Tout, tout, through and about

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The zebra walked among the familiar trees of her home forest. The ponies called it the Everfree, but she knew it only as 'forest'. There was no use in naming trees growing together, as there was no use in naming your own home garden. She had to pause for a moment, allowing her black-and-white fur to rest on a nearby oak tree and bit on the foaming leaves she'd been eating since morning. Together with the peppermints, the pain in her stomach was almost bearable, but not quite. A small retch tried to climb up her throat, but only a small taste of mint and bile burned at the back of her throat. The birds were quiet, only a lonely cuckoo counting the years of the living in the distance. It had been going on for a while, so the zebra knew she was safe for now. Maybe later she'd go warn the ponies, but there had to be a priority. If you couldn't be safe in your own home, then where? It was her haven, the place she was strongest. With every step she took, she could feel the pull in her abdomen as she went further into the forest, the distance between her and the tree-house she now called home.

The rare tree she was looking for was easy to find by smell alone. The distinct odor of its leaves was strong, and reminded the zebra of her drought-ridden homeland, where it was one of the only plants to stand tall when all the others perished around from lack of water. The small meadow opened around her, and standing tall in the morning sun, were the Mzimu-Mpira. The first time the zebra had seen these rare trees in her new home, she could hardly believe her eyes, let alone her nose. This tree wasn't supposed to grow all the way out here, but it thrived in this small area. The ponies didn't know what a treasure they had just a few miles from their small town. The meadow was filled with a buzzing sound, angry and primal. Large beetles had attached themselves to the white trees as they gnawed at the hard bark. The zebra carefully laid her hooves on the mossy ground, her vision swimming for a moment, but the feeling went away immediately as she took the final few steps into the shade of the pale leaves. She contemplated on resting for a while, but knew that this reprieve was only temporary. As long as she lacked the proper ingredients, there would be no rest for her.

Carefully, as not to disturb them, she watched the insects work. The primal sound of their buzzing was almost deafening this close as they gnawed and bored deeper. The white trees were covered in the small holes the beetles had drilled into them to get to the tasty sap inside. But it was not the sap or the bark that was the zebra's prize. Silently, she opened her saddlebags to bring forth a small earthenware jug and a wooden knife she'd carved from a branch of the rowan tree. The rowan was for healing and protection, after all; what better material to use for her current chore? Opening the jug, the nose-curdling smell of distilled cider wafted into her nose, making her eyes water. The zebra had to work fast so the strong concoction wouldn't drive the sensitive insects away. A quick glance at the cloudy sky was all she needed to find the direction that the sun was shining from. That was the side she would work on to get the richest haul. She approached one of the trees where a beetle was diligently gnawing away, on the correct side of the tree and low enough for her to reach it easily. Her forehooves held the jug tightly between her and the white tree and she started scraping at the bark underneath the insect with the knife in her mouth. The beetles had no idea how valuable the small pale flakes falling into the jug were.

She repeated the process, moving from tree to tree, carefully collecting the essence of Mzimu-Mpira, not even stopping to wipe the sweat from her brow that was slowly running down into her eyes and making them sting. When she had finished with the fifth tree, she stopped to look into the jug. Earlier the distillate had had a pale yellowish brown colour, but had now turned completely white, the colour of the trees around her. Giving a small bow and muttering a few choice words of gratitude to the spirits of the forest around her, she packed the jug away into her bags. The knife she threw into the woods, knowing it would not be usable any more.

Zecora tried to ignore the lurches of pain in her stomach as she began making her trek home, every step feeling easier than the last.

Rocks rained down onto the magical field sheltering the three ponies. It was still early morning, but with the sun blocked by the clouds of dust you could think the time was much earlier, the banks of gray clouds descending on them reminding them more of morning mist than daylight. When the unicorn mare finally deemed it safe, she lowered her protective spell.

"Nice work, Shorty," the muscular stallion carrying an image of a high-power drill on his flank said while giving the mare a leer.

"I TOLD you not to call me that!" the unicorn answered, her fiery mane reflecting her temperament. Her horn was already glowing with a similar color as she picked up a plank of wood from the ground nearby, making the stallion take a small step back.

"Miss Short Fuse, I must admit that seeing you work has been most educational," came the prim and proper voice of the third pony, interrupting the two workers before she got caught in the crossfire. The unicorn dropped the plank, but still kept looking at her so-called superior with a deep loathing in her eyes. The stallion for his part didn't even seem to notice, giving the older mare a practiced smile that was reserved for civilians who had decided that it would be a good idea to visit a demolition area without any forewarning. It was closely related to the smile he gave to anypony who asked for a day off, or worse yet, a raise.

"As you can see, Mrs. Mayor, everything is proceeding well on schedule. I believe we will be able to punch the first hole in the dam before the autumn rains make the reservoir flow over."

"I am sure that you will perform your job admirably, Mr. Tool."

The three turned to look at the granite behemoth looming over them. The Twilight Dam, as it had become known, was a marvel of magical engineering. It stood taller than the previous one, and the mayor had been informed that there was no way that it would ever burst like the previous one.

"It's a shame to blow it up though," the stallion said after a ponderous silence. "Your filly sure made a good job with it. Never thought somepony could make something like that all by herself."

"Yeah... except the idiot didn't know jack sh—"

"WHAT my esteemed demolitionist here is trying to say," the stallion quickly cut in. "Is that there are certain things that distinguish a hydroelectric dam from a sheer wall. That is to say, it requires outlets for the water to actually pass through it at a controlled rate and... you know... generators?"

"I read your report, Mr. Tool, and I'm sure you have everything under control here."

"So is the filly... that is to say... has she been, you know... sane lately?"

"I have been assured that Miss Sparkle is doing very well and has been abstaining from magic since the unfortunate... episode. She has been politely asked not to stray too far from the library until she is feeling better, and her assistant has been doing a magnificent job at running our valued library in the interim," Mayor Mare answered, reciting the litany by heart.

"Everypony here wishes her well and if you happen to have the chance, would you inform her that none of us hold any sort of grudge against her for throwing us into an inhospitable crevice filled with gigantic carnivorous monsters, rock slides, poisonous plants and, very specifically, cacti."

"It is my understanding that none of the members of your crew sustained any permanent injuries, and I have heard tell that the insurance company was more than generous with their compensation."

"Yeah they did. I even got myself a brand new gown for having a cactus shoved up my bu—"

"A gown? I didn't take you for the type to wear dresses," Power Tool quickly queried to quiet the mare. The stare he received made him regret the interruption, as the mare quickly closed the distance between them and rammed a forehoof painfully into the stallion's chest.

"What are you saying? That I'm not marely enough to wear a dress? Is that it? Am I too ugly and coltly? Huh? You got something to say to me, you chauvinist pig? You're just the kind of stallion that makes today's patriarchal society rotten to the core. It's because ponies like you that—"

"Patriarchal? We're ruled by two PRINCESSES for Celestia's sake. Mrs. Mayor here is a mare, and most of the construction crews I know are lead by a mare—"

"And it's just my luck to be stuck with a brother like you when I could be working in one of those 'mare-friendly discrimination free environments' instead of your sad excuse for a crew!"

"I should probably move along and let you return to your work," the mayor interjected. "It has been a pleasure, Mr. Tool, Miss Fuse." The mayor rapidly exited the scene, leaving the arguing pair behind her, only turning when she heard a stallion yelp from pain to see him holding his rump and the unicorn mare threatening him with a plank.

She wouldn't admit it openly of course, but the reason she left wasn't really about the quarreling siblings. Mayor Mare had brought a sizable pile of paperwork for her and the foreman to go through today, but she wasn't feeling well. She'd woken up in the small hours of the night, shivering, with cold sweat covering her from mane to hooves. The perspiration hadn't stopped since, and even now her usually smooth coat was covered in chilly moisture and the stone dust from the construction site had clung to it like glue. A cold shiver ran down her body as the autumn breeze blew over her, and she could only hope that she wasn't coming down with something.

"Here's your chocolatastic Canterlot-style muffin selection, Bon-Bon! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it!"

"Yeah, um... Thanks Pinkie." The pony turned around and placed the box on her back before turning away with slumped shoulders.

"Are you doing okay Bonny-Nonny? Seems like you're being all mopey-dopey today and Pinkie just can't have any of that in the Sugarcube Corner! If you don't leave here with a smile then my job's not finished!"

"I... It's not that. I... we kinda had a fight with Lyra in the morning and... well... I've been feeling bad about it ever since." Bon-Bon turned back to the counter. She didn't even have to lower her voice as she was the only customer in the bakery. Usually the place would be crowded by now, everypony coming over to pick up freshly baked goods for lunchtime.

"IWe have to fix this right away before you two start being all grudgy-mudgy grudgemuffins. They're the only sort of muffins I don't like one bit! And I usually LOVE muffins. Well not as much as Derpy but still they're one of my most favouritest treats, along with cupcakes of course. And danishes. And veggie wienerschnitzels! Isn't that the most funniest name for a pastry ever? Say it with me! Wienerschnitzel! Though they're not sugary at all so can you really call them treats anymore? So are they pastries, or just pasties?" during her tirade, she had circled the counter and was now firmly seated between Bon-Bon and the exit, and was now holding her chin in a ponderous manner.

"I really should go. Maybe I'll apologize to her later or something. I'm just not feeling too well. Just... please let me go."

"But you can't leave with a frown on your face!" Pinkie had gotten up and was now bouncing up and down, still blocking the other pony from leaving. "We have to fix things before they get worse, cos arguing with your friends is like... like hitting your head on a door! The more you do it, the more it hurts! So what if I come with you and we can go meet Lyra and you can make up and I'll throw you a 'Were not angry at each other anymore' party and—"

"MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" Bon-Bon shouted, knocking the pink pony on her back in surprise. Without glancing back, she walked out of the door and slammed the door shut with a buck.

"But... I... wa-wait! Please! I just wanted to... to... " She felt a cold hollow growing inside her chest, not being able to get up from the floor.

"Pinkie? What's going on here? I heard shouting?" It was the sound of one of the co-owners of the Sugarcube Corner, and at time's Pinkie's guardian and friend, Mrs. Cake. She saw her pink underling sitting in the empty cafe, looking at the closed door in front of her. "PInkie? Dear are you alright?"

"She... she... she shouted at me and I just... I wanted to... " The usually perky pony turned to look at the sky blue mare with tears forming in her eyes.

Mrs. Cake sat down on the floor next to the pink pony and grabbed her in a hug. "Maybe she just had a bad day today."

"She said she'd had a fight with Lyra and I just wanted to make her feel better and... I couldn't do it! Maybe I can't make ponies happy any more."

"Shhhh," the older mare gently pulled the pink pony into a tighter embrace and gently whispered into her ear: "Sometimes ponies feel so bad that they say bad things to people when they don't mean it. Even to ponies that are just trying to help and haven't done anything bad. I'm sure she's feeling awfully bad about her fight with her friend, and when they get it all sorted out I'm sure she'll come back and you can be friends again. You tried to do your best and that is always enough."

"You... you really think so?"

"Of course, dear. Now why don't you come into the kitchen. I just finished a new batch of lemon-cinnamon-raisin muffins and I need a pony to taste them to make sure they're edible."

Pinkie seemed to regain her energy at the mention of baked goods and was almost back to bouncing around when they got to the treats.

"Now you just take a few of them and munch away while I put the bread in the oven, alright?"

"Yef Mfs. Cake!" Pinkie answered. "Thefe are delifiustaftic!"

"There's a good girl. Just try to remember not to talk with your mouth full."

Pinkie was already formulating a plan for her 'We're not fighting anymore' -party for herself and the two other mares, when Mrs. Cake called out.

"Would you look at that."

"What's wrong Mrs. Cake?" The pink pony tossed the last muffin into the air and swallowed it whole, before trotting over to the baker.

"Oh dear. I must be going senile or something. Looks like I forgot to put the yeast into the bread-dough. It hasn't risen a bit. Oh my."

"I'm positively surely sure that you did! Cos we were doing it together and you were showing me how to measure it in and you told me it was very important to get the amount right so the bread would rise and not taste all yeasty-bad."

"We did? But... Why didn't it rise then?"

Their musings were interrupted by a vigorous knock from the back door.

"Ooh! Ooh! I'll go get it! It must be Applejack with today's delivery!"

Pinkie happily bounced to the door, the thought of seeing her friend already clearing away the thoughts of the incident before and tackled the door wide open, knocking the Stetson hat off of her friend's head.

"Well y'all seem mighty lively today, Pinkie," The farmpony grumbled as she picked up her fallen headgear and dusted it off.

"It's just so fun to see a friend after a long time and when I heard you knocking I just jumpity-jump-jumped to the door and would you like a fresh-baked muffin that's just been baked?"

"Well, first of all, we just went to a picnic yesterday, so it ain't been so long. An' secondly Ahm sorry but there's a lot o' work at tha farm an' Ah ain't got too much time today."

"OOH! You're picking up all the tasty apples and then we can make apple pies and apple fritters and candyapples together!"

"We sure are. Here's yer eggs for today. Ah'll come again tomorrow to bring a fresh batch."

"Hello, Applejack," called the blue earth pony from the doorway. The sides of her mouth had started turning upwards from seeing her charge perk up.

"Well howdyado, ma'am." The orange mare pulled her hat down with a hoof in greeting. "Ah was just going tha leave for tha apple harvest. We've got a big job ahead of us today."

"I completely forgot the harvest!" Mrs. Cake said in a worried tone. "You shouldn't have come all the way here if you were busy. We could have come pick up the little we need today. "

"Ain't no problem, ma'am. Ah've been up since tha crack o' dawn an' having a trot here makes for a nice change o' pace. An' Ah can practice mah gallop on tha way back to warm up for all tha bucking." She accentuated the point by giving a small stretch with one of her hindlegs.

"Well if it's not a problem..." the baker continued as Pinkie happily picked up the up the basket of eggs and headed inside. "I'm sorry but... I thought I asked for both eggs and milk today?"

"Oh tha's right, almost forgot. There was a lil' mix-up at that farm and seems the milk somehow got spoiled."

"How is that even possible? Don't you milk the ladies every day?"

"That we do. Ah' can't figure out what happened, but as Ah was leaving to pick up the jug, it'd all gone sour as if it had stood for a week. Ah reckon Mooriella and the others have taken sick."

"Well be sure to tell them to get better soon," the older pony said in a concerned voice.

"Ah'll be sure to do just that, ma'am. Now Ah really gotta run."

"Thank you, Miss Applejack," the baker said. She remained at the door, looking after the running orange pony, her blond ponytail swishing in the wind as she pushed her head down to stop her hat from escaping. Mrs. Cake just shook her head. "I just hope she doesn't work too hard."

When she got inside, Pinkie was already hard at work preparing the baking trays for the next batch of pastries.

"Pinkie, could you pick up the rest of the milk from yesterday? The ladies at the farm have been feeling off so no fresh milk today."

"Okie-Dokie-Loki!" the bouncing pony answered as she hopped over to the pantry, and soon returned with the handle of the half-filled milk jug between her teeth. "It smells weird though."

"Let me see," the baker answered as she peered into the container. The familiar but unwelcome odor of spoiled dairy greeted her nose. "Oh, my."

The zebra had gotten back home. The awful feeling in her stomach was still there, but only as a slight nuisance. She set the earthenware jug on her workbench before grabbing a few empty cups and heading back out. Hidden behind thick branches of poison oak and other, even more vile brambles, impossible to find or even get near without getting stung with a dozen thorns and briars. was one of the most well-kept and diverse gardens in Equestria. Only a handful of ponies knew about it, and they'd sworn to keep it secret. And what made the garden special was that all of the plants were somehow useful, either in potions, or on their own. Chamomille, kanna, calendula, valerian, goldenseal, all growing in neat rows in their own neat little mounds. Every day she worked for several hours there, cultivating, watering, removing weeds, and of course, singing to them. Everyzebra knew that talking and singing to plants made them grow better, after all.

Today had been different. Since morning she had been feeling a growling emptiness in her abdomen. It was not of hunger, but something far worse. It was something she'd felt often in her native land of Zebrica, but this had been the first time it had happened in Equestria. It was also the reason she'd left her native home and traveled thousands of miles to get away from it all. The zebra had hoped against all odds that she was only feeling sick, that she had maybe caught some nasty stomach disease.

She had tried to start the day like every other day, by grabbing a few tools and heading into the garden. There she'd found one of her most favoured plants, all shriveled and dried overnight. Next to it had been a modest flower with light blue flowers. Now the flowers were the colour of coal, the surest sign she could look for. Almost in panic she had left for the meadow of the white trees.

Now she was back. She picked the blackened flowers into one of the cups and leaves from the dry brush, and returned inside. A few thing branches were all she needed to get a fire burning in the fireplace in the middle of her hut. The flames sputtered and a sickly blue flame grew to blaze instead of the warming red and yellow that was supposed to appear. The zebra reared back in disgust, quickly grabbing a mouthful of rusty nails from a jar on her shelf and cast then into the fire. After a minute, the blue colour vanished, releasing a cloud of vile blueish smoke, and she could continue. Instead of her cast-iron cauldron she took the clay jar she'd filled earlier and placed it on a small tripod on the fire. The zebra diligently ground the flowers and the leaves in a mortar, only cringing slightly as the strong scent of the leaves snuck into her nostrils.

In her boutique, Rarity found all her needles had become blunt

While tending to her animals, Fluttershy spied several swarms of bees flying away from the town and into the forest.

Vinyl Scratch woke up to a cracking sound coming from her bathroom. Inside, her mirror had cracked cleanly into three parts, and every part into three again and again, reflecting her face through a broken spiderweb of glass.

A napping rainbow-maned pegasus was abruptly woken, as a swarm of ninety-nine ravens circled the town, each of them cawing three times, before dispersing into all directions.

And in the town of Ponyville, among it all, a pale blue flame blazed inside the Golden Oaks Library. It did not burn the house, but illuminated the rows of books and scrolls on the bookcases, dying them in unnatural colours. The front door of the library burst open, and a pale unicorn dashed out, her coat the colour of white ash. There was no mane on her head, only a billowing flame that trailed after her, the colour of sickly blue. Her coat was adorned by a twin six-pointed starburst with smaller stars surrounding it. On her back was riding a small dragon, and overhead flew a mythical firebird, his wings trailing the same blue fire as the unicorn's mane below. All around them, the lanterns of the town alighted in supernatural fire, the bright blue flame spreading in all directions. Even in the middle of the cloudy autumn day, the pegasi in the sky could see the fires forming a five-pointed star, centered on the library.

"WHERE IS SHE!?" shouted the blazing unicorn. "WHERE IS PRINCESS LUNA?!"

Inside her hut, the zebra was gently stirring the mixture. She'd added all the ingredients, and now the only thing left was to wait. And sing.

"Shellac of Ghost Gum, dry leaves of Rue.
Flowers of Hyssop, black and not blue.
Mixed in jar of hardened earth
Boiled in the safety of your own hearth
Painted on the portals of your own home
Inside you are safe, outside do not roam
Ward from black magic, from snakecraft
To protect from evil, a dire draught
Stay inside, do not speak, do not shout.
For in your land, a witch is about"

Your callow life in dismay

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As the autumn dusk was falling over the usually peaceful town of Ponyville, a solitary figure galloped at full tilt for the library. The light of the few lamps illuminating the deserted streets reflected their once again normal red and yellow colours from the sheen of sweat at the pony's sides. Her breath came in laboured gasps and her legs felt like they were on fire, but she paid no attention to her complaining body.

"Ah... just... hope... ah ain't... too... late!" she muttered in a wheezy voice.

The orange apple-farmer rounded the last bend, almost crashing into the throng of ponies standing side by side ahead. Not even slowing, she gathered her considerable strength into her hindlegs and jumped high into the air, soaring in a majestic arc over the wall of pony. Unfortunately, she didn't remember to dodge the low-hanging awning of one of the buildings close-by, and ended slamming face-first into the smiling face of a unicorn with sunglasses, advertising the opening of Scratch's Music Emporium. When the considerable amount of Newtons of the famed Earth Pony collided with the notice board, she flipped upside down, crashing back onto the ground, luckily clearing the crown behind, but landing in a rather unceremonious fashion onto her back before sliding to a halt.

As the world slowly started to rotate in the correct way for her once more, Applejack noticed a cyan face staring at her from deep inside her comfort zone, almost muzzle to muzzle with her.

"Your pupils seem to be the same size and you haven't thrown up yet, so I'll give you a solid seven out of ten for the crash. Don't you know a good concussion is one of the elements of a good crash-landing?"

"RD? The hay y'all talking about?" the blonde pony asked. Rainbow Dash offered a hoof to help her friend up. Applejack was still feeling unsteady as she tried to secure all four of her legs underneath her. Her earlier rushed entrance into the town and the impact on the ground had left her panting and she fought to find her breath again. Several black spots started flashing in her vision as a wave of nausea started to push her to the side. She would have ended back on the ground again, but the cyan Pegasus catched her with her wing and held her upright.

"Take it from a professional," Rainbow Dash said in a conspiratorial whisper, "you really need to practice more. And what took you? I asked Ditzy to pick you up almost an hour ago."

"Well ah found her stuck in one of mah apple trees. She came falling down a'top of me when ah was bucking the tree."

"Figures"

"So what's all the commotion? Your choice of a messenger was a mite unclear on what was going on."

"The short version or the long version?"

"Ah don't really feel like handling the long version right now." Applejack brushed the dirt off of her fallen Stetson and slammed it back onto her head, immediately feeling more comfortable. Rainbow Dash started walking for the library, and the orange pony fell into step next to her.

"Twilight's on fire and there's some ancient thingy in her head that's friends with Princess Luna."

"Oh," the farm pony answered, taking the explanation in a stride. After a few steps, she stopped and shook her head gently. "Ah think y'all might think o' changing your score, cos ah seem to have hit mah head worse than y'all thought. Ah thought you just said—"

"Nah. You heard right," the Pegasus interrupted, not even stopping. "She's right over there with the rest of the gang."

"That ain't funny, RD. Y'all had your fun now what's really... going..." Her speech stuttered to a stop as she saw the rest of her friends, standing in a circle around what looked like a blazing campfire. Applejack looked up to the boughs of the library tree and took a deep breath. "Aww... shoot."

Nearby, the rest of the group of friends were standing in a half-circle next to the burning pony. Or they would have, had the ambient heat emanating from her burning mane felt uncomfortable even from several feet away. The ashen pony just sat on the gravely path leading to the library with a downcast face and her eyes half-closed. She was the polar opposite of the pink earth pony that was jumping up and down excitedly.

"So streamers or balloons? OR BOTH? What kind of cake do you like? Or are you more of a pie-pony? I'm a Pie pony, because I'm Pinkie Pie, but I like cake too. Cos I live with the Cakes! And I take care of the Little Cakes and I bake cupcakes and muffins. Did they have muffins where you're from too? Or daneighses? Oooh! I forgot to ask! What's your favorite color? Is it yellow and red like your mane?—"

"Pinkie, darling!" Rarity tried to interject. "I'm sure there are more important things to consider at the moment than her welcoming party—"

"NOTHING is more important than a 'Welcome to Ponyville, nice Miss. Possessing-Spirit-From-Ages-Ago that is inside my friend's head and is totally not going to eat us up' -party."

"Darling! Please choose your words more carefully! We don't want to upset our... guest. I'm sure she's been through rough times," commented the exasperated unicorn.

"If I may interrupt?" came the voice of Twilight Sparkle from next to them. Both Pinkie and Rarity immediately quieted and turned to look at the flaming unicorn. An outside observer might have noticed that their movements were just a tiny bit too fast and their smiles just a little too shallow. Even though the voice was very familiar to both of them, the words had a strange inflection upon them, as if the pony speaking was not quite used to the idea of 'talking'. "I would be honored to participate in your welcoming ceremony as is your local custom, but I must insist that you first send an messenger to contact Princess Luna. I would very much wish to speak with her about the recent events."

"E-excuse me?" came the quivering voice of a pale yellow Pegasus from behind Rarity and Pinkie. "C-can I... I mean... is it okay if I... umm..."

"What is it?" the flaming unicorn asked in a calm voice.

"Eeep!" was the only answer she got, as Fluttershy once again hid behind her friends.

"I promise not to eat any of you for the time being. What did you need of me?"

Both the pink earth pony and the white unicorn took a step to the side, revealing the covering pegasus once more. She had fallen on her stomach and hidden her face under her forelegs. When she noticed that she was in full view, she gulped before being able to speak:

"I... just wanted to... Does it hurt? I mean... with the fire and all?"

The seated unicorn tilted her head slightly before understanding the question. "You are very kind to worry about me. But fire does not hurt me, or the body of your friend. We are both completely safe."

Fluttershy only managed a small sigh of relief as she once again backed behind her blue-maned unicorn friend.

"Miss... What did you say your name was again?" Rarity started with her best High-Canterlot accent.

"I didn't," the burning pony answered matter-of-factly. "But you may call me by the same name as the Princesses do: Inferno. Pleased to meet you all."

"Charmed, Miss Inferno. Now about the message. You don't have to worry about that right now. My darling Spikey-Wikey has already taken care of it."

"Do you mean the child dragon? I have a hazy recollection of him burning letters trusted onto him, so are you certain that you have made a sound decision?"

"There's no need for worry. He is an expert little delivery dragon. I'm sure the Princess has already received the letter and is on her way here as we speak."

"That is comforting to know. Again, I must apologize for my improper speech. It seems that the body of Twilight Sparkle is having problems adjusting to my presence as a dominant personality. It is starting to feel easier, but I do not know if that should be considered a good thing." She lifted her gaze up as two ponies joined their small group. "So... I believe you are Applejack?"

"That's me, ma'am. Would shake y'all by the hoof but seems ah'd better keep my distance if y'all don't mind."

The burning unicorn looked first at the five ponies around her and then at the crowd of several dozen ponies standing at what they thought of as a safe distance away. "I assure you it is not my wish to hurt anypony here or do any damage to your town."

"Well that's mighty nice of you, ma'am. Now would y'all mind telling us why we're talking to you and not Twilight Sparkle?"

"I am not sure about it myself."

"U-huh. Well that might be a problem," was the sage deduction of the farm pony.

"So like I said!" Pinkie Pie cut in. "If we don't know what to do, we might as well party to take our minds off of the whole silly problem and start the 'Yay it turns out we won't be gobbled up after all and oh hey welcome to town' -party. I even have a song for situations like this!"

"Aaa friend is the mffmp mff?"

The rest of the musical number was interrupted by a cyan hoof being shoved into her mouth.

"No singing," Rainbow Dash said. "And how can we party if she'd burn the decorations, the cake, and the whole HOUSE we are partying in?"

"Dash! You should be ashamed of yourself! A lady would never point out such things in front of the pony in question. You might hurt her feelings!" Rarity accentuated her opinion with a sharp shove of a hoof to the aloof Pegasus' chest.

"Your friend's foresight is commendable. For the moment it is much safer for me to remain outside and on a stone surface. I have to concentrate on keeping this area from bursting into fire and melting the stone underneath, but it is not a problem at the moment."

"That might just be the first time anypony's thought of RD here as forethinking anything save a place to nap." Applejack threw a gentle elbow to the hovering Pegasus' ribs.

"What's with everypony wanting to hoof me today. And I DO plan the weather patrols and stuff! I'm organised!"

For some reason her assurances were only met with muffled giggles from her friends, and she resorted to her go-to measure for such things, which was to turn around and pout like a foal. At that opportune moment the Number One Assistant of the possessed librarian joined the group, but instead of sharing in the laughter, he seemed to be in a completely different mood.

"How can you just laugh!?" he shouted at the group of ponies. The baby firebird on his shoulder added his own disapproving squawk. The furious dragon continued: "Twilight's gone and we don't know why and I just put out several fires inside the library and there's all this weird stuff about blue fires everywhere and you just LAUGH? Some friends you are!" The glare he gave to the group of ponies was rimmed with tears of anger and disappointment.

"Now hold on there, pardner—"

"Please, Applejack," Rarity cut in. "You are completely right to be angry at us, Spike. We weren't acting in a proper fashion and I apologise." There was a low murmur of apologies from the lowered heads of the troupe. "It is just that we are quite lost as to what else to do, and laughing at least made us feel a bit better about it because... honestly I'm not sure if there is anything else we CAN do."

"And laughing is the best medicine for whenever you don't know what to do or when you're scared or lost or hungry it's better to just laugh cos sometimes that's all you can do. I once got lost near my parent's farm and—"

"Pinkie." The farmer laid a comforting but stern hoof on the pink pony's shoulder, "ah know you mean well but maybe this is not the time."

"O-okay." Pinkie fell uncharacteristically silent as her ears flopped down.

"Well... I guess it's okay. I'm just so worried about Twi..." Spike turned to look at the burning unicorn that was silently following the events around her.

"We all are, darling."

"Yeah. Sorry for shouting. It's just..." The dragon walked next to the burning unicorn and sat down."

"SPIKE! Be careful! You might get hurt!" Rarity instinctively moved to intercept the dragon, but the heat was too much for her and she had to quickly back away.

"Dragon, remember?" Spike said in a grumpy voice.

"Oh yes, quite right. How silly of me." With a quick flick of a hoof, she checked that her eyebrows were still intact. "What? Do you know how long it takes for them to grow..."

Spike tuned out the rest of Rarity's tirade. He hesitated for a moment, but then laid a claw on the white unicorn's shoulder. Even through his nigh-fireproof skin, the pony felt warm to the touch. "I... don't know if you're there Twilight, but I promise to help you get through this. I'll do anything, ANYTHING to get you better... So... don't go getting into more trouble or I'll never forgive you. Just... please come back Twi. Please come back." He leaned on the ashen white side of the unicorn, pretending for a moment that it was just his best friend and nothing more.

Inferno kept quiet for a moment, before gently muzzling the dragon who twitched in surprise. "I know you are worried, and I promise to try and return things to normal as soon as possible. But I have to warn you, little dragon, that for me to take control of a body means that something very... bad has happened to my host, and she would have been in great peril were I not there." Her words were quiet, clearly only meant for the purple dragon leaning onto her and nopony else.

"W-what do you mean... peril? That sounds real bad," the dragon asked in a whisper barely audible to the mare next to her.

"It is unusual for me to have to intercede on a pony's behalf more than once in their lifetime. I do it once when I join them, because at that time they are in mortal danger. But this is already the third time when I have done it with your friend Twilight Sparkle, the last time being only recently."

"You mean the whole... book thing?"

"Yes. She was willing to put everypony else ahead of herself and to make sure nopony else would have to get hurt."

"Yeah... That kinda sounds like Twi." A small, proud smile had crept to the dragon's lips.

"I am... happy... to hear your words," the burning unicorn said, uncertain of her words.

"Oh and... I guess thanks? You kinda saved her, didn't you? She didn't want to talk about it much but I can put two and two together with how the basement looked like afterwards."

The mare pulled a bit back from her muzzling and looked Spike directly into the eyes. "You are welcome, though I wish you didn't have to be. It seems I can only appear when something dangerous happens."

They sat in silence, slowly returning to the outside world when they noticed the rest of the mares nearby waving at them and trying to get their attention. As Inferno moved to get up from her reclining position, a small voice spoke to her ear.

"I do wish to see Twilight soon... but I'm happy you're here too," Spike whispered into her ear. The dragon walked over to Rarity and the others, not seeing the pained expression of the unicorn he left behind.

"Well you finally woke up, Spikey-Wikey. We've been calling out to you for a while now."

The small dragon put her foreclaw behind his head and gave a mischievous smile. "Guess I couldn't hear you over the crackle or something?"

The others ceased their talk for a moment to listen carefully, but could not make out any other sounds apart from the excited chatter from the larger group of ponies behind them. "Crackle? But there is no—" Rainbow Dash started, but was once again interrupted by the white unicorn.

"I'm sure one would have to be really close to the pony in question to hear it," she said in a conspiratorial voice.

"But there's—"

"Close. To the pony. In question." Rarity made sure to accentuate her point by moving a few inches closer to the cyan pegasus with every word, until their foreheads were touching.

"Oh... Got it. Close. Yeah. Hehe. Didn't see that." Rainbow Dash pulled away from the white unicorn and turned her face to the side, muttering something best left unsaid under her breath with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Umm... What are you guys talking about?" It was Spike's turn to be confused about the more mature innuendos around him.

"Don't worry your lil' head about those two. For the fastest pegasus in town, RD here's just mighty slow sometimes."

"U...huh," the dragon answered in a completely unconvinced tone of voice. "So what's up?"

Before anypony could answer, the large mass of ponies parted like water and knelt down. Her Binarchial Majestly, Princess Luna had arrived. Her star-filled mane had a few stray strands going against the democractic administration of the hairliament, and her spread wings clearly needed a nice long preening, preferably from some nice muscular stallions with blue eyes. Her whole personal presentation told tales of late-night court sessions and the responsibility of ruling a vast country like Equestria.

And nopony was going to ask about the headphones still hanging around her neck.

"WE HAVE COME TO ANSWER YOUR SUMMONS!" she bellowed to the masses, bringing silence to the crowd. "YOU MAY NOW RETURN TO YOUR HOMES, GENTLE FOLK OF THE TOWNSHIP OF PONYVILLE! A ROYAL DECLARATION SHALL BE ISSUED WHEN WE ARE READY TO DIVULGE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER! REST ASSURED EVERYTHING IS NOW BEING TAKEN CARE OF!" Her words spoke directly to the herd instinct of the surrounding throng of equines without bothering their higher brain functions. They were galloping for the safety of their homes before they even knew what they were doing, and several minutes before they could finally hear again from the high-pitched whine in their ears. Most of them didn't even dare to open the shutters on their windows in fear of being caught, save for one pony, Mr. Ear Drum. He was the resident Otolaryngologist of Ponyville, and was now gleefully chalking new prices on his advert board outside his clinic, praising his former teacher on convincing him into continuing into a specialist profession instead of remaining as just another general practitioner as he had originally planned.

Princess Luna was left alone with the five Elements Of Harmony, Spike and Inferno.

"We... erm... I apologise for the RCV. It is almost expected of me around these parts, thanks to the confusion last Night Mare Night. Also, somepony get me a cup of coffee? I left my chariot home and didn't bring my guards. I haven't slept in almost a day."

"Oh, dear. Is there some trouble in Canterlot?" The worry in Rarity's voice was mirrored on the faces of the rest of the group.

"No, nothing like that. I was just farming some bugs with my guild. You might even call it... RAIDING!" the Alicorn Of The Night gave a hearty chuckle, which soon died down as she noticed she was the only one laughing. "Raiding? Bugs? As in insects? It was a joke?" The six deadpan faces kept looking at her.

"A-are you sure the little cute bugs weren't hurt, Princess?" Fluttershy asked in a worried voice. "And is it like an ant farm? I had one of those once but I couldn't stand looking at those little creatures trapped inside a glass box so I built them a nice mound near my cottage."

"I... uhh... Yes. Most definitely something like that. Ahem." The flustered Lunar Mare tried to regroup her thoughts as her gaze fell on the blazing unicorn. "So... Hi Inferno?"

"Hello, Princess Luna" The ashen white unicorn bowed courteously.

"Now... would somepony please explain what is happening here?" Luna asked. "And where's my coffee," she added to herself.

"Right here, Miss Princess! Courtesy of Sugarcube Corner!" A pop-up table appeared in front of the princess, and with a short sound of an unwinding spring it popped open with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth, a huge pile of donuts and a large steaming cup of black coffee. A smiling Pinkie Pie happily bounce back to her friends, none of whom had even noticed she had vanished somewhere.

"Aren't you the chicken that was running around causing all the panic and chaos when we last met?" Princess Luna lifted a puzzled eyebrow.

"Yyyuuup! That's me! Pinkie Pie!"

"I... see." the lunar diarch decided to hide her confusion into a large slurp of coffee. As the steaming hot liquid hit her taste buds, she opened her eyes wide.

"This is... how strong is this?"

"It's our new special late-night pentuple-espresso! Twilight helped me set up the distillation equipment! Before she... kinda... tried to..." the pink pony stuttered as her lower jaw began to tremble and her breathing started to get rapid and shallow. A yellow wing wrapped around her as Fluttershy moved to her side and started whispering assurances into her ear.

"Pinkie? Everything is fine. Just like we practiced; Deep breaths, close your eyes and imagine the biggest cupcake in the world. Now bite into it with all your strenght. Think of how good it tastes? That's it. Shhhh. It'll pass." The gentle pegasus turned to her friends. "She's going to be alright. Just a rough spot. Right, Pinkie?"

"Y-yeah. Rough spot." A small sob escaped Pinkie's pursed lips, but she was breathing more calmly now

Princess Luna looked at the scene, having gotten up from behind her table. "Is she... was it something we said?"

"She'll get over it, Princess," Rainbow Dash landed between the noticeably larger princess and the rest of the mares. "Didn't you come here for something? Like maybe figuring out what's happened to Twilight? Like... now?" The pegasus crossed her forelegs while hovering a few inches off the ground.

"Yes, of course." Princess Luna turned to look at her old friend, now inhabiting the body of her sister's favourite student. "Now... Inn... I mean Inferno. Could you tell us what you know?"

"It isn't much but I'll try."

Rentum Osculum Tormentum

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Inferno stood up from the ground and shook her head a bit. After a moment, she gave a slow look around the group of ponies and other various creatures around her.

"Not all of you—" she tried to start, but was immediately cut short.

"Now I just know you have a most wonderful story to tell, but must it be in such a drab place as on a muddy, dusty, dirty old road? I mean, is it too much to ask for a little decòr la natur?" When the others just stared at her, she continued. "Honestly, you ponies would probably just eat grass from the ground if I was not around!" Her horn glowed for a moment, letting out a small whirring sound like a sewing machine running at 9000 rpm, and in front of their eyes, a giant pavillion materialised around them, accompanied with a large cloth that she laid on the ground, a selection of fluffy pillows and finally, a small tray of vegetable entrées. "It's my emergency gazebo. I keep it around for such emergencies. Oh and do not worry, the vegetables are fresh. I renew the supply every morning."

The rest of the ponies were still staring at her with their mouths agape, but they soon took their places on the comfortable silken pillows and reclined in comfort. Rarity gave a curt look around her. "It's a rushed job, but it must do. I wish Twilight Sparkle would learn to reserve my services in advance for these magical emergencies. And she's usually such an organised mare." She allowed her well-toned body to gently set itself down on one of the largest pillows, and after getting up a few times to make sure it was perfect, finally stopped fidgeting and nodded to Inferno. The ashen unicorn had only moved enough for the carpet to be laid down, otherwise just looking at the events with a blank face.

"Not all of you know who I am, or why I am with Twilight Sparkle," she started again in her host's voice. Several of the attending friends of the purple unicorn felt shivers run down their spines as the all too familiar voice spoke to them with an aeons-old voice. "I am called Inferno. That is not the name I was born with, but it is what I have been called for a long time now, and my original name has lost it's meaning for me."

"I think it was cute," interrupted the smirking Princess Luna. The rest of the group only gave her a nervous stare, and she let her smile vanish as a small purple tint rose to her cheeks. "Sorry..." she muttered.

After a small, uncomfortable silence, the fiery unicorn began anew with her dull, emotionless voice. "As a young unicorn, I was a student and a friend of Princess Luna. She taught me almost everything I know of magic, apart from the few snippets I learned from the scarce secondary sources at my disposal. I lived my life helping her perform her duties, and also acted as her confidant. This was long before the events of the first Night Mare Night."

"Y-you mean when Princess Luna became... t-t-the N-night..." Fluttershy couldn't finish her sentence. She was only able to take an audible gulp of air and whimper, and look at the monarch next to her with dread.

"You may use the name in our... I mean my presence. I consider all of you my friends and also saviours as you helped me to break the grip that wretched power held over me. Night Mare Moon is no more. There is only I, Luna." A collective sigh escaped many of the ponies around her. Luna gave a small, regal nod to Inferno.

"There was a dangerous fire in the Royal Canterlot Archives, the first library that we had assembled over the years. Apparently it was some rebel Discordian cell that wished to destroy the little order the Princesses had wrought in the years after the defeat of the King of Chaos. I was with Luna that day, attempting to save what I could from the blazing... inferno. Princess Luna got caught under a collapsing story, and I rushed to her side, teleporting her to safety, but not before a burning support beam fell on my back in turn. The other rescue workers managed to pry me loose, but my former body was so badly damaged that I would not have survived the night. The pain was... intense." Still her voice stayed emotionless and cold as she described her last living moments. " Princess Luna stood with me outside the library as the last of the flames died down."

"I blamed myself for what had happened. It is likely that I would have survived or gotten out with only a few burns and a singed mane," The Lunar Diarch said, her usually boastful voice slowly growing quieter. She could no longer look at her old friend, opting instead to stare at the intricately woven carpet beneath her forehooves. "I... I could not let my most precious student perish in saving me. I gave her an option: On my chest was an ancient fire ruby, shaped over centuries to resemble the shape of a heart. It was not unlike the one carried by Miss Rarity even now." She lifted her eyes a bit and her horn glowed a soft blue as she gently lifted the amulet in question a few inches higher on the white unicorn's neck. Rarity's eyes shot open in surprise, and she gave a small yelp as she felt the tug of the golden chain. Before she could speak, Luna let go of the amulet, allowing it to fall back against its owner's chest. "A fire ruby of that shape is very rare, also called a Heart Ruby."

As Luna spoke, Rarity lifted the amulet up again to once more observe it's beauty. Almost on instinct she turned to the baby dragon seated to her side and muzzled him, giving him a small kiss on his scaly forehead. Spike didn't even smile at the show of affection that would normally lead to him learning to fly with his tail alone.

"Like all gems, it has a small amount of inherent magic that can be used to heal even the deepest of wounds," the Princess explained. Rarity turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow but didn't speak. "I tried to soothe the burns on Inferno's body, but the damage was irreparable. I did what I could, but merely managed to numb the pain. That is when Inferno made her request."

"I asked Princess Luna to use the gem as a receptable for my consciousness. The magic has long been forbidden for its uses for malevolent magics, but I knew there was no such danger with my dear Princess. That is why I told her to make it my phylactery, to keep my mind intact so I might keep her company and help her with the little power I had. She agreed."

"Inferno's body turned to ash in my hooves as the magic took hold," the Princess of the Moon said, her voice heavy and sullen. "But when I touched the ruby, I could hear her voice clearly in my head, speaking to me, thanking me for what I'd done. For years after, I held the gem close to my own heart, hoping one day to restore her to a corporeal form... But then... the events of the Night Mare Night took place, and I could no longer remain with Inferno." She gave her old friend a pleading look, as if trying to apologise for leaving her alone for a thousand years. The fire-maned unicorn's expression, however, remained as blank and sad as before.

"For years I was alone in a storage box deep withing the bowels of Canterlot Castle. Over decades I learned how to project an astral image of myself to walk unseen among the corridors. The tether that connected me to the ruby did not allow me much freedom, but I could at least walk to the battlements to watch the sunset and look up to the moon—"

"Please... Inny... don't." the blue princess said in a weak voice. "I never meant for you to be alone. The few times I was lucid during my exile, my thoughts were with my sister and you, because I knew you were the only two ponies that would still remember me as I was. I'm so sorry you had to be alone." Small tears rolled down her angular cheeks as she lowered her head to rest on her crossed forehooves. "I wanted to come see you, but Tia told me that you were protecting her favourite student from harm. After all these years you were still helping ponies and I had been away for all those years and..." Applejack walked over to her, and almost let her hoof stroke the star-filled mane of her ancient ruler, but stopped mere inches away. Her hoof would not move forward, and started to shake. After a few moments of uncertainty, she managed to overcome her trepidation and wrapped her hoof comfortingly around the alicorn's neck.

"Ah know it's been a harsh time for y'all, but the way Ah figure, we're all here now, so let's not let it go to waste." Her voice was as gruff as always, but carried an undertone of sincerity that went past all the meager defenses in the mind of the troubled Princess. To everypony's surprise, Princess Luna buried her head in the farmpony's blonde mane and sniffled helpless apologies to nopony in particular. Applejack stroked the the monarchs mane as she would any other worried pony's, and tried to whisper reassurances into her ear. The soothing words got caught in her throat as the magnitude of Luna's grief almost crushed her too. The rest of the group fared no better, their expressions ranging from fear and apprehension to sympathy and pain.

Once again, the only pony not to show any emotion was the ashen pony standing right in the middle of the circle. Instead, she continued her story, her voice betraying no sign of sadness for her crying friend.

"I had also formed a connection with the element of fire due to my accident. Whenever a fire was lit inside the castle, I could feel it and control it. From the smallest of candles to the raging fireplaces in the royal kitchens. In the coldest of winters I made sure the ponies inside stayed warm, and in summertime I made sure the foals had enough light to read their fairytale books deep into the night. And whenever I felt a pony in danger from fire, I was there to help. I never could quench a fire, but in those rare occurences that threatened the life of a pony inside the castle, I was able to infuse them with my essence to protect them. In doing so, I would instead tether myself to them instead of the ruby that had for so long been my anchor in this world. One of those ponies was Twilight Sparkle."

"Hey... waitaminute!" Rainbow Dash, already confused about the emotional overflow if the Princess, flew over to the ashen unicorn. "You telling us that Twi was in a fire? Why wouldn't we know about it? And she doesn't have any signs of getting hurt or anything!"

"When she was younger, the young unicorn accidentally set the drapes of her bedroom on fire while practicing her magic. The curtains soon consumed her bed and other furniture, and the filly panicked and hid inside a cupboard. I flew to her side and spread my aura of magical fire around her, shielding her from harm. After the fires were extinquished by Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle was found cowering in the ruins of the cupboard. She was covered in soot and ash, but physically otherwise sound. The mental scars she suffered were far worse, and she would not even speak to anypony for several days. It is then that Princess Celestia removed her memories of the incident to allow her mind to heal, intending to explain what had happened when the filly had grown up and could understand the events."

"So... the Princess actually changed Twilight's memories?" asked Rarity in an incredulous voice. The other mares gave the ashen unicorn a reproachful look, but it was the baby dragon of the group that got up and walked angrily to stand face to face with Inferno.

"How could you do something like that?! Messing up with somepony's head?!"

"Princess Celestia told me it was imperative to protect Twilight Sparkle," the fiery unicorn said in her calm, flat voice. "Would you have preferred for your foster sister to have suffered the mental trauma for years, not knowing how to work it out?"

"Yes... well... no... but it's still wrong!" Spike's voice trembled, but his voice had lost much of it's muster.

"Those were the two options. Princess Celestia chose to protect Twilight Sparkle's mind, and I agree that her choice was the correct one."

"B-but... does that mean that the Princess can change anyone else's mind?" asked the dragon. "Has she done that to us too?"

"Spike..." Rarity said with a frown forming on her brow.

"NO! I lived in Canterlot Castle all my life! If she did it to Twi, why wouldn't she do it to others as well? Even... me?"

A bright glow surrounded the tantrumous dragon-whelp's tail and pulled him bodily to hang in front of Rarity. "Hush now, Spike. You know that the Princess would never do something like that unless it was absolutely necessary. We. Are. Talking about. The Princess!" She stared at the small dragon straight into the eyes, with her own pupils dilated from horror at the thought of what Spike was suggesting.

"I'm... sorry," he said, still hanging by his tail in midair. "But... it just feels like there's too many ponies inside Twi's head all of a sudden."

"Shhh. I understand Spikey." Rarity gently stroked the dragon's cheek. "And that is why all of Twilight's friends are here to help her, are we not?" she said, followed by a hearty "U-huh!" from the others. "We shall do everything in our power to make her well." She allowed Spike to fall back down, and he took his place once again next to the white unicorn, making sure she was between him and Inferno.

"Since that day I have remained with Twilight Sparkle. I never interfered with anything she did, only surfacing during the few times that she completely lost control of herself, and only a few seconds at that. That changed a few weeks ago."

"Y'all talking 'bout the dam thing and Twilight going... erm wrong in the head?" Applejack asked. None of the ponies noticed how Pinkie's face turned a lighter shade of pink than usual as she lied down even lower behind Fluttershy.

"It is rare that I can take control of a pony after the first time I protect them from fire. But the events that took place were on a completely different scale that I thought possible in this era. She was assaulted by old magic, far older than Canterlot and even I. But i knew how the curse worked and was able to break it, or to be more precise, burn it away. There are few magics that I cannot unravel. It was one of my talents when I was still alive." The unicorn's voice betrayed no sign of pride as she spoke.

"So that's why the basement was all burned up." Spike uttered in sudden realisation. "Twi refused to tell me what happened, saying it was nothing serious."

Princess Luna had managed to compose herself a bit after her emotional outburst. "We... I... met with Inferno that day, for the first time in a thousand years. And... I didn't think we'd meet again in a long time. When I heard that you had returned today, I rushed here, but I didn't know what had happened."

"Since the events of that night a few weeks back, I regained some of my consciousness. I followed quietly as Twilight Sparkle kept researching curses and black magics long into the night, and began anew after barely getting any sleep. She became obsessed with Neighgyptian and Saddle Arabian history and folklore, trying to puzzle out the trouble she'd gone through. She cried often, and spoke to her image in the mirror several times, always rubbing her fractured horn."

With every word the flame-maned unicorn spoke, Spike seemed to grow smaller and smaller, almost curling into a ball next to Rarity. "i... didn't notice anything. She... she just said she wanted to be alone and wasn't feeling well... I thought... I... that she'd get better and needed to think and... and..."

Princess Luna looked at the baby dragon, but decided to talk to her old friend instead, her eyes never leaving the suffering ball of scales. "Is it normal for you to sense so much of your surroundings?"

"No, my Princess. I usually lie dormant, only catching glimpses of the outside world when my host weakened in some way. I do not try to take control unless there is no other way to ensure the safety of my charge. But for some reason, since I took complete control over Twilight Sparkle, I felt more awake than ever before while possessing a pony. I could share all of her senses, even hearing a few of her most pressing thoughts: Shame of her failure, regret for losing control, loathing of herself for hurting a loved one, anger for whoever had written the book and caused all this... and the fear of losing her friends because of her deeds."

Everypony around tried to protest at the words she spoke, talking and shouting over each other, calling out how stupid and unrealistic the unicorn's thoughts had been and how wrong she was, that they'd never abandon her and knew how bad she felt and wasn't to blame. Except for one pink pony, who just silently sighed and looked away. When the cacophony of voices finally grew quieter, Princess Luna raised her voice over the shouts, not yet resorting to her majestic royal speech. "I am sure you will all get a chance to tell her your sentiments when she returns. But for now, we must concentrate on In... getting her back." Luna had clearly meant to say something else, but none of the assembled called her out on it.

"Today was different," Inferno said. "Twilight Sparkle woke up feeling ill and sweaty. Her vision was blurry and her ears rang from the moment she got up. She emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet and sat under a cold shower, not even feeling the cold water. She walked down the stairs, not even bothering to dry herself off, and then all the candles inside the room started burning blue. A large wave on nausea took her over and several strange patterns danced in her vision. Her legs gave way and she fell on the floor. Cramps wracked her body and she coughed out blood, and then... she just shut down. I woke up from the floor as Spike was shaking my shoulder with a worried expression. I felt the floor start to smolder under my mane and tail, and I ran outside as fast as I could, feeling my fire burn like ice on my back. And then you came here to meet me."

Her last words rang in the cold quiet of the autumn night. None of the ponies could speak, their mouths agape with horror. Then they all started talking and shouting at once.

"How can you be so calm—"

"I felt off since morning—"

"Oh dear..."

"So how can we save her—"

"What do we do!?"

Their words of panic and horror mixed into a chaotic crescendo, until Princess Luna shouted over them: "QUIET!" Her shout loud enough to topple Rarity and Spike into a heap and Fluttershy to cower next to Pinkie Pie. "I understand your worry, but panicking serves no purpose. I suggest we try to calm down, even as hard as it may be, and try to think of a solution. First of all, we should go inside the library and start searching for anything that might give us a clue of what has transpired."

A new, deep voice spoke for the first time since Inferno had started her story. Zecora had listened raptly to the words of the burning unicorn, only observing the speaker and the ponies around her.

"Princess Luna, for research there is no need.
For I have words for you to heed.
The flame of blue and the morning ill.
Are sure signs of a malevolent will.
Since morning have I felt its touch.
Only witchcraft can cause things such."

"You are Zecora, the herbalist from the forest I believe?" Princess Luna looked at the zebra with a cocked head. "I know that the events have a clearly magical origin, but witchcraft? That is unheard of in Equestria."

"In your land yes, but not so much in mine.
I am all to familiar with these forces malign.
They call me a doctor In my native land.
But that is not all, you must understand.
I am taught in witchcraft, but only to heal.
And in doing so I am able to feel.
The touch of evil in the water and air
The touch that has corrupted this here mare."

"So you trying to say some witch has cursed Twilight?" shouted Rainbow Dash. "But weren't curses supposed to be a bunch of hooey?"

Luna seemed to ponder things for a while before speaking: "I... would not like to admit it, but now that Miss Zecora has brought the idea up, the similarities between Twilights earlier affliction do coincide with what the people of Zebrica call curses and hexes."

"I left my own country, defeated and shamed.
A cursed creature I was named
You see, I have not always spoken as thus
Without the hex I could easier discuss."

The zebra lowered her head and pawed the ground nervously, wrinkling the soft carpet, her usual bright smile gone from her face.

"Y'all tellin' me that this hocus pocus witch thing is real? And that y'all can't talk like we do cos of some hex that was put on you?"

Zecora lifted her head up and gave Applejack a nod.

"Oh deary me," Rarity said. "Darling, I only thought you did it to sound exotic and mysterious."

"Well to be honest, I have a confession
It really doesn't hurt in my profession." The zebra said and threw the fashionista a sly wink.

Luna cleared her throat. "Witchcraft, the oldest of magics. Those are the things Twilight Sparkle was studying when she was taken over by the curse."

"Say what?" the chromatic pegasus shouted. "You telling us Twilight was a witch?"

"Yes and no. She did learn several techniques and practices of the old magic while under the influence of the cursed book. And according to Inferno's story, she continued her studies afterwards."

"The juju she took from me, the yellow pills.
Are a source of power for the witches' wills.
And the mojo she used to construct the dam of stone.
Was done with the power of earth she did loan.
I warned her of the peril in those pieces of tass.
But did she listen to me, that little dumb a—"

Rainbow Dash had clearly heard what she needed. "So Twilight's not a witch. That's all I wanted to know. So all we gotta do is find those witches who did all this and smack them around a bit until they reverse whatever they did? So, we split up and start looking. Fluttershy, you take the edge of Everfree and ask the critters if they've seen anything. I'll—"

"Unfortunately, there is more." It was Inferno's turn to interrupt the impromptu planning. "First, let me assure you that Twilight Sparkle is still alive somewhere in here." She tapped her forehead with a hoof. "Because I would not be here either.. Secondly, we have only a limited amount of time. For me to possess a living creature takes a steady supply of magical energy. Usually, I would only be around for a few minutes for fear of endangering my host. This is not the case now, as I cannot recede. That is why I am using Twilight Sparkle's quintessential presence as a source of nourishment, whether I wish to do so or not."

"Say what now?" asked a confused Applejack.

"What Inferno means," Princess Luna said with a quiet voice, "is that she is burning Twilight's life force as long as she remains in control of her body."

A millennium in but a day

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The silence that fell on the ponies was almost palpable, like a heavy wet cloth had been dumped on the assembly. None dared to speak, lest the last words spoken by the fiery unicorn turned true. Rainbow Dash was the last one to understand what had been said, but she was the first one to act, and true to her nature, did the worst possible thing.

She charged Inferno and punched her straight in the muzzle, making the unicorn topple to the ground with a whinny.

"How can you say that and be cool with it!?"

Applejack was already on her, pushing her to the ground by the pegasus' neck. Rainbow Dash kept squirming from the grapple while still shouting at the downed unicorn, her voice breaking childishly.

"You... " she started, searching for more words to hurl at her prey. "You just sit there and... and tell us that ALL THIS TIME we've been chatting here in this... whatever you call this tent thing and you've been using up Twilight's LIFE!?"

Even the earth pony holding her down gave a violent glare to the ashen unicorn who was only now slowly getting up from the carpet. She held a forehoof to her cheek and wiped a small rivulet of blood that seeped from between her lips. With a confused stare, she only looked at the crimson stain on her pale hoof.

"What's that!?" the pale blue pegasus kept shouting. "Can't even speak for yourself!? I could—" The rest of her tirade was cut off as a blue sliver of magic curled around her muzzle, allowing only short grunts to escape for her mouth.

"Desist from your folly, you foal of a pegasus," Princess Luna said in a commanding, and for the first time that day, angry voice. "You have just struck down one of my closest friends for over a thousand years. In ages gone I would have exiled you on the spot to somewhere where nopony even knew what a pegasus was."

"No... pleash my Prinhesh," Inferno said while swallowing a mouthful of spit and blood. "I was just taken aback by the feeling of pain for the first time in aeons. Now... I ask you to release the pegasus, and allow me to talk with her."

"She will just assault you again. Why would I endanger you?" The Princess of the Night asked, looking in turn to the prone pegasus mare, and the unicorn standing tall above her.

"She will not. Because she will now have had time to think, and knows that she would only be hurting her friend's body and gain nothing from it but regret and shame."

Applejack looked at Princess Luna, and after the monarch gave her a nod, released Rainbow Dash from underneath her. The pegasus quickly pounced up and took wing, hovering a few inches off the ground as she once again flew towards the flame-maned unicorn, only to stop before actually making contact. Her face was was criss-crossed with angry lines, but her eyes betrayed a conflict in her mind.

The blazing unicorn took a careful step back, and lowered her head down in a submissive gesture. "Before you start shouting at me again, Miss Rainbow Dash, allow me to explain. I am not uncaring, or emotionless in this matter. Quite the contrary, I feel great worry for the well-being of my gracious host, Twilight Sparkle. But please understand that any overt show of emotion, any act of magic, any strenuous activity, will only work to diminish the limited supply of energy I have."

Her every word seemed to hammer all the anger and hatred from the blue pegasus and replace them with doubt and fear. When Inferno fell silent again, Rainbow Dash was sitting on the ground again. After a short silence, she finally found herself able to talk again: "So... you're actually... trying to protect her? And you're not just trying to act high and mighty?"

She got a nod from the pale unicorn in response.

"I... uh... well..." Rainbow Dash moved her forehoof behind her head. "I'm... youknow sorry for hitting you and all... It's just—"

"You have no reason to apologise or explain your actions." Inferno managed to smile with her swollen cheek. "Twilight Sparkle has good friends, even though they may be a bit short-tempered." She walked a few steps to gain a better view of the rest of the group. Their expressions ranged from shock to disappointment to outright fear as they watched their friend move and talk with an alien mind. "Miss Dash is correct in the fact that we have little time to lose. We should begin our search of the perpetrators at once, and to cover more ground, I suggest we split up. As a pegasus you must know the terrain best, Miss Dash, so could you direct the search?"

"Huh? I mean... of course! Team! This is what we're gonna do..."

The five ponies, one zebra and a baby dragon spread out to their designated search areas, ranging from the edge of the Everfree Forest all the way to Ponyville River and the dam site and to the woods behind Sweet Apple Acres. It was a large area, and the falling night would be a great hindrance to their efforts, but they did not hesitate for a moment.

Princess Luna and Inferno were left alone in the pavilion, looking after the receding forms of Twilight Sparkle's closest friends.

"So... Inny, " The Princess of the Moon and Stars said.

"Yes, Lulu?" answered the the burning unicorn from ages past, with a hint of emotion and warmth creeping into her voice.

"What didn't you tell them?"

"I... have no idea what... " One look at the frown on the monarch's face told her that lying was not an option. "You always know, don't you?"

"I know you must have had a good reason, but this is me, Inny. Just tell me."

The flame-maned unicorn stood up and motioned towards the library, and started walking there with the Princess trailing after her. Without a sound they made their way into the hollow oak and to the door of the cellar. "I shouldn't, so please?" the white unicorn said, pointing a hoof at the lock of the door. Luna looked at her with another frown, but her horn started to glow with the familiar blue glow of the falling night. Her eyes opened up in surprise as the complexity of the locking spell was revealed to her, and it took her several minutes to work her way through the different layers of the spell. It was apparently activated with a thought or an emotion, but without knowing which one, she had to brute-force her way through them. Dispelling every enchantment one at a time made beads of sweat appear on her forehead, but finally a small click and the barely audible screech of the door hinge told her that the spell was undone.

"That is a very powerful spell to use for just a normal door. I'm not going to like what I see downstairs, I gather?"

The pale unicorn looked at her with a sad expression and nodded before starting down the stairs to the cellar where they had met last time. As Luna lit her horn up so she wouldn't stumble on her way down the broken stairs, she had to inhale deeply from surprise. Every surface of the room was covered in enormous and complex runes, each of them consisting of concentric circles, expanding from the tiniest and most delicate ones in the middle to extend several feet in every direction. They were all done in what appeared to be chalk, but there was a small silvery glitter to all the lines in the gloom. The only other objects in the room were a large messy pile of books near the stairs, and two full-body mirrors facing each other in opposite corners of the room. The mirrors had a polished silvery sheen to them, and as Luna walked to stand between them, she could see hundreds of smaller and smaller images of herself spanning into infinity in her reflection.

"What... what is this?" she asked, the unfamiliar tremor in her voice mirrored by the slight quiver of her chin on her reflection.

"Magic. Old magic. Not the gentle type that unicorns have used for ages with their own power, but far older. Far more powerful. This is the magic that doesn't come from within, but from without. It calls on the forces of land to coalesce into one place and trap it inside to accumulate."

"You knew this... but didn't tell anypone outside?"

"They were worried as is. And they will find out eventually. But right now they need to be able to alleviate their worries in some way, and only adding to their confusion would not help us solve this riddle."

Princess Luna walked around the small cellar room with the glassy walls that Inferno's fire had melted and fused together previously. They looked slick as glass, and even in the low light, a dark and twisted reflection of her face gazed back at her. She pulled back with a start, surprised by the visage in the wall, before assuming her royal habitus anew. "What was Twilight Sparkle doing here?" she asked out loud.

"I must confess that I have no idea." Inferno was still standing at the bottom of the broken stairs, looking around the room with appraising eyes.

"Didn't you say you were more awake after the last incident? More aware of your surroundings?" The Princess turned to look at her old friend. She had forgotten for a moment that she would not see the familiar face of her old friend, but the gentle and sad face of the young mare instead. Even that small part of reality returning to her made her cringe.

"Yes. For the most part. But whenever she came down here, I could not follow. I believe it had something to do with either the locking spell on the door, or these glyphs here. Whatever the case, whenever she came here, everything went black for me, and only returned when Twilight Sparkle was back upstairs. The only time I have been here was today, when I woke up on the floor."

"So everything you told the others was a lie?" The Princess sounded a bit surprised, and disappointed at the same time.

"Not all of it. The sickness, the nausea, they all followed Twilight Sparkle since morning. But she did not collapse on the floor of the library, but came here even though she still felt ill. And that is when I found myself prone on the runic surface, not feeling her presence in my mind anymore. It was all I could do to not just teleport to Canterlot, understanding that I was spending somepony else's life every minute." She looked to Princess Luna, her face downcast in sorrow. "The wait alone made me almost go insane. And I couldn't stop the magic pouring out of me. I couldn't stop the fire! I tried!" Her voice rose higher and the words she spoke came out as mere parts and stutters. "I... never wanted... I... You... So long, and still... "

Luna walked to her side and covered her with a wing, but her words felt cold and distant to her old friend. "I missed you too. But right now we cannot afford to reminisce. You must regain composure. Immediately!" Her last word came out more as a command, and the unicorn reaching barely her shoulder in height perked up in shock. A small fire burned in Inferno's eyes, but it soon faded as the meaning of the words seemed to reach her brain.

"Thank you," she whispered. After taking a deep breath, she was able to speak out loud again. "I... needed that."

"So... the runes? Are you familiar with any of them?" Luna turned away from the white unicorn. When she was sure her friend was looking at the wall, she quickly wiped the tears that had started to gather in her eyes before coughing to keep up her own appearance as well.

"They are not drawn on the surface of the stone, but carved."

"Carved? into this surface? With such detail?" Princess Luna leaned forward to look at one of the edges of the patterns. The mark was clearly carved, as Inferno had said, the line etched maybe a tenth of an inch into the stone. "That must have taken ages."

"No. Only a few hours every day for a few weeks. During the night when the dragon in her charge was asleep. Only to return to bed before he could notice."

"That shouldn't be possible."

"Magic?" There was no sign of sarcasm in the borrowed voice of Twilight Sparkle.

"Could be. I knew she was powerful, but I don't think even Tia knows how powerful."

"I could feel a strong will and much power inside her. Nothing to rival the unicorns of old. At least not yet."

"Unicorns of old... Like you?"

"She is but a child compared to me, yes. But she is still training and growing. Twilight Sparkle will overtake my skills in the years to come, but not yet."

"Such modesty," Princess Luna said with a mock cheer in her voice.

"I am stating a fact. You chose me as your apprentice for that reason. You chose me to do all your magics so you could play around with your smithing and... toys."

"Toys!" The Princess of the Night huffed in mock disgrace. "We will have you know that these items you dare call mere toys were works of art and ingenuity! They were constructed for the good of all ponykind. Even after a thousand years, only a scant few engineers in this era can even imagine the concepts that we established! The flying machines! The subterranean transit systems! The—"

"The video games and disco balls?" The friendly quip died in Inferno's throat as she turned to look in horror at her former teacher.

"Oh? Did we just maybe utter something we shouldn't have?" The Princess' voice had a prowling undertone, as if her words had become a giant cat stalking its prey through the darkest of shadows.

"My Princess... don't go there—" The mare's eyes had shot open wide, and she backed away from the advancing monarch.

"You remember my toys, but I remember a certain young mare coming to a certain place that was playing a certain kind of music with certain paraphemalia as decoration that might have made that same mare to lose her self-control and dance the night away..."

"Lulu... please—"

"And maybe, just maybe, getting a certain piece of decoration to adorn the side of her bum for the rest of her years as a Cutie Mark..."

"You PROMISED not to talk about that after I died! Wasn't one lifetime of shame enough for you?" The unicorn's voice no longer felt detached, as the indignation in her words was only slightly marred by the silly grin spreading on her face.

"And having a certain Princess pay testament to the whole event and naming the piece of decoration after her future favourite student?"

"STOP IT!" Inferno shouted amidst giggles.

"Whatever you say... Di—"

The smaller unicorn quickly closed the gap between the two ponies and they both soon fell on the floor into a giggling mess of tickles and undignified snorts and chortles.

Their shared joy was cut short as they both noticed how Inferno's mane and tail had started to glow a brighter hue of yellow, lighting the dark chamber with its glow. In horror, they both backed away from each other, Princess Luna colliding with the rune-covered wall behind her, and the white unicorn sitting down with her back turned to her friend..

"We... we shouldn't have done that," the pale mare said, her voice filled with dread.

"No. I... we..." The Princess stuttered out.

Inferno got up and walked to the wall, not even turning to look at the blue alicorn. "We are wasting time. Our stupidity can wait until it will not endanger an innocent pony."

"Agreed," Luna said and started to examine the items in the room again. "So we have a room full of runes to capture something. What exactly?"

"I believe some form of earth energy or dragon-line. I used to research such matters in the days of old, but you told me it was a frivolous waste of time." She traced the lines on the wall with her hoof. "Is there any reason for Twilight Sparkle to know of such forbidden magic?"

"The book she read that eventually brought you here contained a slew of knowledge about the subject, and Tia in her wisdom decided it better to allow her to study more of it instead of telling her student to forget all about it as I suggested. She said it would only make Twilight Sparkle more curious about the subject, and that she'd find out eventually on her own." The Princess picked up a few tomes from the pile and looked at their covers. "She can be quite persistent when the need arises."

"The word you are looking for is 'obsessed', Lulu," the unicorn said with a chuckle.

"In...ferno. Stop that. You must stay neutral. You must contain yourself. No jokes, no personal comments. Nothing."

"I know!" the white mare said in a stern voice. "I know I should remain detached to preserve my hosts energy. But... " Her shoulders slumped. "it's getting harder by the moment! All those memories and feelings are coming back. You... can't imagine what it feels like not to even be able to talk for a thousand years! To not be inside your own body! To only wait...wait to..." Her mouth fell agape as she saw the look on her teacher's face. She didn't see anger in her expression, only deep, unfathomable sadness. "I didn't mean... that is—"

"Be quiet for once," came the cold reply from The Princess. "There are some wounds best left to heal in solitude. If you cannot regain your composure, I will have to seclude you from any contact with others to protect the life you hold in your hooves."

"Lulu... I... "

The Princess of the Moon turned away to once again study the tomes she had dropped on the floor.

After a few minutes she remembered a certain responsibility, and she absentmindedly lobbed a few hundred trillion pounds of stone to soar through the sky before returning to her search for clues.

"Not like anypony would even notice. It's new moon tonight," she muttered to herself, unheard by the white unicorn staring in the mirror on the other side of the room.

Rainbow Dash certainly didn't notice the dark moon rise against the stars. Her mind was wandering in several directions, none of the concerning astrology.

"Stupid, stupid stupid!" She hoofed herself on the side of her head and dipped dangerously close to the ground in doing so.

"Twilight! Out of all ponies!" She spread her wings and glided close to the ground, her night-vision having returned after the lights of Ponyville.

"She's like... the friendliest pony I know." She moved silently as a bat, her muzzle occasionally brushing against tall plants and weeds that still carried the last scent of summer dew. The first frost had yet to fall, and nature was almost anticipating winter, trying to give its last effort before resting for the cold months to come. The majesty of the natural world surrounding the pegasus was completely lost on her, as she once more beat her wings to gain altitude. "Rainbow Dash, the coolest pony in Ponyville. What a laugh."

Her muscles already felt sore from the time searching, but she tried to ignore them. "What would my fans think of me? Hay. I don't think I could look Scoots in the eyes right now."

She completed a loop-de-loop, dodging a few branches of the high trees marking the edge of Everfree Forest. She missed one, and the wet leaves clipped her on the side of her face, but she hardly noticed. "BUCK! I'm SO gonna make it up to Twi when she gets back."

The pegasus landed on a high treetop, standing on it like she weighed nothing at all as she surveyed the surrounding lands for any signs of life or movement. "Maybe I'll take her to a Wonderbolts show or something. Or buy her dinner. Or both. For a month."

Rainbow Dash stretched her wings to get her blood flowing again, and once more jumped into the cold air. She struggled to gain altitude, no longer finding the warm updrafts she'd grown used to during the summer. "So uncool, Dash. So uncool. Hitting your best friend in the face. So... uncool."

Even in the cold wind she was flying against, she could feel her cheeks grow hot from shame. "I'm so STUPID!" she shouted, already running out of breath from the short distance she'd flown from her last stop. The pegasus gently landed on the rooftop of the belltower near Fluttershy's cottage. Panting, she looked around once more, not seeing anything out of the ordinary, which only served to worsen her demeanour.

"Hey, Dash. I'm in a really tight spot, so be a good friend and beat me up!" She chimed in a high-pitched voice and once again gave herself a painful facehoof. Her gaze fell on the tiny cottage nearby. It was unsettling to see the lights still out inside, her timid friend usually lighting every possible lamp inside for fear of the darkness outside. Even from here she could hear the animals inside the various coops and shacks surrounding the house make tiny rustling noises, preparing to turn in for the night. Even through her self-loathing, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but yawn after the adrenaline for the exercise earlier started leaving her muscles.

"And where's Flutters? She had a lot shorter route to check." The usually many-coloured pegasus was only a shadow on top of the tower, a mere ghost stalking the night. "Gah. She's probably found some sick animal or stopped to make sure some hidey-hole is ready for some creepy snakes to crawl into for the winter."

That is when she heard the scream coming from somewhere to her side. She took wing and headed for the distressed pony, easily recognising the voice to belong to her yellow pegasus friend. "Is she hurt? She sounds really scared." The Element of Loyalty made good of her name as she dashed to the small copse of trees where the howls were coming from and landed with a thud on the dirt. At first she couldn't even understand what she was seeing; In the middle of the copse was a small flat light-gray stone. Against it was the small screaming and sobbing form of Fluttershy curled in a ball.

"Shy! I'm here! You're safe! What's going on?" Rainbow Dash ran to her friend's side.

"T-the monsters! They... they... " came the hoarse answer.

"What! Tell me!" Dash looked around in case the monsters were still around. "Did somepony hurt you?"

No answer came, only more sobbing.

She was not going to get anything else from the panicked pegasus. Instead she looked around, trying to make sense of what was happening. Then her eyes picked up on the markings on the stone slab. The circles and twisted letters scrawled around its surface with something dark. And the tiny form laid in the middle. The tiny form that had once been alive. Dash's stomach felt like it was going to empty itself then and there.

"They killed her! They killed her!" Fluttershy kept shouting.