an immense portion of emotion within your art.”

“What are you talking about? This is vent art!”

“A vent art? I have never heard of such a thing.”

“Oh right, deity,” He sighed. “You wouldn’t know what it was since you’re...You know.”

Drizzle pulled the sketchbook closer to himself, almost hugging it as a way to hide it from others eyes. As a goddess, Apate wouldn’t understand the new terms ponies had come up with in the last few hundred years so he would have to explain what vent art meant. Which also would have to be followed by an explanation of his art. He wasn’t sure if he was up for that, along with expressing his emotions in words. It was very personal and private for him.

He took a deep breath and wracked his mind for words, second-guessing himself if this was even the right approach.

“It’s a form of art that ponies make to express how they feel. Sometimes they draw things that have happened in their life to vent their emotions. Or maybe it’s not that simple at all and it’s a hidden meaning. It’s just a way to get your feelings out.”

“Your creation is venting?”

“...Yes.” He had hesitated on his answer, frowning and gazing away from himself.

Even though he couldn’t see her, he could somehow visualize Apate’s sympathetic eyes peering down at him from the end of his bed. Her physical being wasn’t anywhere near him but his mind somehow pasted certain aspects of her within the real world. If a voice could be discerned, the rest could be as well.

“Then it is as I said, except more specific in identity. You, you are drowning in an ocean of feelings. Feelings which are intense and unfathomable, hopelessness clouds your judgment and you feel reason to surrender. This is the meaning, correct?”

His mouth hung open momentarily as he registered what she just stated. “Yeah…You pretty much said what I wanted to say. In a lot more complicated way…I get it though.”

“Is it somepony specifically who inflicts this feeling? Perhaps the Scarlet pony? Or is it multiple?”

“I would say multiple. This is more of a long-term feeling I’ve had for a very long time. Scarlet is technically contributing to it though.”

“Past figures from your life who have not fulfilled a role of kindness when they were supposed to, a parental figure…”

Apate’s whispery voice drifted through his ears as he lowered his head shamefully. A blurry memory of a small blue unicorn filly with a lengthy brown mane, ears pinned back and gazing upwards in pure and utter fear at a towering figure in front of her flickered through Drizzle’s vision. His body shuddered and he leaned over, covering his eyes with his hooves in an attempt to block it out. Apate had seen it too.

“I understand now. Those who have surrounded you since birth and those you have chosen to surround yourself have turned their backs on you many times before.”

The once young filly, much taller, hid behind a wall of hair as she kept her eyes glued to the floor. She leaned against a locker door, trying to create as much space between her and the aggressive individual in front of her. They spat inappropriate names in her face and tyrannized her, their only wish being to make her cry and see her become weak at their hooves.

A shaky breath left her as she fought back tears and her legs noticeably shook. Then, out of nowhere, she launched her hoof at their face and screamed, her voice echoing through the halls. The pony stumbled backwards, grasping their face painfully as blood began to spurt out of their nose.

In a fit of rage, she swung at them repeatedly, not allowing them a moment's rest. She was unable to contain her anger against this sickening pony.

“Please...Please stop.” Drizzle muttered.

Three grey chairs sat in a row, a blue older pegasus occupying the middle one. A newspaper was spread across his lap as he squinted down at it through the flickering hospital light. A soft trotting began to approach as another pegasus, a coral red color stood in front of him. He gazed up at her and set down his newspaper.

She had dark circles under her eyes as she wiped at a few tears, her mascara running down her cheeks. “She’s okay, they said she would be fine...Aren’t you coming to see her? Mom’s already in there.”

“I’m going to stay out here.” He replied without an ounce of concern.

“But...But she just-...She almost died!” Her voice cracked as more tears welled up in her eyes. “She’s your daughter!”

“Listen, if your mother’s with her she’ll be fine. I’m not too worried about it.”

Hurt and confusion crossed the mare’s face before she looked down the hall she had come from and to a small room with curtains surrounding a bed. A nurse trotted past pushing a small table of surgical tools and it wasn’t until she left the mare’s sight that she turned around to face her father.

“I can’t believe you...I just...I really can’t.”

She looked like she wanted to say more to him but she bit her tongue and left to return to a distant room. He made no action to follow her, nor reassure her of his intentions. He just reached for his newspaper, flipped to his recent page and began to read as if nothing happened.

The scene started to blur again and a crackly, barely incomprehensible voice talked over the others in the background.

“T-Than...Y-You for get- rid of...Our- prom...em-“

“STOP IT!”

Drizzle laid over top of his sketch clearly in distress. His breathing spasmed as he let out a long sob, breaking down on the bed and burying his face in his blankets. He trembled as he let each cry go, unable to control his sudden outburst. It felt like he couldn’t breathe from the intensity of his sorrow at the moment.

He felt a gentle hoof make its way to the center of his back, just like it did once before and rub in circles. His tears soaked the fabric underneath him as his back unevenly rose and fell with each cry.

“Let it out...You have held too many things in at once. Let it go.” Apate’s kind voice spoke over top of him.

He didn’t want to lose control over his feelings like this, but he had already lost at restraining them. He had seen and relived too many hurtful things for today that he couldn’t hold back. He didn’t want to remember these things...He didn’t want to see them anymore. Yet they were a part of him and he couldn’t fight them, at least not right now.

He couldn’t fight the fact that she once existed and was a lost and hopeless pony, unknowing of a future she would once have. A future he had now achieved.

Chapter 6: A Formal Invitation

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Heartstrings hurried down the hallway, a stack of papers nestled under her wing and a binder held between her teeth. She was thoroughly overloaded with her mother’s menial tasks, grunting in annoyance as she rushed to her next destination.

She wasn’t even a certified nurse and her mom had decided to dump everything she didn’t feel like attending to onto her daughter. Was this even legal? She barely even knew the heimlich maneuver. Even though most of it was just checking in on patients, making sure they had their medication or had any of their other requests fulfilled, Heart felt a little anxious, unsure she might come across a situation far out of her understanding. However, it did beat remaining at home and having to deep clean the entire house.

She took a brief break midway through the hall, flipping through the binder and skimming over its contents before she stopped at a page. Drizzle Dot’s hospital records lay front and center as she carefully peeled a pink sticky note from the top.

“Patient may be released Wednesday if no other complications. Check-in before signing patient out.”

She glanced up at the walls around her, absentmindedly searching for a schedule or calendar posted somewhere. “What day is it today?...”

And then it came to her. On her way here, she was reminded of seeing an advertisement for “Taco Wednesday” instead of tuesday in a local taco shop. She remembered thinking it was strange and didn’t make much sense, neither fit the name very well. So it had to be wednesday.

“Well, I’m sure Flusk will be happy to have him home finally.” She thought to herself.

With his room number in mind, Heartstrings navigated her way to his hospital room. She double-checked the number on the door and the records before gently knocking and opening the door.

“Drizzle,” Heartstrings called. “You’re free to go now! I need to ask you some questions first but then I can sign you out. Are you-...Drizzle?”

The pegasus stood in the doorway, noticing him face the headboard of his bed. His head was lowered and he was sort of crouched, gazing down at his bedsheets. Heart felt a bit creeped out seeing as he wasn’t answering, nor moving to look at her. She debated on whether she should just trot right out and pretend she never came or approach him but she decided on neither.

“Drizzle?... Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to burden you…” He muttered in a small voice.

“Huh?” She cocked her head. “Burden me? What do you mean?”

“I don’t understand...Why do you hate me?...”

“I don’t hate you, where did you get an idea like that?”

She set the binder and her other papers down and got closer to Drizzle.

“I...Didn’t do…-thing…”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”

She reached her hoof out to touch him but she was startled by his sudden movement as he rapidly turned to look behind.

Heart gasped and stumbled backwards. “I’m sorry!”

“Huh?...Heartstrings? What are you doing here?” He asked, half shielding his eyes from the hospital lights.

“I…I um,” She fiddled with her hooves nervously. “I came here to tell you that…You’re free to go now!”

He gave her a perplexed look, a hint of exhaustion in his eyes accompanying it. “Free to go where?” He absently glanced around the room as if he were getting his bearings.

“Home!” She pasted on a friendly smile. “You’ve been approved to return home now. The doctors didn’t find anything out of the ordinary for you in the last forty-eight hours so all I need to do is ask a few questions and I can send you on your way!”

“Oh really?” He sat up more in bed, thrilled to finally leave the hospital.

“Yeah! I’m sure Flusk will be relieved to have you back.”

“Oh…” His shoulders fell behind him as the spark of excitement faded out. He forgot all about Flusk as the dread of facing her again set in.

“Oh, is something wrong?”

“No, not really,” He made a waving motion with his hoof. “I just forgot I uh…Had some unfolded laundry back at home for a few days now! I’ll have to take care of that when I get back.”

“Ooh, I see. Well, I hope you have a fast and easy folding session!” She chuckled before reaching for her binder. “This should be fairly quick and then I can help you pack your things.”

Heartstrings went through the checklist the hospital had instructed all its staff to go through before signing a patient out. It was extremely basic, going over the regular questions one would normally ask. Have you experienced any headaches, nausea, coughing, dizziness, pain, or any other concerning symptoms that should be noted? Drizzle breezed right through them, even if some of his answers weren’t entirely truthful.

Once that was finished, Heart assisted in gathering up his things and guided him to the front desk where she checked his name off and was sent on his way with a pleasant goodbye from the pegasus. Although, as he was leaving he did notice her staring at him for a long time. He didn’t know what that was about.

He had already forgotten all about that as he made his way apprehensively to the only place he could call home, Flusk’s house.

The thunder rumbling in the sky from the towering dark clouds behind him only made this all the more dramatic. He slowed his pace to prolong the time he had left before having to engage with her again. As he wordlessly trotted, he was actively planning multiple ways to both address Flusk and completely avoid her.

He could walk in through the door, ignore any attempt to speak with him that she made and hurry to the couch and…No, that didn’t make any sense. Well, he could respond to her but with what? He didn’t have anything to say to her. He’d probably just get mad and make her cry all over again. No matter what scenario it was, his words deeply lodged themselves into the others and always upset them. They were like knives that only he could handle because he wasn’t on the receiving end.

He was urged to quicken his pace when a thunderclap sounded overhead and spooked him, sending him flying down the road. A few droplets of rain hit his muzzle as a furious storm over River Breeze began to release its downpour. He had no choice but to force himself inside, no matter the circumstances.

His mane was moderately damp when he threw himself at the door and allowed himself entry. He wrung his mane out on the rug before checking his art supplies. He grimaced at the wet spots speckled across a few corners of his sketchbook, creating small smears of color that dripped off the edges. At least he was indoors and not out there when it really started to pour.

He noticed the dining table in the middle of the room, commonly an area where Flusk was kicked back with a book, empty. A chair was pulled out but the entire table lacked any items. It was a bit unusual for that table to be completely spotless.

The door surely would have been heard opening and closing but Drizzle tip-toed around anyways, taking in the home he had been missing for days. Nothing changed, except for the dining table, yet it filled him with a sense of comfort being able to come back to a place he felt comfortable.

Walking past Flusk’s room, he immediately backtracked when the back of her short blue mane caught his eye. She sat at her desk, overlooking a few of her manuscripts like usual with her vision set on the window at her shoulder. The rain streamed down the glass and into the dirt below as lightning shot across the sky, her back jolting with a surprise from the intense flash. She acted completely oblivious to his presence, more infatuated with the weather.

“...Flusk?” His voice sounded gravelly.

She finally took notice of him, refusing to look him in the eye but ever so slightly turning her body. “You’re back…Welcome back.” She responded deadpan.

“Thanks.”

He awkwardly stood there before he continued.

“They said I was fine so they sent me home.”

“That’s good.”

She barely tried to entertain the conversation, practically giving him nothing. It was like he was talking to himself. Maybe that was the point.

“Sooo…Are you just going to ignore me now?” He asked irritatedly.

This time he was given no response at all. It seemed like the mare was expecting a negative reaction coming from him and chose to bear it instead. Being somepony who received this argumentative behavior on a daily, you eventually got used to it, even so much as accepted it. Explaining and reasoning wouldn’t turn this around, so why even try? It wasn’t like he hadn’t done the same to her in the hospital.

He let out a sigh, most of his frustration leaving with the drop of his shoulders. His hoof reached to the wrapped fabric around his neck, the light blue scarf, similar in color tone to his coat draped over his arm. Small dampness from the rain remained in its fuzzy material.

“Flusk, would you just look at me at least? You don’t have to talk but it’d be nice if you would hear me out.” His voice took a more gentle tone.

Her body shifted a little before she turned her head to stare at him. Like Scarlet had mentioned, she appeared as if she had been crying. Despite her vexed expression, the tear stains across her face and her puffy eyes only further revealed the immense sadness behind her anger.

“I’m sorry. I know apologizing isn’t going to necessarily fix anything but I felt like if you heard it from me, it’d further convince you that I still care about you.” He then eased himself to the floor and held his gift tightly to his chest. “I love the scarf that you gave me. I wouldn’t have worn it out if I didn’t. I’m sorry that I didn’t show my gratitude for it then but…I do like it. It even matches with me!”

He let out a small chuckle, purposely holding the scarf in a way to compare his blue hue to the pigment of the accessory. His light-hearted joke didn’t exactly hit her and he nervously cleared his throat before setting down the scarf.

“My point is…I say the wrong shit sometimes. It just comes out before I can even think about it first. But that doesn’t mean I truly think that about you. You mean a lot to me and I’d never want to purposely upset you.”

Flusk’s head turned away at that as if she disagreed. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep her tears at bay.

“You really think that I want to make you cry?...” He asked, noticing her dismissiveness.

“I don’t know what you want.” Her voice quivered. “You’re different…All the time. One day you’re my best friend and then the next you don’t even want to be around me. I don’t know what’s going on inside your head and what you think.”

“Flusk…”

“You’re a pathetic excuse for a best friend.”

He involuntarily twitched at the resounding voice of Scarlet inside his mind. He couldn’t get that one statement out of his memory and it was starting to bother him. What was even worse is that after she said that, it felt like it was coming true. Flusk was so confused about whether she should trust him or not. Even when he tried to show her, it made no difference. Scarlet’s words had made him aware of a reality he despised and he didn’t want it to be true. He didn’t want this.

Letting his emotions get the better of him, he pulled Flusk in a tight embrace, squeezing her shoulders in his arms. She looked down at him bewildered as he trembled, his breathing becoming more unsteady.

“Please…Please tell me you don’t think that I’m…Pathetic?” His voice was nothing but a whisper.

“Pathetic?...” She repeated.

“Do you…Think I’m a bad friend?”

She hesitated for a moment, reminded of Scarlet’s lecturing from a few days before and decided to craft her response. “No, I don’t think you’re pathetic. I don’t think anypony is pathetic. Only ponies who are truly bad and attempt to hurt others on purpose would I ever say are pathetic.”

“So you don’t think I’m a bad friend?...”

She sighed. “You’re not a bad pony in my eyes, no matter what anypony else says. I just feel like you’re misunderstood and no one has tried to look at it from another perspective. But that also doesn’t mean that I don’t think you have a lot of things to work on.”

She looked him in the eyes as she continued. “You fail to listen to me when I have something important to say or it’s my feelings about you. Instead, you blame me for feeling like that, like it’s something that I should feel ashamed of. You’re also unexplainably rude to me when I did nothing to make you act like that. It all comes off as you don’t care about me and you only keep me around to vent your emotions and I don’t think that’s fair.”

“I don’t…Mean to be like that to you…”

“I know you don’t but that’s why I’m telling you. If friends notice they’re hurting each other, they’ll want to change that because they care about how the other feels. I just want you to show me that you care about me…That I’m-...”

She sniffled as tears began to soak her eyes. “That I’m still special to you…That you still want me…”

His gaze softened on her as he held her closer. Her fluffy blue mane tickled his nose as he rested his head near her shoulder, hearing a quiet whimper in her throat while she stuttered out a few cries in his embrace. The ache he felt in his gut as he listened to her cry almost elicited his own tears but he fought back against it.

“You’re still special to me, Fluskie.” He remarked in a tender tone. “I’ll try to be better, I promise.”

Butterflies danced in her stomach at the way he had said her nickname and she exhaled softly before letting her eyes close.

She couldn’t be entirely sure if this was just a promise at the moment that he would eventually break so that he could excuse himself but she didn’t care. The way that he held her, his arms wrapped around her midsection and how compassionate and loving he appeared, it was enough right now. Just feeling an ounce of love from the stallion she cared about most had her feeling as light as air and she couldn’t help but smile to herself.

The little rumbles of thunder from the storm began to dissipate as the rain was replaced with the shining sun. The grumpy clouds left shortly after as River Breeze was enveloped in the warm sunshine once again. Only one dark cloud remained but it hardly made a dent in the sun’s brilliant light.

Flusk slammed her hind leg into a slightly rusted mailbox, her hoof making contact with the lid and causing the entire thing to screech from the impact. She rotated around to see she had created an indentation in the metal with her buck and the base of the mailbox was titled backwards now but it still wasn’t broken enough to open. She groaned in frustration as she approached the mailbox and attempted to pry it open with her hooves, grinding her teeth together.

“Come on…Open you piece of shit!”

Drizzle took notice of her struggling from the window of her house as he took a sip of his coffee, which Flusk had remembered to buy him some coffee mixes while he was gone, and choked down the warm liquid before he could spit it out from laughter. He snorted at her aggressive attempts to beat the old mailbox into submission for a few minutes longer before he trotted out into the yard to question her actions.

“What are you doing?” He asked, the end of his sentence breaking off with a chuckle.

“It’s this stupid mailbox! It always gets stuck like this and I can’t open it. This big piece of garbage has been here long before I even moved into this house!”

“Why haven’t you replaced it then?”

“I’ve meant to but I keep forgetting to get one while I’m out. I probably should, I doubt even the mail mare could open this.”

“Here, let me help.”

She watched as his purple aura grasped the lid and a stressing creaking noise emitted from the box. The lid shuddered and the noise got louder as he focused his magic’s strength on the object. Suddenly, it was roughly ripped off the box and tossed to the ground.

“Drizzle, you broke my mailbox!” She said irritatedly.

“About time, now you have no choice but to buy a new one.” He smirked.

She rolled her eyes and reached into the mail slot, grasping some parchment and an envelope in her hoof.

“Is my acceptance letter in there?” He asked excitedly.

“Acceptance letter? For what?”

“I applied to be a protege magus for River Breeze. You know, those unicorns that sometimes patrol the outskirts? They wear heavy armor with the seal of Regalia on them?”

Those guards?... Flusk hardly noticed them. Sometimes she’d see a stray unicorn who wore gold armor, head to hoof, taking a stroll through the center of town but nopony ever paid any mind to them. She honestly thought they were off duty. However, the magus unicorns were always the ones she heard about in the newspaper.

A few weeks ago, she heard about a pony who had their hooves on a dangerous magic amplifier and was approaching River Breeze with it with the intent of harm. It was the unicorn magus that leaped into the scene and had the culprit in restraints in a matter of minutes. A few onlookers even mentioned the magus dragging the pony away screaming bloody murder. There had been far more violent acts in the past but the magus had been known for being impenetrable and intimidating. It made all the more sense why they were appointed second in lead of Princess Regalia’s defense and had received her seal.

But that also meant Drizzle had applied for an extremely ruthless duty that would require him to go through vigorous situations all while being calm and collected in the face of a rampaging murderer or hostile pony. She knew he was well skilled in his magic from years of practice but being a magus for Ifera meant more than just being smart with one's spells. It meant being fearsome and having a keen sense of a serious occurrence along with being nimble on your hooves. She wasn’t quite sure he could be all those things.

“Are you sure about that? Being a magus is a tough job, it’s far different from simply studying magic. I thought you wanted to be a wizard?”

“I did but being on the front lines and protecting ponies sounds more exciting. I know being a magus is tough but I’ve thought about this for a long time. Far longer than you think.”

“But didn’t you just get out of the hospital? I don’t think you’re in any condition to take on something like that.”

“I’m fine, that’s why they sent me home,” He dismissed her concerns. “Besides, I wouldn’t start immediately. I have to go through a ton of training before they can even send me out. That is if they even assess me as good enough for the magus.”

Flusk shook her head as she held her mail in her hooves, heavily disagreeing with Drizzle’s decision but knowing that he wouldn’t reconsider despite it. All she could hope was that his acceptance letter wasn’t in this pile.

Carefully shuffling through the mail, she found mostly coupons and advertisements for different restaurants and businesses in River Breeze. The only important ones appeared to be a letter for Flusk and an envelope with…The seal of Stone Hedge Castle?

“Is it there?”

“No, but something else is.”

She carefully tore at the envelope with her magic and found a folded-up piece of paper inside. Straightening it, she read its contents aloud.

“Dear Residents of River Breeze, Princess Regalia and Princess Aphrodite cordially invite you to the annual Stone Hedge Gala-”

“Stone Hedge Gala?” Drizzle interrupted her in confusion.

She continued. “This momentous gala has always been hosted at Stone Hedge Castle and reserved for those closest to the royal family and affiliates. This year the Stone Hedge Gala will be open to the public and heavily encouraged by the princesses to attend. Inside this letter, an amount of tickets with the expected attendees from each household has been dispersed.”

Drizzle pulled out two gold tickets from the letter. “How did they know I live here? I haven’t updated my address ever since.”

“Formal wear is requested for the gala, no other requirements are necessary. The princesses look forward to seeing you this Saturday at five pm at the gates of Stone Hedge Castle.”

Flusk appeared shocked when she finished reading and the letter slipped from her magical grip, floating down to the grass.

“Hold on a second, did we just get invited to a royal event? As in, an event hosted by the princesses, as in, they’ll be there?” Drizzle exclaimed.

“Princess Aphrodite…Invited me?”

She looked like somepony had just said the most beautiful thing to her as tears of happiness leaked from her eyes and her hoof held at her chest, touched by such a kind gesture.

“You good, Flusk?”

“Yeah…” She replied, her voice quivering.

Drizzle lifted the letter off the ground and reread it to himself a few times, going over the details. “They said residents of River Breeze. Does that mean everypony in town was invited?”

“I guess so,” Flusk said, a little choked up by emotion still. “Wait…That means Zozer, Meadow, Whisper and Scarlet, all of them got invited! Oh, and Heart too!”

“All of them?... Invited?”

Drizzle appeared mildly uncomfortable suddenly at the thought of Flusk’s five friends being at the gala. Flusk took notice and looked at him worriedly.

“What’s wrong? Do you not want them to be there?”

“N-No…I just um, was thinking about how much the train tickets would cost!” He blurted out nervously. “Five passengers are a lot of bits.”

“I’m sure they would pay for themselves.” She chuckled. “Actually, I think I might ask if they’d all want to go shopping. We could all look for outfits for the gala together!”

Flusk merrily pranced her way back inside, the two tickets for her and Drizzle levitating beside her as she got ready to invite each of her friends with her to the boutique. All while Drizzle stood there, feeling his anxiety consume him.

He wouldn’t say he was on good terms with any of her friends. Scarlet for sure hated his guts and would most definitely start a hoof fight on the dance floor if it came to it. Zozer was giving him suspicious glances the entire time he went to a cafe with them. Meadow and Whisper seemed almost afraid of him and Heartstrings was probably the only pony who was okay with him. Even then, she was more distant from everything that was going on.

The thought of arriving at the gala and his very presence being loathed, the piercing stares, the uncomfortable shifting and attempts to silently move away from him, he’d rather surrender his ticket now.

“Darling, don’t let a few nasty mortals ruin your night,” A smooth voice sounded in his mind. “They mean nothing in the end. I know you would feel contrite on missing an opportunity to meet the royalty of Ifera.”

“Apate now’s not the time.”

“On the contrary, it is. The tension you feel with those five peasants is preventing you from proceeding towards something you desire. You cannot allow their menial influence to sway you from your decisions.”

“They’re not all peasants…”

“What they are isn’t important, show those pitiful life forms that their hostility will not be forgotten.”

Even when she spoke with such malice in her words, Apate’s voice remained mellow and comforting. It was almost hypnotic and he felt the need to fulfill her wish.

“Over here we have our spring line, recently introduced to welcome the spring in both style and a light and breathable fabric!”

A retail worker of the boutique led the group of friends around the shop, gesturing to the multiple garments they sold and giving a brief description of their material and appearance before moving on and allowing them to observe the rest.

Drizzle was slowly lagging, his mind elsewhere as his hooves mindlessly followed the others. He hadn’t even raised his head from the floor ever since they arrived at the boutique, purposely avoiding eye contact with anyone else.

“All this stuff sucks,” Scarlet said bluntly.

“Scarlet, don’t say that so loud!” Flusk scolded her. “What’s wrong with it? Is there nothing you like here?”

“It’s all basic bitch stuff. This is why I never even wanted to go to the gala. My marefriend can’t come so it’ll just be me awkwardly standing there.”

“Well, I don’t have a date for the gala and I’m still going! You don’t need a partner to have fun. I would hang out with you!”

“Even then, there’s nothing I’ll like there. They’re not going to have metal bands playing at a fancy princess gala. The food will probably look like two leaves and a rock and it’s impossible to headbang to classical music.”

“You’re just full of complaints today, aren’t you?” Flusk laughed, shaking her head.

Heartstrings rotated around so that she was walking backwards and facing Scarlet and Flusk. “I’m sure that it won’t be that bad. They have to understand they’re inviting commoner ponies too. Not everypony has a stomach for the rich stuff.”

“They’re princesses, you think they care?” Scarlet asked.

“I’m sure Princess Aphrodite would, she’s very considerate and kind to other ponies.” Flusk grinned, practically in a daze thinking about the princess.

“You’re just biased.”

“No, I’m not!” Flusk shouted back, looking particularly flustered.

Whilst the three conversed about the princesses and the gala, Whisper and Zozer were busy admiring the available dresses the worker had pointed out. Zozer’s tail swished back and forth in thought as she debated between two dresses hung in front of her. At her side, Whisper held a gown at her chest, attempting to visualize what she’d look like in it.

“Um, what do you two think? I’m not sure if it’s for me…”

Meadow revealed herself from behind a clothing rack, shyly trotting out. She was adorned in a light pink dress, speckled with small strawberries all over it. In the front, a tied bow rested in between a v-shaped cut in the chest area. A small train followed behind her as she approached her marefriends. The gown was a spin on a famous dress in the fashion world of Ifera ByFlame, adding a longer back to it. She nervously smiled, waiting for their approval or disapproval.

Thankfully, she wouldn’t have to worry as Whisper and Zozer stared at her in awe, blown away by her beauty. Zozer would have literally gone flying had it not been for her moderate amount of control over her wind magic.

“Is it okay?... You both are just staring at me. It’s a little scary…”

Zozer dropped to their knees dramatically and clasped their paw and claw together in a praying position. “Please wear it, I beg you.”

Whisper shortly followed after, bowing her head as if she were bowing to a queen. “Do us the honor of wearing it, please!”

Meadow glanced left and right at her partners, her cheeks flushed as she emitted a small ‘eep’ noise and covered her face with her wings.

“As expected, invited to participate and yet no one has acknowledged your presence, not even once," Apate spoke while Drizzle looked through the stallion section of the store.

“I knew that it would happen, it’s fine.” He brushed it off.

“You should not become accustomed to neglect.”

“I much prefer this than having to talk to them at all. It’s a lot more peaceful like this.”

“Do you not remember what I told you before?” Apate questioned him.

“I do. But I’m not starting anything unnecessary if they’re not even bothering me.”

“From what I’ve observed of the one named Scarlet, it won’t be long before she’s pressuring you and berating you. She feeds off your irritation and misery. And while I’m not familiar with the three over there, I have my suspicions about the draconequus. She has been glancing this way a fair bit. If there was no better time to take control of the room, it would be now.”

“Just leave me alone! I can make my own decisions without you putting your two cents into everything.”

While the topic of princesses and fancy galas had already passed, Flusk was preoccupied with her two other friends in conversation when she took note of Drizzle stomping out of the boutique. She glanced back and forth to Scarlet and Heartstrings and then to the door he exited out of.

“I’ll be right back.”

That was all she said before she hurried after him and found him pacing across a sidewalk, his face contorted in anger as he barely lifted his hooves off the ground to walk back and forth.

“Drizzle, are you okay?” She asked.

“No, I’m not.” He replied bluntly.

Well, that’s a first, he didn’t normally admit to his feelings right off the bat.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t understand why you care so much. You care too much actually. I can’t even walk somewhere by myself without you forcing yourself onto me.”

“W-What?...” Flusk appeared genuinely confused.

“You wouldn’t let me go to the library myself, you wouldn’t leave me alone at the hospital, you’re obsessed with everything I do at home and you still won’t let down that stupid letter!” He shouted, stomping his hoof.

“What does that have to do with anything?... Maybe I should have just let you go by yourself to the library but the hospital thing was for your safety! I wanted to make sure you were okay. And you never told me you didn’t want to talk about Pet-...”

He noticeably flinched at the mention of that mare’s name. She bit her tongue and swore at herself internally.

“You’ve had a rough time lately and I only wanted to make sure you were alright. If you don’t want me to do something then just say it!”

“I shouldn’t have to say it. Any normal pony wouldn’t be so clingy and obsessed.”

Obsessed? Clingy? She thought he understood where she was coming from earlier when they shared an emotional moment, where she poured her heart out to him and confessed that he was hurting her feelings and he promised to do better. Should she have paid attention to her gut feeling saying that this was all a ploy? He was playing with her emotions again.

Obsessed…Clingy…It rang through her head as she hissed in a sharp breath. She swallowed the lump in her throat, fighting back her signs of weakness for him to pick at.

“I didn’t think I was clingy or obsessed…I just like being around you…I just care about you.”

“I’m tired of your bullshit. You say the same thing every time and I’m sick of it. When will you get it that I don’t love you? Do I have to say it for you to finally understand?”

She already knew he didn’t love her, at least not in that way. He didn’t have to say it for her to get it but he only brought the way he felt about her into reality. He didn’t love her. She already knew, she already told herself those same words every night as a way to rid her passionate feelings but it didn’t make the pain hurt any less. Hearing him say it only made her heart break and her longing more fierce as her hopes and dreams crashed around her.

A hope that he’d someday hold her and tell her she had worth in this world, a hope she would be desired and seen for herself, a hope that Flusk wasn’t a forgotten name but a pony cherished and full of purpose. Just like how she had seen him. But those hopes were but dreams, and dreams aren’t real.

A shattering pain traveled through the right side of her face as she was forced to look the other way, Drizzle’s hoof being thrust into her cheek before she could comprehend it. The punch echoed through the area and Flusk refused to peer up at him again after she had been dealt it. Red liquid splattered on the sidewalk underneath her as her nose leaked with blood at an alarming rate.

“What the fuck?!”

Flusk looked upwards to see Zozer standing at the entrance of the boutique and gaping at her. It appeared she was watching the scene the entire time.

“Zozer?...” Drizzle muttered.

“Why did you do that? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Flusk had never seen Zozer so angry before. They had described the few times in the past they protected their marefriend, Meadow from strange ponies on the street and often seemed like someone who wasn’t afraid to stand up for themself but Flusk had never seen them like this. It was bizarre but comforting to see them defend her.

Drizzle nervously stood there, not uttering a word. He looked behind at the rows of homes, seemingly plotting an escape route.

“Don’t you dare…” Zozer threatened, catching onto his schemes.

He took his chance and bolted in the other direction. The draconequus didn’t waste time to launch herself after him, chasing at full speed on her four mismatched limbs.

“Zozer, wait!”

Flusk shouted for her but it was futile. She was already fired up and no amount of restraint was going to stop her rampaging. She had her sights set on her enemy and she wasn’t about to tire anytime soon. A mere unicorn against a draconequus, it was obvious who would win.

Drizzle was throwing his legs forward, attempting to gain as much speed as he could whilst Zozer gained upon him, edging closer and closer. He was already panting hard, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to outrun her, not with the mizutsune in her blood allowing her to move swiftly and her owl eyes granting her sharp vision, unlike anything a pony would see. With all these creatures inside her working together as one, the probability of him escaping unscathed was very low.

“Running away like a coward, huh? Where did all your confidence go?” She taunted from behind.

Drizzle weaved in between ponies yards, hopping over fences and rolling into flower beds as nearby bystanders rushed to gallop out of the way in fear. Nearly trampling over an anxious mare in his way, Drizzle powered his horn with a flash and teleported a safe distance away from her before continuing his run.

“Not willing to face me? Fine, then I’ll just have to make you.”

With her right paw in a fist at her chest, Zozer’s eyes flickered with electricity, as did her clasped paw. Sharply raising her arm to the sky, a crackle of lightning formed in her fingertips and she launched it his way. The sizzling of energy passed by his ear and he reared onto his hind legs to narrowly avoid the bolt. Shaken, he stared down at the burnt grass that it impacted before gazing at her.

The draconequus slowly strode toward him, dragging her back feet as she went. A low growl rumbled from her throat in between her rapid breathing as she approached him like a feral animal with its prey in sight. He hardly had any time to react before she erratically pounced on top of him, knocking him onto his back and presenting her full mouth of razor-sharp teeth mere inches from his face.

Fear overtook him as Drizzle instinctively pressed his hooves into her snout, using all his strength to push her jaws off him. His arms trembled and his breath short-winded as she fought against his force, snapping her teeth wildly. As if he had forgotten he had the power, he teleported himself safely away from her clutches and nearly collapsed to the ground, shaken at what he just endured.

Of course, Zozer wasn’t impressed with his continuous avoidance of their confrontation. In fact, it only enraged her further as she came barreling at him with full force, snarling aggressively. His horn sporadically lit to life and conjured a force field in her path, her body hitting it hard and she rolled across the ground. A trail of dust flew through the air as the draconequus lay on her side, unmoving.

Between shaky breaths, Drizzle muttered. “What in Regalia’s name…”

He nearly jumped when a claw extended out from the mass. Its digits dug deep divots into the earth, crushing the soil between its palm. The nails grappled onto the sturdy ground and supported the tall creature as she pulled herself up. Her hair became a tangled mess of dirt as she peered through strands of hair, her pupils narrowing on Drizzle. A stream of blood leaked from a fresh cut on her snout, slashed by a rock she tumbled over. She was littered with bruises and possible regrets but she was still determined to take him down, even at the cost of her well-being.

Strengthening his spell ever so slightly, she tossed herself at the shield once again and hammered at the shimmery surface with her fist.

“Stop hiding behind a pathetic spell, face me you coward, face me!”

Her continuous blows to the force field were much louder on the inside as if a glass ball was pounded on over and over.

“You weren’t so terrified before when you hurt Flusk, why is it different now?!”

He could hear small pricks of magic at his ears and cracks forming above him as Zozer picked at it, her pace nonstop. It would shatter in due time…

“Face me you asshole!”

The shield shattered like glass as his magic exploded outwards. Zozer was directly in the line of fire as the fragments of unicorn magic pierced through her skin, pushing her backwards. Through the outburst of power, Drizzle quickly escaped the other way and galloped down an alleyway without a second glance.

Zozer had been left behind, nicks all over her body as she kneeled to the ground and gazed onwards to where he escaped. She no longer could pursue him but she definitely wanted to despite the stinging sensation coursing through her skin. Who knew unicorn magic was so volatile?

“Zozer…Zozer!”

She turned her head and saw a very panicked Meadow and Flusk galloping towards her. Seeing the love of her life approaching her, she couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Oh my goodness, Zozer, what happened to you?!” Meadow gasped, a hoof flying to her mouth.

“It’s just a scratch, I’m alright.”

“That’s certainly a lot of scratches,” Flusk commented, her hoof pressed to her nose to prevent further blood from dripping down her face.

“That is not just a scratch. What did you do?”

“Drizzle, that prick got away before I could finish him. I’ve just got to figure out where he- OW!”

Meadow yanked on Zozer’s ear causing the draconequus to yelp.

“We’re going to the hospital right now!” Meadow replied sternly.

“But he’s getting away, I can’t just- OW!” Zozer flinched at her ear being pulled again. “...Yes dear.”

Not another word came from Zozer as she was forcefully dragged by her marefriend to the hospital while Flusk followed shortly behind. Despite the grim circumstance, the unicorn struggled to stifle her laughter at how obedient Zozer had become at the hooves of Meadow. It took one pony to tame a beast, it appeared.

Chapter 7: His Tyranny [Part 1]

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“Please hold still, Miss Elysia. It’ll only sting for a second.”

“I’m trying…Ow!”

Zozer squirmed and whimpered as Doctor Silver dabbed at her cuts with a cotton ball. He was gentle and precise with his movements so as to not increase the pain. Once he finished, he carefully applied a bandaid to the area before moving to her side which was speckled with nicks.

“You said it would only hurt for a second, now you’re doing more?” Zozer complained, wincing at the sensation.

“In order for your cuts to properly heal, I need to cover all of them. When unicorn magic is used in such a manner, it can be hazardous to the healing of wounds and gather at the surface.”

“I have no idea what you just said but can you please leave your medical talk for later?!”

“Zozer!” Meadow scolded from her side. “He’s trying to help you. You were the one who got yourself hurt, the least you could do is make it easier for him.”

“I had to, that selfish bastard hurt Flusk! I was putting him in his place.”

“What you were doing was worrying Meadow,” Whisper chimed in. “She was terrified and you ran off without thinking!”

“It’s not like I can’t handle myself. She knows that.”

“I don’t know that.” Meadow hesitated on her next words. “...You’re not as strong as you used to be. You can’t expect to come out alright whenever your anger leads you.”

The room went completely silent after she said that except for the sound of Doctor Silver rifling through medical supplies. Meadow proceeded to situate herself on the floor and held herself with her wings in a way to comfort herself. She hid her face behind her feathers and closed her eyes, her form appearing distraught.

Zozer wanted to leave her crinkly hospital bed to console Meadow but she knew that Doctor Silver or even one of them would force her to stay put. She had to patch up all her wounds first.

To her relief, Whisper lowered down to her and embraced her, allowing the pegasus to conceal her face. But it only made Zozer feel more guilty. She had allowed herself to be bested by somepony who didn’t even deserve the win. If she had been strong enough, she could have got revenge for Flusk and wouldn’t have distressed her marefriend. Instead, she was stuck being delicate and incompetent, someone others had to shield. And her resistant spirit was testing everyone else’s patience, especially Meadow's.

“Please don’t ever do that again, Zozer.”

She lifted her head to Meadow pleading with her, eyes wet with tears.

“Don’t kill yourself trying to prove your worth.”

Her gaze softened, seeing how upset she had made Meadow. She reached her arm out and caressed the top of her head, disheveling her mane.

“I won’t, I promise.”

The promise wasn’t complete sincerity but it was enough to see her marefriend smile again, trusting her word. She highly doubted that she would be killed for pursuing Drizzle again, he hardly hit her. He had one lucky shot and escaped before she could attack back. The next time she encountered him, he wasn’t getting away. It wasn’t exactly breaking her promise if she didn’t die.

“Feeling better, love?” Whisper asked softly to Meadow, giving her a small peck on the cheek.

“Mhm,” Meadow nodded. “I’ll be okay.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Zozer grinned at them, watching her marefriend and her metamour lean against one another affectionately. As they did, Doctor Silver finished tending to Zozer’s wounds and packed up his supplies.

She sat up straight, immediately feeling uncomfortable by the number of bandaids lining her body, lightly pulling at her skin as she moved. The urge to rip them off became suddenly unbearable.

“How long do I need to wear these?” Zozer inquired, distesting a bandaid on her arm immensely.

“At least a week. The unicorn magic will seep out within a few days but the lacerations themselves will take longer to heal. As long as you replace the bandaids once in a while everything should be fine.”

“Replace them?” She looked at him as if he were crazy. “You’ve seen how many I have, right?”

“I understand it’s a bit tedious but I’m sure the ones who brought you here would be more than willing to help.”

“Of course, I’ll take good care of her.” Meadow agreed, smiling warmly.

“But the gala’s in four days…”

Zozer deflated like a balloon, sulking over the fact she would have to wear all these bandaids underneath her dress. It was long enough to cover her legs and torso but the rest of her would be exposed. She would make her entrance to her first “royal” gala looking like she had just escaped a catfight. Which wasn’t entirely wrong…If you replaced the cat with an overreactive unicorn.

“I’m sure we can find a way to make it work,” Meadow placed her hoof on Zozer’s arm comfortingly. “I said I would do your makeup, didn’t I? I can try and blend it with your skin tone, nopony will even notice!”

“Really?” Zozer’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love you so much!”

She threw her arms around Meadow in glee, startling the pegasus and forcing her backwards onto her hind legs. She quickly stabilized all four of her hooves on the ground before she could fall over and breathed a relieved sigh, embracing her partner shortly after with a small smile.

Doctor Silver uncomfortably cleared his throat, unsure what to do with himself during their display of affection. “I’ll go prepare a prescription cream for you to take home.”

After Doctor Silver returned with Zozer’s prescription, the group left his office and made their way into the hospital lobby.

The waiting area was mostly vacant, consisting of multiple black seats lined in a row and occupied by few patients. A mother and her antsy filly took up two while a draconequus in the corner was kicked back with a newspaper. Being that it was a Wednesday night, the receptionists would not be tending to as many patients on a weekday. It also meant that the three of them would have no trouble at all finding their friends.

“Flusk!” Zozer shouted.

Everyone in the room glanced up as Zozer sprinted towards three mares near the front, Whisper and Meadow following her at a slower pace. Heartstrings, to the right, waved at her with her wing and Scarlet, to the left simply nodded at her sudden presence. In the middle seat, Flusk sat holding a red-tinted gauze to her nostril, looking particularly fatigued. She perked up when she saw Zozer approaching her and managed a small smile.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you badly?” Zozer didn’t waste time questioning her.

“I could ask the same about you,” She gazed at the bandaids covering Zozer’s body. “You look much worse than I do.”

Zozer brushed away her concern. “It’s just some scratches, they’ll heal eventually.”

“They’re more than just scratches.” Meadow glowered at her.

“That’s beside the point. Are you okay?” She repeated once more.

“I think so,” Flusk replied unsurely. “He did break my nose but they told me that all I need is rest and it will heal by itself. I’m quite lucky that I don’t need surgery. Although, I’m not sure how long these nosebleeds will last.”

From her left, Scarlet leaned into the conversation. “I know you don’t give a shit about what I have to say about him but I think you should. He hurt you, Flusk. Not with just his words either. You need to leave him before he does something worse.”

Flusk immediately avoided Scarlet’s gaze, disregarding her opinion on the matter. They had discussed this once before and it hadn’t gone anywhere. It only resulted in Flusk exploding on her and making it clear she had no intentions of cutting off Drizzle. Seeing how she was using the current situation as leverage for her judgment only made Flusk angrier with her.

“Wait, this isn’t the first time? Have I been missing something?” Heartstrings inquired worriedly.

“This is the first time he’s physically harmed her but he’s said things to her in public before. Unless of course Flusk isn’t mentioning things happening between them in private. I figured something was going on after the cafe incident…” Zozer thought out loud.

“How long has this been going on?” Meadow asked Flusk.

“I…I don’t know.”

She seemed confused, failing to recall her memories of her beginning with Drizzle. It was as if they faded together as one, becoming discernible and lost, all except the important ones. Her reminiscence of the past was happiness and laughter, it completely contradicted the negativity and incriminating evidence her friends had made against him. Surely the times he had spent teaching her magic, the deep conversations about life and beyond and his unconditional comfort on her worst days meant something. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t care about her.

She couldn’t deny that he punched her, the bruising on her nose and the blood pouring out rapidly couldn’t be masked. But she could understand that he was going through a lot mentally and all this misunderstanding from everypony around him was making it worse. It was no wonder why he lashed out so often and took it out on her. He didn’t truly mean it, it was just him unable to cope with his feelings.

“I don’t understand, I was just talking to Drizzle earlier today at the hospital. He seemed fine to me…Well, maybe a little off.” Heartstrings muttered, remembering how she had found him in his hospital room, back turned and talking to himself.

“Drizzle was in the hospital?” Zozer appeared taken aback, glancing at Flusk for an explanation.

“You really haven’t told them anything have you?” Scarlet replied sharply to Flusk.

“I didn’t think it was important. It was a private matter.” Flusk fixated her gaze away from the tense discussion.

“Private matter or life on the line? We both thought he was going to die that day and you know it.”

“Die?” Zozer sighed exasperatedly. “Would someone please tell me what happened? This whole back and forth isn’t helping.”

Flusk glanced toward the receptionist's desk, observing a pony assisting a patient with sign-in. Then she looked to the mother and filly awaiting their turn, her daughter staring Flusk right in the eyes with her hoof in her mouth. From her peripheral vision, she saw the draconequus peeking from behind their newspaper, eavesdropping on their conversation. This place wasn’t the ideal spot to talk about what happened on Mount Mooncaster, nor with so many who would be eager to tell the unicorn magus for a reward.

Flusk spoke in a hushed voice. “I’ll tell you but in a more secluded area. There are things I’d rather the general public not know about.”

The group departed the hospital and trekked on a trail to the outskirts of River Breeze, only the empty valley around them, the village houses behind and birds flying high above would be their witness now. It was a bit far to be called a “secluded area” but seeing how Flusk stressed the situation, the others compromised on the travel away from home. It gave them a chance to enjoy the scenery if not anything else.

Once Flusk was comfortable with their distance, they settled themselves on a lush hill overlooking the village. Flusk proceeded to tell them everything, the book she found about Mount Mooncaster, the journey she embarked on with Drizzle and Scarlet, the crystal cave, what happened to Drizzle once he read the old book and how he refused to correct the doctor on his diagnosis and acted as if he was hiding something.

Aside from Scarlet, the others appeared speechless about this retelling and didn’t dare interrupt her the entire time, even at the end when she was left with silence. Whether it was because they were coming to terms with the trio now being seen as criminals by the crown or that they had gone to an area forbidden for many moons was hard to decipher. Zozer appeared to be the most troubled by this new information as she wore an anxious expression, many questions seeming to loom through her mind.

For a change, Whisper was the first one to speak up. “I’m not very knowledgeable about magic but from the readings I’ve stumbled across on Mooncaster, his behavior isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. It was speculated that the princesses were hiding something powerful there.”

“Do you believe it’s real?...” Flusk asked, sounding as if her whole perspective of the mountain would change depending on Whisper’s answer.

“I’ve never been there so I can’t say for sure myself but I’m not against the idea of them locking away artifacts inside, artifacts that should never be brought out ever again. I think you may have stumbled upon one that you shouldn’t have.”

Her heart sank, realizing a crucial detail to her story that Whisper had made her aware of. It all started with a book, and then another book that Drizzle was infatuated with the moment he laid eyes on it. She was so focused on his sudden outburst inside the cavern that she had forgotten what preceded it.

Drizzle had always been a bit withdrawn but now he always wanted to be alone. And today he had taken his actions further than she anticipated. That book was cursed, it changed him into somepony she no longer recognized, and it terrified her.

“If what you’re saying is true, and that book did do something to him, he’s now running off to who knows where with whatever abilities it gave him. I think we should be worried.” Scarlet added.

“We should tell the princesses, they would know how to handle this!” Meadow attempted to remedy the situation.

“And what are we going to tell them when they ask how he got the book? Drizzle wasn’t the only one who went in, I’m sure they know there are three of us. Me and Flusk would be arrested on the spot for knowing information.”

“I don’t mean to be rude but isn’t that sort of your fault? You all chose to go inside knowing the consequences.” Heartstrings replied.

“Uh, no, going to Mooncaster was Flusk’s idea, not mine. I was dragged along with that pompous asshole because she wanted to go.”

“But you still went, didn’t you?”

“Why are you trying to turn this on me? Are you asking for a fight?”

Between the tense exchange of Heartstrings and Scarlet, Flusk snapped and shouted over both of them, “We won’t tell anyone anything!”

It appeared Flusk had a gift for making her peers go quiet as everyone concluded their debates on the situation and glanced at her perplexed. Realizing her mistake in allowing the pressure to seize her, she took a deep breath and composed herself before explaining.

“Princess Regalia and Princess Aphrodite can’t know about Drizzle, neither can anypony else. While it might be morally right for me and Scarlet to come clean, it also would overcomplicate the situation. We were there with him when the book altered him, we wouldn’t be given the chance to explain before they potentially threw us behind bars. Alternatively, you all could explain to them instead but even then, you would all be considered suspects for knowing anything. We’d all be in trouble for being involved.”

A few of her friends nodded in agreement solemnly, the weight of this predicament becoming clearer.

“It’s a horrible choice, perhaps the worst but I think it’s best if we let this play out. I don’t know where he is right now but if we spot him again, we can confront him. But for now, all we can do is wait.”

“The Stone Hedge Gala is Saturday, right?” Whisper turned to Flusk. “We have a few days to find him before then. If not, everyone received an invitation, he’ll most likely attend the gala.”

“Do we really want to chase him around a glamorized ballroom?…” Scarlet asked, sounding rather exhausted thinking about the idea.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Whisper grimaced. “I’d like to enjoy the night with my partner.”

Noticing her marefriend speaking more, Meadow gained the courage to join in, although not for the same reason. “As much as I’d like to help with the search, I’m afraid I’m a bit too busy up until Saturday…” She nervously wrung her hooves together.

“Yeah, me too,” Heartstrings agreed. “My mom wants me to help in the hospital for the next few days, something about an overload of paperwork…Yay.”

“Chaos doesn’t want me to go anywhere after the Mooncaster thing so I don’t think I can help, sorry,” Scarlet replied with monotony.

Her shoulders fell with disappointment, seeing almost all her friends had a busy schedule for the rest of the week. Some she suspected were possibly relieved to have an excuse to not help with the search. And although Whisper and Zozer hadn’t stated their plans yet, Flusk could only predict they would be too busy as well.

It was fine, she could search for him herself. She was responsible for him and the situation, it was only fair that she found him. But would there be enough time before the gala?...

“I hope you find him, Flusk,” Whisper said. “I’ll keep a lookout too. If there’s anything we don’t need it’s having to involve other civilians in this mess. Let’s try to find him before Saturday.”

After the serious talk, it devolved into more light-hearted stories between the many friends. Flusk chose to listen instead of partake this time, her mind running with far too many anxiety-inducing thoughts to get into a happy mood. Zozer seemed to be the same, a disturbed expression still present on her face. Meadow had asked her a few times if she was alright during the discussion and she eased her concerns each time. But whenever the sweet pegasus was no longer gazing in her direction, she was frowning and twiddling her thumbs.

Zozer had always been the type to shrug off her feelings ever since they had first met and refused to admit when she was hurt. But she often communicated her feelings to her marefriend, viewing their communication as highly important. This time, she avoided doing so altogether and Flusk couldn’t help but wonder why she was so perturbed.

Relievingly, the hectic Wednesday they had all endured was beginning to come to an end as the sun drew closer to the horizon, its bright rays disappearing prompted the group to pack up. They traveled back into River Breeze together but said their goodbyes once they made it into town, hopeful to be reunited on the day of the gala.

With Scarlet and Heartstrings already off their separate ways, Whisper and Meadow began their trip home just as Flusk was about to depart. She immediately ceased her movement when she heard the tapping of claws on the stone path approaching.

Zozer, out of breath, called her name. “Flusk!”

She rotated around and waited for the draconequus to catch up before questioning her.

“Zozer, what are you doing here? Aren’t you going home?”

“I couldn’t,” She answered between gasps. “Drizzle…I need to tell you something.”

The mention of Drizzle made Flusk pause momentarily. “What about Whisper and Meadow, they’re leaving without you!”

“They know…Just give me a second.”

She let Zozer rest and catch her breath, it seemed she had run quite a distance hurriedly. What she had needed to tell Flusk appeared to be greatly important to her if she was willing to abandon her marefriend and metamour for it. Hopefully, it had to do with what was bothering her earlier.

“Alright, I’m good now,” She took a stride in the direction Flusk was headed. “I’ll walk with you home.”

Lamps perched on the side of the village houses sparkled with newly lit flames, lighting the path that Zozer and Flusk traveled upon. It was them, the fading daylight and the brief luminescence they passed on their way.

Despite expressing her urgency earlier to tell Flusk, Zozer remained quiet as she followed the road onward. It reminded the unicorn of her travels to the marketplace and back with Drizzle at her side. He wasn’t always in the best mood and refrained from talking so she would just listen to the sound of the rocks underneath their hooves and the whistling wind. She wished he could be at her side now, even if she wasn’t entirely welcome in his presence.

Zozer spoke a few minutes into their silent walk. “I asked before but you never gave me a fair answer, are you okay?”

“I guess so,” Flusk mumbled.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

Flusk didn’t argue against it, meaning she was fine with Zozer thinking that.

“I’m still speechless about the mountain situation,” Zozer nervously laughed. “I never knew you were willing to do something so risky.”

Flusk hummed disappointedly, lowering her head in shame. She didn’t know she was so willing to do it either. All she felt was an urge, a calling to uncover the secrets of Mooncaster. The curse that had been laid upon Drizzle had been calling to her instead, what would have happened if she was in his place? The secret entity that broke the barrier spell had responded to her, perhaps it was originally meant for her.

“I know it’s a little late for this but it’d be nice if you told me what was going on in your life, apart from what I already know. I would have liked to know that Drizzle was in the hospital or that you three made that crazy trip. You don’t have to tell me everything but the important things matter.”

“I would have just-...I was so wrapped up in that and stressed about him lying to me. At the time I didn’t think it was that important either…”

“No matter if you think it’s important or not, you can always tell me. I’m not as judgmental as you may think.” She reassured her with a smile. “Besides, knowing that you were seen trespassing by Regalia’s security, it’s a much bigger problem now…”

Not many used Princess Regalia’s name in such an informal manner, perhaps out of respect, or fear. But Zozer used it as a way of knowing her personally. Flusk’s curiosity persisted when she looked downwards, troubled.

“Is that what you wanted to tell me?...”

Zozer sighed. “I hate to say it but you really messed up. Regalia and Aphrodite are normally merciful and shy away from extreme punishments if the crime committed isn’t a big deal. But you also tampered with something they’ve kept under control for hundreds of years, and with how strict the laws are it was pretty important.” She paused from the intensity of her next words. “They may be kind but they’re not above the death sentence either.”

“They kill ponies?!” Flusk nearly tripped over her own hooves in fright.

“Not normally, like I said they try not to go to extreme measures. But it’s a possibility I thought you should know.”

“How do you know that? You’ve never talked about the princesses before, I wouldn’t have expected you to know anything about them.”

Zozer glanced to the side and played with a strand of her hair. “We’ve met before…Once or twice.” She didn’t elaborate on that but Flusk got the sense it was a meeting on bad terms. Instead, she redirected the topic. “Anyway, I won’t say anything to them like we agreed on but you need to be careful. Especially at the gala.”

“If I find Drizzle now then we won’t have anything to worry about. I just have to try my best.”

“And what are you going to do when you find him? He’s affected by a magical artifact none of us know the extent of. He didn’t seem any different when I fought him, except for being a coward,” She snorted in frustration.“but the effects of the artifact could be taking longer. If you find him when it does you have no defense against it and no knowledge of how to stop it. It’s not a reliable plan.”

“Well I can’t involve the princesses and nopony else has a better plan so that's all I can do for now.”

Zozer was unable to spout another argument against that as they climbed the steps to Flusk’s door. With a simple flit of her magic, she leaned down and lit a flame on the wick of her lantern, allowing light to pour over the entrance.

“Will you be okay here tonight?” Zozer asked in a soft tone, noticing Flusk eyeing the door of her home hesitantly.

“I’ll be fine,” She answered quickly. “I lived here before without him and he might decide to come back later. He doesn’t exactly have anywhere else to stay.”

Zozer nodded, respecting her decision. “If anything happens, let me know immediately and I’ll be here.” She took a step down the stairs. “See you at the station, Saturday before nightfall?”

“Of course, I’ll be there!”

The draconequus gave her an enthusiastic wave and walked away as Flusk let herself inside. Flusk already turned her back to the village homes but Zozer had slowed her pace so she could observe her friend safely retire to bed before making the journey back to her own.

Flusk narrowly avoided Drizzle’s half-filled lukewarm coffee on the dining table and rushed to her bedroom, trying to relieve her thoughts of him before she slumbered.

Her drafts remained sprawled out on her work desk, her favorite quill propped in a glass jar at the side. She had hardly touched her assignment since that fateful day, pages of unfinished concepts that she was supposed to have done weeks ago with an extension provided by her understanding publisher had simply fallen to the wayside. She would have stressed about it had she not been so tired, so weak and so betrayed by the one she had lent a home to, her heart to.

She collapsed into the covers of her bed, allowing her body to go limp and relax. Flusk normally feared the pitch blackness of her room without a secondary light but she was far too exhausted to switch on a lamp before her eyelids drooped and shut.

Maybe he’ll come home tonight…

To her dismay, he never came home that night. Neither did he the other nights. She spent her mornings searching the marketplace of River Breeze for any sign of him and her evenings trekking the pathways with a lantern in her hoof. She left her comfort zone to ask other ponies if they had seen a blue unicorn with a brown mane skulking around and was met with confusion and shaking heads.

She went back home every day, defeated and debilitated with loneliness, glancing at that cup of coffee he drank two nights ago. Why hadn’t he come home and finished it? Why did he hurt her and leave her behind in shambles? She felt guilty for him laying a hoof on her and she couldn’t understand why. Why was she so intolerable to him, so unloveable?

“When will you get it that I don’t love you?”

The fierceness and cruelty in his voice made her tears sting as she whimpered a small cry and keeled over the dining table. Her sobs were quiet but painful, feeling as if she were hiding a flurry of feelings inside. It made her feel pathetic to be wallowing over a love she knew would be unrequited from the start but she couldn’t help but fall so hard. Knowing how much he hated her and how much she loved him through the suffering made it far worse.

It was a miracle she was able to choke down a hooful of cereal and half-eaten lettuce sandwiches through her nauseousness, being too lovelorn to have an appetite. Her sleep schedule hadn’t improved either since she spent most of the sleeping hours waiting for him to come home and often cried herself to sleep. It was foolish to believe he’d return, she knew it, but she still clung onto fleeting hope he’d walk through the door without being complied to. Because he cared about her…

Unfortunately, it was far too late for that for tonight had finally come, the Stone Hedge Gala.

She slipped into tall white boots, zipping up each hoof before wrapping herself in a silky navy blue gown, speckled in stars that mimicked the night sky. She straightened her mane and levitated a white feather behind her ear, adding a piece of herself to the ensemble.

Despite the interruption, she and her friends experienced while dress shopping, she was able to purchase a gown in time for the formal party. But she didn’t feel as pretty in it as she would have four days ago. In the mirror, all she could see was a tired mare trying to mask it with an overpriced trim. This gala would be nothing more than faking smiles and attempting to be less awkward in an atmosphere where everypony else has a plus one but her.

She reached for her gold ticket, shoving it inside a crevice in her skirt as her eyes fell upon an identical one lying untouched. Without his ticket, Drizzle wouldn’t be able to enter the castle with everypony else which gave Flusk bittersweet relief, saddened by his lack of appearance at all.

Flusk double-checked her look, fussing over the bruises on her face the most before accepting her image and departing for the train station.

Being a filly who was born and raised in River Breeze, Flusk had hardly ever taken the train in her time here. She never had a reason to leave the village, except for visiting distant family when she still lived with her parents. It had been years since she rode the rickety, bumpy and overcrowded transport. The horrors of endlessly screaming foals without an end whilst being trapped in a small space with no exit taunted her a fair bit.

She stepped onto the train station platform and found couples of ponies, adorned in fancy and expensive garments crowded together, jubilant for the night ahead. She could hear them chattering about the “illustrious” princesses, (mostly Princess Regalia) and how thrilled they all were to sample Ifera’s finely aged wine. Something about Princess Regalia aging them for a few centuries…She wasn’t quite paying attention to the local drunk talk.

She was relieved to see three familiar figures approaching her direction, all of them embellished with formal gowns as well.

Meadow, who was shyly trotting at the side of her partners, wore the strawberry dress Zozer and Whisper had practically begged her to buy at the boutique, sheepishly smiling at the gathering of ponies. To her right, Zozer confidently strutted in a sparkling purple gown depicting a galaxy-like pattern in the fabric that almost twinned Flusk’s dress. The wounds she had sustained from battling Drizzle had completely vanished and she appeared to be in great spirits about it, sneaking a small hop in her walk. And to the left of Meadow, Whisper fashioned her regular pink bows in her mane and a matching pink gown with a ribbon collar and bow at the back.

Upon noticing her, Zozer bounded over to Flusk, beaming.“Flusk, you’re here already! I love your dress, the stars on it are so pretty! How are you doing?”

“I’m alright, and um…Thank you,” She replied less enthusiastically as Zozer approached her, more curious about her current appearance. “What happened to your bandaids? Did the scars heal already?”

“Oh no, certainly not that fast,” Meadow answered for her. “I covered them up with a concealer, you can hardly see them now.”

“She also did my makeup, see?” Zozer pointed to her eyes, her glittery purple eyeshadow shone as it caught the train station’s lights. “She did such a good job, I love it so much!” She squealed in excitement and bounced on each leg.

“Oh no, is the train about to arrive, am I late?!”A panicked Heartstrings hurried over to them, practically tripping over her own dress to make it in time.

“You’re not late, don’t worry.” Flusk solaced her. “The train isn’t supposed to arrive for another five minutes.”

Heartstrings breathed a sigh of relief and attempted to adjust her light pink shoulder cut dress after her gallop here ruined its placement. Her wings peeked out from small holes stitched into the gown, perfect for pegasi to air out their feathers. “My mom tried to hold me back from going to the gala so I was worried I wasn’t going to make it. I had little time to throw this together, do you think it’s okay?”

“It looks beautiful to me!” Zozer chimed in with a grin.

Shortly after Heartstrings arrived, Scarlet came prowling over to the group. Her attire was certainly unique, being a mix of maid garments and a frilly dress. However, she didn’t share the same energy as her outfit and appeared positively miserable on this joyful night. Perhaps she should have worn completely black instead…

“Let’s hope this depressing party is bearable.” Her first words stunk with her regular personality.

“Scarlet, is that from your basement?” Flusk inquired about her clothes, remembering the piles of schoolgirl skirts she spotted when visiting Scarlet’s house.

“I’m not answering that.”

“I don’t think the gala will be awful. I’m not a big fan of huge parties and tons of ponies either but the castle does have a garden and a few balconies. You can always leave and take a breather outside.” Heartstrings suggested.

“I’d rather not go at all.” Scarlet shot down the idea entirely.

“Well unfortunately I don’t think you have any time left to decide, the train’s here,” Flusk said.

A loud whistle sounded through the air followed by increasing chuffing as a train began to approach the station. The ground rumbled as it traveled across the railway tracks and ponies began to crowd together to board the train. The six friends joined them as the train slowed its pace, rolling into the station and stopping at the platform. Steam billowed out of the engine as the conductor stepped out from the side door and cupped his hooves together.

“All aboard for Stone Hedge Castle!”

In single file, the ponies boarded the train as the station emptied. Zozer was forced to duck her head when entering, seeing as this train wasn’t as inclusive to taller folks such as herself. They reached the seating area finding a lot of it occupied by gala attendees already but luckily found enough seats for everyone at the back.

Whilst clambering into her chair, Flusk briefly noticed a tall individual in the front with long purple horns and a multicolored pink mane disappear behind their seat. She couldn’t help but pause and feel immediate dread at those recognizable features…Was that her boss?

The wind was temporarily knocked out of her when she was suddenly jolted into her seat as the train began to move again. She took a deep breath in an attempt to ease her anxiety and stared out the window to her left, her small little village beginning to fade beyond the planes.

She felt a hoof softly tap on her shoulder and she rotated around to see Whisper exchanging a tiny smile. “Hey Flusk, I forgot to ask at the station, do you have an update on Drizzle? I noticed you were um…A little out of it and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Her ears fell and she lowered her head in shame. “No…I tried, I really did. He wasn’t anywhere in River Breeze, and neither did he come home by himself. I checked the library, and the marketplace, I even asked other ponies if they saw him…I think he might have left the village entirely. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to see me again…”

Whisper shared a mutual perturbed expression with her marefriend and metamour, including the rest of her friends. Whisper somewhat knew it would end like this but there was no harm in hoping for the best.

“Does this mean we have to chase this motherfucker down?” Scarlet asked irritatedly.

“It might…We can’t let him roam around causing problems.”

“He might not even be at the gala. He never took his ticket with him…” Flusk replied.

“It’s still possible to break into the castle,” Zozer said. “And with a big party like that, the guards will be preoccupied with the guests. It’s the perfect time to sneak in.”

“You say that like you’ve done it before.” Heartstrings eyed her suspiciously.

“...Maybe I have, you wouldn’t know.” Zozer stuck her tongue out playfully.

“I suddenly have more respect for you, Zozer,” Scarlet replied in approval of dubious acts against the princesses.

“Oh…Um, thank you?” Zozer wasn’t exactly sure how to take that. “Anyway, my point is that if we don’t enter with the assumption he’s there then we’ll be a lot less prepared for if he is. It’s best to assume he’s hiding in a corner watching. Being more observant than usual might just be the best way to find him.”

“And if he’s not there?”

“Then at least we knew everyone at the gala was safe and that Regalia and Aphrodite saw nothing.”

“He’s not riding on this train with us, is he?” Meadow stood up on her tippy-hooves, scanning the seats for any sign of him.

“I was watching the doors, I didn’t see him,” Scarlet said. “But that’s not to say he couldn’t just be wearing a disguise. That son of a bitch is insane, I wouldn’t doubt it.”

“I guess all we can do is act normal until one of us spots something strange.” Flusk sighed.

“It’s the only plan I can think of,” Zozer nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll have him on his ass in no time, there’s no way I’ll let him escape again!” She slapped her fists together and grinned mischievously.

“Zozer, no,” Meadow put a hoof on her arm. “What did we talk about you running headfirst into dangerous situations?”

She let her arms drop and sighed. “That I’ll get hurt and I need to stay behind.” She repeated in a monotone voice. “But that’s not fair, I’m much bigger and stronger, I can fight him!”

“No, you can’t, he’s a unicorn who’s studied magic for years. You don’t have a fraction of the power you use to, you need to stay put. Princess Regalia and Princess Aphrodite can deal with him if things get out of hoof.”

“Ughhh, fineee…” Zozer slumped into her seat lazily, her head hanging over the armrest.

The rest of the ride, the friends anxiously awaited their arrival and chatted about mundane things up until the tracks led up a different path. They were surrounded by gardens filled with lilies and well-groomed hedges as the scenery took on a sophisticated look.

Gasps echoed across the train as a towering castle completely crafted of stone loomed before them, a mix of pink and blue flags and tapestries of the two princesses waved off its high structures. A lavender circular stained glass window in the center was bathed in moonlight as the passengers were given a sneak peek ofthe grand hall, noticing a large and decorated ballroom inside.

The train slowed once it reached its destination and the conductor shouted once more. “Arrival at Stone Hedge Castle!”

To be continued...

Playing With Fire | Rewritten

by Fluskie

Chapter 1: Tea and Consolation

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Mooncaster

Chapter 3: Into the Deep

Chapter 4: The Deity of Knowledge

Chapter 5: Forlorn Memories

Chapter 6: A Formal Invitation

Chapter 7: His Tyranny [Part 1]