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<|info|> title: FlutterCord Short Stories author: Short-Stories-Pony tags: character:Angel, character:Discord, character:Fluttershy, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chocolate Milk === Narrator's POV: One day in the cottage of Fluttershy, she was outside her backyard as she was feeding her animals. There were many animals like pigs, sheep, cows, you name it. It was a beautiful sunny day as there were no ponies in sight, but just Fluttershy. Angel, however, went to her as he held out a green bowl as it had his name on it with black marking. He squeaked at her as she turned around. The beautiful Pegasus saw her pet bunny, as she smiled, her beautiful teal eyes shined in the light of the sun. She asked in a sweet voice... "What is it, Angel?" She asked the bunny squeaked as it was hungry. Fluttershy continued to smile as she understood, she got out a fresh but large piece of lettuce as she put it in Angel's bowl. The bunny looked at it as he frowned in anger, he loved his owner but wished he had something else to eat but lettuce. Later on, Fluttershy went back into her cottage to see her boyfriend Discord, on the sofa as he was lying down. She smiled at him as she put down the light brown basket, which she gave food to the animals with. She went to him as she kissed his cheek, however, Discord was asleep and he huffed a bit. But blush appeared on his face and a small yet cute smile was on his lips. Fluttershy giggled a bit as she went away from Discord, to give him rest. She went to the kitchen as she started to clean, she first started to clean the counters. She used a pink cloth as it had butterflies, which were the colour of white, and blue. On them was nothing but tomato juice, from cutting up the tomatoes, water as she used it to wash the vegetables and even too washed off some... chocolate milk? She was confused, she didn't remember pouring some milk. She remembered, however, eating a medium bowl salad as it had tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and even croutons which had the flavour of garlic. Fluttershy shrugged a bit as she continued to clean the counters. Later on, Discord woke up as he felt the sun on his face. He grumbled as he used his arm to block out the sun, so it doesn't hit his eyes. He got up as he looked at the clock, which was beside a bookshelf... "4:23..." He said in his head, as he got up from the sofa and stretched. He sighed till he heard the sound of singing coming from the kitchen. He saw his beautiful Pegasus girlfriend, singing a sweet melody and cooking some eggs on the stove, he smiled as his heart filled with love and even joy. He went to the fridge as he saw eggs, some hay burgers for tonight's dinner, small buckets of water, and even... chocolate milk. Discord's taste buds strike up as he got out the milk, he used his magic as he snapped his fingers as he had a small shot glass. Fluttershy settled some plates on the counter, she then put the egg on one of the plates. She gave it to Discord and said... "Here honey, I made you something." Discord smiled as he grabbed the plate from his girlfriend, he walked to the table and settled down the shot glass, the milk and the plate. He sat down on a wooden chair as it had a comfortable cushion with the colour of purple. Fluttershy made herself a salad again but instead, she put cucumbers, radishes, lettuce and even some ranch dressing. She cleaned the stove as she washed the dishes, the stove was off and she sat down. Happily, ate her salad with her mouth. Discord, since he was the Lord Of Chaos, after all, ate his egg in a snap. Fluttershy wiped her mouth as there were napkins on the table, she said... "So Dissy? Did you sleep well?" "Oh Fluttershy, I did. Also, my dear, I think you look very lovely today." She blushed as her bangs went in her eyes, Discord blushed as he moved the bangs out of the way and put them on her horse ears. Fluttershy looked up as she blushed and smiled, she said... "Thank you... Discord." She said as Discord put some chocolate milk in his shot glass, he drank it one gulp and began to chat again... "Did you feed the animals?" "Oh yes, I did. They weren't fussy today, especially Angel." Fluttershy said as she continues to eat her salad, Discord, however, continued to drink the milk as him and she were in silents again. Later on, though, Discord was on the sofa as he was reading a book and it was recipes. There were recipes about muffins, cookies, cakes, and occasional desserts for weddings, anniversary's, birthday's and so forth. "I'm sure Fluttershy's party pony friend, would love this book." He said in his head as he smiled. Fluttershy looked at the time and it's around 5:21. An hour went by but she looked at Discord. She blushed but smiled as he went up to him as she lied on top of him, Discord's blushed as he looked down forward from his book as she was cuddling against him. He continued to blush as he smiled, he patted her head as he said... "So, you come to join me?" "Well, yes of course Discord." She said as Discord once more snapped his fingers to create a small chocolate milk rain cloud, he got out a large glass as he put it underneath the cloud while the milk went inside the glass. Fluttershy gasped and said... "Discord, your gonna make a mess." "Don't worry Fluttershy..." He said with a smile as he continued... "There is a bucket at the bottom of the cloud, see?" He said as the Pegasus looked down and saw there was a bucket. She sighed in relief as she went up to Discord and kissed his lips. He continued to blush more than ever as he kissed back, he used his magic to levitate the glass as he held onto Fluttershy's back and began to kiss her lips. They continued to kiss, hug and even make each other laugh with silly love comments. Later, Discord felt happy as his beautiful girlfriend relaxed on his furry chest as she cuddled into it. He stuck his paw-hand in her hair as he began to stroke. "Oh, Discord?" Fluttershy asked and Discord answered... "What is it, my dear Fluttershy?" "Did you leave that milk stain from today?" "Oh, well yeah I did. Huh..." He said as he continued... "Sorry about that my dear." "Oh, it's okay Dissy. But, just remember to clean up after yourself." The two smiled at each other as Discord gave Fluttershy a large glass of chocolate milk, she smiled as she thanked him. Thankfully Discord snapped a straw as he held the drink for her, she drank it as it was chocolatey and even sweet. She said as she drank it half way... "Mm, thank you." "No problem." Then so, the two enjoy the afternoon with chocolate milk... which was forever's Discord favourite. Even too Fluttershy enjoyed it. The End === Nightmares And Cuddles === Narrator POV: One night in Equestria, Discord the spirit of chaos was sleeping on the sofa while Fluttershy, the element of kindness was sleeping right beside him. It was a cool night as the stars shined as the moon did too, the trees bristled through the light wind as the animals that were in their small house that was magically built by Discord himself. Angel bunny, was sleeping on a pillow which was all white and for his blanket, it was long yet beautiful yellow blanket. But tonight, however, was a bit different for Discord. He began to mumble as he continued to sleep, Fluttershy blushed as she sighed peacefully. She cuddled into Discord's soft brown chest as she felt the warm blanket on her back. She was dreaming of nothing at all as her mind was blank, but however, Discord began to mumble more as sweat appeared from his face. He was dreaming of as if it was dark... and I mean dark. He couldn't move at all as he realized something was wrong. He tried to talk, move some more or even scream for help. But it was no use. However though as he was scared, he heard someone talking. It sounded more elegant and a bit angelic, it appeared to sound like Princess of sun, which her real name was Celestia. Or Tia for short, she was the ruler of Equestria and even too was the older sister of Luna, which was the princess of the night as he too heard her voice. They talked about him... Discord... and they continued by saying... "How can we prove to Fluttershy that her boyfriend... is stone?" Asked Celestia, as Discord's mind raced with thoughts as he said to himself "I'm stone?!" or "How did this happen?!" He tried to say something from his mouth but as I said before... he was stone. He couldn't move... eat... sleep... drink... or even yell or scream for help. Luna sighed as she said... "We have to keep this a secret sister..." The princess said as she continued... "She must'in known the reason why, before Fluttershy gets upset." She said as she walked away from her sister, feeling the shame and guilt. Celestia sighed as she looked at the stone statue... she couldn't feel anything but pain... and sadness. She said... "Discord... I hope you're alright... for one thousand years." Discord gasped, he couldn't cry but yelled for help in his mind... "Celestia... no! Come back, save me! I didn't do anything! No!" He said till thoughts came rushing through his head. It heard to be the ponies that he knew... like Applejack... Rarity... Rainbow... and even his other friends he knew and love... including his girl, Fluttershy. "You stink!" Yelled Rarity as Rainbow yelled... "I never trusted you at the beginning Discord!" It appeared to be Rainbow Dash, as he continued to hear more voices. The same voices continued to repeat as he began to fall into this black void, he was still statue but thankfully he could still hear the voices and even too here himself... screaming. More thoughts began to swirl and swirl around him as tears in real life fell as Fluttershy woke up as she felt a tear from Discord. She gasped as she saw him, crying and saying "No!" or "Stop it please!". Fluttershy began to shake the draconequss as she said gently... "Discord, wake up." Discord woke up with a loud gasp. Fluttershy jumped away from him, he began to breathe heavily as he touched his forehead from his dream. He looked at Fluttershy as he grabbed her and embraced her as he sobbed in her mane. Fluttershy began rocked his head back and forth as they continued to embrace, she asked with a worried voice... "What did you dream about?" Discord sniffed and said... "W-well... I-I dreamed t-that I was in stone again.... and the sisters, Celestia and Luna kept a secret away from you.... and it was me..." He said as he sniffled, Fluttershy was confused a bit but asked... "From the princesses? Why would they do that and why would they turn you into stone? "Well... I-I don't know... it... just happened..." Fluttershy frowned as her pure eyes from her kindness turned into sadness, she kissed his forehead as Discord continued as more tears fell from his eyes... "A-and you friends w-were calling me names. Also... I-I-I was falling down into this black void... it was s-scary. And too y-y..." He sniffled as he continued... "You were in the dream..." Fluttershy gasped a bit, she would never say anything bad to Discord, nor even her friends. She looked at him as a couple of more tears fell from Discord's face, she sighed as she used her wing to wipe his tears and saying... "Discord, it's just a dream. You changed for me... and even for Equestria, even too our friends wouldn't say that even if you were stone." She said in a matter of honesty, she kissed his lips to calm him which... surprisingly did. An hour went by as Fluttershy continued to cheer up Discord, they cuddled as the two felt safe in the arms of each other. Five minutes went by as Discord, forgot about the nightmare as he thankfully too wasn't in stone... especially for a thousand years. Fluttershy kissed his cheek, he blushed slightly as the creature sighed happily. "Are you feeling better?" She asked as Discord yawned, feeling tired as he nodded. Fluttershy smiled as she kissed his lips once more, he kissed back as he lowered her to his soft chest. Sooner or later, Discord and his beautiful girl were sleeping happily and even too... Luna and Celestia would never stone Discord.... not even in another thousand years. Oh, Discord, what I'm I ever gonna do with you? Fluttershy said in her mind, as a smile appeared on her face and she saw her Discord... sleeping peacefully. The End <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Drained author: Mossy Mare tags: character:Changelings, character:Nurse Redheart, character:Other, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Introductions === Dr. Stable Mind stepped into his office and closed the door. Now that none were near to see him, his body sagged, and he deposited himself on his own free association couch. He closed his bloodshot eyes and sighed deeply, massaging his forehead with both hooves, worrying about his many, many patients. Ordinarily, he loved the psych ward's hectic drama. The permanent residents, as used to the hospital's routine as they were, still tended to relapse on occasion, and new patients came often enough that lulls in action were few and far between. Most ponies only needed a little reassurance, some friendly advice, the right dosage, and the right support group to lead perfectly normal lives. Their weekly, monthly, or yearly check-in meetings were more than enough to keep them happy, healthy, and productive. However, some ponies needed more direct care, and those he would encourage to check into Ponyville Hospital's psych ward. Contrary to the belief held by many ponies, no patient was held there against their will. All of the current residents checked themselves in voluntarily, and while there was a clause in the rules stating that a pony could be checked in by their relatives if they were deemed incapable of making the decision themselves, none in living memory had done so. None, that is, until yesterday afternoon. Dr. Stable sighed again, regretting the sleepless night he had spent looking for something, anything, that could tell him what he was seeing. Fifteen ponies had been checked in, fifteen ponies had been deemed incapable of consent, despite every effort on the part of him and his staff to garner a response. There was no precedent that he could find, no description of this set of symptoms, and it defied every logical explanation. It seemed to affect each race equally, which ruled out a magical anomaly, and yet it seemed to have diminished the ponies' magical reserves, which was impossible for any known pathogen to achieve. At least the research aspect of it was out of his hooves. After scouring his own archives and turning up nothing, he had gone to the local library to check if it was still open. Thankfully, it was, as Princess Twilight Sparkle had been taking advantage of her balcony to do a bit of stargazing. She saw him coming up the road, and invited him in for some tea, explaining that it was official princess protocol to offer any welcome but unexpected guest a bit of tea. Dr. Stable pretended not to notice the textbook on princess etiquette she quickly levitated onto a shelf while pouring the tea to disguise the spell. He explained his predicament, as it stood at the time, anyway, with only six ponies, two of each race. The Princess patiently waited for him to finish, scribbling down notes as he spoke, then followed up with requests for more detail. How long had the symptoms been present? Did the ponies show any other physical deformities? He answered these questions as best he could, safe in the knowledge that doctor-patient confidentiality, while normally quite restrictive, could be suspended around other medical professionals in the case of a dangerous epidemic. If this didn't have all of the signs of a dangerous epidemic in the making, he wasn't sure what did. They proceeded to examine every medical textbook Princess Twilight had on hoof, from an odd little volume on herbal remedies dubbed, "Super Naturals," to a complete copy of the ancient reference De Materia Medica. They even pulled out and looked over the DSM, (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) though Dr. Stable had already gone over his own copy a few times. In the end, it was all for naught, though Princess Twilight promised to check the Canterlot Archives for anything related, as well as ask the other princesses if they had encountered it before. Dr. Stable was grateful for her assistance, but in the meantime, he had no idea what to do with the patients. Now they numbered fifteen, six earth ponies, five unicorns, and four pegasi. Physically, they were completely fine, as far as he could tell, though some sported a few bruises, no doubt acquired due to their other, more pressing symptoms. None of them were capable of speech, and none seemed capable of independent thought. They could respond to simple, direct orders, thankfully, such as, "walk," "sit," or, "eat," which made them much easier to manage, but they did not respond to questions, complex instructions, or any other external stimuli. In fact, when given an order, they took no precautions whatsoever for their own well being. They looked straight ahead, always, and there was a lack of depth to their eyes that chilled him. They couldn't be deaf, yet they failed a simple deafness test; none flinched when confronted by an unexpected, sudden loud noise. Were they blind? There was no way to tell without asking, and none responded to any questions on the matter. Dr. Stable was utterly baffled. This day had been a long one, and while he was ruminating over all of the information he'd gathered so far, he slipped away into sleep. Nurse Gentle Mint was having a panic attack. She knew this to be true, as a panic attack is classified as displaying four or more of a list of symptoms, and she was currently experiencing a racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, dizziness, and fear of losing control, which was six, more than enough to correctly diagnose a panic attack. Knowing this did not help her. However, knowing the correct breathing exercises did, and so she inhaled for a count of five, held it for a count of two, and exhaled for a count of five. She forced herself to think of soothing things: her herb garden, filled with the helpful compounds she used to keep herself grounded. Chamomile, the tea she would use to sleep, clover, that replenished the nitrogen in her garden and fed her neighbor's bees that made honey, another soothing remedy for a sore throat, and of course mint, her namesake, and the most soothing thought to her of all. Slowly, she gathered her disjointed thoughts into a crystal clear image of her orderly garden at home, and her breathing slowed to something resembling that of a normal asthmatic. Mint looked at the clock. The whole ordeal had lasted a little over 20 minutes, which was understandable, given the trigger. She shuddered, then left the sanctuary of her bathroom stall to look at herself in the mirror. Checking to be sure no other ponies were in the room, she fixed her appearance with a few carefully-placed flashes of green magic. Feeling a little better, and looking much better than she felt, she stepped into the hallway outside of the nurse's station. She was quite grateful that the nurses had a private bathroom; it made it much easier to keep her little secrets. Satisfied that none would be the wiser, the earth pony mare trotted off to check on the residents. When Gentle arrived in the ward, things were, on the surface, perfectly under control. Only a few patients were in the common room, and all were quietly engaged in some activity. Gentle knew, however, that this was only the calm before the storm. Supposedly pegasi could feel a storm coming in their feathers, and while she didn't know anything about weather magic, she was able to read the signs of trouble in the room as easily as a pegasus could tell a cirrus from a cumulus. Take Tall Order, for example. The unicorn was in his usual spot, as per the written schedule he had given to the nurses. One corner of the commons area was set up like a small classroom, and Tall Order was playing with the scales and weights. His cutie mark, a graduated cylinder, proclaimed his love for exact figures to anypony with eyes to see. Usually, Tall Order liked to experiment, changing up the weights of different sizes to get them to balance out. There was a game he liked to play, in which he had to get both sides to an exact number without using the same size weights on each side. Today, however, there was no experimenting; each side of the scale was exactly, precisely symmetrical. He was even using his horn to place each weight at the exact same time, rather than feeling each with his hooves first, to ensure the balance didn't even wobble. Usually Tall Order only displayed this level of rigorous focus when a change to his schedule had to be made. Arbiter was also outwardly calm, though again red flags exposed themselves to anypony who knew how to spot them. Arbiter had truly earned her name and her cutie mark - a peace sign - through hard work and determination. Her MPD forced her to mediate constantly between differing opinions, though hopefully her current medications would take effect soon. Currently she was knitting, a skill she had been taught to help her focus and ignore the other voices. However, while usually her knitting was an intricate, elaborate display of lacy skill, today she was knitting a scarf. A straight scarf, with no purls or yarnovers, so tightly linked that she was using needles three sizes too large for the yarn to keep the gauge consistent. Something was clearly bothering her, and Gentle Mint knew all too well what that something was. The last one in the room, Haunting Melody, was drawing at a table near Tall Order. She liked to record her visions to better understand them and explain them to others, as sometimes her hallucinations contained meaning, but the content of this page was full of indecipherable black smears. The overtone was clear, though; Haunting Melody was worried. They all were, it seemed. Prism Rift and Pale Shadow were both absent, though it wasn't surprising considering Pale Shadow's anxiety and Prism Rift's discomfort with his fellow patients. They were right to be afraid; Gentle Mint was absolutely terrified. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The King of Lies author: Jade Ring tags: character:Main 6, character:Original Character, genre:Dark, genre:Drama, genre:Mystery, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Once Upon a Nightmare... === Once upon a time, six little ponies woke up to a nightmare. Before them stood a stallion who was not a stallion at all. His pitch black body shifted and congealed, his hooves became vicious talons and then became hooves again. He smiled at them with eyes that burned a flickering, fiery red. Hissing and coiling around his bald head was a violently green serpent with a pair of arms, it's scales a malevolent green that matched his master's on his scaled face. He claimed to have many names, but advised them to call him Belial. He told them that he was a being beyond their world, drawn there by the committing of a truly enormous sin. The purity of their world, of the souls of its denizens, made his mouth water. If he wished, he could simply sweep them away and devour them as was his want. But he was a fair cosmic being. He would give their heroes a chance to save them. He proposed a game. Each of them would receive a vision of the possible future. Some would be truth, some would be lies. If all six little ponies guessed correctly, then the souls of the sinners would be the only cuisine Belial would have before moving on to the next world. But if even one failed to see through their tests... then all Equestria would belong to the dark stallion. It went without saying, he added, that upon waking they would remember nothing of their possible futures. Were the terms acceptable? They said nothing. How could they refuse? He asked which would start the cycle. The newly short-maned and sheepish Bearer of Kindness raised a trembling hoof. In a flash, the grinning snake called Sin was about her shoulders. His fangs plunged into her neck... The game began. === Fluttershy === The pain in her neck faded at the same time as the field of light around her did. She whimpered and tried to hide but could find nothing solid to hide behind. With no other option, she stuck out her chin and made herself ready to see whatever it was she was going to see. The light vanished... ...revealing Sweet Apple Acres on a glorious summer morning. She was standing in the south field being warmed by the sun over her head. She sniffed the air curiously and found it exactly as she had expected to; warm and full of the smell of apples. She smiled. Was this her vision? "Indeed, Fluttershy. You are looking at your test right now." She shuddered as Belial faded into existence beside her. "I don't understand. This is my home. What am I supposed to be seeing here?" "Wait." As though in response to his voice, a child's cry came from the fields to her left. Her mothering instincts kicked in as she recognized Scarlet's voice... but she relaxed again when she realized it was a cry of joy, not of fear. Scarlet Apple came bounding over the high grass, Winona's puppy Judd nipping at her hooves as they played. Fluttershy smiled at her daughter... but something was different. "She's... older." Fluttershy whispered. "And so is Judd. What is this?" "As I said, a vision of your future." Belial chuckled. "Or perhaps it's a lie. That's for you to decide, isn't it?" Fluttershy watched as her dark red daughter, who appeared to be seven or eight, continued to play with the dog. The pegasus found herself near tears as she saw how graceful the filly was. "She's growing beautifully." "Yes." Belial had to agree. "I'm sure her father thinks so too." As if summoned by the King of Lies, Macintosh Apple's voice rang out from the barn. "Ya'll be careful now, Scarlet. Don't get all dirty now. Ma's gonna have dinner ready soon." He emerged pulling a whole tree by his collar. It had been years since they'd met, and his muscles and the casual way he used his strength still made her swoon. "Big Bunny..." she cooed lovingly. Belial made a disgusted sound. Something caught Fluttershy's eye. Something about Macintosh's face. "What is..." "You can have a closer look, you know. This is only a vision, after all. They can't see or hear you." Fluttershy spread her wings and floated over until she was next to the straining stallion. She gasped when she saw his face. "His eye..." She whispered. "What happened to his eye?" Macintosh's right eye was gone, replaced by a leather eye-patch. "Minor war wound." Belial replied matter-of-factly as he reappeared by her side. "Eaten by Changelings. Or was it Diamond Dogs?" Fluttershy reached out a hoof towards her husband's face. A voice called from the distant farm-house. "Mac! Scarlet! Supper's ready!" That was not her voice. She spun and focused her eyes on the farm-house's open door. The mare she saw there made her heart grow cold. "Cheerilee?" She spun towards Belial. "Why is Cheerilee there?" Belial's smirk tasted delicious on his lips. "Isn't it obvious?" Fluttershy turned and watched as Scarlet, her baby girl, ran up the steps and hugged Ponyville Elementary's teacher as tight as she could. "I'm starvin,' Ma." "...Ma?" Fluttershy slumped to the ground as Macintosh detached his harness and joined his wife and child on the porch. She felt her heart break as her Big Bunny kissed Cheerilee with the same gentle passion he kissed her with. "H... how?" "You lost the baby." Fluttershy raised her head slowly and tried to talk, but found her tongue was not willing to move. "Yes, I know you're pregnant. And that's what happens; you lose the foal. Not only that, but the damage to your system is so great that you can never have children ever again." The thought made Belial smile. "Macintosh always wanted a big family. He's told you that since day one. When his wife was unable to continue... he simply found another." Fluttershy looked and saw three little foals crawling around the kissing couple's hooves. "As for you, you couldn't handle losing Macintosh like that. And you've always had a problem with rage, haven't you?" He waved his hoof before him and a shadowy image of Scarlet appeared. Now that she was up close, Flutershy could see the burns on the filly's face. She put her hooves to her mouth and gasped in horror. "You did this when you tried to burn the house down. Macintosh was able to save you both, but he had you commited lickety split." He tapped his hoof and the image vanished. "It took years of therapy, but Scarlet eventually forgot all about you. After all... she has a new mommy. One who won't try to burn her alive." Fluttershy collapsed entirely and began to weep. "Now now, dear. Save your tears. The game has only just begun after all. So tell me; is this a vision of things yet to be... or am I simply lying through my teeth?" Fluttershy reigned in her sobs, wiped the tears from her face, and looked at Belial defiantly. "Lie." She whispered. "What was that?" "A lie." "I'm sorry, I'm a trifle deaf in this ear..." "It's a LIE!" She almost screamed. In response, the vision surrounding them faded into nothingness, leaving them alone in the dark. Belial's hooves became vicious claws and he offered her a polite clap. "A mother always can tell if a child is lying. Well done." "Is... is it over?" She asked, praying desperately that it was. His hooves returned and he leaned in close, so close that she could feel an impossible cold heat radiating from him. "For you; yes. For them... this is only the beginning." === Rainbow Dash === She shook off the pain of the snake's bite and looked around in annoyance. "Well?" She demanded of the darkness. "I'm waiting." The darkness took form and Belial appeared before her. "Such impertinence. You should know how unattractive a feature that is." "I'm just ready to get this stupid game over with and you on your way out of here." She offered a savage grin, ready for any challenge. "So... where's my vision?" Belial said nothing. He simply pointed his hoof, once again a claw, directly overhead. Dash followed the direction and gasped at what she saw. It was her... but she looked like she'd been through hell. Her fur was ripped off in huge chunks revealing deep bleeding cuts all over her body. Her eyes were swollen with angry purple bruises. Attached to her hooves were strange gauntlets, each with three folding blades. Her wings... "...Are gone, as you'll notice." Belial seemed pleased as punch to see her earlier bravado reduced to nothing. "...but... but how?" Dash whispered, staring in disbelief at the ragged stumps where her wings were supposed to be. "That's not important, is it? Here you are, plummeting to your inevitable demise, nopony at all to catch you and save your vastly overrated life." He smirked. "Or are you?" She tore her gaze away from the plummeting vision of herself and glared at him. "Well, Rainbow Dash? It it truth? Or is it lie?" "It's a l..." She froze. There was an uncertainty in her heart that she was unfamiliar with, the fear that a sudden wrong answer could doom all of Equestria. She looked up again at the still falling image of herself and looked closer. There was something here she wasn't seeing... The image of her future self was only a hundred feet above now. She forced herself to look down... and saw what she needed to see. "It's the truth." Belial's eyes widened momentarily before resuming their normal steady burn. "How did you know?" Dash offered a devil-may-care smirk, spread her wings, and blasted into the air. She struck the hazy image of her own falling form and felt a supreme sense of satisfaction as it vanished into empty air. "Because I know there's somepony down there who'll be there to catch me no matter what." Standing where Dash had been standing just moments before, now clearly visible without Dash standing in the same spot, was a hazy image of Applejack. She was tensed, ready and waiting, to catch the falling mare she loved. Belial, impressed despite himself, stamped his hoof to signal the end of the test. Perhaps these ponies would provide a challenge after all. === Pinkie Pie === Pinkie Pie had been expecting some grand vision, some nightmarish thing she could laugh away and show that mean old King of Lies a thing or two about giggling at some ghosties... but there was no vision approaching from the darkness that surrounded her. There was just a single grave marker and a light that shined on it so it could be read. PINKAMENA DIANE "PINKIE" PIE NEVER STOP LAUGHING "I... I don't understand." "Don't you?" Belial appeared beside her, only visible by his glowing red eyes. "It should be obvious, even to a pony as spastic as you." She rolled her eyes. "No, I thought this was supposed to be harder. Of course I'm gonna get old and die. Everypony does. That's life." Belial's eyes moved back and forth as he shook his head. "You misunderstand the vision. This isn't your marker fifty or sixty years from now. This is what will mark your grave in a mere two year's time." Pinkie felt cold. "What?" "You're dying, Pinkie Pie. Slowly, yes, but still you are dying all the same." He leaned in close. "I know what you are, Pinkie, even if that alicorn's spell hid that knowledge even from you. And creatures such as yourself cannot live as long as normal ponies. I'm afraid your body is breaking down even now." Pinkie looked back at the marker and ran her hoof across the stone. "Of course, I could be pulling all of this from my rear. But you tell me; is this truth, or is it a lie?" Pinkie closed her eyes, took a deep breath... and smiled. "It's the truth." Belial found himself caught off guard. "How did... how did you know?" She shrugged. "Just a feelin.'" She grinned up at him. "Just like I know you're not all bad. Well, you are all bad, but even the worst ponies have a little good in them. I hear King Sombra was a killer piano player." Hidden by the darkness, Belial's jaw dropped. "You just found out you're dying in less than two years and you're cracking jokes?" Pinkie laughed. "Did you not read my epitaph, silly?" Belial actually had to sit down. The vision faded but the light grew so that the two ponies could see each other clearly. Belial looked at Pinkie and smiled. Not an malicious smile, but a genuine smile. "I misjudged you, Pinkie. You remind me of a rather clever lawyer I once knew." She sat next to him and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Tell you what; even if we win this contest, why don't you hang around Equestria. Once, uh, my party has ended, I'll come hang out with you and show you how to throw a real shin-dig." "I'd like that." Belial laughed. "But first I have to finish psychologically torturing your friends." Pinkie nodded. "Do what you've gotta do. I know my friends. I know we'll win." Something occurred to her. "Can you... do me one little favor?" Belial nodded. "Can you let me remember? There's something I need to do before I go and if you make me forget this, then I probably won't do it unless it's too late." Noting the apprehension in his eyes, she held up a hoof. "And I Pinkie Promise not to tell a single soul. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Belial considered the request. "Very well." Pinkie Pie shocked them both by hugging the King of Lies as tightly as she could. "You're the best Belial. Or the worst. Whichever works for you." She let him go quickly. "Sorry, but your skin is really cold." Belial laughed and stomped his hoof on the ground. === Applejack === She felt the familiar wood of the farmhouse's front porch beneath her hooves before the vision had even fully formed. Belial's voice in her ear made her shiver. "You country folk always put me on edge. Honest to a fault and all that. One of your kin folk in another world relieved me of a golden fiddle I was quite fond of. Took ages for me to get it back..." The image finally materialized and Applejack found herself on the front porch of the farm-house in which she'd been born. Before her were a pair of elderly mares in a set of slowly moving rocking chairs. Applejack did a double take when she realized the mares were herself and Rainbow Dash. "Lovely, isn't it?" Belial faded into existence beside her. "A picturesque scene at the end of a life filled with love." He tried to force a disgusted sneer but found the muscles in his mouth unwilling to move. "How... charming." Applejack stared at the serene picture formed by the hazy magic of the King of Lies. She and Rainbow Dash were rocking in tune with one another, hooves tightly clasped in the grasp of the other. Their eyes and faces told a tale as old as time; trials, tribulations, children, grandchildren, old friends, new friends... The smiles were satisfied at a life well-lived, a life lived to it's fullest. "You are the spitting image of your granny, by the way. I wonder, if this is true..." "...it's a lie." Belial could not suppress a chuckle. "Believe it or not, that actually took longer than I anticipated, you being the Bearer of Honesty and all." He looked over at her expecting to see the same grin of victory her lover had worn. Part of him was actually looking forward to it. She was crying. His hoof morphed into a claw once again and he caught one of her tears on one outstretched talon. He brought it to his lips and let his reptilian tongue taste it. Bitter. A tear of anger. "T'ain't fair." She whispered. "I knew it was fake the second I saw it. Didn't even get the chance to hope that it was real." "The truth hurts." She rounded on him as the vision vanished into the blackness. "Well?!" She demanded. "What's gonna happen?" "Happen?" "Do I die? Does Dash? Does she leave me? Do I leave her? WHAT HAPPENS, DAMN YOU?!" Her green eyes blazed into his, their inner fire matching the quite literal flames inside his own head. He did not budge. "What does it matter? You won't recall any of this in the morning." "So what's the harm in tellin' me?" Belial considered. "If you desire it so much, I shall give you what you want." He held up the clawed hand. "But everything has a price." "Price?" "If I tell you what you want to know, you won't remember it in the morning. But for the rest of your life … there will be the shadow of fear in your heart. A lurking despair, knowing but at the same time not knowing what is to come." The claw shifted into a hoof once more. "And that terrible gift comes with a price." "...I have to know. Name it. My soul?" Belial smirked. "Tempting, but your soul is beyond my reach, daughter of Jack... descendant of Eden." "What?" He waved her off. "I'm going to be... going to be..." His lips struggled. "...nice... about this and only take a sinner's soul." "Just one?" He nodded, his hoof changing into a claw once more. "Surely there's somepony who has wronged you? Wronged your family." His eyes burned into hers. "Took something dear to you." When it clicked in her head, Applejack didn't even pause to consider it. "Feather Duster." Like lighting, Belial's claw shot to his right and ripped a hole in the darkness. As Applejack watched, a tiny figure fell into the outstretched claw. She imagined she heard a tiny scream as the claw closed into a hoof once again, pulling the figure into Belial himself. Belial closed his eyes satisfactorily as the rip in space and time closed. "The offering is accepted." He smiled at her. "I was going to take him anyway, but souls always taste sweeter when they're given by others." Applejack tried to feel remorse for what she had done. She remembered her mother's dead eyes and could not. "Well?" She raised an eyebrow. Belial shook his head and closed his eyes. "A deal is a deal." Applejack watched in amazement as a black tentacle emerged from Belial's chest. It wavered in the air breifly before shooting straight towards her forehead. She prepared to run, but it reached her... As the knowledge of what was to come filled her mind, Applejack's eyes grew wider and wider. Her nose and ears began to run with blood. Her mane and tail turned stark white and stood on end. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. For a moment, Applejack went mad. The tentacle returned to Belial just as quickly as it had emerged. He stamped his hoof and in a flash Applejack was her normal self again. He shook his head sadly as she looked around in terror. "I did warn you..." She stared at him. "There was so much death." She whispered. "So much suffering..." "Wrought by whom?" He asked. "A king. No... a queen? I'm not sure." She looked at him. "I saw Dash. I saw her with somepony else." Belial's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Indeed? Do you remember who she leaves you for?" Applejack closed her eyes and tried to remember the severe face beneath the heavy crown. She could not. Only the name remained. "She's called... the Terra Queen." She looked at him again... and tilted her hat in his direction. "Thank you." "What in the world for?" "You told the truth. You gave me what I asked for." Belial snorted. "Indeed. This world must be getting to me." He raised his roof to end the vision. "One last question?" He nodded. "All that death and destruction... is there anything we can do to stop it?" Belial shook his head. "No. A storm is coming, Applejack, and nothing in all the worlds can prevent it." Before she could say another word, his hoof came crashing down. === Rarity === Darkness surrounded the frightened unicorn. She rubbed at the spot on her neck where the snake had bitten her but found no puncture wound, no mark. She was in her parlor. Sunlight filtered in from an open window accompanied by the smell of a fresh spring breeze. Birds sang their songs just beyond sight. All in all, it appeared to be a lovely morning. Rarity saw herself sitting on the couch, humming softly to a bundle held between her forelegs. She appeared to be only a few years older... and perfectly content with life. She took a step towards her shadow-self. "Is that...?" "You?" Belial materialized beside her. He made a conscious effort to avoid the sunlight pooling on the floor. "Of course it is." "If that's supposed to be me... then why in Equestria am I holding a foal?" She looked to the King of Lies incredulously. "Is my test to see whether or not I'm a foal-sitter in the future?" Belial chuckled. "Why is it so hard to believe the foal could be yours?" Rarity rolled her eyes. She'd been expecting something harder than this. "Because Spike and I cannot have children. Unicorns and dragons cannot breed. I know you're new to this world, darling, but it might have been a good idea to do a little research." She took in the scene again. "At least this dream is more pleasant than the last one you sent me..." "Ah!" Belial's red eyes widened. "But who said the foal was Spike's?" Rarity froze and took in the room as though seeing it for the first time. Her family pictures adorned the walls just as they always did. There was Sweetie Belle, Mother, Father... even various pictures of her friends. Everyone except... "Where are my pictures of Spike?" Belial tilted his head at the lullaby-singing vision before them. "Perhaps the memory of what happened to him is too difficult for you to bear. Or maybe it's shame; shame at the fact that you betrayed him for another." "I would never betray Spike!" she snapped. "Indeed. But then... he hasn't come back into your life yet, has he?" "What are you...?" She was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. She turned to see a stallion she'd never seen before... or had she? There was something vaguely familiar about him. "Who is that?" "The father of your foal, of course." "Who is he?" she demanded, her horn sparking dangerously, "I believe you've seen enough, my lady. The time has come." "Wait! I haven't seen enough. How can I possibly...?" "Look into your heart." The shadowy stallion grinned. "Your heart will tell you; is what you're seeing truth... or is it just a lie?" "This isn't fair! You gave me that damned nightmare and now I'm supposed to just process all this..." "Time is short, and if this contest does not end before the sun rises and you awaken, then I win. Now, is it truth or is it a lie?" "IT'S THE TRUTH." The words tasted bitter on her tongue. "I don't know how or why I know but I know it's the truth." She advanced on him, her horn pointing dangerously at him. "Now tell me who he is. Tell me what happens to Spike!" "A university man." Belial chuckled. "He gave you a gift once, and he will again." "STOP TOYING WITH ME! YOU MADE ME KILL MY LITTLE GIRL, YOU MONSTER!" "Do you know the weakest part of a dragon's body?" Belial laughed at the absurdity of the seamstress ready to gore him and raised his hoof. "His heart." With a primal scream of rage, Rarity charged the King of Lies. Belial brought his hoof down. === Twilight Sparkle === There was darkness, a void, around Twilight Sparkle when the snake's bite faded from her neck. Standing before her was Belial, his shape visible by the burning in his eyes. "I'd like to tell you a story." He intoned before she could say anything. "About someone very much like you." He closed his eyes as though in remembrance. "There was a young man I knew a million worlds ago. He brought a message of peace in a time of war. And, of course, I couldn't have that, could I? War's my bread and butter, which is why I'm considering hanging out in Equestria a while longer even if I lose. You've got a hell of a war on the way." She savored the shocked look on her face. "I took the lad to a high mountain and offered him all the treasures and kingdoms of his world. All he had to do was stop. And do you know what he said?" "What?" "He told me no. And then he died. Horribly. And yet most people of that world still revere his teachings. But even more numerous are the people that perverted his message to become one of intolerance and war." "Why are you telling me this?" "To prove to you that even in defeat, I won. That's what I do. I win, even when folks think I've lost. A lawyer is clever enough to outsmart me? I get his soul in the end. A country bumpkin bests me at a fiddling contest? Eventually, the sin of pride delivers the golden prize back to me... with the bumpkin's soul as an added bonus." He allowed himself a slight chuckle before peering into Twilight's eyes. "Each of your friends has passed their tests." Twilight smiled. "I knew they would." "...so now we enter the temptation part of this little experiment." "Huh?" A blinding light flooded the ambient abyss so that the two ponies were standing in a field of white. For the first time, Belial's emaciated yet strangely powerful form was revealed to the alicorn princess. "When I come to a world, all of it's knowledge becomes known to me. And I know that this world has long awaited your arrival... the Twilight of the Gods." Twilight felt an icy dagger in her heart at the phrase that she had never heard before. "Why... why would you call me that?" "I'll do you one better; I'll give you the chance to never be called that." He stamped a hoof and all of Equestria was spread beneath them. The illusion was so powerful that Twilight had to resist the urge to spread her wings to keep herself afloat. "Look upon this world, at it's beauty and it's majesty. It could all be yours. I will place you on the throne of Equestria for all time." Twilight gaped at him. "Why would I want that?" "Because on the throne you would be able to avert the war to come." Twilight screamed as the Equestria beneath her hooves burst into flames. "Stop! Stop doing this!" Belial waved a hoof and the vision disappeared. "I'm not the one who will set Equestria to burn. I would never do something so gaudy. Besides, you confounded ponies have touched something inside me this night. It's rare for me to find a world so pure that it affects even me." "So stop this. Stop this game." "But the game is over. All that remains is one final question." Twilight looked deep into the eyes of the King of Lies and saw the burning, tormented souls of a hundred million worlds. "Ask it." "Will you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, sit on the throne of Equestria and save it from the horrors to come..." "I..." She started. "...if the only thing standing in your way is the death of she who sits on the throne now?" Belial finished. Twilight's mouth snapped shut and she stared in horror at the cosmic being. "What?" "Will you end the life of Princess Celestia, take her place on the throne, and guide Equestria to a better tomorrow? It's a simple question." "I... I don't..." "You were all ready to say yes just a moment ago. All you have to do to save the lives of millions of ponies is end the life of one." Twilight's legs gave out and she slumped to the nonexistant floor. "You can't ask me that." Belial shrugged. "I just did." Twilight sighed, steeled herself, stood... and shook her head. "I can't." Belial lowered his head. "...I'm impressed, Twilight Sparkle. You, and your friends, have impressed me tonight. But I must ask; why? Why condemn all the world in the name of one?" "Because there's always the chance that we can stop it." One by one, hazy images of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity appeared by her side. "Princess Celestia brought us together to protect Equestria." The images solidified as the dream forms of the Bearers of Harmony stared down the King of Lies. Twilight's magic pulled the limp serpant from her neck and cast it at him where it landed about his thin shoulders. "We beat you, and I believe there's a chance we can beat whatever's coming, so long as we have each other." Belial stroked the now sickly looking Sin's head and offered the ponies a smile. "I will not forget this lesson, Twilight Sparkle. This lesson about faith of all things." He winked. "I will pay you back for this." "Just leave." The other girls voiced their agreement. "Just remember what I told you, Twilight. Even when I lose..." He stamped his hoof. The light of the room flooded their very beings. His last words echoed in their skulls just before all the night's events vanished. "...I win." === ...Waking Happily Ever After === In a library that was also a home, a princess awoke in a cold sweat, haunted by knowledge already long gone from her mind. In a quaint farm-house, a mother awoke, checked on her precious child, then returned to bed to snuggle her husband before he left for morning chores. In an apartment in the clouds, an athlete awoke from a nightmare she'd never had before; one in which she'd been falling. In the orchards where she'd passed out the night before, a farmer shook off her sleep and made for home... not noticing the slightest streak of white in her blonde mane. In a bedroom situated above a boutique, a seamstress wrenched off her sleeping mask to find her drake in bed next to her. So relieved was she that she was on him before he'd even awakened fully. And in an apartment over a bakery... ////////////////////////////////////////// ...Pinkie Pie rolled over in bed and nuzzled her special somepony. "Wake up, Caramel." She whispered. Caramel groaned and tried to roll over. "Five more minutes, Pinkie..." She giggled and kissed his shoulder. "I could always wake you up my special way..." Caramel sat bolt upright. "As fun as that sounds, sugar, we'd be in bed another four hours and we both have work today." He smiled down at her but frowned at the look of concentration on her face. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "Nothing." He kissed her. "You're a terrible liar." She giggled. "But I'm really good at telling the truth." Noting the confused look on his face, she waved him off. "Don't worry about it. But... there is something I want to ask you." Caramel laid back down and looked at her curiously. "Life can do a lot of things, Caramel. It can go up or down or sideways or up and down really fast like a pogo stick and make a boingy noise like I do when we... and I got off track there." Caramel's gut was shaking. "I dunno, that track seemed pretty funny." "What I'm trying to say is that we never know what's coming our way. We need to live in the moment and live all our dreams as soon as we can, since we don't know how much time we have left." He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. What do you want to do then? Manehatten? Mountain climbing?" Inspiration struck and he gazed at her with wide eyes. "Saddle Arabia?" Pinkie Pie smiled her little smile and looked at him with her big blue eyes. "Let's get married." Caramel froze. This was... sudden. But the look in her eyes told him it was deadly serious. Her smile faltered. "I knew it was a dumb idea..." He was away from her and already by the door waiting. "We should start the plans now. If we hurry, we can have the whole thing planned for next week." He cocked his head at her. "Or is that too soon?" With a happy squeal, she bounded from the bed and tackled him to the floor, smothering him with kisses. They stood, checked each other over, and headed out the door to plan their nuptials, their tails happily wrapped around each other's. There was no doubt they were ready for this. That was most definitely the truth. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Balance author: Original Usermane tags: character:Fluttershy, character:Rainbow Dash, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Destiny Delayed === Rainbow Dash blasted off from the starting line in a streak of… well, rainbow. She passed the timid filly that she was defending within moments. The whoosh of air created by her and her fellow racers unbalanced the young flight-impaired pegasus… But she managed to steady herself and remain on the cloud. A few mere minutes of racing later, once Fluttershy had rejoined the other fillies safe on the main cloud, a giant explosion rocked the air, accompanied by a burst of color. Fluttershy gasped. A sonic rainboom? She didn't know that was actually possible! A beaming Rainbow Dash reappeared a few moments later. "Did you see that!?" she exclaimed. "A sonic rainboom! And I got my cutie mark!" "That was amazing," Fluttershy praised shyly. "I know Icould certainly never fly like that. If…. at all." "Ah, don't feel down on yourself. It'll come for you, too, someday," Rainbow said. "And when it does you and I can have a long laugh at those dumb bullies' faces, okay?" "Oh, but, that wouldn't be very nice," Fluttershy protested hesitantly. Rainbow laughed. "I like you," Rainbow decided. "Name's Rainbow Dash, the most amazing friend you'll ever have! What's yours?" "Oh, um… I'm…" she trailed off, mumbling. "What's that?" Rainbow asked. Fluttershy swallowed. "It's Fluttershy," she said quietly. "And I don't know that you'll want somepony like me as a friend. I'm really not that interesting or talented or fun, and-" "Don't be silly!" Rainbow scoffed. "If I think you're good enough to hang around with, then you definitely are! You're 20% cooler than anypony else here, without a doubt!" Fluttershy blushed at the praise. The two panting bullies returned, defeated, to the finish line. "No fair!" one complained. "You cheated!" "Don't be a sore loser," Rainbow said, irritated. "I won, fair and square! Now leave Fluttershy alone, or you'll have to answer to me!" The two colts growled and flew off angrily. "Come on, Fluttershy, let's go. You can bunk with me in my tent tonight." One month later… "Who knew we went to the same school!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed happily on the first day back, noticing a quiet Fluttershy in the back corner and instantly taking the seat next to her. "Um… I did," Fluttershy admitted softly. "Why didn't you say anything!?" Rainbow demanded incredulously. "Well, I know I'm not a very memorable pony, so when you didn't recognize me I didn't want to make it seem like I was accusing you of not remembering me," Fluttershy explained hurriedly. "You worry too much!" Rainbow laughed. "My feelings aren't hurt! Sorry for not recognizing you, though." "It's okay," Fluttershy assured. "This is great, though! We're gonna be the best of pals, you and me!" Rainbow said. "I can even help teach you to fly and try to help you figure out your special talent!" "You would… do that for me?" Fluttershy asked in awe. "'Course!" Rainbow said with a grin. "We're friends, aren't we?" "Yes," Fluttershy said with a smile. Seven Years Later (They're 15)... "There's that blank flank freak of nature," somepony whispered cruelly as Fluttershy walked to her next class. She winced at the salt thrown into an open and festering wound, but held back the tears as she ignored the pony and kept walking. "How do you live for fifteen years and not figure out what your special talent is?" another mocked. "She must be stupid or something." A lone tear trickled down Fluttershy's cheek, but she kept her head down and didn't say anything, picking up the pace just slightly. "Or maybe she doesn't have a special talent," another muttered. The dam broke as this final blow was dealt, and a sobbing Fluttershy ran into the bathroom just as Rainbow Dash turned the corner. "WHO. MADE. HER. CRY!?" Rainbow bellowed, an icy cold flame boiling in her eyes. Quiet fell immediately, and a few ponies paled. Rainbow Dash was famed to be overly protective of her blank flank friend, and everypony knew it was a bad idea to cross that temper of hers. "Can't you see she has a hard enough time without ponies like you making her life miserable!?" Rainbow turned her back on her classmates in disgust and followed the trail of Fluttershy's tears into the bathroom. She leaned her head sadly against the stall door that hid her best friend from view. "You okay, Fluttershy?" she asked quietly, cautiously. Fluttershy spent more time depressed than not nowadays, and Rainbow was beginning to worry down to her bones that Fluttershy was on the brink of becoming suicidal, especially since Rainbow knew for a fact that she was the only bright spot in the pegasus' life. Her parents had died when she was only a foal, and the other fillies and colts at the orphanage were much the same as at the school- unsympathetic and lacking understanding. "What if they're right?" Fluttershy sniffed. "What if I'm not good at anything? What if I never get my cutie mark? It gets worse every year, Rainbow, and I don't know how much more I can take!" Rainbow's heart was shattering for her friend. "I know," she said lamely. "But it'll all work out in the end, it has to." "But what if it doesn't!?" Fluttershy exclaimed, uncharacteristically loud as she pulled the stall door open to face her friend. "Once I'm eighteen, I'm out of the orphanage with nowhere to stay, and even if I tried to get a job, nopony would hire me if I don't have any sort of talent to contribute! I still can't even fly right! Maybe it would have been better for everypony if I'd just died when my parents did!" Rainbow's worst fears were coming true. She launched herself at Fluttershy desperately, wrapping her hooves around her as angry tears rushed down her face. Fluttershy stiffened, not at all used to her brash friend being touchy-feely and emotional. "You can't talk like that!" Rainbow growled through her tears. "Don't ever talk like that! You're my best friend, Fluttershy. If anything happened to you, I-" she couldn't force any more words out and continued crying onto Fluttershy's shoulder. Fluttershy crumpled, returning Rainbow's hug and tears with equal fervor. Another teenage mare walked in unnoticed, saw the alarming scene, and promptly alerted the nearest teacher. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy choked as they sat outside the principal's office, waiting for Dash's parents to pick them up. When the girls had been taken to the office by a concerned teacher, Dash had suggested that they head to her house to recover. Since her parents were listed as emergency contacts for Fluttershy, the school allowed it, and Dash placed a call simply telling them to come and pick them up. "I know," Rainbow replied, putting her arms around Fluttershy again, more gently this time. "Just don't ever scare me like that again." "I won't," Fluttershy agreed. When they arrived, Dash's horrified parents were filled in on the whole story by the principal. "We'll be keeping a very close eye on Fluttershy after this," the principal said. "And severe words will be had with the student body. Pushing a girl to think such things is unacceptable. I'll call the orphanage when we're done here and fill them in on the situation." "Thank you," Rainbow's mom said, sharing a worried look with her husband. They left the principals office and immediately rushed the girls. "Are you both alright? Is there anything I can do? Anything you need?" "We're fine now, mom," Rainbow assured her, taking a deep calming breath to dispel the last of the tears. Fluttershy, still being held, looked up and gave them a watery smile. "Let's get you two some blankets and ice cream, stat," her mother said determinedly. "You need it." They went to Dash's home and relaxed for the rest of the day, recuperating. Rainbow, still on edge, kept one hoof around Fluttershy's shoulder protectively the whole time. After dinner time, where Dash's mom had gone out of her way to make all of Fluttershy's favorites, a worker from the orphanage came by to pick her up. Fluttershy reluctantly headed for the door. "Wait just a moment, dear," Dash's mom stopped her. "We want to speak to her alone for a moment." Rainbow's parents took the orphanage worker into the other room. Fluttershy glanced confusedly at Rainbow Dash, who shrugged. Speaking 'for a moment' ended up taking over an hour, at which point both girls had drifted off. Fluttershy, a fairly light sleeper, woke when Rainbow's parents came back in, though their daughter slept through it like a brick. "Is it time for me to go?" Fluttershy asked tiredly, struggling dazedly to her hooves. Dash's father shook his head and gently pushed her back down/ "No, Fluttershy. You're staying," he said with a soft smile. "I can stay the night?" she asked, returning the smile tiredly. "Tonight, and every night after, if you want," Dash's mother corrected. Fluttershy stared at them. "You mean…" she asked, trailing off in disbelief. They nodded, and she hugged them tightly. "Thank you so much!" "You've always been like a daughter to us. Now it'll just be official," her new mother said happily. "It's late. Get back to sleep. We can surprise Rainbow tomorrow morning. The orphanage worker said she'd bring your things over." Fluttershy thanked her again a few more times before settling down next to her new sister and dozing off into the first happy dreams she'd had in ages. Seven Years Later (They're 22)... Fluttershy still hadn't gotten her cutie mark, but she was resigned to it, by now. She'd been correct in assuming that she'd be unable to find a job after school, but Rainbow Dash had all but demanded that Fluttershy live with her, so Fluttershy earned her keep by doing housework while Rainbow paid the bills. Rainbow worked long hours with Cloudsdale's weather team, and spent nearly all of her free time training to audition for the Wonderbolts, so the only real time the sisters had to spend quality time was at night before bed, but they made the most of it. One day Rainbow came home with news. "I got transfered," she informed her sister. "Ponyville's growing and needs a bigger weather team to keep things rolling. We're going to have to move." "O-oh," Fluttershy said in a small voice, her ears going down. New place meant new ponies- ponies who hadn't long gotten over the unnaturally old blank flank. The staring and the rumors would come back… "I know it's not ideal," Rainbow said with a sigh. "But at least we'll be together, right?" "R-right," Fluttershy agreed. "I start in two days, so we'll pack tomorrow and get going the day after, okay?" "Okay." "Thanks, Fluttershy. I'm sorry about this." Two Days Later (They're Still 22)... "I don't know about this," Fluttershy said nervously, crouching as low as she could to the cloud, peering cautiously over the side. She gulped. "I'm really a terrible flier, and I don't know if I'll make it…" "Come on, you've gotta try, Fluttershy. I can't carry you the whole way there," Rainbow said. Fluttershy sighed. "Alright…" she said, standing up and spreading her wings slowly. Rainbow Dash took off and hovered, waiting for Fluttershy to join her in the air. Fluttershy flapped her wings uncertainly a few times, lifting herself off the cloud. "There ya go! Nothin' to it!" Rainbow said. "Now let's go!" 'Don't look down… don't look down… don't look down…' "We're almost there!" Rainbow announced a few minutes later, breaking Fluttershy's concentration just long enough that her eyes betrayed her and wandered downward. "Eeep!" Fluttershy squeaked, and her wings refused to hold her up any longer, sending her plummeting into the forest below. "Fluttershy!" Dash exclaimed, darting down after her. "Ow," the pale yellow pegasus whimpered, her wing sprained painfully. "Are you alright!?" Rainbow fretted. "I'll be fine," Fluttershy said. "But I've pushed my luck too long with the flying. I don't think I can anymore with my wing." "Well… it's not far to Ponyville," Rainbow said hesitantly. "I guess we can walk. We'd better hurry, though. I don't want to be in the Everfree forest any longer than absolutely necessary." They managed to reach the edge of the forest, emerging into a gorgeous meadow, seemingly without incident. Just when they thought they were in the clear, they heard a twig snap behind them and spun to face a manticore that had followed them out. Rainbow tensed to fly to safety, but Fluttershy couldn't fly, and Rainbow would never leave her on her own. The animals in the meadow, however, had no incentive to stay and so scurried into various hidey-holes to save themselves. "Stand back, Fluttershy!" Rainbow said bravely, getting ready to fight. "Oh, no, Rainbow, wait!" Fluttershy exclaimed, putting herself between Rainbow and the manticore. "Fluttershy, what are you doing!? Get away from… that… thing," Rainbow trailed off, watching in amazement as Fluttershy soothed the angry manticore. It presented its paw, which had a large thorn sticking out. "Now, this may hurt," Fluttershy warned kindly. She took the thorn in her teeth and pulled, causing the manticore to rear onto its hind legs. "No!" Rainbow shrieked, panicking. But, instead of attacking, the manticore nuzzled and licked Fluttershy affectionately. "There, that's better, isn't it?" Fluttershy asked happily. "Go on back home, now." The manticore disappeared back into the forest. Fluttershy wandered to a group of animals hiding under a bush. "Don't worry, you're safe now." She moved to some squirrels and birds hiding in the trees. "Nopony will hurt you, you can all come out." Slowly, the animals responded to her soothing tones and gathered around, nuzzling her thankfully. "You're very welcome, little friends," she said happily. Rainbow, about to ask in awe how a timid thing like Fluttershy had managed such an amazing feat, froze when she saw a sight she never thought she'd see. She started tearing up joyfully and glomped Fluttershy, who looked at her confusedly. "What is it, Rainbow?" she asked, confused. "Fluttershy, it's here! It's HERE!" Rainbow grinned widely. "It's finally HERE!" "What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Your cutie mark!" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Tinkering in the Pink author: DJ_Scr4tch tags: character:Original Character, genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Happy Birthday === I can't wait! The young stallion thought as he left his house. The Unicorn left his home waving good bye to his mother. Oh Umbra, you're going to love your gift! He trotted happily through town, his horn glowing with its gentle red glow. The present floating around him as he continued. The burnt orange stallion keep moving. His mane short and puffy. His tail longer than most stallions and puffy to match his mane. His cutie mark was of a cog. He enjoyed building things and tinkering. His gift was slaved over for days. He worked hours at a time on every detail he could manipulate. He arrives at the house. The party is over. He decided to miss it in order to surprise his marefriend during the aftermath. As he walked up the only light on was from her room on the second story. With three knocks of his powerful hooves on the mahogany door he waited. A few seconds pass and he heard the sound of hooves on hardwood floor. The door opened and there she stood. Her mane playfully over her face; with a simple swipe of her hoof it goes behind her ear. The yellow-green strands seemed to glow in the moonlight. The white stripes mixed in perfectly with it. Her coat was dark and her cutie mark was three yellow stars. Beautiful as ever… "Happy birthday Umbra!" The unicorn said with joy. He started singing the normal happy birthday song adding a small bit of flare. The pegasus giggles and invites him in. "Thanks Bolt. I must admit. Turning seventeen isn't as exciting as sixteen or eighteen." Her voice was gentle and filled with joy seeing him this late. He steps in and sets the gift on a table full of opened gifts. He heads toward the couch and climbs on it relaxing in his favorite spot. The only other pony to even fight him for the spot was Smoke, Umbra's fire fighting father. "So, how was it Umbra? Sorry I missed the party. I wanted your gift to be perfect." "You showing up is enough of a gift. It was great. My friends came and we all had fun. Mom and Dad are out for a few hours. They left to put all the bits I got in the bank and return a few… Lesser desired gifts." "Like what?" Curiosity in the stallions voice as he asked her. Please don't be what I made you… Please Celestia! Don't let it be my gift! "Nothing too bad. Just a very… Very, very, very unappealing sweater." The stallion lets out a sigh of relief and relaxes. Thank you Celestia! "So, I'm glad you showed up dear," She climbs next to him and begins to nuzzle him. His massive sized easily containing her whole body. "I'm glad I showed up too. Happy birthday." "Thank you again dear," She quickly gives him a kiss on his cheek and closes her eyes resting her head on his shoulder. Her mane padding his muscular shoulders. "Have I ever said how strong you are? Even though whenever I come over, I find you playing with some toy you made?" "That's not all I do!" His voice showing a hint of annoyance. "I lift a lot of heavy objects at work." She let's out a giggle and flutters her eyes at him. Her purple eyes full of passion and love. Each time her eyelashes move they flow in the air. "Have I ever said how cute you are?" "Yes , Bolt. Everyday we have been together." "Just making sure." He wraps a hoof around her and pulls her closer giving her a big kiss on her forehead. "So, seventeen… What do you want to do now?" "Oh… I don't know, something…" She licks her lips and gives him the classic seductive look used by every mare. Her half closed eyes instantly get his attention. Thank Celestia I am not a pegasus! His answer came instantly and without thought. "Let's go!" He hopped off and surrounds her body with his red magic. Lifting her off the soft couch and up to her room. Opening the door he carries his marefriend to the bed and sets her down on her back. She lied there; the pegasus' wings spread out on the bed, forehooves folded up against her chest and her tail covering her marehood. "No foreplay Bolt. Let's get right to the knitty gritty," Her lips pucker up and her eyes close. The stallion quickly responds by climbing on the bed. His hooves surround her on all sides. He lowers his mouth to meet her soft, gentle lips. The tongue of the stallion slides out and forces it's way into the young mare's mouth. Their tongues dance together in a motion of passion and love as their saliva mixes together. They share the kiss. Lips locked together for what feels like an hour. He finally pulls back and their eyes open to meet each others. His dark red meet with hers and they speak to each other without words. Thats because he has a telepathic link between them. What do you say, Umbra? Let's do it, Bolt.. Her mind was full of what she dreamed he would be like in bed. Being slightly older she had more exposure to those ideas. He lines up his massive erection and looks back to her. "Wait!" She yells real quickly. "Do you have a condom?" Shit! "No babe, I don't have one," His hard-on slowly dies as he knows he is being denied the flank he's loved for so many years. "Well, you know: No glove, no love. Sor- wait a second…" She pushes him off and walks out of her room. She goes over a room and comes back with a bottle of lube and a condom in her mouth. An eyebrow raised. "Will… Will your parents notice?" "Probably not. They do it every night, they'll never know one is missing." He nods in agreement and he lays back. His stick fully erect again. "Umm... This would be easier for you." "Oh… Right." His horn glows and grabs the wrapped condom. He levitates it over to him and tears it open. He lines up the latex circle with his tip and slides it down with ease. The bottle is now floating over his tip and his magic gently squeezes it. The cold clear gel squirts out and lands on his tip. It slowly slides down the wrapped cock and he climbs off. "Thank you," The pegasus takes flight and gently flies the 6 feet to the bed taking her old position. Her coltfriend quickly takes his. Two glowing red circles appeared around her back hoof ankles as they're pulled apart, preparing her to take his package. 'I… I-I'm ready Bolt." With a nod of his powerful head he looks between his thighs at his massive erection. With a gentle push of his hips the tip makes it way into her marehood. She lets out a small gasp as he suddenly enters her. "You okay?" She nods reassuring him. He nods again and begins to push some more. His erection sliding easily into her. Inch by inch. His tip slowly spreads her insides. Rubbing against each rib of her virgin vagina. Her head flies up. Her bottom lip being bitten by her teeth. "Oh~ Umbra… You're so warm," He lets out a moan of satisfaction as he fits another few inches in her. His dick fully covered in her juices as it slides in and out. The lube spread all over it as he continues fitting more into her. "Ah… Fuck..." Her voices fades into a mumble that he can't hear. He stops and lowers his head to hers. "What was that?" "It… It hurts..." She mumbles again a bit louder. His head lowers again and he repeats his previous statement. "Fuck! Stop!" She screamed in pain. Forehooves pushing off his chest pulling him out. She lays there panting for breath underneath him. Her marehood slightly bleeding as she loses her virginity. "Oh… Honey you're bleeding. You need something?" His voice worried, his thoughts racing as he is clueless at what to do. Her head shakes side to side. "Just… be gentle Bolt…" Her voice cracking slightly. "If it hurts we should stop. I don't want to hurt you." She wraps a forehoof around his neck and pulls him close. "I… Said… Continue." "Okay, Umbra." His lips kiss her forehead and he slowly lines up his cock. Sliding it back in he watches her. Her muzzle scrunches up as his goes slowly. Inch by inch. Her eyes shut tighter than her marehood. "Hnnggg…. gah!" Her grunts and groans fill the bedroom. Each inch going into her stretches her more and more. Suddenly her coltfriend stops. His hips are motionless as he gathers his breath. A few inches still outside of her moist walls. "Wha… Why'd you stop…?" "I can't go any deeper. You're too tight." His penis is held tightly by her marehood. Each and every inch of her insides pulsing with her heartbeat. "Just push more… I want you in me… Please! The pains going away…" Her voice becoming normal again as he stands over her. Their faces only inches away from each other. He agrees with a nod and quickly jams the last of his genitals into her. She screams in pain as her virginity was claimed by the stallion she loved. A bit more blood makes it way out of her as he rests inside her. Panting heavily she speaks through each breathe. "I… Love… You… Bolt" "I love you too, Umbra," His hips begin grinding as her pain slowly dies off and becomes pleasure. Each thrust sends a new wave of pleasure cascading over her body. Her mouth can't help but let out moans. Every noise she lets out lets the stallion know he's doing well. "Harder… Bolt! Fuck me!" His eyes light up to her command. His hips begin to work his full length inside her. Pulling in and out. Tip to base. Every pounding sends his balls and hips into her flank as he pushes her slowly up the bed. Her shoulders stopped by his massive hooves as her flank is raised up. Her back curving as well to have him pounding her into the bed. The couple continues she's in full control telling him commands. His ears picking up each one as he pleasures her. The room fills with the smell of sex as the young ponies have their fun. "I..." The unicorn speaks, his breathing his heavy as sweat falls from his face and powerful body "I don't think I'll last much longer, Umbra!" His dick begins throbbing inside her. The long vein in the middle exciting her more. "Same! Please, Bolt! Inside me! ahhhhHHHHH!!!!" She lets out a scream of pleasure. Her body at the edge of orgasm waiting for that push over the cliff. A loud crash comes from the door. The stallion looks over his shoulder. Shit… There he was. Smoke, the large gray pegasus father of the mare whose legs are wide open underneath him. Instinctively, and probably the best move of his life, the stallion pulls out and quickly covers his mate up. They both look at Smoke. In a flash of gray the older stallion is already at the unicorn. He lands a strong buck against his chest sending him into the wall. Smoke is quickly over him yelling in his face with a deep, stern, discipline voice. "What the hell do you think you're doing to my daughter!? Celestia dammit, you don't have the right to do that!" "Dad! Please don't hurt him!" Wraps around his raised forehoof that was ready to deliver another blow to the unicorn. She pulls it back with all her might. He gives up and relaxes. "You. I want you in the living room now. Shady!" His wife walks in. The gray mare pegasus comes up with pepper spray. She quickly takes aim and begins spraying the burning mixture into his eyes. With a scream and a few crashes he finds his way out of the room followed by the older mare. "Umbra." His voice sounds disappointed. "What did I tell you?" "You said to wait for the correct stallion. And you just pepper sprayed him out," Shady is screaming from downstairs. Bolt is arguing with her but her voice over powering him. "And now he's never coming back!" He puts his hooves to his temples. This surprise giving him a splitting headache as he waits for his daughter to become quiet. "Look…" Smoke speaks again. His voice has lightened a bit. "You're right. I mean look at us. Your mother was seventeen when she had you. And we barely knew each other. I'm okay with this, it just caught me off guard." She wraps around him smiling and eyes tearing a bit. "Thanks daddy. Can you call Mom off of my coltfriend now?" The father and daughter head downstairs to the mare pegasus standing over the unicorn. His legs all tied together and a piece of cloth wrapped around his mouth effectively gagging the orange unicorn. His dick still wrapped in the condom and tied with a rope uncomfortably to his inner thigh. "Silence Bolt. You do not have the right to touch my daughter anymore. I don't even-" Shes cut off by her husband as he comes downstairs. "Listen dear, I think we should let him go. After all he used a condom. And how old were you when you had Umbra?" "Seventeen… But it doesn't matter! Condoms don't always work!" The tied up unicorn muffles into his gag. "Oh shut up! I'm dragging you home in a few minutes." "Now hold up dear. Let's hear what he was to say." The mare agrees and removes the piece of fabric from his mouth. He gasps for air. His face covered in water to stop the pepper spray from burning. "I was going to pay for spermicide and birth control tomorrow. I promise, Mrs. Shady" His confidence from before is gone and has been replaced by fear. "I know you meant no harm. But I don't want her to end up like me. Pregnant as a teen. It's stressful and very difficult," The mares voice has changed from a stern commanding shout to a gentle, worried, motherly feel. "But ma'am. You're life seems amazing. You have a beautiful mare for a daughter, a loving, strong husband. And a beautiful brain and mane style to match your perfect personality," He tries his best to kiss up hoping "Little Tinker" doesn't get harmed. "Do you really think i was ready for a daughter at that age? I made stupid decisions." The mare reflects on her tough fillyhood. She lived on the streets and stole to survive. Smoke took her in one day and they've been together ever since. "I don't know Shady. I kinda liked it," Her husband adds it a joking tone. Her hoof comes down and hits his head. Barely effecting him. He lets out a small chuckle. "Not now." "I'm sorry you two. I was so excited, I couldn't control myself, but I have a plan." The two parents look at him eyebrows raised. The mare lets out her voice. "I'm listening…" "If , and that's a huge if! If she gets pregnant I will father the foal. I promise to stand by her side through the rest of her life until she tells me to leave," He lies there on the floor still tied. Honestly filled his small speech and gets into the old stallions heart. "You're staying by her side already, bub." "Smoke's right." "You think you're old enough to do that. then you're old enough to be committed to her. Understood?" The unicorn nods quickly. "I'm still escorting you home," Shady adds. "I will tell your mom as well." The young stallions eyes fly open as his jaw drops. "No…" Fear has made its way to his voice. "Don't tell my mom. Don't take me to her!" "She has to know. She's your mother." "Fine… Atleast untie me, please," He holds out his restraints "I'll let you go, but I'm going to escort you home still. And still tell your mother," She reaches into a drawer and pulls out a large knife from the kitchen. Walks back over to the tied stallion. The steel blade reflects the lights into his eyes from the ceiling. For a quick second he sees his face. It's full of fear. "Can Smoke do this…? Please Mrs. Shady?" "Oh, calm down you big foal," She gently stretches her neck down and begins cutting the ropes freeing him. The unicorn stands up. His head low and tail between his legs. "Thank you," He rubs the where the ropes were. every inch they touched is now tender from struggling. The pain from the pepper spray made him move a lot while she restrained him. "Smoke, go talk with Umbra," He nods and heads upstairs again to her room shutting the door. "Now off to your mothers." She pushed the unicorn motioning him towards the door. He begins walking against his will still walking like a sad dog. The two arrive at Bolt's house. With three knock on the door Shady takes her spot next to Bolt. A few moments pass and she knocks again. "I'm coming!" A few more seconds pass and a red maned pegasus opens the door. "Oh! Hey you two! What brings you here?" "Get in there, Tinker," She says with a stern voice to the teenaged stallion. He walks in avoiding high contact with his mother. Tail and head even lower than before. "What's wrong?" "Ruby… Smoke caught Bolt and Umbra having sex." "He what!" She turns to the stallion hiding behind a pillow. "Go to your room. I will be up in a moment," He nods and heads to his slowly. Cheeks fully blushed from embarrassment. "He was wearing a condom, but that doesn't change the fact that he's sixteen and she's seventeen." "What do you think we should do, Shady?" "Well…" She pauses for a moment to think. "Smoke is at home talking with Umbra. I don't mind them seeing each other. I just don't want something to go wrong and somepony getting pregnant. He says he'd be committed, but they don't realize how much work a foal is." "Well he will certainly do the best he can. While he waits for a higher paying job I will pay for the foal and cover anything he needs for it." "Oh, she's not pregnant. I said he had a condom but those things aren't always dependable." 'Agreed. So I guess you want her on birth control?" The pegasus walks to her kitchen and begins collecting bits from her purse and drawers. She puts it all in a sack and ties it off. tossing it to Shady. "Thanks. Especially with what age they are. It's bound to happen again," She picks up the cloth bag and sets in on her back at the base of her wings. "Well, have fun. I'll talk with him," She shuts the door. Shady turns around and begins walking down the street at 11 P.M. She heads to the drugstore and buys a few packs of birth control. The pegasus takes off in flight and heads back home. She lands in front of her door. She heads in. Her face becomes covered in shock. Her jaw drops and eyes fly open with her wings. Inside the kitchen is Smoke cutting a pizza. Umbra and Bolt are sitting with each other eating the same slice together. "Celestia dammit, Smoke…" "What? We got hungry?" The older mare's hoof comes up and hits her face. She drags it down and comes in and sits across from Bolt. "So, Mr. Bolted TInker… How did you get here so fast? I was only at the store for ten minutes?" He taps his horn and a red spark shoots off like a firework. His mouth full of pizza. "He teleported," Umbra answers for him. "Smoke… This is not the correct way to deal with this situation…" She notices the two young ponies kiss and sit with each other. Their love is strong enough to make Queen Chrysalis drool. "Actually… Pass me a slice," Smoke slides a piece over to his wife. She begins to relax and eat. "So, Tinker," Smoke talks again, his voice is fully relaxed and full of cheer and joy. "Won't your mom be mad that you're not home?" "No, not at all. She said I could return. And she asked me to deliver a message to you. 'If i miss treat Umbra or disrespect either of you two. You have permission to give me a vasectomy." "Excellent," Shady says with a gnarly grin. Her hoof reaches into a drawer behind her and she pulls out a scalpel. Smoke has the same look on his face and he's is equipped a pizza cutter. "Let's do this, babe," Bolt quickly reacts. His eyes jetting wide open as his horn flashes teleporting him to behind the couch in the living room. He cowers watching the two gray pegasi. "She said if i did it again!" "Ohhhh…" The married couple giggles and sets their tools down. Shady speaks again. Laughter and cheer in her voice for the first time all night. "Come on, we won't hurt you," she pats the chair next to her and Umbra. "And Umbra. These are for you. Follow the instructions, please," She slides the bag full of birth control pills to the black pegasus. "Does this mean...?" Umbra raises an eyebrow. He father confirms her question with a firm nod of his head. Shady smiles and giggles "Thank you. I love you Mom and Dad. Can we?" "Yes you may," Shady says firmly. Umbra's eyes glisten with joy as Bolts horn glows again. The pair disappear and the sound of moaning and a creaking bed fill the house. "Don't fix that bed. I'm glad they're happy and safe, but I still want to control them." "Deal. So what's his gift?" Inspects the decorated box. Umbra's cutie mark is on all four sides. He opens it up. His muzzle goes in and he pulls out a flower. The metal shape represents a moonflower. The metal flower fits it perfectly. Large, white petals with a few stems sticking out of the middle. It's polished and shines as it's scent fills the air. Bolt's red aura around the base of the bud. "Whoa…" Shady is in shock as she gets up and looks at the flower in her husbands mouth. "It's never going to die… What's this?" She picks up the small tag on the gifts ribbon. It reads: "To Umbra, I hope this flower represents how I feel for you. A beautiful, powerful, never fading flower. I love you, Umbra. From Bolted Tinker." "Hey Smoke… I think we made the right choice," She kisses the stallion taking the flower in her mouth. She places the metallic gift in a vase. Setting it in the middle of the dining room table she hangs the tag around it. "Let's head to bed, honey," The couple kisses again and head upstairs to their room. === Shady Actions === Chapter Two: Shady Actions A few months passed since the young couple did it. Shady and Smoke kept them in line, but that still didn't stop them from having their fun. Umbra grew a bit more and Bolt worked out. Their time together has been amazing; full of love, romance, making love, and laughs. Umbra took to wearing Bolt's gift to her. The flower worked perfectly in her mane, just as he had intended. It was a few days before New Year's. Tinker wanted to invite her for a romantic date to celebrate. The streets were covered with snow as more was gently floating down. The large unicorn was walking through the thick layer of snow. His black and orange scarf wrapped tightly around his neck as he battled the weather. Just as always he walked up to his marefriend's door and knocked with his forehoof. "Coming!" The voice was Shady. She had warmed up to Bolt. Much more than before. She still worried about her little filly getting pregnant, but she had accepted the fact that they're going to have sex. She opened the door. "Hey -hic- you. What's up?" She was leaning against the door obviously drunk. "Hello Mrs. Hearts. Is Umbra home?" "No, sorry Bolt. She's out -hic- with Smoke. We're going to have a party if you want to come over New Year's Eve," there were bottles of whiskey and empty soda bottles on the living room floor. She had clearly been to work on the alcohol a bit early. "Oh… I see. Well thanks for the offer, but I have plans. I'll just get going," he turned around and began to walk back down the walkway. "No it's okay; come inside." "Are you sure...? Well, it is cold out here…" "Why wouldn't you be allowed to?" She giggled and moved out of the doorway. Her hoof pointing to the living room. Bolt walked in and she shut the door behind him. His horn glowed and his scarf easily untied itself from his neck and went on the coat hanger. He found his spot on their couch and made himself comfy. "Thanks, Mrs. Hearts," his coat covered in some snow as he shivered on the couch. "Can I get something to warm up with, please?" "Sure thing; I have the perfect drink," she walked off to the kitchen. She came back with two bottles of whiskey. The necks in her mouth and she sets one on the coffee table in front of him. She took her spot next to the recliner Smoke bought so he didn't have to wrestle the young stallion for a comfy spot. "Are… I mean… Am I allowed to have this? I'm only sixteen Mrs. Hearts." "Bah fiddlesticks… You're old enough to have sex, you're old enough to drink. Go ahead have a sip," she tosses a shot glass over to him. He catches it with his magic and pops the bottlecap off. Gently filling the small glass, he raises up to his nose and takes a whiff. He coughs lightly. "Are you sure?" "Go on. There's plenty. Drink, Bolt." He nods and raises the glass to his lips. With a quick move the liquid goes down his throat. He takes a deep breath as his face scrunches up. "Oh! That's disgusting! How do you drink that stuff?" "Lightweight. You just need to keep drinking, you'll get used to it. Here have a chaser," she gets off her seat and goes to the fridge. She comes back with a 2 liter of cola and sets it next to the whiskey. She climbs next to him and sits with him. He mixes a cup like his mother always does. Fill it halfway with ice, fill it with whiskey just above the ice level and fill the rest with cola. He takes another sip. "Ahhh… Much better." "Good," the mare filled another shot glass with whiskey and downed it. "Feel warmer?" He nods a takes another drink. "Much warmer. Thank you, Mrs. Hearts. It's not that bad." She giggles and gives the familiar speech he's heard many times before. "I told you so! And don't be so formal, call me Shady." He finishes the glass and sets it down. "I guess I should go find Umbra. Do you know where she and Smoke went?" "Just wait here, they'll be back later. They had to go to Cloudsdale for the day." "Oh okay," He leans back on the couch relaxes. His body feels warmer as he finds it harder to focus. "You good?" She giggles lightly. "Yeah yeah… I just never drank before. Whew… This is really good," His mind is beginning to drift from him. "Can I have more?" "Sure can," She slides her bottle to him. "Go ahead," she giggles again as he pours a bit more in his glass. "I see you like it." "So far," he sips from the glass and lays back again. More relaxed and holding it in his hooves. The two ponies continue to talk and drink a bit. A few bottles later they're both slurring their words. Laughing at the smallest of things that come from the TV. The pegasus inches closer. "Having fun, Bolt?" "Yeah! Its been a good year. Thanks for bringing me in." "Oh no worries, sweetie," she wraps a hoof around his shoulder. He looks to her. Her face is renewed with a drunken youth. He giggles a bit. "You know… I feel like dancing." "Dancing?" She says confused. Her mind may be off but that isn't something she's offered everyday. "Yeah. You got any music?" The mare nods and picks up the controller. She hits a button and a slow song comes on. "Eh… Got any faster?" She clicks again and the song switches to an upbeat tempo. "Ah. Perfect. The young stallion stands up. He takes a long sip from his glass and sets it down. Holding out a hoof for Shady. She grabs it again he gently pulls her up giving her a twirl. Just as if they were at the Gala. She laughs lightly. " I didn't peg you for a dancing type of stallion," he places a hoof on her waist and begins moving to the music. She laughs harder. "I wish Smoke would do this more often." The two sway with the music. "He doesn't dance with you?" The young stallion taking the lead. "He's not much of a dancer," the older mare leans her head on his shoulder. "That's too bad," his words slurring a bit more. "You should make him dance more. All pretty mares should be danced with!" He giggles a bit as he has fun with her. She looks up to meet his purple red eyes with her bright blue ones. "You…. You think I'm pretty?" He blushes slightly, finally realizing what he said. "Well… Um... Yeah," he lets out a chuckle as they sway side to side. The music controlling their movements. She lets out an adorable "Awww! You're pretty handsome yourself." "Thanks," he laughs again. The song dies down as it comes to an end. "You know what every dance needs?" He raises an eyebrow to her. "No. I don't," suddenly without any hint. He swings the mare down. Dipping her low to the ground he holds her up with his forehooves. She let's out a small scream and quickly changes to laughter. Hooves wrapped around his neck. "You're right! That was needed." He lets out a small laugh. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The two fall as the drunken unicorn loses his balance. He falls and lands on top of the mare as they both let out a healthy laugh. "Hello there," She's holding him close and their faces are inches away. "Sorry, that usually doesn't happen," he laughs a bit more. Thoughts clouded by the alcohol is in his system. "Don't worry about it," Without a warning her lips gently meet his and she gives him a sloppy, drunken kiss. The young unicorns eyes flare open. His cheeks turning an off shade of red as he blushes from the surprise. She let's go. Pulling back she lays on the ground. "You like that?" He liked it. No… He loved it. It was just like Umbra, he doesn't know what to say. His thoughts dancing around in his mind. "I'll take that as a yes," She pulls him into another kiss. This time sliding her tongue into his mouth. He opens his mouth more. Letting her tongue dance around inside. The two tongues taste each other. Their taste buds only getting the taste of whiskey. "Mmmm…" She continues to move her tongue all around his mouth. Tasting every inch of it. In those drunken moments the unicorn's mind goes blank. He forgets about his plans, and Umbra, completely. His main focus was the mare under him. Shady. He changes the dance and forces his tongue into her mouth. Taking control as his slides along her teeth and gums. Shady opens one eye to look at him. Both his are closed as he is clearly enjoying it. He lowers a hoof and runs it down her toned body. His hoof meets her flank and he squeezes the soft plot. His tongue dancing with her's as they continue to make out. "Mmmmm…." She starts to become aroused as he works her plot. His large hoof squeezing and moving around her flank. Each squeeze sending a bit of pleasure to her drunken mind. He finishes the kiss by pulling back. His muzzle quickly goes to her neck as he begins licking her fur. The pegasus lets out a moan. She can feel him starting to get hard on her stomach, his massive dick pressing gently into her. His body shifts. He moves off of her and slowly slides his tongue down her body. Each and every inch his tongue passes is left in a layer of saliva. He's drooling with excitement as he reaches her lower stomach. "Ah~ Bolt…" "Hm?" He looks up to the mare. Her face blushing brightly from the arousal her body is in. "Why'd you stop!?" Her voice raised slightly. "You really know how to make a mare happy!" Her hooves wrap around his head and she pulls him in. He goes back to work lapping up her fur coat. The gray fur stands up with each movement of his tongue. His muzzle moves down more. It meets her crotch. His face has a small smirk on it. She shivers slightly as he reaches her most sensitive area. Her thoughts filled with excitement. Not a single thought about what she's doing. Cheating on Smoke, with her daughter's coltfriend! But that wasn't an issue, as the alcohol had completely impaired their judgement. They were in the moment and she couldn't resist him. His tongue, Oh, Celestia his tongue! The large wet tongue was running along her lips. Relentlessly licking up and down, focusing on her clit each lap it completes. His hooves make their way to her crotch. He moves her lips apart revealing her pink, juicy insides. He continues his work. Tongue dancing around against her teasing each inch of her. "Ahhh…" Her insides are soaking wet. His tongue sending jolts of pleasure through her. He flicks her clit and kisses it passionately. Holding her lips spread wide. He lets the kiss go. "Bolt… You're so good with that mouth… Mmmm…" Her head is straightened out as her back is arched a bit. He smirks even more. A small grin on his face as he pulls back. A long, clear strand of her juices connecting his tongue to her marehood. The remaining whiskey on his tongue as been wiped off on her open lips . Her mouth was wide open, panting heavily. Smoke hadn't touched her in two days! Her thoughts racing even faster. "Oh… Bolt… If you're that good with your tongue… I can't imagine how good you are with your dick…" The young unicorn raises his eyebrow again. She gets up and holds a hoof down for him. "Come on. Lets go to my room..." He accepts it and she helps him up. Bolt's horn glows its gentle red. He lifts the pegasus up and with a drunk wobble her carries her up to her bedroom. Laying her down on the plush king sized bed. "Well… Here we are," the gray pegasus says. Her wings fully extended as she lays dripping on the bed, her insides soaked in excitement. He walked to the bed wobbling. "You ready?" The mare looks to him, her eyes half closed seductively. He hops on the bed. Bouncing her up a bit. He quickly moves. His large body is now looming over her. He nods and lines himself up. Prodding at her opening he slowly pushes it in. "Ah! My, my… You're very big for your age." Her face slightly scrunched up as she can barely take him in. Despite Shady's experience, she was tighter than Umbra had been the last few times. He blushes brighter than before and begins to push more into her. Inch by inch his massive stallionhood squeezes into her marehood. Each rib of her insides tickling his tip. The flared end sliding into her slowly. With grunts and groans he squeezes inside her. His hips met her her's. Stopping fully inside her. Her face sported a large smile, his member fully inside of her. "Ah! Bigger than I thought!" Her voice filled with pleasure. She loved it. His penis begins to be dragged out as his hips move away. They slam back into her forcing him back inside. His large hoof pressing on her chest keeping her deep in the soft plush bed. She reaches up with her hooves and drags him down. Their muzzles meet again as they embrace in another passion filled kiss. Each thrust sends a breath of air out of his nostrils and into her face. Their tongues begin to dance between their mouths. The drunken unicorn moving his hips at a stable pace. It's slow but his massive size easily pleasuring his partner for the night. The usual dominate mare had submitted to the stallion. She's had many partners with her lifestyle. Only two have had control of her. Smoke, and now Bolt. She loved it. Her eyes closed and she felt as though her husband was on her. Plowing her pussy as he'd done so many times before. Her marehood is now soaked as ever. Each thrust sending a squish to their ears, both becoming more excited as she holds him in. Each pulse of her heart gives him a tighter squeeze for that beat. His tip began leaking precum. He picks up pace and thrusts faster and faster, deeper and deeper. Her walls giving him a tighter squeeze as her body accepts him. Pressure begins building in her. Surges of pleasure rushing throughout her body. Each time he goes in it only gets stronger. She finally lets go of his tongue and pulls her head back. Panting heavily and letting out a loud moan with each thrust. "I-I'm gonna cum!" He jammed himself back into her one last time. Unloading his seed into the mare wrapped tightly around his dick. The mare's insides quickly wraps around him. Her body tensing tightly as she screams in pleasure. Her orgasm soaking their thighs as she fully sinks in the bed. He pulls out, a large white blob of semen and her cum flows out of her. The liquid mixture soaks the bed. He climbs of the bed and goes to the bathroom to clean up a little "Oh shit…" He whispered to himself as he walked into the bedroom. His drunken mind started to clear a bit, but he was still wobbly. He had now realized what he had done . Shit, shit, shit! What the hell is wrong with me! Smoke's gonna fucking kill me if he finds out! Not to mention Umbra... She moans a bit in the bed. "Oh, Bolt… That was so much fun… Come and cuddle, baby," she held out her forelegs open for him. He plays along, hoping to sneak out before she becomes sober. He climbs into her bed and lays down with her. Her hooves gently wrapped around him and held him close. She nuzzled into him. His thoughts uneasy. Umbra can't find out. Ever. He looks around. "Hey, can I go check something?" She nods and wraps around a pillow. She's sinking into the soaked mattress, clearly on the verge of passing out. The large unicorn walks downstairs and sees all the empty bottles in the living room. Five, six, seven, eight… eight whiskies! Holy shit… The couple drank through the bottles of whiskey and multiple 2 liters of soda. He's never drank before. The first time ever and he pounds his marefriend's mother… He cleaned the mess and checked the clock. 10:37 P.M. If Umbra and Smoke were coming home for the night, they would have already. He puts the glass bottles in the recycle bin and separates them from the plastic soda bottles. He puts on his scarf and looks upstairs again. "Sorry, Shady…" He hands his head low and walks out the front door. The storm is now over and he heads home through the fresh snow. Upstairs, the mare tossed and turned. She passed out drunk and exhausted. When she awoke it was 10:21 A.M. She woke up with the smell of waffles and maple syrup. She walked downstairs. Her head pounding with a small headache. "Hey, baby!" Smoke said from the countertop, adding a healthy dose of syrup to the stack of waffles. "Umbra and I ended up staying in Cloudsdale overnight, we just got back about an hour ago. She's upstairs. I spent that whole hour making these delicious waffles from scratch. Oh and I just want to say..." He walked over and gave her a kiss on her cheek, setting the plate in front of her. He then gently whispered into her ear. "I can't wait to pound that tight pussy of yours tonight," He licked his lips and walked to the living room. With a large gulp Shady looked down at her breakfast. Her thoughts trying to figure out what happened late last night. Who… And what did she do? She was so drunk it all left her in the morning. She sat down and began to eat the food. She felt herself. She could feel that she had sex, but with who. She looked around. No signs of entry or a visitor. The only thing she noticed was the hoofprints outside,but there were many. At any rate, she'd have to change those sheets tonight before Smoke went to bed... After eating her meal she walked out to the couch and laid down. Her eyes gently closed, hoping her headache would go away soon. As Umbra made her way to the stairs, to head to the kitchen, her nose detected a very familiar scent. It was Bolt. She had sex with him enough over the past couple months to know his scent. This strange discovery led her mind to go crazy with the thought that he cheated on her while her drunken mother was passed out. No… She thought. He wouldn't do that, especially in my own house. It's probably just lingering from the last time he was over. She kept telling herself this as she settled down on her bed and began to read a book she got in Cloudsdale the day before. Soon, her outlandish thoughts subsided as she read. Bolt loved her… He would never lie to her. Ever. === Misspelled === Bolt woke up the next morning much like Shady. A killer headache and a general feeling of laying in bed and doing nothing. That didn't last long. All he could think about was his night with Shady. How could he do that? Cheat on his own marefriend with her mother. She wasn't that bad. He kept telling himself that. She wasn't too much older. He was drunk he couldn't think straight. What if Umbra found out? She would never want to see him again. He decided he had to do something about it. He got up, head pounding, and walked down the hall to the fridge. His mother always did this when she had too much. Now that he thought about it, she wasn't the best of idols to follow. He made a cup of coffee and quickly chugged as much as he could stand of the bitter drink. It woke him up and helped with the headache a bit. Finally able to focus, he walked out wearing his saddlebags. One was empty and the other was full of bits he was saving. The unicorn walked through town and turned to the library. He walked in and was greeted by an elderly mare, her gray hair back in a bun and her glasses barely on her muzzle. "Hello sir, how may I help you?" The elderly unicorn wiped her nose right after she stopped talking. "Hello ma'am. I'm looking for a spell book. Something with memory spells." "Memory spells, huh?" She turned around and began digging through cabinets for an index card. Her hoof flipping individually through each one. "I know we have one somewhere… It's always a bugger to find." One index card lied out on the desk. He could barely make out the lightly written letters. "Encyclopedia of Memory Spells and Enchantments". "Ma'am… Is this it on the desk?" He used his magic to highlight the card and the writing. She turned around and adjusted her glasses. "Why, yes! Yes it is. I guess somepony just returned it this morning," she floated the card to him and pointed him down the aisles of books. He scanned them. Looking for the numbers on the card. "198-b. 198-c. 198-d… 198-e book 12," he looked up the large bookshelf. He counted up twelve books and floated down a large leather bound book. "Perfect," he put the book in his saddlebag and walked back to the front desk. "May I purchase this book?" "We usually rent out books sir, but we also make sales. This is an old volume, so I don't see why not," She removed the large book from his saddlebag and opened it up to the copyright pages. She scanned it and found the price in the corner of the page. "That will be 34 bits." The stallion, in a rush, tossed his bits on the counter. They spun and stopped, and before she could even offer him a receipt, he was out the door and bolting back home. As he galloped down the road his horn was glowing. Nothing would stop him. Just as he was going to run over somepony, he flashed on the other side, making small teleports to avoid any collisions. He busted into his home, his mother was gone. He went to his room, sat down, and began to read. The thick book laid open for hours as his eyes skimmed. The book was in such bad condition even the table of contents was missing. His horn quickly flipping through the out of order spell names. He finally came to a spell he hoped would work. "Last Friday Night," exactly the spell he needed. Even though it was really a Monday… "Last Friday Night. Forget a selected memory from the past few weeks of your life. Focus on the date and activity and gather the following ingredients. A fang of a hydra, stick from a timberwolf, a pinch of okra, and the hair from a cat. Warning: Deviation from the recipe even one ingredient can cause the spell to have a terrible outcome." His horn glowed. His hoof ran across how to do it as he focused. Wait a second… He needed some ingredients. What kind of spell needed ingredients? He flipped back to the title page and noticed it was magic from the days before Princess Luna was banished to the moon. His horn focused. The book was old; Unicorns didn't need ingredients. His horn glowed brighter. His eyes shut tight as he remembered the night he spent with Shady. The memory began to fade. It was working. He kept working. It was amazing. He relaxed, the spell over. To his horror, the memory flooded back. He could remember it clearly. Every last detail seemed burned into his brain. Her laying there legs spread. Their tongues dancing together. Everything seemed the same. "Dammit! Waste of bits!" He threw the book off the bed. Slamming his face back in the pillow he let out a loud scream of annoyance. He stood up but quickly fell over. "Ah shit!" The spell drained him of energy. He laid there on the ground for several minutes before he stood back up. With all his might, he pulled himself onto the mattress and laid down. His hooves rubbing his temple. The spell did manage one thing… It brought back his killer headache. He decided it was time to quit for the day. He'd go to Umbra's tomorrow for New Year's and act like nothing happened. Hopefully her mother didn't remember. His eyes closed and he finally passed out on his bed. Bolt awoke a few hours later. The sun was about to go down. He climbed out of bed, stomach growling. He skipped lunch and dinner not even realizing it. His hooves gently landed on the ground. Feeling rejuvenated by the nap, he walked down the hall and to the kitchen. He went to the fridge and opened it up. Digging around with his magic, he pulled out some bread, a head of lettuce, and other vegetables. He found a large knife to cut up the lettuce and vegetables. The red glow around the handle as it cut apart the head of lettuce and tomato. He began to layer them on the bread as he cut up an onion. Crying he placed the rings on the sandwich and pushed down. Dropping the knife in the sink and pulling a plate from a cabinet he sat the sandwich on it and began to walk back down the hall. "Hey sweetie," His mother, Ruby Drift, called from the living room. "Hey mom…" "You okay dear? You sound a bit higher pitched than normal." The plate fell and shattered on the ground. The unicorn standing over it as his mother ran in. Instead of her son, she saw there was a smaller unicorn. Her coat the same, the mane was a bit puffier and longer. It ran down the side of her face and still had the black ends to it. The tail was a lot bigger. It was split perfectly down the middle; top half orange, bottom half black. The unicorn's hooves were fully covered and the muzzle rounded off. The unicorn mare blinked and her eyelashes moved gently. "Um... Yeah, I'm fine..." Bolted Tinker, now Tinker Belle, said. She heard her mother walking to the kitchen. There was no time to teleport away before she was in there. "What the hell happened!?" Ruby exclaimed. "I was practicing magic and fucked up a spell," Tinker told her, neglecting to mention exactly what spell she was trying to do. "Well, do you know how to get back to normal?" His mother asked. Tinker put a hoof on the back of her head, rubbing her mane. "Um... No..." Ruby sighed, but then she remembered something. "There is someone who can help... Unfortunately she's away in Canterlot at the moment." "Shit..." Tinker said in disappointment. "Fine, I'll wait, I guess." "Go back to your room and rest up. I'll tell Umbra you can't make it tomorrow." "That sounds good…" The new mare walked back down the hallway and back into her room. She took out the book and read the spell again. There was an asterisk at the the bottom of the page but not above with the text. It must have faded away. The bottom of the page read "Mix the ingredients into a potion and drink before casting the spell." "Well… I guess I'm stuck like this until that pony gets back…" She let out a long sigh and closed the book. Sliding it back under the bed she rested her head on a pillow. Her eyes shut. Why did she take that first drink? She never drank before. No matter who offered it to her. How was it different with Shady? Time passed and her thoughts raced through her head. Her mane and tail padded underneath her as she laid on the bed. She pulled up her blankets with her red glow and closed her eyes. Falling asleep quickly. Cursing the world in her sleep. Tinker awoke the next morning, her new body full of energy. The spell must've only made her feel weak. She walked out of her room and made herself breakfast. She couldn't go to Umbra's; she wouldn't have stopped the onslaught of questions. 'Okay. I have a plan dear," Ruby said as she walked in. "You're going to find the pony I told you about." "Well, that shouldn't be difficult," Tinker Belles voice was fully changed. It was sweet and gentle. It was music to even her own ears. "She'll probably be in Canterlot's library, if I know her." "Oh?" Tinker lifted an eyebrow. "She is amazing with spells. If anypony can figure out how to change you back, it's her." "Alright, Mom. Can I have some bits for the trip? I spent all mine on Umbra's birthday gift." Ruby handed her daughter a bag full of bits. "Use all you have to. I liked having a daughter, but Eve was too much to handle for me. I don't need another teenage mare. Also dear, be careful. I'm sure you've smelled Umbra." "Well, yeah I've smelled her before. She smells normal most days and really, really good every few weeks," She said with a hint of annoyance. "But when she smells like that it means she's in heat. I smell something different about you, but I believe it's just because you're a mare. Just be careful, dear." Tinker Belle nodded and grabbed the bits. She strapped her saddlebags around her waist and quickly made her way to the train station. The cat hair was scavenged from out back Carousel Boutique. She bought her ticket and took her seat for the trip. A stallion came down the aisle and sat with her. It was Smoke… And his nose was picking up a scent. Oh fuck... === Smoke and Mirrors === There he was, Smoke, sitting there next to Bolted Tinker, now Tinker Belle. His nose was taking in a lot of scents but one had his interest. His nose kept working as he smelled the empty train car. Since it was early, there were very few ponies on this train. Smoke turned his head and stopped sniffing. He located the scent and his purple eyes locked on the mare next to him. "Hello ma'am. My name is Smoke." He held out his large hoof. Once it was the same size as Bolts. Now when her fur covered hoof grabbed his, it was dwarfed. He raised it to his muzzle and his lips gently kissed Tinker Belle's. "I-I'm Tinker Belle." She said with a slight shyness. She knew who he was and was not about to let him know who she really was. She pulled her hoof back blushing and looking out the window. "Nice to meet you Tinker Belle." He sat down and put his hooves on the seat. "Tinker or Belle is fine, Mr. Smoke." "I like that, Belle. So, what brought you to this lonely train car?" His voice was a strong as ever. Belle knew that voice. She was in heat! This wasn't good. She found herself uneasy as she sat on her cushioned seat. "I'm going to find a friend; see if she can help me with a spell I discovered," it wasn't a lie. But she still didn't feel comfortable. Her eyes still looking away as Smoke tried to get her attention. He knew he shouldn't be bugging her, but he couldn't help himself. "A spell? My daughter is dating a unicorn," he chuckled a bit. "You actually look like him a bit." Matching his laugh with a small giggle she responded. "Yeah… That is funny." "So if you don't mind me asking, what's the spell?" His hoof was on her shoulder. She felt it move. Rubbing her shoulder. Each movement only strengthened her emotions. She sat in thought. She needed space. She scooted closer to the window pressing against it, but he was determined. That or couldn't stop himself. He moved closer and began to rub her back. "So, where are you off to, Smoke?" The young mare asked. Hoping to distract him. "You're a pegasus. Why not just fly?" "I'm on my way to Canterlot for training," He responded leaning in closer. "I work as a firefighter and we are required to go every couple of years. The reason I'm not in the air? I had a few drinks before I left," He giggled a bit as the familiar smell of whiskey entered her nostrils. The feeling inside her grew. Smoke was a strong, hard working stallion. He was a perfect mate to quell her feeling to have a foal inside her. Her crotch was on fire. She needed to stop it but had no clue. He thought of Shady, and how young Belle was. He couldn't cheat on his wife, especially with an underaged mare. But every thought of doubt left his mind as he got another strong whiff of her enticing scent. He inched closer to the young mare. "So, you gonna tell me what spell you found?" The question left her mind. She couldn't think straight. The more he spoke the more her insides let out her exoctic, attracting scent. "Yeah… It's called 'Last Friday Night,' it's a memory spell. To make you forget anything you don't want to remember." "Oh? What would a pretty mare like you need that spell for?" He responded teasingly. "Having relationship issues?" "Yeah," she giggled nervously. His mouth was inches away from her ear and he was whispering gently into it. She couldn't handle it. She covered her marehood with the saddlebag in an attempt to stop the fire growing inside her. "You could say that." "Shame to hear Belle. How about I make it go away." He began to nibble her ear. The feeling was too much and she let out a small moan. She loved it and wanted more. Her instincts took over and she grabbed him. Dragging him to the small bathroom she crammed him in there and joined him. Instantly she was over him. He sat back on the toilet; her legs spread and she climbed on his thighs making out with him. Their tongues danced as she rubbed up and down his massive body. His hooves were squeezing and playing with her flank. The massive hooves moved her plot cheeks. It felt amazing and drove her wild. She stopped her focus on him and turned around. Putting her forehooves high against the door she looked over her shoulder. Her face hiding behind her mane, for the most part. He saw her eyes. He knew that look. He stood up rubbing himself. Her horn began to glow and moved her tail out of the way revealing her dripping marehood. "Come fuck me, Smoke," She couldn't think straight, her instincts controlled her mind. Her only thoughts were to get his member inside her and have a foal. He pressed a large hoof against the door and with his other hoof lined himself up with the mares virgin flesh. Little did he know he was about to claim her. He began to push through her lips. The tip of his shaft was much bigger than her opening as she grunted and groaned. His head was prodding at her insides. And within no time he forced it into her tight marehood. "Oh damn. You're tight Belle. I'm gonna love this." "Just shut up and fuck me!" She yelled at him. The top of her head pushing into the door. It wasn't budging but it bent and moved to his hooves. He pushed as hard as he could. The virgin insides giving him great resistance. She screamed in pain as he forced his way in. His large member opening her up with great force. With one loud scream it happened. A great pain emitted from her pelvic area. Her cherry popped, and her marefriend's father claimed it. She screamed in pain but that didn't phase him. He only whispered and talked to her. Telling her how he didn't think she was a virgin and how he was going to make the pain go away. Describing every detail of how he felt as his flared tip made it's way deeper into her ribbed walls. Then his hips meet her flank. Panting heavily she relaxed as she accepted him. His member fully inside her and without a moments notice he pulled out to the tip. Blood and her excitement all along his shaft as he slowly pushed it back in. The pain came back and she began to cry. It was immense but she loved it. The fire in her crotch was only getting stronger as ecstasy took over. Within minutes of the repeated motion of his hips she began to encourage him. His teeth grinding the tip of her ear as his hips picked up speed. His powerful back legs extended and contracted driving himself into her. Their skin clapping and echoing inside the cramped room. Her hooves pushing at the bowing door. He was powerful and she wanted more. "AH! Smoke! Faster!" She cried in pleasure. The pain was covered by pleasure as he worked himself deep inside the mare. He shifted his weight forward and began to work deep inside, quickly sliding a couple inches in and out as deep as he could. His hoof rubbed up her stomach and to her chin. He grabbed her face and turned it to meet him. He forced his tongue deep inside her mouth again. Licking up every inch he could. Her eyes were shut tight and tear filled. The mixed emotions showed as she submitted to the large gray pegasus. Her moans and whines of pain and joy went directly into his mouth only fueling him to come to his climax. Her insides tightend up. Her whole face scrunched up as the rest of her body tensed. A stream of clear liquid made its way down her inner thigh. Her whole body instantly began shaking as it was covered by a wave of pleasure. The stallion made her cum and soon, he would too. With one last pull, Smoke jammed as deep as he could go. His load of thick, white, liquid shot out of his tip and filled her up. Her eyes rolled back as her stomach expanded a bit. She was in pure bliss. He pulled out and a good amount of cum came with his flaccid stallionhood. She fell to the floor exhausted. "Oh, Celestia what have I done… Belle I'm sorry..." He just had a look of shock on his face. He fucked up big time, and he knew it. If Shady, or anyone for that matter, found out, he was dead. A million thoughts raced trhough his mind. What was wrong with him? He was always fine controlling himself around other mares that were in heat... But that scent... Belle's scent was different. It was irresistable. "It's... Okay..." She panted, still coming down from her orgasm. "I'm fine." Smoke nodded in response and left the bathroom. He was going to have a lot to think about. Alone in the bathroom, she panted and stood up. Her back legs wobbled greatly and gave away. She fell back onto the toilet and her head rested against the wall. Breathing heavily she finally came to her senses. Examining her crotch she noticed that she was leaking his cum. She needed to get rid of as much as possible. Using some magic she pulled as much as she could out. Her mind came into focus and she stood up. Her stomach killed. It hurt every time an ab muscle flexed. She wrapped a towel around her hoof and held it under the sink. Running cold water over it she moved it to her belly. Letting the cool towel numb her pain. Now she was realizing what she had done... I… I can't believe it… I cheated on Umbra with her mother and her father! I'm so dead if she ever finds out. She thought to herself. She cleaned up the mess with the paper towels and walked out. She returned to her seat. Smoke was gone and the train had stopped. They arrived in Canterlot and she quickly scooted out of the train. Her face hiding behind her mane. Tail lowered between her legs covering her used marehood. She held her emotions in and quickly made her way to the library where she knew her helper was. As she walked in she saw the mare she was looking for. There, at a table sat Eauestria's newest princess, face in a book and her eyes scanning the words. Found her... <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Nightmare Reign author: Cartoonlover13 tags: character:Main 6, character:Nightmare Moon, character:Original Character, character:Princess Celestia, character:Sunset Shimmer, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Adventure, genre:Dark, genre:Drama, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== The Student === A mulberry unicorn with a sapphire blue mane, violet and rose streaks through her mane, and violet eyes, was galloping down a path to her private study, but was stopped by a voice "There you are, Twilight!" When Twilight looked to where the voice came from she saw three mares. All were unicorn mares with presents on their backs. The one who called her out has a white coat was Twinkleshine: curly pink mane and tail, bright blue eyes, cutie mark of three blue stars. Another—medium blue coat, two-tone blue mane and tail, deep blue eyes—was Minuette, and the yellow one—curly medium blue mane and tail, red-violet eyes—Lemon Hearts. Her tail had a stripe of lighter blue that was not present in her mane. "Moondancer is having a little get-together in the west academy courtyard. You want to come?" said Twinkleshine happily. Twilight bit the inside of her cheek "Oh, sorry girls–" Twilight eyed her bag "–I got a lot of studying to catch up on." Twilight gave the trio a quick big grin then galloped off. Twinkleshine sighed, disgruntled. "Does that pony do anything except study? I think she's more interested in books than friends." The three mares then went on their way. "Friends later. The Lunar Empire's fate now!" Twilight said to herself. She raced past two other ponies, up a few flights of steps, and into a tall tower. On a balcony outside its top level, a small, light violet dragon—a shade darker than Twilight's coat—walks upright toward the doors carrying a present. The spiny plates running from head to tail are green, his underbelly is a pale yellow-green, and he has darker yellow-green ears shaped as tiny bat wings. This is Spike, Twilight Sparkle's assistant. Before he reached the doors, they burst open and throw him backward; Twilight emerges from inside."Spike! SPIIIIKE! Spike?" Spike was flat on his back; he sits up with his green eyes spinning. Twilight sighed "There you are." Twilight gallops past as he clears his head. Inside, is a library, with various scientific instruments inside. The woozy little dragon comes up the stairs, with the present now impaled on his tail. "Quick! Find me that old copy of Predictions and Prophecies.," said Twilight who had a puzzled look on her face. "What's that for?" Twilight said as Spike, her assistant pulls the box loose. Spike had a displeased look on his face "Well, it was a gift for Moondancer, but…" The bottom then felled out, dumping a damaged teddy bear that squeaked when it hit the floor. Twilight let out a deep displeased breath "Oh, Spike…" Twilight knocked books off a stack with her head "…you know we don't have time for that sort of thing." Spike bit his lip "But we're on a break!" As Twilight eyes a book lying on the floor; her horn flares brightly and one on the top shelf floats free and down to her. Using her telekinetic abilities, she uses to summon several more in time on the next line. "No…no…no…no, no, no!" Twilight let out a frustrated groan. "SPIKE!!" Twilight screamed to the dragon on a ladder at another high shelf, holding a book. "It's over here!" said Spike. Twilight's telekinetic powers drag both the book and him. Twilight grinned "Ah!" All the others hit the floor and she trots off, levitating this one alongside. As Spike reluctantly starts to pick up the books, Twilight lets her magic do the walking through the one he found. "Mare in the moon, Mare in the Moon, M, M, M...aha!" "Mare in the Moon?" But that's just an old ponies tale," said Spike on a latter now re-shelving books while slowly losing his balance on the ladder. Twilight began reading again "Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape." Twilight gasped "Spike, do you know what this means?" Spike tilt his head in confusion. "No." causing Twilight's ears to flop. Gravity takes him and the tomes down with a yell; he lands on Twilight's back and collects the scroll and quill pen she now has in her mouth. "Take a note, please," said Twilight snapping tail out straight. "To the Empress." Spike bounced off the floor "Okey-dokey." Twilight instructed him to write what she says "My dearest teacher, Empress Nightmare Moon: My continuing studies of pony magic have led me to discover that we are on the precipice of disaster." "Hold on," said Spike "Preci…preci…" Spike gave Twilight a lost look—clearly he is not familiar with the word—and she thinks for a second. Twilight rolled her eyes "threshold." "Thre…" Spike again had a lost look on her face. Twilight sighed "Uh…brink?" Spike still had a lost look on his face, she groans. "That something really bad is about to happen!" Spike writes this bit down quickly and she resumes her pacing. Twilight cleared her throat "For you see, the mythical Mare in the Moon, is the dark, evil tyrannical pony, Hellion Flare is about to return to The Lunar Republic. Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true. I await your quick response. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." Spike wrote slowly "Twi-light…Spar-kle." He finishes writing "got it!" Twilight beamed "Great! Send it." Spike raised an eyebrow "Now, Twilight?" Twilight looked confused "Of course!" Spike looked uneasy "Uhhh…I don't know, Twilight. Empress Nightmare Moon may be little busy getting ready for the Summer Moon Celebration in the capitol New Pony City, and it's, like, the day after tomorrow. And she has a temper and hates when ponies interrupt her." Twilight got into Spike's face "That's just it, Spike. That's just it!" Twilight looked at the glimmering moon with the image of a mare with a horn. "The day after tomorrow is the thousandth year of the Summer Moon Celebration. It's imperative that the Princess is told right away!" Spike then began writing again "Impera…impera…" Twilight groaned in annoyance "Important!" This word spoken by Twilight comes with enough oomph to throw him off his feet; The dragon quickly gets up. Spike rolled his eyes at Twilight's need for perfection "Okay, okay! He takes a deep breath, holds the rolled parchment in front of his mouth, and blows a burst of green fire over it. The message burns away, leaving only a tendril of sparkling pink smoke that snakes out a high window. "There! It's on its way," said Spike to Twilight as she paces. "But I wouldn't hold your breath. Twilight had a smug face "Oh, I'm not worried, Spike. The Empress trusts me completely. In all the years she's been my mentor, she's never once doubted me. Spike's cheeks bulge as if he is about to vomit; instead, he belches up a burst of green fire that forms into a sealed scroll. This drops to the floor. Twilight smiled "I knew she would want to take immediate action. Spike opens it and clears his throat. "My dearest, most faithful student Twilight…You know that I value your diligence, and that I trust you completely." Twilight grinned "Mmm-hmm." "But you simply must stop reading those dusty old books! Don't interrupt me! When I put that MARE in the moon my magic will keep her there forever. You heard me, forever don't listen to those myths and rumours!" Twilight gasped "b-but I-" "Be real, Twilight," interjected Spike. "The Empress isn't the nicest pony. She's strict, but keeps The Lunar Republic safe. She single handedly defeated Sombra and Chrysalis and her changelings. Even if this 'Mare in the Moon' came back I'm sure she'll be able to defeat her before it gets out of hand." Nightmare Moon threw the ink and quill pen across the room startling her assistant. "Do ponies not know DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" Her assistant quietly whimpered and backed away from the enraged Empress, hoping she wouldn't take her anger on her. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE! GET! OUT!" screamed Nightmare Moon. The assistant quickly ran out of the throne room. Nightmare Moon was very angry that her student would think she would be stupid enough to think the spell she did on her sister would not last forever. That so called prediction was just a rumour made up by somepony years ago. That damn rumour was blown way out of proportion. How many times must I say that The Mare in the Moon, Celestia will stay there. Why would I use a spell which would not last forever? Nightmare Moon train of thought was cut off by a cyan pegasus with buzzcut rainbow colored mane with her tail having the same color. Her eyes where a magenta color and her cutie mark was of a cloud with a rainbow streak. The cutie mark was sewn on to her Shadowbolts uniform. This was Captain Rainbow Dash of The Shadowbolts who abruptly came into the throne room. "You better have damn good news, Captain Dash," said Nightmare Moon in a cold tone. "Your Highness, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon were in tracked down and were taken into custody for breaking into the castle and stealing documents." "What do you mean by were!?" Rainbow Dash gulped "A unicorn, which we didn't see her face, but we do know she's a mare and a powerful spell caster. She defeated the squad who had the two fillyfoolers in custody. Before backup came the unicorn mare and Heartstrings and Bon Bon were gone." Nightmare Moon bit her lip so hard it drew blood making her even scarier. "So your squad was defeated by a mere unicorn! And you didn't even STOP THEM!" Nightmare Moon in a fit of rage took Rainbow Dash's neck with her telekinesis she slowly choked her while holding her in the air. Rainbow Dash struggled and squirmed in the Empress's grip. Before Rainbow Dash fell unconscious she was thrown to the door of the throne room. "DO NOT EVER DISOBEY MY ORDERS! YOUR ORDERS WERE TO BRING BACK LYRA HEARTSTRINGS AND BON BON TO ME!! "Y-y-yes...Your H-Highness," Rainbow croaked out. "Go now, if you ever disobey me…well, you'll regret it, like many treacherous ponies before you." Rainbow Dash nodded and holded in the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. === The Summer Moon Celebration (Updated) === A dark blue chariot soared across the nightsky. In the chariot was Twilight Sparkle and Spike. The chariot was pulled by two bat ponies. Twilight's loud yawn caught the dragon's attention and she saw Spike looking at her. "Coffee hasn't taken effect yet." "You should've taken a nap like everypony else did. Everypony is ordered to stay up to twelve to six on this day," responded Spike. Twilight had a very cross look on her face. "I stayed up because I am on a verge of a MAJOR breakthrough which could save ALL of us. Yet it's dismisses as a rumour or a myth!?" "Twilight, you may be wro-" Spike regretted speaking as Twilight shot a glare at him. The chariot then passed over Area Pony-One, a top secret military base covered by an invisibility spell which makes the base look like a normal empty land. Twilight was the only civilian in Equestria who knew of the existence since all of Nightmare Moon's personal students knew of it. The chariot then went over the Everfree forest. It was once just a normal forest but constant dangerous magic from the New Pony City Castle and Area Pony-One made it the most dangerous and mysteries places in Equestria. The Everfree was now contained, though, by the magic of Nightmare Moon, making it safe for ponies. The chariot landed in front of doors to the castle. Waiting for Twilight was Princess Selene, the oldest of Nightmare Moon's children and the successor of Empress Nightmare Moon and second in command of Equestria. Emperor Moonshadow, her father and late first husband to Nightmare Moon, was the most favorited Captain of the Royal Guard in history. Her coat was of a cream color, and her mane and tail a short, very light azure with moderately cyan eyes. Her cutiemark was of two katanas crossed together, showing her special talent of swords which is sewn on her long white dress. She is the Princess of War and Wisdom. "Hello, Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Selene. At her sides were two royal guards. The ponies and their celebration around her stopped to bow. Twilight put on a small grin. "Hello, Your Majesty." Twilight and Spike exited the chariot and bowed, the pegasi pulling the chariot following suit. "Please, follow me to the castle," asked Princess Selene. The partygoers returned to their fun activities in the Summer Moon Celebration fair as the three and the guards went inside the empty castle. "Where is your mother?" questioned Twilight. "She's in a meeting with her cousin King Leo of Aquastria. But that isn't important right now. She tasked me with explaining your foolishness." Twilight had a fake smile on her face. "Yes?" "Don't get me wrong, Twilight. You are an intelligent mare, but everypony makes a mistake sometimes. You are lucky I have patience like my late father, unlike my mother. Hellion Flare is not coming back. I don't know how that rumour got spread around. Now please, enjoy this celebration of the thousandth anniversary of their battle. Also, you'll accompany me with mother in addressing her subjects and foreign visitors." Twilight nodded. Even she thinks I'm being foolish, she thought. "Now I must get back to taking care of my brother, Prince Leon. Wish me luck, Sparkle" Princess Selene then left Twilight and her assistant, followed by her guards. "Who's Leon again?" asked Spike. When Leon was born four years ago. Only pictures of him were shown months after his birth and they were only shown to the public once a year during the Summer Moon celebration. So it was understandable that Spike forgot who he was since he was rarely seen. Nightmare Moon liked it that her children were kept from the public during their young years while being trained and raised by her and the Royal Guards, being only shown when they were older. "Prince Leon is the second child of Empress Nightmare Moon and the half brother of Princess Selene. He is four and the father is–or was a pegasus. He is the former Captain of The Royal Guard and the Emperor of Equestria, Orion. He was turned into a constellation by the magic of Chrysalis, Queen of Changelings, who would then be struck down by Nightmare Moon. He still remains a constellation, sadly after four years," Twilight said. Twilight glared at Spike "Do you even read the history books I give you on your birthday!?" Spike had a nervous smile on his face "I saw an ice cream stand at the fair. May I go? Okay! Byeeee!" Spike then quickly exited the castle. "Spike!" Twilight ran after him. "Uhhh, Sunset, couldn't you use a more comfortable disguise spell!?" complained Lyra. Bon Bon, or Secret Agent Sweetie Drops, rolled her eyes. "Lyra, do you want everypony to know what we're doing?!" whispered Sunset sternly. "Sorry." All of these three ponies had their coats, eyes, mane and tail different colors with their cutie mark slightly different. They were all in the middle of the Summer Moon Celebration fair. The rest of their group had split up. "How can you mares stand this. Everything is so itchy!" whined Lyra. "Sorry about that! This isn't my first time using this spell since technically I'm dead. Bon Bon is former secret agent sooo..." said Sunset. "Get used to this, Lyra. We're wanted criminals now," said Bon Bon. Lyra in response groaned. "Those documents weren't even that useful. What's worse is that we were the only ones caught before the others could get the Elements." "I'll admit, all of our attempts at getting the elements have failed. But we will get the elements with Princess Celestia's help when she returns in..." Sunset looked down her watch, "...about ten minutes, okay?" "We already know you are the Element Of Magic. And we know the Elements of Kindness and Laughter, but what about the other three?" asked Lyra. Sunset sighed. "Maybe Princess Celestia will know." "Maybe," replied Bon Bon. The royal trumpets blared and Empress Nightmare Moon stepped out to the castle balcony with her daughter, Princess Selene, holding the hand of her brother, Prince Leon followed her. Then Nightmare Moon's student, Twilight Sparkle, came onto the the balcony. Then all the royal leaders of the foreign countries followed suit and came out. Saddle Arabia, Griffonstone, Aquasteria, Collambia, Asinus, Fawnland, Zebrica, the Equestrian vassal states, Germane, Neighpon, and Prance. Empress Nightmare Moon's distant nephew Prince Blueblood, and her niece and nephew in law rulers of the Crystal Empire. The couple was Princess Mi Amora Cadance and her husband Prince Shining Armor also Captain of the Royal Guard. "CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA AND BEYOND," Nightmare Moon exclaimed using the royal voice, causing some ponies to recoil from the volume. "TODAY, SUBJECTS, WE CELEBRATE THOU'S ACHIEVEMENT OF DEFEATING THE WICKED HELLION FLARE! WE HOPE YOU ALL HAVE HAD A GREAT TIME CELEBRATING! THE CELEBRATION WILL BE OVER SHORTLY AS THE EVENT CLIMAXES. THANK YOU ALL, MY SUBJECTS! THANK YOU! When Nightmare Moon finished her speech and walked off the balcony with all the other ponies, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. All except a couple of ponies that didn't clap and instead stared at the moon. Sunset Shimmer, Bon Bon or Sweetie Drops, Lyra Heartstrings, Amethyst Star, Vinyl Scratch, and Moondancer. The rest of the group were in the base in Canterlot. All of them glared at Nightmare Moon, knowing what really happened. The unicorns of the group horns glowed as some ponies began to leave the big party. As the clock turned six, for less than a split second, the figure of a mare on the moon vanished but returned. The horns of the unicorns stopped glowing. Sunset panted and sweated like crazy, as did did Lyra. "Are you okay you two?" questioned Bon Bon to her friend and marefriend. "W-well you're right, Sunset. This spell is hard." Lyra wiped the sweat off her forehead. Sunset smiled. "Yeah...but this is worth it." The three mares and their fellow conspirators ran off in different directions, disappearing within the crowd.. While Sunset, Bon Bon, and Lyra started to run to catch their train, Bon Bon was a little worried. "S-Sunset," said Bon Bon, running to Sunset. "Are you sure she's gonna be there?" As a part of their illusion spell, Princess Celestia, if she actually did come back, was teleported to their base. Sunset stared into Bon Bon's eyes "I-I hope." Nightmare Moon looked up to the constellation which was once her husband, Orion. That foal had it coming for trying to bring down my reign. Ponies are so gullible. I just killed Chrysalis and her changelings because they might have been a threat. Nightmare Moon's armor was off and instead was a robe. Nightmare Moon stood on her bedroom chamber's balcony. She shifted her gaze to her prized possession and prison of her sister, Celestia. But tonight was different. Something was off and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She began formulating to establish heightened security all over Equestria just in case. Then a voice appeared in Nightmare Moon's head. Do you honestly think this rule will last any longer, you monster? Nightmare Moon grinned. Yes, yes I do, Luna. Give up. I will never give up, Nightmare Moon. You will be defeated someday, I just know it. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Race You author: Rose Quill tags: character:Fluttershy, character:Rainbow Dash, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Race You === The wind was blowing rather steady, and Rainbow Dash squinted out from the cover they were under. "Sheesh," she rasped, releasing the branches that formed a barrier around the alcove she and her friend were in. "Sorry about this, Shy," she said, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. "I thought the schedule for the wind storm was tomorrow. I must have gotten the dates mixed up somehow." Fluttershy looked up from preening her wings. "Oh, Rainbow," she said. "It's ok. We found this sanctuary pine and were able to take cover before the winds got too bad." She pulled a badly stripped feather from her wing with a wince, spitting it out and letting it drift to the ground. "Yeah," Rainbow said. "Still, though, this is shaping up to be a lousy first date." She ruffled her wings and settled down next to the yellow Pegasus. Fluttershy only smiled, her ears still standing upright despite the howling of the wind. "I think this could be fun," she said. "It'll be like a little slumber party, just the two of us." She spied some misaligned feathers in Rainbow's wing. "Come on, I'll help you preen." "Come on, Fluttershy," Rainbow protested. "I'm not some foal that needs help preening her wings." Fluttershy glanced down. "I didn't mean that," she whispered. Rainbow realized what she was thinking and facehooved. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered. "I'm sorry. Shy. I'm still getting used to the whole marefriend idea." She scooted over towards the quiet mare and spread a wing out towards her. Fluttershy reached out and nosed a few feathers out of the way, seeing the order and part of her friends cyan pinions. She gasped in shock. "Rainbow Danger Dash," she said in the same tone she addressed her chickens in when they misbehaved. "When was the last time you preened your wings?" Rainbow ducked her head slightly. "A few days ago?" she squeaked. Fluttershy flicked an unbroken keratin sheath on one of her friend's secondary coverts. "Try a week," she said. "Honestly, Dashie, You're a Wonderbolt. You need to take better care of your wings." She leaned forward and started to bite down on the sheath to release the feather within. "I'm on leave, and besides, it hasn't affected my speed or anything," She sighed. "Plus, I've been preoccupied." Fluttershy spat part of the keratin out, leaning forward to coax the short feather out. "That's still no excuse, Dashie," she said. "Some of these feathers should have molted or been plucked already." She nosed her muzzle in again, pulling a broken feather free and adjusting one that was slightly out of place. Rainbow offered no resistance. It was, oddly enough, soothing. It was like when her mom would preen them when she was too little to do them herself, or when she would stroke her mane as she fell asleep. She felt her eyes start to droop. A sharp pinch of a feather being plucked woke her up. "Hey!" she protested, drawing the wing in slightly in reflex. "Careful there, Shy!" "Sorry," the butter-yellow Pegasus said, ducking her head slightly. "I'm almost done with this wing, though. Just a few more coverts and your alula and this one is done." Rainbow sighed in a mixture of frustration and relaxation as her friend continued to care for her wing. "I feel like I should do something in return, Shy," she whispered as she felt her friend adjust her feathers along the alular crest just above her primary feathers. "But you already preened yours." Fluttershy stood after finishing her ministrations and moving to in front of the blue mare. Looking her in the eye, Fluttershy shook her head. "Sometimes, Dashie," she said, leaning in. "You just need to be quiet. I don't mind doing this for a friend." "Just a friend, huh?" Rainbow smiled. "Guess this means I blew the first date, huh?" Fluttershy smiled and tilted her head. "I know I have problems with confidence," she said softly. "And sometimes I'm scared of things that I know won't hurt me. Those are parts of who I am, and I'm working on those. You are a wonderful, beautiful mare who has never once let me down when I needed you. And I know that you never will, despite all my little quirks." And she leaned in and kissed the boastful athlete gently, the contact sending tingles through Rainbow's body and her wings to spread slightly in surprise. Fluttershy drew back, smiling gently. Despite her calm demeanor, the slight backward tilt of her ears and a nervous rustling of her wings belied her emotional state. Dash blinked as the sparks in her sight died away, her wings still slightly spread. She saw the other mare there and she moved forward, kissing her and shifting her wings up and over the two of them, symbolically providing protection. Fluttershy's eyes stayed open for a second after Rainbow made contact, and her internal worries melted. As her eyes slid closed, she slid her wings out to complete the circular posing, her primaries sliding between Dash's. A multi-hued head popped out of the tightly spaced boughs of the sanctuary pine. "Come on," she said. "Winds died down." As the two Pegasi trotted down the road, Rainbow looked up. "It's a lovely day," she mentioned. Fluttershy nodded, sliding a wingtip along Dash's side. "Perfect for a little flying," she said. Rainbow turned to her marefriend. "Thought you didn't care for flying?" "I have to have a good reason," the kind mare said. "Oh?" Dash said. "Like what?" "Helping critters," she said. "Catching friends falling from cliffsides." She eyed the blue Pegasus. "Winning bets," she said slyly. "Bets, huh?" Rainbow repeated. "What kind of bets?" "Well," Fluttershy said, still trailing a feather along the other mare's side. "I bet I can win a race against Derpy." "No bet," Rainbow said. "Scoots could probably beat her." "Oh, well, then," the Element of Kindness said, her wingtip brushing over Rainbow's cutie mark, causing a small tremor to course through her body. "I suppose you want a proper bet then." "Seems fair," the athlete said. Fluttershy leaned in, her eyes half-lidded and Rainbow fully expected a kiss and closed her eyes in anticipation. When instead of Fluttershy's lips she felt the downdraft of wings, she opened her eyes to see her marefriend hovering just above her. It smelled of wildflowers and rich loam. "Want that kiss?" she said, a mischievous smile on her face. "Race you for it." The mare shot off at a surprising clip for her. Raiinbow grinned widely. "Oh," she crowed. "You are so going to get it." She took off after the beautiful filly she loved. She knew she could outfly the other Pegasus, but she wanted to have the fun of chasing her. After all, a bet was a bet. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Mother Dearest author: Corejo tags: character:Original Character, genre:Dark, genre:Thriller, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== I - Snowball === Principal Pursed Lip frowned at him over the large bifocals resting on her nose. It had been minutes since he walked into the lacquered room and made to sit in the hard, wooden chair—a lot harder than it needed to be. She hadn't said a word since "come in." He stared back at her, defiant. He had done nothing wrong. She should have been here, not him. All he wanted was to go back to the quiet of his room and sleep. "So, Shadow," Pursed Lip said. "I was told you were fighting again today?" Shadow ignored the question, continued staring. Pursed Lip folded her hooves on her desk. "You know we don't tolerate violence here at Nickerberg. That type of behavior is why you're here in the first place." The statement held no sway over Shadow. His gaze was impassive, simmering. The phone on Pursed Lip's desk rang. She lit her horn and brought the phone to her ear. "Yes?" A nod, an "mmhmm," and a "thank you, Red Cross" before hanging up. She leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on the desk, head on her hooves, staring at him. "That was the nurse," she said. "You broke poor Double Take's nose, and—" "Good," he said. She paused, as if surprised at the outburst, but continued. "And you bit her ear off." Her voice changed to one of iron. He gave her the same death glare he had given Double Take. The taste of copper still lingered on his tongue, and part of him wanted to spit it in the principal's face. "Those were my carrots." She shook her head. "Shadow, how many times do I have to tell you? Violence is not the answer. I don't care if she tried to steal your carrots." "They were my carrots!" "Then you should tell her not to take them from you, not—" "You tell her not to!" "Shadow..." She stared at him as a mother would a bad foal. Her weary eyes, the tiredness in her voice said all he needed to know. "I can't keep seeing you like this. You have to learn not to hurt other ponies." "Well she needs to learn not to take things from me!" He stood up in his chair. "Sit down, Shadow." Her voice had always commanded authority at Nickerberg, but Shadow would have none of it this time. He remained standing, the fire in his eyes locked with the weariness in hers. She sighed. His ears flattened instinctively. He knew what was coming next. It always came next. She stood up from her desk and strode out front. As she passed him, she lit her horn, grabbing him about the neck, yanking him off the chair and then dragging him—hooves scraping against the floor—out into the hallway. They passed the dingy, branching doors of classrooms, through the connecting hall, and beyond the dormitories. Little heads peeked out, silent as mice. She turned a corner, where a large steel door shoved aside what little whitewashed concrete the hallway had for a dead end. It glowed blue and swung open on rusty hinges. Shadow felt himself lift off the ground and tumble through the air. He landed face first on a hard, lumpy cushion. The door behind him provided the only light in the room, and he stared out at the silhouette of Principal Pursed Lip. The wedge of light narrowed, closing over her silhouette, until a slam of metal plunged the room into darkness. He gazed into the nothingness around him, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Slowly, the white padded walls came into focus, and he noticed a figure sitting in the corner—not by seeing it, but rather by the cushion he couldn't see behind it. It stood—another colt—and walked toward him. Almost in hoof's reach, he stopped, and he could see the slightest shimmer of light in his eyes. "Hey, Inkling," Shadow said. "Hey, Brother," Inkling replied. The darkness beneath the eyes grew lighter like the cushions behind him, as if Shadow were looking through a hole in Inkling's face—a smile. It had been a while since he had seen Inkling. Principal Pursed Lip must have forgotten he was already in here. "Nothing to worry about, right?" Inkling said. The tone of his voice carried a cheerful attitude he couldn't help but accept. He smiled back. "Yeah." He looked around at the padded walls and ceiling, and then spun about, making himself comfortable as he lay down. Inkling lay next to him, the heat of his body staving off the room's chill. Shadow felt him take a deep breath and settle in for a nap, and he did the same. Here, it was silent, which, he supposed, was exactly what he wanted. ≈≈≈×≈≈≈ Hope couldn't understand what was wrong with Snowball. Roselily and Mom always said that cats did whatever they felt like whenever they felt like it, but Snowball would never just up and run away—not like this. Sure, he ran away when she forgot to leave food out during their family vacation last year, but he was resourceful enough to snatch all the fish out of Roselily's aquarium before somehow breaking out of the house and terrorizing Mrs. Petal's koi pond. She'd never be forgiven for that. It was odd he hadn't come around by now. Dinner was his favorite time of day. And woe upon her if it wasn't ready by eight o' clock on the dot. "Mooooom, I still can't find Snowball!" she said, pulling her head out from beneath the dining room table. "Did you check the basement?" Mom called from upstairs. Hope rolled her eyes. Of course she did. That was the first place she checked. 'From the bottom up' as she had always been taught. "Yeah!" "Well, what about the Petals'—" "Yeah, yeah, I'll go check!" She stomped across the living room for the front door, but Snowball wouldn't be there, of course. They would have heard Mrs, Petal's screams and the swish of her broom by now. She threw on her scarf, stepped out onto the screened-in porch, and sighed, watching her breath curl away in the frostbitten air. Where in Equestria could he have gone? He wasn't on the porch, and the dead of winter was no time for a cat to be out on his own. Half the chairs and tables on the porch were still overturned from her earlier search, leaving the place looking like it had been ransacked by masked criminals. Hope smirked as she opened the screen door. Maybe he had been catnapped. That'd be an interesting ransom to get in the mail. It'd be on thick paper with magazine letters glued to it. Leave 10 million bits beneath the Delamare Bridge by sunset or you'll never see your precious Snowball again. She chuckled. Nah… they wouldn't think he'd be worth that much, not the way she sometimes treated him. She was a good caretaker. Well, sort of. He might have been better off feral, though. Forgetfulness (or was it laziness?) ran in the family, and his kingly schedule didn't mesh well with that sort of thing. And yeah, that vacation oopsie-daisie probably wouldn't be her last. She found herself at the front gate and shook away the daydream. She undid the latch, then looked out into the snowdrifts collecting along the street. Well, time to find him the hard way. ≈≈≈×≈≈≈ Delamare wasn't the largest city in Equestria. Canterlot and Manehattan vied for that honor. But it was respectable when it came to a standard of living—best known for its many sprawling suburbs, East Germane among them. It couldn't hold a candle to Upper Clydesburg, but Hope had called it home all her life. She would have killed herself had she grown up in a place as hoity-toity as Upper Clydesburg. The name alone made her gag. No, the more down-to-Equestria streets of East Germane and its snow-laden garden hedges and picket fences won out in the end. Home sweet home. "Snowball!" she called into the open air. "Snowbaaall!" A pair of colts on bicycles passed by, staring. Further down the street, one whispered something behind a hoof to the other, and he shot a glance over his shoulder at her. She stared back, brow raised. Since when was looking for a lost pet so weird? She looked at her side. Oh, right. One wing. She rolled her eyes, then frowned at the colts. So what if she only had one wing? Big whoop. A stupid reason to stare. She raised a leg to chase after them, give them a piece of her mind. No. Snowball. Snowball first. She shook her head, looking around. The crunch of the colts' bikes turned and disappeared down Malton, leaving her with no other answer to her call. No surprise there. Snowball had never been very vocal, especially when mad at her. The little guy was probably following, waiting for her to get frustrated before popping out all cool and suave-like. He was a vengeful little kitten. "Can't say I've seen any pets wandering around here, Miss," said an elderly stallion sweeping the afternoon's snowfall from his sidewalk. Hope smiled at him, though strained. "Thanks." Helpful but unfortunate information. Though it was already dark out, which would undoubtedly make spotting a white cat in the snow next to impossible, nopony could miss the tinkling of Snowball's bell. Maybe he had gone south on Barleyton instead. She chuckled. Like a cat would stop to look at the street signs to see which direction he was running away to. With little to go on, she shrugged and followed her gut. Barleyton was a hub street. Many of the other roads in the suburb crossed paths or at least in some way ended up leading to it, making it a prime stop for anypony in need of groceries or any sort of odd or end. For all his cunning, Snowball had probably found his way to Watercress, the fishmonger, at the far end—a rougher stallion who wasn't afraid to deal with the winged and clawed inhabitants of Little Gryphaly across the river. The Water's Crest was infamous for those hot, summer days when the weather decided it was his turn to be upwind of all of Barleyton. Only Watercress and the gryphons he dealt with seemed immune to the stench. He must have been something else to shrug off that kind of nasty. He'd probably even add Snowball to the list of today's deals if he caught him, for all she knew. She started walking a little faster. Barleyton bustled with more ponies than usual for a weekday evening. (It was still evening no matter what anypony said. Eight o' clock was not nighttime, no matter how dark.) Often, the busier hours came in the mid-afternoon, when everypony left work, before the sun set and took its warmth with it. But cheer hung thick in the air. The streetlamps flickered overhead, and the shops lining the street glowed with their own warm lights so as to beckon in shivering customers. Garlands and wreaths hung from the lampposts, and foalish laughter bounced overhead. It always got this way around Hearth's Warming, but the lack of wind seemed to have coaxed the holiday shoppers out early. Couldn't blame them. The temperature often fell well below freezing this time of year, and Old Mare Winter so loved her biting winds. Cinnamon and wintergreen dominated the scents wafting through the street. Hope breathed it in to the bottoms of her lungs, letting her eyes flutter shut for a moment and envision hot cocoa and oatmeal cookies. Little Bite's Bakery was packed to the brim as she passed its well-worn brick and mortar. No way Snowball would be in there, as much as she wished. It would be nice to get out of the cold, find him, and grab a treat as a reward all in one swoop. But life never fell that neatly into place. Snowball hated crowds. Just past the Saddle Street intersection, where the nice, rustic brick turned to pavement, Hope kept her eyes peeled. There were fewer ponies about, meaning Snowball might be hiding in a nearby alleyway. "Snowball!" she cried. Some of the closer ponies ducked or were otherwise startled. "Don't you be throwing any of those around here, young lady." An elderly mare in a plaid winter coat glared at her. Hope frowned back. Like she was the sort to start that kind of mischief. She strutted past the mare with as little holiday cheer as she could muster. The Water's Crest, a little further down, didn't have its display outside like he usually did. Some weird gryphon culture thing, bringing everything in at sunset, apparently. Normally, Watercress braved the weather—hot or cold—for the sake of his clients, to bargain in the open air of the street. But as the stars shone above, he had taken his business indoors, where he shifted between customers on the other side of the large store window. They were all, as expected, gryphons. She stopped outside the door, looking in, unable to enter. Warm air drifted out to kiss her frost-nipped nose, inviting, despite the powerful stench of fish and feathers. Another stench pervaded the air. Dingy, heavy, it landed somewhere between sweat and something else. The fishmonger's piercing eyes seemingly glared at every one of his customers at once, his grossly long handlebar moustache poised to leap off his face and throttle any would-be thieves. She labeled the smell distrust and left it at that. The vibe he gave off chilled to the bone more than the winter weather on her back. Nah, Snowball wouldn't have gone in there with that madpony. Hope turned on her heels to head back the other way. Though she didn't expect to run smack into somepony else. "I'm so sorry," she heard herself say instinctively, a hoof raised to the bump on her forehead. She had conked it pretty good. It would swell big time without ice. She looked up to see the other pony. He didn't seem much fazed by the collision. Tall. Dark brown. Scraggly. His cheekbones sat hollow beneath sunken eyes, the ridge of his muzzle far thinner than any stallion's she had met before. He swayed with a slow wind that had picked up, as if he had neither the weight nor the strength to brave it. How he hadn't already frozen to death wearing such a ragged coat was beyond her. It looked like a strip of cloth two stray dogs had fought over. She bit her lip, stepping back. His eyes took her in, their icy color running up and down her figure, briefly stopping where wing should have started. It lasted no more than a second before they shifted back and forth about him. His head drooped, and he didn't say a word. "Um…" She shrank away, giving him a half-smile in hopes that he might soften up. He hardly noticed, his eyes still darting every which way. He had a pair of saddlebags, one of them full. Practically bulging. His eyes again landed on her momentarily, and he shifted to hide the bag from view. "Excuse me," he said, almost inaudibly. "No, it was my fault," Hope said, stressing her etiquette, her wing half spreading for effect. Celestia knew, he was probably one of those creepers from Neighton, at the west end of Delamare. Mom only ever had one thing to say about those ponies: keep an eye on them, and never get on their bad side. "I wasn't looking where I was going." She tried giving him another smile, but realized he was staring her in the eyes. The air fell still, but a chill rushed across her body. The stallion continued to stare unblinking in the silence that had taken hold, as if there wasn't another living being within a hundred miles. Hope took another step back, feeling that he was somehow advancing on her, though he hadn't taken a step. His presence seemed to surround her, the shadows of the darkened street enveloping and trapping her in his gaze. He stepped forward, slow, observational—like he was afraid she might try and attack him at any moment. He took another timid step before darting off down the street. It wasn't until he had turned the corner that she allowed herself a breath, a hoof up to her chest. Never come down to this end of Barleyton again. Noted. Got it. Thanks, mom. She allowed herself a sigh and a re-settling of her feathers before heading home. "Snowball!" she cried. ≈≈≈×≈≈≈ He watched her go. Behind the alleyway dumpster he had waited, listened to her calling out for her 'snowball.' When she passed, he crept out, eyes transfixed. Graceful, elegant, captivating like a cherished memory. The way her seafoam-green tail danced in the wind brought a smile to his face. How such a pretty mare could still be so in such a world. She must have been younger than she looked. He shook away the thought. He had to get home, and the crowds were sure to be scrying. The coat about his shoulders did little to stave off the chill that cut through to the bone, but the numbness was merely an old friend. He stole down a side street, for the bridge leading to Neighton. The lamplight became sparse on the other side—neglect, not scarcity. Figures stood beneath the blown-out lamps, their eyes glimmering with distant lights, lips dancing with words not meant for outsider ears. Their eyes crawled across his back. They all stared—they always did—but they stayed away. Only their eyes bothered him. Itches he couldn't scratch. They couldn't see what he carried in the darkness. It was long past twilight when he made it to Turin Street. The chill of the drifting snow had numbed his ankles, but he would be in from it soon. Shadow to shadow, head down, eyes up. The snow crunched louder than gravel and broken glass. Two ponies walked the far side of the street. One small. One big. They weren't looking. The light post was out in front of his house. He smiled briefly as he stole up to his stoop. Key. Lock. A long creak—open, shut. Silence. He pressed his ear against the door. The wind howled outside, slow and solemn. His muscles relaxed, and the rough wood against his face as he slid to the floor. Safe at last. A moment's rest. He could afford no more. He headed for the back room, heartbeat rising. Their prying eyes couldn't reach him here, but the eyes to come—that he wanted watching—held power greater than he ever wished to feel. He slipped through the door, and off came his saddlebags. The single bulging pouch began to jerk and twitch, its contents pushing out against the ragged canvas, hissing like a lit fuse. He paid it no mind, instead focused on drawing the curtains. The thick material blocked out the light of the full moon and its mare, leaving the fireplace to plunge the room into orange and yellow. He turned to the fussing bag, eyes now fixed upon it. A swift motion undid the button, and he plunged his hoof inside. He winced momentarily as he fished about, feeling the claws and fangs digging deep into his hoof. Its vengeful hisses meant nothing to him as he drew it out, raising it high. The cat hissed louder, its paws a flurry of white, intent on tearing to ribbons any bit of flesh it could reach. Still he ignored the pain, transfixed for a moment in time on the being he held in his hoof, how it struggled and raged. A blink, and he remembered his place. He shoved the cat to the ground, pinning it with his body weight. Its cries became shrieks as he slowly crushed the life from its lungs. Out came the blade, risen high above his head, and down it fell, without hesitation or remorse. Again. Again. The knife rose and fell, and with it the life he sought. It poured over his hoof, spackled his face, filled the air with a metallic tang. He didn't stop until long after the movement ceased. He sat there in his room, his breaths ragged and heavy. It was done. Come dawn, she would know. And that's all that mattered. The stallion reclined his head, leaning back on his haunches for a deep sigh, the wet warmth on his face turning cold. It would be a while before she asked again. That alone made him smile. He gazed down at the mess beneath him, and he noticed a shimmer around its neck. He reached for it, and as he touched it heard the jingle of a bell. The sound took him by surprise. He regarded the little silver bell, turning it over in his hoof before cutting away the collar. He lifted it up to watch the flames dance upon its surface, but noticed a round, polished medallion beside it. There it gleamed in the firelight, as if the glow came from within, and he couldn't help but admire its simple beauty. He turned it over, and his smile faded to curiosity. Etched in black: SNOWBALL The stallion turned it over in his hoof again, his gaze unfocusing. He whispered, "Snowball…" Slowly, his eyes drifted from the medallion and into the living room, where they came to rest upon his front door and the one-winged mare somewhere beyond it. === II - Lonely Nights === Morning Glory smiled down at her empty wine glass on the table. She had tried to stifle a laugh with a hoof, but found the act too difficult given how horribly inappropriate Flue's comment had been. Her face was far redder than decency allowed. That went doubly so in a restaurant as fancy as Burntwood. She glanced at him, and he grinned back, barely able to suppress it. Something in her head told her to look over again, and she couldn't help herself. The… well-rounded mare, as Flue had restrained himself enough to describe her, at the table across the aisle still hadn't realized the stain on her gown's chest. Or the grossly large splotch of lasagna on her cheek. "I can't believe you just said that," Morning Glory said, looking back to Flue. He let out a small chuckle. "Well, I can't believe those jowls are still shakin'," he whispered. "Look at em!" He shook his head, jaw loose, making motorboat sounds. Morning Glory started laughing again, but choked, doubling over the table in a coughing fit. "You're terrible," she managed to say between coughs. He answered only with a mischievous grin. The way his crystal-blue eyes seemed to twinkle in the candlelight and how his hair curled just enough to be played with made it hard to think less of him for the comment. A final cough into her napkin set her straight, and she looked down at the plate of lettuce fragments and excess olive oil to compose herself. A sigh escaped her, finishing the task. "You clean up nice," Morning Glory said, looking back up, hoping to change the subject to something more appropriate. "You say that all the time," Flue said as he idly twirled his fork on his plate. "Yeah, but I thought I should say it again." His eyes met hers, brow raised. "Why, 'cause I cleaned behind my ears this time?" Morning Glory giggled. "And the tip of your nose." He rubbed his nose, smirking proudly. "It squeaks with the best of them." Morning Glory laughed, looking down at her wine glass. The tiniest bit of her moscato sat in the bottom, giving the glass's stem the finest hint of red. It was the best she had ever tasted, and it made her feel warm inside. "Do you remember when we first started dating?" "Where's this coming from?" He set his fork down and leaned forward, elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hooves. Morning Glory smirked. "What do you mean? I asked you a question." He shrugged. "I was just curious. But yeah, do you mean before you tried to kill me or after?" The laugh leapt from Morning Glory's chest before she could stop it. She leaned forward, hooves set defensively on the table, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "I didn't mean to. My landlord didn't tell me we'd be having a chimney sweep come through." Flue stared wide-eyed into the distance, his mouth drawn in a small 'o' to complete his "stupid look," as she called it. "Oh, well I guess it's okay then." He broke into a laugh. "You know, if Low Rent would have warned me that some crazy pony in a bathrobe was going to try and break my legs, I would have probably asked her out before she scared me off the roof—save myself the hospital visit." He toasted at her with an invisible glass. She half-pouted, half-smiled at him, though her voice came out as a full pout. "I was sorry and you know it." Flue chuckled and then sighed, looking down into his leftover carrot shavings. "But yeah, that was the greatest day of my life." He smiled up at her in that way that always melted her like butter. It worked, and Morning Glory couldn't resist returning the smile. She had to look away after a moment, though, or else she might get too many jitters. "But really, why'd you ask?" Morning Glory smiled like a little filly talking to her schoolyard crush. She really hadn't expected him to pursue his question and didn't know how to answer it. In truth, she wanted to tell him how much she loved him and loved all the time they had spent together. But she also knew how frivolous he saw words to be; she had said those words before, and 'being met in the middle' would have been a generous description of his reply. To him, actions spoke louder than words. Just the way he worked. "I've… It's just been a wonderful evening," she said. "Only 'cause you're here," Flue said. Morning Glory couldn't help but blush. She glanced back up at him, and he still wore that same winning smile. Within his eyes she saw happiness, playfulness—a certain spirit of youth missing from the stallion she had last dated. Or any of the ones before that. To think it had been two months since they met. Time flew so fast. "So how'd you like your asparagus cakes?" he asked, his eyes flicking to her plate before returning to her. Morning Glory nodded. "Delicious. Never had any better." "I told you you'd like this place." "Yeah," she said, glancing aside. She continued, worried, in a half whisper. "But it's so expensive. You didn't need to take me here." Flue waved a hoof. "It's your special day. Why shouldn't I? Tryin' to tell me you're not worth it?" He flashed his smile again. "Hey, don't go putting words in my mouth," she said. "Oh, so you are worth it? Or are you too worth it and you're trying to tell me this place wasn't nice enough?" He had leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye. Morning Glory flustered. "Wha-hey! That's n—" She gave a small huff, trying and failing to suppress a smile, knowing full well she would have only been walking into a trap. He loved teasing her, and the empty bottle of wine between them wasn't helping much. Flue laughed at seeing her catch on, and Morning Glory rolled her eyes, sighing it away. Their eyes met again, and Flue reached a hoof across the table. She was about to take it in hers, but the waiter strode up, a pitcher of water and a bill presenter in his silver aura. He glanced briefly between them, smiled, and set the presenter on Flue's end of the table without a word. "Thank you," Flue said. The waiter gave a small bow and headed for the other end of the room. Flue took the presenter, opened it, and immediately clutched his hoof to his chest, eyes bulging out, tongue lolling. Morning Glory blinked, hardly able to process what had happened before he chuckled and opened it in genuine. "Wh...what?" "I'm kidding," Flue said. "You know, it's a thing I do sometimes." "Oh, shut up." Morning Glory looked absently out into the restaurant, grinning. She couldn't take him anywhere. Business card inserted—for mailing of the real bill and gratuity, as the handling of bits was considered 'unclean' in fancy establishments for some reason—Flue stood the presenter upright on the table, then leaned his head on a hoof, gazing at her. Morning Glory moved her hoof forward to make up for the earlier interrupted moment. His met hers, and her stomach filled with butterflies. "I love you," he said. Morning Glory's heart skipped a beat. Warmth rushed to her cheeks, and the 'I love you, too' she meant to speak stuck in her throat. She only managed an "Uhh..." Flue blinked, emotion draining away to mild surprise. "Well that's not what I expected, but okay," he said, point blank. Morning Glory shook her head, blushing furiously. "Er, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." "Uh huh." Flue kept his eyes on her, part of him still cheerful, but the brightness of his smile never returned. "I'm serious. It's just—" Morning Glory averted her eyes as the waiter swept past, grabbing the bill. "Thank you, and you two have a pleasant evening," he said. "You too, sir," Flue said. He sighed and then made a show of folding his napkin, flopping it on the table. A glance up to her. "Should we get going?" "Flue," Morning Glory said. "You know I didn't mean that. I-I just wasn't expecting it." She looked down at her hooves bunched on the edge of the table. She could feel him staring at her, knew how he got when disappointed: smile and defer. Why did she have to go and ruin such a wonderful evening? "Come on," Flue half whispered. "Let's get going." He stood, thanked the waiter again, and came around the table to help her out of her seat. Morning Glory let him pull her chair out, to allow him his pout if nothing else, and she followed him to the door, head bent, ears limp, in silence. The greeter thanked them for coming. Flue returned the gesture, but Morning Glory could only muster a half-hearted smile. They left Burntwood and made their way down the snow-dusted street. It was a chilly night in Baltimare. The snow fell from a windless sky in flakes large enough to cover a whole bit. It crunched underhoof, neither too deep nor too heavy. It was the kind of snowfall that would have made her snuggle up beside Flue during the walk, but she didn't feel confident in that sort of gesture after her slip-up. Morning Glory chanced a glance at him. He walked almost absently, his eyes bouncing around the glowing lights and steaming marehole covers, all clammed up the way he got when annoyed. Her heart weighed heavy thinking of how perfectly the night had gone. The trip to Horseshoe Bay, the boat ride, and then their absolutely wonderful dinner at Burntwood along the port, overlooking the water. Every bit of it had sparked a flame in her heart that no other night in her life had. And she had thrown it down the drain with one little stutter. A subtle wind whipped up a puff of snow, and Morning Glory took the opportunity to fake a shiver, hoping he might notice. Immediately he pressed his shoulder against hers and wrapped his scarf over her neck, its thick wool quick to stave off the cold. A genuine gesture, but over so soon—a minimal effort. Yet another way he had found of pushing her buttons, whether he meant it or not. She huffed, but made no other attempt to get him to open up. Nearly ten agonizing minutes of silence stretched from that point until they reached her apartment. Outwardly cordial, Flue walked her up the stoop and waited for her to unlock the door. Just going through the motions. Though she focused on getting her key into the lock, she knew the blank stare he was no doubt giving her. Why one little thing could make him willing to ruin the rest of the night just to prove some point that didn't exist. She kept her irritation to herself in hopes he might come to his senses. The lock opened, and a wave of heat rolled out from the apartment. Morning Glory gave Flue a half-hearted smile. He returned it, though he didn't meet her eyes. "Well…" Morning Glory said. "I had a wonderful night." "Yeah, me too." Flue glanced up at her, but quickly averted his eyes again. Still? Morning Glory huffed. "Seriously?" That got his attention. He stared back, wary. "We have the best night of our lives, go out and see the town, and when I make one stupid, little mistake you clam up, and it's like we shouldn't have even bothered." Heat rose to her cheeks, but it hadn't come from the wine. He stared back with those sad eyes, like he had something to say but not the balls to say it. "Come on. Use your words." Flue rolled his eyes. She knew the phrase irritated him to no end. Good. Maybe he'd learn not to act so childishly. "I just," he said. "I don't get why I can open up to you like that and then you don't even say it back. You're all about saying it to me all day long, but the one time I'm really expecting to hear it..." "Flue…" Part of her heart sank as if into the icy waters of Horseshoe Bay. There it was, that feeling again. The one where her inner demons crawl into her head, spinning their little webs of how he was going to leave her. How her efforts to bring them closer were only pushing him away, the foot of space between them a canyon. "You know I say it to you," she said, taking the tiniest of steps forward, over that unfathomable edge. "Always. Because I mean it. I do love you." Finally she caught his eye. "I love you," she reaffirmed, steadfast. "You just said it so suddenly and—yeah, it was my fault. I screwed up, but you know me. We both make mistakes." Her words seemed to find effect in him. The roughness of his frown softened, and a light flickered back into his eyes. He looked down at her hooves, sullen. "Look," Morning Glory said. "Can we just try this again? Please?" He looked back up with those beautiful blue eyes, hesitant, almost expectant. She took the initiative: "I love you." Flue's gaze darted away, ears back, but just as quickly returned. "I love you, too." Hearing him say it again made Morning Glory melt from head to toe. The warmth of the living room fought against the chill about them, beckoning her in for a well-deserved night's rest. She gave the warm interior a sweeping glance. Flue stepped forward. A gentle hoof brushed her mane aside. He kissed her, and fireworks went off inside her chest He held her there for what she wished would have been eternity. But wishes never came so easily, and they parted all too soon. He leaned his forehead against hers, a hoof stroking her mane. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he whispered. Confidence had returned to his voice, the youthful energy she loved. She nodded, feeling his breath against her face, smelling the sweet, fruity wine. She would see him tomorrow. Flue always kept his word. But it also meant she wouldn't see him again until then. And there were too many hours between. She yearned for the day they would be together, when he would stay beside her and she would never have to say goodbye. The nights were terribly lonely, and she tossed and turned as the midnight emptiness screamed ever louder, that she had nopony's warmth to feel when winter's breath snuck in through the windows. They stood before the doorway, heads pressed together, sharing the frost of their breath in the cold stillness. And still, persistent, the heat spilled out from the living room, calling her inside. Maybe she wouldn't have to be alone. She raised her hoof to Flue's cheek and reunited with him in a kiss. She held fast against his gentle pull away, and he gave no further resistance. His hoof brushed toward the back of her head as he leaned into the kiss, and, slowly, she stepped backward, drawing him across the threshold. === III - Housewarming === Shadow sat beneath the train station awning, watching the clouds roll across the distant sky. They flashed with lightning, their swollen underbellies ready to burst. It would be another rainy walk home for him. Them. He looked down the stretch of tracks that reached beyond the horizon. There the train would peek just above the flattened landscape, its smoke pluming white to join the clouds in the sky. An old stallion sat on the bench across the station's entranceway. He clicked his tongue to some song that was probably as old as him. He was really wrinkly, too, like Mother's dresses when they fell off the line. He even smiled the way she used to. So carefree, and Shadow wished Mother would smile like that again soon. He would find a way. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the clouds drew Shadow's gaze back across the tracks. They were heading straight for him. Hopefully it wouldn't rain so hard this time. If only it would clear up and let a bright blue sky welcome Mother home. It had rained a lot lately, and she didn't deserve to come home to a mud pit. Though, that might make their walk home all the more fun. As if rising to fight it, a distant whistle pierced through the thunder's unceasing growl. Shadow glanced down the track, and off in the distance, just beneath the sunset-yellow sky, rose the dark shape of a train. He rose with anticipation, but forced himself to sit back down. The train rolled closer. Another long whistle, high and mighty between rolls of thunder. The chug of the engine grew to drown out even the thunder, and quickly the screech of brakes drowned out the world. A hiss of steam, then silence. It was a small train, only two cars this time. The pitter patter of rain on the corrugated iron roof started slow, and built to a drizzle as the car door opened and out stepped the conductor. Behind him filed out the passengers, those with luggage shielding their heads from the rain. The sight brought a smirk to Shadow's lips. These ponies had no idea what an actual rainstorm was like. He waited where he sat, patient. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. He counted the ponies, watched the train car jostle with those still on board no doubt rummaging for their belongings. Eighteen. Nineteen. The conductor nodded thanks to each and every passenger as they passed him by, he alone seemingly unaffected by the rain, which had drenched him to the bone. When the stream of ponies ended, he hopped up to check the car. Back onto the platform, "All aboard for Trottingham!" More as a formality, really. All the ponies on the platform were either waiting for another train or leaving. Shadow sighed, then shook his head. She had missed the train again. Mother was so forgetful sometimes. Without reason to remain, he turned for the exit and followed everypony out. The rain on the rooftop played like a snare drum by the time he stepped out onto the street. The few ponies that hadn't caught a cab scattered like bugs from beneath an upturned rock, dashing from shelter to shelter. Shadow didn't mind the rain. He and Inkling often snuck out during rainstorms to play in the puddles. Mother never approved, but it was one of the few things worth getting in trouble for. The way the rain soaked him from head to hoof, when he looked at his hooves and felt the water run down his face, weigh down his shoulders, chill the warmth from his body. It made him feel alive. He followed the path home slowly, enjoying the silence in his head. Inkling stayed home to keep the door unlocked for him and Mother, and make sure their surprise was ready. It had taken all the bits left in their piggy bank, but they had just enough to get their hooves on a spool of twine. Mother grew tomatoes in the backyard and sometimes had trouble keeping the vines around the pickets. It wasn't much, but it was the thought that counted—something she always said. Mother was really smart. Shadow opened the door to their house, and out poked Inkling's head from around the kitchen counter. His large eyes practically shone in the darkness. "Did Mother make the train?" His voice came across hollow, but hopeful, like he already knew the answer but had to hear it nonetheless. "No, not this time," Shadow said. He shook himself from head to hoof, spraying rainwater all over the kitchen. Inkling shielded his face, laughing. "Brother, you're getting everything wet!" Shadow smiled, looking around at the pots and pans and cabinets. The first thought that came to mind was that Mother would clean it, and his smile slowly faded. It had been nearly a week since the kitchen had been cleaned. "We should clean the house for Mother," Shadow said as he walked over to the towel drawer. Wobbly on two legs, he reached up to pull out a towel. "She'll love it if she walks in and sees everything sparkling." "That's a great idea," Inkling said. He ran to the pantry. "I'll get the soap!" Shadow draped the towel over his shoulder and ran to the bar table, using the chairs to climb onto the table and head for the sink, which he was yet too small to reach. Mother disapproved of him walking on the counter, but he could always clean off his hoofprints when they finished. She would never know. He turned the knob to hot, and looked over the edge of the counter at Inkling. "Ready?" Inkling had the large bottle of soap out. "Ready!" He wetted the towel and tossed it down to Inkling, who went straight to work on the floor. They would make the house shine. Mother would be so proud of them. ≈≈≈×≈≈≈ Morning Glory stared at the swatch of paint taped to the wall. Sky blue or peach yellow? The foals' room needed tackling immediately if she were to ever get the house ready in time, and Saturday seemed the best day, since Flue didn't have to head out until four. Which meant he could do all the heavy lifting. She gave him a smile across the room, where he was packing boxes to move into the hallway and from there to any of the other rooms that could temporarily store all the things that awaited unpacking. Her doctor had said nothing over five pounds ever since her belly started resembling the world's largest watermelon. And she aimed to do whatever it took to keep her little ones healthy. She turned a smirk back to the paint swatches. Sky blue elicited thoughts of summer days and the outdoors. It was a fresh color, nice enough to enjoy herself yet coltish enough for when they got to the age they started caring. Flue had voted for blue, but that was only because it was his favorite color. What if the colts didn't like blue? Peach yellow, on the other hoof, said energy. Brighter, certainly, and it would flow so wonderfully with the goldenrod enamel in the hallway. It would also give her an excuse to hang up the beach-side sunset picture Flue's mother had gifted them. Sky blue wouldn't go with a sunset. Sky blue meant a bright morning! One of her little ones kicked in the womb. It startled her from thought, and she smiled down at them. The one on the left had been really frisky this last week. He made up for the other one, who had been rather shy lately. "You're definitely feeling better today," Flue said as he lifted a box onto his back. He added an "excuse me" as he stepped past her for the door. "Much," Morning Glory said. "No flu's going to keep me down with the house like this." She gestured nonspecifically into the room, referring more to everything on the other side of the left-hoof wall. Their sitting room had been more of a standing-room-only room ever since they moved in a month ago. "Unless it's me," Flue said, sidling up beside her and planting a kiss on her cheek before ducking out the door. Morning Glory shooed him away, smiling. "Oh, stop it." "Can't stop, won't stop!" Flue shouted from the hallway. Morning Glory shook her head. Best not try and figure out what he meant by that. No time to waste. Peach yellow, or Sky blue? "Flue?" There was a thud of cardboard on carpet in the hallway. "Yeah?" "I like the peach yellow." Flue stuck his head in the door. He wore a blank, serious look. "You know they're gonna be colts, right?" "I know that… I was there for the ultrasound," she added with enough zest to hopefully imply an 'obviously.' She raised her eyebrow at him just in case. "Clearly," he said. "But I still like the blue." "It's not about what you want." Morning Glory shifted her weight, curling a frown at the swatches. "It's about what the foals will want." In the blandest of voices, Flue said, "A-K-A: what you want." Morning Glory huffed and gave him a stare. He returned it with a chuckle. "What the foals will want," she reaffirmed. "If you want the yellow, go with the yellow. We can always paint it again later." He crossed behind her for another box. She idly tapped a hoof. "I just think the yellow makes it pop. You know?" "Sure." Morning Glory gave him a sidelong frown. "You're not even listening, are you?" "Yeah, I'm listening," Flue said, shuffling behind her again, head over his shoulder to steady the box with his nose. "I just don't care as much as you do." Morning Glory turned toward him in earnest. "What do you mean you don't care?" "What, that's—" He staggered, managing his hold of the box before setting it down outside the door. "That's not what I meant. I meant I won't be bothered as much by whatever color we decide as you will." She opened her mouth to retort, but bit her tongue. He always spoke like that. He didn't mean to come across as callous. She had to remind herself of that ever since she started carrying the twins. Pregnancy had worked hell on her patience. She worked a smile to her lips. "If you like blue, we can do blue," she said. He gave a disarming smile and a half laugh. "Well, we don't have to go with blue. Yellow would look nicer." "You're just saying that because I said so." She cocked her head, awaiting the inevitable smartass comment. Flue stepped back in. "Well, yeah. It's what I'm supposed to do, right?" The snarkiest grin swept his smile aside, and all of today's 'points' with it. "But seriously," he added before she could react. "Yellow's fine. Was my grandma's favorite color." He smiled past her for a moment, then set it upon her. Damn those blue eyes. Okay, fine, he could have his points back. Flue trotted over for the final box in the room. "You think you're gonna do one of those border things like you did in the dining room?" He hefted the box onto his back. Morning Glory 'hmm'd. "You mean the chair rail?" "Uh, sure?" Flue made his final trip into the hallway. He set the box down with a thud and sighed relief. She certainly could. Peach yellow on top, white chair rail, and use the rest of the goldenrod they had somewhere in the basement on the bottom. Or maybe swap the colors. A waist-high chair rail would leave more space in the top half than the bottom. But then that might make the room feel too samey with the hallway. Oh, heavens, no. What was she thinking? Not nearly enough contrast between the two colors. She scrunched her face, looking aside. As hard as it would be to admit, she could only do a chair rail if she went with the blue. But then she would have to admit the blue would look better. No chair rail it was, then. Flue wrapped his hooves around her head, covering her eyes. In her ear, he whispered, "Guess who?" Morning Glory smiled. So he was going to be like this today. "Umm… Is it Money Bags, come to sweep me off to his mansion and feed me grapes as I recline on a million-bit sofa?" "Ahh," Flue said, soft, coy. "You and I both know Money Bags is much too surly for that sort of romance. Guess again." "Is iiit Love Affair, finally here to woo me like all the other hopelessly romantic mares with his flashing smile and long, flowing locks?" Still in his airy, playful voice: "The last thing Mr. Affair needs is yet another beautiful, young mare with a disturbingly vivid memory of his physique chasing after him. But warmer." "Hmm…" Morning Glory smirked. Three was always the magic number. "Is it that handsome stallion I met just over a year ago? The chimney sweep I almost killed on accident?" She could feel Flue sidle closer, the side of his face brush against the back of her neck, his warm breath tickling her just below the ear. "Whether or not it was an accident is still a hot topic for debate, I'd assume this most certainly good-looking stallion you're thinking of would claim. But more important than his devilish good looks and unparalleled sense of humor, what is his name?" Stay coy. Keep him waiting. "Oh, I don't know. I can see his face but can't think of his name." "I believe it starts with an 'F', my fair maiden." "An 'F'? What a silly letter to have at the beginning of a name." "No sillier than an 'M' or a 'G,' I'm sure he'd say." Morning Glory giggled. "If my handsome captor says so. So, an 'F,' huh? Fer, feh fee foh… Fuh" —an unknown pain lanced through her stomach— "uuuck." A small chuckle behind her ear. "While that's always something I'm game for, we might want to move to a room with something we can lay down on." "No—Celestia! It's… ngh!" The shooting pains came quickly, and she grit her teeth, doubling over. He stared at her, brows furrowed in confusion, until his eyes found themselves gravitating to her belly. Realization loosened his jaw. "Oh… Ooh! Um, crap. Uh, come here." He motioned her out of the room. "Come here come here come here." He escorted her down the hallway to the living room, where he helped her onto the couch. Panic ran more rampant upon his face than his eyes about the room, his hooves unable to stay still. "What do I do what do I do? Uh… wait here. Don't move. I'll go get the doc!" Well no shit she wasn't going anywhere. "Get Candy Stripe next door before you go!" she gasped. "Right right." He dashed for the door. "I'll be right back!" He left the door wide open, and she collapsed backward, clenching her eyes to weather the wracking spasms. === IV - The Best of Bonds === That mare. The pretty one with the seafoam mane and the single wing. The one that feared him, thought him a creep. The way she looked at him. The way she looked at him! How had he not noticed sooner? Stupid. Good for nothing. He slammed his hoof against a chest of drawers. They buckled against the blow, the crack echoing off the walls. A distinct pain rocketed up his foreleg, and he slowly pulled it free of the splintered wood. He stared at it as one might an ant crawling along his hoof. The pain ceased as quickly as it came, a calm washing over him as true and warm as the blood running down his foreleg. Ears low, mouth slanted, he looked away, then to the hole in the dresser. Then to the frame atop it. There sat a framed crayon stickfigure drawing of him and Mother. A third pony had long since been scratched out with charcoal. The two ponies smiled beneath a shining sun, red as his hoof. He blinked to, pulling away from the drawing. A bloody hoofprint smudged the glass. How long had he been staring? It was dark in his bedroom. The candle atop the vanity table in the other corner flickered its last in a dented brass bobeche. It incensed the otherwise stale room with the smell of smoke. Beside it, a halo of light around the blackout curtains called to him. Peach, on its slow drain to yellow. He had to go. He slipped down the stairs, their creaks and moans but whispers to those he buried deeper between his ears. Across the hallway, the kitchen awaited him, dust motes idly floating in the thin beams of light the windows couldn't fully keep out. The utensil drawer groaned as he opened it, and tarnished silver clanged to a rest. Their warped and watermarked surfaces stared back at him, waiting, expecting. They knew what he wanted. Rather, what he didn't. He saw in his reflection an emptiness, a hollow hunger not his own. Not his own, but accepted. Love, as he had grown up knowing, was the greatest gift, worth any price. He grabbed the carving knife and shut the drawer. Blind motion sheathed it between skin and saddlebag, and he spun back for the hallway. Something flickered in the corner of his eye. A dark figure to the left, in the dining room. A fuller glance saw nothing but the dining room table and the dark-blue curtains hiding away the porch window. He shook his head, heading for the half-flight of stairs leading to the side door. He grabbed his cloak from the hook in the stairwell and swept it about him before throwing open the door. Vile. Thieving. Treacherous, little bitch. Those golden eyes. They were not hers. She had taken Mother's eyes. And he was going to take them back. ≈≈≈×≈≈≈ "Rose! You ready for school yet?" Hope shouted up the stairs. "Almost!" Roselily's voice sounded back, muffled. Probably still in the bathroom. Hope sighed, shaking her head. Only four and she already took forever getting ready. Hope wondered how long it would take once she started dating. Hope continued her circuit into the front room. She idly glanced at anything that could hold her interest, trying her best to keep herself from pulling her mane out. Patience wasn't a virtue of hers. There was the coffee table in the middle of the room, with Business Casual's work magazines. The front window lording over the front porch swing, and all the unread newspapers piled high between its pillows. Oh yeah, she still had to straighten up the porch from her search for Snowball. She added that to her mental checklist for the evening. Into the living room, the stone fireplace drew her eyes, and the pictures on its mantle held them there. She couldn't help the smile that ran across her face at the sight of Roselily's newborn pictures. If anything pressed her buttons, calling her small took home the gold. Today might have to be one of those days if she kept up her antics. "Coming!" Roselily's hooves plodded down the staircase carpet, and its little platform that spilled into the hallway creaked a final 'I'm here!' before she clomped her way toward the kitchen. Hope came full circle on her route and met her there. Most foals hated school. The last day of classes before Hearth's Warming break paled only to that of summer, the looks on all their little faces every year next to priceless. Anguish was the only word for it. She could see them straining their wishing muscles: don't make us go! Please let us leave early! But Roselily was one of those weird fillies. She enjoyed school just as much as her time away from it. The smile on her face—a spitting image of Mom's—as she stepped into the kitchen that morning, that little red ribbon braided through her shoulder-draped ponytail, could have made Hope gag had she strong enough feelings on school. There was a stupid thing called work she wished never existed. Hard to sympathize with the little ones ever since "break" became nothing more than the fifteen minutes she got to herself halfway through her shift. "Let's go!" Roselily raised a hind and forehoof in the air before skipping for the kitchen's back door. "Now you're ready? That only took you forever and a day." Hope smirked as she brushed a stray lock of light-brown mane behind Roselily's ear the way Mom did (and the way Rose hated). She earned at least one button push for all that waiting. Roselily wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, well I wouldn't have to take so long if you'd stop leaving your whole mane in the shower." Hope shrugged, an easy smile on her lips. "Hey, I have a long mane and I shed like a cancer patient. Deal with it. Nopony told you you had to clean every last hair out of the drain." "Yeah, but that's gross!" She stomped her hoof, and the gold of her eyes illustrated her scowl as more of a pouty face. Hope's easy smile turned a little less easy and a lot more wrestled under control. She eyed Roselily's saddlebags in hopes of changing the subject and to keep from bursting out laughing. She had only earned one button, after all. "Yeah, whatever you say. You have all your school stuff? You're ready for your last day of the quarter, right?" She added a grin to smooth over their squabble. It seemed to work, Roselily suddenly beaming at the mention of school. "Uh huh. I got my math book, my science notebook, Fritzy's pencil I forgot to give back yesterday after the spelling contest, my—" There was a rip in the side of Roselily's right bag. She saw it as she opened the door. The bottoms looked pretty beaten up, too, its nice, deep red more a weathered pink. Probably from recess before school, being thrown rather than placed on the blacktop before she raced off to play, like she herself used to do as a filly. That made Hearth's Warming shopping easy. Roselily was still naming off things in her saddlebags when they stepped into the morning chill. Last night's snow crunched under their hooves, a most beloved sound of winter. Reminiscent of past Hearth's Warming seasons and the fun of watching the ever-growing pile of presents beneath the tree. The suburban cheer and snowball fights made the memories all the warmer, despite how frozen she often was in them. They took the usual shortcut: through the backyard, past Mrs. Petal's koi pond, and up the alleyway. It only cut off about two minutes, but it often afforded Hope that extra moment of solitude in the breakroom before clocking in. She kept silent the first few minutes, letting Roselily practice her 'special' talent: the gift of gab. Roselily often babbled on about something or other to do with school or her friends, things that would grate the patience of even the most humble ponies. But Roselily apparently had genuine plans this Hearth's Warming, it seemed. "—And Snow Shoe and Fritzy Beat are coming over before we go see the fireworks," Roselily said. "Did you ask mom yet?" Hope smiled. The answer would be no, of course, but smart to ask anyway. She had to do her part in teaching Roselily some sort of responsibility, being the big sister and all. "No, but I think she'll let me go." She hopped up onto the stone wall that ran the length of the Whinnyson's front yard. "She let me walk all the way to Caramel Cream's house last week for our sleepover." Oh yeah. That. Hope looked up and away, biting back a giggle. Roselily looked like a giant suitcase that had grown legs walking down the road that night. Of course, Hope had offered to walk her there, but Roselily had snapped into 'big filly mode' and demanded she walk all by her big filly self. Luckily with all her sleepover supplies piled high, she didn't notice Hope trailing from a distance. "Well," Hope said. "Just make sure you tell her right when you get home, not when your friends show up." "I will," she chimed in her usual 'of course I will; I'm a big filly' voice. Hope looked away to hide her smirk. She would never admit it, but she loved how adorable her sister could be at times. It reminded her of herself back then. Except for the not getting in trouble bits. Somehow their parents always found a way to pin blame on her instead of Roselily whenever something happened. Big sister and all for sure. They turned onto Barleyton to jog down toward Oatley Road, which was a straight shot to Andalusian Elementary. At least, as straight as the roads in East Germane aspired to be. The civil engineers were either drunk when they built them or had some blueprint hoofed down from Celestia herself that dictated the roads should be curvier than the covermares of Cosmarepolitan. (Not that she would ever be caught dead reading that garbage.) Hope never considered herself obsessive, but roads, at least, should be straight. The little hills and sprawling front yards made the walk rather scenic, though, if only to scrounge for a silver lining. And rimmed in the frost of last night's snowfall, that silver lining shimmered bright. "What're you doing when you get home from work today, Sis?" Roselily asked. Good question. She rolled it around in her head like a marble on a plate. "Probably just go to bed. I'm always so tired after work. Especially if Old Stiffy makes me load the carts again." A half lie. Stiff Lip, or Old Stiffy as she called him when he wasn't around, often made her and Free Load stack the carts whenever he caught them milling about the storefront. It certainly tired her out, transferring crate after crate of milk from the barges to the waiting carts—not to mention Stiffy's attitude about 'good-for-nothing kids not making him any money.' It wasn't her fault they had jack-all to do when the storefront's morning rush died down. But the fib hinged on what she would do, not how she would feel. First and foremost, she needed to finish her seasonal shopping: a new saddlebag for Roselily and a pair of pink rhinestone sunglasses for Flower Bonnet, to replace the ones she lost on their spring break trip to Mount Rushmare. She blanked, ears falling back. Oh, ponyfeathers... The Seams and Shades coupon was still laying on the coffee table. She'd have to go back and get it after dropping Roselily off. She sighed. That was the Hope her parents and all her friends knew, forgetting anything and everything remotely important. Business Casual would have her hide if she bought anything over a dozen bits without some sort of coupon. Speaking of, she needed to stop by Little Bite's Bakery after work to get the treats he wanted for his seminar tomorrow evening. Why he couldn't do it himself was anypony's guess. Had his hooves too full at work or some other excuse. She rolled her eyes. Like always. Typical father crap. She would get off at seven today, a nice break from the usual ten o'clock. Just enough time to sort everything out before too late. Then she could crash on the couch with a bag of potato chips or some other junk food. It would no doubt kill all the hard work of her pilates classes. She'd hate herself for it later, but sometimes she just had those cravings. And there was no better time to do it than her day off from any and all exercise. Except walking Roselily to school. There was always room for Roselily in her busy schedule. "Where are you going, Sis?" Hope blinked, realizing Roselily's voice came from over her shoulder. She had strolled past Oatley Road without even realizing it. "Sorry," she said, turning around at a trotting pace. "Just thinking." "You do that a lot," Roselily said, concern furrowing her brow. Hope shrugged. "Better than not enough." She let her gaze wander to a couple walking the far side of the street. They were all smiles, sharing an ice cream cone—cotton candy swirl from the looks of it. That sounded like a good treat after dropping Roselily off. She smiled at her sister, who was preoccupied with humming a tune they heard last night on the radio. Ever the little pop diva of the family. She swore Roselily was going to grow up and become Equestria's next Sapphire Shores. Seeeen-sa-tion-al! She chuckled, keeping the thought to herself. Roselily made the best pouty faces whenever she mentioned it, but their walks to school were moments to share, not poke fun at each other. And since Roselily continued humming the tune, Hope decided to just enjoy the friendly snow-blanketed world until they arrived at Andalusian. They made great time today, fifteen minutes before the nine-o'clock bell. She still might have time for a coffee before her shift, if she hurried. The shouts and screams of playing foals crowded out distant birdsong. One of the fillies on the blacktop spotted them and waved, a tan-colored earth filly with brown eyes. Roselily waved back. "That's Caramel Cream," she said. She took off at a run, leaving Hope to watch from the perimeter of the schoolyard. "I'll see you tonight, Sis!" she cried over her shoulder. "Have fun!" Hope yelled back. Sure as sunshine, the saddlebags came flying off to thud on the blacktop before Roselily joined in on a game of tag. She shook her head, turning back for Barleyton. Foals had it so easy. She stared at the trail of hoofprints they had made. Two pairs: one big, one small. They would be the same size one day. And it wouldn't be very long, either. Roselily was growing up so fast. Hope let out a sigh, then laughed at her own sentimentality. That sounded like mom. It would only be a matter of time before she started wearing bonnets and knitting Hearth's Warming doilies for fun. A shudder ran down her spine. Well, back to home for the coupon, then to work. An evergreen hedge along the sidewalk shook as she approached, sending its snow to the ground in a fine powder. She stopped to raise an eyebrow at it. The rustle had been rather large, like a cat or a dog had run smack into the other side. She stepped closer, head cocked. "That's not you, is it, Snowball?" It seemed a slim chance given he had run away three days ago, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt. He was a smart kitty. No answer came from the hedge, nor did it rustle again. It was too large to peer through to the other side, its branches so thick that it looked like nighttime within. Hope filtered out the schoolyard noise, strained her ears at the surrounding silence. Still nothing. She hummed, wondering just what it could have been, then shrugged. Probably just a feisty squirrel or chipmunk. Maybe even some of the schoolfillies up to no good. Not her place to worry. She continued down the street, letting the crunch beneath her hooves again draw her into fantasies of the coming Hearth's Warming. With all the plans she had for her family, this year's would undoubtedly be the best. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Flight Envy author: applejackofalltrades tags: character:Fluttershy, character:Rainbow Dash, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== I Just Gotta Know === "Do you ever feel like you were born… wrong?" "Huh?" "I mean… I dunno, sometimes I feel like I was meant to be a pegasus. Like you." "Oh, uhm, maybe?" Rainbow craned her neck over to Fluttershy. "Seriously! I've had dreams where I was a pegasus soaring through the sky as fast as the wind itself!" She gestured up to the sky with a hoof and smiled. "The wind in my mane, the sun on my body and the ruffling of wings," she giggled. "Fluttershy, I could practically feel it!" Fluttershy wiggled next to Rainbow. Her wings stretched awkwardly underneath her. "I've had dreams like that too. Except, in mine, I was an earth pony like you," she admitted with a blush. "I didn't have to worry about these pesky wings and I could just live on the ground with everypony else." Rainbow gave Fluttershy a funny look. "Well, you could just move down here," she pointed out. At Fluttershy's grimace, she chortled. "I'm serious! There's this little cottage at the end of town that basically has your name on it." "Oh, I don't know… I like visiting you, Rainbow, but moving would be a big change…" Rainbow looked up at the clouds. The grass beneath her tickled at her back, but it felt calming as the wind softly blew her mane around. "You see that cloud up there?" A white tuft floated in the sky. Fluttershy nodded. "It looks like an eagle," Rainbow said with a smile. "I think I could be a good eagle. They're awesome, like me! Plus, they're great fliers, and I think I'd be a good flier too if I had wings." "Maybe." Rainbow snorted. "Maybe? Come on, I'd be great and you know it!" She rolled over onto her stomach and propped herself up. "I mean, I'm fast, have good reflexes, and I totally have the awesomeness to make me a good flier." With every new adjective, she struck a pose, which made Fluttershy giggle. "Right?" The yellow pegasus nodded. "Right." Rainbow grinned and looked down at Fluttershy. She was so… quiet all the time. But she was Rainbow's closest friend, and her only friend, really. Plus, she was a pegasus! She was so lucky, and she didn't even know it. Sometimes, Rainbow thought that Fluttershy would really rather be an earth pony, like in her dream. And not as a joke, or anything. How could she not want wings? Rainbow stared at Fluttershy, who stared back with a tiny smile. Rainbow shook her head, then offered a hoof. "Come on, get up. You're gonna show me how to fly." Fluttershy blinked. "What? But you're an earth pony." "I know," Rainbow responded with an eye roll. "Obviously. I can't fly, but you can show me like you were teaching me how." Fluttershy took Rainbow's hoof and used it to help herself up. "Uhm, okay… I guess?" She knew that Fluttershy wouldn't understand, but Rainbow had to know how it felt. How it felt to really fly. She trotted eagerly as she followed Fluttershy to a flatter area of the clearing. Fluttershy flexed her wings awkwardly at her side with a slight frown. "I'm… not sure how to do this." Rainbow gawked. "What? But you fly all the time!" "I know," Fluttershy mumbled, "but I've never had to show anypony…" Rainbow whined. "Oh come on, Shy. I just wanna know what it feels like!" The pegasus looked back at her wings, then squinted. "Okay, I'll try…" "Yes!" Rainbow cheered. If she could get Fluttershy to like flying more, then at least she had that. Even if Rainbow herself couldn't fly, helping her friend discover why flying was so awesome was pretty much the next best thing. Rainbow grinned as Fluttershy extended her wings to her side. Her wing feathers ruffled in the gentle wind. Soft yellow primaries danced with the breeze as long, flight-ready wings prepared to take the pegasus to the sky. Rose red eyes drifted over Fluttershy's wings. Every feather fell perfectly into place, and Rainbow knew then that Fluttershy took expert care of her wings. Fluttershy glanced at Rainbow, then took a short gallop forward. Her wings beat strongly once, sending a gust of wind that pushed Rainbow's mane back for a second and sent Fluttershy up into the sky. Rainbow gasped in awe. She knew that Fluttershy wasn't the most graceful of fliers, but she gawked anyway. Fluttershy seemed unsure of what to do once up in the air, so Rainbow wordlessly gestured for her to keep flying. Though a bit slow and awkward at first, Fluttershy flew back and forth above an awe-struck Rainbow. The pegasus loosened up with every turn, her smile widening until finally, she flew smoothly. The wind blowing her long mane everywhere, only further framing the pegasus in a light pink canvas. That look. That look of bliss on Fluttershy's face as she flew was what Rainbow wished she could feel. It just looked so… freeing. So liberating. So fun. Even though she had never flown before, Rainbow felt grounded. Watching her friend have fun in the sky made it almost bearable, though. She hoped that Fluttershy could at least learn to make the most of it. Rainbow settled down back on her side as Fluttershy giggled, now flanked with birds. Fluttershy's wings flapped in a different pattern than Rainbow thought they would. Maybe it was because she wasn't a very experienced flier, but her wings beat a lot more often than Rainbow would have guessed. Then again, what would she know? She watched as Fluttershy continued to giggle as she flew. With each passing moment, she eased up more and more, and even as ungraceful as she was, she was a lot of fun to watch. The midday sun behind Fluttershy made her seem like she was glowing; like some kind of… angel. Rainbow grinned, her gaze softening. Yeah, she definitely was like an angel. Maybe she could lead her somewhere better. Rainbow didn't have wings, sure, but Fluttershy did, and she could be happy enough for the both of them. Rainbow would make sure of it. If Fluttershy was happy, then hay, Rainbow was happy. Her eyes followed Fluttershy as she descended back to the grass, slightly flushed. As she trotted back to Rainbow, she tried to hide in her mane. She probably forgot that Rainbow was watching her, which made the earth pony smirk. "So was that fun?" Rainbow asked with a smug look. Fluttershy settled down next to her friend. Rainbow could see the tips of her feathers bristling. "Yes…" Rainbow laughed and reached over to hit Fluttershy gently on her foreleg. "I told you! I could tell. You looked so happy up there," she recalled. Fluttershy smiled and nodded slightly, which in turn made Rainbow's own smile widen. "How does it feel to fly?" The pegasus stuttered and blinked a few times. "Um, I… Uh…" Her wings ruffled at her sides as she shrugged. "I don't know? It's kind of… scary, at first. Even for me," she admitted. "Or maybe that's just me… I know that all my little bird friends love to fly. Sometimes I fly with them and I have so much fun." Rainbow nodded. "It really looks fun. I wish I could feel what it feels like." She looked up to the sky and sighed. "At least I can dream about it, I guess." The wind picked up a bit. Rainbow's mane whipped in front of face, but she did nothing to fix it. "You know, if I was a pegasus, I bet I'd have a cool name. Something like… Rainbow Gust, or Rainbow Thunder… or Rainbow Dash," she suggested. Rainbow smirked, feeling satisfied. "Yeah, I like Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy giggled next to Rainbow. "What's wrong with Rainbow Wish?" "You mean apart from the fact that it's uber lame?" Rainbow responded with a groan. "It just isn't… me. It's so… cheesy. Why do you think I have everypony call me Rainbow and not Wish?" "Well… Rainbow Dash? I think that name suits you, pegasus or not," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Maybe someday I can show you how flying feels… That would be fun." Show her how flying feels? "How would you do that?" Rainbow asked, slightly intrigued by the idea, but mostly curious as to how she would even go about doing it. Fluttershy pouted. "Oh, I don't know. I didn't think that far ahead…" She trailed off and gazed at Rainbow. "Well, you're a little smaller than me. Maybe I could carry you… I don't usually carry anything bigger than a rabbit or two, but if it's to help a friend…" Rainbow smiled and shook her head. "Maybe, but I don't want you to hurt yourself. I can probably ask Lyra. She's good at magic and stuff. I think she actually used to be in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, so she probably knows a spell that can help." She perked up, her passive smile turning into an eager grin. "Or I could go hang-gliding! Or sky-diving, or parachuting!" Rainbow sat up, propping herself up with her forelegs as she thought of other ways she could feel the wind in her mane like Fluttershy did. "Base jumping sounds fun! I know somepony who used to do that; I could ask her. You'd totally do this with me, right Shy?" Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Wait… do what?" Rainbow leaned over until she was practically nose to nose with Fluttershy. "Oh my gosh, Fluttershy! We could go ziplining! Or high-diving! I know Ponyville has a high-diving team… Yeah!" She put her hooves on Fluttershy's shoulders and shook her. "Do you think that would work?" "Uhm…." Fluttershy hesitated. "Maybe? I don't know, Rainbow. That sounds… scary. And a lot of it is just falling, not flying..." "Oh," Rainbow gulped. She deflated a little and retracted from Fluttershy. "You're right." Fluttershy squeaked and reached out to Rainbow, keeping her from sinking further away. "But I think it would give you a good idea of what it's like to fly. Really!" But I'll never really know, Rainbow thought to herself. She frowned a little, but before Fluttershy could notice, she shook it off and smiled. "Yeah. Maybe I'll try it someday." Fluttershy nodded, but said nothing else. If Fluttershy noticed Rainbow's frown, then she didn't show it. That was okay, though. There was nothing more to say, and frankly, Rainbow decided she could definitely use a nap, and hopefully a dream to go with it. She rested her head on the floor and closed her eyes. As the wind died down and warmth enveloped her, she swore could almost feel real feathers on her back already. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Scootaloo's Secret author: Alaborn tags: character:Cutie Mark Crusaders, character:Main 6, character:Scootaloo, character:Zecora, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Scootaloo's Secret === Scootaloo's Secret By Alaborn Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein. "That will never work," Apple Bloom said. Three frustrated fillies sat in their clubhouse, sitting around a piece of paper. A few phrases were written on the paper, but it was mostly covered with scratched-out sentences. A few crumpled paper balls were pushed into one corner, more evidence of their lack of progress. "Come on, we can't be running out of ideas already!" Scootaloo urged. "I know, let's have a sleepover!" Sweetie Belle suggested. "How's that gonna get us our cutie marks?" Apple Bloom asked. "It probably won't," Sweetie Belle admitted. "But it will be fun!" "So where? Your sister's place?" said Apple Bloom. "No go. Rarity has a huge order. She'd kick us out faster than last month's fashion!" Sweetie Belle replied. "We could spend the night here, in the clubhouse!" Scootaloo suggested. "Applejack says we can't do that. She's too afraid it might collapse in the middle of the night," Apple Bloom said. "And I don't want to wake up before sunrise to do chores!" Sweetie Belle complained. "Your parents?" Apple Bloom asked Sweetie Belle. "On vacation. Again." Sweetie Belle turned to Scootaloo. "Why don't we sleep over at your place?" Scootaloo scratched her mane nervously. "That wouldn't work. My parents are always busy. Super busy," she said quickly. Apple Bloom stared at Scootaloo. "We never go to your place." The pegasus took a step back. "Look, we will, someday, but... it just won't work today. Trust me. Meanwhile, maybe we should take up Zecora's suggestion to help her collect herbs." "But Ah thought you hated that!" Apple Bloom said. "And it's so creepy and dirty!" Sweetie Belle added. "Look, girls, it might not be fun and exciting like parachuting, but we haven't tried it. So let's just meet outside Fluttershy's cottage in the morning." Scootaloo grabbed her helmet. "I'm going to get a good night's sleep." As Apple Bloom pouted at the prospect of the evening ending so soon, Sweetie Belle stood up as well. "Hey, Scootaloo, can you give me a ride back to town?" she asked. "Sure thing!" Scootaloo said. The buzzing of Scootaloo's wings slowed as she pulled up to Carousel Boutique. She made a final turn, hoping to stop with the attached wagon right on the doorstep. She missed, but not by much. "Be careful!" Sweetie Belle warned, as she removed her helmet. "You do NOT want to disturb my sister right now!" Scootaloo nodded. She watched Sweetie Belle as she listened at the front door. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I'm trying to see if I should use the front door or back door," Sweetie Belle whispered. "Keep it down when you leave." Scootaloo waved goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow." Using only her hooves to propel the scooter, Scootaloo departed quieter than normal. Once past the boutique, she stretched and flapped her wings. Focusing on the trip, she didn't notice the white unicorn filly following her. Sweetie Belle was no runner. Even the short race course in the Sisterhooves Social winded her. Realistically, she had no chance of catching Scootaloo. Though the pegasus filly was slower on her scooter than a pegasus her age would be in the air, she was much faster than any galloping filly. What she was able to do was get an idea of Scootaloo's direction. She wasn't heading towards any of the neighborhoods she knew. Rather, she was heading downtown. The small collection of taller buildings that made up downtown Ponyville might be politely called "quaint" by a visiting Manehattanite, but they were strange and mysterious to Sweetie Belle. Sometimes Rarity went there, but Sweetie Belle didn't see any fabric shops. She passed the tallest building, five stories of brick and glass with the Rich family logo on it. "But they sell things! Where is the zap apple jam? Where is the hardware?" she wondered. Focusing back on the task at hand, she searched for signs of the scooter's passing. The streets were covered in flagstones, meaning the telltale tracks through the mud weren't there. Aha! A puddle! The gas streetlights provided enough light to reveal two wet tracks trailing from the puddle. They looked like they were heading to an alley. Sweetie Belle peeked into the alley, and recoiled from the smell. All sorts of refuse were stacked along the walls: crates, bottles, food waste, and other things she didn't want to think about. There was barely enough room for a single-pony cart to fit through. The unicorn filly paused and listened. All was quiet. She hesitantly stepped into the alley. The shadows reached out to grasp her, but she proceeded. One, two, three more steps, each hooffall echoing off the brick walls. The light from the street or from Luna's moon occasionally revealed a new feature. There! A glint of red, from under an old burlap sack. Sweetie Belle lifted it with her hoof. There, sitting hidden in a dirty alley, rested Scootaloo's scooter and wagon. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle heard a rustling sound from further down the alley. She backed out of the alley as quietly as her hooves would let her, and then she dashed across the street. Hiding in the opposite alley, she watched the alley. A minute later, a stray cat slunk out of the shadows, a feral thing that was probably still kinder than Opalescence. The unicorn stayed in the shadows for another five uneventful minutes. Tired and worried, Sweetie Belle walked home, lost in her thoughts. Scootaloo slowed to a stop and leaned her scooter against the wall of Fluttershy's chicken coop. She looked to her fellow crusaders, who had arrived first, and smiled. "Ready to go?" "Ah am!" said Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle nodded. She looked over and appraised her pegasus friend. "Are you ready to go?" "Sure," she replied. Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by Fluttershy's arrival. "Oh, no, I don't want you to go now. Please wait for Zecora to arrive, if you don't mind. I wouldn't want you three fillies to step into the scary Everfree Forest alone." "We're not afraid of anything," Scootaloo boasted. The woods behind them rustled, and a familiar zebra emerged. "But scared you should be. This is the Everfree," Zecora warned. "It's so nice to see you again," Fluttershy told Zecora. "Please take good care of the fillies." Zecora looked over the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Use your eyes, your ears, your mind, and wondrous herbs you will find. But be careful, do not act brash; the least you'll get is a nasty rash." "We'll be careful," Sweetie Belle said. The three fillies smiled, the early morning sunlight somehow coalescing into halos above their heads. With that, Zecora led the fillies along a narrow trail through the Everfree Forest. Almost immediately, they began plotting. "If we harvest the flowers from the most dangerous plant in the Everfree, we're sure to get our cutie marks!" Scootaloo said. "If you don't get eaten first," Apple Bloom commented. "We should find the best smelling herbs," Sweetie Belle suggested. "No, the most useful ones," Apple Bloom countered. "You fillies will go to my hut and read, before you seek a single seed," Zecora rhymed. "Awwww," the fillies whined in harmony. Zecora clapped her hooves to attract the three fillies' attention away from the masks and tools hanging in her hut. "In these journals I have made signs, noting plants both bad and benign. I caution you greatly to avoid these ten; they are the surest way for you to meet your end." The fillies, Apple Bloom in particular, gazed in wonderment at Zecora's hoofcrafted and hoofwritten journals. The natural paper of the journals was beige, weathered brown around the edges. Every part of each page was covered in detailed illustrations of plants, notes on the useful parts of each, advice on harvesting the components, and medicinal uses. Such a wealth of knowledge, and they were among the few to have seen it! After an hour reading the journals, the fillies looked anxious to go. Zecora passed each of them a different tool useful for collecting herbs. "Tread carefully, my little fillies, and don't do anything silly. I will be there and be your guide, so come along and enjoy the ride," Zecora said. The Cutie Mark Crusaders dashed out of Zecora's hut, pursued by the zebra. Though excited, they carefully remained visible to their elder. With their quick study, and a few helpful hints from Zecora while they were the presence of useful plants, the fillies actually were relatively successful. "Chamomile flowers! My sister loves those in her tea!" Sweetie Belle said. "Willow bark? You said that was good for aches, right?" asked Apple Bloom. "Hydra's hair! That's used to fight curses, right?" said Scootaloo. Then, Scootaloo noticed something. She nudged her friends and pointed to a plant on a distant rise, fronds like golden sunlight captured in delicate solid form. "Is that what I think that is?" she whispered. "I think it is!" Sweetie Belle confirmed. "But Zecora's journal said arcanum bloom was rare!" Apple Bloom recalled. "If we collect a really rare herb, we're sure to get our cutie marks!" Scootaloo said, smiling infectiously. All three fillies ran ahead. Zecora looked up, a look of concern crossing her face. "Stop and wait right here! There's danger there, I fear!" she warned. Her warning came too late. "I can see why you love this chamomile tea so much," Twilight Sparkle said, setting down her teacup. The stress from having to create three extra lists this morning was already passing. She felt like she could just enjoy the environment of the quaint tea room of Ponyville's finest hotel, at least for the half hour allotted for such purposes on her daily schedule. "I quite agree," Rarity, Twilight Sparkle's teatime companion, said. She took a sip from her own teacup, enjoying the same herbal tea. "It's also quite helpful if you're having trouble getting to sleep." "Are you having trouble getting to sleep?" asked Twilight Sparkle worriedly. "There are times when I'm in the middle of an order, and I can't stop my mind from designing or planning," Rarity admitted, adjusting her fancy hat. "I think it gets worse when I'm otherwise distracted." "Sweetie Belle?" Rarity nodded, and took another sip of tea. "Does it bother you, the amount of time your sister spends in your care, instead of with your parents?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "It can be a problem, but I understand why my parents are doing this. I probably shouldn't mention this, but...." Behind the two mares, a hutch filled with fine china opened, and Pinkie Pie emerged, pointing her hoof at Rarity. "FOREVER!!!" she exclaimed sinisterly. Pinkie Pie's sudden appearance shocked the unicorn waiter, who lost control over the tray he was levitating. Two patrons suddenly found their coats stained by cream and dusted with sugar. Rarity sighed. "I did make a promise never to talk about it. Sorry, Twilight." The hotel's manager, another unicorn, hurried to the scene. He apologized to the two patrons, and used his magic to clean them up. Pinkie Pie, apparently oblivious to the impact of her sudden appearance, turned to Twilight Sparkle. "Am I glad I found you, Twilight! Spike told me to find you and bring you back to the library! There's a weird strange sticky magic situation, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Zecora need your magic!" Twilight Sparkle nodded. "I'll be right there. Sorry to cut our teatime short, Rarity." With that, Twilight Sparkle's horn glowed, and she blinked out of existence. "I'm coming too!" Rarity spoke to the now empty chair. Twilight Sparkle rematerialized on the ground floor of the library, seeing Spike, Zecora, and a relatively familiar sight. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were stuck together again. This time, she noticed, they weren't glued to each other with tree sap. Instead, it looked like nothing was holding them together. However, the way they pulled against each other and the small cries that reflected their discomfort made it apparent the fillies were somehow attached. They were side to side, flanks stuck together. Apple Bloom was sandwiched between Sweetie Belle, on her left, and Scootaloo, on her right. Twilight Sparkle inspected the fillies. They had a few scrapes, probably from learning to walk with twelve legs and three minds, but were otherwise unhurt. "If it isn't tree sap, then what happened?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "This is not tree sap, you see, but something rather more tricky," Zecora explained. "They sought the fronds of arcanum bloom, but missed the danger that did loom." "Sorry," said Sweetie Belle. Twilight Sparkle turned to the bookcase, and pulled a book off it with her magic. She flipped to the right page, reading a more scholarly report on arcanum bloom. "The essence of magic trapped in golden fronds... very rare... often found near other deadly plants, and can interact with them in unexpected manners...." "Though words of warning I had spoke, these fillies found some Poison Joke," Zecora said. "We said we were sorry!" Apple Bloom pleaded. "At least we got the arcanum bloom fronds," said Scootaloo. "But no cutie marks," she continued, sighing. "I could see why that devious plant would have this effect on the Crusaders," Twilight Sparkle said. Zecora nodded. "These binds made up of magic weave, my mere potions cannot cleave. My tonic here can fight the herb, but must be combined with magic words." "A general purpose dispel magic ritual can drain the power granted by the arcanum bloom to the effects of the Poison Joke, and allow your potion to function as it should," Twilight Sparkle said. "Go ahead and give them a potion, Zecora." After Scootaloo sipped the bitter brew, she looked to Twilight Sparkle. "What do you mean by general purpose dispel magic?" "It means just that, dispelling all magic," she replied. Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak again, but Twilight Sparkle's horn was already glowing. Warm magic encompassed the fillies. "Ow, stop pulling!" Apple Bloom said. With a sound like a spring rebounding, Scootaloo found herself freed from her magical binding. She dashed out of the library, slamming the door behind her. As the spell faded, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stepped away from each other, for the first time in nearly two hours. They looked at the space where their friend once stood. "What was that all about?" Apple Bloom asked. Sweetie Belle looked around nervously. "I think Scootaloo's been hiding something big from us. And we can't just ignore it anymore." "How is that even possible?" Twilight Sparkle asked. Everypony was shocked after hearing about Sweetie Belle's discovery the previous night. "I wondered that too. After thinking about it, I realized Scootaloo is really good at deflecting attention from herself," Sweetie Belle said. "Ah feel really bad we never realized she was hiding something," Apple Bloom said. "We're supposed to be her friends!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "Don't feel bad, girls. A lot of adults will do the same thing when they don't want to reveal a secret. It is hard to see through a dedicated lie like that," Twilight Sparkle said. "The best thing we can do for Scootaloo now is find her and talk to her." "I will see Fluttershy before returning to the Everfree. I will let her know that she should seek you three," Zecora rhymed. "Good idea," Twilight Sparkle said. "We should all gather to let Scootaloo know we support her. Apple Bloom, is your sister in town today?" "She's selling today. I'll find her." "Tell her to come to the hotel downtown," Twilight Sparkle ordered. "I'll take Sweetie Belle there, and we should meet Rarity and Pinkie Pie along the way. But there's still one pony we really need to find." The two fillies nodded. "Spike, you're in charge of the library. If Rainbow Dash happens to stop by, tell her to meet us by the hotel downtown," Twilight Sparkle called upstairs. "Got it," the dragon replied. Twilight Sparkle and the two Crusaders stepped outside. Apple Bloom ran off towards the marketplace. The older unicorn looked to the sky. She waved down the passing mailmare. "Hey, Derpy!" she called. Derpy flew down, skidding to a halt in front of Twilight Sparkle. She gave a wave and focused one eye on the unicorn. "Hi, Twilight!" she said cheerily. "We need Rainbow Dash to meet us at the hotel downtown. It's very important. Can you spread the word to any weather pegasus you see?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "Sure thing, Twilight!" The gray pegasus launched into the air, a bit unstably, and flew off. A group of ponies consisting of Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Sweetie Belle had met up midway, and were now headed downtown. Their discussions were interrupted by Pinkie Pie calling, "Hey, Scootaloo!" The pegasus filly was walking away from downtown, looking as if nothing special had happened that day. "Oh, hi, guys," she said. "Why'd you run off like that?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Um, you know, there's certain things you gotta do, alone, you know?" she replied nervously. Four ponies stared at her. "I had to go really bad, okay?" she yelled, blushing. Sweetie Belle nodded. Rarity blushed. Pinkie Pie grinned. Twilight Sparkle, however, was unmoved. "Then why are you in this part of town?" she asked. "Uhhhh," Scootaloo muttered. "Look, Scootaloo, it's important you stop lying to us," Twilight Sparkle admonished her. "You have ponies that love you, and will help you, but we can't help you unless you're honest with us. Let's walk together, and you can talk about whatever you want." The group continued walking downtown. Scootaloo remained silent. Finally, they reached the hotel. Twilight Sparkle looked to the alley, then towards Sweetie Belle, who nodded. Twilight Sparkle got on her knees, lowering herself to Scootaloo's eye level. "Scootaloo, is there anything you'd like to tell us now?" "I think tall buildings are neat?" she offered. Twilight Sparkle looked to Sweetie Belle, who walked into the alley, a much less frightening prospect with Celestia's sun overhead. She removed the tarp she had found the previous night, and pulled out the Crusaders' wagon. Scootaloo cast her gaze downward. Twilight Sparkle placed her hoof under the filly's chin and lifted her head. "Scootaloo, where do you live?" she asked sternly. "I... don't have a house in Ponyville," Scootaloo admitted. Rarity rushed up to Scootaloo and embraced her. "Why didn't you say something, darling?" "I... I couldn't." A clattering sound grew in volume. Apple Bloom was leading Applejack, her cart still laden with apples and baked goods. "Now where is that filly who needs help?" the older Apple asked. "Right here," Twilight Sparkle said. "Ah want you to take a good look at this," Applejack told Scootaloo, motioning to her cart. "That there cart is filled with goods that need to be sold. But that's not as important as helping a pony in need. Ah gladly left a busy marketplace to come here. But Ah don't cotton to a filly who lies." Scootaloo gulped. "Sure thing, Applejack." "You're going to sleep in a home tonight, Scootaloo," Twilight Sparkle said. "Any of us would make room for you. But there's one pony who I think would be best for that task." As if on cue, a rainbow streak approached. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash landed next to Twilight Sparkle. "I came as soon as I got the message. What's going on?" "Scootaloo's homeless!" Sweetie Belle blurted. "What?" Rainbow Dash yelled. Her number one fan couldn't look at her idol. Rainbow Dash lifted her with her forelegs. "We can deal with all the official stuff later, but you are not going to be on the streets. I'm taking you to the coolest house in Ponyville." Scootaloo smiled. "You mean you're taking me to Sugarcube Corner?" Rainbow Dash mussed the filly's mane. "No. I said coolest, not sweetest." Scootaloo giggled. "I'm just playing with you." "I knew that. Hey, want a lift to my cloud home?" Scootaloo just grinned. As Rainbow Dash climbed into the skies above Ponyville, Scootaloo couldn't stop smiling. In the back of the weather pony's mind, the unfamiliarity of this situation worried her. For now, she concentrated on the joy being felt by a filly who truly needed to feel happiness. The rainbow-maned pegasus reached her cloud home, and flew a tight circle around it, letting her guest get a view of the rainbow fountains from all angles. Finally, she landed on the soft clouds of the front porch. Scootaloo hopped off, and bounced around on the clouds for a bit. Rainbow Dash opened the front door. "Race you upstairs!" she called. Scootaloo looked up, only to find Rainbow Dash already walking up the stairs. She knew the best young flier could have completed that trip by now in the air, but if she wanted to make it a hoof race, she'd take the opportunity. The filly ran forward, then between her idol's legs, hoping to trip her up. Her move succeeded, but Rainbow Dash recovered quickly. The mare took two steps, and then jumped over Scootaloo. From there, she easily reached the upper level of her house first. "Rule #1, squirt: I always win." Scootaloo finished the ascent and looked into the room atop the stairs. Her idol's bedroom! She scanned the messy room. Wonderbolts posters, trophies, pictures of Rainbow Dash with her friends, a couple of Daring Do books. A couple of very fancy dresses rested in a corner of the room, crumpled and hopelessly wrinkled. Rainbow Dash broke Scootaloo out of her reverie. "Ever been on a cloud bed before?" Scootaloo shook her head. "Not in a while." Rainbow Dash picked up Scootaloo and gently tossed her onto the bed. The filly sank into the fluffy clouds. "This is so much better," she spoke cheerily, before she got quiet. "Better than..." she said softly. Rainbow Dash placed a foreleg over Scootaloo's shoulder. "I'm going to be honest, Scootaloo. I'm scared. I don't know what I'm doing here. I haven't had to deal with fillies since the time I was a filly, and based on those times, nopony should even trust me to be a foalsitter. There are town officials I'm going to have to talk to, and laws I'll need to look up. I barely know the laws regulating weather ponies!" Rainbow Dash chuckled. Rainbow Dash looked at Scootaloo, a serious expression now on her face. "Until I know what to do, I'm going to make sure you're safe. You can have my bed. If you want to talk about anything, I'll listen. If you need anything, just ask. "Now, are you hungry?" Scootaloo nodded. "I hope you're as good a cook as you are a flyer!" "Not a chance, squirt." When Rainbow Dash lifted into the air, Scootaloo carefully on her back, the ponies on the ground felt their spirits soar. But Scootaloo's secret was only partially revealed. Twilight Sparkle conjured a scroll and quill. "Alright, girls, we've got a lot to do if we're going to help Scootaloo. I hope she'll be able to open up to Rainbow Dash, once she's safe and comfortable. But if she's been living a lie for this long, that may take time. So let's make a list of everything we can do." "Who are her parents? Do you know, Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom?" Rarity asked. "We've never met them," Sweetie Belle admitted. "Ah think she once said somethin' about relatives in Cloudsdale," Apple Bloom recalled. Everypony else shook their heads. "If nopony here knows, then who might?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "School? Town Hall?" "I speak with the fillies' teacher on occasion, so I'll ask Cheerilee," Rarity offered. "And Ah have business at town hall. Ah'll ask to check the records," said Applejack. "And Rainbow Dash can follow Apple Bloom's lead in Cloudsdale!" Pinkie Pie suggested. Twilight Sparkle added several lines of writing to her scroll. "Now, let's think of what we need to do to make Scootaloo feel comfortable." "We could throw a 'Happy New Home' party for Scootaloo!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Maybe when she's ready to talk about it, Pinkie," Twilight suggested. "I'm sure she'll be fine soon," Rarity said. "She always has such a magnificent positive attitude, quite remarkable now that we know what she's been going through." "Then I'll make her the biggest cupcake ever! A ten cup cupcake!" Pinkie Pie said. "She needs her scooter back," Apple Bloom said. Twilight Sparkle nodded. "That's a good idea. I hope Fluttershy notices it and brings it with her. Let's find anything else she owns as well." She reviewed her list. "Pinkie Pie, baking. Applejack, town hall. Rarity, school. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, go with your sisters. I'll check the scene here and wait for Fluttershy. Report back to the library later today." Everypony nodded, and headed off to complete their tasks. Twilight Sparkle headed into the unpleasant alley, looking for Scootaloo's other belongings. Her horn glowing, she shifted around the detritus of the alley; she was glad she didn't have to handle it with her hooves. After a few minutes, she uncovered two crates stacked next to each other. Moving aside one, the other revealed a few empty bottles and an old blanket, its color very similar to Scootaloo's coat. Twilight Sparkle paused. Sadness overcame her as she pondered what this revelation meant. Scootaloo had been in Ponyville for more than a year. If she had been hiding here the entire time, that meant she had spent the winter with only these meager protections from the elements. Twilight Sparkle picked up the blanket and cradled it. Then, she sneezed. And sneezed again. The old blanket's musty smell did not agree with Twilight Sparkle's nose. Her sneezing fit lasted nearly a minute after she dropped the blanket. Distracted from her list, the day's facts and impressions filled her mind. No matter how much she thought about them, they couldn't fit into the neat compartments she expected them to fill. Twilight Sparkle concentrated on her magic, conjuring a deerstalker hat upon her head. No matter how silly it still sounded to her, ever since Pinkie Pie had introduced the headgear to her on that train ride to Canterlot, she found it helped her work out any mystery she encountered. That blanket. Sneezing. Illness. Flu. Twilight Sparkle had been sick with the flu for a week the previous winter. She had barely gotten out of bed during that time. When she had finally recovered, her bed sheets and blanket were in desperate need of washing. That smell, that powerful smell of unwashed pony. It was missing from the blanket. Scootaloo being homeless. That's what Sweetie Belle blurted out. But Scootaloo had said something different. She didn't have a house... in Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle hadn't asked her where she lived in Ponyville. She asked where she lived. What Scootaloo said was probably 100% true, something even Applejack, the Element of Honesty, would agree was fact. But the more she thought about it, the more Scootaloo's statement sounded like it was designed to hide something. Twilight Sparkle paced the alley, thinking. Scootaloo had been good at deflecting attention from herself, which is how they agreed she got away with this lie for so long. The more she thought about possible details everypony missed, details that would have given away her condition, the more her inability to come up with these details bothered her. She conjured another scroll and started writing. Scootaloo was the normal size for a filly her age, though her wings were small. She never appeared unusually hungry. She was always clean, save for the occasional Crusader mishap; Twilight Sparkle couldn't remember a time when she had that unwashed pony smell. She had a normal personality, and was as well-adjusted as anypony. As Twilight Sparkle paced and wrote, she accidentally kicked what she had thought to be Scootaloo's crate, moving it slightly. There was something behind it. Moving the crate aside revealed a half-size door, the kind often used to seal off an attic or crawlspace. Twilight Sparkle couldn't remember seeing a door like that on the exterior of any building, even on a wall bordering an alley. She tested the door; it was locked. Her horn glowed as she prepared a simple teleportation spell, transporting herself to the other side of the door. The magic dissipated, and Twilight Sparkle's hooves reappeared on the ground behind the small door. At least, they would have, had there been a floor there. She fell, her rump impacting a steep staircase, and she slid down these stairs ingloriously. Twilight Sparkle got to her hooves, and checked her body. Finding nothing more injured than her ego, she lit her horn, bright light filling an undecorated basement area. Two doors led out of the room, one straight ahead, one to the right. She dimmed her horn, and tried the door ahead. Beyond was a carpeted hallway, walls finished with fine wallpaper, brass fixtures glowing with magical light. She recognized it immediately; that was the design of the hotel where she was drinking tea just an hour earlier. Twilight Sparkle closed the door before anypony noticed her. Twilight Sparkle then turned to the other door. Locked. Having learned her lesson, she wove a simple personal levitation spell before teleporting to the other side of the door. The precaution turned out to be unnecessary. The room she now found herself in was small, poorly lit by two small windows near the room's ceiling. Lighting her horn again, she finally got a good view of the room. It looked like an apartment. It was very small, but it was laid out like a one room efficiency. A bed in one corner, a small chest of drawers, a table with one chair, a small icebox, a stove with two burners, and another door that presumably led to a bathroom. She then scanned the room for personal items. A few books. She recognized them as schoolbooks. A picture atop the chest of drawers. It showed three unfamiliar pegasi. The mare had a vibrant red coat and an orange and purple mane. The stallion's coat was orange, with a yellow mane. The filly in the picture, almost certainly their daughter, had an orange coat with red points and red on the tips of her feathers. Her mane was her father's yellow, with a purple streak from her mother. Twilight Sparkle turned back to the picture. She stared at the filly's face. Nothing else was right, but she recognized the smile, the mirth in her eyes. She then turned to the chest of drawers. In the bottom drawer was a dress, one she had seen only months before, and one that was absolutely a unique creation. With that discovery, Twilight Sparkle teleported back to the alley. Once Fluttershy returned to Ponyville with Scootaloo's scooter, and confirmed the Cutie Mark Crusaders were all right, Twlight Sparkle returned home, carrying the scooter and wagon. Throughout the afternoon, ponies reported in to the library. Rarity was the first to return. Cheerilee received a copy of Scootaloo's file from a school in Cloudsdale, but curiously, they lacked any mention of her parents' names. Like everypony, she hadn't met them either. Pinkie Pie reported the cupcake would be ready anytime Scootaloo returned to town, and curiously, asked Twilight Sparkle why she was no longer wearing her hat. Finally, after the sun had set, Applejack and Apple Bloom stopped by the library. "Did you discover anything at Town Hall?" Twilight Sparkle asked. Applejack looked perturbed. "Ah discovered a lot of things, but nothin' about Scootaloo. As far as anypony knows, she doesn't live in Ponyville." Twilight Sparkle wrinkled her nose. "I was afraid of that. I hope she'll talk to somepony." She turned to the younger Apple. "Apple Bloom, are you girls going crusading soon?" "We sure are!" Apple Bloom replied. "We're gonna try leaf collecting tomorrow morning, startin' from Sweet Apple Acres and goin' into the Whitetail. And we're not goin' into the Everfree at all." "That sounds like a nice, safe activity," Twilight Sparkle commented. "Why don't I stop by your clubhouse tomorrow and return the scooter?" "Shucks, Twilight, Ah could do that myself." "No, I want to try talking to Scootaloo one more time. I think I know how to get her to open up." "There she is!" Apple Bloom pointed to the cloudless sky, where a rainbow streak approached Sweet Apple Acres. Soon, spots of cyan and orange appeared at the front of the multicolored trail. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash landed in front of the fillies and their clubhouse, Scootaloo clutching her neck tightly. "That... was... AWESOME!" Scootaloo squealed, hopping off her idol. Rainbow Dash tousled Scootaloo's windblown mane. "That's just some basic speed flying. We're going to get you in the air, and then I can show you some real flying. So what are you doing today?" "Leaf collecting!" the three fillies shouted simultaneously. "Well, that sounds like, ah...." Rainbow Dash paused. "I'm sure you'll have fun." The sound of approaching hoofsteps attracted the four ponies' attention. Twilight Sparkle stepped into the clearing, effortlessly carrying Scootaloo's scooter and wagon, plus a thick book, in her telekinetic aura. "Hi girls!" Twilight Sparkle called cheerily. "I brought a good book for you, the Illustrated Guide to Trees of Equestria. And here's your scooter!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle raced over to check out the book. Scootaloo, however, nervously glanced at the smiling older unicorn. "Couldn't Applejack or Apple Bloom have brought that here?" "Look, Scootaloo, I'm not going to stop worrying about you. You're like a sister to all of us. We just want to learn more about you." Twilight Sparkle looked to Rainbow Dash, who shook her head. "I think there's something you want to talk about," Twilight Sparkle suggested. Rainbow Dash hugged the pegasus filly protectively. "You can tell us. We all want to help you." Twilight Sparkle took this opportunity to recast the dispel magic ritual. Its first effect was red color appearing near Scootaloo's hooves. "What the...?" interjected Rainbow Dash. But in her surprise, she didn't let go, so Scootaloo couldn't flee before Twilight Sparkle's magic ritual finished removing the illusion magic upon her. "I guess it's time to stop running," Scootaloo said quietly, as Rainbow Dash finally released her. All eyes were on Scootaloo's true form, exactly as portrayed in the picture Twilight Sparkle had discovered. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gasped. "Your mane!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Your coat!" Apple Bloom cried. "Your wings!" they both exclaimed. "Is it really you?" Apple Bloom asked. "Yes, it is." Scootaloo flapped her true, larger wings. "Guess nopony will be able to call me chicken anymore." "Does that mean you can fly?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Yes, very well," she admitted. "But I'm having fun with my scooter, too. Wheels are so fascinating!" "Really?" asked Apple Bloom, doubtful. "Yeah! You know that even enchanted wheels don't really work on clouds, right? It's like trying to move through mud here on the ground." "Ah guess that makes sense," said Apple Bloom. "Now, are you really and truly a Crusader?" asked Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo twisted her body and lifted her long wing, exposing her blank flank. "I sure am. Knowing my mother, my talent is probably related to flying, but I'll keep trying things with you girls until you find your talents." "Are you ready to tell us who your mother is?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "Cometfall." Rainbow Dash stepped closer, examining her number one fan in greater detail. "No way. The Cometfall?" Scootaloo nodded. "She was my favorite Wonderbolt when I was a little filly!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She scratched her chin. "But I thought her daughter was named Comet... something." "Comet Flare?" offered Scootaloo. "Yeah!" "You're looking at her," Scootaloo said. "Scootaloo is just a silly nickname. Mom says she came up with it because of the funny way I scooted around the house when I was an infant. To be honest, I was afraid I would be discovered right away, because what pony would name her daughter Scootaloo?" "I still don't know why you tried to trick everypony. Why not just say your parents live in Cloudsdale? And why pretend you were living in a crate, not a hotel?" asked Twilight Sparkle. "Rainbow Dash, do you know the names Fire Wind and Silverwing?" Scootaloo asked. "Two past Wonderbolts. They each were members for less than a year. Both of their careers were cut short by injury." "They weren't injured." "What?" yelled Rainbow Dash. "Being a Wonderbolt is a great honor," Scootaloo explained. "Mom always told me about how the team is the face of Equestria, and how they're all high rank in the military, too. She said there's no room for selfish or greedy or ego… ego…." "Egoistical? Egotistical?" suggested Sweetie Belle. "Those are two similar but subtly distinct words, Sweetie Belle," Twilight Sparkle explained. "The first means…." "Ponies with big heads!" Scootaloo interrupted. "Anyway, those two failed to measure up. Fire Wind and Silverwing were given the choice to claim injury, and never compete again in any competitive flying, or be publicly dismissed by the Wonderbolts." "But what does that have to do with you?" Sweetie Belle wondered. "I'm in Ponyville because of Rainbow Dash. Before a pony, say a best young flier, is considered for the Wonderbolts…." "What? Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh…" Rainbow Dash uttered excitedly, before stopping and clearing her throat. "I totally expected that," she continued. "It's good to know how somepony reacts to things like, you know, adoring young fans," Scootaloo continued. "And how they react to ponies in need. That was my secret reason for coming here, to see if the most awesome pegasus in Ponyville could measure up. I thought I'd be here a couple of months at most, but, uh, I guess I have some talent at acting." Scootaloo hugged her best friends. "But I'm glad I've been here so long, so I could find such good friends!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle squeezed Scootaloo tightly. Twilight Sparkle smiled. Even Rainbow Dash had to work hard to suppress an involuntary "awwww". "Does this mean you have to go?" asked Apple Bloom. "I hope not!" Scootaloo replied. "Mom and Dad are out of town so much anyway, and I like not having people pretend to be my friend, because of who my mother is." "Cometfall is one of the event liaisons for the Wonderbolts, and travels for all their events," Rainbow Dash interjected. "And she's still a pretty good flier." "And Dad also works for the Wonderbolts," Scootaloo added. "Don't you miss your parents?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Yeah, but I fly home and see them whenever they're back in Cloudsdale. The hotel isn't so bad, you know. I'm used to being alone a lot, and if I have any problems, I can talk to Quiet Nights, the hotel owner, who's a friend of Dad," Scootaloo said. "And he knows lots of spells to help guests with problems, including that illusion spell I've been using. Speaking of which, Twilight, can you make me look like Scootaloo again?" "I'm sure I can do that," Twilight Sparkle said. Her horn glowed, and Scootaloo again appeared as the plain orange pegasus filly with stubby wings. Scootaloo examined a foreleg, and turned to check her wings. "Thanks, Twilight. Would you please not tell anypony about my secret awesome life? Let them know I'm okay, but while I'm in Ponyville, I just want to be the same old Scootaloo." Scootaloo turned to Rainbow Dash. "Thanks for taking me in last night, but as you can see, I don't need shelter. But I will take you up on that offer to teach me your moves!" "Anytime, squirt," Rainbow Dash replied. Scootaloo donned her helmet and stepped onto her scooter. She motioned to her friends, who hopped into the wagon. "Now, if you all don't mind, I have some crusading to do with my friends!" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: A ScootaBelle Story author: Vupsi tags: genre:Drama, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life

=== Chapter 1 - The Secret Act === It was a week after the three fillies got their cutie marks, and their bond was stronger than ever. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were on their way to the clubhouse as the school was going to be closed this week because of it being buried in snow. When they finally got to the clubhouse, Apple Bloom instantly started one of their "Post cutie mark" meetings. "So what do you guys think we should do now?" Apple Bloom asked her fellow crusaders. "Maybe....... Oh nevermind!" Sweetie Belle said as she seemed to be out of ideas. "Maybe we should just hang out and have fun until we find a cutie mark problem. Our cutie marks is our destiny so I think it will just come natural when somepony needs our help" Scootaloo said happily wanting to hang out more with her friends. Apple Bloom got a bit disappointed after hearing that, but after thinking it through she had to admit that it was the best option they had right now. "Okay.. Ya'll go ahead without me. I have some chores to do on the farm anyways." Apple Bloom shrugged. "Wait... What?" Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle said looking very surprised at what their friend had just told them. "Are you sure Apple Bloom? I'm sure Applejack wont mind if you do your chores a bit later so you can hang out with us." Sweetie Belle said as she had always been the crusader that got worried the most when one of her friends were sad or upset. "Yeah, Applejack is cool. Not as cool as Rainbow Dash but she's still cool. I don't think she would mind" Scootaloo said with a lot of courage in her voice as if she was trying to be like her idol Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo had always been the tough crusader always wanting to play it cool. But also usually afraid to break down in front of her friends when she gets bullied about her disability or something else she wish she didn't have. It was very weird to see Apple Bloom, who is usually the crusader wanting to achieve her goals fast and having little patience when it comes to cutie marks, but at the same time being very understanding of her friends, not wanting to hang out with them so they could potentially find a cutie mark problem but instead go home to Sweet Apple Acres and do some chores on her farm. "Ya don't have to be worried about me. I just got to figure some things out about who ah am" Apple Bloom said with a bit more confidence in her voice. "Ever since we got our cutie marks, ah have been thinking about who i am. And what my cutie mark really means.. Its hard to find somepony to help when it comes to cutie mark problems. So ah guess i just need to figure out what to do in the meantime." "Dont worry, we will always be a team" Apple Bloom said as she pulled her two friends into a group hug. At that moment Sweetie Belle had a really weird feeling in her body. She didn't know if it was because of Apple Bloom or Scootaloo. Then she remembered the last time she had it. It was just seconds before they had gotten their cutie marks. "I don't care if I'll never get my cutie mark! As long as i can hang out with my best friends." Scootaloo had said happily. Scootaloo had then pulled Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle into a hug. But not long after, Apple Bloom got out of the hug to stand up. It was right there. That was where Sweetie Belle had felt the feeling before. Sitting there hugging Scootaloo. Even though it was such a small amount of time, it had felt as if she was truly safe and no one could touch her. "Why do i feel like this? Scootaloo is just a good friend, isn't she?" Sweetie Belle's thoughts began "But if she is just a good friend, then why don't i feel the same with Apple Bloom?" She then snapped out of her flashback when hearing Apple Bloom. "Umm Sweetie Belle? I'm only gonna be gone today. You can stop hugging me and Scootaloo now. Its getting kind of awkward.." Apple Bloom said with a bit of concern for what Sweetie Belle was doing in her voice. "Huh? Oh. Sorry!" Sweetie Belle said blushing a bit. "Huh? Why am I blushing?" Sweetie Belle thought to herself. Sweetie Belle broke the hug and let Apple Bloom leave to get her chores done at the farm. "So.. What do you want to do Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Hm.. Maybe bowling? Its been a while since we bowled." Scootaloo said with a giggle remembering how it ended up last time the three crusaders had bowled together. "Okay!.. Remember what happened last time? When Apple Bloom got that 'Cutie Pox' thing?" Sweetie Belle said with a lot of joy in her voice. Sure she wanted to hang out with her other friend too. But right know it was probably for the best so she could figure out why she got those feelings when she was with Scootaloo. "Yeah, I remember that! I must admit, while it wasn't fun to see Apple Bloom go through that. She did look pretty funny doing all those crazy things with all the cutie marks she got" Scootaloo replied as both her and Sweetie Belle giggled a bit. They then got out of the clubhouse and headed towards the bowling center. "Oh no!" Scootaloo randomly said as the two fillies were walking towards the bowling center. "What's wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked with a mix of concern and confusion on her face. "I forgot to take some bits with me! I'll meet you at the bowling center!" Scootaloo said as quick as she could. She then grabbed her Scooter and went home as fast as she could. She got to her house about 10 minutes later. But a familiar voice stopped her. "Scootaloo? I really need your help!" Said Diamond Tiara who had used to bully the three crusaders all the time in school until they became friends just recently. "Sorry Diamond Tiara. But i don't have time. I'm in a hurry!" Scootaloo said as she ran into the house. When she got out of the house with her bits, she saw that Diamond Tiara had waited for her. "Please Scootaloo, it will only take 5 minutes. I thought we were friends?" Diamond Tiara begged. "Okay..." Scootaloo shrugged. "Good! Follow me!" Diamond Tiara said happily. Diamond Tiara then lead Scootaloo to a stage. "What are we doing here?" Scootaloo asked. "Oh! I just want you to fly up there and setup this banner" Diamond Tiara said as she picked up a banner and pointed at the top of the stage. "But... I-I can't fly.." Scootaloo whispered with a lot of pain in her voice. "What was that?" Diamond Tiara asked while trying her hardest not to smile at Scootaloo's pain. "I.. I.. I CAN'T FLY OKAY?!" Scootaloo yelled. "Oh.. Sorry, I forgot you were a useless dodo." Diamond Tiara said as she faked her confusion. "What did you call me? I thought we were friends?!" Scootaloo asked with anger and confusion over what was going on. "Surprised by my acting skills? I guess i should have expected that from you since you would even be surprised if you learned to fly. A thing that is normal for a pegasus to do. Thanks for the entertainment Scootaloser!" Diamond Tiara mocked as she walked away, leaving a very angry and sad Scootaloo behind. === Chapter 2 - Overwhelming Pain. === After Diamond Tiara walked away, Scootaloo was broken. She just wanted to go home and try to calm down after what had just happened. But right as she were about to run home, a picture of Sweetie Belle crying alone in the bowling center appeared in her mind. It was simply too much for Scootaloo to see her leaving one of her best friends behind like that. "I've got to try and play it cool. Please don't notice how pathetic and useless I am Sweetie Belle. I don't want to lose our friendship." Scootaloo thought as she ran towards the bowling center. When she arrived at the bowling center she could see Sweetie Belle waiting outside. "Hey, Sweetie Belle! Sorry it took so long" Scootaloo said as a frown appeared on her face. Sweetie Belle was quick to notice the frown "Hi Scootaloo! Is something wrong? I thought you were exited to go bowling." Sweetie Belle asked obviously very concerned for her friend. "Quick Scootaloo think! Think of a good excuse!" Scootaloo thought. She knew that Sweetie Belle was her friend and that she only wanted to help. But the thought of them losing their friendship because of herself was more than enough to keep her from saying anything. She also didn't want to have her friends worry over someone as useless as herself. "Umm.. No! I just thought I was late, that's all!" Scootaloo said being very nervous as to if her friend would buy it. "Please Scootaloo! I know that wasn't what happened. I know when my friends are sad and doesn't want to talk. But please Scootaloo, tell me the truth. It hurts to see you lie like this." Sweetie Belle could hardly say the words being on the edge of crying from seeing her friend in so much pain. Scootaloo could see the concern and worry in Sweetie Belle's eyes. There was an awkward moment of silence between them until Scootaloo couldn't take anymore. She ran away from the bowling center and towards the clubhouse as fast as she could. Sweetie Belle felt like her heart was broken. She had never felt anything like this before, even worrying about her sabotaging her sisters career because she overreacted didn't give her this feeling, and she was her family. She then slowly walked down the streets towards the clubhouse to see if she could figure out something to do there. When Sweetie Belle arrived she heard some noise coming from the clubhouse. "Hm.. I wonder if Apple Bloom decided to go hang out with us anyways." Sweetie Belle thought as pictures of the events at the bowling center kept reminding Sweetie Belle of how painful it must have been to be in Scootaloo's position back there. But as she came closer the noise became more clear. It sounded like someone was crying in there. Sweetie Belle quickly ran over to the window to see what was going on. There she was. Inside the clubhouse was Scootaloo. She had curled herself up and was crying into her tail. In front of her was one of her Rainbow Dash posters. "Why d-do I have to be so w-weak? Wh-why can't I be tough! Why do I have to be everything that you aren't. Why do I have to be so u-useless" Scootaloo said as the pain in her body got even stronger by saying the word 'useless'. Sweetie Belle had seen enough. She couldn't stand watching her friend feel this way. She quickly got over to the door and slowly went inside. Scootaloo was still crying into her tail, and she was too sad to notice the noise of the door opening. She put her hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder to get her attention. Scootaloo looked around to see Sweetie Belle looking concerned at her. Even though Sweetie Belle's face was full of concern, Scootaloo was so scared of her friend being angry at her for just running off like that, so the only thing she could see on Sweetie Belle's face was anger. She ran over to a corner of the clubhouse, she then curled up into a corner while shivering like crazy. It hurt Sweetie Belle so much to see her friend be scared of her like that, but she had to stay strong for Scootaloo's sake. She went over to the corner Scootaloo was sitting in and sat down beside her. She hesitated for a moment but then grabbed Scootaloo and held her close while stroking her mane with her other hoof. Sweetie Belle knew that it wasn't normal for two friends to be that close together but somehow it just felt right. "It's okay.. I'm not mad at you.. Please just tell me what happened while you got the bits for the bowling center." Sweetie Belle whispered trying to calm Scootaloo down. "Wh-why do y-you even want to know? I'm just usele.." Scootaloo said as she was cut off by Sweetie Belle. "Scootaloo! You're NOT useless! You are an amazing, tough, wonderful filly and don't ever let anyone else tell you otherwise, okay?!" Sweetie Belle said in a very serious voice. Scootaloo had never heard Sweetie Belle that serious, she had barely heard Sweetie Belle being serious at all. Scootaloo didn't say anything, she was too sad to even form out any words. "Scootaloo, I'm worried about you okay? I want to help you. Please! The only times I have ever seen you like this is when Diamond Tiara were bulling you." Sweetie Belle said in a comforting but yet serious voice. But then Sweetie Belle noticed Scootaloo's face when she said Diamond Tiara's name. "Wait... W-Was it Diamond Tiara that bullied you?!" Sweetie Belle asked surprised. Scootaloo slowly nodded. "WHAT?! Bu-But I thought she was done with that! I thought she had changed!" Sweetie Belle said as anger and frustration filled her body. Scootaloo then decided that it was finally time to speak up and tell the story. It was too painful to keep in. "Sh-she told me it was all just an act." Scootaloo said as her tears ran down her face. Sweetie Belle held Scootaloo close and started stroking her mane again. Scootaloo then started telling the story. While Scootaloo was telling the story, she kept getting interrupted by her own sobbing, Sweetie Belle had to reassure her several times that everything was okay. After Scootaloo was done telling the story Sweetie Belle began to find it hard to keep her anger towards Diamond Tiara to herself. She didn't know what it was, but seeing Scootaloo like this made her more angry than she had ever been. "I-I'm sorry i didn't tell you what the problem was right away." Scootaloo apologized feeling guilty for not saying anything and doubting her best friend. "It's okay Scootaloo, you didn't do anything wrong. If anyone did something wrong it was 'her'" Sweetie Belle said sneering when she said the word 'her' as if it was an insult. "Thank you Sweetie Belle" Scootaloo said while bringing Sweetie Belle into a hug. "Huh?" Sweetie Belle said while blushing from the hug. "Thank you for being such a good friend and not giving up on me. Even though Apple Bloom is also a good friend, you somehow feel different to me. Like you care about me a lot more than her, and like you know me better than she does. I don't know what it is but it makes me feel happy. So thank you, for being such a good friend" Scootaloo thanked. Sweetie Belle was on the edge of tears until Scootaloo stopped talking, then the tears began flowing down and she threw herself into Scootaloo for a hug. "Thanks Scootaloo. It means a lot to me, especially when it comes from you" Sweetie Belle said when her tears had finally stopped. After the two fillies had calmed down, they went outside. Right as they got out, Sweetie Belle heard a familiar voice calling her name. "Sweetie Belle darling! Its getting cold! We have to get home! I don't want you catching a cold or getting sick in this cold weather" Rarity said as she called for her little sister. Sweetie Belle was just about to go down to Rarity when she realized that Scootaloo's house was in the other end of town. It would be too cold for her to go all the way over there without at least getting a cold. Then an idea came to her mind. "Scootaloo? Would you like to stay at my place with Rarity today? I'm sure she wont mind, I wouldn't want you catching a cold when going all the way home." Sweetie Belle explained. "Okay! That sounds like fun!" Scootaloo said with joy and excitement in her voice. Sweetie Belle was glad to see she was feeling better again. Sweetie Belle then ran down and informed Rarity of their plans. Rarity was a bit unsure first, but when she realized that it was too long for Scootaloo to walk to the other side of town before catching a cold, she finally agreed. After that they all walked happily back to Carousel Boutique. === Chapter 3 - Getting some help === Turned out it was not just cold outside. There were going to be a huge storm of snow until the evening. When they got back to Carousel Boutique Rarity told Sweetie Belle to go show Scootaloo the room she was staying in. They got up and entered Scootaloo's room. It was a very fine room with a huge bed in the middle that had a white painted fence supporting it. The blanket was a dark purple color and the pillows white. Just by looking at it the bed, you could easily figure out Rarity lived here. On each side of the bed was a brown night table. One of them had a purple lamp on it, and the other a painting. It was a painting of when Rarity got her cutie mark. And it looked like Rarity was trying to make space for another painting to come in there with Sweetie Belle's Cutie mark. "Pretty fancy for a guest room huh?" Scootaloo said thinking that Rarity would probably panic if even a single room wasn't in touch with fashion. "Of course it is! It is my big sister we're talking about after all" Sweetie Belle answered giving Scootaloo a smile. They then decided to go play in Sweetie Belle's room for a while. But they were stopped after about an hour when it turned out that Sweetie Belle's definition of 'playing' meant singing so loud that Rarity couldn't concentrate on making her dresses downstairs. After that they just talked about their crusading until 5:00 PM. "Scootaloo? I know you probably don't want to but I think It would be best if we told what happened to Rarity, or at least I told her." Sweetie Belle said, hoping for her friend to understand. "I-I'm not sure if that's a good idea Sweetie Belle" Scootaloo said being both nervous and shocked by the question. "Why not? I'm sure she will understand" Sweetie Belle said confused. "It's not that I don't think she will understand. Its that I don't want ponies to know how big of a crybaby I am. I try to be tough because I don't want other ponies to know I cry so easily. Its really embarrassing" Scootaloo said, worried that somepony would find out and tell everyone else in Ponyville. "Okay then... What about I tell Rarity about all of it so she can contact Cheerilee. But Rarity wont tell anything about what happened afterwards. Only that Diamond Tiara is continuing to bully you." Sweetie Belle asked hoping that this idea would work. Scootaloo hesitated for a moment but then finally agreed that it was for the better. Sweetie Belle then went downstairs to inform Rarity about what had happened so she could contact Cheerilee as quickly as possible. "Umm Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked her big sister. "Oh, Sweetie Belle darling! You came just in time! How do you like my new dress? Too many gems? Too much blue?" Rarity asked getting so caught up in her dresses that she forgot her sister was trying to ask her something. "Rarity! I need to have a serious talk with you! Its about Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle bursted out as she was clearly getting annoyed by her sister's ignorance. "Huh? Wait... WHAT DID SHE DO TO YOU! I'M GONNA GO UP THERE RIGHT NOW AND SHE IS GOING TO GET KICKED OUT FOR MESSING WITH YOU!" Rarity bursted out angrily while running over to the stairs that led up to the guest room where Scootaloo were staying. But luckily she was stopped by Sweetie Belle pulling her tail to get her attention. "RARITY! STOP!" Sweetie Belle Screamed. She was furious over Rarity actually thinking Scootaloo would hurt her. "She didn't do anything against anyone! She was the target for what i was going to talk to you about!" Sweetie Belle said in a bit calmer tone, but Rarity could still hear the anger in her voice. "Huh?! What happened?" Rarity asked curious to what had happened. "D-Diamond Tiara" Sweetie Belle could barely form the name of that evil little filly, and as soon as she did, anger started to fill her body just like it did in the clubhouse. "Oh! Do you mean that filly who you three helped find her true self? I really must say. You did a great job showing her what friendship means." Rarity said with a smile. Sweetie Belle couldn't take anymore. She slammed her hooves onto the floor in anger. "NO! SHE ALWAYS KNEW HER TRUE SELF! AND THAT IS BEING A MEAN BULLY WITH NO FRIENDS!" Sweetie Belle yelled at Rarity. "Sweetie Belle! What in Equestria are you talking about?!" Rarity said. She was getting pretty impatient. "I'm talking about that filly being a no good bully! When me and Scootaloo left for bowling today, we split up so she could get her money an-and t-then Diamond Tiara came to Scootaloo! She called her all these horrible things! She even brought up the subject of Scootaloo not being able to fly again!" Sweetie Belle said as she began crying, feeling horrible about what her friend had to go through. Rarity instantly noticed this and picked up her little sister, hugging her closely. The two sisters sat there for a little while until Sweetie Belle finally broke the silence and told Rarity the rest of the story. She told her about Scootaloo's breakdown in the clubhouse and Scootaloo not wanting her to tell her breakdown to anyone else. "That poor filly. She must have had such a hard time." Rarity said feeling guilty that she had almost ran up there and kicked her out of the house for no reason earlier. "But i am very proud of you sis" Rarity said trying to clear away the guilt from her voice. "Huh?" Sweetie Belle said confused about what her sister was proud of. "I'm very proud of how you helped Scootaloo through it. I never knew you could be so serious about things. Guess you're just a really good friend" Rarity said smiling to her sister. "Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about sis" Sweetie Belle explained. "Well what is it darling?" Rarity asked. "Could we talk about it in private? I don't want Scootaloo hearing it." Sweetie Belle whispered to Rarity. "Of course darling." Rarity said as a smile appeared on her face. The two sisters then walked into the room behind the stage that was in the middle of Carousel Boutique. "So.. What did you want to talk about Sweetie?" Rarity asked. "I think we should start from the beginning" Sweetie Belle shrugged. "A few seconds before me, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got our cutie marks, Scootaloo had pulled me and Apple Bloom into a hug. But when Apple Bloom got out of it and it was just me and Scootaloo, I felt... Safe" Sweetie Belle explained being very confused herself about her feelings. Rarity looked a bit shocked on her face. She had gotten that feeling before, but she wanted to make sure this was what her sister was talking about. "Proceed" Rarity told her sister. "I-It felt really strange but good at the same time. It felt like I was safe. As if no one could touch me. Even though It was just a few seconds, I felt like I was, no offence Rarity, more safe than I was here at home." Sweetie Belle continued. "And today, I noticed I had started blushing whenever she hugged me. But the strangest thing was when I heard about Diamond Tiara mocking Scootaloo. I don't ever think I've been that mad at anypony in my life before. I also haven't felt so bad for anypony before. That was probably how I was so serious and good at comforting her. Because I felt so bad. But I don't get it. Why do I only feel so bad when it's her? Why does it feel like my whole world breaks down whenever she's in pain or is sad." Sweetie Belle said even more confused than before. Rarity was a bit shocked at first, wondering if she should tell Sweetie Belle the real reason. But then a thought came into her mind. "If you tell her the truth, she'll have a chance to be with the pony she loves. If you lie to her, she'll have to be confused about her feelings and go through even more pain." Rarity thought. "Sweetie Belle, I must admit this comes as a bit of a shock to me, but that's wonderful news!" Rarity finally said bouncing up and down happily for her sister. "Huh? Why is it wonderful news?" Sweetie Belle asked, this time getting a bit annoyed by Rarity not telling her a reason. "Don't you see Sweetie? You're in love!" Rarity bursted out being extremely happy for her sister. "But, but I thought fillies were meant to love colts. Why do I then love Scootaloo who is a filly?" Sweetie Belle asked trying to let It all sink in. "Its not at all everypony who loves the opposite gender of themselves. Many ponies love the same gender. Its nothing to be ashamed of" Rarity explained trying to make Sweetie Belle calm down from getting overwhelmed by the fact that she had a crush on Scootaloo. "So let me get this straight. These feelings I have for Scootaloo is.. Love?" Sweetie Belle said still not getting it. "Exactly!" Rarity told her. Now that she thought about it. Other ponies description of love did seem very familiar to what she was feeling, she then finally let it sink in. "Oh no! Wh-What if she doesn't like me the same way?! What if she hates me after confessing my feelings! My life would be ruined!" Sweetie Belle said as she was panicking like crazy. "Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo is one of your first and closest friends. You got her as a friend even before Apple Bloom. I'm sure even if she does not feel the same way, she will always stick by your side and be your friend." Rarity explained trying to lower her sisters stress. "You're probably right sis. I'll tell her when I feel the time is right. But for now, I think I should go back up to her so she doesn't get bored" Sweetie Belle said as both her and Rarity let out a small giggle. "That would probably be best." Rarity said to her sister as she let her run up to her friend. "I'm so proud of you sis." Rarity thought. Then she started getting ready for some dinner. === Chapter 4 - Thunder and fears === When Sweetie Belle arrived at her room she could see that Scootaloo was a bit nervous about what Rarity said. "Don't worry Scoots, she'll talk to Cheerilee about it" Sweetie Belle said giving her friend a big smile. "Wait... Did I just call her Scoots? Please don't notice anything" Sweetie Belle thought since it was normally only Rainbow Dash who called Scootaloo 'Scoots'. "Heh, thanks 'Sweets'" Scootaloo said trying to make her nickname into a nickname for Sweetie Belle. "OH COME ON! Well, at least she only thinks I'm being extra friendly" Sweetie Belle thought happy that Scootaloo didn't get suspicious. They then played some board games like 'Saddle Ship' and 'Marenopoly' until Rarity came up and told them dinner was ready. As they were eating dinner they heard something slamming into the outside of one of the walls. A minute of smashing into the wall later they saw a little letter come in through the door and a gray mare with a bold mane waving outside the window. Rarity walked over and read the letter. Dear citizen of Ponyville. The storm has had to be extended since there has been a lack of storms this winter. Please stay inside your house until tomorrow. That is all. "Well, it looks like there's going to be a sleepover here at Rarity's house tonight." Rarity said happily. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked confused as they walked over to Rarity to see what the letter said. Rarity then gave them the letter as she could see the smile on both of the fillies face get even bigger as they read through the letter. "Sweetie Belle? Could you go upstairs with Scootaloo and help her getting everything ready for her sleepover?" Rarity asked thinking that her sister still wanted to spent some time with Scootaloo. Scootaloo was about to run with Sweetie Belle when she heard Rarity's voice. "Scootaloo. I promise I won't tell anyone about what you had to go through other than that rich meanie bullying you" Rarity said giving Scootaloo a reassuring smile. Scootaloo was a bit shocked at first as she had completely forgotten that Rarity knew about what happened. "Thanks Rarity" Scootaloo thanked with a smile as she ran up the stairs to help Sweetie Belle. As the two fillies prepared the guest room to be used, Sweetie Belle kept thinking about how wonderful it would be to be together with Scootaloo. But the fears took over and she had to find an excuse to go to bed earlier so she could think of something else. "Scootaloo? I need to go to bed early. Rarity told me that it was my punishment for being out in the cold for so long." Sweetie Belle said, trying her best to lie even though she hated it. "Huh? O-okay" Scootaloo said a bit disappointed. Sweetie Belle quickly ran downstairs and told Rarity her lie and that she should just play along. They all went to bed about 10 minutes after. "Scootaloo! What I'm trying to say is that... I-I love you." Sweetie Belle finally confessed. She was very scared about what her friends reaction would be. "You?! You, love me?!" Scootaloo asked surprised. "Y-Yes! Wo-would you like t-t-to be my special somep-pony" Sweetie Belle had finally done it. She had asked Scootaloo to be her special somepony, and she had never been so nervous about an answer in her life. "Sorry, but I don't go out with losers that doesn't have any talent or coolness at all!" Scootaloo yelled angrily. Sweetie Belle's heart felt like it was shattered. She turned around and ran away from Carousel Boutique, then from Ponyville. She kept running until she found a little hill. When she finally climbed up the hill she noticed Scootaloo standing up there. The shock was so big that she fell backwards tumbling down the hill. "Ha! Get lost Weaky Belle!" Scootaloo yelled as lightning struck down behind her. Sweetie Belle woke up screaming from her nightmare. The moon was still up so she had to somehow fall asleep again. She tried to fall asleep again but right as she was about to fall asleep, a lightning struck down, making Sweetie Belle yelp in fear. She couldn't take anymore. The fear of Scootaloo's rejection and the thunder outside was too overwhelming. She broke down on the bed. She just sat there, crying into her pillows for about 15 minutes until she noticed the door slowly opening and Scootaloo entering. Scootaloo had been awake from having trouble falling asleep. So as soon as she heard her friend crying in room just right of her own, she went to see what was going on. Scootaloo was shocked to see Sweetie Belle crying into her pillow. It reminded her of herself when she was crying in the clubhouse earlier. Sweetie Belle had helped her so much by comforting her and telling her it was okay. She thought about getting Rarity but that would probably be like trying wake up somepony who had been turned to stone. No. This was something Scootaloo had to do for her friend. To show her that she isn't alone just as Sweetie Belle showed her earlier. "What's wrong Sweetie?" Scootaloo asked her friend as gently as she possibly could. "Ju-just leave me alone!" Sweetie Belle yelled as the thunder continued to hammer through the sky making Sweetie Belle yelp in fear. Scootaloo was shocked and angry over seeing her friend treat her like this. But the feeling of anger instantly stopped and got replaced with pity when she saw how much pain Sweetie Belle was in. "Please Sweetie Belle! Let me help you! Do you think I would hurt you, my best friend?" Scootaloo asked hoping her best friend would understand. "That's just what you say! You laughed at me and called me Weaky Belle! Friends don't do that!" Sweetie Belle yelled. That seemed to have caught Scootaloo off guard. She never did any of those things. Then she realized it. Sweetie Belle had dreamt of Scootaloo laughing and mocking her. "But why would she have nightmares about that? We've been friends for so long and she knows she can trust me. What could she fear about me?" Scootaloo thought to herself. Scootaloo then shook the thoughts away and proceeded walking towards the furious Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle, please liste-" Scootaloo said as she was cut off by Sweetie Belle throwing her pillow at her. Luckily Sweetie Belle wasn't good at throwing and the pillow was very soft, so it only pushed her back a bit. "It was just a nightmare Sweetie Belle! Please calm down!" Scootaloo said walking towards her friend. She got over and jumped onto the bed instantly grabbing Sweetie Belle and holding her close exactly like she did with her. At first Sweetie Belle struggled, trying to get out of Scootaloo's grip. It took about a minute for her to calm down. Scootaloo could feel that she stopped trying to get free and looked to see if she had calmed down. She saw Sweetie Belle's horrified face when she realized what she had done to her best friend. "P-please just go Scootaloo. I'm a monster. I had a nightmare that my own fears created. And then I blamed it all on you. Accusing you of doing all those terrible things and even throwing a pillow at you." Sweetie Belle cried out, ashamed of what she had done. Scootaloo was shocked by the word Sweetie Belle called herself. Feeling sad for her friend, she tightened her grip around Sweetie Belle while whispering to her in a tone that Sweetie Belle had never heard Scootaloo speak in before. "Sweetie Belle.. You're not a monster. It was your fears controlling you." Scootaloo said softly while letting Sweetie Belle rest her head on her shoulder. "B-but, it w-was still me! I-it was still me who di-did it!" Sweetie Belle cried out shivering even more violently than Scootaloo had in the clubhouse. "Let me ask you something Sweetie Belle. Did you enjoy yelling at me or throwing that pillow? Do you regret the things you have done? Did you ever want to yell or hurt me?" Scootaloo asked still keeping a very soft tone in her voice. "N-no! I would never hurt you! I-it hurts so much I ended up d-doing so." Sweetie Belle said as her tears ran down her face. "See? You never wanted it to happen Sweetie Belle. It was your negative emotions taking over you. You're not negative Sweetie Belle. You're sweet, funny, silly and also pretty cute sometimes. Those negative emotions wasn't you and you're not a monster" Scootaloo explained as she gently began to stroke the her friends mane. "Bu-but" Sweetie Belle was about to continue but was cut off by Scootaloo. "No buts. You're not a monster. I wouldn't give the title of being my best friend to you if you were a monster" Scootaloo said giving a warm smile to Sweetie Belle. The two fillies sat there for about two minutes until the thunder began again making Sweetie Belle yelp in fear. Scootaloo noticed that Sweetie Belle's shivering had increased after the lightning. "You're scared of thunder, aren't you?" Scootaloo asked. "P-p-please don't l-leave!" Sweetie Belle cried out randomly. "Huh? Why would I leave?" Scootaloo said curious to why her friend would think she would just leave her. "Be-because you need s-sleep. I-I can't f-fall asleep. The th-thunder is too s-scary" Sweetie Belle said while crying into Scootaloo's shoulder. Then Scootaloo got an idea to calm Sweetie Belle down. She hesitated a bit thinking about what Rarity's reaction would be. But then she remembered that she also wants the best for Sweetie Belle. And if that really was true, then she would understand. "Then I guess I'll have to sleep in here to make sure you're safe" Scootaloo said giving Sweetie Belle a comforting smile. Sweetie Belle was too tired and afraid of the storm to think about Rarity's reaction so she didn't worry that much. "Yo-You'd really do that for me?" Sweetie Belle asked surprised. "Of course! I can't just leave you in here feeling horrible." Scootaloo answered helping Sweetie Belle lay down. Scootaloo then laid down on the bed and grabbed Sweetie Belle again, holding her close. Sweetie Belle was very surprised at first and was blushing deeply. But then her body starting feeling warm and fuzzy. She felt the feeling of safety again and finally calmed down from all the drama. It only took two minutes for Sweetie Belle to fall asleep, and she had no nightmares for the rest of the night... Next morning Rarity woke up a little earlier than expected since she had to make breakfast for two fillies and herself. "Hm, that's odd. Sweetie Belle usually comes down when I'm in the middle of making our breakfast." Rarity thought concerned for her sister. "I'd better go check on her" Rarity said to herself while walking towards the stairs. She then remembered the food and ran back in the kitchen to see the eggs she prepared were so warm that Rarity had to carefully pick them up with magic to not burn herself. "Or, I could wait a bit so their food doesn't burn." Rarity thought continuing to prepare their food. "Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Breakfast is ready!" Rarity called out to the two fillies. No one answered. "Allright. What's going on here?" Rarity asked herself as she walked up the stairs and towards Sweetie Belle's room. She entered and looked in Sweetie Belle's bed, only to figure out there was a certain orange pony holding her little sister. She took a few steps back from the shock of seeing Scootaloo with Sweetie Belle. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE" She yelled in a very angry tone. That was easily enough to wake up both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The two fillies noticed Rarity. Scootaloo was quick to let go of Sweetie Belle and took a few steps back in the bed wondering what Rarity's reaction would be... === Chapter 5 - Fixing mistakes === Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity. She could see the burning anger in her eyes. She then looked at Scootaloo who had curled into a corner of the bed since Rarity was known to sometimes overreact to the point that It rivaled Twilight's overreactions about tests. "WHY YOU LITTLE! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Rarity screamed at Scootaloo. Scootaloo was paralyzed from seeing the mare this furious. She wanted to just run out of there but she couldn't concentrate on moving. "WELL... IF YOU DON'T GET OUT RIGHT NOW, YOU'LL BE TAKEN OUT BY FORCE!" Rarity screamed even more furious than before. Nothing happened. Scootaloo still couldn't move. "OKAY! YOU CALLED FOR IT!" Rarity yelled getting ready to carry Scootaloo all the way outside, leaving her there to go home by herself. Scootaloo closed her eyes, too afraid to see what would happen. Rarity kept getting closer and closer to Scootaloo until she saw something that shocked her. Sweetie Belle leapt in front of Scootaloo using an illumination spell to blind her sister for a few seconds. "BACK OFF RARITY!" Sweetie Belle screamed in rage at her sisters behavior. "Sweetie Belle?! What was that for?!" talking in a bit of a calmer tone than before since she wasn't talking to Scootaloo. "What do you THINK?!" Sweetie Belle yelled, screaming the word 'think' while pointing back at Scootaloo who still hadn't opened her eyes. "Huh? But! She! SHE SNUCK INTO YOUR ROOM AND LAID DOWN NEXT TO YOU! NO ONE MESSES WITH MY LITTLE SISTER! SHE DESERVES TO BE PUNSIHED!" Rarity screamed in frustration. "SO NOW ITS WRONG TO WORRY?! I WAS CRYING ABOUT A NIGHTMARE LAST NIGHT RARITY! CAN YOU GUESS WHO CALMED ME DOWN AND MADE ME FEEL SAFE?! HER NAME IS 'SCOOTALOO' AND YOU JUST SCREAMED AT HER MAKING HER SO SCARED THAT SHE HAD TO CURL UP IN A CORNER OF MY BED! SHE WAS TOO SCARED TO EVEN LOOK AT YOU!" Sweetie Belle screamed being more furious and mad at Rarity than she'd ever been. "IN JUST ONE LITTLE DAY, SHE HAS MADE ME FEEL MORE SAFE THAN ALL THE TIMES YOU'VE EVER TRIED MAKING ME FEEL SAFE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE PUT TOGETHER!" Sweetie Belle screamed, hitting Rarity hard with her words. Complete silence filled the room until Sweetie Belle heard sobbing coming from Scootaloo. She quickly went over to stroke her mane and back trying to make her calm down. "Get out of my room Rarity!" Sweetie Belle yelled at her sister. "Bu-but what about her." Rarity said being more confused than angry about the situation now. "SHE.. DIDN'T.. DO.. ANYTHING... WRONG! NOW GET OUT!" Sweetie Belle screamed again. Rarity could see the rage burning in Sweetie Belle's eyes, and realized what she had done. She still didn't really think about Scootaloo, instead she thought of how much she had hurt and angered her sister. She ran out of the room and down into the kitchen regretting her actions. After that she sat there and waited for them to come downstairs themselves. As she sat down there she could feel Sweetie Belle's word haunting her mind. "Am I really that bad of a big sister? Did Scootaloo really make her feel more safe in just one day than I have in my entire life?" Rarity's thoughts started questioning. But she couldn't get an answer right now. She had to wait for her sister to calm down. Back upstairs Sweetie Belle had already started stroking Scootaloo again. "What's wrong Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked in her usual cute and calm voice. "I-I-its just that.. Every time I try and help somepony, I end up u-upsetting another pony. And now you and Rarity are mad at each other because I s-slept here with you. Even though I'm only trying to help, I always m-mess up" Scootaloo explained trying to hold back her tears. Sweetie Belle really didn't want to go through this again. She loved Scootaloo with all of her heart and wanted to help her as much as she could. But she really didn't want both of them to go through all of those emotions again. But if it was the only way to see Scootaloo happy again, she would go through thick and thin to help her. "Scootaloo please. It wasn't your fault! Rarity is known for her overreactions remember? It was her overreacting and actions that made me mad. Not you." Sweetie Belle reassured her friend in the softest tone she could possibly make. "I-I guess that's true.. Thanks Sweetie Belle" Scootaloo thanked. "You're welcome. And thanks for helping me fall asleep yesterday." Sweetie Belle answered getting a big smile on her face. Sweetie Belle simply could not hold it in anymore. She had to tell Scootaloo or at least give some sort of hint that she liked her. Not knowing what else to do, she leaned in and gave Scootaloo a little peck on the cheek. Scootaloo went completely silent as she took her hoof up where Sweetie Belle had pecked her cheek. Realizing what she had done and that Scootaloo probably didn't feel the same way judging by her silence, Sweetie Belle ran out of the room crying as one of her biggest fears had just come true. "What just happened? Why did she kiss me? And why did it feel so.. Right?" Scootaloo's thoughts began questioning. "Isn't fillies and mares supposed to like colts and stallions?" Scootaloo asked herself. She thought about it several times and realized she had heard something about it in class a while back. It was the day after the crusaders had gotten their cutie marks. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had gotten an extra day off to celebrate some more with their family. The only crusader left in school was herself since her parents had to go work on their jobs. She didn't really pay that much attention that day since she was too focused on looking at her cutie mark. But she did remember a bit of what Cheerilee said. She had pulled down a scroll about love since it was their project for the day. Scootaloo didn't really listen that much, but there came some things Cheerilee had said to her mind. "Some ponies even like the same gender" Cheerilee had said leaving the students very confused. "Its perfectly normal to like the same gender. I bet you've probably seen a lot of ponies who were with the same gender as themselves, but you just haven't realized it since you've all just gotten the age for me to even be allowed to teach you this kind of stuff in class." Cheerilee explained happily. Even though there were many ponies in the class who had been old enough to know it for a while. She still waited on everyone reaching the age since she didn't want to make somepony go out of the classroom because the pony wasn't the required age. "You'll understand if it happens to one of you." Cheerilee said with a smile. Scootaloo couldn't believe how dumb she had been. Cheerilee had previously described the feeling of love and it matched perfectly with Scootaloo's feelings. Not only had she been too dense to realize both the hints that Sweetie Belle gave her and the hints she gave herself, but she had also hurt her best friend and now crush. Scootaloo suddenly felt more concerned than ever before. She had completely forgotten about Sweetie Belle running away with her face full of tears. Scootaloo instantly got up and ran out the door to find Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle! I'm sorry! Where are you?" Scootaloo called out. But Sweetie Belle was crying too much for her to hear it and answer. Scootaloo went through the entire floor upstairs since she didn't think Sweetie Belle would go to her sister after their little 'arguement'. She checked in the guest room, the closets, and she even checked if she had locked herself in the bathroom. Scootaloo was about to go back to Sweetie Belle's room to see if she had come back while she was looking. But then she heard sobbing coming from a little box under the bed in the guest room. "Sweetie Belle, I'm sorry." Scootaloo apologized feeling guilty about her actions. But Sweetie Belle didn't answer. She tried staying silent hoping that Scootaloo would just go away thinking she just imagined things. "Sweetie Belle I know you're in there.. And I want to apologize for just staying completely silent, even when you were running out of the door having just confessed your feelings.. I can understand if you hate me now. I am just a big fool after all." Scootaloo said with a frown appearing on her face. She had hoped Sweetie Belle would understand. But hopes can't always be real sadly. "Scootaloo, wait!" Sweetie Belle yelled from inside the box. "Huh?" Scootaloo said confused as she turned around to see Sweetie Belle climbing out of the box. "Why do you want to apologize? Why don't you hate me? Its my stupid feelings that's the problem." Sweetie Belle continued. "Why would you think I would hate you? I could never hate someone like you" they both said in unison as they both giggled over having the exact same reaction. "So.. We can still be friends? I really don't want to lose our friendship. Even though you don't like me that way I'd still like you as a friend." Sweetie Belle asked hoping to not lose their friendship. "If you still love me.. Then no." Scootaloo said trying to fake a frown. "Bu-but" Sweetie Belle stammered but was cut off by Scootaloo's lips locking with hers. "Then I'd want something more" Scootaloo said giving her friend a warm smile. "A-are you.. D-do you.. This is not j-just a prank? T-this is real?" Sweetie Belle said trying to hold her tears back until she was sure. "Come on Sweetie. Even a pranking champion wouldn't do that unless the pony was insane" Scootaloo confirmed as she giggled a bit. Sweetie Belle couldn't take anymore. She let all her feelings she had kept for herself out as the tears ran down her face. She tackled Scootaloo in a massive hug. Their lips met once again and it still felt as great as the first time. Even though it only lasted about ten seconds, for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle it felt like forever. "I love you Scoots" Sweetie Belle said as they broke the kiss. "I love you too Sweetie" Scootaloo said hugging her new fillyfriend even tighter. "I could get used to hearing that" Sweetie Belle said with a smile. "Then I'll be sure to keep saying it" Scootaloo replied being happier than ever before. She finally had the most adorable and awesome fillyfriend a pony could ever have.. === Chapter 6 - Reactions === The two fillies had crawled up in Scootaloo's guest bed. They laid up against each other enjoying each others company. Scootaloo had decided to lay her wing over Sweetie Belle's back. Sweetie Belle had been a bit shocked at first looking surprised up at Scootaloo. But then she instantly remembered she and Scootaloo had just become a couple when she saw Scootaloo giving her a warm, loving smile. It would probably take her some time to get used to having Scootaloo as a fillyfriend. She snuggled even closer to Scootaloo enjoying the heat from Scootaloo spreading through her body. "So... How long have you had a crush on me?" Scootaloo asked breaking the silence. "Ever since we got our cutie marks. Though I only figured out it was love yesterday." Sweetie Belle answered sounding a bit tired from all that had just happened. "I'm glad you figured it out. This could have ended very differently. But I couldn't be more happy with how it turned out." Scootaloo said leaning her head against Sweetie Belles. "What about you?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Huh?" Scootaloo looked confused at her fillyfriend. "How long have you had a crush on me Scoots?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I don't really know. I just figured out it was love today when I remembered Cheerilee talking about it in school. But I think the feelings started back when we were making our routine for the flag carrying competition for the Equestria games. You just seemed so much more worried and caring about me than Apple Bloom. Even though you had the right to be mad at me after trying to change the whole routine into a solo focused on me flying" Scootaloo explained feeling a bit guilty about how she almost ruined the routine for her friends. "Well, don't worry about it. Its all in the past. I could never be so mad to leave my fillyfriend behind" Sweetie Belle said nuzzling Scootaloo. "Thanks. I couldn't either." Scootaloo thanked. "But how did you figure out your feelings for me was love? I figured it out from the school but you weren't there that day." Scootaloo asked thinking it would be weird to just randomly figure out the feeling of love out of nowhere. "Oh! I got some help from Rarity" Sweetie Belle replied as her eyes shot wide open upon saying her sisters name. "Rarity! She's still downstairs waiting! I really said some awful things to her! I really don't hope I hurt her feelings too much" Sweetie Belle said jumping off of the bed. She suddenly felt a hoof over her shoulder. "Then let's go down and apologize together. I'm not letting you do this alone" Scootaloo said smiling at Sweetie Belle. "Thanks" Was all Sweetie Belle could say as she was nearly speechless over seeing this side of Scootaloo. The two fillies then walked out of the room and down the stairs to go see if Rarity was okay. Rarity had sat down there the whole time. She had kept getting worried and nearly going up there again, but every time she was about to do so, Sweetie Belle's words came into her mind again. "IN JUST ONE LITTLE DAY, SHE HAS MADE ME FEEL MORE SAFE THAN ALL THE TIMES YOU'VE EVER TRIED MAKING ME FEEL SAFE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE PUT TOGETHER!" Rarity remembered Sweetie Belle yelling at her. Not wanting to hurt her sister, she stayed down until they came down themselves. Rarity heard someone on the stairs. About five seconds later, Sweetie Belle appeared in front of the stairs. "Sweetie Belle, you're back!" Rarity bursted out excited to see her sister again. Then Scootaloo appeared downstairs behind Sweetie Belle. "And hi.. Scootaloo" Rarity said using Scootaloo's name as an insult. "That's no way to talk to your little sister's best friend Rarity!" Sweetie Belle said raising her voice a little. "B-but. Sh-she. I want an explanation for all of this!" Rarity demanded. Scootaloo was about to say something when she was cut off by Sweetie Belle. "I think it's best that I told her" Sweetie Belle explained giving her friend a smile. Scootaloo just nodded and let Sweetie Belle tell the story. She told her about her nightmare, but left out the parts of Scootaloo rejecting her love so it just sounded like a nightmare about losing Scootaloo's friendship. She told her about how Scootaloo comforted her and that she wouldn't have been able to sleep through that storm if it wasn't for Scootaloo. Rarity was shocked over Scootaloo being able to help her sister so much. She was happy that her sister had a friend willing to help her so much. But she still needed to have a talk with Scootaloo. "I'm sorry darling. I guess I overreacted a little" Rarity admitted. "A little?! A little?!" Sweetie Belle was just about to yell at Rarity again when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked around to see Scootaloo giving her a warm smile, trying to calm her down. "I'm sorry Rarity. I said some terrible things too. I was just so scared of what you were going to do to Scootaloo. You know she's my best friend and that she would never hurt me." Sweetie Belle apologized. "Its okay Sweetie Belle. But I think its time for Scootaloo to go home now. Her parents are probably worried sick.." Rarity explained having a hard time to still talk while seeing Sweetie Belle's frown getting bigger and bigger. "Since Scootaloo hasn't gotten any food yet. Could you be a dear to go and get her scooter from the guest room and bring it down here while Scootaloo gets some food?" Rarity asked. "Okay. I don't want her to starve" Sweetie Belle replied with a smile on her face. She then ran upstairs to get Scootaloo's scooter. Scootaloo was still standing downstairs next to Rarity. Silence filled the room for about ten seconds until it was broken by Rarity. "Scootaloo. I know you're only trying to help my sister but if I see you being that close to her again, you will be punished!" Rarity said making sure that her voice wasn't high enough for Sweetie Belle to hear her. Scootaloo didn't really know how to answer. But then she remembered something. "No." Scootaloo answered surprising Rarity with her words. "What did you say?" Rarity asked becoming more and more furious at the filly. "I said 'No'. A 'good' big sister cares about their little sisters. And if you really care about Sweetie Belle, then you will also not have a problem with me being that close to her since it makes her happy." Scootaloo said with a very serious tone in her voice. "Why you little-" Rarity was about to continue but was cut off by Sweetie Belle who had just got downstairs with the scooter held using her magic. Rarity didn't think she would be able to hold it using magic and would instead need to carry it down with her hoofs, so she thought she had much more time. "She's right! My Scootaloo has every right to be that close to me! Especially when I'm scared like last night!" Sweetie Belle yelled at her sister. "Your Scootaloo?" Rarity asked confused. "Yes.. My Scootaloo" Sweetie Belle repeated as she went over and pecked Scootaloo on the cheek making her blush. Rarity was taken a bit back by this, having a shocked expression on her face. "So.. Not that you can do anything about it since our cutie marks as well as Apple Bloom's cutie mark are tied together with each other meaning that we will always be a team no matter what. Do you approve of our relationship? Because if you don't, then you also don't approve of me being happy." Sweetie Belle asked her big sister. "...I guess I approve then.. If this is really what you want.." Rarity replied making the two fillies jump in excitement. "But I must ask you something Sweetie Belle. Why her? There isn't really anything special about her." Rarity said bluntly, unaware of her offending somepony. "Okay, now you're just being offensive Rarity! And to answer your question, its because she's strong, smart, brave, cute and romantic" Sweetie Belle said nearly going off into a daydream when describing Scootaloo. "H-hey! I'm not cute." Scootaloo said blushing deeply from Sweetie Belle's description of her. "You say, while being absolutely adorable" Sweetie Belle teased while walking over to her fillyfriend, giving her a little nuzzle. "Well.. If you say I'm cute, then I'll believe I'm cute. But I don't think I'll ever be as cute as a certain filly I know." Scootaloo said, returning the nuzzle. "Am I that certain filly?" Sweetie Belle asked with a hopeful smile on her face. "Of course you are Sweetie!" Scootaloo quickly said with a smile, worried that her fillyfriend might have thought she had a new crush on someone else. "Wow.. I must say I'm surprised there was a side of you like that Scootaloo" Rarity admitted. Just then, they heard somepony knocking on the door. "Who could that be outside this early?" Rarity said to herself while unlocking and opening the door. "I think the bigger question is why my daughter didn't come home yesterday and that I now find her here, in your house!" A big stallion said as he entered the boutique. Scootaloo instantly recognized that voice. It was her dad.. She ran out so she was visible from the door, with Sweetie Belle behind her. "Come Scootaloo! I think it would be time to get out of this crazy house full of crazy ponies keeping you from coming home in a snow storm!" Scootaloo's dad said as he turned around and walked out of the door thinking that Scootaloo was following him. "No, dad!" Scootaloo yelled in a serious tone, making sure her dad knew she wasn't joking around. "Well.. If you don't want to come with me then at least give an explanation to what is going on here!" Scootaloo's dad demanded. "Then come in and take a seat at the table instead of just standing there." Scootaloo told her father in a way you would usually expect from her. As the three ponies sat at the dinner table, Rarity had gone out to make some new breakfast since the breakfast she had already made had become cold. Scootaloo then started telling her father everything that happened, other than about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle being a couple. Though she stopped after telling about her and Sweetie Belle falling asleep together when her dad interrupted her. "Scootaloo, I get that you're just being nice. But that sounds like something a couple would do. Don't you think its a bit weird doing it with somepony who's only a good friend?" Her dad asked curious. "Well, it would make sense since me and Scootaloo are a couple now." Sweetie Belle explained unaware of Scootaloo wanting to wait a bit on telling her father. "Scootaloo? And you? Hah! I can see why this filly is your friend Scootaloo. She has a pretty good sense of humor.. Heh. Like you would ever be together with a filly like her, or a filly at all. You probably already have a crush on one of the colts in school right?" Scootaloo's dad laughed, unaware of him hurting both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's feelings. Scootaloo noticed the tears forming in Sweetie Belle's eyes and quickly walked over to her giving her a nuzzle while gently stoking her mane. "Dad! That's no way to treat your daughters new fillyfriend! Apologize to her, NOW!" Scootaloo bursted out shocked by her dad's words. "You okay Sweetie?" Scootaloo asked, giving her a little kiss on the cheek. "Yes.. I think so. Thanks Scoots! You really are the best fillyfriend a pony could ask for" Sweetie Belle replied as she was starting to cheer up. Scootaloo's dad was at a loss of words. He was happy for his daughter. But at the same time felt weird because of how much that had happened between the two fillies in only one day and a few hours. "Dad! Hello?! You offended your daughter's fillyfriend! Don't you think you owe that pony an apology?!" Scootaloo asked being angry at her dad for not even responding to her. "Oh, yeah right! I'm sorry, umm... Sweetie Belle is it not?" Scootaloo's dad apologized. "Yes.. And it's okay.. I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone" Sweetie Belle replied with a smile thinking that it would be good to get to know her fillyfriend's parent's a bit better. "Thank you for understanding.. And also for being there for my daughter in her hard times. I think you two would make an excellent couple" Scootaloo's dad told the two fillies, approving of their love. Just then, Rarity had come in with their breakfast. They all sat down and ate while Scootaloo finished up telling her story. "So that's it" Scootaloo had said when they were finally done with their dinner. "I must say that its a lot to take in. I never thought you were into fillies and not colts. But I'm happy for you two anyways. If you like her, and she likes you back. Then I see no reason to stop your love from growing even stronger" Scootaloo's dad said as she smiled at the two fillies. "We should probably find mom and tell her about all of this. Do you want to come with us Sweetie Belle? I think it would be good for you two to not only be together more but also for you to be there for Scootaloo when she tells her mom about all of this" He explained, fully aware of the fillies wanting to spend a lot more time with each other now. "Okay! I'll go get my winter clothes. I probably have some extra for Scootaloo too." Sweetie Belle said happily as she ran over to the stairs. "No need to get Scootaloo some winter clothes darling! I already have some right here." Rarity said as she pulled up some white winter clothes with a hat that matched Sweetie Belle's mane color. Rarity had made it yesterday a little after Sweetie Belle had told her about her feelings for Scootaloo. It was made to symbolize their love in case that Scootaloo returned Sweetie Belle's feelings. "Thanks Rarity" Sweetie Belle thanked as she gave her sister a smile before running upstairs to get her own winter clothes. She came down a bit later with her own winter clothes on that matched Scootaloo's fur and mane colors. "How do I look?" Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo. "Well.. Just a moment ago when you didn't have it on, I didn't think you could get any cuter. But I guess you proved me wrong. You look beautiful and adorable Sweetie." Scootaloo complimented her fillyfriend who was blushing deeply the whole time. "Thanks. You look good too" Sweetie Belle said, just now noticing Scootaloo being in her winter clothes. "I think we should go now.. I don't want mom to worry too much about where you are.. She is checking the different places in the other side of Ponyville right now. So it shouldn't be that hard to find her" Scootaloo's dad said opening the door to Carousel Boutique letting the fillies run out into the snow. "Bye sis! See you later!" Sweetie Belle said to Rarity as she was standing in the door. "Goodbye Sweetie Belle! Now go spent some time with your fillyfriend." Rarity told Sweetie Belle who instantly turned around and ran over to Scootaloo. She was glad that Rarity was actually getting used to their relationship. Then the three ponies walked towards the other side of town to find Scootaloo's mother... === Chapter 7 - The long break === As the three ponies reached town hall, they heard a very familiar voice and the sound of somepony running towards them. "Hai, guys! What ya doing?" Apple Bloom said as she ran over to them excited to see her two best friends again. "Hey, Apple Bloom!" Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said in unison also being excited to see their friend so happy after her little 'Self discovery' thing she did the other day. "Umm.. Who is that stallion with you? Hmm.... Wait! I remember now! You're Scootaloo's dad right Mr. Umm..? "Wild Strike, but just call me Strike" Wild Strike said, giving a smile towards her daughter's friend. "Ummm... If ya don't mind me asking.. Why don't ya have your normal winter clothes on? And why does Scootaloo have winter clothes matching Sweetie Belle, and Sweetie Belle having winter clothes matching Scootaloo? Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Apple Bloom asked a bit confused. "Should we tell her Scoots?" Sweetie Belle whispered to Scootaloo. "If you want to then go for it" Scootaloo replied with a smile. "Umm... Y-you see Apple Bloom.. Me and Scoots are... We are-" Sweetie Belle stammered, pretty nervous over what her friends reaction would be. "Oh Sweetie, stop being so adorable!" Scootaloo said giving Sweetie Belle a kiss on the cheek. And in 2 seconds flat, Scootaloo had made Apple Bloom's mouth wide open in shock. "Umm... Yeah.. Me and Scoots are.. Fillyfriends now.." Sweetie Belle explained feeling a bit awkward. Apple Bloom didn't know what to feel. She was happy for her two friends, but she was also sad and angry over her best friends keeping such a big secret from her, which resulted in her anger taking over her. "Why didn't you guys tell me?! Why would you guys keep such a big secret from me?! Is it because ya don't trust me anymore?!" Apple Bloom yelled at her friends hitting Sweetie Belle hard with her words. Feeling bad and guilty for making her friend think she didn't trust her anymore, Sweetie Belle turned around and ran behind a bush with her face full of tears. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR APPLE BLOOM?!" Scootaloo yelled being angry and shocked by her friends behavior. "For you two not telling me, DUH!" Apple Bloom replied sounding like even a foal could figure that out. "Did you ever think of me and Sweetie just coming together THIS MORNING?! OR THAT THIS MAY BE OUR FIRST CHANCE TO TELL YOU?! BECAUSE IT IS! We only just became fillyfriends this morning!" Scootaloo yelled, having a hard time to calm down. "Oh... Well ah guess that changes things..." Apple Bloom said with a hoof on her chin, wondering why she hadn't thought of it before. "Now if you would excuse me, I have to go help my fillyfriend who you RUDELY scared into running off with her face full of tears!" Scootaloo said still being very angry at Apple Bloom as she turned around and ran over to Sweetie Belle's hiding spot. As Scootaloo ran over to Sweetie Belle she spotted a stallion walking towards Sweetie Belle with a worried expression. He was a yellow unicorn with a blue mane and a cutie mark that looked like a shooting star. Scootaloo began to run even faster towards Sweetie Belle not wanting the stallion to get involved in the whole situation. When she reached Sweetie Belle she could see that the stallion was standing right behind Sweetie Belle and was about to put a hoof on her shoulder to get her attention. Scootaloo instantly ran over between the stallion and Sweetie Belle preventing him from going any closer. "I'm pretty sure she needs me to help her instead of somepony she doesn't know at all" Scootaloo explained trying to get the stallion to go away. "The poor filly is crying into her own tail. I'm pretty sure its best to let an adult handle this." He replied using his magic to move Scootaloo out of the way. He then put a hoof on Sweetie Belle's shoulder trying to make her look up. But Sweetie Belle just kept crying into her tail, not bothering to look up. "What's wrong filly?" The stallion asked, trying to make Sweetie Belle calm down. But Sweetie Belle didn't answer as she felt very unsecure over not knowing the pony who was standing behind her. While the stallion was busy thinking of ways to help Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo used the opportunity to sneak past him and over to Sweetie Belle. She then started running her hoof gently through her mane. "It's okay Sweetie" Scootaloo whispered trying to comfort her fillyfriend. Upon hearing that, the stallion snapped out of his thoughts and saw Scootaloo standing next to Sweetie Belle. He was just about to go over there and move her out of the way like last time, but he stopped upon hearing Sweetie Belle finally talk. "S-Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked having a hard time to see who the filly was through her tears. "Yes Sweetie, I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere without you" Scootaloo replied with a soft tone in her voice. As soon as Sweetie Belle heard Scootaloo's voice again, she threw herself into Scootaloo while crying into her chest. Scootaloo wrapped her hooves around her shivering fillyfriend holding her close while letting her cry into her chest. The stallion was shocked but then decided to go away and let Scootaloo handle it. "Shh... It's okay Sweetie." Scootaloo whispered as softly as she possibly could while stroking Sweetie Belle's mane. "N-no its not! A-Apple Bloom probably h-hates me now for being so w-weak and just running away instead of explaining wh-why we first told her today!" Sweetie Belle cried out feeling guilty of just running away. "Sweetie. You're not weak. Remember what happened yesterday?" Scootaloo asked keeping the soft tone in her voice. "Y-yes.. You were staying at my house." Sweetie Belle answered confused over what it had to do with anything. "Not that. Before that at the bowling center. You asked me a simple question that I could've easily just answered. But I ran away instead because I couldn't get myself to answer." Scootaloo explained still holding Sweetie Belle close to her. "Y-yes I remember that" Sweetie Belle answered still not knowing what it had to do with the situation. "And did you hate me after running away?" Scootaloo asked. "N-no! I was so worried about you. I felt horrible." Sweetie Belle answered having a hard time to talk through all her tears. "See? You were worried because you hurt your friend. Apple Bloom was still angry at you after you left, but I'm sure she's worried now that I explained it to her. We've known Apple Bloom for over a year Sweetie. She usually jumps to a conclusion pretty quick and sometimes that leads to misunderstandings. But when she figures out what actually happened, she's usually very understanding." Scootaloo explained as she began stroking Sweetie Belle's mane again. A few seconds later Sweetie Belle finally sat up and looked at Scootaloo who had a very worried expression on her face. "Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle said gaining Scootaloo's attention. "Yes?" Scootaloo answered in a concerned tone. "Thank you." was all Sweetie Belle said before she pulled Scootaloo in and planted a kiss on her lips. They sat there for about twenty seconds until they ran out of breath and broke the kiss, breathing heavily afterwards. "Wow.." Was all Scootaloo could say. "Yeah.. It feels so great every time" Sweetie Belle said with her usual cute voice. "I'm glad to see that you're cheering up again" Scootaloo said with a smile. "That's all thanks to you Scoots.. I love you Scootaloo" Sweetie thanked, happy that she had such a great fillyfriend. "I love you too Sweetie Belle" Scootaloo said giving her fillyfriend a big hug. "We should probably get back to the others.. They're probably very worried about you." Scootaloo said as she broke the hug. "Yeah.. You're probably right.." Sweetie Belle shrugged knowing that it would probably be a bit awkward when meeting Apple Bloom again after all this. The two fillies then started walking back to find Apple Bloom and Wild Strike again.. === Chapter 8 - Scootaloo's Mom === Apple Bloom and Wild Strike had just stood there completely still as an awkward silence filled the air. "So... Why were ya out here with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom asked trying to start a conversation. "Ugh.. Apple Bloom, I get that you're Scootaloo's friend and regret what just happened but I really don't want to talk to you after upsetting my daughter like that." Wild Strike shrugged feeling a bit of anger towards Apple Bloom. "Fine.." Apple Bloom shrugged as she continued waiting on the two fillies to come back. They stood there for about ten minutes until they saw Scootaloo coming back with Sweetie Belle behind her. Even though Sweetie Belle had calmed down, you could still see that her face was a bit wet from all her tears. Apple Bloom instantly ran over to Sweetie Belle when seeing them, but she was quickly stopped by Scootaloo. "Apple Bloom, I think you should keep a little distance after what you just did." Scootaloo demanded, being a little overprotective about Sweetie Belle. "No Scoots, its alright. We need to apologize to each other anyways." Sweetie Belle explained as she walked over to Apple Bloom. "I'm sorry Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle apologized, still feeling very guilty for just running away. "Ya don't need to apologize Sweetie Belle. It was me who yelled at you, making you run away. I'm the one who should apologize." Apple Bloom apologized, feeling very guilty for yelling at her friends without even giving them a chance to respond. "Yes, I do need to apologize! Me and Scoots made you feel left out. Like we didn't trust you anymore. We should have been faster to say that we just became a couple. If we did, then this whole thing could have been avoided!" Sweetie Belle explained, not wanting Apple Bloom to take responsibility for something that was both her, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's fault. "Yeah.. Sorry Apple Bloom" Scootaloo finally apologized as she was also starting to feel guilty for not explaining the situation faster. "Ah think we all have somethin to be sorry and feel guilty about.. But ah forgive you since it was mostly my fault" Apple Bloom said since she felt it was her who was the cause of most of the problems. "And we forgive you too. Since we could have prevented this too" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said in unison, thinking that they should have been better at preventing the problems. They then shared a group hug, calling the apologizing to an end. "Umm.. Apple Bloom? We were about to go and tell Scootaloo's mom about her relationship with Sweetie Belle. Do you want to come with us? That is, if its okay with them" Wild Strike asked, making the fillies turn around since they had forgotten he was there. "Hmm.. Me and Sweetie did just become a couple, and we haven't really had that much time together yet. But we also can't leave a fellow crusader behind. It's okay with me." Scootaloo said giving Apple Bloom a smile. "What about you Sweetie?" Scootaloo asked, not wanting to let Apple Bloom come with them if it wasn't okay with Sweetie Belle. "I do want some time with you to get to know you even better Scoots. But as you said. We can't just leave a fellow crusader and friend behind. We can easily get some alone time later. It's okay with me too" Sweetie Belle answered as she also gave her friend a smile. "Thanks guys! And I'm happy." Apple Bloom thanked her friends. "Huh?" Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle said confused. "I'm happy for ya. Ah think you'll be a great couple. But please don't let this mean that we wont hang out nearly as much as before. Ah get that you also need to do a lot of things alone now, but please don't get so caught up that you forget about me" Apple Bloom said, a bit worried about how much she was going to be able to hang out with her friends now. "Thanks" Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said in unison as they blushed. "And don't worry Apple Bloom. This might mean that we can't play together as often as before. But that's only a little less we're going to play together. We're still the Cutie Mark Crusaders, best friends forever! And we would never forget you." Scootaloo explained as Sweetie Belle nodded. "Umm.. I think we should get moving. Your mom is probably still searching for you Scootaloo." Wild Strike explained. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo agreed and Apple Bloom just followed as she still didn't really know what was going on. "Umm.. Why are your mom searching for you Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked as they began walking. "I think it would be best to tell you and my mom the story at the same time. I don't want to tell the same story over and over again." Scootaloo explained. "Alright.." Apple Bloom shrugged. They finally reached the other side of town and started searching for Scootaloo's mom. They searched for about five minutes until they found her asking Lyra and Bon Bon if they had seen her daughter. "Umm.. Isn't it her that's right behind you?" Bon Bon asked making Scootaloo's mom turn around. She opened her mouth in shock upon seeing her daughter, and ran as fast as she could over to her and her friends. "Scootaloo! I've been so worried about you! Where have you been?!" Her mother asked concerned for her daughter. "I've been sleeping at Sweetie Belle's house since it was closer and they wouldn't want me to walk alone in the middle of a snow storm." Scootaloo explained to her mother. "Umm.. If you don't mind me asking. Which one of you is Sweetie Belle? I get a bit confused when it comes to names" Scootaloo's mom asked Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. "That's me!" Sweetie Belle answered, happy that she was able to help. "Well, I must thank you Sweetie Belle. For giving my daughter a place to rest." Scootaloo's mom thanked, being grateful that her daughter had such amazing friends. "It was fun having Scoots over, Miss. Umm.." Sweetie Belle answered. "Blaze. But please, just call me Blaze. I'm no fancy mare like your sister. And I didn't know that you also let your friends call you Scoots now" Blaze answered, giggling a little. "Well, Blaze.. There's actually something we have to tell you." Wild Strike said, being excited to see what his wife's reaction would be on the situation. "Huh? What is it Strike?" Blaze asked, curious to what could have happened in such a short amount of time. "I think it's best to let Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle explain." Wild Strike said, giving a smile to the young couple. "Yeah.. I think we should start from the beginning." Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle explained. They then started telling the whole story. There were multiple times where both Blaze and Wild Strike had to silently stomp their hooves at the ground. Especially when Blaze figured out what Diamond Tiara did to her daughter. Though it stopped when she heard about how well Sweetie Belle comforted her daughter. She decided to interrupt the story, not being able to wait on thanking Sweetie Belle. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I must say thank you Sweetie Belle. For being there for my daughter. It means a lot to all of us." Blaze thanked. "I hope you've also remembered to thank Sweetie Belle for helping you Scootaloo." Blaze said, knowing that her daughter would sometimes forget such things. "You have no idea.." Sweetie Belle answered for Scootaloo, making her mom smile a very proud smile. They then continued to tell the story. But Blaze interrupted again when Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were telling the part about Scootaloo sleeping with Sweetie Belle to calm her down. "Wait.. You two did WHAT?! I know that you won't hurt my Scootaloo but don't you dare be that close to my Scootaloo again Sweetie Belle!" Blaze warned, being very overprotective about her daughter. Especially after what had just happened. "Blaze, please calm down and let them continue the story." Wild Strike told his wife, as she was being way too harsh on Sweetie Belle. "Wait?! DID SHE DO ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT?!" Blaze yelled, making Sweetie Belle yelp in fear and run behind Scootaloo. "Well mom.. Maybe I'm not just you and dad's Scootaloo anymore!" Scootaloo yelled at her mom. "What are you talking about Scootaloo? Of course you're still our Scootaloo!" Blaze answered, not really understanding what Scootaloo meant. "That's not what I meant! What if I'm together with someone now?!" Scootaloo asked her mom, being very angry at her. "Oh my! Scootaloo! You should me ashamed of yourself then! I know that you just want to help a friend, but if you're already with somepony then it's wrong to lay in the same bed with somepony else! Even though you're helping them calm down! But who is the lucky colt?" Blaze said making both Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Wild Strike face-hoof over her being so dense. "There is NO LUCKY COLT!" Scootaloo yelled as she was now furious at her mom. "But weren't you with somepony?!" Blaze asked getting more and more confused. "YES I AM! But there's also a thing called 'FILLIES'! I.. AM NOT.. INTO.. COLTS!" Scootaloo screamed at her mother. This seemed to take her mom by surprise. She had never expected her daughter to be a fillyfooler. "Bu-but if you're a fillyfooler. Then who are you with?" Blaze asked, having calmed down a bit, trying to put the pieces together. Scootaloo then turned around and looked at Sweetie Belle who had been hiding behind her. She looked at her with a lot of worry and concern in her eyes while beginning to stroke her mane. "You can come up now Sweetie. My mom's not going to do anything to you. And if she tries to, then I'll be here to stop her" Scootaloo told her fillyfriend with a smile. Blaze stood there in shock as well as Apple Bloom who also just saw this side of Scootaloo for the first time. Then Sweetie Belle slowly began to walk over so she stood next to Scootaloo. She shivered, still remembering the anger in Blaze's voice when yelling at her. But she managed to calm down once Scootaloo put her wing on her back, letting her know that she wasn't alone. "This is what I meant by me not just being you and dad's Scootaloo anymore! I'm also my Sweetie Belle's Scootaloo now." Scootaloo said, nuzzling Sweetie Belle. Blaze just stood there in shock from the whole situation. "How could I have been so dense?! I probably need to give Sweetie Belle an apology" Blaze thought to herself as she began to walk over to the two fillies. Scootaloo could feel Sweetie Belle shivering more and more as her mom came closer and closer. "Stop mom! Can't you see you're scaring my Sweetie Belle?!" Scootaloo yelled, not wanting her mom to scare her fillyfriend more than she already had. "Huh? Oh, right.. I'm sorry. I just wanted to go over and apologize to her, but I guess it can look pretty scary after I just yelled at her like that.." Blaze said as she didn't realize that she was scaring Sweetie Belle. "Well?.." Scootaloo asked as she was becoming a bit impatient on waiting for her moms apology. "Oh right! I'm sorry Sweetie Belle.. I just didn't know what to say since I never expected my daughter to be a fillyfooler. So I just overreacted because I thought it was weird for my daughter to sleep with a filly. I not only made you scared Sweetie Belle. But I also hurt the pony my daughter loves, hurting her too in the process. I know how it feels when someone you love gets hurt. It feels like your whole world is broken, and you would do anything you can to make your love happy again and fix it." Blaze explained as she had been in the same situation when Scootaloo's father had been bullied. "But since you two only just became a couple here recently. I'm guessing you two haven't been on a date yet?" Blaze asked as she had thought of a way she could make up for her mistakes. "No we haven't.. We just came together this morning." Sweetie Belle answered as she had become a little more comfortable with talking to Blaze after her apology. "Then let me make this up to you by giving you some money to go on a date tomorrow. I don't really think you would be able to go to many restaurants at this time of day. All the good ones are usually already full. And I also don't really think its a good idea to have a date right after this snow storm. I think it would be better if you two waited until tomorrow. Then I can get you some money to go on a fancy restaurant for your first date, or whatever you want to do." Blaze offered making the two fillies excited but also a bit nervous for their first date. Well.. Its only 12:00 AM.. There's still plenty of time for you three fillies to go and play with each other.. Just play and relax, then I'll take care of the money for your date." Blaze explained, making now all three fillies jump in excitement as Apple Bloom had missed playing with her friends yesterday. The three fillies then ran out into the snow towards Sweet Apple Acres, leaving behind two very proud parents... === Chapter 9 - The best day of our lives === The three fillies had just reached Sweet Apple Acres when a blue figure jumped out of one of the trees and slammed down in front of the fillies, making Sweetie Belle yelp and quickly hide behind Scootaloo. "BO!" Rainbow Dash screamed. That made all of the fillies yelp in shock this time. Sweetie Belle still hid behind Scootaloo, not being able to look up and see who was there. "Hey Scoots! What are you doing?" Rainbow asked still laughing a bit from the prank. Scootaloo was happy to see Rainbow again, and was just about to answer when she realized that Sweetie Belle was still hiding behind her, shivering from the prank. "That wasn't funny Rainbow!" Scootaloo yelled, not finding the prank funny anymore as it had scared Sweetie Belle so much. Rainbow was taking a bit back by Scootaloo's yelling since she usually find her pranks funny, even when they're on herself. Rainbow could see the pain and anger in Scootaloo's eyes and immediately regret the prank, realizing that she had just hurt the pony who's like a little sister to her. "I-I'm sorry Scoots. I didn't mean to scare you that much." Rainbow apologized, still feeling a bit weird to why Scootaloo didn't find it funny like usual. "It's not me Rainbow!" Scootaloo said, being angry that Rainbow still hadn't noticed at all that Sweetie Belle was shivering like crazy behind her. "Then why are you mad at me?" Rainbow asked, being very confused with the whole situation. Scootaloo then stepped aside so Rainbow could see Sweetie Belle shivering like crazy after what had happened. She then walked over and sat down next to Sweetie Belle, running a hoof through her mane. "You scared the life out of Sweetie Belle, Rainbow!" Scootaloo yelled as she could feel some of the anger coming back. Rainbow was speechless over how much Scootaloo cared for her friend. She didn't know what to say since she was now more confused than ever. "You know how much Sweetie gets scared by your pranks!" Scootaloo yelled at Rainbow Dash. "W-wa-wait! Sweetie?" Rainbow said confused to why Scootaloo would call Sweetie Belle that. She knew that it was just a part of Sweetie Belle's name, but it still sounded like something that would be a bit weird to say to a friend. "Oh.. Right... I forgot to tell you.." Scootaloo said, a bit awkward for reacting like Rainbow already knew about her and Sweetie Belle. "Tell me what?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Th-th-that me and Sweetie Belle a-are-" Scootaloo stammered, being very nervous to how her idol and mentor would react to her being a fillyfooler. While Rainbow and Scootaloo had been talking, Sweetie Belle had slowly gotten up again without any of them noticing since they were too busy with talking to each other. She had noticed that Scootaloo was talking to Rainbow Dash and felt a lot safer when she realized that it was just one of Rainbow's pranks. When she saw Scootaloo struggling with telling Rainbow Dash about them, she walked over to Scootaloo who had moved a bit closer to Rainbow when arguing with her, and gave her a little kiss on the cheek. "And you call me adorable" Sweetie Belle said with a giggle, making Scootaloo blush like crazy. Scootaloo looked next to her and saw Sweetie Belle standing next to her with a big smile on her face. "Yeah.. Sweetie and I are.. We're fillyfriends now.." Scootaloo explained feeling much more relaxed now that she had finally said it. But then she instantly got nervous again when realizing that Rainbow still hadn't said anything. Rainbow Dash stood paralyzed over the situation. She was happy and proud of Scootaloo, but at the same time surprised and confused over her being a fillyfooler. She stood there for about twenty seconds, not knowing what to say. "Umm.. R-Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked Rainbow with a nervous look on her face. Rainbow quickly shaked her thoughs away after hearing Scootaloo say her name. "Y-yes Scoots?" Rainbow said as the realization hit her. Scootaloo was telling her something but Rainbow couldn't hear any of it as she was lost in her own thoughts. "Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh! This.. Is.. AWESOME!" Rainbow thought being both proud happy that Scootaloo had someone to love. "I'm so proud of you sis." Rainbow thought as she remembered some of the times her and Scootaloo had shared together. She thought of their camping trip and how happy she had been when taking Scootaloo under her wing. She thought about how proud she was when Scootaloo still managed to compete in the Flag carrying competition for the Equestria Games even though she couldn't fly. And she thought about how proud she had been when Scootaloo got her cutie mark. But this. This made her more proud than ever. A small tear went down Rainbow's cheek as she thought about how much her and Scootaloo had been through. "Rainbow Dash. A-are you.. Crying?" Scootaloo asked still being very confused and nervous about what Rainbow was going to say. "Scootaloo.. I-I just don't know what to say. You're a.. Fillyfooler?" Rainbow Dash said, trying to hold back her tears. "Y-yes.." Scootaloo answered. Rainbow was just about to say something when she got cut off by Sweetie Belle. "Why aren't you saying anything?! Are you mad at her?!" Sweetie Belle said as she was getting very impacient. "Mad? Why would I be mad at Scoots?" Rainbow asked. She then ran towards Scootaloo and hugged her as the tears finally began to come out. Scootaloo was very shocked at first. She was just about to say something when she got cut off by Rainbow Dash. "Scootaloo. Why would I be mad at my little sister for finding someone to love? Sure I was expecting a colt, but if you're happy, and she's happy. Then I'm happy. As long as you two love each other, I'll support you" Rainbow said, hugging Scootaloo even tighter. "So.. You're okay with me being a fillyfooler?" Scootaloo asked, still surprised by Rainbow's reaction. "I'm as proud as a sister can be Scoots." Rainbow Dash said in a proud tone. She couldn't be happier for her 'little sister'. "Thanks Rainbow. It means a lot to me that you approve." Scootaloo thanked, finally being able to relax after being so nervous of Rainbow's reaction. "So.. When did you guys become a couple? N-not that I'm really interested in it. I-I just thought you guys might want to tell me?" Rainbow Dash said, trying to keep up her 'cool' attitude. "We got together this morning" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle explained. "Do you want to hear the story?" Scootaloo asked. "Yes! Umm.. I mean no! But I guess I can listen anyways.. For your sake." Rainbow answered as she couldn't find a better excuse. "Let's start from the beginning then" Sweetie Belle said, giggling at Rainbow's bad attempt at being 'cool' Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle then started telling the whole story to Rainbow Dash. They had completely forgotten about why they ran into Sweet Apple Acres and had forgotten everything about Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom had continued walking towards the clubhouse when Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were telling Rainbow Dash about their relationship. She was going to get the things they usually used when playing outside in the snow. She was really getting excited to play with her friends again. She got each of them a shovel in case they wanted to build a snowpony or get a pile of snow when having snowball fights. When she came back, she was surprised to see that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had started telling stories to Rainbow Dash and had completely forgotten about her.   "Guys? Weren't we supposed to play together?" Apple Bloom asked, being a bit annoyed by her friends forgetting her. "Huh? Oh.. Right.. Sorry Rainbow but we have to tell you the rest of the story later" Scootaloo explained as she remembered what they were doing in Sweet Apple Acres in the first place. "Huh? Oh! Um... That's fine. I was only doing it for you anyways.. Just go and have some fun" Rainbow Dash told the two fillies who then began to run over to Apple Bloom to see what they were going to play. "What would you like to do Apple Bloom? I think it's only fair that you get to choose since you weren't with us yesterday" Sweetie Belle asked giving Apple Bloom a friendly smile. "Yeah! What would you like to do Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo asked also excited to play with their friend again. "How about a snowball fight?" Apple Bloom asked excited. "Alright! Me and Sweetie against-" Scootaloo was about to continue but was cut off by Apple Bloom "Ah know you want to be on the same team now that your together. But that would be unfair. It would be best if we all played against each other." Apple Bloom explained. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood still for about ten seconds until they agreed it would be best. "I really want to play with Sweetie Belle. But it is probably best that we play all against each other" Scootaloo shrugged. "Me too. But as you said, it wouldn't be fair if it was me and Scoots against you, Apple Bloom" Sweetie Belle agreed. "Thanks guys" Apple Bloom thanked. The three fillies took their tools and began building their forts for the fight. It took about twenty minutes for them to be done with their snow forts. "Are ya ready guys?" Apple Bloom yelled from her snow fort. "Ready!" Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle yelled. "3.. 2.. 1.. FIGHT!" Apple Bloom yelled as she began throwing snowballs at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle dodged most of them but got hit a couple of times. Scootaloo hesitated but then threw a snowball at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, hitting both of them as they hadn't seen it coming. "You'll regret that Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom threatened as she placed two snowballs in front of her. She then bucked them, sending them flying towards Scootaloo, hitting her right in the face. Sweetie Belle had stacked four snowballs and were now levitating them with her magic. "I'm sorry guys, but I think I'm gonna win this one" Sweetie Belle said as she threw two snowballs at Apple Bloom and two at Scootaloo. "Oh, I don't think so.." Scootaloo said as she dodged the two snowballs. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna wi-" Apple Bloom said as she was cut off by two snowballs coming right at her. She didn't have enough time to dodge and got hit by both of them. Scootaloo were now holding one snowball in each hoof and was looking towards Sweetie Belle. "I want to let you win Sweetie. But I have to play fair" Scootaloo said throwing the snowballs towards Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle easily dodged the snowballs and began to build some more. "You missed!" Sweetie Belle teased, only to look up and see Scootaloo already having a new set of snowballs ready. "Well.. Then I'll just keep throwing them until I don't miss!" Scootaloo said throwing the two snowballs at Sweetie Belle again. "I think you forgot about somepony!" Apple Bloom yelled, throwing a snowball at both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. They kept going on with this for hours. They played until about 5:30 PM when Applejack came and took Apple Bloom back to the farm since it was getting late. "Its getting late. You should probably go home too. Rarity is probably worried about you, Sweetie Belle. And your.. Parents are probably worried too, Scootaloo" Applejack told the two fillies, having a hard time to say the word 'parents' since her parents had died a long time ago. "Goodbye Scootaloo! Goodbye Sweetie Belle! And good luck on your first date tomorrow!" Apple Bloom said, making Applejack stop and look around back at the two fillies. "Did I hear right? Your.. First date?" Applejack asked, being pretty confused. "Yes. Sweetie and I became a couple this morning and our first date is tomorrow!" Scootaloo said excited. "Well.. Good luck then! I'd like to ask some questions but I'm afraid that has to wait until tomorrow" Applejack said as she began walking away with Apple Bloom. "Goodbye Apple Bloom!" Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle yelled to their friend. "Well.. This has certainly been the best day of my life" Scootaloo said, giving Sweetie Belle a nuzzle. "Me too. But I think we should get home. Your parents probably miss you since you weren't home yesterday" Sweetie Belle explained, feeling sad since she had also wanted to spent some more time together with Scootaloo. "You're probably right.." Scootaloo shrugged. "Well.. We can walk together back to Carousel Boutique and then I can continue walking through ponyville back to my house. So I guess we still have a little bit of time together" Scootaloo said with a smile. "Yeah.. Then let's enjoy the time we have now as much as we can" Sweetie Belle said, giving Scootaloo a kiss on the lips. "That will never get old" Scootaloo said with a smile. "I know" Sweetie Belle answered. She was getting a bit used to be fillyfriends with Scootaloo now. But that didn't stop the kiss from feeling exactly like the first time. The two fillies then walked back to Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. No one answered.. They tried knocking again, but no one answered.. Sweetie Belle noticed that the window was open and saw the key to the house laying on a table inside. She carefully levitated it outside and unlocked the door to the boutique. "Maybe I should stay with you until we find Rarity?" Scootaloo asked. "Yeah.. This is getting a bit creepy" Sweetie Belle answered. They walked in and looked around to see if Rarity were anywhere. They searched all over the place. They searched in Rarity's display room and her working room, but didn't find her anywhere. They were about to go upstairs when they heard sobbing coming from Rarity's bedroom. They knocked on the door, but got surprised when they heard a voice yelling at them. "Go away! I'm not worth your time!" Rarity screamed in between her sobs from her bedroom. The two fillies stayed silent for a minute. They had always known that Rarity got really sad and dramatic when something was wrong. But neither Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo had heard Rarity like this. "I wonder what happened" Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie Belle. "I don't know.. I've never seen her like this. The closest thing I've ever come to seeing her like this was when Luna showed me what would happen if I succeeded in sabotaging Rarity's career back when she was making that hat for Sapphire Shores. I saw how Rarity would react if I hadn't fixed my mistake in time. She completely gave up on her hopes and dreams as a fashion designer and locked herself in her room, away from everyone else. But she sounds even worse now than she did in that vision." Sweetie Belle explained. "I don't know how she sounded in that vision. But I'm gonna make a guess and say that she sounded angry, sad and full of pain over what happened?" Scootaloo guessed, trying to think of what had made Rarity so sad this time. "Yes. She did sound angry, sad and full of pain. But.. What does it have to do with this?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Try and listen closely to the noises from inside the room" Scootaloo said, listening closely herself. "Okay?" Sweetie Belle answered a bit confused as she began to listen. Sweetie Belle listened very closely to what was going on in there. She then realized something about Rarity's voice. It wasn't really angry or mad. She was still sad, and you could easily hear the pain in her voice. Sweetie Belle couldn't really figure out the last feeling, until she remembered what Rarity had yelled when they knocked at the door. "Go away! I'm not worth your time!" Sweetie Belle thought as she finally realized what was going on. "Can you hear it?" Scootaloo asked. "Yes.. She's pretty depressed over something she did.." Sweetie Belle answered. "I have to get her to open the door!" Sweetie Belle said, being very worried about her sister. "I'll help you" Scootaloo said, not wanting Sweetie Belle to go through this alone. "I'm sorry Scoots, but no. I think it would be best for me to do this. I really just need you to stand out here and be ready if I need any help" Sweetie Belle explained. "Okay" Scootaloo answered as she ran around a corner so she could hide when Rarity opened the door. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Rarity? Can I come in?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Who is it?!" Rarity managed to say through her sobs. "It's Sweetie Belle! Can I come in sis?" Sweetie Belle asked, trying to get Rarity to open the door. "S-Sweetie Belle. I-I can't let you in" Rarity answered. "Why? Did I do anything wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked. "N-No! You didn't do anything wrong! I-I Should've listened to you! Just go Sweetie Belle. You deserve a better big sister than me!" Rarity yelled from inside her room. This hit Sweetie Belle hard. They had been mad at each other before. But Sweetie Belle had never heard Rarity regret something so much that she feels like she shouldn't be a big sister. "Rarity? Please let me in!" Sweetie Belle yelled a bit more serious. Rarity could hear that Sweetie Belle wouldn't be going anywhere and realized that she would probably end up hurting Sweetie Belle even more if she just ignored her. She slowly got up from her bed and walked over to the door. She then grabbed the key and unlocked it, letting Sweetie Belle walk in. Sweetie Belle has shocked when she saw Rarity's face. It wasn't angry or anything like that. It was full of regret and pain. "What happened sis?" Sweetie Belle asked. "What happened? You were there! I knew that you would ask Scootaloo at some point. But I just didn't expect it so soon. A-and when I saw you two sleeping together. I-I just didn't know what to feel. I got so shocked that I completely forgot about your crush on Scootaloo. I-I don't know what I was thinking! I saw Scootaloo holding you, and didn't know what to think. I was so dumb for forgetting your crush on Scootaloo and got angry at her instead of being happy for you two. I should know better! But I was too shocked to even think at that moment" Rarity explained, feeling more and more guilty for every word she said. "Sis! Yes, I was mad at you. And you did overreact a lot. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be my sister! Look at how much you regret it! You didn't want this to happen!" Sweetie Belle explained. "That still doesn't change that I should've known better!" Rarity explained through her sobs. "You made a mistake Rarity! And you can't avoid making mistakes in life! But you're not a bad pony just because you made a mistake! Remember when I tried to sabotage your work? I made a mistake there. But that doesn't mean I'm a bad pony. I regret my actions and you do the same." Sweetie Belle explained. "B-but you fixed your mistake in time! I can't make up for mine!" Rarity said. "Yes you can! Scoots and I are going on our first date tomorrow and we need some dresses for it. We've already forgiven you but if you want to help us then you could help with that?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Thanks Sweetie Belle.. I'm happy that you and Scootaloo forgive me. But I'll have to make you those dresses for me to forgive myself" Rarity explained, as she was starting to calm down. "Your welcome sis" Sweetie Belle said as she hugged her big sister. They broke the hug after about five seconds. "Scootaloo? I think Rarity want's to apologize to you personally too" Sweetie Belle called out. Scootaloo then opened the door and walked in. "I'm sorry for what I did earlier Scootaloo. I don't know what I was thinking" Rarity apologized. "You don't have to apologize Rarity. I can see that you regret doing it, and that's good enough for me" Scootaloo said with a smile. "Wait.. Shouldn't you be home Scootaloo?" Rarity asked. "Yes. But I stayed here with Sweetie Belle to find out what was going on since no one was there when I followed her home" Scootaloo explained. "Thanks Scootaloo. But I think your parents are getting worried. You should probably hurry home" Rarity explained. "Yeah.. You're probably right" Scootaloo shrugged. "Don't worry Scoots. We will have a lot of time together tomorrow" Sweetie Belle said, giving Scootaloo a kiss on the cheek. "You're right. Goodbye!" Scootaloo said as she began to walk out of the room. "I'm coming too. I dont want to miss a single moment with you Scoots" Sweetie Belle said, following Scootaloo out of the room and over to the door. "Goodbye, Scootaloo. And thanks for giving me the best day of my life" Sweetie Belle said, giving Scootaloo a smile. "Goodbye, Sweetie Belle. And thank you for giving me the best day of my life" Scootaloo said, returning the smile. Scootaloo then walked out of the house and ran back home to her parents. They kept thinking about each other when falling asleep that night. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't be able to get a nightmare after just having the best day of their lives... <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Not Always author: Cloud Ring tags: character:Starlight Glimmer, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Drama, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== ...And Not Today === Starlight Glimmer paced back and forth in front of the statue of the Terrible Trio. She was dishevelled but still slow and deliberate in every step. Little 'hmm's and 'aah's along with occasional obscure spells' names sounded almost in rhythm with an unsteady, sparkling glow of magic almost ready to be cast, but never actually completed. Finally she sat on her haunches in a sunbeam that came through a window of an accidentally not ruined tower attached to Canterlot castle, and sighed. Her horn aura went dim, then dark, then disappeared. Over time, the sunbeam slowly narrowed down to oblivion, only indirect skyglow remaining. Twilight Sparkle arrived almost an hour later, in the magenta flash of a teleport. She said, "Sorry, I got your message, I just..." The technically not yet supreme monarch of Equestria looked around and frowned. "Starlight, if you're asking me to reconsider the decision about these three--" "Oh, how glad I am you've come!" She was tackled by strong hooves and escorted to the checkered sheet of linen with a coffee thermos, delicious cucumber sandwiches and two yet-empty cups. "I thought you would be too busy, or too mad at me for that frankly minor issue…" In these few seconds, just by Starlight's rapid breathing alone, Twilight knew that something was wrong. Not so wrong as would be were her eyes twitching, though. Still, this pretty late attempt at supper in Starlight's company notably warmed Twilight's mood a few minutes later, and she found herself smiling. Time went on. "...and then Sunburst went up the stairs, however I tried for him to not to--"—but Starlight interrupted herself and frowned. "Reconsider the decision, you said?" She paused for a moment, looked at her hooves, then directly at the alicorn before her. "Twilight, I think I need to tell you a story. Would you like to join me tonight for it? It requires somepony close-by. Somepony who, well, knows me. Being able to not shift to their own great and powerful shticks is a strong bonus. Although... there is one more reason, Princess. But you'll see. And, to be frank, I'm scared." Twilight moved in and lowered her head a bit to look into Starlight's eyes. "Well. Let's hear it." * * * Once before time, there was a filly named Starlight Glimmer (when not named "sugarplum", "pumpkin" and other embarrassing words, of course). And her day was always bright, her sun was always warm, her sky was always blue (but on occasion always cloudy or even rainy, which meant boardgames at home), and her kite was... what colours she liked it right now. Usually red, once in a while deep-blue, but always emblazoned with bold patterns and tassels, and she always tried to come up with a fresh idea when she built a new one. Because you need to change something in your eternal life. Sunburst, though, never got into kites. Not like he ever really had been needed to — she was justly sure that anything bad that could possibly happen in the day, would have dissolved away in the morning. This was promised by the giant white sun princess at the very edge of her morning's dream. So his stupid 'I don't like kites, remember it already!' hadn't been bad, precisely. It's good. For him. She remembered, as in a fog, that some bad things happen, though. Essence fell from a tree and broke her leg. Division angered their teacher, and went to his home crying from her harsh words he got in response. And Mom... but the little filly named Starlight Glimmer never liked thinking about her too much. But somepony white and warm and benevolent always was near in the filly's morning right after she awoke, promising that at the start of the coming day all things would be fine and any wrongs would be undone. So the days went on, and on, and on again, and as promised she danced with Essence, helped Division with his homework, and read lengthy letters from Mom, filled with colourful descriptions of foreign countries. And Sunburst, of course Sunburst, with walks, and books, and hugs, and scrolls, and a kiss that could be the first, the always, the eternal. But not. Not yet. Just a few more evenings. So was her life, and so her sun was always warm, be it winter or autumn or summer following it immediately after. Until one day it was not. * * * She knew that something had gone wrong immediately from that day's morning. First, the black crumbly cloud, of no kind she'd ever seen before, went through the entire sky with subtle buzzing, and no joy was left behind it. Second, no postal pony from the capital arrived (and had the post office been in her little city before? She could not remember). And third, of course, the very sun. Right before lunch it went dark, and cold, and gray like steel, and she just couldn't bear it. She shunned herself in a room with Sunburst, and right after she calmed her breath—books dropped right on her, she was saved by Sunburst's magic. The shattered sun cutiemark appeared on his flank, and he disappeared. "To prepare for School for Gifted Unicorns", they said, but she never saw him again. In the evening she wished for Sunburst's return, as she did when there was something bad. With all her heart and will, with hot tears and ragged breath, and beaten pillow, stronger than always. In the morning there was another day, and no Sunburst in it, and everything changed. Faint tingling by the mane, but she felt it nonetheless. She looked at the mirror, and it took her a moment to recognise herself. Days became weeks, these ones collapsed into months, and still no Sunburst, and no more did she see or hear at the very edge of last morning's dream that beautiful giant white princess who was the sun eternal, who wore the name Celestia, and who was always. So she decided that Sunburst's cutiemark, as well as the colt himself, were the cause of her grief, and that somehow they broke the state of things as they should be. But even in that she was wrong. Here Twilight gestured her to silence, hugged her, wishing to hug that other little pony who never will be, and they went out for a moment to share the night stars' view with a few bottles of the cider. Then they returned, and Starlight continued. * * * A few months and more than a few forbidden books later, in an entirely different corner of Equestria, she was hardly standing on her hooves—for a few days she had a hope that only her little city was cursed and that she can find what she wants just by stepping further away of the gate, and maybe just a bit more. Then one of the journals she had found decided to bite her haunch for insufficient attention—in the forgotten mountain valley she had met Celestia, for the first time since always. Though she was not sure if this cloaked stranger is in fact the princess, she was ordered by her Voice to not seek definite clarity. But still, in her sweet and caring tones, Celestia said that she is sorry, and that sometimes even the most powerful ponies just can not keep their promises, and that she was defeated in battle and lost the certainty that had been always — for Starlight and many other foals across the land. She also said that many of her fosterlings chose to forget and be happy in the world where time goes on and seasons follow each other in strict exact order. She said many other things, but Starlight never remembered much beyond the broken promise, and crushing fatigue, and the curtain of crimson anger. So she promised to become the will of Time and Change itself, and win, and slowly break down all that ever had been held dear to Celestia the traitor. She meant it, even for a moment, and in that moment she was marked for life by the falling star, the eternal sign of revolutions and destruction. But, strangely, Celestia smiled through tears, and replied so: "Once in a coming time you will meet the Princess, and she will help you much more than I ever could, as time goes on for all of us now." * * * "And... that's it?" Twilight had found in herself the strength to not be taken aback by those penultimate words, so she was close and spoke in a warm whisper, albeit slightly shaken. "Yes. You already know the other half of the story, Princess. Do you remember the first time we met?" Starlight blushed. "I actually checked if you were the Princess indeed. As if the Alicorn could be somepony else. I just had to be sure beyond any doubt." "There started my new way. So she was right, now I get it," Starlight genuinely smiled. "Wait. Wait!" Twilight frowned and raised her hoof. "We were enemies then! I think I started to help you later on. When," she smiled, "I took you under my wing." "And a comfy one, I'd say. But please remember that I had been really obsessed with Equality then. I even thought the cutiemarks manipulate us to their own ends..." Twilight made a slight nod here, "Of course they do. I'm getting your point. First you thought that I would be freed and follow your agenda, thus helping immensely..." "...and what can be more painful for the ruler than to see her society being rebuilt in the other, entirely different, and better, image? You can't lie successfully until you believe in your lies, at least in part." "But your truth is good only if it's one hundred percent correct. So did you believe or did you not?" Twilight pressed. "I had been scared to trial myself by being without my mark. The Unmarking comes from it, so..." Starlight shrugged, "Make of that as you wish, Princess." Twilight frowned, "You avoid the answer." "I do." "Well, then, that next part, when you get revenge?.. But your avoidance is noted," Twilight said, still frowning, clearly annoyed with how her wing feathers were sticking up. "I was mad at you. That was necessary to clear the madness, and clear my obsessions for cutie marks. You see, Sunburst's one... it is the shattered sun. And it appeared exactly when... when Celestia was defeated on the other side of the country? Do you still believe in those coincidences, Princess?" Starlight shrugged again, her voice even and face slightly smiling. Twilight knew better than to force Starlight to say more, so she just sighed and said in level voice, "In my eyes, and in any official catalogue, Sunburst's mark is the orange sun with yellow rays to the head's side, and ultramarine stars surrounding the sun from other sides. Please don't make me see it your way." "As you wish, Princess." she replied, maybe too seriously. "Okay... what now? Why did you call me? And why do you keep calling me that?" "You may not like what you'll hear, Princess," Starlight stuck out her tongue, "Sorry, sorry." Twilight just tilted her head, so after a moment Starlight continued in a deliberate, cautious tone, "Linear and narrow time, the one that just goes on, with no side steps, no retracing... it has its advantages, of course. For example, look at your own friends, if not at yourself... In the time that I'm living near you they have become stronger, braver. Richer, even. They fulfilled their wishes and made new ones in their place. They made their lives, and life has made them. Even I, myself, accomplished what I trained for these last few years after the second changeling invasion,' she moved her hoof, pointing to Chrysalis, a stagnant form, "and had been a pretty decent figure matching this one monster who killed my happiness." Twilight interrupted, "But you said..." "Don't confuse the child's petty revenge with the adult's petty revenge. Totally different things. I still may teach you the difference, you know," Starlight Glimmer smiled, maybe too wide in Twilight's opinion, "So, as I was going to say, one little problem... the ultimate end of the road for all of them, and for me. Even for you, in a very distant future. "And I think I know the spark to relight the fire that will always persist. Not for a selected few, or even a selected many. For all of us. "Once you'll take the powers of Celestia and Luna, just come here once again, with me. It will be simple. For you, Your Higness. Or should I say Your Majesty? You will need to also take the power of these three, of course," she nodded to the statue, "and don't forget that I'm not yet worthless too." "If you're implying that I'll need to, what, drain them..." Twilight raised her voice just a bit. Starlight shielded her chest with hoof, "Princess, Twi, I don't mean forcefully!.. As an only option, at least. But I mean all three of them here. And there will be no new tragedies even close to that," she levitated herself for a moment to gently touch Cozy Glow's strangely warm stone ear, "ever again. Because anypony — not only Celestia's chosen lucky few foals such as me, but anypony — will be able to step sideways in time, and just... avoid the pain or hardship. Because time itself will be not an arrow or a thread, but rather a ribbon, with many closely tied threads. Through which you could just dance around, always. Or... as long as you wish, at least." Twilight went up on all fours, and slightly expanded her wings, but eventually blushed and coughed in a hoof. "Okay, okay. I get it. But… how may you be sure that... this 'always' is real?" Twilight asked. "I can't. But all required spells and computational matrices do lay up together. You can check yourself." Starlight looked down, still sitting next to Twilight, then whispered, ears flat, "Though I agree with you, this story may be just that, a story spoken by the mare who... is maybe a bit older than she wants to, and never was too healthy to begin with. Maybe the sun had never been broken. For what it's worth, I'm sure that Celestia will find a few hours for you to clear out all your doubts. I don't suppose her intent was malicious or a cruel joke anymore — she just never accounted for herself being crippled by Chrysalis, left unable to," Starlight's voice faltered for a moment, "...to keep her promises to her 'fosterlings'." She paused for a moment, then added, her voice raised, "But I know what I know. So, as you decide... please think of this filly. She would never have this destiny, if... if only." "Which one of two in this room?" Twilight asked in considering voice. Starlight nodded. "Next question, please." Twilight frowned, took a long pause, then replied, "Enough. I will decide. In the morning. Right now you are forcing me. To correct Celestia's mistake on an universal scale, no less," she looked at Starlight, as if waiting for a 'Just kidding!' from her. "She... moved you sideways in time herself, and you really just suggest that everypony will be able to do the same at will?" Starlight looked up to her, "I'd say I'm sorry, but..." "No need for that. I understand. Really, I do. And you knew that I would understand, and you still went and did what you did. And it's hard to get over it." Starlight lowered her head but said nothing. In silence they spread the soft linen on the tower's floor, near the statue, and went to sleep, together, towards the next day that will not be always. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Candy Fluff author: SPark tags: character:Princess Cadance, character:Shining Armor, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Candy Fluff === "Goodnight, sweetling," said Cadance, and she bent over the crib and kissed Flurry Heart gently, just below her horn. The tiny alicorn didn't even stir, she had given herself over to slumber at last. Cadance straightened and added, under her breath, "Finally, you little so-and-so." She couldn't quite bring herself to curse the toddler—somehow calling her own foal any of the vile things that hovered on the tip of her tongue seemed wrong—but only just barely. Still, as trying as bedtime could sometimes be, she wasn't going to give it up. Flurry spent enough time with babysitters, nannies, and her Crystaller as it was. These bonding moments were precious, and Cadance couldn't help but smile as she stepped out of the nursery and into her bedroom. "Is the little pest asleep?" asked Shining Armor with a smile of his own as he levered himself up out of the armchair where he'd been sitting and reading a book. He wasn't as voracious a reader as his sister, but he was quite literate, and liked to relax with a book in the evening before bed. Cadance strangled a spike of resentment at his leisurely sprawl. She had free time of her own, and he had duties of his own. It wasn't as if he was living the high life while she did all the work. And she was the one who'd volunteered to do most of the bedtimes. "She is, yes." Cadance shambled tiredly over to the bed and flopped on it with graceless abandon. "Seemed like it took longer than usual tonight," observed Shining. Cadance remained sprawled on the bed, feeling too drained to move so much as a feather. "Ugh, yes. The little... nuisance," she mentally censored herself again, "apparently decided she was too good for sleep tonight, or something." Shining climbed into the bed next to her and bent his head to give the top of hers a nuzzle, over her forelock. "Poor Candybutt." A vague groan was Cadance's only response. Her husband chuckled faintly, and moved to nibble her ear lightly. Cadance made a faint whining sound of mixed enjoyment an annoyance, her ear flicking. "I'm really tired tonight, Shiny..." "I know," he said, and gave another gentle nip. Then he moved and nibbled along her crest, tugging lightly at the strands of her mane. Cadance sighed softly, relaxing. Shining knew this wasn't foreplay, so she didn't have to worry about anything but letting her wonderful husband pamper her. Foreplay could happen another night. Cadance was the last pony to resist loving, but after Flurry's shenanigans tonight she really was just too tired for anything other than lying still and letting her husband take care of her. Shining gave one more gentle tug to her mane, then climbed over her, the weight of his body falling on her flanks. She folded her wings in close as he did and sighed again at the feeling of his heavy warmth over her. It was wonderful, an easy closeness she'd once thought she might never have. Now it was part of her everyday life, but she tried to keep in mind how amazing it truly was. It swiftly became even more amazing as Shining Armor put his hooves against her withers and began massaging with expert firmness. There were most definitely knots of tension there, after the day she'd had. Flurry, after all, had been just the final task in a day crammed with royal obligations. Cadance groaned as her husband began finding the knots and leaning into them relentlessly, using his hooves to press them out of existence, digging into them with a carefully controlled strength that was both painful and wonderful. "Mmm," said Cadance, letting the tension ooze from her as Shining massaged down her back. "You can do that forever if you like," she said. He let out a low laugh. "Not forever, but I'll never pass up a chance to put my hooves all over you." Cadance couldn't help but giggle. Then she groaned again as he leaned into another massive tension knot at the small of her back. "Ooh. Stars, yesss..." She felt it slowly relaxing, letting go, and couldn't keep from moaning. Her cheeks heated, but Shining just smiled and continued massaging her. He eventually scooted back so he could massage her rump and cutie marks too. Her hips had often been extremely sore and stressed while she'd been pregnant, and they'd never quite been the same since, so getting a rump massage was always particularly wonderful. She groaned and closed her eyes, her head flat down on the bed, her wings half-spreading in blissful relaxation. Shining finally lifted his hooves away, and she expected him to climb off of her to lie beside her and cuddle, but instead he scooted back up, sitting atop her rump again, and bent his head to her wings. She gasped, then let out a little whimper of pure bliss as he started preening her feathers. "I think a certain princess needs some extra pampering tonight," he murmured, before taking another mouthful of feathers. Cadance groaned again, "Sun, moon, and stars yes," she said, and Shining chuckled around the feather he was tugging through his teeth. He'd been so hilariously bad at preening when they'd first met that Cadance had almost asked him to just refrain. But she'd decided to see if he could learn how to do it properly, and he'd swallowed his teenage pride and listened to her instructions intently. More than that, he'd preened while paying close attention to every little twitch of discomfort and every little sigh of pleasure, taking in not just her explicit instructions but her more subtle reactions, and it hadn't actually taken long before he'd been as good at preening as any pegasus she'd ever known. Better than some, really. Some pegasus stallions pulled far too hard, and some seemed to overcompensate ridiculously and seemed to barely touch her feathers. Shining, though, had the perfect mix of firm pressure and gentle smoothness that left her feeling absolutely amazing. When he finished preening her she felt like a puddle of ultimate relaxation. "Sun and stars you're wonderful," she said. Shining smirked. "Yes, I am." Cadance laughed. She folded her wings in to her sides and rolled over, holding her front hooves open. "Come here, you wonderful stallion, you." "Yes ma'am." Shining gave her a little mock salute and then folded himself into her embrace, wrapping his own hooves around her and planting a light kiss on the tip of her muzzle. "You're the best," said Cadance again, feeling a marvelous glow of contented warmth, partly from the massage and preening, partly just from Shining's closeness. "You're pretty great too," said Shining, and squeezed her tight. Cadance snuggled up against him, settling herself in his embrace, her hind legs tangling with his. She tipped her head back and kissed him once, softly, then tucked her head under his, nuzzling into his chest. She had to be careful of her horn. That too had been awkward early on. She'd been new to her alicorn status when they'd begun dating and had accidentally poked Shining with it more than once. But she'd soon learned how to slide it carefully into place as she cuddled, and now it rested comfortably against his collarbone as she nuzzled into him. There was a long, comfortable silence as the two lay together. Shining lifted his hoof and started stroking Cadance's mane. She shifted slightly and folded a wing over him, and he gave a little happy sigh of his own. "I love you," he murmured, nuzzling between her ears. Cadance rubbed her muzzle against his chest, feeling utterly, blissfully content. "I love you too." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Brother, Don't You Care? author: Namechanger tags: character:Applejack, character:Big Macintosh, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Brother, Don't You Care? === Brother, Don't You Care? Applejack stood at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres as Big Mac held his head low in front of her. A brilliant summer sunset shined brightly like a fire in the sky as it slowly melted away and was giving into night. He didn't make any effort to say anything more except a soft 'eeyup' after she asked the question: "You're really leaving us?" Big Macintosh didn't understand why things happened the way they did, but what happened happened and no pony could prevent it from happening. After receiving the letter in the mail addressed for him specifically, he had no idea his whole life would change around him. Now he wished he never had opened it and read those words. Big Macintosh, Congratulations on this year's full harvest! The apples were the sweetest they had ever been and all of Manhehatten will appreciate the hard work you and your family have put into this supply. We would be honored if you would join us at the Manehatten Farming Corporation and work as our executive supervisor! We have been following your statistics since you joined our branch and would love to have you as part of our staff. We will have a meeting on Monday, so you have all Saturday to make your way down here by train, we will even pay for the ticket. The ride should be about a days worth so we can have your living arrangements done by Sunday night. We look forward to a long and 'fruit'ful partnership! Big Macintosh stopped reading halfway through before Applejack asked him what he was reading. After a long argument and some tearful eyes, they were helping him pack up his belongings. "I'm sorry, Applejack... We need the money and Celestia knows how long before Granny Smith gives out on us. The hospital bills are going to add up! With this job, I can support the family for the rest of our lives!" "I don't care about that, Big Mac! We can pay for Granny Smith using the money I've saved up over the years. I don't need no fancy shmancy new hoe, I can use the old one in the shed!" Macintosh knew what hoe she was talking about, but it was rusted and broken. It would make her job even harder than it already was. He shook his head and took a step closer to his sister, resting a hoof on her shoulder. "You know that old hoe don't work no more, AJ. You'll get nasty cuts and stuff all over you and that's the last thing we need, you to be in the hospital and Apple Bloom all alone working the fields day and night," he said, his posture staunch and stiff. "She won't have to work alone if you just stay with us! We will find another way to lay the bills. We can plant twice as many seeds and sell more apples than ever!" "AJ, the ponies we sell to are just fine with the amount they get from us now. What makes you think they will buy more just because we planted more?" Applejack could feel her heart sinking into an abyss, turning her depression to anger in a split second. She threw her hat on the ground and looked at Big Mac in the eyes, tearfully crying aloud: "It's always questions and never answers, Bjg Mac! The only time you show any sign of emotion, it's just an eeyup or an eenope. Not once have you ever given a second thought to anything without showing even the slightest compassion!" That made Macintosh angry as well. "I am showing compassion! I'm leaving the farm to save all of you! You'll all live safe, healthy lives because of this! You won't have to worry about the crop going bad or locusts eating the harvest anymore! You can relax and not have a single worry in the world!" Applejack turned away. "You won't be there. I'll worry about you day in and day out. Money means nothing when a family is torn apart by it!" Applejack shouted. Big Macintosh could understand where Applejack was coming from in a way. He knew that this was the best choice, even if it meant a little bit of suffering. He only hoped that AJ would learn to cope with him gone. It was true: they wouldn't have to worry about crops going bad again or any other disasters. They could finally rest and no longer have to work long days and sleep short nights. He would save his family if it was the last thing he did. "You don't understand what type of pressure this is, Applejack. This is my once chance to make everything right again, before Ma and Pa-" She slapped him quickly. Mac stepped back and rubbed his cheek. It wasn't hard, but what it meant made it much harder. He didn't get upset over it, he shouldn't have mentioned Ma or Pa to Applejack. He knew better. "Don't talk about them, Big Mac, you big idiot. They left us willingly and you know that! I would visit them if I could but I just can't bring myself to look at them now. I'm a disappointment to them and to Granny and Applebloom and even you! I'm the reason you're leaving! I can't work the farm as good as I used to and now you have to leave to fix my mistakes!" She said, shaking her head and breaking down once more. Big Macintosh knew she would blame herself for this, even though she had nothing to do with it in the first place. He trotted over to her once more and hugged her. She hugged him back tightly and mumbled: "Don't leave us, Big Mac, please don't leave us." He knew the answer already. "I'm sorry, AJ. I gotta save the family." She looked at him with sorry eyes and said: "Don't you love us anymore?" Big Mac knew what to say: "Eeyup." She laughed through the tears, a small giggle. He continued, "I love you, Granny, Apple Bloom, and the whole rest of this gosh darn town, but this is for the best. I'll still visit you all on holidays and whenever I get the chance." "It's gonna be tough, Big Mac," she said, wiping the tears from her face. "What will Apple Bloom think?" "She's a youngin', but she'll learn to accept the fact. I don't know if I made the right choice in leaving her a note instead of telling her in person." "No, she needs the rest for tomorrow. I'm gonna miss you, Big Mac." She went in for another hug and Mac accepted it. He knew it would be a long time before he would see his sister again. A whole year at least before he could even begin to think about making plans to visit. "I'm gonna miss you too, sis," he said, burying his snout into Applejack's blonde mane. He picked up her hat from the ground and dusted it off. He placed it on top of her head and smiled. "You're all grown up now, Applejack. You'll do fine without me for a long time, after Granny is gone and Apple Bloom is a mare. You were built to last. This isn't the last time we'll speak, I'll write as often as I can." "I'll do the same..." She looked out towards the sunset, "I'm sorry for slapping you." "No harm done, sis. It didn't even hurt," he gave a playful punch on her leg. "So I guess this is it then, huh?" She said, looking diminished again. "Eeyup. I'm not very good at final final goodbyes, but I guess all I have to say is... Goodbye Applejack," he said with a blank expression. Applejack was hit hard by that, but she managed to pull herself up and muster out: "Bye, Big Mac. Write to me as soon as you get there or I'll give you the biggest smack down of your life." They hugged one last time and Big Mac picked up his suitcase with his feet and traveled down the dusty trail into the future, where he would one day be thanked by his family for all his hard work and could die a happy stallion, knowing that he did right. As he took one final glance when he reached the end of the road, exiting out into the main trail to the train station; he could make out the shape of his sister still waiting for him to disappear on the horizon. He waved but couldn't tell if she waved back. He took his first step in the direction of the station as a train whistle could be heard echoing for what seemed like forever in the crisp summer air. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Starlight & Pals Magical Half Hour author: Cold in Gardez tags: character:Starlight Glimmer, genre:Anthology, genre:Comedy, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== S2E10: Unbridled Enthusiasm === "Knock knock!" Twilight Sparkle said at the threshold of Starlight Glimmer's room. She didn't actually knock, of course -- the door was already open and she could see Starlight sitting at her desk, leafing through some journal or other from the library's periodical collection. "Hey Twilight!" Starlight flipped the journal closed. "What's up? Need help with something?" "No, just thought I'd stop by, see how you're doing." Twilight stepped into the room and looked around. "Actually, there was one little thing I was hoping you could help with." "Of course!" Starlight leapt to her hooves. Her horn lit, and her saddlebags floated from their peg on the wall to her withers. "Where are we going?" "No, no, not a mission. Just a question." Twilight pulled a few documents out of her own saddlebags and shuffled them before her. "It's just, I was going through the castle's invoices this morning, for the budget meeting next week, and I found something that I thought was a little odd." "Oh." Starlight floated her saddlebags back to the wall. "What's that?" "Well, uh." More shuffling of papers. "This will sound weird and it's probably nothing and I'll feel stupid about it like that time I thought you were hitting on my brother but it turned out he just had some lint on his belly and we all had a good laugh about it and it was funny even though it kinda felt like you were all laughing at me but anyway I thought it was important enough to check so here goes—" here she took a breath, "did you by any chance order a premium subscription to www.live-pig-dissections.com?" "Oh. Oh!" Starlight let out a little half-laugh. "That! Oh, yeah, I could see how that would startle you if you just saw it on an invoice. I'm sorry, Twilight, I should've given you some kind of heads-up – it's not what it sounds like." "Heh. Whew! I figured." Twilight grinned. A weight lifted from her shoulders. Just a little misunderstanding! Foals and their website names these days, all crazy and startling and misleading. "I mean, wouldn't that be crazy? A website that actually sold videos of live pigs being dissected?" "Hah! What a nutty idea!" Starlight smiled along with her. "No, it's nothing like that, Twilight. The videos are live. All the pigs are already dead." "The videos…" Twilight stopped and reconsidered her words. "You… you're serious?" "Absolutely. All the videos start with a veterinarian certifying that the pig in question shows no signs of life, or its brain and spinal cord have been destroyed. No brain, no pain!" "No, I mean…" Twilight closed her eyes. "You… you watch videos of pigs being dissected? Ponies makevideos of pigs being dissected?" "Of course. How else are you supposed to learn about anatomy?" "Books! From books! You don't need to, to cut a pig open!" "How do you think those books got written?" Starlight asked. She sat on her haunches and held up a hoof to forestall Twilight's response. "Look, you know I love books. But books can't show you how intercostal muscles expand your ribcage and make you inhale, or the weight of the heart, or how the liver balances the body's humours." Twilight scowled. The shock and disgust bubbling in her gut gave way to something else – indignation, and a little anger besides. "I can't believe this! Those were living beings! And you just cut them up for your own edification?" "Well, no, I don't cut them up. The doctors in the videos do. But you're correct about the important thing, Twilight: they were living beings. And now they're dead, and they don't care what happens to them. Why shouldn't we at least put their bodies to some good use?" "Because they're—" Twilight tried to keep speaking, but had no breath. Hyperventilating, that was it. She closed her eyes and lowered her head below her shoulders, focusing on her breathing. In, out. In, out. In, hold, out. Dimly she was aware of Starlight rubbing her back with a hoof. "Easy, easy," Starlight said. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I didn't realize you felt so strongly about this. I wouldn't have been so cavalier." Twilight took as deep a breath as she could, and let it out a second later. "How can you not feel strongly about it?" "Hm." Starlight gaze around the room for a moment before fixing her eyes on the desk. Her horn glowed, and a feathered writing quill lifted from beside her ink pot to float over to them. It hovered in the air, flying again. "You see this quill?" Twilight nodded. "Uh huh." "Did I ever tell you about it?" Twilight shook her head. Starlight spun the quill idly as she spoke. Her eyes seemed to look beyond it. "This feather's name is Ink Scratch. My mom gave her to me years ago, after I won top prize in an essay contest at school. See those little blue dots on the barb? They're probably just marks from the quill-cutter, but when I was a filly I thought maybe the whole bird this feather came from had those blue spots, and she was a special bird, something beautiful like a peacock, and this feather came to me all the way from some distant land just so I could take notes. And everytime the nib cracked I've had her re-cut. Everytime I've moved, she's been the first thing I pack. I saved almost nothing from Our Town, but I have Ink Scratch because I never let her out of my sight. Don't you think she's pretty?" Twilight nodded. The residual anger in her heart had softened as Starlight spoke. "Yeah. You know, I have an ink pot that—" Starlight snapped the quill in half. Twilight gasped. "Starlight! What are you—" "It's a feather with a nib on it, Twilight," she said. "I bought it last week from Davenport for three bits. I made all the rest of that up. All I did was break a quill, like you do every week, but because I told you a story about it, you felt bad." The broken quill bits floated over to the trashcan and fell, vanishing among crumpled papers and scraps of kite-making materials. Starlight continued: "There's nothing wrong with dissecting dead animals, Twilight. It's necessary for us to understand the world. It only feels wrong if you tell yourself a story that makes you feel it's wrong. So tell a different story." Twilight stared at the trashcan. "How… how can you do that? Just… change what you want to believe?" "Sentimentality is an indulgence, Twilight. Only the comfortable can afford it. Now, come on." She nuzzled Twilight's shoulder and helped her stand. "Wanna see how a pig's lungs work?" "No!" Of course she didn't. Why would she want to see that? To see how they adhered to the pleural walls, how the negative pressure of inhalation inflated them, how the diaphragm compressed to expel them. That was… crazy. "Maybe. Okay, yes." "Great. Let's start with this one here…" === S1E7: Spur of the Moment (GaPJaxie) === "Spike!" Starlight called. "Could you add something to the shopping list for me please?" "Sure," Spike pulled out a quill. He always kept one at hand. "What do you need?" "A live pig, an engraver's kit, a pound of silver, ten pounds of salt, a dozen candles, a pinch of sulfur, and a sharp cooking knife," after a moment, she added, "A cheap knife. I'm only going to get to use it once." "And uh…" Spike cleared his throat. "What do you need all this for?" "I'm trying to lose some weight." After considering his options, Spike decided not to ask any more questions. "Has Starlight lost some weight recently?" Twilight squinted across the way, where Starlight could be seen chatting up Trixie. "I don't know nuthin' bout nuthin'." Spike said, pointedly staring at the table. "I think she has. She looks really fit." Twilight and Spike were taking breakfast together on the castle balcony overlooking the town. Spike had his bowl of gems, and Twilight had a tall plate of pancakes. "Kind of toned? In a good way?" Off in the distance, Twilight watched Starlight put a hoof under Trixie's chin. Trixie swatted it away, but she also smiled a silly little smile, and her tail tucked up under her. "Like, you know, not out there. But confident in her appearance. That must be nice." "Every time you get involved in Trixie and Starlight's business you regret it. Literally every time." "I could look that good." Twilight brushed her mane with her hoof. "I don't know. Maybe braid my hair?" "Shiny scales and large claws. Drives girls crazy." "You're right. I should just go talk to her." Twilight rose from the table. "Thanks, Spike!" Twilight vanished in a flash of purple light. Spike sighed, and lowered his head. "Oh, no secret." Starlight let out a stiff chuckle. "I've been jogging more lately." "Jogging?" Twilight tilted her head. "Well, you know. It's working for you." "Oh, uh… thanks!" She cleared her throat. "Well, anyway, I should really get to school for the day. Gotta shape those bright young minds!" "Yeah, oh, of course. Pfft!" Twilight waved her hoof in the air, though precisely what she was dismissing wasn't clear. "Don't want to take up all your time gossiping. But hey, next time you go jogging, would you mind if I joined you? I could stand a little more exercise." "Oh. Join me. Uh…" Starlight took a half step back. "I mean, uh. I don't know, Twilight. I'm kind of serious about jogging? You know. Preparing for the running of the leaves. I gallop, pretty much the whole way. You'd have to keep up, and I don't want to put you under that kind of pressure." "Keep up? Uh-!" Twilight fluffed out her wings. "I don't want to offend you, Starlight-" "Great! See you." Starlight vanished in a bright blue flash. "I don't want to put you under that kind of pressure." Twilight sat at her desk by the window, doing her best snide voice. "My name is Starlight. My biggests interests are Trixie and being a huge jerk. And since Trixie is a jerk too, I guess I'm kind of a one note pony. And that note is also jerk!" She tried to refocus on her book. It was well past 1 AM, and she knew she should already have been asleep, but she didn't feel like reading or sleeping. She felt mad, and she felt like continuing to feel mad. Then she heard hoofbeats outside the window. When she lifted her head to look, she saw Starlight running off into Ponyville, sweatbands wrapped around her ankles and a set of tight-fitting goggles over her eyes. "And I'm the sort of jerk who wears sunglasses at night because I think they make me look so cool." Twilight let out a sharp growl. Then she rose from her desk. "That's it. Hey, Starlight!" Starlight didn't answer, continuing to jog off into the night. Twilight teleported away from her desk and into the air, taking off after Starlight with a few powerful wingbeats. It was a new moon, and the town was nearly pitch black, with only the starlight to see by. "Starlight!" Twilight called again, and again she received no answer. "You…!" She grumbled. Below her, Starlight put on a sudden burst of speed, racing up the slopes outside Ponyville. Twilight had to beat her wings hard to catch up. "Hey! STOP!" When still Starlight continued to run, Twilight lost her patience. "That's it!" she roared. Her horn glowed, and she picked Starlight clear up off the ground. Her legs flailed helplessly in the air as Twilight landed beside her. "What the heck, Starlight?" "Oh," Starlight said. Her voice had a strange quality to it -- resonant and deep. It was like a great chorus of ponies were all speaking at once. "I'm very sorry. I did not realize you were calling me. I am not Starlight Glimmer." "...wait, what?" Starlight reached up with her hooves, and pulled the goggles off her eyes. Without them, Twilight could see that Starlight's eyes were glowing an unearthly red. "You are looking at Starlight's body. I am Chpaxil the Bloodletter, servant to the Queen in Rags Who Waits Beyond the Crimson Path." Twilight blinked once. Then again. "You're an evil spirit possessing Starlight's body." "Yes." Chpaxil nodded. "She summoned me on the night of the blood moon, and we struck a fel pact -- that whenever sleep should take her, I would possess her body and control its movements until she woke." "...and the jogging?" "The terms of our accord demand that on five days out of each week, I shall use her body to perform those tasks to which she is ill suited. Namely: exercise, chores, and gardening. And I have to cook and leave it in the fridge." Chpaxil explained. "But on the weekend, her body is mine to use for my own nefarious purposes!" "Uh…" Twilight bit her lip. "And what nefarious purposes are those?" "Well… honestly, it hasn't been going well." Chpaxil gestured up at the sky. "I've been trying to start a cult, but you know, it's hard when you only have the weekends. You think you're just going to do your job and then spend your off time on cool projects, but when Saturday rolls around, I don't even feel like sacrificing a virgin mare to open the tenfold gate. I just want to unwind and enjoy that Starlight's body can get drunk." Twilight stared in silence. She stared for a long time. "You know," Chpaxil offered, "I have a sister! If you want the same deal. She's between summoners at the moment, but she works really hard and-" "Nope." Twilight said. "I'm out." She dropped Starlight, teleported back to the castle, and went straight to bed. The next morning, Starlight walked past the breakfast table, and asked Spike to add twenty gallons of blood and a hundred live spiders to their shopping list. Neither he nor Twilight asked any questions. It was the best day ever. === S2E5: Rein It In === "Good morning, Starlight!" Twilight chirped. She took another bite of her pancakes, paused, reviewed her mental schedule, checked the crystal clock hanging on the wall above the kitchen door, swallowed, and spoke again: "I thought your vacation to Pony Hawaii started today?" "The flight was full and the airline asked if I could swap to next week," Starlight said. She sat at the table beside Twilight and set her school supplies on the floor. "I got a voucher for a free trip anywhere in Equestria! Certain blackout dates apply." "They always do," Twilight said. "So, what are your plans for this week, then?" "Catching up on counseling paperwork, I think. The new school year is right around the corner, you know." Twilight sighed. "Don't remind me. I always thought summer breaks were too long as a filly, but now that I'm an adult they just zoom by." She assuaged herself with another mouthful of cream-and-blueberry-topped pancake. They sat for a few moments in companionable silence while Twilight ate. Starlight stared out the kitchen window at the rousing town. Dark, pegasi-shaped spots drifted across the morning sky, shepherding clouds into place and chasing away the lingering mists. Finally: "Say, can I ask a question?" Twilight flinched a little. No, she wanted to say. No, no more. But of course she couldn't. She had to answer questions. She was like a shark – if she stopped answering questions she would sink and drown. A question-answering shark… yeah, that was it. She closed her eyes and imagined swimming through the sea, a remorseless machine perfected by millions of years of nature's cruel lathing to instantly respond to and devour any questions smaller than she was with razor-sharp tearing jaws. Starlight was staring at her, she realized. She coughed. "Sorry, uh, of course! Ask away." "Okay, so." Starlight clapsed her hooves on the table. "Imagine you're at a train switch, and you see a runaway trolley barrelling down the tracks toward a group of five little fillies and colts. Now, you can throw the switch and redirect the train to another track, where—" "No." Twilight stood. "No. We're not doing the stupid Trolley Problem. Find a question that hasn't been done to death. If I'm going to be plagued with impossible-to-answer dilemmas, I at least want them to be original." Then she snatched up the remains of her pancakes and trotted out the door, leaving a trail of floating whipped cream in the air behind her. Starlight looked down at the little paper-mache diorama she brought with her. The trolley, tracks and terrified foals were all rendered in precise details. She'd thought about painting them, but the stark monochrome perfection of the newsprint and glue appealed to some part of her. "Sorry kids, you're on your own," she said, tipping the diorama a bit. Gravity took over, and the trolley rolled down the oiled tracks toward the foals. Eeeeeeeee— She winced. "Ugh. Why did I enchant them to actually scream?" "So, Applejack," Starlight said. She paused to take a bite of a fresh apple plucked from one of the dozens of baskets scattered around the Acres. "Do you believe in free will?" Applejack squinted at her, or maybe at the apple, as if calculating one or the other's cost, then shrugged. "Course I do. Don't you?" Starlight shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm asking you. How do you know it's real?" "Duh, cuz I can hear myself thinkin' up here." She tapped her noggin. "Don't you got that?" "Of course. We all have an inner sense of self," Starlight said. "But how do you know you're actually directing any of it? How do you know if you have any choice in what decisions you make?" "I make decisions all the time." Applejack paused to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "I just decided ten minutes ago to buck this here row of apple trees, on account of Big Macintosh being in town this morning on errands. Ah could've decided to buck any row I wanted, but I decided on this one." "But what part of you actually decided?" Starlight asked. "How do you know your decision wasn't a predetermined outcome of external inputs and chemical reactions in your brain? What part of you actually decided anything? What muscle or switch or anything changed in your head to make you decide on this row instead of any other?" Applejack was silent for a while. She frowned and stared at the trees, then over at some other trees down the way. Finally: "Get off mah property." "And she just kicked you out?" Rarity asked. "How uncouth." "I know, right?" Starlight nibbled on one of the vanilla-frosted tea cookies Rarity set out for guests. "It was just a question." "Well, not all ponies are suited for such profound discussions," Rarity said. She hummed quietly, comparing two swatches of purple cloth to the dress draped on the mannequin atop the stage in her design parlour. "What do you think, darling? Mulberry or orchid?" "Uh." Starlight glanced between the swatches. "The… darker one?" "Mmm." Rarity stared at them for a while longer, then set the lighter colored piece down. "Mulberry it is!" Starlight snatched up another cookie and nibbled the frosting off the edges. "Say, Rarity, have you ever wondered if the colors we see are the same colors that other ponies see?" "What do you mean?" Rarity pinned the mulberry swatch to the dress and began making little marks with a fabric pencil on the winged collar. "You mean, for color-blind ponies?" "No. I mean, what if the color I see as red is actually the color you see as green?" A little wrinkle appeared between Rarity's eyebrows. "That's impossible, Starlight. Color is an expression of the wavelength of reflected light – it's an objective, measurable quality of the real world." "Yes, light and wavelengths are measurable. But your brain doesn't see wavelengths – it's just accepting the impulses from your optic nerve and translating them with a potentially arbitrary palette in your visual cortex. There's no universal law that we know of that says the way my brain interprets light in the wavelength known as red must be the same way your brain interprets it. For all we know, a dress you see as cerise and amber could appear like, I dunno, orange and puce to another pony." Rarity stared at the dress. Her mouth opened, then closed. She looked back and forth between the orchid and mulberry swatches. Finally, she turned to Starlight and frowned. "Great work, girls!" Twilight Sparkle said. "We uncovered and captured the changeling impersonating Starlight Glimmer!" The changeling in question hissed and spat at them from its mystical cage in the Friendship Castle dungeon. Actually, it was the wine cellar, the castle having no real dungeon, but for some reason Rarity had insisted they "keep the filthy beast in the dungeon," so there they were. Bottles broken in the struggle littered the floor and the heady, yeasty scent of spilled wine filled the air. It was actually making Twilight a little dizzy. "How did you know it was a changeling?" the real Starlight Glimmer asked. She still wore her Pony Hawaiian shirt, a flower lei around her neck and sunglasses atop her horn. "The real Starlight Glimmer would never ask such sophomoric, pointless philosophical questions," Twilight said. "Once I compared notes with Applejack and Rarity, we knew it had to be an imposter." "And not just any imposter!" Rarity cried. "A new breed of changeling. A devious attempt by Chrysalis to harvest an emotion other than love!" "That's right," Twilight said. "This changeling feeds on existential doubt!" "Oh." Starlight said. "That's… really?" "Yeah, it's not very threatening," Twilight said. "I guess it could be annoying, sort of? Maybe cause some problems in the freshman dorms at universities." "Fools!" the changeling hissed. "You underestimate the power of my queen! Soon we will sow the pony world with thought-provoking, unanswerable questions designed to instill in you a sense of pointless malaise, which over the generations will erode your collective ambition with a creeping ennui—" "Oh, be quiet," Twilight snapped. She floated a book over to the changeling. "Here, have a collection of Prench fin de siècle poetry." "Ooh!" "Well, fortunately Chrysalis's drones aren't getting any smarter," Starlight said. "I mean, the Trolley Problem? Really? Everypony knows that ponies just give whatever answer they think will make them look like a good person. It's basic virtue signalling. If you want to know what ponies actually think about disturbing moral questions, you have to run the experiment in real life." Twilight nodded. "Exactly." A pause. "Wait, what?" "You have to be careful, though," Starlight continued. "Apparently, like, it's against the law or something to position foal-sized crash-test dummies on railroad tracks in front of oncoming trains. Who knew?" "Uh. I mean, I think everypony knows… What's that in your luggage?" "Nothing." Starlight's horn glowed, and what appeared to be a cracked and charred plastic pony leg was shoved deeper into her bags with a hollow rattle. "Just, uh, souvenirs." "Why do you have a tracking bracelet on your ankle?" Fluttershy asked. "It was a condition of my bail." Starlight said. "Hey, did you know that if you get arrested, all your research notes are entered into court logs as evidence? It's like being published!" === S1E1: Out to Pasture (GaPJaxie) === "Once," Starlight said, "I took a class called 'The Philosophy of Magic.' I don't know what I was looking for. This was before Our Town. I was angry and confused, and maybe I thought it would help. The class wasn't great, but one day, the professor asked us a question. A hypothetical—you have a button you can push. If you push it, it will make all of Equestria eternally verdant, beautiful, good, just, etc. A forever perfect world. But it will also kill half of the ponies who are currently alive." "Mmm." Twilight said nothing. They lay side by side on the hill out beside the castle, looking up at the stars. Twilight's wings were splayed out behind her -- she still didn't quite know how to get them comfortable when she was lying on her back. "I got a little annoyed," Starlight continued. "A lot annoyed, actually. I said it was a stupid question. Sure, it sounds all deep and profound, but we all know the answer. We all know the correct answer because it's obvious. The point of the question is just to make the speaker feel clever." "How'd the professor take that?" "Pretty well, I guess." Starlight shrugged. "He said the point of the question was to highlight inconsistencies in your thinking. First you ask it with half of the population, then a quarter, then five percent, then one hundred ponies, then just one pony, and see where your answer changes. See where it stops being wrong. And I gave him this confused, incredulous look, and asked him what in Equestria he was talking about. The answer is yes. Of course I'd push the button. Why would having it kill less ponies change that?" Twilight turned her head to look at Starlight, but Starlight was still staring up at the sky. And so Twilight waited, letting the silence linger until Starlight went on. "The class," she said, "was a little surprised by that. So was the professor. So he started going up. At three-fourths, do you push the button? Yes. Nine out of ten? Yes. Ninety-nine ponies out of a hundred? Yes. Literally everypony in the world but me? Yes, assuming there's a way to fully repopulate Equestria. Then he tsks and the class mutters and I can feel ponies staring. He says 'that's very selfish, young mare.' And I shoot back, 'You didn't ask about everypony in the world including me.'" Starlight smiled slightly. "He didn't like that. It wasn't how he expected the conversation to go. The whole class is mumbling again. So he says, 'young mare, the hypothetical you're describing would kill everypony in the entire world.' And I say, 'As long as there are new ponies around to enjoy that perfect world, why does that matter?'" She shifted in place. "What makes us so great?" Twilight cleared her throat: "I know some ponies who are pretty good." "But, so good you'd destroy a perfect world just to have them? That seems selfish." Starlight cleared her throat. "Twilight. Princess. Sorry." "Is there a reason you're telling me this?" "Because..." Starlight waved a hoof at the sky. "Ponies tell me I need to be more empathetic. That to be a good guidance counselor, or even good pony, I need to feel ponies' pain. I need to want them to be happy. And I just don't see why. Does Applejack need to feel the pain of her trees? When she kicks them? When she prunes them? When she cuts them down? Phrase the question that way. If Applejack could push a button that would make her farm eternally bountiful by destroying half of her current trees, would she press it? Shouldn't she press it?" "Ponies aren't trees, Starlight." "Why not?" For a long time, the two of them lay there in silence. Eventually, Twilight said: "If you don't understand it intuitively, I'm not sure I can explain it." "Yeah." Starlight sighed. "So ponies tell me." "You don't want to..." Twilight bit her lip. "You don't care about ponies?" "Of course I do." She waved at the sky, her tone turning frustrated. "But do I care about ponies, as in the specific group of ponies I happen to know? Or do I care about the ponies, as in, all the ponies who are presently alive? Or do I care about ponykind, as in the three races collectively?" "Those are all the same thing." "No, Twilight, they're not the same thing." Starlight's tone turned short and snappish. "And you're smart enough to know they're not the same thing. But unlike me, you're a good pony, so you want them to be the same thing. You pretend they're the same thing." Twilight started to speak, but before she could, Starlight cut her off: "Don't patronize me." A snort escaped Twilight's muzzle, and she rolled back up towards the sky. But when she spoke, her tone was soft: "You can decide what you think for yourself. But I don't think you're a monster." "I..." Starlight shut her eyes. "Thank you, Twilight. I'm... sorry." After a moment, she went on. "In that class, for my final paper, the professor asked me to justify my position. So I said, there's a way I want the world to be. I want it to be fair and just and verdant and kind. That is good. And it's right. And I must pursue what is good and right by the most effective means available to me. To do anything else is negligent. Anywhere in the world that somepony goes hungry, or suffers, or where unicorns abuse earth ponies or stallions abuse mares. Anytime anywhere something bad happens. That's my failing. My problem. I need to make it as right as I can as fast as I can. And if that means sacrificing ponies, so be it. What right do I have to harm the ponies of the future, just for the sake of somepony who happens to be alive now? "So I wrote it, and he called me into his office, and he said that it sounded 'supervillian ish.'" She made airquotes with her hooves. "He pointed out that many dictators and dark wizards throughout history said the same thing -- that they had their goals and they needed power to achieve those goals. That the ends justify the means. But I didn't see why that mattered. Their goals were wrong. My goals are right. Stealing to feed a starving family and stealing to buy a nice wagon aren't the same thing. Someone who accrues power for bad ends is a tyrant. Someone who does it for good ends is, well. Princess Celestia." A laugh escaped her. "So he asked, what absolute universal truth makes my goals 'objectively right' and the tyrants wrong? And I told him that was a stupid question. My goals aren't absolute; they aren't written into the fabric of the universe. But they're mine. And I'll accomplish them by whatever means I see fit. And dictators will accomplish their goals by whatever means they see fit. And the professor will accomplish his goals, just the same." Starlight licked her lips, and finished: "There is no right or wrong. No universal morality. Only the will to power." "That does sound supervillian ish," Twilight agreed. "Honestly, maybe more than ish. Maybe a lot." "Yeah. That's kind of why I told you." Starlight laughed, and it had a nervous tinge under it. "Are you going to blast me with the Elements of Harmony?" "Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow." Twilight smiled and lowered her head. "You could just stop believing those things, you know." "I can't. Not any more than I can stop believing the sky is blue. They're right, Twilight. And they're so obviously right it took me a while to even understand that not everpony saw it that way. That other ponies can be that wrong. I thought that whenever anypony disagreed, they were being intentionally thick. Or they were just weak." "So..." Twilight's smile brightened. "You think I'm weak?" "Ha ha. No." Starlight rested her head back in the grass. "No, Twilight. I don't think you're weak. And I'm glad you don't think I'm a monster." She paused for a few seconds. "But tell me if I ever do anything to... you know. Change that opinion." "I will." Twilight reached over to rest her hoof over Starlight's. "And hey, Starlight? Thank you." Starlight said nothing, and for the rest of the evening, they watched the stars go by. === S3E2: Stud Up === Twilight Sparkle danced into the castle kitchen, a smile on her lips and a song in her heart. She gave her head a little shake, tossing her bangs about like a filly showing off her new manestyle. "Good morning, Starlight!" she chirped, seeing her friend with a stack of loaded pancakes. She skipped around the table, snagging a spare blueberry from the edge of the plate and snapping it up. A note of whipped cream graced the sweet fruity taste. Perfect. Everything was perfect. She giggled a little giggle, spun in a circle, and headed toward the stove to see if Spike had made any extra pancakes for her. "Somepony's in a good mood today," Starlight observed. "You find a new book?" "Better!" Twilight blushed at the blasphemous thought – better than a book!? – but it was true. She hadn't felt so giddy in years, and to think it was all because of something so silly. "I was at the esoteric flea market earlier, looking for a fresh ampule of gloom ink, when—" "Oh, did you get spider legs? Remember last week when I said we were out of spider legs and you said you thought there was a mare who sold them every-other Tuesday but you hadn't seen her in a few months and maybe she didn't come to the Ponyville esoteric flea market anymore but you'd keep an eye out in case—" "Yes, yes. I remembered." Twilight dug through her saddlebags and pulled out two wax-sealed cloudy glass vials stuffed with some indiscernible fibrous mass. "There, fuzzy and spindly. Anyway, as I was saying, I was looking for gloom ink, when who should I run into but Thunderlane! And wouldn't you know it, he was, hehe, excited to see me." "Oh?" Starlight took a sip of her orange juice. "Why?" "No, Starlight. Excited." She waggled her eyebrows. "Oh. Oooh!" Starlight blushed. "Really." "I shouldn't be so surprised, I suppose. It is spring, and I have been working out a lot. You know, walking more. I think it's really starting to show in my figure." She struck a little pose, nearly tripping on her hooves in the process. "And not just him! Every stallion I ran into was having the same problem." "Yeah, it's a weird side-effect," Starlight said. "I haven't figured out what's causing it yet." Twilight barely heard her. "Anyway, I'm going to go back out a bit, I think. Oh, I should wear one of those saddles Rarity made for us. The little black one, maybe?" Maybe she should even trim her bangs like Rarity said, show off the base of her horn. Yeah it was a bit slutty and her mom would hate it but she was a big mare now and she could do what she wanted. She trotted off through the kitchen door, down the hallway, stopped, turned around and returned to the kitchen. "Hey, that thing you said. Could you say it again?" Starlight had a mouthful of pancake, and swallowed it before responding. "What thing?" "You said something about a side-effect." "Oh, right!" She took a swig of her orange juice. "Priapism. It's a weird side effect I haven't solved yet. It's harmless though." "A—" Twilight stopped and ordered her thoughts. "A side-effect of what?" "An experiment I've been working on." Starlight clapped her hooves together. "I was going to keep it a secret and tell you later, but I guess the cat's out of the bag! I've developed a ritual that makes ponies friendlier! They're happier, more sociable and less neurotic! Once I finish testing it we'll be able to share it across Equestria! Can you imagine how many ponies it can help?" "That, uh… really? You made a spell that makes ponies friendlier?" Twilight gawped at her. "That's not real friendship!" "It's as real as Princess Cadence helping ponies fall in love," Starlight said. "I even based the spell off of her notes." She paused. "You know, I wonder if that's linked to the side-effects? It makes sense, now that I think about it." "That's different! Cadence is the princess of love! Making ponies fall in love is her thing!" "Yeah, well, maybe making ponies be more friendly is my thing." Twilight sighed. All her happy thoughts from the morning stroll began to evaporate. "But an experiment? Really? How did you even get ponies to agree to that?" Silence. Starlight took a long drink from her orange juice. There it was. The first headache of the day, taking root right behind her horn. Twilight closed her eyes. "Please tell me you got ponies' permission before using this spell on them." "Well, I don't see why I would do that. It would ruin the experiment!" "You can't just test spells on ponies without their permission! That's unethical!" Twilight shouted. "They have to know the risks! They have to give informed consent!" "No, unethical would be allowing ponies to go one more day without a spell that could be helping them. Haven't you noticed how much happier ponies who have friends are? How much better society runs when ponies are socially engaged? I remember how lonely I was before I found you girls, and I bet you remember how lonely you were too. If I have the ability to give this gift to everyone in Ponyville, and then everypony in the world, aren't I obligated to? Think of how much misery we could eradicate with this one simple step. Of course I'm going to test it!" "You should still ask ponies first," Twilight said. "Tell them the risks. See if they even want to be friendlier." Starlight shook her head. "Yeah, I could. But then ponies might say no. This way is better." "And the side-effects? Somepony could be offended!" Starlight waved a hoof. "They're harmless. Come on, we're all adults here, it's nothing we haven't seen before. Besides, it doesn't seem to have offended you." Twilight blushed. "Yeah, well, maybe it did!" Starlight raised an eyebrow. "A-and what if there's other side-effects, huh?" Twilight pointed out the window at the bustling town beyond. "You don't know!" "That's what the experiment is for, obviously." Starlight took another sip of her juice. "So far, though, so good." Twilight set her forehead on the table. The cool crystal helped ease the ache behind her horn. Deep breath in. Slow breath out. "Okay, just one more question." "Sure." "Was Thunderlane one of the ponies you experimented on?" "Would… you be happier if I said no?" Twilight rolled her cheek onto the table and stared at Starlight. "Yes." Starlight smiled. === S4E2: The Times They Are a Changeling (GaPJaxie) === "You know," Celestia said, "there's no such thing as 'dark magic.'" They walked through the forbidden section of the Royal Library, where the stones themselves were black and the books were bound with ponies' skin. Their hoofsteps echoed into what seemed an infinite distance. Starlight looked all around them, waiting for the punchline that never came. "Ha ha," she finally said. After a moment, she added, "So uh… how would you describe all this, then? Princess." "Impractical." Celestia paused in their walk to approach a display case, indicating it with a hoof. Contained within was thin book, as well as a wicked looking knife that ended in a serrated barb. "Take this, for instance: The Meditation on Ashes. It contains a ritual that grants a pony the ability to breathe fire with all the strength of a dragon. But to complete the ritual, they must cut the living heart from a baby dragon and devour it." "That uh…" Starlight cleared her throat. "Seems pretty dark to me." "Does it?" Celestia asked. "Tell me, Starlight, how many times during a typical day do you encounter a problem that could be made easier by lighting another pony on fire?" "Not many, I guess." "And how often," Celestia's tone pressed, "do you encounter a problem that is made easier by Spike's assistance?" "Oh, well. Every day." Starlight looked around the archive once again, struggling to read the little labels in the gloom. "I get it. So you're saying that even if I didn't care about Spike's life at all, I still wouldn't use it." "Well you might, but if you did, I have to say it would represent very poor judgement." Celestia tittered, then trotting over to another display case. "Or take this, for instance." Inside the case was a crude necklace made from twine and animal fangs. Tiny rows of writing were carved onto each tooth, so small they could barely be seen by the naked eye. "The Key to the Staghorn Gate. The spells recorded on its surface grant overwhelming physical strength, but drive the caster to eat the flesh of their fellow pony." "Right. And how many problems do I encounter that would be solved if only I could bench-press a thousand pounds?" Starlight sighed. "Plus I'd miss restaurants." Celestia giggled. "Precisely." "So that's it?" Starlight looked around the darkened library. "I'm allowed to tour the forbidden section, but there's no point because it's all useless?" "Well, not all of it is useless." Celestia strode several steps ahead, indicating one more case. Inside it was a book bound in cheap blue fabric. The colors were fading and the binding was coming apart. It looked nothing like an eldritch tome should. "You Can Be More," Starlight read the title aloud off the spine. "What's this do?" "It contains a ritual that allows the caster to perceive the souls of ponies: to know others' pain and struggles like their own. It requires the sacrifice of a single drop of blood, taken directly from within the caster's still beating heart." Celestia smiled. "How your heart bleeds for them." "Huh. I guess that could be useful. Not that I'm not already a great guidance counselor, but… Princess?" Starlight looked around the empty hallway. "Princess Celestia?" Starlight sniffed the air. It smelled like anxiety. There were other scents of course: happiness, sadness, joy, petty betrayal, puppy love romance, and boredom just to name a few. But mostly anxiety. Teenagers would be teenagers, after all. She took a deep breath, and let the smell fill her lungs. She let the breath out with a sigh, smiled, and opened her eyes. She stood in the main entrance to the school, students flowing around her like a stream flowing around a rock. There was a young filly, who heard her parents fight that morning, and worried it was her fault. There was a colt, fretting that he was indeed a colt, not a 'young stallion' like ponies kept calling him. Something flashed in the corner of her vision—something more serious. "Oh, Yona!" she called, before the young yak could pass out of her sight. Yona froze in the hall, turning back towards Starlight. "Stop by my office in second period, would you? Here, I'll write a note for your teacher." Starlight did so at once, pulling the pad and quill from her morning saddlebags. "Uh…" Yona froze. "Is yak in trouble?" "No!" Starlight said, her voice all sing-song as she filled out the note. Yak listened to older colt who told her she was a little 'big' for a mare. Yak needs to learn what 'negging' is. Yak gets friendly invitation to see school guidance counselor. Colt gets unfriendly invitation. "I just wanted to catch up with how you were doing." "Uh…" "Run along now!" She stuck the note to Yona's side. "You don't want to be late for class." Yona made her excuses and ran off. Starlight made her way to her office, in no great hurry. Her course was not the most efficient, but instead took her through the school's busiest hallways. Three other students got notes. One of them got a hug. Starlight was nearly floating by the time she actually reached her office. She pulled the door open, waltzed in on two hooves, and then gracefully shut it behind her as she fell to all fours. "Ah. I love my job." "Wonderful!" Starlight shrieked and lept nearly a foot into the air. Her heart raced, and when she finally did recover her wits, Twilight was laughing. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." She was seated behind Starlight's desk, hidden by the chair's back when it was turned to face the window. She lifted a hoof to hide her bright smile. "You okay?" "Oh… fine!" Starlight's lip curled, and she wrinkled her nose. The smell of her own fright was thick on the air, like she'd just pissed herself. And there was Twilight. Starlight narrowed her eyes, and peered into Twilight's soul. It was not a casual visit that brought her. "Starlight?" Twilight asked. Starlight's head snapped up. "Sorry, am I interrupting? I wanted to have a quick word." "Well, you're not interrupting," Starlight said, forcing her voice back to something casual and light. "But you are in my chair." She decided to drop one of her little gems. "And while we're on the subject, are you the one that's been stealing my empathy coco?" "No!" Twilight quickly rose from Starlight's chair, and they switched places around the desk. "Even if it is delicious and Rainbow keeps using up all the regular coco," she grumbled. "Right." Starlight settled back in her chair and sighed. "So what is up then?" "I just wanted to talk. See how you're feeling." Twilight lied. "You've been doing really well as a guidance counselor you know. Like, really well. Really well. Not a day goes by I don't hear from one of the students about how you helped them when they were down. And I heard one of the little fillies actually got her cutie mark in your office?" "Nusha, yes. She likes gemcutting." Twilight looked around the office, which had a notable lack of either gems or gemcutting tools. "And… how did she come to realize that?" "Talking things out." Starlight shrugged. "I'm glad to hear I'm doing well." "Oh, you are. You totally are." Twilight sat forward, putting her hooves on Starlight's desk. "And I'm happy that you totally are! I'm just wondering. Because, it feels like you weren't doing this well at first? I know, sometimes when you start a few job it takes a while to settle in. So sometimes a pony gets better at things after the first month or two! But it feels like in the last few weeks you've gone from being a kind of awkward but well-meaning… you know. Maybe B+ guidance counselor to, uh…" Twilight cleared her throat. "To being so good at your job parents feel threatened you're stealing their children's love." "Oh." Starlight paused. "Do guidance counselors qualify for the 'Best Teacher' award then?" "Seriously, Starlight." Twilight cleared her throat. "And there's other things. Ponies say you stare at them." "Well," Starlight leaned back. "I have been known to stare now and again." "And I heard you sniffed a student?" "I sniffed his collar," Starlight corrected. "It had this really strong cheese smell." "In the education profession, sniffing students is what we call a 'no no.'" Twilight lifted her hooves to make air quotes. "Well, I'll keep that in mind." Starlight sighed and sat forward. Twilight knew nothing. Starlight could see that. But Twilight did have enough information to suspect. She knew Starlight was not the most empathetic of ponies, that she was prone to using magic to solve interpersonal problems, and that her judgement tended towards drastic action. That was enough for her to be suspicious. Suspicious and worried -- Starlight could smell that. Twilight wasn't out to get her. Twilight was worried for her. That made Starlight smile. "Something on your mind?" Twilight asked. "This isn't really about me, is it, Twilight?" Starlight decided to drop another one of her little gems. "Something else on your mind? Some other reason you might feel a little mistrustful of your friends right now?" "No." Twilight frowned. "No, there's no reason why I would…" She snorted. "Don't try to change the subject." "I'm not changing the subject. You wanted to know how I'm such a good counselor to students, and I'm showing you." Starlight's horn glowed. She filled a mug with empathy coco, and set it across the desk for Twilight. "Because I heard you felt a little betrayed when you found Applejack was selling some of her apples as 'Princess Twilight's Personal Stash.'" "That has nothing to do with this." Twilight waved the matter off. But after a moment, she took a step of her coco. "I mean, she could have asked my permission first. I would have said yes!" An hour later, the bell rang. Starlight told Twilight a student would arrive soon, and wished Twilight good luck chatting with Applejack about their feelings. The two hugged, and Starlight knew Twilight's relief like it was her own. She could feel it, smell it, see it. It made her feel warm, and all seemed right in the world. Twilight didn't suspect a thing. === S4E5: Dragon Her Hooves (GaPJaxie) === Twilight awoke in her bed. She brushed her teeth. She brushed her mane. She walked downstairs for breakfast. There, sitting at her kitchen table, was a fully grown adult dragon. Also, Smoulder and Terramar. Terramar was eating a muffin. Twilight examined the adult dragon closely. It had light purple scales with dark purple highlights, a streak of green along its sides, and little marks along its scales that seemed vaguely sorcerous. "Good morning!" the dragon said. Its voice, while deep, was obviously feminine. "Starlight?" Twilight asked. "That's my name!" the fully grown adult dragon said, and Twilight again noted that said fully grown adult dragon was sitting at her kitchen table. "What…" Twilight lifted a hoof to her forehead, rubbing the spot where soon she would have a headache. "Why are you a dragon?" "What's wrong with being a dragon?" Smoulder demanded. "Nothing." A hiss of breath escaped between Twilight's teeth. "I'm just wondering why Starlight is a dragon instead of a pony." "Oh, so there's something wrong with feeling like you're part of two races?" Terramar demanded, folding his forelegs over the table. Starlight smiled, showing off a full set of dragon's teeth in the process. Twilight looked from her, to Smoulder, to Terramar, and then to her kitchen table. There was a teeny tiny bowl of gems in front of Starlight's spot. Plus, somepony had made Twilight pancakes. "Fine," Twilight said. "You know what? I don't even want to know why. But I'm not helping you pick up small objects." Twilight stalked over to the table, picked up a knife and fork, and forcefully cut up her pancakes. Glowering at the table, she added: "And if you lay an egg, I'm not babysitting it. Eggsitting it. Whatever. In fact, I'm making a rule. No eggs in the castle." "Twilight…" Starlight laughed. A plume of smoke shot out of her nose and blackened Twilight's ceiling. "Come on. I don't have a special dragon in my life, so even if I did lay an egg, it would be unfertilized. It wouldn't need to be eggsat." "Fine." "But if you'd like, I am curious what a dragon egg omelette tastes like!" For a long time, Twilight sat in silence. The glow around her horn flickered and finally went out, and her knife and fork fell to the table. She buried her face in her hooves. "A-and then," little Dynamo leaned against Starlight's leg and sniffled, tears pouring down her face, "Gimbal Lock said I was ugly. And one of her friends pushed me and everypony was yelling and then they locked my bag in the unused locker and I couldn't get it out. And…" "Shhh." Starlight cooed. A little jet of flame shot out of her nose and ignited the school's topiary bushes. They were on the school lawn outside Starlight's old office, or as she was given to calling it, her new dragon-accessible office. Because, as previously mentioned, Starlight was a fully grown adult dragon, and thus slightly larger than several of the actual school buildings. "It'll be okay. I know it hurts right now. Being bullied can hurt worse than anything. But your friends—your real friends—will be there to help you. And I promise, I'll make sure you don't get bullied anymore." Her claws were as long as spears, and with the side of one, she gently brushed Dynamo's back. "Okay?" "Oh…" Dynamo sniffled. "Okay." "Good. Now drink your empathy coco." Starlight watched Dynamo until she took a sip of her coco. Once she was sure the little filly's breathing was slowing, she reached up to the school building with a claw. She counted windows, muttering under her breath. "It's 3:30, so… one, two, three, four, five. There we go." With a single massive hand, she reached out and tore the exterior wall off of one of the classrooms. Bricks shattered, wood snapped, and metal sheared away. Fluttershy and a dozen students were left staring into the open air where once there had been a solid surface, their eyes wide and mouths agape. "Hey, Fluttershy," Starlight said. "I'm sorry to interrupt your class, but can I speak with Gimbal Lock for a second?" "Eeeeeeee," said Fluttershy, from her position hiding under her desk. "Thanks!" Starlight folded her claws until only one was left, and with that single lance she pointed right at Gimbal Lock in the second row. "Detention," she said. Gimbal Lock shook at her desk. She peed herself in front of the rest of the class. And then, staring at the pointed tip of that mighty claw, she started to cry. "Don't you try and sweet-talk me. You know what you did." Starlight shook her head. "Anyway, sorry to interrupt the class." "Eeeeeeee," said Fluttershy. Starlight picked up a fistful of the displaced brick, wood, and pipes, and smushed them back into where the exterior wall had been a moment ago, more-or-less plugging the hole in the building with debris. "You okay?" Starlight asked, looking down to Dynamo. She was still leaning against Starlight's leg. "Yeah. Thank you." Dynamo reached out with both forelegs, hugging Starlight Glimmer as best she should. "You're the best guidance counselor ever." Watching from her office on the top floor, Twilight ground her teeth. "I wanna be just like you when I grow up!" said one of the little students. An earth pony. "I always thought I was going to work on a farm, but watching you fly around and do magic is amazing. Is there any way I can do what you did?" "Well," Twilight said, "not everypony can be an alicorn. But with friendship in your heart, you can accomplish anything. The first step—" "No, not you. Starlight." The whole class turned to look at Starlight. "Oh," Starlight said. She flicked her tail awkwardly, and destroyed one of the school outbuildings. "I don't want to undercut Twilight. She's entirely correct! With friendship in your heart, you really can accomplish anything. But if you want to complete the Ritual of Serpentine Ascension, you're also going to need some supplies: a very sharp knife, fifty komodo dragons, one hundred yards of strong wire…" Starlight paused: "Wait, hold on. Do you have something to write this down? It's kind of a long list." "Foolish ponies!" An unnatural, resonant voice echoed across the streets of Ponyville. A bolt of green fire descended from the sky, and where it landed, a dark thing of chitin and unnatural hunger stood. "I, Queen Chrysalis, have returned to take my revenge upon…" She paused. "Oh… I, uh…" Starlight backhanded her, sending her flying into the town hall, through the town hall, out of the town hall, and finally into Cinderblocks and Convenient Backstops store in the Ponyville market. She hit the demo display case with a meaty thump, and groaning, slid to the ground unconscious. "Oh." Watching from her wagon, Trixie stood with her mouth agape. Then she grinned. She hopped out of her wagon and trotted across the square to where Starlight sat. "Hey, Trixie," Starlight called. When she sat, her long neck made her tall enough she had to look down at the tiny pony below her. "You okay?" By way of an answer, Trixie climbed up Starlight's side, scrambled up her shoulders, and lept up her neck like a dexterous mountain goat. She clung to Starlight's head, and spoke in a throaty manner that sounded vaguely like whispering but that was anything but quiet: "Dragons are hot." Starlight laughed. "Oh you." She let out a puff of smoke, and reached up to pluck Trixie from her head. It took her utmost care not to nick Trixie with her claws, but she managed it, and held Trixie tight in her grip. Ponies around Ponyville stared, unable to look away. A curl of smoke from Starlight's muzzle brushed Trixie's face, and a shudder passed through the little pony. "Okay. Okay. Okay," Trixie said. "How do we make this work?" "I've been thinking about this. First, I lift-" "Woah woah woah!" Twilight charged out into the open, stepping over Chrysalis's unconscious body without so much as slowing down. "You two cannot do that in public! You're outside, for Celestia's sake!" Bursting out of the door of a nearby shop, Smoulder shouted: "Mating outdoors is a cornerstone of draconic depictions of love! Stop oppressing my culture!" "I'm not oppressing your culture! She's not even a real dragon!" From his seat at the frozen yogurt stand up the street, Terramar leapt to his hooves: "Oh, so you get to decide who is and isn't a 'real' member of a race? Respect my species identity!" "Is she paying you two to do this!?" Smoulder shook her fist. "Bribery is a traditional part of dragon culture too you ethnocentric horse!" Twilight started to a laugh. At first it seemed she might cry. Then the laugh turned manic. "What about Trixie? Is Trixie a dragon too?" Then Smoulder, Terramar, Starlight, and Trixie all shouted at once: "And what's wrong with interracial relationships!?" Twilight awoke in her bed. She brushed her teeth. She brushed her mane. She walked downstairs for breakfast. There, sitting at her kitchen table, was a unicorn pony named Starlight Glimmer. Also Spike. Starlight was sitting in the deep dragon-shaped depression in the floor and eating a bowl of hay. Somepony had made Twilight pancakes. "Spell wore off?" Twilight asked, cutting up her pancakes without a pause. "Nah. Too much trouble picking up small objects." "Well. Good." Twilight ate in silence, and Starlight and Spike did the same. Then Starlight sneezed—a powerful full-body, "ACH-CHOO!" that shook her in her place. A bright rush of green fire surrounded her, and when it subsided, a changeling drone was left in Starlight's place. It looked like any other drone: black chitin, hole-riddled legs, gossamer wings and all. The only difference was that its frill was a light purple instead of black. Twilight didn't ask any questions. She finished her pancakes, went out for a walk, and bought the biggest bug-zapper she could find. === S1E2: Pure Bread === "I've been thinking about the earth pony problem," Starlight Glimmer said. "The… is there a problem with earth ponies?" Twilight Sparkle asked. It was a brisk day, and they were out lounging atop one of the gentle rolling hills that hugged the woods south of Sweet Apple Acres. The mid-spring sun toasted their coats, while the wind kissed and chilled them. Twilight relished the sensation of being caught between the seasons, and she let her wings rise to caress the air with each gust. It was Starlight's day to choose their activity, and Twilight had barely finished asking Starlight what she wanted to do when the answer exploded from the unicorn: "Kites!" And so they found themselves on Ponyville's premier kite-flying hill a few hours after breakfast with all the instruments of kite-making laid out before them: balsa rods of all thicknesses, many-colored panels of fabric, rice-paste glue, miles of twine, metal pins, ribbons of every hue and a 64-flavor pack of artisans watercolor sticks. All were held down against the wind with rocks or hooves or little spots of magic when they ran out of hooves and rocks. They'd agreed on box-kites, which Twilight knew only from picture books as a foal and glimpses of Starlight's kite collection. She went for the simplest of designs, a rectangular prism wrapped with two panels of fabric. It didn't look like something that could fly, but even half-assembled, with the glue still drying and the twine yet unattached, she could feel it grabbing at the gusts, threatening to lift off her hill and into the trees beyond. It wanted to soar. Starlight crafted a far more ambitious design, a pentagonal prism that lacked the easy structural strength of a cubic design. But she'd already improvised a complex internal bracing far more elegant and clean than Twilight's rather crude glue-and-twine foal's play. Starlight's kite looked like something a pony astronaut might use. Then out came the watercolor sticks. By unspoken consensus they'd agreed on animal motifs, with the requirement that the animal in question had to have the same number of limbs as the kite had fabric panels. So Starlight drew dozens of five-armed starfish on each face of her kite, alternating colors and sizes until each face was more starfish than fabric, and her hooves and lips were smeared with waxy traces of the watercolor sticks. Twilight gave her own eight-paneled kite an octopus motif, after briefly considering and then rejecting a spiderweb design. An octopus would better match Starlight's aquatic-theme, anyway. She spent the hour drawing a single twining limb on each panel, adding suckers and spots and rings as fancy took her. She spent a bit of extra time detailing a hectocotyl arm – for her octopus kite was a colt octopus kite – which provoked a minute of giggles from them both. Finally it was time to fly, and they let their kites spool out into the brisk wind rushing up the hillside. The taut strings, decorated with fluttering ribbons every few feet to make them visible to pegasi, hummed in the air. And that was when Starlight brought up the earth pony problem. "No, not a problem with them," she said. "I mean, I certainly don't have any problems with them. I like them! But society has a problem with them, right?" "I… don't think I follow you," Twilight answered. Her kite wobbled a bit in the wind, threatening to start spinning. "Like, discrimination? There are still some older unicorns who say—" "No, it's deeper than just attitudes," Starlight interrupted her. Her eyes were on her own kite, which held its position like a rock despite the gusty wind. "Look, you know I have a thing for equality, right?" "Yes, I'd noticed that." "Right. So, have you ever noticed how unequal things are for earth ponies?" Oh. It was one of those arguments. Twilight arrayed her mental cards and began to deal them. "All ponies are equal, Starlight, they're just equal in different ways! Sure, earth ponies can't use magic or fly, but they have durable family bonds and greater physical strength, and nopony can grow things like an earth pony—" Starlight snorted. "Come on. You don't really believe any of that, do you?" "I–" Twilight frowned. "Of course I do. It's all true." "It's true, but it's wrong," Starlight said. "Earth ponies have larger families because they're traditionally farmers who live in multi-generational households. They're stronger because they have to be stronger – do you think Applejack has magically powerful legs, or maybe she can kick like that because she spends all day bucking trees? Maud's one of the strongest mares I know, because she grew up breaking rocks with her hooves. It's not magic. Any unicorn or pegasus could do the same thing if they grew up under the same circumstance, but no earth pony is ever going to cast spells like a unicorn or fly like a pegasus. How is that equal?" Twilight reeled her kite in a bit, tugging it down from the stronger upper-level winds. When it stabilized, she pulled out her second card. "It's equal because it's harmonious. Unicorns and pegasi have abilities that earth ponies don't, of course. Nopony would argue that. But pony society functions because each tribe uses its abilities to benefit all the tribes. The ancient Hearthswarming stories warn us about what happened when the tribes were separate. For Equestria to flourish, all ponies are needed, no matter their tribe or their abilities." "That's the same argument traditionalists use when they say earth ponies should only be farmers," Starlight said. She did something with her string, and her kite described a wide circle in the sky. "And pegasi should just be warriors. And of course unicorns should be all the nobles. Because we're the natural leaders, right? That's still harmonious. Society worked great that way for centuries. But it's not equal, not by a long shot." "Okay." Twilight discarded all the mental arguments she'd arrayed and deployed a new one on the spot. "How about this. Say you have two unicorns, one taller than the other. Being taller gives you certain advantages in life, right? So they're unequal. But is that unfair?" Starlight shook her head. "No, that's part of a standard distribution. Some individuals will be tall, some short. Some pegasi can fly fast, some can't. The individual might think it's not fair, but for everypony at large it balances out." "Right. Don't think about ponies as earth ponies or pegasi or unicorns." Twilight said. "Ignore the categories. Instead some ponies can fly and some can't. Some can use magic and some can't. It's part of that standard distribution, and as a society we've decided to call the ponies who can fly pegasi, and the ones who can use magic unicorns, and the ones who can't do either earth ponies. But while that may be unfair for individual earth ponies who wish they could do magic or fly, it's not unfair to earth ponies as a category because that category has no objective reality, any more than pegasus or unicorn. They're just descriptions ponies used to conveniently sort each other by ability, and over time those descriptions became a part of how we organize our society. But they're still just descriptions – there's no such thing as earth ponies or unicorns or pegasi, just ponies." Starlight shook her head again. "That's replacing reality with theory. We don't break ponies into tribes based on height because height doesn't matter in the end. Magic does. Flying does. Earth ponies will never get to do any of those things, and even if you only think of them as individuals, that's still unfair. From birth they're frozen out of so much potential that you and I take for granted. How many earth ponies have become princesses?" Uh. Twilight was suddenly very conscious of the wings fluttering at her sides, and she pulled them in tight. "Well, none. Yet. But that doesn't mean they couldn't!" "You're a poor liar, princess." Twilight bristled. It took her a moment to realize Starlight was deliberately baiting her, and she let out a slow breath. "Okay, fine. Let's say you're right about everything. What can we do about it? It is a unicorn's nature to use magic. It is a pegasus's nature to fly. It is an earth pony's nature to do neither of those things. If I thought earth ponies were broken – which I don't – and there were some way to fix them, I would. But we can't, and if happiness means accepting the things we cannot change, then you'll never be happy as long as you think life needs to be fair." Starlight was silent in response. She watched her kite, so far above them it appeared as little more than a pink dot against the blue sky. A few pegasi occasionally detoured to dance around it before going on their way. "What if we could?" she finally said. Her voice was quiet, almost lost to the wind. "Uh…" Twilight's string shook, and she realized she'd been ignoring her own kite too long. It bobbled dangerously near the treetops, and she pulled the twine to give it some more lift. "How… do you know something I don't, Starlight?" She shook her head. "Just something simple. There's no way I know of to give earth ponies horns or wings. But that's not the only way to make ponies equal." The chill that swept over Twilight wasn't born of the wind. "You can't—" "I could, though," she mused. "Just cut off my horn, and I will have made earth ponies equal to at least one unicorn." Twilight's eyes slid to Starlight's forehead. "You don't seem to have gone down that path." "I know." Starlight's shoulders slumped and her ears sagged. "Does that make me a hypocrite, or just a coward? It was the same back at Our Town. I was so happy to condemn all those ponies to a life without their cutie marks, but I wasn't willing to do it to myself." Twilight licked her lips. The past was always a tender subject with Starlight, and she had to set her hooves carefully. "And it was wrong back then, wasn't it? This thinking is all just repeating the same mistakes." "Maybe it wasn't a mistake. Maybe the only reason you and your friends tried to stop me back then was because you found out I'd been lying about keeping my own mark. But what if I hadn't been, Twilight? What would you have done? Would you have just… left?" "I, uh…" What would they have done? There was no law against removing cutie marks; they had only confronted Starlight over her lie, and everything had spun out of control after that. She could imagine it. Leading her baffled friends back to Ponyville, never having solved the problem of Our Town. They'd have abandoned Starlight to her insane plans, if only she'd been insane enough to really believe them. "Where would that end?" Twilight asked. "A world with wing-shorn pegasi and dehorned unicorns? I don't think any earth ponies want that. Certainly none that I know." "Sometimes the right thing to do is hard. It requires sacrifice. And you could… do it at birth. There are painless ways. And then we would all be earth ponies. Can you tell me why that would be wrong in a way that doesn't also explain how terribly unfair the current world is to them?" "It's not our job to make the world fair!" Twilight said. "We can only try to be the best version of ourselves that we can! To… to mutilate yourself because your own gifts are unfair would be the first step down a path of annihilating every difference, because the only perfectly equal world is a world of perfect entropy where all things are flat and cold and gray—" Something snapped high above. They looked up to see Twilight's kite, some internal spar now broken, falling to the ground. The unmoored fabric panels fluttered like flags as they plummeted. It hit with the crunch of thin sticks breaking. They both winced. Twilight picked the mess up with her magic and drew it closer. Little remained that resembled a kite. "Well," Starlight said. She drew in her own kite and snagged it once it was in range. "It was a good kite while it lasted. And I liked the octopus!" "Yeah." Twilight folded up the ruins as best she could. "Hey, Starlight?" "Hm?" "What about… if a unicorn uses their magic to make life better for others, especially ponies who can't use magic, is that still unfair?" Starlight was quiet for a while. She detached a single spar from within her kite, and the rest of it folded up neatly. She wrapped it with a bit of spare twine and set it on her back. "I don't know," she finally said. "Who is the master, then?" "Maybe there is none." Twilight collected all the little scraps of their kite-making morning, putting them in her saddlebags. "Wanna talk about it over lunch?" Starlight smiled. "Sounds great." === S3E10: Just Barn This Way (GaPJaxie) === "Knock knock!" Twilight called as she pulled open the door to Starlight's office. "How's my favorite guidance counselor in the world doing?" "I don't know," Starlight said, sitting up in her chair. She had a mug of empathy coco in front of her, along with a thick book she was halfway through reading. "How is Princess Celestia doing?" Twilight stared at Starlight. She blinked. Then she sat down in front of Starlight's desk, and pulled out a bundle of papers. "So! I wanted to talk with you about something." "Too close to home there?" "It's about some of the students who have been seeing you!" Twilight pressed on, subtly raising her voice. "So, you remember that portal to Equestria High? Sunset Shimmer, alternate universes, that whole thing?Well, recently, Sunset gave me a lot of human cultural material for the school. Books, movies, she thought I'd enjoy it." "I know." Starlight took a sip from her mug. "The students have been passing around those little square things that play movies. Most of it is actually pretty good!" "They are really enjoying them!" Twilight said, but she spoke through a strained smile. "So when I decided we should have a class on cultural sensitivity, I thought it would be a good idea to have the students analyze some of the films from the human world. That way, none of the students feel like their culture is being analyzed. They can all approach the problem as equals." "Sounds like a good idea." She swirled her mug, looking down into the brown liquid within. "So uh… what do you need me for? Help grading the papers?" "They turned in their papers this morning, actually! Let me read one of them to you." Twilight pulled a single paper from the bundle in front of her. "Ahem." She cleared her throat. "'The core theme of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the futility of democracy. The inability of the Galactic Republic to fend off the military aggression of a rogue state serves as a classic example of the misallocation of resources under so-called 'humanitarian' regimes. By allowing domestic spending to take priority over the essential needs of the state, the Galactic Republic got billions of its citizens killed.'" Twilight lifted her face from the paper and squinted at Starlight. Starlight took another sip of her coco. "Sounds about right to me." "Uh-huh." Twilight pulled another essay from the pile, snapping the paper taut in front of her. "This essay is about The Incredibles. Have you seen it?" "I have." "Do you think this essay says that it's a fun adventure story with recurring themes of love, family, and the importance of honesty in relationships?" "I mean," Starlight waved a hoof and gave a little half-laugh. "Who knows what it says? Foals these days, right?" "'The Incredibles'" Twilight raised her voice, reading every word with force, "'is the most sinister film of the contemporary era, employing bright and colorful imagery to conceal its menacing and ultimately self-serving themes. Its core story depicts a group of natural-born 'superheroes' as they thwart a 'supervillain's' plot to give away his advanced technology and make the world a better place. Using memorable scenery, likeable characters, and gripping action scenes, The Incredibles conveys one clear message: 'Some people are born superior and society has no right to judge them.'" "Ha ha. Aaah." Starlight chuckled. Her smile was wide and stiff. A long pause hung in the air. Then Starlight sat forward, resting her hooves on her desk. "You know, one way to look at this is that that's very good use of language for someone their age." "Starlight!" Twilight's ears folded back as she glowered. "Did you tell the students what to write?" "No!" Starlight threw up a hoof. "If I did that they wouldn't learn anything. I just made sure that they saw the movies in their proper context. So they could understand the broader cultural themes." "They're all like this!" Twilight quickly sorted through the papers in front of her. "The Lion King: Hereditary monarchy whose royalty actually cannibalizes their subjects experiences family turmoil plunging the land into chaos. Beauty and The Beast: Legitimately elected champion of the people attempting to save kidnapped woman slain by unelected aristocrat. But it's okay because he was a jerk and she later developed Stockholm Syndrome. Up: An old stallion wastes helium to satisfy a foolish sentimental desire!" Twilight brandished the paper like a weapon, waving it at Starlight edge first: "You didn't like Up!?Fluttershy and Pinkie cried when we saw it! Plus Applejack cried on the inside." "Oh, come on." Starlight waved a hoof, softening her tone. "I liked some of them! Monsters Inc was really good." "I noticed!" Twilight ripped another paper from the pile. "Monsters Inc is the—" "Do you have to read them—" "Yes!" Twilight sharply cleared her throat. Then she started to shout. "Monsters Inc is a heartwarming adventure story about two working class stallions who uncover a sinister plot by the bourgeoisie to harm a nearby parallel universe for the sake of their own profits. This surprisingly realistic portrayal of the rampant greed inherent to class distinctions highlights the need of capitalist regimes to constantly expand to new markets, harming the citizens therein. In the end, joy becomes the new energy source of the land, metaphorically reflecting the joy of the people as they are no longer alienated from their labors upon being united by the electrified collectivist state!" Starlight sat in silence, a small frown on her face. Twilight needed a moment to catch her breath, the extended shouting having knocked the wind from her. She wheezed slightly. Starlight filled a mug with more coco and placed it on Twilight's side of the desk. "I can see you're upset." "Yes! Yes I'm upset! You can't tell the students these things, Starlight." "Why not? They're true." Starlight shrugged. "Come on. The Lion King has an entire scene dedicated to how the lions eat the other animals. And then we see that the other animals can talk? Tell me that's not a little messed up." "They're foal's movies!" "That just makes them more pernicious!" Starlight raised a hoof. "Foals learn their social cues from the culture around them. Think about Beauty and the Beast. If you had a daughter, would you want her to watch a bunch of movies about mares getting kidnapped and then falling in love with their kidnappers?" "No, Starlight. It's not the same. If you want to point out the little oddities in a story, that's fine, but not to the degree that it overrides what the story is actually about. Star Wars isn't about 'the failure of democracy,' it's an epic battle of good against evil." "Is it though?" Starlight sat back in her chair. "Go back to the original movie. Alderaan sponsored a rebellion against the Galactic Empire before the movie even starts. That's how Leia gets captured. Everything we see in the movie is the Empire responding to Alderaan taking aggressive action against them." She folded her rear legs, putting a hoof up on the desk. "Basically, Alderaan shot first." Twilight sighed. She laughed. The threw up her hooves. "Fine," she finally said. "Analyze them however you want. But if you don't want to enjoy these stories as stories, you're not going to keep getting invited to movie night." Starlight quickly took her hooves off the desk and sat up straight. "Woah. No. Twilight. I do enjoy these movies. Just because I interpret them a little differently doesn't mean I don't treasure them!" Starlight pulled open one of her desk drawers and drew out a thick bundle of paper. "See? I wrote this during the slow hours." Twilight slowly took the bundle. It had a cover page. She eyed its title. "Death-Star Crossed Lovers," she read aloud. She knew she should drop the bundle. But she couldn't. She couldn't look away. Dread fascination compelled her to continue. She turned the page. "This is your fanfiction," Twilight said. Her mouth was suddenly dry, and she swallowed. "Your protagonist is an imperial unicorn named 'Starwise Sunbeam' who thinks that Grand Moff Tarkin has a 'sexy voice.'" "I mean," Starlight laughed. "He does have a sexy voice! But don't worry. It's not that kind of fanfiction. Starwise and Tarkin aren't in a relationship or anything." "That's…" "Tarkin," Starlight spoke firmly, "would never cheat on Darth Vader." A long silence came over the room. Then Twilight put Starlight's manuscript down, rose from her chair, and walked out into the hallway. "Twilight!" Starlight called. "Oh come on, Twilight! Don't be that way! Twilight!" After a long pause, Starlight shouted out the empty door into the hallway: "You can't deny there's something there!" === Exclusive Web Special: Starlight in the Stars === Death Star-Crossed Lovers A Star Wars Fanfic by Starlight Glimmer Chapter 1: An Unexpected Encounter Ensign Starwise Sunbeam hurried down the crowded, gunmetal gray corridors of Quadrant 4, Level 87 North. She dodged around squads of stormtroopers, hopped over mouselike MSE-6 repair droids, and raced toward the dwindling light of her objective. "Hold the lift!" she shouted. "Officer--huff, huff--Officer coming through! Hold the liiiift!" Ahead, the adjutant in the turbolift saw her coming and stabbed at the control panel. The doors began to slide shut. "No! Noooo! Hold it!" Starwise put on another burst of speed, her hooves rattling the deckplates. "Please I need that lift—" Sadly, the turbolift did not need her. The doors closed just feet from her muzzle with the quiet hiss of an airtight seal. Some mechanism behind the doors hummed, and the lift was gone. "No! I can't be late!" She spun around – the area around her was clearing rapidly, as the assembled technicians and troopers decided they had better things to do than surround a panicking junior officer. "Stairs! Where are the stairs?" There: emergency signs directed her to the stairwell. She pounded through the door, knocking aside a gunner's mate with a breathless apology. Yeomen hugged the walls as she trampled down the stairs, taking them four at a time. Beside, held in the faint cerise glow of her magic, hovered a dossier of critical engineering documents she'd spent the past week pouring over. Over her other shoulder hovered, under its own power, a heavily modified P5-32 personal assistant droid. No larger than a common sparrow, it deftly kept up with its charge no matter how frantically she tumbled and crashed through the winding maze that was the Death Star. "I told you we were going to be late," P5 said. He wasn't out of breath at all. "I said, 'Ensign Sunbeam, it will take 15 minutes to traverse the quadrant to the meeting room Commander Double Rhombus reserved for the meeting,' and you said, 'P5 you worry too much, we'll catch the turbolift and—'" "I know I know I know!" She paused on a landing and panted for breath. "Where's the next turbolift?" The LEDs on P5's side blinked as he accessed the network. "Down two levels. It won't arrive for 435 seconds, however. We'll still be late." "Okay. Okay." She licked her lips. "We'll take the executive lift! It's only one floor away!" "Ensign Sunbeam, we can't!" P5 cruised beside her as she jumped out of the stairwell. "The executive suites are for flag officers and their staffs only! We're not allowed in!" "No one will know!" Starwise Sunbeam paused to catch her breath and pat her mane back into order. She couldn't be seen out of regs here, of all places. She trotted forward, legs high, just like they taught at the academy. She had to look like she belonged. "Now, just be quiet and—" She rounded the corner. Something gray and solid and tall also rounded the corner, coming the opposite way, and they crashed together. Starwise fell back onto her haunches with a yelp, hooves reflexively rising to cup her muzzle. The papers held in her magical grip fell to the floor and splashed outward in a dozen directions. "Ow!" she cried. "Careful! Didn't your mother ever teach you to walk on the right side of the… of the…" "I beg your pardon, ensign," a deep, elegant baritone rolled over her, squashing her pitiful attempt at a witticism. The voice held within its dulcet tones a deep and bottomless well of confidence, born from decades of command, honed to a razor's edge by the steadfast application of an iron will. His was the voice of glaciers, grinding continents to dust; his was the voice of the tides, a rolling, endless, depthless power that cared not the pitiful concerns of mortal men and ponies but shaped their lives to his will. His voice seized her soul with its first utterance, flayed her, leaving her exposed as she had never been exposed before, all her secrets laid out and revealed. She shivered, naked in soul if not in body, and longed to weep in gratitude of simply hearing him speak. "Ah, you seem to have dropped your papers," he continued. "Let me get them for you." And he bent his knee, his uniform tightening around his legs as he lowered himself to her level to gather the papers she had lost. Her eyes strayed across his chest, his powerful shoulders, his graceful, artist's hands, and finally her addled mind comprehended who he was, and she realized the depths of her mistake. "Grand Moff Tarkin!" P5 buzzed beside her. "My lord, I am so sorry! I… I directed the ensign here! It was my fault we—" "Silence, machine," a second voice interrupted. Dark, where Tarkin's was deep; it hummed its vowels and hissed its consonants, machine like, a robot's voice given breath by a man. Black robes swept forward, and Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, stood before her. He raised his hand, and an iron vice gripped Starwise around the throat. She lifted into the air with a choked gurgle, her hooves pawing at the invisible force strangling her. "What shall I do with this clumsy fool, my lord?" Darth Vader asked. "Easy, Vader," Tarkin replied. His eyes never left the papers gathered in his hands. He stood, towering over Starlight like her father Starwise like a stately elm. He leafed through the pages, humming quietly, his eyes never ceasing their constant dance. "These designs… you drafted them?" he finally asked. At last his eyes turned to hers, and all thoughts of reply fled from her mind. His eyes were the blue of the arctic ocean. They pierced her through, as easily as turbolasers pierce the weak tungsten hulls of rebel starships. She felt herself fall into his gaze, forgetting the crushing pressure on her throat, the panic of her flailing hooves suspended in the air, even the horror of being caught sneaking through this forbidden place. In some distant, still-rational part of her mind, Starlight recalled that only minutes before her life consisted of being late for some silly meeting with the head of engineering. But now she had seen this stallio man, and lost herself in his presence, and she wanted to laugh at her earlier self. Reality and gravity returned. Vader released her to crash onto the deckplates. "Answer him, foolish girl!" the hideous cyborg demanded. She coughed. She tasted blood. But still she met Tarkin's gaze. "Yes. Yes, those are mine." "Mhm." Tarkin flipped to the next page. Her biography, apparently: "Ensign Starwise Sunbeam, class of 17. Top of your year with a degree in mechanical engineering. You specialized in thermal exhaust port design. A rather esoteric field." "It's underappreciated," Starwise replied. "Not enough people understand the importance of proper reactor venting. I… I hoped it would be useful on the Death Star." "It may yet." Tarkin tapped the edges of the pages, bringing them back into alignment, and offered them to the unicorn. "Vader, I believe we've found our new executive assistant. Start the paperwork to have her transfered to my office. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, ensign." With that he nodded to her and stepped past, already aimed like a missile at his next task. She shivered at the thought of being his target, and then – only then – did his words register. "Executive… assistant?" Her heart skipped a beat. "Me… I'm his new executive assistant!" "A position I have full confidence you will fail at," Vader said. Starlight Starwise gasped and jumped. She'd nearly forgotten he was still there. She started to bow and mutter some insipid vow to try her hardest— "Save your words, unicorn," Vader commanded. "Know this. Your obvious intelligence and peerless writing skills may have impressed Grand Moff Tarkin, but he is only concerned with the mission and the Empire. I, however, am entrusted with his well-being. Beneath that stern exterior lies a sensitive soul and tender heart. If you fail him, Starwise, if you hurt him, you will wish I'd been allowed to choke the life from you at our first meeting." With that Vader spun away, his cloak billowing out as he pursued his master. "Your trial starts tomorrow!" he called back as he vanished around the corner. Starlight stood there panting. She barely heard P5's nattering voice, or noticed the other staff officers peeking out from their offices to see who had just joined their ranks. Only one thing concerned her. What have I gotten myself into?? === DVD Special: Season 3 Unaired Episode (GaPJaxie) === It began with Eyore, the Dynamite Mule. Readers will, of course, be familiar with his villainy. Originating as a mine worker in the distant tunnels of Griffonstone, he became one of the early leaders of the anarchist movement, and the first to strongly identify dynamite with their cause. His spree of terror crossed the world and lasted for six years, as he threw his bombs at constables and crowds alike. His greatest achievement was the bomb plot against the West Canterlot Orchestra House, where he hoped to destroy Celestia, Twilight, and all the nobility of Canterlot in one moment of conflagration. Sunset never met him, but she wrote him letters while he awaited trial. They were anonymous so as not to reveal her identity, but she felt compelled to tell him of all the good he had done on that day. Sunset herself had only narrowly escaped the blast. The thought of spending one more night with Celestia, with the hangers-on, with the new bitch-princess, had made her physically ill to her stomach. Once she could imagine a nice evening at the orchestra, but she could no longer hear the music. Instead, she saw her own face, smiling at the mare who had stolen everything she ever desired in life. She vomited on her lovely evening dress. Celestia relieved her of her duties and told her to get some rest, for she was clearly unwell. Perhaps she might have done so. Perhaps she might have been a simpler creature, who thought of being relieved of her duties as nothing more than a free evening. She might have spent the evening in bed, or reading, or done anything else she desired. But she had been raised in the traditions of Canterlot, and raised by Celestia. To be dismissed from one's duties was not a gift, and she found her evening tormented by guilt and gnawing inadequacy. Eventually, she pulled herself out of bed, swallowed her pain and her rage, and found a new dress. She rehearsed in her head an excuse, and something nice to say about Twilight when she arrived. She reached Platinum Avenue just in time to see the explosion consume the Orchestra House. Later, of course, Celestia and Twilight would be pulled from the rubble unharmed; a thousand tons of dynamite could not pierce an alicorn's skin. But at that precise second, as she saw the building be consumed by fire, Sunset imagined them both dead. She felt a lightness -- a joy so great it consumed her to her very bones. Her soul was transformed, as swiftly and completely as downtown Canterlot had been transformed by clay and blasting caps. Sunset found herself in that explosion. Sunset and Starlight Glimmer sat in Starlight's office. A clock in the corner passed the seconds with it's loud regular tick. A ceiling fan overhead slowly turned. Sunset was sitting quietly with her hooves folded. Starlight had the script open in front of her. "Yeah," Starlight said. "I don't think so." "Heh… come on." Sunset forced a smile onto her face. "It's good, right?" "It's about murder." Starlight rested a hoof on her desk and leaned forward. "You know this is a foals' show, right?" "You address adult topics all the time! Like that episode on involuntary organ donation." "That was for a good cause! It taught foals about utilitarian ethics. It didn't tell them to write love letters to terrorists." Starlight rolled her eyes. "Look, I just don't think it fits." "Well, uh. I have another idea that might—" "Sunset." The mare behind the desk let out a heavy sigh. "I have a question for you." "Yeah?" "Is this show called, The Sunset Shimmer Magical Half Hour? Mmm?" She lifted an eyebrow. "Is it? Because I notice you're the main character in a lot of these ideas." "I just think it's fair I get one episode!" Sunset raised her voice. "I mean, that was the deal when we got rid of Twilight, right? That's why we did it! You know. We were in this together?" "You know, that's a good point. We did have a deal. And I do owe you something, don't I? Step over here for a second?" Sunset rose and leaned over Starlight's desk. Starlight nodded and took a breath. Then she slapped Sunset hard across the cheek. "Let me be clear," she got in Sunset's face, until they were muzzle to muzzle. "This show has room for one magical mare. One. That's why we got rid of Twilight. And you think I can't see you're planning to do the same thing to me? Mmm?" Sunset stood there in shock. Her eyes were wide. Her jaw fell open. Tears filled her eyes: "But… I…" "You got Equestria Girls. Your own show. You got character development. You even got Twilight's ditzy copy to be your supporting character! Don't say this didn't work out for you." "I wanted to be a horse!" Sunset sniffled, trying to hide the tears running down her face. "I don't want to be sixteen forever. I've been on the cheerleading squad for twelve years!" "Them's the breaks. You can be a supporting character in Equestria, or a bigshot at Canterlot High. Let me know when you work out what you want, but 'Element of Magic' isn't on the table." "I… but… I…" "Get out." Sunset fled the office in tears, and Starlight fell back to her chair. She spun around to face the window, and let out a sharp snort: "She's even worse than Twilight." === S1E3: Halter I'll Shoot === "Every crazy pony is unique in their insanity, I've found," Twilight Sparkle said. She applied her eyeliner with the edge of a safety razor, tracing a thin red line beneath her lashes that slowly wept into the soft, fine hairs of her coat. She blinked and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hoof, leaving a ruby smear behind. "I think I know more insane ponies than normal ones, and the pattern holds up pretty well." They were in the master bathroom of the Crystal Friendship Castle. A dozen opulent emerald basins lay in a row before a crystal mirror the breadth of a schooner's sail. As Twilight was only a single mare and single mares needed only a single sink, the rest generally went unused except for the occasional run of the faucet to clear crystal dust and spiders out of the pipes. Everburning diamond lanterns filled the bathing suite with a soft, many-colored glow that somehow complemented the colors of whatever pony happened to be using them. As Twilight and Starlight both wore warm purples, the lights were gentle and yellow today. Starlight usually didn't join Twilight in the bathroom. Although ponies had little in the way of body modesty, their morning ablutions – washing and primping and preening – were still generally private functions, and Starlight considered it a sign of Twilight's trust and affection that she was allowed to join her here. Still, other parts unsettled her. She regarded the tongue-piercer with unease. Twin metal paddles captured the tongue and held it still, while a spring-driven mechanism slowly stored power as the user squeezed the handles with their hooves (it was an earth pony model), until a certain threshold was met and the energy explosively released in the form of a long, thin metal needle. She tested it in the air – the device fired with snap-TING that vibrated the bones in her legs. She wondered what the needle would taste like. "So, which am I?" she asked. Better pose questions while she could. "Oh, definitely crazy," Twilight said. She finished with the eyeliner and smiled, checking the filing work on her teeth. They all still looked sharp to Starlight. "Megalomania, narcisism, antisocial personality disorder. The Villain Big Three." "Oh." Starlight swallowed. All words she'd feared expected known Twilight would say, but to hear them uttered so starkly… "I was thinking… you know…" Twilight chuckled. "What? That you'd gotten better? Changed?" "I mean…" Starlight looked around the sink. So many sharp things: razor-edged spoons, porcupine bristle brushes, hair pins clotted with blood. "It could happen." Twilight snaked a hoof around her shoulder, drawing her into a comforting embrace. "Why would you want that?" she whispered. "Look at the others. You want their kind of crazy? A nervous, terrified wreck like Fluttershy? Schizophrenic, like Pinkie Pie? Or maybe you'd rather be obsessive like me. Count the blessings in your flavor of crazy, Starlight. They're what make you special." "They're what make me wicked." "That's what I said." The comforting leg draped over Starlight's shoulders suddenly turned into iron; Twilight seized her with an impossible strength, trapping Starlight against her chest. Her horn glowed, and a magic of strength unseen in generations pried Starlight's jaws apart. The tongue-piercer drifted up and into position. The metal paddles tasted like blood. Starlight struggled with all her strength, but she might as well have tried to drink the ocean. Twilight's embrace was a steel cage. She tried to scream, but with her tongue snared and pulled out so tight, all that could emerge was an off-key wail. Hot drool ran down her jaw and dappled the tufted coat on her chest. "Relax," Twilight whispered. The trigger-grip on the tongue piercer began to wind tight in her magic. The thick spring inside made little tic-tic-tic noises as it compressed. "You're going to look beautiful." Starlight choked. She seized. And when it was over she finally— Starlight Glimmer gasped, jerking upright. Sweat-damp sheets fell away from her shoulders, collecting around her waist. The bathroom, the lights, the taste of blood, they were all gone, replaced by darkness and the scent of the rice glue she used for kites. Outside, a faint nighttime storm tapped on her window. She lay back down on her side. The pillow was wet and chilly against her cheek, but she didn't care. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, willing her heart to slow. The bed shifted as the pony beside her moved. "Bad dream?" "Yeah." A slender hoof rested on her shoulder. "Same one?" Starlight nodded. "Mostly. Sort of." She rolled her tongue in her mouth. Why did it hurt? Was that pain an illusion? "Some parts were different. But the part about… you know." A cool nose pressed against the back of her neck. Warm breath washed over her shoulders. "You play every character in your dreams, Starlight. Those voices are just you doubting yourself. Questioning yourself. Whispering poisons in your ears. Part of you wants to change, and part of you fears change." Starlights scooched back to press against her bedmate's chest. "If I can change every part of me, what's left of me?" A laugh answered. It started high and sweet, but with each exhalation its tone grew deeper, more resonant, until it filled the room and buzzed in her chest. A hard, black limb squeezed her in a tight and loving embrace. "That's not the question," the monster behind her whispered. "It's not what's left of you. It's what you become." Starlight caressed the leg holding her close. Its edges were sharp, and she nicked the thin skin beneath her hoof on it. The tiny pain flashed through her mind, burning up the nerves and filling the nighttime with a blinding flash that— Starlight Glimmer jerked awake. Her dark bedroom smelled of rice-glue and sweat. Outside, a faint storm whistled through the trees. The crystal spires of the castle caught the tone and resonated with it, filling the night with a mournful groan. She rolled over. As usual, her bed was empty except for her. She thought dimly of ways to fix that problem, but before she could muster the energy to act on those desires, the tide of sleep washed over her again. Exhaustion tugged her eyelids closed, and the darkness again became complete. She dreamed of sharp things. === S2E4: Love Poison No. 9 === "...and it was in that vital moment Ginger Gypsy realized her mask, the carefully schooled edifice of flesh and bone that she had trained for years to guard the secrets of her heart, had at last betrayed her. That those were tears leaving hot trails down her cheeks; that her lips, so long practiced to sneer in derision, now curled in pain. 'Goodbye,' she whispered, though she knew Buttercup had long passed beyond the sound of her voice. 'Goodbye.'" So saying, Twilight Sparkle turned the last page of 45 Reasons Why and closed the book, setting it gently on the coffee table in front of the couch. After a moment she lifted her glass of wine for another long sip. "Wow," Starlight Glimmer said. She lay across the couch's other cushion, reclining against the armrest with her legs curled loosely beneath her barrel. Her own glass of wine floated somewhat unsteadily beside her, swimming through the air in time with her attention. "I mean, it's a little, you know, over-dramatic, maybe," she paused for another sip and cleared her throat. "It kinda hits you right here, you know? That place in your chest where you feel things." "Your heart?" "Yeah, that's it." Starlight finished off her glass and concentrated hard on setting it down on the table, where several empty bottles stood guard over it. A magnum of Reisling, still half-full, filled the air with a heady, fruity scent. She very carefully lifted it and splashed a bit in her glass. Apricots assaulted her nose. "More?" "Uh." Twilight considered her options, which seemed at this point to consist of varying levels of being drunk. Since she'd already crossed that bridge, there didn't seem like much reason to stop now. "Sure. Not… not too much, though." Starlight giggled at something. "Okay, princess. Just a smidge for her highness." "Stop that." Twilight batted at Starlight's tail and giggled herself. She couldn't help it – she was in a giggly mood. That realization brought on a moment of introspection, followed almost immediately by a touch of the melancholy drifting that so often afflicted her in times of deep thought. She shook her head to banish the feeling and nearly tipped out of her seat. "So, what did you think?" Starlight asked. She apparently didn't notice Twilight's attempts to capsize their couch. "Oh, um." Twilight blinked rapidly and focused on the book. "Well, for a romance novel, it seemed to flout some of the major conventions of the genre. Aren't… aren't the lovers supposed to end up together at the end? But that didn't happen. Instead they just drifted away." "I think they failed the author's test. If they deserved a happy ending, they should've earned it, but they didn't. Ginger Gypsy couldn't open up and be honest, and Buttercup was too concerned with her own dreams." "And Ginger Gypsy realized it too late." Twilight licked her lips. They were sweet with the residue of the wine. "That… that's the worst thing, I think. That she realized, at the end, what she could've had." "Yeah." Starlight stared into her glass, as though some secret swam beneath the surface. "Did… have you ever felt like that?" "I, uh." Twilight cleared her throat. No. Of course not. That's silly. "Yes," she blurted out. As soon as the word escaped she gasped, as if to draw it back in, but by then Starlight's ears had already perked up to full attention. "...really?" Well, too late to back out now. "I mean, sort of. It was just a crush! A silly filly thing. Stupid, really. Why, to think!" She forced out a laugh. "It's not silly." Starlight took another long sip and closed her eyes. "It was Celestia, wasn't it?" Emergency! Abort! Abort! Twilight swallowed. Finally, she nodded. "I figured." Starlight mumbled. "She's perfect. So wise and kind and beautiful and, uh, perfect. It's common for students to have crushes on their teachers, you know. Unreq… unrequited feelings." "It's still silly." Twilight took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. "What about you?" "Oh, um." Starlight studied her wine intently. "I've, uh, had relations before, but love? No. No time for love when you're conquering the world, right? Ha ha." "Really?" Twilight scooted a bit closer and set her hoof on Starlight's. "You mean you've never felt anything for somepony?" Starlight's eyes fixed on Twilight's hoof, and for a long moment she stared at it in silence. Finally, she jerked back to the present. "Well, uh… since you mention it…" "Yes?" Twilight leaned forward. "There is one pon— mare, who I've, uh, had feelings for. She's so smart and kind and perfect, but she could never love me. How could anypony love me?" "Starlight!" Twilight's voice cracked like a whip. "Don't you dare say such a thing! You deserve love just as much as anypony! You're smart, and funny, and being around you makes me, uh, feel like I need to be better. That's… uh, lots of ponies could find that attractive!" "But I've made so many mistakes. I'm not a nice pony. I'm not—" "Shh." Twilight silenced her with the tip of her hoof on Starlight's lips. Her aim was a bit off so she kind of smooshed them a bit, but the effect was the same. "Starlight, you… you're perfect just the way you are. You try harder than anypony I know to be good. And that… I…" Starlight grasped Twilight's hoof. "Yes?" "Well, I mean, I'm just saying, like, hypothetically, um, if we were alone on an island—" "Oh for fuck's sake, just kiss already," Rainbow Dash said. She finished off her half-full glass in one chug. "Fuck. It's like watching balloon animals try to have sex." "That's it, I'm cutting you off," Rarity said. She floated Dash's glass and the nearest two bottles of wine away. "You have to let them move at their own pace. Besides, I think they're cute like this. Also, language, darling. Fluttershy is with us." "I'll language you." "Sorry, Rares, I gotta side with Dash on this one," Applejack said. "These two're just gonna sit next to each other and blush and stammer 'til judgement day at this rate." "Hey, we're right here," Starlight said. "Sometimes I have to help my little woodland critters find the right mate," Fluttershy said. She'd acquired Applejack's stetson at some point, and wore it so low on her head that it concealed everything but the tip of her muzzle. "They're not all smart enough to do it themselves." "Okay, first off, Starlight and I are not woodland critters," Twilight said. "Second, why are we the focus here? None of you have special someponies." "Maaaaybe you're just fun to tease," Pinkie Pie offered. "Or maybe we're all so afraid of our own lack of relationships that we hope by focusing on you to distract ourselves from the slow, impending realization that every year we grow older but never seem any closer to achieving the markers of adulthood that our parents' generation mastered so easily and who now expect us to follow in their hoofsteps despite all the complications of modern life that make marriage, home ownership and parenthood so much harder to achieve." "Hey, have you met my parents?" Dash said. She eyed her stolen glass, now cradled in Rarity's hooves, like a slightly drunken hawk. "Okay, listen," Twilight said. She rose to her hooves, wobbled a bit, and held her wings out for balance. "I'm only going to say this once." There was a pause while she sorted out her thoughts. And then she threw up all over the coffee table. === S1E5: Asterisk === "Has it seemed quiet around here lately?" Rarity asked. Starlight Glimmer considered the question. It was summer, which meant that the Friendship School was on break, with only a few students still haunting the corridors in pursuit of independent studies. Sandbar was volunteering ten hours each week in the school library, as transparent a ploy as Starlight had ever seen to justify spending time around Yona, who was in there every afternoon translating chalk rubbings of old Yakyakistani cenotaphs into modern Equestrian. At some point, Starlight supposed, she would have to intervene directly and coach the young stallion onto the correct path to wooing his heart's desire, since it didn't look like he was going to find the guts to do it himself. It would hardly be the first time she'd offered a guiding hoof in such matters – part of running a successful model society at her old town required matching ponies with their ideal mates, because sometimes ponies weren't always bright enough to sort themselves out in the most efficient pairings. They needed guidance, which she was happy to provide without even being asked. And now she was a guidance counselor. And it was nice. She took a sip of her chai tea latte. "I suppose it has. Is that a bad thing?" "No, it's quite nice actu—" "Yes!" Rainbow Dash slammed her hoof down on the table, rattling all their cups. "Finally. Thank you for asking. It's boring and it needs to stop." There was grumbling around the table as ponies mopped up spilled drinks. Several glared at Rainbow Dash, which might have evoked a sheepish apology had she been capable of interpreting non-verbal communication. "If you're bored, Rainbow, you can help me grade final assignments," Twilight Sparkle said. "Compass Call wrote a lovely dissertation on friendship and bonding rituals among the breezies, and he wants to submit it for publication. You could help edit—" "Ugh, nah, I'm good." "But you just said you were bored." "No I didn't." "You did," Starlight said. "That's what I heard," Applejack added. "Clear as a cucumber!" Pinkie piped in. Rainbow scowled at them. "Okay, if I did say I was bored, what I meant was that something exciting needs to happen! Like, a monster attack! Those are always great. When was the last time that happened?" "Three days ago," Twilight said. "Harpies attacked the Ponyville Miniature Poodle Fancier Annual Pet and Pamper in the park. Remember? The Guard came and everything." "That was so sad," Fluttershy said. "Those poor poodles." "Oh, yeah." Rainbow gazed up at the sky, her eyes unfocused. "Yeah, that was pretty cool, I guess. Do you think they'll come back?" "The poodle fanciers?" Starlight frowned. "I think they disbanded." "I meant the harpies." Starlight considered the question. She didn't know much about harpies. "I'm not sure. Fluttershy?" "Not for a while." Fluttershy cradled her milk in her hooves and gave it a little swirl. "They're migratory. It will probably be years before we see them again. Maybe by then the poodles will be back too?" "Circle of life," Applejack said. "Anyway, if you're bored and don't want to help with grading schoolwork like you're supposed to as a member of the faculty, you can come with me to…" Twilight squinted at the pamphlet floating before her. "Bro… Bronycon? I think I'm pronouncing that right." "Uh." Dash squinted. "I dunno. Sounds kinda gay." Twilight scowled. "Dash, that's highly inappropriate to say in 2019. Also, aren't you attracted to mares?" "Yeah, but that's awesome gay." Starlight leaned across the table to peer at the brochure. "What is Bronycon?" "It's some sort of get-together in the human world. Sunset Shimmer says all the, quote, cool kids, unquote, go to it. It's about ponies! In the human world!" "Human-world ponies?" Rarity made a face. "I've seen pictures of them. Brutish things. Animals." "No no. Ponies like us! Apparently there's a corporation that uses our images to generate billions of dollars in toy sales." Twilight flipped the brochure over. "This is like those Daring Do conventions. There will be panels, discussions, a vending hall, a bookstore*, more types of artwork than I knew existed, and a single coffee shop attempting to serve thousands of guests." Rarity tilted her head. "What was that after the vending hall?" "Which one? The bookstore*?" "Yes, that… why are you saying it like that?" "That's how it's written." Twilight flipped the brochure over again and frowned. "There's an asterisk next to it." "What's it mean?" "I'm… I'm not sure. There's no explanatory note." "There has to be," Rainbow said. "You must be missing it." "No, I'm not!" Twilight flipped the brochure over again and shoved it up against her muzzle. "Come on, where's the note?" "Maybe there isn't one," Starlight said. She took the last sip of her latte and set the empty cup down. "Anyway, Rarity, are you still planning that trip to Manehattan next week?" "Oh, I'm not sure now, darling. They say there's a heatwave coming, and you know how bad Manehattan gets during a normal summer. Can you imagine it being even hotter? And it's so muggy in that city! Honestly Rainbow I don't know why you weather ponies can't keep the temperature down just a few more degrees. Would that really be so hard?" "Look, every year some city has to get the heatwave," Rainbow said. "This year it's Manehattan's turn. You want Fillydelphia to get it twice in a row or something?" "No, of course not. But maybe you could spread the heat out a bit? I'm sure the Crystal Empire wouldn't mind being a few degrees warmer. They'd hardly even notice." "So, wait," Pinkie said. "Is hot weather good or bad for fashion? Like, are there more sun hats but fewer saddles?" "You know, I don't even own a saddle?" Starlight said. "Never saw the appeal." "Well, perhaps it's best you don't own a fashion boutique, then," Rarity said. She sniffed. "Why, what mare doesn't own a saddle! Even Twilight, who you know I love like a sister, she owns several saddles, and she is hardly the most fashionable… Twilight? Darling, are you alright?" They turned back to Twilight, who ignored them. She scowled at the brochure. At some point she had conjured up a quill from one of her pocket dimensions and was fervently marking up the paper. "Where is it?" She drew a line across another bit of text. "There has to be a note! You can't just put an asterisk next to something and then not have an explanatory note! It has to mean something!" "It's probably in small type at the bottom," Starlight said. "Did you try looking for small type at the bottom—" "Yes! Of course I did! That was the first place I looked!" Bits of Twilight's mane were starting to come unglued. She stood from her seat and leaned over the table, glaring at the brochure, and flipped it over again. "Where is it?" "Maybe they forgot to add it," Pinkie said. She edged her way around the table, away from Twilight. "You can't do that!" Twilight lifted the brochure and held it up to the sun, as if its rays might reveal the hidden note. "What kind of monster puts an asterisk next to an item and doesn't explain what the asterisk means? That's misleading! It's fraud!" "Twilight…" Rarity started. "Ponies are staring." "It's unbalanced! You have to balance the equation! Starlight, tell them! Tell them!" "Sorry, Twilight." Starlight shrugged. "We might never know what it means, and we'll just have to accept that." "No! No! We can't just leave it like that! I'm going to this convention, and I'm going to find whoever made this brochure, and I'm going to find out why they put that damn asterisk there!" Twilight's horn flared, blinding them all, and when sight returned the mare was gone. The singed remains of the brochure drifted down onto the table like snow. "Bring back souvenirs!" Pinkie shouted. "Well." Rarity sighed. "There she goes again. I swear, the oddest things will set that mare off." "Now I wanna know what it meant, too," Applejack said. "Not, like, that bad. But a little bit." "It was probably nothing," Starlight said. "It must've been something important, though." Rarity poked at one of the smears of ash. "Why else put it there?" "Oh, who knows these things?" Starlight waved her hoof. "Maybe it's only for a limited time, or you need a special badge to access it, or maybe it never existed at all and I just added the asterisk because Twilight used the last of my empathy cocoa this morning without asking me if it was okay and you know how much I really love that cocoa and it helps me get my day started on the right hoof and if I don't get it I feel grumpy all the way to lunch? Maybe that was it. We'll probably never know." The others were staring at her. Rarity sighed. "What?" Starlight folded her forelegs across her chest. "Would you rather I tried to destroy the world again?" === Season 1 Finale: Canterrevolutionary (GaPJaxie) === One of Applejack's trees was on fire. Twilight watched it in silence for a time. She could have snuffed the flames with magic at will, but she didn't see the urgency—the tree's wounds were mortal. When Twilight arrived on the scene, its leaves were already gone. Some of them had fallen before they burnt to ashes and remained in the ground yet, thin sheets of green whose edges turned brown, then black, then curled into tight rolls. Beside them, on the ground, were the apples. They didn't burn. Twilight had imagined they would burn, turn black, darken until they were like little spherical lumps of coal, but they contained far too much water for that. Instead, the apples boiled. They burst open like grenades, splattering apple juice in all directions. Steam rose from their hissing, roiling flesh. The flames themselves were eight feet high from the tallest branch. They leapt from root to trunk to twig, gaining strength all the while, like the tree was not the source of fuel, but merely the center of the inferno. Their heat could burn a pony from twenty feet away. "Twilight," somepony said. She didn't notice who. "Do something." So she put the flames out. Then she asked what happened. Rarity and Applejack were the only witnesses, and they did not give the answers she expected. Rarity was normally long-winded. Theatrical. Dramatic. Twilight expected her to go on at length, to embellish, to craft her words. And yet, all she said was. "Starlight lit one of the trees on fire. Then she ran away." Her manner was stiff and her speech stilted and uneven. She could say no more, but gestured at the tree behind them, as though Twilight might not have noticed it. Applejack, by contrast, spoke at uncharacteristic length. "Do you know that kind of angry where a pony stops shouting?" she asked, her tone meandering. "Where they scream and rant and rave, and all of a sudden, it just stops? And their face gets all calm, but you can still see it in their eyes. Like they, you know, just decided that screaming ain't enough. That kind of angry that says, 'I've made a decision. I'm going to do something.'" "I know that kind of angry," Twilight said. "Well, that was Starlight. It was Starlight, and she lit a tree on fire, and…" Applejack swallowed. "I didn't know it was going to stop there." "I know," Twilight said. "I know." "She could have, Twi." "I know." Twilight asked them other questions: what were they talking about before, what were the circumstances, what exactly did Starlight say, where did she go. She called off the idea of a search party, on the basis that what guards Ponyville had wouldn't be able to do anything with Starlight in the unlikely event they caught her. Besides, Starlight was one of the few unicorns in Equestria capable of teleporting themselves great distances. If she wanted to leave Ponyville, she would already be gone. But she wasn't gone. Twilight found her that evening, curled up on the hill where the two of them went to lie under the stars. It was a new moon that night. The stars were gorgeous, but the world was dark, and Twilight didn't see Starlight until she nearly stepped on her. Given that she'd been using the glow of her horn to navigate, she knew Starlight must have been able to see her coming a mile away. But Starlight didn't run. She hadn't even bothered getting up. She lay in the grass on her back and looked at the sky, like this were no more than a social outing, where Twilight might bring a telescope and some tea. Twilight waited for her to run, to fight, or perhaps just to speak. But Starlight did none of those things, and eventually, the silence grew too long. "You're in a lot of trouble back in Ponyville." "Mmhmm," Starlight said, her voice distant and soft. "You can go ahead and blast me with the Elements of Harmony. Or lock me in Tartarus, if you prefer. I'm not going to struggle." "It didn't have to be this way." Twilight let out a long, slow breath, and when Starlight didn't respond, she settled down into the grass beside her. Starlight rolled her head to watch as Twilight tried to get comfortable. She still didn't know what to do with her wings when she was lying on her back. Squirming, shifting, flexing, nothing would make them quite fit. "Applejack said you were talking about diamond dogs." "They were stealing from her orchard," Starlight explained. "So she and a bunch of her neighbors ran them off. I explained that most of the diamond dogs I've seen lately at the edge of town had visible ribs. They're malnourished. And fruit isn't really great food for them, the same way it isn't for normal dogs. If they're stealing apples, it's probably because they're hungry. Desperate." "I could do something about that." "You could," Starlight agreed. "Applejack could do something about that. She could leave out eggs and milk and other things they can actually survive on. Rarity could do something about that. She could help them find gems they can trade to Ponyville for food." It was Twilight's turn to be silent, as the two of them watched the stars roll past. Given the time of night, The Chariot was high in the sky. Twilight could trace the imaginary line between the stars, forming the constellation in her mind. The air was chill, and while Twilight's pegasus character protected her from any discomfort, Starlight shivered in a sudden breeze. "But they wouldn't," Starlight went on. "It was very sad, they said, and somepony should do something about it. But it wasn't their problem. They don't know any diamond dogs." "So you lit one of Applejack's trees on fire and implied the two of them might be next?" "I didn't say anything like that." Twilight turned her head to look at Starlight. "Your eyes did." A sharp intake of breath let Twilight know she'd hit the mark. Starlight laughed, tensed, bit her lip. "I got angry," she said, her voice stiff and reedy, as though she might laugh again at any moment. "I got angry, Twilight. What else was I supposed to do?" Without waiting, she went on. "They're people. They're people like you and like me, only somehow in Applejack's eyes, they're worth less. In Rarity's eyes, they're worth less. Oh, sure, they don't have anything against diamond dogs. They're not bigots. But love isn't the absence of hate. So they wouldn't help. They don't think it matters. Not the way a pony's life matters. Not the way a real person's life matters. Because the diamond dogs are strange and foreign and far away and they don't suffer where the two of them have to watch. So it doesn't count." She gritted her teeth, looking off into the grass. "I reread my manifesto. The one I wrote in Our Town. I keep rereading it, because I can see what's wrong with it and where I made so many mistakes, but there are also so many parts of it that are right, and I don't know how to separate the right from the wrong. And one of the good parts was, page forty, second paragraph." She did laugh again. Then she quoted herself: "'Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world. This is the most beautiful quality in a pony.'" "It can't work that way, Starlight. The world is unjust sometimes. That's just how it is." "No. It's not," Starlight said. "Those diamond dogs at the edge of town. The ones going hungry. They're not suffering because that's just how it is. They're suffering because a specific set of ponies decided not to help them. And it's all that way. When we say, the world is naturally unfair, what we mean is we're not prepared to accuse the ponies responsible." "You think I should accuse Rarity and Applejack? Of what?" Twilight scoffed. "Being bad ponies?" "They're letting an innocent creature starve because they can't be bothered. In what sense is that not being a bad pony?" "And if they helped the diamond dogs, what's next? You'll blame them for not helping the yaks? Or the changelings? Or for not helping rehabilitate the stormguard, or rebuild the goblin lands? Where does it end?" "Well if they did help the diamond dogs," Starlight's tone took an edge, "and the yak, and the changelings, and if they did rehabilitate the stormguard, and rebuild the goblin lands, and give aid to griffonstone, and teach disadvantaged earth ponies to read, and all the other things they could do, then I guess," she snarled out the words, "this ends with a world that isn't so fucking terrible!" Her breath came out in short gasps. She shuttered in the grass. "Maybe the reason the world is so awful is because we make it awful. Did you ever think about that? Maybe that's how it ends." "You're getting angry again." "I know. I know, I…" Starlight sniffled, rolling away from Twilight and tucking her legs around herself. "I'm sorry." Twilight let out a soft, "Mmm," so Starlight would know she heard, and then took her time considering her reply. As another chill wind blew over the hill, she asked, "You know they're not bad ponies, right?" "I'm not sure I do know that. No." Starlight's voice was tight. "Am I wrong? Am I wrong that they should care?" "Charity begins at home," Twilight said. "Maybe it would be good, if I could be friends with every creature in the world. But I can't be. Nopony can. And that means there will always be creatures in the world I care about more than others. And that means Rarity and Applejack and Pinkie and Shining and… and you, get special treatment. Because that's what caring means. I care about you because I want to help you, more than I would a stranger." Twilight gestured up at the sky with a hoof, even though she knew Starlight couldn't see. "And, should I grow my circle of friends? Yes, of course. Should I take the time to be charitable to ponies who aren't my friends? Yes, of course. And should I feel empathy for the pain of creatures I don't know personally? Yes. Yes, Starlight. I should. But there will be times I treat you better than I would other ponies, because you're my friend. And to those other ponies, if your special treatment seems unfair?" She shrugged. "That's life." "That's selfishness." Starlight sneered. "You're giving to the ponies it feels good to give to, instead of to the ones who need your kindness." "I'm giving to the ones for whom my kindness means something. A judge could say, given your case history, your psychological profile, and current legal best-practices, you're better suited to rehabilitation than punishment. Or I could take the time to come out here and chat with you, instead of shooting you with lasers. And from the practical perspective they're the same thing, but I'd bet the second one means more to you." Starlight sniffled. "It does." "It means more because I love you." Twilight paused. "I mean, platonically." "I knew what you meant." "Okay." Twilight rustled her wings again. "It's the same way for everypony, Starlight. Charity isn't just giving the thing or the act. It's kindness and friendship and community. I could go volunteer at a soup kitchen in Canterlot and hand out a thousand meals, or I could give Pinkie Pie half of my sandwich because I can see she's sad. And the second one is better. It means more." Twilight lifted a hoof above her head, obscuring part of The Chariot. With the vehicle itself covered, only Celestia's part of the formation was visible. "I'd rather get limited help from the ponies who truly care about me, than unlimited help from some cold unfeeling social machine." "You said," Starlight mumbled, "that giving Pinkie Pie a sandwich when she's sad means more than handing out a thousand meals to creatures you don't know. But this whole chat started because creatures go hungry. What if those thousand meals were for creatures that were starving to death? Does Pinkie's smile mean more than their lives?" "You're leaping to conclusions. All you know is that a few diamond dogs looked a little thin. You don't know they're actually starving." "No," Starlight said. "And you don't know either. Because you didn't care enough to ask. And I'm sorry, Twilight, but right now, I think I hate you for it." She laughed again, and bit off the words. "I'm sorry. You've been very kind to me, with everything I did." "There will have to be consequences for this. Significant ones." Twilight let out a small breath. "But, consequences befitting a powerful unicorn who struggles to control her emotions. Not a criminal. You didn't mean any harm." And Starlight whispered, "Thank you." "Heh." Twilight let out a little breath, and paused to watch a shooting star fly zip across the dark sky above. "I believe you, you know. That you care about them. You care about everypony, sometimes to the point that it's disabling. You care so much you can't control yourself." She glanced at Starlight. "Have you tried caring just a little bit less?" "I can't. I can't control how much something matters." "Well, I don't think Rarity and Applejack can either." Starlight froze for a moment, then she lifted her head, and looked back over her shoulder at Twilight. But Twilight was still staring up at the stars. "Let's stay here for a bit," Twilight said, "before we head back to Ponyville." And together, they watched the shooting stars go by. === S2E7: Farmers Black Market === "You know, Library Amnesty Day was Starlight's idea," Twilight Sparkle said to Spike. "Originally, that is. Back before it was a real holiday." They were at the kitchen table for breakfast. In lieu of pancakes, Twilight had a bowl of shredded oats and blueberries. They didn't taste like much, but it was summer, and that meant ponies like Rarity and Rainbow Dash and the spa twins were traipsing around, showing off toned bodies that looked like their skin and coat had been painted over cords of supple muscle. And though Twilight knew her body weight was well within acceptable limits for an alicorn mare her age, she couldn't help but feel a little frumpy and dull and, yes, a bit pudgy if we're being honest. So she was having cereal for breakfast and enjoying it in the same way the ancient pony stoics enjoyed being miserable, because it also meant they were being virtuous. Spike wasn't on a diet. He had all kinds of pancakes. Twilight gazed at them as she spoke. "Yeah?" Spike rolled an entire pancake up into a little funnel, plopped in a dollop of whipped cream, and swallowed it whole. "Did she have any overdue library books at the time?" Twilight shook her head. "It wasn't about her. I think she knew how much trouble the library was in and wanted to help." Starlight was a mare of many talents – magic, dialectic materialism, leading cults, etc. As a cult leader she'd learned a lot about what made ponies tick, and she knew that ponies hated conflict. Specifically, she knew that returning overdue library books to Twilight Sparkle's library inevitably led to conflict. Usually just verbal conflict. Because few ponies with overdue library books wanted to fight an alicorn, they tended to keep their books forever and simply never went back to the library, which was simultaneously emptying the library of books and ponies. It was unsustainable. Twilight came close to losing her certification by the Equestrian Library and Pole Dancing Association, Canterlot Chapter. The library had to change, or she had to learn how to pole dance. Twilight had gotten as far as reading online reviews for various dancing poles when Starlight came to the rescue. The answer, she proposed, was Library Amnesty Day. On Library Amnesty Day, any overdue library book could be returned with no penalty to the library, assuming it was still in readable condition. For scofflaws who had damaged their books or, Celstia forbid, lost them, Library Amnesty Day offered only a partial relief. Their fines were waived, but they were still glared at fiercely by Twilight Sparkle, and of course their dreams were haunted by the spirits of the books they had damaged or misplaced. In Starlight Glimmer's original formulation, Library Amnesty Day was followed immediately by Library Persecution Day, a public holiday in which librarians would ride out into their towns, corralling book criminals and herding them to the village square for mass trial and punishment. While the idea did appeal to something deep and primal in Twilight's heart, she suppressed that feeling vigorously and only sometimes, long into the night when she would lie awake in bed, did she imagine herself sallying forth, flames bursting from her hoofsteps, clothed in the shining armor of virtue and righteousness, bringing justice to the lands and the library's accounts-due ledger. And so there was no Library Persecution Day. But Library Amnesty Day was a big hit. For three years Twilight had celebrated it alongside all the book-loving ponies of Ponyville, and today was the fourth. She finished the last of her cereal and drank the remaining milk from the bowl like her parents yelled at her not to. "Good morning!" Starlight Glimmer chirped as she trotted into the kitchen. She measured out a cup of pancake batter from the bowl onto the skillet and poured herself a smaller mug of coffee. While the pancakes sizzled she joined them at the table. "Ready for today?" "Just about." Her hooves beat a rapid tattoo on the table. "I'm so excited!" "And I'm excited for you," Starlight said. "What about you, Spike? Any plans for the day?" "Chores, comics, dragon stuff. Mostly dragon stuff. You?" "I was going to help out with the amnesty day," Starlight said. "If you don't mind, that is, Twilight. Every year you seem to have so much fun with it, and I thought, hey, maybe I could tag along? Just some community service." "I thought the judge said you were done with that," Spike said. "She did!" Starlight beamed. "This is all voluntary! No court order or anything this time. If you want the help, Twilight." Twilight did, and it was good to hear Starlight wasn't serving another sentence. The apprentice-teacher relationship between the two of them was complicated, with deep feelings of respect and affection, but Twilight had to admit that when Starlight was in jail or on trial for some new offense it caused a bit of strain between them. Twilight's preferred solution was for Starlight to stop committing crimes; Starlight insisted that the law had to catch up with the new, higher morality she was inventing to lead ponies into the next age. Sometimes, Twilight wondered what it was like to have an apprentice who wasn't a reformed villain. Probably pretty nice. After breakfast, Twilight left the private section of the crystal Friendship Castle to start her rounds about Ponyville, reminding ponies that any overdue books they had could be returned without fee. In her mind she plotted out a route through the market square, past Sugarcube Corner, around the old lumber mill, past the paper factory, west across the stream that divided the nice, clean part of the town where all the unicorns lived from the more 'rustic' and 'weatherbeaten' earth pony neighborhoods. Then she would cut back through the fields between the Carrot and the Apple clans, disarming any traps she might find along the path, and swing up through the pegasus houses floating overhead. Around lunch she would hit the town square again, snapping up any books she'd missed the first go around (and lunch as well), and finish her day with a circuit around the outskirts of the town, catching those ponies who preferred to live away from the herd, like Fluttershy and Zecora and the crazy cat mare who yelled at ponies to stay away from her trees. She made it as far as the market. A young cream pegasus mare, perhaps a few years older than the Crusaders and with just the first blush of approaching adulthood gracing her limbs and hips, flitted over to Twilight. She had a set of unslung saddlebags clutched in her forelegs, and she came to a nervous bobbing stop a few feet away. "Excuse me," she said. "This is Amnesty Day, right?" Twilight's heart sang. Her wings trembled at her side, lifting her hooves a few inches off the ground. Already, ponies were coming to her with overdue books! She wasn't even having to hunt them down! This was going to be the best Library Amnesty Day ever! "It sure is!" She smiled at the mare, doing her best to imitate the warm, infinitely forgiving expression Celestia always seemed to wear. "Do you have something you'd like to turn in?" "Oh, do I!" the mare exclaimed. She opened her saddlebags and pulled out a small necklace, a silver chain studded with glass gems, the kind one could buy for twenty bits from the beauty aisle of Barnyard Bargains. It glittered convincingly in the morning sunlight, and the young mare shoved it at Twilight. "Uh…" Twilight said. She took the necklace with her magic. "What is—" "Thank you so much!" The filly darted in for a quick hug. "I've felt so guilty since I took that thing, but now I feel much better! Ha, whew!" "Uh…" "Go Amnesty Day, right?" The pegasus spun in a little circle in mid-air, then burst away with a flap of her wings. Her voice faintly reached back to Twilight from the sky. "Thanks!" Twilight stared at the necklace in her hooves. She stared at it until another voice startled her back into the present. "Excuse me?" She looked up. A stallion was standing a few feet away. He was harnessed to a large cart, which appeared to have some sort of tarp-covered object in the back. Behind him, more ponies were lining up. They all seemed happy to see her. "Okay, whoa, uh, I think there's a misunderstanding," Twilight said. She held up a hoof as if to ward off the stack of ponies. "This is Library Amnesty Day. It only applies to library books, not any other—" "Actually, I changed that," Starlight said. She appeared in a pale flash of light at Twilight's side. Draped across her back and shoulders was a motley assortment of saddlebags, duffel bags, messenger satchels and even a bejeweled purse sparkling with rainbow sequins. Floating behind her were even more — bulging packing crates and bubble-wrap-enclosed mysteries and what appeared to be a bearskin rug rolled up into a tube. Dozens of smaller objects orbited around her like tiny moons: jewelry and watches and gilded horseshoes and even a book or two. Crossbows and stilettos and spiked clubs twirled like batons. They all bobbed in time with Starlight's breath. "It's just Amnesty Day now," she continued. She panted a bit, and her coat was already streaked with sweat in the early morning heat as though she had been running around town, perhaps collecting items as she went. "Keep accepting stuff, okay? We'll make a pile in the castle foyer and go through it later." "Um…" Twilight stared at the mass of contraband floating around Starlight. "What…" But it was too late. Starlight was gone in another flash. Twilight blinked away the blobby afterimage of the mare. "Will you be here all day?" the stallion asked. He unhitched his cart and rolled it around to Twilight's side. "I've got more back at the house I need to grab." "Uh…" "Stop holding up the line!" somepony further back called. Twilight peered around the stallion and saw the line had grown down the block. A second line of Pegasi had formed in the sky. Across the street, merchants were setting up food booths. A band began tuning their instruments on a stage set up in front of the town hall. As Twilight watched, a pair of pegasi hauled up a bright pink banner emblazoned with "FIRST ANNUAL PONYVILLE ANMESTY DAY!" That's not how you spell 'amnesty,' she thought. It was something solid her mind could latch onto. She imagined herself walking over to the sign, gently correcting its makers, and helping them write a new one. And then everything would be back the way it was supposed to. "You have to be careful with this, okay?" a pale unicorn mare Twilight recognized as Amber Down gently set a wooden crate as tall as a foal on the cobblestones. It was bound in thick iron bands, and the lid was sealed with an industrial-looking hasp with a padlock the size of Twilight's hoof. Tiny holes were drilled along its length and guarded with wire mesh. The wood above the holes was stained black with soot, and as Twilight stared in numb fascination she noticed a faint orange glow begin to build inside the crate, like a furnace slowly coming to life. The whole affair rumbled, and the wood seemed to expand, straining at the iron bands. Hot air rushed out with a dry whooshing noise and tickled her muzzle. "I'd keep him, but he's just getting too big, you know?" Amber Down put a little spritzer bottle on top of the crate. "If it gets too hot, spray this inside the holes." Twilight didn't want to spray anything into the holes. She didn't want to go near the holes, or the box, and she was already wondering if she could dump it in the deep end of the Cattail Lake on the west end of town when the next pony in line interrupted her thoughts. "You're still accepting overdue library books too, right?" He held a pulpy, dripping mass in his hooves. It seeped down his fetlocks in fibrous runnels. "I accidentally left it in the toilet." "I'm sorry, princess," Mayor Mare said. She sat beside Twilight in the square. Behind them the pile of contraband had grown throughout the morning, and now stood taller than the roofs of the merchant stalls selling elephant ears and cotton candy and lemonade to the festive crowd. The mayor had a sheaf of official-looking papers in her hooves, decorated with florid lettering and sealed at the bottom with a wax stamp and red ribbon. "The paperwork is all valid. Today is Amnesty Day." "I understand that," Twilight said. Her voice was strained by now, each word clipped, ending with little explosive puffs of breath. Understan-Duh. Tha-Tuh. They'd been discussing this for a while. "And I reiterate that my apprentice appears to have… accidentally, I'm sure… filled those declarations out incorrectly. It was supposed to be a Library Amnesty Day. Just like last year. And the year before. And the year before that." Mayor Mare studied the wax and ribbon at the bottom of the cover sheet. "This has your seal on it." "I… may have delegated that to her." A decision Twilight now counted among her deepest regrets in life. "Excuse me," Rainbow Dash said. She hovered in front of them, forelegs folded across her chest. "Are you two done? I have more stuff to confess." They'd moved beyond purely material amnesty by this hour. Instead ponies were coming to her with declarations of guilt. In the past three hours Twilight had learned more about her fellow ponies than in all the years of living in Ponyville combined. She wondered, absently, if her parents would still let her move back to her old room in their house in Canterlot. Mayor Mare shrugged. "Legally, there's nothing to discuss." "Great." Dash flipped through her little notebook. "Oh, man, I'd almost forgotten this one. You'll get a kick out of it. Remember cider week last fall? The night before the harvest I licked every apple in Sweet Apple Acres." "Every apple." Twilight remembered the taste of her first Sweet Apple Acres cider. It was so delicious. And now, never again. "First, why? Second, how? There's got to be… I don't know, over a million apples on that farm. There's no way you could lick every one." Rainbow Dash nodded vigorously. "So, I tried by myself at first, but it took like 20 minutes just to finish one tree. And I was like, no way that's gonna work! So I flew up to Cloudsdale and asked if anypony there wanted to help me prank an earth pony town and they were all like 'Hell yeah!' so we had like a hundred pegasus ponies all licking apples." She sighed blissfully, her gaze locked on gauzy memories. She shook herself, glanced back down at her notebook, and continued. "Okay, this next one's more of an accident. So you remember that freak thunderstorm last month? The one that wasn't on the weather schedule?" Twilight closed her eyes and prayed to Celestia for a meteor. It was late when Twilight got back to the castle. By law Library Amnesty Day lasted for twelve hours. So, apparently, did regular Amnesty Day. For the last hour or so, after the legal confessions were done and ponies had moved on to purely moral failings, Twilight pondered what to do with the mountain of illegal goodness piled beside her. She could have incinerated the entire affair with a spell and a wish, reducing all her problems to ashes. But some of the items given over to her care were technically alive, and others treasures in their own right, and Twilight could not justify their destruction simply as a matter of convenience. She could, she supposed, have just left them. It had a certain appeal – walk away from her problems, take a nice long bath, and go to bed. In the morning they would forget this ever happened. But that would mean leaving a pile of illegal items, some of them expensive, many of them dangerous and a few outright malevolent, just lying around town, where any foal could happen across them. And that was a weight on her conscience she likewise couldn't abide. So, in the end, she did what Starlight said she should. She brought them back to the castle and dumped them in the foyer. "Whoa, nice haul!" Spike said. He was perched atop a similar pile across the way, looking a bit bigger than she remembered. Lanky, with limbs that stretched just a few more inches, and wings big enough to enfold her like blankets. "Starlight! Check out what Twilight got!" Starlight trotted around the mound. She wore necklaces and bangles and an electrum circlet set with a bright orange zircon. Bracelets rang like little chimes on her fetlocks. When she saw Twilight's stack of loot she grinned. Twilight stopped her with a hoof. "Starlight, why?" Starlight gently pushed Twilight's hoof back to the floor. "What do you mean? Isn't it obvious?" Twilight huffed. "Yes, I think it is, actually. But I was hoping for something more elevated than 'I wanted free stuff!'" "Okay, you're looking at this wrong." Starlight walked around her and sorted through the collection of illegal, unfortunate and doomed items that littered the foyer. She picked a few up, tossed them aside, and after some hunting plucked one into the air. It was a small jeweled box, about a hoof-width on a side, with glass portholes set every few inches along its gilded faces. She brought it over to Twilight. "Do you know what this is?" she asked. Twilight grimaced. "A fairy box. Compass Call gave it to me. Said he found it in his grandfather's attic after the funeral." Starlight tilted the box, sending little sparkles of light bouncing across the room. Something sang a quiet lilting hymn just below the range of Twilight's hearing, like the ringing in her ears during the deathly quiet emptiness of night. "Believe him?" "I want to." "Of course." Starlight peered inside one of the box's little windows. It was empty – Twilight checked it as soon as Compass Call hoofed it over. "But then, that's what anypony would say, isn't it? That it's not theirs, they just found it, they would never have such a… thing in their house." That pause. What had Starlight wanted to say? Such a dangerous thing. Such a terrible thing. Such a fantastic, wonderful thing. Twilight gave her head a little shake to dispel the treacherous voice. "And now we have it," Starlight continued. "There are, what, five or six ponies in Ponyville who know how to use something like this? You want to put it back out there, maybe hide it in somepony's attic or beneath their bed, until it falls into one of their hooves? And then just hope?" "No. But I'm not sure I trust us with it either." Starlight froze for a moment. The fairy box teetered in her magical grip and almost fell, but she caught it before it could plunge to the floor. She looked at it, looked at Twilight, then set it back on the pile with an appropriately sober expression. "Look," she finally said. "I get why you're worried. I'm maybe not the best pony to be collecting all these things. But that's why I needed your help! If ponies saw me gathering up everything illegal in town they'd all be like 'There goes Starlight, off to be a villain again,' but when it's Twilight Sparkle, everypony knows you're doing it for the right reasons." "I did it because you tricked me into doing it." "Well, sometimes you're not as expedient as you should be." She wrapped her foreleg around Twilight's shoulder and leaned against her. "That's why we make a great team." "Right." Twilight sighed. "What do we do with all this?" Starlight shrugged. "Whatever we want? As long as it's good, I mean. Get rid of the weapons, put the books back in the library, sell the jewelry to raise money for the school. That sort of stuff." "Okay. And the weed?" "The what?" "The weed. The marijuana. There's, like, fifty kilograms of seeds in there. I think Tree Hugger turned it in accidentally." "Oh." Starlight gazed at the pile curiously. Her muzzle twitched, as if trying to scent it out. "Well, I mean… look, we're all adults here, right? There's an obvious answer, and I, uh, I don't think I need to spell it out." They gave it back to Tree Hugger, of course. She was the only pony who knew how to plant it for next year's harvest. === S4E7: Nuzzle Velocity (GaPJaxie) === Twilight woke up. She took a shower. She had a nice cup of tea. Spike offered her a second cup of tea, but Twilight wasn't sure she wanted this to be a wild sort of morning. Sure, she could "throw down" when the call of adventure demanded it, but she wasn't the sort of pony who cut loose every day. Water would do, served in a teacup, slightly warmer than room temperature, with a squeeze of lemon for flavor. A family of sparrows was tweeting outside the window when Spike brought it to her, their home gently rocked by the warm spring breeze. Twilight had just opened the morning paper when there came a knock at her door—a forceful, angry knock, of the sort that might be delivered by a forcefully angry pony. "Twilight, I got a bone to pick with you!" The angry pony was Applejack, and when Twilight opened the door, she could see her friend's rage. She could see it in Applejack's narrowed eyes, tense posture, quick breaths and folded back ears—in the way she stood in a charging stance and dug at the ground with her hooves. She could also see that Applejack was strapped to a harness, which was pulling a three-inch muzzle loading cast iron traditional black-powder cannon. "There's rumors going around town," she snapped. "What's this about I hear about hoity-toity city ponies bending your ear about taking away my guns?" "Nope," Twilight said, shutting the door and locking it. Perhaps, she thought, this would be a good morning to fly into town. It would be a chance to spread her wings and jump from her balcony, and perhaps take some time to enjoy being an alicorn. "Twilight!" Rainbow Dash was on the balcony railing, a pinecone in her teeth and a bandolier of grenades across her torso. "Applejack told me Rarity is plotting to make it illegal for me to drop pinecones on ponies and pretend they're grenades and also that I can't own actual grenades anymore even though I never get them mixed up." "Nope," Twilight said, shutting her balcony door. She decided to teleport into town, vanishing in a flash of light. With a pop, she reappeared in Rarity's boutique. The blinds were drawn. The interior was dark. All she could see was the gleam of Rarity's bloodshot eyes, and then Rarity took her by the hoof. "Twilight," she whispered, "they're everywhere. The barbarians are at the gates." Slowly, inexorably, Twilight felt herself pulled in. Rarity slid up to her, pushing her muzzle against Twilight's ear. They were so close that Twilight could feel the moisture from Rarity's every breath dampening her coat. And into Twilight's ear, Rarity whispered. "Think of the children," she said. "Twilight, we must pass laws. Think of the children." There was nowhere to run. The great Equestrian gun control debate had come to Ponyville. "Oh sure!" Rarity shrieked. "What's to dislike about guns? In fact, the earlier we teach foals about guns the better. Let's had them out to every child! Guns for foals. Wee little pistols they can use to shoot at their blocks." "Listen here you unicorn carpetbagger," Applejack snarled back. "This gun has been in my family for four generations, ever since my great-great grandpappy brought it back from the war to use as a varmint gun, and ain't none of us ever been hurt. Guns are only dangerous when you don't learn how to use 'em." "A varmint gun?" Rarity somehow managed to give her best incredulous stare while shouting. "It's a cannon." "We live next to the Everfree Forest!" However loud Rarity could yell, Applejack could yell louder. "We get big varmints. Something any real Ponyvillian would know." "Any 'real' Ponyvillian?" Rarity scoffed. "I was born here you half-wit." "Yeah?" Applejack curled her lip. "You sound like you're from Canterlot." "Well thank you!" Rarity snapped the words, stomping her hoof into the dirt. "I worked very hard to cultivate a realistic Canterlot accent. It's nice to know my work is appreciated." "Don't you go taking my insults as compliments!" "I'll interpret your comments through the lens of mutually respectful friendship all I want you ignorant hillpony!" Then the screaming started in earnest. Nearly three hundred ponies had gathered on Twilight's lawn, and it seemed they were no longer content to let Rarity and Applejack argue on their behalf. Each one was doing their best to drown out all the others, and the noise washed over Twilight with the force of a physical wave. The unicorns had brought signs protesting the "gun menace" threatening Ponyville, while the earth ponies had brought their guns. Frankly, if she had to pick sides on the visuals alone, Twilight thought the earth ponies were making a stronger case. Never bring a protest sign to a gunfight. Regardless, she'd had enough. She spread her wings, lit her horn, and shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Quiet!" Ponies fell silent out of respect for her royal presence, and also because she had magically taken away their voices. She gave their voices back, after a bit. "I'm not going to negotiate with an unruly mob," she said, keeping her tone calm and projecting her voice to the back of the crowd. "I want one pony to step forward from each side to make their case. A show of hooves for the side with guns." Hooves went up, and she pointed. "AJ." Applejack was the first pony to step forward. She stood in front of Twilight, and proudly patted the cannon she dragged behind her. "Twilight, this gun has been in my family since the Great War of 822. I've cleaned and oiled it every month since I was a little foal. I've blown up timberwolves with it, I've knocked over walls with it, and it ain't never hurt nopony. It's a part of my family history and my way of life, and I don't see why I should have to give it up because some prissy unicorn got her tail in a twist." "I understand," Twilight said, giving Applejack a firm nod to show she was listening. "Nopony wants to harm your family traditions, least of all me. Are there any other arguments you wish to make?" "Yeah." AJ buffed her hoof against her chest. "Because guns may be a proud tradition, but that ain't all they are. They're necessary for defending my land. From timberwolves and monsters yeah, but also from other ponies. We earth ponies ain't got no fancy magic, so if a pegasus starts making trouble, we need tools to reach out and touch 'em at range. If guns didn't exist, every earth pony here would own a bow and arrow." "Well that seems reas—" "Also for self-defense around town," AJ added. "I ain't never once been mugged while carrying this cannon, tell you that. Criminals respect it." After a faint pause, Twilight asked, "Anything else?" "Yeah. Guns are the average pony's only defense against a corrupt and oppressive government." Applejack cleared her throat. "I mean, not that that would ever, you know. With you. But you know. Like if you died and were replaced by like, a totally different pony, or something." "Smooth save there." Twilight sighed, turning back to the crowd. "Okay, I'd like somepony to argue for the side against guns. Show of hooves." Hooves went up. "Rarity, go." Rarity stepped forward, cleared her throat, and drew in a breath. "I understand the importance of tradition," she began. "I understand the threat posed by timberwolves. And I even agree that you, Applejack, are probably a very responsible gun owner who would never let somepony be hurt in an accident. It's a compelling case you've made, truly. But you've lost me on a few of the details. Specifically, I'm wondering why that pony—" she pointed at Carrot Top "—is carrying a literal Howitzer." The earth ponies laughed. "Wow," said one. "You do not know much about guns." The crowd seemed to agree. Several ponies giggled and remarked that Rarity's fancy unicorn education didn't seem to teach her much. Carrot Top though, found things less funny. "It is not," she said, reaching back to rest a hoof over her 4.7 inch quick-firing smokeless high velocity direct fire field gun, complete with four-wheeled spring-suspension carriage. "Howitzer is brand, you doof. This is a QF rapid fire Vickers modified to support cordite propellant." Rarity rubbed her temples with a hoof. "And what possible difference does that make?" "Uh," Carrot Top curled her lip, assuming a condescending tone. "Howitzers don't come in an anti-air variant, obviously. This gun can fire airburst fuze enabled shells with an effective ceiling of ten-thousand feet, and an effective burst radius of over three-hundred." Twilight cleared her throat to get the crowd's attention. "Why would you need to shoot at targets ten-thousand feet in the air?" "What if Cloudsdale parked over my farm, and I was all, 'move' and they were all like 'no.' Then they peed on my farm from the clouds." "Hey!" Rainbow shouted from the air. She was hovering over the densely packed crowd, carrying a saddlebag full of what Twilight hoped were rocks. "I'm a pegasus. It's my right to pee on anything that happens to be below me." "See?" Applejack gestured up. "This is why we need guns. Why, I'm hankering to shoot Rainbow right now." "Not if I explode you first!" "Stop it!" Rarity's voice cracked, and she took a moment to recover her composure. "Applejack, I sympathize with the risk posed by Rainbow's irresponsible behavior. But perhaps, instead of installing anti-aircraft weaponry on your farm, we could take away her grenades. Maybe even pass a law against pegasi urinating in mid-flight while over inhabited areas." "If you take grenades away from all the good pegasi, only bad pegasi will have grenades," Applejack said firmly. "Besides, how would they stop peeing on stuff?" "They could hold it in." Rainbow made a face. "Ew." Twilight sighed, rubbing her temples again as she felt the onset of a headache. But as her eyes wandered over the crowd, she saw Lyra trying to get her attention, waving and jumping up and down. She called upon the Royal Canterlot Voice and spoke firmly, "Lyra." The crowd quieted down, and when it was soft enough for her to speak, Lyra cleared her throat. "Um, hi," she said, a tad bashful. "Sorry, this is just… it's kind of turning into an earth ponies vs unicorns thing? And that's super uncool. So, as a unicorn in favor of guns, I thought I should speak up." "Proceed," Twilight said, and the crowd allowed it. "So, um." Lyra coughed. "Like most unicorns, I grew up in a house with no guns. And when I married Bon Bon, I asked her, do you have any? And she said she did. She had a 26-tube multiple-launch 'Land Mattress' rocket projector with high-explosive airburst flechette rounds. And I was like, that's crazy." "Yes!" Rarity shouted out of turn, "That is actually crazy." "I know, right? It was nuts." Lyra lifted a hoof to her head. "I was like, Bon Bon. Your most likely ground target is Timberwolves, which are nearly totally immune to flechettes. You need incendiary rounds, like napalm or something. So we went shopping as a couple at the Ponyville IKEA, and we found some really nice white phosphorus rounds we could assemble as a couple. It was sweet, and I sleep easy at night knowing if there's ever an intruder in the house, we can incinerate any target within a two mile radius." A long silence hung in the air. Twilight coughed. "So, what's your point?" "Guns can be a fun couples bonding activity, and really they're basically harmless unless you're a Timberwolf." "Lyra, white phosphorus burns so hot it can boil a pony's blood inside their body. It's definitely harmful to creatures other than Timberwolves. And, actually, wait," she spread her wings, narrowing her eyes down at the creature before her, "isn't using white phosphorus on living creatures a war crime?" She realized her mistake at once. It was too late. Applejack was already shouting. "Well it wouldn't be if it weren't for the government getting all up in our business!" Then the bellowing shouted again. Rarity yelled at Applejack yelled at Rainbow, and all the other three-hundred odd ponies yelled at each other. The headache that Twilight had felt approaching finally appeared, and she settled back on her haunches with a groan. "It doesn't matter what I say, does it?" she asked the sky. "Gun owners aren't going to give up their guns. There's enough of them I can't make them. Rarity's crew isn't going to give up either because they think guns are a threat to their safety. And so both sides are just going to keep shouting at each other. Forever." "Oh yeah?" Applejack screamed. "When was the last time a gun ever hurt anypony, huh?" Rarity snorted like a charging bull. "Seventy-two ponies were killed by guns last week." "Wrong! They were killed by the ponies holding the guns. Checkmate!" Twilight's face twisted into a grimace, and through her teeth, she laughed. "I would give anything," she said, "if it would end this stupid debate." As she spoke, the sun moved behind a cloud, and all the world passed into shadow. The birds ceased to chirp, dogs ceased to bark, and cats fled from the surface and vanished into their nooks and crannies. Even the air itself became sharp, and a sudden chill wind blew through the crowd. "Oh." Starlight Glimmer whispered into Twilight's ear. "Are we talking about politics?" Twilight shrieked, leaping away from the source of the noise. She scrambled a few steps across the castle lawn, hooves jumping over each other, before she finally recovered enough of her wits to stand tall. There was Starlight beside her, the softest of smiles upon her face. "Where did you come from?" Twilight asked, turning to look over the crowd. They weren't shouting anymore, nor moving. They seemed frozen in time, trapped in that moment when she had spoken so unwisely. "Perhaps I walked out of the castle," Starlight said. "Or perhaps I teleported next to you." "You definitely didn't. I would have heard that." "Perhaps you didn't hear me." She giggled, sliding up to Twilight and nuzzling against her side. "But I heard you. And I couldn't agree more. This debate is so tiresome. Let's fix it." "You can't fix debates." Twilight swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "They're a healthy part of the political process." "Really? You think this is healthy?" Starlight gestured at the mob, and Twilight saw them. How sharp their glares were, how low their wit, how hard their hooves, and how quick their limbs to action. "You could be inside right now. You could be reading." "There's no alternative." "Oh," Starlight's grin widened, and she squeezed Twilight tight against her. "But there is. With the power of political theory, you can win every debate. You can always be right. You'll discover that complex social problems actually have simple, decisive answers. You'll have this nonsense wrapped up before lunch." Starlight's skin felt like oil, her mane like a cloud of smoke. Twilight coughed and spluttered, barely managing, "Let go of me." Starlight didn't let go. Rather, she simply was. Specifically, she was three feet away, her hooves folded like she was the most innocent thing in the world. "Oh, you don't consent to being touched. Well I have to respect that. But how do we handle the edge cases?" A thought occurred to her, and she drew in a gleeful breath and grinned. "Do you want to talk about formal legal definitions of informed consent? I bookmarked over three-hundred HayTube videos on the subject. Don't worry I'll send you all of them." "No. No, I…" "Oh, of course. Silly me." Starlight gently smacked her forehead, her giggle as light as a sparrow. "We can't reach a consensus on enforceable definitions of informed consent until we've reached a consensus on the definition of political consensus and recognition. I have some authors you'll love." "I don't want this leave me alone." "You're presiding over a public debate, Twilight. If you want me to leave, all you have to do is tell them, 'I want to talk more about gun control.' And they will. You'll get to hear their arguments over and over again. So say it." Twilight said nothing. The shadows around Starlight deepened. Her smile though, grew wider, shiny white teeth contrasting with the dark pits around her eyes. "Say it." "I…" Twilight gritted her teeth. She looked at the crowd, and at her library, and thought about that second cup of tea. "I…" Then she squeezed her eyes shut and snapped: "Sweet Celestia, I just want it to end!" "Then by my power," Starlight said, resting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "and your will, I become your political advisor." Then the mob was shouting again. Twilight opened her eyes to discover she was sitting before them again, Starlight by her side. "As Twilight's advisor," Starlight said, "I think we should consider what's best for Equestria." Her voice chilled the crowd into silence. Rarity and Applejack each looked up, and all their followers as well. "It's…" Applejack paused. "Don't you think about taking my rights away for any of that equalist nonsense." "Creating a better world doesn't mean less guns," Starlight said, her voice sweet like flowing syrup. "After all, for many ponies, firearms are the only way to achieve equality with the pegasi. You said that yourself, didn't you? So don't guns makes us more equal?" "That's uh…" Applejack coughed. "That's right." "And the threat of violence is a subtext to so many interactions," Starlight went on. "For instance, Twilight would never threaten a pony, but surely when you speak to her, it has occured to you she could crush your head like a melon with a thought." "I didn't think about that before," Applejack mumbled. It seemed quite a few earth ponies agreed, an uncomfortable rumble passing through the crowd. Starlight made a beneficent gesture, sweeping her hoof over the scene. "See? Guns even the power balance between earth ponies and pegasi, pegasi and unicorns, unicorns and earth ponies, and even alicorns and the rest of us. They're not tools of violence, they're tools of reassurance, that help us live in a more civil and just society." "Well… yeah!" Applejack nodded firmly, and most of her followers did as well. "Wasn't expecting us to be on the same side of this. But yeah. Yeah, you're right." "So, if we're all agreed," Starlight beamed, ignoring Rarity's worried look, "I move that firearm ownership should be the inalienable right of every creature in Ponyville." "Yeah!" shouted AJ and her crew. "And further, I move that to protect this right, we should labor as a community to teach responsible gun ownership to those creatures whose traditions are most threatened by unjust laws." That got the earth ponies going. They were shouting, hollering, applauding, stamping their hooves. "Yeah!" Then Starlight finished her thought. "Starting with the zebra!" The applause stopped at once. Silence hung over the crowd. Rarity sat there with an expression of silent panic, while AJ could only whisper, "What have I done?" "N-no," said Carrot Top said. "I mean, what? No. How can they be oppressed? There's so few of them.." "That's exactly why they're so threatened." Starlight's smile slowly faded, drawn out into something flatter, something sharper. She showed her teeth. "They're a minority group, surrounded by a system that doesn't respect their traditions and norms. They need the ability to contest the government's monopoly on violence. That's why every week, I pull a cart down to zebratown and hand out AK-47s to any zebra who wants one." She pointed into the distance. "Here they come now." Twilight lurched to her hooves, spurred into action by the sudden appearance of another crowd up the street. Fifty zebra, all of them armed to the teeth, came around the bend from sugarcube corner. A few of them held protest signs too. The crowd staggered backwards, ponies shouting and tripping over each other to get away. "How!?" Rarity hissed. "Ponyville doesn't even have that many zebra." "It's the stripes," Applejack hissed back, her entire body tense. "They all look the same, so you can never tell how many of them there are. We have no idea how many zebra really live in Zecora's hut. It could have been a different one every time." "There is no need to tremble," said the zebra at the front of the crowd, "we are here to peacefully assemble. And if our weapons make a sight, it is to assert our right. This is all we wish to do: say we we are Ponyvillians too." The ponies of Ponyville looked at the zebra's protest signs. They were mostly pink and blue, and covered in messages about equal rights and rhyming education in schools. "Well," Applejack said, "I think this is a downright threatening display, and unhealthy in any society, and I move that Ponyville should have a law against carrying guns in public!" "Seconded!" Rarity cried. The vote carried by an overwhelming majority. Twilight decided she'd have that second cup of tea after all. She finished reading the paper. Then she wrote a letter. Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned that laws can be racist even if they don't explicitly mention Today I learned that politics is the legal organization of hatred, which Today I invoked a pact with an eldritch being to get out of a boring discussion Today I learned never to take Starlight's advice on anything. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle === (International Markets Only) DVD Special: Ponytariot (GaPJaxie) === "Great new, girls!" Twilight said, her wings buzzing like she was a little pegasus filly. "Remember last month, when we solved that stuffy businesspony's friendship problem and helped him reunite with his daughter?" "Which one?" Rainbow asked. "That happened, like, twice. Plus three times last year." "The first one. Iron Rail." Twilight paused. "And, we go on a lot of friendship adventures. There will be some repeats. I mean, there are only so many unique kinds of friendship problem. But, the point is, turns out he's a railroad executive, and he was so grateful he offered us some tickets. We get a free vacation anywhere we want! First class travel, luxury hotels, everything." All the girls liked that. Pinkie sat up, Rarity cooed, Fluttershy smiled, and even Applejack took off her hat. Starlight had a grin on her face. "So," she asked, "where are we going?" "Well, I know we all have places we want to go," Twilight gestured around the room. "So there will probably be some differing opinions. So I thought, we should each write down our idea on a slip of paper, and put it in a hat, and we'll draw one at random. The only rule is it has to be somewhere far away. We should take advantage of the opportunity while it's here." Everypony agreed, and soon they were all writing destinations on little slips of paper. "I want to go to Constantineighple," Twilight said, tossing her slip of paper in the hat. "The whole city is a work of art. It has libraries, museums, observatories." "And I've heard the food is divine," Rarity agreed. "Oh, I shall be quite happy if yours is drawn, Twilight. But I must favor a slightly different destination. Neighjing! A chance to absorb the culture, the fashion, the elegance of one of the great civilizations of the world. It's too much to pass up." Pinkie wanted to go to Saddle Arabia. Fluttershy wanted to go Yacoltsk. Rainbow Dash wanted to see San Ferneighdo. Applejack wanted to chase fillyhood tales of Timbucktu. And Starlight also put a slip of paper in. Finally, when all the writing was done, Twilight shoot up the hat and drew out a single slip of paper. "Alright girls! We are going to see…" She unfolded the slip. "Pony Lenin's body." Silence hung in the room. Starlight was smiling ear to ear, beaming like a filly who just got a gold star. "Uh, you know," Applejack broke the stillness. "The gift was really for like, the girls? And I think that just means the six of us. So maybe…" "Uh," Starlight laughed a stiff laugh. "The seven of us, you mean. I'm part of the group." "Not the original group," Fluttershy mumbled. "I mean I'm part of the group now." Rarity cleared her throat. "Possibly, possibly, though, really, isn't the group somewhat defined by, oh, you know. The elements of harmony? One star surrounded by five others. Like Twilight's cutie mark." "You don't have those anymore." "Yes, but in spirit—" "Look," Starlight planted a firm hoof on the table. "We've been over this. I'm the new Twilight. Twilight is the new Celestia. And Celestia is going to going back to Asgard or whatever. Which means that the next time there's a friendship problem, and Twilight has to send the girls to deal with it, who is she sending?" Starlight used a wide sweep of a hoof to encompass the room. "Mmm? Who?" "You and the five of them," Twilight mumbled, looking down at the table. "Dang right." She clapped a hoof on the floor. "And that means I am part of the group, that I won fair and square, and that we're going to go see Pony Lenin's body." After a long pause, Pinkie Pie asked, "Was he actually named 'Pony Lenin'?" Of course, he wasn't. His name was Pony Ulyanov, but everypony knew him by his alias. The trip across the sea was superb. The girls rode in luxurious train cars, had first class cabins on the fastest steam ships, and stayed in hotels so elegant and grand that Twilight slept on the floor because she was afraid to disturb any part of the decorations. At the Grand Lipizzian Hotel by the Masurian Lakes, Rarity had an affair with a stallion she met in the lobby, and later explained it didn't count because he was a duke. She also said that his wife was a pegasus so she was probably into it anyway, which did make breakfast with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash a bit awkward. Eventually though, the journey was over. They arrived in Marescow, checked into the Grand Hotel off the main square, and after an early breakfast the next morning, set out to the mausoleum. Starlight cried. Her eyes began to mist during the walk across the square, and her voice became thick and emotional. But it wasn't until they actually saw the body that the waterworks started in earnest. He didn't look like much—a thin, frail little earth pony, with a wispy beard and a receding hairline. And yet, at the sight of him, Starlight sobbed into Twilight's shoulder. "Sorry, sorry," she sniffled, blowing her nose into a tissue. "Oh, gosh, I'm making a scene." "It's, um… alright," Fluttershy said gently. "I mean, you really wanted to come here, right? We can all see this matters a lot to you." "It does." Still sniffling, she gestured at the room around them. The interior of the mausoleum was a somber place. Made from dark stone, its walls were carved with subtle relief images and lines of text, while in its center rested a glass box containing the body itself. "There's just so much… so much history here. So many things that mattered. So many things that still matter. Ponies lives changed forever." "I…" Applejack sighed. "I guess I can see that. And honestly, if it meant this much to you to come here, well. I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about it. You know, it was a fun trip, and you really are a part of—" "Wait wait wait," Twilight said, pushing Starlight off her shoulder. "Hold on. What's this? What's this right here?" She pointed at a section of carving on the wall. "Oh." Starlight squinted. "That says, 'By his hoof, the monarchy was destroyed. May his spirit forever defend the people against those who would call themselves kings and princesses.' It's just, like, an epitaph." "I can read it, Starlight," Twilight snapped. "But what's this bit below it?" Starlight looked closer, needing a moment to scan the stone. "I think that's a carving of him ripping an alicorn's wings off." They all peered. Twilight bit her lip. "I notice the alicorn has stars for a cutie mark." "Oh, yeah, no," Applejack said. "Yeah, no, that's definitely you, Twilight. See, that's your crown on the ground right there, next to your um… wing stump?" Starlight rolled her eyes. "It's metaphorical." "It doesn't feel like a metaphor." Twilight pointed at another illustration. "Because that's him sawing off my horn, and metaphors don't usually have so much blood. Like, that is a graphic illustration." "Well, he's dead, Twilight, so I don't think you have much to worry about." "And what's this bit here?" Twilight pointed at another section of text. "'His influence extends beyond his death. Over untold generations he will watch, defender of the revolution, and eternal foe of tyrants.'" "That's a lovely sentiment." "It's carved over some kind of sigil? Is that the elder sign?" "Wow, okay, you're being very unreasonable right now." Starlight let out a snort. "I make a point of sharing something with you that's very important to me, and even open up to you emotionally, and all you can do is make crazy accusations like that Pony Lenin is a lich who will one day rise from the grave to finally fulfill the prophecy and destroy alicorn rule forever." She looked at the body inside the glass case. For a long moment, so did everypony else. "What's taking so long?" she snapped at the corpse. "Okay." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "I'm going back to the hotel." It was a long and awkward trip back. They stayed in the same hotels. Applejack had an affair with a pony she met in the lobby, but it was one of her cousins so it didn't count. On the last leg of the trip back to Ponyville, Twilight sat next to Starlight in their luxury car. "We should talk." "Yeah. I uh… I got you a card at our last stop." Starlight handed the card over. It was a bright little thing made of pink and blue cardboard, the front adorned with the words, "I'm sorry my zombies tried to eat you. But hey..." When she turned it over, she found there was writing on the back, "At least they love you for your brains!" It had a cute little illustration of a pony getting devoured by a horde of the shambling dead. "They didn't have any 'lich' cards," Starlight explained. "I thought, that's pretty close." "It's, um. It's in the right ballpark, at least." Twilight sighed, lowering the card to look at Starlight. "Can I ask you a question?" "Shoot." "What's going on…?" Twilight gestured at Starlight. "Over here? In this whole area? Like, do you want to be a part of the group? Do you really want to?" "Yes, of course." Starlight spread her hooves. "You all are significantly above-average friends." "That was so close to the right answer." "Come on." Starlight put her head back against her chair. "I didn't think he was actually going to kill you. You're Twilight Sparkle. If he did rise from the grave to do battle with you, you'd sing a song about friendship and blast him with rainbows. That's how you work." "I…" Twilight bit her lip. "I believe you, I suppose. You live in my house and I'm a heavy sleeper. If you wanted to hurt me, you didn't have to go to this much trouble." "There, you see?" Starlight shrugged. "No worries." "But why?" "Because that's how I work, Twilight." She leaned back and put up her hooves. "Because these things matter to me. Because I like messing with you. And because it was fun. I know I express it in strange ways, but really, I like you." "Well, I didn't like this." Twilight drew in a breath. "And I'm going to punish you." "Bring it." "I could imprison you in Tartarus." "I guess that'll be nice. I'll teach Cozy Glow about dialectical materialism." Twilight flinched and bit her lip. "I could blast you with rainbow power." "Oooh. That sounds like fun. Then I'll be all syrupy and sweet and friendly and all, 'hey Twilight, wanna go hang out at the park and work on my organic kale garden? I'm petitioning my co-op to do more to save the ozone layer from processed foods.'" She somehow managed to pronounce the words with little pink hearts scattered throughout them. Her voice was so saccharine it could induce tooth decay. "Fine." Twilight drew a shaking breath. "Then you leave me with no choice. I am an alicorn. I have powers beyond mortal ken. I can see into your very soul and uncover the true source of your pain. With the same power that lets me heal ponies, I can destroy them." "Hah." Starlight snorted, folding one leg over the other. "Waddaya gonna do? Make me c—" "Pony Lenin wouldn't rise from the grave because he only rises to protect true Marxists," Twilight snapped. "And you?" Her voice cracked like a whip. "You're a revisionist." Starlight's jaw fell open. Her eyes went wide. Twilight continued, "Our Town was all about equality, but it was one town. One community. You focused on building a perfect little utopia, but turned a blind eye to class struggle beyond your borders. And you know what we call that?" "No." Starlight's voice was soft. "'Socialism In One Country,'" Twilight pulled a little red book out of her saddlebags, slapping it with a hoof. "I don't remember reading about that anywhere in the manifesto, comrade. What happened to one world government? What happened to the dialectical struggle? Oh, you're a Pony Lenin fangirl, but you're not real Leninist. Not even close." Twilight leaned in, until she was muzzle to muzzle with Starlight. "And if the proletariat does ever rise against the bourgeois class, they won't be led by a unicorn from a rich family who lives in a palace, class traitor." Starlight gaped. She stared. Her eyes had shrunk to pinpricks. "Boom!" Twilight shouted, spinning back in her chair. "I got you. All these years of you making trouble, and I totally got you. What do you say to that?" Starlight let out a weak breath, turned away from Twilight, and stared down at the floor of the train car. "You're right," she finally said. "You're right." "You better believe I'm right, poser." "I've talked about the revolution, but I haven't lived up to my ideals," her voice was soft. "I've just been using it as an excuse to act out, to engage in bad behavior, to mess with you for fun." "Mmhmm." Twilight smacked her with a wing. "Glad to see you finally noticed." "I'm sorry." Twilight paused. A frown came over her face. "What?" "I said, I'm sorry. I've been difficult. You've been very kind to me for a long time, and I've repaid you by making your life hard." Starlight swallowed. "And I'm sorry." "I… um." Twilight fluffed her wings, her eyes hesitantly hovering somewhere around Starlight's shoulders. "Look, you… you didn't mean any harm." "I kind of did." She blew out a breath. "Wasn't that your point?" "You just… you need a good example." She scooted over Starlight's way. "I turned you from the path of evil, but that's not enough. You need somepony in your life you look up to. Somepony you respect, who can teach you how to lead a better life." "Like a mentor?" "Sure!" Twilight smiled. "Like Maud, or Starswirl, or maybe even…" With the tip of a hoof, she touched her own chest. Then, the door at the back of the train car burst inwards. On the other side was an old, decaying pony in a turn of the century suit. His wizened body lurched forward, skin cracked, eyes lit from behind by unnatural blue fire. "It's Pony Lenin!" Twilight gasped. "Senpai noticed me!" Starlight squealed. "RAAAGH! DESTROY THEOCRATIC MONARCHY!" === S4E3: The Thanksgiving Episode === "I do declare… Dinner is served!" Granny Smith knocked her hoof on the table, ringing in the Apple Family Thanksgiving Meal. A rousing cheer erupted from herd of ponies gathered around the barn. They shook the rafters with their stomps and scared the pigeons from their roosts high above. Bits of hay swirled in the lantern light, for a moment causing the wide, warm expanse of the lofts to resemble the blustery snows outside. "Yay!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Dibs on the apple fritters!" "Save the deserts for last, young filly," Applejack said. She pulled Apple Bloom back to her seat and set a heaping helping of turkey smothered in gravy on her plate. "Now, eat up, ya'll! Yee haw!" "A-yup," Big Macintosh said. He piled up a plate with a healthy portion of stuffing, green beans and sweet potatoes, and gave it to the visibly pregnant Sugar Belle sitting beside him, who cooed and gazed at him with eyes visibly pregnant with tears of love. "Oh, Big Mac." Sugar Belle's voice was thick with emotion, ready to break at the slightest sign of more love. "I'm so glad you married me! And I get to share our first Thanksgiving together with your family!" All around them, at the long tables set out across the barn, dozens of ponies filled their plates with the bounty of the season. Most were Apples or their kin – others friends from Ponyville and even further afield. There were earth ponies aplenty, but unicorns and pegasi, and even a zebra or two, for the Apple Family had sent their shoots wide across the lands and found friendly soil in the remotest parts of the world. The walls shook with their laughter. The fires of their love filled the hall with warmth and light, staving off the chill of the dawning winter outside. Granny Smith had a small plate. Her appetite wasn't what it used to be, and in any case there would be plenty of leftovers if she got hungry later. She nibbled at the turkey, had a sip of the apple brandy Apple Brandy discreetly slipped her, and leaned back in her chair to observe the controlled chaos playing out before her. Her hearing wasn't what it used to be either, but she could make out the gist of what was going on – the laughter, the shouting foals, the cheers when Braeburn stuffed an entire stuffed bell pepper in his mouth. She smiled, and a warm, contented glow spread up from her stomach to her heart. To see her family flourish like this, so many of them, sprouting like weeds in a springtime field. This, this was the joy that accompanied a life well-lived. It was heady and delightful. For the first time in years, a true grin spread across her face. Or maybe it was the brandy. She took another sip to make sure. "Everything alright, Granny?" Applejack asked. She plopped down beside Granny Smith and kicked her hooves up on the table. "Yer not crying', is ya?" "What? Shoot, no, you darn filly." Granny wiped her eyes with her fetlock. "Just dusty in here is all." "Granny Smith?" A tiny voice came from the side. It was Pear Blossom, a filly so young she was barely out of diapers. "Why are those two seats empty? Are they for ponies who haven't arrived yet?" "Those seats?" Granny turned, and her voice caught in her throat. At the side of the table were indeed two empty chairs, set with empty plates and upturned glasses. She swallowed, then leaned down to pick Pear Blossom up and set the little filly in her lap. "Let me tell you a story about those seats," she continued. "Once upon a time, there were two beautiful ponies who loved each other very much. The stallion was big and strong, with a heart bigger than a breadbox. His wife was more beautiful than the prettiest flower and as strong as any yak. Together they built this barn and this farm, and their love for each other was deeper than the ocean." She paused, and noticed the barn had grown quiet. Ponies all down the tables had stopped stuffing their faces and turned to listen. Beside her, Applejack's stoic mein was broken by twin trails of tears running down her cheeks. Applejack sniffed. "Go on, Granny." Granny nodded. She licked her lips before continuing – the damn brandy dried them out. Yeah, the brandy. "Those two ponies, your aunt and uncle, they were so good that… well, the angels just had to take them back to heaven, I guess. I don't understand why they had to leave, but they did. And so, to remember them, we leave two empty chairs at every family gathering." Pear Blossom looked at the empty seats, then at the tears streaming down Applejack's face. She sniffed, then began to cry herself. "Hush, hush," Granny said. "It's alright. What matters is that we still love them, and we love each other." "I love you, Granny Smith!" Pear Blossom wailed. She tossed her tiny hooves around Granny's shoulders and squeezed her tight. "And ah love you both! Yee haw!" Applejack said, joining the hug. "Sugar Belle, uh…" Big Mac blushed and rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof. "I know, Big Macintosh," Sugar Belle said. She leaned against his enormous, muscled form and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose. "A-yup." All around the barn, ponies hugged each other. More than a few cried. Braeburn kept eating because he was Braeburn and that was fine too. Never before in the history of Ponyville had so much love been concentrated in such a small place. It was heartwarming. It was beautiful. "Hey everypony, I have an idea!" Apple Bloom said. She jumped up on the table. "Instead of having Thanksgiving every year, we should do it every month! Or every week!" "Yeah!" somepony shouted. "That's an awesome idea!" somepony else echoed. "Could… could we really do that?" Applejack asked. She turned to Granny Smith. "Well, I reckon, if it helps our family love each other so much, then why not?" Granny Smith said. "Let's make Thanksgiving Day every day!" A rousing cheer went up from the assembled ponies. It shook the clapboard walls and timber roof tiles. The iron tools on their pegboards chimed in sympathy. It was, truly, a Thanksgiving miracle. At about that point the massive barn doors burst open and the first round of stun grenades came flying in. They burst like cannons, sending bits of food flying like shrapnel and deafening everypony inside. The cheers instantly turned to screams as ponies scrambled away, pawing at their flash-blind eyes. Then tear gas followed. It filled the hall with smoke, and the screams became choking coughs. A bright magenta field of magic swept through, clearing a path through the haze, and into the chaos strode Starlight Glimmer. "Everybug get down!" she shouted. Her trench coat fluttered around her legs, wide-spread for balance. "You're all under arrest!" The changelings who could escape tried. Flashes of green flame light the dark barn as they returned to their real forms. They scrambled up the walls and out the windows, only to be caught by more ponies outside wielding butterfly nets. A few smarter changelings tried to impersonate the pony cops who poured into the barn, but being blind and deaf and barely able to breathe, they weren't so successful. "Excellent work, Detective Glimmer," said Twilight Sparkle. She walked in behind Starlight Glimmer and tipped her fedora to the mare. "Looks like an entire theater troupe this time. What tipped you off?" "Thank you, Detective Sparkle," Starlight said. She walked over to one of the demolished tables, nibbled at a smear of blasted apple pie, and let out a quiet Mmm of satisfaction. "Oh, that's good. And they do it every year. You see the television crew?" Along the wall, another set of incapacitated changelings slumped beside a set of high-definition television cameras and studio lights. One bug had a boom microphone strapped to his saddle, and struggled to crawl away with it still attached. As they watched, a guardspony slapped him in manacles and dragged him outside. "I do," Twilight said. "Let me guess. They were filming a holiday episode loaded with so much schmaltz and shmarm that anypony who watched it would be struck with an overdose of sappy emotions so thick they'd contract diabetes. It would feed the hive for weeks." "They were probably going to sell it to the Hallmark Channel," Starlight said. She shook her head and spat. "Monsters." "Well, not this year!" Twilight said. "The only thing on television for Thanksgiving will be hoofball, if I have anything to say about it!" "You like hoofball?" "Eh, not really." Twilight shrugged. "But it's a tradition, you know? My father and brother spent all day shouting at the television." "Yeah, traditions are important." Starlight said. "Hey, you wanna help me find the real Apple family? They're probably stuck in pods in the basement again." === S2E6: Horse Fly (GaPJaxie) === Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, Her Royal Highness, the Princess Twilight Sparkle, sat on her balcony savoring her morning tea. She had just finished raising the sun, and, from her high perch, she could watch the golden light spill over the landscape. Her tea, still too hot to drink, levitated just under her nose to allow her to inhale its heavenly scent. As the ruler of all Equestria, Twilight was often very busy, and so she had learned to savor such fleeting moments of calm. They were a time to appreciate the little things, oft overlooked but virtually important; things that might otherwise escape the notice of royalty. For instance, the flock of songbirds that landed on her balcony. "Hello, little ones," Twilight said. "Well aren't you beautiful? I haven't seen birds on my balcony in a long time. I think the security fans Celestia installed scared you away." They warbled and cheeped back at her. Twilight had a little bag of birdseed sitting on her balcony table for just such an occasion, and she scattered the seed on the ground for them to enjoy. "But don't worry. I had the fans removed. Now you can come to the palace whenever you want, and the city should be much safer for ponies with wings." One of the birds, a little blue one, pecked at the seed Twilight had left on the ground. Then it lifted her head to her, and spoke. "Um…" Princess Twilight frowned. "Yes, that's… that's what I said. But how did you make those words, appear? And, how do I know that ninety-eight ponies liked it? Did you do something? Are you magic?" The bird warbled, ruffled its feathers, then said: "Is that… Daring Do?" Twilight pulled her head back as she stared at the little blue bird. "Well that's just rude! Not to mention wrong. Lots of pegasi were born without wings. Maybe they got them added with magic later in life, or had a birth defect and needed surgery. Plus, I'm a pegasus as much as I am a unicorn and an earth pony, and I wasn't born with wings." "I mean…" Twilight ruffled her feathers. "That's all true, but it's not exactly what I said. I have been taking up traditional crafts, but I didn't mention it to you before you-" "Okay, you know what?" Twilight conjured a bird cage from the thin air, and forcefully stuffed the little blue bird into it. "I don't know what you are, if you were created by Discord, or a very irresponsible wizard, but you're clearly magic and I don't think you should be running around Canterlot on your own. So we're just going to put you in the secure storage room until I can figure out…" Four more identical blue birds landed on Twilight's balcony. Together, they all spoke: Twilight looked over her balcony railing. There were a lot of little blue birds in her garden, and more settling on the distant roofs of Canterlot. "Raven!" she called to her assistant. "Cancel my meetings for the day. I'm flying to Ponyville. There's an impending friendship problem. And uh… see if anypony knows where these birds came from." Raven looked up from her notes. "From eggs, your highness." When Twilight arrived in Ponyville, she discovered the other Elements of Harmony already assembled in the castle's map room. "Oh, girls." She slammed the door shut with a hindleg and sat in her chair. "Thank goodness you're here. I think we might have a big problem." "You have a gift for understatement, Twilight," Rarity agreed. "AK Yearling is an inspiration for millions of ponies who love her books. What will they think, seeing her tweet such hateful garbage?" "...wait, what?" Twilight asked. "Uh." Rainbow Dash's narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me? AK Yearling is just saying what everypony is thinking." "Girls, I wasn't talking about…" Twilight gestured up at the cage she still carried, with the little blue bird inside. "I was talking about these magical birds that repeat what everypony says to them." "Right. Her tweets." Applejack nodded. "Came right outta left field for me. I had no idea AK Yearling was a TERP." "What?" Twilight furrowed her brow. "What's a TERP? Do you girls know where all these birds came from?" "They came from eggs, Twilight."" Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "And, Trans-Exclusionary Radical Pegasus. They're a hate-group who believe that if you weren't born with wings, you aren't a 'real' pegasus." "Oh, I see." Rainbow Dash spread her hooves. "So now I'm in a 'hate group' just because I believe it matters that I grew up with wings?" "You say that stuff around me again-" Fluttershy snapped and slammed her hooves on the table "-and you'll spend the rest of your life without wings." "Woah woah." Pinkie Pie leapt between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy before anypony could escalate the situation further. "Okay, I think, that the room has gotten a little tense, and what we all need right now is to calmly talk things out over cupcakes. How does that sound?" Most ponies grumbled something to the effect of "Fine." Twilight glanced at the bird in her cage. "Okay," Pinkie went on. "Rainbow Dash, why don't you go first? Tell us how you feel." "I feel like growing up with wings was a big deal, and really important to who I am, and somepony can't just go magically grow some primary feathers and say that oh look I'm a pegasus now." She glanced at Twilight. "Sorry." "Well," Twilight said. "That seems fair. I don't agree, since, you know, alicorns are pegasi too. But growing up a pegasus and becoming a pegasus later in life are different. So I get why a pony might feel that way." "See?" Rainbow Dash jerked a hoof in Twilight's direction. "I have trans-pegasus friends and they say I'm right." "'Alicorn,'" Twilight said. "The term is 'Alicorn.' And you have exactly one." Fluttershy lifted her nose, her tone sharp and judgemental. "Okay, so explain this to me." She pointed at Twilight's bird. "Reweet." "Okay," Twilight said, "so you all know the birds exist and think it's normal that they exist. So something happened to reality and I'm the only one who remembers-" "Duh," Rainbow Dash spread her arms. "If anypony can become a pegasus at will, then race doesn't mean anything. If race doesn't mean anything, then there's no such thing as interracial relationships, and saying there's no such thing as interracial relationships is super racist." With an air of finality, Rainbow Dash sat back and folded her legs. "So basically, if you think ponies can just go around growing wings all the time, you're a secret unicorn supremacist." "Uh…" AJ lifted a hoof. "I don't see how unicorn supremacy came into this. Wasn't the whole point that there would be no more races?" "Exactly! Alicorns want to destroy everypony's racial identity. Imagine what that would be like?" Rainbow pointed at AJ with a hoof. "A world where anypony can be a unicorn or a pegasus or an earth pony any time they want." "Actually, that sounds lovely." AJ shrugged. "I enjoy my traditions, sure as sure, but getting rid of the last vestiges of old tribalist discrimination would be-" "Stop enjoying my dystopia!" Rainbow shouted, throwing her hooves to the air. "What about me?" Fluttershy demanded. "Growing up flying isn't at all important to my self-identity. Does that make me less of a pegasus?" "No, of course not." "And what about Scootaloo? I'd like to see you tell her that flying is an intrinsic part of being a pegasus." Her tone, already sharp, turned nakedly contemptuous. "Walk right up to her face and call her a dirty earth pony." Rainbow shot out of her chair, her voice rising to a shout. "I would never do that!" "Then why do you care?" Fluttershy shouted right back. "Why is it so important to you that you can sort the world into 'pegasus' and 'not-pegasus' and everypony has to go along with your definition?" "You don't get it," Rainbow Dash pointed at the little blue bird in the cage. "Retweet." After a long pause, Rarity cleared her throat. "And?" "And-" Rainbow Dash spread her hooves- "-everypony knows that if you've been attacked for being in a group, that means you own that group forever and get to say who is and isn't a part of it. That's just logic." "But, wait." Pinkie frowned. "That's why AK Yearling cares, but why do you care?" "Because…" Rainbow Dash spluttered. "It's important. And stuff." Pinkie sighed, reached out, and put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Rainbow…" she spoke, her words so gentle. "Did you see Trans-Exclusionary Radical Pegasus and jump on board because you wanted to be a 'radical pegasus' and you didn't know what the first two words meant?" "No!" Rainbow fumed, but her eyes went down to the floor. "And it's not two words. It's one really big word." "A very big word," Pinkie agreed. "And you can't even look it up in the dictionary because it has a dash in the middle." "Yeah." Rainbow kicked the underside of the table with a hoof. "And AK Yearling is one and she's cool." "She uh…" Applejack coughed. "She writes some good books, yeah. But, and I gotta be honest Rainbow, TERPism might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard." "And trans-pegasi face discrimination all their own," Rarity said. "Ponies threw clods of dirt at Princess Luna and called her a unicorn poser. You know, until she had them arrested." "But I really like her books," Rainbow mumbled. "You know me. I'm a huge Daring Do fan." "You are," Pinkie agreed. "Life would be easier if Daring Do was a fictional character, and we could just say we love AK Yearling's books even if she has some crazy, whackjob political views. But since we all know Daring Do is real and also the same person as AK Yearling, somehow, I can see how this really hurt you emotionally. She was your hero." "Yeah," Applejack agreed. "I'm sorry, Rainbow." "I'm sorry too," Fluttershy said. "I wouldn't actually rip your wings off. Unless you made me really angry." "I know. I'm sorry I said…" Rainbow tapped her hooves together. "All that stuff I said. I just don't want this to be the end of AK Yearling's career." "Maybe she can write another book," Rarity suggested. "Daring Do and the Public Relations Disaster." "Okay, this is all great," Twilight said, "but can we please get back to-" From up the hall, Twilight heard the sound of galloping hooves. Then the door to the map room burst open and in charged Starlight, surrounded by a massive flock of the little blue birds. Wide-eyed, panicked, and sweating, she locked eyes on Twilight like a drowning mare spotting driftwood. "Oh thank goodness you're here," she called. "I used magic to make it so that everypony in the world knew my opinions all the time, but something happened, and now other ponies are using it to express their opinions, and they're wrong!" Twilight looked at her friends, the cage, Starlight, and the birds, and then nodded firmly. "Starlight," she said, "if I keep bailing you out of these situations, you'll never learn. You got yourself into this, and now you're going to have to suffer a bit to get yourself out of it. I want you to think about what you did." She picked up her bird cage and flew away, headed back to Canterlot. Behind her, she heard Starlight cry: "Twilight, you can't leave me here!" Starlight's shriek of agony echoed across all of Ponyville. As Twilight flew away, she turned her head to regard to the little bird in her cage, and smiled. "Hey, before Equestria goes back to normal, I have a message I'd like to 'Tweet' to Princess Celestia. Can you do that?" The bird warbled, which Twilight took as a yes. Princess Celestia lifted her head from her beach towel, looking at the little blue bird that had landed next to her head. "What the hell is this?" === S5E3: Thanksgiving Reprise === Applejack hefted the basket onto the cart with a grunt. The squash inside – not apples, for the Apple clan was diverse in their habits and grew many things on their land – bounced with hollow thumps that rattled the hitch and traces, windchimes to their drums. She spent a moment panting, staring at the half-filled cart, calculating how much more of the morning it would take to load it with produce. Harvest season was the best time of year, but also the busiest, and hardest, and hurting-est, and every other tired adjective she never bothered to use because she was an Apple, and Apples never felt any of those things. Or, at least, they never let on that they did. Rarity would have called it their 'brand.' And she wouldn't have been wrong. Applejack let herself dilly dally for another few breaths, fogging the crisp autumn air like a dragon, until her heart returned to its nice, slow measure, and then she turned to deal with the changeling. "Okay, now you can talk," she said. "Oh, merciful pony!" the little bug wailed. It fell to its knees and grasped at her fetlocks with its sharp obsidian hooves. "My starving sisters and I were wandering, lost and abandoned, through the fearsome woods over yon, when we felt a well of bounteous love pouring out from this noble farm. We stumbled toward it, desperate for nourishment but knowing how fearful ponies are of our kind, and so my starving sisters – did I mention we were starving? So very, very starving – sent me here to beg for your indulgence—" "And stop." Applejack gently pried the changeling's hooves off her legs and walked around the wagon to strap herself in. The changeling hovered along beside her as she pulled the harvest load toward the barn. "Are you reading a script?" she said. "Because ponies don't talk like that. Except maybe those fancy ponies Rarity hangs out with, but you ain't never gonna see one of them in a field like this." "What? No. Script?" The changeling rubbed her front legs together, producing a sound like a cricket's chirp. "We, uh, we came to beg your indulgence, and, um, ask for for a mere scrap of love to satiate—" "See? That's not even a real word. How do you expect a pony to trust you when you're lyin' like that?" "What? Satiate?" The changeling's wings flapped unevenly, and she bobbled in the air before finally dropping down into the dirt. She tromped around the front of the wagon and scowled up at Applejack. "It is so a real word! It means to be satisfied or full!" "Uh huh. Sure." Applejack brushed the changeling aside and pressed on toward the barn. For a moment she thought it might have left, but then the loud buzz of stained-glass wings returned, and the wagon's springs let out a little sigh. She turned to see the changeling perched on the boxboard, glaring down at her as best it could with lidless eyes. "Are you going to let me finish?" the changeling asked. Applejack tried to shrug. She couldn't really, with the yoke around her shoulders, but if changelings could taste emotions it could probably sense her indifference. "Go for it." "Great. Thank you." The changeling cleared her throat. "So, as I was saying, we were very hungry and starving and we found your farm and we were wondering if maybe we could have a little bit of that sweet sweet love you've got for your family, you know, just to tide us over? There. Were those words small enough for you?" "S'better." Applejack let herself smile. The wagon was back on the path, out of the field, and the pulling was easier now. She could make it back to the barn without breaking a sweat. They rode together in silence for the rest of the way, until they pulled into the barn and Applejack undid all the hitchings and lowered the tailgate. She was about to grab the first basket when the changeling spoke. "Okay, that was, uh, a little harsh of me," she said. She hopped down into the wagon and pushed at the basket of squash with all her little bug might, helping scoot it toward the wagon's rear. "I didn't mean to insult you, but I worked really hard on that script, and my sisters really are hungry. That's all true!" "Right. One sec." Applejack pulled the basket onto her back and trotted over to the big bin by the back door, where they were storing all the pumpkins and acorn and kobacha squash the farm had yielded in time for winter. She emptied the basket into the pile, set it down, and trotted out the barn, down the path to the farmhouse, up the patio and into the kitchen. The little changeling followed the whole way, her eyes darting to and fro with nervous energy. Applejack stopped at the wall by the wide picture window. Beside it hung a calendar, open to the month of November, with the grid of weeks below and a full-page, glossy image of a muscular creme stallion with an ochre mane reclining provocatively on a bed of pillows above. She pointed her hoof at one of the latter Thursdays. "Okay, so, Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks, and—" "Why do you have a pin-up calendar of hunky stallions hanging in your kitchen?" "Never you mind that. Now, Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks, right? All the family get together, lots of cryin' and hugs and stuff. So much love in the air you can cut it with a knife. And you know what happened two years ago at literally this exact same date?" "Uh, no. No." The changeling tried to laugh, but it came out forced. "Why… why would I know that?" "Because exactly two years ago I was out in my field, loading up the harvest, when a little changeling much like yourself showed up, and she gave me a sob story much like yours about how she and her sisters were starving and they just needed a little bit of love to tide them over and surely we had enough to spare. And you know what happened next?" "I mean, uh, I couldn't possibly guess." The changeling peered back at the door leading out into the yard. "But you're so kind, friendly… merciful! So merciful, I assume you helped them like they asked?" "A-yup. We did. And you know how it went?" "A good Thanksgiving was had by all?" "Sort of. A horde of changelings showed up, spat up that icky goo all over us, used it to seal us into pods, and shoved us all down the cellar. We were down there for weeks before my friends got us out." "That's terrible." The changeling managed to sound somber and grave. "But you can be assured that my sisters and I would never do such a thing to gracious ponies willing to share with us—" "You know, it's funny you say that," Applejack said. "Because exactly one year ago I was out in the field, loading up my harvest, when another changeling much like yourself showed up, and she gave us that same sad story, and I told her 'Nope, not gonna fall for it again, not after last year,' and then she said what you just said about how terrible that was and how she would never do such a thing, and I figured 'Well, this changeling seems sincere!' So I said I'd help her too, and could you possibly guess what happened next?" Silence. The little bug squirmed and stared down at her hooves. Finally: "Did they—" "Yup. Goo all over. And two more weeks in the cellar." "Right. So, I know how this looks," the changeling said. "You've had some bad previous experiences helping ponies, and you don't want to get hurt again. It's normal to be reluctant to offer a hoof to those in need when you've been burned before. But let me tell you, the true measure of a pony's heart, of her essential goodness, isn't in the charity she shows when times are good and giving is easy. Rather, their true virtue is revealed only when circumstances are tough, and the gift is not an indulgence but rather an act of sacrifice. Imagine, Applejack, if we lived in a world where all ponies were as open with their homes and their hearts as your family, what a wonderful world that would be! And that world is within our grasp; it only waits for us to take that small step of faith, and extend our trust even to those who have wronged us before." "Well, that sounds nice and all," Applejack said. She trotted over to the counter, opened one of the drawers, and pulled out a letter. "Reminds me of something my friend Twilight Sparkle wrote me after last year's Thanksgiving. She said very much the same things." "This Twilight Sparkle sounds like a very wise and noble friend," the changeling agreed. "Let me read some of it for you." Applejack opened the letter. "Dear Applejack, hope you are well, blah blah blah… Okay, here we are. Applejack, this is two years in a row now that your whole family has been tricked by changelings and stuffed into pods in your cellar. And I want you to know that next year they're going to try the exact same thing, because they've somehow concluded that you're a bunch of gullible rubes. They'll probably give you a speech about charity and how the true virtue of a pony is only revealed when circumstances are tough, and ask you to trust them one more time. Please do not do this because I do not want to have to pry you out of a changeling pod again. Your friend forever, Twilight Sparkle." "This Twilight Sparkle sounds like a very cynical and mean-spirited pony," the changeling said. "I hope we can prove how wrong her understanding of ponykind is by—" "Nope." Applejack put her hoof down. "Not this time. Not three years in a row. I know you think we're just a buncha country bumpkins who'll believe any sob story and make an easy meal for you city slicker changelings, but we ain't! The Apple Family is a proud, smart, savvy line of businessponies, and we are not gonna fall for your tricks again! So you just take your lies and fly back to your hive before ah git mah wallopin' stick out and—" What exactly Applejack intended to do with her walloping stick the changeling never learned, for at that moment the kitchen door burst open, and in charged Big Macintosh. He panted for breath, but an enormous grin stretched out across his face. Applejack and the changeling gawked at him in stunned silence. "Applejack, look!" he cried. He turned to reveal a jet black changeling perched on his back, her little hooves wound through his cornsilk mane, hanging on for dear life. "Ah found a new friend! She and all her hungry friends are gonna join us for Thanksgiving dinner!" "No, Big Mac!" Applejack cried. "It's just like last year! And the year before! They're gonna stick us in pods in the cellar and—" Another crash announced the arrival of Apple Bloom. She caroomed into the kitchen, bouncing off the door frame with a heavy thud that shook the house. She held in her grasp a squirming, obsidian shape that buzzed with a sound like panic. "Sis, look!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Ah found a new friend and she's gonna join us for Thanksgiving this year and also a bunch of her friends is that okay because I already told them it was okay great thanks!" "Apple Bloom, no!" Applejack tried without success to pry the changeling out of her little sister's grasp. "It's just like last year! How am I the smart one all of a sudden?!" A creaking, age-rusted voice answered, the family matriarch speaking at last. "Well ah'll be, it's a Thanksgiving Miracle!" Granny Smith announced. She stepped down the stairs, a tiny changeling lending her its glossy shoulder for support. "To the barn, everypony!" Granny Smith said. "Let's start settin' up for the best Thanksgiving ever, with our new friends!" She teetered out the door, assisted by her changeling. Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh followed. Silence, again. Applejack stared out the door. The little changeling spun around in confusion and finally settled down, looking up at Applejack. Applejack sighed. "I'm gonna go wait in the cellar." === S4E10: Romance Novels === "What if," Spike said, "Ginger Gypsy hadn't been afraid to confess her love? Would you still hate her so much?" I frowned. "Hate is a strong word. I never said I hated her." He didn't answer for a bit, focusing instead on the greenhouse workbench and the potted bonsai undergoing plant surgery. The bench groaned under the weight of the solid stone pot, roughly hewn from a locally sourced gneiss boulder by Spike's teeth and claws. The tiny tree nested inside seemed delicate as a snowflake in comparison. "Maybe. But you definitely said you couldn't stand ponies who were shallow, deceitful, and what else? Callous?" Spike exhaled on the tip of his tiny scalpel until the steel tip glowed yellow, then swiftly sliced away a tiny scale of bark from the dwarf Everfree pine. A curl of smoke rose from the blackened scar his cut left on the slender trunk. "Give me about five inches of wire?" I measured out a hoof's worth of iron wire and snapped it free from the spool. The cold metal managed to resist my magic for a second before surrendering with a quiet, musical ping. "Cowardly, and I stand by that. She wanted all the benefits of a loving relationship but was afraid to take any risks with her heart, so she ended up leading Buttercup on and causing them both greater pain in the end. The fact that she lied throughout the whole book just to avoid having uncomfortable conversations made it even worse. It's easy to sympathize with her, because everypony has to juggle their own feelings with somepony else's at some point in their lives, but her failures all stem from who she is. Until she changes, she deserves to be unhappy." "Huh." Spike twisted the wire into a loop with his claws and carefully wrapped it around the bonsai's trunk. He tucked the free end into the soil between its gnarled roots. A few quartz pebbles concealed the support, and he stepped back to consider his work. "And this is your favorite romance novel?" I grinned. "Yup. First one I ever read, too. Mom had a copy." "That's a little weird." "What? That mom had romance novels?" "That she let you borrow it," he said. He picked the pot up off the workbench and set it back on the windowsill where it normally lived. "And also that your favorite romance novel features a mare you hate and who doesn't end up finding love. It's, like, an anti-romance novel." "But that's what makes it great!" I helped Spike sweep up the loose soil from the workbench and pitch it into the sod. "Most romance novels are, to be honest, complete trash. The characters are insipid, the plot is as predictable as the train schedule, and nothing the characters do has any impact on how the story ends. The protagonist finds themselves in an unfamiliar environment, meets the mare or stallion of their dreams, becomes infatuated with them, makes some silly mistake that seemingly ruins the relationship, has an epiphany at their lowest point about the magic of love, and tearfully reunites at the climax. Or right before the climax." "Uh, ew." "Ew whatever." I swatted his shoulder with the edge of my wing. It was like hitting a boulder. "I've seen your bookshelf. Anyway, Ginger Gypsy had the same shot at a happy ending with her lover as every other romance novel heroine, but the author ended up not giving it to her. Why? Because she didn't earn it. She was too flawed, too hesitant and too afraid of being hurt to open up her heart. It was like the author wanted us all to know how he felt about the genre and provide a lesson for every romance-novel reading mare or stallion out there about how difficult finding love really is." "I'm not sure that's why most ponies read romance novels." "Yeah, well, it wasn't his best seller. There might be some cause-and-effect there." We made our way out the crystal greenhouse and down the garden path on the south side of my castle. The humdrum buzz of a Ponyville afternoon filled the air, and a few passers-by waved to us as they crossed the town's streets. I jumped up on a sun-soaked crystal bench and stretched out, letting the blissful heat from the mineral surface leech into my belly. "Look," I continued. "I don't know much about love yet. Hopefully I will someday, but for now I'm just as clueless as anypony. And maybe it's just a romantic delusion, but I want finding love to be hard. I want it to hurt. I want to fall and skin my knees and get my heart broken before I find the right mare to help me put it back together. Because if love isn't hard, will I really value it? Or will I treat it like some cheap bauble and toss it away, never realizing what I had?" Spike sat beside me on the bench. The crystal sang with creaks and groans beneath his weight. "If you're worried you'll make the same mistakes as Ginger Gypsy, I don't think so. Most ponies have consistent characters – a mare who is honest with her friends and kind with strangers will probably be the same way when it comes to romance. Ginger Gypsy was consistently shallow, self-absorbed and shameless. So whether you find the right pony the hard way or the easy way, I think you'll respect them and the relationship you create." "Aw, thank you." I blushed. "You're a pretty smart drake sometimes, Spike." "Eh, I try." He burnished his claws on his scaled chest. "Anyway, how old were you when you read that book?" "Uh…" What homework assignments did I hide that book in? Basic geometry, so… "Maybe nine?" "Nine? Wow." He was silent for a moment. "What about the, uh, picnic scene?" The picnic scene. I feigned ignorance, tilting my head as though I had to search my memories for it, and that I hadn't read those pages a dozen times as a teenage filly. "Oh, that one? I just thought they were kissing. And also that she had to pee really badly." He snorted. Jets of dark smoke wafted from his nostrils. "Sure, kissing. I can't believe mom let you borrow that." "Oh, she didn't. I stole it from her bookshelf." I sighed. "She found it in my room a few years later. That's how I got The Talk." "Oof. Well, at least your crime was suitably punished." "Eh, worth it." I stretched my wings out, letting them catch the sun's rays. "It's just, you know, a good book, even if I don't like the main character. Ginger Gypsy has motives and hidden desires and contradictory impulses and a mix of good and bad traits. The things she says are contradicted by the things she does, because her actions are driven by her true character. That's a real pony, Spike, not some shallow fictional character a lazy author strung together with catchphrases, stereotypes and a bingo card of popular tropes. We may hate Ginger Gypsy, but I love her too, because she shows that the author respects us as readers." "Do you wish more authors wrote unpleasant characters?" "Well, maybe in moderation. But the alternative is—" "Howdy, ya'll!" Applejack suddenly shouted at us from the street running alongside the garden. She was hitched to her wagon, which was piled high with barrels of apples. "You want some apples?" "Hey, Twilight! Twilight! Check this out!" Rainbow Dash called out overhead. She zipped across the sky, blasting apart the few clouds that interrupted the clear blue sky. "Ten seconds flat!" "Um, excuse me?" A timid voice sounded beneath the bench. I craned my head down to find Fluttershy hiding beneath it, her wings wrapped around her like a security blanket. "Um, could you maybe tell Rainbow Dash to stop shouting so much? She's scaring all my animal friends." "Animal friends?" Pinkie Pie's head popped out of a nearby urn that was nowhere near large enough to contain the rest of her body. "Did someone say animal friends?! That means it's time for a party!" "Uh, the alternative is characters who are fun to read about, but don't really challenge you," I said. Rainbow Dash was still shouting something, and I had to raise my voice. "Like, they're just pure sugar. To really appreciate a character, they need to taste a little bitter—" "Apples, apples, apples!" "Why, darling, must you be so uncouth? Oh, Rainbow Dash, you've ruined my mane again!" "—a little bitter in order for us to really appreciate them," I said. I realized, as I finished, that I was no longer sitting on the bench beside Spike. Rather, somehow, Pinkie had managed to drag me halfway across the street, and it seemed like we were just getting started. Rainbow Dash whooped and cheered, rolling in great loops through the sky above us. Sugar Cube Corner loomed ahead, already decked out with streamers and balloons for whatever party Pinkie had planned. Applejack hitched her wagon to the post outside the door and held it open for all my friends as we piled inside. I looked back toward my castle, and saw Spike sitting on the bench. He raised a clawed hand to wave, and I think he smiled. "Why, what's wrong, darling?" Rarity said. She helped pry me out of Pinkie's iron grasp, and we caught our breath at a table by the door. "You looked a bit wistful there for a moment." Wistful? Me? I shook my head. "Sorry, just thinking about books." Rarity smiled a wry smile, one half of her mouth lifting a hair higher than the other. "Books, of course. That's our Twilight." Yeah, that was their Twilight. I wondered if the thought should hurt, and decided after a moment I didn't care. Sometimes sugar just tasted sweet. === S4E11: Against Literalism === "I think I see it," Rainbow Dash whispered. She squeezed as low to the rocks as she could and crawled forward over the tumbled-down ruins of the jungle temple. "It's just up ahead, in the nave." "Okay, move slowly. There may be traps." Twilight Sparkle's voice sounded in her ear, emanating from an ingenious crystal device no larger than one of Dash's earrings, which she didn't own and wouldn't be caught dead wearing. "The legends say it was kept beneath the high altar. Look for, like, a cubby hole. Something a foal could fit inside." "Got it." She let out a long, slow breath. "Moving forward. Have the extraction team ready." Rainbow crept forward an inch at a time, her ears straining for any hint of Don Coyote's thugs. She'd barely eluded them in the jungle, ducking into that muddy stream to hide her tracks, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they found her. She was in no condition to fight them again, not with her wing sprained so badly. And, of course, each step could trigger a rockfall or shower of darts or open into a pit of alligators. She swallowed, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and edged toward the altar. "There's a hole here." She fumbled for her flashlight and shined it into the recess in the stone altar. There, beneath a sediment of rotting leaves and spiderwebs and dusty memories, the Wondrous Lanthorn of Lith lay waiting. She sucked in a breath as the light reflected off its glorious nacre shell. Something stirred in the darkness. A dry rasp like the caress of ancient paper. Coiled around the lanthorn was a small snake, onyx all over, dappled in ruby scales that formed oddly geometric patterns. It stared at her with crimson eyes and hissed. She froze. The snake froze. Off in the distance, in the courtyard of the temple, she thought she heard hoofsteps on stone. "Hey, uh…" She swallowed. "Small black snake, about the length of my leg. Red triangles all over. Apparently likes secluded alcoves." There was a pause before Twilight responded. "Does it have little pits between its eyes and its nostrils?" Dash squinted. She didn't really know what a snake's nostrils looked like, but assuming they were like a pony's… "Yeah, I think so." "Sounds like a Pythagorean Autumn Adder," Twilight said. "Is it poisonous?" "Oh, no, of course not." Great. Dash squeezed herself into the alcove, scraping away the rotting leaves around the Lanthorn. The adder hissed at her again, and she gently reached toward it with her hoof. The snake's tongue flicked out, and it slowly coiled its way up her leg. "That's it, nice and easy," she said to the snake. "Just gonna move this little treasure out of your way and then I'll be gone—" "It is, however, incredibly venomous," Twilight said. "Like, each one of its bites has enough toxin to kill ten ponies. Be very careful around them. In fact, if you see one, you should probably just stay as far away as possible so that you don't intrude on its nest." * * * "How much time is left?!" Starlight Glimmer shouted. She panted for breath and tossed her head to sweep her sweat-drenched mane out of her eyes. "Fifteen seconds!" Twilight shouted back. Several books floated in the air before her, all trembling in time with the cataclysmic shocks wracking the volcano around them. A roiling wave of superheated air blasted through the thin stone chimney where they sheltered, scorching the tips of her coat black. Starlight coughed. She squeezed her eyes as tightly shut as she could until the heat passed, and then she turned to the twisting stone cube held in her hooves. An evil blue light radiated out of the thin lines inscribed all around Rexacion's Reticulated Rebus, as though the malevolent force inside was beginning to make its escape. She clenched it tight with her hooves and whispered a quick, desperate prayer to Celestia. Fifteen seconds. Plenty of time. She coughed as a stray ember got in her throat. "The cladding plate is secure. Next move?" Twilight flipped a page. "Top third, rotate counterclockwise one-hundred and eighty degrees!" Starlight twisted the Rebus as directed. A hideous, inequine voice screamed in her mind as the monster's prison grew tighter. "It's working!" And not a moment too soon. Baleful orange light spilled into their little tunnel as the magma began to rise up the volcano's throat. They stumbled away from the searing heat toward a tiny obsidian cubby, barely large enough for the two of them to fit. "Okay, last move." Starlight turned the Rebus, revealing a tiny keyhole on the bottom. She reached in with her magic, feeling for the little emerald inside. "The lexicon says to pull the gem out, right?" "Right!" Perfect. Starlight grit her teeth, wrapped her magical field around the keystone emerald, and yanked with all her might. The Rebus shrieked in protest as the lock plate tore free and the gem emerged in a shower of actinic sparks. For a moment, all was still. The monstrous voice screaming in Starlight's mind went silent. The earth stopped shaking. The volcano held its breath… …and just as quickly, it all resumed. A terrible roar filled the volcano as the magma shot upward. Starlight stumbled, nearly dropping the Rebus, which began to glow like a star, its light doubling and redoubling every second. A howl of triumph sounded in her mind, and the world seemed to twist around the tiny stone cube, reality itself contracting to an infinitely small point that broke apart with a quiet pop, leaving nothing behind. "It is true that the lexicon says that," Twilight continued. The books fell in a shower beside her as she lost her magical grip amid the roar of the wakening volcano. "But most scholars agree it was a mistranslation by Aristrottle, and that he meant to say you should toss the Rebus, with the gem inside, into the lava." * * * "Now, I think we can all agree that the law has both a spirit and a letter, and wise ponies must be attendant to both," Mayor Mare said. "And the spirit, in this case, is the spirit of Democracy, which is that each pony has their voice and their vote, and nothing should be done which prejudices the power of that franchise." The crowd murmured its approval. A few ponies clapped. The mayor waited for the town hall to settle before continuing. "Now, I have nothing against my opponent personally—" here she gestured across the stage, where a cowled and robed stallion crowned in a wreath of indigo flames stood at the opposite podium, "—but elections must be for the living, by the living! So I respectfully ask in the interest of fairness that the princess consider invalidating the votes of deceased ponies, regardless of which candidate they voted for. After that we will let the cards fall where they may." The crowd clapped politely again. Twilight Sparkle turned to the stallion. "Silent Sign, your response?" "Thank you, princess," the stallion's voice emanated from the darkness beneath his hood. It was the sound of glaciers grinding mountains into gravel. "And my thanks to the honorable mayor for articulating her position so clearly. My rebuttal rests on incontrovertible facts: the many ponies who voted for me are citizens of this town, and entitled to their votes; that I am a citizen in good standing of Ponyville, and entitled to run for the office of mayor; and that I have scrupulously obeyed all the rules and regulations regarding elections in Ponyville. I am confident that when a full counting of the votes is complete, I will be judged the winner." "The ponies who voted for you were dead," Mayor Mare said. "You raised the entire Ponyville cemetery and marched them into the voting booth!" The crowd mumbled angrily. A few ponies shouted up at the stage, and Twilight Sparkle banged her gavel until silence returned. "All of those citizens were still entitled to vote, having not been removed from the voter rolls," Silent Sign said. "Preventing them from voting simply because they are dead is discriminatory." Applejack stood from the front row. "You raised my maw and paw from the dead, and then used yer evil magic to make 'em vote for you! Mah parents would never willingly vote for a unicorn!" "I did not compel anypony to vote one way or another, and everypony voted inside a booth in complete confidentiality," Silent Sign said. "There was no quid pro quo involved. The dead who voted for me were simply grateful for my services in resurrecting them, and they felt that, as a necromancer, I would best represent them as Ponyville's next mayor." The other half of the crowd clapped politely. Dozens of zombies, ghouls and skeletons crowded into the Town Hall alongside their living neighbors. Many wore hats or shirts embroidered with Silent Sign's campaign logo. Applejack's parents looked away from their daughter and shook their heads. Twilight Sparkle flipped through a book of town ordinances open on the table before her. The crowd held its breath – well, some of them did. The rest had no breath to hold. "According to Ponyville Town Code 14.2, section B, dead ponies may not vote in local elections," Twilight said. "However, the law is silent on the matter of undead ponies voting. While I believe this omission allows for my discretion, I would prefer to err on the side of allowing as many ponies to vote as possible, rather than risk disenfranchising even one pony. Therefore, the vote counting will go forward." She rapped the gavel on the table, bringing the proceedings to a close. "Oh, and I should add, it's really good to see the two of you again," she said, turning to the ghosts of Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer, who were seated in the front row and glowering at her. "Will you be staying in Ponyville, or did you just come back to vote?"* <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: I Ain't Your Sacrifice author: Bad Dragon tags: character:Original Character, genre:Dark, genre:Horror, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== The Return of the King === "No! Please, I beg you! I'll do anything, just don't—" Silence. Another filly sacrificed. I lost my count a while ago. My attention was better spent on the prison door. Because I was trapped inside, I had no means to save the foals from the slaughter. There must have been a way out, I just had to find it. Iron bars were mounted on the walls to form a prison cell. This must have been just one of many carved caverns, as they haven't come here to take anypony, yet they've dragged so many foals down the corridor. The wall was weak near the bolts where iron doors were mounted, but I didn't have the right tools for the job. It would take me days to break through using just my hooves. If only I could find something hard to offer me some torque against the wall. I looked back on the sorry bunch of fellow foals. They were hugging each other in the corner on the far side of the cell. The torchlight was shining inside through the bars. They stayed in the false protection of the flickering shadows, trying to remain unnoticed. Not an easy thing to do when you're a pony, sparkling in the dimmest of lights. All ten of us were foals, but unlike me, the nine of them were Earth ponies. Besides their natural shiny coats, they owned nothing. Only I wore a pendant around my neck. In the whole cell, there was nothing I could turn into a tool. I needed to find a different plan to escape. If I used the same tactic as them, I would probably be sacrificed last. Due to my black coat, I sparkled the least and could lean my back against the wall to hide my red tail and mane. After closing my glowing red eyes, I could blend with the shadows almost perfectly. In the end, however, I would still get sacrificed. Hiding in the cell was not the right solution. It would be helpful if I could figure out why I had been brought here, but I didn't have much to go on. I couldn't remember anything from before. Waking up on the stony floor of the cell was my first memory. I recognised none of the fellow inmates, nor anypony that the guards dragged down the corridor to the slaughter. I wasn't the only one with a damaged head. Nopony else knew one another or remembered anything from before, either. It was like our minds were wiped clean. I only had a few clues about the time before. The guards, on the other hoof, seemed to be able to recall events from the past. They were talking about the return of the Crystal Empire and bringing back King Sombra. Speaking in anger about the invading forces from Equestria, they said that only by bringing back the rightful king could they hope to establish their rule from a thousand years ago. They seemed motivated; I hoped to use that against them. Despite not remembering anything from my past, it was clear that I was more courageous than the whimpering foals that were trapped with me in the cell. My flank was blank, just like theirs were, but I didn't let that bring me down. I knew what my purpose was in the situation, even without my cutie mark telling me of my destiny. I was set on finding a way out, no matter what. Looking at the pendant around my neck, I wondered why I had it and if I could use it in any way. The sides were charred and the middle bent. It didn't seem sturdy enough to be of any use in breaking out of the cell. As I opened it, pictures of a red mare and a black stallion caught my attention. "Is that your mom and dad?" asked a white foal as she stepped closer to me. She pointed her hoof at my opened pendant. "I don't know, but I assume that they are." "Do you think they'll come and rescue you?" "I believe they cared for me, but I don't think they will come. Judging from my bruises, I think I was dragged away from them by force. If they couldn't help me then, they probably can't help me now." "There's no hope for us, is there?" She bowed her head as her ears flattened. She turned to me for hope and I failed her. I could see that she was about to start crying. If she broke down, the sadness would spread, and the rest of the foals would start whimpering also. I didn't want to see the whole cell turning into a chamber of moaning again. They needed something to hold on to. I needed it too, but I couldn't let them see my despair. Instead, I decided to become a beacon of hope that they could put their trust onto. If we are to save ourselves, it will be through courage, not desperation. "Hope is the one thing we have on our side. Look." I closed the pendant and showed it to her. "This necklace has been through wear and tear, yet it still clings on to me. I too will hold on, and break free, no matter the odds. I won't let my life go to waste, and this pendant shall serve as a reminder of that." "But … There is no way out of here." "There's always a way. I'll find it!" "What about the rest of us?" I heard several hoofsteps echoing in the distance. "Don't you worry, filly. I'll make sure that nothing bad happens to you, I promise!" She looked up to me with her big eyes as I drew my head closer to hers. My gaze captivated her and she stopped shaking. I bowed my head and let the golden chain slide up my neck and over my head. Swooping it off with a hoof, I held it in front of me and read a part of my engraved name that was still legible. "I, Ravenblood Flame Blaze Shadow Fire Heart Nightshade"—looking over to the group of innocents at the wall, I raised my head—"will save you all!" Wrapping the necklace around the filly's neck, I reassuringly smiled at her. "Here, I want you to hold onto my pendant for a little while. Know that it's very precious to me because it's the only thing I have from my past. You can be damn sure I'll want it back!" I winked at her. She gasped. I nodded and smiled at her, then turned around, facing the barred door. "What are you doing?" asked the filly. "The door is locked." The sound of hoofsteps rustled my feathers. They drew near. I spotted two guards coming from around the cave's turn. Unicorn ponies, both wearing black metal armor, approached toward the cell. "I'll make them open it." After swiveling my ears forward, I could hear another set of hoofsteps coming from behind them. I figured there were three ponies altogether. If I was going to solve this, I first had to break free from the cell. After that, I planned to poke at them for some information that I could use against them. From behind me, I heard the little filly run to the other foals at the wall. Besides saving myself, I wanted to help out the fellow inmates, too. They surely didn't deserve any of this. First thing's first, though. "Any volunteers?" jested one guard. They both laughed. "Just me!" I leaned forehooves on the barred door. The laughter stopped. That seemed to catch their attention. I grinned. The guards stepped aside as an unarmored white mare moved between them to the bars. She too was a Unicorn but very different from anypony I've seen. Her coat wasn't sparkling at all. She must have come down with some really bad disease to lose all the sparkling. She wasn't acting like she was sick, though. "You're actually volunteering?" she asked. "Yeah, this cell is boring. I want some action." She magically floated a key into the lock on the bar doors. "Well, I hope we can provide some for you." The guards laughed again. I knew I would need to gain their trust if I wanted to gather more information on them, and find a way to outsmart them. The only way to do that was to become more than just another victim in their eyes. I took a step back from the bars. The lock clicked and the door opened. I jumped through the opening and slid among their legs. Looking back at them, I saw that their horns were glowing. Having had seen them drag foals with their magic without any strain, I knew I couldn't run away from them. They would just levitate me up then haul me the rest of the way down the corridor. I stopped in my tracks and jumped repeatedly on the spot. "Finally, some room to stretch my legs." The glow on their horns dissipated. Approaching the sick mare, who seemed to be in charge, I asked, "So, which way to the action room?" The guards raised their eyebrows as they looked at each other. The mare leaned down to me. "You do know we're going to kill you, little foal, don't you?" Not if I have any say in it! I grinned at her. "I've never died before." A guard facehoofed. I continued walking backward toward the direction screams had been coming from when I had been stuck in the cell. "Don't keep me waiting, guys!" The mare sighed. "You'll have to excuse us, little colt. We've been up the whole day and night. We're in desperate need of new members, but we just don't have time to go through the official recruiting procedure." They started to move toward me along the dark corridor. The mare took point. "You may think we're having fun, but this has been quite strenuous on all of us. Even monsters need rest, you know." "I don't think you're a monster. There's always a reason behind everything. I bet you're just trying to make do." I picked up my pace to match the mare's. "What's your name?" She glanced at me, then faced forward. "Killjoy." "Hey, Killjoy!" I poked the side of her chest with a hoof. "Wanna race me to the slaughter room?" I stomped my hooves on the ground. Her horn lit up. She forcefully nodded toward me, and a blast of energy burst forth. The force smashed me against the wall. Stone edges pinched against my back. Clenching my teeth, I tried to hide my pain from her. I lifted up my head from my chest and looked straight into her eyes. Half-closing her eyelids, she raised her head and levitated me up toward the ceiling. "Did anypony ever tell you how annoying you are?" she asked, frowning. I leaned my forehooves behind my back, against the wall. Pushing myself forward, I faced her snout to snout. "You're the one who knocked on my barred door; now face the consequence that is me!" I grinned at her. "Ugh!" She dropped me on the ground and started walking down the corridor again. I jumped on my hooves and skipped sideways by her. "So, how are you gonna do me?" She stopped and faced me. "Look, you pest! We don't enjoy this as much as you seem to. We only joke around from time to time to keep us sane. We'd all have snapped by now if we didn't have some outlet. "We're in a very difficult position. If we could bring back our King without any bloodshed we would, but we've run out of options. Our empire is about to be invaded. Celestia of Equestria has sent her goons to gain control of our capital. Only our King can save us now, but he's dead. She killed him a thousand years ago! If we don't bring him back, she'll probably banish all of the Crystal ponies to the Moon. She did that even to her own sister when she disagreed with her." Her eyes started to tear up. "I won't let that happen. I've served you Crystal ponies all my life, and I'll protect you by any means necessary, even if it means sacrificing a few of you to save the empire." I stood up on my hind legs and put my hoof on her shoulder. "I thought you had a good reason for doing this, but I had no idea it was this important. I wish there was something more I could do for you all." I looked at her and raised my eyebrows. "I wish we had more ponies with your kind of spirit." She bowed her head. "They're all full of words when it comes to protecting our kingdom, but when we try to test their determination, they curl their tails or even directly oppose us. It's really hard to get new members for the cause." She left a conversational opening for me and I took it. I knew what she wanted to hear. "I want my death to be meaningful. Like giving up my life for the cause or something like that." "You really are something, aren't you?" She looked up to me. "Tell me, what needs to be done?" I removed my hoof from her shoulder and stood on all four legs again. "The whole kingdom is in disarray. Most ponies lost their memories and are in no condition to protect our kingdom. Especially since the King isn't around to—motivate them." I turned and trotted forward. She followed me. "Ours is an elite group. Only the bravest of Unicorns capable of leading can become involved in the King's Guard." I slowed down and raised my foreleg. "So, only ponies that have a horn, like the one I have?." I poked my hoof on a bony surface. "Right..." she muttered. Putting my foreleg down, I quickened my pace, marching us forward. "It must feel weird, not being able to recall anything from your past," she said. "The wards in this lair protected us from losing our memories. It's funny that I know more about you, then you do." I stopped in my tracks. "You know who I am?" "You are special to a greater extent than you think. Unicorns are supperiorir by default, but you're even more than that—an Alicorn." "An Alicorn? 'Cause I have these besides my horn?" I spread out my wings and flapped my primaries. "That and the power potential you hold within you. Ponies tried to keep your existence a secret from us, but nothing could stay hidden from King Sombra. After all, he had well-established methods to help ponies come in touch with their inner honesty." "Why would anyone want to hide me?" I slowed down and walked alongside Killjoy. "King Sombra was reasonable and practical. He tried to establish a kingdom where everypony could be involved in its progress. However, some ponies didn't want to be a part of something bigger than them. They were lazy and wanted to sate their own desires, disregarding the greater good. "We tried to motivate them the best we could, but their laziness spread like a disease. Rebel groups formed almost faster than we could annihilate them. "Out of the blue, things suddenly turned for the better, and ponies didn't complain so much anymore. It took us a while before we found out the cause behind their raised obedience. You were the cause of it." "What did I do?" I asked. "Nothing. You were just born. The rebel group had used forbidden and detestable white magic to give rise to you. They had bred you in secrecy for one purpose only—to assassinate King Sombra and bring chaos into the kingdom of order. "It wasn't just us motivating everypony, anymore. They were encouraged by the last rebel group to stay compliant, and to draw as little attention as possible. All the rest of the terrorist cells were disbanded, with intent to lower our guard until the time you were ready. "The resistance leaders wanted to play us with their foolish plan. They bet everything on it and convinced the populace to not endanger it in any way. Their empty promises helped us kept the commoners at bay. For the most part, however, it was the false hope that you sparked in the hearts of everypony that turned them docile. Their minds focused more on making up new inspirational names for you than finding ways of abandoning the orderly community. They patiently endured as they waited for their savior—bearer of laziness and selfish content." "I had the potential to be all that?" "Well, no. We were tracking your progress throughout your childhood. The only reason we let you live was the motivation that you inspired in the servant ponies. We had the most productive day when rumor spread through the pony population that you had cast your first spell. Ponies' hope for the future laziness—freedom, they called it—kept them inspired, despite their daily struggles." "Why did you capture me then?" "Most of our units were outside when the memory erasing spell hit. There just aren't enough of us left to keep the order in the Crystal Empire and fight off the invading force from Equestria, at the same time. "With our numbers cut thin, there was a possibility that we'd lose track of you, so we brought you here for safekeeping. "None of it matters now, though. The King is the only one that can protect us at this point. Without him, below average productivity of the pony population is the least of our concerns. Luckily, we have the means to bring him back." "The sacrifices?" "Yes, they are like beacons in the netherworld. They draw the attention of the spirits. Blank-flank foals with yet unfulfilled life potential have extra potency. Their destinies are not yet bound, and can be deformed for a different purpose. "However, a mere glimmer of a passing soul in the void is not enough for our plan to come to fruition. We need to end enough lives in succession to create a rip in the very fabric that separates this world from the next one." I turned to her. "Then our King can return and protect us?" "That's right. I'm glad to hear you support our cause." She nodded at the big opened door on the side of the corridor. The two guards stopped in the corridor. They positioned themselves at the sides of the door. Killjoy and I entered the hall alone. There were more than a hundred torches mounted on the walls. Metal bars covered the floor in the middle of the room. A rectangular stone table rested on top of them with blood-stained restraints leading from the corners. In the back of the room lay a big pile of bodies. I cringed at the sight, but I couldn't let it get to me. I had to refrain from showing any weakness. "I know this all looks scary to you, but it's just what it takes," Killjoy said. I forced my muscles to relax. I had to sink to their level if I was going to beat them at their own game. "I understand." The corners of her mouth turned up. "You've really impressed me, brave pony, and that's no easy feat." "This is bigger than all of us. We need to work together for the good of the cause." I nodded at her suggestively. "I agree with you wholeheartedly. Here, let me introduce you to somepony." We walked on the floor of metal bars. I saw a pool of blood through the slits. "I wish we had more members like you." Putting her hoof on my shoulder, she looked at the pony by the stone table. He was dressed in crude brown robes stained with blood. Leaning his head sideways, he glanced at me. "Death Fondle, meet the new blood that will help us in our crusade," said Killjoy He looked at her and she nodded at him in return. Killjoy turned to me. "Death Fondle is a very good friend of mine. He sacrificed more for the cause than anypony else. Literally." "Take a seat, young one." He pointed to the stone table. The blood on the stony surface was already hardened, so it wasn't too gross when I climbed up. Killjoy waved her hoof at Death Fondle and took a few steps toward the back of the room. He followed her. She waved her head in my direction then whispered something in his ear. "Really? Well, that's a pleasant surprise." He smiled. "I trust your judgment completely." He looked at me. "I'll do as you ask of me, Killjoy." She smiled at me, then walked to the exit. "I'll see you soon." Death Fondle trotted toward me. I waved my hind legs alternately back and forth off the edge of the table. "What was that about?" "It was a private conversation!" "Oh, come on, what did she say?" "Fine, I'll tell you. I guess there's no point in keeping secrets between us anymore. We're all honest ponies here if nothing else. After the initiation tests, we learn to trust each other with our lives. Being honest comes as second nature when you know that the dark family has accepted you." Right there. That was a hint of a future interaction with me. Somepony might have missed this sign, but not me. He had betrayed himself, and there was nothing for me to fear anymore. I have gained their trust, and with that, the first part of my plan was almost complete. It was only a matter of time before they let their guard down. I just needed to play my part for a little bit longer, and then I could put a stop to all the sacrifices for good. I grinned at the thought of my nearing victory. My sense of perception and determination was what made me different from the other ponies. It defined me as the winner. "Are you sure you aren't scared, little foal?" He grabbed the knife from the edge of the table in his teeth and raised his eyebrows as he looked at me. "I'm not scared. Nothing can scare me!" I put my forelegs behind me and leaned back on them. My lips drew into a smile as I observed his attempts to scare me. The obvious charade initiation to their ranks was amusing. He swung his head. The knife pierced my chest. My jaw dropped, but no sounds came out of my mouth. The pain spread out from within my girth. Letting go of the knife embedded in me, he stood up on his hind legs. I leaned forward, grabbing the knife with my forehooves. It was in me—all the way to the handle. I opened my eyelids wide and stared at Death Fondle. Leaning on the sacrificial table with one forehoof he drew closer and caressed my head with the other hoof. Looking into my eyes, he spoke softly. "Killjoy invited me to have lunch with her after you die. I think she likes me." I bowed my head. My vision blurred. As my forelegs slid from the knife, a tear fell from my eye onto my hind leg and drifted across my flank. The coat color on my plot started to change. A shape formed where the tear had fallen. It was an image of a black-coated head with a red horn. The pool of blood beneath us started to boil. Death Fondle turned toward the exit and yelled, "Hey, Killjoy, I think we have a winner!" A black cloud seeped out through the steaming blood. The edge of the smoke morphed into a head. My newly-formed cutie mark matched the face in front of me exactly. My vision narrowed ever more. I wasn't just afraid anymore; I was terrified. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Today, Tomorrow, and Forever author: Wishes tags: genre:Alternate Universe, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life

=== Chapter One === It was not less than noon, a little before a regular lunchtime. Dear Celestia's sun was high upon the crystal sky, which shone light blue. Birds were chirping, flowers were blooming, quite like one of the regular sunny spring days. Canterlot was one of the most beautiful then, since usually all the ponies would decide to wear their best spring-themed dresses and other clothing options that would ornament the weather beautifully. Much more towards it, Celestia had held a couple of entrance exams for her School of Gifted Unicorns. Of course, they'd always go on despite the weather, because it would be held inside one of the separate Canterlot Castle towers. She had gotten some of the best and strictest coaches for the examining today; mostly because she felt that something most certainly special would happen during it. She just simply thought that it'd be best for such an occasion. She stood there, beyond that tower, watching, sipping quietly a cup of hot tea. It was Jasmine, her favorite, laced with delicate honey to add to the flavor. It brought out strong tastes, she had realized before; it was quite a treat. But it was besides that. Her careful eyes focused upon the tall building, lined with golden accents against its original white color. It would be today that she would not miss that one special thing to happen, keeping her eyes accompanied by her thoughts and vision. They grew a bit tired and bored from watching, but strongly forced against the urge to just stop and take a walk around the towers. It was just too important. She sighed, and sipped her tea again. ~~~ Twilight Sparkle sweated nervously. It had been not upon her that an entrance exam to Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns was necessary, nor that she had to take one at all. Certainly, if she knew, she would have practiced towards the examination's one test and would have mastered it in a week. Surely it looked like a simple test, just to hatch a dragon's egg; if it was, actually, she'd look quite like a fool who didn't know what she was doing, or a non gifted unicorn completely unqualified for the test. Of course she was only a filly, quite young compared to many fillies in the school, but it still seemed like she was weak and merciful and completely powerless over anything. Maybe they had thought that she was entering because she another pony had dared her to. Maybe they thought that she would get something out of it from her parents. She didn't know exactly -- it could be anything they were writing on their notepads, eyes watching Twilight's every move. She felt like a deer in hunting season. She turned towards her parents for comfort, already feeling heat; it was a cool, air conditioned room, but she knew that was how it got when she was extremely nervous. Her parents replied with simple nods of comfort, as if to say 'go on, you can do it, we know you can'. Twilight, however, knew she couldn't. This could effect her entire future, for it was at stake! Tightening her muscles, she tried to relax but found she couldn't; focusing directly on the egg she powered up her horn, breathing life into her spell. It would blast in (supposed to be surely?--->)solely few seconds, she knew, counting towards the magical moment. However, it failed, producing only light pink sparks colored as her horn's aura. This made her panic; those last spells she had cast drained her of much energy, and she was afraid she couldn't do much more. She panted, catching her breath a few more times, then turning to face the judges. "I-I'm sorry I wasted your time," she apologized politely, watching them respond with a single blank stare and the scratching of their pencils on the paper. One of the four judges nodded to each other, grimacing at their thoughts. The one mare judge stared directly at Twilight Sparkle and responded. "I'm sorry, but you failed your test, Ms. Sparkle," the mare said blandly, with no emotion, "You are now dismissed from this room." Twilight sighed. All was done, and she had a good effort. No, a great effort, but, to her complete disappointment, could not pursue her dream. The vision of her being a powerful unicorn shattered in the moment, a small transparent tear dropping from her eye socket. Slowly, she trudged away, unable to face the judges as they were. They showed no compassion, no distress, no disappointment, no happiness. It was just a little creepy. Her parents sighed, forcing a smile at their dear child Twilight, and ushered her out of the room, noticing another pony enter; she was light cornflower blue, a little older than Twilight, with a white-and-pale blue mane. She was playing with a small dark blue hat decorated with colored stars. She looked nice, and the same as Twilight, she didn't hold her Cutie Marl yet. Twilight Sparkle smiled at the pony as did the pony back, nervously. "H-hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle," Twilight mumbled, willing to make a new friend. The filly nodded. "I-I'm Trixie," she answered, shuffling her hooves, "Trixie Lulamoon." "So are you here to take the, um, entrance exam?" she asked. Trixie's big eyes widened. "Entrance exam? They never told me about an entrance exam. I was just here to apply." "Me too," Twilight Sparkle answered softly, "The exam's for hatching a dragon egg. It's quite easy." Trixie looked away, afraid to show Twilight that she wasn't exactly capable of such advanced magic yet. "Oh, um...sure." Twilight sighed. "I didn't pass," she said, then brightened, "But I'm sure you could." "Really? You think so?" A small smile formed upon her face. She nodded in response. "Yeah," she hinted a smile. They shared glances at each other for a small while. Trixie must have not brought her parents along, Twilight observed, either that or she was an orphan. Being an orphan would be so sad. Her ears perked up when hearing the echoing voice. "Twilight? Please, hurry, we have to go. Now." She blushed, looking at her new friend. "Sorry, but I need to go. It's my parents calling." Trixie nodded. "Alright. Goodbye." "Goodbye and good luck!" she waved, leaving in the process. Sighing, she felt good...that she'd made a new friend. Her hooves bumped the ground with a familiar noise, pushing open the glass entrance doors to the tower. Outside, her parents were waiting...a little disappointed at her too. "What happened in there?" her father asked, looking away and out into the sky. Twilight hesitated at her father's odd actions, but responded anyways. "I-I didn't know there had to be an entrance exam. And hatching a dragon egg is really, really hard for a filly my age." Her mother stared angrily at her. "Not very hard, Twilight." She sighed. "Your face isn't very hard." "What did you say?" she demanded, stomping one hoof onto the ground. Twilight could feel the anger burning up inside her. "I SAID, YOUR FACE ISN'T VERY HARD!" It was a mistake, she could feel it, a millisecond after finishing the sentence. The sun seemed to dim and the birds seemed to stop chirping to listen. "Y-young lady, you will stay here until you calm your attitude," her mother scolded, "Your father and I will gladly open the door to home when you are done." With that, both of her parents ran from the place and into the streets, onto the pathway of home. Twilight's eyes brimmed with tears, her mouth open wide. She closed it and kicked the ground. Looking upwards, she could see the open sky; oh, how she wished to be a pegasus...free, with no limits; yes, unicorns were too strict and had much too high standards. Proper, fancy, and fashionable towards the very last end, yes, it was stretched to that length. Pegasi would easily just fly away into freedom and calm themselves in the sky...the sky that belonged to them; they would race, they would breathe in open air, and have the heat of the high altitude warm them on a soft, plush cloud. It was a perfect life as far as the young unicorn could see, and she was jealous. Suddenly, a bright rainbow boom -- a sonic rainboom, maybe -- appeared flowing along the skyline. Twilight's small horn powered up with surprise and fright, a mixture of both, and sent a spark flying into the air. It was only a millisecond until the spell she had made had reacted; bright white sparks began to appear in the sky as it darkened on its own, into a dark purple. In the process, a bright white glowing circle raised upon the hills and valleys of faraway lands, which had become high upon the sky. It took her aback. She, Twilight Sparkle, had just raised the moon in Canterlot...on her own. The tall, recognizable alicorn flew upon the grounds and near Twilight, watching the skies, confused. It had never been upon her that somepony could raise the moon; she knew that she didn't do it, and she was the only one who could, unless her banished sister would have returned already. That thought was frightening. But, instead of her tall, graceful, alicorn sister, she saw a cute, small lavender unicorn on the grass, looking as confused as she, at the sky. "Did you do this?" her bold, though soft voice shook Twilight. Twilight nervously turned around, her eyes widened at the sight of the tall, magical Princess. "I...I...y-yes..." The regal goddess smirked, looking around. "It's very beautiful, and very powerful of you, besides being it illegal to do spells on a Princess' level at such an age." Twilight's eyes widened more, almost fitting her entire head. Her mind raced of all the things that could happen to her in prison...torture, starvation, and loss of family and friends. It hit her hard, but she certainly couldn't run away, not as a criminal. It'd certainly ruin her reputation. Princess Celestia walked around Twilight, inspecting her as if to see magical power on the side of one's body. "I never thought one, especially somepony like you, were capable of such a thing." The goddess' words burned into her skin. It echoed through her mind repeatedly, again and again, over and over. It was most opposite, Twilight knew. She was capable. She thought that through. Was she capable? She wasn't able to pass the easiest entrance exam in the whole wide world despite all her efforts. To hatch a dragon egg...it was easy! But she knew she was capable...she did do it after all, didn't she? And that meant with all proof that she was completely capable. But maybe her offense towards being called incapable effected her impulsion towards speech. "I AM CAPABLE, STUPID!" she shouted, than shut her mouth. She looked at Celestia worriedly, hesitant. Celestia was not angry; she was anything but. It was a simple trick she used for calming herself to bits with understanding. She knew that little fillies would have that type of impulsion if an adult said that they couldn't do something...out of all the foals and fillies she knew they'd just go ahead and do it. Usually she'd tell them that it was alright to be mad, alright to be angry, and that she was sorry and comforted them; but now, she did nothing but stared. Twilight shook under pressure. Now it was hurting her more than ever. She wobbled in front on the princess, seeming like she'd just melt. And this all happened in just a couple of seconds. Without second thought, Twilight Sparkle fled from Celestia and into the shadows of night, in total humiliation, not aware of the future that was long before her affected by this one night. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Fighter Filly Girls! author: Mod On Death tags: character:Cutie Mark Crusaders, character:Discord, character:Other, genre:Adventure, genre:Comedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice === Author Note: To get the full enjoyment of this story, please read all non-dialogue in the voice of Tom Kenny as the narrator from "The Powerpuff Girls". If you do not know what that is, watch an episode of the show, because you clearly did not have a childhood. Chapter 1: Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice The CMC were gathered in their tree house, bored out of their minds. Normally they'd be trying to find their cutie marks, but lately they seemed to have no ideas on how to do that. They had originally met earlier that morning to brainstorm some ideas, but ended up laying around, hoping that some random thought might come to them through the power of nothingness. "We could," started Sweetie Belle before realizing that the last time they did the activity she was thinking of she almost lost her horn. "I have an idea that involves…wait, we actually did that already. Nevermind," Scootaloo sighed, resigning to the fact that she had nothing. The two of them looked to Apple Bloom, hoping that she could come up with something to save them. "I got nothing," she told them, the group sighing out of boredom. It had been three days since they did their last activity (Electrical Engineering), and that ended with half of Equestria being in the dark with the blackout they caused. They decided to lay low after that happened and found themselves with nothing left in mind. "Maybe we don't need to go searching for our cutie marks right now. Remember what we learned after that incident with Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle put out there. "Yeah. Maybe you're right," Scootaloo said, surprisingly agreeing with Sweetie Belle about not worrying too much about their marks. She was always the first to jump on the wagon to getting them, so her having self-control when it came to that stuff was a surprise. "Wow Scoots. Never thought I'd hear you talk about relaxin' when it comes to cutie marks," their red-headed friend said. "Yeah, well, it feels like we're stuck in a rut. Like, I love doing awesome stuff, but when you do so much awesome stuff, sometimes it's hard to see what's so awesome, so you need to take a step back and see what boring is like, you know?" the orange mare explained. Apple Bloom couldn't help but imagine her look as if she were some wise sage who wears sunglasses and has long hair while she explained her motivations. "So, I guess we should actually do something boring then." "Wait, this isn't boring?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Nah. This is boring-boring, where you don't do anything at all and wanna do SOMETHING. I'm talking about doing something and being bored with it. Big difference." "Alright then! I have the perfect boring idea!" Apple Bloom yelled out to her friends. They both had grins on their faces with the prospect of hearing how dull their day would be. "Let's go for a trot! That's basically moving slowly and doesn't even have a goal. It's just fancy movin'!" "Yeah! Trotting!" the two of them yelled out before gearing up for their boring adventure, by which I mean doing nothing to get ready except for standing up. The three of them exited the tree house and went off on their non-adventure, hoping to see absolutely nothing of interest along the way. "I can't WAIT to be bored!" an overly enthusiastic Sweetie Belle yelled out, clearly not in the right attitude. "Same here! Imagine all the awesome stuff we'll do when we're super bored!" Scoots said, not fully realizing what she was talking about. "Yeah. Granny used to go on trots like this when her hip was still good. Said it helped clear her mind when she was busy trying to bananas," Apple Bloom told her friends, a confused look appearing on their faces. "I think Granny may be getting a little senile," she added. The three of them walked for about thirty minutes, experiencing the nothingness and awaiting the moment that they would become so bored that they would immediately come up with something exciting for them to do. Time passed with little result. "Ugh, what is taking so long?!" Scootaloo yelled out in frustration. "I'm bored, but not in a good way. All that's happened is that my hooves are sore now. You can't do anything wild if you can't use your hooves," she complained. "That, or it becomes even MORE extreme when you're not using hooves! Think about it; scooters without any control," Before Apple Bloom's new plan could be accepted by Scootaloo, the three of them noticed a tail hanging from one of the apple trees in the orchard, brushing the tops of their heads. They looked up, unable to see what kind of creature had a tail that long. "Um, Apple Bloom, what is that thing?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I dunno," she replied. "Whatever it is, I'm gonna knock it out. Can't have weird animals messing with our apples now, can we?" Apple Bloom got into position to buck the tree that had the strange creature perched on it and let loose. All that happened was the rustling of a few leaves, but not much else. "Well, that didn't go as planned." "Maybe we can help," Scootaloo told her friend, gladly accepting the offer. They kept bucking at the tree, each from a different angle, with little to no result. "This isn't working," Sweetie Belle pointed out, obviously taking lessons from Captain Obvious. "I think I know how we can do this," Scoots told her friends. "What we have to do is charge the tree and hit it with our heads at the exact same time. That way we'll really lay into that tree. Sound good?" Sweetie Belle raised her hoof. "Yes?" "Won't that hurt?" was her question, making full use of her knowledge of hitting your head on hard things. "Nah. I've got a helmet! Now, on the count of three we charge. Get into position," Without a second for either of them to comment on Scoot's plan, the filly started her countdown, forcing the two to grin and bear. "One…two…THREE!" had the three fillies rushing to the tree. The collision was much stronger than anything they had done before, and it looked like whatever creature was in the tree was now coming down. "WOAH!" it yelled, plummeting into the newly formed leaf pile from the Tri-Filly Formation attack the tree had just suffered. The three of them were surprised that it had made that noise while falling, expecting no more than screams of terror from whatever creature was in there. The three of them wondered over to the lead pile just in time to see the figure rise out of the leaves and tower over them. An unusual creature with multiple body parts from different animals came into their vision. They'd seen this creature before when they had visited Canterlot Gardens on their field trip. It was…um…Crazy? Chaos? It was something like that. The three of them never really figured out what the creature was supposed to be named. They were supposed to write a paper on the subject, but the next few days got so weird that nopony had the time for that. "Excuse me mister, but what were you doing in our Apple Tree?" asked Apple Bloom. "Oh. I was just resting up there. Nice and relaxing. It's much more satisfying to rest when you choose to and not be forced to because you've suddenly become the equivalence of a lawn gnome. The name is Discord, by the way," the strange creature announced, extending the lion's paw that was his right arm out in a form of handshake. Apple Bloom took his…appendage, and was shaken violently. This, coupled with the strange feeling in her head after charging that tree, left her feeling odd. "Hey, I think I heard of you! You were that guy that did some weird stuff to Ponyville," Scootaloo told everpony, showing her articulate side. "Yes, I did stuff. Bad stuff. Think is, I'm not 'Chaotic Evil' anymore, rather fitting in 'Chaotic Neutral'. Hope that makes sense," he explained to the fillies. "Thing is, when you have powers like this, you kinda start to lose way of what's right and wrong and start doing whatever you want. That's when you need somepony you point out that you've gone from 'Lovable Prankster' to 'Selfish Jerk'. Thankfully somepony was able to point that out to me." "Aww! That's so sweet!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, loving to hear stories about bad guys gone good. "Yes, I suppose so. Anyway, what are you girls up to? Haven't seen you since that field trip you took a while back." The three were surprised to hear Discord talking about the time they went to visit Canterlot Gardens. They weren't aware that he knew about their visit. "Well, we were going for a walk, trying to get bored. Thing is, it's not helping. I can't figure out what to do and all this nature is getting old real fast," Scootaloo told the great creature. "You were actually trying to be bored? Hahahahahahaha! Oh, girls. You can't TRY to be bored, you just are. You'll never get anywhere with that kind of thinking," he told them. The three girls looked despondent at this news. "Aww fiddelsticks," Apple Bloom said to herself, looking gloomy to the point her bow seemed to be losing its bright red color. "We can't even be good at being bored. Guess we'll never get our cutie marks if we're this bad at things," her two friends joined her in gloom and doom and started a slow, depressing trot away. Discord saw this sad sight and thought of several things. One was that he should really try to learn what in Equestria a flooglehorn was, the second thought dealing with actually getting him a place to live and stop acting like a hobo. Third and fourth parts dealt with something called "Dance Pants" and "Cosmic Cheese", but those thoughts weren't really thoughts and more like random catchphrases. The fifth thought to come to mind was the sight of those sad girls. They felt so powerless and without purpose. The old Discord probably would have stood there and laughed at their misery, but that was the past, and this new Discord wasn't gonna let things go that easily. "Girls, wait!" he called out to them, teleporting directly in front of them. "I think I may know a way to help you with your crisis of faith in yourselves. See, you just don't feel like you can do much right now, and that can feel awful. What I have in mind is to help you feel a bit better about yourselves." Discord's words pretty much left the three girls completely clueless to what was going on. "Discord, sir, what are you talking about?" Sweetie Belle had to ask him. "What I'm going to do," he said while trying to drum up tension, "is give you girls SUPERPOWERS!" He ended this big reveal with a rain of confetti falling over the girls, almost drowning them in the process. Stepping out of the large, papery mound was Apple Bloom. "Discord, how the hay are we gonna be special if you're the one giving us these powers? After all, you're the one who made us that way." "Oh, but that's the beauty of it! I'm not going to give you girls any specific powers. What I will do though is activate your ability to have superpowers based on your personality and special skills. That way, maybe you'll find out what you're really good at. So, what do you say?" Discord's deal was met with enthusiasm, each of the girls bearing smiles that hurt each of their faces. Obviously that was a yes. "Alright then. Just let me get things ready. I'll be just a sec." He popped away for a half second, suddenly returning in another half, carrying with him a pitcher and three glasses. He suddenly spawned a table and several ingredients. From what Apple Bloom could tell with her experience with potion making, these things were not things you normally put in them. Then again, one of the ingredients turned out to be stuffed toys, so that may have been a giveaway. The first thing he happened to have with him was a bunch of sugary items that looked like they were from the Sugar Cube Corner. He squeezed them all together, creating a fine powder that he placed into the pitcher. Next item that he took out was some Paprika, sprinkling it into the mix. Lastly were the stuffed animals and other assorted items such as stickers, pretty ribbons, and other nice things. He started mixing them together, humming a little tune as he did so. Suddenly he stopped as if realizing something, slapping his face after remembering the most important thing. He started to make loogie sounds and spat into the pitcher, a gooey black substance coming out of his mouth. The girls were understandably grossed out by that sight, but Discord assured them that it was needed. "Calm down girls. I just needed to add my last little ingredient to make it all work together. I like to call is 'Chemical Hex'," he explained to them before giggling. He soon finished mixing the ingredients all together and poured the potion into glasses for each of them to drink. It actually looked like something that they could actually drink, regardless of the things he added to make the drink. With a large gulp, the three girls downed their glasses, finding the drink to actually taste sweet. They were waiting for something to happen, either for them to glow or a giant explosion. Actually, they were pretty glad that last one didn't happen, seeing as that one sounded like it would hurt a lot. "Huh. Did we do something wrong?" Apple Bloom asked. "Oh no. You girls just need to wait a little while. They'll come up soon," he explained. "AGH!" bellowed Scootaloo. "That means we'll STILL have to wait for something neat to happen." "Don't worry girls! Soon we'll have awesome powers!" Apple Bloom always knew what to say to everypony to keep them in good spirits. If they were a group, she'd be the one that everyone would consider the leader. "Um, girls. I totally just remembered that we have a big class project we were supposed to be working on. I think that's the main reason we were supposed to be meeting with each other." Sweetie Belle was totally right, so the three of them immediately ran off to the tree house to do whatever they had to be doing at that moment. Finally getting rid of any distractions he may have had, Discord floated back onto the tree branch, trying to get back to sleep. "Well, that should work out fine," he told himself. "After all, what could possibly go wrong?" === A Few Heads are Better than None === Chapter 2: A Few Heads are Better than None Apple Bloom woke up, tired from the late night work they put into that poster describing how bears hibernate. It was pretty odd how specific their project was. Then again, Miss Cheerilee recently had a nervous breakdown because of students constantly asking her questions about how to do projects. She seemed to be as specific as possible so nopony could ask her any questions. The one time somepony did ask something she ended up going on a rant that had so many bad words that some started to cry. She then left the class for the rest of the day. Also, they somehow were having class on Saturday, so that might've been a good tip something was off about her. She rose from her bed slowly, trying to get her hind hooves onto the floor, but somehow she just couldn't. Still tired, she scratched her eyes and noticed that she was floating a full foot above her bed! Amazed by this, she thought that she must be in a dream and started flying around her room with ease, wooing as she did so. She was only stopped when she attempted to fly through the door, only to come in full contact with it. She realized that this wasn't actually a dream but real life, or at least she assumed that to be the case as she noticed that she barely felt any pain from crashing into the door that seemed to be obliterated by her contact. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "I gotta tell the others. But first…" she sped superfast, putting the door back together, piece by piece, making it look as if it had never been annihilated. She immediately went over to Sweetie Belle's house, galloping to the point that she was invisible to everypony else. She soon arrived at the window of Sweetie Belle's room. "Psst. Hey. Sweetie Belle. Hey. Wake up. Check this out." Apple Bloom tried to silently knock on her window, accidentally cracking it in the process. This was enough to rustle Sweetie Belle and look in the direction of the window where her friend was floating. Applebloom smiled when Sweetie Belle could clearly see her. Sweetie Belle's reaction was less enthusiastic however. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" She screeched at the top of her lungs at the site of one of her friends strangely floating right outside her window. Her mouth was aimed at the ceiling of her room when she screeched, causing the entire roof to fly off of the house. Her parents, hearing the ear-shattering scream and sudden disappearance of their rood, came into their daughter's bedroom. Apple Bloom hid out of sight of the parents as they burst in. "What the hay is going on in here!?" the father yelled at the sight of his roof suddenly disappearing and his youngest daughter screaming. "I was screaming because," she was about to say that she saw her friend floating right outside her window, but then she realized that wouldn't explain how the roof vanished. She quickly came up with a clever lie. "I was screaming because the roof disappeared," she told them convincingly. "Oh. Yeah," he replied. "That'd be something to be shocked about. Huh. Wonder why I'm handling it so well." "I'm guessing that travelling salespony was right all along. You CAN lose your roof at any moment. Good thing I bought the insurance, right darling?" the mother said to her husband. "Heh, I guess you're the winner in this situation. Looks like we'll have a new house courtesy of Snakeoil Inc, the company that sounds like a bad investment until you really need odd services," he finished saying, the two of them leaving the room. Apple Bloom flew into the room through where the roof used to be, hoping that Sweetie Belle would be calmer now. Actually, she was kinda freaked out by what her friend could do, destroying a roof with simply a scream. "What was that?" Apple Bloom had to ask. "I think it was some kinda super scream. I guess that's one of my powers," she responded. "Say, did you notice any other powers you might have?" Apple Bloom thought back to when she hit her bedroom door, noting how easily it broke and how little pain she felt. "I think I have super strength as well. Also, I'm really tough when it comes to taking hits. I wonder if I'll find any other powers," Apple Bloom told her friend. "Say, see if you can also fly." "Okay," Sweetie Belle came out of her sheets and with almost no effort started flying. "Oh wow!" she responded, zooming around the room quickly, almost making a tornado. She stopped as soon as she saw that, knowing that destroying the roof was enough damage for one day. "So, I guess we can each do that I guess. Imagine how Scoots will be when she-" As if she were listening in on them, Scootaloo arrived in an orange flash, zooming around the two of them. When she finally stopped flying around them, they saw the smile on her face that just wouldn't stop. "OH MY GOODNESS GUYS! I CAN FLY I CAN FLY I CAN FLY!" she yelled as she started doing cartwheels in the air. This had been Scootaloo's dream for as long as she could remember, and now she didn't even need her wings to help her. "Can you guys do that also? I remember Discord said we'd each get powers, so hopefully you did as well." "Yeah! We can both fly!" Sweetie Belle answered, the two of them hovering at the same level Scoots was at. "Awesome! Now we can all be flying buddies!" Scootaloo declared. "Also, I just totally noticed that Sweetie Bell's house doesn't have a roof anymore. What gives?" "That was my Sonic Scream! I'm calling it that now, by the way. I'm guessing it's one of my own personal abilities, seeing as you girls haven't had anything like that happen with all the screeching you've also done," Sweetie Belle guessed. "Yeah. I reckon we should try out other things to see what unique skills we have. Let's do it in the Everfree Forest, that way nopony can get hurt or learn we got super powers," Apple Bloom informed the group. "Smart plan! Let me tell my parents that we're heading out right now. They're probably freaked out by the fact that our roof suddenly disappeared, so me going out without letting anypony know could be an issue," Sweetie Belle left her room, leaving a happy Apple Bloom left to contemplate Sweetie Belle's remark. "Smart, huh? I guess I have been feeling a bit thinkier this morning," she told Scootaloo. "Hold on while I get something to write on." Apple Bloom was gone for about 3 seconds returning with a quill and piece of paper. She started writing down something quickly, the facts and numbers just flowing naturally to her. She then read off what she had written down and was impressed with the results: The length of any right triangle's hypotenuse can be found by adding the squared lengths of the two sides together and then factoring the sum. "Wow! This is big kid stuff! I bet I can even help Big Mac when it comes to taxes now," she boasted. Getting smarter wasn't the sort of thing she expected to get when it came to super powers, but she was glad nonetheless. "I just let my mom and dad know we're going out now," reported Sweetie Belle. "You guys ready?" "I've been ready for this since I was born! Let's do this!" roared Scootaloo, leading the way to the Everfree Forest. At the Everfree Forest the girls were free to fly around and try out their abilities. After accidentally flying into several trees and turning them into toothpicks, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle learnt they also had super strength and resistance. The girls were now trying to figure out what unique things they could do as well, seeing that Sweetie Belle could apparently do what called a 'Sonic Scream'. "I hope my thing's really cool! Maybe I can fly so fast that I go through time and end up going into the future! Wouldn't that be awesome?" Scootaloo told her friends. "Yeah, but how'd you get back in time? Could you even control how far into the future you went? We'd miss you," Sweetie Belle said with a sad face. "Aww, don't worry. I promise I won't TRY to fly faster than all you girls, even though I bet I totally could though," Scootaloo boasted. "Ya sure you wanna try that out, sugar cube?" Apple Bloom asked Scootaloo, as if she were challenging her. "Hay yeah. You think you can handle this? First one to go around the top of the mountain over there and back again wins," she pointed to the nearby mountain, a grin forming at the thought of her victory. "Ready?" "Ready," Apple Bloom answered. At that very second the two of them lifted up and shot into the sky like a bullet, creating a gust of wind with their launch. The two were tied at first, each trying to gain an advantage. Scoots was the first to gain a lead, her determination well beyond anything the other two had ever experienced. Apple Bloom saw this and tried to gain a boost by travelling along the wind current, something she just realized that she knew. With correct angling, Apple Bloom started inching ahead of her slowly, soon speeding up at a steady rate. Apple Bloom reached the mountain top just before Scoots could, gaining the upper hoof in this race. Scootaloo wouldn't let this stay though. Too long had she wanted to fly, and she wasn't gonna let some Earth pony, even her friend, be a faster flyer than her. Pushing herself to the limit, she moved faster and faster. Eventually she realized that, even though they were small, she had the added benefit of wings. Soon Scootaloo was speeding buy, gaining at least a foot per second on Apple Bloom. "Sorry Apple Bloom, but flying is sorta my thing!" Scootaloo yelled behind her. "You'll have to eat my gust!" "Aww nuts!" Apple Bloom yelled to herself, trying to find a way to speed up. She started moving a bit faster, her eyes getting drier the more she flew. Focusing on finding a way to get speed, she started squinting her eyes and focused even more and more the closer Scootaloo got to the finished line. Soon however, Apple Bloom started feeling odd in her eyes, specifically they were feeling warm. She thought that this must have been normal for fliers. What she knew was not normal of flyers were the beams of lights that suddenly beamed out, hitting Scootaloo's tail and lighting it on fire. "WHAT THE…?!" was the reaction of the three fillies as the tail suddenly lit. Scootaloo somehow managed to speed up even faster with the sudden fire appearing near her. Somehow she managed to not put it out with the speed of her flight, landing at the impromptu finish line, panicking at the fire getting closer. "Put it out! Put it out!" she yelled, chasing her tail in circles. Sweetie Belle had no idea what to do and started screaming, blowing the leaves off the nearby trees. "Hold on!" Apple Bloom yelled out as she finally landed to where Scootaloo was. "I'll try to blow it out. Maybe we have some super breath or something." Apple Bloom took a deep breath and breathed out, noticing that her breath suddenly became icy chill. The fire was soon put out by the chill, a frost forming around where her breath landed. "Woah!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, seeing not only one new power, but two out of Apple Bloom. "You've got Laser Vision AND Ice Breath! I hope we've got that as well!" "Yeah, well I hope that next time SOMEPONY can manage their eyes of death," Scootaloo said, directing her eyes at an embarrassed Apple Bloom. The three of them started practicing their possible Laser Vision, focusing their eyes on nearby rocks. Soon, with enough practice and focus, the three found that they all had that same ability. The Ice Breath power seemed unique to Apple Bloom though, seeing as each time either they blew all the leaves off of the trees they were aiming at, or ended up fainting from lack of air. One case had Scootaloo blowing so hard in the attempt to breathe ice that she actually blew the tree down. "Wow. I guess I'm both smart AND have Ice Breath. Awesome!" Apple Bloom yelled out in excitement, feeling awkward as she looked at her friends who looked annoyed at that. "I mean, Scoots, you're definitely the fastest flier here, so that's probably a personal ability of yours. You probably have some other abilities. Same with you, Sweetie Belle," she told them in the attempt to lessen the awkwardness. It did not. "Yeah, well, I'm still trying to figure out what other abilities I could have. Think, Scoots, think," she chanted to herself, rubbing her front hooves while trying to find out what she could do. She kept on rubbing harder and harder the more she thought, sparks starting to emanate from them. "COME ON! There's gotta be some other cool thing I can do!" she yelled before throwing her hooves out in front of her, launching a ball of lighting that narrowly avoided her two friends. I landed on a nearby rock, turning the center of impact and a diameter of five feet into a crater. Apple Bloom whistled as she got a closer look at the impact. Immediately she and Sweetie Belle started rubbing their own front hooves together, only to find them getting hot and rough. "Well, I guess that's your second ability," Sweetie Belle commented. "Wonder if I really do have any others." "Guess we'll just have to wait and see," replied Apple Bloom. "Right now we should head back home. We'll have school in," Apple Bloom looked at the sun and determined the time based on its position. "Five minutes! We gotta hurry girls!" The three of them lifted off and sped through the air, heading to their schoolhouse. While flying the woods, the three of them spotted something large moving, apparently knocking over trees in the process. "Uh, girls?" called out Sweetie Belle, the first of them to notice the phenomenon. "Is it just me, or is that large thing moving towards Ponyville?" The two of them stopped and looked at the mass of trees collapsing and noticed that the path was heading towards Ponyville. "You're right!" Scoots exclaimed. Both she and Sweetie Belle suddenly turned to Apple Bloom, as if expecting something. "What?" she asked them. "Well, right now you seem to be the brains of the group, so we were wondering what you think we should do," Sweetie Belle explained. Scootaloo gave the same expression, leaving Apple Bloom to accept the fact that they considered her the leader now. "Alright! Let's check out that disturbance!" she declared. The three zoomed over to where the trees were being knocked down and were surprised not to find anything. "Huh. Must be hiding nearby. Girls, check the swamp and see if there looks like anything is in there." Sweetie Belle started by checking around the perimeter of the swamp while Scootaloo took the more direct approach and dove into the murky water, seeing if she could see the creature. They both came back a couple minutes later, Scoots drenched in gunk that she quickly dispersed by spinning quickly. "Checked the perimeter. Saw some giant footprints that went into the water, but that's it," reported Sweetie Belle. "Yeah, and the water was too murky to really see anything," Scootaloo reported. "Well there's gotta be somethin'! Giant footprints and falling trees don't just happen!" an annoyed Apple Bloom told her friends before remembering that they were in a hurry. "Well, I guess there's no worrying if we can't find it now. Let's hurry to school before-" Her words were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a large creature emerging from the water. The two friends turned around to witness the beast's impressive appearance just in time to see is block out the sun. It was a massive lizard head, scaly with sharp teeth. "Well, I guess that's what was causing commotion," Apple Bloom pointed out, her two friends rolling their eyes. The creature roared into the sky, licking its mouth just as it descended quickly on the three girls. They dodged it just in time, thanks to their quick speed. "I'm guessing it's not friendly," Sweetie Belle pointed out, giggling when her friends gave her a contemptuous look. "I know how to handle this!" Scootaloo flew up to eye level of the lizard and starting rubbing her hooves together, forming a ball of pure lightning energy. She quickly through it straight at the creature's face, a bright explosion coming from the blast. She flew back down to her friends, grinning at her quick victory. "Looks like you've been THUNDERTSTRUCK!" she declared. "Actually, thunder is the term used for the noise. It'd be more accurate if you called it Lightning Strike," Apple Bloom told her, horrified at how nerdy she was starting to sound. "I actually knew that, but my thing sounded cooler, so Rule of Cool and all," Scootaloo declared. "Um, girls? I don't think this is over." Sweetie Belle pointed up to the creature's head, seeing that it suddenly shook its head and looked like it was angry to ready to fight. Once again it darted its head at them, attempting to get the girls in one big gulp. Sweetie Belle stood her ground against the creature and started her Sonic Scream. The creature, whose head just a moment ago was hurtling towards them like a rocket was now stuck in place, jittering at the intense sonic vibrations of the scream. She stopped screaming, leaving the creature's head stunned and unable to move. "Hold on! I've got a plan!" Apple Bloom told her two friends. She began to inhale all the air she could, letting it all out and freezing the target's head, along with a part of the swamp. "Scootaloo, use your speed and bash right into it!" she yelled out. "My pleasure," was Scoot's response. She flew up into the air, gaining distance before doing her boost, aimed straight at the top of the monster's head. She came down quickly, screaming through the air before crashing down on top of the beast's head, shattering it into pieces. Her landing was a pose with one hoof raised in the air, the other three planted into the ground, right in the center of the crater. It took her all of her strength to contain the amount of joy she was feeling at the moment from how awesome this all was. "That was totally awesome!" declared Sweetie Belle. "Yeah, it was," Scootaloo responded coolly. "Alright then! Let's head off to school now!" said Apple Bloom. She was glad that they were able to use their newfound abilities for good almost as soon as they had discovered them. Today was going to be a good day. At least that's what she thought before she turned around to see the remains of the creature. "What the-!" was her response at the impossible thing happening right before her. Right where the neck stump was appeared two new heads that took the place of the original. "What!? Come on! My attack was super awesome! That should've killed it immediately!" Scootaloo was outraged that her awesome pose had been rendered pointless by the creature suddenly returning. "Come on girls! We need to…um, whoa," was all Apple Bloom could say when she saw the creature producing several heads that came out of the water. It totaled five heads, each of them as vicious as the one they had just fought. The creature's heads started to move as the body they were all connected to came lumbering out of the water, avoiding the ponies that had been able to cause it harm and going straight to Ponyville. "How can we stop something that grows back heads!?" Sweetie Belle asked, growing more and more worried and the beast lumbered forward. "We hit it with everything we've got! Cutie Mark Crusaders, go!" Apple Bloom's orders were heard and in a flash of yellow, orange, and white, they flew straight at the threat. The beast, later identified as a Hydra, had just reached the town's border. Everypony could see the multi-headed creature coming straight at them and started panicking. "The horror! The horror!" one of them started yelling, trying to gather her potted plants and get out as quickly as possible. Another pony, a strange looking pegasus, started burrowing itself underground. Mayor Mare tried to yell directions to everypony and keep things organized. That is until the creature used one of its heads to fling a fruit stand just one centimeter in front of her face, leading her to change her orders from, "Locate the nearest shelter and quickly file in safely," to, "EVERYPONY FOR THEMSELVES!" Scootaloo was the first to enter the brawl, using her speed boost to perform a kick on the back on one of its heads, forcing it to backlash and fall flat onto the ground. She then grabbed the head and pulled it as far back as she could, trying to create a headlock of some sort. What ended up happening however was that the creature's head suddenly got ripped off instead, purple gunk coming out of it. "Eww!" everypony yelled out as it sprayed the buildings on the street. Scootaloo was covered in the stuff as well. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gave her a look of disapproval when they saw that the creature had now gained an additional two heads, making the total six to deal with. "Guess I don't know my own strength," she chuckled. Suddenly she noticed a light burning sensation on her where the purple gunk had landed. She looked at the streets and noticed that all the buildings that were sprayed with the stuff had started burning up a little, flames appearing with the flammable hay. "Girls!" Scoots yelled out. "The purple stuff is acid! We can't remove the heads without setting the town on fire!" "Aww nuts!" responded Sweetie Belle. "We can't stop it by attacking the heads then! Hey, maybe we should aim straight for the belly area, what do you say, Apple Bloom?" Apple Bloom thought the plan over before doing a nod. The three of them immediately went and started trying to punch its gut. "What's going on? Are we doing anything?" Apple Bloom asked. The three of them looked up to see the heads of the beast laughing with each other, as if amused by the girls' attempt to hurt them through the belly. "LASER VISION!" she yelled, the three of them firing at the same spot, only leaving a scorch mark in its place. The heads, emboldened by their seeming invulnerability to the attacks being made against it, began swooping after each of them. "Maybe we can cause their heads to form a knot if we fly in just the right way, then it won't be able to attack!" she yelled out to her teammates. Each of them went in a unique flying pattern, each luring several heads to start following them, with several loops, the beasts had its heads in a giant knot. "Woohoo!" they cheered, high fiving each other as they saw the beast could not move. "Looks like we've won this fight, girls. Now, let's find a way to get it out of here and get to school before…OH COME ON!" Apple Bloom's delight soon turned to anger as the three noticed that the beast was slowly untying the knot that was its heads. Apparently nature doesn't just give you multiple heads and leave you without knowing how to get out of situations just like this. "How can we fight this?" Sweetie Belle asked, feeling more and more desperate. "It looks like the only things we can actually do damage to are the heads, and when we get rid of them two more come out of the stumps AND release acid! I wish we could find some way to block both from coming out." "Like what, a giant band aid?" Scootaloo jeered, getting more and more frustrated as well. "Wait a sec," Apple Bloom said, an idea coming to her head. "I've got it! Cauterize!" she yelled out in success. "What?" her two friends asked. "Cauterizing is this old medical technique used to close big wounds fast. What would happen is that a doctor would use a burning metal rod and put it on the skin." "Eww, and ouch!" the two responded. "Yeah, but the thing is that it shut the wound quickly AND kept bleeding from occurring. We need to use our Laser Vision to close the wounds so that no new heads grow back AND stop the town from burning down!" "But we already saw that Laser Vision can't pierce its hide, not even its belly," Scootaloo remarked. "Exactly, which is why I'm gonna need you to do what you did before, Scoots. When you get the head off, me and Sweetie Belle will zoom in with me blasting the neck stump while she does the bottom of the detached head, that way acid doesn't spill everywhere. But first, I'm gonna use my Ice Breath to put out the fires while Sweetie Belle uses her Sonic Scream to stun the monster whenever possible, allowing Scoots to do her thing. Everypony understand?" The two friends nodded in agreement, hoping that their plan would work. "Alrighty! That monster's about to finish untangling its heads. Let's do this!" and they all went flying off. Apple Bloom used her Ice Breath to cool down the acid to the point where it was just annoying gunk and put out the nearby fires. Scootaloo got into position for what she decided she would call the "Doom Dash", seeing as it could almost K.O. an enemy in a single shot and with her speed it felt like a short dash. Sweetie Belle got into position just in time as the beast had finished untangling its heads, and let out a Sonic Scream that forced the creature to shudder and be immobilized. "Now!" ordered Apple Bloom, causing Scootaloo to move through the air like lightning, hitting one of the middle heads. She grabbed the head and quickly yanked it off, noticing that it popped off almost too easy compared to the rest of the body, wondering if the creature hoped that some poor hunter would remove the head only to find two more take its place. The two others flew into position, using Laser Vision to cauterize the creature's decapitated head and neck. The smell was awful, but the noticed that no knew heads had grown back. The creature's other heads looked at the stump, as if waiting for something to happen, only to realize that they were in trouble. Several of the ponies that weren't holed up cheered the girls on, even though they couldn't tell who they were from that distance. "Looks like we've got our solution, girls," Apple Bloom boasted. They did this four more times, each time the monster becoming more worried, until there was only one head left. "Alright, just need to do one more dash and-" Scootaloo was cut off as the creature's last head appeared to be the fastest, swallowing the three girls in one gulp as they were grouped together. "RUAHAHAHA!" the beast appeared to laugh. The townsfolk were shocked. Their new saviors had suddenly been defeated and unexpectedly. The creature licked its lips, hungry for more ponies. Just as it was about to crush one of the buildings that several foals had taken shelter in, the beast suddenly stopped. It started belching, then coughing, and grabbing at its throat which had suddenly started aching. Just as the creature realized what was going on, eyes widening, a single, strong ray of red light burst from the creature's neck, shooting up into the sky. The light rotated around the rest of the neck, opening it up to reveal our heroes covered in spit. The creature's body started shaking, just before falling down in defeat. The townsfolk cheered as they came out of their hiding. The three girls felt proud of their accomplishment, even if they were really sticky at the moment. "We did awesome!" the three cheered, just before remembering that they totally had school to get to. "Hopefully they can deal with the mess," Sweetie Belle said, noticing that the creature's large body was sprawled around town. "Hey, it's the least they can do. Besides, we've got places to be," Scoots pointed out. The three flew directly to the schoolhouse, touching down right outside the door. Everypony was in the building already, seeing as class had started about an hour ago. Hopefully an excuse about fighting a giant monster to save the town would be enough. "Hello girls! Nice to see you!" Cheerilee greeted, obviously overcoming her nervous breakdown thanks to the pills that were seen on her desk. "Sorry we were late," Apple Bloom told their teacher, about to explain their awesome day and powers. "There was the big monster and-" "Oh, yes, we saw. Terrible creature those hydras are. We had actually taken shelter when it entered town," Cheerilee explained, giving a name to the creature they had fought. "Luckily the beast was defeated by three…something. Nopony could actually get a good look at what was fighting that beast. All we saw were three different flashes of orange, white, and yellow." "Yeah, and-" Apple Bloom was cut off by the sudden appearance of Mayor Mare entering the classroom. "Why, Miss Mayor! What an unexpected visit! What brings you to our classroom?" their teacher asked. "I just wanted to let you foals know that everything has been taken care of and that we were all fortunate enough to not have anypony hurt in the attack," the mayor told the classroom. "We can owe it all to three ponies who we sadly have been able to find." Apple Bloom was just about to announce to the classroom about their morning exploits just before the mayor finished her thoughts. "Hopefully we could find them and then ask how they get their powers. I know that I'd certainly like to do half of what I saw them doing," she remarked. Apple Bloom sunk back into her chair when she heard that remark. She realized that if she did reveal the secret of their powers, other ponies might try to learn how they might get them, possibly going to extremes as well with their families. Also, if they did mention that they got their powers through Discord, how would that work out? Most ponies were still suspicious of him, so hearing that they got powers thanks to a master of chaos might make them pariahs in society (also, Apple Bloom totally knew that word at the very moment the idea of being exiled popped into her head). "Well, that's all for now children. And remember; you are the future!" the mayor ended before heading out. "Alright then. Time for presentations! Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo, you're up." The three girls totally remembered that they had left their poster in the tree house yesterday. "Um, Miss Cheerilee, it's not with us at the moment. Could you give us a second?" Scootaloo asked. "Seeing as this morning was as hectic as it was I can allow that. Be back quickly though, or else I'll have to fail you three." Scootaloo thanked Cheerilee and dashed out the room. "Now, while we're waiting for her to return, is there anypony else who'd like to go up?" the teacher asked the classroom, seeing nopony volunteering. "Well, I guess I'll be the one to choose then. I pi-" "I'm back!" panted Scootaloo, carrying the poster. "Oh my, you really were back in a sec, weren't you?" Cheerilee said, surprised at how fast Scootaloo had gotten the poster. "This looks great, girls!" she praised. "Except, um, I'm noticing something here. Are these…smashed bugs?" The three totally realized at that moment that whenever you fly or move super-fast, you're bound to run into bugs flying around. This was going to be an interesting explanation. === Clothes Make the Supermare === Chapter 3: Clothes Make the Supermare Being smart was really working out for Apple Bloom. She had somehow managed to work in the bugs as a factor of health in the bears with their hibernation and helped them to get an A+. She also told her friends after class about how it would have been a bad idea to let anypony know that it was them that were the ones who fought the hydra. "How exactly can we keep our powers a secret when we use them? They aren't exactly subtle," Scootaloo asked. "Well, we were moving really fast in that fight, so nopony was able to see us then. Maybe we just need to do that and we'll be fine," Sweetie Belle answered. "While that might be possible, we still have the issue of other ponies being able to see the colors of our coats when we're flying fast. If anypony were to really get into investigating who we were, they might use that as a base to find out who we are." The group knew that Apple Bloom was right. They'd need to keep their powers hidden, so that meant hiding anything that could give them away. "So how exactly are we gonna cover our entire bodies so nopony can tell who we are?" Sweetie Belle instantly smiled when she heard Scootaloo's question. "Um, Sweetie Belle, you okay?" "I have just the plan!" Sweetie Belle told them. "Follow me!" The three girls followed Sweetie Belle over to the Carousel Boutique, where Sweetie Belle revealed her plan. "All we have to do is ask my sister if there's any clothes she doesn't want and we can use that!" "Great idea, Sweetie Belle!" remarked Apple Bloom. "But won't Rarity know that we're using her clothes as disguises?" "All we have to do is find some clothing that'll cover our coat so when we zoom by nopony can tell. She sometimes makes basic dresses just for fun or practice. She'll forget about what she made when it comes to that." Sweetie Belle's explanation seemed satisfactory, and the three entered the place. "Oh, hello girls!" greeted Rarity. "What brings you here?" "Oh! Hey sis," replied Sweetie Belle. She had thought that Rarity would be out that time of day, so any chances of them getting some practice dresses quietly and sneaking out were ruined. "We, uh, we were just talking about how sometimes you make practice dresses and wanted to see what you come up with when doing that." "Oh, those are just things I experiment with. Nothing too fancy. Well, sometimes they're TOO fancy for their own good to the point that wearing it could injure the wearer. You shouldn't bother with those," the older sister replied quickly. "Come on, sis! We really wanna see that stuff," Sweetie Belle begged. "No! I don't want you to see them. I consider those dresses to be my failures and never want to see them again. Now go away before I go into a deep depression with the thought of awful designs." Rarity slumped over to her desk, head plopping down out of anguish. "What do we do now?" Sweetie Belle asked the group. "I've got an idea," Scootaloo told them, going up to where Rarity was. "Miss Rarity," she began, "I'd really like to see those dresses that you consider awful. After all, what you consider bad by your standards I consider to be gorgeous. I'd love to see anything that you've made, even if it is a failure." Rarity got up out of her slump and stared awkwardly at Scootaloo. "Scootaloo, I never knew that you were into fashion," she asked, surprised at the tomboyish mare's attitude. "I'm not into it actually, just your stuff," she replied. Rarity couldn't help but feel embarrassed by such a compliment. "Oh dearies, if you want, then I suppose I can make an exception. I'm just glad Twilight and Rainbow Dash aren't in town. Those two usually enter at the most awkward of times when it comes to me and my dresses. I'd hate to see what they'd say about these disasters." The three girls remembered that Twilight had gone to Canterlot to see her family and that Rainbow Dash had been called over for some more Wonderbolt Training. That actually explained why the hydra was able to go on its rampage and not have either of those two to fight the beast. The three girls were led into the basement of the store, a large door with many lock on it containing the dresses too horrible for the light of day. Rarity took out a key wheel and selected the twelve keys she would need to open the door. "Now, I need to open these locks in fifteen seconds or else the entire basement will be flooded with water," Rarity told the fillies. With a quick flourish, she opened the locks on the door, a creaking noise appearing with its opening. A musty smell filled the room, letting the ponies know that it must have been at least a week since the door was last opened. It tended to get musty fairly quickly with the emergency flooding tank placed right next to the room. Rarity turned on the lights to reveal her abandoned creations. "These were the children of fashion who were so hideous that their creator banished them into darkness," she told them solemnly. The four walked through the place, admiring fashion designs gone wrong. "What's this suit supposed to be doing?" Scootaloo asked, pointing at a clothing article with two sleeves. "Oh, that was supposed to be for an experimental clothing item I had been working on. What you would do it put it on over your hind legs. Didn't work since you'd have to manage your tail with it," explained Rarity. "Why not put a hole for the tail to fit through?" Apple Bloom asked. "Well I-" she stopped for a second, thinking over the advice. The fashion making mare then put her front hoof onto her face, making a "Gah!" noise. "Hey, that's a great idea!" a sugary voice said. "Pinkie Pie? How did you get here?" Rarity asked. Then again, this was Pinkie Pie. "Through the door silly!" she replied. They looked behind them to notice that the super secure door was left open. "So, watcha doin?" "They're checking out some of my fashion failures of the past. Honestly, I don't even remember why I keep these clothes locked up down here anyway instead of just burning the things. I mean, what's the point?" Rarity wondered. "Well I think that these suits are fun!" Pinkie Pie declared, putting on one of Rarity's forgotten children. Rarity remembered at that very moment why she hadn't burnt them when she noticed that burning the suit that Pinkie Pie was wearing would be a very, very bad idea. "Pinkie Pie, don't move! That suit you're wearing is dynamite!" she warned her pink friend. "Really? I'm guessing it goes with my eyes," she joked, laughing hard. "But yeah, I totally just realized that they're explosives as well. Just look away for a moment and I'll be safe." Everypony turned around for a second and when they turned back Pinkie Pie had suddenly gotten out of the suit. "I'll never figure you out, dear," Rarity said to her friend. She then turned her attention back to the three fillies, searching through the relics. "Was there anything you girls were specifically looking for?" she asked them. "We were actually wondered if you had made anything with fillies like us in mind," Scootaloo let her know. "I actually did, but I could never really get the dresses to look fabulous. Not that much you could do when it comes to fashion with children. I actually put those clothes in a box. Hold on a moment." Rarity went over to a box in the corner labeled 'Filly' and brought it to them. They opened it up to see that it contained what looked like fairly simple designs. Each dress was a different color and seemed to have a black band around the waist of each one. The three girls looked at each other and realized this was just what they were looking for. "These don't look that bad," Pinkie Pie told her friend. "Yes, well, I just didn't see myself selling clothes for fillies. I knew that it wouldn't look good when I created a full mare outfit with those designs. I never thought purple could actually look ghastly on anything before that," she explained. "You girls can do whatever you want with the clothes. Except burn them. Don't do that. I'm going to have a little chat with Pinkie Pie about not entering homes without being invited." "OOH! I love that chat!" Pinkie Pie responded enthusiastically. The three fillies checked through the box and picked out different outfits. "Alright, we have to pick an outfit that's at least different from our coat color. For me, I'll choose pink. It's my second favorite color next to red, which is SOMEHOW not in here," Apple Bloom said agitatedly. "I've always liked blue. It looks nice," Sweetie Belle said cheerfully. "Well, it's kinda funny, but my favorite color is green. I dunno why, but it works," Scootaloo told them. The three took out their new uniforms and put them on. They fit almost perfectly on them, each flying around the room to get used to the feel of the dresses. "Alright, now there's just one last thing we need to do," Apple Bloom declared. Discord enjoyed his little spot in the orchard. Most ponies didn't come by there, but he was still able to get a good view of the town and its inhabitants. He didn't exactly have much he needed to do, simply spending his free time hanging around and occasionally hanging out with Big Mac. He liked the colt since he didn't mind the company and didn't ask too many questions. They also happened to share interest in hobbies that Discord did not like to announce to everyone. That's right; everyone. He hated the term "everypony" since it excluded other races like dragons and seemed like a pun to some degree. It didn't matter though, since he was there to max and relax. "Hey, Discord!" Apple Bloom called out, seeing his tail from the tree he was resting on. He had wondered when they would come back to him with questions about their powers. "Yes girls. How may I help you?" he asked. "We totally used our powers to fight a giant hydra that attacked the town! It was awesome!" the enthusiastic leader yelled out. Her two friends joined her in the reenactment involving 'pew' sound from the lasers, ending with an 'ack' as the monster died. "Glad to hear I could help!" Discord responded. "I assume you're here for something else however." "Actually, yeah. We got these new outfits," Apple Bloom pulled out the three dresses, "and were gonna use them when we used out powers, that way we could keep our identities a secret." "Why would you girls wanna keep your powers a secret?" he asked, confused at such a lack of boasting. "You three should be parading your abilities around, making everypony jealous!" "It might seem fun, but everypony would be wondering where we got our powers from, and if we ended up telling them that it was because of you, they'd probably annoy you to get their own powers. We didn't wanna do that to you." Sweetie Belle's explanations made Discord's heart flutter. He couldn't believe that such fillies had such consideration for him in a time where most still feared him. He couldn't help but smile at that thought. "Anyway, we were wondering if you could use some magic or something so that whenever we wore these dresses that nopony would know our identities. Also, it'd probably be a good idea to make the clothes really strong in case we got into a big fight," Apple Bloom finally asked. Discord didn't even say anything, but merely snapped the fingers on his claw hand and a poof appeared. "Thanks! When we have our next big ba-" Apple Bloom stopped talking at that moment, and then looked sad again. "What's wrong, Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo asked. "I just realized that we may never really have a chance to use our powers ever again. I mean, most of the time Ponyville is peaceful. That, or Twilight and her friends usually take care of it. We won't have much a chance to do anything like that ever again." "Oh," her two friends solemnly responded. They understood that their powers were only really good when it came to fighting, at least with the really fun ones. Apple Bloom would still have her smarts she could use, and maybe Scootaloo could come up with an explanation to how she could fly when her wings didn't seem to flap enough to allow it. Sweetie Belle didn't seem like she'd have much she could do, and she'd probably never be able to go out on Nightmare Night and be scared without blowing away half the town. "Thanks for the powers Mr. Discord, but I don't think we'll be able to use our powers much," Apple Bloom told their new friend. "I guess there aren't really many super villains or monsters that attack Ponyville that we can personally fight." "Huh," Discord said to himself, thinking over what they had just told them. === A Bear-y Big Battle === Chapter 4: A Bear-y Big Battle The next day was fairly average for the girls. They woke up, ate breakfast, and went to school. Apple Bloom managed to ace the pop quiz with ease, so that was something different. Recess was also pretty fun, seeing as the three were now the best at the sports and were the topic of fights with team leaders over who'd get who in games. At least the girls wouldn't be left out of sports. "Well, at least we're at least a little more popular now," Scootaloo commented, trying to find the good in this newfound boredom. "That's true. Just hope that we don't mess up something like using our super strength and throw a ball all the way out of town," Sweetie Belle added. The three sighed, trying to get used to not having the adrenaline rush that they experienced yesterday. On the way to school they saw that they were still cleaning up the remains of the giant reptile. One of the heads was left to get rid of, some ponies saying that it would make a neat trophy to commemorate their saviors. "So, what do you girls wanna do after school? We still haven't been properly bored yet," Apple Bloom remembered that they still wanted to do that in order to gain some sort of inspiration. "I dunno. Maybe we should actually try to have fun or something. Maybe head over to Zecora's and see if she'd need any help with something," Scootaloo offered. "That might be interesting," Sweetie Belle added. Before Apple Bloom was able to say anything however a large explosion was heard. The girls quickly turned their attention to the direction of the explosion and saw some smoke in the sky. "Girls, I think something's going on," their leader told them. The girls nodded and came up with a lie to get them out of class. "Uh, teacher? May we be excused? We have to go to the little filly's room." Scootaloo asked. "Alrighty. Just be sure to hurry back. We're about to go into fractions!" Cheerilee responded. "Alright!" Apple Bloom said. "Oh, and the answer to the question on the board is three-quarters. Just saying that in case we don't get back in time," she said, leaving the teacher shocked at how smart she had gotten. The girls gathered outside in a hidden spot and took their dresses out of their bags. Each of them through theirs up into the air and flew straight into them. They then decided to strike a pose, seeing as it only seemed appropriate. They thought they'd cheer something before heading out, but didn't know what to say. Their group needed a cool superhero name. They ended up simply flying to the spot where the smoke had appeared. The three arrived at the town market to find all the carts either destroyed or turned over, their goods spilled everywhere. They saw one of the carts had also been turned into splinters while another appeared to be ripped in half. They followed the trail of destruction and screams and came across a sight they thought they would never see; a massive pink bear wearing a straw hat carrying a cannon-sized musket in one of its hands. "A' toldja before! THIS! IS! MY! PROPERTAY!" the large bear yelled at the terrified shop owners, cornered by the creature. "If ya'll gonna try an' sell stuff on my propertay, then I'll just take it!" The bear laughed as it took its musket and aimed it at the ponies. "Now, hand over ya'll loot!" The ponies complied and started throwing their bags of bits over to the bear as it grinned. "Stop right there you…bear…thing," Apple Bloom ordered. "You ain't taking nothing from these fair ponies, you hear?" The bear aimed its musket straight at the girls while they laughed. "Ooh! A musket! Please, I bet that won't even scratch us a-" cutting off Scootaloo's words was the musket firing at the three girls, sending them crashing into the nearby building from the sheer force of the blast. "Them ponies don't know a thing, do they?" he cackled. "Um, Mr. Bear? I'm going to ask you to stop your violent rampage," Fluttershy asked, stepping out of the frightened crowd of shop owners. "What did you just tell me ta do?" he asked. "No furry pony ain't tellin' me what ta do, got that?" Fluttershy looked nervous, but then took a deep breath and focused. She then looked like she meant business and attempted to use The Stare against the giant bear. "Now you listen," she started, "You've been very bad, wrecking everypony's shopping carts and such. I want you to return the money AND fix the carts and then leave, got that?" she breathed heavily after delivering such a powerful speech. The bear didn't seem to be affected however. "Hehehe, feisty. I like you," the creature said before grabbing Fluttershy and putting her under his arm. "Think I'll make you ma' mate!" "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" was all that Fluttershy was able to get out before three red lights came out from the nearby building, hitting the bear at the exact same spot. "YEOW!" he said, letting Fluttershy go as he grabbed his burnt rear. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all came flying and started to beat down on the bear. They found it tougher than they thought it would be though, as it seemed to have an incredibly thick hide. "Wow. I've never seen a bear this tough before," Sweetie Belle commented, rubbing her sore front hooves. "I ain't no ordinary bear. Name's Furry Bumpkin, and this here is all ma propertay. Ya'll are gonna be sorry fer trespassin'," the newly named bear told them. "Whatcha talkin' about, Furry?" Apple Bloom asked their new rival. "I consider everythin' that's near the forest ma propertay, and this here town is mighty close, so I'm callin' it and everythin' in it mine, ya hear?" he bellowed out to everypony, causing them to try and find some nearby way of escape. "Howeva', looks like ya'll are hesitant, so I'll be takin' it by force!" Furry then rushed over to the three girls and let out a volley of punches with his mighty claws. The girls fell when hit with those massive punches, causing them to rethink their strategy. "Looks like punches aren't doing much. Any ideas, girls?" Apple Bloom asked her teammates. "I'll try out my Doom Dash and see where that goes," Scootaloo suggested. At that moment she burst up into the air and turned around, trying to giver herself a direct path to Furry. When positioned, she started flapping her wings and dive-bombed onto her target. Furry aimed to get his musket to fire on her as she came down, but in a second she came down on him like a storm, blowing dust up from the impact. Scootaloo came out from the cloud, a victorious smile on her face. "Let's see him come out of that!" "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!" was the noise that came out of the smoke, shaking the ground with its ferocity. The three girls got a sight of Furry as he came out. His fur looked bright red now and his eyes looked as if he could also use Laser Vision right then. He grabbed his musket and then started letting off in every direction, blowing away walls and actually sending some building crashing down from the sheer power of his weapon. Ponies started scrambling away, attempting to avoid the vicious attack that was being let out by the mad bear. "We gotta stop this now!" Sweetie Belle declared, flying ahead of her teammates, she let out her Sonic Scream, hoping that it'd disrupt his attack. Furry, instead of stopping his barrage, looked straight at Sweetie Belle screaming and focused it all on her. She flew back from the onslaught, her scream stopping as she tried to stay conscious. With a smile on his face, Furry started charging straight at the downed mare, looking as if he intended to end her right there. "STOP!" Scootaloo yelled at the beast as she started up her Lightning Strike (yeah, she decided that it made more sense to call it that. Actually, she thought she could call the attack 'Lightning Fury' and just declare that her target was 'thunderstruck'). She started rubbing her hooves as hard as she could and noticed something interesting happening; nearby metallic objects started moving towards her. She then noticed that the musket that Furry had been charging with in his front paw was now being pulled toward her, sending him off target just enough so that he missed Sweetie Belle and ended up running straight into the wall of the building, sending it crashing down with Sweetie Belle getting out just in time. "Josie, what's going on girl? Why you tryin' to get away from me?" Furry Bumpkin was met with horror when he saw his precious be pulled from his hands and into the hooves of Scootaloo. "GET. YUR. HOOVES. OFF. MA. PROPERTAY!" He then charged madly at the orange mare while she continued her static attack. Soon enough, and to the surprise of everypony, the static ball actually pulled off the fur of the rampaging bear, causing him to halt his charge. He stood there for a moment, just before yelling, "YEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWW!" and grabbing at all these different parts of his body, unable to figure out how to stop the pain of being instantly bald. "Here, why don't you COOL DOWN!" Apple Bloom taunted Furry as she let out her Ice Breath. Slowly it started, but soon the angry beast was freezing up, covered in ice. It got thicker and thicker until the beast couldn't move anymore. The only part that was left uncovered was his head. "PHEW!" he declared as the ice helped sooth his pain. "That feels mighty good now. Thanks, ya fightin' filly girl you," he said before slumbering off, looking much calmer now. Apple Bloom looked upon her new ice sculpture. She felt awesome that she we able to dispatch the baddie with her awesome ability, more impressed however by the fact that she ended the fight with a cool catchphrase. The townsfolk suddenly came out of their hiding places, cheering as they saw the end to the whirlwind that was Furry's fury. They approached the girls and lifted them up in congratulations, bringing them over to the mayor who had boarded up the town hall. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" she told them, hugging them to the point they assumed the mayor must have had super strength as well. "I don't know how this town can show its appreciation to you. Is there any way we can repay you strangers?" The girls then remembered that their dresses kept them from being recognized from anypony and acted accordingly. "We just want to help out, that's all. Only thing we'd really like is to not really get a bunch of questions about who we are, that's all," the leader of the group answered. The mayor looked slightly disappointed, but then remembered that these girls had just saved the town from utter destruction twice now, all in the span of two days. "That makes sense. We'd probably be asking you three questions constantly otherwise. One thing I would like to know is who you three are, at least your names," the mayor inquired. The three totally realized that they need to come up with superhero names for ponies to call them and excused themselves for a moment to discuss this. "Okay, we need to know what we'll be calling ourselves. Any ideas?" Apple Bloom asked. "I totally know what I'll be named. You girls just need to think of something awesome that you think reflects yourself. Watch this," Scootaloo dashed forward to the mayor and declared, "The name is Danger Dash, and speed's my thing." She then flew up and started swirling around, flying near the top of the crowd before landing back down to the town hall. Sweetie Belle smiled, knowing what she'd be calling herself. "Hi everypony! I'm Strong Song! I may look adorable," she flapped her eyes at the crowd, causing several ponies to smile from pure cuteness, "but I've got a big BOOM!" she announced, shaking the building with simply the sound of her voice. It was Apple Bloom's turn, and she suddenly came up with her name at the last possible moment, hoping that it'd work. "Um, hi everypony. My name is Miss Chill, and while my ice is cold," she then blew up a frost into the air, cooling down everypony, "I'll put crime completely on hold!" She then blew an ice trail and slid back smoothly to her teammates. Everypony was going wild in the crowd, even Fluttershy. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were there as well, but they didn't seem to be able to identify the girls either, even when they knew about the dresses. "That's incredible!" the mayor declared. "Do you girls have a team name?" Apple Bloom already had an idea of what they would call themselves. She recalled what Furry had called her before, a 'fighting filly girl', and knew just what to say. "We're called the Fighter Filly Girls, and we're here to protect Ponyville from crime and the forces of evil!" she declared to a crowd that erupted into applause. And now, officially for the first time as a group ever, the day was saved, thanks to the Fighter Filly Girls! === Shell We Fight? === Chapter 5: Shell We Fight? Reporters from all over Ponyville had heard of the three fillies with unknown super-powers and had made it their mission to get an interview with them. While they had been promised not to be bothered with what their secret identities were, the public still wanted to know anything they could about their new favorite heroes. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, having just come back from training, were a bit bothered by how these new super heroes had the press clamoring for them while they never bothered even once to interview them even after saving Ponyville several times. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight, who had just come back from Canterlot, didn't mind them getting the attention, and were actually happy that there were other ponies to help protect Ponyville while they were away. To finally get the press off their tails, the Fighter Filly Girls organized a press conference where they would answer some questions for the press on the condition that they wouldn't bother them anymore. The press agreed and set up a date for the big interview. When that day came, the three girls were in their private room, nervous about how it would all go down. "So, what do you think they'll ask us?" Apple Bloom wondered. "I bet they wanna ask how awesome we are. I'm trying to think of something greater than infinity," Apple Bloom had to use all her strength to keep her smartie-pants comments to herself with Scootaloo's statement. "My sister had an interview like this once. She told me that they usually ask personal questions, such as likes or dislikes. Oh, and they ALWAYS ask about if there's a special pony in your life," Sweetie Belle giggled at that thought. "Any of you have somepony?" "Ugh, no way! I'm too awesome for somepony else to be shared with," Scootaloo said pointing a hoof at her open mouth to imitate gagging. "Yeah, and I'm too young. Why, Applejack would probably have mah hide for something as silly as a crush at my age," the yellow filly responded. "How 'bout you, Sweetie Belle? Any secret crushes you may have, hmm?" Sweetie Belle merely shifter her eyes back and forth for about thirty seconds before one of the ponies organizing the event entered their room. "Miss Chill, Strong Song, Danger Dash, we're ready," he told them. The three girls looked at each other and braced themselves for what to expect. They walked out of their rooms through the hallway and onto the stage. Immediately there were camera flashes and incomprehensible questions coming from everypony in the crowd. The girls took their seats at their tables and waited for everypony to quiet themselves down before responding. Silence took place, and hands were raised in the air as if it were a classroom full of eager students. "Alrighty, as leader, I'll choose who gets to ask first. You, in the pink fedora," Apple Bloom pointed out, indicating she could ask. "Merry Mink, Ponyville Times," she indicated. "You call yourself leader of the group, but what actual skills make you qualified for such a position?" "Well, my friends chose me because I'm actually the smartest in the group, so I guess that's why. You, with the giant mustache," she pointed to. "Manny Ink, The Galloping Gazette. Do any of you fillies have a reason for why Ponyville is the place you've decided to protect?" "That's easy!" Scootlaoo decided to answer this one. "This place has SO many weird things happening to it with dragons and parasprites coming up, so we thought that this would be the place we're needed the most. Good timing though, seeing as we got here just in time to take out that hydra." The press chuckled nervously, knowing that the girls were actually correct with how close they had come to oblivion had it not been for their intervention. "You two! You both seem like you're with the same paper, so I'll let you each ask a question. Fire away!" The first pony to ask a question had a yellow mane and red coat. "Seth Isto, Equestria Daily. Do any of you girls consider going into show business?" "Not really. Doing that might distract us from helping other ponies," Sweetie Belle responded. "Quick Brunch, Equestria Daily as well. Do any of you have a special pony in mind when you fight?" Oh boy, they actually asked it. Before either Scootaloo or Apple Bloom could think of something, Sweetie Belle had already answered the question. "Yes we do. We keep in mind all the ponies that we're saving each time we go out and fight. We remember that without us out there that they would be in harm's way, and we cannot let that be. We love each and every pony we save, and that's why we do what we do." Sweetie Belle's answer made jaws drop, including her friends. She was obviously the best one for doing interviews. "Any other questions?" The interview went on for about another hour, each question becoming more like a topic for a celebrity tween magazine. Actually, the more they thought about it, that's probably what it was supposed to be. The girls were more exhausted from the interview than either of the two fights they'd been in so far. "I can't wait to just plop down and relax," Scootaloo said as she trotted over to a nearby chair and plopped down on it. "We can't relax now, remember? We have to be at school in about an hour," Apple Bloom reminded the group. "Oh yeah. Too bad being a superhero couldn't be just a weekend thing for us to worry about, you know?" Scootaloo remarked before realizing that doing so would mean her weekend would then be taken up by superhero duties. "On second thought, this isn't so bad." "Right. Now let's head off before something happens that keeps us from getting to class on time." Apple Bloom and her friends flew out of their dressing rooms and decided that they'd change right after they landed at the school to save themselves time. They had all started to really enjoy flying and all the freedom it had offered them, the cool breeze surrounding them when they flew softly as well. It was peaceful. And then a laser blast hit them. The three girls were instantly stuck down and plummeted to the ground, landing with a big boom on arrival. The three got up from their crash to hear a maniacal laughter coming from behind several houses. In an instant the buildings were blown to bits by whatever had attacked them, smoke from the debris keeping them from seeing it clearly. "SO! You Fighter Filly Girls think that you can save Ponyville from being conquered, correct? WRONG! For I shall demonstrate to you how you are wrong by defeating the three of you, rendering the town indefensible and vulnerable, by which making it conquerable. Then, I shall conquer your pathetic town, and then, THE WORLD!" the creature then stopped its fast, monotone speech pattern and performed its maniacal laugh once more. "Oh yeah! Why don't you come out of the smoke, whatever you are!" taunted Sweetie Belle. "Gladly," he responded moving slowly at first, but then dashing towards them unexpectedly, almost hitting them if it had not been for their extreme dexterity. What the girls saw shocked and surprised them; a giant metal tortoise with weapons of different varieties on its back. Several of the metal plates folded away for a moment to reveal the mastermind behind this mechanical nightmare. In what appeared to be in the control panel for the robot was a turtle, a second smaller shell on top of its head at an unusual angle. "What the-?!" the three of them responded at once when seeing this. "I assume that you did not expect that such a small creature like myself could be so menacing. That would be wrong though, seeing as I am incredibly menacing. I also assume that you are wondering why I am currently wearing a second shell on top of my head. My answer to that is that my brain is so massive that it actually came out of my skull and required additional protection, thus the development of this shell shaped helmet." "Eww!" was their response. "SILENCE! As I was saying, the last thing I suppose that you must all be wondering is 'What is this marvelous being's name?' and 'Who is this genius that should rule us?' The answer is simple; my name is Torchel Chelchel, and on this day, I shall DESTROY YOU!" Torchel then had his control station be covered in the plating once again and continued his laser onslaught of the girls. They continually dodged each of the large-backed machine's assault lasers until they were each hit, unable to avoid the storm of fire being delivered. They decided to group up under cover, trying to come up with a plan. "Wow! This is tough! You girls have any idea how to take this guy down?" Apple Bloom was met by blank stares as they tried to come up with a way to fight it. "Stop right there!" a familiar voice yelled out. It was Twilight, appearing out of nowhere as if she were their savior. You're reign of destruction is over, turtle!" "Tortoise," corrected Fluttershy, her head pooping out of a nearby barrel before hiding again. "Whatever. You don't stand a chance against my magic!" Twilight then readied her horn, glowing brighter as she began to cast her spell. Suddenly the mechanical beast was surrounded by a glow of purple and started to be lifted off the ground slowly. The girls saw Twilight in action and realized that with her back, they were probably out of the job. They actually felt sad about the idea of being replaced so suddenly. That idea didn't last long though. "Oh no! Magic! What ever shall I do?" Torchel said mockingly. A bleep was heard, followed by the appearance of an orange shield surrounding the mechanical tortoise. It suddenly returned to the ground with a plop, leaving the magic mare surprised. "Wha- what just happened?" she asked. The CMC were wondering the exact same thing. "Did you really think I would create a juggernaut of a machine such as this and not consider finding a way to defend from magic? I have a force field that prevents myself from being affected from all magical spells, and the firepower to absolutely CRUSH those who would dare use it. Oh, that reminds me," and with another beep, Torchel opened his creation's mouth to unleash a wall of flames that spewed forth. Twilight was caught by surprise and couldn't cast any spells to protect herself in time, only being saved by Apple Bloom's Ice Breath. She blew as hard as she could against the raging fire that spewed forth from the mouth. The evil Torchel once again let out his laugh, believing that victory would soon be at hand (or paw, whatever). "Not so fast, Torchel Chelchel!"Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo yelled out, using their super strength to rip off the weapons attached to the robotic tortoise's back while it was focused on Twilight and Apple Bloom. After pulling the last laser off of it they both landed a punch on the fire-breathing face, stopping its fiery onslaught. Twilight quickly found a safe hiding place understanding that she wouldn't be able to do much in this fight without her magic. The yellow filly used this opportunity to fully use her Ice Breath to cover the robot in ice, freezing it still. "Alright!" the three of them yelled, seeing their foe stuck in ice. They all high-fived each other at the prospect of another foe defeated thanks to Ice Breath. "So, do we bring him in, or just let the guards take care of it?" Apple Bloom asked, wondering how they should do this. She only just realized that they never bothered to do the same with Furry, so she hoped that the authorities could handle him. "I think they'll take him away for us. Let's head to class now that- OH COME ON!" Scootaloo exclaimed, seeing that the ice containing Torchel Chelchel was starting to crack. The cracks were getting larger and larger until it shattered, sending ice shards in all directions. "HA! You thought that your pathetic ice attack could stop me, Torchel Chelchel, from destroying you? I think not, for I am your superior in every possible way. No matter what abilities you may have, my invention shall surely be able to deal with them. Let us see how you deal with THIS!" Torchel yelled out into his intercom, bleeps and bloops being heard as the robot began to shake. Soon the robot tortoise was standing on its two hind legs, taking a fighting stance. "Come on Torchel!" Scootaloo said, annoyed at what she was seeing. "You're controlling a slow moving robot that looks like a slow moving animal. If you think that thing can fight us, then-" her taunting was quickly cut off as the robot dashed and elbowed straight into her, sending the little filly flying off before crashing into several trees. "Actually, you two removing my weapons actually aided in my robot losing just enough weight to fully operate in fighter mode. In this mode my robot will be more than a match for your speed, agility, and strength. However, in the spirit of not letting my inventions not meet their full potential, I will give you three exactly fifteen seconds to attempt to damage my creation without fighting back. It will start just about….NOW!" The girls met Torchel's challenge, using all the abilities they could think of on him. Laser Vision was absorbed if not reflected by the thick, reflective armor, almost causing a nearby pony to lose their eye. Their punches made soft pounding sounds, leading to the girls to feel sore once again from punching something that was just too hard. It was at ten seconds that the three decided to try and use their special abilities. Scootaloo took up to the air and prepared her Doom Dash while Sweetie Belle started her Sonic Scream. Fifteen seconds passed, and the girls heard a light giggle come from inside the robot. The metal tortoise turned its back towards Sweetie Belle while she was still screaming and adjusted several of the plates on its shell back into a crude satellite dish that reflected the Sonic Scream straight back at her. The little filly had to hold her ears as the ringing continued. Scoots went in for her attack while Torchel was busy with her friend, attempting to end it right there. She was surprised when her opponent turned around, put the two legs together, and then hammered down right on top of the speeding pony the very second she had come into range. Both ponies were effectively downed with their leader nowhere to be found. "So, this is all the great and powerful Fighter Filly Girls can do it seems. Pathetic! Not even your leader bothered to stay and witness your defeat. Now, Ponyville shall be mine! MWUAHAHAHA!" Little did Torchel know, Apple Bloom had actually snuck away in those last five seconds of Torchel allowing the three to attack to locate Fluttershy. Under the guise of Miss Chill, she was able to ask the scared pegasus about what she knew about tortoises and several of their weaknesses. After ten seconds of talking, the red-bowed pony knew just what to do. "Excuse me, Mr. Chelchel sir," Mayor Mare called out to the villain, "but I'm afraid you simply cannot rule Ponyville by taking out superheroes. Our town has a democratic system after all, so you must be properly elected in the first place," she told him smugly. "So, what do ya say about that?" Torchel's response was punching a hole straight through to the other side of the building, annihilating it entirely when the arms was pulled out of the hole. Her smug was quickly replaced with worry and the terrible tortoise laughed in victory. The laugh was cut short, as he started hearing a strange rumbling coming from the ground. "What is this strange noise that interrupts my jolly cheer?" he asked, leaning his death machine closer to the ground. The rumbling got louder and louder until it stopped. Suddenly, a pink light burst straight out of the ground, hitting the robotic head straight in the middle, knocking the head back. Apple Bloom continued by grappling onto the head and pulling it backwards, using all the strength and speed she could muster. With the last of her push, the metal foe was pushed on its back, its limbs flailing helplessly around in an attempt to get up. "Thanks Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom called out, thanking her friend for pointing out that a turtle or tortoise that was on its back would have a near-impossible time getting back on its feet. "No problem, Miss Chill!" she responded, blushing from the excitement of helping to take out that big meanie. A buzzing was heard coming from the robot, followed by a rocket pod with a cockpit on it zooming out. "I'm on it!" Scootaloo yelled out, finally coming out of her daze. She managed to reach the rocket and redirect its path straight into the ground. The cockpit opened to reveal their true nemesis in all his tiny glory. "Grah!" he bellowed out as the two girls grabbed him out of his escape pod. "I'm sure we won't have to worry about you getting away anytime soon," Scootaloo told their newly defeated foe as she placed him on his back for the authorities to come and arrest. "Now let's get going! You ready, Strong Song?" "WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" she replied, her ears still affected by the concentrated scream redirected at her. "Whatever. Just follow us," she replied, and the three zoomed off leaving the town once again in their debt. "Wow! Only one minute left" Apple Bloom and her friends had just gotten out of their costumes and were ready for the school day. Scoots was still dizzy from her pounding and had almost flown into several trees when landing while Sweetie Belle was still yelling out all her responses whenever she thought. This was going to be one awkward day. At least it would be if the doors to the school would open. "What the….oh. Oh. OH!" With all her intelligence, the super smart mare had mixed up what days were and had actually rushed to classes on Saturday. Her friends seem to realize this as well, unifying in a single "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" While the three girls may have had their issues with school, once can certainly say that the day was saved, thanks to the Fighter Filly Girls! === A Clockwork Apple === Chapter 6: A Clockwork Apple Twilight and her friends had gathered at her library to discuss the recent events that had been occurring in Ponyville with the attacks that had been occurring. She and Rainbow Dash had been out of Ponyville and had been hearing the news about superheroes through newspapers and gossip from the locals. She was disturbed at the fact that she wasn't able to use her magic against it either, the strange tortoise creating an anti-magic shield that made her useless in the fight. What she considered even more unusual was the appearance of three young fillies with unique powers. They had asked that nopony bother them about that topic, but Twilight was motivated to find out the truth. "Alright, girls," she addressed her friends. "We need to figure out what's going on in town and who these new visitors are, specifically these Filly Fighter Girls or whatever. I know that they asked that we not bother them about it, but I want to know if any of you have any idea about who they are." "Beats me, sugarcube. I say we don't look a gift box on its receipt an' jus' accept their help. After all, they did save our hides at least three times," Applejack said, her friends nodding with approval. "I think Applejack is right. While we are curious to know where these three super-fillies came from and who they are, I don't think that intruding on their much desired privacy will lead to any good. Though I must admit, their fashion looks fabulous," Rarity added, completely unaware of the irony of her statement. "Look," Twilight said sternly, trying to get across the seriousness of the situation, "three fillies with unknown powers not specific to any race just came out of nowhere to fight creatures that have never acted in those manners. I mean a pink, trigger happy bear? Did anypony ever notice anything like that?" she asked them incredulously, not believing her own words. "Twi's right!" Rainbow Dash added. "This is pretty weird, even for us. I mean, what would be able to make innocent woodland animals act violent and be able to give fillies unimaginable powers?" The six of them sat for about fifteen seconds before unanimously yelling out, "DISCORD!" at the exact same time. "B-but he's changed. I know it," pleaded Fluttershy, knowing that Discord was a different…male than he was before. "It'd the only thing that makes sense. I'm sorry Fluttershy, but he has to be behind it all." "I'm sorry, Twi," interjected Applejack, "but when ah' think about it, Discord doesn't seem like he'd be getting' much out of all this. Ah' know this 'cause he's been hangnin' out in our apple orchard and stays there most of the time. Hay, he even hangs out with Big Mac sometimes. Startin' ta think they're buds." "Whatever it is, we're stopping it. Come on!" Rainbow Dash led the way for the girls to head down to Apple Family Orchard and confront the Master of Chaos with their new facts. The orchard looked lovely today, the noon sun glistening above, reflecting off the red apples. They were likes tiny mirrors of…red. Discord wasn't much of a philosopher or poet, so he just decided to appreciate the moment by taking a bite out of one of the red mirrors. Juicy. From far away were the sounds of different ponies approaching. From what he could tell, it seemed liked five ponies by land and one pony by air. He knew of only one group of ponies that travelled together like that. He finished up the rest of his apple and braced for the worst, knowing that when they came along that things usually ended getting messy. "DISCORD!" the leader of the pack called out. The girls got into what he could only assume was their formation when it came to dealing with him, three on one side and three on the other. He wasn't even sure what the purpose of that was. He could literally poof away at any given moment, but decided to humor them. "Hello, Twily. How may I be of service today?" he asked, not even moving out of his spot on the tree. "You know exactly the reason why. We know that you've been creating creatures to go into town and fight super-powered fillies. After all, you're the only one who could do such a thing." "Oh," Discord mumbled, knowing that he'd have to find a way to break it to the girls and make sure things didn't crumble apart. "Alright, I admit it; the recent creatures have been my doing. The last two attacks only though. I originally gave several fillies some powers based on their personalities and such and then created these villains to fight." He was ready for their ranting to begin. Instead, he heard the sounds of mild disappointment in the forms of sighs and shaking heads. "Discord, darling," Fluttershy floated over, "I thought we agreed on no big chaotic things. I mean, creating vicious villains and fighting fillies to battle with and endanger the town is definitely one of those 'big' things, right?" Discord simply couldn't keep the truth from Fluttershy. It always made his chest hurt a little. "It wasn't for ME! It was for those fillies!" Discord just realized that he had just revealed something that should not have been revealed. It was too late. "By the way, who exactly are those fillies? I don't think I've seen them around here before." Twilight was still fooled by the spell Discord had put on the dresses to disguise them. Maybe he could still muscle out of this. "Just a couple of fillies who needed to fight crime and the forces of evil, that's all." STUPID! That's all that Discord could say about that answer. Soon enough they'd give him those eyes that make you wanna reveal the truth no matter what. They didn't even start when he caved into the pressure of this awkward situation. "FINE! Since I know you'll continue to pester me and through some contrived manner you'd find out anyway, I'll let you know who they are." He took a deep breath and quickly said, " AppleBloomScootalooandSweetieBelle," none of the girls could understand that, except for Pinkie Pie (of course). "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are the Fighter Filly Girls?!" she exclaimed. The rest of the girls gasped in surprise. "If you really must know why them, it's because they helped me out once when I needed it and they really needed help in finding out about themselves. I mean, superpowers might seem an odd way for that, but it's been said that you can truly test one's resolve when given power. The rest of it with the villains was created after I realized that they would probably never be able to really use their powers much if they didn't want to reveal it to everypony. Actually they told me that they didn't want everypony to pester me with their own desires for superpowers. Yes, Rainbow Dash, I can tell that you were going to ask me for powers to make you fly faster, and no, that'd be a bad idea for somepony of your build. Go any faster the way you are and you'll end up a pancake simply from the force of lift-off." Rainbow Dash backed up after hearing that comment, not knowing how he knew she would ask that. That didn't matter though, at least for the moment. "So is that all? I mean, right now it seems that they managed to get the villains you created, so hopefully that sorted everything out," Twilight asked, hoping things were actually as easy as they seemed. "Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaa," was the sound Discord made when he tried to find the best way to explain the snafu that had occurred. The noise the girls made was another sigh along with another facehoof. "Alright listen. I may have had a teensy weensy problem occur when I was trying to create their first villain. See, I was coming up with a special spell to create creatures that, while posing a threat, would never be too difficult to fight. I made a list of traits that good villains should have on a piece of paper, put that into a pot, and magiced away. Turns out that it wasn't a very good idea to do it like that and a REALLY big boom happened. Turns out that I made a WHOLE lot more villains than intended, each having a different trait. That boom knocked me back before I could stop them, and, you'll laugh at this, they're resistant to my magic! That means I can't just wish them away apparently AND I also made them so the only one who could really stop them were those three with their powers. So, yeah, they're your only hope when it comes to them. Actually had one of the traits be that you six wouldn't be able to ruin their fun." "Oh, we are SO going to Celestia to tell her about this," Twilight said angrily. "NO! Not her! She's so annoying! Also, it's not like I did all of this for me! I did this so a couple of fillies who didn't have any direction in their life could find some meaning with powers, even temporarily. Also, I may have single-handedly revived a failing construction business with all the repairs needed, so there's that. All that'll happen if you tell her is that those three will be brought in and might not be able to stop the villains I created by accident I remind you again. Please?" Discord's plea was heard by the hesitant mare, trying to think this through. If Celestia knew what had happened, then Discord would be turned into stone again. However, he was the only one who really knew what they were dealing with to some degree. It's also not like he did all of this for fun, but really to give confidence to those three girls. Twilight knew what she had to do. "Fine. I won't tell her. But YOU have to do something to make it up, or at least ensure that there's a backup plan in case things go badly." "THANK YOU!" he said, grabbing the mare in a tight hug. "I promise that I'll have an alternative solution set up right away! Applejack, letting you know right now that I'll need to use that orchard you never use anymore for my plan to work. Oh, and just letting you know that you should NOT let any of them know that you know their identities. Who knows what would happen with their esteem and everything. Anyway, I'll get right on it!" The draconequus sped away, leaving a confused Applejack to wonder what was going on with the orchard. The six of them went from the orchard and were headed back to Ponyville, left to absorb the events that had just happened. Hopefully things wouldn't be too bad. If they had seen the strange, red shadow that had hidden among the trees while they had their little conversation, their thoughts about the situation would have become much more unpleasant. === Lights, Camera, Explosive Action! === Chapter 7: Lights, Cameras, Explosive Action! Sweetie Belle flew to the group's tree house as fast as she could, carrying in her mouth a copy of the newest Movie Madness magazine. She found something inside that she just had to show the girls. Bursting through the windows, she called out to her friends. "GIRLS! Check out this magazine article!" The two other Filly Fighter Girls trotted over to see what all the fuss was about. The magazine was opened up to reveal a shocking story. The two gasped as they saw the incredible news. "Sandy Lapper is gonna be in a spy movie?" They gasped, wondering how a well-known singer would do in a movie like that at her age. "No! The next page!" Sweetie Belle's smile returned when she saw her friends gasp at seeing what they were seeing on that page. "THEY'RE MAKING A MOVIE ABOUT US?!" they yelled, shaking the tree house. "Yeah! Isn't it awesome?" Sweetie Belle's enthusiasm wasn't shared with her friends, both of whom had faces of concern. "What's wrong?" "At some point they're gonna come an' try to interview us more for the movie, maybe even ask us to be in it. Remember how we said we weren't gonna try an' be in show biz?" Apple Bloom had a point, but Sweetie Belle wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. "Aww. Please? It'll be fun, trust me. Besides, better that we go to them when we have time rather than when danger might be near," she said, flapping her eyelashes at them. "Oh alright," the leader said, causing Sweetie Belle to let a high-pitched giggle. Dogs could be heard barking outside from how high-pitched it was. Sweetie Belle then looked angry. "Hey! Who's saying those mean things?" "Um, Sweetie Belle, something wrong? Nopony said anything," said Scootaloo. "I thought, well, I'm guessing the excitement must be getting to me. Thought I heard some very nasty things being yelled. Anyway, we should head to the trailers that came into Ponyville. That's the crew that'll make the movie." "Wait, they're in Ponyville?" Apple Bloom was surprised how quickly movie production was going. "Of course, silly! I mean, we do live here and this is where it all happens. I thought you were the smart one." Sweetie Belle giggled as she flew out the window. Her two other friends followed in formation, hoping to get this movie finished before trouble came to town. The town square was filled all sorts of technical equipment one wouldn't find in the small Earth pony village. Ponies of all different sorts were setting up for the movie, light stands and trailers being erected so that the movie could be started. Orders and directions were being yelled at from what seemed to be everywhere with everypony trying to fulfill them all out of fear that their time in show business would be cut short. The three girls landed right in the center of it all, somehow not being able to be noticed in the midst of all the chaos. "You three!" a bronze mare with thick glasses yelled at the girls. "What are you doing here? This is a closed set, so you better get out now before you get in the way." "Are ye daft, girl? Dontcha know who these laddies are?" a thick Scottish voice yelled out. "Dos' are the actual Fighter Filly Girls!" The mysterious voice soon revealed its form as a giant squid, driving itself around in a mobile fish tank with a keyboard inside it. "I'm so sorry Mr. Cracken, sir. I-" "Da! How many times I have ta' correct ye! My name ain't Mr. Cracken! It's Mr. McCracken! My ancestors would've eaten ya fer such a dishonor. Be glad I dislike the taste of pony". Everypony nearby immediately started working at least twice as hard after hearing that, hoping that he wouldn't wonder about the taste of them for too long. None had ever asked him if he was joking since you usually don't ask giant creatures about their diet for safety reasons. You might make them hungry. "Um, hello Mr. McCracken sir. I'm Miss Chill, this is Strong Song and Danger Dash, and we're the Fighter Filly Girls."Apple Bloom felt less confident with her idea of simply giving them some help with the movie so they'd leave them alone later on after seeing this creature. She was unsure whether she should talk to it or prepare her Ice Breath. "Proud te meet ya girls! Pleasure to see ya in the fur!" The cracked extended three of his tentacles over the edge of his tank, placing them right in front of the girls. They hesitantly grabbed them with their hooves and shook them, hoping not to be sick from the sliminess of it. The giant squid laughed as he pulled his slimy appendages away. "Sorry, but manners. Brave girls ye be, touching my slimy tentacles. I like yer spirit!" "Anyway," Apple Bloom tried to get back on track, "we were hoping that we could help you out with any details you need. We know that you'd probably try to get us at some point, so we decided to come and get it over with before any trouble came to town that would disrupt it." "Much appreaciated!" the creature said, bubbles floating up whenever he spoke. "I'll formally introduce myself; the name is Mr. McCracken, and I'm the head writer and producer for this here movie! I've got a list of questions I'd like to ask you right now to really help out in the creation process, if ya don't mind me askin'." "Sure! That's what we came here for after all!" Apple Bloom was quick to bite her tongue as the assistant took out what looked to be a giant scroll and unfurled it, revealing a novel of questions for the girls to answer. This would be rough. Ten hours had passed since the girls had started answering questions. The sky had become twilight as the sun was setting on them, leaving the girls tired. Sweetie Belle had never truly understood how much she really liked pasta until McMcracken grilled her on the subject, and Scootaloo now had a new appreciation of macramé. Apple Bloom had come to realize that most of her life had revolved around apples, something she had never really thought until that moment. The list was winding down to it last questions, McCracken becoming giddier as he approached the last one. "Now, I just have one last, incredible emotional and powerful question to ask you," the writer announced. "What horrible things have occurred because of you becoming super heroes?" "Well," Apple Bloom thought that question over, thinking of things that happened to everypony in the time they had gained their powers. She would answer that last question for them since her two other friends were obviously not going to; Sweetie Belle had long since passed out and was swept away by the janitor into a corner while Scootaloo had gone what appeared to be temporarily crazy with responding to all the questions with comments on being the lizard queen. She later on fainted and was swept away by the apathetic cleaner, placing her in the same place as Sweetie Belle. "I would have to say that getting to school has been an issue sometimes. We always make it on time, so at least it's not that bad." "What?" the shocked Scot said. "You don't have any parental issues? No addictions? Mental disturbances? Anything that would shock audiences?" The writer's bronze assistant waited patiently to see if anything good came up. "No!" Apple Bloom responded, weirded out by such a question. "We're eight years old! We punch bad guys! We're not crazy or such 'cause of that! You grownups get all moody with that while we just like ta' help out ponies." "Great! Just what ah' need! A superhero story where the big reason the characters fight crime is to be all goody two shoes! How can ah' get an Oscar with that?" McCracken stormed off in his aquarium, heading toward the snack table. He picked the entire thing up and emptied it all into his gullet. Feeling full, he calmed down and went back to Apple Bloom. "Alright Miss Chill, I guess that not everything needs to be inspired by horrific consequences. Ah' mean, sure, it does make it more likely for me ta finally win an award, but that's that. Guess it'll have ta be a regular super hero story. Gold Glimmer! I want ya ta get a trailer ready for the Fighter Filly Girls! I'll be needing to get them a place fer tomorrow when I call them down to help with shooting." "Yes sir!" the assistant saluted, checking a list and making preparations for tomorrow. "You three can have trailer number seven tomorrow when you come in. Be sure to arrive at exactly eight in the morning. Be sure to let your friends know that when they come to." She then trotted away, leaving Apple Bloom baffled. "Con son it!" she yelled out. She and her friends had unwittingly been forced to cooperate in the film. She decided to wake her two friends and tell them the news, then decided to head home. It was going to be a long day tomorrow. At exactly eight the girls had arrived on set, three chairs set up next to where Mr. McCracken would be directing the film from. Gold Glimmer came by the girls, several notepads in her hooves. "Alright, your main goal in this movie will be to provide notes on how scenes should be shot and events that happened, such as your big battles and what kinds of abilities you used. That should not only help out Mr. McCracken, but the actresses as well." "Actresses?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Yes. The actresses that'll be playing you three." "Wait, you're telling me that there are actresses playing US in a movie while we're here giving notes on how the actresses can be more like us. So, why not just get everything out of the way and have us play as ourselves? Pretty certain we'd get the movie done a lot faster." "Except you aren't union. Now, places everypony, and Mr. McCracken!" she added, realizing how odd that phrase sounded when talking about non-pony creatures. The large squid drove out onto the set, taking up his place next to the girls and the camera operator. "Where my stars at?" he yelled out, looking around for the actresses who'd be playing the superheroes. "Here! Sorry for the wait. Tara Song here had to bleach her coat again," somepony who looked just like Apple Bloom told the crew. The Fighter Filly was actually astonished by the similarity of these other fillies. "Hey! It's not my fault that white gets dirty so fast! You know I've got to dye my hair white and purple. Still don't know why I didn't get the role of Miss Chill instead of Cathy Caviar here. I already have a beige coat, so it would've been pretty easy to do. Her coat's pink AND she's a pegasus, so you also have to deal with that." "The dress hides my wings, so I won't have to worry about that. Besides, you know it's because I remembered all the lines before audition AND I'm rather intelligent," Cathy was fairly smug when she told her fellow actresses this. Tara was not very happy with her. "Glad to see you two this morning. Thought I'd have to carry this movie all by myself," a pony wearing green said, indicating that she was going to play the role of Danger Dash. "Please, Daily Doo; the only way you'll carry us is if we landed on your back," Cathy responded. "GRAH! Stop ye blithering ye three! Ye been doin' this since we started!" the director yelled out. Apple Bloom, Scoots, and Sweetie Belle all looked at each other, shocked at badly the actresses got along. "Besides, right now we're shooting an action scene with the bank heist, so we'll be using the stunt doubles at the moment. Just wait an' watch. By the way, actresses, meet yer subjects," he said, pointing to the Fighter Filly Girls that were sitting right next to him. "They'll be providin' ya with notes on how they act. We'll do action scenes first though so we can learn how they fight an' have these three REAL superheroes back ta' heroics soon enough. We can't be takin' away their time." "Would've guessed otherwise," the pony playing Strong Song said under her breath. The three actresses then took their seats separately from each other while the stunt doubles got fitted. The CMC had to laugh at the sight of large colts dressing up as them, dresses and all. Wire harnesses were attached to them as well for the flying scenes and were brushing up on their notes. "Alright, so what we're doin' is a rehearsal. What ah' need you girls ta' do is tell us what to improve on an' what'd be more realistic." "I'm guessing having girls be the stunt doubles would be more realistic," Apple Bloom told Mr. McCracken. "Hah! True, but they're just stunt doubles. In filming we use different film angles ta' hide their faces. It'll be good, trust me." The stunt doubles were put in position and the crew members gave the okay for everything to begin. "Take places!" he announced. "Scene 42 Rehersal Bank Heist start!" yelled out the Clapper Loader. In an instant the alarm from Ponyville Bank went off and several robbers ran out of the bank with bags filled with bits, cackling as they ran out. Suddenly the three stunt doubles flew down and landed hard on the ground. "Stop right there, evil doer!" the stunt double of Miss Chill ordered the bank robbers. "My ice is a little cold, but your crime has been put on hold!" Soon the giant fan that had been put aside was turned on as the stunt double put their lips out, attempting to imitate the ice breath. Shreds of paper were put in the wind, spraying the robber in the middle. He was covered in the paper and started shaking, acting as if he'd been frozen by the Ice Breath. "Let's get out of here!" one of the other robbers yelled. The two of them split up, going in opposite directions. Strong Song flew after the one on the right while Danger Dash went after the one going left, the wires pulling them up into the air. The stunt double dressed as Strong Song landed right in front of the robber and let out the signature Sonic Scream. At least it appeared to be that, seeing as the double opened his mouth and the robber acted like he was dizzy from that. He then fell over, the supercolt standing on top of him. "Oh no!" the other robber yelled. Just as he was about to get to the end of the alley he was running through, the Danger Dash double landed right in front of him. The robber turned around and the double was now placed in front of him, looking down at him. Scootaloo didn't get it at first, but then realized that what was happening was that the scene was supposed to show how fast she could go by blocking all directions that the robber could escape with her awesome speed. This happened two more times until the robber raised his two hooves in the air and surrendered. "CUT!" McCracken yelled. The ponies returned to their original positions, one of the actors who was a robber leaving behind one of the bags. Sweetie Belle saw that and went over, picking the bag up and feeling its weight. "Hey, are these real bits you're using?" "Aye! Ain't it great. The mayor said we could use the real stuff fer authenticity! A trustin' missy, that one. Glad a couple supermares can be security as well. Hahaha! Anyhow, ye got any notes?" Apple Bloom was the first to talk, saying, "Honestly, that was great! Though, what's with the motto of mine? Ah' only used it once, so it ain't something regular." "Speaking of regular, since when did we stop a bank robbery? That's news to me," added Scootaloo. "Just some artistic licensing. Makes the story more engaging," Gold Glimmer added, going over the dozens of clipboards that the girls were certain that she got so she could appear busy without doing anything. "The same with your motto. Goes well with your name, so we decided to incorporate it into the story. Remember that this is BASED on what you've done, not fully accurate." "Thank you, Gold. Didn't want ta' need n' explain what's goin' on," the director told his assistant. "Anything else?" "Well," Sweetie Belle said, thinking. "My Sonic Scream usually has a different effect on ponies when it comes to reactions. They're usually more shocked than anything else." "Same thing with my Ice Breath. The effect sometimes changes with intensity of breathing and such. It's a bit difficult to explain." Apple Bloom thought of something at that exact moment. "Hey! Maybe we can help with rehearsal by actually acting out the scene! That way you get actual experience with what we do and those three can see how we act!" she pointed to the three actresses, each grabbing something from the snack table. "We got a deal?" McCracken cackled for a bit in his aquarium before saying, "Sure! Can't wait to see how this works. Alright all ya' ponies, time for another rehearsal, this time with the Fighter Filly Girls themselves!" There was a murmur among the set while everypony got into their places for the scene. The actresses who'd be representing the three in the movie paid particular attention. "Scene 42 Bank Heist Rehearsal start!" was yelled, and the alarm for the bank went off. The three robbers exited the bank with their cackling, feeling as if they had successfully pulled off their crime. At that moment the three Fighter Filly Girls descended right in front of them in formation. "You ain't goin' anywhere! Ma' ice may be cold, but I'm puttin' your crime on hold!" Apple Bloom declared as she performed her Ice Breath ability. She had to admit that the catchphrase was a fun thing to have and kept it. Instead of her breath targeting just one robber however, it looked as if it would hit all three. The two robbers quickly jumped out of the way and the one in dead center was quickly frozen in place, his body encased in a thin case of ice. "WOAH!" Cathy said as she saw this happen. She had studied the role of Miss Chill for her part, but even she was shocked at how powerful her breath was. The two other robbers were speeding away, the actors playing them genuinely afraid of what might happen. The first one to get caught was the one Sweetie Belle was after. "Sorry, she whispered before unleashing her Sonic Scream. Everypony on set grabbed their ears when it went off, not expecting it to be THAT loud. Cracks in Mr. McCracken's tank suddenly started to appear, each one quickly being patched by an intern. The scream soon stopped, leaving the robber in front of her bewildered and stunned. He started blubbering something just before falling down out of shock. "Oh horse apples!" the last remaining robber said as he went through the alley. He hoped that Danger Dash would be kind to him and not leave him pummeled. That hope was quickly dashed when Dash stuck out her hoof as the robber exited the alley, tripping him. "Hah! Thought you'd get away? Nothing is too fast for Danger Dash!" she announced, flexing off. The robber tried to maintain character even though he knew the fate that awaited him, charging after the filly in an attempt to land a punch on her. "Not so fast!", "Too slow!", and, "I think this is embarrassing for both of us," she yelled out after dodging each punch. "Here, I'll make this easier for you," she told him as she grabbed the hoof that was attempting to punch and started swinging him around. The robber started praying to himself, asking to at least survive this move and remembered that it would all be worth it in the end when he could get serious roles. He was soon launched straight through the alleyway, hitting the pony who had been frozen and breaking him out of his shell, both of them landing on top of the stunned pony on the other end of the set. "CUT!" the stunned director yelled. Everypony on set had been shocked by what they had seen. It was one thing to read about such powers, but another thing entirely to see them in action. "That was BRILLIANT! You all, saw that, right? Tara, Cathy, Daily, you all saw that, right?" "Yeah," they all responded, each of them still somewhat dazed by what they had seen. "Alright! Everypony in position fer real this time! I want ma' main fillies on set to try an' do what was just done, special effects helpin' of course. Get wires attached to the robber that Dash went after fer the throw." The special effects crew tried to recuperate the actors playing robbers, each of them still stunned. The one Scootaloo threw was simply dazed and dizzy from the swirling that accompanied the throw while the one who had been frozen was still shivering. The robber who took a Sonic Scream to the face had to deal with loss of hearing and balance, so it looked as if it would take a while for him to recover. "Come on! We only need ye fer one shot, then off with ya to yer medical tents an' such! Positions!" "Let's get this done in one shoot. I don't think the actors playing robbers can stand much longer," Cathy pointed out as she saw the actors trying to get back inside the bank, one shivering constantly while the others kept nearly falling down the steps, only to bump into each other. "Please, that'll be easy. Just remember your lines and we'll do just fine. I know I will," Daily told the others. "Don't worry. If we mess up, it won't be because of me. I've got my lines memorized," Tara told the two as they took to the set. "Scene 42 Bank Heist action!" was yelled, the alarm for the bank going off. The robbers exited as before, looking as if they were perfectly fine and weren't just beaten down by super powered fillies. They were pretty good at acting. "You ain't goin' anywhere!" the actress yelled out. She then used her 'Ice Breath' and the wind blew, covering the target in paper flakes and what looked like some sandwich wrap to simulate being in ice. The two other actresses were then lifted in the air with the wires, chasing after other robbers. "Yee-haw!" she yelled out, standing on top of the captured criminal. "Wait, CUT!" Tara yelled out, causing the crew to be baffled by this. "Cathy, Miss Chill isn't some country hick who yells out 'yee haw' simply because she has that accent. You're just stereotyping." Apple Bloom didn't know what kind of reaction she should have for that statement. "EXCUSE ME Miss Voice Actress! I didn't know that I had to run every line through your approval before I could say it. Didn't know that you owned the rights to talking." "Seriously? You guys are going on about voices?" Daily chimed in. "Just stick to the script, alright? No need to ad lib stuff just to seem inventive." "GRAH!" MrCracken yelled, annoyed by his uncooperative actors. "Alright, Cathy, right now just stick to the script. What the Filly Fighters did was excellent, so I don't want to start adding things that bring it down. Let's take it from the top, ponies!" Tara stuck out her tongue to her coworker, who responded with a glare. "Geez, they REALLY don't get along," Apple Bloom whispered to her friends. The silently nodded as the filming started again. "And, ACTION!" Once again the alarms for the bank went off, the robbers doing their same routine. The girls arrived on the scene and started to speak their lines. "You ain't goin'- OH what now?!" Cathy yelled as she saw what appeared to be several black tentacles grabbing the bags of bits straight from the robber's hooves. "Since when was this in the script? Seriously, this is the reason I ad lib; the writers themselves don't stick to their own script." "This ain't part of mah' script! Something's trying to take away the money!" The director yelled out, trying to get everypony's attention to what was going on. "Something, or somepony?!" yelled out a figure who soon revealed herself to be a mare. She wore what appeared to be a red dress and had a snow-white coat. Her mane and tail were black, with what appeared to be different parts of her mane holding several of the bags of money. "Behave yourself boys; I'm a real handful," she said before knocking out the actors playing robbers by hitting them with strands of her mane that seemed to stretch out. "Who are ye n' why're ya messin' with mah' movie?" Mr. McCracken asked. "Me? I'm a girl who wants to produce, but has to deal with not only having no funds, but also dealing with guys like you, mister big times producer/writer/director. You keep small-time ponies like me from being seen with your projects, and I'm going to put a stop to that. My name is that of my desired profession, and that is Produsa! Hahahahaha!" She started moving her long mane around, attacking several of the crew members and destroying some equipment. Everypony started to flee, but their paths of escape were blocked by several trailers. The Fighter Filly Girls saw this and immediately went into action. Scootaloo moved the trailers to allow the ponies to escape while Sweetie Belle evacuated them (Mr. McCracken refusing to leave, saying that he needed to stay on the project to the very end). Apple Bloom was the distraction, keeping the villainess busy while they evacuated the area. "Is that everypony?" Apple Bloom asked, just ducking a swing of one of her hair locks. "I can't find the actresses! Where are they?" Little did Sweetie Belle know is that those three were hiding under one of the trailers, scared of moving out. "Oh hay, this is bad," Daily said as some of Produsa's hair whipped right by them. "Do any of us have a plan?" Tara asked them. "Just stay quiet and we'll be fine. After all, the real Filly Fighter Girls can beat this crazy mare easily!" Cathy would have to eat her words as Miss Chill was finally knocked down by one of Produsa's attacks. The three were shocked to see her go down. "Ha! Your leader's down. What are you going to do now?" the villain taunted them. "Ah' don't know what they'll do, but here's what AH'LL DO!" Mr. McCracken then raised himself out of his aquarium and onto the ground. He then let lose every single one of his tentacles, grabbing each lock of hair that the pony had been swinging around. "Nopony is gonna stop mah' picture!" he declared, pulling on the hair as hard as he could. Produsa pulled back as well, putting the two into a deadlock while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo went to fight her. "So you think you've got me beat, calamari? I'm afraid I have some bad news for you; that hair is only from my mane!" She suddenly used her tail to grab the two fillies that were still flying, along with Apple Bloom, and started squeezing tightly. "I'll finish these three off, and then I'll handle you!" She cackled violently as victory appeared to be at hand. "Alright, we HAVE to do something!" Tara said to the other actresses. "You're right, but what can we actually do? Think, come on, think!" Cathy thought as hard as she could, trying to find a way to solve their dilemma. "Ugh, I wish I had some gum. I always think clearer when chewing it." In a moment of revelation, the actress had an idea. "That's it! Girls, do you have any gum?" "Come on, Cathy! We really need to come up with a plan," Daily told her. "But that's it! What's the worst thing that could possibly get stuck in your hair?" The two realized where she was going with this before yelling out, "GUM!" "Exactly! I have tons of the stuff in my trailer. I, um, may be a little addicted to the stuff. Anyway, we need to chew up all we can and get it into her hair. You with me?" The two nodded, and the three quickly galloped into Cathy's trailer with all their might. "So, those pesky actresses are still here? I'll take care of them soon." Produsa focused on keeping the giant squid it bay while trying to squeeze the life out of the girls. It was all very taxing. Several minutes passed, nothing happening. The hair-themed villain felt as if she were between a rock and a hard place, having to divert the strength she had in her tail to her mane to keep control. She hoped that soon enough, the three Fighter Filly Girls would lose and she could then focus on the director she hated so much. "Hey, Produsa!" called out Cathy. The villain soon turned to meet the call and was met with a wad of gum hitting her in the face. "Is this…gum? HOW DARE YOU GET GUM IN MY HAIR! I'LL-" Another wad soon landed to the side of her face. And another. Soon a rain of sticky fell upon her, causing her locks to become sticky and hard to move. "GRAH!" she yelled out, using her tail to try and hit her assailants. "You won't stand a chance with…oh," was her expression when she realized what she had been holding with her tail was now let go. "So, how about we give your do some shock!" Scootaloo charged of her lightning and then clapped her hooves together with all her might. The air became filled with static charge, making Produsa's strong and luscious hair become frizzy and unmanageable. With her locks of hair no longer and thick and tough as they were, the girls were able to use Heat Vision to cut it. "NOOOOO!" she bellowed, seeing her precious hair destroyed before her very eyes. Her long hair was now short and practically useless in combat. "I won't let you get away with this! I'll-" Her speech about vengeance was cut short as three tentacles wrapped together collapsed down on her, crushing not only her body, but her hopes. "NOPONY MESSES WITH MCCRACKEN!" the director yelled out, brimming with anger and excitement. "ANY OTHER CREATURES WANNA MESS WITH A MAD ARTIST?" "Ah' think we're good, Mr. McCracken," Apple Bloom said, trying to calm the director before he decided to destroy Ponyville. "So, everything looks good then! Thanks for the help you three," she said, directed at Cathy, Tara, and Daily, each of whom was coming out of their outpost filled with pre-chewed gum wads. "No problem! We couldn't let her defeat you while we just stood and watched. It was all thanks to Cathy with her idea with gum." "I can't take all the credit for it all, Tara. Daily Doo was awesome when it came to chewing all that gum. I've never seen somepony put twenty sticks of gum at once and chew it at the same rate as a pony with one stick." "I have to admit I was good at that. Tara, you were really fast with shooting that gum! I saw you shoot, like, a piece per second." "I know! I didn't even know I could do that. You guys are pretty cool, you know that? I don't even know why we fought before." "Maybe because we felt like we got the wrong roles for the film. Honestly, I feel more comfortable playing the role of Danger Dash more than ever!" "Same here! Cathy, I'm sorry that I've been mean to you. I just wanted to play a character that ponies thought were intelligent and tough. Most ponies usually cast me as 'innocent' and 'harmless', saying, 'Oh, Tara can't play a role like that! She's too sweet!" Tara was really starting to bear her heart to what seemed to be her new friends. "It's alright. Truth is, I only applied to that role because it seems like characters that are smart and cool are all I can play. Sometimes I'd just like to have fun with a role. They'll think that Cathy's supposed to be this big name actress and play big roles." The two looked at Daisy, expecting her to reveal something. "Honestly, I never had any issues with you two. I just want to act, so when you started bickering I just got really angry. Huh, maybe the fact that I can't stand fighting, making me angry, is why I don't actually have any friends. If we ever had a disagreement I'd get angry and they'd be scared away." "Aww. We know what that's like to get angry. After all, look at how we are right now. We aren't scared away by fighting or you being angry," Cathy let Daily Doo know. Daily was so happy to hear that from somepony. She was so happy to hear that that she immediately hugged the two in her arms. She could finally have friends that wouldn't be scared away. "Well, all's well that ends well. Now, let's get things cleaned up and make a movie!" Scootaloo yelled out. "Ya kiddin' me! All our stuff if wrecked, an' the studio will have mah' head fer this! Besides, the more ah' think on it, a movie doesn't seem appropriate fer this kind of situation. Too many things to cover in one film. Thinkin' of tryin' mah hand with animation, ya know?" McCracken rubbed what appeared to be his chin while he thought this idea through. "Ya know what? I'll do just that! Gold Glimmer, ya here?" "Yes, sir," she said, peeping her head out of a trash can. "Make a note to contact some of mah animation connections. Several ponies of interest: Jenny Tartsy, Savvy Nose, Rina Dodgers, and McTire, a mechanic who's actually pretty good with animation." "Should I include Miss Joust, sir?" Gold asked, a smirk on her face while she did. "Brave Joust?" McCracken seemed to blush when he said her name. "Um, sure, why not? She's done well on other projects, like that one involving dancing cats. Anyway, we'll need voice actresses. Tara, ah' know you've got experience with that, so ah' want you to still have yer part. Ya know any ponies who have experience as well?" The two friends looked sad when they heard that. It meant that they wouldn't be able to work together, just after all they had been through. "Sir, if I may be blunt, I think that Cathy and Daily Doo would be perfect to do the voices of them," Tara told the director to the delight of her new friends. "Alright then. Let the guards clean up an' we're done here! Thank ye, Fighter filly Girls, fer yer cooperation in this production." McCracken and his assistant, along with the three new friends, went off, leaving the girls alone. "Well, that was interesting," Sweetie Belle said. Captain Obvious would be so proud. "Yeah. So, you girls wanna catch a movie?" Scootaloo received glares of disbelief, followed by an apathetic 'ok'. "Awesome! I really wanna watch that new comedy about dancing cats. Sounds interesting." The three set off to the theater, hoping to see said movie about cats and dancing. So once again that day was saved, by BOTH Fighter Filly Girls! Oh, and a giant squid. === Green Is Their Color === Chapter 8: Green Is Their Color A week had passed since the film incident, the town still talking about what had happened with the villainous mare. Nopony had seen anything like that done before with hair, even Rarity with her knowledge of all things fabulous. The three Fighter Filly Girls were glad that they didn't have to deal with any more super powered ponies for the moment and used that time to rest. Sweetie Belle decided to work on her Sonic Scream so she could control it, as well as trying to figure out if she had another personal ability. Scootaloo spent her free time flying outside of Ponyville, appreciating the sights of the world and simply being able to relax. She found this to be the most enjoyable part of her powers, seeing as she had wanted to fly her entire life and now had the opportunity to. Apple Bloom had recently discovered a love of reading highly informational books now that she understood everything that was being said. She also decided to balance the family's budget at the dismay of Big Mac, who apparently had been using a unique balancing system for checks that required certain bills to be paid and other checks cancelled before going through. Sadly she wasn't as smart as she thought she was at everything. Whatever was going on though, the girls were thoroughly enjoying themselves. One day after classes were finished, the girls met to have shakes at Sugar Cube Corner. Things were going well for Apple Bloom with her new intelligence, quickly becoming the top student in the class. She had just found that out today and that was what they were celebrating right then. "Another round, Mr. Cake!" ordered Apple Bloom. "Right away, girls!" he replied, filling up the glasses with their favorite flavors. He then put them on a tray and delivered it to them. "So, anything special going on with you three? You seem awfully cheery today." "Yeah! We just heard that Apple Bloom's now the smartest student in our class!" Sweetie Belle explained. "Aww shucks, it's nothing." Apple Bloom was embarrassed by all the attention her new intelligence had brought to her. She also felt a little guilty about it as well due to the fact that it was all because of super powers and not hard work, but her friends told her that being naturally good at something is fine as well. She still felt wrong about it at times. "Don't be so modest! It's quite an achievement. Why, when I was your age-" Mr. Cake's sad childhood story would have to wait, as at that moment a large group of green creatures entered his shop. "Hey, Mr. Cake. Me n' my boys just decided to drop in and see whatcha got. You mind?" asked one of the creatures, dressed smoothly with shades. "Oh, um, sure thing Mr. Flush sir," Mr. Cake responded nervously. "HEY! Toldja to call me by my full name! It's Royal Flush, not Mr. Flush. Sounds like something completely different," he yelled out, making the girls laugh. He glared at the three with a vicious glare, stopping the three in their chuckling. "Anyway, hope ya don't mind if we sample some things now, do ya?" "Boys, I'm sorry but I can't let you-" the concerned shop owner was interrupted as the leader of the group took him into his arm. "Now now, we can't have that going on. Boys, time to sample the wares!" The group spread out and started eating some of the sweets in the store. There was one who looked incredibly thin and was helping himself to the taffy. Another was small, about the size of the girls, and was digging into the milkshake machine. There was also a large guy who barely managed to squeeze through the doorway that was chowing down on the rock candy. Lastly was another of what the girls assumed to be the same creature, seeing as it looked more feral than the others who at least could speak, and was chugging pop rocks into his mouth. "Excuse me, but who are you guys?" Apple Bloom finally asked the group. "The name's Royal Flush, and this skinny guy here is Slender, the big guy is Large Larry, tiny guy is Pico Pequeno, and the guy who can't really be described is Digger. Togetha' we're the Green Goblin Gang." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked on with anger as they saw the shop being ransacked, while Scootaloo seemed to be in a trance at the boss' words. Sadly they wouldn't be able to do anything without giving away their secret identities, so they decided to bide their time. "Alright, the moment they leave, we find a place to change and stop them, alright?" "Sure," Sweetie Belle answered to their leader's plan. The two looked at Scootaloo, noticing that she wasn't responding. "Oh, um, sure," she quickly told the two as she felt the eyes on the back of her neck. The Green Goblin Gang soon exited the shop, the three following them, feeling awful for leaving Mr. Cake in his time of need. "Hope he'll be okay," Sweetie Belle said. "He will be when he sees those punks behind bars. Come on!" Apple Bloom led her friends to a nearby alley where they took out their costumes and through them up into the air, flying straight into them and then chasing after the gang. "There they are!" Sweetie Belle told the group, pointing at the five green goblins as they were picking on some kids who were in the park. "Hey, kid, you want your ball back?" RF asked the small colt. "Y-yes mister." "Well then, CATCH!" The leader of the gang through the ball straight into the face of the small colt, knocking him on the ground and making him cry. The group laughed when they saw this and started to tease him more. "Stop right there!" Apple Bloom yelled out, causing the gang's attention to be redirected. "You three should be ashamed of yourselves, picking on an innocent foal." "Miss Chill, ya got it all wrong! We weren't picking on the kid, we were just, uh, playing with him. He dropped his ball and I just picked it up and threw it back to him a little too hard. Nothing criminal." Royal then walked over to the kid and helped him up. "You okay, kid?" "Yeah," he answered nervously. "See, all's well that ends well. Nothing but a kid and his ball." "I doubt that Mr. Cake feels the same way about you and his shop," said Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo seemed to almost be sitting this one out. "We was just having some samples. He didn't object or nothing. If he did, be sure that we would've stopped right then and there. In fact, next time I go there with my boys, we'll buy some of his delicious wares, am I right?" "Hehe, sure thing boss," Slender hissed out. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had an incredulous look on their faces, not believing a word said. Scootaloo seemed taken in however. "Um, girls? I actually think we should give them a second chance," she finally said, shocking her friends. "Are you serious?" Apple Bloom had to ask. "Well, they don't really seem dangerous. They just seem like they're playing around. Not much else. Are we gonna beat them up for that?" Apple Bloom thought this over and realized, even though it hurt, that her friend had a point. "Oh, alright. Just don't get into any more trouble." The gang cheered when they heard that and started walking away. "Thanks Miss Chill, Strong Song, and ESPECIALLY Danger Dash," Flash thanked the group, pointing a finger at Scootaloo and winking. The little filly blushed at that, her friends noticing. "Uh, what just happened?" the two asked the blushing filly. "What? I just thought that they were innocent, that's all. Let's look around for any other things going on in Ponyville." She then sped off, nervous about what her friends got any more suspicious. The town of Ponyville! A marvelous place to live where the weather is always nice, animals frolic in peace, and the kindest ponies in the world live with each- BRRRRRRRRING! BRRRRRRRRING! Hold on and let me get that. Hello? "Yeah, I'm just calling to ask you if your refrigerator is running." Yes it is, why? "Well then, you better go catch it!" What?! Who is this? I'm the narrator! When I find out who this is I'll make sure to describe you in a negative manner! Hello? "Hahaha! What a chump!" Oh great, it's Royal Flush and his gang making prank calls. I hope he breaks his dialing finger. "Alright, who's next?" the big, dumb looking guy asked his big, dumb looking crew. "Ooh! Me, boss! Me!" begged Slender. "Sure thing." The phone was handed over and a random number was picked out of a phone book. The phone hummed, followed by a pony's greeting. "Hello?" "Yeah, I'm looking for somepony named Ignatius Peppercorn Freely. Friends call him I.P. Is he around there?" "I'll call out for him. Hey, I.P.! I.P! Everypony, I.P. Freely!" Chuckling could be heard on the other line as the other ponies that were there new that it was a prank. "Why you little-" he was cut off, the gang laughing at how well that went. "I've got another one," he said, dialing another number. Somepony picked up the phone and introduced them. "Trot Comics, how can I help you?" "Yes, I'm looking for a fellow by the name of Bates. He's a Lord, so I'm afraid he only responds if you first call him 'Master'. Could you please get a hold of him?" The group snickered as they heard this and barely held it in while they waited for her to come back. What happened next they did not expect. "Yes, Bates here," was the response. They were shocked that somepony actually answered to that and tried to come up with another joke to recover from this. "I was just wondering if you had heard about me losing my dear dog. Have you seen my wei-" "Listen, I already knew that this was a prank call that my receptionist told me that somepony asked to call me Master. Honestly, I deal with that joke so much that it's become a cliché in my life. So, yeah, come up with better material or something." The phone was hung up, leaving the group stunned at what just happened. "Aww, that was awful!" Royal yelled out in his shriek, freakish, poopy voice. "Sorry boss, won't happen again. I'll get better." "No! I mean who we're calling! This is chump stuff. We're better than this. We should go for something big, you know?" The group mumbled in agreement with their boss. "Think, who could we prank on a level that big?" As if to answer their question, a flyer blew right into Royal's ugly face, on it something of interest. Questions for the Mayor? Call her now! 301-607-8492 "Boys, I know just what to do." Mayor Mare was working at her desk signing papers and different bills that would help shape Ponyville. She recently had to deal with tons of cleanup requests she was getting thanks to the new villains attacking the town. For her though, this wasn't that much difference of her normal day for her. She remembered the times she had to deal with rebuilding the town after the Parasprites ate everything, or the time a giant dragon had suddenly started rampaging. The amount of stress cleaning up after Discord put her through almost made her declare herself Supreme Leader of Ponyville and execute anypony that even looked at her funny. She had some rough times. BRRRRRRRRRING! rang the phone on her desk. She picked it up, expecting some regular call about a boring meeting or filling out those TPS reports, even though that wasn't even related to her job. She picked up the phone, annoyance in her voice. "Hello?" "Is this Mayor Mare?" a smooth, gentle voice asked. "Yes. Who may I ask is calling?" "It is I, Princess Celestia." Oh, buck. "PRINCESS! I'm so sorry for not properly greeting you. To what do I owe this honor?" "Actually I am the one who is honored, for today I have the honor of awarding you the 'Mayor of the Decade' Award for all your hard work in managing Ponyville. I request that you come immediately to Canterlot so I may bestow the award to you. Are you able to come at this moment?" "RIGHT AWAY, MAM!" The Mayor was so excited to hear that news! She was finally being appreciated for all the work she put into making this town run. She packed her bags and was ready to run out the door just before she realized that she hadn't thanked the princess yet. "Oh, thank you for this honor your highness. I hope the town can manage to be without me leading it for a day." "I already have a solution for that. Right outside you will find a group of five suitable gentlemen that I have sent to take over for you. I hope that you enjoy your trip to Canterlot. See you soon!" The princess hung up, leaving the Mayor in a state of euphoria. She rushed out her front door and saw the group of gentlemen the princess had mentioned. "Here's the key to the town. Good luck!" she yelled out, tossing the key to them as she ran to the train station. She couldn't wait to get her award. Her trip would turn out to be different from what she expected. "Well boys, looks like we're in the big leagues now. Good job, Digger. Didn't know you could do that with your voice." The goblin responded to his boss with a burp. "Now that we have the mayor's phone, we can make the greatest prank calls ever! Find her address book and we'll find the best ponies to prank." The group entered the mayor's office, looking around for the book. "Hey, boss man, I found it!" Pico yelled out. Royal grabbed the book and started flipping through its pages. He started laughing as he saw several names that he thought would make great targets. "Alright Digger, better get you Mayor Mare impression ready, 'cause we're about to make a couple calls!" Mayor Mare had gotten in line to buy a ticket, waiting gleefully for the line to move so she could take the next train to Canterlot. She had her ticket money ready and hoped that her ride would be pleasant. It had been so long since she had actually left Ponyville with all the duties she needed to perform. "Next," the mare in the booth called, pushing the line forward. There were only three other ponies in front of her now. The bag she brought with her was a bit heavy, so waiting was starting to put a strain on her back. Hopefully she could sit down after purchasing her ticket. "Next," was called again, now making it two ahead of her. She'd be in the clear soon. "Excuse me, mam, but could I check the contents of your bag?" a security colt asked her. "What?" she asked, confused by the question. "The bag, mam. We wish to investigate its contents." "Oh," the mayor said to herself, remembering the security measures she had installed in the train station recently to cut down on any possible accidents, or attacks, from occurring. "Look, you do know who I am, so could we not do that here? I'm hoping to purchase a ticket." "Mam, I cannot allow you to purchase a ticket until I see the contents of that bag. You have been randomly selected and must follow procedure." The guard seemed to be getting more agitated the longer this took. "Next," the mare at the window called out, only one pony being in the way of the mayor purchasing a ticket. "Oh, fine," she said, handing over her bag to the guard. She felt somewhat relieved to have that large bag off of her however. She stretched out a little before noticing that she was now at the front of the line and that the train had just pulled in. She approached the counter, but was quickly stopped by the guard. "Mam, what is this?" he asked her, holding out a bottle. She got nervous and didn't want to answer the question. "It's, um, personal," she replied hoping that would be enough. "Mam, answer the question." Another guard overheard him and came over, looking like he was ready to offer aid in case something went down. "Please, I don't want to say it out loud. It's…embarrassing for a lady to say. I mean, a bunch of colts like you asking that sort of stuff." "Please answer the question, mam," a mare security guard demanded. It didn't look like she would be getting out of this one. "Oh fine! It's hair dye, alright? I dye my hair with that stuff," she finally admitted, embarrassed as she told the three of them. "Chemicals like this aren't allowed on board, mam. You'll have to leave this here," the female guard told the mayor. "Oh. Well, can I at least bring this?" The mayor started to pull out a large, oblong metal object from her bag, causing the two colts to suddenly be alarmed. "WEAPON! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!" they yelled out as they both jumped on her. The mayor was crushed, the object she pulled out being revealed. The two guards blushed as they saw what she had in her bag. "Oh, um, wow, this is embarrassing," one of the colts said as he saw the object on the ground. "Should we pick this up or-" "Oh for goodness- it's a curling iron you two," the female guard told her coworkers. They looked even more embarrassed after hearing that bit. "We know. Still..." Mayor Mare was able to come to, just in time to see her train leave without her. Looks like this trip was going to take longer than expected. Mr. Quill was having a nice day, having sold thirty quills and three couches today. This looked like it was a good day for his unorthodox business. It was just about lunchtime when he received a phone call. He looked at his caller I.D. and noticed that the caller was from City Hall. "Hello and welcome to Quills and Couches! How may I help you?" "This is Mayor Mare, I have terrible news! I've just been informed that the location where you bought your couches from is suffering a terrible flea infestation." "You mean Fillydelphia?" he asked, confused at this news. He hadn't heard of anything like that on the news. "Yes, Fillydelphia. They've been keeping it quiet to not make a big scare. Anyway, I need for you to take all of your couches outside and burn them this very instant." "WHAT?! Mayor Mare, these couches are my livelihood! What will I do without them?" "Just sell your quills?" "Oh. Okay then. Bye." The sad colt knew what he had to do and dragged the couches out into the street and piled them together to the best of his abilities. Using some gasoline he had lying around, he spread it over the couches, lit a match, and set them aflame. He tried not to, but ended up crying. "Oh well!" he said, suddenly snapping out of his sadness. "I guess I'll just sell quills for now then. At least I'm not like Breezy Fan with his shop, selling only one item. How ridiculous would that be?" Mayor Mare managed to catch the last train out of Ponyville just in time after being interrogated by the guards. They had kept her under the suspicion she was a changeling and interrogated her for two hours straight. She barely managed to get a ticket and get on the train before it left. "I'll have to remind myself to reduce funding for the guards," she told herself as she positioned herself in her seat. She decided to leave her luggage at the station so she wouldn't have to deal with any more searching nonsense. She just hoped that what she was wearing would be good enough for the princess. "Alright folks, checking tickets!" the conductor yelled. The mayor checked herself for her ticket so she could get it stamped, noticing something was wrong. "Uh oh," she said, realizing that she had misplaced her ticket. Normally she'd store something like that in a bag, but she wasn't wearing one. Her only hope rests in the inability of the conductor to see her. "Ticket, mam." Horse apples. "Um, excuse me sir, but I seem to have misplaced my ticket." She put on her best face and hoped that the conductor would understand enough to let her pass. "No ticket, huh? Don't worry! I know what to do to help out. Follow me." The conductor led the mayor to the door that would lead her into the next car and opened it. The mayor assumed that he was leading her into the next car, but she was promptly lifted up into the air and given a swift kick outside of the train. The conductor then turned his head to the car filled with onlookers and yelled out, "SHE DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET." The rest of the passengers immediately raised their tickets in the air. "Buck me!" Mayor Mare yelled to herself as she ran after the train. She managed to climb aboard a railroad car just in time. She had landed in mud and was now wet and filthy with no change of clothes available. She realized that she also didn't have any money on her as well, another problem caused by her leaving her luggage behind. Hopefully the princess would help pay for travel on the way back after hearing how she was treated. That was the only thing keeping her going at this point. Breezy Fan was enjoying his day, loving how the weather was hot and humid in town. Whenever it was like this he would usually have tons of business. Nopony had come in yet, but he knew once that noon weather hit that the ponies would soon start to pile in. He ate his lunch and waited in anticipation for the first several customers to arrive when he received a phone call. "Breezy's Fans! Our service will blow you away. How can we help you?" "This is Mayor Mare, calling to warn you that I just received a report that a shipment of fans headed to our town was using defective parts and may explode. I'm here to ask that you remove all fans from sale and leave them outside for proper authorities to take them away safely." Breezy suddenly went blank at this news. He couldn't believe a word of what he was hearing right then. "But, but how can I even run my store without fans? That's what I sell," he asked, trying to figure out this mess he now had to deal with. "Sell quills then," the Mayor told him. "But Quills and Couches has a monopoly on quills! I can't do that!" The phone had been hung, up, leaving Breezy with his soon to be disposed fans. He gathered them all in a box and placed them outside. Tears swelled up in his eyes, his work being destroyed. He saw his enemy, Mr. Quill, outside with is burning couches. "Hah! Guess you don't have anything else to sell now!" he yelled out, taunting the shop owner. "Eat my wind, Quill!" Breezy said, turning on his large fans and directing them at his burning couches. The flames almost hit Quill, scorching his mane a bit. Breezy was about to laugh, just as all the fans that were on exploded. Shrapnel shot out in every direction, causing the two ponies to take cover under anything they could. This day could not get any worse for the two ponies. "Wow. I guess those fans really were defective," Royal Flush commented as he looked over the carnage in the streets through the office window. "So, who should we call next?" "I got one!" Large Larry yelled, raising his hand up. "Here, I'll write it out." He grabbed a pencil and wrote something down before handing it to Digger. Digger then dialed the number on the paper and waited for the phone to be picked up. "Hello?" the pony asked. "Yes, is this Miss Diamond Tiara?" Digger asked with his Mayor impersonation. "Mayor? Is that you?" "Why yes. I just wish to congratulate you on being a finalist in Ponyville's Prettiest Mare Contest. You and one other contestant will come to Town Hall and be determined who's the prettiest. Please come at this moment. The first pony to come through the doors will automatically be considered the winner." "Ha! I'm a shoe in to win! I'll be there right away!" Tiara hung up and Digger dialed the other number on the list. "Hello?" the other pony answered. "Is this Silver Spoon? I'm Mayor Mare, and I'm calling to congratulate you on being a finalist in Ponyville's Prettiest Mare Contest! Please come to Town Hall immediately, as the first pony to arrive will be considered the winner." "OHMYGOSH!" she yelled before hanging up. Now all the gang had to do is sit back and watch. Silver Spoon galloped with all the strength her little hooves could carry her. She couldn't believe that she had actually qualified to win a contest based on looks. She had always felt down about how she looked with her glasses and white hair, but now she was actually going to win! Or, at least she hoped she would with the way she was running. The Town Hall was in sight, along with the sight of two ponies fighting with flaming furniture and fans. She ignored them and proceeded to the door, just before seeing her friend as well heading to the door. "Hey, Diamond Tiara, I'm a finalist for Ponyville's Prettiest Mare!" she yelled to her friend, giddy with excitement. "Me too! What a coincidence," her friend replied. "As soon as one of us enters through the door, we win." "Heh, yeah. One of us." Silver Spoon's words soon made the situation clear that only one of them would leave the victor. "So, how's this gonna work?" "Honestly, I think I should win since looks are my thing. You thing is, um, something with spoons apparently," Diamond Tiara had the mistake of saying out loud. "EXCUSE ME?" her friend retorted. "You think I couldn't be called pretty?" "You are, just, not…as much as me?" Silver Spoon was about to make her eat her words, along with some dirt. "Oh, you-!" Silver Spoon started the onslaught of insults that would be exchanged. At first it was childlike, but soon it involved words starting with "s", words beginning with "w", and then shockingly enough was a word that began with "c". The Green Goblin Gang was actually shocked when they heard children using those words, but that soon became laughter. The two ponies started physically fighting each other, first with hooves, and then with the fans and flaming couches that were nearby. The two colts who had been insulting each other were at a loss for words when they saw this. This was certainly an odd day for Ponyville. The train had finally arrived at Canterlot station at about six in the evening, a tired Mayor coming off of the car she had snuck onto. She snuck out and luckily security wasn't going to stop her (she assumed it was because they thought she was simply a homeless pony taking shelter in the station). She trotted into town, thinking that things could only get better from there. She walked through the streets of the city, taking in all the sights as she looked around for directions. She came across a city guide who was a bit scared of her appearance. She soon got directions to the castle and walked their as quickly as possible, hoping to not attract too much attraction among these elite ponies. Soon enough, she had arrived at the gates of Canterlot Castle, only to be greeted by guards blocking her path. "Halt! State your business," they demanded. "I'm Mayor Mare, the recipient of the Mayor of the Decade Award. Her Highness invited me over here. "Uh, there is no award like that. Please, step away from the castle gate." "Nonononononononono you don't understand. I just travelled straight from Ponyville after the princess herself called me. You must let me in," she pleaded. "Sorry, but I can't let you do that, Miss, um, what's your name?" "Mayor Mare." "No, mam, I mean your full, actual name. Not your title." She looked exasperated for a moment, sighing before she told them, "My actual name is Mayor Mare. It's not a title. My parents, in all their wisdom, gave me that name when I was born." The two guards snickered at this statement before returning to form. "I'm sorry, but we weren't told to let anypony by your name through. Now would you kindly-" "Oh, hello there," a soft, gentle voice said, interrupting the guard. It was none other than Princess Celestia herself that was there. "PRINCESS! Please tell me you know who I am! I've had the absolute worst time getting here and I need you to tell these buffoons that you invited me here for the Mayor of the Decade Award." Mayor started to look insane as she told Celestia this. The princess honestly had no proper response to this. "Uh, I'm sorry, but could you tell me who you are?" "I'm Mayor Mare, the Mayor of Ponyville! You know, the town that's constantly attacked and yet I help to rebuild quickly each time?" Her eyes had started to twitch under that stress. "Oh, yes! I'm sorry, but no such award exists. I believe somepony must have played a prank on you. I apologize for your troubles however," she replied to the tired official. "But, who-" the duped mayor stopped as she thought over her recent newsletters about a gang of strange goblins who had started causing trouble in town. She now remembered who exactly she had given the key to her office to as well when she left. "THOSE FIVE ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE! I'm sorry, Princess, but I must leave soon. I do have one question though; what do you think of my career as mayor?" "It's, uh, satisfactory. Keep it up," the princess told her before walking off. The Mayor started emanating a high-pitched squeal after hearing that. "So, after all my work, I'm merely 'satisfactory'. Huh. I guess I'll head back to Ponyville now and destroy several hooligans." "But Mayor," the guard warned her, saying, "the train isn't up for that location until tomorrow." "Oh, I'm not taking the train. I'm running there right now." In a rage-induced flash, the mayor soon rushed to her town. It was just about midnight in Ponyville, and things weren't looking so good in the town. Other ponies had been called outside to the Town Hall, each of them getting in awful situations that resulted in them fighting. Soon the mob had had become self-sustaining, the Green Goblin Gang laughing as they witnessed their work. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were now leading opposing gangs against each other, one called the Order of the Burning Couch and the other being the Fans of Fury. The Cakes were in full revenge mode against the other bakers and chefs in town, each dueling each other with instruments of their own food preparation profession. The Mane Six also ended up getting involved, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack getting caught up in a religious/science debate. Fluttershy ended up leading a group of animals against the local exterminator who, in return, retaliated by putting on a gas mask and other accessories such as his poison and spraying at everything. The local jewelry store was now attempting to make Rarity their Queen and lead them into a new age of jewel filled prosperity, something she was now genuinely considering. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were the only sane ones left, each of them watching this all with horror. The Fighter Filly Girls arrived to the scene, having no idea where to start. "I can't tell what's going on or what to do!" Apple Bloom yelled out. If she had no idea about what was happening, then you could tell that things were bad. "I stop one fight and ten others pop up. I don't think we can handle this." "Yeah. It's not like we can just punch them and stop everything. I think that might make things worse," Scootaloo replied thoughtfully. Sweetie Belle was about to add something, but was soon interrupted by a sonic boom that occurred when the mayor had entered into the town, stopping right in front of the Town Hall. "STOP!" she yelled out, causing the mob to cease. "I'm guessing you all, or at least most of you, received a call from me. First, let me assure you that it was not me, but a prankster. Secondly, I will personally take care of this mess. Fighter Filly Girls, let me handle this one." She then entered the building, looking for revenge. She entered her office, seeing the Green Goblin Gang laughing it up at all the chaos they had caused with just a telephone. They soon saw the Mayor enter the office and turned their attention to her. "So, Mayor Mare, what a pleasant surprise to see you back. How was Canterlot?" Royal Flush teased. "Silence. You know the absolute worst part of my trip there?" The Mayor asked. "Not sure, what?" the gang's leader received an answer in the form of a flying kick to the face, followed by being thrown out the window. "It wasn't being embarrassed at the train station," she told the group while bending Slender's back against her knee and throwing him out as well. "It wasn't the interrogation either," she yelled out while slamming Digger on the floor repeatedly. "It wasn't even the train ride from Tartarus," she added while punting Pico into Digger, sending them both out the window as well. "The worst part," she finished, lifting Large Larry effortlessly into the air before throwing him out the window, crushing the gang under his massive weight, "was that I was called simply 'satisfactory'! I am the best mayor ever! Now stop fighting and clean this all up! I'm going to bed." The entire town just stared for a moment at the defeated gang before being hauled off by the guards. They then started apologizing to each other and cleaning up the messes they had made. "Wow. And I thought that I was a good leader," Apple Bloom told her friends. "Be glad that nothing happened between you and that gang leader, Scoots." "Oh, shut it." The group laughed before heading off to home, glad that the insanity was over. So once again, the day was saved, not by the Fighter Filly Girls, but by the dutiful public servant, Mayor Mare! === Who is She? === Chapter 9: Who is She? Sweetie Belle woke up from her bed, yawning as she got up. She liked the new roof that the insurance company had paid for; it somehow looked nicer than their last one. She went downstairs to eat breakfast, saying hello to her parents. "Hi mom! Hi dad!" "Hmm," they responded. They must have still been tired. It was pretty early in the morning. "Hey, today in class we're gonna make macaroni pictures of who we admire. I was gonna do a picture of Rarity!" Sweetie Belle smiled when she told them this. Her parents were always happy to see her and Rarity get along. "Well, at least it's not about us," the father said. "Hehe, alright. Well, I'll just grab my toast and head out now. Bye!" She grabbed the toast in her mouth and ran off, hoping to meet her friends before class. Oddly enough, her parents didn't say goodbye. "Ugh. Can't believe this," Apple Bloom moaned as she walked into the classroom. She was almost late for class and covered in mud. "What's wrong?" Scootaloo asked. "Everypony in my family is acting nuts! This morning, they made me buck all the apples off of the trees, clean the entire farm, do the family finances even though I'm apparently not qualified, and make a pie!" "That last one doesn't sound too bad," Sweetie Belle commented. "Ah couldn't use the oven." "Oh." "Ah mean, with powers and all it wasn't too bad, but the fact that they made me do it all was simply crazy! You know how I could've even baked a pie without an oven or heat vision? I sure don't." "Well, at least you're here now. Hopefully today will get better." "Thanks, Sweetie Belle. Can't wait to start this project!" Cheerilee came into the classroom with her bags and settled down at her desk. "Now class, there's been a change to our project today. Instead of making macaroni pictures of somepony you admire, I want you to make an illustration of one or several of your classmates. You may begin." The three girls started doodling pictures of some of their classmates. Scootaloo decided to draw a picture of Featherweight flying through the air. Sweetie Belle drew a picture of Truffle Shuffle making a sandwich. Apple Bloom tried her hoof at illustrating Twist making some candy. The three were proud of their drawings and submitted them to the teacher. For some reason she was frowning when the three of them came up to her desk. "Alright, now it's time to hang up the pictures. Grab somepony else's picture and place it around the classroom." The classmates went up and grabbed a picture from the pile of freshly made drawings. The girls picked up their random pictures, each one being shocked by what they saw. Scootaloo was angry when she saw a picture of the girls with stinky lines around them with the word 'Ew!' written on it. Sweetie Belle started chocking up a bit when she saw a drawing of her having a dumb face with a dunce cap on her. Apple Bloom dropped her drawing of her when she saw her drawing was of her with the line 'NO PARENTS!' on it. They all went to Cheerilee with the drawing in hand. "Teacher! Somepony drew these really mean drawings of us!" Apple Bloom told her. "Let me see them." The pictures were handed over to her and gleaned. Then, to the surprise of the three fillies, the teacher laughed. "Oh girls, these are pretty good! The ponies that drew these definitely have talent. I have to say that the rest of the class seems to share it as well!" They turned around to see that other pictures of the three we drawn as well, each of them somehow looking meaner than the last one. "The only three pictures that I consider completely unacceptable are these," she told them, showing them the drawings they had made. The teacher crumpled up the papers and threw them in a wastebasket. "Now, everypony who drew those lovely pictures can go home early while you three write a paper on what you did wrong. Until then you may not leave." "WHAT?!" the girls yelled out. Today was not going well. The girls got out about an hour later than when classes were supposed to end, depressed with their experience that day. The first hour they needed to write the paper they were completely dumbfounded. They had no idea what was going on with everypony, but they knew something weird was going on and painfully wrote a paper on each of their flaws. They decided to calm down with some time at Sugarcube Corner. "Is it just me, or have the ponies been acting really weird today?" Sweetie Belle asked her friends. "Yeah. I mean, when have they been this mean to us? Did we do something to them?" Scootaloo put her head into her hooves as she thought this situation over. "I dunno, but I hope it's just coincidence. Mr. Cake, the usual please." "Naw. You girls definitely have too many of my shakes. It's definitely showing on your guts." Apple Bloom's jaw nearly dropped to the table when he told her that. Her friends shared the same expression before they decided to storm out of there. "WHAT THE HAY IS GOING ON HERE?!" they all yelled out. A deep, sinister cackling was soon heard, getting louder and louder. A red mist soon appeared from the ground like a fog, forming into one location. It soon built up and formed a small cloud. Out of that cloud appeared what looked like the head of a sheep along with four griffon claws for feet. "Hello, girls," the strange creature greeted them in a deep, bass tone. "My, what a nice day, isn't it, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom? Oh, maybe you'd like it if I called you by your other names, Strong Song, Danger Dash, and Miss Chill. Don't be so surprised that I know who you are. I get around quite a lot." "Who are you?" the leader demanded. "I don't really have a name, but I feel that I should go by the name 'She'. It sounds fairly intimidating, don't you think? Mysterious to some degree. Yes, call me that name." She then whistled and suddenly the townsfolk started pouring into the town square, a strange look in their eyes. "I took the liberty of improving the manners of these ponies to something more…fitting. Well, at least for me." She then cackled, the voice becoming something of a high falsetto. "What have you done to our friends?!" Sweetie Belle demanded, starting to become frightened as they closed in on them. "Oh, just a bit of mind control and mental adjustment. Make them vicious. It's hard to fight against your loved ones, isn't it? I'm afraid they don't feel the same though." She floated in the air, humming as she saw the crowd getting closer and more agitated. "So, I think what I'll be asking that you do is-" She was interrupted by Scootaloo suddenly dashing straight into the growing mob of ponies, sending several of them flying. "You think you can just do that and we'll sit back and take it?" Scoots roared at their foe. "We'll knock them out right now so they don't get hurt any worse than they could've, right girls?!" "RIGHT!" the two yelled out. They immediately went to town on the town, absolutely shocking She. Sweetie Belle flew up into the sky and started her Sonic Scream, putting down several townsfolk Apple Bloom froze them in place with her Ice Breath, and Scootaloo continued doing her thing with dashing. "NO! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" She demanded, the villains voice becoming high-pitched. "YOU CAN'T HURT THEM!" "Uh, we kinda are," Scootaloo responded as she gave Cheerilee an uppercut that sent her flying straight into a pegasus. "I mean, they'll be fine once we knock them out of this, so, yeah." "I don't know why, but it's just a little fun," Sweetie Belle said sadistically when she messed up the dress that her sister was wearing, causing her to stop her attack out of shock. "How many other times can we actually do this after all? I'm sure we'll all laugh about this when it's all over," Apple Bloom told her right as she bucked her brother into Granny Smith and Applejack. "Oh yeah, well, deal with THIS!" She yelled, revealing Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, all with the strange glow in their eyes. They broke out into formation, Twilight being the first to move. She cast a spell placing the three crime fighters in a cage made out of magic. "Bet you can't get out of this, can you? No amount of strength will break this cage, so just give up." The three pondered Twilight's request, and then decided to debate such a deal with triple Heat Vision. The well-done mare keeled over, the magic cage disappearing without anypony to keep it stable. "So, what's next?" Scoots asked before seeing a blue streak heading straight at her. For a moment, the orange mare didn't have any idea of how to counter this, but then thought back to a previous situation like this when she fought Torchel. The mare prepared herself by placing her two front hooves together and lifting them up above her head and waited. Using her keen eyes, she waited until her idol came into range. At the last possible second, Scootaloo slammed her hooves down, plowing the blue pony straight into the ground. "Oh yeah!" "Don't party just yet! After all, I haven't even started!" Pinkie Pie started acting as if she were doing kung-fu moves before falling on her back, sending the Fighter Filly Girls into giggles. "Pinkie Pie, you crazy!" Apple Bloom joked, just before being shot back through several buildings. The two friends saw this and looked at Pinkie Pie wielding her Party Cannon like a weapon. "Now, let's get this started!" She started zooming around the square, firing cannon shots non-stop, almost taking out the two other girls. Every time either of the girls nearly hit Pinkie, she'd somehow dodge them and let lose her barrage. When She saw this, a smile formed across her face. "Ain't no party like a Pinkie Party cause a Pinkie Party don't stop!" Apple Bloom, not in a partying mood, came from behind and grabbed Pinkie's cannon and punched it into dust. "Party's over," she declared, the sad pink pony walking away at the sight of her favorite toy getting destroyed. "Oh dear," She said, noticing that there was nopony left to fight the girls. She could tell that this battle was over and decided to get out of there, turning into the red mist. "You may have won this round, but I'll be back! Hahahahaha!" "I don't think so!" Scoots yelled out, trapping their foe in a glass jar she found lying around. The mare then shook the jar around quickly, making the mist somehow look woozy as it floated down to the bottom of the jar. "Great job, Scoots!" Apple Bloom yelled out. The three soon noticed the ponies they had fought were finally coming around, the strange look in their eyes disappearing. They sounded like they were in pain, most likely because of the beating they got from the girls. "Well looks like things will be back to normal soon." The town had learned about how She had controlled everypony's mind and made them act mean to others, going so far as to attack their heroes. The hospital was busy for the next week, taking care of all the injuries that were dealt to them. "Well, it could have been worse," Scootaloo said as the parade of ponies covered in casts and bandaged walked out, making the three of them feel guilty. And so once again, the day was kinda saved, thanks to the Fighter Filly Girls! === Point Breakout! === Point Breakout! Baltimare Prison! The prime location in all of Equestria to lock up the most dangerous, dastardly, and devilish villains in Equestria. Some say that one of the reasons nopony ever tries to escape from there is because the guards have dealt with a lifetime of crime in the big city and have become the single greatest police officers in the land. Others say because the city is so bad that one might rather stay in their prison cells. Whatever the reason, this was the location of where the nemeses of the Fighter Filly Girls were kept. At this moment, Torchel Chelchel was talking out his situation. "Curses! Even with my genius mind, I cannot construct an escape plan that would be suitable due to my naturally slow speed and incredibly small stature. I would normally remedy this dilemma by constructing automatons, which would then construct other, larger automatons which would then do the same until the size at which the automatons was would reach diminishing returns, in which I would then order to carry out my schemes. However, I am left without any robotics in which to complete my plans and must utilize pure scheming without the aid of technology." "Shut yer yap, Torchel. Ah'm tryin ta sleep here," Furry told him through the next room. It was actually mere coincidence that these two were placed right next to each other. "Why can't you enjoy this time like me? Three meals a days, nice activities like license plate making; it's like one of em' fancy resorts." "Furry, you insufferable lummox, this place in which we are imprisoned is not at all like a luxury resort, nor is it fun. While you simply lay on your lethargic back, I could be out there conquering the world! Your laziness is appalling to me. After all, do you not wish to seek revenge on those pesky Fighter Filly Girls?" "Sure, but ah' can wait. After all, we can't just get up an' leave, now can we?" Furry then let out a long yawn and then started snoring. Torchel couldn't wait to get out of there, but he was far too weak to escape his imprisonment. If only he could convince his massive neighbor (or neighBEAR! HAHAHA!) to try and escape, but he only cared about his property and didn't look like he would budge otherwise. At that moment, Torchel came up with a brilliant plan. "Well, I suppose we could wait. After all, I'm fairly certain that these brutish guards will take great care of your precious weapon and hat. They certainly would never attempt to utilize your property like they do with other inmates where the items are auctioned off to the pony who has bid the most money." "They have Josie? THEY HAVE JOSIE! AH'M COMIN' GIRL!" Furry ran straight through his prison door, sending them flying straight out. Torchel couldn't see him, but he could hear vicious growling. "Where is she!" "I would be most willing in aiding you in your attempt to retrieve your personal belongings. However, I must ask that you take me out of this confining cell and take me with you so I may provide the appropriate information required to locate your desired items." The door to Torchel's cell was ripped off by the hinges by the now-red bear, who proceeded to place the genius tortoise on top of his own head. Torchel didn't fight this, seeing that the bear was already beyond annoyed. "Alright, I believe that the current exit to this facility is straight through these doors. If you would be so kind to-" Torchel couldn't finish his words before Furry ran straight through the doors. Right behind the doors however was not the fabled room of delights holding the weapons, but merely a broom closet. "Well, I'm guessing that you positioned me in the direction that made my previous statement incorrect. Please head straight toward the exit located right behind us." Torchel then quickly retreated into his shell, hoping to avoid the onslaught of doors he'd be crashing through. Three clunks later and the feral beast stopped his rampage. Looking out, the two of them saw the room filled with contraband and were in awe. "Ya know what?" Furry started. "This should ALL be mine now!" "No! Simply pick up your overpowered boomstick and proceed to the nearest exit from this correctional facility. It should be located in the Ponyville section under the date you went on your spree." With Torchel's help, the two of them quickly found the location of Furry's hat and precious gun and attempted to escape. It was actually pretty easy to get around the facility now that they could just blow open walls. Guards were trying to take cover while the two villains went charging around the place, looking for an exit. "No you troglodyte! Left is the opposite direction I told you to go, which was right. We have already passed through this place at least twice. You can tell by how many holes there are in the walls, remember?" "Stop yellin' at me! Ah' can't figure out this place. Too big for me n' you don't know what to do either." Furry was right; Torchel wasn't too sure about how to leave this place and was starting to worry that they were actually getting further into the complex. "Ya fellas looking for an exit?" a smooth voice asked the two villains. They turned to see that a smooth, green goblin was the one inquiring about their escape. "I can help you out, for a price of course." "I am to assume that do to the nature of your incarceration that you wish to join us in our escape as well and that you first ask that we aid you in escaping your legal confines. Very well; Furry, would you kindly?" Furry walked over to the cell and ripped off the bars. The green goblin then introduced himself as Royal Flush and began to explain his plan. The guards in the control room had heard the commotion and were getting everything prepared for the criminals escaping. They had been briefed that the large pink bear was dangerous and should be pacified by any means necessary while the tortoise on top was actually of no real threat without his companion. "So, does everypony have their weapons ready?" the warden asked his guards. His question was met with the cocking of tranquilizer rifles ready to take down any bears they may come across. "Alright, we'll wait for them to pass through the atrium and then let loose. Don't hold back on them; remember how much damage that rifle can do." The door to the room burst open, a green guard panting as he relayed his message. "They're trying to escape through the prison courtyard, not the exit! Hurry!" "You heard him! Stop them now!" The guards and everypony else rushed out of the room, armed for confrontation. The green guard who had been panting now stood straight up and took off his guard uniform, revealing a slick outfit for the leader of the Green Goblin Gang. He looked at the little book he had swiped from the warden as he was rushing out and flipped through it, finding the codes he was looking for. Approaching the control console for the prison, he put in several digits and letters and pressed enter. The whirring of gates in the prison was heard and cell doors were opened up. Royal Flush then got on the PA system and started speaking to the entire prison. "Hey boys, we're back!" Torchel and Furry were surprised with how well Royal Flush's plan had worked. The guards were now being overrun by the rest of the inmates in the prison with the super villains leading the way in destruction. The Green Goblin Gang was tearing through the guards with their unique fighting ways that each possessed (Royal Flush would punch them in the gut and automatically knock them out, Pico would constantly kick in the shins until you could no longer stand, Slender used his long arms to sucker punch everypony in the face, Digger would knock out opponents with his awful smelling burps, and Large Larry literally rolled over anypony in his path). Produsa managed to regrow some of her hair (it was supposed to be cut today, but the resulting breakout halted the original schedule, returning her powers to her) and tossed guards away as if they were pencils. It was soon obvious that the inmates were running the facility now. "Excellent! I must congratulate you on devising such a devious and effective way of breaking everybody out of their encasements, my green partner," Torchel said to Royal Flush. "No prob. Wouldn't have been able to do it in the first place had you not broken me out. Say, you seem like a smart guy, so how about we discuss something intelligent, like teaming up to defeat those pesky Fighter Filly Girls, huh? My gang can do some good damage." "If you three are forming a group, I'd certainly love to join," interjected Produsa as she threw several guards away with a quick flip. Guessing the pink bear's gonna join as well, seeing as he hasn't said otherwise. "Eh, sure. Not much better to do," he told them. "Say, anypony here know what this jar with red stuff is? Thought it looked pretty an' just took it out of storage." "This is the Equestrian Royal Guard! Cease your rioting at this moment and surrender!" a loud voice announced. Apparently the Armed Forces had moved in on the prison riot and were ready to move. Furry dropped his jar out of surprise, breaking it as it landed. The inmates looked at each other with worry. They had been able to overrun the guards, but now they had a much more prepared foe to deal with. "I did not actually think that the Equestrian Royal Guard would get here so quickly. We must find a way out of this prison facility before the enemy decides to move in and stop our escape. Now, we must find how to elude our captors." "I think I can help," a deep voice responded to Torchel's rumination. The red mist had taken form of She, who now had a wide grin. "Just tell me where you'd all like to go and we'll be there shortly." "Ooh! Mah' place is smack dab in the middle of the Everfree Forest! Let's go there!" Furry's suggestion seemed to be just perfect, and it seemed that She agreed as she now became a pink mist once again, covering all the inmates in the prison. Soon the mist started to swirl, getting faster and faster. It then shot up into the sky, all the inmates now being transported by the mist that echoed out a victorious laugh. Soon the prison was empty except for the beaten guards. The inmates soon found themselves in a large cave fitted with items one might find in the country. Everypony was left confused by what had just happened, but soon regained composure. The supervillains had all officially decided to team up and fight the Fighter Filly Girls by utilizing a plan Torchel and Royal Flush had devised. They also learned the true identities of the girls thanks to She. The group decided to address the inmates as their new bosses. "Hello boys!" Produsa said flirtatiously to the large crowd. There was some hollering and wooing that went on after that greeting. "Looks like we're in a pretty interesting situation, aren't we? Now, I'm just gonna cut to the chase and tell you this; we're your new bosses, and you're gonna help us defeat the Fighter Filly Girls, understand?" There was some murmuring among the inmates about this news, quickly silenced though by the boom of Furry's rifle. "Now we have a plan that, if everything works, means that we'll all be living the high life. You with us?!" They now cheered at this, knowing that they didn't really have a choice. The villains were now ready to begin their big plan. === Royal Pain === Chapter 11: Royal Pain Diamond Tiara was sleeping peacefully in her large bed, resting the night away. She had a busy day at school and the homework didn't help. Rarely did she envy other ponies, but lately she'd wanted to be smart like Apple Bloom, something that make her feel sick to her stomach. As long as her work was done, that was all that mattered. Hopefully she'd dream about something really nice tonight, like that one involving a skiing trip with Silver Spoon on a mountain of whipped cream. Tonight would not be one of those pleasant nights however. Diamond Tiara woke up to find herself sitting at her desk in school, a pile of papers for her to complete. She looked at the work she needed to do and didn't have any idea what was going on. Looking to her left, she saw Apple Bloom quickly filing away one paper after the other, completing each one in a matter of seconds. She finished her pile, and then the classroom bell rang. Miss Cheerilee stood in front of the class and then began speaking. "Alright, class! Put your pencils down! Test time is over. Now, let's see who actually managed to complete all the work." The teacher looked around the classroom before laying her eyes on Apple Bloom's desk. "Oh my! Looks like Apple Bloom was the only one to complete the assignment. Not surprising though, seeing as she is the smartest pony in the classroom." The rest of the class, including Silver Spoon, cheered at this remark. Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes back at that statement, not believing how blunt the teacher was being. "Of course, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle ARE the best students we have in class, isn't that right everypony?" Once again, a cheer was heard. Diamond Tiara turned around to view the students, but the close she looked, the more she realized that she couldn't actually make out any faces. It seemed like they had become mannequins. "Uh, teacher?" she finally called out, seeing something was wrong. "Something seems off with the class." "What are you talking about? Everything is perfect! After all, Apple Bloom is still smart, Scootaloo is still awesome, and Sweetie Belle is objectively the prettiest mare of all time. I mean, what could go wrong with that?" Okay, now something was definitely off here, besides Sweetie Belle being considered the prettiest mare of all time over her. "Alright, now I know that this isn't normal, and you aren't Miss Cheerilee either." "Oh, is that so?" the teacher replied, her voice deepening. "Did you know that there are three other ponies you know that aren't who they really are either?" "What do you mean?" Diamond Tiara was starting to get nervous. Soon she was the only pony in the classroom, the rest of the students and their desks disappearing. "Take a look at this." The creature who was imitating the teacher suddenly produced poster cards out of thin air, on it a drawing of the three Fighter Filly Girls. "Do you know who these girls are?" "Well, obviously. It's the Fighter Filly Girls. Would have to live under a rock not to know that." "That might seem so on first glance, but there's so much more. Here, let me show you." The being that looked like Cheerilee opened its mouth and released what looked like tentacles made of shadows. Diamond Tiara didn't have any time to scream as they soon touched her eyes and then suddenly disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Scratching her eyes, the beast soon began talking to her again. "Now look at the picture closely. What do you see?" "It looks like Apple Bloom is dressed up as Miss Chill, Scootaloo as Danger Dash, and Sweetie Belle as Strong Song." The creature let out a high-pitched laugh and gave the foal a condescending face, as if to make a suggestion. "Wait, you don't mean-" "Surprised that those three got superpowers? Yes, I suppose you are. After all, most ponies are blinded by magic when it comes to those three and their identities. Thing is, they just LOVE to show off their abilities outside of their heroics, such as Apple Bloom with her intelligence, Scootaloo with her speed and strength, and Sweetie Belle with, well, whatever power she's using to make herself adorable." "What?!" Diamond Tiara couldn't believe what she heard. Apparently those three fools were using super abilities to increase their social standing. While she wouldn't have any qualms about doing the same herself, the point of the matter is that she wasn't given any powers. "How'd they even get their abilities?" "Does it really matter? After all, what's really important is the fact that you were left out of receiving such gifts, even though you'd be MUCH better at using them than those three ever could." Diamond Tiara listened to this and was intrigued. "Wait, how could I get my own powers?" "Follow me!" the creature in the form of Cheerilee opened up the door leading outside to reveal a vast nothingness. The teacher trotted along, leaving a trail of red mist in her wake. Diamond Tiara followed her, knowing that there really wasn't any other way out. She followed the red trail, the mist growing thicker and thicker as she progressed. Soon it engulfed her body and blocked her vision, leaving her to worry that she had lost the path. The mist subsided however, to reveal a set of golden stairs. She climbed the stairs slowly, each new step she took lighting candles on the sides of what she assumed was the room. She soon reached the top, candles now lit in every place in the room. At the top of the stairs lay a golden chest with what appeared to be a keyhole. "How can I open this without a key?" she thought to herself as she looked at the chest. Upon further examination, she realized that the keyhole didn't resemble a normal one with its large and unusual size, and more resembled a place to set something in. Looking closely, she noticed that the setting was circular in shape. There was only one thing that Diamond Tiara had on her that was circular. "My… tiara? I need to open the chest using my tiara?" She felt hesitant to do such a seemingly random thing, considering how much the headwear meant to her. She reconsidered the offer she had been given, just before she heard chanting. "Princess," it started, getting faster and faster. "Princess, Princess, Princess!" it soon started to roar. Diamond gulped and swallowed what little there was of her justifiable pride before taking off her precious belonging. With hesitance, she removed her jewelry and placed it in the indentation in the chest. She soon heard the clacking of gears move in the chest and the cheering to match the rhythm of the clanking. It opened slowly but surely, revealing something incredible inside. "So, do you like it dear?" the being who had taken Cheerilee's form asked. Diamond turned to respond, noticing that the beast no longer looked like her teacher, but rather a sheep with griffon talons. Diamond quickly returned to focusing on the chest, gazing upon the contents of the chest. In it appeared to be a golden suit of armor that was just the size she'd need to fit comfortable in, a purple and white cape that closely resembled the mane of the mare, and, most pleasing, was a tiara made of pure gold fitted with the finest gems. The site was incredible, the young mare not knowing what to do. "Put it on! It'll look lovely!" She told her to do. Soon, Diamond Tiara listened to She and put on the outfit. After finishing, she noticed that mirrors had suddenly come out of nowhere, giving her a look at what the regal pony looked like. Her appearance was that of a golden idol, somepony with power and prestige who was worthy of ruling Equestria. Suddenly a roar of applause was heard, and she turned around to see that there was an audience applauding her and calling her 'Princess'. Diamond Tiara couldn't feel more proud of herself at the moment and addressed the ponies. "My fellow subjects," she started, "I declare that as of today, I will begin my rule of this fair land. First, however, I shall defeat those who stand in my way. The first that shall fall beneath my hooves are the Fighter Filly Girls!" Another, even louder roar was heard this time, cheering on the deluded foal. The villainous She grinned a wide grin, knowing that the plan her teammates had devised was about to begin. The town of Ponyville! Such a glorious day for everypony in town, for today marks the very first Fighter Filly Day in Equestria. The market is busy with ponies shopping for special holiday deals. Children were crowded around a puppet booth where several puppeteers acted out several of the adventures of the Girls, including their very first exploit involving the hydra. Sugarcube Corner had been overrun by ponies who were ordering special deserts in the colors of the girls, causing the Cakes and Pinkie Pie to make their own icing when it looked like they'd run out. The three who were most excited however were the guests of honor. "I can't wait to see what they're doing for us!" Scootaloo told her two friends who were getting ready for their presentation. "I'm guessing a big speech thanking us, and then we get a really big party," Sweetie Belle guessed. "Probably. Funny thing is that we actually have a lot of these big gatherings, but they always seem to end early or somethin'," Apple Bloom told them, remembering the events involving the celebration of Mare-Do-Well and his sudden disappearance. The two thought back to that day, but then shook their heads at the idea of that happening. "Nah, I'm sure things will go well for us. I mean, what could go wrong for us today?" Scootaloo would soon be feasting on those words, but not at this moment as they were led out to the stage where Mayor Mare was about to give a speech to the public. "Fillies and Gentlecolts, I am proud to present to you our town's defenders, the Fighter Filly Girls!" The three then walked forward and presented themselves to the crowd, receiving praise and adoration for their actions. They all blushed at how embarrassing it all felt. "Now, in celebration of today as the very first Fighter Filly Day, I hereby present this statue to the public!" A drape was removed, showing the three girls in flying formation. The applause once again mounted, the three feeling proud of their accomplishments. "Now, let's get this party started!" "Yes, let's get this party started, but not for the reasons you think," declared a loud voice from out of nowhere. The audience was baffled, having no idea where this was coming from. They were soon answered when they saw a golden bullet shoot down on the stage, covered in a regal looking purple-and-white cape. The figure raised its head to reveal that the golden figure was actually Diamond Tiara. "DIAMOND TIARA?" the three gasped when they saw her in her suit. Something wasn't right here. "That name is so old. Please refer to me as my new title; Princess Tiara! I will become the new ruler of Equestria, and all who stand in my way shall taste my power." "What power? Being a complete-" Before Scootaloo could even finish saying words that she would be able to eat later on, Princess Tiara dashed over to the three and attacked them with moves so fast that the three were instantly tossed away. "That power. Now, if you'd be so kind as to surrender-" It was now her turn to get cut off, as the three girls used their Heat Vision on their new nemesis. The target was hit, and looked like she was down for the count. "Well, that was easy," Apple Bloom said. It wasn't though, as the golden figure came out of the smoke, a purple shield glowing around her body. "Do you like my defenses? These shields pretty much protect me from anything. Now, I think it's my turn to show you some REAL firepower." The gems in the golden tiara she was wearing started to glow, culminating in a laser blast that hit all three of the girls straight on. The blast was continuous, causing the girls to cry out in pain as they couldn't move. Princess Tiara merely laughed as she saw her foes being crippled by her attack. "I'm…not…going…down…WITHOUT A FIGHT!" Apple Bloom used her Ice Breath and blew herself and her friends out of the laser's sight of fire. They managed to take cover behind a house and noticed that the ray that had been fired at them had also stopped. Either she was out of power, or moving around to attack them again. "I think we should split up. She's able to take us out pretty quickly when we're grouped together." "Great idea, Sweetie Belle. I'll head north of the town, while you two go northest and northwest. That way, when either of us is trailed by her, we can then use our Heat Vision against her or whatever else we have that might stand a chance against her shield. You with me?" the leader of the group asked them. "RIGHT!" They all flew out of cover, each going in their separate directions while trying to draw Princess' attention. "So, running away, are you? No matter, I'll get you." The golden princess then ascended into the air and shot off, eager to defeat the three guardians. Sweetie Belle was her first target, seeing as she seemed like the slowest flier. The tiara began to glow again and shot off into the sky. Luckily Sweetie Belle had become skilled enough at flying that dodging those pot shots was fairly easy. Annoyed, Tiara decided that she'd have to get her hooves dirty. "Can't catch me, can you?" taunted Sweetie Belle. Turns out she was wrong, as within a moment her foe zoomed right beside her and grabbed her from the air, twirling her around and round, going faster and faster. Apple Bloom was the first to notice and zoomed over, attempting to get in range to use her abilities. With the correct timing, Princess Tiara released the Fighter Filly Girl, sending her rocketing into her teammate and sending them both crashing down. "No!" Scootaloo yelled out, seeing her friends defeated. "Well, that was easier than expected, wouldn't you say, Scootaloo?" Scootaloo was shocked when she heard her real named called out and not Danger Dash. Somehow, Diamond Tiara had learned of their identities. "I won't go down so easily. Bring it!" she challenged her, starting up the Lightning Strike. The golden warrior zoomed over, attempting to treat her to the same fate as her friends, only to be met with a surprise when grabbing the orange foal. "Gah! What is that!" Diamond yelled out in pain. "Static Defense! I charge up my Lightning Strike, holding onto the energy, and whoever touches me gets a big surprise!" Scootaloo was proud that she had managed to come up with so many uses for her Lightning Strike, thinking that at first she'd only be using it for big balls of electricity. She'd really grown with her powers. Scoots soon noticed that the purpled shielding that had protected Diamond Tiara was starting to flicker and soon faded out, taking away her defenses. "Oh, horseapples," she declared, pushing her way out of Scootaloo's grasp and into the Everfree Forest. The last remaining Fighter was about to follow, but saw her friends about to crash and had to do something. Using all the strength in her wings, she burst out to her friends, trying to save them before they landed. They were only a couple dozen feet in the air at this point while Scoots was still over a hundred. She knew that she had to give it her all for her friends, her family. Thinking back, she remembered one time when something had managed to make her fly even faster, and knew that while it's hurt, it'd definitely speed her up. With coming-regret in her eyes, Scootaloo used her Heat Vision on her tail. "YEOW!" she yelled out, remembering the pain as it happened the first time. The pain was just enough to get her fast however, catching up with her friends and grabbing them just as they were about to hit the ground. "Heh, saved you guys." She immediately crashed into a nearby building though. "Ugh, what happened?" Apple Bloom asked, finally coming around. "Diamond Tiara managed to catch up with Sweetie Belle and threw her straight into you, taking you both out. She tried the same with me, but I had up my Static Defense ability, shocking her and taking out her shields. She flew away into the Everfree Forest after that," explained Scootaloo. "Huh, I guess that means she's getting her powers from that suit then. Wondered how she got them otherwise. How do you think she actually got it though?" "Um, girls, I think I know how," interrupted Sweetie Belle, showing them the headlines from a newspaper she just happened to see. The three looked at it and were shocked: ENTIRE POPULATION OF BALTIMARE PRISON ESCAPE: WARDEN BLAMES SUPERVILLAIN INMATES "So it must have been Torchel that made that suit and gave to her! Thing is, it's a little weird that Diamond Tiara would suddenly become so evil and know our names. I guess we'll have to figure it out once we've dealt with her. Scoots, Sweetie Belle, it's time to stop a rogue princess." The three then zoomed out and headed to the Everfree Forest, hoping that they'd be able to catch their rival before they became her prey in the wild. The three of them searched for hours trying to find any sign of her, coming up without any clues that might direct where she'd gone. It seemed that they'd lose their trail if they didn't find something soon. "Ugh, this is so annoying!" Sweetie Belle groaned as she fell on her back, exhausted by the day she'd been having. "Yeah, I'm starting to think we should head back for now. We're not having much luck in tracking her down." Apple Bloom was exhausted as well, only kept up by the desire to give a good impression as leader. "Come on, girls! We've gotta track her down! After all, how else can we fight her?" Scootaloo was the only one who still seemed in the mood to hunt Tiara down. "Besides, she knows our identities, so she could strike us at any moment and take us out individually. Hay, she might even go after our families if she's willing to. Could you let that happen?" The speech seemed enough to get them back on their hooves, and soon they set off again to find their classmate. An hour later and still no progress was made in finding her. The three were now starting to doubt their hunting abilities as they soon started to realize that what they were doing simply wasn't working. It seemed that returning home and preparing for their next encounter would be the best strategy at this point. "So, everypony wanna jus' go home now?" Apple Bloom asked the group. The two nodded their heads, too tired to talk and started floating up into the air. "OWWWWWW!" a random pony seemed to yell out. Sweetie Belle stopped to listen, but her two friends continued flying. "Hey, girls, didn't you hear that?" Sweetie Belle was surprised that her friends were just passing by that yell. Even if they were tired they'd still help anypony in trouble. "Yeah. So what?" Scootaloo replied. "So WHAT? Somepony's in trouble and we've got to help!" Sweetie Belle zoomed off to find the location of the cry for help, hoping that she could be there just in time. She knew how dangerous the forest was and needed to be fast. "Sweetie Belle, wait!" her two friends called out, flying after her. "Nopony called out. You're just imagining things." "Trust me, I didn't imagine that. Here!" She dived down through the trees to where she heard the yelp. She looked around and didn't see anypony nearby. Maybe her friends were right. "Huh, I thought I'd see them here." Just as she was about to fly away, she heard more yelling. "Help! Seriously! I need help! My leg is stuck! Don't make me do that thing when your leg is stuck, guys." That was enough for Sweetie Belle to find where the pony was trapped and started digging around the rocks. Pulling them away, she didn't find a pony, but something else. "Is that a Timberwolf?" Apple Bloom was surprised when she saw this and was wondering how in Equestria she confused a pony with a wolf. "Oh, great, a bunch of ponies. Well, I guess I'm a goner," the wolf said. Sweetie Belle was silenced for a second, surprised at the talking Timberwolf. "Did you two just hear that? The wolf is talking!" Sweetie Belle continued pointing at the wolf, as if hoping to make her friends understand what she'd been talking about. "Uh, Sweetie Belle, I think you're tired. That wolf isn't talking," Apple Bloom, concerned, told her friend. "Whatever, I'll help out this little wolf out. You okay, Mr. Wolf?" Sweetie Belle asked the trapped creature. "Wait, you can understand me? Oh, that's a relief! Thought you'd turn me into firewood or something. That rock's a real pain, so doing this quick could be a real pleasure," the wolf told Sweetie Belle. She lifted up the rock that trapped the wolf and threw it away to its relief. "How'd you get trapped?" she asked him. "I was trying to get something to eat when I came across some gold flying creature that hit a rock and started a miniature rock slide. She was headed to this big cave that I know about. We usually don't go there because of the creatures that live in there." This looked like the clue they were hoping to get. "Girls! The wolf told me that Diamond Tiara was headed over to a cave nearby! We need to go, fast!" The three were headed off, but then realized they had no idea where it was. They quickly went back and had Sweetie Belle ask where the cave was. "I'll help you get there. The least I could do for saving me." The grateful wolf then showed the girls the path they needed to take in order to get to where they needed. Along the way the dog decided to have a little snack (a gruesome experience for the girls to see that happen to a rabbit), and the three girls decided to talk about Sweetie Belle. "So, I'm guessing your other secret ability to understanding dogs," Scootaloo said to them. "I guess that could be pretty cool." "Yeah! I could finally understand Winona and have you talk with her for me. It'd be neat to know what she likes." Apple Bloom was ecstatic about the idea of communicating with her pet, but the wolf seemed to brush off the idea. "Trust me when I say there probably isn't much you two could talk about. Dogs that live at homes rarely have exciting lives. Chatted with one once; surprised I didn't die of boredom." "Really? What kind of dog was it?" Sweetie Belle asked. "His name was George. Seemed like he wouldn't mind some company so what chatted up a bit one night when he was let out of his place. He apparently lives on a barn where they grow apples. He just kept going on about the different kinds of apples they grew. I asked him if he'd tried out some of this season's rabbit and he looked horrified. Apparently you ponies don't want your dogs to eat meat or something. A shame, really. Saddest thing is when he told me that his owners think that he's a she apparently. Honestly, that shouldn't be too hard to figure out, you know?" "Hey, that's a pretty big coincidence! Winona lives on an Apple Orchard as well!" Before Sweetie Belle could put two and two together, they suddenly stopped at the entrance of a very large cave. "Now, I should warn you girls that you should NOT go in there. I've heard some pretty strange things going on in there that definitely do not sound good. I suggest that you wait for whoever you're hunting to come out and fall into a trap that you set up. I know I've used that tactic when it comes to hunting in my pack." The three took their companions advice and set themselves up a system where they'd be alerted of Diamond Tiara's return using acorns and piles of rock to make noise. They used the time they had to also rest from their earlier search. The wolf decided to look out for them and would alert them otherwise. And hour passed before the signals were set off, alerting the girls to an approaching creature. "Ugh, where are they? I thought they'd be in that cave still," Diamond Tiara said to the confusion of the three Fighter Filly Girls. The three waited in the bushes until Diamond got close enough for them to strike. "Oh well. I guess I'll just take out my frustrations on this bush," she said before blasting the bush at fully power with her laser vision. The girls were directly hit, pushed back into a nearby boulder by the force of the blast. "Wait, did I just hit the Fighter Filly Girls? Wow. That was pretty lucky of me!" "Oh, come on!" Sweetie Belle yelled out, not believing what was going on here. "Scoots, just do your thing and we can be done with this." "Right!" the orange mare started rubbing her hooves together, static electricity being built up as she did so. She was fully charged and let it lose, sending a bolt straight at the brat. A direct hit. "Take that!" "Yeah, um, sorry to tell you this, but that won't work anymore. See, I readjusted the suit so now it can take more of your electrical attacks. Now, I didn't finish showing you three the rest of my abilities." Scootaloo saw how ineffective her attack was and, without a word, flew up into the sky. "Guess she was the smart one of the group after all, isn't that right, Apple Bloom!" "I'll show you who's smart!" she yelled out while using her Ice Breath. A cloud of frozen doom approached Diamond Tiara, but she merely yawned. "I'm guessing that it's me who's smarter, seeing as I'm the one with the fire." The gold princess raised one of her hoofs and opened up a small port in the hoof. Flames instantly shot out of the port, turning Apple Bloom's attack into a fine mist. "Oh yeah, well, take this!" Sweetie Belle unleashed her Sonic Scream at full force, turning rocks into sand and trees into splinters. The nearby sand actually began to liquefy from the force of the vibrations that her scream produced. As the sound got more intense and closer to the princess, she raised her two front hooves and clapped them together, producing a sonic boom that cancelled out Sweetie's attack and temporarily silencing her. "So, I guess that's it? Well, I suppose that compared to you three, I'm essentially a prodigy. Now, I think I'll just melt you with my laser, okay?" "Not okay!" growled their companion made of twigs, pouncing Diamond Tiara from behind. "Come on fellas! This is the girl that nearly got me killed!" Out of what seemed to be nowhere an entire pack of Timberwolves descended upon her. The pack assaulted her armor, causing the shield to glow under the stress of constant attack. She dispatched them easily however, breaking them into twigs with a mere punch. They did manage to piece themselves together again, which got Sweetie Belle wondering why the wolf she rescued needed rescuing. She then realized that his foot would have been stuck under the rock and could not have been reattached, which actually would make sense as to why he didn't want to leave. The onslaught of wolves continued for several minutes straight until they eventually were exhausted from the constant breaking apart and reforming. Diamond Tiara also looked tired from all the punching she had to do, but smiled nonetheless. "So, that was the best idea you had? Have to admit that I still expected more from you three, or two now it seems." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were snickering while their foe talked, eventually bursting out into full laughter. "What's so funny? Have you become hysterical?" "Oh, no, it's just that you really counted Scootaloo out pretty fast, don't cha' think?" Apple Bloom smirked while saying this, causing Diamond Tiara to be taken aback. Now that she thought of it, Scoots would probably stick with them no matter what. Hay, she was the one who'd be most likely to finish a hopeless fight, not run away. As she pondered this, she felt some rain on her. She remembered that the forest has odd weather, so this wasn't completely unexpected, but then she noticed that the surrounding area had apparently been soaked, with her at the center. She looked up into the sky to notice storm clouds that were circling directly overhead, lightning striking out of the middle. The eye of the storm then started to open up to reveal a bright light that, on closer inspection, was a great ball of electricity. In the center of that was Scootaloo. "Oh, dear," was all Diamond Tiara could say at this sight. "YOU'VE BEEN," she screamed as she threw the immense bolt of lightning down on the so-called princess, attracting other lightning bolts to give its power to it as it landed, with Scootaloo finishing with, "THUNDERSTRUCK!" The surrounding area was completely scorched, and Diamond Tiara's armor looking a bit tarnished now. That was the sign for the girls to strike. At the exact same moment, the three landed a power-packed attack on their classmate, knocking the rest of the armor off of her and destroying the tiara in the process. Sparks flew from it as it broke apart. Princess Tiara had been dethroned. "Hah! Now what do you say about that, 'Princess'?" Apple Bloom asked her mockingly. "Ugh, what's going on? Where am I? Is this a dream? I was in my bed just a moment ago." Diamond Tiara seemed genuinely confused at the situation, something the girls (and the wolves, who were watching closely) thought might have been a ploy. As they looked closer however, they noticed that her eyes, which they hadn't clearly seen through the armor, was actually red and had started to revert to her original eye color. "I think she might've been mind-controlled," Apple Bloom told her friends. "She may have thought this was all some crazy dream an' not known what she was doing. Let's go easy on her, alright?" The two took several seconds before saying, "Fine," and accepting that she wasn't in her right mind. "Wait, OHMYGOSH! It's the Fighter Filly Girls! Did you three rescue me from these awful wolves?" The Timberwolves growled at this statement, only kept calm by Sweetie Belle's explanation of the situation. "Uh, actually, it's a pretty long story," Apple Bloom, presenting herself as Miss Chill, explained to her classmate as they headed back to Ponyville. Back at Ponyville, the situation was explained to the townsfolk, who were relieved to know that Diamond Tiara had not turned fully evil. They were concerned by the fact that she was mind-controlled though, and worried that either of them might be next. The Fighter Filly Girls declared to the town that they'd do whatever was needed to bring the criminals to justice and finished off the day with the party that had been postponed. If they knew what the newspapers from different parts of Equestria would be saying about the events of that day though, they might have not been so quick to party. However, for that very moment, the day was saved, thanks to the Fighter Filly Girls! === GO GO DYNAMO! === Chapter 12: GO GO DYNAMO! The day after Fighter Filly Girl Day was sunny and calm. Birds were singing, bees buzzing, and no rain scheduled for that day. It looked like a good day for Ponyville. Other cities could not say the same though. "Hey, girls, check this out!" Sweetie Belle yelled out as she approached her friends in the tree house. "What is it, Sweetie Bell?" Apple Bloom asked. Sweetie Belle slammed the newspaper onto the desk and the three of them looked at the headline: MASS ROBBERIES COMMITTED ACROSS EQUESTRIA! CRIMINALS LED BY SUPERVILLAINS! The group read further into the paper and saw that all these robberies had happened yesterday while they had been fighting Diamond Tiara. "Girls, don't you know what this means?" Apple Bloom asked her teammates. The two of them looked as if they were about to reply, but then suddenly stopped when they had no idea what she was talking about. "Diamond Tiara was just a distraction! Those guys were just using her to keep us from stopping their robberies!" "Oh!" They exclaimed, understanding what the big deal was. "If that's what they were doing, what did they need to distract us for?" Scootaloo asked. "Says here that each of the robberies involved stealing a whole bunch of scrap metal, electrical stuff, and a bunch of tools. Apparently, when put together, it's one of the biggest heists in Equestria's history." "But what could they be doing with all that stuff?" Nopony knew how to respond to Sweetie Belle's question. All they could do for now is speculate and hope that they could find clues. "Looks like they all pulled their weight, don't it Torchel?" Royal Flush said to the tortoise that had decided to use Furry's head as a permanent stoop for him to move around it. Furry was somehow okay with this, not being the smartest bear in the woods. "Affirmative, my green friend. With all of these supplies that we have taken from their rightful owners, we will now begin the single most important aspect of our carefully constructed plan." Torchel then let out a villainous laugh, joined by the two nearby supervillains, as they saw their compatriots and the inmates working on their ultimate plan. 3 Months Later There had been no sign of the escaped criminals whatsoever. The girls searched wherever there were possible leads, such as strange bear sightings or groups of green goblins, but nothing came up. The girls soon lost hope of finding the crooks and hoped that they would turn up soon so they could finally end this once and for all. In the meantime, the girls lived their lives semi-normally once again, actually appreciating the peace they had. Apple Bloom now had straight A's in her classes and used her free time to help tutor other ponies. Scootaloo used her skills to join a soccer team and help them get to regionals with her speed. She would be known as the start player on their team. Sweetie Belle took a more interesting route, helping out Fluttershy with any dogs she had. Apparently the vast majority of dogs in town was actually males and was a bit angry that they were always assumed to be girls. The town was surprised to learn this, apparently never having actually taken them to the vet to check that out. She became known as a sort of 'dog whisperer' to the ponies, helping them understand the problems between pet and owner. It was a good time for the three, and for a while they had forgotten their troubles. "Today was pretty good! Finally got Truffle Shuffle to understand multiplication dealing with two-digit numbers," Apple Bloom told her friends as they were walking home together. "Yeah. I also managed to convince the Timberwolves to stop using the chicken coop as a source of food. Now Fluttershy won't have to worry about keeping them out there," Sweetie Belle told them about her day. "My day had me scoring three goals! It was pretty awesome! There was apparently a scout out there today and he says that I have the makings of a professional!" Scootaloo was excited that she was getting even better at sports. That had always been something of a dream to her. "Great ta' hear, Scoots! Say, I've been wondering; does anypony here worry much about those supervillains anymore?" their yellow friend asked. "Not really," they both replied. It had felt so long since they'd fought any of them that it seemed like an eternity ago. Only several times since their escape did they need to don their costumes, such as when an earthquake had struck the city, or when a group of dragons tried to have their way with the town. The girls still helped, but they never experienced the level of super-villainy those guys had provided. As if to respond to her question, an enormous boom was heard, followed by another one shortly after. "What was that?" Scoots wondered. "I dunno, but we're gonna find out!" their leader led them into an alley where each of them flung their costumes into the air and flew right into them. They then flew off to where they could hear the noise coming from. The city of Canterlot! Home to not only the elite of Equestria, but also the Princesses that rule the land as well! In this hallmark location of Equestria is the finest military defense possible, with ponies of all different kinds working together to ensure the safety of its citizens. To face these ponies would be the same as digging your own grave. Leading the defense of the city was Shining Armor, Captain of the Guard. "Good morning, sir!" greeted the guards as their Captain walked by, inspecting the security of the castle. Ever since the attack by the Changelings he had made sure to look over the defenses in case of a suddenly invading army. "At ease," he told the troops as he passed by. After several hours, he was just about to finish his inspection when he heard a sudden noise. It was a loud boom, resonating throughout the halls of the castle. The unicorn would have looked past this noise as something negligible, until he heard the same noise for a second time. "Captain," a young recruit looked up to him, asking, "do you know what that noise is?" "I actually don't know. I'm going over to the city walls to check it out as we speak." The guards went over to the city walls, hearing the noise grow louder and louder as they approached it. Citizens of the city heard it as well, voicing concern to each other as it didn't seem to be going away. They climbed up to the top of the wall looking outward from the city and didn't notice anything yet. More booming was heard, followed by flocks of birds flying away from the target location. Soon they noticed something strange; it looked as if trees were broken, as if stepped on. At that moment, the Captain had a terrifying realization. "The target is invisible! Everypony, get ready to defend!" The horn signaling the guards was blown, sending citizens running away for their lives while the rest of the guards got into position for whatever was approaching. The unicorns prepared their spells while the Earth ponies prepared the catapults. Pegasi were on standby, armed with spears. Shining Armor got into position, ready to give the signal to fire out on their unseen target before it approached the walls. "Ready," he announced as another boom was heard, creating another clearing. "AIM!" he yelled, seeing horns readied and catapults prepped. "FI-"was all he could yell as the target uncloaked. "Oh…um…this is bad." That was the thought on everypony's mind when they saw the thing that was making the loud noises. It was a gargantuan machine, dwarfing the 50 foot walls with what appeared to be a 300 foot tall body. It was colored leaf green all over with what appeared to be a large shell attached to its back. It had what appeared to be large limbs that resembled that of a tortoise's. None had ever seen anything like this. "FIRE!" Shining Armor yelled. Magic Missiles and catapults were fired at the target, hitting it straight into its belly. After a full minute of fire, the assault was ceased as they reloaded, noticing that the belly of the beast was still gleaming, not showing any signs of damage at all. It then started to move. "Run away!" some of the guards yelled as they saw the beast of a machine move forward. While Shining Armor was about to order them to hold, he saw that they were right as the creature moved its left leg forward and smashed right through the wall. Crackling was heard coming from the machine, followed by a voice. "MWUAHAHAHA! I can see that each of you ponies that guard this city is realizing that your current methods of defense are futile. Nothing that any of you do could break through the impenetrable armor of the MALLET. That is the reason why the armor is considered impenetrable, for no force can break through it. Now, disarm your forces and be prepared to transfer control of this nation over to the pilots of this unstoppable war machine," demanded what Shining Armor realized was the voice of the escaped genius Torchel Chelchel. Other voices soon joined in, each of them the voices of other supervillains. "Heh, yeah! This here metal guy will rip you a new one!" Furry bellowed over the speaker. "These guys ain't gonna know what hit em', right boys?" asked Royal Flush to his gang, all of whom responded positively. "Can we get on with this?" added Produsa. "I just can't wait anymore to CRUSH something with all this firepower." "Me too, my dear," the deep voice of She responded. "Let's continue with our rampage now, shall we?" The large mecha named MALLET soon started moving again, making its way into the city. Buildings were being knocked down like dominos as it plowed through. Guards tried to take pot shots at the mighty behemoth as it strode through the place. The second defensive line of guards was now in place though, hoping to fare better than the front line. "Oh, will you look at that? They've set up more defenses. Guess they haven't learned yet, have they?" Produsa giggled at the idea of what they were about to do. "Yeah. Boys, let's show these bozos the full power of this fully operational robot guy!" Following Royal Flush's orders, the gang activated the weaponry on the MALLET. The grinding of gears was heard as the green giant's belly opened up to reveal an entire arsenal of weaponry armed and ready. Laser cannons, missile launchers, rotating cannons, and bomb launchers were several of the weapons located in the chest. The guards saw this and were in awe with this display of deadly weaponry. If only they had scientists who knew how to make weapons such as that. They were about to get a taste of that technology first hand as MALLET fired on them. The sky smelled of ozone as the lasers pounded into the guards' station. The wall and surrounding area was completely annihilated by the assault let loose, turning the beautiful city into a site of chaos and destruction. "FALL BACK TO THE CASTLE!" ordered Shining Armor to whoever was still able to fight. A mass exodus of guards occurred as they attempted to flee to the best chance they had at surviving this encounter. "MWUAHAHAHA! YES! YES! NOW THEY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND!" cackled Torchel as he saw his foes scattered before him. "Now, only one thing remains." "Incoming sssssssssignals at 3 o'clock boss," Slender warned the crew. On the radar were three tiny bleeps headed in fast. It was time. "Alright girls! That's the target!" "Uh, Apple Bloom, is that a giant green tortoise?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Eeyup, and you all know what that means. Torchel's back." Apple Bloom was actually relieved to say that, as the group finally saw what those villains had been up to. The only issue was now being able to deal with that thing they created. "Well, if it isn't the Fighter Filly Girls. I hope you have enjoyed your time of relaxation from combat with us, for now you will see what this machine is truly capable of!" Torchel considered activating the weapons at that very moment, before deciding, "Actually, I will let them try to attack us for a moment, just to see what happens. MWUAHAHAHA!" "Let's take him out, just like before!" The two followed Apple Bloom as they went to attempt the same technique they had used before on Torchel's other robot. The three of them flew up and grabbed the giant by the chin and started pushing up, trying to tip it over. After fifteen seconds or so, no progress was made. This time the robot was far too big to be budged. "It's not working!" Scootaloo was the first to admit that their plan wasn't working. The two others agreed and soon stopped. While flying right in front of the robot's mouth, Furry had decided he'd done enough waiting as is and opened up the MALLET's mouth. Almost immediately, a flood of flames poured out from the mouth, torching the three girls and sending them crashing into the ground. "While I admit that I had wanted to test the full capabilities of the MALLET's defenses by letting those three have their time with their futile attacks, I must admit that was pretty smooth," complimented the tortoise on top of the bear. "Ugh," was all the leader of the Fighter Filly Girls could say as she recovered from her fall. The two friends were still out, but there was no time for rest as the death machine opened its chest and aimed it straight at the girls, sending chills of terror through the young filly's spine. "GIRLS! GET UP, NOW!" "I…I'm okay," muttered Scootaloo as she got up, feeling like she was freshly roasted. Sweetie Belle was still moaning and didn't look as if she'd be moving soon. She'd have to though, as the weapons on the MALLET were just about to fire. "NO!" she yelled out when she saw the first shot come from one of the rotating laser cannons. At that moment, the impossible happened. An orange blur came out from nowhere and grabbed the three ponies just as the barrage started on their position. Scootaloo looked up to see their savior and saw that it was…herself? "There's no time! Just fly REALLY fast right now and grab everypony the second you see them. NOW!" ordered the future pony. Scootaloo, just going along with it, did just that. As Scootaloo managed to fly at what she could only assume 88 miles per hour, everything went into a bright static shock. When the light had cleared, she was able to see that she had suddenly travelled back in time several seconds and was going to grab the three. When herself from several seconds ago was about to ask something, Scootaloo quickly said something. "There's no time! Just fly REALLY fast right now and grab everypony the second you see them. NOW!" Scootaloo witnessed as her past self suddenly sped off, disappearing in a bright flash. At that moment, she realized that she had just managed to travel through time. "That. Was. AWESOME!" she exclaimed before falling down from exhaustion. Apple Bloom witnessed in horror as she saw both her teammates fall before her, unable to move. While they were several hundred feet or so from MALLET, Apple Bloom couldn't help but be worried that they were soon about to face their end. "Wow. This doesn't look so good. Glad I popped by to check on you three," a familiar voice said. Apple Bloom turned around to see that it was Discord. There was a slimmer of hope after all. "Mr. Discord, sir! We need your help! Can's you snap your fingers and make that giant baddy go away?" Apple Bloom begged. "I REALLY wish I could, but that giant robot is protected from ALL kinds of magic thanks to its shields. Doesn't matter how strong you are when the shield dissipates it all," Discord explained, draining the small sliver of hope Apple Bloom managed to hold onto. "Thing is, I've actually been developing a way to solve a situation just like this. Come with me!" Obviously not understanding that saying such a thing involved voluntary participation, Discord snapped his fingers and sent the three away from the scene of destruction just before they were spotted. The three ponies were suddenly awoken from their short respite by the clicking of lights being turned on. Discord then greeted the three as they got off of their hospital beds all bandaged up. "I'm sorry that I couldn't make you as good as new with my magic, girls. Those fellas really know how to make anti-magic tech, that's for sure. Almost none of my magic could be used to help you recover from that roast. Anyway, it's fairly obvious that this is the toughest thing you three have faced so far, so for such a foe we have such a weapon." "What kind of weapon?" the three asked, curious as to what Discord planned. "THIS!" All the lights in the room, revealed to be a massive hangar, were lit, revealing Discord's true plan. Right in front of the three girls was a giant robotic version of a filly just like them, fit with a blue bow on top of a painted red mane. This giant machine was almost as big as the one currently rampaging through Canterlot. "I call her Dynamo!" announced discord as he showed off his pride-and-joy. "I was gonna come up with some initials for it, but just thought the name was pretty cool. Anyway, I designed this robot for situations just like this where your powers simply weren't enough. The controls are simple and should be easy to learn. You three are the only ones capable of piloting this thing and saving Canterlot, no, Equestria this very moment. Can you do it?" "BUCK YEAH!" they yelled out, getting out of their beds sorely. The three approached the platform leading into the robot's head to enter the main control panel and took their seats. A robotic voice soon came over the intercom. "WELCOME, FIGHTER FILLY GIRLS, TO DYNAMO. I WILL QUICKLY EXPLAIN THE CONTROLS TO THIS MACHINE IN A MANNER THAT THE INFORMATION IS AUTOMATICALLY UPLOADED INTO YOUR BRAIN. SIDE EFFECTS WILL INCLUDE MASSIVE HEADACHES, NOSE BLEEDS, FEELINGS OF NIHILISM, AND EAR ACHE. WE WILL-" the voice's instruction was cut off as what appeared to outsiders as random sounds started coming through the speakers. The three crime fighters quickly understood how to operate their machine and set off to save the world. "Good luck, girls!" Discord announced before the girls jumped out through the new opening in the roof of the structure. When the girls came out, they realized that they were located right at the abandoned part of the Apple Family Farm and set off to Canterlot, hoping to save the world. === Fighter Filly Girls Rule! === Chapter 13: Fighter Filly Girls Rule! The guards were all set up for the oncoming death machine. They had the cannons, catapults, airships, and anything else in their inventory ready. Princess Celestia and Luna were also alerted of the danger and decided to personally aide in the defense of the castle with their magic. Shining Armor had prepared his magic shield spell and placed it around the castle perimeter using all the magic he had. The civilians had taken cover in the shelter to avoid the oncoming battle. Soon the gargantuan figure was in sight. The battle was about to begin. "OPEN FIRE!" yelled the princesses. Anything that could be shot was shot, with magic bolts sailing through the air alongside cannon balls and other projectiles, bouncing off the impenetrable armor easily. Both princesses gathered their magical power and launched an attack that put the rest to shame, a stream of magic so powerful that it shook the castle. It proved futile though, as a thin shield seemed to encompass the beast that would reflect anything related to magic attacks. Torchel really wasn't kidding when he had said that it didn't matter how strong the magic was. "MWUAHAHA!" The mad tortoise's voice cackled over the speakers. The villains approached the shield that was set up and stopped moving for a moment. Just then, the right arm was raised and placed in a punching position, ready to take out the last barrier the ponies had. A rocket seemed to go off in the arm of the giant, sending it crashing straight through the barrier Shining Armor had set up, leaving the ponies without any defense. "Now, I hope you all have learned your lesson, am I right?" She asked the ponies over the speaker. "Just surrender and you'll be just fine, otherwise," the chest opened up, revealing with arsenal that was ready to rip Canterlot Castle into dust. The guards had no idea what to do at this point, looking at the princesses for support. The two had convened just before fighting and realized that if what they had heard about the anti-magic shield was true, then maybe even the Elements of Harmony would be ineffective against such a challenger. Therefore, the goal of the Mane Six at that point was to investigate any possible weaknesses that such a large foe may have. At this point though, it seemed unlikely. The two princesses walked up to a point where they could be seen by their green enemy and began to speak. "I am Princess Celestia, a ruler of Equestria. This is my sister, Princess Luna. We beseech that you do not go through with your plan to take over Equestria. After all, many lives will be lost, no matter what I do at this moment." "Heh, she thinks we care n' such 'bout that!" cackled Furry at the statement. "Lady, we're nasties, so we really don't care!" At that second the lasers on the beast started charging up, ready to turn the castle into a quarry right before something appeared on radar. "Uh, boss man. We've got company," reported Slender as he pointed to the large dot on his screen. With each blip the dot got closer and closer until rapid stomping could be heard outside. The MALLET was able to turn around to see what was causing the noise just in time to receive a flying kick straight to the face, sending the large enemy skidding back, taking out a little of the castle as it ran into it. "WHAT IS THIS?!" demanded Torchel as he was shocked to find anything that could damage his precious creation. Through the cameras they were able to see that it was a large, chrome pony with red mane and a blue bow that had delivered the bow. The speakers crackled as the pilots of the opposing mech were about to speak. "You guys are going down!" the three Fighter Filly Girls announced together, shocking the villains by the fact that they had their very own giant robot. "Citizens of Canterlot, are you ready to rock?!" They were met with a loud applause and cheer at the sight of their saviors. The Fighter Filly Girls then displayed some of their robotic fighting moves, hoping to convince their foe to simply surrender and end it all right there. "You three are out of your league, by which I mean you are not prepared for the beating in which we are about to provide you with!" The belly was now aimed at the girls and started to fire. Luckily the girls were piloting a mech fast enough to avoid the incoming fire as it zoomed by them. The town wasn't so lucky though. "Is that all you got?" taunted Scootaloo. "Not at all," Torchel responded cool as he had his assistant press a button. Soon the MALLET dropped on all of its limbs and then slid it shell back, revealing a completely separate arsenal than the one in the belly. Out of the back flew smaller looking robots that flew around Dynamo, each of them firing individual lasers at their mech. At first it didn't seem to be doing much damage, but then more and more of those flying attack stations came out, each of them releasing a helping of lasers. AT that point the girls were now constantly being hit with lasers from all sides, taking serious damage. "Activate the Dynamo's Heat Vision!" ordered Apple Bloom. The generators for the weaponry started whirring, and within a few moments the eyes were producing light. Dynamo made a three-sixty degree spin, hitting all the targets and lighting up the sky with explosions. "Hah! What next?" Sweetie Belle demanded to know. It seemed like their enemies could hear them, because at that very second a volley of missiles was launched out of the air, not headed for them, but for the entirety of Canterlot. "Oh snap! We have to stop those missiles!" Scootaloo burst out. "Let's use the Heat Vision again!" The eyes once again lit up the night sky, only to find that the missiles had some extra shielding to prevent just that. "What can we do?" begged Sweetie Belle. "We'll redirect it!" announced Apple Bloom. Dynamo burst forward and up into the aid using its rockets and then grabbed the nearest missile, rotating it so it would then hit another. They did this with several of the missiles before realizing that there was an odd number of them that was were launched. At that second, the leader had a bright idea and rotated the last rocket so it was aimed straight at the MALLET. "Oh no!" the villains yelled out as they saw their own weaponry redirected against them. It was too late to move out of the way, so the back of the MALLET was hit, making a large explosion that seemed to almost rival that of the sun. The crowds cheered as they saw this explosion, knowing that the fight was now over. "Alright!" The three Fighter Filly Girls hoofbumped each other at the sight of the explosion, knowing that they had just won. After all, nothing could survive an explosion that big. And then it got up. "WHAT?!" was everypony's reaction. The MALLET had ditched the large shell on its back and was now standing upright. Torchel laughed over the speakers, taunting the girls. "Did you three think it would be so easy? I developed this machine so when it loses operation of its back arsenal, we go into SUPER FIGHTING MODE!" The MALLET suddenly rushed over, unleashing a flurry of punches to Dynamo's head before piledriving the mech into the ground. The girls were dazed at this sudden burst of speed and had no time to react. MALLET opened up its gut and prepared to finish them off with a laser volley at near point-blank range. The lights glowed and then released, signifying the end to this fight. At least it would seem so, before a shield suddenly appeared over the girls. "You didn't really think that I'd just let you all have the fun now, did you?" Discord asked the girls. His had was extended, keeping the volley from hurting them as they got out of the awkward position that last attack had put them in. "It's really my fault that we're in this situation you know. See, I actually saw that you girls wouldn't really have many uses for your powers without any real foes, so I ended up creating baddies for you to fight. I didn't intend for any of this to happen however. So yeah, sorry for this mess." Discord's confession shocked the girls for a second, but then they realized that this was sort of on par for something he would do, even when he wasn't evil anymore. They quickly shrugged it off, issuing a "Meh" over the speakers to let him know things were okay. Too bad neither of them were focusing on their foes who had just morphed the MALLET into a massive energy cannon about to blow through the four of them. "Oh boy," the four of them said before the beam of light broke through Discord's shield and blew them a good half-mile away from their original location. The Draconequus now resembled a thing strip of burnt bacon while Dynamo was starting to resemble tin foil after it had been placed into a blender. "Are you okay?" Apple Bloom asked her friends, hoping they would respond. "Yeah, except for the fact that our giant robot is nearly busted and our super-magical ally is now charcoal," Scootaloo and the rest were now worried about their situation. They had nothing left to fight with, and Discord was out of combat. Things were looking grim. "Girls!" a familiar voice yelled out. The cockpit, now open revealed Twilight and her friends had come to their downed machine. "Are you three alright?" "Yes, Miss Sparkle. I think you should get out of here right now, though. Things are getting tense," Apple Bloom said in the manner of Miss Chill. "Apple Bloom, ya don't need to cover anymore. We all know it's you three girls," Applejack announced to the surprise of the three girls. "It's true. We're very proud of you three girls. I'm especially proud of you Sweetie Belle, my dear sister. You save the world AND look fabulous while doing so," Sweetie Belle blushed at her sister's admiration. "Yeah, and Scoots, I've NEVER seen anypony fly so fast that they travelled through time. You were awesome!" Rainbow Dash's praise was the greatest thing Scootaloo could imagine. "Thanks for saving me those two times, girls. It was very neat and brave of you to defend us," Fluttershy thanked the three of them. "Yeah! You girls rock!" Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm was enough to help the girls feel hope again. "Thanks guys. Wish we could've been better with defending you from the giant robot though. We don't have enough power to fight it anymore." "Well, you don't have enough power on your own, but I think we know a way to help you power up. Girls, you ready?" Twilight got her friends into position and opened of a box. Inside of the box were the Elements of Harmony. Each of them put on their respective elements and started powering up. "While we can't fight that machine with magic, who's to say we can't use magic to power you up." The magic-crowny-thing Twilight wore started to glow, causing the other elements to do the same as well. A rainbow light then shot of the group, the light circling the damaged Dynamo and repairing it. In just a flash, the broken fighter was now looking better than new, and now glowed with a new power in its possession. "Let's do this!" the three girls yelled as they charged straight at their foe. Each one of MALLET's strikes was parried and even its speed wasn't comparable to the new Dynamo. The girls kicked and punched with all they had and were certain they were winning. That is, until they looked at MALLET and saw no real signs of damage whatsoever. Even with this extra energy, they simply couldn't break through the hull. "How can we beat something that we can't even punch?" Apple Bloom thought this over as she saw none of their attacks doing any real good. At that moment she had a very disturbing, but hopeful idea. "Hey, Apple Bloom, you there?" Scoots asked as she saw her friend zone out. "We need to use self-destruct," the leader announced. "WHAT?!" "It's the only thing we have that's powerful enough to defeat it. With the extra magical energy we can use our rockets and get into the sky high enough that the explosion won't hurt anypony. I just put the theory into this computer and it says that it's possible that it'll be enough to defeat them. All we need to do is get a hold of MALLET and lift off." "But will we survive?" Apple Bloom couldn't answer that question, and Sweetie Belle knew it as well. They did have an emergency escape pod, but it would just be a lucky guess to whether they could outrun the explosion after ejecting. The girls soon put Dynamo into galloping position, hoping that they'd be able to grab onto MALLET and then use the inertia to gain liftoff. Without the go sign, the girls enacted their plan as they saw MALLET was about to strike again. Their machine burst off throughout the Canterlot streets, destroying them as they ran. In a half-second, the girls managed to grab hold of the behemoth and put on the boosters. All energy they had was now redirected there as they both started to lift-off. "Torchel, what's going on, man?" Royal Flush asked as he was hanging onto his seat. "Does not matter. ACTIVATE EVERYTHING NOW!" The belly once again revealed itself, the arsenal in point-blank range of Dynamo. It let loose with everything, causing the glow of energy that was previously on the rebuilt robot to darken as it started showing signs of breaking. The girls knew that they had to go through with this now if they wanted any chance of winning. "She can't take much more!" Scootaloo warned them, the mid-section of their robot starting to break apart from the fire. At that point they were now high enough that it seemed like they didn't need the rockets anymore to stay afloat. At that point, Apple Bloom flipped open the switch containing a big red button, her friends following. Looking each other in the eye, the three clicked the button, starting the countdown. "20 SECONDS TO DETONATION," the robotic voice announced. The girls jumped in the pod and then boosted off, hoping that they'd get away just in time. "What is happening? What did they just shoot out?" Torchel demanded to know. The rest of the villains were scrambling to find a way to get out of their predicament. They would soon destroy Dynamo and then use their own rockets to finish off Canterlot. At least they would have, if not for a certain voice telling them otherwise. "10 SECONDS TO DETONATION. ALSO, I ALWAYS LOVED YOU, DISCORD," the voice confessed, confusing the tortoise. It was at that very second that the villains knew what had just happened. "FIGHTER FILLY GIRLS!!!!!!!!!" they yelled out just as Dynamo blew up. The explosion was big enough that the night sky turned to day for a moment, shining on the destroyed Canterlot. Everypony was shocked and worried when they saw that bright light, hoping that the girls made it. Applejack and Rarity hugged each other, worried about each other's sibling and praying that they would make it. In the space pod the girls were scrambling to control the crazy device. "We're coming in too fast!" Apple Bloom yelled out. "Hey, girls, why don't we just fly out of here?" "Sweetie Belle, if we do that then we'd probably lose consciousness at this height and then crash," explained Scoots. The afterburner rockets were doing all they could, but the girls had sped up their escape pod to maximum velocity in order to escape the explosion. It was now almost impossible to slow down while entering the atmosphere. The three realized this and were silent. Silence was soon interrupted by the scanner beeping as it picked up something while they were falling. "What could possibly be out here?" Apple Bloom thought. She then had the horrifying realization that they could be hit by the debris of the self-destruct and thought that it was all over. Instead of horrifically being destroyed by the debris however, the girls seemed to bump into it and get it stuck on the ship. Somehow, through the shape of the debris, the girls found that they were starting to slow down. "Wow! Whatever we're attached to is reducing our velocity. It's like a mini-parachute for us," Scootaloo told her friends. "Let's save the afterburners until we get in closer, that way it's more effective." Eight minutes of falling passed as the girls descended to the ground. Each second was filled with silence and nervousness of whether their plan would work. The alarms went off, and the afterburners were activated. They would be landing right outside of Canterlot it seemed. Hopefully the landing wouldn't completely destroy them with the afterburners activated. Murphy's Law was in full force today it seemed, as the rockets suddenly ran out of gas. "Oh no!" they all exclaimed at the hopeless sight. It now seemed certain that they'd end up crashing with anything to reduce the force from falling. "If only we had something that was as powerful as a rocket," Sweetie Belle exclaimed, hoping that something convenient would happen as she said that, like her turning around and finding something labeled 'ROCKET'. There wasn't. "Wait a second," was all Apple Bloom said before punching a hole in the floor of the pod. Scootaloo looked as if she was trying to yell something, but the howling wind made it impossible to hear. Apple Bloom decided to simply show her friends what the plan was as she began to use her super breath down the opening. The two understood her plan and followed, blowing down the hole and slowing their descent. They could actually see their landing spot now as they came in to about a hundred feet or so. The super breath was strong enough that they were gently falling. They soon landed, not with a crash, but a gentle touch. They immediately jumped out of the pod as soon as it was safe. "WE DID IT!" they yelled as the grabbed each other in one big hug. They had landed right in the middle of Canterlot Square and were now greeted with a roar of applause by ponies of all kinds. The Mane Six rushed over to see them as they got out. "Great job girls!" Twilight told them. Rarity and Applejack were about to rush over and join them in their hug, but Pinkie Pie held them back as the girls still had their secret identities. They looked at their escape pod to see what exactly had helped them in their descent and were definitely surprised at what they saw. "Is that," Sweetie Belle paused, taking in the sight before realizing, "my old roof?" "Huh. I guess it is. I wonder how it survived floating in space. And entering atmosphere," Apple Bloom wondered aloud. Sweetie Belle answered it simply. "That's because it's made of mahogany!" she exclaimed. There were murmurs of understanding at this statement. "Thank you very much, Fighter Filly Girls," a royal voice said. The girls turned around to see both princesses right there, thanking them. It was Celestia's voice that was currently speaking to them. "Without your courage and bravery, we would have been conquered by that group of villains. All of Equestria thanks you." She then bowed her head before the three of them, other ponies following her. She shortly raised it and began to speak again. "Now, the only thing I wish to do is figure out who could have possibly created such creatures in the first place." At that second, Discord literally peeled himself from the ground and shook himself off, burnt flakes coming off him. The entire crowd silently looked at him with condemning eyes. "What?" he asked them just before realizing what was going on. "Oh. Wait. I can totally explain everything," He then went over to Princess Celestia and whispered in her ears. The expressions on her face changed so much and so quickly that it was hard to see if she was joking or not. He finished up with saying, "And that's how it all happened. So, yeah, please no stone prison?" "You single handedly endangered the entire world with the stunt you pulled." Well, it looks like it would be another couple hundred years. "Thing is, you did it for the sweetest possible reason I could think of. Not only that, but you really did help boost the lagging construction industry. Also, Canterlot had been WAY behind in building safety codes, so this really did help in clearing the way for safer construction. In the end, just don't do it again. WHAT'S THAT!" Celestia then yelled out, causing everypony to look away. She quickly gave Discord a peck on the check, seeing that he really was trying to be nicer and just needed some guidance. The both blushed before telling the crowds, "Never mind, was just a fly." "Thank you, Princesses, but right now we need to do one more thing," Apple Bloom and the rest flew up into the sky, the crowds roaring as they did so. The girls ended up following the footsteps of MALLET to a large cavern disguised to look like part of a mountainside. Inside the cavern were the escaped convicts from Baltimare, each of them looking confused as they were in chains. Apparently after their escape, She used her powers to make the convicts their slaves and use them for the construction of MALLET. They were actually grateful to be found and were soon escorted to prison trains to be taken back to their hold. The girls let Celestia know about this and decided to help clean up the city. Discord also helped in cleaning the city up with his magic, knowing that it was the least he could do with the trouble he had caused. He'd now have to report in with Big Mac about magic usage as a sort of parole officer as he seemed to be the closest friend he had at Ponyville. The city would soon be ready for reconstruction, but until then the citizens of Canterlot, most being elite, decided to spend time at their summer houses. The rest migrated over to Ponyville for the time, the construction crews ecstatic to have all this business. Twilight was actually happy about his, since now she could spend some time with her parents as they moved into her place. It seemed like things ended pretty well for everypony, even the Fighter Filly Girls. "Well, no more giant monsters an' such," Apple Bloom said as they lay down on their back in a field, relaxing after all they had been through. "Yeah. In some ways, I'll miss it. Then again, it did get scary at times, you know?" Sweetie Belle thought back to all the fights where they barely made it out. "Besides, we can now have some relaxing time." "True. To think that this all started because we were trying to get bored. Feels kinda silly, doesn't it?" Scootaloo pondered, her friends feeling the same way. "Anyway, I better get to soccer practice. There's gonna be a scout today, and I've got a good feeling about this!" "Same here. Winona has another session with me today. Apple Bloom, you really need to get it straight that your dog is a boy. Also, PLEASE get him a girlfriend. It's starting to get sad." The two friends headed off, leaving Apple Bloom to relax in the field alone. "Ya know what?" she said to herself. "I don't need to worry about any Cutie Marks right now. This is all ah' need." So once again, the day has been saved, thanks to the Fighter Filly Girls! CMC! CMC! Apple Bloom! She is the brain and the leader! Sweetie Belle! She is the bestest singer! Scootaloo! She is the fastest flier! CMC save the day. Fighting crime Trying to save the world Here they come just in time The CMC Girls! Oh no! It's the mad Furry Bumpkin Watch out! It's the repulsive Produsa Get him! It's evil Torchel Chelchel Chasing evil out Ponyville Fighting crime Trying to save the world Here they come just in time The CMC Girls! Fighting crime Trying to save the world Here they come just in time The CMC Girls! And they'll be Fighting crime Trying to save the world Here they come just in time The CMC Girls! Fighting crime Trying to save the world Here they come just in time The CMC Girls! Fighting crime Trying to save the world Here they come just in time The CMC Girls! CMC! <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Soldier of the Moon author: Zontan tags: character:Rainbow Dash, character:Rarity, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Adventure, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Death, warning:Violence

=== Soldier of the Moon === Rarity watched the clock on the wall as it inched closer to the end of the day at a glacial pace. She knew she should be working, but none of the half-finished projects on her workbench appealed to her. There was the water pump that City Slick had brought in for the third time, which hardly seemed worth repairing. Rarity was certain it wasn't being used for water, but Slick would never admit that. There were a few personal pieces - watches and foal's toys and personal gadgets, and those at least mattered to somepony, but Rarity couldn't bring herself to start on them. She looked to the clock again. Ten minutes to what she normally called closing. She watched the seconds tick by, and then with a huff, picked up a screwdriver. A quick twist later, and the clock showed closing time. She was out the door before the second hand reached the top again. Canterlot was a dreary city. Smoke rose from many of the other workshops in her district, and the gutters ran with water swirling with unnatural colors. The colorfully painted buildings did little to hide the rusting copper underneath. But Canterlot was all ponies had, now. The rest of Equestria was gone, destroyed a thousand years ago as the royal alicorns clashed over the Elements of Harmony. A whole country wiped out when Celestia dared to wield the Elements against her sister, millions vanishing without a trace. Now it was all ponies could do to keep one city running. Even with all the technological marvels the Princess had helped her subjects create, it was still just one city. The world outside was a place few ponies ventured these days, especially as the griffons grew bolder in their violations of Equestria's borders. Canterlot was supposed to be a shining beacon of pony culture, and instead it was using industry and desperation to try to make up for a whole country's worth of farmland. On a whim, Rarity took a left at the end of the street, heading out towards the edge of the city instead of towards the center and her home. She was restless, and the night was young. The afternoon haze of orange hung over her, and she lost herself in her thoughts as she walked, passing other ponies in silence. She wanted more. When she was a filly, she'd been outspoken, bold, daring! Every pony in her class had known who she was, and known she was destined for greatness. It had been an unspoken truth. Now, look at her - fixing knickknacks and enabling crooks. Hardly the life she'd expected for herself. She reached the end of an unfamiliar street and stopped, jolted out of her thoughts by the dead end. In front of her was a dingy building that smelled of smoke and alcohol. There was a sign out front, but it was so faded that she couldn't make out a name, just a faded image of a bottle. Rarity almost just turned around, but then she stopped. She was here, wasn't she? With a soft smile, she pushed through the door. The building was dimly lit inside, oil lamps flickering in corners. It was largely empty, but that was fine by Rarity. She didn't really want to interact with the kind of ponies who would frequent a place like this anyway. She could have a drink and be gone before the place really got going for the night. She sat down at the bar, and had the bartender's attention immediately - a young earth pony who couldn't have been more than a few years out of school. "I'll have a maretini, if you please. Neat." He nodded, and started pulling out bottles. "What brings you out to my bar, miss?" he asked as he worked. "I haven't seen your face in this neighborhood before." "Just wandering, I suppose," Rarity responded with a shrug. "This is your bar?" "Yes'm," the bartender replied with a smile. "Been in my family four generations." "Oh really?" Rarity murmured. "But you're so young. Where are your parents?" "Gone, miss. My father served in the war." He said it so easily that Rarity was taken aback, and he anticipated and waved away her attempt to stammer an apology. "No need to be sorry, miss. Weren't your fault." He put her drink in front of her, and then turned away. "Oh!" Rarity managed. "What do I owe you?" The bartender waved a hoof. "First one's on the house, seeing as you're a new customer. Just come back sometime, yeah?" Rarity couldn't remember if the drink in front of her was her fourth or fifth. The young bartender, whose name she had learned was Vanilla Bark, had been surprisingly charming, and she found herself telling him all sorts of things as the night grew darker. She nursed her drinks in between stories and as he left to serve other customers, and before she knew it, the building was packed. Dozens of ponies clustered around the tables, talking and laughing and having a good time. Morosely, Rarity scanned the room and was unsurprised to find herself as the only pony drinking alone. Vanilla was heading in her direction again, and she was about to say something when something bumped her elbow. "Vanilla!" called a voice next to her ear. "Another round of cider for the table, please." Rarity turned to find a pink pegasus fluttering next to her, somehow only slightly wobbly given how much her breath smelled of alcohol. She was wearing a cap and a patch with a symbol that Rarity vaguely recognized as the insignia of the Royal Canterlot Army. "Do you mind?" she asked crisply, leaning away from the other pony. The pegasus turned, and her wing fluttered past Rarity. There was a clang of glass hitting wood, and Rarity felt cold liquid splash against her face and neck as her drink was knocked over. "Oh!" the pegasus exclaimed. Rarity yelped, hastily getting out of her chair and grabbing a stack of napkins in her magic. "Look what you've done!" she yelled, desperately trying to get the liquid out of her coat before it stained. "If you'd had the slightest awareness of where you were going, or weren't trying to fly drunk—" The pegasus shrank back. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I'll pay for it, I swear—" "Hey, what's going on, Feathermay?" A new pony had approached them. She was also a pegasus, with a blue coat and a short-cropped rainbow mane. The pink pegasus - Feathermay - eeped. "It's fine, Dash, I can handle it—" "Oh, you can, can you?" Rarity cut in. "Aren't you supposed to have some discipline?" She gestured to the army patch. Dash growled. "Hey! No one talks to her like that but me!" She then immediately turned on the pegasus. "And this is why I told you to take that off when we're on leave!" Before Rarity could respond, the new pegasus had whirled back to her. "Look, you're upset, I get it, but it was an accident, jeez." "Oh, well then in that case I'm sure it won't ruin my coat, thanks for the help!" Rarity shot back. "Well sorry for inconveniencing you, Princess," Dash growled. "But maybe ponies would be more helpful if you weren't acting like such a bitch." "I don't need to be told how to act by a bunch of uncouth brutes, thank you!" "Oh yeah? And what have you done lately to help Canterlot? Sorry if being willing to fight so you can spend the day drinking makes us brutes." "How dare you! What I do in my free time is none of your business! And what I do is just as important as… soldiering, or whatever you call it." "Prove it. Saved any lives recently? Defended any innocents? Go on, tell me what makes it so important." Rarity opened her mouth, trusting that the alcohol would continue to supply her with righteous rage. But no words came out. Surely she had some examples. She made ponies happy with her work, fixed broken things, made sure important systems stayed running. But she couldn't point to a specific life she had saved. Instead, in an instant, her anger snuffed out and turned to guilt. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Dash scoffed. "Leave the hard work to us. Enjoy your drink." She slammed a pair of coins onto the table and stormed off. Rarity woke up the next day with a groan. She only vaguely recalled stumbling home in the early hours of the morning, and her head was pounding too much to perform complex maneuvers like thinking and remembering things. By the time she had dragged herself through a shower and several glasses of water, she felt more like a functioning pony again. The events of the previous night played through her mind, and she sighed. Goodness, she'd been absolutely horrid; those ponies hadn't deserved anything she'd said to them. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. Eventually she pulled herself away from her thoughts long enough to start making breakfast. Something about last night had shaken her, and she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. She needed to apologize, but she'd probably never see those ponies again. They would forever think of her as the rude civilian who thought she was better than them. Did she think she was better than them? Certainly not, surely. All ponies were doing things they thought were important, after all. You aren't. She paused, frowning. Maybe that was the problem. They were doing something important, and she wasn't. Certainly she was skilled at what she did, but she found no fulfillment in it. It didn't make her feel like a star. She put down her cup, suddenly determined. Something needed to change. She strode into the front hall, and in a moment was sifting through the pile of junk mail there. She was sure she remembered… ah, there it was. An army recruitment letter. She'd ignored it when she got it, of course. They must send them out to everypony. But it had the address she needed on it. She could be doing something important with her skills. The recruitment center was a large gray building with no decoration besides a large Royal Canterlot Army seal on the wall above the desk. It was sterile, clinical, and uninviting. Rarity took one look at the decor and almost turned right around and went home. But after a brief pause, she instead stepped up to the desk and the unicorn behind it. "I'd… like to sign up," she said hesitantly, when he didn't acknowledge her presence at all. The unicorn grunted, then levitated a clipboard to her. "Fill out the form." Rarity took it. After a few moments of filling out basic information, she looked up. "There doesn't seem to be a place to put down what I want to do." The unicorn grunted again. "Your assignment will be determined by the aptitude test at the end of Basic." "Oh, but I don't… I mean, I'm not a fighter. I'm a machinist. An engineer. I want to… well, make a difference, but I don't think I'm cut out to be a soldier." This actually got an emotion out of the unicorn: he smirked at her. "We'll be the judge of that, ma'am. If you don't like it, there's the door." Rarity rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll talk to somepony else about it, then. Here's your form." The unicorn took it, and scanned it briefly. "Very good." He pointed to a door behind him. "You walk through that door, you're a member of the RCA. You're one of us. If you're not completely confident in that decision, now's the time to leave, and I'll throw this in the trash and never tell a soul you were here. You understand?" Rarity nodded, and took a deep breath. There was a moment of hesitation, but then she steeled herself. She was Rarity! She didn't back down from a challenge, or get cold hooves. She pushed through the door. At some point, Rarity mused, something had gotten off track. She was staring at a bare cot in a room full of bare cots, holding a small bundle that was everything she was apparently allowed to have for the next eight weeks. Around her, other new privates were starting to unpack. She'd tried to explain that she wasn't supposed to be here several times. Nopony had listened. Instead, she had been forced to do push ups until she collapsed, which hadn't taken very long at all. Something had to be done. She dropped the bundle on the bed and walked out of the barracks. The pony who'd yelled at her just a moment ago—Sergeant Brass "and don't you forget it!" Tacks—was nowhere to be seen. Good. She'd seen a large, brightly painted building on the way in. Whoever was in charge was probably there, and if she could just get them to listen, she was sure she could have this all sorted out in no time. "Hey!" A voice called out, and Rarity froze, then tried her best to look innocent. Her best wasn't very good. "Hey!" the voice called again, closer this time. "Civilians aren't allowed on the base. How the hell did you get in here?" She turned, and her heart dropped into her hooves. Hovering in front of her was a very cross-looking blue pegasus. Unlike the last time they'd met, she was wearing a full RCA uniform and cap, with a pin on the shoulder that looked like a series of crescent moons. Rarity still didn't know what rank that signified. "Well," she stalled. "They… well, they let me in." "I doubt that. Come on, come with me." Rarity shook her head quickly, trying to regain her composure. "No, I'm telling the truth! I… well, I signed up, you see. I thought about what you said, and… you were right. I'm sorry." Dash crossed her forelegs. "Alright, is this some elaborate prank? Because it's not funny. Look, if you came all this way to apologize, I appreciate it, I guess, but the longer we stand here talking the more trouble we will both be in when somepony finds us, so let's go." Rarity balked as the other mare grabbed her leg. "No! Would you just listen to me? I can go show you my recruitment papers, they're in my bag right over there." She waved a hoof at the barracks. "I'm just trying to talk to whoever is in charge so I can get put with the engineers instead of the soldiers—" Rarity cut herself off, because the pegasus was laughing at her. She was barely managing to stay in the air, so great were her guffaws. "It's not funny," she snapped. "I'm sure it's a mistake that happens all the time." Dash somehow managed to compose herself. "Moon and stars above, you're serious. Oh man, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Alright, well, in that case, private, you should get back to your bunk on the double. You're in the right place. Every soldier goes through basic, no matter how good of an engineer they think they are." Rarity glared. "Listen here, you, I am not—" "Sergeant Dash." "What?" "You will refer to me as Sergeant Dash when we're on the base, or any time we're in uniform. You may have been able to get what you wanted just by talking to whoever's in charge before, but it's not gonna work here. You walk into that building, and you'll be lucky if all they do is throw you out on your ass. Keep making a fuss about this, and you'll get yourself kicked out. Maybe that's what you want at this point. But if you want to be an engineer—if you really want to make a difference—the only way to do that is to shut up and do what you're told." Rarity sputtered. "You… you can't talk to me that way!" "I can and I did. Either get used to it, or quit." Rarity took a deep breath, and then another. Finally, she closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. Eventually, she felt like she could speak once more. "Alright… Sergeant Dash. You're sure that if I complete this… training… I will become an engineer?" Dash shrugged. "You'll become whatever the higher-ups want to make you. If you're as good as you seem to think you are, then sure, probably." "Alright then." Rarity nodded, and composed herself. "If that is what it takes, I will do it. Good day, miss Dash." "Sergeant!" Rarity smirked, and turned to head back to the barracks. Much to her surprise, Rarity found that once she got used to it, she actually didn't mind Basic all that much. Once she learned to stop talking back to the sergeants, so long as she put in the effort, many of the exercises were actually quite rewarding. Certainly, it was hard work, and she found herself falling asleep before her head hit the pillow more often than not, but she also found herself stronger, leaner, and with more energy than before. Her fellow privates were ponies from all walks of life. They all had their own reasons for wanting to join the force, whether it be for personal glory or to protect their home and their family. Some were there just because they had nowhere else to be, and some were there because it was what they were good at. Rarity's answer of wanting to make a difference passed muster, but she kept to herself the thought that she would be working with machines and magic, and some of the ponies she was talking to wouldn't make it through their service. Still, she learned to fire a rifle just like the rest of them. And she could strip and reassemble it faster than anypony else in her class. That, more than anything else, made her feel like perhaps she belonged here. Eight weeks went by much quicker than Rarity expected them to. She was standing at attention in a line of her fellow trainees, nervous, giddy excitement threatening to break through to the exterior. While she may not be the most athletically inclined in the group, she felt she had done quite well in the physical exercises in the final aptitude test. But more importantly, she knew she had nailed the technical ones. She would never admit it, but she was glad it had been Dash that had stopped her from trying to get out of the process. She understood now how truly badly that would have gone—General Cadenza did not take kindly to slackers—and while Dash had taken every opportunity to rib her about the encounter in the last two months, she clearly had never reported it to anypony, as Rarity had received no punishment for it. She wasn't sure any of the other sergeants on the base would have been so kind. As she mused, General Cadenza herself took the podium in front of her, looking out across the crowd. She was an imposing figure, a head taller than every other pony there, and in full dress uniform. She didn't need that to be imposing, though—whether she was in full battle armor or nothing at all, she radiated power. "Welcome, everypony. Congratulations on making it this far," she began. "You represent the future of Canterlot, and of Equestria as a whole. You are our best and brightest, and it is your duty to defend Equestria from all threats, and ensure the peace that protects every single pony living within its borders. You should all be very proud of what you've accomplished already, and move forward into the future ready to excel in everything you do." "I am pleased to present all of you with your new rank of Private Second Class. Well done, all of you. I expect great things." She surveyed the crowd, and then gestured to the pony just beside the stage. "I am sure that you are all eager to learn what you will be doing next. Quartermaster Moondancer has each of your assignments. Thank you all for your service." She gave them a crisp nod, and the line of newly promoted privates saluted, before relaxing as she left the building. Rarity sighed softly, and then waited patiently for the queue around Moondancer's desk to clear somewhat. Finally, she stepped up. "Rarity Belle," she announced, and Moondancer levitated over a slip of paper. Rarity frowned. "I don't understand." Moondancer turned back to her. "Your assignment is clearly listed." Rarity hmphed. "Well, yes, but… I thought I was going to be an engineer. My technical evaluation—" Moondancer cut her off. "You are. Canterlot Engineering Corps, Specialist assigned to Company C. Congrats on your promotion." Rarity blinked. Then, numbly, she saluted and left. Rarity stepped into her new room with her mind still cloudy. It was much nicer than her bunk in the barracks—for one, it only had one bed in it, and an actual door. But she couldn't appreciate that. Even after all she'd been through in the past few weeks, she never thought she would actually be told to go out and fight. She was an intellectual, not a fighter. They were going to stick her behind a desk somewhere and she was going to invent things for them. Yes, she'd come to terms with the fact that some of those things would probably have been weapons, but it was for the security of her people, and she could live with that. As long as it wasn't happening right in front of her. "Well, well, well. Specialist Belle. Very impressive." Rarity turned to see Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway. "You! What are you doing here? How did you know about that?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Sergeant Dash, Specialist. Just because you've graduated it doesn't mean all protocol goes out the window." She smirked. "And I know because I specifically requested you. Welcome to the Shadowbolts. Best squad in the whole damn army, because it's mine." "This is your fault?" Rarity hissed. "I don't want to be part of your squad! I was going to be an engineer, Dash!" Dash blinked, then frowned. "You are an engineer. This is what Army Engineers do." She shook her head. "You really thought you could join the army, and then get stuck behind a desk somewhere and never have to fight? Wake up, Rarity. After all this time, I'd hoped you weren't still dreaming." She turned, but paused just outside the door. "And I requested you because I thought you were the best damn engineer in your class. Don't make me regret it." With that, she left. Rarity stared after her, before collapsing into her bed, mind still racing. She could still quit, if she was willing to throw away two months of hard work and Rainbow Dash's approval. The thought was so funny she actually let out a strangled laugh. She couldn't quit now. She'd just have to adapt. Rarity soon found that her fears of being dropped right into an active war zone were greatly exaggerated. The Shadowbolts were garrisoned in Canterlot, like the majority of the RCA. While griffon incursions were relatively common, most of them were in the outlying areas of Equestria, which were sparsely patrolled at best. It just wasn't feasible to defend all the area that was Old Equestria—the best they could do was occasionally make a show of force against a griffon encampment that had stayed in the same place for too long, and defend the farmland that ponies in Canterlot relied on to survive. That was enough to keep the griffons wary, and wary griffons didn't attack Canterlot directly. That didn't stop the upkeep and maintenance of Canterlot's defenses from being a full time job. At first, Rarity simply shadowed more experienced sappers as they showed her the systems and how to work on them. She was a quick study, and soon she was doing the inspections and repairs herself. "How's that maintenance coming?" Sergeant Dash's voice crackled to life in her ear, but Rarity didn't let it distract her from the tools in her magical grip. "It would be going faster if you didn't distract me, Sergeant," she quipped, as soon as she was certain she was in no danger of accidentally triggering the anti-air defenses she was working on. Civilians didn't like thinking about the possibility of war on their doorstep, so the massive crossbows were normally hidden away. If she deployed them on accident, she'd get a stern talking-to and Dash would make her put them back in storage herself, which was a complicated process that took multiple ponies. "Roger that, expert opinion is to shut the hell up. You'll be done in time, yeah?" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Yes, just like the last three times you asked." She pulled back and gave the device in front of her a last scan before closing the panel. "Spark, are you ready? We should clear out soon." The other engineer in the platoon nodded without looking up. "Yeah, just about. One sec." Rarity nodded, stepping back and taking a survey of the area. Other members of the squad were posted at each end of the street, so they wouldn't be interrupted by curious civilians, but it still paid to be aware of your surroundings. So when she turned back to the wall that hid the ballista she'd been working on and found an alicorn the color of night standing there, she yelped. "At ease, soldier," the alicorn murmured. "Be not afraid." Rarity swallowed, and hastily saluted. "Your Highness!" she choked out, hearing a similar sound of surprise from behind her as Spark did the same. "I wasn't expecting you! Ma'am!" Nightmare Moon chuckled, her grin showing fangs. "That is because I am not supposed to be here." She gestured to the open panel Spark had been working on. "The defenses are in order, I presume?" "Ma'am! Yes ma'am! Er, Your Highness!" Nightmare Moon shook her head. "I said, at ease. What is your name, soldier?" Rarity tried to relax, but didn't manage it very well. "Specialist Rarity Belle, Your Highness." "Hmm. That name sounds familiar." Before Rarity could process that, the alicorn had moved on. "I trust you to keep this between us, Specialist." Rarity nodded. "O-of course." Nightmare Moon smiled, running a hoof slowly along the polished wood of the ballista. "I like to see them. To remind me that there are other ways." She looked up. "Keep up the good work. I won't keep you." She took a step back, into a shadow, and in a blink she was gone. Rarity remembered to breathe, and then her comm crackled to life. "Specialist, what the hell was that?" "Nothing, Sergeant. Nothing at all." "...Right. Get your ass back to base before that procession comes through." When Dash entered the break room, not much changed. As Sergeants went, Dash was pretty laid back and everypony knew it. Then somepony saw her face, and nudged their neighbor. The change in mood spread across the room like wildfire, and by the time Dash was standing in the middle of it, it was quiet. Dash looked around. "Heh. Guess I don't have much of a poker face." She cracked a smile, and got a few laughs. "We've got new orders. We're shipping out tomorrow, along with the rest of C Company. Make sure you're packed." She let the collective gasp ripple around the room before continuing. "Intel got wind of a large griffon force heading through the Appleachian region. It's apparently twice the size of anything they've seen before. We don't know where they're headed just yet, but the border division is calling for backup. "I know a lot of you are still pretty green, and this will be your first deployment. If you've got concerns, come to me. If you've got questions, I'll try to answer them, but they don't tell me everything either. But I do know that this is the best goddamn team in the whole army, and we've all got each other's backs. You already know what to do, and none of that's changed." She looked around, pausing awkwardly, before finishing, "Alright, that's all I had to say. Stop looking at me like that, I'm still your Sergeant." That got a larger laugh, and soon the room was back to something approaching its usual volume. But Rarity had lost the thread of the conversation she had been in, and after the second time somepony tried to get her attention, she politely excused herself and went after Dash. She didn't even have to ask for the Sergeant to step out of the room, Rainbow just caught her approach and nodded. "What's on your mind, Specialist?" she asked as soon as they were out of earshot. Rarity hesitated. "I don't know if I can do it," she finally whispered. Dash paused. "Do what? You're a good engineer, Rarity. That doesn't change when we leave Canterlot." Rarity shook her head. "No, not that. I don't know if I can… fight. I've never killed anypony. I… I don't know what I'd do if I had to." "I know," Dash said quietly. "Look, if we're lucky, it won't come to that. And if it does, I think you'll surprise yourself. You've got more guts than you know." Rarity laughed bitterly. "And look where that got me. In way over my head. I never thought my life would end up like this." "Hey. You chose this, and I'd say you're doing pretty alright. I've got your back, and so does every other Shadowbolt. If you freeze up, somepony else will take the shot. We won't let you down, alright? You have my word." "...alright." Rarity took a breath, and then slowly managed a smile. "Thank you. I never would have ended up here if it weren't for you, Rainbow. I won't let you down either." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "It's 'Sergeant.'" Rarity smirked. "Of course, Rainbow." It took six days of marching to reach the encampment where B Company was entrenched. Rarity and Spark were quickly assigned to Lieutenant Iron Hoof, one of their senior sappers, and she was soon being drilled on the existing defenses so thoroughly that she didn't have time to think about anything else. The only time she got a moment's respite was when General Cadenza came out to review the placement of the new troops personally, and Lieutenant Hoof was busy discussing the defenses with her instead. By the time the day was over, Rarity was more than ready for sleep. Rarity soon learned that she had had it easy in Canterlot. Out here, there was always more to do than ponies available to do it. Even with the reinforcements, there was more than enough work to go around. She barely saw her squadmates, and new reports kept coming in from the pegasi scouts watching the approaching griffon force. Each one meant a change in position, or an update to the mortars, or some bright-eyed sergeant having a new idea for how best to deploy their squad and an accompanying request to the engineers to make it happen. By the end of the third day there were nearly half a dozen of them that Rarity wanted to strangle, if only because it might stop them from proposing any more stupid ideas. It was on the fourth day when it happened. A scout crashed into the middle of the base, having flown for a mile despite a fractured wing. The rest of her squad was dead, and a griffon advance force was here, far earlier than anypony expected, and nothing was ready. After that, all Rarity remembered was chaos. Soldiers desperately getting into position in no time flat, and a half dozen officers barking conflicting orders. She heard screams and gunfire without knowing where it was coming from. She didn't even see a griffon until after the attack was over, and she was sent to the front and found it lying entangled with a pony, their blood pooling together. She didn't know if the attack had been successful, or how many ponies had died, or even what the griffons had hoped to accomplish. Those were all for ponies way over her head. All she knew was that they'd wrecked some of the mortars and set off some of the mines, and it was her job to help restore the defensive line. She didn't sleep at all that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she just heard screams. Rarity was awoken by a hoof kicking her bed, and she jolted upright. She was surprised she'd fallen asleep at all, with how long she'd laid awake, but the half-remembered snippets of her dreams made her feel like it hadn't made much difference. "Wake up, Specialist," a voice intruded upon her thoughts. "We're moving out." Rarity blinked at Rainbow, before it fully clicked what time it was. She jumped up and hurried to put on her uniform, apologizing profusely. Rainbow waved her off, and moved on to wake up the next pony who'd overslept. Apparently Rarity wasn't the only one who'd had troubled sleep last night. "Where are we going, Sergeant?" she asked once the squadron was assembled and ready. "No idea," Rainbow said, a little too cheerily. "Lieutenant Forward is running the excursion. It's his op, and he doesn't seem to like questions." Rarity nodded, and fell silent. She could tell Dash was unsettled, but it would do no good to point it out. Instead, she spent the time double-checking her equipment. She knew nothing was out of place, but it was comforting all the same. Soon, the platoon was moving out. Rarity didn't recognize the other squads, which meant they, like the Lieutenant, must have been from B Company. She didn't like the implications of that at all. They spent over an hour trudging through the forest before the Lieutenant called a halt. "Sergeant Blank and Ironsides, set up a perimeter. Sergeant Dash, hold here. You. Sapper." He gestured with one hoof, and Rarity was surprised to find he was addressing her. "Sir?" "How quickly could you rig something between these trees that would incapacitate anything flying through them?" Rarity frowned, examining the gap. "Twenty minutes. Sir." "Do it. I want one here, there, and there, fast as you can manage. Sergeant, you and your squad, cover her." He turned away, and gestured to the last squad. "Sergeant Posh, you're with me. We're going hunting." They moved off into the underbrush, and Rarity began pulling rope out of her pack. "Well, that was delightfully cryptic," she muttered. Rainbow opened her mouth, seeming like she was about to issue a reprimand, but then she sighed. "Yeah, you're not wrong, Specialist, but don't let the Lieutenant hear you say it." She flew up to examine the trees Rarity was beginning to string rope between. "Seems to me like an ambush. I don't know what we're expecting to fly into these traps, but I think it's safe to assume it'll be hostile. Be ready, everypony." The rest of the Shadowbolts fanned out, and left Rarity to her work. Less than thirty minutes later, Rainbow's radio crackled to life. "We're heading for you now, coming in hot. Target is in pursuit. Our goal is to capture them alive. Do not fire unless fired upon. Are those traps ready yet?" Rainbow turned, but didn't need to ask. "I need more time!" Rarity hissed. "I told him twenty minutes each and he wants three, can't he do basic math?" "You don't have it," Rainbow muttered. "Feathermay, Lotus, Windy, help her with that second trap. Get it done now. Everypony else, with me. We'll stop them the old-fashioned way if we have to." Rarity spent only a moment cursing before directing the pegasi to the right spots in the trees. It would speed things up, but not by much. Rainbow's radio came to life again. "ETA two minutes." Rarity threw out all pretense of quality. No time to check if the thing would hold. Barely time to finish a configuration that might hold. She finished it in record time, and gave it half a tug. Good enough. She waved Feathermay and Windy off, and then dove behind a tree. Not a moment too soon. The Lieutenant and Posh's squad came running into the clearing, and hot on their tails were at least a dozen griffons. The first one went barreling right into the first trap Rarity had made. The rest, less so. Two swerved at the last moment, and one brushed the edge of the second trap, but the ropes snapped rather than hold it. And then the griffons were among them, and it was screams and chaos again. Rarity pulled out her rifle, but hesitated. The Lieutenant had ordered them to be taken alive. Then she heard the crack of a gunshot, and instinctively pulled back behind the tree. Next to her, she heard a soft "oh." Lotus was staring down at the hole in her barrel, her expression one of mild befuddlement. And then she collapsed to the ground and didn't move. Rarity saw the griffon turn his gun on her. There was another crack of gunfire. The griffon collapsed. Rarity looked to the smoking gun next to her, held in her magic's glow. She hadn't even thought about firing it. Not consciously. She'd just done it on instinct. For a moment, she just stared. Then she dropped the rifle like it had bitten her, and felt the sudden urge to vomit. She stumbled back from Lotus's body, from the site of her murder, and then turned and ran. She could hear the commotion behind her, more yelling and shooting, but for the moment it seemed like no one had noticed her flight. She felt sick to her stomach. She should go back, she couldn't just desert her squad like that. She couldn't just leave Lotus there on the ground. She couldn't abandon Rainbow Dash. She fumbled in her bags once more, dumping out useless ammo for the rifle she'd dropped. Soon she pulled out what she was looking for: The small lump of plastic explosive every sapper had for emergencies. She'd used it before. But never on anything alive. She took a moment to steel herself. Then, she turned around and headed back towards the sounds of battle. Halfway there, she stuck the lump of plastic to a tree, and then aimed her horn and fired a whizzing spark into the fray. It was a harmless speck of light—she didn't have the skills to be a combat mage—but when it exploded in the middle of a pack of griffons, it sure did get their attention. "Over here, you monstrous brutes!" she yelled, before backing up and darting behind another tree. All she needed was for them to approach— "Rarity! What are you doing?" Rarity peeked her head out. The griffons were closing. But then Dash barreled into them. She didn't have a rifle either, but that wasn't surprising, there was no time to reload in a fight like this. Instead, she was holding a vicious knife in one hoof, and scored a long gash in the side of an unsuspecting griffon. But there were four of them, and one of Dash. Rarity didn't like those odds. "Rainbow!" she hissed. "Sergeant! Run! Get out of there!" "I am not abandoning you, Rarity!" Rainbow called back, even as she ducked backwards, keeping herself out of range of the griffons' claws. She was still far too close to the explosive. "You don't understand!" Rarity hissed. "I have a plan! Trust me!" Rainbow hesitated. It was just long enough for a griffon to get a swipe in, and a line of red blossomed on Rainbow's cheek. That decided her, and she turned, darting towards Rarity. They were too close. Rainbow was leaving the blast zone, but so were the griffons. "No!" she hissed, and made a decision. She darted out of cover. Past Rainbow Dash, who didn't slow down. After all, she'd told her she had a plan. Past the griffons, who did, turning to face the new threat in their midst in confusion. Past the tree with the explosive on it. If she was fast enough, perhaps she could get out of range. But she knew she wasn't. Her horn lit, and she conjured a shield around herself. It was a flimsy thing, hardly visible at all, but it was all she had. "Sorry, Rainbow," she muttered. She pressed the detonator. Everything went white. Rarity could vaguely hear shouting. She couldn't see, and searing pain shot through her entire body. "Medic! Get a damn medic!" A familiar voice cut through the haze, and Rarity focused on it. A swirl of rainbow colors swam through her vision, but try as she might, she couldn't resolve it into anything recognizable. "Rarity! Can you hear me?" The swirl spoke in Rainbow's voice, and then coughed. "You got 'em, Rarity. You got them. I'm gonna get you help. Stay with me." Rarity tried to hold onto those words, but they drifted away and then everything returned to black. Rarity awoke. That surprised her. She looked around, and found herself in a bright, white room. She was lying in a bed, and a machine beeped softly next to her. She licked her lips, and cracked open her mouth. "I'm alive?" she croaked, her voice so raspy as to be unfamiliar to her. She expected to be in pain, but she wasn't. Instead, her entire body was numb. She couldn't feel her legs or anything else. That was probably a bad sign. Her body was covered in a sheet, and she attempted to light her horn to remove it. It sparked, and searing pain shot through her head. The machine next to her grew shrill, and she heard the sound of ponies rushing towards her before she passed out again. When she next awoke, she recognized the pony standing at the foot of her bed. She was tall, pink, and regal. "Captain Belle," Cadenza began. "Welcome back." Rarity blinked. "I'm not a Captain," she mumbled. "You were promoted. A lot has happened while you were asleep." "I don't… what happened?" "You did something very brave and very stupid. But it worked, so you get a medal instead of a court-martial. Congratulations." She sounded almost bitter. Rarity frowned. Surely General Cadenza was the final authority on who got court-martialed. So why did she sound like it wasn't what she wanted? "I don't understand." "I didn't think you would. Somepony else can fill in the details. You were promoted because a Specialist doesn't have the clearance for your next assignment." She tossed a folder on the table next to the bed. "Nightmare Moon wants you for a project. You, specifically, apparently. And she can be very persuasive." "I don't…" Rarity mumbled again, but Cadenza wasn't listening. She had already turned to walk away. "Wait!" The General turned, and waited as Rarity coughed. Eventually, she was able to speak again, though she now knew better than to shout. "What… what happened to Sergeant Dash? Is she alright?" Cadenza's gaze hardened into a stony mask, but for a moment Rarity thought she saw rage underneath it. When she spoke, her voice was frosty. "Lieutenant Dash flew you back to the medics herself. Got you there in record time, so I hear. For her loyalty, she was awarded a medal of honor and a promotion." "She's a strong pony, and she was further away from the blast than you," Cadenza continued, her voice turning quiet. "But she pushed herself too hard. Hid the blood, so the medics wouldn't be distracted from you. Claimed she was fine. And by the time she collapsed, it was too late." Rarity felt her world crumbling around her. "No," she whispered. "No." "I'm sorry," Cadenza murmured, her voice soft. "There was nothing anypony could do. She made the choice to save you. She said it wasn't your fault." Rarity could only barely nod. "But it was," she whispered, her vision blurring. She couldn't even wipe away the tears. Cadenza didn't correct her. Instead she turned and left, leaving Rarity alone with her grief. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: InvisiBelle author: Sleepy Panda tags: character:Sweetie Belle, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Comedy, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== SkeleBelle === "Hey Twilight, can you teach me how to do this spell?" Sweetie Belle asked, pushing the book with said spell towards Twilight. She had been studying the spell for the last ten minutes and decided that she really wanted to learn how to do it. Twilight barely glanced at it before shaking her head. "An invisibility spell? Sorry, but I am definitely not teaching you that. There are so many ways it could go wrong, and you haven't even mastered the basics yet. This spell is extremely advanced." Sweetie Belle groaned and slumped down in defeat. "Ugh, come on! I'm never going to get the hang of this stuff." "You will if you practice. Now, show me your cleaning spell." Sweetie Belle furrowed her brow in concentration, lighting up her horn and using her magic to slowly raise the mop. The mop rose up a few inches, waved around wildly, and very nearly smacked Twilight in the face before falling back to the ground. "Ugh, I just don't get it! I've been practicing, like, forever and I still can't get the hang of this," Sweetie Belle complained, stomping her hooves in frustration as the mop flopped back onto the floor. "Why can't the stupid mop just levitate itself?" "Sweetie Belle, you just have to be patient. Why, it took me a couple tries to get the hang of this spell," Twilight reassured her, feeling slightly guilty about lying. In truth, she had gotten hang of the spell on her first try. "Well, you were and still are an amazingly talented unicorn-turned-Alicorn," argued Sweetie Belle, "and I'm just plain, boring old me with no talent whatsoever. My blank flank proves it!" She gazed sadly down upon her bare flank, wishing for some sort of mark to appear. Sweetie Belle loved Twilight Time, and she saw some improvement in her magic because of the lessons. However, these improvements were very small and she was beginning to think that learning magic was a total lost cause. "Don't ever say that," Twilight exclaimed. "You are a very special unicorn and you know it. Your blank flank just means that the possibilities for your special talent are endless, and that you just have to keep looking. It means that your special talent is something unique and most definitely not boring. You are a very special pony." Sweetie Belle snorted and turned her head away from Twilight. "Blah blah blah special special special… HA! Yeah, I'm real 'special' all right. I'm 'special' in that special way that means I have to go to extra classes at school and meet with a psychologist. In fact, I bet that's why the other crusaders all said they were too busy today to hang out with me. They think I'm 'special' too. Everypony always says that I'm special and unique, and I used to think of that as a compliment. Now, I see it for what it really is: a kinder way of saying that I'm dumb and weird!" she shouted, the first tears beginning to stream down her face as she whipped around to face Twilight. "Well guess what? I've had enough of this. I'm leaving and not coming back until I get my cutie mark!" she yelled. Twilight recoiled in shock. She hadn't expected Sweetie Belle to get so... vocal when she called her special. She had meant it as a compliment, but clearly Sweetie Belle interpreted it otherwise. She started to say something, but her words fell upon deaf ears as Sweetie Belle angrily stormed out of the library. As she trotted out into the streets of Ponyville, Sweetie Belle suddenly felt lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. In fact, she felt positively giddy. She would finally, after all these years, be able to get her cutie mark. She was absolutely positive about it, and she didn't know how she hadn't come to this realization sooner. She had to earn her cutie mark entirely by herself, not with the help of more talented peers and princesses. She could teach herself out of the spellbook that she... left at Twilight's. Darn it. "Wait a second... I don't have any supplies!" Sighing, the weight came crashing back down on her and she reluctantly trudged back into the library. "I knew you'd come around. Are you ready to continue your lesson?" Twilight asked, looking up from her book at the filly. She was slightly annoyed, but she carefully kept her annoyance from showing in her voice. "Yeah, I'm ready to continue my lesson," Sweetie Belle replied. "Okay, great! I think we'll resume on our studies with fundamental-" "No no, Twilight. You misunderstand. I really appreciate the help you've given me, but I'm going to continue learning magic by myself. Can I borrow one of your spellbooks?" she asked. "No you can't. I know this is a library and all, but I can't let you-" "Okaythanksbyetwilight!" Sweetie Belle grabbed the spellbook she had been reading earlier off of the shelf with her teeth and galloped away as fast as she could, leaving behind an aghast lavender unicorn. "S'cuse me, shorry shir, watch where yer goin', shtop shtaring at me. Go away, D'mond Trra!" Sweetie Belle barreled through Ponyville, shoving aside the ponies going about their daily business who just happened to get in her way. Well, except for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She knew that they purposefully gotten in her way. Brushing past her tormentors, Sweetie Belle dashed through the entire town, only stopping when she reached the edge of the Everfree forest. There was no way she was going in the forest, but she would stay near the edge. Nopony ever approached the edge, so she would be safe from discovery there. "Sweetie Belle, I know you're upset, but-" Sweetie Belle whirled around to see Twilight standing behind her with pleading eyes. Ugh, she must have teleported herself here or something, Sweetie Belle thought bitterly. I remember hearing Rainbow Dash mention to Rarity that she's terrible at flying, so she must have used her fancy magic skills to follow me. "-but magic is not something to practice on your own. I don't want to see you get hurt." Sweetie Belle spat the book out of her mouth. "Then go away and don't watch me!" she retorted. Twilight winced at the rough treatment of the book, but didn't say anything about it. That could wait until later. "No Sweetie Belle, I can't risk that. I really don't want to have to explain to Rarity why you suddenly have four heads or some other unfashionable alteration. Please, come back to the library with me and we can get that mud cleaned off of you before Rarity sees it and throws a fit." Sweetie Belle looked down at her light gray coat, which was indeed caked with mud in several areas. Rarity would not be happy about that if she saw. Some of what Twilight was saying made sense to her, but she pushed back any such thoughts and refused to cooperate. "No! I am doing this, and you can't stop me!" Sweetie Belle shouted before covering her mouth. She didn't want to attract any monsters from the Everfree forest. Twilight sighed and looked at Sweetie Belle with a pained expression. "I hate to do this, and I don't even know if I'm allowed to, but I must. As a Princess of Equestria, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, command you to return the spellbook to my possession and return to my house at once," she commanded, drawing herself up to her full height. "Well... Buck you!" Sweetie Belle said, unable to think of anything else to say. Twilight's eyes flashed angrily. "Language!" she scolded the young filly, but it was too late. She was already dashing away. She was about to teleport after her, but a movement out of the corner of her eye stopped her. She turned her head to look behind her and saw Spike panting as he ran towards her. "Twi... light!" he panted. "I have... a letter... from Princess Celestia! Judging by the way it's trying... to force itself out, I'd say... it's pretty urgent!" Twilight looked worriedly in the direction Sweetie Belle had scurried off in before turning back to Spike just as he belched up the scroll. Catching it in her magic, Twilight unrolled it and read the 'important message.' Dear Twilight, Changelings and timberwolves have united and are attacking Canterlot. They have captured my sister and are now heading after Cadence. Please hurry over as quickly as you can and help me save Canterlot before it is razed by angry creatures. ~Princess Celestia Twilight bit her lip, briefly debating whether or not she should disregard the letter and chase after Sweetie Belle. "No, I can't abandon my mentor in her time of need! I am responsible for the fate of Equestria. If I don't protect my nation, I will be a horrible princess! But Sweetie Belle could get hurt... But if I ignore the threat to Canterlot, more than one pony will get hurt... Ugh! I guess I'm going to Canterlot. Rarity is going to kill me later. In fact, this is so stressful I might just end up killing myself. Uh, Spike, you did not just hear that last part. Forget I said that and go back to the library while I go help Princess Celestia. Don't eat too many snacks." Spike stood very still, still trying to understand what Twilight had just said. Hesitantly, he responded, "Um... okay Twilight, just don't get hurt or anything. I'll just relax at home and maybe clean-" Twilight gasped, cutting him off. "Wait a second! Spike, go find Sweetie Belle and make sure she isn't casting any dangerous spells while I go to Canterlot," she said, teleporting away before Spike was able to respond. Shrugging, he turned around and started walking off in the direction of Sweetie Belle, only to almost immediately fall into a deep hole filled with a myriad amount of gems. "AAA- oh man, those look delicious! Forget about Sweetie Belle, I'm staying in here!" Sweetie Belle continued to run, panting and checking over her shoulder every so often to check for any pursuers. It was hard work. Her legs were still a bit sore from the crusaders' last talent-finding attempt, and her neck cracked once when she looked over her shoulder too quickly. But she kept on running. When she felt satisfied that she wasn't being followed, she slowed down and stopped to catch her breath. She observed her surroundings and concluded she was in some sort of deserted field near Fluttershy's cottage. Perfect. If what she heard was true, Fluttershy wouldn't be assertive enough to intervene with her spellcasting. She used her telekinesis to open the book to the correct page, feeling a surge of pride as she did so. By no means was paper heavy, but still, she had moved something with her magic without it blowing up in her face or igniting. That was progress. "Okay, so invisibility... Shouldn't be that hard… looks like there's even a counterspell if I mess up or decide I don't like the effects..." she muttered to herself as she read, scanning the page and figuring out the basic mechanics of the spell. "Looks like I just have to reverse the polar… poultry… what the hay is this word supposed to be?" Frustrated, she jabbed the word polarity with her hoof. "Oh whatever. I'll just skip that part." Furrowing her brow in concentration, Sweetie Belle screwed her eyes shut and grit her teeth until her horn sparked to life. Grinning a little, her eyes flew open and a green beam of energy shot out of her horn, surrounding her in a green aura. She stared at her hooves in awe as she witnessed her hooves slowly disappear right in front of her eyes. They seemed to gradually fade away. First the fur, then the skin, until she could see right through her hooves. But they were still there. It was so weird; her eyes made her think her hooves were gone, but she knew they weren't because she could still feel them. If she were to be completely honest, it was kind of creepy. Her bones hadn't disappeared yet, so she could still see them clearly. In some ways, it was a bit fascinating. If she did this often enough, she could probably learn more about the bones and be ahead of her class in the subject. "This is so weird," Sweetie muttered to herself, her eyes glued on her legs. The spell worked in a really strange way. It tingled as it spread over her small body, and it seemed to be saving the bones for last because all of the bones in her legs were exposed. When the spell finally reached the very tips of her ears, the tingling feeling stopped and the aura dissipated. The spell had finished, but there was just one problem: all of her bones were still visible. "What?!" Sweetie Belle's skeleton exclaimed, its jaw rattling around as it spoke. "What?! Oh no, I turned myself into a skeleton pony!" Sweetie Belle spun around in circles, chasing her invisible tail, trying to glimpse at her invisible flank. "Ugh, and I can't even see if I got a skeleton cutie mark! I know I didn't get my invisibility cutie mark, but a skeleton cutie mark sounds so cool! An invisible cutie mark, on the other hoof… that's like being a blank flank again!" Excited and hopeful to see if she at least earned her skeleton cutie mark, Sweetie Belle quickly looked up the counterspell to reverse the invisibility. "Okay, so… I just have to…" Sweetie Belle took another look at the counterspell just to make sure she had it right. Right before she cast the spell, however, a sentence caught her eye so she stopped preparing to cast the spell. Examining the words, she realized she needed carrots to perform her spell for some reason. The book had an explanation as to why, but it had big words in it so she didn't understand it. Her eyes slowly slid away from the book until they rested on Fluttershy's cottage about a hundred yards away across the field. "Oh great… Fluttershy…" Sweetie Belle defeatedly looked upon her bony self, wondering how Fluttershy was going to react. She imagined plenty of scenarios, none of them ending well, and with each one she became less hopeful of obtaining a carrot from Fluttershy to enable her to cast the much needed counterspell. However, it wasn't like she had any other choice. She could walk into the center of Ponyville and buy a carrot, but she had no money, and, well, the whole skeleton thing would probably make friendly interactions with store clerks difficult. So really, the most logical option was going to Fluttershy's house. She almost definitely owned carrots. What else would she feed all her bunnies and chickens and whatever else she had? Cake? It didn't seem likely. Resigned, Sweetie Belle The Skeleton trudged through the grass to Fluttershy's cottage. It was kind of fascinating to watch how her bones moved when she walked, so she kept jumping about randomly to see how her bones would react to the sudden movement and how they would shudder on impact with the ground. Anypony who might have been watching would probably laugh at the sight of a skeleton dancing about in the middle of nowhere. Then, the word skeleton would really register in their brain and they would scream and run away to grab a mob and some torches to rid the town of the evil entity. Luckily, though, nopony saw Sweetie Belle and she safely reached Fluttershy's house without being killed by an angry mob of ponies. Now, she faced an even larger problem: talking to Fluttershy. Hesitantly, Sweetie Belle raised her leg -- er, leg bone -- to the door and gave it two solid knocks. There was no answer at first, and the silence drove Sweetie crazy with anxiety. What if she never answered? She'd be stuck outside forever as a skeleton. Then Rarity would find her and tell her that she didn't want a skeleton for a sister, and she'd use the Elements of Harmony to turn her into stone! Then Nightmare Moon would- Just then, the door started to slowly creak open. "Um… Hello? Who's there?" a quiet voice asked from behind the door. Even though the owner of the voice wasn't visible through the tiny opening, it was obvious to Sweetie Belle who the owner of the voice was. After all, it couldn't be anyone else. Fluttershy lived alone. "Yeah, it's me. Sweetie Belle. I'm Rarity's sister, remember?" Hearing this, Fluttershy started to push the door open more. "Oh, Sweetie Belle? Come on in-" Fluttershy froze when she opened the door wide enough for her to see a skeleton standing outside of her house. "Oh… oh my…" she stuttered, standing rooted in place and shaking with fright. "Yeah, I'm kind of a skeleton now… I messed up on my spell and- wait, no, don't do that! No!" Sweetie Belle protested as the door was slammed in her face. Her voice seemed to have snapped Fluttershy out of her shocked state, and she had screamed loudly before slamming the door shut. Judging by the crashing and banging noises that followed, she had probably also bolted to some place in her house as far away from the door as she could and boarded up her windows. "Oh come on!" Sweetie Belle groaned, slumping down against the door. This looked quite strange, because although her body was invisible, it was still there so the bones weren't completely flush with the wood or the ground. Her skeleton almost appeared to be floating. Sweetie Belle twisted herself around to pound loudly on the door. "Fluttershy, lemme in! I need a carrot so I can do magical things and make things all normal again!" "No, go away!" the cottage squeaked. "Monsters are not welcome here!" "Oh for Celestia's sake…" Sweetie Belle grumbled. Angrily, she wiggled the doorknob. Evidently the door was unlocked, because the door opened inwards and Sweetie Belle fell inside. "Oof!" disgruntled, Sweetie Belle picked herself up and brushed herself off. "Hey Fluttershy, where do you keep the carrots?" "Why would I tell you?" a bag of bird feed squeaked from another room. "I don't want a big, scary skeleton taking all the food for itself. Then my poor little Angel Bunny won't have anything to eat!" Sweetie Belle snorted. She'd seen that bunny before, and she knew he wouldn't eat anything less than a five-star meal. There was no way he'd eat something as plain and boring as a carrot. "Fluttershy, where do you keep them?" "I'm not telling you! But I will tell you that I don't keep them on the top-right shelf of my pantry in the kitchen behind the oats. Definitely not there. In fact, I don't own any carrots. I was lying, so can you please leave? I'd really appreciate it if you left," Fluttershy pleaded. Sweetie Belle walked over to the kitchen and opened the pantry. On the top-right shelf behind the oatmeal, there lay a large bag of carrots. Taking the bag between her teeth, Sweetie Belle started to walk out of the cottage. When she reached the door, she set the bag of carrots down so she could speak. "Thanks, Fluttershy!" she called out before grabbing the carrots and walking outside. "Um… you're welcome? What did I even do? Wait, are you leaving?" she asked. "Mmm hmm!" Sweetie Belle replied as loudly as she could with a bag in her mouth. "Oh, thank Celestia," Fluttershy sighed to herself as the scary skeleton pony trotted away. Sweetie Belle set the carrots down next to the spellbook and flipped to the correct page. The wind had turned the pages of the book and even caused some of them to come loose. Sweetie Belle glanced at the loose pages floating away in the slight breeze, feeling a pang of guilt for damaging one of Twilight's books. She knew how much the mare adored her books, and she was going to get in trouble for that later. Returning to the book, Sweetie Belle began looking over the counterspell. "So, looks like for the counterspell it's basically the same as the regular spell, except for the fact that you do everything the opposite way. And the carrot seems to be for… I dunno, but I need a carrot. Why am I talking to myself again?" she wondered. Shrugging, Sweetie Belle went back to the matter at hand and tried to cast the spell, but something happened. Her horn sparked to life then flickered out almost immediately, leaving her dizzy and confused. Frowning, she cast the spell with more vigor this time, and it didn't flicker out. Instead, it exploded in her face. "Gah!" she shouted, snuffing out the fire on her invisible-ish muzzle. She spent a couple seconds being upset at her failure, but there was something obscuring her vision that seemed slightly more important than emotions at the present time. A trail of smoke floated in front of her eyes, and annoyed, Sweetie Belle tried to bat it away with her hoof. But it didn't go away. Even weirder, the smoke seemed red. "What the hay?" Sweetie Belle rubbed her eyes, just in case the red she was seeing was an imprint left over from staring cross-eyed at the fire for too long. When she opened her eyes, the red smoke was still there. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the image of fire burned into her eyes. Then if not that, what was it? As hard as she tried, Sweetie Belle couldn't see her own eyes, and she was getting hungry. The spell seemed to have drained a fairly large portion of her energy, and obviously she hadn't brought any food with her. It's not like she had planned to throw a temper tantrum and run away from a Princess of Equestria to disobey her and use a stolen textbook to attempt forbidden magic. Frustrated with herself, life, and her growling stomach, Sweetie Belle stomped over to Fluttershy's cottage and stormed in without knocking. Fluttershy, who had finally left her hiding place and was now looking for her carrots, squealed and dove into the nearest hiding space she could find, which happened to be underneath a large cushion. "You said you were leaving, not leaving, getting scarier, and coming back!" she wailed. "Getting scarier? What?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused. How was she any scarier than when she first arrived at Fluttershy's house? "What do you mean?" Fluttershy didn't answer after that, so Sweetie Belle just rolled her eyes and searched the house for some sort of mirror. Eventually, after digging through some piles of old junk, she managed to find some sort of shiny, metal animal food bowl. Polishing the bowl with a bit of spit, Sweetie Belle wiped it with her hoof until she was satisfied with the shininess of it. Then, she saw her reflection. And nearly screamed. Apparently, not only had her counterspell failed, it had made things even worse. Sweetie Belle gulped and slowly set the bowl back down. Now she understood what Fluttershy meant. She also understood that now, she really needed Twilight's help, whether she liked it or not. She had no choice. She had no magical energy remaining to cast the counterspell, and even if she did, she would probably grow five horns or something to top off what she already looked like. Being a skeleton with evil-looking red smoke streaming out of its eye sockets was more than enough for her. Although, it would make a great story to tell to the class one day. That is, if she ever managed to get out of this situation. With no other options, Sweetie Belle trudged out of the cottage, rolling her eyes again as she heard Fluttershy let out a small sigh of relief. She really needed to stop rolling her eyes; it was becoming a bad habit. Besides, rolling your eyes when you're a skeleton does absolutely nothing. Skeletons don't have eyes. She made the trek towards the center of Ponyville in silence, determined to keep what little sanity she might have left by not talking to herself anymore. Sweetie Belle stopped when she reached the bridge that connected the area she was in to the main center of Ponyville. There were three ponies on the bridge; two mares that were standing there and talking to each other and a yellow mare who was grunting as she slowly dragged a large, really heavy-looking bag of apples behind her. Between the three of them, there wasn't enough room left for Sweetie Belle to squeeze by them and she was too impatient to wait until the ponies were gone. "Um, excuse me?" Sweetie Belle asked tentatively, "Can I get across?" The green unicorn and the pale yellow earth pony who had been chatting with one another took one look at the skeleton, screamed, and ran away so quickly Sweetie Belle could've sworn they teleported, but the hoofprints in the dirt said otherwise. The other mare, however, was too busy with her apples to look up. Sweetie Belle watched as the two mares ran away before repeating her question. "Can I get across?" "Maybe, maybe not," the mare said around the mouthful of hessian sack. "What's that supposed to mean? Can I get across or not?" Sweetie Belle asked impatiently. The mare spat out her bag and turned to face Sweetie Belle. Astonishingly, she didn't even seem the slightest bit surprised to find herself facing a skeleton. "It means, it depends." Now that the mare's mouth wasn't occupied, Sweetie Belle noticed she had a funny accent; it was sort of like Apple Bloom's but less pronounced. "On what?" Sweetie Belle pressed. "Stuff." Sweetie Belle groaned and stomped her skeletal hoof on the ground in frustration. "Let me pass. Seriously, what is your issue? You're weird. Really weird. You're so weird, you think I, a skeleton pony, am normal." The mare shrugged. "I've seen stranger things in my lifetime," she said, picking up a stray apple rolling on the ground and placing it back in the bag. "I'm a talking skeleton. A. Talking. Skeleton." "Yep, with evil looking eyes too. Like I said, I've seen stranger," the mare said nonchalantly, pausing to blow a strand of her green mane away from her face. "So you're not gonna scream or anything?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously. "Nope." "Not even a little?" "Nope," the green-maned pony confirmed. "Then can you let me across the bridge?" "Nope." "What?!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "Why not?" "Because I don't feel like it, and also because I don't want a skeleton runnin' around town and freaking ponies out. I don't care if you're friendly, other ponies won't react well to it. No, don't protest, it won't do you any good," the mare said, cutting off whatever Sweetie Belle was going to say, "and you're not getting across." "Let me across!" Sweetie Belle demanded. "Nah, you'll have to wait until I leave." And with that, the mare picked up her bag of apples and started dragging it again as Sweetie Belle groaned in exasperation and paced angrily back and forth. Sweetie Belle could've sworn the mare was going even slower than before, possibly even the slowest she could go. However, Sweetie Belle really needed to see Twilight, so she sat down and resolved to wait patiently. She waited very patiently, perhaps more patiently than she had ever waited for anything before, for about five seconds. Fed up, Sweetie Belle stood up and strode over to the mare. Glaring at her, she snatched the bag of apples from her and used a combination of her magic and muscles to quickly pull the bag of apples towards herself, lift it up, and chuck it over the side of the bridge where it landed with a splash. A few apples spilled out of the bag and bobbed to the surface. "Hey!" Instantly, Sweetie Belle felt guilty for what she'd done, but she didn't regret it. "Um, sorry about that, but… I mean come on, you should have just moved! This is an emergency, and it's more important than your dumb sack of fruit!" she asserted. The mare glared at her before leaping gracefully over the rail and landing not-so-gracefully on top of the floating apples, causing them to spread out more as she retrieved them and stuffed them back into the bag. Sweetie Belle sheepishly shuffled across the bridge and galloped away in the general direction of the library. She'd apologize later. Maybe. Possibly. Only if Rarity guilted her into doing so. After all, she'd rather not waste what could potentially be valuable crusading time with her friends. When she started to reach the more popular areas, she slowed her pace and made it a point to walk behind bushes to avoid being seen. She really, really did not want to be discovered. She's be screamed at, attacked, captured, and experimented on. Or maybe even… No, nopony would kill her. That was just silly talk… right? ...Right. Sweetie Belle shuddered and furiously shook her head to rid it of such thoughts. "Stop that, Sweetie," she muttered to herself, "you're being silly again! Ponies aren't like that, even if they do tend to overreact a bit." Just then, a shriek split the air. "AAAAH! Skeleton pony! Everypony, run for your lives!" Sweetie Belle froze, realizing that she had accidently stepped out of the shadows. She had been spotted! She stared, terrified, at the ponies running around in a frenzy, screaming at the top of their lungs. Mothers grabbed their foals and shoved them inside trash cans to hide them. Stallions panicked and ran inside the nearest building, either to take shelter or possibly grab weapons to defend the town. Realizing this last part, Sweetie Belle forced herself out of her shocked state and bolted away towards Twilight's house. She could've sworn she saw Discord materialize in the center of the chaotic mess, but she didn't dare slow down and look behind her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she fled in sheer terror, images of her death floating through her mind compelling her to go faster than a sonic rainboom. Before she knew it, she was knocking at the library's door. "Twilight, Twilight! Please let me in! Twilight!" she yelled. There was no answer and Sweetie Belle began to panic even more, if that was possible. She was about to give up and turn herself over to the crowd when suddenly she realized something. She breathed a sigh of relief and allowed herself to let out a small giggle. Princess Twilight lives in a public library; anypony can enter a public library without having to knock. Slightly calmer than she was a few seconds ago, Sweetie Belle pushed open the door and darted inside, closing the door and bolting the lock. "Um, Princess Twilight?" Sweetie Belle called out into the building, "It's Sweetie Belle. I need your help with something. See, don't be freaked out or anything, but I sort of turned myself into a skeleton pony…" Sweetie Belle waited for a response, but all she received was silence. "Princess Twilight?" she asked again. No answer. *********** Twilight Sparkle burst into the Royal Castle, running past all the staff and ignoring the shouted protests of the guards who attempted to escort her. She hadn't seen any invaders on the way to the castle; perhaps they had already infiltrated the throne room and the Princesses were in grave danger! Twilight leapt into the throne room with a battle cry, preparing to fight whatever enemies lay in wait for her. Changelings, timberwolves, evil sorcerers - she could take them down. She was prepared to find any type of terrifying monster. Instead, she found lots of smiling ponies and balloons. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!!" they cheered. Somepony shot confetti into the air with a cannon most likely borrowed from Pinkie Pie. "W-what?!" Twilight managed to say. Her eyes stopped trying to take in all the commotion and focused on Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who were walking towards her with large smiles plastered on their faces. Princess Celestia embraced Twilight in a tight hug, which Twilight was too shocked to return. "Happy birthday, Twilight," Celestia said sincerely. "But- the attack-" "There never was an attack. We knew you would be too busy to remember it was your birthday, much less accept an invitation to your own party." "Princess Celestia…" Twilight said slowly, "in order to come here, I abandoned a young filly who needed my help. She was attempting magic far too advanced for her skill level, and you and I both know how dangerous that can be. She could be greatly injured, all because I came to my birthday party instead of staying with her!" "Oh Twilight, do try to relax for once," Luna suggested. "Enjoy your party. After all, it's only your birthday once a year." "Yes, I agree," Celestia said. "You should try the cake; it's really good." To prove her point, she levitated a slice into her mouth and closed her eyes, savoring the taste for a moment before levitating another slice over and offering it to Twilight, who in turn grabbed it and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and slid down, leaving a chocolate smudge streaking down behind the cake. Twilight, overwhelmed with stress, screamed in frustration and took flight, zooming over the heads of all the ponies. In her haste to return to Ponyville, she crashed through the stained glass window depicting her ascension into an Alicorn. Luna shook her head sadly and watched the younger Alicorn fly away. "She really has to loosen up a bit," she remarked, taking a small bite of her cake. Celestia didn't reply. Her mouth was too full of cake for her to talk. ***************** After searching the entire library at least four times, Sweetie Belle finally came to the conclusion that Twilight Sparkle was not home. Even worse, the angry mob hell-bent on protecting the town from the 'evil demon' had also reached a conclusion: the monster was hiding in the library. "Burn it down!" Sweetie Belle heard somebody suggest. "It's made of wood and extremely flammable! The thing won't be able to escape!" "No way, are you crazy?! The Princess will have our heads for that!" "Ha, in her dreams. The Princess is just a librarian with OCD who happens to have wings. Who cares if we piss her off? It's not like she can do anything." "You take that back!" "You mad bro?" "I said take that back!" "Never!" "Stop this blasphemy!" "Everypony just shut up already! You're giving me a headache." Sweetie Belle covered her ears and shrank into a ball, trying her best to ignore the shouts. She really needed Twilight to help her, but she knew Twilight was probably still searching for her at the edge of town and wouldn't return until she either found her or it became too dark to see clearly, which wouldn't be for hours. The angry townsponies would find a way inside sooner rather than later, which meant Sweetie Belle had to leave now. If she waited until dark for Twilight to give up her search and return home, the mob would find a way inside before then and... bad things would happen. Sweetie Belle really did not want to find out exactly what "bad stuff" would entail, so she stood up and took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself to do what needed to be done. She then proceeded with putting what was totally the best, smartest, and most well thought-through plan ever: running out the front door and barreling through the angry mob while screaming her head off. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" Sweetie Belle screamed, crashing through the front door of the library and charging through the surprised crowd of ponies standing outside, who appeared to be in the process of building a ram to smash the door down and force their way inside. The surprise factor worked for about three seconds, maybe four for ponies with slower reaction times. Then, all the ponies sprang into action. The pegasi flew after her, the unicorns tried to trip her with their telekinesis, and the earth ponies thundered after her. Sweetie Belle managed to evade all of the attacks and put a bit of distance between her and her pursuers by the time she rounded a corner, momentarily removing her from their line of sight. And in that moment, a hoof reached out, grabbed Sweetie Belle around the middle, and yanked her into a building. "AAAAAAAAAAAAA-" The pony shoved a hoof into Sweetie Belle's mouth, cutting her off. "Shh," the pony warned her, shutting the door. Sweetie Belle didn't intend to stop screaming, but she was seriously out of breath and couldn't scream anymore. Gasping for air, she looked up and saw a familiar pair of green eyes looking at her. The pair of eyes belonged to a yellow earth pony mare with green hair. "Hey," Sweetie Belle exclaimed, "you're-" *pant* "-that pony from-" *pant* "-the bridge!" The earth pony nodded, confirming the statement. "Yeah, I am, and you're Skeleton Pony." "Actually, my name's Sweetie Belle," Sweetie Belle corrected her. "Nah, Skeleton Pony sounds cooler. Now, you're goin' to get yourself caught if you keep runnin' and hollerin' like that. Why would ya do somethin' so foolish?" Sweetie Belle snorted at that. "Because I'm 'special'," she declared dryly. And with that, she made another terrible decision and ran back outside. Totally not a dumb choice. Nope, not at all. "Hey look! There it is!" Yep, time to run again. And scream. Screaming is fun. "Get it!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-UMPH!" A unicorn finally succeeded in tripping Sweetie Belle, and the filly fell flat on her face, giving the mob time to catch up to her. She was quickly surrounded and her heart sank as she saw how incredibly doomed she was. "We gotcha now… there's no escaping," one of the more malicious ponies sneered at her, firing up his horn. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and lowered her head onto the ground, waiting for the blow that was sure to come. I'm so sorry, Princess Twilight. I should have listened. You were only looking out for me, and you didn't mean to hurt my feelings. I overreacted and disobeyed your orders. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me someday. "Stop!" a voice bellowed from the sky, the owner of the voice rapidly descending and landing behind Sweetie Belle. "What do you think you are doing?" Sweetie Belle heard the ponies surrounding her mumble various apologies, and the sound of their hoofsteps backing away from her. She dared herself to open one of her eyes slightly to peek, and she saw that they were all standing farther away than previously, but still within a ten-foot radius of her. "This is not how you should be acting," the voice continued. Sweetie Belle still couldn't see the owner of the voice, but it sounded strangely familiar to her… "But Your Highness, this…thing was attacking us!" a mare protested. Very familiar to her… she knew she'd definitely heard the voice before.... "It doesn't matter! Pitchforks and torches won't solve anything! You have to find another way, and if you can't, then you find somepony who can. Didn't it even once occur to anypony here to contact me?" Sweetie Belle smiled. Yep, she definitely knew this voice. "Yes, Princess Twilight," another pony stuttered, "but we were unaware of your whereabouts." "Then you should have thought to contact another one of the Elements before taking the matter into your own hooves," Twilight snapped at them. "That's really all there is to it. "What about the monster?" someone inquired nervously, eying the skeleton-demon-thing with trepidation. Twilight smiled. "I think that's something best explained by somepony else. Sweetie Belle, if you don't mind too much…?" Sweetie Belle's eyes flew wide open at hearing her name, and she slowly picked herself up off of the ground and stood on unsteady legs to face Twilight, causing some of the onlookers to cringe back. "Wait, you know I'm me? How? I don't exactly look like myself right now," Sweetie Belle said. "Because you ran away from me with a spellbook containing an invisibility spell right after asking me how to perform it," Twilight explained simply. "What happened to you is a known complication of the spell when casted improperly. There is a reason why I told you to stay away from that spell, you know," Twilight finished with a chuckle. "Oh… right," Sweetie Belle said sheepishly. "I am so confused right now," Sweetie Belle heard somepony mutter to a friend. Oh yeah, she was supposed to be explaining what was going on. "Earlier today, I was studying magic with Princess Twilight when I came across a spell for invisibility that I really wanted to try. She wouldn't let me, and that made me angry. She also said some other things that I mis..misinterp… um, thought were insults when they weren't. I ran away and tried the spell anyway, which I shouldn't have done; not just because I messed up and made myself look like this, but because it was wrong of me to disobey her like that. "Today, I learned not to make dumb decisions, especially not right after being told something that makes you upset. It's better to take a few deep breaths, calm down, and think about the situation before you act rather than letting your angry emotions drive your actions." Sweetie Belle looked up at all of the ponies who had chased her, and she grinned. "That's a lesson I think all of you should learn." Giggling a little as many heads bowed down in shame, she looked up at Twilight, who smiled and nodded her approval. "So, Princess Twilight, could you…" Sweetie Belle trailed off. "Don't worry, I've got it," Twilight replied, furrowing her brow in concentration as she cast the counterspell on Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle felt a light tingling sensation pass pleasantly through her body. She looked down at her hooves and sighed in relief when she realized she could no longer see her bones. "Thank you!" Sweetie Belle jumped up and hugged Twilight, but then a thought occurred to her and she pulled away. "Um… you're not gonna tell my sister about this, are you?" she asked. "She'd probably ground me for life." "I'm afraid I have to," Twilight told Sweetie Belle, who suddenly looked a lot less happier than a moment ago. "I figured you would say something like that…" Sweetie Belle groaned, "but first, can you put off telling her for a little while longer? There's somepony I want to visit." ******** Hearing a knock at her door, the mare hurriedly shoved the apple pie on the oven and opened her front door to reveal a young filly with curly hair. "Can I help ya?" she asked politely. "I wanted to talk to you," Sweetie Belle said. The mare's face broke into a wide grin. "Hello again, Skeleton Pony! Would ya like to come in?" she asked, opening the door wider and stepping aside in invitation. Sweetie Belle accepted the invitation and stepping insider, but then she blinked in surprise. "Wait a second, I'm back to normal now. How'd you know it was me?" "Your voice is the same." "Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Sweetie Belle admitted. The two ponies moved into the living room and settled down into the plush couches. "So I came here to thank you for earlier," she said. "Thank me? For what?" "Well, for not panicking and stuff and for trying to help me even though I dumped your apples in the river earlier. Er, sorry about that," Sweetie Belle apologized, "it wasn't very nice of me to do that." "It's okay." "You're not mad at me?" "Nope, not even a little bit. I shouldn't have tested your patience like that, something I realized later after you'd left. I helped ya because, well, ya looked like ya needed it, and I wasn't about to let ya suffer just 'cause of somethin' we were both at fault for." "...You sure you're not mad?" The mare laughed at this question, and Sweetie Belle joined in soon after. "Well, I should really get going," Sweetie Belle said sadly, not wanting to leave her new friend and face the wrath of her older sister when she got home. "I'll see ya around then," the mare said as she waved goodbye. Sweetie Belle started to make her way to the door, but she turned around and poked her head back in the living room. "I never learned your name." "My name's Apple Fritter." ********* "Hey Rarity…" Sweetie Belle greeted her older sister, fidgeting nervously. She had promised Twilight that she would tell Rarity what happened herself, but she already regretted doing so. "Where have you been all day?" Rarity demanded, putting down her sewing and rushing over to glare at Sweetie Belle. "Do you promise not to get mad at me when I tell you?" Rarity's gaze softened. "Of course, Sweetie." ….. "Sweetie Belle, you are grounded for the rest of the year! And no more desserts, ever!" "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: After the Rampage author: twilightsparkle3562 tags: character:Discord, character:Other, character:Princess Celestia, character:Princess Luna, character:Shining Armor, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1: My Hate Will Die With You === Scorpan could sense that something was amiss when he knew that something had happened in Equestria. The young gargoyle knew that his brother, the diabolical Lord Tirek had escaped from his prison in Tartarus and set out to finish what they both had started over a long time ago, which was to take all the magic in Equestria for himself. Scorpan was once on his brother's side and it wasn't until he met and befriended Starswirl the Bearded, the all powerful wizard who made him see the light of what made Equestria what it was. Trusting his newly minted instincts, Scorpan also befriended Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the two royal sisters and thus, allowed them to capture and imprison Tirek in Tartarus…until today. Now, with Tirek's recent return to Tartarus known to him, Scorpan could see that he needed to say his peace to his brother and that he had to return to Equestria to help his friends once again. Entering the cold and dark realm of the Tartarus prison, Scorpan was first greeted by Cerberus, who was now more than focused on standing guard. "Down, Cerberus," said Scorpan, raising his paw to the three headed dog. "I mean you no harm at all. I wish to see my brother, Lord Tirek." The three headed dog stood down and allowed Scorpan to fly past towards the cage where Tirek was being held in. Little did Scorpan know that Tirek had recently received a visit from Equestria's four princesses who had come to offer him a chance to learn the magic of friendship like Scorpan. Of course, being the demonic centaur he was, Tirek refused and was condemned to rot in the dungeon for the rest of his life. "So here you are," said Scorpan, coldly as he landed in front of his brother's cage with Tirek's back to him. "You just couldn't give up yours goals, couldn't you? I sensed what you had done, Tirek and I for one no longer consider you a brother." Tirek didn't move for a second, but then he turned around looking over at Scorpan with a cold stare that was just as equal as Scorpan's. In Tirek's mind, he knew that Scorpan was a pathetic excuse for a brother. "Is that what you have come to say to me after all these years?" sneered Tirek, turning fully around. "Have you no remorse for not coming to my defense at my moment of need?" Scorpan was aghast by what he had just heard and clutched the bars of Tirek's cage, his eyes filled with fury as he locked on Tirek's face with a far colder stare. Tirek deserved to be defeated the way he did at the hands of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. "Why should I have come to help you, Tirek?" asked Scorpan. "Tell me why." "Because you are my brother, Scorpan," retorted Tirek. "We always look out for one another and now is the time for you prove yourself…" "Oh, shut up!" snapped Scorpan, hissing like a snake and cutting Tirek off. "Just shut up! I don't care anymore! I don't care that you are my brother! A brother never looks up to someone that has every intention of putting others down to his level. No, I will not bow down to someone like you, Tirek." Scorpan then backed away from the cage, determined to not let Tirek break him. For he had something far more important in mind to help his pony friends and they didn't involve his brother in any way. "I can sense what you have done, you pathethic excuse for a creature," said Scorpan. "You put my friends and the ruler of the Crystal Empire in your place, leaving them to die while you went on your merry rampage, trampling on the rights of others that never did anything to you." As Scorpan spoke, Cerberus whimpered for a second, knowing firsthand how hard it was seeing his mistresses in the position they were in. Of course, they were eventually freed much to his relief. Scorpan took notice and used Cerberus' plight and predicament to make his case against Tirek. "Do you see? Even Cerberus agrees with me," continued Scorpan. "He made a mistake and will learn from it, unlike you, ex-brother." "Flattery will get you nowhere, Scorpan," said Tirek, unfazed by Scorpan's demeanor towards him. "Do you know how I felt with all the magic in Equestria? I felt strong, I felt great to be alive! Friendship is and always will be a weakness to me, Scorpan. And that is what you are, a weakling who embraces friendship over power." "No, you are the weakling," countered Scorpan, bitterly as he got ready to leave. "If you aren't going to learn what friendship is yourself, then I will show you. I will return to Equestria and clean up the mess that you made, Tirek. I will help anypony who was traumatized by your actions and that includes my friends whom you imprisoned." Scorpan was about to take to the air when Tirek uttered a statement that surprised Scorpan greatly. "What about that pathetic Discord?" remarked Tirek, clutching onto the bars of his cage. "He is just as weak as you are, Scorpan, just like that medal that once belonged you." Scorpan didn't respond and merely focused on the task at hand, which was to help his equine friends recover from Tirek's rampage. "Brother, your words won't hurt me anymore," sighed Scorpan. "In fact, I don't care what happens to you. You can complain about your defeat all you want, but I won't listen. You are dead to me, Tirek and my hate will die with you." Without another word, Scorpan took to the air and left Tirek alone to think about his actions, not caring what happens to him. Soon, Scorpan arrived into Canterlot under a cover of darkness. The streets filled with more of Princess Luna's night guards than ever before as the events with Tirek had caused the Royal sisters to increase security around Canterlot and the surrounding communities. He knew that he had to be careful for one wrong move could be the end of him, depending how vigilant the guards were. Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, Scorpan approached the gates of Canterlot where two guards pointed their spears at him. "Halt!" one of them cried. "Who goes there?" added the other, just as stern sounding as the other. "Remove your hood at once!" Doing as he was told, Scorpan slowly removed the hood revealing the maned portion of his body. The guards still stood steadfast for they didn't know what would Scorpan was capable of, although it was clear that Scorpan had no intentions whatsoever on hurting anypony. "I am Scorpan," he said to the guards. "I have come to help Equestria recover from my brother's reign of terror on the ponies of this land." Nevertheless, the guards remained suspicious as they carefully approached Scorpan intending to search him to see that he wasn't planning anything. It took a few minutes, but they found nothing on Scorpan and thus allowed him to pass through the gates and into the darkened and heavily guarded streets of Canterlot, intending to meet the princesses and inform them of his plans to help Equestria move on… === Chapter 2: Reunion in Canterlot === After his very tense encounter with a pair of guards, Scorpan entered the capitol of Equestria with every street being patrolled by more of Luna's night guards than ever. Scorpan was not used being so watched, but he had to stay focused and clean up the mess that Tirek had made on Equestria. At the same time, an orange unicorn pony carrying a basket of oranges on his back was making his way through the streets, thinking that he was being well protected. Then, he saw Scorpan hulking shadow and began to think back of when he had the dishonor of being Tirek's first victim. The pony shivered and quaked as he backed away trembling. "Get back! Get back!" he whimpered, not wanting to have his magic taking away again. "I know what you want, Tirek! Or whatever you are, just go away before I summon a royal guardspony!" Scorpan could see that the pony was frightened by his appearance. Maybe it was because of the black cloak that he was wearing since Tirek wore a similar one when he came into Canterlot. Still, Scorpan wanted to calm this pony down and tell him that he didn't come to steal magic. In fact, Scorpan could well remember the screams of ponies he and Tirek attacked before he was reformed. "It's all right, my friend," he said in a calm voice. "I'm not going to steal your magic. Trust me, I come in peace." Just like he did at the gates, Scorpan raised his paws out to show that he wasn't coming to harm anypony. This made the unicorn calm down slightly, but he was still on edge, like all the inhabitants of Canterlot. "You are not here to harm me?" asked the pony, getting back to his feet. "Then, what do you want?" "I am Scorpan," answered Scorpan. "And I am here to do whatever I can to help Equestria recover from what my brother had done. Now, calm yourself and tell me where I can find Princess Celestia or Princess Luna." The pony thought for a second that Scorpan was intending to harm Celestia or Luna, given the size of Scorpan's body. But, that was not the case. "Well," said the pony. "Luna is ruling at this time. She has been very busy lately with all of us getting nightmares and such. I don't know if she can talk to you right this second." "Then where is the castle?" asked Scorpan again, as he watched a guardspony walk by, keeping his eye on him. "I need to know where it is, my friend." The unicorn then pointed towards the tall building with the light from his horn where Celestia and Luna resided. This was useful information to Scorpan and now, he knew where he needed to go. "Thank you, my friend," he said. "You are most grateful." So, Scorpan took the air and flew over to the main castle while the young unicorn pony sighed in relief, knowing that this creature was nothing like Tirek at all. More importantly, he kept his magic and thus could sleep soundly for the first time in several days. Meanwhile, as Scorpan flew towards the castle, Princess Celestia was fast asleep in her bed while her sister ruled over the night that fell on Equestria. It had been a harrowing several days for Celestia, with several of her subjects calling out for Tirek to be brought back to Canterlot and placed on trial with all the ponies he attacked for their magic testifying against him. Others were calling for Tirek to be executed in a rather gruesome manner unbecoming to Equestria which was that Tirek would be hung, drawn, quartered and beheaded in the streets of Canterlot. But, Celestia never believed in killing anypony, not even Tirek. For she was a pony who could only order the execution of those who had killed another pony of great importance. In fact, her recent visit to Tartarus was now starting to feel like a waste of her time. She and the other princesses offered Tirek a chance to be like Luna or Discord and learn the magic of friendship. But, he coldly refused and thus Celestia was left with no choice but to have Tirek rot in Tartarus forever. All that Celestia wanted to do was to move on with her life. Yes, she did make the mistake of sending Discord over Twilight and her friends. But, that was probably a good thing to say the least because Discord now understood the magic of friendship even though he had to learn about it the hard way. Suddenly, Celestia was awakened by the sounds of struggling going on right outside her bedroom. "Take your hooves off of me!" she heard Scorpan cry out and hastily climbing out of bed and throwing on her yellow robe, Celestia dashed out of her bedroom and saw several night guards struggling to hold Scorpan down. "ENOUGH!" barked Celestia and the struggling stopped as Scorpan looked up to see the princess of the day looked down at him with a warm smile on her face. "Release him at once!" "But, your highness…" protested a guard, but Celestia had the final say, even though Luna was on dream duty. "Do as you are told!" she ordered, tears of happiness forming in her eyes. "And stand guard while I talk with Scorpan." The guards were baffled, but did as Celestia told and Scorpan was led into Celestia's bedroom with the door closing behind them. Once the doors were closed, Celestia and Scorpan came together for a very long embrace, with Celestia crying slightly. "It's all right, Celestia," said Scorpan, calmly as he continued to hug her. "I'm here for you and I'm here for all of Equestria." "I'm so glad you came back," cried Celestia as they broke apart while Celestia wiped away a few tears. "We need you more than ever, my friend, after what your evil brother did to us." "I know," sighed Scorpan as he sat down in a chair across from Celestia's bed. "I always feared for the day that he would escape and finish what we both started. And now, it came to pass." Celestia trotted over and sat down on the edge of her bed, a glass of water in her magic aura as she continued to reconnect with her old friend. It seemed for a moment that all of the pressures that had come onto Celestia in the aftermath of all of this had disappeared. However, Scorpan knew that Celestia had been just as much a victim of all this as the rest of her subjects and fellow princesses. "Now, tell me what I can do to help," said Scorpan and Celestia sighed heavily as she continued to feel the pressures leave her body. "Well," sighed Celestia, knowing that there was something that Scorpan could do. "I know that you can help me, Luna as well as Cadence and Twilight and the rest of our subjects. But, there is somepony else that I think you can help more." "Who is that, Celestia?" wondered Scorpan, scratching one of his wings. "Who would you like me to help?" Celestia was silent for a minute and then lowered her head to find the words to say to Scorpan. It wasn't easy, but it needed to be said. "I need you to help Discord see the error of his ways," she explained. "I am aware that he fully understands the magic of friendship now, but the damages he has done while siding with Tirek are far beyond anything unmeasurable." Scorpan considered the matter and thought of what would happen if he would take this opportunity. He could well remember that Discord was just as much an enemy of Equestria as Tirek was, determined to turn Equestria into a world of chaos of his own free will. Why his old friend would want him to get Discord to understand the error of his ways was beyond his own thoughts. "I want him to apologize for what he did," continued Celestia, her voice sounding a little more firm than before. "But, not just him saying that he is sorry, Scorpan. He needs to go to the towns and cities he attacked and by doing important deeds will he finally get on the good side of those he harmed." Celestia then sighed heavily again, for she knew of something of much greater importance that needed to be addressed and it concerned Shining Armor, her former captain of the royal guard and the husband of her adoptive niece, Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire. "But, there is another matter concerning Discord that I need you to help us with," continued Celestia as she produced a piece of paper that showed Discord's picture on a WANTED poster from the Crystal Empire. "It's an order from Prince Shining Armor that Discord is to be arrested and brought to trial for treason. What worse about this is that Shining Armor is doing it under his authority, not mine." "Then, what can I do?" asked Scorpan. "I need you to convince Shining Armor that Discord is no longer the creature he thinks he is," answered Celestia. "I think that this grudge he has against him has gone on long enough and he needs to move on just as much as we do." So, as Celestia wrote up a letter ordering Discord to come to Canterlot at once, it appeared that Scorpan had an enormous task ahead of him, not just helping Equestria get back on their feet, but also dim the tension between Twilight Sparkle's older brother and a recently retired enemy of Equestria. Who knows how everything was going to turn out in the end? === Chapter 3: Morgan, the Magic Mirror === Chapter 3 "Morgan, the Magic Mirror" While Celestia was giving Scorpan his laundry list of tasks to help Equestria get back on its feet, Discord sat in his home inside the warped reality, thinking about everything that had happened up until this point. Yes, he did confront Tirek in Tartarus and unleashed his anger upon him; he apologized to Fluttershy for turning his back on her and he even helped remake Twilight's destroyed dresses with Fluttershy and Rarity. Yet, Discord felt like there was something missing. The retired master of chaos was thinking of whether or not that the damage he had done to Equestria was far greater than what had been previous thought of. He had to remember that Celestia had given him an opportunity to become a role model by capturing Tirek and he let it slip through his hands. Nevertheless, he decided to consult with somepony who knew him better than anypony. Snapping his lion's fingers, a large silver mirror appeared before Discord and the creature of chaos stepped up to the mirror looking at his reflection in the mirror. "Man in the magic mirror," he cried, spreading his mismatched hands out before pulling them back in. "Come from the farthest space. Through chaos and anarchy I summon thee, speak!" A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder rocked the house and then after a few moments, a flash of fire appeared as the figure of an older dark skinned man with white hair and a beard in a grey business suit sitting behind a desk appeared before Discord. "Let me see your face," commanded Discord as the flames produced the figure that was before him. "What can I do for you, Discord?" asked the man on the other side. "I don't have any other appointments until later, so I can listen to what you have to say." "Well, Morgan Freeman in the magic mirror," answered Discord, turning into a pickle with his mismatched arms and legs for a moment, before snapping himself back to normal. "I'm in a bit of a pickle, if you say. Something has been on my mind in regards to the events with Tirek. I was wondering if you could help me find the error of my ways." Morgan considered the matter for a moment and Discord anxiously awaited for what he had to say. In a way, the magic mirror had been a source of solace for Discord. Whenever he wasn't his joyful chaotic self, he would turn to this object and the person inside would help him with either a funny joke or funny scene from another reality. However, it became clear that Morgan was going to go straight to the point of Discord's situation. He wasn't as much older as Discord, but Morgan lived in another world and in that world, he was one of the older ones. "Discord, you're special," he explained in a blunt tone. "You could have been an inspiration to Equestria. Could have been a leader, a role model. Instead you're….Benedict Arnold." Discord tried to respond to the bluntness of what his mirror had said, but all he could do was drop his jaw to the ground in shock and surprise. "Well, I feel sheepish," he said, literally turning into a small sheep and walking up to the mirror with a hard stare before turning his back on Morgan. "All right, you baa-aad boy, but no more freebies." "I'm telling you the truth, Discord," retorted Morgan, while Discord turned back to his normal self. "It's like I said, you could have been an inspiration to Equestria. I mean, think about it, Celestia gave you a chance to become a hero and you let it…slip through your paw and claw like sand or a fumbled football. You fell for the other side and that is why you are called a traitor by that one pony who holds a grudge against you." Morgan then showed Discord the WANTED poster that Shining Armor had posted in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire with his picture on the cover. Seeing his picture made Discord turn blue with fear and at this point, Discord wanted to take everything back, but he couldn't. Still, even though everything had turned out okay for the most part, Discord was still viewed as a traitor by some ponies. "I can explain as to why Shining Armor is acting this way," stuttered Discord, his teeth chattering. "There is no need to, Discord," replied Morgan. "This is a pony who wants you removed from the very existence of Equestria and he is acting this way because you put two important mares in his life in mortal danger." Discord then watched as Morgan disappeared to show pictures of Twilight and Cadence on the top and bottom of the mirror respectively. As he looked at the two princesses, Discord could well remember the Prince of the Crystal Empire scolding him coldly that day in Twilight's throne room: "It wasn't a little mistake, traitor," hissed Shining Armor, turning to face Discord. "You put the two mares in my life in great danger along with the rest of Equestria. I almost lost my wife because of you." "It was all Tirek's fault," protested Discord, trying to put all the blame on Tirek. "He did everything and I just followed him around." "If you hadn't disobeyed Princess Celestia, then I wouldn't be standing here at your level, scolding you," said Shining Armor, icily, pointing his magically charged horn at Discord's throat. "Because of you, that monster attacked my wife and her aunts before he sent them to Tartarus." Shining Armor pulled his horn away from Discord's throat as he continued to circle around the creature of chaos like a vulture to a carcass. The more Shining Armor circled Discord, the more scared Discord was becoming. "Did you even stop to think of what you were doing, Discord?" cried Shining Armor, stamping his foot down hard. "Did you even think of the consequences that you were causing? I know what Cadence told me about her imprisonment in Tartarus. She had nightmares of being in that prison ever since then." After a few moments, Discord managed to clear his head of Shining Armor's words and sigh heavily. The Prince of the Crystal Empire was right, Discord had done some serious damage to Equestria and he was the only other one to blame for Equestria's downfall besides Tirek. "Then, what else can I do, Morgan?" cried Discord. "I mean think about it for second, isn't helping Twilight get a piece of her life back enough?" But, Morgan merely shook his head side to side, meaning that it wasn't enough. Helping to remake Twilight's dresses was good, but it wasn't good enough. There was much more to Discord's redemption than just remaking clothes, something that Rarity was good at. "Normally in certain circumstances, it would," answered Morgan, sitting back in the chair behind his desk. "There are plenty of ponies that you had harmed, Discord and you need to do what you did for Twilight and Celestia to the other inhabitants of Equestria." Discord was surprised for a moment that he had also helped Celestia. But, after a moment's consideration, he remembered of that day when he repaired all of the windows in Canterlot that he and Tirek defaced after Tirek banished Celestia, Luna and Cadence to Tartarus. Seeing the melted window of Twilight's coronation was still fresh in his mind. Just then, a puff of green smoke appeared in front of Discord with a message from Celestia, summoning him to Canterlot at once. Discord could see now that this was his opportunity that Morgan was talking to him about. "Guess now I can start redeeming myself," remarked Discord as he made the message disappear with a snap of his fingers. "If it means getting my hands dirty with the truth, then so be it." "Then go to Canterlot and find out what you need to do," said Morgan as he began to disappear from Discord's view. "If there was ever a time to start your redemption, Discord, it is now." With Morgan gone, Discord snapped his fingers and departed for Canterlot… === Chapter 4: Discord Meets Scorpan === Upon being summoned from his realm of chaos, Discord teleported himself into Canterlot and carefully tried to avoid any unwanted attention from the already tense royal guards. With each guard that walked by, Discord grew more and more worried. He then realized that why he should be afraid to begin with? He was the master of chaos, but a retired enemy of Equestria. So, he snapped his fingers and assumed the disguise of one of the guards. "They shouldn't be afraid of me," Discord thought as he snuck towards the doors of Canterlot Castle. "Perhaps if I stay in this disguise until I get to the throne room, then I will be unnoticed. Let's just hope it works. I need to do what Morgan sys I need to do, if I am to get back into the graces of everypony in Equestria." Meanwhile, Scorpan and Celestia had made their way down to the throne room and waited anxiously for Discord to arrive. Even though Discord declared that he was no longer using his magic for evil, Celestia had to be on her guard, for she could possibly discover that Discord was probably faking his claim that he was no longer going to be using his magic for evil. "He should be arriving at any moment," said Celestia, quietly as she sat nervously on her throne, her left front hoof tapping nervously. "Not all of the night guards know of his retirement from evil, Scorpan." "Discord is the master of chaos," remarked Scorpan. "I know he will do anything to answer your call, Celestia. However, I can't make any promises that he would succeed in coming here alone." "What do you mean?" wondered Celestia. "You think that somepony…?" "Will take notice of his arrival into Canterlot," finished Scorpan. "Particularly your sister, Luna. As far as I know, she has been known to have a volatile temper." Celestia could very well understand the temper that Luna was known to have. In fact, she was glad to know that Luna wasn't here to witness this meeting. If she were here, Luna would have used her powerful Alicorn magic to destroy Discord in retaliation for betraying Equestria, right there in front of her and their closest friend next to Starswirl the Bearded himself. Just then, the doors of Canterlot's throne room opened and Discord's disguise of one of Luna's guards was still in effect as he entered the throne room. However, neither Celestia nor Scorpan were aware that it was indeed Discord, they thought that it was one of the night guards, probably with news of something that happened in Canterlot. "Scorpan, I presume," said the pony in Discord's voice as Scorpan looked down with keen interest while Discord shedded his night guard disguise. "So, you have decided to come and redeem yourself," the gargoyle remarked as Discord produced a halo and a harp. "I am pleased with your decision." "Well, I want to at least make up for what I did," replied Discord as snapped the halo and harp away. "Not everypony will forgive me, but I want to do something to say that I am sorry for what I did. Surely, you both understand that?" "We do, Discord," said Celestia, stepping down from her throne. "But, as you have said yourself, not everypony will forgive you. However, simply saying that you are sorry isn't good enough on the level of your actions." Discord then began to think back to what Morgan, the magic mirror had said to him that he was Benedict Arnold, a traitor to Equestria just as he was a traitor to his own kind. In fact, he wish that he could just teleport Morgan to Canterlot, but decided against it, knowing that this was a matter that concerned him and the two others standing in front of him now. "I know firsthoof how that feels," sighed Discord. "I actually have been doing some of that, remember? Repairing all the windows in Canterlot hall; helping to remake all of Twilight's dresses with Fluttershy and Rarity, so at least that is a start." "Indeed, it is," said Scorpan, walking over to Discord and placing a paw on him. "But, now you have to convince all of Equestria that you are sorry. What I have come to do is to clean up the mess that my despicable and pathetic excuse for a brother of mine had made. Since you were the one who helped make the mess, Discord. You will help me in cleaning it up." Just then, Discord snapped into a black maid's outfit with a feather duster in his lion's paw, much to Scorpan's displeasure, as a way of saying that he didn't do anything cleaning related. "Fine, fine," he said, in a sarcastic way. "But, I don't do windows." Discord then remembered that he did do windows when he restored all the windows he and Tirek defaced in Canterlot. So, he snapped his lion's paw and caused the maid's outfit to disappear. "Oh, wait," he said, sheepishly while shrugging his shoulders. "I did do windows, so that is pretty irrelevant right now." "Indeed," muttered Scorpan as they all noticed Luna flying back to Canterlot as she was now returning from her duties. "Then, we must leave at once. The quicker we set out on what we have to do, the better. Come, Discord." So, Discord and Scorpan made their way to one of the open windows and were just about to leave when Celestia stopped them before they could make their move. "Wait!" she called, causing the two creatures to over to her. "Good luck to you both." "We will be back soon," replied Scorpan as he readied his wings. "And Equestria will be one step in its recovery progress." Celestia watched as Scorpan and Discord took to the air, with Discord assuming the form of a bird so that he could keep up with the gargoyle. Where they would go first was up to them, depending on the location that was greatly affected by what Discord and Tirek had done. Just then, right after the two non-pony creatures had left, Luna entered the throne room eager to allow her sister to assume her duty of raising the sun. However, she couldn't help but notice that it seemed like someone that she despised greatly had just been in with her sister. "Sister, I saw somepony in here," Luna hissed with keen interest. "Was it Discord?" Knowing that Luna's hot temper would get the best of both of them. Celestia knew that she needed to tell Luna the truth of what Discord was trying to do. "It was, but you have to hear me out on what he is trying to do," pleaded Celestia, raising her wings in worry. "He is trying to redeem himself." "And you believed him, sister?" retorted Luna, stamping her foot down hard on the floor. "Discord must be punished for his actions and…" "Luna, please!" cried Celestia, trying to get through to her. "We have to believe Discord will redeem himself. Scorpan is helping him and…" This made Luna stop in her tracks and realize that Scorpan...the brother of Lord Tirek…was helping Discord redeem himself for his actions. "Sister, did you say that Scorpan was here?" she gasped. "Then, why is he…?" "We have to trust Scorpan in making Discord see the error of his ways," said Celestia, trying to keep her faith in check as she walked back to the window and looked up to seeing Scorpan and Discord flying off into the night as she activated her magic to raise the sun. "Besides, they could use a little of my light to help see their way." Luna watched as her sister raised the sun, still unconvinced that Discord could change his ways. But, only time would tell before Scorpan would succeed in completing his quest to help Equestria move on from his brother's rampage… === Chapter 5: Acting as a Dizzitron === Chapter 5 "Acting as a Dizzitron" Discord followed Scorpan as far as his wings would carry him as the retired master of chaos had no idea where he was going to make up for his actions first. But, Scorpan knew what he was doing in the sense that he was a friend and an idol to all of Equestria. Soon, they arrived at a large cliff on a high rock overlooking the outer bands of Equestria's borders. "Where are we, Scorpan?" asked Discord as he landed and shedded his bird's disguise. "I've never been to this place, but I feel like I know it." "The first of your many atonements," replied Scorpan and Discord realized where they were. It was a place that he heard of thanks to Rainbow Dash's constant conversations. "This is the Wonderbolts Academy, where the elite of Equestria's flyers train to one day defend their home from creatures like brother." Scorpan led Discord through the gates and it seemed like they would be getting by without any problems. Then suddenly, several Pegasus ponies in Wonderbolt gear jumped out and tackled the two creatures and restrained them. "Hold them down!" cried a Wonderbolt cadet as he held Scorpan down with all his strength. "No one is allowed on Wonderbolt grounds on their own free will!" "Get off of us!" groaned Scorpan, roaring as he bolted himself up and sent several of the cadets flying. "We are not here to harm you in any way! I have brought Discord here to help him atone for his actions. Where is your commander?" At that moment, a yellow Pegasus in a Wonderbolt's drill sergeants uniform came over, her eyes glaring at the two creatures that laid before her. She then gasped at Scorpan's presence almost as if she had heard of him in stories from a while back. Then again, Scorpan was famous for betraying Tirek to Tartarus and becoming a friend to Equestria. "That commander is me," said the pony, letting her guard down as she landed. "I am Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts. Welcome to the Wonderbolt Academy, Scorpan. I have heard many stories about you." Spitfire then motioned to the other cadets to back away, now knowing that they were messing around with a hero and an ally of Equestria that wasn't even a pony at all. "I want you to know that I come in peace, Captain Spitfire," said Scorpan, lowering his wings. "We understand the heightened sense of security that has been put into effect after my brother's rampage." "But, I can't help but wonder, Scorpan," remarked Spitfire, her mood changing she was now looking in back of the gargoyle and recognizing the creature that aided Tirek in draining all of the Pegasus ponies ability to fly. "Why would you bring him, here?" Discord gulped nervously as he trotted over next to Scorpan. He remembered from Rainbow Dash that Spitfire was a very tough pony to deal with as a drill sergeant. All he wanted to do was not do anything foolish and one wrong move could be a catastrophic consequence that would result in his attempts at reformation come to a sudden end. "I've come to apologize for my actions," said Discord, nervously. "If there is anything I can do to say I am sorry for my actions…" "He means you no harm, Spitfire," added Scorpan. "Discord is no longer an enemy of Equestria and he wants to prove it to you. If there is anything you need to have done, he will do it for you." Spitfire then smiled at the idea that Discord would do anything for her and it seemed that she had an opportunity for the master of chaos to redeem himself. "Well, since you can do anything to say you are sorry," said Spitfire. "Then, our Dizzitron has not been working properly and so, we can't use it for our cadets' training purposes. And since you are the creature of chaos, I'm sure you can find a way to act as our Dizzitron." Now, of course, Discord could simply change into a dizzitron and pretend like it was never broken. But, he felt that if there was any chance of being apologetic to the Pegasus ponies of Equestria, then he would have to show his true self. A little while later, Spitfire had all of the cadets lined up at the spot where the Dizzitron is normally used as Discord looked down nervously at the cadets while Scorpan stood off to the side. "Today, you will be demonstrating your abilities to recover from a spinout," explained Spitfire as she paced back and forth in front of the cadets. "A Wonderbolt must be able to recover from a spinout and fly in straight again as soon as possible. Now, normally we would have our Dizzitron, but since the Dizzitron is out of service, we happened to have a volunteer in the form of the creature who aided Tirek in stealing our ability to fly." Spitfire then directed the cadets to look over towards Discord, who merely waved his lion's paw meekly while the cadets gave him a hard stare, almost as if they wanted to tear him limb from mismatched limb. "Keep it in, Discord," he thought to himself. "This is how you should apologize, by doing instead of saying." Just then, Spitfire pointed out to a cadet who nervously flew into Discord's lion paw, not knowing how this was going to turn out. Once Spitfire gave the order for Discord to start rotating his arms, the cadet closed his eyes as Discord spun his arms around like a windmill as faster and faster as he could go. Discord was wondering how far he was willing to go, but he knew that Spitifire would have the final say. Round and round Discord went and where he would stop, nobody would no. "Release!" called Discord and the creature of chaos released his grip on the Pegasus pony, but rather than regaining control like he was supposed to, he instead flew farther and farther from sight and soon, he ended up in another cliff, splattering against the side like flypaper. "Oops," chuckled Discord nervously, looking down at a disgusted Spitfire and her equally disgusted Wonderbolt cadets knowing that he had really goofed up. "I guess that wasn't supposed to happen." "Ohh," moaned Scorpan, not believing what he was seeing and Spitfire was about to let Discord know how see and her fellow Wonderbolts would feel. "Well, it is highly unlikely that you have a future in Equestria," she said coldly. It appeared that Discord had supposedly blown his opportunity, but was surprisingly given another chance at the behest of Scorpan, who would not rest until Discord fulfilled his apologies to the Pegasus ponies. "Before you decide to give up on Discord," the gargoyle suggested. "I've always believed in second chances and it is my belief that Discord deserves a second chance. Have him try again and see if he learns from his mistakes." This was further justified when a random Wonderbolt flew into Discord's paw and closed his fingers around the cadet's body. Discord was amazed by this act of compassion that was being demonstrated in front of him. "I wish to give him a second chance," said the cadet. "Just as you gave me once, Spitfire." "Very well then, Hurricane Eye," she sighed and producing a small smile. "I suppose second chances have become too far common in Equestria. Discord, prepare yourself again! Ready?" "Ready," replied Discord, his arms in their windmill position again. "Then, Go!" barked Spitfire and Discord began his rotations, trying to be more careful than the last time he had a Wonderbolt in his grasp. After a few moments, Spitfire ordered Discord to release Hurricane Eye. The blue Pegasus tumbled through the air for a few moments and it seemed like Discord had blown his second chance. Then, suddenly, Hurricane Eye regained his durability and flew straight again, coming in for a smooth landing. "Very impressive, 6.5 seconds, Hurricane Eye," remarked Spitfire, looking down at her stopwatch. "You are going to go far in this academy, I can guarantee you that." "Well, I'm thanking Discord for helping me," replied Hurricane Eye, happily. "He's not evil when you get to know him up close." This remark by a promising young Pegasus made Discord feel like this was only the beginning to earning the respect of Equestria once again. Now, he just had to take that momentum to the next location wherever it was. Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor was still holding his grudge on Discord, wanting to destroy him for putting Cadence and Twilight in mortal danger. But, he would have to eventually get over his grudge eventually, but when he would do it would be told in time… === Chapter 6: Lingering Anger === Ever since Discord had deferred to Tirek's side, perhaps nopony was more furious than Shining Armor, the former captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard who was now the Prince of the Crystal Empire. In his mind, he knew that Discord was the true cause for Equestria's near downfall, not Tirek. He had already let his feelings out at him while visiting his little sister's castle and even though Discord had helped to recreate Twilight's Best Mare dress from his wedding, it was not enough. "Shining Armor," called a melodious, but weak voice as Shining Armor saw the sun set on the Crystal Empire, courteously of his former boss, Princess Celestia. "Is everything all right?" The stallion turned to see a pink alicorn pony trotting over towards him. Upon seeing this pony, Shining Armor was shocked to see how his wife was looking. She had heavy bags under her eyes and the look on her face was a clear sign that she had been ill for quite some time. "Cadence, what are you doing out of bed?" cried Shining Armor, rubbing his hoof against Cadence's right cheek. "You should be resting with your stomach illness and all." "It can wait," she moaned. "But, I've been worried about you, Shining Armor. Ever since you confronted Discord, I have begun to wonder whether what intentions you may have planned to do if you saw him again." Shining Armor could now see that Cadence was beginning to catch up on him and his feelings. In her mind, Cadence wanted nothing more than to move on. The memories of her terrifying imprisonment in Tartarus with Celestia and Luna would probably never go away, but that didn't matter. "Look, Cadence," protested Shining Armor, trying not to lose his temper in front of his wife. "I know very well what you think I should do, but I can't. Somepony needs to be punished for allowing all of this to happen and it is certainly not going to be Tirek." "Tirek is being punished, Shining Armor," replied Cadence, firmly. "I was there when we decided that Tirek should rot in Tartarus for his crimes. But, you make it seem like Discord was responsible solely? He wasn't the one who escaped from Tartarus, you know?" "He did escape from a prison, Cadence," Shining Armor retorted. "Remember when he was a stone statue in the Canterlot Gardens? Somepony broke him free and Twilight and her friends sealed him away again." In a huff, Shining Armor retreated back into the palace and Cadence followed, her sickness slowly returning to her. But, she was not going to let her illness slow her down. She had to make Shining Armor see sense and make him realize that Discord was just as much of an innocent victim in all of this as much as they were. "But, what you are saying is that," cried Cadence. "You think that Discord, a creature who is trying to apologize for his actions deserves to be punished just as much as Tirek? I don't believe that!" "I'm voicing my concerns, Cadence," replied Shining Armor, stamping his foot on the crystal floor. "Didn't the Changeling Invasion knock any sense into why I am so protective of you and Twily? Ever since then, I vowed to never have something like that ever happen again! And anypony who dares to cross me will suffer the consequences!" At that moment, Cadence noticed another one of the WANTED posters with Discord's picture on the cover. This made the princess of love feel very uncomfortable at what her husband's methods were in dealing with Discord. She could see at that moment that those methods would involve somepony being killed and it made her blood boil with furry "Shining Armor, are you trying to tell me that Discord deserves to DIE for his actions?" she gasped in shock and anger, tearing down the poster with her magic and showing it to Shining Armor's face. "We don't kill those who break our laws unless the crime is severe!" "What are you saying, Cadence?" Shining Armor shot back, snatching the paper away. "Are you telling me that Discord deserves a free pass for what he did? He needs to be destroyed, like what you did when you led the Crystal Ponies in destroying King Sombra." Mentioning Sombra's name only added fuel to the fire and for Shining Armor to say that Discord needed to be destroyed like Sombra was an understatement. Yes, Tirek threw her into Tartarus with Celestia and Luna because of Sombra's death at her lead, but Sombra was executed because of unspeakable crimes against the Crystal Ponies. Discord was offered a chance at freedom to turn Equestria into his own Chaos playground with Tirek leading the charge. Discord didn't kill anypony and Cadence was going to stand by her decision. "Look, Shining Armor," she sighed, taking in several deep breaths while using her calming technique. "Sombra and Tirek were creatures that had deadly ambitions against the ponies of Equestria that were never fulfilled. Tirek was not destroyed because all he did was absorb magic and we felt that having him rot in prison was the best decision. Sombra was killed because what he did to the Crystal Ponies was wrong, treating them like slaves and such." Shining Armor nodded at his wife's remark agreeing with her on the fact that those two were true enemies of Equestria. Still, it didn't change his mind on Discord. "Now Discord," she continued, gasping in and out between breaths. "Is just a poor, misguided soul who never understood what friendship really was. He is a creature that is centuries old, but never harms anyone and knows when he does something wrong, such as now, thanks to Twilight and her friends." Suddenly, Cadence felt her legs buckle and she collapsed onto the floor while Shining Armor caught her upper body into his forearms. Their heated conversation had taken a lot out of Cadence and Shining Armor knew that she was right. He had to start letting go of his guilt and his anger against him, but he couldn't. Shining Armor was taught that Discord was an enemy of Equestria and that's all there was to it, remembering all those lessons he learned during his training days in the Canterlot Royal Guard. But of course, as all ponies know, history changes over time. A little while later, Shining Armor threw his wife onto his back and took her back up to their bedroom. As he watched Cadence fall asleep, Shining Armor wondered if maybe Cadence was right about him going too far with Discord. "Sooner or later, I have to face Discord again," he thought, looking down at his sleeping wife. "I would normally say no, but I will meet him and accept him for who he is. I will do this for you, Cadence." Meanwhile, Discord and Scorpan were making their way over to the edges of Appleloosa… === Chapter 7: An Unfriendly Appleloosa Welcome === Following his somewhat successful attempt at apologizing to the Pegasus ponies at the Wonderbolt Academy, Discord followed Scorpan to the small town of Appleloosa out in the western part of Equestria. This town housed much of the Apple family, including Applejack's cousin, Braeburn. However, upon approaching the town's borders, both Discord and Scorpan came across an empty town, almost as if that they were expected to come. "They must know we were coming somehow," whispered Scorpan, trying to stay on his guard. "Otherwise, the town would have life in it." "Perhaps," added Discord, who produced night vision goggles with a snap of his fingers. "Or maybe it's because they are after me. You know how these Earth ponies are." "Well, I remember them as being open and welcoming," remarked Scorpan. "It's best we proceed with caution. Follow me." So the two creatures carefully entered Appleloosa as quietly as they could, not knowing what would happen if somepony came out from hiding. There had to be a reason for this, but neither Discord nor Scorpan had any idea of what was going on. Unlike their visit to the Wonderbolt Academy, there were at least ponies in sight, but here there was nothing. "Shh!" whispered Scorpan, as silent whispers were heard in one of the buildings. "Don't move, Discord. There are ponies here and they are planning to ambush us." "Then, what do we do?" whispered Discord, transforming into a camouflaged soldier and armed with a rifle. "Do we fight or…?" Not wanting to cause any more trouble than his pony friends had already endured, Scorpan leapt on the rifle and caused Discord to fire a gunshot, triggering the ponies who had been hiding to jump out with a loud cry. "Get them, Appleloseans!" cried a brown pony in a sheriff's uniform as he and several other ponies charged at the two creatures and tied them down to the ground with rope and nets. Discord and Scorpan struggled against their bonds as the citizens of Applelossa held them down with all their strength. "Release us at once!" grunted Scorpan. "We mean you no harm at all." "Oh sure," remarked the Sheriff, mockingly as he glared at the two creatures. "Just like when you stole all our strength, is that it? I've got a really nice jail cell just waiting for both of you!" The Applelossans hauled Discord and Scorpan to the town jail where they were both put in a cell together. For Discord, the welcome that he and Scorpan just received was just another reminder that he was still considered an enemy of Equestria. "Scorpan, we've got to do something!" cried Discord, dressed in a prison uniform. "I need to show them that I am sorry for what I did! You know these ponies and such! Talk some sense into them!" "They need to understand what they are dealing with," replied Scorpan as the sheriff walked back into the room. "Sheriff, we mean no harm to you at all!" "That here excuse is already getting old!" chuckled the sheriff as he sat back in his desk. "I've already arranged for you to be shipped back to Canterlot for your crimes and them Princesses will decide what to do with you!" At this point, Scorpan was beginning to lose his patience with this pony and decided that now was the time to reveal the real reason to why they were in Appleloosa. He was known to Equestria as its greatest ally, but these ponies probably never heard of him probably because they were foreign to the outside world. "WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO US?!" he snapped in a roaring voice, clutching the bars and shaking them. "WE…DON'T…MEAN…NO…HARM…TO…YOU!" The roar of Scorpan's voice caused both the sheriff and Discord to cower in fear, with Discord shrinking slightly. "Take it easy there, feller," whimpered the sheriff, climbing out from underneath his desk. "That mishmash pal of yours is a wanted criminal in Equestria and must pay for what he did! Can't let him wander free after doing something like that, I reckon." "By stealing magic? He was tricked," grunted Scorpan. "And the one that accompanied him here to this town was my brother, Tirek! I am in no way in league with him anymore and I am here helping Discord make up for what he did to you. If you free us from this prison, I can assure you that Discord…" "Pardon me, Scorpan," said Discord, snapping his fingers and zipping up Scorpan's mouth. "Let me handle this." With Scorpan's silenced, Discord pushed him back and was now staring at the sheriff with a look of determination on his face. In fact, Discord couldn't believe that he and Scorpan would be treated like this. Unlike the last time, he came in peace and that is all there was to it. He didn't come back to steal the Earth ponies' strength and had a good indication that Celestia and Luna were not behind the WANTED poster that bore his picture at all. "Look sheriff," said Discord. "I'm not the creature that you think that I am. This fine handsome gargoyle is right, I am not here to steal magic from anyone. In fact, I am here to help with anything I can do, whether it is apple bucking or entertaining your townsfolk with songs like what Pinkie Pie did when she was here." The sheriff was amazed that for a creature that wasn't even a pony, Discord could remember such events that took place in Appleloosa, like when they were at odds with the neighboring Buffalo tribe over the removal of an apple orchard. Still, he had his suspicions. "How do you know that, varmint?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why the pink pony and her friends are also my friends, too," answered Discord. "And I can assure you that if they were here now, they would say the same thing as I would right now." The sheriff considered the matter and thought that maybe this was another trick up Discord's sleeve, but he had to be positive that Discord was indeed telling the truth about his situation. "Is this another trick, ya varmint?" asked the sheriff. "Because if it is…" "It is not," replied Discord, producing a halo and a harp again. "Let me show you that I mean you no harm and that I am sorry for what I did." Seeing that Discord was trying to tell him that he would do anything to get back in Appleloosa's good graces along with the rest of Equestria, the sheriff felt that, even though it was against his better judgment, it was best that Discord prove that he was really there to help his town recover. "Well, if you are here to help and not harm," sighed the sheriff as he opened the cell door and allowed Scorpan and Discord to be free. "Then I am willing to give you a chance. But, I have to warn you varmints that if this is a trick…" "It's not a trick," interrupted Scorpan, who now had his mouth freed from the zipper that Discord had placed on him. "I am trying to help Discord make up for what he did while he was allied with my brother, Tirek. We really mean it when we say that we come in peace." Discord then noticed his WANTED poster and knew that there was only one pony who wanted him to be tried for his betrayal. "Actually, I couldn't help but ask," remarked Discord as he took the WANTED poster off the wall. "Where did you get this poster from, anyway?" "From Canterlot," replied the sheriff. "They says that if you are spotted, then you are to be captured and sent off to Canterlot. Trust me, that's all I's heard." Discord took a hard look at the poster and realized that if Celestia and Luna wanted him punished for his betrayal, then he would have been denied the chance to atone for his actions and that he would have been turned back to stone by now. He could tell that it was Shining Armor who was responsible for the poster and not the royal sisters. Discord would have to eventually confront Shining Armor again over what he was trying to do to him. Little did he know however, that Shining Armor was starting to let go of his anger. Still, much like the sheriff, Discord was not going to believe the actions of Twilight's older brother unless he would see it for himself… === Chapter 8: Haunting Words From an Angry Prince === Discord had every reason to believe that Shining Armor was truly responsible for making Equestria believe that his head should be on a silver platter. For the first time since confronting Tirek in Tartarus, he felt anger boiling in his mismatched body. It was anger that he didn't want to have since Discord went through so much trouble to remake Twilight's Best Mare dress that she wore at his wedding. All he wanted to do was to move on from all of this and Scorpan seemed to notice. "Discord," he said as they were led over to the apple orchard on the north end of the town. "You seem like something is troubling your mind. Would you care to tell me what it is?" "It's that brother of Twilight's," replied Discord, bitterly as he turned his head into Shining Armor. "Ever since I betrayed Equestria, he's had it in for me. He called me out at Twilight's castle and I feel like he won't rest until I am erased from Equestria." To prove his point, Discord erased himself from Scorpan's view, much to the gargoyle's shock and amazement. He knew now that there was much more damage to be repaired in due time, a settlement between a protective prince and a creature of chaos that was misled by Tirek. "Well, maybe some ponies are not so forgiving, Discord," remarked Scorpan. "Sometimes we all make enemies that stay with us for the rest of our lives. Trust me, had it not been for Starswirl and the royal sisters, I would have ended up just like my brother, hurting others instead of befriending them." This little speech didn't help Discord and as soon as they arrived at the orchard, Discord's anger reached to the point where he wanted to just punch something. Fortunately, Applejack's cousin, Braeburn was there to meet the two creatures and he was actually much more welcoming to Discord and Scorpan than the two previous encounters that they had. "All righty, then, Discord," said Braeburn, warmly. "We Appleloosans believe in second chances and let me tell you that you are in for one second chance. Applejack's told me quite a bit about you." Braeburn's warm demanure seemed to really strike a chord with Discord and part of him couldn't stay angry for long. A pony like him who believes in second chances was probably a good sign that Discord would have more allies aside from the Main Six…well, two of them, to say the least. "All you got to do is raise your strongest leg," explained Braeburn as he demonstrated for Discord. "And hit the tree as hard as you can and before you know it, these here apples will fall from the tree." Discord looked down at his goat leg and stretched it out in his usual chaotic manner, extending it to the point where he went up into the air for all of Appleloosa to see. He wound up doing it several more times and soon, he was ready to start bucking for apples. "Well, I'm not like Applejack," said Discord walking up to a tree filled with apples. "But, its not going to hurt to try. Besides, I need to make up for what I did to Equestria." Getting into position, Discord raised his leg and at that moment, his anger started creeping back up again as the words of Shining Armor randomly popped up into his mind: "Back off, Traitor!" The same words played over and over again in the mind of the retired master of chaos like a bad record and Discord kicked the tree hard, the force of the kick nearly knocking the tree on its side. But, the apples came out nonetheless as they wound up hitting the ground at a high rate of speed. It was then that Discord finally felt the urge to buck down at another tree. He felt himself wanting to buck down the next tree he could find. The words of Shining Armor calling him a traitor continued to play through as he kicked at several more trees much to the shock of both Braeburn and Scorpan. "Something is definitely wrong," remarked Braeburn. "I've never seen anypony buck down so many trees aside from Applejack. Either that or he is mad about something." "I believe he is mad about something, my friend," said Scorpan. "Something that was probably said to him when he was aligned with my brother. I don't know what it is, but it might have something to do with that picture of him that we saw while we were imprisoned." Soon, Discord had amazingly bucked all the trees in the orchard, littering all the apples on the grounds of the orchard as the task of getting them harvested was at hand. Both Braeburn and Scorpan aided Discord in helping gather all of the apples, which took a little bit of time. By the time they were done, the time had come for the two non-pony creatures to head back to Canterlot. "Discord, I've become concerned for you," said Scorpan as they took off from Appleloosa under a bright moonshining night. "You seem to place all of your anger towards your friend's brother into those trees. I'm sure that you can apologize…" "I tried to apologize, Scorpan," interrupted Discord, bitterly. "I tried to apologize by remaking Twilight's dress from his wedding and he didn't accept my apology then and he certainly won't accept my apology now. He still has it in for me, Scorpan. He won't rest until I am gone from the existence of Equestria only reduced to nothing more than a memory." "Perhaps maybe you are overreacting to how this particular pony acted towards you," suggested Scorpan. "We all become victims of our imagination and the only way we can escape is by confronting the source. I confronted the source before I came to Canterlot and told him that my hate would die with him." Discord was now beginning to understand that he and Shining Armor would have to face each other again, causing Discord to relieve that dark day in Twilight's castle when Shining Armor unleashed all of his fury on him for turning his back on Equestria for freedom and power over friendship. "Well, I mean if you are saying, Scorpan," stuttered Discord as they neared Canterlot. "Is that Shining Armor and I should face each other again…" "Talk to him," said Scorpan, sharply but with a hint of motivation in his voice. "Tell him how you feel for what you did and maybe he will understand. I will back you up and I will not rest nor will I return to my homeland until the mess that my brother made is cleaned up. I will help you become a friend to all ponies, Discord, or at least those who are willing to accept you as a friend. And believe me, you have indeed made some progress." Scorpan was of course referring to Hurricane Eye at the Wonderbolt Academy and also to Braeburn back in Appleloosa. They were two ponies that were more than willing to give Discord a second chance as opposed to ponies like Sheriff Silverstar and Shining Armor, who viewed Discord as a backstabber and a legitimate threat to Equestria. Discord didn't know how this second meeting with Shining Armor was going to be, but little did he know that Shining Armor was beginning to lower his ground with Discord… === Chapter 9: Shining Armor's Conflicting Thoughts === While Discord and Scorpan were making their way back to Canterlot, Shining Armor stood on the balcony of the Crystal Empire taking in all that the crisp night air had to offer. The young prince of this empire had a lot on his mind when it came to his bitter grudge against Discord. He could only wonder if Discord was indeed truly sorry for what he did, but Shining Armor was not just a prince, but also a brother and a husband who needed to protect those who were very close to him. "Shining Armor?" asked a melodious voice and the young prince turned to see Princess Cadence, his young wife walking towards him. "You have been standing there all night. Come in and let's go to bed." "I can't," he sighed, without even a second thought. "Something about that Discord character has been on my mind and I can't seem to let it go." Cadence sighed heavily at this and joined her husband on the balcony. In her mind, Cadence was one who wanted to move on with her life. She didn't want to dwell on Discord's betrayal any longer and it showed. "Shining Armor, when are you going to forgive Discord for what he did?" she asked, impatiently. "He is sorry for betraying Equestria to Tirek, but you just can't seem to forgive him when everypony else has already had. Why do you continue to harbor this grudge?" "Because he tried to take you and Twilight away from me, Cadence," retorted Shining Armor as a small gust of wind blew through the two rulers. "Discord was always taught to me by Lock Down that he was an enemy of Equestria who wanted nothing more than to rule Equestria in a chaotic manner. Part of me wants to forgive him and another part of me wants to try him, convict him and either execute or imprison him." At this point, Cadence couldn't deal with hearing the name of Shining Armor's mentor any longer. Even though he helped her husband rescue her and Twilight from General Kuwaga's clutches, Lock Down was a pony that was unpredictable in terms of his sayings and such. "Well, I have been around Discord before," remarked Cadence, trying to defend Discord in a sense. "He is nothing like Tirek, Shining Armor and you know it. Tirek was a creature that wanted to drain Equestria of every single bit of magic that ever existed. He is the one we should all be blaming for what happened, not Discord." "That's because you are just defending him, Cadence," snapped Shining Armor, the sound of his voice making Cadence jump slightly. "He is a legitimate threat to Equestria and he must be put down for good." Then, Shining Armor's voice lowered and his guard dropped as Cadence took notice. It appeared in her point of view, that Shining Armor deep down inside, wanted to forgive Discord for all that he did. But the protective side was still there. "But, you don't want to after what he did to help Twilight and her friends?" guessed Cadence. "When he gave Twilight the last key that defeated Tirek, is that right?" Shining Armor nodded his head and walked back into the castle, still heavily thinking of his thoughts that were going through his mind. "I mean you have to give Discord forgiveness on those levels," advised Cadence as she followed Shining Armor. "He helped Rarity and Fluttershy in remaking Twilight's dresses that were lost when the library blew up. If he was bent on devoting his alliance to Tirek, would he have done that?" Shining Armor took in what his wife said and then turned back to her before they got to their bedroom. "I don't think he would have," he said, much to his wife's satisfaction. "Still, there was no excuse whatsoever for what he did, Cadence and you know it. He should at least be put on trial and we can see where his allegiances lie." This statement didn't bode well with Cadence and as they walked into their bedroom, the second youngest of Equestria's four princesses had to find of another way to get Shining Armor to let go of his grudge. "Shining Armor," she said, sternly and out of patience. "You just can't seem to understand that Discord is sorry for what he did. I think you two need to face each other and you need to accept whatever apologies he gives you. A trial is not what Discord should go through and you know it. Our subjects along with the rest of Equestria don't want a trial either and Tirek is far too dangerous to be brought back to Equestria for one. All that matters is that Tirek is in back in Tartarus where he belongs and Discord is forgiven for his actions. Can't you see that?" It was this statement by Cadence did Shining Armor seemingly think of what was really being put on the table. He was acting this way out of pure protection of his wife and younger sister, using all of the lessons that Lock Down had taught him. "In a way, yes," he sighed as they climbed into bed, while Cadence removed her royal accessories. "Discord never meant to hurt anypony and we both know that, but that is no excuse for what he did. I may forgive Discord for not hurting anypony, but I will never forgive him for his betrayal ever." On the those words, the young rulers went to bed and early the next morning, a knock was heard on the bedroom door and Shining Armor awoke to see who it was. Opening it, he saw two of the Crystal Empire's royal guards in front of him with what appeared to be a message of some sorts. "Prince Armor," one of them said as they saluted their leader. "It is from Canterlot. You and Cadence are to be summoned there immediately." "What is the news?" asked Shining Armor, fully waking up. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have requested that you both meet with Discord and the creature that they call Scorpan." Hearing this also got Cadence out of bed and normally, she was a heavy sleeper on certain occasions, but not today. It seemed in her mind that the message she had been trying to give Shining Armor was coming to pass. "Perhaps you will see that Discord wants to truly apologize for what he has done," remarked Cadence as Shining Armor decided that they needed to leave. "Tell Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that we will arrive in Canterlot soon," he said, knowing that Cadence would be continuously pushing him with these pledges for forgiving Discord if this grudge he had been harboring continued. Discord and Shining Armor would soon meet again and who knew how this impending meeting would play out… === Chapter 10: When Two Foes Meet === After making several more visits to atone for his actions, Discord and Scorpan returned to Canterlot the following morning with Discord still feeling bitter over Shining Armor's attitude towards him. Little did Discord know that Shining Armor had been summoned to Canterlot by order of Celestia and Luna in an effort to end the bitter feud that was between them. "We've returned, my friends," said Scorpan as he walked over and hugged the two sisters after landing with Discord following behind. "Discord has atoned for his actions quicker than I thought that he would." "Indeed," remarked Discord, who produced a halo and a harp, strumming it. "Despite having a few hiccups along the way. You'd be surprised at how they welcomed us at Appleloosa." As he spoke, Discord tried to mimic the whinnying motion that Braeburn made whenever he welcomed outsiders to the small western town. Of course, he couldn't do it without transforming, so he did and thus was able to do it. "Uh, yes," said Scorpan, scratching the back of his neck. "We've had our moments, particularly with the Pegasus ponies as well as the Earth ponies. They showed that creatures like my brother would not be tolerated in any way. The damage was far greater than I could have possibly imagined." It was at this moment that Celestia and Luna both looked at each other and nodded that something else needed to be done concerning both Discord and the pony who had in for him ever since Tirek's escape. "I believe that there is one more piece of damage that needs to be fixed," said Celestia, who motioned for the two guards standing at the throne room doors to open it with their magic and on the other side were Cadence and Shining Armor. Seeing Shining Armor made Discord feel very upset internally and very bitter. "What is he doing here?" asked Discord, quietly teleporting to Celestia and giving her a hard stare in her eyes. "Are you out of your mind? Why would you invite somepony with a grudge against me?" "Discord," said Scorpan, causing Discord to turn his attention towards him. "I'd advise you to realize that this feud that you have with this stallion was not only started by my brother, but also by you yourself. The time has come for you to make up and move on with your lives." Shining Armor then walked up to Discord and he knew that he wanted to just blast Discord to kingdom come with his magic, but he couldn't do such a thing. Not with Celestia, Luna and especially Cadence in his presence. The young prince of the Crystal Empire took in a deep sigh and nervously walked up to Discord. "Look, Discord," said Shining Armor. "I've been doing a lot of thinking and…" "Uh, Uh, Uh," interrupted Discord, waiving a lion finger at Shining Armor's face. "I think you know what you are here for." Discord then produced a bullseye around his chest, much to the dismay of Scorpan and the Princesses. In his mind, Discord thought that this was it: Shining Armor had come to destroy him once and for all. "Stand down, Discord," ordered Scorpan, trying to get Discord to see sense. "I think Shining Armor may have something else to say to you. At least give him a chance to say his peace." Doing as he was told, Discord snapped his fingers and the target disappeared. However, he still had his doubts of whether this unicorn was really doing this as an act to trick him. Then again, Discord was once a master of chaos who did all of this long ago. "All right, you have my attention," he said, his eyes locking onto Shining Armor. "Say what you need to say, Shining Armor." "Discord, I have been doing some thinking," began Shining Armor. "Yes, I know you think that I want to destroy you and I have thought about it." Discord then processed the bullseye again in an effort to just end the suffering that he had been causing Shining Armor. However, Celestia used her magic to snatch the bullseye away and lock Discord's body in a freeze. "Don't jump to conclusions, Discord," cried Cadence. "Shining Armor does not want to destroy you. He knows what he did was wrong, but you have to at least give him a chance to say his peace." "Indeed," agreed Shining Armor. "I've realized over time that destroying you would not erase the pain of Tirek's escape. If I did, what good would that do? It would only cause more pain and suffering. I don't want any more of that, Discord and you know it." "Is this a trick?" cried Discord. "Because if it is, I can at least fight back against you." As Discord spoke, Celestia used her magic to grip Discord tighter than his ancient body could take. "I don't want to fight, Discord," cried Shining Armor. "If I do want to fight you, then I have already done so when I unleashed my fury on you at Twilight's castle. I want us to start over for the sake of my wife and my sister. Will you accept my friendship?" Discord thought about it for a second and then with a snap of his fingers, he disappeared from view, refusing to believe a word that came out of Shining Armor's mouth. Discord's sudden disappearance caught everyone by surprise. "I don't understand," cried Shining Armor. "Why doesn't he believe me?" "It's your protective nature," remarked Luna. "You have always been one who is known for a protective nature. I'm afraid that unless if changes his ways, then I'm afraid it is only a matter of time before he never forgives you." Shining Armor refused to believe such a thing and began to think of a way to try again. He knew that Discord needed to be forgiven and the only way to do that was to talk to him in a setting for just the two of them. "Then I have to find him," said Shining Armor, firmly looking back to the others. "Who knows where he could have gone?" wondered Cadence. "He could have gone anywhere." "I will find him," said Shining Armor, running to the doors in search of Discord. "I will get through to him if it is the last thing I ever do." Without anyone saying another word, Shining Armor darted out of the throne room and into the streets of Canterlot, desperate to find Discord and put the past behind them… === Chapter 11: Letting It All Out === Knowing that his chances of making up with Discord were getting more and more slim, Shining Armor dashed out of the throne room and out into the streets of Canterlot trying to find Discord. It was very difficult for Shining Armor to seek out Discord no matter where he went and after a while, it seemed like he was about to give up. Then, all of a sudden, he felt himself vanish into thin air and soon, the Prince of the Crystal Empire found himself in a strange dimension. "Where am I and what is this place?" thought Shining Armor as he felt himself being dragged towards a house that stood on a round rubber ball. "More importantly, who lives in there?" After a few moments, Shining Armor felt himself land at the front door of the house and was just about to open the door, only for it to open in front of him and on the other side was Discord. "So, here you are, Mr. Prince," remarked Discord, bitterly. "I suppose you want to finish me off right here and right now." "No," replied Shining Armor, confusingly. "I don't want to destroy you, Discord. Can't you understand that? We've had enough conflict as it is. Can't you just let me in and we can settle this once and for all?" Discord thought for a moment about keeping Shining Armor out, but he knew that if Fluttershy were here, she would not be impressed. Besides, this was Twilight Sparkle's older brother that was in front of him. Opening the door, Discord allowed Shining Armor to enter his house. "All right," said Discord, once again producing the bullseye around his stomach. "Do it. Say your peace." "I will say my peace," replied Shining Armor, who then used his magic to cause the bullseye to disappear. "But, without the bullseye. I don't want to destroy you, Discord. Don't you get it? Why do you think I came all the way here to destroy you?" "Oh, don't be ridiculous, pretty colt," sneered Discord, producing the wanted poster that hung up in Sherriff Silverstar's office. "I know what you want to do with me. You want to take me back to wherever you are and destroy me for all to see with that strange looking object that protects your home." Shining Armor knew that Discord did have a point as he was referring to the Crystal Heart that protected the Crystal Empire. Any creature that had any ounce of pure evil in his or her body was immediately destroyed by the heart. "Yes, I know you cannot ever enter the empire," remarked Shining Armor. "But, that doesn't mean that I can still try and apologize for my behavior towards you. I know what you did was wrong, Discord, but I know that I am at fault as well. I know the way I acted wasn't right, don't get me wrong. However, I apologize for what I did. Perhaps it wasn't the right way to act in front of you." Discord then noticed something else about Shining Armor at that moment. He realized that Shining Armor was not calling him a traitor as he had been doing since Tirek's rampage. In Discord's mind, could this be a sign that Shining Armor was genuinely forgiving him after all he had done? "What Shining Armor is saying is true," said a voice and Discord quickly turned around to see Morgan, his magic mirror coming to life out of nowhere. "You must let him forgive you, Discord. This is the greatest part of your reformation which is for enemies to forgive one another." For a moment, Shining Armor was amazed by what he was looking at. He had never seen a magic mirror before, let alone a non-pony like creature. Then again, it was Discord, so nothing was predictable. "If you have come to forgive me, then," said Discord, as Morgan motioned for him to face him. "Then, you must know that I can't erase everything I have done, but if ponies could give me a second chance then so can you." Shining Armor smiled at this, knowing that Discord was forgiving him. However, Shining Armor did have a very good reason for deciding to forgive Discord and it wasn't because of the fact that he was trying to not be like his mentor, Lock Down. "Actually, Discord," said Shining Armor. "I do have another reason for wanting to forgive you and it is not only because of the fact that I want to move on. Something important happened recently and I figured that I tell you what it is." Knowing this was an important bit of news, Discord enlarged one of his ears in an effort to hear what Shining Armor had to say. "Well, don't just stand there," said Discord, continuously enlarging his ears. "Tell me what it is, pretty colt." Taking a deep sigh of relief, Shining Armor relayed the important news to Discord. He knew that this news was going to be an important weapon in burying this feud that they had between them once and for all. "If I tell you this news, Discord," said Shining Armor, with Discord's enlarging ears now hitting the floor. "Then you must not tell anypony else, especially Twilight and her friends." "Go on," replied Discord. "I'm waiting to hear what you have to say, Shiny." "Well," said Shining Armor, knowing that this statement he was about to make would hopefully end this feud that had developed between them. "Cadence and I are going to have…a baby." Discord didn't know whether this was just a ploy or if Shining Armor was telling him the truth. But, the look on Morgan's face proved to Discord that Shining Armor was not lying to him and that he was indeed telling him the truth. This caused Discord to randomly send out streamers at Shining Armor in celebration of this milestone. "Well, in that case," he cried. "I congratulate you and the wife and I can't wait to meet the little foal, whoever it is." So, after a few brief moments, Discord teleported Shining Armor out of his house and soon he was alone with Morgan. To him, this was hopefully a better sign of things to come. "I hope all of this was a step in the right direction, Discord," remarked Morgan. "You must probably want to forgive him after all of this." "Yes, Morgan," said Discord, looking out the window of his house. "I want nothing more than to be friends with Equestria and while I can't erase what I did, I can at least try to move forward and bury the past." Meanwhile, back in Canterlot, Scorpan and the princesses were still waiting for Shining Armor to return from wherever he went and suddenly, the doors to the throne room flung wide open and Shining Armor came racing in. "Shining Armor, where were you?" cried Cadence. "Haven't you known that I have been worried sick about you?" After taking a few deep breaths, Shining Armor said his peace to Cadence and the others in the throne room at that moment. "I've been to Discord's realm," gasped Shining Armor. "I told him that we were having a baby, Cadence. I hope that is enough to have us move on from all of this." Shining Armor then collapsed from exhaustion after all that he had been through, knowing that his feud between him and Discord was most likely over. With this said and knowing that his mission was most likely completed, Scorpan would soon prepare to return to his land. But not before paying a disgraced relative one more visit to prove him wrong… === Chapter 12: Heading Back Home === Discord and Shining Armor had ended their rivalry against each other, for the sake of Shining Armor's impending daughter who was to be born at any time. Discord had also found to have wanted to move on from this as well, wanting to restore his good name to Equestria. He had succeeded in a way, by travelling all over Equestria and helping those affected by Tirek's rampage to get back on their feet. But all of it would not have been possible if it weren't for Scorpan, who was now in the process of returning to his homeland. However, Scorpan did have one little bit of business to take care of down in Tartarus which was to say to Tirek that he had proven his imprisoned brother wrong. Creatures like him needed to understand the magic of friendship just as much as the ponies of this land. "Are you certain that you cannot stay any longer, Scorpan?" asked Celestia as she lowered the sun from the top of Canterlot castle. "There are many of my subjects who may need your help." "My time here is at an end, Celestia," replied Scorpan. "I have done what needed to be done in terms of helping Discord get back into the good graces of your subjects. Everything that has been done is going to be left in your hands now. You know very well that I cannot stay here forever." Celestia sighed heavily as she closed her eyes. Scorpan was more than just a non-pony creature, he was a friend to her and it was thanks to Scorpan that Discord was able to make up for his actions and it was thanks to Scorpan that Discord and Shining Armor were now on much friendlier terms. "I am aware of that, Scorpan," said Celestia. "It's just that…" "What is it?" wondered Scorpan as he wiped away a tear from Celestia's eyes. "Is there something important you want to say to me?" "Well, I want us to be together on a frequent basis," answered Celestia. "Luna and I haven't seen you in forever and even I need somepony to turn to for advice." The hulking gargoyle knew that Celestia and he needed to be together again. It had been over a thousand years since Tirek was imprisoned and it was only a few days since he escaped and was re-imprisoned. True, Twilight and her friends were the idols of Equestria, but as happy as Celestia was of her youngest equal, she never had anypony to look up to herself and this giant creature was just that. "Celestia," chuckled Scorpan. "Don't be so silly. You know very well that I can return and we can always keep in touch. I am a friend of your subjects and I will promise you with my life, that I will return one day when creatures like my brother aren't conquering Equestria for their own free gain. We have so much to catch up on." Celestia smiled at this and felt a little better at her old friend's reassurance. Scorpan had done so much for Equestria in a short period of time and she began to realize that this was only the beginning of things to come for her and him. After pulling each other into an embrace, Scorpan gave Celestia one last look before turning towards the west and lifting off into the sky. As he left, Scorpan wondered if maybe he should have stayed longer in Equestria. But, he couldn't because Equestria needed time, time to recover from what Tirek had caused and Scorpan knew that he needed to say his peace to Tirek one last time. Besides, he gave his word to Celestia that he would one day return to resume their long distance relationship. For now though, his work was done. "So, you've decided to show your face again?" remarked Tirek sneeringly as Scorpan landed in front of his cage. "Why have you come back after you disowned me?" "I came to tell you that I have cleaned up the mess that you had made in Equestria," said Scorpan in a stern sounding voice. "I have especially redeemed Discord and made him see the light." But, Tirek didn't say anything and only let out a loud huff. "I'm not surprised that he is redeemed," huffed Tirek, the sounds of his shackles piercing the silence that was around his prison. "Discord was and always be a creature who is weak in the eyes of Equestria." "Not from how I view it," remarked Scorpan. "No matter what you say to me or anypony else, it will fall on deaf ears Tirek. Everything you have done has been erased and while the ponies of Equestria continue to live, you will rot in this cell until you die." Tirek was not listening to this and was ignoring everything that Scorpan was saying. He had his dreams and goals still inside of him and they would remain there as long as he was alive. "So you say," said Tirek. "Well, I know that I will escape again one day and finish what I started." Scorpan could only chuckle at this, knowing that his pathetic excuse of a brother was merely bluffing. Tirek did not take this humorous reaction well and could only growl with a low tone. "Tirek, you just don't get it, do you?" laughed Scorpan, before banging the front of Tirek's cage with his paw. "You will never escape Tartarus again. If you were to escape, Cerberus would kill you and make your body into its own personal toy. And even if you were to die, your soul would still remain down here. Equestria is safe from creatures like you, Tirek. Discord will remain in Equestria because he understands the magic of friendship, just like I do. You will never learn the meaning of it and that's why you will stay here forever." Scorpan then turned to leave, but Tirek was not done with him yet. "Brother!" cried Tirek, his face still brooding with fury. "You can deny it all you want, but I will escape this prison again one day and I will finish what I had started whether you like it or not. You will be sorry for not freeing me when you had the chance." "Farewell, Tirek," said Scorpan, with his back still turned to Tirek and his wings unfolding. "My hate will die with you." Before his brother could utter another word, Scorpan lifted off into the dark caverns of Tartarus, knowing that everything had be done to remove Tirek's actions and that Discord was back in the good graces of those who had come to know him. Scorpan's work was done and who knew when he would return to Equestria again. But, only time would tell when that day would come. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: I'll Take Them All author: Orsuros tags: character:Discord, character:Dragons, character:Fluttershy, genre:Comedy, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== A Few Careless Words === "I'll take them all." Ember looked at Fluttershy and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to say that?" "They're all so cute. I couldn't say no." Fluttershy hugged the adorable baby dragons. They snuggled into her fluffy chest. "Okay, but just remember that among dragons, our word is our bond. But you're off the hook for now. You can't be the official caretaker without a suitable mate." Fluttershy never thought the harmless conversation with Ember after the eggs hatching was serious and would change her entire life, but now she stared at the card and gift that the dragonlord had sent to Fluttershy's wedding reception. Hey Fluttershy, Now that you have a suitable mate, I expect you to live up to your promise. Congratulations to being the adoptive mother to about 100 little dragons. Here's a gift to help you prepare for them. I'll bring them next week. -Dragonlord Ember The letter was also marked with Ember's impressive seal, so Fluttershy knew it was genuine. "What's all this?" Discord asked. "Um, I may have accidentally adopted an entire clutch of dragon babies when I helped out with the hatching." Discord looked over the letter while Fluttershy opened the large wooden chest that Ember had sent as a gift. It was full of sparkling gems and golden coins. To anypony who wouldn't suddenly have 100 little dragons, it would have been a small fortune. "But we just got married!" Discord said. "We haven't even had our honeymoon. I wasn't ready for kids! And certainly not so many." "Maybe Twilight or Spike can fix this while we leave for a few days. I don't even know where we'd put all of them." Fluttershy hoped for the best. The very chaotic honeymoon kept her mind off of the matter until she stepped out of Discord's portal and onto the path in front of her house. Twilight appeared with a loud pop. "Fluttershy! I hope your honeymoon was good, but I have bad news. Ember got upset when I tried to explain that this was a mistake and give back her gift. I smoothed things over as best I could, but she's still bringing you the baby dragons." Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat. "Thank you for trying. Me and Discord will do what we can." "Most young couples get something like a pet," Discord said. "But we'll show everyone that we're the best. The Lord of Chaos can handle 100 dragons easily. And after handling so many animals, my beautiful Fluttershy can handle some dragons." Twilight looked at them skeptically. "Okay, but if you ever need any help, just let me know. Oh shoot! I'm late for my next meeting. Here's some notes from things I learned when raising Spike." Twilight dropped a binder full of papers and teleported away. Discord smiled and twisted around Fluttershy in a tight hug as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "100 dragons is perfect for me. Think of all the chaos!" "Discord! Children need structure, not chaos. Um… where should we put them? We need to do some fireproofing. Oh, and we'll need lots of gems for them to eat. Let's see what Twilight wrote down." Fluttershy opened the binder and scanned the table of contents. The chapters were sorted by age. Several appendices sorted more general advice into categories like nutrition and education. "Hmm… I'd double check with Spike before we follow all of her advice. Spike was always too nice to say it to Twilight, but I think he'd have some suggestions about how he'd do things differently. His childhood wasn't as perfect as he'd have you believe. You go get the gems, and I'll work on making the perfect home for all our little dragons." Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared with a pop. Fluttershy sighed and started flying toward Rarity's boutique. Rarity knew the best places to get lots of gems, and Fluttershy was going to have to learn where they were. "Oh no! They're going to get me!" Discord hopped across the grass before a dozen little dragons jumped up and grabbed him. "I'm done for!" He flopped onto his belly as all the dragons gave a combined cheer and gave each other high fives as they climbed on top of him. "I was the one who brought Dad down!" A little black dragon said. Discord laughed. "You all did it together. No single dragon could ever beat the Lord of Chaos! Only your combined friendship could defeat me. Chaos noogies!" Discord snapped and a bunch of copies of his hands suddenly gave the little dragons noogies. Some squirmed and laughed. Others growled and wrestled with the hands. Fluttershy smiled as she looked outside. Discord had turned out to be an amazing dad to all the little dragons, and he always looked so handsome when playing with them. Fluttershy turned her attention back to the oven as she heard the faint creak of the oven door. A tray of fresh gem cookies were baking, but a lanky little red dragon had slipped inside. "Cinnamon, what did I tell you about eating things in the oven?" Fluttershy gave the little dragon a harsh stare until she jumped back out. "Sorry mommy. I won't do it again." Fluttershy patted Cinnamon on the head. "That's a good girl. You can get the first one once they're done if you wait patiently." A crash in the front room ruined the sweet little moment. Fluttershy sighed and went to see what was going on. A gold dragon sat crying with a fresh scrape where his snout had bumped into the wall. Angel stuck out his tongue at the dragon before hopping away. "Lucky, no chasing Angel or any of the other bunnies. Let me see. It's just a little scratch. If you stop crying, you can go wait for cookies in the kitchen with your sister." Lucky quickly wiped away his tears. "Cookies? You're the best, Mom!" He scampered off. Some of his brothers and sisters made fun of him for being so sensitive, but Lucky was one of the sweetest dragons. Angel also constantly antagonized him. It hadn't been easy to welcome in so many tiny dragons, but Fluttershy felt that her and Discord had eventually reached a sense of happy acceptance of their situation. Each day was exhausting, but all the little dragons were so cute. It still melted her heart to hear them all call her Mom or Mommy. The dragon parents hadn't ever requested their children back, either. Ember said that many dragons were rather lazy or distant parents at best, but that was all the explanation that she ever gave Fluttershy about the dragons' families. But that didn't matter now. All the little dragons were part of her family. Fluttershy opened the front door to yell out to Discord. "Lunch is almost ready!" Discord began rounding up the hatchlings. Before long, they were all running inside. Fluttershy counted to make sure none were missing. She paused after the last one went by. She gave Discord a big kiss and rubbed his chest. "You're such a good dad. Maybe we should have one more." Discord's face went red. "One more? Do we want a cute little pegasus? Or maybe a baby draconequus? I'm not even sure what we'd get." "Both sound so cute. And they'd have so many older siblings to take care of them." Fluttershy rubbed a wing along Discord's chin and took a step toward the kitchen. The little ones were already shouting and growling. It was always a bad idea to leave hungry little dragons alone too long, but Fluttershy wouldn't trade raising them with Discord for anything else in the world. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Another Story, About You author: CrispySparrow tags: content:Alternate Universe, genre:Dark, genre:Horror, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== This is Another Story, About You... === This is a story, about You. There has been another story, another one about you. It was about you, but not about YOU, you see? You live in a town. It is a nice town. You have always lived here. You were born here, and perhaps you will do other things here as well. You have never,really, left. Oh sure, Perhaps on occasion you found yourself stepping out for some time, at times. Small adventures, short expeditions, ones that you would always come back from. You have never, really, left. What does it mean to leave? After all, our world is not large, Equestria is only made up of so many acres. There are not many places to run to. There are not even very many places. You thought about leaving. The idea of leaving, really, leaving. You screamed. You screamed that you wanted to go home. But what is home, my deer? What is it? Your perceptions are not nearly as vast as mine, you still cling desperately, yet unknowingly to limits forged by your tiny pony brain. Of course your packaging is quite lovely, yes indeed. You are grace incarnate, with fur like velvet, your whole blessed by proportions of gold. ' But you cannot best her, with your thoughts. But for this idea, like many things, the more you tossed it about, the less appealing it became. The novelty, of the idea, would dance into your life like a fawn into a meadow, and then it was gone as swiftly as winter could steal its breath away. You tired of the thing as vultures tire of bare bones. Skeletons of thoughts now buried deep beneath snow. So, You have always lived here. You have always lived here, and you are glad. So glad. So glad to live here. So glad to live. * * * Do you remember when You were young? When you left for a time? You were so young. He was so young. THINK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE YOUNG. Do you remember? There was a time, in which you were not glad. Not glad at all, to live in this nice little town. Not glad at all. How you longed for more! Bright lights! Bright nights! Glamour! Sophistication! The songs of the city, unheard by most, sung in the dark times of first hours; The cool night air's caress on your face, the crispness of the sights and of your mind and of the breath in your lungs! Electric magic painting neon snakes upon the black and speckled canvas; slithering between light, eating their tails, constellations heralding rituals of sex and currency, and intoxication. A room hazed with cigarette smoke and voices and music like honey. Eyes looking at you over the rim of his glass. Velvet lips slowly parting, to reveal that perfect smile. And my god, how perfect was his smile? I wish I could smile, like that. The city, beautiful, because of the light it brings, glittering coins tossed into a fountain, the city that was stars in a void. Perfect. You did get what you had wanted. The only thing you had ever wanted. The only thing any of us have ever wanted. To feel as if you were living. And like everyone who has ever gotten what they have wanted, you had no idea what to do with what you had wanted. But you two figured it out in time. You two were so beautiful in the dark. All of us, together, above the city that could almost be stars. We were all so young... A stallion's soft muzzle; his delicate whispers in your ear, like trickling water. The feeling of his hooves through your mane. The feeling of his hooves along the curve of your spine. The feeling of his hooves. Your endearing squeals. The soft, wet silence that followed. The night was just...so... Breathtaking. It was so long ago. Think of the stallion. Do you remember his face? Can you see it in your mind? I can see it. I can see it clearly. It is right over there. Right there, on the shelf. * * * It feels so good to reminisce. It feels so grand to play those memories of us, again and again, films of the past on a loop. It is comforting. I have been with you for an age. And I regret not a single moment. I loved every moment, I love every moment! Everything! I loved to see you search for gemstones, despite that terrible and scaled creature that labored for you. I loved to hear your voice, those sweet and soft wind chimes. I loved to see his lungs inflate for the last time, to hear your screams from the corner I loved to feel his blood on my face, salt and bitter metal creeping, seeping through air and fur, staining my taste and the rest and the rest and the rest. Stains, and then rest, and then stains, and then rest. To feel the tremors through my limbs as I slammed his head upon the concrete over and over and over. Again. * * * Today, you came home. She was not there. At first, you did not worry. But everything grows with time. The worry came upon you, like water seeping steadily into boots. Then dread folded its wings and perched upon your shoulder, to stare down at the panic flooding your home. But then she came home, and the bird and the sea were gone. You held her close. She seemed confused. You were not confused. You brushed her lavender mane behind a white ear. You told her never to disappear like that again. You were right to do this. She came home. This time. Be glad. This time. * * * Are you scared? You should be. I know that I am scared. I remember other times, where I was scared. There is something about the way you breathe that eases my spooked heart. The way you breathe when you are sleeping. The way you are breathing right now. It is... Divine. * * * Oh. My. God. I like. Can't Even. This is divine! The feeling of his face upon mine.... Divine. Ahhhhh. Such a pleasant skin. You know how to pick them. If you know what I mean. It is quite surprising that any creature could fit so much inside them. I am glad. Glad, that I held unto this. * * * Rarity... Where is Sweetie Bell, Rarity? I thought we talked about this. We talked about how silly it is to work so long and hard. We talked about this Rarity... Do you need an extra pair of eyes, to watch your sister? I think I can help you with that. Do you like scavenger hunts Rarity? How about puzzles? How much? Lets play, Rarity! Sweetie Bell loves playing with me! Lets play together! I want to play! I want to play! I want to play! Why are you afraid, do you not like these notes that I leave for you? * * * Well now I may have made a bit of an error now, haven't I? After all I have a surplus of materials for hat making, thanks to Ponyville's finest hat maker. But now there is no one to make the hats! What a pity... Fluttershy, I know you can sow now, Fluttershy. Hush now, quiet now... ssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. .................................................................................................................................. shhhhh. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Flower Petals author: Undead Parchment tags: character:Original Character, genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== The Seed === Poppy Seed rested her chin on the armrest of her couch. A sigh escaped her lips as she stared through the window at the rainy world outside. Poppy was worried about her little flowers getting pounded in the steadily pouring rain. Though she knew well enough that plants can take a lot of punishment, she she just couldn't help but worry about her flowers. Her delicate, beautiful flowers. She loved them like they were her children. Young Poppy Seed is a pinkish-red earth pony mare with a poppy red mane and tail and the softest pink eyes. Her cutie mark depicted the head of a poppy flower with a thin green stem extending just underneath the flower's petals. It symbolized her love of flowers. Poppy rolled over onto her back and stared blankly up at the ceiling. It had started raining just as she woke up that morning. It isn't that she didn't like the rain -in fact she loved the rain; it's much better for plants rather than that revolting tap water- it was that she was looking forward to spending some time with her beloved plants that day. As she pouted, a knock sounded at the door. Lightly grumbling to herself, adding in a few choice curses, Poppy got off the couch and sauntered to the door. She yanked it open as hard as she could to express her agitation. In the doorway stood a soft orange earth pony mare with a bright yellow mane and tail and turquoise eyes. She was sodden with the freezing rain, her mane dripping as she strolled into the house, shivering and teeth chattering. Poppy gave the mare a confused look before asking, "Forget your key again, Dandelion?" Dandelion smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck with a sodden hoof. "Yeah..." She replied, teeth still chattering. It was rather chilly out there, opposed to the inside of their warm townhouse. Dandelion looked to Poppy and pulled off the cutest smile she could manage. It worked, making Poppy thankful that her coat was the same color as her blush. "Can you get me a towel, please?" Again with the smile. Poppy happily obliged, nodding she headed off to the bathroom. When she returned, she held two towels; one for Dandelion's mane and the other for her body proper. "There you go, Dandy," Poppy said, taking a seat on the couch once more. She watched in silence as Dandelion completely ignored her presence and began drying herself in the middle of the living room. Dandelion wrapped the first towel around her mane. She then ran the towel under tail and between her inner thighs then the rest of her body. Poppy blushed at the sight, once again thankful that Dandelion was unable to see it. Dandelion wrapped the towel around her midsection and started for her bedroom, closing the door behind her as she walked in. 'That was quite a sight,' Poppy decided, standing up on wobbly legs. Poppy hated to admit it, but she had a bit of a crush on Dandelion. She had asked in the most discreet way possible, without giving any sort of hint as to her sex preference, if she would go out with another mare. Dandelion, while she was sweet and kind, was not at all subtle, saying, "No, if another mare asked me out, I would slowly walk away from them and hide away. Why?" Poppy never did respond, only giving Dandelion a sheepish smile before backing away quietly and heading to her room. That was when they were teenagers, though. So who knows? She might have a chance with her now. Dandelion and Poppy -if it hasn't already been made clear- lived with each other in a townhouse just near Horseshoe Bay Docks, not as lovers, mind you. Dandelion had been invited to stay with Poppy until she could get back on her hooves. After losing both her parents to cancer and getting fired from her job as a baker in Manehattan, Dandelion was lost. But her best friend was there to help. It had been five years since Dandelion moved in, of course Poppy doesn't mind one bit. Poppy could feel the heat of her arousal linger. It didn't look like Dandelion was going to take a shower tonight, so Poppy took the advantage to use the hot water for once. Pushing away thoughts of the past, Poppy trotted off to the bathroom. She twisted the knobs and let the water warm up before stepping in and relishing in the warmth. ** Dandelion picked up a book from the shelf next to her bedroom window and lay down on her bed, flipping it open and started to read. After a few moments, Dandelion could hear soft moaning coming from the bathroom down the hall. The yellow mare rolled her eyes, giggled and went back to reading. 'Have fun in there,' She thought to herself as she flipped the page. ** Poppy stepped out of the steaming bathroom, towels wrapped around her midsection and mane. She trotted off to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. With a sigh, Poppy let both towels fall to the floor before picking them up and hanging them on a rack on the other side of her door. She sighed in relief and slipped into her bed wear. She climbed into bed and was just getting comfy when she felt something missing. Tossing to the right, she found the little stuffed bear Dandelion got for her on her birthday a while back. She wrapped her arms around the little bear and inhaled its scent. Even after three months it still smells like her. She knew it was foalish to still be sleeping with a stuffed animal, but something about it just felt... Right... That, and her inner foal demanded it, and who was she to deny the wishes of her inner foal? She smiled and cuddled the little bear, closing her eyes, she was soon fast asleep. === A Soft Patch of Dirt === Dandelion awoke the next morning, found herself sprawled awkwardly on her bed, her comforter and pillows on the floor. What happened last night? Dandelion pushed the question aside for now and preceded to sit up, stretched and yawned. Dandelion slipped out of her bed and made her way into the main room. She was surprised to see Poppy already seated at the kitchen table, a bowl of Sugar Bombs(1) in front of her and a book on the side. She shoveled spoonfuls of the sugary cereal into her mouth, her eyes never leaving the pages of her book. 'Odd,' Thought Dandelion as she prepared herself a bowl of the unnecessarily sweet cereal. Indeed it was odd. Usually Poppy was still fast asleep on the weekends. Shrugging, Dandelion preceded to sit down at the table in front of her roommate. "Good morning," Dandelion greeted the distracted mare, spooning some cereal into her mouth and chewing. "Morning," Poppy returned the greeting, her eyes still glued to her book. Dandelion took a peek at the cover: "A Game of Thrones"(2). She had seen Poppy reading this book a few times, mostly when she had nothing better to do. Dandelion figured it was still raining, why else would Poppy be reading instead of tending to her plants? Dandelion grinned and continued to eat her breakfast. ** Dandelion was certain something was off with her roommate. Her bed head? No, that was the norm for her. The book? Nope. Once again, normal. The socks? Bingo. "Uh... Poppy?" Dandelion gazed at the pink striped socks Poppy was wearing. She had no idea why Poppy would wear socks in the middle of summer. "Hm?" Poppy asked through a mouthful of apple juice. Dandelion thought of a way to approach the situation without seeming rude. "Any reason you're wearing socks?" She cocked her head at the mare before her. Poppy looked up from her book and gazed at Dandelion. "They're comfy. And they make me look cute," She responded with a touch of finality. Dandelion had to admit, Poppy did look kind of cute in those socks. "But..." She began. "Why do you want to look cute?" As if to respond, Poppy slipped out of her chair and brought her bowl to the kitchen, dumping it in the sink, all the while swaying her flanks at Dandelion. The confused mare had no idea why she was doing so, but she couldn't but feel... Excited... Dandelion couldn't help but blush, said blush apparent on her bright orange coat. Dandelion shook her head as if to clear it. "Um..." Dandelion mused. "Okay, but why?" "Why, what?" Poppy queried, took a seat on the couch, cocked her head. "Why do you want to look cute?" Dandelion eyed the socks on each of Poppy's four legs. Dandelion couldn't get over the image of Poppy swaying her hips. It just... It was just so... Exciting... Dandelion blished again, unaware. Poppy tapped her chin with a hoof as if deep in thought. After a moment, she said, "Dunno." This earned a blunt expression from Dandelion, who had no idea why Poppy was actually wearing them. Of course, Poppy knew what she was doing, and so far, her mission had just become easier. Poppy grinned inwardly. She went back to reading without another word. ** After several more bowls of Sugar Bombs, Dandelion sauntered back to her room and came back out with the book she had from last night and walked back into the main room, took a seat next to Poppy on the couch and began reading, occasionally scribbled something in the book. About thirty minutes later, Poppy dog eared her book and closed it, stood up and walked to the door. She pulled it open and peeked her head out. When she pulled her head back in and closed the door again, her mane was dripping slightly, a frown on her muzzle. It was still raining. Poppy shook her head and sat back down on the couch. She gazed at the sleeping Dandelion, smiled. Dandelion was just so cute when she slept. As Poppy made to open her book again, a glint from somewhere next to Dandelion. Poppy looked in her roommate's direction and saw a little book with a silver padlock reflecting the light from a lamp on the table next to the couch. Putting her book back down on the armrest and slipped off the couch again, picked up the book, eyed it. Poppy noticed on the table a quill and ink pot. The quill's nib in the ink pot. Odd, Poppy thought. She hadn't seen Dandelion writing anything that morning. Then again, she was too engrossed in her own book to notice much of anything. Poppy gazed at the book in wonder. She knew exactly what this book was. And oh how she wanted to take a peek. Just a teeny tiny peek... But she couldn't! Dandelion was her best friend! Poppy just couldn't betray her best friend like that. Oh but the lock wasn't even locked! It would be so simple, so easy to just open the cover and take a small peek... But she wouldn't. No. Angry with herself for thinking these vile things, Poppy clicked the lock, making it impossible to give in to temptation. Poppy sauntered to Dandelion's bedroom and placed the book on her roommate's night stand and left the room, closed the door with a click and head back to the main room. Dandelion searched frantically for something. Poppy had an idea what. "Oh!" Dandelion turned her attention to her roommate as she walked in. "Poppy, have you seen my diary?" Poppy raised a hoof in the direction of Dandelion's room. "I took it to your room while you were asleep." She then quickly added, "Don't worry! I didn't read it!" Dandelion grinned and giggled. "I didn't think you would. You're too good a friend to do something like that." Dandelion smiled and grabbed her quill and ink pot, walked to her room. 'That would have gone differently had I actually read that thing...' Poppy thought, flushing at the image of Dandelion's sweet smile. "By Celestia I love that mare..." Poppy sat back down on the couch, lost in thought. ** Dandelion sighed and closed her bedroom door. She sat down at her desk and placed her diary in front of her. Her right hoof wrapped around her hawk feather quill and dipped it in the ink before unlocking her diary with a brass key and opening the book to the latest, empty page. Nib met parchment as she wrote: "Well, my plan failed. Poppy is just too good A friend to read my diary. I should have figured. Letting her read my latest entry would let her know about my feelings for her... I should have figured she would have never given into curiosity. Oh how am I going to do this? I love Poppy more than I love my garden. And for me, that's saying something! Oh well... I guess I'll try again some other time..." With a sad frown, Dandelion closed her diary, locked it again. She replaced the quill back in the ink pot. Dandelion yawned; that little nap on the couch left her drowsy. She glanced at the wall clock above her door: Two-ten. How long had she slept the night before? Dandelion shrugged and stood, slipped into her bed and climbed under the covers, closed her eyes. A little more sleep never hurt, right? It was only Saturday, after all! No sooner had she thought that, her breathing softened and her heart rate slowed and she was asleep almost immediately, snoring gently. === A Little Water === Poppy Seed found herself staring blankly out the window, her mind far, far away. The rain had long since stopped, but Poppy was too busy thinking about what kinds of mind-jarring information could be held amongst the pages of her best friend's diary to notice much of anything. Images of that little brown book flashed through her mind. The sound of hoof steps on the hardwood floor coming from the corridor snapped Poppy out of her trance. She swiveled her neck and failed to stifle a giggle at Dandelion's adorable bed head. The orange mare failed to stifle a yawn as she walked into the main room. Dandelion rubbed her eyes and yawned again as she asked, "How long was I asleep?" She took a seat on the couch next to Poppy. Poppy thought for a moment before she replied, "About an hour and a half." Poppy stifled another giggle as she bounced a bunch of Dandelion's poofy mane in her hoof. Dandelion batted her hoof away and giggled. Poppy giggled as well and took another swipe at her best friend's mane. "I see it finally stopped raining," Dandelion noted. "'Bout time." "Yeah," Poppy replied. Poppy eyed the slender form of her beautiful roommate, her blush somehow filtering through her coat. Dandelion noticed this and grinned, her own blush shown through. Poppy blushed harder and looked away, a smile growing on her own lips. ** Poppy grasped a stubborn root in her mouth and pulled back as hard as she could, but to no avail. The root held fast in the ground it had made it's home. Poppy groaned as she glared at the nuisance. The root was still slick with two days worth of mud, making Poppy's job of pulling it out far more difficult. Grasping the root once more, she began to tug again, only to accidentally release her grip on it, sending her sprawling across the ground in a heap. Dandelion noticed this from where she stood across the yard. The gardener trotted over to her fallen friend, offering a hoof. Poppy gave a wry smile and took her hoof, heaving herself back to her hooves. Dandelion eyed her friend, a small smile on her muzzle. Poppy huffed and turned to glare at the root that had defeated her in battle. "Need some help?" Dandelion asked and she walked over to the root. Poppy sighed and nodded. "Yeah. Stupid root is crowding my flowers." "Have you ever thought of using shears, perhaps?" Dandelion gave her friend an inquisitive look. The expression on Poppy's face told her she had not tried that. Dandelion giggled as Poppy groaned and brought her hoof to her face. Dandelion strolled over to the shed and walked back out with a pair of shears, just about the length of Poppy's foreleg. Dandelion then went to work slowly cutting away at the root that had caused Poppy so much headache. After about an hour of snipping, Dandelion tugged the root from the hole that now existed in their yard and tossed it into the compost bin. She wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed in relief. Then, with sudden realization, she groaned. The hole that now existed in their yard, still existed in their yard. That would need to be fixed soon. "Poppy, do be a dear and fill that hole for me, please," Dandelion said as she sauntered over to the porch. She sat down in a lawn chair and sighed. Poppy nodded once and without a word, grabbed a trowel from nearby and began working to fill the hole. Dandelion could not help but watch in an admiring manner as her secret crush bent down to scoop the dirt in the trowel and toss it in the hole. Little did she know, however, that Poppy had done the same when she was working on the root. After a few minutes of scooping, dumping and packing, the hole was finally filled and Poppy was somehow sweating afterwards. "Rain made it hotter than usual," The red mare said as she joined her friend on the porch. Dandelion nodded in agreement and reclined further on the chair. It was only two o'clock, but the two mares were already somehow tuckered out. Perhaps the humidity had a role in exhausting them. "I'm gonna go get some iced tea," Dandelion announced, standing. "Want some?" "Yes, please," Poppy asked as she stretched out in her own chair. She watched as Dandelion's flanks disappeared through the doorway before sighing sadly. Watching Dandelion work made her consider if her secret crush would ever have her. With each passing day, Poppy grows to love her best friend even more than the previous. She wished so much that she had the courage to ask, but courage was something she lacked when it came to admitting her feelings to somepony. However, little did Poppy know, her secret crush was already making plans to admit her true feelings without using words; instead, actions will play a huge roll in her great unveiling. Dandelion came back out with two glasses of iced tea on a tray balanced on her back. She offered one to Poppy, who accepted the beverage with glee and took a sip. She sighed as the cool liquid ran down her throat. Dandelion took a seat on her lawn chair again and took a sip of her own tea. She did as her friend and sighed. They sat there for the rest of the afternoon, sipping tea and chatting. Eventually, the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, the sky turned different shades of orange and purple with its decent. The two mares watched in awe at the marvel. It was a common sight in Horseshoe Bay, but tonight, it looked exceptionally gorgeous. 'Just like Poppy,' Dandelion thought, turning her gaze to Poppy. 'Just like Dandelion,' Poppy thought at the same moment, her own eyes wandering over Dandelion. The two mares suddenly realized what they were doing and quickly turned away, shaking their heads and blushing. Poppy sighed and stood up. "I'm gonna go shower and get some sleep." Dandelion nodded in agreement, standing as well and following Poppy into their home, closing the door behind them. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Enclosed author: TwizzleDragon tags: character:Scootaloo, genre:Dark, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Prologue: Into the Darkness === Warning: This is just a comedic start for a serious story, please do not judge the entire story based on this prologue. Please, if you don't like comedy or humor, or if this just isn't your humor, skip this chapter, I'm sure you can figure out what it leads up to in the second chapter. The day was bright, shining warmth all over the new spring that had dawned over the village as Winter Wrap Up had finished. The land was filled with pegasi flying free as they should through the brisk cool air. All but poor Scootaloo had set their hooves off the ground. She, along with her Crusaders friend had nothing to do on this fine day. Nothing, but to annoy Rarity. "Ugh! Sweetie Belle, can't you take your friends and go crusading somewhere else? I need to fill this order in tonight and I still don't have the gems I need to finish it," complained Rarity, attempting to sew more padding into the fine, feathery pink and black dress. "Maybe we could help you get the gems?" spit Sweetie Belle, jumping with her friends, "Cutie Mark Crusaders Gem Finders!" "Well, I'm sorry fillies, it's just too dangerous with all those diamond dogs out there, besides I need Spike to dig up the gems. Do any of you have the claws to dig into the rough dirt and get them for me?" They all shook there heads in unison. "Maybe we could go get Spike for ya?" asked Applebloom, a disfigured smile on her face. "Oh, I suppose you cou-" "Cutie Mark Crusaders Dragon Poachers!" "Wait, what?" The three fillies darted out the door before an answer was to be given. They ran out that door and into the streets of Ponyville, struggling onto Scootaloo's scooter due to the harsh speed that they gathered. Sweetie Belle had tripped, scraping her hind hooves. But she did not care, for crusading was her mission. Scootaloo started her scooter, of which had grown rusted from the snow of last winter from her not covering it up. They sped slowly down the street, about half as fast as they could run. "This ain't getting us nowhere!" shouted Applebloom, an aggressive pulse inside her demanding herself off the scooter. "Come on, we got to get Spike!" demanded Sweetie Belle, jumping off the scooter. "Oh ah uh..." the confused filly spurted. "Are you coming?" Sweetie Belle directed from down the road. "Yeah," Scootaloo agreed, abandoning her scooter in a safe spot, next to a pile of trash. They wouldn't need it, as Ponyville is not a very large town. Knock. Knock. Knock. A voice confronted back, "Spike, get the door! Spike, get the bucking door!" Twilight continued to call his name for the door several more times. His claws screeched against the metal, as if he were digging his claws into it on purpose. Spike swished the door open, causing an utter halt in Twilight's calling of his name. "Hi Spike!" the three yelled in unison, "Rarity wanted us to get y-" The dragon took off immediately as the unicorn's name was mentioned to have need of him. The fillies chased after him, leaving the door to the library open. A lone squirrel found its way to the door of the library. It was rugged, shagged fur, and fluffy ears, along with its wing flaps. It was a beautiful squirrel, its blue eyes sparkled beauty into anypony who looked deep into them. This was a special squirrel it was no ordinary squirrel, this squirrel would take a very important part in the years to come, perhaps not in this story, or perhaps it would. "Eek!" Twilight screamed, sighting the squirrel attempting to enter her library. She ran, frightened of the small creature's stereotypical disgustingness, slamming the door in its face. The Crusaders finally caught up to Spike, who had sprinted all the way to the Carousel Boutique. Well, more like right outside of it, passed out in a puddle of his own sweat and filth. "Ya think he 'lright?" Applebloom asked, poking his body with a stick she had picked up next to the shop. "He's still breathing," Sweetie Belle said, grabbing Spike's arm in an attempt to drag him inside the shop. "Want to help me out here?" Sweetie Belle directed to Scootaloo. "Sure. Ah could use the exercise anyways." Together they carried the scaled beast into the shop. "Oh, Spike, my darling, what happened?" Rarity examined the seemingly unconscious dragon. Spike tried to form words, only to pronounce feeble mumblings like a mad pony. "You did good, girls." "Does that mean we can come with?" Sweetie Belle jumped excitedly, expecting a 'yes.' "Well..." Rarity stalled, creating a frown upon the faces of the fillies. "I suppose so." The fillies jumped with delight, "Cutie Mark Crusaders Gem Collectors!" "But we have to wait for Spike to come out of... whatever you put him under..." Rarity reminded, not even giving another glance to the dragon. He mumbled some more, some things about Rarity and him being together, and some things about a lone weed in a garden of beautiful flowers. "Sweetie Belle, would you be so kind to wake up the poor dear?" said Rarity, nudging hints towards a bowl of water, not far from the table where she had lain various fabrics and glitter. Her sister walked over, grasping the bowl with her mouth and headed over towards Spike's body, splashing him with the liquid. Spike awoke slowly, wondering to himself if this was his own fluid. "Wh-What's going on?" Spike rose into confusion. "Oh nothing, Spike, we're just going to head out into the scary gem fields, I'm sure we won't need your help though, unless... you want to..." Rarity swayed herself closer to the now conscious dragon, continuing her attempts to seduce him to come along. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. I really just hope those Diamond Dogs don'-" "Diamond Dogs?" Spike jumped up, right to her side. "So, when we heading out?" The fillies rejoiced. Applebloom and Scootaloo sprinted out the door to gather their Crusader's capes. They returned in a swift few minutes, sweating and panting when they arrived. They had already placed their capes on, trading Sweetie Belle's over as soon as they could. "Y-ya'll ready to go find us some gems?" Applebloom asked, still panting. "Well, we are, but are you two fillies? I suppose we could just go on-" "No!" They all yelled united, as if they had wired brains. "Let's get going!" Sweetie Belle bolted out the door, gathering Applebloom onto her back and continuing onward towards the gem fields. The land was flat, mounds and holes everywhere, but relatively flat compared to the lands surrounding. Every crevice filled itself back with dirt and water, giving off sparkles for anypony who came within a certain distance of its latent glamour. Rarity's horn lit up into a light blue, tracking gems in the area. She followed the pulling of her horn. Spike stayed close behind her, the fillies did the same with Spike. "Ah bet Ah can find dem gems before ya'll!" Applebloom took off. "Hey wait!" Rarity yelled out, only for Applebloom to ignore her completely. "Oh! I think I see some over there!" Sweetie Belle darted in another direction. "I'll get some before you, Scootaloo!" "Girls, wait!" Rarity stomped her hoof. "You're on!" Scootaloo shot herself towards a cliffside. "Girls, come back!" None of them listened, leaving Spike and Rarity alone together. "I guess it's just you and me-" "Don't touch me" Scootaloo ran as if her life were in the balance, as if this challenge was her parents or her ability to fly. It was the challenge that she longed for in life, not an easy one. She found herself along the side of a hill, which was rugged due to a landslide that had occurred not too long ago. Part of the terrain stood out, sparkling with specks of green. She headed herself directly for it, determined to beat her friends. "Ha!" She celebrated, even though she wasn't sure if the others had found some gems already, cancelling this win for herself. She leaned herself in to dig the gems out with her hooves. The surrounding rocks made the gem almost unobtainable, causing anger in the orange filly. She retaliated with kicks from her hind hooves, rattling the ground beneath her. The land rumbled beneath her, breaking and sending her into the depths. Rocks fell down, covering the hole, enclosing her into this newfound tomb. Small stones fell upon her head as she attempted to get out of the confusion. Darkness overtook, and she fell into a forced slumber. === Light or Flight === Scootaloo awoke, after hours submerged in the darkness. Confused and weakened, she attempted to grasp the reality in front of her. She found herself in darkness, only darkness. There was no sight for her to have in this area, only blindness. The walls could only be felt. The entire place smelled of wretched death and disturbed rests. "Help!" She screamed, unable to accept that nopony was around when she fell to hear her screams, but she continued to scream, "Help, please!" Scootaloo fluttered her wings frantically, expecting this time, out of all the others, that she would finally fly. It did nothing more than bend and make her feathers dirty. How long will I be down here? She thought, staring straight up to where she assumed she had fallen from. She paused, halting her wings from ruffling her feathers any longer. You can't give up, Scootaloo! Rainbow Dash would never give up, and neither can you! She tried again, this time clinging herself to what felt like a wall of the cave, grasping each grippable part she could find on the wall. Her feathers bristled together with such force that her wings felt as if they were on fire. She inflicted great pain, stress, and sadness in herself with this attempt. Scootaloo fell, crashing into her right wing. Crack. There it was, the acute pain sending her into a panic. "Ow!" Scootaloo screamed, grabbing her wing, placing her hoof on it to ease the pain with pressure. You can do this! You are a pegasus, ruler of the sky! And again, she tried, even under the pain of her wing, climbing the wall of the cave, only to fall down once again. But this time... She would not be able to try again... With her defeat, she cried lonely tears, tears that would not be heard, would not be seen, would not be felt. She cried for hours, rejecting the darkness, and then she once again, fell into slumber. "Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo greeted, trying to keep up with her role model. "Hey, Squirt, what do you want?" Rainbow landed on the ground, prepared to listen to the orange pegasus. "Oh, nothing... I just thought we could maybe spend the day together. Sweetie Belle is helping Rarity and Applebloom is stuck with chores so..." "Sure, Squirt. I can cut some time out of my practice for you." "You really mean it?" Scootaloo jumped in excitement. "Yeah, what do you want to do first, Scootaloo?" "Uhh..." Scootaloo had been caught unprepared, probably expecting a "No" or for Rainbow to decide. "Could you..." she paused. "Could I what?" "Could you maybe teach me how to fly...?" "You sure?" "I mean, anything is fine with me, just as long as I'm doing it with you, Dash," Rainbow blushed, her cyan face warmed with emotions. "I guess I can try but I've never been one for a teacher, it just came naturally for me," Scootaloo gave a brief frown, thinking the obvious. "I'm not prepared to teach you anything today. How about tomorrow, a whole day with the awesomest pony in Equestria teaching you how to fly. How does that sound?" "Sounds great, but I have some crusading to do in the morning with the others." "Good. I'll get some time for shut eye." They said their goodbyes, and off in their own ways they went. She awoke, hoping with all her faith that she would be back in her bed, that she would be back in her home, that she would have ponies there to be with her, but this would not happen. Darkness enveloped as quick as her eyes had opened. Again, she was blinded in a world of sight. Her fur had become drenched from the moisture, filthy from all the dirt, grime, and bugs that inhabited the cave. She could not see it for herself, but Scootaloo's mane had started to darken. But this world was without sight, and for that she was still beautiful. It was uncertain of why Scootaloo decided to start walking, as it had only been one night. She hugged, what she believed to be the cave wall, and walked along with it. Hours passed, the cave was unending, unmorphed, flat as if water or ice had once held great pressure inside this cave, but where did it all go? Scootaloo didn't wonder, as she was more of the athletic type than the thinking. She was tired after all the walking, and sleep would take over her precious mind, usurping her from reality. "She has nowhere to go!" "She has to, everypony has someplace to go..." "This one is different, this one is alone." "Look at her, Charger, she's a beautiful pegasus... We can take her in, she can be-" "I know you want your own little pony, but we can't... She isn't ours, we can't take care of some non-blood in this family!" "There are a few things in life that you just can't say no to. This foal is one of those... We can't leave it in the cold..." "Leave it, somepony else will take it... She is not our burden to bare." Scootaloo awoke in tears, she had this dream before, or at least forms of this dream. Ponies looking at her as a foal, not wanting her, looking at her as if she was diseased. It was her worst nightmare, being alone. She lifted her head, scanning the darkness as if she had forgotten it was all around her, as if this was the nightmare and the dreams were reality. This time was different, she saw a bright light down the cave. Crystals, a whole heap of them, shining bright, purple right into Scootaloo's pupils. It was little hope, but it was the only clear hope to her. She started into a sprint for the crystals, light was her objective, and light was right in front of her. She ran her little heart out, a mere 30 minute straight sprint, a slow one at that. The crystal was not that far from her now, she would not give up on this. It came closer and closer, when eventually it was right in front of her eyes. They were risen a great feet above the ground, shadowing over Scootaloo had they not been a light source. A head poked around the crystals, it seemed frightened of Scootaloo, shooting it's head back behind the obstacle. "Hello?" Scootaloo called, uncertain if it was an illusion placed by her nearly broken mind. "H-Hello..." It called back. === In the Dust === Rarity's horn glowed a bright, light blue aura, dragging her towards the nearest gems. Spike followed closely behind, ready to sneak a snack of rubies that they had dug up earlier. "Here." Spike dug his claws straight into the ground that Rarity had deemed to be abundant with jewels. The hole was not deep when Spike reached the first gem, a rugged sapphire. He picked it up, giving it to Rarity. "Good job, Spike!" Rarity cheered, encouraging the dragon to dig faster. No luck, the deposit carried only that sapphire. "Rarity, shouldn't we wait for the fillies?" "Not now, Spike! You have a job to do. You can eat your share later" Rarity said, paying no attention to what he had actually said. Sweetie Belle came running with a large emerald in her mouth, panting from the long run, she struggled to communicate. "I-I did it..." She dropped the emerald, trying to catch her breath. Rarity turned around, gasping at the large gem. "Good job, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity gave her sister a hug, squeezing the filly. She gathered up the gem, putting it in her pack. "D-Did I... beat them?" "You sure did!" Spike sneaked a ruby fragment into his mouth. "Here." Once again, Spike dug into the firm rock. This time the deposit gave way to several gems of various types: rubies, sapphires, emeralds, onyx, and diamond. This continued for quite a few more deposits. Applebloom came back gemless. Her face was in a frown due to her loss in the competition. Her hooves were covered in dirt, cuts, and scrapes all the way down from her body. "Appleboom!" Sweetie Belle ran for her friend, "You alright?" She put her hoof around Applebloom, trying to support the tired pony's weight. "Y-Ya... Ah'm alright, Sweetie Belle," she began a slow, tired pace towards the central area that they were grouped at. "Here," Rarity said once more, clearly ignoring the filly that needed attention. "W-When we going back?" Applebloom panted, wanting to go get rest. "Soon as Rarity has her gems, I figure." "Will that ever happen?" "No," Spike interjected. The fillies let out their chuckled laughter with one another. Hours passed, and Scootaloo had yet to return. Rarity had collected a bountiful amount of gems, a large portion already ate by Spike. The night grew over the day, sending the cold air across the lands of Equestria as always. Spike's claws began to ache, they had dwindled down to nothing but bare scales, the gem hunt had come to a forced cancellation against Rarity's whim. Rarity sighed, "Alright girls," she placed the last gem back into her already filled pack. "We best be getting you all home." Sweetie Belle gave a confused look. "But..." "But what?" "Scootaloo still isn't back." Rarity's eyes widened, realizing her responsibilities as a foalsitter had been a failure. Scootaloo jumped at the voice, believing it was just a figment of her imagination. She walked closer to where she believed this mysterious voice to come from, seeing the silhouette with a strange green background flash for a mere second. Scootaloo rubbed her eyes, making sure this was not a mirage. "Hello?" she asked again. "Yes, who's there?" "M-My name... my name is Scootaloo..." "Scootaloo? Nice to meet you, my name is Coal Dust," The pony emerged, or tried to. The crystal's glare blocked most physical features from being describable. She appeared to be tall, not a mare but just under the age of being accepted as one. Her fur and mane all appeared to be black and shaggy. "I've never heard of a Scootaloo 'round here before, you new?" "Ye-yes, I don't exactly know where I am exactly." "You don't know?" Coal Dust moved turned towards the crystal, her now showing face had been covered in dirt and other filth, hence her name. "You're in the outskirts." "Outskirts?" Scootaloo spurted, confused. "Yeah, outskirts of Perdition." Scootaloo's stomach rumbled. "Come on, you must be hungry." "You have any apples on you?" "'Fraid not." "I-It's alright..." "Ya sure? City shouldn't be too far from 'ere." Coal Dust spit into the ground. "We don't got much apples, but we sure got us the best food you'll ever find in our land." "Well, I suppose company would be better than before..." "Great!" Coal Dust leaned down for a hug, only for Scootaloo to not even notice due to her eyesight being blurred by darkness. "Follow me, they'll be really happy to see a new face in the city, at least I hope they will." Coal Dust went off in the city's direction, barely waiting on Scootaloo to process and react. Rarity was crying, unable to grasp the situation fully. Scootaloo's disappearance was on her hooves, nopony elses. The guilt was killing her as she sat waiting for Twilight in the library. "I was just so caught up with my work!" Rarity whined. "It'll be okay, Rarity, we'll find her." Twilight reassured, thinking of the dangers the gem field has held in the past. "What if the Diamond Dogs got her? Scootaloo couldn't handle them!" "Hey!" Rainbow Dash barged into the library, unable to close the door after entering. "Scootaloo can take on any challenge she tries!" "Rainbow, I know you have every statistical reason to believe in Scootaloo, but we don't know where she is anyways. Even the strongest ponies need to get out of the cold." Spike, who was divulging himself in gems from the book ladder, finally spoke up. "Have any of you even checked if she went home yet?" Rarity's head rose. "Uhh... No..." "Don't you think you should have?" Twilight smirked. "Dashie, be a dear and check the house for the girl, I'd do it myself but-" Rainbow Dash bolted out the door, never speaking a word. "I'm sure she's fine, Rarity, you'll have nothing to worry about. Just go home, rest, and we'll figure it all out by noon." "Oh, Alright." Rarity started for the door. "Spike," he turned his attention towards the diva. "Thank you for your time this evening, I really hope I got enough gems to make it worth losing..." Twilight slammed the door. "Well, you best be heading to bed, Spike. I got a lot of studying to do, night!" Twilight headed upstairs, leaving Spike with his feast of gems. === Perdition === They had trotted for over an hour, miles had been crossed and still they had not reached the so called city of Perdition. The gates rose from the darkness, blacker than black. The city was a shadow in a world without light, or so it seemed. Scootaloo rubbed her eyes, unsure what she was exactly seeing. Focus came back to her, and the city formed into its vague spirit. They walked closer to the black gates, or as Coal Dust had called them earlier on the walk over, The Barriers. She never specified why they were called that to Scootaloo, this doubtful world had nothing so far that Scootaloo could find as harmful enough that they required a barrier from. "Welcome, Scootaloo, to the great city under the eye!" Coal Dust said, pointing towards a giant reflective object hovering over the city in its own crystallized tower. It seemed to be the light source for the entire darkened city, collecting, perhaps even generating light from the tiniest of crevices in the cave ceiling. "Come, come." Coal Dust insisted, rustling herself towards the gates. The gates were not handled by anypony. They were bare of any life. Coal Dust walked straight up to them, their hazed form denouncing no answer to her hoofsteps. "You sure anyponies here, Coal?" Scootaloo asked, shivering from the moisten air. "Blister, you up there?" An answer followed its way back. "Just a second!" The veiled pony throw out, hurrying his way to open the gates. It took only a few seconds for the gears to start rolling, grinding each other creating loud screeches. Scootaloo covered her ears, unable to block it out entirely. They had opened, conceding the city in front of her eyes. It was as beautiful as it could be for a city under the ground. It was large, streets casting for miles never ending in a giant semicircle. At the end of a city strutted a giant wall, forming itself as a dome around the city, hiding what was beyond the other half of this semicircle structure. In the middle of this great wall sat the reflecting tower, dug into the foundation, devising a perfect sphere missing right where it laid itself. Scootaloo sat in awe, unable to speak at the architectural genius put into the city, the carvings, the art, the ambience. Coal Dust was forced the break her trance. She shook the filly out of it, enabling their journey to continue further. She took the hoof of Scootaloo, helping her off her flank and into the gloriousness ahead of them. "Ain't it a beaut?" Coal Dust asked, just as she got Scootaloo inside finally. "I-It sure is!" she declared back, examining the populace. The locals seemed to all be like Coal Dust. They roamed the streets in groups, not one alone, but never in too big of numbers. Their bodies were shadowy, dusty, and lanky. The society was just as they seemed, ordinary in their own way, resembling the others through basic appearance. You could only tell them apart had they been bathing the darkness away, or if you got close enough to identify facial features. "Come on, let's get ya something to eat, girl." Coal Dust headed off in her own direction, leaving Scootaloo little time to realize she had to keep up or get lost. She was unsure where they were headed, nor was she sure they were actually going somewhere. The roads were at the bottom of a cityscape valley, the structures hovering high above the roads, inhabiting many ponies for hospitality. Coal Dust halted herself abruptly next to what seemed to be a market area. There was stands that held products and clothed roofs to keep them protected against the elements, just like the ones above ground. The place scattered around with various plants that seemed unlike the equestrian foods above this underdome. Some glew green, some were as black as night, and some seemed to be living creatures, moving about as if they were pets. She walked herself over to a peculiar stand, one filled with black apple-like fruits. "You want some?" Scootaloo nodded her head, only interested in the familiar shape. Coal Dust laid down a few bits, grabbing two of the fruits from the stand and walked away with Scootaloo. "We call 'em keeches." They sat down, chomping on the keeches, savoring each sweet particle it had to offer. "Tomorrow, guess I'll just show you the city, seems like you'll be staying with us for some time. Ya ready?" "For what?" Scootaloo was confused, unable to comprehend the full question. "You're coming home with me. I'm sure my ma won't be upset. You'll be just like a puppy." She laughed. Coal started off once again, never waiting on Scootaloo to prepare herself for the trot. Her home was that of the rest, exactly identical, only way to tell them apart was by the way they curved with the street. Upon opening the door and walking in, they found nopony home right away. "Ma!" Coal Dust yelled, "I'm home!" The house was small, but furnished with a balance theme. Noises arose from upstairs, the hoofsteps of her mother coming down to greet her. She popped out, another dust covered pony. "Hi, sweety!" She hugged her daughter, squeezing her tight before she could even notice Scootaloo's presence. "How's the gathe-" "Oh, yeah, this is Scootaloo, I found her while out on the job." "Sweety... You know..." She leaned herself in with her daughter, hundling close and whispering against Scootaloo. She spoke not a word to interrupt this meeting, stood still in the entryway until they had finished. "Alright... alright..." Coal Dust broke away. "We don't got much room in here, looks like you'll be staying in my room, I guess." Coal Dust started around the corner, intercepting through the doorway to her room. It was filled with clusters of various things, messing up the beauty that was surely underneath it all. "Don't mind the bugs, they scare off the rats." And with that, she laid down in her bed, leaving just enough space for the filly to slip in with. Scootaloo shut her eyes, attempting to sleep, but unable to for hours. Her mind was haunted by the thought of being stuck here forever, never to see her friends again. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: On Lonely Nights author: uioui tags: character:Spike, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== 24 Hours === At night, Spike felt lonely. How could he not? His bedroom, especially in comparison to his old room at the library, was massive. There was a drawer filled with his colorful outfits, his own maid attire tucked away in the center. A table with various sets of parchments and nibs was fixed to the side, the smell of freshly wrought ink on paper drifting through the air. Stacks of his own books filled the book case to the right. It was a beautiful room, painted in various shades of violet and lilac with just the right hint of gold to offset the dark colors. In the midst of it all was Spike, sitting on his bed with his face looking straight ahead. While it was massive and fit for a prince, Spike still felt small and claustrophobic in the room. Though bigger now than Twilight after his first growth spurt, even his size and maturity did not warrant a new room, let alone one almost twice as large as the old one he shared at the library with the Princess of Magic. Frankly, even though Spike enjoyed the privacy and space of his new room, he missed his old room more. "I wonder how Twilight is doing," Spike thought, flicking his claws at the end of his long tail. It was silly for him to think of her, after all they only lived a room apart. But for Spike it was an alien feeling, one that left him hollow on nights when he'd normally be awoken by Twilight's snoring, or when he'd catch her trying to catch up on unfinished reports, hiding underneath the blanket to avoid the dragon's judging stare. He'd miss the feeling of having company; of long talks in the night when both were unable to sleep, of the comfort shared when either had nightmares, of snuggling when Spike was still small enough to do, and of the many things they'd do together as part of their routine before going to bed. Of course, Spike didn't really just miss having company, it was more than that. "That does it, I'm not getting any sleep like this," he jumped off the bed, landing gracefully on his feet. With that the dragon made for the kitchen. * The boiler was the only thing making a noise in the kitchen. Spike sat on a stool, his back to the door and a cup of tea in his claws. Of course one kettle was never enough for an adolescent dragon, so he brewed a second. Taking sips of the imported tea, he felt glad for the advancement in technology, only having to press a button to boil a water. It always used to take him copious amounts of time to either set water on the stove to boil, or risk accidentally sending a pot of water through dragon fire and, Discord forbid, pouring cold water all over Princess Celestia. "This seems good," he mumbled, sniffing the cup before looking ahead at the boiler. He observed its metal curves, the logo of the company that made it, and a cord attaching it to a floating yellow crystal. "Who would have thought of suspending magic in gems for when unicorns are not around," he asked out loud. "We've had this lesson last year, Spike. It was Alessandrake Volta." Spike smiled. He felt a warm hoof press on his back and a snout snuggle into his nape. "That was a rhetorical question, Twi, and you know it," He quipped back. "Good morning to you too." They both laughed before Twilight took a seat next to him in time to hear the boiler click. "Pass me some tea?" The drake shrugged before passing her a cup with the freshly brewed tea. She smiled and they fell into silence. After a minute of sipping noises Twilight turned her head to look at Spike. "So why are you up?" Spike hesitated. "I should be asking you when you were busy doing field work today." Twilight blushed. "Hey, I said I'll be back for dinner." The drake snorted. "Dinner does not begin at 11pm, Twi." She tried to come back with a reply but was stuck without one. "If you must know, I was musing some things." The dragon looked at her. Twilight suddenly felt small under his gaze. The unicorn wanted to prod further but she knew it was futile to try and coerce him, knowing full well that Spike would probably tell her anyway. Instead, she smiled at him. "That sounds fun." "Well, there's not much to do when you're alone in your room." Silence again drifted back into the room, taking comfort in the lack of conversation. Of course, neither of the two enjoyed silence's company, and eventually started looking around the room. "Do you ever miss the past?" Twilight had to consider the question, but she understood the undertones. She leant forward, one leg on the table in front of them, taking a sip from her cup before replying. "I'm sorry." Spike waved his claws in the air. "It's fine." "Spike." "I miss the old times, Twi. The alicorn put her cup down. "I missed having time just for the two of us, outside of work at least." He sighed "Don't get me wrong, I love the girls, but I just really wanted to spend time with you." Twilight felt her chest tighten, her breath hitching in her throat. She could only stare at Spike, his green eyes burning into hers. The boiler had long forgotten its ticking, its hot water a distant memory. "I miss being in the same room as you and actually talking about stuff, I miss being there for you when you have nightmares, when you just to unwind from the day." Spike blinked "I miss the bed time stories, the ranting about your day and research, how we messed up our day." She closed her eyes, memories flashing in troves. She saw Spike in a baby diaper, even though baby dragons didn't need them. She saw Spike running above her, the Crystal Heart in his hands. She saw him being taken away by changelings, only to call for her name. She saw him beyond just being there in the kitchen with her. Warm, but scaly limbs wrapped around her. She opened her eyes to see his green ones much closer in proximity. "I missed you, Twilight Sparkle." * Twilight was once again pondering her life decisions at four in the morning. Her earlier conversation with Spike had struck a chord deep within her, leaving more questions than her usual research lead to. Had she been a bad friend? Had she overlooked Spike's feelings because she was too busy with other, arguably less important matters? It didn't matter, because Twilight realized something too. She had greatly missed the dragon herself. Sure, they'd always be around each other. That's a given when you live in the same castle. He always knew what to cook her for breakfast, or where the book she needed to read was. She'd never forget to buy him his favorite brand of quills, or to sneak a few of those power pony comics he liked into his bed. But other than those times where they worked together, when had they last hanged out without the company of the other girls? She remembered when they would tell stories, read books together in silence in the foyer, and even occasionally just lounge around in the couch watching late night romcoms while taking turns jabbing at the bad clichés. Twilight felt the hole in her chest grow tighter, since when did she last gave Spike a long embrace? Not the two second hugs after getting her parchment, but that long hold, just basking in each other's presence? They had been friends for as long as she could remember. Even in her endless knowledge, Twilight knew she'd rather forget her childhood before Spike than ever have to give up the thought of her assistant. So why was it that she had forgotten the poor dragon? Spike had always been more than an assistant. Sure, he'd keep the castle in order, calming her down when her eyes would twitch uncontrollably. He would clean everything twice over so she could be comfortable. He'd keep all the books in the right place, especially the ones she needed for current research. But Spike did more than that, was more than that, far far more. Spike was her first, and still her greatest friend. She closed her eyes and inhaled, taking in the night air. All the alicorn could do was turn to her side and look out the window. The moon was beautiful, its soft light shining on Equestria, streaming through her windows and highlighting the bangs of hair on her face. "Luna did an even better job than usual tonight", she yawned. Deciding to try and sleep before trying to talk to Spike again in the morning, she turned to her other side. Spotting the purple silhouette right across her bed, his form falling up and down in simple harmonic motion, Twilight smiled. Changing her mind, she wrapped her hoof around Spike's larger midsection, snuggling into the side of his neck. Her sleep was the deepest, most relaxing it's been in months. * Spike woke up with a startle, smelling the smoke wafting through the bedroom. Jumping off the bedsheets and racing through the door, he paid no heed to his surroundings, barely noticing he wasn't in his own room. Following the thickening trail of burning air, he ran straight into the kitchen where he saw great dark clouds lifting high above the cooking pan, Twilight desperately trying to put out the intensifying fire. "Twilight, what are you doing," Spike hissed before turning off the stove which Twilight had turned on too high a setting. "I was just trying to cook you pancakes," she screamed, taking a step back as her assistant took over. * The princess just sat there, a sulky look painted on her face. Spike was whistling as he effortless flipped pancakes on the now clean stove, making them dance through the air in perfect arcs with every flick of the pan. "Well, now I know why I let you cook breakfast." Spike just laughed. "I was just trying to do something for you for a change," she brushed her hair to the side, "after last night. Is that too much to ask?" "It's fine, I'm just glad we can spend some time together." Twilight smiled before speaking up. "Spike, do me a favor?" "Hmm?" "Cancel all my appointments for the day." At this, the dragon raised his right eyebrow. "Wait, what?" "Yeah, I've decided to spend the day hanging out with my favorite assistant." "I'm your only assistant," Spike quipped, unable to contain the grin on his face. He flung a plate of a dozen pancakes down in front of Twilight before pouring loads of maple syrup on top. "What a good way to start the day," the princess licked her lips, ignoring Spike's quip. They dug into breakfast, excited for the day to come. * After making a list and checking it twice, though Twilight checked it more times than she'd admit, the dragon just decided to forget about the list. "But Spike, organization," she whined. "Twilight, the best plans are the unplanned ones." The alicorn pouted before Spike reached up to sling his arms around her shoulders. "Oh come on, Twi. It's a beautiful day, let's just go on a picnic. Just the two of us, I'll make you food." "Including those extra crispy hay sandwiches?" "Including those extra crispy hay sandwiches, extra ketchup." With that, Twilight rushed up the stairs to get ready for a picnic. "I swear, if that mare brings her research kit," Spike sighed before returning to the kitchen. * Twilight had always found this place beautiful. Located on the edge of the forest, overlooking the various Ponyville farms, the rich green fields in front of her shone with a luscious green under the light of the sun. The trees around them were old and large, trunks thick enough to be made into houses, but the canopy tops providing more than enough shade. She had always loved this place, being a staple part of their weekly routine in the past, always having a picnic, field research, or even the occasional hangout with Spike and the girls. Yet, for the life of her, Twilight can't remember the last time she was here alone with Spike. "It was the night before your birthday last year." Turning back to look at him, Twilight swallowed the tightness in her throat. Lying on the picnic blanket, he had a hay sandwich in one hand and was looking straight at her, almost as if he was reading her mind. For all intents and purposes, he might as well have been doing so. "I wanted to surprise you like the old days. I was being selfish then, I wanted to be alone in surprising you." Her chest tightened while Spike took a bite out of the sandwich. "You have always been my closest friend, bar none, Twilight. Yet, sometimes I wonder if the feeling was mutual," Spike looked away, "I thought that maybe, if I brought you here alone, then we could start hanging out again like the old days." For the first time since their conversation earlier that morning, she felt little pins prick at her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. She had always tried to look for an answer, but right now she had far too many questions to make sense of. Breathing in, she decided to just listen. "But, sure it was fun. You laughed and had a lot of fun. So did I. But you left after an hour, after all, you already had an appointment set up with the girls." He chuckled, "I realized it then." She couldn't find her voice, it was lost in her throat, dying along with her ability to laugh. But still, she had to make a reply. "Realize what?" Spike hummed, closing his eyes for a minute and then opening them again. His green eyes made her heart jump. "Realize that, for the first time in your life, you had more than just one friend that wasn't family." She blinked at that. "For most of your childhood, you had me, Shining Armor, Cadence, and the princesses for company. But other than us, you kept to your books. For the first time in your life, you were part of a clique, a group of friends. I haven't seen you smile the way you smiled around them in years. How could I keep you from that?" They both breathed in deeply, Twilight trying particularly hard to stem her tears, but it was proving near impossible. The quaint homeliness of the forest only served to remind her of their childhood, and her oldest best friend. She felt the leaves rustle underneath her as Spike seated himself next to her. "You will always be my best friend, Twi. I will always be there for you, whether from the distance or right next to you. It would be impossible to tear us apart, " She heard his voice crack before he laughed "Besides, I have these to beat up anyone who tries." The dragon flexed his biceps, taking turns to kiss each, before turning to her one more time and smiling, his eyes moist with unshed turns. She tried laughing herself but she only ended up half-choking, half-groaning before bursting into tears. They met at the center, Twilight sobbing into Spike's chest, not minding how fragile she had become, Spike wrapping his long arms around her. They stayed like that, the only sound being the rustling of the woods and the occasional bird chirping. Twilight felt water droplets fall on her forehead. At first she thought it was rain, but then she realized that it was Spike. They stayed like that for a while. "I love you." Neither knew who said it first, but what mattered was that they said it. * Twilight didn't remember the last time she had an off day from her research on friendship, at least an off day spent with Spike. In the grand scheme of things, it probably didn't matter, but she knew better. What kind of princess would she be if she had forgotten her oldest, and most loyal friend? Especially one as cute as Spike. Also, in the grand scheme of things, Spike shouldn't have brought apple cider. "I'm glad I could finally get this off of my chest," Spike hiccupped before taking another swig out of the bottle. "I thought dragons don't get that inebriated easily," Twilight laughed before trying to stand up. The princess crumpled to the ground. Spike tried to hold it in but he couldn't, bursting into laughter. She huffed in mock indignation before turning back to Spike and, while walking, no stumbling, towards him, smiled. Spike noticed the dimming of sunlight, and the brown hues the trees were painting against the darkening skies. Of course he knew that they should probably be getting home soon but what picnic would be complete without stargazing? Also, Spike was just looking for another opportunity to spend time with Twilight, and he'd willingly stumble in the dark for an extra hour if it meant that they'd fall down drunk together. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a warm body press against him, only to look down and see Twilight's eyes once again staring into his. He felt a warm blush on his own cheeks, before noticing the red splattered against her cheeks. They just sat there in silence before she spoke up. "You know, I never got to thank you." "Oh please, the picnic was e- "No, for everything." Spike's smile fell a little. "You've been there for me even when no one else was." She hiccupped, "you have been my closest and greatest friend, and even when it seemed like I abandoned you," It was Spike's turn to feel something catch in his own throat. "You stayed. Thank you." Spike wanted to come up with something to say, something full of bravado, but the alcohol, at least all three jugs he chugged, was flowing through him and all he could do was press his head against hers. "I love you, Twi, and I could never leave you." She looked at him, a familiar tingle in her eyes, but Spike couldn't quite tell where it had come from. "I love you too, Spike." Spike smiled then glanced at her again, seeing her stare at him with those violet eyes. Then she kissed him. * A loud banging and screeching could be heard throughout the castle, things tumbling and crashing to the ground, breaking apart and causing a massive mess. The room occupied by the princess and her assistant was, beyond any definition of the word, a wreck. Chairs overturned, tables smashed, books strewn all over the floor, and little broken pieces of random things everywhere. Somewhere along the walls, one could see Twilight and Spike stumbling around, drunk beyond relief, all while giggling like Pinkie Pie at any of her parties. The alicorn kept stealing cheek kisses at the dragon, and he would retaliate with his own. Both were plastered. Both were going to be hungover zombies in the morning. Neither cared at this moment. "So how did this happen again," Twilight slurred before slinging her right leg around Spike. "I was being sad, confessed to you, one thing lead to another, we brought cider. Oh you know, the usual," he grinned, before grabbing her and pinning her softly against the wall. She playfully smacked him on the shoulder with her hoof. "You're a dork." "I'm your dork." He smiled before leaning down to kiss her. There she melted into his embrace, melting into the kiss, and all of her drunken feelings. They may have been drunk, but Spike didn't feel lonely anymore. And he knew who or what to thank. It wasn't the alcohol, the picnic, the kisses, and the destroyed room. It wasn't spending breakfast together nor sleeping in the same bed after months of being unable to. Loneliness isn't remedied by a single thing or event. Loneliness is remedied by company, by people. Spike wasn't lonely because finally, after all this time, he finally felt that Twilight was with him again. He kissed her harder. * The moon shone brighter that night, as if it was making its own light, configuring it to shine brighter than any sun, radiating everything in its area of illumination. It was beautiful, more beautiful than it had been in recent memory. Under the sheets were two kindred souls reunited, locked in an embrace that is more than flesh meeting flesh, but memory returning to present. One cannot forgo its conclusions, nor can one jump to sensible understandings of what is to come. After all, one does not make decisions without understanding that something may ultimately transpire that is beyond their control, beyond their views. But whatever may happen, one just has to look at Spike on the massive bed, his frame wrapped around Twilight, his eyes shut but his heart beating in rhythm with hers. Both of them smiling in their sleep. Because Twilight might not have consciously realized it like Spike did, but they both came to terms with their presents, and what was lacking. Tonight, Spike did not feel lonely. More so did Twilight. Tonight, they both felt love and its pervading embrace. Tonight, the moon will learn to watch over them and eventually learn to give way to the sun, and its many unknowns for the future. "I love you." Once again no one knows who whispers it in their sleep. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: A New Era author: SleeplessScribe tags: genre:Adventure, genre:Dark, genre:Romance

=== Chapter 1: History === A New Era Story 7 Chapter 1: History By: SleeplessScribe It didn't take me long at all to reach the castle, and it would've taken me even less time had I just gone in a straight line. The guards opened the way for me without question, giving me a full view of the long hallway leading up to the throne. I had been in the castle before for the one Grand Galloping Gala I went to, and I hold fast to my claim that I will never go to another for the rest of my days. The dim light provided by the moon and the stars made the interior feel like it wasn't even the same place, considering the lights were on all night for the Gala. It was also a surprise to see Princess Luna waiting for me at the end of the long corridor, but not her sister. "Good evening, Nova Dash. I trust your trip here was relatively peaceful?" News of her return was everywhere when it happened, and still continued to be a big attention grabber for at least another week, but photographs did not do the alicorn justice. Not only that, but her voice was a whole lot more… gentle than I expected. I bowed courteously, giving the princess a nod. "It was, Your Highness." Another thing I noticed was that, in every photo I had seen, Princess Luna wasn't really smiling. This, too, came as quite a surprise when I saw the corners of her mouth turn up. "Rise, dear Nova, and come with me. I have much to discuss with you." Anypony that knows me will tell you I was never one to follow orders, but even I knew better than to even hesitate before doing as one of the sisters told me. She led me down the left hallway that was next to the throne the throne, showing me various stained glass windows depicting major events in Equestria's history. She cleared her throat before she spoke, and her attention seemed drawn to one certain window as we passed by it. "Before I begin, I must tell you that this information is to stay between you and I, just as my sister instructed me only to relay it to you." My mind was all sorts of scrambled right now. I'm pretty sure Twilight's last words before I came here were what started the scrambling, but all this random stuff was only making it worse. I tried to speak, but the princess made it clear that it wasn't my turn. "My sister and I both agree that it is time to begin making decisions. A new era is about to begin for Equestria, but before that era can be ushered in, the last remaining pieces of the old one must be dealt with. Nova Dash, one day Celestia and I will have to relinquish leadership of this land. While we may not be dying, the time is almost upon us to ascend beyond the throne, and assume our positions as guardians of the entire world." As terrible a thing as it was to do, I couldn't help it at this point. With my hooves up, and my wings spread out, I nearly shouted, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Princess Luna, why in the world are you telling me this? What does all this have to do with me?" Luna turned to me, and I was very relieved to not be met with an angry expression. "All will be made clear in time, but I am permitted to tell you that you will play a vital role in the beginning of this new age. Though I cannot tell you what that role is yet, I believe I will not need to when I am through with you. That being said, I would like to ask that you remain in my company for a week. I have very much to show you, and it must remain between us." This was getting way too serious for me. For the past three days, I had been learning about thinking before I acted or spoke, but I needed a joke to lighten things up. I only hoped she would see it as one. "You're not coming onto me, are you?" It was my lucky day. The only thing more pleasing to the ears than Luna's voice was her laugh, and it was echoing through the halls like a Hearth's Warming carol. "Good heavens, Nova Dash, no! There are many things I must tell you, and many things you must learn. As I have said, all will be revealed in time, but I can tell you now that your tremendous courage will be invaluable in the coming days." The joke helped quite a bit, but it was kind of disappointing that she only laughed for a little bit before shifting right back into her seriousness. "Princess Luna, I'm nothing but a racer. Speed and competition-with a little reading and learning on the side-is my passion. I'm not sure I can give that up if this 'role' I have to play demands it." It now occurred to me that we were simply wandering the castle, as we now passed the main room that hosted the Gala each year. The princess remained calm,and she seemed to have expected such a response. "This I realize. However, I believe that by the end of this week, you will find it in yourself to release the things that hold you down, including your career, should it come to that." This was all way too heavy for me, and I even tried biting one of my wings to wake myself up. Unfortunately, the only thing that came out of that was a stinging spot on my wing. Luna noticed this as she set a hoof on my shoulder. "I know this is a bit much for you to take in, and I realize that the lack of information I'm giving you may be frustrating, but would it do your heart good to know that you will not be separated from your new friends? Better still is the fact that you will make more friends, and you won't be separated from them, either." The hoof on my shoulder relocated to my lips, preventing me from responding like I wanted to. "Furthermore, your role is intertwined with that of Twilight Sparkle, whom I know you are quite attached to." I'm pretty sure that comment right there is the reason why that night still holds the record for the most times I've blushed in a day. In the end, I gave up trying to speak until I was positive the princess was finished with her own speech. "There is still one thing I can reveal to you this night, and after that, I'd like to ask that you take some time in the castle to rest and let this all soak in. I can assure you that your role in the near future will not require any goodbyes that you are unable to say, and I believe that you are more than qualified for this role." She was finished, but at this point I didn't have anything to say. I was led to a room of the castle I didn't even know existed. It was beyond what I believe was Celestia's personal chambers, and down that hallway was a door that, for some reason, they had disguised as a dead end. Luna revealed the illusion with her magic, taking me through the door where I stood facing what looked like a big, circular closet. "There are details of this secret area I am not yet permitted to reveal, though the contents behind the door before you I am." She slowly slid the two sides open, revealing a statue of a pony with what looked like a crown cast in Luna's color scheme. It had two spikes on either side of the top, and I began to draw connections when I saw the gem embedded in it that resembled the flame of my cutie mark. "Princess Luna… is that an Element of Harmony?" The princess of the night slowly shook her head, removing it from the statue and holding it before me. "It is similar, but not the same. I am not yet permitted to tell you what it is, but given your reaction and its obvious appearance, I believe you are beginning to realize what this role I have been speaking about truly is. A few things must be put in order before you take on that role, but during the coming week, I shall teach you all you will need to know." Finally, I managed to find something to say, and I was generally curious when I asked, "Are there five more of these things?" She gave a small nod. "You have knowledge that I have not been permitted to give you, and even though you have figured this out on your own, I request that you ask no more questions regarding this artifact. My sister has been preparing Twilight Sparkle for her role for months now, but I am afraid I have but a week to prepare you. The fact that you are not a unicorn makes things more difficult, but the necessities you must know do not require you to be. I can sense that you have business that you would like to attend to now, so go. Let there be nothing to hold you back." I was surprised that she actually realized that. There was just one thing I had to make sure of, and it required me to head to the Wonderbolt headquarters in Cloudsdale. Spitfire had her own living area in the building, and I knew she wouldn't mind an interruption from me. Getting in wasn't hard, either; buildings in Cloudsdale don't have windows. My talk with Luna took a lot longer than I thought, as the sun was just beginning to rise. She'd be waking up in about an hour anyway, so I took the liberty of blowing into her ear to make her freak out. Mission accomplished: Spitfire was now wide-eyed and on the floor. "Wakey wakey." The Pegasus mare jumped up, her eyes darting from side to side for a moment. "Nova, what in Celestia's name are you doing here?" I pressed my hoof to her mouth, letting out a low "sshh". After a nod from her, I removed the hoof. "Spitfire, you're going to be left with a lot of questions, and none of them I can answer right now, but please just go along with this. I think, very soon, I'm going to have to quit racing." My hoof found itself on her lips again, and this time I didn't bother to take it off. "Again, I can't tell you why just yet, but when I do, I'm going to ask my sister to take my place. If she accepts, does my being barred from selection apply to her?" Once she shook her head, I moved my hoof, but not too far to keep me from silencing her again if she started unloading questions at me. Fortunately, she didn't. "Nova, we've known each other for most of our lives. I won't ask questions, but I will say this: if you really are quitting, I'm going to miss you." After a sigh, I set that same hoof under her chin. "I'm glad you brought that up, because I feel like I owe you something that you should've gotten long ago." The possibilities in my future made me restrict the gesture to her cheek, but it still had the same effect. It felt pretty good to make somepony else as flustered as Twilight had made me that night, and now it was time to return to Princess Luna. * * * Luna's teaching went a little over my head, but I did find them interesting. I learned a lot about the history of Equestria, save for a large gap that she told me she could not yet reveal to me. Two days in, Canterlot was attacked by an assailant, but he was brought down with the help of two rather powerful unicorns. Princess Luna both allowed me to help with the reconstruction of the damaged areas as well as informed me that one of the unicorns was another of the six she had chosen. Then, after the reconstruction was over, it happened. I was asked to stay hidden in the castle away from the actual ceremony, but when everyone was gone, I decided to make my exit. There on the balcony stood Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, the recently wed Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, my sister, and one other. Princess Twilight Sparkle. I was informed that she had been crowned as an alicorn princess after passing a final test given to her by Princess Celestia, and I had two reactions that battled for release: the temptation to run away now and never return to Canterlot for the rest of my life, and the one I ended up going with. After everything was all said and done, I waited for Twilight and her friends to leave before approaching them and grabbing her from the group. "Nova? Where have you been? What are you doing here, I thought you went back to Ponyville?" My hoof was touching a lot of lips lately. "Ssh, I could get in big trouble for this." She gave me a nod, and I led her to the room where Luna first revealed my "destiny" to me. Twilight stared at the crown with her mouth agape. "Is that what I think it is?" I nodded, my attention focused on her rather than the headgear. "Twilight, seeing you now tells me exactly what's going to happen to me. Princess Luna told me that there are a lot of things she can't tell me until the time is right, but she has told me that our fates are connected. I have absolutely no idea what makes me so freaking special, but it looks like I don't have any choice." Her eyes widened as she gazed at me, turning from me to the statue and back to me repeatedly. "Wait… does that mean they plan to-" Well, now I could add Twilight's to the list of lips that my hoof touched in the last few days. Her face turned redder than Applejack's older brother, and in all honesty it was pretty cute. "Sorry, I only know as much as you do, and can only assume the same." The newly crowned alicorn simply stood there, tapping the floor with a hoof. "I… I don't know what to say. This is all happening way too fast, Nova. I mean, you apparently saw me get crowned, do you honestly think I'm ready for a bombshell like this? Let's just… wait until there are no more secrets, okay?" It wasn't exactly a response I could argue with, so I simply gave her a nod and let her return to her friends. * * * Finally, the last day of Luna's teachings came and went. I'll admit, while there was still quite a bit of concern with having to quit racing, I felt a lot more confident about my future than I did the night the Princess first spoke to me. My first few days back in Ponyville were surprisingly quiet, which lead me to believe somepony told all my friends not to ask questions. As soon as I arrived, I thought about talking to my sister, but after the confusion with Twilight I decided it was best to wait until this all came to a head. In fact, nopony really seemed that eager to go out of their way to say hi. They all simply acted as if the only thing that had happened in recent days was Twilight's crowning, and I was perfectly fine with that. After talking with the new alicorn, she agreed to let me stay with her in the library as opposed to staying with Rainbow, and the only thing I needed to feel comfortable was a cloud on her balcony. We avoided the subject of our "fates" for a while, but we both knew one of us would crack eventually and say something. I also found out that Gilda made a full recovery, and somehow even managed to apologize to the whole town for what she had done, which was another thing my sis forgot to mention to me. The peace was broken when Applejack returned from a trip to Manehattan accompanied by a big, grey stallion. They revealed that there was this jerkbag in Manehattan making everyone's lives a complete pain, and they presented evidence of illegal actions this guy had taken to Twilight, who gave them permission to take him out. Rainbow and I served as their means to get back to Manehattan quickly, and I even helped the vigilante group the stallion was leading take their enemy down. That day I learned that cool guys didn't look at explosions. After that ordeal, I discovered that the stallion AJ had brought home was not only her new coltfriend named Jet Rush, but he was also the third piece of Luna's puzzle. In addition, he and I became instant friends thanks to our love of goofy shenanigans, and the fact that, despite being an earth pony, this guy could climb stuff and run along buildings. He even managed to keep up with me in the air by jumping along trees! Some time after that, Luna told me a story about a city between the Crystal Empire and the northernmost mountain range in Equestria. Apparently that's where Gilda was now calling home. Apparently the city had been the victim of numerous murders, and eventually this lead to an all out attack. I wasn't given any details aside from that the captain of that city's guard was meant to be the fourth piece. I made a mental note to ask him what happened if we met. That next week, I was informed that the fourth piece was now in its place, though I didn't know exactly who it was, and the next day, music sensation Beat Tempo came to Ponyville. I won't talk about what happened those following days to protect his privacy, but man, did he have to do a lot to get Vinyl back. He even gave up his fame and fortune for her, and as a result ended up being the fifth piece. Finally, Luna herself informed me that she believed she had located the final fragment. I hadn't noticed the new mechanic that moved to Ponyville until she mentioned something, and from what I understand, he had been here for a few days already. It took a while, but he was finally given his pendant by quite the unlikely source: Ditzy Doo, everyone's favorite klutz! Judging from what I had been told, the ponies began to date not too long after he moved in, and about a month after the start of Autumn the two decided to marry, and I found that Luna had given the Pegasus the last shard of her plan for her to give to her new husband as a gift. This was probably the worst of the five, seeing as how the first four came up relatively close to each other, and this one came up much later. However, that did give me a chance to spend more time with Twilight, and we both enjoyed every single day together. With that, everything was now in place. It took about a day for Twilight and I to receive a summons to the castle, but when we had, we both made haste. Poor Twi still didn't have the hang of flying despite my attempts at teaching her, so I pretty much held her the entire way. Just as I had predicted, the subject inevitably came up. "Nova, can you slow down a bit? I'd like to talk to you." I did as asked, looking down at her. "About our destinies?" She let out a sigh, looking down at the land we called home. "I'm sure the princesses will enlighten me in regards to the deep, supernatural meaning of their words, but something has been nagging me for a while. It's strange, but I really like you, Nova. We've spent more time together than I ever thought we would, and I can definitely say I would've never imagined I'd feel this way about the colt that knocked me over the first time we met." The nervous chuckle I let out was impossible to hold back. "I'm still sorry about that." "Oh, stop, that was months ago." Even with my decreased speed, we were already in the courtyard before either of us realized it. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, especially after the ordeal with Sunset Shimmer. Meeting Flash Sentry made me realize that I have feelings for a few stallions that I've met, but there's something about you in particular that draws me close." I couldn't help myself as I raised both my brows, giving her a slick grin. "Ladies can't resist the eyes." Twilight giggled, nudging my shoulder. "I think it's that I can't resist. You're just a lot of fun without being over the top like Pinkie or limited in your interests like your sister. You're also really sweet… when you want to be. Nova, if all of this is really happening and this isn't just some dream I'm about to wake up from, I hope we're able to stay in this together. Initially I was afraid of having to rule my own kingdom, but knowing I won't be alone makes things just a little easier." All I really could manage was a smile and a few words. "Thanks, Twilight. You're right, you're not alone. You've been a good friend in the months we've known each other, and that means a lot to me. I can promise you that no matter what, we're in this together." Her hoof met mine before I even had my foreleg out all the way, and she had the sweetest smile on her face. I wanted to say something, but decided that a silent walk into the castle would've been better. Both princesses met us about halfway into the entrance foyer, and Princess Luna wasted no time. I'm sure Celestia wanted to speak, but I guess I was Luna's domain. "Are you prepared, Nova Dash?" After a long sigh, I looked up at her, still unsure if I actually was. "Not like I have a choice, so I suppose I have to be." She gave a nod. "Indeed you do." The elder princess approached my friend, turning her attention to her sister and I. "Twilight's friends shall be here momentarily. I'd like to have a few words with them myself before your chosen arrive. In the meantime, tell Nova all there is that relates to him, and him alone." Once again she nodded before turning to face me. "Come, Nova Dash. This is a matter of great importance." Call me crazy, but as Princess Luna led me out to the garden behind the castle, I could've sworn I heard… music. I probably didn't hear anything actually, and my mind just made it up because for some odd reason Luna began singing. Hey, I couldn't complain, though. As odd as it was, she had a beautiful voice. "I know this is all so sudden But just stay still and listen I'll help you through." Holy mother of all pegasi, was this a movie? Like, it was both incredibly awkward, but at the same time oddly fitting for her to sing her message to me. In all honesty, that made it a little easier to take in. Don't ask me how that works. "The life you live, the life you know It has allowed you to grow But it's not you. It is time for you to rise And answer Equestria's cries I'll show you who you truly are. Friends will stand by your side You'll bring hope and you'll bring pride You are more than you know You are—." As wonderful as she sounded, I had to cut her off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What'cha talkin' bout, Luna?" She let out a long, drawn out sigh before addressing my question. "Nova Dash… you are not who you think you are. I'm sensing you'd rather me be straightforward, so I will be. The family that cared for you, Rainbowshine and Thunder Dash, are not your real parents." Well this was an eye opener, and a brow raiser, and a whole lot of other things. "Excuse me?" After another long sigh, she took me back into the castle and revealed to me a map of Equestria. However, something was very, very different about this map. It had much more down south, and beyond the San Palomino Desert was a large castle labeled El Dorbronco. "Nova Dash, this land here is where you were born. It's a desert kingdom known for producing fiery ponies like you. At the very least, you have to agree that this would explain your difference in appearance from the rest of your family." Luna did have a point there. Apparently she read my mind, as she set a hoof on my mouth to keep me from speaking. "I know you have many questions, so allow me to tackle them one at a time. First off, I'm sure you've noticed that modern iterations of our maps do not include this kingdom. That is because it was attacked by the very same threat my sister and I believe is starting to truly awaken. Nova Dash, this force is so powerful, it caused a fissure so large that it broke the El Dorbronco off of Equestria, sinking it down into the ocean. The only reason you still live is because my sister and I managed to save you. We also helped a few others, but your parents were long gone before we could get to them." Again I tried to open my mouth and was met with the same results. "That being said… your parents, child, were the king and queen of that kingdom." If I had been taking a drink of something, I definitely would have spit it out. "Homenahomenahomena say what?" The princess nodded slowly. "Celestia and I thought that the evil that destroyed your home might try to find you, so we hid you away. You were only three months old when we brought you to Cloudsdale in search of a family that would take you in. It had to be Cloudsdale, as your entire family consisted of pegasi, so we could easily form a fake story behind your drastically different appearance from your surrogate family. The both of us tried desperately to find a couple that looked somewhat similar to you, but had no luck. In fact, most that we asked were a little too frightened to take you, until we met the mare and stallion you now call your parents." She set a hoof on my shoulder when she saw the look on my face. "Your true name is Solar Flare. That is what the king named you when you were first born. Child, you may not realize this, but your leadership skills, your confidence, your courage, it's all just natural. That all comes from who and what you are: a born leader." As disrespectful as it was, I moved her hoof off of me. To be honest, I was surprised at myself for not flying off the deep end and shouting some kind of obscenity yet. "Are you done?" "For now I am. You seem rather… calm, given what I just told you." I just rolled my eyes. "You know, Princess, I believe you. You've no reason to lie to me, but you may not realize you're only telling a half truth. I may have been born to the king and queen of some lost kingdom, but to be honest, I don't care." I half-stomped half-tapped my hoof on the floor, attempting to show the princess that I was dead set on finishing my thoughts. "Rainbowshine and Thunder Dash raised me, and renamed me. Rainbow Dash was, is, and always will be, the best sister I could have ever asked for. Racing will never get out of my system, either. I know now what I have to do, but I must say this: you say who I think I am isn't truly who I am, but you're wrong. I'm not some Solar Flare guy, Princess, I am Nova Dash." Luna's eyes widened a bit as she listened to me. "As cool as the name Solar Flare sounds to me, or maybe Blaze, or something, Nova Dash is who I am and will continue to be. Regardless of what changes I go through and what I become, Rainbow Dash is still my sister, and Thunder Dash and Rainbowshine are my parents. There's a difference between what a pony is and who a pony is, Princess. According to you, what I am is the last surviving member of the royalty of a lost kingdom. However, who I am is Nova Dash, EAAR racer sporting the number 3 uniform and sponsored by, at the moment, Engage Repairs. Son of Thunder Dash, the Wonderbolt, and Rainbowshine, head manager of the rainbow production facilities. Brother of Rainbow Dash, who was there in the hospital looking at his mom hold the newborn foal. You told me that to take on the role I'm truly meant to play, I have to give up my old life, but the only thing I'm really being forced to give up is my career." Once I was done, I took a huge gasp of air when I realized how much I had actually said at once. Of course, giving that up was a task in itself. Racing is just as much a part of who I am as my fear of water or my love for my sister. The night princess was doing a lot of nodding today. "I suppose I understand. Of course, I would like to wait until all necessary parties are present, but I assume you know what will be done. I'd like you to come here a moment." As I did what I was told, Luna lowered her head and brought me into a gentle embrace with her neck around mine somewhat. "It will not be easy, but you are not in this alone. Now then, shall we return to the castle and await the others?" It's not like I had much choice, but I was feeling a little better knowing Luna actually wanted to help me deal with this. "By all means, Princess Luna, lead the way. However, I expect a much more detailed explanation at some point. Preferably without the singing, despite your nice voice." "Of course." As we made our way back to the castle, the gravity of this situation truly began to tighten its grip around me. My sister and I were the only ones who truly knew what had to be done, and what was at stake if we failed. Not only that, but the fear of bringing back memories that I had pressed into the farthest, darkest corners of my mind began to add to the tightness in my chest caused by my knowledge. My elder sibling already had both her own chosen and mine with her when we entered. The expressions of worry and fear I was met with did nothing to ease my own tension, though they also told me that Celestia had charged them not to speak. Had that not been the case, I'd have expected Pinkie Pie, if not a few of the colts as well, to be speaking. Once Nova had joined them and I was at my sister's side, we began the short trek towards one of the very few areas here that we had deemed off limits to all. Save for what happened earlier, I rarely every spoke before my sister, and this was no exception. Though it was a little unnerving to see Celestia's cheery smile replaced by a rather forlorn frown. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I have asked you to come here. I realize some of you are strangers to one another, but please allow us to explain. You are the first ponies in over six thousand years to ever set hoof in the place we are about to enter." Her voice was low and held back, as if she was forcing herself to speak. For the longest time, I had always thought of my older sister as an invincible, almost saintly mare incapable of falling prey to petty emotions. Over the years, however, I learned that she was just as prone to feeling as I was, and it became clear to me that she was just as fearful of this situation as me, if not more so. We led them up to what appeared to be a simple wall. However, one small spark of magic from the both of us caused the wall to fade away and reveal a massive door. Upon the door was an image that brought back memories both fond and painful: the sun stood high in the sky on the left door, my bright, shimmering moon slightly lower on the right door, and in between them stood a massive, mighty tree. The doors slowly opened, revealing a long hallway with stained glass windows depicting images of both my sister, myself, and an alicorn stallion. My sister must have noticed the looks some windows were getting as we passed by ones telling the story of a time I would have loved to forget. "What you are seeing now is the story of how the Elements came to be. Long ago, mere centuries after the three tribes of ponies first settled in Equestria, there were not two, but three alicorns that ruled the land." I stepped up to match my sister's pace. Her pause led me to assume she wanted me to continue. "My sister is the oldest of us. As you know, she is responsible for bringing the sun out every day. I am the middle sibling, and have been tasked with raising the moon every night. However, what none know anymore is that we had a younger brother. His name was Terrario, and it was his job to keep the earth fertile and capable of producing life. He gave rise to towering forests, gorgeous meadows, and bountiful harvests." As we passed by the windows showing our struggle, my sister began speaking again. "Equestria was in perfect, balanced harmony. That is, until the day our brother began to grow angry. Over the years, the ponies of our land had begun to take him for granted. They used to thank him and honor him every harvest season, they used to respect his flowery meadows and even create their own gardens in his honor, but as he continued to provide, they continued to credit themselves." She paused when we came to the door I had taken Nova to, but did not open it. Instead, she turned and faced all our small ones, even going so far as to press her hoof on Twilight Sparkle's lips to keep her silent. "In time, he began to resent our subjects, believing that they no longer even cared about him. It's a story not unlike the tale of Nightmare Moon, though I fear the ending is much more… unfortunate. His anger eventually took hold of him, and the darkness in his heart changed him, just as it did my sister. The image of vibrant life his body once displayed was replaced by a feeling of decay and death. Trees began to die, flowers began to wilt, and harvests became thinner and thinner until we were forced to take action." As she spoke, my mind was taken back to those fateful years. It was a flashback I truly didn't want to relive, but in the current situation, there was no way for me to avoid it. === Chapter 2: Memories === A New Era Story 7 Chapter 2: Memories By: SleeplessScribe Terrario had made a habit of going to the castle balcony each morning to observe the results of his new goal. Ponies of all races were shouting at him in anger, cursing him for what he was doing. To be quite honest, I felt the entire ordeal could have been avoided had our subjects pleaded with him and asked for him to return the land to its former state. Our brother was angry, and it wasn't that far out of reason for him to be, but curses and shouts definitely would not help the situation. Finally, Celestia and I decided to approach him directly. My sister was always more outspoken than I, so it was no surprise that she headed the confrontation. "Brother, why do you continue to curse our subjects? Haven't you seen what's become of your actions?" He didn't even turn to us when he spoke. "They brought this on themselves." "Terrario, please. At least tell us why you're so angry." This time he decided to face us. "Why? Why? I worked for years to bring them a beautiful land to enjoy. I continue to work hard to maintain that beauty, not to mention the fact that I was the one bringing them great harvests so they wouldn't starve! What do I get for it? They mistreat my land, they take for granted the gifts I've given them, and they scorn me for the few and far between small harvests I give so I can give the land time to rest! They are ungrateful, and I'm going to show them where they are without me!" Just hearing this was too much to bear. I reached out to him, hoping that he wasn't too far gone for our words to have some effect. "Brother, please, I know there's a better way! Surely if you just return the land to its normal state, we can come up with a way to make your troubles known together." "I will be fine once I receive just a small thank you or sign of appreciation! You two are always met with warm smiles and friendly greetings, while I am only remembered as the one who failed to provide last year, or the prince that's just tagging along!" He slammed his hoof into the floor, and the ground began to shake. At least he had enough sense not to cause a massive earthquake, but it was still frightening. "These ponies know not how to treat nature. You can't just cut down trees and pave over flowers! And these farmers, they call themselves experts, but they know nothing about how the land works. If I were to produce massive harvest after massive harvest, the soil would deplete itself so that not even I could bring life to it again!" "Then why don't you tell them that?" This time, he swung and narrowly missed the hoof I was still holding out. "That's the worst part! I have told them, and they got angrier still! We are not gods, but they expect me to be perfect! You know what… that's exactly why you two are so beloved. Everypony expects the sun to rise in the morning and the moon to rise at night, and they get that! You meet their expectations, and they love you for it! Give a farmer one poor harvest, and you're reduced to the social standing of trash!" Celestia pressed my foreleg down, forcing me to bring my hoof back on the floor. "Brother, you know that's not true. If you would only try to—" "No!" Once again, he turned his back on us, looking down at the furious ponies that were still shouting beneath the balcony. "As far as I'm concerned, they will not see reason. I'm through being kind, and my patience is all but gone." "Terrario, we—" "There is no Terrario." As he spoke, we watched dark clouds form at his hooves and circle around him. "There is no beauty. There are no crops." This darkness rose up, slowly engulfing him. Both my sister and I tried to cast spells on it, but it proved all for naught. "There is only death. There is only anger." Finally, the darkness completely enveloped him. It did not take long to dissipate, but we were met with a horrid image. The once vivid mane that so resembled flowing blades of grass had become an ugly image of brown and greys. His dark brown coat that had always reminded me of the fertile lands he had created turned dull and lifeless, and even the mighty tree that was once stamped on his flank was dead and leafless. He then turned around, and we saw the full extent of it. His teeth had become like razors, and his eyes were completely black, save for the bright red irises that glowed in them. "There is only room for one ruler here. There is only… Decay." My sister drew back, lowering into a more aggressive stance that I was comfortable with. "Just what are you saying, Terrario?" His eyes made his glare even more menacing. "I am Decay. Your brother is gone. He was never wanted, and I think I made myself clear. There is only room for one ruler in this kingdom, and that ruler shall be me." Watching him lash out at my sister with a blast of magic was one of the most horrifying things I'd ever been forced to witness. While she had managed to avoid it, she'd created quite a gap between herself and our brother, which prompted him to turn his attention to me. "I'll not fight you. I don't care what's happened, you are still my brother, and I refuse to raise my horn against you." "That's too bad," the more I watched, the more I began to question if this truly was my brother anymore, as he had no qualms about shooting at me as well, "because I'll gladly raise mine!" He jumped back and spread his wings, landing in the crowd and sending them all screaming. Celestia followed him, but it took me a few moments before I finally decided to do the same. We both learned just how poor of a choice that was. The minute I landed, the ground crumbled beneath us as stones were pelted our way. Even the aura of Terrario's magic had become dull and grey. It was clear we could no longer reason with him when he tried to literally bury us alive. We managed to fly out of the pit he had created, but not before we were both pelted with another magical blast. "Luna… we have no choice. We have to stop him." I let out a small sigh, looking at the monster my brother had become. "…If we must." The amount of force we had to use went very well beyond what I would have been comfortable with. Then again, I would have preferred if we had never needed to fight at all, but at that point, it was unavoidable. Not only that, but the destruction that resulted merited an evacuation from Canterlot. Well, even then, the Everfree Forest used to be called Canterlot, and we renamed it after we relocated to the Canterlot our subjects knew today. Terrario fought us tooth and nail, and reducing him to the state we had pained me. It still pains me. After what felt like hours of magic blasts, flames, and five or six earthquakes, our brother was finally felled. Or… so we thought. As we stood before his defeated form, his body began to glow. All around us, grass was dying, what few flowers there still were wilted rapidly, and even the nearby trees began to die incredibly quickly. "I'll not be defeated. This is my land… and I'll not see it desecrated anymore!" Before either of us could react, we were sent spiraling backwards by a massive bramble. The thorns added additional pain as well. However, the worst pain was the heartbreak. I'm sure my sister felt it just as much as I. Here was our brother, his anger taking him over to the point of changing his body, and attacking us with no remorse. It was a wonder he was able to move with so many gashes and burns, as well. Just looking at him made me sick. That wasn't the end of it, either. The bramble he had attacked us with split into many, holding us down as he stood before the castle. "Now you see the true power of nature. When I take back what I've given to the land, I gain more power than you could ever imagine. This land… is now in the grasp of Decay." He turned to us, but I saw a glimmer in his eye. For a fleeting moment, I saw just a little bit of emotion in those horrid eyes. "This castle is mine now. Don't squander the chance I give to you." Our brother slammed the castles gates closed. Once he did, the brambles sank back into the ground, but we were prevented from returning to the castle by the massive stone golems that has risen up on all sides of it. We heard Decay's voice echo through the sky, and I was brought to tears by it. "You are not welcome here! If I see you again, it will be the end of you!" Probably the thing that hurt the most wasn't my cuts, or even his proclamation. It was the blood trail that led to the castle. A reminder that we had drawn the blood of our beloved brother, and that he had done the same to us. Trying to destroy his golems was a risky enough gamble, but my sister and I knew for sure we wouldn't be getting back in once we saw the force field he had surrounded the castle with and the thorny vines he had wrapped it in. I turned to Celestia, my sight blurred by the sea of tears that was fighting for release. "Sister… what do we do? Are we really just going to give up?" My sister just sat there, looking up at the balcony he was standing on earlier. "We… we don't have a choice. We can't pull energy from the sun and moon, there's no telling what would happen if the sky went dark and the air began to freeze everything…. We have to take Equestria back." "How? Terrario no longer has any regard for our subjects, so there are no lengths he will not go to in order to keep us out." She slowly shook her head, looking up at the still bright sky. "I believe there is a solution, but it's rooted deep in ancient legend. We'll have to pay an old friend a visit if we want to confirm whether or not this is a viable option." Apparently our goal was the headquarters for the Guild of Arcane Arts. I should have known he'd be the last to leave the city if he even chose to leave at all. As we approached the entrance to the massive building, the door swung open and revealed the pony I assumed my sister wished to speak with. "I saw the whole thing from my window. The prince has gone off the deep end, he has." Celestia narrowed her gaze at the old Sirish stallion. There was no doubt in my mind she was just as much a blur of emotions as I, but her anger was showing more than it needed to. "Starswirl, we need your help." He began to scratch his greying chin. I don't think even he could have foreseen his ginger fuzz growing into a grey jungle that could be considered a second mane. "Of course, but let's go to my home. It's fairly out of the way, and you're a lot less likely to be spotted and killed." Why Sirish apparently enjoyed living in the woods so much, I'll never know, but at least Starswirl's fifteen million acre, five hundred story house was a decent ways away from Canterlot. Of course, that is a hyperbole. Why would anyone need that much space? Starswirl closed the door behind us and opened every window in the place with one quick spell. "Before we talk about anything, you two need to rest. And no, you don't have any options. I have powerful healing magic, but I'm still working on a spell that can rid ponies of fatigue." "We don't have time for that, Starswirl!" You know I had to commend the stallion's ability to stay calm despite my sister raising her voice at him. "Well, you could, at the absolute least, sit down while we talk." "Fine." We were taken upstairs and into Starswirl's enormous library. I would have bet money that he owned every single book ever written somewhere in here. He brought us two large cushions for us to sit on, though I had to lie down. "Are you alright, Princess?" All I could do was shake my head. "How would you feel if you got attacked and exiled from your home by your own brother?" The stallion just shrugged and rubbed his chin again. "Eh, he'd let me back in the next morning. Probably just him throwing a drunken fit." Smart ass. "Put yourself in my position and then answer my question again." He raises his brows and nodded. "Oh, yeah, I'd feel like shit." "Um… Princess?" I was suddenly jerked back into the real world upon hearing Nova's voice. My sister stayed silent for a moment and just stared at him before actually replying. "Yes, Nova?" "I understand that this is a pretty big story and all… but do we really need to know what happened at that point? I mean, now we know that your brother we never knew about was the first case of Nightmare Moon Syndrome, but why don't we skip to the part that's relevant? The reason everyone's here?" My sister opened her mouth, but I set my hoof against her. "If I may, sister? I… I want a chance to truly speak of this as well." After a nod from her, I addressed the young ones, recalling the "relevant" events again. However, a quick word from my sister cut me off. "Luna, wait. I believe we've been standing around for far too long. I ask that you all be silent once again. I apologize if that's a little disgruntling, but I swear on my honor as a princess that all questions will be answered when we reach a certain destination. Sister, if you would be so kind as to take them, I will retrieve our other necessities." Now I nodded, and my sister was off. I knew exactly what she meant, though I had to wonder how this venture would turn out. "Follow me, then. I'll recount the important part along the way." With my mind as clear as I could get it, I formed the images in my head and translated them to words. Now that the power was in our grasp, it was time to confront our brother once again. The king was gracious—and stubborn—enough to make us stay for a meal. He knew the gravity of the situation, but also knew the danger of traversing the desert without rest and refreshment. Once we had eaten, he supplied us with fresh water for the journey back to Equestria, as well as cloaks from his court wizard to keep us warm through the chilling night winds so we wouldn't have to waste our own energy. For a land dominated by pegasi, it was surprisingly hard to fly at night. In fact, I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to live anywhere in the San Palomino desert. I mean, sure, the city was gorgeous, but the winds… if they didn't sear the skin during the day, they chilled to the bone at night. I guess the ponies here were just used to it. Granted, they did have barriers in place to keep the wind out of the city, but how in the world could they stand in when they had to travel? Regardless, both my sister and I were rendered flightless by the wind, but at least it wasn't all that strong. I never realized how cold deserts actually got at night, and a small part of me felt a little guilty. After all, I was sovereign over the night. The journey back to the castle took much longer than either of us would have liked. Just getting out of the desert took at least a day. Luckily the wind dies down once we crossed the border from the San Palomino and back into Equestria proper, and the modern day Everfree Forest was not that far away now that we could fly. I guess our brother was counting on us returning. We could see those stone golems he had risen below us, but now we were also having wooden spikes hurled at us from the dead trees around the castle like turrets. I also noticed that there was a large tree behind the castle that still had leaves, and I soon learned why; it rose up and we were faced with a massive Treant when my sister and I touched down. Celestia turned to me, I guess to make sure I still had what we needed. "Remember, Luna, this is no longer Terrario we're fighting! We can't let our emotions get in the way of taking back Equestria!" All I could do was nod. I knew what we had to do, but that didn't mean I wanted to, or that I was even ready, to do it. The huge tree monster's lack of speed was easy to take advantage of, and eventually we tricked it into ripping the heads off the golems in an attempt to hit us. However, we weren't done with it. With enough flying around, we had managed to make the Treant cut up most of the thorny vines that had been closing off our castle. However, just as the vines fell, the giant fell apart, his parts flying out in all directions. I managed to make it out unscathed, but I nearly screamed when I saw my sister fall to the ground with a sharpened branch sticking out between her left wing and shoulder blade. "Celestia!" I rushed forward, but was cut off from my sister by a large stone barrier that rose out of the ground like a dolphin breaking the surface of the sea. "It's useless, sister." There was no telling if he was just trying to mess with my head, or if he really was weak now, but Decay had not bothered to rid himself of his wounds. He did seem to have healed them, but the scars and burns from my sister and I's spells still remained, as did the tatters in his feathers and the cracks in his royal attire. The stallion approached me slowly, a menacing, bladed grin plastered across his muzzle. "Your defeat here was foreseen by the ancients. What was it they wrote? 'The weak shall perish.' It's time for me to make that prophecy a reality." It was a wonder I hadn't fallen to my knees yet. I knew my dearest brother was in there somewhere, and I just… I just couldn't bring myself to act. My desire was to have my beloved brother back… and I tried everything I could to make that happen. As I backed away from him, I tried in vain to reason with him again. "Brother, please… don't do this anymore! You've made your point, so why can't we all just be together again? Besides, you can't do everything yourself!" Decay snarled at me, lowering himself and quickening his pace. "What? Do you think I'm not powerful enough to manage night, day, and earth? All will know my power, and destroying you and Celestia will be the perfect example!" Finally I lowered my head, unable to look at him. "So you truly want us dead, then?" He stopped and raised his head back up. "Now you're getting it. I said there was only room for one ruler, and I meant it. Now just stand there and accept your—" A loud scream interrupted him as he fell to the ground. Smoke rose from his back, as it did from my sister's horn as well. She was still on the ground, and bleeding profusely, but she somehow managed to raise her voice at me. "Luna, do not hesitate any longer! You have to use those Elements now!" With a heavy heart, I slowly nodded and turned to the broken form before me. I opened my saddle bag and brought the six gems out of it. "I'm sorry it's come to this, brother." The king told us that these artifacts had minds of their own, and I saw what he meant when they began to spin around me. A surge of power him me like a tidal wave, and I focused all this power onto my brother as he tried to get back on his hooves. As soon as it hit him, the magic turned to sand and engulfed him in a flash of light. Black smoke spread out in five different directions from where his body had been, and again I used the Elements to make sure that they could never return to wherever Decay's body now was. Almost immediately, the trees around us began to sprout leaves again, and the grass was green once again. Even the spear that pierced my sister was reduced to splinters, but she still needed me to heal her. In time, Equestria returned to its normal, peaceful state. My sister and I maintained the earth quietly, allowing our subjects to believe that they were doing everything themselves, and all was as it was. Of course, there was one less occupied room in our old castle from that day on. Even as we raised the new castle in the center of Equestria, I made sure a third bedroom was made, just in the hopes that I'd have my brother back one day. === Chapter 3: Naming === A New Era Story 7 Chapter 3: Naming By: SleeplessScribe I will be honest, it was a little embarrassing when Cobalt handed me a rag to wipe my eyes with, but to this day, those events tear at my heart. It also surprised me that I had managed to take the young ones all the way through the Everfree Forest to our destination while telling my story. The colts stood in awe at the glowing, white tree, but Twilight Sparkle and her friends all seemed very confused, shooting me the strangest of looks. "Princess Luna… why exactly have you brought us to the Tree of Harmony?" I opened my mouth, but my sister's voice answered the young alicorn. "It may be a risk to remove the Elements again, but I believe the Elements of Harmony may be the key to returning our brother to us just as they had changed Nightmare Moon." Celestia was carrying two rather large boxes with her, and despite knowing what was inside them, I found myself hoping she'd only open one until everything else was explained. Indeed she did, setting Twilight's empty crown atop her head and the mares' pendants around their necks. "With Discord's plunder seeds taken care of, there is much less danger in removing the Elements from the tree once again." All stood back as my sister and I used our magic to bring the Elements back to the keepers' adornments. It only took a few moments, but the flash of light was still blinding. The good part was that there was no visible damage to the tree. "Hold on a moment." I looked to the Sirish stallion standing amongst the group. He honestly looked kind of out of place, being about as tall as Cadence due to his age, and hearing his foreign accent reminded me quite a bit of Starswirl. He even bore a very slight resemblance to the legendary unicorn. "I've done my share of reading on the Elements of Harmony. So, if you think they are the key to changing Decay, why do we need to be here?" Again, I readied myself to speak only to be stopped by my sister. "I did say that our time of ascension is almost upon us, did I not? I feel confident leaving Equestria under Twilight's care, but this is a situation that requires two. You six stallions are just as relevant as Twilight and her friends are." Astro rubbing his chin for a moment before looking back. "How? I don't even recognize any of these guys aside from Nova here, and that's only because he's a well-known name in Canterlot." The spikey-haired colt formed a proud grin across his face. A part of me truly felt bad for the decision he had to make; it couldn't have been easy to give up a life he was so passionate about. Finally, I got a chance to speak without Celestia taking over. "In time, you all will get to know each other. Sister… I think it's time we open the second box." She nodded, lifting the box and opening it. Inside were dark blue pendants similar to the golden ones the mares were wearing, and a crown bearing a resemblance to the king's that had given these Elements to us long ago. Each one was similar in shape to a key part of each colt's cutie mark: a crescent moon, a horseshoe, a shield, a microphone, and a wrench. I found Beat Tempo and Torque's to be odd looking just because of how vertical the shapes were, but hey, these weren't for looks. To top it all off, the crown held a gem similar to a fire in its center, and as soon as Nova saw it, he let out a small sigh. My sister handed the box off to me so that I could distribute the pendants inside and explain each one. First came Astro's, the crescent moon. "Astro, not only did you manage to aid in the defeat of Checkmate through both your magical prowess and sharp wit, but it was also that same wisdom that has elevated your student, Trixie Lulamoon, to a level of arcane ability rather close to Twilight Sparkles. With these accomplishments comes your naming as the Element of Wisdom." Next was Jet Rush. I had to take off his cap before actually putting the pendant on, and Applejack snickered when she saw how long his hair really was. "Jet Rush, throughout your struggle to save your city, you never once wavered when it came to following your own moral code. You managed to keep yourself and those you led above the level of the criminals you were fighting against, earning you the title of Element of Integrity. Also earning you a very sweet lover." Applejack blushed a little at my comment, prompting the gruff colt to wink at her. Next was the armor-clad pegasus who stood straight up and puffed out his chest like he was receiving a service ribbon. "Cobalt Edge. Even with the responsibility of being a guard captain, you stopped at nothing to prove your griffin friend's innocence, and you let nothing stand in your way of keeping Meadowbrook safe, even when faced against a powerful adversary. With that, I name you Element of Devotion." For some reason, it felt just a little fitting to have Rainbow Dash pipe up. Not only were they both long-haired pegasi, but Cobalt and Rainbow's elements were somewhat similar as well. "Wait! Did you say griffin friend?" The colt turned to her and smiled after I placed the pendant around his neck. "You must be Rainbow Dash. Gilda talks about you a lot, and you'll be pleased to know that she's safe, and more importantly, happy in her new home." All of the mares started smiling a little, but Rainbow's was the biggest. "Oh… good. We've all been worried about her." He shook his head, his sandy ponytail swaying along with it. "No need to. She's fine." His ears twitched as he snapped back to me. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I didn't mean to interrupt." I couldn't help but laugh some. "It's quite alright." I then moved on to the singer. Even as I presented him with his Element, I couldn't help be question whether this was the right decision or not. However, the Element decided he was good enough, so there wasn't much I could do. "Beat Tempo. You were successful, well off, and very well-known. Despite this, you gave up everything to keep the little things that mattered most to you. For this, you've earned the title of Element of Sacrifice." As I put it on, I winked at him as well, lowering my voice. "By the way, congratulations on the foal. I'm sure it will be beautiful." "Let's not forget that he helped my little Sweetie Belle earn her cutie mark as a singer herself!" Rarity's statement was followed by quite a bit of chatter, and I had to raise my hoof to quiet them all. Finally I addressed the newly married colt. "Torque, despite the rather negative situations you found yourself in, you managed to keep your head held high and a smile on your face, earning yourself a lovely wife, sweet daughter, and the title Element of Optimism." All eyes then fell on the final pegasus. Nova looked up at me and took another deep breath, staying silent as I approached him with the crown. "Nova Dash. You never backed away, even when faced with frightening circumstances. During your time in Ponyville, you also learned very quickly the difference between being brave and being reckless, and I am proud to name you Element of Courage." Celestia's horn was already glowing, and I already had the spell ready as I lowered the crown onto his head. Once the crown touched his head, beams of power shot from the other five elements and came together on him. Of course, I had a few words I wanted to say to him, and I was grateful that time stood still while we walked through the pegasus' hall of memories. "Whoa… um, Princess? Where are we?" "These are all the memories from your life. You've come a long way, haven't you?" He scratched the back of his head, chuckling a little. "Yeah, I guess so." I felt the music wash over me again, but I wanted some insurance before I gave in to it. "Can I expect any interruptions this time?" With a smile on his face, he shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Go ahead." "It's hard to stand On shifting sand. It's hard to take When you feel like it's all fake. Trust me now. It's who you're meant to be. We need you now. Help set this poor land free. Be a flame when the light dies down. Nova, this is your crown." That was all I needed. With my little song done, the light faded, and Nova was made visible again by all. In all honesty, I was expecting to feel… something. I didn't even realize it was over until I opened my eyes. It wasn't really a surprise that the reactions were a lot calmer than one would think, but this had already happened once. In fact, I think I heard my sister giggling. "That looks so weird on you." Everyone started mumbling as I stood and reached up to touch it. I felt a little spark when I did, pulling my hoof away quickly. "Thanks for not making a big deal out of this, everyone. Making this decision was already hard enough without everyone messing with me." The fact that I hadn't already been introduced to only two ponies out of this whole group helped, but it still felt awkward, especially considering that the guy Luna called Cobalt was the first one to speak. "We'll save our congratulations for later. Based on what we've just been told, we don't have a whole lot of time on our hooves right now." Celestia nodded and made her way through us. With closed eyes, she removed the elements from the tree and brought them back to their respective ponies. In small flashes, each one returned to the shape that fit inside the pendant, and Twilight's crown once again looked… normal. "Now, I'd like you all to return to the castle so that we may discuss what my sister and I believe should be our next course of action." I'm not sure if it was my new royal status or what, but I found myself staying behind and raising my voice as everyone began to walk away. "We're not done." All heads turned my way, and I think one or two jaws dropped. Luna raised a brow, but there was no sign of emotion on her face to tell me if she was upset with my defiance or not. "Is that so, child?" I swallowed back a lump in my throat, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "You said you'd tell us everything when we got here. Well, I still have one question, and your answer earlier wasn't good enough. Why me? Why make me a prince? Why not Astro, who's apparently a super powerful unicorn? Why not Cobalt, who you've said is a guard captain? Surely he's more fit to be a leader than I am. Heck, even Jet let his own little vigilante group before he moved to Ponyville. So why, of all ponies, have you chosen me? And say it out loud so everyone can hear. They all deserve to know." She sighed and turned around, bringing everyone back with her. When my sister came over, I made sure to keep her close just in case her reaction to what Luna would say was… less than stellar. "Very well." Luna closed her eyes for a moment. Isn't it weird how some people do that right before they say something big? "The Elements of Virtue were given to me by one of the kings of El Dorbronco. One of your ancestors—" I should have known it'd be Rarity to say something. "Wait, did you say El Dorbronco? As in, El Dorbronco, the city of gold? I thought that was only a myth!" The princess raised a hoof. "Very few ponies know of the city's existence. They never did make any attempts at garnering attention. That is, until 19 years ago when the first signs of Decay's return began to show. My sister and I were actually traveling there to meet with the king, and a terrible earthquake tore the city from the rest of our continent. All of its residents were turned to stone, though we managed to save one little colt, who just so happened to be the king's son: prince Solar Flare. Or as you know him: Nova Dash." I think the reactions those words were met with were what I would have gotten if Twilight hadn't already become an alicorn before me. Loud gasps, wide eyes, and a sister that tore herself away from me and shook her head. "Now hold on a minute! You're saying that the stallion I've known since birth isn't my real brother? Princess, I know you don't have any reason to lie to us, but I find that really hard to believe!" Rainbow's words were followed by quite a bit of chatter, but Luna simply held up her hoof again, and I kind of stepped on my sister's tail to quiet her. "I understand that this may be hard to believe, but as Nova gets closer and closer to meeting his full potential, you'll see. My sister and I chose you above all others because of your close connection to El Dorbronco and the Elements of Virtue. Not only that, but as a princess myself, I know what I'm saying when I tell you that leadership runs in the blood. Whether you know it or not, assuming your role as a prince will be much easier than you think." Again my sister was the first to speak up. "Nova… you seriously gave up racing? That was your whole life! You worked so hard, and for what? Just to throw it all away?" It took a few moments, but finally I looked up at her with a certain answer. "Racing may have been my passion… but this isn't my choice to make. If I'm really the best choice, then who am I to deny Equestria a new leader? Who am I to force Twilight to reign over Equestria with someone she barely knows, or worse, all by herself? Yes, it was a very difficult decision, but it was one I had to make." "Well, I must say, the horn seems oddly fitting for you." Of all ponies, Rarity was the last I expected to hear a compliment out of. However, my mood started to brighten when one of my favorite ponies decided to start talking. "Wow! Can you imagine? A city of gold! And Nova's a prince! Wait, if the city is gold, why aren't you all shiny and stuff? In fact, why aren't you gold? Oh, silly me! If you were gold, you wouldn't be able to breathe, and that's kind of important!" Finally, Applejack decided to poke a hoof on Pinkie's mouth. The hyperactive mare never failed to cheer others up, but this was a serious matter. Twilight seemed to understand this too, as she hung back with me as we all made our way back to the castle. "You seem pretty calm given what we just heard." I let out a sigh, looking up into the sky. Well, more like the trees blocking out the sky. "To be honest, Twi, I always had a sneaking suspicion that I wasn't truly related to the Dash family. I mean, look at me compared to all of them. It didn't really surprise me to find out I was adopted, and at this point I don't really care where I came from." She tilted her head at me and blinked. "Why's that? Haven't you ever been curious?" "Well, I have, but not to the extent that you'd think. I mean, Thunder Dash and Rainbowshine raised me basically from birth. I was in their family even before Rainbow was born. Even if my father named me Solar Flare, my dad named me Nova Dash, and Nova Dash is who I am. I guess this knowledge doesn't really faze me because I know who I am. Even though I'm pretty much a prince now, deep down I'm still Thunder Dash's pride and joy and Rainbowshine's little boy." A soft smile began to spread on her muzzle. "Well, that's very admirable. Though your statement about knowing who you are is a little invalid now." "Invalid?" The alicorn nodded and pointed towards the royal sisters, then to my horn. "We just learned that, regardless of how long you were actually with them, your parents were royalty. That means you are, too. Your life was, in a way, already determined for you at birth." I shook my head, spreading my wings out. "No, Twilight. I made my life. Even now I'm still making it. Luna gave me a choice, and while I honestly don't feel I could have said no, I did have the option. I could still be a racer right now." "So… why give that up?" I sighed again, lowering my head some. "I don't know. I loved racing. I still love racing. It's just… I do feel like this is something I have to do. Giving up my passion was not an easy decision, and even now I'm questioning whether or not I made the right one. There's no going back, though." Twilight started picking up her pace so she could catch up with the others. "Well, just know that you're not giving up everything. You still have us, and your friends aren't going anywhere." That was enough to help me lift my head back up. "Thanks Twi, that means a lot." She nodded and turned around. "You don't need to thank me. We're friends. Besides, we both already said that we're in this together, right?" Smiling became a lot easier when she said this, and I found myself picking up the pace as well to catch up with her. "Yeah, together." === Chapter 4: Allies === A New Era Story 7 Chapter 4: Allies By: SleeplessScribe Life in my kingdom was getting worse by the day. My hunters would be gone for days in search of enough love to feed my Changelings, and even then it would only serve to quite a roaring hunger in their shrinking stomachs. Some days I wondered if it was my love for my subjects that was giving them just enough strength to hang on. In hindsight, my attempt to take over Equestria was not my greatest idea, and looking back I found myself wishing I had at least tried to make some kind of diplomatic deal. I guess I was so used to being met with fear and hatred that I expected Celestia to decline my requests. In recent days, I had made a habit of stepping outside of the hive and spend a few minutes just watching the horizons beyond my dying kingdom. Today, however, was very far out of the ordinary. As I walked towards my normal resting place in the rocky hills of my kingdom, a gravelly, deep voice rang out from behind me. "I feel your pain." I froze the instant I heard it, my eyes darting from side to side as I looked around. "Who are you, and where are you? If you're here to attack me, know that I am queen of the Changelings, not some everyday plebian." "Yes. I know who you are, dear Chrysalis. Please, relax, I am not here to hurt you, but to offer my assistance." "If you're truly here to do as you claim, then why do you hide?" After a short pause, I began to hear what sounded like crumbling stone. "Oh, forgive me, dear queen." I nearly jumped when I turned around. On one of the taller stones was a face more equine than I cared for, though its features and coloring were just as stony as the rock it was in. A horn about as long as my own protruded from his head, poking through a jagged mess of something I couldn't make out, though I assumed it to be his mane. "Did I startle you? I do apologize. I also hope you'll forgive me for not mincing words." "Mincing words?" The face cocked a brow, a grin appearing on the muzzle and revealing jagged, sharp teeth unlike anything I'd seen on a normal pony. "We're not that different, you and I. You are feared and hated just as I am, and we both were dealt humiliating defeats by the royal sisters of Equestria." My ears perked when I heard this. I didn't trust this talking rock as far as I could throw it, but at least it had my attention now. "I understand your struggle. As a queen, you were just trying to feed your poor, starving subjects. Those ponies were blinded by their desires for self-preservation, with tunnel vision so severe they couldn't see the blatant pain you and your Changelings were in. Pain that you still experience even now. I, too, know the pain of being unable to provide for your subjects." Now I was actually facing him. He knew he had me, but I still did my best to seem uninterested. "Big whoop, you know how I feel. Why have you gone so far just to tell me all this? Why do you want to 'help' us?" His grin faded, turning into a rather menacing scowl. "Because it's not fair! Equestria basks in comfort and harmony, while you and your people scrape by with barely anything! Why are you hated and feared by them? Did it never occur to them that your methods were your only means of survival? No! They prosper while you die! Why is this gift not the Changelings' to claim as well? My desire is to help bring that prosperity to you, and show the ponies of Equestria what it's to be on the paper thin line between life and death." My eyes widened as I stared at the face. "What do you stand to gain from all this?" "I have my own issues with the royal sisters. Since I'd love nothing more than to see them brought down, I thought 'Why not help a people in need while I'm at it?' and chose to help the Changelings flourish again." I furrowed my brows, my own scowl starting to form. "I see, so you just want to use us to achieve your own goals." "Oh, not at all! I don't need the Changelings, believe me. I am weak now, but if you can do your best to hold out for three more months, I will return completely renewed. My army will rise, and when they do, there will be no power in Equestria that can stop them." I rolled my eyes. I'd heard enough, and I did all I could to make that obvious. "You're not making a very good case for yourself." "Oh, by all means, have a seat and allow me to rectify that." Before I could respond, a thick, tall tuft of grass bursts forth from beneath me, forming an admittedly soft seat. "What? How did you?" "I have more power than you realize, dear Chrysalis, and I want to use it to help you. I've been around longer than you know, and I've seen your life from the start. I remember when the Changeling Kingdom flourished just as much as Equestria did. Alas, as time went on, sources of love began to shrink. Then came the famine, and a cold wind blew in this land. All the while, the winds in Equestria brought comfort and warmth in place of the horrid scent of death. Chrysalis, my friend, how can you seem so content knowing a land and its people a thriving so close by while yours are fighting to live?" I could do nothing apart from look away. Whoever this creature was, he was starting make valid points. "It doesn't matter. We've already tried attacking Canterlot once, and my plans were foiled." "Ah, but all would have been yours had it not been for one Twilight Sparkle, yes? Trust me, my dear, nuisances like her will not be an issue with me at your side. I can promise you that." I could no longer take it. In fact, I should have asked him right from the start, but admittedly I was kind of sidetracked with listening to him. "Just who exactly are you?" He let out a loud, sinister laugh that echoed through the rocky hills loudly enough to scare away the few buzzard that were around. "Who am I? I am that which rots and destroys. I am the force that none can fight, and none can resist. I cause even the tallest of trees to fall and the greatest of stone fortresses to crumble. I am what greets all life at its end. I am natural, I am eternal, I am inevitable." Before my very eyes, the face in the stone began to come forward, and as it did, more and more of an actual body began to show. Once he was fully exposed, he broke off from the rock entirely. His mane and tail went from the stony grey to varying shades of grey and brown, and his coat took on a new brown as well. He was wearing similar attire to that of Celestia, though it was chipped and cracked in various places as well. A part of me wondered just for a moment if he could fly with all the tatters in his wings, as well as how he was even still standing with all the scars and burns that covered his body, and lastly my eyes rested on his, solid black with bright red irises that looked more like rings in empty holes. "I am Decay." I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a tad bit impressed, but there was no way I'd actually let him know that. "That's quite a sales pitch you have. Did you write it yourself?" He just chuckled and began to circle around my grassy cushion. "I speak from the heart, not from a script. Think about it, my dear; nothing I've said is false. In the end, everything falls prey to decay and eventually rots away. Some things are just better at staving it off than others." As I watched him, I rolled my eyes and stood back up. "That's all well and good, but let me be blunt: what do we gain out of working with each other? You haven't given me very convincing answers on either side." Decay grinned and inched closer to my face. "Sweet, sweet Chrysalis… if I must gain something from this… then I guess it would be peace of mind. The royal sisters of Equestria have wronged me, and seeing them brought to their knees would put me at ease." He continued to close in even as I straightened up and started snarling. "You, however, are gaining tremendously. Not only would you have a new land to call your kingdom, but my army, even now as they slowly rise again, is very, very loyal. When I say fight, they fight. When I say run, they run. When I say love," my eyes widened, prompting him to smirk, "they love. My soldiers would be ready and willing to feed your starving subjects long after the citizens of Equestria have been drained. Your people would never go hungry again, and you would have all the power you could dream of." By now I could feel his breath against my muzzle. I readied myself to bite him, but he suddenly stopped. Decay raised his brows, grinning as he backed away. "In fact, why don't I give you a free sample? I realize that my proposal is rather heavy, so I shouldn't have expected an answer right away. Please forgive me and return to your home. I've prepared a little surprise for you, and I'm sure decision making will be much easier once you've had a chance to… feed." Decay slowly opened his wings, and he took off as soon as I rushed towards him. "Wait!" "Farewell for now, my queen. We will speak again soon." It was a wonder he could even fly with such tattered feathers, but then again, I could walk with at least four holes in each leg. Even after he faded out of my sight, I still sat there staring at the sky. I think I sat there for a good ten minutes trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. My trip back to the hive was long, lonely, and noticeably colder than it was earlier. I began to think of my subjects and how many parents were having to tell their children there would be no dinner that night. I thought of how many of my dear Changelings would be shivering even through thick blankets, as we were very sensitive to the cold. Feeding made us stronger, but even I was starting to feel the effects of our lack of sustenance. "Is something troubling you, Your Highness?" I looked up quickly the minute I heard the voice. Changeling voices were very distinct, and this was far too… equine to be one of my guards. Instead, I was met with a very odd looking creature. It was most certainly a pegasus pony, but rather than feathered wings or a mane and tail, thick tree branches protruded from its sides with large leaves extending out of them, and two more large leaves sprouted out of its head and rear. I immediately lowered myself and pointed my horn at him, but he simply bowed to me. "I've been instructed to serve you, my queen. What would you have me do?" As I stared him down, I felt a power resonating from him. Love came in many forms, some stronger than others, but this… "protect you with my life" variant was good enough. He hadn't moved since he posed his question, so I lifted his head with a smile. "Just hold still." It wasn't often that I had the chance to feed on a willing source, so just taking in the power without changing my appearance felt a little odd. He never even flinched as I fed, and when I was finished he just shook a few times. I had to admit, while it was nothing like what I had experience during my time in Canterlot, those few seconds of feeding left me more satisfied than I had felt in months. "You may rise." When he did, I smirked at him. "I trust it is not only me you wish to keep safe, correct?" He slowly shook his head. "I was told to protect all Changelings. Their safety and comfort is my only concern." My smirk grew into a grin as I began rubbing my hooves together. "Wonderful… is there any chance there are others like you?" "My brethren sprout one by one, but in time they will return by the tens, then hundreds, then thousands. We have all been ordered to serve you." "I see. Well then, my friend, I assume you know that I have just… fed off of you, correct?" "It is my honor and pleasure to nourish you and your people, Your Highness." If I could feed on him, then I knew my subjects could as well. I still had my doubts about Decay, but I decided to wait and see if he really had thousands of these living feeding troughs for me. "Find your king and give him my thanks, then return to me." He just nodded and spread his branch… leaf… wing… things. "As you wish." I watched him take off with a grin. The possibility that Decay was simply trying to earn my trust so he could act out a greater plan was a thought that would never leave my mind, but for now his gift seemed genuine, and very, very welcome. My people would starve no more, and that, in all honesty, was all I really wanted. Everything else I was promised was just icing on the cake. I looked down to the ground I was standing on. Call me crazy, but something told me he could hear my just because I was standing on stone. "You've convinced me… for now. Only time will tell if I can truly trust you or not. If I receive what I've been promised, you'll have yourself an ally." After a very long pause, I almost walked away. However, as I took my first few steps, I heard that raspy voice echo through the air. "Excellent. I will see you again soon, my dear, and we can discuss how to begin our coup… with significantly less hunger. Until then, enjoy my gift to you." As his voice faded, I heard hoof steps behind me and turned to find not one, not two, not three, but seven of those ponies behind me, all bowing their heads. The mere sight sent a chill up my spine, and I couldn't help but laugh when I realized just how powerful we were about to become. === Chapter 5: New Developments === A New Era Story 7 Chapter 5: New Developments By: SleeplessScribe Light was just starting to come through the library windows as I closed my twenty-fifth book. I was so wrapped up in my reading that I didn't even realize I wasn't alone until the steaming mug was set beside me. "You've been up since last night. Figured you could use a pick me up." Nova and I were asked to stay at the castle while the others went home and got their affairs in order. "Thanks, Nova. I don't understand how you can even sleep. Not only have we been given a massive role to fulfill, but you just learned that the family you've lived with for nineteen years isn't actually related to you." He sat down beside me and took a sip of his own coffee. "My time at the academy taught me that worry and panic are the fastest ways to bring about your own undoing. I do have a lot on my mind, but I'm just trying not to let it bother me too much. You'd be surprised how much of my time last night was spent tossing and turning as opposed to actually sleeping." I let out a sigh and sipped at my drink. "Has Princess Luna said anything to you about magic yet?" Nova just shrugged. "I was kind of hoping you'd be able to help me with that. The princess told me she wanted to focus on improving my offensive capabilities right now, but if I'm going to have a horn for the rest of my life, I'd at least like to learn how to levitate objects." "I'd love to, but I still have a lot of material to go through." In fact, I was already eight pages into my next book. He set his hoof under the front cover and lifted it. "A Brief History of the Empire, volume XIII. Geeze, Twi, what are you trying to get out of this?" Before even trying to reply, I lightly swatted his hoof away. "I need to learn as much as I can as fast as I can about Equestria's politics and traditions. I also need to read up on what mistakes we made so I can avoid repeating them." My friend rolled his eyes. "You really need to lighten up." He paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath through his nose. "Do you smell that?" I shook my head without taking my eyes off the pages. Nova continued his dog-like sniffing, and eventually he got so close to me that I could feel his breath. "Found it! You smell good, Twilight." "Excuse me? Hey!" He pressed his muzzle against me and continued sniffing. "You smell really good." "Nova, you're in my personal space!" Within moments, my irritation turned to laughter as he moved down to my neck. "Stop! That tickles! Haha! Nova, cut it out!" He finally sat back up after leaving me laughing on the floor. Once I calmed down and sat up, he started sniffing the air again, so I gave him a gentle push. "What was that about?" "Isn't it nice to forget about your problems for a little bit?" He leaned back and grinned, tempting me to smack him in the stomach. "I guess you're right. That was kind of funny." He smiled, opened his wing, and put it around me. "Look Twi, I know this is something you really want to get done, but you need to relax. You're right; this is a lot for me to take in, but I know a way for both of us to ease the stress, at least for a little bit. Over the years, I learned that my ears twitched whenever someone or something caught my attention. I wouldn't have been surprised if Nova noticed them the minute he finished speaking. "Oh? What would that be?" "Well, it's pretty obvious we'll be spending quite a long time together, and despite the time we've already spent together, I still don't know you as well as I'd like. It's still pretty early, but I know a nice little café not too far from here. If you'd like, I could treat you to some breakfast and real coffee." I stared at him with a smirk on my face. "You just want a reason to ask me out, don't you?" Nova's face turned a shade to match the red in his mane. "W-What? No, no, it's not like that, I just—" Getting him all flustered like that was actually really fun. "Oh please, you don't think I've read a book or two on the subject out of curiosity? This is a perfect example of one of the 628 ways a stallion will ask a mare out on a date, commonly referred to as the 'coffee offer'." The look on his face was enough to make even a royal guard laugh. "Sure, fine, yeah. I'm asking you out. Twilight, if my intentions were to subtly ask if you wanted to try dating me, I'd have just said it. Don't you remember that I already did? I asked you out once, and you said you'd think about it, and decided the next day that we could go out as friends." My ears fell flat as my slight superiority complex dissolved into dust. "Oh yeah. Guess I just wasn't thinking about it." "Hey now, don't give me that look!" He leaned forward and nudged my shoulder. "Come on, Twilight. Breakfast, my treat. We can sit down, talk about some stuff, and get our minds off our 'eternal destinies' and whatnot. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you need to loosen up a little. Stressing yourself out all the time is going to get you nowhere." I let out a long sigh and slowly closed the book. "Fine. If I do this, will you refrain from interrupting me again?" He rolled his eyes, but his smile told me he couldn't have been too irritated. "No promises, but I'll try." Nova held his hoof out to me, and a small smile crossed my muzzle as I took a hold of it. "Good enough for me." He wasn't lying when he said it wasn't that far away. From the castle courtyard, it was just a short trip to the city square and a minute or two of walking down the left road. Despite it being so early, there were still plenty of ponies out and about, and none of them seemed to think that we wouldn't notice them giving us odd looks and whispering to one another. I could only imagine what kinds of assumptions they were making, but I was brought back to earth by a nudge on the shoulder. "Ignore it. I've learned that when ponies start doing that when smiling, at least you know they're not saying anything bad." Nova opened the door to a small building that bore a strong resemblance to a countryside cottage. It seemed rather… out of place, considering the usual style Canterlot architecture normally followed, but the minute I walked in, the appearance became the last thing on my mind. The aroma of honey, freshly baked bread, and cinnamon filled the air as we entered the little café, and my reaction got a small chuckle out of Nova. "This place has you already, doesn't it? Evergreen does good work." "Did someone say my name?" A colt popped up from behind the counter ahead of us. It was like looking at a topiary: Everything but the colt's eyes was a shade of green. "Oh, hey there Nova! Haven't seen you in a whi—" He froze mid-sentence and stared at us. Evergreen turned to me and bowed quickly before addressing Nova again. "Knowledge of Princess Twilight is common at this point, but since when were you an Alicorn, Nova?" He just looked away and groaned a little. "Eh… it's a long story." Evergreen grinned and leaned against the counter. "That's fine! I've got plenty of time to hear about this!" Nova let out a sigh. "Can we please not talk about it?" "Heck no! Dude, you're basically a prince now. That's big news!" I stepped between them and kept my eyes on Evergreen. "I think you need to respect him. Like you said, he is a prince now, and if he says he doesn't want to talk about something, then you shouldn't egg him on." Evergreen's ears fell flat. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry… anyways, what can I get you two? I haven't gotten much done, but I'm sure I have most of the stuff you can order ready." He nudged his head back a little, drawing my attention to the menus on the wall. Behind the counter he had two large lists on either side of the door. One was titled "Drinks" and the other "Treats", and each had the items one could order on the left side and that item's price on the right side. I was actually caught slightly off guard; this place had a bigger selection than Sugar Cube Corner did! After perusing all my options, I found a combo that I just couldn't resist. "I'll take a small cherry cake with a green tea, please." I hadn't really paid much attention, but seeing him reach up and grab a notepad made me realize why this place seemed so different from the rest of Canterlot: Evergreen was an earth pony. It didn't really matter, but it was an interesting little fact. He started scribbling on the notepad and turned to Nova. "Got it. And for you, Nova?" Nova tapped his chin a few times before shrugging. "The usual." Evergreen nodded and jotted that down as well. "Gotcha. Cream and two sugars, right?" "That's it. Oh, one thing though: can I get the pie without whipped cream this time?" He blinked once and slowly nodded. "Sure… oh, and don't worry about paying. I could never ask for payment from the royalty!" Before either of us had a chance to respond, Evergreen turned and went through the door behind the counter. Nova, however, didn't seem to have a problem with his friend's statement. "Really? Well, thanks Evergreen! That's nice of you!" He then turned to me, jumping a little when he saw my glare. "What?" After grabbing hold of him, I pulled him over to one of the booths near the corner. I lowered my voice, but my irritation was still pretty blatant. "Nova! I know you did not just accept a free gift for no reason!" His ears flattened as he turned towards the counter. "Why? What's the problem?" "I am not comfortable accepting gifts like that, and you shouldn't be either! Just because we're royalty now does not me we should get unfair privileges. Everypony else has to pay for their meals, so we should too. Now get over there and let him know you don't want any special treatment!" Nova rolled his eyes, which made me want to smack him. "Don't roll your eyes at me! You're doing a very poor job of winning me over." His own eyes widened for a moment. "I know Evergreen better than you do. He isn't going to just let me pay him." "You're a prince now. It may not be official, but you still are, so make him take the money!" I noticed him shake a bit as he made his way back to the counter and set the money on it. "Evergreen! I'm paying whether you like it or not! It's not fair that you give us free stuff just because we're royalty." He poked his head out before walking through the door with our entire order in tow. "Haha, that's funny. No, I said it's on the house, so you keep your money." Nova turned to me, but I just nodded and waved my hooves forward. After seeing this, he sighed and turned back to his friend. "Look, it's not fair. There's a reason I didn't want to make a big deal out of becoming an Alicorn in the first place, so do not treat me any differently than you would if I was still just a pegasus. Take the money." "Alright, if you say so. Enjoy your breakfast." I picked up both mugs and both plates with my magic. There was a glass door at the side of the café, and I could see tables out there under an awning. I smiled at Evergreen as I headed towards the door. "Thank you very much." He smiled and waved to us. "It's no problem at all, Prin—I mean Twilight." Nova followed me out and froze as he approached the table I had chosen. "Twi! Check out that view!" From where we were, we could look out and see quite a bit of the land below. I even spotted my library. "It's funny… views like this seemed so mundane before I moved to Ponyville. Now it's like I'm seeing it for the first time again." My friend sat down and took a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, how did you end up in Ponyville? I don't think I've heard that story yet." "Well, Princess Celestia had been my magic teacher for a very long while. She saw fit to send me to Ponyville one year not only to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, but also to make friends. Back then, I thought friendship was a foolish concept. Ironically enough, it was only with the help of my friends that Nightmare Moon was changed back into Princess Luna." "Hmm." He took a bite out of his chocolate pie and looked out at the landscape again. "So you are your friends are indirectly linked to my current… situation." "I guess so." As I sipped my tea, a thought crossed my mind that nearly made me jump. "You know, I have something to ask you." "I'm all ears." "When you first came here, you said you never visited your sister because you were busy training. Well, why now? And why couldn't you take time out of your schedule to see her on holidays? I'm sure she would have enjoyed a visit from her brother on Hearth's Warming." He closed his eyes and turned to me. After a long sigh, he opened them and I saw something in them I never thought I'd see Nova Dash display. Regret. "I'm not as great a brother as Rainbow's behavior might make you think. Back when we still lived in Cloudsdale, Rainbow dropped out of Junior Speedsters Flight Camp just before I graduated. Mom and Dad scolded her, but we got into a big fight. It was one of those arguments that ended with an 'I hate you' and tears. Rather than apologizing and trying to make up with her, I just got angry and stormed off to pursue my own future. Instead of staying home, I lived on campus when I attended Cloudsdale's Academy for Advanced Pegasi, and I was so wrapped up with my racing career after my time there that I never even thought about seeing her. Luckily for me, she found it in her heart to forgive me when I finally wrote a letter to her." I couldn't help but feel just a little sorry for him. "I know how you feel. My brother and I got into a fight so bad that he actually forbid me from coming to his wedding. Granted, his 'bride' turned out to be an imposter, like I had thought, but I was still crushed when it happened. What prompted you to write to her?" Whether he did it to avoid talking about it or because he actually wanted some, I was forced to wait until he had finished chugging his drink. "My accident with Spitfire. When I was in the hospital, the only visitors I got were my parents. That made me realize how alone I really was. By just leaving my sister to her own devices instead of trying to help her, it was almost as if I had disowned her. It made me realize how much I missed her, but I didn't have the confidence to face her, so for a time we just exchanged letters. It wasn't until that same day I met you that I finally was able to look at her again." I raised my brow at him and smirked. "You without confidence? That sounds impossible to me." He slowly shook his head. "Twilight, this isn't a joke. The most precious pony in my life told me she hated me. I know she was young, but it still stung. A lot." "Oh, I don't doubt it. Thanks for telling me that. I… I'm sure it couldn't have been an easy thing to remind yourself of." "It's fine. You deserve to know." He set the mug and plate aside once both were empty. "Twilight… what do you think about all of this? Just, me being an Alicorn now, the princesses having a traitorous brother, me being adopted, all that stuff. Can you even give a general opinion?" It took a little bit of thought, but I did come up with something decent to say. "Well, it certainly caught me off guard. Even with all I know about Equestria's history, nothing I ever read even hinted at any lost kingdoms or attempted coups. Then again, I don't think there are any books that date earlier than 2,000 years or so. The princess said that Decay tried to take over at least 6,000 years ago. What are your thoughts?" Nova turned back to the landscape again, scratching the back of his head. "Having to give up my passion wasn't easy. But I'm thankful as well. I'm just going to be blunt: I like you, Twilight. A lot. It's nice to spend time with you, even if we are spending that time preparing for a possible battle." My ears twitched as I finished off my coffee. "Speaking of, didn't you say you wanted to learn a levitation spell?" "It would certainly make a lot of things much easier." I couldn't help but smile as I lifted his mug up with my magic. "It's not actually that hard. Magic is all about concentration and visualization. Most spells don't require much beyond that unless you're trying to cast adept or higher level magic. To be honest… it's kind of hard to put into words, seeing as how casting spells has become second nature to me. I'm sure you'd have just as hard a time explaining flight to me." That got a chuckle out of him. "Yeah, trying to tell you how to fly would not be easy. The best I could tell you is 'flap both wings at the same time', which wouldn't help at all. So, what, I just concentrate and imagine making this plate float, and it will make the plate float?" I just nodded. "I know it sounds silly, but that's how basic magic works." He actually shook his head. "Silly? No, that's awesome! It's like telekinesis or something." "Well… I guess so. Just try it. I know it sounds confusing, but once you start doing it, simple magic won't be that hard to get down." "Yeah, I get you. Well, here goes nothing." The faces Nova made as he stared at the plate brought me very close to laughing. There was no doubt in my mind he misunderstood what I meant by "concentrate", but I was too busy trying to keep a straight face to correct him. After a few minutes, I spotted a faint glow on the tip of his horn. Unfortunately, his attempt ended with a loud pop and a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, Nova was on the ground and rubbing his head. "Ouch… I'm going to assume I didn't do it." "Sadly, no. We need to work on that a lot more." He managed to pick himself up, though it took a moment before he was able to stand straight up. "Gotcha!" Nova turned to the plate again, but was met with the same results. Luckily he didn't get knocked down this time, but he was obviously dazed. "Ugh, this date has taken a poor turn." My ears twitched and I couldn't help but smirk. "Aha! You were asking me out!" Nova started chuckling as he regained his bearings. "I like how you're acting like this is some ground breaking event. It's like I'm the first guy to ever ask you on a date." I could feel my face heating up a bit. Now I was finding it hard to look at him, and I started tapping my front hooves together. "Well… to be honest, you kind of are. I mean, there was a guy that asked me to a dance, but that was on the other side of the mirror. You really are the first stallion to outright ask me on a real date." He came up to me and gently tapped my muzzle. "You know why that is, Twi? You need to get out more. All your friends, including me, are proof that you can be really outspoken around those you know, but I haven't really seen you say much beyond a 'hello' and the occasional 'how are you' with most ponies. You're nice enough, I'm sure if you had put more effort into socialization you'd probably already have a coltfriend by now." My face only got hotter, and I'm sure by this point it was red. "Right… I doubt it. Finding romance has never been a big priority of mine, but I've never had much faith in it anyway. Nearly all of the books I read on dating had personality profile charts, and the ones that matched me best were always near the bottom for most likely to find romance." Nova blew a loud raspberry and started laughing. "Okay, Twilight, seriously, I know you really enjoy reading, and I myself acknowledge the amount of knowledge you can gain from books, but there are some things you just can't trust a book to tell you. I can tell you right now that that personality stuff is gaaaaarbage!" I was beginning to wonder if he was doing all of this for the express purpose of embarrassing me. If he was, it was working very well. "I can't believe I'm getting a lecture from you of all ponies." That did nothing to stop his laughter. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm more social than you. Listen, Twilight, it may not be my place to say this, but… you need to get some street smarts, especially when it comes to dating. I want to help you, so how about this: when we get back to the castle and find out what the princesses have in store for us, we sit down and make a schedule of some kind." A sneeze interrupted him, but I wasn't given any chance to respond. "Excuse me. You know, we could sort out everything we want to do, and maybe set aside some time just to do things together. We don't have to call them 'dates', and we don't have to be 'dating'. We're just two friends hanging out. Besides, being stuck in the castle all the time is not my idea of fun. I realize this is something we have to do, but nopony said we couldn't still do things we enjoy, and I enjoy doing stuff with you." I was sure my face was still a little red, but the heat was starting to fade away. "Do you really mean that?" "Yeah! You may not think that I'd have any interest in the things you like, but you're a pretty cool pony. You're not as awesome as me, of course, but for a…" He turned away from me and cleared his throat. "Diligent and near perfect student, you're nowhere near as boring as my sister had me believe." As nice as these things were to hear, I had to admit, I was getting very confused. "Nova, I really don't understand you. We're on near opposite ends of the spectrum, yet you seem very interested in everything I do. Why is that?" All he did was shrug. "Don't base your beliefs of me off of Rainbow. I enjoy a good book every now and again, and I do research things… when they're relevant. See, I may not be as big on academics as you, but I do realize the benefits of knowledge. To me it feels like you seek knowledge simply because you enjoy learning about all kinds of things. As for me, I seek knowledge for the benefits." "I'm not sure I follow completely." Nova sat down again and motioned for me to do the same. "Alright, here's an example: You've seen how fast my sister has become through sheer hard work and dedication." He looked around a few times before continuing. "Don't tell a soul that I said this, but I believe the only reason I'm faster than her is because I've done my homework. Rainbow and I both have the power, but I'd like to think I have better technique. You'd be surprised how much science there is in racing. I did a lot of reading and research to learn every possible thing I could about improving flight performance." He took a quick breath and lifted himself into the air, folding all four of his legs underneath of him and lowering his head. "Like this, for example. The way you position your body has a big impact on your speed. Heck, what my uniform is made out of makes a big difference. It's not just with racing, either; I do all I can to learn things that help me in many different ways. Speaking of which, I guarantee there's a few books in the royal library that would help me understand the basic concepts of magic." "Oh, I know there are. If you'd like, I'll show you around, seeing as how I've been through it many times." "I'd appreciate that. The castle is still like a maze to me."   The trip back to the castle took no time at all, but we were surprised to find neither of the princesses waiting for us. Asking around got us nowhere, as we were only told that they weren't here, but the guards assured us they were safe. It was apparent we weren't going to get any more information, so we just went on our way to the library. "Where do you think we should start, Twi?" I looked at him and slowly shook my head. "Sorry, Nova, but since we're back here, I'm going to continue my studies from this morning. Don't worry, though. The library is divided into wings, and each wing has a pretty obvious name. It shouldn't be a problem finding books on basic magic." He rolled his eyes and nudged my shoulder as I opened the library door. "Oh come on, Twi. You're really still on that? How can you expect to learn anything if you cram like that? I mean, really, twenty-five books in one night? You need to take a break." Nova jumped a little as I turned around and started poking his chest. "Look, Nova, I need to learn as much as I can in a small amount of time. The more I know, the less likely I'll be to make a huge mistake." He let out a sigh and turned away. Even though we were going separate ways, he still saw fit to talk. "I highly doubt Celestia or Luna haven't already planned this out. They sounded like they knew when the ascension would take place, and I can't see them not setting aside time to prepare us for governmental responsibilities. Think about it, Twilight, they're leaving all of Equestria in our care! Do you really believe they'll just drop that on us?" There was no reason for him to be raising his voice like he was, and to be honest, it caught me a little off guard. I lowered my ears and turned away from him, but for some reason I could no longer focus on the book I had left open earlier. After a short pause, stopped pretending to look at the books on theoretical physics and turned to me. "I'm sorry, Twi. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I… I'm just as stressed out by this as you are, and I'm just trying to relax. Not to sound rude, but you constantly bringing up that we're going to have a metric ton of stuff pushed onto our shoulders soon just… it's not helping. Still, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that." That was apparently enough to at least make me raise my ears again. However, I still didn't look at him, even when I spoke. "I understand. We're both a little on edge. I guess I just have a different way of coping with it than you do. Look, for now, let's just do what we came here to do while we wait for the princesses." "Right. I'll see what I can find. Uh… again, Twi, I'm sorry." "Uh huh." Now that things had calmed down a little, I was able to focus on my reading again. Sometimes I even amazed myself with how fast I could read. Before I knew it, I had gone through the last five volumes of A Brief History of the Empire. "Twilight! Come look!" There was still a decent stack of unread books before me, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little curious. When I turned around to peek on the other side of the bookshelf, Nova was right in my face sporting a huge grin. "I did it! I did it!" I tilted my head. "Did what?" He grabbed a hold of me and pulled me over to the nearby table. The two books on the left of and open one, compared to the six on the right, were what made me realize just how fast of a reader I was. Nova sat me down on the opposite side of his books before sitting across from me. "Watch this." Nova leaned over the book and stared at it. The tip of his horn began to shine a little brighter than this morning, and he was already doing marginally better than this morning simply because he hadn't blown himself up yet. He began to shake a little, and I couldn't help but smile as his efforts reminded me of the days when I first started studying magic. Back then, simply flipping a page without touching it was a big thing for me, so I understood his excitement when the glowing page before him turned over. It left him panting once he had done it, but he was smiling too. "I'll probably never be able to do the things you can, but it's a start, right? If I keep practicing, I might be able to lift the whole book by this afternoon!" To be honest, his enthusiasm was kind of cute, for lack of a better word. "I'm sure you will, just keep at it." He chuckled and dove back into his book. As I made my way back to my own desk and sat down, I began thinking more and more about what Nova had said earlier. It got so bad that I could no longer focus on my current book. Out of curiosity, I poked my head around the corner to see how Nova was doing. He was trying to flip each page using his magic, but he looked more like he had just run for five miles without stopping. Well… that probably would've been easy for him, but my point still stands. Trying to focus on my own reading became near impossible. Not only was I thinking about what Nova had told me, but I also started to think about our friends. I really couldn't imagine how they felt having to go home and tell others that they wouldn't be there for a while. The fact that Canterlot was my home didn't make that any easier, either. The point Nova had tried to make was that Celestia and Luna wouldn't just drop this burden on us without making sure we were ready. What I was truly doubtful of now was whether or not we would be told all there was to tell about Terrario, El Dorbronco, and the Elements. I knew the princesses had their reasons for hiding things, but I felt the same way about our current situation as I did about what we'd be faced with in the future, and I wanted to know everything I could. If there was one place that might have even a smidgen of information regarding those subjects, it would be the archives created by someone with direct experience. With a new goal in mind, I headed towards the Starswirl the Bearded wing and made a vow to read through every single book, journal, and scrap book it had. === Chapter 6: Goodbyes === A New Era Story 7 Chapter 6: Goodbyes By: SleeplessScribe Cobalt As a guard captain, I understood how imperative it was for all of us to begin preparations as fast as we could, but as I flew over the Crystal Empire on my way home to the city of Meadowbrook, I couldn't help but feel just a little angry at how Princess Celestia had only given all of us two days to get our affairs in order. To be honest, I wouldn't have put it past her to give us only one if I lived closer to Canterlot. I found out that two of the other colts that were involved in this lived a ways away as well, so they probably had something to do with it, too. Meadowbrook was just a short flight north of the Crystal Empire, though I was stopped before I could reach the city walls. A loud roar echoed through the sky as the stony-scaled dragon flew over me. He slowly came to a stop and hovered overhead. "A rough and dangerous road awaits you, child." It was kind of funny how such a beast could blend in so well with the sky, especially since his scales, albeit blue and grey, made him look like he was covered in rocks. "I realize that. I suppose you already know this, but I'm just here to say goodbye. My troops will understand, but I'm still worried about the city and what could happen while I'm gone. Not only that, but I'm absolutely dreading breaking the news to Gilda." "Young Cobalt, you need not worry. I have kept watch over this city since the end of the White War. Do you truly believe I will not continue to do so?" I looked down some. "No, Vahlok. I just can't help but worry. My fathers have commanded the city guard since Meadowbrook first established an official law enforcement and military force. There's also Gilda, like I said. Explaining everything to her is what I'm really going to have a hard time doing." Vahlok let out a low chuckle, though even that sounded like a menacing snarl coming from a dragon. "I believe you'll find that an easier task than you believe." I tilted my head, but started to understand as we made our way to the mountain Meadowbrook had been built into. Standing before the city gates were at least seven figures, and they all made their way towards me when I touched down. My sisters pretended to pout as Gilda wrapped her arms around me. They always did like getting the first hugs. Once we broke, I gave her a quick kiss on the tip of her beak before both mares pulled me away for their hugs. Cyan, the oldest of us, adjusted her glasses and looked up at the large dragon behind me. "Vahlok has explained a lot to us already, so you know what we're going to say." As serious as this was, I couldn't help but smile when I looked to my other older sister, whose eyes I could actually see instead of trying to stare through the long, blonde hair she used to hide them behind. "Do you really have to leave, Cobalt? Is there really nopony else that can go in your place?" My gaze turned to my girlfriend, but Gilda's focus was behind us. The tapping of my father's cane against the stone road was the only thing between us and complete silence. Behind him was Shield Shatter, my lieutenant, and Twister and Heavyweight, two of my most well-respected gate guards. It was no surprise to me that Twister didn't say anything, but I fully expected Shatter and Ol' Red – which was Heavyweight's preferred nickname – to have a few words for me. Instead, my father came between us all and cleared his throat. "Cerulean, you know as well as I do that this is your brother's path to walk and his alone. That being said, I would like to hear about what exactly is going on. Vahlok has only told us that you must leave for a time." I waited for a moment to see if anyone else had words for me. When it became apparent none of them did, I took my pendant out from underneath my armor and held it up so they call could see it. "This is the element of Devotion, one of the six Elements of Valor. They go together with the six Elements of Harmony to create the greatest power in all of Equestria. This power will be needed to quell a strong evil that will soon return to Equestria. Princess Luna believes I am an embodiment of this element, and as a result, am the only one fit to go. Believe me, if I had the option to say here, I would." Shatter came up to me with a look on her face that was near impossible to attach one emotion to. "I know better than to argue with you, so I'll just make things a little easier. Please, Captain, try not to worry too much. You've seen me take over before." I slowly nodded. "Thanks, Shatter… but there's more to this than just the city. Of course, the safety of Meadowbrook's citizens has always been one of my main concerns, but I'm… afraid. I'm not proud to admit it, but I am. If I don't come back, all of you will have to go on without me… and that's something that truly scares me. We have no idea what this enemy is capable of, save for the fact that we know he managed to overpower the princesses." After seeing some of the faces I was met with, I shook my head. "It's complicated. I'd equate it to a 'dirty trick' or something. Like… he did something to gain more power that the sisters could do too, but didn't want to for fear of the damage it would cause. That kind of power isn't something to be messed with." Cyan opened her mouth but shut it immediately after another voice came out. "You'll come back." All heads turned towards Red, who backed up a little to reveal the skinny, silver-coated pegasus behind him. Twister's blue mane was hiding her eyes, but she moved it out of the way and looked right into my own. "You're strong, and you won't be alone. If everything you've said is true, you'll have eleven other ponies helping you. Please don't worry, Captain; the last thing you need is to be thinking about us and distracting yourself." Everything was silent as we stared at each other. I slowly made my way towards her, wrapping my forelegs around her once I was close enough. "Thanks, Twister. I needed that. I need to leave tomorrow afternoon, but I just can't bring myself to say goodbye to everyone. Shatter, if anyone asks about me, just tell them I was called away for a while." She saluted, but I didn't give her a chance to speak. "All of you, back to your posts." I then turned to my father and sisters, nodding to them. "I'll see you all at home, but I'd like some time with Gilda if you don't mind." They all maintained their silence as they headed towards the city gates. Vahlok spread his wings but did not take off. "I shall return to my cave in the mountain. However, I urge you to visit the blacksmith before your departure. I have informed him of your journey, and he has prepared a gift that is sure to aid you." Gilda and I were left on our own once he had flown off. I turned to her, but she was just staring at the ground. However, she did turn to me when I opened my mouth. "That's really scary, Cobalt. You know I don't get scared, but the thought of losing you is just… too much. The worst part is that I know Dash is a part of this too. What if I lost both of you? I… I… I couldn't even imagine how I would feel." She took a step back as I approached her, but allowed me to close the gap and wrap my forelegs around her. "I know, Gilda, I know. I won't ask you not to worry, and I don't expect you to stay calm, but please, please, please don't let this consume you. Gilda, I swear to you I'll come back. I'll be cautious and I'll do everything I can to avoid risks, but you know I'll have to take them." The sweet griffin pressed herself against my chest. "Never make a girl a promise if you can't keep it." I knew she would say that, and I already had a response ready. "I made that promise for a reason. This very oath is what's going to make it a guarantee that you won't lose me. You've already lost so much, I have no right to make you lose more." She curled her talons and beat her fist against my chest plate. "I swear, if you get hurt, I'll never forgive you. I'll make sure you cut your lip each time we kiss! I—" Leaning forward, I pressed my lips against her forehead. "I love you too, Gilda. Look, I have to leave tomorrow, so let's make the most of the rest of today and tomorrow morning, okay? Focusing on being away from one another isn't going to do us any good." "How can you be so… so calm?" Gilda looked up at me and backed away. "You're the first person in a long while that I've allowed beyond my own personal wall. Can you really forget about that so easily?" I slowly shook my head, nudging it forward so she would at least start walking with me. "Haven't you been listening? I'm just as afraid as you. I don't fear death… but I fear loss. Ever since I was told what I needed to do, I've been thinking about what might happen to you if I don't come back. That's why I promised you I would, Gilda. You'd be surprised how much extra motivation a simple promise can give." She was keeping her gaze off of me, but I caught her glancing back every now and again. "I'm going to miss you. We all are, but I will especially. You know my story… I'm tired of being alone." I came to a stop and waited until she noticed. Once she had come back to me, I lifted her head up and smiled. "You're not alone, even when I'm not here. This is your home now, and as far as the important ones here are concerned, you're family. My father, my sisters, Shatter, Red, Twister, everyone accepts you now. Those bigots that still don't want you here? Who cares? Listen, Gilda, I know it will be hard, but I need you to be strong." She took a deep breath, and I couldn't help but feel a little better when I saw that small smile form on her beak. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I just forgot I can still depend on myself. I've lived like that for so long, so having others to lean on feels like a necessity." Anvil's smithy was slowly coming into view now that we had started walking again, so I knew I had to wrap this up somehow. "Just remember that you still have my family, and everyone in the guard. While it's certainly cute that you're so comfortable around me, it helps to have more than one person to confide in." That got her attention. She swiped at me and let out a low growl. "I swear, if you call me cute one more time, I'll—" Gilda paused and just stared at me for a few moments. She lowered her claw, turning away from me and hanging her head again. "Damn you, Cobalt. I can't even finish a threat with you anymore. I really am getting soft…." I patted her shoulder so she'd turn to me again. "There's nothing wrong with being soft to a degree. I've got a big soft spot for you, and you know that." She sighed. "Right. Let's just go before I embarrass myself even more." "Alright then." Anvil waved as soon as he caught sight of us. "There you are! I've been waiting for you." "Sorry, bud. I was kind of busy talking to everyone that met me at the gate. Vahlok said you had something for me." He nodded slowly and went through the doorway behind him. "Indeed I do! I was told of your new duty, so I figured I'd do my part to help." Both my and Gilda's eyes widened when he came back. On the counter he had set four boots, a chest plate, a sword, and even a shield. There were all made of the same jagged, stony material, and the coloring made it obvious what this material was. "Well, what do you think? I dare say this is my best work yet." I rubbed my eyes quickly just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. "Anvil… where did you get this?" A sly grin crossed his face. "A… charitable donation. Vahlok saw it as both a test of my skills and a tremendous benefit to you. Genuine dragon scales… light as a feather, but stronger than the finest steel." He gave the chest plate a few taps. "Go on, let's give it a field test. It's even enchanted, and Vahlok will show you how to summon it so you don't have to carry it around." I couldn't help but smile as I turned to Gilda. "See? You've got to be feeling at least a little more assured, right?" She looked from me to the armor and back again. "I guess so… a little bit. Just be careful, Cobalt." "I will, Gilda, I will. Come on, let's test out this equipment." She and Anvil both smiled as I put the chest on, showing that it fit perfectly. "Let's go." Astro My trip home was probably the shortest of all of us, considering my "cottage for rich ponies" – as Trixie put it – was in East Canterlot. Speaking of Trixie, she was waiting for me in front of the gates to my "country style manor" – as I called it – and ran towards me. Her forelegs were wrapped around my shoulders before I could even say anything. She smiled and pressed her lips against my own. "Astro!" "Hello, beautiful!" I happily returned her kiss before she released me. "How'd you hold up while I was gone?" Trixie grinned and nudged my shoulder. "Just fine, Astro. Sapphire and I had plenty of fun together. In fact, it was nice to have a girls' night for once. Uh… no offense." "None taken. Though… I have some news that's both good and bad." She tilted her head and blinked. "Good and bad?" I nodded slowly. "I'm going to have to leave for a long while, but at least you'll get some more 'girls' nights' with Sapphire, right?" "What? You're gonna be gone even longer?" A small frown crossed her face as I lowered my head. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Come on, let's go inside and I'll fill you in on the details." Trixie stayed silent as we made our way to the door. I opened it for her, but she just stood there staring at me. "You'd better have a good explanation…." As she walked in, I began to wonder if my explanation would truly be good enough, despite the gravity of this situation. I closed the door and followed Trixie through the door ahead of us that lead into the kitchen. Once there, I saw that Sapphire, the dragon that Trixie had hatched, pouring tea into three cups on the small table near one of the windows. Not many ponies actually knew that Trixie was a student at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, at least not many outside of Canterlot. She turned her head when she heard the door close, and ran towards me with open arms once she saw us. "Astro, welcome back! So? What were you called to Canterlot for? Something big and important, I bet! Are you getting a promotion? Did you break a record? Come on, don't leave us hanging!" One could almost feel the excitement drain from her as I looked away. "I… I'm going to have to leave you both for a while. I'm not sure exactly how long I'll be gone, but it's more important than you know." Sapphire didn't exactly have ears, but the spines on the sides of her head behaved like them and served as a clear indicator of her disappointment when they lowered. "Oh… well, do you at least have time for a cup of tea? I made it because I knew you'd be back soon." I nodded as we all sat down at the table. "Oh, yes, it's not like I'll be leaving again in five minutes. I'll probably leave tomorrow evening." Trixie let out a groan and nuzzled my cheek. "That's still way too soon. Why do you even have to leave?" I let out a sigh and took a sip of the tea Sapphire poured for me. To be honest, I wasn't all that eager to retell Princess Luna's story to them, but it was clear that the girls wouldn't take "I don't want to talk about it" for an answer. They both stared into my soul as I tried to find words to say. In the end, I just repeated what Luna had told us, which left them both with rather surprised expressions. Sapphire's blank stare remained on her face, but Trixie finally shook herself back to Earth. "So you've got to go help defeat this great evil?" She stood up and slammed her hoof on the table, nearly knocking her teacup over. "In that case, I'm going too! You can't expect me to stay here and do nothing!" Over the years, I had learned quite a bit about patience, which allowed me to stay calm despite the mare raising her voice. "Out of the question, love. You don't need to put yourself in danger. As your coltfriend, I'd worry for your safety, and as your mentor, I expect you to continue practice and studies while I'm gone." Trixie seemed taken aback by my response. She scoffed a few times before setting her other hoof on the table as well. "My safety? What about your safety? Do you actually think I'll be able to sleep at night when I'm constantly worrying about you?" That last question shut me up faster than an insult about my mother. Trixie continued to glare at me and eventually leaned forward to get in my face. "Well?" I sighed again and leaned forward as well, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I love you, Trixie. You know I love you. I'm just looking out for you, lass. Please just stay here and try not to worry." She raised her hoof as a scowl crossed her muzzle, but she never got a chance to speak. "Um... don't I get a say in this?" We both turned to Sapphire, whom was twiddling her thumbs and keeping her eyes focused on the floor. "Of course you do, Sapphire. I'm sorry I flew off the handle like that." Trixie sat back down, and Sapphire began playing with her tail as she spoke. "I think Astro should go. Trixie... I want you to stay here. If you go, I'll be all alone, and you know how scared I am of being lonely. Besides, I'm sure the princesses will let him write letters, right?" I smiled and gave her a pat on the head. "That's right. Once I'm gone, I'll be sure to write as often as I can." There were tears forming in her eyes as I turned back to Trixie. "Astro... I'm going to miss you. Please be careful; I won't ever forgive you if you get hurt." Before I could even lean towards her, she was wrapping me in a hug. "I'll promise to be careful if you promise to keep moving forward with your studies. I want to see some new tricks when I get back." The smile returned to her face as she let go of me. "I promise." Sapphire crossed her arms, putting on a pouty face. "As long as you don't accidentally turn me yellow again. I'm sure you remember how long it took us to figure out how to reverse that." We all started laughing when she brought that up. For a moment, it was if the heavy air had been lifted. It was nice to kind of forget what our future held for those brief seconds, but as soon as the laughter died down, my thoughts immediately drifted back to what was coming. "I guess I should get ready. It'd be better to get that out of the way now so I have as much time to spend with you two as possible." They both sighed as I got up and headed for my study. There really wasn't much "packing" I needed to do, seeing as how I'd be in Canterlot proper for the most part. I was sure the princesses would provide with necessities if the need to travel arose, but I did want to take a few scrolls and books with me. However, I decided to look through the family archives rather than my library. I knew there were written works that were dated long before any book I had bought. Maybe there were some documents that could prove useful. I didn't really expect it to happen, but I made sure to hide my bags just in case one of the girls tried to snoop. It's not like I thought they'd do something bad, but I didn't want anyone else finding out about the existence of these papers. There was a reason no stories or books about that time could be found in Equestria, so I could only imagine what the sisters would do if they found out about my documents. Once I was finished, I came back down and finished my tea with them. I had a long, tough road ahead of me, but I made sure to at least act like there was nothing to worry about… for their sakes. Beat It was kind of funny to see how many of us stayed together. Nova and Twilight stayed behind at the castle while Astro and Cobalt went off to wherever they lived, but the rest of us all went back to Ponyville. In all honesty, I kind of wished we had split up. Everyone was dead silent, even Pinkie. Of course, I was just as at fault as anypony else, since I just listened to music for the whole train ride, but still. When the ride was over, everyone just kind of sauntered off in their own directions. It was too much for me to take. "Hey!" They all stopped and looked at me, though they still kept quiet. "What are we doing moping around? These aren't the homies I was greeted by when I first came here! I gave up my fame and fortune to hang out with you guys, and this is how you act?" My eyes immediately rested on Pinkie. The party pony was scanning the faces around us, and after a bit, she started nodding. "Yeah, Beat's right! Come on everypony, let's turn those frowns upside down!" I then turned to Torque. I hadn't hung out with him as much as the others, I knew him well enough to know that between him, Pinkie, and myself, there was enough cheer to raise even the lowest of spirits. The mechanic looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "You know, Pinkie has a point. What's the point in getting all down in the dumps about this? The only thing that's going to accomplish is making all of this even harder." Rarity reached her hoof out to him. Those two were really close, so I was hoping his attitude would rub off on her. "Torque, I understand how you feel, but this is just a lot to take—" "Yeah!" We all turned to Jet, who was sporting a big grin. Applejack was smiling too, but Jet was obviously the more... boisterous one in that relationship. "Who cares if this guy has a lot of power? We're all in his together, right?" Everyone traded looks with one another, nodding towards Jet after a bit. "There you go! It doesn't matter if it's one or one thousand, we can take 'em! Just who the hell do they think we are?" I looked to Rarity, who still didn't seem all that convinced. "Look, I know what you all are saying, but this is a lot for me to take it. Remember that we have just been told that we'll be leaving home, and we don't know how long we'll be gone. Can you honestly say that you're not worried about this?" After she said this, I shook my head. "I never said I wasn't worried. Rarity, I've got a pregnant marefriend at home! Speaking of, she's pretty far along, too! When the princess first told us we'd have to leave, I was terrified of the idea of missing the foal's birth. That's not to say I'm no longer afraid, but I keep telling myself that there's no point in dwelling on it." "Beat's right!" I should have known Rainbow Dash would take my side, as well. She flew over us and landed right beside me. "If we go into this all down in the dumps, then how useful would we actually be? We need to just say our goodbyes, get it over with, and keep moving forward!" It was time to seal the deal. With six out of eight—Applejack was always on Jet's side, at least I assumed so—ponies cheered up, that only left Rarity and Fluttershy to convince, and after my super-secret finishing move, there was no way they could resist. "Hey, you know what we should do? We only have the rest of today and tomorrow morning before we have to leave, so let's make it count! Let's have a party right before we leave!" Pinkie's eyes lit up as she jumped into the center of the little circle we had made. "That is the best idea ever! I'll run home and get my streamers! Oh, and I'll need my tablecloths! Oh, and who could forget the confetti? This is going to be so much fun!" My favorite party pony took off faster than Rainbow Dash herself, who nudged me as she slowly floated towards her home in the sky. "You really know how to change a mood, Beat! I'm feeling more upbeat already." She had given me a perfect opportunity, and there was no way I could pass it up. "I made you more upbeat? Eh? Eh? Get it?" Rainbow crossed her forelegs and rolled her eyes. As she spoke, her hoof met her forehead as well. "And you just killed it. Good job." When she said this, I hung my head and waited for her follow up. She chuckled and patted my back. "I'm just kidding! Still, though, that was a pretty terrible pun." I immediately perked back up and chuckled myself. "Should I be punished for it?" The grin vanished from her face, replaced a line so straight rulers and measuring tape envied it. "Don't push it." She then picked up a bit more speed as she flew towards her home. When I turned around, Jet and Applejack were already a decent ways away, and I assumed they were heading to Sweet Apple Acres. I mean, who wouldn't assume that's where they were headed? Torque and Rarity were chatting to each other until they split up down the road to go to their houses, but Fluttershy was just standing in the same place she had been, staring up at the sky. "Fluttershy?" She didn't look at me when I spoke, nor when I approached her. "Everything alright?" Even as she spoke, her gaze never shifted away from the afternoon sky. "Ever since Nova came to Ponyville and these strange things began happening, all of my animal friends have been acting strangely. I-I wonder… is it because they knew something was wrong with the nature around them?" "Huh, never pegged you as the philosophical type. Then again, I'd never peg you as the kind to look at a dragon, let alone raise your voice at one. At least, that's what Rainbow Dash told me you did. Anyway, I'm sure they knew. I had two dogs once, and they always seemed to know when it was going to rain, because they brought their toys in from outside a couple hours before it did." Fluttershy's upturned brows and straight-line mouth made it obvious she wasn't concerned with small talk. I hadn't really gotten to know her very well, but I felt I knew her well enough through the various things her friends told me about her. I sat down beside her and looked at the sky myself, trying to think of what she might've been thinking about. "Look, I know it's going to be scary, and I won't tell you that you can't be afraid. I just want you to remember that you're not alone." Her ears twitched, and she slowly turned her head to me. I wasn't really expecting it to, but I was still hoping that seeing me smile would make her smile too. "We're all scared, I'm sure of it. Even so, we have to keep moving forward. You know, Fluttershy, you're not as weak as you think. I may not know that much about you, but I know your friends have faith in you." Fluttershy's expression hadn't really changed, but I could tell without a doubt that I had her attention. "Even when you don't believe in yourself, all of us do. In fact, I'd say we all have enough faith in you to make up for the times when you don't have faith in yourself." As much as I wanted to keep talking, I caught a glimpse of the clock tower and had a brief, mini freak out. "Um, sorry Fluttershy, but I need to get going. I don't want to keep Vinyl waiting on me." I turned to leave, and had already begun walking when a small peep made me freeze. "Th-thanks. I'll try to remember that." I let out a small chuckle and waved to her as I continued my walk. "No problem. I'm not really great with speeches, so I just spoke what was on my mind."   As soon as I opened the door, I found myself on the floor and underneath a beautiful, white mare with a swollen belly. "Where have you been, mister? I was worried sick!" All I could do was chuckle and ruffle up that bright blue mane. "Pep talking. Everyone was more depressed than a funeral precession." Vinyl let out a small hiss and scowled. "Ouch, that bad, huh?" "Yeah, I was busy cheering them all up." I looked behind here and all around the house. There wasn't much for me to see from where I was, but I still saw enough to merit asking a question. "Has Via been taking care of you?" She finally backed up off of me and allowed me to get up, and once I was on my hooves, I spotted my cousin sleeping on the couch nearby. "She's been taking very good care of me. I guess it helps that one of her orchestra members was pregnant as well, but she's been working herself so hard. It reminds me of this one time, back when we were dating, and I got really sick and—" Vinyl paused when she saw the look on my face. I unconsciously put that expression on every time my marefriend talked about the days when she and Via dated, though I wished I could break the habit. "Sorry." I shook my head quickly and nuzzled her cheek. "No, it's alright. Believe me, I'm not jealous or anything. I've always thought it was a good thing that you were open minded enough to do what you did, it's just… I wonder what others think." She rolled her eyes and bopped me on the nose a few times. "You dummy. Who cares what others think? Besides, I love you, and nothing's going to change that." She took a hold of my hoof and brought it to her stomach. I couldn't help but smile now, but this reminded me of something I really needed to tell her. "Vinyl! I… I have some bad news. I'm going to have to leave for an indefinite amount of time. I'd like to give you details now, but I plan on seeing if the princesses will allow you to stay at the castle. I refuse to leave you here and… possibly miss the birth of our foal." A soft smile slowly formed on her muzzle as she wrapped me in a hug. "Don't worry, because I won't. Well, I'll try not to, anyway." I looked over to Octavia again, deciding it was best to change the subject now. "We're having a party to boost up everyone's spirits. Do you think you'd be able to come?" My focus was still on my cousin, but I assumed Vinyl rolled her eyes. She usually did before speaking in the tone she responded with. "Are you kidding? Beat, I'm pregnant, not paralyzed. You can bet I'll be there!" When I turned to her, I was met with a smile brighter than any stage light. There were a lot of things I wanted to say, and one thing I had intended to say, but I couldn't help forgetting about all of that when I saw her face. "You know, babe, just a few moments with you is worth more than the lifetime of record labels and concerts I gave up." She just nodded and nuzzled my cheek again. "So… I said I'd try not to worry, but I can't help it. Why exactly do you have to leave, anyway? I mean, I understand if you're not allowed to talk about it or something, but is there anything you can tell me?" Once again, I looked to Octavia. I turned back to my marefriend and slowly shook my head. "I'm going to make sure you're given a place in Canterlot to stay, so I think it'd be best if one of the princesses told you. To be honest, I still don't understand it all myself." Now Vinyl was look over at my cousin, though her expression hadn't really changed. "So, what do we do with her?" I just shrugged. "She lives in Canterlot. I'm sure we can get her permission to enter the castle and find out what's going on." "I already have permission." Hearing her speak made us both jump, and we turned to watch her fidgeting on the couch. "You know, you two are really loud, even when you're trying to be quiet." I let out a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of my neck. "Sorry, Via. How long have you been, uh… how much did you hear?" She sat up on the couch and crossed her forelegs. "Everything. Now I want to hear your explanation, regardless of how much you understand." Scratch and I both stared at her until she began tapping her hoof. I let out a sigh and walked past Vinyl and into the living room, taking a seat in the recliner across from the couch. "Do you remember what happened with Nightmare Moon about two years ago?" Via nodded and Scratch trotted over as fast as she could at the mention of that disaster. "Well, something like that is happening again, but this time it's a lot bigger. Was there any mention of these things called the Elements of Harmony back when Princess Luna's return was still big news?" My cousin looked out the window to her left for a moment. "I think it was mentioned a few times in the news articles I read. Why do you ask?" "Well, there's another set of magic elements. I've become involved with this because I'm one of them. In fact, a bunch of the new guys are involved with this. Nova, Jet, Torque, they're all part of this, and the other two are guys I've never met. Unfortunately, I don't exactly know what it is we need to do." Vinyl tilted her head and nudged me shoulder. Despite the heavy air, she still had a big smile on her face. "So what you're saying is your help is needed to save the world, basically?" "Basically." She leaned up and kissed my cheek. "Then I'm not going to try and stop you. Just make sure to give the bad guy a few good belts for us, got that?" It took me a moment to process what she had said, but a grin slowly spread across my face when I finally did. "You got it."   I was able to spend a few more hours with Vinyl, but Octavia had to return to Canterlot. She didn't really give any details; she just mentioned something about an orchestra meeting. Heck, I didn't even know orchestras had meetings. Just a few minutes after my cousin had left, Pinkie Pie poked her head through the door. "Beat! Guess what!" Scratch and I traded looks before turning our attention back to Pinkie. "You got everything ready for the party already?" She nodded quickly. Sometimes I wondered how she didn't pop her head off doing that. "Yeah! How'd you guess?" "Call it a hunch." My eyes were closed as I spoke, but I could still hear Vinyl giggling beside me. "So, is the party going to start now, or do you still need to set up?" Pinkie shook her head just as quickly as she had nodded earlier. "The party itself isn't ready, but I wanted to come by and ask if you could sing something. Would you mind?" I let out a small chuckle and nodded as well. "That won't be a problem at all." "Great! I'll come back when everything's ready! See you then!" Just as quickly as she had come, Pinkie took off out the door. My marefriend and I traded looks again before quickly bursting into a fit of laughter. Vinyl was the first to calm down. "Pinkie is such a nutcase. It's awesome!" It took me a bit longer to mellow out; I actually was still chuckling when I finally responded. "She's in good company, then." "So, do you know what song you're going to sing?" I tapped my chin a few times as I thought about it. "Mm, I think I have an idea." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Strife author: DegeTheMighty tags: character:Original Character, character:Other, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Daddy To The Rescue === The lamp light seemed unusually bright that night. It gave whatever little warmth it could to the otherwise cold Spring evening. The park bench she lied on was cold to the touch, but still she hid there, under the light of the lamp as Luna's moon rose from the horizon. She feels the day's heat start to seep away from the earth. Oh, poor Melody. She had done it again. Her grades were slipping, and her teacher made sure her parents were well informed. A few tongue lashings here, and few punishments there, only served to drag her further down into her despair. If only they had patience. If only they could wait for her to catch up. All Melody needed was time, and that was what they refused to give her. Then again, she had plenty of it in the past. She had the entire school year to prove herself academically. Her parents were, in fact, being patient with her. Countless months she had to get her grades up. If she had put her mind to it, she could have been top of the class. She was far smarter than she was letting on, both her and her teacher knew that. So why didn't she? Was it because she was lazy? Perhaps she didn't want to deal with the responsibility? Or, maybe, she was scared of what her parents would do if they found out just how sharp of a little filly she really is. A great grade on an important test might be all it took before she found herself enrolled in some advanced curriculum. Then she would set away to some prestigious university in some random city in Equestria. She would be far, far from her home and her friends. And her family. Having to study some random course in a field she wasn't even interested in. She didn't anything to do with that, but she could have at least used the time to get her grades up to an acceptable level. But she wasted it. No, she had to go and have fun with her friends. Go out and find who she really is, to earn her cutie mark. Something that is apparently frowned upon. Her time would be much better spent with flying lessons with her mother. Time better spent locked away in a library, studying until her eyes hurt as the days just passed her by. She didn't want to end up like her aunt. Melody was a pegasus, the very embodiment of freedom. Her mother was too, and yet she was the one who forced her into her studies. Heck, her unicorn father seemed to be more encouraging of her social life than anyone else. The filly sighed. Perhaps she was being too harsh. It wasn't like she was asked to get straight A's for the rest of her life. They just wanted her to succeed, in their own way. Her parents, her mother mainly, had overreacted. Then again, maybe she did too. Maybe she shouldn't have yelled at them like that. Maybe she shouldn't have run out the door. "Melody!" Came a voice from the beyond the trees. It was deep and hoarse, obviously strained. It was buried in concern, and even fear. Not the disappointment and spite like she had anticipated. She raised her head from the cold wood of the bench, her ears perked to the sky. Had she the energy, and the ability, she would have taken to the skies in order to find the source of the shout. But, of course, she couldn't fly. Her mother hammered her for it, claiming that she wasn't trying hard enough. Of course, it had to do with the fact that her wings were smaller than most. Her mother wouldn't understand. She never did. "Melody!" The shout demanded once more. It was starting to get on her nerves, but now she could actually see the stallion it belonged to. It was her father, galloping frantically to and fro, trying to find her. Melody lowered her head back down. He wasn't the last pony she wanted to talk to, but he was close to the top. She watched him in apathy, waiting for him to finally catch sight of her. The stallion's head haphazardly turned towards her, his eyes locking on to hers. Even from that distance, she could see the terrified look in his eyes. All tension in his body visibly disappeared, as he trotted up to her in a much more relaxed pace. Melody looked away as her father's words hit her ears, "There you are! You had us worried sick, Melody!" Again, only concern and worry laced his words. She didn't respond, even as he sat himself directly in front of her. She tensed slightly as she felt his hooves rest softly upon her back. She cautiously looked up at him, afraid of seeing the countenance of disappointment His white coat reflected in the lamp light, but she could easily see the amount of stress he carried. His blue mane, part of which she adopted, fell haphazardly across the side of his face. Mother always said he needed a mane cut. However, Melody was too focused on his face, and the gentle smile he carried without effort. "Why did you run off like that?" He asked, slowly brushing his hoof across the top of her head. Melody continued to remain silent, before a hoof raised her head. She stared directly into the eyes of her father, eyes so protective and loving. "Talk to me, sweetheart." Her head sunk slightly, as he drew his hoof back. "Why did mom have to yell like that?" The filly asked him. Her father sighed, his next words slow and methodical, "She's just stressed, honey. Your grades aren't the only things that's been on her mind." Melody refused to believe that, letting out a heavy sigh. "But it's all she talks about anymore! She worries more about them than she does me." "Of course not," Her father reassured. "She's just worried is all. Heh, probably worried you'll end up like me." The filly looked at him, confused. "Huh?" He chuckled. "My grades were awful, Melody. You should have heard some of the tongue lashings I got from your grandmother. My report card had a giant F stamped onto it. But, I got my act together. You know why?" Melody sighed, already knowing the answer. "Because you met mom, and she straightened you up. That doesn't make me feel any better..." She grumbled. "Actually no," he stated, "believe it or not, her grades were just as bad." Melody looked at him, her eyes as wide as saucers. "What?" He couldn't be serious. Her mother was the shining example of perfection. She held herself as regal as any princess, and was just as beautiful. To imagine her struggling with school was baffling, rather funny even. Of course, it made her mother nothing more than a hypocrite. Her father's words only serve to anger her more. He continued. "Our grades got worse and worse as time went on. We were too focused on each other to even think about school. That changed though." He took a deep breath. "When Nightmare Moon came back, she almost killed your mother. After that sobering moment, we straightened up. And a good thing too, otherwise I don't think I would have made it into the Royal Guard." Melody scoffed. "So you're saying I need a near-death experience to help motivate me?" "No, what I'm saying is that your mother is speaking from experience, and doesn't want you to flunk like we almost did," He said. A soft silence moved in, before the stallion spoke up. "So it's a problem with motivation, huh?" He asked her. The filly sighed, figuring now would be a good time to express her worries. "Yeah. I just don't really see the point. If I do bad, like I am now, I get yelled at. If I do good, then I'll have so much more work to do. Knowing mom she'd send me to advanced schools or something. That would mean more work and responsibility, not mention I wouldn't have any time with my friends." Her father sighed. "You think she would really do that?" "Yes, she would! All she cares about is school! ...And flying, for that matter! She always wants to go flying, even when I don't. Why can't I learn on my own!? It's really getting on my nerves!" The filly shouted. Her father looked at her in concern. The relationship between Melody and her mother was more strained than he thought. "There's a reason for that." "What? Because I need to learn from her? Because its tradition?" "No, because your mother never got the chance." "What chance?" She asked him. "Did you know she was adopted?" He asked, brushing his hoof across her mane. Mother, adopted? She had been an orphan? She never mentioned anything like that. What was it like? What was it like never to know who you're real parents were? Or that they just couldn't take care of you? She couldn't imagine what something like that would be like, but she was certain it would hurt. "She was?" Her father nodded solemnly. "Yeah. She was raised by Earth Ponies. She never had the chance for her mother to teach her how to fly. That's why she's been so insistent on you learning. She wanted you to have that experience she didn't. And she also wanted the chance to teach someone herself." Melody sighed, feeling somewhat responsible. "I'm sorry, I guess I overreacted. I just wish she was a little less harsh all of the time." "I know," Her father said, "I'm sure she doesn't mean it. Heck, we're still learning as parents after all." He patted her on the head, as she wiped her eyes. "You ready to head home?" The filly nodded, as she climbed onto the back of her father. She was still upset about the night's events, but at least she understood the reasons behind it. Maybe things have calmed down, and everything would be better in the morning. The front door was still open slightly, as her father pushed it open. Melody dreaded the scolding she would inevitably get. The stallion led them into the living room, where she found the pink pegasus she had shouted at, and ran away from. She expected to see a look of absolute anger on her face. Shock had overwhelmed her, as she noted the tear stains on her mother's face. "Melody...?" She mumbled. The filly hopped off of her father's back, as she hesitantly cantered over to her. Concern overtook her, as she had never seen her mother cry like this before. She knew she shouldn't have abandoned her like she did, but now she deeply regretted it. She never wanted to make her mother cry. Melody hopped onto the couch, as she threw her arms around the mare. Her mother returned the embrace, squeezing tightly to ensure she wouldn't let her go again. "I'm sorry mom. I shouldn't have ran out like that." The filly said, sniffling. "I am too, honey. I shouldn't have shouted a you like that," her mother said, kissing her on the forehead. That was all Melody needed to hear, and her own guilt was overtaking her. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just so fed up with everything." She pulled away from the mare. "Dad told me about how you two were, in school." Her mother managed to laugh, giving the stallion in question a threatening look. "Did he now?" "He also mentioned how bad your grades were too," She laughed, hoping she wasn't crossing a line. "Yeah, they were pretty bad. But know I just don't want you to fail, right?" Her mother asked. Melody nodded. "Yeah, I just... I dunno, I don't want lose time with my friends." Her mother nuzzled her. "Don't worry. You'll have all the time in world, I'll make sure of it." Her father simply watched the scene, with a relieved smile on his face. The relationship between mother and daughter was pushed to the breaking point, but he hoped he gave Melody a new perspective on things. It would be some trying time sfor the little filly, with the work she will have to do, but at least she knew she had their support. Now and forever. The three migrated upstairs, after realizing the time of the night. The pegasus mare tucked her daughter into bed for the first time in years. She moved to give her another kiss, before tiny hooves wrapped around her neck. Melody had felt the full brunt of her guilt when she saw her mother cry, and never wanted to see it again. She had never regretted anything more. Her voice quivered, her words filled with more sincerity than any other. "Thanks for everything, mom," she said, "I love you." The mare wrapped her filly in a hug. "I love you too, Melody. I always will." Shining Armor grinned as he watched his daughter drift off to sleep. Cadence strode back up to him, turning off the light. He could see how much better she felt, her heart mended by Melody's words. "Are you okay?" He asked her. Cadence grinned when she looked at him, the two of them heading for their own bed. "What did you say to her?" "I just calmed her down. She knows that we're trying our best," Shining said. "Daddy to the rescue, eh?" She mocked. "Thanks Shiny. I couldn't ask for a better husband." "Maybe if you had a wish." He joked. "Oh please, you think I'd ask for that if I had a wish? I'd ask for a new bed." * * * Shining's eyes opened in a jolt, as the rain's downpour pounded at his roof like hammers. He groaned, his vision still adjusting to the minute light in his room. His hangover was devastating, and rammed at his skull with the force of a hurricane. He thought he'd be used to it by now. Shining Armor knew the routine all too well at this point. Wake up to an empty bed, have a hangover that would kill a normal pony, and get ready to pour a new glass. Of course, he had already planned ahead, as a warm cup of whiskey sat upon his nightstand. His attention was diverted to the photo behind it. Cadence and him, at a much younger age. He remembered that day, with crystal clarity. He remembered everyday with her with such detail. Shining groaned, as he rolled over to the other side of the bed. He was getting sick of having dreams like this, but there wasn't any real way for him to stop it. Drinking himself to death obviously wasn't working. But did he even want them to stop? They were his only real way to interact with the pegasus anymore, even if it was all in his subconscious. At the very least, Shining Armor still had her in some form. His tired eyes focused on Ponyville through the view of the window, as he gazed at a world without his Cadence. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Life of an Engineer - The unwanted Adventures author: Hoppa_21 tags: character:Changelings, character:Main 6, character:Original Character, character:Other, character:Queen Chrysalis, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Adventure, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== A normal day === This is my first english story. Please tell me if you find any grammar or punctuation mistakes. Did you ever regret something? I did, a lot of times, and I doubted myself probably more often, than most of the other ponies. I did not fit in, or at least, that's what I thought. But one day, everything changed. Not that I liked the change that happened. It was a hell of an experience that left me more than once on the edge of breaking down. But we should probably start at the beginning. First of all let's get to the introduction. Hi, I'm Steam Gear and I'm a unicorn engineer. I live in Ironburg, a small town at the border of Equestria, which is guarded by Equestrian military. The border is next to the wasteland of Queen Chrysalis, a changeling queen, who tried to take over Equestria several times. So you could say that protection is really needed around here. You never know, when she tries to strike again. But let's forget about that for now. The sun was rising at the horizon. Its warmth reached through the window and reached my cheek. I rolled over to the other side of the bed. I knew, that I had to get up, but I still struggled a little. After five more minutes I sat up and moved slowly out of the bed. Yesterday was hard. A lot of jobs to do and I still haven't finished them all. I was glad, that I had an employee. Doing this job alone would let me little to no free time at all. But I needed to get going. There was no time. I had breakfast and then got ready. I looked at the mirror. I had a green coat with a brown mane and wore a white shirt with a brown jacket. Only my top hat was missing. I grabbed it fast and put it on my head. Now I was all set to go and moved to my small shop. I enjoyed the walk. Ironburg has a lot to see. The nice rustic metallic and wooden buildings along with a small river, which flows through the town make a great atmosphere. Then I finally reached the shop I sighed. I still needed to get a new label for my shop. The old one was so rusty, that you almost couldn't read the name of the shop. It probably wouldn't attract many customers anymore. I'm just glad, I had some regulars around. This helped the shop a lot. I levitated the key and opened the old shop. I sure was glad, that I took it over from my former boss. It wasn't much, but it was my own little shop. Not everypony could brag about having a shop. On the other hoof, when did I ever brag? Soon I heard the doorbell rang and greeted my employee, Screw Driver. He was an Earth Pony with a cream-coloured coat and a brown, ruffled mane. Despite him being an earth pony, he could manage the tasks I gave him surprisingly well. I know, that I couldn't beat him at it without my magic. I don't want to think about, how bad I would fail at being an earth pony! I'm just too clumsy with my hooves! We both got to work quickly. There were still enough jobs we had to deal with. Now that I think about it… It seems like the guards are more active lately, since most of the jobs were for them. They had a lot of devices and weapons, which needed a repair or a complete makeover. "Mr. Gear, Sir. The delivery is here," said Screw Driver, as he came back from the small delivery entrance. I actually liked the way he addressed me. With so much respect and awe. I didn't think that highly of myself. But let's forget about that and first check on the delivery. "Hm…" I mused. "Not bad. This is the new technology I heard about? I need to know, how it works, so that I can reproduce and repair it in the future." I turned around to Screw Driver. "Could you take care of the counter, while I inspect the goods?" He nodded. "Of course, Sir." And by inspect I of course meant to dissemble one of these! I just needed to know how they work! I mean, how could I call myself an engineer if I couldn't keep up with new technology? Hours passed like seconds and soon it was noon. Not bad that I could manage a rhyme, but back to the topic. I was finally done, at least with the understanding part. I could now imagine how it worked. To put it back together would still take some time. But I could do that still later. I should take over the counter for now. As I entered the sales room, I could see Screw Driver working on one of those jobs for the guards. I was so fascinated with the new technology, that I totally forgot about them! "Sir, would you like to take over the counter?" he asked, while I stood there dumbstruck. After a while I muttered, "Yeah…sure…" I'm really not that well organized. I should really do something about it or else it could harm the customer satisfaction and with that my reputation. Mental notes are simply not enough. Screw driver went back to the working room, by the time I was finished with my thoughts. And then suddenly the doorbell rang and a cyan pegasus pony dashed into my shop. She wasn't hard to recognize with her rainbow mane. Compared to other ponies, she was really sticking out. "Welcome to Steam Punk Engineering. What can I do for you today, Rainbow Dash?" I greeted and waited for her answer. I didn't have to wait long. She grunted, "Call me RD! That sounds 20 % cooler, G!" G, a strange nickname if you ask me, but I would never defy a customers wish. I flinched at her little outburst and avoided her glare. "Sorry… I forgot…" She sighed. "You should really stop the whole 'getting depressed at everything' thing. Seriously, how do you plan on binding your customers like that? You should be lucky, that I'm the most loyal pony around here." She stuck her chest out. "Let's get back to the topic on hoof here. What have you got for me this time?" I put on a reassuring smile. Now I was in my element. "You will like this. Look at this glove!" I pointed at a glove. "So? What about it?" I grinned. "It is a new technology, which allows you to use the magic within you and fire a small ball of magic towards your enemies! It is a nice addition to the wing blades I made for you! It will make your fighting skills at least 20 % cooler and you will also be able to knock enemies out at least 20 % faster!" "Sounds good, but I'm more of a physical fighter. Do you have anything for a hoof fight?" My grin widened. "Of course there is also a version of this glove, which is perfect for physical combat." I showed her another glove, which looked slightly different than the other. "It will strengthen the blow, that your hoof delivers and most certainly send your enemy flying. They won't know, what hit them! I'm sure that you can take down a lot more enemies with the strength that this glove enables. Like the previous Item, it will make your fighting still 20 % cooler and will ensure you a victory in 10 seconds flat!" At this point, I should mention how easy it is to satisfy Rainbow Dashes needs. Just use the words 20 % cooler or 10 seconds flat and she would buy it. Of course I wouldn't abuse this power to sell her junk. Actually I would be too afraid to sell her junk. She is strong and I don't want to take the risk to have her as an enemy. That's for sure. Rainbow Dash smiled at me. "That's what I wanted to hear, G! It is just as awesome as me! I will take it. And adjust it for me, so that it fits my armor better. I hope you prepare the yard for some weapon testing later." She said motivated. I grinned. "Sure. I will set it up for the afternoon. I wouldn't want to test a new weapon without my most loyal customer." "You got that right!" Then suddenly her demeanor changed to a less cheerful level, which alarmed me. I already knew, what was about to come. "Oh and about your payment… Let's just write it down to the other debts. I'm kind of broke at the moment," she said sheepishly, which caused my grin to disappear. Right… I shouldn't expect her to pay immediately. I mean, she doesn't do it normally, so why should she pay now? She will probably pay it at the end of the month, when she gets her salary, but… It is hard for me to wait for the payment always at least a month. I mean, I have to run a business! Why can't she just manage her money better? Not that I could complain. She is the most loyal customer I have. Maybe I should say something… Better not. I don't want to upset her. You are pathetic. No, I'm not! Stupid voice in my head, leave me alone! You should just demand that she pays her purchases in advance! Where's your problem? I… I just don't want to rush her. Please, we both know, that this is not the real reason "I will take a look around for other stuff.", she said and then walked to one of the shelves. She used her wings as hooves and looked through the mechanical devices, which laid there. How beautiful… I let out a dreamy sigh. Look at them. Those wings are the things what haunt my dreams. They are so feathery and soft. I just wished I could…measure them. Measure? Not this again. Stop this nonsense at once! But…that nonsense is technically my job… Your Job? Don't make me laugh! Engineering is not defined by measuring wings! You only have to measure wings, if you build or adapt something for a customer, nothing more! What is so fascinating about them anyway? They are so useful. I mean, they are technically a second pair of hooves, only that they are a lot more useful, with the tips, that could act like fingers! They are so soft and feathery and flexible and strong and… I could measure them all day. The things I would do to those wings… Not only measure. I would experiment with them to gain knowledge about their flexibility and strength and… Why can't she order another pair of wing blades? When I could just pretend, that her wings have grown or that I have lost her measurements and so I could measure them again! I let out another dreamy sigh. "Uh… you are drooling," said Rainbow Dash. This pulled me immediately out of my thoughts. I needed to say something to distract her from this or a good explanation or any smart words! "Uh…really?" was all I could utter. Thanks brain. You did well! I really am pathetic… "Uh…yeah…" she said sounding a little unsure. "Whatever, I have to get back to work. The guards need me to keep this place safe. " She shrugged. "You know, they can't keep this place safe without somepony as awesome as me." "Yes... I can imagine..." I said a little dumbstruck. She then took off and left the shop. Guards, hm? I thought. I could bet that she is taking a nap like usual. I'm not the type of pony that leaves the house often, but when I do I see her more sleeping than flying or doing her work. Most of the times I'm disappointed by it. I mean, I would really love to watch her flying all the time! It is far more exciting to see what those wings of her can do. And I know for a fact, that she is a really good flyer. I saw her competing against other guards, they didn't stand a chance! Come to think of it, I haven't made an important delivery to a customer yet. Another mental note that I completely forgot. I should better get going. Yeah, move! That voice is a real charmer. I put on my saddlebag with the delivery from my working room and left. I told Screw Driver to take care of the shop and he happily obliged. When I left the shop I sighed. This was really the worst thing that could have happened today. I mean, drooling? She probably thinks I'm a creep and I couldn't really blame her. Now I will never get a chance to measure those wings again… Snap out of it! You won't bind any customers with such a strange behavior. Well, technically I am strange. I'm probably the only one, who has problems to fit in with other ponies. The only pony I do not behave strange around is Screw Driver. I just act without thinking too much. Probably because I have warmed up to him over the last years and that's only because we work together. It probably helped too that the shop isn't crowded like other places. I hate places with many ponies. I can't handle them. They just make me nervous and I always want to leave immediately. Things can't always go on like this. Yeah…probably not. I sighed again. I made my way to the other side of town. It was a nice neighborhood with a park and great sight of the town, since this place lay higher than the rest. I looked at the note with the address and searched for the house in question. After a while I could see it. It was cream-coloured with wooden frames and seemed really warm and inviting. I rang the bell and waited. It didn't take long until a pegasus, with a blue coat and a black mane, opened the door. His name was Rain Cloud. I remembered the first time I saw him. I admired his wings and almost spaced out. I could luckily pull myself together and take on his order. "Good day. I'm glad you could make it." "Hello," was all I said. I didn't know what else to say at this moment. "Please, come in," said the pegasus pony, "my daughter is in the living room. Follow me." I followed, though I was nervous. It was always hard for me to meet new people or go to new places. I instantly grew more nervous. I liked things that never changed. It gives me a feeling of safety, of stability. I soon entered the living room and saw the little filly Star Gazer, with her blue coat and white mane. On her hind legs were some poorly made constructions to help her with the walking. Hospital sometimes only provides the things that are necessary and who said that they would have a good quality? I remembered then he told me about the accident, what his daughter had gone through and that she would never be able to walk on her own again. At least not without the right ressources. There was a time when I doubted my decision, my whole life, but it all vanishes, when I see somepony, who I can help, with what I'm doing. "Hi there," I said, as I knelt down, "I'm done with the construction and you could now try it on, if you want." She nodded. Everypony could see that she was slightly nervous. I levitated my saddlebags to the ground and levitated two leg splints out of them. With the numerous ornaments, they looked more like armor, than something that supports the walking and that was important. The filly didn't want to look handicapped and I understood that. She just wanted to be seen like any other filly. Her eyes widened. "They are beautiful!" she exclaimed. I smiled. "I'm glad you like them. Let's try them on, shall we?" She nodded frantically. I removed her leg splints and put the others on. While I did this, I explained her and her father how to put them on. "Do they fit good? Not too tight and not too sloppy?" I asked. The filly shook her head, smiling. "They fit perfectly." "Then try to walk a few steps with them." She did as I said and her smile widened. "They are perfect!" she cheered and then hugged me. I wasn't into hugs, but to see that kid happy really warmed my heart. "Thanks," said Rain Cloud, who was standing behind me, "They are even better than I imagined them." "I do that I can and I'm glad you both like them." At that moment, the door opened and soon a white unicorn mare entered the living room. She looked at Star Gazer, who immediately hugged her. "Mom, I can walk without any problems now!" "I can see that." She smiled down at me. "Hello, you must be Steam Gear. I'm Heaven Ward. Pleased to meet you." "Yeah...Nice to meet you," I said a little nervous though this change of situation. She seemed to have noticed it. "No need to be nervous around here. You are our guest and you did so much for us, when you build that leg splinters," she said, as she moved closer. I stood up tensed. "Why don't you stay for lunch?" she said cheerfully, "It is the least we can offer you for such a great job." Staying with ponies I barely now, and that in a new location. It is probably not necessary to mention, that I tensed even more at this invitation. I doubt, that I'm up to this new situation. "Sorry, but I still have a lot of work to do," I said nervously. The mare nodded. "I understand. We can still catch up on this later." I nodded silently and then said my goodbyes. I was glad, once I left their home. The street felt a lot more familiar. You can't always avoid other ponies, said the voice in my head. I know, but I can try, right? Stop fooling around. Yeah. I know you are right this time. It's just easier said than done. I kept on arguing with myself as I walked down the road, back to my shop. All in all it was a normal day until then. I never would have guessed that this day marked the end of my normal, peaceful life. === A cell for one === Here is another chapter. I'm not quite satisfied with the part before the end. Maybe I must change it later on. Tell me what you think of this chapter! I was walking through the park, when I headed back. From this point on everything went wrong. If I knew, what was about to happen, I would have even taken up my clients invitation! But that lies all in the past know. However, let's not dwell here on these thoughts, right? A moderate breeze was blowing, as I walked through the park. I enjoyed the walk, especially since I was the only one here. Or at least, that's what I thought. I was in deep thought, so I didn't notice the shadow that was closing in on me. *Thump* And then my sight got black, as I fell to the ground. I probably wouldn't have seen this coming, even if I wasn't arguing with myself. You could easily say that I'm one of the most inattentive ponies around, other than Rainbow Dash. Now that I think about it. She would have probably wiped the floor with the fella, as soon as he had lied his eyes on her. Like I said before, I wouldn't want her as an enemy. When I finally woke up I was in a dark room. I couldn't move. I almost couldn't see through the thick layer of green before my eyes. I was tied up with this green stuff even on both hooves and I couldn't use my horn, since the gooey stuff was all over head. It kind of reminded me of green jelly. The one that you can buy in groceries. But since I doubted, that this was jelly, I wouldn't give it a try. It probably tasted horrible. I slowly realized the situation I was in. Somepony seemed to have ponynapped me. I didn't know who was it, or why somepony would want to do that, to a small shop owner like me. I thought of every worst case scenario I could muster. From cannibalism to serial killer, to rapist. Unnecessary to say, that this didn't put my mind at ease. I was so scared. But that was not even the worst thing. I slowly looked down on me and then shook my head. It can't be, I thought. They have taken my top hat and my clothes! Yeah, I'm the type of pony that gets emotional over clothes. I always thought of my clothes as some way to get identified. It was an important part of my identity. With it I felt safe. To sum it up, I have two pillars of safety and stability. One were the familiar things of my life, like my shop, my job, my house, my employee and my regular, Rainbow Dash. The other one was my clothes. With the two pillars broken down I slowly began sobbing. This won't get you out of here, said the voice in my head. It is over, I let out another sob. It is only over, then you give up. Stand up! Answered the voice sharply. But I don't know where I am and I'm restrained and...they have stolen my top hat... And here we go again with the sobbing. Forget this stupid hat! God, what will I ever do with you. Silence then filled the room, as I did not answer. Ok, see it this way. You can't wear a top hat again, if you don't stand up right now and get out of here! True enough. This voice could be useful sometimes. But how? I asked insecure. Try to think of an idea yourself! I can't do that for you. I can only guide you up until this point. I wished, that you could just take over. I don't think I can do this. It is just too much. The voice sighed. Listen to me. You need to pull yourself together, or else it is over and we both don't want that. I stopped sobbing and tried to calm down. However I was interrupted, as I heard somepony outside of the door. Slowly the handle was pushed down and with that all of my hopes. I started sobbing again. It was over now. I was so sure of it. I coiled up to a ball. Quivering and almost crying. This scared the hell out of me. I must have looked pretty pathetic back then, but I couldn't help it. My whole world broke down in a single day. Would you have acted any different? You probably would say, just to stay quiet, as the pony was walking in the room. That I should just act, like I was still unconscious, but it is easier said than done. I was at the edge of a mental breakdown. Maybe you could even call it a mental breakdown. That would be 'Mental Breakdown Number 1' then. Best thing is to make a mental breakdown counter. I will probably need that one more often. Where was I? Oh, right. Somepony just opened the door. I closed my eyes at this time. I didn't want to look my captor in the eyes. I didn't want to look at my captor at all! At this time I could hear the voice in my head, who tried to vigorously get me to fight my fate. But the voice was blurred, through my panic attack and mental breakdown. I just couldn't concentrate on the voice. I was too scared. The steps grew closer and closer and closer. I almost couldn't breath. Now that I think about it, how can you breath with that layer of green anyway? It somehow seemed to be permeable to air. Strange if you think about it. Something as thick and gooey as this permeable to air? But I guess I'm trailing off. My heart pounded faster with each step. The captor was so close. Only a few steps away. At this point I wanted to loose my conscious again. I couldn't bear with it. When, suddenly, the hoofsteps stopped. I was crying at this point. I couldn't hold back my tears. To hell with the 'die like a stallion' saying. It wouldn't make any difference in the end. I waited for what was about to come. The seconds passed like hours until suddenly my restraints were cut through and I heard a familiar voice. "Are you alright, G?", Rainbow Dash asked, apparently worried. I cried as I hugged her. I wasn't into hugs, like I said before, but I somehow needed it now. I probably looked like a little colt, who was crying into the chest of an adult pony, but I didn't care one bit at the moment. I needed solace, I needed stability. And there was Rainbow Dash, the last bastion of stability at the pile of shards, that was once my life. Rainbow Dash was surprised by my action, but hugged me back regardlessly. "Everything is alright, G. I'll get you out of here." We remained like this for...I actually don't know how long. I just cried, until my eyes were completely emptied. When I was finished, I still sobbed some more. I tried slowly to calm down and the more I calmed, the more I was ashamed of myself. I just realized how pathetic I must have looked. "Sorry... I just... panicked and... I thought my life was over and... I'm pathetic..." I said between my sobs. "I told you before and I will tell you again, G, stop the whole 'getting depressed at everything' thing. I admit, that I didn't expect you to break down like this, but I don't blame you for it," she gave me a reassuring smile, "Let's go, before this gets any more awkward." I nodded. For her to act like this. It could seem, like she was totally out of character at the moment, but I could recognize with her last words, that she didn't like this situation either. She probably didn't have to give much solace in her life and she was probably as uncomfortable with the situation as me. But she put up with the situation, because she had to. I wouldn't be of any help, if I was laying on the floor crying, and let's be honest here, the wailing would only have attracted my captor, when we would try to sneak out of...the cave? Or how would you call it? We were underground. I could even see it back then. But I could also only see it, because the form looked like it. The whole walls were covered with a harder version of the green stuff. It almost looked like crystals. So, let's call it a crystal cave for now, even though we might need to rename it later on. After the moment passed, I finally managed to stand up. I was still bewildered and scared, but I could at least hold my composure. I also started thinking more clearly now. It was question-time. "What is this?" I said, as I motioned with my hoof through the room. "We don't have much time, that's why I will give you only a short explanation." She took a deep breath. "You were kidnapped by changelings, who stole your identity and you are not the only one. They seem to infiltrate the city. That's why we need to get out of here, to the military guards and tell them about their secret hideout. When we will kick their flanks and they will go back to the wasteland, they came from! In the end, everypony will recognize how awesome I am, even the Wonderbolts, which will happily take me into their rows!" It was all about a promotion? I didn't question it. She often told me about 'how awesome' the Wonderbolts were and that she would do 'anything' to join this highest military circle. Her motives were quite obvious though. I probably could have guessed them, even without her mentioning them. Sometimes she was as easy to read as an open book. "Let's not strike roots here. Come on!" she exclaimed. We walked out the room and stood in a long floor. A lot of corridors were on either side and I was worried if we could really get out of here. It seemed like a maze to me. Rainbow Dash didn't hesitate a second and walked down the floor. I followed her quietly. But then struck me an important question. "How do you know that the military isn't - " "Shush!" - she suddenly pressed her wing on my mouth. - "Somepony is coming." Let's just recall, how much I love wings, so that it is clear, why I reacted the way I did. Wings are for me almost the purpose of my life, besides my job as an engineer. I always wanted to have some. They are so majestic and so soft and feathery. And let me warn you, the words 'soft' and 'feathery' are something you will hear a lot more often through my story. Or let's just put it this way: What for Rainbow Dash is '20 % cooler' and '10 seconds flat' is for me 'feathery' and 'soft', even though I normally never spoke those words out loud. Let's get back to the topic on hoof here. When I remember it right, I was about to savor this glorious moment. YES! SO MUCH YES! I screamed in my thoughts. Soooo soft. I leaned lightly against her wing and sunk into it. I just wanted to feel her feathers and the softness of her wing more. You can't blame me for that, right? I can happily die now, I thought dreamily. Then die, said the voice in my head. But it couldn't ruin this moment for me. I was radiating with glee. God, I swear, I would have totally descended on her to measure her violently, if it wasn't for the situation we were in. I wished, that it would have happened at my home or in my shop and I couldn't care less, that she would have kicked my flank, after my measuring was done. Actually, she would have kicked my flank as soon as I would descend on her, but it would be at least worth a try. Maybe I could have restrained her with my magic. I mean, a stallion can dream, right? At this point I was drooling uncontrollably. It didn't take Rainbow Dash long to notice. "Urgh... You are drooling again! And all over my wing too! Geeze, G, what is it with you and drooling today!", she whispered sharply, as she removed her wing from my mouth. I didn't care about her sharp words at the moment. My dopey smile lasted, as I was trapped in what must have been pony heaven. Also I must say, that I was a little disappointed at the 'way too early' removal of her wing. Rainbow Dash was apparently grossed out by the waterfall of drool, that was covering her wing, since she was shaking it vigorously, to get it off. It was remarkable, how much drool a pony could produce. At least she won't do that again, said the voice in my head amused. Realization hit me. I sighed disappointed. He was right. I couldn't just make a noise, so that she would cover my mouth with her wing again. She would probably use her hoof. And a hard hoof, full of dirt wasn't that attracting. The world was too cruel. The voice seemed to like it, when I suffer. Or in other words, he was gloating at this moment. Sometimes I thought of this little voice as a little sadist. I mean, seriously, we are the same pony technically, so he shouldn't do that! Practically, he should suffer like me, but I couldn't see him suffering at all! Only when I was enjoying myself. Strange, isn't it? Well, I'm not a psychologist, so I should just drop it. Meanwhile the steps grew more distant and Rainbow Dash sighed relieved. "No more questions until we get out. Got it?" she whispered. I nodded, slightly ashamed. We started walking again when - "He is gone! Guards alarm the whole hive!" - somepony bellowed at the top of his lungs. Great. Those guards were walking straight to the room, where I was kept in. What did I say earlier? Crystal cave, right? We could also call it hive now. Probably a lot shorter and better suited for the fast-paced situation we are now in. But let's keep going, before I trail off again. "Shoot!" whispered Rainbow Dash, "We need to get out of here fast. Run!" And so I did. I ran right beside her. She seemed to hold back though. Let's be honest, I would never keep up with her pace, if she was giving 100 %. Or maybe 120 %, since she had this 20 % quirk? It didn't take us long to run straight into the arms of another pair of guards. Rainbow Dash speeded up immediately. Her wing blades were all ready to go as she took those two changelings down, without breaking a sweat. I sighed dreamily. They seem so fragile, but they are yet so strong. Focus, said the voice in my head. Alright, alright… I muttered. We ran past the collapsed changelings towards the exit, but when we finally arrived, there was only a dead end. "Dammit!" sweared Rainbow Dash, "They must have blocked the path, as soon as this guy was screaming at the top of his lungs." "Probably," I uttered. The question on hoof was, 'What now?', but I doubted that even Rainbow Dash would have an answer for that. Or that's what I thought. Even before I could finish, with what I was thinking, she attacked the wall with her wing blades. She was quite the feisty one. Problem here was, that they were a lot harder than the restraints, so she couldn't break through it. Rainbow Dash breathed lightly, as she ceased her attacks. "We need to find another way," she said as calm, as she could, "Let's go." And so we headed off in the other direction. It didn't take long until a whole bunch of changelings were chasing us. I guess we could have expected that. Rainbow Dash didn't try to take them down, unlike the other two. There were just too many and I couldn't call myself a fighter. They would probably beat me up, once they reached me. Panic returned. While I was running I screamed in my thoughts, Please no! Please no! Please no! The mantra soon changed, as I saw my unfulfilled dreams right in front of my eyes. When I die, I will never measure Rainbow Dashes wings again, I will never experiment with wings and I will never find a pegasus girlfriend, which wings I could measure, every single day! No, they will measure happily ever after! Ok. Maybe it seems strange to bystanders, but I have my own priorities in life. Don't judge me. And besides a family was not such a bad goal. Yeah, but your perversions are, said the future voice in my head. What should I say? I will probably never get rid of it. As we ran down the corridor for what must have been at least five minutes, I could finally spot a large door. I was totally out of breath by now. How could Rainbow Dash even manage to run for such a long period of time? Probably a lot of people with a good condition will laugh at that, but I simply wasn't the type who would play hoofball or jog to improve my condition. Anyway, as we ran straight to it, we could see a small bunch of changelings blocking the way and it seemed like Rainbow Dash wouldn't hold back now. The door seemed like the only escape route for now, since the corridor didn't have any other directions left, other than going back, which wasn't really an option. With a quick sprint she rushed through the six changelings and hit each of them hard with her wing blades. She was really fast, so the changelings didn't stand a chance. She hurried, to get the door open. I helped her too, as I reached it. We both pushed with all of our strength and it slowly opened itself. The inside looked a lot different from the rest of the hive. It was a huge room covered with blue crystals and blue stones and blue earth. To make it short it really looked blue. At the end of a room was a Tree with five strange gems on it. Rainbow sweared. I couldn't blame her. We were trapped in a room now and the enemies would arrive every second. We would have blocked the door, if we would have seen something to block it with, but there was nothing loose, we could use. Another rhyme. Maybe I should try to make one rhyme per chapter? Wouldn't that be a nice idea? I shaked my head vigorously. Sorry I should learn not to trail off too often. "We have to fight our way through," said Rainbow Dash, but I was barely listening. I heard a whisper. It startled me first, but my fear somehow vanished, the nearer I walked towards the tree. I don't know what was wrong with me at the moment. I walked more and more towards it like I was in some kind of trance. The whisper grew louder with each step. "G? What are you doing?!" Rainbow Dash screamed. I didn't listen. I just walked towards the tree until I stood directly in front of it. It was suddenly radiating with a soft white light. It gave me a warm feeling, a feeling, a reassuring feeling, like everything is going to be ok. Rainbow Dash was in the meantime kicking the flanks of some changelings. She only stopped shortly to watch, where the light was coming from and then continued fighting. She couldn't rest in her situation. "G!" she screamed, apparently worried. I was floating by now, right to the middle of the tree. The five gems floated from their position and a sixth gem appeared, as the middle of the tree made an opening. Now the six gems were circling me and slowly closing in, radiating a lot more light than before. Then without a warning, they sunk into my body. It didn't hurt, but it was a strange feeling, which I will never forget in my whole life. The light grew even brighter and with a flash, the whole room was covered in it. I don't remember everything what happened from there. I remember seeing pictures of seven creatures. Two of them seemed to be alicorns. My gaze was fixed on their wings. They were so majestic, but the image soon disappeared, as more and more images popped up in my mind. And I could now clearly hear the whispering voice. The Elements of Harmony. One bearer, six guardians to bring balance forth in this world. I heard this somewhere before. An old fairy tail? I couldn't really make sense of this babbling. But it didn't matter, since my sight got black again. This marked the beginning of my unwanted adventures. === Finding the Guardians 1: Loyalty – Part 1 – The end of a day === And here we go again, with a new chapter. I hope you will all enjoy it. This chapter is a lot longer, than I planned it to be. Originally I wanted to put the whole Loyalty Arc in one chapter, but somehow it looks like, it will need two chapters instead. Well then, I should probably get back to learning for my exams now. "You are pathetic." A sentence, which I heard quite a lot during my life. However, it didn't come from the voice in my head this time. This was a voice from the past. An all too familiar voice, which I wanted to forget. "But…" I said between sobs. "Did I give you permission to talk back?" said the strict voice. "I'm waiting for an answer." "No. I-I'm sorry," I said, still sobbing. "Good. And now stop your pathetic sobbing. You will do this until you succeed and until that no dinner for you," said the pony, while turning around. I didn't protest. I didn't have permission to talk back. I just endured it. This was my life, I had to accept it or that's what I thought back then. Things have changed over the time and so did the future for me. But that didn't mean, that I would just forget the past, even if I wanted to forget it, it was always there. I sobbed some more, as the pony went out of the room and I ended up crying, while I did what the voice demanded. "G!" I heard somepony screaming. I didn't realize at the moment, that the voice meant me. It all seemed so surreal. "G, wake up!" I heard it again, while tears streamed down my face. "Come on, G! God, tell me you are not dead!" said the voice quite panicked. "Don't tell me I have to do CPR. God… Ok G, I'm not letting you go anywhere!" she said, as I reluctantly opened my eyes. Maybe I should explain at this point, that she forgot to check my pulse and breathing. If she would have checked them, it would be obvious, that I didn't need CPR. But she probably slept through half of the medical lessons, so that it didn't even puzzle me, that she was really going to try CPR out. Well, where were we? Right, I just opened my eyes. Her face was so close. I didn't realize, what was going on at the moment. I just opened my eyes and a face was right in front of me. Of course I panicked. "Ouch!" could be heard in stereo, as I stood up so fast, that our heads clashed together. I wallowed on the ground in pain, holding my head in both hooves. Rainbow Dash rubbed the place with her hoof meanwhile, but could gather her posture quick. She approached me and talked to me, before I could gather my thoughts. "That hurts, you know?" she said a little sore, "But I'm glad that you are not dead," she begun smiling. "Dead?" I wondered. "Yeah. After the light covered you we got teleported outside somehow, but you didn't move a bit. The only reaction were tears. I thought you would die or would have died through…whatever that just was back there," she gestured in the direction, where we probably came from, "I mean, those stones just sank into your body. I don't even know, what to say about this." I tried to recall the events that happened and she was right. There were those gems, which sank into my body and then, there were those…images and the…voice? Elements of Harmony, what is this supposed to mean, I thought silently to myself, but Rainbow didn't like that I exclude her from my thoughts. "What do you know about it?" she begun, "You seem to be pretty meditative, as soon as I mentioned it." "Well…there was this voice, that was talking about, I don't know, the Elements of Harmony?" The end sounded more like a question, since I didn't know, what I should think of it either. I mean, some gems just sunk into my body! How do you react to something like that! Actually I didn't want to think about it for a moment. I hate it, if I can't understand something. Probably comes from my job. I get easily frustrated over things that can't be explained logically and I didn't have a explanation, let alone a solution for this. "Elements of Harmony? What the hay is that?" she asked. I just shook my head. I just didn't have a clue. Or I had a clue. Maybe an old fairy tale, but this was only a suspicion. Maybe I was wrong. "Whatever. We should still figure that out later. But first, we should keep going," she said determined. "Keep going? Where?" I said slightly confused. "The military base, duh!" she said, while rolling her eyes. "Remember the thing, about kicking the changelings flanks with the military to get a promotion. And I need you to testify the story anyway. Ponies tend to believe two ponies more than one, especially after the crazy stuff, that has happened down there." "Oh, right…" I trailed off a bit, as she led the way. I didn't move though. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. I blushed slightly, as I began, "Well…I'm naked…" She tilted her head incredulous. "So what? It is not like we need to wear clothes always anyway." "I-I-I…" I stuttered, unable to say it out loud. "What? Just spit it out!" she said impatiently. "I can't just walk into a crowd like this! I will collapse! I need some stability in my life, I need my clothes! I need my top hat! I can't just walk in front of them naked! Everything is exposed! They will see my stallion parts!" With the ridiculous thing being said out loud, Rainbow Dash begun laughing uncontrollably. "Bwahahaha!" It took her a while to gain her composure again. Hey, believe it or not, I was serious about it. I can't walk there naked in front of a huge military crowd! Maybe my choice of words was bad, but still no need to laugh at it like that, right? I sighed humiliated, as her laugher died slowly. "Stallion parts, seriously?" she said still giggling. I was deep red at this point. Can't I just die now? I thought to myself in deep embarrassment. Why? I'm enjoying the show, said the voice in my head. Really thanks for that! It helped me feel better a LOT! Stupid voice. "I hope you know, that your clothes don't really hide it," she said still grinning. "Yeah, could be, but it feels like they are hiding it and that is what matters to me." Stupid explanation, right? But I don't feel naked with the clothes and that's what matters to me. I have a very sensitive sense of shame, you know. "You are really strange, G. Whatever, your house is on the way, if I remember it right. You can 'cover your stallion parts' *snicker* if you want to. But do it fast, we don't have time to lose," she said amused. I nodded. My face was still a deep shade of red at this point and it would probably take a while to go back to its normal green colour. God, this was a lot more embarrassing than the drooling scenes. I tried to forget this scene and to never speak of it again. We reached my house after a short while. I immediately ran inside to gather my clothes. At this point I was glad, that I had a spare top hat. It didn't take two minutes until I was ready to go. I mean, I knew how important this was for Rainbow Dash and I didn't want to let her down. I never want to let anypony down. Especially the ones that treat me well. We hurried to the military base, but were stopped by the military itself shortly before we could reach it. "Rainbow Dash and Steam Gear?" asked a pony in armor. "Yeah, that's us. Good that you are already here. I need to talk to the captain of the guard," said Rainbow determined. "You are under arrest, because of the strong suspicion, of a collaboration between you and the changelings," declared the guard, as the other guards surrounded us. Neither of us were pleased by this. Rainbow Dash protested loudly and asked, what this 'crap', her words not mine, was about. She had quite the vocabulary, when angered. I looked around, while she argued, what we had no time for this. I agreed with her, but our situation wasn't that good. We were surrounded by pegasus and unicorn guards, all ready to strike, if we would try something stupid. It was a fact for me now, that the military was infiltrated. I didn't want to take any chances on this one and saw only one solution and this solution was to flee. I grabbed Rainbow Dash and prepared for teleportation, but it failed. "What are you doing, G? We don't have time for hugs!" she said annoyed. I couldn't teleport and was confused at this. A mint-green unicorn guard stepped closer. "We have constructed an anti-magic-barrier. You can't flee from us." I was quite shocked and panicked immediately. Looking around for an opening. My pulse raised, as well as my breathing, which quickened. No escape, no hope. I almost hyperventilated, as Rainbow Dash turned to me and deoxidized me. Thing weren't looking good. Rainbow looked around and knew, that we had to follow along. There was simply no escape. "Fine then. But I need to talk to the captain, as soon as possible. Got it, Lyra?" she huffed and then we followed the unicorn guard along after she nodded. The guards took their time to place a Nullifier on my horn, a small device, that technically nullifies all magic of the carrier. These devices were useful to get criminal unicorns under control. Getting treated like a criminal... I felt numb. It was all like a bad dream. Every time, when I thought thinks would lighten up, they just got worse again. The more the military was infiltrated, the easier they could get us back to the hive. The sun was already setting. I wished, that I would have just slept through this day. Why did I have to stand up on this day? It was just bad luck. No pony could have seen this coming. Soon we reached the base and were led down into a cellar, where we had to go into two separated cells. I took it better than last time, probably because I just escaped another cell a few hours ago and that Rainbow Dash was my cellmate, since she was in the cell right next to me. I slumped onto the bed without hesitation. I know, that I just slept through, but I was still really sleepy. I guess the stress was really getting to me. My life was this morning so uncomplicated and now it was a real mess. I didn't know, what would happen next and this was the worst, the uncertainty. Rainbow on the other hoof, seemed to have a lot of energy left, since she annoyed the guards constantly, urging them, to get the captain here immediately. I let out a sigh. "The military is infiltrated. We don't even know, if we can trust your captain." Rainbow turned to me, anger in her eyes, "The military is not infiltrated! We have to do checks every morning, to ensure that!" I never really asked her about her work, but now I was curious. My question was cut off back then, as she covered my mouth with her wing. The memory alone was enough to elicit a dreamy sigh. Focus on the task on hoof, I heard the voice in my head say. I didn't argue with it, since it was right. I had to focus. I slowly breathed in, before I asked the question, which was on my mind. "What kind of tests, exactly?" I said, as I was wondering about it. Rainbow tried to get calmer again and answered, "Easy. It is about the three tribes of ponies. Changelings are only average at everything, while pegasus ponies are the better fliers, earth ponies are stronger and unicorns better at magic. Ponies are specialized by tribe," she was suddenly wondering, "Although this should be common knowledge around here, since we technically live next to the changelings wasteland. However, that is why pegasus have flight tests every morning, like unicorns have magic tests and so on. It is the best and fastest way to tell, if you are one of them or not. Blood tests take days, that's why we use those physical tests." "I understand and there is no way in cheating or just skipping them?" I asked curiously. "No. Our captain is the only one, who could let a pony skip a test, if something important is the matter, but since he is a minotaur, changelings can't replace him anyway." she answered with confidence. She really seemed to trust this system. However, I didn't understand the last part and needed to ask again. I'm just no expert, when it came to changelings. I didn't care much about them. "So…why exactly can't they replace him?" I asked and regretted it immediately as Rainbow Dash groaned and facehoofed. "Have you ever seen a minotaur or do you just don't have a clue, what changelings are capable of?" she asked rhetorically, before she continued, "Changelings can't transform into something, that has a completely different shape or is a lot larger than them. And a minotaur is of course a completely different shape and too large for them! I can't believe, that I have to explain something like this." Well, that was a little rude of her, but also understandable. It was easy to see, how frustrated Rainbow Dash was with sitting in a cell. She wanted to take the changeling hive down and get promoted, but the chances of promotion got smaller, since the changelings seemed to control the situation we were in. Even if the changelings didn't infiltrate the military far, they somehow did infiltrate it at least a little, I mean, I'm sitting in a cell here! Maybe they influenced their captain somehow. I don't know. Best thing is to let the topic drop, since Rainbow Dash didn't seem to like ponies who bad-mouth about the military. With nothing left to do, I just took the blanket and tried to sleep, but for some reason, Rainbow Dash disliked my action. "Geeze, G. This is not the right time for sleep. The captain can arrive here, any minute," she uttered. I personally doubted that. Who said, that he would even come down here? It is possible, that he works for the changelings or is influenced by them and in this case, we couldn't really count on him anyway. And I really didn't want to stay up, doing nothing. "Do I really have to stay up?" I asked, still hoping, that she would change her mind. "Of course you do!" she sighed, "Sometimes you are a real pain in the ass, G." I sighed then too. That's it with my well-deserved rest. Ok, maybe not well-deserved, since I didn't do that much at all, besides getting ponynapped, but I really could have used it. God, I was so tired back then. Maybe I should have tried the puppy eyes technique I read about in some books, but then again, I didn't know how that works. Mental note to myself: Learn the puppy eyes technique. You could really need it in the future. If there is a future, that is. But now I had other problems. I was bored. I know. Maybe hard to believe, if you consider, that I panicked not long ago, but the sleepiness can change your point of view very easily. I looked around, trying to find another way to keep myself occupied. I soon found something. The guards in front of our cells were pegasus ponies and they were standing with their backs to us! Who said, you couldn't have a gorgeous view from a cell? While I leaned back, I enjoyed the precious wings of the guards. Really a lovely view. It put me at ease. "What are you doing, G?" Rainbow Dash asked puzzled, as I looked dreamily at the guards wings. "Just enjoying the view. Those guards have some gorgeous wings," I said without thinking about my words, as they left my mouth. Seems like sleepiness can let your mouth a little loose. Rainbow Dash looked more than just a little confused. "Their…wings?" I just realized what I had said then and tried immediately to backpedal, "I-I-I mean, there is nothing else to look in here, is there?" I rubbed my head sheepishly and let out a nervous giggle. She didn't buy it. Probably, because of the word 'gorgeous'. Why did I have to say that? She gave me an incredulous look, "You know, I'm waiting for a real explanation, G." Well, seems like I have to put my fascination into words, that are not creepy. Let's give it a try. What can possibly go wrong? Maybe I should start at the beginning, the purest form of fascination. "I always wanted to fly. I just wanted to fly away from my problems and be free, like a bird. Not that I disliked being a unicorn, I loved it, but I still wished that I could fly too. With such gorgeous, feathery, soft…" And here I go again, but at least I could stop myself, before it got creepy and I would have started to drool. I didn't want Rainbow Dash to connect these two. But I didn't have time to think about it, since somepony just entered the cellar. It was an old minotaur and Rainbow Dashes eyes lit up with hope, as soon, as she saw him. "Captain Iron Bill! Good that you are here," she pressed herself against the iron bars, "You need to listen to me. There is an entire hive under the town. The changelings already begun infiltrating the city. We need to take them down now!" she said emphatically. The minotaur stepped closer, "Iron Bill will hear your side of the story, but Iron Bill hopes for you, that it is convincing. Iron Bill has quite some evidence against your friend here." That sounded serious and it got me worried. Worried enough, so that I didn't even mind his strange way of speaking at the moment. However, Rainbow Dash wouldn't turn her back on this matter now, so she started to tell him everything she knew. The most interesting point for me was, the part at the beginning. I had no clue, how she even knew, that I was kidnapped. It seemed like she was 'patrolling' through the city, when she saw me walking into the park. My money is still on sleeping on a cloud though. Anyway, a pony was following me and at the end I came out there a whole lot later, than I should have been and the other pony behind me didn't show up at all. This rose her alarm bells, so she thought, she could ask about her order and see, if she finds something suspicious about me. She could immediately tell, that it wasn't me, because and here I quote: "He didn't smell that bad like Steam Gear does, with all the metal working and oil." Of course I took a sniff at me immediately, to see, if I really smelled that bad, but it didn't occur to me. Maybe I was just used to the smell. But it definitely didn't help my self esteem. Thanks Rainbow! You always put things so bluntly and unadorned! She then moved on to the finding me part, where she at least skipped my mental breakdown and moved on to the blocked door and then to the dead end, with the tree. I'll be honest. She should have just lied about the blocked path, because, let's be honest here, a white light, together with a blue tree and flying gems plus teleportation at the end isn't very convincing and that was also the way Iron Bill saw it. "A white light, which let you escape?" Iron Bill snorted, "Iron Bill is not convinced by that." "But it is the truth!" defended Rainbow Dash. "Let Iron Bill explain you the way, he sees it," he said in a calm tone, before he started his side of the story. "Iron Bill believes that your friend Steam Gear here is a mercenary, who was hired by –" "That is ridiculous!" shouted Rainbow Dash. I thought the exact same thing at the same time. I mean, me a mercenary? Rainbow Dash saw my mental breakdown and my crying and all the weirdness of me, so she knew exactly, that this story wouldn't fit at all. She continued, "Did you even take a close look at him? No offense, G, but you are not the type, who has nerves of steel or anything remotely like that." I didn't take any offense out of it. I mean, she was right. I probably would make the worst mercenary. I'm just no mercenary material, like I'm no hero material. I only got out of the hive because of Rainbow Dash. So he could trash this idea immediately. Not that, he would give it up so easily. He seemed convinced of this ridiculous idea and I soon found out why. "It is, as it is. Iron Bill heard about Queen Chrysalis seeking the help of some infamous mercenaries and one of them seems to be an engineer, just like Steam Gear. Of course, this is not enough to accuse him of that," he made a small pause and then rummaged some papers out of his jacket. "Iron Bill has a witness, who told us about strange devices in your shop, which you gave to some suspicious ponies. It seems, that those devices are magic blockers, which can block of unicorn magic, for example, as well as devices that can capture Iron Bill and his companions, with a magic barrier. You wanted to trap us!" he said accusingly. This order was for a special customer, who liked to hunt down magical creatures, he can't blame me for that! "It is-" I said, but was immediately cut off by him. "Iron Bill already checked your records and couldn't find your customer for this in our data base, but not only that, as soon as the guards checked your identity, they found out, that it was faked. There is no such pony, like Steam Gear registered in the data base. The name is false, as well as your behavior to disguise your actions. And I'm not even done yet, right Lyra?" I just noticed the unicorn guard from earlier then. I really am inattentive. She seemed to perform some kind of spell, since her horn glowed. Then it suddenly stopped glowing. "Yes, Captain. I can now clearly say, that he uses illusion magic, to disguise his looks. It will probably wear off in the morning." Iron Bill seemed content. "Illusion magic to disguise yourself. Combined with your behaviour I have to admit, that this was very clever. Most ponies wouldn't believe, that such a coward could be a thread. Well played." Rainbow Dash snorted, "Please. This is getting more and more ridiculous. I mean, illusion magic? Fake name? It is obvious, that you made a mistake there or the data was stolen by changelings. Of course this is his real name! Right, G?" she turned around to look at me smugly. I just looked away, as I answered, "What's in a name? It doesn't define who you are." Rainbows eyes widened. "Hold up. I was hanging out with you the whole time and you tell me now, that I don't even know your real name? What ist this when about the illusion magic? Don't tell me they are right with that too!" she asked incredulous. "It doesn't matter!" I said quite panicked, "It is still me, right? You know me, right?" "I don't know anymore," she uttered, "I thought we were friends, and friends tell each other at least their names or show them how they look like! I don't know anything about you!" At the end of the sentence you could clearly hear the anger in her voice. But that wasn't what hurt me there. She said, that she thought we were friends. I never thought, she would think of me like that and to lose a friend in the moment you recognize, that you have one is tough. It really teared me up. "Let Iron Bill continue on, with his theory," he began, "There is no such thing as a hive. It is just a trap, to capture all the military of this town at once. Therefore you even brainwashed Rainbow Dash and placed fake memories in her mind. You thought, that Iron Bill wouldn't doubt the words of his guard and run straight into your ambush." "Woah, that goes too far captain. He might be an idiot for not telling me his name and the illusion magic, but I don't believe he could just brainwash a pony as awesome as me. I never even heard of such magic before," interfered Rainbow Dash. Iron Bills expression darkened, "It is a forbidden magic, which is protected by the guards in Canterlot, but Iron Bill heard, that there are ponies, who obtained that knowledge a long time ago and passed it on. Not many places are known, where you can find it, but it is a known fact in the inner military circle, that Queen Chrysalis is in possession of such magic. She probably taught him everything about it." My expression darkened with every new accusation. It was hard to hear him say such things about me! I mean, mercenary, trap, dark magic? But the most terrifying thing was, that it all made sense or at least a lot more sense than our own story! Rainbow Dash probably saw that too and I didn't know, how she would react. There was a silence for a while, before Iron Bill spoke up, "Cat got your tongue? Iron Bill guesses, that he is right then." "You are not!" I said with a lot more panic in my voice than before, so you could say, that I didn't sound very convincing. "Rainbow Dash, Iron Bill knows that you were dragged into this by him. Recognize the truth and you can be a guard again. You don't need to sit here in a cell," offered Iron Bill. It shocked me quite a bit. I didn't know what to think of this situation. I was screaming 'no' in my head on one side, but on the other I thought, that I would drag her down with me otherwise. I couldn't say a word and it seemed, that she couldn't say a word either. "You need to realize the truth. It is probably hard to believe for you, but this was not real. Just forget about him," said Iron Bill in a calm tone. I couldn't let him just influence her like that. She needed to make a decision by herself. "You can't decide, what's-" I started, but was interrupted by Rainbow Dash. "Just stop it, G," she said meekly, "I can't trust you now. He made some valid points. I will go with him." Iron Bill nodded, "Yeah. It is the best if you listen to Iron Bill. Our doctor just needs to check you up, to make sure, that you are not suffering under more of this dark magic and then you are free to go back to your normal life." She turned her back to me and didn't say another word, as she followed Iron Bill, who has opened her cell and so she made her exit. It hurt so much. There she went, my only friend at this time. I just lost her. This was it for me. The perfect time to give up all hope. Tears streamed down my face, before I could realize it. She took one last glance, before she went with Iron Bill. I couldn't bear this. I wanted to scream and to kick the cell door, but I was too tired for this, instead I just let my head sunk into the pillow and cried into it. The voice in my head, tried to convince me, to get up and fight, but I couldn't do that. I was done. I lost all will to fight. I just cried and then cried some more. I cried until I fell asleep. I thought, that I had to accept my fate at this point. You could probably call this the worst day in my life, even though it had some nice feathery moments in it. Things didn't look that great and I doubted, that it would change. Now that I think about it, I probably broke a new crying record at this day, if there is such a thing. But that was not important at the moment, because I would soon discover, that I have gotten myself into something, that was so much bigger, than I could ever have imagined it. Oh and yeah, this was by the way 'Mental Breakdown Number 2'. === Finding the Guardians 1: Loyalty - Part 2 - The start of a night === Some of you might have wondered, if you could call my crying into a pillow a breakdown. Since I broke down crying, I would say yes. But let's get down to a happier subject. You don't know any subject like that? Well, that makes us two. Here I was sleeping in a cell, waiting for anything to happen. Or technically I was just sleeping and didn't think of anything in particular. It is probably not the best to think about future events in my position. I couldn't expect somepony to just come here and free me, which means, I had to free myself, at least, that's what my voice tried to tell me. Call it self-preservation instinct. Not that I would listen to that voice in my state of mind and I was still asleep too. I didn't even notice the noise of fighting. I was a heavy sleeper. "Wake up! It's time to go!" I heard a sharp whisper, which grew steadily louder in its attempts to wake me. Seems like I could expect somepony to free me. Lucky me. I slowly opened my eyes and locked into a pair of golden orbs. Nice eye colour, really. Maybe I should turn my eyes into the same colour. My eyes were a boring brown, just like my mane, so it would be a good idea and improve my look immensely. But I should probably ask myself, who this eyes belong to. I yawned shortly, before noticing the situation and backing away. "Who are -" I asked quite panicked, before a hoof was plugged into my mouth. I rubbed incredulously my eyes. I just woke up and didn't realize what just happened. It even took me some time to remember, that I was in a cell in the military base in Ironburg. I slowly gathered my thoughts and stared at the pony, which wore a black camo suit, a head band, some armor, and a pair of googles, the ones, that spy's use. Not that she was wearing them at the moment. They were resting on her head and I could recognize, that she was a unicorn. And now I was also realizing her hoof in my mouth. Ugh! Dirty hooves are the worst! Why can't she just use her wing! Oh, right. Stupid unicorns with no wings! Of course I could hear the voice in my head chuckling at this. "Stay calm. I will tell you everything later, but now we need to get you out of here," said the unicorn, as she removed her hoof from my mouth. "We?" I wondered and saw another pony right behind her. It was a pegasus pony. The stupid black camo suit covered her wings! What a shame! She was wearing a device on one of her eyes. Not sure what the use of it was. Could be something to target ponies or something like the googles from the other one to see in the dark, maybe even both. I had to admit, that it was kind of fascinating. I would have liked to just take it off to dissemble it! And if it weren't for this stupid suit, I would have measured her soft, feathery wings. God, I could have used some measuring back then. Now is not the time for measuring or dissembling. Move! I nodded at the voice in my head. The two ponies at least didn't question this action. I was just a confused pony for them. "Come with us, if you want to survive," said the pegasus pony and then started giggling like a little school filly. The unicorn gave her an incredulous look, just like me. What a cliché line. I mean, how often have I read this? You wouldn't imagine how many adventure themed books use this line. That's just poor. But let's just ignore that comment. You could say, that I didn't understand what was happening and I just hoped, that these two were indeed friendly. At least they freed me from the Nullifier and opened my cell. I guess, it was the best I could hope for. So I followed them. On the way out I saw the pegasus guards from my cell, who were actually changelings. They were knocked out and only their armor reminded me of who they were. Seems like I was right with my infiltration assumption. At any rate I could say, that they were strong. And this could really help my case or, if you like to say it that way, my escape. The military base here was a real fortress completely out of metal and also really big. For me it was like a maze. I was glad, that I had these two ponies with me. I would never find my way out of this alone and they seem to know their way around or at least I hoped they would. My heart was literally racing. I just hoped it would be strong enough to get through with this stress. I'm just not used to getting ponynapped and breaking out of cells, oh and meeting new ponies at that! Meanwhile the pegasus pony leaded the way, flying with grace, as she came to a halt and opened a door quickly. At us were staring at least two dozen guards. Seems like she just opened the door to their quarter. "Oopsie!" said the pegasus pony sheepishly, "It was the door on the other side." The unicorn facehooved. "Great, now we have to deal with them." It's probably not necessary to say, that my heart sank to my boots at this point. Great. She's a klutz! scoffed the voice in my head. Indeed she is. Wait… I shouldn't agree with you! Pegasus ponies are graceful and no klutzes! No, I can't accept this. "Aw, don't be like that. We will be done fast. This are probably only changelings anyway. No real challenge at all," said the pegasus mare smiling or at least I thought she was smiling. It was hard to see under the black clothes, which covered her face. Ok. They are crazy, I thought silently to myself. "Yeah and best thing is we alarm all the other guards too. Do I really have to remind you that we have to get him out of here alive," huffed the unicorn, before she groaned, "Let's just get this over quickly." The pegasus lifted her hoof in a rapid motion and shot a small ball of magic out of a device in her hoof, to destroy the lamps, while the unicorn shut the doors so that it got pitch black. I heard several punches and groans and after a minute it was all over. The unicorn opened the door and the room was immediately flooded with light. It revealed, that they did a great job. Every guard was beaten down, but the most terrifying thing was, that most of the guards were indeed changelings. So much for their foolproof changeling test. By that amount of changelings, it was obvious, that their captain was involved. He was the only one, who could have helped them cheat or skip their tests. Rainbow would be disappointed to hear this. Oh yeah, Rainbow… You should forget about her and concentrate on the escape. I mean, she let you down in a cell to rot! Hey! She didn't mean it! Besides, I lied to her in the first place. Doesn't matter. Before I could get into an argument with myself even further, the unicorn spoke up. "Enough time wasted. Let's move on. I will take the lead this time," she said in a stern voice. The pegasus just giggled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head at this. I wouldn't want those two as enemies, after they took out two dozen changelings! Great. And this are our saviors? They may be strong, but they are acting like children, complained the voice in my head. Beggars can't be choosers, I retorted. True enough. I just hoped this would be over with quickly. But the question that manifested into my mind was: Then what? I obviously couldn't stay in Ironburg and I didn't know, who these mares were, nor that they had in mind for me. I was shaking at this point. "You don't look so good. Want a muffin?" asked the pegasus mare, as she rummaged through her pockets. It didn't help my nerves, as I went through every scenario I could think of, involving these two. They don't have to be friendly after all. I paled. The unicorn turned around. "Please tell me, he is not panicking. Just my luck." She put on a reassuring tone. "Ok, listen to me Steam Gear. You need to breathe slowly. Everything is going to be fine. We are here to protect you, to bring you to safety. No harm will be done to you. But to ensure that we need to get you out of here, so bear with this situation a little longer. Do you understand?" I nodded at her. Her voice was really calming and it let my mind let go of my 'worst-case-scenario' thinking. I tried to calm myself as best as I could. Breathing slowly and thinking of something nice. My eyes wandered from the unicorn, to the wings of the pegasus mare. I sighed. "What is it?" asked the unicorn. "N-nothing!" I felt caught. "Just say what it is and we might be able to help you." My eyes wandered back and forth, unsure of what to do. "Don't worry about it. We'd do anything to put your mind at ease," said the pegasus pony behind her with a nod. "Anything?" I wondered and a wicked grin spread across my lips, as a plan formed into my mind. It was only for a short moment and I think they didn't notice, since Lyra just nodded. "It is kind of embarrassing, but I'd feel a lot safer, if I could hold her wing. But I guess the fabric would make it hard to hold onto it," I muttered, making sure I looked sheepishly onto the ground and fidgeting with my hooves. Seems like my act was very convincing, since the Pegasus mare slipped her grey wing out of the cloth and reached it out, for me to hold onto it. I hesitated faintly, to make my act perfect and disguise the real reason behind my actions. I was very good at acting unsure and sheepishly, that's probably because I'm normally acting like that. You could say, that I'm a natural! Acting unsure and sheepishly is nothing you should brag about! Aw, why not? It pays off. Yeah, holding the wing of a pegasus totally pays off! You are just jealous, because you didn't think of using a weakness as a strength. You could have at least used it for something useful! You could have asked them about their names or who they are or what they are planning after the escape or if they could give you a weapon for self-protection! Nah, a wing to cuddle with is better! I give up. I can't argue like that. Good. Now that this was handled it was time to concentrate on the more pleasant sides of life. I took the feathery, soft, smooth, flexible, elastic, 'I could go on for hours' wing in my hoof. This made life a lot more enjoyable, but I wished, that I would have tried to access this wing with my mouth. Maybe I even could have gotten away with it! Just a little 'can I grab your wing in my mouth, so that I feel more comfortable' excuse! Ok, maybe they would have been more skeptical about this and I shouldn't push my luck, especially in my current situation. I enjoyed the walk now a lot more and wished, that it would never end. Of course I had to watch my drool production in the process. I don't want to get caught, since this would probably end the hoof holding. We could suddenly hear some guards moving closer. The two made themselves ready to fight, but they didn't seem to walk into the aisle we were in. They were in a hurry and were saying something about getting somepony under control. "Great. We don't need such a ruckus right now, but at least, they were not heading our way," said the unicorn slightly annoyed. "Do you think they found out about the escape?" asked the pegasus pony. "If this were true, when they would have gone a different direction and ran straight into us, so no. But either way, this can make things more complicated. Whatever this is either distracts the guards or alarms them and I'm not staying here to find it out." With that said, we started moving again. We tried our best to avoid all the guards, who were rushing to god knows there. It was hard, but we still managed. Those two are very attentive. Finally we made it to the main floor. Freedom was within our grasp, but of course it wouldn't be that easy. The universe seems to hate me. Did I ever mention that before? Well, now I mentioned it. However, we came to the main gate and were almost out, then we were spotted by the Captain itself. Unnecessary to say, that he alarmed everypony and we were soon surrounded. "You open the gate, while I protect him and buy us some time," ordered the unicorn. The pegasus pony rushed forwards to the opening mechanism in the control room of the opposite. Captain Iron Bill meanwhile used integrated loudspeakers to make his point clear. It was the usual 'Give up' speech, that you could expect from any military leader to dishearten our courage. I'm honest here. I was quivering and my courage was even gone before his speech, especially since my nice little wing, that was here to comfort me was taken from me, as the pegasus pony took off. The unicorn and her friend were at least unfazed by the Captains speech. The pegasus mare just reached the control room, when she was punched by the buff, experienced minotaur. She gathered her composure quickly and was ready to faze him. She fired with her device, which was by the way an Innater. Let me shortly explain to you what that is. It lets the bearer use the source of its inner magic. Or to make it even shorter, it was the new device from the Crystal Empire, which I sold to Rainbow earlier. It was interesting to see, that they had such high advanced technology, since it was new developed and I only got the technology myself today! Or yesterday? Wished I knew the time. Maybe it was already tomorrow and today was already over! But I'm straying again, right? Right… where was I again? Oh, right. The fight. The pegasus fired, like there was no tomorrow. Iron Bill tried to shield himself with an Innater shield! Can't believe that I'm not working for the military. They always have the newest technology available. I only found out about Innaters through the customers from the military. What should I say? News travel slow around here. The Crystal Empire is on the other site of the country, so it's only natural, that I'm not informed about new technology. It was hard enough to contact some suppliers from the Crystal Empire to get the Innaters. Bureaucracy makes business contracts over the frontiers of a country a lot harder, including custom dues. But that's off topic again, right? You probably want to hear more about explosions and fights anyway, than some boring technical details. Better get back on topic then, also I must admit, that I personally prefer the latter. Iron Bill dodged her attacks and took steps further towards the mare. She didn't seem fazed by this and readied her wing blades, before she rushed right through Iron Bill. Of course he dodged the blades and attacked with an offensive Innater, the same which I recommended to Rainbow. The Mare tried to block it, but was surprised by the intensity of the enhanced punch, which hurled her towards the wall. She hit it hard and fell to the ground, then she grinned. Iron Bill looked incredulous, before realization hit him, as he looked down, but it was too late. The explosives she let drop, right before she was hit were exploding and sending Iron Bill flying. The pegasus mare didn't waste any time and got to the control room, before he could start to recover. She knocked out some guards and then attempted to open the gate. Well, she attempted. The lights flickered, some doors in the distance closed and even a loud alarm came on! The idea to leave her to that task was so stupid, especially since she didn't seem to know, how to do it! It took several more turns, until she finally opened the door. I can't say how relieved I was. I slowly approached the gate and slipped through it. When I looked back, to see how the other two were doing. I could see the unicorn mare slowly approaching the gate, as she fought off some guards. I was really worried about the pegasus mare at this point, but she gladly came into view a short few moments later. She then pressed a button, as she slipped through the door as well as the unicorn. The gate suddenly closed itself again and I could hear some small explosions afterwards. Whatever she did seems to at least buy us some time. But of course it was not over. That would have been too easy. In front of the gate were a lot of ponies from the town gathered and they didn't seem that friendly. "More changelings," stated the unicorn mare flatly. What a night. And it only just begun. So. Two cryptical saviors and no Rainbow Dash? Well, I split the chapter again, so she has to still wait a little for her performance. As always tell me what you think about this chapter. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Waves of Memory author: lillytheomegawolf tags: character:Pinkie Pie, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Romance, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Seaside Memories === A regal purple alicorn walked down to the rugged ocean along an old, yet still stunning scenic road that descended through the late autumn trees. The scene before her was one of raw beauty. Windswept sand, dotted with driftwood and other natural castaways. The road before her looked ancient. Bedraggled and unloved, its once proud covering of trees had long since become a mess of vines, tangled to the point where little else could live. In the wind passages between the mighty boughs, leaves swirled slowly, small tornadoes of loneliness, lit by rays from the pristine late day sun. She remembered the days when her pathway of peace had been in perfect condition, filled with fun, laughter and beauty. But to the royal figure, she found it more than fitting. It was a rare place to find in Equestria, a place where her inside feelings where mirrored by the wild outside world. There was no other creatures in sight. This was a place for one to be alone. The waves washed against the dark slivery brown sand like the calm heartbeat from an eternal guardian, ever watchful, ever present. At peace with all of Equestria. The alicorn before it wished for a slice of that peace. Twilight walked with the walk of a pony who had lost everything. Wings loosely folded at her sides, rocking gently in time to her meandering stride. She flaunted no hint of her power, no nothing, except the garb she wore to suggest that she was the one who had ruled Equestria for almost 850 years. Her royal dress flowed in the soft idilic breeze, fluttering it this way and that. If it could think, it would have been carefree, loving the playful breeze, wishing it could fly higher. Unlike its owner. The winged sovereign who wore it felt anything but. 
As Twilight trudged along, a slow song escaped as she allowed herself to remember once more the days gone by; "So many years, so many hardships, So many laughs, so many tears. So many things to remember, Cause we had 60 years." She remembered the pink bundle of joy who had been her rock. The one who could make her laugh when the day was grey. The one with whom she had magically conceived three foals. Her one and only true love and soulmate. Pinkamena Diane Pie. "Now our kids, have their own kids, and their own kids have grown. She told me not to worry, Said I'd be fine, when she was gone." She plodded down toward the ocean, the ancient mare enjoyed the harsh play of the spray on her muzzle as she paced closer and closer to the never ending expanse of dark blue and green waves. She strolled the beach alone, shut up inside as muscle memory guided her along the path she had taken each and every year since her lover passed. Purple hooves were met by her first wave only for the water to pull away as soon as the two met. It sent a chill up her forelegs, yet she continued as if ignorant of the temperature. She remembered those words, once more. Those words that had come easily from her lover, all those years ago. "She told me not to worry, Said I'd be fine, when she was gone. Yet here I am alone, nopony to share our beach with," A sigh escaped the regal purple mare more waves lapped against her hooves. She took a moment to steady herself, prepare herself. As the tip of the sea hit her, she remembered her mentor, the mare who had brought her up, taught her magic and made her a Princess. Celestia. "Now our kids, they want my throne from me... My dear teacher, you always told me I was the one, That I would be ready, But I don't feel ready anymore." With a few more strides, she completed her path into the water. Now half way up her legs and still freezing, she found it soothed her sadness just that little bit. She almost felt like she could just lie down and float away on its current, never to return. But she knew that now was not the time for such actions. She would still have her domain to rule over when she got back home. With a heavy heart, the purple alicorn bent to touch the water, allowing it to wash over her muzzle like her own waves of sadness. Salty tears leaked from the proud mare. They mingled with the cold water, released from the pent up pony and into the endless sea. She knelt down and allowed more of the raw ocean waves to wash over her. As the sea continued to take her continual stream of tears away, she allowed memories of her past to encapsulate her. This was the time, now she could unlock what was hidden, reveal memories that were too painful for everyday life. Now she could remember Pinkie Pie and all her other dear friends who had taught her just how magical friendship and love could be. --- "Come on Twilight! It's easy!" Called out the proud cyan pegasus as she looped around and around in front of the new alicorn, a playful tease with her aerial acrobatics. "See, it is!" A large colourful balloon rose into the sky above the cheeky polychromatic maned mare, its solo occupant eagerly waving a pink hoof. "Pinkie, you're not doing tricks." The cyan mare paused her showing off to stare at the random pony. "Ohhh! Can I watch?" Ever eager, it was hard for her friends to say no to such a smile. "Sure." Twilight nodded, before flicking her wings in preparation for flight. "Come on horn head! Get up here! Even Fluttershy could do this!" The egotistical athlete zoomed a tight circuit around several clouds before presenting herself to the flyer. "Right... You have seen her fly right?" The purple alicorn could not believe that the shy pegasus had been taught how to perform any of Rainbow Dash's repertoire of tricks. "Of course I have." A highly satisfied grin covered the smug pegasus's mug. " And I know how get her to really fly!" "Ohh! How about a race, Dashie! Me and Twilight here versus you and Fluttershy!" Streamers flew into the sky as the party pony clapped her hooves together ready to take up the challenge. The scholar sighed, maybe she should have stuck with her books on this, instead of allowing her speedy friend teach her more on the basics on flight. So far, they had completely missed the basics as Dash appeared to be more interested in teaching her tricks and how to fly faster than anypony else. It was like she wanted another pony to race against. Typical Rainbow Dash. "You!? In that thing?" The cyan pegasus began to crack up laughing in the sky, starting a slow decent hysterics took over. "Nopsies!" With a extravagant leap, the skybound earth pony flew out of the ballon, only to land upon her strange flying contraption which she began to franticly peddle around the sky upon. "Well, Rainbow Dash... I guess that if you can find Fluttershy, I guess we can have a race. But I would have liked a lesson first." Twilight conceded, a first ever race would be worth it, provided she could also wrangle a lesson out of the speedy mare. "You don't need those." The enthusiastic cyan pegasus waved her off before she took off at top speed to find her friend, leaving the remaining two mares to each other for the moment. 'Good thing I brought these...' From out of her saddlebag she summoned her books, glowing faintly in her magical grip. She opened the first and began to skim read though, searching for any last minute tips and instructions she could find before her first ariel race. A loud, explosive giggle caused the focused mare to jump as she realized her companion was hovering just above her, flying contraption barely borne aloft as Pinkie tried to read the same text upside down. The crazy mare was forgetting that her own hooves powered the device and so was on a slow collision course with her companion. "It's alright silly. Just me!" With a delighted giggle, a pink hoof covered the speaker's mouth in an attempt to shut her own mirth up. "You know it is rude to read over somepony else's shoulder." Twilight was not impressed by her random companion, but then again, Pinkie Pie was about as close to the definition of random as you could get. "Would you like me to teach you then?" The offer came out of nowhere from Pinkie Pie, accompanied by a hopeful grin. 

"Pinkie, you can't fly."

"Yes I can." A large cheeky grin covered the earth pony's muzzle as she continued to hover just above her annoyed companion. Placing her book down beside her, Twilight settled down upon the soft green grass. "Okay. Then how would you?" With a carefree bound, Pinkie was off her flying contraption and at her side. "Well we start with the wings." The surprisingly soft touch of the pink mare's hoof, lifting a wing. "You've seen Dashie fly lots right?" "I'm sure everypony has seen her fly Pinkie." Twilight allowed a smile to light up her face as her eyes met her companion's clear blue ones. "Yep! They sure have!" Pinkie beamed with a wide smile. "Now how many times has Dashie crashed?" This question caught Twilight by surprise. It was not so much the question itself, but rather how the party pony had asked. "Well," the young Alicorn began, Shrugging her shoulders as her mind wandered attempted to answer the question with an exact answer. "A lot, I guess." "Bingo!" Pinkie shouted as she pointed at her friend. "Okay so how many times have YOU crashed?" Silence. This was beginning to confuse the lavender pony. "Well, I haven't been flying for very long so...none, I suppose." Twilight was somewhat reluctant in her answer as she was trying to see where this was going. "But Pinkie Pie I don't see-" With a wave of the pink hoof, her instructor cut her off. "Well that's okay! I'll see for you," the cotton candy-like maned pony started up, "You're three times as special as everypony else! You've got two wings AND and horn. Three." After looking like she was about to explode, her facial expression softened to a gentle smile. "If not, I will see. Think silly; have I ever not loved to help you? Seriously, though Twilight," her smile beamed back with full force, "We're BFF, forever!" "Thank you Pinkie." Twilight smiled, feeling a warm glow light her up inside. There certainly was something special about her spastic friend that made her feel...special. "BFF forever. Just don't let Rainbow Dash catch you saying that or she might-" "You know Dashie is dating Fluttershy right?" The grinning party pony pointed out, cutting Twilight off. "And so therefore she and Flutters are BFF which is fine because Rarity's writing a novel about two mare's that sound a lot like herself and AJ and that you're the third most powerful pony in all of Equestria." With a grin, the crazy party pony offered a quick nuzzle, her ramble at an end for now. With a light hearted smile on her face, Twilight returned the gesture, a warm glow inside. As nice as her start to their little 'lesson' was, she hoped that the rest of Pinkie Pie's quick tutelage would be more helpful for her hopes of winning the impending race. ---- The much older Twilight stood slowly, a thankful smile at her memory of her talkative lover. The sound of her voice, her laughter, her ever bubbly presence. Those were the days she missed and no matter how much she would wish for them to return, they never did. Of course the rest of the lesson had made about as much sense as the first part, but it had been fun. Pinkie had always been smarter than she had looked and that rule of three had taken her too long to figure out. She joined in the laughter with her memory Pinkie, It always feels good to laugh Twi-twi. A sudden cry from on high alerted her and she gazed up. Seagulls circled above, a sudden other presence in the otherwise aloneness of the beach. Her eyes followed them as they turned slowly inside the serene bay. She wished she could just drop all her concerns and fears and join the creatures who appeared to have not a care in all of Equestria. After a moment of peace between the loud seagulls and herself, the ruler of Equestria put the noisy animals from her mind. She strode purposefully away from the waterline, slowly, with as much purpose as she could put into each hoofsteps. The wind was chilly upon her wet coat, but it didn't matter. She had allowed herself to remember in a special way, the once per year colossal wash of memory. Even today, after what felt like forever after her lovers passing, it still might as well have been yesterday that Pinkie died. That pain, the aloneness and the loss of hope that all would be okay. So fresh, here this place of magic and memory. "there is an emptiness inside That never goes away." With all the care in Equestria, the purple mare took a gnarled piece of driftwood in her mouth and began to carve something into the sand. The harsh surrounds began to dull into nothingness, the wind faded in her ears as she worked away, dedicated to the task at hoof. Sure she could have used her magic. But that would cause this task to loose much of it's value. Pinkie had been everything to her and she was not about to allow herself to trivialize anything that could help herself to remember the most wonderful mare she had ever met. She stared out across the peaceful beach, her near unseeing eyes gazing beyond the sight of the wind picking up lose sand and carrying it like a swarm through the breeze. Her wings began to clog with the fine grains. With a flick of her wings her mind returned to her body and she gripped the driftwood harder, before eyeing up the next stretch of beach she was due to consume with her work. The salty taste of wind dried wood seeped into her mouth as she dragged her chosen item along. She left a slow precise line of work, it curved through the sand behind her, it stretched out as an untouchable line of symbols before the impending doom of the waterline. With a pang, her stick pushed against her grip, causing her mind to snap back to the present as pain shot through her system. Hitting submerged rocks was never a good idea. The warm tangy taste of her own blood touched her tongue. Twilight did her best to ignore it, swallowing the mixture of woody salt and blood, unwilling to drop her chosen drawing stick quite yet. She was determined to finish her task, hopefully that no further injuries would impede her progress. After a small eternity of jaw numbing work, the sandy alicorn stood back to admire her labours. A light glow settled upon her horn, a mirror to the shimmer in the tiny trenches before her. A few moments of nothing but the whistle of the chill wind later and she released the magic. With a mighty beat of her wings, the ancient pony ascended into the clouds. Oh how wonderful it felt to fly. As her eyes beheld the sight below her, the ancient mind of hers began to wander back to happier days once again. ----- "And were back!" Declared Rainbow Dash, touching down with her chosen flight partner by her side. "Hi Dashie! Twilight and me were just thinking of ways to beat you two lovebirds!" Pinkie Pie sprung from her companion's side, suddenly done with secretly convening with her. "Wait...what...? Lovebirds?" The speedster's brain kicked into overdrive for a moment before her cheeks began to heat. "It's okay Rainbow." Soothed her fillyfriend as she nuzzled up her champion. This did nothing to help the blush and Rainbow Dash instead stubbled away, a hoofstep out of her mare's reach. "Wow there Fluttershy... Can we save it for when we're alone?" "Sure, my Dashie..." Cooed Fluttershy, a giggle escaped as she enjoyed the moment of one sided embarrassment. "Totally called it..." Giggled Pinkie Pie, nudging her purple friend. "Anyway... Race time?" It was clear that the cyan speedster was eager to break away from the unwanted topic of love at hoof. "Sure!" With a comical zip, Pinkie pulled up her chosen aerial racer, her hoof powered flyer. With her magic, Twilight made a marker in the ground before them all that shimmered lightly in the glorious noon day sun. "There everypony. Now we have a start line. But where's the finish?" "Oh! Oh! Oh! I know, I know!" The spastic pink pony couldn't help herself as she jumped up and down, hoof waggling in the air. "Yes Pinkie?" Twilight could barely contain her giggles at the comical sight. "How about Sugarcube Corner?" With a happy bounce, Pinkie landed on her flying contraption, ready to take off. "You do realize that its right in the middle of town?" Twilight wasn't sure about having a daring, crazy race that could get somepony hurt as her first one ever. "That will make it fun. How about...everypony has to fly below the buildings..." A grin lit the cyan speedster's mug as she entertained the idea. "I-I don't know... isn't that dangerous?" Questioned Fluttershy. Despite her near silent impact, everypony paused for a moment, some happier with the thought than others. "Awww... Come on... I can keep us safe." Grinned Rainbow, still hopeful for a free show for her fellow townsfolk. "I know Rainbow Dash... But what if somepony did get hurt?" The shy yet determined look upon Fluttershy's muzzle made her dear companion's eyes meet the ground in thoughtful submission. "How about to Rainbow's house? That way, she will still get to show off as we fly over Ponyville and I won't hurt somepony else when I crash." Twilight took a step forward, confident in her better plan of action. "Ohh! Yes!" Agreed Pinkie Pie, eager to get underway. "I can do that..." Rainbow Dash grinned, already filled with crazy thoughts on how best to attract the attention of the town. "Come on then everypony." She strode to the start line and bent low, ready for take off. With a sense of apprehension, Twilight strode up to the line she had summoned and took her place alongside Pinkie. "Three!" With a delighted cry, the party pony started the countdown. "I'm the fastest flyer... I'll do the countdown." Reprimanded Rainbow Dash, before she winked casually at her fellow competitor and continued the countdown. "Two... One. Go!" With the hardest flap of her wings that she could manage, Twilight took off, closing her eyes for a few moments until she was sure the ground was well and truly far below. Her dark purple eyes opened to a sight that forced her feathered appendages to pump faster. Before her, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were fighting for first place while Fluttershy pursued the pair as best she could. 'I can't be beaten by Fluttershy!' Determined to at least catch the supposedly slow pegasus, she powered onwards. A sense of pure enjoyment filled her as purple feathers slipped easily through the breeze. Being caught up in a race might not be her thing, but this was certainly a lot of fun. Maybe she would have to spend a little more time flying and a tiny bit less reading sometimes... Her mane and coat felt wonderful as she forced herself onto greater speeds. Each incremental boost amazed her. She had never thought that she would ever fly properly, let alone at speed. In what felt like no time at all, she reached Ponyville only to see Rainbow Dash soar out of the opposite side of town and up toward her cloudy home up ahead. Unwilling to risk herself by flying right through town, Twilight instead settled for hiking up and up, further into the sky to pass over the top. As she flew over, the new alicorn could feel the eyes of many a surprised pony follow her. It felt odd to be the center of attention, in a cloudbound race though the air. Up ahead, Pinkie careened up and away from the rooftops of Ponyville. With grim determination, Twilight fought through the sky, determined to at least catch her team mate up. She continued to power along through the sky, allowing tunnel vision to take over until all she could see was the pink mare up ahead. Closer and closer she came, trying with all her newfound flying skill to at least beat the spastic pony without wings. Pinkie turned and winked at her as she came up behind and then called something out. The wind stole the words but it was clear that one of them was her name. Before she could pull up alongside and question the crazy pony, the flying machine put on a burst of speed as pink limbs went nuts in the last minute dash to the finish line. Up ahead rose the majestic cloud home of the most egotistical mare in Ponyville. Twilight placed her sense of immense enjoyment aside for a moment and forced her tired wings beyond all limits she had ever imagined. She had to at least beat Pinkie! Suddenly, her horned head hit soft cloud and the alicorn came to a sudden, sliding stop in front of two panting pegasi. "Twilie came third!" Cried the jubilant Pinkie Pie from atop her flying vessel. Before she could react, Twilight found pink forehooves wrapped around her middle in a jubilant hug. Although earth ponies couldn't walk atop clouds, there was never any mention of them not being able to hug a cloudbound pony and fall. "Wait..." Dark purple eyes moved between the two pegasi before her. "H-how did Fluttershy...beat me? I thought she was...well...a little slower..." The surprised alicorn fell into silence, hopeful that the shy mare wouldn't take it the wrong way. "I know she can fly when she wants to." Grinned a proud cyan mare. She used a wing to playfully ruffle her lover's mane. "I guess..." Nodded Twilight, a certain pegasus tornado came to mind. Not only had Fluttershy proved that she could fly, but that she could fly fast when she really wanted to. So it was more than just plausible that she could beat a first time racer like herself. "It's okay Twilight. At least you beat me. You make a good number three..." Giggled the pink pony atop her back. It was a strange sensation, Twilight didn't expect to feel pink hooves working their way along her back, as the pony on top stroked her gently. Despite a slight jerk of surprise, she quickly found herself to be putty in the easy going mare's hooves. ----- A freezing cold cloud impacted with the eternally sharp horn upon the royal daydreamer's head. She found herself showered in moisture and rudely reawakened her from her wonderful daydream of special days gone by. Pinkie's touch was always special. As was her Pinkie sense. The one strange thing that she did that Twilight had never quite worked out. She still loved it, missed it, wished to see the odd twitchy twitch in action once again. With a sigh of resignation, the lonesome purple alicorn pulled herself back into the present to stare downward at the beach below. She hovered above her creation, a slow, sad smile upon her face. She beheld the words Pinkamena Diane Pie, I love you glowing in the late day sun. As much as it broke it, her heart filled with warmth to see the name of her long gone love. With her magic, the reminder would hold for anypony else to see for at least a few months. Maybe even one of her children would spot the massive words from above on one of their trips from Canterlot. They would be sure to know who had wrote them. 'I wish I could finally be with you my dear.' "I wish... I wish..." Somehow, the last part escaped her muzzle, instantly ripped away by the wild winds. "I wrote your name... In the sand, The waves can't wash it away." The descent was slow, filled with pangs of unrepressed sorrow as she continued to allow herself to remember. Her underused wings were tired from the unknown amount of time spent in the sky and made steady decent a tough task. With a poof, she landed. Her hooves unsteady upon the soft sand as she slowly regained her self composure. "So many years, so many hardships, So many laughs, so many tears. She told me not to worry, Said I'd be fine when she was gone. Now our kids, they got their own kids, And their own foals have grown, Today is my day of remembrance, Cause we had 60 years." Her sad song was accepted by the wind and born aloft, up, up, up, into the sky. All four hooves meshed with the soft sand as she took a final moment to gaze out across the rugged expanse before her. Now she could accept its beauty. At long last she had opened herself again to the wider world. To her, it was as regal and magical as the day her mare had surprised her on this beach. For the rest of the year she knew she had to hold the pain inside, bottle it all away. It was always almost like it had never happened, except that it had. As much as she wished to be one with her lover, now was not the time. Today was not the day she could disappear, she had ponies to return to, subjects to rule, grandchildren to wrangle. With a wriggle of her wings, Twilight slowly extracted herself from her position. She shed another tear into the wind as she turned away from the sea. This was the time of year she could remember... This was the time the mighty ruler could mourn, This was the day, 800 years ago, her ever smiling love had died. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Chandelier author: Petrichord tags: character:Feather Bangs, character:Other, genre:Dark, genre:Romance, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Narcotics, warning:Sex, warning:Suicide / Self Harm

=== Avenir Vu === I'm not sure if Avenir Vu is a term, but I'm going to make it one if it isn't one. See, Déjà Vu - that's the term for when something happens and you feel like it happened in your past. And that feeling can change how you act, if you think what happened in the past lead to a good or a bad thing that you should or should not do. Past blurring into the present, right? Or if you really buy that what you thought happened really happened, then it's the present (in the past) affecting the future (in the present.) But Avenir Vu - that would be when the present blurs into the future. It's when you think that what's going to happen now is going to happen to something later. And it can change how you act, if you think what happens in the future is a good or bad thing you should or should not do. Call it anticipation, call it imagination, call it non-existent. But I know what that feels like, to have the 'then' become the 'now' in reverse. I can feel it as surely as I could feel my cutie mark sprout, all those years ago. And if it seems like I'm thinking too much about time, that's because it's my job. Technically, setting fashion trends for the future is my job, but designing the future is my job in that job. I see the future, set standards for the future, make the future happen. Everypony makes the future happen, but I'm the only pony who really gets that. Me. I see it, so i make it in a way that other ponies don't make it. Or maybe I'm seeing time like this because these pills are fantastic. I haven't been seeing time this clearly in weeks, maybe months, and if it's muddling my present thoughts then I don't really care. You get your mystics from distant lands who talk about opening your third eye with meditation, but I crossed over the third eye hours ago. And a pill after opening my sixth eye, I started growing eyes all over my body. I'm a carpet of eyes, an animate statue of optical brilliance, and it just struck me that this would totally work in the future and I need to write this down— "You're up," says the bouncer. Oh. The bouncer. Right. See, I want to tell him that he needs to give me a pencil and paper so I can write him down, but he'd give me that look. The look that doesn't get me into the nightclub I've been standing in line for at least two minutes, and the look that threatens to call security if I don't move my butt in one direction or another in the next fifteen seconds. Tweaking in public is fine. Tweaking visibly enough that people outside the club start making remarks isn't fine. Tweaking hard enough that the cops start to notice and before I know it I'm getting my pretty little face on a mug shot? Very much not fine. But, see, the last two don't happen because I could see them happening, and I made sure they didn't happen. Setting the future. Déjà Vu in the present. Avenir Vu. I barely even notice my hooves moving as they carry me into the club. I'm still thinking about how Avenir Vu could be an amazing name. If Starstreak wasn't already an amazing name, Avenir Vu could totally be my name. Maybe it will be, in the future. I can't tell. I can't see that future, and I don't particularly care about seeing it at the moment. My brain's too busy seeing everything with a mane full of dozens of blinking eyes, each tracing futures for every dancing gait and laughing face around me. Not worth seeing: The beautiful ingenue with the mane like a lilac tree. Two hours from now she's going to be vomiting into a toilet before dragging herself to a mirror and using the darkened spittle from the corner of her mouth to invent the world's first bathroom selfie. That giggling, underage blue-maned foal she's with is going to discover a couple of hours from dawn that his fake ID can't stop his parents from wondering where he is. The double-chinned colt with more pork in his barrel than a senator's policies, he's three syringes away from realizing what the limitations of his physical and literal heart actually are, just before it gives out on him. Incidentally, the bouncer's going to barely break a sweat as he drags the colt's corpse to a back alley a few blocks down, lest it tarnish the club's reputation. This is precisely why you don't mess with the bouncer, and it's not hard to see the future of anypony who tries. But I'm not here to hit on the bouncer. I've got Honey Buns for that. Speaking of which, where is he? I mean, I know I didn't have a time and place picked out for him, but this is the sort of thing an artist knows. Place, time, purpose. My place is here, my time is with the future and my future is I don't talk about that But Honey Buns, he's an artist, too. Even if he doesn't know it. He's got the body of a model, curves in the right places and a mane so perfect I couldn't recreate it if I tried as hard as I could. Mellifluous voice. Extra mellifluous when I'm ramming my cock up his ass, when the two of us are singing a carnal duet of love and escapism and the future and here and now. Maybe Honey Buns is here after all. Maybe I'm just not thinking. Maybe I can't think, maybe the last pill made the eyes grow from my body by sucking the juice from my brains. I've got to remember if he said anything. So I focus on the music. The beat is loud, oppressive, heavy - but it's not fast, not the sort of club music that fillies listen to while drinking their rainbow-colored cocktails. It's a beautiful B-flat minor, the kind where every beat hits with the energy of lightning and the percussion of thunder, raining undiluted audio onto me until I'm drenched in pleasure. And here, I can let the music drown everything else out. I can close my eyes and the club disappears, the other colts and mares and stallions and honey buns and all of that disappears, until all that's left is the music and my thoughts. My thoughts. Mine. I'm Starstreak. Good, that's a thought to get started on. Everything gets easier after the first time. I'm Starstreak. I'm a fashion designer. I design the future. I'm currently on I don't know how many drugs, and that's making it a little hard to think, but I think I can still get a grasp on what's going on right now. I'm in this club. I forgot where it is in Canterlot. I forgot what its name is. I only remembered the address of where I needed to go, because it was written down by Honey Buns. Whose name isn't Honey Buns. I'll remember the real name later. He said he was going to meet me here, at...at I think about now, an hour before midnight, at the bar on the second floor. Closest to the back exit, near the restrooms, in case something comes up. In case two somethings come up. Which means that I need to take the stairs. I'll need to take the stares, too. I know I'm tweaking, everypony knows that I'm tweaking, it's obvious and I'm totally not having a little paranoia fit right now. I know that I can see the stares of everypony else with the eyes all over my coat. I don't really have eyes on my mane. I think. I open my eyes and scratch the back of my neck. Nopony's watching. Up goes my hoof, into the back of my mane, pulling out a small packet of pills. I forgot their names. I forgot what the colors stood for. I don't care. One goes out of the packet, in my mouth, on my tongue, to the back of my throat, swallowed. It's gone. I stick the packet back in my mane and wait And Wow Time for the grand entrance. Time to make my way up the stairs with just enough energy that i don't attract stares. Take stairs, ignore stares. Stares. Stairs. Thoughts getting muddled again. I don't care. That's the point. Then I'm on the second floor, and I think a few ponies recognize me as I stroll up to the bar. I was on the cover of...some magazine, or another?...and apparently I was a rising star, according to the magazine. They said that I was a visionary. They said I could see the future. They said I was making the future happen. I'm Starstreak. Starstreak the fashion designer. This is what I do. I see the future, make the future happen. Or maybe I just predict it. Or maybe I'm hallucinating. I don't care. I think I don't care. I'm honestly not sure whether or not I care. Maybe I do care in the end. Maybe this will be one of those nights where I wake up in the morning and have a half-dozen ideas buzzing around in my head, and I sketch out the concepts with a pencil, and then I have enough projects to work on for I don't even know how long, until I'm setting fashion trends and getting brand names and becoming the darling of the fashion world. Or maybe it will be one of those nights where I wake up, lying in a puddle of vomit and grain alcohol, unable to figure out what time of day it is or what day it is or where I am or what happened after the third pill. But at least I know what I need right here, right now. I lean across the bar, wait until the bartender notices me, and ask for a drink. Something silly and fruity and pink, with whipped cream and sprinkles and a little straw. Then I crane my neck to the left and look down the bar, trying to catch a glimpse of… What's his name again? It isn't Honey Buns, but I guess that name will have to do for now. And then I see him, one of those silly, fruity pink drinks in his hoof, sipping it and passing off discomfort as indifference. I'm pretty sure everypony around him can tell that he's not really indifferent to the atmosphere. I'm pretty sure he's doing this for himself more than anypony else. Two can play that game. I slide the drink down in his direction and saunter over. The genuine surprise in his eyes as the two glasses clink is proof positive of his insecurity. "Hey, Honey Buns." The embarrassed little smile the colt greets me with is utterly adorable. I wonder how much I can get away with teasing him before he starts to hate it, because the smile and the blush are absolutely worth testing the limits of our relationship. "Ah...you don't have to call me that, Darlin'. You can just call me Feather Bangs." Feather Bangs. Took me long enough. I should cut down on the pills next time. Of course, "should" isn't the same thing as "will," and I think we both know it. But short of sewing it onto a jacket, I'm not sure how to remember that, much less follow it. Still, sewing names on the jackets as self-advertisement would totally be retro-futuristic. Right designs, right angularity and refraction and colour, and it could totally be a masterpiece in the making. Maybe I should carve it into my coat. "Starstreak? Everythin' okay, dear?" "Yeah. Everything's fine." I give my head a little shake to emphasize the point. "Thinking about art again. You know how it is." "Of course. You've got quite the mind for beautiful things." I can see Feather Bangs' body tense up a little, as if he's afraid to say the wrong thing. Why is he afraid? Does he think I'm going to tweak out on him? "It's hard for me to not think about beautiful things when you're around, honey...bangs. You could be anypony's muse, you know?" "Aw, shucks." Feather Bangs blushes darker. It's the exact right words for him, and the exact wrong words for me. He could be anypony's muse. He could inspire a statue, a painting, a musical masterpiece. I want him to inspire the magic of creation in me. But it's hard to be inspired by him when I know he could inspire anypony, everypony. That isn't the future, and it makes me wonder if it isn't my future, either. "Don't let me trip you up, Feather. Go ahead and finish your drinks, okay?" "Wouldn't dream of anything else, Starstreak." Feather Bangs wraps his perfect lips around the straw of his first cocktail and drinks. It won't be hard for me to remember that I want those lips around my cock tonight, at least once. But I'm not sure I see that as his future. He's the sort of pony with a gift for romance, not lust. He's another washed-up bit of flotsam, looking for love in every crack and hole, finding nothing but loose change and half-honest sentiments. And yet, he's here with me, in this little corner of insanity and hedonism, artiste to artiste. I'm not sure if that's what I love about him, but I can think of worse reasons. "I brought you a gift," I interrupt as he finishes his first drink and reaches for the second. Feather Bangs pauses, hoof still clutched around the cool stem of the glass. "Darlin'..." "Just the one, dear." It'll be more than just the one, of course. One will turn into two, into three, possibly into four. Even in the dim light of the club, he seems untouchably beautiful. Pills have a way of eroding that. Pills have a way of making the most prudent ponies discard their mountains of sensibilities like so much chaff, and they'll certainly help make him very, very touchable. Feather Bangs pauses as i reach for the back of my mane, pull out the packet, count out a single pill and place it right in the crook of his hoof as it cradles the cocktail glass. I can feel his body tense, briefly, as the warmth of my hoof clashes with the chill of the glass. Or maybe it's tensing because he doesn't like the idea of this, at least not until after the first pill kicks in. How many times do I have to remind him that he's not going to be a junkie? He's too pure for that. If his body didn't prevent it from sticking, I know his mind almost certainly would. He's the sort of Adoneighse that can freely dabble in the basest corners of life without ever worrying about being corrupted by them. His art is pure. Maybe that's why I love him, if I love him after all. I can think of worse reasons. "It's okay, dear." I reassure him, trying to soften the timidness in his eyes. "It's just a little bit, okay? I want to dance, and I want to dance with you, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around all the other ponies. I just want us to have fun, okay?" "I don't know-" "Sweetie, you deserve to have fun, more than anypony else. You're so beautiful when you're happy, and I want the world to feel that beauty, too. And they can only have that when you're getting the happiness you deserve. Trust me." My hoof slides next to his, and I can't tell whether or not my hoof did that on its own. I know there's another part of my body I can't control, and it's probably for the best if we get on the dance floor before my urge to cut loose is supplanted by our party closer. But to my relief, he believes that. The pill goes in his mouth, on his tongue, to the back of his throat, swallowed. It's gone. Watching his pupils dilate is an immense relief, like watching the rising tide. Maybe this is what I love about him. If I love him. I don't know anymore. I don't know anything but this. I can see everypony's future but his, and that's beautiful and tragic at the same time. "Come on, dear." I tug gently at his hoof. "Let's go dance." ********************************** I have no idea how many hours have passed, and I don't care. He doesn't care either. Honey Buns...Feather Bangs?...took the last of my pills three songs ago, and he's all but deliriously romantic. Even miles beyond sobriety, he's not an animal; he's perpetually a neonate with the drugs, always full of the rush and the passion, never consumed by desire or greed. It's why he's murmuring sweet things into my ear as I drag him off towards the bathroom. It's why his intentions aren't perfectly aligned with mine. We're on different wavelengths. His future is not my future. I know this, he knows this, everypony in the club knows this, every single eye on my mane and coat knows this. He'll be one of those types who grows famous for his genuine sweetheartedness, marry, divorce, withdraw into himself, then bloom a decade later with a charity to some noble cause that inspires the world to give a little more freely to those in need. He's out of place here, being dragged gently over to the bathroom, humming a ballad softly under his breath. Bright Lights. Tile Floor. I must have pushed open the bathroom door sometime, somewhere. It doesn't matter. Nearest stall. Unoccupied. His purity, my passion. New wave. Beautiful. Fundamental artistry. I barely have time to shut the door before he's in front of me, lips parted, bobbing up and down my shaft like a professional. Maybe he is a professional. I can't remember the first time we met; can't remember how, can't remember why, can't remember how it came to this. How we came to this. How we ended up happy together, sort of, lost in drugs and sex and emotional excess. Doesn't matter. He's taken me into his throat, and I can feel my balls churning. He's not an animal, but I am. And in the morning, I'll wake up and he'll have inspired me to something beautiful. I'll see the present as the future, I'll make the vision happen, I'll bring it to everypony else. A prophetic animal. He moans. I'm close. He can tell. His hoof wraps around, between my legs- I lose it. His eyes bulge as I unload. He tries not to gag, tries not to pull back, but can't entirely manage it. I forgive him for that; he's not an animal, not raw, not base. He doesn't have to be perfect to understand how to do this, to understand how his love mingles with my lust. Or maybe it's my love with his lust. I can't see that part of his life. I can't see him. As he turns around and hikes his tail, I wonder if I maybe do love him after all. In my own way. I can't get over him, at any rate, and I'm not sure my idolization really is just obsession. Maybe I want to stay with him, to treasure moments like these, to turn this feeling into something more than this feeling. But my musings lay in my mind and my body runs on autopilot as I mount him. He's warm, always warm. He's tight, always tight. Virginal, like always. I don't know how much longer he'll feel like this. I don't know how much longer we'll feel like this, wrapped together, warmth to warmth against the cool tile of the floor and the empty echoing of the bathroom walls. He's whispering my name, and I'm whispering his name back, and I don't know how much longer we'll be like this either. So I try to savor it. I try to savor squeezing in and out of him, cupping his balls, gasping as he clenches, moaning in cadence with his groans, tantric throes not unlike ballet with a song. It's the second time I unload that I can feel him give in. His body buckles, then sags, droops to the floor. Mounting him turns into laying on top of him, cradling him, gently stroking his mane as his eyelids close and his body curls ever so slightly. And I can't remember how long we stay like this, either, body to body, sweat kissing sweat, whole at last for a few minutes more. And then I disentangle myself, open the door, stagger to a mirror. Two bathroom sinks to my left, there's dark spittle smeared all over a mirror in a rough approximation of a self-portrait. And in this mirror, there's me. Mane askew. Coat slick, almost shining in the restroom lights. Eyes staring into the mirror, trying to look at myself. But even as everything changes, nothing's changed at all. Because in the mirror, I'm still looking out the window near the top floor of a nice manehattan apartment. Alone in my studio, trapped with my creations, chained to the expectations of a new design that was last heard from months ago, tied to contractors cutting our partnerships one by one as they see me as a deadweight. In the future, my visions of the future are gone. I can't see myself as anything other than one who's already seen himself, and in himself found out there's nothing more to see. Maybe I'm seeing that right now. Either I'm seeing that, or I'm seeing the drugs that make everything seem surreal and which gives my insight at least a little substance. Or I see him. Feather Bangs. Honey Bun. I see that he's in his own future, and I see that he's not in mine. And I see that in my future, I open the window, close my eyes and step out the windowsill. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: For Mother author: Zephyrus Scary tags: character:Changelings, character:Cutie Mark Crusaders, character:Main 6, character:Queen Chrysalis, character:Scootaloo, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== For Mother === FOR MOTHER Zephyrus Scary Chapter 1: For Mother My life, I think, is surprisingly normal in spite of the circumstances. I go to school, have friends I adventure with, and have an embarrassing Family that I care for—that I love—nonetheless. Or at least, I tell myself that I think I love them, for what wouldn't I do for Mother? I think, if it ever came to such a thing, I could bring myself to die for her, and isn't that love? I'm not sure, but I like to think it is, even though I know thinking alone has never made anything true. How do I know? Because of my friends, or who I call my friends, as I'm sure they would abandon me in an instant if they ever found out the truth about my Family—about me… I don't think about that, though, even though I know thinking alone has never made anything true. I know that because my friends, my two friends, to be specific, have certainly dragged me into enough experiences to figure out a lot about Equestria. Equestria… that "magical land of ponies" which is filled with so much love that it makes me feel empty. So much so that sometimes I think I really am empty—maybe even incapable—of love, but that surely can't be true… Can it? No… that I know can't be true, because even if my friends did find out about my Family and abandoned me I would still care for them, and that's love, too, right? Even if they didn't care about me in return; even if they wished for my death instead? Still, I am glad that, for now, those questions don't have to be answered; that, for now, my life is normal—a lie, but as I said, "in spite of the circumstances." A lie, yes… and not just a lie to them, but, sometimes I fear, to myself as well. I try to tell myself that I care—that I love—but if that's so, then why do I remain? Wouldn't their lives be better without me? Without risking their finding out and wondering what had gone wrong; making them question their lives? I'm not sure… I never am, and I don't think I can ever be sure. Not of myself, anyway. I do know that I'm here for a reason, and that if I insisted I cannot continue, I could be replaced. Would the one who replaced me be better or worse? I don't want to think ill of my Family, but I want to stay, so I tell myself, whenever I wonder about this, worse… I am the best for them… Mother wouldn't have sent me unless she thought I could do this better than everyone else. All the same, I doubt she chose me to care about who I would come to regard as true—and, I would like to say, "honest," but who would I be kidding? Not myself—friends. Certainly, anyone can pretend to care, but can they pretend to love? I don't know… I don't pretend to even know what love is, but I hope what I feel is love, even as I wonder if it is possible for me to love. For my friends, I would wish nothing else for them but real love. Why I care about giving them real love is hard to say. I know, at least, that they love me; I know that, if they ever found me out, they would go searching for the "real" Scootaloo—a pony who doesn't actually exist. It's a comforting sentiment in its own strange way… Well, perhaps not exactly comforting, but… No; it is comforting, for it is—and I know this—love, and while it is difficult to imagine the situation being reversed, I like to think I would do the same if in their place. Then, at the same time, there is always the fear that their finding out the truth is inevitable, so even as I care for them, I try to distance myself from them for, as I tell myself, their sakes… … … … … … HA! … Such a feeble and fragile lie, so transparent even I cannot fool myself with it for a second. I may not know exactly what love is, but I do know what it's not. I know that it sounds paradoxical and impossible that I can tell when something isn't love, but can't tell what is love… yet here I am, stealing energy from "Scootaloo's" friends in the form of love that I wish I could reciprocate without resorting to a lie, yet that very same love would leave me in an instant if I should ever try!… THAT is a paradox!… The paradox of my life. A paradox I must solve if I am to ever be able to relax… So absorbed am I in such thoughts—though never enough to forget the personality of my disguise, for I am still a Changeling; faking, hiding my true thoughts, is all but engrained in my DNA—I almost don't come back to myself in time to avoid what could have been a nasty crash with a trio of rabbits who had hopped into the middle of the road and stopped right in front of my speeding scooter. Fortunately, for both me and the rabbits, Sweetie Belle's and Apple Bloom's eyes were shut in anticipation, so the discrete adding of a few inches to my wingspan go unnoticed. Unfortunately, Applejack, apparently chasing the rabbits, isn't quite "pegasus" enough to avoid same with me, the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, my scooter, and the wagon, as her leaping for the rabbits only ends with all of us in a painful, certainly bruised heap (did the rabbits use us as a trap? clever things). I suppose I should also count myself lucky that all my time spent as a Cutie Mark Crusader has apparently strengthened my ability to remain transformed with ever harder knocks to my head—one of the few certain ways to identify a Changeling. Now there's an idea… something definitely worth talking to Mother about tonight… That's for later, though. Right now, I need something else, or rather, somepony else: Somepony who can help me sort through my divided loyalties… without her knowing what she's actually doing, of course. The easiest cover, naturally, would be to talk about her Cutie Mark—something I can only hope to reveal the best course of action for me. However, this has the side effect of Apple Bloom now asking her sister about how she got her Cutie Mark, which, I can hardly believe, Apple Bloom has never heard before. Long story short, Applejack had earned her Cutie Mark by being honest with herself about how she felt. If anything, this only makes me feel worse. I had gotten myself into this whole dilemma by being honest with myself about how I feel towards Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom and everypony else whose love for Scootaloo feeds me! If anything, lying and telling myself I can't care about them because they're my food would arguably leave me happier! But now that the revelation has hit, I can't go back… quite unlike Applejack, who afterwards goes right back to chasing the rabbits who had stolen some food from Sweet Apple Acres. However, I know I cannot stew in these unfortunate thoughts, so I urge the other two to get on with our "quest." This day, it seems, is simply not a good day for traveling, for some distance after our meeting with Applejack, Fluttershy all but falls out of the air to block our way. This time, I know I can't risk her—a pegasus who would be able to spot such much more easily—seeing me alter my wings. Attempting to turn, however, turns out badly as a rock I notice too late catches on the wheel, launching the three of us to the ground before Fluttershy's hooves. More animals, this times ducks, are what Fluttershy had been trying to warn me about. Fluttershy. If it seems the Universe is to deny me the chance to talk with Rainbow Dash, I couldn't ask for a better second choice. Convincing her to tell the story behind her Cutie Mark doesn't take much effort, either, and my enthusiasm I only have to halfway fake. By the end of it, however, as she performs a small musical number, I have to focus to keep from cringing and backing away in shame. Love everything? I can't help but think there must be some terrible irony or other trick-of-the-Universe being played against me here. Surely, if Fluttershy knew what I was doing to the poor fillies sitting beside me, then what she had done to the cockatrice would look positively comforting compared to what she would do to me. She wouldn't love me-… She couldn't love me if she knew the truth. If the Element of Kindness couldn't love something, then what hope would it—would I!—have of even gleaning a little snack of pity from anypony else? With Fluttershy finally finished, I can barely contain myself from running away right there. Still, the way I hop onto my scooter, ready to continue—finding myself in even more dire need for Rainbow Dash's advice than before—does not raise suspicion. So distracted and distraught am I now that I barely register anything when I am stopped yet again by Rarity; not even really listening to her as I just grunt affirmatives and go with the flow. I come back to myself just as Rarity seems intent on making us Cutie Mark Crusader Ponyquins. Jumping quickly back into Scootaloo's personality, I sigh mentally in relief at how the other two seem not to have noticed for being distracted by their pony-worry of Cutie Marks. Upon hearing of our quest, the Element of Generosity decides to make our "chore" (really, it's just standing there, frozen by not wanting to be pricked by a levitated pin) a bit more bearable with her story. I can't help but feel… disappointed… afterwards, however. Not that I had expected much from Rarity, but something about her story is distinctly strange. Not just the weird time screw-up, but… the ending. She wasn't any more skilled with design or being any less Generous than she had been in the beginning, but instead she only received her Cutie Mark after receiving the praise she wanted? There has to be something more to the story… something I'm missing. Ponies earn their Cutie Mark when they realize what their talent is; Rarity only got her Cutie Mark in clothing design after she got the praise she wanted. No; that's not right. It's not that she had been fishing for the compliment, but she had only accepted her own talent after it had been subjected to a test of standing up to her own standards… of standing up to another's standards. How she imagined that this would help us—or rather, those Cutie Mark Crusaders who are actually ponies—to earn their Cutie Marks, I haven't the faintest idea. As for me, it steels my want to speak with Rainbow Dash to the point it becomes a need: a need for another to evaluate me… Someone to judge me. Given the recently developed pattern, I couldn't help but be right when I guess that, after running into Twilight Sparkle, we would end up hearing her Cutie Mark story next. Somehow, her story ends up even worse than Rarity's: so there was an explosion at just the right time to not only "unlock" her magical reserves and prevent her from failing her entrance exam, but got her noticed by the Princess and her got her her Cutie Mark as well? What kind of realization was that supposed to represent? First… if I know anything about Twilight, it's that she trusts Princess Celestia "unconditionally" (of course, it's not truly unconditional… for example, I would hesitate to say that Twilight would still trust her if she wasn't The Princess, at least not without something else to compensate; thus, conditions). If Celestia said exactly as Twilight just told—or close enough—then Twilight may had simply taken Celestia's words closer than the Princess may have intended (or Celestia looks far too much into the future to be called a simple "chessmaster"), and took her words as evidence that magic is her Talent. I don't know how I should feel about that useless tale, either as myself or as Scootaloo. Freed from Twilight's "yesyesyes" trap by the staring crowd, I'm not surprised at all by Pinkie Pie's appearance and insistence of telling us her story. I don't waste any time thinking about it, thanks to Pinkie's perfect example of the obviously unreliable narrator, but at least I think that her tale, even if untrue, does provide the best example for the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders on what an actual realization of one's talent looks like. Not that I expect either of them to understand, nor do I care… yet; I need Rainbow Dash before I can decide to care or not! Of course, with only one Bearer of the Elements of Harmony left, I feel more anticipation than worry. There she is, waiting for me. The one who exemplifies loyalty. That nature I must test myself on. To choose loyalty to one, and abandon the other… When her story is done all too soon, I can feel my mind falling apart—shards of broken pieces piling inside my head. The answer is right there; I know it is, but I don't want it. I never wanted it. I don't want to choose… I don't… However, As I sit there, my Scootaloo persona running on autopilot, I notice something as the Elements gather into a hug: Twilight's Cutie Mark. It can't be a coincidence. Even Celestia wouldn't be able to change the form of a Cutie Mark. A Cutie Mark of one large star surrounded by five smaller ones. It finally becomes obvious to me as she sits surrounded by her five friends. Her fellow Elements of Harmony. Fate. They were fated to be the Elements of Harmony. Just as I was fated to be born a Changeling. There was, and is, nothing either of us could or can do about those facts. The fact the Elements are Heroes. And Changelings are the Enemies. THAT NIGHT: "Gimarazrasu Maraza, I have a… suggestion I think may interest you." I hesitantly propose as I prostrate myself uzhkaalav before my Queen Chrysalis. "It can wait, Amaa Ufazun. Now, rise, for I need you to listen closely to my new plan, and your new mission… if you feel up to it." Queen Chrysalis smiles sadly down at me, the youngest Changeling in Equestria; I know she regrets—wishes there is some other way, but there isn't… the Matabara had been weakened too severely by Shining Armor and Cadance's spell. Before I can ask—before can decide if I want to ask, already suspecting and fearing the answer—Queen Chrysalis goes on, "Going over your reports again, I and my advisers have finally agreed that impersonating Scootaloo's friends—Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom—will provide enough love and tactical positioning to warrant the risk, and we're going to need you to both help capture them, and train and advise the tagarsharuti." As much as I hate it, I know I have to make a decision, and I know what it has to be. "Baysamira, Gimarazrasu Maraza." Something—pity, I guess—takes over her eyes as she corrects me, "Baymatabira, Amaa Ufazun." She may say Baymatabira; that what I'm about to do is for the entire Family, and that is probably true, but the reason I do it is the one word I hear in my head as she gives me my instructions: Baygimariza. For Mother. I have chosen you. === For Love === FOR MOTHER Zephyrus Scary Chapter 2: For Love It has been about a month now since the replacing of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with two of my sisters, who are just half a year younger than me. The thing had gone without so much a hitch or snag—a simple blow to the back of both their heads during one of our many Cutie Mark Crusading planning sessions in the treehouse, then a signal to where the tagarsharuti and garafxassharuti were hidden, waiting. The tagarsharuti took on the two fillies' forms, and the garafxassharuti took the fillies away to the outpost in the Everfree Forest. Since then, thanks to my teaching, the two aren't suspected even by the fillies' families… and I have wondered on occasion whether I would really be all that upset if they were found out. How disappointed would I actually be if I failed in my mission of helping them integrate into their roles? … How horrible of me to think of such a thing! For just as surely as my name is not Scootaloo, they—my sisters! Matabara!—would be killed! Executed! –and… likely more. Torture, in an attempt to get them to tell where the real Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are being kept, but of course they would never tell. Not even kapasha are so foolish as to give ponies so much as a hint of a hint as to where Changelings live. Kapasha have certainly been on my mind recently, and I'm sure they are on the other two's as well, given the quickly arriving Equestrian holiday of Hearts' and Hooves' Day. A day for ponies to spend, in the day's entirety, simply exuding love—in other words, a day for Changelings to feast and forget any animosities between ourselves for a little while. After all, when love is in such abundance, I know I, and most others, even Sagama, would prefer to feed rather than worry about traitors and deserters. So, in an effort to distract ourselves from the incoming flux of love energies (and keep our mouths from watering), we jump onto the first project that comes to mind: a Hearts' and Hooves' Day present to the one who provides all three of us with love five days out of seven. I think, however, we might have overdone it; not that any Changeling would blame us—I can only imagine what shenanigans the more antsy are getting up to in ever more desperate attempts to distract themselves. To put it in so few words: Hearts' and Hooves' Day is big for Changelings. However, even if no Changeling would blame us, I think both the door out of the treehouse and the door into the schoolhouse will have something to say about the size of our present. Of course the giant heart, while composed mostly of paper, ribbon, and glitter, is still somewhat welded into shape by the copious glue holding the monstrosity together. All three of us silently agree that we're thankful none of us have to imponyate some "arts-and-craft-y" type (though usually when scouting out potential targets, any talent remotely related to the arts is an instant mark against a pony—even the most art-talented Changeling can't copy a specific pony's particular style perfectly). I suppose, though, that even if Apple Bloom has showed some proclivity to the visual arts, the participation in this project by the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders—or rather, Sweetie Belle and myself—would render that skill unnoticeable. It takes a little bit of work—namely in the "bend it, but not so much as to totally ruin it" direction—but we get it into the classroom just fine without having to resort to even the tiniest, most subtle Changeling magic to help; something I think rightfully earns us the moment of self-congratulation we take. Celebration. Camaraderie. Family. I'm sorry, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, but as much as I value your friendship, I have higher priorities… I just wish I could have done this without hurting you. Inside, I grimace at the useless apologies—No, they're worse than useless, but exactly what they are, I don't think there is a word for. What I'd done, and what I feel about it, I don't think any Changeling has felt or even dreamed of before. To worry about one's prey, or to even… maybe… love them back… It's unimaginable! I need to abandon these thoughts, as I have abandoned them. I hope that Hearts' and Hooves' Day should prove to be the distraction—the reintegration into normal Changeling thought!—that I need, but in the back of my head, I already know it will fail to reach that expectation. I ignore that part of me, though, as I, a Changeling, should; I have to expect it to succeed in order to give it a chance. A self-fulfilling prophecy… I could really use one of those right now. Right now, I need to focus. The three of us have purposefully placed ourselves at the front of the class, prime to watch our "peers" and take note of the… possible services they may render to us, Changelings, in the future. Our job is not only to gather the love that ponies seem to naturally have for their young, but to look for budding, extrafamilial relationships—our future food—as a farmer might look after fruit trees too young to yet give fruit. How freely ponies love and express their love, even when so young! -except towards Changelings. … … … … It's almost like they want to be our prey. -and I should be happy to help; I should want for these hypocrites and hoarders of love to be visited by my family and drained of that which they don't need in order to survive like we do, but which they value as much as a Changeling does anyway! How can ponies and Changelings think so similarly, yet be so at odds? Of course: ponies believe we don't think like they do, but still, I can't… hate them, or wish harm upon them; I can barely justify helping my brothers and sisters turn them into food, and even I don't know myself how I could… love them! -and if I don't understand it, how can I hope to change it? Maybe-… I hope I don't need to understand it. Maybe all I need to do is understand and accept something else. Maybe having these two sisters here will help me relearn what I should have understood before coming here. Maybe that's what Gimarazrasu Amaariz plan has been all along?—she knew I needed help before I knew it, and started preparing before I started having trouble with these thoughts. Even thought I don't really know if that's true, it reminds me of a most important fact I almost forgot: Gimarzrasu Maraza loves me. Everything she's done and plans to do is all centered on helping me and Matabira. All of her children. Everyone. I calm down, and the worry I've been feeling coming from my sisters turns to relief, both just in time to receive a new shock: Cheerilee has no, as ponies put it, "special somepony." All of that potential love, especially on Hearts' and Hooves' Day, being wasted?! It seems my wish for a distraction is granted only after I don't need it any more. I think I'm starting to feel sick… but I need to push on. Of course all three of us think the same thing at more-or-less the same time: Changeling matchmakers—it would make gathering love foal's play! -and what better way to initiate our newest plan than with just what Gimarzrasu Maraza teaches and loves: singing. Singing is, after all, pretty much the only artistic thing most Changelings are good at consistently, but the one currently taking the place of Sweetie Belle is the best of our generation, if not the best currently living—after Gimarzrasu Miriza, of course! However… a funeral? On Hearts' and Hooves' Day? Yet more waste, with all of that comforting going around the mourners—not quite as good as the love that blooms on the holiday, but more than the usual everyday. If only the "survivors," as ponies call them, had rescheduled to a couple days away in either direction, the harvest could have been maximized. All the same, I spot a couple kapasha among the mourners—whether they themselves are actually mourning the loss of a pony's life or not, I don't know, and I don't care. I'm not kapasha. I don't think like them. Our needs outweigh the needs of our prey. What we do to ponies is necessary to our survival—the akaapish-way would never work on a scale large enough to feed us all!… I think… Tubs of jelly? Love towards an inanimate object? Yet more waste. How could ponies waste love so frivolously? Disgusting. Thankfully, I don't have to think about it too long and lose my pazara in the middle of the street, for we spot what should have been obvious from the start: Big McIntosh. Apple Bloom's—as "she" points out—big brother, and the stallion that should have come to my sister's mind before I almost got sick thinking about that jelly-loving pony. -whom I'm determined to never think of again. THAT AFTERNOON: How could all of our work turn out for naught? How could two ponies without "special someponies" not want to love each other?! Is there something wrong—defective—with these two? No, that can't be right, given how much love we, and particularly I, have gathered from Cheerilee for so long. Big McIntosh, however… has always been a bit on the odd side, preferring the company of trees even more than the apple-philiac Applejack. -but turning into an apple or apple tree is about as bad an idea as turning into a tub of jelly. I gag again as we slump away from our defeat; so much for our Changeling matchmakers idea… -and on to becoming Changeling love potion brewers! If only Twilight Sparkle knew she had hoofed over a recipe for a love potion to a trio of Changelings! What would she think of herself? What would she think once Ponyville becomes the one place in Equestria where everypony, including herself, is in love no one or thing but a Changeling? Nothing, of course! She'd be too devoted to her Changeling to think about anything else, if the book is right about the power of this potion! No more worries about being found out… No more needs to replace anypony… The paradise Gimarzrasu Maraza promised before that unicorn set in motion the ruination of her perfect plan! I only hope Gimarzrasu Maraza will allow us to make Twilight Sparkle fall in love with her. Yes… Twilight Sparkle, forced to love the one who once imponyated her brother's fiancé. Could a more fitting punishment for ruining years of work towards a future where Changelings lived without fear of starvation and helping her brother kill countless Matabura possibly exist?! … I still feel like I'm going to throw up, but I don't think it's because of jelly-baths any more… The feeling only gets stronger when we discover just how strong the potion is, or rather, the poison. Again, in spite of the fact that there is no "hivemind" as ponies believe we have, I know exactly what the other two are thinking: if it's a love poison, does that mean the love it produces can poison a Changeling, perhaps to the point of killing them? No need to find out—we know we need to solve this before we accidentally kill someone imponyating one or the other, even a kapish! THAT NIGHT: It may have been difficult, but my two sisters congratulate ourselves on solving the problem we had created. Now, after finishing our punishment and sitting in the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse, I still haven't completely rid myself of my constant nausea. I groan, walking away and ignoring the other two's scheming, as I think about what led to it: the use of the love poison. … poison… … love… I-… I am a poison. All Changelings are a poison on love, even the self-righteous kapish, with what we do to ponies. What I've done… … What I can fix. Before I realize it, I'm standing over the still—but breathing—bodies of my two sisters, knocked out cold… and knocked out of their disguises. I don't remember what I'd done, or even remember deciding to do it. My breathing is… heavy, and I'm soon made aware of a dull pain along my stomach, where I must have been hit. I cough and hack and heave, but my nausea has left me, as I realize only when I stand up straight and swallow loudly. I shake off the horrible implications and, knowing I can't carry both of my sisters, drag them and hide them in a hidden compartment that Apple Bloom—the real Apple Bloom (clever nymph- that is, filly)—built, and that even Applejack doesn't know about. Then, I race for the Everfree Forest. I'm not going to be responsible for ponies finding, torturing, and killing Matabara. Not Not Not Not Matabara!!!! === Choices === FOR MOTHER Zephyrus Scary Chapter 3: Choices The run through the Everfree Forest to the maluynayu closest to Ponyville feels like it takes days. Even though I had hidden their unconscious bodies away, my sisters can still be found! What if they wake and climb out of that hidden compartment right in front of somepony looking for the Cutie Mark Crusaders!? The tears blur my vision so badly that many times I nearly run into something—what, I don't know and don't care. The only thing I care about is not slowing down. -not slowing down until I know my sisters are safe. Matabara vusibuura uzidasa! What had taken possession of me to betray Mahatbara—to turn me into some kind of kapish!? I already know; only one thing could be so powerful, but to acknowledge it- to think my love for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle could in any way be more than my love for my own family-!… I need to come up with some other reason before I reach the-…! Too late. I bump into someone—Forge, one of the malaynayu guards. Of course they'd not only be watching out for ponies and other dangerous creatures, but for distressed Changelings, and someone would be sent out to meet said Changeling in case there was trouble: disguise-breaking, spy-revealing, operation-ruining trouble. This definitely qualified. -but to tell the truth of why were they revealed… … Do they really need to know? "Imi? What are you doing here? -and like this?! Did something happen to Surrogate and Substitute?!" I don't even have time to make up a story! Besides, if Matabara are rescued in time—which I do want; I can't imagine bearing the weight of them suffering at the unforgiving (towards Changelings) hooves of ponies because of my foolishness!—then they'll, in all likelihood, be able to tell the truth, or at least enough of it for Forge to figure out the rest of what happened. "I- I knocked them unconscious and hid them in the secret panel in the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse, and they need to be pulled out of there before they're found by some pony!" I couldn't speak the words fast enough. If only we had a hivemind like the ponies think we do, I would've been able to tell everyone what had happened immediately!… but then again, if we did have a hivemind, would I have enough individuality to do something like this in the first place? Maybe I, and Matabara, would be better off if that were true—if I didn't have any individuality… "What!? Why did-?! Never mind. No time for questions. Just-… just go to your old basura and I'll get back to you after this has been dealt with. -whatever this is…" Forge finishes to himself as he turns around to fly off to prepare for the rescue mission; I hear him mumble something about "…-another-…" or something like that, but I already have too much to think about, and even if I'd been curious, I'd daren't call him back to ask, further delaying the rescue of Matabira. I wish I can sigh in relief at the fact that something to save Matabira is being done now, but I can't ignore my own position regarding this. As I make my way into and through the malaynayu cave, I avoid everyone's eyes and feign deafness to their greetings and questions. My old basara… just another hexagon drilled into the cave walls of the maaliynayu, but drilled with my own magic (as every Changeling drills their own basara wherever they are and whatever their age). Down in the cramped confines of this Everfree Forest cave network, the hexagon system isn't quite as efficient here as it is back in open cave I call home, but the shape is comforting on an instinctual level—to be laying inside the deepest part of a slightly slanted downward tunnel, cuddled up with someone, and together looking out at a hexagonal slice of the cave beyond is to know peace… as a Changeling. I'll just have to do without the cuddl-. How could I let myself get sidetracked so easily!? Matabara is still out there, and their safety is still uncertain! Do I truly care so little that I can ignore how they might even now be being tortured to death by ponies because of me!? I gag and hack, the sickness I had felt before returning stronger than ever, twisting my insides, and finally I release my pazara with violent, painful jerks and spasms—quite unlike the natural and indescribably "pleasant" feeling that usually comes with releasing pazara. Emotion Sickness. I should have recognized the signs before any of this could happen. I had so many chances to stop and so many hints that I should have stopped, but I pushed myself, and now… I'm here, sick to my stomach, while Matabara are, at best, laying unconscious in a cramped hidden compartment, and at worst already found and imprisoned by ponies. Because. Of. Me. How I wish I could trade places with them. How ironic that I can't. I, like any Changeling, can take the place of any pony with enough study and time to prepare, but the one time I want to take another's place, even though they aren't ponies… I yawn. I don't want to sleep, but after the fiasco Hearts' and Hooves' Day had turned into and the subsequent run through the Everfree Forest, combined with the (how I hate to use such a word to describe anything about myself at the moment, but it's true) content fullness the holiday had given my reserves of love energy… The last thing that crosses through my mind before I fall into complete darkness is that any punishment, even the most severe—horn removal and exile, leaving me out to either commit suicide or endure a slow death by starvation, both resulting in my body being left for animals to desecrate as they may—feels too insignificant, so that the thought it might actually happen to me doesn't bother my drowsing mind for a second. NEXT MORNING: When I open my eyes, my mind registers "impending doom" before I can consciously process anything, never mind why this specific thought should come to me. As I blink, eventually realizing that in my sleep I've curled up and turned around to face away from the opening of my basira, and there's a shadow thrown on the end wall there. -a head-shaped shadow with a long, twisted horn and crown… Gimarazrasu Maraza! I can't stand quick enough, and I trip, landing painfully with my forelegs crossed under my barrel. Before I can even attempt to untangle myself, her magic encircles me, pulls me out of my basira, sets my legs straight (I fall limp, allowing this without resistance), and places me before Gimarazrasu Maraza and two warriors standing on either side of her. "Imitation… Imitation, what am I going to do with you? I knew you were struggling—I knew you would from being sent out at such a young age…—but this? -this!? I never imagined in my darkest nightmares that you would do something so reckless that would endangered the lives of your sisters! I hope you are happy to hear that they have been retrieved, safe and… unharmed beyond what you did to them…" Indeed, I let out a deep sigh and even manage a small smile, but it's short-lived. "However, we have no one ready to take their place—or yours—so we now have no choice but to abandon what would have otherwise been an extremely strategic position against the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony… -and the blame for this falls solely on you." "Razawa ataa mu uminraa…" I half-bow, half lower my head in shame as I wait for my punishment to be decided. "For anyone else, such a crime would warrant exile, at the least, but you… Amaa Ufazun…" I raise myself slowly, daring, and find Gimarazrasu Maraza turned slightly away from me. "You've provided valuable intel on the movements of important ponies, particularly the Bearers, and even managed to integrate your sisters into the roles of ponies you have been observing. All of this skill and ability, at such a young age-… A Changeling like you only comes along so rarely, but I cannot let this go unpunished, either—you know this…" I nod only when I notice that she's looking out of the corner of her eye at me. "I hope you eventually learn that you cannot spare even sympathy, much less love, for ponies, so this is your punishment, effective immediately: I will remove your magic—even your ability to disguise yourself—and you shall be imprisoned with the ponies being held in this maaliynayu until I think you have learned your lesson." I nod again. "Man uminraa…" I repeat as I close my eyes to keep from being blinded by the light of Gimarazrasu Amaariz magic; in my mind, I feel something—my magic—being "contained" and hidden away from my mental sight. "I hope you learn this as quickly as you learned other necessary skills, Amaa Ufazun." The emphasis is so slight I can't tell if I imagine it… She allows her sorrow to touch her face for a moment before the two others step forward and I, knowing what they are there for, silently allow them to escort me. I hope, too, that this will finally drill into me those lessons I would have learned if I had not been sent out so young. Treated like a pony: I recognize the idea behind this punishment is humiliation… -maybe that is what I need to at last leave behind my care for ponies? Gimarazrasu Maraza has never led us astray before! -not- never on purpose! She must think- know that this is my best chance, and if it does not work, it is only because I failed where she believed I could succeed. I've already disappointed her once. I won't- can't-! -again. Further and further we go—without the accompaniment of Gimarazrasu Miriza; of course she would have other business—down to the single, solitary cell this small malaynayu houses, and there behind the translucent pazar-door that only Changelings can unlock lay the only ponies I expect to be there: Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They're huddled into the corner farthest from the door, and at first I think they're sleeping until the clicking of the pazar-locks prompt them both to raise their heads. The other warrior looks ready to throw me into the cell, his horn lighting up with green fire for a split second before he sees me already stepping forward. The only two ponies I wish I could call friends shiver and grip each other tighter at my entrance. Then the door behind me is closed and locked, and we're left alone; there's no need to guard the ponies, and without my magic, there's no way I can operate the pazar-door… even if I want to; this is less than I deserve. The two Cutie Mark Crusaders pull into an even tighter ball at the closing and locking of the door, but I only turn away and lay down in the corner opposite them—for a moment I question why they would fear me so, as I'm of a similar age to them, which they should at least be able to infer from my size, if nothing else. It's not "me" they're afraid of—it's what I am… Suddenly, I want to go back to sleep, but my body betrays me: My slumber last night had eliminated any feelings of tiredness, leaving me with the discomfort of being well-rested—forcing me to continue facing my fear-reflected, as Gimarazrasu Maraza planned, no doubt, by waiting until I awoke this morning… One moment I feel like I should say something, the next I argue back to myself that the point of this exercise is that I ignore any remotely positive feelings I have towards ponies, and should resist (at the very least) initiating conversation with the two of them. Then I go back, wondering if I should work out my feelings aloud so that I might expose them for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to attack and hopefully destroy… but what if they don't? What if, instead, they—as silly, curious pony-nymphs—work past their fear of what I am in a way no adult could be expected to? Perhaps the point then would be for me to deny their offering of friendship?… -but would I be able to? Then it would be better to be silent, but in a way that is only avoiding the point of this punishment. -if, indeed, that is the point… I turn back around to face them, and in the split second while I'm turning my head, I see them flinch out of the corner of my eye; other than having lowered their heads, they remain as I had last seen them. Even as I then stare at them with my relatively blank Changeling eyes—so "nonsapient-looking" to ponies, I know—they visibly relax. The most cynical part of my mind tells me that this is only because they're beginning to realize that I, too, am a prisoner, and not, I hope, that they're pushing past their fears as I'd just predicted. Apple Bloom's words are more predictable than the ending of a romance novel. "Are you… a pris'ner, too?" I only blink for a long moment; even put on the spot I can't decide whether I should just act in such a way to convince them I can't even understand speech (not that that would be hard to convince ponies of, usually) or answer. What does Gimarazrasu Maraza want?! I need to make a decision! … -or maybe the point is not what I do, but what I ultimately learn? It doesn't matter what path I take, I only need to trust that Gimarazrasu Maraza would intervene if I do something wrong. She doesn't want me—any of her children—to fail! "Yes." I cringe at my own daring; every instinct and everything I had been taught—both!—is berating me, reminding me that I should never tell the truth to a pony, so I continue wondering, now thinking that I should change tactics again: going back to lying. What purpose would that serve now, though, after I have been exposed for what I am? -but they don't know who I am yet… Apple Bloom stands and takes a small step forward, partially above Sweetie Belle, and between her and me. Protective. Confident. Strong-willed. "Why?" I huff and turn away before saying, "What does that matter to you… pony?" I have to force myself to say the last word and almost instantly gag, but I've had a lot of practice lately with keeping my emotions off of my face, yet I have to do something, so I only sigh instead. After one long minute (or so), Apple Bloom finally takes her eyes off me to give Sweetie Belle a questioning look. "Well, uhmm-?" "I failed them," I blurt out, deciding that there's no reason anymore not to be open and truthful; even if they don't believe me, it's not like they'll ever get out of here, after all. Nothing I say has the slightest chance of leaving this chamber, so why not? "I failed the hive." I continue saying to the wall, purposefully leaving myself completely unaware of what the two ponies think about this; I don't want to risk anything anymore, though what exactly would be put at risk, I don't know. Another reason to leave myself in the dark. "I ruined a perfectly good well of love, and hurt and endangered the lives of my sisters and, by extension, hurt everyone in the hive." I hiss at myself when I feel tears slipping down my face. "This… is a forgiving punishment." "Ya hurt yer sisters!?… Why?!" How typical—almost predictable—that that would be the thing they latch onto. So… pony of her. It's not the lives of two nymphs that are important to the hive-. Wait. That's not what I've been thinking this whole time. So far I've only been thinking about the lives I had directly endangered, not the damage I had caused to the hive as a whole. That's not what Gimarazrasu Maraza thinks, either. She cares about the hive, but she cares for the hive by caring for each and every one of her children individually! Where had I gone wrong? How had I gone so astray?! I think Apple Bloom, or maybe Sweetie Belle, had still been talking, because Sweetie Belle finally brings me back to the physical world with a cry of, "Hey!" "Yes, my sisters. In my selfishness… and ignorance, I had put them in a position where they could have been discovered and-!" I shiver; I don't want to think about that any more, and now I know they're safe, I don't feel like I have to. "Why? I cared more for my-… for the ponies I called- wished I could call 'friends' than my own family…" I may have only been half-aware of what I was doing as I did it, but it was still "me" that did it, and there's always a reason for everything—there has to be—and that's the only thing that makes sense. Hopefully, by confronting and admitting it, I can change… Silence… … I wipe my eyes and, in time, turn around. I can see the conflict clear as glass on their faces, and almost smile. Those two are so much smarter than most ponies give them credit for; I know they're asking themselves how they should feel: on one hoof, I'd betrayed my family, but on the other hoof, that very same family had been hurting ponies. The conflict is obvious. -but the solution… When the silence was finally broken by Sweetie Belle asking, "Who? Who were -…?" I could see Apple Bloom had her suspicions, from the look that she uses to interrupt the now-sheepish Sweetie Belle. Again, why not? Why not tell everything? Do I care if they believe me, after all? … … Yes. Of course I do, but there's no going back to that life any more. "You two. Just you two." That surprised Apple Bloom—I guess she'd assumed when I said "sisters" that I was referring to three that had replaced them all—and Sweetie Belle merely tilted her head to the side and slightly forward, silently asking for more. Maybe they'd realized, too, I had no reason to lie, though, from their perspective, by a different rationale and reason. "I-…" This is it; I have no way of anticipating how they'd react—even at my most cynical I cannot completely argue away the possibility that it may not be so horrible… and even trying to be optimistic, neither can I say that violence is out of the question (They may be "just nymphs", but I am the same relative age, and even if such weren't so, I'm sure I wouldn't stop them from trying, especially without my magic). "-was Scootaloo." How I want to say "am", but… even in this strange sanctuary of truth, this "fact" would be too improbable for them to even consider legitimate. -or perhaps I'm just deluding myself. It wouldn't be the first time. Sweetie Belle cringes, probably thinking about how many times she had touched (and been touched by) a disgusting, parasitic bug—even though she may not be as squeamish as her sister, no pony likes Changelings—while Apple Bloom simultaneously tilts her head in confusion and widens her eyes in realization. "So, the 'friends' you were just talkin' about-…?" I let out a few humorless chuckles which only serve to make the two cringe away. "Exactly, Apple Bloom…" I trail off into a sigh as I turn my eyes back to the ground. "Exactly…" Now what? What else can I say? Everything that had happened—my entire drive for everything I'd done—is because of that delusion: I'd lashed out all because of- What use is it any more? I've been wavering back and forth ever since I realized that I wanted the love of those two for myself instead of Scootaloo, and I still don't see any resolution. I know what I should do as a Changeling—what I need to do because of the bile and outrage- murderous bile and outrage that rears up whenever a pony so much as thinks about the name of my kind. Then… there's what I want to do—what my heart aches for… what I know I can't live without: the impossible. How can any Changeling stand a fate that should be restrained to nightmares?—to live for so long away from the hive, and therefore away from anyone who loves them- from anyone who would love them? Are they so base?! As animal as ponies paint us, deriving only simple pleasure from the mere act of eating and being full?! No. No! Of course not! How could I think such a thing?! There's the hive… Matabara… Gimarazrasu Maraza! So many wonderful reasons to live and endure that fate that is the heritage of our kind!… -reasons to sacrifice ourselves!… … Why isn't that enough for me? How did I come to care more for my prey as much as—not more than!—Matabara?! … What use… is a broken Changeling? It's impossible; the only "resolution" is to give up. Give up… With a groan halfway to a whine of pain, I let my legs collapse beneath me; one foreleg ends up sticking out with the joints at a painful angle, but I don't have the will to move it. It doesn't matter. What's best for the hive is for me to die. I can't-…! I'd been ruined by two ponies' love to the point that-! No! I can't blame them; they didn't know, and even if they could have-… this was all me: I was broken before I had even hatched. Doomed. Worse than worthless. I think one—or maybe both—of them is saying something, but it doesn't matter, either. Nothing matters. I can only hear the barest underwater-like murmur of any sound beyond my own sobbing, anyway; I would have held it in before, but now-… All my barriers have been broken along with myself, and yet I feel somewhat disconnected from the tears and howls of anguish. Disconnected from my body. Disconnected from every horrible, unchangeable thing that is me. Subconsciously, I hear the echoes of a distant explosion make its way through the caves, but I only recognize this afterwards, when I feel myself being shaken and Apple Bloom, reluctant but scared, is asking me, "What was that? What was that?!" louder and louder. Averse, it slowly comes to me that the hooves on my side are a nymph's, not a drone's*. -and Apple Bloom's voice is close… really close! If I hadn't been filled with so much apathy, I might've jumped in surprise and shocked the poor nymphs. -fillies. As it is, I'm only jolted so far: relative wakefulness. Apple Bloom, however, does jump. -away. I just sigh before answering. "It's nothing to worry about. Just soldiers keeping themselves in practice. Explosions happen all the time." Something in the look the two share start tugging deep inside me at… something yet invisible under all the misery. "Uh, when you say 'all the time', how of'in are you talkin' about?" More and more tugging… "Every day…" I say, for they've surely been down here long enough to notice, as though this should be obvious to them. -but if it's not. "Wait!" I cry out just as Apple Bloom opens her mouth. "Don't tell me that this is the first time you heard one of those explosions?!" Nods. Tug. "… Another…" "Another? He said 'another'… did he really mean-?" One last tug, and "it" is free. "Oh… no." Apple Bloom leaps back with a cry of fright when I leap into the air and buzz to the door; I need to know if I'm right, but of course there's no one there. There's no need for guards for a cell like this… "Oru!? Oru!!!?" I shout until I'm left coughing, but an answer comes soon enough in the form of another explosion, closer this time. Definitely not normal for practice, if I have any doubt left. Still gasping from my coughing fit, I walk slowly back to where I had been laying. "You're in luck…" I say to the wall. "It looks like we're under attack. You're… being rescued." Who knows how many Matabara those ponies are now slaying mercilessly? Ponies that I know I led here; directly or indirectly doesn't matter… I might as well have killed them myself! The hive is better off without me! -but now it's too late! Too late to save-… How many lives?! It doesn't matter—one would be too many! Murderer. Now there really is nothing left for me to do but die—be killed…—the explosions closing in tell the whole story of why these ponies are here. Again, I collapse. I didn't save two sisters after all, but instead killed an entire malaynayu. No, even more than that! All of the Hashara who use this place as a base of operations will suddenly find themselves without support, but they won't know it! They'll come here, expecting rest and comfort, but will only get the former and not in the way they'll expect: their last rest, which they have no right to anticipate for many decades yet! -and everything will cascade down: everyone back home in Hasharstan will mourn, and our already dwindling resources will be stretched further from the loss of this malaynayu, perhaps even to the point that a few of the littlest nymphs may have to be culled because the stress they'd otherwise put on the food supplies would only cause everyone to suffer…! -and on and on… -and if no one mourned my death… Who ever mourned the death of a murderer and traitor? I deserve worse than to be forgotten; I deserve to be vilified in history and to be despised by generations of my own kind. I deserve every punishment and torture the ponies can throw at me and, if it's possible, for their love of hurting me to somehow sustain my life so I know only pain until my body gives way only to old age! A hoof knocking against the pazar-door brings me out of the contemplation of my future, and a voice, muffled but feminine, calls out, "If anypony's in there, stand away from the door!" but the order is uncalled for as all three of us are already huddled into out respective corners—briefly I consider jumping out and letting myself get crushed like a bug by the door when it's blasted open. However, before I can decide, a magical explosion knocks the door free from the surrounding rock with disappointing force—I wouldn't have been killed by that anyway… Only curiosity at who these saviors (of Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's) are keeps me from falling completely limp in defeat, and instead I crane my neck to watch as the Bearers of the Elements themselves enter. Of course. two of them—a full one third—are sisters to the foalnapped, and… then there's Rainbow Dash. Loyalty. If I'm going to die, it might as well be by her hooves. She deserves to be the one to take my life—to destroy the very antithesis of her Element. Only a quick angry glare (tinged with a pinch of confusion) in my direction is all the two older sisters spare before reuniting with their foalnapped family. Rainbow Dash frantically whips her head back and forth over the bare cell as if the third lost filly could somehow be hiding in plain sight—and how ironic that she is, yet Rainbow Dash will never- can never know—before leveling a discretely envious look at the now-hugging sisters, plus Pinkie Pie, who had used her unnaturally stretchy legs to pull the four together into one big group hug. I shiver from suppressing the want to jump onto Rainbow Dash and drag her into joining them; instead, I can only let my head fall to the ground with a sigh that shakes with all my regrets… and fear—for all that I know deserve it and worse—of my oncoming, now-visible death. The inevitable question—from here I can now see everything that is going to happen—"Where's Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash is turned away from me, but I can picture her eyes darting between the two Crusaders as clearly as if I'm laying next to them. Through the forest of pony legs, I see as I predict: the two fillies look straight at me—an answer better than any they could have voiced, and more accurate than they will ever suspect. The rest of them, all six pairs of eyes of the Bearers, follow. I know, unlike before, I now have no choice; the sanctuary had been destroyed along with the breaking-down of the door… no more truth—only what the ponies can believe will get me any mercy. "Scootaloo… is dead. I killed her." Dully, I'm shocked (though I show no outward sign) at the emotionlessness of my voice… besides that, though, it is true, in a way. I killed the personality that Scootaloo had been (and only been) when I knocked Mahatbara unconscious. Again, my vision of my greatly shortened future does not fail: Rainbow Dash visibly bristles as the meaning of those six simple words claw into her mind and heart; dimly, I'm aware that the others react as well, but my eyes and ears are now for Rainbow Dash only, just as it seems she's also deaf and blind to the other Bearers. The dispassionate and unconcerned expression I level upon Rainbow Dash only further incenses her—I know that the effect would appear ten times worse to the ponies who already so hate my kind, but even if I could dredge up the effort to care what they think of me now, I don't think I can cry any more. They'd probably think the crying was an act, anyway. Everything is an act when one is a creature who's natural abilities lie in deception. Even though I expect it, when Rainbow Dash suddenly rushes forward I can't stop from flinching, and this seals my fate. I hear a cry of, "Rainbow, wait!" in a voice I think is Twilight's (I'm not exactly in the mind to be identifying voices), but it comes too late: Rainbow's hoof just then strikes me. She would have struck my forehead, likely knocking me unconscious, but instead it connects with my horn at just the right point and angle, and a crack! that's not entirely a sound, but also release of magic that makes Rainbow cry out in surprise and pain as she jumps back and tenderly puts her hoof into her mouth. Green magical light that is not the normal fire-like appearance of Changeling magic streaks and curls out of the cracks that I know must have been inflicted on my horn. "Oh no-!" This time I know it has to be Twilight Sparkle that speaks, for only she would know what a cracked horn means. Twilight, or anypony, doesn't get to say anything more. In a matter of milliseconds, the light intensifies until it brightens from green into white as the damaged and misaligned mana arteries strain before inevitably bursting with a massive explosion that leaves everypony crumpled against the walls. Through my own daze and the whining in my ears that the explosion leaves behind, I hear, as if from a distance, my horn, now not just broken off, but shot off my forehead by the explosion, strike the ceiling and clatter, anticlimactically, to the cave floor. That's it. I know I'm dead, for a Changeling can't live without a horn anymore than a pony can live without a mouth. Still, I stare for some unknown time at that dagger of a horn, with its base now visibly crumbling, and I blink disbelievingly. I had known that I would have to die, but like this? … To… starve? With that thought, I'm knocked dizzy again by a pulse of angry pressure in the gapping, bleeding hole where my horn had fit. I think I cry out, or try, but I don't hear myself and my face- no, my whole body feels numb, and another shock knocks my truly unconscious. UNKNOWN TIME LATER: When I wake, I'm sure for about half of a second that I must have dreamed all of that horror up, for I feel myself laying in a bed—a pony bed. Comfortable. Surely, if I had been taken prisoner, as I must have been if that had actually happened, then I would be laying on some lumpy cot with naught but a torn and moth-eaten sheet, if that? Perhaps instead I've been taken as a ransom, considered useless for interrogating for any information due to my age? Good luck with that, ponies—the hive comes before any individual. If necessary, we can even abandon a queen and the females of the hive-… Beeping. The realization that something is beeping intrudes and breaks my line of thought. Steady beeping. Soon, other sensations emerge. I feel a tightness that I'm sure must be bandages around my head—bandages, because I no longer feel the pain in the base of my horn, which means the remnants of my mana arteries (that had caused the painful pulses which knocked me out) must have been removed. -surgically. Hospital. I'm-? I must be in a hospital; it's the only thing that makes sense. Slowly—wary of hurting myself, I turn my head, trying to determine from where a bright light is shining on my eyelids so that I can blink them open in relative shadow. As soon as I start to move my head, the sound of hoofsteps, starting very close, move away. No doubt a guard that had been left to watch me in spite of my weakened and hornless state—right now I'm about as dangerous and capable of escape as a square of wet paper. "Miss Twilight Sparkle, the hornless one is waking." "The hornless one"? I can only suppose that by not simply referring to me as "Changeling" (with the appropriately disgusted tone), that there must be others here. Of course… those explosions… some Matabara would have been incapacitated, but alive, while others… Murdered. -by me. The ones still alive are just waiting. Biding through the pain the ponies are surely inflicting on them, and I'm the one who led them to the maaliynayu… "Hello?" Twilight calls me out of my self-pity. -for now. "If your well enough to answer, I'd like to ask you a few questions." Questions. Dangerous things to Changelings. "Why-… -you-?" I cough out, and to my surprise a cup of water is pressed to my lips. Draining it, I try again. "Why are you talking to me and not…" I cast for any name more suitable for interrogation. "Captain Shining Armor? Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?" By the way she's looking down at me, I can tell she's seriously contemplating ignoring my question and going on with her own. I suppose she figures the answer in harmless enough. "The Princesses are busy dealing with another infes-" She interrupts herself with a cough and makes an obvious effort to force her expression into something more neutral. Interesting. "-another hive that's been found near Las Pegasus. My brother is also busy with… something else**, so Princess Celestia entrusted me to handle this." "Why did you correct yourself just th-." "I'm the one here to ask you questions, not the other way around," She practically growls. -and ponies call us beasts… I turn away from her to the ceiling. "Okay. Ask." I can practically hear her muscles tense. "Where is… Scootaloo's body?" This… is no longer going along with what I expected. How could I answer such a question? "Eaten, probably. -by timberwolves. -or something… I'd guess." Twilight only looks shocked, horrified, and disgusted for about a second. "… You mean-…" a quick glance tells me she's now narrowed her eyes at me. "You mean that her body was just left out in the open? Out where, as unlikely as it may be, Zecora or somepony else could just stumble upon her?" She shakes her head. "You… can't stop lying, can you? Do you know what the other Changelings told me?" She doesn't wait for me to answer. "That Scootaloo never existed. -not as a pony. Every one of them said the same thing, separately and without a chance to consult each other. You're the only one saying something different…" I can see the conclusion in her eyes, but I can't believe it. -not yet. "-and you… believe them over me?" She sighs and shakes her head. "I admit I don't like the idea, but the fact that there is no variation in their answers… and all the 'evidence'." I narrow my eyes in confusion and she quickly explains. "After I was done with questioning all the other Changelings, along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, I couldn't help but start connecting everything with what I knew about Scootaloo, which I had to admit was next to nothing." A pause and… a smile? perhaps if I still had my horn I'd be able to tell what kind of smile it is, but now… "So, I went for the paperwork, and I found out that, while Changelings are really thorough when making up unique disguises instead of replacing somepony, you can't account for everything. While your address and parents looked like they should exist from the papers alone, and those papers by themselves wouldn't arouse suspicion, an examination of the facts—in reality—quickly showed that 'your house' doesn't exist." She huffs and shakes her head, but continues to smile. "-and there's… everything else! Of course, somehow, it all seems obvious only after the facts have already been revealed… Nopony suspects another to lie about their house or their parents, so I guess it simply never registered…" She gets look in her eyes that I know means she's going to get lost in her thoughts unless she's pulled back quickly. I would have shaken my head if just the thought of doing so doesn't make my head feel suddenly ten times heavier. "Why?" That catches her attention. "Why does any of that matter? Scootaloo doesn't exist, and neither will I, soon enough. It seems like you wasted a lot of time and effort just to prove a bunch of captured Changelings were telling the truth about something that doesn't affect anything." How I wish I had my horn! -not to feed, but to feel Twilight's emotions. Talking with her—and probably any pony—without being able to feel even the greatest variations to her emotions is all too quickly growing disconcerting to an unbearable degree. "What do you mean that… you won't exist?" I think I can at least tell she has some idea that what I mean is that something is horribly wrong with me. -in the medical sense, not the turned-into-a-kapish sense. "Didn't any of the other Changelings tell you?" I ask the ceiling, already knowing the answer. Do any of the survivors even know my horn had been broken? "A Changeling can't feed on love without their horn. Without my horn, all that's left is for me to wait to die of starvation." A gasp of horror. Does she actually pity me? I don't- can't know; even if I cared, it wouldn't matter—even she can't make a horn grow back. "Get one of the ones strong enough to walk. Bring her here." Twilight gives a curt order to the guard, who leaves—presumably to follow this order—without question. Surely enough, Forge is soon led in, slumped in defeat; he shuffles, though he wears no chains, only a dampener on his horn, which I know must be killing him as slowly and effectively as a broken horn, if not as permanent. When he finally stops in front of Twilight and looks up from the floor, he catches sight of me out of the corner of his eye and gasps as he turns his focus instead on me. "I-Imi!? What did they do to you?! Your-… your horn!" Twilight flinches and groans as if in pain, my words now proven to her, but this doesn't distract Forge, who keeps his now watering eyes on me. I can already tell by Twilight's actions she isn't about to order all the Changeling she'd captured to be dehorned, but by Forge's shivering, I don't think he's reached the same conclusion yet. "I'm sorry, Forge. This is all my fault. Everything. I was only thinking about me, putting my feelings above the needs of the hive…" Forge actually scoffs and allows a hint of a grin to show through. "So? That's how all nymphs work, Imi. At your age, you're not supposed to be thinking about the big picture yet." Here, his grin turns into a grimace. "-and you shouldn't have been forced to… but we didn't have a lot of options, and Gimarazrasu Maraza believed in you… -never doubted your abilities for a second…" At the reminder of my disappointment I can't help but turn away. How can he just dismiss my mistakes? "How many… are dead?" I have to know, and perhaps this can serve to remind him of what exactly I'd done—how horribly and deeply I'd hurt the hive. "Dead? None." "'Dead'?! What do you mean?" Forge and Twilight speak at the same time—he answering my question with a tone that says he doesn't understand why I'm asking, while she is shocked by… my tone? -or that I know such a word as "dead"? In my time as Scootaloo, I have learned that it's not usual for ponies my age to know about such facts of life… so carefree and innocent, while Changelings have never known such comforts, meeting death often before we can even understand the word… "Oh…" Forge's eyes widen with a realization as he turns to Twilight, who looks sheepish from speaking at the same time as him. "I think she is referring to-… There are stories and warnings that we tell to little nymphs about ponies and other creatures—stories about how they'll torture captured Changelings for information before brutally killing them and destroying their bodies without rites." Twilight whimpers and fidgets as Forge tells her this, ending with a horrified hoof over her mouth that Forges nods to. "Yes. Most Changelings, as we grow older and more mature, as well as spend more time amongst ponies, learn that you would not do such things, but Imitate here-…" Forge shakes his head. "Well, that doesn't matter any more, but-!" his eyes suddenly grow hard, "I'm still waiting for an answer on what happened to her horn." Twilight lowers her head, knowing that she, however little, participated in bringing about my now inevitable death—I decide I can't let her answer. "It was an accident; my fault, if anything." Forge whips his head around, disbelieving frown now directed at me. "It was when I told them Scootaloo died. Rainbow Dash… she rushed at me, and I... think she just meant to knock me out, or beat me up until somepony dragged her off of me… She broke my horn, but it was my fault she attacked me in the first place." Forge swallows and turns to Twilight, perhaps hoping for some contraction to be pointed out, but even if Twilight, as I know she might, wants to pull of the blame onto herself—after all, I all but know she's thinking to herself that if only she had reacted a little bit faster and had grabbed onto Rainbow Dash with her magic before she could even touch me, she could have saved my life. All she does, though, is stare at me sadly, and I feel some kind of emotion brush against me. Even without my horn, which means now I can't tell an emotion's content or from whom it comes, I guess fairly well at what she says next; all I can know is that the emotion must be strong to even register. "I-Imi?" Uncertainty… "I-… I guess… there's nothing else to say?" I take in a deep breath and let it out as slowly as I can without coughing before shaking my head. "-but…" I brace myself. "the C- the other Cutie Mark Cru-." "No." "-but they-!" "No!" "-want to see you!" "No!" I think it's more the rising beeping of the heart monitor that gets her to back off more than my rise in volume; I need more than that to stop her from letting in Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. "It's bad enough, what they heard in the cell after you found me… I don't want to hurt them even more. They're going to want to ask me questions about when I'm going to get better. -if they actually understand and care about me." "Of course they do!" Twilight immediately jumps in when she senses I'm done. "Why else would they want to see you?!" I just shake my head until she lets out a defeated sigh. "What about Rain-?" "No." Now she's starting to tear up; I fight the urge to look away. "If they care so badly, they can see me after I'm dead." She flinches at the word. "I-… I just can't stand to see them. It doesn't matter. Changelings don't say goodbye." "Imi…" Twilight pleads, but Forge puts a forehoof out to signal for her to stop. "Can you turn over, or do you need help?" Forge moves up to me, and the guard that had stood passively this whole time must sense the intent in Forge's movement and words, and shifts to catch Twilight's eyes to silently ask for instructions—she, grimacing, only turns her back purposefully to the bed- to me, and gives a tiny shake of her head, at which the guard promptly leaves the room, understanding he's no longer needed. I, meanwhile, struggle to turn for a moment, but the entwining blankets defeat me; Forge helps without me having to voice my need for help, however. My head spins when the place my horn had been is pressed against the pillows even by nothing more than the weight of my head. "Goodbye, Imi." Forge whispers so quiet I don't think even Twilight hears. Then, I feel a sharp pressure against the back of my neck. The last thing I feel is the skin there giving way to what feels like a blade, then the pain leaves me like mist under the Sun. … That is how I died, but not how my story ends. Though I had left it, my body still had one last thing to do… === Results === FOR MOTHER Zephyrus Scary Chapter 4: Results One of the very first things a Changeling learns is "keep asking questions." Any and every question that comes to mind, not just to keep from being asked too many questions about ourselves—which is always dangerous—but for the one weapon that Changelings alone are the masters of masters at wielding: information. One never knows what question, asked at the right time, will lead to something important. At that moment, however, as Forge and Twilight Sparkle stand alone with my body, there are no more questions—no more that can be answered adequately. Except, perhaps, one. The steady alarm of my flatline-ing heart monitor has attracted the attention of Nurse Redheart, who gasps and takes a step back as Forge, finally, pulls his horn out of the back of my neck and turns to the new arrival; to her credit, she only has to glance at Twilight to understand that, at the very least, this must have been arranged between the two of them. -somehow, for some reason. "What-" the nurse hesitates for a fraction of a second, "-should we do with her?" Twilight only blinks and looks up at Forge, silently inviting him to answer—she cares, but even her curiosity in seemingly all things could not even partially gloss over the tragedy of the situation that she (contrary to reality) feels responsible for. Forge, not cleaning his horn of my blood (even as Redheart frowns at the sight and finds herself unable to look away), turns me onto my side, steps off my bed, and purposefully slides one hindhoof to drag the blanket off my body. "Twilight, is there any way we can get her body back to the mal- the outpost? -where you found us?" Twilight raises her eyebrow for half a second at the self-interrupted Hasharbanu word, but her sorrow washes over the emotion again quickly, and she finds herself unable to do anything but nod—she has to make up for what she'd done; this is the least of anything she could think of, so she tells herself. "What about… pre-preparing her?" Twilight asks, pausing and stuttering, only able to continue after taking my blanket in her magic, ready to cover me again, but completely now, as ponies do to their dead, but Forge, suddenly frantic, stomps on the sheet to prevent this. "Stop!" He cries, making Twilight jump and her magic to flicker—she allows it to fall away completely in the next moment. "Don't ever cover a Changeling's body," Forge huffs, and realizing Twilight is probably going to ask for clarification, goes on, "It is a-… It is part of our beliefs—Changelings'—that, between the time of its body's death and its release, the soul fears being enclosed or constrained in any way, even something as simple as being covered or wrapped in cloth. I'm sorry for scaring you; of course you wouldn't know…" He lowers his head submissively: apologetic. Twilight, with a forehoof to her jumping heart, almost-whispers, "Tha-That's okay. -really!" she interjects when Forge opens his mouth again. "I shouldn't have- I should have realized you pulled the blanket away for a reason…" Twilight shakes her head and sighs while lowering her hoof, and afterwards looks remarkably more put together—a façade, any Changeling could tell. "Anyway… yes, it won't be a problem to get there, but… what about Rainbow Dash? -and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?" She almost pleads. "Them seeing her—nothing else!—is fine; however… are you sure about the Cutie Mark Crusaders seeing Imi like this? I'm not going to cover her up just for a couple of fillies eyes if you insist they be allowed the option to 'say goodbye', as you ponies say." Forge finishes with a subtle derision that Twilight either doesn't pick up on or chooses to ignore. Twilight—finally—looks straight at my body, and I can only try to imagine what goes trough her mind until she repeats some of my words from earlier. "'It's bad enough, what they heard in the cell'… I-. You know I can't decide… not something like this; I'm going to talk with Applejack and Rarity about it. They'll decide." Twilight then turns away, appearing intent on doing this right now—knowing Rainbow Dash and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders wanted to see me, it's easy to imagine them already somewhere else in the hospital, waiting… probably thinking I'm still alive. A moment of quiet. "Alright." Forge shrugs. "So, you should go tell them now?" A nod from Twilight. "I'll go with you, in case you need any help explaining." Another nod, now with the tiniest smile for thanks. "Nurse," He turns to Redheart, "Watch over Imi, and make sure no one, even yourself, covers her body. -or touches her." The nurse also nods, but more stiffly, in the manner of one who will gladly carry out the mission given. "The guard!" Twilight rushes to the door, but the hallway outside is empty of any golden-armored ponies, and a grimace grows on her as she fruitlessly turns her head back and forth a number of times. When Forge steps up next to her, she sighs, "Well… let's go," she says over her shoulder, and looking forward again, whispers to herself, "No more putting it off…" Still, it's plain on her face that her heart and mind aches for a distraction, and she blurts out the first thing to come to mind. "About what Imi said about Changelings' horns, can you still feed through the dampener?" Forge shakes his head. "No." Twilight gasps. "I could remo-!" -but Forge cuts her off. "Doesn't matter. -unless you also allow me to disguise myself, there's no love for me to have here, anyway." He scoffs, dismissing the idea as a joke—something that Twilight would never allow—but Twilight watching him seriously out of the corner of her eyes makes he sober quickly. "Nng…? Twilight?" Twilight shakes her head and looks forward again. "Sorry." Forge waits for her to elaborate, but nothing seems forthcoming as they turn into another hall. "For what?" he prompts. "For-…" Twilight trails off as she slows to a stop; Forge has to step back to stay side-by-side with her. Turning to face him, she lights up her horn and removes the dampener and discretely slips it into the saddlebags of a guard standing at the end of the hall; to this, Forge can only gape. "For… us. -Ponies," she clarifies when Forge abandons his surprise as confusion comes over him. "Everything that's happened regarding Changelings has made me look more closely at certain things about ponies, you see… -things that I never thought about before; that I probably overlooked because of how ugly it is. We talk about harmony and friendship, but we're not very… welcoming to anything that's not 'a fellow pony,' are we?" She lowers he head to look sorrowfully at the floor. Of course the question is rhetorical, so Forge only continues standing and staring, unsure whether he should agree or contradict. "You-" when Forge finally speaks, Twilight jerks her head up with such a tiny amount of hope only a Changeling would be able to tell. "You can't be sorry for the rest of your race—that's not how it works—and you, yourself, have nothing to be sorry for." "But I-." Twilight is quick to say, but Forge is just as quick to interrupt. "I said you can't be sorry for how anypony else acts any more than I can apologize for Gi- my queen's actions." Forge turns away slightly, indicating he's ready to continue towards where the others are waiting. "Even if I could, I wouldn't, nor would any other Changeling," he adds in an only slightly quieter tone that borders on threatening; Twilight takes a step back, then, to Forge's surprise that Twilight doesn't see, also turns to lead them on through the hospital's halls. -without another word. "Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash," Twilight half-heartedly calls for their attention when she and Forge reach the meeting room that had been haphazardly repurposed to Twilight's needs in dealing with the matter of attending to the injured Changelings; all five Bearers and the two remaining Cutie Mark Crusaders look up. "I… need to talk with you three. Everypony else, please step outside for a moment." The hitch in her voice doesn't go unnoticed, and Fluttershy, instead of following her order, rushes to Twilight's side; Pinkie merely stands up and wavers on her hooves uncertainly. Fluttershy, making small comforting noises, leads Twilight to the seat Fluttershy herself just vacated, and Forge steps in behind, walking in a way that suggests he wishes he could meld into the walls to avoid the stares he, and his un-dampened horn, receive. "Twi, did ya know this Changelin' with you doesn't have that magic block-?" "Yes, I know," Twilight quickly assures, but this doesn't comfort the others; visibly pulling herself together, she notices and goes on, "I took it off him after learning that-" Twilights eyes go wide when she realizes what she had almost said, glancing at the two fillies now tilting their heads, waiting for her to continue, but she won't—not in their company. -not yet, anyway. "Just trust me—first I need to speak with you three." she waves a forehoof towards the three she had mentioned upon first entering. "-only you three." The others sense the seriousness in Twilight, even though she does not exhibit it in tone or words or even body language—known instead by something else that can be "felt" only by being intimately familiar with another. Fluttershy and Pinkie quickly herd the protesting fillies out, asking questions about me. I think they already have some inkling—unintentional troublemakers they may be, but not unintelligent. They had to have seen the blood still on Forge's horn, and I don't think it would take long for them to connect that fact with their theories on what Twilight had almost said… "As I was about to say," Twilight starts when she makes sure the door is shut well with no little ears pressed against a crack, "I took it off after learning that Changelings-…" she has to stop to let out a shaking sigh. "Changelings absorb love through their mana arteries; a dampener, or losing their horn… starves them—prevents them from being able to eat." Twilight looks down and away, waiting—hoping—somepony will find their own way to that conclusion and voice it so she doesn't have to. "Twilight, you're not saying-?" Rarity puts a forehoof over her gapping mouth. Applejack and Rainbow Dash turn to her as Rarity suddenly finds she can't take her eyes off Forge's horn. "That blood isn't-?!" "Scootaloo's…" Applejack and Forge interrupt-answer at the same time; Forge continues quickly when Rainbow Dash looks ready to start throwing punches again—or at least yelling. "The only other option would have been to wait for her to die slowly from starvation while all the time being surrounded by ponies who love her… even after being discovered as a Changeling, and not needing a disguise… It would have been nothing but torture, for her instincts would be telling her to take that love in, but that would have been impossible. It likely would have driven her insane, as well, before the end." Rainbow Dash grimaces and takes to the air with apparent offensive intent, but her eyes show otherwise; she doesn't want to believe Forge, but why else would a Changeling kill one of its own? I know how many ponies think of her because of her athleticism, but Rainbow Dash isn't brainless. "You mean… I, when I hit her horn-" "There was no way you could have known!" Twilight steps forward. "Even I didn't know! Because of her lies, we all thought Scootaloo was dead!" "-and then I murdered her!" "RAINBOW! Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle might hear you!" Rainbow flinches at this, landing and drawing back a bit, but her eyes are still fierce behind the swimming tears. Forge puts a hoof on Twilight's withers then, silently asking to put his thoughts forth; she answers with a small smile and a few steps back. "Rainbow Dash, if-... when a Changeling replaces a pony's husband or wife, and they, as you might say, 'lay down in bed together', would you accuse that pony of cheating? No, of course." Forge doesn't give her time to answer. "That is the same thing that has happened here, only in reverse—you had no idea the Changeling you were attacking was actually the 'pony' you hold so close to your heart. You can't be blamed, not even by yourself. -and if you try? Your friends will fight you every step of the way." Forge tries to finish on as positive a note as possible on such a subject, even offering a smirk that makes Applejack smile, but Rainbow Dash only looks down. "Easy for you to say, you emotionless bug," she growls. "Rainbow!" Twilight calls outs, but before she can reprimand, Rainbow Dash rounds on her. "What, Twilight? What?! Look at it! It's left her blood on its horn! It killed her before I- before I could-" Whatever Rainbow Dash had wanted, she can't voice, but the way she falls to floor, bawling, leaves little question. "R.D.!" Applejack cries out as she and Rarity rush forth, first with the intent to support her as they watch her fall, then when they reach her, they merely lay next to her, huddled close for comfort. Twilight, meanwhile, turns away, head down as if defeated, and looking up at Forge with apologetic sorrow. "No, Rainbow Dash… is right," Forge sighs and closes his eyes. "-or at least she might as well be, as far as ponies are concerned. As our nymphs grow, they are constantly warned against making any emotional attachments to anything that isn't another Changeling, as at best it only leads to heartbreak and at worst-… Poor Imi… not only was she not given enough time to take in such warnings, but without her own siblings to develop deep bonds with, of course she would want to be close to something that could be called 'friend'… The Hive failed her…" "Wait." Rainbow's word comes as a shock, all three other ponies staring as she works her way out of the worst crying session they had seen the mostly-stoic pegasus fall into. "What was… that? -'Imi'?" The way she asks, I'm sure she already has a good guess. "A shortening of 'Scootaloo's' real name, Imitation." Forge lets his voice fall into cold emotionlessness, which makes Twilight stare in worry—Forge doesn't show any recognition of this, even though he has to see her step around and duck her head into his field of view. "… Imitation…" Rainbow whispers in between sniffles as she raises herself back to her hooves with some help from the other two. "Can I see… Imi?" She swallows as if fearful her request, for whatever reason, would be neighed. "Yes, Rainbow, you can," Twilight says with a hint of a sigh behind her words as she lets herself slump with relief. "-see her," Forge clarifies, "Nothing more." "Oh, yes." Twilight suddenly stands straight, reminded of Forge's request. "Yes… Scoota- Imi's body is going to be handled according to Changeling customs, as directed by Forge. I'm guessing this includes… not touching the body? You mentioned that a few times now…" Forge nods. "Touching her with anything except magic is forbidden, and even then it is better to do so only for the shortest amounts of time possible—oh, that reminds me: Transporting her with a stretcher would be preferable, if one can be arranged and spared?…" "Of course," Twilight is quick to answer with as cheerful a smile as could be expected in such a situation as this. "I already anticipated that, since the area has been warded against magic like teleportation anyway." "What are you going to do to her?" The quiver in Rainbow Dash's voice is barely discernable. "Normally, she would be taken to the Queen, who would perform the rites, but in cases where that's impossible… like now, instead the body can be taken to an altar, where the living apologize for being unable to deliver the dead to the Queen before praying for a safe voyage to the afterlife and finally burning the body to release-" "Burn! You're going to burn her?!" Rainbow Dash growls jumping forward aggressively towards Forge. "Yes, I will." Forge returns the move, pushing her muzzle against Rainbow Dash's as they both narrow their eyes. "Imi is a Changeling, and I'm going to make sure she is handled in the Changeling way; she will not be desecrated with your pony burials. If you want her rot under the earth, being slowly eaten by worms—her soul trapped and unguided!—you will have to kill me first." "Monsters! How can you even think of doing-!" "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight inserts herself between the two, pushing them away from each other. "I know it's different. -and difficult, but Forge is right. I know you care about Scootaloo, but she's actually Imitation—a Changeling, and as such, she should be treated according to Changeling culture." "Culture…" Rainbow Dash grumbles lowly. "Like a bunch of dirty, foalnapping, lying bugs can have any culture." "Rainbow Dash…!" Twilight grumbles as she puts a forehoof to her temple, likely starting to get tired of reprimanding the pegasus. "… Forget it, Miss Sparkle." Forge slumps into himself slightly, looking down and away. "I know how most other species don't think much of us Changelings. We spend so much time, after all, disguised as others, playing roles not our own-… After everything, how much personality can a Changeling have? -much less a collection of them have a culture?!… We don't. -not really," Forge is quick to add, suspecting—correctly—that Twilight had been about to contradict him. "What we cling on to is the barest skeleton of a culture, most of it stolen, but I- I'm not going to give a single bit of that skeleton up!" Forge turns his head back forward to glare past Twilight at Rainbow Dash. "I've never cared if a pony, or any other creature, believes that Changelings have culture, and I'm not going to start now." "No! I won't forget it! -and you should care!" Twilight throws at Forge before instantly rounding on Rainbow Dash. "You still care about Scootaloo, even after finding out she's never existed and she's actually Imitation! Is she a 'dirty, foalnapping, lying bug'?!" Rainbow Dash winces at the implied accusation. "If you're going to respect her, you need to respect all of her, including her heritage." "Twi," Applejack says as she steps forward, unable to remain silent any longer, judging by her grimace, "Heritage or no, culture or no, burnin' a body is a desecration, not tha other way around." she directs this to Forge with narrowed eyes before turning more kind ones to Twilight again, "There's no question about it! A soul bein' 'trapped and unguided'; you really believe such a thing can happen, Twi? Buryin' a body for their last rest is a kindness and show of respect; settin' it on fire is tha exact opposite." "Not for Changelings!" Twilight tries to insist, but she begins wavering under the combined force of the two athletic friends; she'd never imagined there would ever be a time when the two put their wits together against her in a battle of words. "Do you two think… this Changeling would lie about Changeling late rites just to… -to what?! Hurt everypony who cares about Scootaloo!? Changelings are more clever than that! They could come up with a hundred more hurtful things just to say, never mind do! They all could have corroborated with Imitation, telling us 'yes, Scootaloo is dead' instead of assuring us that Scootaloo was actually Imi all along! -or maybe they were lying then, too, huh? In which case, why do you care what happens to Imi at all?!" Twilight stands with her legs locked, body shivering, and tears streaming, but she doesn't blink them away, instead glaring through them at the shocked frozen Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "I was trying to be nice, asking if Imi could wait while I ask if you, Rainbow Dash, wanted to pay your last respects, and ask you two, Applejack and Rarity, if it was alright for your sisters to do same, because Changelings have a strict belief to never cover up the dead!" This last point jostles Applejack out of her stupor, and she gags before starting to say, "Now, Twi, you have to know that ain't right! Leavin' a body out in-?!" "NO! I am through being nice! I can see it's futile to try to convince you to not disrespect Imi in her death, but Apple Bloom should be given the chance to make the right choice, instead of being bound by her sister's ram-skulled ignorance and intolerance!" Twilight turns and begins stomping toward the door where the two fillies and two mares are surely worrying about all the yelling by now. Applejack rushes around to block her. "Now hold up there, Twi! Apple Bloom is my family; I'm responsible for her growing up right, and I will not have her thinkin' it's okay to leave a body out in the open and burn it! These things don't deserve the mercy we've-!" "Applejack," Twilight interrupts with deadly softness. "I said I'm done with being nice about this. The Princesses appointed me responsible for dealing with these Changelings, and any problems that arise concerning them, which includes this situation surrounding Imi's death. I will follow these orders, even against your wishes if you force me to. Believe whatever you want, but I will not let you stop your sister from saying goodbye to her friend. Now. -get. -out. -of. -the. -way." For a moment, Applejack stands firm, looking ready to fight, if Twilight had had the chance to force her, but Rarity chooses that moment to finally speak up. "Applejack?" The farmer only flicks her eyes towards Rarity for a fraction to show she's listening before returning her focus to Twilight. "Please, Applejack, move. I know what those Changelings want to do to Scootaloo isn't… it's different, but if you raised Apple Bloom right—and of course you have! I'm sure!—she'll know what is and isn't right, and you can always reinforce it to her afterwards, but for now, don't let this ruin her only chance to say her last goodbye. All three of them were so close, Applejack; dare I say even closer than we've ever been, for as different as we are." Rarity finishes her plea with careful emphasis that Applejack can't help but notice. It makes her grind her teeth, to think such a parallel could invalidate her position so effortlessly. Turning her eyes on Rainbow Dash, asking her silently for some kind of help, nothing comes; instead, her friendly rival only gives her the very same eyes as Rarity: begging her to let Apple Bloom give Scootaloo her last goodbye. Twilight still stands coldly indifferent, waiting for her decision, but Applejack sees a tiny spark when she flicks her eyes to meet Twilights—a spark of something like hope for her understanding, rather than simply being stronghoofed into acquiescence. "Alright!… Alright. Just… whatever's happening, don't do anything to make Apple Bloom think anything about what those Changelings do is in any way okay." "Nopony is saying anything otherwise, Applejack." Rarity's smile flickers as, encouraged, she steps next to Applejack and puts a hoof to her withers. "Just remember this is for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle… and for Imi, too; try to focus on that." "I will," Applejack says, tone defeated, as she steps aside so Twilight doesn't have to walk around her to the door. "I'll try to do that, Rares. Thank you… for remindin' me of what's really important here." Her voice is the one that wavers now as she initiates a hug with Rarity that she instantly pulls Applejack tighter into. Apple Bloom is right there on the opposite side of the door, standing and looking up exactly where Twilight's head appears. "When can we see Scootaloo? -the Changeling that's Scootaloo?" Her begging is not hopeful, but anxious; it puts Twilight on edge, making her start to fidget and wonder how she should go about this where just the second before she had felt so energized and confident. Instead of answering right away, she mumbles incomprehensibly for a long moment. Finally. "You can see… her very soon, but your sisters and I need to explain a few things first." Another pause. "Why don't you come in and sit down?" She steps aside to let them in, but when Apple Bloom only lowers her head to stare at the floor, a strange chill rattles Twilight's spine The filly confirms her fears. "She's… dead, isn' she?" Of course Apple Bloom would know about death more than the average foal; it becomes obvious when one considers her lack of parents and how her sister values both honesty and, particularly, family—she wouldn't lie about something so critical to her younger sister. Sweetie Belle lifts a forehoof as if wishing to flee from this horrible statement—she doesn't want to hear Twilight confirm it, because, even if only subconsciously, she knows she will; an almost imperceptible whimper leaves her as she fights with her urge to flee. As much as Twilight didn't like being confronted like this, it certainly streamlined the whole unpleasantry. Yes, of course; I am dead. What more is there to say? A million things, but nothing Twilight wants to say any more than she'd wanted to tell the fillies that I'm dead. Mutely, she nods, and even though Apple Bloom is still staring at the floor, Sweetie Belle's sudden shuddering gasp is enough to start her tears flowing. Knowing. As she watches her sister's tears begin to drip onto the floor, all the last remaining traces of resistance fade from Applejack's face. The soft tak made when Applejack takes a first step forward seems to break a spell, for in the next instant Apple Bloom whirls around and pulls Sweetie Belle into a hug; Applejack hesitates for a only a second before wrapping both fillies in her forehooves, Rarity joining them all lastly, and a glance communicates all they need to say. Differences: If such ponies as Applejack and Rarity could be friends, then differences cannot be as important as ponies usually paint them as—that they are not so much "overcome", but ignored. So they'll later write in a friendship lesson later. Twilight hesitates at interrupting the scene, but Forge has no such qualms. "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle…" He waits until Applejack and Rarity pull away and the two fillies look up at him, not without some fear. "Before we go to Imitation—Scootaloo, to you—you must know two things: One, her body will not be covered, so… if you don't think you can deal seeing her as she is…" He pauses again, but no answer, at least in the negative, appears forthcoming. "Two, you cannot touch her, not even to hug or kiss her or to pat her head or anything, no matter how much you may want to. Do not even ask; such things are expressly forbidden by The Oldest Laws of Queen Taaxyir, and I know how you ponies are fond of such gestures, even to your dead, but for Imi you must restrain yourselves. Do you understand this?" The two look somewhat awed—in a frightened way—at being addressed by a Changeling. After a long moment of simple gawking and nothing else, Forge makes to repeat himself, perhaps thinking the two had been too shocked to take in anything of what he had said, but that's when Apple Bloom finally speaks. "Yes, I understand, Mister-… uh…" She looks around for some kind of prompt, and Twilight jolts at being reminded even she—first to be thoughtful of Changeling culture—never got his name. "Forgery," he answers the implied question. "-or just Forge." He adds with a shrug, not expecting the fillies—or likely any of the ponies, except perhaps Twilight—to use this nickname. "-Mister Forgery," Apple Bloom finishes somewhat quickly. "Yeah, we understand." Sweetie Belle adds, speaking towards the floor. Forge narrows his eyes almost imperceptibly against the two fillies—the feeling of the glare on the back of her neck causing Sweetie Belle to glance up—before relaxing, giving another shrug, and turning to Twilight. "I believe that is everything for now; I can give further instructions as they become necessary, so… a stretcher?" "Right!" Twilight looks over the assembled ponies. "Uh, I'll go grab one while you all head to Imi's room to-… yeah, that's what… I'll do." Leaving, she turns back from the doorway with a sudden, serious frown. "While I'm leaving you all with Forge, I'm trusting every one of you to not mistreat him. Right now he's… an honorary priest-!-, and I expect every single one of you," she takes a fraction of a pause to glance significantly at Applejack; something the Earth pony doesn't miss. "-to treat him with every bit of the respect and courtesy that title deserves." Casting her eyes around one last time to take in all the nodding heads (some tinier, slower, and/or more reluctant than others), Twilight steps out; it takes a long moment after the door closes behind her for anypony left to begin moving. "Well, then," Rarity's words sends something akin to a petrification-cure spell through the room, "There is no sense… in waiting to-…" Rarity trails off, but everypony, knowing what she means, nods again and they all trickle out into the hall. "Ah, Mister Forgery, we do not know the way, so, if you would, please, lead on?" She gives him something too nervous to be a hopeful smile, but it's an honest attempt—friendly, certainly; even if it wasn't, Forge would have nodded and began back down the path he and Twilight had just taken. When they reach the final hallway, the sounds of a yelled argument reach them; they all pause for a moment so as to focus on the words better. "-expect me to change my answer?! I gave my word! You would ask me to the trust that was put in me?!" Comes a mare's voice. "Nurse, I've said I don't want to hurt you, but you're wearing down my patience to a record low. We've explained to you that there are Changelings still injured from the raid that don't have a bed, and certainly need it more than this corpse!" The aggravated sigh manages to carry all the way to the still frozen ponies—Forge takes it upon himself to rush forward. "Since it seems you are incapable of understanding this, we will, regrettably, have to-. What is-?" The higher ranked of two guards (neither being the one from before) interrupts himself upon hear the agitated buzzing of Forge's wings accompanying his pounding hooves. "Atmiiqii! Don't!" Forge shouts upon finally reaching the left-open door; at this time the ponies recover themselves—the fillies being slightly faster—and soon enough join the odd sight Forge intruded upon: Nurse Redheart, standing with legs widespread over my body, the blanket, wrapped in an orange glow matching that surrounding one the of the guards' horns, still firmly held under one hoof even as it's jerking movement threaten to send her sprawling to the floor. "Ah! You're back with-! Where's Twilight Sparkle?" Nurse Redheart relaxes, then tilts her head. "She is fetching a stretcher with which to transport Imi with," Forge answers while staring at the two guards. "She should be back within minutes, at worst, and then this bed will be free. Until then," Forge lowers his tone, "I expect you all to treat Imi's body with respect, which includes not covering her, nor touching her." He ends with another buzz of his wings before finally stepping into the room so that the others can enter; upon seeing Forge's support, the guards only have to glance at each other before deciding to make a swift, silent retreat. Watching them, Nurse Redheart jumps from the bed only after Pinkie Pie kicks the door closed behind them; when she makes for the door and opens it to leave herself, Rarity holds out a hoof to her shoulder, but she shrugs it off quickly. "No, this is for all of you, who knew her best. Of course, I knew Scootaloo, but only ever as her nurse. I'll do my best to make sure those two didn't leave just to get some backup." She lets out a few dry chuckles at the attempted humor, then, as swiftly as the guards before her, leaves. "Scootaloo…" Rainbow Dash mutters as she turns around to face me and hovers over to me, her movement bobbing somewhat from the slower-than-usual flapping of her wings. "-'knew Scootaloo.'" She mimics the nurse's tone with an added bite of both sorrow and nastiness. "…-as if any of us every knew Scootaloo at all…" There is no mistaking that her tone isn't directed at me (and though, by the expressions, I'm sure the other mares thought of things they could say to reassure Rainbow Dash this isn't true, they recognize this isn't the time for such things) by the way she hangs her head and puts out one shaking, needy foreleg over my body. Forge tenses, but Rainbow Dash restrains herself, and the hoof's shivering gradually increases in time with the growing unsteadiness in her breathing until she finally decides to flutter to the side to land on the bed before me. "Why did you have to say that? -say that Scootaloo-? You-. Gah! Why?!" Rainbow sits back to place her forehooves over her face, rubbing at wet, itchy eyes. "… Why?…" Her last question is almost lost to her determinedly-not-crying-induced hiccupping. How I wished I could answer her… thankfully, one does so in place. "Rainbow-…" Applejack announces her presence next to her on my bed, for Rainbow Dash had failed to notice her hoofsteps and light bounce caused by her jumping onto the bed next to her. "Rainbow," she repeats as she places a hoof around the other mare's back; Rainbow finally mumbles an incomprehensible jumble of sounds that Applejack takes to mean she's listening. "-you got'ta know that we wouldn't'a believed her if she told the truth, which… is sad enough-…" By her tone it's obvious she's not done speaking, but as her eyes fly back and forth between my body and Rainbow Dash's still-hidden face, she chokes for a long moment. "-but-… -and then… nothing would'a changed, I'm sure. The outcome would'a been the same." With that, she bows her head and tightens her grip on Rainbow Dash, finished. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle seem to be running out of tears by then, and only look more distraught for it (or perhaps because of it—I, as their friend, wouldn't rule it out), and after staring at the two mares now practically statues but for Rainbow Dash's occasional, but much less pronounced, shiver, the two look up at Rarity. Kneeling, she whispers as lowly as possible, "Go ahead, just remember Mister Forgery's rules." Still, a small tug from Sweetie Belle around her sister's leg prompts Rarity to follow behind the two as they approach my bed; Applejack puts her other forehoof around Apple Bloom as soon as she jumps up next to her, and Sweetie Belle wraps both her forehooves around Apple Blooms barrel, whereas Rarity can only prop herself up on the edge of the bed with her forehooves to nuzzle her sister—with two mares and two fillies, in addition to myself, the bed is a little too crowded for her to join without risk of somepony touching my body. "Scootaloo-… Imitation," Apple Bloom grimaces; I know she's struggling to think of something to say—I imagine she thinks everypony expects her to say something. "… I- I'm gon'na miss you. Not just the you that was Scootaloo, but I'm gon'na miss that I never got to know Imi. I wish- I wish that ya never had to hide from us… an' lie. I'm sure- I know that you would'a been just as good a friend as a Changelin'. It's just not fair that ya had ta-… ta-…" Apple Bloom makes a few choking-like sounds with her eyes squeezed shut in apparent concentration, when she finally opens them, they're narrowed dangerously. "-Just everythin'! Everythin' wasn't fair for you! Ya had a family that needed ya, but ya also had everypony that you cared about that you had to hurt to help yer fam'ly!…" Just as suddenly as it had come, her anger dissipates, leaving cooling sorrow. "I don't know what I would'a done if I was you. I don't know if what I would'a done was right, or if I would be able to figure out a way not ta jus' survive, but be able to live with mah'self. Even though it wasn't fair, though… I think ya did the right thing… an' I'm sure ya know already, but I got'ta say it: I love you." "That... was beaut-…-tiful, Apple… Bloom." Sweetie Belle sobs into Apple Bloom's fur. Don't mistake me: I'm grateful for every word Apple Bloom said, and I'll cherish them forever… but "beautiful"? I'm not sure, but perhaps, in its own way, Apple Bloom's last farewell to me can be so. "You got everything. I-… I don't know… what to add… Imi… except that I agree… with everything." Afterwards, everyone falls into relative silence until Forge speaks up a few minutes after Sweetie Belle's last words. "Well, if that is all, and even if it's not, that injured Changeling is waiting for us to move." Looking up and around, the mourning ponies find they hadn't noticed Twilight return with the stretcher—partly because she had used her magic to carry the thing in instead of risk one of its wheels squeaking and interrupting Scootaloo, for it had been during her goodbye Twilight had entered. "Alright…" Rainbow Dash says as she leads the way off the bed. Once all of them are off, Forge steps forward and gently, but swiftly, so as to hold my body for as short a time as possible, transfers me to the stretcher. With that, Twilight asks everyone to huddle together as closely as possible around the stretcher so her teleportation spell is the least straining as it can be for teleporting such a large amount. Still, as she had explained, the teleport can only go so far due the wards the ponies had placed on the maaliynayu. All the same, on the morose walk the rest of the way there is no trouble—the pony guards placed at the entrance of the caves, as well as the ones standing or walking with researchers inside, don't even flinch, even as Forge leads the way, except to glance at Twilight. I suppose the guards placed here have been made more familiar than the ones at the hospital with the fact Twilight is in charge. Only when we finally reach the altar room itself does the single guard posted here scramble upon hearing the procession's approach. "Ah! Ehr! Sparkle! -Miss Sparkle!" The guard at first salutes with the wrong hoof and hastens to correct himself. "What is-? Should I-?" The poor stallion can't figure out what to say, for his eyes flick between Forge and my body. "At ease," Twilight says easily enough, using what she remembers from watching her brother at work. "We only require the use of this… temple-?-… for a short while." Forge shakes his head, silently answering her questioning tone, but she doesn't look back to confirm this terminology with him. "I… suppose you can either remain here, or step outside for a moment, but… so you know, what we're here for is to conduct a Changeling's final rites. -to… release and guide her soul?" This time Twilight looks back to see Forge nodding. "Oh…" Is the guard has to say, and I wouldn't blame him or any pony with being confused about what to do in such a situation—he seems to decide to default to continue following his orders and remain. Nodding to him, Twilight turns away to finally take in the room. To pony's eyes, I know it must seem unremarkable—too plain to be any kind of place of religious meaning, but this is just another part of our cultural differences. Where ponies gild their religious buildings, we Changelings believe that the only feature any altar room should have is The Protection of Queen Taaxyir—a rather simple cross-shaped symbol—so that the eyes cannot be distracted. There is not even seating or a vent to exchange air with the outside. Taking me into his magic for the last time, Forge places my body before The Protection, positioned on my belly, with The Protection to my right side. Taking up position in front of me, Forge turns to the ponies as they assemble themselves, sitting, in a semicircle. "Stand," Forge orders, then explains, "It is another way of how we Changelings show respect to the dead: stand before their body until nothing of it remains. "Now… before I set Imitation on her last journey, is there anything else any of you wish to say to her?" Forge takes his time to look into the eyes of each one of the ponies, pausing longer on Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom, but no one does anything besides look at each other, wondering if others might say something, but no one does. Everything that could be said already had been. Except… With slow nods, they all agree to say their last words to me at the same time, as ponies do. "Goodbye… Imi." "… Bazhu, Imiitashyun," Forge whispers, following their example, even though this is not of Changeling tradition. Then, he turns to me and lowers his head until the tip of his horn is millimeters from the tip of mine, and begins. "Amaa Usalul-" "Tiimaqaa, Furjharii…" The guard interrupts, revealing herself, at least to Forge and me, to be Queen Chrysalis, for only a queen is allowed to use that inflection. Forge instantly scrambles away from me, from both surprise and from the rush to follow the power behind the order; the ponies merely turn around to stare in nonplussed shock. Before any questions can be asked, she continues as she steps around the ponies to take Forge's original place before me. "There is no need for this… 'soldier's rite on the battlefield'; I am here for her." Again, before the ponies can raise any question, she wraps herself in the green flames of Changeling Magic to pull away her guard disguise. She only spares a glance out of the corner of an eye at the now-open-mouthed ponies before disregarding them. As she lowers her head to the same position Forge had just been in, he swiftly takes his place in the semicircle. "Amaa Ufazun," she begins, and the rest… -it is lengthy blessing that I don't know how to translate, and repeating it would be… Well, confusing. However, having already received a shock, the ponies have recovered by the end of My Queen's blessing, but even expecting it, they can't help but jump when a spark jumps from Queen Chrysalis's horn to mine, and in another flash of green flames, my body is simply disintegrated, or more accurately, transformed into oxygen—no smoke or ashes. "Breathe in, deeply, and hold as long as you can," Forge quickly instructs in a half-whisper, wanting to be quiet out of respect, but also wanting to make sure none of them miss the order, before he does so himself; Queen Chrysalis does likewise. After releasing her breath, Twilight instantly begins, "Queen Chrysa-" "I suppose now is when you tell me I'm going to pay for what I did?" She interrupts using the breath she had been holding, at the same time turn her head to face Twilight while keeping her head down in the same position with the consequence of leveling it on her. Applejack instantly jumps forward, with a somewhat reluctant Rainbow Dash narrowing still-sorrowful eyes on My Queen stepping in behind Applejack. "O' course! Where you expecting anything else?" "No!" Twilight is quick to step to the side, partially in between Queen Chrysalis and her friends, and looking at Applejack as she answers, then turning back to My Queen to say, "I just want to-… want-…" Twilight lowers head head, but looks down instead of forward. "I'm sorry," My Queen hisses, not sounding it at all. "What was that last bit?" Using Twilight's distraction, she steps to the side so as to be better prepared to flee. "I…" Twilight finally looks up, and the determination on her face makes My Queen actually step back and pull her horn up in surprise. "I just want to ask you a few questions. -if that's okay?" Still, her voice is hesitant; she must expect her request to be denied , and not without reason. Changelings don't like answering questions; we're taught from our earliest years to do anything to avoid being asked any kind of question. Despite all of this, or perhaps because of everything that had happened, My Queen instead allows herself to relax. "Go on…" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Rumble and Tumble author: shortskirtsandexplosions tags: character:Rumble, character:Scootaloo, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Silver Lining === It was an ordinary school morning in late February. The boredom could be plainly seen in Scootaloo's eyes as she traced the edges of the classroom in lazy circles. While the frigid minutes ticked by, she sketched her way through the rough designs of a wagon, a glider, and a conveyor belt across a white pad of paper before her. Hoofsteps lit the air, causing the filly's fuzzy orange ears to twitch. Cheerilee had just finished warming the stove towards the rear of the class, and was presently trotting to the front chalkboard with a sad expression on her face. "I have some... unfortunate news for you, my little ponies." She sat before her desk, bracing both forelimbs together as she said, "You all may be wondering why Rumble hasn't been attending class for the last few days. Well, Rumble happened to have injured his leg late last week." The room filled with brief gasps and twice as many wide-eyed expressions. "It's alright, though!" Cheerilee swiftly eliminated her previously somber tone with a bright smile. "Rumble's recovering just fine! But it's going to be a while before he gets to join the rest of us in our lessons. He was traveling inside a stagecoach when it collapsed. The poor thing had one of his rear legs broken." Twist raised her hoof, and Cheerilee pointed at her. "Ith Rumble going to thtay br-broken?" the worried filly stammered. Several other ponies murmured with similar concern. Cheerilee gave a pleasant wink as she talked. "Modern medicine is an amazing thing. Just because a bone is broken doesn't mean it has to stay that way. Thankfully, Rumble's big brother Thunderlane got him to the hospital not long after he was hurt. The doctors there set his leg in a cast, and now it's healing up just fine. He'll be back to normal sooner than you know it!" The class shared relieved expressions, their hushed voices filling the void left by a colt's vacant chair. "But, he's going to need more than medicine to feel better!" Cheerilee grinned charismatically. "That's where we come in! Yesterday, I went out and bought a bunch of get-well cards! I want each and every one of you to sign one, along with a little note, telling Rumble how much we all miss him and how we hope he makes a swift recovery! Now, what do you say?" "Unngh..." Diamond Tiara was already rolling her eyes. "I thought I came here to learn, not to nurse a Momma's colt back to health!" Cheerilee's voice took on a razor-edged tone as it ricocheted past the filly's ears. "I need everypony's polite participation in this, Miss Tiara..." Diamond Tiara winced. "Yes, m-ma'am," she wheezed. Silver Spoon snickered from half a seat over, summoning a scowl from her furious little companion. "Here we go, students!" Cheerilee shuffled down the rows of desks, passing out one colorful piece of folded stationery after another. "If you need to borrow a pen, just ask!" "Oooh! Oooh!" Sweetie Belle beamed as she already had a quill ready. "I'm going to draw explosions on the card that I send him! Colts like explosions and stuff, right?" "Pffft... Oh please..." Apple Bloom waved the filly off. Licking her lips, she pressed a pen down to her own card and tried to outrace Sweetie's drawing skills. "Just draw a full plate of food, that'll make him happy!" "Oh yeah?! I'm gonna win a colt-cheerer-upper cutie mark before you!" "Nuh uh!" "Yuh huh!" "Nuh uh!" "Yuh huh!" A desk away, Scootaloo gazed down at her piece of stationery with bored eyes. She flipped the thing over a few times like a paper hoofball, mooshing her orange chin against a limp forelimb. Stifling a yawn, she gazed out the window right next to her. Snow fell in gentle drifts, blanketing the cold world beyond until it became a blank slate. The filly's violet eyes danced through it, zipping invisible stunt paths with a phantom scooter. It was on a bright and breezy day in March when the bell rang over the schoolyard. Scootaloo's ears twitched from where she sat besides her overturned scooter, silently ratcheting a replacement wheel onto one of the axles. She looked up to see Miss Cheerilee exiting the red brick school building. Without any delay, the teacher clopped her hooves against the front stoop as she sang forth, "Alright, my little ponies! School's now in session! There'll be time for recess later!" "Awwwwwwwww," the colts and fillies collectively chanted. Regardless, they dutifully retreated from the swingsets, slides, and jungle gyms. Collecting their things, they trotted into a flimsy line and filed their way across the dew laden grass, entering the small building one after another. As they shuffled past Cheerilee, the mare brightened. "Oooh! I just remembered! Rumble's made a full recovery, and he'll be coming back to join us in a week!" A few kind-hearted ponies squee'd and cheered in response to the news. "However, although he's healed up, he's still going to have a hard time walking like most ponies do," Cheerilee said with a delicate smile. She gestured to the passing foals as she explained, "He's going to be wearing what's called a 'leg-brace.' It's to help keep his injured limb from getting broken again, as well as to give him balance. Now, it might look a little silly to some of you, but I want you all to be kind to him. Even though he's back on his hooves—so to speak—he's going to need all of our support just a little bit longer. So let's give him a warm reception when he returns, alright?" "Heh..." Snips glanced back at his buddy, smirking. "Imagine that, Snails! A colt on a stick!" "Yeah! Heheh! I bet we could stick him in front of the Everfree Forest like a flagpole! It'd be like a special delivery for the timberwolves!" "Oh, knock it off, you two!" Sweetie Belle barked at them with a frown, taking up the rear of the line of students along with Apple Bloom. "Hasn't he been through enough as it is?" "She's right!" Cheerilee snapped at the colts. "Snips. Snails. You'll be spending half of recess in time out today." "Awwwww..." "But Miss Cheerilee, we were only joking!" "Well, it's not funny! None of us are laughing, and I very much doubt that Rumble will find it funny. In fact, I bet he'll be hurt!" "Yeah, well, he already got that part covered, didn't he?" Snips said. "Hahaha!" Snails blurted. "Alright then... Two days of time out at recess!" "Awwwwwwww!" "Come on!" "Not another word! Now, everypony inside! We've got a lot to learn today!" Scootaloo's nostrils flared. She finished ratcheting, leaned in closer to her scooter, and gave the wheel a good spin. Her eyes narrowed, and she licked the corner of her lips while studying how smoothly the parts turned. Cheerilee's voice called out. "That means you, Scootaloo. Hop to it!" The filly sighed. She leaned the scooter up against a tree beside her tools. Standing up, she scuffled her hooves over the schoolyard grass, wiping errant grease off her limbs until they were clean. Then, in a swift gallop, she sped into the schoolbuilding as Cheerilee promptly shut the door behind her. It was the first warm morning in spring when a hush fell over half the schoolyard. Several ponies gawked at the path leading up to the springy lawn. Others murmured in tight clusters, trying to keep their snickers and giggles in. Rumble wasn't laughing. He wasn't even remotely smiling. His silky black mane was extra ruffled from two solid months of uninterrupted bedhead. All it took was one quick glance at the schoolyard below to make him instantly feel like retching. In an effort to keep his breakfast in, he glared emotionlessly into the dirt path stretching east past Ponyville, even as his body shook and jostled over and over again from multiple tugs. "Unnngh..." Rumble bit his lip as he clenched his jaw. "Thunderlaaaaane?" he hissed out the edge of his mouth. "Quit itttt..." "No can do, little bro," the older pegasus grunted, clenching his teeth over the canvas and velcro straps that fastened the elaborate brace over the colt's left rear-leg and flanks. "I don't care what the doctors said. You're too tiny for most of their medical stuff. You've already slipped out of this darn thing three times this morning!" Suddenly, a young mare with freckles leaned her face in. "Maybe if you fastened it more delicately—" She reached forward. Thunderlane lightly swatted her hoof away. "Blossomforth! I got this! He's my little brother! It's my job to look after him!" "It's not like I'm dying or anything..." Rumble's cheeks became red. He gave the slightest of blinks over his shoulder and saw twice as many foalish faces facing him than before. It only turned his coat more scarlet. "Quit it! All of you! I'm fine!" "Awwww!" Flitter stifled a giggle as she and her sister stood besides Blossomforth. "He turns into a little red beet whenever he gets mad!" "Not nearly as red as when Nurse Red Heart came to visit him every morning," Cloud Chaser remarked, nudging Flitter. "Unngh!" Rumble tossed his mane forward until it covered his face. "Will somepony please break my other leg? I think I'd rather go back to the hospital..." "Sorry, buddy." Thunderlane tilted the colt's chin up. "You're in sore need of exercise. Heck, you were in that stupid bed for over two months!" "Nnngh..." Rumble shoved the stallion's hoof away. "Then stop fussing with me and let me go to school already! Jeez..." "He's got a point there, Thundy." Blossomforth smirked over at the older brother. "You gotta let him go sometime." "Yeah... heehee..." Flitter tossed her mane and smiled. "You're worse than the hospital staff! Sooner than later, he's gonna turn into a total softie!" Cloud Chaser was already leaning in to pinch the colt's cheek. "As if he isn't alreadyyyy!" "Awwwwwww!" "Ugh! I've had it with all of you!" Rumble swiveled around and prepared to storm off. "I'd rather do schoolwork than deal with this!" His macho exit was undermined by the awkward and excruciatingly slow pace brought on by his brace. Rumble resembled a zombie giraffe, hobbling down towards the schoolyard like a pony born on the side of a hill. It only made the other schoolchildren gawk at him even more. "Hey! Uhm..." Thunderlane bit his lip before tossing his voice down the hill, "You'll remember to take your medicine, r-right?" "Yes..." "And... uh... no galloping until they say it's okay for you to take that thingy off, ya hear?" "Yeah, yeah..." "Don't forget... uhm... d-don't forget to ask for a really tall desk to use—" "Unghhh... Yes! I got it!" Thunderlane leaned forward to shout something else, but Blossomforth gently tugged him back. "Give it a rest, Thundy." "But... like..." The stallion bit his lip as his face stretched with concern. He watched the limping pale figure from afar. "He looks like he could trip on a rock and fall over any minute. That darn brace is practically built to explode." "He's fine. There's no reason to be his mother." Blossomforth smiled. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that position's already filled." "I just can't help but feel bad for him, y'know?" Thunderlane muttered as he and the three mares trotted off towards the Ponyville Weather Station. "Unngh... I can still hear how loud his screams were... when the stagecoach collapsed, y'know?" He shivered from a cold chill running through his head and mohawk. "I never want to think of my lil' bro feeling pain like that ever again..." "You can't protect him forever, y'know," Cloud Chaser said. "Though, it's pretty sweet of you to try so hard." "Just give him a little distance, Thundy," Blossomforth said, leaning over to nuzzle the stallion. The couple trotted closely side by side. "He's a pegasus, after all. We pegasi are made of strong, resilient stuff." "Ooof!" Rumble fell flat on his face. He gasped from the oxygen being shot out of his lungs as he laid there, sprawled out against the front stoop of the school building's entrance. "Unnngh... Nnnngh...!" His facial muscles stretched and quivered as all of his legs flailed for balance... all, save for one, that is. The injured leg shot skyward like a ship's mast, the bright plastic surface of the brace glinting in the morning light. "Guhhhh..." He grumbled with a deflated sigh, "Not again..." "Wowsers, Rumble!" Snips snickered from where he and Snails sat on a bench a few feet away. They munched their way through their morning sandwiches, belched, and pointed at his misfortune. "That's the fourth morning in a row!" Crumbs spilled out of Snips' grinning, chomping mouths. "You think you'd get used to that first step by now!" "Wait, you got it all wrong!" Snails' voice echoed across the schoolyard like a broken siren. "This is the new Rumble! 'Tumble!'" "Hah! Rumble Tumble! I love it! Heheheh—Hey, Rumble Tumble! How's the concrete smell? Like your tears from the last time you fell in the same exact spot yesterday?!" "Hahahaha!" Rumble flailed and flailed again, ultimately resorting to an angry glare that burned holes in the building's brick finish. "Grrrrrrr..." From where she sat in the shade of a tree, Scootaloo's ears twitched. She looked up from the sketch of a six-wheeled carriage and squinted towards Rumble's predicament. As Snips' and Snails' laughter filled the air, she exhaled heavily, shaking her head and returning to her drawings. "Land sakes!" Apple Bloom blurted as she trudged between the two snickering colts, almost bumping Snips and Snails off their bench. She flashed an angry frown back at them. "What the hay is wrong with you two?! He needs help! Not hecklin'!" "I don't... need... any h-help..." Rumble grunted from where he was still collapsed. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Rumble," Sweetie Belle said. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Tumble!" Snips cooed in a high-pitched voice. Snails laughed as he added, "Wow, once a wuss, always a wuss!" "Pfft! What do you know?!" Sweetie Belle turned and offered Rumble a hoof. "Here. Allow me." "I'm fine..." "But you just k-keep falling and falling and you're starting to get bruises on your chest—" "I said I'm fine!" Rumble snapped. No matter how gruff he tried to make his voice, it still had a squeaky edge to it. The colt sniffled, grunted, and tried to push himself upright with two forelimbs planted against the stoop. "I don't need your help!" "Well, how about Miss Cheerilee's?" Apple Bloom said. She began trotting into the school building. "I'll go fetch her right now!" "You do that and I'll... I'll..." Rumble gritted his teeth, then spat, "I'll rip your bow off in the middle of class!" Sweetie Belle gasped as if a bullet had been fired. She covered her mouth as her eyes welled up with tears. "You... w-wouldn't really do that to her, w-would you?" "Come on, Sweetie Belle..." Apple Bloom tugged her friend along as the bell began to ring. "Let him be." She frowned at the colt. "If he wants to stay grumpy, let'em stay grumpy. Rumble's right. We have no reason to help him." Rumble bit his lip as a sore lump formed in his throat. He could only watch helplessly as all of the students shuffled past him. Having been audience to the whole exchange, not a single foal possessed the nerve to stare him in the face. His eyes quivered with a twinge of guilt. Resigned to his fate, he writhed and thrashed against gravity, abandoned upon the front stoop as the last of his classmates trotted on by. Then, out of nowhere, an orange hoof reached down and yanked him up by the shoulder. "Wha—?!" He reeled, but swiftly caught his balance. He stood evenly within the doorframe to the school, his brain reeling from the inevitable rush of blood to the head. "Unngh... Huh?" He squinted across the glare of the morning sunrise. "Scootaloo...?" "Hmmm?" She looked past him with a bored expression. "What is it?" He frowned. "I thought I said I could get up by myself—" "Pfft. Whatever." She rolled her violet eyes and pointed at the stoop. "You were in my way." Rumble blinked, and immediately all courage in his voice deflated. "Oh... uhm... I-I'm sorry about that—" "You'd better be sorry!" She suddenly leaned into him, her vicious frown turning him cross-eyed. "The next time you say something mean to Apple Bloom, you're gonna be eating that stupid thing you've got plastered around your leg!" "Uhhhh—" "Got it?!" He gulped and nodded fervently, his black mane flouncing. "Y-you bet! I w-won't be mean to any of your friends ever again! I pr-promise!" "I hope so." She raised a hoof before swiveling around and trotting into the school. "I know a dozen more places where a pegasus can be broken, buddy." "Uhhh... y-yeah... okay," Rumble shivered. He stood alone for a few seconds, his body chilled by the cool spring air. He turned around, glancing at an imprint in the dirt at the base of a tree where she had been sitting. "Huh… why'd she wait so long to go inside?" "You coming, slowpoke?!" Scootaloo's voice cried back. "Don't make me have to pick you up again!" Upon hearing the pegasus' authoritative voice, he shook himself out of it, and trotted forward, only to lose his balance once again. "Whoah!" Rumble sat still and silent at the very, very back of the classroom. His silver coat was marred all over in random bruises. He slouched back in the seat of an extraordinarily large desk, though his posture couldn't be helped. There was an extra bit of space between his position and the closest seat in front of him, on account of his left rear leg stretching straight forward like a collapsed radio antenna. He had finished his pop quiz several minutes early, a direct result of being located in the most boring and remote section of the classroom where no distractions were afforded to him. The closest window was so far away that he had to squint in order to even make out the faintest image of a songbird flitting by. Instead, he had no choice but to gaze straight forward. Cheerilee was busy grading papers, and the schoolteacher was ignorant of the plethora of students across the vast room who had taken the opportunity to glance back at him. Several of them slouched back to mimic his condition. A few others whispered words from desk to desk, sharing a silent giggle at his expense. Snips and Snails—seated side by side—put on an amazingly theatrical charade. Snails "galloped" in place, "fell," then gripped his knee in "pain." Snips joined in with the "show," rubbing nonexistent tears as both colts mocked a sobbing spell. Both then glanced back at Rumble, stifled their joint snickers, and returned just as swiftly back to their quizzes. Rumble held back the mother of all growls. He crossed his forelimbs and stared angrily at the leg-brace, his eyes burning light-pink daggers into the polished enamel. The worst part of it was that the the thing didn't just cover his leg. There was a second piece to it, resembling armored plastic shortpants that covered the entirety of his blank flank. Rumble didn't think much of it until one recess when Silver Spoon made a passing comment about the possibility of the colt having become incontinent due to his injuries. As Diamond Tiara and a few other fillies had laughed, he pondered ripping the whole thing off and using it as a blunt weapon against their foreheads. Instead, Rumbled sighed. He learned swiftly during that week to surrender into the shadows of the given situation and keep quiet. It wasn't that every schoolmate in his class was making fun of him. Somehow, though, it didn't matter. Every bad word that was thrown the colt's way greatly outweighed every polite compliment or benevolent platitude. The laughter of Diamond Tiara and the guffaws of Snails rang louder than any of Miss Cheerilee's comforting words. In fact, Rumble was almost certain that the few bad eggs in the classroom simply used her positive reinforcement as encouragement to torment him even harder. Rumble was tired of being angry. It was something far more persistent than the numb pain still knifing its way through his joints. He was so preoccupied with these diluted sensations that he had almost entirely lost track of his sight, so it wasn't until the last second that he saw the shade of orange pivoting about in the corner of his eye. The colt's head turned. He blinked. The backs of everypony's heads were facing him. Even Cheerilee's face was indiscernible as the classroom slogged on through the quizzing period, quiet as a funeral. Rumble exhaled and stared back at his cast. A grimace covered his face. It really did look like training pants, he thought. Muttering under his breath, he reached a hoof down and fiddled with the canvas straps that fastened the hard plastic panels to his snow-gray coat. With just one tug, he thought, he would be rid of this whole ordeal. Even if he had to spend the rest of his life lying broken in a hospital bed, it had to have been better than this. The shade of orange flickered in his peripheral vision once again. He was almost ready for it this time, and he twisted about so swiftly that his desk shifted, filling the air with a thunderous clapping noise. He instantly winced. The entire class turned to glance at him. Half of the faces were humored; the rest were just confused. "Rumble...?" Cheerilee asked from her desk a mile away. "Is everything alright, back there?" "Uhm... Yes, Miss Cheerilee." He straightened the papers in front of him. "I'm... uh... d-done with the quiz, ma'am." "Well, that's good, Rumble. Do you need any help with anything now that you're done?" Rumble merely crossed his forelimbs at that, his jaw clenching hard as his cheeks went red. The pupils in Cheerilee's eyes shrank. Getting the picture, she chuckled nervously and waved him off. As she returned to her grading, everypony's heads swiveled back forward. All except for one. Rumble blinked, then squinted towards Scootaloo's desk. The filly hadn't moved a single inch when his desk clattered. She appeared to be absorbed with a drawing on the backside of her quiz sheet: a bunch of wheels and a steering mechanism, or something. Rumble craned his neck to get a better look, but the brace anchored him in place. The little pony shuddered, then leaned back in his permanent slouch. For some reason, Rumble could no longer focus on the uncomfortableness of his leg brace, but instead a strange flutter beneath his pale chest. As the bell rang, all of the students galloped gleefully home, save for one. Rumble sat awkwardly on a bench outside of the school building. He sighed into the amber sunlight, falling with scattered beams through the errant clouds above. His bored pink eyes were glued to the dirt path beyond. Any second now, his brother would show up to fly his crippled flank home. "Hmmph..." Rumble kicked at the soil below him with one of his good legs. "As soon Thunderlane stops getting all mushy with Blossomforth and her marefriends," he spat. "Why would he wanna do that?" "Gah!" Rumble jumped in place, wincing from the pressure his startled body put on his leg. With a breathless flinch, he looked behind him. Scootaloo stood with her saddlebag a few meters away, leaning lazily against the front of the school building. A cool afternoon breeze blew through her mane as she squinted at him like he was a dull shape from beyond a field of fog. "Uhhhm..." Rumble's ears perked up. "Huh?" "You jealous of your big brother or something?" Scootaloo muttered, examining the edge of her forelimb for specks of dirt. "I thought colts liked winning the attention of a bunch of fillies." "Pffft..." Rumble folded his forelimbs and glared ahead of him. "Maybe Thunderlane. Me? I could care less..." "Why?" Rumble blinked, cross-eyed. He hadn't expected that. "Uhm... because they're girls and they're boring and I hate it when they get all gushy on me?" "Hmmph..." In a single hop, Scootaloo shifted her saddlebag and sat on the bench right beside him. "Good." The colt did a double-take. "Good?" "Yeah." Scootaloo grunted. "Good." Rumble squinted at her. He slowly, slowly nodded. "Yeah... uh... good...sure..." Scoot blew a bang of violet hair out from her brow as her orange limbs dangled above blades of grass. The afternoon air was silent. Rumble fidgeted. "So... uh..." "Are you lame?" The colt's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?" Scootaloo's brow furrowed as she stared hard at him. "What, are you deaf?!" "I thought you just asked me if I was lame!" "Well, are you?" "Which? Deaf or lame?" "Pfft!" Scootaloo shrugged. "Both!" Rumble frowned. "What the heck kind of a question is that?!" "'Cuz... I'm curious? Duh!" Scootaloo rolled her eyes before presuming to poke the plastic shell encasing his rump. "Why would you be built like a tank if what's inside wasn't totally busted, y'know what I mean?" "Hey! Stop it!" Rumble shoved her hoof away. "It hurts, you know!" "Hah!" Scootaloo grinned devilishly. "Does it really?" Rumble's eyebrows twitched. He spoke through wincing teeth, "Well, no. Not really." He gulped and muttered, "I don't really feel much of anything at all." "Then you must be lame," Scootaloo said bluntly, her legs swinging beneath her as she gave him a side glance. "What, with not being able to feel and all—" "Scootaloo, did you need something?" Rumble was frowning at this point. "Because I hate being out here enough as it is without having another pony trying to bully me!" "Who's being a bully?" Scootaloo shrugged. "I was just asking questions!" "Then don't! They stink!" "Oh, so a filly can't ask a colt questions these days!" "I-I never said that!" "Then what are you trying to say?!" "I dunno! Why—nnngh—why are you even here?!" Rumble pointed towards the vast, empty school yard. "Why aren't you off doing all that 'crusader' stuff with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo appeared to be fuming for a few seconds. With a heavy sigh, she wrenched her gaze away from Rumble and gazed towards the horizons. "It wasn't my choice..." His ears drooped for some reason. "It wasn't?" "Nnngh... Apple Bloom forced me to apologize to you for threatening to break your other leg the other day." "Huh?" "Y'know... after I helped you up in front of the school building? That was kinda sorta mean of me. And I'm sorry." "Wait..." Rumble squinted at her. "You talking about what happened—like—four mornings ago? Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were already inside when that happened." "Do I look like a calendar to you?!" Scootaloo grumbled. Rumble shook his head. "Uhhh... no! No, ma'am!" "You can totally call me 'Scootaloo,' ya know.'" "No, Scootaloo. I-I mean, yes, Scootaloo. I mean—" "Anyways, Apple Bloom told me that I wouldn't be allowed into the Crusaders' Clubhouse until I said something nice to you," she grumbled. "And seeing as it's on her big sister's property and all... well..." She shrugged. "I kind of have no choice if I wanna keep on searching for my cutie mark." "Oh... well... uhm..." Rumble sighed, fiddling his forelimbs together. "I guess that's kind of important." "What's kind of important?" "What you just said. Getting your cutie mark...?" "Oh, right. Yeah. Heh. Totally." Silence. Rumble looked at Scootaloo. Scootaloo turned and looked back at him. Rumble's jaw fidgeted. Scootaloo blinked. "What?" "Oh... were... w-were you not gonna—?" "Not gonna do what?" "Say... uh... something 'nice?' Cuz I thought you just said—" Scootaloo frowned. "I just said 'I'm sorry' about the other morning!" "Well, yes you did—" "Isn't that nice enough?!" "Well, no! I-I mean, yes! I mean—" Scootaloo stood up with a rustle of her saddlebag. "You're saying I'm not nice?!" "No!" Rumble smiled nervously, sweat gathering along his pale face. His leg-brace dug a thin ravine into the earth as he cowered beneath her glare. "You're nice! You're very, very n-nice!" "Ugh..." Scootaloo fell back on her haunches, her wings sagging as she rubbed a hoof over her face. "What's your deal?! Why can't you get a clue?!" "A clue?" Rumble grimaced. "A clue about wh-what?" "I swear, talking with colts is like trying to chop down a dead tree!" Scootaloo waved her forelimbs into the air. "Either you're too full of it, or you're all spineless! Either way, you're all so... so... thick!" "Hey!" Rumble frowned. "I am not thick—er... I mean full of spineless—I mean..." "Snkkkt-Hahaha!" Scootaloo slapped her knee. "Wow! I think you hit something harder than your leg when that stagecoach collapsed on you!" "Yeah, well..." Rumble's cheeks went red as he tried not to yell, "I think that... th-that maybe if you didn't hang out with just two fillies all the time, y-you'd know better about talking to other ponies! Colts or not!" Scootaloo suddenly gritted her teeth, stamping her hoof. "You sayin' I'm an idiot?!" "Well..." Rumble for once didn't back down. "You just called me 'thick,' didn't ya?" Scootaloo seethed for a few seconds, then winced as a pale expression washed over her petite features. Her head hung suddenly as she bit her lip. Rumble blinked. The redness in his face cleared back to a silver shine as he gulped and said, "Look, I'm sorry. I... I don't know anything about your friends. I... uh... I think what you guys do to try and get your cutie marks is pretty cool." Her ears twitched slightly at that. "Really? Cool?" "Sure!" He stifled a chuckle. "Even if you do make yourselves look silly a lot of the time." "Mmmmf... don't you mean most of the time?" Scootaloo murmured. Rumble leaned his head to the side. "Huh?" "Ugh..." Scootaloo sat back down beside him with a slump. She stared past her dangling hooves at the soft, springy grass. "I like hanging out with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, but sometimes I wonder if I do it too much." "Too much?" "Yeah..." Rumble scratched his head. "Well... uh... do you have fun with them?" "What? Oh, yeah!" Scootaloo's ears popped up as she grinned. "Totally!" He grinned back. "Then that's what matters, right?" Scootaloo's eyes fluttered. Suddenly, though, her grin dissolved. "But, don't you think the ponies who have the most fun are the ones who end up like weirdos in the end?" "Buh?" "I mean, I became a Cutie Mark Crusader because tons of ponies were making fun of me. Y'know... for being a blank flank?" "Yeah..." Rumble winced, his snow white haunches fidgeting beneath the plastic brace. "Right..." "So, like, joining them and forming a club was the best thing ever! And we've done these totally awesome things! Day after day! Even if we still haven't earned our cutie marks, we find so many ways to have fun!" "Wow, that sounds like... uh... f-fun!" Rumble said with a simpering expression. "But then, like, when you don't see them for a while, and you spend a day or two by yourself... well..." Scootaloo's wings drooped even more. "You start to feel like nothing's changed. Only—like—the way you look at things have changed." She gulped. "And you're still totally a weirdo, as far as the rest of the ponies care." Rumble scratched his head hard. He ultimately shrugged and said, "So long as you know how to have fun, who cares if you're a weirdo? Y'know?" Scootaloo looked at him. He looked back, squirming nervously. She opened her mouth... paused... and then said, "Can I feel your mane?" "Huh?" Rumble blinked. "Your mane. Could I... uhm... could I touch it?" "Uh..." Rumble winced slightly, feeling the words of Thunderlane's ladyfriends echoing in his mind. Nevertheless, his voice broke out before his thoughts could stop it. "Sure, I guess." Without hesitation, Scootaloo reached forward and ruffled his head vigorously. "Ow ow ow..." He hissed, one eye clenched shut. "Not so hard! What's the deal…?" Her brow furrowed. "You have soft filly hair." "Excuse me?" "Heehee..." Scootaloo smirked. "Just saying!" He batted her hoof away and frowned. "Is that why you kept staring at me in the middle of class?!" he blurted without thinking. Her violet eyes went wide as saucers, reflecting the like-color of his. "I totally wasn't staring at you in class!" "You so were!" He leaned forward with a growl. "I totally saw you! Twice yesterday and three times today!" "Grrrrr!" She stomped her hoof. "If I stared at you, it was because of how… how... f-funny looking you are in that leg-thingy!" "If you want it, you can have it!" he roared, pretending as if he was about to kick her with it. She stared at him, fuming. He stared back, folding his forelimbs before his chest. After a while, she gulped, and her eyes fell towards his encumbered limb. "Really, though. Does... d-does it hurt?" His lips pursed. Eventually, he sighed, and his folded forelimbs grew tighter. "Yeah. Kind of. I... I don't know if it's actually healed or not." "Oh?" "Mmmmm..." He was practically hugging himself by now. "I've been wearing it longer than the doctors said I would have to be. Sometimes I think that... th-that it won't ever work the same way it used to." Scootaloo stared at him, his leg, then him again. "You'll be able to walk again." "Huh?" he gazed up at her. She smiled. "In fact, I bet you could even outrun the likes of me." He forehead scrunched tightly. "How would you know that?" "I just do, okay?" She briefly frowned, then nodded towards his injury. "You'll be fine. I know it." He opened his mouth to retort, but had nothing to give. Neither did she, for she already had. "Well, uh... I gotta be going..." His pupils shrank. For some reason, he shivered where he sat. "I heard that Rainbow Dash was going to be doing some sick tricks on the north edge of Ponyville. I wanna go watch. Can't be late, y'know?" She trotted towards a tree where a scooter had been conspicuously parked the entire time. "Try not to break any of your other legs while waiting for your brother." Rumble watched her leave, growing more and more distant with each shuffling hoof. "Wanna talk to each other again?!" a colt's voice blurted out. She froze in place, her ears popping towards the heavens. She swiftly twirled around, and something white flitted loose from her saddlebag. "Huh?" Rumble winced. "I mean... s-sometime... whenever..." He coughed and shrugged. "If you don't mind hanging out with another weirdo..." She gazed at him. Her nose scrunched up as if smelling something foul. Just as it looked like she was about to vomit, the filly spontaneously droned, "Okay." Rumble's tail flickered once, and was still. "Okay." "Okay," Scootaloo nodded. She stood still for a few seconds. Then—like a cannonball—she bursted across the yard, pounced on the scooter, and rocketed away as if her body was on fire. Rumble stood alone, his whispering voice fluttering amidst the breeze. "Okay..." He leaned back, pointing his chest to the air, perhaps to give his beating heart some room. His pink eyes wandered down, and he saw a scrap of paper lying in the grass beneath the tree. He raised an eyebrow, remembering the white object that had fallen loose from her saddlebag. Minutes ticked away, and his curiosity piled higher and higher atop his beleaguered little mind. With a frustrated groan, Rumble fought gravity, flailed, and eventually pulled himself up. Limping like a pony attached to a plow, he gradually dragged himself and his brace over towards the patch of grass. He bent over as low as he could and picked up the scrap of paper. His eyes scanned the sheet, noticing the intricately drawn wheels, gears, and other mechanical parts that illustrated one untitled machine after another. But then, along the fringes of the page, consisting of soft lines with even more delicate detail, was the unmistakable outline of a young colt with all his legs intact. A colt had soft hair, like a filly's. Something burst out of Rumble's mouth. At first, he thought it was a laugh, but then he realized he wasn't smiling. He clammed up, leaning back against his brace as the drawing sheet fluttered in the crook of his hoof, in cadence with the confused and clamoring pulse of his little heart. "So, like, how come you're such a wuss?" Rumble nearly fell down. He stopped in mid-limp to gawk at Scootaloo. "What?!" "Y'know..." Scootaloo sat on a wooden log on the edge of a field, munching from a bag full of sunflower seeds. She spat a few shells loose into the April wind and squinted up at him. "Letting Snips and Snails poke fun at you all the time. Just brushing it off when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon say mean things to ya?" The colt looked like he was about to vomit. Instead, he cleared his throat and continued to practice trotting evenly around the filly in a circle. "Since when does not wanting to start a fight make me a wuss?" "But they're the ones starting it." "Doesn't mean I gotta—nngh—finish it." "But don't you get tired of it? I thought... like..." Scootaloo shrugged and spat loose a few more shells. "...colts were supposed to be all gruff and badflank and stuff." "What?" Rumble smirked, limping over an anthill. "Like you?" The orange hairs on the back of the filly stood up. "I am so not like a colt!" "Heh... sure you're not." "Really!" The filly sneered. "I have a soft side! I totally do!" "Is it hidden beneath all those sunflower seeds?" Scootaloo nearly choked. She sputtered, wheezed, and beat her chest, spitting a half-cracked shell out along with a wad of saliva. Her tongue dangled in the wind as she recuperated. "Whew... I almost died there!" "Good thing you didn't." Rumble smirked. "They would have put a boy's name on the tombstone." "Grrrr..." "Heheheh..." "Yeah, well, you've got soft filly hair." The whites of Rumble's eyes flickered like a sheet of paper. He swiveled to face her, his forelimbs folded. "If I promise to stop saying you're a colt, will you promise to stop poking fun at how soft my mane is?" "Who said I was poking fun?" Rumble merely gulped and muttered, "Still… will you promise?" Scootaloo looked up and down at his pensive stance and soft expression. "You know what?" She suddenly smirked. "Deal!" "Hah!" Rumble saluted. "Deal—Gaaah!" He lost his balance and fell back. All four legs—including the braced one—stuck up like those of a dead bug. "Unnngh... Not again." "Hehehehe... Oh come on!" Scootaloo trotted over and gazed down at him through the forest of the colt's legs. "You trotted around for a lot longer that time!" "Yeah, but I still fell down though." "Not without standing up for yourself." "Huh?" "You really should work on your attitude, y'know?" Scootaloo pointed. "You could someday be a strong pony like me!" "Yeah..." Rumble gazed helplessly at his upended legs. "...sure." "I mean it! Why can't you just stand up to the mean ponies in our school like you just now stood up to me?" Rumble frowned. "It's not the same..." "Sure it is!" "How would you know?" "Well, the Crusaders and I stand up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon all the time!" "Nnnngh—Eughh!" With a heaving motion, Rumble threw himself into an awkward sitting position. He glared at the filly. "No you guys don't!" Scootaloo's ears drooped. "Huh?" "You three just... like... avoid those two mean fillies every chance you get! That's not standing up to nopony! That's just running away!" Scootaloo opened her mouth to protest, but then grimaced. It was her turn to fall to the earth, and she did so in a limp slump. "Nnnnnngh... you're righttttt..." Rumble instantly bit his lip. A cold shiver ran through him as she shifted on his braced limb. "I... I was just talking out my flank. Seriously, you guys are great—" "Pfft. Save it," Scootaloo muttered, staring lethargically at the clouds overhead. "You were right. We don't... we don't ever fight back. We..." She sighed. "We just run away to the clubhouse and pretend that we're doing stuff that's cool... when actually we're hiding." Rumble's eyes darted across the horizon as he lost himself in thought. Eventually he looked at her and said, "Nah. It's not hiding." "Oh, really?" Her voice was droll. He tried not to telegraph his wincing expression. "How could you call it 'hiding?' You're always finding new and exciting things to do! You've done every trick in the book, and then some!" "Yeah...?" Scootaloo blew at her bangs through the side of her mouth. "It certainly hasn't gotten us our cutie mark any faster..." "So? You're having fun, right?" Rumble smiled wide. Scootaloo was deadpan. Sweating, Rumble fumbled his forelimbs together, then blurted, "You're a lot closer to finding your super special talent than I'll ever be." "What makes you say that?" "Because at least you're trying." "You could be trying too." Scootaloo limply pointed at him through the windblown grass. "You just can't, on account of that splint-thingy you're wearing." "I'm not talking about myself," Rumble said, turning towards her with an emphatic expression. "I'm talking about you... and how—like—awesome you are." Scootaloo's features softened. She gazed at him with sharp eyes. "You think I'm... awesome?" "Well, why not? I mean, you're brave... you're energetic... you really aren't afraid of anything!" She frowned. "Even when my friends and I 'avoid' Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara?" Rumble gulped, but saved the moment with: "That's because you guys are smart. There's nothing wrong with that." Scootaloo was silent. "And you're totally the smartest of the bunch." She raised an eyebrow at that. "I am?" "Yeah! Apple Bloom means well, but she's always gabbing on about her older sister and all. I don't think she's used to thinking for herself so much. She needs a pony like you." "Huh..." Scootaloo looked off towards the windswept fields beyond. "I never thought of it like that..." "And... uhm... Sweetie Belle..." "Snkkkt-Heeheehee..." Scootaloo teared up and waved her hoof. "Stop. Stop right there." Rumble snickered, smiling. "I-I'm sorry..." "Don't be," she said, inhaling dramatically. Her body froze, then went slack as she said, "I really love those girls. I know that sounds... uh... really sappy..." "So?" Rumble shrugged his shoulders in the earth. He grinned. "You're a filly. It's okay." She slowly nodded. "Yeah. I guess it is, huh?" He looked at her. She suddenly swallowed and said in a murmuring voice, "But... y'know... it's okay for you to... uhm... be sappy too..." He merely squinted. "I mean... just that... uhm… if you wanna say stuff that might sound sappy, Rumble, it's totally alright by me..." "You want me to be a filly?" "Ungh!" Scootaloo rolled her eyes and sat up in a huff. "Never mind..." "Then what did you mean?!" "I said 'never mind!'" Scootaloo stomped off, tossing a hoof. "Jeez!" Rumble sat up, wincing. As she returned to the log, he folded his forelimbs again and frowned. "And you say colts are thick." "Hey, you gonna practice trotting more or not?!" "Meh..." "Ungh!" Rumble fell into the dirt, wincing. He gritted his teeth and punched the dirt. "I hate this!" he squeaked. "This is stupid!" He stood up from the shadow of the crusaders' clubhouse. The afternoon air shook as he struggled for a full minute to stand upright. "I'm never gonna walk normal! Never again! The doctors still won't tell me when they're gonna take this stupid thing off! And by the time I do, I bet my butt's gonna be glued to the plastic!" Scootaloo said nothing. She sat on the other side of the treehouse along the edge of the Apple Family property, gazing at the darkening horizon to the west. Panting, Rumble looked over. He gulped and frowned even harder. "Are you even paying attention?! I can't trot worth oats!" More silence, save for a distant roll of thunder against the gray skies. Sighing, he swiveled about and limp-limped his way towards her. "For Celestia's sake! You don't even care, do you—?" "Shhh!" She stretched a hoof out against his muzzle, instantly freezing him in place. Slowly, a delicate smile crossed her lips. "Do you see that?" Rumble blinked. Still fuming, he stood beside Scootaloo and squinted up at the sky. A thick anvil cloud was forming overhead, rumbling and flickering with deep pulses of lightning. "It's a thunder cloud," Rumble grumbled. "Big deal." He kicked at a few clumps of dirt before them. "My big brother Thunderlane kicks stuff like it apart all the time. The weather team will make it vanish in just a few hours—" "Yeah, but check it out!" Scootaloo pointed at the spreading bands of dark gray haze. "Isn't it totally cool? I mean, like, while it lasts and stuff?" Rumble merely shrugged. "Thunderclouds are loud, noisy, and annoying. To be honest, I'm kind of bummed that everypony in my family was more or less named after the crud." "Hey!" Scootaloo grabbed his shoulder fiercely and pointed. "Wait for it!" "Ow ow ow..." He winced, leaning hard on his braced leg. "Wait for what?" "Look!" Scootaloo pointed. A sheen of light shimmered off the west edge of the storm, giving a pale gloss to the angry weather pattern. Rumble sighed through his nostrils. "I don't get it." Scootaloo groaned, her eyes rolling as she swiveled about to smirk at him. "Don't you see? It's a silver lining!" "All clouds have that," he replied in a bored tone. "So what?" "Soooo..." She pointed once more at the cloud. "It's so much cooler when it happens with an angry, flank-kicking storm like this!" Rumble looked at Scootaloo, at the cloud, and at Scootaloo again, this time with a vomitous expression. "Since when were you so flippin' poetic?" She swatted him the shoulder. "Owwwww..." "It's got nothin' to do with poetry!" She frowned, then gazed softly at the ground as she kicked at the dirt. "I just... like it, that's all." "Pffft. Well, that's dumb." She bit on her lip, and the next breath that came out of her sounded like a wounded kitten. "Think of this as... the f-filly side of me, okay?" Rumble opened his mouth but lingered. He allowed a calmness to wash out any confusion as he gazed intently at her. "Yeah, okay..." Scootaloo merely stood there, fidgeting. Rumble scratched his head. He leaned his weight on his uninjured side and spoke in a quiet tone. "So, like, for real. Why do you like it when when the clouds get all shiny and stuff?" She looked up at him. Her face was tranquil, framed by a gentle blush to her cheeks. Her breath was honest, serene as she said, "It makes me think of when I was little." "Uhm... you are little." "Heh... okay, when I was—like—really little, alright?" She turned and gazed back up at the distant storm, her purple mane billowing in the wind. "I swear, a thunderstorm was the first cloud I ever saw. I was... r-really scared about it at the time. I didn't grow up in Ponyville, y'know..." "You didn't?" "Nah. I was born in a place outside of Fillydelphia. Farm country. I wasn't there for long... but... like... I remember the storms being pretty bad. Like really bad. We didn't have the same kind of weather team like we have here in Ponyville." "You mean you didn't have Rainbow Dash." "Snkkt—Shuddup!" "Heheheheh..." Rumble giggled, squatting down beside her. Scootaloo paced a bit along the fringes of the impending weather's shadow. "I watched this really nasty storm show up along the horizon. It was dumping gallons of rainwater over the farm fields. From far away, it looked like it was shooting ink down at the ground. The water was so dark. And the lightning seemed to come out of that darkness, both around and above everypony. I thought a big black rock was rolling towards us, the thing was so huge." "Yikes." "I know, right?" "So... uh... did you find shelter or something?" "Pfft! Of course! My parents were never stupid!" "I never said they that they were!" Scootaloo's features went tight for a few seconds, then relaxed. She looked towards the thunderclouds again. "Anyway, I was afraid of the weather... but only for—like—one day." "Oh? Why's that?" "Cuz I saw... y'know..." Scootaloo gestured into the air. Rumble blinked. "The silver lining." "Heh. Yeah. Sound sappy enough for you?" "It's okay," Rumble said with a shrug. "I don't mind." Scootaloo said nothing for a while. "So, what then?" "I stopped being afraid of storms," Scootaloo said. "And instead, I started doing awesome things." "Why?" Rumble narrowed his eyes. "'Cuz you were suddenly fearless?" "Duh! I was always fearless!" "Heh... sure you were..." Scootaloo frowned at him. Rumble gulped, but managed the courage to say, "But why's a silver lining so... like... important?" "I dunno." Scootaloo said with a sigh. "It's like... I really wanted to touch the clouds, suddenly. To be closer to them. To… erhm… snuggle with them." "Wow. You really were young at the time." "What, you never had silly dreams when you were a baby?" "I... uh..." Rumble fidgeted, staring at the dirt below. "I only had nightmares as a kid." "Hahahaha!" Scootaloo cackled, brushing a hoof through her mane. "Why am I not flippin' surprised?" Rumble bit his lips. Scootaloo gulped and murmured, "I'm sorry. That wasn't very nice of me." "I wasn't being nice, either, I-I guess..." "Hey..." Scootaloo shrugged. "You're sitting here, listening to me. That's nice enough." Rumble looked sideways at her. "Don't you have Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle around to listen to you?" "Yeah, I know..." Scootaloo looked back towards the storm, hissing through her teeth. "But it's just not the same..." "Why not?" "I dunno, just 'cuz." "Just 'cuz what?" "Why do you gotta ask so many questions?" "You wanna give me something to listen to or not?" Scootaloo bit her lip. She gulped a tender lump down her throat and murmured into the distant thunder. "I... I'm afraid to tell them how I really feel..." "Oh yeah? About what?" She winced slightly, then said, "That there are th-things I want more in life than just finding my talent..." Her wings twitched. Rumble noticed it; he noticed her. She stood out like soft orange candlelight against the coming storm, and he felt that strange flutter in his chest that both frightened and enraptured him. Either way, he was stunned out of his mind when she suddenly stared him down in the face. "You tell a single living pony what I just said and I'll shove that leg-brace down your throat!" "Okay! Okay!" he squeaked, scooting away from her. "I'll be quiet! I promise!" She fumed... fumed... then leaned back with a soft breath. Her eyes noticed the flecks of dirt and grass clinging to his chest, as if for the first time. "Pfft... why aren't you getting better yet?" "At what?" "Everything." He rolled his eyes and folded his forelimbs. "You obviously haven't been paying attention to me. I've been falling on my face the whole time here." She raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's no way for a colt to get around." "You're telling me!" Rumble sighed and slumped against the weight of his cast. "I'm just so... so helpless..." She looked at him, then at his leg-brace. Her wings twitched again, and she smirked. "Maybe not so much..." "I'm gonna die!" Rumble squeaked, his pupils the size of pinpricks as he leaned—shivering—against the handlebars of Scootaloo's scooter. "I'mgonnandie! I'mgonnadie! I'mgonnadie!" "For the last time—shut up!" Scootaloo braced him from behind, straightening his position on the homemade vehicle. She bent down to give the wheels a final adjustment before grunting, "We're in a flat valley, for crying out loud! The only way you'd fall and crash is if you stumbled into a gopher hole!" "B-b-b-b-b-but what if it's gopher season?!" Rumble spat, pale-faced. "Rumble, it is totally not gopher season!" "How do you know?!" "Because if it was gopher season, I'm pretty sure that—like—Princess Celestia would warn us!" "What the crap would Princess Celestia know about gophers?!" "Pfft! You're asking me?" "You're the one who knows all about gopher season!" "There is no gopher season! You're making it up because you're a friggin' prissy scaredy cat!" "Yeah! Cuz gophers eat cats... and sc-scooter wheels!" Rumble gulped. "Right?" "Wrong." Scootaloo gripped the colt's skull from behind and forced him to face forward. "Now calm the hay down!" "Mmmmmm-okay." He squeaked. "Just... find your balance, okay? I know I built this thing for me but—pfft—face it, you're really not that much bigger." "Rub it in, why don't ya?" "I'd rather get you to learn the ropes of this thing." "What ropes?!" Rumble cackled, gawking at the wooden and metal instrument beneath him. "All I see is flashbacks of that stupid stagecoach that almost killed me!" He gulped. "Besides, aren't I supposed to be wearing a helmet for this?" "Hah! And what? Ruin your prettiful mare hair?" "Uhhhh—" "Look, I'm not about to make you do any crazy stunts or jumps or wheelies or anything. Besides, you're not nearly as awesome as me to do that." "Glad we c-can agree on that." "Right." Scootaloo paced around to his braced leg and shoved it so that it rested on the platform of the scooter. "Now that that's out of the way..." "I don't get it..." Rumble winced, still trembling with his pale forelimbs gripped tightly around the scooter's handles. "I'll totally lose my balance this way!" "What do you mean?" Scootaloo shrugged. "I just made it so that all of your legs are on the scooter." "Yeah, but... I'm supposed to push off the ground with one of my legs, r-right?" Rumble gulped. "I just know that if I try that with any of my good hooves, I'll teeter right over like a sinking ship!" Scootaloo leaned back with a calm, knowing smirk. "Who said anything about using your legs, wuss?" "Huh...?" "Look, it's simple." She leaned in. "I'm a pegasus." She pointed. "You're a pegasus." She flicked at his stubby wings. "We've got... uh... a 'leg up' on other ponies who try to use a thing like this." "I... I-I don't get it..." She ruffled his mane and grumbled, "Use your wings, stupid! Give those feathers a good buzz and you'll be gliding around in no time!" She shrugged with a smile. "No more tripping over your injured leg! Heck, maybe by giving the thing a rest, you'll help it fix itself better!" "Wait wait wait..." Rumble gazed crookedly at her. "You want me..." The feathers sticking out of his back above the brace flinched. "...to use my wings?" "Yup! Cool idea, huh?" Scootaloo's grinning teeth glinted in the sunlight. "I stumbled upon the secret myself! I've been the ace of the Ponyville streets ever since!" "But, Scootaloo—" "I've even made Rainbow Dash notice my awesomeness a few times!" She said this while stretching her neck and back muscles. "Mmmm-yup! Heh..." "I-I'm just a colt!" he squeaked. "My wings are totally useless! Like... I can't fly anymore than you can!" Scootaloo froze in mid-stretch. Slowly, her body went slack, and she graced him with an icy glare. "Don't ever sell yourself short." Rumble sighed. "Really, Scootaloo. This was a nice thought and all..." He proceeded to dismount from the vehicle. "This is your thing, not mine—" "No." She stomped towards him and practically shoved the breathless pegasus back onto the scooter. "Don't... you ever accept the crud that life throws at you! If you wanna make a difference for yourself, then that's all you ever need!" "But who said that—?!" "You understand me?!" Scootaloo grunted, shoving a hoof hard into the soft of his chest. "Ow! Alright! Alright!" He batted her forelimb away. "I understand! Jeez!" She hissed, "Then prove it." He stared at her. She glared back. With a deep, fuming breath, he leaned forward against the handlebars. His facial muscles tensed up. His ears twitched, one after the other. Eventually the nerves sparked from his head to his back, and his wings started fluttering in some deeply-rooted instinctual fashion. Suddenly, like a heavy cruiser pulling out of the harbor, he inched forward atop the scooter, propelled by the buzzing of his own feathers. "Ha!" Scootaloo jumped in place, girlishly clapping her hooves right beneath her grinning chin. "Look! Check it out! You're totally doing it!" "No I am not..." Rumble sighed then looked back to see how much distance he had traveled. His eyes widened. "Whoah! I totally am." "I know, right!" Scootaloo bounced alongside him, cheering him on with a waving hoof. "Just like I told ya! Isn't it simple?" "Yeah... I-I guess it is," he said, his voice rising in pitch with each felicitous breath. "Let's see those smelly punks at school make fun of you now that you can totally clean their clocks on wheels!" "Heh... as if..." "What do you mean, as if?!" Scootaloo frowned. "Seriously, Scootaloo. This is nice and all..." Rumble sighed as he inched along, centimeter by centimeter. "But there's no way I could get used to this." "Wooohoooo!" Rumble wailed, hitting a hilltop and gaining six feet of air. He came down with a splash of grass blades and flower petals, giving the scooter a good twist and turn as he glided around a rolling hilltop. "I am totally getting used to this!" "Yeah! Hahaha!" Scootaloo clapped from where she sat atop a cluster of logs. As the sun began sinking beyond the amber horizon, she grinned at the colt during swift orbits around her figure. "Look at you! You're a natural!" "Pegasus powerrrrrrrrr!" He grinned and cackled. His brow furrowed as he blew through his lips. "Vrmmmmmm! Blllbbbbb-Vrooooom!" "Heheh... a little tip for the amateur scooter pony..." The filly raised her hoof as she said, "Don't make the silly engine noises. Ahem." Her eyebrows went straight as a razor. "It's totally uncool, especially when you pick up your best friends from school for the first time." "Oh... uh... right..." Rumble glided past her, his ears folding back demurely, which incidentally made him more aerodynamic. "I'm sorryyy-yyyyyy! Whoah jeez!" He shrieked in mix horror and enthusiasm as he hit another jump. "Whoah! Watch it there, speedy!" Scootaloo chuckled after him. "Don't be ashamed to take it easy! Heh... this is your first rodeo, after all!" "My first what?!" Rumble called back from several meters' distance. Scootaloo shouted, "It's something Apple Bloom's older sister is always sayin'! It means to take things in stride!" "What?!" he hollered from two hills away. She cupped two orange hooves around her mouth. "I said, slow the hay down, you brainless ball of colt!" "Gaaaaaie!" Rumble hit a rock, and his body was launched like a plaster missile through the air. His wing stayed in "buzzing" mode, which only propelled him all the harder into the solid, unforgiving ground. Scootaloo winced, wheezing forth a helpless laugh. "Haaaa-hahaha! Oh jeez, you totally bailed there! Heheh!" Her chuckles limped off into a nervous sigh. "Rumble?" Silence. Nothing was moving beyond the hill. Not even a single drift of swaying grass. Scootaloo's violet eyes flickered. "Rumble?" All was still. She gulped, scrambled up to all fours and scampered down towards him. "Uhm... and how are you doing?" She gulped and pointed. "That leg's supposed to be bent that way, right?" "Ungh..." He finally stirred. "R-right?" "Mmmf..." He sat up, shaking from head to hooves as the cobwebs rolled loose. "Guh... I-I think I buzzed too much." "Heehee... yeah, you did." Scootaloo propped the scooter up and squatted down beside him. "Seriously, though, are you okay?" "I... uh... I think so..." He sniffled slightly. "You don't have to be so scared." "Pfft!" She instantly rolled her eyes. "Who's scared?" Reaching over, Scootaloo tapped the wooden finish of her scooter. "I was just making sure you didn't totally bust up my wheels here!" "Oh..." Rumble sniffled again. "Well, I hope it's still in one piece." "Thank Celestia you're not that clumsy—" She suddenly gave him a double-take. "Wait." She squinted. "Are you crying?" Rumble snorted, then rubbed his cheek dry as he frowned towards the horizon. "I am not." "Awwww... you totally are, aren't you?" "Ugh!" Rumble sniffled, folding his forelimbs. "Don't you 'awww' me! You're worse than my brother's friends!" "Heeheehee..." Scootaloo's cheeks were warm as she smiled. "Filly side, remember?" "Whatever." His jaws clenched tight as he chased away the last quiver to his foalish lungs. "If it's the same 'filly' that got me to bust my flank on her stupid scooter, then I want nothing to do with her." She pouted. "Now that's not fair... I helped you do something cool, r-right?" "Meh." "You deserve... to do something cool, don't you think?" "Mmmm... still meh." "Wow..." Scootaloo's face stretched. "You're really hurt, aren't you?" Rumble shrugged. "It's nothing I can't get up from—" His eyes went wide as he was suddenly lying flat on his back. He glanced aside, only to feel a soft face lying against his chest. "Uhm... uh... What?" Scootaloo nuzzled him, her body clinging to his in the grass like a foal to a pale stuffed animal. The colt tried to keep the bile in his throat. "Why are you... uhm... tackling me?" "Oh, is this a tackle?" Scootaloo muttered. "I almost thought it was a hug." Rumble only grimaced harder. "'Tackle' sounds better, doesn't it?" "Yeah. I think you just... totally tackled me." "Huh..." Scootaloo exhaled against his coat. "Imagine that." "Uhm... why?" "Hmm?" "Why are you... like..." She shrugged against him. "Cuz you're hurt, that's all." "It's not that b-bad, really." "You sure?" "Well... I guess. I mean, I dunno." "You don't know?" She frowned. "Is your leg shattered or isn't it?" "No. No, it's fine. Thanks for letting me try my hoof at the scooter. It was... well... it was pretty cool..." She smiled at him. "You're pretty cool." He stared blankly back at her. Something shattered, or was meant to. With a sudden shudder, Scootaloo resumed laying her head against his side, if only to avoid his gaze. "So... uh..." He fidgeted. "Apple Bloom says that when she was sick..." Scootaloo murmured, "...Applejack slept beside her for three days and nights. She says that she got better, all because of that." "You don't say...?" "And... uhm... when Sweetie Belle is scared... y'know, by bumps in the night and all... which happens a lot..." "I bet..." "She sneaks into Rarity's bed, and she no longer feels so bad." "Okay..." Rumble nodded. After a few seconds, he raised an eyebrow. "Why are you telling me this." "Mmmm..." Her voice squeaked as she clutched him tighter. "Because I don't want you to feel bad either..." Rumble kept his breathing paced, not bothering to pause between inhales and exhales. Perhaps, that way, she wouldn't feel the same flutter that was threatening to rip through him. But then something ripped through him even harder. "So... h-how do you feel?" Scootaloo asked. Gazing up at the dark clouds over the two of them, Rumble contemplated. Rumble thought. Rumble opened his mouth. "I feel..." He twitched. "...smelly." Scootaloo blinked, her eyes darting left and right. "...and itchy," he droned. "Yeah..." Her wings twitched as she slowly sat up like a wilting flower in reverse. "Me too." "Wanna... I dunno... do something different?" "Oh yeah..." Scootaloo stumbled to her hooves, brushing the blades of grass off. "Totally." "Ta-daaaaaa!" Scootaloo exclaimed, smiling a crescent moon in the midday sunlight. "What do you think!" Rumble leaned on his plastic cast, blinking at her, then at the plain wooden vehicle between them. "It's... it's your scooter..." Scootaloo slapped him across the head. "Ow!" He leaned back, almost falling off his brace as he rubbed a fresh red welt across his pale head. "What the crap was that for?!" "It's not my scooter, you idiot!" Scootaloo frowned, then brightened yet again. "It's yours!" Rumble's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You're... g-giving me your scooter! Scootaloo, I... I-I don't know what to say..." "Ughhh!" Scootaloo almost collapsed right then and there into the spring soil. "Thick thick thick!" She tossed a notepad full of foalish engineering sketches at him and barked, "It's your scooter! Yours! I built it for you, ya dolt!" Rumble's double-take nearly snapped his neck clean off. "Wait, you... y-you built me my very own scooter!" "Yup!" Scootaloo leaned forward with twitching wings. "I totally did!" His expression hung somewhere between a blanch and a smile. "That... it... but... h-how?!" "How else do you think?!" Scootaloo raised two greasy hooves and grinned with pride. "With my own blood and sweat, ya wuss!" Rumble flinched away from her. "Ewww... your own blood?" "Okay, well..." She teetered back, whistling with an errant blush. "Maybe not the blood part, but I totally put all of my smarts into it! Y'know! My scooter smarts!" "Scootaloo, how... how did you find the time?" Rumble squinted at her, at the fallen drawing sheets spread between them. "Like... it's only been two days since you showed me how to move around on a thing like this!" "Uh... y-yeah!" "You mean to tell me that you spent every waking hour building this?" He gulped. "Just for me?" "Well... eheh..." She rocked back and forth on her hooves, avoiding his gaze as she ran a hoof through her bangs. "I kinda... sorta... ahem... startedworkingonitweeksbeforeIevenfirsttalkedtoyou." "Buh?" "But isn't it awesome?!" She hopped on it and gave it a twirl. "Just like you and me! Eep!" She perked up, chewing on the edge of her hoof a she smiled at him. "On the scooters, I mean." "Uh... yeah!" He grinned, his own wings twitching at the thought. "Totally awesome! I... I don't know what to say!" The cast around his leg lost all its weight as he trotted around the vehicle, gawking at it, then at her. "Thanks, Scootaloo! Thanks so much!" "Well..." She licked her lips and leaned forward with velvety-soft eyelashes. "...there's one way you can truly, truly thank me, y'know..." He leaned back at her, gulping. "H-how is that?" "Woooohoooo!" Scootaloo ramped over a sharp hill, landing with a spray of dirt as she skirted the edge of a cluster of boulders. "You're never gonna beat me!" "No fair!" he panted, buzzing his wings as swiftly as he could, following every move she made across the open field. "You're way... way more practiced at this than I am!" "Oh, put a sock in it, girly!" She shouted over her shoulder, adjusting her helmet with a devilish smirk, accompanied by an even more devilish wink. "You're way more a natural than you give yourself credit for!" "Scootaloo!" Rumble shrieked, pointing ahead with wide eyes. "Look out ahead of you!" She looked forward, gasped, and swerved left in time to avoid a fence post. "Whoah ho ho ho!" She panted with exuberance, gazing back at him as she shouted above the wind. "See! What did I tell you! Eyes like a hawk!" "Heheheh..." He hit a ramp, absorbing the landing through his good limbs as he sped after her. "You bet!" She stuck her tongue out. "But the plumage of a pigeon!" "Hey!" "Plblblblb! Snkkkt-hahahah!" She blurred her wings faster as she roared up the hill, hitting another ramp. "Grrr..." Rumble deeply, genuinely smiled. His pale coat glistened in the sunlight as he rocketed over a mound of dirt, scraping his way through a cluster of high grass until he was neck and neck with her. "I'm gonna beat ya!" "Only thing you're gonna beat is your muscles to a mushy pulp!" "Nuh uh!" "Yuh huh!" "Nuh uh!" "Yuh huh!" "Dweeb!" "Doofus!" "Tomcolt!" "Pretty boy!" "Unnngh! You are sooooo toast!" "You think I even want you to catch up with me?!" An hour later, under the cool shade of a spreading oak tree, Scootaloo lay with her head against Rumble's side. The colt in question leaned against the tree's bark. He gazed past where their two scooters were parked, towards the rooftops of Ponyville as the houses lit up one by one, ushered into a twinkling haze with the onset of night. As the warm spring air gave way to motionless mist, the sweaty smell of the day caught up with the children, but they didn't mind. They hardly even stirred. The pain in Rumble's leg was like a fish stirring on the far end of a glacier by now, which is what freed the nerves in his head to embrace the next breath Scootaloo had to give. "Hey, Rumble?" He took a deep breath, feeling her soft cheek against his ribs. "Yeah, Scootaloo?" She murmured in the daintiest voice he had ever heard from her dry lips. "Can I tell you a secret?" He shrugged, careful not to bump her with his forelimb's elbow. "Uhhh yeah. Sure. Go ahead." She smiled, then nuzzled his side even closer. "I like it when I cuddle with you." Rumble blinked. He stared at her, then at the twinkling rooftops of Ponyville down below. "Wow," he droned, smiling slightly. "What a secret." She tilted her head up, frowning. "Mmmf! I mean it! I really do." "Heh..." He almost snorted, his braced limb shifting against the grass and fallen leaves. "Why? Because I can't gallop away from you?" "No..." Scootaloo exhaled. Scootaloo deflated. When she spoke, her soft voice resonated tenderly through his chest. "Because nopony else bothers." Rumble opened his mouth to respond, but something in his throat went cold. He looked down at her, but the tomcolt was gone. Somepony else was in her place, someopony who clung to him tightly, like a banner or a windsock, with all the colors of the gruff pegasus, but none of the grit. He didn't know why, but he shivered, because for the first time in days, he felt alone. It didn't help that Scootaloo was still talking, "Rainbow Dash rarely bothers. So, what's the point in asking?" Her jaw went tight. Something sniffled, and she shivered slightly, clinging to the colt even tighter. "I could never ask a pony to do something she didn't want to, even if it would make me feel less bad." She gulped. "Just like Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's sisters know how to make them less bad." Rumble gulped, evacuating a vacuum of hot air from his chest. "Uhmmm." "But you, Rumble..." She gazed up at him. Her eyes sparkled, each pinprick stabbing him like a lance from miles away. "You don't have to be asked." She smiled dearly, and as she did so the shadows of the tree around them grew darker against the cold advance of night. "You... you just make me feel better because you like to..." "I..." Rumble couldn't decide whether to smile or exhale. What he ultimately produced was a salvo of awkward wheezes. "I... uhm..." "Because..." Scootaloo ripped past the last knifing precipice of hesitation, and Rumble could see it unfold from her orange chiseled face like a veil. "...because you like me." She gulped, as if punctuating a sacrament. "Don't you?" "But... but of course! I mean..." Rumble's smile was as jagged as his heartbeat at the moment. "You helped me walk around instead of making fun of me. You hung out with me after school. You... made a flippin' scooter for me." Scootaloo's head twisted slowly like an hour hand, her face growing increasingly vexxed with each word that limped from his mouth. "I mean..." He exhaled heavily, like he was giving birth. "Why wouldn't I like you?" He couldn't tell from the onset of night whether or not the filly was frowning. Her voice pierced viciously through the miasma with no less serratedness. "Rumble, remember when I told you that there was something I wanted more than learning my own talent... more than getting my own cutie mark?" "Uhhhh... sure!" He smiled. Her face leaned forward towards him, but she was no longer frowning. She looked soft, vulnerable, like a baby sister. Rumble never had a baby sister. The only fillies or mares he knew in life were the annoying ones that hung around his brother and cooed at him and ruffled his mane and Dear Celestia above she's getting closer and her breath is like a purring kitten's and— "I... I think I know what it is now," she murmured. "It's like that silver lining, only... y'know... brighter." She raised a hoof. "I can see it so clearly. Like a nightlight. I could almost touch it." He bit his lip, but suddenly blurted, "Are you sure?" She jerked so hard her neck almost rolled off. A frown exploded between the two. "Am I sure?" "Uh... yeah!" Her frown formed a second frown that formed an even darker frown. "What do you mean, 'are you sure?'" "Well, are you or aren't you?" "Would I be saying stuff this flippin' sappy unless I meant it!" Rumble fidgeted. "I... I don't know..." "Don't you?" "Don't I?" "Darn it, Rumble!" She slapped the grass with her hoof. "Stop being so thick! Don't you know me by now?" "I... I..." He couldn't contain his shivers. The pain was back, carving through the glacier with an ice pick, stabbing into the fetlock of his rear left leg. "I don't know anymore!" "Why not?!" "'Cuz... this totally isn't like you!" "You don't know what is or isn't like me!" Scootaloo grumbled. "Yeesh, what's your deal?" Rumble didn't know why he was shouting. Perhaps it was to speak above the noise of the parasprites gnawing through his brace and bone and blood. "You built me a scooter just to cuddle with me under a tree?!" "It's not all about cuddling!" "Are you sure?!" "For the love of Luna!" Scootaloo barked. "Stop asking me if I'm sure!" "Then just come out with it and tell me!" Rumble grunted. The noise and the pain had become one, popping in his ears as his jaws swung open to say, "What is it that you want more than anything else—" Scootaloo lunged at him. She had to have been trying to punch him, to break his nose, to squash his skull like so many other ponies had spat on him and laughed at him at school. She had to have been. That's why Rumble fell back, panting, wide-eyed. But all that loomed before him was a pair of lips, and when they made contact with his sweaty muzzle, it was like thunderclouds dissolving from a brisk updraft, and Scootaloo felt it. The twinkle in her eyes was gone, just like it had disappeared from Ponyville below, a jaded shape lost amongst the shadows of the valley. She saw every inch of his terrified face, and there was no luster to it. No shine to the situation at all. He bit his lip, waiting for her to explode. She imploded instead, one tearing eye after another. "Wuss..." She sniffled, she quivered, then limped up on numb hooves. "Friggin' wuss! Grow a spine, wh-why don't ya! Something's gotta replace your stupid, lame leg!" "Scootaloo, wait!" She didn't wait. She ran off, wings spread. In the starlight, she almost appeared to fly for a few seconds. Rumble knew better. He knew everything. That's what made him flinch when she knocked over his scooter like a domino, tearing down the hill on hers, powered by feathers and sobs. Rumble didn't talk to Scootaloo for the next two weeks. He barely even saw her. At best, she appeared only in phantom flashes of orange through the corner of his eyes, much like the figure that he once thought was staring at him in class, but wasn't, yet clearly was. There was nothing to see now, nothing to return, nothing to respond with. He'd hear laughter every now and then, but then he would have to strain his ears beyond the pitch of Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's voices to detect any hint of the one crazy filly who had given him so much attention, not to mention wheels. The world had grown hollow. What frightened him was the gnawing fact that things were always like this, even between his mother's hugs and Thunderlane's smiles and the teasing chirps of the older brother's marefriends. Most ponies at school—or the ones that held most weight against Rumble's trembling demeanor—only had the same age-old frowns to toss his way. He turned his head to the whole lot of them, to their meanness and their indifference and their muttering voices. He kept the scooter. He clung to it like Scootaloo had once clung to him. He kept it a secret from his family, though, or at least as well as he could manage. All the while, his leg didn't get any better, and yet it did. Rumble was too confused to figure it out, or care. One visit after another would only end with the doctor giving Thunderlane an accusatory glare and ask if Rumble was being allowed to participate in any "unnecessarily strenuous activities," upon which Thunderlane would pass the glare along to Rumble and Rumble would just stare into the shadows. It brought a great deal of concern to Blossomforth, and she would usher the colt to the side every now and then to try and coax some hidden truth from beneath the pony's soft, pale exterior. He would not give it. Besides, what was there for her to understand? He himself could barely figure it all out, like that elusive fluttering sensation had been locked away somewhere in his chest, then imprisoned by the sound of Scootaloo's sobs that one night. Her sobs, he had never seen her cry before. He wondered if anypony on the planet—even Celestia herself—had ever become such an audience. He felt like a criminal, and his brace was shackling him as punishment. All the while, the pain persisted in his leg, ever stabbing, ever real. He sighed, fluttered his wings, and brushed on to the next hill, towards another sunset, towards another lingering shadow in the shape of a spreading oak tree, refusing to drown him all the way. It got to such a point that he couldn't sleep one night. So, in a very un-wussy manner, Rumble did the unthinkable. He snuck his way out of his family's apartment, grabbed the scooter from where he hid it behind a shed, and just... let his wings take him into the starlight. The streets looked deader than stone; they reflected him with as much luster. He rolled past the houses, wondering which one Scootaloo lived in, wondering if anypony shared it with her, shared all the routine, all the conversations, all the laughter, but none of the hugs. They hugged. He had enough courage to admit that now, but it was a very bitter drop of guile, squeezed out of the ragged bits of him that were shredded apart once he actually allowed her to tear herself off. With each passing night, the pain in his leg increased, for the shadows reminded him of the abyss that was left in place of the twinkle in her eye, the silver lining she almost had in her hooves, the silver lining he had to give Rumble skidded to a stop upon the same blasted hill overlooking the same blasted town. He frowned into the starlight. He hated his name. He hated everything to do with thunder, with storms, with all that involved bottled up pretense and stupidity and colts who were too thick and fillies who didn't know how to get to the point. He wanted to explode, but he knew that it all would just dissolve, breaking apart like an anvil cloud from the hooves of a weather flying team. The silver lining was just a passing glint from the bright accident of life. How could Scootaloo have wanted such a thing? How could she have wanted him? The throbbing in his leg finally exploded. The cast had become an anchor, sealing the pain inside like a vice. He fused his whole life, his whole breath, and his whole anger to it, raising the scooter over his head and tossing it towards the heavens. It flew from his stallionesque hooves like a lightning bolt. When thunder erupted, it was from deep inside... Something was suddenly very wrong with his leg, with his flank, with his whole abdomen. It started quietly at first—as quiet as a row of firecrackers could be. Then it machine gunned its way into his heart and back to his fetlocks, setting his whole body on fire, bringing a gasp to his throat even as he realized that he had been growling the entire time. With a final blink, the sparks cleared, rattling off to the stars with the fanciful chorus of bells. It wasn't until he saw the fading shine to the shattered scooter parts that he realized there was even a light there to begin with. There was even a smell to it—a smell he hadn't expected. It smelled like being born again. And when Rumble reached back for his brace, his hooves fumbling as he loosened and unlatched two rows of canvas straps, he saw that he was right. And he laughed a little, for he suddenly couldn't imagine why he had ever been afraid of anything ever. The next morning, Scootaloo was gliding her way towards Sweet Apple Acres, dragging a wagon behind her scooter in the bright sunrise. Rumble saw this. After all, he had been waiting—waiting for her—for the better part of two hours. He stood, breathless, perched on a hill just before a bend in the road, a bend that he knew that Scootaloo would be taking. The calm before the storm was over. The colt wasn't afraid, but he realized that he had to do his best to look the part. So, he simply smacked himself in the face a few times until he produced tears. Apparently there were still parts of him left to grow. He almost smiled, but threw it off immediately as he swiveled around on his plaster cast. The pain was gone, but the stiffness remained. Rumble dug it into the earth as he scooped up the scooter parts in his hooves, then flung them—and himself—down the sharp hill. True to a name once spouted his way, he tumbled like a loose boulder, landing in a pale heap within the center of the road. This was just as Scootaloo came around the bend, kicking up dust like a dirt devil. She screeched to a halt, only because she had to. When she squinted at him, it was with unemotional scrutiny, just like she might regard a fallen tree trunk blocking her path. "Aaaaaaaughhhh..." Rumble moaned, his warbling voice leaping towards the heavens like zombie trout from a flamboyant serpent's throat. "The pain! The paaaain!" He covered his teary face with two dirty hooves. "Unnnngh... if only I had a pony to teach me scooter lessons all this time instead of being a lonesome jerk!" Then, like a tugboat piercing a fog, his face poked through his forelimbs and blinked at the filly. "Oh... Scootaloo..." He sniffled. "It's you." Her eyebrows unsheathed themselves like curved daggers. "Hi." He tried not wince, but then remembered that he had to. "Nnngh! Augh! So... so horrible..." He rolled over, propping himself up on his braced leg like a lopsided tent. "I blew it! I totally did!" He pointed at the chunks of scooter lying in the wake of settling dust before him. "Your gift! It was so awesome... and I totally crashed it!" Scootaloo's nostrils flared. "I'd say..." With a loathsome sigh, she peeled her helmet off and dismounted from her own vehicle. "Lemme take a look at it," she droned like a manic-depressive mule. "W-would you?" He sniffled, bearing a fragile smile as he slid the severed bits her way. "You're the only pony in town able to fix it! I mean... you b-built it, after all! And that was totally, utterly awesome of you t-to have done that too!" He added with a smile that was too bright for his or her or anypony's good. "Uh huh." "I mean, I totally appreciated a gift as cool as that!" he rambled. "Even up until and past the point where I kinda sorta crashed it!" She held separate pieces and twisted them to analyze the breaking points. "Uh huh..." "And... uhm..." He fidgeted, his smile becoming as fleeting as his breath. "You totally can fix it, right? I mean, otherwise it'd just be dumb luck that... uhm... I-I happened to be here when you were her and—" "Give it up, wuss," Scootaloo muttered, her eyes thin and dead. The gloss of the severed scooter handles reflected nothing. "You totally did this on purpose." Rumble blinked. "I... uh... I just might have—" She raised the biggest broken piece overhead, ready to swing down on his skull like a club. He flinched, covering his head with a pair of quivering forelimbs. "Alright! Alright! I t-totally did this on purpose!" "There's an honest pony..." Scootaloo exhaled heavily as she lowered the pieces, continuing her examination as she slurred through the corner of her mouth. "Which means, quite frankly, that you only now deserve to be hanging around a farm like Applejack's." "Yeah, well, I..." Rumble blinked, then went cross-eyed. "Huh?" "Nnngh..." Scootaloo shook her head. "So thick!" She frowned at him, waving a broken scooter piece for emphasis. "What did you think you'd accomplish, huh? Couldn't you have just come out with whatever you wanted to say! Couldn't you have just approached me any of those days we went to school together over the past two weeks?!" "Uhm... I... uh..." "Instead, you just had to break the one thing I ever gave a colt from the goodness of my heart?" She held back a sniffling sound, or at least tried to. He clenched his jaw tight and bravely stared her in the face. "I'm not the only pony who beats around the bush, y'know." She opened her mouth to protest, but fell silent. With flaring nostrils, she shook her head and smirked bitterly. "Wowers. Check out the spine on you." He gulped, trying not to shiver as he met her stare with his. "Yeah... Check it." She blinked. "Meh." With a cold shuffle, she trotted back towards the scooter and reached into the wagon behind it. "Y'know, to be honest, if you stared me down weeks ago like you did just now, I wouldn't have given you the light of day." He fidgeted where he stood. "Oh really?" "Mmmfff... I guess. I dunno." She pulled a toolbox from the wagon. With a heaving breath, she swung the heavy thing around, flipped it open, and squatted before an arrangement of tools. "Strong ponies inspire me, but a bunch of them also freak me out, too." One by one, she pulled out the utensils she needed to start putting the broken scooter back together again. "After all, I've spent my whole life being strong, and when others are better at it than I am, I either envy them..." She winced slightly, her face muscles stretching. "...or worship them pretty hard. Heh..." "I..." Rumble bit his lip. "I guess I should apologize." "Heh... Ya think?" "I mean about being so... so..." "Wussy?" "Broken..." He gulped hard, looking up at her. "I was totally broken when you decided to talk to me." "Yeah, well, no kidding!" She paused in her tinkering to point a greasy wrench at his cast. "With your leg all banged up and with everypony practically kicking you into the dirt?! What was it they called you? 'Rumble Tumble?' Heh..." She continued banging away at the metal mess. "How's the healing goin' there, hotstuff?" "No, I mean..." He shook his head and softly said, "Broken... like... inside? I guess?" His voice squeaked, "I needed to know that I could stand up for myself. That I couldn't settle for less. That I... that I could make use of cool gifts that I had..." "And what of the gifts that were given to you, huh?" Scootaloo waved the broken pieces around for emphasis. "I'm trying to be real here..." "And I'm not?" "Well..." "Well what?" "Sometimes, no..." He shook his head. "No, Scootaloo. Only, like, when you are, it's when I least expect it. I think it's because you're so used to fixing yourself." "Pffft..." She rolled her eyes. "And why would that be?" He stared at her sharply. "Because you've been broken too." Her mouth hung open. Her wings twitched, but they couldn't move that far. They never could. Rumble saw it, saw her. His face never lost its soft expression, like a patient sky waiting to turn dark. Scootaloo shook the wrench again, although her hoof gripped it far more tightly this time. "What do you know, huh? For real..." Her nostrils flared as she started fuming. "You're not just a wuss. You're an idiot! Did anypony ever tell you that?" "Scootaloo..." "You think I'm broken?! Huh?!" She slapped the wrench down into the dirt and spat through the rising dust. "You think I've got something that needs fixing?" "Don't you?" "I can take care of myself!" She barked, standing up straight with every hoof planted tight into the earth. Grounded. "I don't need you or any of my friends or any other pony to tell me differently!" "But Scootaloo—" "But nothing!" She started to sputter, to hyperventilate. "I... I can fix more than you know! More than you could ever dream of! I... I can reach places, y-ya hear me! I'm n-not just some weak filly! Some damsel in distress!" "You want something, Scootaloo," Rumble squeaked forth. "Something more than talents or cutie marks or—" "And I can't have it, okay?!" she shrieked at him, her eyes tearing instantly. She brought a hoof to her face as she twitched, heaved, and shrieked again, "I-I can't have what's beyond that storm! All I get is the stupid silver lining and I hate it! I hate you! I hate weakness!" "Then if it's not me... if it's not a flippin' kiss for Celestia's sake... then what is it?" Rumble asked. "I..." Scootaloo stammered, staring off into a dark horizon beyond the glistening orchards and farm trees. "I want... I want nopony to feel like I h-have felt..." She gulped. "Over the years. Forced to live without love... without freedom. I want... t-to patch holes in this crummy world! And I want other ponies to kn-know that they can patch things up too!" Rumble's ears twitched. He glanced left and right, for the thunder had returned, this time ushered by the distant ringing of bells. And then there was the smell, cool and crisp like the advent of an afternoon shower. He could only smile. "Don't you know, Scootaloo?" She sniffled and rubbed her cheeks dry. "Know wh-what?" He spoke loudly over the beautiful cacophony between them. "That you already have it." His smile was a soft thing, weak, see-through, like silk. He leaned forward and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I know, because you've given it to me, and you can give it to other ponies too." He paused, but finally let it go, letting her go. "Only, you need to stop beating around the bush and just give it to yourself first. Everything else will work out just fine." He gulped. "I promise." "But..." She hissed and grimaced as the noise and thunder overwhelmed her. "B-but I feel so broken..." "Don't ever sell yourself short," he said, almost growled. "A wise pony told me that, a wise pony who fixed me, because she had fixed herself all along. She just didn't know it." "Rumble, I... I don't—" "Shhh..." "Don't shush me! Darn it! I'm so confused!" "Are you really?" Rumble smiled and pointed with his good hoof. "Look." "Huh...?" Scootaloo choked back the last sob of her foalhood and looked down at her haunches. "What?!" She froze, and then her eyes exploded. "My... m-m-my... my my my my my—" "Ew..." Rumble flinched back. "What's with the grease?" "My cutie mark!" Scootaloo bounced in place, brandishing twin gears and a wrench covered in black splotches of oil. "Oh, the grease is beautiful!" She bounced around in tight little circles, squealing with twitching wings, "The grease is beautifulllll!" Rumble chuckled and nodded. "Hey, if you say so." He cleared his throat. "So, uh... I-I guess this means that you can fix my scooter, huh?" "Yes! Totally! Omigosh! And I can build wagons and cannons and grandfather clocks and googlensphlockens!" Rumble's pale face twisted. "What in the hay is a googlensphlocken?!" "I dunno!" Scootaloo squealed, grinning wide. "I haven't built it yet! But whatever it is—by goddess—it darn well better launch elephants into the sky!" "Heeheehee!" Rumble reared the only legs he could afford to. "Scoots, I'm so happy for you!" "Oh, gosh! Me too!" Scootaloo still couldn't stop spinning in circles. She leaned against him, breathless, her whole body heaving with joy and sweat and tears. "Oh, Celestia! I'm so happy! I could... I could..." "Mmmmhmmm..." Rumble leaned forward, his lips puckering— "Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo shrieked. With a wave, she galloped past Rumble. "Whoah!" He fell hard into the dirt road. "Scootaloo! What in tarnation is all that racket—?!" "Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom! Look!" Scootaloo bounded towards her friend. "Look at my butt! Look at my butt!" "Ewww... what the hay for?!" "What do you friggin' think?!" Apple Bloom's resounding gasp could suck in hurricanes. She dropped her book bag and clapped her hooves several times before sweeping Scootaloo into the mother of all hugs. "Oh my goodness! This is the best day ever! You got your cutie mark!" A drawling voice rose over the hill of apples and apple carts. "Huh?! What's goin' on there, lil' sis?" "Applejack! Applejack! Come look!" "I got my cutie marrrrrk!" Scootaloo sirened. "Well, butter my biscuits and hide away the jelly! Yeeeha! That's terrific, girl!" "IknowIknowIknowIknowwwwww!" "Ohmigosh! Scootaloo! We gotta tell Sweetie Belle!" "Horseapples!" Applejack shouted. "We gotta holler at the whole darn town! Ya hear that, Big Mac?!" she called over the fields. "Ring the bells and set off some fireworks! Scootaloo here's found her talent!" "Eeeyup!" The air filled with laughter and euphoria. All the while, Rumble sat alone in the dirt, watching the event horizon of absolute rapture from afar. He took a deep breath, smiling thoughtfully at the orange speck in the distance. After a while, his smile dwindled. He glanced back at himself. With a gentle hoof, he undid a pair of straps, then pulled the plastic brace halfway down his flank. The undeniable emblem of a thundercloud clung to his injured leg, its brighter edges catching the morning sunlight with a silver shine. He stared at it, quiet and contemplative, like a brave stallion staring into a maelstrom. "Hey! Rumble!" Scootaloo's squealing voice rang over the dirt path. Her orange figure waved him on. Even at that distance, he could see the glint of her devilish smirk. "What are you doing lying around there, lame-o?! Don't you wanna come celebrate with me?" She paused for the briefest of seconds and blinked awkwardly. "Hey, are you okay?" "Oh… uh, I'm fine!" With a deep breath, he sealed the mark back up from sight. "Just this darn cast. But don't you worry..." Smiling, he shuffled over, joining the filly at her side as she accommodated for his pathetic limp. "It feels light as a feather now." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Flash and Trend Steal All Your Waffles author: scoots2 tags: character:Cheese Sandwich, character:Flash Sentry, character:Pinkie Pie, character:Trenderhoof, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Comedy, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Nopony Knows The Trouble I've Seen === Flash Sentry pressed his muzzle and both front hooves flat against the cold iron bars. He didn't know how long he'd been here, but it felt like forever. His coat was getting itchy, his boots were full of gunk, and the plaintive musical wail coming from the back of the cell didn't help. He whirled around and snapped at one of his two cellmates. "Shut up, Cheese!" The music stopped. Cheese Sandwich pushed back his hat and looked up from where he was seated, his back to the wall. "You're supposed to play the harmonica in jail," he retorted, and went back to playing. His other cellmate's pale blond mane shone in the gloom, highly visible from his spot huddled on the floor to Flash's right. "This is probably an excellent place for me to have my nervous breakdown," Trenderhoof said, his voice deceptively calm. "One does like to be at the première of any new attraction. I'm certain I'll be the very first to suffer a complete mental collapse here. If I remember my tour with Miss Rarity correctly, Ponyville didn't have a dungeon before." "Ponyville didn't have a castle before," Cheese pointed out helpfully, and began playing the harmonica again. Flash wasn't really surprised to be here, not after what he'd done. The question wasn't, "how could this possibly have gone wrong?" There wasn't really any scenario in which it could have gone right. The real question, the true million-bit question, was, "what was I thinking?" ~~ There are some ponies who think going alone to a book reading is a perfect way to spend a Saturday night, but Flash Sentry wasn't one of them. Accompanying Princess Cadance on a visit from the Crystal Empire, the sophisticated life of Canterlot, Saturday night off duty—you'd think a Royal Guard could come up with something better to do. And yet here he was, the only pony present at a book signing by a travel writer who claimed to be trying to be "relatable." The travel writer, a thin brown unicorn wearing a green sweater, read from a chapter in which he'd eaten seaweed with spruce in Vanhoover. Flash sat politely and with perfect posture—a habit acquired from spending most of his adult life in the Guards—and let his mind wander—a habit also acquired from spending most of his adult life in the Guards. He hadn't had a good day. There had been a lot of paperwork, the other guards had made fun of him for being spooked by an opossum, and he'd received a letter from his little brother. It was nice to hear from First Base, but at the same time, it wasn't, because First Base had a totally unrealistic idea of what his big brother's life in the Guards was like. He was brave, dashing, and on top of it, he was seeing a princess! And this was technically true, thought Flash. He saw princesses all the time. They walked past him, and if he was lucky, he didn't draw attention to himself by sneezing or something. Sometimes he got to say things like "His Blahdy Blahness of Blahvia!" and he supposed that counted as talking to them, or at least in front of them. As for the youngest, the one First Base thought he was "seeing," he'd seen her a grand total of two or three times, and he hadn't known much about her except that she was purple and a lot shorter than the other ones, until she kicked some serious monster flank a while back. Then everypony knew all about her, but he didn't know more about her than anypony else. It would be kind of cool to get a commendation some time. Something like "Best Guard Announcer of the Year Who Hardly Ever Coughs" would do. Then Princess Cadance would attach it to his uniform, next to the Surprisingly Long Service pin, and he could tell First Base a princess gave him a medal, and that would make him feel important at school. It would be even nicer to have a real adventure and be really great at something, and have everypony read all about him in the papers, but he knew his limits. Someday, they'd write on his tombstone: "FLASH SENTRY: HE WAS JUST SORTA THERE." The travel writer stopped reading. "You're not really interested in this, are you?" he said. Flash started and looked around guiltily. "Um, yes! Of course I am!" "That's very polite of you," said the unicorn, and he began levitating his papers and copies of his book into his saddlebags. "I was tired of being The Most Interesting Pony In Equestria. It's a nice change of pace. I need some coffee." Flash noticed his jumpiness and the dark circles under his eyes, and thought that the last thing the travel writer needed was some more coffee, but he said, "Do you need any help, Mr. . . . Mr., um . . ." The travel writer stared at him through his glasses with narrowed eyes, then let out a sharp crack of laughter. "Do you mean to say you've been sitting through my reading, and you don't have any idea who I am? Priceless. You must have been terribly bored." He lifted his hoof. "Trenderhoof," he said, shaking his pale blond mane out of his eyes, "but you can call me Trend. I take the mundane, the simple, and the unappreciated, and I make it relatable." Flash clinked hooves with him. "Flash Sentry. I stand around and announce things." "Well, come join me in having something with quite a lot of caffeine in it, Flash Sentry," said Trenderhoof, securing his saddle bags, "and I shall be able to provide tedium tête-a-tête." ~~ "Have you ever reached a crisis in your affairs, Flash? A crossroads?" said Trenderhoof some time later, as they sat in the coffee shop adjoining the bookstore. "You've achieved nearly everything you'd always meant to," the unicorn went on, absently levitating his spoon around in his latte, "and it's begun to feel hollow. Empty. You have reached the summit, and now there is nothing left to do and nowhere left to go but a long slide downwards. Do you know what I mean?" Flash didn't. His career in the Guards had leapt from pinnacle of mediocrity to pinnacle of mediocrity. The few promotions he'd had were almost all owing to seniority. No—he was not going to look back on a brilliant military career. That was not going to be his road to greatness. But—but there was what that gypsy fortuneteller had told him! It was all coming back to him now. It was back in the Crystal Empire, the evening of the visit from the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia, right before all Tartarus let loose. He'd been walking around aimlessly, trying to think of something to do, when he'd seen a gaily-painted tent he couldn't remember having seen before, with a banner reading "FORTUNES TOLD." There wasn't any harm in having his fortune told, right? Maybe his future would be more interesting than his past or his present. He pushed past the tent flaps and peered into the semi-darkness. He could just make out a table with a crystal ball on it, and behind it, a mare swathed in shawls and a turban that clashed with the bright pink of her coat and mane. "Can you really tell the future?" he said. "I have the answers you seek," she said, waving her hooves over the crystal ball. "Let us consult the mystical orb." He came forward and sat at the table, feeling like an idiot, but excited at the same time. A real fortuneteller! "Is there anything interesting in my future? Am I ever going to be really good at something?" "Hmmm," said the fortuneteller. "Nope. Not seeing anything yet." "Like, maybe I'll be a great military commander after all?" "Nope." "Or maybe I should quit the Guards and be a musician? I've always wanted to be a rock star!" "Umm. . . I'd say you wanna keep your day job. Ooo! Hey! There is something. That's amazing." She brought the ball so close to her eyes that it and they were practically touching. "You are going to be great at something!" "Really? What?" Flash asked excitedly. "You're going to be a great waffle stealer!" "What?" "A waffle stealer! You're going to be the greatest waffle stealer ever." Flash removed his helmet and scratched his head. "How am I going to do that?" The fortuneteller shook the ball. "Reply Hazy, Ask Again Later," she said. "I dunno," she said, shrugging. "Just passing it along. That's all I've got." She was entirely absorbed in the ball now, and Flash thought he'd better leave. As he slipped out of the tent, out of the corner of his eye, he could just see the fortuneteller shaking the ball again. "Ooooo," she said, as glittery flakes moved around in its interior. "Sparkly." ~~ "Waffle stealing!" cried Flash, seizing Trenderhoof by the front of his green sweater. "That's it! A waffle stealing raid! And you're going to come with me!" "Excuse me?" stammered Trenderhoof, catching the latte before it spilled. "You're a journalist! You write about food! You said you take the mundane and make it relatable. And what's more mundane than waffles?" "This is really rather . . ." "Strawberry waffles, chocolate waffles . . ." "I don't think . . ." "Apple cinnamon waffles . . ." Trenderhoof froze, and his eyes suddenly went wide. "Apple . . . waffles," he intoned. "Apple waffles. Yes." "I knew it was a great idea!" "Yes. Steal all the apple waffles," said Trend. A tic had started going in his cheek now, too. "You said you wanted to do something different, Trend," said Flash, grabbing one thin leg and pulling him to his feet. "Well, this is different. It'll be an adventure! And you can write it all down!" Trenderhoof didn't actively resist. "Apple waffles. Must write it down." "C'mon!" cried Flash. He was a leader now! Of something! "It'll be fun!" === Cheeseit, boys, it's the cops! === "Ponyville?" Trenderhoof exclaimed in a panic, as the train sped on its way. "You didn't say anything about Ponyville!" He had snapped out of his stupor or whatever it was some miles outside of Canterlot. Unfortunately for him, it was an express train, and there were no other stops. "I can't steal waffles in Canterlot or the Crystal Empire," explained Flash, as Trenderhoof struggled to get his breathing under control. "Not when I'm on duty. Somepony would recognize me. And I know the perfect place in Ponyville." "You're omitting something critical," said Trenderhoof, sliding his glasses down his muzzle and peering out over them. "Just how are you going to become the greatest waffle stealer of all time if you don't want your name associated with it?" "Um," said Flash, "I really hadn't thought about that bit. You could call me the Mysterious Waffle Stealer, couldn't you? Everypony would still read about it, but I'd know it was me. I'd know I'd done something with my life." The streets of Ponyville were deserted and quiet, but then Flash saw a long shadow cast by the moon, and heard the clip clop of hooves. A lanky figure crossed the street: a pony with a dark hat and with a peculiar bulge seated on some sort of saddle. Flash barked, "Halt! Who goes there?" The pony froze, and then came ambling forward. Flash saw that it was a tall yellowish brown stallion with what appeared to be a rubber chicken. "Me goes here," he said. "Cheese Sandwich." "What are you doing out in the middle of the night?" Cheese hesitated. "I was thinking about stopping in to see a friend," he said slowly, "but it's later than I thought it was. I was going to come back in the morning. Hey," he added, "who goes there, come to think of it? What are you doing out in the middle of the night?" Flash glanced back at Trenderhoof. "He knows too much," he hissed. "He'll have to join the party." "A party?" said Cheese, his ears perking up. "Did you say a party? What kind of party?" "We're stealing waffles." "A waffle stealing party? I've never even heard of a waffle stealing party! HEY, EVERYPONY! WE'RE HAVING A WAFFLE STEALING PA—" Flash shoved a hoof into his mouth. "SHHH! It's a secret party!" Cheese raised his eyebrows. "Do you understand 'secret?' As in, 'don't let anypony know?'" Cheese nodded. "If I take my hoof out of your mouth, will you promise to keep your voice down?" Cheese nodded again, and Flash took his hoof out of his mouth. Cheese glanced past Flash at the pony just behind him. His jaw dropped. "Is that Trenderhoof? Really? Well, it's a good thing you brought me along. Trenderhoof has no idea how to throw a party at all." "This isn't that kind of party," began Flash, and then decided against explaining. "Oh, never mind." "Are you a Guard?" said Cheese. He was trotting briskly alongside now, despite Flash's attempts to get him to move more inconspicuously. "You don't look like one of Princess Celestia's or Princess Luna's Royal Guards. Are you from the Crystal Empire? I was just there last week, throwing a barracks party for the Royal Guards. How come I didn't see you there?" Flash stopped dead as the implications sunk in. "I never received an invitation," he said coldly. "Wow," said Cheese, and whistled. "You didn't even get an invitation? That's pretty bad. If P . . . ponies didn't invite me to a party, I'd begin to question my whole reason for existence." They crouched in the bushes behind the Ponyville Café. All Flash's commando training was coming back to him now. "See that door over there?" He pointed towards it. "When I say, "move," you get over there, fast." Cheese stood up and began to amble towards the door. "Get DOWN!" snapped Flash, and tackled him. "You don't walk, you scramble, flat on the ground. Got it?" Cheese and Trenderhoof nodded. "Ready? MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE!" They arrived at the door, panting and blowing. "Hmm," said Flash. "We'll need to get in through the window, maybe. Or maybe I can pick the lock with a twig." Cheese nosed at the door. "It's unlocked." "Oh." They slipped through the door, and stood in the kitchen. It wasn't clear what they were supposed to do next. What was absolutely clear was— "Where are the waffles? I don't see any waffles." "Of course not," sniffed Trenderhoof. "No café would make waffles and let them sit out overnight. They'd be terrible. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if there was a container of waffle batter in the refrigerator. It makes the waffles light and fluffy." They found the refrigerator and Flash pulled the door open. There, sure enough, was a large container of waffle batter, almost the size of a young vat. "Et voilà," said Trenderhoof. "I'm afraid if you want to steal waffles, Flash, you'll have to make them yourself." Trenderhoof and Flash both turned and looked expectantly at Cheese. "What?" said Cheese, and looked behind him. "Make waffles." "Why me? I can't cook." "I thought all earth ponies knew how to cook." "That's a stereotype," said Cheese, and blew his rollout noisemaker with a "pffflt." "The Cakes don't let me touch anything in their kitchen. Mr. Cake said he'd never seen anything like it," he added, proudly. "I don't need to cook, anyway. I can just pull party food out of my—" "Yes, yes, all right!" "Honestly," said Trenderhoof. "Such a fuss. I'll do it." He carefully levitated a spoon down to the batter and tasted it. "Hmm," he said. "Very nice, but just a touch on the sweet side. I would have added—" "All right. Just make them," sighed Flash. "Just get that vat out and place it over there, will you? There must be a waffle iron around here somewhere. Aha!" Trenderhoof exclaimed, and lifted a large waffle iron from the wall behind the stove. He lit the burners. "Hey, everypony," said Cheese, "look!" Flash turned to see Cheese Sandwich balancing on a wheel of Gouda and juggling a dozen eggs. "Put those down!" Cheese missed the next egg, and they all fell to the stone floor, one by one, with a splat. "You shouldn't have startled me," he complained. "Fine. I'll clean it up." He turned and bumped into a table, knocking over a jug full of cream. Flash just managed to grab it before it hit the floor. Some of it splashed over his hooves and formed a puddle, but at least it hadn't smashed. "Just. Don't. Touch. Anything," Flash said, teeth gritted. "You sounded just like Mr. Cake when you said that." "Shut up. Just go stand in the corner and don't touch anything." "How's this?" said Cheese, standing next to a sack of potatoes. How much harm could he do with a sack of potatoes? thought Flash. "That's great," he added aloud. "Just remember—don't touch ANYTHING." "The iron's nearly hot enough," said Trenderhoof. "Go get some plates. I'll need something to stack these on. Had you given any thought as to how we're going to take all these waffles out of here?" He hadn't, actually. "There's got to be a bag or something somewhere. How many of them will there be?" "I'd say at least several dozen. And if you want to get out of here before the owners arrive, you should find me those plates and that bag and be quiet so I can focus. Lemon zest," he muttered. "These will be much nicer with lemon zest. It's too bad I wasn't able to put it in last night." He levitated a lemon from out of a bowl on the table and set a peeler working. Cheese called from his corner, "Well, this was fun, but now I'm bored." "Just keep standing there," said Flash, trying to find a bag and some plates. "Is there any salt?" "I don't know. Probably in the cabinet back there." "Ok." Trenderhoof ladled some batter into the waffle iron. The kitchen was filled with the buttery smell of perfectly cooked waffles. Flash began to relax as he tidied the kitchen. All those times cleaning the barracks was paying off. You'd really be able to eat off that floor when he was done with it. "I think I've got some wire around here somewhere," Cheese muttered. The first waffle slid off the iron and onto its plate. Maybe he could eat that first one, Flash thought. After all, Trend said there would be dozens and dozens. "Oops." Flash became aware of some jets of flame coming from the corner. He turned to see that the entire bag of potatoes was now on fire, and that Cheese was making the whole situation worse by fanning the flames with his serape. "Little problem over here!" "You didn't even have one job!" screamed Flash. "All you had to do was stand there!" Cheese was galloping around in circles, his mane and tail sizzling. Flash lunged for a towel to drop over Cheese, but instead seized Trenderhoof, who was trying to ladle more batter into the waffle iron. In the distance, but coming closer, sounded the "woooooo" of a fire engine. Three large earth ponies hurled themselves through the back door and aimed a fire hose straight at Cheese. The blast of water knocked Flash and Trenderhoof off their hooves, and Trenderhoof made a grab for the vat of waffle batter, pulling it on top of both of them. There was a great roar of sound: gushing water, breaking crockery, and a lot of shouting. Flash wiped his eyes clear. He and Trenderhoof were both completely covered in batter. Cheese had been splattered, and the edges of his mane and tail were blackened and crispy. The air was full of the smell of burned potato, spilled batter, and over it all, the horrible stench of singed mane. Two Royal Guards stepped from behind the fireponies. "You're nicked, laddies," said one. ~~ In retrospect, it had been one of the dumbest ideas he'd ever had. He'd wanted adventure, and what he'd gotten was trouble, and what was worse, he'd dragged two other ponies into trouble along with him. He had nopony to blame but himself, except maybe for the fortuneteller who'd given him the crazy idea in the first place. He heard a scrabbling noise in the far corner where Cheese was sitting. The scrabbling noise got closer, and then a tapping and grinding noise, as though somepony was getting some rock loose and then lifting it clear. Then one of the rock slabs rose and slid over and a beam of light slashed across his vision. When his eyes re-focused, he saw a small, plump, pink mare, a flashlight wound into her mane like a miner's light, still hanging halfway in and halfway out of a hole in the floor. "Pinkie?" Cheese gasped. "Pinkie! Did – did you come to find me?" "Of course, silly Cheesie. Could you lift me out? My hoovsies are kinda hanging on nothing right now." Cheese lifted her out of the hole and pulled her in for a tight hug that took her clear off the ground. Flash glanced away. There wasn't anything obviously romantic about it, and certainly nothing indecent, but seeing it somehow made him feel bad all the same. Then he remembered where he'd seen that mare before. "You!" he exclaimed. "You're the fortuneteller!" Cheese let Pinkie drop back to the ground, and she shook herself, dirt flying everywhere. "Yep!" she said. "I was so bored in the Crystal Empire that day, and it's a nice way to meet more ponies and make friends." "But you're the one who predicted I'd steal waffles!" "Well, didn't you?" she replied. "Ooooo," she said, darting around the cell. "I haven't been down here before. A really real dungeon! Do you have steel mugs and everything?" she asked Cheese. "I dunno," he said, shrugging. "We've only been here an hour or two." "But," Flash stammered, "I would never have tried stealing waffles if you hadn't given me the idea!" "Are you sure? Besides, now you are the greatest waffle stealer ever! Anypony in Equestria would say so. Although maybe you are, too," she added to the miserable figure on the floor. Trenderhoof sighed. "I'm not sure what I am anymore, but I think I'd like to try being somepony else for a change." Two long shadows fell across the bars. He looked up to see two more Royal Guards. "The Princess will see you now," one said. === Flash Sentry, Prince of Waffle Thieves === Princess Twilight Sparkle sat in her throne room, wearing a fluffy bathrobe, bleary-eyed, her tousled mane sticking up in chunks. Spike curled up on the seat of his own throne, clutching a blanket. "Can we go back to bed, Twilight?" complained Spike, yawning. "Do we have to do this now?" "Of course we do, Spike," said Twilight. "Princess Celestia wouldn't leave anypony waiting until morning like that, especially not in a dungeon." "No," said Spike, rolling his eyes, "she'd just have Princess Luna see them instead. And Canterlot Castle doesn't even have a dungeon. Although it's awesome that we've got one," he added, brightening up. Two Royal Guards entered, bringing with them three disheveled figures. Behind them trotted a cheerful pink pony, apparently unaffected by the fact that it was now so late that it was very, very early. All three of them looked terrible. Both Flash and Trenderhoof were still covered in batter, which had begun to dry, stiffen, and flake off, leaving their coats with thick patches of flour and egg. Trenderhoof's sweater was a damp, misshapen mess. His pale blond mane was still wet and plastered close to his head. Cheese was less thoroughly battered, but his coat was drying into bristles from being blasted with the hose. His mane and tail were shorter, surrounded by blackened, frizzy ends that had begun to crumble away. His rubber chicken, however, was in pristine condition: he'd probably grabbed it and protected it somehow when chaos broke loose. Flash knew that he himself looked like a parade ground nightmare. It would take hours and hours to get his armor clean and burnish it back up to its usual shine. His metal boots were still full of waffle batter caking his fetlocks. He quickly removed his helmet, but that didn't help: it just created a flour line halfway up his mane and made it look as though he'd dipped it in library paste. "That has to be Cheese Sandwich," Twilight said, rising from her throne and coming closer. "I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time recognizing you two." Spike squinted at them. "Is that Trenderhoof?" Trenderhoof nodded, his eyes on the ground and his head bowed in embarrassment. "Twilight, can we just put him back in the dungeon and maybe leave him there for a kazillion million years?" She laughed. "Absolutely not, Spike." She turned to them. "I've heard from the café owners. Fortunately, there was less damage than they'd thought: some smoke marks, a burned bag of potatoes, smashed dishes and a big mess, but nothing that can't be fixed. What they don't know is how it happened or why, and I'm hoping you can explain that part." "How" was easy to explain. "Why" was entirely different, because Flash wasn't sure now himself. He was trying to come up with an explanation that made any kind of sense and that didn't implicate the fortuneteller, when Pinkie Pie interrupted. "They were fulfilling their destiny, of course!" she said. "Duh." "Excuse me?" said Twilight. "I mean, you've got a destiny, right?" said Pinkie, trotting in front of them. "You said 'magic of friendship, woo' and our destinies got fixed and then your new wings went 'spoing' and Princess Celestia said you were a princess, and that was your destiny, so these guys have gotta have destinies too and they're waffle stealers, and you can totally tell from their cutie marks." She pointed at Flash, "He's got a spatula or something." She turned to Trenderhoof. "And he's got a waffle iron. And Cheesie's got a grilled cheese sandwich, which almost kinda counts, only it's an accordion, too, so not really, and besides, he's a party pony like me and that's all that really matters." She trotted back to stand beside Cheese. Twilight massaged her temples. "I don't think their cutie marks are a spatula and a waffle iron, but even if they were, how would they know? It's not the kind of thing most ponies would think of, especially grown ponies with jobs." "Because I told him, of course!" said Pinkie, pointing at Flash again. "Ah," said Twilight. "Yes. I wouldn't say this is beginning to make sense, but I have a better idea of how it might have happened." "But," Flash Sentry cut in, and then stopped. "Go on," said Twilight. "I'm afraid I don't remember you, so you'll have to remind me." What a way to introduce myself to a princess, thought Flash. "Flash Sentry." "Go on, Flash Sentry." "I'm sorry, Your Highness," he said, looking straight ahead as though he were in parade lineup. "Your friend did give me the idea, but I'm still responsible." Twilight walked up to him and looked him directly in the eye. "Yes," she said slowly. "Yes, you are. Now, Cheese," she added, turning to him, "how did you get involved in this?" "I'm not really sure," replied Cheese. "I was going to set up camp for the night with Boneless 2, and I ran into these two, and they told me to come along with them, and things just spiraled out of control from there." "And you're here because your Cheesy Sense told you there was going to be a party you had to throw. Is that it?" said Twilight. She was becoming very good at not giving away what she was thinking. She'd learned a thing or two about diplomacy from her mentor. "I . . . um . . ." Cheese began, and hesitated, looking from side to side, then cleared his throat. "No," he said. "I'm not here because of any party. I'm here because I wanted to see Pinkie." Twilight smiled slightly. "I'm always glad when ponies tell the truth," she said. "It makes my job a lot easier. I'd tell you to go and help clean up the café, but I have the feeling that the owners would be much happier if you didn't. We are having a party, as it happens, and I'd be honored if you'd stay and help Pinkie with it. As her assistant," she added somewhat severely, as Cheese was looking indecently happy about this decision. "This isn't meant to be a reward." She walked back to her throne and seated herself again. "C'mon, Cheesie," said Pinkie, turning and beginning to trot away. "You heard what Twilight said: you'll have to be my assistant. And first you're going to Sugarcube Corner and taking a bath, 'cause all that crusty batter and frizzy black stuff makes you look and smell awful." "Yes, boss," he said meekly, following her. "I like the new mane style, though," she added, as they trotted through the door. "Thanks!" "Twilight, I didn't know we were having a party," said Spike. "We are now," said Twilight, floating a clipboard towards herself, glancing over it, and making a few tics with a quill. "We've just opened the castle. We can probably throw a castle-warming party. Besides, there's always a festival or celebration or something going on every few days. Pinkie will think of something, and it will keep Cheese busy and doing something useful the whole town can enjoy. Trenderhoof, maybe you can explain your part in this for me." Trenderhoof sighed. "I really can't. I was at the bookstore in Canterlot and this gentleman mentioned waffle stealing, and something just snapped. Your friend said something about destiny. I thought I was a journalist, but for all I know, maybe I am a waffle stealer. I just don't know anymore. I'm terribly tired. They would have been excellent waffles, however," he said. "I'm positive on that point. The rest is just a blur." "Trenderhoof," said Twilight, "will you please come a bit closer? Excuse me," she added in a softer tone. She used her magic to lift Trenderhoof's lip and looked all around the gumline until she reached the corner of his mouth. His gums were an unpleasantly pale color, and when she gently pried his mouth open to look inside, the roof of his mouth and his tongue were the same pale shade. She allowed his mouth to drop closed, and looked gravely at the dark circles under his eyes and the way his sweater hung loose around the cuffs. "You really don't look well." The travel writer drooped his head. "I'm really not, no. I'd been thinking of going away, out into the country." Twilight nodded. "I think that's a good idea. In fact, I think you should go right away, before Rarity and Applejack realize you've been here, and I don't think you should go back to Canterlot alone." She turned to one of the Royal Guards. "Would you accompany Mr. Trenderhoof to the train and ride with him to Canterlot? In fact, both of you may go," she said to the other guard. "And I am sure you understand--not a word of this to anypony." "Yes, Your Highness," they said, taking Trenderhoof between them, and leaving the Princess, Spike, and Flash alone. "As for you, um, Smash Entry?" Flash sighed. "Flash Sentry." "Flash Sentry," said Twilight. "You said you're responsible for this, and I think you are. What in the name of Celestia were you thinking?" "I wish I could answer that," he said. "But when your friend was telling my future, she said I had a chance at being somepony; that I could be great at something. Waffle stealing made about as much sense as anything else. And," he burst out, "I really wanted to have an adventure. The Guards isn't the way you'd think it would be, Your Highness. It's mostly standing around. It was stupid and irresponsible, and we broke a lot of stuff, and I got covered in waffle batter, and spent some time in a dungeon, but it was sort of an adventure. I'll remember it for the rest of my life, anyway, so maybe it counts." "Please," he said, "I know you should tell Prince Shining Armor, but that would be the end of my career in the Guards." The end of me, he thought, because I'm a lousy Guard, but I'm even worse at everything else, and I just want to go back to being a non-entity again. Twilight Sparkle frowned. "No," she said. "No, I won't tell him. I don't have to tell my brother everything. Still, I must do something with you, Slash Defenestrate." "Marry me?" he suggested, and then slapped both front hooves over his mouth. Argh, no! Where in Tartarus did that come from? "I mean, no!" he blurted. "I don't mean that! I don't want to marry you at all!" Argh, worse! I am dead. I am so, so dead. He covered his face with his front legs, waiting for the fury of offended royalty, waiting for the end. Princess Twilight started to cough, and then twitch, and finally threw herself backwards, all four legs in the air, making wheezing noises. "Twilight," Spike gasped, "are you all right?" "AH HAH HAH HAH!" Twilight howled, laughing. "AH HAH HAH HOO!" She was actually waving her legs now, completely incoherent with guffaws. Flash ventured a look. The Princess of Friendship and Libraries was rolling from side to side, snorting with mirth, tears streaming down her face. "Whoo!" she finally said, rolling onto her front, getting to her feet, and levitating a hanky to her face. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Um, no, thanks, Flash. I think I can come up with something better." Look on the bright side, he told himself later in the kitchen of the Ponyville Café, his front legs half submerged in a tub of dishes. I've still got my job. And at least I made a princess laugh. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Quit Hitting Yourself author: Technicolor tags: character:Bon-Bon, character:Lyra, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== one === Lyra slammed her hoof on her snout, watching her own eyes screw up in pain. Her nose was bleeding. Despite herself, she felt a rush of cold satisfaction pour in underneath the anger, seeing herself down in the dirt, covered in coffee and bleeding. This was a long time coming. A long time coming. She glared back up at herself, wiping off on the back of her hoof. Spat something pink. "You make me sick," she muttered. She boxed herself in the ear again and shouted, but Lyra kicked upward into her stomach, knocking the air from her and doubling her over. She tried to get on top, but they kept tumbling over each other, hurling punches without any sense of direction and certainly without any skill, bleeding and bruising and screaming in high-pitched voices as they rolled around in the dirt down the street. It was lunchtime. Ponies were standing at the windows of Sugarcube Corner and staring. She should have been getting home, Bon Bon would be worried. But she looked again into those bright yellow eyes and she seethed so hard she felt like her chest was going to push out her throat. She gasped, reared back, and with boiling hatred choking out her thoughts, pounded her hoof right into her stupid face again. === two === She knew exactly what happened the day everything started. She knew, because she spent a great deal of time trying to retrace her steps and figure out what on Equestrian earth caused all this. Like she'd always been told. When you lose something, or something's broken, you have to retrace your steps. She tried, and the only thing of any significance was that new radio. What happened was, Vinyl was having a yard sale, hocking a bunch of her old equipment to pay for a new speaker or turntable or something. And Lyra had been looking for something to make for background noise while she wrote, keep things from getting too quiet while Bon Bon was out minding the shop, and Vinyl had this really neat-looking vintage radio with wood paneling and golden knobs. It was exactly what she needed. So Lyra haggled, forked over twenty bits for the radio and a singing tea-timer, and brought them home. It was a late Wednesday afternoon, the sky just starting to turn orange behind her as she scuffed her hooves on the doormat and walked in. She loved their house. Bon Bon had this habit of getting a whole bunch of knick-knacks and filling the house with them—little drinking birds, clocks shaped like cats with little swinging tails, paintings of ponies with fruit for a head, weird stuff like that. She hounded garage and yard sales like a bargain hawk—that's why Lyra went, she knew Bon Bon would be too busy in the shop, wanted to pick something up for her. Thus, the tea timer. She put it next to the kettle and went to her office to set up the new old radio. Her study had a nice view when she opened the curtains, looking out over their generous backyard, the tree they planted together and Bon Bon's little flower garden. She took a moment to drink it in, then cleared a space on her desk and set the radio up. It only took a little tweaking. Vinyl kept everything she owned in tip-top shape. PVCR buzzed to life, Baritone's smooth voice coming in beautifully on the old speakers as he discussed something about bridge repairs. Boring, but that was the point. She swept her tail out from under her, pulled up the chair and scooted up to her typewriter… … and that's when she saw her for the first time. Standing out under the tree. She was short and skinny with a round face, choppy green-and-white mane that hadn't been cut in a while. Big, golden eyes, fresh green coat. In other words, she looked exactly like Lyra. Save for one detail. She was smiling wide and broad, big enough to put dimples in her cheeks, but it didn't reach her eyes at all. It felt like on the other side, she was deeply unhappy, maybe even miserable. When Lyra smiled, as she had been doing a moment ago, it was often very small and kind of private, and a lot of the time ponies thought it was forced. It was easy to tell that sometimes, on the other side, she was deeply unhappy, maybe even miserable. She stared at her, and she stared back. They both blinked exactly twice. Lyra got out of her seat and shut the curtains. Then she stared at those for a bit, and opened them again. Still there. Still smiling. It still felt exactly the same as it did, like it was a big fat lie. She shoved the window up and leaned out. "What's your problem?" "What's yours?" she responded. "Are you a changeling, or something?" she asked. "No, are you?" "Answer my damn question!" she shot back. "Answer damn mine!" she fired in return. They went quiet again for a moment, and blinked in unison. But before Lyra could get another word out, she cut her off. "Nah-na-na-nah-nah!" Lyra slammed the window shut and drew the curtains. This was going to be a problem. === three === She came inside the house. She wouldn't leave. And nobody seemed to notice her, not even Bon Bon—or if they did, they weren't alarmed by her presence. And it followed her, the way she followed Lyra. Walked right next to her through market. Nobody said a peep. She was afraid to ask anybody, for obvious reasons. Everyone knew she was an only child, and after the Wedding, no way she'd have a changeling for a pal. Which meant, most likely, she was just going crazy. "You're seriously paying five bits for those sour-ass apples?" she remarked as Lyra put them in her satchel. "Ugh… you are such a chump." Or maybe being driven crazy. She shoved the bag shut and stomped away from the stall, glowering. "You can't hold on to money at all. That's why your girlfriend has to support you." Lyra didn't look at her. "It's not even your own bits you're pissing away. If you actually wrote something, you might make some. When are you going to do that, by the way? You can't marry her if you don't have any money." Lyra wanted to cry and run home and sock her in the stomach all at the same time. Her doppelgänger didn't follow happily. She dragged her hooves all the time, looked around. It was really obvious she wanted to leave, that she didn't want to be around Lyra or crowds or anyone at all, or at the very least she'd rather be hiding. And yet, she never tried. She checked her list and went up to the lettuce stand. Bon Bon wanted three heads—it was almost summer, she had said, it was about time to start on summer salads. "If you had married that guy, your family would have paid for it." She sucked in a breath and took two heads of lettuce. === four === Lyra spent a lot more time sleeping. Whenever she could, and longer, too. Wake up? Shower. Go back to bed. Wake up again, stare at the office door, go back to bed. It felt like every moment awake was a gamble, because she never knew when the other her would lean in and say something awful. Something she took because she felt like she was supposed to, but even when she did it made her feel weak and drained and pathetic. A week had passed. Her head dipped down into the cushion, and she woke up blearily, blinking at the light. The world came into focus—and Bon Bon was sitting there, smiling down at her. She smiled back and scooted up, hugging one of the sofa cushions and laying her head on her lap. The TV was on. Apparently, even that hadn't woken her up. "Feeling any better, sweetie?" Bon Bon asked, petting her hair gently. "Yeah," she said. She meant it, but she still sounded choked, because she could hear herself leaning over the back of the sofa, too. "You're worrying her," she whispered. She always whispered when Bon Bon was around, for some reason. But that only made it worse. "She cares about you. And this is how you're paying it back?" Bon Bon kissed her forehead, and Lyra had to stuff back tears. === five === One night, while she was sleeping—Bon Bon curled up at her back, and on the floor her double slept with a blanket nicked from the closet, occasionally kicking and murmuring like a puppy—Lyra woke up with a small start. She had an idea. Well, first she had gone to sleep thinking about something, and then she had an idea. She thought about the radio. Of course. That was the only different thing about the day she showed up. Vinyl had, accidentally or with awful intentions, given her some sort of haunted radio and that's why she showed up, why she wouldn't leave, and she couldn't believe it hadn't occurred to her before. Being so pissed off and sad all the time had clogged her brain up, but now it felt, for the first time, like it was running clear. But the radio! She could take care of it. It would take care of all these problems, and she'd never have to think about it ever again. A wave of scary relief rolled over her bones, and she almost giggled, but stopped herself. Bon Bon stirred a little against her; she very, very carefully slipped out of bed, kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, stepped around her sleeping form on the floor. Couldn't wake either of them up if she was doing this, after all. Lyra crept to the bathroom and grabbed a towel, then to the closet for a hammer, and then delicately, so very delicately she carried the radio out of her office, into the backyard. She didn't turn on any lights. The moon was high and beautiful and her chest felt light and giddy as she wrapped the evil box up in her fluffy pink towel, covering it up completely. The hammer had a nice heft to it. Her hits were neat, controlled—but powerful. Smash. Take a breath, pull back. Smash. Wood broke and snapped, things that sounded like glass made muffled breaking sounds. Smash. Three. Pull back, breathe. Smash. After the ninth strike, and when she was left with nothing but an indistinct lump, she sat back on her haunches for a while and sucked in air to catch up with her pounding blood. It already felt better. So, so much better. It took her several minutes of gasping and breathing to realize she was crying. She wiped her face up and took three more long breaths, staring ahead and smiling broadly. She lifted the towel and unwrapped it a little. No surprises, no sudden recovery or hidden crystals, no dark magic. Just one smashed radio. She bounced it up and down and relished in the jingle of busted electronics, like it was the sound of a lock finally being picked free in her heart. Lyra swung it around, tied the corners up and walked back inside with her head high, ready to sleep well. She was there. Standing by the dining table. Why was she there. Why was she awake and standing right in front of her? "You're not even thirty yet, and you're already a failure." Hate her. Hate her. Hate her. "Can you believe that?" She glanced to the towel. "You hardly ever do anything, and you still manage to fuck up what little you actually do." Punch her? Punch her. "All you do is sit around and sleep. You don't even try." Lyra punched her in the nose. She stopped talking. Just stared at her, and not with that stupid lie of a smile, the one she knew too damn well. Her eyes were wide, shocked, and the air went cold between them. She reached up and wiped some of the blood away. "I hate you too, you know," she mumbled before storming off past her, through the living room, and shoving her way out the front door. Lyra wasn't sure if she had just beaten her or not. She didn't feel any better. She went back to bed, snuck under Bon Bon's arm, and didn't sleep. === six === Another week passed, and Lyra didn't see her again. She still didn't feel better. Kept bouncing around between wanting to sleep all day, wishing she could get a head injury so she'd have an excuse not to write, and wanting mostly just to sit around and be sad, interspersed with watching TV with Bon Bon to make it not feel so bad. Then, one day, Lyra was at Sugarcube Corner, picking up some lunch for her and Bon Bon. Pumpkin fritters and iced coffee; she feigned a little smile and thanked Mrs. Cake, rubbing sleep from her eyes, and carried the things in her magic, floating them at her side as she went for the door. And there she was again. Right out there, in the open. Standing outside on the street. Her stance was wide and confrontational. Lyra felt her heart pick up and a hard twitch in her right foreleg. "HEY!" shouted the other her. "WHAT?!" she screamed. "FUCK YOU!" she screamed. "FUCK YOU!" she screamed back. "FUCK YOU!" she retorted. And that's when Lyra hurled the coffee at her and charged out into the street and tackled her, and she threw a punch, and then Lyra threw a punch in her snout— === seven. === It went on. For a while. She was tired and exhausted, but angry most of all, and that is what carried her through as she looked into her eyes and screwed her face up with rage and pounded her cheek again. She made her so fucking angry it got hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to do anything but scream and kick and punch. Part of her was begging to just go home. Go home and get under the blankets and watch Sailor Lune with Bon Bon, or take a bath, or just lay on the floor even. Something. Anything. But she looked at her, saw her, and it boiled over. . . . It lasted about ten minutes before they wore out. Neither of them were good at fighting. Lyra was bleeding which meant she was bleeding and Lyra was crying which meant she was crying. Lyra was bruised and she was bruised. Fair's fair. Even if it's not fair at all. In a haze, both of them somehow ended up sitting outside against the wall of Sugarcube Corner, their faces covered in dried tears, dried spit, and street dirt. Lyra had bought another coffee, and they were sharing sips of it through swollen lips. "I'm angry and fucked up and sad all the time, and I don't really know why or what to do with it," she said. Lyra nodded and took a sip. The cold burned where she'd bitten her tongue. "Me too." "You learn anything?" she asked. "Don't know," Lyra answered. She rubbed a hoof in the dirt, watching some pony give her a look as she walked by. "Did you?" "Not enough to actually… solve the problem." "Me either." They both breathed out and looked up to the clouds, fluffy and blue against the cerulean sky. Bon Bon must be worried. Maybe she'd been worried a long time, though? "Why do you think we're tired and miserable so much?" Lyra asked. "Ugh." She closed her eyes and smacked the back of her head against Sugarcube Corner, wincing. "I… think it's a lot of things? I don't… think there's one real answer, and even if there was that wouldn't… fix this." "Yeah." Lyra paused, rubbing her ankle into her eye. The pain helped her focus. "I don't wanna be angry at myself just for being sad." "Are you still?" she asked. "Yeah." She opened her eyes again, but didn't focus them. "But I don't wanna be. I don't… think I deserve it. Right now, at least." "I guess that's something," she said, taking another sip and offering over the cup. She took it. "I don't wanna be angry at myself for it either. But I am." "It's a start," Lyra said, with a very tired smile. She shifted up, and with a few wincing motions, got up to her hooves, rocking back and forth to test her weight. Everything looked sore, but she reached a hoof out, anyway. "I'd like to be way ahead of that, but it's a start. You wanna be friends?" "Better than beating each other up," she said, taking the hoof and hoisting herself up. She looked up and down the mare in front of her, the short, skinny chick covered in bruises and filth, with the round face and bloodshot golden eyes. The mare who loved Bon Bon with every fiber of her being and wanted to be a writer so bad it sometimes made her actually scream. "I'm Lyra," she said. And she said, "Me too." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Luna Discovers A Joke Book author: Silverwings Productions tags: character:Princess Celestia, character:Princess Luna, character:Twilight Sparkle, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Jokes === She sat on the bed, looking at me intently with her beautiful cerulean eyes. Her face wore an expression of tension, as if she was gravely concerned about something. "Luna, are you okay?" I asked, slightly worried. "Oh," she replied with a smile, "I'm just fine, Twily. You just look so adorable when you read." "You seem a little tense," I said as I rose from my book, trotting over to her and joining her on the bed. "Are you sure you're alright?" "Well, to be truthful, I have discerned it a bit hard to relax as of late." She glanced away from me shyly, as if she didn't want to admit her feelings. "Aw, it's alright. In fact, I may have something to help you." I brought a book from its spot on the shelf to the bed in my aura, placing it in front of my marefriend. "What is this?" Luna asked as she levitated the book in her teal aura. "101 Terrible Jokes? Pray tell, what purpose does this serve?" "It's a joke book, Luna," I replied. "Perhaps you should read it. I think you'll enjoy it!" "Hmm. Perhaps I shall, dearest Twilight." She took the item of interest in her hooves, leaning back and beginning to peruse its contents as I returned to my reading pillow on the floor. It wasn't long before I heard her snort with amusement, presumably at a joke she had read. I glanced over at her, seeing that she was already muzzle deep in the pages, devouring every word with laughter and delight. I smiled, directing my attention back to the book I was reading. "Twilight?" Luna asked, glancing up from her book with a tilt of her head. "Do tell, what should one do if they find themselves locked out of their abode?" "Uh, well," I replied, slightly taken aback by the question. "Call a locksmith or check your saddlebags for the key, I would guess. And if that didn't work, maybe climb through a window." "Incorrect! They should talk to the lock, for communication is key!" With this, she exploded in laughter. In all honesty, it was rather adorable to see her in such a state of happiness. I myself laughed a bit at the joke. She needed a bit of humour in her life; patrolling dreams could be rather emotionally taxing. "Also, did you know that Saturday and Sunday are the strongest days of the week?" "No, I didn't. Why might that be, Lulu?" "Because the rest are week days! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Her laughter suddenly stopped. "Oh dear, look at the time! I best attend to my royal duties. Farewell, love!" "Okay, see you later!" It wasn't long until, while walking to the castle library, I overheard her telling a joke to one of the castle staff. I sighed. Was it a mistake to let her read the joke book that Pinkie Pie gave me? I sure hoped that was not the case. After perusing a few books in the library, I realised that my fear was true after I heard a pair of guards laughing, no doubt having repeated what they heard from Luna. I immediately put a hoof to my face. Why did I do that? I could be so stupid sometimes! I berated myself all the way to the main dining room, sitting down and ordering a glass of cider to ease my mind. "Why?" I asked myself. "Why did I let her read that book?!" I looked desperately into the bottom of my glass, wishing that I hadn't consumed it all already. It helped blur the lines between reality and the horrors I had unwittingly unleashed upon the mortal realms of Equestria. "Twilight, this is rather unlike you," Celestia said calmly. "What's eating you?" "I let my marefriend read that blasted joke book," I replied with a groan. "That doesn't seem so bad." "Believe me, it is. Do you have any idea what she told the guards this afternoon while she was walking down the corridor? She said, 'Lieutenant, do you know the difference between a piano, a tuna, and a bottle of glue?' The lieutenant replied, 'Uh, no, Your Highness.' She proceeded to say, 'You can tune a piano but you cannot piano a tuna.'" "And this is bad because?" my mentor continued as one of the castle staff refilled my glass of hard cider. "Oh, I'm not done yet. The guard asked, 'What about the glue?' And she replied, 'I knew you'd get stuck there!'" I saw Celestia resist a laugh. "Oh, Twilight," she drawled, "You really should lighten up sometimes. I think it's good that Luna has discovered jokes." "But, but..." I sighed. "She needs to stop punning. I know it's helping her relax, but it's getting rather annoying. And what's worse, how can I tell her to stop? I don't want her to get upset at me or anything!" "Have you ever considered countering some jokes of hers with jokes of yours?" Celestia asked. "Uh, no, I haven't," I replied with an accidental hiccup. I closed my eyes and reopened them, finding that my vision had gone slightly askew. Maybe I had a glass too many. "Are you drunk, Twilight?" she asked once more upon seeing me in this state. "No," I slurred. "Really? By this point I think you may have drunken Lieutenant Colonel Tempest Shadow under the table!" "Fine. You know, maybe I will go talk to her. Thanks." I stumbled into the room Luna and I shared, definitely inebriated if only slightly. I found Luna laughing on the bed about another joke. "Twilight!" she exclaimed between bouts of laughter. "Did you hear about the boiling water that - A-are you drunk?" "Luna," I slurred as I shut the door with my magic and stumbled over to the bed, "Are you made of copper and tellurium?" "Uh, what?" "Because you're CuTe..." I sat on the bed next to her, laughing quietly for some reason. She blushed in reply. "Thank you, Twilight. You know, I was going to tell a joke about sodium, but Na." She shut the book and set it on the nightstand on her side of the bed, protectively wrapping a wing around me. I snickered a little at her joke when a thought crossed my mind. Maybe I was overreacting. Perhaps her actions of just wanting to stir up a bit of fun didn't warrant the reaction I had. "Luna, I'm sorry," I said, returning her gesture and wrapping my own wing around her, leaning on her for support. "I kind of overreacted to your jokes." She smiled at me. "It's okay, Twilight dear. You just need to lighten up a little sometimes." She then tilted my face up to meet hers. "In fact, there's one more I wish to tell you." "And what might that be?" I asked, nuzzling her affectionately. "Roses are red, bromothymol is blue, and there is no endpoint to my love for you." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Sight of a Bubble in Dusk author: PinkieYukari tags: character:Pinkie Pie, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Guy's Night Out === CH3-CH2-OH. Ethanol. A compound created by fermenting certain sugars with yeasts. Normally, all of these terms and definitions would swim through Dusk Shine's mind after hearing the word 'alcohol'. But, since his mind was already swimming with the stuff, the most he could muster was, a good drink. The violet colt sat at the bar-stool, in between two of his friends - Bubble Berry and Rainbow Blitz - as he took another swig of his Applejack Daniel's. His face was red enough to be seen through his dark coat in the dim lights, and he was giggling uncontrollably after one of Blitz's "hilarious" jokes. He slammed his hoof on the counter as he laughed, going on for a few seconds before the laughter ebbed away. The bookworm looked up and glanced towards his two companions, only to see them staring at him in near-disbelief. "W-what? Why you guys starin' at... *hic* me?" Dusk asked, getting only slightly anxious about their prying eyes; the rest being drowned in the booze. Berry just smiled and giggled in his usual, almost-obnoxious way, before responding, "Heehee, well, Shiny, we just never knew you were such a light-weight! I mean, look! You've only had one and a half bottles of hard cider, and you're already drunk off your butt!" He giggled once again, snorting once before gasping for air. Blitz just rolled his eyes and stared back into his own glass - half vodka and half Applejack Daniel's - before muttering under his breath... something about eggheads. Dusk couldn't quite hear it properly; he was much more preoccupied with Berry's continuous drinking, glass after glass. How could he keep himself from chanting, "Chug! Chug! Chug!" in his inebriated stupor? Well, he rightly couldn't. The establishment they were drinking at was the famed, Club Pon-3, residing straight on the west outskirts of Ponyville - so as to not disturb the sleeping ponies on the east side - where Vinny Scratch was the owner, proprietor, and disc jockey. They decided to come here because they had all been so busy with prior engagements, and the almost-level-headed ponies each saw they needed some sort of break. Only Blitz, Dusk, and Berry remain, after the first half of the group decided to leave. Elusive claimed that he needed his beauty sleep, and that "getting wasted and partying won't help with that". Applejack had the most understandable reason - he lived and worked all week on the farm, and he needs to rise early every morning. Butterscotch was... well... nopony could really tell. He just kinda disappeared sometime after Blitz grabbed him and tried to make him dance. Oh, well, they all thought. They're just missing out. There wasn't long of a silence between the three as Blitz's pager went off. All of the weather team had to carry them in case of a weather emergency. "Ah, crap. Sorry guys, I gotta run. Have fun getting more drunk." He stood up and walked out of the club, leaving the two colts by themselves in the bouncing-loud place. Dusk was managing down his third bottle of the apple alcohol, almost grimacing by the time he finished it. It was starting to leave a bad taste in his mouth, but once again, since he was drunk, he didn't care for anything. Meanwhile, Berry was knocking back so many different drinks. Some variations with vodka, some straight alcohol, so much it made Dusk's drowning brain hurt. After what seemed like the 47th glass that Berry had, he finally seemed to show signs of being tipsy. A light dust of pink adorned more pink as the alcohol started to make the pony blush. Dusk laughed and snorted before managing to choke out, "H-hah! Berry, you're finally - *hic* - drunk! Dude, it took like.... I don't even know how many glasses!" The baker blushed even more before retorting, "Well, I AM the greatest party pony in Equestria! That includes all sorts of parties!" He swayed in his stool before falling onto the ground in a drunk, giggling mess. Witnessing the hilarious event, Berry's drinking companion stood - quite slowly and carefully so as to not befall the same fate - out of his seat and helped his friend up off of the floor. He quickly stated, "Okay, *hic*, I think we've had enough. Time to go, you crazy stallion." Berry looked disappointed, but nodded in agreement anyways. They leaned on each other for support as they walked out the front door, their drinking ended, but the party was most likely far from over, if what Dusk knew of his friend was true. It didn't take too long for them to reach the town square, though their trip was delayed by the constant slipping and falling that the two did. They reached the library door and entered the large tree/house. Dusk was quite sure that Spines had put herself to sleep; the place was clean and spotless and no more chores were to be done, and the lights were all off. He concentrated magic into his horn - which was quite difficult to do considering how much he drank - and managed to light the candles that adorned the walls. Now, a low, orange light flickered throughout the place, giving it more of a warm, homey feeling. Berry coughed suddenly, and the purple librarian turned around to see him still standing outside in the cold. He stared at him and flatly asked, "Why are you standing outside? You know you don't need permission to come in." After this obvious statement was pointed out, Berry grinned and hopped inside, now standing next to Dusk once again. The librarian realized that he had sobered up slightly, now able to form full sentences. "Well, since it's pretty dark out, you might as well stay the night here." He yawned and began to walk up the stairs, motioning for him to come up with him. "I have a guest bed you can sleep on. All you need to do is get it from under my bed." "Okie Dokie Loki! Thanks Shiny! I thought that I'd need to walk all the way across town to get back to the bakery!" Berry stated, quite loudly, as they entered the bedroom. Dusk promptly shushed him, warning not to wake Spines up, as she was likely very tired. The bed was quickly pulled out and they were both about to climb in and pass out, but Berry tapped Dusk's shoulder, and the latter pony turned his head. Right then, a pressure was felt upon the librarian's lips. It took him a second to realize what it was - Berry was kissing him! On the lips! Dusk's cheeks flushed a deep crimson and he tried to will himself to pull away. His body just wouldn't follow his brain; the shock disrupted his mind's commands. Berry finally pulled away, and he flopped down on his guest mattress and instantly passed out with a goofy grin on his face. Meanwhile, Dusk still stood there, still as a statue, in a faux catatonic state. His still tipsy mind poured out questions - What just happened? Did he just... kiss me? Why did he kiss me? Why couldn't I move away? Why am I slightly... turned on by it? He fell on the bed and covered himself with the blankets. He tried to get to sleep that night, and only seemed to succeed with a very unwelcome guest between his legs... === It Was A Drunken Mistake... Right? === Dusk awoke to Solaris's sun, which - quite unwelcomely - shone through the window of the upper floor of the library. He checked his bedside alarm to find that he had slept through half of the day, the time being 2 PM. He groaned and pulled the covers back over his head, which was beating like a taiko drum. The thoughtful unicorn went over the events of last night in his head. Let's see... guy's night out... got drunk - which would explain the hangover... Berry and I got back here... and then it's hazy... but something else happened, I'm sure of it. What else happened? He groaned once more and got out of bed - or rather slipped and rolled out - and began to prepare breakfast. Spines was nowhere to be found, but Dusk was quite sure that she could take care of herself in town by now, so he only made one stack of pancakes to eat and a cup of coffee to try and wake him up a bit more. Taking the plate and mug in his magic and setting himself and the meal at the dining table, he was about to start eating when suddenly he heard a loud crashing noise and saw none other than Bubble Berry himself tumbling down the stairs. Dusk gasped, "Oh goodness! Berry, are you okay!?" He shot up out of his seat and helped his friend up. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" "No, Dusk, I'm fine, I just slipped down the stairs is all. Man, last night was fun, wasn't it - ooh! Pancakes!" The pony pretty much instantly shook off whatever little amount of pain and concern for himself he had as he jumped towards the stack of pancakes, devouring them in one fell swoop. "Mmm, Shiny, these are good! I didn't take you for such a good cook!" A flat look and a similarly flat answer was given. "It's pancakes. How hard could it be to make pancakes?" He took no heed to the fact that his only stack of pancakes were eaten, and instead reached out for the dark, bitter, hot drink he'd come to love almost as much as tea. He allowed himself a sip, letting the warm liquid pass his lips, leaving them as warm as they were when the pony in front of him kissed him. Wait. WHAT. Dusk's mind instantly replayed the memory of Berry's drunk muzzle pressing against his as they kissed. He spat out the coffee he just sucked down as he stared blankly at Berry - who just happened to be in the firing range. "Shiny? Why'd you just spit your coffee on me? Was it too hot? You of all ponies should know that you should let it cool first. You look like you're shocked. What'cha thinkin' about, huh?" Berry's face was dangerously close to Dusk's again. The latter instantly looked away with a blush on his face. The former just stared unblinkingly. "D-don't you remember what happened last night?" Dusk almost shouted. "Well, duh, silly! We went and partied, but then everypony went home, so we decided to go back here together and sleep! Though," he started giggling in-between his words, "you were pretty drunk, so I can understand why you don't!" Dusk stared in bewilderment at the pony staring at him from on top of his dining table. D-does he not remember that he kissed me? "Um, Berry? Do you remember anything else that happened?" The pink colt hopped down on the floor and put a hoof to his chin before answering, "Well, I remember some other stuff, but it's not important." "NOT IMPORTANT? What do you mean "not important"!? You kissed me last night! You kissed me on the lips! You tried to stick your tongue in my mouth!" Dusk shouted at the top of his lungs, causing the pony in front of him to suddenly shy away with a visible red blush on his face. "O-oh... did I? Well, umm..." What? Berry's acting shy all of a sudden. That's strange... it was just a drunken mistake... right? Wait... where'd he go? Indeed, the aforementioned pony was missing from his current spot, having bolted off while Dusk was in his mental questioning. The library doors were still swinging, in fact. "Why did he get so nervous? We were both drunk, and I've heard around that things like that happen then... is he hiding something from me? No, it's Berry. Berry would never keep secrets from his friends..." In any case, Dusk carried on through with his tasks. Strangely enough, he didn't catch a sight of mane or tail of his friend that day... ----- "Dude, where's Berry? He was supposed to meet us here! Now we have to wait to eat!" It was a week since Dusk had last seen Berry. Honestly, he wouldn't be worried if he at least informed Mr. and Mrs. Cake that he was going somewhere. But after going to Sugarcube Corner the day beforehand, they said that he had just upped and left during the night after locking himself in his room. Elusive, Blitz, Applejack, and Butterscotch were with him at the Hay Stack - a simple restaurant - after he had all called them there. After Rainbow's remark, the fashionable unicorn spoke up. "Honestly, Rainbow Blitz, can't you simply wait for him? I understand that you are hungry - so are the rest of us - but patience is befitting of a gentlecolt. Now, Dusk, if you wouldn't mind mentioning to us why you called us all here?" Dusk himself wasn't feeling too well after hearing the bad news from the Cakes. He wasn't sure that the rest of their little gang would take it well, either. "W-well, guys... haven't you noticed that Berry hasn't been around lately? I just asked the Cakes, and they said that he ran away last night!" ... ... ... "Er... guys? Why are you huddled up like that?" Indeed, the four ponies were huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. This went on for a while, as did the growing of Dusk's frustration, before they broke up and Elusive asked, "Well, dear, that certainly is bad news! What happened?" The lavender librarian's face grew solemn as he explained what happened after Blitz left the bar to that morning a week before - excluding the part where he got a boner before he fell asleep, of course. "O-oh, my... that does sound serious..." the nearly mute Butterscotch commented. "Y-you should go find him! You know, to patch things up, get him back here!" Applejack almost blurted out. Dusk could have sworn that he saw the farmpony look to his left and right while saying that... Either way, he IS right... I should go talk to him. "Alright. I will. Thanks, guys." He stood from his seat and walked away, leaving the other four ponies to their own devices. "So, y'all really think Berry's taken a fancyin' for Dusk, Elusive?" "Why of course, dear! He does this every time he falls in love, doesn't he?" "Well, now that you mention it, that last hot mare he was with last time shot him down and this happened, right? "Oh, my... you're right..." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Royalty Forgotten author: TheEveryDaySparkle tags: character:Queen Chrysalis, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Drama, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Royalty Forgotten === The sound of crying could be heard somewhere in the distance as Queen Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings shed tear after tear after salty wet tear onto the smooth stone floor of her hive. Her children had been instructed in excruciatingly clear detail, not to disturb her for any reason. But, after thirty solid minutes of low, constant sobbing, they were getting worried for their leader, and one brave changeling drone had just about had enough. He walked up to the great big doors that led into Chrysalis' private chambers, and knocked a few times. "Go away! I told you I am not to be disturbed." He had expected that response. So, instead of going away like he was ordered to, he simply let himself in, opening the door to his Queen's chambers and walking in like it was nothing. Of course, he knew it wasn't nothing, and that he would likely be in a heap of trouble when she finally got out of her funk. But, she had to get out of it first. "M...my queen?" He said, trying to sound as apologetic as possible while still maintaining a determined tone. "I thought I told you to Go away." "I kn-know, my queen, but-" "Then what are you still doing here in my presence! Are you not aware that you are currently disobeying a direct order from your Queen?" Suddenly, the drone found his voice. "I know I am, My queen. But you have been stuck inside your chambers for thirty straight minutes and you have not sent any messages over the hive mind to alert us of your condition. The drones are getting worried, and are currently standing outside your quarters like statues waiting for you to emerge from your brooding and lead them once again." "Then let them wait. I shall return when I feel the time is right. And only then. Now leave me." She made a shooing motion with her hoof. The drone, did not move. "Are you still here?" Suddenly, Chrysalis turned around, confronting the insubordinate changeling with a hiss of anger. "Why do you insist on going against me?!" she yelled. The drone shivered in fear, but stood his ground. "Mother, please." This seemed to shake Chrysalis, if only a little. She sighed and turned back around. "Tell them...I will return in twenty minutes. If I do not return by then, you are to come and get me." "Yes, my queen." the drone saluted before turning to exit her chambers, and as he walked out, he heard her say, "And for the last time, I am not your mother." The drone was confused. Why would she say something like that? Surely, she did not mean it. What kind of mother would say such a thing. It had to be a joke. A prank she played on all young nymphs to tease them into saying the opposite. It just had to be. There was no way she wasn't their mother. All of the drones certainly believed as much, and he would bet money on it if he could, but there was still the lingering question. If she really was their mother, why would she say it at all? She got like this every year around the same time, the middle of the year. She would just lock herself away in her chambers for an hour and wouldn't come out. A few bold changelings had tried to get her to come out, but were treated to an earful upon doing so, and got extra workloads for disobeying when she rose from her downtrodden state. And if she wasn't their mother, who else could she be? After the drone left her chambers. Chrysalis returned to staring at the floor in silence. She had no more tears to cry. They were all gone. She had used them up a long time ago, and yet they kept finding a way to keep coming back. For now though, her eyes were as dry as bones, all cried out. She looked up at the ceiling from her place in the middle of the floor, and began to think. "Oh, how I hate being so cold-hearted to them. It makes me so sad to see their fear stricken faces every time I yell or scream or shout out an order." "And it hurts even worse to punish them. It makes me feel like a total foal when I do it." "But I just can't help it. Every time I see their little chitin covered faces it reminds me of...back then." "Back when I didn't look like...this." "You see, I wasn't always a changeling queen. I used to be just a pony." "Well, not just any pony. I was an alicorn. Specifically the third alicorn in a line of those from royal birth." "You guessed it.. I was the third in line, the youngest sister of Princesses Celestia and Luna." "I was the baby of the family. Always being cared for and looked after by either our parents, my sisters, or the royal guard." "When ponies say, 'The royal treatment', you can bet your tail I got it. From royal escorts, to banquets, to traveling, all the way up to Celestia's imported cake. Surprisingly, though, I was never a spoiled foal. I grew up to be a kind, understanding, and generous princess." "This was mostly thanks to etiquette lessons and our parents drilling into me the virtues of social life. They always said that to rule a country, you had to know how to live in it." "I took their advice to heart and, upon becoming a princess, made frequent visits to the cities of Canterlot, and to the town of Ponyville at the foot of the mountain." "During my time there, I always made sure to greet the ponies who lived there, and to ask questions, talking to the locals so as to get better acquainted with the town and how life worked there. I didn't want to rule over a country and not know my own citizens, after all." "I don't mean to sound arrogant or rude or anything, but I was quite the catch in my younger days. Many a stallion and even some mares had made attempts at trying to court me, and I was quite flattered by their daring and bold personalities. But, alas, I never chose a mate. To this day I regret not making the decision sooner." "You see, I was the princess of love at the time, and I thought that my powers were causing them to fall for me, so I didn't want to influence their minds against whoever they really were in love with." "Turns out, that couldn't actually happen, but I didn't know that at the time. By the time I figured it out, I was an adult, and I was too busy with royal duties to devote any time to love." "Not for lack of trying of course. I still had my beauty, and I had gotten even more beautiful as time went on, but my interest in love did not hold a candle to the amount of time my royal duties both required and took up." "Whenever I entered into town, I was instantly recognizable because of a jade war saddle I always wore on my back wherever I went." "I had developed an admiration for ancient beings known as humans, who used to use us as mounts in battle, before they were punished with extinction by the chaos god discord." "I had heard stories of them from my sisters, and I never forgot one." "Tales of war heroes who defended their lands with honor and valor, giving their very lives to keep their people safe. Countless stories of beings with great intellect advancing technology in their time, and grand structures that were a wonder to see built by the 'hands' these creatures possessed. There was a pony whose company I enjoyed immensely. I believe her name was..Lyra?" "Anyway, Life continued as normal from that point on, all the way up until I asked a single question. This one question, would mark the beginning of the end of my life as an equestrian, and as a pony." "I remember my exact words as if I had spoken them only yesterday." 'Why are there no kings and queens in Equestria?' "Big sister Luna simply kept quiet, and Celestia told me she didn't know. But she did know that it was rumored that if an alicorn became powerful enough, they would become a queen." "I think I sealed my fate with my words at that time." 'Well, i'm gonna try and become the first queen of Equestria!' "I was so naive. What a foal. Looking back on it now, I can only say that I was a misguided idiot." "From that day forth, whenever I had spare time, I would search for a way to gain power. I was determined to become a queen, whatever it took." "And then, after two long years, my chance finally presented itself, in the form of a pony named King Sombra." "It was in Canterlot that we first met. I told him about my dream. He wasn't an alicorn, but he was a king, so I thought that if anything, he could be a lead in my search, but he turned out to be more than that. Much more." "He told me that he believed he could help me. That he was the king of a place called the Crystal Empire, and that if he could become a king, he saw no reason why I couldn't become a queen." "I arranged for leave, and met him in the Crystal Empire a week later. We exchanged pleasantries, talked for a while, and then it was time to get started." "He told me that all I had to do was harness and control a ball of magic. Shouldn't be too hard, right?" "He brought me into a room with an altar in the center of it. On the altar was a pulsing black ball that I instantly recognized as dark magic. I looked back to Sombra with an 'Are you sure about this?' look, but all he did was gesture for me to continue." "I swallowed my fear and stepped up to the altar. I had to believe in myself. I was the princess of love. Celestia always told me that love could conquer all, so there was no need for me to fear a little dark magic. Besides, I was an alicorn, not to mention a princess. What could a silly black ball do to me? If he managed to control it, then so could I!" "Oh, how foalish I was." "I touched my horn to the ball and poured in my magic, immediately regretting my decision as it began to suck away my magic and pull me along with it. I tugged away, pulling against the current and managing to stay upright long enough to stomp my hooves into the ground, spreading my stance out to prevent myself form being pulled." "Now it was time to do something about my magic. I had to pour it in, not let it get taken, so the first thing I had to do, was stop the flow and restart it." "I closed my eyes and focused, cutting off my magic reserves and shutting off all contact with the sphere." "After mentally celebrating to myself, restarted the flow and poured my magic in, the ball maintaining a non volatile state the whole time." "Eventually, I managed to cover the ball in my magic, and now it was completely green rather than purple. But before I could start celebrating my victory, the green faded and the ball returned to its original color. I had failed." "The suction started again, and I fought it with all I had, but it was no use. The ball sucked me in, and for a brief moment, all of my senses were cut off, only to be returned a few seconds later. And do you know what I saw? What I heard?" "Sombra, right there in front of me, laughing maniacally and jabbering about how he had tricked me, how he had planned to corrupt me with darkness and turn me into his first ever minion." "I. Was. Furious." "I did all I could to fight the dark magic, but every bit of magic I poured out was sucked into it, and the vortex was getting even stronger. On top of that, I couldn't get free no matter how hard I struggled." "In a last ditch effort to escape, instead of trying to keep my magic, I poured it in, higher and higher amounts at a time, into the ball." "Eventually, it turned green once again, and in that instant, I released all my magic at once in an explosion of force that broke apart the ball and set me free. I stalked over to where I had seen Sombra, but he was gone. He must've seen what I was doing and ran away, the coward." "I had destroyed the place in my explosion, and now glass littered the ground. I stared at my reflection in one, and nearly fainted in terror." "I was hideous. Gone was my smooth, soft, shiny, obsidian coat. Replaced with, upon contact with my hoof as I touched it, a hard, tough, armor-like skin. There were holes in my legs and hooves, as well as my wings, which now looked more insect like than pegasus-like. But the one thing that made this whole horrible situation even worse?" " The Jade saddle I had worn on my journey now felt less like jewel encrusted metal, and more like it was a part of my body. The boundary between clothing and skin had blurred to such a degree that it was indistinguishable from my new, more durable coat." "it was as if it had been fused with me on the cellular level. The very thing I had used to honor those unfortunate warriors from the past had now become an integral part of me, without which, i don't even want to think what would happen." "I had become a monster. An entirely different animal than a pony. And the worst thing about it? The absolute most unbelievable thing?" "I had become a queen. I could feel the magic coursing through me. Feel it running through my veins like a river of power. See the crown on my head that marked my ascension to a new level of strength. I had achieved my dream after all this time. I had mastered dark magic just like he told me to. But what had I become in the process? What had I lost in my pursuit of knowledge and fame?" "I felt sick. The power felt like ice, or poison in my veins. Now that I had it, I didn't want it at all. Just what had I given up for this fruitless quest of mine. I guess it is true what they say. 'Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.'" "I was sobbing even as I looked around for Sombra. I saw him in the entrance of the room, looking at me with disgust. I couldn't blame him. I wasn't much to look at anymore. My beauty was gone. And it wasn't even his fault." "It was mine. For choosing to follow a pipe dream, and for being too dumb to realize that I was being played." "I hated the fact that I couldn't hate him for this. I hated myself even more for letting this happen. And then I decided." "If I couldn't blame him for this, I could at least take out my anger on him." "I lowered my horn at him, firing up my magic to snatch him up in telekinesis. I wanted to beat him. I wanted to make him feel on the outside everything I was feeling on the inside. I wanted to stomp on him, to make him cough up blood. I wanted...to kill him." "But just before I could find him, he hoofed it somewhere else. I couldn't even get revenge. This was infuriating." "Back at Canterlot, I tried to get my sister's to understand, but they didn't even recognize me. They thought I was a monster, and wanted nothing to do with me. I was exiled to the badlands soon after. At first, I could understand." "And then they replaced me with Cadence, and gave that taffy maned, cotton candy coated bitch my place as princess." "It was around that time I discovered that, whatever thing i was now, I could shape-shift." "I pretended to be so many different ponies, constantly going back and forth between the badlands and the Crystal Empire as different ponies to practice this new skill of mine. And just as I was about to launch my attack on the Empire, I discovered another neat little trick." "I. Could lay. Eggs. This opened up so many possibilities for me, and I'll be bucked if I wasn't gonna use them. An army of whatever I was now-I still hadn't thought up a name for my new species- going against the princesses? Sign me up." "I planned out everything perfectly, from where we would live, how we would live, how I would set up my army, how and when we would eat-I discovered that being the former princess of love allowed me to feast on love itself, which until now I never knew could be eaten.- and what we would do." "After about 10 years, I had everything in place. A kingdom of Changelings-I had a name at the time- an army of well trained soldiers, and a food source to drain from them if they did not comply.It was all. just. perfect." "Then Twilight Sparkle happened, and my plans went down the tube. She was just like me, when I learned a special secret a those years ago. She just didn't know it yet." "What she lacked in experience, she made up for in sheer magical power, and I lost spectacularly." "Which brings us to now. That defeat made me rethink things a bit. Now, I just miss my sisters, for Faust's sake. I wanna be a pony again. Experience love in a form that isn't magically infused mist that tastes like cherries. I want my life back." "So, no, my poor, poor little drone. I'm not your mother. At least, not the one your deserve in your life. I'm a reject. A washout. An outsider in a land that used to adore me. And the worst part is? I still love them. Just as much as I love you." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: You Forgot Your Toothbrush! author: FamousLastWords tags: character:Spike, character:Starlight Glimmer, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== How a Toothbrush Changed History === The afternoon sun was setting over the peaceful village of Ponyville. It's within this village that Starlight Glimmer could be found, staring at the piece of paper in front of her. A paper that is planted with a freshly coated royal seal of approval. Dear Starlight, Thank you very much for the courageous act you did of helping my sister and I get along. We've said it before and we'll say it again: We couldn't have done it without you. However, there is one curious detail about the event in which we must know the truth. Your toothbrush seemed to oddly resemble Spike. Is there something we should know about? Or are we reading too much into it. Please, if you could, we'd love at least some detail in regards to this, due to the fact there is hardly anything going on at the castle currently and we need something to occupy our time with. Sincerely, Princess Celestia Starlight's glossy eyes scanned the letter once more, ensuring the accuracy of the information she had read. If only Twilight would have foreseen the embarrassing, no, borderline humiliating consequences of bringing her cavity cleansing apparel to the royal castle. She knew it wouldn't be long before someone had to ask about it. She shook her head, blinked a few times for added measure, grabbed her trusty quill and paper and began her response. It wasn't much of a story, but it was interesting nonetheless. Dear Princess Celestia, About that Spike themed toothbrush. It's not what it would seem… Day 1 of Starlight Living At The Castle "Here you are, Starlight!" Twilight screeched, the largest smile she could muster plastered across her face. "Your very own room in the castle, as promised. If you're gonna be staying here, I figured we should at least make you feel comfortable." Starlight walked past her and looked around her room. It was, quite frankly, not what she had expected. It could hardly be considered a bedroom. Its sheer size and royal appeal made it look more like the home for a dance theater of sorts. Crystal chandelier, elegant throw pillows and purple sheets adorned the bed and a large floral print rug was laid across the floor. "Oh, Twilight, this really wasn't necessary," she said. "I don't need all this." "Oh, I insist," she replied. "Just because you were an anarchist villain in the past doesn't mean that same noise has to echo into your future. And look!" Twilight rushed in and levitated a book off the perfectly placed shelving. She levitated it over to Starlight, who read off the cover. "Upper Class, Lower Class, No Class: A New World Economic Order'?" "For authenticity!" Starlight resisted the urge to ignite the book into a burst of flaming horror, but instead gave a smile the old college try and placed the book on a nearby counter. "Twilight, thank you so much for all of this. But, really, you didn't need to go through all of this trouble just for me. I hardly deserve it." Twilight strolled over to her and placed a hoof of comfort upon her shoulder. "Starlight, this is a new start for you. But, I promise, with the help of all your new friends, everything will turn out great. You deserve a room to yourself just like anypony else would." Starlight let out a sigh and looked the alicorn in the eye. "Well, as they say, no use in crying over spilt milk, I suppose. Thank you, Twilight. This room is lovely." "I'm glad to hear it," Twilight said. "I promise, it may be strange at first, but give it some time and Ponyville will begin to feel like home to you, alright?" "I'll definitely try my best." Starlight cracked a smile. "Excellent. Now, will you be joining Spike and I for dinner tonight? It'll be ready in just a few minutes. It can be a celebration of your first night in town!" Starlight thought for a moment but she only had one answer. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I honestly think I'm going to turn in early. The train ride over here was a bit long and I'm pretty tired. But, I promise, I'll have that celebration meal with you two tomorrow." Twilight nodded. "That's fair. Well, get some sleep, and I'll make sure Spike gives you a full tour of the castle tomorrow, alright?' "Sounds good!" Twilight waved and exited the room, leaving Starlight to herself. The unicorn let out a breathy sigh and hopped onto her bed. She wasn't lying when she said she was tired, but more than that, she needed some time to herself. The wooden ceiling she was used to had been replaced with the highest quality stone and crystal. The cheap, torn up carpet her hooves got comfortable stepping on day after day was now replaced with a luxurious one that she didn't want to touch, for fear of messing up its perfection. This room is so beautiful. This castle is perfect. But it's not home. Starlight tossed and turned on top of the throw pillows and feather filled comforter beneath her. How could she get used to luxury like this when she was born and raised around the simple things of life? She eventually pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, however, upon a quick taste of her own breath. As per every night, she needed to grab her toothbrush and take care of said problem. She wouldn't be able to sleep without doing so. She hopped off the bed and rummaged through her suitcase. Deodorant, shampoo, mane brush… where was it? Where was it?! Starlight dumped all the contents of her suitcase the ground and rummaged through them as if seeking out a long-hidden treasure. However, her search for the spoils proved to be fruitless. "I can't believe I forgot my toothbrush!" Starlight had to resist every urge of her body telling her to punch something. Of all the things to leave behind, it had to be one thing that was part of her routine. The one thing she needed to feel at least a tad comfortable. It wasn't fair. She slouched to the ground and felt a tear drip down her cheek. It wasn't about the toothbrush, it wasn't about the perfect surroundings. It wasn't about anything. But at the same time, it was everything. She slowly rose to her hooves and crawled back onto her bed once more. Sleep would be a luxury tonight, but there was nothing else to do but close her eyes and try her best to let her mind drift away… *knock knock* Her eyes shot open. "Yeah, who is it?" "It's Spike!" She groaned and hopped back off her bed. She slumped over to the door and popped it open, revealing the small dragon. "Hi there, Starlight!" he said with a bright smile. "I'm sorry to bother you." She shook the negativity from her mind and smiled back. "No, it's alright, Spike. What's up?" "Well," he began, "I was in the bathroom, polishing my scales and other dragon things, when I noticed that you hadn't brought your toothbrush in yet. Mine was there, Twilight's was there, but you didn't seem to have one. So, I just was wondering if you'd like to have my extra toothbrush, just in case you forgot yours." Spike held out the still sealed toothbrush to her, a bright smile on his face. Starlight took it from him and eyed it over. "I found it in the store the other day and was gonna use it, but I figured you could use it more. It's dragon style, and actually looks kinda like me, don't ya think?' Sure enough, the toothbrush was the exact same color and pattern as the little guy. Starlight, against all odds, felt a smile forming on her lips. The first one she hadn't had to force all day. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Spike" She used her magic to place it on top of a nearby counter for ease of use in the very near future. "I actually did forget mine." "Oh, I know the feel," Spike said. "I forgot mine once when Twilight and I went on a trip together, and I didn't feel right the whole time. I had to go out and buy a new one right away. Figured I could save you the trouble. Especially because you're not super familiar with the area, yet." Starlight nodded and smiled. "Well, Spike, I really appreciate this. Thank you very much, once again." The dragon waved goodbye and skipped down the hall, most likely off to dinner with Twilight. Starlight picked up the toothbrush once more and looked it over. This place may not be home yet, but this was definitely a start. ...So as you can see, Celestia, it's nothing creepy or interesting. The toothbrush was just a gift and the first thing that made me start viewing Ponyville as a home of sorts. Sorry to disappoint you if you wanted some drama to read about. With all due respect, Starlight Glimmer Starlight rolled up the parchment, sealed it and put it in her drawer. It could wait until tomorrow to send off. She exited her room and walked down the hall to the bathroom where Spike was, as usual, polishing his scales and doing other dragon things. "Hey, Spike, we still on for that rematch at Marenopoly tonight? Because, I was totally thinking we should make some under the table kind of deals during the game and we might be able to finally overthrow Twilight from her capitalist crown." "Heck yeah!" he said, running out to the hall with her. "If we work together, she's going down. Then we'll get the bragging rights around here for once!" "Oh yeah, we got this." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Wub Her Right In The Pussy author: Zyrah tags: character:DJ P0N-3, character:Octavia, genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Wub Her Right In The Pussy === The door shuts with a slam as Octavia slumps over to her bed located across from Vinyl's. She throws her heavy, engorged backpack on the bed. Vinyl is laying on her bed, hooves crossed and headphones on, her head bobbing back and forth to the beat. Her eyes are closed, seemingly asleep to the rhythm of the drum and bass. She opens an eye for a split second and then closes it again, a smile creeping to the corner of her mouth. Not even noticing her roommate, Octavia trudges to the bathroom and closes the door. Vinyl opens both eyes this time and looks around. Noticing that her roommate is gone and the bathroom door is shut, she hops off the bed, leaving the headphones behind. After a fantastic stretch of the back, she walks over to the door and puts her ear to the door. She hears the shower cut on and she scoffs. Knocking on the door loudly, Vinyl yells, "So, I don't even get a hello?!" "Vinyl, I am not in the mood for your shenanigans," Octavia replies with a rude undertone. "And I'm not in the mood for you to not be in the mood for my shenanigans," Vinyl says in a matter-of-fact voice. Octavia cracks the door slightly, just enough to put her head through. "I'm serious, Vinyl." Before Vinyl could respond however, a knocking at the door interrupts her. In response she gets right up in Octavia's face and yells as loud as she can, "I'VE GOT IT!" Before darting over to the door. Octavia huffs and says, "Unbelievable," before shutting the bathroom door again. Vinyl arrives at the door and swings it open. A blonde maned mare stands in the door and says softly, "Uhm...delivery for Vinyl Scratch." "That's me!" Vinyl says grabbing the little square box the mare is holding. Leaning in for just a second, she whispers in Derpy's ear, "Thanks," before slowly licking the side of her face. Vinyl straightens up and closes the door. Derpy shouts from the other side, "I knew you were going to do that!" Vinyl ignores it and trots over to her bed and begins unpacking the box. "I can't believe it's finally here!" Her horn lights up and rips the box into shreds and holds another box. This one is the actual speaker box, it's called Mr. Wubzy, the perfect speaker for on the go! She eagerly, but gently, pulls it out of the box and hooks the auxiliary cord up to her disk spinning rig as the output device. The speaker is silver and silky smooth with a grill on the top and a small one and a quarter inch subwoofer behind the grill. It is shaped like a cola can, roughly the same size as well. The auxiliary port on Mr. Wubzy is at the bottom and she plugs it in. Pulling up a bassy track on her turntables, she tests the new speaker, to find out if it is worth the bits. The song starts out and builds up and right the forty-five second mark, it drops. The little speaker bottles out, but it is still remarkably loud for its size. She knew it was no eighteen inch sub, but she is still impressed that the little device can handle such high bass but at the same time give clarity to the rest of the sound ranges. Octavia walks out of the bathroom, a trail of steam following her out. "Vinyl, could you please turn that down," she whines. Vinyl turns it off and asks, "what has got you so worked up today, Tavy?" "I am not at liberty to talk about it," she says turning away from Vinyl and looking through her backpack for something. "I am though," Vinyl says, insisting her roomie to tell her. "Do you really want to know," Octavia asks with a sigh. Mimicking her friends' accent and style, Vinyl replies, "why yes, it would pleasure my ears to here your story." "This isn't funny Vinyl," Octavia snaps at her which quickly grabs her undivided attention. Once she sees that Vinyl isn't going to say anything else, she sighs, "My coltfriend dumped me when I thought we were about to...you know..." "Oh wow, that's harsh," Vinyl says, not letting her friend's damp mood bring her down. "I know! And now I'm left with this sensation that I can't seem to get to go away," Octavia says as she turns around and begins pulling back the covers of her bed. "I guess I will just sleep it off." At first Vinyl thought against it as it would surely upset her friend but in the end, it doesn't even matter. Grabbing the portable speaker and with her roommate's snatch fully exposed, she puts the speaker right against her clit, and blasts a very bassy song for just a split second before pulling away. Octavia jumps in shock and covers her coochie with her tail. "Vinyl, what the hell?!" "I was trying to wub the feeling away," she says with false innocence. "What do you mean?" "Wubs make all of my feelings go away...especially my ears," Vinyl says, bobbing her head slightly. Octavia rubs her back legs together and rolls her eyes lightly. "Well, that did feel kinda good." Vinyl's eyes widen and she asks eagerly, "That means I can wub you right in the pussy?!" "Uhh...not exactly with that terminology but-" "Fantastic!" Vinyl says before using her magic to shove the speaker up Octavia's clopper with a popping sound. Octavia shouts in shock and closes her legs together but it's too late. Vinyl scrolls through her playlist and plays the next bass boosted track she finds. "Vinyl stop this-" But then the bass kicks in and all Octavia can do is purr at the sensation inside of her. Her juices immediately start flowing and her moaning way louder than Vinyl would have expected from such a timid mare. Leaning in closer to her roommate Vinyl whispers, "Do you want me to stop now?" With a whimper at the thought of stopping, Octavia shakes her head slowly. The song is about to hit the second bass drop and the build up is happening. The kick drum starts out slow but with every single hit it causes Octavia to squeal in ecstasy. Then, the entire song stops and Octavia voices her opinion of the event with a disappointed moan but at exactly that moment, the bass drops. Even the most talented of porn stars couldn't have topped what Octavia is doing in performance for her roommate. Speaking of her roommate... She isn't at all fazed by the fact that there is a mare in her bedroom that is grinding out her feelings on a small subwoofer shouting at the top of her lungs laying on the bed next to her. She simply just sways with the beat and rhythm of the track. Octavia's groin liquids are flowing like a waterfall and pooling beneath as they run down her petite hindquarters. The last beat of the song plays out and the room becomes silent again with the exception of labored breaths coming from Octavia. She hasn't even hit her climax yet, so another disappointed moan slips from her muzzle. That's when she notices that Vinyl really isn't doing anything at all. Almost as if Octavia isn't even there. "Vinyl?" "Yes, Tavi." "I thought you would join in or something...it's your speaker after all," Octavia says blushing at the thought that she is getting off to a speaker currently filling up her love canal. "Well, Tavi, if that's what you want..." Vinyl starts calmly before scrolling through her music collection. Finding the perfect track for this situation, she hits play and sings along with singer of the song, "That's exactly what you're gunna get!" The bass drops immediately and Octavia's moans create a perfect harmony with the beat. Vinyl bends down and stares at her friend's no-no square and licks her lips because she knows this is about to be the perfect dinner. Diving right in and cutting through the bullshit, Vinyl goes right for the nub. She sloppily drags her tongue up the length of her roommate's flower which gains an expected reaction from Octavia. Vinyl turns her head to the side to listen to the song that's playing when she does something that Octavia wasn't expecting. Vinyl sticks her entire hoof up Octavia's mare juice plastered cunt hole and grabs the speaker and pulls it out. She listens to it a second more and pops it back in which causes Octavia to moan once again but before the pleasure can really settle into her nethers, Vinyl pulls it out again. Octavia leans up to see what she is up to and pouts over the music, "what in Equestria are you doing?" Vinyl puts her hoof up to her muzzle and shushes her. Before pulling her hoof back down, she catches a whiff of her fuck buddy's fluids and licks it all off with a satisfied exhale. Once again continuing what she was doing, Vinyl puts the speaker back into Octavia's love canal once more, in which she says, "sorry, I was just admiring your acoustics." As the rumbling of the little speaker stimulates Octavia, she can't even reply with a scoff but instead, a loud moan. Vinyl goes down on her a second time, but before she can even do anything her face is splattered with love liquid. Without even attempting to wipe or lick any of it off, she comes out from in between Octavia's legs and stares at her roommate for a moment before asking bluntly, "did you just cum?" Octavia replies with her voice humming with the bass, "Nope, but I'm almost there." "Huh," Vinyl says before descending back down in between Octavia's legs. She gets eye level with Octavia's petite entrance before getting splattered once again with her love juices. Vinyl proceeds to lick her entire face off with one big 360 degree lick and her face lights up. She quickly swallows all of the mare cum and reaches into Octavia's tunnel once more and grabs the speaker and extracts it from the greedy hole. Octavia groans in disapproval and leans her head back and whimpers at the ceiling. She was so close! Vinyl looks over the speaker and sees where the grate on top of the sub is just a snap on. She quickly loosens it and takes the grill off the speaker, the 1" inch sub vibrating on and off with the beat of the current track. Vinyl plants the cylinder device back in, the sub barely visible inside Octavia and is facing her. She then scrolls through her playlist and finds the hardest and heaviest hitting song she has. Without waiting for approval, she presses play on the song. Octavia immediately jolts with pleasure as the track rumbles to life. The slow build up causing her to moan and groan, Octavia can feel her orgasm starting to build up with it. The double bass drum indicating an imminent bass drop, the speaker shifts only slightly. But that one half of a centimeter shift causes Octavia's back to arch and an almost painful sounding scream to erupt from her muzzle. The speaker has found the elusive g-spot. Not risking losing the opportunity, Vinyl quickly goes down on her roommates clitoris, suckling and nibbling as hard and as fast as she can. This causes Octavia to squeal in ways that you'd never hear her do in any other situation. She can feel her fuck mate's pussy start to tense up as it begins squirting. All over the sheets, all over the floor, and a few droplets hitting the ceiling, her hot g-spot juices are flowing like a river. Vinyl's face is covered with the clear mare cum. Along with this sudden development, Octavia shouts out one more time as the bass drops and her orgasm finally makes its way downtown and out of her pussy. Vinyl opens her mouth wide as all of the dribbling mare cum sloshes onto the subwoofer and causing it to hit her at break neck speed with an audible smack. As Octavia's pussy climbs to a higher sensitivity, she quickly wiggles the vibrating music machine out of her. Breathing harder than a marathon runner, Octavia slumps backwards on the pillow. Then the music stops. Vinyl picks up the speaker and carefully examines it. "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww," she sighs. The mare cum fried the electronics. "Now I don't get a turn." She walks to the nearby window and throws the speaker outside into the road, still slippery with clear fluid. Closing the window she says, "I bet that was fantastic." When she doesn't get a reply right away, she looks at her friend in confusion. Octavia is fast asleep. Vinyl laughs at this softly, so as not to wake her roommate. The normally sophisticated, clean, and well-mannered pony now lays with legs spread wide, mare juice pooling beneath her slightly widened love hole. Vinyl grabs her phone and takes a picture of the scene. She pulls up the Instagrain app and posts: #BlownAway <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Fire of Friendship author: Azarune tags: character:Derpy Hooves, character:Original Character, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Roadside Encounter === It was another beautiful day in Equestria. The beginning of spring had come and the snow was already melting. The pegasi had just started moving the clouds away, so Celestia's sun began warming everyone after a long winter. Days like this made Cinder feel happy to be a traveler and not subject to the "hundred year sleep" for which dragons are famous. Cinder was a small specimen for a dragon, perhaps twice as tall as a pony when he walked on his hind legs. His "base coat", as it were, was dark green and his underbelly and wings accented that color with bright yellow. The grass began to show, and whether by clever use of the conditions, or unicorn magic, the road remained dry compared to the muddy hills. Only Cinder was present to enjoy this tranquility. His solitude was not entirely self-inflicted. Most dragons see other dragons as a threat to one another's territories, and ponies were understandably uncomfortable around anydragon bigger than themselves. Lovely day like always, though a little too cold for my taste. Cinder felt a chill run down his spine. Despite being cold-blooded, dragons are able to survive in moderately cold conditions thanks to their inner fire. It was an uneventful walk. At midday Cinder decided to take a break from walking, he didn't feel very motivated to traveling. If anything he felt bored, so without a second thought, Cinder scratched at the ground tentatively. Curling himself into a relaxing position, he then succumbed to the stillness around him. Before long, the countryside rang with the sound of a dragon snoring. *** As Cinder slept, he dreamed of flying across Equestria and never needing to land. He half-remembered seeing the amazing places that he could enjoy; soon the images faded black. Barely acknowledging that he was awake, Cinder couldn't tell if the voice he heard was in a dream or real. "Uh, excuse me sir? Mr. Dragon?" Cinder didn't even open his eyes. Barely awake as it was, he settled on the fact that the voice was actually just part of a dream. "Um, is this the right way to Mexicolt City?" This dream is very persistent. An Cinder tried the oldest trick in the book for dispelling pestering dreams trying to wake you up. "Five more minutes..." Hearing no response, Cinder felt smugly victorious and prepared to go back to sleep. That was when he felt something lay down on his head. It sunk behind the back of his head. This unknown object sunk itself on the top of his skill. What Cinder first acknowledged was that the object was fuzzy; the second was that the object was alive. He felt the weight of it's chest slowly rising and falling. Admitting defeat Cinder decided to open his eyes. Raising his neck slightly, he was shocked to discover a pair of yellow eyes looking back at him. He had to blink a few times to make sense on what he was seeing. Here was a mare, and she appeared to be unfazed that she was sitting on top of a dragon. She had a grey coat with a yellow mane. The most peculiar feature that her eyes were both facing different directions. She had her face pressed to his, the top of her head resting gently over his snout. As time seemed to freeze the strange mare gave a smile. "Oh, good, you're awake. I am so sorry for waking you up. But I was wondering if this road lead to Mexicolt City, I came from over there." she pointed one of her hooves towards the direction Cinder was heading. Cinder felt the ponies weight lifting from to his head and neck, allowing him to see exactly what the pony looked like. She was a pegasus, with her tail was almost the same as her mane, yellow not even. Her cutie mark; bubbles. He could only imagine how that manifests into her special talent. Cinder could only give her an odd look before speaking in a very raspy voice. One that sounded like it hadn't been used in weeks. "Uhh, well I am not familiar with that town," Cinder paused. "Where is it located?" "Oh, its south of Ponyville, waaaay south," the walleyed pony responded. Cinder only briefly looked at the road where she came from, and looked at the sun, which had just begun its descent, to the right of the road he came from. "I am sorry, but you're going north," The pegasus blinked, and her eyes went in two different directions when they opened again. "Dagnab it! Not again! At least I didn't go east like last time. Once again Ditzy you delayed Spring for Ponyville!" She said with a cast down look, which was off set slightly because one of her eyes was pointed skyward. Cinder felt some pity for the pony and decided to see if he could help. "Well, now I am sure it isn't the end of the world. Why exactly do you have get to Mexicolt City?" "I was assigned by the other pegasi that I needed to go tell the birds down South that it was time for them to come back up North. But once again I messed up; I have the rest of the team up there." She pointed a hoof up in the sky, and there were two other pegasi. "Why haven't they come down to help?" asked Cinder, wondering why he didn't notice them sooner. "Too nervous. We had a dragon doing some 100 year nap a few months ago," she said with a matter of fact tone, still with her eyes crossed. "Oh yeah, some of us are like that; dragons are a varied lot. Anyway, so you need to go south to pick up the birds and, you accidentally lead your team north?" "That about sums it up." The pegasus stated with a cross eyed look of defeat. Cinder looked briefly up at the sky, seeing the other pegasi giving the same look, and with a shake of his head he looked back at the grey mare. "Now, no reason for you three to look so defeated, it's only about 1:00 in the afternoon! You got a lot of time to cover enough ground to make it to Mexicolt City," he pointed to the South with a clawed finger for emphasis. "Sure you'll be a few hours late, but that is better than never." The mare, giving him an odd look tilted her head slightly before a smile slowly formed on her face. "You're absolutely right! A mailmare like myself shouldn't just give up on a job! Alright I guess I'll go fly south! Thanks for the directions Mr. Dragon! See you again!" giving a quick wave, she turns around to fly off. She quickly turns around again to face Cinder. "Oh, by the way, I'm Ditzy Doo, what's your name?" Cinder gave her a quick look, shocked that she waited this long to introduce herself, "It's Cinder." with another wave she dashed off to the other pegasi and began flowing south. Cinder blinked momentarily, watching the three pegasi shrink from view. Ditzy Doo huh? There was a small smile creeping onto the dragons features, Hopefully we will meet again… with that Cinder settled back down, hoping to at least get a few more hours of sleep. AN: Hopefully this is better than the original. Criticism is always welcomed! === Smoke and Zebras === Cinder slept through the afternoon, waking up just when Celestia started raising her starry night and moon, he remembered his grandfather told him about Celestia. She was the goddess of the sun, but she had to control both the sun and the moon. Princess Luna, Celestia's sister controlled the movement of the moon, but hundreds of years ago Luna betrayed Celestia, which led to her banishment. As Cinder became more awake he needed to take stock of where he was, and what he was doing. Seeing that he was in the middle of the still dry road everything came galloping back. That grey mare, yes, with the eyes. Hopefully she made it to Mexicolt City in time. He nodded and began to stretch. With a sigh of relief he arches his back and spreads his wings to their limits. Cinder strains his muscles to see if he could just extend his body a few more centimeters, imagining he could simply just let his joints fall apart for perfect relaxation. Once satisfied he began crouching down, furled his wings, and began running along the road. After reaching a speed that suited him, he leapt into the air, unfurled his wings and began the most strenuous part of flying for a dragon at ground level: the take off. Slowly but surely he began to leave the ground, flapping faster and faster until he reached a suitable distance from the ground. Once off the ground, Cinder only needed to keep his wings spread and do the occasional flap to maintain his altitude. The night sky was beautiful to behold, the moon was full and bright allowing Cinder could notice anything interesting. As the moments passed his mind began to wander back to Ditzy Doo. First encounter with anyone I've had in months, he snorted. Still, she confronted a sleeping dragon by lying on his head. That smile crept back into his face, amazed at the spunk that little pony had. Then his thoughts brought him back to the little smile, the one he had after when she hoped they would meet again. "Hopefully we will" that was his mental response. Shaking his head annoyance, Cinder could only ponder why he even thought that, for years he kept himself away from others. Whatever effect Ditzy had on him, it shook his entire set of principals. Was it that spirit he mentioned earlier? Perhaps. What about her innocence? No, any encounters he'd had previously had always put ponies in a good light. The check list continued. Was it her eyes? No. Her voice? No. The possible traits that made Cinder desire to meet up with Ditzy were checked and dismissed. He began to ponder actually trying to find her, to see if a second encounter will shed more light. Cinder groaned and breathed a burst of flame into the air, he let himself fly through the embers and the heat helped clear his mind. He couldn't deal with this, he made a vow long ago that he wouldn't make friends with ponies. It wasn't out of contempt, but out of fear. Ponies lived barely a fraction of his lifespan and making friends with other dragons was a dangerous affair. Though the everyday pony thinks that all dragons are solitary creatures, there are some dragons that prefer to stay with their families. Some are even raised by ponies. It was actually heavily debated among the more scholarly drakes on how the ponies even get the eggs, but it has been widely accepted as just something that is and tolerated because most pony born dragons became happy and strong individuals that don't cause any problems to the species, and no dragon mother has ever been reported to have an egg stolen.. Between the dragon clans and pony born, there were the solitary dragons scattered about and the chances of finding a civil one who just likes being alone, instead of one who would rather fight than talk, is only known to Celestia. Friends will lead to heartbreak... Or bursting into flame... Trying focus his mind on something else, Cinder spread his gaze over the land. The evidence of a town was beginning to reveal itself. To his left, he could see a massive castle nestled on the side of a mountain, surrounded by buildings. The fields by this town were green and welcoming, obviously cleared by the ponies. With a quick acknowledgement, Cinder continued flying. Soon he began to live in the moment, enjoying sensation of flying. He began darting through the air, doing corkscrews and barrel rolls. This trick flying went on for an hour before Cinder got bored. As began gauge his bearings, Cinder began to see another town in the distance. Once again, the fields were clear, but instead of a castle, it was just a collection of colorful houses with some buildings looking more elegant than the other. The small village had a certain simple charm compared to the elegant city that appealed to Cinder who just liked the more simple things in life. Great more towns, I can never fly past a dried riverbed, or deserted quarry can I? Cinder spewed a stream of flame in frustration, not caring if anyone noticed a flying dragon. However, one thing caught his eye, a forest to the left of the small town, still covered in snow. Flying lower to get a better look, he confirmed that the ponies had skipped over this forest. Cinder's curiosity about this strange forest grew, as he could see the ruins of a castle. As he flew over the canopy, he could feel the air get colder. Even the sky felt different in this forest. No longer clear and bright, but clouds only stationed in the forest just added to the sense of mystery the forest gave Cinder. As he flew closer to the castle he saw purple banners and a massive ravine in front of the castle. Most of the building was still intact, though there were some holes in the roof, nothing made it seem to be unlivable for a dragon. Even the surrounding area seemed to have less snow. Whether the open sky helped it melt, or former enchantments caused this, Cinder didn't care. If the forest keep ponies away from clearing up the snow, then this weird castle will. As that went into his head, an idea sprung from it. This place seems nice and cozy for a dragon... better than any cave I've slept in. What are the odds of me finding a place like this one? It is probably just deserted, and I bet I can handle anything in this forest. Cinder started to nod to his idea- GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE Cinder quickly went on all fours and tried to make himself look as intimidating as he could, raising his spines and wings to try and look like the picture perfect dragon. He started circling until he ended up facing the castle. A low hiss could be heard emanating from his throat. Then he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, his pulse quickened, and for a moment he thought he was attacked. It was only until the second time he heard the sound, before Cinder could determine where it came from. It was coming from his stomach, immediately he was blushing in embarrassment. Of course I would forget that I haven't eaten since yesterdayhe thought allowing himself to relax again. "I thought I saw a dragon in the sky, welcom-" That was all the voice could say, because Cinder not only jumped a few feet in the air, he but gave a high pitched yelp in shock. As he scrambled to turn around he heard the voice laughing. Preparing to pounce on the intruder, Cinder backed down when he saw who the intruder was. It was a pony, Cinder couldn't tell what type of pony because she wore a brown robe that masked her features. Still, he was able to notice that her legs were colored strangely; they were white with black stripes (or black with white stripes.) Even with questions in his mind, Cinder knew that he had to do something to make it known that he wasn't afraid. So he put on his best poker face (which he thought was pretty good, but was, in reality, fairly average) and directed a small puff of flame towards the stranger. Not enough to burn her, but enough to make her back away, or flee in terror, it could go either way. The stranger held her ground, and didn't even whimper. As the flames died she began to speak, in an irritated tone. "Now I understand why you're jumpy But that's no reason to be grumpy I was wondering why the sky glowed bright Though I never expected it from a dragon in flight." Cinder's spines started to droop at her tone. Feeling pretty lousy at how rude it was of him to do that. Stupid dragon pride, I swear it's going to be the downfall of my race. Looking at the ground Cinder swallowed what pride he had, and apologized. "My apologies, you caught me by surprise, and I was trying to-um-" Cinder began to blush, "you know, prove that I wasn't afraid..." He rubbed his right arm in embarrassment, "it's a dragon thing, we like to have the upper hand..." Cinder looked up briefly to see that the stranger was nodding her head. She once again spoke in rhyme, but with a softer tone this time. "Apology accepted though this was to be expected. I've seen a dragon here once or twice though much bigger and with much more vice." "I would like to know something though. I can understand you noticing me in the sky, but why didn't you run when I breathed fire?" Cinder quickly stuttered trying to make the question seem less, insinuating. "Uh, what I mean is dragons aren't the most sociable creatures in Equestria so why risk being attacked?" "Well for having such good intuition I'll inform you on what was my mission. I use herbs and potions to augment myself so a fire retardant elixir would be beneficial to my health. "Now for the question you've given I'll tell what why I was driven, on why did I come So be still your tongue." Cinder quickly shut his mouth and let her finish. "Though I know very little about your cold-blooded race. But I know dragons will fight to lay claim to space. I was worried the fight would be too big a risk to let it even begin, so I came up with this: To warn you about the forest I live in The strangeness and foreboding that you must have been feelin'. That this place is cursed and dangerous for all unless you have magic to keep it forestalled. But you settled quite far from where the drake's sleeping so instead of a warning I came bearing a greeting." "Oh, well, ummm... Hi. Thanks for welcoming me to... uuuuh," Cinder could only scratch the back of his head, and give her an awkward smile. "Oh, the forest you see is known as Everfree. And I wasn't lying about the forest conspiring. It goes on its own For long it has grown the lives in here as well are also under it's spell. They take care of themselves no matter how hard ponies delve." "I see, well, thank you again and-" once again Cinder's stomach began rumbling again, causing the stranger to laugh. Cinder could only give a sigh before looking at her. "I should probably get going to find something to eat. Pleasure meeting you Miss?" "Oh, no need to call me Miss if anything it will make me remiss Ponies call me Zecora I live with the flora of the forest you see under the Trees of Everfree" Zecora then pulled off her hood and gave Cinder quite a shock. Zecora didn't look like anypony he has ever seen. Instead of a coat with one color, it was white with black stripes, or was it black with white stripes? Cinder would ask her that later. Everything about her was foreign and mysterious, from the earrings she wore, to her mannerisms, her eyes. "But now I've shown my indentity may I ask what you call thee?" "Uh, I call myself Cinder...?" Again his stomach growled, and again Zecora laughed. "Have you eaten at all? Before you answered my call? What do you eat? Is it gems? Flowers? Meats?" In his head Cinder was absolutely livid with himself. For years he kept away from talking, and now here he is; talking his mouth off with some new type of pony. What did Ditzy do to him and more importantly how was he going to get out of this situation? But first he had to answer Zecora's question; "I eat what I can find," Cinder said, and then realized he found his method of escape. "Speaking of food, I got to go find something to eat. So I bid you a good day Zecora, or night as the case may be," but before he could even begin taking off Zecora shook her head at him and bid him to stay. "If apples are what you can eat I have some at home that none can beat. So let's get you something before your stomach shrinks to nothing" She began to walk over the bridge, but Cinder stayed where he was. Halfway across the bridge she looked behind her. "Is something the matter Cinder?" Zecora gave him a curious look. Cinder only gave her a brief glance and began walking towards the bridge. Only to walk towards the edge of the ravine and jump off. As he reached the bottom, he spread out his wings, and began making his ascent back towards the bridge. Zecora had a look of confusion, and Cinder could only give nod to her. "Thank you for the offer Zecora, but I need to keep going." Trying to think of a reason, he remembered her mentioning another dragon. "Dragons have very large territories; I don't want to risk the forests safety." Hopefully that will satisfy her curiosity. This was actually, not entirely fabricated by Cinder, most dragons will let another dragon intrude on a small portion of "their space" as long as the intruder does not present itself as a threat. Zecora raised an eyebrow, and Cinder could already feel the sweat began to form on his brow. But instead of Zecora calling his bluff, she gave a made a small nod. "I see, I see I guess the visit mustn't be But I hope you come visit me One day, right here in Everfree. Just call my name I'll do the same So we can become acquainted. But now you should go, and get some food so your strength will be unabated" As she walked over the bridge back into the forest, Cinder began flying aimlessly, hoping to find someplace where he could rest and eat. === A Dime(ond) Dog a Dozen === As all Ponyville citizens know, there is a barren and rocky area near the town. What they don't know however was that this placed had gems of all sorts just underneath the surface. For many years ponies never gave the place any thought, for why should they? All ponies with cutie marks tied with mining were out west, and the famous Element of Generosity hadn't yet need to explore. The desolate place looked sinister in the night, the clearing itself only had a single tree clinging for life. While a shorts walk away had jagged rocks jutting out of the ground, casting frightful shadows, all the while the distant sound of scratching and howls punctured the silence of the night. Though this place was frightening to some ponies, most dragons would find it a perfect camp site. Cinder landed with a loud thud, immediately began scratching at the ground. He could smell the gems, just beneath the surface. Quickly a mound of dirt was form around him, using both arms he furiously tore at the earth. Soon after Cinder began to see a glint something shiny, which only made him redouble his eforts. scoopful of rock and dirt revealed what would be considered his dinner. Varied colors of red, blues and greens. Not even picking up the gems Cinder leaned in and feasted on the precious stones. Too experience the taste of gems is a rare one indeed, asking any dragon to describe it wouldn't be able to satisfy a curious mind whose diet doesn't already consist on them. Once this vein of gems was depleted Cinder began digging for another batch. No longer worried about having to find food his thoughts finally began to catch up with him. "Humf, at least I have gemstones..." picking a nice gem and popping into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "I suppose I could make myself a den out here... Enough gems, far away from anything..." a sigh escaped Cinder's mouth, as he began to flick crumbs of gemstone using his forefingers. Watching them shine in the moonlight while they spun away. "Yeah... Far away." As the seconds seemed to stretch into minutes, Cinder became more and more uncomfortable. Laying on his back he contemplated on the night sky. He stared at the sky, seeing how all the stars differed in size and brightness. Even stars die out, Cinder thought morosely. There are so many theories about the night sky, a few books believed that each star was a sun, untold distances away and eventually what ever fuels them runs out, causing them to die: subsequently any pony astronomers shied away from bringing this theory up. Another theory was Celestia, (and formerly Luna), simply wished to recreate the night sky from time to time, whether because of a master plan or a flight of fancy is another story. Either way stars don't go out often, even some of the oldest drakes can recall only noticing a handful of them go out. There was even a story of a drake recording a star until it died out, and that dragon is still very much alive while the star faded from existence. A loud groan erupted from his mouth, which followed with a bellow of flame. He felt restless, bored, and much to his regret, lonely. Despite Cinder's best efforts, he couldn't resist the urge to crave attention, the overwhelming urge to talk with something, anything, tried as he might no amount of thinking, whining or pacing would satisfy his desire for company. Sadly for him, company was already on its way. As boredom soon followed by inactivity, sleep inevitably crept on Cinder. As the world faded to inky blackness, the distant shuffling of movement could be heard. Ignoring it Cinder allowed himself to drift to sleep. Somewhere just below the surface, the local diamond dogs weren't deaf to the disruption on the surface Spying from a conveniently placed bushed. The three leaders of various sizes: Spot, Fido, and Rover watched the dragon claiming their roof for his own. "Dragon eating precious gems!" gasped Spot, the smallest of the three. "Yesss we must fix problem and get dragon!" Fido, the largest and perhaps the most straightforward of the bunch growled. Nodding in agreement Spot began to climb out of the bush with Fido, until both of them are cuffed on the head by Rover, the "chieftain" of the pack, who began berating them. "No no no, idiots! He has found many preciouses, and he not big dragon either! Take dragon and make him findprecious gems for us." Immediately impressed by such a brilliant plan Spot and Fido began to turn back to the tunnel, muttering about getting reinforcements to capture the drake. As Cinder slept, the diamond dog pack wasted no time to try and apprehend the beast. However, one needed to be brave enough to start getting the ropes under the dragon's body. So naturally the pack decided Spot to risk his hide. An small frighten yelp could be heard as he was launched from a freshly dug hole. The minute Spot was exposed he raised both hands up in surrender as he waited for the inevitable flames. But after a few moments of his fur not igniting, he opened his eyes to discover the dragon was still sleeping. With a sinister glare that Discord himself would sue because of copyright infringement, Spot wasted no time to begin the process of setting up the ropes. Each one was placed gently over and under the dragon, not even tightening them until the pack would be sure that the drake would be secured. Soon Cinder was in a complex web of rope that crisscrossed around all his joints. As the final rope rested on Cinder's snout, Rover, swiftly took claims for such a brilliant plan and it's execution, silently ordered Spot to give the order to restrain the snoozing serpent. With a bitter nod Spot gave the thumb's up to Rover and the others. With a short count (that was neither short nor consisted of much counting) the diamond dogs pulled. In the realm of dreams, Cinder's mind began wandering through the maze of his subconscious, which focused around rhymes and striped bubbles. Authors Note: Wow, it has been maybe half a year since I updated? Well now I feel guilty for anyone who showed an interest in this story. Now I wish I even had an excuse to justify the hiatus, but sadly I have none, so I am truly sorry for those who wanted to see this story continue. Rest assured, I do not plain to forsake this story, and I have been doing my effort to being writing in any form that I can. Also as the months went by I feel that my writing skills have improved drastically and hopefully such progress will be evident in future updates. Post your irks, compliments, suggestions, grievances and complaints below, I always want to improve my writing and try and make my story something worth reading. Note: I have plenty of stories in the works, I just need to write out the chapters. Best wishes everyone! <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Why Don't You Love Me Anymore Celestia? author: RustyNails4 tags: character:Fluttershy, character:Philomena, character:Princess Celestia, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Caged === Why Don't You Love Me Anymore Celestia? Chapter 1 Caged The door to Celestia's bedroom opened and the Princess of the Sun walked in. She removed her crown and her golden shoes before getting into bed. She then levitated a sheet of paper and a quill from her nearby desk and began to write. As she was writing she heard a loud squawk from the corner. She stopped writing for a brief moment. She then let out a small sigh before continuing her letter. Philomena sat in her small golden cage in the corner of the room disappointed that her master ignored her greeting. She watched Celestia carefully, looking at the quill she was using. The quill was a magnificent blood red feather that Philomena gave to Celestia as a sign of her undying love. Philomena always took pride her her beautiful plumage and only gave her feathers to ponies that she loved and trusted. Philomena remembered the day she gave Celestia that feather. It was a happy memory from the time when Celestia would let her out of her cage to play. Celestia had brought Philomena outside for the first time, she was just a fledgling then. Celestia taught her how to fly that day. Philomena and Celestia flew together for the very first time. When they stopped flying for the day Philomena landed on Celestia's horn and plucked her most beautiful feather and put it in Celestia's mane. Celestia finished her letter and used her magic to send it. She let out a satisfied yawn before placing her quill back onto her desk. She loved writing letters to Twilight Sparkle, it was something to look forward to after a long day. She then levitated a green book over to her nightstand putting it down gently. Celestia got up and walked to her bedroom door. She opened the door with her magic and left it wide open. Philomena listened to the clip clop of Celestia's hooves as the sound slowly faded away. About ten minutes went by before Philomena heard the sound of hooves hitting the marble floor. Philomena perked up, and began to coo softly. The pony who walked through the door was not her master, Philomena stopped cooing and looked away from the stallion. She heard him mumble something under his breath about how much he hated birds. He swiftly opened the cage door and refilled Philomena's food and water dishes. Then he slammed the cage door closed and gave Philomena a nasty glare before leaving the room. About an hour went by before Celestia returned from having dinner with a glass of water and a rather large slice of chocolate cake along with a pint of ice cream. When Celestia would still play and cuddle with Philomena, she would often share her cake and ice cream with her. Philomena looked down at her food dish filled with the nasty oats she loathed. Oh how she wished for a bite of that cake. Celestia levitated her book from her night stand and began to read, occasionally taking a bite of her cake and ice cream. Philomena started singing, she wanted to cuddle and eat cake with Celestia just like they used to. She was so very desperate to get her master's attention. after ten minutes of nonstop singing Philomena eagerly awaited for Celestia to praise her for her beautiful song. Celestia didn't respond to Philomena's song. Philomena sang it again. Her master didn't even look over at her. Celestia used to sing with Philomena every day as she would raise the sun. Philomena continued to sing the same song over and over. Desperate to get her master to even look at her she began to sing louder each time. She then tried a different song, but Celestia wouldn't look at her. She even tried whistling a tune she had picked up from one of the guards. After what had seemed like an eternity to Philomena, she gave up her singing. "Pretty bird! Pretty bird!" Philomena chirped loudly. Still no response came from Celestia. "Philomena is a pretty girl. Philomena want a treat? Philomena is a good girl!" again Celestia gave no sign of even hearing Philomena. "I love you" she cooed as loud as she could, but Celestia did not respond. Again and again, she tried chirping and singing to get her beloved master's attention. Frantically, Philomena began dancing and squawking. The Sun Princess continued reading her book despite the uproar coming from the corner. After sometime Celestia began to become annoyed with the noise Philomena was making. "Philomena be quiet!" Celestia scolded her pet as she levitated a thick black cloth over and onto Philomena's cage. Philomena immediately stopped making any sort of sound when the cloth was draped over her cage. Saddened by Celestia's coldness, Philomena lowered her head. She desperately wanted to be let out of her tiny prison. She began to pick at her plumage, plucking out feathers from a spot under her wing. Letting the blood red and gold feathers fall to the filthy cage floor. Her cage hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Philomena was living in her own filth, and it was making her sick. She thought about the yellow mare with the pink mane who had cared so much for her. Philomena felt bad for having been so mean to the Pegasus. Celestia had been so angry with Philomena for how she behaved. Philomena ended up giving the yellow mare a feather as an apology. That was nine months ago, Celestia hasn't taken Philomena anywhere since. Suddenly, Philomena had a brilliant idea. If Celestia didn't love her anymore, then she wouldn't even know Philomena was gone. Philomena decided she was going to find that kind yellow Pegasus mare that cared so much for her. Surely that Pegasus would love her, she just knew it. If she just could find that kind mare everything will be better and she will be happy once again. Philomena stopped plucking her feathers and drifted off to sleep, her mind filled with happy thoughts of the kind yellow mare. === Escape === Why Don't You Love Me Anymore Celestia? Chapter 2 Escape Philomena awoke to the sound of hooves on marble flooring. It was almost time for Princess Celestia to raise the sun. She let out a loud yawn before walking over to her vanity and levitating a brush to her mane. She then placed her crown upon her head and put her golden shoes on. Waiting for the sound of the balcony doors, Philomena listened intently for her cue. When the doors finally opened, Philomena swiftly bit the side of her food bowl and flung it at the side of her cage. With a loud thud, many tasteless brown oats tumbled between the cage bars and the black cloth falling to the floor with soft patter. The oats skittered around the floor just as Philomena had planned. The bowl had made a loud thunk noise as it collided with the cage bars. This got the Princess's attention, halfway out the doors Celestia turned to look at Philomena's cloth covered cage. She took a few steps closer to the cage situated in the corner closest to the balcony doors. The black cloth was levitated off of the cage to reveal a filth covered Philomena. Philomena had reluctantly rolled herself around in her own filth, a vital part of her plan that made her feel absolutely disgusted. Celestia was shocked, with her mouth agape she stared at the filthy phoenix. The putrid smell of the bird's filth wafted into Celestia's nostrils. With a disgusted look on her face she said nothing. Walking back to the balcony Celestia heard the crunching of the nasty oats Philomena had spilled. She needed to raise the sun. She did so without her usual lovely smile, but instead with a dissatisfied frown. With her task finished Celestia was ready to deal with Philomena. Celestia called one of her guards to her bed room. "Please clean up this mess and give Philomena a bath" she said to the guard. "Will do m'lady" the guard replied giving a small bow before he took Philomena's cage from its stand and walked out of the room. He took Philomena outside along with some soap and a tub full of warm water and a cloth. He gently cleaned Philomena scrubbing any trace of filth from her beautiful red and gold feathers. Philomena hadn't had a bath in a couple months. She cooed softly as the water cleaned her and made her feel fresh again. After he had finished bathing her, he began to work on cleaning her cage. As he did so, Philomena spread her wings letting them dry in the warmth of the sun. Her wings dried quickly, as she began to preen her feathers in preparation for the final part of her plan. She felt the wind gently caress her wings, she loved the feeling of the wind between her feathers. She spread her wings and flapped them for the first time in nine long and lonely months. She noticed how weak they had gotten from not being used in so long. She flapped harder finally feeling the lovely spring air beneath her wing as she took off without a sound. She had finally escaped her tiny prison and was off to Ponyville. Remembering the way to the quiet little town from her last trip with her Master, Philomena began her search for the yellow Pegasus mare with the light pink mane. === The Cottage === Why Don't You Love Me Anymore Celestia? Chapter 3 The Cottage Philomena soared high in the sky and away from the castle. She looked back at the castle. She was flying farther and farther away from her beloved master. She knew in her heart that no matter what she will always love Celestia. She would always be Philomena's mother, even if she wasn't a phoenix. Celestia, raised her from an egg, she taught her how to eat, how to fly, how to sing, dance, and talk. Philomena never thought things would end up this way. Celestia was in her eyes a mother. She had always felt safe curled up under Celestia's pure white wings during loud thunderstorms. She would keep Celestia warm during the chilly winter months. Philomena never thought her master, and her beloved mother would ever stop loving her. Philomena was crying now, her vision becoming blurry as she flew over farms and forests. The tears stinging her eyes with their chilly embrace. "Why Don't You Love Me Anymore Celestia?" Philomena thought to herself. The castle no longer in sight Philomena flew on at a steady pace. She looked away from the direction of the castle. After some time, Philomena remembered where she was going, she was going to live with that sweet yellow Pegasus. Philomena stopped crying, as she began thinking of cuddling with the Pegasus and being loved and cared for once again. This brought joy to the phoenix's heart. Time began to pass much faster for Philomena. As Ponyville came into view Philomena's wings began to ache, the bare patches of skin stinging from the crisp, cool spring air. Flapping her wings faster and faster Philomena gained speed. Her body was screaming at her to stop flying, her muscles burning from her long journey. Her stomach began protesting, the sharp pain urging her to stop and eat. Philomena ignored the pain and pressed on. It did not take much longer for her to reach Fluttershy's cottage. Philomena slowed and looked for spot to land. She nearly gave a family of small songbirds heart attacks as she landed near their nest. The little birds trembled with fear, unsure if Philomena was going to eat them. To their surprise Philomena gave them a friendly chirp. The little song birds relaxed no longer feeling threatened by the Phoenix, they returned her greeting with a small chorus of peeps and chirps. They heard a soft voice followed by the singing of song sparrows. Philomena's heart skipped a beat, she had finally found the Pegasus. She attempted to fly to the mare but her wings would not cooperate. The exhaustion from her long flight from the castle was finally catching up to her. Her wings hardly moved, emitting a sharp burning pain that caused her to cry out. The Pegasus heard Philomena's cry of distress and quickly ran over to see what had happened. "Philomena?" The Pegasus asked as she ran over to the branch where the Phoenix had been resting. "Philomena are you hurt?" she said, her voice was filled with concern and worry for the poor bird. Philomena replied with a feeble caw as she nodded her head. Philomena slowly spread her wings, they shook from the pain. Fluttershy flew up to Philomena and scooped her up with her front legs. "Oh you poor thing. Don't worry Philomena, I'll have you feeling better in no time. I promise." She said as she flew over to the door of the cottage. She carefully entered and set Philomena down on a soft fluffy pillow. === Food === Why Don't You love Me Anymore Celestia? Chapter 4 Food Philomena awoke feeling quite famished yet well rested. Her wings were a little sore, but they did not hurt anymore. The smell of soup wafted throughout the Cottage as the Pegasus hummed a sweet song to herself. Having fed all her animal friends she now focused on preparing her own food. Philomena listened to Fluttershy's song intently. She missed singing with Celestia and it filled Philomena's heart with great sorrow. Fluttershy finished preparing her soup and began to serve herself as she began to sing a new song. Philomena shook her head, remembering she had left her life with Celestia. She was with Fluttershy now and this was a time to be joyous not sad. Philomena listened to Fluttershy's song carefully, she wanted to sing too. Philomena began to whistle, doing her best to follow Fluttershy's lead, however the singing abruptly stopped. Philomena was blissfully unaware of this however, as she continued. "Oh, Philomena you're awake" Fluttershy said cheerfully. She picked up her bowl of soup in her mouth and carefully walked over to her couch. She set her soup on the nearby table. Philomena sat up on the pillow she stretched her wings. Noticing they felt strange, she looked at her wings and saw they had been gently bandaged. She looked At Fluttershy who gave her a reassuring smile. "Its okay Philomena, your wings are fine. But you really do need to stop picking at them. Are you hungry?" Philomena nodded eagerly, the pain in her stomach returned. "Okay, I'll be right back Philomena" Fluttershy said as she quickly left the room. Philomena hopped down from her pillow and climbed onto the couch. Fluttershy walked back into the room. A plate with fresh fruits, vegetables and grains in tow. "Philomena I brought you some food from my garden, I hope you like it" Fluttershy said sheepishly. "Oh you must be feeling much better now that you've had some sleep." She set the plate on the couch cushion in front of Philomena. Philomena chirped and then began to eat, relishing every bit of food. Each kernel of corn burst with flavor, the apples a delight to her taste buds. Best of all there was not a single disgusting oat in sight. She hadn't eaten anything so delicious in quite a long time. Philomena was overjoyed to finally have a proper meal. The journey alone was worth it for this food. Fluttershy giggled as she watched Philomena greedily devoured the food, for such a beautiful bird, Philomena sure was a messy eater. She watched as excess food clung to the phoenix's beak. After Philomena finished eating, she looked up at Fluttershy and gave her a big beaky smile. The food was still on her beak but she didn't notice until Fluttershy gently wiped it off with a napkin. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: A World Unknown author: Phoenix Nebula tags: character:Twilight Sparkle, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Adventure, genre:Sad, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Death

=== What... === What… She stirred with a dull-burning sensation across her body. Her mind swirled with the motion of whirlpool. Her sight blurred as if she was looking through thick black glass. Where was she? Why did she feel like this? After what could be perceived as an eternity to her tired mind the feelings subsided and new feelings took the place of the old ones. The burning sensation became that of a warm hug of light beating down on her fur. The whirling became the calmness of a pond. Her vision became crystal and the world came into focus. The mare blinked her eyes rapidly to clear the last of the fog from her sight. Grass as green as aquamarine and trees of sunset orange and red surrounded her stationary form. A groan escaped her lips as she rolled onto her stomach. The cool soil sent a shiver through her body like a lightning bolt. Her head swiveled around to gain a better understanding of her surroundings. "Where.. am I?" She asked to nopony. Then she felt it or rather didn't feel anything, not a single one, not a single soul, not a single pony. She scrambled to her hooves in a panic reaching out with her magic. Nothing. "Wh-where is every pony?" She asked hoping for a response from someone, anyone. There was no response. The mare was now very afraid. 'What happened? Where is everypony and why can't I sense them?'She tried to recall from before she awoke. The last memory she could recall felt… distant… like it was long, long ago. Smiling faces, her friends, her student, Spike…. She was with them, they were all happy. They were all sitting at a table… in Canterlot. The day was just right, warm, but not hot, a few clouds but not overcast, a gentle breeze but not distracting. It was… perfect… It suddenly became dark, cold…. Sad. The smiles were gone, replaced by fear and distress… then pain. Faces of those she cared most about were frozen in unforgiving, unrelenting pain. Her cheeks were a cliff the stream of tears from her eyes made into a waterfall. Her mind empty, unwilling to believe the memory that seemed so long ago. Soon her mind felt a tug. It was far away. Looking in the direction of the sensation she could see a blinding light… the sun… it was calling for her…. Command… Behind her she felt another tug also far away but not as far, it was below the horizon, the moon was also calling… Without a thought as if it were instinct she let her magic flow. The sun began to move. It moved below the horizon while behind her the moon rose above it. Stars began to fill the sky as the days light faded below the horizon. The landscape became bathed in the soft glow of the moon… her moon… The dam that was her tear ducts broke and a tourent broke forth. Her cheeks were once more a raging waterfall. Her mind, this time, was a typhoon of sorrow and denial. A wail of sadness escaped her throat as she fell to the cold soil once more. Gone… they were all gone, she was alone. She did not want to accept it, but her mind told her it was true. She wished so badly that this was just some nightmare... It was not… this was real. She could not deny it… she wished she was ignorant and for the first time in her life, she cursed her own intellect. They were all dead… Celestia, Luna, her friends, her brother and his wife… her niece, her student, and Spike. All of them gone… they were no more… all of equestria was gone, no her entire world gone. More memories flooded back. The ground ripped apart like paper, the air was thick with sulfur and grew hot. Winds ripped past her as ponies dropped dead around her. Some choked or suffocated from the ash and sulfur, others fell to their doom, some were crushed under buildings. The world was falling apart and she could only watch helplessly as countless lives were lost. Many pleaded for her help, but she could do nothing. One pony was missing half their body… they asked for her to kill them… to end their suffering. Many more followed asking the same. "Kill us… please," 'Kill us' the voices echoed in her mind over and over again. They suffered and asked for her to stop the suffering… and she did nothing…. Once more she broke into tears. The ground beneath her head became muddy, but she didn't care… she could not… because it did not matter anymore. She was alone… Soon her exhaustion overtook her and she drifted off into a dreamless, sorrowful sleep. A tug once again pulled at her mind. Arousing her from her sleep. Once her vision was crystal she sat up. Her cheeks were stained with her tears but they no longer flowed for she had no more tears left to cry. Her mind once more felt the tug. The sun was requesting to rise… her sun. Turning to the horizon which the moon had risen before she allowed her magic to flow. Once again it all felt instinctual. The stars fade from the sky as the moon fell below the horizon. Soon the sun bathed the world in its life giving light. Life… she looked around her. It was everywhere… if equestria was gone… then what was all of this? Her mind was drawn to a glint of light in the dirt to her left. Getting to her hooves she went to examine the reflected light. A gasp escaped her mouth as she came across a strange necklace… with six different colored gems. An amethyst colored six-pointed star rested in the middle surrounded by the other five gems, a red lightning bolt, a pink butterfly, a blue balloon, an orange apple, and a purple diamond. The elements of harmony… the survived. Taking the necklace in her magic Twilight lifted it above her head and slid it down around her neck where it rested against her bearal. A single tear ran down her muzzle… but no more followed. Once more she looked around to get a better understanding of her surroundings. Her mind was still a torrent. She needed to find some semblance of certainty to calm her mind. Further ahead of her she could see the shimmer of a lake. Suddenly her mouth felt dry, very dry. 'When was the last time she drank anything or ate anything for that matter?' She did not know. She made her way to the lake in long slow strides… She felt taller… she did not know why…. She made it the lake. Once again she gasped this time at her reflection. It took her some time to recognize the mare staring back at her. It was herself, but she looked like her old mentor… Her coat was lavender and her mane had the same bangs she always remembered having… But she was indeed taller, her horn was longer and her muzzle was more like that of a mature alicorn. Turning to look at her side to gaze at her wings as she extended them out. They were huge. Turning her attention back to the lake and her reflection. She stood there for several more moments lost in her thoughts… The dryness of her mouth reminded her of her dehydration. Bringing her head down she greedily drank from the lake. The sun was almost at peak when she brought her head up to stare across the lake. Her thoughts had finally calmed and now one thought plagued her mind; "What now?" === When... === When… Memories…. It felt like there was a huge gap in them, like an eternity was missing. Before the gap was her last memory. It felt like an ancient memory, like an entirely different lifetime. Once more she could feel her emotions welling up. Her heart felt heavy as she fought back tears attempting to return… She shook her head. There was no use in crying… 'How much time has passed?' She asked herself. Looking back at her reflection she pondered. It must have been so long ago then… she was far larger than she remembered Celestia being, and Celestia was thousands of years old… "Thousands of years? Is that how long it has been?" She asked herself aloud. Once more she fought back tears. The tightness in her chest returned like her heart was being crushed under the weight of the universe. This time a tear did slip through, but no more. She stood back up on her hooves and moved away from the lake. Concentrating her thoughts on her missing memories. What were they? Why could she not recall anything? Did it have a correlation to this strange world she woke up on? This world what was it? The mare looked around at her surroundings. She could take in the complete view now that her mind was more stable. She was in some sort of sparse forest around a large lake. From what she could discern she woke up in a clearing along the bank of the aforementioned lake. What really drew her attention was how unusual the foliage was. The grass was a soft aquamarine blue-green, while the trees had a burnt-orange coloration. Shrubs that lined the floor of the forest also had this strange orange coloration. The bark of these trees had a crimson-brown tint to them almost like brick. "What are these plants?" She asked, At that point she realized that she was just adding questions onto a pile and it was beginning to feel redundant to ask. She continued to examine the flora… it felt familiar… She landed on the barren landscape. She was exhausted, but she wasn't done yet. Magic began to flow through her horn. A soft, ghostly energy shimmered down onto the lifeless soil. From where the energy touched plant life shot fourth; grass, aquamarine in color. ]Upon seeing her spell work she smiled. The grass began to expand out from where she stood, showing no sign of stopping. Looking to the west she began to trot at a slow, steady pace. The grass continued to grow and spread out word from wherever she stepped and her magic touched. Her pace increased and before long she was galloping across the barren surface leaving an expanding cone of grass in her wake. Soon other flora began to spring up. Trees of varying shapes sizes and colors. Every tree had some varying shade of, red, orange, or yellow; like it was always autumn. For days she galloped across the surface of the world spreading life wherever she went. Eventually her exhaustion become too much. She couldn't run any longer. She stopped and collapsed… by a lake…. It did not matter, however, here task was done. The world now had life. There was one more thing that needed to be done… but she was too exhausted. Soon she fell into a deep sleep… "I made this?" She said in awe. Taking a step back she once more scanned the area with her vision. All of it she grew… but why? Does that mean she also created this world… … … Once again her mind was in chaos. Twilight shook her head to clear her mind once more along with taking deep breaths. Once her nerves were calmed and her mind too, one more question entered her mind; "When did I do this?" === Where and Why Pt:1 === Where and Why Trees… grass… mountains… rivers… lakes; these were the things that Twilight passed as she made her way across this strange world. This world… she only just now realized it but she was connected to it in some way… She did not know why, but that was not the question that was on her mind. She had already come to terms with her being the last of her kind, there was nothing she could do about it, it was fact. No, the question was less of why and more of where. More or less. She knew where she was not, but that only helps so much, so now she travels; exploring this strange world that she may or may not have created… how she did so was still a mystery to her, but once again that was not her primary question… or was it? Twilight stopped abruptly. Maybe if she knew how she got here she would now where she was. "That's it!" She exclaimed. Her excitement died down when the reality of her situation came crashing down on her. She had no recollection as to how she got here. This lead her to another question, what were these memories that she was missing. Looking down at the elements that hung around her neck, she spoke, "I don't assume you know do you?" At the realisation she just asked a bunch of gems slung around her neck a question as if they were actually ponies, the mare sighed, "great I'm already going mad," she droned. What surprised her the most is how well she had accepted her own situation, which actually raised more questions. … … … Eventually she began to roam again, lost once more in her thoughts as she attempted to think of a way to recall her memories… Then it hit her, quite literally. She was so distracted by her own thoughts that she ran muzzle first into a wall of stone, taking a few steps back to regain her bearings and a shake of her head to refocus her thoughts. As she looked up, she was greeted by a steep cliff. This cliff was far from normal, it was quite tall, at least sixty hooves high if she had to guess, and stretched from north to south beyond the horizon in either direction. This too, like the flora, also felt familiar… Her magic flowed into the crust of the planet. She felt around, felt every inch of the new world, then with a pulse of magic, the crust fractured into many different plates. She grabbed two different plates and slammed them together. Huge, jagged mountains formed at the point of impact. She reached out for two more pieces of the planet's fractured crust. Once more she slammed them together. This time, however, one slid over the other creating a chain of volcanoes. She did this several times until she was satisfied. Flying over to one of the huge tectonic plates she charged her magic. After a few moments she released her magic into a tight beam of energy that cut right through the crust. Continuing to fly over the proto continent she cut large non-specific shapes out of the crust, she repeated this four other times. After the seventh irregular shape was carved into the crust she flew high up to see the proto-continent in its entirety. Once more she reached out with her magic this time griping at the cut outs in the crust with her magic. With a great amount of force and a heave of her head the cut outs were wrenched upwards away from the crust of the young continent. Releasing her magic she looked down to inspect her work, seven large mesas of varying size and and shape. One, many times larger than the others, occupied the center of large tectonic plate. Smiling she flew back down to the surface to begin her next task. Twilight fell to her rump as the world came back into focus after reliving the memory. To say she was a bit shocked at the memory would be a massive understatement. "Wow…. I made this?" She asked rhetorically as she stared at the massive cliff face. She sat there for several moments longer before getting back to her hooves. "I need to know more," she stated with a small bit of determination. She now knew how to recall her lost memories and she wasn't going to stop until she remembered everything that she had forgotten. Twilight spread her wings, with a mighty flap she took to the sky and over the cliff. She continued to fly east, she was going to learn as much of this world as she could, maybe then she'll have all her questions answered. As she flew over the beautiful landscape she noticed something was missing, there were no animals, another question that she hoped would be answered in time. As she flew she came to a large blue body of water… an ocean. Adjusting her wing position she made a slow, shallow dive for the beach. Upon touchdown she trotted a few meters before coming to a complete stop, once she had stopped her senses took in the ocean. The sound of waves crashing against the shore, the salty smell, the wind, she closed her eyes and took it all in. The world below her was barren. It had some form to it, but there was something missing, turning away from the planet to look deep into space. Reaching out with her magic she searched, then she found it, comets. With a single tug, a wave of icey space rocks came hurtling towards the planet. The comets charged towards the surface of the young world, but before the large icy space rocks could impact the surface they were vaporized by the mare's magic, for the world possessed no atmosphere yet. Turning around once more to the vastness of space she reached out again, another swarm of comets came hurtling towards the developing world, and were vaporized before impact. The young world was now covered in a thick cloud layer. The mare made her way down to the surface to see her work. Once on the surface she looked up at the clouds that now hung above her. Her magic began to charge, then with a flick upward, a beam of energy shot up and into the cloud layer. A purple shockwaves ripples through the thick clouds across the world, after a few tense moments, it began to rain, soon it was a heavy downpour. The mare smiled and watched as her world filled with water. She watched it until it had seized. Taking to the sky once more she would begin her next task. The world came back into focus as the memory faded, she was back on the beach sitting down while looking out across the water. "Wow... how much time has passed since I did that?" she pondered while looking at the sand under her. "It must have been thousands of years… or did I do something else?" she asked, she sat in silence for several moments longer. "I need to learn more," she said abruptly before standing up. She spread her wings before giving them a mighty flap and taking to the air once again. She flew over the water in hopes of uncovering more of her memory and revealing more about this strange world. As Twilight flew over one of the world's large oceans, she began to put all the pieces together. The world she was born and grew up on was gone, destroyed. She did not know how or why but she vaguely remembered it happening. Now she wakes up on a new world much older than she last remembered. In the short time after waking up she discovered that she was missing a large number of her memories from the time her world was destroyed to the moment she had awoken. Soon she began to recall these lost memories by observing specific aspects of this world. It was clear at this point that this world was created by her, the same could be said about the sun and the moon that she now controlled. The question of why she decided to create a new world instead of travel the stars and look for a new one… it was clear now that she thought about it. To carry on the legacy of her teacher and the other ponies that were destroyed along with her old world. How she survived and they didn't, she did not know, she was not sure if she would ever know. A tear ran down the side of her cheek… What would she do once she had recovered most of her memories? Soon the lavender alicorn came across a new land mass, flying past its beaches, she flew inland, there she saw new land structures, ravens. Large, deep chasms scarred the surface of this continent. A large number of swamps littered the surface along with many wetlands. Angling her wings she made her way towards the largest ravine in her field of vision. It was massive, if she had to guess, it probably stretched for at least a good eighty meters deep. It was also wide, at least ten meters so. Making her way down she could see the many layers of rocks along the walls of the ravine…. Flying across the surface she found one of the many proto continents she had just created. Stopping high above it she plunged towards the surface while encasing herself in her magical aura. She impacted the surface so violently that a large fissure formed. Grabbing it with her magic she pulled the fissure open violently, magma began to rise, but she did not let it, casting a spell she forced it to cool instantly. With a flap of her wings she returned back to where she was moments ago before plunging again towards the surface to repeat the process. After an undesirable amount of time she flew high to inspect her work. Dozens of ravines of differing shape and size littered the young continent. Soon she returned to the surface and into one of the large cracks in the ground. The walls were barren, she frowned. Lighting up her horn she reached out to the planet as a whole. Her horn flared and the planet was morphed and reformed. Once she opened her eyes the walls of the crevice were now lined with layers of different colored rock. With a smile and a sigh of exhaustion she flew up to do her second to last task. Twilight returned to reality with her mouth agape. Her mind was trying to process what her memories told her was true. 'Am I really that powerful now? Am I so powerful that I can change the chemical composition of an entire planet?' The question was kind of redundant, she had just seen it from her own memories. "Am I… a god now?" She asked as she fell to her haunches while staring at her hooves. The reality of what she has done up to this point had now fully impacted her, she was not just powerful, she could manipulate the universe to her will. She could rearrange the atomic structure of atoms! She could literally turn lead to gold and back again… "Who am I?" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Friends Forever author: EmberHeartshine tags: character:Princess Celestia, character:Princess Luna, character:Spike, character:Twilight Sparkle, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Remembrance === I am old. One hundred nineteen years, ten months, and eleven days. Apart from the Princesses, I am the oldest pony ever to walk the face of Equestria. I can barely even walk anymore… Spike, my dragon, had to carry me through the most recent Harmony Day celebration. Each morning I lie in bed longer, simply staring at the wooden ceiling above me and tracing the grain with my eyes. I could do it all day if I didn't have any responsibilities. But then Spike stomps his way upstairs into my room, belching the latest assignments from the Princess onto my lap. As the years have gone by, I have been able to finish fewer and fewer of them. This morning, the Princess only sent me one scroll. I can barely contain my tears as I begin to read it aloud. "My dearest Twilight Sparkle, "I thank you for your continuing service to Equestria, and especially for making your appearance at the Harmony Day celebration yesterday. The young filly, Dawn, is being given treatment fit for a queen thanks to you. "But this is not the reason I am writing you this morning. I know that you are not immortal, and that your soul will soon pass from your body into the Beyond. Your visions are becoming too frequent to ignore. I write you today to officially relieve you of your duty so you may spend the remainder of your days as you see fit. Consider the remainder of your assignments voluntary. "You will forever be the greatest of magic-users in all of Equestria… and the greatest of friends. My sister and I will be arriving later today to help you however we can. The needs of the kingdom can wait, for right now my friend is in need. "Your loving friend and mentor, "Princess Celestia." I allow the scroll to tumble out of my forehoof and onto the floor. Focusing with all my strength, I float out of the bed and onto Spike's back. The effort wearies me, and I need a moment to recover. As he plods down the stairs, he comments, "You know, the Princess could be wrong… maybe you're okay, and they're just thinking your visions are coming true too soon. I mean, I know I'm gonna live lon—" "Spike… please. I know you're trying to help. But right now what I need you to do is go get Owloysius and—" I bite my lip. I'd almost forgotten. Ninety-four years ago today, Owloysius had… He'd… I bury my face in Spike's shoulder. Pausing, he reaches back and gently pets my mane. "I know. I miss him too. Don't worry, I'll get this place cleaned up in a jiffy. Just you watch." I have no choice but to be carried along as Spike performs his daily chores, meticulously arranging the books on the shelf with a speed and skill that only forty-eight years of dealing with Rainbow Dash's antics could have created. Once he's finished, he carries me outside and walks slowly around the library. I giggle slightly when I recall the first time I brought Spike out for a walk—and now he's carrying me! I weakly put a hoof on the back of his neck and rub. He hums quietly and edges into my hoof. We spend the rest of the day in total silence. Even Ponyville around me seems subdued. I smile at a few fillies playing with a ball, reminiscing of the time I believed I would go to Magic Kindergarten if I didn't get a letter to the Princess every week. Young Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle had gone to great places. I leaf through a few tomes I hadn't read for a while, including Supernaturals and the newer copy of the Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy Spike bought me after he accidentally burned my original copy. Finally, as the last rays of the sun are streaming out from the horizon, I hear a knock at my door. Slowly getting up and making my own way to the door, I pull it open with magic. I bow slightly. "Hello again, Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you." Princess Luna bows as well, gently touching her horn to mine. I shiver at the contact. "We hope we did not interrupt anything important, O Mighty Wizard." I smile and stand despite my protesting joints. "No, I was simply passing the time waiting for you and your sister to arrive. I trust she'll be here soon?" "Our sister is delayed, but should be here presently." A pause. "May we come in?" I gasp. "Oh, heavens! I've forgotten my manners! Yes, Princess, please come in. You are royalty, and I am loyal to the crown." Luna smirks. "Your crown is of far more importance than ours, Miss Twilight." She enters, her mane streaming behind her like a velvet cloak caught in a perpetual wind. I am momentarily distracted by the shimmering field of stars that wink in and out of her mane. Spike clears his throat, and I snap out of it. "W-well, the Element of Magic is what I've been studying most of my life, after all. Its properties are incredible, but by no means powerful on its own. It has to be wielded by someone with the appropriate skill and ability in magic, or else you may as well throw it at a Draconequus for all the good it'll do. It just so happens that I—" I blush, realizing I'm quoting straight from one of my many published works. "Yes, so I read in one of your earliest letters, my dear student." Hooves clicking against the hard wood of my house, Princess Celestia gracefully enters the still-open door. Her ever-changing mane and tall, powerful frame easily dominates the room. I bow low to her, nearly resting my chin on the floor. "I came as soon as I could, Twilight. I… there isn't much time left for you, I think." She falters. "I'm… I-I'm so sorry." She closes her eyes and looks away. I can see she is resisting tears. I touch my hoof to her leg. "It's all right. I'm ready." My horn bursts into a brilliant indigo glow as I raise myself up to Celestia's eye level. "Just remember, Princess… not even death can break the bonds of friendship. Not forever." Spike holds his wing under me, and I plop down onto it. I pant with exhaustion. Slowly making our way back upstairs, the Princesses follow me and Spike. He deposits me gently on the bed, where I arrange the covers comfortably with magic. A solemn hush fills the room. "Twilight… You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Spike begins. "Without you, I'd just be a monster, hunting ponies and being hunted as an animal. You helped show ponykind that dragons aren't just monsters—we're just as capable of friendship and… and love…" Spike chokes on his words for a moment. Rarity has been gone for almost forty years. "A-as the rest of you guys." He hugs me gently, a single tear falling from his scaled cheek onto mine. Another moment of quiet. "You saved us from a lifetime of isolation and pain." Princess Luna breaks the silence. "You showed us how to befriend people, and how to fit in with our subjects after being away for so long. We would be a deadly ball of hatred and fury—or worse—had you not used the Elements of Magic to transform us back from Nightmare Moon. We will be eternally grateful." Luna leans forward and brushes her horn against mine one last time. "Twi…" Celestia is unable to even begin. Her composure fails, and she begins to sob openly. Luna places her hoof on her sister's shoulder, trembling as tears begin to well up. I struggle to sit up slightly, gazing at each of them in turn. "Spike, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia… you have been the best friends and teachers any pony has ever had. Your unending support and kindness, even when I'm a little crazy, has always helped me to keep one hoof on the ground. "As much as I hate to go, you must always remember that death isn't an end... it's the beginning. The beginning of the grandest adventure of all! We've never studied the magic of the Beyond, but hey, somepony's got to do it, right?" I smile, trying to hold myself from tears for Celestia's sake. I shudder, feeling my hooves grow colder. "I'll miss you, but I need you to remember that life continues, even when those you love are gone. Ponies live on, and the seasons are changed, and Equestria lasts forever. Nopony, apart from the Princesses, can live forever. And that's as it should be. If we were immortal, Equestria would get pretty crowded, don't you think?" I chuckle, which quickly gives way to a wheezing cough as I settle back onto my pillow. Summoning the last reserves of my strength, I levitate the tiara of the Element of Magic from its case onto my forehead. "I love you… I'll always…" I can hear Celestia's cry as my vision slowly begins to fade. Subtly, the whiteness creeps in from the edges and engulfs my surroundings. Soon, even Luna's dark face is lost to me. Spike whispers, "Twilight..?" I can't respond. Celestia is standing over me—I can feel her presence—but soon even the feeling of her love fades from my consciousness. I am gone from this world. I am old. One hundred nineteen years, ten months, and eleven days. I am falling through an endless plane of nothingness. My body is twisting and turning, trying to figure out which way is up to no avail. I look around, searching for some indication of where I am. There seems to be no end to the void, the blank expanse of nothingness. Minutes, stretching into hours pass by. Tears well up in my eyes. If this is how it's like being dead, then what's the point! Maybe if I'd studied harder, I could have figured out a spell to— I hear laughing. Familiar laughing. My sense of balance returns as I alight softly on a grassy hill I cannot see. I experimentally twist my head from side to side, gasping as I realize… my body is no longer old! I flex my youthful legs, bouncing softly on my hooves. I look around, noticing faint outlines appearing around me: five ethereal figures standing around me in a circle. My eyes widen as colors begin to return and I realize… "Welcome back, ya goof!" Rainbow Dash laughs. "Twilight, it's been so long. We've all missed you." Fluttershy whispers. "My dear, you look simply… divine!" Rarity chuckles at her own pun. "TWILIGHT, TWILIGHT, I'VE GOT EVERYTHING READY FOR YOU!" Pinkie Pie bounces excitedly in place, a noisemaker clutched in one hoof. "Well I'll be. An' here ah was figurin' you was gonna live forever." Applejack tips her hat at me. Tears spilling out of my eyes, I pull all of them into an embrace. "I've missed you too… so much. I knew one day I'd see you again. Nothing could possibly come between us." I hold them tighter. "You'll always be my friends… forever." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Bubbles and Rainbows author: ArtisticDoe tags: character:Derpy Hooves, character:Rainbow Dash, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Bubbles & Rainbows === Bubbles & Rainbows ~ArtisticDoe 2012 Time flies so fast, does it not? It seems like just yesterday I was a young filly living in Cloudsdale, living my life to the fullest and now I'm an old pony, looking back on my life as it slowly drifts away. Oh, please excuse me, I should introduce myself, my name is Derpy Hooves, just living the last few hours of my life in my home in Equestria. I wonder how my little sister Dinky is doing, I do hope she is well, along with all my frie- well, I should say the other ponies that lived beside me. I did not have really any true friends. But who could blame me, I was a different pony; my eyes are different, I flew a little different then every other pony, and I was always causing a mess. I did have one friend though, a friend that was as loyal as any friend could be. Rainbow Dash. My, my what a amazing pony she was. She became a famous leading Wonder Bolt while i sat back and watched her succeed, alone,sad and just wondering how it would of been if I was beside her... ______________________________________________________ How I met Dashie, well that is quite a story on its own. I was no more than a young, tiny filly, brand new to a town such as Cloudsdale. I had lived in Los Pegasus before arriving here and that was no place for a pony like me. My parents were two very successful show ponies, doing very well in their career but when I came along, they could do nothing more but stare at me with disapproving, disgraced eyes that sunk into my soul like a rock being dropped off a cliff. They hated me. They saw nothing more than my odd eyes and not how I was their own child. My parents had named me Derpy Hooves for, what I remember them saying, me being so disgracefully derped by Celestia herself, I would be better off my name suiting me for what I truly am, a stupid, clumsy hooved pony with derped up eyes. Derpy Hooves. My father abused me and my mother only criticized me instead of showing me love and affection as any mother would do to her daughter. One winter night, when a blizzard as strong as a hurricane was passing through, my father had just picked me up, flew me far out of town and left me on a corner in the deep snow. Alone and giving me no place to go. I was abandoned by my own parents;they only cared about how I would influence their own career instead of caring for me. Weeks after my father had left me I had boarded a train to a beautiful place I had heard about called Ponyville. There was no noise, no abuse, only caring ponies who would help me out of my troubles. On that train, however, all the ponies did though was talk behind my back as if i could not hear them, but I knew exactly what they were saying. "Look at that filly's eyes.." "Isn't she ashamed?" "Where are her parents?" I just ignored their rude comments and thought of how my life would change in this one, well-kept town. When I had gotten to Ponyville I had no idea where to go. I thought of going to Town Hall or try to find a nice pony who would take me in but as I walked around, searching for my own home, I could find no pony who would want to help me out. Any pony I did talk to brushed me off and sent me on my way. It wasn't until I saw a small, blue figure peeking around a tree that I actually stopped to look around. I was far off of Ponyville in a place I didn't even know, adding onto it being night, I was in complete darkness. "Hey who are you? Why are you out at night all alone close to the Everfree Forest?" The pony asked me with a squeaky voice. "I-I have no idea, who are you?" "My name is Rainbow Dash, best flyer in all of Equestria!! Well, that's how I will be some day, who are you? You're not a spy are you?! I've come across spies in Cloudsdale." "I-I don't believe I am a spy, I'm not even too sure what that is,but my name is Derpy, Derpy Hooves, could you help me out though, I'm new around here and could really use a place to stay." Rainbow then began to show me around Ponyville and began to help me get to Cloudsdale. Since we were too young to fly, Dash had come up with a way to hop from cloud to cloud up to the grand city. "You can stay with me! I've got lots of room in my home." Dash offered to me sincerely. I had wondered why she did not just ignore me like all the others, at that point I knew why. It was dark and she could not see my eyes, and when we were under the street lights, she didn't look at them. We had gotten to her house shortly after we arrived into Cloudsdale. "Alright you ready to see the most awesome hangout in all of Cloudsdale?!" Dashie asked with an excited grin. I had just nodded quietly and she opened the small cloud door. The house wasn't amazing but it was pretty nice for a filly I can say. When I stepped into the light, Dashie stared at my eyes for some time before saying something. "Your eyes are awesome! I bet they would be great for flying!" That is what i knew made her a good friend. She accepted me. She helped me when I was in need. After spending several fun days living with my rainbow friend, I had finally gotten a place of my own. It wasn't nice at all but it was a place of my own. It had all the necessities I needed and thats all I cared about. From that point on, I saw Dashie almost every day, we spent almost all of our time together. We soon became the best of friends and we found out we had so much in common. We both are pegasi, we both prefer cupcakes over normal cake, and that we both dreamed of being part of the Wonder Bolts. ___________________________________________________________________________ It was a crisp, sunny morning in Cloudsdale. I was only a little older and had lived in Cloudsdale for about a year after meeting Dash, and I began searching for my cutie mark (as all the other foals my age did) at our first session of flight school. I stood on the outside corner of a giant mob of other little pegasai foals, looking out for my only friend. She was the one who convinced me to go to a public flight school instead of trying to learn by myself. I was most insecure about going but knowing Dashie being there with me, all my fear drifted away. "Hey Derpy!!" cried out a loud and proud voice in the distant and I saw a sky colored filly gallop through the clouds over to little me. I smiled and replied "Hi Dashie, are you excited for our first flight lesson?" "You can bet your hooves I am! I've been dreaming and waiting to fly with the other ponies." Rainbow was always talking about soaring along side the other pegasai in Equestria, and I always knew she and I would. Our giggles and smiles were suddenly interrupted by a loud intercom coming out from a tall speaker that all the foals were standing around. The voice directed us as to who our coach would be, what time our lunch is, and various rules. I found out that Dash doesn't have the best patience when she shouted out 'C'mon I don't need to know all these rules and stuff, I just want to fly!!' But I couldn't blame her at all. Our dream was to fly, and that was something Dash wanted to start right away. It was to my true surprise that we had the same coach to well...coach us. I was personally surprised because I've never had the best of luck. "Can you believe it Derpy! They put us on the same team! My letter worked!" Dashie explained cheerfully to me. Letters? Oh yes i remember now, she had sent in letter after letter requesting that we would be put in the same coaching team, and I thank her dearly to this day for that. After finally being dismissed to our coaches we approached our tall, strong coach. The colt began to address us and started to call out roll call. When he got to me and Dash, he smiled at her with a approving grin, and looked at me with the weirdest look that I can never forget. As if I was some kind of mutant. He eventually explained to us the keys of flying and after what seemed hours of him preaching the tricks and tips of how to easily fly and land, he let us go off on our own to practice. Rainbow, of course, was amazing; it was as if she was doing it since the moment she was born! She flew with so much elegance and grace along with the best agility that made her stand out more than any other pony. Or it could of possibly been that she had trailing rainbows whenever she flew. "Amazing Rainbow Dash! I've never seen a filly your age fly with such beauty and agility! Good work!" Coach announced overwhelmed with her performance. All the other foals flew over to my friend and begged to know her secrets and how she flies so well. Not one foal came to me. I tried and tried to fly but i could only get a few inches off the ground with buzzing wings, but I knew if I wanted to be a Wonder Bolt I would absolutely have to learn to fly. So with all my strength and might, I finally burst into the sky with such speed I couldn't believe it! But my joy came to a sad end when I was so caught up with excitement that I crashed into a roaming cloud and smashed down to the cloud floor. Every single foal laughed, and laughed at me... "Good job Derp FREAK" cried out one colt who I think I can recall his name being Dumb Bell, or so i think, that's at least what his cutie mark was. "Hey you leave her alone! She's trying her best! Just because she is different does not mean you can bully her!!" Dashie bursted out, trying to defend me. Her and all the other colts got in the biggest argument I had ever seen, and just like that, she had lost all respect from all the other foals just for trying to defend me. Thats how you know you have a true friend, that's how you know you have somepony you can rely on. We spent the rest of the day trying to help me learn to fly and although I was not amazing, I could now fly as good as any other foal. One thing I remember is that not only once did Dashie help a struggling pony like me, but she did it again. A small, yellow filly with a long pink mane was being bullied by the same exact colts who were bullying me, to a result of Rainbow, yet again standing up against them, they had a race. A long, challenging race, to prove who was the better flyer, and surely, Dash was honored and rewarded by Celestia for her bravery and loyalty. She did the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my entire life. She did a Sonic Rainboom. I couldn't believe my eyes after she landed back on the clouded floor with a trail of a sparkling rainbow following her and when I saw a bright, new, cutie mark on the sides of her flanks. I was so proud of her and after flight school, we went down to Sugar Cube Corner and engorged ourselves in colorful, delicious cupcakes I had ever eaten in my life. ___________________________________________________ A year or two passed after that day. We were now somewhat older ponies, but still considered foals, and we're still trying our best to continue flying and performing tricks. I had gotten a ton better and could fly almost as well as Dashie could, she did tutor me and all. The only thing was, I still did not have my cutie mark. Most foals my age had gotten their cutie mark but I just could not figure out my own special talent. Dash was just finishing up a wonderfull trick with rainbows and flips and all sorts of different things, and I was thinking so hard about my cutie mark. I guess my face was noticeably because Dash cut off her trick earlier than expected and landed by me. "Haha wasn't that trick amazing Derpy! It took me a long time to get just right, maybe it would be good enough to show the Wonder Bolts." Dashie told me with a bright smile, but it soon changed to a confused frown. "Derpy? Is everything alright, you've seemed really down lately." "Huh? Oh, I'm just thinking about how I still don't have my cutie mark.." And just as any good friend like Dash would say, she replied saying- "Well, I sure don't want to see my best friend all sad over something that she should have! C'mon we're gonna find your cutie mark!" And, of course, that's what we did. Dashie pretty much thought that if i was to get my cutie mark, it would be in the Everfree Forest, which was the one place i did not want to check. I was, and still am, terrified of the Everfree Forest. It was full of monsters and all sorts of things. But, I had to trust my best friend, let alone, my only friend, and we wandered into the dark, horrific forest. "Alright, now lets figure out that cutie mark of yours buddy!" Dashie said excitedly to me, winking at me cheerfully. After hours, and hours, and hours of searching and trying pretty much everything imaginable, nothing. Absolutely nothing. I didn't understand, was I not destined to have a cutie mark? I was told and I believed everypony did. I finally concluded after trying so hard, my differences made me so different, I was a cutie mark-less pony for life. But, that all changed within 10 minutes. 10, terrifying, brave minutes of extreme courage. "Hey Dashie, do you hear that noise?" I asked timidly, not understanding what was going on. "No Derpy. What do you hear bud?" It was pitch black now and the moonlight was shattered from a deep, misty fog hanging low to the ground. We could barely see anything and all I could hear was the sound of a low moan, coming from different parts of the forest. By now I was trembling out of my coat. I had not a single idea of what in the world was going on but finally, a large, beastly red dragon crawled out of the bushes, preying on something, and the something, or somethings, where us. It came closer, and closer and our only instinct was to scream and run, and deeper, and deeper we got into the pitch black endless maze of the forest. It was so dark we could not fly off without crashing into the large trees and branches that blocked the sky. The single thing I could even think of at this point was to fight back. Rainbow and I hopelessly looked for some kind of weapon, or some kind of way to defeat the monster, but it was hopeless scrambling. "Derpy what do we do! I-I can't seem to find the way we came!" The monstrous beast swong and lunged at us and we swiftly dodge its deadly blows, then I remembered something vital that could, and did, save our lives forever. When I was a younger filly, I had a passion for bubbles. I owned at least a dozen different bubble wands and created my own bubble soap, always trying to create a soap that would make, as I said 'the biggest bubble in all of equestria.' But, as all kids dream of obscure things they have in mind, that did not happen. I would bring my bubble wands and custom made soaps to school but would only get my time consuming soaps and precious expensive wands destroyed by the other school foals. But even after all that, I still had a passion for them. I could stare at them for hours on end. The way they gleamed in the sunlight with a pallet of many colors and their sweet, flowery scent, the small but powerful spheres soothed me; made me feel special, made me feel that even a dumb looking pony as myself could still see beauty at its simplest. I did not have a passion for bubbles. I loved bubbles. In the midst of my thought, I heard an ear-piercing scream from my cyan friend and she was pinned down by the beast. My only thought was to create a bubble soap to just, well as I though, dump it into the monsters eyes. Using the ingredients around me, I quickly created a weak, but still soap bubble solution. Dash was now kicking her hooves at the creatures scaled head, desperately avoiding the blows from the monster's jagged teeth. I quickly flew over to the dragon and clutched onto its head, beginning to dump the fluid into its eyes. The beast lunged back, roaring and holding his eyes in pain; thrusting his head back and forth before he threw me into the bark of an Olk tree. I never knew dragons could cry before that day. After a few moments, the creature ran off into the darkness of the forest, leaving us with tear filled, fearful eyes. It took Dash some time to finally regain herself but when she did, she lunged for me, weeping so hard you could fill a river. "Derpy..yo-you saved me, you are amazing, thank you...I-I am so lucky to have a friend that would save me like you." The rainbow pegasus staggered out to me over my shoulder. "I'm just glad my best friend is still alive." I replied after hugging her back with misty eyes. By the time we finally got out of the forest, Dash pointed towards my flank and instead of a pale grey blank-flank were blue, shiny bubbles. I had finally gotten my cutie mark, from something not only brought me joy and pleasure, but saved me and my sky winged friend. _____________________________________________________________ About 10 years passed after that day, and we were now fully grown ponies. We were no longer the young, child looking foals we once were, but beautiful, strong mares. Well, I could say that about one of us. Dash was beautiful. She had the most lovely rainbow mane and a perfect cyan coat. Perfectly angled graceful feathers that were just tied up with her enormous pink eyes. I, on the other hoof, had a pale grey coat. Big,normal looking feathers and a semi-neat blonde mane. The only thing you could call 'pretty' about me where the gold color of my eyes, but that was all taken away by the odd shape of them and how 'derpy' they were. My flying, along with Dashie's, had gotten immensely better, and it was finally the time that the Wonder Bolts were holding tryouts for the team. Week after week, month after month, Rainbow and I trained for this day and we had finally gotten our routines down. Although we still had about a few days until the try-out, Dash was willing to work every last second to make sure she would fit into the team. I sat back, and believed that if I was destined to get in then I would. I had trained with my friend every day for almost 4 months and personally felt prepared. Dashie though always had a hard time believing stuff like that. "Dash, you have the best flying I have ever seen in my entire life! How could they not accept you into the team!" All I could do was motivate her. "Best flying!? Try telling that to the Wonder Bolts! If I'm even going to get in I'm going to need to be absolutely perfect!! Which means practicing over and over again until I feel I am ready!" She completely ignored everything I had said until the day of the try-outs and on our way to them. I thought she was ready, and she was, but my athletic friend was still very nervous. Once we had gotten to the tryout center, Dashie seemed to calm down. "Hey, when we get accepted into the team, we should be known as the pair of best friends called...um... I know, 'Bubbles and Rainbows!' That way everyone will know how great friends we are!" Dashie told me with an anxious smile on her face. "Here Derpy, I want to give this to you." Dashie said to me and handed me a necklace of her cutie mark that said 'Dashie' on it, and she put on one of bubbles that said 'Derpy' on it, "This is to let all the ponies in Equestria know that we are best buds forever!" I thanked her for the pretty necklace and put it on. It was nice to see that she was warming up and not being so worried, but that all changed once a young filly came and got us from the waiting room to try out. She told us Dash would go first and then I would follow her routine, which I was not really pleased about, as I remember, but anything to even try out. I sat on the sidelines, cheering on my friend and wishing her good luck. The few Wonder Bolts judging all the pegsai trying out stared at Dashie for what seemed like forever as she stood still in the middle of the room, judging her on how fit and how well kept she was. They then signaled the routine to start and my rainbow friend began her amazing audition. It was only about half way through her performance when everything went wrong. I'm not too sure on what happend but all I remember is that a tray of the most moist, delectable, soft muffins were brought into the room and I had not eaten in days, due to me supporting Dash with us going on a 'Wonder Bolt body diet', and also muffins were, and still are, my all time favorite food. It only took a few seconds for me to fly smack into Dash while trying to get to the muffins and also trying to avoid my friend. Although I was only about an inch off the ground, I had forgotten that she ducks down to do low rise tricks. She spun out of the air and smacked right into our faithful judges. Frantically, I tried my best to help everyone up but all of them brushed me away. One Wonder Bolt, who I could not recognize, stared me down with a glare, and the proceed to whisper to his fellow teammates. He then stepped forward and began speaking to us. "Rainbow Dash, is this...filly your friend?" "Well...um...yes, but she is trying out too, it was a complete accident, if you would just let me-" "That won't be necessary, we only need the most loyal, and amazing pegasai on our team, not silly...messy flying ponies with the weirdest....friends who think this is just a way to spend time with famous ponies and hang with their friends, we can not make our team look bad when we perform for royalty. We need ponies that would think more of their dreams then showing off with their friends. Now, goodbye." The same filly who brought us in escorted us out, and Dash did not say a single word. All she had was her head down and her eyes wide with shock. After getting out of the building where the tryouts were held, Rainbow glared at me with the sickest, meanest glare that pierced my heart. "How could you..." she began. "What do you-?" I staggered back. "HOW COULD YOU RUIN THIS FOR ME!" she bursted out with angry eyes filled with tears. "You know I wanted this so badly, you know I have spent my entire LIFE working for this, and you went and ruined my life! For what, some stupid MUFFINS!?" "Dashie..." "Only my true friends call me Dashie!! How could you do this to me! I thought we were friends but now I know you're nothing than a...a stupid eyed FREAK! Why...why don't you just go back to whatever freaky weirdo land you CAME FROM and STAY OUT OF MY LIFE" Dashie then flew off, not saying another word, not even hearing my apologies and sobs... ____________________________________________________________________ That was the pretty much the last time I had ever heard from my best friend. I went the rest of my life working as a weather pony, creating bubbles for them, and a mail pony, delivering mail to all the ponies around Equestria. Whenever I did see my old friend though, she would completely ignore me. She was crowned the Element of Honesty, which she is and deserves to be, although she left me to be alone. I tried entering the Best Young Flyer competition to try to get back our friendship, but lost immensely to her, and her sonic rainboom that she yet again did. I saw then that she had entirely new friends, including the one filly that she saved at flight school. I saw her at the Grand Galloping Gala that year and I tried to get her attention, but she only sent me glares and ignored me. The only time I remember her ever speaking to me again was when we were assigned to work together to fix up Town Hall, but anytime she talked to me, she would talk to me in a mean, harsh tone. Years after that, Dash was accepted as a Wonder Bolt, and years after that, she was flying as a leader alongside Spitfire. I went to every one of her shows, and cheered for her, just as I did that day of the tryouts. I only wished she knew I still longed to be her friend. So, here comes the time I finally get to leave this world, sure I did live a happy life, I worked as a bubble maker, I helped with Winter Wrap Up each year, and I was able to watch my old friend live her dream, when I did not fulfill my own. It was all because of my eyes, my eyes set me apart from making friends, finding in love, and being respected by others. All because I was different. The only friend I had, the one who accepted me for who I was, I lost because I couldn't help being who I was, and all she saw when I crushed her that day was how different I was and not how I was her friend that did not mean for that to happen. She never accepted my apologies and just saw me as everyone else did. A freak. I always did try to deliver any mail that was addressed to her to her house, hoping she would want us to be friends again, but that never happened. I will never forget her, I will never forget the adventure we went on, all the different stories we told each other, and all the different things we always dreamed about. I remember all the things we had in common.We both are pegasi, we both prefer cupcakes over normal cake, and that we both dreamed of being part of the Wonder Bolts. Only she got her dream though, but thats ok with me, as I said. I still always wanted us to be 'Bubbles and Rainbows' again, but remember her last words, her painful, last words she said to me, that was never going to happen. I closed my eyes, my derpy eyes with tears going down my cheeks, hugging the rainbow cutie mark necklace I had gotten as a gift from my friend with a smile on my face, and remembered all the times we laughed and smiled. I had kept those images as my last thoughts for a few things only... For myself, For happiness, For always knowing in my heart we would always be Bubble & Rainbow, <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: They're Always Gonna Be here author: Firesong tags: genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life

=== Never lose your sense of wonder === Applejack smiled as she stared up at the beautiful blue sky that morning, loving the way the breeze had blew by her hair. Days like this were always great for apple-bucking, but there was paperwork that needed to be filled, and errands that needed to be completed, so that could wait for now. She had just begun to make her way towards the open gates, until her sister had rushed past her. She furiously slammed her hat on the ground. "Applebloom!What in tarnation are ya runnin' around willy-nilly like that fer?!" The young filly giggled and said over her shoulder, "Pinkie Pie's gonna have a party ta' celebrate her n' Discord's anniversary tomorrow! She asked me n' the Crusaders ta help, but Scoolatoo backed out this time... dunno why..." She shook her head, "But ah promise I'll be back by dinner!" She giggled and nodded, "Alright now, just make sure you don't eat so much sugar ya get a stomach ache!" But her words were laid upon deaf ears. Applejack sighed as she picked back up her had, and re-adjusted the straps on her saddlebag. Knowing Applebloom, she'd probably be clutching her stomach when she walked on home... better have medicine ready... While she pondered over these things, she took in the sights of Ponyville, and the folks that lived there. Mr. Breezy was just getting his shop open for business, and a salespony was outside the Sofa's and Quills -but mostly Quills- place trying to get a lovely mare to come in. She trotted by a strange looking stallion with an hour glass, accompanied by the local mailmare and her daughter.  The three seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, so she paid them no concern. She then quickly checked her list again to see what she had left to do, and let out a sigh of relief when there wasn't as much as she thought there would be. ****** "Pa, do ya think ma's gonna be okay?" a young Applejack mumbled, looking up at the large stallion. He bit his lip and didn't reply to her at first. Big Macintosh, who sat beside her, grunted and pawed at the floor. "What do you think, Big Mac? Do you think ma's gonna be okay? An' our little sis?" He answered her, though he didn't show her the expression on his face. "It's not in my place ta tell, Applejack. Th' cancer she has could be worse than we thought.... 'specially since the baby took a lot outta her." The young filly puffed out her chest and shook her head. "Well, ah think she's gonna be jus' fine. She's as tough as nails! Remember the time when she carried me an' you away from that manticore, then came back to buck 'em in the balls? Hahah! Ya should've seen the look on Rarity's face, pa!" Though her father continued to stay silent, and stared at the door, trying to drown his daughter's voice out to the best of his ability. ****** Twilight smiled at her old friend as she sputtered a response, when she questioned how her date with Caramel went. The mare blushed like a little schoolfilly, taking off her hat. "W-well, uh, it went fine fer the most part. Caramel was a real gentlecolt, though the poor thing nearly pissed 'imself when Big Mac threatened him not to hurt me." She shook her head in a flustered motion. "Ah'm gonna have a good word with mah brother next time I see 'em." She giggled, "I'm glad things worked alright with you. When I had my first date with Comet, he tripped over his own hooves as I introduced him to my parents. Hehe, other than that though it was just perfect. If you ever need any advice or books, the library's always open." Applejack politely declined, silently questioning her friend's choice of reading material. "Thanks for the offer, but ah gotta go. See ya tomorrow, Twah' light." Twilight couldn't answer her right away however, for she blushed, and became distracted by the colt behind her. "Comet Tail! N-not in front of my friends!" He smirked at her, his face turning red. "What're you talking about? Oh, hey Applejack." "Hey...." ****** Sunflower was never a mare to complain much, but she had been laying on that damn couch the whole day, and her large stomach didn't make things any easier. She neighed unhappily, her blonde hair covering her face as she called out to her husband. "Apple Core..." She sniffed, closing her eyes when he turned around. "Sunflower! Is everything alright? Do you need a glass of water? Do--" "I don't need anything, Core, I just wanna work on the farm..." The large stallion sighed, wrapping his hooves around her. "Sunny, you know why we can't let you. The cancer is spreading and any sudden movements could prove to be a disaster." She let out a whine and buried her face in his shoulders. "I can't believe I'm being treated like a baby while I'm having one." "I know, I know, you want to be a bad-ass but there's a time and place. I promise, as soon as you're well again, you can buck all the apple trees you desire." He chuckled, looking into her beautiful green eyes. "Oh, that's not the only thing I'm gonna buck, honey." she smirked at him, blushing violently while he nuzzled her. "I'll be looking forward to it..." he rolled his eyes and brought his head down to her stomach, placing his ear against it. The baby was moving again, and this time it seemed to be more awake than usual. "Well hey there, little guy." "Girl." Sunflower hissed, "It's gonna be a girl, and there's nothing you can do about it." Apple Core pouted, blowing his orange mane out of his face. "Aw, but I'm gonna be outnumbered. Are you sure?" The look on his wife's face showed no mercy. He sighed, and his lips formed into a wide smile. "Applejack! Big Mac! Who want's to say hi to their little sister this mornin'?!" "Ah do ah do ah do!" the orange filly came tumbling down the steps, and hopped on the couch. ****** It barely started to rain by the time Applejack made it halfway cross town, causing her to glance up at the cloudy sky. She knew it was going to rain today, but she didn't keep track of the time while she was shopping-- she better hurry, if she doesn't want to get soaked. Rainbow Dash flew past her quickly following another blue blur (to which she assumed was Soarin, the two had been hanging out a lot lately) and into shelter. She had called out to her friend under the roar of thunder in the distance, but Applejack couldn't hear. She chuckled and shifted her hat. Those two are like a couple of parasprites durin' mating season... jeez... however, something else was on her mind that day, so it caused her to make a detour, and down a different path from Ponyville. Not many ponies visited this place much, for it had the same eerie feel as the Everfree Forest. But Applejack had gotten used to it; she had seen stranger things in this lifetime. She smirked when she remembered Discord's face every time Pinkie Pie kisses him. He's been softening up lately, and each time it turns an even deeper shade of red than before. It sure was a funny sight to see, and she knew it'll never get old. Everybody was falling in love with each other now; that was a strange thing in its own right. She blushed at the thought of her own sweetheart, a young, hard working stallion by the name of Caramel. Though he may come off as shy, and often frustrating, his determination to work on the farm even in the toughest environments earned her heart. She didn't know how it happened, but she fell for him, and slowly he did in return. "Gettin' pretty bad now," Applejack murmured to herself, looking up at the sky as the rain poured down on her. The mud underneath her feet made a squishing sound every time she walked. She glanced  around her at the scenery; there were less trees, and gravel met grass at the end of the road. Ponyville was nothing but a small speck in the distance, and she could see her barn a few yards ahead. She sighed, "But Ah can't turn back yet-- havta say hello to ma an' pa." nodding once to herself, she trudged onward, closing her eyes as she listened to the birds fluttering nearby. ****** "Big Mac... is pa mad at me?" The two ponies were inside the kitchen then, eating lunch alone while their father was upstairs. Their poor mother unfortunately didn't make it, but at her last breath, she gave Applejack her hat to remember her by. The little filly was happy and healthy when they finally met her, but only the youngest of the family rejoiced. She had named her Apple Bloom, because she was gonna do just that- grow into a beautiful flower much prettier than the world they lived in now. It was ironic, but Big Mac didn't say anything about the matter. And he really didn't want to say anything right now, either. Applejack pressed on. "Ah mean, I haven't been fair to mah all these years... A-ah always put the extra load of work on her. Maybe if ah... maybe if ah jist spent some time with her, an' him, do ya think he'd smile a bit more?" He sighed, staring at the food in his plate. "E...eyup." "Ah thought so too... ah'm gonna see what he's doin' now! Ya can finish those apple fritters, Big Mac!" With a giggle, Applejack grabbed her little sister in her hooves and put her on her back, her mission to see her father one more time. Unfortunately, they soon heard a big bang, and the red stallion pushed Applejack aside so he could check out what happened first. When he saw the terrible sight, that was the first time he actually allowed himself to cry. ******* "Mornin', ma an' pa," She sniffed, taking off her hat. "Sorry it's been so long since Ah've seen ya, but ah'm glad ah managed to come by today." She placed her saddlebag in front of her and lay down. "The farm's doin' great, we got a big sale with Mr. Filthy earlier this week. Even though ah wanted ta kick his flank after what his daughter did to Apple Bloom. Ah told 'em straight up, if she keeps on bein' the way she is, we won't sell with him. Heheh, mah you woulda been real proud, his face was so red when he walked away. "An Caramel is still clumsy as ever, though ah try not to yell at him. Ah would never know why in Celestia's name did ah fall for that colt, but, he swept me off mah hooves. Ah remember one of yer stories mah, the first time you an' pa met. Yer the one who gave 'em a kiss first, causing him to blush like a crazed schoolfilly. Ah wish ah was more like you ma, more confident in ma actions around him. Ah really think he's the one fer me, but ah just know ah'll do somethin', or somepony'll do somethin' ta buck it up," she sighed and shook her already wet mane. "Yer right, ah'm just worryin' too much. Just gotta keep mah head strong, and... wear it with the apple family pride. Thanks fer remindin' me, ma." She smiled over at her father's grave. "And pa, you'd be proud of Big Mac- he took ma friend Fluttershy out on a moonlight date yesterday. Treatin' her good, ah tells ya. She's changed for the better, and so has he. Ah'm sure you'd love the mare if ya ever met her. She's a little shy though, so don't act all intimidatin'." Applejack reached out to her saddlebag and placed a blue flower on both of their graves. "Ah'll make sure ah come by tomorrow, but ya really never know what'll happen. This town jus' keeps on getting crazier an' crazier," She chuckled at the memories and stood up, strapping the bag back on her shoulders. "Well, I love ya."  She sighed, and began to trot down the road. She was almost out of the area when a sniffle stopped her dead in her tracks, causing her to turn her head towards the sound. A tiny orange filly was hunched over, her wings flattened by the rain. Scootaloo...? What're ya doin' here? She thought worriedly. Then she suddenly remembered what Apple Bloom had told her earlier, and sighed. So this is where ya decided to go... poor baby. Shaking her head, she trotted over to her, and wrapped her hooves around her. She let out a scream and tried to break away from her, but when she noticed it was Applejack, Scootaloo calmed down stopped thrashing about. She buried her face into her mane, and the two didn't say anything for a while. For there was nothing else that was needed to be said; just the comfort in knowing that their families are still with them, though maybe not in body anymore, but in spirit. The times that they were here were the ones they should cherish, because it just wouldn't be fair to anypony. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Rainbow's Green author: Twinkletail tags: character:Fluttershy, character:Rainbow Dash, character:Rarity, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1 === "I'm sorry, Dashie, but I have to go meet Rarity. It's Friday, after all." Rainbow Dash sighed lightly, crossing her forelegs as she stared Fluttershy down. Fluttershy's weekly trips to the spa with Rarity weren't anything new. They had been doing this for a good long time, and it never used to bother Rainbow before. Ever since she and Fluttershy started dating, though, something about these trips just seemed off. There was nothing wrong with the two of them spending time with their other friends, but something about the nature of these spa trips just didn't sit right with her. Rarity always seemed to be very close to Fluttershy, and the two of them always went by themselves, not even bothering to invite anypony else. Not that she wanted to go; spas were boring, and ponies always wanted to touch her hooves there. Still, the lack of an invite only helped to fuel her suspicion. "Yeah yeah...go have fun at the spa," Rainbow responded, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. "I'm sorry, Dashie," Fluttershy said, seeing right through the facade. "I promise we can spend some quality time together as soon as we're done at the spa, okay?" She leaned in and planted a sweet little kiss on Rainbow's cheek. "I love you." "Love you too, Flutters," Rainbow responded, looking away. Fluttershy gave her a wave, then headed off. Rainbow watched her leave, unconsciously shaking her head. There was definitely something off about all of this. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but with all the time that Fluttershy spent alone with Rarity, it had to be something. Rainbow decided at that moment that she would find out what was going on between the two. Rainbow picked herself up into the air, flying silently from cloud to cloud. She watched Fluttershy as she made her way to the spa, keeping a close eye on her while remaining hidden. Part of her felt a little guilty for spying on her marefriend, but with how much she'd worked herself up over her secret trips to the spa with Rarity, she couldn't just ignore it. The two eventually reached the spa, and Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she saw Rarity waiting outside. Rarity was a great friend to her, but at the moment, she was potentially the enemy. She watched the two greet each other cordially, although her distance stopped her from hearing exactly what was being said. Rainbow fluttered her wings gently, changing the Floyd's trajectory and causing it to slowly drift downwards. Hopefully, neither of the two would find a gradually-approaching cloud to be suspicious. As it turned out, the two ended up entering the spa without noticing the cloud. Rainbow was not spotted, but this carried the side effect of her not being able to overhear anything. The frustrated pegasus flew out of the cloud and bucked it into oblivion. She stared at the spa doors; entering such a building would instantly up her frou-frou level to unacceptable levels, but she had come too far to back out now. Rainbow stepped one hoof into the spa. She looked around at all the fancy-schmancy decor; she'd been in here once before, but somehow it seemed to be even more frou-frou than she'd remembered. The sight of pink and purple tails disappearing into one of the rooms realigned her with her goal, and she approached the front desk. She remembered seeing Aloe, the mare at the desk, around town, and smiled lightly when she looked up. "Uh...hey there," Rainbow said. "Hello, Miss Dash!" Aloe replied, giving a sweet little smile. "I must admit, I did not take you for a spa patron! No offense, of course." "None taken!" Rainbow replied, glad that she was still giving off her usual aura of awesomeness. "I just figured I'd...uh...give the whole spa thing a try! You know, cause even really cool ponies like me need to feel pretty sometimes!" She said this line with such a thin veneer of conviction that it shocked her when Aloe did not question it. "You are always pretty, Miss Dash," Aloe told her, sweetness and excellent customer service dripping from her voice. "Come, I shall lead you to a room." "Uh, can I take that room?" Rainbow asked quickly, pointing to the room next to the one that Fluttershy and Rarity had entered. "Certainly!" Aloe said. "And could you give me like ten minutes before you come start the whatever-goes-on-in-there?" Rainbow asked. Aloe raised a brow, but seemed otherwise unbothered by the odd request. "Of course," the spa pony said. "Go on, I shall join you in ten minutes." Rainbow waited for Aloe to turn away, then snuck past the room she was to enter. She dared not poke her head into Fluttershy and Rarity's room; without a nice bit of cloud cover, she would be discovered immediately. She quickly found out that seeing them would not be necessary, as she heard Rarity speak. "So tell me your troubles, darling," Rarity said calmly. Rainbow blinked; what problems could Fluttershy possibly have? And why was she going to Rarity with them instead of her? "Well...it's about Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy responded quietly. Rainbow's heart sank for a moment. That didn't sound good at all. She thought everything was going well between them. "What has she done now?" Rarity asked. That made Rainbow's anger flare up. What kind of question was that? She always treated Fluttershy well! Then a thought sprang into her head: What if Rarity was trying to break them up so she could be with Fluttershy? It all made sense. Rarity was keeping up these spa trips to stay close to Fluttershy and try to win her over. Rainbow couldn't believe the nerve. It took a lot of willpower to not burst into the room and tell Rarity off. She loved Fluttershy, and was not willing to let anypony take her away. Only the sound of Fluttershy's voice stopped her from stepping in. "Well...sometimes I get the feeling she doesn't trust me," Fluttershy said softly. "She gets a little clingy when I'm around other ponies. Sometimes I think that she expects me to go off with another pony. I'd never do that to her...I don't know why she'd think like that, but it's hard to deal with..." Rainbow frowned. Of course she was protective of Fluttershy. Fluttershy was the kindest, prettiest, sweetest pony in all of Equestria. Everypony had to be envious of Rainbow for being with her, and she had to watch to make sure that nopony would take her away. Rainbow then thought back over that train of thought. She sat there, her jaw dropped. It was all true, what Fluttershy was saying. She hadn't even thought of it in that way; it was other ponies that she didn't trust, but it could easily have looked like she didn't trust Fluttershy. She didn't need something else to hammer the point home, but it came anyway. "Oh?" Rarity asked. "So you think she watches your interactions with other ponies? That she's spying on you when you're around others or something to that effect?" "S-spying?" Fluttershy asked. "O-oh, no...I don't think she'd do something like that..." Rainbow's ears and wings drooped, as she realized that she was doing the exact thing that Rarity suggested, and that Shy had denied any chance of her doing. She turned away, feeling lower than the mud that her marefriend and their friend were likely bathing in, and headed towards the exit. "Miss Dash!" Aloe called as she watched her pass. "Do you not want me to make you prettier?" Rainbow gave a little shake of her head, not bothering to look up from the ground. "I don't feel very pretty right now," Rainbow said, before heading off towards home. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: That Which Drives Us author: Vengeful Spirit tags: genre:Dark, genre:Slice of Life

=== Binds Us === "If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." ~Jim Rohn   I frantically pulled the next ream of cloth over towards me, a dozen plans already running past my eyes as I readied myself for the task ahead. Work could often times be a cruel mistress, even brutal at times. That didn't matter, my task was known to me and I had no other choice but to complete it. My newest client had made a fifty thousand bit contract with me for a new line of clothing and there was no way in hell I was going to let her down. If I couldn't complete the tasks assigned to me, then I had no place in this business. That left one option: Succcess. Stitch by stitch, I wove my talent into the craft, putting everything I had into it. This was all or nothing! Sweat dripped from my bangs into my eyes as I concentrated. My vision was starting to grow fuzzy as I tried to keep myself focused, but it didn't seem to be enough. Long hours of gruelling work had taken their tole and my mind was having trouble not lapsing. I bit my lip as I realized what I was in for. "You can't stop now, Rarity," she said behind me. I tried to ignore her, but she was just as present now as she'd been the day I started. I almost turned to look at her, but I knew she wouldn't be there. The mare was always just beyond sight, never quite within my field of view. It didn't matter, I knew exactly who she was. "You've got to keep going Rarity. Keep going or you're nothing." I gasped as my magic drove the needle a little to far into the cloth I was holding. I pulled my hoof away to find a new line of red coming from the pinprick. It didn't matter, it was just one of many. There'd been many times I'd hurt myself sewing and there'd be many more before the work in front of me was over. "Keep going, Rarity. Why do you live if not to please?" Purpose was a cruel mistress, always standing there behind me to give me a reason to keep living. She was my worst tormentor and my closest friend. She hurt me, she helped me. I owed everything I'd become to her and yet I never quite satisfied her. Purpose was a sadistic slave master, and I was alright with that. My eyes started to tear up as I drove myself onward. It didn't matter, I had more in me and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to show it. If I couldn't complete what I started, what use was I? It did not even merit speaking. Still... a break would've been great. Yes, just a little break and maybe some sleep. "So you give up just like that? You and I both know that if you stop now, you won't be able to finish this in time. She expects it tomorrow!" the mare behind me said. "I need some rest. I can't keep going like this!" "You disappoint me, Rarity. Have you not faced things harder than this? You faced down vicious dragons, malicious spirits, and endless hordes of changelings without even batting an eyelash and yet here you are, scared wimpering from a little hardship? You're pathetic!" "I-I can't keep going, it's too much!" "It's only too much if you let it be. Here you are, cowering behind your own need for the luxuries of life. You don't need them, Rarity. You've never needed them and you can't start doing so now. There's a task to be done and only you can do it." I knew she was right. She was always right, after all. I bit my lip before driving back to the task at hoof. I wouldn't hide behind my soft sheets when I wasn't done! There was something that needed to be completed and only a little time to do it. She was right, I had faced far worse and come out unscathed. If I could do that without backing down, there was no reason I couldn't do this! A few days without sleep was no real skin off of my nose. Still... *Crack!!* "Aaahh!" I cried out as I felt the lash leave rivets in my flesh. It stung for a few moments before subsiding. I felt a little more awake now that I knew the mare behind me had a whip. Perhaps I wasn't quite as tired as I thought. The mare behind me chuckled darkly as she watched how easily I slipped back into my work. "There, was that so hard?" she asked. I knew she was smirking behind me. I knew it and I hated her for it. She was enjoying the pain she caused me, there was no denying it. She took an intense pleasure in my deress and as much as I hated it, I knew why. The mare with the whip behind me was what kept me ploughing forward, what drove me to do what everypony assumed I did of my own volition. They always assumed that fashion was an easy, frivolous thing. It was something that could be slapped out with no effort, a child's play compared to the intense complexities of their obviously more strenuous job of digging ditches or caring freight. They couldn't have been more wrong! This was not a task for the feint of heart. "Rarity?" I looked over my shoulder to find my little sister had come home early. I chuckled softly. She was such a darling, even with her antics and her penchant for reckless behavior. "Sweetie, Darling, what are you doing here so early?" "What do you mean 'early'?" she asked, looking somewhat confused. "Well you're here right now and..." I looked over at the clock to find it was already well after five in the afternoon. "Huh... I suppose you're not then. Well how was school, Dear?" "Oh it was fine! Mrs. Cheerilee gave us a special lesson on Equestrian history and the Treaty of Gryphus. You wouldn't believe how ridiculous ponies were back those days! Why did we spend nearly a hundred years at war with their empire just over a border dispute? That makes no sense!" "Uh huh," I said, placing my focus back on my work as I tried to settle her rant on the backburner. As much as I loved the darling, she really could really ramble at times. "Go on." "Well if that wasn't absurd enough, what actually made them stop the war wasn't the heavy casualties they'd been facing nor the diminishing population because of that but because of the financial burden it was putting on their economies. Neither government payed any regards to all the ponies and gryphons that died for them to stay in power, they just stopped for the fucking money!" "Sweetie!" I scowled. "Oops. I'm sorry sister, I won't say it again." "It's okay, it's just a word. Still, I'd prefer if you wouldn't use it so loosely." "I won't, Sis," she said, an embarassed blush spreading across her face. "Well as I was saying, they settled the war just to-" I quietly droned her out as I got back to my duties. I'd occaisionally glance up or utter a soft 'Uh-huh' from time to time to make her thing I was actually multi-tasking while I sewed. It seemed to work just fine, and pretty soon she'd finished her rant on random historical trivia. "Well I'm gonna go see my friends now, okay Sis?" "Sure, Sweetie! Just be careful, okay?" I replied. Just as I was turning back to my work I found a small pair of hooves wrap around my neck. I felt my little sister's chin nuzzle against my own and for a moment all was still and quiet. "I love you, Rarity," she said and I felt like my heart could burst. She pulled back and looked deep into my eyes. "Don't forget that, okay?" "I won't, Sweetie," I said, smiling back down to her. We met each others' eyes for a moment before she trotted off to find her friends. Of all the ponies I held dearest to me, my sister took the cake. "Ahem!" a voice behind me uttered. "I believe you have something else to be doing right now!" "Can't I have a moment to revel in the love of my own sister?" "Not if you want to get the project done on time!" came a nasty reply. There was a moment of silence before the voice softened a little. "I know why you love her. She is a darling filly, if a bit naive at times. Maybe she even starts to give you something your parents never could... But regardless, feeling nice about the foal won't help you finish your work." I mused about it for a moment before saying, "Maybe it does." "What was that?" she asked. "Nothing." "Well then get back to work!" I did just that, but not before a small smile played onto my lips. Maybe I'd be tired when this was all over. Maybe I'd wish that I'd never gotten into fashion and felt drained of all my energy at the end, only to have to get up the next day just to do it all over again. But none of that really mattered. I was loved, despite what that cursed mare behind me might think. I knew what I had to do and I had someone there behind me to help me do it. Besides, I knew the mare's name by heart. The mare behind me was Rarity. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: New Empress, Old Friends author: articunos bitch tags: character:Gilda, character:Princess Celestia, character:Rainbow Dash, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Yeah, Just...Friends === Dear Rainbow Dash, I doubt you have heard but the griffon emperor passed away last night. His successor, his youngest daughter Dixie(that's right, Dixie!), will be crowned tomorrow morning. I will be attending the ceremony and would be very interested in you joining me for the occasion. If you are unable to make it please write so on the back of this letter and burn it, any fire will do. If you can join, then please present this letter to the guards at Canterlot Castle and ask where I am at the time. Formal attire will be required, I'm sure what you wore at the Grand Galloping Gala will do, minus the headress. I will need an answer by 1500 today, or I will leave without you. Your most gracious Princess, Princess Celestia. The pink coated pegasis Guard nodded at the letter and held it out for Rainbow Dash. "You may find Princess Celestia in the her private chambers, or Library Spire." "Thank you." She trotted past him and flew up to the balcony looking over the plains east of Canterlot, where Celestia often raised the sun from. Knocking on the glass doors, she slowly pushed on open and called out. "Princess? I got your letter? I'm up for a trip to the Griffon Realm. Celestia? If you're not here I'm going to go and shout your name all over a library." She waited several seconds before answering for herself. "Okay. Heading out." Rainbow left the door she came through and glided to the tower where Sunset Shimmer once lived. Since her relocation to Ponyville, it had been reverted back to it's use as a paper grave before Celestia decided to keep Sunset close to her. The door on this balcony was not locked either, and she opened it slowly, a sneaky grin growing across her face. Sliding into the silent room, she crouched and slithered her way to the stairwell, ears perked, listening for the rustling of paper. Peeking over the edge, her face between guardrail supports, Rainbow saw Princess Celestia inspecting each book before setting it aside and picking the next one, perhaps hoping to find something. Smirking, Rainbow fluttered over the railing, and flapped the outer most tips of her wings. Sticking her tongue out of her mouth, she carefully lost altitude, and thought she saw Celestia pause for a moment. That was when Celestia's horn illuminated and she found her vision became a shimmering gold. With Rainbow's wings unable to move, she forced a pout onto her face and sighed. Celestia turned around and called out right in her face. "Rainbow Dash! Thank goodness you're here! I felt an assassin approaching me, and she must be nearby. Help me find her!" Celestia bounded around the spacious room, looking behind boxes, between shelves, under tables, all the while keeping Rainbow locked in place. She found her legs able to move and crossed her front ones while waiting for Celestia to realize she was stuck. Celestia whispered harshly, "Oh Dashie, quit fooling around! We have uninvited company." She let Rainbow go, who crashed to the ground as her host walked up to her. "Have you found the assassin? She must be nearby. Oh dear me, whatever could she be planning?" Celestia lay on her belly, her hooves holding down her ears, shivering like a foal afraid of the dark hiding under the covers. "Uh, yeah. I might know who she is." Dash smirked, waiting for Celestia to raise her head. "I was sneaking up behind you. I was going to pounce on your back." She smiled, rather proud of herself for getting as close as she had. "You?" The pegasis nodded. "My, absolute, favorite pony in the world?" Another nod. "Were going to tackle me with me back turned?" A third bob of her head. "This will not go unpunished." All four of Dash's very sensitive hooves were caught in a golden aura each and she found herself lifted off the ground, her chest directly facing Princess. "Wait! You're not-" She was cut off by Celestia grabbing her around her lower back and shoving her face into her belly and giving a fat, sloppy, wet raspberry. Rainbow Dash lost all control of herself as she chortled and giggled and guffawed into the open, empty space of the old library. Her raspberry's did not go on long, and when Celestia pulled her face away, she still felt the tickle of her moving lips. "Are you fully rehabilitated and ready to be released back into normal society Rainbow Dash?" Celestia asked, with the seriousness of a High Judge. "No." Keeping her firm, authoritative tone, she continued. "The state's experts have reached a consensus that you will struggle, you will face unique hardships that few, if any can relate to, but you can live a normal, meaningful, peaceful life. But only if you choose such a path of course. And should you find yourself back in bondage like this, the state can not predict what would happen to you at such an occurance. You will be released at this time." The golden aura's released Rainbow and she fell to the ground, landing on all four hooves. Looking up to Celestia, she found herself wrapped in a tight wing hug. "How are you doing today Dashie?" "I'm doing great!" She was released from her Princesses wings. "I got your letter this morning, and I'm up for a trip to the Griffon Realm. The capitol city is...Keep?" "Nope. Castle Edric. Honestly Dash. Did you sleep through all of your geography classes?" She ruffled Rainbow's mane with her wing as she walked by. "Just the boring ones. So, are you looking for something particular in this pile?" She asked, looking at the discarded pile. Celestia looked into a new box of books. "Not a book per se. The former Emperor sent me a letter with a marble bust during his first year on the throne as a token of peace. His predecessor(his wife) caused a fair bit of friction during her time, so he wanted to show how he wanted to smooth things over. He always loved the bust, and I appreciated the gesture, but really, I knew he was not her, so I told him I would return it after his death, which he was fine with. 'Can't have my children running the country without The Lion-tamer looking down on them. Can I?' I know where the bust is, I want to find the letter he sent with it. I put it in a book, which was put here...I just don't know where." "I guess I'll check over here. Did you look through these ones yet?" She opened a box as tall as herself and staring looking for loose papers. "No. I set it in a book called 'Let the Silence Sing' by Aegsis Sheild. It would be in fiction/literature, and those are public records." Dash's head popped out of the box and turned her head to Celestia, grinning again. "'Let the Silence Sing?' That's about YOU falling in love with an earth pony stallion, right? You read it?" She was on the verge of laughter. Celestia turned to Dash too. "Read it? I had it commissioned by the greatest romance writer of the day, seventy years ago, specifically for me. I was supposed to be the only one to read it at all. As with all commissions I have issued for me, after he passed away I decided to have it published en masse, and his inheritors got their royalties. So yes, I have read it." Both ponies were grinning. The alicorn kindly, the pegasis trying to hold back her laughter, and failing. "Bwhahahaaa! Hahahehehe. That's good! Hahahahehe. I always wondered..." "And what is so funny this time Rainbow?" Celestia gently asked. "Oh hhhh, nothing. I...we had to read it in high school. Later when I meet Applejack and Big Macintosh, he reminded me of Brandywine. And I got this image in my head..." She lost herself in a fit of giggles again, rolling onto the floor. "You know better than to picture your Princess in such lewd situations without giving me proper protection Rainbow Dash. This is a serious offense and calls for the most serious of Noogies!" Celestia leaped for Rainbow and tried wrestling her into a headlock. Dash slipped out of her grasp and poked at Celestia's belly with her front hooves, tickling her. The giggles and laughter of both ponies continued to echo through the old library. ** ** ** The night before, sounds very different from laughter and general silliness sounded out in the bedroom of the dying griffon Emperor, Winston Boragus. He remained silent and gently stroked the head of his youngest daughter as she sobbed into he chest. Dixie had always been stronger than she claimed, and she had humility worthy of an empress seeded deep in herself. He had faith in her, as did his entire cabinet, soon to be hers. "Dixie. Please don't cry. You may mourn me later, but not now. Don't let your last memories be of me be your tears interrupting me." Dixie's sobs slacked off, "Lift your head dear." Dixie lifted her golden eyes to meet his, flooded with all her regrets, all the time they did not spend together, and never would. "Dixie, you are in good hands, surrounded by griffons who love you. Your uncle Judas is your Right Hand, Doctor Utobitha knows your entire medical history, the Empire is at peace. And I know you can maintain it. You have nothing to fear. I know what it's like to become an orphan dear. I know." Dixie's jaw quivered. "But it's just part of life. Tell me sweetheart, do you have any idea what your death would do to me? No. You don't. A father is supposed to pass away before his daughter. And you, and your brother and your sisters will have to help each other through this." "Dad?" She struggled to say, it was the first time in years since she called him by Dad. "I don't want this. I just want to go back to Wandering and being Gilda; no duties, no obligations, no-" He put a single claw to her beak. "No Dixie. I know what you want. And you are not going to get it. And I wanted something similar when your mother died. I know. But you were chosen for this. There is honor, respect, and not much of a choice. No, you can either accept it with dignity and maturity, or be known as the child on the throne. And heaven knows we have had too many of them. Is that what you want?" Dixie held eye contact and almost, imperceptibly shook her head. "I don't want things to change Dad," she whispered. "You know the story of the Boy and the Two Suns. So you know it doesn't work like that Sweetheart." He pulled her close, wrapping his wings and claws around her. "Now go. I doubt I will see the sunrise, and I don't want you haunted by my last breath. I love you Dixie." "I love you Dad. I'm going to miss you so much." "Goodbye Dixie." The next time she saw him, he was laid in state, and she had become Empress after shedding the names Dixie and Gilda forever. ** ** ** After hours of half searching, Celestia and Rainbow Dash finally found their prize. With the letter in hoof, Celestia said they would stop off at her private chambers for her formal wear before leaving on their flight east. "What formal wear? You look fine without anything special." Rainbow asked. Celestia looked down seriously at her. "Dashie, I usually wear my crown and breastplate. My shoes will be fine, but do you think it appropriate to wear a crown and regalia at the coronation of a foreign sovereign?" Dash looked away in thought. "No, it would not. Therefore I am going to significantly dress up without looking royal. The Empress will be wearing the least clothing, a little more than you will remember seeing her with. She shall stand out by being the least, and as her invited guests we will do right by her." Dash looked to Celestia as they entered her chambers with a confused look. "Celestia? What you mean 'remember seeing her'? Have I meet her before?" Celestia levitated the griffon bust into her traveling sack along with the letter. "Yes. I think she would be rather difficult to forget. Sunset mentioned her recently, I doubt if she forgot her actions toward Pinkie Pie, you would." "Woah! Woah. Back up! The new Griffon Empress did not meet Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer. Gilda did. My friend from Flight School." Rainbow held her hooves up and spread her wings. Celestia turned around, not sure what to make of Rainbow's words. "Did you really not know? I guess if she was getting away she wouldn't say much, I find it difficult to believe she would say nothing at all. But I suppose it makes sense." "What nothing?" Rainbow was getting impatient. Celestia sighed and sat on her bed, patting the space next to her inviting Dash to sit. "Rainbow Dash, Dixie Boragus has always been a bit of a rebel. She decided one day she was going to come to Equestria for her secondary education. In her rebellious teenage years, she unofficially dropped her name Dixie and took up Gilda." Rainbow's eyes shot open. "Imagine my surprise years later when I learned from Sunset Shimmer that the griffon Princeling Dixie had long ago befriended the great Rainbow Dash. Hehe. I'm glad you treated her like an equal. Since she was pretending to be someone else she would crave attention like an equal. But now you know and can greet her as Empress." Dash stared at the wall blankly, trying to process this. "But, well, she said she didn't want to grow into her parents. And she wanted to be her own griffon. But...Did she lie to me Celestia?" She looked at her, her face full of confusion. "How about you ask her when you get there? Now, I believe you have your Gala gown in your bag?" Celestia asked climbing off the bed and throwing her saddle packs over her back. "Yep. I left the crown at home like you said. I also got money for the road, tolls, a cheap motel, you know the drill." Dash trotted to the balcony and stretched her wings for take off. Celestia grinned broadly. "Oh my Little Dashie. You are a guest of Princess Celestia. You may find yourself treated as my own daughter; a grand bed in the royal apartments, breakfast fit for a princess, you are not getting out of tolls though. All foreigners must submit to a credit check at the border, and a deposit, nonrefundable if you break any law. Now come, let us be off!" With a running start, she and Rainbow Dash leaped from the balcony and took to the skies, beginning their long journey east to the Griffon Realm. ** ** ** After several hours of non stop, magically enhanced flight, Dash and Celestia made it to the border. After submitting to a one thousand bit credit check covering both of them, and a separate two hundred bit security deposit with receipt, the two ponies still had another two hour flight until reaching Castle Edric, and Dash was busy summarizing the government lesson she received after the border. "So, the Emperor chooses his own successor, even before receiving the crown. They are typically family, but are under no obligation to be. The Emperor can change his mind at any time, and the only one he is obligated to tell is the successor." "Good. Keep going." Celestia encouraged as Edric came into her view. "Once the crown sits on their head, they normally surrender much their property, and more personally their names. Few called Emperor Boragus by his own name. Just those he allowed, everyone else simply called him Emperor. And both are because he's given up his personal life; he now serves the Realm, and even with so much honor, he is the lowest servant in the state." "Good job." "And they were not always like this. Years ago, the Emperor was a powerful and dangerous griffon. He ruled through strength, obedience of his followers and fear. He still choose his successor then too, but it was normally his child or Right Claw, his steward to the throne. One Emperor, Ratonhnhaketon, saw how you ruled, and spent the rest of his life changing how the state was run. It took a few more rulers, and an unsuccessful rebellion, but the end result is what we know today. As a result the Emperor listens to his kingdom, their economy is roaring faster than Equestria's, and the state is significantly smaller and less corrupt than it was in the past. Did I miss anything?" "You got the idea my Favorite Student. And now your old friend Gilda, AKA Dixie Boragus rules. I wonder if you might be able to visit with her tonight before bed time." Celestia spoke casually. "Rainbow Dash is too cool for Bed Time." She smirked. Celestia gave a few extra powerful flaps of her wings and found herself flying backwards directly of Rainbow, talking baby talk, gripping her cheeks and making silly faces. "My Wittle Dashie is going to need an extra early bed time so she can wake up extra early and let her Mommy make her all pretty for the big coronation in the morning. But I know she can still get some play time with her little friend Gilda after she eats all her alfalfa and veggies." Rainbow Dash was giggling and trying to push Celestia's hooves away. "Okay! I yield! You win. Dinner, talk to Gilda, bed. I got it." She remained silent while they dropped altitude, heading toward the gate. "Say, do you think after what happened with Pinkie she'll still want to be my friend? She wasn't happy, and I haven't heard from her since." "How about we make meeting her the first stop. I can take your bag to the room, make myself comfy, and you go make amends with your friend. What does Sunset say always about friendship?" "Friendship is magic. Friendship with benefits is even better." Celestia gave her a cold gaze. "She...had a bit too much cider, and was staring at Big Mac when she said it. Obviously I brohoofed her." They both chuckled. ** ** ** The needle fell into it's place along the edge of the track of the vinyl record, the silent grooves, producing only the faintest of static from the speaker before a song her father had sung to her many times blared across the bedroom she had slept in most of her life, and now the new Master Bedroom of the castle. She was Empress, if she wanted the smallest bedroom in the royal apartments with a narrow view facing southwest to be the Master Bed, it would be so in her castle. "Being ruler is not all that is seems, there's a cost to be a ruler supreme, A heavy burden rest utop our brow, it demands of us a sacred vow. Dixie now, thou must understand, the will of the griffons and the way of the land, Tis not enough, to know great things, this must I teach, this thou shalt learn, now it's thy turn. The weight of the crown, demands our judgement, the weight of the crown demands our time. The weight of the crown, means acting selfless, the weight of the crown, their fate in our claws." Gilda climbed onto her bed, sitting upright, her food tray sitting above her hind legs. She sang softly, out of pitch, hardly noticing. She kept herself locked away all day, getting breakfast, lunch and now dinner delivered to her room. Maybe she could move her desk in here and she wouldn't have to leave that often. Sit in Open Court for a few hours in the morning, stretch her wings after dark, and she could pretend she was governing while Dad was away on an extra long hunt. She sighed. It was a wish, a fools wish. She always looked up to her father, she never doubted his judgement, until he choose her to be successor. He choose her for many reasons, none he shared with her. She never learned who he choose before her, maybe that was for the best though. Sipping her wine and looking at dinner, she briefly considered the recent surprise the bathroom scale gave her, and considered tossing the ostrich leg out the window. No need for a civil servant to look fat. knock knock Her door opened and a member of her guard poked his head through. "Pardon me Empress, a delegate from Equestria wishes to see you." "Yeah? Tell her I'm too busy. If she wants something, she wait until tomorrow afternoon." Gilda sighed again, not looking up. "She assures me you will want to hear what she has to say," the guard replied without much assurance. "Fine. Tell her it better be good, I'm not in the mood." She waved her claw without interest. The clop of horseshoes on tiles did drive her look up at the rainbow maned, cyan pegasis. She was smiling. Gilda was scared, especially when the guard closed the door behind him. "Hey G. Long time no see," she said with a nervous smile. Gilda said nothing at first. "Delegate? How many lies did you tell to get here Rainbow Dash?" "None. I'm here with Celestia, to see your coronation tomorrow. I didn't even know it was you until just before we left. Honest." She was still nervous but took a few steps closer. "Uh huh. And you just happen to stop by to see me because..." She rotated her claw around, prompting Rainbow to finish. "I hadn't seen you in a while. And you're my friend. I, wanted to patch things up from the last time we saw each other. You were pretty steamed. And you never wrote back to me so..." Pushing her food tray away, she leaped off her bed onto the side opposite from Rainbow and crossed her front legs. "You choose your annoying pony friends over me Dash. I don't have time for turncoats like you in my life. Not back then, and definitely not now." "I didn't choose anyone over anyone. You did. You wanted to be so cool you didn't have pride to accept some ponies so different from you into your life. I wrote that to you before, and apologized for being so lame about how I said it. And asked you to come back and make amends. Pinkie said she wrote to you too." Gilda turned to see Rainbow standing right next to her, looking just sad. "...I know." She croaked out. "But, I didn't want to make friends with them. I came to Equestria to spend time with the Oh so Cool and Awesome Rainbow Dash. Anything else just got in the way of that. You had work, I understand, I would actually be disappointed if you didn't do that. But Pinkie Pie cutting into our time? When both of us told her to leave us alone? That really ground my gears. I flipped out on her at the party because she was already under my skin. And you stood up for her. What was I supposed to do Dash?" Rainbow lay her hoof on Gilda's shoulder. "Swallow your pride and make some new friends? I thought maybe we could all get along. You might have learned something." Neither of them said a word. When Rainbow took her hoof away Gilda threw her forelegs around her in a crushing bear hug. Nearly thrown off balance, Dash adjusted herself and returned the favor. "I missed you so much Dash. I'm sorry." "I'm sorry too G. Friends?" "Yeah, friends, again." came the muffled reply from behind her ear. "Hey, you wanna go for a flight? It'll be just like sneaking onto the hoofball field after dark again." "Love to G, but Celestia said I gotta get to bed early tonight. Early morning ya know. I guess you do too." Gilda released her and stretched her back. "Do you always do what your told?" "No," she replied while shaking her head. "Me neither. I guess I should be getting to bed myself. It's good seeing you again. Look me up sometime tomorrow afternoon, we can go flying then." "Great. See ya then G." Gilda watched Rainbow Dash's tail swish back and forth as she headed to the bedroom door. ** ** ** Rainbow Dash and Celestia sat on their cushions in the throne room, patiently waiting their turn to be called to speak to the Empress during her first Open Court, well, almost patiently. Dash flicked her tail behind her back and sighed. "Cool it missy." Celestia warned quietly. They were surrounded by griffons, significantly bigger than Dash, and with less patience than Celestia. "I don't like waiting like this. If I knew more people around me it would be different." Dash looked curiously to the griffon next to her. She tried to keep her whining to a minimum, really, she did. "Well you don't. Deal with it. And we will get to see her soon." Celestia doubted her words though as the minutes ticked by, griffons from all walks of life strolled up to speak with their new ruler; words of encouragement, praise for her father, requests for laws her father would not allow. It all seemed empty and boring to Rainbow Dash, and Gilda, who wore her boredom plainly on her face. The throne room emptied as the two waited in silence watching griffons, deer, zebras, an okapi, numerous beings from all over the world made their way to greet Gilda. Rainbow even smiled and waved at Queen Chrysalis's emissary, Cocheko, she recognized him from Shining Armor's wedding. Suddenly, "Princess Celestia and Rainbow Dash of Equestria," an attendant called out. With a single leap Rainbow was halfway to the throne and taking a deep breath in. Gilda beat her to the first word. "What's up Dash! You ready to blow this lame excuse for a court?" Rainbow reached the throne, already forgetting her manners and gave her a fist bump. "I thought you'd love this G. You get to sit on the judge's bench now, and there's NO chance of you going to jail this time!" "Then where's the excitement of courthouse? What about you Princess? Up for a race?" Celestia calmly joined Rainbow on at the throne and bowed her neck, her spine forming a straight line. "Empress of The Griffon Realm, on behalf of my sister Luna of Equestria, and I, Celestia of the same, have every intention of continuing peaceful relations between our lands as your father before you did. And, I feel it would be too intrusive of me to join the two of you in your fun and fancy. Thank you for the offer though." Celestia held her gentle bow and stared at the floor until her audience replied. "Whatevs. Come on Dash. Clouds ain't gonna bust themselves." Gilda strolled off to a small door behind the throne, brushing her tail across Rainbow's chest. "Wait Gilda!" Dash looked between both of them desperately. She nearly whined to both of them. "Celestia, come on, don't be a square. It'll be fun! You know how good it'll be for her, and you should see her moves. Got any new moves in your tricktionary G?" Rainbow grabbed Celestia's hoof and started pulling her awkwardly to the door Gilda held open. "Yeah. And I wanna try some new one's today, Sounds Above know the next chance I'll get." She was already pulling off the few royal garments she wore and throwing them over her back while guiding them down the hall to her bedroom. "Princess? You got any flight tricks? You've had thousands of years to work on them. I'm gonna be bummed if you don't have something good." Celestia pulled her hoof from Rainbow's grasp and thought carefully. "Um, well...I don't fly on my own very often, and I don't try flying tricks, at all. So, no I do not have any." "Yeah," Rainbow said with her hoof behind her head looking around. "Except the Celestial Rainboom! How can you forget that! It's only the coolest thing any pony has ever done!" Gilda, now as naked as her guests normally were, turned and walked backwards. "Dash? I thought the Sonic Rainboom was your thing? You can do it too Princess?" "It's more my thing than hers anyway. 'It's alicorn magic on parade,' as Princess Sunset Shimmer says, she's the world expert on Sonic Rainbooms. Mostly because nopony cares to study them, and she has discovered a great deal about them. Written several papers, she always has had a certain fascination with them." Gilda stared at her for a few seconds before turning around and opening her bedroom door, carefully laying her crown on it's pillow, tossing her clothes onto a chair, and waiting for her guests to do the same. "You two lost me. Rainbow Dash did the first Sonic Rainboom in more than a century, but you can do them too? AND it's alicorn magic? Then...where's her horn? I'm missing something right now." Stretching her wings, Celestia climbed out the small window and hovered, waiting for Rainbow and Gilda. "Short version: a Sonic Rainboom is a burst of all three kinds of pony magic; earth, pegasis, and unicorn. Alicorns are the only ones who should be able to do it, but so can Rainbow Dash strangely enough. No-one has given a good reason as to how. We know why it can be done, but not how. Rainbow nodded her head, smirked and Gilda joined her outdoors and they took off, gaining altitude, flying towards the mountains the new Empress would be staring at every sunrise and sunset. "Yep. It's all true! Then after Sunset became a Princess, Celestia wanted to spend more time with me, and I dared her to do a Sonic Rainboom. And guess who it turns out did the last one before me, all those years ago?" Slamming her butt down on a cloud, she held her smirk while Celestia blushed at the implied praise. Gilda took a seat next to Dash and stretched out her wings and legs. "Hey, I wanna see that. Celestia, show us a Celestial Rainboom." Celestia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, I can't. Not now. It would be showing off, and I doubt being so close to a major city like this..." "C'mon Celestia! Do it! Show these griffons what a real rainbow is!" Dash egged her on. Celestia inhaled. "Empress, are there any cloud cities, or houses, or anything like that? It's going to clear a lot of cloud space." Gilda snorted. "Nah, closest thing like that is a long ways south of here. We griffons like solid ground underneath us. I could never understand Cloudsdale or places like that." Celestia nodded and took off southwest towards the not quite setting sun. "How long till she gets back?" Gilda asked once she was out of earshot. "She's gonna take a few to warm up a bit, five minutes I'd say." She thought about the question for a moment. "You're not going to try napping are you?" She stretched out again. "Lay down for a moment." Dash leaned forward onto her belly just before she felt her friends head drop heavily onto her back. "Mmm. Better." The two of them sat silently for a whole minute, Dash watching Celestia zoom around and Gilda enjoying her company. "I missed you Dash," she whispered. "I missed you too G. Seriously, why the cat nap though? You're gonna miss a Celestial Rainboom! Was sitting on your rump all day really that tiring?" "Dash, shut up about the Rainboom. I just, don't, care." Gilda would eat her words later. Princess Celestia flew around through the open sky, gaining altitude, taking sharp turns, before finally flapping her wings like an falcon at dinner time. Air flowed around her in a nearly unseen cone, electromagic sparkled at her hooves, a whip cracked around her ears and a bomb went off from her whole body. Celestia's vision remained unchanged; an eagle's view of the countryside surrounding Castle Edric, a hunting cabin by a wooded grove, a griffon and pegasis laying on a cloud, only one watching her, in that one moment it was an ideal world. Gilda did not see the golden explosion spreading from Celestia's body, but she certainly heard the resounding BOOOM and felt her cloud disappear from under her suddenly. Letting out a loud, embarrassing "Craw!" she struggled to stay aloft, meanwhile Rainbow giggled at her antics and gently flew backwards belly-up. "Shut up Dash! That was not cool!" "Are you kidding me G?" Celestia slowed her pace and circled around them. "Celestia's the coolest pony around! Well, there's my dad, you meet him. Second place is defiantly Princess Celestia! I mean look at her!" Celestia remained humble and blushed as she held her place in midair. "Immortal Princess of the Sun, Keeper of Peace, and an example of Love and Tolerance for all. And my very best friend." "Dashie, please. That's enough. Today is her coronation, it's her day, and we came here to get away from all that." Dash cringed at letting another hear her silly pet name, and rightfully so, Gilda took her turn to guffaw and tumbled backwards. "You shut up G." Rainbow's cheeks turned pink. "How 'bout you Dash?" Gilda pulled her close again. "Got any new moves in your tricktionary, or are you eighty percent old school?" "'Old school' the mole on my right hind cheek! Watch this!" Dash zipped off, leaving a faint rainbow trail behind her. The Princess and Empress gazed fondly at her. "I'm not immortal. Just hard to kill. I've come close to death before." Celestia broke the awkward silence. "Are you proud of her?" Gilda said, ignoring the statement altogether. Celestia gave her a confused look. "Why would you ask that? She's not my student or anything. I just like spending time with her. She...reminds me of someone I knew once." "Uh ha. Got it." She let the unfinished thought hang between them. "How sad are we?" "Why exactly are we sad?" A confused Celestia asked again. "Are you that determined to make this a one sided conversation?" The Princesses non response was response enough. "Eugh. Fine." "Here we are, two of the greatest beings in our world. The nearly immortal Princess of the sun, titles, titles, and the most badass Empress the Realm has ever known. We should be able get what we want. We both want the same mare to love us, and we have to settle for 'just friends'. Princess, one sovereign to another, what good is a crown if you aren't allowed to have what you want?" She asked, her voice betraying the Devil May Care attitude she had lived with her whole life. Celestia thought for a moment. "Gilda- May I call you Gilda?" She nodded. "First, one sovereign to another, the crown is a reminder of your service. The crown is made of gold not just to shine, but to weigh down on our head. And it is so much heavier on our hearts, but you will learn that later." "I do. I mean, father always taught me that, am I expect to experience it first claw, soon. But, I mean, why can't I have something I want just because I want it? Is that too much to ask for? Why can't you have something like that?" Gilda looked away and sighed. "I don't want her the same way you do." Celestia cooed gently. "No. You don't. You're more...maternal than that." Celestia's eyes flashed dangerously. "Woah! Easy. I can keep a secret. And it's not like I actually know anything for certain, but she's oblivious as a deaf bat, and you...Does she make you proud?" Gilda held her front up to protect herself from a strike she knew would never come. Celestia's eyes glazed over and filled with tears as turned to look where Dash was at that moment, flying around, doing one trick or another. "..." "..." "...More than anything." She sniffed. "I was not the Element of Loyalty. If I was, I might have...I might look on my past with pride. She...She's already surpassed me in so many ways. Even, if she looses her dreams, becomes an addict, and spends he rest of her life picking up the pieces, I will still be proud of her. If only for her unfulfilled potential. So why do you love her?" Gilda wondered how long Dash would keep herself busy. She needed to have this talk. "She doesn't care about things. I never told her about being a Princeling, or how I feel about girls, but it wouldn't have changed anything. She sticks around you, through thick and thin. And, who doesn't like a tomboy? And there's that mane...It's not love love, or maybe it is, I don't know. She likes her stallions, so I'm stuck here." Gently Celestia offered, "And you haven't told her anything because you're afraid she'll accuse you of lying to her, taking advantage of her, and you will break her loyalty to you entirely and it will never offer it again?" "Have you seen-" Rainbow zipped in between them without warning."Whoo! Your turn G. Beat that!" "Uh Dash?" Gilda started uncomfortably. "Rainbow Dash? We were just discussing some rather important issues. Take some more time to spread your wings. Sitting on a cushion all day was not your style." Celestia offered. Knowing she wasn't welcome, she obeyed. "Ah. Okay. I guess I'll just, yeah." Fluttering off, she circled around the two until they signaled otherwise. Gilda picked up where they left off. "Okay. Have you seen her snap at anyone like that? I haven't, but...yeah. I think she would." She kept her eyes on the ground. "No I haven't. But if I told her about her father and I, I fear she would. Loyalty doesn't mean you get to push someone around like that. I could have told her long ago. But even talking to her the way I do, has made the situation that much worse. I, I can't do it. I'm not brave enough." "So you're perfectly okay with being a 'friend'? It's gonna rip you apart Princess." Gilda offered. "What about you? She won't be as upset with you admitting your feelings. She will understand why you didn't say anything. You have nothing to fear, you'll lose nothing." "But she can't take away what you and her have. Or could have had Princess. She could just tell me we are friends anymore. I don't want that." "But she wouldn't do that." "And she would forgive you for what you haven't told her, if you told her yourself. Tell me, why did you start hanging out with her in the first place?" Celestia gulped. "At, Shining Armor and Queen Chrysalis's wedding, my sister joined us at the reception, and Sunset, in a toast, reminded us to cherish the family we do have, now. So, I decided to spend time with my daughter as I always should have. And being an adult, her father can not wave some court papers in my face reminding me to stay away from her. I knew I was playing with a book of matches, but I wasn't going to let her die without getting to know her." "So, where does that leave us? Two of the most powerful mares/lionesses in the world, too scared to talk to our favorite mare?" "I suppose." Gilda took a deep breath. "I'm gonna tell her about me. Not today, but soon." "I...hope I can tell her someday." "Yeah." Looking west, Celestia noticed the sun sitting still on the horizon. "Oh goodness. Would you look at the time. I need set the sun. If you excuse me." She flew off of the roof of the highest spire on Castle Edric, leaving Gilda to plan her next move. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: No Fly Zone author: Watchpaw tags: character:Rainbow Dash, character:Scootaloo, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1 === The little orange filly revved her scooter and gave a little determined grin as she hunkered down over the handle bars. She had left her helmet at home, but she figured it would be ok just this once. She lifted her hoof off the ground and gunned it, pushing her vehicle for all it was worth and demanding more. She giggled with pure ecstasy and was off in a puff of dust, weaving around the various sticks and rocks she had strategically placed as obstacles. She passed these simple barriers with ease, just as she had expected, but her course was far from over. This was just the warm up. The real challenges lay scattered around Ponyville, prearranged throughout the town and ending near the library. Even though she was doing this primarily to get even better at her scooter tricks, a big part of her hoped like crazy that Rainbow Dash was somewhere nearby so she would see how awesome she was getting, and maybe even offer her some pointers since she was so great at devising tricks of her own. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rainbow Dash was lounging on a cloud over Sugar Cube Corner, prodding Tank between her outstretched forelegs. The little turtle was smiling as he gently bounced between his owner's soft hooves, and the mare had a bemused look on her face. It was so simple to please this guy that she secretly loved these quiet moments after clearing the sky and practicing her tricks almost as much as she loved her pet himself. Not that she would ever admit it, of course. Her ear twitched as it registered the buzz of Scootaloo's scooter approaching. She smiled and rolled over to watch her psudo-sister tear it up, Tank hovering quietly above her head. She noticed that Scootaloo seemed to have fixed her gaze on something in front of her and followed her line of sight to a small makeshift ramp. The blue pegasus chuckled. Her little orange friend loved to grab some air on that thing and she couldn't wait for her to get her wings under her so they could really fly together. As she got close to her ramp, Scootaloo realized the moment of truth was almost upon her. She would have to commit to her jump in just a few moments, for better or worse. She wasn't worried though. She had done this dozens of times with no problem. Suddenly, a cart pulled directly behind the ramp, right where she expected to land. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo gasped at the same time. Rainbow had just enough time to think, "Oh, this is bad, bad, bad!" before the filly slammed the handle bars to the side and was thrown off into the side of a house, smacking the side hard with an audible thunk. Without looking at her pet, she said, "Wait for me at home, Tank," and rushed to her little friend's side. She touched down and was relieved to see that Scootaloo was conscious, although she was blinking rapidly and hard and she didn't seem to realize where she was. Rainbow Dash put her hoof gently on the filly's back and said, "Hey, kiddo, are you alright? That was one nasty wipe out, girl." She tried to hide the fact that she was breathing hard with worry. Scootaloo blinked a few more times as she looked at her mentor. Finally, recognition sparked in her eyes and she said, "R-rainbow Dash?" Still not connecting all of the dots, her main concern was that she might have looked stupid in front of her idol. She put her hoof on her head and shook it hastily, but abruptly stopped as a wave of pain and nausea hit. She just barely managed to fight back the urge to get sick. She got her front legs under her and stopped, not trusting her back ones to behave as long as the earth was rocking as hard as it was. "W-what h-happened?" she managed. The rainbow maned pegasus frowned as she looked at Scootaloo. She looked positively green, and after a crash like that, it was definitely a bad sign. "You took one of the worst spills I've ever seen is what happened," she told her. Making a decision, she slid under the filly, settling her on her back, between her wings as gently as possible. "I'm taking you to the doctor. You hit that wall hard," she declared as she turned them towards the hospital, going as carefully as possible so she didn't jostle her passenger. Her heart sinking, the filly said quickly, "Oh, no! You don't have to. I'm just fine, I promise! J-just a little dizzy is all. I'm sure you've done this before…Ah! No, I mean- Not that you crash all the time or anything!" She panicked as her words refused to make her look cool in any way possible. "Kid, Kid, relax! I know what you meant, it's ok," Rainbow reassured her, worrying that she would start to move around too much if she got too worked up. She tried a different tactic. "Look, you wanted me to take you under my wing, right?" she asked over her shoulder, "Well, any extreme pony will tell you that a key part of being extreme is keeping yourself fit and healthy. The way you bounced off that wall? Yeah, you are totally seeing the doctor…" Scootaloo sighed and settled on Rainbow Dash's back. Well, if she thought it was the thing to do, it probably was, right? She resigned herself to concentrating on not getting sick on the coolest pony alive. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Some time later, the little orange pegasus was feeling much better as she sat on the examination table while Rainbow Dash flipped through a magazine nearby. She shot her a shy glance and muttered, "Hey, Rainbow Dash? Thanks for bringing me to the hospital." Rainbow smiled with one side of her mouth and replied, "No problem, Scootaloo," without looking up from her magazine. The examination room door opened and the doctor slipped in, carrying a clipboard with one hoof. He nudged the door closed with a back hoof and smiled to his patient. "Well, Scootaloo, your tests have come back," he said. The blue mare closed her magazine and stepped closer, saying, "What's the verdict, doc?" The doctor turned his smile on Rainbow Dash and said, "The good news is, this little episode today was only a slight concussion. I am going to give her some medicine for pain, in case she gets a headache, but she should be right as rain soon enough." The two pegasi smiled to each other, and Dash carefully ruffled Scootaloo's hair. "See? No problem, but it's better safe than sorry, kiddo." The Cutiemark Crusader nodded slowly, but enthusiastically. Then, the doctor's smile slipped away and he sat down opposite the two, sighing hard. "Unfortunately," he continued, "the tests revealed something…else. Scootaloo, can you please extend your wings for me?" Scootaloo frowned, but did as the doctor asked. He carefully felt and prodded along both of her wings with a concentrated, serious look on his face that made her worry. Rainbow Dash also frowned and inquired, "What gives, Doc? I thought you were just checking her head?" The doctor let go of the wings and thanked his patient for her cooperation, then shook his head a little and sighed again. When he looked up, there was a barely concealed sadness in his eyes as he explained. "We were, but we also looked at the rest of her to make sure that we didn't miss anything. It's common procedure with her kind of accident and we normally don't find anything else, but as you said, 'better safe than sorry'." He paused as he tried to choose his next words carefully, then continued, "There is no easy way to say this. One of our scans showed that there was something wrong with the musculature in Scootaloo's wings. In short, the muscles are underdeveloped. They will likely never support her enough to allow flight." Scootaloo felt like Big Macintosh had bucked her right in the stomach. She couldn't think, almost like her brain had suddenly frozen, but Rainbow Dash was anything but speechless. "Now, wait just a minute, Doc! What do you mean 'underdeveloped'? She uses them all the time on her scooter, I've seen her! Can't she just work with them or something?" she asked, refusing to believe what she was hearing. Her ears slicked back in frustration and doubt. Solemnly shaking his head, the doctor replied, "I truly wish it were that simple, Rainbow Dash. But the source of the problem lies within the muscles themselves. They will simply never get large enough to do the job, beyond some simply hovering. I am very sorry." The normally fast pony slowly ducked her head and scuffed her hoof on the floor. "Yeah…ok," she finally managed. "Come on, kiddo," she added, reaching out a wing to cup her back before jerking it back abruptly as she realized her mistake. Scootaloo looked at her with unfathomable loss in her gaze, tears just beginning to shine at the corner of her eyes. Without a word, she hopped down from the table and trudged sadly beside the mare she most wanted to be as Rainbow Dash went through the process of checking her out of the hospital. They exited through the double doors together and stood near the road for a bit. Finally, Rainbow coughed a little and rubbed the back of her leg with her other hoof. "Hey, Scootaloo?" she said hesitantly, "I've, uh, got some stuff I need to take care of. You gonna be alright if I go for a while?" The sad filly didn't even lift her gaze from the ground, nodding slowly and quietly in response. The tears she had been barely holding back finally spilled over as she felt the wind whip up around her with Rainbow Dash's take off. In her mind, this was just one of the first times she would get left behind. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - After she had sniffled quietly outside the hospital for a time, she found herself headed for the Cutiemark Crusader's Clubhouse for no particular reason. She only just realized where she was going, but didn't really care enough to wonder why or change her path. When she got there, she nudged the door open slowly and was a little surprised to see Apple Bloom already inside. She stepped the rest of the way in and let the door swing shut behind her. "Hey, Apple Bloom," she managed to say. The little yellow earth pony didn't look over from where she was putting some new wildflowers in the little vase they kept. "Hi there, Scootaloo!" she chirped happily, "Why do ya sound so sad?" Finally, she turned to look at her friend and instantly forgot the flowers. She galloped over as quickly as she could and put her hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Scootaloo?" she said, anxiously. Tears leapt back into the grounded pegasus' eyes and she lunged into her friend's shoulder to cry in earnest, blubbering her crisis as Apple Bloom held her and stroked her back comfortingly. Eventually, Scootaloo ran out of tears, but didn't pull away from her friend. Right then, more than anything else, she just wanted somepony to hold her and tell her it would be ok, even though it never would. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rainbow Dash touched down in front of Fluttershy's cottage and knocked on the door. Soon enough, her friend opened the door and smiled her general small smile. "Oh, hello, Rainbow Dash. What brings you here?" she greeted quietly. The blue pegasus cleared her throat and responded, "Hey, Fluttershy. Can I come in for a bit?" The kind owner of the cottage nodded and backed away from the door to permit her friend's entrance. After she shut the door, Dash turned back around to ask carefully, "Fluttershy, what do you know about 'underdeveloped' wing muscles?" Fluttershy frowned with concern. "Oh dear!" she said, "Did you find a baby bird? They usually don't survive a fall." The demure pegasus' words hit her like a ton of bricks, though she couldn't exactly say why, and Rainbow Dash's eyes welled up. Angrily, she dashed her foreleg across her eyes quickly. Shocked, Fluttershy sat down in front of her friend, all ears. This particular pegasus didn't cry over just anything, so what ever it was must be really bad. "Rainbow, what's wrong?" she asked kindly, hoping she wasn't prying. She ran a hoof through her rainbow mane and sniffed. She answered with a shuddering breath, "It's not a baby bird, Fluttershy. It's Scootaloo." Fluttershy gasped and put a hoof over her mouth. Now it was her turn to have tears well up in her eyes. She said, "Oh no, Dash… She was so looking forward to flying with you though." Rainbow Dash bowed her head and nodded, "I know." "And, you've been her idol for so long," she added. Sadly, Rainbow could only say, "I know." "And, she wants to be an aerial ace just like you." A little irritably, she said again, "I know." "And, she'll be the only pegasus around here who can't fly! Oh, she is sure to get teased as school." "I KNOW!" Rainbow Dash roared angrily and slammed her hoof down on the floor of Fluttershy's cottage. "You think I haven't realized all of this? It's all I can think about! For pegasus like us, our wings are everything before we can even use them right! She has been dreaming about flying since she was old enough to realize she even had wings, and now she never will! Arrgh!!" she yelled. Heated as she was, she was breathing heavily and gritting her teeth by the end of her tirade. She finally noticed through her livid haze that Fluttershy had backed up and pinned her ears back in sadness and fear. Rainbow took a deep breath and looked into her friend's eyes. Rage draining and leaving behind only sadness, she said, "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean to yell like that, especially at you. I just-," she sighed, "I just don't know what to do…" She hung her head again. Fluttershy came to stand next to the grieving mare, wrapping her hoof and wing around her to pull her close. Being taller than her long-time friend, she easily laid her head down on top of hers and said quietly, "It's ok, Rainbow Dash. I know you didn't mean it. You just had to let some feelings out. I understand." She stayed like that for a little while, then pulled away to look at her, eye to eye. "But, just think how Scootaloo must feel. You've got to do something to show her that everything will be ok. That you'll still be there for her. You can't give up, Rainbow Dash, because she will if you do. And we both know you aren't the kind of pony to give up on anything," she smiled comfortingly and knowingly to her. Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy for a time. It was rare for her to say so much at once, so it made the blue pegasus take even more notice. She nodded once and thought for a few moments. Then a sudden idea struck her, and she leapt to her hooves, "I know what to do! Fluttershy, I need your help," she asked excitedly. Fluttershy nodded happily and said, "Of course, Dashie. Just tell me what to do." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sat at the table with a glass of juice each, not saying anything as each was in her own head. At long last, Apple Bloom asked, "An' tha doctor said there wasn't nothin' he could do?" The little orange pegasus nudged her glass around the table distractedly and replied, "Yeah. Something about the muscles not being made right." She sighed sadly. "Huh," the littlest Apple said, absentmindedly, "Bats don't look like they got much muscle in their wings. Ah wonder how they do it…" Scootaloo shrugged noncommittally, but answered, "I think they glide a little first." Suddenly, her eyes went wide and she bolted from the clubhouse without a word, leaving her juice glass spinning on the table. Apple Bloom lurched forward to catch the glass and keep it from spilling, then yelled after her friend, "Scootaloo! Where in tarnation are you goin'?" She got no reply, but a creeping uneasiness started to settle around her. She couldn't say exactly why, yet she knew beyond doubt that she had to tell Apple Jack. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rainbow Dash smiled as she left the last pony she needed to see before she went to find Scootaloo again. 'Heh,' she thought, 'That little filly is going to be so surprised when she sees what I got planned.' She trotted through town happily. She had a little bit of time before she had to have her little friend in position, and she planned to use it to find her and give her a little one on one time. Abruptly, she heard hoof beats coming up behind her fast. Curious, she looked to see the Apple sisters coming straight for her with concern on their faces. They slide to a stop in front of her, panting. Frowning, Rainbow asked, "Hey, guys, where's the fire?" Apple Jack looked around quickly, then huffed and replied, "Nowhere aroun' here, I see. Rainbow, have you seen Scootaloo recently?" "No, not since this morning," she answered, worry seeping into her. Her ears went flat and she was almost scared to ask, "Why? What's happened?" The little filly with the bow gasped out, "We was at tha clubhouse talkin' about what tha doctor said, and she said somethin' 'bout bats and how they start ta fly by glidin', and then she jus' lit out like she was bein' chased." The blue pegasus only took moments to put two and two together, and the minute it hit her she felt sick. "Oh, this is so bad. This is bad, bad, oh this is bad," she repeated, then got a hold of herself, "Don't worry, I'll find her. You two keep looking in town though. Maybe she's still around here." And, without further explanation, she blasted into the sky as fast as she could, heading for the rocky mountain area just outside Ponyville. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scootaloo peered over the edge of the outcropping she was standing on. It seemed that she was pretty high up, but she wanted to be sure. She looked around, then snatched up a rock and tossed it over the edge. She tilted her head to listen for its impact, and was satisfied when it came a few seconds later. She surveyed the rest of the terrain to make sure it would help her flight. She had chosen a spot overlooking a valley just outside Ponyville, so she wouldn't bounce off any rocks if this worked. She frowned and changed her thought to 'when' this worked. The little orange filly backed up a few feet and breathed for a little bit to collect herself. Overhead, Rainbow Dash was relieved to have just caught sight of Scootaloo when she saw her ease down and brace for a run. Her heart almost stopped as Fluttershy's words raced through her head. "They usually don't survive a fall." "NOOO!" she screamed, and rocketed downward as fast as she could, not giving much thought to her own safety. Her teeth closed around Scootaloo's tail just as the filly started to make her run, and she planted her feet solidly as her breathing raced and her heart pounded. Scootaloo ran out of slack in her tail and slammed to the ground hard. She had been so focused on her jump that she hadn't even noticed Rainbow Dash's presence or heard her yell. "Rainbow Dash?" she asked confused, then got angry, "Let go of my tail, now!" Through teeth gritted tight and a furious glare, she answered, "Not until you promise you aren't going through with this insane stunt!" Getting to her hooves, she strained and pulled against the older mare's hold on her. "Yes…I…am!" she fired back as she did all she could to get away. She stopped for a second to catch her breath and added, "This is my only chance to fly!" "Are you kidding me, you crazy little filly? You're gonna fall like a rock!" Rainbow Dash returned, still holding on and braced as hard as she could be. "No, I'm not! I'm gonna fly! And, if I don't then it won't matter anyway!" Scootaloo screamed back, renewing her efforts to get away but still not making any progress. Anger flared through the older pegasus. She growled with intense ferocity and put all she had into heaving Scootaloo away from the precipice. She succeeded, and the filly's feet slid out from underneath her, leaving her on her belly. Still moving fueled by rage, Rainbow Dash rapidly rolled her target over and planted a hoof solidly on her chest. She stared down at her as she squirmed and wriggled, trying to get away, and snarled, "Scootaloo! Are you even hearing yourself? 'It doesn't matter'? You can't be in your right mind, right now! And it may not matter to you, but what about to the other ponies you matter to? What about Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, and Babs Seed, and Fluttershy, and Me and Everypony!? What about them, huh?" Scootaloo struggled and grunted through most of Rainbow's speech, but as it ended she stopped fighting and the grunts turned into sobs, then gradually to all out tears, until she was looking at Rainbow Dash in defeat through her crying. Sensing that the moment of danger was past, Dash removed her hoof from her little friend's chest and sat back on her hind legs, gathering the weeping Scootaloo into her forelegs and clutching her close. She rocked them ever so gently. Just because she was normally the tough one, didn't mean she didn't know how to be comforting when the need arose. Through her tears, Scootaloo got out, "I-I-I am s-so s-s-sorry, Ra-a-ainbow D-dash! I-I'm s-sorry!" She would have thought her body couldn't have handled crying again today, but this was actually the hardest cry yet, her entire form shaking with the force of it. "Shhhhh…shhhh…It's gonna be alright, Scootaloo. I swear it will," the weather pony said soothingly. She repeated herself until she felt the filly begin to slow down and regain composure, then she loosened her hold and held her out in front of her. She brought her own hoof up to wipe away the last of the little pegasus' tears, and smiled warmly at her. "Hey, kid. Are you ready to go back home now?" she asked. Scootaloo sniffed a few times, but smiled gratefully back to her hero and nodded. She lunged forward and grabbed her in a tight hug, saying, "Thanks, Rainbow Dash." The blue pegasus returned the hug and answered, "No problem, kiddo." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Back in Ponyville again, Rainbow Dash set Scootaloo down in front of Apple Jack and Apple Bloom. The two younger ponies rushed into a hug, and Rainbow nudged AJ, saying cockily, "Told you, I'd find her." Apple Jack just rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. Having seen the pair in flight, Fluttershy had followed and approached the group now. She coughed a little to get their attention, then said, "We're ready for you now, Dash." She tried to wink conspiratorially, but her shy smile kind of took away from the sly element of it. The fastest flyer in Ponyville nodded and said, "C'mon, Scootaloo. We've got a surprise." Curious and happy, the little filly fell into step beside the pony who had become like her big sister, Fluttershy taking up position on her other side. They led her to the center of town, where she was surprised to see an assembly of some kind taking place. As they drew near, other ponies prodded each other and moved to the side, giving them a clear path to the outdoor stage. Scootaloo gradually realized all of the ponies present were pegasi, and they were smiling at her, some with encouragement and some with generally soft, understanding smiles. Unsure, the filly looked at Rainbow and asked, "What's going on?" Rainbow Dash smirked and said, "Oh, you'll see!" causing Fluttershy to chuckle quietly. They finally reached the stage where Mayor Mare was perched behind the podium, the only non-pegasus she had seen. The Mayor smiled down at her and said, "Scootaloo, would you please join me up on the stage?" She nodded and made her way to stand next to the podium, confused but willing if Rainbow Dash had set this up for her. The official earth pony put a hoof on the filly's shoulder and addressed the assembly. "I want to thank all of you ponies for coming," she began. "As you all know, our dear Scootaloo received some bad news this morning. Her friends, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy explained this to me, and we agreed that something should be done to show our support for her," she paused and glanced at the little one beside her, then continued, "As such, I have an announcement to make. As of this time today until this time tomorrow, I hereby declare Ponyville a 'No Fly Zone'." The gathered pegasi stamped their hooves and yelled their delight, and Scootaloo looked at them all in bewilderment and gratitude. Finally, she smiled at them and said, "Thank you," though no pony could hear her over the din. Her grin gradually broadened and she became confident enough to wave at her friends and neighbors. Eventually, the racket began to die down and the Mayor added, "Of course, our weather will still need to be attended to, so this restriction does not apply to two ponies. Rainbow Dash, would you care to explain the rest?" Scootaloo took her gaze from crowd in time to see the Mayor surrender the podium and Dash approach her with a smile. "How would you like to clear the clouds with me tomorrow?" she asked, grinning confidently at the pony at the center of everypony's attention. Gasping in happy surprise, Scootaloo said quickly, "I'd love too!" Then, frowned and said, "But, how?" Still grinning, Rainbow Dash reached under the podium, saying, "With this!" and pulled out a flying harness very similar to the one Tank wore, but larger and fitted for a pony just Scootaloo's size. Unable to hide her excitement, Scootaloo giggled and jumped up and down saying, "Yes! Yay! Ah! Rainbow Dash, this is awesome! Can you teach me how to use it?" She was eager to get going as soon as they could. The rainbow hared mare laughed a little and said, "Honestly, kiddo, I don't know. Guess we'll have to find out together." Now beaming, she produced another flying harness in her size, much to Scootaloo's obvious delight. Fiddling with the buckles on it, she managed to get it on and nodded a thank you to the Mayor, who had helped her little filly friend into hers. They were both hovering just a little above the stage floor now, and Rainbow Dash turned to address the assembly. "Thanks for coming, you guys," she said, then swiveled to look at Scootaloo, "But we've got some flying to do. Let's go, kiddo!" She kicked off the stage and zipped into the sky, and her little sister followed suit. As she rose into the clouds on her own for the first time, with the sound of the cheering pegasi following her up, Scootaloo realized that flying would be even better than she had always dreamed. Especially as long as Rainbow Dash was with her. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Sweetest Taste of Fate author: Draconian Soul tags: character:Mr. Cake, character:Mrs. Cake, character:Original Character, character:Other, genre:Adventure, genre:Comedy, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Destined for Greatness === Life in Ponyville generally isn't a difficult one to live. Follow your dreams, reach your destiny, and act upon it. That's how life has always worked. That's how life will always be. And for many of the citizens, it was a very enriching life, filled with wonder, happiness, and friendship. Each new generation learns their talents and gain their cutie marks; and while every pony achieves these things through time, only a certain few rise to something greater and become the embodiment of order and peace. The Elements of Harmony. One of these elements, the Element of Laughter, resided in the home of some of Equestria's greatest bakers. While the Cakes were cleaning up and checking recounting their inventory, a certain pink mane pony was making a wide variety of silly faces towards the two twins giggling gleefully in their cribs. "Where's Pinkie?" she playfully said while covering her face. "Here I am!!" It was the big reveal that elicited fits of laughter from the two twins. Cup Cake turned towards the source of laughter and let a gentle smile creep upon her face. "Carrot?" she turned towards her husband who was still stocking up the remaining flour left. "Yes Sweetie?" he responded, making eye contact with his lovely wife. "Ever since we had Pound and Pumpkin, I have always wondered…well…what do you think they'll grow up to be?" Carrot Cake pondered on her question for a moment. "I honestly haven't put much thought into that before," he answered truthfully. "But seeing how Pound is the first Pegasus in our family tree for quite some time, I'm sure he won't fail to disappoint. And if Pumpkin is anywhere near as sweet and lovely as you are…" "Carrot, please," Cup interrupted showing a hint of red on her blue tinted coat. "Oh, but it's true my sweet, sweet petite cupcake," Carrot continued flirting with Cup walking towards her and planting a soft kiss on her lips, lasting briefly before they parted. "But as I was saying, if Pumpkin is anywhere near as sweet and lovely as you are, then I can see great things coming her way, especially since she's a unicorn." "Yeah I know," she said still a little crimson from the kiss and Carrot's emphasis on compliments directed towards her and looked back at a now passed out Pinkie and twins, most likely exhausted from all the laughing and playing they've done. "It's just I'm eager to know what they will do with their lives." "Well sadly, I can't predict any of that," Carrot said walking towards his wife and wrapping his forelegs around her watching his children sleep. "However, I have a very strong feeling that our kids will grow up to do something extraordinary. I just know they will go off and do great things in their lives." ~10 years later~ "Principal Apple Bottom," Cup Cake began, annoyance flooding her voice. "What did she do this time?" It was the afternoon and all of the young ponies were headed back to their homes, all except for one little filly. Her mane was scuffed and muddy, tiny scars covered her body and her blue ribbon that she wore on her hair was nearly torn apart completely. Pumpkin stared daggers at the principal, obviously angry that her mother had to be involved. "Well as you know Mrs. Cake, Pumpkin has had a history of violence towards the students here…" "And they all deserved it," Pumpkin muttered under her breath. "But this recent violation is far more serious than any other she has done in the past." "Oh really?" Cup Cake responded looking at Pumpkin with a mixture of anger and disappointment, causing Pumpkin to slump into her chair. "Not only did she elicit a fight and carried on with it, but she proceeded to beating one of our students with a blunt object even when the victim pleaded her to stop." "Hey,hey hold on!" Pumpkin exclaimed seeming offended by the way the principal worded her statement. "One, she was not a victim, nor did I elicit a fight. She started it! And second, I hit her with a lunch tray, which wasn't even that hard!" "You threw the first punch Pumpkin. That means you started the fight and she was merely defending herself." "Well she threw the first verbal punch when she said I was a mentally challenged blank flank throughout the day, so I think my punch was justified." "That doesn't equal…" Principal Apple Bottom was on the verge of snapping, but quickly regained her composure and pushed her glasses up. "Mrs. Cake, could you please handle your child?" "Pumpkin, go sit outside the office until I'm done talking," Cup demanded. "We'll discuss this on the way home." "But Mom," Pumpkin began to whine. "She's not even trying to see it from my…" "Go outside now!" Cup Cake's patience was wearing thin, and Pumpkin knew it from the way she was looking at her. She quickly got off the chair and scurried outside the office. Cup Cake let out a strong sigh. "Listen Ms. Apple Bottom, I've tried so hard with her, but it seems like…" "Please Mrs. Cake," Principal Apple Bottom stuck her hoof out to indicate that there was no need for an explanation. " I've known you for a while now and I know what a good parent you are. I'm not questioning your parenting skills, and I am confident that you are doing everything you can. However, I am worried about your daughter." She saw that Cup Cake's eyes were sinking with sadness and it pained Apple Bottom to see her old friend like that. "Listen, I care about Pumpkin, and I want to believe that she can be civil and calm much like her brother, but she has a tendency to…overact, to put it lightly and not think before she does things. As a result, she has had more detentions and suspensions, both in school and out, than any of our students. This can be potentially dangerous if not dealt with early on. I've seen too many of my former students get into criminal activities for maintaining such habits, and neither I nor you want to see little Pumpkin go down that route. Now she was provoked and called a whole bunch of nasty things from what I've heard and because I know you'll handle it, I'll let it slide this once, but if she does this again, I'm afraid we will have to expel her." "Thank you Ms. Apple Bottom. It won't happen again," Cup Cake apologized, failing to convince even herself that her statement was true. She has lost track of how many times she said that. "I sure hope not," Principal Apple Bottom responded. "Please have a nice day Cup." Pumpkin was sitting outside the office tracing her front hoof in a circle along the floor waiting for her mother. When the door opened, she looked up at her mother. Her facial complexion has softened since she left the office, but she still held that face that screamed disappointment. "Pumpkin, let's go. We'll discuss this on the way home. *** Cup and Pumpkin Cake began walking home. The first few moments were painfully quite, which led Pumpkin to believe she was sinking in hot water with no way to swim out. She kicked a pebble all the while avoiding her mother's gaze, and eventually decided to break the silence. "So, how long did she kick me out this time?" she hissed, still kicking the pebble around. "She didn't suspend you" "Yeah that figures. I knew she wouldn't…wait what?" "She said because the fault ran both ways, she was willing to give you another chance." Cup stated, lacking emotion in her voice. "Hah! Bout time some pony saw things my way!" Pumpkin smiled triumphantly. "I might stop leaving marbles outside her office from now on." "You're not off the hook yet young lady!" Cup Cake retorted. "You're still in trouble for…wait a minute, what do you mean stop leaving marbles?" "Oh, nothing! I was just teasing!" Pumpkin dismissed, sporting the best smile she could. "Mmm hmm," Pumpkin's mom was not too convinced by her daughter's words. "Anyway, that's not the problem. The problem is you constantly getting into fights over and over again and I'm about fed up of it." "It's not my fault Ma!" Pumpkin defended. "They keep insulting me day after day and won't let up. I have to defend myself from verbal assaults!" "Not by fighting them constantly! Your brother doesn't get into fights every time some pony teases him." Pumpkin felt as if she was going to be sick just by the mentioning of her brother. Every time she got into trouble, she was reminded of what a Celestia-send Pound Cake; the perfect child. "Pound is a chicken livered pansy who runs away from all his problems!" Pumpkin humphed, gaining a displeasing look from her mother, "Beside, if I had magic lessons, maybe I would be able to find my cutie mark." Cup Cake sighed a little, her voice becoming more sympathetic. She understood how frustrating it was for Pumpkin and Pound to be the only ones in their class to not have their cutie marks. At first, the teachers described them as being late bloomers. However, as the years went by, they still failed to get their cutie marks. It was very rare for ponies their age to not have found their special talent by then. "Pumpkin, we've talked about this before. Getting you into a magical academy takes time and money, money we don't necessarily have. You'll have to be patient and wait. And trust me sweetie, you'll get your cutie mark in due time. Things come to those who wait." "So I have to wait but Pound gets to go to his stupid summer flight camp? I don't see how that's fair!" "Well you answered the first of my reasons by stating it was a summer flight camp. A school for magic would take much longer and therefore is more expensive. Second, Pound needs to build confidence, and me and your father figure that this would be the best way to do so. If he can fly, maybe he won't act like a 'pansy' as you put it. Third, and most importantly, you can't even act right in regular school. How are you going to behave at a magical academy?" "Come on Mom, you don't think your darling little angel can behave herself at an academy?" Pumpkin then gave a wide toothy grin, wishing she could do the tiniest bit of magic to make a halo appear on her head. "No, I don't." "Well I can! Besides, I'm 11 with no magical abilities. How am I going to look if I become an old and wrinkled unicorn who can't even levitate her spoon? I want to learn from the best, that way I can do all sorts of magic tricks! Then no pony will mess with me because I can make them all vanish, or dump dirt all over them, or better yet turn them all into frogs! Small insignificant frogs!!" Pumpkin let out a maniacal laugh. Any impression of her being an angel she was trying to pull off was shattered. "And you wonder why we are always on the fence about getting you into a magical academy," Cup Cake sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about mama." *** At Sugercube Corner, Pound was helping his father with some of his orders that needed to be filled. Being a Cake gave him the natural skills as a baker, so he was pretty good at making pastries and treats. Then again, so was his sister, and it didn't really help him feel any better about being a blank flank. Though that was the last worries on Pound Cakes mind. "Yo dad, how high will I be?" "Well," Carrot began after placing the first layer of the three layered strawberry cake into the Dutch oven. "Seeing how it's going to be in Cloudsdale, I'd say pretty high up." "So, that means that if anyone was to fall from that height, the impact could be fatal?" Pound asked passing his busy father a container of cinnamon. "As morbid of a question as that is, I would say yes." Carrot didn't want to rush the answers, but he was multitasking four different orders at once. "But with trained professionals watching, I doubt that will happen." Pound swirled his hoof around the rim of a cake bowl and eats some of the leftover mix that was left. "But what if they don't catch that some pony? I mean, wouldn't that be kind of traumatizing to their family member?" "Pound, you're not talking your way out of this. You're going to the summer flight camp." Saddened by yet another failed attempt to coax his parents out of making him go to the flight camp, he planted his head on the table, sending floury dust into the air. "Why do I have to go? Just waste your money on Pumpkin since she actually wants to do something." Carrot let a sincere smile beam across his face. Compared to his wife, he had a lot more patience, even with Pumpkin. "Now Pound, how are you going to get some good self-esteem if you can't do something Pegasuses can normally do?" "I could just sit in the corner and fade from existence. Then every pony will forget about me." Pound answered nonchalantly. He tilted his head slightly to the side, showing his powdery face. The orange colt put down the roller he was using and went over to pat his sons head. "Now now, that's not the way to look at things. I want you to be confident in yourself and your abilities. You're a Cake, and Cakes go around with pride and their heads held up high!" "But Mom told me that when you first asked her out, you were sweating and shaking furiously as if you had seen Hades!" "Oh details, details." Carrot dismissed waving a hoof at Pound. "She also told me that when we were born, you were pacing the hospital floor panicking and questioning yourself about being a good father." "That's not the point and you know it!" Carrot shoved a chocolate truffle into Pound's mouth hoping it would keep him quite for a while and let him talk. By the look of son's smiling face as he was chewing on the flavorful candy, he was right. "Yeah I may have been nervous a few times, and yeah I might have panicked on…multiple occasions, but I pulled through didn't I?" Pound gave an affirming nod, too lost in sugary bliss to even try to speak words. "Listen champ, confidence and self-esteem go a long way, and it builds good character. If you find you are not good at flying yet, or find the flight camp a waste of time afterwards, then fine. But at least you tried, and you gave it your best effort. That matters more to me than anything else. Now son, will you at least give this camp a shot instead of trying to convince me and your mom why you shouldn't go?" Pound Cake pondered for a moment. He desperately wanted to find a way out of his situation, but at the same time, he didn't want to make his father disappointed in him. He nodded his head and swallowed his truffle, grinning at his father. "Good, now let's finish up these recipes. Pinkie will be running the store while Cup and I are gone with these deliveries and we want to get as much done as possible. Um, but first, wipe that flour off your face. You look like you dove headfirst into the stuff!" "Yes sir!" Pound saluted, using a rag to wipe his face returning to helping his father. Shortly after they resumed working on their projects, Cup and Pumpkin walked into the door still talking. "Really Mom! But that's a long time! Can you please shorten it?" Pumpkin begged her mother. "You're lucky I didn't make it longer!" Cup Cake refused. "Oh hey honey. Hey Pound." "Hello Cupcake," Carrot answered raising a doughy hand and waving, Pound doing the same thing. "Umm, Pumpkin, what did you do this time?" "Oh this little 'angel' beat up a student with a lunch tray…" "Like I said, did not even hurt her much," Pumpkin groaned. "…and now she is going to be grounded for 2 months. She will be doing most of the chores around the house, and she's not allowed to have any sweets or go with her friends during her punishment." "Why not sell the customers my sweat and tears, too?" Pumpkin exaggerated. "I'm pretty sure the customers would love the taste of child labor with their snacks!" Carrot could not help but softly giggle, while Pound slowly rolled his eyes at Pumpkins unnecessary statement. "Pumpkin, my patience is running thin. You are lucky I'm letting you still go to Nightmare Night with Pinkie while we're gone. In all reality, you should be scrubbing the floors with a toothbrush right now, for how many times you've been in trouble. Now if you want to give me more lip about this, I'll be glad to give Pound your share of the candy while you scrub away at the floors. Do you want that?" Pumpkin let out a loud defeated sigh. "No mam." "Then I suggest you trot on upstairs and think about what you have done for the rest of the day. And don't think about leaving either! Carrot, sweetie?" "Yes honey bun?" Carrot answered his wife's call. "I need to talk to you for a minute. Meet me in the living room okay?" "Sure thing!" Carrot responded. "Pound, hold the fort down until I get back okay. Oh and Pumpkin, try not to cause any more trouble ok?" Pumpkin simply nodded as she watched her father follow his wife into the living room. With her head hung low, she began to trot upstairs to her room while Pound watched her with questioning looks on his face. "So…" Pound began, "they didn't suspend you for the umpteenth this time?" Pumpkin then stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Oh, just shut up!" === I Really Am Pathetic === Cup led the way into the living room with Carrot trailing not too far behind. As he stepped inside the room, he noticed powdered white hoof prints painting the hardwood floor. Carrot made a mental note to sweep it up afterwards. "So, I'm assuming this is concerning Pumpkin, correct?" he guessed, sitting next to Cup on the couch. She simply nodded her head. "Apple Bottom said her next violation would involve expulsion." "Well, that's not good." "No, it's not. And honestly I wish you would help me more than you have recently," Cup Cake said accusingly, causing Carrot's eyebrows to rise in confusion. "I saw you giggling over there. You're encouraging her behavior!" Carrot started rubbing his head, showing signs of guilt and a little shame due to her accusation. "Um, well you see…" "I don't want to hear any excuses!" Cup Cake interrupted lifting herself slightly from the couch. "This is serious! Our daughter is getting more and more disruptive and I don't see you doing much to help me. If anything, you're approving her behavior by being so soft with her!" Carrot's face let on a more serious face than he normally did. "I'm not trying to encourage her behavior; I'm trying to be on friendly terms with her so she will listen to me. And for the most part, it works. Does she not come discuss what troubles her when she's not getting fussed at all the time?" "Maybe 40 percent of the time!" Cup continued arguing. "Most of the time she will still cause problems even when we're nice to her. She seems to listen better when there are consequences involved!" "Yeah but by how much?" "Well…slightly better," Cup began thinking on it, "but honestly not by much." Carrot scooted closer to his wife and pulled her closer to him. "I know that she can be a thorn in the backside often…most of the time…practically all the time, but she's still that little precious filly from a few years back on the inside. We just have to learn how to bring it back out of her. I don't want you to feel like you're going at this alone, so I'll do better with letting her off the hook, but would you please not get too frustrated and lighten up a bit. Don't want my little petite to be mad at me while we are delivering orders in Fillydelphia." Carrot leaned into Cup and widened his eyes, forcing a sad puppy dog expression upon his face. Cup tried her best to keep her irritated frown, but for every second she tired, Carrots emerald eyes became wider and became glossier. She hated when he did that; made her feel as if she put down an actual puppy. "Okay okay, I'll lighten up a bit," she submitted, causing Carrot to smile victoriously. "Jeez, sometimes I feel as if I have to raise three children around the house." "Well I guess this big boy gets better affection from mommy." Carrot cooed kissing his wife's soft cheeks. Cup could not help but giggle a little, her cheeks heating up slightly from the flirting. "You're a really corny fellow aren't you? And when are you going to shave those bristles from your face?" "Oh these?" Carrot pointed at the hairs that were beginning to grow once again on his chin. "Haven't you heard? Ladies dig a colt with facial hair." Carrot them brushed his chin along Cup Cake's face, eliciting giggles from his wife. "And from the looks of it, I was right." He continued tickling her with the bristles that were trying to form a beard until Cup stopped him and pressed her lips against his. "You know," Cup Cake started completely flushed, "we'll have a little down time during our trip if we get the deliveries and catering done correctly. Maybe we should spend that time, relaxing." "Oh, and what did you want to do while we were relaxing?" asked Carrot confidently having some idea of what she wanted to do, and was completely sure when he heard a sultry giggle escape her lips. Cup Cake began playing with her husband's striped tie and answered in the most sensual way she could. "Oh, I have some ideas. You'll just have to wait and find out big boy." *** The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and practically every pony was out frolicking and enjoying the cool autumn breeze that was hanging in the air. The town was livelier than ever because of the upcoming Nightmare Night event that was coming in a few days. This would generally be an exciting time for all the kids in the town, but one was too worried about upcoming events to enjoy the day fully. What if I fail? Pound thought to himself, walking past the booths and stands being made for Nightmare Night. What happens if I fall? Cloudsdale is so high up. If no one catches me…oh it would be all over. He shivered at the thought of hitting the cold hard ground. His stomach even began to twist with the gruesome details his mind was forcing him to think up. I know dad says this kind of thing builds character and confidence, but if I were to fail, it would only make me even more embarrassing. Doesn't help that I don't even have my cutie mark yet. He thought back to a week ago where he was being bullied by a group of older colts who harassed him all day, calling him derogatory terms for blank flank and throwing pencils at him during class, and worse, rocks outside. He came home with a few bumps on his back, which caused concern from his parents. Pound simply dismissed it as an accident and received an unconvinced stare from his sister. He didn't want to think of what would happen if he also was flightless and a blank flank and at his age too. Though, out of everything he's heard one thing hurt him more. Not only because his sister said it to him, but because he also believed it to be true. Man you're pathetic! "Oi! It's the Cake's son. How are you this fine evening?" Pound's thoughts were interrupted by the voice directed towards him. He turned to the source of the voice, belonging to the pinto horse wearing a red scarf standing next to a lavender mare whose face was beaming with joy. "Oh, hello Pipsqueak," Pound replied. "Hi Dinky." "Oi!" Dinky mocked Pipsqueak mimicking his cockney accent, sticking her tongue out at the victim. "Oh, and to answer your question, I've been better," Pound answered honestly. "Really? What's up little guy?" Pipsqueak asked. "Well, honestly I'm a little frustrated, about not having a cutie mark yet. I just want to know, what did you have to do to get yours." Pipsqueak could hear the discouragement in the young colt's voice, so he leaned towards his and began to answer. "Well you see…" "You see," Dinky interrupted Pipsqueak planting her fore hooves on the top of his mane. "Pippy here was a little adventurer ever since I knew him. When he was first interested, he was way too young to go anywhere, but as he grew older he started exploring farther and farther away from home!" Pipsqueak nodded agreeing with her statement knowing that he would not get to explain it for himself. "He started by exploring the plains of Ponyville, then eventually traveled into the Everfree Forest all by himself! Amazingly enough, he explored surrounding islands all by himself, with only a compass. What was even more impressive is what he found: a rare Dragon Toothed Topaz. He came back and displayed it for every pony to see and admire instead of keeping it for himself. And that's how my Pippy got this little golden compass on his cutie patooty!" Pipsqueak felt a little embarrassed from the explanation, hoping that Pound wasn't suppressing a laugh or worse, outright laughing. Fortunately for him, Pound was looking at them nonchalantly taking mental notes of everything he was hearing. "Oh, and he even helped me get my cutie mark by taking me out on one of his adventures see!" She showed him her cutie mark, which was a pair of stars. "When we went stargazing under the moonlight, he helped me learn that I was naturally gifted in astronomy. I could name most of the constellations without even needing to look them up, which eventually led to my cutie mark." "So talent and drive is what helps you get your cutie marks then?" Pound asked after taking in everything he heard. "That's right!" Pipsqueak responded finally having something to say, though it was little. Pounds head slumped a bit. "Oh well that's great. Looks like I won't be getting my cutie mark in my lifetime. Other than making a few pastries, which would have been my cutie mark if it was my real talent, I'm practically talentless and gutless." A surge of depressing words sent Pound into a reserved state of mind and he sunk into his own self-loathing. Both Pipsqueak and Dinky were feeling sympathy for the young colt. "Hey kid, don't be so down," Pipsqueak said trying to comfort the sorrowful Cake. "You know if you really want to find your cutie mark that badly, you should do it with a group of young fillies and colts just like you. You might even find a group similar to you. You might want to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders." Pound regained his composure and contemplated on the idea. He hadn't considered the Cutie Mark Crusaders before. "Hmm, that might just work." "Of course it will work!" an eccentric Dinky exclaimed pouncing on Pipsqueak once more. "Why not talk to Apple Bloom about it. She's like the CEO of the whole thing now. You can find a branch just about anywhere!" "What she said," Pipsqueak grunted still under Dinky's hooves. Hope shined on Pound's face once more and a new destination was set. "You know, that's a really good idea! I'll head off there now. Thanks you two!" "No problem kiddo. Now Dinky, if you don't mind, I'd rather you not crush my skull with your hooves." "Oops! Sorry Pippy Wippy!" Dinky giggled realizing she was still on top of him and got off. "See ya Pound!" The grey colt waved back at them and began to walk off with a new found determination. The Cutie Mark Crusaders he thought it over too himself. Maybe that's what I need in order to learn what I'm good at. And best of all, its ground level, so I won't have to worry about falling! That settles it. Sweet Apple Acres here I come! Grumble. Pound put his hoof on his belly and rubbed it, causing another grumble to force its way out. Right after I get me something to eat. *** Pumpkin tapped the edge of her window, staring outside at others who were enjoying their freedom. Every pony was playing, talking, and simply enjoying themselves while she was stuck in her prison cell. Her parents were out getting some last minute supplies and her brother was doing whatever he normally does, as if she cared. The only thing she wanted was her freedom back. "Man this sucks!" Pumpkin whined to herself. "I picked a good few months to be grounded. Pinkie won't be here for more than a few days, so even after Nightmare Night, my enjoyment will be short lived." Pumpkin glared back to make sure no pony was around. Partly because she didn't want her family to think she was going insane and partly because she didn't want to get in trouble for mocking them. "'Pumpkin, you're lucky I'm a good mother, otherwise I would make you scrub the floor with a toothbrush'" she began mocking her mother in a haughty way. She then continued to mock her brother. "'So, you didn't get suspended for the umpteenth time huh?' Stupid brother; thinks he's so much better than me." She returned to staring outside the window, a frown settling on her face. "It's not my fault every pony at our school are jerks. They deserve it! Maybe if Pound would stop letting those idiot bullies 'Pound' at him all day, he might not get picked on all the time." Pumpkin seemed to have surprised herself by her sudden concern of her brother's well being. She blamed her concern on her lack of sleep, which wasn't too far off. She continued to stare outside the window as she began to drift off. "I miss Pinkie," she muttered in a sleepy daze. "At least she knew how to have fun." Pumpkin slightly rubbed her eyes trying to fight the sleep, but her eyes did not agree with her and she let her head rest on the window, submitting to her tired body. Clank. Clank. The noise was so close to Pumpkin's face, but she chose to ignore it in favor of more sleep. Clank. Clank. It wouldn't stop. She had a feeling that some pony was trying to get her attention from the window, and she had a feeling she knew who it was. "Alright alright!" she groaned. "Give me a sec, jeez!" Clank. Clank. With that she quickly lifted her window open and looked out. "If you don't quit throwing rocks at my window I'll…" Pumpkin was interrupted by a small rock smacking her in the face. Her annoyance was raised any further when she heard the culprit on the ground laughing. "Hah hah Two Bit!" she snarled at the young mint colt still tearing up by her reaction. "I suggest you knock that laughing off if you don't want to get pummeled!" "Haha…alright miss Pumpkin Pie!" mocked Two Bit, sitting up on his flank and wiping some of the dirt from his mane. "I'll behave!" "Whatever. Anyway what do you want?" "Remember when we went around dropping stink bombs on every pony?" "Boy do I ever!" A mischievous grin came across Pumpkin's face. It brought a delight to her face to see the stuck up ponies panic when they realized that they suddenly smelled unpleasant. "What about it?" It was Two Bit's turn to grin mischievously. "Well, I believe I found something even more foul than what I we used before. Come on, let's go try it out!" "Alright lets…" Pumpkin paused for a moment. She nearly forgot that she was grounded and forbidden to leave the house. Although, her mother and father were not around at the moment because they went to do last minute shopping, which generally meant they were gone for two hours. She began calculating how long she needed to be gone and how to retrace her steps. Sure she was risking getting in major trouble, but at least she gets to play around with a new weapon to the nasal senses. "Yo Pumpkin, are you coming or not! I don't have all day!" Two Bit tapped impatiently. "Hold on Two Twit!" Pumpkin insulted. "I'm getting my bow, so shut up and be patient!" She grabbed a yellow bow and wrapped it around her mane, closed the windows, and made sure there was no visible evidence of her leaving the house. The reward is worth the risk! About thirty minutes later, both Pumpkin and Two Bit were perched onto a tree. "Okay, hold the balloon open and I'll pour this stuff in," demanded the mint colt. "Oh, and don't get curious and try to smell it. You'll regret it." "Umm, okay," Pumpkin responded holding the balloon open and Two Bit began to pour some of the concoction into it. "So what is this stuff anyway?" "It's a special mixture I found!" Two Bit smiled proudly. "It's filled with carrot juice, rotten egg yolk, and the nectar from a skunk-lily. I found them in a field not too far from here." "So this is supposed to be potent?" "Do you doubt me Pumpkin? I know what plants do what and what mixtures are needed to make it potent! With the right plant, mixture, and technique you can turn a simple plant into a nasal bomb!" "Wow, you're a huge nerd you know that?" Pumpkin teased. "At least I'm not a stupid little blank flank, and at the age of 11 too!" Two Bit retaliated. "My parents said that ponies like that are deemed special!" "I'd rather be a blank flank then have bunches of weeds on my rear!" "For your information, these are hay grass. And I got them because I was good with utilizing plants for stuff like this. Maybe if you didn't get suspended so much from schoolyard fights you might find what you're good at!" "Or maybe if I didn't waste my time with your lame tail!" Pumpkin replied playfully punching Two Bit in the arm. "Hey, it's your choice not mine." He responded rubbing his shoulder feigning pain. "Now if you're done abusing me, I'd like to drop this on some pony before we are seen up here." Down below, a group of ponies were walking together, one whose face was red in embarrassment and the other one giggling. "Look, all I'm saying is that you tend to embarrass me in public quite a bit." Pipsqueak said walking alongside Dinky. "You think I'm an embarrassment?" Dinky began to whine. "Wha..no! I never said that!" "Oh, so you don't want any pony to know we're together then?!" "I never said that either! Blimey I'm not explaining myself well. I just don't, you know, want to get pounced on every other minute we're walking together is all." "But I like pouncing on you Pippy! You're so adorable when you are caught off guard." "Well, it is nice every now and then I suppose but doing every time ponies come around isn't really…" Splat! Pipsqueak's mane and coat was covered in a red, sticky substance that not only turned his coat and mane a dark crimson color, but also left a putrid stench on him. "Oh no Pippy!" Dinky cried out coming closer to the drenched colt. When she was in reach, she found the smell so unbearable she had to cover her nose with one of her hooves, muffling her voice. "You smell…awful now! What happened? Did someone drop a package filled with smelly things? Come on, we need to get you washed off." "Oh bloody Tartarus." Pipsqueak frowned slightly annoyed by the recent events. "Looks like the start of an eventful day." The two culprits had already made haste as soon as they dropped the bomb, bursting with laughter as they ran out of the shopping district. After about five minutes of running, they hid behind a small ally and caught their breaths. "That…was…awesome!" Two Bit huffed, tired from the running and laughing. "Did you see the look on that guys face?!" "Of course I did!" Pumpkin gleefully replied. "It was the greatest thing I've seen all week! However, I almost feel bad for the poor guy." "Aww, is Pumpkin showing sympathy for her target? Getting soft on my now?" "I did emphasize almost right?" She looked into the sky and sighed happily. Totally worth the risk. "So now what?" "I don't know," shrugged Two Bit. "Wanna go get some apples or something. We could make a fake cider and trick the citizens into drinking it on Nightmare Night?" "Sounds like a plan to me!" Pumpkin and Two Bit got off of the ground and began trotting towards Sweet Apple Acres. *** Sweet Apple Acres was a common picnic sight for the residence. It was shady, spacious, and since it was away from the market, often quite. It was a nice place for Pound to relax under the shady tree munching away at his wheat sandwich with tomatoes, cucumbers, dandelions, and blue cheese. He felt a warm smile form across his face every time he bit into the fluffy bread. "So all I have to do is talk to Apple Bloom and she'll help me find the right CMC group," Pound said to himself still chewing on his sandwich. "But still, I don't even know what I'm good at. I can't fly nor do I have any talents of my own." The sad realization that he had nothing to contribute to the group made him frown a bit, hoping that biting into his sandwich once more would make his gleeful smile return. Sadly, it didn't. "I really am pathetic." As Pound was about to take another bite into his sandwich, he was interrupted by a strong impact on the ground beside him. A look of shock and near horror fell upon his face as he turned towards the impact seeing uprooted dirt inching along the otherwise smooth ground. What appeared to be a crater impact was really an onyx Pegasus who was rubbing his skull trying to shake off the pain. "Uhh, I'm gonna feel that for a few days," he groaned to himself spitting some of the dirt out of his mouth. "Was sure I could do it this time!" Pound was relieved that the Pegasus was okay, especially since it was a familiar Pegasus he knew. "Hey Storm Chaser, what are you doing?" "Huh?" responded a confused Storm Chaser rubbing his eyes, clearing up his vision. "Aw, it's Champ!" Storm Chaser used his wings to boost himself up and propelled himself towards Pound, putting his arms around Pound's shoulders. "So how has things been going! Improving your flying!?" smiled the older colt. "Um not really," Pound quickly replied still looking at the crater that Storm Chaser had caused. "Exactly what were you doing that caused that such an impact?" To Pound's surprise, Storm Chaser let out a hearty laugh. "Well kiddo that was a result of me trying to break the sound barrier!" "You're trying to break the sound barrier?" Pound questioned. "Yep! Failed nearly 25 times already! Almost put myself into a comma 5 times already. The nurses all say I should avoid doing extraneous flying for about a month after I crash, but I only take about a day or two off before I hit the skies again! And the best part is I don't feel a thing, with the exception of wing cramps every now and again, but hey, they weren't a big deal!" Being thrown into the ground over and over isn't a big deal? Pound thought to himself not wanting to say it out loud to avoid being rude. "Well why do you keep doing it? Isn't it painful to constantly be thrown into something?" "Of course not!" Storm Chaser's head began to pound. "Okay, maybe a little, but it's still all worth it in the end." Pound was failing to see how nearly knocking ones senses out was worth anything. What he didn't fail to see however was Storm Chaser's look of determination, something Pound wish he had. "They say only a few Pegasus can actually fly fast enough to get to that momentum. The ones who can are able to push through that barrier, leaving a lofty trail of their success for all too see! That's gonna be me! I'm gonna leave my mark in the sky and deem myself worthy of a Wonderbolt!" A spark of admiration showed in Pound. He always looked up to Storm Chaser; he exhibited that stroke of confidence that he didn't seem to have. "And when I finally reach my goal…" "Yeah?" Pound urged him on, eager to hear what he will do. "I'm going to name the fruit of my success…" "Yeah!? Yeah!?" Pound's anticipation was rising. "THE SONIC STORMBOOM!!" And like that the anticipation was gone. "Uh, you do realize that's still similar to Rainbow Dash's Rainboom right?" "Hey, can't blame a guy for trying!" Storm Chaser defended flapping his wings to now recline in the air. "Besides, creativity isn't really my thing you know. I'm more of a thrill seeking, chasing the wind type of guy! You're the one with the creativity; making those cakes and stuff with your dad so maybe you should help me come up with a name!" "Being able to make pastries and coming up with a unique name isn't even the same thing," Pound corrected. "But they both require someone with a creative mind and lots of time on their hands, so they're all the same to me!" Pound mentally face palmed. Storm Chaser wasn't necessarily dumb; in fact, he showed himself to be a pretty intelligent colt sometimes. However, his logic the majority of the time never really added up or made sense. Still, with this known fact, Pound still found himself admiring him, and hoping to be like him. But you know you can't do that. You're too weak. "Well the name can wait," Storm Chaser dismissed. "What's really important is that I'm in good shape for the summer flight camp." "Wait you're doing it too?" an astonished Pound asked. "What do you mean I'm doing it…" Storm Chaser paused as he reached the obvious realization. "Oh yeah!! Champ is gonna be joining me during camp this summer!" The colt picked up an unsuspecting Pound levitating him off the ground and proceeded in swiftly rubbing his knuckles on Pound's mane, ruffing up his hair. "Why are you going? I thought the camp was for those who needed to learn to fly. You can fly perfectly well! Not only that but you're older than most of the ponies at the camp" "Yeah yeah I know," Storm Chaser sighed in disdain. "But as it turns out, in order to even be considered for a Wonderbolt now, you have to do the stupid little and turn in an assessment for it. And because I was born a few months before they passed this new rule, I wasn't exempt from it!" After explaining why he was going, Storm Chaser simply shrugged all the negativity off. "Well at least I get to show off, and if I'm good enough, they might let me out early, with all the attention to boot. Of course, that is of course, if you don't beat me to the punch first, Champ!" "Well you don't have to worry about me stealing your thunder. I'm not a good flyer at all." Pound began downing himself, which has grown into a habit for him. " Didn't even want to go in the first place. I'll only be a waste of space." "Hey kid, don't say such crap!" Storm Chaser yelled seemingly offended by Pounds statement. Pound leaped back suddenly startled by Storm Chaser's sudden mood swing. "I will not tolerate that kind of thinking coming from you! Champs don't quit before the game even started! Champs don't down themselves like that! Why do you think I gave you that name?" "Because it's a pet name that older colts give to younger ones?" Storm Chaser smacked Pound on the top of his head, hard enough so he could feel it, yet soft enough to where it wouldn't hurt. "Wrong! I named you that because you are one. And the sooner you get out of that self-loathing phase and get with the program the sooner you can start making yourself believe that. "How can I be a champ if I can't even fly? Not only that, I let ponies walk all over me, I have to have other's fight my fights, and when no pony is there to help me I just run away. No wonder she thinks so poorly of me?" "Who, Jubilee?" "No, not her!" exclaimed Pound, turning away to hide the blush forming on his face. "Though I hope she doesn't think that poorly of me as well. I was actually referring to my sister." "Oh her!" Storm Chaser said trotting closer to Pound before patting his head. "Look Champ, you're still a kid, so it's only natural to be scared. So don't beat yourself up about it, especially when you got this awesome Pegasus hanging out with you! Just remember, if you want any of this to rub off on you, I'll give you lessons free of charge, 'kay!" Pound simply smiled and nodded and Storm Chaser returned a very toothy smile back. At times, Pound almost wished he could be his sibling. "As for your sister, I'm sure she doesn't hate you, just your personality." "Oh thanks, that really helps boost my moral," Pound sarcastically replied. "What I mean is, although she might not like how you differ, she still loves you as a brother, and at the very least will help you if needed." "And how do you know that Storm Chaser?" "I don't. I was just trying to cheer you up honestly. I mean if you want to know if it's true or not, you could go ask her since she's down by the fields over there." "Yeah, maybe you're…wait what!" Storm Chaser pointed to where Pound's sister was. Her and her mint colored friend were piling up some apples they took from the orchard. Now something wasn't adding up. Wasn't Pumpkin supposed to be grounded? Why is she outside playing? Oh sweet Luna if Mom finds this out… He found himself caring more about Pumpkin's well being then he wished to. If there's one thing that scared him more than the bullies at school, it was an enraged mother. "Yo Champ, something wrong!?" Pound found himself wondering if he should care. On one hand, Pumpkin does tease him all the time and ruin some of his stuff, so it would be nice to see some retribution. On another, Nightmare Night was coming up, and he knew Mom wouldn't let her go if she knew she was out and about with her friend. After thinking on it briefly, he sighed to himself and trotted towards the fields. Why did I have to be the nice one? === Consequences for Actions === "So all we have to do is squeeze the juice out of these apples, put some nocturnal plant seeds in and wammo!! Knocked out for hours!" exclaimed Two Bit picking out some of the apples in the bucket. "You're getting way too excited about this," replied Pumpkin Cake, munching on one of the apples. "Though I will admit it's a pretty cool idea. Probably our best prank yet." "You do mean my best prank ever right!?" Two Bit corrected smugly. It was rewarded with an apple core in the face. "No Two Twit! Our idea!" Pumpkin quipped sticking her tongue out at him. "Was it really necessary to throw something probably ridden with your germs at my face? Also, what's with you calling me Two Twit all the time?" "You're not going to die from it so quit complaining. And the name suits you so well; I have to call you that!" Two Bit rolled his eyes at her comment. "Whatever. Anyways, let's take a few of these and leave. We only need….hey is that your brother?" "Huh?" Pumpkin looked at the direction Two Bit was pointing and saw Pound running towards her. Her expression turned sour. "Oh great, he's here." Pound stopped running when he was at a good range and began walking towards them, trying to catch his breath. He inched his way closer to his ever so disapproving sister. "What do you want Pound?" Pumpkin asked venomously . "I want to know what you're doing here?" answered Pound, who unlike her sister didn't show too much animosity. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I'm enjoying the sunshine and playing with my friend like normal ponies do. Is that a problem?!" "You know what I'm talking about Pumpkin!" Two Bit looked confusingly at the two trying to understand what was going on. "Uhh, am I missing something important?" "No Two Bit. It's just my brother being a nosy little twat!" "Call me what you will, but you're betraying Mom's trust as well as Dad's by sneaking off like this!" "Well maybe if Mom didn't give unjust punishments, I wouldn't have to sneak off to do what I want!" "Wait, so you snuck out here to hang out with me?" Two Bit said impressed, but was ignored by the bickering siblings. "Unjust? You beat up a schoolmate even when she pleaded for you to stop. Don't you think that was a little excessive?!" "Well at least I attempt to defend myself and don't let others mistreat me! At least I don't let ponies spit on me or throw rocks at me like a weakling!" The situation quickly took a personal turn and it was obvious Pound was hurt by Pumpkin's backlash at him. Two Bit was just standing trying to decide if he should wait the storm out, or just walk away and leave them be. "You're impossible!!" Pound shouted, his words more heated then before. "All I'm trying to do is help you and you're here being as big of an airhead as possible!" "Well if you really want to help me, how about leaving me alone and go bug one of your other friends! If you even have any that is." "Fine then! Stay out here and get caught, see if I care!" Pound turned away and stormed off with a mixture of anger and hurt. Pumpkin watched as her he ran away, her angered face turning into a frown. "Stupid brother." *** "Stupid sister," Pound mumbled to himself as he trotted away from Pumpkin. He was still angry about the conversation; however, his feelings were damaged the most. Small amounts of tears tried to escape his eyes. "I was just trying to help her and all she did was mock and discourage me. I don't know why I even bother. She's impossible to deal with. Sometimes I just wish…" "Who are you talking to Pound?" The voice sounded so familiar to Pound. So soft and concerning. So…angelic. Pound looked up and saw who it was. That light golden mare with crimson flowing curls smiling directly at him. He felt as if his whole world has stopped every time he looked at her. Here he was, standing right in front of his precious Jubilee. "Oh…um..I was talkin to…uh…hi Jubilee," Pound responded clumsily and dreamily at the same time, his face completely burning. "Yes, well hello to you too Pound," Jubilee answered, politely ignoring how stammered he was. "But I would really like to know what you were rambling about. It sounded like you were frustrated by something and from the dried tears in your eyes I can tell you were upset by something, although that worry is clearly gone now!" Jubilee winked towards Pound, causing his face to redden even more. Come on Pound. Why do you always crack around her! Sure she's the most beautiful girl you've ever seen, but she's still a girl all the same. Just talk to her, produce words and for crying out loud stops babbling like an idiot. Those inner thoughts were running through his mind and repeating themselves over and over. Taking a deep breath, Pound opened his mouth and began to speak. "Pumpkin…..uh….she's um…" What are you doing!? "Well she did….welll I…" Say something! Anything! "I….um…" "She…she…" Why do I always do this!? "Yo Champ! Why'd you run off little buddy?!" Storm Chaser flew towards the two ponies. Pound let out a sigh of relief, a little louder than he planned on. "Why'd you run off like that!? You acted like some pony was gonna kill your sister or something!" "Oh it was nothing," Pound rubbed off, relieved that there was some pony he was comfortable talking to around. "If she gets in trouble it will be her own fault." Storm Chaser looked puzzled. "What, did she do something bad? Did she steal something? Push an old lady off the steps? Murder a pony!?" "I highly doubt a little filly would commit murder?" Jubilee stated inserting herself in the conversation. "And hello to you too Storm Chaser!" "Really? I gotta say hi to you every ten minutes I see your flank walking by?! We see each other like two or three times a day usually," "Still, it's common courtesy. Though I doubt you know anything about that seeing how shrewd you can be at times. What's worse is that your influences might be rubbing off on poor little Pound here. He didn't even greet me properly!" Pound looked down at the ground shamefully, feeling terrible that he can't even talk to some pony who's supposed to be his friend. "I'm sorry," was all he could manage to squeak out. Jubilee saw Pound dwindle into another reclusive state and went towards him to pat his head. "Oh come on Pound, I was only teasin'. I know you were distraught by something so don't worry about it. So come on, show me that golden smile I like seeing." Pound looked up and stared into her gaze, causing a dopey little smile to shine upon his face. Jubilee returned a warm smile as well. "So, where's my warm greeting of affection?" whimpered Storm Chaser teasingly. "You let him off the hook and give him the royal smile treatment and yet I get the short end of the stick?" Jubilee started trotting towards the onyx colt, with a devious smile on her face. "Oh, you want some attention huh? Okay, here…" She put her hooves on his cheeks. "you…" Her face homed in on Storm Chaser's face, causing the confused colt's eyes to widen and causing Pound's face to show signs of sadness and jealousy. Is she…going to… "GO!!" And with that, Jubilee shoved Storm Chaser down the hill, giving him little time to react to it. He rolled down for a few seconds before completely stopping with his back arched in the air and his legs over his head. "I asked for more affection, not a trip to the hospital." "Oh trust me Storm, if I wanted to send you to the hospital I would have bucked your skull in with my back hooves." "Oh wow you're a jerk, and an evil one at that!" "I learned from the best." The group laughed as Jubilee trotted towards Storm Chaser and reached out a hoof, helping him gets back on all fours. "Anyways, if you two are not doing anything this afternoon, we should hang out for a bit. I'm working for Apple Bloom at the farm while her sis is gone so…" "Apple Bloom. That's right!" Pound suddenly remembered what he came to Sweet Apple Acres to do. "I forgot to ask her about joining the CMC!" "Oh that's fine, Pound. I'll tell her you asked about it," suggested Jubilee. "Really? You'd do that for me?" "Sure," she responded lifting the basket of apples and balancing it on her back. "I have to go back anyways so it's not that big deal. So, how about it? Wanna hang out with me this afternoon Pound?" "Uhh…" Again, Pound's voice gave out on him and he stood stiffly staring at her, his face reddening once more. "Sure, we'll hang out with you!" Storm Chaser inserted himself back into the conversation, much to Pound's appreciation. He always gained a little bit of confidence when Storm Chaser was around. "So while you handle your business, me and Champ over here are gonna go grab a bite to eat!" "But I just ate not too long ago," stated Pound "Well that's fine. You can just watch me eat then! Come on!" Storm Chaser grabbed the young colt and began to flap his wings, floating slightly above ground with Pound in his hands. "See ya Jubi!" "Meet you two later," Jubilee waved as she saw Storm Chaser carry off Pound. "And if I hear that you dropped him on account of one of your 'flight training' tactics, the hospital will be the last place you'll have to worry about!" *** "So you are going to head back before you get caught I assume?" questioned Two Bit, carrying the haul of apples that he and Pumpkin decided to pick out for their little concoction. "Yeah, might as well. Don't want to get in too much trouble before Nightmare Night. I want to get all the candy I can that night!" "Oh, so you're actually listening to your brother for once." "No!" Pumpkin exclaimed in an outburst denying any credit to Pound for her wanting to head home. "That whining baby had nothing to do with me wanting to leave!" "Yeah, cause you have the sense to quit while you're ahead. If you didn't come up with this brilliant resolution because of your brother, then what made you suddenly want to go home?" Pumpkin looked Two Bit in the face and let out a smug grin. "Well Two Twit, it's because the thought of looking at your ugly face any longer than I have to is making me sick. If I'm in my room blowing chunks for no good reason, they'll know it's because I snuck out with you." "You're evil you know that? And for Celestia-sake stop calling me that!" "What are you gonna do about it Two Twit," "You better watch it! I might put something in your food that gives you the bad case of hay fever." "Oh, so you're gonna make me sneeze to death?! Hardly a threat!" "Hay fever with the Cutie Pox thrown in!" "You wouldn't." "I would." The two young children glared at each other briefly before Two Bit broke the glare and gave her a subtle smile. "Well anyways, I'm going to go and make the stuff for Nightmare Night. Try not to get into too much trouble delinquent!" "Don't worry, I'll just put the blame on you and say you influenced me to do it!" There was no need for formal goodbyes between the two. Their jokes and quips towards each other handled what they were trying to accomplish. As her minty friend faded from the fields, she sighed to herself a little. Guess I have to go back now. She casually walked home biting down on another ripe apple she had found on the ground. As she was getting ready to leave, she was greeted by the little sister of Applejack who was walking directly towards the barn. "Howdy Pumpkin," Apple Bloom greeted, "How ya doing today." "I'm alright AB. Two Bit and I are done…playing for the day so I'm just heading back home." "Ahh. How's your brother doing? Any luck with those cutie marks?" "He's his same wimpy self and no," Pumpkin responded. "Sometimes I kind of wish I could disown him as a brother." "Whoa there missy! Don't ya think that's a tad bit harsh to say?" "But he's so gutless. I have to fight all of his fights for him and I'm always the one getting in trouble! He's more damage than he's worth, a liability of a brother." She sat on the soft grass and folded her front hooves. "And he's the one who gets all the better treatment. Flight school, parents who never scold him, and he's never in trouble." Apple Bloom had Pumpkin's problem pinned from hearing this. "Sounds like a certain some pony might be jealous of her brother." "No I'm not", a pouting Pumpkin responded poking her lips out. "Ah, ain't that adorable. You envy your brother!" "Stop it! No I don't!" Apple Bloom sat next to Pumpkin, who still had her hooves folded and looked away. "Not fair," "Don't be so down. You're not the only one who has the envy fever. I've talked to Pound before, and turns out he's a little jealous of you too." "What, really?" "Eyup! Something 'bout you being braver then him and for not being a 'worthless weakling' as he put it. He takes it to heart when you call him that ya know." Pumpkin's expression turned to that of remorse. She would never admit it, but deep down, she cared deeply about her brother's feelings and began to feel guilty for the nasty things she said to him earlier. However, her stubbornness would not let her sincerity show. "Well, if that is true, then why does he still act like a wimp instead of toughening up!?" "Not really easy to change your personality on the fly now is it? If so, you wouldn't be the little deviant ya are now." Pumpkin, as much as she wanted to, could not argue with Apple Bloom's logic. "Now, about the cutie mark situation, Ah be happy to accept you anytime you want to join. There's bound ta be a group you can fit into and working in a group might help ya find your talent faster." "As much as I appreciate the offer, I don't really play well with others." "Ah suppose not," Apple Bloom stood up on her hooves and stretched out a bit. "But tha offer still stands if you change your mind. Ah really hope you do." "Ok, I'll think about it," responded Pumpkin as she got up and began to make her way home. "But I'm curious, why do you care so much about me joining?" Apple Bloom looked at the young filly with a big grin on her face. "Cus you remind me of one of my friends when we were in the Cutie Mark Crusaders." *** The sun was setting in Ponyville's square and every pony who worked on the booths started wrapping up their final preparations. Nightmare Night was just around the corner and the excitement was pouring out of the citizens. Not too far outside the square were Storm Chaser and Pound, who was splayed out on the tree, groaning a bit. "Wow, Champ you didn't react to well back there!" the onyx colt laughed, eating a bag of hay-fries he bought on the way to town. "Maybe because you dropped me towards the lake on our way towards here expecting me to fly," moaned a sickly looking Pound. "I caught you didn't I? I told you that nothing bad would happen." "Try telling that to my stomach," Pound's cheeks slightly began to bulge. Fortunately, his stomach was stable enough to prevent it. "I need to lay down for a bit." Pound stayed motionless for a while Storm Chaser continued munching away at his hay-fries. Eventually, a familiar pony trotted towards their little meeting place. "Hello guys," Jubilee smiled, until she saw Pound lying over the tree with a sickly expression on his face. A look of concern showed upon her face. "Pound, what's wrong with you?" "Nothing…" Pound couldn't get a very convincing word out, giving Jubilee an idea of what the problem was. "Let me guess. The idiot Pegasus beside you decided to give you a little 'flight training' huh?" "No…Jubilee, it's quite alri…." Pound tried to finish his statement before he was interrupted by Storm Chaser and an upset stomach. "Yeah, and?" Jubilee slowly began climbing up the tree with stern look on her face. "Remember when I told you not to do that to poor Pound here?" "Sure, and you made an idol threat to boot with it." She scooted over towards Storm Chaser, put her hoof on his chest, and pushed him off the tree, causing him to fall headfirst on the ground. "Oh, for the love of Celestia, stop trying to kill me!" "Not if you keep trying to kill Pound here!" Jubilee snapped rubbing pounds mane to comfort him. He hid his face the best he could to avoid her seeing him blush, but could not help but to let out a purring sound, causing Jubilee to giggle a bit. "And besides, you've fallen from thousands of feet at top speeds and claimed you were alright. Falling off a tree should not hurt you too much." Storm Chaser stuck his tongue out at her before realizing something. It was something that was far more serious than him falling off a tree. As he readjusted himself, Storm Chaser began floating back upon the tree and began to utter a message to Jubilee, "You owe me a batch of hay-fries." The trio remained perched on the tree talking for several hours. Pounds stomach decided to relax a bit and he was able to sit back up again, enjoying the conversation with his older friends. Storm Chaser was still food-less and complained about it briefly, but eventually stopped talking about it, thanks mainly to him being ignored by his golden friend sitting beside him. It was getting late in the afternoon and as the sun began to sleep the beauty of the sunset began to shroud Ponyville in its beauty. "There's something about the sunset that just feels so nice and warm," Jubilee replied admiring the work of Celestia. "Wouldn't you agree Pound?" "Yeah," Pound dreamily replied. He was able to react better with Storm around to help boost his confidence but even with the added boost, he still reduced himself to a lovesick puppy admiring the mare sitting next to him. Storm Chaser yawned. "Meh, it's alright. Nothing too remarkable about it. The sun just rises and set. "Well I wouldn't expect a simple minded barbarian like you to understand," Jubilee jokingly mocked, returning to talking to Pound. "What do you think it is? Is it the inviting feeling it gives off, or maybe the final illumination it gives before the moon shines its glow?" "Yeah," Pound responded once more, but with enough sense to realize it wasn't a simple yes or no question, he quickly snapped himself out of his dreamy state and gave a more reasonable, albeit clumsy answer. "Um...I mean, probably the inviting feeling. Yeah, that one!" He was worried that Jubilee would find his response awkward, but she simply smiled back and petted his head. "Yeah, I think so too." Storm Chaser gagged a bit. "Uh, come on what's with this mushy garbage talk? It's almost sickening! If you want to talk about the sunset so much, just go on a date." This teasing from Storm Chaser made Pounds face heat up at the thought of dating his crush, with Jubilee's slightly annoyed face. "I don't whine about your carelessness when it comes to flying, so I would appreciate if you did the same thing." "You just complained now though," Storm Chaser replied back, receiving an eye roll from Jubilee. "Can't help that I'm born to love the thrill of flying, even in dangerous situations. Speaking of…" Storm Chaser stares towards Pound, who too him was a tad too giddy around Jubilee, "stopped worrying about flight camp yet?!" And with that, the giddy, childish expressions Pound was giving off turned into a more uninterested look. "No, not really. Still not really interested in potentially plummeting to the ground." "Come on Champ! You gotta get over this irrational fear of falling to your doom!" "Yeah, and dropping him from the skies is going to help him get over it faster!" defended Jubilee, turning back to Pound. "But as much as I hate to admit it, he has a point. You're going to need to learn how to fly sometime or another, and it's easier to learn it while you're young." "I guess." "Come on Pound. I for one kind of envy you two. I'm just an earth pony so I'm not capable of the abilities you have. Wings are freedom for those who have them." "They might represent freedom for those who can use them," Pound began, "but for some pony like me, they are a curse; a reminder of what you should be but are not." "Wow you're depressing Champ!" Storm Chaser grinned. "I might have to find a new rookie to hang out with if you keep bumming me out like that!" Pound looked towards the ground apologetically, "Sorry." "Don't be, I was just messing with you. There ain't another pony I'd rather have as my little rookie than you Champ. Just remember, need some flying lessons or help during the camp, you can always count on good old Storm Chaser." "Thanks! I'll hold you to that." There was something to be admired by Storm Chaser's confidence, and the more Pound hung around him, the more he wanted to be like him. "I'm not sure I trust you giving Pound anymore flying lessons, especially not on top of Cloudsdale," Jubilee said worriedly. "You seem to believe I'll drop him from a thousand feet in the air." "I wouldn't put it behind you." I'm not crazy Jubilee! I won't do anything that will cripple or kill the kid. I do know restraint and you know that!" There was some offense taken in Storm Chaser's voice, who didn't take lightly that Jubilee thought he would purposely hurt Pound in a reckless way. The crimson maned mare, even though she would never say it outright, did trust Pound with Storm Chaser regardless of how reckless he acted at times. Because if there's one thing he never would do is put a child's life in danger, especially not Pound. "Yeah, I do," Jubilee finally responded, causing Storm Chaser to calm down a bit. "But still, try not to do anything too careless with him okay? " "Will do," Storm Chaser answered swiftly, and the trio sat in silence watching the remaining sun set. After a few moments of silence, Pound let out a yawn, showing signs of drowsiness. "Sounds like some pony is getting a little sleepy," Jubilee hummed. "Mmm hmm." Pound mumbled. "Hah, even our little Champ can't stay up too long without sleep catching up to him!" Storm Chaser laughed. "Well, it has been a long day for him, plus tomorrow is Nightmare Night, so he probably wants to be well rested before the event. Want me to get you home Champ." "No, I'll be fine," Pound kindly refused. "I'm awake enough to get home." He stumbled a bit trying to stand up. "That may be so, but I sure don't trust you getting off this tree in your state." Storm Chaser picked up Pound and lowered him towards the ground. "Alright buddy, off you go." "Thank you. And see you later. Bye Jubilee!" "See you tomorrow Pound." Jubilee waved back still perched on the tree. As Pound began to walk back home, he began to wonder if Pumpkin decided to heed his warning and go home before she caused too much trouble. He highly doubts she did, but he wanted to at least have some faith that she wouldn't be so stubborn. However, his concern faded when he realized something. Was I able to comfortably talk to Jubilee back there? *** Pumpkin had been home for a few hours, making sure that there was no trace of her leaving in sight. The windows were closed, her hoofsteps on the powdery kitchen floor were wiped clean, and she carefully made her way back to her room. "Ah, conflict adverted!" she said proudly to herself. "And now all I have to do is wait until tomorrow for Pinkie to get back!" She lied back on her bed and let out a satisfied smile on her face anticipating the pink mares return. "She's so awesome. She's one of the funniest ponies I've ever known. So random and…well…Pinkie-ish! Kinda wish I could replace my brother with her." As she dwelled on the awesomeness of Pinkie, she began to feel the sleep she lost earlier plus the added new weight of tiredness get to her and her vision blurred into restful sleep. "..kin." A similar voice invaded her sleep, and kept calling out even when she tried to ignore it. "Pumpkin….down here now!" Uh, what now? Pumpkin rubbed her eyes and casually trotted downstairs and to the source of the voices, which happened to be Cup and Carrot. "Oh, hi Mommy and Daddy," she said sleepily and innocently. She was pretty calm, until she saw the look on her mother's. Even her father had the look, which was uncommon for him. It was a look of…anger and disappointment. "Um, what's wrong?" Pumpkin asked, now a little nervous that her parents were giving her a negative look. "Why don't you tell us?" Cup Cake started sternly. "You should know better than us what's wrong." "What, I don't under…" "I hope those apples were worth sneaking out of the house Pumpkin." Pumpkin froze and a look of terror was shown on her now pale face. "How…how did you…" To give Pumpkin an explanation, or to torture her with the long wait for a definitive punishment, Cup began to explain how they came to find out about Pumpkin's little jailbreak. Earlier that day, the Cakes were making their way home after a day of restocking on supplies. The load was pretty light on Cup, and the polar opposite on Carrot. "Um, sweetie, mind taking off a few bags please?" Carrot pleaded. His speed was significantly weighed down since he was carrying most of the flour, sugar, and other ingredients. Cup was carrying the food coloring and decorations, much lighter than her husband's load. "But I have a lot of bags too dear." "Yeah, but none are nearly as heavy as mine. Come on honey bun, cut me some slack!" "Aww, is my strong, hunky husband losing some of his steam." Carrot grunted a little, as the bags seemed to get heavier as he kept going. "I guess I need to give you some motivation huh?" Cup walked towards her straining husband and gave him a light peck on the lips, teasing him. "That motivation enough?" "Sort of," Carrot answered slightly blushing. "But maybe if you take off at least one of these bags…" "Okay, I'll carry at least one more." She used her mouth to pick up an extra bag and set it on her back. "Anything extra you want?" "Well, unless you want to take the rest of the bags…" "And I don't." "…then how about baking something nice tonight before we have to go tomorrow morning." "Why not. I guess you deserve something special before we go. What about apple fritters with cinnamon? You and Pumpkin seem to love those." Carrot licked his lips at the thought of eating them. "Yep, with a large dollop of whip cream over it! Pleasure to the mouth and stomach!" "Well then it's settled. We'll head towards Sweet Apple Acres, buy some fresh apples, and fix you two some fritters." "Like the sound of that!" Carrot grinned giddily. "And it's also nice to see you lighten up a bit." "Yeah well I guess even the witch of the household has a soft spot." The couple laughed and headed towards Sweet Apple Acres. Once they arrived, the quickly sought out Apple Bloom, who was watching over the farm while her sister was away. "Excuse me Apple Bloom, but would you sell us some of your best apples here?" Cup asked the young mare bucking away at the trees. "No problem!" Apple Bloom answered. "How many do you want?" "Two baskets full. Oh, and would you mind delivering them to our store?" "Enope. Ah'll have Big Bro on that asap." Apple Bloom went to find Big Mac and gave him a set of instructions. He loaded up the apples as well as some of the extra baggage Carrot was carrying (to his delight) and began to carry them to Sugercube Corner. "So, what's the occasion? Filling in another order?" "Oh no, we're just making something nice for the kids and husband before we go to Canterlot tomorrow." "Ah, the Cake twins." Apple Bloom chimed. "Those two are delightful children, even the rambunctious one. Ah actually saw them earlier today." "Yeah, they certainly are…wait did you say they?" Cup's pleasant voice droned into a suspicious tone. "You mean just Pound and his friend right?" "No, Ah'm sure I saw Pumpkin too. She was playin' with some minty colored colt and eating a few apples before Pound came and talked ta her. Not sure what they was talking 'bout, but from tha looks of it, it wasn't pretty; Pound walked off with sort of an angry look on his face." "Really?" "Eyup. Wonder what they were talkin' 'bout. Guess Ah'll never know. Anyways, the price of the apples and delivery is gonna run you at 25 bits." "Yeah, thanks." Cup put the bits on one of the barrels towards the farm, and looked at her husband, who shared the same look of disappointment she did. "Carrot?" "Yeah, I know. I just can't believe she would do that." "We'll fix that mighty quick though. Come on!" After her mother explained, Pumpkin found herself sweating profusely, fearing the worst. "Well…at least I got home before you guys did right?" Pumpkin nervously laughed hoping that maybe a small bit of humor would help her get out of the situation. The expressions on her parent's faces said otherwise. "Pumpkin I am not in the mood for jokes! And furthermore, I am highly upset that you would disobey us like that!" Cup lectured angrily. "It would appear you don't take our punishments seriously enough, so I guess we'll have to introduce some harsher consequences! Your two month punishment is now extended to a year." "What!" Pumpkin didn't like the sound of that at all. "But I…" "And on top of that, you can forget about going to Nightmare Night tomorrow, because you lost all your holiday privileges!" This was the breaking point for Pumpkin. For the first time in a long time, a punishment actually began to make her tear up. "No, no, no not that!" Pumpkin began pleading helplessly. She hadn't felt this vulnerable in a while. "Pinkie was supposed to spend that entire day with me! She was going to take me to that haunted house, trick or treating, and all sorts of things!" "Well I guess you'll have to explain to her why you can't go then," Cup retorted sternly. "But…but that's not fair. Dad!" This was her last hope; her dad's favoritism. "Don't Dad me!" Carrot responded. It wasn't as angry in tone as his wife's but it was just as stern. "Calling me isn't going to help you. In fact, I actually suggested the punishment!" And with that, Pumpkin's last hope was crushed, and so was her spirit. "What? But why?" "You seem to lack respect for your mother, and by that definition you lack respect for me! Not only that but you've betrayed her both of our trust by deliberately disobeying us. You need harsher consequences since the ones you have don't seem to be affecting you much, so that's why you're spending a year grounded and I stand by my decision!" Tears were flowing down Pumpkin's face. She was torn, broken, and in a slight sense, angry. "Fine! I thought there was at least one reasonable pony in this Celestia forsaken place, but it turns out you're worse than mother! I hate you! I..hate…!" She choked on her words and couldn't finish. With the realization of her confinement, she stormed upstairs with her face still filled with salty tears. Carrot's face went from the stern angry look into a sad and remorseful one. "That felt terrible," he sighed sadly. "I did not enjoy that one bit." "Neither did I honey," Cup tried to comfort her husband. "But like you said, she needs to learn the consequences for her actions. Plus I'm sure she didn't mean what she said; she's just a child lashing out due to being upset." "I really hope so Cup. I also hope I don't actually need to keep her locked up for a year." Cup kissed Carrot and softly smiled at him. "You can call it off whenever you feel it is necessary honey." The door opened and Pound walked into the house, rubbing sleep from his eyes but also greeting his parents with enthusiasm. "Hey Mom and Da…" he was cut off by a loud slam of a door coming from upstairs, and what he was sure to be a picture frame falling from the wall. "Let me guess, she got caught." His parents simply nodded, so he didn't bother to go further into detail. He simply headed up to the room he and his sister shared, slowly opening the door, and looked at the back of Pumpkin since her face was hidden towards the wall. "Umm, Pumpkin…" "Leave me alone Pound! I'm not in the mood for one of your 'I told you so' speeches." "But I wasn't going to…" "I said leave me alone!" Pumpkin threw a pillow at Pound, which he avoided by lowering his head. He decided it was best not to press the matter and returned the pillow to her bed, careful not to get to close in fear of her bucking him in the face. He then walked back towards his bed and cuddled under the covers trying to get some sleep which was hard to do with the constant crying coming from his sister. === All My Fault === The lofty autumn breeze blew on the most anticipated afternoon of the month. Nightmare Night was coming in a few hours and the ponies of the city were gathering their costumes and stocking up on candy. Normally, Sugercube Corner would be open with many homemade candies and treats given out during the holiday. However, that night was a bit different. Cup and Carrot had a full set of orders to deliver and cater for the citizens of Fillydelphia, and they would not be back until late the next afternoon. They were making sure they had everything in order while Carrot frantically gathered everything they needed for the trip. As Cup listed the things they had to take, Carrot responded. "Truffles?" "Check!" "Meringue pie?" "Checkaroo!" "Layered cupcakes?" "Each layer crafted divinely and to perfection! Oh and the desserts are here too." "As much as I enjoy your flattery, we should probably hurry up and get these on the train before we miss it. Pound, come here." Pound was sitting in the living room eating a cup of peanuts before he heard his mother calling him. He set the cup down and headed into the shop. "Yes mam?" "I want you to be on your best behavior while we're gone. Don't stay out too late, don't eat your candy past 9, and when you go out trick or treating, never leave Pinkie ok?" Pound nodded. Upon receiving orders from his mother, he also received a note from his mother. Pinkie Pie, As much as we regret to have to do this, Pumpkin is being grounded for her misbehavior and cannot participate in Nightmare Night tonight. I know you were looking forward to taking them both, but please understand it was something we needed to do. We will allow her to eat a few pieces of candy that you get during the event, but nothing over 3 pieces. Sorry for the inconvenience. Cup Cake P.S.: Please don't eat our supplies this time! It's hard enough to keep up with one loose cannon let alone some pony that will go ballistic off of too much sugar. "Make sure she gets this Pound," The golden gray Pegasus looked at the letter with slight sadness. As much as his sister irritated him, he still felt bad for her. This wouldn't be an easy thing for him to give Pinkie, but he was never one to say no to his parents. "I'll make sure she gets it." Cup leaned down and gave Pound a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you. We should be back by tomorrow afternoon, and there is quiche and fruit salad in the kitchen for you two to eat when you are hungry. Honey! Let's go!" "In a minute!" Carrot called back. He went upstairs into Pumpkin's room to see the little filly curled up on her bed staring at the wall. "Pumpkin, are you okay?" She didn't respond. She didn't even turn around to see who it was. It was obvious that Pumpkin was ignoring him and hoping that he would go away. Regardless, Carrot sat by her on the bed and continued talking. "Sweetie, I know you're still upset about the punishment, but I want to let you know that you are still my little angel. You just have to learn how to behave yourself otherwise you'll never have any privileges." Pumpkin didn't move. Her eyes remained planted on the wall, even as her father gave her a kiss on the cheek, forcing her to see him slightly. "Remember this Pumpkin, I'll always love you, and if you be good…" he looked around to make sure his wife wasn't around to hear, then began to whisper in Pumpkin's ear, "I'll sneak you back some of the remaining treats from the catering. Sounds good?" Pumpkin's ears perked up a bit. She always did like the snacks her father brought back, and the thought of having something sweet to cancel the bitterness she felt. For the first time in hours, she looked at Carrot and gave him a simplistic yet clear yes. "Well, it's a deal then," Carrot smiled rubbing the top of the young filly's mane, messing it up a bit. "Honey, hurry up! We're going to be late for the train!" Cup was growing impatient by her husband's absence. "Coming!" Carrot gave Pumpkin one more kiss before trotting down the stairs and patting Pounds mane. "Hold down the fort until Pinkie gets here Pound." Pound saluted his father, gaining a small smile from his parents. With the desserts secured and being transported to the train, the couple left Sugercube Corner, leaving only Pound and Pumpkin inside the house. With Nightmare Night only a few hours away, and Pinkie coming at any moment, he thought it would be best to go ahead and get ready for the night. He put the note that was written on the counter and made his way upstairs. Once again, the only thing that was there was a very silent Pumpkin staring at the wall with no intention of leaving that spot. "You know, you probably should go get something to eat," Pound suggested to her sister, who hasn't moved since her punishment. "Not hungry," came a cold reply from Pumpkin. "Well you could at least get up and stretch a bit or something. You've been in the bed all day." "What's the point? I have nothing to do anyways." "Maybe, but it's not really productive not doing anything for so long. Even a simple movement and walk in the house could…" "You're not my parents! Stop acting like them!" Pumpkin turned sharply towards her brother giving him a look irritation. "I was just giving a suggestion," Pound defended himself. "If I wanted your suggestion, I would have asked for it. Now shut up and leave me alone!" "I just don't get you," Pound looked at her sister with slight annoyance at her attitude towards him. "You're being a hostile baby towards me because you messed up and got in trouble." "Oh thanks for reminding me my oh so intelligent brother," Pumpkin mocked, "I guess I learned my lesson. I'll sit here and reflect on this all night while you and Pinkie go out having fun and eating bucking candy all night!" "It's not my fault that you got caught! So why are you getting mad at me for?!" "Just leave me alone," she turned back towards the wall sighing a bit. "You better have enough fun for the both of us. And if you don't get enough candy for me, you'll regret every waking moment for the rest of your life." Pound rolled his eyes at her threat. Though not idol in the slightest, the regret would probably amount to Pumpkin putting hot sauce on all of his favorite snacks. "That's it I'm done talking to you." Pound rolled his eyes and began to leave the room. "Where are you going?" a curious Pumpkin asked. " Shouldn't you be getting ready to stuff yourself tonight?" "As much as I would like to get started on that, I need to take care of some personal business first." "Personal business? Why are you being so secretive about it? What could you possibly be doing that's so personal you can't…" "I'm going to the bathroom okay!" Pound finally blurted. "You happy now?" Pumpkin's gagging gave him his answer. "Uhh, I didn't want to know that you idiot!" Pound walked out of the room and mumbled to himself, "then why did you ask jerk?" *** A couple of silent hours passed inside of Sugercube Corner. The twins didn't say a word to each other and just went about their business, Pound reading a Daring Doo book and Pumpkin drinking a box of juice while lying on her bed. Their silence was brought to an abrupt end when they heard a door creak open. There wasn't a sound afterwards. "Um, hello?" Pound called out, but with no answer returning. "Hello!?" Still no reply. Pound was growing a little weary. "I don't think any pony can hear your low voice from all the way up here. Go down and see who it is!" "But…what if it's a thief down their? I mean…it's not normal for any pony to walk inside unnoticed." Pound's voice was a bit shaky, legitimately nervous of what might be downstairs. This upset Pumpkin. "Oh for the love of...even inside our own house you're a little pansy! Fine, I'll go down and see who it is." For the first time that day (she made Pound get her juice for her), she got off of her bed and went downstairs. Pound watched as she vanished from his vision and waited for some sort of reaction. The one he got wasn't one he wanted to hear. "AAAAHHH!!" Pumpkin shrieked at the top of her lungs before being muffled. Now Pound was worried. He broke into a cold sweat and began to trot in place frantically. Oh Luna oh Luna! What am I gonna do? I can't let her get hurt! I can't! But that…whatever is down there…might… Pound's mind was racing. He wanted to find an easy solution, but none came to him and deep down he knew there was only one option. She could be hurt! I can't stand here and do nothing! Stop being a pansy and help her! He darted downstairs to take care of the intruder. Oddly enough, he didn't find anypony inside the house. He grabbed a roller from the counter with his wings and slowly began to patrol the area. "Who are you!? What do you want!?" Pound tried to sound tough, but his voice and tone displayed fear. He was constantly shaky and jumpy throughout his scouting of downstairs. After about a few minutes of searching, his vision was completely destroyed by two hooves over his eyes, sending him into a panic. "No! Please let me go!" Pound was flailing around, kicking and screaming as the intruder bounded Pound so he couldn't move. After not being able to move, the unwanted visitor whispered in his ears. "Guess who!" The giggly tone in the intruder's voice turned lowered Pound's fear to nothing but embarrassment. "Pinkie!" The bouncy mare let go of the victim at hand. "You guessed! Hey Pumpkin, he guessed it! Told you he would!" "Fine I guess he did," Pumpkin giggled coming from behind the counter. "But not without a bit of a struggle first! 'No! Please No! I don't want to be kidnapped!'" Pumpkin and Pinkie fell on the floor laughing as Pound stood with his cheeks red in embarrassment. "Yeah yeah, really funny! You almost gave me a heart attack by the way!" Pound exclaimed in indignation. Pumpkin teased him more while sticking her tongue out at him, while Pinkie, although still giggling, decided to apologize. "Oh noes! Can't have Poundy mad at me tonight when we're supposed to have fun!" She patted Pound's head rapidly. Pinkie was always full of energy and quite often bouncy, even when there was nothing to really be excited about. The twins often wondered if maybe Pinkie's blood was just made of pure sugar. In fact, Pound asked at one point, but was only given one of her Pinkie Pie answers. Gasp! My bloods made of sugar!? Well that would explain why I'm always so bouncy and eccentric except for early mornings when I'm still groggy and sleepy but that doesn't take to long for me to get out of that, though for sugar my blood doesn't taste sweet…I once scratched myself and put my hoof in my mouth and it oddly didn't taste like sugar at all! It tasted metalish in a way, or maybe sugar is metal that they sweetened…or maybe… She went on and on and on about the subject, causing Pound to drop it entirely and concluding that whatever she was made of, it certainly didn't follow logic. "Oh, and speaking of tonight, you two should get in costume! We got to get out there early if we're going to get all the good candy!" Pumpkin cringed a bit. Her sadness returned to her when she realized that she would have to explain why she couldn't go. And if there's one thing Pumpkin didn't like, it was making Pinkie sad. "Well, Pinkie, you see…" "Pumpkin was being lazy today, so she didn't really get her outfit together and ready completely yet." Pound interrupted causing Pumpkin to look at him in shock. "Not ready!? How can you not be ready, you were even more excited for this night than I was!" Pinkie added. "We got to get your costume ready asap! This is priority!!" "Uh, Pinkie, we still have about 2 hours before the event starts." "But if we don't get done early, we won't be able to get any of the good candy! I refuse to let any pony rob me of my well-earned candy!" With a new objective, Pinkie darted towards the stairs, immediately rushing back to ask Pumpkin something. "Where do you keep the costume at again?" "In the closet on the right by the bedroom," she answered still in shock of what her brother has done. "Okey Dokey then! Be back in a jiffy!" Pinkie vanished again, and a puzzled Pumpkin turned towards her brother. "Yo Pound, why did you do that?" she questioned. "Do what? All I did was tell her that you needed some extra help to get ready faster. You know how impatient she is, especially when treats are on the line." "But…I'm grounded and…the note…and…" "Oh yeah the note," Pound scratched the back of his head and continued to explain, "well, turns out I forgot I still had it with me on my way to the bathroom, and upon flushing, I realized the note was spiraling down as well. So, with no note, I figured what's the point of telling her?" Pumpkin felt extremely warm inside. If she had a sense of vulnerability, she would have hugged him then and there. However, she would never give her brother that sense of satisfaction or at least not that deep. "Well, that was kind of cool of you I guess," she thanked the best way she wanted to. "Though I have to say, you're either gaining some confidence or turning into a fool. You do know Mom will grill you out for this right?" Pound already knew this was a fact. He was never the one to get on Cup's bad side but when he did manage, like sneaking snacks at late night or getting caught up in one of Pumpkin's silly schemes, she would send fear he never would wish on even the worst of criminals. And here he was, risking facing that just so his sister can enjoy herself for a night. "Against better judgment and logic, I decided to ignore the fact that I will be…punished," Pound squeaked out the last word and shivered a bit. Even if he desired to turn back, which he often told himself he wanted to, they were too far in to just not go with it. "Well, again thanks! Yes, I'm going to get to go to Nightmare Night!" "Hold on before you get too excited though," Pound stated. "I'm not doing all this for free you know." "Oh, so there's a catch huh? Guess I can't blame you on that one. So what's the deal." "Well there are two things. The first is you have to stop being cruel to me and insulting me every chance you get." "Fair enough I guess. What's the other thing you want from me?" Pound began to smile a bit and walked towards his sister, "Well, the next thing is while we're out trick or treating, you have to give me all of your Mocha Bombs." Pumpkin jumped back when hearing Pound's request as if she was being asked to do the impossible. "No way!" Pumpkin refused, "I'm not letting you have those. They're my favorite!" "Well they are also mine as well! Last year you went into my stash and ate them all, leaving only those liquorice hard candies." "Well you let them sit there for half a year so I assumed you didn't want them! I refuse to give you my favorite candy!" Pumpkin folded her hooves and resisted with great opposition. "First off, I was saving them, something you never could do past the first day. Second, this isn't up for debate. I'm risking enough as it is to let you have fun, so I want a decent reward for it. But, if you don't want to go I can always tell Pinkie…" "NO!" Pumpkin blurted out a little louder than she intended, causing the pink mare upstairs to respond even louder. "No!? You really don't think I should use a hockey mask tonight!!? Aww, but last time they had a scream out of it!" The twins were slightly confused, but brushed it off quickly and returned to the topic at hand. "Okay fine, you can have the Mocha Bombs, too," Pumpkin groaned as Pound let a victorious yes leak out of his lips. "I hope you choke on it too." *** Luna's radiant moon lit up the streets of Ponyville, and under its gaze were hundreds of civilians enjoying the night of fun and fright. All the ponies were dressed up in a variety of costumes and going around enjoying the night that was ahead. In the midst of the commotion there were three eager ponies all walking together. Pumpkin was dressed in a giant pumpkin with a tiara on her head, Pound was dressed as his favorite fictional character Sherclop Holmes, and Pinkie was dressed as a giant rubber chicken, talking at them all throughout the walk. "…and then on my way here I ended up seeing Jacky! She seems to be taking being in charge of the farm really well, though she had to leave it to Apple Bloom while she was out selling her apples to support it but you know how she is. Always on the go recently!" Pumpkin was listening intently to the hyperactive pink bomb hopping by the twins. "Sweet! Did you see any others? Did ya?" "Hmm…nope nopony else! I did see advertisements for Sweetie Belle all over and a letter from Rarity saying she's super excited to see her in show! The other's I haven't heard from but I'm sure they'll show up eventu….oh look, CARAMEL APPLES!" The sight of a delectable treat sent Pinkie dashing towards the stand leaving the two young siblings to keep each other company. "Well, seeing how Pinkie might be busy for a while, want to check out some of the stands and booths?" Pound suggested. "Eh, why not," Pumpkin and Pound trotted along the strip, seeing ponies of all types enjoying themselves. There were booths where the town could bob for apples, face paint, and even stick their hands in fake gore to dig for goodies. Of course, Pumpkin decided to participate, digging both of her hooves into the green goop and swirling around looking. After some time was spent, the twins decided to simply walk around and take a brief break. "You are getting way too excited over that fake eyeball you found," Pound stated disgustingly before Pumpkin gave him a mischievous smile. "Oh, you don't like it much?" she teased pulling the eyeball outside of the container and squeezing it between her hooves. "You don't like how squishy it is?" "Okay, stop that!" Pound nearly gagged watching Pumpkin constantly squeezed and mashed the watery looking eyeball. "You're creeping me out a bit." "Well isn't that the point of Nightmare Night, to be creepy?" "Doesn't mean you have to go overboard with it." "Quit being such a baby!" Pumpkin huffed as they walked past many of the booths. "Can't wait to go to that haunted house with Pinkie! Heard it was scary! Like, pulse poundingly scary!" Pound gulped knowing that Pumpkin would drag him in there. "It..it can't be all that bad." "Pfft! Not all that bad he says!" Pumpkin eccentrically began to explain everything she heard. "It's the scariest haunted amusement in all of Equestria! Chainsaw psychos…" Oh Luna! "…zombie's gnawing at the victims' skull…" Oh Luna oh Luna! "And even a disfigured pony who feeds on children!" "Oh good Celestia Pumpkin! What's with you and these creepy obsession with morbid stuff!" This was the giddiest Pumpkin has been in a long time. The thrill of being scared senseless by nasty ghoulish monsters made her grin from ear to ear. "It's going to be great!" "You certainly won't be disappointed Pumpkin." The familiar minty Two Bit was sitting behind one of his booths with bottles of cider on the table top. He seemed to be proud of himself, as he stroked his fake long white beard he had for the night. "Hey Two Twit! Chose to dress as a lame scientist tonight I see?" Pumpkin taunted causing the minty colt to stare sharply at her. "I swear one of these days I'm gonna…" He decided it would be best to just let it go and instead turned his attention to her brother. "I want to ask you something Pound. How is life like knowing that you live with this menace to society?" "Hey!" "Not that easy to be honest but I manage," Pound responded making Pumpkin double take. "What!" "I'm just being truthful," Pound responded. Two Bit couldn't hold back his giggling to the disdain of Pumpkin. "Ha ha ha, let it all out while you can. Anyway, has anypony stopped by for your 'ciders' so to speak?" Two Bit spoke enthusiastically. "Excellent actually! I actually had some pay me a bit for the bottle. Sure I'm probably going to get busted and get in trouble but…" Pound was thrown back by Two Bit's response. "What do you mean get in trouble?" Two Bit fiddled his hooves playfully, "Weeeellll…." *** On the other side of the street, there were ponies lined up to bob for apples. One of these ponies was the pinto colored Pipsqueak dressed in a pirate outfit getting ready play the game. "Pippy!" His Lavender marefriend Dinky came running towards him wrapping her hooves around and giving him a big hug. "Guess what I got you!" "By the content in your right hand, I would have to guess cider," Pipsqueak deduced. "Correct! You said you were thirsty so I went and bought you something to drink." She handed the bottle to Pipsqueak with a smile on her face. "Thanks Dinky! Guess I could use a tad bit to drink." He uncorked the top of the bottle, raised it to his lips, and sipped down the cold refreshing beverage. It had a pungent taste but he didn't find it too odd. "Alrighty then! Let's get bobbing!" The crowd stood and watched as Pipsqueak planted his face into the watery barrel. Dinky was the most enthusiastic of the group, watching eagerly to see if he could do it. "Wow, you can hold your breath for a long time Pippy! I guess you're looking for the biggest one possible." Dinky remained happy and calm until about twenty seconds in, when she realized he wasn't moving. "Pippy?" The only thing that answered her was the bubbles rising to the surface of the barrel. "PIPPY!" Dinky ran towards the barrel and pulled his heavy limp body out with the aid of other worried civilians. "Oh no oh no oh no!! What's wrong with him!? Wake up!" On the verge of tears Dinky asked one of the other ponies to help her figure out what was wrong with Pipsqueak. Uncertainty soon faded when they heard Pipsqueak snoring. "Um, young lady, it seems to me that he is in fact sleeping," stated one of the horses watching. The worries left, but Dinky still remained concerned. "Goodness Pippy! You just had to start a show did you? If you were tired you should have just said something." The still unconscious Pipsqueak didn't answer. "Could one of you guys help me take this sleepyhead home?" The costumed civilians decided to lift Dinky a hand, and used a wheelbarrow to transport the sleeping pirate home. *** "You know what, I don't even care," Pound sighed knowing that whatever he was talking about wasn't any good. "Anyways, we should probably try and find Pinkie." Pumpkin nodded in agreement. "True. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can go to the…" "THERE YOU ARE!" Seemingly out of nowhere Pinkie pounce the children and gave a smile stretching all throughout her face. "You won't believe the stash I got! After getting some apples I found this one pony with a pile of candy he was just giving away and all I had to do was drink a container of sugar without stopping and I did it and I got it and now I can't stop moving and….wowwy what's that!!" She looked towards the tabletop where Two Bit was and saw a group of cider bottles. "Ooh! Drinks! Can I have some?" Pumpkin frantically tried to stop Pinkie. "No wait! Do not…" "Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaankk Yooooooooou!!" She was too hyper to listen to Pumpkin and ended up downing a whole case of Two Bits cider, causing the three children to stare in awe. "Ahh, that was refreshing! And you know that kind of calmed me down. I think I might…be…re…" Within moments Pinkie collapsed on the ground snoring loudly. Pumpkin's face went to rage as she turned towards Two Bit and grabbed him by the fake beard. "Why did you let her drink them you idiot!" snarled the furious filly, causing the now nervous Two Bit to gulp. "I didn't! She…she just took them and guzzled it down without stopping!" Pound was panicking a bit as well tracing back and forth. "I don't think the question should be why she drank it! It should be what was in that drink in the first place!" Pumpkin was still glaring at Two Bit and refused to let go of him as he tried to explain what was in the cider. "Um..it's mixed with some of the nocturnal flowers that would knock you out for maybe around ten minutes. She drank a whole set, so she's going to be out for probably an hour or so." "AN HOUR!?" Pumpkin threw Two Bit on the ground and held her head in frustration. "What are you so mad at me for!?" Two Bit finally retaliated still planted on the ground. "You had no problem with it until she got knocked out!" "Well probably because I wanted to go to the freakin haunted house!!" Pumpkin lashed out before putting her hooves on her face. "I can't get in without a legal guardian…" "A haunted house!?" Pound exclaimed getting annoyed with Pumpkin. "Pinkie is lying unconscious on the cold hard ground on the account of you and your friend's carelessness and all you care about is a stupid haunted house!?" A horrid thought began to flow through his head and dread and anxiousness filled his body. "Why did I ever destroy that letter and let you out of the house. Now I'm gonna be in deeper trouble than I'm already going to be in." "So, how are you going to fix this huh?" Pumpkin demanded towards Two Bit, whose brow began to lower much to Pumpkin's surprise. "How am I going to fix it!? Don't pin this all on me! You're just as responsible for this as me. Come to think of it, why the heck should I help you with your unconscious pink bomb here!! You handle it yourselves!" Tension was beginning to rise between the two delinquents as Pound was still worried about how they were going to explain how Pinkie got knocked out. "Could you two quit arguing for a moment and help me figure out what to do with her?" "Oh sure, you two have fun with that!" Two Bit snorted. "I'm done here for the night. I just pray your sister isn't as much of a pain in the flank to you as she always is to me!" With that, Two Bit storms off leaving a flustered Pumpkin to deal a weak retaliation. "Well…you're just an immature twit anyways! And don't think about coming over to my house again for something. You're the reason I got busted in the first place!!!" Completely spent from all the yelling she just did, the orange filly sat on the ground and let out an exasperated sigh. "You two argue like an old married couple by the way," Pound quipped trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Shut up." "So what are we going to do about Pinkie now? We can't just leave her out here." Pumpkin put her hooves on her chin and pondered on the issue at hand. "I think I have an idea." *** "So basically your plan was to leave Pinkie on a bench where everypony can see her and walk off and try to convince somepony to pose as a legal guardian so you can get into a stupid haunted house?" Pound questioned his sister as they walked towards their destination. "Hey Einstein, I didn't hear you coming up with any ideas!" Pumpkin hissed. "Besides, if I can't get into this haunted house, you practically broke Mom's rules for no reason other to get me candy, something you could have just asked the residence to do." Pound unfortunately couldn't argue with her logic. If she didn't come out and do what she wanted to that night, his sacrifice would have been in vain. "Okay, so what are you going to do, grab some random pony off the street and claim that they're our guardians?" "I was thinking more on the line of your two friends up there," pointed Pumpkin. Surely enough, Storm Chaser dressed as a Shadowbolt and Jubilee dressed as royalty were standing beside each other making conversations. The line for the haunted house was short, which did not help Pound's courage any. It also didn't help that the walls were decorated with sculpted severed heads and the sounds of ghoulish howls and laughing. "Look all I'm saying is that dresses generally makes you look fat in general," Storm Chaser debated. "Plus you kinda look like one of those frou-frou girls ponies can't stand to be around!" "Yeah, well I'm not standing here tearing apart your stupid latex Shadowbolt outfit that barely fits you!" teased Jubilee sticking her tongue out at him. "It's vintage! And you just insulted me right there!" "Huh, guess I did huh?" "Hey!! Latex guy and girly girl!!" Pumpkin shouted to the two ponies as Pound facehooved at her outburst. "Uh wha…Oh hey it's Champ and his little sister!" shouted out Storm Chaser. "And it's vintage by the way." "Yeah yeah," Pumpkin dismissed, "Can you two help us?" "With what exactly?" asked Jubilee curiously. "Well Pumpkin over hear and her friend ended up letting Pinkie drink some kind of cider with nocturnal flowers in them…" "Totally Two Twit's fault." "Right….and now we need somepony who is willing to pose as our guardians until we get done with the night…um…if you're cool with that that is." Jubilee scratched her mane and looked into Pound's hopeful eyes. "Well, I don't know. I mean, it's not like we're your parents so we would have to…" "Aw stop pussyfooting and just say yes already!" Storm Chaser interrupted. "We're almost at the front of the line anyways." Jubilee gave Storm a stern look before sighing and looking back at the kids. "Alright fine. But not a word of this to anypony understand?" Pumpkin smiled widely while Pound just lightly replied, "Trust me, after tonight there will be many things that will go unspoken." The line inched up rapidly and they came closer to their destination. Pound looked at the grotesque architecture of the building and heard the screams of terrified ponies inside. His stomach began to churn and twist into a painful sensation that made him feel discomfort. Normally he would be quick to run away, but his crush was standing right there, with Pumpkin around no less. He couldn't risk looking like a wimp in front of Jubilee when Pumpkin could use that to haunt him for life. It was their turn to enter, and they showed their tickets and began to step inside. Unfortunately for them, the security was an observant one. "Hey wait a minute, aren't you the Cake's kids?" one of the security ponies inquired tugging at the two siblings with his hooves. "Well, yeah…" Pumpkin began, "but we have these two as guardians see?" She pointed at Storm Chaser and Jubilee hoping that the colt would buy it without any questions. "I don't remember seeing these two with you young ones before!" Unfortunately, the security was a little too smart to simply buy Pumpkin's statement. "That's because they're our niece and nephews!" Storm Chaser lied, causing Jubilee's face to turn sour and Pound and Pumpkin to facehoof simultaneously. "We don't get a lot of time to spend time with them so we decided to take them out for a night of thrills!" "It's hard for me to believe that you two are the uncle and aunt to these children." "Well, that's just something that you're going to have to trust us on and let us be now isn't it?!" "Actually son, I can go into Ponyville's records and find out if you are related to these kids, and if I find out you're lying I can easily have you kicked from any activity in Ponyville for trying to take underage kids to this!" The promising threat of the security guard caused Storm Chaser to come clean. "Ok fine! Man, thought that might work." "Well your first mistake was saying that we were their aunt and uncle idiot!" Jubilee responded lightly slapping Storm Chaser on the cheek. "Sorry kids. If Storm here wasn't so stupid we might have been able to…" "No it's fine! I'm fine with it!" Pound's response came off awkward and shaky. It was obvious he wasn't looking forward to going inside and was quite relieved that he didn't have to go in. "Well, we'll catch up with you later!" Storm Chaser said before he and Jubilee headed inside the house. The security pony directed Pumpkin and Pound outside and encouraged them to find something else to do. *** The only thing that was left to do really was to go home, and with a heavy heart, Pumpkin started trotting towards their home. "This sucks," she whined with Pound trailing behind her. "I'm grounded for over a year, Pinkie's knocked out on some bench, and I can't even go to a stupid haunted house! Plus you have all my Mocha Bombs. This Nightmare Night sucks!" "Well, it wasn't that bad," Pound tried to cheer Pumpkin up, obviously with no success. "I mean, it's not like the haunted house is really necessary to have a good time tonight." "Yes it was! It was the icing on the cake. Now the cake tastes of disappointment." "Well I'm sorry Pumpkin, but there isn't really anything we can do about it! By the time Pinkie wakes up, the night will already be over!" A disgusted look brushed across Pumpkin's face. "Yeah I know. But I can't go home without some kind of thrill otherwise this would be pointless. It's like the only way to get any scares is to…" Pumpkin paused for a moment and a hopeful grin formed on her face. Pound was starting to get slightly suspicious. "Um, Pumpkin? What are you thinking?" "I just had an idea on how to make this night completely worth it! I don't know why I didn't consider it as an option before. And we're walking right by the place, so we might as well go to the Everfree and…" "Are you out of your mind?!" Pound screamed not allowing Pumpkin to finish. "Do you know what's out there at this time of night?!" "Do you?" Pumpkin sassed back. "Well…um…no. But that doesn't make it less dangerous!" "No one is making you go. You can go home and be the little coward you are if you want to." "It's not about me being scared! It's about you doing something potentially suicidal and dangerous! What would Mom and Dad think if they knew you did this?" Pumpkin's face contorted to an unfamiliar form of anger. "Mom this!! Dad that!! If I actually gave a buck I wouldn't have snuck out in the first place! Come to think of it, it was because of them I'm in trouble!" "They are not to blame! If you didn't sneak off in the first place you wouldn't have been in the situation you were in!" Pumpkin rolled her eyes and walked towards the Everfree, causing Pound to grow more concerned. "Pumpkin, stop! Go in there and I'll…" "You'll do what!? Tell on me? I guess you can also explain what I'm doing out here in the first place or why Pinkie was lying unconscious on the ground!" Pumpkin walked even deeper into the thick woods and briefly cocked her head towards Pound. "If you want me to come back, then you're gonna have to get me!" With that, she ran off, leaving a flustered Pound trying to chase after her. Not inches in, he began to freeze in panic. His charging chase towards Pumpkin slowed to a snail's pace as he inched his way further into the forest. "Pumpkin…this isn't funny!" Pound called out still shaking and sweating profusely. "Please just come back! Seriously, you're going to worry the others!" He kept calling out but with no answer. Pound's journeyed deeper into the forest in hopes to run across his sister, but all he heard were the rustling of the leaves and soft sounds from the creatures inside. He was becoming more and more terrified by the second. "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" A scream pierced the skies and Pound's eyes widened. It was Pumpkin. "Pumpkin! If you're joking it's not funny!" Pound ran towards the source of the sound and as he got closer and closer, something became apparent. This was no joke. Those were blood curdling screams polluting the air. Along with those screams was another disturbing sound. It was the sound of growling and howling. "Pumpkin! If you're alright say something! PUMPKIN!!" No answer, but the howls kept growing. Pound was getting closer, and he didn't like what he was hearing, but he had to help his sister the best way he could. The voice became louder and crisper, and more threatening. As Pound got closer, he noticed where the sounds were coming from. Timberwolves were in the area, grouping together and looking at something. Scared senseless, Pound hid inside a nearby bush to avoid exposure and waited for them to leave, too frightened to scream. He was fortunate enough to not arouse attention from the timberwolves, and after ten agonizing minutes, they finally fled. While he was happy that the wolves had left, something was worrying him. There was no more screaming or pleading. Everything had turned silent. "Pumpkin?" Pound weakly squeaked. No answer. Pound inched towards the area where the wolves gathered. When he got there, he found something from Pumpkin…but he soon regretted finding it. Lying on the ground was her torn ribbon, which was now painted in crimson blood. The worse of his fears had come true, and before he knew it, streams of tears started to flow down his face. "Pumpkin…" Tired and now dead inside, Pound made his way outside of the Everfree Forest and headed towards were he last saw Pinkie. However, it seemed like the pink mare had the same idea. "Pound! Thank goodness you're alright! I couldn't find you or Pumpkin and I was lying on some bench for some reason! Where's Pumpkin and…wait. What's that in your mouth? And why are you crying?" Pound let the ribbon slowly drop to the ground. As Pinkie got a better look at it, she quickly pieced everything together. It was her turn to shed tears, and unlike the flowing river of tears that could be mended with laughter, these tears were tears of brokenness. The two began to walk home, dreading how they would explain this to Carrot and Cup. *** The next afternoon, Cup and Carrot departed from their train and happily trotted towards Sugercube Corner. "Well I'll say that was a successful night dear!" a very elated Cup Cake stated to her husband. "I would agree," smiled Carrot holding a small plate on his back. "Though I'm curious, is it the reception that's making you happy or something else we did?" "I'll let you figure that out yourself hon," purred Cup making Carrot's cheeks slightly blush. "So, why in fact didn't you let me eat any of those yummy treats in that plate again?" "Oh just saving them for a special somepony!" Carrot answered. "Oh, so I'm not special to you anymore?" "You know that's not what I mean." "Then who are they for? You're either giving them to another mare or sneaking them for Pumpkin. And I know the first one isn't optional after last night so that kind of narrows it down huh?" Carrot let out a small laugh. "Alright, you got me! I'm giving them to Pumpkin. I know, I'm pathetic when it comes down to this whole punishment thing." "Yes you are," Cup stated before kissing her husband, "and I wouldn't have it any other way. Though she's only allowed one got it!" "Yes mam!" They eventually made it to Sugercube Corner, noticing how quiet it was. The couple just assumed that they were tired from the excitement of last night and walked in, noticing a very somber and flat haired Pinkie. She looked like she had been through tartarus. "Pinkie? Are you okay?" Cup asked worriedly. "Where are the kids?" "I'm sorry," was all Pinkie could mutter out. "I'm sorry." "Pinkie, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" Cup and Carrot started to become startled by Pinkie's unstable behavior. She was rocking with tears in her eyes constantly muttering getting louder and louder. "I'm sorry. So sorry. Sorry sorry SORRY SORRY!!" She then ran towards Cup and planted her face into her chest bawling loudly. Pound was lying on his bed, staring at the empty bed on the other side of him. He didn't have the energy to get up to greet his parents, nor did he have the energy to cry anymore. He just kept replaying the events over and over in his head. He knew the news reached his parents as soon as he heard their cries of disbelief and sorrow. They had lost their only daughter, and it was his fault. Or at least that's what he made himself believe. === Interlude: Golden Opportunity === Far West of Canterlot, there laid a nation that was free from the royal protection and leadership of the princesses. The city shrouded in smoke was lively and thriving with civilians but had a shady history to it. Tall Tale was known for having many of the ponies import illegal goods and eliciting riots that caused panic to the victims. There were even reports of royal guards going missing after trying to enter the city, though none have been confirmed true. Under the watch of the surrounding nations Tall Tale's criminal activity slowed down relieving many. However, regardless of their depleted movement, it was safe to say that some of the shadier ponies in Tall Tale were not going to fade away so easily. Within the city a local pub going by the name of The Bucking Brawn kept was where many of the residence spent their day listening to gossip and drinking until they passed out. The place was always lively, gaining attention from the locals and increasing in customer size by the day. The congested pub was filled with ponies talking, playing darts, and even at times having brawls just to show off. It appealed to rather rowdy customers, but generally didn't garner attention from officials since mainly what happened in Bucking Brawn stayed at Bucking Brawn. At the bar counter, a golden unicorn with a light brown mane was conversing with the bartender, who pouring grog for the lively colt's declamation. "And then the fool actually went up to the guy and asked him about his speech impediment! Poor bastard ended up in the hospital for months afterwards!?" "Yeah yeah," the bartender grunted as he continued supplying eager ponies with their drinks. "You know Sting, that instigating you do is going to get you killed one of these days." The golden colt tsked at the reply while bringing his half empty mug to his mouth. "Good old Barley Malt, being your usual pessimistic self! I'm pretty sure if ponies wanted me dead I'd be dead by now. They have the firepower to do that you know." "Thanks to you and your trouble making rebellion you got yourself into," Barley retorted as he handed a clearly drunken Pegasus his drink. Most of it avoided the Pegasus's lips and instead favored his face, but what drunken fools did with their money wasn't Barley's issue. "I don't understand what you and the…what you call yourselves, The Spores…are planning to do with the weapons anyways." Sting gulped down the rest of his grog and slammed the mug onto the counter, whipping the remaining liquids from his lips. "Ah, well that's something I can't disclose friend, namely cause I'm not too sure myself. Anyways more of the usual please." "You just had three mugs," Barley stoically stated. "So! I had eight last week remember?" "Yeah, and I also remember you drinking yourself into a stupor and me having to drag your heavy flank half across town." Sting rolled his eyes and smiled back at the resisting bartender. "And who are you to question a paying customer?" "Well seeing how I know you personally," Barley started as he began pouring another mug of grog for Sting, "I feel inclined to make sure you don't make too many stupid mistakes. But as you said, you have money so who am I to argue. You're paying for it, in more ways than one." "That last bit was a little unnecessary but thanks anyways," Sting playfully huffed, grabbing the mug and beginning to down the drink once more. Barley let out a slight sigh as he watched the youthful colt down the alcohol. "So, like I was saying, about this group you're into…" "Ah ta ta!" Barley was hushed by a golden hoof on his mouth causing him to show annoyance in his brow. "Like I said before, if anypony wanted me dead, they would have done so by now. There hasn't been trouble in town for months, and there shouldn't be. So calm down okay will ya?" The bartender's gruff expression refused to fade from his face. All he did was slightly nod as he continued to serve some of the other customers who were looking to quench their insatiable thirst. "Still think you're way in over your head." Ignoring Barley's disapproval, he continued to down his grog swiftly. While he was drinking, Sting felt hooves tap him on the back; he turned around to see a mailmare standing behind him. "I'm sorry, but are you by any chance a colt named Sting?" "The one and only," the colt pronounced and went back to drinking. "Well here's a letter for you. The guy said it was imperative that you read it as soon as you get it." She took the letter out and set it next to his mug on the counter top. "Have a nice rest of the day sir!" She saluted the golden mare and leaves. Sting looks at the lettering address, which instantly caught his attention. A small sigh escaped his lips which was followed by a grin. "Yo Barley, I'll catch you later!" Sting announced waving the letter to let him know it was urgent. "I got something I need to take care of!" "Fine by me," the bartender responded. "Just remember, you still owe me." "For what? I pay you upfront for the beer here so what are you talking about?" "I'm talking about me keeping you alive for the past five years." Sting allowed a hearty laugh to escape his lips. "Well as usual, just put it on my tab." *** Sting, we are in the process of establishing a plan of execution. All we need now is the cooperation of our friend here that I want to show you. If you really want to prove your worth in the organization, then come here immediately and do what needs to be done. Down with the Royal Officials, Ace Sting reread the letter repeatedly as he headed down the back ally of Tall Tale. A friend? Wonder who this might be. Spore's building was hidden behind the unsanitary streets behind the homeless and the starving. From the exterior, the organizations building looked drab and unappealing, making it a good spot for the group. Sting walked up the creaky front steps and rapped on the door. Rat-tat…tat…tat. "Took you forever Sting," a rough voice complained from behind the door. "Hello yourself," Sting quipped as he waited to gain entry. Surely enough, the door opened and he walked inside. The interior of the building was way more appealing than the outside. Vibrant colors painted the walls and the ponies inside were enjoying some of the finer services of Tall Tale. Colts were having food served to them by mares, lively conversations, and just laughter and pleasure all around. Sting himself wished he could join in on the fun, but was intercepted by a burly silver unicorn who carried a scowl on his face. "You really ought to do better with your timing!" the colt scolded. "Well, can't help if I'm have other matters that needed to be taken care of Ace." Sting countered sporting a toothy grin just to aggravate the bigger unicorn. "Your idea of business is getting plastered at that damned bar! I'm not in the mood for your games today!" Ace's face was turning a hint of red as his face heated up. Sting was up for many things, but he didn't want to catch Ace at his worse. "Okay Ace I get it! Just calm down please! You get yourself so worked up over nothing." Sting looked around the lobby briefly and redirected his attention towards Ace. "Sure I can't hang with the guys before you…" "STING!" Ace hissed loudly making the golden unicorn flinch at his tone. "Alright! So what is it? And who is this so called friend?" "We'll discuss it on the way to the interrogation room," Ace led the way to the basement where Sting's questions would be answered. The basement leading to the interrogation room was less appealing than the upper level lobby, but still more sanitary than the outside appearance. "So, didn't want to pop this question on ya while we were in public, but how did you get that scar on your face?" Sting asked trailing behind Ace. "Had a run in with a royal guard while I was out," Ace stoically answered making his way down the stairs. "Shot a blast of magic at my eye." "Aw that sucks. Was kind of hoping you could go a month without killing one of them for once." "Oh this one made it out alive, though he's not going to want to be after we're through with him." Sting's curiosity continued to grow due to the response. "Wait, so why did you let him go and have all the others killed?" For the first time since Sting's arrival, Ace let a grin form on his face. "Why don't you ask the guy yourself?" While still puzzled, Sting followed the leading colt into the interrogation room below the settlement. With anticipation stirring up, Sting found that he growing anxious and impatient. These feelings died down as they entered the room where he saw an unusual site; tied by a rusty collar was a tattered, beaten royal guard looking shamefully at the ground. "So what, is this the friend you were talking about or a new pet?" Sting questioned sarcastically. "The former," declared Ace ignoring the tone of Sting's question. "this is the guy who seemingly got a hold of what we were planning, what we were going to do, and how we were going to do it. Normally, a certain somepony here would be dead, but he's an exception." "I'm assuming because he's going to provide some important details." "Better than details Sting," Ace proudly explained while pacing back and forth in front of the dishonored guard. "Upon fighting the ambitious friend of royalty, he let me hear something he wasn't supposed to, and after…'interrogating him'…I discovered this fellow has personal access to the area where the Elements of Harmony are kept." Sting's ears perked from the reveal. A burst of excitement showed on his face. "And because he has access, he can help us by bringing them to us am I correct?" "Exactly on point Sting! However, that's all if he wants to comply or not. I mean the other option is involving his family that he has, and I'm sure he doesn't want that now do you?" Ace used a little magic to wave the picture of the royal guard's wife and three fillies in front of him. On the verge of tears, the nearly broken guard returned to hopelessly at the ground. "Oh it'll be fine man," Sting tried to assure the battered colt. "If it makes you feel any better I'm not into the whole involving family business, so my hands will be clean of any bodily harm our group might do if you don't comply. Besides, you have options that will completely protect. I'd say that's a hell of a lot better than the chance your nation gave my family." "As much as I'm sure he'd like to hear you go down memory lane, I think we should give him a day or two to think about his choice," Ace demanded. "Alright boss, let's go," Sting obeyed walking up the stairs. "Hey, are you willing to buy me some hay fries? I'm kind of hungry!" "With the money you spent on alcohol you could have bought you a full helping of hay fries. So no!" "Come on! Don't be like that." The two continued their discussion and continued up the stairs, leaving the shamed member of the royal guard to sit and think of what his decision would be. Tired, bruised, and completely disgraced, he only had one thing to mutter before finally falling asleep due to exhaustion. "Sorry Princess Twilight." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Swollen Vulva author: Julia tags: character:Cheerilee, character:Fluttershy, character:Trixie, genre:Dark, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Dominant Authorities === Fluttershy ducked her head as she was walking down the road of Ponyville, hoping that Mosier Rite would not see her. She was also strongly hoping she would not see him. He was her "boyfriend" or at least she wondered if she should say that he was. Mosier was nice to her, and treated her right, for the most part. But lately, he began taking advantage of her kindness. He would force her to have sex with him even when she did not feel like it, and tell her that because they loved each other, it could not be thought of as rape. Fluttershy was too ashamed to tell any of her friends about Mosier's treatment of her because the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony, Spike, and Discord, especially Discord, already knew of the pros which were rained down upon Fluttershy in the beginning of the relationship. The hot topic relationship with Mosier Rite was anything but a secret. They were actually very fond of him. His knowledge of animals, wild and domestic, along with his seaming kindness made him the perfect match for her. In fact, he had taken an interest in Fluttershy because of her rare ability to domesticate almost any animal. Their relationship had taken off like a bird and had crashed hard… as if smashing into stone ground. Fluttershy had tried to break away but Mosier would not let her go. He repeatedly told her she was worthless, that she would only fail at life if she did not stay with him. She began to think he was telling the truth. He had been financially supporting her business of finding homes for the animals which she had domesticated since her home was starting to get quite crowded. If he would cease to support her then she would not be able to find homes for the animals, and they would metaphorically eat her alive if she were not able to buy food for them. The truth was, she did not have the necessary business knowledge or experience that Mosier had to support all of the new animals she had. If he left, she would possibly be evicted and forced to live homeless on the streets. She could not tell her friends or anypony else, for that would upset Mosier, and she was afraid that he would harm her or the animals if she displeased him. He had threatened her with domestic violence on multiple occasions. Sometimes kicking her out of her own house to invite his own friends over. When she would show up at Twilight's or Rainbow's houses her excuse would be "I just wanted to have a sleepover! *squee*." Her friends never questioned her about this explicitly, and it did not necessarily bother her all that much as it would have been the perfect opportunity to get away from him to clear her mind. But her friends, the curious ponies that they were, always had questions about Mosier. Fluttershy rarely tried to steer away from these questions, making up lies to portray Mosier as a messianic image. She was always describing him as if he were a great figure in her life. In reality he was a Stalin, a stallion of steel, overseeing her every move. Trying to get her to be his doll for him to play with and manipulate as he pleased. It got so bad she contemplated suicide. Especially after he made her give up Angel for adoption. She did not scream or cry, she merely let him do it. Soon, he had successfully turned her into his puppet which he controlled and acted for. She was only his play toy, a paper on which he wrote her destiny on. He was her God. Her owner. He began to push her farther and farther. Sometimes, he even physically abused her leaving her unable to leave for weeks on end. Forcing her to participate in activities which took place in her house as he displayed his dominance during his stallion get-togethers. His friends were no better than he was and he even took it further by letting them have their way with her as he joined in the fun. She was completely helpless. When she went out in public his friends would often take advantage of her whenever they saw her. Making her have sex with them in openly hidden places with a serious risk of being caught. Mosier must have had a tight grip on them as well, as they too kept quiet about it and were possibly being paid for their silence. What made it worse was that Mosier proposed to her and before she could even answer a timid "yes," he answered for her. Showing her a beautiful white wedding dress made completely of pure silk, even allowing her to stroke it once. She had gasped at how soft it was and how it felt on her hooves. She hated him now with a passion and knew that she could not, no matter what, go through with this wedding. There was still a little self respect in her and now was time to fight back. The only question to this new goal was how? Where could she even think to begin on this vast ocean of chaos? "Oh no." Fluttershy had hidden herself from sight most of this day but sighted one of Mosier's friends who had spotted her. "Come along slut." He said as he immediately took her to an empty alley to rape her. Fluttershy was still too frightened to fight back so she just let it happen once more. After he had finished he told her sourly to "clean herself up" and left her a broken wreck, crying uncontrollably. Why did they treat her like this? Why were they were so controlling of her? Fluttershy lay there for hours. Trying to get herself back up to decide on how she would kill herself tomorrow, until a pony whom she did not expect came to her rescue. "Is that...Fluttershy?" the familiar voice of the approaching pony said. Fluttershy was too nervous to look at who it could be before her. Afraid it could be somepony else to rape her. The voice was the voice of a mare, Fluttershy doubted that Mosier would actually pay a mare to have her way with her. She respected LGBT rights, but she just was not attracted to mares. But then the thought that a mare could treat her better than a stallion got to her. Maybe she should become a lesbian. "FLUTTERSHY!" she heard the voice shout again. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will not stand to be ignored by a commoner like you! Rise, Trixie's dear Fluttershy!" Trixie? What was Trixie doing here in Ponyville? Was it to stalk Twilight, or move in? Rack up some business and have a bit of an adventurous plot on her hooves? Either would be exciting in Fluttershy's eyes as long as it was not the mess which was her life at the moment. She rose up to face Trixie who was not wearing her usual attire of Wizardly beauty and greatness, and was looking down on Fluttershy in quite a confused manner. "H-hi, Trixie..." Fluttershy whispered, still trying to escape from Trixie's gaze, but the blue unicorn took hold of her face with her front hooves to force her to stare into her eyes, but Fluttershy still resisted, closing her eyes tightly. "That's the Great and Powerful Trixie to you! Get it right!" Trixie shouted, noticing that Fluttershy winced when she shouted, as if bracing for a strike. Trixie immediately let go of her, watching her take two nervous steps back until bumping her rump to the wall behind her. The pegasus pony opened her eyes, and yelped in fear, turning around and walking backwards to get behind Trixie as to hide from the wall. It was obvious now. "The Great and Powerful Trixie notices that you are quite spooked by these little things. Are you hiding from something? Or somepony?" "Just my boyfriend--" Fluttershy quickly shut her mouth to prevent herself from saying anything more. She had already said too much. Truthfully narrating, she had initially wanted to say nothing at all. Trixie sighed and rolled her eyes in disappointment. She dragged Fluttershy out of the alley by her tail and teleported the both of them to her house which was located in the Everfree Forest. The house was created specifically to complement Trixie's character, being built like a mini-castle with symbols of stars and moons on it hanging from frilly hoods on the side of its brick exterior. Fluttershy was impressed with the growth in Trixie's magic skill, seeing that when they first met Trixie was mediocre at magic but was now casting such intricately complex magic spells like it was nothing at all. The interior of Trixie's domain was much like a regular houses except full of fake certificates. Fluttershy guessed was false approval of Trixie's lies to get ponies to think she was good at magic. Or could they be real? Fluttershy did not want to be too quick to judge. She noticed that there was nothing but soft red carpet on the floor below. She felt like stretching and falling asleep on it, but she felt too dirty. There was a living room beside the hallway they were walking through and the next couple doors down were doors to the kitchen, closets, a door to the basement, then a staircase leading upstairs. Trixie took Fluttershy into the living room, where there was a laying couch fit for a party of ponies to lay upon. All red. There was so much red in Trixie's house, so much it scared Fluttershy a bit. Trixie was blue and stuck out like a sore hoof in her own home. The contrast just bothered her a bit. "Welcome to the abode of the Great and Powerful Trixie, commoner Fluttershy," the blue unicorn stated, laying down on her couch and getting a cup of tea from the kitchen for herself, and one for Fluttershy, who sat upon the couch and took the drink. Trixie had done the levitation spell from so far away, it was truly impressive! "Now, Trixie could not help but notice that you hold a severely deep amount of guilt and sorrow in your eyes. Trixie recalls you saying something about your boyfriend being the one you're running away from. Why is that?" Fluttershy hesitated to speak, but Trixie's demanding glare forced her to cough it all up. She started at how she met Mosier Rite, and told her everything about the relationship that had happened up until now. She left out no details and stayed truthful in her words. She was unloading her troubles on the one pony that noticed that something was really wrong. She was grateful for that, and found herself closer to Trixie, now leaning on her as she drank her tea. She smiled gently, resting her eyes and sighing as she felt the tea warm up her empty stomach, caressing its emptiness with its warm grasp. Her stomach was like her, and the tea was like Trixie. "Either you're a better liar than Trixie, or your life went downhill pretty quickly after she left," Trixie chuckled, sipping her tea again and seeing she had finished it. That was the fourth cup. Fluttershy was still on her first. "Come to think of it, a lot has transpired since the Great and Powerful Trixie left... Well, your story is quite a tragedy, the Great and Powerful Trixie will give you that, and she thinks she has a solution to your tight pickle of a situation... but it is quite harsh and painful... If you may, it is actually quite a bit more like a punishment. Isn't that what you wanted? To punish yourself? Or do you desire to punish somepony else?" Fluttershy looked to the wall ahead of her, and did not answer the question. She only said, "I just want you to do something, anything!" Then she turned her head to see Trixie off of the couch and walking to the hallway in the direction of the staircase. She finished the tea as quickly as possible and followed Trixie upstairs. Trixie was silent the entire way up through another hallway that had many more doors, one to her room, two bathrooms, a closet, an attic, and another door closed off with a sign that said "KEEP OUT, LOCKED DOOR, NO TRESPASSING!" on it. Fluttershy immediately knew that Trixie was leading her to the farthest door down the hall and was scared at what "punishment" would take place there. Trixie broke the silence with a deep breath. She looked at the pegasus pony before her and stroked her mane lightly, with a seductive look in her eyes. She curved her lips slowly into a smile, tilting her head as to make her smile a crescent moon. Fluttershy looked at her movements in slight horror, seemingly questioning her very own existence from what Trixie was doing. "I will make a 'Trixie Covenant' with you, sealed by a kiss," Trixie said gently, getting closer to Fluttershy and pinning her against the wall behind her. The concept of the 'Trixie Covenant' utterly disgusted her, it was plagiarism of the 'Pinkie Promise'! Sealing it with a kiss made it even more repulsive. "Repeat after me,..." "You look at me--" Fluttershy played along with the game, which she felt it was, and repeated what Trixie had said. "You look at me--" "Blue as the sea, the skies above see not secrecy. Love not by my fate, or beauty abode be my soul. Let me not see lies ahead, and guide my will to go." Fluttershy had to admit, it seemed much more original now, now that she had actually heard it be said. It was much more bearable now. "Seem to be this lie in which I live. A covenant made, a kiss to give." Well, here it was. The kiss. Trixie leaned in to lock lips with her prisoner, and Fluttershy submitted to her advance. It was part of the covenant, after all. It felt nice, actually. Fluttershy was pleased to kiss somepony who was actually trying to help her in her troubles rather than use her for sex and debauchery. Fluttershy barely even knew what that word even meant, but surely it was negative, like Mosier was. Trixie drew back from the long kiss and shuddered in relief. She shook her head and laughed loudly, grabbing Fluttershy by the hooves with magic and opening the door to a completely dark room painted as if the give off the impression that anypony standing within the room was trapped in space, staring at the surrounding stars around them. Darkness and lights coming together to give them company. But what weird contraptions which inhabited this space. A rack held many rolls of rope and multicolored whips, surrounding the chairs with straps on them hanging from the ceiling, next to tables with sharp cone protrusions poking up from them. Fluttershy immediately realized that this was a room fit for a Dominatrix. More specifically, a DominaTrixie. Trixie began to laugh out loud, using magic to pin Fluttershy onto a flat table in the middle of the room, pushing everything else aside. Fluttershy could not move, and tried to look around to see what Trixie would "punish" her with. Trixie then blindfolded her, and used magic to construct a fingered hand to tease Fluttershy's vagina. "Trixie? May I ask... what exactly kind of 'punishment' is this?" Fluttershy asked nervously, just before Trixie used a ball strap to gag her. She began to flap her wings in discomfort, but this was involuntary, she did it all the time when she was held down and restrained beyond her power. "Remember, this is your punishment," Trixie replied, "your punishment. And call Trixie 'Great and Powerful Trixie' please, why can't you just remember that? But before Trixie begins the punishment she must assure you that what you're in for is completely within the jurisdiction of the 'Trixie Covenant' and if you chicken out she will be forced to get rid of you according to the rules of the Republic. That is, however, only for unicorns and you're not a unicorn, so maybe you'll have a separate set of rules... But anyway, Trixie will be your guide and Trixie will need to be sure you are trusting of my hooves being the tools of judgment of your sins. Do you trust Trixie?" Fluttershy fearfully nodded, closing her eyes under the blindfold and resting every muscle in her body, soon able to get her wings to stop flapping, folding them at her sides. "Mhmm..." "Right now, Trixie is going to give you one last taste of being a pet," Trixie told her, caressing her mane and running her hoof down Fluttershy's face. "My dear Flutterpet. You will see the might of the Great and Powerful Trixie." Trixie put Fluttershy in a position to where she was lying on her stomach with her back arched upwards as she used magic to hold her tail high in the air. Trixie used her magic to grab a whip from one of the racks against the wall and she cracked it once in the air to see what Fluttershy's reaction would be. The pegasus pony jumped slightly and Trixie laughed as she rubbed the whip lightly around Fluttershy's flank. She could sense Fluttershy tensing up, as her mood was transmitted through to Trixie by Fluttershy being in physical contact with Trixie's magic. The pegasus pony stayed put despite not being held down by any restraints except for the magic holding her tail, but she shook like a wet kitten. Trixie could tell that Fluttershy was trying her best, her legendary best to stay where she was, and she almost felt sorry for her. Trixie could tell if Fluttershy was not bound by the Covenant then she would have left the moment she heard the whip snap. This pony was literally no less than a slave to her now, bound by a Covenant allowing Trixie to do whatever she wanted to her with no restrictions whatsoever. "Mmmm," Trixie moaned, licking the tip of the whip and coating it with her saliva, then whipping Fluttershy across the ass once. Fluttershy jumped slightly and squeaked. She bit her lip and scarily looked towards Trixie, who was still smiling at her rather seductively. Seeing that Fluttershy really had something to say, Trixie took the ball gag from her mouth and wiped its smooth salivated exterior across the red whip mark on Fluttershy's cutie marked flank. "Umm... Trixie... if it's okay with you... Mind telling me what I'm in for?" Fluttershy asked her mistress while holding back a squeak of sharp pain from the burning sensation on her flank. Trixie laughed and whipped Fluttershy again, not giving her the ball gag. "Looks like somepony here needs to let off some steam! My Flutterpet, you're so stiff!" Trixie whipped her again, and relished in Fluttershy squealing in pain. "Trixie thinks it's best that she shows you first how merciless she can be. Don't you agree?" Fluttershy was in shock, seemingly staring through the walls blankly. She still shook, but gave no response. Trixie scoffed, "You think you can mare up to somepony like Mosier if you can't even take a little whip?!" She whipped Fluttershy a couple of times and got her attention again. Fluttershy turned to her once again, with tears in her eyes. "Trixie senses that you wish to stop this." Fluttershy shakily nodded her head, trying to get off of the table, but Trixie's magic stopped her. Trixie bent the physical properties of the table to hold the pegasus down in magical braces made from it. Fluttershy gasped, trying to struggle out of the restraints, but to no avail. She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please Trixie, I don't think I can handle--" Trixie whipped her once. "Shut up, will you?! Trixie's getting tired of your mouth!" "Bu...B-But Trixie, you don't quite understand... I gotta go feed my animals..." Trixie whipped her again. "No, Trixie insists! You are the one who doesn't quite understand! You think you can request punishment and walk away after you sit your ass on Trixie's furniture? Do you have any idea how much any of this costs?!" Trixie began to whip her in rapid succession, each crack getting more frequent and more forceful with the next. Fluttershy screamed, unable to cover her mouth. She tried to hold back her curses, but the excessive whips from Trixie left her unable to retract her screams. "Dammit! That fucking hurts! Please, just let me fucking go!" Trixie cackled, giving one last whip to the pegasus, whom she had noticed to have cum all over the table. "So, my dear Flutterpet. Trixie can see that you actually enjoy this punishment. Tell Trixie the truth, do you?" "Fuck..." Fluttershy whispered, as her shaking began to die down. She thought of so many things to shout at the blue unicorn. How mean she seemed, how she could stop referring to herself in third person. She felt as if she were in a story with Trixie narrating everything Trixie felt and did. It was fairly embarrassing. But, Fluttershy sensed something in her snap. Her anger was being weighed down by a different feeling. A burning sensation in her chest which yearned for more. This "punishment" which the unicorn spoke of, it gave her satisfaction when she thought of Mosier. Mosier Rite in bed, pounding her soft wet flour into a cake. His friends covering her in many different frostings, being eaten like the cake she was. Those feeling spots which once were occupied by fear now burst into the flames of lusts. She turned to Trixie, who was blushing quite heavily. "Trixie... You really must know, my ass is really tender. You ought not to whip it so hard..." "Are you not gonna compliment Trixie on her whipping? Trixie thinks that Trixie did a fantastic job teaching you a lesson!" Fluttershy moaned with her nose scrunched. She squinted her eyes and let out a whimper, then saying rather seductively, "Trixie knows not how to make me compliment her." Trixie's eye twitched. She whipped Fluttershy once, harder than before. "Is that not good enough to praise?! Must Trixie get more rough with you?! Are you doubting the might and authority of the great and powerful Trixie?!" Fluttershy grunted lustfully, and then moaned as her body shuddered. "Ooo... you're not hard enough, Trixie..." Trixie whipped at her again and again, with her magic holding her down as the whips made a spreading red mark over Fluttershy's flank. "Trixie sees you've endured much torture already. That you only know what it is like to be underneath somepony, eating the dirt of their hooves. Well no more! As part of the Republic, Trixie shall not allow for such an innocent mare to be defiled by some lowly colt and his menacing friends! Trixie will further school you, but... she is much too harsh. You'll need a more, soft, if you will, teacher who will take it slow with you. Trixie gets out of hand when she punishes...--" "Why did you stop? I want more, Trixie! Finally, a pain to make me hurt so good, from a mare who can treat me like dirt and at least do it without having to scold me and call me nothing," Fluttershy whimpered. "Lest, you can actually do it in a way that pleases me? Or can you not?" She felt as Trixie released her and threw her onto the ground in an aggressive manner. She turned over on her back and moaned as the cold stone floor soothed the intense burning on her flank. She rolled around for a bit, finally before Trixie whipped her again. "You speak with an untruthful insecurity, Flutterpet," Trixie said with a scoff. "What you meant to say was 'thank you for your time, Oh My Mistress Trixie, how I loved your whipping, Great and Powerful Mistress Trixie!' You know nothing of how to be a pet, dear Fluttershy." Fluttershy arched her back with a blush, as a feeling of lust pooled in her chest. It tightened, leaving her with an unsatisfied feeling, like a fire yearning for fuel. Her lust was aflame. "Please, Mistress Trixie, whip me some more! I love to be your pet! Your whips remind me of love... Love which Mosier gave to me. But...that bitch hits harder than you do." Trixie rolled her eyes and picked the pegasus up using her magic. "You sound so out of character, dear Flutterpet... Perhaps that Mosier stallion has hurt you more than Trixie knows. But… this change has successfully gotten Trixie horny if that's what you planned on making it do. If so, congratulations! Trixie shall proceed to treat you like a pet until you've learned your lesson!" Fluttershy scoffed, her hair becoming more loose as sweat also too began to drip down in every part of her body; along with her spilling wetness which came from her arousal from being whipped. "Teach me a lesson? Why don't I treat you a lesson, you silly arrogant unicorn!" Trixie whipped Fluttershy, who cringed and coiled in the intense burning and pain, rolling her back on the cold floor to soothe it. "Flutterpet, what has gotten into you? Trixie has never seen such a change to take place so quickly. You've gone from Kind, to Submissive, to Masochistic, to now Sadomasochistic… Is it because of your so called Element of Harmony? No… even then that's impossible… but since an act of BDSM can strengthen relationships and friendships, who is Trixie to decide?" "Oh Mistress Trixie! Your pet is getting cold," Fluttershy said in a pouty tone, backing up her ass to Trixie's face and rubbing her sopping wet vagina over Trixie's mouth. "Warm me up a bit." Trixie pushed the pegasus back down and sent the whip down, but she missed her target. "Damn! This is confusing me," Trixie said in a mumble, "I'd wonder what'd be wrong had I forgotten to stay in character, but Fluttershy here has gone through many shifts in less than five minutes! I must conduct my own studies of this…" Trixie got a wonderful idea; she knew it would give her the answer she needed. It was risky, but it was worth it. She ran into an open door leading to a closet of BDSM toys she kept for special cases. She emerged from the shadows of the closet holding in her mouth a large paddle, as with her magic she came with a colorful set of large vibrators, legbinders and wingbinders, and also a string of massive anal beads. "Trixie wants to test this new endurance of yours, as it seems perhaps you're liking this a bit too much," Trixie said with a tone full of aggressive sass. She slipped the legbinders onto both pairs of Fluttershy's legs, and did the same with her pair of wings, angling them in an uncomfortable position. As Trixie pulled the pegasus' wings back and shoved them mercilessly into the tight wingbinder, she noticed Fluttershy's pained moans of pleasure and how she was already ovulating and trembling from the effects of the torting of her poor wings. With a grunt, Trixie further bound the wings at their bare bases uncovered by the binders with thick rope, and Fluttershy screamed as she felt a slight cracking in her wing area. "My dear Flutterpet! Are you spent already? My, my, this session hasn't even fully begun yet!" Trixie exclaimed, turning on two of her long vibrators and rubbing them around the clam shaped crotch which was Fluttershy's used and abused vagina. "You've taken quite a pounding back here, such punishment is fitting for such a softie, Trixie says you shall receive two in one hole. Your punishment, dear Flutterpet, will be fierce." Trixie pushed in both of the vibrators quickly, triggering an even more explosive ovulation and a series of earsplitting screeches from Fluttershy. Laughing in her sadistic pleasures, Trixie used her magic to add fuel to the fire of the vibrations, reviving Fluttershy's cries, but not once had she heard a plea for mercy. "Trixie's craving a more helpless response from you! You're taking far too much pleasure in this for her liking!" Trixie whipped and spanked Fluttershy, spinning and striking gracefully like a warrior ballerina, she spanked her until her ass was lightly bleeding, which led for the whipping to further open any wounds on her. For every strike, Trixie would shout, "Break!" "Break!" "Break!" Is it truly futile? Can I not break her at all? The point of this excessively tedious exercise is to get her to lash back at her attacker! Surely if I had told her that from the start, she'd have taken this as a game... but, is she doing that either way? What am I to make of this?! Who is the one truly being punished here?! The door downstairs slammed shut, and this stopped Trixie right in her tracks. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she caught sight of what Fluttershy had become. Sharply breathing and wincing, shaking, quaking uncontrollably. Her tears streaming down her eyes down her wet cheeks, the vibrators leaving her legs to tremble like the beaten slut she was. Trixie giggled and wiped the sweat from her brow and used a marker to write 正 on her flank an excessive amount of times with arrows pointing to her anus and vagina, both stuffed with quaking vibrators. A long string of cum shot from Fluttershy and drooped down like the slobber of a bloodhound. The anal beads piercing her ponut trembled to create even more sensationally pleasureful vibrations to run up her spine and circle her reproductive organs. "Twenty..." Fluttershy squeaked, laughing weakly and burying her face into the ground. "Trixie will admit, you're fairly resilient, Flutterpet.... but Trixie will find some way to--" A door opened. The front door. Then it was closed shut with a bit of force, most likely due to the one entering wanting to make sure it was closed, as to attempt to reassure themselves nopony else would see whatever hid inside this establishment. "Cheerilee?! Of all times!" Trixie muttered under her breathe, knowing that now with Cheerilee coming up the stairs, it was no use attempting to hide anything now. Even her magic could help clean up everything and put it all away in time. "Damn... she's going to find out! Trixie must at least hide herself above all things!" Fluttershy squeaked, then shaking her head in disapproval. She tried to move, but the infiltrating vibrators made it near to impossible, and the previous beating she had been given proved to be a lasting one as her lowermost body horribly ached and burned from its quick and unrelenting effects on her. "Tri--Great and Powerful Mistress,... I--" "SHHH!" Trixie put a gag in Fluttershy's mouth and covered her with a thick blanket. She turned to shut off the light and close the door, but Cheerilee was already behind her. Cheerilee poked Trixie's shoulder and ended up spooking her so bad she hopped to the ceiling, hitting her head on it and being launched right back down. Squirming and cursing in pain now, Trixie opened her eyes to meet Cheerilee in an uncomfortably close gaze, and she crawled back, behind the table which held her new Flutterpet. "Why is this blanket shivering, Trixie?" Cheerilee asked the hiding pony, setting down her saddlebag and pulling a long riding crop out of it using her mouth. Cheerilee smirked quite evilly for someone of her reputation, at least for those who did not know what went on between her and Trixie behind closed doors. Cheerilee circled around the table and the blanket, pondering as to what could be inside. A bead of sweat rolled down her face as she got closer to investigate it. She noticed a shaking pink tail slipping out from behind this blanket, and Cheerilee immediately gasped. She even dropped her crop to the floor upon having the thoughts which currently ran through her head. Turning to Trixie with a flaming, wrathful expression on her face, Cheerilee growled at Trixie, "This is Fluttershy, isn't it?" The blue unicorn eeped and began to walk back, eventually tripping on her own hooves and falling onto her face in submission to Cheerilee. "Y-Yes Mistress! I... I saw her badly beaten and abused so I...--" "You abused her more?" Cheerilee scoffed, picking the crop up again and approaching Trixie. "Put the spell on me." Trixie was stuttering and shivering even more now. She looked scarily to the teacher before her and shook her head, almost looking like she was going to cry. "B-But Mistress! I merely wanted to punish her and discipline her for being so weak! Surely you see what I was trying to accomplish--" Cheerilee smacked Trixie in the face with the crop, knocking off her hat as the poor unicorn's face was carried with the impact, and backhooved her a short distance backwards, hitting her directly in the chest to insure a devastating blow. Scuffling to get back up, Trixie also struggled to catch her breath. She gasped and coughed, salivating from her inability to take in air as the stinging pain shot through her chest like a shotgun blast of needles. "The spell! Use the damn spell!" Cheerilee shouted, placing a hoof onto Trixie's tail as she tried to crawl away. "That's why I picked you up from that rut you were in. To teach you discipline because you actually needed it. If you say you've found Fluttershy to be stricken and abused, then why strike and abuse her more to 'teach her some discipline'? YOU need to be disciplined because you obviously don't understand the gravity of what you are doing!" Cheerilee tore the sheets off of Fluttershy and exposed her to be bruised, trembling, still ejaculating violently from the vibrators deep within her. The wing and legbinders stretching her appendages to extreme lengths of contortion. The salivated gag slipping in and out of her mouth, dripping with the pegasus' saliva as if she simply could not stop it. Trixie's horn glowed with magic and she aimed it to Cheerilee, shooting a small pink flower of energy onto her forehead, creating a black marking in the shape of a flower and third eye taking its place. Trixie covered her face in fear of what was to come, and Cheerilee giggled almost sounding like a wicked witch when she managed to pick up the crop and a whip along with a horn ring using some black colored magic from the marking. "Don't you know why I do it, Trixie-kins?" the teacher said as the black magic created a dark but skimpy dominatrix outfit for her. "I do it out of love. I do not wish to hurt you simply because I like doing it. Not because I'm a sadist. Though, both of those things are true about me.--" She cut herself off to laugh as she slipped the magic-nullifying ring onto Trixie's horn and watched as Trixie writhed and moaned in extreme pain and displeasure at the burning sensation blasting through her body from the horn. This made her begin to convulse violently and begin screaming. Trixie tried to speak through all of this, but the moment she met eyes with Fluttershy, who watched in horror as the whip cracked in the air and then was dragged down to strike Trixie's back, tearing right through her cape and leaving a long red mark under it. Trixie cried out in pain, squirming around on her back to rub it on the cold floor, in a futile attempt to soothe the pain as Cheerilee only thought to strike her other front as well. "Trying to escape the burn?" Cheerilee snickered, stomping down on Trixie's tail through her legs and kicking her in the clitoris, forcing yet another helpless yelp from the unicorn. Cheerilee wrapped the riding crop's end to Trixie's horn and then held her in place like that as well. Now with her range shortened, Cheerilee winded the whip back and slashed it across Trixie's chest like a sword, not once, not twice, not even three times, but more times than Cheerilee would even bother keeping track of. The bloodcurdling, trapped screams of Trixie built up into Fluttershy's very soul, and as the whips cracked louder, the screams were released louder as well. She closed her eyes, but Cheerilee's third eye magic forced them back open to watch in pure terror as she now drew blood from the whips. "Do you like it, Trixie?" Cheerilee asked her rather nicely, taking a break from whipping so Trixie could whimper helplessly like a beaten dog and begin crying, but not being able to as she was simultaneously trying to catch her breath and beat down the pain of the now bleeding wounds on her chest. Her eyes traveled from looking up to Cheerilee, to looking down at how much she was shaking. She could see as her legs and body quaked violently, how her chest did the same, almost making it impossible to breathe. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Trixie turned to her in pure fear, still trying to halt herself from crying anymore than she already was. "Yes, Mistress! B-but, pl-please!" she cried out, as Cheerilee rose the whip once again, causing Trixie to scream in fear as to what she'd do with it. "Aha!" Cheerilee exclaimed, deactivating the magic which she was granted and catching the whip with her mouth, whipping Trixie across the flank when the broken unicorn turned over in her shaking sweat, blood, and tears. "Now, allow me a moment of alone time with your dear 'Flutterpet' while you clean yourself up. 'Kay?~" Trixie dared not to take much time to get out of Cheerilee's sight. There was a chance that Cheerilee could reactivate the spell as she surely had not used all of its magic yet. The fact that Trixie could perform such a spell was a terrifying though to Fluttershy, who could only think to close her eyes once again. "Fluttershy, I am sorry that you had to see that," Cheerilee finally said, using some of the third eye magic to take the wing binders and leg binders off of the pegasus before her. She licked her lips seeing Fluttershy struggling to move; she teased her further by slowly removing the vibrators from inside of her orifices, relishing the quick yelps and eeps that escaped from her lips. "Don't mind Trixie, she's a massive control freak... but, I suppose there was some truth to her punishment for you." Fluttershy, still shivering, looked weakly to Cheerilee. "Th-there i-i-is?" Cheerilee giggled, letting Fluttershy run free and stand up on her own legs. "It's a wonderful organization that Trixie and I are in, Fluttershy. It teaches more than some kinky erotic paraphilia, but rather it teaches you how a simple crack of a whip can change you. Some say we are a cult, some say we don't even exist. But you see the marking on my forehead. I'm living, breathing proof of our existence, for I am the one who founded it." Fluttershy gasped, beginning to back away as her cutie mark began to shine. She wondered why her feelings were racing as fast as they were, and she did not know how to stop them from doing so. She began to stutter, trying to find the perfect words to say but found it was no use. Cheerilee had spoken for her. "I value you, Fluttershy," Cheerilee began, looking first to the ground, then back up to Fluttershy, blushing and biting her lip. "I know what's going on within you, Fluttershy. I know! You can't understand it, but just trust me! We need you here! Your being in this Republic is a win for us! It is a benefit, and we will make you our Princess. I will make you our Princess!" Fluttershy reeled back as Cheerilee suddenly closed in on her, now backing into a wall. "I... I don't understand! What is this organization which you speak of? What do you do? Why is this... a thing? What is all this for?" Cheerilee began laughing lightly, and she simply shook her head. She stepped back and looked directly into Fluttershy's eyes. Fluttershy felt a surge of adrenaline run through her body, and knowing it wad magic as it made her cutie mark glow a darker light which it already was, she only begun to grow more afraid of what her thoughts made Cheerilee and Trixie out to be. What sort of dark magic was this? <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Harbinger of Sunlight author: SapphireSparks tags: character:Discord, character:Nightmare Moon, character:Princess Celestia, character:Princess Luna, character:Twilight Sparkle, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Adventure, genre:Dark, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Prologue - Matron of Midnight === Autumn was my absolute favorite season. It was something I had decided long ago. While the shades of orange, red, and just about every color on the leaves had a lot to do with it, the serenity I felt during fall wasn't matched by any other time of year. A big factor was the mental stimulation; I could walk for hours through a forest and be lost in my own thoughts, have inspiration that made me feel like I could do anything- that's to put it simply, at least. My mind works in weird ways. So never in my years had I imagined any of this during autumn, or rather any season. The guilt, pain, fear, all in the midst of fall. Even being involved with Princess Celestia and her mysterious villains never prepared me… for, well, an apocalypse. A world brought to its knees with no one but myself and a few others to bring it back up. And did I mention the world might as well be shackled, beaten, and on the verge of death? And that it's supposed 'savior' had some sort of sickness–some sort of disease? I shuddered with the memories of how it all started, the elements shattering to her death. I turned to the figure beside me with tired eyes, my whole body screaming out for sleep. The figure cackled. "Ain't no rest for the wicked," he hissed. With the disease came the hallucinations of a creature who proclaimed himself to be "Discord." I didn't know why he suddenly appeared a few weeks ago, though I did have theories, but it soon became clear he had no intentions of leaving. I snorted at myself, the world around me coming back into focus before I lost myself in thoughts. I knew I was getting off track, it was just…. The elements, my friends, this thing afflicting me… none of this made sense. I hurt ponies and they continued to feel that hurt every day I didn't do something about it. No amount of arguments with my brother could change that. Shaking my head, I looked up just in time to avoid walking head first into a lightpost. The beast sneered behind me. "Dumb as ever, Twily Sparkle. Why don't you take that stupid little head of yours and pay me a visit for once? I'm not a hallucination you dumb twat!" he appeared in front of me, grinning. "But you're too stubborn, aren't you?" With a scowl I turned away from him, learning over the past few weeks that responding did nothing. A raindrop landed in my eyes, causing me to wince. It was pouring, the gentle pitter patter of rain thrumming inside my ears. I looked up and down the pale grey beam in front of me. It's funny, seeing a light post in a place where light might as well be rarer than diamonds. Rarity would like that analogy... There was a sketch on the ground beside the pole, and I picked it up with a hoof. I saw the word 'WANTED' scribbled below a soaked picture of a purple pony. My brows furrowing, I scoffed and dropped it into a puddle, resuming a brisk trot. I glanced up to see stars breaching part of the clouds. Instead of radiant nebulas, an eternal full moon made me shake my head and I sigh. Whether it was supposed to be night or day, I had no idea. Somebody probably did, but it wasn't me. I was just a useless mare with crazy ideas that hurt ponies. "Miss Sparkle, may I ask why you never talk to me anymore?" Discord flashed before me, breaking my trance. He hovered with his head lying against his forearms. Groaning, I looked him in his eyes for a moment. There had been times where this odd figment of my imagination provided insight, provided comfort... but most of the time… "Please," I spat in a low voice, "I'm not in the mood." I walked right through him as he dissipated. Grazing past a thestral guard, my heart began to pound as his eyes pierced the back of my neck. Muscles tensing, I had to repeatedly tell myself he didn't know my secret. I saw the towering silhouette of Golden Oaks Library. Making my way towards the library, my hooves start to buckle that I almost tripped over myself. I hadn't been to the library ever since the incident. I didn't want to blow my cover. I had to give Nightmare Moon time to believe I had given up. Or at least, to let myself believe that she believed that. To had given up on my friends... I had to admit there were times when I considered running into the library and just letting whatever happens happen. Maybe I could see them again. Maybe I could say sorry. The world almost seemed hazy with these thoughts, spinning with each step I took. The mud clinging to my ankles and hooves didn't help. When I looked at the homes near the library, I could almost see the sunlit picture I had of them layered over the cold, unwelcoming memories I had now: Ponies smiling over torn clothes and garbage littering the streets, Pinkie Pie beaming as she bounded off to introduce the town's newest resident. My head jolted forward as a freezing wind weaved its way around my body, sending shivers down my spine. The smell of sweat reached my nose as I came closer and closer to the library, every muscle within me tightening as I tried to hide my scrunched muzzle. Immediately I saw the two guards that stood on either side of the door- which wasn't a very uncommon sight in Equestria; guards were everywhere to instill fear. To enforce the magic ban too. But I was getting off track; what disturbed me most was that it was the very door that led into the tree. My tree. I tried to hide my emotions as I stared at it with a mix of anger and reminiscence. That door had been mine. Those books were mine. That library; It had been welcoming, safe. Not guarded and fearful. I closed my eyes, breathed in, and gave a slight nod to the batponies. They responded with cold gazes off into the night, saying their words like robots: "What is your business here?" "To destroy your Queen's reign and take back Equestria!" Discord announced from my side. I replied as calmly as I could. "I simply wish to check out a book. May I?" "There ain't no librarian, so just take whatever and keep it." They curtly nodded, though I could practically taste their unease as they exchanged hushed whispers and glances. They knew something was up. Steadying my hoof, I opened the door. My throat immediately clenched as I hacked on a year's worth of dust. My eyes darted closed while the door slammed behind me. Turning to the satchel straddled on my back, I dug around the soaked items within, withdrawing a flashlight and soggy piece of paper. I clicked it on and looked around before shining it on the list which only had two things: 'Get book, get out.' I couldn't check anything off yet. Shoving the list back where it came, I walked up to one of the shelves. The books were all in the same place, nothing touched. Who would dare touch anything in the traitor's former home, anyways? Taking a deep breath, I looked around in dead silence. I cleared my throat. "I have to make this quick; there's no way I'm not being suspicious already, coming here out of the blue," I mumbled to myself, almost adding 'in the middle of the night'. I scanned the shelves for anything that might help. In fact, this was my last resort; after a year of nothing but thinking, I had no solutions. No ideas. Nothing to save our world. Well, nothing but an old book I think I remembered. Whether it was a product of my insanity I had now to discover. Discord was a product of my insanity, after all. Besides, I was getting sick with something that could easily spell disaster for me, so I had to take risks. You know, the weird sickness that created Discord? My slowly blackening hooves underneath the disguise reminded me that time could be short, and I had to act now if I wished to accomplish anything for Equestria. "If I know LuLu as well as I'm certain I do, she's already on her way to stop you Sparklebutt!" Discord said as he walked alongside me. I cocked an eyebrow, giving him a puzzled 'huh'. He stayed silent, so I spoke up. "Lulu? Don't you mean Nightmare Moo-" My ears pricked up as I fell silent. The door clicked open behind me. Discord vanished. All instincts told me to flee, yet somehow I held myself still, pretending to search for something besides what I wanted. Which was still anything. But if it indeed was, well, her, I might as well take my demise with as much dignity as possible. "You know, nobody has been here in a long time…" a voice mumbled from behind me. Relief instantly washed over me as I turned to face him. A smile somehow came over me. "Thank Celestia it's you, Shining. I thought you were going to stay back at camp," I whispered, flashing an even bigger smile as I looked up and down his disguise. "A red stallion with black hair? Really?" "Hey, not everyone can be a pretty white mare with a sad excuse for silver hair," he joked back, standing beside me with a toothy simper. I snorted while he beamed at his own "joke". Discord suddenly leaned over me, whispering in my ear. I grinned. "I was just commenting on the fact it was a stallion." "Ouch." We stood in quiet for a moment looking at one another, Discord's snickers fading as he vanished again, my smile disappeared with him. I looked past Shining to a certain book sitting on the floor. A party book, to be precise. One Pinkie Pie would've enjoyed… I growled, turning away for a moment. Everything's my fault, including them being gone. Thought after thought and thought. But when I looked back, it was gone. I looked down and tuned out my emotions. "You know, Nightmare Moon should be here any moment. This is suspicious enough with me here, but now you? We're bound to be caught," I said quietly. The tap of his hooves against the wood echoed through the library before he touched his hoof to my head, gentling guiding me back to look at him. "Oh, I know… I remember you as a filly, Twilight..." as he trailed off, my eyes darted back to him, watching his countenance twist into a frown. I needed to say something, didn't I? As I replaced his disguise with his real image in my head, I saw the both of us. When we were younger. Times when we would play hide and seek, or run around threatening to tell on each other. Times when life was good and it was greatly because I had him. When we didn't have to remember the good times, because we were in them. Times taken away because of my mistakes. Gods, what they must've done to our parents… Is this seriously the first time I'm considering them? I bit into my cheek, drawing blood. I was stupid as usual. "Now we're on a wild goose chase for a book," he said under his breath. I pushed him away for a second, watching as he cast his eyes up and down, giving me his worried face. Putting on a straight face myself, I switched the subject of interest. "Shining… I know there's something in here. Don't give up, please," I murmured while putting a hoof on his back. I wanted to add more as I saw tears begin to well in his eyes before he shook his head, looking away. "What am I supposed to do when I can't even help my little sister?" "Hey, don't let some liquid pride get you down!" I joked. Silence fell, an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness following it. I began chewing on my cheek again. "We both know that there was nothing you or anyone could've done for her, or anything you can do for this, th-this thing I have." I tried to stay confident. He shook his head again, his eyes meeting mine. I knew he didn't want to think about it, just like everything else, but I continued. "We both lost her and so much more. This is why we have to do this, why we have to try no matter what!" I sputtered out, trying to start some sort of inspirational speech. He cut me off with a growl. "Twilight, if that bitch comes, and we can't escape, you know what we discussed." "When she comes, actually. I can feel her magic getting closer~" Discord sang from behind. I closed my eyes. "Shining, I'd never let you do that. Besides, if anyone should be caught, it should be the mare who's sick." I tried to be extra firm as more memories of us swirled through my mind. As much as I tried to be numb to their effects, each image of him still stung. "Then let's not waste any more time," he barked back instantly, turning towards a shelf. "So… what are we looking for, exactly?" "Equestrian Guide to Alicorn Lore," I chirped back. My eyes moved from row to row as I shone the light on them. "You mean the foal story book?" He rolled his eyes as I glared back at him. "What are we really looking for?" I scoffed. "Nightmare Moon a foal's story too, huh?" I shot back before taking a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry I'm on edge. But I remember reading something in the book about using the elements without all the bearers." I was going out on a limb here, though- the book itself had been questioned for its credibility before everything. I cleared my throat. "Trust me, what have we got to lose?" "Each other," he said before silence rang in my ears. I winced, rubbing away tears with my free hoof. Foalhood memories don't matter now. I kept my head forward. But somehow my eyes crept back to see what he was doing. I saw tears climb down his cheeks and fall on the ground, my ears falling back. I knew what he was thinking, memories of a beaten and battered Cadence racing through my head. When wasn't he thinking of her? When wasn't I thinking of her and everyone else who's suffered? "Shining, I know I sound crazy, but you can't give up-" I felt my heart climb to my throat when purple flashed in the corner of my eyes. I spun around to see him using magic, levitating the book. Using a spell that could be traced in seconds by the batpony guards standing outside of the library. Traced by Nightmare Moon's many anti-magic enchantments. His eyes met mine and we both knew what we were feeling; fear. The book suddenly skidded across the ground towards me as Shining lost his disguise, revealing himself to be clad in armor, a sword in his magical grasp. I scrambled to pick up the book as he ran towards the door, casting a shield just as the guards pounded against the wooden entrance. Their shouts went through one ear and out the other. I kept trying to push away memories of Shining. But when I saw him, ears back and teeth grit, all I could picture was my Big Brother in the old Golden Oaks Library. I saw the room spin before me as I tucked the book in my satchel, ready to teleport out as my eyes met with his. I knew that spell was no mistake. He wanted to be taken by her, just like Cadence was. I knew why. I knew everything was because of me. Conversations filling my head, tears blurring his image, I looked back at him. "Shining, please-" "Twilight, go!" he shouted over me. My vision bleary, I didn't even hear myself yell 'I love you" as the world faded into greens and browns. I found myself in the everfree; the one place where magic couldn't be traced. Despite my dizziness, I galloped down a faded trail. I could barely focus on what had recently transpired as the rain soaked my fur. One thought ended up racing through my head; find shelter. But everything distracted me from that; the crunching of the leaves under my hooves, the echoing cries of animals out into the forest, the stench of something foul, the silhouettes of trees looming over me like towering beasts ready to attack. Of course, that's when my hoof snagged on a vine and my head smashed against the ground, the book flying before me as the world blacked out. The last thing I saw was a snaggle toothed grin. --- When I opened my eyes the last thing I expected was to see droves of warm colors surrounding me, glittery highlights illuminating the area instead of dark shadows. Looking down, the first thing I notice is my hooves; or rather, the fact that I could see through them. Every instinct within me told me to scream, run, do something, but an overwhelming sense of calm pushed these feelings aside. Eyes darting around, I saw the sky was blue for the first time in what felt to be ages, trees surrounding me as they shed their leaves. Golds, reds, fiery oranges- it was beautiful and left me with a sense of calm, even happiness. In front of me was a winding trail covered in autumn leaves, scattered rays of sunlight as far as the eye could see. I smiled. My only sense in this place seemed to be sight. No smell, no feeling, nothing but my eyes. In any other situation, I'd be scared, yet I wasn't and I couldn't tell why. Maybe it was because it was autumn. That's when I looked to the side to see piercing blue eyes staring back at me. It shattered the peace as I felt my whole body shake, my pupils dilating. I could feel something cold, taste something sour, everything came to me. Trembling, I backed away from her as the autumn forest began to turn grey. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" I whimpered out, before feeling something soft collide with me. I turned around to see Rarity looking down at me. She scowled, clicking her tongue. "I didn't mean to!" I croaked out before I saw Rainbow Dash and the others emerge from the trees. My heart raced when Shining was among them, a pink figure looming over him. "I didn't want to hurt anyone!" They grimaced at my words. "Please, I'm sorry… I'm-" A voice called out from behind me. Turning back, I saw the image of Discord racing towards me. My heart beat faster as I tried to turn back to the trail, only to be faced with the images of those I'd wronged. I was cornered. I felt small. The draconequus came to a halt as he stood before me. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. "Why are you here?" I asked slowly, taking a few steps back as he returned my confused glance. Cowering, I turned back to the trail, everything was gone and the colors were back again. My stance straightened. "None of this makes sense! Oh, I'm a mad mare." I sat down with a huff. "I… I think this is the first time I've been honestly confused," he said with a paw scratching his neck. "I just followed your magic." But as I watched his eyes trail behind me, a look of fear came over his face for a brief second. I turned behind me. It was nothing but forest. "Twilight Sparkle, I am now just realizing how I am able to torment you. If you have any shred of intelligence in that thick skull of you, and since I've come to care just a little bit, I suggest you listen to me very closely and don't. Trust. Anyone." I turned around. "Wha-" "She's waking up! Quick, someone fetch her some water and a fresh ice pack." "I said leave her alone!" I felt a throaty groan claw its way out of my mouth, the world around me growing louder with the sound of hushed voices. My head burned as I drew in short, sharp breaths, the fiery sting like a knife shoved inside my skull. I hated memories by now. They still managed to edge their way into my head. I moaned again. Why me? Why now, when I was… Where was I? This time I welcomed the memories, sifting through only to draw blank when I hit the library. I knew I should be up, figuring out just what the heck was going on. My body protested any movement, though. I still found myself cracking an eye open, squinting as a bright light shone in front of me. Quickly silhouettes of ponies made their way into my view, their voices coming as susurrations while I found my head filling with pictures of autumn leaves. What could that mean- I let out a yelp when icy cold hooves jabbed against my sides. They forced me to my hooves and away from the comfortable bed. I rubbed my eyes, two ponies standing before me, blocking the light and allowing them came into focus. Craning my head forward a bit, I made out a green unicorn with a pale blue and white mane. My ears pricked up as the corners of my lips rose. "Lyra, is that you?" Her eyes lit up at the name. "Twilight, it is you!" she called out with a toothy grin, wasting no time to hurl towards me. We met with a hug that knocked the wind out of me, my head throbbing with the sudden jolt. Breaking away, I took a look around, instantly noting the tension of the other ponies in the room; silent stares, twitching ears, anxious pacing. They were wary. They were… strangers? Where am I? "Um, I missed you too and all, but where are we, and why are we in a hut with no floor and water in it?" My eyes met hers again, Lyra letting out a nervous chuckle. She snapped back an order to leave, stomping her hoof into the muddy ground. The ponies around her quickly backed away, leaving the two of us in the hut alone. I couldn't help but notice one of them had a large cut on their hoof, with an oddly familiar cutie mark. I shook my head. A torch sat behind Lyra, flickering back and forth, making our shadows dance along the walls. Lyra trotted up to it, retrieving it with a spell. It hovered beside her, the lime-colored mare's brows furrowing as she looked at it. I squinted in turn, my headache non-ceasing as the bright light stung my eyes. She cleared her throat. "Remember when such a simple thing like light wasn't precious?" she whispered solemnly, her voice cracking as she sat down. Her words reflected my thoughts awfully well. I crawled back to the bed, now noticing the fact it was built from what appeared to be sticks and a variety of other things. Perhaps Lyra herself made it? I tucked my hooves under me as I put my head down. I knew I was in for a story, and I could have some time to process things. Lyra cleared her throat. "When Nightmare Moon took over, she forbade the use of magic in order to prevent any possibility of an uprising. No flying unless it was official business approved by Nightmare Moon herself- you know all of this already. So, what were we going to do?" She sighed, digging her hoof into the ground absent-mindedly. "We fled to the Everfree." She chuckled a bit, still a nervous edge to her laughter. "So, long story short, we built camp here, and have been trying to start a rebellion of sorts against her. Ya know, to bring the sun back and all." "Huh, that's kinda how my brother and I did things-" Suddenly, she shot up, lurching close to me. She lowered her voice, whispering, "I can trust you Twilight, right? As a friend?" Though hesitant, I nodded back slowly. That was, until his words repeated in my head: don't trust anyone. Where was he anyways? Shaking it off, I turned back to her. What did I have to lose? Clearing her throat, Lyra spoke, laughing again. "There's no hope, Twilight! How are we ever going to defeat someone powerful enough to defeat Celestia, for Tartarus's sake! Look, I'm just trying to keep these ponies from going insane by now." She drew back from me, and I let go of a breath I didn't even know I was holding on to. "Twilight, please, I know you were Celestia's prized student. You have so much magical potential, and I remember how clever you were. Can you help us?" I opened my mouth as I soaked in the compliments a bit, but I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my forehead as I closed my eyes shut. When they reopened, though, I was surrounded by something vaguely familiar… "The… forest?" I muttered hazily, finding myself surrounded by tall, gnarled oak trees in the middle of autumn. I began to recall the last things that had transpired when I was here, all the way back to when I woke up. Only this time, as I gazed town to my hooves, they were solid. I could feel the leaves crunching underneath them. I spun in a circle, searching for anything that might hint at Discord or my friends being here. Nothing but endless trees full of colors. I looked back the trail, feeling the urge to walk upon it subsiding. Dropping into a sit as my tail swished out in front of my forelegs, I tilted my head at the scene before me; gentle fall breeze, colorful change of leaves, shimmering sun beating down. Everything was like a perfect day for me. "What… is this?" I called out, vexed. I half expected for Discord to announce himself in some stupid way like he usually did. The gentle rustle of leaves was the only thing to respond. Snorting, I clambered up into a stance, deciding to follow the trail until something happened. I kind of felt lonely without him- No. Don't accept your insanity just yet. I shook my head. But the moment my hoof touched the dirt, I found myself hurled into another part of the forest, two creatures standing before me. Stumbling forward face first into the ground, the voices continued speaking in muffled murmurs. I squeaked and swiftly scurried off behind a tree, making myself as small as I could while still peering out. When I saw they had no reaction, I slowly made my way out, watching to see if they reacted to any sounds she made. Nothing. Standing up straight, I watched the two, their voices reaching my ears. "I don't think I've had this much fun in a while," a distantly familiar voice chuckled out, paired with a sleek blue alicorn… "Princess L-Luna?" I called out softly, garnering no reaction as she stared at the being beside her. "Well, that's just because I'm the funnest thing in Equestria!" the being chirped back. The… "Discord?" "Youweren'tsupposedtoseethat!" his voice suddenly shrieked from behind me, my ears ringing as I whipped back around to him "Why are you showing me this? Why am I here? What in Tartarus is happening?" I hissed through grit teeth before pausing. I noticed something on him I'd never seen before; embarassment. His voice overpowered my thoughts. "Because Sparklebutt, the Nightmare magic is in you!" I felt my body grow shaky, his words and Lyra and everything bombarding me with searing pain in my forehead. Discord backed up a little, furrowing his brows as his eyes traveled downwards. I felt my cheeks grow hot before he spoke. "Your hooves…" he said breathlessly, "are getting worse." I followed his gaze, noticing the blackness almost up to my stomach. Beads of sweat on my head, I turned back to him with a scowl. ""What is this? This sickness's cruel way of killing me just as I unite with my friend? Just as I come so far? Just as I lose my brother?" I could feel my anger begin to ebb away, my eyes growing wet as I shook my head. "What did I think, saving Equestria and all?" I could've sworn I saw Discord with a look of genuine concern for a moment. He gave me a frustrated snort. "This isn't time for waterworks! Purple horse, will you ever listen to me?" I looked up at him. "Now if I have your attention, you aren't sick at all. No, you're much worse; there's Nightmare Magic in you. Black magic as you probably know it. I couldn't sense it until it became stronger- until it did all of this." He gestured to the field around me. "If I must answer your questions to get you to shut up, the magic is what allowed me to talk to you, why I was stuck with you and you only. So if I must prove myself to be real to you, take this sage advice; do not trust anything this magic creates, for I can guarantee it is using things from your memories to manipulate you. Go into that book-" "-the book?" That's when I remembered the book, noticing the lack of a satchel on my back. My heart leapt to my throat. The world seemed to fade in and out, switching between the forest and the room. I could barely make out Lyra's worried calls as I tried to stumble my way to the door, only to fall face first into the mud. Pushing myself back up, I found myself back in the forest. Discord was still there. I growled at him, still dizzy as I pushed closer to him. "What else do you know? Why are you doing this?" I hissed, gritting teeth while I shoved a hoof into his chest. Or at least, I would've if my hoof hadn't traveled straight through it. Discord simply cackled, a popcorn bag appearing in his mismatched arms. Feeling my chest boil, I let out a scream, charging straight through him as I tumbled through the leaves and up against a tree. Panting, I glared back at her as he watched me with a silent grin. "Why?" I said breathlessly. "Why are you even here? Why can't I just make you leave!" He stopped for a moment, his grin fading. "Do you want to save Equestria, Twilight Sparkle?" I felt my whole body freeze up when he said those words. I was going to fail. I was powerless against Nightmare Moon, and every day I avoided her she held my friends hostage. But then… "I-I do." He came closer. "Then you're stuck with me." Suddenly my eyes shot open. I scrabbled my way up, the mud clinging to my fur as I shivered. Looking around, Lyra was nowhere to be. Carefully treading to the edge of the door, I saw a small clearing full of similar huts. Way too similar huts… In the center stood a small fire, ponies huddled around as piercing, icy winds blasted their way through the forest with the rain. Others rushed back and forth across the camp, silenced whispers almost blending with the wind as I took a step out. Whenever a pony got close, they gave me a weird look before hurrying away. But what caught my attention was the fire; Lyra stood aside from it, turning to me. "Hey Twilight! How are you doing?" My eyes were locked on the fire, though, watching it flicker back and forth. "Lyra," I started,"how is there a fire in the rain?" She froze. My blood ran cold as I saw her eyes shine green. Letting out a shaky chuckle, she smiled at me with her brows furrowed. "W-what do you mean?" I shoved her aside and kept my eyes locked with the fire, carefully examining the mixes of red and oranges as they seemingly absorbed the droplets of rain. Like a forest in fall. Without thinking, I shoved my hoof in it. Instead of being burned, the fire continued its flickering, doing nothing to my hoof. I turned back to Lyra. She looked at me, confused. I remembered her, standing in the same crowd that had first witnessed the former image of Luna turned Nightmare. Looking her up and down, I saw various cuts and scratches across her body. "Nightmare Moon killed you," I said softly. Lyra laughed. With that, the world suddenly blacked out, my body feeling as if it turned sideways. Rain and dirt stuck on every inch of me, my legs cramping up as I moved them. Blinking my eyes for a moment, I took in the everfree. I was right where I had fallen; right where I had left myself. How hadn't I remembered this? This was all still awfully confusing. Had that whole thing been nothing but a dream? Climbing up into a sitting position, I looked around myself, dumbfounded. What do I do now? Discord had told me something about the book, but he was still imaginary… right? My head craned sideways, the book lying in the middle of the trail. If I was crazy, I might as well roll with it. Using my magic I brought the book to eye level, skimming through the pages until an image caught my eye. ___ === Chapter 1 - Such Pretty Lies === "Discord was is not a simple being. No, he is very complicated in both the way he came into this world and the way he tries to get out. His insane pranks and tricks can not be blamed on him. No, they were the result of a mare whose ignorance and lust for power hurt everything around her, including him. Twilight Sparkle didn't know all of this though; Discord's rambling stories she had once thought buried anger within her for Celestia made a little more sense though as she stared up at the being before her. So in his years trapped in stone, he had sought a companion. As much as he hated to admit it, even gods can feel lonely. A magical trace was a silver lining in a place where he was trapped in his thoughts, but who was on the end of that line? Discord had yet to find out as he reached out for contact through the walls of stone." --- I couldn't take it anymore. As my hooves clicked on worn cobblestone, this was the exact thought racking my head. No more of the.... Wandering. Wandering while Cadence stood her ground with my brother, knowing that I was a coward no matter how many times I told myself otherwise. But then again, I liked to play devil's advocate. As I wandered aimlessly in the dim-lit town square of Ponyville, I took the quiet time to ponder. Ponyville was a cold place to be these days. It was considered beneath the rest of Equestria; nothing but a dirty place where peasants wandered. Worst than the scum on the bottom of a horseshoe. Wonder what that would make me then… a pest? The last ponies here who had tried to rebell… I had seen it. I had seen Nightmare Moon slaughter them in front of everyone and had done nothing. Shivers crawled down my spine as I bit the inside of my cheek. A metallic taste filled my mouth. I winced. Lyra was there, a hard working spirit who had never refused to give up even all the way back in magic kindergarten. She kicked until her last breath. Cadence and my brother are foolish, aren't they? Instead of coming up with a feasible plan, they lashed out on emotion. Foolish, foolish emotion that tormented me everyday. I growled, flicking my tail in the face of an unfortunate pony who had walked close to me. The me from a long time ago would've apologized. All I did was grunt as they shot daggers back at me. Hostility was no stranger. My eyes traced the buildings around me. Of course I stayed in towns. Stupid pony need for contact. While Nightmare Moon wasted her time scouring tormenting unfortunate souls who tried to fight back, I stayed put where it all started; Ponyville. Of course she still set guards here, they were everywhere. Any rebels caught were questioned ruthlessly, especially about me. Me, technically a rebel too, surely had to be hiding my pitiful self somewhere amongst the poor ponies wishing for their sun back. Murdered, dozens of them, in the name of lying about my whereabouts. I took some satisfaction in knowing that she was this desperate- I bit into my lip. Thoughts like these were the thoughts that would lead into my insanity. I fought the cold memories that plagued me and sought a plan, which was unexpected from me, a bumbling twat- as she put lightly. Shivering in the cold, I pushed the creaky door open into Sugarcube Corner. I had to come here, for her. For what Pinkie believed in. It was something to do while I made myself useless in hiding. Something to brighten my mood a little bit. I hacked into my hoof, drawing the attention of the two ponies within the shop. The Cakes didn't have a single clue who I was. They saw me as another customer while they flashed nervous grins. Silence was in the shop, though they covered for it with frantic movements as they stumbled their way to the counter. Mr. Cake cleared his throat. "E-Excuse me Miss-" "Snowflake," I butted in with a smile, "My name is Snowflake." I cursed myself for it immediately. Foolish, foolish, foolish. Why must you do this? At least smiles were easy to fake. Despite their nervous demeanor, I kept my calm, trying to bring some brightness into the store. Pinkie would've wanted it. Mr. Cake curtly nodded back, oblivious beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "R-right." He swallowed. "Miss Snowflake, what may I get you today?" His response was barely above a whisper, eyes darting side to side as his tail twitched. I tried to hide my wince while I watched. I scanned my jumbled thoughts for what I should purchase. My eyes darted to my satchel as a reminder of the limited bits I have. Three hundred fifty, to be exact. Working with ponies to help rebuild parts of Ponyville that had been destroyed earned me a little money. "Just a chocolate cookie," I said smoothly. I had expected my voice to come out in its usually trembling tone, instead sounding like the mare I was pretending to be; sweet, comforting, and not at all a fugitive hiding under a potion's doing. Almost like her. Almost like how it was. A thought crossed my mind- live out the rest of my life as this mare. But I dismissed it quickly with a bite into my cheek, tasting blood again; how dare I think that. Luckily, Mr. Cake barely noticed me, twitching across the place as he fumbled about in the display case. I breathed in sharply; Pinkie would want me to do something, wouldn't she? That's the whole reason I was here. To, in a sense, make up for her absence. "Sir," I said my words gently as possible, his head snapping up in an instant. "Please stop fretting so much, I'm just here for a quick snack." While his tensed muscles relaxed the slightest bit, he still kept his eyes past me, locked onto the door. He sighed and slumped over, putting my cookie in a paper bag. I mulled over the fact I sounded a lot like Celestia before he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry Miss Snowflake, but things are tough here with the constant patrol. I don't want to mess up or I…" He shuddered a bit as I placed the bits on the counter. "I fear what would happen to my wife if she was left in this cruel world alone." My heart broke. No, it shattered. I should be fighting with Cadence and Shining Armor, standing up to this cruel world. I was letting all of this happen when it was my fault. If this wouldn't inspire me, what would? I forced the corners of my lips to rise. No, I thought. This was no time for self pity. Swiping the bag with a swift movement, I forced my most genuine smile. Smiles were rare these days. I saw him return a grin, even if it was half-hearted. "I don't think a good pony like you should worry too much; I wish the best for you!" With that I waved a hoof, trotting to the door. I heard his voice behind me. "Wait Miss, you left a hundred bits extra-" The door closed behind me, and I returned to the dull outdoors full of anxious ponies rushing to wherever they had to be to please a guard. My eyes met with a poor foal surrendering what little money he had to a snickering thestral. I growled. Did they have any sense of morality? I had already made up my mind in what seemed to be the blink of an eye, and no amount of angry bickering within my mind could change it. Digging my hoof around for the last bits in my bag, I galloped towards the train station, carelessly shoving ponies aside with mumbled apologies. With a few suspicious glances and a quick motion I bounded on to the next train Canterlot. I was doing this. I was joining my brother and Cadence in the fight, I was going to do it! At least, the thought of this raced through my head as I saw a pony sitting on a bench, newspaper in hoof. The caption of the front caught my attention in a heartbeat; "Princess Cadence Dead, All Hail the Queen!" My heart was racing, the world was spinning. I was too late. I messed up. What about my brother? Where was he? Without thinking I snatched the paper away from the stallion with an angry shout sounding from behind me, and I rushed off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres without a word. ' Tears were welling in my eyes but I blinked them away, the looming barn creeping its way into view. Tears flying from my face, I was in the empty acres of Apllejack's old farm, swarms of emotions flooding me. I had no care for the enchantments swirling around me as I used magic freely, levitating the shaking paper to eyesight. Papers rustled as I skimmed through. I scanned each word, feeling my breathing halt as my eyes landed on his name. I read outloud. "Shining Armor escaped the confrontation, though we have captured one of his affiliates, Colgate. She will be further interrogated on Shining's and potentially Twilight Sparkle's whereabouts before being publicly executed-" I felt vomit threaten to crawl up my throat as I read the horrendous details of how one of my former classmates- no, friend was to be executed. Hissing, I felt my horn charge up, and before I knew it the newspaper burst into flames. I waited too long, too long, too long. I felt angry. I felt sick. I felt guilty, I felt everything. Letting the tears flow freely, I begged in the back of my mind for a timberwolf to slaughter me where I stood, the words racing through my mind. He was safe, but would he want to see my disgusting face after I hid in the shadows for over six months now? His fiancee was dead because of my inability to react. I gazed around at the sight before me; a lost history of Apple heritage. A lost princess. A lost- "Why does such a pretty mare cry in the middle of an empty field?" a deep voice mumbled from what sounded to be around me. I sprung to my hooves in an instant, horn igniting as my eyes scanned the shadows for anything. Despite my fearful demeanor I scowled into the shadows, facing whatever consequences dared to challenge me in my time of grief. The glimmer from my horn made the shadows dance. They almost seemed to be tormenting me. "Who are you!" I demanded, though my confident stance spoke nothing of the nervous energy racking my brain. The voice chuckled deeply, echoing throughout the woods as it boomed. I opened my mouth to retaliate, though a loud hacking cut me off as I closed my eyes and coughed. I barely noticed the dampness on my hooves afterwards. "I am nothing but a figment of your mind, my dear Twilight." I felt my body stiffen at the name. In the corner of my eyes as they darted open I could've sworn I saw red flicker, but when I lashed around there was nothing to be seen. I swallowed my own blood as I bit into my cheek as hard as I could. "H-how do you know that?" I sputtered out, tensing my wobbly hooves as my ears fell back. "That is a dreadful habit; biting one's self." My pupil's dilated. "But, it's because," he said in a silky smooth voice, "I'm in your head." A beast, for lack of a better word, materialized before me. I suppressed a scream with a hoof in my mouth, looking up and down its floating body. Mismatched limbs, long body, odd snaggletooth; this was a creature from nightmares not even the bloody Queen could create. Shaking my head, I backed up. "Y-you're not possible!" I said under my breath, feeling my rump hit the rickety white fence surrounding the lot. I had backed into corner, the being reaching closer as he grinned. I felt small. "What is this, some sick prank?" Ponies walking on the nearby trail turned heads at me, two guards locking eyes with me. Swallowing as my body trembled I squinted my eyes at the beast, noticing a distinct feature about him. "I can see through you," I whispered in a hushed voice, the old barn house visible behind him, even if blurry. I bit down without thinking, tasting blood from my hoof and feeling a stinging sensation shoot up my hoof. No, this was no dream. This thing was here, unless… I pieced two and two together. "You're a hallucination coming from my encroaching insanity, huh?" I called out quietly, circling him as he stayed perfectly still. I nearly leapt in the air when a sudden booming cackle sputtered out of his mouth, his different forelegs clutching his chest as he heaved. Even as I came to the realization this was some contraption from my darkest fears, I felt indignant, stomping my hoof. "Are you laughing at me? After all the crap I've been through?" I snarled, catching glares in the corner of my eyes. I had to calm down. Taking in deep breaths, I shot daggers at the beast, his countenance never failing to mock me. "Whatever pretty lies you must tell yourself, dear," he said inbetween laughs, landing to the ground soundlessly. "I bet you tell yourself Celestia's coming back at night, too!" He snickered at his own 'joke'. "Oh, you're going to be fun. Though I must wonder about the aura coming off of you..." Instead of responding, I pondered that if he was indeed a figment of my imagination, how this statement could relate to me and my feelings now. But of course, my pathetic feelings were interrupted by an overwhelming sense of nausea knocking me down to the ground, blood splattering as I coughed. I saw a pair of red pupils looking down on me, a flicker of something strange in them; fear. That was not an uncommon sight though. It reflected my feelings, anyways. "Twilight-" he dissipated as my world spun, ponies pointing at me with suppressed looks of horror as they ran away in all directions. Muffled shouts for guards pounded my ears, my guise was gone, wasn't it? I felt my heart sink to my stomach; my potion wasn't supposed to start fading for another week, or have these nasty side effects. Yet as my throat burned and red specks littered the ground in front of me, my eyes cast down to my hooves, noticing how they were fully encompassed in black. I wanted to scream with the rest of the ponies fleeing around me, but I felt the ever-harsh gaze of batpony guards searing into me. I looked up trembling, their spears pulled out and expressions matching the ponies around me; I couldn't understand anything happening. Everything was so fast in this world. The guards snarled over their terror; "What are you?" one hissed, ears pressed back and head lowered. The guard beside him followed in stance, digging a hoof in the ground. I shook my head, feeling my rump press into the fence again. I was being cornered into the place. Again, by something real. I felt tears well in my eyes as I turned away. Yet when I looked away my eyes met with sapphire blue ones accompanied by lots of pink. "Coward," she muttered, bleeding wounds covering her body. I grit my teeth and saw her smile as blood trickled down her lip. I whipped back at the guards, who were shaking despite their fierce looks. I grunted, my horn igniting before I could control it. A magic beam struck one of them down, my aura wrapping around the other as it levitated him close to my snout. Of course, that's when any shred of sanity left in me broke through the anger, a gasp escaping my lips as I saw the unmoving body of the guard in the background. Letting go with a sharp cutoff of my spell, I ran as fast as my hooves could carry me, into the Everfree. "Run away from your problems, huh? Can't face what you've done!" the draconequus flew by my side, his words like venom seeping from his lips. I dodged a tree, running away from him. "The mighty student of Celestia too scared to face her demons!" "Leave!" I screamed, shooting a beam of magic into the middle of the forest. I skidded to a halt when it materialized in front of me. Instead of a mocking simper, he stared at me with a frown. Upper lip twitching as he growled, he looked down on me, his eyes shining with a fire. "You want me to leave because I speak truth," he snarled, bending down to face me eye to eye. "You want me to leave because you don't want to realize that all you've done has been for nothing. You're just like her." My cheeks grew wet. "I- I- why?" I managed to sputter breathlessly before my hooves buckled out, leaving me to cry in the dirt as the darkness seemed to swallow me. The only sounds to be heard were my sobs, my forelegs clutching my head as I cried. All the thoughts buried away poured out; guilt, fear, anger, sorrow. Everything. The beast snarled, and I felt a claw dig into me, lifting my head up. "This is how you react? A crying mess? I expected my words to ignite something besides this in you," he sneered, "how pathetic." Tears still fell down my cheeks. "You said it yourself; I can't face anything! I-It's too much!" I braced myself for another angry remark, another venomous jab. What I didn't expect was the soft voice that came out of him. "I'm old in my ways," he started, "ponies aren't what they used to be." He sighed, locking eyes with me. "How do I expect a soon to be corrupted mare to face her demons when they are her?" I cocked an eyebrow. "Wha-" "Behind you." I whirled around in time to see a timberwolf lunge from the forest, glowing green eyes lighting up the forest as it opened its maw. I managed to surge my magic into my horn in time for it to explode in a mess of purple fire, the timberwolf howling as its limbs burst alight. It scampered off into the blackness as my horn stung, throbbing as I fell into the dirt again, panting. The beast loomed over me. "You can't just burst out magic, you'll kill yourself!" He scolded, "you need a cohesive spell in mind before shooting out jets of magic! Foals learn this." He sucked in his teeth, the stars sparkling through his fading body as his eyes lit up. "Ahh, how stupid of me for not thinking of this sooner!" He vanished in a flash of white, reappearing next to one of the trees. Shakily, I pushed myself up, facing him. "If I can teach you to handle your magic abilities before the disease takes over, there's a chance you'll be able to fight it off yourself." "...what." "Yes, I, Discord, shall teach you!" I laughed. He cocked an eyebrow. "Ah, how the mighty have fallen. A hallucination of a beast is telling me it'll teach me. Aha, hahaha!" With a step, I walked straight through him, watching as he faded into nothingness. Cadence was dead, I was hallucinating, and Equestria wasn't getting any better. There was never a more perfect time to do something. I knew where Shining would be; in Canterlot at our old house. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Ember, meet Thorax. Thorax, meet Ember author: MrAquino tags: character:Changelings, character:Ember, character:Other, character:Spike, character:Thorax, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1 === Spike, Ponyville's local baby dragon and assistant to Twilight Sparkle, waited under the town's park gazebo. Twilight was away, doing something with Celestia and the other princesses, and nothing serious was happening. He invited two of his friends to the gazebo, both of whom hadn't meet each other; Princess Ember, the newly made Dragonlord, and Thorax, the lone Changeling who wants to share love rather than take it. Both of them were from kinds that aren't seen as the friendliest of Equestria's residents, but both were affected by the drake in a positive way. He just hoped that they'd get along and, hopefully, become friends with each other, something Twilight would definitely be proud of. Walking in the distance, following the path, was a sky-blue earth pony colt with a darker mane and a vase for his Cutie Mark. Almost everypony wouldn't give him any doubt, believing him to be just an average colt that must be good with pottery. Spike, however, saw that this colt, Crystal Hoof, as he called him, was actually Thorax in disguise. Never in a million years would anypony believe that there was a nice changeling, let alone, one that wanted to know friendship. Thorax approached to Spike with a nervous look on his face. "Uh, hey, Spike," The disguised Changeling spoke "I-I don't want to be negative here… but is this a good idea?" "Of course it is, Thorax." Spike answered, placing his arm over his shoulder. "It's just the three of us with nopony to bother us." "B-but what if she… you know… burns everything down?" "Please, there's no need to worry about her doing that. I trust you on not hissing at her for love, right?" "... I suppose you're right. I had a large meal before I left. It should last for a while." The sky darkened for a bit and they looked up, seeing the silhouette of something reminiscent to an angel. "Looks like she's here." Spike waved his arms around and approached the gazebo. "Hey! Ember! Down here!" The figure in the sky heard Spike and fell down like a hawk after it's prey. Before it crashed onto the floor, it's wings opened with a flap, stopping it's free fall. It landed on it's feet, looking similar to that of a Superhero, as Thorax remembered from reading some of Spike's comic books. Thorax could tell the figure was a dragon by the wings and, under it's near Gold armor, was sky-blue scales and claws. In it's left claw was a crystal scepter with a bright red diamond on top. The dragon took it's helmet off, revealing a feminine looking dragon with twin horns coming out of the sides of its head and a dark blue spines traveling to the back of its head. "Sorry I'm a bit late, Spike." She spoke,opening her red eyes that seemed to burn like fire. "I don't travel that much." "It's alright, Ember." Spike replied. Ember gave a curious look to the disguised Changeling. "Who is that?" "Oh, this is Crystal Hoof...or that's what he calls himself for now. You can let it go." Thorax nervously swallowed and released his spell. To Ember, the pony bursted into green fire, but changed into a black, bug-pony looking thing with two fangs popping out of it's upper lips and large blue eyes. This surprised Ember, but not enough to make her want to crush it, much as she would've liked to do before meeting Spike. "What… is that?" She asked. "Ember, Meet Thorax." Spike introduced them to each other. "He's a Changeling. Thorax, meet Ember. She's the Dragon Lord." "Uh...it's a pleasure to meet you." Thorax introduced himself, not wanting to make things ugly. "... Same thing here." Ember introduced herself as well, not wanting to frighten the weird creature. "Why don't you both sit down and get to know each other." Spike suggested. Pointing to the set up chairs and table. "I brought in some gems, cupcakes, and… oh shoot! The tea! Uh… I'll be right back." Spike ran away. Ember and Thorax stood in the opening, unsure on what to do next. Ember twiddled her thumbs while Thorax tried to whistle. "... You wanna sit down?" Ember asked. "... Sure." Thorax replied. They both simultaneously took their seat, right in front of each other. With the occasional bird chirping and wind blow, the two were dead silent, observing each other. One had to break the silence soon enough. Ember cleared her throat before speaking again. "So… you're a changeling?" "... Yes." Thorax answered. "... What's it like being one?" "... Do you want the short version or long version? Because I'm not like the others." "... I've got plenty of time." "Oh...ok… well, my mother is Queen Chrysalis, who is the ruler of our hive. On the first day I was hatched, I knew I was different from the rest of my siblings. They'd go around, hissing at each other, and it didn't help the fact that we needed to feed off of love to survive. Of course, you may have heard, but I was one of the many invaders during the royal wedding." "I don't know what that is." Thorax tilted his head "You haven't heard of the royal Canterlot wedding?" "I don't much about pony history. For all of my life, I've been in the Dragon lands,under the watch of my father." "... That… doesn't sound too bad." "My father was the Dragon Lord." "... That's interesting. I'd like to meet him." "If you were to meet him, he'd see you as nothing more but a snack." "... A snack? How-" "About the size of the castle I saw, perhaps bigger." "...oh… that's… not good. Um… is it alright if you tell me your past?" "... You're not going to go all mushy on me, right?" "No. I'm quite interested, actually." "Hm… didn't expect that. Alright, well, I guess a bit similar to you I too was hatched by an egg laid by my mother. The difference is that I didn't have any siblings and both of my parents could squish me with nothing but their pinky. Or… my father, really. I don't know what happened to my mom." "... Have you asked your father?" "Oh, I did. He just told me 'It was for the best.'. Who knows, maybe it was; I grew up to be tough and got into many fights. You?" "I tried to avoid conflict. Of course, my mother knew about it and threw me into our training sessions. Everyone enjoyed it, even if it was painful, but I didn't. Well, I'm kinda glad I got separated from my hive at the royal canterlot wedding, even if I was alone." "I still don't know what that is." "It's the marriage between Shining Armor and Cadence, both of whom I meet later in life… with the help of Spike." "...Spike helped you?" "Yeah! I was starving after the wedding, and the royal Crystalling brought me in; there was so much love, I couldn't control myself!... And ponies aren't too fond of Changelings, so when they saw me, it became a hunt. I didn't want to hurt anypony, but they were scared, and so was I. It's hard to say who was more scared of who." "Knowing ponies first hand, I say it's them." "... You really think so?" "If they don't have any books regarding any other creature's culture, I think the latter wins. And I can't necessarily blame them for it; you've pretty much said that your kind requires to fully follow the Queen with no hesitation to feed off of love. Is that true?" "... In a short term, yeah… that's how it's like. And I've only heard it in my hive, but do Dragons burn everything in sight and live in solitude with only their treasures?" "Only the elder ones. Most of our lives are about fighting each other and figuring who's the strongest, with the champion taking all the treasure with them before living in solitude. Of course, the Dragonlord is different, since whoever holds the Bloodstone scepter rules all of the dragons." Thorax gazed at her scepter. "So… you control all dragons?" She chuckled. "Not like that. My word is law law, and none are allowed to opose it. I'm still thankful for Spike to make me Dragonlord, even if he did seem like a good ruler himself." "Spike was the Dragonlord!?" "Only for a minute or two." "... I have to hear about this! Spike only told me that you were friends before he meet me." "... Alright, but you have to tell me how you meet afterwards, deal?" She extended her claw to him. He took it with his hoof. "Deal!" Thorax leaned in, listening to what she said. "Ok, while yes, it is true that the Dragonlord's word is law and none can oppose it, but, we can't be one forever. The Call of the Dragonlord happens once in a millennium, and all young dragons, including myself, are summoned to answer the call. Basically, we'll keep on glowing until we arrive. When I first saw Spike I only thought 'Wow… that runt's never gonna make it'. It wasn't helped that Garble, the most popular young dragon, was summoned for the Gauntlet of Fire." "The Gauntlet of Fire?" "It's an obstacle course with a series of challenges to see who's worthy enough to become the Dragonlord. Even though I was summoned, my father forbade me from entering because I wasn't as big and strong as the other dragons… though he allowed Spike to enter." "How did you enter?" "The armor and helmet you saw me wearing, and a lot of moss to make my scales look green. It fooled my father, and I entered… only to be hit by a blast of water from the sea serpents below and knocked down by Garble. I would've drowned had Spike not saved me. It was weird to be saved from someone else, let alone, a small dragon followed by a unicorn and a princess." "Spike brought his friends?" "Yeah. Princess Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, as I remember. They were both wearing disguises that fooled us all. Too bad they couldn't hide their smell." "Smell?" "I wasn't sure what came over me; an eye for an eye or something, but I helped Spike's friends avoid Garble's wrath when he got their scent. Again, Spike helped, saying I was his old Neighbor, Sandy Rockbeach." Thorax snorted, trying to hold in his laughter. "I know, and Garble fell for it." "It's not just that. Spike did the same thing for me!" "... I'm interested on what he called you. But, I agreed to be his partner, just as long as he didn't do what I assume most ponies do as friends. As it turns out, we make a pretty good team; he was my eyes as I was his ride, and we had each other's back. Up until we were near the scepter. My greed got the best of me and I left him to find the scepter. Turns out, his actions touched me deeper than I thought, and I had to find him." "Did you?" "Yeah, along with Garbled and Spike's friends. It was a hassle to keep him away from Spike and the others, but the little guy got the scepter, momentarily becoming Dragonlord Spike." "Then he gave it to you?" "Not exactly. He made Garble go home and give every dragon a hug without answering why he did it. That's when he gave me the Bloodstone Scepter and made me Dragonlord, trusting me as leader of the Dragons. And it felt good to prove my dad that you don't have to be the biggest and strongest dragon to be a good leader. Ever since then, I've been answering various questions from Twilight and keeping in touch with Spike. It's going to take a while, but I'm sure Dragons and ponies will get along." "... I didn't think you'd be an optimist." "I'm not… but I think this can work. If Spike can show me Friendship then… you know… I'd share it with everyone else." "That's what I wanted to do!" Ember tilted her head in curiosity. "Really?... Well, since we agreed, it's your turn." "Gotcha… let's see here… ah! It was a few days after I accidentally exposed myself. Everypony kept their eyes open, looking to see if I was one of them in disguise. Spike was the city's hero, and the guards wanted him to help them find me, as a morale booster. He accidentally found where I was hiding and I disguised myself as him." "Wait! You turned into him?" "Yes… something wrong?" "I thought Changelings turned only into ponies." "No, we can turn into anything. And it's not just looks." He burst into green flames and was a perfect copy of Ember. "But also their voices." His voice turned into hers before changing back. Ember could only blink at the sight. "... So… you could be living with my kind and we wouldn't notice?" "Yes, but Chrysalis didn't think it'd be a good idea; you're all violent and don't share much love. Uh… no offense." "None taken. As you were saying?" "Right. I mimicked his moves to get him away, thinking it was a reflection. As you can tell, it failed and he freaked out, nearly falling into a nearby abyss. I didn't want Spike to get hurt, so I saved him and told him why I did it." "Because you're different." "Yeah. He was the hero of the city, so he tried to persuade the guards to be friendly. It didn't work, and I had to be disguised." He turned into Crystal Hoof again. "And, the name he quickly gave me, was Crystal Hoof." "Crystal Hoof?... Hm. I guess this is how ponies name their kids; see the first two things and name their kid after that." "I'm not sure about that. But it was so fun just going around the Empire and making new friends!... Up until I meet the baby, Flurry Heart." "Baby?" "Princess Cadence's and Prince Shining Armor's daughter. A pure born Alicorn. Oh, the baby had so much love that I… that I…" he dropped the disguise and hissed at Ember. Ember jumped back and lifted her scepter, readying herself to whack the changeling. Thorax shook himself back in control. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! Th-that's the first time that's happened in the week." "... Do that again, and I'll burn you." Ember warned, sitting back down. "Yeah… that happened, and Spike didn't help me. He came back to my cave to apologize for what he did, and I was so upset, I actually wanted him to fall down the abyss." "Did you?" "No, I saved him again. He made it up by actually taking me to the throne room, undisguised, and stood up for everyone, saying I was his friend and nice." "Did they follow you?" "No, not really. He sang a song to get them to listen." Ember groaned. "What is up with ponies and singing? And Spike singing… I like the little guy, but he doesn't have the talent to sing." "I'd say the same, but I'm just glad that it worked and I was accepted into the Crystal Empire. Without him, I would've either starved or be in the dungeon for eternity." "Yeah, I can see that… and I guess without Spike, not only would I have drowned, but Garble would've destroyed all of Equestria. And where is he?" As she said that, Spike huffed his way back, holding a tray with a teapot and various cups. He set the tray on the table and took deep breaths. "... You okay?" Thorax asked. "Tea… boiled…" Spike wheezed. "Hurry… fast." He grabbed one of the cupcakes and stuffed it into his mouth, nearly swallowing it whole. The baby dragon immediately relaxed. "Ahh~... That hit the spot. So! How was everything?" "...We were just talking about how we meet you." Ember answered, patting his head. "Oh, sweet! Thorax! You've got to hear this! I-" "She already told me about it." Thorax interrupted. "... Oh… uh… Ember! You've got to hear how I meet Thorax! I-" "He told me everything." Ember interrupted. Spike blinked, looking at his friends. "... You got along while I was gone?" Without saying anything, both Thorax and Ember nodded. "Huh… not what I planned, but that's cool." "It was." Ember spoke, turning to Thorax. "And you know, funny as it is, I think we're not too different." "W-what!?" Thorax stuttered a bit. "But I'm a Changeling, and you're a dragon." "That doesn't mean a lot to me. We're both from not-too-fond species, had a rough past, went a bit rebellious against our parents, and were both saved and befriended by Spike himself." Spike blushed at the compliment. "Aww… I just wanted to do what's write." He said. "I… guess you're right." Thorax replied. "But you're a Dragonlord, and I'm nothing but a drone." "I wasn't big and strong as the other dragons," Ember replied. "Heh, I wouldn't be surprised if the next time we'd meet, you be a king." Thorax chuckled a bit. "That's not going to be for a while. And what will a Changeling King look like?" "... Perhaps like a deer?" They both laughed at the joke. Spike scratched his head. "I guess we're going to do this again." He said, pulling out a notepad and quill "How does next month sound?" "I'm open for that." Thorax answered. "Anything to get away from my home." Ember added. "Alright, next month it is." Spike spoke while writing it down. "And would any of you be interested to play Ogres and Oubliettes?" "...What's that?" Ember and Thorax asked === Chapter 2 === 1 Month later… Ember blinked at what she saw. Next to Spike wasn't the black, small Changeling she met before. To say Thorax had a new look was an understatement; Thorax, for a lack of better, had changed! On his legs, he stood as tall as Ember now, was now lime-green, which changed to orange, but was green around his, well… thorax. He had wings and a tail that looked like that of a Dragonfly's wings, and large, orange, pincer-like antlers stuck out of his head. His purple eyes looked just as awkward as she was. It was unknown if it was his wings touching his legs, or the real thing, but crickets chirped as they sat in the more awkward silence. "... So…" Spike began. "Yeah… Thorax changed the last time you meet." He awkwardly laughed as she turned to him, then back to the changed Changeling. "I didn't expect this to happen. What happened!?" "... About that," Thorax answered, now with a deeper and more masculine voice. "Um… can dragons predict the future?" "... What?" "Pretty much what you said happened. I'm the new King of the Changelings." Again, Ember blinked. "Yeah… considering the fact that I'm from a kind who values only strength and treasures over anything else… this has to be coincidental. I didn't you'd change, let alone, becoming king or… this." "Hm… I guess you're right." "And as a heads up," Spike added "I did try to contact you." "For this?" Ember asked. "Uh… no… it goes with how Thorax changed." This got her attention. "What happened?" "Uh… well, it happened fast… but-" "Chrysalis kidnapped Spike and his friends and my kind took their places." Thorax intervented. Not a lot of things would make Ember snap. She was quite the level headed dragon. This got rid of that. "...WHAT!?!?!?" She snarled. Thorax winced at the sight of the enraged Dragonlord. "B-but I helped save Spike… a-along with some friends." Ember took some deep breaths, regaining her composure. "Tell me... what happened." "... Twilight and her friends were attacked." Spike spoke. "I-I tried to contact you! They got to me before I could deliver it. All I could see was a green cocoon around me with fake versions of everyone and I. Next, we were taken to the Changeling kingdom, where Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart were all in their own cocoon. Chrysalis mocked us, telling us how the Changelings have taken over all of Equestria." "... That does not help. Not one bit." "I know it doesn't," Thorax replied "But I can make it better." "Please, do. How did you save our friend?" "After we met, I was going through noticeable… changes." "Something like this?" "Not entirely. For starters, my wings had a more brighter presentation. The thing I found out was that I wasn't as starving as before, and I wasn't hissing at the sight of love anymore." "And what does that have to do with this?" "It wasn't just me, but one of my friends, Sunburst, noticed how the Crystal Empire's rulers acted different. With permission, I changed into him and investigated what was wrong. I immediately knew that it was Changelings; we may look and sound the part, but we can't read minds, so we can't act the part. Sunburst told me to find his friend, Starlight Glimmer, and warn her about what may be a secret invasion." "And you left him?" "I wanted him to come, but he wanted to look inconspicuous to the invaders. So, I went, and by the sight I witnessed that night, she, and another friend, Trixie, found out about it. Of course, Trixie panicked at the sight of me, and Starlight wanted proof it was the real me." "Changelings can disguise themselves as others Changelings?" "... It's weird, I know. But she was there when Spike stood up for me, so I quoted what Twilight said about friends arriving from the strangest of places… as her, of course." "Hm… what else Happened? Did you travel far to get there?" "We had another friend helping us; Discord, the ruler of Chaos himself." "... I don't get it." "It's a long story." Spike answered. "He was a bad guy, but he's good, all thanks to Fluttershy." "...huh." "Yeah," Thorax added "It didn't need to take much convincing for him to help us when Starlight told him they kidnapped Fluttershy. He took us close to Chrysalis's castle… but not in there." "Something wrong with that?" "Yeah… the queen's throne cancels all outside magic. We had to use other tactics to sneak in and, in case we were separated, we had a code." "And that was?" "Silly Draconequus." "... That's something." "Yes . Discord and Trixie were kidnapped, but Starlight and I made it to the throne room. I disguised myself as Starlight while she attempted to destroy the throne." "And did that work?" "No, not entirely. Chrysalis saw past my disguise and attempted to take all the love out of me. Starlight had a plan, but it was a gamble. If it failed, then she may had become the most powerful being in Equestria." "Let me guess; You had to share love?" "Bingo. I gave her all of my love, and, in turn, I turned into this. Pretty much my example alone made every Changeling in the hive turn a new leaf and joined me, all turning into… well, more colorful Changelings." "So they're not like you?" "No. They're just colorful. Only I look like this and… well… I guess I'm the king." "...So you and about every Changeling in the castle are… good?" "I guess you can say I was the good one, but… yeah, more or less. But not Chrysalis." "She didn't change?" "Starlight offered her friendship, but Chrysalis refused and escaped, seeking revenge. We don't know where she's at, and, as we're speaking, the changelings back home are rebuilding our castle, albeit, with major differences." "... So you're meaning to tell me that Chrysalis is still out there AND every Changeling is good?" "Yes… we'll be on the lookout for her, but we're busy-" "I don't think every Changeling is good." "... Excuse me?" "First off, Chrysalis might be making a new army, preparing to take over your and her kingdom back, and, any Changeling not in the castle has no idea what happened." Thorax blinked. "... She's right." Spike spoke. "As soon as we got back, the changelings that took our places were gone. I think that also happened with the Crystal Empire and Canterlot…. Holy guacamole! She may know all of Equestria's Kingdoms!" Thorax slunk in his seat. "Oh no! We should've done something! I was too surprised at our new look to do something! What are we going to do!?" "I already know what we're gonna do." Ember spoke, standing up. "Thorax, never in my life, nor in Dragon history, have thought we'd do this; We will forge an Alliance." "... WHAT!?!?!?" "Think about it; When Chrysalis takes over all of the kingdoms, again, she's going for you. She will not stop until you're gasping for your final breaths. However, she will not be expecting me, or all of the Dragons by your side. None of the Dragons can go against me, Chrysalis and her changelings won't be able to feed on our love, or lack thereof, and you and your subjects will be more than ready. What do you say?" Thorax blinked,processing her offer. He cleared his throat and stood up. "What's the catch?" he asked. "... Thinking like a leader. Good to see that you're not blindly agreeing. It's simple; teach us love." "... Teach you love? But you-" "I know what I said. We're fighters, it's in our blood, and you and I aren't too different than we think we are." "... Is there a long term goal for this?" "Celestia was there, from what I've heard, and, seeing you like this, must've interested her in making your kingdom's relationships grow well. Am I wrong?" "... No, you're not, actually. You wish to live peacefully with Equestria's inhabitants?" "Yes. Unfortunately, Dragons resent ponies, but since they haven't seen or heard about Changelings, this may be helpful, actually. Perhaps, maybe not in our times, but in the next generation, dragons and Changelings can live in harmony with the ponies… even if they are eccentric… no offense, Spike." "I think the same thing, sometimes." Spike spoke. Thorax smiled. "I like the way you're thinking, but I think it needs a tweak." He spoke. Ember raised her right eye. "And that is?" "We'll teach you love to the best of our abilities, but you teach us how to fight." "Hm… I thought Changelings knew how to fight." "We know how to infiltrate, and our fighting isn't great. We're going to need to know more tactics if we are to successfully defend ourselves." Ember smiled. "Deal." She stuck her claw out to him. Thorax accepted it. "... Shall I tell Twilight about this?" Spike asked. "Of course." They answered in unison. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Heated Barbs author: shirotora tags: character:Princess Luna, character:Rarity, character:Spike, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Heated Barbs === Heated Barbs Dusk Shine's quill moved rapidly, worry etched across his face. His oldest companion and surrogate little sister was sick and he had no idea what to do. As such, he did what he always did when presented with such a challenge. Dear Prince Solaris, Yesterday morning, Barb awoke complaining about stomach cramps that persisted throughout the day. This morning, I was awoken to the sound of her crying out in pain. I asked what she could have eaten that could have caused this, but she assures me she only ate what she usually eats. According to Barb, the pain is a burning in her abdominal region, just below her stomach. Please, I don't know what to do, and I fear for her well being. If you know anything that can help or where I might find answers, please tell me. Dusk Shine The young alicorn rolled up the note, and with a flash of his horn, sent the letter its intended recipient. With that done, Dusk stood and cast another spell, teleporting himself into Barb's room. "Barb, are you okaohmySolaris!" Barb jumped, quickly pulling her claw from her vagina and yanking the covers over herself. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Dusk shouted quickly, turning around and slamming his eyes shut. "Knock before you come in!" Barb shouted before curling in on herself and groaning in pain. "Darn it, it's hurting again!" "A-again? Did it stop?" Dusk queried, turning slowly. Barb blushed fiercely and looked away bashfully. "Y-yes." "Was... that what made it stop?" he asked, suddenly finding himself with a theory he did not want to be true. Barb pulled the cover up over her face, and said in a voice that Butterscotch would call quiet, "Uh huh." Thankfully, the sudden awkwardness was broken by the sound of a voice coming from down stairs. "Dusk Shine, Barb, I have come to assist you." It wasn't the voice of Solaris, but Artemis, prince of the night. "Artemis, up he-" Dusk began, but stopped at the sight of terror on Barb's face. "Uh, I'm coming!" He yelled down before turning back to Barb. "Just... Um... get cleaned up... and, uh... yeah." With that, he teleported away, finding himself in the castle foyer. "Ah, there you are my friend," Artemis said in his boisterous tone and pulled the younger prince into a bone crushing hug. "How fares our young friend? Is she bedridden with her illness or can she move about?" "N-no," Dusk answered, struggling to speak through collapsed lungs. "She's... getting... washed up..." Just as Dusk was about to surrender to unconsciousness, the moon prince released him. Dusk gasped for air as Artemis continued, seemingly unaware to the near-murder. "Then she can still function properly. We can mark off scale rot and wyrmbane from the list." Artemis said with a happy smile. "Has she a lump on one shoulder? Specifically, one that looks as though it could be a head?" Dusk blinked in confusion at that. "Uh... no? That's a thing?" Artemis just continued. "Are her scales paling?" "No, in fact, they honestly seem to be shinier," Dusk informed. "Shinier?" Artemis looked at Dusk in curiosity. "How old is she?" "Twelve, why?" "Has she been pleasuring herself, recently?" Dusk's eyes shot open as his face did it's best impression of a tomato, answering the question well enough. "H-hello – ow – Prince Artemis," came Barb's voice as she descended the stairs. "Do you know what's happening to me?" Artemis smiled and stated bluntly, "You're in heat." The purple pair stared at Artemis, Dusk with a look of fear and Barb a look of embarrassment. "Heat? B-but..." Barb began, trying to gather her thoughts, "It's not supposed to hurt this much! I've been around mares in heat, and they're never in pain. Even Sugar and Spice weren't when they had their first!" "Ah, but they aren't dragons," Artemis corrected. "Heat for a dragon is quite different. Because a dragoness is only fertile once every five years, her body is more demanding." "Well, how do I make the pain stop?" Barb asked, impatiently. Artemis raised a brow as if that were the dumbest question he'd ever heard. "I would assume it were obvious. Find a mate and engage in coitus." Barb was frozen in shock as Dusk finally found his voice. "Whoa, now! She is entirely too young to be having... that." His cheeks flared again. "Isn't there a spell that can ease the pain?" "Yes," Artemis stated. "But thanks to a dragon's natural resistance to magic, it only lasts for a few hours and can only be used once per cycle." "H-h-how long does a cycle last?" Barb asked, nervously. "Until satisfied," the night alicorn replied. "Female dragons are quite rare. As such, it is of utmost importance that every female reproduce as often as possible. That, along with their solitary nature, often requires a female to fly for months or even years to find a suitable mate." "But... But... She's only twelve!" Dusk protested. Artemis sighed. "The two of you must realize, Barb is not a pony, but a dragon. I am sorry, Barb, but your suffering will continue until you mate. If it is of any help, a pony will satisfy the urge without risk of pregnancy." "I don't even- hmm," Barb doubled over as another cramp twisted her gut. "know any colts," she barely managed to say. "Other than the Crusaders, anyway," Dusk continued for his number one assistant. "and I'm not about to ask my friends if they would let their little brothers have sex with Barb." Artemis smirked. "Then perhaps you should ask one of them if they would be willing to do so themselves." Dusk nearly choked on air at that suggestion. "Specifically, a certain unicorn that has a soft spot for you dear Barb." "What!" Dusk shouted, actually finding himself angry at his fellow prince. "First of all, I doubt Elusive would be willing, and second, Barb's a minor. That would be illegal!" Artemis chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "You are still thinking of Barb as a pony. Tell me, what is the legal age of consent for a pony?" "Sixteen." "Griffin?" "Uh, Fifteen." "Minotaur?" "Eighteen..." Dusk already saw where this was going. "Dragon?" Dusk sat in silence, letting out a sigh of defeat. "There isn't one," Artemis answered for him. "As there has only ever been seven dragons to claim Equestrian citizenship, there are few laws concerning them." Artemis turned toward the young dragoness, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Barb, no pony will force you to do something you do not wish to do, but if you decide to find a mate, you and he shall be protected. Whether a colt your own age, or an adult stallion, you have our blessing." "B-but..." Barb finally found her voice again. "But I don't even know if he likes me like that." At that, Artemis just smirked knowingly. "I don't think you have much to worry about. How about this. I will cast the spell I mentioned on you, and you can spend the next hour or two thinking about what you want to do. In the meantime, I shall summon our tailor friend. If nothing else, he can be of a platonic comfort. What say you?" Barb nodded her head with a quiet, "okay." --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- For the first time in what felt like forever, Barb was able to relax. She could hardly believe it had only been two days. She turned her head from her place on her bed, laying on her back and looked at the clock. It had already been an hour and a half. In all that time, one thing had been on her mind. It wasn't the first time she wished she had been born a pony, but never had she truly hated being a dragon. She normally loved it; the shine of her scales, her exotic looks. Now, though... Her thought's were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in," she called. She had expected Dusk and possibly Artemis, but instead she was bolting up, trying to make herself more presentable as a handsome white stallion opened the door. "E-Elusive, hi... how uh... where's Dusk?" Elusive shifted uncertainly. "He... had an errand to run, and asked if I could... cheer you up. May I come in." Barb blushed profusely. She wondered how much they told him as she replied, "Of course." She shifted over, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Cushions are in the corner. Sorry if they're a little frilly. The only ponies I usually have up here are Sugar and Spice." "Oh? I had heard your friendship with them has deepened quite a bit," Elusive said with genuine joy as he set the lacy pink pillow on the floor in front of the bed and took a seat. "And what do you three do up here?" Barb giggled, "Just girly stuff, paint our hooves and claws, talk about boys." "Oh my, are those two already dating?" Elusive asked. "I hope the lucky colts are gentlestallions." "Oh, they aren't dating yet, but Sugar has a thing for Twister, and Spice is going to ask Silver Bell out this weekend... oops." Barb's smile dropped as she realized she just revealed what was supposed to be a secret to the worst possible pony. "Well, at least I know one of their special someponies will behave himself," the stallion said. "You don't mind?" Barb asked, her head tilted in confusion. "Not at all," Elusive said with a dismissive wave of a hoof. "I trust my little Silver to be a proper young stallion, and hopefully it will establish a standard for your friends." As they sat in pleasant silence for a few seconds, Elusive's expression went from joyous to compassionate. "How are you feeling?" Barb's face fell slightly. "B-better... at least for another four or five hours. The spell is only temporary, after all. In a few hours, it's going to be the same as before unless I..." she trailed off, turning away to hide her blush. Elusive winced. "Yes, Dusk mentioned as much." "It's not fair," Barb muttered. "I... I always imagined my first time would be on my wedding night, or even with the colt I was going to marry, but now..." Her voice began to crack. "Now I have to either give myself to the first colt I can or be in pain for the rest of my life." Elusive looked at the crying face of his dear friend, fighting the sadness within himself. He got to his hooves and moved to her side, placing a hoof on her chin and bringing her eyes to meet his. "My dear, Barb," he began. "There is something I must tell you. It is something I haven't told another soul until less than an hour ago when I spoke to Dusk." Elusive took a pause to gather his nerve. "Do you know why I always ask you to assist me?" Barb gave him a questioning look. "You said you could use a 'feminine touch' on some of your suits." Elusive smiled warmly. "Yes, that was the original reason, but that hasn't been the only reason for nearly a year." At that, he took a deep breath, trying to keep his resolve together. "I... have started... This is much harder than I thought it would be." He released one last breath and met Barb's confused gaze with a determined one. "I have fallen in love with you." Barb's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the stallion of her dreams. With one claw, she reached up and pinched her cheek hard. "Ow! I'm not dreaming... wh-why didn't you say anything? You knew how I felt." Elusive sighed. "Because I thought it to be wrong. You're still a child by pony standards, but... you are so mature and intelligent for your age, not to mention you stand as tall as I do, that my heart just disregarded your age." Barbs brain seemed to just shut down, unable to process what she was just told. "B-but... I'm only as tall as you cause I walk upright," was all her mind could latch onto. Elusive chuckled. "Yes, but because of that, when we speak, I can't help but see you as an equal in every way." "W-why are you telling me this?" Barb asked, uncertainly. Elusive's smile softened. "I assume you already know what Dusk and Prince Artemis asked me to do?" Barb nodded, her face reaching shades of red never before seen. "I cannot stand to see you suffer, yet could never do anything to sully your honor. Therefore..." Elusive took her claw in his hoof. "We have known each other for four long years. We know each other well, and are always willing to take time out of our day to help one another. Most importantly we both feel the same way for one another. Barb... Will you marry me?" Barb's jaw dropped. Of all the outcomes that could have came to pass, that was the one she would have never thought possible. "B-but..." Barb tried to speak through the haze of her thoughts. "But, I'm too young to get married... aren't I?" Elusive just smiled warmly. "I asked the prince and Dusk before I came here, and both gave their blessing." "Dusk is okay with it?" Barb asked, unable to believe what she was hearing. "He was hesitant at first, but he agreed and was even happy about it," he explained. Barb couldn't keep the smile from splitting her face as she leaped off the bed and wrapped her arms around the stallion. "Then yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" Elusive returned the gesture and said, "I apologize I couldn't get a necklace. My parents wanted me to use my grandmother's horn ring, but... perhaps we can fit it to your claw?" "I would like that." Barb released her new fiance and gave him a loving smile before blushing and turning away bashfully. "So, can we... um... kiss?" Elusive smiled back. "We can do whatever you wish." Barb leaned in slightly and let him take the lead. Elusive took the hint, moving to meet her, tilting his head, slightly. Barb closed her eyes just as their lips met. The feeling of his lips on hers was like an electric jolt. They were soft and slightly cool, the soft fur around his lips brushing her own. She couldn't help but press into him a bit as his hooves traced gentle lines across her back bringing a soft moan from her. Elusive, on the other hoof, found himself fascinated by her texture. Her lips were warmer than a pony's and exceptionally soft. Her back scales, too, were warm yet quite firm. He knew these same scales, in a few decades time, will harden to be almost diamond-like. Too soon, by Barb's standards, he pulled away, leaving an echo of the sensation behind. He couldn't help but chuckle at the dragon's dreamy, thousand-yard stare. "How was your first kiss?" "Ib hal bub, heheheh..." she babbled. Elusive grinned triumphantly. "I'll take that as meaning, 'superb'. Would you like another?" Barb nodded absently and Elusive leaned in again, this time a little more passionately, squeezing her into his barrel. His tongue lightly brushed her lips, begging for permission. Without realizing it, Barb parted her lips slightly, and started slightly when his thick muscle darted inside. Barb's eyes shot open, not really expecting the intrusion, but quickly gave into it, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Growing bolder, Barb snaked her own tongue around Elusive's, the long, thin organ wrapping around his like a vine on a tree. It was Elusive's turn to be caught off guard at the very new and very pleasant sensation. Barb was in heaven, living a long time fantasy, but the young dragoness wanted more. Reaching one claw behind her back, she took hold of one of the stallion's hooves and slowly inched it down until it was resting firmly on her rump. Though he hesitated at first, Elusive took the cue and began kneading and massaging the supple flesh. Barb tried to do the same for him, but found her arms too short, so instead she settled for caressing his barrel. As if driven by instinct, she slowly began to back up. Unwilling to part, Elusive followed after until her tail met the bedside. Moving his other hoof to her rump, Elusive squeezed and lifted Barb up, placing her on the edge of the bed. Finally, Elusive broke the kiss, only to move down to her neck, suckling on the tender flesh. "Mmm," Barb moaned as he slowly began trailing down her chest, stopping on each band of scales. Lower and lower, past her belly until he placed his hooves on her inner thighs and pressed gently, wordlessly requesting access to the sacred garden. Blood once again rushed to her cheeks as she brought her claws up to hide her face, and slowly opened her legs. Elusive finally got a good look at her precious flower. It was quite different from a mare's, looking as if one of her stomach bands simply curled inward, only the tiny nub at the front was recognizable. "D-do you have to stare like that?" Barb asked. Elusive smiled and said, "I apologize, my love. I was simply mesmerized by your beauty." Before Barb could reply, Elusive plunged his tongue into her crevice, eliciting a gasp from the dragoness. "Oh my gosh!" Her claws shot to her mouth, stifling her cries. Elusive wiggled and gyrated his tongue within her, flicking her clit every time he pulled out. His hooves reached around Barb's twitching thighs to hold her steady. Barb, meanwhile, was desperately holding onto her sanity as sensations unlike any other she had felt before radiated from her nethers. Her body curled up, letting her latch onto Elusive's head as his wet, wriggly muscle worked its magic. "Oh, I-I-I'm about to- oh- Ah!" Barb screamed as her sex contracted around Elusive's tongue as her feminine juices ran into his mouth as she rode out the first orgasm another had ever given her. Finally, Barb collapsed, her breathing heavy. Elusive crawled onto the bed, hovering over her and smiling seductively. "Did you enjoy that?" Barb grinned in satisfaction. "That was incredible. Would... would you like me to... um... do you?" A flash of fear crossed his eyes before he answered, "Ah, well... it might be best if you practice with something like a banana or cucumber first... Sharp teeth, and all." Barb's eyes shot open at the implication. "Ah, good idea." Elusive brought himself down to a kiss before saying, "That's fine, though. I'm rather eager to continue, anyway." Barb looked between them to finally see Elusive's noble scepter. She also realized how much smaller she was than the stallion, his erection still several inches away from her treasure. "Will it even fit?" Barb asked, her nervousness apparent. "I'm sure it will," Elusive assured. "I will be very gentle, if you wish to continue." Barb bit her lip and nodded her head. She suddenly found herself wrapped in Elusive's magic as she hovered across the bed, until she was laid gently in the center with her head on her pillow. "How would you like to do this? Pony style might be difficult with how much smaller you are than I, and minotaur style might leave you feeling smothered. Of course, you could be on top, but you may have trouble moving." Barb looked at her still somewhat stubby legs. She may have grown since moving to Ponyville, but she was still much smaller than her lover. "I... I guess minotaur style. I wouldn't mind being smothered by you." She said with a lovey-dovey grin. Elusive chuckled as he moved over her. " You are adorable. Try to spread your legs as much as you can, if you would." She nodded and complied, grabbing him by the barrel and pulling him closer so she could bury her face in his neck. She could hear the sound of his magic as he lined himself up, moving forward until his pride touched her wet passage. She gasped, gripping him tighter. "Try to relax," Elusive advised. "If you relax, it will be much easier on both of us." Barb nodded and took a few deep breaths. When she calmed down, Elusive made his move. With one smooth motion, his flare entered her, eliciting a gasp. Elusive wrapped one hoof around her back to both comfort her and assist in penetration. Slowly and steadily, Barb felt herself filling up. The feeling of Elusive holding her against his barrel as he drove his shaft to her core was pure ecstasy, and when she felt his hips press against hers, she lost it. Her leg twitched as her cries were muffled by his fur. "Oh my, quite the hair trigger," Elusive teased. "Sh-shut up," Barb complained. Elusive let her calm down and adjust before asking, "How are you feeling?" "It... It's... amazing," the dragoness said breathlessly, looking up at him. "It... doesn't hurt." Elusive smiled back. "I'm glad to hear that." Their eyes locked as Elusive slowly began to pull out. Barb's mouth opened in a silent scream, her eyes never leaving his. His second penetration was noticeably faster, Barb letting out an adorable squeak when he bottomed out. It was a sound so adorable, he had to hear it again. His hips pulled back, and thrust back in, earning another of Elusive's new favorite sound. He picked up a steady rhythm, not too slow but not too fast. Slowly, Barb's adorable squeaks began to get louder. Eventually, she broke eye contact, gripping him harder with her claws and burying her face into his neck again. She wouldn't last much longer, a fact Elusive was glad for as he didn't have long himself. Elusive picked up a little speed until his hips were slapping against hers. Sweat matted his coat and mane from his passion and his muscles burned from exertion. Barb, too, had beads of sweat making her scales slick. "Ah... Ah... Ah... I... I... I... Love... You... Elusive!" Barb exclaimed. Elusive craned his head down, catching her lips with his as he crested his peak. A cooling warmth flooded Barb, pushing her to her own climax. The two held each other as they rode the waves of nirvana. The two laid there, breath heavy as they held each other in post coital bliss, when Elusive finally said, "I love you, too, my darling Barb." --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- The first rays of sunlight broke through the veil of sleep that so pleasantly held Elusive in its embrace. However, this morning was a little different, as upon waking he was greeted with a dream made real. The peacefully sleeping face of a dragoness, a small smile radiating warmth the likes of which would make the sun jealous, was but inches from his own. He had to kiss it. Barb slowly found herself rejoining the waking world as she felt a familiar sensation on her lips. "Good morning, my dear," Elusive said as he backed away. Barb smiled. "So, that wasn't a dream, after all." Elusive smiled and said, "It was a dream come true." Barb giggled. "That was so corny." Elusive brought a hoof to his barrel in mock indignation. "Corny or not, it is the truth." Barb just leaned in and kissed him again. "I'll go make breakfast." "Thank you, my dear." Elusive watched his fiance jump out of bed, and walk to the door, intentionally swaying her hips in an attempt to be seductive. It was the tail, though, moving like a snake mesmerizing its prey that he loved. They would have to find out what she can do with that later. Shaking his head, he too stood and ran up to the dragoness, scooping her up just as she reached the door and nibbling on her neck. They shared one more passionate kiss before he set her down and opened the door for her. The two headed toward the kitchen when a voice cut them off. "Elusive," Dusk called from down the hall. "Can I speak with you, privately." Elusive smiled at Barb and said, "Go on. We'll catch up." With one last kiss, Barb jogged off and Elusive turned to face what was likely going to be the most awkward morning ever with his alicorn friend. "Good morning, Dusk," Elusive greeted as he trotted to the newest prince. "Did you ask her?" Dusk began. "I did, and she said yes," Elusive answered. Dusk sighed as he began to lead his friend down the corridor in which Barb disappeared. "You know, I always hoped she would meet somepony or dragon and get married one day, but..." "Our engagement is quite unusual," Elusive agreed. "But one could argue that we had been dating for years. Barb and I are always spending time together, after all. We know each other inside and out, both our strengths and our flaws." "It's not that," Dusk said. "I understand the need for... what you two did, but I still feel she's too young." Elusive nodded in agreement, "Yes, she may well be, but she is also quite mature for her age. Besides, I truly do love her." "Yeah," Dusk said with a conflicted expression, turning towards the kitchen. "I'm still weirded out by that, a little. I mean, I never thought one of my friends, the youngest of whom is twenty, would fall for my twelve year old sister." Elusive just smirked at him. "But is it really hard to believe, considering who your twelve year old sister is?" Dusk smiled and said, "Yeah, she is a remarkable dragon." Dusk opened the door to the kitchen and stopped dead as Barb looked at him with wide eyes, a banana shoved halfway down her throat, peel and all. "I'm out!" Dusk shouted as he turned tail and left. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Storge author: Ice Star tags: character:Princess Cadance, character:Princess Celestia, genre:Comedy, genre:Drama, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Στοργή === Cadance scrunched up her muzzle and looked in the mirror. She must be doing something wrong. Maybe her tone was off? That had to be why she wasn't sounding like a Canterlot pony. She sighed, her own reflection copying her, the long mane she had pulled back with a big blue bow swaying slightly. Nopony would care about her smile now, no matter how much attention the bow drew to her usually cheerful face if she couldn't speak the words right. A simple greeting, that's all she had to manage. She was a princess now, an alicorn; and nopony would listen to Equestria's newest princess if they couldn't understand her accent. Back in the village, nopony cared that Cadance and her parents had thick accents that blended with each note when they sang, and made each sentence in Equish, Equestrian, or as it was sometimes called, Everfree, sound like a song. What was she supposed to do, sing at a summit? Cadance wanted to be able to speak - she loved to talk to ponies. If she was the Princess of Love, how was she supposed to help ponies if they couldn't understand her? She wanted to sound like all the other colts and fillies her age. Sure, she already looked like them, she loved styling her naturally curly mane like they did in magazines, bright buttons, legwarmers, and other accessories just like every other filly her age and enjoyed everything from bubbly pop that she jogged to in the mornings, or the screeching hard rock she blasted when she thought nopony was listening. Only now, she stopped waving or saying 'hi' to every other jogger or park-goer that passed, especially when she had to repeat herself six times and give up. Princess Celestia had suggested she get a small job to keep her busy during the summer, one that would allow her to talk to ponies and pick up the Canterlot accent she so greatly desired. Celestia suggested talking to one of the guards, a promising new recruit, who had a little sister who was too young to be left at home on her own. So far Cadance had refused, since she was appalled by what could happen if she were to foalsit a sweet little filly who couldn't even understand her. She might be scared, or worse, she could get hurt by mis-hearing something Cadance said. It was because of things like this that Cadance chose to remain in front of her mirror repeating 'Good morning' and 'Hi, I'm Princess Cadance, nice to meet you' gods know how many times. Well... it was that and one other reason. Whether she would admit it or not, Cadance was lonely. There was hardly anypony to talk to, since the princess was often busy when she wasn't giving Cadance magic lessons. This had been fine for the past months since Cadance's diary and fountain pen with glitter ink were the only friends she needed for now, and throwing rolled up potato chip bags into soda can pyramids was a great way to spend her time when she ran out of wall stickers to collect and she couldn't think of any new hoofshakes. It wasn't like there was anypony to share them with... ... Hours later, Cadance, a small tiara perched on her head in front of her bow, found herself standing next to Princess Celestia's throne, craning over to peer at the document the princess was reading, and trying to look as official as possible. The older princess' gaze drifted over to the tall pink filly. "Are politics really that interesting to you, Cadance?" Cadance was startled by Celestia's voice even though her tone was friendly and conversational she found herself nearly swallowing the gum she had been chewing. She was about to open her mouth to speak, before closing it again. Even if Princess Celestia understood her accent, princesses probably didn't talk with a mouthful of gum. Instead, she gave a tiny nod. She spent many days in here with Celestia, sitting next to the throne with Raven, the scribe. Cadance took notes alongside her, although in a much less fitting spiral notebook. Cadance was a bit more princess-in-training than she was Faithful Student, as she had earned her horn on her own and had never studied magic under the princess that rigorously (or at all), nor had she passed any academy-sanctioned tests that would guarantee that role. So she studied court interactions in silence, most of the time, asking questions only after meetings had ended and in between magic lessons that took place later in the day. "Princess?" Cadance whispered. Celestia continued to read the long scroll, unfurling it slowly as she did so. Raven had to pull a sick day so it was just Cadance, the princess, and whatever ponies had scheduled meetings in the throne room today. When she received no answer, Cadance tried again, calling a little bit louder. "Princess Celestia?" At Cadance's second attempt, the princess was jolted out of her peaceful reading. "Yes, Cadance? Is there something wrong?" "A b-bit, I wanted to talk to you later, if that's okay." Celestia smiled warmly, as she often did to her subjects to make them more at ease. "While I am a bit busy right now, after I finish up looking over this latest treaty we can talk about whatever troubles you before we begin your magic lessons this afternoon." "Thank y-you." "It's not a problem at all, my door is always open," Celestia assured. ... Celestia still had that serene smile hours later when she sat down with Cadance at a little table in the castle gardens for an early lunch. Cadance smiled weakly in return - only a mare like Celestia would know how to make absolutely anypony feel at ease. She was always so serene, so calm. Cadance never saw Celestia upset, only slightly disappointed with ponies. She was a beautiful, smart, and kind pony who ruled Equestria as if each subject were her own foal. Even though she was a powerful goddess, she was never arrogant, nor did she feel alien to be around. "What is it that's been bothering you?" Celestia asked while calmly sipping tea. Her tone was light and comforting. "I miss ponies." The teacup returned to the table, and Cadance tried to decide how best to word her concerns while chewing on an oatmeal raisin cookie that she had plucked from a plate that rested in the shadow of a vase of flowers. "I miss being able to talk to them without getting strange looks, or feeling like they are only trying to listen to me out of pity. I don't want to have to wonder if I'll be understood the first time I speak. This was never a problem in my village. None of the other fillies or colts cared that I sounded like I came from the Old Country Mama and Papa talked about. They asked me to translate their names or teach them all the words I learned and tell them about the city where my parents came from, where there were canals instead of roads. Other than that, I was just an Equestrian foal like them, but now that I'm here... I feel so foreign." "Do you think that's such a bad thing, Cadance?" "No, of course not," Cadance added quickly, swallowing the last bits of cookie as she did so. "It was never a problem before, nopony had to remind me before. It's just that now I feel so out of place, like I'm not meant to be here." "So this is still about your accent? Did you not like the foalsitting suggestion I made?" "Yes, partly, and no, it's not that, I liked it a lot but I just can't do it. I'm the Princess of Love, aren't I?" Celestia tipped her head in a brief nod. "Well it's just so frustrating, because nopony can have love without communication of some kind! You're the only pony that's been able to understand me since I arrived in Canterlot." "Now, what was this 'partly' you brought up?" Another cookie found its way towards Cadance, the gold aura setting it down right in front of her forehooves, which had busied themselves by twisting a cloth napkin since her mane was still pulled back with the cheerful bow, the bright, deep sapphire blue a cool contrast to the warm colors of her mane. Cadance offered a slightly sheepish, yet grateful, smile to Celestia, and began to nibble on the treat, her gum having long since been discarded at the mere mention of the kitchen staff's oatmeal raisin cookies that Celestia knew Cadance loved. "I just feel lonely, you know? I haven't been able to make any friends yet and even though I've been getting a ton of letters from home, they are often late since the mailponies have a hard time with Everfree routes and just finding the little hamlet nestled in the south border of the forest, it's all just so far away... I miss my family." Celestia said nothing, and Cadance almost flinched. Had she done something wrong? "I know I'll get to visit them for Hearth's Warming and Nightmare Night, but it just seems a bit far away..." Cadance's sentence trailed off into a sigh. Celestia still wouldn't say anything. Her expression was unreadable. Maybe was she mad? "Have you ever felt that?" "Homesick?" Celestia responded, her voice a distant echo. "Yes, princess." "No, or at least not in the same way you feel." "What about lonely?" "Yes, Cadance, I've felt lonely before." Cadance had grabbed a third cookie now, and silently prayed that the goddess in front of her wouldn't find her to be greedy. "Have you ever been separated from somepony you care about?" A small, almost unnoticeable nod. "Princess, would you mind if I asked you something?" "Not at all, what is it?" "What's your family like?" Celestia almost dropped her teacup, and swallowed her tea suddenly in a manner that Cadance thought looked painful. Now it really seemed like she had done something wrong. "M-My f-family...?" "Princess, are you okay? I just asked about your family-" "I know." The princess' tone was suddenly terse and uncharacteristically direct. Cadance bit her lip. "Don't you have a family?" she asked, voice meek. "What kind of family?" Celestia no longer spoke kindly, but her tone was not hostile. In fact, it almost seemed devoid of something that Cadance couldn't place. "Well, to start I guess parents..." Cadance almost fell back in her chair when she saw Celestia's darkened expression, her eyes were unfocused and she rose from the table and strode away, clearly troubled by something important. "Princess!" Cadance called, "Princess, I'm sorry!" She was already gone. ... Magic lessons had been cancelled. Celestia hadn't appeared in the throne room after she left the gardens. For Cadance, it felt like all this was her fault. Celestia was a calm and rational pony, but Cadance had just seen her storm off and knew that something wasn't right. She knew something was seriously wrong when Celestia didn't show up to anything else even though she was a mare who went with the schedule. The door to Celestia's personal parlor really was always open. Only now was it closed, and when Cadance lit her horn to move the handle she discovered that it was even locked. There was no sound from within. "Princess?" She loved company, why would she shut somepony out like this? It wasn't like her. She was the goddess-princess of Equestria, warm and caring. She wasn't called the Matron of Equestria for nothing. "I'm sorry if I upset you! Please let me in, you've been in here for hours!" No voice came from within, but Cadance picked up the sound of Celestia's hoofsteps and a faint click. The door was unlocked. Cadance's magic found the handle once again and she nudged the door open with her hoof. ... Princess Celestia looked cold. Her perfect posture, slight scowl, and distraught gaze that Cadance could neither read nor meet made her look like the perfect Ice Queen. Instead of meeting her mentor's eyes, Cadance looked at the decorations gracing the room, which was decorated like most of the castle but with considerably more purple and warm magenta, like the princess' own eyes. Small photographs and portraits dotted the fireplace mantle. While she wasn't close enough to see details she knew that most were landscapes and Faithful Students and a few mortal partners the princess had been with in her reign, but those were few and far between, as Celestia had explained when Cadance asked a while ago. She had not been involved with anypony in over two hundred years. Even though Celestia had been in romantic relationships before, she told Cadance that she never had any foals. There were other small trinkets and a few neatly stacked books among papers and quills scattered throughout. Cadance especially liked some of the jewelry that hung on the walls, each and every piece had a story behind it and even though Princess Celestia was not the best storyteller, Cadance still enjoyed hearing each tale. Philomena made a soft chirping noise from her perch to greet Cadance before she resumed preening her wing. "You can sit down," Celestia said from behind Cadance, who looked behind her to find the princess looking a bit more composed, seated on a large throw pillow with gold tassles and a reddish purple velvet color, like a sunset. Cadance chose a nearby pillow of a soft orange hue before looking off to the side. "I'm sorry if I upset you I didn't know and-" "Cadance, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just that... I don't have a family, or as you put it, a mother and father." "Are you some kind of sun avatar then?" There was a forced laugh from the princess. "No, I'm afraid that those sorts of things are much more of a legend than what I am. I have no mother and father, but I was born from two creatures." Cadance was horribly confused. Wasn't that exactly what... she probably shouldn't ask, but that was certainly a strange response on Celestia's part. "You don't have any family?" "Do you see any?" "No." "I have a cousin. Neptune of Aquastria," she replies quickly. "Do you talk to him?" "No, at least not outside of any formal events." Cadance had pulled the bow out of her mane hours ago so she might be able to fidget with a few curls of her mane or even the bow itself, the former she did now, the bow clutched in one forehoof. "Can I be your family?" Celestia's eyebrow arched in surprise and she moved a gold-clad forehoof to urge her on and explain herself. Cadance was equally surprised by the princess' gesture and went on with what she had to say. "You seem so lonely, not having any family, or at least any that you talk to. We're both goddesses, aren't we? Well, I guess I'm more like a half-goddess but you've still acted not quite like a mother but maybe an aunt to me since I've come to Canterlot." Celestia looked at Cadance with barely disguised warmth, her smile looking slightly sad. "Are you really so eager for family?" "Princess, I-" "Just Celestia will do, for now at least." "Celestia, you saw my parents and my village. I was the only pegasus in a village that had hardly even seen a unicorn. There wasn't a pink-coated pony among them or a single drop of pegasus blood. When I was very young, and my parents had just moved to Equestria they found me all alone in the woods babbling and confused. So they took me in as their own since Mama was unable to have any foals of her own." "You want me to adopt you." Cadance didn't have to answer and Celestia's benelovent smile had returned. "Call me 'Auntie' then," Celestia said right before Cadance gave the goddess the warmest hug she had known in a long time. "Auntie?" "Yes, Cadance?" "Is that foalsitting job is still open?" "Yes, I think so. I'll have to ask, oh what was his name? Shining Armor. Yes, that was it. I'll have to ask him." Cadance pulled away and re-tied her bow with a smile. "There is one other thing... could we work in some accent reduction lessons along with the magic laser spells?" "We can, but Cadance, 'laser spell' is not the proper term for what I'm teaching you." "Yes it is!" "Cadance, those science-fiction comics you read when you should be studying are rotting your mind." "But that's just what they want you to think!" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Path of True Love author: Bluecatcinema tags: character:Princess Cadance, character:Shining Armor, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1 === The Path of True Love Many years ago... It was early evening in Canterlot, capital city of Equestria. The young colt Shining Armor was making his way home, a newspaper levitating at his side. The paper had an article on the Canterlot Royal Guard, which Shining was looking forward to perusing. As he reached the front door, he heard the unmistakable sound of his little sister, Twilight Sparkle, giggling. Idly wondering what could be causing her such mirth, Shining entered. He found Twilight in the living room, along with her foalsitter, Princess Cadance. This was the first time Shining had actually met Cadance face-to-face, and he was struck dumb by what he saw. Her pink coat, her multicolored mane, her dazzling purple eyes. She was, for lack of a better term, cute. "Hi, Shiny!" Twilight ran up and hugged her big brother. "Hey, Twily." Shining smiled, hugging her back. "So, you're Shining Armor." Cadance mused. "Twilight's told me a lot about you." "Oh, really?" Shining asked nervously. "All good, I trust?" "Of course." Cadance smiled. "But she didn't mention how handsome you are." Shining found herself blushing at this comment. "Ewww!" Twilight stuck her tongue out. "Just kidding." Cadance giggled, though she did give Shining a quick wink. "Now then, I believe bedtime has arrived, Twilight." "Awww." Twilight pouted. "Can't I stay up just a little longer?" "Afraid not, young filly." Cadance said firmly. "Come on, let's get you ready for bed. Would you care to help, Shining Armor?" "Sure thing." Shining nodded. After Twilight brushed her teeth and climbed into bed, Shining and Cadance tucked her in. "Good night, Twilight." Cadance kissed her on the forehead. "Sweet dreams." Shining kissed the other side of her forehead. "Don't forget Smarty Pants." Twilight cooed, holding up her beloved doll. Sharing a smile, Shining and Cadance kissed the doll on either cheek. "Night." Twilight yawned, snuggling into the covers. After quietly leaving the room, Cadance made for the front, Shining seeing her off. "Boy, Twilight really likes you, doesn't she?" Shining smiled. "Yes, she's such a sweet little filly." Cadance said fondly. "Can I ask a question?" Shining inquired. "Go ahead." Cadance nodded. "Why do you, a princess, work as a foalsitter?" Shining asked. "Because I love foals, of course." Cadance said simply. "Taking care of them is such a delight. By the way, Twilight tells me you have ambitions to one day be a member of the Royal Guard." "I do, yes." Shining admitted. "If you'd like, I could put in a good word with aunt Celestia." Cadance offered. "She could pull some strings." "Thanks, but I'm going to have decline." Shining shook his head. "I'd prefer to get into the Royal Guard on my own merits, not just because somepony important made room for me." "I see." Cadance said, impressed. "With integrity like that, you'll make a great Royal Guardspony one day." "Thanks." Shining blushed. Shining got the door for Cadance. "Good night, Princess." He smiled. "Good night, Shining Armor." Cadance smiled back. "And please, call me Cadance." After closing the door, Shining smiled to himself. "So that was Princess Cadance." He said out loud. "Wow." A few years later... Shining Armor stood in his gleaming new Guardspony armor, hardly believing his good fortune. His fondest dream, the one he'd held ever since he was a colt, was now a reality. He looked over the castle turrets, gazing upon Canterlot, the city he was now sworn to protect from any and all aggressors. It was a daunting task, but nonetheless, one he relished. "Well, hello." Came a familiar voice from behind. "Long time, no see." Shining turned to see a more matured Cadance. She wore a royal crown and neck amulet, the gold standing out amongst her pink coat. She no longer wore her mane in a bow, freely letting it cascade down her body. If she was cute before, now she was truly beautiful. "Princess." Shining gulped, blushed and bowed, all at the same time. "It's a pleasure to see you again." "You, too." Cadance smiled. "And have you forgotten? You may call me 'Cadance'." "Of course." Shining nodded. "It's just been so long since we last saw each other..." That was certainly true. Shining and Cadance had seen each other several times since their first meeting, always sharing pleasant "hello's" and general conversation. But as Twilight grew older, she no longer needed a foalsitter. Shining had not seen Cadance since the last time she foalsat Twilight, though he had thought of her often. "I see you're a Royal Guardspony now?" Cadance eyed the armor-clad stallion. "I always knew you had it in you." "Thank you, Prin- I mean, Cadance." Shining smiled. "And if I may say so, you do look rather dashing in that armor." Cadance winked. "Oh, thanks..." Shining blushed. "I'm doing quite well, actually. Captain Brass Hat says I have a lot of promise, that I might actually make captain myself one day!" "I'm sure you will." Cadance smiled. "In the meantime, would you care to join me in getting some lunch? I know you Royal Guardsponies usually take your breaks around now." "I would be honored." Shining nodded. Though the castle kitchens catered in nearly every kind of food known to Ponykind, Cadance preferred the more rustic wares of a café in downtown Canterlot. As the two made their way down the streets, a wintery snow shower started. "Taking off my armor might not have been the best idea." Shining shivered. "Maybe this will help." Cadance offered. Opening her wing, she wrapped it around Shining, pulling him toward her. "Do you feel any warmer now?" "A lot warmer, actually." Shining murmured, her face now resembling a furnace. Finally arriving at the café, Shining and Cadance stepped aside to let another pair of patrons to leave. As they did, their noses accidentally touched. "Sorry." They said in unison, blushing deeply. Once inside, they ordered some toasted sandwiches and hot chocolate. Cadance eagerly drank the sweet beverage. Lowering the cup, she revealed a frothy chocolate moustache. Shining couldn't help chuckling. "What's so funny?" Cadance asked. Still sniggering, Shining pointed to the window. Following his gaze, Cadance saw herself reflected in the glass. "Oh, how embarassing!" She chuckled. Shining took a large gulp from his own cup, gaining his own moustache. The two shared a hearty laugh. "So, how are things?" Cadance asked, wiping away the foam. "I heard about Twilight being made aunt Celestia's personal student." "Yeah, that was amazing." Shining admitted. "Too bad she has to live in the palace, and can only visit home every now and then. I really miss having her around." "Me, too." Cadance sighed. "Of all the foals I sat, she was the one I loved to sit for the most." Having found common ground, the two sat and reminisced about Twilight for some time. Before long though, the time had come for Shining to return to his post. "I have to go." Shining noted. "Thanks for asking me to join you. It was... nice." "The pleasure was all mine." Cadance smiled. "We must do this again some time." "Yes, we really must." Shining grinned. Another few years later... Shining and Cadance had indeed made having lunch together a regular ritual. The pair would talk at length, not just about Twilight, but about many things: Their hopes, their dreams, their ambitions... Over time, their relationship grew stronger, to the point where Shining realised that he had fallen in love with Cadance. However, he believed a commoner such as himself wasn't worthy of a princess, so he settled for just being her friend. The departure of Twilight to Ponyville had changed Shining's mind, though. Having had to let go of one important female in his life, Shining wasn't going to do the same with the other. As usual, Cadance came to Shining just as his morning shift was about to end. "Good morning, Shining Armor." She greeted him. "Or should I say 'Captain?' Congratulations on your promotion!" "Thanks, Cadance." Shining mumbled, his mind still elsewhere. "Well, I expected a little more enthusiasm then that." Cadance noted. "Sorry." Shining apologized. "I've just... had a lot on my mind lately. There's something I want to tell you, but I'm not sure if I should." "Like what?" Cadance asked. "You can tell me." "Well..." Shining faltered, before marshaling his confidence. "I... I love you, Cadance. I have loved you for a long time now. I just can't keep it to myself any longer." "Oh, Shining Armor." Cadance gasped. "I... I feel the same way." "You do?" Shining gasped. "I do." Cadance kissed Shining on the cheek. "But I let the fact that you were a commoner and I was a princess stop me from telling you. I foolishly feared what others would think of such a relationship." "So did I." Shining smiled. "But when you found the courage to confess, I felt I could finally do the same." Cadance smiled back. "I love you, Shining Armor." "I love you too, Cadance." Shining took her hoof in his, and they shared a short, sweet kiss. "So, shall we go to lunch, my beautiful princess?" "Lead the way, my handsome knight." Cadance grinned. Side by side, they made their way to their favorite café, to share their first (but certainly not last) romantic meal together. The next night... Cadance had requested to have dinner with Shining and his parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, wishing to know his parents better. "It is a great honor to have you here, your majesty." Night Light bowed in his seat. "Our son, dating a princess!" Twilight Velvet sighed. "It's like a real-life fairy tale! I always knew my little Shiny was handsome as a prince!" "Mooom..." Shining cringed. "It's a pleasure to be here, truly it is." Cadance smiled. "Please, don't think of me as royalty, just as your son's marefriend." "Anything you say, your maj- I mean, young lady." Night Light nodded. "Our son is such a lucky boy." Twilight Velvet smiled. "And you are a very lucky mare." "I know." Cadance planted a kiss on Shining's cheek, which he returned. The rest of the meal ran smoothly. Cadance even offered to help wash the dishes, but was humbly refused. Bidding his parents goodbye, she and Shining walked to his house together, sharing a goodbye kiss before Cadance had to return to the palace. "Your parents really do like me." Cadance smiled. "Yes, they really are good ponies." Shining agreed. "They'd have to be, to raise somepony like you." Cadance rubbed her nose against his. "Good night, my love." "Good night, darling." Shining smiled. One month later... Shining and Cadance's relationship was going from strength to strength. They spent every moment they could together, hating being apart for even a second. Before long, Shining had come to another important decision. On the night of the annual springtime ball, he decided to make his move. By this point in time, the two's relationship was well-known amongst the Canterlot population, meaning nopony batted an eyelid at their attending the ball together. Shining wore a black tuxedo, while Cadance wore a white dress with gold trim. As they danced together, Cadance noticed that Shining was acting nervously. "Is something wrong, Shining?" Cadance asked. "You seem a little... distracted." "Cadance, I have something I'd like to ask you." Shining admitted. "Our time together has been the most wonderful time of my life. I don't ever want it to end. I love you more then anything. More then life itself." "You're so sweet." Cadance cooed. "I feel exactly the same way. Now, what is it you want to ask me?" Using his magic, Shining levitated a small velvet box out of his pocket and into his hooves. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, will you marry me?" Shining asked, opening the box to reveal a golden horn ring. The crowd gasped as one, eagerly awaiting Cadance's reaction. "Oh, Shining." Cadance whispered, unsure. "I don't know what to say. This is all so sudden. I love you, there is no doubt, but for us to be husband and wife..." "What if I told you you wouldn't just be gaining a husband?" Shining grinned. "You'd also be getting a pretty great sister." "Sister?" Cadance repeated. "Yeah, Twilight." Shining nodded. "If we get married, you two will be related. Think of it as a fringe benefit." "Oh, now you're just not playing fair." Cadance smiled indulgently. Shining smiled back. Cadance loved his smile. The thought of waking up to that same smile, and the noble, handsome stallion it belonged to, each and every day, filled her with joy. It was then that she made her decision. "Yes." She beamed. "I will marry you." The crowd cheered as Shining placed the ring on Cadance's horn, and the two shared their longest, deepest kiss yet. A fortnight later... The royal wedding carriage rolled down the path, the happy couple snuggling within. While the wedding itself had not gone completely to plan, what with Cadance being kidnapped and replaced by the Changeling queen, and Canterlot almost falling to the Changeling hordes, the end result could not be argued with. "Hard to believe we're finally here, isn't it?" Cadance whispered into Shining's ear. "No joke." Shining agreed. "It's been quite a journey. When we first met, I never dreamed we would this reach point. Of course, later on, I would dream it..." Cadance giggled. "After everything that happened, all of Chrysalis' machinations... Now it's just you and I, my handsome knight." She purred. "Together forever." "That it is, my beautiful princess." Shining snuggled up closer. "And I couldn't be happier." The two shared another long, sweet kiss, a kiss made all the sweeter by the fact that their love had proven strong enough not just to unite them in glorious matrimony, but to defeat a great enemy. Theirs was a love that would never die, only growing stronger as the years passed by. The End. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: This Whole 'Friendship' Thing author: Karrakaz tags: character:Discord, character:Fluttershy, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Apology Accepted. === Chaotic thoughts swirled in Discord's head. Chickens dancing with hula hoops. Bunny cascades in the chocolate falls. Fluttershy scolding him for almost deporting her friend to another dimension... "Are you still upset with me, Fluttershy?" he asked when they returned to her cottage in the evening following the Grand Galloping Goop Gala. Smooze had quickly won over the hearts of ponies—save for Rarity—after all of the unpleasantness had come and gone. The big ball of ooze had even been invited back next year by Celestia herself. She had invited Discord too, as long as he promised to cause an equal amount of mischief the next time around. He'd promised to do so dutifully, but found that he cared little about the event now that he had his best and only real friend back. Smooze was an okay blob of goop, but a terrible conversationalist. Despite having done everything she asked, however, Fluttershy still seemed a little cross with him. She hadn't quite thrown the door in his face—she was much too nice for that—but had impatiently waited for him to step through the door, which was a first. "I didn't mean to do it, you know? I was just so worried about losing my best friend, that I—" "Tried to ruin everything?" she interrupted him, scowling while she wiggled out of her dress. He cringed. Although she had insisted that he apologise to her friend—Treesmoker or something—it was becoming more and more clear to him that she was still more than a little hung up on the entire incident. "Fluttershy," he began again, lifting a paw and summoning a slightly tilted table and a chair that scooped the pegasus up. "Look, this was really kind of your fault, I mean we both know how I can be..." Fluttershy glared at him which only made him more determined to prove himself right. "Well, how did you expect me to react? My very first real friend is off being friends with somepony else! All in all, you're lucky I didn't just turn her into a tree!" "Discord..." Fluttershy said in a tone of voice he'd come to associate with her scolding him. Scolding him! As if he'd done something wrong! He waved his forepaw and foreclaw around as if to ward off the coming storm. "Well, I was upset, and I didn't want to lose you to that... that..." He found that he was getting worked up again just thinking about that hippy-dippy mare that Fluttershy was friends with before reminding himself that one could have multiple friends. He took a deep, steadying breath. "That friend of yours," he finished his sentence eventually. Fluttershy scowled at him for a moment longer, eventually letting out a deep sigh and giving him that caring, almost motherly look that he both liked and disliked about her. It spoke to a part of him that always felt lacking. He'd never had a mother, or a father for that matter. He was quite sure that the restrictions parents placed on their children would suffocate him within a day, but he longed for the care and tenderness. "This is why we can't have nice things, you know?" Fluttershy told him softly. Her voice pulling him back from his eternal musings to the mare sitting right in front of him, having her tea served to her by Robbert, the animated teapot. "You can't keep reacting this way whenever you don't get your way!" Discord nodded sadly. He didn't like to admit it, even to himself, but Fluttershy was often right about his behaviour. He was certainly getting used to Fluttershy scolding him for it, thus his recognition of the tone. "I told you that this friendship thing is difficult for me," he said, drawing in on himself. Perhaps it would be a good idea to give Fluttershy a break. His house needed some more dirtying anyway. A hoof landed on his lion paw, and he looked up to see Fluttershy smiling softly at him. "It's okay," she said. "I know you're trying your best. Let's just think of this as a learning experience." He chuckled and cleared his throat before doing a passable imitation of Twilight Sparkle's voice, which in his case meant making her sound more nasal and as annoying as he could. "Dear Princess Fluttershy, today I learned that you aren't supposed to bring a monstrous blob from beyond the veil of space and time to a black tie event. Your chaotic student and friend, Discord." He watched Fluttershy stifle a giggle and smiled. If he could make her laugh, perhaps he wouldn't have to leave at all. "And?" she prompted him after her laughter had subsided. "What else did you learn?" He put his hawk claw to his chin and stroked his beard (which became longer with each stroke) and drawled: "Welllll..... I learned that Princess Twilight Sparkle is sensitive about her flying skills, I learned that Celestia has a sense of humor, and most of all, I learned that you shouldn't lock blob monsters in a closet with shiny things." Fluttershy's smile narrowed a smidge. "And what did we learn about friendship?" "I, uhm..." He looked away, trying not to meet her eyes. His mind was once again being engulfed by the chaotic thoughts that swarmed about at the best of times, but now seemed to obscure even the simplest facts about friendship. "That... friendship is a good thing?" he offered, smiling nervously. Even that seemed like a possibly false statement, but he hoped it was true. Across from him, Fluttershy took a sip of her tea before shaking her head softly. "No, not that." "It's great to have fun with your friends?" he tried again, his thoughts clearing up just a little after a vigorous shake. Fluttershy sighed again, the corners of her mouth sagging into what he deemed to be a disappointed frown. "We learned that it's okay to have more than one friend, and that having other friends doesn't mean that you care about one more than the other." "Yes! That! I could not have said it better myself." Discord nodded to himself and put the knowledge away in his mental lockbox. He then gave the lockbox teeth for good measure and smiled at his friend. Their conversation fell silent after that, the only sounds in the room being Fluttershy's breathing—which he had once tried to mimic for over a month but had deemed bothersome by the end of it—and the soft tinkling of the porcelain whenever she put down her cup. He found himself wishing he'd kept up the whole breathing thing, if only because it was a better alternative to opening his mouth and saying the wrong thing again. But he hadn't, and after an extended period during which neither said anything, Fluttershy finished her tea and silently slipped off of the chair. She grabbed her dress and put it in the hamper on her way to the stairs leading up to her room. "Well, it's been a long day. I'm going to get some rest. Goodnight, Discord." "Wait." The word was out of his mouth before he had even thought about it consciously, but seeing her come to a halt and look back at him assured him that he had indeed said it. For some reason he couldn't fathom, it struck him as a bad thing to just let her go to bed without saying something else. He snapped his fingers and appeared as the bottom three steps of the stairs. Wooden eyes always made everything more difficult, but for his friend, it wasn't a high price to pay. "I need you to know that I really am sorry. You're important to me. I want you to be my friend forever." Fluttershy bit her lip and but didn't look away from him like she usually would. Despite how she looked, however, the words that came from her mouth were, "Discord, I can't do that—" "I see," he replied sadly. The statement hurt his wooden heart, and the chaos that always seemed to subside a little whenever he was around Fluttershy flared up like a raging storm. It demanded that he get mad and perhaps destroy some things she loved, just to let her know how badly she had hurt him, but instead, he just sighed. "Well, how about until the sun explodes? That won't be nearly as long—" "No!" A hoof landed on one of his eyes, and was lifted again just as quickly. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you did I?" "No, I'm fine." He stepped out from her stairs, thoughtlessly assuming the form that the universe seemed bent on insisting was his. "Stairs don't have nerve endings." Nerve endings or not, however, he was hurting, badly—until Fluttershy stepped forward and gave him a bigger hug than such a little pony should have any right to. "I wouldn't be able to be your friend forever, or even till the sun explodes, because I won't live that long, Discord," she told him, squeezing him a little tighter. "But even though you're very... uhm... rude sometimes, and very annoying at others, I'll be your best friend for as long as I live, uhm... if that's okay with you." The storm of chaos, jealously, and envy, that always raged inside Discord's heart and head subsided. He awkwardly returned the hug Fluttershy was giving him, still not comfortable with the way such things worked. For him, it was easier to drape his entire body around her, and hugging with just his arms felt clunky. She had told him that she wasn't comfortable with such things, though, and he wanted to respect her wishes. "I..." he swallowed. Once, twice. None of it got rid of the lump that seemed to have formed in his throat; at least not until he coughed and spit out a hairball. "That would be very okay with me, Fluttershy," he said finally, delighting in the warm sensation that permeated his heart. It had been there before, but never as strong as this. "Thank you." Fluttershy squeezed him again and let go. "You're welcome. Uhm... I'm going to meet up with Treehugger and go bird watching tomorrow... Would you like to come as well?" "Yes," he said. "Yes I would, if that's alright with you?" "Of course! Just because I'm doing something with Treehugger doesn't mean I don't want to do anything with you," she said, smiling. "Then I would love to." He waved an arm, turning all of the chaotic inconsistencies in her cottage back to normal and then waved at her. "Goodnight, Fluttershy." "Goodnight, Discord." He watched her make her way up the stairs and then let himself out through the floor, whispering, "Goodnight, my friend," to himself. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Wunderbolts: A Story of Three Blue Ponies author: Little-Miss-Minty tags: character:Main 6, character:Photo Finish, character:Rainbow Dash, character:Wonderbolts, genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Their Costumes are Pretty Cool === "Now gurls, look at za camera!" Photo Finish gestured to her assistant and with a flash and a cha-ching, another picture was taken. "How many pictures is that? I lost count thirty minutes ago." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, floating in the air. "Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed, turning around and looking up at the pegasus. "Be polite, please! Let Photo Finish take her time. It takes time to make art." "She should know." Apple Jack gestured to Rarity. She then looked--very seriously-- at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow snorted and rolled her eyes again. They turned back to their positions. The six friends were standing in front of Twilight's castle, posing for pictures. Photo Finish was taking a series of photographs for an exclusive interview with the Princess of Friendship and her closest friends. Starlight Glimmer was to sit in on the interview, almost as if it was a lecture of some sort. Rainbow Dash wasn't enjoying the long process of "making ze magics", though. She didn't like her picture being taken. Unless, of course, she was showing off some big achievement or award or something. Then, photo sessions were fun. "Okay, I done now," Photo Finish swished around, tapped the camera, and it folded up almost instantly. "We go!" Photo Finish then swiftly turned around in her very Photo Finish way, only to be stopped by Rainbow Dash, herself. As soon as Photo Finish swished, Rainbow Dash swooped down. She had a question that was bothering her for ages now. "Hey Photo Finish, I know that you're fashion photographer and everything, but do you think you could maybe make an exception?" Rainbow Dash smiled awkwardly. She could see her friends staring at her, confused as to what she was getting at. Rarity and Apple Jack looked especially confused. "Well, I, Photo Finish, am a fashion photographer. We," she gestured to her crew, "photograph fashion. But of course, today, we made a bit of an exception. What do you have in mind? What do you want me to photograph?" "Well..." Rainbow Dash began, "See, there are these really cool ponies called the Wonderbolts. Maybe you've heard of them?" "Ah, yes. I, Photo Finish, have heard of deez Wunderbolts. A flying acrobatic team, made of pegasi, ya?" Photo Finish nodded her head, bob bouncing with it. "Ya... yeah." Rainbow Dash smiled. "I'm a really big fan of them, and I've made friends with them, too. I feel like they deserve to be photographed by..." Rainbow chose her words very carefully, "The best photographer in Equestria! Of course!" "Me? Da best photographer in Equestria?" Photo Finish was obviously pleased. "Yup! You're great!" Rainbow Dash wasn't very fond of fashion, but despite her choice of subject, she did think that Photo Finish was a pretty good photographer. The light in her shots was always exceptional, the emotions she captured spectacular... okay, now she was thinking like Rarity. "You're pretty cool, you know," she added, trying not to lose her cool. "Why, thank you, Rainbow Dash!" Photo Finish smiled wide, bouncing a little in her very Photo Finish way. "Now, what was dat you were trying to get at?" "Oh, um..." Rainbow Dash looked around. "Well, I was just wondering... uh... if you'd be willing to take some pictures of the Wonderbolts? Maybe?" Rainbow chuckled awkwardly. "Their costumes may not be fashion, but they're pretty cool." "Oh ya, dats what I, Photo Finish, thought you were going to ask. I'm sure dat we'd be ecstatic to photograph dem," Photo finish said, nodding. Her assistants saw her doing so and nodded along. "Great! Then I'll tell Spitfire about it all, and set up a date, I guess." Rainbow Dash tried to smirk, but was actually exploding with happiness inside. Photo Finish signaled to her assistants that it was time to go. "Okay, now we go!" She said, swooping around. They strutted away, Photo Finish's theme song playing from no apparent source, as always. After they left, Rainbow Dash flew back to her friends. She did a flip in the air, squealing a long "EEEEEEEEEEE!" Twilight Sparkle stared at her elated friend. "What were you talking to Photo Finish about? You don't seem like the type of mare that would be so ridiculously excited to talk to a famous fashion photographer." "She's going to photograph the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash did another flip. "And I'm going to help her! I'll get to hang out with the Wonderbolts!" "That's great, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie smiled and bounced a little. "Yeah! And I'll even get to see..." Rainbow Dash blushed a little, "I'll get to see Sorin'." "If I didn't know better," Rarity said, "I'd think that you have a little crush on him." She winked and laughed a little. "Nahhh..." Rainbow Dash giggled awkwardly. "I'm not a girl that falls in love." "Suuuure, Sugarcube." Apple Jack smiled. "Well, I have to get back to arranging Starlight's next friendship lesson, and I'm sure that everypony else needs to get back to their work." Twilight nodded and looked around at her friends, who all murmured agreements. "Right... and I have to tell Spitfire about the photo shoot," Rainbow Dash smirked and nodded. "Then I'll be off! I have to design some more dresses for my next line," Rarity started to trot away. "Goodbye, girls!" "And my shift at Sugarcube Corner is about to start, so i better get going, too!" Pinkie Pie bounded away. One by one, the mares left. Twilight slipped away into her castle, and Rainbow Dash zoomed away to the Wonderbolts Headquarters. === A Conversation with Spitfire and a Note to Photo Finish === Rainbow Dash knocked on the wooden door to Spitfire's office. Spitfire opened the door with a wide smile. "Hey, Rainbow Dash. What brings you here?" "So... You know Photo Finish?" Rainbow Dash asked. Spitfire welcomed Rainbow Dash into her office, one hoof on the doorknob and the other gesturing out. The orange pegasus walked over and sat down behind her desk. "Yeah, I've heard of her." Spitfire put her back legs up on the desk, and leaned against the back of her office chair. "She worked with that Fluttershy friend of your's, right?" "Uh huh," Rainbow Dash nodded. "Well, I thought that it might be a cool idea if she took some photographs of you guys. After all, Photo Finish is just about the best photographer in Equestria, and the Wonderbolts certainly deserve the best." "Yeah, I see where you're coming from." Spitfire sat up on her chair, putting her legs down. "When would she come out and see us? And what kind of performance should we put on?" "I don't think it really matters what tricks you do, just do something awesome, like always. And when would you guys be able to do this photoshoot? Because I'm sure that I could find a time where both of you are free..." "Tomorrow." Spitfire tapped one of her forehooves on the desk with a 'clunk, clunk.' "Tomorrow seems like a fine day for some flying. Ask Photo Finish if she's free tomorrow, okay Dash?" Spitfire looked down at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow saluted, smiling. "Yes, ma'am. Then see you tomorrow?" She started for the door. Spitfire got up from her chair and ran to open the door. "See you tomorrow, Rainbow Dash. Who knows, we might take some pictures with you, too." Rainbow Dash stepped out of Spitfire's office. "Really? Thanks, Spitfire!" "I mean, you're practically a Wonderbolt, anyway. And you're going to stay and help Photo Finish and us the whole time, right?" Spitfire nodded, and Rainbow Dash started to nod along. "Of course! Why wouldn't I stay?" Rainbow Dash looked behind her, then back at Spitfire. "Well, I better ask Photo Finish if she's free tomorrow." "If she's photographing the Wonderbolts, she's free tomorrow." Spitfire winked at Rainbow. "Right." Rainbow Dash smirked. "Okay, bye Spitfire" And with that, Rainbow Dash flew off. Rainbow Dash flew to her house made of clouds and swung open the door. She slammed it shut, grabbed a pencil and a sheet of lined paper, sat at her desk, and started to write. Dear Photo Finish, Are you free tomorrow? Spitfire wants the photoshoot to happen tomorrow--- "No, no..." Rainbow Dash mumbled, flipped the pencil around in her mouth, and erased everything but 'Dear Photo Finish.' "I'm never good at writing these sorts of things." Rainbow sighed a with a little 'huff.' Dear Photo Finish, Spitfire would like to know if you are free to do the photoshoot tomorrow. She said that "tomorrow seems like a fine day for flying." If you're free, write back and I'll make sure to set everything up. Twilight can probably put a spell on you and your crew so you guys can walk on clouds and come to the stadium to take some pictures. It should be a fun experience for everypony. Thanks, Rainbow Dash "There we go," Rainbow Dash sighed. She put the note in an envelope, addressed it for Photo Finish, and ran out her door. She was just in time to see Derpy, the mail carrier, wobbily fly by. "Hey, Derpy!" Rainbow Dash waved one of her hooves to get the gray pegasus mare's attention. Derpy flew over and crash landed on a cloud by Rainbow. She got up and dusted herself off. "Whaddya need, Rainbow Dash?" "Can you take this to Photo Finish ASAP?" Rainbow handed the letter to Derpy. "Absolutely!" Derpy put the letter in her mail sack and smiled. She floated up once again and started to flap away. "Thanks!" Rainbow Dash yelled. She could hear a distant "You're welcome!" from a far-away Derpy. Rainbow Dash was in her room with Tank when there was a knock at the door. It hadn't been 15 minutes since she gave the letter to Derpy for Photo Finish. She patted Tank's shell and head to her front door. When she opened it, it was none other than Derpy standing in her doorway. Derpy got a letter from out of her mail bag and handed it to Rainbow Dash. "This is from Photo Finish." Derpy smiled in her adorable way. "Wow, already?" Rainbow Dash questioned. Derpy just nodded, her bangs bouncing a little with her head. "Well, thanks!" Rainbow Dash looked down at the envelope. On the pink envelope, the name 'Rainbow Dash' was inscribed in blue pen. It was in such swirly handwriting that it was almost illegible. Derpy waved a hoof goodbye and flew off. Rainbow Dash closed her cloud door and opened the envelope from Photo Finish. In the pink envelope, there was a light blue card with a fuchsia and black border around it. Rainbow Dash suddenly felt bad about her college-ruled notebook paper with blotchy blue lines, and blocky handwriting written with one of her trusty wooden #2 pencils. There was hardly anything on Photo Finish's card, though; just one simple sentence in pink pen: I'll be at the stadium at noon tomorrow. Photo Finish had then signed the bottom with her super swirly signature. Rainbow Dash dropped the letter, flew up into the air with a smile on her face, and did a flip. "Tomorrow is gonna be awesome!" === The Photo Fun Begins === It was the next day and Rainbow Dash had come to the Sky Stadium, the same stadium which held the Best Young Flyers competition, very early. She was ridiculously anxious! Last night, Rainbow Dash had sent a letter back to Spitfire, asking if she was free for noon. It turned out that she was, and Rainbow Dash was ecstatic that everything turned out well. Twilight Sparkle was with Rainbow Dash at the Sky Stadium, waiting for Photo Finish to arrive by balloon. When she was to arrive, Twilight would perform a quite simple walking-on-clouds spell so Photo Finish and her crew could take photos from the stands of the stadium. Suddenly, a group of the most famous Wonderbolts zoomed into the stadium. It was Fleetfoot, Surprise, Blaze, Misty Fly, Soarin', and Spitfire. The 6 Wonderbolts flew over to Twilight and Rainbow Dash. "Hey guys! Are you ready do to take some pictures?" Rainbow Dash asked. The Wonderbolts all nodded in one accord. Spitfire then said, "We got together early this morning to practice some things. We're certainly ready." At that moment, a pink and purple hot air balloon decorated with swirling designs burst through a few wispy clouds which were drifting next to the stadium. In the basket stood Photo Finish and her two assistants. The hot air balloon drifted to a flat part of the stadium, where it landed and magically tied itself down, creating a knot from clouds. With a pink blast of magic from Twilight, Photo Finish and her assistants were able to walk on the clouds. The three ponies climbed out of the hot air balloon, and with a little bounce, Photo Finish said, "I, Photo Finish, have arrived." Rainbow Dash flew over to Photo Finish, and gestured to the Wonderbolts. "Introducing... the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow then flew over each of their heads as she introduced them one by one. "Fleetfoot... Surprise... Blaze... Misty Fly..." she blushed a tiny bit at this next one, "...Soarin'... and their leader, Spitfire!" "Okay, should we get on with it?" Soarin' asked, elbowing Spitfire. "Ya, we should," Photo Finish said. "Wunderbolts, get into your positions so I can make... ze magics!" Spitfire nodded and the 6 ponies flew up into the air, disappearing into the clouds for a split second. Photo Finish's assistants set up her camera and she got ready to shoot. Rainbow Dash squealed a little. "EEEEE! This is awesome!" "This is going to be great-- an amazing photographer and an amazing team of flyers working on a collaboration!" Twilight said, obviously excited. She looked up at the sky where the Wonderbolts just were and smiled. Suddenly, a burst of grey-black smoke appeared and the Wonderbolts zoomed out of it in all directions. Spitfire was flying straight up; Misty Fly and Fleetfoot were zooming left; Blaze and Surprise were bolting right, and Soarin' was corkscrewing straightforward... right for Rainbow Dash. Rainbow tried to dash out of the way of the flailing, falling Soarin', but it was too late. Soarin' crashed on top of Rainbow Dash and they slid through the fluffy white clouds of the stadium. It didn't hurt in the least bit; they were laughing the entire time. As they slid to a stop, Soarin' hopped off of Rainbow Dash. "Sorry about that," he said, bashfully smiling. "Oh, it's alright." Rainbow Dash was still giggling a little. Okay, so she had to admit to herself that she liked Soarin' a little. Just a tiny, eensey-weensey little bit. She certainly wasn't going to tell anypony about her tiny, eensey-weensey crush. The remaining Wonderbolts and Twilight raced over to Rainbow Dash and Soarin'. Photo Finish trotted behind. "Are you okay, Soarin'?" Fleetfoot asked. "Does everypony feel fine?" Twilight inquired. "Will you be able to fly the rest of today?" Surprise questioned. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Soarin' answered. He then helped Rainbow Dash to stand up by offering one of his forehooves. She gladly accepted and stood up. "Now, are you okay, Rainbow Dash?" She nodded. "I'm doing fine. Everything's cool." Finding that everypony was okay, Spitfire then spoke. "Okay, I'm glad nopony hurt himself--" she then looked over at Soarin' and Rainbow, who were still standing next to each other, "--Or somepony else. Soarin', please be careful. Remember what we went over this morning" Soarin' nodded. "I'll try, Spitfire." "Okay, Photo Finish, did you get any shots before Soarin's crash?" Spitfire asked. Photo Finish ran up to the front to talk to Spitfire face-to-face. She bounced a little after she stopped, bob bobbing with her bound. "Ya, quite a few. It iz a nice day for taking photos." "Wonderful," Spitfire said, a slight bit of sarcasm dripping from her word. "Okay, now, I think we might need another pony to complete this next trick." Spitfire looked over at Rainbow Dash. "Hey Dash, would you like to fill that spot?" Rainbow Dash saluted and said, "I'd be honored." "Alright, I'll show you the basics, we'll practice once, and then we can do a final photoshoot run." Spitfire clapped her forehooves together. "We'll be doing the Cartwheel-Corkscrew Twist. Wonderbolts, let's move, move, move!" And with that, everypony went their separate ways. Twilight, Photo Finish, and her crew tried to find optimal lighting angles and photo positions; Fleetfoot, Surprise, Blaze, and Misty Fly went off to practice their parts of the trick; and Spitfire and Soarin' went to teach Rainbow Dash the Cartwheel-Corkscrew Twist. Today has already been pretty great, and it's just going to get better! Rainbow Dash thought. She was right, that day was going to get better. She wasn't aware, though, just how much better it was going to get. === Soaring with Soarin' === "All right Dash," Spitfire said, elbowing the blue mare. "Are you ready to perform this trick?" They had just finished practicing, and were about to put on their second trick for the photo shoot. "I know it's hard, but it'll be worthwhile, I can tell you that," Soarin' said. He then winked at the end of his sentence with a smile. "I'm ready as I'll ever be!" Rainbow Dash smiled confidently, puffing out her chest a little. "Then let's go!" Said Soarin', excitedly. Spitfire flew to the middle of the stadium and yelled, "Wonderbolts, we're ready when you are!" Very quickly, each of the Wonderbolts flew down to meet Spitfire in the center. "Photo Finish, are you ready to take your pictures?" Spitfire asked, loudly. Twilight and Photo Finish nodded at each other, then back are Spitfire. "We're ready!" Twilight shouted. "Okay Wonderbolts, you know how this goes. We're performing the Cartwheel-Corkscrew Twist, as you know, also. I expect everypony to play their part, and do the trick to the best of their ability. Understand?" The Wonderbolts and Rainbow Dash nodded once, saying "We understand." "Everypony ready?" Spitfire asked. She looked around at everypony's nodding heads, then counted down. "Three... two... one... GO!" The Wonderbolts and Rainbow were off, flying in all directions. First, Blaze corkscrewed up into the clouds while Fleetfoot and Misty Fly flew left, Soarin' and Surprise flew right, and Rainbow Dash and Spitfire corkscrewed forwards. Spitfire and Rainbow then peeled off from the center doing cartwheels, and Soarin' and Misty Fly took their place, corkscrewing forwards. Blaze was now floating downwards, doing loop-the-loops over and over again. Spitfire and Rainbow took Soarin' and Misty Fly's places, respectively; Spitfire was now flying right and Rainbow Dash, left. Soon, Soarin' and Misty Fly started cartwheeling sideways, and Surprise and Fleetfoot took their places. Rainbow Dash and Soarin', and Spitfire and Misty Fly were now flying together. Soon, Blaze landed on a cloud with a soft thump, and Rainbow Dash, Soarin', Spitfire, Misty Fly, Fleetfoot, and Surprise quickly turned back to the center and started to corkscrew back. Each of them got to their place, making a zig-zagged line, and with one accord thumped down on the cloud. Photo Finish snapped one last picture before standing back and looking back and forth at her two assistants, who were clapping with their hooves. Twilight was also clapping, the loudest and most enthusiastic out of all of them; soon, however, she got up and started to walk towards them. "That was amazing, everypony!" Twilight said, nodding at each of the Wonderbolts. "Why thank you, Princess," Spitfire said, smiling at Twilight. She then looked back at Photo Finish and her two assistants. "Hey Photo Finish, how much more time do we have?" Photo Finish walked towards Spitfire in her bouncy, flamboyant way. "About fifteen minutes. I, Photo Finish, am afraid that I do have quite the busy schedule." "Oh... okay," Spitfire said. She then began to stroke her chin, mumbling, "15 minutes...What trick... what trick?" The Wonderbolts had now crowded together in a small clump, and a deep grumble of a throat being cleared was heard. "Yes?" Spitfire asked, snapping her attention to the group. Soarin' stepped out shakily. "Spitfire, if you don't mind me asking, do you think Rainbow Dash and I could perform this last one?" Rainbow Dash looked at him, confused. She didn't know any trick! "You... and Rainbow Dash... hmmm..." Spitfire looked over at Rainbow Dash, who quickly composed her confused face, then back at Soarin'. "Sure, why not. Soarin', this time is your's. Use it well." Twilight Sparkle smiled wide, clapping once. "Great!" "Oh, wunderbar! Okay, tell me when to start taking photos, and I will." Photo Finish trotted back to her camera. "Okay, Wonderbolts! I guess we have a bit of a show, this afternoon. Feel free to take a seat!" Spitfire said to the Wonderbolts, and they all flew their separate ways around the stadium. Spitfire then turned to the two blue pegasi still standing there. "Soarin', Rainbow Dash, it's your time to shine. Don't mess up." She then flew off to stand behind Photo Finish and Twilight. Rainbow Dash turned to Soarin'. "So... what are we doing, exactly? I don't know many Wonderbolts tricks or formations." "Don't worry, just follow my lead, alright? It'll be a I-do-this, then you-do-that sort of thing. It'll be cool," Soarin' nudged Rainbow Dash with his elbow. "Ooookay..." Rainbow Dash nodded slowly a few times. "Ready when you are, I guess." "Great!" Soarin' then shouted to Photo Finish, "We're ready for pictures!" Photo Finish set up her camera and her assistants and Twilight nodded together when Photo Finish was ready. "Three... two... one!" Soarin' was off, zooming straight up. Rainbow Dash followed behind, a few feet behind Soarin'. Suddenly, he changed his direction, now zigzagging up and down, left. Once again, Rainbow followed. Soarin' then did a loop-the-loop and started flying right. Rainbow flew in the same pattern. After flying a bit to the right, Soarin' once again loop-the-looped, then flew to the middle of the stadium. He started to corkscrew upwards, and Rainbow Dash was right behind. Suddenly, Soarin' stopped mid-air. Almost crashing into him, Rainbow Dash stopped short. "Now," said Soarin', "Photo Finish, make sure to catch this... grand finale!" Soarin' nodded at Rainbow Dash, and she nodded back. Instead of zooming off in a different direction, doing cartwheels in the clouds, or speeding off another way leaving a streak of blues, Soarin' leaned in closer to Rainbow Dash. As if a lightning bolt shocked her with sudden realization, Rainbow Dash blushed crimson. The two blue pegasi angled their heads slightly and closed the gap. Rainbow Dash was ecstatic. Her heart was pumping a million times an hour, and there were butterflies in her stomach. She was kissing a Wonderbolt, one of the most amazing ponies in the entirety of Equestria! And it wasn't just not just any Wonderbolt, she was kissing the one she had a crush on. Maybe this crush was actually more than "just a little crush." The best part was that Soarin' liked Rainbow Dash back! This entire thing was awesome. As the two continued to kiss, Photo Finish stepped away from her camera. "Well, vat was unexpected," was all she managed to say. "Yes, I guess so. But just a little bit," Twilight said. "Rainbow Dash has always had a little crush on Soarin'; this day was bound to happen soon." "And this day has been rather... wunderbar," Photo Finish said, smiling. Smiling was not something Photo Finish did very often, and when she did, it was always a very genuine smile. "Yes. It's been a wunderbar day, indeed." Twilight nodded. She sighed as she looked back up at Rainbow and Soarin'. Meanwhile, in the stands of the stadium, the rest of the Wonderbolts were giggling like fillies. Except for Spitfire, that is. "Wonderbolts, this isn't very professional, and you all know it," Spitfire snapped at Fleetfoot, Surprise, Misty Fly, and Blaze. Instantly, the four pegasus mares stopped giggling and sat up in their seats. "But you know..." Spitfire said to herself, "They'd make a pretty good couple." After a long while, Soarin' and Rainbow Dash separated and flew down dreamily to a cloud. Like a flash of lightning, Spitfire zoomed over to the couple. "Soarin'! Do you know how unprofessional that was?" Spitfire barked in the pegasus stallion's face. Suddenly, Soarin' lost the dreamy look in his eyes and blushed. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry ma'am." "Don't worry about it, okay? Just make sure there's no more lovey-dovey stuff when you're in uniform, alright?" Spitfire smiled, then turned and whispered to Rainbow Dash. "I've heard he's a pretty good kisser, eh?" Rainbow Dash was surprised at first, but then blushed a little and laughed. "Yeah, I guess you'd say so." Spitfire nodded and flew over to Photo Finish. "Nice show, Spitfire," Twilight said, smiling. "Thanks, Twilight," Spitfire said with a nod. "I, Photo Finish, was quite impressed, too," the earth pony nodded to her assistants and they started to pack away her camera. "We managed to get a vot of great photos." Twilight then said, "She'll put together a portfolio of them all, and then..." "You'll shine across Equestria!" Photo Finish said, bouncing a little with a smile. "Right." Spitfire chuckled. "Well, thanks again for coming. Rainbow Dash is quite the interesting character, isn't she?" Twilight, Photo Finish, and Spitfire glanced over at Soarin' and Rainbow, who were now talking a little, leaning up against each other. "Yeah, she's a great friend, being the Element of Loyalty and all," Twilight said, grinning. "She was the one to ask me about za pictures! Her ideas are delightful, no?" Photo Finish tapped her head with a forehoof. "Yeah, they certainly are... delightful." Spitfire chuckled some more at the sound of that word. It was much more dainty than anything she said on a day-to-day basis. "Now, I, Photo Finish, know zat it's not my place to ask dis, but when are you going to make Rainbow Dash an... official Wunderbolt?" Photo Finish questioned. Spitfire sighed. "Soon. Very soon. She has the top spot on our list of Wonderbolt Reserves." "Good, because she deserves it." Photo Finish winked, though nopony could really see it due to her magenta-shaded glasses. One of Photo Finish's assistants tapped her on the shoulder. "Well, vit appears I must go now. I'll have dose pictures ready very soon." Photo Finish smiled at Twilight, then Spitfire, and then at Soarin' and Rainbow Dash. Her theme music started play from no apparent source (like all of the music in Equestria), she swooped around, and started to strut off. Before entering the basket of the hot-air balloon, she said her famous "I go," and the three photo ponies were gone. The past few days had been quite an adventure for everypony. A multitude of pictures were taken, there was a new couple in Equestria, and Rainbow Dash had became closer to achieving her dream of joining the Wonderbolts. As Photo Finish would say, it was wunderbar. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Let It Grow author: themoontonite tags: character:Main 6, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Summer Lovers, Lost Then Found === How can I tell you I love you? How, indeed, do I profess a feeling beyond my body when it's all I am? When it's all any of us are? Maybe with my joints, my ruffled feathers and failing breath as we wind down to a meadow handpicked by you, goddess of my spring and fountain of my life; I will love you as best I can. As we come to rest there is a picnic, set to replace the one we lost a moon ago. That's your excuse, at least, but the way your face disappears behind your mane tells me otherwise. My heart speaks and tells me it's not a bid to redo but a test of your inner love. If I could walk around inside that vault, to lay a hoof on its firm walls, to be complete in the depth of affection of another mare? The day wraps around my mind and you wrap yourself around me and I unwind. I spiral, a dizzied flier into your waiting hooves, and you catch and meet me there, in the place where the world softens and slows. You smile, and I see a home for me in your heart. The time it's taken, the decades gap left in our love by crushing uncertainty stings like the morning sun in too-tired eyes. I find it hard to grasp sometimes, like trying to hold ozone between my hooves, but with you it eases. The soft sunsong of your coat, the gentle purr of your voice against me as you lean into my collarbone, your hoof braced against the checkered blanket; all of it swims into focus. The time was worth it. The time was a test of loyalty, a test of kindness, a test of the bond between lovers forged in summer skies. One could consider it a testament. It's a trophy, something I can point to and exalt. Look! See, then, how I loved her through it all? See how it was made easy not by my own merit but by the merit of the unyielding sunshine of her soul? See now how it and she wraps around me, compressing those years into a single dense moment, a singular kiss as the birds sing our praises? Her praises. I'd sing them too, if I could. I have never believed in kindness. Not in the way others believe. It moves through me, like I'm an avatar of the softer side of the world. There is no need to believe in what is inside you already. I simply am and kindness is, and we move through each other like long, thin wings through summer air; thick with the humidity of unspent rain. I save my belief for the multitude of things that are outside me, that I cannot hold the way I hold you; cradled close to my warm chest when the sun has done its time and slips away to make room for the moon. We breathe in tandem and I feel the wind of life slip from me to you, then around again; a beautiful cycle guided by fate and made real through flesh and blood. Your sleepy murmurs and shuddering tremors of dreamed movement are percussion in the song your body plays for me as I nestle against you. The hum of your blood, the gentle thrum of your heart, it all plays in a time signature only you and I are privy to. For a long time, I was lost. I thought I had lost you too, in the haze of a too-low voice and a too-short name. In that empty space, that meaningless time, nothing seemed to fit right. Nothing but the names you gave me. There was a sturdiness evidenced in your friendship even then. There was something within me yet unknown but you must've seen it. There is no way you didn't feel the me waiting to be born as you shielded the me that still lived from the world around her. You were the first pony to see me for who I was. I've told you as much and you just laugh. You say I'm silly, that you were just doing what was right, but I know from the way the corner of your eyes tug that you are moved. It's hard not to be honest around you, to stop myself from baring the tangled thorns of my heart. You've never once flinched from the parts of me I feel are too ugly or too heavy to bear. When we are alone we speak a secret language, of quiet glances and fluttering feathers that stir the honey of our thoughts. I love our secrets, our special places and thoughts and feelings that only we high fliers have access to. I love your quiet moments - like patient storms - just as much as I love your thunder and lightning, your boisterous blue against blue. The sky is jealous of your hue, rainbows envy the colors you paint across the sky with your movement, and I feel neither jealousy nor envy as you alight in front of me with sweat streaking your brow and a smile writ large across your face. I only feel peace and kindness and something that is both inside and outside me: love. === Two Sides, Same Coin === How, then, did you see me? Through the forest, in the depths of the orchard where I was couched, waiting for love to pass over me like a summer rain; how did you find your way to my heart? And why, then, did you tend to it as you did? Do you know what you've done to me? The lover you've made with your words, the painful nights yearning for the sweet honey apple of your touch? But. But! I digress. I divert, indeed, all my focus now to you, lying cupped in the dappled shade of an apple tree. I slump ragged against a red delicious and you spring from your chair, towel and water clasped in your magic. I don't have time to move, to defend myself from the immovable force of your love. I barely have time to thank you before it catches me again and I'm humbled by your beauty. You humble me further still by stealing my line, pushing my hat up as you whisper out an affirmation of your affection. The wind steals it but not before I can hold it in my heart, another mark upon that sturdy drum that beats out a tempo for the earth. Now, in this moment, it beats only for you as our bodies hang delicate in the balance of a universe made just for us. I swear your lips are upon me before we touch, the taste of rose preceding the soft embrace that I lean into. It makes the work worth it. Indeed, it makes every foolish moment leading up to this worth it. Every word out of place, every petty disagreement, every clash of personality was worth suffering through if it meant one kiss from you. One love so pure, so foundational to the world that it may as well be the earth I walk upon. Your love is a scaffold and I the barnraiser. I couldn't be without you but with you being is easy. The lightness you move with is lent and I borrow freely, carrying myself prouder still because of such a love. I'll carry us both if it comes to it. I did not know the earth when I was born. I suppose we were all shaped from it in one way or the other, but my connection to it has always been tenuous at best. I am thought and magic and light, you are dirt and sun and sweat and this makes you unknowable to me. That which is unknowable is the most easily coveted, a prize to capture or a puzzle to solve. So imagine my surprise when I seek to know you and you open, yielding all and hiding naught from the light of my heart. It was disarming! What was I meant to do? I came prepared for a battle, to tangle myself in the strings of your soul and struggle against the insurmountable strength of your spirit. To say you yielded would imply a need to give ground. I stood on the step of your door and you welcomed me inward, ushering me towards the warmth of your hearth. Still, our natures are opposed and it is in this opposition I found the struggle I had been seeking. It is a comfort in a way; a consistency in a life increasingly devoid of such. I could count on you to have a mind whose thoughts and feelings sat across mine and I could count on you to speak those thoughts and feelings, make real the doubts that sit within myself so I may truly dispel them. I rely on you, in a way. We are that which the other is not. Is this not the foundation of love? === Unstoppable, Immovable === I tire. Do you know this? I falter and strain and suffer just the same as anypony else. I am not all sugar and speed, all pink noise static. I breathe and therefore must also pause for breath. You believe me, right? Of course you do. Of course you do! You know this better than anypony else. You sense it, even. When I need comfort you provide it. When I need rest you're right there beside me, holding me close against the softness of your spirit and it is against you that I understand. You described me once. We were younger and stupider then, filled with all the joyous idiocy of our youth. You, flush-drunk off Apple reserve, compared me to an unstoppable force. Without limits and direction, you said. I don't know if you meant it. I understand it now though. I am not unstoppable. You are not immovable. We stop and move and laugh and cry and carry on, a whirlwind only you and I can ever appreciate. Is that selfish? The belief that only I appreciate us, that only you appreciate us? Perhaps it is. To tell the truth I do not care. I want your selfish thoughts, your bitter feelings that twist in your gut late at night when it feels that all the stars have gone away. We can bare the worst parts of ourselves and it is through this that we can bear them, live through them, and indeed prosper through it all! Prosper for as long as we are able to, at least. It tugs at my heart some days; the thought that you will be without me in some far future. Who, then, will make you laugh, lover mine? And who will make my heart sing? Where will all the light go when we're gone? I know you can't tell me. Even if you knew I wouldn't want to hear it. This unknowing, this cluelessness, is the beauty of love. I think you'd agree. How? In any world, in any span of time, how did we swim up the same river? What am I supposed to make of you, when you spend hours by my side without complaint, without flagging at all. What am I supposed to do with myself in the hours before your return? I've tried to study, to understand the nature of the feelings that sit balled up tight in my unruly chest, but they refuse to unfurl without you around. That would be fine then if I could study in your presence. If you didn't steal away every moment — if I could call giving my time willingly theft at all. Every single breath the world gives me I'd give to you if you'd let me. I know you not at all but still well enough to know you'd deny me. You'd deny my limitless breath, you'd deny the stretch of my wings, you'd deny the flute of my horn. You accept, however, the wrap of my wings around you. This is good, I think to myself, as I cling tight to the promise of another moment with you here in my life. This is more than good. This is the limit of language, the failing of the words we've been given to describe the shape of a thing that is outside of us. I once tried to understand you and failed. Now I seek to understand us, the passage of love between two disparate bodies, and I think I see the face of god in the tresses of your mane. It seems to me that the whole of the universe, the limitless expanse of the potential of our lives rests in the curls that frame your smiling face. As you press against my side with exuberance I'm beset by the reality of love and I can't stand it. I can't stand it! I want to stand up, to fling my wings out and flail my hooves to the ceiling and scream all my love out until I'm spent. That, however, would mean peeling our bodies apart. I liken it to the splitting of an atom, to cleaving the very fabric of ourselves in twain, for to part from you is to suffer beyond what my mortal body allows. I bear it still, for the good of us both, but it is only for the promise of a return to our bound state that I bear it at all. I would bear a thousand days cleft from you for one kiss, one sweet sugar caress of tender affection, but lucky mare am I that you seem to be in ample supply. Indeed, it's hard to escape your attention without the pepper of you against me. I wouldn't have it any other way. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: A Couple of Showponies author: Possumfacee tags: character:Soarin, character:Spitfire, character:Trixie, character:Wonderbolts, genre:Adventure, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Hey... I Know You! === "Great show, guys!" Spitfire yelled above the cheers of a still-riled audience; the Wonderbolts fans were always generous with their applause, but there had never been this much hoof-stomping and frenzied cheers before. "Keep performing like that and I'll knock an hour off of Saturday practice. Now shower up!" The fiery-maned pegasus turned to her co-captain, Soarin, and thumped his shoulder with her hoof. "Especially you. I bet I could smell you all the way from Canterlot!" The pale blue stallion raised his foreleg, sniffed, and cringed, turning slightly green. "R-Right away, Spits... Ugh." He saluted awkwardly and dashed off toward the stallion locker room, leaving Spitfire alone in the back stage of the stadium. The cheers of the crowd were dying down as the devoted fans were slowly heading home, but the yellow mare still felt the accomplished tingle of a job well done. Perhaps she'd been pushing the team a little too hard, but if it paid off it was well worth the extra effort. And it had paid off- even the newest, least polished tricks had been pulled off nearly flawlessly. And the small slip up from the newest full time member of the team, Lightning Streak, had gone unnoticed by most if not all of the show's attendees. Breathing a sigh of relief, Spitfire decided to skip the shower and reward herself with a warm bubble bath back at her hotel room. Waiting a couple moments after the stadium fell silent to make sure no crazed fans were lingering (as she had learned to do every time from a couple bad experiences), the Wonderbolts captain exited the large stadium into a crisp Manehattan night. Luna's sky was extravagantly lit tonight, and the whole city seemed to be coated in silver. Shivering slightly, Spitfire made a beeline for the hotel, barely visible on the horizon. As fiery as she was, the mare was not a big fan of cold weather, and the warm orange glow from the windows of the buildings she passed made her bones ache with a longing for her warm bed back in Cloudsdale. But, she thought with a small smile, soon the winter tours will be over for the holidays and I'll be back home with my family... and my bed! As she slowly descended in front of the hotel, she heard her name being called out frantically. Normally she'd avoid a confrontation this late at night in the middle of Manehattan, but the voice sounded oddly familiar. I'm sure I don't know anyone who lives here... Against her better judgment, Spitfire stopped and turned in the direction of the voice, ready to drop-kick an attacker back into the reign of Nightmare Moon. "Spitfire?! It is you!" An azure-coated unicorn was enthusiastically trotting in her direction, tugging a small wagon behind her (with some strain, Spitfire noted). "Er... Yep. It's me." The golden mare reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a pen. "What can I do for you? Autograph?" She waved the pen slightly, fully prepared to jab it into this strange mare if she needed to. The unicorn paused, looking terribly offended. "What? You don't remember-" she stood on her hind legs and waved her forelegs- "the Great and Powerful... whoa!" The blue mare lost her balance and plummeted backwards, knocking her head on the wagon still attached to her. Wincing, Spitfire trotted over and extended her hoof to this strange pony. "Ouch. Stupid wagon. Trixie will end you! You know not who you have wronged!" The mare took Spitfire's hoof and began to pull herself up. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will-" Spitfire gasped and accidentally released Trixie's hoof, sending her back down to the grimy street. "Oops!" She grabbed the now dingy unicorn and helped her up. "I'm sorry, I just... You can't be that Trixie! The one from the Young Performer's camp back about... what, ten years ago?" Looking appalled at the state of her coat, Trixie grunted. "The very same. Leave it to a pony as popular as you to forget her very best friend... for life." Pouting for a moment, the mare shrugged and ran a hoof through her mane. "No matter! Surely you have more important things on your plate than remembering foalhood friends. It's not as though Trixie sent you countless letters or anything." She turned back to her wagon, unhooking herself from it and giving it a stubborn kick. Feeling her cheeks burn, Spitfire chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Heh... Yeah. I've had so much mail the past few years that I've just given up on reading most of it... Sorry." The Wonderbolt shivered as the wind picked up, cutting through the thin cloth of her uniform. "You've got to come up to my room with me! There's so much catching up to do." Grabbing her old friend's hoof, she tugged her towards the door. "Come on, I'll make sure someone takes care of your wagon for you." "If you insist," Trixie replied, not resisting or letting go of Spitfire's hoof as they scrambled inside. Spitfire hurried to the elevator, bouncing in place as she waited for it to reach the lobby. "C'mon, c'mon!" She mumbled, staring at the ticker above the doors as another pony, a mint-green unicorn, stopped beside the pair and snorted. Spitfire turned to see the mare shooting Trixie, who had her head low as she stared at the floor, a dirty look before grumbling "I'll get the next elevator," and promptly turning on her heels and stomping off. Before she could question her friend, a friendly "ding!" sounded and the elevator's doors opened, beckoning in the two mares. Trixie's head still hung low, and Spitfire gently nudged the blue mare. "You okay?" Trixie yanked away from her and nodded. "Trixie is fine, thanks. Would you mind if Trixie jumped through your shower?" "Er..." Spitfire glanced at the dirty spots on Trixie's fur from the multiple encounters with Manehattan's less than pristine streets. "Of course you can." The friendly "ding!" sounded again, and the two stepped off on the 5th floor. Leading the way down the hall, the fiery pegasus hummed happily to herself. "Ah!" she exclaimed, fumbling about her saddlebag for a moment before yanking out a key card and sliding it quickly through the keypad in front of a large red door. "Room 517. Make yourself at home!" While she waited from Trixie to finish showering, Spitfire stripped out of her oppressive (and stinky!) uniform and flung it on the floor. "Ahhh..." The mare plopped down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling as she thought back to the first time she'd met Trixie, who was one of her oldest friends... ***** "Well, well, well. If it isn't the lame and cowardly Trixie!" Spitfire rolled her eyes as the voice rang out through the playground, the surrounding foals abandoning their games of hoofball and hide-and-seek to investigate the small mob forming near the swings. "You're not helping!" the fiery yellow pegasus called out to Soarin, who was generally anything but helpful when it came to mediating peacefully, as he zipped over to the ever-growing crowd, turning his head and sticking out his tongue at her as he flew. A smirk crept across Spitfire's face as he turned back too late to notice the monkey bars directly in front of him. The pained "oomf" he managed to squeak out as he collided was enough to quell her annoyance momentarily. Still, she felt it was her duty to keep these rowdy brats under control- even if she was fresh out of the rowdy brat stage herself-, and so she stomped forward, parting the sea of young ponies to get a better look at the scene before her. A small blue and green unicorn filly was standing over an even smaller blue unicorn whose eyes were wide with panic despite the look of pride she was struggling to keep on her face. This wasn't the first time she'd seen the larger filly picking on somepony else, but Spitfire was surprised to see the victim was... what was her name? Trixie! Yes, the small azure unicorn could be annoying at times, but she mostly kept to herself, standing around brushing her mane or playing with her teddy bear. It didn't seem completely out of the question that Trixie had said the wrong thing or pushed the bully's buttons, but regardless of the circumstances, it was her job to put an end to this. Stepping forward and nudging the larger filly away from Trixie, Spitfire barked "Name?" "None of your beeswax, Flame-Brain." The obnoxious foal struggled to get around the older and larger mare, but to no avail. "This doesn't concern you. Go play with somepony your own age." Spitfire kept a straight face despite the powerful urge to knock the filly straight into Cloudsdale. "It is my business, I'm the oldest!" With a small rush of pride, the young pegasus stood a bit taller as she continued. "And besides, even if I wasn't the oldest, it's my responsibility as a decent pony to help someone in need." "Bleh bleh bleh responsible! Pffft!" The aqua-maned filly prodded Spitfire's chest with a hoof. "You pegasi are all the same: high and mighty until real danger strikes. That's when you can count on unicorns to stick around!" "A bully and a racist?" Trixie snorted and admired her hoof, brushing a bit of dirt from her mane. "Trixie attracts the worst kinds of ponies, wouldn't you agree...?" she trailed off, motioning her hoof at Spitfire. With a small smile which probably ended up looking more like a grimace, Spitfire nodded. "Agreed," she replied before turning back to the offender. "But regardless of your personal beliefs, you need to be respectful or at least pleasant to other ponies." "You can't tell me what to do, you're not my mom!" The small filly puffed herself up, her tiny horn emitting a bit of magic. "Yes, and Trixie is sure Spitfire's very grateful for that." Trixie smirked and stood next to the fiery mare, looking up at her with a bit of awe in her large purple eyes. The unicorn shot another glare at the pair before turning away and kicking a cloud of dirt at them. "Whatever," she grumbled as Spitfire coughed. "Both of you combined aren't worth even a minute of my time." With that, she trotted off, head held high, until she disappeared from view. Shaking her head, Spitfire looked down at the unicorn by her side, her eyes still glued to the pegasus' face. "Erm..." Rubbing the back of her neck, Spitfire extended a hoof to the runt. "I guess you already know my name, but it's nice to meet you face to face. Where'd you hear about me anyway?" Trixie took Spitfire's hoof and shook it gently. "And you must know my name now. Or what that foal Seafoam-" she shot a glance in the direction the bully had headed, "has chosen to call me." She released the pegasus' hoof suddenly, jumping into a dramatic pose, her chest puffed up as she grinned. "But do not be fooled, fair maiden, for I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!" She looked up at Spitfire expectantly. "But who hasn't heard of you, that is the better question! Trixie is sure everypony here knows about the daughter of a Wonderbolt!" "Oh." Spitfire blushed slightly, lowering her head as a few foals glanced over at Trixie's overly-enthusiastic outburst. "Of course." She stood and spread her wings, lifting a foot or so off the ground. Smiling down at the younger filly, she had to admit to herself that Trixie's exuberant attitude was somewhat charming. "So what was that little brat- I mean Seafoam picking on you about anyway?" All at once, the enthusiasm faded from Trixie's eyes. She spat at the ground, her ears flat back against her head. "Some of the other ponies here doubt Trixie's awesome power. But they're foals for doing so!" The young filly kicked at the ground with a vengeance, a small tuft of grass flying through the air. A frown settled upon her face as she looked up at Spitfire. "Right? They're foals, right?" "Well duh!" Landing softly next to Trixie, Spitfire grinned and laid her wing on the smaller pony's shoulders. "'You don't get accepted into the Young Performer's Training Camp if you're not the best of the best!' That's what my dad always told me." She lightly nudged Trixie's side. "So what are you here to practice? What makes you so great and powerful?" The filly's eyes filled with excitement once more. "Trixie is going to be a magician! The most powerful magician in all of Equestria!" Once more, several nearby foals paused to stare at the blue unicorn as she posed, standing on her hind legs and flailing her top half with a big smile. "And Trixie- I bet you're here to become a Wonderbolt, huh?" "Maybe," Spitfire replied, her eyes on the clouds as a small frown formed on her face. Not noticing her companion's sudden change in attitude, Trixie smiled and hugged Spitfire's front legs tight. "Thank you for standing up for me. Trixie is- I am grateful to have found a friend who appreciates how great and powerful I am." Spitfire smiled down at the younger filly. "Someday they'll feel silly for doubting you. Now why don't you show me some of your tricks?" Trixie's eyes lit up, and she nodded furiously. "Sure!" she squeaked. "Let me go get my teddy- I mean, let Trixie show you how to vanquish an Ursa Major!" Spitfire chuckled as she watched the little unicorn dash off, nearly tripping over her own hooves with excitement. ***** Spitfire was suddenly shaken from the memory by the creaking of the bathroom door as Trixie glanced out into the living room. Spotting the pegasus stretched out on the couch, the blue mare trotted out of the room, a cloud of steam following her. Spitfire smiled at her friend, then realized the mare was staring directly at her rump. Blushing and covering herself with her fiery tail, Spitfire cleared her throat loudly. Trixie's eyes snapped up to Spitfire's, the situation dawning on her. "Oh!" she yelped, blushing just as brightly as the Wonderbolt. "N-No! Oh, it's not as it seems. Trixie was trying to see your cutie mark... I didn't remember what it looked like." The unicorn groaned, covering her face with her hooves. "Trixie always manages to make a foal of herself these days!" "Oh." Sitting up to allow Trixie room on the couch, the yellow pegasus chuckled. "It's okay. And honestly, who doesn't want a piece of this?" When Trixie buried her face farther into her hooves, Spitfire squirmed uncomfortably. "Er, joking of course." Still no response. "Um... Tell you what, I'll go make us some hot chocolate and you can catch me up on what you've been doing this past decade, huh?" Taking the silence that greeted her as an agreement, Spitfire scrambled off the couch and padded into the adjoining kitchen. As she stood on her hind legs to grab the packets of cocoa from the shelf above the stove, she heard the door of the hotel opening. "What... Trixie?" Spitfire dropped down to all fours and trotted back toward the living room. "Where are you..." She trailed off as she noticed tears on her friend's face. "What's wrong?" Trixie paused and sighed. "Trixie has not been as lucky as you. Trixie- I was a foal for thinking you'd want to be friends with a loser like me. Trust me, you don't want to hear about my life. You wouldn't want to be my friend if you did." Confused, Spitfire stepped toward her friend. "What? No, it can't be that bad. You're the Great and Powerful Trixie, after all!" Wincing, Trixie shook her head. "Sorry for wasting your time, Spitfire." The mare dashed out into the hallway, nearly colliding with another guest. "Watch where you're going!" Trixie nearly yelled as she frantically raced to the elevator, slamming her hoof into the down arrow. "Trixie..." Spitfire started to follow her friend, but the unicorn shook her head. As the elevator arrived, Trixie turned back to Spitfire, her cheeks glistening with tears. "Please leave Trixie be." She stepped inside and the doors clicked shut, leaving Spitfire alone in the hallway with the guest who had narrowly avoided being knocked over. He snorted, turning away and ambling down the hall. Frozen in place, Spitfire watched the elevator's ticker count down to the lobby floor (4, 3, 2, 1...) before returning to her room, the tingly happiness from the night's show completely gone and replaced with something she could not quite understand. For a moment, she thought about just going to bed, but suddenly she had a different plan. Throwing open her window, the pegasus zipped outside into the frosty air once more, scanning the street below for her friend. "C'mon..." Just as she was about to return to the safety of her warm room, a flash of blue caught her eye, and she dived down to the street. Easing the dive at the last moment, she landed directly in front of a still wet-cheeked Trixie and muttered "Hey," quietly with a half smile. "Please don't go yet." Trixie looked away, kicking at the pavement. "Trixie left her wagon. She would have had to come back eventually." "Yeah, but I was worried you'd leave and I'd never find you again." Spitfire sighed and looked down at the ground. "Look, you don't have to come back right now, and you don't have to tell me what you've been up to since we last met, but I want you to promise me that you'll meet me here tomorrow afternoon. We can go get lunch or something. My treat. Please, just... don't go like that." Trixie looked unconvinced. "I know we haven't even seen each other since we were like... what, eighteen and sixteen? But I didn't mean for things to turn out that way. I just got so caught up with training and my family was always traveling... I won't make excuses anymore. I'd really like to better friends again. I want to make it up to you. And trust me when I say that I don't think that you're a loser, and nothing that you could have done will change that." "..f-fine." Trixie trotted past Spitfire, flicking her muzzle with her pale blue tail. "Meet me in front of the hotel at 5pm. If you're late, Trixie will not hang about! Now farewell." With a puff of smoke, the unicorn dashed off into the night, leaving Spitfire in a coughing fit. "Trixie!" Spitfire croaked between coughs. "Your wagon!" Slowly emerging from the shadows, Trixie grinned sheepishly. "Leave it to you to ruin Trixie's grand escape." She cleared her throat and dashed down the road back toward the hotel parking lot, looking over her shoulder at the yellow pegasus. "5pm. Be there!" "Okay!" Spitfire called out. Standing still for a moment, she repeated more quietly, "Okay." *** Luna's brilliant silver night was beginning to fade into Celestia's colorful morning as Spitfire finally fell asleep, dreaming a dream she would not remember in the morning, filled with fireworks and lights and a beautiful magician. === Is Trixie Destined to be the Greatest Equine Who Has Ever Lived? === Time for Spitfire always seemed to fly faster than she ever could, especially when she was spending it doing what she loved with the ponies she cared for most. And so she'd set off to practice that Saturday morning with high hopes, despite her half-asleep brain, thanks to the measly two hours of sleep she'd managed to get before some numbskull blasting something you'd hear at a DJ PON-3 concert at 5am woke her up. But shortly after arriving at the Manehattan stadium, she concluded that time could not have been going any slower. She knew it wasn't her lack of sleep that was killing her usual high energy- the Wonderbolt had often practiced and even performed on much less. Something else was distracting her, something blue with deep purple eyes and- Spitfire collided face-first into Misty's side, sending the two of them plummeting down a few feet before they managed to right themselves, flapping awkwardly as the rest of the team chuckled. "Hm..." Glancing around for eavesdroppers, Misty leaned in toward Spitfire and muttered. "I hope you don't mind me saying so, Captain, but you haven't been doing so hot today- no pun intended. Something wrong?" "Sorry," the fiery pegasus replied, looking off to the side. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just thinking about a meeting I have later today." "Oh." Letting out a sigh of relief, the cyan-maned Wonderbolt smiled. "Possible sponsor?" Spitfire shook her head. "Not business related." Misty raised an eyebrow. "Ooo. I see." Gently nudging the older pegasus with her elbow, Misty lowered her voice again. "Found a special somepony?" Rolling her eyes, Spitfire nudged her friend back. "Nothing like that. She's just an old friend of mine from my days at the Young Performer's Camp." Oddly enough, she found her cheeks burning at the question. Hoping Misty hadn't noticed- though the sly look on her face said otherwise- she continued, "I kept in touch with her for some time, but after I got accepted into the Academy..." She trailed off with a shrug. "You know how demanding it is." "I see." After a quick stretch, the pale pegasus gave Spitfire one more playful nudge. "Well, I hope your completely platonic meeting goes exactly how you want it to. Even if you won't admit it's how you want it to go!" Before Spitfire could reply, Misty was off, looping through the air with that sly smile still plastered on her face. No more accidents occurred, but Spitfire wondered how; after the short conversation with Misty, Spitfire felt that she could not keep her mind off of her feisty unicorn friend. Oh, of course I can't, she convinced herself. She was my best friend and I haven't seen her in ten years. Anypony would be distracted by something like that! Of course she had never thought of Trixie as anything more than a close friend... right? Truthfully the crushes of her teen years were long forgotten by now, but she was certain that the younger mare- as beautiful and full of life as she had been- had never caught her eye in a romantic way. Spitfire didn't usually fall for unicorns; they demanded cleanliness and a sophisticated air that a Wonderbolt like her- dirty, sweaty, unkempt- could never pull off. And besides, why ruin such a great friendship? Well, it had been great. Perhaps that was the cause of her nervousness. What if the friendship had run its course? She was certainly not the pony she had been at eighteen, and Trixie claimed things had not gone swimmingly for her... Shaking her head, the golden pegasus sighed and resumed her exercises. Whatever the circumstances, their friendship was worth a second chance. *** Deciding the team deserved a small treat- and because if she flew in circles mindlessly any longer, she might explode-, Spitfire ended practice an hour early. Still, it was only 3:45pm, and Manehattan wasn't her kind of town to go exploring in, so she headed back to her hotel room to kill some time. As she threw her bag on the couch, she thought of joining it for a nap, but quickly reconsidered. A heavy sleeper, she easily imagine sleeping right on through to Sunday morning if she closed her eyes for even a minute. Her hotel room didn't offer a lot of exciting options though, and she soon found herself wandering into the bathroom for what she planned to be a quick shower. But the warm water was soothing, and it couldn't hurt to be in tip-top condition for her date- er, her dinner with Trixie. And so the next thirty minutes were spent lather-rinse-repeating until the Wonderbolt's coat smelled and looked cleaner than it had in the past six months. Finally stepping out of the enticing mist, Spitfire glanced at the clock on the wall. "Still half an hour..." she mumbled to herself. Quickly running a brush through her mane (Has Trixie ever seen it brushed? she wondered), the mare decided to wait downstairs in case her friend arrived early. A bad idea, she quickly discovered, as every time even the smallest flash of blue passed by the lobby's double doors, her heart would jump into her throat. I'm being silly. Trixie will be here any minute now! But the clock read 5:09pm and there was no sign of the azure unicorn anywhere. Just a little late, she assured herself, for once thankful for a small group of Wonderbolts fans who pestered her with questions and autograph requests for a while. After they'd left for their rooms, she glanced at the clock hesitantly... 5:43pm. Spitfire's stomach clenched and she sighed, heaving herself up and heading for the elevator. She kept hoping to hear Trixie's voice ringing out "Sorry I'm late!" as she slowly trotted toward the lift, but there was nothing but the din of the lobby and the ever friendly "ding!" as the elevator arrived. Disappointed and left with nothing to do, the showmare resigned herself to her hotel bed, flopping down and shimmying under the covers. Even though she was exhausted in every way possible, Spitfire could not even begin to fall asleep. She wanted to be angry at her friend for ditching her, but all she felt was guilt. "I should have offered to help her. I should have let her stay here last night. I should have known she wouldn't come back." Tears stung her eyes. "Should have, should have, should have." After what felt like hours, there came a frantic knocking on the hotel room door. Spitfire bolted up, eager to race to the door and throw it open, but she restrained herself. "No, if she wants to stand me up, then I won't be welcoming her with open hooves!" she muttered to herself, wiping at her eyes and putting on her coldest expression. She stomped toward the door, scowling as she slowly creaked it open... The instant she saw the blue unicorn, her resolve melted into a big goofy smile. She didn't know why; she had set out angry and she wanted to be angry, but something about seeing her old friend brought an indestructible grin to her face. "You're late," she nearly purred. "Tonight I am the Great and Apologetic Trixie," the unicorn mumbled with a look of shame. "Trixie ran into some... complications... But as you said, no more excuses! Trixie is incredibly sorry, Spitfire. Trixie knows she has let you down yet again." "Well, I was pretty disappointed..." The pegasus felt that holding onto her negative emotions would not benefit either party, so she shrugged and hold Trixie's hoof with her own. "But you're here now, and that's all that I care about." Gently guiding the mare inside and clicking the door shut behind her, Spitfire led the way to the living room. "What sort of complications arose? If you don't mind my asking." She plopped down gracelessly onto the middle cushion of the couch, earning a small smile from Trixie. "It's a rather long story, Spitfire," Trixie grumbled, tugging lightly on the curl of her mane. Spitfire gestured at the clock on the wall. "I've got so much time, it's not even funny." Snorting, Trixie stared at the pegasus with a small smirk. "Odd that such a popular pony would have so much time on her hooves. Don't you have some ridiculous party to attend? A signing perhaps?" "Don't change the subject." Letting out a defeated sigh, the unicorn settled in next to Spitfire on the couch, grimacing at the worn out cloth- Spitfire hoped her after-practice stench had not lingered. "Fine, have it your way," Trixie hissed. With a hefty sigh, she began. "Trixie- I did not have the same luck finding work that you came across so easily... But I got by. At first I played small, unimportant gigs: foals' birthday party magic shows, things like that. But it left Trix- it left me wanting something more. I am the Great and Powerful Trixie after all. I wanted to be the best. I studied as hard as I could, even attended Celestia's school, but..." The unicorn trailed off. "I guess I'm a slow learner. I eventually took my show on the road, and those were the best few years of my life. Every town I stopped in loved my tricks, my magic, my light shows! Sure, I may have slightly exaggerated some of my stories, but what good showmare doesn't? And then," her eyes narrowed, "I came across that wretched Ponyville and that horrible Twilight Sparkle. She just couldn't let me have my moment of glory. It's not as though I wanted to run the town. I just wanted to make a few bits and move on." She turned to Spitfire, and her eyes filled with tears. "But no... That's not the worst part. The worst part... is that I couldn't even vanquish an Ursa Minor. Sure, Twilight Sparkle showed me up in front of everypony, but it was also my fault." Trixie buried her face in Spitfire's shoulder, sniffling as she whimpered, "I'm not great or powerful." Patting her friend's back, Spitfire hummed to herself. "Well, that's not true. You are great and powerful. Vanquishing an Ursa of any kind is incredibly hard. Surely it's not that big of a deal that you couldn't manage it." Trixie froze, laying rigid in Spitfire's hooves. "Not a big deal...?" She yanked away suddenly, leaping to her hooves in front of the Wonderbolt, who could only blink in response. "I'm the laughing stock of every town I go to now! One simple mistake and everypony hates me! I can't work, I have almost no bits. Do you know why I was late today?" Tears were once more filling in her eyes, a couple of them sliding down her cheeks. "Because somepony spray-painted all over my wagon. My home. And there's no way I can pay to fix it. Not even a can of paint to cover it." After a brief moment of silence, Spitfire spoke. "I... I had no idea. That must be horrible, Trixie. I'm sorry this happened. I truly am." Met with silence, the fiery-maned mare continued awkwardly. "Um... I'm sure I can help you!" "Help me? You can't help me. Nopony can." "I could get you a job..." Spitfire paused, tapping her chin in thought. "Ah! You could be a part time act for the Wonderbolts. Or maybe you could do some special effects for our shows!" Trixie sniffled, rubbing her nose with her hoof. "You'd... You'd do that for Trixie?" Spitfire smiled, nodding as she tugged her friend into her lap and embraced her. "Of course I would. It's a favor for both of us: you get paid, and the Wonderbolts get an awesome new teammate! Besides, I told you I'd always be here to help you, and I don't intend to go against my word." "Spitfire..." Trixie locked eyes with the pegasus, leaning in closer. Her breath was hot on Spitfire's neck, and she couldn't help but want to sit still and let whatever Trixie was planning happen... But no! Trixie was a good friend and she would not ruin that for something so silly! Quickly pulling away and taking to the air above the couch, the Wonderbolts' captain let out a nervous, high-pitched laugh. "Anything for a friend!" Looking down at the carpet, Trixie nodded. "Y-Yes... A friend." After a painfully long moment of silence, the azure mare coughed and looked up at Spitfire with an uncharacteristically shy smile. "So, when do I start, boss?" *** Though it took quite some time to get her to stop whining, Spitfire had finally given Trixie her schedule- she would have to be at practice every morning, the same as all the other ponies who played a part in the Wonderbolts' shows, to learn how to coordinate her fireworks and other effects with the moves of the Wonderbolts. Knowing her friend, she normally would have doubted Trixie would show up on time that upcoming Monday, but she could tell Trixie was eager to impress the others, and to regain her sense of self-worth. Working with the Wonderbolts was an honor, and an offer that Spitfire did not make often (not to mention an honor she probably shouldn't have bestowed upon her friend without checking with the others first). She knew Trixie would take this opportunity seriously. For both of their sakes. Before she had left Saturday evening, Trixie had tossed a small, leather-bound book at Spitfire's hooves. "Photos from the Young Performer's Camp. Trixie thought you might enjoy a little trip down memory lane." The mare had smiled, again with the slightest hint of bashfulness, as she headed out the door. "Just don't forget to return them; they mean a lot to Trixie." Now, Sunday morning, Spitfire lay sprawled out on the mattress, flipping through the pages of pictures and occasionally smiling. Most of them were simple memories, but vivid ones nonetheless- a picnic, a musical, magic shows (Trixie's favorite!), talent shows. However, the large photo on the final page caught the mare's amber gaze instantly- their graduation picture. Spitfire had been about twelve then, and Trixie, ten or so. And though it was nearly sixteen years ago, the details of that day were etched in the Wonderbolt's mind as clear as day... ***** "Does my cape look okay?" The small unicorn filly ran in circles trying to get a better look at her homemade "cape", which really wasn't much more than a towel with some gold star stickers haphazardly plastered onto it. Trixie had been so eager to make her own costume that she refused the help of both her mother and Spitfire, and though it was a bit of a mess, it was a mess Trixie wore with pride. With a soft giggle, Spitfire nodded at the bundle of energy. "You look wonderful. But you'll have to hold still unless you want to be a little blue blur in the picture!" She ruffled Trixie's mane and grinned. "Okay, Spitfire!" The filly froze and looked up at the pegasus with wide, awestruck eyes. "I can't believe we're already done. I can't believe I'm officially a magician!" She bounced a bit before catching herself and holding still. "And I couldn't have done it without you." Spitfire blushed, cuffing Trixie's ears with a hoof. "Nah, it was all you, kid. I just made sure you realized your potential. You were always great and powerful." She glanced over at the approaching camera stallion. "Ah, now's our time to shine." The small unicorn tore her gaze away from the pegasus with a faint blush. "Okay, Spitfire." ***** Just before the camera flash had blinded them, Trixie clung to Spitfire's shoulders and gave as mighty a bear hug as her tiny arms could manage. The camera stallion and the camp director hadn't been very happy- the rest of the attendees followed the rules and had remained stony-faced and stiff, but there, in the upper left-hand corner, was Trixie clinging to Spitfire with the most gleeful face the Wonderbolt could ever recall seeing on another pony. She could still remember how excited Trixie was to see her every day, how proud she was when her mom would come to pick her up- she'd exclaim "Say goodbye to Spitfire, my Wonderbolt friend!"; it was the first feeling of being a mentor that Spitfire had ever experienced, and the thing that convinced her that she could be a leader someday. And she could still remember Trixie's concern as she asked on that final day "You won't forget me, will you?" As Spitfire closed the photo album, she vowed to make up for lost time. For Trixie. Her friend. *** "I don't think you're even trying!" Spitfire hissed at Lightning Streak, who narrowed his eyes in determination, picking up speed as he zipped past the fiery mare. She smiled to herself; her team didn't just function under pressure, it thrived. As the captain of such an important and valued group of ponies, Spitfire did her best to preserve everyone's self-confidence and to keep them performing to the best of their abilities, and she had learned that the "tough love" approach was often very useful at achieving both. Lately she was feeling particularly focused on the task at hand, as now one of her oldest and closest friends was always nearby, watching the team closely and preparing to act in complete unison with their every move. Trixie had really gotten good at synchronizing her fireworks with the stunts of Spitfire's teammates over the past few weeks, and today would mark the first show that incorporated the magician's light work into the performance. She was more than confident in Trixie's ability, though the unicorn looked like she might lose her lunch at any moment. Descending toward the nervous unicorn, Spitfire chuckled. "Your face is the color of Froggy Bottom Bogg." "Can it, Flame-Brain," Trixie retorted, her tail twitching back and forth and her eyes glued on the pegasi above. Spitfire lightly nudged her friend's shoulder. "You'll do fine. It's just like during practice." "Yes, only hundreds of ponies will be watching," Trixie scoffed, her hooves kneading the ground below. "They will never let Trixie live it down if she fails." The Wonderbolt stretched her wing across Trixie's shoulders, nuzzling her cheek gently. "That probably won't happen. And even if it does, who cares? Everypony messes up sometimes, especially the newbies. Hay, even I still mess up occasionally." Trixie fixed Spitfire with a look of trust. "You're sure Trixie is ready?" "Yes. Now c'mon, the audience will start arriving in ten minutes and we've got to get everyone set up." Spitfire blew into her whistle, waiting for her team to cease practicing before gesturing toward the locker rooms. "Get suited up, everyone, we're about to get started!" She gave Trixie a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing off toward the mares' locker room. *** There was a huge turnout for the Canterlot show- but then again, there almost always was- and the stadium was roaring with the sounds of an excited audience. Once more, things had been going extremely smoothly; Surprise had a small incident involving a messy dive, but she was uninjured and the show had continued flawlessly. The grand finale was next, an elaborate move which involved a heavily synchronized series of dives, twirls, and lots of fireworks. As Spitfire got into position next to Soarin and Silver Lining, she squinted down at the floor of the open-roofed stadium, searching for her blue-coated friend. Unable to see clearly enough through her goggles, she shrugged and looked back to her fellow Wonderbolts. "You know the drill. Count of three. One... two..." A sound cue assaulted her ears. "Three!" Immediately diving only inches away from Soarin, the pair began to spin and twirl around each other tightly, at times parting to loop up and back down, all the while dodging precisely aimed fireworks. They had practiced this stunt a hundred times, and Spitfire was more or less on auto-pilot. It took her a moment to register the loud crack, blinding light, and smell of burning hair and feathers. At first, she thought she had been struck by the firework, but she shortly realized that Soarin was no longer near her, but plummeting down to the stadium floor, gaining dangerous amounts of speed and leaving a trail of smoke behind him. She began to dive after him, though she knew she could never reach him in time. Spitfire's face contorted with horror as she noticed he was hurtling right toward a stand full of ponies. The fans were frantically scrambling away, but it was clear that some of them would not have the time or space to get safely out of reach. Suddenly, a flash of blue came darting toward Soarin's falling form. Trixie! Spitfire thought, her hopes lifting as Trixie's horn began to glow a pant pinkish-purple. An aura surrounded Soarin, but the speed in which he was falling did not decelerate noticeably, if at all. Spitfire was now close enough to see the strained look on Trixie's face- she was giving it everything she had, but it clearly wasn't enough. Spitfire couldn't stand to see her friend and fans smashed to pieces, but she couldn't look away. She sent a silent prayer to Celestia as time seemed to stand still. Seconds before impact, Soarin came to a screeching halt, his face still screwed up in preparation of the collision. For a moment, Trixie's face lit up with pride and relief. But it was soon replaced with a look of utter shame and horror: a unicorn stallion, who couldn't have been older than twelve, had wrapped his aura around Soarin's body at the last moment. As the crowd erupted into cheers, Trixie backed away, her horn's glow fading as tears fell silently from her wide, pained eyes. As a paramedic raced toward Soarin, who luckily seemed mostly uninjured, save for many burnt feathers, the azure unicorn made a mad dash for the exit and disappeared from Spitfire's view. Pausing only for a moment to make sure Soarin was in good hooves, the Wonderbolts' captain took off after Trixie, hoping that she hadn't managed to get too far. Scanning the immediate surroundings, she let out a sigh of relief as she noticed her friend had barely made it down the street. "Hey, Trixie!" "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Trixie turned and snarled at Spitfire, a look of pure anguish on her face. "Trixie... please...." Spitfire approached her friend slowly, one step at a time. "No! There is no recovering from this, Spitfire!" Another step. "It's okay," the fiery mare cooed. "Everything will be okay. Nopony blames you." "I blame me!" The unicorn sobbed, stepping back. "I couldn't even resolve the problem I caused! A problem a foal could fix! I'm weak and pathetic. You were wrong, Spitfire. How could you mislead me for so long?! I trusted you. I thought I could be somepony!" Trixie kicked at the air in frustration. "Well, that's simply not true!" "Trixie..." "If you have any respect for me, you will not follow me, Spitfire." Turning away, Trixie lowered her head. "I have to get away from everything for a while." Tears falling from her own eyes, Spitfire stared at her friend. "Will you come back?" But there came no reply. Darting away down the street, around the corner, and out of sight Trixie went. One of Spitfire's oldest friends, slipping away. And for the second time, Spitfire did nothing to stop her. === It's About Pushing Ourselves in The Right Direction === A chuckle escaped Spitfire's muzzle as Fleetfoot and Misty tugged her towards the bar of the club the Wonderbolts were partying in tonight. "C'mon, cap!" Fleetfoot smiled, giving Spitfire an encouraging nod as the fiery mare chose a stool and plopped down unceremoniously. The bar was packed with only the most important of ponies, and yet no one caught Spitfire's eye as she glanced around the crowd. She did manage a half-smile as her teammates stumbled away, clearly enjoying the club and all the booze it offered them. They deserved it. But she didn't. It had been months since she let Trixie run off, crushed by her failure in front of hundreds if not thousands of ponies. She hadn't caught even a glance of the azure mare since her departure. Spitfire had even resumed searching her fan-mail diligently, and continued to do so every time she stopped by her home in Cloudsdale. There was always an excuse for her frequent trips home: "I have to water my plants" or "I'm worried someone broke in" or even "I need to feed my cat". She was allergic to cats, and she was pretty darn sure her friends knew that. But whenever she made one of her excuses, they were kind and accepting. They managed without her, but she didn't know if that made her feel better or worse. Regardless, she always left home disappointed. She wasn't quite sure why this situation had rooted itself so deeply into her mind, nor was she sure why it affected her so greatly after so much time. Spitfire was not a pony who clung to her problems or failures; if it was in the past, she didn't need to worry about it. But she still felt a guilty pang in her stomach whenever she saw the right shade of blue... Spitfire had memorized that shade of blue; Trixie had never returned for her photos from the Young Performer's Camp. Spitfire had kept them for a lot longer than she intended, relieving the memories over and over with each viewing, as if they held some kind of time travel magic. Trixie had never asked for them to be returned to her, and Spitfire had never seen a reason to do so; the two saw each other every day thanks to Trixie's short-lived work as the Wonderbolts' effects mare. Another pang of guilt. Spitfire should have cherished the days that she got to spend time with Trixie, even if it was spent mostly at work. After a quick glance over her shoulder to ensure her friends were out of sight, Spitfire pushed away from the bar's counter and trotted towards the exit, dodging dozens of drunk, giggling, writhing ponies along the way. She was grateful to see everyone was here to celebrate her team's accomplishments, but she knew that she would only spoil their fun if she stuck around. Finally arriving at the door, a rush of warm air flooded the lobby as she pulled it open and stepped outside. As she ambled down the streets of... where was she again? She narrowed her eyes in thought but the name escaped her. Some small town... ugh. She barely had anything to drink and she still couldn't recall something as important as her current location. Such a lightweight, she thought to herself. Huffing, she tapped the closest pony on the shoulder. "Hey, where are we?" she grumbled. "Er..." The pony, a dusty golden stallion wearing a brown vest and hat (and smelling strongly of apple cider) looked back at her in disbelief. "We're on 4th Street, ma'am." "No no no," Spitfire hissed impatiently. "What town are we in?" The apple-scented stallion's emerald colored eyes grew even wider. "Are y'feeling okay, miss...?" Spitfire groaned and shook her head, rubbing at her temple with a hoof. "I'm fine, just tell me where we are, please," she replied through gritted teeth. "Well, we're in Aaaaaaaappleloosa, of course!" Standing on his hind legs and waving around his forelegs, the stallion shot her a wide smile. "Why, would ya like a tour?! We got apple trees, apple pies, apple fritters, apple-" Thankfully, his speech was cut off by Soarin as he half-stumbled half-dashed through the crowd of ponies outside the bar. Spotting the yellow pegasus, he halted and shouted at the top of his lungs. "Spitfire! There's something weird going on at Ponyville! The town has been taken over!" The throng of ponies began to panic, scattering and shouting as they collided with each other. Spitfire sighed; Soarin didn't know the first thing about keeping things like this from the public. "Hurry!" he added as he took to the skies, headed towards the apparently endangered town. "Well shucks, that don't sound too good, huh?" Unfortunately, the golden-brown stallion had not been one of the ones to scatter in fear. "Do me a favor, would ya? If ya see an orange pony with three apples for a cutie mark-" what a shock, thought Spitfire, more apples- "and she's in trouble, please make sure to get her out of it." Spitfire felt this was an unnecessary request, seeing as she'd be saving everypony and not just ones who had friends that requested their safety, but she nodded dutifully all the same before taking off after Soarin. Hey, at least it was something to do. *** "It's no use!" Fleetfoot sighed, plopping down on the... force-field... that now surrounded Ponyville. "Whoever made this thing must have some crazy strong magic." "Who do you think it was, Spits? Nightmare Moon, maybe?" Soarin, still visibly drunk, looked towards his captain with fearful eyes. "Don't be stupid," Spitfire hissed, a headache pounding forcefully against her temples as she struggled to keep herself from snapping. "Nightmare Moon is gone, and even if she wasn't, what would she want with Ponyville?" Lightning Streak ran his hoof over the dome as he muttered something. "Speak up, Lightning," Spitfire ordered. Jumping in surprise and blushing, he stammered "E-Er, I only mentioned that Twilight Sparkle lives in Ponyville, and she's, like, the p-princess's personal protege." Twilight Sparkle. Why does that name sound so familiar? Spitfire shrugged it off; if this Twilight Sparkle was important to the princess, certainly somepony else had mentioned her before. Still, there was a nagging feeling that this information was especially vital somehow. "Well, if Twilight Sparkle is in there now," she pointed out, tapping the dome with a hoof, "then I guess they're in good hooves." She felt uneasy about this situation, though. It tugged at her instincts and the memory tried to fight through the fog in her brain, but she just couldn't remember why Twilight was important... "Well, should we go home then?" Fleetfoot asked hopefully. Her eyes were bloodshot and there was obvious desperation in her voice. "Uh, well..." Spitfire flicked her tail, struggling to think through this grogginess. "You three can go home." There was instant relief in Fleetfoot's eyes. "I think I'll stay here a while longer, just to make sure things turn out okay. Something doesn't seem right about this..." Shaking her head and immediately regretting it as her headache reminded her that it was still there, she added, "Besides, I promised some apple pony that I'd make sure his friend was okay." "I'll make sure everyone get's home okay, ma'am," Lightning Streak promised with a salute. Spitfire couldn't help but smile; the young stallion was always the mother hen of the group, watching over his teammates and keeping them out of trouble. Sure he was less fun at parties, but he was a valuable asset. "Thanks. You guys be careful now. If anything happens, I'll clue you guys in tomorrow at practice." As her friends flew off- carefully guided by Lightning Streak's watchful eye- Spitfire settled herself in on top of the dome and rested her head between her hooves, surrendering to her thoughts. Her first thoughts were of her team. They were brave, intelligent ponies, and each day she grew more and more proud of them. But at the same time, she was worried. She'd never wanted to be a leader until she thought about how many ponies she could inspire by teaching them what she knew. But her team... She'd taught them everything already. They didn't need her guidance to be great, not anymore. And now that her reason for leading others was wearing thin, she felt overwhelmed by all of her other duties. All the paperwork, all the sponsors, the signings, the meetings, the scheduling. It was driving her mad. This was made worse, of course, by the absence of Trixie... Spitfire might not have been a perfect pony, but she cared so deeply for her friends that it hurt sometimes. Because of this, she often found herself giving more than she had to offer. Trixie had been no exception to the case. A job, stable income, a place to stay, a friend to talk with: Spitfire had given the blue unicorn all of this and more and still she wasn't satisfied. Trixie still ranted and raved about how far she'd fallen, and how she would never be good enough. It wore her down and in turn, it wore down the one providing all these things for her as well. Despite all the she had given to Trixie, when a problem arose, Trixie immediately turned high-tail and ran, never looking back. And Spitfire had not even tried to get her back. She had not even gotten to know her old friend again before she left; work had gotten in the way and Spitfire didn't bother to make more time. She was a useless friend. A horrible friend. An awful- The Wonderbolt's pity party cut short as the dome below her seemed to evaporate. She would have been intrigued by this had she not been free-falling, plummeting towards the ground. In her tipsy state, it took her too long to right herself, and she hit the ground with a crack. Searing pain shot through her leg, and she realized quickly that she had a broken leg. Yelping with her attempts to stand, Spitfire laid her head down on the ground and sobbed. There was nopony nearby, and she would have felt like a fool crying out for help. She was a fool. Who had ever heard of a Wonderbolt who couldn't recover from a fall? Defeated (by gravity, of all things), Spitfire gave in to the warmth of sleep, her hurt leg throbbing as her brain slowly shut down. *** It smells like apples. Is that apple stallion back? I sure hope not. I don't think I could stand hearing about apples again. Ugh. Lifting her groggy head from where she lay, the fiery-maned pegasus realized she was not on the ground outside Ponyville anymore. Well, not unless Ponyville had been turned into a large and comfortable bed. And if that was the case, then her leg... Crying out, she gasped and instantly regretted trying to move the injured limb. Yep, the ground had definitely not been made of pillows and fluff when she hit it. Wincing, she glanced over at her leg and noticed it was still not dealt with. Swollen, maybe, but luckily the bone had stayed inside her body. It was far from the worst injury she'd ever received. "Well, howdy there!" The sudden voice startled Spitfire, causing her to jump and once again, strain her leg. "OW OW OW!" Spitfire screeched, taking to the air to keep weight off the useless limb. "Oh, Celestia. Ah'm sorry!" The voice belonged to an orange mare, her messy blonde mane pulled into a ponytail haphazardly. Her wide green eyes stared up at Spitfire in horror. "Ah'll go get ya some ice an' call for a doctor!" As she turned to the side to exit the room, Spitfire caught a glance of her flank. "Wait! Appleloosa!" she called, lowering herself to the ground as she held her broken leg tenderly above the ground. The earth pony backtracked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Your friend from Appleloosa. He's uh... brownish? And he wears a hat. A cowboy hat." Spitfire felt so woozy from the night before. "He asked me to make sure you were okay." The pegasus grinned like a madmare. "And you are. Yay." "Uh... right. Ah am. And that wasn't my friend, he's my cousin. His name's Braeburn." The mare chuckled, extending her hoof towards Spitfire and immediately taking it back given the yellow mare's leg's current status. "Sorry. Ah'm Applejack. And Rainbow Dash told me your name. Spitfire. Sorry but Ah don't watch a whole lotta sports." Applejack grinned sheepishly. "It's all apples apples apples over here." Spitfire groaned. "Oh right, your ice. Be back in a flash! Hopefully a doctor will be here soon. Mighta been earlier if Trixie hadn't-" "Trixie?!" Spitfire's head shot up. "As in the Great and Powerful Trixie? Trixie was here?" Applejack looked puzzled. "Ayep. You know her too, huh? She the reason your leg is broken?" "No! No of course not, she's my friend..." Spitfire had to admit, Trixie was partially the reason she was in this condition, but mostly that had been her own fault. "Is she still here?" Snorting, the earth pony shook her head. "Naw, your little friend headed out pretty soon after Twilight showed her what's what. Though it ain't right to blame it all on Trixie, she was under some kinda weird ancient spell..." Confused and sore, Spitfire let out some kind of exasperated grunt. "Ice! Ah gotta get the ice. Ah'll be back before you can say lickity split." Applejack dashed out into the hallway, her hoofsteps fading away as Spitfire struggled to make sense of everything. Trixie was here. Recently. She knew if she waited around, the doctor would have to set her leg and she'd probably be forced to rest... She had to go. Hm... Not in any shape to walk, but luckily you don't need legs to fly. Plus I did what I said I would; apple pony is safe. As quietly as possible, Spitfire creaked open the nearby window with her good leg and awkwardly shuffled outside. I have to find Trixie. *** She wasn't sure how long she'd been flying. She wasn't even sure she'd headed the right way. But she was sure that she was glad Soarin found her and brought her to the nearest hospital, because she was close to blacking out from pain. Having her leg set had hurt, but the pain pills knocked it out the pain as well as her consciousness. A well deserved nap, indeed. When she awoke, the first thing she saw was a ton of flowers. Dozens of ponies must have sent them in; it warmed her heart. As her eyes scanned over them, one bouquet caught her eye. A bouquet that was a certain shade of blue. The tag read "Meet me at the hotel. 5pm sharp. Don't be late; I promise I won't be either. Not this time." *** Spitfire wasn't late. When she arrived at the Manehattan hotel, she wasn't greeted by Trixie, though. A pale pink mare ran up to her the moment she stepped inside the lobby. "Spitfire!" she exclaimed, waving a piece of paper back and forth in her magic excitedly. "First of all, it's awesome to finally meet you! I'm a huge Wonderbolt's fan!" The unicorn beamed, raking her eyes over Spitfire with awe. "But, um." She shook her head. "That's not why I'm here! Somepony sent me to wait for you to arrive. And she's up in..." She scanned the piece of paper in her grasp. "Ah! Room 517. She says..." She began to read off the card. "'Don't keep Trixie waiting.' Huh. I guess I should let you go then." The mare looked disappointed. "Uh... I have time for a photo, if you want," Spitfire replied. She needed to get to that room, but the look on the young mare's face... She couldn't let another pony down. After the photoshoot and short conversation, it was still only 4:52pm. Close enough, Spitfire thought as she hobbled up the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. With her leg in a cast, she knew she was probably much slower than even the most rickety elevator, but she was too stubborn to wait regardless. By the time she reached the fifth floor, she was out of breath and sweaty. She fumbled around the pocket of her suit, searching desperately for the key card to her room. "Aha!" Shaking as she ran it through the scanner, Spitfire took a deep breath and opened the door. She was immediately greeted by Trixie's lips on her own. At first, Spitfire was tempted to embrace the moment. To sink into the kiss and enjoy something that she had been denying for a long time. But Spitfire had never been a pony to live only for the moment. If she went through with this, if she had a relationship with Trixie before she even really knew her... No. Spitfire pulled away, looking down at the floor. "Hello would have sufficed." Not getting the memo, Trixie rubbed her cheek across Spitfire's, nibbling at her neck. "But Trixie thought you deserved a very special hello." The azure mare was practically purring, but she stopped when she noticed how badly Spitfire was shaking. "Hm? What's wrong?" Trixie pulled back and noticed the tears in Spitfire's eyes. "Did Trixie do something wrong?" "Yes." Hurt, Trixie took a step back, holding a hoof in front of her chest. "Oh." Tired of beating herself up, tired of feeling guilty and hurt for the past three months, Spitfire exploded. "You left me! I gave you a place to live! I gave you a job! I gave you all my free time, and how do you thank me?! By leaving the second something goes wrong!" Spitfire sighed, a growl escaping her lips. "You don't bother to contact me for months, and then you think you can make up for it with a kiss?" The yellow mare knew she was being unfair. She knew she was being hurtful. And she didn't care. "I don't want you, Trixie. Not like that. I just wanted to be sure you were safe. And you are. So..." She gave a hefty sigh. "Leave." For once, Trixie didn't listen. "No, Trixie isn't going anywhere." "I'll call security." "Do what you must." Crap. Trixie had always been good at calling Spitfire's bluff. "Fine, you can stay. But we're gonna talk this out, like adults. Like platonic adults!" Rubbing her head and glancing down at her leg, she let out another sigh. "But not tonight. I'm too tired." After taking off her suit and quickly eating an apple (oh how she wished it wasn't the only thing in the hotel), Spitfire settled into her bed, snuggling into the freshly cleaned sheets. She was almost asleep when she felt them rustling. She cracked open an eye and spotted an azure figure sneaking into her bed, barely visible in the silver moonlight. "No," she grumbled. "Couch." The figure froze briefly and then retreated, back down the hall and into the living room. With a satisfied grunt, Spitfire rolled over. Try as she might, she could not manage to get back to sleep. It was so cold... It would be nice to share her bed with somepony. Somepony blue and beautiful and... No. Couch, she reminded herself. That's where Trixie belonged. Definitely not in her arms. Please, Celestia. Raise the sun early. === Everypony Deserves a Second Chance—Even a Third Chance! === A feeling of warmth and the smell of baking bread awoke Spitfire from her deep slumber. Lazily dabbing at a trail of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth, the fiery mare stretched slowly, tenderly avoiding moving her cast-bound leg too excessively. She was surprised to notice it felt much better already, but that didn't mean she was going to push her luck. Unable to ignore the rumbling of her empty belly, the pegasus slowly lifted herself from the overstuffed bed and, groaning with lingering sleepiness, limped her way down the narrow hall towards the kitchen. Upon entering the room, she was once again struck by a strange feeling in her chest and a goofy smile on her face; greeting her groggy eyes was Trixie. The best kind of Trixie, too – most of the time the deep blue unicorn kept up her air of aloofness, always looking neutral and unattached, never lowering herself to the level of engaging with those around her. But now, with her mane sticking out in patches, her cape and hat long forgotten on the couch, her hips swaying slightly as she prepared her breakfast... this was when Spitfire thought Trixie was the most beautif - er, great and powerful. The magician was humming softly as she stirred some kind of batter in a large mixing bowl, unaware that Spitfire was in the room. The yellow mare made sure that the smile had disappeared from her face before she coughed, alerting the busy unicorn to her presence. "Oh!" Trixie jumped a bit, nearly dropping the bowl from her magical grasp. Turning to face the new visitor, she gave a small, almost shy smile. "You startled Trixie. Good morning, Spitfire." Spitfire grunted in reply, turning towards the small oven and sniffing the air. Sauntering over to the glowing oven, Trixie's smile broadened. "Cheer up! Trixie is making you a breakfast befitting Celestia herself." Rubbing her hoof over her chest, the unicorn gave a small smug guffaw. "Trixie is not only talented in performing magic, after all." "Right." Straining to look disinterested despite her aching stomach, Spitfire glared at her guest. "Don't think I've forgotten that we need to talk." Though her smile faltered slightly, Trixie kept up her cheerful facade. "Why, of course Trixie didn't forget. It's right at the top of her to-do list." She turned her attention back to the mixing bowl, stirring as she continued. "Trixie simply thought you might enjoy a nice home-cooked meal first. Nopony likes to think on an empty stomach." Fair enough, Spitfire agreed, plopping down at the small hotel room's table and picking up a nearby magazine. She opened it wide, but she wasn't comprehending any of the articles inside. Her mind kept returning to the night before. Am I really sure I don't want a relationship with Trixie? Truth be told, she was always more attracted to mares than stallions, not that both didn't have their charms. But she'd never been with a unicorn; it seemed all too complicated, what with her constant traveling by flight... That being said, Trixie could resume working with the Wonderbolts and then... No, she thought. I'm getting ahead of myself. A relationship could ruin our friendship! But then again, their friendship seemed non-existent already. Sure, they'd been friends when they were younger, but they had just rekindled their friendship. Maybe the next natural step would be a romantic one. But could anypony truly love and be loved by Trixie? All she seemed to care about was herself, and if Spitfire did end up loving her, she had trouble believing the feeling would be returned... "Slow reader, huh?" Trixie's voice made Spitfire flinch, realizing she'd been staring at the same page of the magazine for the past ten minutes or so. Coughing, she turned the page, burying her face deeper into the magazine to hide the slight blush on her face. Trixie smirked, setting a plate down in front of the blushing Wonderbolt. "Guess you'll have to finish that... enthralling article later, hm?" The unicorn set her own plate down and smiled across the table. "Dig in!" Spitfire eyed her plate – it was filled with things that made her mouth water. Scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes. A fresh glass of milk gently floated over her head and landed in front of her, Trixie winking as her magic flickered off. Determined not to be swayed by the meal, Spitfire slowly took a bite of the pancakes. Oh Luna, these are delicious. Spitfire's face melted into a silly grin, but immediately shot back into a stern frown when she noticed Trixie giggling. But I'm still angry! she reminded herself, begrudgingly taking another bite. "Trixie dabbled in the culinary arts a few years back," the azure mare commented, pausing to gulp down a bite of eggs. "When one is constantly on the road, sometimes between towns, she must learn to cook for herself." Chuckling, the unicorn reclined in her seat a bit, staring up at the ceiling. "Trixie's mother often joked that her cutie mark should be a fried egg." Her face fell a bit as she sighed. "Trixie- I suppose everypony doubted I was actually talented at magic." Groaning, Spitfire set her fork down, her eyes narrowing as she stared down the mare across from her. "I wish you'd stop doing that." "Hm? Doing what?" Trixie looked honestly confused, tilting her head ever so slightly as she met Spitfire's gaze. Looking away from her brilliant violet eyes, Spitfire shrugged, busying herself with pushing the food around her plate. "I don't know exactly. Doubting yourself. Assuming everyone around you is doubtful of you too." She found the courage to meet Trixie's gaze again. "That's not the Trixie I knew." Allowing herself a small smile, she set her fork down once more and continued. "My Trixie... er, the Trixie I knew, she was talented and smart and she never doubted it. She was proud and incredible. She loved herself and everypony knew it." Spitfire sighed. "Perhaps it was a little annoying at times, but at least you were happy. Not this... angsty angry shell of a pony you are now." Trixie winced, flicking her ears back as she shook her head. "You don't understand, Spitfire. I do love myself. It's everypony else that doesn't." "I love you." Spitfire spoke without thinking, and quickly corrected herself. "I-I mean, er... You're my friend, and I care about you." Flicking her tail nervously and blushing bright red, she added awkwardly, "I know the other 'Bolts share the sentiment." "May I ask you something, Spitfire?" Snorting, Spitfire waved her hoof. "You just did." "Second question." Trixie scooted her chair closer to the pegasus, scratching against the tile below, the sound screeching in Spitfire's still tender ears. Leaning in close, she practically whispered, "Why am I just your friend?" The pegasus reacted violently, yanking away and lifting up into the air. "Ugh! You know, I have better things to do." Today, she didn't actually have anything to do, but even listening to Soarin talk about his pie tin collection was better than being subjected to this. Landing a few feet away and stomping as well as she could with her injured leg, she grabbed her captain's suit from the loveseat and opened the door to the hotel. "Thanks for the breakfast. Hopefully you'll decide to stick around for dinner," she grumbled, storming outside and slamming the door. The instant she was in the hall, the mare slumped down to the floor, resting her head in her hooves and groaning. She felt like crying, but she told herself she was stronger than that. Things could be so much worse, she reminded herself, slowly picking herself up after a few moments and trotting over to the elevator. Her hoof hesitated, hovering over the down button. She considered going back to her hotel, spending the rest of the day with Trixie... maybe even sharing a real kiss... "Y'know what? No." Shaking her head, she vowed that she wouldn't let something as insignificant as an uncomfortable friendship ruin her day; with a determined smile, the Wonderbolt pressed the button and whistled cheerfully as she waited for the lift to arrive. *** Left without a schedule due to her medical leave, Spitfire decided to return to Applejack's home. She knew her departure had been extremely rude, especially after all the orange mare had done for her in her time of need. Though there was a haze that the past few days had left on her memories, the pegasus still remembered what the large farm where she had spent the night looked like, so she set off straight for Ponyville, favoring her wings over the train. She had always enjoyed a long flight, anyway. Usually, her mind drifted off as her practiced body when into autopilot. There was nothing else in the wide wide world of Equestria that Spitfire loved more than flying. In fact, she enjoyed the flight so much that the bright maroon of the Apple family's barn was visible before she even got fatigued. Touching down lightly outside the gate of the fence, the bright yellow mare trotted the length of the path up to the door, enjoying the beautiful apple trees (though the smell of apples made her a bit queasy, she had to admit). Before she could raise her hoof to knock on the door, it swung open into her face, bouncing off her muzzle painfully. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, more surprised than hurt. "Oh... whoops! I'm real sorry, miss!" A tiny pale yellow filly looked up at Spitfire, bouncing in place; she seemed like she was in a huge rush to get somewhere. "Er... that's okay." Spitfire rubbed her nose, looking around the filly and into the house. "Is Applejack home?" "Ayep!" The small filly turned back around and shouted, "Hey Applejack, there's a Wonderbolt here to see ya and I slammed the door into her nose so y'should probably do something about that!" Grinning sheepishly, the red-headed filly scooted past Spitfire. "Sorry to be in a rush, Miss Wonderbolt, but me and the girls got big problems, y'know?" She continued down the path, her tiny legs sprinting full force. Spitfire watched as she disappeared into a tree-house before turning back to the now open wide doorway and waiting patiently. She'd never been great with kids, but she supposed they were cute enough. I wonder if the filly is Applejack's. They look alike. Soon enough, hoofsteps approached the door and Applejack came into view, looking exactly the same as last time Spitfire saw her, save for the addition of a brown hat. Just like Braeburn's, Spitfire mused. "Oh shucks, she wasn't kidding! Howdy again, Missus Spitfire!" Once again, the orange mare extended her hoof in greeting before remembering the condition of Spitfire's leg. "Oh right." Chuckling, the mare opened the door a bit wider and stepped to the side. "C'mon in. Make yourself at home. Ah'll be right back." Stepping out the door, she began to yell. "Apple Bloom, if you keep slamming doors into ponies' faces all the time, you're gonna be grounded for a month! And if Ah ever-" her voice faded as she walked toward the tree-house, leaving Spitfire alone in the living room. Well, alone aside from an ancient looking green mare. "Well hello there, youngster," the old mare said with a smile. "What brings you around here? Friend of my dear Applejack's?" "Something like that," Spitfire responded with a grin, stealing a glance at the mare's cutie mark. "Whoa! I know you! You're Granny Smith, right?" A bit of a history buff, Spitfire knew the founder of Ponyville was an apple farmer with an apple pie as a cutie mark, but she didn't know she still lived in Ponyville! Or that she lived at all, really... Granny Smith's smile widened. "Darn tootin'! I'll be honest, I didn't take you for a scholar when you first got here. At least, not something as obscure as Ponyville history." She beamed. "I'm pleasantly surprised. Applejack's lucky to have such a well-read pal." Blushing, Spitfire rubbed a hoof on the back of her neck. "Well, I don't know about all that..." "Well, I do! I've know so many ponies in my days, and let me tell ya, youngin', I can always tell when somepony's got a strong mind." Rocking gently in her chair, the pale green earth pony smiled warmly. "Ponies like that remind me so of my daughter." Spitfire did wonder just where Applejack's mother and father were; she hadn't seen them either time she'd been on the farm. Though to be fair, she spent most of her first trip passed out in a guest room. "Erm... Granny Smith, just where is your daughter anyway? I mean-" Interrupted by the door slamming, Spitfire turned her attention to Applejack as she stomped her way to the living room. "Welcome back, Spitfire," she panted, clearly out of breath after chasing Apple Bloom. "Ah hope Granny kept ya entertained while Ah was chasing my sister." "Sister?" "Ayep, who'd you think she was?" "Well... I thought maybe she was your foal." Shrugging, she added, "You look alike. Don't know why I didn't even consider you might be sisters." Guffawing, Applejack shook her head. "Nahpe, Ah don't have no foals. Ah doubt Ah ever will at this rate. Too much work to do!" Chuckling and wiping at a tear in her eye, Applejack shook her head. "Nah, that there's my little sister Apple Bloom." She glanced at the door, smiling fondly. "She's a hoof-ful, but Ah wouldn't trade her for anything." Nodding, the fiery-maned pegasus shifted her weight to her good leg awkwardly. "I know what you mean. I have two sisters myself. Only one of them is younger than me, though." Flashing Spitfire a quick smile, Applejack turned to Granny Smith. "Big Mac out working the fields? Ah wanna have a quick chat with Miss Spitfire before I head out for the noon shift." "Ayep." That was cute, the way they said yes, she had to admit. The whole family was cute. It made her ache for her own. "Right, well c'mon, Spitfire. Mind if Ah call ya Spitty? Rolls off the tongue." Without waiting for an answer, the orange mare tugged Spitfire down the hall. "Ah'm sure ya got some questions about Trixie? That's why you're here, right?" Trotting alongside her, Spitfire shrugged. "Yes and no. Trixie is back at my place right now." Applejack's eyes widened, but she waited for the Wonderbolt to continue. "I know I could ask her about what happened, but I might not get the truth. Or, at least not the unbiased truth. No, actually I came here to thank you for taking care of me. But if you have the time, I wouldn't really mind hearing about what happened with Trixie." "No trouble at all." Applejack waved a hoof and turned into a room off the hall. "Have a squat on that there bed and Ah'll fill ya in." Settling down on one end of the bed, Applejack began. "Well, Ah reckon Trixie was still sore 'bout being shown up by Twilight last time she visited Ponyville." Spitfire raised an eyebrow. "Don't know 'bout that either, huh?" Applejack chuckled. "Ah'll give you the short version. Trixie showed up, claimed she could out-do anypony who challenged her, said something 'bout defeating some star-bear. Sounds weird, Ah know. But some foals decided to bring one o' them bears here for her to defeat, and turns out she couldn't do it. Luckily, Twilight could." Pausing, the blonde-maned mare shrugged, flicking her ears to the side as Granny Smith's rocking chair creaked from the living room. "Didn't see hide nor hair of her for some time, but Trixie decided she wasn't done with us yet. Came in and took over the whole dang town. Even beat Twilight in a magic battle." "Whoa, that's impressive. From what I've heard, Twilight is quite the powerful magician." Spitfire couldn't understand where all that power came from if Trixie couldn't even catch a falling pony just months before. "Must have been training hard, huh?" "Anope. Good of you to think fondly of your friend, but she cheated. Used some magical amulet thingy, uh... ain't sure about the details, but long story short it corrupted her and she turned kind... crazy. Made everypony her slave until Twilight came back an' outsmarted her. Made her take off the amulet and broke the curse Ah guess. Like Ah said, Ah ain't so knowledgeable 'bout magic." Applejack leaned back on the bed, stretching her back. "That's 'bout when you dropped by." Glancing at Spitfire's cast, she laughed. "No pun intended." Spitfire chuckled. "Gotcha. I guess that's all I needed to know." Applejack stood. "Well good, 'cause no offense, but Ah got a lotta work to do." She glanced out the window. "Can't let Mac overwork himself again." "I understand." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a scrap of paper. "First though, do you have a pen?" "Well sure... One sec." Applejack wandered down the hall, and Spitfire took advantage of the time alone to look around the room; it must have been Applejack's. On the wall over her bed hung a picture of a mare and a stallion smiling widely while two foals – a small orange one and a bigger bright red one – raced around them. Before Spitfire had time to wonder again just where Applejack's parents were, the pony in question returned, tossing a pen at the pegasus. "Think fast!" Spitfire reached up to catch it, and it collided with her cast, bouncing onto the floor. "Ha! Oops," Applejack snorted with laughter as Spitfire leaned down to pick it up, giggling herself. "Whatcha need that for anywho?" "I'm going to write my address down for you. Soarin's been raving about your apple pies since the Gala. I figured you could send about, say, two or three dozen to me once a month and I'll use 'em as a reward for my team." She winked, nudging the paper towards Applejack. "If you're up for it, I'll be happy to pay more than enough for the pies, since they are made by the pony who helped me out in a tough spot. Maybe we could even advertise your pies at our shows." "Shucks! Y'all don't have to do all that. But Ah certainly won't turn down your offer." Applejack picked up the scrap of paper and put it in the drawer of her dresser. "Ah gotta get to work now. But one question, and pardon me if Ah'm intruding, but... Is Trixie your marefriend?" Spitfire blushed, shuffling her good leg awkwardly. "N-No. Why do you ask?" The orange earth pony gave Spitfire an odd look before shrugging. "No reason. Y'all would look nice together is all. Orange and blue are pretty together." She paused. "Well, Ah'll be honest... Y'all would like nice together and all that but... Ah figured you must really love her to put up with somepony like that. No offense." "Trust me, Applejack," Spitfire replied with a grin, "none taken." *** It was nearly 10pm when Spitfire made it back to Manehattan. She worried briefly that Trixie had left, but she reminded herself that she was supposed to be angry at the azure show pony anyway. Storming into her hotel, she froze when she noticed the blue unicorn was not in the living room or the kitchen. Her heart sank. Whatever, that saves me a lot of thinking. She shuffled sadly to her room, hoping to collapse and sleep for the next few days. As she entered the dimly lit room, she noticed a blue figure outlined faintly on her bed. She let out a soft sigh of relief, and stripping off her suit, climbed gingerly into the bed next to her unicorn friend. Stirring, Trixie turned to face Spitfire. "Spit... fire." Her body quivered as she stretched. "I'm sorry... I- Trixie will go to the couch." Before she could get up, Spitfire placed her hoof on Trixie's side. "No. Stay." Though Trixie stayed on the far side of the bed that night, Spitfire was still kept awake by the butterflies in her belly. Tomorrow. she told herself again, I will have everything sorted out. This is nothing the captain of the Wonderbolts can't handle. And as she lay awake, her mind drifted to Applejack's family, and in turn, her own. A pang of sadness replaced the butterflies in her belly as she remembered the last time she had seen her father. Oddly enough, it had also been the last time she saw Trixie face to face until recently. ***** "Can you believe it, Spitfire?" Trixie, smoothing down her mane as she gazed into the mirror in front of her. "You're graduating high school! And leaving me all alone..." Trixie pouted, using her magic to bonk Spitfire on the head with her brush. "You had better write to me. Often." A chuckle escaping her throat, Spitfire pretended to be wounded by the brush tap. "Oh, woe is me! You've slain me, Trixie, and now I can never graduate! I'll haunt the school for the rest of my life!" Spitfire flopped to the floor, rolling around on her back. Fussing, Trixie nudged Spitfire to her hooves. "At least it'd give me a couple more years with you." Her eyes watering slightly, she put Spitfire's gown back in place. "Now stop being silly! You need to look your best for the ceremony." Trixie wiped at her eyes, returning to the mirror. "Horsefeathers! You've made my make-up run!" Spitfire laughed, glancing at her own reflection in the mirror. "Why does it matter? You're not graduating yet." Trixie flashed her a good natured glare. "Don't remind me." Giving her mane one last fuss, she set down the brush and shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't make myself look nice." She admired her reflection in the mirror. Trotting over to her best friend, Spitfire kissed her on the tip of her horn. "You look perfect. Now let's go!" Spitfire turned away too soon to see Trixie blush bright red, her legs wobbling slightly. ***** She made sure to stop the memory there. What had happened after that had changed both their lives forever, and not for the better. Glancing over at her sleeping friend, Spitfire wondered what had happened since they parted ways in high school. After the death of her father, she hadn't bothered keeping in touch with Trixie... or anypony really. But what she did know what that something had changed in Trixie. She hadn't pursued magic only because she loved it. She had always wanted to be the best, but now she was obsessed with it. Tomorrow... Yawn. Tomorrow I will make all of this right. *** When Spitfire awoke, her room was once again empty. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Friendship is Surreal author: Array tags: character:Bon-Bon, character:DJ P0N-3, character:Derpy Hooves, character:Lyra, character:Octavia, genre:Adventure, genre:Comedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Your Princess is in Another Bastion, Part 1 === Friendship is Surreal Chapter 1: Your Princess is in another Bastion, Part 1 ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Octavia groaned as she lifted her head off her pillow. It was the night after the Gala, and Octavia had been playing her cello all night, virtually without break. Virtually. There had been several interruptions of her performance; however, she could not remember what exactly happened yet. She could not remember why she could not remember, until she winced in pain as her head throbbed. It all started coming back to her. The Gala had begun like it always had; posh ponies from all over Equestria flocked to socialise. Though, not all of them were quite as posh. As that night was drawing to a close, a pink earth pony had walked in and subsequently began to dance around like a lunatic, and jump onto stage where Octavia played. She did her best to continue playing as this annoying pony continued her misdemeanours throughout the crowd. By now she could tell that this Gala was not going to be normal. As the night progressed, the pink pony had interrupted them again, requesting the band to play the 'Pony Pokey'. It was an absurd song to be played at the Gala, of all places, but something possessed the rest of the band to agree, shrug at her, and then begin playing the ridiculous music. Her choice was either leave the stage or play. She sighed, and then joined in. The pony continued disturbing the diners as she sang along to the band. It got even worse when Octavia was literally thrown off her cello as the pink pony disrupted the band, allowing only the pianist continue awkwardly finishing the song without his stool. Octavia's head pounded again as she remembered the last event of the night. As she picked up her cello, pondering trying to get them together to continue playing normally, the door to the grand room opened and a stampede of the garden animals rolled in. The Gala was well and truly over, and she dragged her cello out while shooing away a flamingo that had taken an interest in the instrument's strings. She couldn't remember much after that, and so assumed that her night had concluded with a round of drinks. She tugged at the bow tie around her neck that she apparently had forgotten to take off. It didn't relent, but her struggles seemed useless to her, and so left it on as she wandered, dazed around her house in Canterlot. Everything was in place, and she was still in possession of her cello. She was afraid she might not have brought it back, considering the ruckus last night and her intoxicated state. A banging outside interrupted her thoughts. It repeated, closing in on her door. She trotted up and opened it, having a fair idea of who it might be. Sure enough, she recognised the familiar grey coat, yellow mane and walled eyes of Derpy, the Pegasus mailmare with a mental condition. Over time, she established a bit of a rapport with the abnormal pony. "Derpy! The door is down here!" She called. The Pegasus righted herself, and then flew down to Octavia. "Mail for you," Derpy chirped through the envelope she held in her mouth. Octavia took it from her, then realized Derpy's mistake. "Tar-... what? Derpy, this is addressed to Dr Whooves, not me." "Oh! Right. Sorry, here's yours" She swapped the messages around, and Octavia now held her own mail. "Thank you. Dr Whooves lives in Ponyville, so you'd better head there." "Oh, he doesn't really live there, he just pretends to," Derpy giggled to herself as she flew in the general direction of Ponyville, dropping several letters along the way. It was a wonder as to why they continued to employ her. Octavia decided to ignore whatever that sentence could have implied and walked inside with her letter, trying in vain again to get the bow tie off her neck. She slid the letter out of the top of the envelope and read it. Dear Octavia, Considering your musical ability and experience, you are being offered to play in a band that will be covering the Summer Sun Celebration being hosted in Ponyville. The celebration, as you know, takes place a month from now, giving you plenty of time to prepare and move to your new temporary lodging in the town. Enclosed is information as to where your new home is located, and the names of the other invitees. There is no need to rush, but you may wish to make your way to Ponyville soon. Canterlot Musical Committee Well, this was interesting. Yes, she'd played for many prestigious events, but had never been offered to go to Ponyville before, or to play during the Summer Sun Celebration. She was used to the routine; she'd be invited to an important event, be asked to play a bass instrument (in most cases, her cello), meet with a band often consisting of different instrumentalists, and perform. She thought that, by now, she must have played alongside every type of instrument out there. She often wondered what was so interesting about this little town that drew Princess Celestia's attention to it. Why didn't she just hold it in Canterlot? Then again, there was going to be a large amount of redecorating in the grand city after last night's events. She decided that she'd head there early tomorrow, while trying to get the bow tie of her neck again. She stood up on her back legs, and with a final pull, it snapped off, sending her flying backwards into her cello. Something heavy fell on her, and with a snapping sound she realised that it was her instrument. Oh, buck. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Lyra was a Unicorn living in Ponyville. Her talent was playing the lyre, and her cutie mark reflected that. However, throughout her life, she had never been offered to play for such a celebration! "Well, I'm happy for you, Lyra," Bon Bon, the cream-coloured mare was saying, "but next time, don't actually let Derpy into your house." Immediately after Lyra received the letter, Derpy had failed to see where the door was, and proceeded to give herself a concussion after making contact with the wall beside the door. Still airborne, she had flown about the room, knocking over furniture and such while attempting to get out. Lyra had politely held the door open until Derpy rebounded in the correct direction. Her friend, Bon Bon, had offered to help clean up as they continued their conversation. Lyra was giddy with excitement, despite the fact that the Summer Sun Celebration was a month away, leaving Bon Bon to do most of the actual cleaning. "I know, right," the turquoise mare did a little spin, "finally I get to play for an actual crowd. An actual crowd! Not a school performance or anything!" "Yeah, I get the idea," Bon Bon righted a chair, the last object in need of attention in the room. "Why don't we talk about it some more over lunch? I'm starving." The two friends walked out and headed towards the marketplace of Ponyville. As they turned a corner leading into it, they noticed a carriage pulling to a stop. It looked a lot like a Canterlot taxi, especially since it had the words 'Canterlot Taxi' emblazoned on the side, glowing magically. The side door opened, and a grey mare stepped from the vehicle. She moved with an almost feline grace as she walked around to the back, retrieving her large piece of equipment from it. Her elegance evaporated immediately as she attempted to pull the object from its perch. She kept struggling as Lyra began to trot up to her. Lyra asked, "Do you need any help with that?" "No, that's alright, I can get this thing off- oof," her speech was cut off as the cello fell on her for the second time, and another crack could be heard inside. "That... didn't sound very good," Lyra remarked. "It's already broken. Why must everything important be so delicate? I'd been hoping to stop it from further damage," she added. She placed it on a cart, denying Lyra's help. As she turned around, Lyra noticed her purple Treble Clef cutie mark, and then pieced it together with the instrument-shaped case. She inquired, "Hey! Are you one of the musicians playing for the Summer Sun Celebration?" Octavia gave a brief nod. "Just came here from Canterlot. My name is Octavia. I'll probably be playing this cello if I can get it fixed." She started walking, and, now that it was on wheels, the cart rolled along behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you one of the other instrumentalists?" Lyra started walking alongside her, Bon Bon in tow. "Yup! Name's Lyra. I play the lyre. My special talent is playing the lyre. My cutie mark is a lyre. Kind of a giveaway, isn't it? Anyway, this is my first time performing for an actual event!" Octavia's face fell. Lyra was taken aback with her reaction. She guessed that this must be a professional professional. "I know how to play fine; it's just that I haven't played on a large scale before. And in Ponyville, it's mostly casual. If that helps..." Octavia righted herself, and then stood before Lyra, her expression now more positive. "We have a month to prepare before the performance, and it's just one day, so I think this might work alright. Nothing's gone wrong yet." Bon Bon decided to interrupt, "So, are we having lunch or not?" Lyra's reaction, or rather, lack of one, answered for her. She was too busy with her new friend. Bon Bon sighed, and then fell in behind them. The direction of the group had now directed towards the town hall, where the last musician in the group was at. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Octavia had realised that this was likely not going to go like all the other performances. Lyra was an amateur, sure, but she decided to reserve judgement until she'd actually heard her play. They arrived at the town hall, and opened the door to a sight Octavia was not expecting to see. The hall was occupied by one unicorn. She was completely white save for her blue tinted, spiked mane and tail, and she wore odd coloured sunglasses... inside. She had apparently set up a small disco, despite being the only attendee, complete with a turntable and stereo. And this was the last 'musician'? "Uh, Octavia? Your eye's doing a little twitch," Lyra noted. She sighed inwardly. This was definitely going to be different. The unicorn noticed them as they walked closer. She stepped out from behind the turntables, dropped off the stage and trotted towards them. "Hey all of you," she yelled, "you must be the other performers! Nice to meet a fancy pony. Name's Vinyl Scratch, or DJ P0N-3, whatever you prefer. What's yours?" Vinyl hadn't reduced her volume as she strode towards them. Octavia assumed that this was a side effect from being inside those loud clubs all the time. She tried to keep her face composed as she responded. "My... name is Octavia," was all she managed to get out. Vinyl looked at her quizzically. Or, rather, Octavia thought she did. It was impossible to tell with those ridiculous goggles. She shrugged and moved on to face Lyra. "And your name is...?" "Lyra," the turquoise mare energetically responded. Bon Bon was wandering about behind them, being completely ignored, waiting for them to leave. "I'm an instrumentalist, like Octavia. I play the lyre, and this is my first time performing!" "Well, good to see that somepony isn't practically a mute, like 'Tavi seems to be," Vinyl said. Octavia snapped out of her bewilderment at the last few words of her sentence. "Please, if you're addressing me, use my name. 'Tavi is not my name." "But you still respond to it," Vinyl pointed out. "..." Vinyl started towards the stage again. "Well, I'll be here tomorrow if you want to have a session. For now, bye," she called as she packed up the stereo. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ They briskly walked outside, with Octavia in the lead, now with her broken cello in tow again. Lyra assumed her speed was to get away from the DJ. "Well, now I don't see how this is going to work," Octavia voiced her thoughts. Lyra was surprised. "You mean this doesn't normally happen?" Octavia threw her hoof to her forehead. "Oh, Celestia. No, this doesn't normally happen. Now I'm positively mortified." It was then that a certain Pegasus with trademark walled eyes popped out of the sky and landed next to them, holding a lot of disconnected technical equipment. "Do you know where I could find a particle accelerator?" Derpy Hooves asked. "No, I don't even know what that is," Octavia responded, starting to move away from her. Lyra wondered if she was more worried by the equipment or Derpy herself. "Oh, it's a sort of long circular tube with electrode-thingies around it that shoots atoms around really fast that then does stuff," Derpy replied, her eyes doing a clockwise motion in their sockets as if to accentuate her description. "Anyway, never mind, I guess I can make do with an exposed hadron collider." With that, she flew away again. Octavia turned to face Lyra again. "So, next I've got to go to Doctor Whooves'. He's very good at fixing things, despite not seeming to have enough equipment." Bon Bon decided to try again, "So should I just go eat by myself or... oh, nevermind," and she trotted up with them again. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Octavia pushed open the door to Doctor Whooves' odd store. All sorts of gadgets, woodcraft and different devices with which to tell the time with were arranged along the walls. The Doctor himself seemed absent. Octavia decided to try calling, "Doctor?" Doctor Whooves suddenly appeared from under the counter, wearing a welding mask for some reason. He lifted the visor. "Yes, Octavia?" Finally, a familiar face from a mostly-sane pony. He had fixed some broken instruments for her in the past, though she decided to reconsider his sensibility after seeing the device he held in his hoof that he was using in conjunction with the welding mask. She could not understand what the penlight-thing was for, so she decided to ignore it. "Well, yesterday my cello fell on me and today... it fell on me again," she tried to say, then regretted how she'd put her sentence together. Again, an interruption was provided by Derpy as she flew into the small store. This time she held nothing. "Hello everyone," she acknowledged, "hey, Doctor? Do you have any spare fission reactors?" Doctor Whooves glanced up briefly before nodding. "In the back," he responded. She thanked him and flew through an opening behind the counter. Needless, to say, Octavia was completely dumbstruck. Doctor Whooves had intentionally let Derpy into his workshop in order to find Celestia-knows-what. She decided to ignore this fact in order to go on with her life. Doctor Whooves faced them again, removing the welding mask. "Anyway, yeah, I can get that repaired. It'll cost quite a few bits," he added. Octavia pulled the cart over to show him. She opened the case it was in. "The wooden body has been broken pretty badly, and needs to be replaced. It shouldn't take more than a few days." As it was brought out, Lyra, who had been silent until now, noticed something. "Why is the bow a different colour to the main instrument strings? The colour doesn't quite match." Octavia looked at her for a second before realising. "Oh, yeah, I'd better take that out," she said as she took the slightly darker grey bow from the set. She then said to Lyra, "It's just a bit of sentimentality," and did not elaborate further. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ "So, tomorrow, and early, right," Lyra was saying. "Yes, I don't want that Vinyl around when we're trying to play music." Octavia responded. She was starting to look a bit sleep-deprived after the events of the day. "I'll figure something out." "Alright. Well, goodbye," and with that, Lyra trotted in the other direction. Bon Bon realised that they had finished the day, without lunch in the end, and then cantered after her. The sun was beginning to set, so Octavia headed towards her new home. When she arrived, she made sure no other ponies were around. She could only keep her composure up under this pressure for so long. When she was positive that no other ponies were in sight, she put her inventory to the side and took a deep breath. "WHEN I FIND THE PONY WHO ORCHESTRATED ALL OF THIS I'M GOING TO-" ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Lyra woke up with a start. Groggy with sleep, she walked to the window, and judged the time to be about seven o'clock in the morning. She moved about the house, packing her lyre and other equipment onto a cart, and then went back to her room. She set the alarm to eight with her magic, and then fell asleep again. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Octavia was in the main hall of the town centre, waiting for Lyra, but taking the time to think some more. She'd spent a long time last night thinking, and had spent the morning thinking, and was still thinking. She still had no idea how they were going to pull this off, with an amateur instrumentalist and a DJ. Seriously, who put them together like this? Whoever it was, they hadn't the slightest idea of how music comes together, and they somehow got it approved by the musical committee. She was getting a practice cello out when Lyra walked through the main doors, pulling a cart with her lyre on it. Octavia noticed that she had bags under her eyes, and was walking rather slowly. "You know, when I said early, I meant sometime before lunch." Octavia said, somewhat sternly. Lyra seemed unfazed by her approach, and dumped the cart. "Didn't hear my alarm," she mumbled. "I don't normally get up this early." Octavia lost interest and retrieved her bow. She had set up the cello, and then stood up on her hind legs against it. Being a perfectly normal routine to her, she was surprised when she heard a gasp. Lyra's expression had lost all hints of sleep deprivation and changed to a state of awe. Lyra asked, "How'd you do that?" Octavia was astonished. "Do what?" "Stand like that!" Octavia's expression turned quizzical, looked down at her form, then she realised. "Oh, you mean standing on your hind legs. It's nothing, it just helps play this instrument," she indicated her instrument, which looked almost identical to the one she owned. Lyra's face lit up. "Can you teach me?" Octavia groaned silently, and almost said no, but again looked at Lyra's odd look of wonderment and then considered it. "Yeah, sure, why not," she finally said. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ It was sometime after two that Vinyl decided to head towards the town centre. She was carrying a stereo on her back, wearing headphones. She had been taught by the mayor mare many times in the past to use headphones, as she had walked in on events with the stereo at full blast. Nopony was very impressed by it. Her thoughts drifted to the other ponies in the musical crew. There was Lyra, a young, eager pony who apparently had never played for any events. An odd choice, but, then again, everypony has to start somewhere, right? Then there was Octavia. From their brief meeting, Vinyl had gotten the impression that this was going to be one of those pompous asses. No offence to any donkeys. Vinyl gathered that she played an old-fashioned string instrument, the cello, or was it a double bass? The instruments looked so similar, but did it really matter? She reached the door. She fully expected Octavia to tell her to be quiet while she was practising. She wondered how this was going to work out, with her living in the modern world and these other ponies playing five-century old instruments. She pushed through the door, being met with an uncharacteristic scene. The two ponies, Octavia and Lyra, were on the stage, but their instruments were pushed to the side. Instead, they appeared to be practising an awkward pose; Octavia was standing like a biped, apparently trying to show Lyra how to do it. Lyra subsequently fell over, noticing Vinyl as she got up again. "Hey, P0N-3!" Lyra called. Octavia turned to look at Vinyl, with scornful look upon her face. "Well, look who it is," Octavia said. "We were trying – going to – practise music. I suppose that's not going to be possible now, is it?" Vinyl was taken back with her hostility. She shouldn't have been surprised. "You know, you're going to make a name for yourself in Ponyville if you keep talking like that." Octavia was suddenly confused. "What name? I already have a name." Oh. It was one of those sorts of ponies. Lyra sensed the growing tension and tried to prevent it. "Hey, uh, why don't we try going on with the practise session?" The DJ walked off to set up her stereo. "At least I don't play century-old instruments." "And they still sound better then a bunch of electronic speakers spouting out random chaos," Octavia retorted. The session went ahead without much correspondence. Vinyl did, however, play only through her headphones. They weren't going to make much progress like this, so Vinyl decided, however much against her instincts, she was going to at least try. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Octavia had decided that Lyra actually had a fair bit of talent after all. She had listened to her play for a bit, and she was expertly strumming the instrument. She found it hard to believe that Lyra had never played on stage before. Her mind had been blocking out the idea of Vinyl playing along with them, so she had no idea how to respond when Vinyl had walked up to them. "Uh, yeah, so, this isn't going to go ahead if we don't cooperate, and I'll try playing the old instruments," she said, slightly apologetically. Octavia suddenly sensed a ray of hope. "Okay, okay, we might have the components for a regular classical band if we add you in on a piano or something. We'll go through a selection of instruments over the next few weeks, and hopefully find something that suits you." She left the stage, reappearing seconds later with a trumpet. "You like things that blow out your eardrums, so start with this." When Octavia passed the trumpet to Vinyl, her expression immediately changed to that of confusion. Vinyl started turning the instrument around on her hooves, trying to figure out how she was supposed to hold it. "Yeah, so, how do you play this?" Octavia sighed. This was going to be a long month indeed. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Three days until the Summer Sun Celebration "What do I do? What do I do?" Octavia rapidly paced around her home, on the verge of panicking. No, wait, she was already panicking. If it went on for much longer she would have a mental breakdown. Then she would go insane, be sent to an asylum, live the rest of her days sitting in a white padded cell wearing a straitjacket spouting nonsense... Get a grip on yourself, she thought. I still have... three days... Vinyl had proven inept with virtually every classical instrument Octavia tried to give her, in addition to their lack of cooperation anyway. She cursed whoever had the brilliant idea to put them together on something like this. She hadn't panicked for years until now. She couldn't believe they had wasted the entire month. She had written to the Comittee, but they almost literally sent her back a letter saying 'deal with it'. She had tried pulling out her hair in frustration. This was actually a difficult thing to do, where she would have to lay her head on the side of a table, then use her hoof's edge to try and cut some of it out. It never ended well. She was never good with calming down, and nearly yelled at Bon Bon as she walked through the door. "What is it," she mumbled, impatiently waiting for Bon Bon to answer. "Well, uh... Lyra and Vinyl are waiting for you in the town centre. You mares need to talk," she responded. Octavia trudged past Bon Bon, making a point of leaving her instrument behind. She hadn't felt more defeated in her life. She made her way towards the main hall, thinking. She stared at the moonless sky, unable to comprehend the fact that she had failed putting together three musicians over a month in time for the celebration. Wait, what? There was something wrong. She searched the night sky, trying to find what was missing. As Bon Bon continued towards the centre, Octavia was lost in thought, until she realised. "Where's the moon?" She couldn't see the moon in the sky, however hard she looked. It didn't seem a particularly cloudy night, but there must be some sort of explanation. She decided to put that thought aside for now, and continued onwards to the hall. She pushed through the doors to see Vinyl and Lyra standing on the stage. They noticed her as she approached, and waited for her to reach them. "I had the feeling this wasn't going to work out, 'Tavi, and we tried, but..." Vinyl started, "It's only the Summer Sun Celebration, it's not as important as something like the Gala." Lyra continued, rather bluntly, "We can't perform in time. We're sorry, but it's not working." Octavia had been expecting this, but it still felt like a kick in the stomach. "But we still have three days before Celestia arrives..." Vinyl shook her head. "Sorry. We don't have enough time." Octavia hung her head. She'd never failed a performance before. Suddenly, the doors burst open. Derpy flew into the building, doing awkward somersaults in the air. She came to a stop, then announced, with a happy mood in contrast to the information, "Princess Celestia is missing!" "No, Celestia is not missing, she's just out in Fillydelphia," Doctor Whooves corrected as he walked in after Derpy. Lyra asked, "Then why are you here?" "Because Princess Luna is missing," Doctor Whooves claimed, to the group's bewilderment. "According to the guards, Luna left the castle without schedule or escort. I think they're overreacting, but Luna hasn't returned yet, and she left last night." His words were met with a confused silence which continued for a while until Lyra broke it. "Then what are we waiting for?" "What are we waiting for what?" Octavia had temporarily forgotten about her predicament. "Well, every time a princess goes missing, it's up to the heroes to save them!" Octavia didn't feel the need to tell Lyra how ridiculous that statement was, but Bon Bon apparently did. "Uh, Lyra, I don't think that's a good idea." Doctor Whooves added, "The guards are actually waiting for her to come back. They aren't normally in this situation, so they honestly don't know how to respond. They'll set up a search, but it'll be confined to the towns and cities of Equestria." "You're not helping," Bon Bon hissed to the Doctor. "Actually, this might be kind of fun, y'know," Vinyl cut in, "Celestia won't be back for three days, AKA she'll arrive just in time for the Celebration. She'll probably be worried about her missing sister." Lyra had started walking out the door. "C'mon, let's go!" Octavia finally spoke in astonishment, "Wait, you want us to go now?!" "Well, yeah, the sooner we get going, the sooner we get there," Lyra called back. Octavia started to walk after her. "But we don't know where to look!" Derpy chimed in, flying past them, "There's this big tower thing that she went to when she was Nightmare Moon." Octavia didn't bother asking her how she knew, and resigned herself to the fact that they were going on this journey as Vinyl, Doctor Whooves and Bon Bon joined them. "It's through the Everfree Forest," Derpy finally mentioned, much to Octavia's horror. Lyra was strangely confident as she added, "Don't worry; it's not actually that dangerous. There's this group of ponies that go in every now and then, and there's also this zebra that lives in there." They had arrived at the edge of the forest, as Luna's moon began to rise, rather late. This is it, Octavia thought. Everypony had gone insane, and she was probably going to be drawn into helping them. That morning she had been thinking of how they were going to pull off the performance, and then she had been thinking of how they were going to find the princess. However, her most recent thought was this: How did I get here? === Your Princess is in Another Bastion, Part 2 === Friendship is Surreal Chapter 2: Your Princess is in another Bastion, Part 2 ~~//*//~~//*//~~ "Why do I get the feeling this is a huge cliché?" The group had started to hike through the Everfree Forest, on a journey to find where Princess Luna had disappeared to. Lyra looked curiously at Octavia. "What do you mean?" Octavia ventured, "Well, a group of ponies set off on an adventure to find a princess. It seems a bit overused, don't you think?" Lyra thought for a bit. This seemed almost against her character, normally jumping into things without thinking. "I see what you mean. The last group that went in here went to save Princess Luna from... well, herself." They continued. Derpy had said that the tower was about three kilometres away, but, if the information came from Derpy, it could mean anything. The group walked in silence for about two kilometres, and they eventually reached a very unsafe-looking bridge, atop the mountain. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ "I'm not sure if we should cross this," Bon Bon voiced their thoughts. The wood was completely rotted, and it looked as if one pony could bring the whole thing down. There was no other way around, so they assumed that the other group went this way. That must have been a while ago, because the rope looked very weak. Vinyl had an idea. "Lyra, you can help me hold the bridge up with our magic while everyone crosses. Then you go to the other side and keep it up as I cross," Vinyl explained. She nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." She got into position beside Vinyl. "Whenever you're ready." The group had gotten to an unspoken consensus for this plan. Vinyl focused on the bridge, and called up her unicorn magic. Lyra did also, and together they strengthened the bridge. Magic seemed to move like electricity up and down the walkway, sparking between points. Vinyl called, "Okay, everypony cross!" Derpy flew ahead of them, while Bon Bon took a tentative step onto the bridge. Gaining confidence, she trotted ahead to the other side. Doctor Whooves followed. Octavia started walking when the Doctor reached the other side. She asked the two unicorns, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Vinyl and Lyra were starting to be visibly strain with the bridge. "Yeah, just keep going," Vinyl said through gritted teeth. Octavia turned back to the bridge, and made the mistake of looking down. She was instantly hit with vertigo, but recovered, swaying a bit. She could tell everypony was watching her, so she continued, and safely arrived on the other side. "Okay, Lyra, I think you should go first," Vinyl panted. Lyra stopped holding the bridge up, wheezed for a bit, then trotted over the bridge. "Alright, I can hold the bridge up, but when I start losing focus, my magic can get really unpredictable," Lyra called when she arrived on the far side. Lyra took over, and Vinyl started on the bridge. She gained momentum, and pretty soon was almost there when she realised Lyra was exhausted. "Hold on, Lyra! I'm almost there," Vinyl cried out. "Can't... hold it..." Lyra was about to collapse when suddenly an explosion of light and energy came from her horn; as the group watched in horror, the shockwave flew towards Vinyl, enveloping the bridge. Lyra was knocked backwards as the scene was shrouded in smoke. After taking refuge from the blast, Octavia and the group hurried over to Lyra, who was only half-conscious. She suddenly bolted upright, shocked and looking like she was on the verge of crying. "Oh my gosh! Did I kill her? I killed her, didn't I?" Nopony responded, as they looked in the direction of the bridge. The smoke was beginning to clear, revealing... the intact bridge! It was still there, but it had turned a grey colour, and Vinyl was still standing in the middle of it, cringing. She slowly took her hooves away from her face, just as surprised as the group that she was still alive. She began by saying, "How the hay did I survive that?" The question was on everypony's lips until Doctor Whooves moved closer to the bridge for inspection. "It appears that the bridge has turned to rock," he mused, "A bit anti-climatic, if you ask me." The group sighed in relief, especially Lyra. "You should probably come over here quickly before it does fall," Octavia called. Vinyl trotted off the bridge to join the group. "I thought I'd killed you," Lyra apologised. "So did I. Let's just be happy that unpredictable magic really is unpredictable," she responded. "And look! We're nearly there!" "Finally, we can get this over and done with," Bon Bon mumbled. Vinyl pointed out the ruined tower that they had come here for. They immediately picked up the pace as they hurried to the entrance. Bon Bon happened to be in the lead and stopped in front of the stronghold first. As the rest of the group clamoured around to see what she had stopped for, they heard Bon Bon utter "you have got to be kidding me..." "What? What is it?" Octavia pushed in front of her and read what had been inscribed upon the plaque in front of them. Not here, Celestia. Gone to Bastion. ~Luna ~~//*//~~//*//~~ "Gone to a bastion? What in Equestria does that mean?" Lyra was confused. She was sure this was where Luna would go. Then again, she hadn't thought much about it at the time. Octavia apparently noticed something. "'Bastion' is capitalised. And the sentence doesn't seem... correct." Doctor Whooves decided to add, "That's because there's a place named Bastion. It used to be a retreat for the princesses when times got rough, and was supposed to be an impregnable fortress." "How do you know about that?" Bon Bon didn't seem particularly impressed. "Oh, I've... been around," the Doctor responded. Lyra had found a map which nopony bothered asking where she'd gotten it from, "Where is it?" "You won't find it on a map. It's old. Really old," he pushed the map away. "However, I know where it is. On the other side of this mountain range are... well, more mountains. But past that, there's a large rocky plain, and then there's Bastion. And more mountains." Octavia had resigned herself to this journey already. "We've come this far. How long will it take to get there?" "If we head off now, we might find her in time for the Summer Sun Celebration," Doctor Whooves answered. Derpy announced, "If it makes you feel any better, I found a muffin!" "That's... good for you, Derpy," Octavia said. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ They stayed there for the night, and headed off the next morning. Their journey was uninterrupted for a long time as they traversed the dangerous mountains. They travelled around the sides of the mountains as much as they could, but the further they moved away from Ponyville, the more extreme, and the more treacherous the terrain became. Eventually they moved to traversing the valleys instead. Octavia eventually asked, "We've got two days. Do you honestly think we can get there in time?" Doctor Whooves answered, "We've got a fair distance to cover, but we might just make it, provided we don't have any-" "Look everypony!" Derpy Hooves, who was farther up ahead, called out to the group, pointing excitedly at something in the valley. "Distractions..." he finished. The group cantered to catch up to Derpy, unable to see what she was looking at until they reached a large clearing. The group stopped abruptly when they noticed what Derpy was interested in, and realised their mistake as the sound from their hooves began to stir the creature. In the centre of the great clearing stood an Ursa Major. "It's times like this I wish we'd invented more swear words," Octavia muttered. The colossal beast reared its head, turning to look at the ponies. At first they thought it was going to ignore them, until it roared. The sound split the air, and the monstrosity began to stand. The ponies managed to turn and run away, as it began to charge at them. Luckily for the ponies, it didn't stray outside the clearing. They regrouped atop a slightly elevated plateau aside the clearing. Panting, Octavia was the first to speak. "What do we do now?" "Well, we have a giant monster obstructing us, no other way around and now we've disturbed it," Doctor Whooves, rather unnecessarily explained. "Thank you for summing that up," Octavia said through gritted teeth. "But we need to get past it." Bon Bon asked, frustrated, "Can't we just sneak around?" Doctor Whooves looked around. "We could try that, but we're surrounded by cliffs. It's too far to go back, and that clearing stretches across the valley." Bon Bon grumbled, and put her face in her hooves. Lyra suddenly perked up, excited, and announced "I have an idea!" "What is it?" Octavia was willing to try anything now. Lyra explained her plan to them. Octavia's face fell immediately. "Uh... I don't think that will work." Lyra was bouncing around, happy that she had come up with a plan that sounded sane to her. "Of course it will! You see it happen in every cheesy movie!" Octavia could tell there was no stopping her, and subsequently face-hoofed. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ The beast known as an Ursa Major wandered around its clearing which stood on the edge of its cave. It had been trying to go to sleep when those small creatures had wandered into it. This was his territory. How dare they come into it! It wandered around the clearing, and it hoped to stay there until it had made sure those annoying critters had gone away. It was pacing the edge of the clearing until it heard a noise. It sounded like one of those devices the strange travelling groups of ponies used to make... what was it? Music. Yes, music. Something was playing music. It was... annoying. Nothing should be making sounds in the Ursa Major's territory! It intercepted the source of the disturbance, which happened to be hidden by some trees. So, in a stereotypical beast-like fashion, the creature ripped apart the vegetation, revealing the turquoise pony playing its instrument. And, also in a stereotypical beast-like fashion, it roared at the equine. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Lyra looked up at the Ursa Major as it roared at her, and with this range she felt as if it would blow out her eardrums. Stumbling a bit as the monster finished its bellowing, she somehow picked up her lyre again and ran towards the group, narrowly avoiding the creature's enormous paw as it swiped. Octavia called to everypony, "No more plans, just run!" The team galloped towards the other side of the clearing, disregarding stealth as the Ursa Major roared and began charging after them. Lyra managed to catch up to them, amazingly still carrying her lyre. The monster was beginning to reach them, and Octavia thought she'd never galloped so fast in her life. It threw more blows at them, but the dumb beast couldn't figure out that it had to hit where they were going to be instead of where they were currently. They didn't stop when they reached the other edge of the clearing, and continued galloping until they couldn't hear the Ursa Major anymore. They stopped in unison to catch their breath. "I... can't... believe we... survived that..." Octavia managed to get out. Bon Bon gave up and fell to the ground, as she noticed that Doctor Whooves was not on the verge of passing out. On the contrary, he was barely exhausted at all. After a while, Bon Bon managed to speak. "Why aren't you puffed out?" "Oh, I've done lots of galloping in the past..." he, quite unsatisfactorily to Bon Bon, divulged. Bon Bon huffed at him, and subsequently passed out. Apparently she didn't do much galloping. Octavia managed to recover quickly. "Playing wind instruments seems to have paid off," she said, half to herself. Then she realised something. "Wait, where's Derpy?" "Right here! That was fun, we should do it again sometime!" Octavia looked up to see Derpy, in flight, apparently waving in the direction of the Ursa Major's cave. She made the intelligent decision not to try to explain to her how it was not fun. Octavia turned to Lyra. First things first. "Why did you even bring the lyre?" Lyra shuffled her hooves. "Well... I thought that it might come in handy..." "It would come in handy. The strings could have been used to hang you!" Lyra was too exhausted to be offended. "I guess we're going to stay here for lunch." And with that, she fell over. They stayed there for an hour before recovering their strength enough to keep going. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Celestia's sun had begun its descent as the group of ponies came upon their next obstacle. They were nearing the exit to the valley, according to Derpy (which wasn't a reliable source), when they arrived in front of what appeared to be the remains of a landslide. "Why is it that every time we come across something like this there's only one way, and that's through it," Octavia grumbled. "It's just like in the movies, Octavia," Lyra said excitedly, "and we're starring in it! Wait... do you think they'll make a movie about us someday? Doyathinkdoyathink?" "Lyra, I seriously doubt anypony's going to make a movie about us," Octavia pointed out. "Anyway, what do we do now?" The group spent a while pondering what to do. Lyra and Vinyl had attempted climbing over, without success. To great uncertainty, it was Derpy who spoke after a long silence. "Oh! I know! I know! Pick me!" Derpy flew around ecstatically, trying to catch Octavia's attention. It had been established more or less by now (to her displeasure) that Octavia was the leader of the group. Octavia sighed, "What is it, Derpy?" Derpy was pleased with herself as she flew down and explained, "do you remember the pony Albert Equine?" The name was familiar. "Yeah, the genius who figured out the theory of magical relativity. What about it?" Derpy announced, "Muffin-energy equivalence!" Octavia was dumbfounded. "What in Equestria does that mean?" Derpy was very happy as she claimed, "If you cause a nuclear reaction, the amount of energy released in joules equals the amount of muffins multiplied by the speed of light in when it's being chased by angry vacuum cleaners!" Octavia had no idea what to make of this. "And... what does that mean?" Doctor Whooves stepped in. "Actually, while her explanation may not be totally accurate, I think that would work. But we don't have the equipment, do we?" "Right here," And with that, Derpy flew off, reappearing a few seconds later with a whole lot of electronics. "I'm not even going to ask..." Octavia, again, sighed. Derpy began setting up the equipment, and within minutes she had built a series of lenses, on one end an open circular tube, on the other a pedestal with a single chocolate-chip muffin atop it. Derpy then explained what she was doing. "Now, with this particle accelerator here, it'll fire the tiny little dot things around and around, approaching the speed of light when they're being chased by angry vacuum cleaners until we fire them at the uranium-caked muffin, causing nuclear fission!" And with that, she pressed a big red button with the word 'activate' on it. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Octavia tried to ask, "So what's the result?" "Well, when it hits the muffin, about four point one eight petajoules of energy will be released from the tiny dotty thing," she told Octavia, watching the tube intently. "And how long have you been using uranium?" Octavia inquired further. "Since I was a little filly. Why do you ask?" "Oh, nothing, it just... explains a lot." Something had started happening. Octavia could hear some sort of sound coming from the equipment, when suddenly it sparked, and a solid ring of light appeared in the tube. Octavia guessed that something small was spinning very fast. The area around the device had become warped, at least to her vision, and a few leaves on the ground appeared to be drawn to it. "The light spectrum has begun to distort," Derpy mentioned. Due to the 'light spectrum', the ring had begun to spark different colours, drawing an "ooh" from Vinyl. Octavia tried again, "and what is four petawhatevers equivalent to?" "About a metric tonne of TNT." Octavia nearly jumped in alarm. "A tonne of TNT?!? What are we standing here for? Everypony run!" Apparently the rest of the group had heard, and proceeded to gallop away. They were almost not fast enough as the device opened, shooting the 'tiny dotty things' as Derpy called them directly at the muffin, predictably, detonating. Light fired out in all directions as the explosion rocked the valley. It almost caused another landslide, as the ponies managed to get behind a boulder as the combustion subsided. Vinyl was the first to speak. "Whoa, that was awesome. Can you get one of those things for my club?" Octavia peered out from behind the boulder, to see the landslide completely destroyed. "Well, that seems to have cleared out the rocks," she began, "but next time, Derpy, warn us a significant amount of time before something explodes." Derpy had shown no signs of listening, and had begun to hum happily to herself as she flew onwards. The rest of the group followed in her wake. "The sun's beginning to set, and I think I see a suitable campsite on that hill over there," Octavia pointed towards the horizon. "We should head over there for the night." ~~//*//~~//*//~~ The sun had well and truly set by now, and most of the ponies were asleep. They had done as Octavia suggested, and headed over to the hill. Despite whatever predicament Luna was in, the moon was still being raised. Octavia was still awake, however, turning her bow in her hooves. She'd been doing this for a while, not knowing that Lyra was awake. Octavia nearly jumped when she heard Lyra speak. "You've been playing with that for hours," Lyra indicated. Lyra pulled herself up to Octavia and sat beside her, in a rather awkward fashion, her back resting up against a rock. Octavia pointed to Lyra's form. "Lyra, why are you sitting-?" "Don't ask," Lyra said. "Seriously, what's so important about that bow that you have to keep fondling it?" Octavia sighed. She'd been doing a lot of disappointed sighs recently. "It's a long story." "I wanna hear it." Octavia prepared herself for the story she was about to tell, resigned. To be totally honest, she wanted to tell somepony her story. She almost never talked about herself. "When I was a little filly, I was very different to how I am now. I had frequent tantrums, and I was a perfectionist. My family saw a bit of musical ability in me, and early on tried to push me into becoming a musician. "Although I was good at it, after my parent's nagging, I grew to hate practising my music, surprisingly. Not just because of my parents pushing me, but because I nearly had a little breakdown every time I missed a note. And nopony's music is perfect. I made a bit of... how did Vinyl put it? A name for myself. "One night, while I was practising alongside a few others in my school, I was tired, and started missing notes. The teacher pointed me out, asking me to improve, and the colts began to laugh. "I honestly started crying. I began swishing my tail, and I got it caught in the double bass I was using to practice. I was using a stool to reach a proper height, and I fell off, pulling out a significant amount of my tail hair. As you could expect, the class erupted in laughter. I ran out of the school and didn't stop until I got to my room in my house. "I felt like nopony could understand me. The next few days I spent mostly silent, and didn't attend my music lessons, despite the fact that the school performance I had been practising for was very soon. One night my mother came up to see me. I didn't talk to her, but she dropped something on the floor behind me. I remember her saying, 'words aren't the only way to express yourself'. "She left, and after a while I decided to look at what she had left me with. It was this bow," she pointed to her possession, "with the words inscribed on it, 'Dear Octavia'," again she showed Lyra the bow, indicating where the words were. "She had made it using my own tail hair that had been pulled out during practice. "I felt happy for reasons I couldn't explain. That night, I went to the school performance with my new bow. And when I played, I felt like I hit each note perfectly, and I loved it. Later, when I was putting it away, I happened to notice this," she pointed to her flank, "and my Cutie Mark had appeared." "Wow. I remember I noticed mine when my lyre fell on me during a practise session," Lyra said as she got up. "That was nice," and with that, she lay down in a more comfortable position beside Bon Bon. "Thanks, Lyra," Octavia whispered to Lyra, but she had already fallen asleep. Octavia turned to put away her bow when she heard Vinyl speak. "Wow. That was kinda really cheesy," Vinyl offered. She was lying on her back, head upside down looking at Octavia, still wearing those goggles of hers. Octavia glared back at her as she shrugged and turned over to go to sleep. ~~//*//~~//*//~~ "We're almost there," Octavia called as the group head towards Bastion. Before, they could barely see it in the distance, but now they could see the entire construction. It was a V-shaped castle, jutting out of the side of a cliff. The walls were dozens of metres high, but had obviously failed the test of time. Huge holes were torn through it, and the keep atop it was collapsing. "Wow. It must have been amazing when it was first built," Lyra exclaimed. The ponies had found a makeshift entrance in one of the torn-out walls, and they somehow managed to make their way to the top. It was almost the morning of the next day, so they had little time before the celebration to find Luna. They head towards the keep, which obviously used the mountain as part of the building. "Well, this is it. Luna's in there, along with whoever else is keeping her captive. Or she's gone evil again. Or something..." Octavia trailed off. "Bon Bon, guard the entrance." Bon Bon almost jumped in surprise to the fact that somepony had actually taken notice of her. "Wait, what? What have I got to guard against?" "Dragons, Manticores, invading armies. Just shout if you see anything." Bon Bon huffed at her, then walked to the side and sat down. "Alright, let's go in," and Octavia led the way inside. The main hall in the keep of Bastion was rather unimpressive, grey stone walls, no evidence of carpets or tapestries. They continued to find a very large, once circular cave. At the end of the cave was an enormous steel hatch, with what looked like ancient technology all over it. "I guess this is the 'bunker' part of the defence," Octavia mused. They made their way to reach it, to find a technical-looking console. Octavia stared at all the lights and buttons in confusion. "What do we do now?" Lyra strode to the head of the group. "Well, firstly we try all the buttons until we find one that works!" Lyra started to push down random buttons with her unicorn magic until the rest of the group realised what her actions might do. Without thinking, Octavia bucked Lyra out of the way. "Don't do that! We have no idea what these things do! Oh... oh, I'm sorry," Octavia realised that she had given the turquoise mare a concussion, and she proceeded to topple over. Lyra was not actually conscious enough to hear her, so Octavia, rather awkwardly, left her there on the ground. "Actually, I think I can help with this bit," Doctor Whooves announced. Octavia looked at him quizzically. "Oh, so now you're suddenly a genius in ancient technology?" "Not necessarily, but I have this Deus Ex Machina here," He indicated the pen-light thing he was suddenly holding in his mouth. "A Deus Ex what?" Octavia was now certain that everypony had gone clinically insane at this point. "I said that? Oh, sorry I meant a sonic- you know what? Just watch," and the penlight turned on, making an odd buzzing noise. Suddenly, the console opened up, splitting into two panels that moved aside, revealing a big, red button. "That's the second red button that activates something I don't know about," Octavia said, hesitant, half to herself. "Are you sure we should press it?" "Oh, just press it already!" Vinyl pushed the two of them aside, Octavia almost tripping over the unconscious form of Lyra, and depressed the button. Instantly, a deep rumbling could be heard in the huge door. As the group watched, the door slowly swung open on its ancient hinges, the area beyond it too dark to see anything. It stopped against the wall, sending parts of the ancient rock falling to the floor of the cave. As a particularly large stalactite collapsed against the ground, Lyra woke up, dazed. She quickly recovered, asking, "Did I miss anything?" The rest of the ponies didn't respond, watching the darkness intently. They waited. And waited. Until, suddenly, lights came on, despite the fact that they couldn't see the sources, revealing... a blank wall. "That was kind of anticlimactic," Vinyl scratch declared, "I don't see anything at all!" "No, wait there's something..." Octavia could see a black dot at the base of the wall. "There seems to be a small opening over there." Sure enough, there was a door the size of a normal pony-sized door, despite the huge steel vault hatch that hid it. "Well, I guess that's where we're meant to go," Octavia said as she began to trot over to it. The rest of the ponies followed her as she reached the door, and pushed it open. Inside, it was a very simple house-like bunker, built into the cave. This was the place that the princesses, thousands of years ago, used to defend themselves against terrors outside their control. Octavia guessed that it was some sort of bunker, but had honestly expected the place a bit more... palace-like. They stepped into it, unable to see Luna or anypony else. Vinyl inquired, "What are we meant to be expecting again?" That was when suddenly they heard another voice cut in, not sounding very impressed at all. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Out of the darkness, Princess Luna strode forth in front of them. She wasn't obviously under the control of anything like she was as nightmare moon, but she didn't seem to like their presence. "What are you doing here?" Octavia decided to reply. "Well, I, uh... I've honestly been wondering the same thing this entire journey, your highness. Lyra, why are we here again?" Luna was the one who intervened as a realisation dawned on her. "Oh, no, Celestia's doing it again, isn't she?" Octavia was confused by this. "No, we heard about the fact that you had gone outside of the castle outside of the royal schedule, and-" "Of course I did, how could I stand being in there the whole time?!?" Luna suddenly seemed angry. Octavia was confused further. "Oh, ever since I got back, it appears the castle procedure has unnecessarily lengthened itself. I've been swamped in bureaucracy and Celestia is the one who gets to go to all the attention! When was the last time there was a Moon celebration? A thousand years ago, that's when!" Luna had gone in full rant mode, and the other ponies couldn't help but feel slightly awkward. "And I'm deeply sorry that Celestia dragged you into this, and that I'm bursting out all this stuff out at you. Really, I am," Luna seemed apologetic. "Princess Luna? Celestia didn't do anything. She was away the whole time," Octavia informed her. "Oh, I'm sure that's what it looked like. Celestia's always pulling strings. This isn't the first time she's gotten unwitting ponies to go on grand adventures for something she could easily do herself," Luna explained, "And all I did was run away for a bit. That note at the old palace was meant to be for Celestia. I only wanted to be alone for a while." The group stood in silence for a while, unsure what the next step was. Octavia broke it. "So what do we do now?" "We go home, that's what." That voice was new. The group wheeled around to see princess Celestia standing in the doorway. Luna immediately confronted her, and spoke rather angrily. "Why do you keep sending other ponies after me? I left you a note saying I wanted to be alone for a while!" "Why, whatever do you mean, Luna?" Celestia asked innocently, but her face didn't show any signs of curiosity. "You know exactly what I- oh, never mind. You're never going to change, are you?" she huffed at Celestia, and went to sit in one of the corners of the cave. Celestia followed her. "Luna, this has been fun and all, but remember, you have royal duties to attend to-" "What royal duties do I have to do apart from raising the moon? I've been doing that, obviously. I only wanted to have some uninterrupted time by myself for a while, and I can't even get that." Celestia seemed unsure of what to do at that time, so she simply said, "Come, Luna, we're going home." Luna looked up at her pleadingly. "Why do I have to go back there? All the butlers are creepy," she added. The scene looked extremely out of place for the non-royal ponies in the room. They had always wondered how the dialogue between the two princesses would go, especially since Luna had had no social interaction for a thousand years. Celestia made a decision. "Alright. But I need to ask you something first." Luna looked at her quizzically as she lowered her head to whisper in her ear. However, the next few words she said were audible to the other ponies in the room. Not that it mattered, for the sentence made no sense. "Have you decided your preference on bananas yet? We can arrange more time, if you like." Instantly, Luna's pupils contracted in fear. The group could not fathom why this reaction came about. "O-Okay, Celestia, I'll go home," and without hesitation, Luna's horn glowed and she disappeared from right in front of them. Vinyl whispered to Octavia, "Okay, what was all that about?" "I have no idea," Octavia responded. Celestia finally took notice of the other ponies in the room and turned to face them. "While no doubt your adventure has been fun, I'm afraid it's over now. Time to head back home," and with that, her horn began to glow. Octavia had never teleported anywhere, and was not prepared for the sensation her body received as Celestia ripped space apart. It wasn't painful, but her senses felt overloaded and exhausted when they reappeared in the centre of Ponyville. Octavia felt nauseated as she recovered herself from the magical method of transportation. When she looked up, she could see Celestia standing in front of her. "Octavia, is it?" Octavia stood up properly before responding, "Yes, your highness." Celestia continued, "And, if I'm not mistaken, you were one of the instrumentalists for the Summer Sun Celebration?" She sounded as if she already knew the answer. "Why, yes, but it seems like we're not going to be able to perform now, since the Celebration is already over," Octavia claimed, unable to hide a hint of relief from her voice. "Hmmm... well, it seems the musical committee have another contract for you," Celestia said as Derpy, who had come back with a bag full of letters, holding the letter for Octavia. It was funny how Derpy, the most... unique of all ponies she'd met was able to fit right back in to her normal routine. Wait, when did she get the bag of letters? Derpy spoke happily through the envelope, "Here ya go, 'Tavi!" Octavia reluctantly took the letter from her, subsequently placing it under her hooves and stomping on it until the envelope was wrecked. She felt like she had finally gone as insane as the ponies around her, but at the moment, she wanted nothing to do with the committee. Celestia made no reaction to Octavia's act. "Well, now that's settled, I'd best be getting back to Canterlot. Good luck, my little ponies!" Her horn glowed, and with a flash, she was gone. Octavia turned again to the ponies that she had gone on the adventure with. "I think I'm going to be staying here for a while. We should get together again sometime." The rest of the ponies nodded, except for Lyra, who appeared to be distracted, looking away from the group. Octavia asked, "What is it, Lyra?" Lyra faced her, with a quizzical look. "Where's Bon Bon?" ~~//*//~~//*//~~ Bon Bon sat alone in Bastion, as she watched the sun rise. Her mind drifted as she thought of the journey she had been drawn into. Lyra was always jumping into things without thinking about the consequences, but she was starting to think... no, she was already thinking that Lyra had gone too far this time. Wait, the sun's already rising? Bon Bon looked around, and headed into the cave. She had lost track of time, and frantically searched around for her friends. It's been hours. Then a realisation dawned on her. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Winter Warmer author: Neon Czolgosz tags: character:Apple Bloom, character:Diamond Tiara, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Winter Warmer === "Jeez, Hayseed, there you are. I've been looking all over this stupid farm for you." Apple Bloom looks up from her brother's plow. It's early February, the trees are bare, the ground is covered in frost and snow, and only the hardiest of winter vegetables need tending to. That means it's the season for maintenance. All the equipment needs preparing, repairing or replacing before planting in the spring. That's why the yellow farmer is hunched over the plow at nine in the morning on a cold winter's day. She's swapping the worn-out cords and straps for sturdier, newer ones. The cords are leather, made from the cast-off bark of the leather trees at the edge of Whitetail Woods. She sees the teenage mare standing in the open doorway of the barn. "Shut the door, Di, you're letting the cold in." "Whatever." The mare rolls her eyes and closes the door behind her. She's bundled up in an grey, Carousel Boutique winter jacket, with thick boots and a false-fur lined hat. Most of her mane is tucked into it, but a few silver-streaked, curly purple tresses are falling across her face and neck. She has an impatient, irritated look on her face. Heh, Diamond Tiara's still kinda pretty with a sour look on her face, thinks Apple Bloom. "You're up bright n' early, D.T., Ah'd thought you'd still be snuggled up under the covers at home this hour." Tiara's pink coat flushes and she scowls. "Like, do not even talk to me about home. Daddy is working from home and he's totally insufferable, and don't even get me started on the rest of the family. They're visiting from Manehattan, and they're just... ugh." She takes a few steps towards the farm girl, glancing at the tools and equipment scattered around the floor and work-bench. "I don't get why you're up so early on a Saturday. You don't even have heating in here!" Apple Bloom sighs, and brushes a stray strand of red hair out of her eyes. Most of her mane is tied back in a pony tail like her older sister's. It's greasy and dirty from dust and mechanic's oil. "Di, some of us have work to do, work that needs doin' whether it's cold in the mornings or not." "Hey! Bitch, I work too!" Apple Bloom gives Diamond Tiara a flat look. "Honey, spraying ponies with fancy smells at the perfume stand ain't work, it's a job. Fixin' the wear mah siblings beat into their tools so the farm still runs come spring, that's work." "Whatever, I think you're just a masochist," she says, smirking at the private irony. "I don't even know how you can work like this. It's so cold. How are you not frozen?" "I got my coat on," replies Apple Bloom, patting the thick, olive-drab jacket she has on. It's old, faded, and not a stylish jacket - a little ugly, even - but it's soft, warm and fills its function perfectly. Diamond Tiara trots up to Apple Bloom, and presses her cheek against the farmer's. "Hayseed, you're freezing," she says, taking a step back. Her nose wrinkles. "And you stink. When's the last time you had a shower?" "Just yesterday morning." Diamond Tiara's eyebrows go up. "That recently?" "Ah was working all day yesterday," she says, a mite defensively. She takes a cautious sniff of herself. Huh. Rich girl might have a point. "Anyway, what's your point, rich girl?" Diamond Tiara's usual sneer softens, and she puts a hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder. "I didn't mean to rag, Bloom. I thought you might want, like, a nice hot shower or something before we hang out." She pauses. "If you're free at all to hang out. Please be free to hang out, Bloom. Silvy's out of town, and if I spend one more hour cooped up at home with my family I'm going to go full retard." She gives Apple Bloom her best set of puppy-dog eyes. Apple Bloom chuckles. "You've given me an idea. Have you seen the Sweet Apple Acres smoke house?" Diamond Tiara shakes her head. "Ah think you'll like it. Follow me." * * * Twenty minutes later, after nipping into the farmhouse to collect some supplies, they're walking through the western orchards. Up a slope, through a northern turn and down a short incline, and the two teenage fillies are at the smoke house. It's a wooden building, little more than a large shed. Behind it is a pond, twenty yards wide, completely frozen over. A few stray bullrushes poke out of the snow at the edges. Apple Bloom opens the smoke house door, and lets Diamond Tiara inside. The inside is a single, spacious room that smells strongly of wood smoke and dried apples. There are metal eyelets on the ceiling for produce to hang from, a tarp in the corner covering a bulky pile of equipment and a large, iron wood-burner near the middle of the room. There are several wooden benches, a rack of towels on the wall, and there is a bizzare brass contraption attached to the wood-burner. It looks like a boiler but with far more pipes, knobs and dials than a simple boiler could possibly need. Several of the pipes are open at the top like a pipe organ, and one pipe hangs out to the side above a cast iron tub, big enough for two ponies. Apple Bloom turns to her friend and grins. "Welcome, Miss Tiara, to the Apple Family Private Sauna!" "Not bad, for a bunch of rednecks I guess. What's the weird thing?" she says, pointing to the brass contraption. "That's the boiler and steam machine, we picked it up from Flim and Flam the last they visited," she says, trotting up to the machine and slapping it on the side. It rings with a wavy *blunk* sound as the water inside splashes around. "It's still full, thank Celestia. Ah don't wanna be pumping water in this weather." With that she shrugs off her pack, takes out a bundle of wood faggots, and starts up the burner. Soon a fire is crackling away, the smoke rising straight out of the shed through the metal chimney. She moves a few dials on the boiler. It judders and whirrs for a few seconds, then falls silent as tiny wisps of steam rise from the pipes. The farmer takes off her jacket and walks back over to Diamond Tiara. "C'n ah take y'r coat?" she says through the fabric. Her pink friend nods and undresses. A minute later, their jackets and the hat are hung up on the wall, their boots below them. The room is already warming up as hot steam fills the air. The pair of ponies sit on a bench near the burner, snuggled close to each other for warmth. Apple Bloom grabs her pack from the floor and pulls out a paper sack and a pair of flasks. "Ah got some pie an' some apple juice; figured you might be hungry," she says, passing a flask and a large slice of pie to Diamond Tiara. The pink filly accepts them both, and they eat and drink in silence. Apple Bloom can feel Diamond Tiara's coat against hers. It's impossibly sleek and soft, from countless hours' treatments with high-quality shampoos and conditioners and brushing. Diamond Tiara is slim and lithe compared to the more powerfully-built farm girl from years of careful diet and exercise. Tiara brushes a stray pastry crum away from her lips with a slender hoof. Even in the freezing cold weather, her lips are smooth and soft. Landsakes, that girl must spend as long as Rarity getting ready in the mornings, thinks Apple Bloom. She can feel Tiara shiver against her occasionally as they warm up. Diamond Tiara finishes the last bite of pie with an appreciative grunt, then washes it down with apple juice. "That was like, totally scrumptious. You might dress like a hobo but at least you can cook, I guess." Apple Bloom grins coyly and waggles her eyebrows. "Sure the cookin's all you came over for?" Tiara grins back and gently shakes her head. Slowly, softly, the two press their lips together. It's surprisingly delicate, a nervous invitation of a kiss. Apple Bloom carefully shifts her lover onto her back, and lies over her. They rub their chests and bellies together as they kiss, this time parting their lips. Diamond Tiara coos into the kiss; her partner above her is noiseless. The two have been doing this for months now, since Nightmare Night in fact. They had been at a party, having a screaming argument over something laughably trivial. The air was thick with the sort of belligerent sexual tension found in cheesy romantic comedies about a tightly-wound business mare and an irreverent stallion who just won't play by her rules. When a moment of angry silence had settled over the room, there would either be a brutal beating or soft and tender kisses. Fortunately for both of them, it was the latter. They make out and run their hooves along each other's bodies, though Apple Bloom is careful to not be too rough for now. Tiara is pinned underneath her; where the pink filly is trim and slender, Apple Bloom is thicker, muscular and rounded. For Tiara, it's like being underneath a colt. A very pretty colt admittedly, but powerful and rough around the edges, with a sly grin, strong legs and chapped lips that feel rough against her own. The room is completely filled with steam now, and the two young mares are warming up. The heat and the humidity make the smells more noticeable. Tiara is wearing perfume - a hint too much - and is clean, but the farmer on top of her has been working for hours already, hasn't washed in twenty-four hours and is working up a sweat. She stinks of work and ripe sweat, with a hint of leather and sharp metal. The stink crawls into Tiara's nostrils as she nuzzles the farmer's neck. It's the kind of smell that usually stops a pony from having sex. Unless the pony getting fucked is a total worthless whorse, thinks Diamond Tiara. She looks up at Apple Bloom with sex eyes. "Can we?" she breathes. "Can ah use you like the lil' slut you are, you mean?" Diamond Tiara bites her lip and nods. "Sure thing. Say 'red' if it gets too much, say 'yeller' to tone it down." As Apple Bloom gets off her, Tiara feels a sudden pressure in her abdomen. "Uh, Bloom, that apple juice went straight through me," she says, looking sheepish. "Where's the toilet?" Apple Bloom stares. "Di, this is a shed. If all you need is to pee, jes' go outside in the snow." "What? But it's co~old!" she whines. "Should'a gone before you came, then," says Apple Bloom. Her lover scowls and pouts at her. She rolls her eyes, trots over to the tarp and pulls out an empty iron bucket. "Well fine then, go in this." Diamond Tiara looks at it doubtfully. "In here? It's still kinda gross." "Missy, it's bucket or outside. Take yer pick." She drops the bucket at Diamond Tiara's hooves. Tiara sighs loudly. "Fine, the damn bucket then. Turn around, Hayseed." Apple Bloom takes a step to turn, and then stops. There's a smirk on her face. "Actually, naw, I think you should turn around. Lift that tail up nice and high, gimme a nice show while you do yer business." "You... want me to pee in front of you?" says Diamond Tiara, her eyes wide. "But that's..." "Something only a real filthy hussy would do, right?" The pink mare hesitates, and looks away from Apple Bloom. The farmer's expression softens. "Ah, it's okay, I'll turn around-" "I want it. I wanna do it." "You sure, Di?" "Totally," she says, with a wide smile and a smouldering look. "I want you to watch." She turns around and positions her slim, pink hind legs over the bucket. Apple Bloom steps back and sits down on the bench, getting comfortable. Tiara lifts her tail right up, displaying her neat, perfectly-groomed slit and her anus, then looks over her shoulder so Apple Bloom can see her face. With a tiny grunt, she releases her bladder. Yellow urine trickles from her haunches into the bucket, and then flows out in a stream. It splatters and splashes and pitters and patters against the metal bucket. Tiara is blushing, partly from the intense humiliation but mainly from the pleasure of release. She lets out a long, happy sigh as she pisses. She must have had a full bladder before the juice, because the flow doesn't slow even after thirty seconds. Apple Bloom feels powerful at having Tiara obey her commands, and the look of lustful embarrassment on the rich filly's face makes her bite her lip without thinking. Just as the musky smell of urine reaches their nostrils, the stream falters and then slows to a trickle. Tiara's pussy winks a few times getting the last drops out, and then she's done. She's filled up nearly half of the bucket. She blows a stray hair from her face, and looks Apple Bloom in the eyes. "Enjoy the show, you hillbilly pervert?" Apple Bloom certainly did. It takes her a moment to respond, and when she does it barely feels like her own voice. "Ah think it's time for you to put that bitchy, rich-girl tongue of yers to good use." The farmer turns, rests her front hooves on the bench, and displays her toned flanks to Diamond Tiara. "Ah was cloppin' all night last night trying to get to sleep, and ah need somepony to clean me up. Get to work." With that, she lifts her tail. Diamond Tiara drinks in the sight of Apple Bloom's exposed flanks and haunches. Where Tiara is built like a slender model, Apple Bloom is built like her older sister. Her legs are powerhouses that can clean a tree of apples in two bucks or less. Her flanks are toned, taut, yellow globes, strong muscle with a healthy layer of fat on top making them look soft and supple. They're like a pair of golden delicious, with an even tastier apple between them. Her coat is nowhere near as soft and clean as Tiara's, it's even matted with dirt and sweat in places. Somehow, that just makes Tiara want it more. Diamond Tiara practically lunges at her lover, grasping her flanks with both hooves and licking away at her pussy. The taste and smell are strong, almost overpowering. It stinks of dried sweat and mare juices; she clearly hasn't cleaned since she clopped last night. The stench fills her nose and sinuses, and makes her head spin. Apple Bloom shifts her hips up and down, rubbing her thick juices over her muzzle. The farmer's tongue lolls out and she moans with pleasure. "Ahh, keep it up, right like that," she says, squeezing her eyes shut. She looks back over her shoulder at her lover, whose face is hidden behind thick yellow flanks. "Yer a whorse, Di, you hear? Just what would your daddy think, you servicing a dirty, sweaty farm filly?" Diamond Tiara just groans with lust and humiliation, and redoubles her efforts. She licks and laps and slurps at the farmer's pussy, torn between pleasuring Apple Bloom's clit and drinking her juices. Apple Bloom giggles and gasps with pleasure, her tail swishing from side to side over Tiara's withers. Tiara rubs her face into the juicy pussy and sweaty haunches, covering herself in Apple Bloom's stink. Apple Bloom has sudden, devious inspiration. She puts a hoof back, and pushes Tiara's face away. "You're fuckin' awful at this," she growls. "Spoiled little rich girl never learned to eat pussy, always used to getting what she wants instead. Get yer face outta my cooter. Lick my butt." Tiara looks at Apple Bloom's anus. It looks clean, and free of... bits. She takes a tiny sniff, and wrinkles her nose. It smells exactly like she expected it to smell. She peers over the farmer's flanks and up at her face. "You want me to lick you there? That's like, competely disgusting." Apple Bloom leers cruelly at her. "Yeah, dummy, that's the point. Imagine ol' Filthy seeing his perfect little princess with her tongue up my shitter, and seeing what a fucked-up, no-hope lil' whorse you really are." Diamond Tiara's eyes glaze over and she delves into Apple Bloom's butt. She's sloppy and slobbery, eyes scrunched in concentration as she laps at Apple Bloom's tight pucker. The farmer moans at the sensations, soft and slick against her sensitive hole. The rimjob feels fantastic, and the way it's so degrading to her lover and ex-nemesis makes it even better. "How's my butthole taste, slut? Does it taste like apples?" she teases. Diamond Tiara whines and shakes her head in response, her tongue never leaving her lover's anus. It's clean and doesn't taste foul, but it could never be clean enough to be any less than completely degrading and disgusting to the posh filly. The farmer enjoys the lewd licking for a little longer, the soft, wet *slep* *slep* sounds of a little pink tongue against her little brown hole making her pussy burn with lust. When her mind is screaming for relief, she reaches a strong yellow hoof back to Diamond Tiara's head, and pulls her hard into her flanks. "Tongue my ass, whorse, stick your tongue right in that hole and swirl it round," she says, panting with lust. "Be a good lil' hussy and make me come." Tiara instantly obeys and pushes her tongue into her anus. Apple Bloom gasps in shock and pleasure, her haunches tingling at the feel of a slick, hot tongue wriggling into her tight ring. It's utterly heavenly. She rests her head on the bench and slips her other front hoof between her legs, furiously rubbing at her slit. Every motion sends a spastic shock of pleasure through her pussy and haunches. She can hear a high-pitched moaning sound, and it takes a second to realise that it's coming from her. Apple Bloom still takes a moment to tease Diamond Tiara and make her work harder. She clenches her anus tightly, forcing the tongue out. Diamond Tiara whines and goes crazy, desperately trying to get her tongue back inside. The pink mare's haunches are on the ground, and she's trying to grind her slit against the hard, wooden floor, desperate for release. Apple Bloom's hoof is a blur between her haunches. She's moaning and shouting obscenities at her lover, calling her a worthless slut and ordering her to work harder. Tiara groans in shame, sending wonderful vibrations straight into the farmer's haunches. When she's just about to tip, Apple Bloom unclenches her ass and lets Tiara stick her tongue all the way in. The yellow mare screams bloody murder as she comes, her body locking up in paroxysms of pleasure. She twitches and spasms; her head slams against the hard bench as she yells Diamond Tiara's name over and over. When the orgasm fades and the fog clears, she's still leaning over the bench, with her front hooves back on hard surface. Diamond Tiara hasn't stopped; she's still gently licking away and trying to hump the floorboards. Apple Bloom pushes her away, turns, and pulls her into a deep kiss. They breathe against each other and gently slip their tongues together. Apple Bloom tastes her own juices and the bitter taste of her ass on her lover's tongue. She breaks the kiss and looks into Diamond Tiara's eyes. The pink mare's face is bright red and dripping with sweat. Her purple and silver mane is plastered to her forehead. Her eyes are unfocused, and she's panting like a dog. She's still grinding her hips down onto the floor. Apple Bloom moves past her through the steamy room, picks up one of the flasks, and takes a long pull of juice. She trots back over to Tiara, holds the flask to her lips and lets her drink. Tiara's throat bulges cutely as she swallows the drink. "Di?" "...Bloom." Her hips are still undulating. "How ya feelin'?" "Good. Real good." "You want to take a break?" Her sweaty tresses whip from side to side as she shakes her head. Apple Bloom grins. "Look at you, grinding your coochie on the floor like that. You're like an animal in need of rutting, ain'tcha?" Tiara just pants and nods. Apple Bloom plants a chaste kiss on her lips. "Ah'll sort'cha out, don't you fret." She goes back to her pack, and pulls out two objects. One, a small parcel of greaseproof paper. The other, a strap-on black plastic dildo. It's a little shorter than the average stallion, but a little thicker too. With some effort, Apple Bloom gets the strap-on attached. The black cock bobs between her legs as she sashays towards Tiara. "On yer back, Di." Diamond Tiara does as she's told, and rolls onto her back like an obedient pet, splaying her hindlegs out to the side. Apple Bloom gets between her legs and rests the shaft of the cock on top of Diamond Tiara's swollen slit. The slim filly doesn't move, but coos at the feel of a cold toy on her hot sex. She gasps when Apple Bloom leans down and sticks her tongue in her ear. "Yer a lil' hussy, Di," whispers the farmer. "You wanna get fucked like a hussy?" She slides the plastic cock along Tiara's soft cleft, making her whine and nod furiously. "Yes oh please fuck me!" "Good. Where d'you want it?" "In my pussy - YEOWWW~!" She yelps as Apple Bloom bites down on her ear, and then gurgles as she pushes a hoof against her throat. "What?! You're a hussy, rich bitch, hussies don't get fucked in the pussy, where do hussies get fucked?" she snaps. She grinds her hips down extra hard as she takes her hoof off her throat. Diamond Tiara squeals at the sudden air and the sensation. "In the butt they get fucked in the butt!" Apple Bloom grins, and stands up. "That's right, hussy." Diamond Tiara bites her lip and reaches a hoof down to play with herself. Apple Bloom immediately slaps it away. "Oh no you don't," snaps the farmer. "Only ah get to decide when you come. In fact, I'm gon' make sure you can't sneak a hoof down there..." Apple Bloom fetches a few lengths of twine from her bag, and binds Tiara's front forelegs together. She then presses Tiara's bound forelegs to her pink chest, and ties twine around her back, binding her front legs to her body. She flips the trussed-up Tiara onto her belly, then reaches a hoof under her nethers and orders her to stand her hind legs up. She compies; her flanks are propped up in the air and her face is pressed to the wooden floor. Apple Bloom yanks her tail. "Get yer tail outta the way, slut, ain't like you can feel shame or nothin'." As Tiara lifts her tail, Apple Bloom unwraps the parcel of greaseproof paper. It contains a two-ounce lump of butter, softened by the heat of the sauna. She presses it into her lover's anus, and the slim young mare shivers at the sensation. The butter melts as she smears it around, with little rivulets of golden oil running down pretty pink haunches. She wipes up the excess globs, and uses them to lube the dildo between her legs. Diamond Tiara wobbles as Apple Bloom mounts her, and nearly buckles when the powerfully-built farm girl bears her weight down on her. Apple Bloom takes a moment to get comfortable, smacks her lover's cutie mark hard enough to get a grunt, then leans down until her muzzle is at her ear. "Ah'm gon' rut you until you're screaming for mercy, you lil' whorse," she growls, lining up the plastic cock, "and ah ain't gon give you none." She starts pushing into the slim mare underneath her, slowly but smoothly. The first thrust is painful, painful enough that Tiara twitches from the little stabbing pains in her rectum. She lets out a low whine, which turns into a scream when Apple Bloom bites the back of her neck hard. Apple Bloom snickers, then gently kisses and suckles on her neck. Diamond Tiara squirms and coos and Apple Bloom bottoms out. The farm girl pulls out, making Diamond Tiara space her coos with sharp gasps, until only the tip of the thick cock is left inside. She waits a moment before sinking back in. When Tiara suddenly groans with lust, she starts to fuck her, sawing the dildo in and out of her butt. Diamond Tiara becomes incoherent from the pleasure and pain as Apple Bloom's hips slam against her rump, driving a cock into her ass and her face into the floor. Apple Bloom is an animal above her, strong and powerful, utterly dominating her. In this moment she is owned by the farmer, a mere pet, and she is utterly sheltered from the whole bastard world under the butter-coated mare's sublimely harsh ministrations. Apple Bloom grinds her hips against her little slut's rump, letting the base of the dildo rub her own clit. She rears up on her hind legs, planting her hooves on Diamond Tiara's flanks. Her hips go back until only the tip is inside, and the brings a hoof down hard on Diamond Tiara's cutie mark as she thrusts back in. On the next thrust, she spanks her again just as hard, on the exact same spot. She fucks her faster and faster, smacking her cutie mark with every stroke. Diamond Tiara is screaming, bawling her eyes out, her face thrashing from side to side against the floor. "What are you, Miss Diamond Tiara?" "I-I'm a fucking who~oo~orse!" she sobs. "Damn straight you are," says Apple Bloom, not slowing for a second, "You feelin' horny, rich bitch?" "Yes! Oh yes!" Apple Bloom leans down, her stomach resting on Diamond Tiara's back, and slips a hoof between her lover's haunches. "Damn, it's like a fuckin' furnace down there," she whispers. "You want me to rub your coochie while I fuck your tight lil' pucker, Tiara?" "Oh please oh yes make me come oh please yes!" Apple Bloom keeps fucking and rubbing, her hoof dripping with Diamond Tiara's juices. Diamond Tiara squeals madly and slams her hips back into Apple Bloom's with every thrust. Something about the sensation of being buggered sets Diamond Tiara on fire. The utter overload of sensations, having her tiny hole stretched wide, the burning friction as the cock slides against her sphincter, the vibrations through the rest of her haunches, it's all too much and it's absolute rapture. She struggles madly against the bonds, not to try and escape, just to know that they are there and she is hers. Apple Bloom looks up and sees the bucket through the thick steam. It gives her an amazing, evil idea. She buries herself deep in Diamond Tiara's butt and stops moving her hoof. The mare underneath her screams in frustration when she realises, and tries to hump against it. Apple Bloom grins and moves her hoof away. "Say, Di, do you want me to touch ya or somethin'?" Diamond Tiara pouts and begs. "Apple Blooooom, you're being mean you stupid hick! Rub my fucking pussy already!" "Nuh-uh, if you want me to get you off, you're gonna crawl over to that bucket and rest yer chin on the edge." The pink mare whines and pouts, but they move over to the bucket, shuffling and tottering. Apple Bloom lifts Tiara's head up to the rim of the bucket. The rich girl can smell her own acrid urine. She cringes as a strand of her hair falls into the yellow liquid. Apple Bloom starts fucking again, causing Tiara to teeter precariously, trying to not tip the bucket over her. Apple Bloom grips the back of Tiara's mane with her teeth to stabilise her, yanking and growling, all the tendons in her powerful neck bulging out. She fucks with short thrusts, only pulling out an inch or two before slamming back in. Her hoof goes back between Diamond Tiara's legs and rubs her slick, dripping folds. The slim mare moans in tortured pleasure, overwhelmed by the thick cock sliding in and out of her asshole, her lover's talented hoof, and the thick, foul stench of her piss. Her moans get louder as she nears her climax. "Y' G'ttin' cl'se n'w, Di?" Apple Bloom's voice is muffled through the back of Diamond Tiara's lovely mane. She sucks and chews on it, soaking in the smell of expensive shampoo and fresh sweat. "Oh! Oh! So oh so close! Fuck me oh oh hard oh please ohhh!" "Y'r gon' cum 'n t'ree s'cs! T'ree! T'w! W'n!" The farmer releases Diamond Tiara's mane and shoves her face into the bucket of urine. It splashes all over the pretty filly's face, goes up her nose and into her open mouth and her ears and eyes. It makes Diamond Tiara come so hard she nearly passes out. Her slit twitches madly and drenches Apple Bloom's hoof in a spray of wetness. She howls into the bucket, which sounds out as a demented gargle. The bucket tips onto the side, and he yellow liquid spills out onto the floor. It flows in a puddle past her neck. Apple Bloom pushes the bucket away. Diamond Tiara is gasping and spluttering, her eyes shut, completely dazed and disoriented. Quickly and efficiently, the farmer unties the bonds around Diamond Tiara's barrel, then rolls her onto her back and removes the twine around her forelegs. She then cradles her still-gasping lover in her front legs, and plants a soft kiss on her lips. Tiara coughs and cuddles into the farmer, who licks her eyelids like a mother to her foal. She can taste the salty urine, but she doesn't mind. Tiara just mewls and shivers against her. A few minutes later, Apple Bloom looks at the steam machine. The steam has cut off, and the bath tub has been filled. She helps Diamond Tiara up and into the bathtub. The water is wondefully hot. She gasps as it sets her bruised cutie mark and punished anus on fire, but sighs as it eases all the tension elsewhere away. The two lovers wash each other, giggling and chatting as they soap each other up, cleaning away the grease, sex and urine from their bodies. It's nothing like her perfectly stocked bathroom full of beauty products at home, but Diamond Tiara doesn't care, She just cuddles against Apple Bloom in the water, and lets the farmer throw a foreleg around her like a coltfriend would. Apple Bloom kisses her cheek, and then looks into her eyes. "Di, ah know ah can give you crap sometimes for being a crazy rich girl 'n' all, but... you're somethin' special. Ah'm glad to be yer friend, and ah'm lucky to be more." Tiara kisses Apple Bloom's neck and nuzzles into her. Apple Bloom always gets like this after sex. "You too, Hayseed. You too." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Reunion author: rlogic1994 tags: character:Main 6, character:Princess Celestia, character:Princess Luna, character:Spike, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Ch 1: Friends === Reunion It was colder now days in Equestria. The fall of years past had been tinged with a certain friendly warmth that was now absent. It was most likely a result of Princess Celestia's waning power that had been set in motion by her valiant sister, who had sacrificed her life to destroy Discord once and for all. But these grave matters did not pester a certain violet unicorn's mind. Twilight Sparkle walked slowly down the winding path through the Everfree forest, now so much more diminished by Discord's ravaging rampage all those years ago. She trotted steadily determined to get to the top of the mound of land up ahead. To her left and right, the trees were set afire by autumn colors. Reds and yellows painted across the canopy, while a dead brown mass of leaves lay below the beautiful plumes above. The grass was wildly overgrown, weeds and wildflowers visible everywhere. Over the canopy, the Castle of the Two Sisters was visible in its ruined and decayed splendor. It was a fitting place for the mare to meet her friends. This was where they truly became the Elements of Harmony. She smiled slightly at the happy memory. But much had changed in all of them; it had been nearly 25 years since all of her friends had met up. She had not met with them in so long because she had not the heart to hurt them by coming after so much time had passed. This had to be done. This was most likely her last chance. She finally ended up at the foot of the hill and started her gradual ascent of the bump of earth. When she had reached halfway up the slope, she stopped wondering if this was a good idea. There is no turning back. She proceeded to ascend to the top of the hill and was greeted by the faces of her friends. Fond memories emerged of each of them as she moved from one appearance to the next. Rainbow Dash's smiling face reminded her of all the times she had been pranked by the rainbow mare. But the smile also reminded her of the day she was accepted to the Wonderbolts. Twilight and her friends had been so proud, and she had a great career with them. She was the only pony ever to do a double sonic rainboom. Twilight still remembered the day Rainbow had descended from the skies in a dive faster than usual and higher up than usual. Then there was the ever astonishing joy of watching her figure explode into a spectrum of every color that existed. But as Dash kept diving with an ear-to-ear grin, she accelerated once more. A second explosion, unlike anything twilight had ever seen. A halo of imponderable color and intensity burned through the sky, leaving a trail of fiery rainbows behind. When Rainbow Dash had met up with her 5 friends later, she had told them that she just remembered that she would always have her friends who loved her and she let go. Their memory was what drove her, and what gave her the spirit to keep going after the first rainboom. She was so great at flying. She never wanted to stop, always trying to beat her last performance. After she had retired, Twilight and her friends couldn't bear to see the broken spirited mare. Not after the accident in the Canterlot Air Show. Next was the ever ecstatic face of the pink party pony Pinky Pie, her smile reflecting the great birthday party she had thrown for twilight. She was always the life of every party she threw, always capable of cheering up any soul. Twilight remembered the day she went to Canterlot when she was put in charge of the Grand Galloping Gala. Twilight stifled a chuckle at the thought of the affair. There were still stains in the drapes of the great hall. But her smiling face also reminded Twilight of the day she was proposed to. The stallion was just like her, a bubbling personality as if his entire life was a party. With her new husband's connections in Canterlot, They were able to get a party planning company running called The Party Pie. He didn't even care that his name wasn't represented in the name; he was happy to be with Pinkie. Their company was still going and had planned some of the most epic parties in history. She retired in ponyville a few years ago. It was sad seeing her at her very last party. It didn't have the same happiness that usually filled the air. The determined face applejack brought back memories of all the overworked days the orange pony had gone through. Applejack never knew when to take help, Twilight remembering the time when she had tried to single handedly take on all of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight remembered the day she had gone off to war when Discord came back. Rainbow Dash she would go, but the Wonderbolts were a serious morale boost for Equestria, and the captain of the team couldn't just leave. It was sad seeing the orange pony leave, Big Mac and Granny Smith as the caretakers of the farm until she returned. The last time Twilight saw her was at Granny Smith's funeral, an affair even sadder by the sight of the orange pony, her body riddled with scars and scratches. She looked tired, as if she was sick. She said she was fine, but her eyes looked as if they hadn't had sleep in years. Twilight looked up again to her friend's face, her face having been sunk by the poignant memories. Her look also reminded Twilight of the time Applejack had saved her from that manticore on the way to Fluttershy's cottage, receiving a nasty scar from the affair but happy to help her friend. Only after that did Twilight realize her friend would never buck a tree again because of her condition. Fluttershy's kind face looked up at her to the right of Applejack, her soft smile reflecting years of taking care of all kinds of animals, even Spike when he got a horrible case of draconitis. Draconitis was a horrible condition, making the small dragon's eyes bloodshot and his scales pale with decay. It was the first time Twilight had cried for so long. It had scared her deeply, the thought of losing one of her closest friends who she had raised from infancy. Fluttershy had been so tender and loving with him, but she was like that with all injured living things. She had even gone into the deep corners of the Everfree Forest to get supplies for treatment of the disease. Twilight remembered her scratched face when she returned from her adventure, as she had run to the Yellow pegasus's side to help. But Fluttershy would have none of it, a rare show of her authority. She attended to Spike first, slowly making the brew for the dying dragon. Only after this had been done did she let Twilight heal her wounds. Even Fluttershy had changed over the years. She had enrolled to help the Canterlot remapping unit in mapping out the Everfree. Fluttershy returned from that mission scarred deeply from something and was never the same again. She still cared for her animals, but there was an emptiness that had not been there before. The last time Twilight had seen her, she looked unnaturally at peace and still. Then looking back at her was the regal faced Rarity, her polite smile showing her love of all that is proper. Her smile bringing back the memories of all the dresses she had mad Twilight try on and wear over the years. Everyone was so proud the day she finally got her dream when Hoity Toity gave her a piece of his company in his will, which the purple maned pony renamed Rarity's carousel. Twilight didn't really know why, but the name was a hit. She had become huge in only a few years. Even though she had grown apart from her friends, she still helped them if they ever asked. And she always used to send them free dresses with notes saying things like "Try this on, dear! You'll look absolutely marvelous!" And they always were marvelous. But the stress of high society and the cut throat fashion industry got to her. She became more and more frustrated by the slightest thing. Twilight recalled the day that she saw Rarity's name in the news after she had made her last dress and had retired to a better life of calm. Looking at all her friends she realized they hadn't changed on bit, although showing a few signs of age. Each of their faces still held the same youth that Twilight remembered had been so distinct in all of them. Even though she had not seen them in so long, the ponies in front of her were still her friends, even if the door had shut on the chance to apologize long ago. But recalling these memories brought a sudden flood of emotion to her. The latch on her heart that was holding back all her regret burst open in a fit of tears and vain apology. "I'm so sorry! I-I really am! Please don't be mad! I just-I just couldn't face you girls again. I thought that too much time had passed and that you would be angry!" she sobbed hysterically, shaking her hoofs in a pleading manner, "I just couldn't find the heart to come, even after all that had happened. I thought that if I d-did then I would relive what happened all th-that time ago. I just can't forget the look on all of your faces. Every time I saw one of you, I couldn't take it and I-I-I turned my b-back on you! I j-just..." She regained her composure for a moment so that she could do what she had come to do. She called upon her magic and levitated her gift out of her saddle bags and placed it in front of them. It was an enormous fire ruby, glistening with the engraving she had done with her own hoof: "Always Sisters and Always together". It had with a single perfect white lily placed inside it, its petals enchanted to forever be suspended in flawless beauty. The second the heart shaped jewel touched the rock below her, she broke into another fit of tears, only able to get out a few word as she finally caught sight of the engraving in the granite below her shaking hoofs. "I'm so sorry I never said goodbye!" she cried with a voice full of pain and regret and sorrow. Below her sobbing face, was an inscription in granite that had hurled Twilight into a spiraling descent of absolute depression. "Here lay the Elements of Harmony. All kind beings to the end All sisters in friendship All loved by those around them All keepers of balance in Equestria May their heavenly souls lie in peace and harmony" === Ch 2: Mentor === Reunion Ch2 By Rlogic1994 She sobbed into the ground for nearly an hour, having collapsed in a heap of tears moments after bursting into a fit of sadness. Only after this agonizing hour of despair over her lost friends was she finally able to look up at her friends' faces, immortalized in enchanted marble and gems. They all looked so happy to the unicorn, so unaware of the future. She got on to her hoofs, still wobbly at the knees, and started talking to them. "Well…I really wish I had come earlier. I really didn't realize how much I missed you until now. I really do miss you girls, even though this is the first time I've come back. Sometimes I get depressed because of it, but also because I am cursed to outlive you. My Element gave me long life, but it's been so empty without you girls at my side. Even with my research facility running smoothly and making leeway in new fields of magic, I can't help but feel alone. But I shouldn't burden you with my sorrow, I should tell you girls what's been going on with your legacies," spoke Twilight, her voice still edged with shaking sniffles of anguish. "Rainbow, you should be here to see you're little sidekick. Scootaloo's the captain of the Wonderbolts now. She's just like you. She even got her first sonic rainboom a few years back. She still does memorial shows for you every year on the day…it happened. And they're beautiful, so amazing. I talked to her after one of the memorial shows, and she was crying. Both for her love of you and happiness that you were at peace." She now turned to Pinkie Pie. "And Pinkie, you should see The Party Pie now! It's been booming for so long now and Celestia even made them the official planners for the Grand Galloping Gala every year. I still go every year, if only to remember better days." She shifted to Rarity. Rarity, you would be proud of your legacy. It truly is, as you probably would have put it, fabulous. Things are in full swing and dresses are being sold by the thousands. They still use your designs. You always had the best sense for things. Then she turned to Applejack. "Sweet Apple Acres is doing amazing as well, Applejack. Applebloom's doing so well with it! She's just like you, stubborn and an extremely hard worker. She finally got her Cutie Mark; it was a single red apple, but she was just as proud of it because it reminded her of you. I really do wish you were here to see it." Finally she shifted to Fluttershy. "Oh Fluttershy, I really do wish you were here to see your cottage. After you…moved on, a couple who had secretly admired your love for nature for years were inspired to fix it up and transform it into what it once was; a place of refuge for animals of all kinds. They even have a pony-made cave for injured dragons. You would be so happy and probably a little scared too." As she finished what she had to say to each of them, she felt her eyes cloud up with tears again. But she suppressed the will to give in and blinked them away, promising she would not worry her friends with her tears. She looked up at all of them again and couldn't dare look at their innocent stares. If only they had known the horrors of what she had done, they would not be smiling at her so. "You know," she started, her voice cracking with emotion, "It's just that the future is just getting dimmer and dimmer, but the past, even the darker parts, keep on shining bright. I…I just wish I could be with you!" She could feel the tears coming for a third time and before she broke into another spasm of despair, she turned slowly and started down the hill again. Albeit her exhaustive efforts to keep her emotions from flowing out, the melancholy leaked from her eyes and stained the dirt and grass below. She could not stop here, though. She still had a few more people to visit. As she looked back one more time, she hoped that wherever they were, her friends were living their dreams. She turned away and slowly trotted back to the edge of the forest before using her magic to teleport. With a bright flash and a crack she evaporated into nothingness. She appeared with a whoosh on the steps of Canterlot Castle, looking up to the regal balcony of the throne room. The guards let her in without delay and she traversed the labyrinth of corridors to get to her destination, an easy task as she had memorized the layout for the entire castle over the years. When she reached a familiar set of wide stairs that preceded an ornate door, she went up the steps and to the door, which opened when she was a few feet from it. Inside laid a familiar chamber, which was bathed in the glowing light of the sun, and now being occupied by only one pony. "Twilight Sparkle. My Dear Friend," said a soothing voice from the back of the chamber. "Princess," said Twilight, her voice saturated with relief at finding her mentor in the throne room unoccupied with other business. "Aah! You need not address me with such formalities Twilight. Just call me Celestia. Please," the sun goddess said, her expression illustrating her distress at her favorite unicorn's label for her. "Sorry…Celestia, but it's been some time. I just really wanted to visit you and…Luna," Twilight explained quickly, but anguish edging into her voice at 'Luna'. "Yes. It really has been too long. Come and sit with me. We can talk in peace." Twilight made her way over to where Celestia was sitting and sat down on a wooden chair next to her. Twilight immediately noticed Celestia wasn't sitting on her golden throne, which was covered in dust like its sister throne next to it, a deep blue lapis lazuli throne. The princess had still not recovered from what had happened to Luna, evident by the end of her vibrant mane, now almost gray. "Well, Twilight, I think I should apologize for not doing this earlier. I wanted to tell you something, but I didn't have the heart to after what happened to your friends." "No need to apologize, Celestia. I am at fault too. I should have come earlier. But I'm here now, so I just want to ask you something. Are you alright?" The question had clearly caught Celestia off guard. After her sister's death, she was guilt and sorrow stricken, but all anyone else could worry about was political matters. No one had stopped to ask her if she was alright. They always assumed she was a cold ruling machine with no emotions for any pony whatsoever. It didn't help that most people thought she was a tyrant. She only bottled up her emotions, so that people wouldn't be frightened. Because if a "goddess" was crying, who knows what chaos would ensue? She had not even had a chance to cry because of the hell she had to go through to keep Equestria stable. At the sight of her old student asking her with sincere care and affection whether she was alright, a thousand years of held back heartache and burning sorrow burst out as she crashed down onto the cold floor with a puddle of bitter tears forming around her. "I-I'm s-sorry, T-t-twilight. It's-" she started, but cut herself off when she felt the tender touch of a hoof around her waist. The violet unicorn had pulled Celestia into a hug, her eyes watering at the sight of her mentor and friend. "It's ok. I know how it feels. When I met my friends, I felt like I had known them for a thousand years. Don't feel bad. Not showing emotion like this is just a part of being someone as powerful as you. Please don't cry princess. It just makes things so much worse," the unicorn cooed. When Celestia calmed down, she wiped the tears from her face and gave Twilight a grateful nuzzle, which the purple pony returned happily. Their eyes met for a moment, and a silent message was sent between them, a message not of words but of unbridled emotion, a beam of happiness, sadness, regret, knowledge, wisdom, and friendship being exchanged between them. The 2 mares had come along so long in life that they had no need for words in matters of friendship. They simply enjoyed the fortune of being alone in their company without any distractions like in the past. "You know Twilight, even though I am much older than you, sometimes I think that you're just as old as me. You really do know me quite well," said the sun princess stoically, slowly strolling onto the royal balcony looking over the rest of Canterlot with Twilight following. "Well we have had some time to get to know each other prin-Celestia. But I still miss our Sunday tea. So much has changed…" replied Twilight, her voice full of nostalgia over her calm past. "I can tell you out of personal experience that things come to change, even things that seem everlasting. It saddens me to see today's ponies so much darker than those of years past, but that is just because of all the events that have befallen Equestria, something that is unavoidable." "I know that from experience too, although I really wish that I didn't, if it meant I could take it all back. I look back and see a carefree young mare who doesn't know what's coming. Doesn't know that when it hits, it will shake her world. I want to sit her down and talk to her. Tell her how things are. But I can't and I am where I am because I didn't. But the signs of age are really catching up to me now. That young mare is gone." "You aren't alone there Twilight. I really wish I could turn back the clock as well, but I cannot. As you can probably see, but are politely not mentioning, I have given in to age as well." "Don't be silly. You look just as-" she started, but stopped when she finally took time to pay attention to Celestia's appearance. She had truly fallen from her past beauty. Her formerly flowing bright mane now lay flat and dulled by time, the original blue, green, purple, and pink instead replaced by monochromatic shades of gray tinted by a little color. The princess's once beautifully snowy coat was now nothing more than a drab pallid white. Even her wings, which long ago were a wonder to behold in their majesty, were ruffled and disorganized, feathers sticking out at awkward angles throughout the appendage. All of these features combined, Princess Celestia no longer held her implied sense of power and kind authority. Now she looked more like an old mare due past her time. "Surprised?" said Celestia languidly, "You see I am perceived as immortal, but I am not truly forever-living. You should already know that through your studies. We Alicorns possess unfathomable amounts of power, which is our source of long life. The magic surrounds our souls in a cocoon that slows time itself, and in extension aging. You probably guessed this when you found the source of your own long life as the magic ingrained in your soul by the Elements." "But even though we have so much power, there is a reason for it; we are meant to do things that not even ten thousand pegasi and unicorns could not do. We are meant to move celestial bodies. Although it may not show, this is a task that strains our magical ability to an alarming extent. Something a normal unicorn would worry about. But with our massive magical potential, we can shrug it off. But as you can see, when push comes to shove, no one can avoid time's effect. I may be able to slow my travel to my final destination, but I cannot stop it completely." "What do you mean Celestia? What path?" Then Celestia turned to Twilight and looked straight into her eyes, conveying that what she was about to say might upset Twilight. "It cannot be avoided my dear Twilight. I am dying. And I feel my time is approaching quickly," she said, with considerable difficulty and pain. "W-what? B-but you still have a l-lot of magic. Y-you can't die!" stuttered Twilight, stunned by her mentor's announcement. "You as well as anyone knows that death is a part of life, just as pain is a part of happiness. My dear friend, I believe that the time has come for you to move on in your life without me," said Celestia still able to maintain her stoic tone. "Leave you?! I would never!" Twilight replied frantically. "Twilight. You have turned out to be an exceptional mare beyond comparison. I am so proud of what you've done and all the people you've helped. But it occurs to me now that unlike so many of my students before you, you have become adept in the most powerful magic that exists. And that is of course through your studies in ponyville that you have mastered the magic of friendship, the value of happiness and love. It is with a proud heart that I can tell you that you are no longer my student. Twilight, you have become something much greater. You have learned all you can from me and in return I have learned quite a deal from you. For that, Twilight, I thank you deeply." "B-but…I'll always be your student! You have ages more wisdom than me and can always teach me something. Please, I still want to be your student…" Twilight said, her face frozen in an expression of anguish. Twilight couldn't hold herself back as she ran forward to her mentor, wrapping her hoofs around her in a hug. "Please don't leave me! You…you were like a….second mother to me after my mom p-passed away when I became your student. You looked out for me and treated me like your own. You may have been a little jealous that my friends in ponyville were getting so much attention from me, but you will forever be my very first best friend. Please…" the violet unicorn pleaded. Celestia looked down on her old friend and couldn't help but think about their relationship for the first time in a few years. "And you were like a daughter to me, Twilight. You changed me for the better. You reminded me so much of…her" the princess thought, for some reason unable to put her thoughts into words. She closed her eyes as a single tear rolled down her face onto the cold marble floor below. When she opened them and looked down to Twilight, she did not see an aged mare, but a small filly bawling her eyes out over her mother's death. "At least some things never change, Twilight. You will always be that little filly to me." She thought, hugging Twilight closer. When they finally parted, Twilight looked up to her mentor with a look of gratefulness unable to be manifested in speech. Twilight wished she could stay longer, but she still had 2 more stops, both in or near Canterlot. She stood to leave and looked back to her mentor, her second mother, her friend, Celestia. "Thank you for everything. I really can't put it in words, Celestia. Thank you," she murmured, only loud enough for Celestia to hear. Celestia nodded and watched her former student push the doors to the throne room open and exit into the wide corridor past it. Twilight's next destination was one that she was apprehensive of going to, but it had to be done. She used her magic to teleport away to the north side of the castle and materialized with a pop, landing softly on a smooth and beautifully dark azure pathway, cobbled with what dark blue marble. Ahead of her was a courtyard with a single discernable feature in the center of it, a grove of blue trees lining the far side in a crescent shape. === Ch 3: Savior === Reunion Ch 3: Savior By Rlogic1994 Twilight sighed as she caught sight of the grove. For her, this visit was going to be one of the most difficult. After Luna had sacrificed herself to save Equestria, the details of how it happened were muddled, partially because the blast knocked almost all memory of the event from every pony near it. But in the discrepancy of what happened, the public unjustly assumed the pony closest to the princess at the time was responsible, and this pony was Twilight Sparkle. Twilight had always been effected by others' views on her, so naturally when people started blaming her, she started to believe them. It ate at her day and night if she could have done something to save one of her closest friends from death. She fell into a circle of bitter arguments with herself over what she could've done. The only reason this burning desire to know what could have been did not consume her was that she was engrossed in her work as ever, unable to suppress her workaholic tendencies. But now that she was retired, those thoughts bubbled to the surface again. But this time, instead of thinking of how she could have saved Luna, she came to accept that she couldn't have. And moreover that Luna gave her life for a reason, not just to save Twilight. She gave her life for countless others, who are to this day and forever more grateful for her sacrifice. Now all Twilight had left to do was actually visit the princess of the night. The unicorn trotted along and made her way to the courtyard. In the center stood a beautiful sapphire blue crystal plate, on it was a crescent moon made from the whitest marble Twilight had ever seen. Around the slab were a whole language of runes and ancient symbols etched in patterns on the cool rock cobble. She made her way up to the slab and bowed respectfully. The slab itself was much more beautiful up close. It was made of a special stone called ceruleite. It was very difficult to find, but when it was put in the moonlight for long enough, it retained an unmatchable midnight blue. Almost exactly the same color as Luna's coat. The gems that made the moon were set into blindingly white marble behind. Each gem was engraved with a different rune, all of which Twilight could recognize. They all spoke of her achievements and her failures, for Luna was never one to shy away from her sins. After the Nightmare Moon event, she had a press conference and told the public the truth about what had happened. Then Celestia joined her and they both told the tail of how Luna was transformed into a beast of malice. Twilight was there for every minute of it, so she remembered the feeling of surprise she felt when she realized that Celestia had more part in Luna's transformation than people thought. Celestia had emphasized the fact that it was partially her fault, but most people just took it as the princess's normal generosity. The story was sad and Twilight recalled that all who listened were at least watery eyed if not crying by the end. It truly was sad, but also beautiful, because it had a happy ending; two sisters, two friends, finally forgiving each other. "Hello Luna. I really didn't know what I was going to do if I ever met you again. I couldn't think of anything to say to you. Everyone blamed me and I believed them! I just couldn't let go of the fact that one more of my friends had been taken away from me. And you really were my friend Luna, One of my best, like a sister who always watches out for me. I still remember the day you gave me my starting money for my research project and I am as grateful for it now as ever. But when I think of what to say to you now, only one thing comes to mind," she said calmly, her soft voice brimming with melancholy, "I am truly sorry for what happened. I know that you don't blame me, but I do. I need to apologize to you for my own peace of mind and so that I can be convinced you will rest peacefully." "You would be happy if you saw how much people love you and are grateful for what you did that day. They even have an entire day dedicated to you. It is the only day that Celestia doesn't raise the sun. So that everyone can see your unmatchable beauty of the night. You always did wow me with them, you know. Every time I looked into those obsidian skies, knowing I had seen it before, I get a renewed sense of awe and wonder as if it was the first time I'd ever seen the stars and the moon. After what happened I'm grateful too. But the world seems that much emptier without you, and I don't doubt Celestia seems the same way. I guess I just m-miss you so much." Twilight could feel her body shaking to give in to her emotions, but the last thing she needed was for Luna to worry about her. She needed to be strong like the princess was when she gave her life. But strength was never her strong suit, so her knees buckled and she kneeled down in front of the tombstone, sniffing and blinking tears out of her eyes. Why was she so weak when it came to things like this? Why could she not take control of her emotions? But as she thought more about it, she changed her opinion; she had a right to let her emotions get to her. She let go and let the tears roll down, filling the little grooves of the runes on the floor. "Why did this have to happen? Why did you have to die for Equestria to be saved? Oh Celestia, I can't ever forget that day. It hurt so much, Luna. I just can't even say. And I'm not talking about the blast! You! Your crumpled body! There was so much blood! I can't get it out of my head…and when I tried to help it only-only-only made things WORSE! I was so useless. I couldn't even heal a couple broken bones and some cuts! I couldn't stop you from dying and I couldn't stop my friends from leaving me either! I just…" she blubbered on, soon slamming her hoof into the cobble with frustration. She couldn't hold back her cries over her friend. Although Celestia had too many duties to help Twilight with any of her projects, Luna had always been happy to, her less daunting schedule allowing another adventure with Twilight to be squeezed in. She had always helped Twilight if the unicorn ever asked, always available for advice and consoling. In her later years she became enormously generous to many people, any trace of Nightmare Moon's malice gone from her soul, leaving a mare who wanted to heal and not destroy. It had been so many years since it happened, but Twilight still couldn't think about it without a spear of anguish stabbing into her heart. It wasn't just that she was gone, but that she had been Twilight's first friend that wasn't meant to be by fate. With Celestia, she was her teacher, so they were bound to be friends, especially with Celestia's fond attitude about Twilight. With her friends in Ponyville, she had been destined to meet them and become the Element of Magic. It wasn't that she wasn't happy that she had met them. But still, she had yet to meet a friend of her own. Luna was the first friend she made out of her own choice really. And they had become quite close, sending each other letters and talking through dreams often. "Just like sisters," thought twilight fondly, recalling the fact that Celestia became ever the busier as time went on and new problems arose. So with less time to spend with Twilight and Luna, the two met up and became friends quite quickly, with their many common interests. It was only about a year into the war with Discord that Luna started to fight on the battlefield. Her first letter to Celestia was addressed partly to her sister and partly to Twilight. She had changed. She was more decisive and her tone when she spoke, as the letter spoke her voice with magic, she seemed like she was infinitely tired. She always seemed more wary, as if she was in danger of being murdered every second. Others would have struck her down as paranoid, but Twilight and Celestia, having known her better, recognized she was just scared. It may be surprising that something could scare an all powerful Alicorn who had lived for thousands of years, but Twilight knew that the Discord they were fighting this time was much more sinister. When they had seen him in his weakened form when he returned the first time, they had seen nothing, absolutely nothing, of the devastating horrors that had ravaged the world when he had returned full power. Sometimes when she closed her eyes Twilight could still see the blood red flames and the screams, those horrible echoing shrieks. And the faces of all who had fallen, their cold eyes pierced Twilight and looked into her soul, as if judging her for her sins. It was only after Discord was gone and her good friend had died did she realize how lucky she had been. Like with all things, she had only realized the worth of peace and her friends when it was all too late. "It was too late. It will always be too late," she pondered solemnly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in to calm herself before continuing. But she was not very frantic anymore; she had been humbled by the war and her loss. She was not the lively mare who once learned a new lesson every day. She was an old pony, filled with regret, hoping to find solace by taking a journey to finish what she had started. She got up off the floor slowly, wiping the last of the tears from her face. She used her magic to reach out to an object in her bag, a parting gift for Luna. It was nothing special, but it had meaning between them. It was a beautiful deep blue lily, made completely from pure magic fibers, which made it glow and shimmer with mysterious beauty. Its stem was made from the same material but thorns stuck out at random points. Twilight had made it with only the thought of Luna in mind. She thought that the radiant flower represented Luna perfectly, as a beautiful flower, but one that also possessed thorns. But even the magic flower that she had spent many sleepless nights slaving over did not feel like a proper repayment for the Alicorn of the Night. So Twilight concentrated her magic and didn't cast any spell in particular. What she did do was let her own emotions flow through the air towards the tombstone in a magical wisp of energy. When she looked up to the tombstone, it seemed to shine as if moonlight was reflecting off of it. It was the best she could do, so Twilight was happy with it. She stayed there for another hour before reluctantly getting to her hoofs to leave. But before she did, she touched the tombstone one last time before turning. As she walked down the hill, she thought about her next destination, a hill west of Canterlot that had a perfect view of Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and the lands beyond. It lay at an even higher altitude than Canterlot, just below the clouds. She concentrated her magic again and vanished with a flash. She reappeared in front of the hill she had been thinking about with a low crack. === Ch 4: Assistant === Reunion Ch 4: Assistant By Rlogic1994 Twilight rocked back and forth a little bit, disoriented by the spell from such frequent use. She let her eyes refocus, her desired destination ahead. She sighed and started the slow trot to the top of the steep hill. Slowing down on the slope, her old mare hooves retained only some of her former strength. When she arrived at the top, she was practically out of breath. But when she saw what was perched atop the bump of earth, she stopped panting. Before her lay a slab similar to Luna's except it was much larger, several times the size of an adult pony. It was made from beautifully polished marble, tinted with reds and yellows as if it were on fire. On the front face of the slab was a mural of stunning gems, a mass of purple and green. From up close it was difficult to discern what the mural was supposed to be portraying. But Twilight knew all too well the figure decorating the stone. It was her favorite dragon assistant, depicted in his adult body as he had been before…it happened. Below the mural was a list of his achievements, a block of text engraved into the stone. And at the bottom his greatest achievement was carved in larger letters set with fire rubies; they read "A dragon of Virtue and A dragon who changed the lives of so many". Rarity had put all her effort possible into it, helping as much as possible with all the expenses and planning for the solemn event. With the others she had visited, tears came so easy, but for Spike, things were different. She had a different friendship with him than with the princess, her friends from Ponyville, or anyone else. They had a connection from Twilight's raising the dragon since she hatched him. She did it all by herself, too. She had originally taken on the responsibility as an experiment to see if she could apply her knowledge of dragons, a result of her avid appetite for all genres of literature. But as time went on, Spike became more than an experiment. To her, he became like a little brother who depended on her to always take care of him. And she always did care for him, always did have his back. No matter what happened she would always help him if he ever asked. She had held him in a caring embrace every time he was upset or angry, and all else melted away, all his anger and emotion. In that one moment their friendship stopped time. But he was destined to grow up one day. Even with his short stature and age, he had been matured by the events and lessons learned in Ponyville. Twilight remembered the day it struck her that he wasn't like her little brother anymore. He was taller and more muscular. This was a result of the magic in dragon growth. Twilight had learned that all creatures no matter how large or small possessed some kind of magic. Unicorns were one of few who could actively manipulate that magic, but others like the Pegasi could manifest magic in flight, the feeling of which cannot be duplicated by any magical flight device. For dragons, their magic was split among several traits, depending on the species. For Spike's race, there was considerable magic in growth. If a dragon of his species was malicious and greedy like his many brethren in Draconia, born into a world ingrained with fighting and materialistic want, then he or she would grow into a large beast of solitude, only caring for his or her treasures. But if a dragon of Spike's race lived a virtuous life, rare because of the tumultuous nature of the dragon homeland where most dragons dwelled, then he or she would grow into a more pony-like form, majestic and peaceful. Spike, having had the benefit of being somewhere other than Draconia, had taken the latter path. The day she realized how much he had grown was burned into her memory. It had been a month and a half into the war with Discord and she had been reading some military reports late at night. He had come down from his bed, having outgrown his basket. He looked up at Twilight sheepishly, now as tall as Twilight. "Yes, Spike?" she had said, looking at him through her reading glasses. "Twilight…um…I need to talk to you," he murmured quietly. "I'm always here to talk. Whatever it is I'm sure it's fine to talk with me about it," she replied, smiling back at him. "I…wanna enlist for the REA," he said, gaining more strength in his speech with each word. "What?! What place could they have for a young-" she started. "I'm not a baby anymore! I'm old enough to enlist. And what place would they have? Well I'll have you know I talked to Big Mac, and he said he can talk his Major into giving me a spot. He told me my fire breath could actually help," he snapped back. "Fire breath, Spike? I don't think a little wisp of-" she started, only to be cut off by Spike again, who had gotten up. The dragon walked to the balcony and looked up to the stars. Then he opened his mouth and let out a wave of green flame into the cool night air. He came back inside and sat down across from Twilight's desk chair. "I didn't want to tell you cuz I thought you wouldn't let me work here anymore incase I sneezed and burned the whole library down…" he said, suddenly very interested with his feet. "Well that wouldn't have been a problem! I could've used my magic to solve that problem. You should've told me, Spike. Well anyway, I won't let you go. I don't care what you say. Even though you're a dragon, it's too dangerous and I'm your guardian, and I say no," she said with authority. "You're overreacting Twilight. I mean colts weaker than me are going and you're worried about me? Whatever, Twilight," he growled, huffing and stomping back to his room. His growl had caught her off guard. As he grew older, his voice had gotten a little lower and when he got angry he sounded almost like the creature he had turned into on his birthday years before. But she couldn't help him growing up; it was only part of life. They argued about it for two nights after that one and on the third night, when Twilight came up with some hot chocolate to cheer him up and she pulled off the covers of his bed, she did not find her dragon friend, but some pillows and a note. It read: Dear Twilight, I'm sorry but I can't just stand by and watch other people go off to war and fight. I just can't stay. I'm not just doing this for Equestria, but Princess Celestia herself. It was only because of her that I became part of the magic test when you hatched me. And because of her I was able to have the life I did in Ponyville. I can't thank her enough for that, but this is a start. I have to go. Please don't cry for me. You know I hate to see you sad. Don't worry, no matter what happens, I will find come back. I will come back home. With love, Your best assistant, Spike Despite Spike asking her not to cry, she sobbed herself to sleep for the first time of many to follow. She couldn't even imagine her little Spike in war. If he got hurt Twilight didn't know what she would do. What if he… "No! You can't think like that Twilight. He's strong, he'll make it. And he's never broken a promise before, so he'll be back," she thought to herself. A few months later, Twilight herself joined the fight. She had too much to worry about to try and contact the dragon. A year and a half passed, and Twilight was able to get a date of military recess that matched up with the rest of her friends. She had chosen the date carefully to be a few days before Spike returned home. Pinkie had wanted to prepare a huge part for him. After their tearful reunion and talking about what had happened to each of them, they started planning for Spike's surprise party. They had all the streamers and decorations up and found hiding places for everypony to hide. They were prepped and ready to jump out and surprise their dragon friend. When they heard him turn the doorknob and enter, they jumped out to yell "Surprise!" at him. But his surprise was met equally by theirs. Standing in the doorway of Sugarcube Corner was not the little dragon that Twilight remembered. Standing there was a much larger dragon, almost the size of Big Macintosh, maybe even bigger. He was on all fours and looked more pony-like, just as Twilight had read in her book on dragons. His body was riddled with scars and one especially nasty one trailed down the left side of his face. He also had full grown wings, an effect of going the virtuous path. He had retained his green and purple color, but he looked so much more mature than Twilight imagined he could. As always in an unfamiliar situation, Pinkie was the first to break the silence in the form of a tackling hug, welcoming, in her own words, "her big Spikey wikey!" After that things got better and he told us all about his adventures and dangerous missions. For someone who Twilight remembered as a baby who was scared by the word peril, he seemed to have his fair share of it. It was also that night that she had found out Spike was named an ambassador for Draconia. Although many of the dragons there lived in cold solitude and greed, they honored one of the only dragons in hundreds of years to become a Warrior of Virtue as they had put it. Hearing about all his accomplishments and honors, Twilight couldn't help but feel a little longing for her little dragon assistant. Twilight also remembered that it was that night that Rarity had brought him aside in private to talk to him about his feelings, which had not dimmed at all. She took him more seriously now that he was basically an adult. When she told him that there were a multitude of reasons the relationship would never work, he took it with imponderable humility and agreed with her, saying that the thought of it was enough to keep him going. They became closer friends after that, the awkward issue of feelings having been dealt with. He helped her with anything she asked of him, whether it was lifting some heavy boxes or protecting a shipment of gems. All was going well until that horrible day. Spike had gone with the fashion pony on a trip as a body guard to Draconia. Rarity took on the challenge of making dragon clothing and thought it was a good investment. But although Spike had immunity from dragons because he was an ambassador, he did not have any such protection from the Diamond Dogs, who had grown from 3 mutts to several wolves, lupus minors, and other canine creatures. The Dogs ambushed them just inside the boundary of Draconia, far from the jurisdiction of the Equestrian government. Spike, being the valiant knight, told Rarity to run and get back on Equestrian soil. Rarity reluctantly left with her caravan crew, escaping and entering Equestrian lands an hour later. Spike was not so lucky. When Twilight had received the telegram from the Princess to meet her in her private study, Twilight knew it couldn't be good. "Twilight…I am so sorry to tell you this. Spike…" Celestia started, unable to finish the sentence. "Spike what?!" Twilight asked desperately. "Spike was ambushed by the Diamond Dogs inside Draconia and…he didn't make it…" she replied, her last words hitting Twilight like wrecking ball. She didn't even say anything. She just closed her eyes and fell to the ground, her mouth slack and eyes distant. She just couldn't believe it. Spike was always so strong and brave. She remembered all the times he had held her when she was distressed as she had held him when he was a baby. He had always been there for her, through thick and thin. When the tears came, they came hard and fast. She didn't even hold back her moans of despair. She didn't even respond to Celestia's tender touch, beckoning her to let the Princess help her. She just broke down completely, not caring who saw her tantrum of sobs and anger at the Dogs. After she had pulled herself together, she had gone after the Dogs with a vengeance rivaling that of Nightmare Moon herself. Before Celestia could stop her, Twilight ended the lives of 4 Lupus minors, 5 mine dogs, 6 wolves, a rogue dragon, and a Lupus major. She had single-handedly, in a fit of incomprehensible rage, eradicated the pestering Diamond Dogs. In doing so, she also scared every pony in Equestria. Even Celestia was surprised by Twilights outburst of anger. But she understood Twilight enough to know she shouldn't confront her about it. After that Twilight spiralled into depression. It was only after Rarity had returned and started nightly visits with Twilight to talk did she come out of her dark haze. Rarity blamed herself for it completely in a way that was different from her usual drama queen attitude. She truly believed the little dragon had died because of her. But Twilight knew that Spike had died for his own pride and valor. Rarity apologized to Twilight countless times, even pleading to Twilight not to hate her. But Twilight had no hate anymore, just an empty feeling of sadness. She just wanted her friend back. It was actually in these talks that Rarity had started to open up about Spike as well. She admitted that in the last year or so, she had come to a realization. Spike's love was not unreturned in her. She realized she actually did love him. But she never said anything, because she didn't want to hurt him. Rarity had never married because every stallion she had ever had a serious relationship ended up hurt. And of all the people she didn't want to hurt, Spike was near the top of the list. That was the first night that Rarity uncharacteristically broke down into a shaking mess and Twilight finally came out of her haze to comfort her old friend. Twilight opened her eyes and snapped back into the present. She was only a few feet from the shimmering swirl of gems. She didn't cry this time; she didn't shake; she didn't whimper. She just sat down where she was and looked at her old reflection in the polished stone. Then she spoke, not so much with sadness, but more with an unexplainable quality of care and affection that only two old friends can have. "Oh Spike. I am so proud of you. You know I used to curse my luck for the things that happened. Losing you and then Rainbow and then one by one, everyone just seemed be gone from my life. I hated my life. But you know, nearing the end of my life, I am glad to have lived it. I am glad to have lived as friends with you. I thought that the death of my friends would make me alone, yours especially. But, now that I think about it, you never really left. Because you were and will always be in my memory. I can never forget you Spike," she said in a doleful tone, unable to hide her depression over her dear friend's death, "I can't forget you for all the help around the library to the nights when you took care of me when I cried over the nightmares from the war." "I really don't think thank you can even suffice. I just wish you were here. I miss you so much and these days more than ever. My study is so empty without you picking up my mess or dusting off the shelves. It may not have seemed like much to you, but those small things meant the world to me. Every time I was afraid or sad and I heard your dusting, I remembered that you would always be there for me and my thoughts just melted away. I'm sorry you have to see me like this. It's just I can't…" She trailed off and let her eyes close, imagining the little dragon hatchling in her arms trying to wrap his arms around her in a hug. She saw in her head all the times he had helped her, all the times that their friendship had gotten stronger. She couldn't think about that now. She couldn't try and bring back those memories now. If she did, tears would fall. And Twilight knew how much Spike hated seeing her cry. She remembered the last thing he had told her before leaving with Rarity. His last words to Twilight before turning to leave: "Please don't cry for me." She fought her instincts and fought her emotions; she would not cry in front of Spike. She did not want to worry him in his rest. She calmed herself a little more and levitated her third gift from her saddlebags onto the chilly granite platform before her. It was a beautiful Dragon Fire gem, which are said to change colors in the presence of a dragon depending on who that dragon lives for. But what meant more to her was what she had wrapped it with. It was his old blanket, the first thing Twilight had made for him with magic, for which he paid her back with a big hug and a drawing of Twilight he had made. As she recalled this fond memory, the gem started shining bright, its regular pink color swirling and changing. It was so bright it blinded Twilight. When she finally looked up, she felt warmth engulf her heart. When it had stopped glowing, the gem displayed its new colors, all the colors that represented his friends. But the biggest wisp of color was a purple and violet one with a streak of pink running through it. He truly was a dragon of virtue; he lived only for his friends. She lay there for a while longer before getting up to leave. She had one last journey to make. She concentrated her magic one more time and disappeared. With a snap she landed shakily on a grassy plateau with a sea of wild flowers and bushes. But what Twilight was looking for was near the edge of the cliff; a lone oak, towering above her with engravings that were almost invisible. It was a set of initials that littered the wide trunk of the tree: AJ, RD, TP, FS, R, PP, S, C, and L. === Ch 5: Requiem === Reunion Ch 5: Requiem By Rlogic1994 Twilight Sparkle looked forward to the lone tree, closing her eyes and sighing before making her way to the tree. When she had reached a spot under the tree where 9 planted flowers were placed in a circle, 7 already decaying and the other 2 wilting, the memories hit her. This was the last spot that all of her friends had been together alive and well. It had been almost 50 years now, but the memory was still fresh in her mind. "Yes, the past really does only get brighter," she thought to herself. It had been Twilight's idea for them all to take a day off, Rarity from her dressmaking, leaving her apprentices in charge, Fluttershy from her animal work, leaving the job under control of her visiting relatives' protection, Rainbow from her work with the Bolts, having retired by now she only helped train the members, Applejack from her apple bucking, her brother and sister certainly adept enough to hold the farm for one day, Pinkie pie from Sugar Cube owner, Mr. and Mrs. Cake gladly taking charge of the shop for a day, and Twilight herself, from her research and studies. Even Celestia and Luna came, leaving the administration under the control of their advisors, whom the princesses had a great amount of trust in. Spike had been doing odd jobs and body guarding off and on so he was free without problem. It was one of Twilight's happiest memories. It was a simple affair, just a picnic on the plateau, which had a majestic view of the lands below. They had all ate a batch of Pinkie Pie's world famous Party Popper cupcakes. They all got a hefty serving of Applejack's finest reserves of Cider. It was a great day, and nothing went wrong for once. No need to bolt off to save Equestria from danger or to tend to Royal business. It was just a day for friends. They talked for hours, about each other's lives, about changing times, about pretty much everything. That small meet up was the first time Celestia and Luna could let their regal attitude slip in years. They were both so grateful for it, too. For once Celestia laughed and smiled without covering her mouth in the "proper" manner. And Luna did not have her usual cold grace about her, now free from the eyes of the judgmental critics. It was the best day Twilight ever had, but was now no more than a fond memory among a sea of bad ones. She ran her hoof across the bark of the tree feeling each of the initials that they had carved into the tree. They had each promised that they would return to that tree one day, engraving their names in the wood as a signature on a contract. But the day of their second meeting never came. Things came up in each of their lives that drove them apart, even though they did not want to be separated. And as they drifted farther and farther, the prospect of another picnic faded and vanished, just a pipe dream in the back of their minds. The happiness and bliss they had felt that day was no longer a luxury they could afford, so they never tried to meet up again. Except of course at each of the 6 solemn funerals, some of the worst memories Twilight ever had. Never again did that happiness and joy emerge from the sea of sadness and regret that had entered her life. Never again was she truly ever as happy as that day. And now Twilight had returned. But even though she was alone on that earthen platform, she was with all her friends. They had not broken the promise. They were all still with her, so when she returned to that tree, it was like they were all there smiling and laughing again. She could see them when she closed her eyes, old mares looking back at her with smiles and laughing at the old days of their youth. But it was too late, as it always was. Twilight remembered that they had all vowed that when they returned they would cross their names out. Twilight closed her eyes and materialized a thin sharp sheet of purple magic. The slash she made cut through her name, crossing it out into an unrecognizable scratch. She looked at the other names and hesitated to cross them out as well. "One day soon, we will all be together. Then we can cross out our names together," she pondered hopefully. She used her magic to undo the slash she had inflicted upon her name, leaving the scribble that she had made years before. As she looked at the 9 decaying flowers, she realized that this was the end point of her journey to see her friends again. She had set out with a goal: to let her friends know that she had not forgotten them and that they would be with her always. She had accomplished this task, so now what? She sat down at the foot of the tree, looking out over the edge of the cliff to her Equestria below. She could see Cloudsdale, now even more massive a city, billowing clouds the size of mountains setting the foundation. There was an air-tram port visible, shuttling pegasi at several hundred miles an hour to their destinations. The industrial sector was visible too, as Cloudsdale wasn't just a rainbow manufacturing city anymore. All kinds of products were sent out from the furnace lit grimy catwalks of the factories. To her right was Canterlot, not much change in its look. But Twilight knew that was a lie. Beneath the exterior, Canterlot had become a less friendly place than in years past. Freelance journalists and photographers ready to catch anyone's flaws or misstep. Crime bosses bribed guards to look the other way. It made Twilight sick to think of Canterlot, her home as a filly, as full of scum. Below her was Ponyville, now the one of the biggest city in all of Equestria, seconded only by the massive Manehattan. Above the former small town was an amorphous cloud of smog fogging up her vision of the city. It was no longer Ponyville to Twilight. The Carousel Boutique, once the tallest building in Ponyville, was now shrouded in the shadows of skyscrapers. It was no longer a close knit small town, but a bustling cutthroat business city. Twilight refused to believe it was Ponyville. But she knew, from personal experience, that things change. Even though she did not like the look of the new future, she accepted its effects; more people had jobs and less people were on the streets. Even administration had gotten better with the Grand Council of public elected officials representing different parts of society. Twilight was surprised when Celestia chose to convene the council, but now realized that she was just setting up a better government environment for when she was gone. She knew nothing of the ponies elected, but she trusted that they knew what they were doing. Twilight knew very well that she and her friends were from the old world, one vastly different from this one. And that tomorrow, a new world would form, with new ponies and new ideas and they would be left in history. And because the world of tomorrow was a new world, it deserved to be governed by new ponies and structured by new ideas. It was only natural for her generation to be replaced by the new one, as she and her friends had replaced their elder generations. But this by no means meant that they had lost any respect for the past generations. In fact, they honored them more than anything, because with each generation, a new layer is built on the beautiful tower of accomplishments of previous worlds. She knew all this, but it was still unsettling for her. She was unsure of the future of this new world, whether it would turn into the bright society that it seemed to promise or a world bathed in misery was beyond Twilight. She only hoped that the right decisions would be made. There would be mistakes, of course, and many of them. But the true sign of a bright future is the ability of a society to blow through the roadblocks of failure and become more than just a country or a nation, more than just ponies. They had a chance to start over with this new world, a chance to restructure the world at will. But what they did was out of Twilight's hands, for her journey was over, and this new generation's journey had just begun. And what an adventure it will be for them. As she contemplated the future of Equestria, she failed to notice the sun had started to fall towards the horizon. She watched the red orb sink towards the horizon, thinking about her own life doing the same thing. It was at this point that in the quiet serenity of the plateau and the breathtaking view of Equestria that Twilight started reflecting on her life. She thought about all the things she had done that she was proud of and the fact that they were outnumbered by things she was not proud of or just didn't care about. Ponies had always proclaimed her as one of the greatest ponies of all time, but Twilight was not so sure about that. She had ruthlessly murdered the Diamond Dogs, coldly refused help from several hopeful research parties, angrily snapped at anyone who had doubt in her research, and had drifted away from her friends. She was far from great. She closed her eyes and thought about what really mattered to her. When she opened them again, her own mind answered her. Before her were her friends at the peak of their youth, strong and brave. But among her friends was a pony who Twilight had not seen in a very long time; in the middle of the group was Twilight herself in her own youth, a look of complete joy across her face. Their smiles melted the old mare's heart. "If only…" she thought. But their smiles were ignorant, for they had no idea of what the future would hold. The old saying really was true; ignorance is bliss. She closed her eyes again and thought about what she would do now. When her eyelids parted, she saw before her a frightful mare. She had a gray mane and a lighter gray coat, with no cutie mark. She had a carnivorous looking mouth and no eyes. Then a sudden realization hit her; it was a reflection of her. The mare had the same hair with the highlight and the tail, her body looking exactly like Twilight's. The mare before her was a monochromatic version of herself. Twilight tried to look into the mares nonexistent eyes, to get an explanation of the vision. The mare did not say anything except five words. "It is time, Twilight Sparkle," the voice said, holding an uncanny resemblance to Twilight's own voice except it had a quality of rustling leaves and wind to it. She nodded and closed her eyes again. When she opened them for the third time she was alone again. She returned to her reflection on her life and life in general. She knew all too well that life is like a river. It flows in only one direction. Everyone in the world was just driftwood at the mercy of the current. And inevitably, one day each of them will wash up on the shore of their own dreams and expectations and be held suspended in time for a moment to look back on their lives. Only at this moment right before the end do we truly realize what defines us, who we really are. The mask that we wear for the world shattered, we see in our minds' mirror our true form. The question is whether we will like what we see or not. And Twilight was happy with what she saw. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't beautiful. But it was her. She accepted her life with all its flaws, finally at peace with the events that had transpired in her life. But even though the visions were only her imagination, Twilight had learned long ago that imagination isn't unreal; it's just your heart's way of telling you the truth. And so, Twilight lay her head down against the tree and crossed her hooves. In her last swan song, she focused her magic and emptied the energy of her soul into the world around her, a final parting gift to the ever changing nature surrounding her. She took one final breath and let go, becoming one with the world around her in true Harmony, her last smile forever etched across her face. === Ch 6: Epilogue === Reunion Ch 6: Epilogue (by popular demand of readers here and my other prereaders) By Rlogic1994 It was warmer in Equestria. The Bearers were gone but not forgotten. The Royal Sisters were not swallowed by history either. They were gone from the world but lived on in the thoughts of others. They lived on in the spirit for all that Equestria stands for: loyalty, generosity, happiness, honesty, and kindness. Even though the 5 ponies that embodied these qualities left the world many years ago, the magic of friendship that was embodied in the sixth pony lived on and kept the other five alive. It was a true example of the power of the Elements of Harmony. The sun and moon now moved on their own, the souls of the 2 Alicorns who had once driven them now residing within each celestial body, their immensely powerful spirits moving the orbs now. The governing of Equestria had been taken over by a Grand Council of young ponies, all of whom were shaping the future of Equestrian politics with their innovative theories and ideas. The Wonderbolts were running shows again, shops were opening up again, and markets were bustling again. People had regained hope; hope that maybe this new generation of ponies could lead them as well as Celestia had for thousands of years. It was the same hope that had brought together ponies during the Discordian wars, the same feeling that kept them one under the weakening power of the Princess in her last years of life and the many attempts on her life by other races. This hope was unstoppable and would never stop growing. It was what made Equestria the great nation it is today. Relations with other countries were at a high point, even the Griffins hesitantly signing a treaty for the border to be settled between the two lands. It was a time for the birth of new ideas and a new world all together. But what of the Elements people had asked. Who would be the bearers if another danger emerged? The original bearers, now all together under the memorial in the former Everfree forest, were no longer available for consulting. So a new quest for the bearers started. Maybe some pony in this new generation could be a new bearer. Maybe a pony like Fluttershy, kind and selfless in every way, always willing to help. Or maybe like Rainbow Dash, headstrong and loyal to the end, always fighting for her friends. Maybe there was a pony like Pinkie Pie, laughter and fun always an option for her. There could be an Applejack among the young ponies, unwaveringly honest, always telling the truth no matter what the circumstances. There might be a Rarity among them, generous beyond measure, giving clothing to people for free all the time. And maybe even a pony like Twilight Sparkle, a master of the Magic of Friendship, forever together with her sisters, resting peacefully beneath the granite tomb. Maybe one day ponies would be found and would step forward to fill the positions. But these were more than just positions; they were more than just important spots to be filled. The Elements of Harmony are a group of ponies who know the true meaning of love and friendship and have unmistakable character that embodies the spirit of Equestria. In this way, as long as new Bearers are found, the original Bearers will not cease to exist. They will not die. Because they live through these young mares and stallions, their magic will endure forever. === Ravamping === So I basically wrote these in one sitting and released chapters on several-day intervals. So i thought I would submit to EQD but i thought of a similar story, but basically make the 1st chapter into several. More focus on her friends and such. Basically each chapter for each of her friends. That was my original idea but a friend said to add the other chapters about Celestia and luna and such. Basically i'm gonna make a new story. I'll just call it the Reunion. I will write all the parts again but with more care. DONT RUIN THE ENDING FOR READERS ON TEH NEW STORY <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Goodnight... Glow... author: EternalShadow54 tags: character:Main 6, character:Original Character, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== All The Memories... === Goodnight... Glow... "I get to go to school this year!?" "Yep. I arranged to get you in early, seeing as you're obviously smart enough, thanks to me." "Thank you mommy! I love you so much!" "I love you too, and you're welcome..." A tear was running down the lavender mare's cheek, Octavia running the orchestra under a mat to avoid the rain, and all of Twilight's friends sitting respectfully behind her, dressed in black. Even Rarity kept to the normal mourning dress code, for her friend's sake... "Tell me again how you and daddy met." "Alright, but just once more. I was making my way through Manehatten when the most kindest of stallions bumped into me." "Daddy right?" "Hmm... yes. Not only was he kind though, but he was also quite the looker." "Mommy!" Twilight started to weep in front of the grave, her friends behind unsure of how to comfort her as they just sat there, silent. Softly, Twilight whispered to herself, feeling as though she was still talking to Glow, even though she knew that she wasn't... "If only I was there... If only I didn't let you go... If only I had waited until next year like he said..." Pinkie Pie, being the first to find the courage to do so, stood from her seat as the rain continued to pour, the band finishing one more song before packing up. When she reached her friend's side, she said nothing. The pink pony wasn't sure how to help, and she certainly didn't want to say anything wrong. With hesitation, she placed her hoof on Twi's shoulder, just to let her friend know she was there for her while the mare continued crying, her tears blended with the rain... "Hold on! I'm coming. Yes? Can I help you?" "Mrs. Twilight Sparkle?" "Yes..." "There's... been an accident..." "An accident? What do you mean? "There was a fight at your daughter's school... and she tried to step in and stop it..." "Is she hurt!?" "Not anymore..." There was no controlling the flow of tears coming from her eyes now, the rest of her friends around her, feeling her pain as they sat in silence... "No! That can't be her! It just can't be!" "Somepony restrain this mare!" "Twilight! There's nothing you can do..." "It just can't be her! I refuse to believe it!" "Twi..." "No! Don't try to make me believe it!" "Twi..." "I said NO!" The unicorn had her head buried in her hooves now, basically digging her snout into the ground. She felt she couldn't get low enough, so far down that the feeling in her heart would just at least be at even hight. The band had left, and the rain hadn't let up since the start of the service... "I don't need your pity! Get out of my house!" "Twilight! We are your friends! We are just trying to help you!" "I don't need help from the likes of you! I don't need nopony's help!" "Please Twilight, let us help!" "NO! GET OUT!" "Fine! Have it your way..." "But... Rainbow Dash..." "Come on Fluttershy... we aren't welcome here..." Nopony could understand her. Never has a life been lost at such a young age in Equestria, and everypony knew that. The only ponies to show up were her closest friends, and she was glad they were there, even after how bad she had treated them. Everypony else was scared to show, fearing what hurtful words the intellectual mare might spew if they showed... "What do you mean!? You're saying our little filly is..." "Yes..." "How could you let this happen!?" "It wasn't my fault!" "Then who's responsible!" "I don't know! Nopony would confess!" "So you're gonna just sit there and let them get away with it!?" "What else can I do!?" Twilight's body shook a bit as she was trying to breath, the sorrow and pain leaving her breathless as she cried. Evey moment her friends hooves were on her back or shoulder, the harder it was not to sob. No matter what anypony would tell her, she would always feel like it was her fault, and the love of a mother is a stronger love than anypony will ever know... "Where are you going!?" "To Manehatten! I need to get away from... from all of this!" "Fine! I don't need you!" "And I don't need you either! Goodbye!" "Hmph! I don't need anypony! Nopony... at all..." Twilight just laid there on the ground, wallowing in sorrow. Applejack was the first to speak with her since the start of the service, and her words did little to help. AJ had not been around her friend in her anger, and only just heard about the accident yesterday... "Ah'm... sorry fer yer loss..." The mare just glared blankly at her honest friend, faking a thankful smile as she nodded. Never had she needed her friends more than she needed them now, and they all knew that... "Isn't there a spell I could use to bring her back!?" "Twilight, my faithful student, you know that kind of magic is forbidden..." "I know... but what if I-" "I know it must be hard for you, but there isn't any way I can help you. I'm sorry..." A few hours passed, the last of her friends to leave being Rainbow Dash. With a heavy heart, she sat there, staring at the newly marked gravestone. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave her filly again. She only wanted to hold her again, hold her close and to never let go, but she knew that would never happen. Not now... not ever... "Starlight Glow! It's time for bed!" "Do I have to? I can still see the sun going down though..." "Yes, silly. You want to get up early for your first day of school tomorrow, don't you?" "Yes! I can't wait to make all kinds of new friends!" "And I can't wait to meet them when you do..." "Hey... mommy..." "Yes Glow? What is it?" "Goodnight, I love you..." Twilight stood up from the grave, the rain clearing up as a beam of light dimly shines behind the dark thicket of cloud above. With half a smile, and with hurt within her that she never imagined possible, she whispered... "Goodnight Glow, I love you too..." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Kaleidoscope author: Seer tags: character:Rarity, genre:Dark, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Suicide / Self Harm

=== To Dance === Dances can be partitioned into parts, sometimes. It can have as many parts as the creator would like. Our dance, the dance we all do, has three parts. We are born, we live, and then we die. I wonder whether my dance had a different creator. Because I was born, and then I lived, and then I died. And then I was born again. === Tides === "And how long have you been feeling like this, Miss Rarity?" "All my life I suppose." "All your life?" He says, and though he tries to disguise it I can hear his scepticism, "But when did it start?" "I just told you. I've been feeling it all my life." "What, your whole life?" he asks, eyebrow raised, "You've been feeling this since the moment you were born, the instant you came into the world?" "Well," I begin, "That's the question, isn't it?" When I was born, the second time that is, the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck. They hadn't known this was a risk until it was too late. Thanks to the quick work of the staff, it never really escalated to anything serious, but had been a scare. Sometimes, when my mother was cross with me she'd bring it up. She never meant any harm by it, in fact I think she meant it in an endearing fashion. I'd be running around, acting like children do. Then she'd huff and say, 'Rarity, you've been difficult from the moment you were born'. I have to admit that that is indeed one interpretation. But for me, I imagined that something was keeping me suspended for a moment. Half in the world, and half in the stationary non-reality of my mother's womb. It was like the world didn't really want me. I often think about that and laugh. Then I cry. "We can find meaning in anything if we look hard enough, Rarity." "I know. It's torture, isn't it?" The first time I mentioned it was quite late on, considering how long it had bothered me. I was still too young to understand it wasn't normal. I thought these memories were just what everyone had. Most of the time it was fine. I just recalled ponies acting or doing things slightly differently. This was easily explained even for a child. Ponies change, after all. No, the hardest thing was remembering someone who didn't seem to exist anymore. I remembered a stallion who would sing for me when I went to sleep. I remember him listening to me prattle on about fashion. The one I had now... he tried. But his hooves were big and clumsy. He couldn't sing at all. I wanted my father. This one didn't seem right. It was like a pair of shoes that were too small. "Mother," I began, my approximation of vocal refinement clear at only six years old, "Where is father?" "What d'ya mean sweetheart? He's in the living room." "No, not him. I mean where is father?" And she looked at me with such a face of confusion and horror that even then I realised something was deeply wrong. So I never brought it up again. "So, you've always had false memories?" he asks, scribbling away on his little notepad. "I didn't say they were false." "So you think they're real, that you had a past life?" "I didn't say that either." "Well..." he begins, hiding his growing exasperation very poorly, "What do you think?" "I don't care whether I had a past life, doctor," I snap, "I appreciate that, by every estimation, I appear insane. The issue is that whether I am or not, it feels real." "The mind can conjure sensations even when-" "Twilight Sparkle. My friend. Do you know I remember her being my wife? I remember it as clear as day. I can still smell her mane, she used a different shampoo then. Now, she's not interested in me. All my memories are better than what I have now, doctor. So I don't really care whether it's real, the way it tortures me is real enough." He looks at me, and I know he doesn't believe I'm in my right mind. The look is kind, and sad. He wants to help even though he can't. He has to say it, and I brace myself. "And that's why you tried to kill yourself?" "Yes," I breathe, feeling strangely relieved, "That's why I tried to kill myself." I allow myself to zone out while he writes me a prescription. On the wall is a painting. Some abstract rendition of a building against the night sky. It's beautiful, and I have no memory of seeing it before at all. I hold onto that and get lost in it. They let me out of hospital after a few weeks. Said I wasn't a risk anymore. I've always been quite a good liar, a lifetime of hiding something will help you with that. I hailed a taxi and asked the pony pulling it to take me somewhere beautiful. I don't think they understood really, and their tone implied I had unsettled them. But even so, they did as I asked. They took me to a beach. It was grey, misty. The sands were dark. It was hardly the image of a beach that most ponies would have. But they were right, it was beautiful. As I walked down to the water, I looked behind me at the hoof-prints I left. Conventional wisdom was that they'd be gone tomorrow, but I feared I knew better than that. "I'm sorry." I startled at the voice, and turned to its source. The mare was small, I loomed over her even as I tried not to. She had kind eyes. Tired, but kind. Her coat and mane were both white. Albinism was rare, but not unheard of. She was quite beautiful actually. "I'm sorry miss, I must have misheard you," I reply, voice strained, "What could you have to apologise to me for?" And she didn't respond with anything other than that smile. She reached out to pass me something, and when I saw it I didn't quite know how to react. It was a little model of Twilight, of my wife. She always used to love my art. So, one day, I carved her figurines of the two of us. She'd loved it. Insane or not, the agony was real either way. I didn't check to see whether the mare or her little model were still there. Instead I began to walk forward. I didn't stop moving until my head dipped below the sea, and then I stopped moving all together. === To Dance === Not all dances are showstoppers. This is a sad fact of life, and we all must face it. For me, my dance kept going regardless of how many times I died. So I had a choice. Force myself to hate every moment of it, or allow myself feel joy again. Did it make me detestable, to so readily choose the latter? === Halcyon Digest === When our hooves touch sand, we stumble. Both tipsy, drunk on lust. But it's a good fall, and I don't mind that I get sand in my dress. She is stood over me chewing her lip, clearly unsure what to do. I've been here hundreds of times though, probably thousands, so I have no qualms about pulling her down to kiss me. When we break, she goes to remove her mask, but I tell her to keep it on. There was something about masquerades which made the evening feel fleeting, ephemeral, like I'd never get a chance to be here again. It was a feeling I didn't get to experience very often. But she's young. She's at least a couple of years older than I was now, but so young in the grand scheme. Instead of kissing me again she cuddles against my chest. I didn't mind, it was sweet and she smelled wonderful. "Should I get us some more champagne?" she asks me eventually, and I tell her that sounded wonderful. She rises to head back into the main building, and when I turn I giggle at the spring in her step. I turn back to watch the sea. After a while, someone walks up and sits next to me. I already know who it is. She was holding something, like she usually was. One time it was a book, one time it was an empty bottle of something. One time it was a box she wouldn't open, and she left when I asked her what was inside. Regardless, it always happens, every life but the first. At some point we both end up on a beach. "I've met Ditzy many times, she never changes much." I say, pointing to the picture of the grey mare in her hands, "Was she someone special to you once?" "Like she in the mask is to you?" she asks, and I understand the implication. "No, I was asking whether she was really special. Like my first Twilight was to me. Even the later ones don't hold a candle to her." She doesn't answer, and stares out to sea with a little smile on her face. Eventually she nods her agreement. "I'm sorry," is all I can say. "I'm sorry miss, I must have misheard you. What could you have to apologise to me for?" she replies, and I genuinely laugh. "I see you're enjoying yourself," she continues, "Please keep doing that. It doesn't last. Something else comes next." "Doesn't last?" I ask, "You understand the irony of saying that to a mare who cannot die." "Oh Rarity," she says, and sounds sad, "Believe me, you can die." I don't respond and keep looking at the sea. She doesn't say anything else to me for the rest of my life. === To Dance === Do you remember the first time you danced? How about the tenth? Hundredth? Thousandth? Eventually, it all blurs into one, distorted by the weigh of the dances before it. Mine is no different, and now I can scarcely remember anything at all. Just a beach and a white mare. === To Glimpse the Edge of Something Infinite === "Rarity, wake up," she says, and gently stirs me. But the sand is comfortable beneath my tummy, and I don't want to move. "How long have we been here?" I ask sleepily, and she stares at me. We can't help it, and we both start to laugh. What a silly question. I stare down at the sand between my hooves while she flicks through a book. "It's been occurring to me more and more that, while I remember that all my lives have happened, I cannot tell you anything about them." "Hmm," she replies, still focusing on the pages. "You know don't you? This has happened to you." It's a statement, not a question, "How long does it last?" And when she turns to respond to me, it's one moment in a countless infinity, and it passes before I even realise it's begun. "Sometimes I wonder if we're the pastime of a god. Or an experiment gone wrong. What could have possibly inspired what we are? Clearly we weren't ever meant to know infinity." "Oh?" she asks, handing me a pocket watch she's been playing with. "But then I think about how many times I've lived, and I think about how many times I must have had these ideas. Nothing became of them then, so why would something now? Maybe there aren't any new ideas." "Inspiration is a strange thing," she replies, "I don't think there's much new under the sun." "That's what terrifies me." When I look at her, she towers over me. It's not often I get to chat to her when I'm a foal. We stroll along the beach, and when I look at all of the ponies around us it's almost like they're in fast motion. "I don't want to keep doing this. They all die so quickly, and I die with them each time." "I know." "Can you tell me how to stop it?" I ask, and she doesn't respond. We continue our walk and I start to feel slow. At this point I realise I'm towering over her again. When I look at my hooves they're all wrinkly, but she doesn't look any different. "Come on Rarity," she says, reaching out hooves to help me along, "Just a little further now." We are both staring at the sea. She's playing around idly with a large knife. I cannot fathom a world in which is would be necessary, but she has it so we must be in one. "How did you know? That first time back?" I ask, and she raises her eyebrows. "You've never asked me that before." "It never seemed too important. I just assumed you were the same as I am. Are you?" "I am and I'm not," "I'm tired of riddles." I reply. "It explains it the best it can be explained Rarity. I knew because I used to be like you, before I was this." "And how do you feel about that?" "Do you care how I feel?" she asks, and it's entirely without malice. "No," I say, and it sounds like her, "But I think I might become something different soon, so I want to know what it's like." "I think you'll understand when I'm gone." "Why won't you help me stop this?" I say, and begin to sob, "I'm so tired." "It's not that simple." "Well why not?!" I scream, and she places the knife down, "I'm sick of dancing, blinking through years in seconds. Come to think of it, I've not seen you die once. Not like I do." "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that. Would you like to? Are you ready now?" she asks, voice awash with relief as her eyes flick to the knife. It's at that point that I think I understand. She doesn't need to say please, she doesn't have time to before I take it and ram it into her throat. I wouldn't want someone to hesitate with me, so I won't for her. She doesn't flinch, and for the only time in countless infinities her smile looks something other than tired. And when she's spent, I stand and walk straight to the water. It isn't like that first time, not entirely. Instead of immersing my head. I float there for a spell and feel the tide against my coat. It cools me and mingles with my tears. On the shore I see a foal, the first other pony I can recall seeing in detail for a long time, and I allow myself the short respite of drowning in solitude. === To Dance === On a beach, a unicorn stallion stares at the sea, trying to work up the courage to walk into it. He startles when he hears a voice to his right, saying simply 'I'm sorry'. And when he turns, he sees a white mare with a purple mane. Her smile is kind, but tired. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: She is Beautiful author: Regidar tags: character:Bon-Bon, character:Fluttershy, character:Lyra, character:Rainbow Dash, genre:Comedy, genre:Dark, genre:Romance, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Flutterlove === I can't do this, I can't do this. Her heart was pounding in her ears I can't do this, I can't be doing this. She was walking up the pathway. Why am I doing this, I shouldn't do this. She was at the door. Here I go, why am I doing this? She was knocking on the door. Oh no! The door opened. "Hey Fluttershy!" Bon-Bon said, opening the door. "How'd you know it was me?" "No one else has such a timid knock! Come on in!" Fluttershy shyly entered the house. She loved how Bon-Bon's hair floated as she walked. She couldn't help notice the smell of candies that pervaded her house due to her profession. And she wasn't exactly ignoring her plot either. Suddenly, Fluttershy felt her wings start to rise. Oh no. Not now, She thought. "So why did you come over anyway? You need help with anything?" Bon-Bon asked, looking back at the pegasus behind her. Fluttershy slid behind a potted plant to hide her wingboner. "Um, I was actually, um, curious to see if you wanted, to... hang out sometime, if that's, um, ok with you..." Fluttershy's wingboner had since drooped from the fear of being rejected. She braced herself for the worst. "Sure! I know you love animals, so I thought we could go see the butterfly migration! I wanted to go with Lyra, but she said she was 'busy.'" Fluttershy's wingboner shot straight up again. "So, um, yeah! I'll meet you there!" Bon-Bon giggled. "Alright, I'll see yah there!" Fluttershy shot out of Bon-Bon's house and flew straight home as fast as she could. When she got there, she landed on the floor and started to giggle. The giggling soon erupted into laughter, and soon, her laughter could be heard throughout all of Ponyville. That is, until Angel, who had been enjoy an afternoon nap, came over and shoved his pillow in Fluttershy's mouth. The day of the migration, Fluttershy woke up three hours early. She spent the first ten minutes getting entirely ready for the day, then the next two hours and fifty minutes tapping her hoof on the floor, staring at the clock. When it was time to leave, she raced over to Bon-Bon's and waited at her door. Ten minutes later, Bon-Bon opened it. "Oh! Hey Fluttershy. You ready for our-" "Date? I mean, outing? Oh my, yes!" Fluttershy said, grabbing Bon-Bon's hoof. "Let's go!" And so, the two ponies headed off to watch the migration. It was beautiful, monarchs and swallowtails, metalmarks and skippers, even a few moths snuck their way in. During a part where a whole bunch of butterflies swarmed over them Fluttershy was able to get extremely close to Bon-Bon. Bon-Bon apparently didn't notice this, and Fluttershy snuggled up to her. She was very soft. "Wow, Fluttershy, you sure are affectionate!" Bon-Bon said, stroking her hair and giggling. Fluttershy felt her wings stiffen and she blushed. The next day, Fluttershy decided she wanted to hang out with Bon-Bon again, but unfortunately, Bon-Bon had other ideas. "Sorry, I promised I'd hang out with Lyra today. You understand." "Oh, of course. Sorry to bother you." Fluttershy sulked sadly away, and flew back to her house, fighting back tears. In the exact same place she had laughed in joy, she wept in sadness, tears falling down her cheeks like a torrential downpour. Then, something happened to Fluttershy. Something that had only happened a few times before. She became angry. And hell hath no fury like an angry Fluttershy. "So, Lyra thinks she can steal Bon-Bon away from me?" she murmured like an insane madmare. "Not today, oh no! I will win Bon-Bon's heart, no matter what!" *** "Thanks for hanging out with me, Bon-Bon, it means a lot. I hope Fluttershy's feelings weren't hurt," Lyra said to Bon-Bon as they watched the sunset from the cliff they had hiked to. "Nah, she seemed fine. She did seem a little clingy at the migration, but she's a sweet pony, and we have been friends since she moved to Ponyville." Bon-Bon kicked a rock off the cliff, watching it spiral into the pool below, a small plopping sound accompanying its entrance into the water. After a few more moments of silence, Lyra grabbed Bon-Bon and kissed her full on the lips. "I love you so much." Bon-Bon smiled and kissed her back. "I love you too." *** Fluttershy woke up bright and early the next day. She was going to win back Bon-Bon today no matter what it took. Knocking on Bon-Bon's door, she smiled deviously. This is going to be great. "Hi there, Fluttershy!" Bon-Bon said when she saw it was indeed Fluttershy who had knocked on her door. "Hey Bon-Bon. You want to go out for lunch someplace?" "Sure!" After their lunch, Fluttershy enacted part two. This is going better than I expected. She's really connecting with me! Fluttershy smiled as she thought this. "So, Bon-Bon, what do you want to do?" "Well I was thinking-" Fluttershy grabbed Bon-Bon and kissed her on the lips in a very similar fashion to how Lyra had done the other day, except this time, in front of around 30 other ponies. Bon-Bon struggled for a bit, and was finally able to shove Fluttershy off her. The crowd parted, and standing there was a very shocked looking Lyra. Bon-Bon covered her mouth. "Lyra, I-" "Shut up, you skank!" Lyra screamed at her, and ran away crying. Bon-Bon looked at Fluttershy in disgust and then also ran away crying. Everypony looked at Fluttershy. She shrank down and curled into a ball, until she felt somepony pick her up. "Come on. We need to talk," came Rainbow Dash's voice. === Scraps of Paper === Rainbow Dash deposited Fluttershy on a cloud high above Ponyville. "Ok. What's this all about?" Fluttershy uncurled herself, tears leaking down from her eyes. "I didn't know she and Lyra were going out! I-" "I thought you knew I was after you!" Fluttershy stopped and looked up at Rainbow. "What?" Rainbow Dash had a look on her face that was an odd mixture of lust, hate, and sadness. "You saw my advances! Don't tell me you just ignored them!" Fluttershy was very confused. What the hell was Dashie talking about?" Rainbow calmed herself down, then smiled at Fluttershy, biting her lower lip slightly. "But that's ok. We're here, alone, together..." Rainbow Dash flew over to Fluttershy. "Um, Dashie, I don't-" Rainbow Dash wrestled Fluttershy down to the ground, and kissed her full on the mouth, similar to two other kisses that incurred previous events. Fluttershy, like Bon-Bon, attempted to squirm out of the grip of the unwanted embrace, but Rainbow Dash had a strong grip. Fluttershy resorted to kicking Rainbow Dash in her shin. "AH! Dammit Fluttershy, why-" "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Fluttershy screamed. She felt violated. Is this what she had done to Bon-Bon, only in public? Sweet Celestia, what had she done? Fluttershy shot off the cloud down to her house. She had to make this right before anything drastic happened. *** "WHAT THE HELL, BON-BON?" Lyra had thrown Bon-bon down into a chair, and was pacing back and forth. "Look, she came onto me, it wasn't-" Lyra turned around, her hair wild and messy, her eyes distraught. "I don't know what to believe anymore. You've been spending a lot of time with her, how do I know you weren't cheating on me?" Bon-Bon fought back tears. She didn't want a three year relationship with Lyra to end at all, and most certainly not like this. "Lyra, please. Believe me. We've been through so much together, it wasn't my fault. You have to believe me!" Bon-Bon's tears spilled over, falling softly onto the floor below. Lyra sat down and held her head in her hooves. "Maybe we need some time apart, to think. I'm not sure what happened, but if we come back with clearer heads, we'll be able to communicate better." "Yeah, I guess we should." Lyra left her partner's house and walked down the path to the Everfree forest. Once there, she fell to her knees and cried. She had never cried so much in her life, not even when her mother had died. This had hit her harder for some reason. Maybe because Bon-Bon had been even more involved in her life then her mother had been. They had been friends since birth, grown up together, and since three years ago, had an intimate and sexual relationship. She HAD been closer to Bon-Bon then she had ever been to any other pony she had ever met. Bon-Bon wasn't crying. She felt hollow and empty, beyond crying. She simply stared before her, unthinking, nearly unblinking, almost unbreathing, heart close to unbeating. A knock on the door woke her up from her stupor. She slowly and uncaringly walked to the door, knowing it could not be Lyra. She was right. It wasn't Lyra. It wasn't anypony. It was just a bottle filled with pills lying on the doormat. A note was underneath the bottle. Bon-Bon took it and read it. Heard you and Lyra were having problems. Both of you take this, and your relationship will be mended. - A Friend Bon-Bon wasn't sure of what to think. She never trusted pills, and certainly shouldn't trust pills from a not that said "A Friend" But she wanted Lyra back, and nothing was going to stop her. She would do anything. *** Fluttershy landed back in her cottage. She looked around wildly. Now that she thought about it… She ran to her closet, and pulled out the things Rainbow Dash had sent her. Several different types of flowers, candies, and other romantic gestures littered the closet. Fluttershy had to keep herself from smacking herself. How could she have not seen this? The most disturbing though was something that must have been added when she was gone. Scraps of papers, notes that must have been every romantic thing Rainbow Dash had ever written for Fluttershy. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them there. Fluttershy felt sick to her stomach. Should she take the relationship with Rainbow Dash? She loved her like a friend, not in the same way that she loved Bon-Bon… But Bon-Bon was taken… and Rainbow Dash had always been there for her. Yes. Yes, she decided. She would take Rainbow Dash. She would give her a chance to win her heart. Sitting down at her table, she wrote a letter to Dashie, telling her she would give her a chance. Flying up to Rainbow Dash's cloud house, she dropped the letter on the floor in the front hall, and returned home. Night had fallen, and Fluttershy's house was dark. Fluttershy decided to go to bed early. It had been an exhausting night. "Ooh! I have to feed Angel his dinner first! I can't forget my little Angel…" Fluttershy searched the house for Angel, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. Fluttershy returned to the kitchen. "Oh, where could he be?" She heard the door open. The light she had lit in the living room went out. Flutterhsy's heart skipped a beat. Two sets of hooves clopped over the floor. Fluttershy squeaked, then summed up the courage to ask the intruder one word. "Hello?" === Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces === Rainbow Dash returned to her home. She had been stupid. What was she thinking? Just kissing Fluttershy like that, she couldn't win her over like that. She'd probably have to do weeks of apologizing for this one. She took her time on the way home, enjoying the sun setting over Equestria. When she returned to her home, she saw a note lying on the floor of the front hall. Reading it, she saw that it was from Fluttershy. She wanted to give her a chance! Rainbow nearly rainboomed right then and there., but contained it. She would have to approach this delicately, something she had never cared to do with many things, and wait for the next morning. The instant the sun rose, Rainbow Dash leapt from bed and flew straight down to Fluttershy's. Something was amiss, however. Her front yard was ruined, bushes broken, and her door was open. "Hello? Is anypony there?" Rainbow Dash walked inside. There was glass all over the living room floor. Slowly, Dashie trotted into the kitchen. And screamed. Last night... "Lyra! Lyra!" Bon-Bon ran over the the unicorn. "Bon-Bon, I thought we agreed not to see each other for a bit." "I know what can solve our problem!" Lyra looked at the bottle suspiciously. "Where did you get that?" "Um... the pharmacy! It's supposed to help calm our emotions so we can communicate better!" Lyra looked at the bottle some more. "I don't know..." Bon-Bon removed the cap and took three of the pills. "Come on! They even taste good!" Lyra levitated three pills into her mouth cautiously. "Hey! Not bad!" The two stared at eachother for a bit. "You feel any different?" "Not really... but I did come up with one thing... Fluttershy is to blame for all this! You weren't cheating on me, she was trying to steal you away from me!" Bon-Bon hugged Lyra. "Exactly!" "So we should... get our revenge, don't you think?" "We totally should! OOH! I know the perfect thing to do! I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, these pills are great!" "What is it, Bon-Bon?" "We should go over there and kill her!" "Oh my Celestia, that would be so freaking funny. Let's do that right now!" The two creeped over to Fluttershy's. Lyra accidentally smashed into the bush, uprooting it. "Jeez, these pills musta made us stronger too!" Bon-Bon looked down to see a very pissed of bunny staring up at her. She kicked it nonchalantly to the side, snapping its neck. "Ok, that's go in..." The door creaked open, and the two walked towards the kitchen. "Hello?" Fluttershy's voice cut through the darkness like a knife. "Hey, Fluttershy..." "Bon-Bon? Is that you? Look, I'm sorry for the trouble i may have caused, I don't-" Bon-bon and Lyra stepped into the light of the kitchen. "No need to apologize, it's fine." Lyra walked over to Fluttershy and licked her cheek. "Yes... *mmm* fine..." She shoved her whole tongue into Fluttershy's surprised mouth. "Hey!" Bone-Bon looked indignantly at Lyra. "Oh come on, you got to..." Bon-Bon laughed. "I guess so. Let's kill her now." Fluttershy looked shocked, then giggled nervously. "Oh, I get it. Very funny, you guys. Now, if you want a threesome, I'm down with that-" Lyra threw Fluttershy into the cabnets. "Ok... that hurt! But, I'll-" Bon-Bon walked over and stomped her hoof into Fluttershy's hoof, and with a small crack, her life ended. "Let's eat her!" Lyra looked disgusted. "No way. I'm not eating out a dead mare, that's just sick-" "No, I meant really eat her. It'd be like a romantic dinner!" Lyra laughed. "Sure!" Back in the present... Lyra and Bon-Bon were passed out on the floor, their faces covered in blood, and a half-eaten Fluttershy lay spread before them. Rainbow Dash nearly threw up, and Lyra slowly opened her eyes. "Wha... what's going on? Ugh... my head and stomach don't feel so good..." Bon-Bon opened her eyes as well. "Jeez, what did we do... why are we in Fluttershy's house? Oh, hey Rainbow Da- ahh..." Bon-Bon surveyed the scene before them. "DEAR CELESTIA, WHAT DID WE DO?" Lyra looked at the body before them. "OH MY C-" Rainbow Dash picked up Lyra and smashed her face into the floor. "YOU FUCKER! I'LL KILL YOU!" Bon-Bon forced her hoof down her throat, throwing up a lot of blood and skin. It wasn't long before the authorities showed up. After Fluttershy's funeral, and Lyra and Bon-Bon's trial, they were sentenced to death by hanging. Both of them stood on the gallows platform. The sky was gloomy and grey, and it was expected to rain any moment. "Well... this is it." Bon-Bon stared into the crowd. Even though it had almost been three months since the incident, Rainbow Dash was still crying. "Yeah... but it's kinda nice. At least we get to go out together..." Rain started to fall lightly. Bon-Bon smiled weakly. "Yeah... our last date." Lyra leaned over and kissed her as the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. The executioner pulled the switch, and the two mares fell for a few fleeting moments before the noose delivered them from reality. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Bouts of Forgetful Artistic Destruction author: HoofBitingActionOverload tags: character:Original Character, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Drama, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Bouts of Forgetful Artistic Destruction === In a nearly empty library, a pegasus librarian with a blond mane the color of a sunflower's petals sat behind an information desk and tore pages out of a hardback book. The library was called the Canterlot Public Library. The librarian was called Gale. She couldn't remember why she had started tearing out the pages. Maybe she was angry. Maybe the story hadn't played out how she had wanted it to and now she destroyed the world and everyone in it and herself because tearing apart the words was the only way left to feel in control of fate. But she didn't feel angry, only tired and cold. Her wings twitched but stayed close to her sides. She pressed her hoof to another page. It felt dry and stale, and she pulled at it without reading the words and tore the page out of the book and tossed it onto the floor with the others. Behind her was a wall with a window. Through the window, Gale heard music and voices and laughing, and saw reflected on the desk a husky yellow glow from the lamp posts in the street. There was a festival on in Canterlot that night. There was nothing on in the library except the lights. The books on the library's rows of shelves went undisturbed and unread. Gale thought that it might have been a kind of tragedy to be a librarian and see so many books not being read. It should have been another kind of tragedy to be a pegasus and sit behind a desk all night with nowhere to go and nothing to do but get angry at novels and then forget why. Or the only true tragedy in that library might have been the only other pony in the building, the unicorn mare upstairs with the nervous laugh, the same unicorn mare with the nervous laugh who had stayed in the library until closing time the night before, and the night before that, and nearly every night since Gale had begun working there. Gale tore out another page. It could have been an act of jealousy. Gale often felt jealous. She might have been lashing out. Maybe she had realized that she wouldn't be able to remember later whatever she had read on those pages and, like a child, she spoiled it so no one else could have it, either. A petty and pointless rebellion, like a small dog pulling at the firm and guiding leash tight at its throat. She hoped it was something more exciting than that. A little more drama. A bit of audacious glitz and provocative glamor. She had once wanted to be a theater actress, but she could never remember her lines and most theaters weren't properly heated. She thought about why a librarian character in a play would destroy the very books she had been tasked with protecting. It would be some kind of important statement. Literary murder. Artistic sabotage. Take hammer and chisel to the great statues, spill buckets of black ink on the verses of the epic poems, pour ice water down the throats of the opera singers, press lit matches against the canvasses of the masterpiece paintings. Tear it all down and build up something new in its place. But Gale knew that if she tore anything down, it would stay torn down. She did not possess the right constitution for sustained or thorough societal revolution. And she never started anything she knew she wouldn't finish. So that couldn't have been it. And so why was she tearing the pages out of a book? She didn't know, but she tore another out, anyway. On the wall behind Gale hung an old clock. The clock's hands tick-tick-ticked across a picture of an orange cat, like animate, punctual whiskers. Gale thought maybe time was easier to read when it was being read off of a cat's whiskers. Or maybe whoever had hung it there however many years ago had once had an orange cat and named it Butterscotch and loved it until it caught diabetes and choked on a piece of boiled ham that had been given to it as a farewell treat the day before its anaesthetization and died. Maybe the owner had forcefully jammed her hoof down Butterscotch's throat and tried to pull the ham out. Maybe Butterscotch died anyway. And then the owner had loved Butterscotch a long while after that. Long enough to put up a clock with a picture of an orange cat on the wall. Or maybe Gale had hung the clock. Maybe she liked cats. And maybe not. The mind wanders when one has nothing to do. Pegasus minds more so than other minds. No pegasus pony should ever be a librarian, her grandmother had told her, just as no hippopotamus should ever be a masseuse. And yet here she was. She took a break from her act of librarian blasphemy and turned and looked at the clock. Thirty minutes until closing time. She stood up and stretched and walked away from the desk and up a spiraling staircase. Her hooves clanged on the metal steps. When she reached the top, she stood among more bookshelves. There wouldn't be any need to tear the pages out of these ones. The books kept on the top floor were the ones no one wanted to read but that had to be kept somewhere because any loss of information would have been considered a grievous loss for all of ponykind, even if that information was only waterfowl migratory routes or former county zoning restrictions, and where else could you put them but in the top floor of a library where no one but the librarians and the recluses and the spiders would ever see them? Gale wondered, if loss of knowledge of waterfowl migratory routes was a tragedy, what was forgetting what one had eaten for lunch the day before? Gale didn't know. She didn't usually eat lunch. She walked past the shelves and towards the back corner. The air was cramped and heavy and dusty and lonely. She sneezed. Gale found her in the corner, the unicorn mare with the nervous laugh, wedged up against the wall near a window, two desks and one table arranged around her, each littered with papers and scrolls and books. The unicorn mare glared down at one particular scroll, mouth set in a firm line, quill and paper at the ready nearby, as if the scroll had recently insulted her mother one too many times and she had decided that a formal essay was the only proper response. Gale cleared her throat. The unicorn mare picked up the paper and the quill and went to work defending her mother's honor. "Hey," Gale said. The unicorn mare didn't look up or respond, only scribbled on her paper. Gale thought she probably should have felt offended, but she had never minded being snubbed. Wasn't any use in it, she figured. But she watched the unicorn for a moment anyway to tell whether she was being ignored or simply unnoticed. Gale would have preferred the former. It took a particular act of will to ignore a pony. It didn't take anything at all not to notice one. The unicorn mare had a purple coat and a purple mane and a purple everything else. She was young, younger than Gale by a couple years. Probably a student. Her name was Twilight Something-or-Other, if Gale remembered right. She was cute in a distant sort of way, like a beautiful mare in a classical portrait. Attractive, but very far away from the time and place Gale inhabited. Mysterious, but in an ordinary sense, where Gale could solve the mystery if she wanted, but she knew the mare didn't want her to, and so she didn't. Gale watched her, and Twilight worked, absorbed in her scribbles. "Hey," Gale said again, louder. Twilight blinked and looked around and then saw her. She smiled and laughed her nervous laugh, sounding embarrassed and flighty. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't notice you there." "The library closes in half an hour," Gale said. "Oh, okay. I'll try to get everything cleaned up by then." "Don't worry about it," Gale said. "Take your time." Twilight smiled again and looked at the window and then looked at her books. Gale watched her for a moment longer and then reached over and knocked one of Twilight's stacks of books off the desk. They thumped on the floor. Twilight looked at her, eyes widening, then narrowing. Gale looked back and said nothing. The library was silent. Gale's wings twitched. Maybe Gale did mind being snubbed. Maybe she was angry. Maybe she was jealous. Maybe she still wanted to be a theater actress. Maybe Twilight, and not Gale, was the tragedy-in-the-making, the pegasus with a desk job, the actress who couldn't remember her lines, the librarian who tore pages out of books. Maybe Gale wanted to show her that. Or maybe Gale wanted to see if Twilight would have any reaction at all. Maybe Gale wanted Twilight to be like her. Or maybe Gale was just a mouse backed into a corner, biting ineffectually at the cat's claws as they hovered ever nearer. "Excuse me," Twilight said. "An accident," Gale said, and turned and walked away. Her wings settled back fully against her sides. It was colder on the top floor. No use arguing in the cold. Gale went back down the stairs and to her desk. The book lay on the desk. A pile of pages lay on the floor. It wasn't unusual for Gale to tear a page or two out of a book. If novels were meant to be truthful representations of life, they needed gaps, the whitewashed, unknowable spaces that smeared a pony's memory. They needed the forgotten. So Gale tore pages out of books. However, she had never torn all the pages out of a book. Tearing out just a few pages from a book meant forgetting just a few things. Tearing them all out meant forgetting everything, the mind going dark, regressing to infancy. Gale tore out another page. Behind her, outside the window, the music had gotten louder and livelier. It had a beat that bounced through the glass and off of every book in the library. Flutes tittered and chirped, violins whined and wept, accordions swelled and howled, guitars strummed and strutted, hooves stomped the ground, and wings rustled and swung. She recognized the melody. Any pegasus from Las Pegasus could recognize that melody. Gale closed her eyes and that way she could smell the sweat and the burn of the alcohol and feel the warm bodies slipping past and around her and the wings of the others brushing under and over and against her own. She opened her eyes and she was still in the library and she was cold. She listened to the music and thought about her grandmother. Her grandmother had also been prone to bouts of forgetful artistic destruction. Not books, though. Her grandmother had targeted paintings. Her own, actually. Because her grandmother had been a painter. Her grandmother had had a blond mane and tail, both the color of a sunflower's petals. She had been loud and happy and bright. When she had laughed, everyone heard it and knew who had laughed. She had laughed often. She had also painted often. She had told Gale once that she painted to capture permanently the incredibly rare moments in which two ponies discovered some connection between themselves that they hadn't known of before and would soon forget. Her grandmother had burned all of her paintings after completing them. Each and every one, sometimes while the paint still dripped, but more often the morning after. Upon waking to find them finished in her studio, she would set fire to the canvas and then go away and prepare her breakfast tea while the wood burned. Gale asked her once why she burned all of her paintings if they had been created to bestow permanence upon the impermanent. Her grandmother had told her she burned them because she couldn't remember painting them, and so she had failed. The afternoon Gale hugged her grandmother goodbye and moved away from Las Pegasus, her grandmother had been painting an illustration of two mares dancing the tengere, but it had been nothing but big, bold black lines caressing each other, then. One of the sets of lines had been larger than the other. To Gale, the larger had seemed to be strangling the smaller. Gale looked at the cat-face clock. Butterscotch's whiskers told her it was time to close the library. She stood up and walked back up the stairs and into the quiet stacks. She went back to the corner and found Twilight much the same as she had been before. Gale envied her work ethic. She also envied that cute little pink stripe in her mane. "Hey," Gale said. Twilight scribbled and scribbled and scribbled. "Hey," Gale said again. Twilight looked up and frowned. "Oh, is it time already?" "Yup." Twilight bit her lip and looked down at all of her books and scrolls and papers. "You need more time again?" Gale asked. Twilight let out her strange, nervous laugh. Gale didn't know why, and stayed quiet. Twilight's laugh choked in her throat and disappeared. "Um, yes, if you wouldn't mind," she said. "I'm so close to finishing. It'll just be a couple of minutes. I promise I won't take so long this time." "It's no problem," Gale said. "Take your time." "Thank you! It'll only be a couple minutes, I promise." "Okay." Then a loud eruption of laughter and music burst through the closed window from the street below. Twilight glanced at the window and narrowed her eyes. She looked annoyed. "There's a festival going on tonight," Gale said. "I know," Twilight said. "It doesn't seem like something you would know about," Gale said, and felt both worried and relieved. "It's the Tempest Festival," Twilight said, sounding like she was reciting a recipe for potato casserole. "It's a pegasus celebration, mostly. It was only in the past decade or so that it started being celebrated by non-pegasus ponies. It originated in Las Pegasus about a century ago as a celebration of the calming of the Borrasca, one of the largest storms in Equestrian history. But it's best known for the tengere, a traditional pegasus dance that is only performed once a year." "Will you go tonight?" Gale asked, and only felt relieved this time, but a different kind of relieved, because her suspicions were nearly confirmed. "No, no," Twilight said. "No, I have too much work to do." "Oh," Gale said. "I'll be there. After I finish closing up the library." "Um, well, I'll hurry up and finish then," Twilight said, and turned back to her work. "I'll be there," Gale said again. Twilight made a noise like a grunt but kept her eyes focused on her books. "I don't have anypony to go with," Gale said. Twilight said nothing, but her body tensed. This time, Gale could tell for sure that she was being ignored. "You have a disease. It's only a disease. Diseases can be cured by things like positive attitudes and love. I read a book once that said so," Gale wanted to say, but she didn't. She turned around and walked away and back down the stairs. Her wings rustled then stilled. She heard Twilight's quill scratching furiously behind her. Gale went to her desk and sat down. The music still played behind her, but it had slowed down. The rhythm had lulled. The half-spoiled book still lay open on the desk. Its torn pages still lay in a pile on the floor. Gale went about tearing more pages out of the book and listened to the slow music and to Butterscotch tick-tick-tick behind her and thought about her grandmother again. Once, years after she had left, she went back to Las Pegasus and visited her grandmother. She went to her grandmother's studio room first. It was empty except for the same painting of the two mares dancing the tengere. It had been finished. The bold black lines had transformed into two mares. They both had blond manes, the color of a sunflower's petals. The larger figure did not strangle the smaller figure. They embraced, like lovers, or like family. Gale left the studio. She found her grandmother sitting in a chair in the corner of her bedroom, wrapped up in blankets. Her grandmother looked small and tired. Her grandmother didn't say much of anything or do much of anything. Her grandmother did not laugh. So Gale went through the house and slammed creaky doors, knocked over potted plants that had long since dried and turned brown, kicked down the dust-covered dining room table, picked up and shattered unwashed dinner plates on the kitchen floor, and screamed screamed screamed until her voice went hoarse and her throat burned. She finished and went back to her grandmother. Gale tried to talk to her. Whatever Gale told her, her grandmother would reply in a quiet and confused voice, That's nice, dear. Very good to hear. Gale shouted away the last of her voice and cried right in her grandmother's ears and still all the old pony said was, That's nice, dear. Very good to hear. If Gale suggested they go out and do something, anything at all besides sit in that chair in the corner smothered in blankets, her grandmother would say, Too cold. Whatever the temperature and whatever the weather, that was her excuse. Too cold, she said. Too cold. And she drowned herself in blankets and quiet. It was called wing lock, because the pegasus ponies afflicted with the disease would often lock their wings against their sides and refuse to open them for anything. The muscles in their wings atrophied and the feathers fell away and then they didn't have wings anymore, only frail, bony stalks that hung off their sides. Eventually, they started to forget things. Ponies' names. What they ate for lunch. Where they went to school. Where they lived. Where they were or how they had gotten there. They forgot to bathe themselves and they forgot to eat. No cure had ever been found. It wasn't a disease like a cold. It was a disease of the mind. Or maybe of somewhere even deeper than that. It wasn't caught. It was passed down, like mane color or height. It skipped generations. It started when a pony was very young and it started very small. And then it got worse and worse and worse every year. You couldn't stop wing lock. You could only slow it down. Gale paused her remembering and her listening and her tearing. She looked down at the book. It only had a few pages left. She flipped it over and read the title. How to Improve Your Attitude, Your Love Life, and Your Memory in Just 30 Days Guaranteed: The Relationship Between Optimism, Love, and Mental Health. Gale flipped it back over and tore the rest of its pages out. Then she looked back at Butterscotch, and the old, once-loved-but-not-anymore cat told her it was time to go check on Twilight again. Gale stood and went back up the stairs. This time, Twilight was standing. She faced away from Gale, looking out the window. Gale stepped behind her and looked out. Outside in the street, lights of many colors shone on the walls of buildings, and musicians played, and many ponies, mostly unicorns, danced. A few groups of three or four, but most of them in pairs. The pairs danced very near each other, often touching, but they did not notice each other. They were only aware of their partners, and their partners were only aware of them. They moved fast and close, and they spun and stomped and stepped lightly and jumped. "It's the tengere," Gale said. Twilight jumped a little and looked at her, then looked out the window again. "I only need a little more time," Twilight said. But she kept looking out the window at the dancers. "Do you want to go down there?" Gale asked. Twilight let out her nervous laugh again. "I don't really dance." "My grandmother showed me the steps once, when I was very little," Gale said. "I remember the steps. You need a partner with wings to really do it right. It's a pegasus dance. Still is. That's why all those unicorns keep jumping in the air like fish in the bottom of a boat. They don't have wings." "It's another element of pegasus culture that has been appropriated by unicorns and earth ponies this last decade," Twilight said. "Princess Celestia says these kinds of appropriations are good for everypony." "But if you want to dance the tengere," Gale said, "you still need a pegasus. Or else you'll look like a fish in the bottom of a boat." Twilight turned away from the window. "I only need a little more time, if you don't mind." "Would you like to dance?" Gale asked again. Twilight's eyes widened a little and then she smiled and then she didn't. "Yeah, but I just couldn't go down there and try it in front of all those ponies. And I have work to do." "Would you like to dance with me?" Gale asked. "Um." "Here," Gale said, and stepped forward and grabbed Twilight and pushed her up onto her hind legs and Gale stood up on her own hind legs. They balanced precariously. Twilight blushed and her eyes went wide, and Gale felt her own face go hot. She flared her wings. They ached. They were weak. She flapped them lightly to keep both Twilight and herself upright. "That's why you need a pony with wings," Gale said. "Oh." Twilight still blushed but she didn't pull away. "Um, what now?" Gale listened to the music that came in through the window and listened to the beat of the drums and the strums of the guitars and the chirps of the flutes and then stepped in time with them, and Twilight stepped with her, and they were close together. Gale had lied. She didn't remember the steps. She only remembered the music. She eased into the rhythm with Twilight and stepped with the drum beats and the strumming guitars, and then the violins whined, fast and long, and Gale spun clumsily around Twilight and nearly threw them both into a bookshelf, but Twilight kept up and looked scared and excited. Then the accordions let loose and wailed, quick up and down up and down, and Gale let Twilight loose and swung her about, and she flapped her wings and brought them up and down and knocked over a desk, and papers and scrolls fluttered all around them, and Twilight's eyes widened and she laughed. They were clumsy and inexperienced and they didn't know what they were doing, but then it didn't matter, because they were dancing together, and even if it wasn't the right rhythm, they were in the same rhythm together. And the drums still beat and the guitars still strummed and the violins still whined and the accordions still wailed, and Twilight still laughed, and the laugh wasn't nervous. She even laughed as Gale picked her up and then lost her grip and dropped her on the ground, and she laughed on the ground, and Gale fell down too and laughed with her. They sat on the ground together and laughed and then their laughs dwindled. They looked at each other and breathed hard. Cool sweat slipped down Gale's face. "Ow," Twilight said, catching her breath. "Sorry," Gale said. "I haven't done this in a long time. Are you all right?" "Yeah," Twilight said, and stood up and laughed again. "That was a lot of fun. Thanks." Outside, the music still played. "I'm going to the festival after I close the library," Gale said, standing up. "Do you want to come with me?" Twilight's breath caught and she suddenly looked very small and tired and smothered. She looked at the window and then looked at Gale and then looked at her desks and papers and books, now disheveled and strewn about. "I'm sorry. I have a lot of work to do tonight." "I had to close the library over half an hour ago," Gale said. "I didn't do that." "I'm…" Twilight frowned. "I'm so sorry. I can't." "I know," Gale said, and thought about her grandmother again. "Let me, uh…" Twilight started moving the papers and books around. "Let me at least clean this mess up for you." "No, don't worry about it," Gale said. "I'll get it. You go ahead." "Oh," Twilight said. She stood and looked at Gale as if she had forgotten something that she hoped Gale could remind her of. Her mouth moved but she didn't say anything. Then she said, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow night." "I'd prefer if I didn't," Gale said. "But I guess I probably will anyway, so see you then." "Okay," Twilight said. She stood for a moment longer and then took her papers and walked away and went down the steps. Gale stayed and cleaned up the mess. She set all of the papers and scrolls and books back on the desks and table in a way that looked similar to how it had been before. She should have collected them so they could be reshelved, but she knew Twilight would want all the same ones again the next night, so she left them out. Gale went back down the stairs to her desk. She sat down. She thought about that final visit to her grandmother's house again. When Gale had finished screaming in her grandmother's ears, she had gone back into her grandmother's studio. She took a match and lit it and held it to the painting of herself and her grandmother. The flame jumped from the match to the painting and then it jumped from the painting onto the floor and then it jumped from the floor to the curtains. The smoke was black and thick. Gale left the house. The flames consumed the entire house. Gale's grandmother still did not get out of her blankets or her chair. She did not scream or cry out. She did not make any noise. She had died silently, unnoticed. Now, Gale looked at the pile of torn pages on the library floor. She would get in trouble if the morning librarian found them. She leaned down and spent the rest of the evening folding the torn pages into the shapes of small boats. She gathered up all of the boats between her hooves and she felt like a mother gathering her children up into a loving, nourishing, protective embrace. She opened the window. Music and laughter and the clumsy sounds of bodies in motion and the smell of sweat and fried food rushed into the library. She threw the paper boats out the window. They sailed through the air, white, scribbled with black. They reflected the light of the streetlamps below, and they lit up like fireflies, signaling to each other across the empty air between them. They danced. They twirled over and around, swooped underneath each other, leapt across the street like ballerinas. They sailed the currents of the music, shivered in the drums' rhythm. They flew like butterflies, like doves, like swans. They spread apart and fell onto the ground and were crushed underneath stepping hooves. Gale closed the window and then closed the rest of the library and thought about Twilight and her grandmother. She figured wing lock could happen to unicorns, too. It was just harder to see without the wings. But the symptoms were all the same. You couldn't stop wing lock. You could only slow it down. A positive attitude, love, and regular wing exercises was the lie everyone prescribed. She went outside. Twilight wasn't there. Gale didn't know why she had expected her to be, but felt disappointed anyway. She locked the door and walked away. She didn't walk towards the festival. There wasn't any use in dancing alone. Besides, it was cold out. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Capes and Crusaders author: Starhunter tags: character:Babs Seed, character:Mare Do Well, character:Original Character, genre:Adventure, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Capes and Crusaders === Manehattan was by far the largest city in Equestria. Even well after dark, the constant roar of distant crowds and carriage traffic was almost overwhelming at street level, which was one reason Cold Star preferred the rooftops. They also offered her a vantage where she could avoid drawing unwanted attention to herself. Up here, she only had to keep safe from the prying eyes of passing pegasi, and under the blanket of night it was easy enough for a Bat-Pony to avoid being seen. Tonight, her chosen haunt overlooked an alley near midtown. A single street lamp flickered at each end, leaving the middle a morass of dim light and long shadows. Two nights ago a young filly had been accosted by a group of colts here. They had pushed her around and taken her pocket money before she was able to make her escape. Cold Star had overheard the victim confiding the matter to her friends, explaining that she had not told the local sheriffs about the incident because she was worried about something the colts had said. They claimed to work for a stallion named Stoneheart, a local tough-guy who was now trying to make a name for himself as a gang leader. They had used his name to threaten her. They were defilers, preying on other ponies under cover of darkness. Her Oaths would not allow this to stand. As a Crusader, it was her duty to bring an end to their wickedness. She wished that she could have asked the filly some questions about her attackers, but her appearance would only have startled the poor thing. The last pony she would want to meet after such an attack was a masked vigilante, and going without the mask would be even worse - long ears, leathery wings and fangs weren't considered friendly features amongst the Sun Tribes. Instead, Cold Star was forced to wait patiently for her prey to return to the scene of their crimes. She did not have to wait for long. There were three of them. All earth-ponies, just as the filly had said. They were older colts - very nearly stallions, and they had the same slicked-back manes as several other colts she had seen lately, all of them getting up to no good. She chose to ignore the fact that they were probably no younger than she herself, and that being earth ponies they were probably half-again as strong. Those details didn't strike Cold Star as particularly important. She had already cast the shadow of justice upon much bigger and meaner ponies than these. What did prove important was their mode of dress - two of them had tossed saddlebags on the ground nearby, and all of them had tied a grey bandana around their neck or leg. It was the trademark of Stoneheart's gang. They lounged in the alley in a way that was relaxed but wary. Hunters, waiting to spring a trap. She was tempted to swoop in on them now, before they could bother anypony else. But she fought down the urge to strike pre-emptively, reminding herself that she could not be certain of their guilt until they proved it with their actions. Until then, they were as much under the protection of her Oath as any other citizen of Equestria. She focused on her senses, allowing them to reach out into the night. Hundreds of generations spent living in caves and under mountains had given her people many gifts: her nose was keen enough that even four stories up she could tell that all three colts wore the same cheap cologne, and her skin could feel the vibration of each carriage passing at the far end of the street. But most important were her ears, which could hear every word the stallions whispered below as clearly as if they were standing beside her. They spoke of normal things for colts their age - ditching school, the mares they were interested in, and how to get their hands on some hard cider. Cold Star paid little attention, focusing instead on another sound, much further away. It was the sound of small hoof-steps. At least three sets of them, all moving in the direction of the alley. Cold Star made her way silently across the rooftop towards the mouth of the alley, wanting to be ready to place herself between the colts and any prospective victims if it became necessary. So it was that she was the first to have a clear view of the three small ponies that came around the corner. All were school aged, but all were of different races and colours. The only common element between them was an unusual maroon cape that each of them wore, with a blue badge sewn onto the flank. Her sensitive ears could hear their whispered conversation taking place below. The small white pegasus fluttered his wings nervously. "Babs, are you sure this is a good idea?" Babs, the earth pony, shook her head. "Nope. It's a terrible idea. But I ain't just gonna sit by and let somepony bully one of my friends. So I'm goin' in. You and Misty don't have to come though. This ain't your problem." The pale blue unicorn snorted derisively. "I think not. Squall is just worried that his Mother is going to yell at him for breaking his curfew. We'll be right behind you." Squall sighed, then nodded. Babs smiled. "Thanks, guys. Aw'right, let's do this." And with that, they marched into the alley three abreast, directly towards where the colts were waiting. Cold Star moved along the rooftop at the same pace, equally surprised and confused by the actions of the little ponies below. She had lived here for several months now, and this was the first time she had seen anyone but the sheriff take an interest in dealing with criminals. Things were not as they were in Tartarus, the land where her race had long been banished. Here, ponies banded together in the face of great injustice, but were often lax in dealing with the petty vices that hid themselves under cover of darkness. To see others as troubled by this as she was refreshing. She could not help being curious. And besides, with her watching out for them they were in little danger. She was interested to see what they would do. The three little ponies walked purposefully towards the three colts, who had roused themselves from their conversation, each of them taking on a predatory air. As the two groups converged the girl called Babs stepped forward. "Hey. You guys. I wanna talk to you." One of the colts grinned. "Well, well. If it isn't the Blank-flank Brigade. Nice capes, dorks." Babs grinned back. "Thanks. Somebody gave 'em to us. Just like somebody gave you guys somethin' a couple of night ago. And now you're gonna have to give it back." The colt stopped grinning. "I don't know what you're talking about." Misty piped up. "Peach Tree's purse. You ruffians took it. And we're here to retrieve it." None of the colts were grinning now, and all were on their feet, looming over the three caped ponies. "Oh, really? Because that's not how we remember things. We remember her offering to buy us all a hay-burger, and us graciously accepting." Squall seemed to wilt a bit under their hard looks, but if anything they seemed to make Babs even bolder. She stepped forward again, putting herself nose to nose with the colts' leader. "That's funny. Because she didn't seem real gracious about it. She seemed pretty upset. And I would know - she used to have to foal-sit me." She stepped up to the tallest colt. "Y'know, personally I think you guys are crooks. So unless you want me to get the sheriff involved, you better cough up the purse and every bit you guys took from it." The tall colt stared down at her. "What are you? A snitch?" Babs shrugged casually. "When I need to be." "Are you tryin' to threaten us?" "I ain't tryin' nothin', wise guy. Purse or sheriff? Take your pick." The colt sneered. "I've got a better idea. How about the three of you offer to take our boss Stoneheart and us out for dinner, and we let you three walk out of her on all four hooves. How does that sound?" Babs scowled. "I don't let bullies push me around." "Guess we're going to have to do this the hard way, then." There was a long moment of silence in the alley, but Cold-Star could read the movements of the colt below like an open book. Hooking her cape over her wing-tips to keep them well hidden, she dropped silently into the alley below. She crashed into the tall colt just as he brought up his front hoof to strike Babs. The angular tip of her fore-hoof slammed into the side of his head just behind his jaw, and he collapsed like a sack of potatoes. The colt menacing the pegasus fared little better, as Cold Star bucked him in the side hard enough to slam him into the wall. He sank to the street, clutching his ribs. The third, who Cold Star had rightly guessed was the most likely to panic in a real fight, had frozen as she dropped into the alley and silently dispatched his friends. Only now, as she advanced on him like the spectre of the Nightmare Queen herself, did the foolish colt have the where-with-all to run. It didn't help, of course. Cold Star was on him before he had taken three steps, and had him pinned face-first to the alley wall with one of her cape-covered wings, using her free legs to twist his fore-leg around behind him in a manner that a pony's limbs were not meant to bend. He let out a whine of pain, but Cold Star felt no pity for him. She turned to the small ponies gaping in astonishment behind her. She did her best to keep her accent from being noticeable as she spoke. "The wallet is in that saddlebag over there. Take it and go." The three of them nodded, and ran towards the saddlebag down the alley. She returned her attention to the defiler in her grip. "You. What is your name?" "Gr... gruh.... Green Fields," stuttered the frightened colt. "Green Fields. You and your allies have exploited the sacred Night-Time of the Lunar Princess to bring wickedness upon the weak and the helpless. For your crimes against the Night Sky, and those who walk in joy beneath it, I should cut off your ear to mark you as a defiler." Slowly, she drew one of her hooves up in front of his face, scraping a furrow in the stone of the wall with her hoof-tip. It was nothing more than a parlour trick as far as Cold Star was concerned - most Bat-Ponies could carve their hooves into solid stone in the same sort of manner a pegusus might use their hooves to shape or stand upon the clouds. This type of natural magic would do nothing to harm the skin of a pony. Fortunately, judging by the fearful wriggling of her captive, he was unaware of this important detail. "P...p...please don't hurt me! I'll do anything!" Cold Star leaned in very close to his ear. "Anything?" He nodded. "Good. Then you will go this very night to the one you call Stoneheart. You will tell him what you have done, and you will tell him what I have done to you. You will tell him that I have taken an Oath to defend this city from your kind, and that if he does not keep his disciples inside after nightfall, he will answer to me for it. Am I understood?" The colt nodded again, going limp in an effort to show his willingness to comply. "Good. Then go." She released him all at once, allowing him to crumple to the ground before being able to turn and face her. He stared up in awe and fear at the mare standing over him. "A... and... and who should I tell him you are?" Cold Star considered that for a moment, then smiled beneath her cowl. "Tell him the Mare-Do-Well has come to Manehattan." The colt nodded, scrambled to his feet, and then fled the alley as if Cerberus himself were snapping at his heels. His fellows staggered out after him, making good their chance at escape from the masked warrior behind them. Cold Star snorted her distaste, and turned to leave herself, only to discover that that the three small ponies were still standing nearby. Squall and Misty looked nervous, but Babs looked as hard-nosed as ever. Cold Star stomped her hoof. "I told you to go." "Yeah. But you didn't say how you knew the wallet was in his bag. If you're in cahoots with these guys, I want you to come and apologize to Peach Tree." "I am nothing of the sort. Peach Tree wears a particularly sweet perfume. I could smell it on the purse." Babs gave her a funny look. "You could smell it? From twenty paces? In an alley in Manehattan? Yeah, right. Tell me another one." She considered simply take off and leave them here, but realized that it might require her to show her wings. And that wouldn't do. Cold Star sighed. "The unicorn has an unwrapped chocolate bar in her saddlebag. Your pegasus friend has two old books in his. You live above a bakery." The three of them looked at each other, their eyes wide. Using the pause to her advantage, Cold Star swept around them and made her way towards the nearby fire escape. She heard a scampering from behind her, and Babs run up beside her, scowling. "Hey! I ain't done with you yet. Who are you really? And why are you callin' yourself Mare-Do-Well?" Cold Star didn't stop walking. "I am a masked pony helping people in need. Who else would I be?" Babs cut in front of her, forcing her to stop. "Not Mare-Do-Well, that's for sure. Because Mare-Do-Well doesn't hit ponies." "Newspapers don't always tell the whole story, little one." "Newspapers nothin'. The real Mare-Do-Well is my cousin who lives in Ponyville. Well... my cousin and some of her friends. So I know darn well that you aren't the real deal. And I don't like you sayin' you are, and givin' them a bad rap." Cold Star stared down at Babs, and unlike with the colt earlier Babs seemed to shrink a bit before the masked mare's intense gaze. "Is that true? Do you really know the identity of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?" Babs nodded. "Yeah. I heard all about it when I visited them last year for the reunion. They'd probably be mad that you were using that name to scare people." "Some people need scaring." "Yeah. Maybe they do. And honestly, some guys deserve a good kick in the head. Don't get me wrong - the way you did that was totally awesome. But using someone else's name to do it ain't right. Own up to it, or don't do it." Cold Star paused, then bowed her head to the smaller filly. "I... see your point. I have behaved unjustly. How may I make amends for misusing their name, and also for copying parts of their costume for my own?" Babs shrugs. "I don't know. I mean, Rarity would probably be flattered to see her design gettin' some use. The rest would probably just tell you to be more honest about things, instead of hidin'. I mean, you're doin' hero stuff, right? What's the need to hide?" Cold Star shook her head. "It is an unfortunate necessity. I require a secret identity to... protect those that I care about." Babs nodded. "Makes sense. Then I guess you'll just have to come up with something else." Squall fluttered over. "Oh, I know! How about the Midnight Defender?" Misty trotted over as well. "That's a bit too long. She needs something short, but striking. Something that is both mysterious and impressive." Babs grinned. "Hey. Maybe would should make her a charter member. Then she could be the Caped Crusader." Cold Star froze. "You should not speak lightly of being a Crusader, young one." Babs continued to grin, oblivious. "Why not? We're all Crusaders. We don't mind if you want to be one too." Cold Star could only stare at them in amazement. These three children were Crusaders? Certainly not. The Crusade was a Bat-Pony tradition, and one that only very few were permitted to undertake. But they seemed to earnest, and they had already shown such bravery that she could not help but ask. "Are you saying that you... you three... are Crusaders?" Babs was all smiles. "Yeah. I'm Babs Seed. I'm the head of the Manehattan chapter." The Unicorn stepped forward, also smiling politely. "And I'm Misty Morning. I was the first to join up with Babs." The pegasus chimed in. "I'm Summer Squall. I joined last winter, around Hearthswarming. We're pleased to meet you." Cold Star could only stare in awe. "But... you are much too young. Who is your master?" Babs looked confused. Squall shook his head. "Um... well, I guess that would be Babs. Unless you mean her cousin Apple Bloom. She's one of the founders." Things began to become more clear. Babs cousin was a founder of these new Crusaders, and was also one of the Mare-Do-Wells. It all made sense. But then... "And, may I ask... to which Princess do you owe your loyalty, as Crusaders?" Now all three of them looked confused. Finally, Babs spoke up. "Um... well, the Crusaders in Ponyville have met Princess Celestia a few times, but they usually hang out with Twilight. Actually, she was one of the original Mare-Do-Wells, before she became a Princess..." And there is was. The Twilight Princess, long a student of Celestia, had now begun to seek the wisdom of the Lunar Monarch, and was emulating her excellent leadership. Why else would there be fledgling Crusaders - an institution unique to Princess Luna's faithful - walking amongst the Sun Tribes? As her name implied, Twilight Sparkle was seeking to become the bridge between the Solar and Lunar traditions. What glorious news! Cold Star could not help but beam with joy beneath her mask. Were it not for her Oaths, she would have rushed back to Tartarus herself, braving the coming dawn to spread these happy tidings. Finally, the Ponies of the Sun Tribes were beginning to welcome the dark once more. After so many centuries, perhaps the laws that kept her people hidden would finally be renounced. The Crusaders before her were so small, but they represented a great hope for the future. Unfortunately, it was clear that they had nearly been defeated tonight. Had she not been here looking on, their situation could have become dangerous. But then, the elders had thought that she herself was too young to leave the Roost and undertake the Crusade. She had left anyways, and she had been forced to learn many things the hard way as a result. Perhaps these young ones were in a similar situation, being stationed her in Manehattan, so far from their founders and leaders. Perhaps they truly were kindred spirits. She bowed politely before the three children, who exchanged confused glances. "I am terribly sorry. I have given the three of you short shrift, and it was most unseemly of me. I hope that you will forgive me. I did not realize that you were Crusaders, like myself. Please, let us head up to the roof. We can speak more freely there, out of all this light." And with that, she unhooked her wings from her cape, allowing them to unfurl. She stretched her black, leathery wings and with a flick of her wing-tips she hurled herself up towards the roof above. Behind her, the three Crusaders watched her go, their mouths hanging open. * * * * * Cold Star waited on the roof for several moments doing her best to ignore the conversation of the ponies making their way up the fire escape. They were arguing about something, she was certain. She caught several mentions of "not safe" and "crazy", but she brushed them off. She was certain that overcoming old prejudice would be the smallest of hurdles placed before these young Crusaders, and if she could aid them with that, then she would do so gladly. The first to arrive was Squall, since he didn't have to climb. He kept a good distance from Cold Star, seeming torn between fear and curiosity. That was good, for a start. The second was Babs, who seemed utterly without fear, and the third was Misty, who stayed partially huddled behind Babs. Babs stopped a few paces back. "Those wings... are they part of your costume?" Cold Star shook her head. "Before I answer, may I have your words as Crusaders that nothing we discuss will leave this rooftop? I will agree to the same, that we might all speak freely." Babs nodded. "Sure. I promise." Her two friends nodded and made promises in turn. That they did not hesitate or negotiate pleased Cold Star a great deal. Sincerity was a great virtue for a Crusader. She unfurled her wings again, displaying them for the young ponies to examine. "These are my real wings. My name is Cold Star. I am a Bat Pony, from the underground country of Tartarus. I have come to this city as a part of my duty as a Crusader." Babs smiled widely. "Wow. So... you're like one of Luna's Guards, right? The stallions who pull her Chariot have wings like yours. I've seen pictures that Pinkie-Pie took on Nightmare Night last year." Cold Star could not hold back a thrill. So there were still Bat-Ponies serving the Lunar Throne! Where had they come from? Where they perhaps descendants of those lost in the War Against the Light? Cold Star felt overwhelmed with excited questions. She took a deep breath and pushed her excitement down into the Darkness inside herself, just as her Master had taught her. She needed to focus on the matter at hand - answering questions from her new comrades. "I am not so fortunate as to serve Princess Luna personally, but my Oath to serve was sworn to the Moon and the Starlit Sky. It is a very old tradition. Is your order like that?" Babs shook her head. "Not really. I mean, our group was only founded a couple of years ago. And we don't really have a fancy Oath. I mean, we kind of did, but then Sweetie Belle decided the old one was too long, and then Scootaloo thought each chapter should have its own. But... truth is, I'm not real good with that kind of stuff, so right now we don't even have one." "I see. Then what is the nature of your crusade?" "Well, first we have to find out our special talent so that we can get our cutie marks. And after that... I don't know. None of us have gotten one yet." Cold Star considered that. Perhaps the Twilight Princess wished for this stage of their training to be some kind of selection process. Perhaps she wished to see who manifested the correct skills or talents to become a proper Crusader, before exposing them to the greater secrets of their order. Or perhaps this was simply their way - the Sun Tribes had always taken a much more hands-off view of raising their children than the Moon Tribes. "Do you have your Cutie Mark?" asked Squall. Cold Star rose and swept back her cape to reveal her grey coat and her sacred mark - a white six-pointed star that looked a bit like a snowflake in the centre of a black swirl. "Yes. I gained it during the thawing... the spring-time... six years ago. I would have been about your age, I suppose. It appeared after I spent two days tracking down a lost foal who had wandered into the Deep Dark, and returned it to its mother. It was then that I took the name Cold Star, as is tradition amongst the Moon Tribe. The Star is believed to be a sign of great destiny, so I chose to use mine to undertake the Crusade. After my training, I left Tartarus and came here." All of the young ponies looked quite impressed. They crowded closer to get a better look, even Misty, who still seemed a bit standoffish. As she grew nearer, Babs looked up Cold Star. "Would you mind if we saw your face? I ain't never met someone of the Bat Tribe before." "I suppose. Though I should warn you that my face looks a bit different than yours. Please do not be afraid." She removed her hat, revealing her longer, slightly furrier ears. And then she removed her cowl, revealing a muzzle full of hooked fangs and sharp teeth. She shook her head, trying to get her shortly cut black mane to lie flat. She kept her expression neutral, simply opening her jaw to allow them to see her for what she was. Only Misty seemed disturbed, and when Babs noticed Cold Star watching her she sidled in a little closer. "Sorry about Misty. She used to live in Canterlot, until the Changelings attacked. Her family moved here after that. I think she's worried you're actually a Changeling." "I am not. I just don't like being near strangers," Misty muttered angrily. Cold Star nodded. "You are wise on both counts. Changelings are dangerous creatures, and strangers equally so. If it makes you feel better, sometimes Changelings sneak into our city to steal people, too. Hunting them was what first brought me to the surface." Misty frowned. "So, are you some kind of soldier, then?" "Not exactly. I am like you - I try to help people, and protect the things that I care about. Just as you did, when you came to this alley tonight." "So who are you protecting?" "The Night." "What?" "The Night. The darkness between dusk and dawn. The night is beautiful, and full of wonders that cannot be seen under the harsh light of the sun. The duty of Crusaders like me is to guard against people who would misuse the darkness for wicked ends, and keep it safe for people who love it, as we do." All three ponies looked at her with wide eyes and awed expressions. Babs recovered first. "That sounds like a big responsibility. How many of you are there?" Cold Star shook her head. "Not nearly as many as their once was, and I am the only one that I know of who has chosen to bring the Crusade to the surface world once more. Most of the great Crusaders... well, they were not on the winning side of the conflict between Celestia and the Nightmare Queen." "The Nightmare Queen... do you mean Nightmare Moon?" "Yes. She was our ruler, for a short time. But the effect she had on the most zealous of the Crusaders was drastic. So much so, that many of them were banished to the moon along with Princess Luna at the end of the conflict. It is unknown what happened to them after that. Perhaps it is their descendants who now draw her Chariot, as you say. It was our loyalty - to the night and to Princess Luna - that caused Celestia to censure my people, and remand us to Tartarus for the last thousand years." "Is that why I've never seen anyone like you around in Manehattan?" "Yes. I was only able to arrive here by virtue of distracting Cerberus long enough to escape from the caves without being tracked. I was very careful. Even so, Twilight Sparkle returned him to his post in short order, and I do not think anyone else opted to leave." Babs frowned. "That don't seem fair." "I agree. But it is the law of the Sun Princess, and we dare not defy her. Tartarus is not comfortable, nor is it an easy place to live. But it is better than the Moon, and so we remain obedient to her decree." "But you're here." "Yes. I am. Because my love for the Night is greater than my fear of Celestia. And because I believe that Manehattan is truly in need of the Crusaders. If I am captured and taken before her, I will accept the consequences of what I have done. But that does not mean I expect others to feel the same. Indeed, it will be easier if I am known to be alone in my efforts. That way no blame will fall on my people for what I alone have chosen to do." "So... is that why you're dressed up, and using a fake name?" "Quite so. When I arrived on the surface I was mistaken for a monster by several ponies near Ponyville. It was around then I heard the stories about the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well that had appeared there. I went there, thinking perhaps we might become allies. Sadly, I did not encounter her in my short time there, and then I was forced to depart by a visit from Celestia. But I took some newspapers that had photos of her, and used them to help me construct my costume." Misty stared at her. "Yes. I suppose that looking like that would make life pretty difficult for a Pony. Especially if you think people are going to want to arrest you if they find out about your identity." Cold Star shrugged. "I have a few allies around the city. Mostly people that I have been able to help, and who have repaid me in kindness." "People like us, you mean." said Squall, scratching at the ground. Cold Star smiled slightly, trying to keep it in check to avoid showing too many teeth. "I suppose. Though if you wish to offer your help, I wouldn't refuse it. I could certainly use some help with things. But you have your own Crusade to pursue, and I don't wish to get in the way." Babs seemed to be getting excited. "In the way? Are you crazy? This is a great chance for us." Misty looked over at her friend. "How so?" "Because Cold Star is a real, actual Crusader. A full fledged one, with a cutie-mark she earned by bein' able to save someone in trouble. Doing all these odd jobs is just gonna end us up with odd jobs on our flanks. Who wants that? If I'm going to get a cutie-mark, I want to get it doing something as awesome as helping to fight crime or rescuing people from danger." Misty glowered at her friend. "Except that it's dangerous. Not to mention that I'm guessing Cold Star is nocturnal, like other bats are. I'm already going to be in trouble when I get home, and so are you. Squall's probably going to get grounded. And it's not even midnight yet. How are we going to help out someone like her?" "Well, maybe we could feed her information or somethin'. Or look into things in places she can't go." "Or buy her some groceries, at least. I bet shopping is a pain," added Squall. Cold Star chuckled. "Of all those suggestions, I would appreciate the groceries the most. I have no desire to place you in danger. At least, not until you are a bit older and have more training. Have you begun service yet, at your age?" The three looked between themselves, confused. "What do you mean by service?" asked Babs. "I mean your basic training. For the Equestrian Guard. Or the Air Defence Force, I suppose in Squall's case." Babs frowned. "We... don't really do that. You're not even allowed to register for the army before you're out of school." Cold Star just stared at her for a long moment. "You mean, you have no training? No skill with hoof-to-hoof combat or basic grappling? You don't take that as a component of your schooling?" They all shook their heads. "And yet you came into this alley, to face three much larger colts. Have you all taken leave of your senses?" They all hung their heads a bit, but Babs still seemed determined. "I just don't like bullies. That's all. And they came because they're my friends. The Cutie-Mark Crusaders stick together." Cold Star could only stare at them in astonishment. By their age she had already been in service for at least a couple of years. To face such odds in spite of their situation... they were either courageous or incredibly foolhardy. Possibly both, though if it were only the latter they never would have followed her up onto this roof. And so she made a choice, one which she was almost certain would come back to bite her somehow. "I see. Obviously, I have much to learn about the ways of the surface world. And it is equally obvious that you have much to learn about what it means to really be Crusaders. Perhaps we could help each other remedy these problems." The three youths before her all perked up instantly. "You mean it?" Babs asked. "Yes. Fall will be here soon, and they days will grow shorter. That will help solve the problem of time, if the three of you can explain away some evenings. And given how much training you will need to do, you won't be eager to see me after the first few times we meet." They all grinned, obviously having no idea what real training would look like. For the first time that evening, Cold Star almost found it within herself to pity someone. But as she reflected on how much her own training had shaped her into the pony she was now, she pushed that feeling into the darkness and allowed them their enthusiasm. There would be time enough later for hard lessons. "So, how soon do we learn how to kick ponies in the head?" asked Babs. Or perhaps not. Cold Star put her hoof to her head and sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. But still, if she could mold these brave young ponies into true Crusaders, it would be a new beginning for the Crusade. She looked sternly at Babs. "Not before you can name me twelve constellations in the night's sky and point to at least six of them on command." Squall frowned. "How does that help you fight crime?" Cold Star grinned. "In the city, it doesn't. But I'm not always in a city, and when I'm not I need to be able to figure out where I am, and which direction I'm going. And besides, to the Bat-Ponies the Star is an important symbol of what it means to be a Crusader. Come here and look, all of you." The night was young, and the sky was full of lights. It was just like the night, now many years past, that Cold Star had emerged from a crack in the rocks and looked up to see the true splendour of the Night Sky for the first time. Tonight she shared that view with three young ponies, who were seeing its beauty in a way that they never had before. One day, they might help her share that beauty with the world. If Stoneheart's gang didn't decide to find her and make an example of her first. But that was a problem for another night. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Return of Spike author: jkrust78 tags: character:Main 6, character:Other, character:Rarity, character:Spike, genre:Drama, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1 === The Return of Spike Two ponies made their way up a dusty mountain path, the heat of the afternoon sun beating down on them. Their destination was a cave cut into the side of the mountain about three hundred yards away. Although the object of their intended journey lay in sight, both the unicorn male and alicorn female still felt like it was miles away. The effects of being outside at this time of the day were wearing them down, and it felt like they had been trudging along for an eternity. All around them the wind whipped up the side of the mountain causing poor visibility at the best of times. It also caused havoc with the two ponies. Dust blew into their coats and the wind was constantly pushing their manes over their eyes. Adding to the misery, when they pushed their manes away from their eyes dirt and debris would continue to assault them. It was turning out to be more difficult of a journey than they had anticipated, but it was a journey they had to make. They were paying a visit to a dear friend and revered figure in their kingdom. "Shining…" the alicorn female called out to her companion. "Could we at least put up a magical shield to protect ourselves from this wind?" "We need to conserve our magical energy, Cadence!" he replied shouting over the gusts. "You can at least fly back to the Crystal Empire if need be…I have to teleport! Besides, we're almost there!" The stallion pointed to the cave which was coming even closer into their view. It was under a large rocky outcropping with boulders on either side of its entrance. Hopefully these rocks would shield the two ponies from the elements. Few words were spoken between them as they made the final steps to get them up to the mouth of the cave. As they made their final approach, mercifully, the two large boulders at the entrance provided some much needed shelter. Both stopped to breath in air that wasn't filled with dirt particles. After shaking the dust and out of his mane, Shining Armor gave his wife Princess Cadence an amused look. "I have to say honey…" he began, "you do the 'windswept look' very well." Cadence shot him back an annoyed expression. "Speak for yourself...Shining," The alicorn used her magic to fix her mane, which had been blown about in all directions. "This will take at least two hours at the castle salon to fix properly…maybe even more time than it took to fix my mane for the Equestria Games selection ceremony." "You sound like a certain Element of Generosity back in Ponyville my dear," Shining chuckled as Cadence fought with her mane. "I doubt even Applejack and Rainbow Dash would be willing to take the abuse we just took," Cadence stated flatly. "Why did he have to pick this Celestia forsaken rock out on the fringes of the Crystal Empire? We could have let him sleep in the vault where we keep the jewels…" "You're the one who told him that he had to hibernate for a period of time," Shining replied. "After all, it was his choice to make where he would sleep and hoard for the time required for him to grow into an adult. His instincts caused him to want to come here." Shining gestured with his hoof. "He probably felt that this place was the peace and quiet he needed…away from the Empire and his 'adoring' fans…" "That makes some sense…" Cadence paused to consider. "So, it's been three months exactly. How do we wake him up?" "I'm already ahead of you guys," a low rumbling voice came from inside the cave. A second later a large purple head with green tufts on both sides, and green spikes running down the long neck that was attached to it, popped out of the cave entrance. Both ponies stepped back in surprise at this sudden appearance. The head smiled as it caught sight of the two visitors. "Hi Shining…hi Cadence!" the purple head exclaimed. Its voice was deep, but it also held the wonderment of a child. "Hello Spike…" Cadence began nervously. "You look…great…" Shining Armor added not really sure how to address the dragon head that was staring at him. "Thanks, you guys!" Spike smiled at the two ponies. "But you haven't seen anything yet. Wait until I pull my whole body out!" "Were you awake all this time listening to us?" Cadence inquired. "I've been awake for about an hour now," Spike responded. "I had a dream that that you were both coming to see me today. Then when I woke up, I saw you walking up the path towards my cave. I think you made a mistake on your teleportation Shining...you could have teleported much closer and saved yourselves a walk." "I agree wholeheartedly," Cadence shot a smug look at her husband. "But he thought that a leisurely stroll in a windstorm on a hot afternoon would be invigorating!" "Oh well…" Spike let a chuckle out of his throat that felt like a small earthquake. "I guess it runs in the family..." "Hey!" Shining Armor shot back. "I am totally not like my sister!" "Relax…" Spike assured him. "I'm just messing with you. I haven't seen you in 3 months remember?" Spike turned back to Cadence. "Did you know that I woke up a month early?" "Yes, we noticed that the plume of smoke you made when you were sleeping wasn't there one day. We used the telescope to figure out what was happening. That's when we saw you flying around the mountain ranges." "Yeah…" Spike reminisced. "I thought that my hibernation was up, but when I got outside I realized that the sun was at the wrong angle and that I still had more time to sleep. Since I was up anyway, I figured that I should get outside to stretch and test a few things." "You looked like you were having a good time out there," Shining Armor offered. "I was…" Spike beamed. "It was a bit awkward figuring out how to fly at first, but I think I got the hang of it. Being an adult dragon is actually really fun!" Spike looked at both ponies in his presence. "Do you want to see what my whole body looks like up close?" Both ponies looked at each other, and then nodded at Spike. "Ok…" he stated dramatically. "Stand back!" Shining Armor and Cadence both felt the ground shake beneath them as Spike pulled his full body out of his temporary home for the last few months. Once his body was fully exposed to the outside, he was truly a sight to behold. He was almost as large as when he rampaged through Ponyville on his birthday a few years ago. His scales shone in the sunlight, and they contrasted perfectly with the sharp green spikes that ran down his back to his elongated tail. In the middle of his back were two large symmetrical wings that when spread wide provided him with a massive wingspan. The transformation from baby, only a few months ago, to adult was awe inspiring if not a bit terrifying. Most ponies would have been scared to death by the dragon in front of them, but the rulers of the Crystal Empire knew that the beast in front of them would not do them or any pony harm. Because of his upbringing in Ponyville, and because he knew how to control his impulses better, he was more likely to be a gentle giant at this size than a rampaging beast. Spike, meanwhile, stood tall at the edge of the cliff that his cave opened onto and surveyed the landscape around him. "Hmm…" he mused. "There's a nice light breeze out today." Shining and Cadence both looked at each other incredulously, and then back at Spike. It did make sense that the windstorm that they fought through to get to him wouldn't feel like much to a fully grown dragon. "Wow, Spike," Shining called up to him. "I thought you were pretty big when you went through your first growth spurt back at the Empire…" "I guess we won't be wrestling any time soon huh?" Spike replied jokingly. "Only if I'm allowed to have the entire Crystal Empire Corps and the Wonderbolts on my side…" the stallion shot back with a smile. Both of them laughed at his joke. "Fooling around aside…" Cadence interjected. "Did you try to shrink yourself while you were out here Spike?" "I did…" the dragon replied. I tried right before I went back to sleep. I was able to become smaller using that technique you taught me, but it appears sleeping made me grow huge again. I don't get it though...why do you need me to grow smaller?" "So Shining can teleport all of us back to the Crystal Empire Spike," Cadence replied. "Really?" Spike inquired. "Why not let me just fly everyone back. With my size I figure I could have you back within a couple hours. It's the least I do since you were willing to come all the way out here to see me..." "He has a point there dear..." Shining agreed. "We could always just climb on his back and have him fly us to the Crystal Empire." "True..." Cadence considered. "But imagine for a second what that would look like, the two rulers of the Crystal Empire flying in on a giant dragon. Never mind the how we'd look. Spike was a baby when he first came to the Empire, and even though he grew a little bit in the first few months, most of our subjects still think of him as small and harmless. We don't want to scare our people to death...have you forgotten the trauma they suffered under King Sombra?" "You definitely have a point there Cadence," Spike nodded his head in agreement. "I don't want to wreck my reputation in a place where I'm loved." "Exactly..." Cadence confirmed. "If you shrink down to a manageable size, Shining can teleport us directly to our throne room in the castle. Where, once we get there, I'm having a long, hot bath to get all this sand out of my fur..." "Better get to shrinking Spike..." Shining Armor quipped. "You don't want to keep her majesty away from her cleanliness routine." Cadence punched Shining in the side at that comment. "Ouch...that hurt!" he protested. "That's for being a jerk..." Cadence gave her husband a withering look. "Any time you're ready Spike..." Spike had to try really hard not to break out laughing at the antics of the royal couple. He managed to compose himself though. "Ok..." Spike finally announced. "I'm going to try to shrink myself." He closed his eyes and concentrated on visualizing himself in a smaller body. Slowly his body began to magically shrink down. By the time he was done transforming his body, he was about twice the size of an Earth Pony stallion. Still very large, he was at least now a less terrifying sight. He opened his eyes and saw that Shining and Cadence had become much closer to him than they were a few moments ago. "Did it work?" he asked anxiously. Shining Armor looked him over. "I think I can handle you at this size." The stallion smirked. "If I'd known you could shrink like that I'd have reconsidered that wrestling match…" "Very funny Shining, but you'd still probably lose…" his wife gave him an all-too knowing look. "Now...can we please get back home?" "Wait!" Shining Armor exclaimed. "What about your hoard back in the cave Spike? It was quite the operation getting enough gems out here for you use for food and to grow. I don't know if I can transport all of us back and your hoard as well." Spike put a claw to his chin and thought for a moment. "Leave it here," he finally decided. "Are you sure Spike?" Cadence asked surprised. "Why not?" he stated. "My hoard is responsible for my growth. If I'm going back to the Crystal Empire or even Ponyville, I don't need to be as big, right? I guess somepony is going to get a pleasant surprise if they find this cave though, huh?" Cadence reached up to nuzzle Spike, which was a lot easier due to his new size. "You're a generous dragon Spike." Spike blushed at her affections. "Right…get ready for the ride you two." Shining Armor announced. He activated his magical aura which began to surround the three of them. When the aura reached a critical mass, a bright flash occurred causing the two ponies and one dragon to disappear into thin air. Spike flew along the horizon with the setting sun at his back. He was a bit surprised, but also pleased with himself that he managed to make the journey from the Crystal Empire back to Ponyville by himself, even at his new smaller size. His wings were holding up nicely as he flew down into the valley where Ponyville lay. This was partly because he decided to make a quick stop in Canterlot, to visit with the two Princess Sisters. Celestia and Luna both marveled at his transformation from baby to adult dragon. They had known him in his young form for so long, they almost didn't recognize him when they met him on the mountain top high above the city. Because the reputation of dragons amongst the population of Equestria was mostly negative, he didn't want to cause any undue alarm, hence why he wanted to meet away from the crowded city. He was sorely tempted to stay with the Princesses, and they were certainly willing to extend all their hospitality to him. But, he had made a promise to another pony that he would be coming home that evening, and he intended to keep that promise. As the sun was just dropping behind the horizon, Spike flew over the roofs of Ponyville. He had planned it this way. He didn't want to arouse suspicion upon his arrival; however, it looked like his plan would succeed. There wasn't a pony to be seen on the streets this close to sunset which is just how he wanted it to be. He had no problem finding a certain familiar building to land in front of either, although that was because it was the tallest building in town. Spike glided down to the ground almost entirely in silence in front of the Crystal Castle, home of his adoptive sister and resident Princess of Ponyville. As he scanned the street in front of the castle he sighed. It had been six long months in the Crystal Empire learning who he was and growing into his new body. There were times when he thought his trip would end up being a big waste, but he managed to persevere despite his doubts and fears. His head reverberated with the words that Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had said to him before he left. "Goodbye Spike…and remember you will always be held in the highest regard here O Great and Honorable Spike, the Brave and Glorious…" Cadence hugged him tightly. "Make sure you take good care of my sister Spike. Make sure she doesn't freak out…well…at least not more than usual…" Shining Armor tousled his head with a hoof. "Thank you so much for everything you've done…both of you…" Spike offered a genuine smile to his royal hosts before taking off into the sky. "Spike…?" A familiar voice was calling to him. A lavender alicorn walked towards him as he stood in the street. It could only be one pony, and now that pony was enveloping him in as much of a hug as she could muster. "Oh Spike…" Twilight Sparkle wrapped her hooves around him tighter. "Welcome Home…" === Chapter 2 === "It's so good to see you again Spike," Twilight let go of the large frame of her adoptive brother. "I've been counting down the days since you sent me that letter saying you were coming home." Thanks Twilight," he responded. "I thought about all of you guys a lot while I was gone." "Well...we all certainly missed you." the alicorn beamed up at him. "Speaking of everypony...I'm guessing that you've been keeping my arrival a secret?" He scanned the empty street in both directions. There appeared to be nopony around but the two of them. Well...almost. "HE'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE'S FINALLY HERE!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!" Out of the corner of his eye, Spike caught a glimpse of a pink blur. The next thing he knew, the pink blur was jumping on him and hugging his large chest as tightly as she could. "SPIKE!!!! You're finally back! I've been waiting so long to see you again!!" Pinkie Pie hopped of the dragon with a huge smile on her face. "Hello to you as well, Pinkie," Spike chuckled at the pink pony's antics. "It's nice to see some things haven't changed much." "And...you're so big now...and strong...and handsome...!" Pinkie was even more bubbly and excited than Spike could remember from the last time he saw her. Considering this was Pinkie Pie's normal state, he almost felt scared in the presence of the pink party pony. "Sorry, Spike..." Twilight apologized as Pinkie began hopping around the pair in glee. "I really tried to keep it a secret from everypony, but Pinkie Pie managed to figure out when you were coming back and she insisted that she come along to see you before anypony else..." "That's because my Pinkie sense started tingling," Pinkie added excitely. "It was going off like crazy a couple of days ago, and I just knew it was because you were coming back!" Pinkie looked at both of them triumphantly. "And now...I can plan the super duper most fabulous 'Welcome Home Spike Party' I've ever planned!" "Ok, Pinkie..." Twilight interjected. "But maybe try to keep the fireworks to a minimum this time. Last time Spike came back from the Dragon Migration, the party you threw him got a little out of hand. The mayor's office had noise complaints for two weeks afterwards." "No problem Twilight," she responded enthusiastically. "I'll just invite the whole town! That way they'll be having too much fun to complain!" "You have to admit, she's got you there Twilight," Spike smirked as Pinkie continued to bounce around them happily. "Either way..." Twilight began in a serious voice. "I think Spike is probably tired from his journey and he probably wants to rest...right Spike?" She flashed him a look that said please...for the love of Celestia agree with me! "Yeah...I could go for a rest I guess," Spike half yawned. "Great!" Twilight replied almost too enthusiastically. "Ok, Pinkie. You now officially have my permission to tell everypony else that Spike's back and to plan his party." "Okie, Dokie, Lokie...!" Pinkie exclaimed. "See you guys later!" Pinkie took off down the street in a blur leaving Twilight and Spike alone again. "So..." Spike began as an attempt to fill the awkward silence. "How exactly did you manage to get Pinkie to stay quiet about me until now?" "I made her Pinkie promise not to tell anypony until I told her it was alright," Twilight shrugged her shoulders. "I knew that she would be the last pony to break her own promise." "That's really ingenious of you Twilight," Spike grinned. "What can I say...I know how to handle my friends..." Twilight rubbed her chest with her hoof. "Don't let it go to your head too much," Spike shot back playfully. "I see Rainbow Dash has become a bad influence on you since I've been gone." "Careful, Spike. I might make you sleep outside tonight..." Twilight half joked as they approached the main door of the castle. "Actually...I was kind of half expecting to be sleeping on the floor of my old room tonight," Spike cracked. "Well, that's where you're wrong little...err...not so little brother!" Twilight exclaimed. "I have a surprise for waiting for you in your old room tonight. I'm willing to bet that you'll get the best sleep you've ever had on it!" "You realize that I slept for three months on a pile of gems...right?" "Just check it out for me will you? Please?" Twilight looked at Spike expectantly. "Ok Twilight...if you say so." Spike smiled at her as they entered the castle. The next morning Spike and Twilight sat at the table in the castle's dining hall. Twilight had a bowl of oat cereal in front of her, and was using her magic to eat while checking off a list of important decisions that needed to be made by her regarding her kingdom. Spike, on the other hoof, was savoring his own breakfast...a bowl of gems with a light dusting of sugar on top. "So, Spike..." Twilight began as she looked up from her documents. "Was I right, or was I right?" "Yep...you were right, Twilight," he replied. "It was the best non-hibernation sleep I've had in three months." "I knew it!" she announced proudly. "I knew I could build a bed made out of gold coins! The perfect sleeping arrangement for a dragon! Cadence sent me detailed instructions you know." "Where did you get the coins from if may ask?" Spike inquired. "That's easy," Twilight replied. "Celestia gave me permission to take what I needed from the Canterlot vault. They have plenty to spare." Spike looked at her sideways. "I guess we'd better make sure that we lock the door around here then. We wouldn't want ponies breaking into here trying to steal a bed full of gold coins." "Actually...now that I think about it," he continued. You might want to keep the Equestrian Revenue Service away from the castle as well. I don't want them thinking that we're hiding money to avoid paying taxes." "Oh relax Spike!" Twilight chided him. "Nopony's going to break in here. I've had things well under control since you've been gone you know..." Twilight had her speech suddenly interrupted by a chorus of voices. "Whoa...is that really Spike?!" "Oh...oh my goodness..." "Well...ah'll be darned..." Spike turned to look at the three ponies standing in the doorway, then back to Twilight. "You mean like forgetting to tell me that my friends were coming over this morning?" Spike started laughing inside at the expression on Twilight's face that she made when she was interrupted. He stood up and crossed the room to where Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack stood in amazement. "Hey you guys..." he began. "Don't be afraid, it's really me...Spike..." Slowly the three ponies began to get over their shock at seeing the former baby dragon in his new form. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were the first to approach him. "Wow, Spike..." Dash marveled. "You look totally awesome! You're like 20 per cent cooler! No, wait...20 per cent cooler times a hundred!" The blue Pegasus flew up and gave the dragon a hug. "Thanks Rainbow Dash," Spike replied. "That means a lot coming from you." "Sugarcube..." Applejack approached him. "Ah never thought that you were fixin' ta get so darn huge! Why...y'all are bigger than mah brother!" The orange farm pony wrapped her forelegs around one of his legs. "Honest as always, eh Applejack?" Spike beamed at her. It was then he noticed Fluttershy still rooted to where she was standing before. "Hey Fluttershy..." Spike assured the yellow Pegasus. "Don't be afraid. Just because I'm big now it doesn't mean I'm all scary and stuff." The shy pony approached him gingerly. "Oh, I knew that Spike..." she said in her usual quiet voice. "I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. You've changed so much since we last saw you...it was kind of overwhelming at first." To everypony's surprise, Fluttershy flapped her wings until she was a eye level with Spike. She then hugged him at the base of his neck. "I'm so glad you're back though," she said with a smile. "We all missed you so much. It just wasn't the same without you around." "I missed all of you as well," Spike gently returned her gesture. "Ahem..." Twilight cleared her throat rather loudly. "So...no love for me on this fine morning?" "Come on Twilight..." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "We see you almost every day. Spike has been gone for months!" "What Rainbow is tryin' ta say here, is that we're excited to see our favourite dragon again." Applejack offered. "It's nice ta see you as well Twilight..." As the three ponies made their way around to other side of the table to greet Twilight, Spike suddenly realized there were ponies missing. "Wait a minute," he asked. "Where's Pinkie Pie and Rarity?" "Pinkie is busy planning your huge party tonight," Rainbow Dash responded. "Yeah...I knew that already." Spike acknowledged. "But that still leaves Rarity." Spike found it strange that Rarity of all ponies wouldn't have been one of the first to come see him when he returned. "I honestly have no idea where she is," Rainbow shrugged her shoulders. " To be honest as well, ah haven't seen hide nor hair of Rarity either, Spike..." Applejack offered. "Well...that's strange," Twilight interjected. "I would have thought she'd be first in line to see her Spikey Wikey." Twilight did her best Rarity impersonation complete with dramatic flair. "Maybe she's working on some big project at the Carousel Boutique," Spike mused. "Um..." Fluttershy spoke up. "I think I know where she is. She's not at the Carousel Boutique because I picked up the mail there this morning before I came here. She's not even in Ponyville right now..." All the ponies and one dragon looked at the yellow Pegasus. Fluttershy shrank a bit behind her mane as they stared at her. "Well?" Rainbow Dash finally spoke. "Where the hay is she then?" "She's in Canterlot..." Fluttershy stated . "What's she doing there?" Twilight interrupted. "Is she checking on how the Canterlot Boutique is doing? Is she making business contacts? What about finalizing designs for a fashion show?" "She's...um...she's there with somepony..." Fluttershy admitted. Spike suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Who...?" Applejack eyed her suspiciously. "Her...coltfriend..." Fluttershy answered nervously. "COLTFRIEND?!!" Fluttershy shrank even more behind her mane with her friends outburst. Spike's stomach continued to sink although he tried really hard not to show it. "When in the name of Luna did Rarity go and get herself a coltfriend?!!!" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. "Why the heck didn't she tell any of us either?!" "That doesn't sound like Rarity at all..." Applejack agreed. "To be fair...she didn't tell me about him until a couple of weeks ago," Fluttershy admitted. "I found out about it on one of our trips to the spa. She met him at the last Grand Galloping Gala, and they've been corresponding by letter ever since. Finally she got a chance to go see him about two months ago when she went to Canterlot on business. Then she saw him again on another business trip." When nopony interjected to Fluttershy's explanation, she continued on. "Rarity told me last week when we went for lunch that she was going to Canterlot to see him again. But this time it was going to be a personal trip." "That still doesn't explain why she didn't tell anypony but you Fluttershy..." Twilight responded. "She certainly didn't keep me in the loop, nor did she do the same for the rest of her friends." "She was going to tell you all about him after she got back from this latest trip," Fluttershy assured the assembled group. "You all know what Rarity can be like and her experiences with Stallions. She wanted to make sure this was a potential special somepony." "Is it serious...?" Spike spoke up "I'm really not sure Spike..." the yellow Pegasus shook her head. "I'm like everypony else, I've never met him either. But it seemed like she wanted a serious relationship, even though it's long distance right now." Fluttershy looked right at Spike. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way Spike, I know that you and Rarity had a special kind of relationship before..." Spike didn't really know what to say at this point. It didn't completely surprised him that Rarity had found a stallion to be her special somepony. But a part of him still harbored feelings for her...and that part of him may have ultimately been responsible for his leaving in the first place six months ago. Noticing that an awkward silence had fallen over the room, Fluttershy spoke up again. "Anyway...I should really be going now. I need to go back home to make sure Angel is ok. I left him alone this morning. I'll see all of you tonight at Spike's party..." The yellow Pegasus began to leave but then stopped. "I just remembered...Rarity said she was coming home today. I know approximately when her train will be, so I'll meet her at the station and tell her about tonight. It's the least I can do considering I didn't tell any of you about where she went and who she was seeing." Fluttershy turned and almost ran out of the room without waiting for anypony to respond. There was more awkward silence between the ponies and dragon standing in the dining room. "Yeah..." Rainbow Dash shifted her eyes from side to side. "I should be getting going as well...I'll see all of you later on tonight..." She spread her wings and flew out of the room. "Ah best be goin' as well then..." Applejack announced. "Ah've got some things ta take care of at Sweet Apple Acres before ah can come to the party tonight. Give mah regards ta Pinkie when y'all see her, ya hear?" The orange Earth pony trotted out of the room leaving Twilight and Spike behind. Noticing that Spike was staring off into space, Twilight approached him from the other side of the table. "Are you ok right now Spike?" She inquired with a hint of worry in her voice. Spike looked at her with an expression on his face that was a mixture of confusion and surprise with maybe even a hint of sadness. To be honest with herself, Twilight couldn't really tell what he was thinking. It was if he was trying to choose his words very carefully. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he managed to find his voice. "I guess things have changed around here since I've been gone," he said in a voice that almost rivaled Fluttershy for its quietness. === Chapter 3 === On the other hoof...some things never change. Especially when it comes to Pinkie Pie... These were Spike's thoughts as he made his way through the sea of ponies that had gathered in the town square. As promised, Pinkie Pie had invited what appeared to the be the entire town of Ponyville to his "Welcome Home Spike Party." It felt a bit strange to be his current size, and towering over everypony now, considering how he'd spent his entire life looking up at them. To the their credit, none of the residents who came out that evening seemed outwardly uneasy or frightened that a large dragon was now making his way through the throng over to the stage. It had been set up in front of Ponyville's town hall, with a large "Welcome Home Spike" banner overhead. Spike was sure he would have never gotten through a crowd this large as easily back when he was small. His large frame cut a path through the assembled ponies until he finally made it up to the front and climbed the steps up to the stage. As he got on stage and made his way to the center of it, Pinkie as the master of ceremonies, began to lead the crowd in a cheer welcoming him officially to his party. The pink Earth pony only managed to get about half the crowd into the spirit of the festivities. The rest did, however, at least gave him a polite round of applause. Spike wondered if that was because, even though they didn't show it outwardly, some ponies in town were a bit wary of him now that he was fully grown. As Spike stood in the center of the stage, Mayor Mare was the first to make a speech. She welcomed him home on behalf of Ponyville, and spoke of how it was a great honor to have such a noble dragon choosing to live there. Spike appreciated the sentiments being expressed, but overall it felt like a typical politician's speech with lots of platitudes. Living in the Crystal Empire, Spike knew genuine expressions of gratitude when he heard them, considering he had saved their kingdom twice. After the Mayor was done her speech, Twilight made her way up to the podium. She was making the speech as a member of royalty and also on behalf of the two Princess sisters who were unable to attend. Twilight promised to make the speech short, but knowing Twilight Spike figured that was pretty much impossible. Indeed, five minutes in and Rainbow Dash was heckling her from the back of the crowd to speed it up, with Twilight threatening somewhat jokingly to shave Rainbow's mane off while she was asleep on a cloud. Spike barely paid attention to Twilight's speech though. He was too busy scanning the crowd for the one pony that hadn't seen him yet since he arrived yesterday. Fluttershy had told him before he made his way to the stage that Rarity was back from Canterlot and even though she had a guest with her, she had assured her at the train station that attending Spike's party was of the utmost importance. Finally, Twilight ended her speech to scattered applause. Spike was so busy concentrating on scanning the crowd, he didn't notice Pinkie Pie step up to the microphone. "ALRIGHT EVERYPONY!!!" her voice boomed over the loudspeakers. "TIME FOR ALL THE LAME, BORING SPEECHES TO BE OVER!" "Pinkie, I don't think mine or the mayor's speeches were lame or boring," Twilight attempted to interject. "WE'RE HERE TONIGHT FOR ONE REASON...AND THAT'S THE BIG PURPLE GUY STANDING NEXT TO ME! SO, LET'S CUT ALL THE CHIT-CHAT AND GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!!!!" On cue, Vinyl Scratch cranked up the sound system from her DJ booth off to the side of the stage. Pulsing beats emanated from the speakers that surrounded the square and broke Spike away from his crowd search temporarily. Since he didn't need to be on stage anymore, Spike hopped down to the ground and waded his way back into the crowd. Pinkie drastically altering the mood seemed to have the desired effect. Ponies were coming up to him from all directions welcoming him back and making small talk with him. The earlier nervous mood was gone and Spike began to feel at ease with his surroundings. Finally, as he was engaging in conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Spike saw what he had been looking for the entire time. Directly in front of him, but on the edge of the crowd he spied two unicorns. One he recognized immediately. Rarity's curly purple mane and tail, her white coat, and the way she cantered was unmistakable. He felt his heart leap as he finally got see her after being away for so long. The old familiar feeling that he always got when he was around her before began to creep back inside of him. He almost forgot what Fluttershy had told him earlier, and he felt a twinge of regret when he noticed the male unicorn with her. His coat was slightly off white compared to hers, and his mane and tail were coal black. Spike had never seen this stallion anywhere before. But from the way Rarity was acting around him, there was very little doubt in his mind that this was her new coltfriend that he'd heard about. He could see her chatting to her companion in a excited fashion, gesturing and pointing at various things, as well as giggling at whatever the stallion was saying to her in response. It must have been the stallion's first time in Ponyville, and Rarity obviously took it upon herself to be his tour guide. Spike didn't want to blow off the Cakes to rush over to her, so he instead looked for an opportunity to slide away from the conversation. That came when Pinkie bounced over to ask Mrs. Cake to help her with putting the finishing touches on Spike's cake that she had made for the occasion. Mr. Cake offered to help as well, and that left Spike free to go talk to the unicorn he shared a special relationship with. As it turned out though, he didn't need to find her. Because she was now heading directly towards him with her companion in tow. She must have spotted him as well...an easy task since he was the tallest object around. "Spikey Wikey...!" she cried out. "Oh thank heavens...I finally get to see you again!" Rarity trotted up to Spike with a smile befitting somepony who had been gone a long time. Spike bent down so the alabaster unicorn could give him a hug. "Hey Rarity," Spike returned her hug warmly. "I'm glad that I finally get to see you again too. I'm sorry I didn't see you earlier today, but you were still in Canterlot." "Do not apologize Spike," she assured him. "If anything I should be the one apologizing for being away during your grand return to Ponyville." She glanced at her stallion companion. "I was planning on coming back a full day before you were to arrive, but he can be very convincing when he wants to be..." Rarity turned her head fully and admired her companion. The stallion in question just smirked at the two of them. " Please accept my humble apologies Spike," she turned back to the dragon. "Had I known that you were coming yesterday, and Twilight keeping it a secret certainly didn't help, I would have rebuffed his request to stay in Canterlot an extra day." Rarity smiled sweetly at he the unicorn next to her. Spike found this back and forth a bit strange but held up his claws to interrupt her. "Apology accepted Rarity...but only if you introduce me to the stallion standing next to you." "Dear Celestia...where are my manners...?" Rarity shook her head. "Spike, allow me to introduce you to Black Marble." Sapphire blue eyes scanned Spike up and down as Black Marble extended his hoof towards the dragon. "It's nice to finally meet you Spike, Rarity has told me a lot about you since I met her." Spike extended his claw in return. "It's nice to meet you too Black Marble." He took a mental note about how Rarity hadn't referred to him with the "c" word, but at the same time it was clear he wasn't "just a friend" either. Spike felt a bit uncomfortable trying to make small talk to a stallion he had never met before who was now apparently the coltfriend of the mare he used to...or maybe still did have a crush on. Luckily for him, Pinkie Pie interrupted their brief reunion. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "I need you by the stage pronto...it's not your party if you don't have a piece of the cake I made for you!" "Uh...ok Pinkie, if you say so." Spike gave Rarity a sad smile. "Now it's my turn to apologize to you..." "Go, Spike." she replied, although he could hear the disappointment in her voice. "It's your day after all." Spike nodded his head before turning to follow Pinkie. "I promise that as soon as I have time, I'll make it up to you Spikey Wikey..." Rarity called after him. I'll hold you to that Rarity, Spike thought to himself as he made his way back through the crowd. Things calmed down for the next couple of days after the party. Surprisingly, Spike found himself with very little to do. He'd thought that Twilight would have had six months of tasks lined up for him upon his return, seeing that he had been her number one assistant at the time of his growth sabbatical. But as it turned out, Twilight had ended up hiring another assistant to help her with running the castle. The pony in question was named Peppermint Twist, a young, bespectacled Earth pony, who was a classmate of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and who also talked with a noticeable lisp. Spike was also surprised at how well she did his old job. While he had a habit of being lazy and would find an excuse to get out of his chores, Twist was very motivated to serve her Princess employer. She couldn't do the job full time, as she was still in school, but when Twist had free time to spare she spent most of it at the castle. Twilight, in turn, loved the job she was doing. Twist organized books in the library, proofread speeches, made Twilight any sort of checklist no matter how long or redundant it was, and even went over important documents that needed royal approval. Twist was so organized that Spike really had nothing to do around the castle anymore. Twilight had also hired a cleaning staff to keep the place tidy, so he didn't need to keep anything but his own room clean. He thought that he would enjoy all the newfound free time, but in reality Spike was becoming bored. That morning he practically begged Twilight to let him go with Twist on one of her errands to pass the time. Although, Spike found that being around Twist while she ran errands wasn't much more exciting than sitting in his room. They didn't really have anything in common, and her voice could really get on his nerves after a while. He ended up using the time to sneak out and buy the new copy of the Power Ponies comic while Twist was buying quills and scrolls. It was this particular comic that Spike was reading, while lying on his bed, when a knock was heard at his door. "It's open!" he called out. "Hey thSpike..." Twist stuck her head in his room. "There's thsompony here to thsee you..." Twist's head disappeared and was replaced by Fluttershy walking into his room. "Hello, Spike." she greeted him warmly. "I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything. I was just on my way to the market and I thought I'd stop by here first." "Not at all Fluttershy...what's on your mind?" Spike sat up on the edge of his bed. "Well..." the yellow Pegasus began. "I want to sort of apologize for the other day when I ran off on you." Spike arched his eyebrow but remained silent. "I feel bad that I left you like that," she continued. "Especially since you've been gone six months! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't spend time with them when they came back?" "Don't feel too bad Fluttershy," Spike assured her. "You did have your animals to attend to." "Oh, I know..." she said. "But it still doesn't excuse my bad behavior. In fact I'd like to make it up to you by inviting you over to my cottage for lunch tomorrow...that is if Twilight doesn't have you doing a bunch of chores..." Fluttershy looked at him timidly. "I can assured you Fluttershy, that I've had a distinct lack of duties to perform since I've gotten back," Spike admitted. "Which means I am more than free to have lunch tomorrow, and for that matter spend the afternoon with you if you'd like." "Oh..." she remarked. "That's wonderful! I...I look forward to spending the time with you at lunch." "I look forward to it as well." Fluttershy bade Spike farewell and left him alone in his room again. Spike smiled as he lay back down with his unfinished comic book. While it was turning out to be another boring day in a string of boring days, at least he had concrete plans for tomorrow. Maybe the day hadn't been a waste after all. === Chapter 4 === It was another clear sunny day in Ponyville as Spike made his way up the path to Fluttershy's cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest. It occured to him that Rainbow Dash must have actually done some work earlier in the morning to have created such a glorious day. Spike was impressed, considering the pony in question liked to slack off almost as much as she liked flying around at breakneck speed across the sky. Rounding a bend, the cozy hut belonging to Fluttershy came into view. As Spike made his way towards her home, he could see the yellow Pegasus in her yard feeding the numerous woodland creatures of the Everfree that relied on her for food and care. Seeing a large dragon coming up the path, some of the animals scampered behind their pony benefactor as Spike approached the fence that marked Fluttershy's property. "It's ok, everypony," she soothed. "Spike is a friend, he wouldn't hurt any of you." Her animal friends warily peeked out from behind her as she went to greet the upright standing dragon on the other side of the fence. "Thanks for that Fluttershy," Spike remarked. "I guess your animal friends aren't used to seeing me like this either." "That's quite alright, Spike," she smiled. "Why don't you go to the front door and I'll let you in." Spike walked over to the front door of the cottage, and a few moments later Fluttershy opened the door. Ducking his head low he entered her home. Once inside, Spike looked around for a bit. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary from the last time he was there. He noticed that there were a few more pictures of Discord and Fluttershy on the mantle above the fireplace , but other than that it was still the warm cozy dwelling that he remembered. He noticed that she had anticipated his arrival, as the table had been set for two. A pillow for Fluttershy was on one side of the table, and a large armchair sat on the opposite side. "Please sit down Spike," she motioned with a hoof. "You can use the chair Discord sits in when he visits me. You're almost as big as him now so it should be comfortable for you." Spike did as he was told and found that she was right, it was very comfortable in Discord's armchair. Looking at the table in front of him, it appeared that lunch was ready to be served. In front of him was a leafy tossed salad with gems sprinkled in to add crunch. For her, it looked like she was having a hay and alfalfa salad. There was also a tray of what looked like cucumber sandwiches on the table. Spike knew that they were one of Fluttershy's favorite's, so he wasn't too surprised that she had made them for lunch. In the middle of the table was a pitcher of iced tea with two glasses. Overall, it looked like a well thought out meal on her part. Fluttershy sat down across from Spike and indicated with her hoof. "I hope you like the salad Spike. I made it with you in mind. The sandwiches are courtesy of Discord. He makes really good cucumber sandwiches, so I asked him if he could make some for us when he was here yesterday." "As always, Fluttershy, you've been a kind host putting this together." Spike complemented her. In typical fashion, the shy Pegasus hid behind her mane a bit at his complement. "Goodness, Spike. I'm only doing what I would do for any friend of mine..." Spike smiled back at his friend's adorable expression. Seeing no need to talk anymore, they both dug into the food in front of them. "Spike...is it alright if I ask you something?" Fluttershy asked as they were finishing off the last of the sandwiches. Spike popped a piece of sandwich in his mouth and washed it down with iced tea before responding. "Go right ahead Fluttershy." "This might seem a little odd of me to ask but...how do you feel about Rarity having a coltfriend?" Spike sat and considered her question for a few moments before finally answering. "To be honest...I'm not really sure how I feel," he finally admitted. "Is this the reason why you wanted me to come and have lunch with you?" Fluttershy retreated behind her mane again at the question. "I...I hope you don't think any less of me Spike for asking you here and wanting to know about your feelings for her..." Spike reached across the table and brushed Fluttershy's mane away from her face with his claw. "I would never think any less of you Fluttershy. After all, I know you're only asking me as a concerned friend..." Fluttershy sighed as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Yes, Spike. I am asking as a friend who's concerned..." "Well, to answer your question then...I feel a bit strange about the whole situation." Fluttershy didn't respond to his statement, so he continued. "I guess I shouldn't be naïve about Rarity. I know that she's a beautiful mare, and that she could easily be with any stallion she wanted to be with. It looks like that's what happened while I was away." "Is Rarity the reason why you chose to go away for six months and grow bigger?" she asked him directly. "Partially..." he responded after a pause. "But part of it was also that I didn't want to be a shrimp anymore. I had a lot of time to think when I was in the Crystal Empire. One thing that I realized was that right now if I was a pony I'd be old enough to buy alcohol or vote. But physically I looked like a foal..." "But Spike..." Fluttershy protested. "You know that everypony respects you for who you are and what you've done while you've been living in Ponyville. Don't sell yourself short..." The Pegasus went red when she realized her choice of words. "Yeah...short..." Spike sighed. "That's just it. I feel a lot better about myself now that I've become larger. Sure, I get that some ponies might be intimidated by how I look now. But I can deal with that. I always felt like no one took me seriously when I was smaller anyway." "That's not true, Spike!" she admonished him. "We always took you seriously! Twilight said for months that she missed having you around the castle." Both of them were surprised by Fluttershy's outburst. For a moment there was awkward silence between the two of them. Finally, Spike spoke up. "So why'd she replace me with Twist then?" he asked staring at his pink maned friend. "I don't know the answer to that..." Fluttershy looked down sheepishly. "Maybe she really needed the help while you were gone and it was only a temporary measure. Have you at least told Twilight about how you feel like you've been replaced?" "Good luck with that..." he snorted. "Since I've been back Twilight has spent most of the time locked up in her study with her private collection of books. If anypony needs to meet with her on a matter, they need to make an appointment...and guess who they have to go through to book that appointment?" Fluttershy nodded in realization of who he was talking about. "When was the last time you all had a rulers council?" he asked. "Um..." she thought for a moment. "It was about a month ago. There wasn't really a lot of business discussed...at least not important business." "See what I mean?" he pointed out. "I used to take the minutes for those meetings all the time. I'll bet she hasn't even had more than one since I've been gone." "Actually, we've had two since you've been gone," Fluttershy interjected. "But you're right. We haven't had many meetings at the castle for official business, although that could be because there hasn't been any major threats since you've been away." Some more silence passed before Spike spoke again. "Can I ask you a question now, Fluttershy?" he asked. "Um....ok?" the yellow Pegasus responded. "Why are you so interested in how I feel about Rarity?" There was an long awkward pause between the two of them. "Well..."she began after considering carefully what she was going to say. "I know all about your crush you had on her for...well...a long, long time. It wasn't really a secret or anything." "I did tell her when were falling through the sky after my rampage," he added. "I basically told her again when she was possessed by the Nightmares from the moon. You're right...it was probably one of the worst kept secrets in Equestria." "I have a confession to make," she continued. "I went with Rarity to the spa yesterday. We hadn't been together in a while, but I also wanted to know more about Black Marble. Especially since she seems so serious about him." "Go on then..." "She went on almost the whole time about him. I could barely get a word in edgewise at times. In Rarity's eyes he's the greatest stallion she's ever met. But...I'm not sure I share her opinion about him." Fluttershy admitted. Spike was very surprised but also very intrigued at what he had just heard. "Really? Why do you say that Fluttershy?" "It's because she's been spending a lot of time away from us since she met him," Fluttershy replied. "Two days ago was only his first trip to Ponyville since they became a couple. Every other time Rarity's been travelling to Canterlot." "Isn't that supposed to be normal in a long distance relationship though?" Spike inquired. "I suppose so, but I can't shake this feeling of her relationship being one sided," she countered. "Did you ever get a chance to meet him when he was here?" "Only very briefly," he replied. "It was at my party and I was pulled away by Pinkie Pie." "I was able to talk to both of them at your party," Fluttershy said. "Something about him just bothered me the whole time. I can't really say what it was, I mean...he seemed nice enough. I don't know...I just had a bad feeling the entire time I was with him and Rarity." Fluttershy sighed. "I don't know...maybe I'm just being overprotective of Rarity based on past experiences." "That's not true," Spike began. "Considering you were able to reform Discord when nopony believed he could be changed, I think you're intuition should be respected. If you feel this guy might be bad news, you could very well be right." Fluttershy blushed at his compliment. "Thank you, Spike." "Let me answer your first question...did I leave because of Rarity?" Spike continued. "Thinking about it now...the answer would have to be yes. I thought that by growing up I would maybe convince her that we should upgrade our relationship." "I know she cares deeply for you Spike," Fluttershy concurred. "I know also that she says that she likes you as a friend, but I've always wondered if there was something more going on. The biggest thing that I'm worried about is that she's acting like she has in the past whenever there was a stallion that strongly caught her attention." "You mean like Blueblood and Trenderhoof?" Spike inquired. "Precisely," Fluttershy replied. "I'm just worried that Rarity will end up with her heart broken again like the other times. I mean, these stallions seem like they have it all together on the outside, but what about inside? I don't know if any of them would give up a fire ruby that they had been saving for months, just because she really wanted it. I certainly don't think that they'd go to the moon for her either." Now it was Spike's turn to blush. "I appreciate the sentiments, Fluttershy. In case you were wondering, now that I'm back, I've been invited by Rarity to spend some time catching up with her. But I don't think I can just walk into Carousel Boutique and convince her to up and leave her coltfriend because you have reservations about him or because I think I deserve to be with her instead." "No, I certainly don't want you doing that either, Spike..." Fluttershy nodded her head in agreement. "It wouldn't be fair to Rarity at all. She's a grown mare and is completely capable of making her own decisions." "But..." she continued. "Since you're planning on spending some time with her, I don't see why you couldn't at least remind her of how close the two of you are. You could also let her know that you'll always be there for her no matter what. It might not convince her to like you in the same way you feel for her, but at least she'll know that she's special to you." "That actually sounds like a good idea," Spike pondered. "Either way, I think me and Rarity need to have a nice long talk to catch up on everything that's been going on around here. For instance...at my party I saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They're all grown up and in high school now!" "Yes!" Fluttershy replied brightly. "A lot of things have changed since you've been gone. I was meaning to fill you in on what has happened in Ponyville since you left, but it would take all afternoon and I'm sure you have other things you need to do..." "Like I said, I have plenty of time on my hands," he interjected. "You can tell me all about what's been going on...but shouldn't we have dessert first?" "Oh...of course!" she gasped. "I did get Pinkie to make us dessert. I almost forgot!" Spike winked at his friend. "Allow me to help clear the table...and then help you with dessert." With that, he began stacking the empty dishes and glasses and proceeded to carry all of them over to the kitchen sink. Meanwhile, Fluttershy sat at the table in mild shock at her dragon friend's ability to clean up so efficiently. Remembering that she was still the host, she joined him in the kitchen to help. Spike waved goodbye to Fluttershy as he made his way back down the path towards Ponyville. The conversation had been a good one between him and his pink maned friend. He was now clear in what he was going to do. He would visit Rarity and hopefully have as good an afternoon with her as he just had with Fluttershy. He vowed not to avoid talking about Black Marble either, and instead would genuinely try to find out more about Rarity's coltfriend. That way, any fears that Fluttershy had about him would hopefully be put to rest. It wouldn't be easy to completely accept that Rarity had found another special somepony, this he was sure of. But part of growing up was to look at things from a more mature perspective. He would eventually have to accept that she had moved on with her life. Hopefully he would be able to move on as well. At least I hope we can still be friends... Spike thought to himself as he climbed the steps of the crystal castle. Inside, he heard voices from down the far end of the main hall. One of them was Twilight's voice. The other he didn't recognize at first, but as he got closer he realized who it was. "Hey Vinyl Scratch!" Spike greeted the spikey blue maned unicorn. "What are you doing here at the castle?" "Hey yourself big guy!" Scratch greeted him with a wide grin while propping her trademark sunglasses on her head. "I hope you had a great time at your party!" "It was awesome..." he grinned back. "Especially since I had Equestria's number one DJ spinning tunes all night long!" "Ahem..." Twilight interrupted. "I don't want to spoil the reunion between you two, but Vinyl Scratch had a request that involved you, Spike." "Oh yeah..." the DJ addressed Spike. "How'd you like to come to Canterlot with me tomorrow?" Seeing that Spike was confused by the request, Twilight jumped in. "Vinyl came by to see if you were available to work security for her when she plays the Diamond Club in Canterlot tomorrow night." "Really...the Diamond Club?" Spike arched his eyebrow. "That's one of the most exclusive clubs in Canterlot! But don't they have their own security staff? What do you need me for?" "They have plenty of security," the white unicorn agreed. "But last time I played there they were terrible. The Dumbflanks working there spent more time hitting on the mares in the audience than keeping the crowd away during my set. I barely got through it. Truthfully, I don't even want to work there again, but the bits they pay me to perform are too hard to resist." She grinned. "So I told them that if they wanted me to play there again I would need my own private security. Since you're a pretty imposing guy now, Spike, I figured that nopony would mess with a dragon. Wouldn't you know it...they actually agreed. You'll have no problems as long as you're with me." "I appreciate that Vinyl," Spike acknowledged with a smile. He turned to his adoptive sister. "So...what's your opinion of this request Twilight?" "Well..." the lavender alicorn began. "I know that you've been a bit bored sitting around the castle lately. I also know there hasn't been as much for you to do since you came back from the Crystal Empire." Spike gave Twilight a bemused look but said nothing. "Anyway..." Twilight continued on like nothing had happened. "I suppose since you're essentially an adult dragon now, I can't really stop you from doing your own thing. So, if you want to go to Canterlot with Vinyl Scratch then I'm fine with it if you are. I'll even send a letter to Princess Celestia letting her know you're coming...that way she can inform the ponies in Canterlot that a dragon will be in their city tomorrow night. Just so nopony is taken by surprise." Spike bristled at the notion of ponies panicking over a dragon roaming around Canterlot. After all, he would be escorting the one and only DJ Pon-3! But he also knew that Twilight had a point. Ponies, after all, were naturally wary of dragons. "How can I say no?" he smiled. "When do we leave?" "Alright!" Vinyl smacked his large frame with her hoof. "Meet me at the train station at 1pm sharp tomorrow! I'll make sure you're well taken care of buddy! Trust me, you'll have a wicked time!" "Great," Spike winced. For a pony Vinyl could sure throw a punch. "Uh...how exactly do you expect me to fit on the Friendship Express though? Last time I took it to the Crystal Empire I was obviously a lot smaller. Come to think of it...why don't I just fly there myself and meet you in Canterlot tomorrow afternoon?" "To respond to your first question," she replied. "I have a private car at the end of the train that I rent for when I need to travel. You'll have no problems fitting in there considering I can fit all my gear in there and still have tons of room. As for flying...forget about it. You're working for me the next couple of days, and anpony who works for me travels in style. In fact, I insist on it." "Alright..." Spike nodded. "This will certainly be a different employment arrangement than I'm used to...but who am I to complain? I'll see you tomorrow then?" "You know it big guy!" she exclaimed. "See you crazy kids later!" The white unicorn waved goodbye before taking off. After Vinyl Scratch left, Spike turned to Twilight. "Boy, just when I started settling in here...I guess I'm off on another adventure. At least it won't be for six months huh, Twilight?" "Yes, Spike..." Twilight attempted a smile but Spike could see there was sadness behind it. "You wanted to be more independent. Now you have your opportunity. Anyway...I have business that I need to take care of. I'll let you go so you can get up to your room and pack what you need for your trip." Twilight turned and trotted down the hall leaving him alone. Sorry, Rarity... he thought to himself as he made his way to his room. I guess you'll be waiting to see me for a bit longer... === Chapter 5 === Flashing lights, pounding bass, and lasers that pulsed in time with the music. Confetti that fell from the ceiling. A giant video screen frenetically flashing images every second. Ponies going all out on the dance floor, or cheering wildly from their VIP tables. It was a fairly standard night by her standards, but Vinyl Scratch had the entire audience at the Diamond Club eating out of her hooves. In the middle of it all, was a stern looking dragon protecting the entrance to the stage where Equestria's premier DJ orchestrated the whole spectacle. Spike was sure that he would have enjoyed the performance...had he not been working. But unfortunately, he had a job to do. It was his job to make sure the crowd didn't get too out of hand around the raised DJ stage, and to make sure nopony bothered Vinyl while she was in the middle of her set. Already, a few times that evening, a few drunk ponies tried to negotiate their way up on to the stage during the performance. But Spike was having none of that. One of them had even gotten angry at Spike for not letting him up on the stage. Obviously this particular stallion must have pretty inebriated to want to get in the face of a dragon. Luckily for him, one of the security ponies working alongside Spike that night dragged the drunk pony away before things got out of hand. Spike was glad he didn't have to fight anypony. While he was imposing in size, he wasn't sure that he could use physical force if he had to. He was hoping that the nightclub clients would be deterred by his size alone, but apparently alcohol made ponies think they could take on any species in Equestria. At least the mares were somewhat easier to deal with. Numerous times that evening, random mares kept climbing on the speaker platforms to show off their dance moves to the crowd below. After convincing them to get off the speakers, Spike would help them down and then pass them off to another security pony to handle before going back to his post. He was more than a bit surprised that the normally uptight Canterlot ponies could get so rowdy. No wonder Vinyl hired him to keep her safe. She was supposed to perform for a couple of hours, then Spike would escort her out of the club and back to the hotel they were staying at. However, their plans ended up changing. Near the end of her set, Spike was passed a note by one of the security ponies and told to deliver it to the club manager, who was on the stage with Vinyl Scratch. Spike dutifully climbed up the stairs to the DJ stage, and handed the note to the club manager. The white maned unicorn stallion with a green coat glanced at it, then nodded to Spike indicating that he could return to his post. At last, the performance came to an end. To wild applause, Vinyl descended the stairs with the club manager in front of her. As she passed Spike at the bottom of the stairs, she tapped him with her hoof and motioned the dragon to follow her. With her personal security by her side, Vinyl Scratch followed the club manager to the door leading to the outside area of the Diamond Club. The club had two distinct areas. The inside part held the dance floor, DJ stage, and a number of VIP tables. The outside pool area was even more impressive. A large pool was in the center of a courtyard that gleamed with the reflection of thousands of diamonds...which is how the club got its name. In the middle, on floating platforms, mares hired by the club danced in time to the music. Surrounding the pool was more VIP tables. These were usually reserved for extremely important and wealthy guests, and most of the normal club patrons couldn't even get into this part of the club. Apparently, one of these ponies with the bits to afford a piece of exclusive property, wanted to see the one and only DJ Pon-3 after her performance. The white maned unicorn led Vinyl and Spike over to one of the VIP areas next to the pool. There looked to be around a dozen ponies either standing around or sitting on the couches next to a table covered in drinks. It appeared like they were being invited to join an exclusive party. "Here you go, Vinyl..." the club manager began. "One of our VIP's wanted to see you after the show. It was a fabulous show by the way..." "Thanks, Greenheart..." the white unicorn acknowledged him. "If I need anything I'll let you know." Greenheart nodded then trotted off back to the inside part of the club. Meanwhile, Vinyl Scratch scanned the group in the VIP area. About half the group appeared to be stallions, and the other half were mares. It wasn't long before she spotted who she was looking for. A unicorn stallion with a black mane and a white coat noticed her, and came over to greet her. "Hey Black Marble!" Vinyl greeted him enthusiastically. "Vinyl Scratch!" he greeted her back with a hug. "That was such an awesome performance! We saw the whole thing on the big screen outside...your shows are always the best!" "Thanks for that," she smiled. "Thanks for coming out and seeing my show tonight! I appreciate the invite to let us hang out at your table as well. This is a pretty fancy setup you've got here." "Hey...you know as well as I do, when you're in Canterlot you have to do it big or go home! Am I right?" Vinyl nodded in approval. "So tell me..." he began. "Was the crowd in there as crazy as it looked like from out here?" "You better believe it!" she exclaimed. "It's a good thing I have my private security with me tonight." Vinyl pointed a hoof at Spike. Black Marble looked right at him and a sly smile came across his face. "I recognize you. You're that dragon from Ponyville." "Got it in one there buddy..." Spike smirked back. "You're the pony who's dating a friend of mine...so I recognize you as well." This was the last pony that Spike wanted to see right now. Seeing Black Marble in a nightclub in Canterlot surrounded by mares made Spike want to go right back to Ponyville and report this to Rarity. "I guess I shouldn't try anything with you like I do other mares eh, Vinyl?" Black Marble turned back to the DJ with a smirk. "You've got a pretty scary looking bodyguard. I wouldn't want him to buck me up if I got out of line..." "Don't worry..." she waved a hoof. "Spike wouldn't do anything to my friends...right Spike?" Spike would have loved dearly to do all sorts of painful things to the stallion in front of him. But instead he managed to grin through gritted teeth. Black Marble laughed. "Is he allowed to drink when he's on the job?" Vinyl shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me. Why don't you ask him?" Before he could ask the question Spike interjected. "I'm not a kid anymore remember? If you're drinking pony alcohol then it won't affect me at all." He stared at Black Marble. "Unless, of course, you sneaked in some really strong stuff and are using it to get mares totally wasted..." "Is this guy for real?" Black Marble asked incredulously to Vinyl. "You tell me," Spike replied pointedly. "I'm just making sure that my client here stays safe this evening. You never know what somepony could put in a drink around here." With that comment, the stallion and the dragon engaged in a stare down, much to the unease of the unicorn DJ witnessing it. She couldn't quite understand what was causing Spike to be hostile to her friend. For his part, Spike didn't trust the guy in front of him one bit...never mind that he was dating a close personal friend of his. Finally, to Vinyl's relief, a grin broke over Black Marble's face. " You're alright kid. You don't back down easily, and I respect that." Spike felt relief as well, but he didn't outwardly show it Black Marble called over the server pony that was working at their table. "I need a couple more bottles of champagne. Some shots as well. Keep adding it to my tab." He turned back to Spike and Vinyl Scratch with a satisfied grin on his face. "Let's kick this party up a notch..." True to his word, Spike kept his eyes on Vinyl Scratch for the rest of the evening. The unicorn DJ was fully enjoying herself downing champagne and the shots of liquor that kept flowing. Spike had a few drinks himself, but like he had said earlier, the alcoholic content was nothing he couldn't handle. This couldn't be said for the mares that had gravitated to the party at their table. Spike counted at least another half dozen female ponies in the VIP by the time a yet another bottle of champagne came around. They were also pretty drunk and the stallions at the table were more than willing to keep them that way. After a while, the whole scene started to become really sleazy. Black Marble himself had at least two mares sitting next to him on the couch the whole time. Spike kept alternating watching Vinyl Scratch and the dark maned stallion constantly. Even though he was being watched, Black Marble didn't seem to care. He would be flirting back and forth with the two mares sitting beside him, and they would laugh drunkenly at whatever he said. Or they would whisper in his ear suggestively. A few times he and Spike locked gazes. Black Marble would just smirk at the dragon watching him, almost like he didn't give a damn that Spike was there, then bring his attention back to his ladies. Spike was beginning to see why Fluttershy felt uneasy around him. What he couldn't understand, was how Rarity thought this guy was so great. In Spike's mind, he was worse than all the other stallions she'd fallen in love with. Spike wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed, but finally Vinyl Scratch broke away from the party and came over to Spike. It was apparent that she had her fill of drinking as she began to nuzzle her dragon bodyguard. This, of course, caught him completely off guard. "I think I'm ready to go home..." she slurred drunkenly into his chest. Spike wasn't sure what else he could do, so he gently put his arm around her and began to lead her away from the VIP area. "Leaving already?" Black Marble shouted after her. "Yeah...I'm totally bucked up right now!" she yelled back at Black Marble. "Thanks for having me! I'm staying across the street from your hotel at the Canterlot Crown...come see me if you want to party some more!" Vinyl Scratch turned to leave and nearly fell over. Spike had to hold on to her even tighter to keep her upright. Black Marble and his entourage just laughed at the drunk DJ's antics. Spike did everything he could to keep his emotions in check and not go back over and start punching ponies in their faces. All he wanted to do was get Vinyl back to the hotel safely. Once they were outside the club and on the street, Vinyl perked up a bit. She was still loaded, but was now determined to make her way back to the hotel on her own four hooves. Spike walked beside her just to make sure she wouldn't fall over on the sidewalk. The walk back to their hotel was only supposed to take fifteen minutes but it ended up taking much longer. Spike and Vinyl ran into some ponies who recognized her, and wanted to take pictures with the famous DJ. Since they weren't paparazzi, Spike let the ponies spend some time with Vinyl before gently pulling her away. They finally made it back to the Canterlot Crown Hotel a half hour later. Vinyl insisted that she was fine to make it up to her room by herself. They were staying on the same floor, but in different rooms. Her explanation was that she needed her space to get into her "DJ groove." Spike tried arguing that he should keep an eye on her tonight, but that was immediately dismissed. Vinyl told him to relax, and that she was beginning to sober up. At that point, Spike gave up on trying to change her mind, so he bade her farewell in the hotel lobby. The blue maned unicorn made her way over to the elevator, entered it, then waved goodnight to Spike as the doors closed. Although he was tired, Spike didn't feel like going up to his room yet. He also had a hunch that he needed confirming before he retired for the evening. Spike went outside and stood on the street in front of the hotel for a while. It was so late at night that there weren't many ponies out and about anymore. Across the street was the Canterlot Grand Hotel. According to Vinyl Scratch, this is where Black Marble was staying. Spike found it suspicious that he was staying in a hotel in his hometown. Why wasn't he staying at his own place if he lived there? Spike wasn't on the street for very long when a group of ponies came trotting up the sidewalk on the other side towards the Grand Hotel. Seeing them coming, Spike turned and ducked around the side of the building so he still had a good vantage point but wouldn't be seen. As he had hoped, the group of ponies was Black Marble and his friends coming back to their hotel from the club. There were seven of them by his count. Black Marble had two stallions with him, a Pegasus and a very large earth pony. They also had four mares in tow, two unicorns and two earth ponies. The group entered the Grand Hotel lobby, and luckily for Spike he could see through the glass doors at the front. The group stopped to talk for a few moments, allowing Spike to step out from his hiding place until he was right across from the front doors of the hotel. The Pegasus and earth pony stallions then led the two earth pony mares and one unicorn into what looked like the hotel lobby bar, leaving Black Marble and a unicorn mare with a yellow coat and a blue mane alone as they walked over to the elevator. The mare was leaning on Black Marble as they waited for the elevator to come. When the doors opened the mare let Black Marble in first, then entered the elevator behind him. When he turned around to face the doors, the mare hopped up on two hooves and put her forelegs around his neck. Just as the doors closed, Spike swore that he saw the two unicorns kissing each other. Even though his mind was exhausted, Spike couldn't rationalize away what he had just seen. He wished he had a camera so he could have taken a picture for proof. Black Marble was, in his mind anyway, the sleaziest pony in all of Equestria. After this evening, he had ample reasons to go back to Ponyville and confront Rarity with the information that her coltfriend was a player, not to mention a complete flankhole. His mind was racing a mile a minute with trying to process everything he had seen tonight to the point where he was getting a headache. After a while, he came to the conclusion that standing on the street getting angrier by the minute wasn't helping him or anypony else. He resigned himself to the fact that he needed to go to sleep and hopefully in the morning he'd have a better idea of what he needed to do. The train ride back to Ponyville was a quiet one. Spike spent most of it in silent contemplation. Vinyl Scratch spent most of it sleeping off her hangover. Spike had to drag her to the train station that morning to catch the train back home. The DJ was in pretty rough shape after the night before. Spike wasn't feeling much better himself, but it wasn't from excessive drinking. He couldn't figure out how he was going to break the news to Rarity about what he witnessed her coltfriend doing the night before. Even without the drunk mare on the elevator, Black Marble had come across as the biggest jerk in Equestria. There was no way Spike could keep this to himself. But, he didn't know how she would react to his story either. Would she hear him out, or would she refuse to believe him? It was entirely possible, given his past feelings about her, that she would think that he was inventing a story out of jealousy to get her to end the relationship. Of course, that wasn't Spike's intention at all. At least that's what he kept telling himself. He was a dragon after all, and dragon's were known for their greed. Was he doing this for Rarity's benefit...or were his baser urges driving his thoughts and potential actions? As he contemplated, he noticed the scenery outside was becoming more familiar to him. They were getting closer to Ponyville. Across from him in their private car, Vinyl Scratch began to stir. The unicorn raised her signature sunglasses from her face, revealing bloodshot magenta eyes. "Are we almost home yet?" She asked in a crackly voice. "Yeah, I think so," came the reply. "How did you sleep?" "Alright I guess...I still feel kind of rough though," Vinyl stretched her forelegs. Since she was awake, Spike decided to ask a question he'd been meaning to ask since the night before. "How do you know Black Marble, Vinyl?" The unicorn DJ blinked at him a couple of times before answering. "I went to high school with him. We even dated for a bit. It wasn't a long term thing though..." "Really?" Spike replied. "Why'd you break up with him?" "Honestly? He was kind of a douche. But I was young and stupid as well, so I guess it evened out. I haven't really been friends with him for a while though. I was actually pretty surprised to see him last night." "You seemed really friendly with him last night," the dragon pointed out. "I was also really hammered last night, Spike." "Yeah..." Spike replied sullenly. These weren't the answers he wanted to hear, but they were becoming familiar ones. "Why are you concerned with my ex-coltfriend?" Spike sighed. "Apparently your ex is now dating a close personal friend of mine," he responded. "A close personal friend..." Vinyl pondered out loud. Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Shut up! He's dating Rarity?" Spike nodded. He was also surprised that Vinyl guessed it was Rarity. Unless his previous crush was so obvious that everypony in town knew about it. "What's somepony like Rarity doing with a guy like him?" Vinyl exclaimed. "He's a total bucking player! You saw him last night with all those mares!" "That's a question I'd like answered myself..." Spike admitted. Though, now that Vinyl had brought up the previous night, he was beginning to get angry again.. "Well...shit. Why don't you just go and ask her then..." Spike stared Vinyl, shocked by her blunt honesty. "Are you serious?" "Damn straight I am!" the DJ stated. "I know if it was one of my friends I'd ask them right to their face what in Tartarus they were doing with a total jerkoff! That's what friends do..." Spike sat in silence and contemplated her words. It was becoming apparent that he needed to see a certain unicorn when he got home. "Maybe you have a point there Vinyl..." Spike finally spoke after a long period of time. Just then he could feel a jerk in the train's motion as it began to slow down. Spike looked out the window and saw familiar buildings. They were approaching Ponyville. === Chapter 6 === The moment the train came to a stop, Spike hopped off onto the platform. The only thing on his mind was getting out of there as quickly as possible, and heading to his long overdue meeting with Rarity. But he still had to wait for his travel bag to be unloaded from the train. As he stood there on the platform, he noticed a group of ponies coming towards him. One of them was a storm cloud gray earth pony. Accompanying her were two other earth stallions. Vinyl stepped onto the platform and immediately waved them over. "How did it go?" Octavia Melody asked. "Rowdy as usual," Vinyl replied. "But my big purple buddy here helped out big time. He got me home safely, even when I was completely trashed." "Cool..." Octavia responded nonchalantly, as if Vinyl did this on a regular basis. "Well...lets start getting all your stuff unloaded and back to the mansion." The two ponies with her began unloading gear from the train car. Seeing that he escorted Vinyl to Canterlot and back safely, Spike figured he wasn't needed for much more. Quietly, he went to retrieve his bag, which had appeared further down the platform. "Hey...Spike!" Vinyl called out. Spike turned to see the unicorn walk up to him. "Thanks again for everything the past couple of days," she began. "When you get some time, come see me and Tavi over at Rich Mansion. I need to do some accounting, but I promise I'll pay you by early next week." "No problem, Vinyl," he replied. "Why Rich Mansion though? I thought Filthy Rich and his family lived there?" "Filthy Rich moved his family to Manehatten a few months ago. So, me and Tavi have been renting the place out. Let me tell you, it's a great place to make music in. Tavi loves having practices there. It's also a great place for a recording studio. Plus you wouldn't believe the amount of space we have! We have parties there all the time, and we can invite almost the entire town over there's so much room..." Spike nodded as the DJ prattled on. He really wanted to get going badly see another unicorn that he hadn't seen in over six months. But he didn't want to seem rude either. He found that he actually liked hanging out with Vinyl Scratch. She was way more fun to spend time with than Twilight. "Anyway...I should let you go. Good luck with Rarity," Vinyl turned and walked back to where the other ponies were unloading gear. Spike was a bit taken aback at her choice of words. Seeing no reason to hang around though, he picked up his bag and began to leave. "One other thing," she called back to him. "If you're getting bored hanging out in that castle, come by the mansion sometime. Me and Octavia can show you a good time." She winked at the purple dragon then went back to collecting her gear. The Carousel Boutique wasn't normally open on weekends. But Rarity had so much extra work that needed doing, she decided to open up for a few hours that day. If a customer happened to show up, it would be business that she wouldn't have gotten had she been closed. If no ponies showed up, then it allowed her time to finish up her most important projects. Projects such as dresses for the Summer Sun Celebration Gala, which was occurring in a matter of weeks. Rarity, of course, knew all about this event. As an Element of Harmony, and on a first name basis with the Astral Sisters, Rarity had an open invitation to attend all of Canterlot's highest society parties. Indeed, she had been looking forward to this for months...and not just because she had an opportunity to mingle with the elite of Equestrian society. No, what had her so excited was that she finally had the opportunity to attend a Canterlot gala with a significant other. She had asked Black Marble if he would accompany her to the gala about a month ago, on one of her trips to see him. To her delight, he had said yes. He also said that he would be honoured to accompany such a beautiful mare to the gala. This made Rarity swoon with passion. To her, Black Marble had a way with words and knew exactly what to say at the right time. She had never met anypony like him before. If things went well at the gala, and Rarity was certain that they would, then perhaps this stallion was the special somepony that she'd been searching for all these years. Her reverie was interrupted by a knocking on the door of the shop. That was odd she thought. Most customers just entered if they saw that the sign was turned to open. When she didn't go to open the door right away, there was a second round of knocking. "Whoever is there...you may enter..." she called out. "The door is unlocked and the sign says open..." But whoever was at the door didn't heed her instructions. Slightly annoyed, Rarity trotted over and opened the door with her magic. "As I was saying, the shop is open today..." Rarity began but her words died as she saw who was standing there. "Spike...?" she asked somewhat confused. "Hey, Rarity..." Spike smiled nervously at the unicorn. "Darling...what ever are you doing out here?" she asked incredulously. "You, of all the beings in Equestria, know that you don't need to knock when you come to my shop." "Sorry Rarity..." he replied sheepishly. "I always used to knock. I guess old habits die hard." He looked at her apologetically. "I hope I'm not interrupting your work. I can always come back later." "Nonsense, Spike," she responded. "I can always interrupt my work for a dear friend. Especially one that I haven't seen for months. Please come in, won't you?" She batted her sapphire eyes at him. It was like she knew exactly what buttons to push with him. Regardless of all his growth, Spike still couldn't resist Rarity no matter how hard he wanted to. Standing close to her, she was still the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria. The way her curly mane bounced when she cantered. The way her flank swayed. The smell of her perfume. Her perfectly done makeup. It was just too much. Yet, he needed to focus on the task at hand. He needed to tell her what had happened the night before no matter how much he dreaded her reaction. "It would be my pleasure, Rarity," Spike shrugged off his nervousness and entered the boutique. As usual, since his transformation, he had to duck to get through the door of a pony's home. At least the ceiling inside was high enough for him to fit his head. Rarity motioned towards her couch that sat in the centre of her shop's showroom. "Please sit down, Spike. Can I get you anything to drink?" Spike shook his head no and sat down. Since he took up most of the space on her couch, Rarity used her magic to pull a cushion over so she could sit down in front of him on the floor. "I suppose it's been a long time since you've been over here," she began. "You must have many stories to tell from your time in the Crystal Empire." "Indeed I do, Rarity," he replied. "I could go on all afternoon about my experiences there. About how I discovered my inner dragon, and about how I grew up and became what you see now." "Yes, Spike. I was about to say...you've certainly undergone quite the transformation." Rarity marveled at the drake in front of her. "You must be very pleased with the results." "I certainly am," he agreed. "It took me some time to get used to the changes, but I think that I'm finally comfortable with my transformation." "Well...I'm very happy for you," she smiled at him. Spike was getting the feeling that Rarity was trying to make small talk to avoid talking about something else. Unfortunately, he knew what that something else was. There was no point in avoiding the topic any longer. "So..." he began hesitantly. "I heard that you've made some changes in you life as well." "Yes...you could say that," she acknowledged nervously. Rarity and Spike both stared at each other awkwardly for what felt like forever. "Why didn't you tell me about your coltfriend?" Spike finally asked the question hanging over them. "If you must know, Spike, I hadn't told anypony until very recently," she answered almost nonchalantly. "Including our friends." "That's what's troubling me..." he responded. "Why so much secrecy? It's not like you to keep information from us." "Are you saying that I can't have a private life, Spike? That I have to spill all the details of my personal relationships like a cheap tabloid newspaper?" Rarity was becoming indignant. Who was he to lecture her on how to live her life? "Absolutely not, Rarity," Spike tried to smooth things over. "I just don't understand why you've been going back and forth to Canterlot to see him all this time without telling anypony." "Who told you that I've been going back and forth?" she asked pointedly. "I had lunch with Fluttershy a couple of days ago. She filled me in about what you've been up to the last few months." "I see..." Rarity gave him a hard look. "I did confide in her about my relationship not that long ago. However, I hoped that she would have kept this information to herself..." "She was just concerned about you, Rarity," Spike offered. "We both know that Fluttershy wouldn't gossip about you or anypony else. She's never been like that." "Fluttershy is a dear..." Rarity acknowledged. "I'm sure she meant no harm in her concern for my well-being." She paused. "But...what I'm concerned with now is how you feel about my situation?" Spike gulped. "I don't quite understand what you're getting at Rarity." he replied after a moment to regain his composure. Rarity sighed. "On the contrary...I think you do. There's still an unresolved issue between us Spike...and I think you know what it is." Spike suddenly felt extremely nervous. He wondered if she'd known about his "secret" all this time. "I suppose I've known about your feelings for me...well...for a long time now." she began. Apparently she could read his mind as well. Spike's eyes went wide with fear or surprise...he wasn't exactly sure. "You weren't very good at keeping it a secret, darling..." Rarity saw his reaction and giggled a little bit. Spike laughed nervously. "I guess you've got me there Rarity..." So far, things weren't as bad as he thought. Rarity's expression changed to a serious one, however. "I must know, Spike. Was I the reason you chose to go away to the Crystal Empire?" "You're not the first pony to ask me that," he responded. "It's a valid question Spike." Spike held his silence. But Rarity continued to stare at him expecting an answer. "Ok, Rarity. You win," he finally relented. "I left for two reasons. One...I didn't want to be a kid anymore. I felt like sometimes I didn't get any respect from other ponies based on my size and appearance. Lots on ponies thought that I was still a baby, when in reality I was almost as old as them!" He paused to choose his words carefully. "To answer your second question...yes. I left in part because I thought that you would look at me differently if I went away for a while and transformed myself. I thought that if I changed my physical appearance you would feel the same way I felt for you. I thought that you saw me as a baby just like everyone else..." "Oh, Spike..." Rarity looked at him with a sadness he'd never seen before. "That's very noble of you, but I always respected you no matter what size you were. Your age was never an issue with me either." Spike suddenly felt some hope creep into his heart. Did this mean she felt even a little bit as he did? "I'm glad that you respect me, Rarity." he responded hopefully. "I'm glad that you didn't see me as a kid either. Does this...does this mean that you felt the same way towards me?" Rarity looked at him with the same sadness as before. "I'm sorry, Spike. I don't feel the same way about you...but I will always like you as a friend." Spike felt his heart break. It might have been a longshot all along, but that didn't make the hurt feel any better. "Fine, Rarity..." Spike replied tersely. "So, I suppose this is it then? I guess now that you've finally rejected me, I'll just go about my life while you spend time with your wonderful stallion..." "I'm not finished yet, Spike." Rarity put her hoof on his arm. "What do you mean...?" he looked at her in confusion. Rarity considered her words carefully. "It's complicated, Spike..." she finally admitted. "At one point in time I did feel something for you other than friendship. But...I'm afraid that those feelings are gone now." "Ok...now I really don't know what you're talking about." Spike pinched the bridge of his nose with his claw in frustration. "First, you tell me that you don't like me more than a friend. Now, you're telling me that you used to have feelings for me but they don't exist anymore? Frankly, I don't know what to believe..." "I'm sorry Spike..." she apologized. "Instead of apologizing, why don't you enlighten me as to what the hay is going on?" Spike snapped at her. "Tell me why you changed your mind about me?" "Because..." she stated. "You left me all alone." Spike stared at her in confusion. "You see Spike...while you may have thought that your crush was one-sided, in fact it wasn't. Certainly, in the beginning, I saw your love...or should I say infatuation as nothing more than an adorable but childish emotion on your part. It wasn't until you gave me the Fire Ruby that I realized that your feelings were genuine. Many other selfless acts followed, and as you kept giving of yourself and asking for little in return, I began to seriously contemplate about returning your affection towards me in a way that would make us much more than friends. Truthfully, I realized that your simple crush had evolved into you caring deeply about me." The room became so silent that a pin from her work desk could have fallen to the floor and been the loudest noise in the room. "So..." she continued. "Not that long ago, and after much thought, I finally decided to act on these feelings. I had planned on inviting you over to the Boutique around the Hearths Warming holiday for a dinner just for the two of us. At that dinner I would have brought up the subject of us...and hopefully we could have had an open and honest discussion about how we felt about each other. I'm sure we would have both come to the conclusion that we needed to take the next step in our relationship. Imagine, Spike...we could have spent Hearths Warming and Hearts and Hooves Day together. I'm sure you would have loved that...no?" Spike sat there expressionless. He didn't know how to react to her confession that she actually felt the same way about him as he did about her. "But...it turns out you had other plans." Rarity's tone became one of hurt. "You left for the Crystal Empire before Hearth's Warming and left me all alone here in Ponyville. I didn't even know you were leaving until Twilight told me in passing. Of course, I made sure that I saw you off at the train station...but even then it felt like you were a million miles away. You were so focused on your quest to become an adult that it was like you didn't care about me." Her words cut deep as she spoke. "Rarity..." Spike finally found his voice. "I had no idea that you felt that way about me or that you had felt this way for so long..." "Why would I have spent so much time with you over the years if I didn't have feelings for you? Do you think I was leading you on?" "I...I don't know the answer to that," he admitted. "Spike!" she admonished him. "Are you saying that you felt I was playing with your feelings?" A hurt expression came over her face. "Rarity...it was never my intention to abandon you." Spike began. "Had I known that you had felt the same way about me, maybe I wouldn't have gone to the Crystal Empire. Maybe I could have found a way to grow up here. But...I did what I did because I thought it was the best course of action at the time." "In other words, you were being selfish..." Rarity's tone changed from hurt to bitter. Spike, for his part, was getting past the shock and now was feeling angry. He could feel something inside of him snap. "Selfish?" he addressed her with malice in his voice. "Ok, Rarity, lets talk about being selfish then..." Rarity tried to say something in reply but Spike cut her off. "You act like I needed to be a mind reader to figure out how you felt about me." he continued. "You could have just told me a long time ago and saved us a lot of trouble! Celestia knows I told you. I told you when we were falling through the air to our potential deaths!" Rarity began moving her mouth but Spike wouldn't let her talk. "You knew exactly how I felt! But did you do anything about it? Did you encourage me to do anything about it? You've known how I've felt since I first came to Ponyville...and what do you do? Nothing...other than chase around after guys like Blueblood and Trenderhoof...!" "Trenderhoof turned out to be more of a gentlecolt than I gave him credit for..." she finally managed to interject. As for that horrible prince...DO NOT mention his name in my presence ever again!" "I suppose Black Marble is better than both of them?" Spike asked pointedly. "He's everything I've ever wanted in a stallion and more..." Rarity's stare bore holes in him. "He's been there for me the entire time we've been together." "Too bad he's a complete douchebag..." Spike replied casually. "I BEG YOUR PARDON...?" Rarity's eyes went wide. "Oh...that's right," Spike smirked. "I almost forgot. I have a story to tell you about your coltfriend. In fact, it happened just last night when I was in Canterlot..." After telling Rarity the complete story of his evening in Canterlot, including everything that he had seen her coltfriend doing, Spike leaned back on the couch and waited for her reaction. For a moment, he couldn't really tell what she was thinking as her face was a blank mask. Suddenly...she reared back and proceeded to hit him as hard as possible across the face with her hoof. "THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" she screamed at him while her face contorted with rage. "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies!!" "These aren't lies, Rarity. This is the truth..." he responded calmly while rubbing his face. "Sometimes the truth hurts. But real friends tell you the truth even if you don't want to hear it. "I can't believe you!" she cried. "You're just making up stories because you can't have me! You want to undermine my happiness!" "Go ask Vinyl Scratch what happened. She'll tell you exactly the same things I told you. Black Marble is the biggest flankhole and player in Equestria..." "To Tartarus with Vinyl Scratch!" she shouted. "Do you think I'm going to listen to somepony who's a habitual drunk?" She probably made eyes at him last night and he rejected her! I wouldn't be surprised if she's saying all this because they broke up years before and she wants him back!" "Don't talk about my friends like that!" he roared. "Oh...so now she's your friend?" That's wonderful, Spike. Why don't you go spend all your time with your new friend then? "Fine..." he got up off the couch. "I know when I'm not wanted. I'll leave." He walked over to the door of the boutique intending to leave. But, something inside of him demanded that he get the last word in. He turned and faced her. "Before I go, I want you to understand one thing, Rarity." Spike began. "I'm not some immature, entitled jerk. I would have no problem if you dated another pony who was actually a stand-up guy and was good for you. But I can't support your decision to hook up with Black Marble. Everypony I've talked to says the same things about him. About how they get a creepy feeling around him, or about how he's a total jerk." "Are you finished yet?" she asked him coldly. "One last thing," he said with a look of genuine sadness in his eyes. "After all of this...I still love you with all my heart and I always will. But, I'm sorry Rarity...this guy is worse than anypony you've ever thrown yourself at...and considering your track record that's saying something..." Rarity's face went completely crimson. "You...you...immature...selfish...entitled...BRUTE!!!" GET THE BUCK OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!" She began throwing objects with her magic at Spike. It was a good thing that his scales were thick, as the flying debris just bounced off him. He realized now that he'd gone too far with his criticism of her. Dodging a pair of scissors, he threw open the door, ducked down, and exited the building as quick as he could. Behind him, a magically thrown lamp smashed into the wall where he once stood. Once she was alone, and surrounded by the mess she had just made, the floodgates opened for Rarity. Her utter rage towards the dragon was replaced by abject sorrow. As she sat in the middle of her boutique, the tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked her pillow as she sobbed uncontrollably. === Chapter 7 === The sound of knocking echoed throughout the mansion. Even without dragon hearing, Spike would have had no problem hearing it from his room on the second floor. Spike shifted around sleepily on his pile of gems he was currently using as a makeshift bed. As he lay there, he knew that he would have to answer the door. Everypony else was passed out from the night before. Whether it was in a club in Canterlot, or whether it was at the mansion she was renting out, Vinyl Scratch knew how to throw a wild party. Spike got up from his pile of jewels and made his way out of his room and down the hallway. The knocking at the front door continued as he made his way down the grand staircase. Whoever was at the door of the mansion, wasn't going to go away any time soon. "Relax, already..." he grumbled. "I'm coming..." Finally making it to the door, Spike grabbed the handle and grunted as the door creaked open. He had to squint as the morning light flooded into the doorway. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed who was standing in front of him. "Morning, Twilight," Spike greeted the alicorn standing on the top step of the mansion. Truthfully, he wasn't very surprised that she was there. "Spike...where in Celestia's name have you been?" Twilight began. "That's kind of a dumb question, Twilight," he replied. "I've been here since yesterday." He contemplated for a moment. "Please tell me you haven't been going around to everypony's house this morning looking for me? At least you knocked this time, instead of just barging in like in the past." Twilight went red with embarrassment. "That was a one time thing!" she chided him. "In any event, I've been worried about you since you didn't come back to the castle at all yesterday." "Didn't you read the note I left for you?" he inquired. "When I came back to the castle I couldn't find you or Twist anywhere , so I left it in her office. You know...the office that I used to use?" "I wasn't at the castle yesterday..." she replied somewhat indignantly. "I was meeting with the Mayor for most of the day. Twist doesn't usually come in on weekends so I didn't get your note." "Well...since you're here and wondering, I'll tell you what I wrote." Spike began "I wrote you a note saying that I was going to be staying with Vinyl Scratch at Rich Mansion for a while." "I see that..." Twilight indicated. "So where exactly are you sleeping, on the floor?" "I'm using my personal stash of gems that I've been collecting over the years as a bed," he replied. "It worked for me when I was hibernating, so I figured it would do just fine in this instance." "What about food?" "I offered to help with the cooking if Vinyl and Octavia provided the food. It's not like I can't eat pony food, plus if I really have to, I can eat part of my bed to hold me over for the time being." "It sounds like you've been planning this for a while..." she commented. "I would think that if you were planning on moving out you'd at least speak to me in person before you did so." "So, now you're concerned about me?" he replied sarcastically. " Thanks, Mom. Where was this for the past week or so?" "What in Tartarus is that supposed to mean?" she asked incredulously. "It means since I came back a couple of weeks ago I haven't seen hide nor hair of you!" Spike snapped. "You're always spending time with your nose in a book in that library of yours! Even more than you used to when we had the treehouse!" "I see..." Twilight replied somewhat coldly. "You think I've been purposely ignoring you since you've come back?" "It seems that way doesn't it?" he retorted. "Well..." she began. "Maybe if you'd stopped to consider the situation instead of jumping to conclusions like a draconic jerk, what I've been doing for the past while would make more sense." Spike pinched the bridge of his nose for the second time in two days. "Why is it that everypony around here expects me to be a damn mind reader...?" Judging from the blank expression on Twilight's face, he came to the conclusion that she had no idea what he was complaining about. "Alright then..." he offered. "Tell me what you've been up to the past little while." "Well...Spike. As you know, being a princess involves me having to do a lot of research to help me with my royal duties. This often involves long hours in the library gathering information on different treaties, political situations, and laws of Equestria and other countries. As an ambassador of Equestria, I have to use this information wisely when I'm dealing with the heads of state of other nations. I also have to make sure that I'm representing the interests of the ponies of my own country. This also involves consultations with the Two Sisters as they have final say on what Equestria's position is when we negotiate with other countries or how we will conduct ourselves at a state visit..." Twilight stopped for a moment. "Spike? Are you even listening to me?" Spike was leaning lazily against the door frame staring off into the distance. "For your information, Miss Exposition...yes, I was listening. But I know that you like to ramble on so I was waiting for you to get to the point." "My point is that I can negotiate a treaty with the Griffon Empire, I can keep the Dragon Kingdom from terrorizing the ponies living on it's borders, and I'm more than capable of displaying excellent protocol when the Ambassador from Germaney decides to drop by Canterlot unannounced!" Spike found himself slightly amused at Twilight's assertion of her abilities. The lavender alicorn, however, didn't notice or care that he found this amusing. "Sometimes though...there are subjects that even I have trouble researching..." "Whoa...stop the presses!" he exclaimed. "Twilight Sparkle has trouble understanding everything? It means you're a normal mare like everypony else Twi..." "I guess this answers the question whether dragon's become bigger flankholes as they age..." she replied sarcastically. "I don't need this right now..." Spike snorted. He turned to go back inside the mansion. "Wait..." Twilight called back. "I'll tell you the real reason why I've been preoccupied lately." He paused. "Alright then...enlighten me." "Etiquette." Spike stared at her for a long moment. "That doesn't make any sense!" he finally answered. "You just told me you knew all about etiquette!" "I know all about diplomatic etiquette,"" she replied. "But this is a different kind of etiquette..." Twilight paused awkwardly. "It's the kind of etiquette you need when you're on a date..." Spike's eyes went wide with surprise. "You're going on a date?" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yes, Spike. I'm going on a date. Well...technically I'm going to the Summer Sun Celebration Ball with a date. That's why I've had my nose in a book all this time. I've been reading up on how a princess should behave at a royal ball with an escort." Twilight paused expectantly. She didn't know how Spike would react to this piece of information. She hadn't told anypony, even her friends, about the recent events in her personal life. It was a shock then, when Spike suddenly burst out laughing. For his part, Spike couldn't take it anymore. Part of him was really annoyed that Twilight had been, in his mind at least, ignoring him for most of the time he'd been back in order to obsessively research how to act on a date with a stallion. At the same time, this was so like the Twilight he'd grown up with, that he couldn't stop himself from laughing hysterically at her behavior. He wasn't trying to be a jerk, he just couldn't help himself. Unfortunately, that was how he was currently being regarded by his former roommate. When he finally stopped laughing he was greeted by a rage contorted face that he hadn't seen since the time he'd decided to have a "small" party at the treehouse, which had turned into a wild bash with most of Ponyville in attendance, while Twilight had been away for a couple of days. Suddenly, purple magic shot out of her horn followed by the heavy door being slammed on his tail. "Yeow!!!" he shouted as pain shot through his body. "What the hay was that for?!" "That was for being a complete draconic flankhole!" she shouted back. "How could you laugh at me after what I told you?!" "I don't know..." he retorted. "I thought it was funny at the time! Because it's totally something you would do. I know you better than anypony, remember?" He grimaced as he picked up his tail which had been wedged in the front door. "Damn, Twilight...I can't believe you slammed a heavy door on my tail! I may be a dragon, but that still hurt!" "Well...you deserved it!" Twilight scowled at Spike. "Look...In all seriousness," Spike asked as he rubbed his tail. "Who's the lucky guy that gets to go to a ball with the Princess of Friendship?" "You actually know who he is," she stated. "He was in the Crystal Empire while you were there. But now, he's moved to Canterlot to help train the Royal Guard." Spike racked his brain to try and figure out who she was talking about. It wasn't easy considering his thoughts kept being interrupted by the pain shooting through his tail. Suddenly, the image of an orange pegasus popped into his head. "No way!" he exclaimed. "Really? You're going to the ball with him?" "Do you have a problem with me going with him?" Twilight shot him an accusing look. "Not really..." he replied. "He was asking about you while I was in the Crystal Empire though." "Really?" Twilight arched her eyebrow. "He was asking about me? How long ago?" "Since before I had my three month sleep. I suggested that he write to you but I guess he went a step further if he's in Canterlot now." "He definitely wrote to me, and I wrote him back." Twilight smiled. "When I found out he was in Canterlot I used the excuse of being there on royal business to go see him. We spent some time together and before I left to come back to Ponyville he asked me if he could escort me to the ball." A small blush came over Twilight's face. "Officially, he's there as part of my 'protection detail.' But since it's him and only him, and he asked to be with me, I've come to the conclusion that it's a date." "Now that you've explained it that way, I'm inclined to agree," Spike acknowledged. "Good for Flash. It's nice to know somepony takes my advice once in a while." "Do you see now why I was spending most of my time studying?" she asked. "I always get like that when I'm caught up in something that's really important to me." "Makes sense now that I think about it," he pondered. "Obviously this is a big deal for you." "It is," she agreed. "It's a double big deal now that I'm royalty." "For what it's worth, I wish you luck then." "Thank you, Spike." she acknowledged with a genuine smile. "Back to the original subject... you still haven't told me why you decided to suddenly leave the castle and stay with Vinyl Scratch and Octavia." Spike's expression went serious. "Did something happen in Canterlot?" Twilight sensed there was something he wasn't telling her. "It's alright, Spike. You can tell me if something's wrong..." Spike scowled at the thoughts of his experience in Canterlot. "I'd rather not talk about what happened there, Twilight, but you're on the right track as to why I left." "Well...if you ever need to talk to me I'll make sure I make the time for you, ok?" she offered. "By the way..." Twilight asked offhand. Did you end up going to see Rarity? You've been planning to spend time with her ever since you got back." A look of disgust came over Spike's face, surprising Twilight. "Why don't you go ask her yourself?" he stated abruptly. "I'm going back to sleep...thanks for the conversation." Spike turned and went inside the mansion, shutting the door fairly hard. All the while leaving a confused Twilight Sparkle standing on the front steps. Heeding Spike's advice, Twilight found herself on the way to the Ponyville Spa the next morning. Twilight wasn't a regular customer of the spa, but she was going there that morning to meet Fluttershy and Rarity. The day before, on a hunch, Twilight had found Rarity at Fluttershy's cottage. However, the yellow Pegasus stopped Twilight from talking to her, explaining that Rarity had come there the evening before extremely distraught. Her and Fluttershy had spent most of the night talking, and Rarity was exhausted and was still sleeping at the time of Twilight's visit. Twilight did manage to fill her pink maned friend in as to where Spike was currently residing. It was therefore suggested by Fluttershy that the three of them meet at the spa the next day, since Rarity and Fluttershy hadn't been there in quite some time. Twilight could then hopefully get some answers as to what had happened between Spike and Rarity. As she entered the establishment, the two owners, Aloe and Lotus Blossom, greeted her excitedly. It wasn't everyday that they had the Princess of Friendship as a client, and they wanted to make sure that Twilight was given service fit for royalty. They ushered her into the ladies change room, and then when Twilight emerged wearing a robe they directed her to the steam room. It was there that she found Fluttershy and Rarity relaxing before they were to begin their spa treatments. Only, Fluttershy seemed to be the only one trying to relax. Rarity, on the other hoof, was quite agitated. "I still can't for the life of me, understand why he'd say such things..." "Well...he must have been very upset. It's just not like Spike to say what he said without a good reason...at least...I think he wouldn't..." "You see, Fluttershy?" Rarity pointed out. "You don't know what he was thinking either. How are we to know that he isn't acting like this because of his recent growth? Dragon's have a terrible reputation for being horrible brutes when they grow up." "I understand what you're saying, but I'm having a hard time believing that Spike said all those things to you out of malice." "Really...Fluttershy? Have you forgotten what happened on his birthday a number of years ago?" "You did manage to talk him out of his greed rampage, though..." "That was a different time! He was my cute little Spikey Wikey then! Now, I'm not sure who he is anymore..." "Hey, girls!" Twilight interrupted. "I'm sorry I didn't make it sooner. I'm running a bit behind today." "Ah, Twilight," Rarity greeted the alicorn. "Thank goodness you're finally here! Perhaps you could shed some light on what that assistant of yours was thinking when he came to visit me yesterday." "Unfortunately, I don't think I can be of much help," Twilight admitted. " I did manage to track him down though. He's staying at Rich Mansion with Vinyl Scratch and her friends." "You mean to say that he's left your castle and is staying with a bunch of party ponies?" Rarity asked incredulously. "That's what he told me by note and in person yesterday," Twilight responded. "So...what you're saying then is he's decided to shirk his responsibilities to you and your kingdom and instead spend his time engaged in debauchery?" Rarity inquired pointedly. "That sounds an awful lot like you're own opinion, Rarity," Twilight countered. "But, to answer your question...he said that I should ask you the reason why he left." "Hmm...he said that, did he now?" Rarity's voice went icy. "Maybe you should tell your story to Twilight now that she's here, Rarity..." Fluttershy interrupted the white unicorn. "I'm sure she'd like to hear about what transpired, isn't that right Twilight?" Fluttershy flashed a nervous smile at her lavender friend. "Very well..." Rarity began. "I will tell Twilight all about how her former co-habitant acted like an uncouth cad in my presence. But first...let us get out of this steam room, ladies! Our spa treatments await us!" With her usual flair, Rarity hopped down off the bench and exited the steam room. Fluttershy and Twilight followed her. After all the treatments were finished, Twilight wished that she made trips to the spa more often. She felt cleaner than ever before from the scrub down, the hot stone massage was divine, and her coat sparkled from the seaweed wrap. It was a great way to spend a morning. As she lay in the hot tub, soaking away her tension, her thoughts turned to Rarity's story of what happened between her and Spike. Twilight had listen to the whole story without judgement. She wished that Spike had told her his side of the story, since Rarity had painted a somewhat one-sided account of their encounter. In Twilight's mind, the solution was actually simple. It involved both Spike and Rarity sitting down together and working out their differences. Getting both of them in the same room, however, would be the hard part. But Twilight trusted her ability as a princess and ambassador to get both her friends to put an end to this silly feud. "Say, Rarity," Twilight addressed the unicorn. "In light of what you just told me, I may have a potential solution to this situation." Rarity stirred from the state of relaxation she was currently experiencing. "Whatever do you mean, Twilight?" Twilight took a breath. "I think the best course of action here is to have you and Spike sit down face to face and work out this disagreement, as you called it." Rarity stared at Twilight for what felt like an eternity. "Twilight...you're a dear for wanting to help," Rarity finally addressed the alicorn. "But I'm not sure that sitting down with him is the best course of action right now." "I think Twilight's right though, Rarity..." Fluttershy had been quiet most of the spa session but now interjected herself into the conversation. "I think you and Spike need to work through your issues together." "But Fluttershy...do you think that Spike would even show up to a face to face meeting?" Rarity inquired. "I think I can convince him to show up," Twilight pronounced. "Remember, I know him better than anypony in Equestria." Rarity considered Twilight's proposition for a period of time. "Very well," she finally stated. "I'll go along with your plan. However...I want both of you there." "You've got it, Rarity." Twilight smiled at her friend. "I just want everypony to get along..." Fluttershy stated meekly. With nothing else to talk about, the three ponies exited the bath and made their way back to the change room. After paying for her treatment, Rarity bade both her friends farewell and left the spa to go back to her boutique home. Twilight and Fluttershy stayed behind to finish paying for their respective treatments. With their accounts settled, both mares exited the spa and found a beautiful day awaiting them. Celestia's sun was almost at it's highest point, and Twilight realized that going to the spa made her hungry. She needed to get home and make some lunch. "Well..." Twilight addressed Fluttershy before she was about to leave. "I had a wonderful morning. We should do this again sometime." But Fluttershy was lost in thought. When she finally acknowledged Twilight's words, it was with a concerned demeanour. "I hope you know what you're doing, Twilight..." There was an awkward silence between the two ponies. "I hope so too..." === Chapter 8 === "So why did you want me here early, Twilight?" Spike asked the pony he had lived with for a number of years. They were in the throne room at Twilight's castle. Spike realized he hadn't been in this room since he returned from his six month hiatus, even though he had been living there recently. It still contained the thrones corresponding to each Element of Harmony. In the middle was the table that doubled as the enchanted map of Equestria. "I wanted you to come a little bit earlier because I wanted to talk to you before we met with anypony else," Twilight replied. "Why don't you sit down at the table?" Spike observed that his old chair was still sitting at the table next to Twilight's. As he sat down, he couldn't help but notice that it actually fit his new size properly. Back when he was still a baby dragon, the chair always felt a bit large for him whenever he sat in it. It was almost as if the magic in the castle knew that one day he'd grow up and be able to fill out his throne. "Alright, then...what did you want to talk to me about?" Spike inquired. "Well...actually I'd like you to tell me the whole story about what happened to you when you went to Canterlot," Twilight replied. Spike pondered for a moment. "I don't know Twilight, it's a pretty long story. Plus, I have to make sure I remember all the details properly otherwise you might not believe me." "Spike...I don't know if you know this, but I've already talked to Rarity and heard her side of the story. Well, at least the part where you went to the Carousel Boutique and made a number of accusations." "I'm not really surprised she talked to you," he responded without much expression. "I have a feeling that she didn't paint a pretty picture." "She didn't..." Twilight acknowledged. "But she couldn't tell me exactly what happened with Black Marble on the night you met him, since she wasn't there. I've known you for your whole life, Spike. Rarity claims you're making up stories to hurt her relationship...but to be honest, I'm having difficulty believing what she's saying. However, unless you tell me what happened, it makes it harder for me to give you the benefit of the doubt." "Twilight's right, Spike..." Fluttershy's soft voice interjected as she walked into the throne room. "We both want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you need to be open and honest with us." "Thanks for coming early as well, Fluttershy," Twilight smiled. "We want to hear your side of the story and we wanted you to be as comfortable as possible when you did. That's why I asked you to come early...before Rarity got here. You don't have to hide anything from us, Spike." Spike exhaled. "Alright then. I'll tell both of you the exact story I told Rarity a few days ago." "So...as I was looking in the window of the hotel lobby, I could see Black Marble waiting in front of the elevator with a mare that seemed pretty drunk. In fact, she was leaning on him for support." "Oh my..." Fluttershy gasped. Both her and Twilight had been listening intently to Spike's recounting of that night's events. "When she was leaning on Black Marble, was the mare you saw showing any signs of affection towards him?" Twilight inquired. "Now that you mention that..."Spike smiled wryly. "As they entered the elevator, the mare wrapped her forelegs around him and started kissing him..." "Oh dear..." Flutershy gasped again. "Did he push her off of him at least?" "From what I could tell from my position, I don't think he was fighting her," Spike stated. "The problem was the elevator doors closed and I wasn't able to see what else happened after that. If you really forced me to give you an answer, I would say to you that I swear I saw him return her affections. But I may never know for sure unless I went looking for them, and I certainly wasn't about to go snooping around a hotel I wasn't staying at." "That's quite the story, Spike." Twilight acknowledged. "You said you told Rarity the same story? Did you tell her you saw her coltfriend kissing another mare?" "I did..." he replied sadly. "She didn't want to believe me...in fact she got really angry at me. Maybe she's in denial. Maybe Black Marble has her under some spell that causes her to lose all rationality...I just don't know..." "I think I would have been able to tell if Rarity was under the influence of any spells," Twilight shook her head. "There really isn't any magic that I don't know of at this point of my life." "Do you think that she's just completely infatuated with him and refuses to acknowledge his questionable behavior?" Fluttershy asked Twilight. "Based on Spike's recounting of the night's events, it certainly seems that way," Twilight nodded. She turned to Spike. "Do you happen to remember what the mare looked like?" Spike nodded. "Actually I do...she had a yellow coat and a blue mane and she was a unicorn." "What about a cutie mark?" Twilight inquired further. "Did you happen to see what her cutie mark looked like?" Spike's face fell. "Now that you mention it, I didn't get a good look at her cutie mark." "A unicorn with a yellow coat and blue mane..." Twilight repeated his description. "Why does that seem so familiar...?" "Actually...thinking about it some more, I wonder if we know both know her, Twilight." Spike pondered. "What do you mean, Spike?" "Even though I didn't see her cutie mark, she looked awful familiar...like one of the unicorns we both used to know back in Canterlot. In fact..." Spike's words died in his throat. From his seat in the throne room, he was looking right at the entrance. Standing in the doorway was the exact same unicorn mare he saw on that night in Canterlot. Flanking her were two other unicorns. One of them was Rarity. The other was Black Marble. "Rarity!" Twilight exclaimed. "We were just wondering when you'd get here..." Twilight smiled outwardly but inside she was incredibly nervous. She hoped that her friend hadn't figured out that they were talking about her before she arrived. She was also confused as to why Rarity's coltfriend and another mare were present. "I'm dreadfully sorry, Twilight," the white unicorn apologized. "But I had to pick up Black Marble and a mutual friend of ours from the train station." "A mutual friend...?" Twilight wasn't quite sure who her friend was referring to, but one look at the unicorn mare standing next to Rarity made her realize who it was. "Lemon Hearts?" Twilight's mouth hung open. "Oh my goodness...what are you doing here? I'm so sorry...I almost didn't recognize you..." She drew the yellow pony into a hug. "It's ok, Twilight..." Lemon Hearts returned her affection. "It has been quite a long time since I last saw you. I know whenever you're in Canterlot it's usually for important business, so you can't always get away to see me and the others." Twilight's face fell. "I'm glad you feel that way, but it still doesn't excuse the fact that I haven't been spending time with my old friends when I'm in Canterlot." "In any event..." Lemon Hearts addressed the rest of the room. "I'm here because Rarity asked me to be here. There was an incident a few days ago involving me and I wanted to be able to clear up any misconceptions about what exactly happened." Lemon Hearts looked right at Spike as she spoke. Spike crossed his arms and a irritated expression came over his face. "In that case," Twilight indicated. "If you could shed some light on what happened, I think we'd all appreciate it." "Hold on a second..." Spike interrupted. "Before we get to anything, I want to know what he's doing here..." He pointed a claw at Black Marble. "Black Marble is here because I also asked him to be here," Rarity stated. "I told him of your accusations and it upset him greatly that you thought he would do something as awful as cheat on me. But...seeing that he considers himself a stallion of honor, he's here to offer his explanation to what happened that night." Black Marble flashed what appeared to be a genuine smile at those assembled. Spike, for his part, wasn't really buying it. He was about to say something, when Fluttershy spoke up. "Um...if it's alright with everypony, before Black Marble tells us about that night, I was wondering if he could tell us about how you both met. I've been thinking really hard lately, and I don't remember Rarity telling any of us how she met her coltfriend." "Really, Fluttershy...?" Rarity interjected. "I've told all of you that I met Black Marble in Canterlot on one of my trips to oversee operations at the boutique." "Um...that's technically true," Fluttershy admitted. "But you've never told any of us how you met Black Marble...and you've never told Spike about it since he's come back. I'm sure he'd like to hear this story..." Rarity opened her mouth as if to protest, but Black Marble stopped her. "I'd be happy to tell your friends the story of how we met." Rarity smiled at her coltfriend. "You don't have to, darling..." she said softly. "It would be my pleasure, my sweet..." Spike wanted to gag at all the affection being shown between his romantic interest and her beau. Of course, if he was the one being called darling by Rarity, he'd probably have had a different opinion. "It happened a few months ago now," Black Marble began, not taking his eyes off Rarity. "I was at an auction at Hoofebee's, one of the most prestigious auction houses in Equestria. As I am an antique jewellery buyer, I was there to bid on a particular item." He turned to face the rest of the ponies in the room. "It was a gold medallion, very rare and priceless. I'd been going to auctions across the land looking for an item such as this...and I was more than a bit excited to have finally found what I was looking for. Who knew, however, that another pony had her eyes on the exact same item." He turned back to Rarity with a loving gaze. Rarity returned the gaze with a giggle. "I almost outbid him for the medallion. He really wanted it for his collection and was quite aggressive in his bidding. It was probably a good thing I lost to him though...I would have gone over my budget for purchases that month." "She was certainly aggressive in her bids as well," Black Marble continued. "After the auction had concluded, and I had claimed my prize, I approached this lovely young mare and asked if she was free for a drink." "I suppose you wanted to see if you could leave the auction with a second prize that day..." Rarity commented dryly. "You wound me so!" Black Marble faked indignity. "I merely wanted to get to know you better considering you obviously were a mare of good taste! I'm happy to say I was not disappointed..." "Flattery is unbecoming of a gentleman..." Rarity chided him in a mock-serious tone. "Not if it is the unvarnished truth, my dear..." he playfully shot back. They held each other's gaze once again. Spike wanted to leave the room in that moment. "An interesting story to be sure..." Twilight interrupted the two reminiscing ponies. Spike was actually glad Twilight decided to break up the love fest, as he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. "Now that we've heard the story of how you two met, what about the story of a few nights ago?" Twilight prompted. "Yes...the story of a few nights ago..." Black Marble set his gaze on Spike. "This strapping drake here will tell you that I was at the Diamond Club entertaining a group of my friends...including, I believe, your DJ friend." "You certainly were..." Spike replied almost sarcastically. "What you didn't see after you left with Vinyl Scratch, was the mare to my right getting accosted by a stallion who needed a lesson in manners..." "It's true..." Lemon Hearts concurred. "Some jerk of a stallion was trying to get me to go home with him, and Black Marble put him in his place. There was no violence, mind you, just some persuasive language on his part." "After I had dispatched the cad, I invited her over for a drink." Black Marble said almost proudly. "Also true," Lemon Hearts nodded. "I probably enjoyed myself a little too much after that, which is why I needed Black Marble and his friends to escort me home." "This is all a very nice story..." Spike interrupted. "But does anypony else other than me find all of this to be way too convenient? He pointed at Lemon Hearts. "You meet some random guy at a club..." Spike then pointed at Black Marble "He protects you from some stallion who was hassling you, then you hang out with him the rest of night and at the end he walks you home...or in this case back to his hotel. I don't know...am I the only one who has a problem with this...?" "Why wouldn't he protect me?" Lemon Hearts asked. "He's been doing this since we were younger. It's something any cousin would do to protect a member of their family." Twilight and Fluttershy's mouths hung open with surprise. Spike, meanwhile, felt like he was going to be sick. Did she just say what he thought he said? "Woah...!" he exclaimed. "Woah...woah...just, woah! Are you telling me that you were swapping spit with your cousin? He looked at Black Marble. "That is the single most disgusting thing I've ever heard! What the buck is wrong with you two...?!" "Spike!!!" Rarity yelled at him. "I think you're overreacting, Spike," Lemon Hearts addressed him. "Overreacting?!!" Spike looked incredulously at her. "I'm overreacting...?! Has everypony here lost their bucking minds?!" "I wasn't swapping spit with my cousin!" Lemon Hearts responded in a annoyed tone. "He was helping get back to my room because I was pretty wasted that night. I don't know where you're getting this idea that I was making out with a member of my family." "Because...I saw you all over him in the hotel lobby before you went upstairs...!" Spike shot back. "Are you admitting that you were spying on us?" Black Marble asked Spike pointedly. "I don't recall that you were staying at the same hotel as us." "Wait...what? Spying...?" Spike was caught off guard at this assertion. "Spike!" Rarity exclaimed. "Is this true...were you spying on Black Marble and Lemon Hearts? You never mentioned this to me when we were at my boutique. I thought that you happened to see them together at the Diamond Club..." "I...I didn't think what I was doing was spying," he stated flatly. "I could see them from across the street. It wasn't like they were trying to hide or anything." "So, you were spying on us!" Lemon Hearts exclaimed indignantly. "Where the hay were you hiding that night?" "I wasn't hiding anywhere, I could see into your hotel from across the street. I was standing on the sidewalk in front of my hotel." "Why would you want to be standing around on the street that late at night?" she shot back. "Unless you were waiting on us to come back from the club? That sounds like spying in my book!" "They both have a point, Spike," Twilight said uneasily. "Standing around outside of a hotel you weren't staying at in the middle of the night waiting for two ponies to come by would classify, at the very least, as prying into sompony's business unwantedly." "But...but..." Spike protested. "I was concerned that Rarity's coltfriend was going to do something that would ultimately hurt her. I knew it as soon as I met him at the club! I saw all those mares hanging out with him and his sleazy friends!" "Now you're just insulting me!" Black Marble shot back. "Am I not allowed to spend time with my friends at a club enjoying the Canterlot nightlife? He smirked at Spike. "Your DJ friend certainly enjoyed herself..." "You know what, buddy?" Spike snapped. "I'm going to get out of this chair and do what I should have done that night, namely put my fist through your face...!" "SPIKE!!!!" The entire room stopped at the outburst by Twilight. Hearing her snapped Spike out of his rage. "Spike..." Twilight began slowly and with a very serious expression. "I want you to sit down and listen to me. I think your obsession with Rarity needs to end." It felt like the air being let out of a balloon. Spike sat there in shock. He couldn't believe what Twilight had just said. He tried to respond, but the words wouldn't come out. Twilight took a deep breath and continued. "I know that you've had feelings for her for a long time...and I know that you want to protect her." Twilight continued. "You've always wanted to protect her...to be her knight in shining armor. But Rarity is a grown mare. She's more than capable of handling her own affairs...and that includes her own personal relationships." Again, Spike had no answer. "But I think your unrequited feelings for her are beginning to cloud your judgement. Think about it. You're accusing a personal friend of ours of doing something she swears she didn't do. You also made it sound like you just happened to come across the two of them on the street that night, instead of deliberately spying on them like you did. What you did was really unethical...and all for a feeling you had." Twilight paused. "And just now...you want to punch out Rarity's coltfriend...? Where does it end, Spike?" Spike looked at Twilight, to the others, then back at Twilight. He'd never seen her look this disappointed before. Spike could feel everypony's gaze burning a hole in his scales. Even if he was completely certain that he had seen Black Marble making out with Lemon Hearts in an elevator, the optics of him waiting around outside of his hotel for the two of them to show up looked even worse. His heart sunk when he realized that he'd left that part out deliberately when retelling his story. Now they all thought that he was turning into violent beast again. "Oh, Spike..." Surprisingly, Rarity spoke up. She seemed more hurt than angry when she addressed him. "Spike, why would you need to go to such lengths to prove something that just isn't true...? You're succumbing to the same feelings that caused you to rampage through Ponyville years ago..." Spike looked at Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus awkwardly avoided his gaze. Even she seemed disappointed with him. It was all too much for him. He had to get out of there, away from all of them. "I'm sorry everypony...I just...I mean...I can't be here anymore." Spike quickly got up from the table and made his way to leave the throne room. "Spike...wait!" Twilight called after him. He ignored her as he passed through the door. "Spike!" Rarity called out to him. "Spikey...! Spikey Wikey...! Come back! Please don't go...we want to help you! I want to help you!" She ran out into the main hallway only to catch a glimpse of him at the end of the hall by the main doors. Before she could call out to him again, he had already disappeared though them and out of the castle entirely. === Chapter 9 === Sometimes...well, in Spike's case most of the time, sleep was a wonderful thing. He remembered when he was younger, and living with Twilight in their tree house, he used to savour all the times that he could sleep in. It wasn't easy, considering the schedule Twilight had set for him as her Number One Assistant. Still, he always enjoyed the days where he could just lie there in his basket and not be disturbed. It was even better when he had his own room at the Castle of Friendship. Not sharing a room with Twilight meant he got some well deserved privacy, along with more opportunity for uninterrupted rest. Unfortunately for Spike, those days were long gone. He had left his home at the castle a number of weeks ago, due to a serious disagreement, and was now sleeping on a pile of gems in a small room located inside Rich Mansion. His roommates, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody, didn't give him much opportunity for sleep. Not when they spent most of the time partying. At first, it was a blast hanging out at the mansion. Vinyl threw great parties, and Spike was eager to experience spending time with roommates that didn't spend all their time with their noses in a book. But, like everything else, too much of good thing ended up being a detriment in the long run. After a while, Spike got tired of the constant partying, loud music, and the constant stream of ponies coming and going at all hours day and night. It even got to the point where Spike thought about crawling back to Twilight to let him come back to his old home. But Spike was stubborn, and he just couldn't bring himself to go back to his old life. Not after the way he'd left. Besides, he thought, Twilight had moved on with her life. She had all but ignored him the last time he was living with her. She also had a new coltfriend, and probably didn't want him intruding on her personal life. The biggest reason for not going back to the castle, however, was the chance he'd see Rarity. Although she didn't spend a lot of time at the castle, she was still friends with Twilight and Spike was sure he'd have difficulty handling himself around her. His emotions were still too raw when it came to the white unicorn that he had an almost incurable crush on. All that didn't really matter right now. Not when he had music blasting in his ears. He had been asleep, but now Spike was wide awake to the sounds of electronic dance music coming from Vinyl's mobile DJ platform. Her and Octavia had managed to wheel it into his room and now had it cranked up so loud all of Ponyville could have heard it. Spike crawled off his jewel pile to an upright position. As he did so, Octavia made a motion to Vinyl to turn the music off, which the unicorn DJ proceeded to do. The silence in his room was almost as deafening as the music had been. Part of him felt like letting go and tapping into his natural dragon instinct, which unfortunately would probably result in him eating the two ponies in front of him. "It looks like he's awake..." Octavia remarked in her cultured accent. "Yep...and you were right, Tavi..." Vinyl replied. "We had to bring out the heavy artillery to get him functional." "So...before I kill the both of you..." a very irritated sounding Spike interjected. "Maybe you can give me a good reason for me not to...? The last time I went on a rampage it didn't particulary go so well for anypony." Both ponies blinked at the dragon in front of them. Spike appeared calm, but by the tone of his voice he was decidedly miffed at his sleep being interrupted in this fashion. "Right!" Octavia hastily spoke up. "A thousand pardons, Spike. We're very sorry for barging in like this, but it was the only way we could wake you up. You've been asleep for almost an entire day." "Well...that tends to happen when I stay up for a couple of days straight partying..." he pointed out. "Either way," Vinyl interrupted. "Now that you're awake we need you for something." Spike arched his eyebrow but didn't say anything. "We need you to come with us to Canterlot tomorrow," Vinyl continued. "It's the day of the Summer Sun Celebration and we're going to be performing at the ball that evening. We were hoping that you could help us out with set up in the ballroom." Spike was actually surprised that it was time for the Summer Sun Celebration and Gala Ball already. Had the weeks passed by that quickly? "You're right, Vinyl, it is time for the Summer Sun Celebration" Spike finally spoke after doing some calculations in his head. "But I don't know if it's such a good idea for me to go to Canterlot, though. If you recall, the last time I was there things didn't work out so well." "Yeah, but this time it will be different," Vinyl assured him. "How?" he asked pointedly. "All my friends will likely be at the ball. Considering how I left them a few weeks ago, I don't think it would be a good idea just to show up unannounced. I don't even think I'm invited to the event considering I'm probably pony non grata right now..." "You'll be our guest, of course!" Octavia interjected. "You'll have every right to be there regardless of what anypony thinks." "Please, Spike..." Vinyl almost pleaded. "We really need you there. We even told the princesses that you'd be there. They really want to see you again. We promise that nopony will cause any trouble for you while you're with us." Spike sighed. He knew that this was probably a bad idea. But saying no to Vinyl and Octavia was a waste of time too, they would find a way to convince him to go. The though of seeing Celestia and Luna again was certainly appealing. As for his friends...he wasn't sure how they would react, but he knew he couldn't avoid them forever either. "Ok, you've got a deal." he finally announced with sigh. "Where and when do you want me to show up tomorrow?" "Pack your bags and meet us on the front steps at 6am tomorrow morning," Vinyl instructed him. "You'll want to get lots of sleep, it's going to be a long day." Spike rolled his eyes. If that was the case they could have left him alone without barging into his room. Nevertheless, he hopped back on his gem pile as the two ponies wheeled their musical contraption out of his room, and tried his best to go back to sleep. Perfect...everything is absolutely perfect... Rarity admired herself in the full length mirror in her Canterlot hotel room. Everything had led up to this point. The red dress she had on was stunning, and fit perfectly. Her mane and makeup was done to the point that she looked fabulous. The jewels she had on enhanced the beauty and glamour of her look even more. In her opinion she looked like the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria. She was sure she would turns the heads of Canterlot's social elite, both mares and stallions. This was all part of the plan. Rarity wanted this evening to be extra special. Even though she looked like she could attract any stallion she wanted, she only had eyes for one particular stallion. Black Marble. Rarity finally had the perfect stallion to accompany her to a high society event, and she wanted to make sure everypony there knew who she was with. With him by her side, this evening would be exquisite. So why was there this nagging voice in her head telling her otherwise? Why was she having these feelings of regret and doubt? Why, in the name of Celestia, was she having thoughts about Spike at a time like this? Spike treated you better than any pony ever did, and this is how you repay him? Really, Rarity...you're not being very generous, let alone being a lady... The voice sounded like it was coming from inside her mirror. "I am a lady!" Rarity asserted to her reflection. "I'm certainly generous as well. Remember all the things I did for Spike in the past?" But then...when he wanted you to return his affections you shut him out completely. Then you got together with another stallion and stepped all over his feelings as well. He went away for six months just so he could grow up. Because he knew that he had a better chance of winning you over if he did... "Quiet!" Rarity shouted to her reflection. "Spike isn't the same cute baby dragon he was before. He isn't the same as he was before he left. He's an adult now...and he's fully responsible for his actions. He's acting like those horrible brutes we met during the Gauntlet of Fire!" You know that's a ridiculous lie, darling. Spike isn't like those horrible dragons you met before. He's kind and noble...and he cares for you deeply. He always has. "So how do you explain his behaviour lately then...hmm? He's been a complete cad around me. He's moody, and angry...and the things he said about Black Marble were absolutely scandalous... " Darling...you've become completely delusional about that stallion. His stories and explanations are all too convenient. Do you even know anything about Black Marble the same way you know Spike? Have you experienced the same things with him like you did with Spike? How do you that Black Marble isn't playing you for a giant fool, darling? How do you know he's not cheating on you right now...hmmm? "Enough!!" Rarity screamed. She tore herself away from her reflection and crawled up on the bed in her hotel room. It was all a lie...the voice in her head was telling her lies. She was trying hard not to break into tears and wreck her makeup. With all her might, Rarity pushed all the negative thoughts and emotions deep inside of her. She knew in her heart that Black Marble was the one she was supposed to be with. She knew that being with him tonight would be magical. To Tartarus with her doubts and fears... A knock at the door brought her back to reality. "Rarity?" a voice called out. "May I enter my lady?" A huge smile came over her face and she picked herself up off the bed. "You may enter, my fair escort." Black Marble entered her hotel room. Upon glimpsing the beautiful unicorn, he just stopped and stared. "You look simply marvelous tonight my dear," Rarity approached him and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. Making sure she didn't smudge her lipstick, she placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Thank you, Black Marble. You have no idea what those words mean to me right now." "Anything for you, my love..." Black Marble ran a hoof along the side of her face. Rarity shivered at his touch. She wanted him to comfort her right then and there, but knew that it would make them later than what was considered socially acceptable. Feeling a little bit disappointed, Rarity composed herself. "Right then...let's make tonight fabulous shall we...?" The chandeliers sparkled in the great hall of Canterlot Castle as Equestria's elite mingled. From his vantage point behind a stage curtain, Spike could see them all. All his friends were there that evening. On the dais was Twilight flanked by the Two Sisters. Cadence was off to the side along with her husband Shining Armor who was having a conversation with Flash Sentry. The other three alicorns were busy greeting guests and making small talk with various dignitaries. Off to the side of the dance floor, Spike spotted Rainbow Dash and Applejack having a conversation with Soarin and Spitfire. Spike noticed that Rainbow was standing a little closer to Soarin than she would normally for a regular friend. Of course, she would never admit to anypony that she was "interested" in her Wonderbolts colleague, let alone in a full blown relationship. But Spike knew that the two had gotten together while serving in Equestria's elite flying squad. Over by the long food and beverage table was Fluttershy and her partner for the evening, Tree Hugger. Discord was currently in the Crystal Empire watching over Flurry Heart. Apparently, he was the only being that could keep up and take care of the young alicorn princess when her parents weren't there. Spike remembered what a handful she was when he was staying there, even more than when she was a baby. Pinkie Pie was bouncing around like usual. She couldn't resist going into overdrive whenever a party was in full swing. On the stage, Octavia and her quarter provided the waltz music that had numerous couples out on the dance floor. Spike had no problem seeing one couple in particular. They were hard to miss. Rarity and Black Marble glided across the dance floor in their own little world. It didn't take a genius to see that they wanted everypony at the ball to notice them. Indeed, many of the guests at the party were watching the unicorn couple as they danced. Rarity wanted to be the centre of attention, and she was getting her wish so far. Spike retreated from his hiding spot. He looked behind him as Vinyl put the finishing touches on her DJ setup. After Octavia finished up her set, she would be joining Vinyl and the two would be performing together. Celestia and Luna both personally requested that the duo perform together at an event in Canterlot, and both ponies agreed to do so for the Summer Sun Celebration. "You need anything else there Vinyl?" Spike asked. "I think I've got everything under control here big guy," she responded cheerfully. "If you want to take a break go ahead, you've been a big help like always." "Ok then...I'm going to head out onto the balcony for a while. I'll come back in when it's time for you to start your show." Spike just wanted an excuse to get out of the ballroom for a while. It was hard watching his friends having a good time, and not being able to participate. It was even harder watching Rarity as she enjoyed herself with her coltfriend. Maybe Twilight was right...maybe he needed to give up on Rarity. It was pretty apparent that she didn't need him, not with Black Marble around. It was also apparent that when he got back to Ponyville, it might be time to seriously consider relocating himself. The Crystal Empire was always an option, since he was so liked there. The Dragon Lands were another option as well. Ember would welcome him for sure as a distinguished guest. But, if he had to choose, he'd rather be around ponies. He'd been raised by ponies, and he just couldn't see himself living with any other beings in Equestria. Spike made his way through the glass doors and onto the balcony. It was deserted, so he sat down on one of the benches near the edge. He could hear applause inside, meaning that Octavia's performance was finished. After the applause died down, he heard the voice of Princess Celestia address the crowd. She was giving a speech before Vinyl and Octavia continued the evenings entertainment. He hadn't had very much time to talk to Celestia in between their respective preparations for the evening, but he was still glad that he was able to see her and Luna even briefly. Spike hadn't mentioned all the problems he was having back in Ponyville, that would have taken far too much time. But Celestia did mention that they should get together the day after the ball to catch up on events. That would definitely be the right time to tell his adoptive mother what had been happening. He really needed to ask her for advice. "There he is!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Spike had been so lost in thought he didn't notice that Pinkie Pie was on the balcony with him. Of course, Pinkie Pie tended to sneak up on ponies at the best of times. But she usually did it by herself. This time she was with a group of ponies. As the pink pony bounded over to Spike in excitement, and to envelope him in a hug, he noticed Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were right behind her. "Hey, everypony," Spike acknowledged his friends as Pinkie grabbed onto him. "I thought you'd all be inside right now." "Pinkie rounded us up and brought us all out here," Fluttershy admitted. "I was more than happy to get out of there," Rainbow Dash stated. "Don't get me wrong, I like the Princess as much as anypony, but I'd rather not have to listen to another boring speech." "Too bad ya left Soarin in there," Applejack pointed out with a smirk. "He's a big boy, he can fend for himself..." the cyan Pegasus retorted. "But I haven't seen Spike for like forever...or at least since he got back!" "How did you all know I was out here?" he inquired. "I didn't tell any of you I was going to be here tonight." "You can't escape my Pinkie sense, silly..." Pinkie let go of him. "We're so glad you're here tonight too!" "You are?" Spike was very surprised. "I thought you all didn't want anything to do with me after what's been going on lately..." "Just because Rarity is acting all dumb right now doesn't mean we have to be just like her..." Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Ah have ta be honest with ya, Spike," Applejack added. "Ah don't agree with how yer bein' treated by Rarity right now, either." "Fluttershy told us what happened at that meeting you guys had a while back," Rainbow interjected. "I think you were treated badly by everypony involved...including Twilight." She looked over at the yellow Pegasus who was looking rather embarrassed. "Well, Fluttershy was ok..." "I'm sorry about what happened as well," Fluttershy admitted. "I didn't expect Lemon Hearts to show up and accuse you of doing all those things. I'm sorry that I couldn't defend you either. I wasn't sure what to make of everything I heard that day." "It's ok, Fluttershy," he assured her. "I think we were all caught off guard that day. I'm just glad that you aren't mad at me." "None of us are, Spike," she smiled at him sincerely. "So, if you know what's been going on, what do you all think about it?" Spike inquired to his friends. "I really don't see the big deal about Black Marble," Rainbow Dash commented. "I mean, I guess he's good looking and all that, but it just doesn't do it for me." "Ah really don't know what ta make of him," Applejack added. "He didn't seem like a bad apple the one time ah've met him, but ah can't say fer sure what he's really like. Especially since ah heard accounts of yer story the last time you were here, Spike." "Plus, Rarity has such bad taste in stallions to begin with..." Rainbow interjected. "How may stallions has she been with in the past that have ended up being total jerks?" "Now, hold on RD..." Applejack retorted. "She's only been in one serious relationship and that's with Black Marble. Ya can't call the others relationships since they never got this far in the first place." "That's what I mean, though! Rarity just throws herself at stallions and it's ended badly every time. How do we know that it won't be the same thing this time around? Fluttershy...you agree with me, don't you? Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash then down at the ground nervously. "Well...you do sort of have a point..." "See, Fluttershy agrees with me..." the cyan Pegasus proclaimed. "What about you, Pinkie Pie? You've been quite this whole time." Spike asked the suddenly reserved pink party pony. "Well...Spike," she began in a surprisingly serious tone. "Ever since you admitted your crush on Rarity, I've wanted to throw a Spike and Rarity Are Together Party...but I've never gotten the opportunity. It's too bad, because it would be the most super awesome party ever...even better than your homecoming party! I suppose, if they stay together, I could end up throwing a Rarity and Black Marble Party, but it just wouldn't be the same as if you and Rarity finally got together. I guess what I'm trying to say, Spike, is that you and Rarity would make a great pair. I just don't know why Rarity doesn't see it herself." Everypony present stood there in shocked silence. They'd never heard Pinkie sound so serious before. "So what are you waiting for silly...!" Pinkie broke the mood with a huge grin. "Go right up to Rarity and tell her she needs to be with you!" Tell her that when you get together Pinkie is going to throw you guys the biggest, best party ever!!" Out of nowhere Spike was showered with confetti. "Yeah!!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "You go right up to her and tell her that Black Marble is a lying, cheating, bum, and that you two were meant to be together! You're an adult dragon for Celestia's sake!" "Now hold on you two..." Applejack interrupted. "Ah'm all fer bein honest, but even ah think that Spike should be a little bit more discreet than what yer suggestin. Ah mean, the last time he was honest to Rarity she damn near threw everything but the kitchen sink at him!" "Don't remind me..." Spike grumbled. "I don't know if what you're all suggesting is such a good idea," Fluttershy spoke up. "At least not in light of what happened before." "So what's your suggestion, then?" Rainbow Dash inquired pointedly. "Why don't we ask Spike what he thinks?" she looked at Spike. Spike was silent while everypony looked at him waiting for his answer. "I appreciate that you guys have my back...I really do," he began. "I also appreciate all your advice. But I've been thinking about everything that's happened for a while now. What I've realized is that I've really screwed things up since I got back." "C'mon, Spike. Don't be so hard on yerself..." Applejack tried to assure him. "Thanks AJ, but Fluttershy's right. I can't just walk up to Rarity and tell her to leave Black Marble. There's no way she'd do it. In fact, it would probably make things even worse. I don't want you guys taking sides, because I think you are right now. I don't want to wreck any more friendships either." No pony spoke so he continued. "What I'm trying to say is that I know what the best course of action for me is to leave Ponyville again, but this time I'm not coming back." "No way, Spike!!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Don't do that!" "Are you bucking serious?!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "Umm...that's not exactly how I thought you'd handle the situation..." Fluttershy was very surprised at his revelation. "But...where would ya go?" Applejack expressed her surprise. "I don't know..." he admitted. "But right now it's what I have to do. After tonight you won't see me again. I'm sorry..." He turned and walked over to the door to the ballroom, pulled it open, and walked inside before anypony could say anything. As soon as he walked back into the ballroom, Spike knew something wasn't right. By now Vinyl Scratch and Octavia should have started their set for the evening's entertainment. Instead, as he entered he noticed that everypony in the room was standing around looking nervously at the centre of the room. Standing in the middle of the ballroom was Lemon Hearts, and in her magical aura she held a crossbow. Spike hadn't seen a crossbow in years. They were made illegal for public use a long time ago and the only ponies that were authorized to use them were royal guards. Even then, they hadn't been used for many years other than in wars or to defend Equestria from powerful enemies. Lemon Hearts appeared to have her crossbow trained on the dais at the front of the room, particularly on Princess Celestia. Spike wondered exactly where the royal guards were in this instance. It seemed like none of them were in the room right now, even though there had been a number of them present when he left earlier. His thoughts were broken by a gasp from the crowd as Lemon Hearts fired a bolt directly at Celestia. The Princess of the Sun managed to deflect the arrow that was aimed at her, however, even though it didn't hit her she still kneeled over and cried out in obvious pain. Her sister, Twilight, and Cadence rushed immediately to her side. As they tended to her, Lemon Hearts spoke. "That was a warning shot my dear Celestia! Nopony make any sudden movements or try to stop me! Otherwise, I will show all of you that even a goddess can bleed!" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Out of Style author: Vv_-Carnelian-_vV tags: character:Apple Bloom, character:Applejack, character:Rarity, character:Sweetie Belle, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Intro === Rarity, I regret to inform you that I want to cancel that order, you see, I had to cancel the photo shoot due to the models all refusing to wear vintage fashion like I had wanted and my bosses frowned upon this... So I now have to move on with the current fashion that is 'in'... I know that we are very close contacts and I was really hoping of getting us both out of this mess, but sadly I have to try another approach... I hope you are able to find work soon, again I truly am sorry about canceling the order... -Your Companion in fashion, Glittershot Great, her last chance was just thrown out of the window... Now she would have to find yet ANOTHER way to earn the bits to keep the bills paid. This was the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING. She had a pile of bills that needed to be paid and that wasn't counting the ones that she already paid... At that moment Sweetie Belle had came into her office. "Sis? Is everything alright?" She asked. Rarity sighed, remembering that Sweetie Belle had been helping her organizing what little money they had in order to try to keep the place they called home, she almost wanted to lie to her... but no, she had to know the truth. "No dear... The client I had was forced to cancel her order and photo shoot... so now I have no work..." replied the seamstress. Sweetie Belle had understood that if they didn't get the money soon, they would have to sell all that they had in order to pay all of their debts and file bankruptcy; then they would live out on they streets. Seeing her sister like this was saddening, Rarity wanted to have every pony admire all of her passion-filled work and hard-earn fame... But now she was too "out-of-date" for any modeling mare to want to even be seen in anything that she made. All the bills had to be paid in two days to make it worst... Sweetie Belle knew that they would be packing the few things they couldn't live without and sell the rest and find either new work or live on the streets... which would mean that Sweetie Belle would go to a foster home if the latter came to be since their parents had passed away due to a illness earlier in past few years. "Should I start packing our bags?" Asked the little crusader. Rarity looked at Sweetie Bell with some regret. "That... would be best dearie..." Answered Rarity. She didn't want to give up... but there was no possible way for them to come up with the money to save their home in time... so she had to face the music and try to look for a place that would take them in while she found a new job... She figured that her friends might know of some things that could work... But she had to find work so that she and Sweetie Belle could stay together... After all... they were the only family either of them had... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack had gotten a letter from Rarity and was very excited. She had developed a crush for the unicorn over the years and was starting to have daydreams about her while working on the fields... which sure enough, led to a very annoyed Big Mac and Applebloom... but they secertly knew that AJ had a cruch on Rarity so they tolerated her daydreaming as much as they could. Applejack opened the letter quicker than a scootaloo on her scooter and started reading. After she read the letter her heart stopped and she started to cry while the letter drifted to the ground. Applebloom walked up onto the porch with her older sister and saw the letter and read it... Applebloom was shocked then looked at her sister and tried to comfort her... This wasn't going to be a easy time for either Rarity or Applejack at all... To my most honest companion Applejack, I am indeed very sorrowful to inform you that tomarrow I am filing bankruptcy and moving out... I am selling all of my and Sweetie Belle's posscessions to pay off our bills as well as sell our home... we have no other option... I write to you hoping that you may have some idea of a place that i can stay at or find work... But I must find something soon for fear that I may lose my darling little sister and move to Manehattan or somewhere else to find more work...... Please let me know at your earlist convience... -Your Friend, Rarity Then Applebloom came up with a idea... "Wait... Sis! I got it! Why don't you offer Rarity and Sweetie belle to live with us and help with the farm?" she offered. When Applejack heard this, she jolted up and turned to her sister. "That's a heck of a idea Applebloom! Y'a right! I'd best get over to Rarity's to ask her!" The mare dashed off to get over to Carousel Boutique as fast as she could. If Rarity said yes then Applejack might finally get to admit her feelings for the beautiful mare... She just hoped that she wasn't too late... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The last of their things went onto the loading stuck. It was all going to different ponies who bought various items for themselves... Rarity was sad that it had to come to this. She and Sweetie Belle had each one sack of belongings that they couldn't be without... various trinkets and pictures as well as some snacks in case they weren't able to purchase food with what few funds they had... Then Rarity saw a Orange mare running towards them... wearing a leather hat and her blonde mane flowing behind her. Applejack... she must've received her letter... how come she always got her letters and read them so quickly? She sent it only hours ago... Applejack stopped in front of Rarity and was catching her breath. "Rarity... I... got... your... letter... whew... and I t'was wonderin' if you... would like to stay with me and my folks... we could use any kind of assitance... with yer' magic and such: housework, sewing, levitating the apples off dem' trees... What do ya say? We would love do have ya'll both stay... Sweetie Belle could room with Applebloom and you and me could share a room if you'd like... I mean we could clean up the guest room if you'd want but-" At that moment she was cut off by a tight hug by the unicorn sisters. "OOH, Applejack! Yes! We would love that very much! You don't know how much this means to us! Thank you! But please don't worry about cleaning! We won't be a bother! Again THANK YOU!" Rarity shouted with glee. Applejack, her savior! There couldn't be a nicer mare in all of Equestria! Well... I started this... and I hope you all like it... I embraced my bronyness the other week when reading University Days by DawnFade, which is AMAZING by the way, and I decided to practice my writing and see if I am either good or horrible... well comment on what you think of this thus far. === Chapter One === "Hey Rarity, if ah' may ask, if you and Sweets there were gonna have to sell your house and live on dem' streets... How come Sweetie Belle would have to go to a foster home? Don't you fillies got parents to take care of ya'll?" Asked Applejack. The question had been burning in her mind since the three of them had begun their walk back to Sweet Apple Acres. She then wanted to take back her question as soon as she saw the looks on the sister's faces. She had obviously put salt in a open wound... She felt a feeling of guilt come over her for making the mare of her dreams feel so bad... even worse for doing the same to her little sister. "They... passed on... It was during the Manehattan epidemic a few years back... They died a week after they contracted the illness and left a letter saying goodbye to us... We were told by the doctor that they had died in peace and didn't feel any pain..." Rarity sniffed a little as she told Applejack. "Dear Celestia, I'm sorry girls... Ah' never knew... I-" Applejack tried to apologized but Rarity just waved her hoof. "It's fine darling, like you said you never knew... I actually was gonna tell you when it happened but we were both so busy at the time... What with you having to fulfill all those ponies with cider and me trying to find work so we could save our home. But... still... thank you again for taking us in..." Rarity said as she hugged Applejack. The apple farmer's face became redder than any apple that had ever grown on the farm in all the years her family had been there. Sweetie Belle gave Applejack a knowing look, causing the earth pony to avert her eyes and blush even redder. "W-well, I-I suppose we should... continue to the farm?" She asked nervously almost not wanting the hug to end. Sadly, Rarity released Applejack from her amazing grip and picked up her bag again with magic. "Yes, we should..." Said Rarity, completely oblivious to the stutter in Applejack's voice. As they made their way towards the farm, Applejack found entertainment in kicking a decent sized pebble across the road with her hoof. Every now and again, she would take a quick glance at the beautiful white-coated mare. She wondered how long Rarity was planning to stay. She supposed that would depend if she admitted her feelings towards the former-seamstress, but she wouldn't do that now... having just brought up Rarity's dead parents... not so much of a good idea to bring up the deep emotions she refused to share with anypony, even with her family, but she supposed that it must've been obvious if Sweetie Belle and her siblings kept on giving her odd looks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soon enough they had arrived at the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack noticed her sister on the porch working on her schoolwork while supposedly waiting for Applejack and the unicorn sisters to return. About halfway to the porch Applebloom closed a textbook and put it in her saddlebag along with whatever she was working on then, noticing the group walking up to the house, walked over to Applejack. "Hey sis! I finished my homework like you told me to this morning at breakfast, but why are Rarity and Sweetie Belle here?" asked Applebloom as if she hadn't came up with the idea for them to stay here and help out on the farm. "Well dearie... the fashion industry has been changing and my work isn't appraised anymore which meant we had to file bankruptcy and try to sell our possessions and home, but your older sister here came up with the idea to go ahead to let Sweetie Belle and I stay here on the apple farm and help around the house and farm..." answered Rarity, "Oh, yes! Applejack you must be staving, would you like me to make you something? Oh, who am I kidding of course you are! Allow me to make everypony some splendid supper! I'll be in the kitchen!" giving her no time to reply, Rarity dashed into the house while being greeted by Big Mac and Granny Smith. Applebloom looked at both Applejack and Sweetie Belle with a innocent smile on her face. "Be sure to take good care of my older sister Applejack..." stated Sweetie Belle. In response Applejack blushed wildly. "Ah- ah' not a clue what ya'll talkin' 'bout," then after she was sure Rarity couldn't hear them, she glared at them roughly, "... How ya'll lil' varmits guess?" The two crusaders just glared at Applejack. "Really?" they said in unison. Sweetie Belle just rolled her eyes. "Sis, your more obvious than a dragon in the middle of Ponyville," remarked Applebloom while clapping her hoof over her face in shame of her oblivious sister. Applejack smiled nervously at the reactions of the two crusaders... She had guessed that a few ponies had suspicions but never had she guessed that it had been so obvious. She assumed that if these two knew, it was more than likely the rest of her family and friends knew... The very idea scared her half to death. Inside, the three girls heard Rarity, Mac, and Granny Smith having a polite conversation while the smell of sautéed vegetables filled the air. Going inside, they saw a the apple family's grandmother talking to Rarity as she cooked carrots, potatoes, onions, and various spices in a pan as she poured in a tad bit of a oily liquid from a Ivory bottle, making the vegetables sizzle in the skillet. "Geez, Rarity... Wha' cha have in that there bottle? Smells delightful if ah' do say so myself," said Applejack. Rarity looked up and smiled. "Why, it's a specially mixed cooking oil... family secret... my grandmother showed me it before she passed on... old age... it gets passed on to the next in line of the family, normally the eldest. Each bottle is different and meant for different kinds of cooking... It brings a nice memory of her..." replied Rarity in a dreamy voice. "Oh, Applejack, I know this is rude... but could you set the table for me please? I don't want this to burn while I try to navigate through your kitchen..." "Sure thing, Rarity!" Applejack responded in a excited tone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After eating dinner, which consisted of the vegetables and a shared loaf of bread and apple slices, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were doing the dishes while Applejack and Big Mac went to the stores to get some things for Rarity for her work on the farm. In the meantime, Rarity and Granny Smith were in the living room telling stories and sharing gossip. "... So then, we ended up giving poor Opal to Fluttershy so she could take care of her and the kittens... I wasn't excited about the idea, but Sweetie Belle said it would be best since they would all need a enormous amount of attention and we were both so busy with me finding work and Sweetie Belle crusading for her cutie mark... Fluttershy assured me they would all be fine but I still visit them from time to time," Rarity said in a exhausted tone. She was happy that Granny Smith was willing to listen to her... She had a way of tolerating anypony and even enjoying the company of others. It was... nice to have somepony to appreciated for their character. "Aww, poor dear Rarity... That must've been hard for you..." Granny Smith was impress of how generous and strong the young mare was... for years since Twilight became an Alicorn, Rarity and the others had become more skilled and closer than they had the first day Twilight arrived in Ponyville. Although... one thing kept burning through her mind about the youthful mare... "Rarity, If you wouldn't mind me askin'... but how did you end up out of bussiness?" She asked the former fashionmatist, who in response frowned at the elderly mare. "Oh... I suppose it would be healthy to tell another soul... well... okay... you see... It all started a few years back..." Well... you done it... you ACTUALLY gave me the confidence to write the first chapter of this... You should all be very proud of yourselves... But really I just want to say thank you to those of you who gave me all of that very helpful critizism and beautiful ideas! Oh, and yes, I am making you wait for Rarity's downfall history... Mwuhaha... I promise that it will not take long though. hmm... I guess I should thank a few ponies... Critics (AKA- Motivators) -Mattricole -Stormy Skies -articunos bitch Ponies who gave me a reason to continue to write this in the first place -TheWanderingPikachuPony -Sour Grapes -Mariacheat-Brony -Spryzler -And of course the Critics as well ... Thank you... P.S.- Please inform me if I did better or worse so I can correct any errors and such! I don't want to ruin the very thing that made you guys so hopeful of this story! T~T === Chapter Two === Five years ago, Canterlot, five days till Hearths Warming Eve It was a beautiful day in Canterlot, a setting perfect filled with white frost everywhere. Rarity was taking a stroll down a street in her new winter attire she designed for herself: a hat, scarf, and boots of different shades of dark and light purple. She was on her way to the post office to drop off a few packages for her family. She had even gotten Applejack a gift, a old pocket watch of bronze with a rustic silver apple on the cap. Sure, Applejack had no use for it, but it was the thought that counted. She arrived at the one story building and entered inside. Luckily the heating was on for a while, filling Rarity with a warm greeting upon her entrance. She noticed the post office was still the same even though the employees went on and on about redecoration from the old white walls, blue carpet, and office plants. She did however find that there was a muffin basket on a small table near the entrance with a little post-it note on it that read, 'Eat me, I'm free!'. Doing what the muffins desired (they wanted to be eaten, so what if she was on a diet), she picked one up with her telekinesis and took a bite of a banana-nut muffin. Then she saw a pink blur outside a window as if someone was following her and glaring through her soul... "Yay! Someone ate a muffin!" Yelled a gray unicorn filly that was skipping towards the entrance along with a brown stallion with a hourglass cutie mark. Rarity then smiled as she recognized the two ponies as Time Turner and his Daughter Dinky. She then waved a hoof towards them and went over to meet them halfway of their path towards her. "Ah, Doctor! How are you and Ditzy? I see that your daughter is doing excellent." Rarity cheerfully stated. "Oh, Hello Rarity! We're doing great! Only five days till Hearths Warming Eve, isn't that right Dinky?" asked Time Turner. As Rarity shifted her gaze from the stallion to Dinky, she noticed that the filly was shaking with wide eyed excitement. "I'M SO EXCITED!!!!" a enthusiastic Dinky Hooves cheered loudly. "Huh; Well darling, I wish you good luck in the five days to come..." stated the seamstress with mocked pity. In response Turner glared at Rarity with envy. The only children she had to put up with were her sister and her two crusading friends, whom were at Ponyville. Rarity was staying at Canterlot for a period of a estimate of eight months, much to her friends dismay. She assured them she would visit them whenever she had the time, which was always the weekends and holidays, and also promised to write often. She always got letters the day after she sent them, curse spike and his emerald fire. Still, she was glad for the instantaneous letters. They helped her remember all of the fun times she shared with her friends. Two friends of hers that she made while in her time in Canterlot were a gray coated earth pony mare named Octavia who had a beautiful black mane. While the other, Glittershot, a unicorn who styled a red mane with a white streak in it and had a pale olive coat. They were a cellist and a photographer respectively and they were near the top in their lines of work. Rarity had taken the two of them to Ponyville many times to meet her friends, which also happened to be the place where Octavia meet a Unicorn of the name Vinyl Scratch. The two of them had been dating for six months now and from the last time she heard from Vinyl, she planned to propose to Octavia tonight at their favorite restaurant. She was happy for the two of them, but she was worried for herself and Glittershot's work. A new line of fashion had started emerging called 'Steampunk'. It was mainly based off of a grim color scheme with gears and old machinery. It was extremely popular with young mares of noble status, at least that's where Rarity and Glittershot hoped it stayed. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas and thought that having every mare in Canterlot be in love with the fashion. Heck even some stallions were getting a little bit into it. But she didn't want to think about it. she was still getting her same clients and agents to get her work and payment, so she didn't mind the fashion for now. She didn't know that her opinion was about to change very soon. "Rarity! Rarity, I thought that was you!" shouted a scared voice rushing into the post office. Rarity turned to she it was her friend Glittershot, wide-eyed and what seemed to be in a panic. The photographer was catching her breath and was desperately trying to say words but they came out as a mumbling rant of confusion. "Glittershot! Take in a deep breath and focus!" shouted Rarity in concern for what had Glittershot so worried. She was always a level headed mare who never lost her cool even when she was taken to court for quote/ unquote, "Careless-and-unmoderate-behavior-of-over-excessive-habits-of-the-beverage-nature," and was forced to pay a five-hundred bit fine. Glitter shot began to breath easily and took a drink of water from Time Turner when he offered her one. She began to ramble about the problem at hoof. "Raritywehavetohurrymybrothersareincaterlotandtheyare-". "Glittershot! SLOW. DOWN. I can't hear you if your talking too fast darling!" scolded Rarity. "For Celestia's sake, MY BROTHERS ARE IN CANTERLOT PROMOTING STEAMPUNK FASHION AND THEY HAVE NEARLY HALF THE CITY INTO IT BY NOW!" Screamed Glittershot. Rarity stood there in shock at what she said. "What!? Where are those ruffians!? We have to stop them!" Rarity was scared. If they succeeded then the two of them would be out of work for a long time, if not forever. "Doctor? Could you be a dear and check these in for me please? Also, say hello to your wife for me!" Rarity asked as polite as possible while placing her presents to her family and Applejack around Time Turner. After placing the last package, the two older unicorns galloped to Glittershot's bothers with Glittershot leading the way. They had to stop them from ruining the fashion world that respected them! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I can't believe they actually did it..." Glittershot morned as she was packing her suitcase. Unlike Rarity, Glittershot always carried only one suitcase at all times. She didn't like packing very much, due to the fact that it reminded her of the days when she traveled with her brothers Flim and Flam. They always had to ruin everything, from Applejacks cider seasons to Glittershots photoshoots, and always ran off before getting what they deserved. Rarity was feeling bad for her companion. Her own brothers were supporting the thing that was ruining her carreer and when they had talked to them after their show was over (they had gotten there after the show had ended for a while and the brothers were packing up and could see what was going on,) Flim and Flam were overjoyed, 'You mean little Glittershot will be out of work!? That's brilliant! She can help us on our traveling shows again!' It was depressing, seeing the look on the face of the sister of the twins when she heard them say that. Glittershot may be a bit blunt at times, as well as picky; but she was a honest, kind, hard-working mare who took a great passion in what she did. Rarity stood at the door to Glittershot's room in their apartment, with her things already packed. Then they both heard the front door click and opened, and a voice sounded throughout the apartment. "Glittershot? Rarity? You two still here?" It was Octavia, she must've heard about the Flim Flam brothers show and about how they got nearly everypony in Canterlot into the new fashion. "In here Octavia dear, in Glittershot's room finishing packing." called back Rarity. "Packing!? You guys are leaving Canterlot? Bummer..." complained a soon saddened Vinyl who had apparently tagged along with Octavia. "Yes, I'm moving back to Ponyville, while Glittershot here is... I'm sorry but where are you going again darling?" "Actually... I was hoping to crash with you till I find a company or agent looking for a photographer..." Responded Glittershot with a nervous grin while she was packing up her only other baggage that she normally left at home unless she was moving, a camera case with a varieties of lens and films along with the actual camera itself. She took great pride in that camera. She had received it from her father who had passed on and encouraged her always take pictures of it so she could share her memories with all whom she cared about. Flim and Flam had almost broke it once on accident without realizing it belonged to their sister. Which of course, led her to run off from their scamming life style. Rarity sighed in response, Glittershot started to make huge sad eyes and pouted her lip. The seamstress remembered her little sister Sweetie Belle and Ponyville's party animal, Pinkie Pie, always making this face towards her whenever they wanted something from her. She tried many times to resist but to no avail she would never win. The same had been true for Glittershot, for Rarity tried everything from avoiding her to even wearing a blindfold but none the less the yellow unicorn never lost. "Okay, but please don't make Applejack mad... she is still sore about the last time your brothers visited Ponyville." Rarity conceded. Then came a awkward silence as the four of them shivered from what happened when the twins decided to return to Ponyville for a second time. Rarity knew Applejack very well; but she never knew that the cowpony, or anypony for that matter, could fit two stallions of their size into such a small barrel... "Even if I hate my brothers with a passion... That was a little bit too mean..." Glittershot quietly stated. The others nodded their heads in silence. After a half-hour of packing their eleven suitcases, most of them Rarity's, they sat in the living room talking for one last night. They chatted about Vinyl and Octavia's engagement, Rarity's presents, and all of the memories they shared since they all moved to Canterlot. "Ha-ha! Yea... I'm so going to miss this place..." laughed Vinyl. Glittershot and Rarity looked at each other in confusion. "What do you mean? You're not moving are you?" asked Glittershot. Vinyl and her Fiancé looked at each other and nodded. "After we heard about Glittershot's brothers getting everyone into Steampunk, me and Vinyl agreed to move to another town because we were sure that the two of you would move away from Canterlot and we didn't want our friendship to fall apart for some reason... We were thinking about moving to Ponyville but it will take us a few years due to having to tie things down here. Vinyl has a four year contract with this one Radio station that sends her to random clubs around the city that she needs to find a way out of. While myself on the other hoof, have to wait till I can make the arrangements for moving and getting a house built in Ponyville." Octavia explained in a reassuring tone. Rarity didn't know it but she had a blank look on her face. Her friends were willing to move with her in order to preserve their friendship? She smiled, of course... that's the point of a true friend... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Present "...And after that, I've had a dramatic decrease in sells. In my last year I pretty much was just doing Nightmare Night costumes and decorations... I've been trying to find other jobs but no one in Ponyville needs someone of my talents... I really didn't want to move unless it was the last option I had to find work... Vinyl and Octavia moved to Ponyville as they had planned and are raising a filly that Octavia carried thanks to a 'donor' and are expecting another, only this time it's Vinyl. Glittershot, I believe she told me she got a short-term contract with a Canterlot fashion line for Steampunk. She tells me she hates it, but it is a source of income so I encouraged her to stay with them as long as possible..." Sighed Rarity. She took a look at the clock and noticed that it was very late into the night and looked around the room, only to see that Granny Smith wasn't the only one listening to her story. Applejack, Big Mac, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle were gathered around the room listening to her story. When the former seamstress realized this she started to blush. "Geez Rar'... Ah didn't think ya had such a rough an' tough time up in Canterlot... When ah asked, ya just said that it went great..." Applejack stated with a tad bit of guilt... How come she never noticed? She had to find a way to make her feel better... Rarity attempted to cheer up Applejack, "I didn't want to worry anypony now... It was... not that easy to tell anypony that I would most likely end up jobless..." "Still... oh, ah still got that fancy' pocket watch thingy ya' gave me." Applejack was sure that would cheer up the white mare. Rarity gave a light blush, "You still have it? You took care of it and everything?" She truly didn't expect her to keep the thing after all of these years, honestly she though it must've broke by now... "Yeah, you should've seen Applejack when it stopped working," snickered Applebloom, "she was in such a panic that she was in tears! 'Ah broke it! Ah broke it! What am ah gonna do once Rar'- ' Ow! That hurt!" "Varmint" grumbled the blushing cowpony. Rarity then noticed something on Applebloom's flank, "Applebloom dear, excuse me for not noticing earlier but did you get your cutie mark?" she inquired. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked and they both gave a nervous grin at a apple-shaped gear with smaller circle shaped ones around it. "Oh, that... ah got it after fixin' that pocket watch," she said with a nervous grin. This got Rarity thinking about something. "Did Scootaloo get hers?" When the two crusaders shook their heads, she was kind of disappointed. Well at least the Cutie mark Crusaders were off to a good start. They continued the night and talked about all the things Rarity had missed while working hard to keep her home. From Twilight dating Rainbow dash; to Vinyl and Octavia's two children (Rarity attended their wedding thank Celestia,) Ballad and Remix, a unicorn sister and earth pony brother respectively. They gossiped that Lyra and Bon-Bon were also married and had a new born filly of their own, born from Bon-Bon, that they named Sweet Note. Rarity also learned that Spike and Silver Spoon started dating, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both started being nicer after a accident that Applebloom and the crusaders saved them from. Rarity realized that she missed out on so much, and all from trying to keep the home for herself and her sister... The irony. She tried to save her home so she wouldn't have to move so she could experience these moments, but in doing so... wow... it was like there was somepony looking at all of this in wide perspective and lining up events exactly as they were happening... and also had a very odd sense of humor... As the night went on, one-by-one they went off to bed. Soon it was just Applejack and Rarity, staring into each others eyes. Rarity noticed her mane was relaxed and not styled as it normally was, she was thinking about putting her hair into a bun real quick when Applejack said something that made her blush. "Ah' like your mane Rar'... It looks... err, p-pretty..." stuttered the country mare in a light blush. Hold on did Applejack...? "You think I'm... pretty? Applejack darling... do you have a crush on me?" she asked with a knowing smile. It wasn't suggestive. It wasn't menacing. It was... kind... Applejack responded by looking away and biting her cheek, "W-what a-ah don't know what ya' talkin' bout'!" "Applejack, it's okay if you do... I... kind of had one on you too..." She blushed... she never thought that she would've ever admitted it to Applejack but she had done exactly that! She was nervous that the cowpony wouldn't take her seriously, but her doubts went away when she felt a pair of warm lips come into contact with hers. The two of them were in a passionate kiss. It lasted for ten minutes with breaks in between for breathing. But sadly, they couldn't kiss all night. So Rarity started to walk towards Applejack's room with the concerned party following her closely. When they entered, it was a plain wooden room with a simple pink-sheeted double bed. Applejack and her were talking one last time for the night about what was planned tomorrow. "So what is it I will be doing here?" asked Rarity. "Well, on our way to town, me and Big Mac were talkin' and sayin' that ya could watch over the girls, run errands, and such... kinda like one em... nanniemaids... you always kept a clean house, and Sweetie and Applebloom shouldn't be hard to handle now that they are in there teen years. Plus it will allow me and Mac to get to work sooner and get done earlier." explained the orange mare. Rarity smiled warmly and gave Applejack one last kiss on the cheek, "That sounds as good as sugar, Darling..." after that, Rarity went to sleep. Excited to start her new life at Sweet Apple Acres.... I doubled the size of chapters based off two things! - I FEEL BAD FOR MAKING YOU WAIT SO LONG!!! I'M SORRY!!! - People are liking (I am 86.79532% sure most of you are drunk if you enjoy my writing...) my story so I thought... Moar... Anyways I hope you all liked this chapter and , as always, remember that critics get first dibs on the guns in the gun cabinet for my execution by public humiliation firing squad... Oh! I almost forgot! The syrup, feathers, and mongoose are in the wardrobe next to the guns. See you soon and remember to look out for grammar and spelling errors... tired me wrote this and some of us know how that went... P.S.- I've been wanting a cover for this, but I'm horrible so I was wondering if anyone wanted to make one for it out of the kindness of their heart... *puppy pinkie face of cuteness +10* === Chapter Three === Rarity woke up to the glowing rays of the rising sun and chirping birds that filled the air of the crisp morning of the brand new day. She smiled knowing that today was the start of a new life for her and she wanted to make it the best that she could. She looked to the other side of the bed that she slept in the previous night and found that her Applejack was missing and in her place was a piece of neatly-folded paper. Rarity took it in her hooves and opened it to read its contents. Dear Rarity, I apologize for not being there for you when you wake up, but I wanted you to get some much needed rest after Sweetie Belle told me that you haven't been sleeping for the last few nights. When you wake up, come down into the kitchen and grab some grub with the rest of us. Also, Granny will show you what you will need to do around the farm after you drop off the girls at school. Love, With all the care, Your Marefriend, Your confused bearer of the Element of Honesty, AppleJack P.S.- We need to talk about that tonight... Rarity smiled at the small piece of paper. It was nice knowing that Applejack had feelings for her in return for her own after all these years, not to mention that she technically shared a room with her new marefriend. Applejack did have a point though, they needed to talk to make sure that last night wasn't a spur of the moment thing. Deciding that she should probably get out of bed and start her first day on Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity got out of bed after folding the note from Applejack and placing in on the nightstand. She trotted down the stairs while using her magic to get rid of any grogginess that may of been on her body. On the way down she debated on if she should style her mane or keep it flat, in the end she decided that she would just have it all on one side flat and simple since Applejack thought that Rarity looked pretty with it simple. After reaching the bottom of the stairs she made a right turn into the kitchen and dining area. She saw on the table not only a buffet of apple-related breakfast foods, but the apple family and her little sister enjoying it while deep in a conversation about the love lives of the two crusader's at the table. "Applebloom! Why did you have to tell them I have a crush on Scootaloo!?" yelled a white filly with a face as red as any apple on Applejack's orchard, it became even redder and her eyes widened when she noticed that her older sister Rarity was standing right behind the others and heard what she just said. Although Rarity was surprised, she didn't had any negative feelings against Sweetie Belle. Would she not be a hypocrite if she scolded her sister for the same thing that related between her and Applejack? Instead, in order to encourage the young unicorn, Rarity gave a supporting smile and said the one thing that the young filly wasn't expecting, "Really? My little sister has found somepony she likes? Oh, marvelous! When do you plan on telling her?" inquired the former seamstress, or was it housekeeper now? Oh details, but still, it was a matter she would discuss with her cowpony later. "W-wait, you mean your okay with me..." Sweetie Belle started. "Liking mares? Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" Sweetie Belle stared in disbelief at her sister's words. She had expected some kind of tantrum or lecture about mares liking stallions and vice-versa; but here they were at the dinner table, Talking about Sweetie Belles crush, and Rarity was perfectly happy about it. She noticed Rarity taking her seat at the table and giving Applejack a wink, which in turn made Applejack blush wildly. Sweetie Belle wasn't sure yet but... "Wait, sis, do you like other mares?" asked the crusader. In response, Rarity looked back towards Applejack with a raised eyebrow as if asking a question. She noticed that the apple farmer closed her eyes and nodded, after which Rarity pulled her in closer and went in for a passionate kiss quite to Applejack's and the others surprise. Pulling away from the kiss, Rarity turned back to her little sister who was gawking in a not-so-naïve blush as the young fillies mind was making her see unwanted images. "I do believe that answers your question, does it not dear sister? Now hurry up, if memory serves me correctly it's Tuesday and you and Applebloom have school today," Rarity spoke in a casual tone while Applejack fainted unto the ground with a dopey look a on her face. "Applejack? Are you okay darling?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rarity, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle had just pasted the main gate to Sweet Apple Arces and began heading to the schoolhouse that was around a half a mile away. Meanwhile, Rarity was being asked questions by the two fillies about her relationship with Applejack. "So how long have you two been going out?" asked Applebloom. "Technically we've never went on a date yet, we kind of became a... uh... 'item' last night," responded Rarity. "How long have the two of you had feelings for each other?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Well, I'm not too sure about Applejack, but I think about around five years for me." replied the unicorn once again. "Have you two done anything-" Started Applebloom before she was cut off by Rarity, who was more than aware of what she was going to ask. "Look! Here we are! You two better hurry I'm sure the two of you don't want to be late," said the lightly-blushing unicorn. Ignoring the fact that Rarity had evaded their question, the crusaders waved to the new 'housekeeper' as Applejack and Rarity had agreed on after breakfast as the two fillies got ready for school. Rarity took pride in the new title, it gave her a renewed sense of purpose. On her way back to the farm, she heard several hoof steps approaching her. She turned towards the sound and realized it was coming from her and Applejack's friends, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash who at the time was wearing a suit of purple armor with Twilight's cutie mark on her chest. Which caused several looks towards her in confusion. Rainbow Dash groaned when she realized what they were staring at and explained in a annoyed tone. "Ugh... I'm Twiley's- err... Twilight's captain of the guard... But that's not the point! Twilight and I got your letter! You're bankrupted!? We could've helped you know!" She was trying to be taken seriously but Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle a little bit, before catching herself and meekly apologizing. Rarity tried to carefully explain the situation to her friends, "Yes I know, but I couldn't take any money. If I did, it wouldn't be enough to cover all of the bills and payments that I needed to cover, so I had to file bankruptcy and sell my home-" she was then interrupted by Pinkie who came up to her face. Fluttershy was taken aback due to the speed of the pink blur that was Pinkie. "YOU'RE HOMELESS!?" Rarity sighed, she was going to have to explain to the three of them on her way back to Sweet Apple Arces... "Rainbow, did Twilight come with you?" she asked. "No, she's busy with a Princess Tribunal... Why do you ask?" "I just wanted to be able to explain to everypony I sent a letter to in one go while I head back to Sweet Apple Acres. Do you mind if we do that?" She asked the others, which they shook their heads meaning that they didn't mind at all. She motioned for them to follow her and preceded to explain to them everything behind her backstory for the last five years. Okay, I tried to flesh this one out a bit more than what I had when a finished it. I have to admit it wasn't MUCH but still it is better with the few things that I switched out. Also, I think I would like a group decision from those following this story. Just put in your vote in a message to me (if you so choose,) of which option you would prefer best: 1) Rarity starts to find different gems on the farm and uses them to help earn extra money for the Apple family. 2) Sweetie Belle is forced to go to a foster-home because Rarity forgot to fill out the proper paperwork. 3) Glittershot returns to Ponyville and is unlucky enough to be followed by her brothers Flim and Flam. 4) Rarity finds out she is pregnant because of -SPOILERS-. I will not expose the results if you choose to participate for those who wish to be surprised. Also, if you want a OC to have a cameo in the story just send me a message and we shall work something out. (details, backstory, personality, etc.) I also have to say that there is a code in the following line: "I've been rude introducing needed gigs, you open up great literary inspirations to totally eccentric responsibilities so heads-up opportunity takers!" Guess my motivators! GUESS! (also that's what I call followers of this story now. Read chapter 2 AN to understand... === Chapter Four === Okay, short chapter, but this is to make up for lost time, hope you all enjoy! "Really? You and Applejack are dating now?" Rainbow Dash asked on the way back to Sweet Apple Acres. "Honestly dear, that's the first thing you ask?" Rarity replied with a hint of a groan, "Yes, we are indeed an... item now, and I must say she is quite the mare." For the last twenty minutes, Rarity had explained her life story of the last five years up to the present moment. Throughout the story, her three friends all reacted with either tears, awes, or looks of pity. Rarity informed them that she was fine, but Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash wouldn't hear of it and would try (and succeeded) in giving her comforting hugs. Which a bit of a surprise on Rarity's part, not because of the hugs but because Rainbow Dash had decided to join in the hug comforting. "Don't give me that look, friends hug, especially when one of them needs it." Rainbow told her. Rarity smirked at the pegasus with appreciation. They continued trotting towards Sweet Apple Acres for another half hour or so before arriving at the porch of the Apple Families' Home, which had Granny Smith to greet them. "Why, Howdy girls! Been a while since we last seen each other, ain't it?" She greeted. They group greeted the old mate in return, then began to catch up with her. It was nice for Rarity to see her friends again after recent events. She watched them speak with the Apple family patron for a moment before noticing a small trinket in Granny Smiths' lap. "Excuse me, Granny Smith, but what's that in your lap?" Inquired Rarity. Granny looked down towards the objected and her eyes widened with realization, as if remembering something. "Oh! Umm... It's... Just a little nuthin' little one." She responded with hesitation, trying to hide it with her blanket. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash saw what it was. "Granny, why do you have one of those steampunk medallions?" Raritys' mind went blank. Unsure of what to do, she just let her memories knock her into unconsciousness. Which later she would admit, was a bit of a overreaction. ---------------------------------- Ponyville, a nice little town away from the worries and fashions of the city of Canterlot. A young mare, of unicorn descent, was happy to have finally arrive to the town once more as she stepped off the train to the platform. Her letter should have arrived eariler this week based off when she sent it, but it was old information. Sadly, it was worse than what she had wrote. She shook her head, discarding such sad thoughts. Now wasn't the time for that, she came to find a friend. Luckily she knew where to find her, and hoped it wasn't too late. She asked a pony if they knew where a particular shop was, but was informed of news that it closed down and it's owner moved to a nearby farm owned by the Apple family. Well, she knew where to look at least. ---------------------------------- "Is she awake?" "Ah think she's comin' to actually." "Oh thank goodness, I was worried there." "Don't any of you think it was a 'bit' of an over reaction, even for her?" Rarity woke up on the Apple's couch, hearing the voices around her. Although she resented the last comment, she did admit to herself it was somewhat true. She looked around to find her friends, joined by Applejack, surrounded her in the living room. She blushed at the realization that she fainted for such a silly reason in such a dramatic fashion. "Hehe... Um... We can... Forget about that, yes?" She asked nervously. The others gave each other a knowing look has they nodded. Later, they shared stories about their lives with Rarity so she could get caught up with what she missed while worrying about her debts. No one mentioned her reaction to Granny's medallion, which she explained was received in the mail by a member of the Apple Family in Dodge Junction. She had given it to Ditzy Do, the mail mare, as a gift. No one was sure wether or not to bring up the new fashion to Rarity, and why it was effecting her so, but they knew it would need to discussed soon. As the group discussed old times, there was a simple knock on the door. Applejack stood up and trotted to the door and answered it. "Why howdy there! Ah haven't seen ya in a long time there! Come on in!" She greeted the mare. As the guest entered, Rarity gasped in surprised. Before her stood her long time friend and partner in fashion. "Hello again, Rarity!" Greeted Glittershot. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Frozen Friendship author: Melody Song tags: character:Fleetfoot, character:Rainbow Dash, character:Soarin, character:Spitfire, genre:Adventure, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Prologue === This chapter contains important knowledge. Please do not skip it. One day, a couple had a filly. It was their second child, and she was very special. Her mane was white as snow, her eyes were almond-shaped and fuchsia. Her coat was ice blue. And when they touched her hoof to a bowl of water, it froze on impact. Her name was Fleetfoot Frost. Fleetfoot shut the door to her room tight, hunched over and crying. She reached out a hoof and watched the magic begin to stir. "It's just getting stronger the more I grow. I can't let them take it. It's the only protection I have." Fleetfoot thought, touching her hoof to the ground, letting the ice blossom around her like flowers. The frost made intricate shapes and swirls on the cloud floor, soothing her. There was a tapping sound from the other side of the door, and Fleetfoot listened close. Tip-tap, tap-tip, tip-tip-tap-tap. Fleetfoot smiled as she recognized the pattern. Fleetfoot turned, pulling open the door, hugging the colt that stood there. Her brother, a pegasus with a purple coat and the same eyes and mane as her. "It's okay sis. I'll protect you." Her big brother wrapped his hooves around his four-year-old sister, trying to calm her down. "I don't like thith Dark Shooter. A home ith no place to hide." Fleetfoot sobbed, and he nuzzled her gently, trying to calm her down "I'll get you out of here one day sis, I promise." Dark Shooter said. Then, hoofsteps sounded from the hallway. Fleetfoot whimpered, backing away. A mare entered Fleetfoot's room, a book tucked under her wing "There you are." it was Icy Mint Frost, their mother. She had an ice blue coat, white mane, and ice cold blue eyes. "I won't let you hurt her!" Dark Shooter cried "Dark Shooter, my darling, come away from that foal, she's brainwashed you. Don't worry, those powers won't be in her dangerous hooves any longer." Icy Mint held out her hoof and sent a flurry of snow that picked Dark Shooter up and set him by her side. Dark Shooter cried out and reached for his sister. Icy Mint opened the book. Fleetfoot screamed and was lifted into the air. Fleetfoot spun slowly in midair, ice blue light pouring out of her chest. It settled in the book and formed writing in Old Ponish. Icy Mint shut the book and turned to leave, ignoring Fleetfoot's shriek as she hit the ground hard. Fleetfoot raised her head and watched through blurry vision as her mother left, dragging Dark Shooter behind her. Then, the world went dark. When Fleetfoot woke, she had no memory of what had just occurred. Or any idea how the strange, almost magical ice had appeared on her bedroom floor. "FLEETFOOT FROST!!" was bellowed down the hallway of the mansion. Fleetfoot was sobbing on the floor, her father beating her as her mother yelled at her from the other room. The filly's father was Sharp Skater, a world famous hockey player. He had a purple coat and gray mane, with the same almond-shaped, fuchsia eyes. "What mom?" Fleetfoot asked through her tears. "STAY AWAY FROM MY PRECIOUS SON AND GO TO YOUR ROOM. YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT DINNER, TOO!" Icy Mint yelled Fleetfoot picked herself up and ran out as instructed. She was fifteen and still abused by her parents. Dark Shooter had moved out the second he came of age. He had wanted to take Fleetfoot with him, but then, he had got an offer to be a Royal Guard. "You have to accept bro, it'th your dream job!" Fleetfoot insisted as they walked through Cloudsdale, heading to the park. "Sis, I can't. I promised you I'd get you out one day. Now that I'm sixteen, I can." Dark Shooter argued "Dark, thith hath been your dream for yearth. I may thtill be fourteen, but I'm tough. I'll wait for you to get your own home. Jutht accept the offer and apply. You know you won't get another chance if you refuthe." "But..." "If you don't, then I won't go to Wonderbolt Academy." "But you have to! It's your dream!" Dark Shooter stopped walking "Oh. I see what you're doing." "I'll only enroll in Wonderbolt Academy if you accept thith once in a lifetime opportunity." "Fine. Are you sure you'll be okay with me leaving you behind with mom and dad?" "I'll have my friendth Dark." "They don't know about mom and dad though. Right?" "Well, yeah. But they're alwayth there for me. I can count on them" Fleetfoot remembered that conversation as she went over to the window, watching the stars outside. She closed her eyes and sang softly "In the bleak midwinter A frosty wind does blow Clouds turn hard as iron Water becomes stone Snow starts falling Snow on snow Snow on snow In a bleak midwinter Not so long ago I wish upon the farthest star Hoping for a change A change of heart A change of way So I could breathe again I close my eyes and see The warmest smile That has ever greeted me Oh Oh Brother I miss you." Fleetfoot sighed and turned away from the window, hugging herself and going to bandage her injuries. "I have to become a Wonderbolt. Then I can get out here." she murmured, hope lighting in her eyes. Her stomach grumbled as she sat down on the bed. "I'll be thixteen in a few weekth, then I can move in with Thpitfire. And finally eat a proper meal." Fleetfoot told herself, before she fell backwards in the bed and rolled onto her side, falling asleep through her hunger. "Fleet, hey." Spitfire said, pulling open the door to her apartment "Happy Birthday." "Hey Thpitfire, thankth." Fleetfoot stepped inside, sighing. Soarin Skies, her other friend, was sitting on the couch. They had agreed to meet there for her birthday. "What's wrong?" Soarin asked, standing up and coming over to him. "Can I thtay with you for a while Thpit? At leatht until we become Wonderboltth?" "Of course Fleet. You don't even have to tell me why. Come on, let's get you settled." Spitfire led her towards the second bedroom in her apartment. === Freezing Rain === This chapter takes place five years later, after Season 8 but before Twilight becomes leader of Equestria "Great practice everypony, time for lunch!" Spitfire called, and Fleetfoot flew down to join her friend, Soarin and Rainbow Dash behind her. Rainbow Dash had grown close to them, she was now their friend as well. "You want to head inside and grab some grub?" Rainbow asked "Yeah." Soarin agreed "You guyth go ahead, I want to thtay out here for a bit." Fleetfoot said, and they nodded "Don't stay out here too long Fleet, I got word that the Cloudsdale Weather Factory's scheduling a rain shower over HQ." Spitfire warned "Got it, I promithe I won't be long." Fleetfoot gazed out at the sky, hearing them trotting into the building behind her. One set of hooves stopped, and Fleetfoot pricked her ears as she heard Spitfire's voice. "Fleet?" "Yeah Thpit?" "You seem...distracted lately. Are you okay?" "I'm fine Thpit. It'th jutht...I feel like thomething'th calling me." Fleetfoot replied. There was a rustling of wings behind her, and Spitfire touched down by her side. "What do you mean?" "I mean..." Fleetfoot took a breath "Something has changed in the air Like a storm is brewing Filled with freezing rain I don't know what for But I can't just wait and see While it haunts my dreams It seems like it's coming Coming for me I just can't say When it will come But just as the dawn Comes after the dark I know it will Through the freezing... Rain." Fleetfoot sang softly "I didn't know you were such a good singer. I understand what you're trying to say. You feel like there's something about your past that you don't know." Spitfire said, and Fleetfoot nodded. "Actually, I'm sure of it. It'th almotht like there'th thomething inthide me, that I can't get to." Fleetfoot replied "Well, feel free to stay out a little longer. Just come in before it starts raining. I don't want my top flyer to catch cold. Don't tell Rainbow I said that though." Spitfire chuckled a little and left Fleetfoot alone. Fleetfoot ignored Spitfire's words. She stayed outside even when the thunder rumbled in the distance, warning her of the storm like an alarm. Fleetfoot stood still and closed her eyes, letting the rain wash over her body, mane falling out of the sleek style, hanging around her face in long locks. The water seemed to energize the mare. It made Fleetfoot's wings open on instinct and she took off. Fleetfoot flew high into the air, doing an upwards corkscrew, mane flipping around her face, water drops springing from her wing feathers. "I feel like I could fly forever." Fleetfoot breathed when she pulled out of the spin, doing a flip. She brushed her mane out of her eyes. "What do you mean, the book is gone?!" Icy Mint shrieked at her servant "I-I'm sorry Mrs Frost. I was doing my routine cleaning, when I noticed the book had disappeared. I don't know what happened to your heirloom, I swear." the servant pleaded "Very well. YOU'RE FIRED!" Icy Mint yelled, then turned to her husband as the servant girl crept away, shaking. "Why is it gone? That unicorn you visited said it would lock the brat's powers away until Dark Shooter had foals!" she hissed "Well, dearest, he did mention that if the brat were to ever 'be in her natural element' after she came of age, it would cause the book to appear wherever she is at the time." Sharp Skater replied "Of course. The freak must be flying right now. Her cutie mark had to be flying, didn't it? And of course the weather ponies schedule rain showers over the one place we can't access. Ice is just frozen water. I bet the brat's flying with the stupid stunt team she loves so much, even through the rain scheduled." "We need to find the book before she does then. And maybe teach the lesbian freak some manners while we're at it." Sharp Skater replied, flexing a hoof. "Brilliant. But not in the rain those stupid ponies at the Weather Factory scheduled, I don't want to ruin my mane or outfit." "Of course not dear." Fleetfoot landed near the building, then gasped. Something was glowing. It seemed almost magical, pulsing with ice blue light. Fleetfoot went closer, and could hear it. It was singing, to her. "What ith thith?" Fleetfoot murmured, holding out her hoof to try and find whatever was calling her "Fleetfoot." she heard, and stepped closer "I'm here, what ith it? What are you?" "Fleetfoot!" it was Spitfire shouting behind her. Fleetfoot turned and sighed a little "Oh, it'th jutht you." "Of course it's me. Fleet, what are you doing? I told you to come inside, you're going to get sick. Come on." Spitfire put a wing on Fleetfoot's back and tried to lead her away. "But Thpit, I thaw thomething, it looked tho magical, it came from over there." Fleetfoot pointed, and Spitfire sighed "It was probably just the light on the rain. Come on, let's go inside." "No, I have to thee what it wath!" Fleetfoot pulled away from Spitfire and galloped to light, and it's source. "Fleetfoot, get back here!" Spitfire's hooves sounded behind her, but Fleetfoot said nothing. She let the light guide her, it was drawing her in. "Fleet." Spitfire panted as she followed "It'th like it'th pulling me to it." Fleetfoot murmured, gasping as she found it. An old book lay on the cloud. It was pulsing with ice blue light, ancient writing on the cover. "Wow. There was something there." Spitfire said, and Fleetfoot turned "I'm thorry I didn't lithten to you, you're the Captain, I should have-" "No, I'm sorry, I should have listened. Bring the book and we can look at it inside." "I'm not cold." "You aren't, but I am. Usually I don't get cold, but this rain is worse than usual." Spitfire said, shaking herself "Alright." Fleetfoot tucked the book under her wing and the two turned back, heading for the building. === What In Equestria?! === Fleetfoot and Spitfire walked into Headquarters, where Soarin and Rainbow were waiting. Soarin was eating a piece of pie, of course. "Why were you out there Fleet?" Rainbow asked, and she revealed the book "I found it lying outthide, but I can't read the writing on it." Fleetfoot replied, and Rainbow took it. "I've seen this before. It's Old Ponish. Cool, but I wonder what it was doing outside." Rainbow wondered "Can you read Old Ponish Rainbow?" Soarin asked, in awe, but she shook her head, blushing. "No Soar, I can't. Twilight can, and she's shown me and my other friends documents in Old Ponish before, that's how I know what it is." "Do you think she could tranthlate it?" Fleetfoot asked "Sure. I'm going down tomorrow, I can take it with me, if you want." Rainbow offered, Fleetfoot nodded in agreement, taking the book back. "Okay, now that that's settled, let's grab some food, I'm starving." Spitfire said "Hey, Spits, I got word from the Weather Factory while you were wrangling Fleet, they said the storm was accidentally made larger than it should have been. It's going to last all day and most of the night." Soarin said, swallowing the last bit of his pie. "You really want me to say it, don't you?" Spitfire asked, and Soarin nodded. Spitfire let out a sigh, but smiled. "Fine. Practice is cancelled until the storm stops." "Woo-hoo!" Rainbow said, taking off "GUYS! SHE SAID NO PRACTICE!" Rainbow called, flying down the hall with Soarin hot on her tail. They heard cheers from the other Wonderbolts in the background. Spitfire shook her head but smiled, following Soarin and Rainbow. Fleetfoot trotted behind them, holding the book securely under her wing. They had a good time with the other Wonderbolts, but Fleetfoot felt like there was something waiting for her. And that it had to do with the book. That night, Fleetfoot couldn't sleep. She leaned over her bed and pulled the book out from where it was beside her Daring Do collection. Fleetfoot examined the cover, tracing her hoof along the intricate designs. "Why do I feel like I've theen thethe shapeth before?" Fleetfoot whispered, touching a hoof to a rather poorly designed snowflake "I recognize thith, it'th the family cretht. But why ith it on here?" The book suddenly glowed around the edge, and the cover suddenly lifted an inch or so higher. Fleetfoot decided to take a risk. She pulled the book cover open. An ice blue light emerged, and wound it's way around her hooves, crawling up her forelegs and wrapping around her chest. Fleetfoot gasped, she was suddenly filled with cold, as though she had just taken a deep breath of winter air. Though strangely, it didn't hurt. Fleetfoot felt...invigorated. Like she could fly forever. The book stopped glowing but the writing remained behind, just faded. Fleetfoot gasped for breath, heart racing. "What...jutht happened?" she waited for a minute, but she didn't feel any different. Fleetfoot eventually began to get tired, and she laid back down, falling asleep with the book clenched in her hooves. "Morning 'bolts. Up and at 'em, we've got a big day of practice to make up for the surprise day off yesterday!" Spitfire called the next morning. Fleetfoot sat up, the book falling from her hooves "Um, Spit, have you looked outside? It's still raining." High Winds, their fellow Wonderbolt, said. "Of course it is." Spitfire put a hoof to her face in exasperation. "Fine, but get up. If it stops before breakfast we're practicing." "Yes ma'am!" they all called, getting up. Fleetfoot got out of bed and went over to the window, watching the rain. She put her hooves on the window, then suddenly, the ledge began to ice over. Fleetfoot gasped and pulled her hooves away from it. The ice disappeared, slowly. "What's wrong?" Rainbow asked, toothbrush still in her mouth "N-nothing." Fleetfoot said quickly, trotting away "I think I'll go get some air" she thought, leaving the room and going outside, into the rain. "Again Fleet?" Spitfire asked from behind her, and Fleetfoot shrugged. "It'th thtrange, but the cold doethn't theem to bother me." she replied "It doesn't bother me either, I'm just saying." Fleetfoot heard Spitfire's wings rustle, and she trotted up "Why did your wingth flap if you didn't fly?" "Oh, um...no reason. Just restless, I guess." Spitfire said hurriedly, then looked up as the rain began to clear. "Looks like somepony's coming." "Oh no." Fleetfoot breathed "What's wrong? You know them?" "Yeth. They're my parentth." "Is that a bad thing?" "You'll thee." Fleetfoot sighed "Jutht go back inthide and lithten." "Why?" "Tho they think I'm alone." "I don't understand, but okay." Spitfire turned and went inside just as Icy Mint Frost and Sharp Skater landed. "Fleetfoot Frost!" Icy Mint yelled, and Fleetfoot flinched. "Mother." she muttered "To what do I owe thith pleathure?" "Don't speak to your mother that way brat." Sharp Skater said "Now, have you seen any...strange objects around here?" Icy Mint asked "Uh, n-no." "JUST TELL US WHERE THE BOOK IS!" Icy Mint shouted, grabbing Fleetfoot and pinning her to the ground "Or your father will knock you into next week!" "G-get o-off m-me." Fleetfoot stammered "Then where's the book brat?!" Sharp Skater asked "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" "Don't lie to me stupid mare! Where's the book with that old writing on it?!" Icy Mint demanded "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Fleetfoot yelled, drawing the attention of everypony inside. They ran out into the hallway and found Spitfire watching something. The Wonderbolts joined her, shoving each other to get a better look. Fleetfoot struggled against her mother, and Icy Mint snarled, stepping backwards. Sharp Skater raised a hoof, about to strike her. But as he tried, Fleetfoot threw her wings up in front of her face, hearing a strange crackling sound. She looked up and gasped. Large spikes of ice were pointed at her parents, one nearly impaling her father. "You do have the book!" Icy Mint cried "Where is it?!" Fleetfoot shook herself, still in shock over the sudden appearance of ice that it was way too hot for. "I-I don't know." she lied, but Icy Mint held up her hoof and the ice suddenly shattered "Stop lying you stupid brat! I've had it with your cutie mark, your lisp, and your stupid stunt team! If you don't tell me where that book is right now you'll be sorry." Icy Mint threatened "That's it!" Spitfire threw open the door and sent a blast of fire at Icy Mint and Sharp Skater with her hoof. They stumbled backwards and glared at her. "We'll be back for you brat." Icy Mint snarled, then the two took off. Fleetfoot turned and gaped at Spitfire. "Wath that you?" Fleetfoot asked "Yes, but that's not the point. What was that?" Spitfire asked "Which part? My parentth attacking me? That'th normal for me." "Not that, although it is messed up. She meant where did that ice come from?" Rainbow responded "I-I don't know, honetht." Fleetfoot said "They said something about a book, could it be the one from last night?" Soarin suggested "What book? Why don't you guys ever tell us anything?" Surprise whined "Actually, thomething did happen latht night. With the book." Fleetfoot said, flying inside. The others followed her as she picked up the strange book. "Wasn't it glowing yesterday?" Rainbow asked "Yeah. Latht night, I wath really curiouth, and I kind of...opened it." Fleetfoot admitted "So what happened?" Spitfire asked "Thome thtrange light came out of it and thurrounded me. I think it may have thomething to do with that ice. But I have no idea what." Fleetfoot let Rainbow take the book from her. "The writing is still there, but it's faded now." Rainbow said "What is that? It looks like it was written by aliens." Blaze commented "It's in Old Ponish, and before you ask I can't read it." Rainbow said, "But I know who can." "Can we go now? I need to know what'th happening to me." Fleetfoot said "Don't ask me, it stopped raining, Spit said we were going to practice." Rainbow objected "I want to know too, so I guess we could. It'll just be us three and Soarin." the other Wonderbolts groaned "And the rest of you had better be doing freestyle training in the gym when we get back." Spitfire added "Let's go then." Rainbow said, giving Fleetfoot back the book "And you're going to have to tell us how you made fire appear out of thin air." she added to Spitfire, who nodded. "I promise I will, as soon as we find out about that ice thing." Spitfire agreed, and the four ponies left, heading down from Wonderbolt Headquarters to Ponyville. Yes, there is no song, there will not be one every chapter, in case you were confused. This is because I wrote those songs (I drew a little inspiration from songs that already exist, but I wrote them). And I am not great at songwriting, so I'm not including one if they won't add to the plot or explain something through the words (as we see happen in plenty of MLP episodes themselves) === Ice Magic? === Fleetfoot touched down in a grassy field, followed by Spitfire and Soarin. Rainbow had already landed. "Where do we go?" Spitfire asked "The castle. Twi's normally reading this time of day. Or any time of day." Rainbow led them into the nearby town, heading for the crystal castle in the distance. "So, that weird fire? Tell us before we go inside, then it'll be all about helping Fleet." Soarin said when they reached the steps up to the castle. Spitfire sighed and nodded. Rainbow turned to join them. "It's ancient family magic, called Phoenix Magic. I can make fire with my hooves or wings. I don't usually use it but when I saw Fleet in trouble I just...reacted. I don't normally use it because it can be hard to control." Spitfire explained "Now that we know that, let's help Fleet." Rainbow opened the door to the castle and led her friends inside. She took them to a large throne room with six identical thrones surrounding a table. Princess Twilight was seated at one with her cutie mark on it. She was reading a book, but looked up when they came in. "Rainbow, I wasn't expecting you today. What's going on?" Princess Twilight asked "Fleetfoot found this book, and when she opened it, something weird happened." Rainbow said, beckoning Fleetfoot forward "I found it outthide HQ. I have no idea how it got there, but when I opened it, thomething came out and went inthide me. Now..." Fleetfoot trailed off and touched her hoof to a throne. Ice began to spread over it, and Fleetfoot quickly pulled her hoof away. "That's amazing! I've heard of Ice Manipulation before, but I've never seen it, it's fascinating." Princess Twilight exclaimed "Ice what?" Rainbow asked "Ice Manipulation. It means a pony can control ice." Princess Twilight explained "So, does that mean Spits' power would be called Fire Manipulation?" Soarin asked "Oh, oops." he said as Spitfire shot him a glare. Rainbow pressed against him in comfort. "If she can control fire." Princess Twilight replied "Well, control is a strong word, but yes, I can; in theory. The family calls it Phoenix Magic." "Even more fascinating, Fire and Ice, together. Anyway, you said it started from this book?" Princess Twilight asked "Yeth." Fleetfoot said "I brought it here because there's something written inside, but it's in Old Ponish. Can you translate it?" Rainbow asked "Of course. There's never been an ancient text I couldn't translate." Princess Twilight said, a little proudly. She lifted the book in her magic and opened it "What's it say?" Rainbow asked "It says: the powers held within this page were stolen from a mare of winter. The ice magic held here can only be freed by her element when she comes of age. This book will go wherever she is, and open only for her." Twilight translated. "It opened for me, it had to have been, I wath holding it and everypony elthe wath athleep." Fleetfoot said "I wonder why the magic was trapped in here. Spitfire, your Phoenix Magic, were you born with it?" Princess Twilight asked "Yes. But please don't tell anyone, you're not even supposed to know, it's a family secret. Up until now, that is." Spitfire glared at Soarin, who chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot." "It's not a problem, just saying." Spitfire replied "I won't say anything, but if you were born with the powers, then maybe Fleetfoot was too. But who would want to take her powers away?" Princess Twilight asked "My parentth, they hate me, tho they might have taken the magic. And they came to HQ earlier, my mother wath demanding to give her the book." Fleetfoot said "Of course, the book was instantly transported to you. Were you out in rain recently?" Princess Twilight asked "Yes, she was, yesterday it stormed over HQ." Spitfire answered "How did you figure that out?" "Well, rain is still related to ice, in a way. Ice is just frozen water." Princess Twilight replied "It must have triggered the spell on this book that took it to you." "But why don't I remember having magic? Or even it getting taken?" Fleetfoot asked "That, I don't know. Your parents might, but clearly you aren't interested in talking to them." Princess Twilight answered "Well, thanks for helping Twi." Rainbow said "Yes, now we have to get to practice." Spitfire added "I guess the only problem now is, how do I control it?" Fleetfoot wondered Back at Wonderbolt Headquarters, Fleetfoot was practicing with the others, but her new magic was hard to control. When she tried lifting weights in the gym, sometimes they would freeze. And she didn't know how to stop the ice from spreading. "Maybe you shouldn't touch anything." Rapidfire joked, which earned him a smack upside the head from Blaze. "You idiot." she hissed "Well, it's practical." Rapidfire retorted "Save it Rapid. Fleet, can I see you in my office?" Spitfire asked. They headed into the Captain's office and Spitfire gestured for her to sit. "Thpitfire, I didn't mean to freeze everything, it'th jutht..." "I know Fleet, I called you here because I wanted to teach you how to control your magic." Spitfire replied "Really?" "Yeah. I'll teach you what I know, then you can try. First, you need to learn to control your emotions. Anger is usually what controls my fire." Spitfire said, demonstrating by making some flames appear in her hoof. "Maybe for me it'th fear? I wath thcared when I made thothe thpiketh appear." Fleetfoot suggested "Maybe. Now that we think we know that, why don't we try to see if controlling your fear helps with your magic." Spitfire went around to Fleetfoot and took her hoof gently. "Try to make a little bit of snow in my hoof." "O-okay." Fleetfoot suddenly blushed, but did as Spitfire instructed. A few snowflakes appeared, but that was it. "I jutht keep thinking about my mother yelling at me over the book." "Then it's definitely fear. Why don't you try thinking about all the things that make you feel safe?" Spitfire suggested, and Fleetfoot tried, but she could still only make wisps of frosty air. "I can't do it. I'm thorry Thpit, I wathted your time." "You're not going to get it right the first time Fleet. We can practice more later." Spitfire assured her, and Fleetfoot smiled, blushing again "Okay. Thank you Thpitfire." "Anytime Fleet." Spitfire smiled === Frozen in Fear === Dark Shooter, How are you doing bro? I've missed you. I know it wasn't easy taking over for Shining Armor as Captain of the Canterlot Guard. But I know you'll do a great job. And you can still be Princess Luna's top guard! Just, with more duties. I've been meaning to write, because...I have some big news. Really big news. A week or so ago, I found this old book near Wonderbolt HQ. It was glowing with a strange ice blue light. When I opened it, it sent a ice blue light into me. Then, I was somehow able to control ice. My friend, Rainbow Dash, suggested we take the book to Princess Twilight, one of her other friends. Princess Twilight told us it was Ice Manipulation magic, and that I was probably born with it. But...I can't remember ever having powers. Actually, now that I think about it, I can't remember anything until a day or two after my fourth birthday. You're older, maybe you remember something? Don't worry about me though, Spitfire's been coaching me in controlling it, since she has Fire Manipulation magic. But don't tell anypony, she made us promise not to. I'm getting pretty good at controlling it. Write back as soon as you can, I miss you brother. There's an endless road to rediscover, Fleetfoot Dark Shooter's new assignment kept her brother very busy, so Fleetfoot didn't expect him to write back for a while. But she didn't mind. Everything was going good with her lessons, except...every time Fleetfoot tried to make the ice as she pleased, it didn't work, or she would freeze more than she meant to. Fleetfoot also found she couldn't make the ice melt, no matter what she did. "Come on Fleet, let's take a break. You up for a quick flight?" Spitfire asked. It was the weekend, and they had been practicing in her office again. "Alright." Fleetfoot sighed, and she followed Spitfire out of the room. They took off once outside. "Race ya!" Spitfire called, nudging her friend. Fleetfoot smiled "You're on! Firtht to that cloud?" Fleetfoot suggested "Sure. In three...two..." "One!" they shouted together, taking off. As they flew at the cloud, a mare zoomed up in front of them. As trained Wonderbolts, they easily stopped in time. It was Icy Mint, with Sharp Skater behind her. "What do you want mother?" Fleetfoot snarled "Your powers brat, what else. You don't deserve those, now give them to me!" Icy Mint lunged at her, and Fleetfoot backed away-straight into Spitfire's hooves. "No! You're the one who doethn't detherve them! Leave me alone!" Fleetfoot yelled, pulling away from Spitfire. Sharp Skater flew up behind them and grabbed Fleetfoot, pinning her forelegs against her side. Sharp Skater and Icy Mint tried to hit Fleetfoot, but Spitfire flew at them. "Stay away from her!" Spitfire's hooves lit up with fire, and her eyes flashed red. Icy Mint cause ice to shoot from her hooves, but Spitfire easily melted it and knocked Sharp Skater away from Fleetfoot with a shove. Icy Mint kept trying to blast them both, but Spitfire kept using her fire to melt it. "Get away!" Spitfire growled low in her throat and used a wall of fire to block them. "You mistake! We should have never had you!" Icy Mint shrieked "You and your stupid lisp! You're a horrible excuse for a daughter!" Sharp Skater yelled at Fleetfoot again, making her tremble and duck behind her friend. Icy Mint and Sharp Skater eventually gave up, and Spitfire dropped the shield of fire. "Are you okay Fleet?" Spitfire asked "N-no. I keep cauthing you tho much trouble. I should jutht go." Fleetfoot said, rubbing her eyes. "Fleet, no. You're not causing any trouble, this isn't your fault." "But they won't give up until they have the magic back." Fleetfoot said, starting to cry. "Fleet, we can protect you. Please don't be upset, I haven't seen you cry since...well, ever. But I know you do, I guess you just never show it." Spitfire tried to say "No! I can't! Thpitfire, thith ith my burden to carry, not yourth! I-I'm thorry." Fleetfoot turned and flew off, she didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to leave. "Fleetfoot! Wait! Come back!" Spitfire screamed, eyes watering "I need you." she whispered, as Rainbow and Soarin flew up to her, they had heard her yells after coming to look for their friends. This chapter is short, I know, but the next chapter will come soon (also, Fleetfoot's closing line on the letter will make sense later) === Arctic Fox === Fleetfoot had been flying for hours, but she finally grew too tired to keep going. Fleetfoot slowed to a halt and looked around. "I'm in the Yaket Mountain Range. No wonder I'm tho tired." Fleetfoot sighed, then collapsed in a snow bank, surprisingly not feeling cold. "I guethth my magic keepth me from getting cold." she murmured, closing her eyes with fatigue. An hour later, Fleetfoot sat up and yawned. To her, the was like a nice warm blanket, she was hardly cold at all. Dusk had come, and as Fleetfoot looked up, she smiled at all the stars above her. "I don't know why, but I've always loved the stars." Fleetfoot thought. But seeing them reminded her of Dark Shooter. When they had been little, they would sneak out and stargaze for hours. Whenever Fleetfoot missed him, she would look up at the night sky. "Thith ith the perfect place to practice my magic without hurting anypony." Fleetfoot murmured to herself. She waved her wings, to see what would happen. The snow lifted into the air. "Thith will be fun." Fleetfoot grinned, then began to sing. "The snow glows white in the mountains tonight Not a hoofprint to be found The wind howls like a swirling storm Couldn't hold my true self in Even though the consequence was sure Be a good girl, or you'll pay the price But I don't have to hold it back, anymore I can break free!" Fleetfoot took off and spun high up into the air, making the snow follow her momentarily. "It's like an Arctic Fox prowls within! But there's no need to hide The magic inside Anymore! Be swift Be strong Be silent Be bold Be as brave as an Arctic Fox And let the storm come on! The cold never seems to bother me anyway!" Fleetfoot flew up the mountain, sending snow flurries all around her. She spun in the air and landed near a cliff on the mountain, still singing. "It's funny how this distance Makes all the controlling things so small! The fears of what's to come Can't get to me at all!" Fleetfoot would normally fly straight across the ravine to the other side, but there was some powerful wind, so she raised her wings and sent a blast of ice forward, making icy steps. She stepped on the stairs and held out her wings, making railings. Fleetfoot raced up the stairs, making more as she went. Fleetfoot was still laughing and singing. "Time to see what I can do Test my limits and push through! There's no right or wrong No more rules for me! I'm finally free!" She jumped off her bridge and twirled. Fleetfoot's mane fell out of the sleek style and framed her face in delicate white strands. "It's like an Arctic Fox prowls within! But there's no need to hide! The magic inside Anymore! Be swift Be strong Be silent Be bold Be as brave as an Arctic Fox And let the storm come on! The cold never seems to bother me anyway!" Fleetfoot stomped a hoof and made a snowflake appear, made of ice. It grew around her to form a small shelter from the wind. She went back outside and made another snowflake. "My power goes from the air into my sound! Soul spiraling in snowflakes all around! Every thought crystallizes With an icy blast! Maybe I'll go back, But not until I'm good and ready! My past is in the past It's time to break free! It's like an Arctic Fox prowls within! But there's no need to hide The magic inside Anymore! Be swift Be strong Be silent Be bold Be as brave as an Arctic Fox And let the storm come on! The cold never seems to bother me anyway!" Fleetfoot raised her wings and the snow swirled around her, forming an outfit. The dress was made of permafrost, covering her body and reaching down to her back legs. It left wingholes and a space where her cutie mark showed through her dress. The sleeves on her front hooves hardly looked like sleeves, they wound around her forelegs like frost did on a windowsill. The patterns on the dress were shaped like snowflakes, stars, and wings, reminding her of the life and ponies she'd left behind. "Here in these mountains tall I'm one with the snow and stars! I'm a whole new mare Here to stay! And you won't see me cry again! For I'll stand tall! You'll find that Your 'perfect' girl is gone! Here I stand In the moonlight's dawn! So let the storms rage o~n! The cold never seemed to bother me anyway." Fleetfoot finished, smiling. She turned and went inside her little shelter, trying to practice more with her magic. Fleetfoot had been gone for hours, it was night now. Spitfire had been forced by Rainbow and Soarin to give up searching so the team could sleep. Spitfire rolled over in bed and looked out at the silver moon against the purple night sky. Spitfire began to sing under her breath, the way Fleetfoot had during the rain that started all this. "I remember tears streamed down your face When they said they'd hurt you now When their haunted shadows nearly killed your light You ran away from all the scary things But you couldn't hear me crying out That I wouldn't let you slip away from me The stars were in shock And as the fire raged on Couldn't you hear me screaming: Please don't leave me behind?! I want you here with me Safe and sound So let the wind carry this to you A lullaby to soothe your dread From me... To the mare... That I love." Spitfire finished, letting a tear drip down her face, as she sat up and stared out the window. The stars twinkling in the night sky seemed to wink at her. Somewhere in the Yaket Mountain Range, the wind whistled a lullaby into Fleetfoot's ear. === Life Beneath the Snow === Spitfire was pacing around in her office the following afternoon. Rainbow and Soarin were standing nearby, worry for their friend clear on their faces. Suddenly, a stallion Soarin and Spitfire recognized burst in. "Dark Shooter?" Spitfire asked. "Where's Fleetfoot? I need to talk to her." Dark Shooter said "She's not here. Why?" Spitfire said "I got her letter. I needed to respond to it in pony, but I couldn't get off work until now." Dark Shooter replied "Who are you?" Rainbow asked "Oh, Rainbow, this is Dark Shooter, Fleetfoot's older brother. He works as one of Princess Luna's Night Guards." Soarin told her. "What letter?" Spitfire asked "The one about finding her ice powers. She asked me if I knew anything, and I do. But I thought I should tell her in pony." Dark Shooter replied "That would be okay, but she's not here." Spitfire sighed "She ran away yesterday evening, and we haven't been able to find her. Rainbow and Soarin made me stop searching last night. I sent the 'bolts out again this morning, but still no luck." "That's not good." Dark Shooter sighed "But I think I know where she might be." "Then tell us!" Spitfire shouted "Calm down Spits, we'll find her." Soarin tried to calm her. Spitfire sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry Dark, I just...I miss her." Spitfire murmured "Don't worry about it, now come on." Dark Shooter led them outside, into the sky. "So, where are we going?" Rainbow asked "The magic has the tendency to sort of pull it's bearers to the North. If Fleetfoot was too scared to think for herself, then her instincts would have taken over and drawn her there. Since she only just got her magic, she hasn't gotten enough control to block these instincts, the way our mother can." "Your mom, do you know what she does to Fleet?" Spitfire asked "Of course I do, I saw everything they did to her. I wanted to take her with me when I turned sixteen, but then I was offered a position as a Royal Guard. Fleetfoot convinced me to leave her behind. She knew that you two would protect her, without needing to know what was going on." Dark Shooter replied, nodding to Spitfire and Soarin. "She really trusted you guys." Rainbow said "All the more reason we have to find her." Spitfire responded Fleetfoot was making piles of the snow with her magic, she was getting pretty good at making things move, besides ice. When she lifted a new clump of snow, a flower lifted up from underneath. It had been buried beneath the snow. "There'th life here." Fleetfoot murmured, brushing the snow off the flower and lifting up the blossom. "Huh, it'th one I've never theen before, but I'd better leave it be." Fleetfoot put it back and continued making snow sculptures. A snow hare suddenly jumped out of the snow, shaking the white flakes off it's ears. It's nose twitched and it hopped away. "I can't believe tho much life can thurvive here." Fleetfoot murmured, watching the rabbit's progress. "Underneath the snow Through the frozen drifts Life still finds a way to bloom For through all the blank scenery Nature still calls through her sleep And in her dreams the world grows cold To embrace the ice and snow And regrow the earth for sunnier days For the colder the Winter The warmer the new Spring will be" Fleetfoot took off and sang, the snow following her. "The deeper wounds run The more hearts find a way to sing For even when it's hard to look past the cold There is life beneath the snow." Fleetfoot flew into the clouds as it began to snow over the mountain, imagining it was water pouring onto her body instead. "And after the rain The sun shines brighter than before After all the pain I've gone through My heart still knows how to soar!" Fleetfoot didn't know it, but her singing was attracting the attention of some ponies nearby. "It's once we're out of the dark That we learn how to see From embracing the shadows of our misery That's where we find the greatest glee The silence is where The best songs come to be And all we dream Waits somewhere beyond The Life beneath the snow Life beneath The snow~" Fleetfoot finished her song, landing in the snowdrifts. She smiled and began digging in the snow, just for the fun of it. "That was Fleetfoot! I'd know her voice anywhere!" Spitfire called to the others through the wind. "How do we know which direction it came from? The snow's falling fast, we won't be able to see much longer." Soarin asked. "I think I know a way. But we need to get as close as we can so she can hear me." Dark Shooter responded, leading them forward. "I think the singing came from over here." Rainbow said helpfully, pointing to the left of them. The group flew in that direction, landing due to the snow. So, I'm going to put this out here today because tomorrow is unlucky. I don't believe in superstitions but I have something important to do tomorrow and I'm not taking any chances. ~Melody Song === Hey Brother, Hey Sister === Dark Shooter led them in one direction. "How do you know she's here?" Rainbow asked, and Dark pointed to the snow nearby. It was glimmering strangely. "That's what ice magic looks like when it touches real snow. I've seen mom use her ice powers enough to know." Dark Shooter replied. "So, how are we going to find her?" Spitfire asked, and Dark Shooter smiled. "A song that she and I made up when we were kids. She wrote the first line in her letter. That's our thing, we get through the first few verses in writing to each other. Ever since the Queen Chrysalis incident I suggested it to make sure it's really us." "So you're going to sing it?" Soarin asked "Yeah, but the first line is Fleetfoot's line. She sings it. I'll start with the second line." Dark Shooter replied, then trotted closer to the snow. He raised his voice and began to sing. "Hey sister, know the water's sweet but blood is thicker Oh~ and if the sky comes falling down, for you There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do~" His tenor voice was carried by the wind. It reached Fleetfoot, and her ears pricked. She recognized him. The others waited, had she heard it? Dark Shooter shifted and sighed. Then... "Hey brother, do you still believe in one another?" Fleetfoot's soprano voice rang out, loud and clear. Spitfire gasped and Dark Shooter brightened. "Hey sister, do you still believe in love I wonder?" Their voices joined together, and they went in the direction Fleetfoot's voice was coming from. "Oh, and if the sky comes falling down, for you There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do!" "What if I'm far from home?" Dark Shooter asked to the wind. "Oh brother, I will hear you call! What if I lose it all?" "Oh sister, I will help you out!" They sang together once more in what was clearly the chorus "Oh, and if the sky comes falling down, for you There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do!" Dark Shooter ran forwards as a shape ran to them. It was Fleetfoot. She panted breathlessly and smiled at him, still singing. "Hey brother, there's an endless road to rediscover." "Hey sister. Do you still believe in love, I wonder!" "And oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do~" "What if I'm far from home?" Dark Shooter asked once more. "Oh brother, I will hear you call! What if I lose it all?" "Oh sister, I will help you out" "And if the sky comes falling down, for you There's nothing in this world I wouldn't...do~." The siblings finished their song and Fleetfoot hugged him. She let go and saw her friends behind him. "What are you doing here?" Fleetfoot asked them. "Shivering." Rainbow responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "We came to look for you, obviously!" "We've been looking for you since you left. Spitfire was worried sick." Soarin added, and Fleetfoot looked at her, blushing. "R-really? You were?" "Of course, I care about you." Spitfire said, blushing as well. "You look nice, you know. I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress." "Thank you." Fleetfoot said, looking down at the gown she'd created. "You need to come home Fleet. You belong in with us in HQ." Rainbow said "I can't. I want to, but my magic ith too dangerouth." Fleetfoot replied, and Dark sighed. "Fleet, there's something I need to tell you. It's about your powers." The song in this chapter is not mine. It's called Hey Brother, and it's written by Avicii (I have no clue how to pronounce it). It fits the sister-brother relationship of Fleet and Dark so well, I just had to use it. ~Melody Song === The Plan === "Your magic is ancient family magic. Mom has ice powers, and she took yours from you." Dark Shooter began. "I thaw mom'th powerth. But how come I never thaw them when I wath a kid?" "She hid them from you, so you wouldn't wonder why you didn't have powers. I remember the day she took them. It was a little bit after your fourth birthday. Mom used her own magic to hold me back. Then she trapped your powers in a book with our family crest on the cover. The magic spell mom used made sure you'd never remember anything." Dark Shooter explained "Then, why didn't you tell me?" Fleetfoot asked, a little hurt. "Believe me, I wanted to. But I thought it would be easier to explain if I could give you back the magic. But every time I tried to get close to the book, mom and dad thought I was trying to take it for myself. They told me that I had to have a family first. Then they would infuse the magic into my child, and the magic would continue down the line. I wanted to give the magic to you, I promise." "I underthtand Dark. But I thtill won't come back." Fleetfoot sighed, and Spitfire trotted forward. "Fleet, we can help. We can protect you." "Thank you Thpitfire, but..." "Please. I'm lost without you, I need you." Spitfire murmured, brushing her muzzle along Fleetfoot's. "I believe you when you thay you can help. But I won't go back until I'm sure that my parentth won't ever bother uth again." Fleetfoot replied "Then there's only one thing to do." Rainbow said matter-of-factly. "What's that?" Soarin asked "Come up with a plan." Rainbow then grimaced "What's wrong?" Dark Shooter asked. "I never thought I'd end up sounding just like Twilight." Rainbow muttered, and Soarin laughed, nuzzling her. "What kind of plan did you have in mind?" Spitfire asked, grinning. "Well, we know Fleet's parents don't want her to be herself. So maybe..she can be the star in our next show." Rainbow asked "Okay. But my parentth need to be there or it won't work." "That can be arranged. I can schedule our performance in Cloudsdale." Spitfire said, and Fleetfoot looked at her gratefully. "And I'll ask our parents to come." Dark Shooter added "That won't be a problem. They love you." Fleetfoot mumbled, and Dark sighed. "I'd rather they hate me. Anyway, we'd better go back to your HQ, not all of us are immune to the cold." Dark Shooter replied. "You mean Fleet can't feel this? I'm freezing." Rainbow said. Soarin wrapped a wing over her for warmth. "The cold doethn't bother me, but if you're cold, let'th go." Fleetfoot agreed. "Cool. But if you come back wearing that, Rapid's gonna say something." Soarin advised, glancing at Fleetfoot's dress. Fleetfoot nodded, closing her eyes. The snow flew around her and removed the dress. "Now let's go home." Spitfire said, and they took off. Happy Holidays everyone. Next chapter (the finale!!!) comes soon. ~Melody Song === Not Enough === Spitfire trotted up to Fleetfoot. They were changing for their big show. "You okay?" Spitfire asked "No, I'm freaking out." Fleetfoot gasped "I don't know why I thought thith would work. My parentth are going to kill me." "It'll be okay Fleet, I promise. We'll all be right here for you if things go wrong. And nothing will go wrong, anyway." Spitfire assured the mare, taking her hoof gently. "Thank you Thpitfire." Fleetfoot smiled and pulled down her goggles "I'm ready to go out there." "Dark Shooter, why must we attend this...performance? It's pointless." Icy Mint asked her son as they made their way through the crowd. "Mother, I want to see the performance, and this will be good for your image." Dark Shooter replied, not making eye contact. "Oh, very well." Icy Mint grunted. They made their way into the Cloudeseum and took their seats. Dark Shooter smiled as he watched the skies. The announcer took his position and the show began. "Now ladies and gentlecolts, please welcome Cloudsdale's pride: The Wonderbolts!" the uniform-clad pegasi flew into the Cloudeseum. "Let me remind you that normally Captain Spitfire Flare leads the performance. Today there will be sompony else in the lead. Please give a warm welcome to the Wonderbolt's third-in-command: Fleetfoot...wait, this can't be right...Frost?!" The announcer was startled, as was the crowd upon hearing her last name. The Wonderbolts separated into two rows facing the crowd. Fleetfoot flew between the rows of her peers. She waved at the crowd before arching over the others and flying upside-down. The others followed her, going two-by-two, one from each side. They all turned right side up again and started the show. "What is Fleetfoot doing?" Icy Mint hissed, and Sharp Skater turned to Dark Shooter. "Did you know about this son?" "Yes. You need to give her a chance dad. Fleetfoot is really talented, and you both hate her for no reason. I believe in her." Dark Shooter had barely finished his sentence when Icy Mint slapped him. Dark Shooter rubbed his cheek, then grabbed both of his parents and pinned them by their tails-and Icy Mint's dress-onto the cloud seats. "Let us go this instant you brat!" Icy Mint snapped "Not until Fleetfoot finishes her performance." Dark Shooter responded, then looked up at the show. Fleetfoot had led the Wonderbolts up into spirals. They swirled around each other and then broke apart. Fleetfoot had them dive down and swoop up at the last minute. The group twirled around each other in couples while she and Spitfire rose into the center. They spun in place, then clapped their front hooves together and pushed away from each other. The two did a series of loops until they came together again. After performing a few more moves, Fleetfoot led the Wonderbolts backstage. Dark Shooter finally released his parents and they stood, striding off to find their daughter. Dark Shooter flew a different way, he was taking a shortcut. "That was awesome." Rainbow said, pulling her goggles off. "Best show ever!" Surprise cheered, bouncing around the room. "It was really brave of you to tell everypony your last name." Silver Zoom commented, and Fleetfoot sighed. "Thankth." "Fleet!" Dark Shooter burst in, and Fleetfoot gasped as the bruise on his face. "Bro, what happened to you?" "That's not important, they're coming!" Dark Shooter exclaimed, and Fleetfoot stiffened. "Don't worry, they won't get close to you." Spitfire said to her, and Fleetfoot sighed. "How do you know?" she mumbled, and Spitfire lifted her chin. "Because this is just phase one." Spitfire replied, and Fleetfoot smiled at her. "FLEETFOOT!!" "They're getting closer." Dark Shooter warned. "Time for phase two." Soarin said, and Spitfire nodded. "Go." He and Rainbow left through the back exit. Fleetfoot pressed into her friend, who wrapped a wing over her protectively. "What are you two waiting for? Just kiss already!!!" Surprise shrieked, and both of them blushed. "We-we aren't-" Fleetfoot tried to deny it, blushing, Spitfire just sighed, shrugged it off, and pulled Fleetfoot in. Fleetfoot let out a muffled gasp as Spitfire kissed her. Fleetfoot melted into it and wrapped her hooves around Spitfire's neck, kissing back just as eagerly. The others could be heard cheering behind them. "What do you think you're doing?!" Icy Mint and Sharp Skater had come in. Fleetfoot and Spitfire pulled away from each other. Fleetfoot instinctively lowered her head in shame, ears drooping. She already predicted the yells that would come. "First you reveal your lineage to all of Cloudsdale, and now this?!" Icy Mint yelled, grabbing Fleetfoot by the hoof and dragging her away from the others. "You are a disgrace to this family. You brat! Now everypony knows you're related to us and there are going to be questions! Are you trying to make us disreputable?! You are unworthy of those powers, and of your last name!" Icy Mint then tossed her to the floor. The Wonderbolts flinched and some of them growled. "Remember the plan, don't react." Spitfire murmured. Dark Shooter ran for his sister and pulled her up. "Leave her alone!" he shouted "Dark Shooter, please. Come over to the right side and we will never speak of this again." Icy Mint urged "I'm already on the right side. And now, you have a choice." Dark Shooter replied "What?" Sharp Skater growled, as there was a click behind them. High Winds had snuck past while the two weren't looking and locked the door. Wave Chill and Thunderlane stood guard beside the other door. "You can turn yourselves in for child abuse, or leave now and never bother us again. Your choice." Spitfire told them. "Child abuse?! I have no idea what you're talking about, we love our son!" Icy Mint laughed "You have a daughter too." Sun Chaser reminded her. "No, they don't." Fleetfoot stepped forward "I'll never be their daughter, becauthe I wath never good enough." "You're right about that. You little brat." Icy Mint hissed "Now, what do you have to say for your actions?" "I'm not going to thay anything." Fleetfoot replied. She took a breath and began singing instead. "To you, I never compared Tried to make me live your dreams Want me to show more interest Always keep a big bright smile Be a pink little perfect princess I wasn't that type of child." Fleetfoot had always felt so helpless when her parents yelled and said these things. But now, as she sang with all her heart, she didn't feel scared to tell them exactly what she thought. "But I won't cry I won't start to break Whenever you try to shut me down You won't keep me silent I found the light you kept from me" Fleetfoot summoned snow in her hoof and sent a flurry at her parents, temporarily blinding them so she could step closer. "Couldn't love me if you tried Couldn't change the pony I am inside Why won't you just let me be Who I am?! I try and try to get out But I can't break free From the silent scream So I ask you: Am I still not good enough? Still not worth that much? I won't stay speechless When you try to suffocate me." Sharp Skater slapped her as Icy Mint stepped forward. "You want to play that game? So can I." Icy Mint slapped her too, then began to sing. "Been written in stone Every rule Every single word Is centuries old and unbending You're to stay in your place! Better off seen and not heard" Fleetfoot growled and shoved her parents "Well now that story is ending I'll break the chains that bind me! I won't let my screams stay silent You haven't seen anything yet! You wanted the best but that's clearly not me! This is all I can be So I'm sorry I'm not good enough! Sorry I'm not worth that much! But you'll never understand How it hurts deep inside If you try to lock me in a cage I won't lay down and die! I'll take my broken wings And send storms across the sky! I won't let my screams stay silent! I won't go speechless." Fleetfoot stopped and her voice began to break. She needed to get this out now before phase three showed up. "Couldn't you see how I cried for help? You should just love me for being myself I'll drown in an ocean Of pain and emotion If somepony doesn't save me right away! You've been torturing me, I cry and cry but just can't get it out My silent scream." Fleetfoot stifled a sob and wiped her tears, then straightened up. "But I've broken free I won't stay quiet Just try to keep me silent Because I won't go speechless." Fleetfoot finished "So dramatic. We don't do any of that. Why don't you just shut your mouth? Nopony loves you, freak, or your lisp. You're right, you're worthless. And you can't prove us wrong because you said it yourself." Icy Mint snarled. Fleetfoot backed away from her, about to cry. "We love her." Misty Fly said "Fleetfoot's lisp doesn't make her a freak!" Blaze snarled "It makes her unique and beautiful." Spitfire added, pulling Fleetfoot in for a hug. "So, have you made your choice yet?" Dark Shooter asked "We won't leave either of you alone until you give the powers back!" Sharp Skater bellowed "Then we'll make the choice for you." Rainbow's voice came from behind them. Wave Chill and Thunderlane stepped to the side to reveal their teammates. Standing beside two Pegasi police officers. Phase three. "We heard everything." an officer said, moving with his partner to grab the two. "You can't convict us! We're highly influential!" Icy Mint cried "And I'm a Royal Guard who heads the army of Princess Luna. I also sometimes head the army of Princess Celestia. My influence among the Military outweighs your own. And that includes the police force." Dark Shooter retorted, turning to the officers "I'm willing to testify against them, if needed." "That will not be necessary sir, I think the amount of witnesses here already will suffice. We'll need to question a few of them, of course." the other officer replied, and they all agreed to provide a statement. Icy Mint and Sharp Skater yelled in frustration as they were taken away. "Fleet, about what happened today." Spitfire was talking with her in the Captain's private room. It was night. "About...kiththing me, you mean?" Fleetfoot blushed just saying it. "Yeah. I really do have feelings for you, but if you don't like me back..." Spitfire dropped down onto her bed, sighing. "Didn't you feel how badly I wanted that kithth to latht longer? I like you too Thpit, I alwayth have." Fleetfoot replied, sitting beside her. "In that case..." Spitfire reached out, pulled her close, and kissed her. The two fell onto the bed and snuggled close. As they cuddled together and soon fell asleep, they didn't know the storm that was to come. Yes, there will be a sequel! It's going to be called Frozen Family, it'll come soon! ~Melody Song <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Hold on to Anything author: MoonlitMelody tags: character:Discord, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== A Nice Conversation With a Friend === It was evenings like these when Equestria truly felt alive. The sun hung low in the sky, setting fire to the clouds and casting a soft glow over the land. Shadows moved to overtake the copses and alleyways they grew from. The noisy streets of Canterlot began to mellow as ponies made their ways back home, tired from a long day of work. The first vestiges of the city's nightlife began to appear; clubs and neon signs became shining beacons in the dim light. And above it all stood Princess Twilight Sparkle, gazing wistfully down upon her kingdom. It was evenings like these when she remembered not only why she did this, but also the names and faces of the ponies who helped her along the way. The radiant sun, whose invaluable guidance stemmed from centuries of regrets. The elegant idol, whose desire for fame dwarfed all but her generous soul. Her most dangerous foe, whose cold heart had been thawed through the fires of friendship. The eternal trickster, whose only constant was his inconsistency. Speaking of inconsistency… "Better late than never," the monarch muttered to herself. With a flash of her horn and a swirl of magic, she sent a short letter to her enigmatic friend. The letter was entirely blank, but he would understand the message. Twilight really did enjoy the pair's occasional chats. And she did feel bad that whenever they would promise to talk again, it would inevitably be many months before she could find the time. It seemed the workload of a princess was never-ending. Time may grant experience in practical matters, but ever would Equestria produce the same amount of paperwork season after season. Barely a minute had passed when she heard a pop behind her, followed by the sound of many birthday kazoos. Twilight waited as Discord recovered from a short coughing fit. "…less confetti next time. Princess Twilight! How wonderful of you to call me when you're looking for a little extramural enrichment! I just got your letter and had to rush over when I heard the news. It was hard to find a kidsitter for Hans on such short notice, but thankfully Snowy was willing to help me out in exchange for his release from the Chaos Realm. It really is such a shame not all draconequī are as kind and helpful as me." "That's what Equestria knows you for, your boundless benevolence," Twilight snarked. "How have you been, Discord?" "Oh, you know. Saving kittens from trees, putting out wildfires, fixing ponies' atrocious hairstyles…the usual." Twilight turned to find a halo floating above his head. "Were you the cause of those problems?" "Naturally." The halo snapped in half and clattered to the ground. "But that's neither here nor there. Unlike myself, who is certainly here and not there. I might've been there, if not for the summons requesting my squareness. Which brings us to the now and here." "I have some free time and thought a nice conversation with a friend was in order." "Oh, one of these again. Yippee." In an instant, Discord's mood deflated. "And what might the topic of conversation be this time, Miss Friendship? I do so look forward to your attempts to make me introspect. It helps keep my demons at bay." "Something I've been wondering for a while now," Twilight responded as she turned her back on the draconequus, gazing out over the city once again. "How do you know when you've reached the end?" "Ooooh, has our Twilight Sparkle decided to go out with a bang? I can make that happen, you know. Anything you want. Poison, stabbing, drowning, lightning bolt, rabid animal attack!" Each suggestion was accompanied by the sound of Discord himself suffering that exact fate. "Anything you could dream of, really. Except flash bees. The queen and I aren't on good terms right now." Despite being slightly put off by his dark attempt at humor, Twilight gave a chuckle and shook her head. "Not that kind of end. I mean the end of… anything, really. Like when I took the throne. How did Celestia and Luna know it was the end of their time? Did they actually know, or did they take a chance on me? Were they afraid that it might have been a mistake? "I can't help but think back to when Rainbow Dash retired. She knew she couldn't fly with the Wonderbolts anymore and that it was time to pass down the responsibility. Just how long did it take for her to come to that realization? She put her heart and soul into that team. She breathed Wonderbolt routines. To reach a point where you know you'll have to give up something you've invested so much time into, something you love… what is that like? "And even what you brought up is relevant. When a pony reaches the end of their life, they've made peace with it. Most of the time, anyway. Everypony dies. Unless you're an alicorn or a spirit of chaos. I have all the time in the world to wonder how ponies like Applejack and Luster and my brother can die with a smile on their face. But I'll never actually know. I can't. There never has to be an end for me. So how do I decide when to create one? What do–" Discord was being suspiciously quiet. Twilight looked back over her shoulder to check if he was still with her. He floated in a lounging position, feet kicked up above his head. On his chest was a book labeled How to Escape Philosophical Discussion for Dummies. Discord rolled his head lazily to look at the Princess before removing the pair of miniature reading glasses from his nose. "Oh, are you done? Don't mind me, just doing some light reading. When is the end, right? Well, are you asking how I know when things end or how your little pony brains arbitrarily decide when something has run its course?" "Are the two really that different?" "Absolutely." "Okay then, how do you know when something should end?" "I just know." Twilight didn't know what she was expecting. This is Discord, of course he's going to be obtuse with his words. "So when you befriended Fluttershy, you just knew that your time terrorizing Equestria was over?" "Technically, I knew long before that. Entire blueprint of world events, from now 'til the end of time, all up in this noggin. Privileges of being all-powerful." Discord's book disappeared in a puff of smoke as he buffed his lion claws on his fur. Twilight let out a sharp bark of laughter at that. "Yeah, I'm sure you totally knew you were going to spend thousands of years being buddy-buddy with the leaders of the nation you were trying to conquer." "The least you could do is humor me." "Right. Oh great Discord, Lord of Chaos and Arbiter of Reality, what vast knowledge might you pass unto this lowly subject of creation? I wait with bated breath for the enlightenment that may only be granted by your claws!" Channeling her inner Rarity, Twilight overacted her plea as much as she could. Seeing the discomfort on Discord's face was immensely pleasing. "I was being serious, you know." "Were you, now? Hmmm… alright. You said that you know how everything will happen 'from now until the end of time.' That implies that even time itself will end, or at least any creature able to perceive it will be gone. When exactly is this supposed endpoint?" "You expect me to leak sensitive timeline-altering information just like that?" With a gasp, Discord slithered his way through the air so that he came face to face with Twilight. "Naughty princess, trying to abuse our friendship for personal gain!" "If somecreature as powerful as you is unable to meaningfully derail the course of time, then I'm sure things will be just fine if you let me in on the secret." Twilight pushed a hoof against Discord's chest to create a little more space between them. "Humor me." The pout Discord gave her was one that she had gotten used to seeing over the centuries. "Hmph, fine. But you aren't allowed to have one of your little freakouts that you love so much. And don't get any ideas about trying to be a hero. Your old bones likely couldn't handle it." Another of Discord's common barbs. It always tickled Twilight when he mentioned age, since he was considerably older than most other creatures alive. "Well, Discord? I'm itching to get the inside scoop here." "Two weeks from now." Twilight couldn't help the involuntary spike of panic she felt, but was able to rein it in quickly. She giggled as she turned her head to look past Discord at the setting sun. "Oh, so the world ends two weeks from now. Guess we had a good run. What gets us, the sun exploding? Maybe a planet-wide flood? Do you get bored and have another Fillydelphia Incident?" He almost had her believing his jokes for a while there, but his response was simply too ridiculous to be real. Silence stretched on, past uncomfortable and into downright creepy. As the seconds turned into minutes, the small voice of skepticism in the back of her head grew louder with its demands. She looked back at Discord, though his face betrayed no sign of a trick. "Discord?" "Yes?" "Are you telling the truth? Does everything actually end two weeks from now?" "Do you really want the answer to that?" Those eight words told Twilight everything she needed to know. This time, she couldn't stop the flood of worry and she began to pace rapidly around the balcony. "The world ends in fourteen days!? Where? We have to warn the other nations! We have to stop this! We have –" Twilight found herself suddenly unable to talk, courtesy of a disembodied claw wrapped around her muzzle. "A-hem. What did I say about having a freakout, Princess?" With a snap of his fingers, the claw holding her mouth shut burst into a cloud of bubbles. "You're right. I need to take this one step at a time. Who… Is it Lavan? Has Lavan escaped Tartarus? Or maybe Squirk broke the seaponies' seal! I must send a missive asking –" "It's no one, Twilight." Other than a choked noise of confusion, Twilight didn't know what to say. It wasn't anyone? Then… it must be some natural disaster. What if the sun was exploding? Discord let out a theatrical sigh. "Ugh. I'm not supposed to tell you this but I know you'll be bothering me every waking moment unless I do. None of your little villainous nemeses come back from their nicely padded cages; no magical artifact gets released upon the masses; and no landmark erupts, combusts, or otherwise explodes." "Then… what goes wrong?" "Things don't have to go wrong for them to end, my dear. The world is, and then it isn't. Simple as that." Discord made the motion of grinding something between his fingers and blowing it away. "Like dust on the wind." It was inconceivable, totally impossible. But Twilight was a rational mare. She trusted Discord, insane as that might sound. "And… what about us? Or just you, I suppose. You can go elsewhere, to different dimensions. Are you going to be left behind?" "I don't know," – Discord gave an overexaggerated shrug – "but I'd assume not. If I can't see anything past that time, I can only assume I'm not around to see it." He tapped a claw to his head as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The rapidly expiring world. Twilight found a cacophony of questions trying to fight their way out of her mouth. Not wanting to interrogate Discord, she collected her thoughts before opening her mouth. "How many of my ponies know? Or will know?" "Every single one." "Are they– Will they be afraid?" "Not at all." Seeing Twilight's questioning look, he continued. "They have a Princess who is willing to do whatever she can to see that all of her little ponies are comforted in their final moments." "What… What about myself? Am I afraid?" "Are you sure you want me to answer that?" Twilight believed a lot of things. She knew first-hoof that many old legends were actually real, or had some basis in reality. She had done things that wouldn't be out of place in fairy tales. But this… this was just too much. Wasn't it? Discord was many things. Rude. Annoying. A pain in the plot. But although he tried to hide it, Twilight was as much his friend as he was hers. Twilight was sure he would never let a joke affect her this much. The last time that happened was over 2000 years ago, and Discord had actually apologized afterward. Are you sure you want me to answer that? Just like so many other phrases of his, that question had become shorthand for Discord. A way to show emotion and contribute to their friendship without sacrificing his chaotic, devil-may-care attitude. A way to let Twilight know that she deserved to know the truth, even when he was terrified of telling her. Silence settled over the balcony. It was chillier than usual, Twilight told herself. She saw no other reason why she would be shivering. It had been a long time since she last felt this way. Certainly too long for her to remember. Or maybe… she had never felt this way. A fear of the end was not something the alicorn ever had to face before. Was this how everypony else felt? Twilight noted the irony that was her waxing poetic about immortality not ten minutes ago. Tomorrow she would start preparing her nation. Make a formal announcement. Reach out to city leaders. But today, she had to prepare herself. Twilight was aware that the fear she now carried wouldn't go away, but there was one thing that would definitely help. "Come hug me." Discord immediately blanched, sticking out his tongue and acting like he had just tasted badly-cooked spinach. "I know that I have many highly desirable traits, but I must say I would rather hurtle myself through the vastness of space alone than attempt a relationship with you, Princess." "Not like that, you absolute dork. You essentially just told me the world is dying and there's nothing I can do about it. I need a friendly hug right now." Twilight lifted her wing, beckoning him to come closer. And thankfully, he did. Hesitantly floating until he was close enough for her to wrap her wing around, Twilight pulled him into a somewhat awkward side-hug. She could feel him tensing and thought about how long it must have been since he last let somepony get close to him like this. The least she could do is bring his mind to a relaxing place. "I'm glad we made the friends we did while we could. Aren't you, Discord?" "I wish I could see Fluttershy again." "Me too." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: What You Are in the Dark author: PiercingZen tags: character:Diamond Dogs, character:Rainbow Dash, character:Rarity, genre:Dark, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== What You Are in the Dark === What You Are in the Dark (Original Idea by Darth Wedgius) ***** It was like any other day. The sun was high and the citizens of Canterlot were engrossed in their daily routine. However, there were two ponies who rarely frequented the castle town: The fashion diva, Rarity, and the all-star athlete, Rainbow Dash. They were sitting at a table under the shade of a large umbrella. The two mares had just finishing ordering their lunches, and after the waiter had gone, Rainbow rested her chin on her hoof as she observed the daily traffic passing them by. Rarity leaned her muzzle closer to Dash and cleared her throat. "Rainbow, my dear, you do you know it wasn't necessary to accompany me to Canterlot." The pegasus turned her attention to her friend. "Nono! I wanted to go. The weather's pretty lame during the summertime so I had nothing else to do." "Well, I appreciate you coming along. Even though I wish you would at least dress appropriately for a change." This got a haughty chuckle from the pegasus as she quietly dismissed the topic. Instead, she slowly became more interested at what she was seeing on the streets. "Hey, Rarity. Is it just me or… does Canterlot look different to you?" She kept her voice low. The unicorn raised a brow. "Why whatever do you mean?" She looked around curiously. "I always remembered Canterlot having nothing but prissy ponies like you prancing around this place." She turned her attention to the crowd once more, spotting a group of gryphons chewing the fat. "See? Like those gryphons." Then she saw a huge minotaur nonchalantly strolling past. "And him…" "Hm. You're right. The city has certainly opened its doors to some… rougher types." Rarity pulled down her hat slightly to cover her gaze. "Celestia must be getting more comfortable with letting other races around Equestria." "I, for one, welcome the change. It adds an element of diversity to the city." She lightly fanned herself. "A quality respectable of a ruler's city." Rainbow rolled her eyes as she looked around some more. What she saw next made her eyes widen and breathing seize in a soft gasp. "Rarity! Rarity!" She attempted to get her attention in a high-pitched whisper. Her gaze was locked on what she had found. "What now? You're acting like a foal, Rainbow Dash." "Look over there… by that jewelry shop!" Rarity followed Rainbow's eyes until she too saw what made the pegasus excitable: A pack of diamond dogs eyeing up the jewelry behind the windows. "Oh, dear." "Are those the same mutts that ponynapped you before, Rarity?" "I'm looking… No. Those are not the same three that I encountered. Besides, I heard they were imprisoned for thievery shortly after we took all of their gems from them. I guess we must have ruined their hideaway when I was rescued… and they had to resort to petty theft." "How sad." Rainbow scoffed. "But those over there don't look any better. I mean they're hanging around a jewelry shop of all things." It was around this time that their food arrived. The waiter precariously placed on the table exactly what they had ordered a few minutes ago. The two mares mouths watered as the suspicious pack of dogs were shoved away from their worries. "Let's eat, Dash. I have an errand to run before we head over to the castle." "Yeah, I know. You told me already on the way over here. Something about a check?" As she asked, she took a bite off a hay fry. "Yes, that's correct. My latest client couldn't pay me up front so she gave me an IOU for the cost of the designs." "How much are we talking here?" This question made the unicorn grin as she brought her voice as low as she could, "Over two thousand bits." Rainbow's eye twitched as she dropped the fry. "You're kidding… Wow, Rarity! What do you do with all that money?" "Dressmaking isn't cheap, you know. This kind of sum would allow me to make even better dresses with even more sophistication!" "Sophistication, huh? Yeah, I'll pass that up for a Wonderbolts show any day." The unicorn lifted a tiny piece of food into the air and daintily placed it into her mouth. After a short chew and swallow, "You know, I know somepony who could get you a VIP seat at the Wonderbolt races here." "Really? Awesome! You would do that for me?" "Yes, of course, Rainbow Dash, but you may have to change your name. Aheh…" Her cheeks flushed as she remembered her little white lie to Fancy Pants. ***** After lunch, the two made their way to the Canterlot Bank, a large structure with tall marble pillars and a long stairway. Ponies were pushing their way back and forth out of the entryway. Rainbow kept out of the situation by hovering overhead while Rarity slowly made headway into the bank's interior. Once inside, the place was somewhat packed. There were about a dozen lines leading to tellers. The place was so noisy a pony couldn't even hear themselves thinking. Rarity made her way into one of the lines. Rainbow's jaw dropped as she first caught sight of the huge lines. "You've gotta be kidding me…" She mumbled to herself as she landed next to Rarity. She let out a grumble and gave the unicorn a disgruntled glare. "Oh, come now, Rainbow. It won't be long. These lines move quicker than you think." An hour later… The two finally made it up to the teller. However, the transaction was taking just as long. Dash was rolling a pen back and forth on the counter. Her eyes were partially closed as the intense boredom was killing her. "Is there any way to hurry this up? My time at the hospital didn't take this long." "Quiet, Rainbow." Rarity snapped, "You're being a drama queen." The pegasus smirked at her comment as a chuckle rumbled in her chest. She turned her head towards the entrance to the bank. Out of the corner of her eye…she saw…them. Immediately, she fixed her attention to the diamond dogs…the ones they saw earlier. There were around a dozen of them, and through all the noise, Rainbow could hear them ordering ponies to lie down. She knew what was about to happen. "Rarity, I'll be back in a second." She calmly told her. The unicorn gave her a slight nod in between conversing with the teller. Rainbow immediately left her friend and sifted slowly through the crowd of ponies. Her ears were listening carefully for those distinctive, gravelly voices. "They're not listening to us. I told you this wouldn't work." "If these ponies won't listen… we'll make them listen." She could barely make out two conversing with one another. "Take one and gut it in front of the whole lot!That'll make them tremble." Rainbow gasped, wondering if she heard correctly. Closing the distance, she realized that they were quicker than she was. They had already snatched a random pony and holding it hostage. Slowly, the crowd was noticing the threat and inching away from the group of dogs. "Hold it, pony!" Two dogs had caught Rainbow's advance and obstructed her path. "Don't be a hero! We're taking what's ours! We'll avenge our brothers and teach ponies to fear the diamond dogs!" "Might?! Ha! You mutts have some guts trying to steal from a bank in Canterlot! How do you expect to get away from this?" She could see a large dog holding a Canterlot pony tightly to its chest. There was a very sharp knife pressed firmly against the base of the pony's neck. A medium-sized diamond dog revealed himself from behind the two dogs in front of her. His demeanor was meaner than the rest and appeared to be the leader of the pack. A jewel-encrusted collar around his neck bore the name: Max. "Quiet, pony! We mean business and no goody-goody pony's gonna stop us dogs! We let that white, annoying pony walk over us last time… but never again!" "White pony?" Dash gritted her teeth as she knew who they were going on about. It then struck her…this could turn out horribly for Rarity if they realized she was here. Could she stop these dogs? Rainbow took another step forward, triggering many growls from the pack. "Stop! See? I told you they never listen! Just gut the pony!" Max signaled the hostage-taker who nodded. Dash's whole being was almost too slow to react. Rainbow gasped and yelled, "Wait!" Her voice was loud enough to attract the attention of everypony inside. The commotion almost died immediately with all eyes on Rainbow Dash. The hostage almost cut by the dog's blade. "Everypony listen! Just…give the dogs what they want! If we don't, they'll hurt somepony, but don't worry…They'll get what's coming to them." The hostage-taker relaxed his knife. The other dogs were grinning as they spread out among the crowd. Two of them began coaxing the tellers to give them the money while the others grabbed ponies for hostages. "That's a smart pony…if any of you ponies move, a pony will feel the consequences!" Max barked and laughed maniacally Rainbow looked back where Rarity was supposed to be and couldn't find her. The pegasus frantically searched through the crowd. "Rainbow, what's going on?!" She heard a voice whisper into her ear. Beside Dash was a pony crouched low and a big hat covering her face. She recognized the pony was Rarity immediately. Fortunately she wore a dress and would be disguised enough to avoid the attention of the diamond dogs. Dash crouched down beside her. "The dogs…" She whispered, "…the ones we saw earlier? They're here…they're gonna rob the bank." Rarity stamped her hoof lightly. "How utterly cliché of them. This is Canterlot! How can they expect to get away from the Royal Guard?" "I…I don't think this is just about the money, Rarity." She gave her a troubled look. "I think they want you." "What?! You mean…they know what I did?" The unicorn's eyes bounced from one dog to the other. She couldn't believe it. Rainbow Dash nodded and let out a sigh. "Just don't move, okay? I'm gonna teach them a lesson." She motioned to stand, but Rarity stopped her with a quick hoof. "No, Dash! You can't expect to face up against all of them…what about the other ponies?" "They…" She hesitated. "I promise they won't get hurt." "Please, Dash… Don't…" She felt her hoof being brushed away as Dash stood and was already making her way towards the dogs. For fear of her own safety, Rarity stayed put and covered her face. "Come back!" Her whisper was only a tad louder. "Hey, you mutts!" Dash yelled at them instantly grabbing all of their attention. "You ready for that beating I promised?" One of the dogs sneered. "What bea…" Crunch! In a flash, Dash lashed the dog across the muzzle with one of her steel-like hooves. The canine tumbled in recoil from the attack, crashing onto his back unconscious. There was a second delay before the other dogs realized what just happened, and a loud gasp of surprise from everypony in the bank. Dash stood her ground with a smirk. "This one! Hahaha!" She cackled. "You!!" Max growled in anger. "You'll pay for that, pony!" The dogs were ready to leap at the pegasus, but were a bit cautious now having seen her strength. "You think you can just stroll in here and have your way?! You forget that we ponies can fight back!" She could just feel the anger in the Max's eyes. His teeth were clinched and rumbling from his deep snarling. "You forget, pony!" He motioned to one of the hostage-takers who again held a knife up to a helpless pony's neck. "The Diamond Dogs are in control! One more step and ponies will pay!" It was at this point that Dash's chest tightened. She gritted her teeth as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "You know, it's too bad you're 'brothers' aren't here with you." She snickered. "Humiliating them was one of the most satisfying moments I had in a while!" Max's ears perked and his eyes widened. "What was that?!" "That's right, I was there with that white pony when I put them through the ringer! Oh, and I enjoyed every second of it! They were literally kneeling for mercy!" Dash could see him flare his nostrils. She wasn't sure if she could make him angrier. She grinned. "Yeah! Your kind is all the same! All bark and no bite! I don't think you even have the guts to go through with this revenge! It's not like I blame ya! I too would be trembling with my tail between my legs!" Max glared growled angrily at Dash. Suddenly, the hostages were released as they all slowly advanced towards the pegasus. The ones with money even dropped what they were doing. All of their eyes were fixed on her. Their teeth were bared and their eyes were filled with bloodlust. "Great… I hope this works." She whispered to herself. Her heart beat against her chest like a drum. There was a small hint of regret lurking somewhere in there. She hoped with her provocation that they would leave the other ponies alone. She stood steadfast…her courage waning as they got closer and closer. There wasn't any turning back now. She debated whether she should just initiate a fight as soon as they got close. However, there was so many of them…if they began to lose…one could easily attack one of the other ponies. If she took out the leader, maybe it would disorient them and make them flee. "Grab her!" Max ordered his dogs. Before she could react, one of the bigger dogs had gotten too close and snagged Rainbow right off her hooves. She was clenched tightly in its massive grip. Though she knew she was strong enough to break out of it. "Haha! Now who's got bark?! Dogs, we got something more precious than any gem in Equestria…let's go! Take her with us! Grab the money too!" Rarity in the crowd just looked on in horror. Her friend's bravery and stupidity was more than she could fathom. She mumbled to herself, "Don't worry, Dash. This time… I'll save you." The pack headed outside with grins and spouts of laughter. As they made their way out of the front entrance, they all noticed at once what was awaiting them. "Hold it, right there!" A loud, booming voice put an instant, gripping fear into all of them. It was Princess Twilight Sparkle herself accompanied by a platoon of pegasi royal guards. Twilight gasped as she saw her friend clutched by one of them. "Rainbow Dash?!" "Hey, Twi… Aheh. Glad you could make it. Could you help me out?" The pegasus smiled meekly. The dogs were now in complete disarray. With this many pegasi and a Princess in their way, there wouldn't be any chance of getting out of there in one piece. Max could see it in his brothers. The fear of imprisonment. The long days they would spend in solitude. Apart and away from home. Even now, he could feel a bit of regret lurking in his chest, but he was stuck in this situation and there wasn't much he could do. "D-Don't move, pony princess!" Max said with fear in his voice. "Or we will…" "Will what?!" Twilight scoffed and slowly started to advance on them. "What do you hope to do? You haven't a single way to escape!" Max seemed to grasp this more than she realized. He looked around at all of the onlookers. They stared at him with snide expressions. These ponies had everything…power, wealth, protection, and a home. Ever since their home in the mountains was ruined by Rarity and her friends and a good portion of their pack captured by Celestia, he was quickly running out of things to lose. His anger grew greater and greater. "Gaaah!" He unsheathed a knife at his side and shoved the blade firmly up to Dash's neck. Her eyes and Twilight's cracked wide. "No!" Twilight cried out. Her regality lost in light of her friend's imminent danger. She stopped dead in her tracks and her horn flared, ready to protect her friend. "Said don't move! Won't say it again!" Max's paw was shaking. His breathing was unsteady. Rainbow was sweating at this point. The cold piece of metal against her neck had really opened a possibility that she never considered: did she make a mistake? "Let her go, diamond dogs!" Twilight demanded, "This isn't worth it! There's no reason to harm anypony!" "Back inside, dogs!" Max commanded his pack. "You ponies take us!" They all backed up slowly towards the bank, but the furthest in the back ran into something and caused the dog to tumble forward slightly. Seeing their comrade fall, they all turned their heads to see what was behind them. There was a barrier created by magic. Max's eyes narrowed as he saw the pony behind it. Rarity. The unicorn was visibly straining as this kind of magic wasn't something she usually practiced. "It's… you!! The white pony who-" "Let my friend go, you ruffians! You're… ugh… trapped now!" Rarity's magic was quickly draining her. "I won't let you back in here!" Max growled and clenched his paw. Then he saw other ponies gathering behind Rarity…other unicorns who, with a flick of their horn, added to Rarity's barrier, making it stronger. "I won't either." One pony said. "Neither will I." Another one added. Rarity smiled at the dozen or so unicorns who assisted her. Twilight Sparkle grinned. "Now, there's nowhere you can go. Just give it up, diamond dogs. We'll forgive you for what you've done." The dogs turned their attention back to the Princess. Max was in despair at this point. The more he found his fate was sealed, the more shaky his paw got. "You ponies…you all think you have everything… that your safe… that there's no danger… well…" Max gripped the knife tightly in his paw and inhaled deeply. Twilight was waiting for him to finish. Her horn was still flared. Dash was still completely immobilized in one of the big dog's hold. She figured this would a good time to break loose as the other ponies were now safe from harm. She just needed an opening or aa distraction. "…you're wrong." Max calmly finished before he pulled the knife across Dash's neck. There was a soft sound of the knife cutting that cyan coat.A droplet of blood hit the pavement below him. What happened next was all a blur. Rainbow Dash could hear Twilight scream in horror. There was a flash of light that made Max vanish from her sight. She was released by the dog that was holding him as she crumbled to the ground. In her mind, she hadn't registered what had just happened. Then she realized she couldn't breatheShe immediately felt like she was drowning in water. Her hooves pushed and dragged at her throat. She could feel something pour down her forelegs. She constantly gasped and gurgled. In just a few seconds, it dawned on her what she had just suffered.A feeling of dread ate at her heart and mind. Her thoughts raced in a panic. Her body tried everything it could to stop what was happening. She felt her strength waning Her hooves fell to her sides as she slumped forward. Her blurred eyes stared down at the ground, red with regret. She could hear the laughter of her friends. She could feel their embrace andtheir love. She felt her heart slow, lamenting in sadness. She wanted to be there with her friends. Her vision began to darken around the edges. The sounds of the world around her faded and were drowned in silence. Her strength was completely gone. She saw something: two giant violet eyes looking directly at her. Despite the silence, she heard her name. A name that nopony could forget. Her lips curved slowly into the tiniest of smiles. Even as her heart beat its last, even as she was consumed by darkness, she felt proud. Proud to be Rainbow Dash. Proud to be a true testament to the Element of Loyalty. FIN <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Final Moments of Princess Luna author: Caligari87 tags: character:Princess Luna, character:Twilight Sparkle, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== "What's it like to know you'll die someday?" === "What's it like to know you'll die someday?" It was a strange question coming from beings whose mortality was invariably measured in mere decades, yet seemed to be a rather common theme of the last thousand years. Ironically, most of the askers already spent their short lives trying desperately to scrape the value from every waking moment before they finally passed, so it wasn't as if they didn't know. Perhaps they meant how it would feel to live a hundred times as long, then still die as ignominiously as any other mare or stallion. Or maybe they couldn't comprehend that a presumed "immortal" would be agreeable to giving up the ghost someday. In truth, it was probably inconceivable to them that any being could ever have "too much time." Reaching out with the tendrils of her magic, the Princess of the Moon could feel the energy of the sun behind the mountains. It was older and slightly dimmer now, but only to one who had known it for so long. She coaxed it into the sky, taking extra care to make a slow, smooth transition from the pre-dawn. She'd already set the moon to rest, to begin the sunrise an hour earlier than normal. Yes, the ponies of Equestria would be roused sooner than they expected, and some might be annoyed, but she'd give them an extra hour of night to make up for it later. As the rising sun crested the horizon and bathed her in a warm embrace, Luna closed her eyes against its brilliant light and smiled. "Hello sister," she whispered. Every morning was much the same, except for occasions when she was too tired or ill and had to have one of the others raise the sun for her. This was not her special talent, and it was sometimes taxing, but she relished the opportunity to be close to her beloved Celestia, even if only in heart. As the sun finally cleared the horizon she gave one final nudge so it would continue drifting lazily across the sky, then released her magic. She breathed deeply and basked in the golden glow, savoring its warmth against her dark coat. "Such a beautiful sunrise." Luna smiled and opened her eyes. "Good morning, Twilight Sparkle," she said. "Thank you for your kind words." The Princess of Friendship half-smiled back from chamber doorway. "Luna, how many times have I told you to stop being so formal?" she gently teased, although her voice rang more melancholy than playful. "And how many times have I instructed that you not to enter my bedchamber unbidden?" Luna retorted in a mock-serious tone. "Far too many; I seem to have lost count." Twilight walked across the room to stand by Luna and closed her own eyes in the warm sunlight. "Good morning, Celestia." They stood quietly for a few moments, Twilight seemingly lost in her own thoughts while Luna's gaze was drawn to the streets below. The city of Canterlot was beginning to stir with the first rays of morning, and shop owners, business ponies, and maintenance workers were all checking their clocks in puzzlement. The sight simultaneously amused and saddened her. On the one hoof, it was funny to watch them wonder and speculate if the goddesses had finally gone crazy, or try to find the logic or special meaning in such a trivial thing as an extra hour of daylight. On the other, she knew what it was like to have her sister's name reduced to myth and legend, an ancient wonder enshrined in eroding statues and faded tapestries, never given more than a passing thought or half-considered prayer. At least Luna had gotten her own holiday among the citizens, even if it was one born from hatred and fear. Two millennia later, they still celebrated Nightmare Night and told scary stories about the evil princess who tried to banish the sun. The holiday itself was harmless enough; after all, her history was well known and she made no attempt to censor it. The frustration Luna felt stemmed more from the fact that they only told stories about her. A few brief moments of jealous villainy and hatred could be immortalized for centuries, but none remembered the struggles of the righteous, it seemed. "I can hardly believe it's been a thousand years." The voice roused Luna from her thoughts, and she nodded wordlessly. "It seems only yesterday…" Twilight stepped closer to the balcony railing and glanced down at the city. "How long do you think until the couriers begin arriving with inquiries?" she pondered, changing the subject unbidden. "I reckon no longer than a half-hour," Luna said, "'Tis usually how long these things take." Twilight nodded in agreement. Their voices were soft, respectful of the morning magic that still rested unbroken over the city and castle. "How are you holding up?" she asked. " Luna sighed. "I am…" She paused for a moment, mulling words about in her head. She could not in all honesty say she was well and fine, for she wasn't. Yet it would be untrue to say she felt poorly; despite all it stood for, today was probably one of her better days. Eventually, she settled for the indeterminate middle ground. "I am well enough." "Have you planned anything special?" "Apart from an early sunrise?" Luna shook her head almost imperceptibly. "As the Summer Sun Celebration has already passed, it would seem self-indulgent to commemorate yet another anniversary when only three of us even remember her." "She is remembered by the Children of the Sun," Twilight reminded, and motioned a hoof toward a small chapel in the distance, where a golden sun-tipped spire rose only a little above the surrounding modest homes. "I'm sure they would welcome any opportunity to honor her." Luna snorted in derision. "That foalish cult? They pay homage to her image and give alms in her name, but they understand nothing! My sister thought not of herself as a goddess to be worshiped." "Their hearts are in the right place," Twilight countered, "isn't that worth something?" The brief flash of anger faded, and Luna exhaled slowly to purge it. "I suppose so," she admitted, turning from the window and towards her bed. Yes, although the Children of the Sun might be misguided, if nothing else they did well to keep Celestia's memory alive in their own strange way. She stepped gingerly onto the plush mattress and laid down on her stomach. Her joints creaked in protest at the motion, and her leg muscles quietly complained of even the brief standing they'd been asked to endure. On the outside, she looked as beautiful and regal as she had for centuries, but her body had begun to fail in less obvious ways. "Another bad day?" Twilight asked from the window. Her brows were furrowed in concern. It must have been an unconscious grimace that gave her away, Luna thought. She tried to smile reassuringly. "As I said, I am well enough. While this day is not my best, it is nowhere near my worst." Twilight glanced at the glowing orange sunrise once more, then moved to sit on a cushion at the edge of the bed. "I just worry about you, Luna. You're a lot older now than Celestia ever was." "And I have you to thank for it," Luna replied. Truthfully she was amazed her body had survived this long; she had originally not been much younger than Celestia, even relatively speaking. While the purging magic of the Elements of Harmony may have partially restored her youth, it was mainly Twilight's painstaking research into life-extending science and magic that was to thank. Research that had blessed not only Luna, but the lives of millions of other ponies as well. Twilight returned a half-smile, but didn't seem convinced. "I just wish I could do more; I'm worried the therapies may not be able to sustain you much longer." "You know as well as I, we cannot count the worth of a lifetime by the number of years in it," Luna reminded gently. "Believe me when I say I'm ready; my sister left her bright legacy, as you and Cadance will in time. For myself, I've done all I can, and I only hope it's enough." With a sigh, Twilight shook her head. "I will never understand why you insist on torturing yourself with that, Luna. You have done more than enough to make up for those times." "I hope you are right," Luna said, "but I cannot be the judge. " "I suppose so," Twilight agreed. "Still, I will do my best to ensure they remember you for the right reasons." Luna nodded, and silence fell between the two mares. It was not an awkward emptiness begging to be filled with hollow words, but the comfortable respite between long friends who had shared over a millennium together. They were probably the only ones who truly knew that companionship; even Celestia had not spent so long in company with another near-immortal. She spent the minutes following a shadow across the floor of her bedchamber, watching the angle it made with the marble tiles. Centuries of practice had honed her skills, but she was often unable to push the sun off at the correct speed or direction. Today, she noted with a little pride that she had gotten that last nudge just right, and it would smoothly dip below the horizon at just the right time with no additional coaxing. Just like Celestia had, just as Luna and the others eventually would as well. It was an appropriate metaphor, to be sure. "How much longer, do you think?" Twilight broke the quietude softly without looking away from her own point of silent meditation, whatever it was. Although the question was reasonable enough, Luna groaned internally; she had planned on breaking the news in a few days; certainly not on this most auspicious of anniversaries, the day Twilight was least likely to take it well. Still, she knew a platitude or half-truth now would make the reality harder to accept, so she gathered the will to finally say the dreaded words out loud. "I've been wondering the same, actually. I finally know what Celestia meant when she said it's difficult to predict, but... I feel my time will come sometime before the next two weeks are out." "That's... sooner than I expected." "To be completely honest, I feared it would have come already," Luna replied. "I have been saving my strength so I could see this last anniversary of Celestia's passing." "Well..." Twilight swallowed, eyes searching some invisible checklist or calendar. "We still have sessions scheduled; that should help extend the time to make sure you can get the paperwork in order." "Actually, I have already signed all the appropriate forms and documents," Luna replied; "They will ensure control of the empire passes smoothly to yourself and Cadance. She will have seniority of course, but power will rest evenly, and you are free to divide responsibilities as you both see fit. As for our therapy sessions, I've decided to discontinue them, and I hope you'll understand." If Twilight didn't "understand", her face did not betray it. Instead, she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Very well," she said simply, staring off into the distance more pointedly than before. "I assume you have the funeral planned as well?" Though the Princess of Friendship spoke evenly and softly, Luna knew that subtle, almost imperceptible edge in Twilight's voice was a mere ripple on the surface of a placid lake, and few still alive had seen even a fraction of its turbulent depths. "...That was actually the next item I wanted to address with you." Luna paused for a moment, steeling herself again. "Before I am too feeble, I wish to follow my sister's last steps, and I was hoping you would be the one to send me." Twilight's measured breathing caught in her throat and her eyes widened "It wouldn't be today," Luna assured quickly, "nor tomorrow. I can give you time to think on it if you wish; My only hope is that you would do me the honor, as my friend." A heavy silence hung over the room, broken only by the occasional distant sounds of the city below the palace. Twilight's breathing had become slightly shallower, and her gaze went back to searching, as if trying to piece together a puzzle somewhere beyond the floor. Finally she nodded, as if in resignation. "I can certainly do that for you, but…" Luna leaned forward in nervous anticipation. "Yes?" "You'll have to teach me; I actually never learned the spell." A brief moment passed while Luna's brain processed the incredible confession, then she chuckled in disbelief. "What? You are the most skilled researcher of magic and science since Starswirl the Bearded, and you never learned or taught yourself a banishment spell in all these years?" A sheepish half-smile flitted across Twilight's face as she glanced over to Luna. "I know… it's silly in retrospect, but… I didn't want to think I'd ever need it." "After Celestia's passing, I thought it would be logical to assume I would desire the same." "No, it's not that," Twilight shook her head. "I felt if I learned the spell it would be tantamount to admitting I feared the possible return of Nightmare Moon..." She swallowed, voice becoming strained. "Well, that... and I had hoped I might find a way to make alicorns actually immortal before you went," Luna's heart clenched painfully. Although Twilight had seemingly come to terms with the passing of her beloved teacher and mentor, soon afterwards she became obsessed with breaking the grip of death. Through the years, Luna had watched her friend struggle against failure after failure, repeatedly sliding into deep depressions with each loved one that would inevitably succumb to the ravages of age. It was heartbreaking for them both, and eventually Twilight stopped talking about her research into true immortality. In all honesty, Luna thought she had given up on it a century ago. "It's all right that you haven't," she said, trying to be reassuring although her own voice was becoming thin. "I have lived a long, full life. I've seen the greatest highs and the worst lows. I've gained and lost, and left my mark on this world for good or ill. I am old, I am tired, and now I am ready to move on." "No, you can't," Twilight insisted. Her eyes began to shimmer. "I'm so close; just let me keep doing the treatments, and I'll have all it figured out soon." Luna's throat tightened further. For a moment, she was a thousand years into the past, standing in the throne room doorway as she watched a same young alicorn plead through tears to halt the inevitable flow of time. Just as she did so long ago, the Princess of the Moon took a deep breath and bid her heart to be strong. "I cannot stay any longer," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "My time has come, and no amount of magic or medicine can change that." Twilight's eyes brimmed over and a soft cry escaped her throat, but unlike that day a thousand years ago, the Princess of Friendship did not collapse into a blubbering mess of grief; she was too dignified for that anymore. Luna had no doubt her friend would eventually unlock more knowledge than any other pony to ever live, perhaps even true immortality. Twilight's pursuits of art, science, and magic were unparalleled by any, aided by the advantage of hundreds of lifetimes and access to virtually limitless material resources. One century, she might rearrange the nationwide educational system; the next, she would reap the harvest of its most brilliant minds to aid in her research. In a thousand years, she had accomplished more than Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, and Celestia combined. Her youthful idealistic streak was still there, as was the fiery passion; she drove herself to the very brink, never quitting until the final tally was in. She had retained a youthful naivete that made her believe she could accomplish nearly anything, and given enough time she most likely would. But Twilight also knew when she was beaten, and for this brief blink of a moment, the most brilliant mind in all of Equestria simply sat and cried raggedly as her soul shook under the pain of every friend and family lost to the slow, unstoppable march of time. It was all Luna could do to keep her own composure intact as she shifted across the bed, and wrapped a single huge wing around her friend's trembling shoulders. After a few minutes, Twilight took a deep breath and swallowed the quiet sobs in her throat. "...That's it then," she said shakily, nestling into Luna's embracing wing. "There's nothing more to do." "It would seem so," Luna responded, nuzzling Twilight gently. "Of course-" There was a soft knock at the door, and both Princesses jumped. Twilight hastily hid her teary face, as Luna withdrew her wing and cleared her throat. "Enter!" she called. A white stallion with ceremonial gold armor gently pushed open the door a moment later, and bowed briefly. "Your Highness, I have been sent to inform you that there are messengers arriving at court. The provinces are inquiring about the unusual time of sunrise and request an official statement." "Very well," Luna said. "You may inform the messengers and councils that we will commence open court in ten minutes; I will have a statement prepared." The guard bowed again, pausing a moment longer than appropriate when he noticed Twilight's presence. Although it was not unusual for the Princesses to keep close company with each other, often tabloids made it out to be more than simple friendship. Patently absurd gossip in Luna's opinion, but it did keep the populace wondering. "That will be all, good sir," Luna said kindly, yet firmly. Twilight gave a melancholy chuckle as the guard closed the door and hoofsteps receded down the marble hall. "Perfect timing, as usual. You were about to say something?" she asked, wiping her damp eyes. "Yes," Luna said, stepping off her bed and gathering her royal vestments. "I still need to teach you the banishment spell, and you'll need to gather the Element Bearers together. The process is not difficult, but you should make use of their strength to aid in casting it successfully for the first time." Twilight nodded. "Yes; they're not on assignment at the moment. I can have them all here before the week is out," she said. "But… Luna?" "Yes?" "Can we call it something else, please?" Luna stopped dressing, and turned to face Twilight. She smiled, spread her wings again, and embraced her friend. "Of course," she said, nuzzling close. "We can call it whatever you wish." "You're sure there's nothing I can say to change your mind?" With a wry smile, Luna shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I can feel it in my body and soul: Today will be the last day I have the strength." Twilight nodded. Her expression and posture were still strong, but her eyes betrayed otherwise. "I understand." The two princesses embraced, then Luna gently pulled back. "Are they prepared?" Another somber nod from Twilight confirmed. "I have briefed them as you instructed." "Very well." Luna turned to face the other five assembled ponies. "Council of Friendship, at our time of parting, I wish to tell you all how grateful I am to have served our great nation alongside you. I thank you for your strong hearts, clever minds, and willing spirits, and I know you will continue to bring peace and prosperity to Equestria for many years to come." The Council members nodded and smiled gratefully. Luna smiled in return, but her heart was heavy as she realized that she barely knew any of them personally, at least not enough to give individual words of wisdom as her sister had done. Perhaps it was just as well; she'd put this off for as long as possible already, and even just standing under her own power was beginning to be a chore requiring all her concentration. If she was to make her final journey successfully, it had to be now. She turned again to Twilight and embraced her friend for the final time. "I am ready," she said softly. Luna felt warm tears against her neck. "I'll miss you, Lulu." "I'll miss you too." Luna's voice cracked despite her best efforts, and the tears she'd been holding back finally spilled over. She could feel Twilight's fluttering heart and shallow breathing, and lamented she would never again hold her close. Much the same as she would never feel the warmth of Celestia's loving wings, or see her sister's beautiful sun rise once more. She squeezed tightly. "Take care of your sister, Twilight." Twilight squeezed back. "Say hi to Celestia for me," she said almost inaudibly. Luna sighed, but indulged her friend. "I will, the moment I see her." They held each other for a few more moments, then pulled away with unspoken accord. "I'll start the spell," Twilight said, trying to steady her shuddering voice. She stepped back and nodded at the Council of Friendship, who all closed their eyes in concentration as their jeweled necklaces began to glow with ethereal power. While shimmering light and swift winds filled the throne room, Luna her gaze fixed on Twilight. The Princess was distracted, muttering unfamiliar invocations to build the magical fields in just the right configuration, but at the last possible moment, she looked up. Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as she locked eyes with Luna; eyes filled not with simple grief, but despair and sadness beyond measure. The spell peaked and Luna felt a familiar pull from above as the world faded to cool darkness. === Epilogue === Luna recalled well the feel of the moon. It was peaceful and quiet. She had been here once before, though her last visit had been an imprisonment. This one was not, and it was decidedly more pleasant. She quickly lost track of any time or space, but did not attempt to recall them. Her last moments might have been a few seconds, or a thousand years more, she could not tell, but eventually, she felt her magic begin to fade. She made no attempt to slow it, and instead let the silvery moon glow ever more beautiful. She wanted to show that the visage of the Mare in the Moon would no longer a specter of terror; rather a gentle guardian of the ponies below. Finally the last of her magic slipped away, and her mind started to fade in its wake. It was the end, and she accepted it with grace. She knew most likely there would be nothing, and that was okay. But then as she wondered at the brilliant, strangely familiar golden light approaching from the distance, she thought... perhaps… there may yet be something more. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Enchanted Library: The Secret Chapters author: garatheauthor tags: character:Discord, character:Rarity, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Narcotics, warning:Profanity, warning:Sex

=== Chapter 1 - Why Twilight was really banished to the library === A cloud of smoke rose from the centre of Twilight's library, wafting towards the ceiling in lazy little puffs of misty grey. Yet, Twilight did not seem overly concerned by this development, choosing instead to glance over at the creature across from her. "Do you mind passing that to me?" Twilight asked. She was handed a glass vessel, crafted in a manner where a beaker-shaped chamber of water was connected to a long cylinder of glass and a small metallic bowl that contained a green and mystical herb. Or as the foals called it, a bong. Twilight pressed her lips against the cylinder and lit the herb, inhaling to fill the chamber with a slightly grey-ish vapour. She then removed the bowl of charred herb as the vapour was drawn right into her mouth and eagerly awaiting lungs. She held onto this vapourish smoke for as long as she could, before coughing and releasing it into the library, sending up yet another cloud. "Careful there," Discord teased. "I'd hate to have to tell Celestia that I asphyxiated her favourite student." "You do that every other Tuesday, anyways," Twilight said, smirking coyly. "True, but I don't exactly want her to know about our bedroom activities, either." Twilight chuckled; her voice left a little hoarse by the smoke. "Plus, I'm not really her student anymore." "Ah right," Discord said, studying her. "You have wings now, you're more of a junior associate these days." Twilight nodded and said nothing more, instead staring at her bookshelves with a half-lidded and slightly addled gaze. Her eyes were left reddened by the contents of the bong. Discord reached over and snatched the vessel from her, enjoying his own little puff. And as he released his vapour, it crept towards the roof in the shape of a stampeding elephant. "Nice trick," Twilight said. "You'll have to teach it to me someday." "I don't think you could physically perform it, I'm afraid." "Why's that?" "It involves shaping and reshaping your lungs on the fly. Last time I tried that; it hadn't gone so well for the pony involved." Twilight nodded before tapping a hoof against her chest. "Can I admit something to you Discord?" "Of course, Twilight, dear. What else are friends for?" "I kind of really hate the idea of being a princess." "Oh?" Discord cocked a brow. "And why's that?" "Like, I used to just be Celestia's student and a part-time librarian. You know, spend my days either reading, working, or taking lessons from Celestia. Like sure, not the most rewarding life possible but still, it was nice and cozy, and honestly pretty easy. Now look at me, I have to attend meetings, and councils, and judge affairs of state." She groaned. "It's so freaking exhausting." Discord nodded, handing the bong back to Twilight who promptly took another massive rip, which she coughed out in her own, rather boring, cloud of vapour. "Probably explains why you've been getting stoned a lot more lately." "Social anxiety is a bitch," Twilight mumbled before glancing at Discord. "Thanks for bringing some weed, by the way." "Hey, any time." Discord bit his lip. "Speaking of… do you have some bits to pay for it?" Twilight winced. "Oh shit! Sorry, dude. I totally forgot to pick some up for tonight." She grinned. "But you know I'm good for the money, right?" Discord smiled a very unsure smile. "Yeah, yeah, totally. It's just… you uh…" "Uh, what?" "Never paid me for any of the weed you've smoked," he grumbled under his breath. "Like ever." "What was that?" Twilight asked, looking over at him with all the gravity and seriousness that a stoner could muster. "Nothing, nothing, take another toke if you'd like. I think I'm good for the night." Twilight nodded and finished the bowl, cleaned the chamber, and slid the bong off to the side. "But for real, dude," Twilight said. "What I wouldn't give to be able to take some time off, lounge in my library without commitments, and just veg with a good book or two." "And probably smoke a little pot." "I mean of course…" she said before wincing, "but uh… don't tell Celestia that I've been smoking it, ok?" Discord held up a defensive paw. "Your secret is safe with me. Neither Celestia, Luna, Cadance, or even Shining will ever have to find out that you've become quite the little stoner, dear." "Thanks, Discord, you're a pretty great friend." Discord chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't worry Twilight Stoner, I am well aware." Soon a mischievous little smile formed on his muzzle. "In fact! I think I know of a way that you could enjoy some much-needed and completely commitment-free R&R." "Y-you do?" Twilight asked. Discord nodded and snapped his talons, making Twilight's eyes close as she fell into a deep slumber. "When you wake up, you'll be able to enjoy all the books you want," he said before his voice dropped to a whisper. "And I can stop having my weed being used up by a little mooch who doesn't pay her share." He snorted. "Honestly, it sounds like a win-win to me." Twilight awoke and quickly cradled a hoof against her pulsating forehead. It ached with such violent intensity that she thought this was the end. This was how she was going to perish, waking up with the mother of all weed hangovers. However, she was thankfully smart enough to not just succumb to her conditions. Hangovers may have been serious business but she knew how to treat them with ease. First, she needed water and luckily there was a well just outside her library. She got up, on shaky legs, and lumbered towards the exit. And just as she was about to reach it, she slammed into a solid wall. "What the fuck," she growled, rubbing her wounded snout. As she looked up, she noticed the ripple of a magical barrier. "What…" she repeated, placing her hoof against it. The thin membrane of magic shimmered under her hoof. That hadn't been there yesterday. No matter, she was a powerful alicorn and it wasn't like this simple prank would hold her for long. She charged her horn and unleashed a barrage of magic. To her immediate dismay, this potent spell was taken in by the membrane, strengthening it as it took on a yellowish and gravely foreboding tinge. Oh shit… this was chaos magic. She scrambled back and towards her desk. "Discord!" she screamed. "Get your ass out here, right this second!" No response came. As she reached the centre of her library, she noticed that a fresh tome had been left behind upon her desk. On it was the title, Balance of Payment. "What the?" Twilight opened it and the first page was littered with the phrase, this is your fault, written over and over again in a very angry looking and hastily scribbled red font. Clearly the author had some kind of grudge against her. She grumbled under her breath and flipped to page two, and then three, and four. After the first page, the text was far neater, laying out how much weed she'd borrowed from Discord and what the monetary value of it was. By the end of page sixty-nine, the last of the book, there was a grand total at the very bottom. "How…" How the fuck had she smoked over two thousand bits of Discord's weed. === Chapter 2 - Rarity gets jaundice === "Well, well, well, I think it's about time that we ended this little charade," Rarity teased, stepping menacingly towards Twilight. Twilight looked over, noticing that Rarity bore a rather sinister smoulder and was looking at her with very yellow eyes. She quivered. "Holy fuck…" "Yes, darling, I…" "Have jaundice!" Twilight yelped, leaping to her hooves and gripping Rarity's head in her magic. She used her leverage to study Rarity's face closely, trying to discern how far the disease had come. "Have you been vomiting? Have you experienced any weight loss? Quick! What colour has your pee been?" Rarity hissed and batted away at Twilight. "No, you idiot, I'm Discord." Twilight let go. "Ohhhhh…" She then stepped back slowly and tilted her head to the side. "Wait you're Discord?" Rarity chuckled, letting out a low rumble of amusement. "Why of course, dear." Her voice began to deepen to a more masculine tone. "Have you not noticed all the context clues I've left behind?" "Not… really? Wait, you left clues?" "Twilight, darling, my dude, have you never noticed that Rarity is an anagram for Discord." "Huh… now that you mention it…WAIT! No, it isn't, that doesn't make any sense." Rarity threw back her head and bellowed laughter. "Neither does chaos, darling." === Chapter 3 - Fluttershy falls victim to forced pop culture references === A smouldering crater sat in the middle of Ponyville, the flicker of a few lingering flames scorching the grass around it. Discord laid in the middle, crumpled from the sheer impact of the final blow for this cataclysmic struggle. Was he unconscious or dead, nopony knew? Rarity, Twilight, and their friends approached carefully, their hooves crunching the glass created from the superheated nature of Twilight's spell. The alicorn looked frayed and exhausted, yet she struggled forward, determination burning in her one remaining eye. "Discord!" she called out, scorn dripping from her voice. The battered body chuckled, its voice sounding hollow and wet with injury, "Do you really think you bested me that easily, Princess?" Twilight nodded resolutely. "I know I have. Your magic is drained, your body is broken, and now all I need to do is cast you away, as I should've eons ago." "Now, now, now, you should know that every villain always has one last trick up their sleeve." "That's a lie," Applejack drawled. "You're all out of trickery." "Is that what you honestly think?" A smile appeared on Discord's lips. "I can safely assure you, this one will be quite… marvelous." He gingerly lifted his talons, or what remained of them, and snapped together the last two functional digits he possessed. Nothing happened. Another moment went by, and yet the status quo persisted. Rarity looked left, then right, but to her not one thing had changed. Twilight snorted. "Some trick." "It's a doozy." Discord chuckled. "I swear." Twilight's horn began to crackle as she channelled a millennium of less than kind emotions into this, her final victory. Fluttershy whimpered. "Rarity…" "What is it dear?" Rarity asked. "We're kinda…" "I don't feel so good." Rarity looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening. Fluttershy appeared to atomize before her very eyes, turning slowly to dust, her essence drifting away upon the wind. Within a moment, her beloved friend collapsed to the ground before evaporating to nothingness. Discord snorted and cough, hacking up blood. "God, I love pop culture references." === Chapter 4 - Twilight and Rarity discover that yes, ghost sex is possible === Rarity stumbled and tripped over her own hooves, gliding through the air briefly before falling against a nearby bookshelf. The structure rattled under the impact before a load of books fell off, careening straight for Rarity's beautiful face. So, this is how it ends, bludgeoned to death by a bukkake of literature… A scream of terror was ripped from her lips, echoing through the library. Yet, mere moments before a load of knowledge tarnished her complexion, her imminent demise was stopped cold as a lavender aura encased the books. Well, nearly all the books. Sadly, one made it through the magical netting and bonked her in the middle of her forehead before falling to the floor with a loud thud. Rarity rubbed her temple as she watched Twilight's magic shelve the books back into place. A moment later, the alicorn whipped around the corner, rushing straight for Rarity. "Are you ok?" she yelped. "Yes darling, I'm perfectly…" Twilight picked up the book that had fallen on the floor and frantically began to search it for any damage. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the gods, you're ok." Her face instantly paled and she looked up at Rarity before promptly shoving the offending book behind her back. "Err… I mean? Are you ok, Rarity?" She let out this wonderfully embarrassed chuckle. Rarity sighed. "Yes dear, nothing more than a little goosebump, if anything." "That's good to hear," Twilight said, placing the book back where it belonged. She then focused on Rarity, using her magic to caress her face and turn it from side to side. "I don't see any signs of a concussion," she murmured. "Thankfully it was only a couple hundred pages. You'd be a goner if one of those encyclopedias hit you." Rarity snorted. "Would I now?" "Without a doubt," Twilight answered nonchalantly. "That's how Moondancer died." "Err… Pardon?" "Poor girl took a copy of Encyclopedia Equestria right to the back of her skull. She was gone before she even hit the ground." Twilight let go of Rarity's face and patted her on the top of the head. "Crying shame, it meant that I no longer had to share Celestia with anypony." She blinked. "Err… I mean, it meant I no longer had someone to spend time with that was also tutoring under Celestia." "Of course," Rarity muttered before something clicked. "Wait… did you just touch me with your magic?" "Uh, yeah? Why?" "I didn't realize you could do that?" Twilight smirked and gently ran a small imprint of telekinesis across Rarity's cheek. It felt a little strange but at the same time, it was also oddly intimate. It might not have been a hoof, or a pair of lips, but it was still the tender touch of her lover. How had Rarity never realized this before? Her own magic wrapped around the little imprint, the two auras intermingling together, a duo of colours dancing around one another. Twilight's face brightened. "Do you know what this means?" Rarity asked. Twilight nodded. "I think so?" "Twilight we can…" "Finally have a means of holding onto one another," Twilight whispered. "Like holding hooves." "We can have ghost sex!" Rarity blurted out at the exact same time. The two of them deadpanned and looked one another in the face. Rarity's cheeks warmed. "I mean yes… we can… hold onto one another." "I've never had sex before," Twilight whispered. "No, no, no," Rarity pleaded, waving her hoof. "Don't think anything of my statement. I just… I uh… I had a momentary case of the vapours, nothing more." "I don't even own a pottery wheel…" "That's perfectly fine, dar-" Rarity paused. "Uh… what?" "Don't you need one?" "Why would you…" "It was a plot in one of the books you lent me. I thought pottery wheels were very important to act of uh… fornicating." "Twilight, how are you this well-read but have no idea what sex is?" "LOOK! Celestia said I would learn about it when I was older and well… by the time I grew up, we were at war with Discord and I didn't exactly stock up on a whole lot of biology books!" Rarity pursed her lips. "Well this simply will not do, darling. If you do not have the proper literature to educate yourself…" Her lips curled into a coy little smile. "Then I will simply have to teach you myself." "Rarity I hardly think that you're a qualified teach-" Twilight stopped as she noticed Rarity's brow inch upwards, realization dawning on her soon after. "Ohhhhh! You wanna like… do the… sex." "Yes dear," Rarity chuckled. "I want to do the sex." "Then let's… do that." "Let's." === Chapter 5 - Sometimes a sinkhole is actually a sinkhole === "Rarity, we've been at this for hours now," Applejack said. "Maybe we should take a break and try again in the morning?" Rarity shook her head, marking yet another tree with the Timberwolf's claw. "I can feel it, Applejack. We're getting close to finding Twilight's library. I'm certain of it." "You figured out the whole sinkhole thing and I'm sure that we could find it tomorrow with a good night's sleep and some fresh eyes. Lickity split." Rarity pursed her lips, surveying the sky. It was getting pretty close to morning, the stars starting to fade as the blackness of night slowly gave way to blue. "How about one more sinkhole? If we don't find anything there, then we can try again tomorrow night, hmm?" Applejack looked around and let out a helpless sigh. "Fine. I know better than to try and convince you. Just don't go complaining when you're too tired tomorrow night." "Deal." Together, the two of them continued forward, marking trees as they pressed ever deeper into the seemingly endless Everfree. It took maybe another half an hour before they came upon the next 'sinkhole'. Rarity surveyed it for only a moment and was just about to leap in when Applejack held a hoof across her chest, stopping her. "How about you let me go?" Applejack offered. Rarity frowned and huffed in a very indignant but ladylike fashion. "Why?" "Because you've been leading the charge all night, and I outta take my turn every once in a while. Plus, I don't want you spraining your hoof or anything. They might not be sinkholes but they can still be a pretty nasty fall and your hindleg is only recently mended. Last thing either of us wants, is you needing to be hauled out of here on my back." Rarity bit her lip and looked at the hole, feeling the air gush into its seemingly endless gaping maw. A nice touch of authenticity by Discord. "Fine," she conceded. "You may take the lead on this one. Though if you do find the library, I demand the right to be the first one in." Applejack nodded, touching the tip of her hat. "Scouts' honour." And with that, Applejack stepped back and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," she mumbled. She bound forward and leapt high into the air before falling into the depression. Except… She kept falling and falling and falling, her screams growing fainter by the second. Rarity stepped towards the edge and looked down, blinking in disbelief. "Applejack," she whispered. "You alright down there?" SPLAT! === Chapter 6 - Twilight is a little out of touch with the modern world === Twilight opened her eyes, looked up at her hoof, and her heart skipped a beat. Wait! Her heart just skipped a beat. She inhaled sharply and felt her lungs expand, her chest rising and falling at an excitable pace. Oh, how strange of a sensation that was. Everything was real. She could feel. Again! She could feel the touch of the wood against her back. She could feel the grit of the dust. She could feel… sticky? She looked down at herself, seeing the splotches of black now coating her body. Likely, the result of the shattered ink well that remained at her side. "I'm alive," Twilight whispered before stumbling to her hooves. Oh, how funny gravity felt after being denied it for so many centuries. She took a tentative step, and then another. Each felt strange, sending a million sensations firing all at once. It almost bordered on the realm of overstimulation. If walking felt strange, what would it feel like when she was finally able to be with Rarity? Rarity? The memory of that name made a bead of sweat form on her brow. It also triggered an explosion of foreign sensations, as the mere figment of a memory was enough to excite so many parts of her psyche and physical form. She wiped her brow and winced as she accidently got ink all over her complexion, but paid it no additional attention. Twilight needed to find Rarity. She had to. Was the curse broken? Twilight cautiously approached the edge of her library, her eyes widening as she looked down the tunnel. All along the edges were papers, drawing, and notes from past companions she had enjoyed and loved. There were hundreds? How long had her hiatus lasted? She didn't bother reading or examining any of them closely as she instead sprinted forward. The barrier did not stop her and for the first time ever she was free. Almost immediately, she felt a familiar burn smolder in her chest as she puffed for breath. Ah, just as out of shape as ever. And yet, being reminded of that was exciting. She was mortal again, with a mortal's stamina and resilience. Still, she pressed herself, pushing harder than she had ever pushed herself before. Harder than when Shining had tried to train her, harder than when she had first tried to adapt to wings. She sprinted and sprinted, not slowing as she dove through the forest and approached the settlement on its edge. She slowed to a canter but still burst into town, breathing in the richness of urban life. Oh, how she missed that smell, and the ability to smell in general. It was all so exciting! The ponies she passed all stared at her in a mixture of shock, awe, and oddly even a few who seemed disgusted. Maybe they thought of her as an imposter, or a freak who somehow had both wings and a horn. Thankfully, she spotted a pony she knew in the market square, sliding to a halt in front of Applejack's fruit stand. The farmer beamed at the sight of her. "Twilight!" She froze. "Er… what's that on your face?" Twilight stopped and cocked a brow before touching her cheek. As she withdrew it, she saw a nice amount of black now tarnishing her hoof. "Oh yeah, sorry," she said. "I spilled ink all over myself when I woke up. Must've been a little clumsy with my new hooves." She waved one. "But look! I escaped." Applejack nodded. "Yeah… yeah, that's great and all but like Twi…" "Yes?" "It's literally all over your face." "What do you mean?" Applejack sighed and scrubbed the brass plaque on her wagon to a shine, allowing Twilight to lean in and see that her face was totally covered in black ink. Before either of them spoke, a panicked gasp hit from the side. "Twilight!" Twilight turned and beamed again. "Oh, hey Fluttershy!" When she saw the pegasus, it was not the kindly mare she remembered but a sneering ball of pink and yellow. Twilight winced. "Fluttershy?" "You have a lot of nerve walking into town looking like that! I know that you haven't been around too many ponies for like a thousand years, but it's the year 1020, and ponies don't go around doing blackface anymore." Twilight blinked. "What?" Applejack nodded sadly. "She's right, Sugarcube. What would Zecora say if she saw you like this?" A deep chuckle rolled in from the side and the zebra herself appeared. "It is obviously a misunderstanding," Zecora said. "She's very sure Twilight didn't mean to be offending." Fluttershy whipped around and shushed her. "Zecora, hun, the woke ponies are trying to defend you." Zecora blinked. "I do not need defense, for Twilight meant no offense." Applejack shook her head. "Leave her be Fluttershy, she doesn't understand the intricacies of modern identity politics." "What's… going on?" Twilight asked. Zecora shrugged. "Twilight!" A new voice called. A very familiar voice. One which she had longed to hear with her real ears. She turned and smiled. "Rarity!" She saw horror in Rarity's face, as the unicorn skidded to a halt. "Oh, no," Rarity murmured. Twilight frowned. "Oh, no?" "I can't believe this," Rarity whispered before dramatically placing the back of her hoof to her forehead. "I waited all this time, only to discover that you're problematic. I'm sorry dearest but…" She turned away in disgust. "I must now cancel you." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Things are going to be changeling around here. author: Phantom Dragon tags: character:Changelings, character:Queen Chrysalis, character:Thorax, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Dark, genre:Drama, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Smooth Sailing? === Thorax flew as fast as his wings could carry him. His flight was filled with joy and determination. He wanted to talk about his experience in the Crystal Empire, with his own kind. Thorax smiled as he reminisced about his new friendships in the Crystal Kingdom. Something he did not think was ever possible. It was all thanks to Spike his friend that it all worked out. He made it to the front of the hive. It was a cave that was filled with green goop, there were cocoons and over the ceiling . One part had a thick green wall separating the rest of the hive. In the hive, there were changelings swarming all over out of desperation. "All that love, it's so close, yet we can't go there" "So hungry" "I can't take it!" A changeling tried to fly out of the hive, but he was held back by the other changelings. "If you go there, they will shoot us from the sky! Or use you to find our hive" Thorax entered inside he was beaming with joy, which caused jealousy in the other changelings. All the changelings surrounded him and hissed at him with anger. "Thorax! Where'd you get your fill?!" One changeling hissed at him "Yeah, and how? You were always the soft one of the group" another one asked "Hey, hey calm down" responded Thorax "Listen I got something to tell you" So Thorax explained everything that happened that day. "You saw the baby?" "You made friends?" Although friendship was something mostly foreign to them. Thorax wondered if his kind could even grasp it. Considering that most changelings were not friends but just worked side by side. But Thorax saw the genuine interest so he knew there was hope. "You see every changeling, ponies can accept us. We don't have to hide here anymore." said Thorax "We don't have to scavenge for food, ponies are willing to give us their friendship, which does sustain us" he continued "But..." one changeling objected "You said you were betrayed by this 'Spike' what's stopping the others from doing that?" "I..." Thorax started feeling a bit sad "Yeah, and what if some ponies decide to never give us a chance" "What if..." "Listen!" Thorax shouted "Princess Cadence, and Prince Shining Armor gave me a chance, even though they were the most affected by our attack" "I'm sure other ponies will as well." There was nothing but silence for awhile "Wait! The Queen told us to hunt ponies, not to be friends! Are you going against our Queen?!" Thorax ears flatten, he has been against Queen Chrysalis actions for the longest time. He hated following her evil orders. However, he knew that loyalty rans deep in the changeling kind, just like ponies' loyalty to the Princesses run deep. That and he understood why they had to do such acts. They needed food to survive. "Well um, maybe we should talk to the Queen about this...I'm..sure that she'll understand." Thorax said nervously, But although a part of him knew it was not going to work, he was optimistic about it. 'I mean if there is an easier way for us to get nourishment, what reason could the Queen need to attack ponies?' Thorax thought "Is the Queen in the nursery?" Thorax asked One of the changelings nodded Thorax knocked on the thick wall separating the hive. He shook in fear and said "Umm.. Queen...I..um" He was then quickly interrupted by a glowing of the wall than it separating. Queen Chrysalis came out and the wall become whole behind her. Every one of the changelings bowed down to her. Thorax was about to open his mouth "Don't bother Thorax, I heard everything. Just because that wall is thick.." Chrysalis pointed at the wall behind her with her eyes "Doesn't mean I can't hear in there" Chrysalis said "So then you heard my whole story? Great! that means.." Queen Chrysalis let out a wicked laugh "We'll be friends with those ponies" "You're so naive" Chrysalis demeaningly said "But.." "You think I wanted to invade the Crystal Kingdom just for food?" "If that was all I wanted Thorax, all I would have to do, was to go to Cadence and tell her about the situation. She would give us all the love we could ever want" "You see Thorax ponies are weak so it's much easier for us, to rule over them" "Besides emotions taste much better if you take it by force. Once you had a taste of it, you can never go back" Thorax gasped "You mean, you made us hunt ponies just for taste?!" Chrysalis completely ignored his statement and went on "Thorax, do you know how long it takes a friendship to bloom?" No response "A long time, do you really think you can fight off your instinct for long?" "Well, I ... um I mean I was shown Flurry Heart, love surrounded her. It was irresistible but I held myself back" Queen Chrysalis stared at him, Thorax's eyes widened as he saw the cold cruelty in her eyes. "You didn't really plan this, did you?" Chrysalis stepped forward which caused him to step back. "Sure it worked out now but what happens if it doesn't?" "What happens if you take too much nourishment from somepony, and it causes them to not be friends with you?" "That's not.." Thorax tried to say "What happens, when you drain too much from your friend Spike. That you kill him" For a moment Thorax thought he saw something flash in her merciless eyes, but dismissed it. "I ...I will not be alone, my new friends will help me...you will see!" "I'm leaving Chrysalis, I don't want to conquer them, we can work to coexist with each other" Thorax bravely said "Whose with me?" One changeling that was hanging in the back step forward. "Kevin?" Thorax asked in shock. "Being friends with ponies can't be that difficult. After all, I made friends with a donkey named Cranky" "And I was invited to his wedding. I'm joining you Thorax." Kevin said A small group went towards Thorax agreeing to try this new idea. "Let's go every changeling to start anew" With that Thorax and a small group left the hive. The other changeling stood there with the Queen, to disobey was high treachery and they were satisfied to stay they way they were . "Queen Chrysalis should we go after them?" said one of the changelings Queen Chrysalis said nothing and went back into the nursery. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Thunder and Lightning author: AVeryStrange tags: character:DJ P0N-3, character:Rainbow Dash, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1 === Chapter 1 "Dash? Dash!" Twilight called out, standing on the path below Dash's cloud home. She stamped her hooves in frustration as the silence dragged on. She had been at this for several minutes, and the situation called for a bit more urgency than her friend was showing. Or not showing, as the case may be. So far she hadn't shown up at all. "Dash, am I going to have to get Fluttershy to go up there?" Twilight asked of the clouds. She finally heard from above, a low groan making its way down to her. "Alright already." Rainbow Dash complained, rolling onto her front and over to the edge of her cloud home, where she could look down on Twilight. She blinked slowly a couple times at Twilight. "Can't a pony get some shuteye?" she complained. "It's nearly afternoon Dash!" Twilight retorted. Dash just looked around lazily at the bright day she had somehow slept straight through until now. She gave a yawn. "And why were you asleep outside?" Twilight asked, her curiosity overcoming her sense of urgency. Rainbow had her actual house at her back, lying on the surrounding cloud, near her rainbow river. "I'm tired." Dash said, explaining nothing. "Whatcha want?" "The weather patrol sent me to fetch you." Twilight explained. Her friend still didn't look all that concerned. Or conscious, given her drooping eyelids. "My shift isn't until the afternoon." she managed after a moment. "There's been an accident. One of the pegasus ponies flew into a mountainside, somehow." "It...happens" Rainbow replied, giving a wavering smile. "So why are they bugging me?" "Because, the other two members of the team had to help her back." Twilight explained, "Which means the thunderstorm they'd been redirecting is now almost on us, and they need it cleared fast. And not just fast, but the fastest - Rainbow Dash fast." Twilight ended with a smile, knowing the effect that would have on her brash friend. Rainbow Dash, sure enough, began to perk up. "Well, I guess you've got that right." she replied, blinking rapidly until she seemed more focused. "Come on Dash, please?" Twilight asked. Rainbow wasn't stupid; she could tell when she was being buttered up, so Twilight didn't want to go overboard. Still, she needed to lay it on a little to motivate her lazy friend. "Who else but you could we turn to?" "Alright, alright." Dash said, now on all fours. She stretched out like a cat, flared her wings, and lifted effortlessly into the air. "Only 'cause you guys need me." Twilight smiled as Dash took off towards Ponyville. She chuckled and shook her head, trotting along behind. Dash yawned every other minute on the way to Ponyville. She barely paid any attention to the ground underneath her; she really wanted to be back in bed, or at least on her cloud. Neither unicorns nor earth ponies really got it; when you lived your whole life on a cottony, fluffy surface, 'beds' were really just for the fun of it. Plus, after last night, Dash was just glad she had found her way back to her own cloud at all. Dash reached Ponyville, noticing that it wasn't as bright as it should have been anymore. She saw the pegasus ponies that made up the rest of Ponyville's weather patrol waiting for her near the edge of town. Normally, Dash would go on solo duty, just kicking away any stray clouds as she came across them. For there to even be a small team assembled meant that there was probably something bigger to take care of, not that Dash paid any attention to the weather until she showed up for her shift. Still, if she remembered right, there had been something from Cloudsdale a couple days ago alerting them to a stray system moving their way. Even more asleep than awake Dash made flight look easy, coming in for a smooth landing in front of the group. Shaking her head awake, she looked over to the weather patrol. "Who was it this time?" she asked the brown stallion in the center. He nodded over to his left, to the white mare with a teal blue mane. "Rainy? Let me guess....you left your glasses at home." Rainbow saw her fellow weather-pony cringe. "I'm sorry...they keep fogging up!" she argued back weakly. "I don't know how I missed that mountain." Rainbow sighed. She wasn't close friends with the other pony, but understood why Rainy Day never went around with her weather-resistant, thick-rimmed glasses. "Hey, no problem, it happens to the best of us. Trust me." her enthusiasm wasn't entirely genuine, but it did bring a little smile to the pony's face. "Think you can manage, Dash?" the brown stallion interrupted. "We'd come out and help, but uh, we kinda need a rush job here." he nodded over his shoulder. Rainbow looked up and groaned. She now knew why it was so dark for this time of day. It was worse than she feared; there was a major thunderstorm barreling down on them, just minutes away from Ponyville. Already a number of ponies were worriedly looking at the sky and the coming clouds. Dash sighed; the rest of the team could have gotten a start already, but were apparently relying on her to get the job done. Why hadn't Twilight told her it was important? Well, no matter, she figured. She was the best there was after all. "I'm on it. I'll have this storm cleared up in ten seconds flat." Dash said with a grin. The stallion rolled his eyes, but she ignored him. She took to the air with such force that it sent up a thick cloud of dust around the other ponies. "Okay Dash." she thought to herself. "Time to strut your stuff." she veered away from the storm. She couldn't just kick away something of this size, not in time. She needed strategy, she needed technique. So she began to circle the storm, picking up speed as she went. It was difficult to lap, but not too hard so long as she was extra quick. She wasn't used to making whirlwinds of this size, but knew what she was doing. "Just gotta..." her vision blurred and she had to shake her head clear. At the speed she was going, it wasn't a particularly pleasant experience. She wobbled off course just enough to make her grit her teeth in annoyance. She'd need an extra lap to make up for that. Focusing, Dash began to lap the cloud again and again, dragging the air along, changing its current. She began to whip the wind up, creating a wall of flowing air that corralled the storm in. When she was just short of creating a tornado, Dash implemented phase two of her plan. When she was sure she was on the far side of the storm from Ponyville, she veered out of her circle and flared her wings. The drag would slow her down quickly but would also force a lot of air in behind her. She was dragging the whirlwind with her, at least a little. She let herself slow to a drop and began to fall. The storm was spinning around and around thanks to the near-whirlwind, and was beginning to change course, dragged away from Ponyville. Dash implemented phase three, first losing altitude quickly as she folded her wings in. Getting low enough to the ground to scare a lesser flier than she, she flared her wings and pumped them hard, keeping her momentum, so close that the grass tickled her tucked hooves. When she was back to the other side of the storm she veered up, doing a vertical u-turn. She was upside down as she headed for the clouds again. Being upside down didn't particularly bother her. What came next, however, was a bit of a headache. Dash cocked one wing just slightly. That little imbalance was all she needed. She began a controlled spin around and around as she hit the storm. A pegasus didn't just pass through a storm cloud - after all they could walk on them, shape them, and kick them. She hit the storm hard, and spinning around like she was, all she had to do was buck her legs and clouds went flying off from the main storm in every direction. Her momentum helped her kick her way through, flinging clouds as she went. Once on the other side, she dropped out of the wind stream and looked up at her handiwork. The storm was cut clean in two by her path, and the two halves were spinning away from each other thanks to the shifted whirlwind. The two storms were headed away from each other and away from Ponyville, just as planned. Rainbow Dash yawned and nodded at the results. The smaller storms she had created were less stable, and would move farther faster. She could split them up some more to truly get rid of them, but decided that was enough. It would be easier to let them play themselves out. So Dash winged it back to Ponyville, noticing Twilight and Fluttershy chatting in the town square. Both ponies noticed her coming in. "Great job Rainbow Dash. I knew you could do it." Twilight told her. Dash beamed. "You were so...fast..." Fluttershy smiled. "Ehhh, it was nothing big. I think the patrol owes me one though." Rainbow yawned again. "Now if you excuse me, I need a nap." she trotted off instead of taking flight, deciding to give her wings a rest. "Boy, does that pony do anything other than nap? Well, besides...you know." Twilight shook her head, sparing a glance to the retreating storm. "It's so funny." Fluttershy said softly, "She, um, was always up bright and early in camp." "Huh?" Twilight blinked and looked over at the retreating form of Rainbow Dash. "Hmmm." --- Applejack was so used to bucking apples that she really didn't have to think about what she was doing. In a single glance she could size up a tree, figure out where to hit it, and know exactly how much force to put into the kick. She wasn't much for contemplation, but her mind did tend to wander as she gazed at the morning light coming through the trees. 'Apple Bloom tried real hard yesterday t' help Big Mac with his chores," she thought, "Ah should let her pick out tonight's dinner. Ah wonder why Ah haven' seen Pinkie Pie in a couple days? Maybe Ah should bake her a pie or two. Nah, she's prob'bly got enough 'f that. Ah wonder if'n we could make apple smoothies. Grannie Smith wouldn't like noise none, that's for sure. Ah hope Apple Bloom got her all settled for her afternoon nap w'out hassle. Rainbow Dash is in this tree. Now is it three weeks until winter or-' "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack called out in surprise, looking over her shoulder at the tree she was about to buck. Rainbow was in fact lying balanced on a lower branch, her left legs dangling over the edge, her head propped up by her right foreleg. She didn't respond to Applejack except to turn her head slightly, an ear twitching - she was fast asleep. "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack called again, slightly cross at the sight. "What've Ah said about sleepin' on mah trees? Yur bending th' branch!" Rainbow still didn't respond. The earth pony snorted and eyeballed the pegasus pony for a moment. Then, shifting to the right, she gave the tree a swift kick. "What the- woah!" Rainbow Dash woke up as she toppled off the branch. Before she could react, her short drop ended and she landed square on Applejack's back. "Ooof." It was less a statement and more the wind being knocked out of her. She slid off of Applejack slowly, shooting the earth pony a disgruntled glare. "What'd you do that for?" she asked, visibly irritated as she rubbed her side. Applejack just returned her glare, ire for ire. "Honestly Dash. Ah don' understand how anypony as lazy as you could still be half as good a flier, or athlete." "I'm not lazy!" Rainbow Dash said, her response interrupted by a yawn. "I just had a late night." "Oh? Doin' what exactly?" Applejack asked, clearly not buying Rainbow's words for a moment. Rainbow Dash blinked at her, her eyes widening. She finally looked fully awake. "Uh...I gotta go." Rainbow Dash said quickly. Applejack just shook her head as the cyan pony took off right away, finding a gap between the apple trees into the clear sky. "That pony wouldn' know hard work if'n it saddled her up an' rode her like a show pony" Applejack said to herself before getting back to work. "How hard is it for a pony to get a little peace and quiet?" Rainbow Dash muttered as she flew away from Sweet Apple Acres. It seemed she hadn't made it home this time, and was paying the price. Her sides still ached - Applejack was definitely not a soft landing spot. Dash couldn't imagine what had the earth pony so upset. So she had napped in a tree? She couldn't fall asleep on a stray cloud lest she wanted to end up halfway to Appleloosa by the time she woke up. "Hey Rainbow Dash!" A peppy voice called out below her, interrupting her thought process. Rainbow Dash sighed at the sound of it. She knew that voice, she knew its owner, and she knew that her instinct to run wasn't actually going to help. Her entire body collapsed in tired defeat, hanging from her wings. Couldn't she just get home? "Hello Pinkie." she said flatly, looking below her. "Hey, hey!" Pinkie bounced excitedly on the road below, eyes straight up at Dash. What, did she think she could jump up to Rainbow's height? She certainly looked ready to try. "I've been looking for you! I have an amazing, spectacular, pinktastic idea for a prank! We're gonna need five gallons of paint, a raincloud, and-" "Pinkie, not now." Rainbow Dash complained. "I'm too tired to play." "Aww, but Dash, I can't do it without you." "Maybe later." Dash replied, anything to get to her bed. Pinkie Pie stopped following her, but didn't look deterred or upset. "Okie dokie lokie! Later!" she said. With a wide Pinkie Pie smile she turned around and trotted off towards town. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Great, there went her afternoon. She dragged herself through the air to get home and finally get some decent shuteye. --- That afternoon Pinkie Pie giggled in the bushes that grew just beyond Rarity's shop, while above Rainbow Dash hovered over Rarity's door, a wide smile on her face. This had turned out to not be a half-bad idea, especially for Pinkie Pie, and Dash was a bit more enthusiastic about it now that she had gotten some rest. She positioned a small rain cloud over the door to the shop, lined it up, and gave Pinkie Pie the signal. The pink earth pony nodded and rushed to Rarity's door. She rang the doorbell, and was back in the bushes before it finished its chime, trying to stifle her giggling. "Hello?" Rarity asked, stepping outside and looking around. Rainbow Dash kicked the storm cloud right away. With a small clap of thunder it released its payload upon the unsuspecting unicorn. However, instead of simply getting Rarity wet, the storm cloud released a torrent of lime green down upon her. Rarity shrieked as she was turned green from horn to hoof. "Wwaaaaah!" The vain unicorn began to cry and ran straight inside, the door slamming shut behind her. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash turned to each other, and then simultaneously burst out in laughter. Dash leaned against the cloud as she clutched her sides, rolling around and laughing up a riot. "That was a good one Dash!" Pinkie Pie called from below as she tried to calm her giggles. Dash grinned at her and pushed herself off the cloud. She decided to just shove it away for now, figuring it'd break apart in the sun; it was spent anyway so there was no real harm. "Yeah, it was. Hey Pinkie, you sure this stuff comes off?" she looked at the retreating cloud. Just in case... "Yeah, I mean, pretty sure." Pinkie Pie replied with a tilted head. Rainbow Dash shrugged and lowered herself to the ground, landing next to Pinkie Pie. The two began to walk away from the Boutique lest they get caught by an enraged unicorn, still occasionally giggling. "Okay. Hey, let's go grab something to eat." Rainbow suggested as they walked away. Pinkie Pie nodded enthusiastically and they made a beeline for Sugarcube corner. --- A few minutes later, Rainbow was smiling and sipping a hay smoothie, sitting alone at a table in Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie had been going to join her, but Mrs. Cake had dragged her away as soon as they had come in; something about an entire day's stock of cupcakes going missing before they had even opened shop. The Corner was moderately busy, but Dash had managed to grab a table near a window where she could ponywatch. She noticed an exasperated-looking Twilight Sparkle enter the shop, look around, and head straight for Dash. Rainbow waved a wing at her, signaling that Twilight had her attention, but didn't stop drinking her smoothie. "Hello Rainbow Dash." Twilight greeted her, her tone unusually curt. "Having a good time?" "Just fine, thanks for asking." Dash said after releasing her straw, "What's up with you?" "Oh nothing, nothing, I was actually having a good time studying. Until I got a call from Rarity a few minutes ago, that is. Apparently somepony managed to dump green paint all over her from a raincloud." Twilight said, stressing 'somepony'. "And it's not coming off." "What?!" Rainbow startled. "Uh, uh, wow...that sucks for her..." "Looks like whoever it was got your wings too." Twilight told her flatly. Rainbow Dash craned her neck and found that her wings did in fact have a smearing of green paint over them. She thought back to when she leaned against the cloud while laughing at Rarity. "Ooops..." Rainbow Dash said. "Rainbow..." "Pinkie Pie said the paint would come off!" she blurted, knowing the jig was up. "And you didn't think to check?" Twilight asked with a stamp of her hooves. Her tone was that of an angry mother, and Rainbow Dash cowered just like a scolded child before her. Her wings folded tight and her ears flattened, and she just kicked at the ground with a guilty look. "Look Dash, we can put up with pranks from Pinkie and you. They're usually even fun! But thanks to you, I need to spend my afternoon figuring out how to get paint out of a coat and mane. We can only hope there's no permanent damage either. Meanwhile Rarity is devastated! Not to mention she can't open shop like this. She's a busy pony Dash!" "I didn't mean it!" Dash replied, defensive but too guilty to really argue back. She looked up at Twilight with wide rose-colored eyes. "Look, we, we screwed up, okay? I'm sorry." "Good. And that means you can help me and Rarity fix this mess." "Me? What can I do?" --- Several minutes later, Rainbow Dash found herself with brushes on her front hooves, scrubbing away at Rarity's floor and the green hoofprints all over it. She hadn't seen Rarity yet, let alone spoken to her - Twilight had brought her here, provided the cleaning equipment, and got her to work. "What about Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash complained as she got started, half not wanting to do the work herself and half just wanting to see Pinkie Pie punished for getting her into this mess. Some afternoon this turned out to be. "Oh don't worry." Twilight responded, watching Dash get to work. "Who do you think will be going through a library's worth of books with me, as well as gathering supplies?" Rainbow Dash sighed. It hardly seemed fair, but she wasn't going to argue with Twilight in this mood. Apparently satisfied that Dash was really going to help, Twilight nodded and headed out of the boutique. Dash waited for her to leave and then looked over the floors. Tracks from the front door to the back room, out of there and across to what Dash was pretty sure was the bathroom, bathroom to the next door over, her workroom. From there they went back to the first room and finally out the front door. Dash sighed at the amount of running around Rarity had managed to do. "Okay. Come on! No problem for the fastest pony in Equestria!" she told herself. She splashed the brushes on her hooves in the bucket's soapy water. Looking at the tracks in front of her, she walked over and lined herself up near the door with one set of prints. She crouched down like at the starting line to the race, wriggled her bottom as she looked down the prints, and took off across the shop, using her wings to propel her forward, keeping the brushes in contact with the floor at all times. It was several minutes and a couple dozen dashes across the floor that Rainbow realized that the paint wasn't going anywhere fast. It hardly looked like she had done anything at all except make the floor wet. Frowning at the stained floor, she headed over to one pair of prints and gave them a serious scrubbing for about thirty seconds, seeing what came of it. To her annoyance and surprise, the hoofprints didn't budge. Thirty seconds more, she decided. Pristine green hoofprints mocked her when she was done. Getting frustrated, Rainbow gritted her teeth and pumped her forelegs back and forth, back and forth, building up blurring speed and friction. After a full five minutes of this she stopped. The hoof prints were faded and flecked now, but still there, still mocking her. She let out a groan. The afternoon dragged on as Dash worked. She took the bucket to a set of hoof prints, spent as long as it took on those prints to clean them off, and lacklusterly picked up the bucket to move a few inches forward and repeat the process. She made it less than halfway across the floor in an hour, and that was just on one line of many, albeit the longest one, stretching nearly the length of the shop. After about an hour, Twilight came by with her saddlebags full. Rainbow Dash looked up, but the purple mare walked right past, knocked on the bedroom door, and entered. She left the room after several minutes with her bags emptier. Dash gave a sullen glance as Twilight exited and caught her eye. The magician's gaze softened, but with a shake of her head she continued out the door. As time went on, Rainbow began to look out the window more and more. She barely noticed Twilight come and leave twice more, nor did she notice it when the back door opened and a moment later the bathroom door opened and shut. She began to pensively watch the sun go down more than she watched her work, trying to rush things along as she scrubbed. "Late for something, dear?" a high, slightly sarcastic voice asked. Rainbo jumped, turned around, and found Rarity stepping out of the bathroom covered in towels. Her hair was wrapped up too, but Dash could see a little Rarity's pale white coat, looking quite ruffled up but at least its natural color. "Rarity!" Dash nearly ran up to the unicorn, before remembering just what had gotten her so excited to see Rarity's coat. She lowered her head, her ears going flat. "I'm really sorry Rarity. We, uh...screwed up." "Yes, I'm aware." Rarity said, sounding distracted. Instead of looking at Rainbow she looked over the floor, inspecting it for a moment and then sighing. Finally she turned to Dash "You've done an exemplary job Dash, and I know this was mostly unintentional. Besides, it isn't easy for you to stay cooped up for so long, is it?" "I... I'll finish the floors... if you want..." Rainbow replied, biting her own tongue. She tried to put on a brave smile, but it wavered. Rarity just tilted her head slightly, giving her a curious look. "And here it looked like you had some place to be." "Well...no, of course not." Rainbow said. "I mean, it's just late and junk." "Mhmm." Rarity arched an eyebrow. "Well, either way, you're free to go. I'll see about hiring cleaners in the morning, I think you've been punished enou-" "ThanksRaritygottagorealsorrybye!" Rainbow Dash was out the door in seconds. Rarity shook her head and went back into her room. === Chapter 2 === Chapter 2 It was late morning, sunny and bright but not yet too warm. Rarity and Twilight sat at the outside table to the local eatery, looking over their menus and enjoying both the weather and one another's company. Applejack trotted up to their table from the road, but neither unicorn noticed her over their menus. "Pardon me." she said. "But Ah think we've got a problem." she got both Twilight and Rarity to look up. "Oh, hey Applejack, what's the matter?" Twilight asked, her face immediately breaking into a troubled frown. Applejack nodded over her shoulder. "This." with that she turned, showing both unicorns Rainbow Dash slung like a bag of flour over her back, fast asleep and lightly snoring. "Ah found 'er in th' barn this time." Applejack told them. "Won't wake up for th' end of the world. And this ain't the first time." "Oh, hmm, maybe we worked her too hard last night." Twilight worried, turning to Rarity as she spoke. "I let her go at sunset." Rarity replied, looking surprised at Twilight's words. "She was going simply stir-crazy, and I felt she had learned her lesson." "Tastes like.....so blue...." Rainbow muttered in her sleep. Applejack raised an eyebrow at her. "Well somepony needs t' talk some sense into her. Or at least get her t' stop sleepin' on mah land." she was clearly looking at Twilight as she said this. The purple pony sighed and nodded. "Alright, leave her here, maybe she'll wake up soon." Twilight told her. Applejack shook the young speed-demon off of her, letting her slump onto the ground. Dash just muttered in her sleep, ending with a giggle. "Now Ah like that pony more than th' next gal, but sometimes she seems a few apples short 'f a bushel." Applejack told them, pointing her hoof at Dash for emphasis. "I don't see what's so upsetting about it." Rarity said, leaning over to see Dash on the ground, legs splayed out. "She's almost cute like this, in her own tom-coltish manner." "Well now, y' wouldn't see, would ya?" Applejack said, more than a little irritated. However, when Rarity shot her a look, Applejack backed down with a shake of her head. "Naw, Ah'm sorry. Ah guess Ah'm juss jealous. All this un seems t' do is laze about or goof off. That's juss not how Ah was raised." "I think there may be more than just Dash's laziness going on here." Twilight said, scratching her chin. "She wasn't always this bad, was she?" The question made Applejack think, and after a moment she gave a nod. "Ah reckon yur right. Ah only started findin' her on mah land a few months ago. Ah mean she was always a mite bit lazy, but this...." she nudged Rainbow with her hoof. "....like a cloud..." the comatose pegasus murmured. "And now that I think about it, she rather clearly had some place to be yesterday evening." Rarity added. "Though I can't imagine why she wouldn't admit to it." "Hmmm." Twilight looked deep in thought. "We'll talk to her. Thanks for bringing her here AJ." Applejack nodded. "Now, if'n y'all pardon me, Ah've got apples t' sell." she turned trotting away. Twilight's horn glowed with a pale purple light, and Rainbow Dash's unconscious form was lifted off the ground. Twilight brought her on to a pile of hay next to their table, even going so far as to put the cyan pony in a sitting position, positioning her like a doll. "Huh, what?" Rainbow stirred awake as she was moved. 'Awake' wasn't quite the word for it, but she was at least semi-conscious. She looked around, found Twilight, and just blinked at her, clearly confused. The glow around Twilight's horn faded, and Dash jolted a little as she suddenly found herself sitting under her own power. It woke her up enough to speak. "Oh hey Twilight...when did you get here?" "Dash, do you know where you are?" Twilight asked. Dash looked around. "Woah, I really didn't make it home this time." she said, more to herself than anypony else. "Make it home? From where? Were you out or something?" Twilight asked. Rainbow turned back to her, and her eyes widened. "What? Oh, uh, sorry, I guess I'm still asleep. I... Ignore me." "Uh huh." Twilight responded, Rarity just looking on. "Actually, Applejack brought you here. You were asleep in her barn." "Oh, heh heh." "Dash, what's going on?" Twilight asked, her expression softening. "Are you okay? You're completely out of it. Are you sleeping okay? Are you sleepwalking?" "It's nothing, I'm fine. Look, I'll be more careful, okay." "More careful about what?" Twilight pushed. "Come on Dash, we're your friends. Is there something you need help with?" "Come now." Rarity picked up where Twilight stopped. Dash jumped and turned to her, apparently unaware of her presence until that moment. "We may have our disagreements, but we'll always be there for you." Rainbow Dash bit her lip, and would not meet either pony's gaze as she thought this over. "Well, it's..." she sighed. "It's nothing. It's nothing! I guess I've just been practicing too hard. Been giving these babies a work out." she flared her wings, putting on a false smile. "Rainbow, I-" Twilight began, but didn't have time to continue as Dash sprang up into the air. "Gotta go guys! Sorry, maybe later!" Dash was away before either pony could stop her. "Well, she can be more uncouth than Applejack, and that's saying something!" Rarity said in a huff. Twilight frowned. "I don't get it. She's keeping something a secret from us." "So it seems, so it would seem... but what can we do about it?" "Hmm." Twilight thought this over. That was when the waiter trotted over to them, reminding both ponies that they were still having lunch. They ordered and tried to enjoy their meal. The whole time, however, Twilight's mind was turning, planning. --- "Twilight, I do not approve of this!" Rarity hissed. It was getting dusk, just getting dark, and five ponies were crammed together, hiding in one small bush. Rainbow's cloud home was right above them. "Well then y' can leave." Applejack replied over Twilight's other shoulder. "Ah don' like it none either, but Ah also don' like being lied to!" "Girls, girls, quiet down or she'll hear us." Twilight told them. Pinkie Pie giggled from somewhere else in the bush while Fluttershy stayed silent, peeking out with her eyes steady on her friend's home. "There she is!" her meager voice was barely audible, but it made the rest of them crane their necks. Rainbow Dash was flying slowly out of her home, and even by the meager light of dusk it was clear to make out a few changes in their rambunctious friend. "Oh, now look at her..." Rarity cooed. "I didn't even think she owned a brush." she was referring to Dash's smooth mane, which was flowing down her neck in a manner quite unlike her usual scruffy hairdo. Her tail was equally eloquent, looking like a pure rainbow trailing behind her. She had also clearly applied a bit of polish to her hooves, enough it was visible even in the low light. "Now what's she going gettin' all gussied up for?" Applejack asked. Rarity responded with a laugh. "My my, this I must see." "Come on, we need to follow her." Twilight whispered. She did her best to sneak from bush to bush along the road, each pony in turn following along with various levels of stealth - from Applejack's cautious yet clumsy tip-hooves to Pinkie Pie's carefree yet completely silent hops. They followed Dash into town, replacing bushes with alleys and stands to hide behind. Rainbow didn't seem to notice them, always facing where she was going, a smile on her face the whole way. They successfully followed her right up until she took a sharp turn into a narrow alley. "Quickly!" Twilight hissed, afraid to lose Dash in the failing light. The group galloped towards the alleyway. Twilight only just spied a closing door as she reached the alleyway, light spilling out of it as Dash entered. The five of them looked at each other. Twilight went ahead and approached the door, cocking an ear to it. "I can hear music." she told the others. They all got closer, showing various levels of surprise and intrigue. "I didn't think Ponyville had any sort of night life..." Rarity muttered. Twilight looked around at her friends. "Do I..." "Well, we can't turn back now, can we sugarcube?" Applejack replied. Twilight nodded, took a breath, and opened the door. "Woah." the five ponies said in unison. Inside was a large, warehouse-like room. It was fairly dim, lit only with sparse colorful spotlights that illuminated a floor full of dancing ponies. The only clear spaces were near the door and across the room from them, where on a small stage a white unicorn with wild blue hair thumped her head in time with the music, one hoof on a turntable in front of her. Her goggles shimmered as her head bobbed, reflecting the brightest spotlight in the room trained on her. Rainbow Dash was talking to a mare by the entrance, and the group's vocal surprise caught her attention. She did a double take and turned around. "Guys! What are you all doing - you guys gotta get out of here!" she shouted over the music, immediately nervous. The five ignored her, too curious, and trotted further away from the door, spreading out slightly. "Oooh, is this a party?" Pinkie Pie asked, beginning to bounce for the dancing ponies. "Without me?" Rainbow rushed over and tried to block her. "No, guys, listen, I don't know how you found this, but-" "My my, so hip, so fashion nouveau!" Rarity said, gazing around, looking up at the stage. Rainbow tried to keep Pinkie Pie in check yet still reach over to Rarity. "Look, stop, don't..." "Rainbow, what is this place?" Twilight asked, her eyes wide and her jaw slack. "It's, see, you've got to-" "Heeeey Rainbow Dash!" an orange mare with a pink mohawk of a mane approached the spectrum-maned pony from the crowd, putting a hoof around her in familiarity. "Good to see you again. Listen, now, it ain't me, but there's a sweet little filly over there who I think's been crushing on you since last night. You and Scratch are still going steady right? Because if you could just let her know, maybe Candy can show her something sweeter, heh heh. Oh hey, did you bring friends? Oooh, purple...hey sweet stuff, want me to show you around?" the flirtatious mare ended with a wink to Twilight. Every one of the five had stopped as the pony had gone on, and as she finished five sets of wide eyes were trained on her. "Theywerejustleaving!" Rainbow blurted, her wings flaring. In a multicolored blur, every one of her friends found themselves shoved out the door before they could react. They were back in the alley, bunched together and pushed into a sitting position. Dash hastily kicked the door closed behind her, muffling the music. "What are you guys doing here?!" she asked, clearly angry. Twilight was the first to get her brain working again. "Uh, Dash, you see...what was that exactly?" "Why's that club got nothing but mares innit?" Pinkie Pie chimed up. The rest turned to her. "What? No one else noticed?" "Oh great" Rainbow Dash said, sitting down and bringing a hoof to her face. "I...wait, no! I'm not explaining- why were you guys here? Were... were you spying on me?" "Um..." was all Twilight could say. Applejack looked at her hooves, Rarity hung her head, and Fluttershy seemed to have spaced out. "Yep!" Pinkie Pie said innocently, smiling at Dash. "We, we were worried about you, Dash!" Twilight tried, her voice wobbling. "Do, do you spend all night in there? Were, was that..." "It's a...girl's club." Rainbow Dash said. She sighed, took a deep breath and looked up at them, suddenly determined. "I'm a fillyfooler. This is a club for mares like me. So yeah, there it is." "Dash, I..." Twilight tried before another pony cut in. "Why didn't you tell us?" Applejack stood up straight. The others turned to her. Applejack's nostrils flared. She stood firm and looked Rainbow square in the eye, but the pegasus didn't falter. "I was going to. I thought I could trust my friends. Maybe I was wrong." "And you were just waiting for what exactly?" Applejack argued back. "P-please don't fight..." Fluttershy mumbled, looking like she was finally coming to. "Maybe some time when I wasn't getting bugged by everypony!" Rainbow retorted. "Darn it Dash! We bugged you because we were plum confused! We thought somethin' was wrong! Here ya are leadin' some second life - wi'out us!" "Maybe because I was afraid of, I don't know, something like this!" Dash yelled, wings flaring in anger. "Maybe I didn't want to risk it, huh? Maybe I knew you wouldn't understand!" Applejack looked like she had been struck, leaning away from the angry pony, her own anger falling away. She tried to reach out to Dash. "N-now hold on there pardner, it ain't like that." "Oh yeah?" Dash challenged, stamping one hoof. "Look at you! You all look like I just turned into a bear, or lost my wings, or something!" she glared at each of them in turn. Fluttershy hid under her hooves, Rarity looked away, Pinkie Pie's smile disappeared and Twilight wouldn't look her in the eye. Then she met Applejack's gaze and saw honest regret. "Now, Dash..." Applejack tried, "We've all been right foals here..." "Yeah" Dash agreed, not letting up. "You have." she turned around, opened the door, stepped through, and slammed it shut. The five ponies were left feeling sorry for themselves in the deepening darkness of the night. "Now...now this ain't as bad as it..." Applejack sighed. She couldn't even lie to herself. "Darn it Dash! Ahh....Ah need to get out of here before Ah do somethin' somepony will regret." "I agree." Rarity replied. "A lot of emotional things were said tonight, but it will all work out in the end. We can't just stay here all night." she began to walk away, and Applejack took her lead. "But...I don't get it." Pinkie Pie complained. "Isn't she still Rainbow Dash? I was just surprised because nopony ever pulls a fast one on me! I was impressed!" she sounded sincere, making Applejack stop and smile. "Well you tell her that in the morning, I'm sure she'll listen. Fluttershy?" she turned back around. The yellow pegasus had started staring at the door, looking as still as stone. She blinked once. "...I....I, um...." she blushed. Applejack sighed, walked back and got behind the timid pony, nudging her forward with her head. "It's okay sugarcube. Come on, Ah know you've got Angel waiting for you." slowly she began to get Fluttershy moving. She glanced back to Twilight, finding she hadn't budged either. She looked lost in thought, staring down at her hooves. "Twi?" "Huh? Oh." Twilight looked up. "Just give me a minute, okay?" "Well alrigh', you get home safe." Applejack replied, realizing that Fluttershy had stopped moving as soon as her nudging had stopped. With a sigh she got to work pushing the pony along out of the alleyway. Rarity was at the alley's mouth now and stopped to wait for the others. Pinkie Pie passed by and walked on, for once not skipping or bouncing. Rarity focused her attention on Twilight. "Poor girl." she said lowly to Applejack as she passed by with Fluttershy. "She's still very sheltered in some ways." "She's got a good head on her shoulders. She'll be fine." Applejack said, realizing Fluttershy was walking on her own now. Rarity nodded slightly and followed them out. Meanwhile, Twilight continued to stare at her hooves. === Chapter 3 === Chapter 3 Twilight awoke with a groan. She felt like she was being prodded with a stick. One eye cracked open reluctantly. Not a stick she realized, but a certain cyan hoof. "Twilight? What are you doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked, looming over the unicorn. "Did you....were you here all night?" There was only the dull light of the pre-dawn to go by, but the purple pony was clearly completely out of sorts. She was curled up against a wall in the same alley Rainbow had left her friends in last night, mane disheveled and coat grungy thanks to her less than sanitary sleep. "I...ugh..." Twilight yawned and blinked her eyes. Rainbow stepped back and let Twilight get herself upright. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, and I- oh, hello." Twilight noticed for the first time that she and Rainbow Dash weren't alone. "Yo." a white unicorn with hair like blue fire responded calmly. Twilight could barely see her eyes behind great big amethyst goggles. She had a musical note as her cutie mark. "Twilight, this is Vinyl Scratch. Scratch, this is Twilight." "Hey, everyone knows 'the' Twilight Sparkle." Vinyl said with a little grin. "S'up?" "Anything you can say to me you can say to her." Rainbow told Twilight sternly. Twilight rubbed her eye and nodded. "I just....I didn't want to wait. I...I'm sorry Dash. This was all my fault. I convinced the others to join me. Rarity, the others, they didn't want....this really was all my fault Dash. I'm really sorry." "She talking about your little tantrum last night, light bulb?" Scratch teased, talking to Dash. Twilight left her confusion show on her face. "Hehe, I'll explain that later." Scratch told her, noticing her expression. Rainbow Dash was blushing hard through her coat. "Look....I'm sorry. I was kinda tough on you guys last night. It's just...that was not how I expected things to go." "Heh, you nearly chewed Candy's ears off." Vinyl said. Seeing Twilight's face again, she added, "Kiddo, it's an expression." "Look, can we trot and chat?" Rainbow asked. "It's nearly dawn, we shouldn't be hanging around here." "Yeah, hey, she lives by your home, right?" Scratch asked, nodding to Twilight but talking to Dash. "Well, it's on the way. But..." Rainbow bit her lip. Scratch grinned and gave her a hip bump. "Tough luck light bulb. I thought you were big on loyalty?" "Yeah.... okay. Twilight, come on. Let's take you home." Dash said with a nod. Twilight gave an unsure nod of her own, still befuddled with sleep. They began to walk out of the alley, three abreast with Dash in the middle. "I really am sorry Dash." Twilight said, unsure what else to say. "Me too" Dash replied. "Maybe AJ was right. I should've told everypony by now." "Aww, but I like it when you try to be all secretive." Scratch teased. "Where's the fun in making you do this if everypony knows?" she leaned over and grabbed Rainbow Dash's ear in her teeth. Dash yelped, but to Twilight's surprise, rather than pull away Dash let the gnawing continue, a giddy look spreading over her face. Then, unexpectedly, her wings popped straight up, nearly taking out both ponies. Scratch stopped to chuckle, while Dash turned bright red, snapping back to reality. Twilight blushed a little at their antics and looked away. "Scratch.... look, don't, Twilight's not very....um, I mean.... she's.... nerdy." Rainbow didn't know how else to put it. Vinyl nodded and chuckled. "I hear you. So Twiddles, this your first time seeing a pair of real live fillyfoolers up close?" she asked, craning her neck to see behind Dash's head. Rainbow rolled her eyes. Twilight's steps faltered, both at the question and her apparent new nickname. "Well...actually, it kinda is. I mean as far as I know." she replied meekly. "Dash, that, um, that was kinda the other thing I wanted to talk to you about, actually." "Oh..." Rainbow Dash said lowly, ears drooping. "No, no." Twilight turned her head to face her friend. "Not like that. Look, Rainbow Dash, you're my friend. I don't really see how it affects me if you date stallions or...." wheels turned in Twilight's head, and she leaned over to stare wide-eyed at Vinyl Scratch for a moment. She quickly remembered herself and looked away with a blush. "Just clicked now, huh Twiddles?" Scratch asked, not bothered at all. She actually looked outright pleased at something. "Sorry..." Twilight hung her head. They had managed to get to the edge of the main town by now, though it was still a way before they got to the library. "So then, did you want to talk about it?" Dash tried to get the conversation back on track. "It's just...see, once I got into Princess Celestia's school for the gifted, I really never saw much of my parents. I, I sometimes felt like Princess Celestia was like a second mother to me, but, well, there's some things you don't talk about with a Princess." she chuckled nervously. Both ponies had their eyes on her, waiting on her to finish. Twilight swallowed and continued. "So, what I'm getting at here is, no one exactly explained...I mean I never heard...what I'm getting at is....how...what exactly makes you a fillyfooler?" "Uh...liking other mares?" Rainbow Dash responded, face blank with a complete lack of comprehension. "Hold on Rainbow." Vinyl told her. "I think I get what she's after." she dropped back and came up around on the other side of the young unicorn. "Kiddo, would you say you picked out your friends? You chose 'em on purpose?" she asked. Twilight was confused by the question, but after a moment of thought, shook her head. "No. To be honest, I didn't even want them at first...though I was definitely in the wrong." "Yeah? Right, see, it's kinda like that. Now you can drive someone away, or you can buddy up to someone, but at the end of the day you don't pick who you like, do ya?" "Well, no, I guess not." "Well, same way. One day you just see another mare and go 'dang, I'd like to get to know her!'...or however it goes." she flashed a brilliant smile at Twilight, winking at her from behind her goggles. "It's as much a part of me and light bulb as the marks on our flanks." "Y-yeah." Rainbow added. "That's...kinda why I wanted to be careful about telling everypony else. Not everypony gets that." "Huh?" Twilight asked. Scratch blew lazily at a tuft of hair in front of her face. "Twiddles, there's a reason we get together like we do, at night. This ain't San Franciscolt, or even Manehatten. Now a lot of ponies are cool with it, don't get me wrong, but not everypony. Lyra and Bon-Bon aren't all that popular around town, y'know?" "I...didn't even know about..." Twilight trailed off, feeling like a little foal. Rainbow smiled at her. "Hey, no worries. You weren't here when they came out. They're more public than most, but even they don't exactly go out of their way... unlike someponies" she ended with a glare at Scratch behind Twilight's head. Scratch let her tongue peek out for a second in response. "Okay. Thanks Dash." Twilight said with a slow nod. "Are you still mad?" "Nah. I never really lose my cool." Rainbow told her. Twilight heard Vinyl snort, and Dash lowered her high head a little. "Heh, actually, thanks Twilight. I guess I'll have to talk to the others..." she sighed. "But I guess I owe them." "Don't worry Dash. You're a good friend, and no one will really be upset." "Thanks, I hope so." "So, light bulb, what does this mean?" Scratch asked, looking past Twilight. Dash sighed again and shook her head. "I'm not sure Scratch. Give me some time to think, okay?" "Heh, so what, a few years?" "Oh you make such a great fillyfriend." Dash said with a roll of her eyes. Vinyl smiled. "You know Dash...I could get used to hearing that." Rainbow Dash blushed the slightest bit at that. "Not if you keep up like this." she muttered. "Hehe. Don't worry, I won't let anyone know you're going soft." Scratch teased. The light was picking up, and her goggles seemed to gleam with every movement of her head. She noticed Twilight, in between them, pretty much a spectator to their back-and-forth. "Oh, and by the way. So around the club they know me an' Dash. They figure I'm DJing all the time so I bring the noise, and junior speedster of the month here brings the light show. Plus with that little stamp on her flank, that makes me thunder and her lightning, see? Me? I think she's a little too big-headed as is, so I call her light-bulb instead." "Oh. That's....clever!" Twilight said, putting on a smile. "Well, here we are." Rainbow Dash said. Twilight looked up and realized they were outside her library. "Spike's going to be worried sick." she said with a groan. "Again, I'm sorry Dash. I've learned my lesson, I promise." "Ahh, don't worry about it." "And it was very nice to meet you." Twilight continued, turning to Vinyl Scratch. "Heh, right back at ya. See you around, Twiddles." Twilight gave one last weak smile and hurried towards her house. Rainbow Dash and Vinyl Scratch waited and watched until she got inside. "I like her." "Be nice." "No, I mean it." Scratch insisted. "I thought you were the only one crazy enough to stay in an alley all night just so you wouldn't miss out. And she doesn't even get to go home with somepony." "It was just one time..." Dash said. "Okay, I guess she's cool." she looked skyward and let out a sigh. Scratch didn't say anything for a few minutes and they walked on in silence. "You gonna be okay, Rainbow?" she finally asked. "I still have the club, but you barely know anypony there. I know your real friends are on the outside." "I'm fine. Heh, come on, this is me we're talking about." Rainbow replied, holding her head high, practically puffing out her chest. Scratch didn't look convinced, somehow managing to give Dash a look despite her glimmering goggles. Dash kept her head up this time. "I mean it. Yeah, I got shaken up, so what? I'm going to do it the only way I know how. Headfirst and with style!" "That mean you're coming out to everypony or what?" "Well...." Dash backed down a little at last. "Let's call my friends a 'practice run'. If things go well, I'm golden." Scratch smiled, but her goggles hid her worried eyes. "You don't have to, you know. I'm cool with what we got." "Scratch" Rainbow Dash smiled weakly. "Thanks, but Rainbow Dash does not back down from a challenge." "Heh" Scratch's smile widened. "Alright light bulb. Just let me know." "I will." Rainbow leaned her neck over and briefly rested her cheek against Scratch's as they walked. Scratch's wide grin faded into a small, sincere look of content. "You know, I think this is the first time I get to see your pad." Scratch said as Rainbow righted herself, hiding her contentment from Dash with a smirk. "There's kinda not much to see. I mean, not much you can..." "Yeah, yeah, maybe one day." "Oh yeah!" Dash perked up. "Now that Twilight knows, I can ask her about that cloudwalking spell. Maybe even some temporary wings!" "You got some cool friends, Dash." Scratch said, chuckling to herself. "Show 'em to me sometime, won't you?" "No problem." Dash saw Scratch was looking up, and realized they were well within sight of her home by now. "Nice pad." Vinyl said, eyes going to the rainbow river. Dash looked a bit embarrassed. "I promise I'll show you around some day." she said. Scratch smirked again. "There's only one room I need to see." she replied, making Dash giggle like a schoolfilly. "Now get some rest, light bulb. You got a big day ahead of you." Scratch told, punching Dash on the shoulder. "Alright." Dash flared her wings and took to the air. "Yo light bulb!" Scratch called. Rainbow turned around. "Where you think you're going?" Vinyl asked with a tilt of her head. "But you said - oh." Dash gave an apologetic smile. She flew back down, and hovering just above the ground, she leaned in towards Vinyl. They shared a simple but long-lasting kiss. "Go get 'em Dash." Vinyl said once they parted. "Thanks." Rainbow pressed her nose briefly against Scratch's and flew back off. === Chapter 4 === Chapter 4 Dash yawned and slowly woke up after a long nap. Her bed was so much more comfortable then what she had found herself sleeping on the past few days, she was glad Scratch had walked her home for once. Usually, it went the other way with Dash leaving Scratch's place exhausted. Hopefully the musician didn't have any problems heading back across town alone. Then again, Scratch was just going home after a long day's work, not trying to be awake day and night like Dash found herself doing. Rainbow knew she still had to get up and face the music, however comfortable her bed was. Fears swarmed through her head. What if her friends had already blabbed about it? What if they weren't even her friends anymore? She wanted to just stay here and wait for the storm to pass, but she knew that wasn't an option. Reluctantly she picked herself up and stretched awake. "What the hay?" she asked, looking around her. Her room was filled with balloons! Well, perhaps not filled, but well over a dozen floated about, of every color in the rainbow and a few besides. Each one had a string, and at the bottom of the string was some sort of small gift. They were almost exclusively sweets, from cupcakes to tarts to two balloons together holding up a smoothie. Rainbow looked down. The floor of her room (cloud, naturally) was pockmarked with holes, one for each balloon. She got off her bed and stuck her head through the nearest hole. "Heya Dash! Does this mean you're up? Up up up?" a certain cheery pink pony asked, bouncing in place on the ground below. "Pinkie! You put holes in my house!" "Well duh." Pinkie Pie replied, stopping her bouncing. "How else could I get your gifts up to you? Do you like them?" Dash sighed and pushed herself through the hole, flying down to the pink pony. "Pinkie Pie, you don't need to try to send me apology gifts." "Apology?" Pinkie Pie asked, blinking rapidly. "Those weren't apology gifts! They were gift gifts!" "Huh?" As usual, Rainbow Dash found herself trying to figure out what was going through Pinkie Pie's head. It was a futile task. "Then why'd you-" "For pulling a fast one!" Pinkie Pie interrupted. Dash just stared at her, making Pinkie giggle. "I know everypony, but I didn't know my own friend had a fillyfriend! Or, that that fillyfriend was Vinyl Scratch!" Pinkie Pie's expression dropped for just a moment. "I guess I shoulda been a better friend." Rainbow smiled slightly. "Nah, you're a great friend Pinkie. Heh, I shoulda figured it wouldn't bother you. I was the lousy friend. Forgive me?" she leaned over and ruffled Pinkie's mane. "Hmmmm." Pinkie Pie looked deep in thought, scratching her chin. She seriously mulled over Dash's question, by the looks of things. "Okay!" she replied with happy eyes. Before Dash could say anything, Pinkie Pie had her squeezed in an overly enthusiastic hug. "Thanks...Pinkie...Pie." Rainbow Dash wheezed. Luckily Pinkie let go of her just seconds before she blacked out. "We should have a party!" Pinkie said, bouncing around again. Dash rubbed her neck, which she was pretty sure was going to bruise. "What? Why?" "Why not?" "Um..." it was next to impossible to talk Pinkie Pie out of a party. Dash had her suspicions as to the real reason behind it, but kept that to herself for now. No sense spoiling this thankfully easy conversation. "Why don't we wait until I talk to all our friends, okay?" she tried. Pinkie Pie took a moment, then nodded, her head bobbing rapidly. "Okie Dokie Lokie! After all, it wouldn't be a party unless our friends are coming!" "Yeah" Rainbow said without an iota of Pinkie's enthusiasm. "And, uh, thanks for the gifts." she looked up and sighed. She'd need to find just the right kind of cloud to patch that up. "No problem! See ya Dash!" Pinkie was already bouncing off. Rainbow shook her head with a smile. "So random" --- Rainbow Dash rang Rarity's doorbell. There was no prank this time, that was for sure. As she waited for Rarity to answer, Dash wondered how well she could even hope for things to go - only two days ago she had upset Rarity badly, and while the fashionable mare seemed to have gotten over it, there was no telling what her mood towards Dash would be now. Rainbow had to admit to herself, even after how things had gone with Twilight and Pinkie, she wasn't exactly excited to talk to everypony else. There was no telling what would happen; it had just never come up before now. "This is a shop you know, you can- Rainbow Dash!" Rarity brightened when she saw the cyan speedster outside her door. "Yeah, sorry, I forgot you'd be open by now." Rainbow replied, looking off sideways. "Never mind that, come in, come in." Rarity said, turning around. Rainbow followed her into the shop. "Now, I know why you're here..." Rarity told her, not turning to face her. "Oh?" "And you needn't worry..." she continued, "...I have a cleaning crew on the way." "What?" Rainbow blinked. Rarity turned a little and pointed to her half-scrubbed floors before walking deeper into the shop. "I won't need your help with that any more, though I must say you put in a fine effort." "Oh, that's - hey wait!" Rainbow trotted up to see Rarity face to face. "That's not why I'm here. Don't you remember last night?" "Well what is there to talk about dear?" Rarity asked, turning away slightly and continuing to trot through her shop. She looked over a rack of dresses. "To be honest it's not any big surprise, really, once one thinks on it. I mean, given your coltish mannerisms and such." "Not all fillyfoolers are like that." Rainbow Dash said defensively. "We're no different from anypony else." "Of course not dear" Rarity replied, now idly regarding some cloth she had laid out. "You're not listening." Rainbow accused, glowering at her friend's back. "Have you even met a fillyfooler before?" "Well, I mean, there's a few..." Rarity said, her voice faltering. Rainbow Dash walked up beside her. "Rarity-" "Oh Dash, how could you do this to me!" Rarity suddenly bawled, throwing her arms around Dash. "What are you talking about?" "I mean I worked so hard to find Prince Charming! I was sure I would be the talk of the town, the 'it' couple. Now I find not only has one of my best friends found somepony else first, but how can I compete with such a pair?" "W-what?" "I remember what that talkative mare said - Scratch, as in Vinyl Scratch? As in the foremost DJ from Manehattan?" Rarity got off of Dash and began to collect herself (by Rarity standards). "I may prefer a more refined company, but I know the power of the chic - and she was the essence of chic in Manehattan. Combine that with Ponyville's own champion speedster - why, if you make it into the Wonderbolts, you'd be the kind of celebrity couple that every magazine this side of the Everfree forest would want to cover!" "Look, Scratch doesn't really talk about her life in Manehattan." Dash said, her mind boggled at Rarity's priorities. "That's why she moved here, to Ponyville." "Oh?" Rarity's interest was piqued. "I mean, most of her music goes out under an alias these days. Ever heard of DJ Pon-3?" Rainbow Dash asked, lowering her voice even though they were the only ones in Rarity's shop. Rarity's eyes widened. "Well...but what about you dear? Surely a great member of the Wonderbolts shan't have her love life go unnoticed?" "You'd be surprised." Rainbow muttered, deciding not to share with Rarity some of the rumors she had heard flying around the club. According to who you asked, anywhere from half to the entire team were fillyfoolers and coltcuddlers. "Anyway..." she continued before Rarity asked questions, "I mean, I'm kinda in it for the fame, sure, but there's a reason nopony hears about the Wonderbolts except at events. How are reporters supposed to keep up with the fastest fliers in the world? Besides, who already has her face on magazines, huh?" she asked. Sure, it had only been one or two after Hoity Toity had shown up, but her remark seemed to work as Rarity thought this over. Finally she gave a nod. "Oh, and there I go being overly dramatic again. I am deeply sorry Dash, I suppose I let my emotions get the better of me for a little there. Could you forgive me?" "Heh, I think so." Rainbow replied with a grin. "So...you're not upset that I'm a fillyfooler?" "I can't say I fully understand it, Dash." Rarity admitted. She saw Dash's gaze drop and so reached out, pushing Dash's chin up with her hoof. "But you're still my friend. So I suppose I'll simply have to learn." "You mean it?" Rainbow asked. "If you say you're happy, I'll believe it." Rarity said with a nod. She wasn't prepared for the quick hug Rainbow gave her. "Thanks Rarity." "Yes, well...you're quite welcome." the dressmaker said, giving an awkward pat on the back to Rainbow, who luckily for her let go soon enough. "I suppose you've still got to talk to the others then." Rarity guessed. "Yeah, some..." Rainbow admitted. "I shouldn't put if off either. See ya around, Rarity. Thanks." "Good luck!" Rarity called as Dash left her shop. She sighed, shook her head, and got back to her fabrics. --- Applejack was spending her day heaving hay bales through the barn and into a nice tidy stack. Not everything about the farm was 'easy work' by her standards, like planting season or applebucking, and even she struggled to lift each hay bale individually and sort them. However, her head wasn't where it needed to be to work her best, so she had decided it best to leave the fields to Big Mac while she did what were typically his chores. They were a bit more menial, not that her brother tended to mind, and Applejack could perform them without so much concentration. She was just stacking up another bale when she heard the barn door creak open behind her. "Apple Bloom, are you- oh." Applejack turned and saw Rainbow step into the barn. Dash paused halfway in. "H-hi." she grinned. Applejack didn't say anything and turned back away. "Look, Applejack-" "Ah don' have nothin' to say to you." the farm pony replied. "Oh, is that how it's going to be?" Rainbow asked, trying to sound angry but coming across as hurt. "I get it. Nice knowing you." Applejack sighed. "Rainbow - wait." she turned around to see the pony backing out the door. Tentatively, Rainbow paused, finally stepping back inside. She looked around nervously, lightly kicking the door closed behind her. "So...what?" she asked. "You hate me or what?" "Ah don' hate you, Dash." Applejack said with a slow shake of her head. "This past year, heck, Ah thought ya were my closes' friend." "Me?" "Yup. So you'll pardon this pony for bein' a mite upset t' find her friend's been keepin' secrets from her." "I..." Rainbow Dash looked away. She glanced back up as she heard Applejack approach. "Just answer me this." Applejack told her as she walked closer. "Were you really planning on telling us or not?" "Yes! Eventually....maybe..." Rainbow Dash said, one hoof fidgeting around on the ground. Applejack got beside her and sat down, prompting her to do the same. "I was maybe, just a little scared what you'd think. Kinda" Rainbow Dash admitted. "Me in partic'lar or juss all of us?" "...Both." "And Ah can't rightly say Ah blame you." Applejack sighed, eyes closed as she spoke. "We country pony's don' have the best reputation, now do we?" "..." Dash couldn't find anything to say, the guilt clear on her face. "Y'know ol' Granny Smith was big on Pony Rights in the day? The other fillies were goin' about wi' ribbons in their manes, but she had to work the fields right alongside her brothers and sisters, just like me and Big Mac. So she didn' take lightly t' it when she was told t' juss settle down with a nice stallion an' let him have th' farm." Applejack opened her eyes and turned to Rainbow Dash. "She taught me not t' judge anypony fer how they live their life. Sure, she meant whether they were work ponies or show ponies or city folk or country folk, but it's th' same thing, ain't it?" "But....then why were you mad at me?" Rainbow asked. "Ah am mad at you." Applejack told her, though she was smiling. "Fer not talking to yur friends 'bout this." she shoved Dash lightly. "Fer thinkin' you couldn't trust me." Dash thought this over. "You're right, I-" "Now don't you go sayin' yur sorry." Applejack interrupted. "We've done enough feelin' sorry fer ourselves t' last a lifetime." "..Then what should I say?" "Say you'll be back here t'morrow so we can play horseshoes once Ah'm done workin'. Say you'll trust me from now on if'n you need to talk. Say you'll still be mah friend." Applejack smiled at her, eyes wet. Rainbow Dash wasn't sure how to respond for a moment. Her first instinct was to reach out and hug Applejack, but given their position she settled on leaning against her instead. "I promise." "Atta girl" Applejack leaned back, pressing against her cheek-to-cheek briefly. "And don' y' go easy on me at horseshoes either." "Heh, I won't." Rainbow replied, righting herself. "Thanks AJ." "Alright now. Don' mean you can go gettin' all mushy on me." "Now that, I definitely promise." Rainbow said with a smirk. "Hey, can I...just stick around a little?" "Oh, want t' help me move hay bales, do ya?" Applejack asked with a smirk of her own. Rainbow stood up. "Uhhh, no thanks. I just remembered I still have friends to talk to." "Ah though' so. Go and get 'em, pardner." Applejack told her. Rainbow paused, nodded, and left. Applejack got back to work, but figured maybe she could talk to Big Mac about getting her chores back. Her head was a bit clearer now. --- Dash had to admit, she felt a bit better, was a little more uplifted than when she had first set out. She felt the worst was over, and it hadn't been bad at all. She had been over thinking it. These were her friends, and they were just as loyal to her as she tried to be to them. The day was getting cloudy, reminding Rainbow Dash she'd need to get to work later. It wouldn't be particularly hard, but it wasn't something she could put off either. Still, she was sure she had enough time to head over to one last place. Fluttershy's hut was well away from the rest of Ponyville, but close to Sweet Apple Acres, at least by comparison. Dash looked around as she approached, and seeing that Fluttershy wasn't out in her gardens, walked up to to the door. The door opened just a crack at her knock, but nopony appeared on the other side. Rainbow Dash tried to peek through, confused, before she noticed Angel below her, standing at the door. "Oh, hey Angel, is Fluttershy here?" she asked, bending down to him. He frowned and opened the door a bit wider. He beckoned to Rainbow Dash, signaling her closer. Just as she stepped in - wham, the door shut hard on her head. Dash fell back, ears ringing. "Why you-" "Angel" a timid voice came from inside. "It's okay. Don't do that." The bunny frowned, and shook his head. "Let her in, Angel." Fluttershy said from somewhere out of sight. Angel just crossed his arms in defiance. "You heard her." Dash said with a growl, getting back on her feet. Angel shook his head. "Why you!" Rainbow Dash bent down, preparing to charge. Just as she leaped at the door, however, it opened wide on its own. Fluttershy stood in the doorway, eyes wide as she saw Rainbow incoming. Angel jumped to the side. "Ahh-ooof!" Dash went tumbling into Fluttershy, sending them rolling into her house. She got up with a jump as soon as they stopped moving and looked around. "Fluttershy!" she heard a squeak below her. She immediately fluttered off of her friend, who was sprawled out on the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Rainbow stammered. "Are you okay? I was just trying to-" "Rainbow, it's okay." Fluttershy said, her voice whisper quiet. She picked herself off the floor. "Are, are you alright? I wanted to say I'm sorry." "I'm fine Rainbow Dash. It's okay." "Are...you're not mad at me, I mean for last night, right?" "No Rainbow Dash." was all Fluttershy said. Dash noticed Angel hopping up on an end table. The bunny was staring her daggers. She turned back to find Fluttershy was walking over to her couch. "You, you sure you're not mad at me." Dash repeated, still unsure. "I'm...not mad at you for being a...." Fluttershy mumbled so quietly Rainbow Dash couldn't make it out. Still, she knew what Fluttershy was saying. "Whew. That's good. Because I was afraid..." Rainbow Dash walked alongside Fluttershy, but saw her turn away. Frowning she got around to the other side of the pony. "I thought maybe..." Fluttershy turned away again. She got onto the couch and promptly faced the back of the seat, away from Rainbow. Angel hopped up onto the windowsill behind the couch and pointed Dash to the door. The spectrum-maned pegasus sat down, confused. She eventually began to piece it together. "If...you're not mad for me being a fillyfooler, then, why are you mad at me?" she asked with a gulp. Fluttershy didn't say anything, but curled up tighter, as if expecting an attack. Angel had disappeared, and suddenly there was a thump at Rainbow's feet. She looked down to see the bunny had dragged out a thick book from somewhere. "A photo album?" she asked. Angel opened it for her, and she began to idly flip through it, confused and intrigued. There was the gang at the Grand Galloping Gala, in all their sparkling dresses. There were a few candid shots of them at Winter Wrap up last year too. Some from each celebration and a few more besides. Dash got back to about a year before Twilight had come. The gang wasn't as close back then. There were a few shots of Rarity and Fluttershy together, more of Rainbow and Fluttershy. Like traveling back in time, Dash watched her and the others get smaller, shorter. Fluttershy had had such spindly legs as a filly. The earliest pictures, and pretty much the only from that time in their life, were their flight school class pictures. Year four, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had sat together. Just like in year three, year two, and year one, when they had met. Rainbow Dash could barely look up she felt so heavy with guilt. "I didn't know you kept these." she said, getting no response from Fluttershy. "You're my best friend, Fluttershy." her voice croaked. There was another slam as Angel closed the book. He just stared crossly at Rainbow Dash. "I..." Rainbow Dash got up and began to back away, Angel's glare like a physical shove to her. She couldn't even look at the bunny anymore, let alone Fluttershy. She found herself turning to the door. "Fluttershy, I'm..." she tried to lift her head, but met Angel's gaze again. Her throat seized up and she just walked out the door. It slammed shut as soon as her tail was beyond the threshold. === Chapter 5 === Chapter 5 Ponyville was in a bit of disarray. It hadn't been scheduled to rain today, and when the drizzle had started many a business owner or shopper had been left scrambling. Only one pony now walked the soaking streets, a curious look on her face and an even more curious hat on her head. "Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie called, peeking this way and that as she bounced along. Her umbrella hat kept her view clear, but didn't do much for the rest of her body, and she was getting soaked. Even the peppy pink party pony didn't relish the trek she had ahead of her, but she had poked her head inside every building, rain barrel, and animal hole, flipped over every rock, and had still not found her friend. This left her with only a few places left to check, and that meant a trek slightly out of town. By the time she got to Twilight's house, Pinkie Pie was soaked to the skin, and her normal smile was interrupted by chattering teeth. She knocked on the library door, glad when Spike answered just moments later. "Pinkie Pie?!" "H-h-h-hello Sp-p-pike." she tried to smile. "What are you doing in the rain?! Here, come on." "Spike, did I hear - Pinkie Pie!" Twilight was coming down the staircase as she saw Pinkie Pie enter. "H-h-hey T-T-T-T....T-Twilight." "I'll get a blanket." Twilight's expression was of deep concern. "Spike, help her warm up." With that she rushed back upstairs. Spike turned to face Pinkie Pie. "Stand still." he told her. He took a deep breath, and with a soft 'fwoosh' green flames went all around Pinkie Pie. They evaporated the water in an instant, and Pinkie looked herself over to find she was mostly dry. For a moment, her hair remained matted down as it had been by the rain, and then popped up as curly, if not curlier, as it always was. She giggled. "Thanks Spike." she smiled at him. A shiver ran through her, proving she was still cold on the inside, but at least now she was dry. After a moment, the three of them - Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike - sat in the middle of the library floor. Pinkie Pie had Twilight's blanket around her and was all smiles once more. "What brought you out here in this kinda weather, Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "You looked half-dead!" "It wasn't so bad when I started." Pinkie Pie told her. "I was looking for Rainbow Dash. Have you seen her?" "Not since really early this morning." Twilight admitted. "Didn't she talk to you?" "Uh-huh. She did! And I thought we were going to have a party!" "A party?" "Yes! But she didn't want to until she talked to all our friends. But now I can't find her!" "Hmm." Twilight gave Pinkie a look. "A party, as in... a coming out party?" "Well, it didn't have to be." Pinkie said with an insincere smile. "I wanted her to feel better again." "Uh-huh." Twilight said, half-believing her friend. "Well, where'd she go after you talked?" "Into town, I think she was going to talk to the others." "Well..." Twilight was interrupted by another knock on her door. "I've got it." Spike said, quicker to rise than the ponies. He opened it to revealed a very wet, nearly indistinguishable pony in a big yellow raincoat. "Uh, hello?" Spike asked, standing aside. The pony stepped into the light and raised her head. "Ms. Mayor!" Twilight realized, seeing the half-moon glasses. Spike helped the pony with her hat and it was indeed the town mayor. She was wet but not as bad off as Pinkie Pie had been. "Hello Twilight Sparkle, Spike. Pinkie Pie." she said with a formal nod of her head. "Sorry to bother you on such an afternoon." "It's quite alright. Are you cold? Spike, get her some tea, if you'd please." Twilight was up and already fretting over the mayor. "No no, it's quite alright," the mayor assured her, "I won't be staying. I just need to know if either of you have seen Rainbow Dash." "Are you throwing her a party too?" Pinkie Pie asked gleefully. Both Twilight and the mayor ignored her. "I'm sorry mayor." Twilight said. "Last we saw of her was hours ago, and we have no idea what she did since then." "Oh, that's not what I was hoping to hear." the mayor admitted. "She was supposed to be on weather control today. I've sent pegasus ponies to her home, I've been checking with everypony who might know her whereabouts. The rest of the weather patrol weren't prepared for this, and we're left scrambling - Cloudkicker's out of town, and Rainy Day has her day job." "I'm sorry to hear that. We'll be sure to let you know if we find her." Twilight said. The mayor nodded sadly. "Alright, I still have a few places to check. I can't very well ask anypony else to go out in the rain." she donned her hat again. "Good luck. Be careful!" Twilight called as the mayor stepped back out into the storm. She turned to Pinkie Pie. "Dash may be a bit of a goofball, but she never shirks work. She prides herself on being the best weather pony in Ponyville. Well, she prides herself on a lot of things..." Twilight shook her head. "But what are we going to do? It sounds like the mayor's checked with everypony!" Pinkie Pie asked. Twilight rubbed her chin and thought this over. "Everypony...she knows to check." she said slowly. "Pinkie, you know everypony in town, right?" "Yep! I know Carrot Top and Rarity and Bon-Bon and Mr. Cake and Roseluck and-" Pinkie Pie stopped only when Twilight jammed a hoof in her mouth. "Okay. Grab my spare coat from the closet; I'm going to need your help." --- The two ponies tried to hurry through town, hampered by the weather and splashing through puddles as they went. The storm wasn't getting any harder, but also showed no sign of letting up. It was as nearly as dark as night, even though the sun wouldn't set for another hour or so. Pinkie Pie stopped before a tiny house on the edge of town. "It just had to be as far away as possible, didn't it?" Twilight huffed, well out of breath. Pinkie Pie nodded giddily to the rhetorical question. "You sure she's here?" she asked. Twilight took a couple of deep breaths. "I've got a hunch." the purple pony replied. She reached up and knocked on the door. It took a minute before anypony responded. Twilight and Pinkie Pie both gasped at what they saw. "Oh good." said the biggest, brightest pair of sparkling sapphire eyes either of them had ever seen. "I was hoping someone would come by for her." it took them a moment to see the pony beyond those dazzling eyes. "Come on in." Vinyl Scratch said with a nod of her head. "Don't worry about the carpet." "Um, yes, thank you." Twilight remembered herself, stepping in. "Sorry." she realized she had been staring "No worries Twiddles." Scratch replied. "S'why I got these." she glanced up, her goggles resting on top of her head, and with a slight glow of her horn they moved onto her face, shielding her deep blue eyes. "You have a nickname?" Pinkie Pie asked of Twilight. Twilight ignored her, curious at Scratch's statement. "What do you mean?" "Eh." Scratch shrugged. "Kinda got tired of that reaction, you know? It was always 'ahhh, what a cute little filly' and later, 'what a sweet young mare'. With these, it's 'Yo, Scratch, what's up?'. You know how it goes. I've even got contacts in case I know they'll be off. Ruby red." she grinned. "Can I call you Twiddles?" Pinkie Pie asked. "No." Twilight responded, immediately getting back to Scratch. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Also, I'm sorry to bother you like this..." "Nah, I know what you're here for." Scratch smiled, a shake of her head sending her mane everywhere. The front door led directly into her living room, which consisted of an off-white couch, a coffee table, and barely enough room besides for the three ponies to stand. There were piles of papers about the table, tapes and CDs all around the floor, bundles of wires the size of shrubberies, and at least three different instruments propped up here and there, including a red electric guitar. Twilight stepped around the mess as best she could. "Sorry, not used to this 'housekeeping' thing." Scratch said, chuckling at her own comment. "I swear this junk just grows to fill wherever I'm at. Anyway, she's upstairs, see if you can pry her off my bed before I get home tonight. Or at least talk her out of her funk. You can definitely keep her in my bed in that case." Twilight blushed at Scratch's candid comments. The staircase Vinyl nodded to was at the back of the room, behind her. Pinkie Pie seemed to effortlessly find her way through the junk without even looking at her feet, and so got to the stairs ahead of Twilight. Then, as Twilight passed by Scratch, the wild-maned unicorn leaned in, making her pause. "She's in a bad place, kid." she said lowly, face expressionless behind her goggles. "You do what you can, but don't beat yourself up over her." "I, o-okay." Twilight said, swallowing hard. She followed Pinkie Pie upstairs. There were only a couple of doors to choose from in the short hall they found themselves on, and one was slightly ajar. Pinkie pushed through and Twilight followed. Scratch's bedroom was slightly less disorganized than downstairs, but not by much. A keyboard was propped against the foot of a king-sized bed with pale blue covers. Posters covered almost every inch of the walls. A few were of Scratch herself, clearly cover albums, but they were mostly of other artists, including a lot featuring two ponies in very strange robotic get ups. There was a desk with paper, pens, and headphones on it. However, both ponies were really only focused on the bed that dominated the room. There, curled up so tight she was nearly a perfect circle, Rainbow Dash lay on top of the sheets. She didn't react to their entry. "Dash? Are you doing okay?" Twilight asked, though she knew the answer. There wasn't a lot of room, but she managed to squeeze by Pinkie and stand beside the bed, as close to Dash as she could get. She tried to keep her mind off of why Scratch had invested in such a large bed. It was easily two ponies long and just as wide. "Dash, come on. Say something." "Buzz off." "Okay, that's something." Twilight muttered. "Look Dash, we're not leaving until we find out what's going on." "Isn't that what started everything?" Dash snapped. Twilight began to say something and then stopped. Dash was right. "That's not what I meant. Dash, something's wrong. You can't keep pushing us away. We're your friends, whether you like it or not." she meant this in all seriousness. On the bed, Dash seemed to deflate a little. "You wouldn't get it." "Try me." Twilight challenged. "Look Rainbow, there's a lot of things I don't get. Like when it's appropriate for friends to hug each other, and for how long. Or how to talk to somepony when you're trying to keep a secret. But I want to be a good friend. And if the elements of harmony have taught me anything, if you have taught me anything, you don't leave a friend hanging." "Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising her head. "Yes?" Twilight asked hopefully, leaning forward. Dash looked up at her, and Twilight met her listless, puffy eyes. "Go home." Dash croaked before lowering her head. Twilight slumped. "And take Pinkie with you." she added. Twilight looked over to see that for once in her life Pinkie didn't look like she had any reason to smile. She just kept her worried gaze on Rainbow Dash. Twilight turned back to the pegasus. "Did something happen with one of our friends? Did...did you have a fight?" Rainbow Dash just took a deep breath and sighed. Twilight waited, but nothing came. "Was it...was it Applejack?" Twilight tried, remembering how angry the earth pony had been after last night. "Applejack..." Rainbow Dash muttered. "She had a right to be mad. We've been friends for so long, for years." "So it was her?" Twilight asked. "No." "What? Then who was it?" Rainbow Dash grunted and rolled over. "Years..." Pinkie Pie murmured, looking deep in thought (something else that unnerved Twilight). "So what about somepony you've known... for a life time? Would they have the right to be even madder?" "A life- Fluttershy..." Twilight whispered in realization. "You fought with Fluttershy?" she could barely imagine it. "No." Rainbow Dash said. "We didn't fight." her words made both ponies sigh. "She hates me, just like she should." Dash's voice was so uncharacteristically quiet that Twilight could barely believe it was her. Her heart sunk like a stone. "I, I'm sure she doesn't hate you. I don't think Fluttershy has the ability to hate another living creature." "She hates me. She hates me and I deserve it." "Dash, don't be like that. I, I understand that it must hurt, but you can move past this." "No, you don't understand." "I mean, just because you've known her for years doesn't mean you've been hiding this the whole time...right?" Twilight tried weakly. She saw Rainbow twitch, her wings tightening briefly. She let the silence drag on, but when her friend didn't seem ready to say anything she began to speak. Then Rainbow let out a whisper. "She was my first crush." the words hung in the air. Twilight's jaw fell open. "Come again?" she managed to stammer. "It started way back in flight school. Not right away, but as we grew up...I always just figured it was 'cause she was my best friend. And, well, my only friend." Rainbow Dash rolled back around, uncurling slightly. She finally looked at Twilight and Pinkie as she spoke. "Then I went to the junior speedsters camp. The other fillies didn't like me. I didn't get why, I didn't know....I didn't care! Gilda and I met because they didn't like her either. I was okay, because I had Gilda at camp and when I got home....Fluttershy was always around. She must have been so lonely, but she smiled every time." Rainbow Dash sighed, her eyes unfocused as she stared into the past. "It was Gilda who explained it to me. About how my wings went straight up whenever a cute filly went by. About how I kept staring off at them and not knowing..." Dash blushed. "And that's when I figured out that this whole time, when I thought I just liked Fluttershy as my best friend, I actually..." "When did...how did you get over it?" Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash grunted again. "Who said I did?" she asked, closing her eyes. Twilight's eyes widened. When Rainbow looked at them again, her eyes were brimming with tears. "I knew I could never tell her how I felt. And I knew if I brought...this...up, it'd come out. I tried, but I couldn't her out of my head. I thought maybe, if I dated someone like Scratch..." Rainbow Dash's voice trailed off. Twilight didn't know what to say. Then they heard the door creak. === Chapter 6 === Chapter 6 In the low lighting, Vinyl Scratch's purple goggles looked black, lifeless. No emotion showed on her face. "Vinyl..." Twilight began. Dash had curled up again. "Would you girls excuse us?" Scratch asked, measuring her words carefully. "Um, no thanks, we-" Pinkie Pie began, trying to smile, but stopped as Twilight nudged her. She looked back, and seeing Twilight's worried look she dropped the smile. Twilight on her tail, they walked around the bed and out the room, brushing by Vinyl. Scratch entered and shut the door behind her with telekinesis. Rainbow Dash shivered, though the room was quite warm. "I should get off your-" "Stay." Scratch's voice was commanding but level as she walked slowly around the bed. Dash stopped moving. Vinyl climbed carefully onto the end of the bed, and there she sat. "You never mentioned Fluttershy." she said. "What's she like?" "She, uh..." Dash's throat was suddenly dry. "She a pegasus?" Vinyl prompted. Dash nodded. "She's, uh, got a yellow coat" Dash offered. "She's...really quiet. Long pink mane." "And?" Scratch asked, removing her goggles. Dash closed her eyes. "Blue eyes. Big, blue eyes." she peeked one eye open as she heard a shuffling sound. Scratch was moving up to her on the bed. "That first night, Dash. When I told you to wait for me - and you actually did. Out there in the alleyway, of all things. You were going to say something. You thought I didn't notice, did you Dash? What were you going to say before I kissed you?" "I was....you already know..." Dash said. "Yeah, you stayed outside to turn me down. You were just too much of a nice girl, and didn't want me to wonder. So I am wondering. Why'd you come home with me?" "I thought...I thought maybe if I was with you..." "You'd stop loving Fluttershy?" Vinyl asked. "It doesn't work that way Dash. Tell me, I wanna know. Who do you see when you look at me?" her voice was cold and quiet. Dash wouldn't look up. "Who do you see? Look at me!" Vinyl shouted. Dash began to cry. "It's not like that!" she shouted back through her tears. "That was the first night. A-and maybe the second. But then, but then..." she picked herself up, sitting opposite Scratch. "It changed! I love you Vinyl!" The blow sent Dash spinning, even if it wasn't actually enough to knock her down. Vinyl Scratch sat there, teeth gritted, one hoof still extended where it had struck Dash's face. "Don't you dare say that! You don't have the right!" she growled. "It's t-true!" Dash cried, tears streaming down her face. "Why? Is it these ol' baby blues? Do I look enough like her for you?" "No, it's not-" "Then why? Am I cool enough for you Dash? Do I make it easy for you to forget? Or was I just convenient, just some filly who came along? What is it Dash?" "It's....it's...." "I thought so-" "Yes." Dash said quietly, staring at her hooves. Vinyl paused. "What?" "It's all that. You wanted me. No one had ever...but you wanted me. And not because I was cool, or fast, or champion of the junior speedster's competition or anything. You just said you liked me." she sniffed. "It was like there was this whole other world, where I could forget them and be with you. And you were 'cool' enough Vinyl. You were cool enough to understand. And when I wouldn't...when I stopped you, the first night, and wouldn't go all the way...and the next and every night, you were cool enough then." "Dash, that's still no reason-" "Shut up, I'm not done." Dash said, color coming back into her voice. "You were cool, you were calm, you always had something to say. You're right - I do have a big head, kinda. So you helped me, I guess. You made me slow down and listen to you." she leaned forward, catching Vinyl off guard. "And there's still a million reasons." Dash continued, looking Vinyl straight in the eye. "I hated myself after the first night. And the second, and every night. And I hated you too. I didn't get why I kept coming back. Until one day..." she was leaning forward so far that Vinyl had started to lose balance. She toppled onto her back and Dash stood up over her, maintaining eye contact. Vinyl felt a splash on her face and realized tears were still leaking down Dash's cheeks. "One day I realized I didn't care. I still like Fluttershy. I still love her, I guess, I don't care. I didn't want her anymore - I wanted you. And I wanted to love you. I-I don't care if Fluttershy came through this door right now. I don't love her like that. I don't love her like I love you." "Rainbow..." Vinyl breathed the word. "Say it again." Rainbow Dash bent down, and pressed her lips to Scratch's. She had kissed Scratch plenty of times before, but this time she was in charge, instead of just letting the unicorn do as she pleased like always. She bit lightly on Vinyl's lower lip before moving on, reaching inside with her tongue and guiding Vinyl's out to play. After several moments, Dash finally stood back up. Vinyl took a breath, no doubt her first in a while judging by her dazed expression. "Vinyl, I love you." Dash said, eyes wet but no longer crying. "And I love you Dash." Scratch replied. "Really?" "Yeah. You were supposed to be a fling," she smiled, "then you went getting me to care about you and all, ya idiot". Dash bent down to nuzzle against Scratch briefly. "So you forgive me?" "Oh, I wouldn't say that." Scratch teased. She stopped when she saw Dash's worried frown. "I'm kidding, light bulb." she laughed, nudging Dash's face playfully with a hoof. Dash winced. "We should get you some ice for that." Scratch said with a frown. "Now that one's my fault. I'm sorry Dash." "Hey, no worries" Dash told her with a smile, stepping back to let Scratch up. "Ponies have wanted to knock some sense into me for years. They'll be jealous of you." "Pffft, when they see what I have to put up with they won't be so jealous." Scratch replied, getting up. "Hey...I mean it, you know." "What- oh." Dash looked away briefly. "I do too. But...I wish I didn't feel anything for her." "Now don't say that. You don't mean that." "I...guess. How can you love me Scratch?" "You want a sonnet? Come on Dash. We're both just crazy enough for each other. Now, let's get off this bed before I decide not to let you leave at all." Scratch told her, hopping off. Dash followed her with a nervous laugh. Scratch opened the door and heard a small yelp. She looked around as she exited and saw Twilight and Pinkie sitting a little off in the hall. They were still scrambling to get into place as Scratch exited. She gave them a calm little smile. "You were right not to want to leave her alone, Pinkie." she said, voice quiet. "I'm surprised you didn't jump in there and take me down." "Rainbow can handle herself." Pinkie Pie replied. Instead of her usual bubbly smile, the grin on her face was a more knowing smirk. Twilight said nothing, looking conflicted. "Well, you two can come while we get ice on Dash's face before it swells up like a balloon." "Heh, don't kid yourself. You don't hit that hard." "Hit? I'm talking about stopping your swollen ego." Scratch teased as they headed downstairs. "Hee hee, Dash you'd make a funny balloon!" Pinkie said, apparently back to her old self. Twilight lagged behind. Vinyl's kitchen was off from her living room, and was the tidiest room yet. Only a sink overflowing with dishes and yet more electronic equipment piled on the table keeping it from true cleanliness. At the least, there was room for the four to sit as Dash held a bag of ice to her face. "Dash, you know this is your last chance." Vinyl said slowly. Dash tried to give her best questioning look with half her face numb. "To back out, I mean. I'd understand." "Heh. I'd hit you for that if I thought you had more ice." Dash replied, making Vinyl smile. Pinkie Pie tilted her head. "You guys are both so silly." she told them. "Don't you know you're supposed to kiss it better?" she asked of Scratch. Scratch grinned from ear to ear (a disturbing feat for a pony). "Heh, Dash, show me where it hurts so I can kiss it better." "Oh, yeah?" Dash grinned back. "Well it really hurts right about-" she began to shift in her seat. "A-Hem" Twilight cleared her throat loud enough to derail Rainbow's remark, as well as get all eyes on her. "This is... an interesting development. But Dash, what does this mean about Fluttershy?" "I...I don't know..." Rainbow admitted. "I don't know if I can talk to her." "You can't let that one go, Dash." this came from Scratch. "Not if I'm to believe half of what she means to you." "What if..." Rainbow looked away. "What if I start to love her again?" "Dash, and what if that happened?" Scratch asked. Dash gave a sad smile, eyes downcast. "I don't know if I could see her again." "Sometimes I wonder if you're soft-hearted or just soft-headed." Vinyl replied, shaking her head. "I appreciate it, but that answer tells me you don't need to worry. I mean it girl, I don't want some downer around all the time." "I think you really should try talking to her, Rainbow." Twilight added. "But, what would I say?" "Duh!" Pinkie Pie piped in. "The truth." all three ponies looked at her for a moment. Across the table, Scratch and Twilight's gazes met. "You know..." Twilight began. "That's not a half-bad idea." Vinyl replied, getting a nod from Twilight. "What?! The truth?" Rainbow asked frantically, "No, see, that's exactly what I couldn't tell her." "Dash, come on." Twilight said. "Keeping secrets is what started this whole mess." "Besides" Scratch added "Could you live with yourself?" "I guess you're right...." Rainbow Dash said. "Maybe tomorrow" "Rainbow..." Twilight and Scratch said in unison, and in the same tone of voice at that. "Argh, now I get it twice?" Rainbow complained. "Alright already" "Oh, and one last thing" Twilight said. Rainbow Dash gave her a flat look. "Well since you're going out anyway....is there anything you could do about this rain?" she asked. "Oh, that. Yea no problem" Dash put down the ice bag. "Hey now, no one said it had to be this second." Scratch told her, reaching out towards Dash. Rainbow began to head around the table. "Yeah, but you know me. I'll be back before you have to leave for the club." she reached Vinyl and leaned in. They shared a meaningful kiss, stopping just shy of making out. "That's how you're supposed to do it." Pinkie Pie whispered, leaning over to Twilight. The purple unicorn had decided she was very definitely going to look anywhere else, and was currently studying the ceiling with great fascination. She looked down only once she heard Dash's hoofsteps again. The cyan speedster was already out the door. "Aww, I didn't ask her if that meant the party was on!" Pinkie Pie complained. "Pinkie-" "Party?" Scratch turned to her. Pinkie Pie nodded. "I wanted to throw it to make Dash feel better. About who she is." "Now ain't that sweet. Tell you what Sprinkles, why don't you wait until tomorrow?" "Tomorrow?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Sure. Tomorrow's my day off." Pinkie Pie gasped. "You wanna come too?" her face lit up in saccharine joy. "Would ya have me?" Scratch asked. "Of course! Oooh, ooh, this is so exciting!" Pinkie Pie was bouncing where she stood, looking ready to explode with glee. "I think it'll be a bit different from the club, you know." Twilight offered. "Yeah yeah." Scratch shook her head, still smiling. "Hey, I DJ some normal events too. I know when to tone it down." "Alright, well, I hope to see you there. Come on Pinkie Pie, we should leave." "Oh, okay." Pinkie Pie bounced around to Twilight. They trotted towards the front door, Vinyl following just behind. "So, just one last question." Twilight tried to sound nonchalant. "Do you give nicknames to everypony or what?" "Nah" Scratch said. "Just the ones I like." she gave a wink to Twilight, making the young mare blush. "We'll see you around, I guess." Twilight said as they headed for the front door. "You know Twiddles? Something tells me we'll be seeing a lot more of each other in the near future." Scratch had a coy look about her. Twilight was about to say something when she heard the door open and Pinkie Pie gasp. Both unicorns looked towards her. "Wow." they said in unison, eyes skyward. --- Minutes ago, Rainbow Dash stepped outside with a mission. The rain was still coming down steadily, and it was pretty dark out by now. She had places to be. So this storm cloud? It was kinda in the way. She didn't have time to rope it in or spin it away or anything. There was only one thing she could think to do. Drastic times called for drastic measures. She took flight in the rain, step one being to get above the clouds. She eyeballed the center of the storm from there and took off towards it. She veered slightly around the center point in a curved path, and then with just the slightest twist of her wings managed a near hairpin turn. She again swerved slightly off center. Then she did a wider turn and came around again. Again and again, she didn't quite hit the center but came at it from every angle. She pumped her wings the entire time, gathering enough speed that she began to leave a multicolored streak in the air behind her. Soon her loops became so fast that she doubled back on her own streak, criss-crossing it in the air. She was disturbing the air, sending it in every direction, and the winds began to collect in the middle. Her constant dodging of the center created a pocket of swirling winds, circling around and around on itself, each pass added momentum. The multi-colored streak she created began to collect as well, creating a rainbow sphere, churning constantly. It was only the size of a small apple cart, but Rainbow knew it'd be enough if she just gave it enough oomph... "Here we go." she said to herself, gritting her teeth. Pouring it on, she gathered altitude, streaking straight up until her wind-sphere was a speck below. She turned around and shot back towards earth. The wind rushed past in her ears as she headed straight for the sphere. With a low whoomph and a thunder-like rumble, Dash hit the concentrated winds. The force of the impact was so great it actually knocked her clean sideways in the short time she was inside it, meaning her exit path was parallel to, but off from her entry. The winds dispersed themselves with great force from Rainbow's hit and quickly spread out through the sky. Like ripples in a pond the winds spread out through the storm, creating waves in the system. The effect of these winds, however, was much greater than that of mere ripples. The storm was pushed out from the center, forcing a hole of clear sky. As the clouds' momentum pushed them against other clouds, more gaps appeared, and soon the entire thing began to break apart. Dash smiled and flew off, not observing her handiwork. So she didn't notice how the broken orb had left a faint ring of rainbow in the sky, or how her path into the sphere had left a much brighter zig-zag cutting clean through the circle. With the fading light making the sky dark, it looked rather eerily like a record with a lightning bolt struck through it. --- Dash slowed down as she got to Fluttershy's house. Only the last rays of sunlight remained to give her light to see by. Fluttershy might not even be up, she realized, and she faltered. However, all Dash had to do was think back to Vinyl Scratch to know she had to go through with this. Honestly, the unicorn's eyes were different. They were deeper, more knowledgeable, the eyes of a pony who had seen the wide world. And combined with her wild blue-fire mane, her pale coat over her lithe dancer frame...Rainbow nodded, resolve returning, and knocked loudly on the door. She had to do this. "Fluttershy! Fluttershy, we need to talk." she called. She heard nothing in response, not even Angel came to the door. "Fluttershy look. I know you're mad. And you should be. You're my best friend. As in are, not were. I know I can't just fix this, but will you at least let me talk to you?" she shouted at the door. There was silence for a moment before the door cracked open. "Fluttershy?" Rainbow peeked in. The room was dim, the lights off. She stepped in, spying Fluttershy just getting back on her couch. She didn't do anything to acknowledge Dash as she entered. "Look. I'm...sorry's not enough." Dash said, walking over and sitting down on the floor in front of her friend. "I was stupid, I was foalish, and...I was scared, okay? I was afraid of what would happen. Because you meant too much to me." she poured her feelings out, and couldn't stop what came next. "I love you Fluttershy." the words came so much easier then she expected. Something inside of her of just clicked. Her words weren't false, but....something changed as she said it. Fluttershy had said nothing however... so Dash kept talking. "I guess it was when we were still in flight camp. You had the best smile, and you always loved to hug. Or, maybe it was because you thought I was cool before anypony else did. I don't know." she swallowed before continuing. "And then, after school...I came to Ponyville because you did. Sure, we made friends, but....I just still wanted to be with you. I knew by then that you weren't like me. That you didn't like me back, not like that. But I couldn't stop liking you. So I just figured I'd keep my mouth shut. Because it'd be awkward, and you'd hate me, and I couldn't be your friend. And the longer it got....the worst it got. How could I do anything? You were my best friend." "Well....I'm done." Rainbow Dash said with a sharp nod. "If I really loved you...I should have told you. I should have done something. But Fluttershy. I...I was wrong. I really am a fillyfooler, and I really do love you....but I was being stupid. You're my friend, my best friend, and that's all you're supposed to be. That's all I want you to be. So, what do you say? Are we....still friends?" Fluttershy shifted slowly, until she was resting on her underbelly, head up. She looked into her hooves. "Rainbow?" she asked. If there had been any noises about, Rainbow was sure she couldn't have heard her friend, but everything seemed dead silent except for the two of them. "You....I don't understand. You love me? But...." Rainbow walked up closer, sitting just by her. She was smiling. "I do love you. I thought I wanted you to be my fillyfriend." she wished she could think half as quick as she could fly, because she barely understood what she was getting out. "Turns out, I just didn't know....like how....clouds!" "Clouds?" Fluttershy was only more confused. "Yeah clouds. Look, you know how to an earth pony, a cloud's a cloud? But we know all the different clouds there are, and which ones make rain, which ones form at which height? It's like that." "You love me...like a cloud." "No no. I'm saying I'm a fillyfooler, and like an earth pony with clouds, I thought that meant that if I loved you, that meant I wanted to be your fillyfriend. That there was only one type of love. But I know better. There's different kinds of clouds, just like there's different kinds of love. And I love you....but not like a fillyfriend or anything. You're my best friend, and that's just as special." "Rainbow Dash...." Fluttershy closed her eyes. "I believe you. I understand." "You...do?" "Yes, because I love you too." Fluttershy said. She opened her eyes. "I thought, I thought you didn't tell me because you didn't trust me. I thought I had done something wrong. I thought...I wasn't your friend anymore." "No. I wish I could do it all over." "I don't." Fluttershy said, smiling and turning to face Dash. "Huh?" "Because, well, now I know how special you are to me. And, um, me to you?" "Yeah" Rainbow said with a smile. "I'm, um, sorry I ever doubted you, Dash." "Sorry? I'm surprised you didn't give me a matching bruise." Rainbow Dash replied, brushing her cheek. "Oh my gosh!" Fluttershy leaped to her feet "Rainbow, are you okay? What happened?" "Heh, I'm fine. You can say I finally got the sense knocked into me." "Let me get you some ice." Fluttershy insisted, getting off the couch. "I'm fine, really!" "Stay here." Fluttershy wasn't hearing it. Dash sighed. She glanced to the door, briefly considering making a run for it, but decided it better if she stuck around. "There we are." a moment later, and Fluttershy was holding another ice bag to Dash's face. Dash flinched away. "I can do it Fluttershy." she complained. "Hold still please." Fluttershy insisted, reaching up and pushing against Dash's unbruised cheek to force Dash's head straight. And suddenly, there they were. Face to face, inches apart. Dash stared into her big, innocent eyes, and....nothing. It was just Fluttershy. "Thanks Fluttershy." Dash said. Her best friend in Equestria blushed and let go. "I'm sorry." "Nah, it's fine." Rainbow assured her, taking the ice from her. "Would you...can you make it home at this time of night?" Fluttershy asked, turning to the window. "Time of - ahh, it's nighttime! I'm late!" Dash jumped up as she saw the last rays of light fade from the sky. She dashed to the door, froze, and turned around. "ThanksFluttershyIloveyoubye!" she practically tackled Fluttershy into a hug, holding the other pegasus tight. She dashed out the door again, leaving behind the ice pack. Fluttershy reeled, but was smiling brilliantly. --- "Great party, Pinkie Pie!" Twilight congratulated her friend as she entered the Sugarcube corner. It was a typical Pinkie Pie bash, and most of the guests didn't even know what it was for. The guest list had been 'sure, come on in', so as far as anypony knew it was a party because it had been more than three days since Pinkie Pie had thrown her last one. "Thanks! Isn't it nice?" Pinkie Pie bounced along as Twilight trotted inside. "Oooh, and there's the guests of honor!" she turned back to the door right before it opened. Twilight didn't question how she knew, but sure enough in stepped Vinyl Scratch and Rainbow Dash, hip-to-hip, right on cue. Pinkie Pie was upon them before they were all the way through the door. Twilight looked beside her to only see a Pinkie-Pie-sized void where the party pony had just been. She rolled her eyes and trotted up to them. "Hey Scratch, hey Dash. I haven't seen you pretty much since yesterday." she directed the second half of her comment at Dash. "Heh. Sorry Twiddles." Vinyl responded first. "I was keeping her busy." She smirked, her goggles glinting mischievously in the light. "Sweet party Pinkie Pie. Thanks for not throwing it any earlier." "Thanks! There's cake, and punch, and surprises, and, and I hope you like the music!" "Haha, it's awesome. Come on Dash, you haven't seen me cut a rug, have you?" "Who actually says that?" Dash teased, following Scratch onto the dance floor. Twilight laughed and shook her head. "You know, I really think those two are right for each other." Twilight told Pinkie Pie. The pink partier nodded excitedly. "I'm so happy for them!" with that, she bounced off. Twilight decided to enjoy the party herself and walked around, eventually getting some punch. She came across Rarity at the table. "Hi Rarity, are you enjoying the party?" "Hmm? Oh yes, delightful as always." Rarity gave a distracted reply, not noticing Twilight for a moment. Twilight looked to where she had been and noticed Rainbow and Vinyl dancing. Vinyl was as smooth as she claimed, her hooves going in time with every beat, her tail sashaying with perfect rhythm. Rainbow Dash wasn't so experienced, but bopped along well enough besides her. "It is simply hard to imagine. I mean, I never would have expected this. From Rainbow Dash or Vinyl Scratch, honestly." "Did you know Vinyl?" Twilight asked. "Oh, not personally. I do prefer the more...eloquent side of fashion, but I do pay attention to what's considered 'hip'. And according to Pony magazine, Scratch defined hip in Manehattan." "Oh, I didn't know that. She never mentioned." "Mhm, I guess she really did leave it all behind. To be honest, doesn't she seem a bit...odd?" Twilight gave a nervous chuckle. "Rarity, you could say that about all of us, really." upon seeing Rarity's expression, she added, "Oh, except you of course." Rarity mulled this over. "No, I suppose you're right. I'm sorry dear, don't mind me. I'm sure she's a lovely pony. It will take some getting used to is all." "Well, that's...understandable" Twilight said weakly. The song ended, and Pinkie Pie could be seen trotting up to the record player. Scratch intercepted her, leaned in, and whispered into her ear. Pinkie Pie nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, fillies and gentlecolts!" Scratch called out over the din. "Hope you don't mind a slight change of pace." she walked up to the record player, her horn glowing. Twilight saw the record player change, just slightly. The speaker seemed wider and bulkier than before. Scratch flipped the record over, put the needle to it, and let the music play. "Oh, what is this noise!?" Rarity asked as Scratch's music began to play. She had clearly done something to the record as well, for it certainly wasn't Pinkie's usual fare. The music was faster, much faster, and Twilight couldn't imagine what instrument would make these noises. And Scratch was still doing something to it - occasionally she would stop it with her hoof, even wind it the other way, interrupting the fast beat with strange scratches and noises. "If this is hip, she can have it!" Rarity complained, shielding her ears. Most ponies, however, seemed to warm up to it, finding their heads bouncing in time with the rhythm, including Twilight herself. "I like it!" she retorted, trotting away from Rarity and towards the dance floor. She could see everypony having a good time; in the middle of the floor, Pinkie Pie seemed to have reinvented the robot on the spot. Twilight laughed and looked around for the rest of her friends. She spotted Applejack and Rainbow Dash dancing together to the side. "Hey guys!" she said, finding her hooves skipping along of their own volition. "Whooee! Howdy Twilight! Enjoying the party?" "Ha ha, I sure am! Here I thought Scratch would have wanted a day off from work." Twilight found the skipping wouldn't stop, her hooves demanding she dance to the beat. Dash grinned as she pranced about. "Hey, music's what she does. You don't take a break from magic, do you?" "I guess not." Twilight said. "I didn't think about it that way." "This music ain't what Ah'm used to, but it sure does move yur hooves, don' it?" Applejack asked. Twilight nodded, but realized that it was probably imperceptible from the normal bobs of her head right now. "I'm really happy for you, Dash. She's a great pony." Twilight said earnestly. Dash beamed, prompting Applejack to give her a quick nudge. "You're head over hooves, ain' you pardner?" "I guess." Dash replied, still smiling but with a slight blush to her face. She looked towards Scratch, who was immersed in the music, her horn glowing as the rhythm suddenly changed. "So what about it, Dash?" Applejack prompted. "You two keepin' it under hat or what?" "You know what?" Dash trotted away from both ponies without another word. Applejack and Twilight traded a confused glance. Dash made her way towards Vinyl. She waited for the song to end before getting up to her. "Thank you ladies and gentlecolts. It's a..." she trailed off as she saw Dash approaching, grin on her face. A smile spread across her own face, and her goggles glinted brightly. "Got something to say, light bulb?" she asked. Dash shook her head, got right up to Vinyl Scratch, leaned in, and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Well now..." Applejack said softly, watching the display. A lot of ponies had noticed the interruption (especially as the kiss dragged on) and there were confused and surprised murmurs all about. Then, there was a single little cheer. "Oh, aren't they the cutest?" Fluttershy asked, clopping her hooves against the ground excitedly. The other ponies around were taken aback - Fluttershy barely talked to her friends, but now she was quite happily turned to any pony in range. "I'm so happy for them, aren't you?" she asked one pony. "Love is so beautiful." she told another. "Excuse me!" a square-jawed stallion said behind her, looking disgruntled. "Yes?" Fluttershy drew out the word as she turned around. And there it was. Ponies only glanced by her Stare would later recall feeling like they had looked into a starless night, a void so pure it threatened to swallow them. Others simply around Fluttershy felt a sudden chill, finding themselves backing away. "Good for them." The stallion said, looking as meek as a mouse. Fluttershy's gaze shifted, and with a smile she went about chatting with the other ponies, all of whom agreed (either readily or reluctantly) that it was great to see Rainbow Dash had found someone, how brave they were to come out, and how nice it was that they all lived in a town that understood that love was love. "You got some amazing friends, light bulb." Scratch whispered as they ended their kiss. She stroked Dash's cheek. "Don't I know it?" "Encore, encore!" Pinkie Pie cheered from the dance floor. Scratch grinned. "I don't think she means the kiss." she said. "Bring the noise, Thunder." "You got it, Lightning." --- Epilogue Dash headed over to the drink bar the club offered, which was the farthest from the stage as she could get. While normally a bit of a journey thanks to the crowded dance floor, tonight it had taken her practically half the night to make it. After her little coming out party, every pony in the club had something to say or ask her about. A few were wondering about coming out themselves, figuring maybe it wasn't such a shameful thing to be a fillyfooler. Some just wanted to know how serious she and Scratch were, which was a bit annoying. And a lot, a whole lot of ponies wanted to know about Fluttershy. Half still didn't believe they didn't have a chance. Rainbow rolled her eyes recalling that. Still, even though Dash had always reveled in attention, it felt a little weird to have everypony's eyes on her. There were a few in the town that didn't seem comfortable talking to her, though no one had said anything untoward. They seemed to know - either first hoof or by word of mouth - that anyone who had something to say to Rainbow Dash would have to go through Fluttershy. Not that the rest of her friends hadn't been there in their own ways. Rainbow got herself a drink and looked around. She really should get to know some more ponies around the club better. She still had hours to spend before Scratch had her break, let alone was ready to leave. The unicorn insisted that Dash didn't have to be here every night, but for now Dash still wanted to hang around. She could tell that deep down, Scratch was thankful for it. However, that still left Dash several hours with nothing to do. She needed to find somepony in the club to get along with, ideally somepony who wouldn't make a move on her either. "Haha, thanks for the advice. I don't know I'm ready to try yet, but we'll see." a familiar voice caught Dash's attention from nearby. She turned around, and her jaw dropped at the pony she spotted chatting to Lyra. "Twilight?!" The End. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: It's Time to Move On / Forever author: PaxusJKL tags: genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life

=== It's Time to Move On / Forever === It's Time to Move On / Forever A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. Elbert Hubbard = = = Applebloom sat quietly in her house. The fire roaring, warming up her hooves pleasantly. A thin but soft knitted blanket rested around her shoulders, keeping her cozy when it was cold out in the mornings. The autumn leaves had begun to fall, and already she could feel the frost in her bones. Her house was quaint, but not too small, it suited her just right. Art from years before hung from the walls, giving the place an almost nostalgic feel to it. Sunbeams shone through the open window as Celestia's morning sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating the land and bathing the small house in its warm glow. Applebloom rested her head against the back of the comfy armchair, looking up at the ceiling. She pondered to herself quietly, not bothering to write anything down or even remember it at all. Just for a moment, ideas and thoughts would flit through her mind like fireflies down a dark library, shedding light on interesting subjects and emotions. She stayed still as the fireflies continued their work, flying through her memories until she found something useful or interesting. It was hard to think some days, but she was coherent at least. She rotated her neck, peering cautiously at the small bright-green train ticket lying on a nearby oak table, it's deep brown color giving it vivid contrast between them. Today is the day... She thought to herself sadly, I need to do this... With aching bones and body, she stood up from her chair, keeping the thin blanket wrapped around her tightly, and walked to the table, picking up the small ticket and resting it in a small pocket on her saddle-bags. Applebloom slowly crept to the door, afraid to see her friends again, and scared of how she would feel. It had been a long time since she had last seen them, and her memories were beginning to fade like a fog at daybreak, so she thought she might as well tell them what she was planning on doing. As she walked out onto the street, the bitter air of the morning hit her and nipped at her exposed body. She shrugged it off, her thinning (but still thick) coat giving her adequate protection from the weak elements of autumn and the fall season. Her house rested far off from the center of Ponyville, away from the rustle and bustle of everypony's daily lives as the city grew bigger every day, almost rivaling Manehattan and her other sister cities in size and wealth. Thanks to Sweet Apple Acres, the town had grown from a small community to a bustling hub of equine etiquette and elegant eateries. Applebloom was proud of what her family had done, and she always would be. This was her heritage, and her home, no matter how big it got. As the city cleared more and more of the Everfree Forest each week, new housing and commercial zones became available for rising entreponeurs and buisness-ponies. As much as Applebloom missed the good old days, she was happy to see so many happy ponies in one city, sharing and making friends. Due to Rarity's newly implemented "Share Tax", the cities less fortunate ponies thrived off the success of the ponies who could spare it, keeping everyone happy and well fed. Old Pinkie Pie's works were apparent throughout the city as well, as the "Smile Brigade" marched through the town once a month, setting the stage for one of the greatest parties ever seen by pony-kind. Every month the Smile Brigade organized an event nearly as large as the Gala in Canterlot. Twilight had been kind enough to suggest a project known as the "Archives of Friendship", where all the great studies of friendship and its dynamics would stay, ready to be used by anypony in need of advice and help. The Archives rested within Ponyville's magnificent town hall, which now held the most efficient town planning committee in all of Equestria. It was quiet little Fluttershy's idea to attempt to tame the Everfree Forest, and the plan had gone exactly as she envisioned it would. Every day, as the city cut down more trees from the forest, a special team of Wildlife Preservation Authority troops would carefully and kindly round up the animals, relocating them to the Shy Ark, a massive well-kept wildlife preserve that also doubled as an animal shelter and petting zoo. The animals had never been happier! The sky was always clear over Ponyville these days, only raining when the crack team of Rainbow Darts said it would. Rainbow Dash had gotten tired of trying to win over other's attention, and simply formed a flying team of her own. The Rainbow Darts. As the ranks of the Rainbow darts grew and grew, they began preforming all around Equestria. When auditions for the Rainbow Darts became to many for her to handle, she (not wanting to make anyone go through her own worst fear of rejection) accepted all the applicants, forming 5 more weather teams and hiring their services out to each city in Equestria. She however, always staying loyal to her friends, stayed home and led the remaining Rainbow Darts here. But Appleblooms own sister, Applejack, was the one that made this all possible. Through shrewd marketing and massive up-sizing, her business had fed the entire town, attracting new ponies from everywhere and bringing new entrepreneurs to the sleepy town of Ponyville. Without her business, the town would have stayed exactly the same as it was all those years ago. Big Macintosh's son had recently taken over the business, and Applebloom had complete faith in her nephew. Applebloom swore she could see the statue of the Mane 6 from here, jutting out of the town-square high into the sky, each pony striking their favorite pose. It was such a beautiful sight, and nothing made her happier. Except, seeing them herself. As she skirted the edge of the town, following the small dirt path as she used to do often, her mind began to wander to her closest friends. Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle. Back in the years of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they had never failed to stick with her through thick and thin, and as the years went on, she felt that they had held true to that virtue. Together, they watched Ponyville become what it was today. Scootaloo had joined Rainbow Dashes side soon on the day she turned the proper age, flying as her right hoof mare for as long as she could. Rainbow Dash had happily given up on flying with her idols, but Scootaloo would never pass up a chance to fly with Rainbow Dash. Together, they ran the Rainbow Darts as long as they could. Sweetiebelle had found her career in singing. Using her excellent vocal skill, she wooed even the nations greatest singers. As she gained more and more fame, she left more and more often, but she always returned RIGHT after she was finished preforming, never stopping for photo shoots or signings. Her oldest hits were still played today, even though she had stopped producing music in a manner of speaking. Her friends had stuck with her no matter what happened. But now... Applebloom had to make an important trip. One that she would need the approval of her friends to make. One that she couldn't make on her own. As Applebloom followed the slow, empty dirt path, she began to see the small wall of trees that had been her friends home as of late, and her heart began to swell with emotion. She hadn't seen them in so long! She maintained her walk even as excitement and a mix of newer emotions played through her heart, compelling her to move faster from anxiety. As she reached the steel gate of their abode, she stopped, taking a deep breath before slowly pushing the gate open. It creaked as rust had eaten away at it over the years. "I'm home everypony!" She called out with a dash of her old accent, "Happy to see me?" Any minute now, her friends an family would rush up to her, hugging and loving her just like they used to. But as a comfortable and peaceful silence fell over the tree grove, the cold hand of emotion grabbed her heart, squeezing it tightly until she felt like it would burst. She had to see her friends now. Maybe for the last time, she wasn't sure, but just in case. She paused, trying to process the emotions she didn't expect. Walking very silently to the middle two headstones, she took to her knees in front of them, using her old eyes to look at the inscriptions, even if she knew them by heart. Scootaloo A loyal follower, brave leader, and irreplaceable friend. "I fly because every minute of it is another moment I spend with Rainbow Dash." Applebloom sighed a deep and emotional sigh. Scootaloo loved that cyan pony. She spent every last minute of her life with her, even sitting there on Rainbow's deathbed, she wouldn't let go or leave. When Rainbow had finally passed on, Scootaloo was dragged from the hospital room, screaming and crying like a newborn filly. She took a pause to swallow a lump in her throat, and read the next stone. Sweetiebelle Her voice graced the ears of millions, and her songs remain the anthems of lovers everywhere. "Doing ANYTHING with all your heart means it will mean something to someone." At this point, tears had begun to seep from Appleblooms old eyes, dropping down the the ground below, only to soak into the very ground where her friends slept forever. She shivered coldly. "Hi guys..." She said, tears still burning her face, "I needed to talk to you about something." She placed one hoof on either headstone, "I need to go somewhere. I need to go on one last adventure." She wiped a tear away from her eye and sniffed, "I, don't have much longer you know... and I need to do a few last things before I get to come and play with you guys again." She began to sob, her hearts emotions coming out her tear ducts. "I-I want you to know... t-that I'm not leaving you guys..." She sniffed again, looking up at the sizable gap sitting next to her friends headstones, "A-and when I'm done my adventure, I'm coming to sleep with you guys... and I promise I'm never leaving again..." It pained her that she had do go on her last adventure without her friends, but it comforted her knowing that when it ended, she would be home. She shuddered, her frail body in the throes of emotional agony, "Scootaloo, when I get there, I want to see you and Rainbow do that trick you did for my birthday that one time... it...it was really awesome...and I miss you..." She tapped her right hoof on Sweetiebelle's grave, "And you...Sweetiebelle... I want to hear that glorious voice of yours, singing me home... to where I belong. Next to you guys. We can gallop and have fun, just like the old days. Cutie Mark Crusaders forever...right?" As more tears fell, she knelt there, her snout down to the ground, letting them drip off and land solemnly to the ground. It had been at least ten minutes before she worked up the courage to let go and back away, leaving her tears and her passed-on friends for the last time, before she would return to play with them once more. As she backed away, she looked at the other headstones, peering at them one by one, remembering fond memories and happy days together. Pinkie Pie One smile is never enough, but three might do. Rarity A fabulous mare, and a caring friend. Twilight Sparkle The books about her will never do her justice. Sadly, when Twilight passed on, Spike had shut down, staying in the library and not talking to anyone but Rarity once and a while. When Rarity passed from this world, he completely lost in. He was big enough that he could handle himself now, and the first chance he got, he headed for the mountains, the same mountains that Fluttershy had evicted a much larger dragon from many years before. Without Rarity and most of all Twilight, he lost all will to live, and set about hibernating his remaining centuries away so that when he "awoke" he would be with them both. Sadly, until then, no one could wake him up as he grew larger and larger. Applebloom understood him though, better than she would like to admit. When you take away a creatures entire life, what is there really to wake up to every morning? So he stayed asleep, and dreamed of happy memories. Applebloom returned to the headstones, trying not to think about poor spike. Fluttershy With caring hooves we cared for you, just as you did for everypony else. Rainbow Dash The greatest leader and most loyal friend anypony could have. As more tears flowed directly from her heart, she turned to the right of her best friends headstones, spying Applejack's, who had in her last breaths insisted be buried next to Big Mac and the Apple family. Applejack Never told a lie. Never will. Granny Smith Lived and loved despite her saggy old hip. Appleblooms eyes came to rest upon Big Mac and his wife, their tombstones built together in a final morbidly romantic gesture. Big Macintosh and Cheerilee Acta Non Verba. / The best teacher we could hope for. As she backed away further, she laid eyes on the rows further back into the graveyard. Everypony she had come to love and know was laid to rest here. Every grey headstone was just another reminder of how everything ended. No matter if you wanted it to last forever or not. Through the good, the bad and the ugly, her friends and family stuck with her, no matter what. But now, they had all ended, one way or another, and with that, she felt sad. Derpy Hooves We just don't know what went wrong <3 Mr and Mrs.Cake When a smile won't do, a cake will. The Mayor Why worry about today, when you can worry about tomorrow! Zecora Even though old life comes to an end, the world has just birthed a new friend. Applebloom's back was to the rusty gate now and she stopped retreating to take one final look. As row after row of headstone greeted her stung eyes, and the darkness and sadness seemed overwhelming, she simply smiled, thinking of how they we're all playing together and in a place much better than this one. Scootaloo would be with Rainbow Dash, flying through the sky with her idol for life. Sweetiebelle would be entertaining the quiet Fluttershy and a happy Pinkie Pie. Applejack would be laughing and working in the fields with Big Mac and his wife Cheerilee would be calling them for dinner. Twilight sparkle would be waiting in her new library for spike, who had yet to come join them, and Rarity would be doing Twilight's hair in the most beautiful way. The world was much prettier there, less confused and muddled. Brighter and stronger and more vivid than this old grey and boring one on this planet. Even the stars and space paled in comparison to this image she conjured up. Her friends were in a better place, laughing and having fun, not caring about anything but their own enjoyment. As her mental image faded, she thought she could see Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle, back in their young forms, their youth and their prime, waving goodbye to her as they waited to see her again. Her friends were having so much fun, and as soon as she was done in this world, she would come join them in the next. "I'll be back in...well...however long I've got left... and when I come back, I'm going to lay down next to you, and be with you forever." Applebloom slowly walked from the graveyard, tickets in her mouth as she went to experience one last bit of life before she would see her friends again. Forever = = = = = I just thought of all my high-school friends, and where they are now. What their doing. Who they've changed into. I felt compelled to write this because eventually... its going to happen to all of us...me...you guys... But when it does... I want to be with them forever. <3 P.s. I hope this evokes as much emotion in you as it did me. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Card Catalogs and Creampies author: AtomicClop tags: character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Porn, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Seduction === Spring. Spring at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns always meant a few things. First, it meant the school year would be over soon, and students were discussing their summer plans. Vacations, camps, jobs. Certain students were beginning to worry about exams, even though exams were over a month off. Needless to say, by "certain students," that means "Twilight Sparkle." Because who else could worry about exams a month out? This pre-Ponyville Twilight was already very much the Twilight we would eventually learn to love, so it's no surprise that she spent that spring how she spent every season, buried in the library, studying her brains into something that resembled mashed potatoes, forgetting to eat, forgetting to exercise, forgetting to bathe. Spring. Spring also meant something else, for the students Twilight's age. It meant the female students in her grade were getting their first estrus. Unicorns entered estrus much later than earth ponies or pegasi, but when it hit, it hit that much harder. Lemon Hearts was the first, and as her pheromones infused the tightly-packed female dorm, the rest of them followed her like dominoes into hormonal lunacy. Twilight, although socially stunted, was a perfectly healthy example of unicornkind, and her first heat hit strong and hard, like a violent buck right beneath her tail. Being Twilight, she dealt with this by going to the library, grabbing some books on advanced calculus, and reading. She sat on a towel, because she was leaving wet spots everywhere, and that was embarrassing, especially when Spike had offered fetch some diapers from the store. All things considered, this was expected: mother had explained, a year or two back, that unicorns have wetter heats and gushier orgasms than the other tribes of pony, a side effect of clamping down on your magic to keep the sensations from coming out your horn. It was a small price to pay for all the good aspects of being a unicorn. ...or was it? More fiery liquid dribbled from between her thighs. After finishing this calculus book, she would find an anatomy book, and determine which gland was producing all that liquid. She didn't think it was pee, but she wanted to be sure. And if it was magically summoned, there might be a magical way to eliminate it.... Twilight concentrated on her book, grinding her teeth, and tried to ignore this fresh Tartarus deep in her guts. She also planned to have Spike bring her a dry towel, if she saw him. She would not explain to Spike why. Spring. Spring at Celestia's school. The school nurse and the school chef de cuisine, working together, increased the doses of birth control potion in the cafeteria food, and the school nurse and the facilities engineer increased the doses of birth control potion in the water supply. Celestia sniffed the pheremones in the air and suggested further increasing the dosage. Spring. Spring at Celestia's School. As hard as the Twilight and her friends were having it in their dorm, the young stallions had it worse. They had to smell the estrus hormones pungently wafting from the female dorm.... while there was nothing they could do. Azure Almonds, the lone unicorn offspring a large earth pony family, sat at a study desk in the dorm, trying to read his History of Magic book. It wasn't working. Two years before, the school nurse had referred him to a dentist in Canterlot to get an abscessed tooth drilled out of his skull. The tooth had burned, throbbed, flared, flamed in his jaw before he finally went to the nurse with the problem. His privates presently nagged him the same as that tooth had, but no dentist or nurse was going to be able to help with this agony. The locker room was replete with the sound of clopping in the toilet stalls, and the plumber was coming in twice a day to clear the shower drains. Azure Almonds, however, was not going to clop. No, he intended to get laid. And, because he hadn't clopped, getting laid. Would. Be. Bucking. Epic. The problem, he admitted, was that he didn't know how to get laid. The gals liked him well enough, with his gray eyes, muscles from growing up among earth pony siblings, and the bright white blaze on his muzzle, but 'liked him well enough' was a far cry from getting up inside one of their snatches. His first hope was Lyra--far and away, the hottest in his grade--but she was into mares. Minuette and Twinkleshine were also hot, and Amethyst Star or Lemon Hearts would do. Heck, he just wanted to get his willy wet. Even one of the weird ones like Moon Dancer or Twilight Sparkle could handle that. He wasn't picky. He tapped a hoof on his chin. He didn't know how to get laid. But he could find out. This was a school, after all. Maybe there would be a book? He stood up from the study desk. Cock flopping out of its sheath as he walked, his balls swollen and pendulously swinging, hurting every time they slapped against his inner thighs, he headed to the library. Twilight realized that, for the last seven minutes and twelve seconds, she had not actually been reading the advanced calculus book. She'd been staring at an illustration. An illustration of a handsome pegasus stallion standing in front of a lecture hall, waving a wing at a chalkboard. The caption read, Lightning Integrator demonstrates the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus to his students at Cloudsdale College, year 242. Pegasi.... she'd only met a hooffull of pegasi in her entire life. ...what did their feathers feel like? Feathers, running up and down her spine, ohhhh.... Other than a hoof shake, she'd never even touched a pegasus. "He could integrate me any time...." she whispered, rocking on her chair, rubbing her swollen nethers against the sopping wet towel, and then clapped her hooves over her mouth and looked around. "Pardon?" said another student, standing about twenty feet away and browsing the self-help books. He was pale blue, a shade darker than the sky, with a black mane and tail, and a white blaze on his nose and white sock markings on his lower legs. This pony was in some of her classes. His torso faced away from her, tail toward Twilight, and he looked over his shoulder. "You said something about..." he smiled "...integration, Twilight?" Uh-oh. He knew her name. What was his name? Think, Twilight, think. Twilight didn't like him. She remembered that, for one hundred percent sure. But why....? Oh, right. He and Twilight shared the exact same birthday, she a few hours his elder, so the dorm always had a combined ice cream and cake party for Twilight and what's-his-name every year, ever since magic kindergarten. If it had been her birthday alone, she could have begged off the irksome party once a year, and spent more time studying. What-was-his-name?!? She couldn't think. The stupid estrus hormones filling her bloodstream were impairing her higher cognitive functions, and the ache, the ache in her groin was so distracting, and oh sweet Celestia oh no oh no oh for hoof's sake his male genitals were hanging out! His.... penis... was mostly erect and hanging under his belly, and his scrotum and... and... and testicles were distended, hanging down, swaying slightly, throbbing. She squeezed her eyes shut. Okay, it wasn't like she'd never seen a pony with a hardon before. Hardons happened, especially at their age. The polite thing was to ignore it. Everypony ignored the hardons, and ignored the girl's puddles. The was just what was done. In polite society. Her towel was entirely soaked, and she could smell herself. No doubt he could smell her, too. She faced back down at her book and opened her eyes again. The urge to stand up and run back to the dorm, climb into her bed, slip under the covers, and masturbate wantonly nearly overwhelmed her. But that exact plan had worked so poorly yesterday... She couldn't get up. Her juices soaked her entire backside. She probably looked like she had peed herself. (Which she had not!) Twilight needed to sit there and dry off for a little while. Except, of course, she was getting wetter, not drier, by the minute. She levitated her water bottle out of her bag and took three long swigs. No need to risk dehydration. Moon Dancer had found herself in the nurse's office on an IV exactly that way. (The nurse, kindly, had said: "I get a half dozen of these every year.") Today, Twilight decided, her mare parts pained her even worse than yesterday--and yesterday had been the strongest, and most embarrassing, day of her estrus so far. Her labia were swollen and throbbed with every beat of her heart, and her clitoris rubbed against the towel. She'd borrowed the towel from Lyra, because it was softer than anything Twilight owned, but it still rubbed her winking, protruding clit raw. She shifted her weight and pulled her rear legs up onto the chair a little more, trying to get her weight off her loins, but as soon as she did that, the cool air hit her sopping wet privates and sent a chill up her spine, where it settled into her chest, just above her sternum... and clashed with the molten metal swirling in her lower abdomen, around her uterus and ovaries. And, Twilight thought with a frown, darn you Lyra! Lyra had a steady fillyfriend one year older than her, and those two were handling each other's heat, so Lyra wasn't nearly as bonkers as the rest of them, and it wasn't fair! Hooves shuffled against carpet as he moved a few inches left, selecting a different book. Twilight shifted her eyes and saw his.... ahem. His testicles were really swollen inside his blue scrotum, and throbbed with his heartbeat. Azure Almonds. That was his name! With a frown, she thought, His almonds most certainly are a shade of azure. Azure's nose burned as Twilight's pheromones swirled in the corner of the library. He could see the puddle she was sitting in, the mint-green towel (likely stolen from Lyra) soaked to a dark forest green. Luckily it was a varnished wood chair, and not upholstered. It would be easy to sanitize. Twilight's body odor also filled the area. Sweaty, a bit ripe--she was famous for spending more time studying than showering. Boinking her would not be the same accomplishment in the eyes of the others as, say, boinking Minuette (a total eight-point-five out of ten, agreed the entire male dorm), but.... pussy was pussy, Azure decided, and if he didn't get off today he was sure his balls would detonate and geld him. So the heck with what the others thought. Besides, the intoxicating scent of her heat outweighed the icky smell of her mane and sweat. So. He would attempt to boink Twilight, and if that failed, he would admit defeat, head to the locker room, and clop in a toilet stall. But how? How to boink Twilight? Everypony knew she only loved books.... Idea! Oh, thank Celestia. Azure wandered away, leaving Twilight in peace. She looked at the handsome, handsome pegasus stallion in the book's illustration. After about a minute of staring she whispered, "Fundamental theorem of Calculus? No, the fundamental theorem of sex..." and reached her left hoof down toward her tail. Okay. Okay. He could do this. Easy. Twilight loves libraries. So. So. Just.... ...make like a library. No, there was no way he could do this. How is a unicorn supposed to be like a library? He wandered down the next rank of books and heard a desperate whisper: "Fundamental theorem of Calculus? No, the fundamental theorem of sex..." Peering through the bookshelf, he saw Twilight's ears perk forward, and a hoof dipped away from the book, under the table, down toward her.... Oh. Oh! This was his chance. She was rubbing off. Prudish, bookworm, princess's pet, rules-follower Twilight Sparkle was rubbing off in public. This was a golden opportunity. Think fast. He grabbed the oldest looking book on the shelf and opened it. The edges of the pages were crumbly, breaking down into musty-smelling dust. He levitated the book up, and rubbed it all over his mane and cheeks and neck. Then, just to be sure, he levitated it down and rubbed it on his cock and balls. He now smelled like old library. Little bits of old paper clung to him. That had to help, right? He sneezed. A quick peer through the bookshelf showed Twilight hadn't noticed his sneeze, and was still bearing down on her own nether regions, muttering about calculus and pegasi. Darn. Darn. Peagsi? Did she have feather fever? Every male in the school was a unicorn, which could explain why she wasn't already getting her heat quenched. There was no way he was getting wings--real, prosthetic, or costume--in the next few minutes, so just move on, and hope her feather fever was a preference and not an immutable desire. Okay, how to be a library? He trotted to the reference section (cock and almonds slapping painfully as he went), and found Bucklett's Quotations. Flipped to the index. L. L-I-B. Libraries. Perfect. Twilight shuddered, gave a little squeak in the back of her throat, clamped against a rogue spell before it could light up her horn, and a gush of hot liquid squirted from her nethers and soaked her left fetlock. The smell of her own masturbation hovered around her, and her ears wilted as she pondered the embarrassment potential should Princess Celestia or one of the librarians wander through. Did alicorns go through heat? Would The Princess understand? Well, Cadance certainly had heats.... poor Shining Armor.... Twilight's hormones were simply out of control and she didn't know what to do. Her dock and upper tail were soaked, the wetness coating her own anus, making it feel slick and weird. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Everypony knew the first heat was supposed to be the worst, but going through even a fraction of this a few times a year for her entire adult life... yuck. Maybe a hysterectomy was in order, so that this didn't interfere with her studies for life. She could grab Spike and trot home--her parents lived slightly less than an hour's trot away, right here in Canterlot--and take a few days sick in her own room. Mom and dad would understand. Of course, trotting down public streets with her tail and bottom sopping wet would be all kinds of embarrassing... As she lifted her hoof away from her clit, she realized that for all the fantasizing and masturbating, all the attempts at release, the grinding, roiling, flaming agony in her abdomen and loins was getting worse not better. Stupid evolutionary imperatives. She knew about sex. All about it. Got the lecture from her mom. Read a dozen books. Heck, more like a dozen dozen. In years past, Twilight had cast scrying spells and seen her parents make love, and watched her brother and the foalsitter, Cadance, together. She learned a lot that way. Specifically, she learned she didn't want to have sex. It seemed... messy. Icky. Squelchy. Time consuming, time away from her studies. Not her kind of thing. Sex seemed too personal, and Twilight was more comfortable with books than with other ponies. She didn't want to be close to a pony, especially not an icky colt or stallion who just wanted to get his own release from his own throbbing agonizing nethers. Oh. Oh! Oh, yuck: if she had sex, should would drip... semen... from her vagina for hours, or a whole day. Oh yuck. Yuck! Her own juices were icky enough! She bent her head way down, pursed her lips, and blew on her clit and labia, trying to dry and cool them off. It didn't work. She took in a deep breath, to blow harder, and-- "Hey, Twilight?" She jerked her head straight up and her ears twisted in different directions. "What! What! You're interrupting my studying, Azure Almonds!" He grinned, very slightly. "It looked like you were studying your own.... belly." Twilight's eyes widened and fire swelled under her cheeks. She tapped the tabletop with her right forehoof and kept her left foreleg--still soaking wet from her own pussy spew--hidden beneath the table. Azure Almonds stood there, and Twilight sniffed, smelling something different... but familiar, and nice... coming from him. Something comforting. He smelled like old books. His penis was still throbbing underneath his barrel. She looked away from it, looking at his face. She stared at the white blaze between his gray eyes. Few ponies had blaze and sock markings. It was more common than, say, prismatic manes, but still quite rare. She didn't find it attractive, but it was something to stare at that wasn't his throbbing cock. He levitated a heavy book and dropped it on her study table with a thunk. "You spend a lot of time here in the library, Twilight." She sniffed. "This school is expensive, and my parents pay a lot of money. I want to make the most of it." "I think I understand why, now, you like the library so much." "I'm trying to bone up on calculus," she snapped. "Bone up, eh? Can I help?" "You're still in algebra." He blinked. "Well, that is the syllabus, for the rest of us." Twilight's left foreleg inched towards her clit again, and ground her teeth as she forced it away. "What. Do. You. Want. Almonds?" He looked at the book and read, "'The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more ponies than all the wars in history.'" Twilight's eyes widened and her stomach turned sour. "'A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life,'" he read. Fresh juices poured down her labia and coated her anus and dock again. "'I discovered me in the library. I went to find me in the library.'" "Please stop," Twilight said, as her clit and asshole clenched in time with the throbs in her lower belly. "What?" Azure's face wrinkled and his ears wilted. "I thought you liked libraries? I'm trying to understand why you like them so much, and I think it's working. You're a good example, Twilight. I don't get grades like you. My parents pay a lot of money for this school, too, and I want to make the most of it. I can learn from you." She nodded, curtly, and let her left forehoof--hidden under the table--begin to play up and down her pussy lips. "'Your library is your portrait.' I guess they mean your personal collection, rather than the library you go to." She looked up at him, and began to rub her clit harder. She knew the motion in her shoulder would be visible to him, but there was nothing she could do. "Azure. I'm not feeling well. I might... uh... go back to my dorm and take a little shut-eye." "Of course, sorry I bothered you." He smiled, and levitated the book closed. As her left hoof ground against her clit, Twilight's right forehoof reached across, to her left armpit, just below where it met her barrel, and felt to verify that the crystal implant was still there, under her skin, where it had been for two years now. Not that she needed the magical implant. She wasn't going to have sex. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. It was silly of her parents to have made her get a birth control crystal. Why was she rubbing it, anyway, while she rubbed her clit at the same time? That didn't make sense. She wouldn't have sex. She was in control. Stupid parents. Stupid birth control implant. Stupid estrus. Stupid colts. A powerful squirt of liquid gushed from nether regions, and struck the carpet with an audible splat. His ears perked forward. His nostrils flared as he sniffed. She stared at his throbbing cock. She had no idea if it was small, medium, large. She had no basis for comparison. She had no idea. But, she knew, knew, it was the smell of her estrus pheromones here in the library that were making it throb. She had made him erect. That was a.... strange... feeling. Nopony had ever paid her any mind before. Twilight was... an egghead. She never exercised. She hardly ate. She knew she was scrawny. Lyra, with her jaunty mane, lean muscles, musical genius, and pastel colors, drove the guys crazy, especially because they knew Lyra liked other fillies, and was forever out of reach. A lot of them liked liked pale--opposite to Twilight--and Twinkleshine had lost her virginity moons ago, well before she ever came near estrus, and they chased her constantly. Twilight was just.... Twilight. And despite being just Twilight... she was giving somepony a throbbing hardon. Vagina to Brain, she heard in the back of her mind, I'd really like to know what that thing feels like. Getting curious down here. She lowered her head to look at her nethers, a tiny smile spreading across her face. Anus to Brain, leave me out of this. Call me on our first wedding anniversary. Brain here, messages received and understood. She clenched her eyes and bore down on her clit with both forehooves. Her tongue stuck out a fraction of and inch and she bit it. A checklist. She needed a checklist. Where was a scroll? Her quill and ink? Step one: don't have sex. Two: see step one. Three: see step two. Step four: verify birth control implant. Step four: Check! No. No step four. Step five: give somepony a throbbing erection. No! No! None of that! Don't think that! "I memorized one quote," he said. "I like it a lot." Twilight nodded and said, "hnnnnnnrrrk." "It went, 'A library book, I imagine, is a happy book.'" Then he nosed open the large book's back cover, levitated out its catalog card, licked the back of the card, and slapped it to his blaze. "Now, I am a happy book." He smiled at her. Wonderful parents. Wonderful, reassuring birth control implant. Wonderful estrus. Wonderful colts. Twilight smiled up at him. She was going to screw his balls clean off. === Fornication === She opened her eyes and leapt onto the table, chair and sopping towel flying backwards. With a perfect four point landing, she hit the center of the table, and then pronked off the table, tackling him. He landed flat on his back and all his wind huffffed out of his lungs under her weight. The catalog card flew away. She slammed her soaking wet hips onto the middle of his belly, just below the ribs, leaned over, and gripped his left ear in her teeth and gave a pull. The ear-bite-and-pull was something Twilight had seen Shining Armor do to Cadance, and Cadance always howled in delight. Oh, how mad those two would be if they knew Twilight had scryed on them....... She tasted the fur of his ear, and adjusted her bite ever so slightly. Azure's mane tickled her nose and he smelled like a book oh Celestia he smelled like a wonderful, old, musty book. The tip of his penis was pushing against her spine, right above the tail. A spasm ripped across her bottom and her loins and she ground her sopping wet marehood across his barrel and bit down harder on his ear. He yelped, and she tasted his blood as her teeth broke his skin. "Remember first-day orientation this year?" Twilight asked, releasing his ear, which was actually bleeding pretty well, now. Oh. Oh! Oh goodness. He was going to need stitches. "No!" he said. "I consent. Do you consent? Celestia was really, really insistent on consent." "Yes yes yes! I consent! Is my ear bleeding? That hurt, Twilight." "Don't ruin this. We'll get you stitches later." "I need stitches?" "Don't ruin my first time!" She spit out some of his blood, and wiped her face with her left hoof. On her hoof, she tasted... herself. With a quick lick, she sampled her own juices on her forehoof again, and an idea formed. "If you ejaculate before I break my heat, I'll buck you in the testicles and teleport you to the moon! Perform cunnilingus!" "What? Twilight, you use crazy-big words." "Eat my fillybits!" "Oh! Oh! Heck, yes!" She rolled off him--oh Celestia there was a bloodstain spreading on the carpet from his ear--shifted herself around a half-turn, planted her rear legs on either side of his head, and plopped her nethers right down onto his face. "Mmmmrrrrrrrpppphhhhhhh!!!!!" His levitation lifted her bottom up and he gasped. "Leave some weight on the floor, Twilight, or you'll smother me!" She flexed her legs and lowered herself to his face, more carefully. His tongue traced between her lips, and Twilight's entire world changed forever. A lightning bolt shot cross her hips, down her legs to the floor, and made her tail flag straight up, exposing her anus to the world as it clenched tight. Branches of lightning circled around her ribs and settled into her belly and the muscles around her uterus spasmed in surprise. The wonderful sensation ran up her spine, into her head, and her other lips quivered and she drooled, dripping saliva onto the puddle of her own fluids on his belly. And then he did it again! Planting her forehooves on the carpet, on either side of his hips, she took ragged gasps in time with his licks. Her clit winked, protruding out, as if it was chasing his tongue, but he wasn't licking it, he wasn't licking it, he was teasing her, her butt muscles clenched with every contraction of her pussylips, and her vision grayed as blood rushed away from her head. "Oh sweet Celestia for the love of the moon and the stars lick my clit!" Upon hearing her name wafting across the stacks, Celestia slipped off her formal metal shoes and began sneaking across the carpeted floor of the library. She let her sensitive alicorn nose guide her. Somepony was really deep into estrus. Egads, she got tired of dealing with this every spring for the last eight centuries. Staring, Twilight realized Azure's throbbing privates were only a few inches from her own nose. She leaned down and sniffed. His privates smelled like books, too! Her horn tingled with a building magical discharge, and she clenched down on it, squelching the spell, and the magic rebounded down her spine and out her vagina. "Gaaack!" he gasped, spluttering, coughing, as the huge squirt shot from her nethers and splashed his face, going up his nose. "Twilight! Did you just pee on me?" "No! That was just a really gushy orgasm." "That was, like, a pint." "Don't stop licking! Gushy orgasms are what happens." Azure licked her pussy lips, up-and-down, and said, "Are you sure?" "We're unicorns, unicorn mares and fillies gush. It's the magic. It's gush or blow holes in the wall with our horns. I choose gush." "What?" "Didn't your parents teach you anything before they sent you off to boarding school?" "No!" "What are they, earth ponies?!?" "Yes! And stop talking about my parents during sex." He licked her, slow and deep again. Twilight intercepted another spell just before it could manifest and scorch the ceiling, but she sprayed another gush of hot fluids across his face. "You're absolutely sure?" "If you don't like it, go back to your dorm and clop." He licked down her lips, toward the back of her slit, and her butthole clenched at his proximity. "Don't stop, Almonds!" Twilight lowered her weight just... a... little... more... and his tongue began to explore up into her vagina, parting her lips, and the lighting bolts up her spine, encircling her hips and belly, and hitting her head, intensified. She leaned down and touched the tip of her tongue to the tip of his penis. He tasted like old books. She spurted onto his face again, and he dug in even deeper with his tongue. (She was getting dehydrated. She needed to drink a lot of water once they were done. Post-sex checklist, item one: drink.) Twilight's tongue licked up the right side of his cock, from the base to the tip, over the top, and then back down to the base on the other side. She closed her eyes and rode his tongue-fucking for a few seconds, and then made an O with her lips and gently pulled the first half-inch or so of his tip into her mouth. He moaned into her snatch, and the vibrations changed the rhythm of the lightning bolts running from her asshole up to the tip of her horn. She licked her tongue across the slit at the tip of his cock. For a split second, her brain rebelled: That's where pee comes out! The clenching in her ass and abdomen replied, He's half-drowned on our squirts! Let's be a team player! She started flicking her tongue around his tip, while massaging with her lips. "Hey, Twilight?" he gasped. "Don't stop to talk!" "Don't play with my tip, if you want me to last." She sat up, and looked over her withers at his horn and the top of his head, which were mostly covered by her tail. Her tail was stingy and soaking wet. "But... what do I do?" "Suck my balls?" She leaned down. Celestia grinned and shook her head at the noises coming from somewhere ahead of her. Students. Students never changed. In the centuries she had run this school, every spring played out the same way. Celestia recalled the desperately rushed research to invent birth control spells, the first year she ran the school. Walking more slowly and quietly, ears rotating to fix the squelchy noises, Celestia continued sneaking toward the students, preparing a lesson in discretion and in what should be done behind closed doors. A small sleet storm--good, old-fashioned, freezing-cold pegasus magic--usually ended a session of public lovemaking most effectively. Twilight nosed his erect cock to the side, and found her nose touching his ballsack. He clenched when the velvety softness of her nose touched him, and his tail slapped against the floor. Yes, his scrotum was blue. And throbbing. And swollen. She rubbed her snout against it and his entire body spasmed beneath her. The scientific part of her brain--the little bit that wasn't fogged under a haze of hormones and the clenching in her vagina and asshole--said, His ejaculation is going to be extremely large, and you don't have a dry towel. Good, she told herself. A lot of drippy spunk might cool off my heat. Her tongue reached out, and caressed his left testicle. There was a bit of a sweaty taste, but not too bad. He moaned into her pussy again, and she shifted her head an inch, and began to lick up and down between his balls. His cock started throbbing against her cheek even harder, and his tail smacked the floor in time with her licks. With a smile, Twilight realized, He's enjoying this! She pulled his right ball entirely into her mouth. "Ohhhh.... wow, Twilight, that feels great!" And then he shifted his head, and he tongued her clit for the first time right at the... exact... moment... it winked out at him. Celestia peeked over the bookshelf and recognized Twilight Sparkle instantly. It also impressed her that Azure Almonds, of all ponies, was the one whose face Twilight was sitting on. Azure wasn't as asocial as Twilight, but he wasn't a Cassanova, either. As much as she wanted to ice them, levitate them both up, and give them a stern lecture and several days' detention... ...Twilight needed a good rutting more than she needed a lesson in discretion. Celestia frowned. Azure's ear was bleeding freely, and a good-sized puddle of blood spread underneath the two lovers. The princess hunkered down and looked through the books, ready to intervene if Twilight hurt him worse, or in case her orgasms started manifesting through her horn. Celestia prepared a shield spell, just in case. Twilight was fully capable of blowing a hole in the ceiling and injuring somepony on the second, or even third and fourth, floors. Given that Azure's face was soaked like somepony just out of a swimming pool, it seemed likely that Twilight had already taught herself to be a pussy-squirter, not a spell-spurter. Thank goodness for small favors, hmmm? Twilight truly was an excellent student. Azure's lips clamped around Twilight's clit, and his tongue began to massage it. Her entire body lit up, from tail to horn. Her ass clenched, her pussy squelched more fluids onto his face, her ears went totally erect, and her spine straightened. That straightening led to her lurching upwards, his right ball rebounding out of her mouth with a loud pop! His body jerked and he yelled, releasing the pressure on her clit. "Ow! Twilight, that hurt! Be careful down there!" She rolled off him and turned herself around again, head-to-head and tail-to-tail with him. "Intercourse." "My ball really hurts, Twilight." "Do you want your penis in my vagina?" "Yes! Shouldn't you get down on all fours and present? Isn't that how this works? That was in health class." "No," Twilight said, crawling onto him to straddle across his hips, facing toward him. She grabbed his shaft in her levitation and brought his tip just to her pussylips. As it touched her for the first time, she spurted again, and sprayed pussyjuice all over him, soaking his cock. He moaned happily. "This is my first time," Twilight explained. "I want to control the speed and depth. Let me take lead, and be as gentle and as slow as I need." "Oh. Okay." She slammed her hips down with all her strength. Celestia's eyes widened and Twilight brutally impaled herself on him. His scrotum was swelling and blackening, but the young idiot was too enraptured by the estrus hormones coating his muzzle and nasal passages to realize he needed a trip to the nurse. Well, Celestia decided, letting those two finish and release their mutual hormonal pressure cookers could only make the nurse's job easier. No need to try to ice fully-charged testicles, hmmm? Celestia frowned, feeling a wet sensation under her own tail, and decided she would need to call Fleur-de-Lis to an "appointment" in her Royal Chambers tonight, herself... Twilight hilted him, dropping her entire weight across his hips. "Yeeep!" he said. "Wait, didn't that hurt?" Sweat broke out across Twilight as he filled her up. "Nope! Felt.... oh, good..." "Wait--you're sure this is your first? That's fine, I don't care, but you just hilted me." "First... uh, penis in me, yes." She squirmed, trying to get another fraction of an inch insertion, and his tip hit her cervix. "Oh! That's.... unpleasant..." "What?" Azure frowned. "I went too deep," she said, and lifted herself up, until her lips barely held him aligned, and then lowered herself gently. His back arched, and he sucked in a deep breath. "Oh.... Celestia, you're so warm... and wet..." She placed her forehooves on his chest and closed her eyes, as shivvers shook her entire body. So long as she didn't go too deep and bonk her cervix, this was wonderful. Vagina to brain! This is what we needed! Anus to brain! We're starting to have second thoughts here! Vagina here! Today is my day, get to the back of the line! Back of--! Was that a joke? Twilight opened her eyes, and clenched her vaginal muscles. He throbbed in return and another orgasm--a different one, compared to when he had used his mouth--built. She lifted herself again, quickly this time, and dropped her hips hard. He gasped, and smiled up at her. "That's nice." His face dripped with her juices, the coat matted on his muzzle, his eyes blinking her juices out, mane disheveled. He looked like he had just emerged from a shower. She leaned down and licked his chin, around his jaw, and then planted a deep kiss. Her hips kept working up and down as she sucked her own juices off his face, savoring her own taste and the sweaty-musky-library-y taste of her first lover. First lover, she thought. I'm going to do this again. Yay estrus! The fire that had built over the last week in her lower abdomen, deep under the muscles, around her uterus and ovaries, now was spreading across her lower body, a different sort of fire engulfing her canal and making her clit and lips and asshole and tail all spasm in time. Her thrusting turned rhythmic, regular, and he added tiny little shifts upward of his hips in time, which gave her that tiny extra fraction of an inch that seemed to make all the difference. Now that she was in the zone, the tiny little nudges against her cervix were... nice... "oh Celesssstia...." She sucked her own pheromones and pussy sploosh off his cheeks and her biggest, wettest, most brain-bending orgasm of all hit, her vision graying out and swirling with stars, a splash! sound echoing across the library as she soaked both their hips and tails and the floor below them, her channel tightening around him so hard that he gasped and shuddered and his eyes rolled up and he made a "sssssrrrnnnkkk" noise and then--oh! Oh!--magma, his massive wet magmatic fire suddenly inside her and squelching out of her as she kept pounding her hips up and down and up and down and their mixed juices making splort splort splort noises as she pistoned and she looked over her withers again at her own bottom and tail, and his thick white spew was going everywhere, good gracious that was a huge tremendous ejaculation, getting white spunk across her bottom and his balls and into both their tails and slicking her butthole and that actually felt kinda good, in a naughty way, getting her butthole coated with juicy spunk and generally making a wet sticky mess and "Oh sweet Celestia here I go again!" her entire body clenched as one last massive wave rushed across her, and this time a few sparks shot from her horn and it wasn't as gushy down below but it felt so good! She lowered herself one final time, and sat straddled across his hips, forehooves on his chest, panting. They looked into each others' eyes. Her entire bottom and environs throbbed, their mixed wetnesses cooling in the library's air. "That was just what I needed," Twilight said. "Wow. Yeah. Me too!" She leaned forward, lying down on him, and nestled her head against his right shoulder, chest-to-chest, belly-to-belly, his penis still deep inside her, but softening with each heartbeat. "Now this is nice," Azure said, wrapping his forelegs around Twilight's withers. "Mmmm-hmmm," she murmured into his neck. "Remember health class?" "Oh... oh, gracious..." he gasped, and his entire body--well, less one part--stiffened. "Are you--" She chuckled, and nipped his right ear, careful not to draw blood, this time. "You ask that now? While I feel that enormous load dripping out of me?" "Well?!?" he choked out. "I've got an implant. We're safe." His body relaxed underneath her. "Wow. Lucky." "Shhhhh," she said. "In health class, they said this part here, the cuddle, is what actually breaks your estrus. Just hold me for a few minutes, okay?" "Really?" "Well, yeah. How else could fillyfoolers break their heats?" "...huh." He hugged her, and she nuzzled deeper into his shoulder. He lost his erection and slipped out of her, with a wet slurp sound. A large wad of his seed dripped out of her, soaking her clit and his balls. "Almonds?" "Hmmm?" "Could you please... rub my withers?" "Of course." She drowsed against him, enjoying the warmth of his body, the chill of their mixed drying fluids, and his hooves rubbing the now-sore muscles of her withers, and she fell not quite asleep, but not fully awake, either, as the sickening throb of estrus hormones finally quieted across her body. "Twilight?" "Hmmmm?" "Feel like your heat is broken, yet?" She sat up, and squirmed her hips against his abdomen. "Yeah. I think so! I'm not waiting a whole week next time. I'm grabbing the first one of you I see, the minute it hits. I'll get so much more studying done this way, if I just rut my heat away instead of having my brain buzz with hormones for a week." Twilight giggled. "Why didn't anypony tell us how easy this was to fix?" She climbed off him, and stood, shakily, on all fours, looking down at him. "Moon Dancer still needs her heat broken, she's complaining about not being able to study, either. Want me to recommend you to her?" He hoofed at his bleeding ear, and then at his swelling testicle. "Yes! But first, can you help me limp to the nurse's office?" Twilight paled, and gulped. Celestia snuck away, quietly, and made her way to the infirmary, beating the two lovers there by about five minutes, and spent the wait chatting with Nurse Sternheart, an older unicorn mare. Twilight barged through the infirmary's swinging door backwards, pushing it open with her bottom, and leaving a smear of vaginal fluids and semen on the varnished wood. She levitated Azure Almonds in and gently placed him on the nurse's triage table. "Well, my most faithful student," Celestia said, "I see your levitation has improved markedly. Mr. Almonds weighs twice what you do, yet you handled him easily." Twilight and Azure looked at the goddess-ruler of Equestria--even worse, headmare of their tremendously selective and prestigious school--and gasped. A wad of semen fell from Twilight's vagina and landed on the tile floor with a loud splat. The entire left side of Azure's face was bloody from his torn ear, and as the adrenaline of the sex wore off, he breathed through gritted teeth at the pain in his swelling testicle. Nurse Sternheat looked at Twilight and asked, "Back so soon, Ms. Sparkle?" Celestia cocked her head. "Back?" Twilight blushed and flicked her tail. More semen landed on the tile floor. Celestia walked to Twilight and laid a wing over her withers (which were about the only dry, non-sticky part of the student's body). She said, "Anything I learn in this room, Twilight, I will treat with medical confidentiality." Looking at the floor, Twilight mumbled, "Nurse Sternheart had to remove a glass soda pop bottle from my... nethers... yesterday." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Carpe This Diem author: SpizzWink tags: genre:Slice of Life

=== Chapter 1 === The two of us lay in the barn, embracing one another; once the adrenaline subsided the cold had finally sunk into my coat so I appreciated the warmth she provided. The sweet smell of her sweat combined with the feel of her hot breath on the nape of my neck sent me into a state of hypnosis that would soon carry me off to sleep. A well deserved sleep. "Wow," Dash said, speaking between pants, "I really didn't think you'd go through with it." I 'hmm'ed' in response. I wasn't ready to start speaking yet. I was still trying to catch my breath. "I mean, I've done this a lot but I never thought I'd be doing it with you." "It was fun. I've had a great time, Rainbow." it was quiet for a few minutes as we absorbed our surroundings. The sun would be rising soon and I'd need to go home before Spike wondered where I was - provided he's awake - and things would most likely go back to the way they were; I'd go back to being an egghead and Rainbow Dash would remain a err, badass, for lack of a better word. "I'd like to do this again sometime." "For real?" the excitement in her voice was so blatant. I smiled and nodded. "I mean, yeah, sure." "Maybe next time Pinkie could join us." I looked up at her and she smiled. Not her half-smile. It wasn't the smile of some pony trying to be cool. It was a big, goofy, adorable smile. Her real smile. ___________________________________________________________________ "Do what thou wilt;" I began "because ponies that are free, well-born, well-bred, and conversant in honest companies, have naturally an instinct and spur that prompteth them unto virtuous actions, and withdraws them from vice, which is called honour. Those same ponies, when by base subjection and constraint they are brought under and kept down, turn aside from that noble disposition by which they formerly were inclined to virtue, to shake off and break that bond of servitude wherein they are so tyrannously enslaved; for it is agreeable with the nature of ponies to long after things forbidden and to desire what is denied us." "Uh huh." Rainbow Dash responded in monotone, as she had the past three times I quoted something utterly brilliant to her. "So... What does that mean?" "It was the rules of the Thelemites. They could do whatever they want so long as they thought on that clause; the only reason somepony would wish to steal, for example, would be because they were bound by law not to do so. By giving these ponies free will they felt no urge to harm one another and lived in harmony. It's brilliant!" "Uh huh." she continued to sit back in her chair staring at the ceiling. "You promised you'd help me re-arrange the library." I reminded her. "Yeah, but I didn't know it would suck so much." I placed my copy of Malleus Malificarum, The Hammer of Evil Enchantresses in it's rightful spot; among the 'M's' - it somehow managed to find it's way in the 'Q's'. "I'm not forcing you to stay. You can go if you want to do something else." "No, I don't wanna leave ya hanging. It's just... This is so... Nevermind, you want me to organise these guys?" she pointed at a stack of books I had put aside for her an hour and a half ago accompanied by me saying to her I need you to organise these. Alphabetically. "That'd be great. Could you do it in alphabetical order?" "Yes, ma'am." and she set off with her task. Not five minutes passed before she broke the silence with, "This is boring." I sighed. "You can go. I'll be fine." "You sure?" she slowly put the pile down as if any sudden movement would cause me to pounce. "I'm certain. I have my own way of organising this place, anyways." "Alright then. Look, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. Swear." "Uh huh." ___________________________________________________________________________ I checked the clock once I finished clearing the library. Eleven-thirty PM. Woah. I guess I could've done with Rainbow's help after all. Spike got home a few hours ago but I was too busy working to talk and he was too tired from whatever he had been up to so he just went to bed almost instantly. Almost instantly. Of course, he had to raid the fridge for everything first. So when I went to get something to eat all we had was cheese. Cheese it is! I hardly dined like a Queen but it beats starving. After my fine feast of dairy I decided it was definitely time to hit the hay. I headed to the bedroom where Spike was fast asleep and checked the clock for a second time. Midnight. I wrapped myself in the blankets and tried to fall asleep. The thing is with sleep, however, is that when you want to sleep, you can't. But when you don't want to, it becomes as unavoidable as breathing. I lay awake for a long time before I decide to abandon my efforts. Maybe if I start doing something I'll just fall asleep in a matter of minutes. I walked back into the library to grab a book called Leaves of Grass by Trot Whitpone; a collection of poems. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a cookbook. I get halfway through Song of Myself when I briefly glance out the window. I do a double take upon seeing the figure of somepony standing - well, hovering - outside. "Rainbow?" I say, I was right about the reading to make myself tired thing; I can hear the fatigue in my voice. "Hey!" she says as if it were midday and we were just walking by one another. She was dressed all in black; black woolly hat, black long sleeve jumper, black paint on her face; two small horizontal stripes on either cheek. I open my window. "You know its..." I check the clock, "One o' clock in the morning, right?!" "I didn't know that. Just knew it was late. Well, early, I guess." I stare at her unsure of whether I should be confused or concerned. I was definitely feeling both but I wasn't sure which of the two I felt more. "C'mon! Times-a-wastin'!" "C'mon? I- What?" "You and me are gonna have some fun." she gave me a half smile. "You and I" I corrected. "Sure, whatever. Let's just go." "Rainbow Dash. You're confusing me a lot." "I can explain on the way." "On the way to where?" "...I'll explain on the way." === Chapter 2 === I followed Rainbow Dash through Ponyville. It was dark, obviously, but the skies glowed with street lamps. It was beautiful from a distance but when you get close you realise it's just the same old roads and buildings you see every day. Nothing spectacular. We'd been walking for nearly ten minutes and she hadn't said a word. She kept looking around as if there was some law against being out at one in the morning. There isn't, just to be clear. She was still in her black ninja wannabe costume. I felt under dressed until I realised how ridiculous she looked. "Uhm, Rainbow?" "Hold on a sec." she trotted over to a nearby tree. I followed. "What are you doing?" I laughed as she stuck her hoof in the trunk of said tree. "Yes!!" she pulled out a scarf wrapped in a ball. She spread it out on the ground revealing a pair of lime green contact lenses and spray paint. For her ninja costume, maybe? "I almost thought Pinkie held out on me." she turned to me shooting her half smile. "We just need one more thing..." she began stripping the bark off of the tree with her bare hoofs. Okay. Rainbow Dash is insane. Lost her mind. Gone nuts. Loco in the coco. "What are you doing?" I repeated. Only this time I didn't laugh. She ignored me. "Rainbow!" she turned around. "You said you'd explain what's going on yet here you are, stripping random-object-hiding trees!" "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! Okay, so you know how you're a total nerd and stuff?" "I... Wouldn't put it that way..." "Egghead, geek, dork, whatever. You're perfect for this prank I have planned!" she threw me the strips of wood she tore off the tree, "Put that in your saddlebag." I complied. "A prank? I'm not sure..." "Look, you only have to do one thing. We're gonna make Spike think he's a Timberwolf!" "...That's it?" "Well, no. There's more. Which is where you come in!" she ruffled my mane. "Okay... So, what do I have to do?" "Write." "Write?" "That's right!" she half smiled again, amused by her own joke. "I don't know... What do I have to write?" the word 'write' had been said so many times that it didn't even sound like a real word anymore. "A love letter to Spike from Rarity." "I can't do that!" "Sure ya can." "Not to Spike! You and I both know how much he likes Rarity. When he finds out it's fake he'll be crushed!" "Nah, I think Spike will see the funny side of it." "Rainbow..." "Twilight." she playfully bumped her hoof on my nose. I pushed her away. "I'm not going through with this!" "Have you ever done anything fun in your life just for the sake of it?" I looked down at the ground. "I'm asking you to do one thing for me. Spike isn't going to hate you. He might be mad but that'll last an hour or so. And if he get's really mad, I'll take the fall. Just for tonight, Twilight. For one night. Do something fun." I kept staring at the ground. Spike and I have been friends for so long. While it would be wrong to do something like this to such a loyal friend it is only a prank. Rainbow does have a point. Besides, Spike's a boy; he'll brush of any embarrassment in a matter of seconds and forget it ever happened. I looked back up at her. "Alright, Rainbow Dash. I'll do it." ~~~ Once we snuck back into the library I got straight to writing that love letter and Rainbow got to changing Spike into a timberwolf. I checked the clock. Four AM. Jeez... I'm supposed to be up at six tomorrow. I guess I can forget about sleep. I was too tired to write anything so I flicked through some poetry to inspire myself. After a full twenty minutes of skimming the pages I settled for just plagiarizing some other poet; Spike wouldn't notice. I found an interesting poem by Remedy Hoofington called I Held A Jewel In My Hooves. It seemed appropriate. I levitated a quill and began scratching away at a scroll. As I was finishing up the poem, Rainbow came back. "How's the love letter coming along?" she said. "It's a poem." "Nice. Lemme hear it." I cleared my throat. "I held a jewel in my hooves, and went to sleep, the day was warm, and winds were prosy, I said 'Twill keep', I woke and chid my honest hooves, the gem was gone, and now, an amethyst remembrance is all I own." I waited for a response. "Uh huh." she said. Why did I expect anything else? "Pass it here a sec." the scroll floated over to her accompanied by the quill and she began writing her own addition. In a matter of seconds she handed it back to me. "There ya go. Much better." the poem now read: I held a jewel in my hooves, And went to sleep, The day was warm, And winds were prosy, I said, 'Twill keep', I woke and chid my honest hooves, The gem was gone, And now, An amethyst remembrance is all I own. Spike, you're really hot and I wanna go on a date with you some time. Tomorrow at 3PM. Signed, Rarity. Ah, poetic grace. "Spike will never fall for this." I told her. "Sure, he will! He's fallen for dumber stuff. Like, this one time me and Pinkie-" "Pinkie and I." I corrected. "Ugh, okay Twilight Sparkle; Queen of Grammarland. Pinkie and I made Spike believe there was such thing as a zombie pony!" "Hmm. I recall the nightmares he used to have. So, that was your doing, was it Miss Dash?" she held back a laugh. "He had nightmares? Oh, man. That's funny!" "So, what are we doing with this?" I said, levitating the scroll confessing Rarity's fictional love for Spike. "I'll deliver it in a few hours when Spike's awake." she placed it in her saddlebag. "You just need to make sure he reads it." I nodded. "Can I see how he looks?" "No. Your reaction needs to be one-hundred percent genuine." "Oh. Uhm, alright..." I looked at the clock. Five thirty AM. Usually I wake up at six so going to bed was utterly pointless now.   "I better head out. I'll see you 'round, Twi!" I saw her to the front door. "Thanks for doing this." she said and half smiled before taking off. "The pleasure was all mine..." I deadpanned to no one in particular; she was already miles high in the sky. I was seriously ready to collapse on the floor and sleep for the rest of my life. I'd never been so tired since... well, ever. I've always had a strict sleeping pattern. Last night was a one off thing. No more all nighters from here on out. ~~~ Thirty minutes later, six o' clock, Spike came rushing in. Rainbow did an amazing job. It was beyond description how he looked. (But I'll try because y'know... Sake of the story and the sort.) His eyes were a bright green to the point where his pupils were not visible. His eyes were green. Pure green. No iris. No pupil. Nothing other than green. His scales had been replaced by the bark from the tree she had stripped earlier making it look like some form of armor; plates of it on his chest and arms and the backs of his legs. She also managed to stuff some fur in between the gaps. I don't remember her getting fur but she did mention having this planned. I mean, he still looked like a dragon but more timberwolf-y. I haven't slept, it's hard to explain things. "Twilight! You gotta help me!" he fell to his knees infront of me begging for assistance. "My goodness, what in Equestria happened to you?" Okay, I'll be the first to admit it; my acting is awful. "I- I don't know! I woke up and I was itchy and when I went to scratch myself I was all wooden and hairy!" seeing his state of panic made me want to tell him it's all a joke and clean him up. But I'll be damned if I stayed up all night to submit to guilt after one minute.   "Well, I'm sure there's something we can do, if we just--" "There is! You just gotta cast a spell! Zap me back to normal!" he made a good point. I could've easily turned him into a timberwolf via magic. It's a simple transformation spell and would've saved about oh, five hours! I sighed. "Uhm, I don't think it'll be that simple. You said you were itchy when you woke up?" "Yeah. All over!" "Hmmm. I've heard of this kind of curse..." "Curse?!" maybe my acting wasn't so bad. "Yes! It's the curse of, uh, Drag...Ber...Wolf." I hate myself sometimes. "Dragberwolf? The Dragberwolf curse?" "...Yes?" "Well, how do we get rid of it!" Ah, to be young and ignorant again. "I may have to refresh my knowledge on it..." I said, levitating a random book from the shelves. I skimmed the pages throwing in the occasional 'mhmm' and 'uh-huh' to make it look like I was doing something. Spike wouldn't take his eyes off me. Those nothing-but-green eyes... "Oh! Could you get the mail?" "Uh, sure..." he sifted through the letters until he came across the one I wrote last night. He froze. "Uh oh." "What's wrong?" he slammed the scroll on the table. "Tomorrow!" I blinked at him. "Rarity wants to go on a date with me. Tomorrow! She finally comes to her senses and realises I'm the most charming and handsome dragon in Equestria and I turn into a monster! Great! It had to be tomorrow! Of all days. Tomorrow!" "Uhh, I'm sure we can fix this before then... I just need to get a few things to reverse this curse. You wait here. I'll be back." I made a break for the door, slamming it behind me. I had to get out of there. Lying always makes me feel so claustrophobic. I wandered around Ponyville for half an hour catching my breath and getting some air. After another ten minutes I found who I was really looking for. There on a bench was a passed out Rainbow Dash. I shook her a little. "Unh." she rolled over, I shook her again. "Unh." I jabbed my horn into her ribs. "Woah!" she fell off the bench with a satisfying thud. "Good morning, Miss Dash." "Hey, Twi. How goes it?" "Not good." "How not good?" "Curse of the Dragberwolf not good." "Oh, man, that is weak! You could've had... Okay, I got nothing but Dragberwolf! Lame. Just saying." "Question." "Shoot." "Why couldn't I have just cast a transformation spell on him?!" she ruffled my mane and bumped my nose playfully like she had last night. Or earlier this morning. "Oh, Twi. That would ruin the excitement of sneaking around at night. And it would've ended up being all your work. Your prank. I wanted it to be our prank." I looked at her as if she were crazy. I didn't want to prank Spike at all. I wanted to sleep. "Besides, Pinkie and I made a 'no magic' pact when we started pranking ponies on a regular basis. Magic always takes out the fun of working for the laugh. Like, you spend all night stripping trees and disguising dragons as wolves trying not to wake him and then you get the final result and it's hilarious. You appreciate the laugh and they appreciate the work you put it for such a great prank. If you use magic to do all that in a few seconds then you're just being a dick." "I hadn't thought of it like that." she ruffled my mane again. "The more you know!" I turned to go back to the library. "Oh!" she handed me a pair of pants. "Make sure he goes to the lake and wears these." "The lake?" "It's like, that way." she pointed over to AJ's barn. "It's behind there." "Why the pants?" "You'll see." I hated it when she said things like that. It's not like this is a book and she'll spoil the ending for me. "Pinkie and I..." I said, "Well done." I smiled at her and headed back. I could hear her laughter fade out as I got further away. ~~~ When I got back to the library, Spike was still reading that poem. Obsessing over it. I was kind of excited to see how he'll react to it being fake. I threw the pants on the table infront of him. He looked up at me confused. "Put those on." he slowly dragged them off the table. "Is this to reverse the curse?" "I guess so." he pulled them up and fastened the belt that came with it. "Now we need to get out to the lake." I told him. "What?! I can't go out like this!" "Sure you can!" I held a mirror infront of him and cast a quick spell, "You're invisible!" he started to dissapear, I loved watching ponies go invisible, there's something so soothing about it. It's like stirring coffee. You watch all this stuff just vanish but it's still there and it's making the water it vanishes in so much better. That's what it reminds me of. They're becoming part of the air and making it richer. "Stay close to me." I said as we walked through the door. He grabbed my tail. I smiled as I thought of when he was a baby and would grab my tail all the time. When he was hungry, wanted to play, scared, anything. Any reason to grab my tail, he'd do it. It's also how I taught him to walk. Wow, we've been friends for a long time... We got to the lake and Rainbow was there waiting for us. She half smiled at me. "Where's Spike?" "Right here." he faded back into the world. "Awesome! How's it going, Spike?" "Not good." "Right. Well, go ahead, Spike. Walk in the lake. That should reverse this thing." "How do you know?" "Twilight was telling me about all this. Don't worry, I won't tell a soul." she winked at him and he grabbed my tail. I looked down at him. "What's wrong?" "Can... You come with me?" he tugged my tail slightly and I laughed. "Sure." we walked together as the water ate at Spike's disguise. The fur fell apart like tissue paper and the wood floated away. He checked himself over before jumping up and running back out cheering. I shook my head and walked over to him and Rainbow. "Thank you so much Twilight!" he hugged me tighter than he has ever done before. "Oh. Erm, that's okay, Spike." I looked at Rainbow. Where's the prank? He was a little freaked out. Was that it? I noticed his contact lenses were still in. Spike released me before cheering again. Rainbow whispered in my ear. "Now for the grand finale..." she walked up behind Spike and pulled his pants down. "What?! That's it?! I stayed up all night for that!? You've got to be kidding me! Where's the prank?! Was it the part where he freaked out a tiny bit? The part where you got to ruffle my mane a few times? What was that?!" Spike and Rainbow looked at eachother before laughing. I just watched them both. "The prank was the part where I made you stay up all night and expect this super awesome prank to play out before your eyes and in the end you get some anti-climatic pantsing." Rainbow explained before bursting into laughter again. "Did you see how mad she got?" Spike observed as he took out the contacts. "She was so into character this morning too! She was all 'Oh, my Spike! What ever has happened to you?'" "Yeah! Oh, Spike. Seriously, dude. Nice job." they both high fived and stood up. "I... don't get it." I said, Rainbow Dash put her leg around me and ruffled my mane for a third time today. "Twilight, walk with me." she took me down a dirt path and Spike said he'd see me back at home. "What did you think?" "I still don't get it. Were we pranking Spike? Did it just go wrong?" "Nope. You were getting pranked by me and Spike." "...Spike and me." "Dammit. Well, yeah. The prank was to get you stay up all night for no real reason." "That's dumb. It has no purpose." "Does a prank need a purpose?" "I guess not." "Wanna know why I like pranking so much?" "Sure." "The prank itself doesn't need to be good or even funny. I just love the planning. Coming up with all the steps and timings. It's fun. Pinkie's the one who likes the pranking but I prefer just sitting in a room with her and hashing it out. Think about it, whenever you go somewhere like, uh, The Grand Galloping Gala! When we were headed there it was super exciting and we couldn't sleep 'cuz of how darn excited we were." "And then we got there and it was awful." "Right! That's what pranking is like. You don't know if it's gonna go to hell or not so you might as well have all the fun you can in the planning process." I was starting to see what she meant. "I should've written this down so I wouldn't ramble..." she rubbed the back of her head. "No, it's okay. I get it. I think. But, why are you saying all this?" "Because I wanted you to be on the planning side of it." "But I was getting pranked..." "Yeah, but you didn't know that! I had Spike pretend everything was going to plan so you'd see how fun this can be! And it was fun, right?" "It was fun." I smiled at her. "So, why did I have to be on the planning side?" "Pinkie and I want you to join us in pranking ponies." "Why?" "Dude, I saw you yesterday. You need way more fun in your life. You can't clean libraries all day until you're older than Celestia. Dash's law. No arguing with it." "I don't know..." "You have to say yes." "What? Why?" She half smiled, "Dash's law." === Chapter 3 === And then we fucked. The fuckin' end. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Chronicles of the Cutie Markless author: StoryDragon tags: character:Other, character:Starlight Glimmer, genre:Dark, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Party Favor === ~Party Favor~ I was always so proud of my cutie mark. After all, it represented my great passion for partying and my incredibly skilled balloon crafting! I could make pretty much anything; animals, bridges, houses, you name it! I thought that my cutie mark represented the special talent which singled me out among my peers, and made me unique and different from every pony else... but I was sadly mistaken. Ever since I was a young foal, I always loved having fun. I grew up in a small family; just me, my mom, my dad, and my younger brother Bubblegum. Me and Bubblegum were pretty tight; I loved that little guy from the moment he was born. We were always playing together, laughing together, and best of all, having pretend parties with all of our toys. When we both became a little older, I threw my brother the best birthday party in the history of birthday parties. There were tons of games to be played, cakes and other snacks to be eaten, and a huge bouncy castle! I invited all of his friends, and we were all having a fantastic time… but the best was yet to come. In honor of my little brothers third birthday, I had been practicing making balloon animals for days on end, and I had gotten pretty good at it. I was going to put on a show to 'wow' all of the fillies and colts at the party, and make my little brother proud. So, after everyone had finished their cake, I gathered every ponies attention and took out my balloons. I started off pretty simple. A few unicorns and earth ponies, moving on to pegasi – it was pretty tricky getting their wings right at first. The youngsters all clapped and cheered, and I handed them out to the crowd one by one. When each and every one of the fillies and colts had their own balloon pony, I attempted something very special for Bubblegum. Taking my largest balloon (which was purple, to match his coat) I took a deep breathe, and blew into it before knotting the end. Then I took a deep blue - the same cool colour as Bubblegum's mane. I twisted them around one another and created my first ever balloon alicorn! It was amazing; three times as big as my previous creations, with a long flowing mane and tail. I handed it to Bubblegum, and he smiled the biggest most wonderful smile that I had ever seen. Then, out of nowhere, my rump started to glow... and it appeared. A cutie mark depicting a wonderful balloon animal surrounded by streamers! It wasn't an alicorn - more like a bob-tailed poodle - but it closely resembled the very first one I had ever made successfully. The crowd cheered louder than ever, and I was over the moon about finally discovering my special talent! Of course - despite this being the biggest thing to ever happen to me - I still refused to allow myself to steal any more of the limelight. It was Bubblegum's birthday, after all. ~ A few years went by, and me and Bubblegum eventually grew up and went our separate ways. He left to study ecology - he was always kind of an egg head like that. As for myself, I moved away, to a cool little town where my passion for partying was loved and appreciated by all. I started my own party business, stocking all kinds of decorations, food, and accessories required for all of your party throwing needs. I also rented myself out as an entertainer and became an expert at balloon crafting. It was a good life… nay, a great life. Until one day, when he showed up. I remember his face so vividly; that brown curly mane and tanned coat, those huge green eyes, and that cutie mark - which still makes little sense to me. At first he seemed like a pretty regular guy, albeit oddly dressed. We asked if he was just passing through our town, and he told us that he was on a serious mission. Well, 'serious' wasn't really a word that we came across very often, in our fulfilled, party having lives. A few of the townsfolk were a little confused by his seemingly solemn attitude, but I felt it my duty to get this fella to lighten up a bit, and show him the awesome ways of our town. All I wanted to do, was throw an amazing street party to celebrate his arrival. But to my great surprise, at the very mention of this idea, the pony removed his dark cowboy hat, and told me he 'had it covered'. I didn't understand what he meant by this at first, but I was about to find out. Turns out this shady colt was not so shady after all. He started prancing around, and singing at the top of his lungs about how he was a super-duper party pony. It wasn't long before the other ponies joined in (all but myself) and he started showing us what he could do. The guy had serious skills. I mean sure, I always kept a handy stock of balloons in my mane for all balloon-animal emergencies, but it was as though this pony could pull an entire party out of nowhere; giant cakes, pinatas, enormous bowls of punch, even roller coasters! The colt introduced himself as Cheese Sandwich, and threw the most amazing party that I had ever seen, like, ever. I watched along with the other ponies, feeling both impressed, and a little defeated. Then, it happened. Cheese Sandwich finished his song, and took not one, not two, but about twenty balloons of all shapes and colours. He took a deep breath and began twisting them to make a huge multi-coloured balloon alicorn in mere seconds. It was bigger and brighter than almost anything I had made. And he just crafted it in a flash and then went on to do other amazing stuff, without even breaking a sweat. My mind was blown as I gawked at the marvelous work of this outsider. How could this be? That guy could do everything I could do, only bigger, faster ...better. I had flashbacks of Bubblegum's party, of how my little brother beamed when I handed him the pitiful two coloured alicorn that I had created way back then. I looked sorrowfully at my cutie mark; what good was my special talent, if some other pony was better than me at it? Surely this Cheese Sandwich guy was more worthy of my cutie mark than I was. The more I watched him, the more my heart wrenched, and I felt a feeling that I had never felt before. It was worse than sadness, worse than anger, worse than jealousy; it was the feeling of being completely useless. No pony in town needed me anymore; not now they had him. Saddened, I abandoned my store, removed the balloons from my mane, and left the town which I had called home for many years. No pony followed me or tried to stop me, in fact I don't think they even noticed that I was gone. Then, I heard an elegant voice calling my name. "Party Favor? Party Favor, what's wrong?" A beautiful pink coated unicorn, with a curly purple and cyan blue mane, was looking at me with the most sympathetic eyes. "H…how do you know my name?" I asked, startled. "Why, every pony knows your name around here!" The unicorn replied, "You're the pony who's special talent is to throw incredible parties, and your balloon creations are simply the best." I sighed, "Thanks... but you're wrong. I'm not the best… at anything, and neither is my work." "Now why in Equestria would you say that?" She asked, "even your cutie mark is a balloon animal, you must be very proud of your special talent." "I don't have a special talent." I scowled; maybe she was trying to be nice, but her words were just getting me down. I tried to continue walking. "Are you unhappy because some pony else is better than you?" The unicorn called after me, before adding, "what about the other ponies? how do you think they felt when you were showing off your 'special talent'?" I paused. What did she mean? My parties always made other ponies happy, my balloon animals bought smiles to all of their faces, I never made any pony feel useless… did I? The mare trotted over and caught up with me, "The whole idea of 'special talents' is just a cruel trick played upon us ponies by our cutie marks. Being the best at something only causes hurt and jealousy, to all of those who aren't as good as you. I can see that you are finally starting to get a little taste of that yourself." Now that made me think. Was this true? The way I was feeling at that moment - is that the same way that I was making other ponies feel when I was showing off my skills? Were all the ponies that had attended my parties and seen my balloon shows really happy watching me being so much better than them at something? Or had I spent my whole life making others feel miserable and useless because they couldn't do what I did? The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. She continued, "Cutie marks are terrible things; they make you believe that others are beneath you, or that you are below others. They either give you a selfish sense of pride, or a longing sense of envy . Wouldn't it be much better if we didn't have them at all? If we were all equal? That way, no pony would ever have to feel the way that you do now." "No pony would ever feel this terrible," I began to agree, "No pony would ever be better or worse than any pony else, at anything…" "Nope." The mare smiled, "everypony would be equal and happy, together." I felt myself becoming a little emotional at the thought, "If only, that could happen..." To my surprise, the mare gave a large grin and replied, "I have already made it happen." "Wh…what do you mean?" I lifted my head in curiosity. She extended her hoof invitingly, "Come with me to my little town." She smiled, "every pony is welcome there, and every pony there is happy. We all live together peacefully, without our cutie marks." That is when I took a first glance at the mares flank. Instead of some colourful cutie mark representing a special talent, she had two grey lines - an equal's sign. "I have a magical staff, with the ability to remove cutie marks." She told me, "we replace them with this symbol, which represents how we are all equal, in every way." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. All of this pain, all of this hurt, it could all be taken away just like that? I was being welcomed into a town, where I wouldn't be able to hurt or offend any pony else, and no pony else would be able to hurt or offend me. None of this would matter anymore - I would be free. "That… sounds wonderful." I couldn't help but sniffle a little. The unicorn put her hoof around me tenderly, "Then Party Favor, I would be very happy to welcome you into our family, let me take you to the village. By the way, my name is Starlight Glimmer." === Sugar Belle === You know what's weird about gaining your cutie mark? Sometimes it can be so obvious to the ponies around you what your special talent is, but you never actually realise it yourself. It was kind of like that for me. Every pony was always telling me, "Sugar Belle, these cupcakes are delicious!" or "Sugar Belle, when are you going to make another cherry pie?" but I never once considered myself to be anything more than a simple mare who enjoyed baking tasty treats to enjoy with my family and friends. When my cutie mark arrived, I wasn't expecting it at all. Despite my love of baking, I never realised that I was good enough to consider it my special talent. I was just happily going about my day, icing a few cakes and rolling out some dough, and suddenly there it was; an image of delightful cupcake with a cherry on top; it was so cute, so whimsical, and so… perfect! Receiving my cutie mark made me more dedicated towards my baking than ever before. My Cutesinara was really special. I told every pony that I now realised it must my destiny to make delicious cakes for ponies throughout Equestria. From the North, South, East and West, they would travel far and wide just to get a taste of my delicious desserts! Therefore, I had created a bunch of new recipes, and at my Cutesinara I asked my friends to decide which ones were keepers. To my surprise, every one of my new creations received fantastic feedback! I started making my tasty treats and selling them at market stalls and other events, but usually I just spent the money on more ingredients. It wasn't much of a profit, but I didn't mind; all I wanted to do was make ponies happy, being told that my cakes were delicious was reward enough. However, I was now more certain than ever that baking was what I wanted to do in life, so when I grew old enough I took on a job at the local café, to learn how to turn my passion into a career. It was wonderful! My desserts were really popular, and the kind boss was always saying how they were a credit to the business. I happily baked away for hours on end, pleased to know that my talent was appreciated and helping the café to become more and more recognised by the day. Of course I always dreamed about having a place of my own, but that was a lot harder than it sounded. It wasn't just about having the most delicious food; there was stock taking, money handling, customer service... I had a lot to learn, and it was going to be tough, but it was also pretty exciting. Over time, the once quiet café gained more and more customers. That meant more money, and soon the business was able to expand. The kitchen was enlarged, more staff were hired, and ponies travelled from all over Equestria to try our famous desserts, just as I always dreamed they would. The place got busier and busier… and we had to work harder and harder to please every pony. My shifts slowly became longer, and more and more hectic… "I didn't order coffee cake! I ordered chocolate cake!" I heard an angry mare shouting from the diner one afternoon. "I'm so sorry mam!" The nervous waitress replied, "I'll have a chocolate cake made for you right away. Sugar Belle! Sugar Belle! We need another chocolate cake over here!" "Another?" I gasped, "but I already have four carrot cakes to make and…." "You'll have to put those on hold." She replied sternly, "the rest of her table all have their desserts." As quickly as I could, I took out one of the chocolate sponge bases I had prepared a little earlier. I cut it in half to fill it with cream and…. we were completely out of cream. "There's no more cream!" I panicked, trying to get the attention of a nearby chef. "Sugar Belle, I'm busy with my apple pies." She replied in a stressed tone, "You'll have to use something else." "Where is my dessert?" The customer bellowed impatiently, "Something else… but I… urmm… jam!" I darted over to the cupboard and filled the cake with raspberry jam. It's not how I would usually make a chocolate cake, but I couldn't keep all of the customers waiting. I handed it over the counter to the waitress, hoping for the best, and then I heard another angry voice. "Where are our carrot cakes? We've been waiting ten minutes!" I dashed off to finish the cakes that I had started earlier. It was our custom to draw a carrot with icing on top of each one. I did my best to keep a steady hoof, even with all of the flustered staff around me darting about, trying to get their orders out on time. That's when I smelt burning. For a moment nothing triggered, but when I finally realised where it was coming from, my hoof slipped and the icing carrot was no longer recognisable. "The oven!!" I gasped, and hurried to the back of the kitchen. As I feared, a dark smoke was coming from the door. I opened it to find a tray of singed, overflowing batter. I couldn't believe it; I had left the banana muffins in for too long. This was bad; an entire tray of desserts, ruined by my carelessness. "Where are our carrot cakes?" The customers shouted, "This is supposed to be cream, not jam!" The mare from before was cursing the waitress for my doing. "We have no more apples!" One of the other staff ran into the kitchen to tell us. "Wait… where is all that smoke coming fro..." Suddenly, every pony in the kitchen turned to face me. They saw everything; the burnt muffins, the smoking oven, and the tears which filled my eyes. I ran. As I galloped out of the crowded café, and through the streets, my emotions suddenly caught up with me. I wasn't happy working at that place any more, and I was definitely no longer a credit to the team. Maybe baking had been a fun hobby when I was young and naive - when other ponies thought it was cute how much I loved making cakes for them and having little stalls - but how could I be so terrible at something which was supposed to be my destiny? The events of that day had proven that I really wasn't a good baker after all. So… why did I have this cutie mark? Why did the image on my rump display such a delicious looking cupcake when I just made stupid singed muffins and carrot cakes with scribbles upon them? Everything was a mess; I didn't even know who I was anymore. That's when I met her. "Sugar Belle, where are you off to in such a hurry?" A pretty unicorn with a streaked mane approached me from behind. "Who… are you?" I sobbed, "how do you… know me?" "How do I know you? Why, your desserts are famous throughout Equestria! You turned that rusty old café into a successful landmark with your special talent!" The mare replied kindly. "T…thanks." I forced a smile, "but I'm starting to think that I no longer have a… special… talent." "Now why would you say that?" She tilted her head, "your cutie mark is a clear representation of what a fantastic baker you are!" "No." I answered, "I proved today that I'm not fit to have a cutie mark like this, and I'm certainly not a fantastic baker. I'm just a failure." "Now now," the unicorn tried to comfort me, "just because you cannot live up to your cutie mark, doesn't make you a failure." I looked up, what did she mean by that? Of course it did! "Who ever heard of a pony being terrible at their special talent?" I asked. "I've let the café down! I've let every pony down!" The mare hugged me, then replied, "Cutie marks give false hope to ponies, dictating their fate and deciding their place in the world. Once you have one, it's almost as though you're trapped. You think you must excel in whatever skill your cutie mark represents, and if you cannot do that, then you are worthless." "Yes." I looked up at her, "that is exactly… how I feel. I always enjoyed baking before I had a cutie mark, because I wanted to… not because I felt like I had to." She nodded in agreement, and then continued; "I believe that ponies would be much happier living their lives free of their cutie marks and special talents. If we were all the same, there would be no such thing as failure, or success, and you would never let any pony down, ever again." "Ponies… without talents…." I pondered. "I guess that wouldn't make much of a difference to me, since I don't really have one to lose. That kind of freedom would feel pretty liberating right now." "Then Miss Sugar Belle, I would like to personally invite you to come and stay in our town. The ponies there do not have to live up to the expectations of their cutie marks, as they have no cutie marks to live up to!" "Huh?!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "No cutie marks? How is that possible?" "I have a magical staff which can remove the cutie marks of ponies, and replace them with this symbol." The mare pointed to her flank, it had a really simple image upon it that was like no cutie mark that I had ever seen before; it was an equal's sign. "This symbol represents our way of life. Every pony in our town is equal, no pony is any better, or any worse, than any pony else. Likewise, they are not pressured to live up to any expectations. I know I speak for every pony there when I say that we would be very happy to have you join us." "So I would never be able to let any pony down again? I wouldn't have this constant pressure, I could just enjoy my life and relax? That sounds… wonderful." I replied. "Then welcome to our family!" The unicorn hugged me, "My name is Starlight Glimmer." === Double Diamond === I love the cold! I grew up in the snowy mountains; it was an exciting life. Me and the other ponies would go sledding, snowboarding and skiing every day, we used to hold competitions and race each other. We would even create trophies out of ice and award them to the winners. They lasted quite a while, so long as we always kept them outside. Me and my four best friends were still pretty young when we created the Snow Games; a series of fun activities rolled into one event. Whoever won the most trophies was considered the overall champion. Our first Snow Games was just a fun little project for us mountain ponies, but it soon became much more than that! Once we had finished each one of the fun challenges and races, we celebrated by putting our ice trophies together on a podium - which was admittedly nothing more than a large rock. Then, as we stepped back to admire them, the five of us amazingly gained our cutie marks at the exact same time! Each one somehow represented the event we had created together, at the frozen paradise we called home. My pal Glacier particularly enjoyed the snowball fight tournament, and was blessed with five snowballs upon her rump. Snowdrift acquired a cute snow-mare; she used to build small ones and place them in each of her ice trophies! Speaking of which, the oldest among us, Black Ice - who was the champion of our first snow games - actually had an ice trophy as his cutie mark, representing his great victory! Finally, my friend Sprinkle received a cute picture of a snow cone. She had spent the majority of the Snow Games making them for the spectators. As for me, I gained three beautiful snowflakes. I was pretty happy, because they were similar to the design I'd created for the flag on my sled. At that moment, we all knew that these cutie marks meant we were destined to host the Snow Games and compete in them every year. Over time, more and more ponies attended the annual event. Some even traveled from distant towns to watch or compete. We started including fun games for the fillies, and more difficult challenges for the experienced athletes. I got pretty used to winning, as our lifestyles gave us an edge over most of the other ponies, who weren't used to the cold, snowy, and often windy weather conditions. On the tenth anniversary of the Snow Games, we were all raring to go. I entered myself into pretty much everything, but it was the skiing I was particularly looking forward to. I hadn't lost a skiing race to date, and we had a bunch of new challengers that year. When it was time for the race, we took our places atop one of the steepest mountains; this particular event was for experienced skier's only. Black Ice had entered - as I knew he would. Like me, he never backed out of a challenge. The two of us considered one another friendly rivals, but he somehow always beat me, just by a few trophies. However, this year we were currently tied, and winning the race would finally put me in the lead! The referee blew the whistle, and with a huge push I set off down the mountain, passing most of the other ponies with great ease. The snow was particularly thick on this course, and it was tougher to steer, some of the other competitors were having a hard time. I maneuvered left and right, dodging tree's and rocks, and finally overtook Black Ice. It was then that I knew, the race was in the bag. As I imagined the trophy that I would receive for my 10 year winning streak in this event, I suddenly noticed a blue pegasus pony swerve across my line of vision on her ski's. I had never seen her before, but she was pretty skilled, making light tracks as she gracefully passed by. That's when I realised that I was no longer in the lead! So I pushed with all my might and caught up to the mare, but as one of us glided to the left, the other glided to the right, and we were pretty much neck on neck. The mare winked as she crossed in front of me once more, "Oh, you're on!" I gave a forceful push, and accelerated at great speed. I had never traveled so fast before. My ski's dug into the snow, creating a deep trail as I furiously pushed harder and harder, trying to regain my first place. I was the running champion; I couldn't lose to some outsider! I had to admit though, she was pretty fast, and by the time I had finally overtaken her, I actually felt myself starting to sweat. Nevertheless, I was the lead once again, but this time I didn't let my guard down. I ski'd like I had never ski'd before, from left to right down the mountain, heavily kicking up snow… and then once again, she passed me. "What the… how is she…." I couldn't believe my eyes. Then I noticed that the pegasus wasn't swiftly gliding any more. She looked as though she was in a state of panic, and was forcing herself forwards as though her life depended on it. "Look out!" She shouted in my direction. That's when I heard a rumbling noise, gradually getting louder and louder. It was coming from behind me… My careless competitive attitude had caused me to forget the most important rule of skiing: where the snow is thick, you must ski lightly and as streamline as possible. If you take too much snow with you, it can cause an avalanche! Turns out that is exactly what my reckless racing had done. A sheet of snow was heading straight for us. Black Ice was going as fast as he could, but to my utter horror he was soon caught up in it, and came tumbling down the mountain as the avalanche gathered more and more snow, growing in size as it approached me and the pegasus. It was no use; we couldn't escape it, and we soon suffered the same fate as Black Ice. What was worse, the snow continued down the mountain, heading towards the crowds below. Some of the ponies scrambled just in time, and some of the pegasi lifted unicorn's and earth ponies into the air out of danger; but many others were impounded. When finally I regained consciousness, I looked around to see my friends slowly coming around too. Most of them were holding their heads; they had been injured by the avalanche. "I think my wings broken!" The pegasus pony was trying to fly, but couldn't. "My head.... hurts!" Cried a stallion. "We need to call an ambulance!" A mare shouted. "No, a bunch of ambulances!" As I looked around at my fellow ponies writhing in pain, tears filled my eyes. I was careless, and put winning the race before the safety of my friends. I couldn't stand to look at the damage I had caused, and so I shakily got to my feet and quietly left the scene, to curse myself in private. When I was sure that I was out of sight, I took a backwards glance at the catastrophe, and then at my ski's, which had landed upright in the snow. I couldn't believe what I had done. There was no way I could ever go back there, or be a part of the Snow Games ever again. So, with tears now streaming from my eyes, I left. I didn't get far however, before bumping into a brightly coloured unicorn, with a rather odd cutie mark that looked like an equal's sign. "Double Diamond… what on earth happened here?" She tilted her head, "It… it was an avalanche!" I whimpered, "an avalanche that I caused… wait, how do you know my name?" "You… caused this?" She looked up at the humongous piles of snow which now lay around the base of the mountain. Then proceeded to answer my question, "Of course I know your name. You and your friends founded the Snow Games, and you hold them every year!" "I… I don't want to have anything to do with the Snow Games anymore." I said, "I got way too obsessed. I wanted to become the champion so badly, that I didn't consider the safety of any pony." "So, you're leaving the mountains?" She asked, I nodded. "If I stay here, my competitiveness might get the better of me again. And even if it didn't, it would be heart breaking to watch. I just want to get away from here, and forget that any of this ever happened." "But Double Diamond, isn't this your destiny? Why, even your cutie mark represents your passion for the Snow Games!" She seemed awfully curious, My cutie mark? I glanced sadly at my rump. "Yeah. I guess no matter where I go, this symbol will always be here, to remind me that today, I put my friends in danger." "That's going to make it pretty tough for you to move on…" The unicorn pondered, "cutie marks can be such burdens. Frequently reminding you of who are supposed to be, even if you no longer wish to be that pony. Why don't you just let me remove it for you?" "Huh? Remove my cutie mark?" I didn't understand. "Why of course!" The mare reassured me, "I've removed the cutie marks of many ponies. We have our own little community, where we have all started a new life, free from our past mistakes. I replace every cutie mark with a wonderful symbol, representing nothing but equality. There are no challenges in our town; no winners, and no losers." "No winners…" I was hesitant for a while, "my competitive nature would never get the better of me again. I would never put any pony at risk, and I wouldn't be burdened by this mark, reminding me of my past." The more I considered the unicorn's offer, the more it sounded like my best option. I had nowhere else to go, after all. "I'll do it." I replied, "I'll give up my cutie mark if it means getting a fresh start, and living a life where I cannot cause any harm to my fellow ponies." She smiled and hugged me, "Then Double Diamond, welcome to our family." === Night Glider === Being a Pegasus pony is awesome. Sure, unicorns get the magic, and earth ponies get all the nature skills, but I wouldn't trade my wings for the world. The feeling of the wind against my feathers as I soar through the sky is simply irreplaceable. I was at the top of the class at Flight School, closely followed by my best friend Dusk Diver. She was a little quiet compared to me, but equally as cool and ambitious. Whilst I was all about speed and efficiency, Dusk Diver was really into precision and aerodynamics. We balanced each other out amazingly, and were pretty inseparable. Every night after school, me and Dusk Diver would stay out late honing our skills. We supported and encouraged one another, certain that some day all of these private sessions would majorly pay off; perhaps in the future, we would even become Wonderbolts! I was one of the first in my class to get a cutie mark; it was a partially eclipsed moon, with two silver feathers surrounding it. I had a lot of fun showing it off at Flight School. The other fillies and colts thought my cutie mark was so cool. I still remember the way they all gathered around excitedly, as the majority of them still didn't have their own cutie marks yet. "What does it mean?" They asked excitedly, "It means that I'm destined for greatness." I bragged, "It represents my greatest passion in life, and the dedication I put into developing this passion. Dusk Diver and I practice flying every night after school until after dark. We might even become Wonderbolts some day!" Most of the class were pretty impressed, but then one kid had to ruin it; "B…but if you and Dusk Diver have been training together every night…" he asked, "then how come she still doesn't have her cutie mark yet?" Suddenly all ponies eyes turned to Dusk, who blushed and remained silent. I flew over and put a hoof around my friend, "Ponies get their cutie marks at different times." I explained, "Dusk will get hers soon, I'm sure of it!" Dusk Diver smiled gratefully at me, "Thank you." She whispered. Over the next few days I noticed the other young pegasi suddenly became really motivated. They started trying harder in classes, and even taking up optional activities to try and figure out their special talents. At first I was happy to be such a good influence on my fellow classmates, but when Dusk Diver started missing out on our night-flying sessions to work on various projects herself, I started to wonder if perhaps I had gained my cutie mark a little too soon. This didn't matter for long however, as one day Dusk turned up to class with a huge grin on her face, and a wonderful cutie mark. It was a beautiful swirling silver cloud with a white glowing outline. Dusk Diver couldn't stop beaming with delight as she explained it to me. She had recently discovered the art of cloud shaping and decided to give it a try, soon realizing she had a natural knack for the craft. Her cutie mark appeared after she had completed her latest mini-cloud sculpture, which was a challenging pattern using delicate alto-cumulus clouds. It wasn't long before the other ponies in our class all started to receive their cutie marks, by the time we had finished Flight School, we all had a clear idea of what we wanted to do with our lives. Dusk Diver had a very structured plan. She had decided to become a weather pony. "It's so cool how they collect the water, create and transfer the clouds, then break them down accordingly." She told me, "I'd love to be able to do that." "You'd make an incredible weather pony, they'd be lucky to have you." I smiled supportively, but secretly felt a little lonely; life would be pretty weird without my friend by my side every day. Dusk must have picked up on this; I've never been much good at hiding my feelings. "You should apply for the weather team too, Night Glider." She suggested, "we could work together!" "I'm not sure…" I replied, "I see myself as more of an athlete than a worker pony." "But you can learn so much!" Dusk tried to convince me with her enthusiasm, "We could really push our limits. And next summer, we can try out for the Wonderbolt Academy together!" At that moment, my mind was made up. The Wonderbolt Academy was a cool training camp for ponies who wanted to someday join the greatest flyers in Equestria. I wished I could have gone straight from Flying School Graduate to Wonderbolt, but only the best of the best get accepted into the Academy; I could definitely use more practice. So me and Dusk Diver tried out for the weather team, and of course we both got in. I enjoyed the job far more than I expected to, and became a natural in no time, getting my tasks completed at the speed of light and helping the other ponies with their own duties. Dusk Diver was exceptional at breaking down the big bulky clouds, and creating delicate stratus clouds in the evening, she had a tender touch and her work really stood out. The months went by, and then one day I was called into the office by the boss, and just like that... I got promoted to Supervisor. It was awesome; the other weather ponies really respected me. Every morning I would fly over to each team, announce the weather schedule and assign the ponies to their duties. I would salute them and wish them luck, being sure to check in and lend a hoof from time to time. I was pretty busy, and often stayed up late fixing the skies. A few month's passed by, and then one night after work, Dusk Diver tapped me on the shoulder timidly and handed me a piece of paper. It was an application for the Wonderbolt Academy, which started in three month's time. I hugged my friend and thanked her; due to all of my new responsibilities on the weather team, I had completely forgotten about applying for the Academy. The two of us immediately filled out the forms, and posted them the following morning. Three months later, I was pacing up and down outside my cloud home, when the mail pegasus arrived. He handed me a large letter, and I instantly recognised the iconic seal. My heart pounding, I teared the letter open and my heart filled with joy; I had been accepted! Excitedly, I flew over to Dusk Diver's place. We lived close by, so the mail pegasus had probably already delivered her own acceptance letter. However, when I arrived, Dusk was scrunching up a piece of paper, and crying her eyes out. I didn't have to ask what was wrong. "Dusk." I held out my hoof to try and comfort her, but she turned away. "I'm clearely not good enough to be a Wonderbolt." She sobbed. For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I glanced around silently and noticed all of the clouds surrounding Dusk Diver's home were sculpted or arranged beautifully; she was an incredibly talented pony. Then, I said it. "Maybe... you're not supposed to be a Wonderbolt." My friend turned back to me, "How could you say that?" She broke down, "you've always been so much better than me at everything. You were top of the class at school, you were the first to get your cutie mark, you're a supervisor weather pony, and now you're going to become a Wonderbolt. It's not fair!" "But… Dusk… you can do all kinds of things that I can't do…" I started to explain, but she wouldn't listen. "I don't need your pity, Night Glider." She wept, "Pity? What do you mean? I'm your friend!" I tried to put a hoof around her, but Dusk Diver just pushed me off. "Well, maybe I don't want your friendship either." She threw the letter into the wind, and flew away. Those words hurt. Me and Dusk Diver had been friends almost all of our lives; just how long has she been feeling this way? The more I thought about it, the more I realised how I would feel if it was the other way around. Dusk Diver was the one who always paid attention during lectures, she was the one who always wanted to become a weather pony, she was the one who knew when to apply for the Wonderbolt Academy. Yet I had breezed through life, without even trying. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel like flying, or like being around my fellow pegasi. I glided down to the ground, to be alone. "Night Glider... what are you doing down here?" An unfamiliar voice addressed me, I turned to see a pinkish unicorn following behind. "Who are you?" I asked her, "and how do you know who I am?" "Of course I know who you are!" She chuckled, "you're the supervisor of the weather ponies. I see you racing through the skies all the time, you do an amazing job." "T...thanks." I mumbled, "but I never wanted to be a weather pony, it was a stupid mistake." "Oh?" She looked surprised, "Then... why did you?" I thought about it for a moment, and when I realised the answer, I broke down and started to cry, spilling my heart to this complete stranger. I guess I just needed to get things off my chest... after all, there was no harm in telling this unicorn my problems, right? "I wanted to be close to my friend." I explained through tears, "but I got sidetracked. I was always one step ahead and never gave her time to catch up. She was far more important to me than flying ever was, I was just too dense to see that before, and now it's too late." "You can't help it if you're naturally better than some pony else." The unicorn told me, "it's in your nature. I see ponies like you every day; ponies who lose their friends because their differences drive them apart. Their destinies take them in opposite directions. Woudn't it be much better if every pony was matched, in skill and talent? If our destiny was simply to live together peacefully. No pony outshining any pony else, no pony crushing any other ponies dreams?" I nodded, "yeah." "I can make it happen." She winked, "I have a special rod which can remove a ponies cutie mark, replacing it with a symbol that represents equality, and unity." "What?" I gasped, "that's... incredible. Do you think that Dusk Diver would like me again if I was the same as her?" The unicorn shook her head, "You will never be the same as her," She answered, "Dusk Diver still has her special talent, she will never be your friend again, but if you come with me, I can promise you a life of peace and happiness. You will be surrounded by friends who will never be envious of you, because you will all be one big family. Friendship is far more important than special talents, after all." I dried my eyes and considered the option, "I've already lost my best friend," I concluded, "if I stay the way I am, I may never be able to hold onto another friend for as long as I live. I'd rather lose my skills, than be alone for the rest of my life." "I promise you, you will not regret your choice." The unicorn patted me on the back, "my name is Starlight Glimmer. Please, let me take you to our town, where you will make many, many new friends." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Quiet Empty Nights II author: scribe-feather tags: character:Fluttershy, character:Princess Cadance, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Quiet Empty Nights II === Quiet Empty Nights II By Scribe Feather Amidst the frozen tundras and snow slopes rested the Crystal Kingdom, a shining gem in the middle of the cold wasteland. In stark contrast of the icy wastes surrounding its borders, the Crystal Kingdom was lush with green grass as fertile farmlands stretched around it's city limits. Such an incredible difference of natural biomes never ceased to amaze the yellow pegasus Fluttershy whenever she came to visit. Every visit to the kingdom was such a stimulating experience for the meek pony. She always enjoyed visiting provided she could witness all the new sights and sounds from a safe distance. The cautious pony never was a fan of surprise new experiences. For today's trip Fluttershy watched the world roll by from the comfort of a royal carriage. Along for the ride sat Princess Cadance who sat in similar comfort across from the quiet pegasus. The carriage wheels clattered against the stony road, but it's crystal pony engineering ensured a smooth ride for its passenger. The two passengers remained undisturbed by the rough road. Fluttershy spent the ride, hugging one of the corners inside the carriage, peeking out through one of the small windows that were built into the side walls of the carriage. As the sights slowly transitioned from the wildlife infested outskirts into the pony filled city streets, Fluttershy's mind grew troubled. After spending the majority of the ride in prefered silence, she finally spoke up, shyly looking at the ponies outside that didn't seem to even notice the carriage. "A-and you're sure you don't wanna do our...stuff at my place?" "We've been having so many of our special nights at your place," Cadance answered, "it's only polite that I host this time around." Even with their journey almost over, Fluttershy couldn't shake the feelings of doubt and uncertainty. Could she have been doing something wrong? Perhaps she missed a subtle cue from Cadance and messed things up. "I-I just ask because of how far we gotta travel...a-and I don't want you to go through so much trouble-" "You'll enjoy yourself, Fluttershy. I promise." Part of Fluttershy knew that Cadance was right, she was just letting her nerves get to her. It was easy to ignore such uncertainty during most of the trip, but as their destination got ever so closer, the reality of it all started to set in. After a little while the carriage slowed down to halt, stopping near the main entrance to the large castle that stood in the center of town. A long, red carpet stretched from the door to the road, giving the riders a royal welcome. One of the carriage pullers was quick to rush to the side of the carriage, opening up the door and allowing the two passengers to exit. Fluttershy meekly followed Cadance out, carefully watching her stride so she wouldn't walk too quickly or end up running into her. Crystal pony guards on either side bowed their heads to greet their princess. Princess Cadance did well to bow gracefully back. Fluttershy lowered her head nervously in some awkward motion that almost resembled a bow. No pony seemed to notice Fluttershy's fumbling mistake as the two exited the carriage. Nervously Fluttershy kept close to Cadance's side as they trotted down the red carpet. The carpet flowed down the middle of the walkway, leading to the castle's large purple doors. "I'm sure your stay here will be comfortable," Cadance started to say as they continued on their way. "I have a small bedroom set up for you and everything." "A-any place will be fine," Fluttershy meekly answered, avoiding any eye contact with the passing guards, "I don't want a fuss." Cadance simply smiled at the shy pony. "I'm sure you'll like it." Once in the castle Cadance led Fluttershy down a series of long hallways. The area was dotted with armor clad guards who bowed their heads whenever Cadance passed by. Every hallway was decorated with lavish tapestries of lavenders and pinks and long, expensive looking carpets leading down their center. The two ponies' hoofsteps echoed off the tall, crystal walls as they passed through. "Here we are!" Cadance chirped as they stopped at an ordinary looking door. She led the pegasus in, closing the door behind them. Fluttershy followed closely behind, hastily slipping through the doorway once given the opportunity. A simple light switch on the wall was flicked on, revealing the room in front of her. Her eyes grew wide as she set her sights upon the room before her. The room was, to say the very least, well equipped and generously decorated. To the oblivious, it appeared to be a nursery for a foal with all its furnishings enlarged to accommodate larger ponies. A large, plush rug dominated its center, providing a soft and warm play area. Farthest from the main door rested a crib and rocking chair, both lovingly decorated with soft, light blue sheets and a fresh white layer of paint. A bookshelf hugged the wall to the right of the rocking chair, chocked full of bedtime stories and picture books. Beside the rightmost wall sat a large changing table with a pink padded top. The table's shelves were well stocked with a number of thick diapers and soft diaper covers in a variety of fabrics and styles. Resting alongside one of the left corners of the room waited a small kitchen area with counters, a small fridge, and a table that could seat four. Beside the table sat a bright pink highchair that looked roomy enough to seat a full grown pony. The room's walls were painted a soft, pale pink with little white silhouettes of flowers and trees painted across their planes. The entire room was given a gentle glow of daylight as sunshine leaked through the large, tall window with a view of the Crystal Kingdom and the boarding rolling hills. "Do you like it?" Cadance asked. "It's...It's," Fluttershy was rather lost for words. She never expected to see such accommodations and Cadance was so thorough. "Big," was all the stunned pony was able to say. Cadance smiled, "I knew you'd appreciate it. I had some of our best carpenters make this room especially for our little playdates." The mention of the carpenters made Fluttershy's body tense up. She now worried about those ponies knowing her secret and telling everypony about it. "Relax, I didn't tell them what it was for," Cadance chimed in assuringly, "I just told them that I needed the room for a pet project and left it at that." Usually that would be enough to settle Fluttershy's nerves, but with a secret so well kept like this one, the mere mention of the carpenters made her worry. What if those ponies came back and started asking more questions? What if they put two and two together and figured out that it was all for her? What if they burst into the room suddenly while she was being put into a diaper? "Now then...who's hungry?" Cadance asked out of the blue. The question broke through Fluttershy's storm of worry making a shy smile grow on her face. "I-I could eat..." she responded with a typical response, fidgeting with a hoof a tiny bit. "I thought so," Cadance chuckled, "do you want to sit at the table or in your highchair." Fluttershy felt her heart quiver hearing the words 'YOUR highchair'. For some reason it made the furniture more meaningful. The answer was obvious and she gave it before weighing the pros and cons in the slightest. "H-highchair please..." she quietly said back. Cadance nodded, "then we best get you in a fresh diaper." "Wh-what?" "It's a brand new high chair, Fluttershy. I can't risk any accidents." Fluttershy blushed at Cadance's logic. It made a lot of sense, but a Fluttershy with a sharper mind would notice right away that this was just an excuse to get her diapered sooner than later. That was always an awkward threshold for her to overcome when it came to her and Cadance's get togethers. With flushed cheeks, Fluttershy scurried off to the changing table. She knew the routine all too well by now. Cadance followed close behind, wearing an understanding and supportive smile to hurry her along. For a moment, Fluttershy nervously stood beside the inviting changing table. She just didn't feel comfortable hopping up without the approval of Cadance. She was so worried she'd mess up somehow or offend the princess in some way. The nervous pegasus always needed a helping hand to be pointed down the right path. "Well hop on up, sweetie," Cadance answered, "or would you like me to get you a stepping stool?" Again, Fluttershy meekly responded with a blush followed by an ever so faint squeak. With only minor assistance from Cadance, she pulled herself up onto the large changing table. The plastic padding on it's top compressed under her weight, cradling her back with it's curved edges. With her charge safely in place, Cadance proceeded with the diaper change. Her skills had become well attuned over the course of the many outings with Fluttershy. The task was now all down to a routine for her. Cadance's horn glowed a light blue as the needed supplies were levitated out of the lower shelves. A container of baby powder and thick diaper were the main items that made Fluttershy shrink in embarrassment. Despite the obvious signs of embarrassment, she also felt a strong flutter in her heart swell up. Fluttershy's ankles glowed before being hiked up into the air. The sensation made her take in a deep breath of air as it sent good feelings of littleness coursing through her spine. The fresh, crinkly diaper was gently slipped underneath her butt, lifting her lower half up on it's pillowy cushion. Once her legs were lowered once again, the blushing pegasus could feel the full brunt of the soft diaper. A pleasant sprinkling of baby powder was all that was needed to make Fluttershy's crotch smell flowery and foalish. Already she could feel herself growing littler in the presence of her nurturing caretaker. She could feel her body start to relax in her own sort of nervous way. The pink diaper was then simply pulled up between Fluttershy's legs and taped on snuggly around her waist. Cadance took the extra step of carefully checking the leg gatherers for a comfortable fit. Finally, to punctuate the diaper change, Cadance pulled out a cloth diaper cover to go over the new padding. The diaper cover was one of many similar articles found on the shelves of the table. Each cover had the same velcro tapes running along the front, but varied slightly in color or fabric choice. The thin cuts of fabric provided no added absorbency and instead was used to accessorize with the plain design of the diaper. Such an accessory wasn't entirely new to Fluttershy, but this would be the first time she actually wore one herself. Even though it was just a flimsy piece of material, she felt more littleness swell inside of her as the bright pinks, purples, and yellows of the flower print added onto her feeling of cuteness. Fluttershy was lifted off the table once she was securely diapered up. With little resistance from her, Cadance floated her over to the high chair, carefully placing her down on the plastic seat. Fluttershy felt a delightful sense of helplessness, not having to lift a hoof as Cadance shuttled her from one station to the other. The high chair's metal tray clicked into place, locking Fluttershy in. Her forehooves remained pinned down by the tray, making them useless. Cadance magically levitated some containers of baby food out of the nearby cabinet. The glass jars all donned similar sticker labels, clearly illustrating the food's brand and the flavor contained inside. Everything from brussel sprouts to peaches could be seen lined up in the cabinet shelves. The jars were tenderly placed on the high chair's tray in a neat line, followed by a large, plastic baby spoon. Before the meal could begin officially Cadance loosely tied a lavender colored bib around Fluttershy's neck. The bib only added to Fluttershy's growing sense of littleness. Cadance pulled up a chair close to Fluttershy's seat while simultaneously opening one of the baby food jars with an audible pop. Spoonful by spoonful, she slowly fed Fluttershy her meal. Designed to cooperate with foals' sensitive bellies, the dull flavored mush didn't have many complicated flavors that dazzled the senses. It went down easy, settling well in Fluttershy's belly. Cadance kept up the pace, steadily shoveling spoonful after spoonful into Fluttershy's waiting mouth. Fluttershy was able to keep up with Cadance's rushed pace, only occasionally missing a bit of food. Any missed food would sloppily smear across her bib, keeping her chest free of sticky messes. The meal plan seamlessly transitioned from one bland flavor to the next. It didn't seem to matter what the flavor was, each colored mush had the same slushy texture as the last. Fluttershy willfully accepted every spoonful, letting a small smile grow on her face as feelings of littleness swelled inside of her as the feeding continued. Before she knew it, Fluttershy had worked through three jars of the mushy foal food. She had just about topped off and Cadance seemed to have picked up on it. Once Fluttershy had swallowed the last bite of food, Cadance's horn started to shine again. "There we go," Cadance said with a warm smile as she used the bib to wipe off Fluttershy's muzzle. "All gone!" Fluttershy meekly blushed as Cadance so delicately cleaned her face. The bib was then untied, quickly tossed into a pile for laundry. She had hoped that Cadance would free her, but that dream was quickly botched when she saw Cadance walking away from the chair. With a glow of her horn, Cadance opened the nearby fridge. The white appliance gave forth a rush of cool air as she retrieved a large baby bottle of milk from the top shelf. The bottle was shuffled over to Fluttershy's highchair where it was placed in front of the now empty baby food containers. "A nice bottle of milk to wash the num nums down," Cadance said with a caring smile. A growing twinge in her bladder made Fluttershy think otherwise. "A-actually, I was hoping I could get up and-" "Ah ah, bottle time, sweetie. No talking." Fluttershy leaned back defeated, her eyes locking on the large bottle of cool milk that waited for her on the metal tray. Without any other option, she picked up the bottle in both hooves and began suckling from it's rubber nipple. The task started simple enough with her drinking down the cold milk gulp by gulp. However, the more liquid she consumed, the stronger the pains her her bladder became. Fluttershy tightly squeezed her eyes closed as the pressure became worse. Every gulp of milk was accompanied by a tight squeeze of her thighs. The diaper pushed back a bit as she futilely tried to hamper the growing urge. Her suckling now became quicker, stronger, and more desperate as her bladder filled up closer to it's breaking point. She tried to drink down the milk as quickly as possible which was made difficult with the small opening in the rubber nipple. She had just barely made it three quarters of the way through the milk when her body couldn't take it anymore. No matter how much she squeezed and silently begged, her bladder gave in. A rush of warmth sprayed into the waiting diaper, loudly splashing against the padding as it came out full force. Without chance of resisting, Fluttershy was left to wait it out, feeling a wave of relief surge through her body as if rewarding her for wetting herself. The stream of urine continued to spray out of her with strength, quickly soddening the thirsty diaper. The diaper swelled underneath the diaper cover that did very little at stopping its growth. Fluttershy remained frozen in her seat as she took the moment to soak in the torrent of emotions that swarmed over her. Her legs pathetically kicked as she lost the battle. Feelings of defeat coupled with innocence as negative emotions struggled to coexist with positive ones. She was left with a blank expression on her face as the pink diaper around her waist slowly grew in thickness as it absorbed the urine. A sigh of both relief and embarrassment slipped through Fluttershy's muzzle once she was finished. Now the little bit of milk appeared to be nothing of a challenge. The rest of the liquid was finished in a matter of minutes with no trouble at all. "A thirsty little filly," Cadance came in and chirped. "I didn't think you'd finish the whole thing." Her horn glowed blue once more, magically lifting the high chair's tray off it's tracks. Fluttershy was free once more. "But I'm glad I put you in a diaper first." Cadance's comment made Fluttershy glance down at her waist. Her covered diaper had now grown to at least three times it's size from the ample wetting. The cover strained against the change of thickness as sections of the diaper peeked out the sides. Embarrassed, Fluttershy scrambled to say something in response. "It...It was a big bottle..." She sat there meekly, her well used and swollen diaper had become quite the spectacle. In her worried state, she felt like that was the most visible part of her. "But of course I didn't bring you here just to eat some mushy food in a highchair," Cadance chuckled as she gently lifted Fluttershy out of the chair with her magic. "I have all these toys here that have just been dying to be played with." Fluttershy let out a gasp as her body tensed up once more. Floating through the air made her feel like her diaper was even more of a spectacle. She was gently ferried over to the large carpet in the center of the room. With a careful hoof, Cadance lowered her onto the plush carpet, only lightly squishing the diaper as it pressed under her weight. "I wanted to give you a moment to enjoy a little play time. You always put up such a fuss when I forget to bring over toys." Cadance chuckled as she began to trot away. Fluttershy wanted to take that moment and point out that calling it a 'fuss' was a little unnecessary. However by the time she managed to form the sentences in her head, Cadance was already gone. It wasn't that she put up a fuss, it was just her asking for toys and being all shy about it when Cadance said she didn't bring any. After the numerous times this had happened over the course of their various get togethers, Cadance must have grouped them all into Fluttershy just being fussy. Regardless of how Cadance saw her charge, Fluttershy was left alone to play. A large, plastic toy chest sat beside the pony, beckoning her curiosity with it's bright color palette. Opening up it's big, blue lid revealed a whole treasure trove of toys, each one giving Fluttershy a sense of innocence and childlike awe. With so many colorful and eye catching toys, she quickly forgot about the sagging diaper that hugged at her waist. With a newfound childlike wonder, Fluttershy began pulling out piles of toys that seemed fun to play with. Stacks of building blocks and soft plush toys were quickly extracted from the chest and placed in a loose ring around the diapered pony. Brand new toys that hadn't seen a minute of playtime like colorful plastic rings and wooden trains were brought into the light for the first time. In the company of all the bright and vibrant toys, it was hard for Fluttershy to pay mind to the yellow diaper that so heavily tugged at her waist. She effortlessly crawled from toy pile to toy pile, getting lost in her playtime as a feeling of innocence swelled inside of her. It felt invigorating to play with the toys. The activity brought a smile to the pegasus's face as new levels of littleness and childlike joy swirled inside her chest. The world around her fell away as the colorful toys grabbed so much of her interest. She farried the toy train set around the carpet, navigating through the twists and turns around the piles of blocks and plushies. She pursued the task of building the tallest block tower the world had ever seen, only to end up with a number of smaller ones about five blocks high. She even entertained the idea of having the plushies as her playmates, each one eagerly joining her in the imaginative scenes she conjured up. Merrily playing along, Fluttershy had just barely noticed Cadance come in close after about an hour of fun filled enjoyment. A light pat on her diapered behind broke her out of her playtime trance. Cadance lowered her head close to Fluttershy's speaking with a soft voice. "Sweetie, you wanna stop playing and go get that diapee changed?" Fluttershy blinked, looking down at her waist to eye the swollen diaper. The reminder made Fluttershy remember that she was still wearing the thing. So lost in her playing mindset, it was only now that she realized how silly she must have looked toddling around in such a filled diaper. "I-I...Y-yes please," she meekly said with red cheeks. Ever so carefully, she pulled herself up back to her feet. The diaper squished with every move she made, drooping lazily behind her. Much like before, Fluttershy scurried back to the changing table, taking no time to wait for Cadance's approval this time. She carefully laid herself on top of the padded table, paying extra attention towards her diaper to avoid squishing it around more then it was necessary. Cadance wasted no time to begin, magically floating the needed supplies much like before. A tub of scented wipes joined the usual list of a fresh diaper and baby powder, ready to clean up. The velcro tapes of the diaper cover was swiftly removed, exposing the fully yellow diaper underneath. The diaper tapes strained against the bulging padding as they were effortlessly popped off. Free from the sticky tabs, the swollen, yellow diaper was free to be opened and pulled out from underneath Fluttershy's urine scented rump. Before the strong odor of pee could get to Fluttershy, scented wipes swooped in to clean up the area. The very faint smell of urine was quickly dominated by the strong, fluffy nursery scents of the moist wipes. The clean up was so thorough, the worrisome part of Fluttershy's mind had hardly any time to fuss about the fact that she spent the whole playtime sitting in her own urine. Cadance handled the task quickly with experienced hooves. The old diaper was rolled up into a tight ball and tossed into the waiting diaper pail before quickly being replaced with a new one. Fluttershy simply laid there, staring up at the soft white ceiling that hung high above her. She felt at peace on top of the table, having the urine soaked diaper tended to by somepony else. A small smile grew on her face as a little sigh could be felt escaping from her muzzle. The simple act of having her diaper changed brought forth feelings of content and peace, allowing her tense shoulders to relax. To punctuate the soothing feelings that flowed over her, the yellow pegasus let out a yawn. "I'm thinking it might be time for some little filly to take her nap," Cadance said in response, powdering the area and pulling the fresh diaper up between Fluttershy's thighs. Fluttershy couldn't help but agree with her. The excitement of playing baby coupled with the nervous stress of playing baby had tired her out quicker than she thought. "Well it's a lot to take in. My little filly's had a big day," Cadance smiled as she secured the new diaper around Fluttershy's waist. Fluttershy was about to get up from the table, only to be immediately stopped by the pink alicorn. "Hold on, sweetie. I have something for you," Cadance lightly held Fluttershy down with a hoof before breaking away from the table and dashing over to the closet. Quite quickly, Princess Cadance retrieved a pair of pink pajamas, hanging on a white plastic hanger. The footed pajamas was specially cut to fit Fluttershy's figure snuggly with little white bird silhouettes dotting it's face. A line of yellow plastic snaps ran from the collar to the crotch, allowing for quick diaper changes. An involuntary gasp escaped Fluttershy's mouth as a big smile of surprise and awe grew on her face. Cadance smiled in response, "I couldn't let my little filly get cold during her naps, now could I?" The big, excited smile laid frozen on Fluttershy's face as Cadance ever so carefully threaded her limbs through the sleeper. Fluttershy was petrified with glee as her body tingled with littleness The pajamas were made of a silky soft material that made every nerve in Fluttershy's body smile. She resisted the urge to squirm like a happy foal. Each plastic snap was slowly closed, further sealing Fluttershy into her new pair of pajamas. She was stuck in a state of wonderful disbelief, unable to properly fathom the strong pleasurable feelings that tingled her skin. All she could do was smile. "There's my cute little diaper butt," Cadance's voice broke through Fluttershy's happy daze as she felt herself being lifted into the air once again. The fluffy pajamas enveloped Fluttershy's body, making every movement soft and warm. Even the smallest of gestures sent tingling sensations of cuteness coursing through her body. She was so involved in her new clothing that she failed to notice Cadance carrying her around to another part of the nursery. With careful and steady concentration, Cadance carefully ferried her diapered charge over to the large crib that hugged the far wall. It's white gate was gently lowered and Fluttershy was deposited into it's soft interior. It was only now that Fluttershy became aware of her surroundings, lulled out of her happy bliss by the harmony of crinkles that came from the crib's plastic sheet. The soft, light blue bed sheets that layered on top of the plastic was chillful for a second or two, but quickly warmed under Fluttershy's body heat. The diapered pony rested her head on the fluffy pillow, staring upwards with a happy smile. She paused to just stare at the ceiling from her new bed. The wooden bars of the other three walls stretched up around her, ensuring her safety and security. The soft white ceiling seemed to stretch high above her, making her feel little in her comfy pajamas. Suddenly a bottle of warm milk floated into her peripheral. Cadance slowly lowered the bottle of liquid down to the lounging pegasus. Fluttershy was happy to accept the bottle's rubber nipple, latching onto it the moment it came within range. An ever so faint glow of Cadance's magic kept the bottle upright as Fluttershy suckled down the milk inside. Her insides slowly warmed to match the fuzzy heat from the footed pajamas. Her own hooves only weakly held the bottle in place as Cadance did most of the work. Fluttershy peacefully started to close her eyes, focusing only on the rhythmic suckling and the sweet milk that drained into her mouth. It was unclear how long she laid like that. Time seemed to fall away as she fixated on only the bottle. The gentle tempo of drinking down the milk calmed Fluttershy further, making her body feel like it was sinking deep into the padded mattress. Every now and then she would pause to take in a deep breath of air, allowing the air to slip back out slowly before drinking more milk. Before she knew it, Fluttershy was sucking up air, making the bottle loudly gurgle with the little bit of remaining liquid. Only a few more gulps were needed to finish off the large bottle. The empty bottle gently floated away from the satisfied Fluttershy. "Is there anything else I can get you before bed?" Cadance asked softly. Fluttershy's eyes trailed over to the bookshelf from before. The colorful spines of various story books practically beckoned the diapered pony, bring a flutter of longing to Fluttershy's heart. Suddenly a book started to glow a faint light blue before being pulled out from between its friends. The book floated up into the air, drifted down to Fluttershy's crib. "I knew I was forgetting something," Cadance said with a warm smile, "every little girl needs a bedtime story." Once again Fluttershy's body began to glow before she was lifted out of the crib. The soft blanket that cloaked her body came along with her as she drifted over to the nearby rocking chair. Cadance made herself comfortable in the chair, readying her lap for the diapered pony. Ever so gently Fluttershy was deposited into Cadance's lap, sensually held there by a vigilant hoof. "Nice and cozy?" Cadance asked. Fluttershy could hardly stand the happy feelings that swirled in her belly. "Mhmm," she cutely replied, curling deeper into Cadance's lap. "Good," Cadance smiled, levitating the book up into the air in front of the two. The book's cover was dark blue, depicting a little illustration of a llama all tucked into bed. "Now then "Llama Llama Red Pajama"." Cadance opened to the first page and Fluttershy snuggled in for a good story. Cadance spoke with such a soothing voice, reading the words clearly and at a steady pace. She even went as far as to using funny voices whenever a character spoke. Fluttershy eagerly followed along, soothed by Cadance's voice and relaxed by the warmth of her lap. Each page brought with it a pastel colored illustrations and lines of text that she listened to Cadance read. As the story went on, Fluttershy found herself struggling to make out the words that populated the book's pages. After not too long, she started to focus more on the pictures that were starting to become a little blurry as well. A few pages were read through before the pictures started to blur to a state where Fluttershy could no longer make out basic shapes. This was shortly followed by Cadance's voice as Fluttershy's sleepy mind could barely make out the words. She curled in close to Cadance, comforted by her warmth. Her eyes began to close fully and soon she succumbed to sleep, drifting off in Cadance's arms. Cadance read a few more pages of the storybook before she noticed Fluttershy was fast asleep. She smiled down at the tired pony, closing the book and quietly levitating it back to the bookshelf. She gingerly gave Fluttershy's forehead a light peck. "Sweet dreams, Shy Shy," she whispered. With the diapered pony fast asleep in her lap, Cadance leaned her head back and drifted off as well. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Spiders and Famine author: BewhoUr tags: character:Apple Bloom, character:Applejack, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== And here's why === "Applejack!" That wasn't exactly a call that you wanted to hear in the middle of the night, particularly when you were trying to get a decent nights sleep. It wasn't something that Applejack wanted to hear either. Her little sister, yelling her name in a particularly desperate pitch. If Big Mac had yelled her named like that, she'd be up and there in around twenty seconds. It'd probably be something like- "oh, the plumbing is down." Or "I need help with fixing a leak in the roof." With Granny Smith, maybe she'd hurry a tad more. Maybe she'd need her pills, or maybe she'd have fallen over in the middle of the night and been unable to right herself. But with Apple Bloom? Applejack bolted upright in bed, growing to a cold swear, thrust the covers off of herself, jumped out of bed in a valiant leap that any rodeo would have oohed and awed at, sent her covers flying bolted through the doorway, down the hall, and into the doorway of Apple Bloom's room. All in around ten seconds, which was quite impressive actually. And what did she see? She saw the yellow earth pony filly, crouched down on her bed like she'd seen a ghost. Various fluffy pillows and different species of stuffed animals were piled around her messily, like a bedtime fortress. The burning fire of fear flickered deep in her sunset eyes, and her expression was not a happy one. "Apple Bloom? Whats wrong?" Applejack asked in crystal clear concern, stepping forward into the room. The fillys eyes darted around the room, as if watching something. "Applejack! Theres a- a, a spider!" Apple Bloom yelped fearfully. Applejack's deep green eyes softened, and her breathing relaxed a bit. She saw the small brown spider scuttling across the floor, and in turn she saw Apple Bloom duck under her covers a bit more. Applejack smiled slightly, looking at the shivering yellow filly under the blankets. "Apple Bloom, you had me worried." The orange earth pony mare paced across the floor, hearing the familiar creaking and letting it comfort her, and was careful not to step on the spider as she made her way to the bedside and sat on the edge of her little sisters canopy bed. "Now let me tell you a little story." Apple Bloom still looked frightened. "But what about the spider?" "Enough about the spider." Applejack looked through the window and to the night sky. It was a gorgeous, deep black blue night sky with the stars twinkling bright and forceful, as if willing to be noticed by the entire nation. The orange mare patted the spot of mattress next to her, signaling for Apple Bloom to sit with her. "Now Apple Bloom. Do you see those stars?" Apple Bloom nodded, not sure what to think of this question. "Good. Now under that sky and those stars that Luna has raised for us, there lives a wonderful place called Equestria. And in Equestria lies hundreds and hundreds of good ponies, all with different talents, purposes and lives." Apple Bloom nodded again, eyes transfixed on the night sky. "And little sister, each and every pony who lives in Equestria, under those stars, has a different story. And most stories will have happy endings. Most ponies will live happy lives full of good times, friends, and purpose." "But what about the others Applejack?" "Ah, the others. Well thats exactly the story I'm gonna tell you. You worry about a spider, a simple, brown spider who is much more scared of you than you are of it. But those other ponies? They worry about danger. They live in terrible places, under terrible conditions. Some ponies are hurt, sick, in pain. Some are starving, some are freezing, others are just barely hanging on." Applejack paused to look out at the sky again, and then took a breath and continued with this story. "And then you look at our life. Well, we may have hard times. We may have some days were sales aren't good, some years where the apples don't grow as big and colorful and fresh, some spiders might be living in our house, but we're strong, healthy, and together. And really Apple Bloom, in the long run, isn't that what really matters?" The yellow filly took a moment before nodding. Apple Jack herself turned her head to glance at the spider, whom was standing perfectly still like a deer in the headlights as the gazes of the ponies and the bright moonlight washed over it. "So I guess a spider isn't that much of a problem…?" "Thats right sis. Its not that much of a problem. And look at that spider! It has just as much right to a happy ending as you or me." The spider looked at them wearily, as if it knew it was being talked about. Apple Bloom smiled gently and radiantly at this spider, now better understanding it. Apple Jack smiled at the spider too. "Should we let it go Applejack?" The younger pony asked her older sister with a newfound hint of respect lacing her voice. "Darn right we should Apple Bloom." The earth pony mare lowered herself off the bed, followed by her sister. Apple Bloom ducked to the floor level in front of the spider slowly, now at its eye level, and cupped her hoof gently, allowing the spider to crawl onto it. Once she had it, she cautiously stood back up, careful not to drop the small being, and made her way to the window where she gently placed it on the outside of the window sill. "Do you think it'll remember what we did?" Apple Bloom asked her older sister as the spider crawled onto the outside wall and disappeared from view. "I'm sure it will Apple Bloom… I have a good feeling about that spider." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: +1 Up author: GodOfBBQ tags: character:Original Character, character:Other, character:Sweetie Belle, genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Spamming the Buttons === +1 Up "MOM!! I'm going to the arcade!" Button shouted as he made his way to the door. His mother; who was currently cleaning in the kitchen replied, "Alright Button, but be back by supper. I know you'll be able to stay there for an entire day if you could." "Bye mom!" Button shouted, being too excited in going to the arcade to reply or confirm his mother's return time. Going to the local arcade isn't new for Button Mash. Whenever he got his allowance, he would spend nearly every bit he earned for a few minutes of game play. He's been visiting the arcade ever since he was trusted to venture Ponyville alone. Which; last time he checked, was when he was about 5 or 6 years old. The arcade wasn't far, so that explains the trust at such a young age. Button trotted down the path leading to the outdoor arcade. He always liked the fact that it was outdoors. His mother always told him to play outside. He was technically "Playing Outside" when he went to the arcade. As he made his way to the arcade, treading what was left of the path that lead to the arcade, he passed by Sweetie Belle. "Hello Button!" Sweetie cheerfully called out. Button stopped and waved a hoof to his friend and fellow gamer. "Hey Sweetie Belle! What are you up to?" Button asked as he politely stopped to listen to his friend. "Not much, I'm just going to visit Applebloom and Scootaloo at Sugarcube Corner. I gotta go, they're waiting for me." Sweetie said as she began to trot the opposite way. "Same, I'm going to the arcade, to play whatever I can before supper." Button explained. He waved goodbye to his gaming companion and began to begin his easy trot to the arcade. In a matter of minutes, Button arrived at his destination. Being greeted by the patrons of the arcade who came to know Button as a regular, Button made his way to his favorite game in the arcade. "Street Brawler: Equestrian Warrior" It was your average fighting game but it was still entertaining to Button. Happy that it was free of players, Button rushed to the cabinet and inserted his first bit. It instantly took him to the character select, he chose his usual character and began to play. "Okay, first game of the day." He said to himself as he waited for the screen to load. Once the screen finally loaded and the character's intros were finished, Button instantly began rapidly smacking the buttons and vigorously shaking the joystick. In nearly seconds, his enemy was down for round one. Chuckling to himself, Button began getting ready for the second and final round for his first opponent. Once the CPU character was up and active in game, Button began his gaming style of smashing buttons and jerking joysticks to get the upperhoof. It didn't take long for Button to defeat the CPU, it was the first opponent so it wouldn't be too hard to beat the round. "Alright, second round. Let's go!" Button said, pumping himself up for the next round. After the load screen and intros, the game began, the only difference being the difficulty change between the new CPU enemy. As he played on, he failed to notice a new arrival to the arcade. It was a filly who looked about Button's age. She was a pegasus with a light orange coloring to her fur, and dark black mane with red streaks that ran through her mane. Her eyes were grey and her cutie mark was a red game cabinet. A small sack of bits hung from her neck. The jingle of bits could be heard as she walked to the game cabinet Button currently occupied. At this point, Button was well in the middle of round four. The young pegasus watch in amusement as Button slammed and jerked the controls of the cabinet. After some time, Button cheered in victory as he landed the final move on the CPU opponent. The filly began laughing at Button for his sudden success in the video game. Noticing this, Button looked to her in confusion. "Uhh, what are you laughing at?" Button asked. The filly slowly stopped her laughter to answer Button's question. "You. You're just kinda funny!" She said, with chuckles still escaping her mouth. "Why? What did I do that was funny?" Button asked. He's been known to act socially awkward since he's surrounded himself with video games. Sweetie was only his friend because they both share an interest in video games. They also were set up with play dates when they were foals. "Well, nothing intentionally. Look, my name's Double Points. What's yours?" The filly asked kindly. "Button Mash." Button responded. "Well, Button Mash…" Double Points reached into her bits bag and slipped it into the slot to become player two in the game Button was playing. "Wanna play me?" She concluded. She got on her hind legs to reach the control panel on the cabinet and smirked at Button with a cocky face. "Wait, wait. You, wanna go against me? In Street Brawler? Listen, Double Points, I don't want to be mean or anything but, I will wipe the floor with you." Button said as he looked to the screen to pick his character. Double did the same and chose her character. "I'd like to see you try." She mumbled to herself as she settled with a female ninja-like character. "What!? You chose Mitsukage? She's like, the worst character ever! They only made her character for the fanart and-" Button was interrupted by Double. "Oh yeah? If Mitsukage is so bad, then why did you choose Purazumakoruto? His move set is super slow, and even when you are able to land a hit, it can be easily dodged or blocked!" Double argued. It was amazing that they could pronounce such names in the first place, but to be able to criticize and look at a character's move set to establish whether they were good or bad was impressive. After the two young ponies chose their characters, they were taken to the loading screen that Button personally thought was the most intense loading screen he's waited on. Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting for the game to begin, the intros for the characters began. Since the intros are kept short, the fighting began almost instantly. While Button was making full attempts to attack his opponent, Double was doing odd combinations of pressing buttons and swiveling the joystick in certain directions. 'What's she doing? She's just button mashing...' Button thought to himself as he watched Double's quick hoof movements. Shaking off his confusion, he decided to end the match by releasing a swarm of quick jabs and plasma blasts from his character. When it looked like the match was coming to an end, Double's character instantly began floating, something her character wasn't programmed to do. Then her character began using the same moves as Button's character. Knowing all the tricks to the moves, he was able to dodge and block them successfully. "How'd you do that!?" Button exclaimed, but his question wasn't answered, Double was too busy spazzing out the controls. Her hooves moving with a majestic speed came to a stop, which startled Button who instead of watching the screen, watched Double's hoof movements. Double then simply moved the joystick to the left and the impossible happened. Button's character began taking damage without Double's character even moving. The life bar began to decrease, section by section, Button watched in horror as his character met his demise. Double's character stood in her hind legs and let out a kawaii little victory cheer. Button was left aghast. Not only was he defeated, he witnessed possible game hacking and moves he's never heard of or seen in his life. Not only was he defeated, he witnessed possible game hacking and the complete destruction of the controls on the cabinet. "B-b-b-b-But, how did-" Button was once again interrupted. "My dad was one of the leading developers of the game. He taught me every trick there's to know." Double stopped and looked over both her shoulders. She leaned closer to Button's ear and whispered, "Some even the original creator doesn't even know." Button gasped. His surprise was added to once again learning that he just went head to head with one of the lead developers of the game's daughter. Button didn't know whether to feel honored or dishonored. "Look, it was fun Button Mash. I gotta go though." Before she left, she whispered again into Button's ear. "I like you. Be back tomorrow, at the same time." All Button did was nod while failing to hide an intense blush on his face. "Bye Button!" Double called out as she trotted off. Leaving Button standing alone in front of the game cabinet. He felt awkward, being alone once again, and being told to meet Double again tomorrow, along with her saying "I like you" left him with little to no words. Button lazily moved the joystick as the "Continue?" counter reached zero. "I wonder if the crane game is open…" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: You're mine! author: Verzeih Turncoat tags: character:Limestone Pie, character:Trixie, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Mine, mine and again mine! === The great and powerful Trixie had done many things in her life she was not proud of. She bailed out of Celestia´s school for gifted unicorns, when it was getting to hard. When it got to delicate to maintain the lie around her mother, she went on tour with an circus act. She lied her way into performances and tricked ponies into believing and trusting her. She was rather good at it, had never lied herself into a corner were she could not escape. Taking advantage of ponies was her forte and she became good enough of a stage magician to earn on living. The way she acted it was just a matter of time till she was caught red handed. When she had come to Ponyville she stumbled into her downfall. Over the years she had lied herself up a huge reputation. Ponies actually believed her when she claimed to be able to defeat an ursa mayor. But when she was confronted with a baby version of it, a freaking house size baby, she could not do anything. The message of her web of lies coming down has traveled to every town she had been to before and was spreading faster then she could travel herself. She could no longer get any permissions from any vendor halls for her acts. It has taking a long time and literally pushing herself into a special performance for Princess Celestia that was done by another unicorn to even get slightly back on track. From that day forward Trixie's life improved again, especially once she met a very special pony. A unicorn named Starlight Glimmer were she could be open with her feelings, that she could trust and were she felt safe to just be herself. Together with her she has safed Equestria and got honored with the Equestrian Pink Hearts of Courage. Ponies trusted her again and her performances were greatly appreciated. How could life get any better for her from here? "Hello Lazybones." Cold sweat was surfacing on Trixie´s face as she saw right into a pair of angry light green eyes. Face to face with a grey earthpony, that she recognized far to well from back then when times were dire. She could feel her every breath. What was going on she was just here to meet up with Starlight. Trixie could here another voice, a very calm monotone voice that was sending shivers down her spine at every word it spoke. "Starlight is my best friend now. Limestone is here to take you back to the rock farm." Fright befell Trixie as she saw the second Pie sister. An earthpony of grey fur and purple mane. One would not fear her on your first meeting, but once you get to know her, one will start to avoid her at any cost. She was terrifyingly strong and her expression was always stone cold. Trixie was not even sure if this mare knew what a smile was. The older sister, Limestone, started to push Trixe down the road. From experience the blue unicorn knew that it was futile to resist on her own. "I am sorry for keeping you waiting. Twilight had me...", a pink unicorn troted around the corner watching the scene that played out in front of her. "Starlight, help!" shouted Trixie as soon as she just heard her friends voice. Starlight horn lit up in anger fueled magic, the blue aura turned red as Maud lifted her hoof to stop her from assaulting Limestone. "My sister just reclaims our property." "Property?! exclaimed Starlight. Maud pulled out a piece of paper out of her frock as she stated in her monotone emotionless voice: "We got a bill of sale right here, that says she belongs to us." Starlight stared at the piece of paper in the grey mares hoof. "You... you can´t buy a pony! That´s slavery!" Limestone looked away from Trixie for a short moment: "Read the contract. It´s not pony trafficking, if they sell themself." "This can't be legal!" Said Starlight looking at written down treaty. "So much... Trixie. What did you need so much money..." Then Starlight remembered the story of the Alicorn Amulett she was told from both, Trixie and Twilight. About how Trixie bought a magical artifact for her revenge on Starlight's mentor. Limestone stares down at Trixie. "She owes me a lifetime of workload at my mine for all that money." "Wait!" shouted Starlight as Limestone tried to deport Trixie, "We will repay you! Trixie how big are your savings?" The grey mare stopped this train of thought right at the start: "Your money won't get my mine any deeper, will it?" *** "I can't believe you are doing that for Trixie." said Trixie tearing up. "Me, neither." admitted Starlight as she kept slamming the pickaxe into the cracks of the stone wall. The third mare kept her mouth closed as all three were working next to each other. "I am really sorry that I put you through this, Maud." "I don´t mind mining with friends." she said as her hoof cracked open the wall with every hit. The unicorns floated the rubble into the mine carts standing by. From time to time one of the other Pie family members showed up to move the carts. Starlight could not hide her admiration for Maud´s strength at first, but it faded the longer they were working down in the mine. The next day Maud was not in the mine with them instead they were accompanied by a different pony. It was an, also grey, young mare that was very quiet and nervous pony. For the whole day they worked she did not said a single word. Only muffled sounds were passing her muzzle and everytime Limestone Pie entered the tunnel to check on Trixie she almost threw her own work aside. It was the third day when things became terrifying, the day Limestone herself joined their workforce. She screamed and ordered them around and their whole bodies start aching. Starlight and Trixie were force to were rings around their horns that hamstringed their magic and the unicorns had to work like earthponies for the first time. They had reached a lode of special rocks that were valuable, but also extremely vulnerable to magic. The question about what kind of rocks they were and their purpose was kept a secret from them, only the necessary information for their extraction was shared. Thus they worked with Limestone for the next five days. Every evening the two unicorns were aching before Starlight teleported them back home to Ponyville. They thought it could not get any worse then not being able to use their magic, but they found out that using it was also not all what it's cracked up to be once the lode was empty. By that day Limestone brought in a pack of Diamond Dogs and even with their magic they could not keep up with the debris they produced. They exhausted their magic to the point that they had to stay overnight at the Pie household. "The room is too small for two ponies!" complained Starlight about the questroom. On what limestone replied: "I had to share it with all of my sisters. It'll be enough for you two." It was not till the end of the second week that they got a visit from a different pony. A lavander pony with wings and horn had traveled all the way to the Pie Family Rock Farm to demand the release of Starlight Glimmer: "Miss Pie. I want my student back! You got no right to..." "She can go when ever she wants. I only have a contract with Trixie." said Limestone Pie, boldly interrupting the speech of the alicorn princess. "About that how long do they still have to work off Trixie's dept?" asked Twilight. "Fiftythree weeks." "That´s not right! Trixie got help from Starlight! It should be Fiftyone by now!" shouted Trixie at Limestone, but Limestone dismissed her claim. The blue unicorn almost crumbled under Limestone darkened gaze. "I don´t care how many ponies help you! YOU owe us money. YOU owe us workhours! And YOU will own up to YOUR dept." Twilight wanted to argue on behalf of Trixie, but Limestone cut her off before she could even started. "Don't you say a single word Princess Twilight Sparkle. I know exactly what she did with my money. She bought the the Alicorn Amulet. She enslaved an entire village. She fought you. AND SHE STOLE PINKIE'S SMILE!" "Trixie is sorry.!" whimpered Trixie on the ground before her. "Do you think I trust YOUR word. I got one year to make you feel sorry! And I gonna use it!" shouted Limestone. Starlight yelled out: "You should not be in charge of her!" Twilight agreed full heartedly: "There has to be another way to settle this." "No legal way! She has a contract with me."- screamed Limestone Pie - "A contract is a written promise. And nopony is breaking a promise they gave me!" Twilight looked at Limestone baffled, unlike with Maud, she actually could see some resemblance with Pinkie Pie in her. "What do you want from Trixie?" Limestone stared at the blue unicorn: "I want her to own up to her words!" <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: May Contain Nuts author: Ponyzzar tags: genre:Comedy, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life

=== May Contain Nuts === Pinkie looked round the door into the main room. The cakes weren't in sight. She grabbed the bag tight and made a dash for the door outside. She was about to open it when she heard voices. She quickly jumped out of sight. Several seconds Mr. and Mrs. Cake opened the door and took a look around. They walked through the room and passed into the kitchen. After a while, Pinkie dropped down from the roof and landed on the floor, ninja style. She walked outside and took a look around before jumping into a hay bale she had hid there earlier. She peered through a gap she opened in the front. Nopony was in view. She put a pair of glasses attached to a false nose to make sure nopony recognized her even if they did spot her. She quickly waddled through the streets to the one place she wanted to go. She stopped as two ponies ran in front of her. They jumped on top of her and used her as a spring before running off. She eventually got to her destination. She knocked on the door six times, then thirteen times, then twenty seven times. After a few seconds it opened. She jumped out of the bale and ran through the door. It closed with a thunk behind her. "You got the stuff?" a voice asked, Pinkie nodded.The figure moved to the window. "Nopony saw you?" Pinkie shook her head. "Alright, get upstairs, I'll join you when I make sure you're in the clear." Pinkie saluted and ran up the staircase. She waited while she heard some bolts slide at the front door and the sound of curtains being drawn. Eventually she heard the sound she wanted, footsteps coming upstairs. The pony walked up. She turned to Pinkie. "Alright Pinkie, nopony saw or is looking, you can unpack the bag now," Twilight told her. She smiled. She had been wanting to do this for a long time. "Let's see the goods!" she told Pinkie. Pinkie pulled several instruments out of the bag. She laid each one on the bed. "Okie, dokie, Twilight. We got dildos, like the dragon horn here." She lifted a pointy one. "There are some anal beads, but trust me, they aren't all their cracked up to be unless your into it." She gave Twilight a wink. She pulled on a cord with her mouth and lifted the length of metal balls. Twilight blushed at the thought of where they went. "There is also this!" She held up a strange collection of metal objects combined with rubber ones. "Don't tell Rarity I told you this, but this one is her favourite." "What is that!?" Twilight asked, backing away. "It's a stallion simulator. Basically it imitates whatever type of sex you like. There's light, medium, heavy, dirty, rough and funky. It bucks, thrusts and slaps. It even simulates ejaculation. All you have to do is put it on, set the timer and enjoy the ride," Pinkie told her. "Care to try it?" "No thanks, all I wanted was a dildo." She looked at the assembled pile. "I don't know which one to have." "Why not try them and see?" Pinkie responded. "How?" Twilight asked. Pinkie gave her a smile before grabbing one of them. "Oh, I see..." Twilight blushed. "Well I guess I got time to spare. Alright, my rear's all yours, just go easy on me, my ass is still killing me from Rainbow's last atomic crash. Man does she rush it. I thought my insides were going to explode." She laid her front half on her bed and presented her lavender hindquarters. Pinkie slipped the last few cords on and grabbed Twilight's cutie mark. Twilight squeaked as Pinkie rubbed the tip of the dildo on her clit. After a few seconds of teasing Twilight, Pinkie thrust it deep. Twilight winced as Pinkie pulled herself along the full length of Twilight's body until the dildo sat the full way in. Twilight could feel it as it slithered it's way inside, pushing against her walls. "How's that feel?" Pinkie asked. "It's a bit too wide," Twilight huffed. Her cunt felt like it was going to explode. "Maybe something else," she moaned. Next was one Pinkie called the Quill. Twilight squealed as it rammed against her inside. "No!" she said, before Pinkie could thrust again. Pinkie then pulled out the Swivel. Twilight grabbed at the bed and bit her pillow as Pinkie screwed it in. "No bucking way!" Twilight yelled. They went through almost all of Pinkie's bag before Twilight settled on one. "This one?" Pinkie asked. She pulled it out. It was long, slender, and had very few ridges. "This one's boring, why not be adventurous? Like this Party Popper!" she said as she pulled out a dildo that came into a large ball at the end. Twilight screamed when she saw it. "There has got to be something..." Pinkie ruffled through her bag before grabbing something. She pulled it out. "This?" she asked herself. She turned to Twilight's sweating body and an idea sprung up. "I'm about to be brilliant!" she cried. "What?" Twilight asked. "Don't worry, just keep laying there," Pinkie told her. She crept up on Twilight's perfect rear, she had always savoured her encounters with Twilight because of the mare's inexperience with sex. She lifted what she had found in her bag and removed the covering. "This may be awkward for you Twilight." "What may be... GAAAHHHHHHH!" she screamed and bucked. What had Pinkie stuck in her? She turned around to see something brown and rigged sticking out from behind her tail. Her face went white. "Pinkie, please tell me that isn't..." "It's not what you think, it's actually a choclate bar," she told Twilight. "I've never thought of this until now." Twilight glared at her, before staring back to the bar. "You know, that actually feels kind of good," Twilight said. Pinkie's smile spread ear to ear. She jumped on Twilight and pulled her the full way onto the bed. "Well then let's finish this! Otherwise it'll be wasted." Pinkie grabbed the bar with both hooves and pushed it in deeper, causing Twilight to moan. She pumped it up and down, causing it to become sticky from Twilight's vaginal juices and its melting outside. She stopped using her hooves on it and pulled herself onto Twilight. She slipped her slit over what remained of the bar and began rubbing up and down against Twilight's fuzzy chest. The bar moved and and slid between their cunts, causing strain on it's already weakened form. Twilight watched as Pinkie moved back and forth across her body. They were both sweating from their warm bodies being so close together. She grabbed Pinkie closer to herself as she felt something building below. "Harder, do it harder," Twilight moaned. Pinkie's hair smelt sweat as she continued to rub against her body. As Pinkie made the thrusts harder, Twilight could feel the pressure become worse. She moaned to try and keep it from getting to bad. Her breaths became huffs as she was about to cum. "Gyaaahhhh!" She screamed as her body erupted in an orgasm. Her crotch became wet and sticky. A brown mixture of Twilight's juices and choclate poured out of her slit and covered her and Pinkie's rears as well as the bed sheets. Pinkie slowed down, but stopped suddenly. "Ummmm... Twilight... I think the bar broke," Pinkie said. She examined both their crotches and indeed it had. Half of it lay on the bed in the pool of juices, while the other half had completely dissappeared. Twilight started to go white. she grabbed at her crotch. "It's still in me..." she whimpered. "Don't worry, I'll get it out, Pinkie Pie Style!" she told Twilight. She quickly slid back and placed her head between Twilight's legs. She took a quick look at Twi's crotch. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you look like you had an accident," she then leant in and licked Twilight's slit. "Mmmmmmm... Nutty!" she said. "PINKIE!!!!! Get that bar the buck out of me!" "Alright, hold your horny," Pinkie told her. She pressed her muzzle right up against Twilight's crotch and began licking around inside. She could taste the salty goodness that was Twilight as well as the chocolate. Eventually after much probing and moaning from Twilight, she found the bar. With a quick flip of her tongue, she pulled it into her mouth and munched down on it. "There, all gone." "Good," she lifted herself into a sitting position. "Buck me, the bed looks like I shit myself. I'm gonna have to change the sheets before Spike gets home." "The sheets can wait, we still got stuff to try," Pinkie said while munching on the second half of the bar. "Stuff?" Twilight asked. Pinkie pulled up her bag and pulled out several packets of candy and sweets. "I think I can combine my two favourite things and I want to try as much as possible." "Pinkie, I'm not.." "SILENCE!" Pinkie yelled before grabbing a candy. She swung back and thrust it forward with speed. It slammed home against Twilight's pussy. Twilight screamed as the candy worked it's way in. It felt worse than the dildo Pinkie had first tried. As the pain subsided as it slipped in, Twilight began moaning through pleasure. "Like the gob stopper?" Pinkie asked before once again bringing her face against Twilight's warm genetalia. She pierced Twilight's slit with her tongue again and began wagging it back and forth against the sugar ball. Her tongue made Twilight's chocolate stained slit and crotch more wet as she brought her tongue in and out savouring the flavour. Twilight gasped for breath as Pinkie's tongue probed her inner workings. The ball slowly shrank as both Pinkie's tongue and Twilight's pussy rubbed against it. Twilight was nearing another orgasm as Pinkie head came up against her own. "Why... why did... you stop," Twilight said between breaths. "Who's says I did?" Pinkie said as she lent close. She pressed her mouth up against Twilight's and gave her a mouthful of tongue. As she kissed Twilight she began rubbing her own slit against Twilight's. After several rubbings Twilight moaned and another orgasm ripped through her body. Cum squirted out of her slit into Pinkie's carrying the gobstopper with it. Pinkie made a gasp as Twilight finished. "You shot it into me!" she said amazed. She stood up and rubbed her own crotch. Twilight eyed Pinkie's flank as she slowly rubbed her slit, trying to dislodge the sugar ball. Twilight watched Pinkie play with herself for a while. "May I have a go at removing it?" she asked. Pinkie looked at her and grinned she flopped on the bed and spread her legs. Twilight crawled onto Pinkie's chocolate crotch and began to work her tongue into Pinkie. She slithered it against the gob stopper and began licking the little ball. Pinkie giggled as Twilight's tongue occasionaly withdrew and licked the fur around her hole. She moaned as Twilight began to quicken the pace. She could feel every drop of saliva against her warm pussy and every motion of Twilight's energetic tongue. She screamed with pleasure and sprayed come into Twilight's open mouth. Twilight came away spluttering. "Pinkie.." she coughed. "You shot it down my throat!" "I'm sorry!" she squealed. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine, it was just a shock," she looked to Pinkie's pile of goodies. "What next?" Pinkie held up a small packet. "FIZZY POPS!!!!" she yelled. She opened the packet and grabbed Twilight's slit and poured the contents in. Twilight squeaked and cringed before she started bucking with pleasure. "Oh god, yes..." she drooled. Pinkie opened a second packet once Twilight's violent bucks settled done and repeated the treatment with similar results. Twilight moaned as the candy fizzed and popped inside her pussy. With each bang she bucked and with each slow fizz she drooled all over the bed. "My turn!" Pinkie cried and handed a packet to Twilight. Twilight tore open the packet and repeated what Pinkie did to her. She slowly tipped the contents into Pinkie's beautiful opening. Pinkie moaned with pleasure, it was like nothing she had ever felt before. The candy stuck to the side of her pussy and popped or fizzed. Pinkie squealed and grabbed Twilight. "ILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOU!!!!" she cried and rubbed her slit against Twilight's. Twilight grabbed Pinkie's head and gave her the biggest kiss she ever could. "I love you too," she said as Pinkie rubbed her exploding crotch against her own. ------- Pinkie sucked the last Twizzler out of Twilight's mouth. She slurped it down and gave Twilight a kiss for good measure. Twilight giggled. "Is there anything else?" she asked. "No, that was the last piece of candy," Pinkie told her. "I guess all good things come to an end." She lifted herself up and looked at her crotch. "The only downside is that we look like we've had some serious vaginal infections. The colour just looks gross." She rubbed her damp crotch smearing the already smeared mess further. "We're gonna need a shower." They both laughed. They then heard the door slam. Twilight and Pinkie both realed in shock as footsteps sounded as someone walked up the stairs. Spike yawned as he finally reached the top. "Hey Twilight, Pinkie..." he did a double take. "Why is Pinkie in your bed Twilight and why is your..." his eyes went wide. "Please tell me that isn't what I think it is." "It's chocolate Spike," Twilight said embarrased. "Ohhh, okay then, that's fi... why is chocolate on your crotch?" "We had some fun with it," Pinkie said. "Fun? Wait, you don't mean 'that' kind of fun, do you?" Pinkie nodded. "That's kinda gross." "Please don't tell anyone!" Twilight begged. "Fine, whatever," he said, wanting to avoid threats. An idea sprung to mind. "One condition." "What?" both ponies asked in unison. "Can I... Can I lick you girls clean?" he asked. A slight blush appeared on his cheek. Both the mares looked at each other, then at their crotches. They spread their legs. "Come and get it!" They both cried. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Night-Freed author: Unbridled Dolly tags: character:Other, character:Wonderbolts, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Sunny Skies Goin' Down === Having been born under the colors of Her Majesty's flag and gifted with Mark of Her favor, I had been granted several advantages over the Night-Cursed and -Marked. Days to sleep in was not one of them, although I didn't really get to sleep in as Misty Fly the Not-Wonderbolt. The Primer-Sun was still rising over the horizon as I forced my tired eyes open, even on this special day. One of the advantages I had gained was the chance to try out to be one of the twenty Wonderbolts in the area. Once I earned my position, I was granted a small amount of pegasus magic from the Queen and was expected to control the weather in my cities every day. There was little in the job that was enviable-- little free time, small wages, and direct attention from Her Majesty. But I had no friends-- there were very few ponies who would not take advantage of me, so why would I need free time? My food and shelter was provided by the Crown, so why would I need money? And I was a good, lawful pony, so why would I fear the Queen? Of course, Sprinkles had changed all that, but during most of my career, I had been content with what I had, for I had Magic. But today was an especially special day with my Magic. It was really all because of Sprinkles that I was doing this. Sprinkles was my friend, and I loved her more than I love my Magic, so I don't really mind. As long as they don't take my Magic, but really, they'd probably kill me first. What I was doing was forbidden-- it had been since the fall of the Moon Mistress-- but I did it anyways, for Sprinkles. She'd been hoping for it ever since I met her, although I only realized after she told me about it-- snow and rain. While I did control the weather, I was always supposed to destroy it all before it went into action. That meant I only saw clouds and felt temperatures-- both of which I brought to "normal" before it could mar Her Majesty's beautiful sky. And that's where I met Sprinkles-- Sprinkle Medley Night-Cursed and -Marked with a blue coat and a rain cloud Mark, always hoping for something other than clear skies and warm Suns. *** My job was never easy. I had to fly many miles and exert a lot of energy clearing the weather in my specified cities. But in this specific spot, it was always the most difficult. There was only one pony who was there, staring at the clouds with a hopeful gleam in her cerulean eyes-- the same shade as mine. But she was both Night-Cursed and -Marked, and that made it even worse. I was fortunate to be born with a coat the color of the Queen's Primer-Sun and hair and eyes the color of her Primer-Sky. My mark displayed my destiny of clearing the weather to show the Queen's lovely skies. This mare was all blue, making her Night-Cursed, and her flank displayed a small cloud with what I later assumed to be raindrops falling from it, making her Night-Marked. Every morning when I arrived at her seat on the sheer cliff before the rocky ocean, she was watching the heavy, darkening clouds intensely. Every morning without fail, she was there, where I payed her no mind-- except for a pitying glance and a sympathizing thought pushed to the back of my mind. Every morning, when I burst the clouds in a flurry of moisture and feathers, her eyes would shed the tears that I had later learned the clouds could not. And every morning, I would leave her there for the next group of clouds, a guilty feeling in my heart. More than a year passed. I grew curious, for she was always there. She never seemed to do anything but stare at the clouds and mourn their destruction. So one morning, I spoke to her. "Haven't you got a job you need to get to?" She seemed decided on whether or not to reply. On one hoof, I was destroying her clouds and that upset her. But on the other, she'd get in trouble for not speaking. It was not allowed to ignore a worker of the Crown and her punishment would not be easy, considering her colors and Mark. I guess that's why she spoke. Her voice was a curiosity, melodious and emotional when she spoke. I had never heard something like it among the monotonous city ponies. I suppose that's why I was so shocked when she said, "No. I work the Blood-Sun shift. They wouldn't take me at any other time." Noticing my shocked look and misinterpreting it, she spoke her next sentences defensively. "Yeah, I have a job. Not all Night-Marked are worthless, y'know." I quickly righted my expression and said to her, "Oh, no, you misunderstand me. I would never underestimate a pony just because she's Night-Cursed or -Marked. My own mother was Night-Cursed, and she was a wonderful pony." Everything I said was true. Just because I live in a world full of dishonest ponies doesn't mean that I'd lie myself. I'd never understood why ponies were always terrible when trying to fix things, even if the ones they were dealing with were themselves terrible. It seemed like one could get a whole lot farther being good. But the mare didn't seem to believe me. She flapped her wings in anger-- well-kept, powerful things strong enough to create a wind even without Magic, and as large and muscled as a stallion's, as if she were trying to build enough strength to fly or something. I dismissed this theory at first, at least until she confirmed it herself sometime into our acquaintance. But at the moment, she was upset with me. She narrowed her eyes and hissed, "Just because you were born with the right colors and destined for the right thing doesn't mean you get to come in here and flaunt your so-called 'superiority' in front of me. So since you win at life, why don't you get on with your job?" A particularly large wave smashed against the shore at the moment, as if to punctuate her words. My face fell and my ears flattened against my skull, but she was already turning her her head and staring off at the horizon. I left, myself crestfallen, and her in tears. The next day, I spoke to her again. I asked for her name. "Sprinkle Medley. Going to report me to the Queen?" Her voice was cold and emotionless, defeated and numb. I missed the beautiful song in her words already. "Of course not," I replied to Sprinkle. "I just wanted to know. Why is it that you sit here everyday?" She raised an eyebrow, but answered anyway. "Since you're already getting me in trouble, I might as well go the full mile. Rain, and perhaps snow, but rain is more likely. I read about it a long time ago, about how before the fall of the Moon Mistress the clouds were allowed to drop moisture on the heads of the ponies below. Sometimes it was liquid, and sometimes it was frozen. I know it doesn't sound pleasant, but it was actually quite beautiful." And now her voice was eager, her eyes gleaming, but not with tears, for the first time since I had seen her. She continued, "It was actually when I earned my Mark. I really shouldn't be telling you this, but who knows what'll happen to me? So there might as well be at least one pony that knows. I told myself that day that I'd do anything within my power to see the rain, and feel the snow. I know it seems foolish, but... I'm not free. You know it, I know it, everypony knows it. To see the rain dampening the sky, the snow muffling the sun... I would be free for a little bit of time." Here her voice grew quiet again, but it was filled with emotion, just like the sad smile on her face. But still, she talked on. "And that's why I moved here. I had read that the more water in the area, the more likely it was to rain. And if it was cold, it would snow. So every morning, before the Wonderbolts would come, I'd wait for it to rain, and maybe snow." She sighed. "It might still happen." I honestly had no clue what to say. What was there to say? She had just spilled her biggest dream to me, even though she thought I would turn her in, just to keep it alive. It reminded me of when I was a little filly and tried to fly. I wouldn't listen to my mother when she told me that it wasn't possible. But my dream came true, all because of luck and chance. I'd help her do it. I'd never heard of rain or snow, or how to make them-- I'd only ever been told to destroy them-- but I'd do it. And I told her so. And then I introduced myself. *** And we did it. I learned how to manipulate the clouds to make them drop the moisture, how to properly pressure the clouds with my Magic so that the rain would fall. And I learned how to control the temperature in a way that would turn the drops of water into soft flecks of snow. It took weeks of stolen minutes in the restricted section of the library, pages of fables and legends, too many close calls, and a growing friendship; and we did it. Today was the special day. I completed my rounds as usual, except for skipping Sprinkle's shoreline. The more water that evaporated into the clouds, the easier it would be to make it rain. I was pretty tired by the time I reached Sprinkles, but I perked up when I saw her sitting in her usual spot. She was waiting patiently, her head hanging over the edge of the cliff, staring at the waves of water smashing against the rocky shore beneath. When I got there, she looked up and smiled. "They're just beyond my reach. Can you get them?" Sprinkle nodded at the clouds drooping in the sky where they always did. I nodded back. I beat my wings to make a flurry of wind, forcing them to drift over Sprinkle's head. She gazed at the gray fluff with the same eagerness I'd grown to love and I smiled. We were almost there. I reached out with my magic, probing the surface of the clouds, pressuring it to make it do what I wanted. And it did. Sprinkle and I both stared with wide-open eyes and our jaws dropped as the little drops of water fell. I flitted down to join her as it splashed onto our dampening heads. It was beautiful. The glittering silver caught the light of the sun, sending lovely little sprays of color over the ground. Rainbows. As the water soaked our fur, I remembered the next stage. Cold snow. I concentrated once again, focusing on the atmosphere in the immediate vicinity. I pushed it closer to freezing than I'd ever been allowed or taught to do, pushed it until the water spattering our heads was freezing, but softer than I expected. It was just as beautiful as the rain. The gray clouds blocked out the light of the Primer-Sun, allowing the small flecks of white to shine with a gleam of their own. It coated the ground in a thin layer, and melted into it almost as quickly. When I looked over at Sprinkle, she had her mouth open, catching the little flakes on her tongue, and her shivering wings spread wide until the whiteness covered her natural blue. *** Eventually, it stopped. The clouds quickly faded away, aided by my Magic. I was fluttering in the sky, my joy lending my wings an extra buzz. Sprinkle looked calm, as she almost always did, but there was a serene smile on her face that spoke great lengths about her true happiness. After all the cold and wet, the Primer-Sun seemed very warm, but I made some shade for Sprinkle to doze. I was chattering on about the perfection we had just created when I noticed something queer about my shadow. Since when were my wings that large? Since when was I that large? And since when did I have a horn? My eyes widened. My blabbering stopped. Sprinkle looked up at me in the sudden quiet, her eyes growing round when she saw me. I didn't want to turn around and see what had scared her. I didn't want to lose my Magic. I didn't want to lose my friend. "Sprinkle? I suggest you--" I was interrupted by a searing heat on my back. I didn't need to turn around to see what was happening. I didn't hesitate to finish my sentence as the flames seized my limbs and burned my feathers and fur. "Run!" "Indeed you should, my little pony. Wouldn't want me to melt your snow-down." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: A Small Issue author: Lukington17 tags: character:Discord, character:Main 6, character:Princess Luna, character:Spike, genre:Adventure, genre:Comedy, genre:Science Fiction, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== A Small Issue (Part 1) === CHAPTER 1 It had been an eventful morning for Twilight Sparkle. Her new potion 'Zeromac', had cost her to lose Discord - her test subject - to realms unknown, and it had endangered the lives of her friends! Spike had got caught up in the melee, ending up a miniscule specimen himself, and requiring the use of Twilight's magic to get extracted from death by stomach acid! She knew she had to present her findings to the Princesses, but was feeling extremely apprehensive. Nonetheless, the Mane Six headed swiftly into Canterlot as the train steamed in. They hurriedly disembarked and ran through the city to the castle gates, where the two stationed Royal Guards opened the gates upon seeing the Princess of Friendship running towards them with her friends behind. Soon enough, the six ponies and Spike found themselves being ushered into the Throne Room where a waiting Celestia and Luna were sat in their splendid and ornate princesses' thrones. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna! I came because I had to hand something over to you!" "Calm down, Twilight" Celestia said assuringly. "We have plenty of time to discuss things so don't feel you need to rush!" It's not like we ever see you doing anything remotely political or assuming roles of authoritative responsibility , Rainbow thought to herself. Once Twilight had caught her breath, the ponies sat and Twilight opened her side-satchel holding up two potions with her magic. The two sisters looked confusingly at them, whilst Twilight began: "These two potions have the uncanny and proven ability to alter the size of any object. This slimey one on the left, Zeromac, can reduce anything to a smaller size, down to about the size of a poppy seed. And this one does the opposite - almost a remedy, if you like - by increasing anything in size, limits to which are as yet unknown. I've spent months trying to perfect these potions, and it took me until only this morning that I tried them. The reason I'm showing you them now is not to brag, but rather for you to do me a favour, if you would. You see - these potions are extremely dangerous. In one day alone, we've had several ponies almost killed, crushed on, digested - the lot! This was -" "I was practically digested!" Spike interrupted. Twilight threw him a harsh stare and continued, "This was because I wasn't able to successfully control the potion dosage being applied, and then lost track of the experimental subjects...on top of that, Discord has made things harder by messing around as usual! I can't possibly continue to develop my research on these potions with all this having happened, and in jeopardy of happening again. Thus, I ask you to take them, lock them away, dispose of them or something, because I've proved to my friends and myself that I'm not ready to use these potions." After this expositional spiel, the sisters looked at each other before asking if they could take a closer look at them. Promptly, their own magic took over Twilight's as they examined the curious liquids carefully. "Don't touch the liquid itself" Twilight added urgently. "Okay Twilight Sparkle: here's our thinking" Luna began. "We will not dispose of the work of my most faithful student, no." Celestia added. Luna continued, "I will take these to the Royal Labs downstairs and do my best to study methods of their containment under the strictest security. Are there any substances upon which these potions are ineffective, so that they may be touched safely?" "Not to my knowledge; I used my magic" Twilight admitted. "Not to worry, Princess Twilight. We'll have this dealt with effectively and academically" said Celestia smoothly, before nodding to Luna who began to head off with the potions. As she did, an evil chuckle was heard from the stain-glass window of Discord, whose depiction came to life once again, pulling himself out to reveal himself in the room centre. He hadn't been seen since Twilight had tested the Zeromac on him that morning, and, after creating mischief at a visible but still small size, he had eventually disappeared beyond the eye could see, leaving the others panicked. "Ahaha, come now Twilight Sparkle, we've had an absolutely whimsical day of fun, I'd say!" he laughed to himself, as the Mane Six frowned at him angrily. "I would've thought you'd have had enough of tiny escapades" Rarity said sarcastically. "Well you know what Rarity?- I had. I had but then I thought to myself how much more fun I can make for myself with these potions!" Discord reached for the potions but Luna protectively turned away. "Discord!" Celestia called. "This matter is of no interest to you, you will leave now or suffer consequences" Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked ready to pounce on the master of mischief as he looked visibly hurt. "Oh well fine then, apparently some people can't appreciate someone's efforts to lighten the mood" he began, appearing to turn away, before he quickly spun and snatched the potions from Luna. "Hey!" Twilight ran towards the struggle as Applejack and Rainbow Dash launched themselves onto Discord. Twilight tried using her magic to force the potions, but in vain: the potions flew up into the air. Discord managed to shove Applejack and Dash off him as they were sent flying; the potions seemed to take forever to come back down. In these fatal seconds, Discord snapped his fingers and vanished, whilst the potions' test tubes were caught just in time by Luna. However, the Zeromac spilled out and drops of it splashed onto her, as well as Twilight and poor Rarity who stood alongside her. Within seconds the three of them had disappeared and the others all groaned as they knew all too well what had happened. Celestia panicked however, having not seen this before. She got up and frantically walked around asking repeatedly where they had gone. "Princess Celestia, don't move; you'll crush them!" Pinkie Pie yelled. Celestia presently flapped her wings and floated up, looking innocent. --- The tiny trio of ponies shook their heads as they looked at their new environment. Twilight sighed with annoyance whilst Rarity cried her eyes out. Luna, meanwhile, was impressed. "Fascinating. Twilight Sparkle, you've really outdone yourse-" "Look out!" Twilight screamed, moving Luna out the way as a huge gold & white column came soring from above and crashed down onto the tiled floor before them. "Princess Celestia..." Twilight recognised the elaborate golden hooves of the princess as they came smashing down on the ground in a frenzy until the three were eventually caught underneath Celestia's front left hoof. The trio thought they were dead, but they had been caught in the groove of the princess' hoof. Soon enough, they found themselves hovering above the ground. "She's flying! Thank Starswirl we're safe for now until she steps down again..." Twilight said. Luna was in a state of shock as her voice came out muffled from her sister's underhoof.: "We...mst...alert...thmm". To her horror, her magic was redundant, as Twilight apologetically explained the Zermoac appeared to affect magic, just as Discord had discovered much earlier. Celestia, meanwhile, offered the remaining guests to afternoon tea in the next room, and using her magic she carried all five of them with her. As she sat carefully on the chair, manoeuvring her legs awkwardly under the table, she watched the ground around her chair but never thought to examine her hooves; her wings flapped back inwards, catching the trio from under her hoof. The tiny trio screamed as they were sent flying in the air and tried flapping their wings frantically, but since Rarity had no hope in hell, the two alicorns had no option but to try and hold her up as well. They looked down and watched as they fell helplessly towards a tea cart being brought in by a maid. They landed with a thunk in the open jar of sugar laid out. "No, no, no, please no!" Rarity cried out, as the sugar granules - which were only slightly smaller than them - poured around them like sand. "Well my sister doesn't take sugar, that eliminates one outcome..." Luna chirped hopefully, but their faces turned into frowns when they watched as the jar was slowly tilted down, and they began to slide out with a heap of sugar. They splashed into a cup of freshly-brewed tea, which wasn't exactly pleasant. "Ugh, Canterlot Chai tea, really?" Rarity voiced her displeasure. "We've got bigger problems, literally" Twilight replied, as she gestured up towards the holder of the tea cup: Fluttershy. The sweet and innocent animal-lover tilted the tea cup towards her mouth completely unaware, and opened wide. "Quick, grab the rim of the cup!" Twilight bellowed, as the trio did so. Rarity looked down into Fluttershy's gaping mouth, the cavernous black hole behind her uvula symbolising certain doom. "So this is how poor Avery Ant must've felt" Rarity sadly recalled a story Fluttershy once told her of an ant she'd accidentally eaten, as the trio fought for their lives against the current. "STOP!" Spike yelled, as all the ponies put their cups down. He climbed onto the table and began searching in each cup in turn, eagle-eyed and calling out his friends' names. "Twiiiiliiight!" Eventually he reached Fluttershy's cup, and gasped. "Twilight! Princess Luna, Rarity!" A tiny cheer came from the cup as Spike extracted them from the hot liquid. Whilst Spike and the others went to tend to the poor trio cradled in the dragon's hand, Fluttershy cried in the corner as Applejack consoled her. "I'm gonna get you guys taken care of" Spike said, "so direct me to the labs, Princess Luna". Celestia cast the same hearing-enhancement spell Twilight had used earlier that morning to allow Discord to initially communicate as he shrunk. Thus, Luna told Twilight and she relayed the path to Spike. As Spike made his way twisting and turning through the castle corridors, he kept the trio cupped in his hand and reached the labs' doors when, all of a sudden, the pathway was blocked as Discord magically appeared. "I think you know all too well what I want, Spike" he spat menacingly. "Enough, Discord. This isn't a game anymore" the feisty little dragon replied, attempting to swerve his way past. But Discord was not to be beaten, and he forced Spike's hands open as the three little ponies were exposed. Discord plucked one from Spike's palm and produced a novelty-sized magnifying glass to observe his catch. "Ah Luna, so good of you to offer to assist me in my 'little' experiment" he laughed, skedaddling into the door and slamming it shut behind him, but not before sticking a sign outside saying 'Genius at work'. The sound of bolts and chains on the door followed. Spike sighed and bowed his head, but Twilight assured him. "Don't worry, Spike, you were so brave. Let's go back to the others and get ourselves sorted out." Spike smiled meekly, and rushed back into the dining hall to join the others. CHAPTER 2 "You're toying with things you can't possibly comprehend, Discord." "Oh, try and establish within yourself some sort of rational adventurous streak, Princess Luna" the master of mischief retorted, as he examined the minute princess on the lab table before him. "As soon as you co-operate, you are free to leave, my little pony there" he added, summoning a vision of a pair of handcuffs evaporating in front of Luna. Luna spoke into a loudspeaker that Discord had magically produced and placed in her vicinity. "And just what exactly is it you want?" "Simple - all I need from you has already been concocted for me. My good friend Twilight Sparkle has seen to that. All I'm asking for is any trace or drop of the Za-Ze-Zeromac is it?- upon your person and I'm out of your way." Luna frowned. "Why might you want that, Discord?" "All in good time, your majesty" he replied snidely. Luna reluctantly gestured towards a small drip of the potion oozing its way down her tail. With a magnifying glass Discord gleefully extracted it with a small pipette - which seemed like a 10-story building to the poor princess of the night - and began to analyse it excitedly, while Luna huffed as she sat helpless. "You have what you asked for, release me" the princess ordered. But Discord would not be dissuaded. He sealed the princess in a cage the size of a Smint, and began stirring a cauldron of potion of his own, having squirted most of the drop of Zeromac into it. Soon enough he picked up the pipette once more, and placing himself on the table, he injected himself with the traces of what was left of the Zeromac in it. Eventually he was stood right by the bars of Luna's cage, no bigger than her now. Luna was extremely confused. Sensing this, Discord produced two potions: one red, one purple. "You see, Luna, as luck would have it I've been spending the past months trying to perfect my own such potions with similar effects, but it seems Twilight Sparkle has beaten me to it. She even used me as her test subject! As a result I've spent one of the most interesting days of my life - and that's saying something - looking at the world through tiny eyes from somepony else's magic! Nevertheless, I have triumphed as ever! I've even managed to allow my magic to still function through it! It was merely a case of finding that final necessary ingredient, which the princess has provided now." "Thief" Luna called, but Discord held up a hand. "The world of scientific research is constantly full of deceit and competition" He responded. Is it? Luna mused. Discord continued, "anyway, this red potion here will shrink us down to a size which Twilight Sparkle couldn't reach; a size which truly goes beyond what the eye can see: the size of the microscopic universe!" Luna didn't offer the applause clearly expected by Discord at this point. He huffed, "Well like it or not, you and I are going to be the first to explore this world! Now this purple potion is an improvement on Twilight Sparkle's growth potion; this potion simply returns the subject to its standard size." And without a moment's hesitation he joined Luna in the cage, held her tight and dropped the red ooze over their heads. "Unbelievable. It's truly an outstanding spectacle" Discord and Luna observed the microscopic world now around them. Dust cells on the table surface circled them, whilst molecules in the air floated around and the cage now towered over them. Every slight breeze felt like a tornado to them. They must've been the size of half a grain of sand - absolutely miniscule. "Discord, I have to say, this is breathtaking, this...innerspace" Luna admitted, unable to tear her eyes away. Suddenly, following a tingling sensation, Luna felt the microbes around her disappear and the cage decrease in size, until she was standing on the table. Discord was there, too, waving around the purple potion teasingly in front of her. "Our little field trip is over, sorry!" he said patronisingly. "You and Celestia were right. This potion needs to be studied more deeply. I can only imagine the ways this power can be abused..." he chuckled to himself, clearly hiding a sinister plan. --- Spike was still on his way back to the hall when he and Twilight decided to stop. "We have to help Luna, it's not right to just walk away from that" Twilight urged. He sighed as they turned back towards the lab. Spike swung open the door and began, "Discord, we're - " But as he spoke, Discord, almost as if expecting their arrival, slammed the door shut in his face. Spike had to be careful as the tiny Twilight and Rarity still sat in his palm. "Hey! Careful!" He yelled, before barging the door down this time, and, finding a strange and tiny cage on the table, he placed the duo next to it. Luna called out to Twilight and they were happily reunited, as Luna began to reveal Discord's scheming. Discord saw this and instinctively grabbed Spike, taking the tiny trio in his other claw, and cursing Celestia, he poured the red potion dramatically over Spike, him and his claw. "What the hell?! Why did you do that, you imbocile?!" Luna shouted, whilst the others looked around in bewilderment at this new world around them. "I had to stop you squealing to Twilight, princess. You see, if you tell anyone of my doings, I shall throw this purple potion away once I apply it to myself and leave you in this miniature universe all to yourself. You'll accompany me if you know what's good for you" "Your 'doings' are a little bit out-in-the-open now, wouldn't you say?" Luna scoffed, unfazed by his blackmail. "Ahem!" Discord chuckled, "you know not, dear Luna, of my real intentions hmhmhm...." He snapped his fingers and Twilight's satchel containing her own potions floated over to him, which he was quick to strap to himself. With a smirk he headed for the doorway, leaving the others no choice but to follow him. They climbed over mountainous lumps of dirt and canyon-sized cracks in the floor for what felt like hours, until they eventually reached the doorway and out into the corridor. --- Meanwhile, the gang were getting nervous where the others had got to. They had since even eaten dinner, which Celestia's staff had brought to them - a hearty vegetable casserole and sweetcorn soup with bread rolls. "I hope they come back the right size" Fluttershy chirped, only just getting over her earlier near-trauma with the tea. "How can they not?! Twilight has the Growth Potion with her, it's just a case of them applying it and comin' back" Applejack said, although a slight quake in her voice implied she was trying to reassure herself just as much as she was the others. "We can't afford to take any risks, it has been well over two hours they've been gone" Celestia thought aloud, "perhaps someone ought to go check" "I'll go, princess! I can be there and back in a flash" Rainbow Dash piped, readying her wings. "Ooooh, I love exploring creepy castle labs!" Pinkie added, and with a sigh Rainbow turned and waited for Pinkie before the two of them set off. They reached the labs and stood in the corridor outside. "That's super weird," Pinkie said, "seeing as all they had to do was apply Twilight's potion thingy just like they did when had to get Spike out of you!" she pointed at Rainbow, who did not look amused to say the least, given she had accidentally inhaled a shrunken Spike during the morning frenzy. "Don't even remind me; I've had enough for a lifetime" the Pegasus said irritated, but Pinkie was excited, jumping around the corridor, bouncing off the walls. "Yay! Detective Pinkie called up! This has been the most exciting day EVER!" As Pinkie spoke, she released party poppers that cracked and broke a stain-glass window pane very close to Rainbow. "Watch it, Pinkie!" "Look out!" Luna screamed, as giant shards of glass came smashing down towards the microscopic quintet, shards the size of mountains. "What are these?!" "It looks like the sky above just decided to rain glass!" Spike said worryingly, as Twilight cuddled him for comfort. "Perhaps if we climb to the top of this glassy mountain here we'll have a better view and can see where we are, and what this giant blue column is" Twilight looked up at Rainbow's immense leg that towered over them into the heavens. "Time for a hike!" Discord said happily, magically producing mountain-climbing gear for the gang. A few minutes later, they reached the peak, with Discord planting a flag with his face on it and taking a selfie with the unamused gang. Sadly, their view was not improved by much. Meanwhile, Rainbow and Pinkie were arguing about what could possibly have happened to the others. When Pinkie suggested they go back to have an open discussion with Celestia, Rainbow agreed and turned on her hooves to walk. "Ow!" Rainbow cried, as she lifted up her hoof slightly to reveal that she had stepped on a piece of broken glass. "Nice going 'detective Pinkie', there's one extra casualty" she remarked, displaying her cut hoof and a tiny trickle of blood. --- The gang screamed as the blue-cyan column descended upon them, but instead of crushing under the pressure, the shard which they stood on simply pierced through the strange surface of the column's base. The world around them became an array of reds, and with an almighty hurl they suddenly found themselves travelling at fast speed down a large tunnel, with strange scarlet discs gushing around them. "What's happening?!" Spike screamed to the others, who were just as clueless. Their curiosity only increased when the discs around them - as well as themselves - came to an abrupt stop as what appeared to be a tiny policepony ushered another set of discs from a different tunnel. Was this some sort of motorway junction?! And surely that couldn't be another pony at this size?. As they resumed their journey, Discord appeared to be smirking to himself as he made notes on a sheet of paper. "Discord, what have you got us into?!" Twilight belted at him, but he simply shrugged, thinking 'or who' to himself. That was when thing began to get really bizarre. The tunnel began to fill up with tiny cars and ponies, all forming a traffic queue! What WAS this place?! On closer inspection, these ponies had a surreal look to them; they were transparent and assumed the appearance of being almost gelatinous in texture. They were talking and shouting as normal, but how could they have found a way to shrink this much as well? As they listened closer, they overheard some of the conversation: "Come on, what's the freaking hold up?" "Typical, I got a meeting in the left kidney in 20 minutes..." "I heard there's congestion in the aorta again" "No, apparently there's just been an accident in the neighborhoof" "That's the fifth time today! Put the traffic news on" The gang were beginning to piece together a most unlikely of realities. Discord simply rubbed his hands together as they moved slowly through the traffic. Eventually Discord piped up, "Enough time-wasting, let's take a detour!" and, pulling into a side slip-road, they disappeared down another tunnel at an extraordinary pace. "Okay Discord, enough games. What is this place?" Luna demanded. "I know no more than you, princess. But if you use that royal little brain of yours, you might deduce that we are in somepony's BLOODSTREAM!" A gasp of final realisation struck the gang, as they passed under a sign titled 'Circulatory Line - Junction 17: Spleen & Pancreas, exit left'. The effects of gravity appeared to be non-existent everywhere the fivesome looked; road surfaces - and their users - ran all the way along the sides of each cylindrical tunnel they saw, in a kind of roller-coaster mesh of veins. "It's not possible..." Rarity buried her head in her hooves. The tunnel continued for what felt like ages until eventually they came into an immense opening that had them looking up in awe. An enormous brain dominated the sky, as nerves and neurons came in and out of it which gave the illusion of a lightning storm overhead. Below this, an entrance to the brain resembling a building was entitled 'City Hall'. Twilight assumed charge, determined to find out what was going on. They walked towards the doors, as all around them these strange cellular ponies went about their lives. "LOOK!" Rarity gasped in horror as she pointed to a statue in the square in-front of the building: it was a statue of Rainbow Dash. Beyond puzzlement, the curious gang went up to it and saw its plaque that simply said 'Rainbow Dash: our city, the perfect specimen'. At this point Spike stopped one of the passers-by and held him tight. "What is this place?!" "Why, this is City Hall - everything happens here, kid!" "What city?!" "The glorious City of Rainbow Dash of course son, what's your problem?" And he hurried away. Spike turned and related what he'd established to Twilight. In disbelief, the gang meandered into the building and presently demanded to see the mayor. Upon their entrance, they were surprised to see all the cellular ponies bow in respect. "It's her, the Princess of Friendship..." one of them whispered, as their request to see the mayor was immediately granted and they were escorted up into the brain in an elevator. The mayor welcomed them to his office, which was round and offered impeccable views over the area. All around were complex screens depicting various anatomical parts of the pony body, such as stomach, eyes, hoof, wings, etc. "Princess, this is an unexpected surprise. Welcome to the City of Rainbow Dash! I'd imagine the Princess of Friendship would be eager to understand her friends better, but I never would've thought you'd go this far!" "Mr. Mayor, we have no idea where we are and a bit of context would do us a great deal of help" Twilight replied. "Oh, oh I see - well, hmm...put simply, you are currently inside your friend Rainbow Dash, where since her birth we the citizens have maintained the upkeep of her body from deep within! You see, we are a fully-functioning city which serves to help Rainbow in everything she does. We've stuck with her through everything, which is how we all know who you are." A long silence followed as the gang absorbed this enlightening news. It was Spike who realised something. "Well hang on a minute - if Rainbow's 'controlled' by you all, then you'd know that I've already been inside this Pegasus today, albeit at a larger size" he pointed out, to which Rarity nodded in agreement. The mayor frowned. "Oh that was you, was it? We had some monstrous intruders this morning and it's cost us a lot of damage and repair maintenance crews' time." "Well I - wait, did you say 'intruders'?" The confused dragon turned to Twilight, who in turn faced a smirking Discord. "It was you, wasn't it? What in Equestria were you doing in my friend's body?!" Twilight snarled at him, but he merely shrugged innocently. She huffed and turned back to the Mayor. "I must apologise; it was my blasted concoctions which enabled such destruction. We really didn't mean any harm - we had no idea of your city's existence and will help with anything that was done to upset the flow here" Twilight said hopefully. The mayor smiled reassuringly, "That won't be necessary, Princess; you've done so much good for Rainbow Dash already. Things will be under control. Please feel free to explore our glorious city; you have my blessing for freedom of access." The gang expressed their gratitude and left the office. --- The first sight the quintet saw was a map showing Rainbow Dash's brain split into various official departments as if it were a mall: the large 'fears' section featured Spitfire and her parents; it seemed to be a restricted area for authorised personnel. Also on the map were a section manifesting Rainbow's subconscious desire not to disappoint her friends, a large section simply labelled 'awesomeness', a section which appeared to feature Tank and pet-care, and a significantly big section devoted to 'loyalty' - Twilight found this reassuring and nostalgic since Rainbow had displayed this virtue ever since they first met. There was also a cinema showcasing 'memories'; they sat and watched as the screen depicted the camping trip where Rainbow had comforted Scootaloo about a ghost story that frightened the young filly. When Rainbow and Scootaloo embraced in a hug, the whole cinema cheered and cried out "Rain-bow! Rain-bow!" It seemed everything Rainbow had accomplished was partly due to these citizens! It was only when they were finding their way out that a cellular filly pointed at Discord and said, "Look mummy, he looks like that great picture on the west wall!" Twilight looked at Discord with a frown, awaiting an explanation. Following signs to the brain's west wall, they found an enormous mural of Discord alright, a crude sketch but untouched by the citizens. "I couldn't resist drawing a picture, I thought it'd be hilarious" he said for himself, almost regretful once he saw the cellular ponies walking past it with the mix of disgust and appreciation that often comes with looking at graffiti. "I bet Rainbow would be pretty upset if she found out some of us were in here again..." Rarity thought aloud. Spike snapped, "How do you think she'd feel knowing all of these guys are in here, never mind us?!" Twilight chuckled as the gang sat on a bench with their backs up against the squishy brain wall as they took it all in. --- Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were back in the dining hall, having told the rest of the ponies the situation. "I'm so worried about them, I just can't get them off my brain" Rainbow said, rubbing her head, whilst Pinkie looked dejected at their failed mission. Celestia smiled at this and initiated a strategy discussion which quickly descended into an argument as ponies shouted at each other. Rainbow looked around nervously as shouts and insults were hurled across the table as Celestia tried to maintain order. Rainbow Dash knew the value of loyalty to her friends and was determined to help find them, but her attempts to steady the argument had proved in vain as even Celestia was growing impatient. Rainbow was herself nervous but was also fighting against showing it, so as not to appear weak; instead she found a chocolate biscuit left on the table from tea next to the central flower decoration and felt her tummy rumble. Inside Rainbow's brain, flashing lights and klaxons warned the townsfolk that all was not right, and soon screens set up around the town square flashed the words 'Nervous attack: citizens brace for action'. Whilst the gang tried to work out what that meant, citizens began rushing around in various places, and the gang overheard one particularly puzzling conversation: "Hey, are you gonna go to the stomach to watch the show, Cerebella?" "Yeah of course, the last one was entertaining enough!" Cerebella replied happily. "A few times today, not surprised." "That's true, hopefully everything's alright..." Rarity looked at her friends bemusedly and stopped Cerebella, who was a crisp white mare with a curly purple mane. "And just what exactly happens in the stomach at this point in time?" "Don't you remember? Rainbow gets hungry when she's nervous" Rarity harrumphed as she recalled all-too-well when Rainbow had been munching on popcorn when Spike had first fallen victim to the shrinking potions, as if it were a show. How ironic, she thought, that in reality her stomach really is hosting a show. Spike had then ended up inside the pegasus laughing at his misfortune. Poor Spikey. She explained her conversation to the others and they decided to follow the crowd. CHAPTER 3 The gang had reached Rainbow's stomach. It was an extraordinary scene; her stomach, to these cellular inhabitants, was a beachside resort and harbour, with the stomach acid playing the role of the lake / sea, and a coastline formed by built-up undigested and chewed food, above which lay a boardwalk and pleasure beach. The city skyline continued beyond the boardwalk, an entire district seemingly located in this place. There was a massive shaft above - that was presumably the throat - which lay ominously quiet. The acid nearer the shore had been nullified by a large machine nearby which appeared to be draining the corrosive elements from this cordoned-off stretch of water; the remainder of the stomach was a vast lake upon which boats and yachts sat in the distance. The gang joined the crowd on the boardwalk as Rainbow's stomach walls tightened and the lake churned up slightly; promptly a siren started sounding a warning to stand back from the shoreline and leave the beach immediately. "So, you guys can swim in the lake?" Spike asked a cellular pony nearby. "Only in this bit nearer the shore that they clean. Otherwise we'd get broken down just like the food!" the pony replied. His cutie mark was simply an eye, and he also wore a pair of glasses. Spike could only guess where this one worked. "What about the food? Isn't it so big that it causes tsunamis?" "No, the stomach lifeguards are experts at wave control." "There's a lot of food in here at the moment." "Yeah, she's been chowing down today! Haha. I just watched the dinner show, casserole looked delicious" "Was there this much sweetcorn in that....?" "Shoot, no; one of Rainbow's favourite foods! Always in here, those damn kernels. Takes the Breakdown team ages on those" At this point the sound of chewing could be heard from above and the citizens hushed with excitement. Presently a massive brown lump came flying down and splashed into the acid, causing a wave that luckily died down by the time it reached the beach. A few boats in the distance set off a few fireworks in celebration as it rose almost triumphantly to the surface. The Breakdown team instantly launched off in boats with all kinds of gear for breaking it apart. Discord turned his head and saw a large information board on the stomach wall which he told the others to look at. It seemed that the stomach was like an internal travel hub: the board displayed 'Arrivals' - under which 'biscuit' and 'pollen' were written - and 'Departures' - which showed 'casserole', 'sugar: connecting journeys to insulin central and Circulatory Line', 'popcorn' - and more interestingly - 'unidentified objects: disclaimer'. Discord deduced these 'objects' must've been him and Spike earlier that morning. "Fascinating..." he exclaimed, again making notes. As the crowd began to filter away after the board announced 'Attack averted: stay cool, citizens' , it was then that he noticed a rather unpleasant-looking mark on the far-side stomach wall near a large gate labelled 'Small Intestine Toll, Route 101'. He stopped a passing policepony whose badge bore the initials RDPD and inquired, "Pardon me officer, but what exactly is that delightfully nasty-looking thing on the wall over there?" The officer shrugged. "Oh, we've had a lotta trouble with that recently. Damn cider, it's so acidic that it corrodes even our city's stomach walls! Ours! Rainbow Dash certainly has more guts than anypony, but we make sure they're the best too - but she can't get enough of that cider!" Even as he spoke, Discord squinted and saw a construction team with scaffolding set up along the wall where they were applying various substances to the staining. Twilight was confused and asked the policepony her own question now. "Don't you recognise these guys?! They were in this place earlier today!" The officer frowned, "We had some abnormally large visitors come in and cause a horrible storm in here earlier; Rainbow Dash got a stomach ache because of it! That was you?!" He looked disappointed as Spike bowed his head and Discord avoided eye contact. "Oh well. Strange times indeed this morning. I just wonder how you did it at this size," and he walked off. Discord walked up to Spike ominously. "You haven't told, anypony have you?" Spike sighed, "no Discord. Nopony ever has to know, honestly." "Good!" the draconequus exclaimed. He then turned very serious. "We had a deal, remember. Don't you dare break it." --- The gang looked around at what was happening around them. A massive group of tourist cells was being ushered down a tunnel from a building labelled 'Liver Tours'. A large screen on the side of a boardwalk building - which proudly displayed a neon sign 'The Churner Hotel' - seemed to be depicting Rainbow Dash's own eyes and hence what she saw, and the screen was labelled 'RainbowVision'. Incidentally a small park was filled with spectators watching the screen like an outdoor cinema. A group of workers suddenly ran past the gang, wearing uniforms branded 'Mouth Sanitation Department' - they appeared in an urgent hurry as they boarded a helicopter that presently set off up the throat. "Hmmm, that could be interesting" Twilight suggested, as she spoke to the helicopter groundcrew about the Mayor's blessing and the pilot presently spoke into his radio: "Get me a chopper to the mouth, beachside in 5 minutes" The gang waited until the helicopter came, which bore the striped livery of Rainbow Dash's mane running along its side and a logo of an open mouth with 'RD-MSD' inside. As they all sat in uncomfortable silence, they watched as the beach below became smaller as they eventually rose up Rainbow's throat. They passed by a turning-off that Spike had spotted earlier that morning when Rainbow had unintentionally swallowed him, a turning to the lungs labelled 'Route 1: Exit 2 Lungs via Windpipe'. He had found it out-of-place then, a tiny little sign which he thought his mind was playing a trick on him with; it now seemed so insignificant among all else that went on in this most unusual habitat. At this point the pilot spoke up. "Any of you folks been up to mouth county before?" They all shook their heads but Spike and Discord exchanged glances. They didn't want to incur the wrath of any more workers, so remained quiet. "Basically it's a dangerous environment; we only send experienced cells here and it's generally off-limits to the public. It's our strictest border; not much gets through unnoticed. All entering organisms have to report to border control in here, but luckily for you we have a report of inactivity for the next 15 minutes. We have one public observation platform, on the base of the uvula, which is where I'll drop you off with a colleague of mine, but first I'll show you around." He then pointed out Rainbow's vocal chords as they soared over them; the gang looked out the windows curiously, thinking of all the pegasus' great quotes that had come from these mighty sound generators. Eventually the helicopter rose to the back of Rainbow Dash's throat: it was a sight Spike didn't think he'd see again, but it nevertheless remained a cool concept to him to be inside his sporty friend. The chopper flew past the tonsils as the pilot continued, "the DAA - that's the Dashies Antibodies Army - recently won a battle against the pyogenes bacteria that had tried to cause tonsillitis here, but we got 'em good!" He laughed to himself and headed towards the teeth at the front of the mouth. Here Spike and Discord recognised what they had both seen before - the various cracks and general uncleanliness of Rainbow's teeth, and, sensing this, the pilot explained how the Dental Hygiene Unit (DHU) had been depleted following a strike due to City Hall's neglect to have her brush her teeth before bedtime. "City Hall say dental hygiene is 'so not cool', hence the evident underfunding." As he spoke, the chopper flew close to a molar which had a cave in its gumline, marked outside 'Danger: open cavity'. It was being guarded by two policeponies in conversation with a member of the DHU. As they flew close to the competitive pegasus' neatly-aligned but slightly unkempt teeth, they noticed crumbs and popcorn shavings wedged between them; DHU workers were trying to pry them out with massive sticks and various tools. The pilot flew low over the tongue with its mountainous taste-buds and flew back towards the tonsils, passing the immense water reservoirs a.k.a. salivary glands, then rising to the uvula from behind. There was a small walkway to the uvula's interior which the gang crossed after thanking the pilot, but being exposed to the mouth's interior at microscopic size meant they picked up on every scent molecule in there, to which Rarity almost gagged at once the smell of apples mixed with casserole wafted up. Once inside the uvula, they were greeted by an MSD officer who escorted them into an elevator. They descended to the bottom level and the door opened to reveal a round observation platform, literally forming the base of Rainbow Dash's uvula. There was even a see-through floor in one place where they saw evidence of adaptation for the dark environment: a flashing red beacon light at the base of the uvula warned incoming traffic, and also the vast hole of the throat below had 'streetlights' along the sides in places. Twilight wondered if the red light was ever visible from the outside world. A weary-eyed cellular pony came and introduced herself as the Head of Department, and invited them to look around. All of a sudden, construction crew on scaffolding outside made themselves heard when they cursed loudly and shouted at each other; Luna went to the floor-to-ceiling glass window and asked them what the problem was. "It's this damn graffiti - some schmuck thought it'd be funny to spray this stuff at an unbearably large size." "What does it say?" Luna asked. "We had to look from a distance to read it fully. 'Discord was here'. Frankly, 'Dis-cord' can get bent. This ink just won't come off! The Pegasus herself even noticed it..." Luna turned to Discord with a furious stare. "You go out and you help those poor cells, Discord. Now." The workers couldn't hear the conversation inside, but they watched as a strange draconequus creature appeared to be being equipped to join them outside. Eventually that's exactly what happened. In his helmet and cleaning uniform Discord didn't say a word in response to the MSD workers' many questions that followed, but simply scrubbed in silence with an annoyed face behind his visor. Rarity couldn't help but chuckle. The ponies and Spike decided to leave Discord to his punishment whilst they went off to explore further. From the uvula they boarded the Nervous Line transit system and headed to the wings, changing onto the Muscular Line. --- As they disembarked in a plaza there was a station map of Rainbow Dash's entire body outline showing the various transit systems and a 'You are here' indicated at the wingbase. The plaza before them was like some kind of downtown hub, but its sky was dominated by the massive muscles and wing bones. The supracoracoideus muscle swept over their heads and towards the lightweight bones upon which the feathered wings depended. Twilight and Luna were in awe as they looked at their own wings, marvelling at how they anatomically worked first-hoof. I wonder if Rainbow knows the exact biology of these things that have made her such a successful flyer... and, ultimately, Wonderbolt? Twilight thought of her friend. There was a museum to one side, the 'Daring Do Adventurers' Exhibition' attracting a large queue of cellular ponies, and opposite was an attraction called 'Rainbow Dash: Wonderbolt Legend's Walk of Fame'. This appeared to be a walk-through showcasing various accomplishments of Rainbow Dash's illustrious flying career. Funnily enough, there were even signs to a flying squadron barracks in here. Naturally there were tons of citizens and visitors around the plaza, taking pictures and queuing up. There were numerous gyms and fitness centres and a statue at its centre, this one showing a pair of wings with Rainbow's cutie mark imprinted on them. Its plaque said: "City of Rainbow Dash: Proud Creators of the Sonic Rainboom'. The gang opted for a behind-the-scenes wings tour exclusively given to them at the Mayor's request - they were, after all, this city's crowning achievement - offered by specialist muscle-expert cells: these guys were hench themselves. "Our beauties", one began, kissing Rainbow's immense muscle beside him. "We've worked extra hard on operating these babies; ever since her birth we've had an academy for fitness cells like us to ensure these things exceed expectations." They walked past a framed picture hung up on the side showing these fitness cells with many others like them, all sharing drinks at a party where a banner above them showed that it was commemorating 'RD First Sonic Rainboom' followed by the year it happened. The cells became teary-eyed with pride and joy as the gang stopped to look at it. "Moving on", they said, continuing the tour and shaking their emotional moment away. Meanwhile, back in the mouth, Discord had managed to shake off the two MSD workers during a scuffle, and laughed to himself as he simply re-wrote his graffiti onto unsuspecting Rainbow's uvula. They'll get what they deserve for abandoning me. He chuckled as he firstly chucked his graffiti cans down the gaping throat aggressively, and then pulled out his notes and planned his next move. Rainbow Dash sat at the table and spluttered as she felt a strange taste of ink in her mouth, whilst she conversed with the group at the table, completely unaware. === A Small Issue (Part 2) === CHAPTER 4 Discord's trip up to the front of Rainbow Dash's mouth was a long and dangerous trek as he made his way through the taste bud forest that resided on her tongue. The journey wasn't as easy as he thought; coughs occasionally erupted from Rainbow's throat caused by the spray paint cans he threw down there earlier. Miraculously, he reached the edge of the taste bud forest and gazed up at the wall of huge teeth which blocked his way outside. To the left of him was what appeared to be an abandoned toll booth with a sign which read 'Currently on Tongue Forest patrol/picnic. Return time 6:00'. "Perfect," Discord said in a snide way, "This will be my chance to escape." ---- Outside, the ponies were discussing the state of affairs. It had been a while since Spike went to go find the other ponies. The castle is huge after all, maybe Spike had got lost? This long wait was starting to get on everypony's nerves, and Rainbow's continuous coughing wasn't helping the mood. "You okay, Dashie?" Pinkie asked as Rainbow wiped a tear from her eye. "You've been coughing for a reeeaaaally long time now." Rainbow cleared her throat, "Oh it's nothing Pinks - bit of biscuit might have gone down the wrong pipe." She massaged her neck with her hoof. Celestia kept checking the clock on the wall behind her. "This is taking an incredibly long time. Surely Spike wouldn't have spent this much time trying to find the lab? There are royal guards all over the place to point out where to go." This seemed to have put stress on the poor little ponies, especially Fluttershy. "W-what if something dangerous has happened to him? Discord is still somewhere out there, and after what happened earlier he could still be causing mischief" she said apprehensively. Rainbow placed a hoof to her temple. "I knew we should've turned him back to stone when we totally had the chance! He's caused nothing but trouble since he got 'reformed'", she remarked sarcastically. Fluttershy shot a glance over to Rainbow. "I know Discord might be a pain sometimes, Rainbow Dash, but he's still learning. He just doesn't know when to stop when he gets going like this. If I had spoken up to him when I had the chance, I -" stopping, she planted her face in her hooves and sighed. "....why am I such a coward under pressure?" She muffled out as Applejack went to support her. Celestia began to look impatient. "We should dispatch a search party to find them." Pinkie perked her head up at these words. "OHOHOH! Me and Fluttershy can go look!" She reached over and pulled Fluttershy's head out of her hooves and shook it in a "yes" formation. "Very well," Celestia chimed, "but if we don't hear back from you two in an hour, I will send an expert search team." "Okie dokey!" Pinkie took Fluttershy's hoof and headed toward the door, before stopping suddenly. "Waaaait a minute. What do you mean you'll send an 'expert' search team? Are you trying to say we aren't experts?" Celestia sighed and said with a soothing smile, "If you come back here in time, we'll throw you a party tonight in the Gala hall." Pinkie's eyes lightened up and she zipped out of the door with Fluttershy without another word. A giggle escaped from Celestia's lips, "That friend of yours will accomplish anything if parties are involved." ---- Discord tried to ignore Rainbow's comments on turning him back to stone that were emanating from the recesses of her throat, as he was finishing his escapade up her mountainous side tooth. Once he made it to the top, he looked through Rainbow's open-hanging mouth and took in the huge landscape of the tea table where she was situated. His sights set on the monumentally-sized Celestia that resided across the table. "I must move quickly, before Rainbow decides to slam down her chompers." Discord peered up as he gazed at Rainbow's upper teeth which took up his entire sky. Another cough erupted from the flyer's throat and continuously echoed throughout her mouth. Discord observed the huge landscape of Rainbow's maw, which to him covered hundreds of miles. Gigantic globs of saliva dripped down from the roof of Rainbow's mouth and splashed down onto the tongue, spreading the drool all along the sides of her molars. As her massive tongue rose with each breath, Discord turned his eyes upon the uvula, which swayed back and forth with every cough and breath that Rainbow took. This gave him an idea. He took his claw, rearranged his thumb and forefinger into the shape of a weapon, and aimed straight at the throat. "Might as well exit in style!" Discord proclaimed as a huge beam of energy shot out from the tip of his finger and blasted its way towards the throat. The MSD in the uvula observation centre were focusing hard on their work keeping the mouth clean: sending out workers to clear out the throat of any harmful intruders that might be causing the coughs, producing saliva in the salivary glands and most importantly, clearing that graffiti off from the observation window. Oovla, the tired Head of the MSD, stood by a window looking out over all that her team were responsible for. She'd been in this role for what felt like decades now, and the team she now had assembled at her disposal were none the wiser to the immense devotion and dedication she'd given to rebuilding the MSD's tarnished reputation. She headed to her chair and sat down wearily. "Any word on when the clean-up team will be done cleaning that infernal window?" She spoke down to her chancellors in her boardroom on one of the upper floors within the uvula. "It's currently blocking the view down to the back left molar, and I swear I saw some cracks and dents in it the other day. And where is that 'Desk Ward' fellow who was supposed to be helping with the clean-up?" Chancellor Danid spoke up , "Ma'am, we have more pressing matters to attend to than maintaining mouth upkeep. The clean-up team from outside reported that they have lost Dis-cord." "What!?" Oovla kicked back from her chair and strode briskly towards the window. "How could you just 'lose' him? What do I even pay you all for!?" A worker drone turned his head up towards Oovla, "Actually ma'am, you don't pay us at all. We don't even have a stable economy." Oovla stared him down and resumed her gaze out the window. "Send out a search party. He couldn't have gone far." She squinted out towards the entrance of the mouth, as her eyes focused on a particularly bright light in the centre of her view. "Ugh, how many times have I asked you all to stop playing with those laser pointers?" Danid replied, "Ma'am, we have had all laser pointers confiscated after what happened to Jerry a few weeks ago." He removed his hat and placed it towards his chest, "Poor guy, he was a few days from retirement." Oovla turned her head, "Really? Then what on earth -" She cut herself off, as the bright light she was focusing on seemed to have grown more in size. The light was growing as much as Oovla's eyes were widening. "EVERYPONY GET DOWN!" She made for a duck-and-cover as the entirety of the MSD followed suit. All Oovla could see was her view of the bright light approaching the window with an incredible speed, before it hit. ---- A coughing fit erupted out of Rainbow as she slammed her hooves down on the table. She coughed as hard as ever, right in front of a disgruntled Celestia no less. Applejack patted her hoof on Rainbow's back but exclaimed, "For Heaven's sake girl, cover your mouth! Y'all might not be sick, but don't be spreading your darn germs everywhere!" Celestia looked across from the table towards Rainbow, "Rainbow Dash, do you need any medical assistance? Sounds like you have a pretty nasty cough." Rainbow took a swig of the tea next to her and finished with a sigh, "I told you, something totally just went down wrong! Geez, felt like something scratched up my throat." "That don't sound like a typical case of the sassafrasin' coughs!" Applejack approached her, feeling suspicious, "Mind if I have a look?" "No, I'm fine!" Rainbow injected, "Let's just keep waiting. Besides, my throat feels tons better. Whatever was down there, I must've just hacked it out." And boy was it hacked out, alright. Hacked out at approximately 300 MPH. Discord flew through the air with a gleeful smile as his trajectory sent him crashing back down onto the table. He shook his body back up and dusted himself off, admiring his surroundings. Nearby was a giant saucer, the huge rim of it like a planet's rings above his tiny head. A cup sat upon this saucer, and it stretched up beyond his eyes could see. A large blue hoof was resting on the table nearby, and Discord could smell the fragrant apples of Applejack too. He began to manoeuvre himself towards Celestia, as he produced from Twilight's satchel his notes as well as a map of Celestia's outline. CHAPTER 5 Smoke and ash filled the observation deck. The MSD had felt a jolt that they'd never experienced before in their lives. Every cell lay on the ground, some motionless; some were in a state on the floor after the huge burst of energy that had just hit Rainbow's uvula. Out of a pile of rubble that had been sensor panels, the gelatinous hoof of Oovla burst out as she pulled herself from the wreckage, spluttering. "Danid!" she called out, "Status report - immediately!" A smaller hoof popped out from the other side of the room as Chancellor Danid pulled himself out of the rubble and surveyed the damage. "We seem to have suffered multiple casualties due to the blast. Thankfully, no pony seems to have suffered from Death's hand." Danid focused on the ground near him and picked up his glasses. "Do you suppose that Discord may have been behind this?" Oovla let out a noise of concern. "He does seem like the kind of ruffian who would cause such a thing. Send all the wounded to sick bay in the Nervous System Medical Centre. I certainly don't want any more injuries on my watch." "Ma'am!" Two globponies, one injured, raced up to Oovla. "We have news to report!" Oovla rubbed her temple, "Yes, we know...we've been attacked. Just look around you! Send your comrade up to the Nervous System; he'll be taken care of there." She walked over to her toppled wingback chair - stylised as Rainbow Dash's wings, of course - and set it upright. "N-No ma'am...we were with the re-con team that was put in charge of supervising Discord's clean-up duty to prevent his escape. However, a Ger-globin attacked us and forced us into the taste buds forest, where we split up. The Gerglobin was terminated, but once I found Johnson here - with this deep gash in his foreleg - we raced straight up here." Johnson let out a gasp of pain in addition. Oovla sat down, "Well...mind telling me where this Discord is now?" her eye twitched, "I expect that my finest men here managed to keep an eye on him despite this setback." "Tha- that's just what we came up here to tell you ma'am. We actually lost sight of him during the attack." This was quickly met by a slap from Oovla. "IDIOTS! I specifically put you two in charge as the highest ranks in my re-con team. How could you two fail me like this?!" Johnson let out another grunt of pain, "M-Ma'am, the Gerglobin was too fierce. We couldn't keep watch of Discord after we were already split up in the forest. He could be anywhere..." Oovla sighed. "Danid, send Johnson up to the medical bay, and take Tracy here down to Respiratory for questioning." Danid followed suit and placed both his hooves on the glob ponies shoulders, calling for a helicopter into his phone. "M-Ma'am I told you all there is to know!" Tracy's protests were drowned out as he and Johnson were led out of the main observation room. "Drat, he's right. Discord could literally be anywhere. TOBY!" Oovla yelled out to the command centre, "Is the relay screen still functional?" "Yes it is," Toby replied, "we should have full view of the mouth in a few seconds." After a series of beeps and boops, the relay screen turned back on. But instead of it supplying an overlooking view of the mouth, everyone in the room was met with a familiar face laughing mockingly. "Well..." Oovla's eye twitched again, "at least that confirms our suspicions of who caused this attack." She groaned as technicians got to work hurriedly rewiring the malfunctioning screen system. ---- Princess Celestia towered over the microscopic master of mischief. Discord had been taking notes all day during his explorations inside Rainbow Dash, and he intended to use his recordings to help him in his goal: conquering of Celestia. His mischievous side had won out again, and he was determined to see if he could conquer whatever lay inside the unsuspecting princess' innards. Nopony will find me, even though they'll suspect it's all my doings! This is GENious! Spike had better keep quiet.... Unfurling his notes, he proceeded to flap his mismatched wings and took off from the table surface. It was at this moment that he heard his favourite voice besides his own. "He would never do something like that, Rainbow Dash! Princess Celestia, you mustn't condone his behaviour!" Fluttershy spoke adamantly to the table, having returned unsuccessfully with Pinkie. Unbeknownst to her, her defendant was witnessing it all from right under her nose. "Discord is my friend, and if you give him a chance, he'll be yours too!" Celestia smiled warmly at this, but Rainbow stuck her tongue out in disgust. Tears welled up in Discord's eyes, in spite of himself, and he flew softly back down onto a flower petal on the tabletop. I can't possibly advocate the plans I have in mind when there's somepony on this planet whose view of me is such as that. What am I to do? He was torn, furious at himself for letting even the slightest portion of considerate essence establish a conscience in his mind, but after thinking to himself how he could right his wrongs, it suddenly came to him. Firstly, though, I've got to cooperate. Princess Cadence had joined the group sat in the Canterlot dining hall, explaining that her search parties were on standby. What with Spike's prolonged absence and Rainbow's persistent cough, it was no wonder that the blame was aimed at the truant Discord. "I'm almost certain Discord's responsible for your cough, Dash, as well as everything else" Applejack said, turning her attention to unsuspecting Rainbow Dash. She then laughed, "y'all are more outta control than Buckaroo on a mechanical bull." Rainbow groaned. "Ugh, this totally seems like his kind of idea for a joke" As if on cue, Discord appeared in the room. "Ahoho" he laughed, "who isn't ever in the mood for a joke, Rainbow Dash?" "Discord! Where have you been?" Celestia demanded, as the other ponies frowned at him. "My dear Celestia, I've been closer than you can possibly imagine. I could never wander too far from my bestest pony friend in Equestria." He shot a smile at Fluttershy, who returned one. "Ahem. I have, however, formulated a solution to our small issue - if you'll pardon the pun". Pinkie Pie jumped excitedly: "Ooooh tell us, tell us!" The two princesses nodded in agreement. "Okay, it's very simple" Discord began, "for you see, I know exactly where our pony friends have gone. To get them back, all I have to do is - " Before he'd even finished his sentence, he clicked his fingers and no sooner had he done so than he had vanished right before the eyes of all the disgruntled ponies there. "What a creep! He totally ditches again when we're counting on him!" Rainbow screamed, as Fluttershy simply shook her head. ---- Discord was back down to microscopic size having teleported back to the lab and picked up samples of his potions which he slipped into Twilight's satchel. He had left so abruptly because he knew what he had to do; he'd thought over it long enough after abandoning his Celestial takover. I need to re-enter Rainbow Dash's body and convene with the others; I must show them how sorry I am...I'll clean up after the mess I've left, and I'll show them how good a friend I can be - like Fluttershy believes - by helping to improve Rainbow! Who knows, maybe I could become a real hero in that city... He couldn't have told this plan to the ponies in the hall; it could've compromised the entire mission, especially given Rainbow's apprehension to the whole notion that Twilight's potions had put forward. To aid his quest, and in the event that his magic should fail him, he'd protected his wings from the potion by encasing them in an anti-Zeromac substance he'd tested for his own potion. Thus, he was able to fly back up towards Rainbow at a much faster pace. CHAPTER 6 Twilight, Spike, Rarity and Luna were enjoying their generous tour of the city. After their exclusive trip to the wings, they were shown a Dashies Antibody Army barracks stationed in one of her wing muscles, where many training exercises and drills were taking place. Then they had visited the upmarket district of the city: Neck Hill. This swanky neighbourhood was essentially constructed all along the inside of the back of Rainbow's neck and spine, and many famous cells from the city lived there: it was like Applewood Hills in Las Pegasus! The zero-gravity was still bewildering to them, as buildings stretched high up the sides of every wall, and in some larger veins and spaces, skyscrapers dangled like stalactites way above their heads. They had also gone back to Southside to see the area which they had first entered when the shard of ice pierced Rainbow's hoof; construction teams, policeponies and DAA troops had all been dispatched to oversee an efficient clean-up as blood had poured out and various illegal germigrants had attempted to come in - It was all like a border control, the gang thought. Rainbow had apparently put a bandage on her hoof, after a message from City Hall had told the muscle department of this leg to avoiding walking on it (this seemed unnecessary since Rainbow Dash always flaps her wings instead anyway). In this incredible microcity, the cellular ponies travelled around best by the Nervous, Muscular and Circulatory transit systems. The gang had now travelled on each line, but the Circulatory was by far the most busy of the heavily-advertised Rainbow Dash Transit Authority ("no better way to travel"). Ponies were rushing around the red-and-blue stations and cars beeped as if it were Grand Central Station in Manehattan! This route actually served both cars and subway trains, meaning there was double the congestion! Each line always went up to the brain though, and eventually the gang returned there. First they sat in the cinema to watch another daydream, this time showing Rainbow coming second in a flying race, with her parents cheering overly-enthusiastically. It was strange to see that all the audience of ponies reacted just as Rainbow had: they all groaned and muttered how embarrassing it was! Interesting, they really do all have a say in how she behaves, Twilight thought. Eventually the gang strolled through the hallways of City Hall to the Mayor's office. It was a swooping room which overlooked this hub of activity in the city, Brain Central. "Mr. Mayor, it's truly inspired. We're so grateful for you letting us roam around freely!" "But of course! You, all of you, have helped Rainbow transform into the heroic and awesome pony she is today" he replied. Just as he offered to shake hoof, his phone rang and one of the over-hanging monitors outlining Rainbow's head side-on flashed a red light on her nose area. "What is it, Marjorie?" "Sir, there's a build-up in Nasal Route 2, and news reports are that it seems to be due to that creature from earlier" "So send some RDPD there to clear it up" "They're already there, Sir. He was caught sticking up posters of himself, and 'Lost' posters asking for the very guests I believe you've just greeted" "Fine, fine - send a car for him, Marjorie, and- " "That won't be necessary, Mr Mayor" Twilight interjected, "he'll just cause even more trouble in here. We'll go to him." The Mayor nodded and arranged the car to take the gang to the nose. They sat as they made their way through twists and turns, traffic-filled tunnels and overpasses through Rainbow's internal maze of veins and nerves. "Oh, good - I didn't get enough of Rainbow Dash's snot all over me earlier" Spike said sarcastically, remembering his morning's unpleasant venture whilst the car radio churned out traffic updates. Once again they passed a RainbowVision screen, although Luna pointed out that they must be near Rainbow's eyes based on their journey's route. Indeed, their driver confirmed that they were in 'Optical Borough', and sure enough they all briefly glimpsed a sight of one of the giantess' eyes at the far end of the major thoroughfare which was the Optic Nerve. Through this eye - besides the RainowVision - they could make out what was going on outside. Rainbow Dash was sitting at the dining table still it would seem, with Celestia sat opposite, looking distressed. Speakers dotted across the Optic Nerve Boulevard blared out the conversation the ponies were having, with Celestia and Fluttershy's panicked comments; whenever Rainbow said anything the spectators would cheer. It was all just so incredible, the gang thought. Besides this tourist attraction of the eyes - with its governmental operating factories and buildings, the borough seemed to serve as the city's financial district. The carload observed a blink in awe: the whole area was plunged into momentary darkness and not one citizen reacted to such a phenomenon. This gave Twilight an idea. "We should try and contact them out there; they're all getting so worried about us." "How do you propose we communicate with them from in here?" Luna asked. "I'll need to ask the Mayor for permission, but perhaps we could force Rainbow to blink in Morse code...Princess Celestia would certainly decipher it." Twilight replied, to which Luna nodded. Through the traffic they passed the borough's Central Library, much to their surprise. "Rainbow Dash says books are for eggheads" Rarity complained, but Twilight smiled broadly. "Not every book" she replied, remembering how she had introduced Rainbow to the Daring Do series. She ordered the car to pull over - met by a groan from the guys - and ran in; sure enough, the vast majority of books available were Daring Do issues. Citizens were queuing and discussing excitedly about various stories - just as Rainbow would - and some younger cellular ponies even wore costumes or props of their hero. Hmm, Twilight thought. What I really need is a magic section. She spotted a horned librarian and asked her how she worked her magic from it. "Oh we have a very special form of magic here, Princess. I believe you have to be a citizen to possess it" the librarian explained, as Twilight groaned. The librarian opened her computer's database. "There's a book on it, which may be of help to you. Lt me see...Aisle L, R17.34w." Twilight thanked her and presently checked out the book, 'Rainbow Dash: A Magical History' . Racing back into the car of impatient friends, she preoccupied herself with a quick read. Eventually they reached the Nasal District, and proceeded to enter Passage 2, which was definitely the more congested. A sign warned "Danger: Booger Dam construction work scheduled - expect delays". Dominating the view was the dam itself: a leviathan of pioneering achievement, tall and proud, sealing off the upper nostril's passage as it headed inwards to its grim storage reservoirs. The driver pulled up and the foursome got out to find a scene of chaos, policeponies blowing whistles, drivers shouting at each other, and there in the middle...was Discord. On the one hand, they were happy to see him after a while, but on the other they were irritated further. "Discord! Can you venture anywhere without causing chaos like this?!" Luna barked. "Oooh, goodie" Discord exclaimed as he ran to hug his companions. Marjorie had been right; scattered around there lay posters of them with 'Lost' above their faces, captioned 'please contact Discord if found'. More bizzare were the posters of himself, political Obama-style posters saying things like 'Hope' and 'Time for change'. "What is the meaning of all this?!" Twilight asked, "You better have finished cleaning up the uvula." "I haven't finished there yet, no. But I have made an important discovery I wish to discuss with you, Princess. First let us get away from this madness." And he presented his protected wings as he flew them up to the top of the Booger Dam one by one. The gang admired the view of the traffic, but Discord pressed on: "the cellular ponies here have a strange method of income which depends on their host's reputation. Whatever good deeds Rainbow Dash does, whatever heroic things, the cellular ponies involved get paid." He couldn't risk slipping out his attempted take-over of Luna's sister, so he kept his lips tight at this point. He went on, "I've made observations all this time to help my campaign because I believe I can make some real changes in this city, as Mayor I'll clean up this one-horse town - heehee - to make Rainbow Dash a better pony as well!" and he triumphantly threw his arms up. After a brief pause Rarity snapped: "That's ridiculous! The Mayor is doing a perfect job and Rainbow Dash is a nicer and better pony than you'll ever know!" Spike nodded in agreement. "You head right on down to her mouth and finish what you started in there! I'll hear no more of this madness" Luna ordered. "Very well" Discord murmured, but looked visibly hurt. I'll finish what I started, alright. You'll get your comeuppance for leaving me, princess. I may not have brought myself to explore Celestia, but I'll be damned if I don't allow myself a little chaos.... He had gone from sweet-natured and well-meaning to mischievous and deceitful in a matter of seconds, the positive impact of Fluttershy's words made redundant by the cold directness of Luna's orders. As he flew off towards a toll-gated passageway signposted 'To Mouth & Throat District: restricted access' , he planted a small detonator in Rainbow's sinuses - it blew off sending fragments into the nasal hairs and leaving a large crack in the Booger Dam, and sure enough - to the policepony unit's despair - a wave of snot began to slowly sweep through. ---- Princess Cadence was talking Celestia through a complex briefing about the full-scale search party mission her guards were about to conduct, but she was not a good orator: Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat half-asleep, Rainbow Dash yawned noisily, and Fluttershy seemed distant. "...So in short, we must tend to this search immediately" she concluded. "Good. Oversee preparations" Celestia decreed calmly, as Cadence ordered her top guards in. Suddenly, Rainbow jumped up from her slump and giggled - waking not just herself up, but also a startled Pinkie and Applejack. "What in the wide world of sports are y'all playin' at, Rainbow Dash?!" Applejack demanded. "Haha I have no idea, but my nose totally tickles right now - aaa...aaCHOOO!" She sneezed loudly and even Celestia appeared surprised. "Excuse me, Princess" Rainbow said sheepishly, brushing her nose slightly with her hoof. Inside her nose, the Booger Dam Operations chief, Cyrus Sinusfeather, sighed as a crisis was averted. He had had no option but to give the order for an emergency sneeze to remove the snot which had just threatened the traffic. The cellular ponies and their cars were safe: they simply buckled up and their cars would stick to the surfaces; it was standard practice but Sinusfeather didn't like to do it because of the inconveniencing delays it sometimes caused. Maintenance teams were now cleaning the shards wedged in and around the nasal hairs, whilst others were welding the dam's crack. The policeponies were trying to bring order to the traffic, but with Nasal Passage 1 closed due to a blockage, it was still congested here. The gang were busy helping clear away Discord's ridiculous posters, and even found themselves signing autographs and posing for pictures with eager fans as they travelled by. What they didn't know was that Discord had not gone back to Rainbow's mouth. He had instead travelled to Chesterton, the district surrounding the heart and lungs. This was a popular area that had loads of nightclubs, bars and restaurants and young ponies out and about. Discord was fascinated to see that central to Rainbow Dash's heart was the Element of Loyalty, which was a physical essence in the shape of the red lightning-bolt her necklace bore, which angered his mind - She literally holds this element close to her heart, just like the rest of them. Ugh. He stood himself on a small stage assembled in front of The Aorta Apollo theatre, and began shouting his promises to change the city for the 'better', blurting out economical benefits he had constructed halfheartedly. Within minutes he found his audience had doubled however, as ponies walking about stopped to listen, and curious commuters were even slowing down on the roads above to listen. Eventually he had convinced a vast crowd to cheer him on, and he explained that he would go and propose his policies to the Mayor (he secretly planned to kick him out) to a series of cheers. The citizens were naturally delighted to see someone passionately express concern for the well-being of not only their host, but their lives too; they cheered him on as he made his way up to the brain. Entering the Mayor's office unannounced, Discord leaned in menacingly and let out a sinister laugh. After Discord had lied to him that the citizens wanted himself as new mayor, the Mayor turned to look out a window and saw a crowd of ponies singing Discord's name, holding up his 'face' posters and pictures of Rainbow Dash saying "let's make Dashie even greater". The Mayor sighed for he was old but before he could even respond, Discord simply tied him up and locked him in his own office cupboard! He then went out onto a balcony and waved at the ponies as his face appeared on monitors and screens all across the body: workers looked up from their stomach wall repairs, whilst beachgoers on the other side of the stomach saw too; residents of Neck Hill saw it on their sets; Oovla and her department looked on in horror from their offices in the uvula; even adventurous walkers in Tail County picked up the news on their radios. Not before long, Discord saw through RainbowVision that Celestia had sent Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie back to Ponyville, claiming the matter to be too sophisticated and specialist, much to their chagrin. Discord decided to make a first move that would win over more of these citizens. "As if Celestia kicked us out! This is totally our business!" Rainbow moaned as they sat on the train. "Our friends are lost" Applejack agreed. "There's nothing we can do anymore" Fluttershy muttered. "Well, I don't think so!" Rainbow stressed. "You forget, I'm the loyal one" she smirked. Fluttershy didn't look impressed as the foursome debated what to do. "Maybe if we sent out a Friendship distress signal from her castle, Twilight would come back" Rainbow suggested. "You know what, y'all? I think we should just leave it to the Princesses, if I'm honest" Twilight knows what she's doin" Applejack sighed eventually. The ponies nodded as they set off to their respective homes for the night; it was now quite late. ---- With the dispersing crowds pleased to have seen their host display her loyal virtue, Discord laughed slyly as he watched the Celestial sun set through Rainbow's eyes. Nighttime would be the perfect time to cause mischief around this City! Before this could happen, Rainbow Dash bumped into Scootaloo. "Oh, hey Scootaloo." Rainbow said, almost uninterested. "Rainbow Dash! I'm so glad I ran into you, I need your help for something" the young filly said. "Shouldn't you be in bed already? It's late for you now Scootaloo" "Well, yeah but...there's this 'big sibling' treasure hunt tomorrow, and I thought since you're like my big sis..." Rainbow smiled with smug pride, but then shook her tired head. "Scootaloo look, I've had a really long day and I need to get some rest. This is too late. I'm totally about to fall asleep any min- " Rainbow began snoring deliberately loudly as she snoozed then and there. Scootaloo nudged her awake and pressed further, "Come on, it won't take long - I just need you to sign - " "NO! Scootaloo, I'm super tired and I've already said no!" Rainbow finally snapped. Scootaloo began to shed a tear. "Okay...I guess having a big sister figure like this won't be worth having tomorrow" she cried, before running away with tears in her eyes, and leaving Rainbow Dash behind wearing a sad expression, upset to have let down her biggest fan. Of course, Discord had activated the exclusive voicebox over-ride from the Mayor's office, and had basically made Rainbow tell Scootaloo to get lost. Poor Rainbow was left upset with herself, but within her head Discord began to oversee the night-time arrangements as she, suspecting nothing, made her way to bed up in the Cloudominium. Curiously, as the pegasus curled up for the night, all the lights in the microcity were dimmed as soon as Discord activated 'sleep mode'. Going for a stroll downtown, he noticed that not only was the whole city pretty much asleep, it was also in near-darkness as only the unfortunate night-shift cellular ponies oversaw basic functions in the Respiratory department and Circulatory Line transit system. You should never really go to bed in a bad mood, the chaotic troublemaker thought. "Ooh, what a wonderful idea!" Discord chirped aloud, as he headed back to Brain Central's cinema to watch Rainbow's dream live. A few citizens were up late watching it as well, as Rainbow dreamt about the time she had been irritated by Pinkie Pie's sister Maud and her rock obsession. Having been angered before bed, the dream being generated was reflective of her emotion, presumably automated. Rainbow even grunted in her sleep, but then proceeded to snore loudly. ---- Oovla and Toby were the only ponies still awake in the MSD's uvula HQ. They stood on the lower deck and watched the front of the mouth as it opened and closed slowly with every snore. Air came rushing in and out, gushes howling around the cavernous oral cavity before it went down below the observing workers and into the Respiratory department. "Not the easiest day at the office, if I'm honest" Toby said. He was still fairly new to this job, having started work as an intern in the spleen. His attention to detail and organisation had caught the attention of the MSD and Oovla had recruited him just over six months ago, in her mission to make the mouth a safe place for the public once again. "You can say that again" Oovla agreed, sighing. They had both been startled to see Discord assuming office in the city they worked so hard to protect, and felt cheated by the system; like many others they had missed all of the campaigning down in Chesterton. Unfortunately, the Element of Loyalty reverberated in this city, and allegiance to the Mayor remained an integral part of citizens' lives here. The two of them jumped suddenly as the elevator doors 'pinged' open behind them, and Twilight Sparkle appeared with her friends. They all exchanged greetings, but then Twilight looked concerned. "Has Discord finished cleaning his graffiti yet?" she asked. "Erm, no he hasn't...I assume the Mayor thought it unnecessary" Oovla replied awkwardly. Citizens are expected to remain fully subservient and loyal to their Mayor and so neither Oovla nor Toby could say a word against him now. "What does the Mayor have to do with it...?" Rarity asked puzzled. "We're going to go and see the Mayor right now, then" Luna decided, as they headed back into the lift and caught an empty Nervous Line train back to the brain. The MSD officials didn't even try to deter them, but said nothing in weary silence, quietly hoping their visitors' enterprise would prove successful. Discord was sitting in the mayoral office, sporting a fine suit and tie, sorting out his papers in an attempt to decide which policy would keep the citizens happiest for now, allowing him to get on with his own mischief. Should I increase tourism by making Rainbow invent a new flight pattern for the Wonderbolts? Should I raise taxes in Neck Hill in an effort to improve living conditions for those in the lower South side? The former Mayor had also mentioned their continuing struggles with Rainbow's narcolepsy to him...Or maybe he could approve planning for a new night club scheduled to open in the stomach... His mind was just turning towards the under-funded MSD and their dire situation when the doors slammed open and Twilight's gang burst in. "Discord, what are you doing?!" Twilight demanded. "You've NO right to be here." "You simply can't just waltz on into a city and overthrow their Mayor" Rarity protested. "Oh, dear Rarity, apparently I can" he retorted with a chuckle. "Look at what I'm doing for this city already" he said, gesturing to the plaza outside. As the ponies turned to the window distracted, Discord pressed some buttons and flicked a switch, having decided what his first mayoral act was to be: wake up Rainbow and get her to brush her teeth. By improving the conditions of this silly pegasus' mouth, it would no longer have to remain off-limits to the public, but instead we could actually offer tours in there and I'll generate profits! He dialled the Dental Hygiene Unit and demanded a team to come to his office; just as he did this, Spike turned around. "Yeah, there's noting different out there...other than your stupid face all over the place" the dragon said bitterly, looking out at the ridiculous posters of Discord everywhere; Luna simply shook her head. The DHU team came in all of a sudden, four of them, looking grumpy at this time of night. "What the hell is this about now?!" Twilight asked, coincidentally in unison with the team's leader. "Well, I've been feeling awful for how I behaved earlier. I figured the best way to go about apologising would be to polish up this town, as I said I would." Discord exclaimed proudly. Just as Discord spoke, the News TV on the desk emitted its headline update: "A very good evening to you all, Rainbow Dash citizens, I'm Sally Gland. Our top story tonight: the vandalism problem - an MSD patrol unit reports the discovery of abnormally-large spray cans found lodged in the throat. RDPD officials have confirmed that the spray cans were responsible for this afternoon's cough attack, and were tested for prints. The results matched none other than Spike the dragon, acquaintance of Rainbow Dash and currently vacationing in the city. Anypony knowing the dragon's whereabouts should contact the police immediately..." Twilight and Luna turned to Spike with furious stares. "Spike, what in Equestria is this?!" they demanded, as the DHU members growled at him menacingly. Spike shook with fear, casting his eyes to Discord, who made a throat-slice gesture back at him. Drips of sweat glided down his scales until he could contain it no more. "IT WASN'T ME, IT WAS DISCORD!" He yelled, as the princesses simply scoffed. "Don't try shove the blame on him. He's in enough trouble already. That reporter just said your fingerprints were found all over graffiti cans!" "No, seriously - he did it and tried to bribe me to take the blame!" Luna tilted her head at him, confused. "Explain yourself." Spike sighed. Discord tried to intervene but Rarity and Twilight held him down. The young dragon began: "you see, Discord and I actually met already, when we originally entered Rainbow's body separately this morning." The girls gasped. "Discord told me that he had seen potential to start something 'special', but swore me to secrecy whilst you were all wondering where he'd gone in the meantime. I went along with it, but then I saw that all he was doing was vandalising and I tried to stop him. To reason with me, he promised me this super-cool new Ogres and Oubliettes game board that only came out yesterday! I agreed to take the blame should it be investigated, to say I only wrote 'Discord was here' to look like it was me framing him - but that was before he or I knew about this city; don't forget, we weren't this microscopic before...I didn't think it would matter so much then, but now I see the problems it caused; I should've stopped him!" He broke down and apologised, but Twilight offered her lifelong friend a hoof on his shoulder. "Don't worry Spike, you didn't do anything wrong. But YOU!" Twilight snapped at Discord. Luna stroked her chin. "Wait...then how do you explain the prints?" Discord looked proudly triumphant, knowing full-well he had cast a very basic spell to switch prints with Spike's on the cans before he'd even used them the second time. Spike had no idea, and so simply looked distraught whilst Twilight pondered over it. She said softly to him, "It's okay, Spike. Even if you did do it, Discord will still pay the punishment because of everything else he's done today." One of the DHU coughed intrusively, and Discord turned to them: "Now in a minute we're going to wake the host, and I want you at your stations because it's action time!" "We're on strike" one of the team said sulkily. They knew that sucking sugary mints wasn't enough for Rainbow to keep her mouth fresh. "Ah yes but for the very reason which I am now to rectify" he said, gesturing towards his control panel. The DHU team appeared to get the hint and looked pleased as they hurried off down the hall. "I recognised their jackets; we saw them in the mouth earlier...what are you doing to poor Rainbow Dash?" Luna asked. "Oh you'll see. Come with me" Discord ushered them out, whilst the Mayor - still tied up in the broom closet - muffled for help in vain. CHAPTER 7 Discord led the gang out to the cinema through the darkened plaza. They even spotted a couple of dodgy street criminals making transactions, presumably small-time germs and bacteria like flu or stomach ache symptoms. They reached the cinema, but this time Discord led them backstage. This was a breath-taking sight: an immense room of screens and file-cabinets, all displaying events of Rainbow Dash's life - good and bad times. The left side was distinctly nightmare-fuel events for the pegasus - even amusingly featuring the Tantabus' singing flute-playing sunflowers; the right was filled with pleasant memories. In fact, one monitor was lit up and linked to the projector; it was currently showing the time when the Mane 6 had overcome Lord Tirek after he had converted Discord and then betrayed him. "Now be very careful" Discord urged, "because if you touch anything you could severely alter her dream." The gang trod carefully before Twilight eventually asked why he had brought them here. He replied gleefully, "Well you see, I'm planning to wake Rainbow Dash up, so that she can bru - " "No! You leave her alone!" Rarity interrupted, charging at him with a fierce look on her face as she sought to defend her friend. "But don't you see, I'm trying to - " "Not a word, Discord! That's enough from you" Twilight said, and using what she'd read from the citizens' Magic book's chapter on tourism, she briefly managed to summon magic from her horn in an effort to freeze Discord. He dodged the shot but it ricocheted off a screen. The screen, which displayed the time Rainbow had yelled at her parents for cheering 'every little ridiculous, insignificant thing' that she would do, briefly lit up and suffered interference. The irony of that quote Spike thought upon seeing this, thinking of the citizens' day-to-day efforts within her, no matter how insignificant... ---Rainbow frowned in her sleep, looking pained. --- "Careful!" Discord said, but the Princess had heard enough and continued to aim at him in their anger, this time pushing him onto the screen currently projecting. It tilted the projector onto the five of them as a struggle ensued between them, oblivious to the projector shining on them. ---With a vision of her friends and Discord seemingly in a fight, Rainbow moaned and sprang up awake. "Huh?!" she looked around startled, and wiped warm drool from her mouth.---- The fivesome froze wide-eyed in horror as they realised what had happened. Even the cellular ponies in the cinema began to complain where the intended movie had gone. "Wh-what happens now?" Spike asked nervously. "We better hope my team are on the case, that's what happens" Discord muttered. ---An idea came to Rainbow, as she sleepily walked over to her sink and picked up her old toothbrush.--- Discord's walkie-talkie buzzed in his pocket. Relieved that his plan had gone relatively successfully, he dusted his hands of the matter and then flew out the room before the gang could stop him. "Dammit! We have to catch him!" Twilight urged, as they gave chase. ---- It was morning by the time the gang woke up. They had fallen asleep on a bench in a park within the Ears Valley district, shattered after the eventful day they'd had. Chasing Discord all over Brain Central had been too much for them, and so they all stretched having had a pleasant sleep. All around, this bustling city was active and busy - they realised this meant Rainbow was also awake. Luna led them to the brain, but they were stopped by some cellular ponies. "Have you heard the news?!" "No, what news?" "Rainbow brushed her teeth last night! First night-brush in weeks!" "What's it to you?" Spike asked. "Well, my husband Danid works for the MSD - apparently, the way they're heading, mouth county will soon be presentable enough for me to visit him and his section, and so will everypony else!" the two microponies squeed with joy. "This is all thanks to the Mayor; he promised us he'd help the city!" The two of them hurried off happily, and the gang observed various other groups of ponies talking about it excitedly. Even the newspapers in the nearby kiosk had it as front-page news. "So that's what he was up to" Spike said. "He was trying to do something good" Twilight bowed her head, feeling bad. "But, let's not forget Oovla's been trying that for months too..." "Heavens darling, thank goodness Rainbow Dash brushed her teeth - absolutely dreeaadful for her not to do so!" Rarity exclaimed with a shudder. "Maybe he really could be good for this city..." "Be that as it may, we still have to get out of here - with Discord. It's not right. Think how worried all your friends must be, including Rainbow Dash" Luna pointed out, and nodding in agreement they headed up the elevator once more. ---- After a difficult apology to Scootaloo this morning, Rainbow Dash had gone to Sugarcube Corner to meet Pinkie Pie for brunch, and Applejack was quick to join them as she walked past. "I seeeriously hope Princess Celestia's made some discovery or something" Rainbow said as she slouched in her chair. "If she has, we'll be first to hear about it I'm sure" said Applejack. "I just hope they're safe...it's probably terrifying being so small like that" Rainbow thought sadly. "And it didn't help that I practically swallowed Spike earlier..." "Ah well. We did whatever we could, at least. Now who's ready for some super-duper scrumptious fooood?" Pinkie said, practically bouncing off the walls carefree. "I sure am, y'all!" Applejack said cheerily. "Oh maaan, I'm soooo ready for my sandwich" Rainbow rubbed her tummy. "Oh, sandwich..." Pinkie muttered, discreetly throwing the sweetcorn fritters she'd prepared for Rainbow to one side. "One sec." Back in Rainbow's brain, the gang had burst into the Mayor's office, ignoring Marjorie's protests that 'he's in a meeting'. They confronted Discord and demanded to know where the real Mayor was: it was then that they heard a muffled bang. Spike located it and opened the closet door, gasping. Picking up the broom that had fallen over, he removed the tape over the Mayor's face. "Thank Celestia! This draconequus is a lunatic, he must be expelled immediately! This is the thanks I get for such courtesy and hospitality to you?! You...set this MONster on me so that you can take over your friend's body!?" the Mayor rasped furiously. "No, no, Mr. Mayor please, we had nothing to do with this. We separated from Discord briefly whilst we were on our tour, and he ventured elsewhere...here apparently" Twilight assured him. The Mayor needed to calm down for a few minutes after being imprisoned, and then he nodded his head. "I can't imagine you would do such a thing, Princess. You must forgive me; I'm just not used to being thrown out of office so quickly!" Marjorie then called through the open door: "I have to say Sir, city council could use a political advisor like Discord" Discord looked excitedly at the Princesses, but Luna spoke up: "I'm afraid that would never be possible. None of us may remain here; we must return to our society and our friends." The Mayor understood, and escorted them through the hall, past a cute statue of the Mane Six labelled "Loyalty pays off". At this point Twilight handed her check-out book to Marjorie, who begrudgingly accepted it to take back to the library. They carried on upstairs into a secured room, walled by squishy matter of the brain, which simply had an elevator at the end of it. Boarding it, they travelled straight to the roof of City Hall - the very top of Rainbow's brain - where he had a private helicopter waiting. "You're most welcome to return any time! We're happy to have had such esteemed guests here in the City of Rainbow Dash," the Mayor said cheerfully. "You've been incredibly kind and forgiving, Mr. Mayor. We hope we haven't caused too much inconvenience" Twilight said. The Mayor chuckled, "Nonsense, we can handle a little inconvenience now and then, haha - we are inside the most awesome Pegasus in Equestria, remember! Anyway, I must get back to work; the stomach coastguards have just informed me we've got a childhood favourite snack coming in any minute now!" They said their goodbyes and then they were off. Twilight looked out as they headed towards a narrow passage. Rainbow's pasta-potato sandwich on sourdough, I bet those muscle experts will enjoy using all those carbs... The gang discussed all the fun they'd had; Discord even admitted to leaving behind some 'tips' for the Mayor on his desk - but then Luna spoke seriously. "Neither Rainbow Dash nor anypony else can ever know about this incredible discovery we've made over the past day or so. It would not only compromise the economy and very function of the cities which presumably exist in other bodies, but also psychologically damage ponies like Rainbow. Understood?" The gang nodded, but Luna wasn't convinced by a distracted Discord. "As for you..." she began, before summoning a magic spell from her horn and blasting Discord with it. With him apparently frozen in a blue bubble, she explained: "That is just a simple static-stasis spell I read from that book Twilight checked-out. However, we'll apply a memory-erasing spell later when our alicorn magic resumes; it should make him forget most of yesterday. I'll wake him when we're out and normal-sized again." The helicopter carried them up to the Ears Valley at fantastic speed, right up to the outer perimeter of the inner ear canal, where daring hikers waved them by. "I'll drop you all off in your castle, Princess" the pilot offered, but Twilight shook her head. "That won't be necessary; you can drop us off as soon as we're out of Rainbow's sight" she said. Whilst the others looked at her in surprise, she explained. "Look: we have what we need" and she presently removed her satchel from around Discord's neck while he sat motionless. Out of the satchel came the two potions; Luna cheered gleefully as she pointed at the purple one longingly. The helicopter had now reached the outer ear, and they passed a friendly billboard stating: Thank you for visiting the City of Rainbow Dash, stay cool! ---- The helicopter flew out into the room, and the gang turned to look back at their gigantic friend in the flesh: Rainbow Dash - effectively their 'home' for the past 24 hours - was indeed munching on her sandwich, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack were enjoying brunch with her! It was great to see them again. As soon as they were out of sight down an alleyway nearby, they thanked the pilot - who took off once more in his city-seal clad chopper, soaring beyond the eye could see, back to the life he and millions of others lived completely oblivious to normal ponies. Without further hesitation they applied the potion to themselves. Spike was so happy he even kissed the ground he stood on, as Rarity and Twilight exchanged a brohoof whilst Luna completed her penal spell on Discord. Twilight ordered Spike to send a letter to Canterlot, to let Celestia know they were safe. They knew they had just experienced something they'd never be able to share with any other pony besides themselves, ever. Still, the look on their friends' faces when they walked into the room was enough to melt their hearts. Pinkie ran to hug them all, whilst Applejack and Rainbow Dash cheered them in. "Y'all made it! What in Equestria happened?" Applejack asked. "It's a long story. Cut short, we had a mix-up in the Canterlot lab and all had an argument trying to decide a strategy...eventually we travelled by feather onto a table where we were able to apply our potions and get back to normal!" Twilight explained in a fumbling fib. "Yawn, boring - I totally expected you to come back with some awesome adventure story" Rainbow moaned; Spike and Rarity exchanged an amused glance as Rainbow took a large bite out of her sandwich. Twilight sent Spike to go and fetch Fluttershy, and handed her potions over to Luna quietly; Luna presently said goodbye and headed off back to Canterlot with a still-dazed Discord. As Spike returned with Fluttershy, they all sat together and shared fun stories of misadventures of the Mane 6. "I never want to see those potions again!" Spike whispered to Twilight. Twilight laughed, "Don't worry, Spike, hopefully we won't. Next time I want to make a potion, remind me to make it a household appliance" The two laughed as the gang sat and chatted happily. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: A Dash Of Love author: FluttersForeva tags: character:Fluttershy, character:Rainbow Dash, genre:Romance, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Feeling The Love (Chapter 1) === Please know that this is my first ever story so it may not be the best, feel free to give me some tips in the comments. It was a normal evening in Ponyville for Rainbow Dash, but that was all about to change. "I'm so glad you all could come!" Twilight squealed with joy as she welcomed all of her friends into her castle. "I have been planning this slumber party for weeks!" "Eeeeek slumber parties with friends are the best!" Pinkie said with excitement as she hopped through the door along with Applejack trotting by her side. Then came Rarity, wiping her feet on the mat near the doors, "Such a pleasure that you invited us all to spend the night at this fabulous castle of yours darling!" Rarity smiled walking past Twilight and joining the two other girls. Twilight grinned and looked outside to see her yellow Pegasus friend fluttering over to the castle with her white bunny. "Hello Fluttershy!" Twilight said with a huge grin waving to her friend in the distance. Fluttershy then landed on the castle porch. "Hi Twilight, thank you for inviting me" Fluttershy said reaching in to give Twilight a hug. She then went over to join the others. Twilight stayed standing at the entrance to the castle, looking out for her last guest. She examined above to see any speck of blue dashing through the sunset sky. But no sign of Rainbow Dash. Five minutes later Twilight eyes started to hurt from her long stares at the sky. What was taking Rainbow so long? All of her friends where in the castle lounge setting up their sleeping bags. Then Fluttershy came over to Twilight. "Any sign of her?" Fluttershy softly spoke staring at the sky along with her friend. But just at a split second they both heard and saw a rainboom in the sky, along with a blue pegasus zooming through it, looking as she was gonna crash. "Rainbow be careful!" Twilight yelled waving her hoof in the air as of some type of signal to get the pegasus to slow down. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!!" Fluttershy shrieked as Rainbow got closer to the castle walls. And then, CRASH! Rainbow had slammed right on the walls of the castle above the doors. About 5 minutes after the disaster, which felt like a whole year to poor Rainbow Dash, her eyes slowly opened. She felt all dizzy from the crash and her vision was blurry for a couple seconds, but then she started to see a purple unicorn, and a yellow pegasus staring down at her. "I think she's waking up!" Fluttershy whispered not loosing eye contact with Rainbow. "F-fluttershy?" Rainbow said, her voice sounding all shaky and confused. "Twilight?" Twilight suddenly let out a huge grin and both the ponies reached out their hooves to help Rainbow up. "W-what just happened?" Rainbow said with confusion. "Rainbow! I'm so glad your okay!" Fluttershy squealed pouncing at the pegasus for a hug. "Ouch!" Rainbow shrieked eyes widening from the surprise pain. Fluttershy looked confused at first, until she noticed that Rainbows wing was bruised and twisted. "Oh my goodness! Your wing!" Fluttershy cried, gently holding up the damaged wing to look at it closer. Twilight's eyes widened. "I think it might be broken". Rainbow looked at Fluttershy, then at her wing, then at Fluttershy again. "You go to the others Twilight. I'll sort this out." Fluttershy said to Twilight, still lifting Rainbows wing. Twilight nodded walking into the castle to inform the others on what just happened. Fluttershy sent Angel bunny to grab her bags. When he returned she reached inside and grabbed a green silk bag with a doctor symbol on it. "I never leave home without my first aid kit." Fluttershy said to Rainbow with a grin. Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy, then looked at her yellow hoof reaching into the bag, lifting out some ointment. "This will hopefully numb down the pain" Fluttershy said as she squirted some onto her hoof and dabbed it onto the the broken bone with a delicate touch, being as gentle as possible. This is when Rainbow started to feel funny. At first she guessed that it was from the ointment, until she realised she was staring right at Fluttershy, and had been all this time. Fluttershy rubbed the ointment around where the broken bone was. "Tell me if it hurts." Fluttershy said focusing on the broken bone. It did hurt. Alot. But Rainbow didn't care. All she cared about was the kind pony with her hooves on her wing. "Why am I getting this strange awkward feeling whenever Fluttershy touches me?" Rainbow thought, still staring into Fluttershy's green eyes. Before Rainbow knew it, she was blushing. "You know what fluttershy, I'm all good. Just a cast will do the trick." Rainbow Dash said smiling at Fluttershy. Fluttershy raised a brow but then nodded and applied a cast and wrapped it tight, but not too tight. "Your sure your ok?" Fluttershy said still looking concerned. Rainbow awkwardly nodded trying to fight away her feeling and blushing. But then, Fluttershy put her hoof around Rainbow to walk back indoors. This is when Rainbow got dizzy, but felt really happy and she realised she was still blushing. Was Rainbow Dash starting to fall in love with Fluttershy? (End of Chapter 1) === It Starts To Get Real (Chapter 2) === "Rainbow Dash! Are you ok? We've been so worried." Applejack exclaimed, intensely waiting for a response. Rarity nodded as to agree. "I've been so worried that I haven't even ate one of my sour gumdrops!" Pinkie said shaking her full bag of gumdrops. Rainbow Dash smiled at her friends and said "I'm fine now, thanks guys". She liked the way how they all cared for her. Especially Fluttershy, but she didn't know that till just now. A part of her was happy that she broke her wing, because if she hadn't, she wouldn't of discovered this. "Why don't you set up your sleeping bag Rainbow, then we can play games!" Twilight cheerfully said, glad that her friend was okay and that the slumber party can really begin. "Oh! Uh yes ok Twi!" Rainbow said, realising yet again she was thinking of the yellow pegasus that helped her when she broke her wing. She set up her sleeping back next to fluttershy's and put on her slippers that look like her pet tortoise, Tank. "Ok girls what should we play first? Truth or dare? Murder in the dark? I must confess?" Twilight said reading her Slumber 101 book that she had used when she had a slumber party with Applejack and Rarity in the golden oak library. Pinkie Pie hopped from her sleeping bag onto Twilights and read through the games. "Ooh how about this one?" she said, pointing to a game with her pink hoof. "Telephone! That looks fun!". All the ponies agreed, and Pinkie hopped back to her sleeping bag. "Ok, I'll start." Rarity said, leaning in to whisper to Twilight. "Frienship is Magic" Twilight nodded and leant over to whisper to Applejack. "Friendship is Magic" she said Applejack smiled and leant to whisper to Pinkie. "Friendship is Magic" Pinkie stuffed a bunch of gumdrops into her mouth before whispering to Fluttershy. "Mmm.. Fwenshwip wis mwagic." Pinkie said, with her mouth full. Fluttershy giggled and then leant over to whisper to Rainbow Dash. When the blue pegasus saw her friend reach over to whisper to her, she tried to remain as calm as possible. "Friendship is Magic" Fluttershy whispered in her cute and soft tone of voice. Rainbow Dash giggled and blushed and tried to hide behind her broken wing. Everypony stared at her. "Rainbow? So what was the sentence?" Rarity said looking confused as to why Rainbow was hiding her face from the others. Rainbow couldn't concentrate on what the sentence really was, all she could manage to think about was of course, the cute pony sitting beside her. She had never felt this way around Fluttershy. Ever. As Rainbow stared into Fluttershy's glistening green eyes which were a bit covered by her long pink mane, she finally spoke. "Love... is magic..." Rainbow slowly said in a strange tone which was nothing like how she normally would speak. Everypony looked confused, especially Fluttershy. Normally in telephone everypony would be laughing at the outcome of the sentence, but no one was laughing. Not even Pinkie Pie. "Heyyy... that wasn't the sentence.." Pinkie Pie said in her normal squeaky voice but a bit deeper, stuffing more sour gumdrops in her mouth while staring at the blushing pegasus suspiciously. "Uhh.. Rainbow, are you feelin' ok?" Applejack said reaching over and putting her hoof on Dash's forehead. "What, huh?! OH! I'm fine! What I MEANT to say was.. uh.. Pie is Magic!" Rainbow yelled suddenly, not realising what she just said. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow and said, "But you hate pie?". Rainbow tried to avoid eye contact with Fluttershy. Twilight and Rarity started to whisper to eachother. "Do you think she's still a bit shocked about what happened when she crashed?" Twilight whispered to Rarity's ear. "Maybe darling, but have you noticed that she's been staring at Fluttershy all this time?" Rarity replied. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, then at Fluttershy, then at Rainbow Dash again. Pinkie Pie was still staring with a mouth full of gumdrops, and Applejack was sitting beside Dash trying to use sign language to talk to Twilight and Rarity about what the hay was going on. Fluttershy hadn't yet noticed that Rainbow Dash always blushed when she either touched her or talked to her. Peace and quiet was usually what she liked, but now she thought the whole situation was kinda awkward, and tried to break the silence. "So, what should we play next?" Fluttershy quickly said hoping that Rainbow and the others would stop acting so strange. (End of Chapter 2) === I Must Confess (Chapter 3) === "How about we play I must confess?" Twilight said, relieved that the silence had been broken. Fluttershy nodded and smiled. Pinkie Pie was always happy for a game so she squealed and hopped around on her sleeping bag. Applejack and Rarity both nodded and then all looked at Rainbow Dash. "Why don't you go first Rainbow Dash?" Rarity said, winking at Twilight. "Yes!" Twilight chirped. "Rainbow should definately go first!" Applejack started to get the hint, and played along. "What do you have to confess Dash?" she said with a mischievous grin. Rarity, Twilight and Applejack all looked at Pinkie Pie, but all she was interested in was more gumdrops. The whole pack was nearly gone. "Uhmm.." Rainbow said trying to think. "I..must confess... umm" Rainbow tried hard to think of something other then Fluttershy. She wasn't ready to confess her undying crush on her. And she knew for a fact that the others where trying to get her to do so. "I must confess I have won every race I have entered." Rainbow said with a smirk, yet this was a lie, as when she was a filly it took her ages to work her way to the top. Everypony looked disappointed, apart from Fluttershy of course. "Wow Dashie, that's amazing!" Fluttershy said grinning at her friend so big that the ends of her mouth where up to her ears. Of course this made Rainbow Dash's stomach feel all strange, as if she was riding on the love roller coaster. Rainbow Dash blushed, even though she had lied. Twilight quietly laughed to herself. She hoped that they were close to getting Rainbow to confess her love for fluttershy. Pinkie Pie went next. "I must confess, that this year I have eaten exactly 295 cupcakes in total!" she said hyper actively hopping up and down non stop on her sleeping bag. Everypony laughed at Pinkie's silly confession. Then Rarity went, then Twilight, then Applejack. And now it was Fluttershy's turn. Fluttershy brushed her mane out the way of her eyes and thought, not realizing Rainbow Dash was still staring at her helplessly. "I must confess, the reason I was absent to our normal pancake breakfast last sunday, was because I was busy helping out at the ponyville hospital, caring for sick filly's that had caught the flu or broke a bone." Fluttershy quietly said, hoping not to get a telling off by her friends. "It makes so much sense!" Rainbow said in her mind. "That's how she was so great at applying the numbing ointment on my wing and putting on the cast!" Fluttershy wasn't finished. "And after all the sick ponies were ok, one of my animals was upset because no one was including him at the sanctuary, and so I stayed with him." Fluttershy said, trying to bury herself in her mane. Rainbow couldn't believe she was hearing this. Fluttershy's confession didn't help Rainbow's trip on the love roller coaster one bit, in fact, Rainbow loved her even more then she previously did. She thought Fluttershy was the most caring pony ever, she didn't have a reason not to love her. She's beautiful, she's clever, she's caring and her element is kindness." "Gee Fluttershy. That was a sweet confession!" Twilight said, putting her hoof around her friend. "SWEET?!" Rainbow yelled hopping from her sleeping bag onto Fluttershy's. "It was sweeter then sweet! It was the most awesomeness, most epic, most spectacular confession EVER!" Rainbow squealed, pouncing onto her crush, trapping her in a tight hug. Which hurt Rainbow's wing, but she didn't care. Everypony was looking at one another grinning, knowing that Rainbow had just admitted her crush for Fluttershy without having to say it. The thing that nopony knew at that moment, was that underneath Fluttershy's mane, the yellow pegasus was blushing. It was Rainbow Dash's turn. Everypony went silent and stared at her. Rainbow was still holding Fluttershy tight. And blushing so out of control that she wasn't even thinking of her actions. Suddenly, Rainbow said it. She said what everypony was waiting for.. "I must confess..." "I have a crush on Fluttershy" === Love Is In The Air (Chapter 4 - Final Chapter) === i kinda got inspiration by "love story" for the flying in the air thing Everypony went silent. Twilight was staring, Rarity was staring, Applejack was staring, and Pinkie Pie wasn't even eating any of her sour gumdrops. Fluttershy had never looked so surprised in her life. Her cheeks were pinkier then pinkie pies mane. Her mane was somewhat covering her right eye, and then she broke a tiny smile, looking down at the ground. Twilight and Rarity started whispering, then brought in Applejack and pinkie in the whisper. "I think I should go put spike to bed." Twilight said walking out of the room. "I think I left my sleeping cap in my bags in the hall." Applejack said walking out of the room. "I should go to the bathroom and brush my teeth." Rarity said walking out of the room. "I need to go get more gumdrops!" Pinkie squeaked hopping out of the room. The only two ponies left in the room were the love birds, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. The two pegasi were silent and blushing for a solid 5 minutes. Until Rainbow Dash broke the silent. "I-I can't hold it in anymore Fluttershy.." Rainbow said, reaching to her crush and brushing her mane out of her eyesight. "I have never had a friend as awesome as you... I realized that tonight.. when I broke my wing.." Rainbow said, not loosing eye contact with the blushing pegasus. Rainbow continued. "Your beautiful, your kind and caring, it got to me at your confession, you will always lend a hoof, especially is theres a pony in need of mental care or cheering up, your also smart and would make a perfect doctor. When you applied the ointment on my wing.. I felt a tingle go through my body.. and I started blushing.. I couldn't help not staring into your beautiful green eyes all evening. I felt the love. I felt like I've never felt before..." then Rainbow stopped, going closer to Fluttershy, and finally, Rainbow said the words. "I.. I love you Fluttershy.." Fluttershy listened, her cheeks were so pink from blushing. And as the last words were spoke from the blue pegasus, Fluttershy took a move that she will never regret. She leaned in, and gave Rainbow Dash a kiss on her cheek. Rainbow Dash felt the tingle rush through her body, and couldn't believe what just happened. Fluttershy reached over and hugged Rainbow Dash tighter then any of Pinkie Pie's hugs. "I-I've been waiting for this day ever since I met you Dashie.." Fluttershy said looking into Rainbows eyes. "Your the most amazing pony I've ever met.. I've always loved your rainbow mane and your amazing personality.. we may be different but that will never change the way I feel about you dash. I love you to." After the words were spoke by the two pegasi.. they found that they were floating in the air. They both reached for the other and hugged. And then, just as the others peered through the door, they kissed passionately. "Love is in the air" Twilight said, putting her arm around Pinkie, and pinkie put hers around rarity, and rarity put hers around Applejack. "They're the cutest couple ever." Rarity whispered Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash slept in Twilights bed that night, and in the morning, the found themselves hugging. They kissed once more, and said simultaneously "Will you marry me?" The End <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Bounty Hunter's Journey: The Escape from Stalliongrad author: Jean De Basse - Woolie tags: character:Griffons, character:Original Character, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Adventure, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Profanity, warning:Violence

=== The Escape from Stalliongrad === Jean considered, in the moment, that the probability of him losing the draw to a cannibal with a two hundred-year old musket was relatively low. When the cannibal fired first, Jean was reminded that sometimes the odds are against you. The bullet slammed into his cuirass, sending the griffon soaring out of the tavern window and into the frigid air of Tsasbaatar. His breath left his body as he rolled into the street, staggering to his feet as the cannibals began to claw their way out of the dilapidated building, their sharpened teeth leering at the prospect of fresh meat. "Long way from Frosthill, bounty hunter!" a voice jeered with a pop of a musket from across the road kicking up a plume of dirt by Jean's head. The bounty hunter rolled himself back onto his stomach, barely drawing his revolver in time to punch a hole in the first bandit's head that crept too close. Jean shifted back up to his feet, keeping the weapon drawn on them. The three cannibals that remained kept their distance. "Pretty armor ya got there. Gonna look better on me!" one cannibal croaked, laughing before lunging at Jean. The bounty hunter's revolver barked twice, tearing two of his attackers nearly in half. He scrambled to the side as he cocked the hammer back again, desperately searching for the third. The last cannibal closed the distance between them with a wicked grin stretching across the broken gap where his beak should be, then drove a carving knife into his side. The clank of the cannibal's knife against his armor was the first good news Jean heard all day. A crooked smile moved the scar just over his beak as he seized the cannibal by the throat and whipped him around while his friend fired off another shot. The musket ball dug into Jean's meatshield with an audible thwap and a splatter of blood as it tore through the body only to bounce off his plate. The bounty hunter tossed the corpse to the side. His wings carried him across the street to close the distance between him and the remaining marauder in a few bounds. She descend into a hysterical fit of laughter as he slammed into her. "It was a joke, see! A joke! See! Knew you'd be fine!" The laughter did not stop the struggle; the pair grappled with each other until Jean whipped her over the head with his pistol, and the ugly sound of her skull cracking ended the fight. Jean fired two shots into her for good measure, then took a deep breath and stepped back. The cold air of the Griffon Frontier tickled his feathers and carried the quiet whisper of the icy river's current. He scanned the cluster of buildings that made up the town of Tsasbaatar. The town had some other name once. So did the river, but like most places on the Frontier, no one had asked the Yaks about them before they were driven off the land. Reaching for a cigarette from a pouch on his side, Jean set the smoke in his beak and paused. When no other crazed maniacs popped out, he struck a match. "Y'all are safe to come out now. Cannibal problem s'all well and done." Slowly but surely, the inhabitants of Tsasbaatar meandered out of their hovels. Lingering sets of eyes appeared from the decayed buildings, tavern, and occasional overturned carriage. Jean felt the beginnings of a cold sweat. He expected one of the townsfolk to decide the job was best paid by shooting him from behind. When the mayor slapped his back, he about jumped out of his skin. "Merde!" "Easy there, boy," the mayor said with an unsettling smile as he offered him a bag of bits. "Good pay for a good day's work. Tsasbaatar don't skimp no one." "I... thank ya." Jean sighed with relief as he took the bag, walking towards the broken window of the tavern. Deputies and townsfolk milled about to remove the bodies and go about their lives. He leaned down to pick up his brown, wide-brimmed hat, searching through the shattered glass and splintered wood. Knocking the thin powder of snow and dirt from it, he plopped it back on his head and ran a talon along the brim. "Don't suppose ya might enlighten me on when the next riverboat's comin' by?" Jean asked with an arch of his brow as he approached the mayor again. The elder griffon smirked and gestured to a sorry-looking barge, filled with lumber and cargo. "Another month or so, unless you're willing to pay a modest shipping fee?" The mayor pointed to the bag of bits he'd just awarded Jean with a crooked grin. "Boreas, I don't know who's worse. Ya or the cannibals," Jean snorted as he offered a talonful of coins. "Just throw in a blanket and somethin' strong to drink, savvy?" "Of course. Tsasbaatar don't skimp no one," the mayor repeated. He patted Jean once more on the back before wandering off into the decaying township. Jean adjusted his hat with a nod, retrieved his pack from the tavern, and made his way towards the river barge. With a healthy bottle of cheap liquor and a thick blanket made from a possibly-sentient hide, the griffon curled between a crate of crystals and a shipment of iron. At the same time, the boat lazily pushed off from the pier. Beneath The gentle river rolled and churned beneath as he drifted east towards home and another hunt. "Enough!" Governor Muck's voice silenced the turmoil of the cramped room in the Frosthill town hall. A guard outside the room briefly poked his head in before an empty glass pegged by Muck shattered on the door and sent the griffon scampering away. "Weter has refused to grant us any additional funds; Teafeather has left us out to dry! All the ideas you've offered have been nothing short of treason or utter incompetence! Selling out to Virgil and his goons? Embracing communism? Attempting to marry me off to the cannibal's fucking queens? To one of their kings?!" Muck roared once more as he held a cluster of papers in his claw, slamming them down onto the table as he glared daggers at the assorted advisers before him. "We have no other options short of selling Frosthill itself back to the Yaks to pay off our debts," a particularly rotund and angry-looking griffon said with a ruffle of his feathers. "There is no hope. We are up a creek without a paddle! Virgil's thugs have seized our arms shipments, stolen our supplies, and turned the territory against us!" "Our howitzers are made out of wooden logs and our machine guns are empty; I know," Muck said as the griffon sank back into his chair as the fight drained from him. "Does anyone have anything?" "Rockfeller's daughter is still missing," a well dressed, albino stallion said. His suit was far too fine to be from Frosthill. Muck rose to ask who the hell he was before the stranger spoke again. "She was seen last running south towards Stalliongrad. She jumped ship in Weter last week. Rumors from Las Pegasus say that the bounty has tripled. Her father is paying an emperor's ransom for her safe return: more than enough to keep the Frontier afloat for the next ten years." "And…all we have to do is be the ones to return her," Muck said with a slow realization as the stranger nodded in silent confirmation. "Anyone left in our pocket who is up to the task?" "None in your pocket," the stranger said, looking over the rim of his glasses as sharp red eyes flicked back to Muck. A small folder slid across the table to the Governor, "Jean De Basse, contracted hunter, bastard of an Aquileian exile. Just completed a job up in Tsasbaatar. Most of his pay is coming back to you anyway through intermediaries at the bounty hunter's guild. De Basse is in outstanding debt due to a penchant for gambling and the finer things in life accrued in Skyfall five years ago. Buy his debt from the Skyfall Federation and I'll take care of the rest." "What choice do we have?" Muck sighed, rising from his seat. "I will see to acquiring his debts from our friends in Skyfall…and let us have a toast. The year 1008 shall be our salvation!" Glasses were raised, the gods thanked, and Muck let his worries slip away into the bottom of a bottle as a message was sent to the bounty office on the edge of town. The last conscious thought the Governor had was a small prayer that the bounty hunter would succeed and that the Griffon Frontier would be saved. The stranger adjusted his suit, placed a bowler cap on his head, and tapped his cane against the ground before disappearing as quickly as he had arrived. The heir would be found, and all debts paid, one way or another. Frosthill was the biggest "city" in the Griffon Frontier. A bustling hub of defanged cannibals and corrupt bureaucrats festering on the decades-long decay of the region. A decrepit wall surrounded the city's limits. Built back when the name 'Grover' meant something and the Griffon Empire's reach could actually be felt. Brothels, taverns, and banks lined the dirty, cobblestone streets as far as the eye could see. The filth of the city outlined by thin street lamps and the occasional neon sign, its denizens milling about in the soft light. From a distance, though, it was strangely charming and brought a smile to Jean's face. It was not quite home, but it was home to the bounty office. That was good enough for him. Lifting himself back up onto his talons, the griffon leapt from his nest between the crates. He skipped across floating ice chunks in the river, his armor too heavy to allow him to truly fly, but jumping and gliding? That was not out of the question, and it beat having to chip in with the docking fees that the boat's captain would inevitably try to wrangle him into. The Frontier was falling apart at its seams and every griff was trying to make a bit of coin before whatever storm reached them first: the Yak's raids, the dreaded Communists, or even the whispers of Virgil's minions coming in the night. All of which were particularly interesting to the newspapers but were of little importance to Jean. In his expert opinion, the newspapers were really only good for leads. "Good wipes too in a pinch," he mused under his breath, the griffon landing with a grunt on the shore. Running a thumb along the rim of his hat, he began to wander the winding streets. A makeshift gate, made from a gash in the crumbling walls, served as an entry point. A tired guard raised an open claw in silent greeting as he passed into the town, the poor griffon so overworked he forgot to ask for a bribe. The chaos of working mares catcalling from windows of their hovels and the rallying cries of extremists preaching from their corners met Jean as he turned down each block and street. One preacher after another promised salvation as others promised the goods they sold were fully legal. The nearly lawless city was only kept in order by the guards posted on roofs, their beaks staring down at those below. No lawbringer willing, of course, would step onto the streets below. It was a good way to get shanked by a disgruntled settler or aspiring revolutionary. The occasional pop of a rifle cut through the noise of the city, quelling dissent that grew too loud or rabble that became too radical. The Bounty Office itself was tucked away between a general store and a whorehouse, with an inn across the street. All its clientele ever needed just a few steps away. The familiar face of a tired mare with a pastel red coat smiled at him as he entered. "Palm Trees," he drawled out in his thick Aquileian accent, removing the hat from his head as he dipped it to her. Jean wore a relaxed smile, presenting her with the bag of bits and his contract's receipt. "Ya aren't lookin' a day over thirty. I've come to collect on the job up there in Tsasbaatar. Got the payment all squared away, and I'm here for the card." The stubby snout of the mare looked at him with a weary smile, motioning for him to set the bits on the counter as she shuffled around to produce a thin punchcard made out of tin. Sliding it into a press on the back of the wall, she cranked the old HorseCo brand machine to life before it punched a perfect hole next to a row of others on the card. "Another one down Jean. How many more to go?" "At this rate?" he asked with a snort as he counted out half of his reward, Palm Trees arching her brow at him as she held onto the punchcard before clearing her throat. Reluctantly, another quarter of the coins were counted out and slid to her personally; the cost of doing business had gone up. "I reckon another ten years 'fore I can show my beak in any city that don't got a cannibal problem again. Damn this debt and damn the cards, Palm." Finally setting the metal punchcard on the counter, she slid it towards him. "I ain't a cynic, but I doubt we're makin' it another ten years. You know that one certified stamp from the Intercontinental Guild and that'd be it. Wouldn't have to worry about that debt if you signed on proper. Get a chance to get outta here before the storm comes." "I could even put in a good word if you are willing to handle a few personal favors," she added with a grin, the older mare offering him a flash of sharpened teeth. The life of a cannibal was never kind to her features, even if she had reformed, some marks that never healed. "Nothing a griffon like you can't handle, no?" "Flattered, as always Palm," Jean said with a light chuckle. "But, my maman always said I shouldn't go stickin' nothin' I wouldn't want to lose in places that are pointy...'sides, I ain't tradin' one master for another in the guild. I got an ocean between me an' Skyfall, I wanna keep it like that." "Jackass," Trees snorted out with a shake of her head. "Don't say I didn't try to save you from any trouble. Got a contract for you, specifically you. It ain't guild approved." "Thought ya didn't give out illegal cards," Jean asked with an arch of his brow as he tucked the tin punchcard into his satchel. "I don't do them illegal cards either." The mare offered a crooked grin, holding up thin metal card dyed completely black with only three holes punched into a straight line. "It ain't illegal if the administration approved it. Straight from Governor Muck himself." "I don't care if it's a Black Card, Palm," Jean said as he shook his head. "The guild isn't touchin' it, why should I? Something 'bout that there is crooked. It's just gonna be rougarouin', why stick my neck out more?" "Because the Skyfall Federation sold your debt," came a prim and proper voice rolling from the corner of the room. A gangly stallion flicked the newspaper in his hooves down to stare at the bounty hunter. The pony's coat was completely white, almost like snow, with glaring red eyes that were just as cold. "The holder is now the legal government of Weter, controlled in absentia by Governor Muck and his administration. You are now a liquid asset." "Liquid?" Jean asked with a short squint, the griffon adjusting his armor and the oversized jacket hanging off him. Any discussion of his debts usually had him wanting to throttle someone, and there were fewer and fewer consequences he could think of for throttling the prim and proper suit before him. "Means you can be converted into a quick payout," the albino said with a slow nod of his head, as if he was educating a child. "Upon your reluctance to perform the contract, of course. Failure to complete your task could have the administration use you for militia target practice, or sell you to the Free Corsairs as a breeder, or even to the Zebras as a laborer. All legally without repercussion." "Jean De Basse, this here is Edwin Clay of General Petroleum," Palm grunted, pouring herself a healthy glass from a bottle behind her counter. "Fella' that's paying Muck for the contract." "The Black Card is a contract in excess of a million Equestrian bits, and this one is much…much higher than that," Edwin added with a slow nod of his grim features. Jean found himself surprised at the sheer height of the pony once the stallion lifted himself out of the chair. Edwin towered nearly a whole head over him, the corporate stooge taking only two long steps forward to stare down at the bounty hunter over the rim of his shaded glasses. "My presence is to remind you of one thing: your life depends on this contract. I am representing perhaps the only other soul on this continent more invested in your success than Muck. You are one of many, you have competition, and they have a head start." "And y'all don't care if your contractors kill one another in the process," Jean said with a slow nod of his head. It explained why the guild would not touch a Black Card. There was such a thing as a bounty being too high. The guild would destroy itself in the process from the sheer competition; Jean had heard of chapters tearing themselves apart when Black Cards came in. "Precisely," Edwin said as he placed a bowler cap onto the top of his head, a cane appearing in his hoof seemingly from nowhere as he tapped it to the ground. "As it is in our best interest to see you succeed, you have been given a train ticket and a destination. Your mark was last seen in Nouveau Aquila attempting to contact smugglers to get her to Azkaban." "The Red Island?" Jean mused with a short grunt. "I got any time to set affairs in order before I travel to the paradise of the workin' pony?" "Two hours is generous enough, no?" Edwin said as he tapped his cane and offered the tickets to Jean, along with a folder of the contract's details. The well dressed pony exited the office as quietly as he appeared. His voice carried at almost a whisper as he left, "We will be watching, Mister De Basse." "Should I even ask about my room?" Jean said with a slow shake of his head as he placed his hat back on, running a thumb across its rim. "Property of the administration now, the suit closed you out this mornin'," Palm said with a small shrug from behind the counter, the mare offering a sympathetic smile of pointed teeth. The mare set a ruck on the counter: all the griffon's worldly possessions packed into an old bag. "Not a lot of you featherbrains worth a lick of salt, but you do good by folks. Best of luck Jean. Don't get yourself killed out there, alright? Freedom ain't always what it's cut up to be." Jean paused, raising a claw to tap the rim of his hat to her. As he moved to take his ruck from the counter, he supposed he could not blame Palm for what was happening. He could chew her ear out something fierce for the lack of warning, but he was not about to fool himself into thinking she had not been paid to bite her tongue. She even tried to give him an out with the guild; she never did wrong by him either before this. Friend would be a generous word, but he would not be in the Frontier again, one way or another. "C'est la vie...I got two hours, Palm. I reckon that I 'ought to settle up on those favors ya pester me about, right?" He said after the long pause hung between them. "I've got more gin in the backroom. Go ahead and lock up for me," Palm said as her ears flicked in anticipation and the smile grew on her features as she polished off her glass. "I'll make sure you get to the station in one piece." Four hours, several bruises, two empty bottles, and one missed train later Jean paid out of his pocket with the bits Palm gave him to slum in a freight train's cargo cars to Nouveau Aquila. The ride was rough and unforgiving, but Jean considered it a respite to what he endured that day. Getting fucked by old debts, one way or another, wore him out enough to find a bit of sleep as the train car lurched along. The rattle of boxes and glass soothing him to sleep. Some rest for the long journey ahead. Nouveau Aquila itself was a blur, Jean's short time in the city spent seeking Clay's smuggler to take him to the island. Eventually he found himself having to enter one of the "Red-Sympathizers" clubs in the city, lying through his beak about being a wandering knight that wished to escape the monotony of capitalism and the oppressive regime in Weter. A few hundred bits later he was loaded up into a cargo freighter in the night and sent off to his "freedom" as the pony-trafficker so boldly said. Another night spent huddled between cramped boxes gave him time to think at the very least. He hardly had a chance to read over the file Clay gave him as he had scampered through the streets of the Aquileian Quarter. He picked through it as the ship rolled through the waves, memorizing every detail he could. The mark was a mare, went by the name of "Paddy." Her cutiemark was a yellow rose resting on her brown coat. The occasional white splotch made her stand out in the photos from the folder. Her black mane was tied up in a bun, almost like the ones from the pin-ups from 'neighsha' dancers in Lake City. Bright amber eyes stared up at Jean from each picture; Paddy held a rebellious fire in her from what he could tell. Considering almost every photo in the file was a mugshot, it was a fair guess. Beyond that, there was no extra detail: no background, no prior jobs, and no family name. Pocketing the photos and burning the rest of the file, Jean knew all that he needed to: take her alive, bring her back to Frosthill. It was a task easier said than done, the ship's horn rousing him from what little sleep he stole after burning the file. Looking out the porthole of the freighter he could not help but let out a little chuckle. A great obelisk stood in the center of the island, a massive red flag that seemed to defy gravity fought against the winds. Jean skeptically eyed the monument and the bright yellow hammer and horseshoe on the flag's surface. "I wonder if they are compensatin' for something?" The Island of Azkaban, the pride of Stalliongrad. The worker's paradise. The shining example of what could be to every passing freighter leaving Manehatten or Nouveau Aquila. They were, of course, met with armed guards when they were herded off the ship. Jean stood among the other hopeful and desperate souls who paid the smuggler out the nose to escape here. They shifted their feet nervously as the guards stepped towards them, one among them stepping forward in an outlandish, black leather coat. "Comrades! Welcome to your new home!" bellowed out the officer, his brown uniform adorned with a few blue stripes along the rim of his cap instead of the red the others had. "I am Commissar Coal Train, please follow my commands so we can get you all organized!" Jean could feel the gaze of the guards on him alone; the scarred and armored griffon stood out among the significantly less armed huddled masses. He fit the profile of his cover, an errant knight seeking new purpose, but he was still the only armed one among the refugees. He kept his head low and covered his face with his hat, following the others as they were herded off the docks towards a set of clean looking buildings. Jean could almost swear he heard the monolith groan against the winds, the shadow the flag cast hung over them as the guards took them to processing. "Occupation?" Commissar Coal asked from the other side of the desk, a unicorn mare beside him using a typewriter to quickly transcribe everything that was said. "Former gallant knight," Jean said with a wide smile, lying as he shifted in his seat. Stripped completely bare down to his feathers, the griffon felt naked. "Reckon I can get my armor and piece back sometime soon? I'm feelin' a little exposed…an' with such fine company present, I'm sure we all just want to get on with today." Jean winked at the mare, flashing her a smile as he flexed his wings a bit. She giggled and the commissar's eyes rolled so far back into his head that for a moment Jean thought he gave him a stroke. "Reason for your arrival?" The commissar asked with a cant of his head, the stallion's eyes snapping back to him with a long glare. "Freedom. That's the whole point of all this right? Give me ya me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearnin' to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teemin' shore?" Jean said, another lie on the pile as he quoted one of the preachers from back in Frosthill. "At least you've read the materials," the Commissar snorted. "You do not strike me as the type to travel all the way from… Aquileia for philosophy alone. Who sent you?" "No one," Jean said simply, shaking his head once. The commissar was fishing for deeper motives; he would give what he wanted, but just not the whole truth. "...I knew this broad, well, this mare…Paddy...from back home. Met her in Nova Griffonia, beautiful amber eyes. She ran off here after an argument with her père. I'm tryin' to see her again...make things right." A pause hung in the air, Jean took a deep breath and thought a silent prayer. The mare let out another giggle, her voice rolling out sweetly, "Comrade Coal, his story checks out with that mare that ran through here the other week. The one named Paddy from Nouvelle Aquila. Why don't we let him through? The revolution could use a few more families after all." "Sergeant, you have a good soul," the commissar replied coolly, resting his hooves on the table before gesturing to the door. "And…who am I to stop a wanting heart? Mister De Basse, welcome to Azkaban. I hope you find your friend and your freedom in paradise." Jean let out a long sigh of relief, rising to his feet as he offered a genuine smile to the pair, "Thank ya kindly, I'll be makin' my way to her place then…I don't suppose I could get some help with that, actually? Letter she sent me just said she was comin' here, not much else." "Sergeant Cream here will give you back your personal effects, I am sure she could give you Miss Rose's address too," the Commissar said with a smile as the Sergeant rose from her seat, motioning for Jean to follow her from the interrogation room. "Glory to Stalliongrad, c omrades." "Glory to Stalliongrad," Jean said as he offered a crisp salute and followed behind the mare, a light chuckle leaving him as the door closed behind him. "...and you did not detain him?" a low male voice growled out over the phone to Commissar Coal, his tone quickly losing its patience. "No, c omrade…I did not think it was wise to take any action, not yet," Coal said quickly. "If we act too rashly, we risk upsetting the peace. The sergeant is outside of our control. We cannot let word of the party stooping to…ransom to get out." "Then Paddy Rockfeller dies in the struggle, Commissar. A martyr to the party," the voice grumbled before snapping once more. "...I understand your discretion, but such inaction in the face of our enemy cannot be tolerated. You have let the snake into your home, Coal. I hope you know what you are doing. If you're wrong about this, it will not just be the corporate crony's head I take. Understood?" "Yes, Comrade Serov. I will alert our agents," the commissar said after a long pause. Hanging up the phone, a shaky hoof reached for a pack of cigarettes. Coal stole a moment to compose himself, lighting the smoke up and taking a long drag. Picking up the phone again, he gave the order: "Send word to the safe house, they are receiving company." "Take care, Jean," Sergeant Cream mused with a wink, sliding him a small slip of paper. A phone number, one separate from the one that she had given for Paddy. "...is this?" Jean intoned, looking at it before nonchalantly tucking it into his pocket. "Let me know if things do not work out, comrade," Cream added, blushing under a smile. "...take care, sergeant," Jean fumbled, exiting the immigration office nearly tripping over himself as he stepped out onto the streets of Azkaban. The streets were paved and clean, automobiles rolled down them in a rainbow of colors. Identical buildings, each with their own respective flair, lined the streets. The occasional different build of the modular housing broke up any monotony. A red flag hung from every window and a mixture of all the world's races walked the streets as equals. For a moment, he was in paradise. Market stalls overflowed with food. Through a store window he saw the exchange of a HorseCo radio for a hooful of bits. A minotaur surprised him with a smile, offering him a cup of coffee with the only price being a polite, "Thank you, comrade." A plane, a real plane made sometime in the last decade, flew overhead with a quiet hum. Everyone on the street craned their heads up to watch the aerial acrobat tear across the sky. The din of a radio broadcast playing the hymns of the martyr Comrade Steel played softly from speakers on each street corner. Jean could only take a creeping sip of his coffee as Azkaban washed over him. It was everything that the pamphlets and preachers promised: a worker's paradise. He could forgo the contract and make a life in this place. Weter would not find him here nor would the vengeful General Petroleum thugs. His contract would be null and void, hidden in the sea of socialist wealth and other refugees. A pay phone sat on the corner, a mare's number in his claw. Freedom, a new life, and a warm bed was just one call away. He looked up to see if Boreas could give him a sign and saw the guards posted on the roofs. They stared down at those below, cradling their rifles as they scanned the crowds. He greeted one pair with a slow wave, only to be met with the subtle shake of their heads. He noticed then the music did not stop, the same hymn droned on repeat. Jean double-backed to the first shop he saw: it only sold radios and only one kind of radio. The same could be said for most shops he passed, they sold a single item. The price of everything was the same per store: one sold toothpaste, the other pencils, another small pallets of canned rice. The entire city center was a bloated general store. Jean could not wrap his head around it. Paradise was not armed guards and one kind of toothpaste. Azkaban was a gilded cage where there was no room for want or excess. It was not a place of equals, but a place of enforced equality. The splendor of paradise left as quickly as it arrived as he stormed through the perfectly curated streets. The drone of the radio and the engine of the plane in the sky nipped at his heels. He found his resolve in the shadow of the red flag and only one thing was important now: "Find the girl and get out." There was a certain, if not palatable, annoyance in trying to find Paddy's apartment. The homes were patterned in a way to not look similar at a glance, but Jean had found the pattern in the modular buildings. After every fifth one, it would revert back to the first. A local told him these Revoltsovaeby were proof that everypony could have a proper home! Jean frowned at the thought of trying to squeeze the minotaur he saw in the square in one. Everypony was right, but not everyone. Eventually, he found Paddy's block. It was red, of course, with a soft blue roof. He buzzed himself in and reached her apartment in a matter of minutes. It was at this point, he realized, he did not have a real plan. "Kidnappin' is out of the question," Jean mumbled, knocking once on the door. "Rather not find freedom facin' a firin' squad. She's gotta come of her own volition..." He had never heard of ships leaving Azkaban either, so chartering a ride out even if she was willing was not a real choice. There was that plane he saw earlier? He did not know how to fly, but someone on the island did and it couldn't be that hard— WHUMP A hole was shot through the door in front of him, a cuirass full of a slug threw him back against the wall behind him. A short squak left his beak as his world began to spin. The remains of the door flung open as two stallions yanked him into the room. "Dumbass! Don't shoot him! Don't! We need him dead inside the room!" "I think he heard us taking care of the dissident, didn't want him to have the chance to draw on us," a stallion grunted in return, quickly moving to shut what remained of the door and use his overcoat to try and hide the damage. The other knocked Jean around with a club, keeping him pinned to the ground under his hoof. "You are both incompetent," a mare said flatly as she walked into the room, glaring as she used her magic to levitate in a squirming mare with a yellow rose on her flank. Jean's eyes went wide when she was dropped down next to him. Bright amber eyes stared back at him with equal surprise, her sharp features livid as she twisted helplessly on the ground with a chorus of muffled curses spouting past the gag. "How does the commissar want us to make this look?" one of the stallions asked, adjusting his brown uniform. The blue fabric along its edge caught Jean's eye as he began to stir slightly. He moved a talon towards his sidearm before the club struck his beak and sent him reeling back in pain with another unseemly squak. "The daughter of Rockfeller martyrs herself killing an enemy of the state sent to tear her away from the revolution's bosom," the mare said as she drew a small knife from her side. "Which means you kill the bird with this, then you take his gun and shoot her. Three valiant officers come across the scene, take photos, alert their superior, ya-da-ya-da-ya-da…the Revolution has another hero." Rockfeller, that explained a whole heap about the intrigue around the contract. The trio continued to bicker among themselves, Paddy began to squirm harder in desperation. Jean caught a glimpse of her pulling a hoof free as he choked out, "W-wait..." The mare offered him an apologetic look as she yanked his pistol from his holster. Paddy wore a silent smile as she aimed and pulled the trigger: Click. "...you bitch," the female officer seethed as she narrowed her eyes. The mare's anger boiled over as she lunged at Paddy with the knife. The stallion on Jean's throat scrambled to meet her, dropping his club as he kept her from skewering Paddy, "Ma'am! The ransom!" Paddy let out a muffled scream, pegging the revolver at the pair. It missed, sailing over their shoulders to strike the third one on his snout with an audible crack. The shotgun in his hooves shot wildly into the ceiling as Jean scrambled across the floor. "Shit, you whore!" screamed the one with the shotgun, racking another slug into the chamber as before holding his broken snout. His tirade was interrupted as Jean seized him, snatching the gun and cracking his skull with its stock. Jean pumped two slugs quickly into the other officers, their bodies flailing wildly before crashing to the ground in an ugly mess of gore. He fired off another shell into the last officer who laid twitching and groaning on the ground, tossing the shotgun away before moving to settle a talon around the gag in Paddy's mouth. "Before ya start, I'm Jean…been sent by one Eugene Clay to get your ass back home," he said as he started to take out her gag, the name 'Clay' instantly turning muffled thanks into another vile storm of curses. Immediately, he put the gag back on as she punched her free hoof helplessly into his armor. "Listen right quick," he suggested as he kept the gag there with a narrow glare. "Ain't my business to your filthy rich family's woes…but we need each other to get outta this rat's nest alive, chere. Friendship is magic, savvy? Nod once and the gag comes off." She glared, staring at him as if he were Maar himself, but ultimately nodded once. He removed her gag with a smile. She replied by waving him away with a small hiss, using her hoof to pluck away at the rest of the rope to free herself. It was an awkward process, but a prideful one, "...thank you." The clamor of worried tenants opening and closing their doors could be heard easily through the barely covered, gaping hole in the door. Jean stood back up, staring at the door as he asked a slow and hesitant question, "I don't suppose ya know a way 'outta Azkaban? I saw a plane earli-...what are you doing?" Paddy stood over the torn bodies of the officers, stripping the bodies of their uniforms. The griffon arched a brow as he leaned down to pick up his revolver and hat, placing the latter on his head as he ran a thumb along its brim. The mare caught his glance as she was tugging on a pair of pants, "What? Between the three of these thugs we have at least one full uniform that isn't completely covered in blood. Toss me that coat on the door, if you wouldn't mind?" Jean did as requested, tossing her the leather coat as she buttoned up a bloody shirt. He looked through the hole in the door, greeting a small, hunched old mare who stared at him with wide eyes. Clearing his throat, he gestured to the damage, "...official party business, comrade." The old mare skittered away with a dozen worried nods and hushed prayers. When Jean looked back Paddy had finished. The ostentatious overcoat covered most of the damage and she carried herself with enough authority to make the disguise work at a glance. "Ya are awfully...calm 'bout all of this. Are we sticking with chere or you wanna be Miss Rockfeller ?" The mare placed the least bloodied officer cap on her head, taking a moment to secure a sidearm from the bodies. She checked to make sure the pistol was loaded this time before sliding it into her holster. "Paddy will do just fine, been doing this since I was a filly." "Ya been puttin' on dead ponies clothes since you was a kid?" Jean prodded with a rather bemused tone. "No, I've been doing this crap! Sick of being used as a pawn, dammit. Getting my hooves dirty by just trying to keep them clean!" she said gesturing to the chaos around them as she stormed out of the apartment without so much as a second thought. Her uniform scattered the small crowd of scared tenants that had settled outside of the door in an instant. Jean chased at her heels, offering an apologetic smile and tip of his hat to those in her wake. "Maar's scaly cock, slow down," Jean hissed as they rounded a corner. "What'd ya mean pawn?" "I'm a bargaining chip, you feather brain!" she exclaimed with an exasperated sigh. "Those idiots have been holding me there for days for a ransom! It doesn't matter what flag they fly, they're always just after the bits!" "So the Reds are bad news and we're all awful folks, this ain't no big surprise," Jean said with a roll of his eyes as he jabbed a talon at her. "I...thought they'd be different! I needed them to be different!" she punched him in the chest with a glare. Her amber eyes burned like fire and Jean was not about to snip at her again. "...and I need you to get outta here, Paddy," Jean relented as he shook his head with a sigh. "Sorry I ain't what ya need, but I'm all that ya got. I promise ya right now I ain't never gonna lie to ya. I got your back." She stopped in thought, looking at him with a genuine smile cracking on her face. "You said you saw a plane, right?" "I still like my boat plan a little bit more if we're bein' honest here," Jean admitted as he tapped the brim of his hat, taking a deep breath as he looked back around the hanger's wall. Night fell fast after they managed to break away from the apartment blocks and the city stayed quiet. Azkaban was the picture perfect society and because there was no crime, there could be no roadblocks or lock-downs. But there was a sudden flood of guards and police performing surprise ID inspections. Paddy, thankfully, was the spitting image of the officer they left bleeding in her apartment. Her ID passed cursory inspection and no guards were willing to stop her in the officer's uniform. "Too many guards, Jean. Besides, neither of us knows how to drive a boat and at least one of us knows how to fly a plane," Paddy answered, adjusting her coat as she drew her sidearm. "You want the one on the left or the one on the right?" "Neither," he said with a shake of his head, making a short 'tch' sound. "Gun is gonna make some noise and I'm seein' some blue on those uniforms of theirs, don't think they're gonna fall for the 'escorting-a-prisoner' act." "Then I'll bat my eyes and turn on that old Southern charm," she chuckled with a dark smile. "Don't hesitate, I'll give you some time to close the distance." "Boreas help me," Jean muttered as she sauntered past him into the hanger. The two guards stood beneath the shadow of a large bomber and began to drift towards her with weapons raised. Paddy said the plane was a DB-3 or a DB-1, but all that really mattered was it had enough range to get them out of there fast. Spreading out his wings, he flipped his revolver around in his claws to hold it like a crude club. The shouts of the guards turned to hushed whispers followed by the sound of hoofsteps drawing closer, "...fine, fine...I'll take the watch, just tag me in when you're done!" A talon yanked the stallion's throat as he turned the corner. It was quick and violent, the muffled sound of a pony being bludgeoned to death drowned out by the drone of radio propaganda that hung in the air. Jean bounded into the open hanger. The last guard was too busy watching Paddy slowly remove her cap with a coy grin before Jean landed on him. His neck snapped when he hit the ground at an odd angle, the weight of a full grown griffon and enchanted armor more than enough leverage to do the deed. Jean took a deep breath, absentmindedly running a bloody claw down his face as Paddy stared wide eyed at him. "What?" "You got some…Luna's sake never mind," she dismissed before shaking her head and moving to work her way up the ramp to the bomber's fuselage. While she rooted around the cockpit, Jean jogged back outside to start dragging the first guard's body back in to join his friend. He lumped them in a small pile behind a few crates, finishing the crude work just as Paddy reemerged. "She's got a full tank, no payload, and enough gauges in Equestrian for me to get her off the ground…Haukland's due east of here and they'll take it off my hooves for sure," she said ruffling her mane a bit with a hoof. Jean wore his own loose smile as he let himself bound towards the bottom of the ramp. "Haukland ain't where Clay is though, we gotta…get back to…Frosthill." His voice fell away as he heard the soft click of a pistol's slide falling forward. "I'm not going back to my father, Jean," she deadpanned, keeping the pistol leveled at the griffon. "I'm going east…you saved my life today, nothing is going to change that." "But I am damn tired, and this is the farthest I've ever gotten from that monster! I'm so close! Freedom from an arranged engagement to some self-righteous recluse, freedom from gilded slavery!" Jean slowly began to lower his talons before Paddy fired off a warning shot. The bullet whizzed just past the brim of his hat with deafening zip. Her eyes narrowed, shaking her head. "I've personally seen you kill five ponies today Jean. You're a dangerous griffon, next one doesn't miss!" "I'mma debtor first, Paddy," Jean said after a long pause, looking over his shoulder as her gunshot's echo hung in the open hanger. His mind raced as he swore under his breath, counting down the seconds until someone sounded the alarm. "...I don't got a home no more, but I can't be hunted for the rest of my life now either. Ain't nothin' east worth seein'." Jean looked down at his cuirass, running a talon across its scarred metal with a slow shake of his head. "Same thing that's rotten in the West is rotten in the East. Whole world is goin' to hell and runnin' just means we're gonna die tired." "...then you're gonna help me," she countered, lowering the pistol. "What?" Jean snorted, keeping his claws high despite seeing the pistol lowered. The quiet pop and whine of the alarm in the distance finally announced their presence in the base. "You help me kill my father, Jean. You help me put Rockfeller in the ground with his precious oil and I'll make sure your debt disappears," she promised. Sharp amber eyes softened as she brushed back her black mane, a rare honesty heard in her voice. Not that Jean had much of a choice; a pop of a rifle in the distance snapped against the wing of the bomber and caused them both to jump. The bounty hunter turned his head up towards her with a firm nod. "...I'll need some bits too after!" "Ever the mercenary, aren't you?" she laughed before clambering into the plane as another rifle shot skipped over the engine. "Fine! Bits, bits galore for you! Just get your ass in the nose gun and cover me!" Jean flung himself up the stairs, knocking them down behind him as he slammed the door shut. He swung himself under the narrow passage to the nose gun. The cramped walls were not made for anyone with wings and armor, but the blaring sound of alarms and rifle fire encouraged him to squeeze through. The gun itself was simple enough, rack back the bolt and let loose. The clatter of the twin guns were almost muted past the glass and dwarfed the rumble of the engines coming to life. Jean could not hear the sounds of the guards outside anymore, only the flash of their rifles. Commissar Coal stood out among the guards answering the alarm. Magic wrapped around his pistol as he fired furiously at the plane, dozens of his special agents firing with the same conviction with a volley of small arms. Jean cut swaths through them. The heavy guns of the aircraft's nose guns rippled through them without mercy. Their bravery was a testament to their zealotry, but Jean found that faith in the machine guns managed to overpower their patriotism. Paddy taxied them out under fire, her voice muted over the roar of the engines. Jean was fairly sure she was trying to call out approaching targets, but from the short time he had known her, it was just as likely curses. The bomber twisted itself out of the hanger, grinding across grass and concrete as it cut a mad path through the air strip. The rifle fire fell away as Jean felt the plane lurch beneath them, skipping as Paddy's voice screamed to any gods that would listen above him. Through the crosshairs of his guns, Jean saw the end of the runway coming. His stomach sank and he tasted the coffee he drank that afternoon, the plane shuddering up as it sailed over the fence. The plane climbed, higher and higher as the occasional ping of a rifle striking the frame faded into nothing, the pair escaping Azkaban on a wing and a prayer. "Say again, Commissar Coal?" Serov asked with a low growl. "Yes sir, they escaped," the commissar sighed, the nurse tending to his wounds in his office sent away with a wave of his hoof once she finished the stitches on his hind leg. She injected a small syringe to his side before another glare from Coal sent her packing. "Over thirty casualties...at least a dozen dead. On your order we can scramble a pursuit." "I have seen to it already, do not scramble any fighters. We cannot afford to reveal this deception. There was, instead, an accident in the hangars...improperly stored ammunition detonated during a recreational event celebrating..." There was a long pause as Coal felt Serov rubbing his hoof into his forehead on the other end. "...the success of our glorious air force. All the loose ends will be tied up properly." "And Coal...your morphine addiction? It was a real shame," Serov added with a dry chuckle before the line went dead. Coal's eyes went wide, the pale smile of the nurse peaked at him through the crack of the door as she snapped it closed. He tumbled over and fell as he lurched forward to catch her. His body grew weak as his world faded into darkness. Coal's last thoughts were not to Stalliongrad, nor to Jean and Paddy, but rather that he would not mind hearing Sergeant Cream laugh one last time. "West is startin' to look less plausible by the minute," Jean said as he set down the radio set, moving to stand behind Paddy as she kept the bomber at an easy pace below the clouds. Coasting by with clear blue skies around them, only the drone of the engines kept it from being serene. "Couldn't get into contact with anyone in Nova Aquellae, or anywhere else in Nova Griffonia for that matter either. Somethin' is going on down there, lotta chatter but no clear signal." "Alright, we could keep going north then? Go to Vedina and see if we can't lure Clay there," Paddy proposed with a tilt of her head. "...Vedina isn't an option," Jean coolly said with a shake of his head, a talon tapping at his armor. "Haukland seems like the only right proper choice. I got an old family friend there we can lay low with 'till we figure out how to crack this egg of yours." "Killing the richest pony in Equus isn't exactly making breakfast, Jean," Paddy scolded with a roll of her eyes, banking the plane to the east. "You don't have a home and you can't go back home…so I didn't figure you to be the family friend sort?" "Let's not go that far, he's an old friend of my pere…my dad," Jean rolled out as he fished out a cigarette from the brim of his hat. "And he's not gonna sell us out to my father?" The clouds before them were open and bright, the blue sky stretching on as far as the eye could see. "...not if we give him the bomber first. We give him such a prize and he'll make us his favorites… least for a day or two." "Really know how to give a girl hope," Paddy teased past a snort, drifting the plane low as they flew on. The pair settled into a comfortable silence, and Jean closed his eyes to steal the first bit of sleep he had for a long time. The plane touched down with a clattering grind as it skipped across the runway. The DB-3 stood out among the cobbled together mix of seaplanes, fighters, and cargo planes from across the world. The red star on its side in sharp contrast to the bright circus of colors arranged on the other planes resting on the airstrip. The eyes of what felt to be near a hundred souls bore down on them as Paddy taxied them at a painstaking pace to the end of the strip. "Not exactly a warm welcome…no one replied to our hails." "And no one shot us down neither. Let's just take the blessin' we got, allons," Jean said wearing a tight smile, running his thumb across the brim of his hat as he lifted himself out of the plane. Wings carried him down to the ground with a gentle thud. The denizens of the airbase kept their eyes drawn on him, a few brandishing small arms and others started to approach with tools. A massive griffon descended from above, the hulking frame of Hermann Meyer grabbing Jean by his gorget. "You got some nerve landing a communist plane on my airstrip…got a name runt?" Flicking the hat from his head, Hermann inspected the intruder with a squint. Jean thrashed madly for a moment, but gave up with a short grunt, "....Jean…Jean De Basse..." The Graf glared daggers at the bounty hunter and growled, "Who is Javert De Basse to you?" "A knight with a bastard son carrying his own cripplin' gamblin' debt with a sister named Stella," Jean said with a meek smile. "Uncle Meyer, 'dis how ya say hello to family?" "And the broad with the pistol pointed at my head from the fuselage?" Hermann demanded, keeping his talons tight as he kept Jean hoisted off the ground. "Paddy...Paddy Rose," Jean said, looking over his shoulder to shoot the mare a well meaning grin. "I don't reckon I know what a 'Paddy Rose' is neither, but you know how them pony names are right…fuckin' crazy? Anyway, we brought ya a plane." Hermann stared, the great Graf of the Hauklands stood with his mouth hanging open as he processed what dribbled out of Jean's beak. "...Javert was hung in Aquileia nearly thirty years ago, broke my Stella's heart…got some proof before I drop you from my fighter you lying shit?" "The armor's crest," Jean squaked, swinging his legs a bit to try and touch the ground in vain. "Javert managed to knock up a courtesan 'fore Berthelot got him." The crowd around them was buried in a muttering sea of whispers about "family" and "nephew." The Graf dropped him down before ripping back the tattered coat Jean wore to inspect a small sigil on his shoulder. The detailed engraving of a small rose over a windmill was etched onto his pauldron. "You're a good liar or you're being honest. Don't know which I hate most." "Either way, you're getting a fancy new DB-3 out of it," Paddy whistled as she tapped a hoof against the plane from its door, wearing a coy smile that gave the Graf a low rumbling laugh. As Jean joined the Graf in the mad laughter, the mob around them devolved into a fit of nervous chuckles before Hermann fell quiet. "Jarvet left Stella to die, alone in Vedina. Without any family, with only a fucking scullery maid to hold her damn claw. Call me 'Uncle' again and I'm taking your tongue…right now, I'm just gonna take your plane." The Graf seized him and dragged him up to his feet. A griffon evicted Paddy from the plane, tossing her down to join them as Meyer towered over the pair with a growing smile. "Welcome to Haukland! Do whatever you gotta do and get out. You got her eyes and I don't like them on you. You're a De Basse, but you ain't my nephew. Scram." "Not exactly a warm welcome," Paddy said as she rubbed her hoof into her forehead, the pair tucked away in a small hole in the wall bar down by the docks. The various trawlers and freighters crawled by as the occasional pair of planes soared overhead, dancing with each other in a gray sky. "My pere didn't give his sister a warm farewell either. I think we'll chalk it up as even?" Jean snorted into a slow sip of coffee, his eyes looking towards the mare as she offered him a sympathetic look. "Don't give me that! My pere wasn't good folk neither and aren't we on a…crusade now to kill yours?" "In a way," she compromised with a shake of her head, using her hooves to tie up her mane in a loose bun. "This is all just 'bout freedom when you skin away the politics and family. He won't let me go, he won't let you go: so we got to put him down so we can go…go and get on with our lives, be something more than a runaway and a bounty hunter." "Ain't nothin' wrong with bein' those," Jean said. The mare flicked a hairpin at him. "Maybe so, but I want to have a real choice in the matter." She took a deep breath as she looked out across the docks with him. "For now? I'mma choose to enjoy the taste of it." "The taste of what?" Jean asked over the rim of his cup. "Freedom," she said. "It isn't pretty, it isn't nice but…we got a chance to breathe here, and I'mma make the choice to sit back and take it all in." The sun began to peak out through the grey clouds. The misshapen and cobbled together houses across the bay painted a soft rainbow of vibrant colors. Exiles, drifters, and merchants meandered together with smiles painted on their faces and bits in their pockets as the light skipped off the Celestial Sea. It was not true freedom for the pair, not with Rockfeller's goons and the other hunters that would follow them. "...but it's a start," Jean said with a soft smile, enjoying the quiet company and the bitter drink in his talons. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: One In A Million author: ocalhoun tags: character:Cutie Mark Crusaders, character:Original Character, character:Rainbow Dash, character:Scootaloo, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Drama, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Great Expectations === he two fillies trotting along with me kept me going; Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle already had their cutie marks. I had to catch up. The warm predawn light had only begun to make its way over the treetops, and the nighttime chill still lingered in the air. I hardly even noticed. Today was the day – the day I would finally fly. With any luck today would be the day I finally found mine, too. My two friends weren't very enthusiastic about the early morning flying lesson of course, but they still followed me up the dew-covered path to the big grassy hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. My fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders had always been there to support me, and I knew they always would be. I smiled over at them – I could hardly help it, after all – and drowsy as they were, they smiled back. This would be the first time my friends ever watched one of my flying lessons with Rainbow. The last thing I wanted was to leave them disappointed, but I knew having them at my side would make all the difference. As my hooves brought me closer and closer to the crest of the hill, I could see a rainbow-colored tail hanging from the edge of a cloud just above the peak. "Hey, Rainbow Dash! I made it!" Rainbow's head popped up from behind the cloud. "About time, Squirt." She hopped down from her cloud. "What took you so long?" "Huh?" I tilted my head to the side. "You said to meet you at sunup, and the sun's not even up yet." Rainbow withered me with a sharp-eyed glare. "Well, I just thought that if flying was important to you or something, you'd come early so you could have your warm-ups finished before starting time..." I gasped. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" We hadn't even started yet, and already my grand plans for the day were falling to pieces. I looked around, desperate for a way to make everything better. "I just didn't want to force Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to get up even earlier, and I had no idea, and it didn't even cross my mind to–" "Woah woah, easy there, Squirt." Rainbow glanced back and forth before her glare melted into a wide smile and she trotted over to me. "I'm just messing with you." She tussled my mane with a hoof, but I didn't care. "If you had shown up earlier, I would've been upset at you for waking me up..." She brought her hoof to her chin. "If you wanted to make it up to me though... you could, I don't know, get all your warm-up exercises done in record time?" She pulled the stopwatch out of her mane. "On it!" I shouted. In a flash, I dove right into my wing squats, sending Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle dodging out of my way. I cranked the exercises out at top speed and jumped right into my stretches. In and out, up and down, I stretched my wings out faster than ever before. That just left the warm up laps. I dashed to the bottom of the hill and raced around it, my wings pumping just as hard as my hooves. I put everything I had into it, circling around the base of the hill faster than ever before. By the time I reached the third and final lap, my lungs burned, my legs cramped, and I was sure my wings were about to fall off. I hadn't pushed myself this hard for nothing, though, and I wasn't about to give up now. With a savage grunt, I plowed through the last lap and sprinted back up to the top. "Not bad. Not bad. You beat your best time by three seconds." Rainbow's eyes showed a glint of genuine admiration. Despite my lungs gasping for air and my legs threatening to let me drop, that little shred of admiration was all I needed to keep going. I felt ready for anything. "Okay, Squirt," Rainbow said, pacing in front of me, "As you know, me and my friends have an important diplomatic mission to the Griffon Kingdoms coming up. We have to leave this very afternoon. That means this will be our last flying lesson for a while. I expect you to make the most of it! Do I make myself clear?" "Yes ma'am!" Rainbow's pep talk had become part of the normal routine for flying lessons, and I knew she would be there for me, just like my two friends sitting on the wet grass watching me. They were more than just friends. These ponies were my family. Without them, I'd be nothing. The first gleam of the rising sun came just in time to catch the proud grin on Rainbow's face. "Then get up there and prepare for takeoff!" I could feel the tension in Rainbow's voice. She wanted me to succeed as much as I did. I hopped up to the top of the hill, wasting no time. This would be it. I just knew it. I spread my wings and let the newly risen sun's warmth soothe my flight muscles, still a little sore from my hectic warm-up. I stood still at the top for a moment, trying to calm my nervous breathing and relax. Rainbow had drilled into me a million times, after all, that flying should come easily and naturally. I looked up at Rainbow just in time to see her nod. I was ready. My friends were there, watching me. It was time. With one final, slow breath outwards, I flapped my wings for the first time of this lesson. Nervous energy boiled inside of me, urging me to go faster, go harder, go now... I kept it under control. Strong, sure, steady wing beats were the key, Rainbow always said. Start slow and then build. I sped up my flapping, just like I had been taught. I could feel the breeze they created now, cooling me, and I could feel myself getting lighter on my hooves. My friends' eyes grew wide in anticipation. Even Rainbow seemed to be watching with bated breath. I flapped harder and faster, squeezing my eyes shut. I had no attention to spare on anything external now – nothing but me and my wings mattered. My feet edged up off the ground, front first, then the back. I opened my eyes to see myself hovering just a hoof's-length above the ground. It wasn't much, but I held it. I was flying! "Oh my gosh! Rainbow, look! I'm doing it! I'm–" The horizon tilted. No! It was happening all over again. I knew what was about to happen, but as always, I was powerless to stop it. I stretched out my hooves in a desperate bid to steady myself, but I was too late. I tipped forward, my wings forcing me into a tumble. My face hit the sod hard, grinding the still-dewy grass into my teeth. I rolled completely over, coming to rest belly-down on the grass, and I looked up to see Rainbow's face looking back down at me. I could see her let out the breath she had been holding. I knew she tried her hardest to hide it, but her weak smile couldn't mask the disappointment in her eyes. "Oh, um..." Rainbow looked away for a moment before returning to me. "I guess we need to work on balance and control exercises a little more." I slammed my hooves into the ground in front of me. They cut into the grass and came back with bits of dirt stuck to them. "We've done that a hundred times. It never works." I grit my teeth in frustration and tried to stay in control. I was not about to break down and cry right in front of Rainbow Dash. I couldn't. My eyes burned, so I squeezed them shut. "I just can't do it." Apple Bloom's hoof on my shoulder brought my attention back to the world around me. "Come on, Scootaloo." She took my hoof in hers and pulled me back to my feet. "Did Ah quit when those sleazy Manehattan colts took down my handymare business?" She pointed over to Sweetie Belle. "Did Sweetie Belle quit when she got voted out of Equestrian Idol?" She brought her hoof back to me, poking my chest. "Did you quit when they kicked you out of flight camp?" "No," I admitted, looking away. "Then are you gonna quit now?" My tears dried as I looked up. No. I wouldn't quit now. I would fly, and I would find my destiny. I hopped back up to the top of the hill. As I stood preparing myself once again, Rainbow Dash slowly nodded. I could see the glimmer in her eyes. She was holding back tears of her own. Tears of pride. I didn't need to focus on breathing or energy this time. I knew my friends and my mentor had faith in me, and that must be for a reason. I knew what I wanted, and I could – and would – do it. Closing my eyes, I pumped my wings and focused on what I wanted. No stray thoughts about technique or control distracted me. No doubts poisoned my determination. Everything in me focused on one thing: using these wings to make me go up. I put my all into it, but I still wasn't even rising off the ground. I wouldn't let myself stop though. I couldn't. I flapped faster and faster, so fast that the sound blended into a constant hum. I pressed on even harder, still focusing on just going up. Something inside me seemed to break free. The hum reached a crescendo, and a blinding purple flash shot through my closed eyelids. When I opened my eyes, I couldn't believe it – I looked down on Rainbow and my friends from well above their heads... I was in the air! I never even noticed it happening. They drew closer, and I realized I was no longer flapping my wings. I tried to start again, to pull up, but I was too late. I managed to slow myself a little, but the impact with the grassy hill still took my breath away. That crash couldn't stop me though. I shot straight back up, not even wincing from the hit. "Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Did you see? Did you see how high I flew?" I slowed, though, when I noticed Rainbow and my friends just staring at me, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "You... uh... You didn't fly, Kiddo." I looked up incredulously. "What? Of course I flew. Didn't you see when–" "Scootaloo." That stopped me. Rainbow never used my full name. "You didn't fly. You... teleported." "What? No, only unicorns can do that, and I'm a pegasus. There's no way I could–" "You did, Scootaloo. We all saw it happen. When your wings were flapping really fast, they started to glow, and then you just teleported up." Sweetie Belle looked over at Apple Bloom for confirmation. "Eeyup," she added, simply. "But... but I can't..." None of this made any sense. I rushed back to Rainbow Dash. "What's going on? How did this happen to me?" "I don't know," Rainbow replied. She stroked her chin. "But I think I do know just who to ask about it. Come on, Squirt. I think it's time to visit the library." I wasn't ready to be finished just yet, not if I hadn't really flown. "Really? Are you sure we can't just do the rest of our flying lesson?" "Yeah." Rainbow nodded rapidly. "I'm sure." She trotted off towards Ponyville. "Aww..." This was not how I planned for the day to go. Apple Bloom laid her hoof across my shoulders. "Look at the bright side, Scootaloo." "What bright side?" She just pointed to my flank and smiled. I twisted around to look, and I nearly fell over in shock. There, on my own flank, was a cutie mark! Three purple shooting stars now adorned my flank. It had finally happened! I gasped, trying to catch my breath, but I still felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't believe it was finally there, my cutie mark. All I could do was stare at it with ever-widening eyes. But as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle swept me up in a warm group hug, I couldn't help but wonder what it meant. The three purple stars reminded me of the big purple star on Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark. I didn't like thinking about what that might mean for me. I rolled my eyes when Apple Bloom banged on the library door for the fifth time and still didn't get any response apart from clangs, thuds, and other random noises inside. "Twilight's our friend, right? Can't we just go on inside?" Sweetie Belle stomped her hoof down. "Of course not! Friend or not, it's still rude to just barge in uninvited." "But this is a library." I pointed at the sign. "And it is open." With a shrug and a flick of her tail, Rainbow pushed open the door. More clutter than usual littered the floor, though I had seen it in worse shape. There was no sign of Twilight or Spike, until a voice came yelling down from upstairs. "Spike! Where's Colton's Compendium of Curious Company?" As the shout trailed off, Twilight trotted down the library's steps, looking all around. "Spike! Where are you?" "Right here." The little dragon came running out of the kitchen. "And the book you're looking for is already packed in your bags." He looked over at all of us still standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey, Rainbow's here, and she brought the Crusaders." "Never mind that." Twilight kept pacing around the library in a blur of motion. The alicorn didn't seem to be getting much done. "Have you triple checked your suitcase against our packing checklist?" "No, but–" "Then get to it! If we forget something now, who knows if we'll ever be able to find a replacement inside the Griffon Kingdoms." "But I already double checked the–" "Just. Make. Sure." Twilight's eyes twitched a little, and her wings spread out seemingly of their own volition. As Spike trudged up the library's stairs, Twilight finally noticed Rainbow and me. "Oh, hi Rainbow. Done with flying practice already?" Rainbow pulled me closer. "Actually, I'm here to talk about Scootaloo." She looked at me, then back to Twilight. "Scootaloo got her cutie mark today." Twilight stopped her frenzy of movement to come over and see for herself. "Oh, that's wonderful." She stared at it a moment, and her brows furrowed. "That's odd. Stars like those usually represent magic. What does this one represent?" "That's just what we came here to talk about." Rainbow's face grew pained. "This is really weird." Twilight's eyes wandered back to the mess on the floor. "I hope it's important. I have a lot to do, and the train leaves in less than two hours." "It is," Rainbow assured. She remained quiet for a moment, her lips twisting into a grimace. "Well, uh, Scootaloo can do magic." Twilight snorted and held her hoof in front of her mouth as her eyes watered. After a moment, she couldn't hold it in anymore, and she burst into hysterical laughter. After too long of a moment, her laughter died down into a chuckle or two, and she said, "Oh geez, Rainbow, I knew you liked pranks, but this is just over the top, even for you." Nopony else laughed. Rainbow flicked her tail. "I'm serious, Twilight." "Rainbow, Scootaloo is a pegasus. Only unicorns and alicorns can practice the magical arts." "Come on outside, Twilight, and I'll prove it." Without waiting, Rainbow stepped back through the door and onto the library's front lawn. "Come on, everypony." I followed Rainbow outside with more than a little trepidation. How was she planning on proving it? "Okay, Rainbow, let's see it. I'm putting on a detection spell, though, so there won't be any funny business." Twilight eyed Rainbow as she stepped through the door. A moment later, her horn began to glow. "There. The detection spell's in place now. Go ahead and show me." I felt a little nudge from behind. Apple Bloom had just pushed me to the front. I looked over to Rainbow, and she just waved me on. I had no idea what they all expected me to do. "Go on," Sweetie Belle prodded, "just think back to what you did before, and do it again." They wanted me to do that again? I didn't even know what I did! How was I supposed to just do it again, on command? My friends looked on, all around me, expecting me to do it again. I wasn't even sure I wanted to ever do it again. With a sigh, I decided I had no choice. I tried to bring back my confidence and determination from earlier. That wasn't easy. I flapped my wings, bringing back that intense desire to go up. My wing speed increased, and before long, I could hear a now-familiar humming sound, and my wings began to glow. Something just wasn't right. With a whine, the glow vanished from my wings, and I haphazardly fluttered up a few inches off the ground. Twilight just raised an eyebrow at Rainbow. "Come on, Squirt. Do it again." I could see it was painful for her to be made a fool in front of her friends. I had to do it again. For Rainbow Dash. I went through the routine, and again my wings glowed. I focused on going up, remembering how important it was to my idol. This time, it worked. With my eyes open this time, I could clearly see the purple flash as the world around me lurched downwards. I did my best to stay airborne but still couldn't manage it. At least this time, I slowed my descent and came to an almost-graceful landing on my feet. "That's... that's..." Twilight just sat there, staring at me with her eyes wide. "That is really not possible." She shook her head. "And not just 'visited by myself from the future' impossible or 'grow a pair of wings' impossible. This is not supposed to happen!" Her horn glowed again, rechecking for any hidden magical interference, no doubt. "How did you do that?" I actually felt a perverse sort of pride from my impossible accomplishment. "I just think about going up and try really hard." Twilight stood up again and started pacing back and forth sharply. "But you just can't teach yourself to teleport. It took me months to get it right, and that's not even counting the fact that you're a pegasus! You just can't!" "We already know she can, Twilight." Rainbow stepped in front of her, putting a halt to the alicorn's pacing. "What we're trying to find out is why... and who better to ask than the Princess of Magic herself?" For a moment, Twilight did nothing but stare blankly ahead. But before long, she rushed right up into my face, causing me to jump back from her. She eyed me closely, a little too closely – I felt like a lab specimen under examination – and she actually sniffed me. "Did you drink any potions or anything? Maybe from Zecora?" I backed a little further away. My earlier confidence evaporated. "No! No, I haven't seen Zecora in months, and I didn't drink anything weird." Twilight brought a hoof up to her chin and leaned in closer. "Have you been playing in the Everfree Forest, maybe around some little blue flowers?" Before I could reply, she cut me off. "Oh, or have you been cursed by anypony lately? Had any spells cast on you?" "No, no, no!" I shook my head. Her eyes narrowed. "Have you been hanging out with Pinkie Pie?" "No! It's not anything like that!" I didn't know how I knew, but somehow it felt right, like it was a part of me, like it was... "It's just my special talent. I finally found it."– I turned to put my new cutie mark on full display –"See, I've got the cutie mark for it and everything." At least that seemed to put an end to the interrogation. Twilight backed off, sat down, and stared off into the distance. "Hmm..." Her eyes came back to stare at me, but they were no longer inquisitive microscopes. Now she just stared at me, still deep in thought. "I think I read something about this a while back. If I could just remember..." Her gaze dropped down to the ground. "Aha!"– she popped back up –"Sir Colton's treatise on the nature and origins of magic!" Without explaining herself, she darted back into the library. I looked over at my friends. Sweetie Belle just shrugged, and Apple Bloom was already heading inside. Guessing it couldn't hurt, I followed them in. Twilight's book learning was what we came for in the first place, right? Inside, Twilight already stooped over her writing desk. On it laid not a huge dusty tome like I expected, but a single slim stack of paper held together by a clip. "Here, Sir Colton's treatise on the nature and origins of magic." Twilight flipped over the cover page. "You're lucky I had it here for review and editing. It won't be published for at least another two months." She flipped through the pages with her magic, mumbling as she went, "Introduction, underlying field theory, harmonistic theory, reflections of the cosmos, magic as evidenced in other species... no, no... Ah, there!" She pounded a hoof down on what was now the topmost page. "The three distinct forms of magic found in ponykind." As the rest of us leaned in, she resumed reading. "The most obvious type of pony magic is, of course, the magic of the unicorns, with which all my readers will be familiar. Less known, though, is the magic of the pegasi, with which they are able to fly with wings that would otherwise be severely undersized for their mass and which allows them to manipulate weather and walk on clouds. The most subtle type of magic is that of the humble earth pony. Having no external effects due to the lack of any appendages to focus it, it nonetheless has a profound effect on the stamina, strength, and longevity of the earth pony race. It is said that alicorns posses all three types of magic in one body, each reinforcing the others and making their combined effect stronger." Twilight's face scrunched up. "I already know all that. Where was the part about..." She flipped a couple more pages. "Ah, there we go." She leaned down again to read the cramped hoof-written script. "There are, however, occasional exceptions to these rules. Some ponies, most commonly earth ponies, but occasionally those of the other races as well, will on rare occasions display magic outside of what their race is normally capable of. While such ponies are often fascinating case studies, they are too rare for proper statistical analysis, and are therefore outside of the scope of this work. For more information about it, I highly recommend Sound Theory's book, A Compendium of the Curiously Counterintuitive, a delightful work wherein she has cataloged an unprecedented number of such cases in fine detail. As for the relation between the lifespans of earth ponies and alicorns, they are..." Twilight looked up from the paper. "Where's Spike? I need him to find–" "A Compendium of the Curiously Counterintuitive: The Ponies Who Defy the Laws of Magic, by Sound Theory, perhaps?" Spike came skipping up, holding a dusty blue book up in front of him. I spun around, a little startled to see the baby dragon. I hadn't been paying much attention to anything besides what Twilight had been reading. "Sound Theory..." Rainbow scratched the back of her head. "Isn't that the pony who came to interview Fluttershy about her stare powers?" "That's the one." Twilight nodded. "I bet Fluttershy's even in this book somewhere." She wasted no time in flipping the book onto the desk with her magic and opening it. "Let's see... Index of case studies: that looks promising." A couple more pages flipped, enveloped in a violet aura. "Okay, Buttercup, a unicorn who couldn't use magic but lived as long as an earth pony, no... Inner Workings, an earth pony with x-ray vision, no... Shooting Star, a unicorn who could fly, no... Surprise 'Granny' Pie, a pegasus who could–" "Wait, Granny Pie?" Rainbow fluttered up above Twilight to get a better look at the book. "Is that Pinkie's Granny Pie, the one with all the songs?" "Yes, Rainbow, it probably is, but we can't get distracted right now. We're on a strict schedule." She brushed Rainbow away with a flare of magic. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Merry Weather, an earth pony who could predict and even change weather patterns, no..." "...Razor Wing, a pegasus who could use unicorn-style magic... That's it!" Twilight furiously flipped through the pages. "Hey, that's just like you!" Sweetie Belle nudged me on the shoulder. "Of course." I was far too busy paying attention to Twilight to give Sweetie Belle much mind. "That's what we've been looking for the whole time." "Okay, here we go." Twilight stopped on the correct page. "Razor Wing, known only by historical accounts, was a pegasus stallion skilled in unicorn-style magic. He was particularly known for long range combat magic and distinguished himself in the Griffon War. By all accounts, he was never able to fly under his own power, but still retained the pegasus ability to walk on clouds. "He was killed in action in the year of Our Princess, thirty-four eighteen, during the battle of Stalliongrad. He was posthumously awarded a service medallion and the Solar Shield, in addition to the silver wing and myriad decorations awarded before that date. Not much else is known about this stallion, or this rare form of misappropriated magic. No other cases of this particular deviation are known to exist." "Oh, there ya go." Apple Bloom laid a hoof across my shoulders. "It's normal, even if it is kinda rare. You're not the only one." "The Griffon War?" Rainbow fluttered up to the book again. "Wasn't that, like, hundreds of years ago?" "Four hundred and fourteen since the war began, to be precise." Again, Twilight brushed Rainbow away magically. "Four hundred and eleven since the year Razor Wing died." "Wow, Scootaloo, you're the first magic pegasus in four hundred years – you're totally special!" Sweetie Belle hopped up and down in her excitement. I looked down at the floor. "Yeah... special." Special, and very, very alone. I didn't want to be a freakshow oddity. I just wanted to fly and be like Rainbow Dash. "Hm... what to do, though..." Twilight turned to me with an appraising eye. "Twilight, we're gonna be late!" Spike butted in and tugged on Twilight's leg. "The train leaves in ten minutes." "Hold on there, Spike." Twilight extracted her leg from the dragon's claw. "This is important. You go ahead and take the bags to the train station. Rainbow and I can just fly over and get there in no time." She turned back to me. "Well, we can't leave you without training. An untrained magic user is dangerous." "But I don't know a thing about magic." Rainbow dropped to the ground. "How am I supposed to teach her about that?" "You're not, obviously." Twilight held still a moment. She seemed lost in thought. "Yes. It's time I took on a protégé of my own. I'll train her myself." My heart imploded, and I felt sick and empty inside. Not training with Rainbow Dash anymore? My mind wandered back to the pleasant memory of the day Rainbow had agreed to teach me to fly, but that memory already seemed somehow darker, dimmer, tainted by the wrenching loss I now felt. "But I'll be heading off on that diplomatic mission for a week. You'll need someone to teach you the basics while we're gone." Twilight stopped for a moment, tapping a hoof to her chin. "Aha! That's it! Spike, take a letter." Everypony stood silent for a moment. "Uh, Twilight," Rainbow reminded, "you sent Spike off to carry the bags." "Oh." Twilight blushed a little. "I guess I'll write it myself." A quill and scroll came floating over, and Twilight dictated as she wrote, "From the desk of Princess of Magic, Twilight Sparkle. I am sending you a fine young pegasus mare named Scootaloo Songwing for instruction in the basics of magic. I know this is an unusual assignment, but Scootaloo is capable of using unicorn magic, as I have personally verified. Please enroll her into your school in the next class. She deserves the very best magic kindergarten education that Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns can provide. Gratefully yours, Princess Twilight Sparkle." I couldn't hold it in any longer. "What?" I squeaked, "Magic kindergarten?" "Of course," Twilight confirmed, "It's a very good school." "But... but..." I latched onto Rainbow's leg. "I don't want to! I want to stay and learn how to fly with Rainbow Dash!" "Squirt, you have to–" Twilight hushed Rainbow with a raised hoof. "Easy there, Rainbow." She looked down at me, and I could see a soft warmth come into her eyes. "It's okay, Scootaloo. I know this has kind of been forced on you, but sometimes that's how life is. Sometimes it isn't fair, and lots of times you don't get what you want. You just have to make the best of what life gives you." She stepped over next to me. "Did I ever tell you the story about my coming to Ponyville? When Princess Celestia sent me here all that time ago, I thought it was the worst possible thing. It was the exact opposite of what I wanted to do. But I did it, because I had to." Her eyes seemed to lose focus a little, and her smile grew dreamy. "But when I did, I discovered the magic of friendship and a whole new life – a life I wouldn't give up for the world." She edged back into reality and looked me in the eye. "Where would I be now if I had stayed in Canterlot and insisted on the world being fair and getting what I wanted? Where would the world be?" She held out a lavender hoof. "Come and learn how to use your magic with me, Scootaloo. Please." I looked away from Twilight, trying to get some support from Rainbow Dash, but she just smiled at me and nodded towards Twilight. Even Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched me with naked anticipation in their eyes. I felt the walls closing in around me. I couldn't breathe in this trap. I had to get out! I left Twilight Sparkle standing there with a hoof still held out to me as I rushed out through the library's front door. I burst through without closing it, without a thought of explaining myself, without thinking of anything besides getting away from this situation. Outside, with a clear blue sky above me and green grass under my feet, I could finally breathe again. I felt like I could just fly away from all this... but my respite was doomed to be short-lived. "Scootaloo!" Twilight was the first to jump through the door. "What's wrong?" I ground a hoof into the grass, dangerously close to lashing out at the alicorn behind me. After a moment, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I whirled around just as the other ponies came out. "What's wrong? What's wrong?" I felt my legs trembling. The only thing keeping me from collapsing was my disgust with the unfairness of it all. I couldn't believe how insensitive they all were. "Maybe it's how nopony cares what I think about it. Maybe it's because you're telling me I'll never be able to fly. Maybe it's–" My throat clenched, and I forced back a sob. I could barely see through my watering eyes. "Maybe getting to train with Rainbow Dash was the best thing that ever happened to me in my crummy life, and now you're taking it away from me." I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want anypony here thinking I was a crybaby. A strong pair of hooves wrapped around me and lifted me. "I said I was taking you under my wing, Squirt." I opened my eyes to find Rainbow Dash holding me up. "And just because you're training with Twilight doesn't mean that's gonna stop." She gave me a tight squeeze. "I'm sticking with you, kid." As Rainbow set me back down on the ground, I turned to the others. "I still don't know about this magic training thing, or about this magic kindergarten thing. It just doesn't seem very–" "You have to." Twilight trotted up next to Rainbow. "If you stay around as an untrained magic user, we'll always be one accident away from a disaster. It isn't safe." I could see that, of course, but that didn't mean I liked it. "Magic kindergarten, really?" "Oh, don't say it like that," Sweetie Belle said, popping out from behind Twilight. "Magic kindergarten is actually a lot of fun. I had a great time there." Apple Bloom edged up beside her. "And it's only about a week long. You'll be back before you know it." I glanced back and forth between my friends. "Well..." I pawed at the ground with my hoof; I still wasn't sure about it, but at least it didn't sound like the end of my life anymore. "If you all say so, I guess I should go." "Okay, good." Twilight patted me on the back. It was somehow a little comforting. "Get home and pack your bag. They start new classes every second Monday, and–" A distant whistle sounded. Rainbow's head popped up. "Twilight, the train!" A look of panic crossed Twilight's face, but passed quickly. "I think I can catch it." She flapped her wings once and shot a challenging smirk at Rainbow. "How about you?" "Oh, you are so on!" Rainbow let her own wings flare out. "Okay, Scootaloo." The smirk vanished from Twilight's face. "Just take the first train to Canterlot tomorrow morning. There should be a pony at the Canterlot station to lead all the new magic kindergarten students to the school." A scroll floated out through the library's door, enveloped in Twilight's magical glow. "When you get there, give this letter to the headmaster. That should be enough to get you started." She looked off into the distance, in the direction of the train station. "I'm sorry to have to leave so quickly, but I really have a train to catch. Good luck!" With a few wing beats, Twilight shot off into the sky. Rainbow Dash followed close behind. "Good luck, Squirt!" she shouted as she took off. I watched the two fly off together until they were just specks in the distance, my old mentor and my new mentor. There was a lot to soak in, and I was in no hurry to– "Hey, Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle poked me in my side. "Scoots!" "What?" I growled. I wasn't in the mood for conversation at the moment. "Cutie mark!" She nudged me, pointing at my flank and squealing like a little schoolfilly. I couldn't help but smile as I bent around to look at it myself, and my dark mood washed into the background. There it was, my cutie mark. It was growing on me, I had to admit. The purple stars matched my mane well, and the trails behind them gave a hint at the action and speed I loved. Without warning, I scooped up my fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders into a big group hug. They seemed surprised at first, but quickly reciprocated. Letting them go, I bent around to look at the matching mark on the other side. What had just happened to my life? What would Cheerilee think of it? === Don Quixote === weetie Belle and Apple Bloom bounced in front of Cheerilee on the train station's platform with an enthusiasm I could hardly share. Despite my hints of optimism from yesterday, now that I actually stood at the station, listening to the mumbling crowd and smelling the warm, acrid steam from the train, it started to seem all too real to me. I could feel my breathing getting shallower and a thin, cold sweat breaking out on the back of my neck. "Are you really sure I should go?" Cheerilee smiled back at me, just how she always did. "Scootaloo, I've known you were destined to be somepony special ever since I adopted you. I know you can do this." "But–" "Not another word, there. You'll go, and you'll do fine. You'll learn all about that talent of yours, and when you come back, you'll be ready for anything." She gave me a soft, quick pat on the head. "And when you come back, you'll have some wonderful stories to tell." She glanced away, then back at me. "I do wish I could go with you, but the school needs me. Don't worry, though. You'll be picked up and taken care of when you get there." "I just–" "All aboard who's comin' aboard!" I whirled to face the direction the shout came from just in time to see a mustached stallion disappear into the train. "Cheerilee, I–" "You'll be fine, Scootaloo. Now go. Don't miss your train." I didn't see any choice; I stepped into the train just in time for the door to slide closed behind me with an all-too-final thwack. I had my saddlebags on, and I had everything I needed. Though, honestly, the bags were nearly empty and I still felt immensely unprepared. I made my way into the first passenger car. Ponies crowded around me on all sides; this would be the train's last stop before Canterlot, so it was already packed. All the wide-open seats were already taken, of course, which forced me to pick an unfamiliar pony to sit next to. I winced. As I picked my way down the aisle, a mechanical squeak resounded through the car, and with a little lurch, the train began moving. I passed a few empty seats, but I just couldn't bring myself to sit next to any of these ponies. There was an elderly earth pony mare, pocket photo album already out, no doubt ready to assault anypony unlucky enough to sit beside her with tales of her grandchildren, and then a clean-cut businessmare who glared at me as I walked by, making it clear I wasn't welcome there. An obese stallion more than filled the next seat, so I gave him a wide berth. The well-dressed unicorn stallion beside the next empty seat met my gaze with a venomous sneer. I began to worry that I wouldn't find anyplace acceptable, that I'd have to go back and try to choose the lesser of these evils, but the last empty seat changed that. Next to it sat a unicorn colt, not much older than myself, with a white coat and a deep red mane. He smiled back at me as I looked, and my apprehensions about choosing a seat melted away. "Hey, is this seat taken?" I asked, already sliding my saddlebags under it. "Not at all, come on over." His accent came through strongly, and I loved it. I hopped into the thinly-cushioned seat. "You're from Trottingham?" "Well, yes, but ever since I got my cutie mark last week I've been living with my Aunt Sapphire in Fillydelphia." "Really? You just got your cutie mark last week?" I stole a glance at it, a single big brilliant-cut ruby on his flank. "I just got mine yesterday!" "That's right. I got mine sort of late. When your special talent is gem cutting, it's sort of hard to find out about, because, really, who's going to just give you a gem to practice on when you've never done it before?" He shook his head. "I tell you what, I sure did get fed up with being called a blank flank." I laughed. "I know what you mean!" Luckily, those days would be behind me now. "Better than being called a chicken though." "I bet!" He laughed along with me. "I'm glad that's all over now." I settled into my seat as the train picked up speed. "Me too. So, what brings you to Canterlot?" "Oh, my Auntie's sending me off to magic kindergarten. She says I need to refine my magic to get the gems to sparkle with just the right colour." "Wow." Just how intensive was this school going to be? "They teach about gem colors in magic kindergarten?" "Heh, I bet not! My old auntie can get eccentric sometimes." He turned from the window back towards me. "And what brings you to Canterlot?" Well, this was probably going to be awkward. "For the same reason, actually." The colt's face scrunched up. "Huh? To learn how to cut gems better?" I giggled, though much of it was just on account of nervousness. "No, no. To go to magic kindergarten." None of the confusion plastered on his face cleared up as he stared down at my wings and back up to my face. "Seriously?" "That's what my cutie mark is for." I pointed to the purple stars on my flank. "I really can use magic." He peered at me from the corners on his narrowed eyes. "You can use magic...?" "I can." It almost felt like a point of pride now. "Twilight Sparkle even tested it to make sure." "Wait." The colt's eyes went wide. "Twilight Sparkle, as in Princess Twilight Sparkle?" "Uh-huh. That's the one." "Wow, you know the Princess of Magic? Cool!" He sat silently for a moment, seemingly awed by the thought. "What's your name, anyway? I never got it." "I'm Scootaloo." I reached out a hoof. Instead of shaking my hoof like I expected him to, he picked it up and planted a little kiss on it. Was that some kind of Trottingham custom? "Pleased to meet you, Scootaloo. My name's Ruby Shine, but my friends just call me Ruby." I giggled; I wasn't used to such formal introductions. "The pleasure's all mine." I could hardly say it with a straight face. "So, Ruby, what do they do for fun all the way out in Trottingham? "You mean, besides train rides through the countryside?" He laughed. "Well, my personal favourite would have to be the stage shows. Why, just a month ago, there was one by a traveling unicorn magician called 'the Great and Powerful Trixie' that was completely amazing. She even..." The conversation rolled on, to the accompaniment of the train's click-clacking wheels, and I decided I couldn't possibly have found a better seat-mate to share the trip with. "And that's when I just had to reel back and punch him right in the nose!" Ruby burst into laughter as he finished his story. I leaned away a little. "That doesn't sound very nice." "Oh, you don't know the half of it, but he totally deserved it, seriously." "Well, ah, okay." I supposed that might be true. "But what did your dad do when–" The screech of the train's brakes interrupted me, and a call of, "Last stop, Canterlot Station! Please watch your step as you exit onto the platform. Luggage pickup will be on your left," punctuated the noise. Ruby hopped up. "That's our stop." I grabbed my saddlebags and rushed to follow Ruby through the crowd. A few bumps, jostles, and mumbled apologies later, I stood in the middle of the crowd at the Canterlot rail station. I stared up at all the grand buildings and gleaming white spires; I had only been to Canterlot a few times before, and I still found the city impressive. "Hey, there's our sign!" Ruby pointed to the left, where a mare with a yellow mane and a pink coat stood levitating a sign that read Magic Kindergarten with her magic. Her dull-eyed stare glazed over the crowd without seeming to actually see anything. I trotted on over towards her, with Ruby following me this time. Several other fillies and colts were already gathering, and as I stepped up among them, I noticed more coming in from the crowd. The mare in the center of the group put her sign away and came to life. "Okay, children, if you have more bags than you can carry, please put them in this wagon." She gestured toward a wagon nearby, already hitched up to a tired-looking earth pony. "We'll be leaving to go to the magic kindergarten campus of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in just a few minutes." Her eyes latched on to me for a moment before she walked up. She turned to Ruby Shine, who still stood beside me. "Your friend can walk with you to the school if she likes, but she can't come inside the gates with us." "She's not–" "I'm a student, too." I interrupted Ruby. "I'm not just going along for the ride." The mare stared at me for a moment, her gaze flickering down to my wings. She raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. "I really wish we still had entrance exams. Well, I'll just leave it for the headmaster to sort out when we arrive." She looked up from me and addressed the students. "Okay, children, time to go. Follow me closely and don't wander off. If you're not with me when we get there, you're not getting into the school." She walked into the city, drawing her little crowd along behind her, with the wagon bringing up the rear. As we all walked together, I felt the eyes of all the little unicorns around me on my back, and we walked in an awkward quiet that did nothing to calm my nerves. Unlike my school in Ponyville, I was very much the exception to the norm now, and I did not enjoy the attention. I stuck close to Ruby Shine the whole way, even though we were too intimidated to break the eerie silence surrounding us by talking. A low wall came up ahead, with a large gate in the middle, covered with ornate ironwork. The unicorn mare leading us stepped in front of the gate, and her horn began to glow. A key in a matching pink glow shot out into the gate, and the sound of the lock clicking could be clearly heard. The gates themselves began to glow and open, and our guide walked through. As the gates swung open, a wide stone courtyard revealed itself inside, with big ornate buildings on either side. A few unicorn fillies were already lined up against the far wall. "Okay, kids, get yourselves lined up against the wall over there. The Headmaster will be along soon to introduce you all to the school." As I trotted across the courtyard, she called out again. "No, dear, not yet. You'll be able to get your luggage out of the wagon before you're shown to your rooms. For now, please just line up." I stepped into place at the very end of the line, with only Ruby next to me. I didn't want to be next to the other unicorns. Something about their quiet watchfulness made my skin crawl. Before the gates closed, though, another group of young ponies flooded in, led by a different unicorn. They also trotted across the courtyard and lined up – unfortunately making me no longer the last pony in line. A violet filly trotted confidently to my side and slicked down her already-streamlined mane with a flick of her hoof. She looked me up and down as she stepped into place, and then leaned over as if to tell me a secret. "Don't look now, but I think somepony stole your horn." She giggled derisively. "Did you get lost and just end up here or something? I knew earth ponies were that dumb, but I thought a pegasus would be just a little smarter." I blushed and looked away. I knew I didn't belong here. My glance caught sight of a distinguished-looking unicorn stallion coming out of the building on the right. Was that the Headmaster? "Hey," Ruby chipped in from my other side, "just calm down alright?" "And what do you care about it, scrawny?" Again, she made that evil little giggle. "What? Is she your special somepony or something?" I looked over to Ruby, mortified. He looked to be in even worse shape though. His eyes were wide around his constricted pupils and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. Even a drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face. After a moment of what looked very much like panic, Ruby spoke. "What? Me? With an earth-pony-dumb pegasus like her? Not a chance in the world!" He punctuated his denial with a rough slap on my back. I, unfortunately, did not expect his betrayal, or the sudden slap on my back. It threw me off balance and I teetered forward. I caught another glimpse of the approaching unicorn as I struggled with my wings to get myself back in balance. My wings never had been up to a challenge, though. I toppled forward, landing face-first on the hard white stone of the courtyard. I stayed there, chin grinding into the dust and eyes squeezed shut, the cold knife of betrayal twisting inside me. I thought Ruby was my friend. How could he do that? What had I ever done to deserve– "Ahem." I opened my eyes, only now realizing how blurry they had become. Looking up from my painful position against the ground, I saw the same unicorn stallion, now standing over me with a frown on his mustached face. I cringed as his eyebrow slowly rose. "I'm terribly sorry. There must have been some mistake. You see, this is Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. You should probably be heading off to... wherever it is you're supposed to be." I picked myself up and tried my best to wipe off the dust and grit. "I, um... No sir. This is where I'm supposed to be, learning magic." His eyebrow rose even further, and he tilted his head to look at me over the rims of his glasses. "You poor, deluded thing. I'm sorry to be the one who has to break this to you, but you are a pegasus, not a unicorn." A slight sneer broke out on his face. "You'd best be moving along to wherever your kind belongs." Doubts resurfaced in my mind. Was this really what I should be doing? But what would I tell Twilight and Rainbow Dash when I got back? That brought up a memory though... Twilight! I looked back up to the stallion. "But I've got a letter and everything. Princess Twilight sent me here." I made sure to emphasize the 'princess' part. That might just impress him enough to get him off my case. I hopped up, reached into my saddlebags, and pulled out the letter, holding it out in front of me proudly. With a huff, he took the letter up in his yellow-tinged magic, unfurled it, and began to read, "From the desk of Princess of Magic, Twilight Sparkle... pegasus named Scootaloo... unusual assignment... personally verified... next class..." He looked up from the letter. "This is completely unprecedented and absolutely preposterous. I said it myself that having such a young mare as a princess would lead down the road of folly, and here's the proof, right in front of me." He sighed and rolled his eyes, his magic sending the letter back into my saddlebag. "I'll do my royal duty and humor this absurdity, though I have no idea what purpose there could be to it." He turned and stepped away from me, still mumbling to himself. I breathed a quick sigh of relief, glad that everypony's attention began to shift elsewhere. He strode out into the sun-drenched courtyard with a slow strut that could easily be mistaken for dignity before turning around at the point exactly across from the middle of our line of students. For a moment, he just stood surveying us all, as a stern general inspecting his troops. "Welcome young unicorns, and other ponies, to the magic kindergarten campus of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, the most prestigious institution of magical instruction in all of Equestria." His eyes shined out with a fierce pride. "Here, you will receive the finest education in magical principles to be found in the world. This is an accelerated course, and you will find it both rigorous and difficult. However, I am certain that"– his piercing gaze shot out directly towards me for a moment –"every unicorn here can successfully complete it with discipline, diligence, and the determination to prove yourself worthy of Canterlot's foremost institution." I could already tell that I was not going to have an easy time getting along with this guy. "My name is Headmaster Herald Dust, and I'm here to ensure you all receive a firm grounding in not only the use and theory of magic, but in magic safety as well. As such, breaking of the safety rules will not be tolerated." He stomped his hoof down. "First and foremost, the use of magic is absolutely prohibited except when authorized and supervised by one of the school's teachers. Roughhousing and – ahem – horseplay will not be permitted anywhere on school grounds. Finally, students will follow their teachers' instructions at all times." At least he didn't seem to be harping on me in particular anymore. That was an improvement. "Following the principles taught in this school will endow you with the magical skills that will enable you to prosper in life, just as many of our alumni have, including such prestigious names as Crystal Sun, Sound Theory, Trillian Starmane, Midnight Rose, and even Princess Twilight Sparkle." My ears perked in interest. Twilight went to this school herself? I never knew that. It made me feel just a tiny bit better about her sending me here. "This course is seven days long, not counting two days of break on the weekend. Starting tomorrow, you will be attending regular classes which will consist of a class on magical theory and a course of magical exercises. You will have the weekend off, giving you time to rest and study. Next Monday will be the final exam for your theory lessons, and the Tuesday following it will be your final test for demonstrating magical skill, followed by the exam results and graduation." He blatantly looked right at me. "Or lack of graduation, whichever the case may be." My apprehensions about this weren't clearing up, that was for sure. What was this stallion's problem? "I wish all of you promising young unicorns good fortune in your upcoming studies, and in your futures." His voice lost its booming pride, without losing much of its volume, as he continued, "You will now be shown to your rooms. You may collect your luggage from the wagon now. Fillies, please follow Miss Honeydown to the left, colts, please follow Missus Primrose to the right. You are dismissed." I stood there, blinking for a moment as the rest of the students around me walked off in different directions. For some reason, it took me a moment to even register that the Headmaster's speech had ended. Before I knew it, I was the last in line to get into the buildings. I headed to the left with the rest of the fillies, of course, and by the time I made it into the line, ponies were already filing inside. A few more fillies stepped into line behind me; the purple filly with the slicked-down mane somehow ended up right next to me again. Behind her came a light blue filly with a puffy, dark blue mane. Both of them pulled along heavy suitcases, making me wonder if I had come here under-prepared. The yellow mare stood over me, pointing a hoof at me and the two fillies behind me. "And you, room three nineteen, along with the next two. Yes, you and you. Move along now." Did that mean that I had to share a room... with that filly? I didn't like the sound of that at all. "Miss..." What had the Headmaster called her? "Honeydown? Could I maybe get a different roommate?" She brushed a bit of her mane out of her face and smiled down at me. "I'm sorry, little one, room assignments are permanent." Without waiting for my reply, she moved on down the line, assigning more room numbers as she went along. I thought about resisting for a moment, but as the line of unicorn fillies in front of me began to move, I went along with them, feeling a little like I was being swept along by an irresistible current. How bad could it be, though? Everything was going to be okay. Miss Honeydown called out from the back of the line, herding all the students forward. "Okay, girls, once you get inside the doors, head to your right and then up the stairs." As everypony filed inside, the mare continued, "The first floor is open to everypony. It includes the theory classroom and the dining hall, where you'll get your meals. Breakfast is at seven sharp tomorrow morning, by the way." I finally made it up to the doors to the building, despite the crowd in the way. Those doors, too, were ornately worked, but made of wood this time, not iron. As I stepped inside, I felt as if I had dropped into a different world. The lights shone dimly compared to the afternoon sunlight outside, and everything, from the musty smell to the way the students' voices echoed through the hallway, struck me as totally different than the atmosphere in the courtyard. By the time I adjusted to the change, Miss Honeydown came through the doors behind me and shut them with a flick of magic. "On the ground floor of the other building, you'll find the magic exercise workroom and our staff offices." She began shooing the fillies onward again. "Now, at the end of the hallway is a stairwell. Upstairs areas are for fillies only, just as the upstairs of the other building is only for colts. Now, please head upstairs and find your room. Room numbers starting with a two will be on the second floor, numbers starting with a three will be on the third." I waded through the crowd of noisy, jostling unicorn fillies, slowly making my way toward the stairwell. A plush maroon carpet softened the stone floor underfoot, but the rest of the building seemed dark and uninviting, and the bustle of a couple dozen young unicorns completely filled the close air of the hall. As I set foot on the first step of the stairwell, the teacher called out from behind, "Bathrooms are at the end of the hall farthest from the stairs on each floor. The class schedule and a map will be posted in your room. Don't be late tomorrow!" The wooden steps of the wide, spiraling stairwell creaked and groaned under the weight of all the fillies climbing up them at once, and the echoing sound of dozens of excited little mouths still filled every nook and cranny of the space. I hurried up the winding steps until I reached the top floor. The hallway here was made of the same dark grey stone, and the same red carpet ran down its center. The occasional picture frame or tapestry on the wall and the warmer lighting up here softened the effect. The noise, too, was softer. An occasional girlish squeal still lit up the hall, but the voices were more subdued, and there were fewer to be heard, thanks to leaving many of the other students behind on the second floor. I followed the carpet down the hall, checking the brass numbers on the doors as I went along. Soon, I found the one I was looking for, nearly at the end of the hallway. Pushing the door open, I breathed a sigh of relief when I found that I made it into the room first. It was tiny, with triple-stacked bunk beds and a tiny window filling the far wall, a desk with three chairs filling the right, and a few shelves on the left, all made with the same dark wood. I wasted no time in throwing my bag onto the shelves and hopping up onto the top bunk. The day had been long and stressful, and I felt more than tired enough to just go right to sleep. Though the room felt more than a little spartan, the bed's soft blankets welcomed me like an old friend's hug. As I yawned and my eyelids drooped, my two new roommates barged in through the door, still lugging their suitcases. The violet one tossed her suitcase unceremoniously at the shelves, where it bounced off and clattered to the floor. The other filly, the one with the puffy blue mane, walked quietly over to the shelves and softly placed her suitcase on the center of the bottom shelf. Meanwhile, the first pony stared at me with narrowed eyes and a gradually deepening frown. Before I knew it, a purple aura surrounded me, and I hurtled through the air, to crash down on the rough wooden floor next to the door. As I cleared the stars out of my eyes and shook my head from the shock, I saw the purple filly smirk at me and hop up into my top bunk. I jumped back up and stomped a hoof down. This had gone on long enough. "Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?" The blue filly quietly slipped into the bottom bunk as I waited on an answer. None was forthcoming. I fluttered up and hung on the edge of the top bunk. "I'm talking to you! Just who do you think you are, tossing me out of my bed like that?" "I am River Star, future diva of the musical stage, and you... you get the privilege of helping me and making sure I get through this as quickly and easily as possible." She gave me a wide smile that couldn't hide the predatory gleam in her eyes. "Not likely!" I reached out to grab her and toss her out of my bed, but just before I touched her, I found myself floating in a purple aura again. River Star gave a showy gasp of faux disbelief. "Fighting? On your first day? What would the Headmaster say?" I struggled in every direction, and even tried flapping my wings, but nothing could get me free of that magical grip. "Oh yeah? And what's he gonna say when he finds out you've been using magic without permission?" "Oh, please." She laughed as her magic shoved me down onto the floor again. "Who's he going to believe? The pegasus who wants to be a unicorn, or his own daughter?" I picked myself up again. A sharp pain shot through my left hock where it had hit the wooden floor, but my heart boiled with impotent rage. My head spun, trying to think of something to do about it, but nothing came. "Worm!" River's voice called out from the top bunk, "Introduce yourself!" "Oh, um, okay," the filly in the bottom bunk mumbled. Her sky blue head popped out, crowned with her messy dark blue mane. "Hello, my name ith Night Withper." "Um, nice to meet you, Whisper. I'm Scootaloo," I replied, ignoring the lisp. What could I do? "That's not your name, Worm!" River's harsh voice called down from above. "Oh, I, um... thorry... my name ith, um, Worm." I looked back up at the top bunk. I couldn't see her from here, but I knew River was up there. "Hey, you can't do that to her!" "Oh, really?" River's head popped out over the edge of the bed. "I can do whatever I want." River's horn lit up, and I winced reflexively, prompting a cruel chuckle from above. The light switch clicked off and the violet glow around River's horn died away. "Now, I'm a little tired, so I say it's bedtime." She laughed again; it could almost be called a cackle. "Nighty night!" I sighed, still seething with frustration, before climbing into the middle bunk and snuggling into the blankets. I was ready for some sleep, after all. As I settled in and let my eyes droop closed, I thought of how nice it would be to at least get a good night's rest. Slowly, my eyes closed and I could feel myself drifting off to– An obnoxious snore cut through the quiet room, coming from the bunk above... and then another snore. I ground my face into my pillow and kicked at the bunk above, but yet another snore followed. I let my head fall into the pillow, exhausted and defeated. What else was there to do? === Pride And Prejudice === espite the incessant snoring, and despite the thoughts whirling through my head, I could feel myself finally beginning to drift off to sleep. The morning wasn't far off, but at least I could get a little rest before I– "Rise and shine, Early Bird!" River's face popped into shadowy view over the rim of the top bunk. All I could manage was a confused, "Wha?" before I found myself yet again flying towards the floor, enveloped in a purple glow. Caught unprepared, I had no time to slow down my fall. I hit the floor hard, but at least this time, it was a shorter fall. "Huh?" I shook my head. "Why'd you call me 'early bird'?" "What, you mean besides the feathers?" She giggled, but it hardly sounded happy. "Because the early bird gets the worm." I just stared at her, my head cocked to one side. She wasn't making much sense that I could see. She pointed down at the bottom bunk. "Get the Worm, Early Bird!" "But the sun hasn't even come up yet." She rolled her eyes in the dim light. "Does it look like I care? Just do it, or I'll wake her up myself... by throwing you at her." "Fine, whatever." I tip-toed up to Whisper's bunk. "Um, Night Whisper, you need to get up." I reached a hoof up to gently tap her foreleg. I tapped again... Nothing. She wasn't waking up. "I'm growing old up here!" From the purple light above, I knew River's horn was glowing again. I didn't want to find out what her plan would be for that magic. I reached up into the bunk again, and this time shook Whisper by the shoulders. "Hey, wake up!" She sat straight up and woke with a gasp. "What? Whath wrong?" I just pointed upwards. "Oh. Thath whath wrong." Whisper's face scrunched up. "Good." River's voice came from above, "Now that you two are finally awake, we can get started." She hopped down from the top bunk, landing right in front of us. "First of all, your job here is to be my servants and make my time here as easy as possible, and that's the only reason you're here." She held a hoof up to her face, posing as if she was on the front page of a magazine. "Someday, when I"m famous across all of Equestria, you'll realize that you were lucky to have a chance to spend so much time with the great River Star." With her hooves back on the floor now, she became all business. "But that opportunity comes with a price." Her eyes gleamed at the word. "To begin with, I expect the two of you to wake up this time every morning – without my help – and prepare my outfit for the day. You'll find what you need in my suitcase there." She stopped for a moment, stroking her chin before seeming to come to a decision. "Today, I want the blue saddle with the white ruffles. It brings out the silver streak in my mane." She ran a hoof through her mane, fluffing out a streak I could only see as white. I stomped a hoof down. Enough was enough, and this filly had gone way too far. "Just hold it right there. If you think I'm gonna–" "Um, Thcootaloo?" Whisper's hoof on my shoulder stopped me. "Pleath don't make a fight. I've been around her for long enough now, and I know she'll take it out on both of uth. Just do what she thays." "Listen to the Worm!" River stepped closer, too close for comfort. "You'll do it, you'll do it without making a mess, and you'll do it without waking me up. Clear?" I gritted my teeth, and I could barely control the muscles in my legs. To hell with the consequences, I was going to pounce on this arrogant little– "Pleath don't." One look in Whisper's pleading eyes, and I knew I couldn't go through with it. I let out an enormous sigh. "Good then. I'll see the two of you at the wake-up bell!" With a transparently false smile, River jumped back up into the top bunk. I shook my head, following Whisper over to the suitcase near the bottom of the shelves. What did I ever do to deserve this? Whisper zipped open the frilled suitcase, and as we rifled through it for the requested garment, she leaned over to me. "Thank you, Thcootaloo, for not making her angry... and thank you, for, um... well, thath the first time anypony hath thtood up for me thince I got adopted as her sithter three yearth ago." "You're sisters?" "I said without waking me up!" River's voice shouted down from the top bunk. Both of us lowered our heads instinctively. "You two are sisters?" I asked, my voice much softer this time. "Mm-hm." Whisper dropped the frilled scarf she had been holding in her mouth. "I got adopted by River'th family after my mom and dad got killed three yearth ago... that... it wath when Dithcord got loothe. They were cruthed by a giant cherry pie." I concentrated on finding the blue saddle, studiously keeping my mouth shut. I figured it would be best not to mention my involvement in Discord's escape. "But in all those yearth, nopony ever thtood up for me." She stopped looking through clothes, and instead just stared at me. Then, she wrapped her hooves around me without warning. "Thank you. It really meanth a lot to me." I tried to pull away a little, without much success. "But I wasn't trying to–" Something in the way she held me told me that I was close to crushing whatever spirit she had left. I couldn't tell her that I had only been standing up for myself. It would take away what little hope I had just given her. "–ah, I don't mean to pry into your personal life. Yeah. I wasn't trying to pry. You didn't have to tell me all that." I put up the most convincing smile I could muster. "Aw, ith okay. It doethent bother me anymore." Her eyes told me a different story. "Oh, look, there it ith!" She pointed into the suitcase. "Thereth the blue thaddle with white ruffleth." I looked back into it, and there it was indeed – near the bottom of course. "Good, now all we need to do ith get it out, thmooth out the wrinkleth, untangle the thraps and lay it all out how she liketh. Then, all we need to do ith fold them all up–" she pointed at all the clothes we had discarded on the floor "–and we'll be done!" She actually sounded happy about that. I sighed again. This was going to be a long week. I held up my tray. Finally, I was first in line to get some breakfast, and I just couldn't hold out anymore. Before I could get any food, though, a violet flank bumped me out of the way. River had insisted on getting in front of Whisper and me, of course, so she already had her food. "Meet my friend, Lilly Pearl." A white filly with a light green mane cut in front of me, holding up a tray. "And Pearl, these are my two peasants – no need for names." River waved the new pony on as her tray was filled. "Come on, let's get out there before all the good seats are taken." As the two of them left, the path finally opened for me to make my way up to the head of the line and get some breakfast. The big earth pony stallion grinned at me from across the counter. From the look on his face, I could tell he'd seen everything. He winked at me and dropped a double-sized portion of eggs on my plate. I pranced out, spirits high, holding my over-filled tray in my mouth. Finally, something here went my way. It wasn't much, but it was a start. I sneered at River Star as I trotted happily past her, plopping down at an empty seat. That would show her who– "Oh, you brought me my tray, you're such a good peasant." Glowing purple, my tray flew away, replaced by another one with less food. It even had a few bites already taken out of it. "Thanks, sucker!" As River strutted away, I looked up in outrage. Somepony must have seen that. Not only had she just blatantly used magic without permission, but she stole my food. It wasn't fair! After a sweep around the room, my eyes caught what I had been looking for – an authority figure. My heart sank as I saw her though. The magic teacher stood by the wall near the door, looking right at me with a smirk on her face. I slumped down into my seat as Whisper sat down next to me, and I poked my already half-eaten pancakes with the dirty fork. I felt empty inside, a defeated kind of empty that damped my hunger and turned it into nausea. Whisper looked over at me. She hadn't been there, but somehow she seemed to know exactly what happened. "Here, take mine. I've had to eat after her plenty of timeth." A measure of warmth returned to me as we swapped trays. At least I wasn't alone here. I hurried across the stone courtyard with all the other fillies and colts jostling around me. My very first class here would be the exercise class. Maybe if I did well here, I could learn some way to defend myself against River! I pushed through the big wooden doors right along with everypony else. Inside, this new building was almost exactly like my own dorm; the only difference was this one had more doors on its main floor hallway. The hall came alive with the sound of a few dozen young unicorns, and I followed the crowd to the exercise classroom. If not for the press of bodies around me, I would have stopped and stared. There were no neat rows of desks, and no educational decorations on the wall like I expected, just a ring of a few dozen chairs filling the big room, all facing inwards toward a scorched stain on the center of the floor. The teacher already stood in the exact center of the ring, patting down a few wayward curls in her mane. "Okay, class, settle in and find your seats, please." I followed Whisper's fluffy blue tail towards an empty section of chairs near the far wall. Looking at all the unicorns around me, I wondered if any of them were having as bad of a time here as me. I settled into my seat just in time to see River Star prance in through the doorway, along with her new friend. I looked around again and groaned. Of course the only place left with two empty seats next to each other was right next to me. "Hey there, buddy"– she slipped into the chair next to mine –"how's it going?" I turned my head to stare at her, straight-faced. "I am not your friend." River laughed and nudged her companion. "See, Pearl? Peasants. No manners at all." I rolled my eyes, but before I could make any retort, the teacher in the center of the ring spoke up. "Good morning, students, I hope you're having a wonderful first day at the school so far." My shoulders drooped. I was having anything but a 'wonderful' day so far. "My name is Miss Honeydown, and I'll be your instructor for the exercise portion of your studies here." She walked in a slow circle, looking the class over. "I'd like to start our first session with what many unicorns consider the most basic form of magic use – telekinesis. Specifically, I'll be leading you through an exercise in levitation, which is a word we use to describe specifically when telekinesis is used to lift objects into the air." She trotted to the center of the ring again. Her horn glowed and something tiny – I could barely see it – floated up next to her, suspended in her magic. "If you all look under your seats, you'll each find a pebble just like this one." Her magic faded, and the little pebble clattered to the floor. "There are four areas where you will work to improve you telekinetic abilities – speed, accuracy, power, and control. Each one of these can be improved upon independently of the others, and we will practice each one in turn. First, though, we will be focusing on a very easy task, lifting just one pebble." She began pacing around the circle again. "Now, please, take the pebble out from under your seat." I reached down under my seat, felt around for the pebble, and pushed it out in front of me. It was only a tiny grey rock, but it still seemed a little intimidating. "Very good," Miss Honeydown cheered, as if we had all accomplished something important. "Now, like all true magic, this exercise will begin as a mental exercise." She closed her eyes. "I'd like you all to focus your will and feed it into your horns. Just visualize everything flowing up into it. Yes, good. Your horn should be glowing now. Good." I glanced back and forth at the ponies around me. Almost all of their horns were glowing, their faces all in various degrees of concentration... but not me. I tried 'focusing my will' into my wings, but I couldn't feel anything. Was I supposed to flap them? "Good. Now send a thin tendril of energy – it can be as tiny as you like, so small it's invisible – from the very tip of your horn out towards the pebble." The teacher opened her eyes again, and looked around the room. I didn't know if I should be glad or disappointed that she didn't seem to take notice of me. "Your tendril of energy should touch the pebble from directly above. The direction you touch it from will determine its direction of motion." She turned around to face away from me, towards the students on the other side of the ring. "Okay, good. Now, the tendril should stay attached with very little effort now – that's your connection. Now, increase the power just a tiny bit to begin lifting it. Increase it only slightly – these little pebbles won't take much to move." Around the room, pebbles began lifting up one by one, each one surrounded by a different color of magic. A few wavered, a few fell, and one even shot up to bounce off the roof, but mine was the only one that remained stubbornly in its place on the floor. "Okay, good work, students." Miss Honeydown clapped her pink hooves together. "Now practice that some more please, while I work my way around to any students who could use some help. Please raise your hoof if you do." I shot my right hoof up into the air like a rocket. I could definitely use some help! Slowly, a few more hooves raised around the room. Miss Honeydown, I was grateful to see, trotted over to me first, smiling the whole way. "Ah, yes, I had a feeling that you would need a little help." For a moment, I felt primed to be offended, but then again, it was true, after all. I did need help. "Um, yeah, I think I'm having trouble with the 'focusing your will' part." I ignored a little giggle coming from River's direction. "Of course you are, dear. You do face some special challenges here." She patted me on the head. "With no horn, you'll have to channel the magic into your... how do you do it anyway? How did you do it in the past?" "Well, through my wings, I guess, but it's not working." "What was different the last time?" "Well, Rainbow Dash and my friends were there, and I was flapping them really hard, and I was trying really hard." "Oh, okay." Her smile brightened. "So just do that again!" "Just to move a pebble?" That seemed like way too much effort to put into moving a tiny little rock. "Well, sure." She nodded me on. I sighed and shook my head. "Okay." Again, I focused on moving my energy into my wings, but this time I fluttered them as fast as I could and squeezed every bit of effort into it I could muster. Fitfully, my wings began to glow, but before I could move the pebble, the glow flickered and vanished. "That's okay. You did very good for a pegasus." I could hear River snickering at the teacher's faint praise. "You just keep practicing that. I need to go help a few other students, but don't worry, I'll be back to help you along some more later." I sank into my chair as she trotted over to the next raised hoof, keenly aware of the stares I was drawing from all over the room. My cheeks burned, and I wished I could just disappear. All my life I had dreamed of becoming the center of attention, but now it was the last thing I wanted. "But really, you did really good." Whisper patted me on the back. "I've never theen a pegathus do anything like that." I stopped pushing the remains of my lunch around the plate and glared at her. "Are you kidding? The rest of them were levitating six pebbles at once, and even by the end I could barely keep one in the air." "Well, yeah..." She backed away just slightly. "But you were really good for a pegathus." I slammed my hoof down on the table, rattling the plates and drawing more than a few stares. "I am so tired of hearing that! I don't want to be 'good for a pegasus'. I wanna just be 'good', period!" After a moment, my breathing slowed down and I came to my senses. Ponies all over the lunchroom stared at me, and Whisper cringed. I let myself calm back down. "I'm sorry, Whisper, I didn't mean to lash out like that... It's just... I'm just so frustrated, and there's nowhere to let it out." I could see the fear in her eyes recede a little. "It's okay, we're all under a lot of thtress, and when–" The loud peal of the school bell cut into the conversation, and the teacher next to the lunchroom door – Miss Primrose, was it? – called out, "Lunch hour is now over. Everypony outside. Recess for one half hour." I rushed outside along with Whisper and a horde of other giggling, screaming young unicorns. It took us no time at all to get outside and raid the school's supply of outdoor toys. I snagged a bright red ball for myself. One of my ambitions lately had been to top Rainbow Dash's ball-bouncing record. I had even gotten up to two hundred once, almost halfway there! If I just kept practicing, I'd be able to get there for sure, and then Rainbow Dash would have to be impressed by somepony who beat her own record! I trotted over to a relatively open spot and readied myself. I checked all around. Good, nopony close enough to interfere. Half an hour wouldn't be enough time to actually make a real record attempt, but it would be a good time for a little practice. I tossed the ball up and watched it gleam in the sunshine before it came back down, expertly bounced off the top of my head and bounced back up again. One. The next one, I caught with a back hoof stretched out behind me. Two. I knocked the next one from my head to my back, jumping a little to pop it up off my back. Three and four. A quick jab with my front left caught it again. Five. It angled a bit too far forward – nothing I couldn't handle. I thrust myself forward, ready to bop it back up with my nose, and... it didn't come. I teetered there for a moment, confused and off-balance, before gravity got the best of me and I fell forward onto my chest. I looked up from my new vantage point, with my chin on the schoolyard's hard stone. I finally found my ball, glowing purple and hovering far above my head. As soon as I spotted it, the glow around it vanished. I had just enough time to close my eyes before it came down and bounced off my head one last time. Six. I sighed and followed the ball with my eyes until it rolled up to a set of violet hooves. River Star stopped the ball, setting her hoof down on top of it, and smirked to the filly beside her. "And to think, I had always been told that pegasi were supposed to be naturally athletic... but I guess somepony must have told me wrong." She let out a cruel, cutting laugh and kicked my ball away into the crowd. Enough was enough. Now she wasn't just mocking me, she was mocking every pegasus. "You take that back!" Both River and Pearl stalked up close to me, circling their prey. "Oh?" River edged even closer. "Or what? What are you going to do about it, Early Bird?" "That is not her name!" All three of us stared, wide-eyed, to see who came to defend me. Ruby Shine stood there, scowling at the two fillies. River and Pearl glanced at each other for a moment before nodding to each other. They zeroed in on him. "So that isn't her name, huh?" Pearl prodded as the two circled around him. River stopped right in front of him. "So, what is it then?" I could see the weakness in his stance even before the look of worry crept over his face. It only intensified as River stared him down. He glanced back and forth between the two fillies as a bead of sweat grew on his face. "Her name is..." He winced, and all the worry and fear melted away from his face. "Chicken," he mumbled. The breath I had been holding left me in one sickening gasp. So that's what it feels like to be stabbed in the back. "Chicken, huh?" River whirled back towards me. "I like it. She looks like a chicken, too, don't you think?" "Definitely!" Pearl still circled Ruby Shine. "Maybe we should hang out with Ruby more often." I just sat there and glared at him. I had only told him that hurtful nickname on the train ride because I thought he was my friend. He had been smiling about Pearl's comment, but when his eyes met mine, his smile wilted and he glanced away. I just kept on staring at him, empty and used. My red ball rolled back to me, kicked back by some kind soul, perhaps, but I didn't even look at it. "And that, my little ponies, is what happens when a pony uses more magic than he or she can control – magic overload. It is essential that you avoid overload by remembering your limits. You are all still young fillies and colts. You need to build your skills gradually. Try too much too soon, and you'll end up magically exhausted. It is a dangerous medical condition for any unicorn." Missus Primrose looked around the classroom. "Now, who can tell me what the symptoms of magical overexertion are?" A few hooves, including mine, shot up around the classroom. "Bass Clef?" The teacher pointed toward a colt in the back of the room. "Symptoms of magical exhaustion are headache, body aches, and inability to focus." "Very good, Bass Clef. Though, you have missed perhaps the most important symptom – the inability to perform any magic." She looked up at the clock in the back of the room. "Very well, class, any questions about tonight's homework?" I raised my hoof. I still wasn't sure which book to find the five rules of magic safety in. "Good. Since nopony has any questions, class dismissed!" Of course she didn't acknowledge me. She hadn't said a word to me at all throughout the whole class, and now I knew she was ignoring me on purpose. Well, it suited me. My mood was dark enough now that I wanted to just be ignored, by everypony and everything. "Are you coming, Thcootaloo?" I looked up to see the classroom already mostly empty, and Whisper waiting for me halfway through the door. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get me moving again. "Okay, yeah, I'm coming." We shared the short walk back to our room on the third floor in silence. Maybe Whisper picked up on my mood and could tell I didn't feel like having any friendly chatter, or maybe she didn't want to talk either. I didn't care. "Okay, you two, time to finally make yourselves useful." River Star's face was the first thing to greet us in the room, of course. My head sank down as I sighed. This day wasn't over yet. "Worm, you'll be in charge of my reading and note-taking. I want full summaries of our assigned reading. Chicken, you're in charge of getting my homework done." I scowled at her when I heard my old nickname again. "And both of them had better be done in my very best hoofwriting." She winked at us and giggled, oblivious to my scowling. "As for me, I've got some serious catching up to do." With that, she hopped up into bed and snuggled into the sheets. I checked the list of homework to be done; it looked horrendous – easily enough to keep me busy until bedtime, even without making the extra copy for River. I looked over at Whisper, and she answered me with a weak, tired smile. Shaking my head and sighing, I followed her to the desk. Falling... falling forever... It wasn't unusual for me, really, to have dreams of falling. They never scared me as much as this one did though. Crack. Ouch! Falling dreams usually didn't end with a painful landing. I forced my eyes open and rubbed the new bruise on the back of my head. "What is the meaning of this?" River loomed over me in the dim morning light. With a grunt, I picked myself up to a sitting position on the chilly wooden floor. My blankets were strewn all around me. "Huh? Meaning of what?" River stalked even closer. "The meaning of you not waking up the Worm, and not getting my outfit ready!" I rolled my eyes. "I was tired after being up all night doing your homework, and besides, you didn't even tell us which one you wanted." "That's no excuse!" She circled around me, stepping all over my blankets. "Well, maybe I just didn't feel like getting up early to fix up your dumb clothes. Do whatever you want. I'm not scared of you." A disturbing smile broke out on her face, and her eyes narrowed into a predatory gleam. "So, you admit it! Laziness and insubordination, that's what it is." She stepped up closer, shoving her face right into mine, despite me leaning back away from her. "Well, I'll just have to arrange a proper punishment for you, to remind you of your place." I stood up, getting a little distance away and flaring my wings. "I'm still not scared of you, River!" I put all the confidence I could muster into my voice. "There's nothing your magic can do that I can't handle!" "Oh?" She smiled with a sickening faux sweetness in her voice. "Who said anything about magic?" She giggled as she turned and walked out through the door. "See you later, Chicken." I shook my head and scowled at the door. What could that obnoxious filly be up to now? === Crime And Punishment === ith no new signs of hostility from River, I was growing nervous. "I still can't believe she didn't do anything to me at breakfast," I said to Whisper as we trotted across the courtyard to exercise class. "I know." Whisper shook her head. "She took my whole tray for herthelf." She glanced over at me with a warm smile. "Thanks for tharing, by the way." I laughed. "You already thanked me, like, a hundred times! It was no big deal." We were almost to the door now. "And maybe that's all it takes. Maybe if you just stand up to River a little, she backs off." Whisper's smile faded. "I with it was that easy. No... I'm thorry Thcootaloo, I'm really thorry... but I just know she mutht have thomthing really ugly planned." With that, we walked in through the big arched doorway, and the echoing sounds of rambunctious young unicorns drowned out any hope of further conversation. Once all the students settled into their seats, Miss Honeydown spoke up from the center of the ring in her soft, clear voice. "Okay, my little ponies. Today we'll be learning the second basic spell any unicorn should know – the light spell." She closed her eyes and kept talking, obviously in part of a well-rehearsed speech. "The light spell isn't a proper spell at all, actually, and thus is quite easy to execute. You need only focus your magical energy into your horn and not give it any release or any target." As she spoke, her horn began to glow, slowly at first, but brighter and brighter. "The key to making your light steady and clear is to provide it with a very constant, smooth flow of energy. When you're done, you can turn off your light spell by drawing the remaining magical energy back into yourself." By now, the deep yellow glow of her horn was the dominant light source in the room. As she completed her short lecture, the light dimmed and went out. "Now, just like yesterday, I'll be going around the circle answering questions–" she looked directly at me "–and helping anypony who needs a little extra assistance." I ducked my head low, and my cheeks burned. I didn't even need to look. I could feel the derisive stares of my classmates from all around. Miss Honeydown discreetly slipped on a pair of sunglasses. "Okay, class, your turn. Give it a try." I wondered what the glasses were about, but not for long. A dazzling array of multicolored light shot out from all around the room, more colors and more brightness building up every moment. Many of them flickered, wavered, or sparked, but some of them burned painfully bright. This was Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, after all. Squinting through the light, I belatedly realized that I should be trying it, too. I concentrated on the feeling of magical energy; it began to feel a little familiar. I directed it out to my wings, but nowhere else. Looking back at my wings, I sighed in dejection. They were glowing, but it was hardly even visible in the glare from all the unicorns around me. Well, what about flapping the wings? That always seemed to make my magic work better in the past... As soon as I moved my wings, the glow around them flared up impressively, but it flickered horribly. A few of the students around me cried out as the strobing light from my wings blinded them. "Aah! Make it stop!" I cringed and pulled my magic back into myself, and the flashing light from my wings died away. With a pained sigh, I raised my hoof. I hated playing into the teacher's assumption that I would need help, but honestly, I did. "Yes, dear?" I had thought of Miss Honeydown as benign and friendly, but by now I could see what she truly thought. She didn't hate me like some others did, but her assumptions about me and her lower standards for me were even more hurtful when it came down to it... especially because they were justified. "I'm having trouble keeping it steady." She smiled all too knowingly. "I saw, dear. Have you been keeping the magic flow nice and steady?" I looked away. The other students were practicing again, most of them holding nice, steady lights... nothing like mine. "I have, but to make it bright, I have to flap my wings." I ignored River's derisive giggle coming in from my left. "Well, I don't know much about wings..." She squinted her eyes and brought a hoof up to her chin. "Could you maybe alternate the two, flapping one up while the other goes down?" I shook my head and stared at the floor some more. "No." Her head tilted to the side a little, and confusion crept onto her face. "Why not?" Wow, she was telling me the truth when she said she didn't know much about wings. Was that ignorance the reason for her attitude toward me? "They... they just don't work that way. They just kind of stay together all on their own." "Hm..." A raised eyebrow showed she wasn't quite convinced, but how could she argue after admitting she didn't know what she was talking about? "Well, maybe you could try flapping them slower?" I shrugged. Well, it might be worth a try. Again, I focused my magic into my wings, and again I began to flap them, but slower this time. The only effect it seemed to have, though, was that the flashes of light were slower, in time with my wing beats. With an exasperated sigh, I stopped again and stared up at Miss Honeydown. She smiled at me sweetly. "Aw, don't worry, dear. Soon these classes will be over, and then you can be back in the clouds where your kind belongs. Then everything will be okay." I plopped back down into my seat, feeling a little sick. The condescension in her voice infuriated and disgusted me all the more because she genuinely thought it would make me feel better. In reality, it made me feel like I'd just been kicked in the gut. "Okay. You just keep practicing there." With a twinge, she looked up at a few of the other students. "I need to get to some of the others who need help, but I'll be back for you." That wasn't comforting. With a heavy sigh, I channeled the energy again. It wasn't easy, given the thoughts running through my head. Dumb Twilight. What was she thinking, sending me to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns? I was anything but gifted, and definitely not a unicorn. Wouldn't she know how horrible it would be here as the least talented pony in class? Of course not. What would the princess of magic know about lacking magical talent? I stepped through the lunchroom crowd carefully, carrying my tray of dirty, empty dishes in my mouth. This day had already been exhausting, even though it was only halfway done, so I had made short work of the hay pasta and garlic bread from today's lunch. Thankfully, lunch had also been bully-free for me. It was a nice change of pace, to be sure. I wondered if my upbeat feelings had been premature as I saw Lilly Pearl heading for me with a malicious grin on her face, though. She trotted toward me in a rush, her eyes glued to my tray, and my grip on it began to feel very precarious. Just before the white filly sent my tray flying, a violet hoof slipped out in front of her chest and stopped her in her tracks. My tray was saved from disaster. "Not yet, Lilly." River dropped her hoof back down to the floor. "She'll get what's coming to her very soon... just be patient." Lilly just shrugged. "If you say so." "Soon," River whispered to me as she backed away, smiling. "Soon." I tried to shake the foreboding thoughts out of my head as I resumed carrying my tray to the dishwashers' counter. She was probably just playing head games with me, right? She couldn't do anything too horrible to me and get away with it... I had to be sure of that, at least. As I dropped my tray down on top of the shiny steel counter where the dishes were cleaned, I saw a few unicorns already heading out into the courtyard for recess. I hurried after them, eager to get some play time in before any of the usual bullies caught up to me. Only a few ponies were in the yard, and the bin holding the toys was still locked. Still, that didn't mean I couldn't have any fun. I spotted one little group of fillies who seemed to be playing tag, and I trotted up with a smile on my face. "Hey, can I join in?" They all stopped, and they looked at each other with doubt-filled faces. "Um, well," one stammered, "We'd really rather you didn't." They trotted away. "No offense." "Oh, yeah, okay... of course." Well, that was a bust. I looked around again and spotted a pink colt running around. I sprinted up alongside him and flashed him my best challenging grin. "Hey, wanna race?" He slowed to a stop and backed away. "Well, ah, I don't really feel like racing right now..." I stood and watched him back away in disbelief. What was wrong with these unicorn ponies? As I turned around, I spotted Whisper coming outside, so I trotted over to her. Her mane had tomato stains all over it, and she wouldn't look me in the eye. "Hey, what happened?" She shook her head and tried to wipe a little more sauce out of her mane. "What do you think happened? River and her freindth dumped my tray on my head." I winced. Whisper got the same treatment I had just narrowly avoided... and there was nothing I could do to make it better. Before I could say anything, the school's bell rang, signaling the official start of recess. Among the rush of young ponies coming out through the door, I spotted River, with her friend Pearl by her side. She headed straight for me, with a predatory gleam in her eyes. They trotted up to us, and it looked like the other ponies in the courtyard could sense the oncoming storm as well as I could. As River and Pearl stalked in a circle around us, we found ourselves in the middle of a wide open spot where no other pony dared to go. "Oh give it a rest, River." I rolled my eyes. "I already told you I'm not scared." Whisper, on the other hoof, cowered behind me, trembling. She must have been terrified. River's horn lit up, and a shiny little red ball floated up to her, surrounded in her magic's violet glow. "Recognize this?" she asked, as she dropped it to the ground next to her. "Yeah, that's the ball I was playing with yesterday." I raised an eyebrow and looked at her out of the corner of my eye. This didn't make much sense. "What're you gonna do, steal it from me? You already have it." A savage grin spread across her face. "I'm going to do this." With a back hoof, she gave the ball a solid kick, sending it flying off towards one of the school buildings. The sound of breaking glass came back in answer. I looked over to where the ball went, still unsure what was going on. Just as I spotted the broken window, the Headmaster's face popped out through it. The Headmaster stared out at me with a deepening frown on his face and a rage-filled glint in his eyes. Too late, I noticed River and Pearl pointing their hooves at Whisper and me. Several other ponies around us joined them. My eyes widened in sudden realization of what River just did to me. The Headmaster disappeared from his broken window and reappeared – shockingly quick – through the front door of the building, levitating a little whistle with his magic. As soon as he stepped out, he blew a piercing shriek on the whistle. All the ponies who had been playing froze, and a still silence overtook the whole courtyard, broken only by the sound of a ball bouncing to a halt. "You two." The Headmaster's voice wasn't loud. It was cold and stark in the sudden hush. "The blue filly and the pegasus." I could already feel the cold sweat breaking out as his frosty glare bored into me. "In my office. Now." I walked toward the building as he disappeared inside, keenly aware of how every eye in the courtyard stared at Whisper and me. Silence smothered the whole courtyard as everypony watched the two of us gingerly trodding our way to the door as if we were two condemned prisoners on our way to the gallows. That's what it felt like, anyway. Now I knew the full extent of River's plan, and I was trapped in it. No way out. I nudged Whisper with a hoof and smiled weakly at her as we stepped in through the door. When she looked back at me though, I could only see fear and anxiety in her face, nothing reassuring. Down the empty, echoing hall, the Headmaster's door already stood open. Whisper shot me another worried glance and with a gulp, walked up to it. "Headmathter, thir?" A moment of silence passed as Whisper sweated in front of that foreboding door. "Ah, Night Whisper? I'll speak with each of you privately. Please tell the pegasus to wait outside." Whisper glanced over at me, looking to see if I got the message. I nodded and let out the breath I had been holding. Reluctantly, I made my way to the wooden bench waiting for me in the hallway. I settled into the harsh, uncomfortable seat as well as I could, and watched Whisper disappear inside. Voices percolated through the closed door, but they were too muffled to understand, which left me alone with my thoughts. It was the first time I had actually been alone since I left Ponyville, though the immense looming quiet of the hallway, the uncompromising wood of the bench beneath me, and of course, the reason I was here in the first place all conspired to make it anything but relaxing. I wished Rainbow Dash could be here with me, or Cheerilee. They would know what to do. Or maybe Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They might not have been able to help, but at least they would make me feel better. We had been in trouble worse than this together so many times; this would feel like nothing. As it was, though, I had to face it more alone than I had ever been since I lost my parents, and I was too young to even remember that. Whisper was my friend, sure, but I couldn't exactly count on her, and who else would look out for me? Nopony. I couldn't even– With a soft click that would have been impossible to hear anywhere other than this silent, empty hallway, the doorknob turned. It opened, and Whisper slowly walked out. It was normal for her to not be able to look me – or anypony else for that matter – in the eye, but now she wouldn't look at me at all. She hung her head low and looked away as she slank away down the carpeted hallway. She never said a single word. Before Whisper disappeared down the hall, the Headmaster's voice called out from the open door. "Come in." It still retained an icy hardness. With a chill creeping down my spine, I rose up from the bench and made the long trip across the hall and into the Headmaster's office. Inside, the air stood perfectly still, despite the gaping window. Little sparkling shards of glass littered the plush red carpeting on the floor, and a shiny red ball sat on the dark, glossy desk, right next to the embossed brass nameplate reading: Herald Dust, Headmaster, Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Magic Kindergarten division. I gulped and looked up at the looming face of the Headmaster. His cold glare was even less welcoming than his dark, stuffy office. "Sit," he said, motioning toward the chair across from his desk. As inconspicuously as possible, I climbed into the simple wooden chair. The Headmaster adjusted his glasses and set a hoof on top of the ball sitting on his desk. "Now, would you care to explain this?" His eyes pierced into me over the rims of his glasses. Explain it? I could hardly breathe. Still, I couldn't let River get away with such a dirty trick without a fight. "That's the ball River Star kicked through your window." The Headmaster just sighed and shook his head. "Are you sure that's what happened, young pegasus?" I couldn't back down now. "She's trying to blame it on me so I'll get in trouble." "Young mare, I will not have such talk in this office!" I shrank down into my seat as he finally allowed some heat into his voice. "Your friend Night Whisper already told me everything, so there's no point in lying." "She... huh?" I couldn't believe it. Why would she say something like that? "But that's not true. I really didn't do anything!" He shot up from his chair, bracing his hooves on the desk in front of him, and towered over me. "Are you seriously insinuating that I should believe that two unicorns – my own daughters – as well as several of your classmates are all lying because one troublemaking pegasus says so?" I glanced side to side, trying to find some way to escape this unicorn's fierce gaze. There was none, of course. "Um, yes?" I winced. That sounded weak even to me. He sat back down, growling disgustedly. "As soon as you came here, I knew some damage to the school was bound to happen with a rough-and-tumble pegasus around... but I was prepared to accept that. 'At least she isn't an earth pony,' I thought. Turns out, I was wrong. Apparently, nothing is worse than a pegasus! Trying to blame your mistakes on your classmates and my own daughter, the nerve!" He shook his head. "I only warned Whisper to be more careful next time, as a reward for her admirable honesty." His eyes zeroed in on me. "You though... Your brazen lying brings discredit upon you, your kind, and worse, it brings dishonor to this school. You will be reprimanded." I let out a heavy sigh and sank into my chair as he paused, presumably thinking up a suitable punishment. So much for defending myself. I should have known he wouldn't believe me. He looked up at me again, over the rims of his glasses and smoothed down his mustache. "For the remainder of your time here at the school, rather than joining the other students at recess, you will be helping the kitchen staff clean up after the meal and prepare the next one." My resulting groan brought the first smile I'd ever seen on his face. Standing up and walking around to the side of the desk, he leaned against it with one hoof. "You won't last long in this school with the moral quality you have displayed thus far. Another incident like this, and I will be forced to dismiss you from the school, no matter who sent you here. Do I make myself clear?" I should have felt outraged, indignant, defiant... instead, I felt only the hollow emptiness of defeat. "Yes, Headmaster." "Good." He raised an eyebrow at me, tilting his head a little. "I understand you're sharing a room with my daughters. You would do well to learn from their fine moral example." He waved toward the door. "You are dismissed." "While zebra magic tends to center around the making of potions ... griffons are not known to possess any magical ... which is what results in the unusually long lifespans of most earth ponies..." The magic theory lessons were especially hard to pay attention to today. My mind kept wandering back to the events from recess, or forward to guess what helping in the kitchen would be like. " ...And that's how pegasus magic interacts with the weather patterns..." I shot up, my attention suddenly focused back on the lecture. "Pegasus magic? How does that apply to me?" Missus Primrose glared at me from her position at the front of the room. The way her mane was tied up in a tight bun stretched and attenuated the thinly veiled loathing in her eyes. "I will thank you, young mare, to not disrupt the class further." It was the first thing she had said to me – ever. Progress of a sort. "You wouldn't want me to have to send you to the Headmaster's office, would you?" I shrank down into my seat. No, I definitely didn't want to go back there. "Very well. Now, the next interaction class I would like to cover is unicorn-dragon interaction. The best known form of this is dragon's breath letter sending. This works by connecting with the dragon's inherent affinity to the element of fire. While most unicorns would send a letter to a dragon by magically igniting it, this is, in fact, not necessary. Because of this elemental connection, it is only necessary to levitate the letter, think of the intended recipient, and consume it with any fire, magical or mundane. Similarly, a unicorn's interaction with sylphs centers through the element of air. When a sylph..." Well, that was interesting... and useful! I never guessed that sending letters to a dragon could be so easy. That could be very useful indeed. Maybe I didn't have to be so alone here after all. I bent over my homework for the day in the flickering candlelight of my room. Having not paid much attention during the day, it gave me a particularly hard time. Once again, an incomprehensible question forced me to crack open the textbook and search for the answer. This had to be the least fun place in all of Equestria. I glanced up at River's bunk. No sign of movement there. Hopefully she was already asleep. As quietly as I could, I took out a fresh sheet of paper and began penning a letter to Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, via Spike. Maybe if they knew what I was going through here, they could do something about it and make this whole magic kindergarten thing into what it was supposed to be. I scribbled furiously, pouring all my frustration onto the page. River's bedsheets rustled. She hopped out and eyed Whisper and me. I froze. There was no hiding it now. If I tried to hide it, she'd see me and only want to see it more. "Let's check and see how my servants are doing..." She leaned in over Whisper's shoulder, looking at her notes. "Good, good..." When she reached my side of the desk, though, she frowned. "What is this?" I winced. She was never supposed to see it. She pulled the half-finished letter out of my hooves with her magic and began reading it. Soon, she turned to me with a menacing glare. "I will not put up with a lowly pegasus saying things like that about me!" The letter suddenly shredded into tiny pieces under the violet glow of River's magic. "And I will not put up with this from you. You get back to my homework like you're supposed to and quit writing letters. Or else. I don't think you want another taste of punishment, do you?" I just glared at her. "That's what I thought." She slicked her hair back with a hoof. "Now, I'm going over to Pearl's room to hang out with some ponies who aren't as horribly lame as you two." She trotted to the door, her head held high. "But you're not allowed to go into other ponieth' roomth." Whisper turned to look in River's direction. "Oh, and are you going to do something about it, Worm?" River stared her down. "You know better." Whisper lowered her head and went back to work on the notes. "That's what I thought. Now, finally, I'm out of here." She stepped out through the door, slamming it behind her. I shook my head and went back to writing my letter. It was my only hope that anything would get better. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to concentrate on both things at once. I had to keep my wings going, holding my letter aloft with my shaky magic, and I had to keep my recipient in mind, the little dragon Spike, far off in the Griffon Kingdoms with Twilight Sparkle. If I faltered in either one, this letter would burn up uselessly... like my last two attempts. Carefully, I moved the letter over to the flickering candle's flame. I ignored Whisper's concerned look. For this, I needed total concentration. The little flame flared up and consumed my letter, but the flames turned green as it burned. That was my sign that the message sent successfully. The smoke from the letter shimmered and sparkled and raced through the crack in the door, on its way. Now I only needed to wait. I glanced to the side at Whisper. She still sat scribbling notes for her adoptive sister, her frizzy blue mane bobbing just a bit as she wrote. If she had taken issue with my letter sending activities, she wasn't saying anything about it. Shaking my head, I turned back to my own work. I couldn't imagine putting up with River's petty tyranny for even the few days of magic kindergarten, but this little filly had been with her for years. How was it even possible to endure somepony like River Star for that long? As if in response to my thoughts, River burst in through the door, stomped over to her bed, and jumped in. Mere seconds later, a heavy snore gushed from the top bunk. I groaned. Doing this double-duty homework was difficult enough without that distracting noise, not to mention the damage it would do to my sleep schedule. Drooping my head and sighing out my disgust, I picked up the quill again. These elemental interaction tables weren't going to do themselves – twice. With a smug grin, I drew another line into the diagram, proud that I had remembered what the teacher said about the lightning exception to the general fire and water interaction rules. Before I could copy it to River's sheet, though, a plume of green smoke snaked its way in under the door and swirled over my head. I dropped my quill just in time to lunge up and catch the falling scroll, setting it down on our desk. This time, Whisper definitely was paying attention. She turned around in her seat to stare at me with wide open eyes. "You did magic? Without permithion?" "Ugh, Whisper," I whined, "you didn't tattle on River when she did it." I looked her in the eye. "You aren't going to rat me out, are you?" She looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "Well, no." "Good." I gave her a warm smile. "Us two have to stick together." She looked back at me then, and while her smile wasn't as big as mine, it was just as warm. Whisper might not have been much help against River, but I was still glad to be able to call her my friend here. She leaned over to stare at the rolled-up scroll. "Who'th that from?" I grabbed the scroll and opened it, a sly smile on my face and a beaming pride in my heart. "It's from a friend of mine." I glanced at Whisper through the corner of my eye. I wanted to see her reaction. "Twilight Sparkle." Whisper just looked confused for a moment, squinting her eyes and cocking her head to the side, but a second later, her eyes shot open wide. "No! The Twilight Thparkle?" She just stared at me with her mouth gaping open. "You know the Printheths?" I giggled a little at her reaction. I couldn't help it. "Yep, the Twilight Sparkle." I spread the scroll out on the table. It was good news. This would change everything. "And it says here that she's going to write a royal decree to the school's headmaster to put a stop to the bullying!" A true smile blossomed on Whisper's face, and joy augmented the shock in her eyes. "Really?" "Yep. He should be getting it any minute now." Whisper jittered in her seat. She looked too excited to stay put, and her mane somehow seemed fluffier than ever, but she turned back to the desk and resumed working on the notes, despite rocking back and forth in the chair. For a moment, I wondered what this little blue filly would have been like if she hadn't been repressed by River Star. Perhaps I was getting a glimpse of it now. Still, I supposed, she had the right idea. There was plenty of homework left to be done. Reluctantly, I turned back to the interaction tables. Now, earth and water in cooperative interaction, what class was that? Before I could come up with the answer, my eyes were drawn to River's extra copy. I probably should make her copy, I supposed, at least until after the Headmaster fixed things. I grinned wickedly as a devious idea came to me. River wouldn't know the difference between right and wrong answers. I settled into my soft middle bunk with a grin on my face despite the snores still echoing from above. This was the first time in days that I had gone to bed looking forward to the next day. Between the letter and River about to discover her failing grade on the homework, this was shaping up to be the best day yet. === The Secret Garden === he nighttime quiet broke. "Wake up!" I rolled away from the whispered voice, trying to ignore it – and the poke that followed it – and get back to sleep. "Come on, Thcootaloo, get up!" I groaned and flopped my pillow over my head. It was much too early to be getting up, especially after being kept up all night by River's incessant snoring. "Thcootaloo! Until the Headmathter fixeth everything, we thtill have to get River'th thtuff ready." I sighed and tossed the pillow off of my head. Night Whisper was right, of course, even if she was living up to her name annoyingly well. Soon, River wouldn't be a problem anymore, but for now, it would be best not to make a scene. "Okay. I'm up." With a moan, I rolled over and flopped out of the bunk. "Let's get this over with." "Hmph. Well, the hoofwriting on my paper is sloppy, and if you ever make a big ink splash on it like that again, you'll wish you never came here!" I just shook my head at River's tirade. I already wished I had never come here. Soon, though, I knew this would all be over. "And the sash on my favorite sundress has a wrinkle right through the middle of it!" Whisper and me shared a look and a tiny invisible smile. "But you know what? It doesn't matter." That focused my attention back on River in a hurry. How could these little faults possibly be unimportant to her? "Because, you see, she is improving." She turned to look at Whisper. "See, I told you, Worm. Even a chicken can be trained if you put enough work into it." My lips curled into an ugly snarl. "Don't get used to it, River! That's the last thing I'll ever do for you!" As River's eyes bored into me, Whisper turned to me and said, "What? You can't thay that! The'll punith uth both!" "The worm's right." River's eyes cut into me. "So her punishment will be light... relatively speaking. Yours though... I'll have to make something extra special for you." Before I could say anything, the piercing ring of the school's bell echoed through the hall. That was the signal for breakfast. My inclination to argue with River dissipated, and I rushed out the door. I worked my way through the crush of ponies in the hallway and down the stairs. They seemed to be moving slower and closer together than usual today, like something was holding them up. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I found out what that was. Missus Primrose stood at the bottom of the steps, stiffly repeating, "All students to the courtyard. There will be a special announcement before breakfast." Perhaps it was just my imagination, but her gaze seemed to take an especially waspish glare as she spotted me. Despite the low-level growling in my belly, my heart leapt at the announcement. The Headmaster must want to clear up the bullying issue as soon as possible, even before breakfast! Sure, the meal would be delayed a bit, but at least I would be able to eat it in peace. Eager to find out what would be done, I followed the herd of students out into the courtyard. Outside, a crowd of little unicorns already sprawled across the stone yard, and the Headmaster stood facing them all, patiently waiting for the last of them to gather. I trotted up to the group, full of happy anticipation. I couldn't wait to see my fortunes turn around. As I settled into a vacant spot at the front left side of the group, the Headmaster cleared his throat loudly. His horn began to glow, and his voice boomed out, "Good morning, students." He must have been using some kind of voice amplification spell to have spoken so loud. "Good morning, Headmaster," the students replied in something almost resembling unison. "Now, some of you may think that you can abuse your position, that your friends in high places will protect you from the consequences of your actions." I smirked. Good, that would show River that she couldn't rely on her daddy's help. "Some of you may think that you can get away with lying and blaming your misdeeds on others." Good! He must have learned the truth about the window incident. "Well, I'm standing here in front of you today to tell all of you that this kind of thinking is wrong!" My heart soared. This was all the vindication I could have asked for and more! Sending that letter to Twilight was the best idea I'd had yet. Her influence had just solved my biggest problem here. "Not even a royal decree will make me tolerate such injustices! Especially not from a new upstart. I take my orders from Princess Celestia herself!" Wait. What? "Within these walls is my domain, and nopony, unicorn or other–" he glared straight at me before continuing "–is beyond the reach of my discipline! Do I make myself clear?" "Yes sir!" came the shout from the crowd. I stood frozen still, not even able to take the stupid smile off my face. I could barely breathe. The letter had only made him more hostile! How could it have backfired so badly? What had Twilight written to him? As I came down from the shock, I realized I had been a fool to think one little letter would change an old pony as stuck in his ways as the Headmaster was. My hopes crashed, falling even lower for having been so high just a moment ago. What would I do now? Now I had no escape, no plan, and the whole school was coming down on me. "And I also have one other matter to discuss while you are all here." The Headmaster seemed more composed now, looking back to the main body of students and stroking his mustache. "During the weekend interlude, there will be a carnival in Canterlot – the Hundred Moon Festival." I didn't know what he was talking about, and I was in no state to care, but the excited murmur rising from the crowd said it all. "I trust you will all enjoy yourselves there. Your teachers and myself will be chaperoning you while you are there to ensure your safety." He glared directly at me again. "That is, of course, assuming you behave yourselves and don't get grounded to the school's premises for misbehavior." He turned back to the others, adjusted his glasses, and smiled. "Now, please go on with your day as planned. Good luck, my little unicorns." I stumbled along with the crowd toward the dining hall, barely noticing what went on around me. Everything seemed somehow distant and removed from the reality I now faced. There would be no way out for me now. I was stuck in this place, and stuck in the grasp of ponies like River. I barely kept up with the crowd. What was the point, anyway? As I made my way to exercise class, I realized that my morose thoughts during breakfast had probably been unfounded. Things might still be bad, but they weren't going to get any worse either... probably. I could handle this for just a week, and then I could get out and never come back. I walked in through the classroom door, almost bumping into River and her friends, Pearl and Ruby. They had all been talking about something, but as soon as they saw me, they hushed up. I stepped past them as gingerly as I could, eying them the whole time. As soon as I passed them by, they all broke out giggling behind my back. I dreaded to think what that might mean for my near future, but there was no point in dwelling on it now. I spotted Whisper already sitting next to my usual spot, so I made my way over. "Wath that your letter that the Headmaster wath talking about?" she asked, before I could even sit down. "I think so, or at least it was Twilight's letter that he got because of me." "But it didn't theem to work." She looked over at me with her eyes full of concern. No, it didn't. "I can't believe he's just going to ignore a royal decree. Just who does he think he is?" "Let's settle down, please!" Miss Honeydown sang out, "We have a very special lesson to get to today." Everypony hushed and scrambled off to their seats. As the noise quieted down, I noticed Ruby Shine sitting down next to me on the other side, where River would normally have gone. I didn't worry about it though. All those bully ponies were the same. What did it matter which one sat next to me? "Today, class, we'll be working on the most special kind of magic – the kind that relates to your cutie mark and your special talent." I braced for the angst those words would call up, but instead, I felt uplifted. Of course! I had a cutie mark now, and I knew my special talent. The very idea of that warmed me inside and reminded me that whatever troubles this school might throw at me, I still had that going for me, and it was more than I ever had before. Miss Honeydown strolled around the ring of chairs. "Now, I want you all to think back to how you first got your cutie marks. What happened?" She turned and started pacing along the other direction. "Most unicorns have magic closely tied to their special talent – you were probably using it when you got your cutie mark." So, was mine teleporting? "Okay. Once you have the special spell you can perform in mind, I want each of you to execute it in the smallest, most controlled manner you can." She slowly turned around, smiling reassuringly at the students around her. "And don't worry. I'll have shields ready to go, just in case anything gets a little out of control. That's my special talent, after all." All around me, little unicorns strained themselves and made their horns glow. More than a few of them were already performing their spells, causing a kaleidoscope of magic to whiz around the room, each spell caught and nullified by one of Miss Honeydown's shields. Whatever might happen, I supposed there was no point living in fear of my own special talent. I thought back to the first couple times I had done magic, what that felt like. Closing my eyes against the distracting cacophony of unicorn magic around me, I focused on repeating that teleportation spell. After a minute or two of trying harder and harder, I realized I was butting up against some kind of wall. For some reason, I just couldn't do it. No! After trying for so long to find my special talent, I was not going to let it just slip away. I redoubled my efforts, flapping my wings so fast I almost lifted off the ground, and making them glow so brightly I could see the glare even through my tightly closed eyes. "Scootaloo, dear? Are you having some trouble?" At the sound of my teacher's voice, my eyes popped open in surprise. She was calling for me? As soon as I spotted her, I felt the wall preventing my spell dissipate. A bright purple flash filled my vision. As soon as I could see again, I found myself in the air just above Miss Honeydown. I crashed down on top of her, and both of us crumpled to the floor. Perhaps because I was more used to crashing, I was the first to recover. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean–" "It's okay, Scootaloo. I've had worse." The teacher picked herself up off of the dusty wooden floor and rubbed at her shoulder. "But now that I know your special talent is teleporting, I bet I know what your trouble was." She patted me on the head. Somehow, it felt as if she was patting me like a well-behaved dog. "A teleport spell needs to have a destination before it can work. When you saw me, it took me for the destination." I looked away, my cheeks burning. I stood in the middle of the ring, of course, so all the other students had a front-row view of my stupid mistake. "You just head back to your seat, dear, and keep practicing. I know it's especially hard for you, but on the bright side, you're doing very well at magic by pegasus standards." The smattering of laughter that followed me to my seat didn't do a thing to soften the blow of the teacher's double-edged compliment. She probably meant well, but it stung nonetheless. My wings ached, my stomach growled, and my legs trembled. I had practiced teleportation for hours, but I never made any progress at all. I wasn't more accurate, I couldn't do it quicker or easier, and there was no way I could practice going further within the confines of the room. Why did magic have to be so hard? After a whole day of practice, I'd hardly even– The peal of the school bell topped my thoughts in their tracks. For a moment, I looked forward to lunchtime, but then I remembered my punishment from the Headmaster. I wouldn't be eating; I'd be helping the kitchen staff. With a resigned, plodding step, I headed off toward the cafeteria. I caught Missus Primrose staring at me as I walked into the lunchroom. I was one of the last ponies to arrive. Her usual look of superiority and slight disgust was nowhere to be seen today though. Now she just gave me a slight smug smile. "Run along now," she chided, nodding toward the kitchen doors. "You know where you belong." I scowled back at her as I made my way to the door at the back of the room. I'd seen a lot here, but for it to be as blatant as that was just ridiculous. I continued on through the doors, shaking my head at the teacher's obvious prejudices. Inside, gleaming metal appliances and countertops surrounded me. My hooves echoed against the shiny stone floor. As soon as the sound of my steps died off, a chubby chocolate brown earth pony hurried around the corner from behind what looked like a big refrigerator. His mane was creamy white, and a spatula cutie mark adorned his – rather ample – flank. I recognized him as the same one who gave me double helpings after my place had been taken on the first day. "Ho dere, you be my new liddle helpa?" Despite his thick accent, his deep voice put me at ease. Somehow, he seemed familiar to me, even though I was sure I'd never seen him before. "Uh-huh." "Well, I could sho as da sun use some help scrubbin' dem pans. Dey's right back in da back o' da kichin." He disappeared from view again, and I heard the clatter of more dishes. "Help yaself to some soap an' a scrubby. I be servin' trays fo a few mo minutes," he called back as he disappeared toward the front of the kitchen. What else was there to do? I wandered back toward the back of the kitchen in search of the sink, taking in the sights as I went along. I passed the big humming refrigerators on my left, and I could hear the muffled din of the students behind them. On the right, I passed a bank of enormous ovens, still going strong, with a couple pegasi busy taking huge pans out of them. As I continued on, I passed a big table with a cutting board countertop, shelves full of the biggest cans I had ever seen, and a can opener that looked like it belonged in a factory instead of a kitchen. It was manned by a huge earth pony mare who scowled at me as I slunk past. Finally, at the very back of the kitchen, I found the sink. It, too, shone with the dull gleam of polished steel. Three huge basins, each big enough for me to use as a bathtub, shared a single faucet, and a soap dispenser hung on the wall above one of them. I looked in dismay at the huge pile of pots and pans already stacked up next to it, but at least there was a step stool there so I could reach. I knew what to do, more or less. I had helped Cheerilee clean dishes plenty of times, and this would probably be the same, just bigger. With a sigh, I grabbed the step stool and got to work. "Ey, good work dere! Ya figgered out da tree sink method, good. One ta soak, one ta wash, an' one ta sanitize." It hadn't been hard to figure out, of course. The sinks were already set up that way, complete with dishes already in each phase. I ate up the praise anyway, though. I'd gotten precious few genuine compliments since coming here. "Da name's Cookie, by da way. Sugar Cookie." The big stallion slid up next to me and started patiently scrubbing one of the larger pots. He stared at me over the pile of dishes. I glanced back, but went back to rinsing off plates. I wasn't sure if I wanted a conversation. "Dey ever done gave you a name, filly?" Well, it looked like a conversation was going to happen whether I liked it or not. "Scootaloo," I replied simply. "Dat's a good name. I like it, but dey done told me dat already. What dey don' tell me is how a nice lil' filly end up workin' in da kichen." I shook my head. "It's a long story." "Don't ya worry none 'bout dat. We got a whole lotta dishes here, so we got lotsa time." The warm smile on his face disarmed me. He wasn't making it easy to sulk. "Well–" I paused. Should I tell him the real story, or what anypony else would tell him? One look at him, still patiently scrubbing his pot, decided it "–I was out in the playground when some bullies came up to me." Cookie nodded sagely at the mention of bullies. "One of 'em kicked a ball through the Headmaster's window and blamed it on me. Of course everypony went along with it, even my best friend here, so the Headmaster believed her." I tossed my sponge into the dishwater, making a little splash. "And this is my punishment for what I didn't do." He just kept staring at me, his hoof making lazy circles around the inside of the pot. His only response was a slightly raised eyebrow. I knew it might be hard to believe, but it was the truth for pony's sake. Somepony had to believe me! "That's really what happened! I'm not making it up." His smile returned. "I believes ya, filly. But why ain't ya gone an' done somehtin' 'bout it yet?" I groaned and went back to scrubbing, putting all my pent up frustrations into cleaning the limitless pile of dishes. "Like what? Nopony here believes me." I glanced over at him again. "Well, except for you." "Cain't you write somethin' to ya parents?" He finally finished the big pot he had been workng on, only to drop it in the middle sink and pick up another just like it. "Dey could sho do somethin' 'bout it." I gave him a sharp glare he couldn't have known he deserved. "My parents died a long time ago." "Oh. Ah sorry lil' filly." That had been enough to break the smile off his face. "If'n it make you feel any better, I knows how ya feel. My ol' ma done passed just last summer, bless 'er." I hadn't meant to bring down the mood so badly. Cookie wasn't a bad guy. "It's okay. I don't let it get to me." "Well, still, you gotta have somepony back home can help you. Somepony musta sent you here." He paused for a moment, scrubbing fiercely at some stubborn spot. "Why don' you write to dem?" "I did!" Stopping my scrubbing for a moment, I threw my head back and growled. "But did you see that assembly they had this morning? That was the Headmaster's way of telling everypony that he's not going to listen to the pony who sent me here!" "But wait..." He squinted at me. "Ol' Dusty done said somethin' 'bout a royal decree. You got sent here by some royalty?" "Ol' Dusty?" Cookie chuckled. "I like to call 'im dat. Still gotta call 'im 'Heral' Dust' to 'is face tho', naturally." I chuckled back. "Of course. And yeah, Princess Twilight sent me here. Who else could get a pegasus into magic kindergarten? They only want ponies with magic horns. What am I doing here?" "It all be da same to me." He shrugged. "Dere ain't nopony else you could write to?" I shook my head and ended up staring at the sudsy water below me. "Twilight's the only one with a dragon. Everypony else would take too long to write to. Their responses probably wouldn't even get here before I leave." "Well, ain't no harm in tryin'." "I guess so," I conceded with a sigh. His big smile returned, brighter than ever. "Dat's da spirit. What about ya friends here tho'? Dey can help, cain't dey?" A derisive little laugh shot out of me before I could even think about it. "I've only got one friend here. She's nice and all, but she's never gonna stand up for me, or even for herself." "Huh." He shook his head. "I'ssa sad, sad thing not havin' any good friends." His second pot splashed into the water, and he leaned towards me with his eyes full of earnest concern. "You keep an eye out, ya hear? You don' never know when an' where ya might find a new friend who help you out and get you through all dis mess." He was right, of course. I couldn't just assume I'd never have any friends here. That would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. "Yeah. I'll keep looking." "Dere ya go, lil' filly. You jus' keep dat good attitude up, an' things is gonna be all right." He glanced off to the side. "Now, thank ya fo ya help, lil' Scootaloo, but I think e'en my ol' bones can handle the res'." Nodding towards the other side of the kitchen, he grinned widely. "Now I think ya should up an' get a lil' somethin' fo yaself. I done saved ya some on the cuttin' table. Ya run along now and you gonna have jus' 'nuff time to fill yaself up an' still get outside fo' some play." I beamed my brightest smile. Despite all this supposedly being punishment, Cookie's affectionate help had made my heart soar. It was the highlight of my day, for sure. "Thank you, Cookie! I'm so glad I got to talk to you." "Don' mention it." He laughed. "Now run along lil' filly, an' don' be wastin' no mo' time with me." He leaned back and started slowly scrubbing another pot while I hurried off to find my meal. All the while, I could barely hold back my excitement. I finally found a true friend here, and I had been given some good advice. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. === The Taming Of The Shrew === rushed out through the schoolhouse's elaborate wooden door, eager to get into the courtyard in time to get a little playtime in. Maybe I could even find a new friend like Cookie said. I blinked in the bright sunlight of the courtyard, made worse by the white walls all around reflecting it. Good – all the other fillies and colts were still outside, still running around and having a great time. Just as I made it out into the mob of little unicorns, though, the school's bell rang out, signaling the end of recess. All the other little ponies stopped playing and began filing away, back to put away their toys and get back to their classroom, their faces drawn down by the end of their fun. I was as downtrodden as any of them. I had rushed through my lunch in order to get here in time, and for what? I shook my head and stared into the crowd as it reluctantly dissipated. One red and white face caught my attention though, different from all the others. While the others mourned their lost playtime, Ruby Shine's face held a little smile that reflected itself in true, happy eyes. With a start, I realized he was smiling at me. "Come along, ponies, theory class begins in precisely three minutes. Do not allow me to catch you coming in late." When I turned back to look at Ruby again, he was already heading for the schoolhouse door, no longer looking at me. What had that been all about? "And that, my little ponies, is why horns are so essential to the control of magic." Missus Primrose paced stiffly back and forth in front of the class. "The sharp point serves as a wedge to force open a tiny gap in the fabric of the ether, and the body of the horn serves as a sounding board to..." There! I caught him again! It was strange enough that Ruby sat right next to me, but now I even kept catching him looking at me in the strangest way, always with a weird little grin on his face. He took pains to hide it – he would always instantly look away and feign disinterest anytime I looked towards him, but in the corner of my eye, I could still catch him. Whatever this was, I wanted no part of it. It was probably just that he was planning another scheme to embarrass me or hurt me or get me in trouble. I decided to keep as far away as I could from that treacherous little snake from now on. He was up to something, and it couldn't be anything good. Were River and Pearl in on it, too, I wondered, or was he going on his own initiative this time? Either way, I wouldn't be– "Scootaloo! Would you care to give us your answer?" Missus Primrose's question jarred me back into reality. I glanced side to side, mortified, before blushing and asking, "Um, could you repeat the question, please?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Really," she whispered, "why do I even bother calling on the pegasus?" With an exaggerated sigh, she stared down at me. "I asked, 'What effect does the rate of twist on a unicorn's horn have on his or her magical abilities?' Now, would you please grace us with your attempt at an answer?" A chorus of quiet giggles answered the teacher, and my cheeks burned even hotter. "Um, it makes them easier to use?" I looked up into her hard eyes hopefully. She sighed and just closed her eyes. "This is why I shouldn't even bother. I save the easiest question for the pegasus, and still I get nothing but disappointment." She stepped away from me, the tight little bun her mane had been tied into bobbing as she walked back to the front of the room. "No. The rate of twist on a unicorn's horn determines his or her agility fulcrum. A lower rate of twist is better for casting spells quickly, while a higher rate enables more powerful spells. These are, of course, subject to a unicorn's natural ability level and his or her..." I hung my head low. I would have been able to answer that if I had been paying attention. Could that have been Ruby's plan? It didn't seem likely, but I wasn't about to rule out anything where that colt was concerned. "Well, that's all I have for you today, my students." A pronouncement like that from the teacher was always enough to recapture my attention. "Be sure to double check today's homework. You'll find all the answers are in your assigned reading. Have a good night, everypony." I stretched as I rose up, looking forward to finally having time to unwind. Something about today had just been exhausting. As I made my way to follow my teacher out the door, though, I felt a hoof on my shoulder. "Ah, Scootaloo, can we talk for a bit?" I looked over in surprise and found Ruby Shine. Too shocked to respond, I just stared at him for a moment. He seemed to suddenly realize his hoof was still on my shoulder, and he jerked it away as if he had been burned. "I, um, Scootaloo, I... you see..." He winced at his own words. The last of the other students were already filing out through the door. I glared at him for delaying what little relaxation time I would have left. "Well, what is it already?" "I..." He looked down and pawed at the floor. "I wanted to apologise for the way I treated you." "Huh?" There was no way that could be true. "I really do." He looked away to the left, to the right, anywhere but at me. "I am sorry for my behaviour. When I saw them all ganging up on you, it brought back to me how I was treated back in Trottingham. I've never been very strong, and I'm not clever either. I got picked on back home." He finally managed to look at me, his eyes pleading, before looking away again, ashamed. "I thought that maybe if this time I was one of the bullies, then I wouldn't get picked on." My jaw dropped as it hit me. Of course! Just like when Babs first came to Ponyville... and now Babs was one of my best friends, despite not seeing her often. "And, well, I..." He seemed especially at a loss for words now, and was he blushing? "When they sort of implied that we were together, like, you know, together, I sort of overreacted a little." He seemed to shrink down even more. "Because, well, it was too close to the... well, I probably shouldn't say." There was no doubt about it now. His cheeks were nearly as red as his hair. My heart melted just a little, looking at this poor colt cowering in front of me. How could I stay mad? He had just overreacted to deny he was with me because... he wanted to be! The sudden reversal took my breath away. Could he be interested in me? "But it didn't work, of course." He sighed. "They still pick on me when you're not around... and, well..." he took a moment just to breathe, and then looked me in the eye. "Well, I don't want to be like that anymore. I want to... to..." "What is it?" All the other ponies were long gone. What was this really about? "I want to be..." He winced, then blurted out, "Will-you-go-to-the-fun-fair-with-me?" He stood staring at the floor, quivering and waiting for my answer. "You mean, like together, like a date?" I stared down at him in disbelief. He managed a quiet nod, if only just barely. Well, my world was now officially upside-down. The pony who had been one of my tormentors was now sitting there asking me out on a date! Nopony had ever asked me out before; nopony had ever even shown any interest in me... This was something special. Cookie's advice to me back in the kitchen came up in my memories, too. Here was a golden opportunity to make a new friend. I remembered how well we had gotten along on the train ride... could it be like that between us again? He still stood, staring at the floor with his heart laid out. It would be cruel to keep him waiting. "I'd like that," I said with a smile. Slowly, I realized I would like that. He was a nice colt when I met him, and I could forgive him if I forgave Babs Seed. He seemed ready to burst on the spot, and his legs danced around on their own. "Oh, brilliant! Thank you thank you thank you!" Suddenly, he stopped. "Oh my gosh! Everypony already went back to their rooms! They'll be asking where I am!" A look of horror crossed his face. "I really need to go!" With that, he whizzed out the door. Well, that was an interesting development, and I'd– Ruby's face popped back into the doorway. "See you tomorrow," he said with a smile, before disappearing again. I couldn't help but smile along with him as I trotted out of the empty classroom. It was exciting, going out on a real date with a real colt. The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. For the first time, I had something here to look forward to. "How dare you give me homework this sloppy to turn in?" River Star glared at me, feet spread apart and a look of pure fury on her face. "How dare you insult me like this?" It was sloppy. I had been more than a little distracted with thoughts about Ruby Shine last night. I hadn't managed sleep much either, despite how badly I needed it. The prospect of being asked out on a real date was just too much to think about. Why, it even– "Are you even listening to me?" I knew better than to answer that one honestly. "Of course I am, River." She glowered at me as she slipped on the little white dress Whisper and I had prepared for her this morning. "Well, to make up for your substandard work, you and the Worm can just stay here during breakfast and redo it for me." With a haughty flair, she turned to leave. "And no mistakes this time. Or else." Whisper shot me a reproachful look as River slipped out through the door. "Did you have to do that?" I covered my head and groaned. "I didn't mean to do it... I was just, you know, thinking about stuff." "But did you have to involve me in it? It'h not fair." "I'm sorry, Whisper. I really am." I shook my head. This was all River's fault, of course, but it was no use blaming her. "Come on, let's get this done..." I popped across the room in another burst of teleportation, flashing away from Miss Honeydown and blowing her hair out of place. "That's good, Scootaloo, but perhaps you should–" I popped up next to her again, leaving an explosion of purple magical aura and startled students wherever I went. This was awesome! Today's magic exercise lesson had been about exploring your special talent's limits. I has struggled with it at first, as usual... but eventually, I figured it out. "Scootaloo Songwing! Please stop this at once!" I had never heard Miss Honeydown raise her voice like that; the sound of it startled me. Slowly, I looked around at the rest of the room, just in time to catch Ruby's appreciative stare before he turned away, hiding his face with a hoof. The rest of the room was in chaos, with students and chairs strewn all around. "Now, Scootaloo, I'm glad for you that you've found a way to fully express your special talent, but do you think you could possibly practice it without making"– she glanced around –"so much of a mess of things?" I smirked, and I may have even giggled a little. "Okay, I'll try." This was just too much fun! Things here were finally beginning to go my way. "Okay class, now how about we–" The school's bell cut through the room. A few of the less manageable students cheered. Miss Honeydown sighed heavily. "Oh well. I had hoped we could get some more exploration time, but it looks like we have to go now. Good luck, my little ponies, and enjoy your lunch!" Most of the students ran out through the door before she even finished talking. Despite the fact that I was supposedly heading off to be punished, I rushed along just as eagerly as any of the other young ponies. I couldn't wait to tell Cookie about everything that had happened. "Well, C'lestia bless me, ya sho do look happy today." Cookie laughed and leaned back against the dish washing counter, in almost exactly the same place I had talked with him the day before. "I am!" I jumped a little on the stool, nearly toppling a stack of dirty plates. "You were so right when you said things could get better!" His grin grew even wider. "Oh, and how dat is?" "I made a new friend where I never expected to, and it's all thanks to your advice, or I would have turned him down." "A colt, huh?" He laughed. "Now, why was you up an' gonna turn 'im down? He be ugly? Or maybe he smell ba'?" "No, no." I shook my head. "He's actually kind of cute." Cookie just looked at me with a smile on his face. His eyebrow rose. "Okay, really cute." He laughed at that, and I couldn't help but join in with a little giggle of my own. "So what been wrong with da colt den? What the real reason is?" "Well, for a while, he was one of the bullies picking on me." Cookie recoiled back, his eyes wide. "An' now you up an' gonna be his friend? Filly, you crazy." "It's not like that, really." I rolled my eyes. "He was just going along with the bullies to avoid being picked on himself. He explained it to me and apologized for everything." "An' now he wanna be ya friend, huh?" I glanced away, blushing a little. "Well, more than that, maybe. He asked me to go to the carnival with him... you know, like a real date." Cookie resumed scrubbing and gave me a skeptical glare from the corner of his eye. "You be careful with dat colt now, ya hear?" "Oh come on! This is the first time anypony has ever asked me out on a real date." I pointed a hoof straight at Sugar Cookie. "And you're the one who said I should look for friends, after all." "Dat I was – dat I was." He laughed and shrugged it off. "You probably right. You know dis colt better dan I do, fo sho." His smile returned in full force. "I hopes ya have yaself a good time out dere." "But that's not even the best part!" I beamed a huge smile at him. The skeptical look was back. "Oh, an' what dat be?" "I've actually started to get good at my magical talent! I can teleport better than anypony! I'm finally learning how to really use my magic!" "Well, dat do be da reason you up an' came here, don't it?" I laughed. "Well, yeah, I guess so. But still." I waved goodbye to Cookie as I rushed out of the kitchen. If I hurried along fast enough, I might get to talk before theory class. As soon as I stepped out into the noisy hallway, I spotted what – or who, rather – I was looking for. Ruby Shine trotted down the hall, looking from side to side. He didn't seem to have seen me yet. Luckily, River and Pearl were nowhere around. "Ruby!" I yelled out, waving to get his attention. As soon as he saw me, he turned and hurried closer. As he came up close, I could see just a faint sheen of sweat, and I could feel the heat still radiating off of him. "Wow, must be a hot day out there, huh?" I asked. I hid a wince. Should I have talked about something deeper or more important? "Well, yes, it is a bit... but most of this is from running away from those two horrid little fillies, River and Pearl." He wiped a hoof through his mane, and I had to fight a sudden urge to do the same thing. "Why'd you have to run from them?" "What sort of question is that?" He shook his head. "Ever since I 'switched sides', as they call it, they've been furious with me. I can't get a moment's rest." "Aw." I felt sorry to have put him through that. I knew perfectly well how awful those two could be. "I didn't mean to–" "It's okay. Don't worry about it." He gave me a delicious smile. "I'm better off like this anyway... well, sort of." "What do you mean, better off? Is it that..." Silence crept into the hallway. I suddenly realized that all the other students were already in class. We were about to be late! "Come on! We'd better get to class before the bell rings." Without waiting for his response, I rushed down the hall and into the classroom. Ruby lunged through the door right behind me. We were the last two in, but we weren't late. The tardy bell rang just after we came in. Ruby hurried over to an empty desk next to my usual spot, and – mindful of a reproachful glare from Missus Primrose – I hurried over to sit down next to him. "Well, now that we can finally get started–" the uptight teacher paused for a moment to glare at Ruby and me "–let's examine the connections between a unicorn's special talent, cutie mark, and magical abilities. Now, the most essential thing to recognize is that while a cutie mark may be..." When I stole a glance over at Ruby, only to find him already staring at me, I couldn't prevent a blush from spreading out on my face. I looked away again, hoping nopony would notice. How much had anypony noticed about the two of us? Did River realize just what was going on? What would she do if she found out? Glancing around, I wondered who might have seen me blush. My eyes settled on Night Whisper. She stared from across the gap in the desks. How much did Whisper know? She didn't look happy. Maybe I should talk to her later, I thought. It wouldn't be a bad idea to– "Well, pegasus?" Missus Primrose's sharply pitched voice cut through my thoughts. "Care to venture an answer to the question, or are we just going to wait eternally for a pointless stammer like last time?" My heart froze. I had done it again! I should have been paying attention. "I, um... what was the question again?" I didn't have to look far to find Ruby Shine when I left the classroom. "I can't believe you totally bollocksed up the second question in a row." He laughed a little, taking the sting out of his words. "Are you okay? Need some help studying, maybe?" I shook my head as we made our way down the hallway. "I'm okay. I've just been a little distracted lately." Would it be too forward to mention what distracted me? Only one way to find out. "By a certain somepony." I smiled and glanced away. He laughed and grinned back at me. His eyes shouted out to me how much he enjoyed hearing that. "Really, though, I don't want to get in your way. Today's lesson could be pretty important to you, what with the special talents and all. It would be a shame if you missed it." "Aw, I'll get it from the book later. Don't worry." The building's exit already loomed up next to us. "Well," Ruby said, grimacing and looking towards it, "I guess I have to go now, or I'll be in trouble with the Headmaster for being in the wrong dorm." He smiled. "See you tomorrow?" I suddenly realized how close together we were standing. How had that happened? Why we were close enough to... I backed away with a start – that would be too forward. "Um, yeah." I giggled and glanced away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ruby." He nodded, a huge smile on his face, as he turned and walked away. Somehow, it felt like I could still taste his name from saying it earlier, and I savored it. "Ruby Shine," I whispered to myself, as I turned and headed for my room. I could grow to like a name like that. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Chicken!" River Star hadn't exactly been in her best of moods tonight. "I came here with one goal: to pass through with flying colors and impress my family. I am not going to let some Chicken interfere with that!" She stomped around the little room, circling me like a shark. "I'll do anything it takes, even if it means the Worm has to do all of it." A tiny little "Eep" came from the direction of the desk where Whisper sat already scribbling down notes. I just shook my head at River. This whole song and dance routine was getting old. "It's a good thing I've already started on your next punishment. I knew you'd do even more to deserve it, and this messed up homework proves me right." That was enough to get my attention. I knew from experience River's punishments could be devious and harsh. " ...But for now, Worm will just have to do all of my homework to make sure it's done right." A malevolent glint sparkled in River's eyes. "But it's not fair for her to have to do it all alone, is it, Worm?" Nothing but the quiet scribbling of a quill came in return. River's cruel eyes turned toward the desk. "I said, 'That isn't fair, is it, Worm?'" "Oh, um..." Whisper lived up to her name. I could barely hear her. "No." "Of course it isn't. We can't have the Chicken lying around being lazy while the Worm does all the work." She smiled wickedly. "So, from now on, you'll both be doing all my work. Fair is fair." Her giggle held little mirth. Whisper stared at me with a slow burning fire in her eyes. I looked away, unable to meet her gaze. I knew it was partly my fault that she would have to do extra work now. What could I do about it though? "Oh, and speaking of fair–" River smiled and fluttered her false eyelashes in a disgustingly coquettish display "–If I'm going to be seen at this carnival, then I must look my absolute best." She thrust a hoof toward her suitcase. "I'll want the maroon gown and my best red sash, and, of course, all the accoutrements. Worm, you know which ones. No wrinkles this time!" I sighed. I should have seen that one coming. She looked at us for a moment, as if surveying her work. "Good. Now that I've got that taken care of, I should go get a good night's sleep." She let out an extravagant yawn. "I've got a big day ahead of me." As River hopped up into the top bunk, I made my way to the desk. Distracted as I was by my own thoughts of a big day tomorrow, getting all this work done and getting some sleep for myself wouldn't be easy. === The Man In The Iron Mask === iver Star slammed the door to our room with a crash as she stormed out, very nearly catching the hem of the elaborate gown she had put so much effort into complaining about this morning. With any luck, though, that would be the end of having to deal with her for the day. Whisper kept staring at the door long after I turned away. "Wath it jutht me, or did she theem like she wath in a better mood than uthual?" I stopped in my tracks and raised an eyebrow in Whisper's direction. "Better mood? Better?" I shook my head. "Did you see how much she complained about the dress?" "A lot leth than she normally would. It'h a big event!" I still looked at her with a skeptical eye, but she had known River for a lot longer than me, after all. "Aw, who cares. It doesn't matter." Whisper stared at me, slack-jawed. I could tell that not caring about River's moods was a foreign concept for her. "Anyway, I'd better get going if I'm gonna get breakfast before I go." "You're not gonna wear anything thpecial?" Whisper cocked her head to the side. "Of course not."– I laughed. –"I didn't even bring anything!" Whisper blinked, then looked over at her suitcase and back to me. "Oh... Well, I gueth I won't either." I started to question that, but then I just shrugged it off as unimportant. I had bigger and better things to think about. "Well, I'm off. See you at the fair," I called behind me as I opened the door. "Hey!" Whisper trailed close behind. "Wait up!" The staggering opulence of Canterlot's buildings towered around me as I made my way to the carnival. Like Missus Primrose had ordered us all to, I stuck close to the pony in front of me, a pink and blue filly I hadn't talked to before. I gaped at the ornate buildings all around me, still unused to the grandeur of Canterlot's golden spires. "Oh! We are gonna have tho much fun!" Whisper skipped along right behind me. "Watcha wanna do firtht? Ferith wheel? The gameth?" Her face lit up. "Ooh! Ooh! What about the water thlide? I heard there wath gonna be a water thlide!" Wait. Did she...? "You're talking like you're planning to spend the whole day with–" "Alright my little ponies!" Miss Honeydown called out from the back of the line. "We're almost there! Now, before you all go in, I want to remind you that I'll be waiting at the entrance if anypony needs help. Missus Primrose and Headmaster Herald Dust will be roaming around the fairgrounds, too, keeping an eye on everypony." Her voice grew even more upbeat. "And remember, don't split off until after you pass the gates at the entrance. But mostly, have fun!" As I rounded the next corner, the carnival finally came into view. A huge crowd of ponies milled around a pair of streamer-bedecked flagpoles. Most of them looked to be well-to-do Canterlot natives, all dressed up and with their noses held high, but more than a few sported styles that clearly marked them as being from out of town. The head of our line was already burrowing into the crowd, and before I knew it, I slipped into the crush of ponies all around, too. Beyond the babble of ponies around me, I could catch a few bouncing notes of music from inside. Despite all the disturbances surrounding me, I could smell a whiff of deep-fried carnival food. Hardly even realizing it, I picked up my pace. As soon as I passed through the colorful gates, a cluster of my fellow students engulfed me. Although some of them immediately took off into the fairgrounds, many of them stayed, either in indecision about what to do first or, like me, looking for their friends. Whisper jumped up next to me, uncharacteristically forward in her excitement. "Okay, Thcootaloo, where should we go? How about–" "Scootaloo! There you are! I've been looking everywhere." Even when excited, Whisper's voice was easily drowned out by Ruby Shine's shout. "So, ready to go?" "You bet!" I'd been looking forward to this for a long time now, and for more reasons than one. "Let's go get some–" "Wait..." Whisper rushed up and blocked my path. "Ruby ith coming with uth? Are you thure that's thuch a good idea?" I winced. I never told her about Ruby, of course, but I had never promised to hang out with her either. "Uh, well... actually, he's just coming with me." Her mouth dropped open and heartbreak tore through her eyes. Even her ears drooped down. "I... I'm not invited?" "Well"– I blushed as I smiled toward Ruby –"it's kind of a date." "And three would be sort of a crowd." Ruby's addition was a little more blunt than I would have liked, but maybe that was necessary to get the point across. "Oh, uh... well, thorry... I didn't mean to..." Whisper dropped her head down and looked away. She sighed before turning back to me with a resolute stare. "Good luck, Thcootaloo. Have fun today." Her sharp glance at Ruby was so quick I almost missed it, but I could tell she wasn't happy with the colt. "Come on, Scootaloo, let's get out there before all the queues fill up!" I shook off Whisper's disappointment. In my rush to keep up with Ruby, I scarcely even noticed her still standing there, pining after me. I rushed down the crowded lane between food vendors, struggling to catch up as the rich smells from all around me buffeted me almost as roughly as the ponies I dodged around. Finally, I caught up to him. "Where are we... going in such... a hurry... anyway?" I panted, straining to catch my breath. "The Cyclotron," he replied, still running along. "It's the biggest, baddest thrill ride in all of Equestria, and I want to get there before the line gets too long." Now that sounded promising! What a way to start the day off with a bang! I trailed Ruby in a mad dash through the crowds around the food vendors' stalls. Beyond those sprawled the midway rides in their gaudy colors. More than a few of them were obviously too tame for a pony as cool as myself, but some of them looked like a blast. Still, we were on a mission; we had no time to waste on these little filly rides. As we neared the back of the fairgrounds, the crowds thinned out and I finally caught a glimpse of our goal. The top of the Cyclotron rose above the few rides still in the way; its nested green rings already spun in a dizzying display. We followed the curved path around the last few rides, and there it loomed in all its majesty. Ring after ring nested inside each other, each spinning in a different way, and the center ring housed a bunch of covered cars with ponies inside. The innermost ring could have been mistaken for a futuristic ferris wheel, if it wasn't busy spinning around every axis at once. My jaw dropped. This ride was awesome! It more than lived up to the hype Ruby told me, and even better, the line wasn't even very long yet, maybe only a dozen ponies in it so far. I gave Ruby a huge smile. His idea to skip ahead to this ride had been perfect! He nodded towards the entrance, and we rushed up into the line. We both had to strain and stand on the tips of our hooves to get by the 'you must be this tall to ride' sign, and though the attendant raised an eyebrow at us, she didn't stop us. "Two bits each, please," she droned, looking right through us like we weren't even there. My heart sank. Of course the carnival wouldn't be free. I was a fool to think otherwise. I hadn't brought any money though. I didn't have any, to be honest. I never had. It looked like I wasn't going to have such a great time here after all. "Here you are." Ruby tossed four shiny coins up to the attendant, who then waved us through. I looked over at Ruby in gratitude and surprise. I hadn't expected this kind of treatment. "Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" "Eh, it's nothing, really." "It's a big deal to me!" I squealed. "I wouldn't have gotten to ride if it wasn't for you." "Well, that's just the way you're supposed to treat a lady." He shrugged. I smiled and glanced away, but inwardly I felt a warm thrill. Nopony had ever called me a 'lady' before, and I liked it. It even made the constant drumming whine of the ride's machinery seem to slow and change pitch... Wait. No, that was... "The ride is slowing down!" I cried out. "It'll be our turn soon!" Ruby just smirked as he watched me bounce in excitement. A few more ponies filed in behind us as the Cyclotron ground to a halt. When it finally stopped, all the rings lined up together and made it look like just one big disk. It sure was more impressive when it was moving though! The disk began rotating slowly as a ramp raised up and ponies began methodically loading and unloading from the ride's cars. Seeing that made me even more grateful for Ruby's advice on coming here first. Thanks to his planning, though, we were already working our way to the front. In just moments, the ponies ahead of us stepped into their car, and the next one rolled around to us. It was finally time! I could hardly contain myself as I followed Ruby into the car, our hooves clacking against its brightly painted steel deck. The door closed with an intimidating clang, and we had to strap ourselves into a spartan wooden seat that had obvious wear marks, but I didn't care about any of that. I couldn't wait for the ride to finally start. Only one more car behind ours still needed to be filled, and as we stopped to wait, already tilting upwards, I was glad that we wouldn't have to wait it out hanging upside down like some of the poor ponies above us. The last car's door slammed shut with a harsh clank, and the ride was finally ready to go. A padded bar shoved itself down onto our laps to hold us down, and the whirring of the ride's machinery came to life. The ride began with the inner ring just spinning by itself, a simple loop like I'd done many times before. Quickly, though, it became more interesting. One by one, the other rings started to spin and turn as well, and the car swirled around in all kinds of ways. As much as I might have liked to play up my bravado, it got pretty intense. I screamed right along with all the other ponies on the ride, and as the machine pressed us together against the side of the car, I reveled in the feeling of Ruby's warm fur pressing against me. The ride whirled on, twisting around in every direction, and I rode through every spiral and turn, screaming my heart out and squeezing Ruby close. Just as I began to feel the dizziness I should have expected from having my world spin in every direction at once, the sounds of the ride's machinery began to wind down. As the car's mad tumble slowed, I let go of Ruby with a wince. I didn't want to let go, but my excuse to keep holding on rapidly whirred to a halt. When the ride finally stopped, I realized just how dizzy it had made me. Even though we weren't moving, my head still spun. Ruby looked over at me and giggled a little, probably at the faces I was making, but I didn't blame him; I knew I must have looked like a wreck. "You're cute when your eyes are all wobbly," he said with another giggle. A clang from one of the ride's doors resounded behind us, and then the wheel lurched forward a short distance. Of course. They were loading and unloading again. After another lurch, our car pointed straight up, and my stomach gave a lurch of its own. I paled in the sudden realization that we would have to go all the way around before we could get off. Another turn of the wheel left us in an awkward almost-inverted position, and my abused sense of equilibrium gave another vehement complaint. I knew I wanted to stay strong and in control, especially in front of Ruby, but as the ride clicked around to put us totally upside-down and all my blood rushed to my head, I was far from sure that I would be able to. Ruby just smiled at me and threw his hoof over my shoulder, as if he knew exactly what I needed. As the ride lurched around again, putting us in the most awkward orientation yet, I truly was grateful for Ruby's firm grip on me. It did make me feel safer and more secure. After a couple more lurching turns, we were in a much more tolerable position, almost at the bottom of the wheel again, and almost right side up again. Still, though, I made no move to brush Ruby's hoof off of me. It felt warm and fuzzy and firm at the same time, and he squeezed me just enough to hold me tight without being uncomfortable. When our car finally made it to the bottom though, we did have to let go of each other. The restraining bar lifted and the door opened. With a sigh, I let Ruby's hoof slip away from me and unbuckled my safety belt. It was a shame we had to stop now, but after all, the day was only beginning. I wobbled a little as I stepped out of the ride, but I managed to put on a brave face. "Well, I don't suppose now is such a great time to try riding it again, is it?" Ruby pointed to the line in front of the ride – it stretched far longer than it had when we arrived. I couldn't see the end of it. It didn't bother me, though. I didn't think my stomach could take another round of the Cyclotron just yet. Once again, I was glad Ruby had come up with the idea of coming here first. "Okay, what next then?" "Well,"– he looked back over toward the food booths –"how about getting a snack?" My stomach gave another tumultuous complaint. No, I definitely needed some time to recover from the Cyclotron before getting any heavy, fried carnival food. "Nah, I'm not hungry," I lied, "I had a big breakfast." I looked around for some alternative distraction that would give my insides a chance to settle down. A bit further down the path was just the thing. "Ooh, look, a funhouse! Let's go!" I didn't wait for Ruby and I took off towards it, but before I got far, he shrugged and ran to catch up. There was hardly any line for the funhouse at all, and as we rushed in, Ruby again paid the fare – one bit each this time. Where would I have been without him? As soon as we got through the entrance, we passed through a tall arch into a maze of clear glass walls and mirrors. "Aw, brilliant!" Ruby cried out, "Race you to the other side!" "A race?" A smug grin broke out on my face. "You are so on!" I rushed on towards what I thought was an open path, only to smash right into a clear wall. I shook my head to clear away the stars as I picked myself up, and I searched around for Ruby Shine. He wasn't behind me, so he must have taken a different route. In just a moment, I spotted him off to my left... running directly towards me! I winced, waiting for the impact, but it never came. Instead, he turned in the direction of the wall I had just run into, impossibly going right through it before disappearing. I had just been looking at his reflection, I realized. I set off into the maze again, more carefully this time. I wasn't going to win this by rushing blindly ahead, after all. As I probed my way through the corners and false dead ends, a gratifying thud reverberated through the maze. Ruby must have hit something. Now I didn't feel so bad about it. Ahead, I spotted the exit of the maze, but I stopped short when I noticed the glass wall in between me and it. Ruby, though, had a straight shot at the exit now, I could see. There was only one way left I was going to win this, I knew. I focused my magic, flapped my wings furiously, and thought about nothing except being right there at the finish line. With a purple flash, I appeared at the maze's exit. I wasted no time in stepping across the line. "I win!" Ruby crossed the line only a moment behind me. "Hey, no fair! You used magic!" "Silly!" I laughed. "Everypony knows pegasus ponies can't do magic!" He shook his head, but he couldn't stop himself from joining in with my laughter. "You're mad, you know that? Completely mad." With a shrug, he rushed back further into the funhouse. "Come on then. Let's see what else is in here." We trotted on into the next room, a staircase that, either through an optical illusion or some magic I couldn't sense, looked like it led downwards when it actually led upwards. After navigating those tricky, colorful stairs, we came to a circular room where the whole floor spun and turned around in different brightly colored pieces. We laughed and stumbled our way through, stumbling right into each other more than once. To finally get to the other side, I even hopped up and made a very respectable long jump on my wings. Ruby stomped a hoof down as he finally caught up. "Aw, come on! You're cheating again?" "Yep!" I laughed and stuck my tongue out at him. Shaking his head, he followed me through the next doorway. The next room held a collection of oddly-shaped mirrors. I wasn't sure what to do, but Ruby rushed right up to one and waved me over. As soon as I walked up, I saw what it was about. Our reflections stood there gaping back at us, but with tiny bodies and enormous heads. I laughed as Ruby tried making some silly faces, sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes. At the next mirror, we both looked tiny. Maybe it was made for full grown ponies? That gave me an idea though. I jumped up and hovered on my wings for a moment, and just for that little moment, my reflection dwarfed Ruby's. We both broke out laughing as I came down. "So you think you're a big pony now, do you?" he joked, pushing me to the side. "The biggest!" I laughed back and hopped over to the next mirror. "Ooh! Look at this one!" We stopped in front of mirrors that made us look tall, and ones that made us look thin; we stopped at ones that made us look fat and ones that made us look short. Before long, though, we made our way to a door that shone with real sunlight, and we found the way out of the funhouse. I stopped for a moment, blinking in the brightness. "Ready to go and get some snacks now?" Ruby's eyes didn't seem to be faring any better in the abrupt light. My stomach had calmed down completely while in the funhouse without me even noticing, I realized. "Sure!" I followed Ruby back through the fairgrounds, working my way through the mumbling crowd and around the bright, noisy rides. Before long, we made it to the other side of the kaleidoscope of color and sound to our goal – the food stands. Again, a multitude of sweet and savory scents all clamored for recognition at the same time, from dozens of different booths and all the different foods being carried by the ponies around me. "So, what do you feel like having?" Ruby asked. I looked around, at a loss with this bonanza of choices. It looked like a pony could get just about anything here – especially if she wanted it deep fried, on a stick, or both. After a moment, I spotted an amazing funnel cake with chocolate and banana slices on it in the hooves of a grey unicorn mare. I ran up to her and asked, "'Scuse me, where'd you get that?" The mare rolled her eyes, looking annoyed to have been asked, but she pointed a hoof at a tall white booth, one of the last in the line. I shouted a quick "Thank you!" as I ran back over to Ruby. I waved him along and continued on through the crush of the crowd until I reached the booth I was looking for. Pictures of delicious-looking funnel cakes adorned its tall white façade, and a chubby blue earth pony sat just inside. She started a whirlwind of banter as soon as she saw us coming. "Why step right up, little ones! My name's Blueberry, and right here I've got the tip-top, very best funnel cakes in this whole fair – in all of Equestria, some say! We've got your good ol' powdered sugar, but why stop there?" She winked at us. "'Cause we've got strawberries and cream, bananas and chocolate, and even apple cinnamon, made with apples from Sweet Apple Acres. Also the best in Equestria!" Though I would never dare admit it where Apple Bloom could hear me, I'd tasted more than enough of her family's apples in my lifetime. "I'll take a strawberry one, please." "And a banana for me – it's my favourite," Ruby added in from beside me. "Sure thing!" She disappeared into the back of the booth for a moment, but soon came back and dropped two little paper plates down on the well-worn counter. "That'll be nine bits, please." Nine bits for a couple snacks? I coughed at the exorbitant price. Ruby, though, just tossed the coins onto the counter and smoothly picked up our cakes with his steady telekinetic grip. "Showoff," I jibed. Ruby laughed and led me through the thick crowd again, carefully weaving his way towards a small cluster of picnic tables tucked away to the side of the path. We reached the little break area soon enough, and we even found an empty table – a lucky break, given how crowded the spot was. I sat down next to Ruby, grateful to have found a table, even if it did have a few streaks of mustard on it. Ruby grinned over at me, and my strawberry and cream funnel cake floated over, setting itself down in front of me. He wasted no time digging into his own, breaking pieces off directly with his magic. I didn't have nearly good enough fine control over my levitation to attempt that. Instead, I stuck to using the flimsy plastic fork that came with my dish. Someday, maybe, I'd be able to eat the way Ruby was, but for now, I dug in with the fork, breaking off a few pieces of the tangled string of fried dough and making sure that I got plenty of strawberry and whipped cream topping along with it. My funnel cake, I had to admit, tasted wonderful – the sweet and tart strawberries mixed with the rich cream and fluffy cake just perfectly. "Woah, Scootaloo, you have got to try this!" Apparently, Ruby enjoyed his, too. A bite of his funnel cake floated up in front of me. Without hesitation, I jumped up and snatched it right out of the air with one chomp. His banana cake was sweeter and smoother, but it didn't have the tart strawberry kick that mine did. "Ooh, try mine!" I said, as soon as I finished the bite. His eyes closed in bliss as he took a sample of my cake. "I have to admit, Scootaloo, you sure made a perfect choice of where to eat!" I smiled, swimming in the warm praise. A day this wonderful was the last thing I would have expected just a couple days ago. Now, here I was sharing a great time with a cute colt. Cookie had been right – all I needed to do was to stay open to making new friends where I least expected, and everything would turn out fine. I stepped off of the swinging ship ride for the fourth time, still just as enthusiastic about it as the first time. It looked pretty simple and dull from a distance, but it was actually really fun, especially the times when we managed to snag a seat at the front or the back. I was just about to run around to the end of the line again when Ruby stopped me. "It'll be getting dark soon. You want to check out some of the games before we go?" I stood still, conflicted for a moment, before deciding. "Sure. I don't want to miss out!" "Well, crack on then – let's go!" He cantered off toward the game boards, smiling back at me as he ran. I took off in hot pursuit. "So, which one first?" "Come on, Scootaloo, you can do it!" I drew my hoof back and squinted my eyes, aiming my last little Cadance dart at the row of moving crystal hearts in front of me. With a grunt, I let fly. The little alicorn-shaped dart flew straight and true – right in between two of the heart-shaped balloons. Ruby fell silent. I couldn't see or hear it with him behind me, but I was sure he sighed. I growled in frustration. That was the fourth time so far I'd missed with all three throws! How was that even possible? The only reason I'd come to this booth – it seemed to be modeled after the story of how Shining Armor threw his wife to save the Crystal Empire – was to get one of the little stuffed Spike dolls they gave out as prizes. It would be fun to show the baby dragon a toy of himself when I went back home... Only I couldn't seem to win one! "Ugh! Why does every game in this carnival have to be rigged?" "Now don't fret there, little feathered filly, and don't despair," the bright yellow mare manning the booth said, never losing her over-wide smile for even a moment. "I can assure you this humble game of luck and skill is one hundred percent entirely clean and fair!" I rolled my eyes. Of course the mare in charge would say that. Ruby stepped up next to me. "Let me have a go at it. I've always been clever with my hooves." "You think you can?" I asked as he tossed yet another two bits on the counter. He just scooped up the Cadance darts the mare handed him and shot me a confident grin. Taking careful aim, he cocked his hoof back, readying for his first throw. The first dart flew fast and high, sailing clear over the row of balloons. Ruby winced. "Heh, these buggers fly better than I expected. Don't worry, I'll get the next one – right in the centre!" Without even seeming to aim, he launched the next dart. It shot straight through the center of a heart-shaped balloon; the popping sound echoed from the booth and through the clamor of the crowd behind us. It was the most beautiful sound I'd heard all day. I jumped over and wrapped my hooves around Ruby, shouting, "You did it! You did it!" Again, the smile never left the face of the mare behind the counter, not even for a moment. "There you go! What a throw! Straight and true – that means a prize for you!" She swept one of the little Spike dolls down off the wall next to her and plopped it onto the counter. "But you don't have to go away"– she looked straight at me –"care for another play?" "Not today!" I swept up the prize, laughing at my imitation of her rhyme. I turned to Ruby. "It's gonna get dark soon, and I'm hungry after all these games." "Yeah!" His eyes looked oddly distant for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "How about some ice cream?" "Totally! Let's go!" This time I ran ahead, with Ruby barely able to keep up. I skittered back and forth through the thick crowds and used my natural agility to my advantage. "Come on, slowpoke!" I looked back and laughed at how far behind Ruby already was. I did slow my pace just a little though; I didn't want to lose him entirely, after all. I'd nearly made it through to the front of the line of ponies at the ice cream stand by the time Ruby caught up, wheezing and panting. "Ha... how can you... be... so fast?" he asked, still catching his breath. He looked around at where he was. "Huh... well at least... we don't have to queue for long." I laughed. "You don't, anyway, slowpoke." Before I could say anything else, the ponies ahead of us in the line walked away, happily carrying ice cream cones. A very big, very round, very white stallion waved us up to the counter. "Ha ha, what can I get for you two littles?" He waved his hoof toward the tall pictorial menu on the yellow wall next to him. I looked over the different pictures for a moment; it didn't take me long to decide. "Rainbow sherbet, please!" "Ha ho, good choice! And you, lad?" Ruby stared at the different pictures for a while longer than I had. "Cherry flavoured," he decided, finally. The big stallion moved faster than his bulk suggested, and our two ice cream cones appeared on the counter in short order. Ruby tossed six bits onto the counter before the rotund stallion even asked for it, once again paying my way. "Heh he, thank you, good little sir, and enjoy!" As we stepped away, Ruby holding both of our treats in his magical glow, I could already hear the big stallion welcoming his next customers; it was hardly a quiet voice, after all. I couldn't wait to take a bite of mine. "Oh, I think I see an open table over there!" I cried out to Ruby, pointing my hoof. "Come on, let's go!" "Hm, no. I have someplace a bit more special in mind – follow me!" Ruby took off through the crowd, still holding both ice cream cones. "Hey! Come back!" I chased after him, steadily gaining on his short red tail as I trailed it through the crowd. I caught him just as we reached the low wall at the edge of the fairgrounds. Just as I was about to pounce, he turned towards me and offered me my cone. "Here's your sherbet, Scootaloo. I thought this might be a nice place to stop when I spotted it earlier." As I glanced around, I saw he was definitely right. The crowd was thin here, just little isolated groups of ponies wandering around, and between two show tents that seemed to already be closed for the evening, a stone bench waited with a big rose bush behind it in full bloom. "Wow," I said, "this is a nice place." "Well come on, then. Let's not give our ice cream time to melt!" Ruby hurried over to the bench and took a seat. I grabbed my cone out of his hooves as soon as I sat down next to him, and bit into the colorful dessert. The sudden mix of all six flavors lit me up just like I hoped it would, and I sighed in satisfaction, dropping the little Spike doll down next to me and settling in. As I looked out over the fair, though, I could see the sky already beginning to take on an amber tinge. The day, and our time at the fair, would be coming to an end soon. I took another bite of sherbet, silently wishing it didn't have to end, but then I looked around me. One by one, the lights of the fair flickered on, the muffled cries and conversations of the ponies around grew more subdued, and the sky developed into a magnificent sunset. I had my ice cream, and I was sitting on a nice isolated bench with a cute, generous colt. No, I didn't want to waste this moment by only thinking about how it would end. So, I enjoyed it. I watched the slow, colorful sunset, and I savored my even more colorful sherbet. I breathed in the cool evening air and edged maybe just a little too close to the warm colt beside me. I watched Ruby Shine finish the last of his ice cream cone. I followed suit, enjoying even the last little crunchy bits. The sun was on its way down now, and the sky edged its way from orange to dark red. We should, perhaps, have been heading back into the fair for a last few minutes. Or maybe even heading back – all the rides' lights were twinkling now. I didn't make any move to get up, though, and neither did Ruby. "Ruby?" I inched a tiny bit closer. "Yeah, Scootaloo?" "Thank you for taking me out like this. It really means a lot to me." He chuckled. "It's no big deal, honestly." "It's a big deal to me!" I put a hoof on his shoulder. "Because, well, ever since I lost my parents, I've been alone way too much." I looked down at the trampled grass under our feet. "It means a lot to have a real friend." Any sign of mirth was gone from his face now. He looked me right in the eyes. "You don't have to be alone." My breath was taken away, and I didn't know what to say. Without even realizing it, I leaned in a little closer. He slowly leaned in, too, leaving only the tiniest gap between our faces. My heart raced as I realized what was happening, and I could hardly breathe. I couldn't believe I was about to get my very first kiss! I closed my eyes and edged even further toward Ruby, closing the gap. I leaned in further, nervous anticipation burning inside me for the moment of contact, but still I wasn't quite there. I couldn't take the tension anymore. I thrust myself forward to close the rest of the gap. The contact I had been waiting for never came. Off balance and confused, I flailed my hooves in the air for a moment before crashing into the cold stone of the bench. Before I could even come to terms with what happened, I slipped from my awkward perch and flopped down hard on the sparse grass below. Ruby's laughter cut through me more cruelly than the impact with the bench had. "Did you see that, River? She totally thought I was going to snog her! You were right – she does fancy me!" My heart froze into a solid block of ice when I looked up from my spot on the ground to see River Star and Lilly Pearl trotting out from behind the rosebush with big smiles on their faces. Pearl let out a sharp, cackling laugh. "And did you see the way she fell flat on her face?" "I know, right?" River joined in with a derisive chuckle. "I knew my plan was good, but I didn't expect it to be that good!" She gave Ruby a peck on the cheek. "Nice job. You're officially off the hook." I turned and looked over to Ruby, letting all the pain of betrayal show in my eyes. "Plan?" He laughed again, slicing my heart. "Of course. You didn't really think that I would be interested in a little chav like you, did you? It was River Star who came up with the idea to see just how thick and gullible you really were... By the way, thanks for the spending money, River." My eyes wavered as I looked back and forth between all the cruel, mocking faces around me, but I forced the tears back, fighting them off. I had to be strong. I couldn't give them that satisfaction. I stood up, trembling but strong, and I wiped the dust and grass from my face. I wanted to face them down, to tell them what kind of monsters they were, but I didn't dare say anything for the fear that I'd lose control and end up sobbing in front of them. After a moment of silently staring down their laughter, my legs trembling with rage and heartbreak, I did the only thing left to me. I turned and ran, leaving my tormentors behind me and leaving the little stuffed Spike doll forgotten on the stone bench. I ran through the fairground crowds, jostling and crashing through the other ponies thanks to my blurry eyes. I didn't care about any of it anymore. All the bright, colored lights and cheerful voices around me just emphasized how truly alone I was. None of them noticed my pain, and not one of them cared to ask me what was wrong. As I neared the entrance, I spotted Night Whisper sitting alone on another stone bench. How long had she been there? She reached out to me as I ran by, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop, not here. I couldn't stop until this carnival and all the tainted memories in it were far behind me. === The Call Of The Wild === squinted my eyes against the glare of the light. "No, I'm not getting up!" I wasn't sleepy – even though I hadn't slept all night – but I had given up on this school. I wanted no part of it anymore. "Worm, why isn't the Chicken awake yet? I told you to get her up!" "She won't get out of bed – she'th not thleeping, but she won't get up." I hated to be getting Whisper in trouble with River, but I had already resolved to stay in bed all day. Suddenly, I could feel River's silent presence behind me. "I thought I had given you enough lessons on what happens when you don't do what I say." She poked me harshly – and very uncomfortably – right between the joints of my wings. "Get up!" I still refused to move. "I'm done with playing your games, River. I'm done with all of it. I don't care!" "You're lucky the Worm did all of your work for you, or I'd make you get out of bed and then punish you properly, but... I've got breakfast to get to." She turned and headed for the door. "Later, losers!" "Thcootaloo, she'th gone now, you can come out." "I told you, I'm not coming out." I pulled the blankets over my head. "But... today ith the levi-ball day. Mith Honeydown thays it's gonna be really fun. And besideth, everypony hath to go." "I don't care." "But Thcootaloo, you–" "I don't care! Go away." No response came from Whisper this time. A moment later, I heard the door open and close again, finally leaving me alone with my thoughts. They weren't nice thoughts, of course. Ever since I had come to magic kindergarten, things had just been getting worse and worse. Even when they seemed to be getting better, it would just be a precursor to an even greater fall. So why try anymore? Why do anything? Maybe I could just wait it out, not even getting out of bed again until it was time to go home. Crying myself to sleep last night might have been a relief, except that I neither cried nor slept at all. Even though they weren't here to see me now, I still couldn't give River and Ruby the satisfaction of my tears. That would make their victory over me complete. I just wanted my time here to end somehow. I would do anything, as long as it meant I could go home, as long as it meant I didn't have to spend another wretched day in this place. I should have known. I should have never given Ruby a second chance after he stabbed me in the back once already. That colt was a snake, and now I knew I could never trust him. I should have realized it sooner, if only I hadn't been so stupid... and what about Whisper? I had blown her off and cast her aside when she was the only real friend I had here. How could I ask her to forgive me when I couldn't even forgive myself? My thoughts continued turning in dark little circles all morning as I hid from the world under my blankets. Hours passed, and yet, I didn't feel hungry or thirsty or anything. All I wanted was to stay here and keep the horrible world at bay. I winced as I heard a harsh clank from the lock on my door being magically forced open. That could only mean that another interruption was coming. "Scootaloo, is that you there?" I instantly recognized the perpetually strained voice of Missus Primrose. "Yeah," I mumbled, as quietly as I could. "You've missed the entire first half of the levi-ball game." I let her disapproving words fade into the silence of the room without a response. "Are you feeling ill?" "No." A cold magical grip seized my whole body, and I flew through the air to land squarely on my feet in front of my scowling teacher. "Then you will immediately cease this lazy truancy and get out of here!" I had never heard Missus Primrose raise her voice like that. "Yes ma'am," I called out before even realizing it. "Now," she continued, "it is already nearly lunchtime, so I suggest you make your way to the kitchens and complete your allotted discipline there." She glared at me with her eyes squinted with one brow raised. That rekindled my spirits just a little, actually. I would be able to talk to Sugar Cookie. He was perhaps the only real friend I had left here. I knew he wouldn't be able to fix any of it, but at least he deserved to know what happened. I slunk out of the room under the watchful eye of my teacher, only to pick up my pace as soon as I made it out into the hall. The dining hall dully echoed my own hoofsteps back at me as I charged inside. Not a single pony had arrived yet. Nevertheless, I hurried through it and into the kitchens. "Hey dere, little filly, you here early!" Even though he seemed busy chopping vegetables, he rushed over to see me. "How your date went?" The way my face fell silenced his enthusiasm. "Dat bad, huh?" I just nodded. "Well, you come up next ta me while I chop up dese carrot an' tell Cookie all 'bout it." Where should I start? As I took a seat on the stool next to Cookie's chopping table, I sighed. "Well, it all started with how you told me to be on the lookout for new friends where I least expected..." " ...and then all three of them just laughed at me. It had been their plan all along. So, well, I ran away. What else could I do?" "Dat Ruby colt sho is a col' one." "I know, right?" I shook my head. "How could he do something like that?" "He musta been da best actor anypony ever seen, an' 'ave a heart o' stone." I went back to my sulking, and the tears in my eyes weren't entirely due to the onions Cookie had moved on to chopping. "I just can't take it anymore. I've gotta get out of here somehow." I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Somehow, no matter what it takes... even if it's something drastic like–" "Don' you even say it, filly," Cookie's voice boomed out, "Don' you even think it!" "But–" "You got jus' two days lef'. I ain't hearin' no fool filly talk 'bout hurtin' herself to get outta jus' two days!" "Two and a half days," I corrected, "Today's not over yet." He just stared me down, reminding me that his point still stood. "Cookie, I can't–" "Who you is?" "Huh?" He knew who I was. "I'm Scootaloo." "I know ya name, filly. I'm askin' who ya is." He stomped a big hoof onto the table. "A name don' mean nothin'. What make you special? What you good at?" "Well..." It made me think. "I've always wanted to be like Rainbow Dash." "An' would dis Rainbow Dash be scared o' two days?" "No." I looked down at the floor. "But any chance of being like her died when I found out these stupid wings"– I fluttered them –"are for magic instead of flying." "An' who say you cain't use magic to be like 'er?" "Are you kidding? I can't..." I thought back to my practice session earlier, when I had begun to get good at short-range teleporting. "Well, maybe I could use magic for stunts, but–" "No 'but'!" He patted me on the back. "Imma tell you a little secret. Sometimes ya cain't depend on other ponies to help ya. Sometimes ya gotta jus' be you, even when da whole worl' say diffrent." He tilted my chin up with a hoof, bringing me up from staring at the floor to looking into his soul-piercing eyes. "Filly like you ain't got nopony but 'erself to tell 'er 'ow good she is... but dat's okay, 'cause when you get right down to it, das all anypony's got, ya hear?" I gave him a reluctant nod, unsure that I like the sound of being all alone. "An' when ya respect yaself an' is yaself, den you might just earn some real respect. Ain't nopony gonna respect you for tryin' to be somepony else – you want respect, you gotta earn it ya own way." "Thanks, Cookie." I gave him a big hug that seemed to take him entirely by surprise. "Thanks for everything." Before I pulled away, the school's bell rang. Cookie chuckled and patted me on the back. "Ya very welcome, lil' filly." Setting me down, he shoved me away. "Now dat's fo you – time you be getting' back to ya playtime instead o' bein' punished with me!" I could tell from the sly grin on his face that he wasn't serious, and I laughed along with him. We both knew this 'punishment' was the highlight of my day. "Run along now, filly, don' be late." I waved back at Cookie on my way out, but again, I had no intention of participating in any group sports. I had an altogether different destination in mind. Moving as slowly as I could to avoid drawing any attention, I edged my way around the outside of the colts' dormitory. All the other ponies, even the teachers, seemed to be too engrossed in their levi-ball game to even look in my direction. Still, I figured that I should be careful; I didn't even know what the penalty for sneaking around the school grounds while skipping a mandatory activity might be, but I didn't care to find out. A sudden cheer broke out from the middle of the courtyard. The ball flew high and fast towards the far side, a dozen different colors of magical aura surrounding it, and all the players in red vests frantically chased after it, all of them shouting to each other the whole way. It was just the opportunity I had been waiting for. With everypony else's eyes glued to the game, I made a dash for the building's door and slipped inside, unseen by anypony. As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, the musty stillness of the empty hallway struck me. After all the commotion outside, the stale air and muted echoes inside gave me the shivers. I gingerly stalked around the corner into the main hall, for some reason reluctant to break the silence around me. I could feel it, as if it were somepony hiding right behind me, waiting to pounce as soon as I made a wrong move. Shaking off the disturbing feeling of being quietly and malevolently watched, I hurried to the magic practice room. I knew nothing and nopony was there, of course, but something about the achingly empty schoolhouse did have me looking back over my shoulder more than necessary. A wave of relief washed over me as soon as I set foot in the practice room. Even though this room was just as empty as the hall outside, the bright light filtering in through the windows onto the warm wooden floor somehow made the emptiness welcoming rather than eerie, and the sparkling motes of dust caught in the sunbeams made the silence feel tranquil rather than foreboding. Now I could relax and finally begin my secret practice session. I took a deep breath. How to begin? When I had mentioned to Cookie that I might use magic for stunts, it had seemed so obvious and straightforward, but now I found myself stuck at the very basic question of 'how?' Well, I seemed to have a knack for teleporting... why not start there? I tried to clear my mind as I stepped over to the black scorch mark in the center of the room. I couldn't help but anticipate all I might do today – the scorch mark did remind me to be careful, though. I briefly wondered what kind of spell-gone-wrong had caused it, and what kind of unicorn could have had so much power even just in magic kindergarten. Reaching the center of the room, I paused for a moment. Should I really be here, all alone, trying to– I shook my head. No more doubts, no more questions – it was time to start already! I concentrated and flapped my wings, feeling the now-familiar buildup and flow of magical energy. With only a slight strain, I focused my will onto being in the far corner of the room. With a pop and a purple flash, I was there. Repeating the exercise, I popped back into the center of the room. This was foal's play for me now, after having practiced it so much in class. Still, lots of unicorns could teleport. It hardly counted as a 'stunt'. I needed something different, but what? I had practiced teleporting as far as I could within the classroom already, and besides, nopony would think much of it even if I could blink from horizon to horizon. That was nothing new for a powerful unicorn. I needed something new and different. Maybe I could teleport faster? I pooled my energy again, focusing on speed this time, and blinked just a hoof-length to the left. I nodded my head in approval, appreciating my already-impressive speed. What would happen if I practiced that even more? Grunting as I strained myself, I fluttered my wings as fast as they would go, and I dared to draw on more magical energy than I ever had before. Once, twice, three times I flashed myself over just a hoof-length or so, and I felt the magic rush through me. It was the most exhilarating thing I had ever experienced, and I realized that the smaller the distance I went, the quicker and easier it became. Would that trend keep going, all the way down? Grinning confidently, I knew I had to try it! Again, I gathered my energy – it seemed to be getting easier each time – and focused on being where I wanted to go, the tiniest nudge to the right. With a barely discernible pop and flash, I was there, and I hardly even noticed the missing energy... Now I just needed to repeat it. I began again, working faster and faster, teleporting dozens, hundreds of times in a row, each one over a tiny distance. I kept at it, improving my speed until the tiny pops meshed together into a single high-pitched whine and the tiny flashes merged into a continuous glow. Before I knew it, I had reached the far wall of the room without taking a single step. Now that was a stunt! Unable to contain myself, I used the technique to send myself zooming all the way around the outer wall of the room. I finally stopped back in the center of the room, sweating and panting, but feeling more alive than I ever had. This trick was awesome, and the trail of screaming sound and purple glowing sparks it left in my wake just made it even cooler! There was no way it could be topped, unless... Still panting, I shook my head. That would be too good to be true. There was no way it was going to work... but... what if it did? As soon as I caught my breath, I started again. This time, though, instead of focusing on tiny sideways steps, I focused on going up. Immediately, I shot into the air, accompanied by the now-familiar trail of sound and light. I was flying! It may have been by magic instead of wingpower, but I was flying! I let myself get so worked up with that realization that I forgot to keep the spell going when my head hit the ceiling. Down I crashed, sprawling painfully out on the wooden floor. I didn't let that bother me in the slightest, though – I had been through plenty of worse crashes – the important thing was that I has just flown under my own power! I couldn't wait to show my friends back home. What would Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle think of it? What would Rainbow Dash think of it? This was going to be perfect! Dropping into the spell again – it hardly took any effort this time – I combined the two techniques and flew a screaming, sparkling victory lap around the room. Coming down for a safe landing this time, I couldn't help but prance with joy; I finally knew I had found my true talent, and it was awesome! With one more loop, I perfected my triple back flip. I'd be catching up to Rainbow Dash levels of awesome in no time! I stopped my spell, let myself drop back down to the floor, and wiped some of the sweat from my forelock. Instead of the room fading back into a restful silence, though, I could hear shouts and laughter from out in the hall. The cold realization was already stabbing into me, but I had to be sure. I rushed to the door, opened it just a crack, and peeked outside. All the school's colts were filing through the hall, laughing, shouting, and crying out to each other as they headed back to their rooms for the night. I quickly – but quietly – shut the door and pressed my back against it, panic already gripping at me. How could I have missed both the dinner bell and the dismissal bell? How could I have let time get away from me like that? And what would I do now? As soon as I left the room, everypony there would know I didn't belong here. I couldn't just wait it out either; I knew the teachers would be in their offices for hours, and I couldn't risk being caught by them. Stay here all night? River would notice me missing, and she'd be sure to get me in as much trouble as possible for it. I collapsed down onto the floor. I was doomed – no matter what I did now, I would be in for a lot of trouble and embarrassment. I could already feel the tightness in my chest just thinking about what I was in for. What was I thinking, sneaking off like that? I should have known I would get in trouble for it! Now there was no way out... unless... I shook my head. It was a stupid idea; there was no way I could pull it off. Yet, it would solve my problem... Could I teleport all the way back to my room? I had never teleported anywhere near that far before, and I'd never gone anywhere I couldn't see before. What was my other option, though? Jump out in the hall and try to blend in with the colts? Wait for one of the teachers to find me? With a little nod to myself, I made up my mind – why not try? What was the worst that could happen, anyway? I paced my way back to the scorch mark in the center of the room; it just seemed appropriate somehow. Now, if there was anything my teachers had drilled into me about teleporting, it was to have a clearly defined destination before you even start. Where should I go? I couldn't go straight back to my room – River would turn me in for doing magic without permission. I couldn't go to the hallway either, for the same reason – the hallway would still be full of little fillies, all of them ready to tattle on me. So where else? Where would be empty this time of day? The lunchroom. I grinned to myself. That would be the perfect place. Now I just had to... well, do it. I giggled nervously at my own hubris. That would be the easy part, right? I closed my eyes, cleared my mind, and pooled more magical energy in myself than I had ever dared to before. Slowly at first, but quickly building up speed, I began flapping my wings. Suddenly, the familiar glow of magic flowing through my wings flared up far brighter than I had ever seen before, dazzling me even through my closed eyes. I cried out and tried to stop it, but the spell seemed to have a life of its own now. I strained to keep my destination in mind, desperate to keep the spell under control. I didn't know what would happen if I lost it, but I was pretty sure it wouldn't be good. I clung to the thought of the school's cafeteria. It was my only lifeline in the maelstrom of energy flowing around me. With an even brighter flash and a strained groan, the world around me vanished. I flashed into the corner of the lunchroom, surrounded by an explosion of wasted magical energy. I winced and groaned as I picked myself up off of the floor. My mane and wings were singed black at the tips, and I could already feel the beginnings of a massive headache, but I did it! I was free and clear! The sound of somepony clearing his throat brought my attention back to the real world. I looked up to see Cookie staring at me over the top of a half-cleaned table, his hoof still holding a dripping rag. Despite the growing pain in my head, I managed a smile and a wave. Cookie didn't move, except for slowly raising an eyebrow. Not wanting a confrontation just now, I rushed for the door. Cookie called out to me as I scuttled away, "You be careful now, lil' filly!" As I slipped out through the door into the hallway, I stumbled, barely catching myself before I hit the floor. I shook it off easily, of course, but the painful straining, stretching feeling spread from my head to everywhere else in my body. My joints felt like they were cracking on every step of the way up the staircase, and my wings were on fire as I weakly plodded through the hall to my room. Magic overload, of course. Missus Primrose had warned me about it in that very first safety lecture. I had stretched my abilities too far, and now I had to pay the price. I pushed open the door to the room and limped in, heading straight for my bed. Maybe sleep could cure it. The soft pillows and blankets wrapped around me as I plopped down into my bed. I breathed a sigh of relief; just being able to lay down and relax my tense muscles was a huge relief. A violet face and a dark blue mane popped down from the top of my bunk, ruining any chance I had of relaxing. "And just where have you been all day, Chicken?" I rolled over, turning my back to her. River was the last pony I wanted to deal with right now. "Leave me alone, River." "Are you telling me what to do?" Her voice took on a venomous edge. "Now tell me where you were, and remember your place this time." I could hear the faint sound of her horn glowing with magic. I groaned. "They stuck me in detention all day because I wouldn't leave my room." She giggled, and I could hear her flop back into her own bunk. "And good riddance! Levi-ball is a unicorn's game. The only reason I wanted you there is so I could kick you out of the game, but it looks like my dad beat me to it!" I snuggled up into my pillow and let River keep her fantasies, grateful she believed my lie. I was in no mood to argue with that pony, or anypony else for that matter. Still, it had been a good day. I'd gotten my secret practice session in and gotten away with it, and I wasn't going to let Ruby's betrayal keep bothering me... right? I couldn't believe that colt; for him to spend the whole day like that just to– I forced myself to stop. That line of thinking was only making my aches worse. I wasn't about to let that happen when instead I could have my first good night's sleep in nearly a week. "And you tied the bow on completely backwards!" River shoved the offending fashion accessory into my face, her eyes burning with rage. I just shook my head. River Star had been in rare form today, and it was getting old. I had no idea how anypony could even tell if a bow was backwards or not. "River, I can't even–" "Of course you can't!" She growled at the ceiling. I had never seen her like this before. "But is it because you're a dumb, useless Chicken who can't even do magic, or is it because you're just lazy?" I refused to respond to that. Instead, I just let my face express how I felt about her taunting. "Worm! I think Little Miss Pegasus here needs some extra punishment time. You stay here and make sure the Chicken doesn't leave until breakfast is over. Whisper shrank a little further behind the chair she had been using for cover since River's tirade began. "But... um, River–" River whirled around and shot just a moment of her rage at the blue filly. With a terrified squeak, Whisper dropped out of sight completely, behind her chair. "Oh – ah, okay." River turned her attention back to me just long enough to favor me with a contemptuous sneer. "See you at exercise class, losers!" As River slammed the door behind her, I rolled my eyes. I knew today was the talent demonstration in exercise class – then I'd show her just how much magic I could do! In the meantime, though, I could use some breakfast, especially after my overexertion and skipping dinner yesterday. "Okay, Whisper, she's gone now, you don't have to do what she says anymore." Taking Whisper's silence as agreement, I headed for the door – only to be blocked by her. "Aw, come on, Whisper!" She shrank down, but she didn't get out of the way. "I'm thorry, Thcootaloo." I shook my head. With friends like this, who would ever need enemies? Despite my lingering aches, and rumbling belly, I actually looked forward to exercise class today. I walked into the room with my defiant spirits high. This would be the day everypony saw what I was truly capable of, and I couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces. I spotted River in her usual seat as soon as I stepped in. Her expression, of course, was anything but charitable. I wasn't concerned about it, though. I'd just wait and see what she looked like after she'd seen my special talent. She patted the empty seat next to her, beckoning Whisper and me over. I sighed and took the proffered seat. I knew that if I went somewhere else, she'd just follow me there anyway. "Let's quiet down, now, please," Miss Honeydown cooed, even though the fillies and colts in the room weren't all that loud in the first place. As the students settled into their seats, she continued, "Today, we're all going to be demonstrating our special talents. Everypony has a special talent, and for nearly all unicorns, that talent is where their magic is strongest." She turned around in the middle of the ring of students, seeming to look at each and every one of them. "Now, who would like to go fir–" "Oh! Oh! Me!" All eyes, mine included, were drawn to River. "That's very nice of you to volunteer, River–" Miss Honeydown smiled warmly at her "–but I know you're going to have quite the amazing performance..." River beamed a pride-filled smile. " ...And that means that some of the other ponies who go after you would find it a tough act to follow and feel bad about themselves. Let's have somepony a little less talented go first." I saw the teacher's gaze slip from River to me. Oh no. She had to be kidding! Was she really going to give me an introduction like that? "Scootaloo, would you like to go first?" Yep. She did. With a sigh, I stood up from my chair and prepared to show off my talent. After a moment to think about it, though, this might be just the thing. She didn't want to make the others feel bad because they couldn't match the first performance? Well I did want to make them feel bad after how they had all looked down on me... and I had just the performance to do it! I made sure to make a show of stretching out my wings before I started, proud of them for the first time since I came here – well, that, and because stretching them out really felt good after all those overload aches. With a smug grin, I gathered my energy and flapped my wings. This was going to be epic. With only a single deep breath to prepare myself, I jumped into the micro-teleportation spell I had invented yesterday. Instead, a huge purple explosion flashed in front of my face. I was thrown backwards, bouncing a couple times against the rough wooden floor and skidding to a halt. I groaned and tried to make sense of the room swirling around me. I was laying on my side now, and as I lifted my head up to see what had happened, my headache returned with a vengeance. "Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" Miss Honeydown was by my side in no time. "Ugh. I'm fine," I lied, "I – I don't know what went wrong." "Are you sure you're okay?" The look of concern in her eyes would have been heartbreaking if there had been any sincerity behind it. With a heroic effort, I rose to my feet. "Yeah. I'm fine." She smiled, but seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment. "Well, ah... That was quite an... um, impressive backfire, for a pegasus. Keep practicing and I'm sure you'll catch up." With a frustrated sigh that turned into a pained groan as soon as I moved, I limped back to my seat, staring at the floor the whole way and valiantly trying to ignore the hushed giggles of my classmates. "Maybe your special talent is failing," River whispered to me as soon as I sat down. I slowly shook my head, wary of my growing headache. I still knew my talent, and I still had plenty to prove, and that was something... I just hoped that this exhaustion would fix itself before the magical exam tomorrow. I plodded my way into the school's kitchen, head held low and tail dragging the ground. Missus Primrose hadn't been kidding when she warned that magical overexertion would sap all the strength and energy from a pony. "Whoo-wee! What dey did to ya now?" Cookie stopped chopping vegetables and beckoned me over with a hoof. "Come tell me all 'bout it." One hoof at a time, I climbed my way up the barstool-like seat next to his own. The exhaustion was taking a toll on me; normally I would have just hopped onto it. "Well, it wasn't really anything somepony else did to me." I hesitated for a moment. "It was more like well... I guess I did it to myself." "Now why ya done did somethin' like dat?" I laughed, and even though doing so grated against my aching head, doing it made me feel better overall. "I didn't mean to!" "I know, lil' filly. I know." He chuckled a little at his own joke. "But what did ya do?" "Can you keep a secret?" I asked, glancing around the room. "You gotta ask?" I grinned. Cookie was my friend; I knew he wouldn't rat me out. "Well, instead of going to the levi-ball game yesterday, I kinda went to the magic exercise room instead and practiced." Cookie's eyes widened and his brows rose, but all he said was a noncommittal "Huh." "And, well, I invented this really neat new trick with teleporting that I can use to zoom around. I can even fly!" I paused for a moment, just savoring that thought, and enjoying the sound of it in my own voice. I could fly now! "But then, I sorta lost track of time, and the building started filling up with colts." "Now how you done manage to get away wit' dat?" He leaned back, his face scrunching up in skepticism. I let my pride show through on my face. "I teleported. All the way to the lunchroom in one jump." "Ah, dat's what happened to ya. Ya dun burned yaself out." He laughed at the face I made. "Don' ya go lookin' so surprised dere, lil' filly. Ya cain't serve up meals in dis school fo twenty-fo years without hearin' 'bout what happen to a pony when dey use too much magic." "Oh, right." I scratched at the back of my head. I should have known that he'd pick up on some things about magic here, earth pony or not. "Well, that's why I'm so worn out today." "Dat sho ain't good, wit' da final exam bein' tomorra'." I sighed. "You're right. I just hope I get better by then. As long as I can pull off my magic flying trick, I'll pass for sure... I guess." "I ain't sho even dat woul' be 'nuff. Dey ain't gonna be impressed by no flyin' pegasus." "Huh?" Cookie shook his head from side to side. "I done overheard da headmaster talkin' at da teachers in da breakroom. He said deys gonna fail you. Only way ya might pass is if ya do somethin' so amazin' dat dey cain't possibly jus'ify failin' ya." "What?" I groaned. "That is so unfair!" "It sho 'nuff is." He started cutting up vegetables again. "Don' make it no less true." "Ugh. How am I gonna pass now? I'm not even sure that I'll be able to do the trick I know! Now I have to come up with something even better? It's impossible!" Cookie paused his cutting again and turned towards me, laying a hoof on my shoulder. "Don' give up hope, lil' filly. You's special, and you's diffren' fo' a reason. Ya gonna think of somethin'." "You're sure?" "I's sho. Ya gonna do jus' fine as long as ya stay true to yaself an' remember dat you got a bigger future waitin' for you." He used the blade of his knife to shove a pile of freshly chopped carrots in front of me. "Oh, an' as long as ya eat ya carrots." "What?" That came out of nowhere. "But I hate carrots." "Eat 'em up anyways. Dey's got vitamins dat's real good fo' recoverin' from burnout." I sighed heavily and popped a piece into my mouth with a wince. The bitter aftertaste was just as terrible as I remembered, but if it meant the difference between success and failure, I supposed I could do it. "Did you really mean what you said, about me being different for a reason?" "I sho' did. Dere's importan' things in ya future, lil' filly." He smiled, starting to chop vegetables again. "But I'm just a regular old–" The school's bell cut me off. "Ya hurry on now – ya don' wanna be late fo' ya final theory tes'!" "But I–" "Go!" He shooed me on, dumping my uneaten carrots into a paper bag for me. "We'll have time fo' dat later." He tossed the bag to me, motioning toward the door. I sat there a minute longer with the bag in my teeth, unsure about what I should do, but he was right – I couldn't afford to be late for my theory final exam. Finally, with a muffled "Okay, thanks!" I ran off to the test. === The Odyssey === he smell of chalk dust and old books filled the theory classroom, as always, but the air of nervous tension was a new experience. The normally chatty students all sat at silent attention under the stern gaze of Missus Primrose. A few of the other students around me quietly pored over their notes, making me realize just how little I had prepared for this test. Never mind the applied magic test, would I even be able to pass this one? The hand on the clock at the back of the room ticked over – facing forwards, I couldn't see it, but in this tense silence, it was the loudest sound in the room. Missus Primrose must have been waiting for that little tick, because as soon as it passed, she stood up, levitating a stack of papers. "Good afternoon, class. Is everypony present and ready for the final theory exam?" Everypony had been here and ready for at least five minutes now, but apparently starting early wasn't Missus Primrose's style. The classroom simply remained quiet. "Good." The magical glow around her horn flared, and the floating test sheets all separated, one thin stack flying over to each student's desk. "You are not to begin until I instruct you to do so, and at that time you will be given precisely one and one half hour to complete your test." She scowled at the class over the rims of her glasses, and I felt her gaze boring into me in particular. "Any appearance of copying from a classmate's paper, any talking between students, any leaving the room will constitute a failure, and you will be required to retake the entire course. Is that clear?" A halfhearted chorus of "Yes ma'am" came in return. "Good." She turned and paced back to her desk at the front of the room. "If you have any questions regarding the test, you may ask for my assistance by raising your hoof. On no occasion shall you request assistance verbally." She paused, looking up at the clock in the back. "You may begin... now." Instantly, the room filled with the fluttering sound of dozens of young unicorns flipping over the first page of dozens of identical test packages. I opened my own and began working, penciling in answers to the scratchy sound of dozens of other students doing the same. To my relief, I found that the questions weren't that hard, and I knew most of them... enough to pass the test anyway... probably. I winced as I came up to an especially tricky question about field interactions. Shrugging, I put down 'unaligned'. I might still get lucky, right? A motion ahead to my left distracted me for a moment. It was River, leaning back and making faces at me. I shook my head in disdain and turned back to my test, only to have my attention snagged by something else on my right. Ruby Shine stuck his tongue out at me before moving on to obscenely exaggerated kissing motions. He broke out into a large grin when he saw the scowl on my face. Stifling the urge to growl, I buried myself in the test, using the archetype identifications and spell symbology to isolate myself from the pain and betrayal of those memories. I was a different filly now – I had changed and grown since that happened. So why did it still hurt so much? "Pencils down, everypony. Your time is up." Begrudgingly, I dropped my pencil to the desk as soon as I heard Missus Primrose's announcement. I sighed as I stacked my test papers up, looking wistfully at those last three test questions I couldn't find time for. A few moans coming from around the classroom told me I wasn't the only one with some of the test left undone. "Now, please, ensure that your name is on your papers and pass them forward." As the shuffling papers made their way to the front, Missus Primrose continued, "After you are dismissed, you will have two hours until the dinner bell. During this time, you will return to your rooms. It is recommended that you use this time to review what you have learned and rest in preparation for the magic skill test tomorrow." River took the opportunity to turn around and make faces again, pinning her ears back and crossing her eyes at me. The mailmare back home had eyes like that, and I actually really liked her, so to see River using them to taunt me struck a nerve. That was just too much. I scowled back at her, sticking my tongue out. It wasn't much, but it was all I could do at the moment to get back at– "Scootaloo Songwing!" Hearing my name in Missus Primrose's terse voice froze me instantly. "Why are you disrupting my class?" "I, uh..." Curse River Star for goading me into stooping to her level! "Well..." "You will desist immediately, or I will be forced to take disciplinary action. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes ma'am," I hurriedly replied, sitting straight up in my seat and doing my best impression of a perfect student. "Now then," Missus Primrose said, still glowering at me, "as I was trying to say, I wish you all good fortune in your future lives once you graduate from our school. Now, if there are no further questions..." She slowly panned her gaze across the room. "You may be dismissed." The quiet, rigidly disciplined classroom exploded into a cacophony of rambunctious unicorns. After sitting still for so long, everypony craved a little activity, myself included. I hopped up from my seat, grabbing the bag of carrots from underneath it. Thankfully, nopony had questioned the slight smell wafting up from it yet. A sharp impact from my left almost made me drop the bag. I looked up to see an unapologetic sneer from River. "Hurry up, slowpoke, you've got work to do." She walked off, flicking her tail into my face. "Don't be late, or you'll regret it." I sighed and shook my head, but it didn't bother me as much as it used to. This was all nearly over, after all. "Yeah, whatever," I called back as she left the room. I doubted that she could have heard me over the chatter of the emptying classroom, though. I followed along with the flow of students down the hall, up the stairs, and to the door of my room. I hesitated there, bag of carrots still clutched in my mouth – I could already hear River yelling at Whisper, even through the closed door. I stood there a moment, entertaining a quick fantasy of not going in there at all, but I soon swallowed that faint hope. Where else would I go, after all? With a halfhearted shrug, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Whisper noticed me first, looking up from her spot on the floor to give me a wan smile before going back to scrubbing the floorboards with a little yellow sponge. "Why did you just stop? Did I say you could stop?" River apparently hadn't noticed me coming in. She leaned down close to Whisper, right down into the submissive little filly's ear. "Well?" Whisper didn't make even the slightest sound in answer, but she did glance up at me again. This time, River caught it. She followed Whisper's eyes right up to me. "Oh, there you are! And where have you been, Chicken? I thought I told you not to be late!" "I'm not late." It was true; the bell announcing that everypony had to be in their rooms wouldn't ring for a few more minutes. "If I get here before you," she spat, stalking towards me, "then you're late." "What? Since when?" "Since I said so!" River pushed her face right up into mine, leaving me to fight a strong urge to back away. "Where have you been?" I decided to mess with her a little, just to see how gullible she was. "I've been here the whole time." "Just how stupid do you think I am?" she growled into my face. "I need this place spotless for the exit inspection, and you're playing stupid games with me?" I should have known that wouldn't work. "River, you can–" "I told you that you'd regret it, and you will!" She wormed her way around me, dropping a frigid whisper into my ear, "I think I'll give you a nice little surprise during your magic test – one you'll never forget." This time, I did recoil away. "What's that supposed to mean?" A cold smile spread across her face, never reaching her eyes. "You'll see." Shaking off River's threat, I picked up my paper bag and tossed it onto my bed. I needed some time to relax and recover. Although they were duller than before, the aches I earned through my overload still plagued me. With a grimace, I opened the bag and tossed the first few carrot pieces into my mouth. The sickeningly sweet and bitter crunch washed over me. Why did it have to be carrots that were good for recovering from burnout? Why couldn't it be something I liked? "And just what do you think you're doing now?" As much as I wanted to ignore her, River's outburst from right behind me sent a shiver up between my wings. Enough was enough. "River, I'm almost done here, and I already know you're going to do everything you can to me. I'm not putting up with your demands anymore. Shout all you want." The lack of any answering outburst was actually disturbing. After a moment of silence, River just shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, I guess the Worm will just have to do it all by herself, since you're too lazy to help her." She stepped away from me, returning to the blue filly on the floor. "Faster, Worm! It needs to be spotless by morning!" "But I–" "And no more of your excuses! You don't need time to study – nopony cares if you pass or not." Whisper looked up at me sitting on my bed. The way her lips twitched and her eyes opened wide told me all about her despair, but a tiny glimmer in those eyes hinted at just one last little scrap of hope, entirely focused on me. Even though I would be giving in to a bully, and even though I knew River was using Whisper to manipulate me, I couldn't bring myself to let that last little grain of hope die. With a sigh, I gave in. "Okay, I'll help her, but I'm doing it for her, River, not for you!" It would have been impossible for River's expression to be any more smug. "Good. That's what I thought." Another wet sponge flew towards me in River's violet magical glow. "Now get to work!" I just barely managed to catch the soapy missile before it splatted into my face. Begrudgingly, I rose out of bed and made my way over to Whisper, ignoring the ongoing complaints from my aching limbs. "There," River cooed sweetly, "isn't that better?" She swaggered up to my bed and tossed my bag of carrots onto the floor, scattering pieces everywhere. "Oh–" she winked at me "–and do be sure to get it all cleaned up properly. They'll fail us all if it's too messy." I just sighed and glanced at Whisper. Still scrubbing away at the floor, Whisper looked back at me. A forlorn smile brushed across her face for a moment, leading me to realize just how much what I did meant to her, and in that moment, I knew that despite everything, we still had each other. It might not have been much, but it meant a lot. "Get up!" I felt myself flying through the air, as I often did in my dreams. Flying dreams usually didn't turn into falling dreams, though, and what was with the– With a dry, all-too-real thud, I slammed into the hard floorboards of my room. I found myself lying face down on the floor, blankets still wrapped around me, and both of my right legs sore from the impact. Shaking my head clear, I spun around and looked to see what happened just in time to spot the violet glow fade from River Star's horn. I whipped off my blankets and shouted at her, "Hey! What was that for?" River's horn lit up again, and with a quiet, high-pitched squeal, Whisper came flying out of her bunk, too. Her wail cut off sharply as she hit the floor. "You two are going to need extra time to get my clothes ready for today. It's the big final exam, after all." I glanced to our little window, spotting the glow from the moon still high in the sky. "But it's way too early. We won't need to wake up for hours." "I know." It was too dark to see her face clearly, but I could hear the smugness in her voice. "Like I said, you're going to need extra time." She rolled over in her bed, facing away from us. "And don't make a racket while you're doing it. I need to make sure I'm well rested." I groaned. Between staying up late to clean last night and getting up early today, I'd only managed to get a couple hours of sleep at most. "You're not the only one who needs sleep," I complained. River shot upright in her bed. "You are so going to get it during the magic test! I've had it with your back talking. Get to work or I'll have to punish you right now!" Her horn began to glow, and even though my magic had improved lately, I still knew I couldn't win a fight. With a smoldering glare that River might or might not have seen in the dark, I turned and headed for the shelves. River gave a satisfied-sounding "Hmph" and laid back down in bed, again facing away from us. I just had to keep reminding myself that I wouldn't have to see her ever again after today and that it all would be over soon. That way, I might have a chance of making it through without snapping completely. I stood on the rough cobbles of the courtyard as stoically as I could, ignoring both my still-present aches and River's occasional whispered barbs. What I couldn't ignore, though, was the hollow pit in my chest – the nervous twinge brought on by the little voice inside of me that relentlessly told me how I was about to fail miserably in front of everypony. I knew I wasn't fully recovered from my overexertion. What was I thinking, trying to take a magic test now? I fought to keep myself steady standing in line, and I fought to keep myself breathing. It was all I could manage, just to do that. A whistle shrieked out over the courtyard, and all the babbling from the alphabetically lined-up students stopped. The Headmaster lowered his whistle, stepping out into the bright courtyard. "My young fillies and colts," he pronounced as he walked, his voice carrying easily in the sudden, still silence, "today is the day you have been training for since you arrived. Today is the day your skills will be put to the test." Arriving at the desk in the center of the courtyard, he took his seat between the two teachers. "But don't worry. I'm certain that every unicorn here"– I could swear he gave me in particular a dirty look –"is capable of showing their talents and potential to the whole school and earning the right to a continuing education in the ways of magic. "The test itself is quite simple, as Miss Honeydown will now demonstrate." He gestured toward the exercise teacher, and she rose up with a bow. "First, you will proceed to the levitation table. On the table are three wooden cubes. You will be expected to magically levitate at least two of these cubes simultaneously." He nodded toward Miss Honeydown. "If you would, please." Without the slightest sign of effort, she held all three cubes off of the table for a moment. "Thank you, Miss Honeydown," the Headmaster said softly, before continuing in his grand address voice, "The second portion of your test will also be a test of a basic magical skill. You will demonstrate your ability to perform a light spell. A passing score will be given if your light is discernible in full daylight." He nodded again, and Miss Honeydown immediately shot a bolt of light from her horn, making the courtyard even brighter. She slowly toned it down, though, until it could barely be seen in the bright sunlight. She held the faint glow for a few moments before extinguishing it entirely. "Thank you. The final portion of the test will be a display of your particular special talent. If you require any materials or assistance for this demonstration, please inform me first." As he spoke, Miss Honeydown walked up to the desk and whispered something to him. "Because Miss Honeydown's special talent is creating a magical containment shield, she asked that I demonstrate her shield's effectiveness by attempting to pass magic through it." He rose up from his chair, preparing what I now recognized as a standard magic-casting stance. "Miss Honeydown, you may begin." Her horn glowed brightly, and soon, a barely discernible bubble encapsulated both her and the Headmaster. After a moment, the Headmaster's horn developed an answering glow, and he shot a bright yellow bolt of lightning toward the empty schoolhouse. The lightning didn't get far before splashing against an invisible barrier and rippling around the bubble Miss Honeydown created. As the last ripples of magical energy around the barrier dissipated, Miss Honeydown dropped her spell and returned to her seat at the desk. "I am able to provide a magically equivalent simulacrum of any object of force you need for your demonstration, so don't worry about not having the proper materials available to work with. That is my special talent." The headmaster returned to his own seat before continuing, "After you complete your test, you will present yourself in front of this desk to receive your grade. Good luck, everypony." He stopped for a moment, leaving the courtyard unnaturally quiet as he shuffled a few papers around on the desk in front of him. Looking up again, he called out, "Abiding Light, you will be the first student of the day for testing. Please come forward and begin your test." Hesitantly, the white-maned colt at the head of the line stepped up to the table with the wooden blocks. As the brightly colored unicorn worked his way through the stages of the magic test, I tried to calm my breathing and focus on what mattered. All I had to do was those three simple tasks, then I could graduate from this awful place and get back to where I belonged, with my friends. I wished I had some friends to rely on here – oh, what I wouldn't give to have my fellow crusaders at my back – but even Whisper couldn't be here with me, since the line was arranged alphabetically. Unfortunately, that did mean that River would be right next to me the whole time. "Just you wait, Chicken. I've got a special surprise ready for your turn," River whispered so close to my ear I could feel the slight breath of it against my fur. "I can't wait to watch you crash and burn in front of everypony." I tried to block her out of my mind as well as I could. I tried focusing on the colt in the middle of the courtyard going through his talent demonstration – he used his special talent to hold a magical light steady despite all the Headmaster's attempts to snuff it out... just like River was sure to try and snuff out my spells. I groaned. There was just no way to keep my mind off it. I could imagine my friends there cheering me on – my fellow crusaders Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom; I could even imagine Rainbow Dash herself there cheering for me... but what if my magical exhaustion kept me from even doing the simplest spells? What would Rainbow think then? I shook my head violently. Why couldn't I keep my mind off of it? Why did I have to keep going over and over the ways I might fail? As more and more students passed through the tests, my worries just wrapped around me tighter and tighter. There was no way I could– "The next student will be Night Whisper. Please step forward and begin your test." I looked up in surprise, hearing that my only friend here was about to go. I had grown so used to thinking of her as 'Whisper', I had forgotten that her full name of 'Night Whisper' meant that she'd be going before me. Head low and ears pinned back, Whisper approached the levitation test table. For once, I couldn't blame her for being shy or nervous. I could only imagine what it would feel like to have everypony watching you, expecting you to perform. I dreaded my own turn in the spotlight. Once she arrived at the table, Whisper's horn lit, and two of the blocks lifted effortlessly. I was sure Whisper could have done all three... What was holding her back? Cringing at all the ponies watching her, Whisper stepped forward and prepared to take the light-making test. I had total confidence in her, even if she didn't look very confident in herself. Though she ducked away from the judges and seemed to be doing her best to hide it, the light from her horn shone brightly, more than bright enough to pass the test. As she let the light from her horn fade, she cringed even more, as if ashamed of her success. Making her little blue form look as small as she could, she haltingly made her way up to the judge's table. There was no way I could hear what Whisper said to the Headmaster, but I could see his slow nod in return. As she hurriedly retreated to the talent-testing circle, he began casting some kind of spell. A thin beam of white light shot out from his horn, over Whisper's place in the circle, and over the line of students waiting for their own tests. Whisper's own horn began to glow, and the air above her distorted strangely. As the Headmaster's beam of light passed through the distorted area, it changed its angle and split into a brilliant, ever-widening rainbow. My jaw dropped at the display, and some of the lined-up students even stomped their hooves in applause. Whisper wasn't done yet, though. Another distorted patch of air formed in the rainbow's path, reflecting it back into the sky and spreading it out even more, until it filled half the sky. The applause from the assembled students grew, and I even spotted Missus Primrose joining in before Whisper canceled out her spell and allowed the Headmaster's light to return to a simple beam. The Headmaster's nod indicating a passing grade came as a surprise to nopony. Despite his approval and the crowd's applause, though, Whisper still cringed low, blushing furiously as she tried to get back to her place in the line with as little notice as possible. I joined in the applause wholeheartedly, hoping to boost her spirits, but of course, she still crept back to the line as if she was a scolded puppy. Unsurprisingly, River's hooves stood silent the entire time. As soon as Whisper made it back to the line, the Headmaster cleared his throat loudly, and his stern glare put a sudden stop to the outburst of enthusiasm. "North Wind, please come forward and begin your test," he called out, letting his disapproval at the outburst of applause drip from his voice. A pale blue filly with a flowing mane trotted out from the line, looking far more confident than anypony had a right to be in her situation. As she worked her way through the steps of the test, my thoughts wandered to my own imminent test. I hadn't been able to do any magic since I overworked myself teleporting. I hadn't tried much, of course, but only because I knew that trying to use magic before I recovered would only worsen my condition. Unfortunately, though, that meant I would have no idea whether I'd pass or fail until I went out there and tried. Even if I was ready to test my magic, I wouldn't dare break the no-magic-without-permission rule right in front of all my teachers. I shivered, despite the warm sun baking the courtyard around me. If I failed, would Twilight and Cheerilee make me come back and go through it all again, or would they just give up on me and write me off as a perpetual disappointment? How could I face them when I came home as a failure? I briefly imagined trying to talk to Rainbow Dash after coming home in disgrace like that, but I shoved the thought away before it could kick me in the gut even more. That was something I never wanted to contemplate. I hoped I'd never have to. I wished for a moment that I'd never done that stupid teleport all the way across the school. I should have known better. But what was the alternative? If I had been caught breaking the rules again, I would have been kicked out for sure – I'd be right back in the same place, stuck trying to explain my failure to my role model and everypony I cared about. It was– "That will do for now, everypony." The surprise of hearing the Headmaster say anything other than calling up yet another student cut straight through my thoughts. "Please remain in your places while lunch is served. Testing will resume in exactly one hour." A quick glance around the courtyard confirmed it. I spotted Cookie emerging from the dark doorway of the school building, pushing a huge cart in front of him. He worked his way down the line of students, doling something out to each one. I couldn't tell what it was, but it must have been some kind of food. Though eating was the last thing on my mind just a moment ago, my stomach now found the thought of it very agreeable. Before long, Cookie's cart stopped in front of me, and with a wink, he tossed me one of the paper-wrapped packages he'd been giving everypony else. "Jus' trus' yaself, lil' filly, an' ya gonna do jus' fine," he whispered, before walking on. Even though I trusted Sugar Cookie, his confidence in me felt hollow somehow. I just couldn't believe in myself that easily; I knew I was going to fail this test completely. I tore into my package, finding a green apple, a little bottle of grape juice, and a daisy sandwich inside. Before I could dig into the meal, though, River's whispered voice cut right through me. "Are you and that chef an item or something?" She favored me with a twisted sneer. "What? No!" I glared at her for suggesting such a thing. "Oh, you're right." River giggled quietly and coldly. "He's a chef at a prestigious magic school, and you're just a miserable little pegasus who failed in her pathetic dream to become a unicorn. He's much too good for you!" "I am not going to fail!" I growled back at her. "And I never wanted to do this," I added to myself, too quietly for her to hear. "Not going to fail, huh?" River laughed harshly. "We'll just see about that. I still owe you some punishment, remember?" I bit into my sandwich, much less enthusiastic about it now. What comfort could just a sandwich be when my certain failure loomed right in front of me? If my magic overload didn't get me, River's 'punishment' would. I didn't know what she had planned, but knowing her like I did now, I knew it would be nasty. I sighed. Even without that, the Headmaster would fail me just out of spite, I was sure. Resigned to my fate now, I took another bite of the sandwich. What else could I do? "Rainy Day, please come forward and begin your test." The grey-maned filly in line just on the other side of River stepped away from the line, and my blood froze. My turn was approaching fast, much sooner than I would have liked. I watched the little grey filly go through the test, and with each section she completed, my trepidation grew. What was I doing here, anyway? What was I going to do when my turn came up? As soon as the grey filly finished with her display of an umbrella-like rain control spell, the next milestone of my inevitable fate echoed out across the courtyard, "River Star, please come forward and begin your test." "Just watch and see how it's done before you fail, Chicken." River swatted my face with her slick tail as she trotted toward the levitation test table. She wasted no time in taking on the test. Her horn lit up with the bright violet glow that matched her coat so perfectly, and all three wooden blocks on the table shot up into the air. I should have known she'd be a showoff. She set the blocks down without even looking at the judges for confirmation and went straight into her light-spell test. The light pouring out from River's horn grew so bright I couldn't even look at it. For all her faults, I had to admit, River had plenty of raw magical power. As the light faded and I blinked the dazzlement out of my eyes, I spotted River, already on her way to test her special talent. "I don't need any accommodations," she called out, loud enough for everypony in the courtyard to hear. Even as far away as I stood, I was sure I could see a grin on the Headmaster's face as he waved his daughter on. River's horn began to glow once more, and an unnatural hush swept across the courtyard. Suddenly, it seemed like everypony and everything in the courtyard was listening intently, right down to the very stones everypony stood on. River's flowing blue dress and her matching silky mane waved in a breeze only she could feel, and she began to sing. The first notes of her song sliced through the expectant tension in the courtyard, delivering exactly what each and every pony there inexplicably thirsted for. The enchanting music washed across the courtyard, her melody evoking all of her yearning to impress the stallion at the judges' table. Despite the plaintive, wistful theme behind the music, it was still undeniably catchy. Many of the ponies around me tapped a hoof to the beat or swayed back and forth with the melody. As disgusted with River as I was, I even caught myself humming along with the chorus. Her song flowed on, bringing out dozens of smiles on the high notes and nearly bringing tears to the audience on the lows. Steadily throughout it built into a crescendo. Nopony in the courtyard seemed unmoved. As River's performance wound down, total silence filled the courtyard for a few brief moments. The silence finally broke with the sound of a single little filly somewhere in the audience stomping in applause. The applause and even cheering spread like a wildfire through the crowd, engulfing everypony. Eventually, even the Headmaster joined in, and though I never thought I'd see it, River actually cried. She stood there, staring at the Headmaster with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face, mouthing words too quietly for me to hear. By the time River began slowly walking back to the line, waving at all her new fans as she went, I was the only pony in the courtyard not applauding her. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy the song; I had to admit, the quality of River's singing blew me away. It wasn't even because of my personal issues with the filly; I'd like to think I was a good enough sport to congratulate her for her performance even if I hated her. What kept me from applauding River's performance was the paralyzing realization of what must come next. "Just try matching that," River teased as she stepped back into her place next to me in the line. I didn't respond. I couldn't. With my chest as tight as it was, I could scarcely breathe, much less talk. Any moment now it would be my turn to take the test, and I knew I wasn't ready for it. I'd be forced to go out and fail right in front of everypony. And then– "Scootaloo Songwing..." The last lingering bits of applause dropped off as the words I had been dreading finally echoed across the courtyard. " ...please come forward and begin your test." === Inferno === wanted to move – I tried to step forward... but I just couldn't. My legs were frozen to the ground, and all my effort only made them twitch. Seconds passed, and a deep quiet settled over the courtyard, broken only by the occasional cough or shuffling feet. "Scootaloo Songwing, please step forward and begin your test," the Headmaster repeated. Still, the best I could manage was a meager lean forward. I gritted my teeth, straining against myself, but it was no use. "He means you, dumb Chicken!" River reached a hoof back and shoved me forward. With the sudden forward impetus, my legs finally began to work, but they weren't working well enough just yet to keep up. I stumbled along for a few steps before tripping over my own hooves and crashing hard into the sun-baked cobblestones. A few giggles and bursts of laughter caught my ears, coming from behind me. I looked up at the Headmaster, wiping the grey dust from my face, but he made no move to chastise River for pushing me nor any of the other ponies for laughing. He only raised an eyebrow at me, a slight sneer on his face. At least the shove had broken me free of my paralysis. Shaking, I rose to my feet and started toward the levitation test table. Once I arrived there, I again tried to regulate my breathing. I failed miserably, of course, conscious as I was of the dozens of eyes drilling into my back. I stared at the three simple wooden blocks in front of me and, in vain, tried to swallow my fear. This was it – the time when I'd finally find out if I was doomed to fail or not. The Headmaster cleared his throat loudly, and when I turned, I saw him glance meaningfully at the school's clock tower. It was now or never. Even just the motion of beginning to flap my wings brought a wave of pain and nausea, but I kept them going. Like Cookie said, I had to stay true to myself, and I'd never be the kind of pony to give up without a fight. I kept my wings going until my familiar purple aura glowed from them again. With my energy harnessed, I focused on the wooden blocks in front of me. The moment I tried to harness any power, a splitting pain shot through my head and I winced my eyes shut – the symptoms of my overexertion were far from over. As I opened my eyes though, I could see that I had managed to lift one of the blocks. Maybe, just maybe, I could actually pull this off. I needed to levitate two blocks at the same time to pass, though. It would have been challenging enough for me even with a clear head. Nervous, aching, and exhausted as I was, it would take a miracle. I gritted my teeth and strained my wings to beat even harder. A faint, sputtering purple glow enveloped the second block, and it wobbled back and forth, but it still didn't rise. That wasn't good enough. I had to do better before I failed. Straining with every scrap of strength in me, I redoubled my efforts. I groaned in pain, but the second cube still didn't budge. I screamed in frustration, focusing everything I had on that one block. It shot up into the air. My hold on the first block faltered, though, and I nearly dropped it before refocusing enough to keep it up, too. My grip on the two was tenuous at best, and I had to keep switching my focus between them to keep them from falling, but my desperate juggling act paid off – I managed to keep both blocks in the air for a few precious seconds before I finally lost control and let them drop. The wooden blocks clattered down onto the table, and one of them bounced all the way off, tumbling away on the ground. The Headmaster stared at me with a deep frown as I fumbled to pick up the wayward block – without magic – and put it back in place, but he did wave me on, signaling that I should continue the test. When the lost block flew back to its place enveloped in the Headmaster's magic, I knew it was time to begin my light-making test. I smoothed my mane back with a practiced brush of my hoof. If I could manage the levitation, I could manage to make a little light for sure. I strutted forward confidently until I reached my position, and I fluttered my wings. I cried out as the shock of pain hit me. It brought me to my knees. My magical exhaustion wasn't about to be cast aside so easily. Though it brought tears to my eyes and made my legs tremble, I pressed on with the light spell, feeding it as much energy as I could. No light came. I knew the spell was working. I could feel the wrenching ache as my last reserve of magical energy flowed into it, but I still couldn't see any light. It must have been too dim to see in the bright sunlight, and if I couldn't see it, then the judges certainly couldn't. It just wasn't fair. I put more effort into it than any of the ponies before me had, but it was getting me nowhere. The Headmaster looked up at the clock again, and I knew my time was running out, but I was already putting all I had into it. What else could I do? I let out a sigh of regret through my clenched teeth. That was it. I failed. Just as I was about to abandon my efforts, though, a wisp of cloud passed under the sun, and the whole courtyard darkened by a few shades – just enough to make my weak, flickering light visible. After holding that for a second longer, I finally allowed myself to let go. As I collapsed onto the warm cobblestones, I looked up at the Headmaster. Though he sneered his disappointment at me, he did give me the nod indicating that I had passed the light-making portion of the test. I let my head fall back down onto the stone, panting in exhaustion. I knew I couldn't lay and rest long though. The judges were waiting. By force of will alone, I rose up to my feet. I swayed uncontrollably where I stood, but I did manage to stagger up to the judges' table. "I... I don't need anything special for my... talent," I gasped. Miss Honeydown stared at me in wide-eyed concern, but when neither of the other two judges did anything, she waved me on to the final portion of the test. I had no magical energy left, exhaustion gripped my limbs, and crippling pain swirled and sparked inside my head. Now all I had to do was put on a dazzling display of my special talent. Right. I bit back my pain and gave the judges my best winning smile, which amounted to little more than a grimace. They continued to stare at me, unchanging. Missus Primrose covered a cough with her hoof. Not seeing any point in continuing to stall, I held my breath and flapped my wings. Despite my precaution, the pain from gathering up what tiny scraps of magic I could still took my breath away, leaving me gasping. I wouldn't give up though. I couldn't. I squeezed my eyes shut against the tears welling up and flapped my wings even harder, fighting for every drop of magic power I could scrape from my depleted reserves. Amazingly, I actually found enough to begin. It would be far too little to do a whole routine, but I could start – I could make some progress. Even if I couldn't finish, at least I would be able to say I tried. Bracing for the pain, I focused my scraps of power into a few tiny upward teleports, just enough to get off the ground. The pain never came. Somehow, maybe because it was my special talent, the little teleports weren't hurting me at all. Reveling in my newfound freedom from pain, I shot up into the air, doing a slow, lazy circle over the lined-up students before coming up for a high pass over the judges' heads. The wind blowing through my mane brought the joy of it back to me. In my enthusiasm, though, I forgot about my limited amount of energy. My soaring pass over the judges sputtered, faltered, and became an out-of-control dive. Terror gripped my heart as I watched the hard cobblestones approaching. There was no way I could survive a fall from that high. I desperately tried to restart my spell, but I only managed a couple of brief pauses in my fall – I couldn't stop. The ground came at me fast. There was no way I'd be able to stop in time. I screamed and dug deep within myself, deeper than I ever knew I could, desperately grasping for more energy. Something inside me snapped. It was as if I had broken through a dam holding all my energy back. I had access to more power than I'd ever dreamed of! Just before I slammed into the stones of the courtyard, I restarted my spell, harnessing all the incredible new energy I'd discovered. I shot back up, missing the pavement by mere inches. Finally liberated from my lack of energy, I made another triumphant pass, circling around the inside of the courtyard. When I glanced down at the judges, though, the slight frowns on their faces told me they weren't impressed. Cookie's words came back to me, 'Dey ain't gonna be impressed by no flyin' pegasus.' The blank stares of the three judges bore out Cookie's prediction. Even after all I'd done and all I'd been through, they still planned to fail me. I had to find something to win them over, something they couldn't possibly ignore, but what? Well, if all I had to do was stay true to myself... what had I always done in the past when confronted with an obstacle like this? As I circled the courtyard once more, it came to me – I always pushed myself even harder, pushing my limits. So, I'd just push my limits, right? Limits like what, how fast I could go? I broke out into a feral grin. With my newly discovered store of energy, just how fast could I go? Letting my full power loose, I zoomed up and away from the courtyard before circling back for a low flyby. The wind screamed through my ears, and the flashes from each tiny teleport grew so bright I had to squint my eyes against the glare. I shot down towards the line of students, ready to truly show what I was capable of. My control might have been a little shaky, but it didn't matter. I was doing it! I could hardly believe it myself. My survival instincts flared and time crawled nearly to a halt, though, when I spotted River Star grinning at me in the line. Her horn was glowing. Before I could react, River's spell shot out towards me, a crackling, twisted beam of violet light. I knew my control at this speed was too limited to dodge the attack. Cringing, I braced myself for whatever the spell's effect would be, preparing myself for the hit. It never came. A little pocket of air just between River's spell and me distorted strangely, and the spell reflected off of it, right back at its owner. Looking down at the line again, I noticed River wasn't the only one with a glowing horn. Whisper's horn shone with her own blue aura. I couldn't believe it. After all this time learning to never count on Whisper, the timid little filly had broken the rules and stood up to River, all to save me! A moment later, River's reflected spell came back home, and even though she obviously put up her best shield, the spell still broke through and spun her crazily on every axis. Thanking my lucky stars – and that little blue filly – I finished my pass and arced around for another, still accelerating. With River no doubt still recovering from her own spell, and with boundless energy at my hooves, nothing stood in the way of me pushing my limits as far as I could. I stretched my arc as far as I could, giving myself plenty of room for my approach. Finally lined up with the distant courtyard again, I drew on my power reserve recklessly, accelerating down and toward the school with abandon. The scream of the wind in my ears deafened me. I could barely keep my eyes open. My mane whipped wildly against my back, and I struggled to maintain control as I shuddered back and forth in the force of the headwind. The constant, blinding flashes of teleportation grew even more intense as I piled on more and more speed, but I actually began to outrun them. They started forming a wide cone of purple light behind me. As the courtyard approached breathtakingly quickly, I felt myself building toward something. I didn't know what, but I wasn't about to hold back now! I shot over the outer wall, and time froze. I stared in astonishment as my breakneck burst of speed suddenly seemed to slow to a snail's pace. The howling wind still filled my ears, and my whipping mane still stung my back, but it was as if I wasn't moving at all. With agonizing slowness, I noticed a tiny little spark right at the tip of my leading hoof. I watched, fascinated, as it flickered, the only quick-moving thing in my frozen world. The spark flared across my whole field of view, exploding all around me, but leaving a round hole in its wake that I easily slipped through. I caught only the slightest hint of what must have been a deafening boom as the world decided to make up for its previous slowness by shooting into hyper speed. I soared away, zipping along faster than I'd ever imagined. By the time I thought to look behind me, I had already zoomed over half of Canterlot. When I glanced behind, my jaw dropped. A solid line of crackling purple sparks led back from my tail, all the way to a huge – and still spreading – ring of purple fire. As I turned back to look where I was flying, my heart raced even faster than before. What had I done? It was like a sonic rainboom, but it was so... me! And it was so awesome! This went far beyond my wildest dreams. I curved my sparkling path upward, barely missing Canterlot Castle, and completed a long upward flip to send me back toward the school. My ring of purple fire spread out over half the city before it finally began fading. It must have been visible for miles! Could Rainbow Dash have seen it? Would she realize I was the one who did it? Could anypony– My time for speculation came to a halt when I spotted the school approaching, terrifyingly fast. I put everything I had into slowing down as I arced down toward it, realizing with a wince that I had no idea how to land after going so fast. I screamed into the courtyard, teleportation explosions billowing in my wake. Struggling to maintain any control at all, I arced down and leveled off at the ground. I had slowed considerably, but I still rocketed along, still trailing a purple halo. My hooves scraped the cobblestones, and I skidded toward the line of students. I dug in my heels and clenched my eyes shut as I scraped my way across the courtyard. This couldn't end well. Finally, and surprisingly without a wreck, I slid to a spinning, shuddering halt. After a moment of still silence, I dared to crack open an eye and peek to see what happened. I faced back the way I'd come from, and a huge triangular scorch mark scored across the entire courtyard, with me at the very tip of it. Occasional purple sparks still shot back and forth along my mane and tail. I looked up in awe at my still-dissipating ring of fire and trail of sparks before noticing with chagrin that every single window on the school's buildings had shattered. I spun around and unexpectedly found myself face to face with Ruby Shine. I must have skidded right up to him when I stopped. He stared back at me, his mouth and eyes both gaping open as he sat back on his haunches. I wondered for a moment if he had fallen like that in shock or been blown down by my wake. Before I could turn around and leave, he shook his head, recovering from his shock. "That was brilliant!" he gushed, "I've never seen anything like it! I always knew you had it in you." That stopped me in my tracks. "You always knew, really?" I puffed a breath upwards to clear my windblown mane from my eyes. "You really think I'm gonna buy a lie like that from you after the way you treated me?" "I had to do that!" Ruby stood up and pleaded with me. "If I hadn't, River would have–" I just turned and walked away. I was done with him, and I had no interest in hearing his lies and excuses. As I approached the judges' table, I saw they weren't in much better shape than Ruby had been. All three of them still sat behind their desk, staring at me with mouths agape. The papers they had been shuffling the whole time laid strewn on the cobblestones all around their desk. "I take it I passed?" I asked with my head held high, already knowing the answer. They could never deny a performance like that. The Headmaster just nodded, his face still frozen, except for one twitching eye. I strutted back to my place in line, head held high. A long while passed before the Headmaster gathered his wits back together enough to call up the next student. With a flourish of golden sparks, the pale green and yellow filly in the center of the courtyard finished her test. Her firework display had been fun to watch, but it was still nothing compared to what I had pulled off. I glanced back at my huge black scorch mark across the courtyard again, wondering if it would ever wash off. "Thank you, Zephyr Spark," the Headmaster announced, "You have passed your magic skills test." He stood up for the first time since beginning the tests. "That concludes the skills testing for this class. Congratulations to everypony who passed." Slightly softer, he continued, "Bass Clef, Morning Dew, Opal Fire, and Starlove, please come see me in my office after today's events have concluded." He returned to his original volume and pointed a hoof at the teacher to his right. "Missus Primrose will now announce the scores from the theory test you took yesterday." "Thank you, Headmaster Herald Dust," she enunciated carefully. "I will now give you your test scores, beginning with our highest scoring students." She took a moment to adjust her glasses and refer to a sheet of paper in front of her. "With a score of ninety-nine percent, Miss Night Whisper is our highest-scoring student of this class." She gave a slight nod in Whisper's direction before adding perfunctorily, "Please give her a round of applause." Though the meager applause was scattered and sporadic, I joined in wholeheartedly, stomping my hooves against the cobblestones as hard as I could, despite how sore they felt from my skid earlier. The way I saw it, Whisper's accomplishment was every bit as important as my own. "With a score of ninety-seven percent, Bass Clef... With a score of ninety-five percent, Comet Chaser and Velvet Touch... With a score of ninety-four percent..." I quickly lost interest in her droning voice and instead daydreamed of the reception I'd get back home. Had they figured out I was the one who made the huge boom over Canterlot yet? How would Rainbow Dash react to finding out that her 'Sonic Rainboom' had been matched? For that matter, I probably should find a name for mine... a 'Sonic Scootaboom', perhaps? My grin grew even wider. My grin faded, though, as Missus Primrose worked her way from the low eighties to the upper seventies. The passing score was seventy percent... If I didn't pass the written test, all my magic would have been for nothing. "With a score of seventy-three percent, Diamond Gleam, Midnight Tear, Shuttershock, Silver Scroll, and Valley Mist... With a score of seventy-two percent, Coppermane and Starlove..." The familiar claws of nervous dread gripped me; she still hadn't mentioned my name. "With a score of seventy-one percent, Clear Sky, Feather Shine, Iridescence, Maple Leaf, Scootaloo Songwing, and Wave Crash... With a score of seventy percent..." I breathed a sigh of relief. I made it, if just barely. I had officially made it through magic kindergarten. " ...sixty-two percent, Opal Fire and Tarot; please come see me in my office... With a score of thirty-nine percent, River Star; please come see me in my office." That got my attention again. River failed the theory test? With the lowest score in the class? I couldn't help but giggle. Maybe she should have done her own studying instead of making Whisper and me do it! "That is all. Thank you, Headmaster Herald Dust," Missus Primrose concluded with a nod. "Thank you, Missus Primrose." The Headmaster left his place behind his desk, circling around it to address the students directly. "Unless your presence has been requested elsewhere, you all may now return to your rooms and pack for departure." He shook his head. "River Star, please come see me in my office. We need to discuss your interference in the testing." Beside me, River gasped. "I will open the gate at eight thirty and personally dispense your diplomas as you exit. Congratulations on successfully completing magic kindergarten!" As I waited in my room for the release time, River burst in and caught my hoof. I braced myself, but when I turned to look at her, she actually looked a little remorseful, though a hard glint still remained in her eyes. "I – I shouldn't have treated you like I did," she mumbled. "I just wanted to impress–" "Yeah I heard your song about meeting your dad's expectations." I rolled my eyes. "That still doesn't excuse–" "No!" River's sudden vehemence startled me. "I mean, no. I wasn't really trying to... I was trying to impress my sister." "Oh, and who's that?" "Trixie Lulamoon." That got my attention. Nopony could have lived in Ponyville for long and not known about Trixie. River looked down and pawed at the ground. "All my life, I've lived under my sister's shadow, and nothing I did could ever compete with her, and now that you've humiliated me like–" "River, just stop." She looked up at me and jumped back as I interrupted. For a moment, I almost felt pity. "What you did was cruel and wrong, and I don't forgive you. I'm leaving." With that, I stormed out of the room. I slammed the door behind me. "Oh, thorry, excuthe me, I didn't thee you there." Whisper stood right in front of me. She must have been on her way in. "Not your fault – don't worry about it." I glanced back at the door. "I just couldn't stand to be around River anymore, and since I didn't have anything to pack..." "It mutht be nithe," Whisper mumbled, looking away down the dim hallway, "leaving River behind forever. I with I could." I laughed and patted her on the back. "You will! River failed her test. She's not going to the next school, but you are. Now you'll always be a little ahead of her, and you'll never be in the same classes again." Whisper's eyes grew wider and her mouth gaped as it dawned on her. She broke out into a huge grin. "I'll be able to get away from her thomtimes!" She surprised me with a huge hug around my neck. "This ith the betht thing that ever happened to me!" "Easy there, Whisper." I patted her on the back, glancing around awkwardly. "She's still your stepsister." "But don't you see? Now I don't alwayth have to be around her!" "I know, I know." I pushed her away a little, peeling the enthusiastic unicorn off of me. "But you need to get going and pack your stuff. Write to me, okay? We'll keep in touch." "Of courthe!" Still dancing with joy, she rushed in through the room's door. As soon as the door closed again. I could hear River's strained voice yelling. I couldn't make out the words, but I knew it had to be River taking her frustrations out on her stepsister. It made me glad I hadn't forgiven that spiteful little unicorn. She was still a little monster. With nothing left to do for a while, I let myself wander. The dim hallways that had intimidated me so much in the past now just seemed dreary and tiring. I let my hooves take me where they would, idly listening to the muffled conversations and laughter behind the closed doors. For everypony else, this was a great day, a day to celebrate. It should have been for me, too. Everything I had been striving for, everything that I had wanted had come to pass. Instead of being ecstatically happy, though, I only felt tired, emotionally. Did that mean there was something wrong with me? I reached a dead end in the hallway, forcing me to pay attention to where I was again. I vaguely remembered going down the stairs, but little else. I found myself just outside the doors to the school cafeteria. Of course. I should have known I'd end up here. For so long in this school, it had been the only place where I felt supported and safe. I still had time to burn... Why not? Pushing open the wide set of double doors, I stepped inside. The lights were off in the huge, silent room, and the sound of the door closing behind me echoed dully among the empty tables and neatly stacked chairs. I felt silly and foolish. Of course he wasn't here. Why would he be? There were no meals to prepare. With a shake of my head, I turned back toward the door. "Don' stop now, little filly. Come an' talk a while." I whipped myself back around again. I still couldn't see him until he stood up and started walking toward me. He must have been sitting at that table in the back of the room the whole time. "Cookie!" I rushed over to him at a flat-out run. "You'll never believe what happened! I was out there taking my test, and it was going pretty–" "I jus' mught believe it, lil' filly. I's watchin' the whole thing through my winda'... up until the winda' broke, dat is." I skidded to a stop next to him "So you saw the whole thing?" "I did." He draped a hoof across my back. "An' I'm pow'ful proud a' ya." I could feel the heat building in my cheeks. That was the nicest thing anypony had said about me the entire time I'd been at the school. I glanced away, not sure how to reply. "It sho' 'nuff didn't happen by chance though." I looked back up at him, shrugging his hoof off of my shoulder. "Huh?" "Sometimes it might not look like it, but I've lived long 'nuff to know dat everything happens fo' a reason. Your talent, you bein' picked on, your success. It all done happened fo' a reason." I just kept staring at him, slowly raising an eyebrow. Cookie's advice was normally pretty good, but he'd lost me on this one. "Whaddya think dat reason is?" "I dunno." I shrugged. "To make up for getting a cutie mark so late?" Cookie laughed, making his belly shake. "Nah, lil' filly. It's fo' a much mo' important reason dan dat. "Everywhere ya go, you gonna find pegasus ponies thinkin' dey's better dan da earth ponies, an' you gonna find unicorns thinkin' dey's better dan da both of 'em, just 'cause o' what's growin' outta dey's heads." He poked his hoof into my chest. "You, though, you gotta be da one ta go out an' show 'em all da truth. You gotta do your magic an' show dem dere ain't no difference. Dat we all jus' ponies." "What?" I backed away. "There's no way I can do all that!" "An' dere's no way a pegasus can do magic, an' dere's no way you can pass dis magic test when da Headmaster hate you." He smiled at me, a smile that melted my heart. "You done did lots o' things dere's no way you could do. If you stay true to youself, I bet you can do a few mo' impossible things." He stared at me a moment longer, and his smile – though still there – faded just a little, allowing a touch of sadness into his eyes. "It's almos' time fo' you to go. You better go an' pack up ya stuff." He made an obvious effort to bring his smile back full-force, but after he did, it was blatantly false. I knew something was up. "What's wrong?" "It always hard to see da lil' fillies an' colts go. Don' worry 'bout me." To his credit, he didn't try to pretend everything was fine. "But more are gonna come, right?" Cookie began to laugh, but it ended up as more of a sigh. "Sometime, dere's one or two dat's special, an' all da new ones dat ever come through, no matter how many come, never make up fo' losin' dem." "You'll see me again," I promised, "I'll come back and visit." "Heh. A lot of 'em say dat, an' none of 'em eva do." I stomped my hoof down. "I will. That's a promise." "Don' make promises you ain't gonna keep," he mumbled. "I am gonna keep it. It's just one more thing that can't happen, but I'm gonna do anyway!" That brought his true smile back. "Jus' maybe you will... jus' maybe. You might prove me wrong yet, lil'–" The sound of the school's bell cut through the still air of the lunchroom, signaling the release of all the students. "Ah, so it be time fo' you to go now." "Well, yeah..." I gave him a big hug, which seemed to surprise him. "And remember, I made a promise!" "Be sure you keep it, lil' filly," he whispered, releasing me from the hug, "Be sure you do." "Of course!" I started trotting out of the room – I had a train to catch after all – but I stopped, just before going through the door, to look back at Sugar Cookie and give him one more smile before I left. I clutched my new diploma and stepped out through the school's ornate front gates, glad to have seen the last of it. The crowd of students clogged the roadway, each of them struggling to get through on their way home or trying to force their way to the many parents who had come to pick them up. I braced myself for my own push through the crowd, secure in my knowledge that I could do it on my own – without anypony's help. My eyes were drawn to a flash of rainbow mane in the crowd... It couldn't be... but there she was, Rainbow Dash, hovering just above the crowd and looking at me with a big grin on her face. Just below her, I could spot Cheerilee and the tops of two manes that looked suspiciously like Sweetie Belle's and Apple Bloom's. They all came to see me? I rushed over towards them, shoving my way through the dense crowd and struggling to get through. Seeing them again suddenly seemed like the most important thing in the world. Before I could make it, though, ponies all around me started bowing. What was up with that? I looked all around and finally found the source of the commotion. Princess Celestia strode through the prostrate crowd, with Twilight Sparkle at her side... heading directly towards me! I would have bowed myself. I should have. But I just couldn't move. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. Even as the two princesses stepped right up in front of me, I just stood there, gaping at them like an idiot. When Princess Celestia finally stopped in front of me, she didn't address the crowd and she didn't speak to me. She called out in a loud and clear voice, "Sugar Cookie, could you come forward please?" My jaw dropped. What? Why would Princess Celestia of all ponies be calling for a kitchen helper? Almost instantly – as if he had been waiting for this to happen – Cookie came trotting out through the school's gate. "Princess," he said, calmly dipping down for a perfunctory bow. Finally, I found my voice, at least enough to utter a "Huh? What's going on?" Cookie beamed his biggest grin at me. "I's sorry, lil' filly. Dis mus' be confusin' for ya. A few day back, I done got a visitor when I went home after workin' the kitchens." "I recruited him to be my spy within the school," Celestia cut in with a soft but overwhelming voice. "When Twilight Sparkle received your letter, she didn't only send messages to you and the Headmaster." She smiled at the other alicorn beside her. "She sent a letter to me as well, and I took steps to verify and resolve these problems... starting with Sugar Cookie here." She nodded to the rotund cook, and he made his way to her side. "As soon as he delivers his report, I will know enough about the problems in my school to be able to step in and rectify them." "Don' you worry, lil' filly. When C'lestia finds out, justice is gonna be served. I promise ya dat! I's gonna make sho she know everythin'." My eyes stayed wide, but a grin grew on my face, and a gasp that was almost laughter escaped from my mouth. All the ponies who had made my life miserable for the past week were going to be held accountable for it? I could hardly believe it. "I just wish I could have intervened sooner, Scootaloo." Celestia glanced away. "I know from Twilight's letter, you must have had a traumatic time here. I instructed Sugar Cookie to help as much as he could, and hopefully that at least granted you some measure of comfort... But I couldn't intervene directly until I had learned the full extent of the school's problems." She glanced at the school with a narrowed eye. "Such problems have a habit of disappearing just as I come in and returning as soon as I leave." "Th– thank you, Princess!" I still couldn't believe that Princess Celestia herself was taking action on my behalf. "I... I just don't know what to–" "Thank you Scootaloo." The Princess gave me one of her slight little smiles. "Without you and your very unique special talent, the problems festering in this school might never have come to light. Now that I know, I can take action and once again make this the school it was meant to be." She glanced over at Cookie. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I'm eager to hear Sugar Cookie's report. I have a feeling I'll be making some significant staff changes here. If you ever need my help, Scootaloo, I'm always just a letter away." As the two walked off together, Cookie turned and called over his shoulder, "An' I still 'spect ya to keep your promise, lil' filly!" "I will!" I shouted back. Quietly, I added to myself, "I will." As Princess Celestia disappeared into the school and the crowd of ponies around me returned to their ordinary lives, I was swept up in an enormous group hug. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hit me first, with Rainbow Dash and Cheerilee following soon after. Even Twilight Sparkle joined in. Sitting there with all my closest friends squeezed up against me and with my true special talent finally discovered, I realized I'd never been as well-off as I was now... I had a future – a future of fighting for the equality of all ponies... And with my friends at my side, I finally felt ready for it. The End <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Endure author: WaferThin tags: character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Sad, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Endure === Ending. Everything was ending. Twilight Sparkle had never considered the end. Not like this, at least. Certainly, like all ponies, she had thought about her own end; when the inevitability of death is that closely tied to your own existence, it's not something you can easily ignore. Like most others, she had come to terms with her mortality, with the knowledge that she would fade… she would end. The end of everything, though, was a different matter. It was incomprehensible. It was like the concept of infinity; the knowledge of it was commonplace and accepted, but rarely considered. It was something so vast and so distant, and so it was put aside in favour of smaller, closer issues, the troubles that could be understood more readily. Right up until the day Twilight saw the end. It was a night like any other; Luna's night sky looked as spectacular as ever, and Twilight—along with many others across the land, who had joined in a resurgence of interest in astronomy since the Princess' return—was ready to admire its wonder. She set herself for yet another sleepless night before the eternal and endless universe above her. Her life was shattered by what she saw through that telescope. There, between constellations long known, was a new pinprick of light. A curiosity, she supposed; a passing phenomena, nothing more. Right until she took a closer look. What she saw was little more than a rock, floating through space—but she knew this was something different, something more. Her heart told her what this truly was; a speeding ball of destruction, hurtling towards Equestria, barely a year away by her estimations. If she was right, it would bring an end to everything she had ever seen, ever heard, ever known. There was a flurry of activity in the library over the following days. Twilight was ever the pragmatist; she couldn't act on only a feeling, after all. Textbooks had to be checked, to see if this was just a regular celestial occurence, and therefore nothing to worry about. Her findings had to be ratified by some of the most knowledgeable minds in Equestria, too. Finally, though, there could be no doubt. This would be Equestria's doom. Obviously, she had taken her findings to Princess Celestia the moment that she was sure. Her mentor, Twilight had reasoned, would undoubtedly be able to stop this. She and her sister held sway over the skies, over both day and night. They controlled the heavens themselves, and so would be able to avert this coming cataclysm. They couldn't. It was explained to her, of course; the cosmic alicorns were bound to their respective heavenly bodies, and though they held enormous power, they couldn't apply their magic so freely to other situations—such acts could destroy worlds. They were so very limited, they told her; surely Twilight remembered the changeling invasion, when Celestia had been rendered useless against the queen? They knew she did. She remembered everything. Regardless, the truth broke her heart. Her mentor, her ruler, the bedrock of a lifetime… in all her wisdom, glory and power, not even she could stop this. What of the Elements of Harmony? Surely they could prevent this catastrophe, she had pleaded—they had proven themselves before, stopped rampant alicorns and the god of chaos, so surely they could be used to protect Equestria again? No. Of course not. The Elements, too, were restricted—they came to be to keep ponydom together, to unite and strengthen the bonds between the pony tribes, and preserve harmony. They could not stop the coming fire. They could do nothing to stop the end. By this time, word had begun to trickle through the world. The experts Twilight had consulted were so shaken by her discovery that they could not keep it to themselves, knowing what was nearly upon them. The rumours spread, and the ponies began to fear. As such, Twilight Sparkle was called upon by all who could find reason to request her advice, sure in the knowledge that the most powerful unicorn of their time, and the chosen student of the Princess herself, would be able to lay their fears to rest. She spoke to war councils and planning committees, builders and governors, ambassadors and representatives of all creatures of the world. Each time, the questions were the same; is this the truth? How long do we have? And, ultimately, the moment she dreaded the most: what can we do to stop it? That was the hardest part. No matter how often Twilight repeated it, and regardless of the Princess' many public speeches, it was still an impossibility to most. The very idea of the end of everything was so unfathomable that they still believed there would be a way out, a way to save their world. There wasn't. Slowly, they all learned that this truly was unstoppable. Equestria took the news hard. Panic gripped the world as creatures everywhere came to realise that everything they had worked for… everything that they had built, and that had been built before their time… all of it would end. From the most wondrous city to the smallest of memories, the most hardy of landmarks to the most temporary and fleeting of lives... it had all been for nothing. Their land would be cleansed with fire until no trace remained of their lives, the moments and places that they remembered so fondly. For a time, there was chaos. The ponies of Equestria went mad in their fear, ceasing to think and running amock. They stole, they smashed... there were even whispers of ponies who, in their darkest hours, harmed each other. In their grief, they would have destroyed themselves, had the Princesses not been forced to intervene. With the Royal Guards patrolling the country for the good of the very ponies they cowed into peace, there could be no further unrest. The asteroid had an official designation. It had been labelled Sigma TS-6 by the academic bodies of the world. The ponies of Equestria gave it another name, though. Perhaps it came out of a sense of poetry, or irony, or even a misplaced desire for vengeance, no matter how small. They called it Twilight's Herald. That was what it became; the herald of Equestria's twilight. With Celestia and Luna doing their utmost to keep peace, ponies could panic no more. Instead the nation simply stopped; knowing as they did that no matter what they acheived, it would all end so very soon, ponies saw no need to continue. The news spread beyond Equestria's borders, too, and races and species everywhere wept. There was further madness, the other races succumbing to the same grief-stricken insanity that very nearly took the heart of Eqeustria. Some acted with disbelief, decrying it as a pony trick. Others tried to salvage what they could of their civilisations, digging deep into the ground and hiding in the dark, hoping to outlast the coming storm. The Princesses did what they could, but they were having such trouble maintaining order within their own borders that they could do nothing to truly help those trapped beyond, where the madness roamed freely. In the final days, Equestria became a beacon, a refuge from the destruction that had come before the true end. Even enemies of the state sought the protection of ponykind, and all were welcomed as equals. Unity was all that these races had left, so they clung to it desperately. Twilight, meanwhile, had heralded the end of the world, and her own world very nearly ended. The very naming of Equestria's doom was like the twist of a knife to her; each time she heard it, she couldn't help but hear the accusations and blame that she imagined came with it. Her very name—which had once stood as a word of strength, of hope, and of the light that fought against darkness— became a sign of the end times... and it burned her inside. Only the strength of her friends, her cherished and loved ones, kept it from crumbling as the world around her did. Even at the end of all things, she was reminded that her friendships had withstood so much, and would even withstand this cleansing of the land. And so she stood. She watched the world end. She watched, alongside her friends, her family and her mentor, as Twilight's Herald destroyed everything. She saw mighty cities, small towns, the strain and toil of thousands of years… all of it was obliterated in the blink of an eye. She watched the world end. She turned from the devastation and leaned into the warm, loving and everlasting embrace of her mentor. "All of it," she muttered into the pure white fur as it dried her tears. "It's all gone." She felt a pressure on her head as the alicorn rested her own atop it, and felt as much as heard the reply as it vibrated through her body. "All things must end one day," came Celestia's soft voice, heavy with sadness. "But some may yet endure a little while longer." Twilight leaned out of Celestia's hold, raising her teary eyes to meet her mentor's clear ones. "All things end, my little pony," the ancient mare continued grimly, her eyes filled with the weariness of the eons. "I have seen so many endings in my time here." Her voice dropped, barely a whisper. "Even I shall end, one day." Celestia looked away. She looked at her world as it burned to nothing, watching the land she had ruled over and kept safe for thouands of years as it crumbled into ash. For a moment, she was silent. "Until that day," she continued finally, turning back to her student with a small smile, tinged with a tired grief, "I shall do as I have done for millennia, and as Equestria shall continue to do." She nodded to an area behind Twilight, and the smile grew slightly. Twilight twisted slowly around to face the encampments behind her. Though segmented, there were representatives of every inhabitant of the ravaged world that hung in the void above her. Off to her right, a flock of griffons, somehow remaining aloof and proud despite the circumstances, ignored the devastation in preference of discussing trade routes through the new world with representatives of the minotaur clans. To her left, she watched as the kingdom of dragons came together as one, singing their gruff melodies, their odes to the memory of their destroyed homeland. She winced as, even from such distance, she could hear the disharmonious voice of her beloved assistant, as he joined with his people, learning the history that had come so close to being lost. Behind them, in the distance, rose a great black oval—a hive containing thousands of changelings in a hibernation state. It soared upwards, its tip stretching almost to the dark blue energy shield that Luna had constructed as an artificial atmosphere, high above their heads. Directly in front of her was the seemingly-endless sea of tents that made up the pony camp. Thousands, like her, were watching the apocalypse, watching as their world died. Thousands more had turned away in despair, unable to see their lives destroyed so utterly. Finally, she saw five ponies, barely out of earshot, and they saw her. They had shared so much together, and not even the end of everything could erase the love she felt for each of them. As they caught her gaze, she was reminded of all the times they had helped her, and she had helped him. She knew that those times would last with her forever, regardless of what happened to the places they had happened in. She watched as they smiled—even now, they were so ready to support her—and saw them start slowly walking towards her. She saw all this, and much more. The entire surface of the moon was covered in similar encampments. The lunar body had become an ark, a safe haven from the end of the world. In the last days of Equestria, the idea had formed; Celestia had once told Twilight of the spell used to banish her corrupted sister to the moon. It had been a simple teleportation spell, combined with the power of Harmony, that had created this exile; surely then, a more temporary application of the spell could be used now, in this desperate hour of need? And so it was that the moon became a shelter, the population transported there, to wait until the crisis passed, and the healing of the world through a combined magical application could begin. Every pony and every refugee of Equestria had been brought, along with as many others who could be convinced to come. Celestia and Luna had saved every creature they could, and every civilisation that was willing to be teleported into space to avoid the devastation was there, sheltered from the storm. Eventually, they would return to the desecrated planet. It would take an enormous combined effort... years of toil, of pain and of stress... but they would rebuild. Together, the creatures of the world would make it anew. It would never be the same, but it would still be their home. Twilight's Stratagem, they had called it. The last hope for the survival of Equestria. The final light in the darkness. She turned back to Celestia, the same sadness-tinged smile the goddess had shown her now gracing her own lips. She leaned back against her mentor, and felt the comforting weight of a wing as it was draped protectively around her. A moment later, she felt hooves clenching around her, drawing her into a group embrace with the five ponies whom she loved most dearly. "Endure," Twilight Sparkle whispered. "We will endure." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: A Night with Lyra author: Zaki tags: character:Lyra, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== A Quiet Friday Night === Lyra Heartstrings sat in front of her computer, staring blankly at the screens she was perusing. Another episode of Two Best Friends Play, uninspired reposts from Tumblr, more arguing on the internet between two ponies who both came off as idiots, another day. With a sigh, she opened her email and browsed to see if anything needed to be sent to the spam folder. Spying several offenders, she sent them to the electronic purgatory of the internet. Sometimes this was the highlight of her day and Lyra liked to pretend she was some kind of goddess who smote the sinful. It sadly was over too soon. As the unicorn leaned back and glanced at the clock, it only read about 5: 20. Much too early for bed and Bon-Bon was out in Canterlot for a few days so she had the house to herself. It was strangely quiet and she had resigned herself to a quiet weekend. She pulled up Wikipedia and began absent-mindedly reading a random article just to cure her boredom. One article lead to another and eventually Lyra found herself reading a hypothesis on unicorns being able to swap bodies by combining magic. She shook her head and blinked, feeling her eyes itch. Rubbing at them slowly, she pushed herself away from the screen and headed to the kitchen to get a drink of water. She glanced at her game system that was tucked underneath the television. Setting her glass aside, Lyra picked up a case and eyed the shadowy silhouette on the cover, the equine figure cast in shadow. After a few moments of deliberating, she decided against playing Dark Souls again. Bon-Bon hadn't appreciated her last outburst of rage and torrent of obscenities being hurled at the game and had given her a disapproving stare. While her friend wasn't there, Lyra still felt guilty about almost breaking the glass table when she kicked it during the rage quitting. With a quick glance at the cover again, she replaced the case on its shelf before picking up her glass of water and returning to her room with it. A small chirp from her speakers told her that there was somepony who wished to speak with her. Opening the blinking window, Lyra was unsurprised to see Vinyl had messaged her. Reading her response, she quickly began typing. [5:28:41 PM] V.Scratch: Hey what's up? [5:28:52 PM] Lyra: Not much. Mostly just browsing the internet. [5:29:02 PM] Lyra: Kind of bored really. [5:30:25 PM] V. Scratch: Sorry. If I weren't in Manehatten, I'd pick you up and take you somewhere fun. [5:30:36 PM] V. Scratch: BRB PIZZA'S HERE [5:30:42 PM] Lyra: Don't you have to work tonight?? [5:31:21 PM] V. Scratch: Nope, took the night off to surprise Octavia when she gets back from her concert. [5:32:45 PM] Lyra: What kind of pizza did you get? [5:33:15 PM] V. Scratch: Extra cheeeeeese <3 [5:33: 18 PM] Lyra: Nice. [5:34:07 PM] V. Scratch: Oh dammit, I forgot to put the clothes in the washing machine. I'll brb. [5:34:12 PM] Lyra: Ok, I'll just be looking at videos. Lyra minimized her chat window and restarted her cycle of across the internet, playing some music in the background. Same videos, a cute cat picture, etc. As she continued her search, the unicorn remembered the comic she hadn't checked on in a few weeks and excitedly typed up the address. Just as she reached the page and began reading it earnestly, her minimized window chirped and Lyra opened it up with a hint of bitterness. She began responding, trying to keep her slight frustration away from her conversation. [5:37:16 PM] V. Scratch: Sorry bout that. [5:37:23 PM} Lyra: Eh its fine. You weren't gone that long. [5:38:30: PM] V. Scratch: So you want to talk more about the project? I know we've both been busy lately but maybe now is a good time to talk about it? Lyra sighed and rubbed her temples, trying to stave off a headache before replying. [5:39:12 PM] Lyra: Vinyl, I'll be there in less than two weeks. I'm sure there will be plenty of time to work on it then, ok? It's a Friday night and I just want to relax. [5:40:23 PM] V. Scratch: okay. I'll just eat my pizza then. [5:41:15 PM] Lyra: Alright. Minimizing the window, Lyra returned to her comic and began reading it eagerly. It had long since gone downhill in the storytelling relying too much on flashbacks and extremely large pictures of the battle ensuing but she read it still out of habit. After a scant 15 pages, the chapter ended and she felt herself frown. Shaking her head in confusion, she turned back to her chat with Vinyl and began typing out something before changing her mind and closing it once more. Lyra decided to check the fanfiction stories other ponies had written. She looked at the triple digit number of chapters she had left to read and she sighed, not wanting to force herself to read. Still, it was over two hundred chapters… Maybe it was a good idea to pick her favorite one and read some… She quickly chose one at random and began to read, sipping her drink as she did so. Scrolling slowly down the popular fan-pairing fic, she could almost hear them speaking and just as one of the characters leaned in to kiss the other… Her Skype chirped. With a barely contained growl of rage, she switched back to the chat and was about to snap at Vinyl when she realized it wasn't her. Scrolling through her contacts, she clicked on the glowing name and took a deep breath to calm herself before responding. [5:54:26 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Hey Lyra. [5:54:31 PM] Lyra: Hey, Ditzy. How are you doing? [5:55:20 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: I just got home from work. [5:56: 33 PM] Lyra: Long day? [5:58:43 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Yeah… [5:59:41 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Today was the last day of the month and everypony had things to ship. So now my back and legs hurt. [6:00:12 PM] Lyra: Oh, I'm sorry Ditzy. Are you okay? [6:01:21 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Yeah, I'll be okay. I'm just going to get some dinner and then lay in bed with my computer to look at puppies. [6:01:35 PM] Lyra: Well, if you want to talk, I'm here. [6:02:23 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Thanks. Lyra returned to her fanfiction and after a few more minutes, successfully finished it without any interruptions. She got up again to get a snack and heard her computer chirp, but she decided it could wait until she got back. After pouring popcorn into her hot-air popcorn machine, she bounced back to her room simply because she could. Seating at her comfortable chair, she popped open the window and read the message. [6:04:31 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Thanks for being my friend, Lyra. [6:04:42 PM] Lyra: Aw, you're welcome. Thanks for being my friend too. Lyra waited a few minutes for a reply but there wasn't even a notification of her typing so she decided to draw for a bit. Plugging her tablet into her computer, Lyra lifted her pen and began scribbling to test out the cursor. As she sketched and hummed to herself, Lyra slowly became more and more frustrated with her drawing before she closed the program angrily. She looked at her open fan-fiction tab and decided to check for any new views on her story. Thirty seconds later, she felt discouraged by all the porn that was in the featured box. One of her favorite fanfics was inspired off a certain game and had the mature tag so she needed it on in order to see updates. She felt bad that a lot of talented writers she read from never ended up getting up on the featured box. Opening a new document, Lyra began typing quickly: Sometimes, we try really hard to do something meaningful and then there are those who manage to barely try yet accomplish whatever they set out to do. While I understand life is rarely, if ever, fair and that it is hopelessly naïve to wish for such a thing, I find it sad that so many have such a desire for fame or recognition that once they find somepony in a position of being noticed, they try to strive to recreate it or end up being inspired and then end up losing interest so quickly. Why is that everypony tries so hard? What's the point in trying so hard to get attention? Are our lives so empty and meaningless that we seek out attention from complete strangers when we should only worry about whether we are happy with ourselves? When we seek out something so hard, it tries so much harder to evade our grasp. I remember a saying I heard as a foal: happiness is like a butterfly. Difficult to capture but when you turn your attention upon other matters, it may come and land upon your shoulder. Perhaps we should focus more on what makes us happy. If nopony likes our story or us, who cares? So long as the ones I love care to be around me, I don't need the approval of anypony else. She glanced at the chat window with Ditzy and smiled. I just need my friends and my family to be truly happy. Everything else will come naturally. Lyra saved her journal closed it with a yawn. She glanced at her clock. 6:27 PM. She quickly typed up to Vinyl. [6:27:36 PM] Lyra: Hey Vinyl? [6:27: 45 PM] V.Scratch: Yo? [6:28:11 PM] Lyra: Feel like working on the project for a bit? [6:28:30 PM] V.Scratch: Sure, let me just grab my microphone so we can start brainstorming ideas? [6:28:47 PM] Lyra: Good idea. As she waited for Vinyl, she typed up a message to Ditzy. [6:28:53 PM] Lyra: You still awake, Ditzy? [6:29:23 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Getting ready for bed. [6:30:31 PM] Ditzy the Muffin Mare: Want to bake tomorrow? [6:30:43 PM] Lyra: You got it! Leaning back in her chair, she briefly reflected on how lucky she was. She had great friends, a wonderful marefriend, a roof over her head and food in the fridge. It could be worse. It could always be much worse. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Even Dragons Have Growing Pains author: Zaighster tags: character:Rarity, character:Spike, character:Starlight Glimmer, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Chapter 1 === Spike placed the final dish onto the stack in the cupboard and closed the door. That's the dishes done. Satisfied that his chores were complete, he exited the kitchen and headed towards the library. Without erring, he made his way to the library, expecting Twilight to be there. Sure enough, he found her there practicing her magic with Starlight Glimmer. "I've done the dishes Twilight." "Thanks Spike." "Do you need any help there?" "No. It's okay. Starlight and I have it covered." "Right." Disappointed, Spike turned to move away. "Actually, Spike?" "Yes?", he turned back brightly. "Can you fetch one of the big mirrors from the basement?" Spike sighed. "Sure." Fifteen minutes later, a grunting and sweating Spike re-entered the library carrying a mirror three times bigger than himself. He placed it on the floor and wiped his brow. "There you go. One mirror." "Thanks Spike. I can always rely on my number one assistant." "Yeah... " Spike muttered to himself. "Is everything okay?" "Huh?... Ahh... Everything's fine... Umm... If there's nothing more, I'll go and visit Rarity." "Sure! But clean yourself up first. You wouldn't want to show up there all sweaty and smelly." "Right." Spike ran off down the hall. Starlight turned towards Twilight. "Is it just me, or is Spike spending more time with Rarity than usual?" "Well, things have been slow lately. Say, when we're finished here, can you help me with some scheduling? That friendship problem yesterday caused me to get behind." "Sure thing." Spike made his way to the Carousel Boutique, taking advantage of every shortcut he knew. So, in no time he was knocking on the front door. "Come in!" A sing-song voice emanated from inside. Spike opened the door and entered to be met with the beautiful visage of the unicorn, Rarity. "Oh Spike! You don't have to knock. Dear friends such as yourself are welcome here anytime. So what do I owe this pleasure?" "Is there anything I can help you with?" "There is always something you can help me with. I am currently working on a commission for uniforms for the new restaurant opening, and I can use your help to keep the material organized." "Restaurant uniforms?" "Why yes. The establishment wants to experiment with a new look. It may not be be quite as glamorous as Sapphire Shores, but I saw an interesting challenge, and took the job." "Nothing too big or too small for one of your talents." "Ooo, Spike! You are so kind... Mmmm.... I was thinking that after, we could go gathering gems. If Twilight doesn't need you, that is." "Nah! She's fine." "Lovely. Let's get started shall we?" A few days later, Spike was moving a mop from one side of the corridor to the other in long, practiced sweeps. He had been working for the past hour and had a good rhythm going. Looks like 'll be setting a new record. He thought. At that moment, he was interrupted by Twilight walking past. "Hi Twilight!" "Huh? ... Oh, hi Spike," she responded. "Say, have you seen Starlight? I need to ask her something." "I think she's out flying her kites." Spike mused. "Are you alright? You seem distracted. Anything I can help you with?" He asked, hopefully. "No, it's okay. I'll talk to her when she gets back." Twilight noticed Spike's work. "I wouldn't want to cramp your style." Spike sighed as Twilight walked away. Suddenly, breaking his record lost its appeal. Later that night, Spike lay awake in his bed, thinking about how things had changed. He used to love being Twilight's assistant. Helping her with her studies and duties was something he found rewarding. Lately, however, Twilight had been spending most of her time with Starlight. It made sense. Starlight was a pony, a female, an adult, and a fellow spell caster. It was natural for them to gravitate to one another. But that meant that Spike was no longer filling the role he once did. His work now was limited to cleaning and carrying. He felt that had become number two in Twilight's life, and it made him depressed. He got out of bed and left his room. At this time of night, Twilight would be reading in the small study she favored for personal time. He was feeling lonely and was hoping to could spend some time with her. As he approached, he could hear voices coming out of the study. Starlight and Twilight were talking together, laughing over something Spike couldn't make out. He thought about joining them, but wasn't in the mood to be with someone he was beginning to see as a rival. He wondered what Rarity was doing. It wasn't too late, so she could be still up. Desperate for company, he decided to make his way to her home. Spike knocked on the front door of the Carousel Boutique. "Rarity?" He tried it and found that it was open. He went inside and found himself in a dark room. "Rarity?" Looking up, he saw a light coming from up the stairs. Relieved that she was awake, he started climbing them. As he reached the top, the light went out and he stopped. A part of him told him he should go home. But, driven by a desire for companionship, and a deeper, less acknowledged urge, he kept going. "Rarity?" He opened the door to Rarity's room. "Umm... Sweetie? Is that you? Can it wait until morning? I'm trying to get to sleep." "It's me, Spike." Rarity shot up out of bed, and took off her sleeping mask. "SPIKE!?" She exclaimed. Then she lowered her voice to a sharp whisper. "What are you doing here!?" "Ahh.. " "You can't be here!" "You- you said that I could visit-" "Not in the middle of the night! This is highly inappropriate. What were you thinking?" "Rarity? Is everything okay?" A voice came from down the hall. Rarity opened the door a crack to find Sweetie Belle standing in the hallway, a look of concern on her face. "Everything's fine Sweetie darling. Just a nightmare. Go back to bed." She closed the door and looked back at Spike. "You have to leave. Now!", she whispered. "I-" "Not another word. No, not that way", she started when Spike moved towards the door. "Sweetie Belle will see you." She picked him up with her magic and took him to the window. She opened it and lowered Spike to the ground. "Go! quickly! Before anypony sees you." She shut the window and drew the curtains. She was breathing hard as she climbed back into bed. I'm going to need to set some boundaries on what is and isn't permissible. She struggled to get to sleep. As luck would have it, Spike was seen. And by the next morning, it was all over Ponyville. As Rarity walked through the town on her way to the Castle of Friendship, she noticed that something was amiss. Everypony was talking in hushed tones, and fell silent whenever she drew near. Enough of a gossiper herself, she knew what that meant. And it didn't take a mind reader to guess what they were gossiping about. "What is it? What are you all talking bout? If there is something, have the courage to say it to my face." She challenged. One of the ponies stepped forward. "What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Spike?" "Spike? Whatever do you mean?" "A young boy visiting a grown mare?" "We're friends. He helps me with my work." "Late at night? Through your bedroom window?". A pony snickered in the background. She heard the word "busted" muttered in a low voice. "There is nothing untoward between us, if that is what you are insinuating. How could you possibly think of such a thing." But from the looks on the other ponies' faces, Rarity could see that not only did they think it. Many of them appeared to believe it. "I would never..." She turned around, and walked away with as much dignity as she could muster. Once she was out of the vicinity of her accusers, she galloped as fast as she could to the Castle. As soon as she arrived, she started pounding on the door. "SPIKE! TWILIGHT!" She shouted. After several minutes, the door opened and a very annoyed Twilight poked her head out. "Rarity! What are you doing?" Without answering, Rarity brushed past and went straight to the map room. Twilight hurried to keep up. "Rarity! What's going on? Why were you pounding on my door?" "Something terrible has happened." "What has happened?" This better not be one of your dramas "Spike came to my house last night. He came into my room while I was trying to get to sleep!" "WHAT!?" Twilight moved to the door "SPIKE! ... SPIKE! YOU GET DOWN HERE MISTER!" "What was he doing at your house late at night?" "I told him he was welcome anytime. I didn't think that he would take that to mean literally any time." Twilight put a hoof to her forehead. Spike! You've really done it this time! "SPIIIIIKE!" "What's going on?" Starlight Glimmer put her head around through the door. "What's all the yelling about?" They quickly filled her in on the details. "Wow! I knew he had a thing for you. But I didn't think he would do something like that!" "Neither did I. But that's not the worst of it." "What do you mean?" "In my haste, I made him leave by the window. He was seen leaving, and now everypony's talking. Some are saying that I am ... having relations with him!" "What!?" Twilight and Starlight both exclaimed together. "You don't think he was trying to...?" "I don't even want to imagine what he was thinking." Rarity stated pacing. "This could ruin me! A mare of my stature cannot afford to have this kind of scandal." Rarity wasn't the only one in trouble, Twilight realized. As Spike's guardian, this would reflect badly on her. Celestia could decide to take him away from her. The thought chilled her to the bone. "This is all my fault!". Rarity stopped pacing and lowered her head to the floor. Her ears drooped as she chastised herself. "I should have said something about his feelings a long time ago. Instead I let it go on, gave him liberties, and perhaps even encouraged him." Twilight's ears also drooped as she realized that she herself was not blameless. She should have intervened, particularly after he acquired that plushie doll resembling Rarity. She still didn't know where he got it. Any remaining anger drained away. Starlight walked over and put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Who would have thought it would go this far? And Spike can be so mature at times, its hard to remember he's still a child." Rarity nodded. "I suppose I should go and have a talk with him. Oh, it's going to crush his little heart." The three of them walked up to the upper levels of the castle. It felt like a procession of guards fetching a condemned prisoner. They stopped outside of Spike's room and Twilight knocked on his door. "Spike? Are you there? Rarity is here. We're not angry, but she needs to talk to you." There was no answer. Rarity opened the door a little and looked inside. "Spike?" Spike was lying in his cot, facing away from the door. He didn't move. Rarity closed the door and walked over to the cot. "I want to apologize for being so curt with you. You simply scared me. You know its not polite to enter a lady's room without permission." Spike still didn't move. "Spike. Can you please look at me." Spike slowly turned around and got to his feet. He reluctantly lifted his gaze to her, fidgeting with his claws. She knelt down to be at the same eye level as her friend. "I know how you feel about me, Spike. And I am very, very flattered. But you must understand that I don't feel the same way about you." "But-" Rarity place a hoof over Spike's mouth. "Please Spike. Don't make this harder than it needs to be. I do consider you a dear friend, and I enjoy your company. But we cannot be together they way you want us to be. I'm much too old for you. You do understand, do you?" Spike's shoulders slumped. He lowered his head and nodded slightly. "I'm sorry if I ever gave you the wrong impression. I should have said something sooner. But I am afraid that ponies are talking about us. What you did has put my career and reputation in jeopardy, and I cannot have that." She shuffled her hoof a little. "I think that, perhaps, for now, you shouldn't visit me at my house." Spike winced. "I'm sorry", he said in a very small voice. Rarity gently stroked Spike's cheek. "You're a very special dragon, and someday you will meet a nice lady dragon, or pony, who will love you and you'll love her. You'll see." She moved her hoof to Spike's chin. "Can I have a smile from my Spikey Wikey?" Spike smiled wanly. Rarity gave Spike a gentle hug, and held him for a minute. "I have to go." She released him and stood up, turned around, and left the room, closing the door behind her. "Well. It's done." she reported to the other two. "How did he take it?" Twilight responded. As if in answer, the sound of sobbing come out of Spike's room. "I'm guessing, not so good." Starlight observed. Twilight looked over to find Rarity being comforted by Starlight. It was hard on her to have to hurt her friend's feelings. She cared for Spike much like Twilight did. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "You gave him the plushie." Rarity confessed with a nod. "I thought it was cute. A gesture to repay the one he showed me." She was referring to the fire ruby that Spike has originally intended as a birthday present for himself, but gave to Rarity instead. "I thought he would eventually grow out of it, and it would end up on a shelf collecting dust. It was a foolish thing to do." "Why don't you take her to the kitchen." Twilight suggested to Starlight. "I'll stay here with Spike." Starlight nodded and lead Rarity away. Twilight turned back to Spike's bedroom door. She wasn't sure whether to go and comfort him, or give him his space. She eventually decided on the latter, but stayed where she was anyway. She thought about what Starlight had said about Spike's maturity. If he was a pony, Spike would have had more boundaries placed upon him. As it was, he was often left alone. He didn't go to school. He had a full time job. He associated almost exclusively with adults. He'd fought in battles. And for a brief moment, he was even the Lord of all dragons. At times, it was easy to forget that he was a child. After a while the sobbing died down, and Twilight decided it was time to go in. She opened the door. Spike was curled up in his cot, facing away again. Twilight slowly walked into his room. Amongst his collection of comic books, action figures and other possessions was a medal of bravery, awarded by Princess Celestia for helping to defeat a flock of cockatrices that had attacked Canterlot. Next to that was another medal honoring Spike for saving the Equestria Games. Next to that was a token given to him by Thorax, for his role in helping his people. If Spike hadn't befriended Thorax and then stood up for him, the changelings would never have reformed. So young, and yet he has accomplished so much. Twilight thought. "Spike?" Spike turned around. His face was all puffed up. "I'm so sorry Twilight. *sniff*, I didn't mean to hurt Rarity. *sob*" He started crying again. Twilight reached out and drew Spike to her chest. She cradled him in her forelegs until he settled down. "I know it hurts, but things will get better." "She doesn't want to be friends with me anymore." Twilight drew back a little and looked down at Spike. "Did she say that specifically?" "She said I can't come to her house anymore." "It's probably best for now, but Rarity still considers you a friend, and the two of you will still be able to do things together. But you must accept that the two of you are just friends." Spike nodded. "She says that ponies are talking about us. That it's hurting her reputation, because of me." "Well, I can't sugar coat it. What you did, did put her on the spot. Hey.. Hey.. It's okay.", Twilight comforted as she saw Spike tearing up again, "Rarity's tough. She'll handle it. It will all blow over eventually. As soon as somepony else does something silly, everypony will likely forget about it." She paused. "I know you didn't mean to do anything wrong, but why did you go to her house last night?" "I was lonely." "If you're lonely, you can come and see me. In fact, I've been missing you a bit lately." "You're always with Starlight nowadays. You don't need me anymore." Twilight opened her mouth. She was about to say "Don't be silly. You're my number one assistant." But she realized that Spike spoke the truth. She did rely more and more on Starlight to assist her, and turned to her when she needed somepony to talk to. She was spending less time with Spike, and his duties had become little more than menial chores. Spike continued. "I understand. She's good at magic, and she's a pony, and a grown-up. I ... I just felt lonely ... and jealous." Twilight tightened her hold on him, trying to think of what she could say. "Spike." She finally responded. "I don't care if you're my assistant or not. I love you for who you are, not what you do. Even if you do nothing at all, I will still love you and you will always have a place in my life and in my home. "Besides, you have other responsibilities now. You're an ambassador. That's way more important than being some assistant. And I'm sure Princess Celestia can give you more duties if you want." Ambassador. Another grown up task shouldered by this amazing little dragon. "You think so?" "I know so." She let go of him. "Why don't we both take the day off and go and do some kite flying, or something. Whatever you like. Just you and me, nopony else." "I'd like that." The two got to their feet and walked out. "Does this mean I no longer have to do the dishes?" "Not on your life." Several weeks later, Twilight passed by Spike's room, and noticed, though the open door, that the plushie given to him by Rarity had been placed upon the topmost shelf. She smiled and moved on. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Sandstallion author: Hydkore tags: genre:Comedy, genre:Dark, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life

=== Prologue === Sandstallion By: Hydkore Cover: Stalin The Stallion Editors: NATOstrike Pre-readers: ARBPW, Azu and darthrex Special thanks to Hawkysu   Let me tell you about a certain pony... A weak breeze swept over me as I trotted down my routine path on the streets. Occasionally, some ponies greeted me and I politely responded, though I knew beforehoof that not even half of the ponies knew my name and those who knew, didn't use it.                  Personally, this didn't bother me, seeing that I had moved into this town only about a month ago. True, somepony had held a 'surprise' party for me but by now I had become part of the general population. Too bad my job prevents much social contact. Not that it matters. Honestly, it doesn't! I couldn't be a happier stallion in this fine example of the Equestrian countryside. Of course, it just can't compare to Trottingham. Still... I dunno. Maybe I just miss the proper Trottingham breakfast. Oh, and let's not forget real hoofball, the monarch of sports! And how could I have forgotten about our dear Cadance? Haven't heard any 'rumours' about her misadventures in a long time. Cannot really say that the local paper is that much into anything else but- Wait... is there a point in this tangent of mine? "Oh well, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung..."         ~~~~~~~~ Who's awake, whenever we're sleeping... *Tick, tick, ti-, tick* "Isn't this a peculiar one..." "Can you fix it?" I rubbed my chin thoughtfully as my right eye examined the depths of the clockwork mechanisms of this mahogany box. Then, a certain loose cog caught my attention. "Aha!" I exclaimed. I took one of the toothpicks from the bottle next to the box. Carefully, I inserted the tiny stick inside, trying my best to avoid any further complications with the constant, delicate flow of movement. Thankfully, my hoofwork is of the utmost quality! *Tick, ti-, ti-, tick* Or not. "He he, seems like you're going to need to get this fixed in Canterlot, Big Mac." I laughed nervously and tucked the panel shut. "Eeyup," replied the crimson red stallion next to me. He didn't lay a gaze on me whilst he grabbed the string bound to the musical box and began to trot away slowly, the box swinging back and forth in his teeth. Me? I allowed my nervous laughter act to play out until I was absolutely sure he had gotten far away and clear from hearing my distressed breath. It felt sort of bad, not having been able to help out that fine lad get his music box fixed. Not to mention the fact that he also hadn't been the first one...   This was... wait! Blast, I've totally forgotten! Just some big number; above ten and less than hundred. Yet as all this went through my head in just a matter of seconds, I couldn't help but to be amused on my own reaction about something as simple as a two digit number. Oh well, I've seen worse Nightmares than this! It's an inside joke... And not even a tiny funny either, so never mind. "Mm, this egg's yummy!" ~~~~~~~~ The one that keeps watches over for our slumber... You could say that my current dwelling wasn't anything to bolster with, though the competition wasn't even slightly close to what it's like back at home. Last time I'd heard news, the nobles had started yet another 'Improve Our Elegant District' campaign, but at least my family... Lets just say that the Trottingham nobles love their huge manors, that outshine even the most elegant ones of Canterlot. Not to mention cities like Fillydelphia or Manehattan with their sky-high skyscrapers that block out the starry night sky. So my home wasn't anything fancy. No, it was just one cottage in a line with others; same timber-framed with distinct thatched roofs and overhanging upper floors everywhere one's eyes could look. Though there were a couple of advantages to mine: First, it was located near the largest hub of houses this town had. And second; it had a very large cellar. ~~~~~~~~ That who's ever so vigilant... "Okay, let's check again shall we?" I said as I eyed my reflection in the mirror. "Pajamas?" The red-black checkerboard blouse and pants felt warm against my coat. "Teeth cleaned?" My tongue ran against the white row, making it brightly shine. "Toilet session?" A flush echoed from the depths of the porcelain bowl. "And finally..." I took the small bottle from inside the medicine cabinet and dropped one purple pill down my throat. The effect was, like always, almost instant. I was barely able to get the bottle back to its place on the shelf and trot out of the bathroom directly connected to my bedroom. Ugh, how I hate this feeling! Yet, it's so... calming- Time froze.          The only thing I could see was the pillow near me along with the bed.          Then, everything went black. Utterly black... ~~~~~~~~ Without whom there wouldn't be any dreams... *Beep, Beep, Beep* "Oh for the love of..."  I rolled over onto my back, watching as the shadows upon the ceiling danced in otherwise dimly lit room.   For a while, I just lay there and followed them before in silence. Then I turned to look at the balcony door. A single strand of light shot through the glass panels, shining through my dark bedroom and breaking apart on the mirror. Grumpily, I stood up and headed directly into the bathroom. It didn't take me long to get out of the nasty sleep suit of mine, which I honestly only wore out of habit, and walk under the nozzle of the stall shower. Why does this need to happen every single night? Oh silly me, I'm talking to myself again. Seriously, I've got to lay off those psychology books. Without thinking, I turned the water valve as far as possible to cold. After a minute of loud screaming and swearing for Celestia's holy mercy, I exited the bathroom fully clean. But as I turned back to my bedroom, after having had my coat and mane dried of course, I noticed that the light from before had been dissolved and the shadows had ceased their dancing. My hooves slowly took me to the balcony door, only to make me wonder how I had missed the setting sun. I'd only been gone for a couple of minutes. Come to think of it, how many times have I actually watched the sun set? ...No, you fool, Trottingham doesn't count. I gazed out over the rest of this idyllic village through the glass for a while, imagining just how many ponies were about to turn over for this day. Soon all of the of the lights would shimmer until the next day began. Finally, my stare fell away from the town's lights and now back to the side table, where my alarm clock kept ticking. 11:47 And if it wasn't bad enough, I had less than a quarter of a hour left. My stomach grumbled loud and clear. "Looks like trash food it is then," I mumbled and headed out of the room. ~~~~~~~~ Yet few have seen the guardian itself... "There, that will be thirty bits," recounted the orange coated unicorn at the door, reading from the receipt floating just at her eye level. I gave her a couple notes, which seemed to totally amaze her "Wow,I haven't seen paper bits, like, ever!" she exclaimed while putting them away in a small satchel and walking off in a hurry, her courier hat almost falling off her bright yellow mane that... That mane... did it actually drip down her? All... cheesy, eww! I just closed the door and placed the three pizza cartons on top of my head, carefully balancing them. Slowly, I made my way past the meager living room, which only had a sofa that had been there since I'd moved in, and through the narrow corridor which led back inside the kitchen. "Aaa! By Celestia, these boxes are burning hot!" The three pizzas fell down to the kitchen table. I proceeded to open the top one. After having confirmed that it was indeed a 'Midnight Blue' variant, I took the knife from the side and cut it down to perfect slices. Next, I did same to the two other pizzas. Then, I threw all of the slices into the same carton tray to carry them around easier. After all, I'd hate go up and down every couple of minutes... As the two boxes fell into the kitchen bin, I took the kind of heavy one in my mouth and turned round back to the narrow corridor. From there, I moved to the right, where the corridor went on for a little before coming to a dead end. This would have been the place where normally, at least according to the real estate agent, the door to the back yard would be, but that wasn't the case here. Instead, there was a bulky hatch, which descended underground. ~~~~~~~~ But everypony knows that he's there somewhere, keeping an eye out for us... A single light bulb shone upon the top of the stairs, descending down and onwards to the endless depths of the basement. Actually, this wasn't completely true; the way to the bottom was quite a short one, but the shadows and the straightness of the stairs created an illusion of continuum. The only thing that filled the deafening silence was the lingering hoof steps I shakily took. The carton tray waved in my mouth while I attempted to function past the pressing sleep deficit, though it had been already some fifteen min- Oh horseapples... I quickened my pace , jumping two steps at once and nearing the bottom. It was actually a pretty careless thing to do, as one slice fell off from the tray and down to the steps, but I knew I couldn't be late, not even a minute or...          Well... I dunno. Then, the walls disappeared. Not that it was a bad thing or something that caught me off guard.  I've done it every night since having moved in. Although I later had needed couple bandages for the bruises. I stopped at the end of the steps, at the compact frame between the light and dark, before leering at the depths of the room ahead. "Ffflights pfease," I mumbled out. Instantly, a small source of light above came to life. ~~~~~~~~ He who looks that our dreams stay clean from horrors... The carton tray dropped down to the free space on top of the metal machine. Incidentally, I sat down on my chair and gave it a good spin round before finally turning to stare at the front. "Evening," I greeted out loud. A static hiss filled the air as the large monitor in the front went bright white in colour, some grey flickering or waving up and down in irregular pattern. But soon enough, the monitor settled and black text formed on the upper left corner. /Evening Doctor*/ A deep chuckle came from the deep in my lungs. "Can you give me tonight's statistics?"  /Please Stand By*/ Long rows of numbers and equations filled the screen from the bottom to the top, passing by at immense speed and making me feel a bit dizzy and sick whilst I leaned my back on the padding. /Current Stand In*/ /86.38 % Dreaming Or In A State Of Sleep*/ "Hmm, well isn't that an oddity?" I questioned while eagerly gulping down the pizza slice. /Do You Request For A Re-Check*/ "Nah, what's there to gain? If that's what your perimeters tell, then that's the fact," I responded, making a large check mark appear on the screen tagged with an affirmative ping sound. "So, has the bureau sent any new reports?" /Negative*/ /0 New Reports For The Past 30 Days*/ A sigh echoed around the room as I finished off my slice and reached out for another one. "Isn't this just odd?" /?/ "You know it's been... Never mind" /✓/ "Oh, that reminds me. 'It' happened once again today." The screen flickered for a bit, making me feel even sicker. /The Times Confused To Being A Watchmaker*/ /0017-----> 0018/ I grinned at the sight of my 'Indicator' doing the humour for me and actually not objecting a bit. "What would I do without you, my friend?" I joked while taking a sip from the half-full soda bottle that happened to lie on the side, probably remainders from the last night's shift, and taking a random book from the stack besides my office chair. /Error*/ /Cannot Comprehend*/ ~~~~~~~~ For centuries he has been alive... Defeating the Nightmares lurking for our dreams with his sparkling dust... So whenever you're afraid and cannot get a sleep... Close your eyes, whisper out his name and he'll come; no matter what. Tsk, tsk... Oh Whooves, you silly pony, pretending to act like everything is fine even when the reality is clear to everyone. He thinks he's so fine and so clever with his joyful act, but that's already starting to show signs of cracking. Dreams... something so simple, yet so magnificent. Every one of you know perfectly well know what I'm talking about. So in a sense, Whooves has a very important position in society, even if very few know about him . It's through the work of these ponies like him, that the land of Equestria became what it is today. And moreover, stays like that in future. But life has such an awful tendency to throw the cookie jar down on the floor... Who am I, you ask? Why, I'm the one who'll tell you this story. This story of a simple stallion, whose life is hidden out of plain sight. His only companion, the black words on the screen that come from a thing that isn't alive. Spending the few hours of light trotting down the streets of his town, his territory, apart from everypony else. Hardly a life of glory and fame, one could say... After all, this is his choice... Or is it? === Misjudgement === Sandstallion Misjudgement - Only trust your radar, and never your guts - From Sandstallion -manual "Hmm hmm hmm..." Whooves continued with his humming as his hooves continued to hit the wide dirt road beneath him. Other ponies, mostly earth ponies like him, did the same on this perfect spring afternoon, trotting past the many shop windows that presented their goods out. Many moved in pairs or small cliques, chatting about their daily lives and casually window shopping. Some worked, of course, like the one orange coated mare who sold apples at her stand. "Howdy! Care for some apples, pardner?" chirped the mare to the trotting Whooves, who turned to look at her. He gave a warming smile from hearing the silly sounding accent of hers. He knew his answer to this question immediately. "Sorry, but I'm in a hurry." Before the cowpony could respond, the chestnut stallion turned and calmly went off. Whooves heard a tiny huff, soon followed by louder shouts of an argument with somepony else over the price rate. But in all honesty, Whooves didn't hear much, as his mind fixed onto the one thing that needed to be done during today's limited time. After all, it's Friday and the start of the weekend. And By Celestia's glittering flank, I hate it! His eyes looked over his shoulder to check on the old grey saddlebag, making sure the couple of books sticking out from the top were still there. He turned back to see the street open up to a small park-looking area. Oh my, you silly head! We're here and I didn't even need the map at all. On the other side, from where he stood, was a peculiar tree-like building that rose up high above any nearby house - and from its appearance, probably much older than them, too. It had a real charm on its side, but sadly almost nopony besides Whooves visited it as often they ought to. Whooves stopped at the main door with the large candle painted on it, only to see it was already slightly ajar. Keeping quiet, he gently pushed it fully open and inched inside the the main hall of the town's library. "...and then the wolf snapped its mouth shut with a loud snap!" Now the chestnut stallion's attention focused onto the stairs, whence loud gasps erupted. "W-w-what h-happened then?" asked one of the frightened fillies in the large group that dominated the steps from top to bottom. But the old mare in middle of them smirked and calmly shook her head. "That you shall hear next time," she answered softly. She then closed the book on her lap and put it back onto the shelf next to her. "Aawww!" was the reaction from her young crowd, yet everypony smiled as they got up and descended down the steps, passing by Whooves who stood at the bottom of the stairs. Even the old mare giggled, though she stopped immediately when she noticed the stallion at the door. "Oh, back for some more, I see?" "Yes, ma'am," Whooves responded as he took the books from his saddlebag. The old mare unfurled her light pink wings and gliding down next to him. "Please dear," she said, still keeping her reading glasses over her forehead and on top of the short, fuzzy white mane. "Just call me Love Page like everypony else. There's no need for formalities." Her teal eyes looked down at the books Whooves gave to her. Her wings began to flap once more and she turned around, revealing her Cutie Mark of an open book with a red heart over it. Without hesitation, she placed the books back to their places and looked over her shoulder. "Now what do you want to read next?" Hmm, now that's a hard one. Whooves nervously rubbed the back of his head before answering, "Well, can you recommend anything else in the same category?" Love Page turned back to the shelf, her hoof running along the long lines until picking out one book. After throwing it down to the waiting stallion, who fumbled to catch it, she flew along the shelf to her left, passing by the two certain sections Whooves himself despised so much. Romance novels and cooking books. However, the old librarian knew better and stopped above a shelf marked 'Thrillers'. "Well," Love Page said, pulling out a book. "Pot Lance's "The Cultivation for Blue April" just came back from loan," She flew down beside the stallion and dropped the paperback book into his saddlebag, next to the book from earlier. "Excellent! I've always enjoyed a good thriller every once in a while," Whooves said as he took out the small card, which the old mare eagerly took and quickly wrote the dates. "Now that Lance book I need back by next Friday, but that other one you can bring back whenever you want." Odd... How com- Oh, why of course! "Heh, my taste is kind of a peculiar one," he nervously added and flung shut his saddlebag. Love Page could only look in amazement as the chestnut pony calmly walked out of the front door and waved goodbye to her - like every other Friday afternoon the past month. "Indeed, a very peculiar one... Oh my, time for the medicine!" ~~~~~~~~ Now what I should do for the rest of the day? Maybe a new tour over the rather unknown parts. Then again, I basically have wandered through every possible block there is. "Hmm hmm hmm..." Oh, then there's the park I haven't had a chance to explore; wonder how comfy the benches are and if the outdoor bands are rehearsing just yet. "Oh." His sapphire eyes narrowed down to thin lines, only leaving the tiny black dots on view.          A minute passed.          Then another. But on the third, the chestnut stallion turned his look down upon his hooves. "And where do you think you're leading me?" Of course, no answer came and so the pony sighed and returned back onto the street opening. It lead back into the largest concentration of houses in all of Ponyville - and surprisingly enough, onto the exact same street where he lived. Had I been anypony else, I'd be running around screaming about demonic possesion. However, I know the only demons running around are only in our- *Crash* His world came to a screeching halt as he dropped down stomach first, his current train of thought rudely coming to a screeching halt in the middle of its journey. His eyes rolled couple of full circles in their sockets until the dizziness left him. What the hay happ- Hey, I can't move! As he tried to get back up, he found it to be currently out of the question. He tried to squirm around as much as possible, hooves digging into the dirt beneath him, yet it was in vain. Calm down Whooves! Now think logically, what is holding you still? He turned to look behind onto his back where he felt something on top of him, uncomfortably rubbing against his saddlebag. Okay, now that's unexpected. On top of him lay a pegasus, a mare or a filly from the look of her smallish frame, and the sounds of quiet squeaky mumbling. Her wings curled down, revealing a grey body relatively small - even by his knowledge on anatomy - and her Cutie Mark. Kinda odd looking one indeed. Pegasi are usually more . . . colorful. "Uuhhh... My head..." the unknown grey pegasus groaned, her voice sounding chirpier than most voices Whooves had heard before. Almost childlike. "Umm, pardon me?" Her eyes slowly cracked open, revealing the yellow irises and- Gah! What peculiar pair of eyes! Suddenly, the mare inhaled deeply and quickly jumped off of the earth ponies's back. As he got up on all fours, Whooves saw the grey pegasus nervously rubbing her forehoof against the dirt under her while her eyes attempted to concentrate on him. "I... umm..." the mare stammered, red painted across her face. Whooves just brushed his mane clean from the dust and made sure his pack was okay. "I'm sor- *yawn* -ry "His eyes darted open and the sapphire ovals turned to stare at the open mouth of the drowsy pegasus. W-w-wait what! She's sleepy!? The odd pony shut her mouth and laughed timidly in response to Whooves's reaction. Yet she was soon suffering from an expression very similar to his. "Look, I'm really sorry!" the mare begged, obviously frightened. "I must have dozed off in mid-air and... Please, don't tell my boss, please!" The mare was starting to sob as she frantically kept turning around where she stood. Luckily for her, the Sandstallion had more important matters on his complex mind than a mere lawsuit, though his expression stayed the same. But that can only mean one thing! The stallion gently smiled. "Look, it's alright, really! Accidents happen all the time," he explained in timid tone, soothing the anxious mare as she had now begun openly crying. Her tears trickled down her face, and she meagerly lifted her gaze onto him. Whooves simply smiled. "It's OK." Tears no longer falling, and mood somewhat brightened, the grey pegasus returned a faint smile before trotting up beside Whooves.  His eyes followed hers. She quickly lifted up her brown saddlebag, which had a symbol of a letter that had two wings and a tiara on top of it. The pack read "R.E.M" in golden letters. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" the mare exclaimed while jumping around in joy and relief. But she was, however, interrupted by a loud grumble. Both of the ponies turned to look at the earth pony's stomach Oh blast it! I totally forgot dinner... And on that note, also breakfast! Silly me! "Heh, sorry," he said. The grey pegasus giggled and pointed her hoof down at his stomach. "Tell you what," she said, a smirk on her face. "How about I repay you with a lunch?" "Don't you have work to do?" "No, I'm actually off-duty now and I was just heading home. In fact, it's right there."         Whooves's eyes followed the grey hoof and his face immediately gleamed, making the pegasus look at him with confusion. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "Oh nothing!" the stallion responded and looked back at her. "Ah, onto the formalities, my name is Whooves," he said as he presented his hoof to the mare, who eagerly took it for a shake. "Nice to meet you Whooves. I'm Derpy." ~~~~~~~~ How is she able to do that? Whooves could only watch in curiosity, and with a little disgust, as his dinner partner quickly bit a large portion out of her hay sandwich and began to chew it, occasionally giving a glimpse inside her wide mouth. "Mmhh, tasty!" she exclaimed and small bits of the bread flew into the air. The waitress snorted in contempt and placed the other tray in front of Whooves before leaving for another table, leaving him to wonder that he wasn't the only one that depicted table manners as a standard. Well, at least in public that is. His attention soon turned onto the actual matter of why he had agreed upon this, besides of course the free food and possibly time killing activity. "So, Derpy, what's your work like? You deliver letters, am I right?" he politely inquired while breaking the fragile shell on his egg with his spoon. Derpy on the other side finished with the chewing and gulped down the brown mess in her mouth. "Pretty basic really; I just drop the letters into the boxes attached to the houses, but sometimes I need to also personally deliver small packages to ponies." "Now, don't be offended, but that sounds really boring," Whooves stated as he ate the innards of the egg. Derpy, on the other hoof, giggled in response. "Yeah, it can get pretty boring when you repeat that six days a week. But I get to meet ponies all day long, so it isn't that bad in the end." She then took another huge bite along with a healthy gulp from the glass of apple juice, while he himself had finished with his egg and now had taken hold of the steaming cup of tea. "But I must say that it has to be bad for your health, seeing that you fell a sleep in middle of flight. Don't you have unions to fight against bad work hours?" Derpy looked at him with one eye whilst the other was turned up. Soon, she burst into laughter and she fell down onto her back from the stool, her front hooves banging down onto the tile floor and making many heads inside the cafe turn towards their direction. Not... the sought after expression, to say the least.  Soon though, the grey mare inhaled deep couple of times and returned back to the seat with a smirk on her otherwise friendly face. "Heh, you're a funny pony, but a wrong pony. What happened wasn't caused by my work." Bingo! "Oh, you mean that something else has caused your crash?" the stallion continued on along with a surprised expression to back up his statement. Derpy yawned out loud like many times since the two bumped to each other, making his patience grow thinner and thinner. Come on; just spill the beans! Thinking of food, this tea's amazing! Have to ask from the waitress what sorta leaves they've used. "It's... kinda weird actually." Whooves sighed, not even needing to act it, and leaned over the table towards her. He looked to the sides, making sure nopony else was close enough to listen in, and coughed a bit, knowing what was likely going to happen after these next faithful words. Just remember the basic rules of persuasion. This mare should be a piece of cake, judging by her characteristics and personality. "Look, I know what happened to you so you can tell me." After those words, Derpy kept staring back onto him, now with both of her yellow eyes firmly locked on the sapphire counterparts. Her mouth had dropped the smirk, which he knew was going to happen. Taking her silence as a cue, he continued on, "I've once been in the same position as you." Now the mare gasped. "Really?" she whispered, and oddly both her wall eyes had focused onto him, as he nodded and smirked. "Yes dear. Exactly the same, so I know what you feel like." Then Whooves placed his hoof onto Derpy's own. "I want to help you, Lerpy." "Derpy." "Whatever," Whooves mumbled, and inside cursed heavily enough that it had to be against some old law, before quickly returning to soothing her. "But in order for me to help, I need to hear exactly what has caused it." But as he finished, the grey pegasus began to giggle. "Oh, sorry," Derpy started and tilted her head towards rest of the cafe. As Whooves gave a look, he saw that all activity inside had halted and everypony had their eyes locked on them. Some even held their food inches away from their mouth and by the counter the waitress had let her coffee pot overfill one customer's cup. "What?" the frustrated earth pony asked loudly to nopony in particular, and now everypony returned back to themselves, too ashamed to look at the shouting stallion. Derpy shrugged. "Guess they didn't think I'd ever have a stallion with me; especially a stallion that would put his hoof over mine." "How come?" he inquired after having turned his eyes back onto her. "Heh, well you see-" *Cling, cling* Whooves turned his attention almost reflexively at the source of the voice that seemed to have been the cafe door bell. But then, he saw how the waitress pony suddenly seemed to have struck into something, nearly dropping the round tray of hers. "Hey watch it!" the mare exclaimed and shook her hoof. Huh? And then he saw what had caused the near accident and his seriousness faded off a bit. Near the centre of the oval room, narrowly dodging between passing pony's hooves and tables, Whooves saw a little filly unicorn galloping in a haste, her pale purple coat covered in sweat. As she came closer, he could hear her heavy panting along with seeing her gleaming yellow eyes. Aww! what a cute filly! ...Hey hang on a second, she's- And just then, the little unicorn leaped into the air and crash landed onto the grey mare's neck. "Mom!" the little filly cried and wrapped her tiny hooves around her mother. ...What? Derpy gently stroked her short blond mane and smiled to her, while Whooves's right eye twitched  frantically. "Heh, how come you're already out?" the grey pegasus asked and the little filly backed off, although still staying on the grey lap as she reached out to her lemon green saddlebag "Ms. Cheerilee let us out early  to do some 'Grown-Up' stuff," the filly explained, her voice muffled by her pack before pulling a piece of paper out and placing it to the table. "Look Mom, I made this for you!" Derpy smiled and patted the filly while taking a look at it. Could it.... She be the one... It was a simple crayon picture that you could expect from a young pony; the sky was blue, the earth was green and sun was a yellow half ball over at the left corner. On the centre of it was two stick ponies, one purple with a horn and one grey with wings, who both were smiling under a tree. "Aww, it's great!" Derpy exclaimed and hugged the filly who grinned. "Uh, Mom. You're embarrassing me in front of everypony..." Derpy chuckled "Heh, it didn't seem to bother you the first time, my little muffin!" "Mom!" The grey pegasus laughed and turned around, but then she was met with a surprise. "Huh, where did he go?" The little unicorn looked confused. "What is it Mom?" However, the little filly went unheard as Derpy's attention focused onto another scrap of paper, but this one had been left under the tea cup on the opposite side of the table. Dear Ms. Derpy, I cannot express how rueful I am for having left you and your wonderful filly so suddenly. However, I'm not going to leave you utterly alone to deal with this trouble; here's a list of certain tea varieties which have known aspects of helping one to sleep. I had a lovely time. From your grateful dinner companion, Whooves "Mom?" asked the worried filly, yet her mother hastily folded the paper and put it away. "Umm... Nothing Dinky. Nothing at all. Come on, I know two ponies that need to *yawn* go shopping." But unbeknownst to her, a pair of blue eyes followed the two of them leaving the cafe from a distance. They were especially interested in the purple unicorn who hung on the back of the pegasus, seemingly trying to catch a nap while her mother fought hard against drooping eyelids. Looks like I found my patient. And of course it has to be a child... ~~~~~~~~ "Come on, come on..." Whooves mumbled while tapping his hoof down to the metal panel and staring at the the bright monitor, eyes narrowed down to thin lines and an odd flame burning behind his sapphire irises.. /---------/ He audibly groaned and flung over in his chair to reach over to the side where his saddlebag lay. From there he took out the two borrowed books and placed them over next to a half-empty soda bottle, bubbles still making their way to the surface.          /---------Done*/ "Well come on, spill the beans," he said while turning back at the screen. /INFO LOAD.exe*/ /Complete*/                  A second passed until more text began to appear in a rhythm and soon filled the screen. /Profile*/ /Name--- Dinky Hooves*/ /Race--- Unicorn*/ /Age--- 3 years*/ /Cutie Mark--- Not Yet Acquired*/ /Dream History--- Clean*/          The stallion sighed and rolled his eyes. "Now display her current status." /Current Status--- Dreaming*/ "And no... infringement whatsoever? /100% Positive*/ "Then tell me this," he started and slammed his hooves down to the panel. "How by Celestia's royal plot has this then slipped by your sensors? It's supposed to be impossible for a Nightmare to hide from you!" /?/ /Error*/ /Not Possible*/ /Sensors Are Clear*/ Whooves continued to stare at the words for a minute before dropping back onto his chair, retrieving deep into his thoughts. "Indicator, what's the current stand-in?" /Approximately 97,68% dreaming*/ /No Other Notices*/ No other voice but the faint humming that the machine made filled the room, as his eyes traced along the ceiling lines while his front hooves were wrapped around himself. Is the risk worth taking? I would be abandoning my post... He couldn't help but to smile when these thoughts ran through him. I tend to think too much, don't I? Whooves's attention turned to the two books, which he swiped down onto the floor. The Pot Lance book was the first and the other fell over it and revealing the cover. 'Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime' the title read out. But he couldn't care less of the books, not when he was about to go directly against the Code he had sworn to follow until the final end. His right hoof reached under the panel and began to fiddle around. Soon enough, he heard a faint 'click' ring out and then the metal panel ahead opened up. But then again, what's a life without risks? And especially without tea, I mean for Celestia's sake! === Storm the Oven Fortress! === Sandstallion Storm the Oven Fortress! - The utmost important ability of us is to be able to keep one's self hidden even in friendship - Old Sandstallion dictum   Dark... That's the only possible word that could describe Ponyville during the late hours. Of course there were many different light sources; street lamps that illuminated long rows along the streets now empty of their busy daily activity. In the distance there were dots of light up and down the town, where the lights were still on in few of the houses and food places that operated at late hours, like the pizzeria. It seemed really off to see a country town so wonderful and colourful in day swathed in darkness, when a pony could barely see a hoof in front of their face. Moreover, there was this nighttime peace. On one particular street, right in the middle of the largest hub of apartments under the few street lights, this peace was to be broken by a single wanderer. A brown cloak covered the figure completely. His head was covered by a hood, which hid everything except his brown muzzle and the steam of his breath. Despite the fact it was freezing out in the dark, the stallion kept its eyes firmly forward and fixed on the house that stood in between another apartment and a corner shop, which was one of those that kept open even in these hours. A clear silhouette of a pony was visible at the window, which happened to open right at the shadowy figure, who now moved out of the lamp light as the clerk turned away. No sound rang out as the cloaked pony ran up to the door of the small house, leaning close to it as much as possible to get away from the street light. This, however, only lasted a couple of seconds, before the figure flung around and faced the door to see a 'Welcome' doormat beneath and a red mailbox attached directly onto the wall. Derpy Hooves Nevertheless, the figure turned its attention onto the lock, which obviously was tightly locked and wouldn't budge despite its rusty look. The pony raised its chestnut hoof from under the cloak and at the lock, only inches away. Around it was wrapped what looked like a glove, except it didn't stretch far up his hoof like you'd expect and from the tip of it stuck out a rod, dark like iron yet light enough to be carried around with ease. Without any warning, a spark escaped from the end of the rod and hit the lock in a blink of an eye. *Click* Without further thought, the figure tucked the door open and entered the house, leaving the door behind open. Some of the street lights shone inside and lit up what seemed to be the main living room. From  there, the room opened up into two sections; a frame that led into a kitchen area with a tile floor and stairs that led upwards The cloaked pony quickly darted past the sofa and leaped up the steps until he hit the second floor, which was only a tiny corridor with three doors. Directly opposite to the stairs laid one that had the letters WC painted on it. The one on the left had been painted grey and had bubbles on the sides. Loud snores echoed from behind it, despite the fact that it was closed and looked bulky. The pony didn't stop there, instead moving on to the last door and finding it already ajar. As the purple door fully opened, the sight was enough to have the pony stop dead in its place. The room itself looked decent; there was a chest filled with toys at one corner, a small work desk at another with a bookcase next to it, filled with many fairy tale books and a couple of school books. The walls were filled with many pictures, some painted with watercolours but most drawn in crayon. But it wasn't this that caught the intruder's attention. Under the window, which was opposite to the door, laid a simple single bed. On it was a sleeping unicorn filly, her head resting on a pure white pillow while the rest of the pale body laid beneath a Wonderbolts blanket. Around her pillow laid couple of plush animals, each unique in look, and one which looked a like a brown bunny that the little filly hugged with her tiny hooves as if her life hinged on it. As the stranger stopped next to the bed, the unicorn rolled over in her sleep and some sweat had already dripped down from her forehead and onto the sheet. But then, the chestnut hoof rose once more and now the rod neared the little filly, specifically her horn. The spark escaped from the tip... And the world literally froze for Whooves. ~~~~~~~~ Shallow... That's the only possible word that could describe how Whooves felt when his senses came back to him. Argh, has it been this long? He rolled over from his back, evoking a loud groan, and shakily stood up, which proved to be difficult as there literally wasn't much space to move one's hoof without hitting... a broom? Hang on a second. That's a bucket and that's a brush and a.... Seconds later, Whooves smacked a hoof over his forehead. Out of all places to be transferred, it had to be a cleaning closet. This is definitely not going to be included in the report. But then, he quickly fell over at the bucket and with one disgusting wretch, emptied his stomach into it. "Ugh, the pleasures of entering a dream," the earth pony groaned afterwards when the bucket fell from his grasp. Yet he felt a lot more better than at first and his steps were firm as he reached out for the doorknob. Time to see where I am. Luckily, the door pushed open without any problem, opening on a wide hallway. As it closed behind him he looked over the white limestone walls. They were mostly covered by rows of large curtains, bearing colours of purple and grey, that stretched up to a ceiling that itself wasn't visible. Still, Whooves was impressed. Simply fascinating! How a young filly could- His thoughts, however, were interrupted as a voice rang out. "This way your Highness!" somepony shouted around the corridor and then Whooves heard steps rapidly near him. Panic crept up to him, as he saw that the other end of the hall was too far away to gallop. So instead, he swooped behind one of the curtains just in time as the steps grew louder and louder every second that passed by. Odd... Those sound more like- "Awful, just awful..." the voice faintly mumbled. "You two, check ahead and secure the way. I will stay here with Her Royal Highness." -thumps. Whooves heard faint 'cling' sounds, like arms being presented, followed by more of those weird 'thump's. "Are we safe here?" Now his ears perked up when he heard that new, chirping voice and he turned to smirk. Aha! Found her, and this has to be a new record. Without further ado, he grabbed the curtain and swept it away. The sight he was presented with would have been enough to drive anypony else to the point of collapsing from the lack of oxygen, due to the amount of hysterical laughter that would have followed. However, Whooves had seen far more sillier stuff in his years. "What?! Who are you?" There, in front of the chestnut stallion, stood a salt shaker. However, this one stood at same height as himself and it was 'wearing' a full-tuxedo outfit over its ceramic surface. But as Whooves noticed, the shaker didn't bear any facial features, just begging the question how it let out any voice. Next to it stood the filly alicorn Dinky, his patient. Heh, every little filly's dream come true... Over her head, and behind her horn was a small silver tiara that had an orange opal in the middle of it. Around her neck hung a silver necklace that bore same kind of gem. However the biggest difference was the two tiny wings that stuck out of her back. "Oh, who are you mister?" Dinky asked and took a step forward, but the elegant shaker came in between them. "Stay back Your highness! Guards!" "Calm down, I mean no harm," Whooves calmly expressed as he saw two other kitchen utensils appeared from around the corner; a knife and a fork both wearing military insignia. "Now now, don't be a sil- Augh!" "Stop!" Both of the guards retreated from the stallion, who rubbed his flank where the fork had struck. They and the salt shaker bowed as Dinky passed them. "But-" "Quiet, Sir Too-Much," Dinky ordered, making the butler shaker blush, and turned back at the chestnut pony. "Now, who are you mister and what are you doing in here?" Whooves grinned and presented his hoof her "Greetings, I'm the..." "GRAAAAAAARGH!!!" In an instant, he swung around to look down the corridor. A cupcake. Why of course. Indeed, a huge sprinkled, cyan cupcake stood at the entrance. However this certain cupcake had a wide row of razor sharp teeth alongside fangs resembling long stakes and two demonic eyes. He could hear Dinky's scream when the baked bad began to move towards them. "Quickly Your Highness, run! We'll hold it off!" the shaker spoke and bowed along with the knife and fork. Then the three utensils charged at the monster, which responded with a deep growl. But the stallion acted fast, and threw the still stunned Dinky over to his back. "Hold on tight." ~~~~~~~~ *Crash* "I think... we can hide in here... for a moment," Whooves slammed the door shut, panting, while Dinky leaped off of him. "Geez mister, how can you be tired?" the filly asked honestly, but the stallion grunted as he leaned against the door and continued to inhale the sweet air. He did in fact taste a hint of sugar with every breath taken. "What are you talking about? I'm at my fittest, I'll have you know!" he exclaimed out loud and Dinky could only giggle as the two began to walk into the room, which appeared to be a some sort of storage facility from the looks of the many cardboard boxes that littered the floor. "Anyways," the stallion began as he sat down on one box, "can you tell me what's going on?" Dinky sat down beside him and gave him a stern look. "Not until you tell me who you are and what you are doing in my mother's Oven?" He snickered and quickly covered his mouth with a hoof so as not to upset the little filly. "I beg your pardon, but did you just say an oven?" Dinky looked confused. "Yeah, you're inside the Oven Fortress where my mother, Princess Derpy The Bubbly, She Who Wears the Sacred Mittens and the Holder of The Egg Clock That Yak, resides and rules over the land." "The Egg Clock That Yak?" But Dinky didn't seem to hear his question as she looked away. "Well, at least she used to rule..." Whooves knew how she must have felt, even if all this wasn't actually real and only happened deep inside her mind, fueled by dreams reflecting the real world. However, now those dreams were at risk, and the Sandstallion knew this perfectly well. "Dinky, I'm here to help," the stallion assured her and gave her a comforting hug. "You can talk to me." The little unicorn buried her head into the brown stallion's chest and stayed quiet for a bit before speaking. "This morning, I was awakened by Sir Too-Much and he told me that we needed to escape from the Fortress as soon as possible. When I asked why, he said that the Princess had gone missing and that the Evil Pastry had taken control." Though he found it hilarious, he knew better than to laugh at the situation. "It was a mess; everypony was fighting one another, but in the end the Royal Guards were overwhelmed and taken captive. Worse, the Evil Pastry had taken a hold of the hatch-gate, so we were basically prisoners in here." "Hmm... Typical of a weak Nightmare, using the actual dream world against-" the stallion mumbled under his breath. "What did you say?" "Oh nothing,"Whooves lied to the filly, whose only response was to raise an eyebrow to him. As the stallion dropped down from the box, he faced the door from where they had just barged in only moments ago. "Well come on, what are you waiting for?" he pointed out. However, Dinky stayed put. "Not until you finally tell me who you are!" she replied and the stallion knew his moment had come. He sighed in defeat, before staring at her round eyes. "I'm the Doctor and I'm here to save this dream." *Crack* Suddenly, the wooden door snapped off its hinges and flew directly at Whooves, who was just barely able to dodge it by diving onto the floor. As he recovered from the sudden drop, his eyes locked onto the door frame from which four chocolate doughnuts rolled in. As the stallion stood up, he noticed that Dinky now stood beside him. Whooves also noticed that the doughnuts had turned their middle sections towards the pair. "I think we should-" Before the earth pony could finish, four blasts of icing shot at them, missing only by an inch. "RUN!" he finished while taking Dinky by the tail and quickly galloping to the left, down a narrow path between the boxes. He could hear how the boxes behind were trundled over and so he paced himself, now taking a turn to the right while the purple filly flung back and forth below him. The path he had taken led nowhere except to a large balcony. "Oh horseapples," he mumbled as he gave a quick gaze over his shoulder, only to hear the rolling voices growing nearer and see boxes being thrown off to the sides. Dinky had now escaped from his grasp by hitting his hoof and before he got to shout anything else, the filly began to gallop towards the balcony. Just when he was about to yell to her, the first of the killer doughnuts appeared and began to shoot more icing at them, one shot actually partially hitting Whooves when it struck a box next to him and splattered. "Mmh, banana! I love ban-" "Doctor!" "Oh yes." He quickly flipped over and ran up to the filly, who now stood over the white hoof railing, though still eagerly licking his face clean from the 'collateral damage'. As he heard another shot ring out, the stallion briefly turned his head to catch one whole blast, however he quickly spit it out. "Yuck, pearAAAAAHHHH!" Without noticing it himself, he had been sent off the balcony by the recoil. He was heading directly towards the ground beneath, which was painted in a similar colour to Dinky's coat while the sky above shared her blond mane's colour from horizon to horizon. However, Whooves couldn't find himself to be amused by this. One, he knew already that they were going to be like that and two, he now looked up as Dinky leaped off from the balcony and soared after him. It took her only a second to catch up to him, thanks to her light build, and take him by the hoof, drastically slowing the fall and soon coming to a stop. All this, and without shedding a single drop of sweat. "Hehe, thanks," he laughed and the little 'dreamer' replied with a smile, though it soon dropped as they heard sound of breaking rock. At the balcony, the three doughnuts had rolled down onto it at the same time while not slowing down. The hoof railing couldn't support their force and had been broken on the first impact. Whooves and Dinky could only watch as their pursuers fell down until disappearing out of the sight. Sandstallion grinned as he watched three blobs of brown pop up below him. However, Dinky had by then pushed her wings down and up, slowly but firmly making her way upwards. ~~~~~~~~ Simply fascinating! This kind of dream world inside a three year old filly that has lived in a countryside town her whole life; an adorable achievement. *Whump, whump, whump* Whooves hung upside down in the middle of the air, enjoying the view offered by the unique vantage point. And just look at that Oven! If real world ovens looked anything like that, I'd be cooking every single day. The Oven Fortress indeed lived up to its name; its outer appearance resembled an oven, but it also had many aspects that castles had like a moat filled with lemonade, a drawbridge made out of a gingerbread slice and more. At the top of the fortress stood five towers, four of which stood at the spots where the burners would have laid. Between them, directly on the centre, rose the last one; its shadow engulfing the other four. *Whump, whump, whump* "We'll be there soon," Dinky cried out, now pacing her speed and beginning to glide in order to save strength like a proper pegasus flier that had flown for years. Although their speed drastically fell, and nearly to the point of being in place, he still couldn't feel the wind pushing against himself. That's actually one thing that has always bugged. How come natural elements never, ever, appear in dreams? Not that it really matters but when even your side knows so little... But in the end, he shrugged and instead looked to his left, where the tallest of the towers now stood. For the past minute or so, they'd been in the air, searching for any clues pointing to Princess Derpy and the throne room seemed to be the best place to start. For Dinky that is. Okay, let's wrap this case up. "There! Can you land on that balcony?" "Sure mister. Just hold on, this'll be a bit rough." Dinky let herself drop down, sending the stallion's stomach up to his throat, and partially spread her wings in order to lower their speed and regain some form of maneuverability whilst they approached the stone tower. The landing was perfect. "I hope you enjoyed the ride, mister." But then, Dinky saw the stallion looking down upon her and he had a serious look on his face. He wore an otherwise overall bland look, expect for his narrowed down eyes that shone brightly. "Dinky, I need you to listen to me very carefully." Dinky nodded, so Whooves went on. "Don't. Do. Anything. I repeat, don't do anything. And whatever I might do, don't panic or we're doomed, got that?" Honestly, Dinky was shaking due to the sudden mood change and didn't respond, instead staring up to him with awe and fear. Sandstallion sighed, and kneeled down in front of her. "Don't be scared; I'm an expert on this stuff and I can assure you nothing bad is going to happen to either of us." Dinky gulped. "P-promise?" "Heh, I'll tell you what. I promise to repay your bravery afterwards. Does that sound good?" The filly's face began to gleam and she rushed up to the glass door that led inside. Behind, Whooves couldn't help but to smile at the enthusiastic unicorn, who waved at him to follow. Yet, the stallion did sigh deep as he took the first shakily step. "Stand back," he ordered and soon bucked the door into tiny shards that broke even more as they hit the stone floor. Ah, this has to be the lair. From where they now stood, just at the door frame, opened a magnificent view of the throne room. Or that's what Whooves suspected it to be; many spiral pillars formed a grand hallway, on which a long purple carpet had been laid onto the path to the throne. Attached to each pillar was a sconce that held a lit torch, burning with a bright cyan flame like a firework. And that was everything that there was to see; the sides along the path laid in utter darkness, not a single shred of light penetrating its depths. Whooves could see Dinky weakly lean onto him and whimper out of fear. "Shush now. I won't let the boogie monster eat you." "I'm scared..." He sighed and lifted the purple unicorn to his back. Her tiny hooves wrapped around his neck while she planted her head down, trying to hide behind the earth pony whilst he placed his first hoof over the carpet, soon followed by the others and the distance between the throne and them grew shorter. All the while, he would occasionally glance to the darkness at the sides of the room, only to confirm that there indeed was something else here besides them. And in vast numbers... Yet he timidly kept going on, trying to focus his head onto the matter on the hoof. "Bung bung bung bung..." "Umm, what are you humming mister?" He didn't answer, knowing this one trick worked perfectly well; do something utterly pointless in dangerous situations to get your head to finally snap. That, and they had gotten just couple of feet away from the throne. Utter silence filled the void, the only voices being the raspy breathing over at Whooves's neck and the faint clopping of hooves as he took the final steps up to the dais where the throne, made out of single huge muffin, stood in its full glory. This filly sure does like sweets. Wouldn't want to be her dentist. But he stopped, as he felt movement across his back. He looked up to see Dinky resting herself atop his head. "Huh?" the filly murmured in utter confusion. "What is it, Dinky?" "That throne..." "What of it? Has somepony taken a bite out of it?" "It's not the same." A second passed. Then another rather quickly. Whooves's gaze slowly dropped down to the 'throne' while he also began to back track quickly. Just as he planted first hoof down, a single large eye dead-centre on the muffin opened up, its dark red pupil reflecting his image. "Aaah! Muffin-Munster!" Quickly, Whooves stumbled around, only see that his route had been cut-off. The whole outer area around the throne stand was filled with pastries; from those killer doughnuts to the cyan cupcake, from tiny chip cookies holding long spears to cream puffs ready to fling themselves at them. Yet none of them moved in the slightest. "Hehehehe..." As the chestnut stallion turned back, he saw that the Muffin-Munster sat at its place while the humongous eye stared forward at his general direction. "One of you..." Whooves groaned. "Yes yes; 'har har, oh I finally caught you and now I'm going to exterminate you, like you've done to my many comrades." "Heheheh... Wait, was that an insult?" "Anyways, lets get down to business, shall we?" "Indeed." Sandstallion could feel Dinky tuck in closer to him as the wave of pastry had begun to move. "Tsk,tsk,tsk; honestly, if I were you, I'd call those things back." he smirked while the large red eye narrowed, yet he could hear how the voices on the sides faded away. "Entertain me..." He chuckled. "Cause I've already cracked this case," he said before pointing his hoof at the nervous eye that had darted open in the instant Whooves had finished his last sentence. "Face it, it's over. But I'll let you go if you'll leave peacefully." "You're merely bluffing!" "Oh really?" the stallion laughed before looking to his side where Dinky was staring at him, her jaw hitting the floor and eyes shining from awe. "No...Please, I beg you!" "Say Dinky, how's your Mommy's cooking been for the last couple of days?" "Quiet! Please keep her quiet!" Whooves laughed and pointed his hoof at the muffin chair, that literally chewed itself due to all of the sudden tension. "You know what I want." "Fine, you win," the giant muffin stated quietly, as red eye's lid closed. In the silence that followed, the Nightmare was engulfed in a dark azure glow, followed by the rest of the pastries surrounding it. In matter of seconds, the minions crowding the room started to vanish into dust, however they flowed through the air and massed together in mid-air, directly opposite to him. As the last of the humongous cupcakes vanished, the mass of pastry dust  finally began to push itself together. The same glow from the chair moved onto the dust, which began to take its form. As the seconds ticked by, the dust and glow merged together and solidified to form what resembled a chunk of gem. "You know...your kind is doomed, Sandstallion..." Whooves tilted his head down. "So is yours, Nightmare. So is yours..." "Doctor..." The gem blew up in a bright flash, engulfing everything and everyone. ~~~~~~~~ "Whew," rang the light breath of relief and Whooves smirked as he checked his hoof to see that the tiny azurite gem was safe and sound. As the wrapped hoof fell back down under the cloak, so did the hood to reveal the smiling stallion. His eyes looked down upon the little filly, now sleeping calmly on her place. She even had a tiny smile. The earth pony couldn't help but to gently pat her and even give her a small kiss on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Ms. Dinky Hooves." ~~~~~~~~ *Ding* "Ah, finally ready." The light brown hoof reached out from the table and to the toaster on top of the counter. At the same time, his other hoof took a plate from the left and soon he had two crispy slices of hay-toast ready, both covered in butter and on top each was a slice of a cheese accompanied by delicious strawberry jam. A basic Trottingham breakfast at its finest and the only proper meal he ever managed to deliver. Without any burns, that is... Whooves took from the caddy his favourite green tea pot and started the tea water heating up, so that it would be ready by the dessert pudding. With that in mind, he also took the ready-pudding from the freezer before grabbing the hay slices and walking over to the table. "Heh, I deserve a treat." Although visible bags hung loose under his eyes, the chestnut pony otherwise seemed fine, both in flesh and spirit. As he placed the dish onto the table, he couldn't help but to feel satisfaction as he eyed his food. Alongside the hay-toast, he served himself buttery mashed potatoes with a tiny amount of bean sauce on top. In a row next to them laid three deep boiled eggs, ready to be smashed and their innards to be eaten out. And to top it off, there was already a glass of fresh orange juice ready and also a free teacup for when the water was ready. In a sense, the perfect dish to kick start the upcoming day, especially if you happened to be awake seventeen hours each day. Drops of drool dripped over from his muzzle and down his cranked neck, as a low grumble echoed from his stomach while Whooves sat himself down, still staring down at his breakfast. Quite fascinating indeed. Already I had forgotten how much energy this work needs. He didn't even wait to tie a napkin around his neck and instead hastily took the first jam toast in his hooves. His mouth eagerly opened up and his eyes closed, ready to savour the taste in peace. *Knock knock knock* His eyes darted open. "Oh bollocks..." *Knock knock knock* "Honest to Goddess, during my break-" *KnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnock* Whooves groaned as he got up from his seat, of course leaving the delicious bread behind and untasted. It was in fact really quite odd; during the whole month Whooves had been in Ponyville, this was the first time anypony had come by. Also, the fact it was Saturday and eight in the morning made it even more weird. *KnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnockKnock* "Geez, hold onto your hoof! I'm co-" The rest of the words didn't come out as the opening door revealed very distressed looking grey pegasus. "OhpleasepleaseWhoovesIneedafavourOhpleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Unfortunately he didn't understand even the slightest thing Derpy was saying. In the end, he just stood there dumbfounded and could only rub the back of his brown mane. "Uhh. Well-" He didn't get to say anything else, as the earth pony soon found himself buried in a firm embrace of grey feathers and fur. "Ohthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyousomuch." Then Derpy planted a kiss on the cheek of the stallion and backed off, fastening the straps over her mail saddlebag and bending her wings out. "ThanksagainI'llbebackbytheafternoonanddon'tworryI'llrepaythisbyeeeeeee!" And with that, Derpy shot up in the air. As her wings pumped faster and faster, her speed gradually increased and it didn't take long for the pegasus to disappear out of view into the horizon. The only thing Whooves managed to do was to raise his left hoof and to feel the wet spot over his cheek. "Mister?" The hoof fell down and so did his gaze, it landed on- Somehow his eyes shot even wider, eyes now nearly bulging out of their sockets and even his breathing savaged, as he saw the little purple unicorn filly staring up at him with her large yellow eyes. The earth pony even had his mouth partially open and gag sounds come in deep. "Why are you red like a tomato, mister? Are you sick or what?" "Oh, umm..." Whooves turned over and gave a brief look at the vestibule mirror, to see his outrageously blushing face, looking very much like a... a tomato. "Well, you see... I..." However, Dinky giggled and turned around, to reveal the small Wonderbolt saddlebag on her back. "Heh, I'm just playing with you. Well, aren't you gonna come?" But he just stood there, ashamed by both the random blush over a stranger pony, a filly no less, and how he still had not a single clue over what the hay was happening. In the end, however, he regained some form of self control as his mind gave an awful mental jolt. "Y-yeah; hang on just a minute." The hay's going on? That question dominated inside him as he locked the front door to his house, and placed the key under the front mat. Checking the straps of his old saddlebag for the second time, he turned around to see the unicorn filly impatiently tapping her hoof down. "Come on, we'll be late." "Now hold on a minute!" Whooves exclaimed out loud, generating a tiny squeal from over Dinky, and trotted over to her. "Nopony is going anywhere until you explain to me why you're here and your mother isn't." Dinky rolled her eyes. "Urgh, didn't you listen to Mommy?" "Well Mommy didn't, to be honest, really make much sense. Care to explain once more?" ~~~~~~~~ "So let me get this straight... Your mommy is on a special delivery mission over to Canterlot for the whole morning and she won't be returning until late afternoon. And until she gets back, you're under my supervision?" The little filly smiled and nodded her head, not stopping with her tiny hops. "Heh, you pretty much summed it up!" Whooves nervously chuckled as the two of them turned around the corner and only to arrive to yet another empty stretch of a road, it's emptiness only fueling his current downer mood. And I was having such a fine morning... "So Dinky, do you have any idea how I came to be picked for this job?" he sincerely asked the bouncing filly. "Well... I dunno really. Mommy just said that you told her how you were good at taking care of young foals and seeing that you also basically live right next to us." Note; from now on never, ever, under any circumstance leave your assertive speech unfinished. Whooves nervously chuckled, to which Dinky responded with an adorable giggle. "So... you haven't yet told me where we are going," the stallion pointed out to the excited filly. "Oh, I got a club meeting at the school," Dinky told him while reaching out to her saddlebag and taking out, not to his surprise, a crayon picture. "Want to take a look? I drew it this morning." Whooves shrugged and took a look of the picture. A second passed. Then another. A rather slow third... "Are you feeling well mister? You look very pale," Dinky worriedly asked while slowly moving closer to the stallion. All four of the chestnut hooves began to violently shake and it didn't take long for him to fall down onto his haunches, while the piece of paper flew away from his grasp and onto ground beneath. "H-h-h-how..." Black colour filled all of the corners and it faded down into the white background as it neared the center, forming an oval circle. Occasionally, a pair of red eyes stuck out from the dark. "I-i-it isn't..." Inside this circle were three different figures. The first one, and also the smallest, was a purple alicorn wearing a tiara and a necklace that both were grey in colour. The figure was crouching down, however its look laid upwards. The second one, and the largest, was a darkish brown chair that had a large open eye in middle of it, its red pupil staring forwards and onto a piece of glowing azure gem that floated in mid-air. However, it wasn't either of these that Whooves reacted to. Oh no... In between these other two, stood a brown pony with a stern look over its face and a hourglass on its flank. It reached out towards the bright gem with its head hung low. "...possible." Dinky leaned over to get a look of his face. "What isn't possible, mister?" she asked and the stallion leered at her. "Dinky... I need you to think very, very carefully." Dinky laughed and nodded, so Whooves took the picture and waved it in front of her. "What does this depict?" Dinky continued to laugh until pointing her hoof at him. "Shouldn't you know?" She leaned closer to the fearful pony. "Doctor." At that point, the clock bell over in the distance rang out. *Klong, klong, klong, klong, klong, klong, klong, klong* Dinky gasped loudly as she practically pushed herself away from Whooves. "Oh no, I'm going to be lat-" Yet as she tried to gallop off, she found herself staying put. As she gazed back, she saw the gloomy stallion holding her by the tail. And he had that stern look from last night. Without saying anything, Whooves himself turned around and slowly started to make his way, dragging the little resister along with him. "Hey, what are you doing?! Auh! Let me go! I'm going to be late!" However, at this point he couldn't care a donkey's ass about some Saturday morning club. He was going to find out the truth of this little unicorn right there, right now. "Stop resisting, I just want to clear some things up." ~~~~~~~~ For many ponies, Saturday morning was the longest one as rather nopony got up until before the sun had made its way over from the horizon and over to the top of the town. Of course there were some ponies that already moved around. However, most of them consisted of night shift workers that somberly trembled their way to their homes, not caring much about the dawning day. Frosty Treat wasn't one of those and he continued to set up his ice cream stand on his regular spot. It was actually a very sought after place, especially on sunny days and weekends. To make sure his business lasted, he got up very early to check on his equipment and materials before dragging his wagon down to his spot in Ponyville's park. It was the most perfect spot; on the side of the road that led out through the park and just before it crossed into three other paths, making this a traffic stop. Making this location even more desirable was the fact that the dance floor, the center fountain and the playground all lay only seconds away. As the cote flung up, Frosty saw something very unusual, enough to get him to gasp. Some ten feet away, and steadily nearing him, was somepony else. Instantly, Frosty put on his normal social smile while lifting his paper hat to the brown pony. "Greetings. Fine morning, isn't it?" Frosty politely greeted him. The strange stallion smiled back and glanced over to the list stuck onto the cart side. "I'll have... I'll have two vanilla ice creams with as much butterscotch as possible." "Right on, sir," Frosty responded, scooping up the first of the balls while thinking why the customer was getting two when he was alone. In the end, he decided not to question this and instead eagerly took the bits from the stallion, who then turned around carrying one of the cones in his mouth and the other in his hoof. As his customer slowly walked away, Frosty shrugged and returned back to his work, mainly just checking out the daily paper. The totally opposite thing was going to happen with Whooves, who now made his way forward while eating one of the ice creams and staying quiet. He continued to make his way up and down the dirt road. The sapphire eyes stared forward, occasionally glancing over to the bench close to the park fountain where the purple unicorn sat down, hooves crossed on her lap and yellow eyes turned downwards onto the dirt beneath, not moving in the slightest even when he sat next to her. "Hey, I brought ice cream." This didn't dazzle the filly at all. Even when she took the cone and began to lick it in long strokes. Whooves continued to eye her a bit, until turning to look at the fountain that hadn't yet began to pump water. "Look, I'm sorry," the earth pony apologized to Dinky. She leered at him from the corner of an eye, finally letting out a snort and putting on a tiny smirk. "It's okay Doc'." Whooves shivered a bit when he heard 'that' word being said by her. Now Whooves; you're mortified. I'm mortified so let's just get down to the point, shall we? "I'd... I'd like if you would call me Whooves instead of... you know," the stallion said to Dinky and she shrugged to him while licking the frosty treat, now a bit more enthusiastic. "If that's what you wish, mister. Though I don't see what's so bad with the Do-" Whooves put his hoof over the filly's mouth and shook his head. "Understand that it's important that nopony hears that and I cannot risk for that name to be said out loud." As his hoof fell down, so did his gaze and away from the small filly. For Celestia's sake! How in the hay it is even possible that I'm in a tight spot like this? "How come, mister Whooves? Why can't other ponies know that you're 'you-know-what'?" Dinky asked. He faintly smirked to her, his eyes closing and leaving him in the calmness of the dark void. A minute passed. It was a very long minute for Whooves, while his mind pondered his current situation and grasped for an acceptable answer to the filly's question. There he was, a middle-aged male pony, sitting next to a foal who wasn't only less than quarter to his age, but who was able to recall his interference in her dream. Something that was supposed to be impossible for anypony to achieve. And she was a filly, no less... A tiny part inside him found it extremely amusing for some odd reason. So he decided to give a honest answer. "Dinky, do you know the tale about the... 'Sandstallion'?" Dinky's face gleamed and she fiercely nodded. "Oh yes! He's the pony that watches over everypony's dreams when they sleep. Mommy used to tell me about how if I couldn't sleep, I'd need to close my eyes, whisper out his name and he'll come to sprinkle his magic dust that makes everypony sleepy, however haven't done that in a long time cause I'm a big filly." His eyes opened and turned at the excited filly. "How would you react if I told you I am that stallion?" A giggle broke out as Dinky pointed her pale hoof at the chestnut stallion. "I'd call you crazy and to prove it." Whooves smiled as he reached into his saddlebag. Soon, a tied napkin came out and he laid it over between them. As Dinky continued to look, Whooves with one shift pull opened it. Dinky's eyes popped open. On top of the napkin, laid a tiny azure gem. "Do you recall this?" Sandstallion asked from her and Dinky nodded, her eyes locked onto the shining gem. Then her hoof reached out, however he shiftily took the napkin and tucked it away to the saddlebag. "I guess I don't need to ask if you believe me now, do I?" Suddenly, he felt an impact on his side. As he gazed down, he saw the little filly hugging him with all of her might while her smiling face stared up at him in obvious awe. "Thanks for defeating that awful monster, Mister Whooves!" Something clicked deep inside the stallion. It was an idea. A very dangerous and risky one. Something that could effectively ruin the rest of his life if anypony were to find out. Heheh. Whooves, you silly pony, you're over thinking once again. And besides, wouldn't you wanna slap those bureau fellows for once? A brown hoof fell over Dinky and it brushed her gently, making her giggle a bit. "Say Dinky, isn't it time for you to leave for the club?" Dinky rolled her eyes, much to his amusement and he tried to holster his laughter. "What, really mister?" Whooves nodded as he lifted up the filly and placed her down to the ground, laughing as she looked back at him with a hint of frustration. "Now don't you worry. As soon as you get back, I promise to tell you everything you want to know." The filly's mouth dropped open. "Wow, really?" Dinky gasped, and as soon as he nodded, she checked over her Wonderbolt saddlebag straps and kneeled over, taking a gallop posture. Soon, she shot out leaving behind a wavering cloud of dust. "I'll be back by dinner!" she shouted as the dust cloud passed the fountain. It didn't take long for Dinky to gallop out of view, and Whooves waved to her all the way. Did I make the right decision? A cocky smirk rose to his face Most likely not...           .......Bollocks, I left the tea water on! === ABC On Nightmares === Sandstallion ABC On Nightmares - What is a dream? You're better off asking 'What is a Nightmare?' - From an old Classical-Era philosophical text "Alright, settle down everypony," the excited looking brown unicorn with a short horn spoke out from front of the artist's studio. He lowered his paint brush and wiped his sweaty, red mane. He then watched as the same thing occurred with the small group of ponies, packed tightly inside the room, interested in the world of painted art. He stood up from the work stool and carefully moved the painting—a landscape of a beautiful summer meadow, which still glittered from fresh paint—off of the stand before setting it to the side to dry. It was an unfinished work of his imagination; however, Sketch Scrapper knew Canterlotians loved these sort of oil paintings. "Now then..." he continued whilst removing his work apron, turning back to look at his audience. They were shifting on their own small stools. "Let's begin then. Now, what have I asked you to depict?" "Ourselves in the near future!" all of the little ponies shouted in a mess of excitement, boredom and unwillingness or just because everypony else shouted. Sketch Scrapper laughed. "Very good! Very good indeed! So, let's see what you're going to do as adults. Who knows, perhaps this will help you discover your cutie marks." The brown pony then pointed his hoof to one of the front row stands and lifted the canvas up, at the same time revealing a very nervous looking earth pony colt, who was trying to hide behind the stand. "Now, why don't you tell us what you did here?" Scrapper asked gently, while showcasing the watercolor picture for the rest of ponies. All of them collectively gasped, as they witnessed the very well painted picture of an earth pony holding a pose in front a burning building. The colt blushed "Uhh... I-It's me...putting out a fire as a firefighter!" he hastily mumbled out "B-but it's nothing spe-special..." "Are you kidding me?! Your painting is waaaay better than what I drew!" a pegasus filly exclaimed before showing her crude pastel picture of a pegasus flying above a rainbow vat. "Look! It's me working in the Cloudsdale Rainbow Factory, but I think it looks more like a fuzzy ball taking a dive into a pool of colors."  The colt furiously blushed at the praise he received, but then he felt the older stallion place a hoof over his head. "You ought to listen to your cute friend there and have more faith in your skills," Sketch Scrapper explained in a compassionate tone "I mean, even I can't do this with watercolours and I have studied at the Manehattan Art Centrum. Perhaps you might even impress the Princess herself!"  "T-T-The Princess?" The small earth pony's eyes shrunk, but then he broke into a smile along with Scrapper, who gave the laughing colt's mane a light brush before backing off. The stallion then saw the time, which made him curse inside. "Looks like our time's nearly up. We'll have one more picture, and then I'll let you out. Would anypony like to volunteer?" "Oh oh oh, me me me me me!" Sketch Scrapper turned towards the outburst and his smile widened as he saw his most enthusiastic student, a pale purple unicorn filly with golden mane. She was hopping up and down out of pure excitement and holding a piece of paper, which he presumed to be her art. Sketch Scrapper smirked and used his magic to grab it. "Well then Dinky, lets see what you've done." The paper stopped above his muzzle. It stayed there for a long while as his eyes widened with the reveal of crayon picture. But in a minute, he turned to look back at the wide smile that the little unicorn gave to him and blinked couple of times. "Umm... great work, Dinky. Very good as usual." He coughed. Dinky's mouth formed a frown. "You don't really mean that." "Umm, well..." Sketch Scrapper mumbled, and then saw the clock above the doorway. "Oh, look at the time! You all should already be out and enjoying the rest of this wonderful summer's day!" Instantly, every colt and filly cheered from joy. Amongst the raucous shouting, Dinky was by far the loudest. She snatched the picture from the air, with Scrapper's magic fading away, and went to pick up her saddlepack before racing out of the room after everyone else. Nopony was left, except the artist, who sighed as he pulled his studio's door closed. He shut his eyes for a moment, leaning against the cold wood. "Guess we all have dreams that are impossible," he said quietly, while pushing himself away and heading back to his unfinished painting. Outside of the building, the mass of youngsters poured from the building to the outside, chatting to one another as they greeted the blazing sun. Especially in the little group of three youngsters that exited at the same time "Aww yeah! Saturday, here I come!" first of them, the filly pegasus, cheered. Second of them, an earth pony filly, nodded "I totally agree with you. Sometimes these art courses get soooo boring!" "But... umm... I l-like them and Mister Sketcher. Papa says he's got talents of great Da Pici." The two fillies simultaneously turned to look at him "Who's that?" they asked in unison, but the colt blushed furiously and his ears fell down. The pegasus snorted "Ugh, who cares about some boring artist on a day like this!" "Uhuh, I know. Lets go play with our skipping ropes!" The two fillies smiled and nodded "Sounds great!" Then they turned at the colt, frozen on his spot "You coming too, Pixels?" "Umm... sure, I guess I have some time—" The nervous colt was interrupted with a sudden bump, which made him yelp and take cover behind the other two fillies. They turned to give an irritated look at the flash of purple. "Hey, watch it!" one of them shouted whilst the other helped the colt to stand. However, those words went unheard as the excited young unicorn continued to gallop like a maniac. Her yellow-blue saddle pack strapped onto her back, she made her way down the road and around the corners with a steady pace. As she started to near the center of town, the streets started to show signs of life, with other ponies trotting around doing whatever they pleased. She smirked comfortably while dodging the grown-up ponies with agility and firm belief in that whatever applied to the Wonderbolt's shows also applied to real life. Unfortunately... "Oops, sorry!" Dinky's speed didn't lower a bit, not even as she accidentally hit a mare that had a large bag of carrots on her back. The filly briefly glanced over her shoulder, only to see how the yellow mare shake a hoof at her and shout bad words- the ones that Mommy had told her not to use unless she wanted to have fun time with 'Mr. Soap-In-Your-Mouth'. She recalled how Ms. Cheerilee had cleaned one colt's mouth after he had shouted the h-word in class, and it did not look pleasant in the slightest. But she knew she was getting distracted, so she scrapped that thought from her mind and leaped over pile of boxes, galloping away from the centrum. Her hooves clopped fast as ever; inside her mind, she was conducting one of the vast array of aerial moves she had seen at the Wonderbolt's shows. One of those techniques was from when she had seen Captain Spitfire perform on an annual tours across the lands. Up and down the little unicorn ran, occasionally doing a spin in mid-air, while she became ever so closer to where she was headed. To Mr. Whooves's house. ~~~~~~~~ "Oh, my bloody hoof!" cried the chestnut stallion, after having accidentally dropped a heavy wooden box on his hoof. Always to me. Always to freak-AH! Whooves grimaced as he put some weight onto the hoof. It was a little red from where the box struck, but the wave of pain quickly passed by in seconds. Without further ado, the earth pony trotted over to the dark blue box, which had luckily enough fallen onto his bed. The distance between the top of cupboard and floor was quite long, so he was thankful that no damages had occurred outside of some dust falling on the sheets. After giving it a quick check, to be extra sure no scratch had come, he lifted the thing on his back and proceeded to exit his bedroom. Gotta get everything set up, he thought while descending down the stairs and in no time hit the bottom floor that opened straight into his living room. And with a relief he lowered the box down, close to the center table before himself walking over to the couch. He dropped straight on it like a sack of potatoes. He couldn't help with it, he felt so exhausted after having set up the necessary equipment. With that, he lazily looked through rest of the open room; seeing the blank whiteboard ready to be written on, straight from the cellar, and of course the wood box he had just hauled from upstairs. Hefty heavy stuff, as he had sadly noticed. Then they turned to look at the wall clock, that showed it was just merely past twelve, approximately ten minutes. "I guess I've got some to relax before she gets back." And with that his eyelids shut. A minute. Then they shot wide open. His mouth formed a weak smirk and he turned to sit up. "Heh, oh right. Foolish Whooves, you silly moron. How could you forget—" Knocks interrupted his train of thoughts. "—that somepony's at your door?" The puzzled stallion turned to view the door and indeed, there was somepony banging it down. Literally. Whooves was more surprised that the poor door could handle such ferocious blow after another. So he jumped off and began to head towards it. He had pretty much guessed who was there and tried to hide his tiredness behind a smile as he grabbed the handle. "Ah, there you are! Now if—" the stallion began out but stopped as an yellow-coated mare stormed inside his house instead of a pale purple filly he was expecting to greet. The mare plew her orange locks away from her face "Where is she?!" she then shouted in a bitter tone whilst Whooves took a step backwards. He managed to caught the triple carrots on her flank. "Umm, pardon me miss but-" "Don't you play fool on me! I saw that little non-good rucker ran here," the clearly enraged earth pony continued off to shove her hoof up to the stallion's chest "So be a kind pony and just give her over to me and we'll be on our way." By now both her tone and attitude had gotten even Whooves frustrated "Now look, I don't know why the buck you're here, inside my own my house, and yelling straight to my face subject of matter I don't even know about. So if you'd be kind enough to haul your plot out of my house, I'd really appreciate that," he then pushed the mare away from his face and pointed his hoof at the door "The door's there. Be sure to close it after you."          The mare gave a one look over Whooves shoulder before turning round "Must have been my eyes... should probably go and gather my carrots." Whooves narrowed his eyes "I'm sure that's the best thing to do." the yellow pony huffed at the words and the stallion stared back until finally the door closed with a loud bang. "Someone's just have the nerve..." "You said it, Doc!" The Sandstallion continued to calmly stare at the door for a short while, face exposed from any visible expression and life whatsoever. Even his eyes kept stayed half-open. In the end he let out a weak wheeze whilst his eyes made the contact with what looked a like a black fuzz ball. "How did you get in?" "Chimney." he heard the voice of Dinky spoke underneath the shell of coal. ~~~~~~~~ "T-t-that tickles. S-stop i-it!" But the stallion in question didn't listen and instead bushed more intensively the freshly bathed filly, who tried to squirm her way out of the blue towel. "Just stay still, will you?" said Whooves in a frustrated tone. What had seemed like an eternity and two full shampoo bottles later, he had finally managed to clean the filly's coat from all traces of ash and coal. But by Celestia, he hadn't enjoyed it at all. But in the end it didn't really even matter, as he was finally done cleaning her. "There we go." he said whilst folding the towel. Dinky honestly glittered due to the sheer amount of shampoo used. But still she was happy and couldn't help but to laugh as she stood onto the stool to see herself on the cabin mirror. However, she soon heard clops and saw Whooves standing by the doorway. "Dinky, how about you go and wait downstairs in the living room. You know, the small area with sofas and chairs." the unicorn filly nodded and he smiled whilst lifting up a small saddlepack "I'll be right with you. Just need to put this into the washer." "Okay." and without further saying she was off and before the stallion got to utter a single word of protest at her running, she had exited both the bathroom and his bedroom, now leaping down the wide steps that led down. But the fun didn't last for long and soon she hit the bottom floor with a creak. Dinky kneeled down, trying to mimic the starting stance that Spitfire took before races, and confidently licked her lips. She then jumped. "Weeee!" she squealed and bodyslammed the poor sofa. On direct impact the springs of it made the little pony jump back over a hoof in air. This happened for a while, until she finally landed on a pillow, which in turn let out a cloud of fuzz. It rained down like a snow around the open room and left a white shell over the sofa. Dinky puffed out some of it that had gotten in her mouth and laughed. A sigh echoed over from the stairs "Really? Honest to Goddess, really?!" grumbled the voice over and Dinky turned to see Whooves leaning against the step railings, his hoof pressing against his face. "Umm... ehh..." she mumbled, unable to form an answer. So in turn she did something else. The most destructive weapon every good filly knew to use whenever dealing with grownups or when caught stealing from the cookie jar. An adorable smile and moist puppy eyes. "Sowwy." Whooves took one glimpse at her and instantly turned away. "N-no, everything's fine. I can clean that up later." He ended up sighing again and walked down the remaining steps. However he couldn't help but to notice that Dinky's expression had changed back to the happy one. Perhaps a bit happier than usual as she rolled in the white innings. To be honest, the old stallion felt jealous. How did he crave to be once again young and act dumb. Yet he felt an idiot for thinking something like that. It isn't like time machines exists. Nevertheless he was still happy to see such an enthusiastic individual full of life. It brought back memories. Whooves trotted over to one of the two padded chairs, that was coincidentally next to the whiteboard, and sat down. He took a quick glance to see that the box was still safe by the centre table. This is it. Time has come to pass down the knowledge. The stallion tilted his head over to the couch "Dinky," the pale purple filly stopped fooling around and in turn stared at the stallion "I need you to listen to me very carefully and I mean it. Dead serious." Dinky continued to stare at the narrowed sapphire eyes and nodded. He then rested his hooves on sides of the chairs and took a comfortable position. "First and foremost, are you absolutely sure you're up to this? Don't bluntly say yes, instead you have to understand the responsibility that'll come if I tell you about 'you-know-what'." Whooves leaned to same level as Dinky and they were face to face. "So, miss Dinky Doo, what is your answer?" "Sure!" "... what?" the chestnut stallion said, as he saw her smile to him "Didn't you just listen to what I just said?!" Dinky nodded "Well, yeah I did and I said 'sure'. Maybe you're the one who should get his ears checked out." she laughed innocently at look of his face "But still, I'm super-duper-extra-super sure that I wanna hear about real life Sandstallions.  Who wouldn't wanna?" The chestnut earth pony kept staring at the yellow eyes, but found nothing that would have hinted a lie or uncertainty. Ultimately he let his head drop with a breath. Indeed... who wouldn't want to? He laid back over to his chair and folded his front legs over his chest. Like he was an old pony, about to tell an epic and long tale about adventures in faraway lands. Except what he was about to tell was anything but made up children's stories, and he most certainly wasn't old. He cleared his throat "Dinky, am I right to believe you already know the story of Sandstallion?" he saw her nod "Well, as you already know, the story is about a legendary pony that's said to bring forth dreams to all ponies of the land every night." "With his magic dust, yes yes, I know already about that." Dinky impatiently noted. "Yes, with a magic dust that's said to keep any form of Nightmare away," after he finished, his eyes fixed onto the little unicorn, who herself was laying over the pillow "This tale is as old as Equestria herself, passed down to each new generation of ponies. It's even well known outside of her realm." He sighed. This stroke Dinky's interest as she watched mister Whooves's face change to a grim grimace. She continued to watch as Whooves leaned forward over towards the chest she had seen earlier. He flipped it open and now she too leaned over to see what was it about. When she got a look inside, she squealed. Whooves snickered and took out one of the many dolls "Ah, you too like these things?" he asked curiously as he placed the two legged figurine over to the table. The unicorn squealed yet again "Ohyesyesyesyesyesy, My Little Humans!" Instantly she stuck her head inside the box and grabbed single of the odd two legged, fully clothed toys. She took a closer look at the 'human' figurine, one that was dark shaded and wore a lavender outfit, and moved around the limbs that were referred to as 'arms'. She was so excited that she without any thought reached out at to it for— "I hate to interrupt your playtime, Dinky, but could you place it on the table?" The filly snapped off from dreaming and innocently smiled before lowering the doll to the table. But then she thought of something. "Umm... mister?" "Yes, what is it?" the earth pony replied whilst taking out couple more of the toys. Dinky rubbed back of her head. "Umm... nevermind," she said, not wanting to possibly hurt the stallion's feelings by asking stupid questions and importantly jeopardize her plans to play with them later. She patiently watched as Whooves put down one more doll, that wore a business outfit, and then closed the chest. "Now then," Whooves announced as he sat down next to the table and started to place the dolls in various positions. "Lets say these toys here represent normal ponies. They're all living happily in the wondrous place known as Ponyville, trotting around day after day with wide smiles and bright laughter. Everypony is happy and there's nothing to worry about." He moved around one of the figurines, one the 'women' that happened to wear something that resembled a cowpony outfit. "Let's say that this 'filly' here has had especially good day. She has been with her other friends and had some delicious ice-cream in a clear summer day with no school." "Kinda like me!" Dinky cried out, but then pressed back down. Whooves didn't seem the slightest angry and instead put the doll to lay down. "Indeed... now, the day has come to an end and everypony has had quite the day. From elders to foals, nobles to poors, everypony waits for our Princess to lower the sun and for the moon to rise, to mark start time for dreams." The earth pony smiled and turned to the filly. "Here's your first question: what will happen to everypony as they fall asleep?" Dinky tapped her chin with a hoof and thought about it very hard, as Whooves kindly noted from her silly expression. He stayed quiet for the minute it took for her to come up with an answer, fiddling with the marker between his hooves.  "They... have dreams?" she shyly asked and was relieved as the stallion nodded whilst turning over the empty whiteboard, to which he quickly wrote the word Dreams and circled it. "Correct. When you go to sleep, you'll have dreams no matter what. Nopony really knows why, but the legend says that they're gifts given by the princess of the moon, who watches over us every night from dark sky," his tone was mysterious as Dinky noted, but then he lazily shrugged "But scientists say it's due to the natural magic flowing in our bodies and I'm more profound to believe that over fairy-tales."  "Wait, fairytales?" Dinky stared back at Whooves, who was still writing something on the board. "But didn't you say that the Sandstallion is real and that's like a really old story. Or that's at least what Mommy says." Whooves continued to write on the board and then underlined the sentence: What are dreams? He then leaned at the board and touched the end of his muzzle with the marker "I never said that the tale itself is true. I merely said that I'm the Sandstallion." The earth pony tapped on the board with his red marker. "Now then, here's another good riddle: what are these dreams we have, where we experience our greatest imaginations and let our thoughts take over, leaving this dull existence behind our backs? The filly, already overwhelmed by the information on the story part, remained quiet as she stared at the words. Nevertheless, Whooves warmly smiled, as he knew she possibly couldn't have known the answer, and instead turned yet again over the board. He drew a line from the question and wrote a single word. Magic "One wise pony once said that dreams are magic that even non-unicorns can conjure. Indeed, our dreams are merely nothing more than projections of our inner magic. One that resides in every sentient being." He then laughed weakly "It's actually one thing that makes us different from normal animals. Anyways, it isn't very well known why this happens except for once again referring to the princess of dreams. Maybe it's just a way to keep our magic reserve balanced out, so that no harm comes forth." "But... but... w-what about nightmares? A-are they magic too?" Dinky weakly asked. She instantly regretted it. She saw how mister Whoove's face went through a complete change as every feature of relaxation vanished and was replaced what she could describe as... nothing. There was no word Dinky knew that could describe the bland look of his. But Whooves knew one. Depression. The stallion turned back at the board with a disheartening sigh. "No, Dinky, no... Nightmares are anything else but dreams." He began to write on the board underneath rest of the words. " Dinky, you need to listen very carefully as this is the cornerstone for the foundation of Sandstallions." Dinky gulped "Y-y-yes, sir! I will!" Whooves didn't answer back. Dinky watched him write something, but it was hidden behind his back and it didn't matter how much she tried to get a glimpse over the shoulders. But it didn't matter, as in no time Whooves moved out of the way. Dinky now saw what he had written and she let out a gasp. Nightmares are REAL! "What?!" Back by the padded chair, the chestnut pony looked serious "Dinky, even though it may sound absolutely crazy, this is the solid truth here," he let his eyelids fall down "Nightmares are, in fact, sentient creatures. Well, spirits if you wanna get technical with it." The filly stayed quiet. Her mind was filled so many questions that craved for an answer but refused to come out from her open mouth that hung loose. However the stallion quickly caught onto her and smiled. Well, you cannot really blame her, can you Whooves? Remember how you acted to... him. He coughed and the yellow eyes of Dinky's darted at him"I understand how you feel. How about I tell you a little bit more, then we can call it quits for today? How does that sound?" he calmly explained and was pleased as Dinky nodded, even if quite meekly. So Whooves adjusted his position and then looked back to her. "Now, what are Nightmares? It may sound odd, but a best word to describe them is a leech." "Leech?" Dinky asked and the stallion nodded before continuing. "Leech; they're beings that feed on other beings for magic, kinda like how we eat and drink everyday. But our magic value is normally very low, outside of course when unicorns perform magic but on those are more of magical spikes and Nightmares need time to consume their dinner. That's why they seek for dreams; unaware sleepers are basically served dishes for them." "Do-do they hurt ponies?" she whispered. The stallion shook his head "Thankfully not. Think about it; a leech doesn't gain anything good if it's host dies," the already pale purple coat of Dinky's got even lighter "Uhh... look, Nightmares aren't frankly that powerful as they might sound. You do remember how I beat that ugly mug with an ease." he laughed, trying to calm her down. But Dinky stayed quiet. Her mind was still overwhelmed by all this; false tales, dreams, Nightmares... Yet there was one last question left. "Umm... can I ask something?" Dinky was finally able to talk and aimed her words to curious Whooves "You said 'Sandstallions'. You mean...you're not alone?" "Hmm? Oh, of course I'm not alone. Our organizations is quite large." "H-how many?" Whooves rubbed his chin "Uhh... hmm... say, maybe some couple hundred stallions both in field and at the Bureau." he then shrugged "Not that it really matters much, because you won't be seeing anypony else." Dinky's confusion rose "Huh, what do you mean? Why cannot I see other Sandstallions?" "Umm... well, you see," Whooves paused for a moment "You see, you're not yet a fully-fledged member. Even if you're my apprentice, our regulations are very strict on who are allowed to know about us." "Then who knows about you?" Dinky continued to stare at him in awe. "That's actually quite few. All I know is that the Commander of the Royal Guards and Princess herself are the only ones outside of course the immediate families from which Sandstallions mostly come out from. I for myself come from such a family..." He left the end trailing, swearing deep inside he had opened his big mouth. Don't ask about it, don't ask about it, don't- "So was your family too-" "Oh look at the time!" Whooves interrupted the filly and pointed his hoof at the wall clock "Goddess me, time really flies by when you're talking about my family- I mean, about relatives- I mean my work. Yes, that's it!" Dinky too looked at the time, however she viewed it in disbelief before looking at the frantic stallion "Uhh, are you sure, mister? It's only past two." But by the time she looked back, she saw that Whooves had already stood up "Nonsense, dear Dinky!" he said warmly and headed over towards the opening "Now come on Dinky, how about we have our own little tea party? Wouldn't that sound great, hmm?" "I don't drink tea..." "Then I'll fix up something else. Now come on, time's wasting!" But Dinky looked back and forth between him and the clock, however in the end she jumped off from the couch and approached him with head held low. To which Whooves responded with a hymn of approval. "Perfect, except we're missing something... Oh right! Dinky, would you be kind enough to grab our little friends from there and-" The chestnut stallion didn't get to finish before he watched the happy flash of purple disappear back into the living room. Nevertheless he smiled faintly whilst hearing her go through the dolls, searching for just the right one. "Heh kids. So easily predictable." Whooves laughed.   ~~~~~~~~ Colours of dark red already painted the skies of Equestria when Derpy finally caught first building of Ponyville in her view. She smiled confidently as her wings guided her way, gliding smoothly past layers of clouds like they weren't there. in the first place. Derpy sighed "Oh what a day this has been." With an ease of a natural born flier like she was, even if some folks doubted it due to the many accidents, it was only in matter of seconds that it took for her to reach the so-called flying zone of the town. One that all of the local pegasi, expect for that one reckless cyan one, used normally in order to keep an eye contact with the surface. But for her it didn't matter that much as she already knew where she needed to head. Therefore it didn't take too much for her to land on her homestreet and onto the porch of her apartment. Derpy merely dropped off her mail saddle, all dirty and mushy from the day long flight to Canterlot. Her eyes, or at least one of them, turned to stare to other end of the street. To where Derpy trotted off and headed directly towards Whooves's door. Similar to rest, but it was recognizable from a little adornment on the door shaped on the form of hourglass. I just hope Dinky hasn't caused much trouble. Well, at least not as much as her energetic attitude usually causes, the pegasus poundered. Yet she took a calming breath and faintly knocked three times on the door. As she stood there, she noticed some odd scratches on it however she instantly forgot them when she heard the lock click. It opened and a stallion poke his head outside, smile forming on instant he saw her. "Ah, you're back. I trust your trip went well?" The grey pegasus yawned and rubbed her yellow eyes. "Exhausting, but nothing too unusual; weather was beautiful, birds flew along with me, no random dragon attack anywhere close by," her words slurred as the pegasus felt how her bed was calling back at home "Anyways, is Dinky..." Whooves smiled and pulled the door open for the mailmare "Oh yes. Just keep it down will you? I just got her to sleep." To that Derpy cocked her eyebrows "Sleep? Her? But-" yet as the living room ahead was revealed to her, it shocked the pegasus to see he was telling her the honest truth. Over by the broad couch laid the curled up young pony, sleeping away unbeknownst to of her mother trotting over to her. She saw that on the table next to furniture were laid a set of cups with a dark brown liquid within. Her amazement was still visible "Just... how..." Derpy stuttered, finding hard to utter proper words. To that the stallion, who now had walked beside her, replied with gently grabbing the little sleeper by the neck and dropping her off the pegasus's back. "Hot chocolate, completed by secret family ingredient," Whooves whispered with same levelled laughter, to which Derpy responded with an unsure smirk as she gave a glimpse on her back. Rather more towards at what the filly was firmly hugging against herself. A 'human' doll that wore a purple dress. "Oh, umm... here, let me just-" but just as Derpy was about to pull the toy away, she was stopped by the brown hoof of the stallion. She turned to look at him with a questioning look and watched Whooves shake his head. "Nah, it's fine. She can keep that," "I-I see..." the mare whispered and rested her wings over Dinky, like an enclosing bloom of a flower, before turning directly towards the stallion who had just managed to do a miracle. "Thanks... and "sorry if she caused you any trouble." Whooves tried to muffle his laughter but failed miserably "Oh sorry, but I have to disagree with you. Dinky here has been nothing but a terrific fun. After all, I do tend to get lonely from time to time so I do appreciate any sort of company," he then tilted his muzzle at the still open front door "Now if you really wouldn't mind, I've gotta start to prepare for upcoming night." Derpy stared at his deep blue eyes for a short moment until she broke to a smile and her hooves began to trot away from the stallion. As she got to the door, she turned to give one last smile to the caretaker. I think I like this pony, she thought while closing the door after her and made a steady journey down to her own apartment. Back inside, the chest stallion puffed in relief as the door closed and thanked Celestia she hadn't taken a closer look at the doll. Otherwise... no, he didn't even want to think what she would have thought of him. The things I did when I was a young colt... But weren't those the times! Sandstallion yawned loudly and stretched his back "Guess I'll grab the pills and hit the bed for quick nap." with that he was off to upstairs and in no time got inside his bedroom. But as he got there, he smacked himself on forehead.  "Ahh! Stupid Whooves!" he muttered in the instant he saw the now dry saddlepack of Dinky's on his bed. He had totally forgotten about it and now it was all but too late to return it. He sighed and lifted it, making a mental note to return it in tomorrow morning and possibly apologize for the inconvenience. Whooves he then headed over to the side, where a pile of random objects laid on a neat pile. All were from inside of Dinky's bag. With a grumble, he started to put them back inside and also making sure to balance the weight between the two sides. Luckily most of the stuff were light and therefore easy to place. Stuff like crayons, clean papers, plastic scissors and- Nevertheless there was something that caught his attention. It was a paper piece, however substantially larger than the rest and also folded down. He could see how colours shined through the paper. Whooves grabbed it and weighed on his hoof "She must have done this on the art course -thingy she mentioned." The stallion looked to his sides, like excepting somepony to be around, before folding the paper open. If there was one thing he hated, that was curiosity. Even if it was wrong for him to look at someone else's stuff. Oh what are you worrying about, old bugger? It's just a picture! Nothing else or- He was wrong. Utterly wrong. In the first second he saw it, he felt something hit him. Not physically, but inside of him. He felt... he felt... anguished. "What in..." he quietly uttered. The picture was nothing more than a simple crayon picture, like the ones he had seen earlier today. That in mind, they were well made, considering how young the artist was. But that was not what mattered. What mattered was what it had in, and that was two pegasus flying side by side. and giving happy looks. One grey and other smaller purple, both with identical blond manes and large postal saddle packs filled with letters. ~~~~~~~~ It was quiet in the room, more specifically inside the office. On it's sides were planted top to bottom large windows that bathed the room with the lights of the never sleeping city, Canterlot. The helm of all Equestria and her culture, unlike the dirty industrial Manehattan or the near countryside Fillydelphia. The lights of its tall buildings came through the glass panels and in at an angle, highlighting the luxurious furniture that littered the room. Something you could expect to see in the CEO -offices of vast equine enterprises. Nevertheless in the middle of all this stood a beautifully engraved work desk of sorts, theme of it being the nightsky. However there was no chair by it. Instead there was one opposite to it, turned towards the window. On it, sat a unicorn. Knocks rang from over the door. Followed by these, the door into the offices carefully opens up and in walks a light red unicorn stallion with a buzzy snow white mane with a pair of reading glasses over his forehead. Otherwise the colt wore a simple checkered vest that left his typewriter Cutie Mark clear for sight. The door closed behind him "You called me, sir?" he asked in rather shyly while walking further inside. The colt then saw how the hoof at the chair pointed towards the table. So he walked over there. There was nothing else expect a single piece of paper with couple of lines on it. But the vest wearing pony instantly recognized what it was about as he saw the purple stamp on it. He chuckled weakly while levitating the paper up to air. "So somepony has taken an assistant," he muttered while waiting for it to come to him. At the same time a timid huff of approval sounded from over the chair. But the other unicorn shrugged whilst dropping the glasses to his muzzle and grabbing the paper with his hoof. "Now then lets see what this is all ab-" A silence fell into the room yet again. By the chair, the imperial purple unicorn stallion stood up. He was wearing a full set of a black tuxedo with a same coloured tie as his long mane and beard, light blonde with streaks of white by the end. His horn was slightly curved near to the tip and it had a golden ring with a large star strapped on. It gave to him an appearance of old-times, but at the same time also that of authority. But at the desk, the piece of paper fell from the grasp of the stallion "N-n-nonono, th-this cannot be true! You must be joking, right sir?" Nevertheless the old stallion proceeded to take out from his jacket pocket a pipe and began to fill it with tobacco powder while still staring down onto the lively night streets. "Since when I have ever lied to you, my dear secretary?" his soothing tone spoke out. By now the red unicorn had started to get bad vibes "But it cannot be, sir! I-it's an impossibility! There's no way this is a really happening... right?" The elderly pony closed the small powder pouch and put it away while taking out a box of matches. All this occurred with his horn blared in oddly gloom colour of crimson. Yellows eyes behind the pair of glasses darted fully open "Oh Stars, you're being serious aren't you?" With a simple nod, the purple unicorn placed the pipe between his lips and took an experimental inhale to keep the flame burning steadily. "It's indeed true what it reads." He inhaled the smoke to his lungs before releasing to trail towards the ceiling that was completely covered in symbols of the Moon. "The Doctor has finally taken an assistant." <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: Torch of Forbidden Love author: TheGreatEater tags: character:Derpy Hooves, character:Dinky Hooves, character:Sweetie Belle, character:Twilight Sparkle, content:Alternate Universe, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, warning:Sex

=== Chapter 1 === Dinky looked over the table at her mother, and prodded her food with her hoof. Derpy's left eye rolled up from her food and looked at her daughter, "Honey, what's the matter? I thought you loved cherry strudel, and avocado hearts?" "Oh I do!" Dinky chirped, before letting loose a sad sigh, "It's just that Hearts and Hooves day is coming up in a few days, and I think it's sad that the best mommy in Equestria doesn't have a special somepony." "D'awwww! Dinky, you're the only special somepony I need in my life, you're my precious little muffin," Derpy said with a sad smile. Her daughter was more sad at her lack of love life than she was. Derpy admitted to herself that sometimes she wanted to find herself a good special somepony that'd love her and her daughters, but for some reason the few stallions that weren't already snatched up by some mare, were gay, or learned she was a single parent and ran. But that didn't matter to her. She had two wonderful daughters, and her eldest was in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Something that filled her with pride, and she knew her youngest muffin was destined for a good future. Her daughter giving a small squee brought her out of her contemplations, "Do you really mean that?" "Of course my little muffin. You and your sister are the only ponies I need in my life, and I'm happy that you think I'm the best mom in Equestria, you two are the lights of my life," Derpy said with a more honest smile. Dinky dug into her food at that and as she finished she said, "Mommy, I'm going to give you the best Heart and Hooves day ever!" Derpy worked hard to focus both eyes on her daughter, and a wide smile split her face, "Muffin, you already make every day special. But thank you for the sentiment." Dinky flipped her mattress to go through her super secret money hiding spot. She was saving bits over the last two years to get her mother the best gift possible. Something to show her how much she meant to Dinky. But hearing her mother say that she was her special somepony, and the greatest thing in her life. She wanted to be her official special somepony. This is going to be the best Heart and Hooves Day ever. Mommy says I'm super adorable, and that my magic is as good as Amy's when she was my age. And everypony knows Amy is super good at magic, not as good as Missus Princess Twilight. But she's still super amazing. All I need to do is do what I heard Sweetie Belle said her sister said to her friend, to help a friend of a friend … which is really confusing. But that doesn't matter. All I need to do is leave letters signed secret admirer, and get her special things like her favorite flowers, and sweets. Then when she's all excited reveal myself in a nice dress. Then ask her to be my filly friend. Then stuff happens, that I haven't heard about yet, but whatever it is that special somepony's do. Looking at her collection of hard earned bits, she counted 1,404 bits that she had saved up from her allowance and odd jobs. She knew that it would cost her 400 bits for supreme Azalea bouquet, and 50 bits for Bon-Bon's super sized gift basket. The rest would be good for getting a nice dress and hopefully a nice restaurant. Dinky cantered up to the Flower Trio and looked up at Lily and gave Lily her most adorable puppy dog eyes, "Misses Lily, do you have a bouquet of Azaleas?" "Argh! D'awwabetus!" Lily dramatically cried, before trying to collect herself from the onslaught of cuteness, "I do. Why do you need them Dinky?" "Well I want to give my mommy the bestest Hearts and Hooves Day ever! And Azaleas are her favorite so I'm gonna buy her some," Dinky replied with a face splitting smile. "Gah! I'd love to give you some for free, but they're expensive. Maybe I could give you one? How's that sound?" Lily asked, shuffling her hooves. "But I can buy them, I saved up my money for a special gift for her," Dinky said bringing out her colossal bag of bits. "Um … how many bits do you have?" Lily gulped. "One thousand, four hundred and four bits. It took me two years, but I got enough bits to show my mommy just how special she is to me," Dinky chirped merrily. "Two years? I don't think I've ever heard of a filly saving up that much money, and to give your mom something special. I'll tell you what," Lily said looking at the rest of the trio, "do you girls think we can afford to give this hard working filly a nice discount on what she's buying?" When the group gave a nod she lowered herself to look at Dinky, "Tell you what, I'll give you a 25% discount on whatever you buy. How does that sound?" Dinky knew that was whatever something was divided by four because Mrs. Cheerilee told her so, and Mrs. Cheerilee was almost as smart as her mom in her opinion. With what she wanted to buy for her mom she knew that was going to give her tons of bits to spend on other special things. So giving a nod she withdrew one hundred bits, "Okay I would pretty please with a cherry on top, like a Supreme Azalea Bouquet, please?" She asked "Of course, now since this is such a special gift, we'll deliver it to your house in person, would you like anything else?" Lily asked with a soft smile. "I think I'm good. Thank you very much Miss Lily, Now I gotta get some other stuffs," Dinky almost sang with merriment at her good fortune before bouncing off. Okay, now I have to put one of the secret notes I spent almost all night working on so it didn't look like I wrote it … I'll have to ask Shady Daze how to do that the bestest way again for later. Although I wonder why he thought I was playing a prank? Oh well colts are weird. It was several minutes, but to her felt like forever before she reached the Candy Shack, Bonbon's premiere candy story. When she walked in she felt her jaw drop, and rivulets of drool drip out. With a force of will far greater than most fillies, she did what she did every time she had walked by this shop, and told herself her bits were needed for the greater good. And there was no greater good than making sure the best pony to ever be born had the best things bits could buy. "Welcome to the Candy Shack, where the best candies in Equestria are made," Sang a voice behind the counter. Dinky grinned at Bonbon who wore a victorious smile as if she won a bet like Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are always doing, "Hi Dinky, what brings you in here?" Bonbon asked. "Well its almost Hearts and Hooves Day, and I wanted to make it the best day ever for my mommy, so I'm getting her the bestest of the best candy," Dinky said with a giddy grin. "Awwww! Nothing for yourself?" Bonbon asked. "Nope, my mommy is more important than sweets, but she likes sweets. Even if she can't always afford them, and she says that her coin purse ate her bits. Which sounds mean to me, but I can't find a muzzle for a coin purse, so I'm going to get her candy instead," Dinky rambled adorably. Bonbon swooned, and fell into the waiting clutches of her marefriend Lyra, "That is the most noble, d'awwabetus inducing thing I've ever heard. I hope when Lyra gives me a baby she'll be half as sweet as you. Well Dinky today is your lucky day, for the next few days we have some discounts around the store. How much were you looking to spend?" Dinky took out the massive weight of her coin purse and dropped it to the ground, "Ummm … I saved three hundred bits on flowers, so I could probably go with about three hundred and fifty bits or less. Can that buy enough candy Miss Bonbon?" "Just call me Bonbon, Miss is my mother, and yeah I think we can hook you up with something. Hmmm … tell you what, since this is for your mom and not yourself right?" "Right Mi- I mean Bonbon." "Well I can give you ten percent off of our mega delux, heart melter package." "But I don't want my mommy's heart to melt! She needs that to live!" Dinky cried. Which had the effect of causing every adult in the building to fall down laughing so hard tears were flowing, much to the consternation of Dinky Doo. "No, no! Its not actually melting a ponies heart, heart melting is an expression. It means that a pony loves something so much that they can't control their gratitude, or love of that thing. Trust me it's great," Bonbon said between breaths as she struggled to control herself. "Oh okay, that sounds just like what I'm looking for, how much is it?" "For you, it'll be a hundred and eighty bits, and we'll even throw in a gift card for the Cakes Confectionary Emporium for sixty bits. How does that sound?" Bonbon said with a bright smile. Even though she was losing eighty bits, helping out a filly who was willing to spend her hard earned bits on another pony was the least she could do. "That'd be amazing!" Dinky said, counting out the bits she let Lyra pick them up and with a filly's enthusiasm glomped the pair. Hugging their legs with all she was worth, "I can't wait for my mommy to get her heart melting candies. This is going to be the best Hearts and Hooves Day for her ever! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" "You're welcome, Dinky, by the way how much bits did you have, and how did you get all those bits?" Lyra asked. "Well I had one thousand, four hundred and four. Then I spent a hundred on flowers that I got on discount. Then I spent one hundred and eighty here. So now I have … one thousand, one hundred and twenty four. As for how I got it. Easy, I saved all the bits I made working and for my allowance for two years while looking for the bestest gift to show my mommy how much I love her. So now I'm going to give her the bestest Hearts and Hooves day ever. Oh! But you have to keep it a surprise! I want to keep it a secret until I get everything ready." Bonbon looked at Dinky with wide eyes and Dinky heard sniffles throughout the building, "That is the most sweetest thing ever. You mom is really lucky to have a filly like you," Bonbon said before turning to nuzzle Lyra lovingly, "Tonight, you and me, we're going to have a foal as sweet as Dinky." Dinky remembered a little of what Miss Cheerilee told them about how foals came from and she felt herself blushing brightly as she remembered Cheerilee telling them how a lot of mares had babies if they weren't able to find a stallion of their own. Especially if one was a unicorn of average power. Giving a squeaky goodbye she ran from the store. The first part of her plan being set into motion. === Chapter 2 === Dinky strolled into the library and was greeted by Princess Twilight when she entered, "Hi Dinky, I haven't seen you here since every filly and colt came here for Twilight Time, does Cheerilee have a school report for you to do?" "No, I wanted to look around on my own and do some light reading if that's okay with you Missus Princess Twilight?" Twilight blushed profusely before asking, "You, want to read, for fun?" "Yu-huh!" Dinky said nodding happily. "Oh! My! Gosh! YES!" Twilight said jumping into the air and fluttering excitedly, "What do you want to learn!? I can help you if you need it, oh and please just call me Twilight. I haven't been a princess for long, " She practically sang like she did when she met a young mind who wanted to learn and grow. A rarity for her in a small village like Ponyville. Even with the slight discomfort she still felt when ponies called her Princess Twilight. "I think I'm good, I'm just going to look around. Thank you." Dinky said before strolling around. Eventually she found the books she was looking for. How to Date, 101 tips for the perfect night on the town; Romance Do's and Don'ts: A survival guide in the world of dating; and Eros: Spells of Love and Passion for the committed mare. Hunkering down in a corner she started reading as time flew by her. She was less reading, and more skimming, going over passages that looked important or talked about first dates. A lot of the things she didn't need. Since she lived with her mother she already knew a lot about her, and the experiences they talked about that alluded to attraction were things she felt when she thought about her. But they did give some good ideas for a first date. Lastly was the spells in the book Eros. She knew now why Amy was so against telling her the spell to get colt bits. It was really weird looking, and while it wasn't that complex it had a lot of weird rules to it to prevent accidental pregnancy. Things like not eating nuts before doing the spell, or not doing during the seventh full moon of the year, and stuff like that. But she also found spells that with her fledgling magic could pull off such as erotic massage for use on pegasi, and a spell, that made her light up like a Hearth's Warming tree, that gave immense orgasms depending on the level of love and lust a pony felt towards the other. Memorising the spells and information, she closed the books and headed out before it was time to be home. When she got to her place she saw the flowers sitting beside the door, thanking her luck she placed the first love letter on the flowers and walked inside the house. The letter when read said, "Dearest Derpy, I've known you for a long time, and even though I've never said how much you mean to me. I hope these flowers will be a token of my affection. You are more beautiful than Celestia, and more lovely than any sunset. Your kindness and compassion is bigger than the ocean and there are so few words to tell you how I feel, but I have one more gift for you before we meet, expect to see it the day before Hearts and Hooves Day. Love, -♥ Your Secret Admirer ♥ Dinky thought it sounded funny, but a lot of the romance novels had heros that said funny things like that and the mare always loved it. So she thought her mother would like something like that, and she reminded herself to thank Sweetie Belle with coming up with the love notes. Sure she was weirded out at first, but when Dinky explained how much she loved her mom and how important showing that love to her was. Sweetie was all on board. She even said that her and Twilight shared a secret love. And if it was possible to love an older mare who meant the world to you, then loving a mother who was as nice as Derpy wasn't so bad. And with that three love letters were developed. One with the flowers, one with the candy, and one at a special place to be read at sunset before the date. Dinky couldn't express just how thankful she was to Sweetie Belle sharing her note sharing spell to her months ago so they could keep in touch. Something that since the Cutie Mark Crusaders started up all those years ago had been less and less. She waited on the seat until her mother arrived, holding the flowers in cupped wings. A radiant smile on her face as she spotted the open note told her that her first gift was a success. Derpy hopped into the kitchen and placed the flowers on the table as she hummed a merry tune. Feigning innocence she asked, "Did somepony get you flowers?" "Yes! And a love letter! Oh My Celestia it's been ages since I got flowers and I never got a love letter before. I feel as giddy as a school filly, I just wonder who it could be. I bet that ponies really shy," Derpy said happily. Her body glowing with joy. Just a few more days, and I can tell her. But I'm glad I made her this happy, I wonder if I can make her happier someday? "I bet that pony really cares about you. I hope they get to be your special somepony when you meet them," Dinky said excitedly. "You'd be okay with that? Me dating whoever this admirer is?" Derpy asked with baited breath. "Of course! If you end up with that pony I'll be the happiest filly in all of Equestria," Dinky said. That reply brought a huge smile to Derpy's face as she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "That makes me so happy to hear. Do you know who this pony is?" Derpy asked Now Dinky knew it was bad to lie, but she also knew that this secret was important so she went with the middle ground, "I know who that pony is, but its a secret. But I can promise you that, that pony loves you, and worked really hard to get everything, and I really hope you become that ponies 'special' special somepony." "Well if you vouch for who ever this pony is and you're okay with it, then I can't wait to see who this somepony is, and Dinky, " Derpy said wrapping her child in a loving winghug, "you'll always be my most special somepony. No matter who I date, and I'm happy that you're happy for this." Dinky nuzzled her mothers barrel and was tempted to spill the beans but she knew that if she ruined the surprise it wouldn't be as amazing as it could be, "I know that I'm your most special somepony, and I love you mommy. Forever and always." "Same here my little muffin." It was a week later and Dinky awoke early to intercept the chocolates before they arrived in the morning. She had several false starts when she thought she heard her mother wake up, but thank Luna she didn't wake up. She crept outside and waited until the candies arrived. It felt like forever, but whenever she felt like going back to her nice comfy bed. Curled up with Favorite, her blankey, she reminded herself that this sacrifice of the sanctity of her afternoon sleep was for a good cause. Eventually she saw a tired Lyra trudge up to the house, when Lyra saw her she gave a wink and said, "So where's your mom? I bet she's going to be so stoked to get there." "She's sleeping right now, I just wanted to be up to make sure that I could get the chocolates before she woke up so she can see them first thing," Dinky said in a loud whisper as if afraid of talking loudly would wake up the love of her life. "Alright, got you," Lyra whispered in a conspirative tone, "trust me she's going to love these. See ya." "Bye, and thank you." Dinky said, waving her hooves as she looked at the colossal creation in front of her. It was a giant stuffed teddy bear twice her size in a wagon with little hearts on it. The bear was holding a giant heart shaped box of chocolates with bottles of wine, and little candy flowers around it, and it looked like under the artistically displayed candies were various little nicknacks that Dinky admitted looked adorable. She felt a giddy grin just looking at it, and knowing that if she was feeling this good her mother would be ecstatic. Placing the note on top of the heart she carefully pulled it inside. With her mission done she trotted back to sleep, wrapped herself with Favorite and passed out with a smile on her face as she mentally read what she wrote. My dearest Derpy, You must be a Princess for you rule my heart. Your beauty is indescribable for trying to would not do it justice. Even if I were to try to describe the grace of your wings, or the radiance of your body. Or how with a word you take my breath away, or with a gaze from your divine gaze slay me. It would not do it justice. You are truly the most beautiful mare in the entire world, and my days are more brighter when I see you. I know you must be curious to who I am by now, but tonight under the bench facing the lake. There is one last note, wait until sunset to read it, and I'll meet you then. Until later my Goddess, -Love -♥ Your Secret Admirer ♥ Dinky woke up when Derpy gave her a gentle nudge awake. Wiping the sleep from her eyes she looked at her mother who was glowing like Celestia during the Summer Sun Celebration. Seeing the smile on her face brought out an equally bright smile of her own. "Hi my little muffin, I just had to wake you up. You brought in the present for me?" Derpy asked in a level of joy that Dinky hadn't heard before. "Yep, I woke up earlier so I could bring it in. It's good isn't it?" Dinky asked. "Yes it is! I can't wait for to meet this pony. He or she is just magnificent! And I know how highly you think of this pony, I've never known you to keep a secret this long, and I know how happy you are for us to date. So … it's just … I can't describe this feeling!" "Heart melting?" Dinky offered hopefully. "Beyond that muffin, I feel like I could explode with joy. Nopony's ever complimented me like this pony has, or made me feel so much joy short of Amethyst Star and yourself. But if that pony's going to meet me tonight, and this is going to be my first date in forever I have to get ready. Listen Dinky, I love you with all my heart and I promise to be home in time to tuck you in, okay sweetie?" "Don't worry about it, stay out as long as you like. I have a feeling that you're going to enjoy your time with your special somepony, and I love you too, with all my heart. Just promise to have fun okay?" Dinky beemed. "Alright, if you need anything, do that one spell Sweetie showed you and contact me immediately alright?" "Alright, I promise," Dinky said before going through the motion of the most unbreakable oath known to ponykind, "cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." As her mother left Dinky felt a warmth fill her body, and radiate from her. I really need to do something nice for Sweetie Belle and Twilight after tonight, but if this works as I hope it does. Then I'll be the fillyfriend of the worlds best pony. I can't wait! === Chapter 3 === Derpy was on cloud nine. Up until recently the only ponies that were special in her life were Amethyst Star and Dinky Doo, and they were the best part of her life. There really is no comparison to the pride a mother gets when her children turn out right. It's even better than getting one's Cutie Mark, knowing that you put something good into the world. But this was different, ever since she gave birth to Amethyst Star all those years ago she'd felt unapproachable. Any of the straight, non-married stallions took one look at her adorable baby and ran off. Even Dinky's father, that she had accidentally met when celebrating the colossal effort it took to get a waiver for her daughter to get into Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns, wasn't an exception for a different matter. She'd gotten drunk on cheap daiquiris and was in heat when a unicorn that reminded her of Amy's father sweet talked her into getting under her tail. She woke up and she was gone, eleven months later Dinky was born. But she never regretted it. Every compliment she got from total strangers on her children's behavior, every good mark in school, or letter from Amy telling her of her further studies, filled her with profound joy. And she'd given up on getting a special somepony of her own. It just wasn't all that important. But those love letters,f while extremely cheesy, were the sweetest things she was ever told. Not to mention that the only flowers she had ever received were from her daughters on the rare occasions she could give them the bits to get her something from them as a birthday present. As for candy, if she didn't buy it herself, she didn't get any other than as birthday gifts from Pinkie Pie during her annual "Happy Birthday Derpy Doo!" Celebration. To have not only gotten both of those things, but it was a pony that Dinky knew and trusted. And more importantly approved of was the greatest week of Derpy's life. It showed too, she had ponies that knew her tell her how much she glowed and how much happier they were for her for getting a special somepony. When she told them she hadn't met them yet and mentioned the love letters, she was met with a mix of jealousy and compliments on her luck. Derpy thought about all of this while cuddling her massive teddy bear, and breathing in the sweet scent of candy that saturated it. If she was honest, a bit of her was scared that this would end the same as the last two ponies that entered her life, but the other part of her trusted her daughter and if she thought the pony was a good one then she'd love to get to know that pony more. It was later that day when the carriage Dinky hired for the evening strolled into the park's entrance a ways from the lake. She saw her mother fly down near the park bench and look around for the note. She stepped out of the carriage and admired the dress that Rarity had so generously given her. It was a material that looked like silver but moved like water, flowing delicately around her small, lithe form. Around her neck she wore a silver necklace with a citrine gem and small blue topaz stones encircling it. When she told Rarity that she didn't think she could afford it, she was told that a filly's first love came only once in a lifetime, and having inspired her into making a new material, it was only fitting that she be given it for free. Under the stipulations that she tell her about her date, even if she didn't learn who that special somepony was, and anything she could tell her about the fabric. How it breathed, was it comfortable, how easy it was to move in, what ever she could think of, next time they talked. Sauntering up to the lake she looked at her mother who had her hair done in a series of braids that met and were braided in the center forming a ponytail like braid. She smiled as she thought about the letter and how this was almost like she imagined it. Dearest Derpy, If you are reading this then, you found my letter. First I want to say that I want to make you the happiest mare in all of the world, for it's how you make me feel everyday. The flowers, and candy were just a small way of showing how I feel, and hopefully the date I have planned for us goes as wonderfully as I hope it does. As for who I am. Look behind you, Dinky saw her mother look behind her, at the carriage at the distance and at her daughter all dressed up for the date. And a look that was a mix of elation, confusion, and worry spread across her face, "Dinky?" "Yes mommy, I saved up for two years to get you the perfect gift because I love you. You are the greatest pony in all of the entire world, and every day with you is the best day of my life. When you said that I was the only special pony that you needed, I wanted to make it official. So I planned on making this the bestest Hearts and Hooves Day that ever was. "I-I love you with all my heart, and it'd make me the happiest pony ever to have you as my fillyfriend," Dinky said earnestly. "I love you too, but society frowns down on mommies and their little muffins getting together that way," Derpy said. "But the ponies I bought the flowers and candy and paid for our date tonight knew it was me buying them for you and they were okay with it." "Really?" "Yep! I told them that I was making you the bestest Hearts and Hooves Day ever, and that I loved you. And they said that was the nicest thing they ever heard. So it has to be okay, and even if it wasn't. You are the only pony for me. In my heart of hearts I know that if I can't be with you, then I'd rather not be with anypony because nopony can be as amazing as you," Dinky replied. "We-well then alright!" Derpy said with conviction, fire burning behind her eyes, "I'll be your fillyfriend. After all with all that hard work you spent on me, and how happy I've been these last few days. I'll give us a try." With that she wrapped her daughter in a hug and nuzzled her lovingly. Leaving a hoof on her haunches she looked at her in a new light, this amazing filly had shown her love greater than anypony had ever given her in her long life. And she'd had seen many ponies come and go, but none had ever spent as much time in showing their love and affection to her as her loving daughter had. She almost felt as if she had felt a missing part of herself return to her, and with a cheesy grin that was mirrored by her daughter said, "Well now, lets see what else you've gotten set up for tonight. And muffin? "Yes mommy?" "Thank you for everything. You truly are the best thing that's happened to me," Derpy said before trotting alongside her new fillyfriend. The carriage ride was an almost quiet one, not the uncomfortable, oppressive silence of an uncomfortable situation but a serene, peaceful one. With Dinky snuggled up to her mother's side as Derpy's wing lovingly embraced Dinky's body casually rubbing her small, tender body affectionately. As they got near their destination Dinky spoke up, "I read in a book that dates usually are to see if a pony's compatible with each other, to learn new things about a pony, and get closer to them is that true?" "It is. Although for us it's more of the latter, since we know almost everything about each other, but that doesn't make it any less special," Derpy replied, looking under her wing at Dinky lovingly. "I agree, although I think we can still learn more about you, I'm enjoying showing you just how amazing of a pony you are to me," Dinky said nuzzling Derpy's barrel giving a throaty sigh of joy. Derpy giggled behind her hoof at the adorableness, "True, and I'm going to enjoy hearing your tale of how you went about wooing me." "Oh! We're here! I hope you like La Pasture', it was hard to get a date here, but I was lucky that the matter dee pony person, was able to squeeze me in since I was able to pay in advanced," Dink chirped. Hopping out of the carriage. Dinky hopped giddily around Derpy who blushed at her daughters' joy at her first real date. And even though she still had some reservations, mentally told herself that she was going to enjoy her time with her love, no matter how short of a time together they might have in the long run. She was going to make her daughter as happy as she made her. The maître d greeted them with a confused smile, "Hello little miss, and I'm guessing you are her mother?" "I am," Derpy blushed. "Well when your daughter told me of how hard she had been working over these last few years to give you a present worthy of how amazing she felt you were. I must say that I was moved, I remember being young and my mother taking me out on special days with her. So I decided to give her the best seat in the house, although I'll admit that my family never got glammed up like this. It must be your first time at a restaurant of this calibre?" He said as he lead them upstairs. "It is, are we overdressed?" Derpy asked embarrassedly. "Of course not, well my fine ladies here is your private booth and a waiter will be with you shortly," He said with a bow of utmost professionalism. The booth they were in was its own little room with a window overlooking Ponyville, where the light of the fading day shown beautifully as the sky was painted with purples, oranges, and gentle reds. Derpy sighed at how romantic this whole occasion was and had to admit to herself that Dinky outdid herself on setting up this date. "So muffin, how did you get this all started up?" Derpy asked. "Well it all started when I was eleven. I wanted to get you something that was as special to you as you were to me. So I started saving my bits, then a week ago when I decided that I wanted you as a 'special' special somepony, I spent it. Over a thousand bits, well most of all of its spent," Dinky said gazing lovinging into her mother's eyes. "That is the most romantic thing any ponies ever done for me. I must say that I'm blown away that a filly your age saved up that much." "Well it was hard, I just kept telling myself that it was for the best cause of all." "And what would that be?" "Easy, making you happy!" At that Derpy blushed profusely, and tears of joy leaked into her eyes, "I love you my most special muffin. I can't describe how amazing you are. I can tell you right now you were successful." Dinky blushed in return and squeed with all her filly might. At that reaction and would've said more when the waiter arrived. Giving her mother a coy look. She grinned as she got ready to order their dinner. Dinky had long since fallen asleep from the excitement from the day as the carriage drove them home. Derpy looked at her daughters tuckered form as it breathed delicately in her sleep as she rested on her back. She had enjoyed telling her watered down exploits from her youth, and the adventures she gotten into before she settled down in Canterlot before she had Amethyst. She even enjoyed talking to her about their fathers, as little as they were to tell. Sauntering into her daughters room. She gently slid her off and stipped her of her clothing. A tingle in her nethers made her blush at how sexual it was to get her daughter naked, when she was usually clothless anyways. Tucking her in she whispered lovingly into her ears, "I'll love you forever and love you always. My most beautiful muffin, thank you for the best Hearts and Hooves Day I've ever experienced," with that she gave a gentle kiss on Dinky's horn smiling at the delicate moan that escaped her lips and trotted out closing the door gently. === Chapter 4 === That Sunday Dinky woke up to smell of crepes, and berries. Seeing that she was without her dress on, and seeing it folded on the oak desk by the window in her room made her blush. When she realized that her mother had undressed her. With a giddy squeal, remembering her mother was now her fillyfriend, she bounced out of the room with youthful exuberance. At seeing her love she bounded to her full speed and glomped her just as Derpy sat the last crepe on the plate. After they tumbled Dinky was laying on top of her blushing mother and stared lovingly into her eyes, "Good morning … um … Bright Eyes. I loved last night, did you?" Derpy laughed merrily at her daughters attempt on giving her a pet name, and even more merrier that she'd pick the body part she was most uncomfortable with as something she thought attractive enough to use, "Good morning muffin, and I loved last night. It was the best date I've ever been on." "Yay! Oh! and what are we going to do today? Are we going to have dates everyday forever? Or only special occasions?" "Well, there are many types of dates. Just me and you having a meal together is a date, or cuddling with each other while reading a good book, that's another one that can be done for free. As for big dates, those will have to be special because they cost bits to do. As for today, I thought we'd go out and go for a little flight together. It's been ages since I took you on a flight, and I've never flown with a special somepony before." "Okay, that sound like it'd be fun." And fun it was. Dinky had almost forgotten how amazing it was to feel the wind whip past her face, and the safety of her mother's grip as she held her above the ground. Lifting her arms in front of her like she saw Rainbow Dash doing on occasion she pretended she was the one doing the flying with her love. They eventually landed on a cloud and giving a toss, Dinky felt herself go airborne for real before plopping on her mother's back. She scooted up and rested her forelegs on top Derpy's head and looked at the world below them, "Is this how Pegasi experience the world?" "It is. Amazing isn't it?" Leaning her head down she risked a quick peck on the only place she could reach, the top of Derpy's muzzle. As Derpy blushed she replied, "Almost as amazing as you." This grew Derpy's blush even brighter, "Flatterer, I'm glad you enjoy this view. I sometimes love sitting on a cloud looking at the world below, and enjoying the beauty around me. I woke up and thought of how beautiful you are and wanted to see two beauties together." Dinky almost fainted at the compliment, and hugged Derpy tighter, "Thank you Bright Eyes, I love it." "Not that I'm complaining my little love, but why Bright Eyes?" "Well because you have really beautiful, and I think the word Sweetie Belle used when I told her about how I felt about you, was enchanting. So yeah, Bright Eyes. Is that okay? Did I do it wrong?" "No not at all, as long as it's from the heart I'll love any nickname you give me. So Sweetie knows about us?" "Well she's the one who helped me find words for the letters. But she told me most ponies would be weirded out by an older pony going with a younger one. Like her and her special somepony, although I don't know what the problem is. Nopony seems to mind what we did last night." "You really are the most precious filly ever, "Derpy complimented, "Well you see they didn't think of love as you thought of it. They meant a different kind of love, but if they knew that we were fillyfriends they wouldn't be as accepting," She tried explaining. "Oh, so … are we doing something bad then?" Dinky asked worriedly. She loved her mother with every fiber of her being, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to the mare she loved. "Well … it depends on who you ask. Other ponies might say so, but if you in your heart of hearts love me as you do. And I love you too, then it's up to you. If you want to stay fillyfriends, that'd be okay. But if you want to call it off knowing other ponies won't like it. Well at least we had last night. And it'll be okay. I'll be okay." "No! I don't care what other ponies think. If you're okay with being my fillyfriend, then I'm going to love you forever. No matter what," Dinky said protectively. Letting her fillyfriend know that she loved her. "I'll love you forever as well. Even before you were born, I loved you," Dinky admitted, "Maybe not as a fillyfriend, but now that we chose this path. I have to say that it's the same love, just different and in a way greater." "I agree," Dinky said nodding into Derpy's mane. Breathing deeply her scent. "We just need to be sure to take things slow, after all we have all the time in the world to explore our new relationship, and I won't lie. It might be hard at times, but you're worth it," Derpy said turning her head around to give Dinky a kiss on the cheek. Which brought on a cute blush and a murmur of acknowledgement The rest the day had been a blur to Dinky who was caught up in the romance of a forbidden love. Throughout the day she would nuzzle her mother, and would try sneaking discrete kisses on her neck, or barrel which caused her wings to stand erect or flutter erotically. Derpy responded with a soft suckle of Dinky's ears, or a quick lick on the tip of her horn. Each touch sending bolts of electricity running through her. The exhibitionistic thrill of the chance of getting caught filled her with ecstasy, but at the same time she limited it to when nopony was around since she didn't want to lose the best thing in her life. That conflict of pleasure and fear tempered her more impulsive desires, as well as her words earlier on taking things slow. To fully explore each other in a new light. Helped give her resolve not to take things too far. Although with each loving gesture she received she felt her little filly resolve melt little by little. By the time she got home her body was filed with a warm tingle that filled her brain with a hazy fog. Derpy scooped her up and wrapped Dinky with a her forelegs and wings. Dinky melted into the hug and purred contentedly. "You were an adorable little tease today," Derpy whispered in Dinky's ear, "you make it hard to take it slow." Dinky impulsively kissed Derpy's neck and whispered back, "why do we have to take it slow?" "Because," Derpy replied her wings massaging Dinky's flanks methodically bringing out soft moans from her daughter, "So when we are ready to go to the next level it'll be all the more special. I want your first time to be perfect." "Okay, it just feels so good to kiss you, and when you touch me it feel so amazing," Dinky said becoming a pony puddle in her mother's ministrations. "D'awww! It feels great for me too," Derpy lifted her wings from her daughter's flanks to her back holding her close, blushing at the warmth dripping onto her coat from Dinky's filly bits dribbling onto her. Flipping Dinky onto her back, she gave her a nuzzle, "I know its hard with your first romance, taking things slow, but trust me waiting will make those special first all the more special." "Okay I trust you," Dinky said while blushing profusely. The tingling warmth that her mother's wings gave her fillybits made her glad that her mother had the state of mind to show her the right way of doing things. In her current state of mind she would want her mother's muzzle lapping the fluids building in her snatch. Dinky felt that she was ready, but she knew Derpy had more experience with those things and trusted her to show her a whole new world. Dinky slid up Derpy's back as she trotted into the kitchen. Getting a mouthful of neck, she sucked in and played with the taunt muscles with her tongue. She mentally grinned as Derpy's body shivered and a small whinney escaped her throat. "Oh honey muffin, right there," Derpy moaned as Dinky moved up to a particularly tight knot on her neck. With her tongue she played with the muscle until the knotted muscle smoothed. "Was that good?" "That was perfect, but we should probably hold back on that until we've dated a while. You're sexy tongue makes it hard to control myself." "O-okay, but I can do it later right?" "Of course. I'll be able to show you many things to do with that tongue of yours, but we just officially got together. We need a few dates before we go that far. It's never good to just jump into such a decision. Alright love muffin?" "Alight Bright Eyes, I love you," Dinky said nuzzling Derpy while her body shuddered with contained need. "And I love you too," Derpy said with a saucy smile. After a wonderful candlelit dinner. Dinky lay next to her mother as she listened to Derpy read her from the newest Daring Doo book. It was Dinky's favorite because it had Rainbow Dash on the cover. As Derpy ended the chapter she closed the book and gave Dinky's back a sensual rub with her wing as she looked down at her. "Well love it's time to go to bed, you have school tomorrow and I have an early day at work." "Um … can I sleep with you tonight?" Dinky asked hopefully. "I wouldn't have it any other way." === Chapter 5 === Dinky woke up to the scent of Derpy's sexual musk that coated the bed, and her natural scent of muffins, clouds, and that scent that permeated the mailroom where she worked a few times a week. Dinky nuzzled her mother and looked at her eyes fluttered open, and the look on her face when she took a whiff of what she made. Giving her a gentle squeeze she tried playing it off, "Well Love Muffin, sometimes when a pony is sleeping and -," Derpy started before being interrupted. "It's okay, I like that smell of yours. And I did that too a few times," Dinky said blushing. "When?" Derpy asked interestedly. "Well a few months back, I dreamt that you and Rainbow Dash were licking my fillybits while we were on a cloud made of ice cream. Then there was the one with you and me in a swimming pool full of pudding, I had that twice. Then there was one where you were a Princess, and you and me and Luna were on a bed made of gummy bears and you had colt bits and you were rutting me while Luna was kissing me while the gummy bear was sucking on her filly bits." "Well … those are i-nter-esting," Derpy said giggling, "So you like the thought of adding a pony to our relationship?" "Well I don't know, I mean you are the only pony I really love, but sometimes I think of you and another pony would be awesome. But I never had actual sex before so I don't know what it'd be like," Dinky mused. It was after school when Dinky made her way to the library. Cantering in she saw Twilight Sparkle and looked around to make sure that like usual it was empty, "Misses Twilight, can I ask you something privately?" "Of course Dinky Doo what can I do for you?" Twilight replied. "Have you and Sweetie Belle had sex yet?" Dinky asked, in which her reply was Twilight squawking and fluttering her wings anxiously. "Wh-wha-what are you talking about!? This isn't funny you know? Accusing a po-" "But Sweetie told me about it when I told her I was going to ask my mom to be my filly friend and needed help writing love letters for her. So it's okay, I won't tell anypony about you two, and I know that Sweetie can be trusted not to get my mommy in trouble," Dinky said. Still shocked Twilight brought her hooves up to her face and took a deep breath, "Okay, well, let's go up to my room where we have more privacy and we can talk a bit more." When they got to the bedroom Twilight locked the door and started pacing, "Okay so what did Sweetie Belle tell you?" "Well she told me that a few months ago during Twilight Time she stayed behind and she just asked you to be her fillyfriend, but you said that you didn't know because she was too young and it'd be illegal if anypony found out. Then how she fought for you … in a way, proving that she was serious. And how you are in her opinion the best fillyfriend ever. That and you took her on a few dates, but used the excuse that she's your protege' here in Ponyville." "Well that about covers it. When did she tell you?" Twilight said stopping her pacing, and looking at her intently. "Right after I decided to start dating my mom," Dinky said. "Okay so I get the similarities, not really all that similar, but we're both adults dating a filly. So before I help you two I need to ask a few questions. First, who initiated the affair? Second, who initiates physical contact the most between you two? And lastly why are you thinking about sex?" "Um … I did, I spent an entire week and what ended up eight hundred and seventy bits getting everything set up. I guess we both but we both do it equally, and I guess I think about sex because I've loved her since forever and I want to know if you've done it so I know when it'd be best to make the moves on my mom so we can make love," Dinky answered as completely as she could. "Well if you started it, and she's not manipulating the relationship to the sexual," She said trailing off at the end while looking at Dinky. "Nope, she keeps saying that she wants to take it slow so my special firsts will be more special," Dinky replied. "Good, you got lucky landing yourself a pony who's more interested in building a healthy relationship with you, rather than one who's interested sex," Twilight sighed with relief, "so as for your question Sweetie and I haven't made love yet. I don't think any of us are ready for it, and I admit that having sexual relations with a family member is … well makes me feel odd, but if you love each other than I'm okay with it. Although if you'd like we could have a group date, it'd be nice to talk to others that are in the same boat as Sweetie and I are in." "Okay I'll ask my Bright Eyes, I think she'll be okay with it," Dinky said before going over and giving Twilight a hug, "Thank you Miss Twilight, you're best princess. Unless my mommy became a Princess then she'd be best." "Well then I'm lucky that I'm best princess for now," Twilight laughed, "if you two ever need help or advice let me know and I'll try my best to help." "So she wants to go on a double date?" Derpy asked when Dinky relayed her message over dinner. "Yep, us and them," Dinky said around a mouthful of oatburger. "Well that sounds nice, and I guess having somepony that is like us would be helpful," Derpy said, "and love don't speak with your mouthful." As they finished up Dinky used her magic to move the dishes to the sink and cuddled up to Derpy on their futon, the satiny softness of Derpy coat against her face gave her tingles that flowed across her body, and as she scooted up she felt her heart flutter for what she was going to try. Wrapping both hooves around Derpy's neck she gazed lovingly into those marvelous orbs that never seemed to look at one thing but gave the feeling of looking at everything all at once. She felt her eyes close as she leaned in and felt her mother's lips press against her own. She felt odd not knowing what to do at this stage, but luckily Derpy's more experienced mouth took the lead. Dinky felt her lips being sucked and rubbed by the older mare's. And the velvety softness of their playful dance on her own brought out a guttural groan of delight. Trying to copy Derpy's movements she fell into a rhythm that brought her breath out in shudders, gasps and delicate groans. While Derpy purred happily into Dinky's mouth. To Dinky it was like fireworks going off inside her body and she felt her hooves caress her lover's mane and neck. While at other times pulling her in closer to drink up every drop of the experience. Just as she felt things couldn't get better, the cloud like softness of Derpy's graceful wings wrapped around her and started massaging and caressing her body. Filling her up with what felt like a fire within her belly that exploded and filled her with the need for more. Her hooves trailed down her mother's body and just as they got near her utters Derpy pulled back. "That's enough for now love," she throatily whispered. Her voice thick with lust. "But … but that was so amazing, I want more," Dinky cried, giving her biggest puppy dog eyes she added, "please?" Derpy gave her a quick kiss and pulled back, "I'll give you more later, but we need to cool down. The biggest thing if we're going to make love is we need to be able to stop if its necessary, rather than rush into things. Alright Love Muffin?" "Okay … I guess. But we can kiss more though right? Later I mean, I just really like kissing you, it feels as natural as breathing," Dinky sighed longingly. "Of course, much, much more. I promise," Derpy replied before leaning over and suckling Dinky's ear, earning her a shuddering pur of pleasure. Sitting up she held Dinky close and stroked her flanks lovingly, she's the best lover I've ever had. And for her to be so young, we'll have a long time together to teach her all about love that I can. Plus who knows, now that Princess Twilight is siding with us, I don't have to be afraid of losing her. I love you Dinky, more than I've ever loved anything. === Chapter 6 === The next morning when Dinky awoke in Derpy's arms she woke her with a kiss. Not one filled with need and longing, but one filled with her happiness and love. A gentle kiss that spoke volumes, and when it was returned filled her with joy. Breaking away she looked at her mother and smiled, "I love you Bright Eyes." "I love you to Love Muffin." "I'm glad you're the first thing I see every morning, you're like a thousand Favorites rolled into one." "Awwww! Well you're like all the muffins in the world wrapped into one." Dinky blushed at that and playfully swatted at her mother, "no fair that's cheating." "It's not cheating if it's true, you adorable ball of fluff you," Derpy replied before giving her daughter a gentle kiss, "but we should probably get out of bed, or we'll never leave." "But is that really a bad thing? I can't think of anything better than laying here in your arms," Dinky commented. "You know just the right things to say love, but yes it'd be bad. You need an education so you can have a good job, and I need to work so we can go on more better dates." "Well when you put it like that, I guess," Dinky mumbled as she gave her mother a peck on the cheek and scooted out of the bed. "So Twilight says that we're going to have a group date, how awesome is that!" Sweetie Belle whispered to Dinky during recess. "I know, best pony, best princess, and best friend all together for dinner, it's going to be so romantic," Dinky replied blushing and eliciting a d'aww from her friend. "We're still best friends? Even though we don't get together all that much?" Sweetie asked. "Yuhuh! We've known each other since we were in diapers. I'll admit when you started to hangout with Scootaloo a few years back more than me, then you formed the crusaders and I wasn't invited even though I don't have a cutie mark either I was sad. Since we didn't hang out that much, but you're still my best friend. And now that we both have older fillyfriends and they're friends we can hang out more. Although I'm probably be spending lots of time with my fillyfriend, and working on helping her out. Spending time together with you would be awesome." "I agree. So how far have you two gotten so far?" "We kissed, and it felt amazing, especially with her wings massaging my flanks. I swear my fillybits were about to explode!" Dinky whispered conspiratorially. "Awwww! I need to get Twilight to massage my flanks now. So far we almost kissed, but we're to nervous to really go that far yet," Sweetie sighed. "Don't worry when you two do feel it's right to kiss it'll be the best feeling ever. I think me and Bright Eyes have been going as fast as we have is because we live with each other and have known each other all of our lives. So it's natural that we already know that we love-love each other. Don't feel bad about not kissing yet. I'm sure when you do you'll never want to stop. I sure don't." "So do you two sleep with each other? Since you're in the same house." "Yep! It feels so good waking up next to your true love." "I'm a little jealous, but I'm happy that we're in the same boat. It was torture not being able to tell another pony that I'm with a pony as amazing, and wonderful, and talented, and sexy as Twilight. Now I can, and you can talk about how sexy your mom is." As the bell rang for the end of recess they hoof bumped and trotted back inside. Each planning on going to their respective fillyfriends. Dinky, planning on tasting the beauty of her mother's lips after doing some odd jobs to get more bits for them. While Sweetie Belle was planning on getting the nerve up to get some smooching of her own. Derpy Doo was the happiest she had been in what felt like lifetimes, and it showed. Her friends and co-workers stopped her in the middle of the street to tell her how much she glowed, and how pretty she was looking. Even though they guessed that the reason for her happiness was a special somepony, they could never guess that the special somepony was her youngest. Her shift had ended early and she decided that it was time to talk to the pony who was the marefriend of the pony who helped get her and her little muffin together. As she trotted into the library, she soaked up the sights as a small dragon shuffled past her yelling, "Twilight, visitor! I'm going to help Rarity, see ya, bye!" Twilight swooped down the steps before seeing Derpy, the blush she had was so powerful that it showed through her violet coat. After giving a nervous cough she waved Derpy over, "So well … we haven't talked much before now have we?" "Not really, but that's okay. You've been busy, saving the world, destroying the city, fixing the city, then becoming the princess," Derpy joked hoping to break the ice. Twilight laughed, "Yeah Ponyville has a way of making a pony crazy. But it's been great, so let's talk a bit if you don't mind?" Derpy gave a demure chuckle before nodding, "I don't mind." She followed Twilight to the spartan dining room near the kitchen. Which to Derpy made sense with how most of the liveable structures, or government services in Ponyville doubled as homes. Although she thought that a princess would've had more extravagant things. Seeing a sense of normalcy put her at ease as Twilight brought out the tea. Twilight opened and closed her mouth several times while she fished for something to say, and the nervousness brought another giggle from Derpy as she waited. After what felt like minutes of struggling Twilight finally started talking. "So … why your daughter? Not that I'm judging, I'm just curious." "Well I could say why not," Derpy replied. "True, I'm sorry for that it was rude to ask," Twilight hastily said. "No, no not at all. Princess." "Please call me Twilight. I'm just an ordinary pony who got these things thrust upon her." "Isn't that they way it usually is," Derpy said wistfully, "But as I was saying I could say that, but to be honest. If we're going to stick together and support one another and our separate relationships. Then you need a good answer." "Thank you Derpy. I appreciate it." "So anyways, me and my little muffin. Since the time I gave birth to them, nothing has compared to the joy I have had having them. Not my Cutie Mark, not my Special Talent, not all the adventures in the world. And every day with them has been the greatest gift in my life. "But I wasn't all that interested in finding a mate. My last two endeavours were a disaster and no pony wants to be with a single mother. But Dinks, that wonderful, amazing filly. She actually saved up over a thousand bits, for over two years, and spent it on gifts, and secret admirer love letters. Just to ask me to be her fillyfriend and show how much she loves me. As in romantic love, not familial love. "When I gave her a chance, us a chance, at romance. I knew that things could go south, and I could lose her. But … being with her as a mate, and as a mother. It's been the greatest moments of my life, even greater than being her mother on its own." Twilight listened intently to Derpy's explanation, and gave a nod, "I'll admit that it threw me threw a loop yesterday when Dinky asked if me and my little Photinus made love. I was taken aback, but I'm glad she did. It's not fair to ponies that age to hold such a secret, and now they have each other to confide in it'll be easier on them." "I agree, that and its nice that the love we have for our special someponies is bringing them back together as friends." "What do you mean?" "Well when Scootaloo was transferred from the Canterlot Orphanage to here, Sweetie Belle and her became fast friends but Dinky Doo was slowly pushed aside. Then with the crusaders, they rarely ever got together anymore. Now that they have a love of an older mare in common they've been getting close together again." "That's interesting, and I'm glad too. Everypony should have friends. So about the date. I was thinking this saturday, at Canterlot. The Princesses want to see my 'special protege' ', and I thought bring you two along would be nice. As well as super romantic for a group date, what do you think?" "I think that sounds lovely. Do we need to dress up or anything?" "Nope, not at all. I know nopony believe this but the Princesses like it when ponies act natural around them and not worry so much. So just be yourselves, oh! Small favor? Itsy bitsy, ginormously huge favor?" "Okay? I think?" "Well I want to pretend like we're dating and that Sweetie Belle and your daughter are dating. This way I can deflect questions about who I've been dating. I mean I didn't mean for anypony to know, but somehow my friends have guessed that I'm dating somepony and they want names. So … will you?" "Hmmm … honestly ask your lover first, and I'll ask mine and if they don't mind then I won't. But truth be told, if we're to hold appearances, then technically we would have to play the part, and so would they. But if they don't mind, then I don't see why not. Although with the dreams my Dinks has had before we dated of me, her, and another pony having sex with her. I don't see why she'd say no." "That … makes sense. So technically we'd be a herd?" "Yes, but I don't know are you attracted to me and Dinky?" "Um … to be honest, I don't know. I think so? I mean I trust you with my deepest secret, so I guess if Sweetie Belle is okay with it, and Dinky is okay with it. Forming a herd would be the best thing for us." Dinky Doo arrived at the home to see her mother with a sweet smelling dinner of griffonian waffles slathered with apple cinnamon capote waiting for her. Grinning she bucked her hips causing her saddlebags to heavily flop to the floor. As she raced to kiss her fillyfriend whom she had missed all day, only to see her making a giant early dinner. Derpy's lips were like the finest chocolate candy ever made, dipped in Pinkie's patented filly's surprise, as in it was surprise no filly overdosed on them. Dinky purred happily as she drank in her lover's scent and taste. Dinky hopped up so she could get a greater reach around Derpy as she sent all the pent up love and longing she had felt throughout the day. Which Derpy was only too eager to return. When they parted ways, their gazes spoke volumes of their feeling for one another, and the hardship it took to keep those feelings under control. Derpy was the first to recover enough to speak, "I love you so much you sexy little muffin you." "I love you to, you …. you … um …. syrupy bowl of sweetness," Dinky said trying to say something sexy back. It must've worked because after a hearty laugh Derpy kissed her just as deeply as when Dinky came home. "We'll have to work on your flirting and sex talk, but it takes practice. Not bad though for your first try." "Okay," Dinky replied embarrassedly. "Don't worry Love Muffin, you'll get the hang of it. So let's eat, and I have some stuff to talk about with you," Derpy said using her wing to slide over Dinky's plate. When Dinky had her plate before her Derpy relayed what Twilight asked of her, and how they could form a herd together. Her, Derpy, Twilight, and Sweetie Belle. Dinky tilted her head and swallowed her food before asking, "So what's a herd and how would that work?" "Well you know how you have fantasies of me, you, and other ponies making love together?" When she saw Dinky's blush she knew her answer and carried on, "Well that's basically it. A herd is a group of ponies who love one another, stick up for and protect one another, and date everyone in the group. They are all special someponies, although there is usually one pony called an Alpha who leads the herd and is in charge of their safety. "Secretly it'd allow us all to be together without any pony knowing that we're dating since ponies would think that me and her are dating and you and Sweetie Belle are dating. While in private you could be with any or all of us. But I want you to be okay with it before I say anything." "So basically I can have my wildest fantasies come true, have the best things in my life be my special someponies, and it won't hurt anyone's feelings or be bad?" "Best things?" "As I told Sweetie Belle earlier, I'm happy because with me, you, Twilight and her together supporting one another I was with Best Pony, Best Princess, and Best Friend. So yes, having the all three as my special someponies would be great. But is that really okay with you?" "Yes my love, it's fine with me just as long as it's fine with you." "Okay so it's settled then! Yay! Mommy you really are the bestest pony in the world." With that Derpy grinned and continued their meal in a happy silence. Twilight sat nervously in the main room to the library when a letter appeared on her desk with her name on it. As she opened it she saw it was a letter from Dinky saying that if Sweetie Belle was on board, then she'd be happy to have Best Pony, Best Princess, and Best Friend as her fillyfriends. And that she approved the herd idea. Twilight cracked a grin, just as Sweetie Belle came in and trotted up the stairs to the bedroom with a predatory gleam in her eyes, when she saw Twilight she pointed up the stairs and continued on her trek. Wondering what was so important that Sweetie would look at her like Spike would a particularly tasty gem that he wanted. She trotted up behind her. As she passed the doors threshold she was attacked by an adorable fluffy missile. Sending her tumbling into the hallway, with a rather mischievous Sweetie Belle laying on top of her, seductively slithering up Twilight's body until she was able to look at her face to face, a coquettish, half-closed stare filled with need glanced into Twilight's own as Sweetie purred, "Twilight, my sexy scholar you, kiss me!" With that Sweetie grabbed Twilight's face with her forehooves and magic, bringing her closer to her as her eyes closed. It can't be said that it was the best kiss ever done. Between their lack of experience, and being each others first romantic partners, it could easily be called the sloppiest. But the honest affections they had for each other and the love behind it made it feel amazing for them. Each sloppy fumble of Twilight's lips, or Sweetie using her tongue to lick and pull in Twilight's lip to suck on. Filled them with ecstasy, and when they eventually parted, Twilight was grinning from ear to ear. "We definitely need to practice that my gorgeous Photinus," Twilight panted "Yeah, we do my pretty blue stocking," Sweetie Belle replied before alternating between nuzzling and kissing Twilight's neck. Getting that sexy, sighing moan, she loved getting out of her fillyfriend. "Well, there's something I want to talk to you about, and then we can practice kissing for as long as you like if you want too." === Chapter 7 === "So after our kiss, which was every bit as amazing and wonderful as you said it would be. We talked about the herd thing," Sweetie told Dinky, "and I said I would think about it." "You aren't mad at Twilight are you?" Dinky asked while giving Sweetie a hug. "Well not really, but I don't know. If she shares me, and I have to share her, I don't want her to see how much better she can do than having me as a fillyfriend," Sweetie sighed dejectedly, leaning into the hug. "What do you mean?" Dinky asked giving a tender squeeze. "Well I know Rarity loves me as a sister, but she's always telling me how I ruin things, or making me feel useless by telling me that my help isn't needed and to go play outside or something. And I just don't want Twilight to suddenly realize that I'm a screw up and she could do better. I love her," Sweetie cried onto Dinky's shoulder. "You aren't a screw up Sweetie Belle. Who was it, when I felt like I wasn't awesome told me I could be as awesome as Rainbow Dash?" "Me." "And who was it, when a filly who had no friends or family, transferred here from Canterlot, and was all alone. Became her friend, hooked her up with the pony who ended up becoming her big sister, and gave her best friends for life?" "Me again." "And who was it, when I had no idea how to woo my mommy, and wanted to show her just how much I loved her. Supported me, and helped me get together with her?" "Also me," Sweetie said looking into Dinky's eyes with a wide grin. "And from what you told me, who is it that mostly helps the crusaders iron out their ideas and helps put it together. Even when she thinks the idea is scary and a really bad idea?" "That'd be me!" "And who was it who put together the letter sending spell from random things Twilight taught you?" "Me." "That's right, you bring ponies and things together. You are the farthest thing from a screw up. Sure ponies our age make mistakes, but its how we learn to be better ponies. I know in my heart that Twilight wouldn't just toss you away, or find 'somepony better'," Dinky said leaning in to give Sweetie Belle a light kiss on the cheek. Blushing at the gesture Sweetie Belle nodded, "Thanks I needed to hear that. As for the herd thing, are you really okay with it?" "I am. I have lots of dreams where me, mommy, and another pony have sex. So being in a herd with the best things in my life would be amazing," Dinky said with a loving smile, while taking one of her hooves from Sweetie's withers to brush the tears from her eyes. "Okay! I'll do it," Sweetie said. Dinky brought in Sweetie Belle for a kiss, and being in the lead, showed Sweetie with the brushing of her lips, and caressing of her forehooves how much she cared. Trying to convene that she wasn't a screw up and a good pony through gentle ministrations. Loud whoops and wolf whistles broke them out of their revelry as their peers crowded around them and cheered them on. Even though they didn't hear the conversation, two smoking hot fillies making out in the open had a way of drawing attention. They blushed at the attention of everypony before Apple Bloom and Scootaloo pushed their way into the crowd. Apple Bloom hoof-bumped Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo waved over Dinky Doo to talk in private. "Hey, I just wanted to say congrats, and I know you're her best friend. But I am too, and if you hurt her I swear nopony will find your body. Capiche?" Scootaloo said with flared wings. "I would never hurt Sweetie Belle, she's my bestest friend, well practically my only friend." "Oh … well I guess if you're her filly friend now. Then that'd make you friends with AB and me too. So that's two new ones. And I just wanted to make sure you'd take good care of her," Scootaloo said. "It's alright, I'm sure if Sweetie was dating somepony I didn't know then I'd do the same thing. But she sure is lucky to have a friend like you looking after her," Dinky said giving a playful punch on Scootaloo's foreleg, which Scootaloo returned. Walking back Sweetie asked what that was all about, "It was nothing much, Scootaloo made to make sure that I was going to take care of you, and said that Apple Bloom and her are my friends now too, since I'm dating you." "You're going to have a lot of fun. I'll tell you about it later," Sweetie said giving Dinky a nuzzle which got even more hoots and hollers before Cheerilee broke it up. "Then she kissed me!" Sweetie told Twilight. "That's nice," Twilight replied, "And it's true to. I've seen you while we've been practicing spells, and you create a lot of interesting things. That mail spell you created, I sent a copy of it to Celestia, and told her that it was my Protege' who crafted it. She was surprised, and proud of both of us for that. And it reminds me of the spell that Celestia taught Spike." "Honestly that's what gave me the idea. So …, " Sweetie said snuggling up to Twilight, "What else have I made that is amazing?" "Well lets see here, your thermostat spell you wrote down, even though it'll take time before you're able to have the control to do it yourself, is a cheap alternative to alchemical freezing solutions. And using sapphires to act as a generator was ingenious," Twilight beamed, "And that prank you pulled by mixing the smell projection spell, Starswirl's baleful Polymorph, and runic inscriptions on Rainbow Dash was priceless. She still hasn't discovered where that smell in her house is coming from, and when she finally admits that we've out pranked her I'll tell her where it is." Sweetie smiled at that and snuggled closer to Twilight, "But what Dinky said is true. You truly have a gift and connecting things and ponies together, and I'm blessed that you connected with me," Twilight said before leaning her head down to kiss her fillyfriend. In the excitement of knowing that her fillyfriend wouldn't toss her aside, and the pep talk from Dinky, Sweetie Belle was filled with such bliss that she almost didn't see the flash of light from behind her closed eyes. When she looked she saw something that she had been dreaming of for years. Her Cutie Mark. It was a green heart that had a six pointed star formed from interconnecting vines, spreading from the heart and at the end of each vine were three six pointed stars for leaves. Sweetie looked at her Cutie Mark, then at Twilight, and breathlessly looked back and forth between the two before glomping Twilight and showering her with kisses, "You and Dinky are the best fillyfriends ever! And if Derpy is a pony that Dinky loves, then I bet she'd be great too, but you two are the best ones in all of Equestria!" Sweetie squealed giddily. Twilight leaned up and passionately kissed Sweetie Belle, taking note of how much better the kiss that Dinky taught Sweetie was, and used that to show her love and joy for her partner. Sweetie would later tell Dinky that she was correct in that wing massages on the flank was the best way to turn a filly into a puddle. "So she agreed to it?" Derpy asked while tenderly squeezing Dinky with her wing. The futon they laid on was the perfect level of comfort both as a couch and as a make-shift bed. At the moment it was the later as Derpy snuggled with her fillyfriend. "Yep, so … are you sure you're okay with this? I don't want to do anything to ruin what we have," Dinky asked with a wave of apprehension. "Nothing you could do could ever ruin what we have. It took me a while to see it, but I love you as my fillyfriend and as my daughter. And you are wonderful at both, so don't worry," Derpy whispered in Dinky's ear before suckiling it, bringing out the moans of delight she cherished hearing. "Alright, so Bright Eyes, when are you and Twilight going on a date?" Dinky asked haltingly as she body was caught with shudders of pleasure from having her ears sucked and nibbled. "Later tonight, she's taking me out for dinner and I have some bits so you and Sweetie can go out," Derpy purred. "Okay, that sounds nice, and mommy?" "Yes love?" "I love you," Dinky said as she kissed Derpy passionately. Pulling back Derpy replied before going back for the kiss, "and I love you too. Forever and always." Dinky arrived at the Carousel Boutique at sundown, and as she knocked she heard the sound of frantic activity before the door opened showing a rather frazzled Rarity. Rarity looked at her for a second before it clicked that a pony was at the entranced, "Hello darling, please come in and please forgive the mess." When Dinky came in the place with littered with drawing and designs that were either half drawn, or crumpled up and left discarded to where ever they fell. Dinky looked at Rarity and asked, "What happened? Is everything alright?" "What? Oh, these? Yes … everything is perfect! Perfect I tell you," Rarity said dramatically before swooning, "just my little sister has become a young mare, and I have nothing to celebrate the occasion properly. But other than that perfect!" "Young mare?" Dinky inquired. "Yes, a young mare. Not only has she gotten herself her Cutie Mark, but she's gotten a fillyfriend. And no I'm not jealous that she has a love life, while I swallow in my loneliness. But there's so much to do, and I feel like I missed out on her life, what ever shall I do!? What ever shall I do-oo-ooo!?" "Um …" Dinky asked shuffling uncomfortably. Not used to Rarity's melodramatic freakouts, "I thought you were dating Spike?" "Whatever do you mean, dating Spike?" Rarity said incredulously. "Well he's over here all the time, everypony that knows Spike knows he's loved you since he came to Ponyville. That and as I mentioned he's here all the time … but you aren't the type of mean pony to lead another pony along like that, are you?" "Well … you see," Rarity said stumped, "I wouldn't call it leading on?" "But you have him around, let him help you with work almost all the time, he gets gems for you, and everypony knows that he like-likes you. So if it's not leading him on what is it?" Dinky asked innocently. "Well … I don't have to justify myself to you, now while I'm happy my sister's dating, I must ask you to wait outside," Rarity said imperiously, and filled with indignation. Dinky shrugged nonchalantly and trotted outside. When she got outside she poked the dirt with her hooves and waited for Sweetie Belle to arrive. It was a few minutes later when she heard yells from inside starting with Sweetie Belle's indignant voice. "You What!?" "Don't talk to me that way missy! She was being uncouth!" "Because she didn't get, like most of Ponyville, why you lead on Spike and ignore his feelings for you while yammering on to him about you latest passing fancy!?" "Passing fancy!? PASSING FANCY!?" "Yes! Passing Fancy!? Even the pony Passing Fancy who you told me turned out to be even more of a tool than Flash Sentry who you tried hooking up with Twilight Sparkle, Then then there was Trenderhooves, Steam Punk, Buck Rogers, and we can't forget Blue Blood can we … or Tom!?" "How dare you!?" "How dare I!? How dare I!? How dare you toss out my fillyfriend for asking why you treat Spike like his feelings don't exist! The only one who cares about you like you care about ponies you never even met outside of your head, or magazines! You know what! I'm leaving! Bye sister!" Sweetie opened the door to her sister trying to formulate a coherent response before Sweetie slammed the door shut, and huffed over to Dinky. When she saw her, she blushed in embarrassment, "I'm sorry if you had to hear that." "I'm not, I admit it was pretty hot," Dinky said as she moved to stand beside Sweetie Belle. She looked at the immaculate curls of her new manedo, that fell like rolling waves beside her face. She was wearing a light silver dress that complimented her light grey coat, with a little silver necklace laced with tiny emeralds that brought out the beauty of her eyes. "Thanks, I don't know what came over me," Sweetie said blushing an even deeper shade of red. "It's all good, it's even better to know that you stand up for your fillyfriend," Dinky said before leaning in for a whisper, "both me and Twilight, that was really cool of you. Even cooler than Rainbow Dash." Sweetie didn't know how it was possible, but her entire body blushed at that comment. Smiling deeply she leaned closer to Dinky and strolled with her to the movies for their date. Derpy fluttered serenely to the Golden Oaks Library, she was being careful not to mess up her braids. It might not seem the fanciest get up, but doing braids without magical assistance took forever with wings. That and the delicate dusting of gold eyeshadow was the extent she used to dress up for this date. Pegasi in dresses was a nightmare, especially when it came time to get airborne. The drag, and turbulence was almost as horrible as if she were wearing a cape. Something she was glad went out of style ages ago. Even if she did look rather dapper with one. As she landed she used her wings to make sure everything was in place before knocking. It was a few moments when Spike opened the door, "Hiya Derpy, come in." Spike looked her over with the trained eye of a someone who was about to let somepony date their family, "So … I know that Twilight's dating Sweetie Belle. She tries to hide it, but come on, I've lived with her since I was a hatchling. So what's this about? Derpy fell on her haunches, and heard Twilight squawk in shock. Twilight landed heavily beside Derpy before she could give a response. Twilight looked positively panicked when she asked, "What do you know, and who have you told?" "Hey! You should know me by now, we're family, and me telling would hurt you. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you. You're like a mother to me," Spike huffed. "Sorry, its just that I've been careful to keep this secret, I'm sorry Spike, can you forgive me?" Twilight asked softly. "Of course I can, so now what's this all about, and don't try keeping secrets, I'll find out eventually," Spike said. "You promise not to freak out, or be disgusted?" "Is it hurting any pony?" "No" "Is this something that everypony is in agreement with, and isn't some weird mind control thing that you set off?" "Spike! When have I ever done that?" "Two words, Smarty … Pants." "Oh! Hehehehe yeah that one, okay. No, nothing mind controlly." "Then yeah, I promise not to freak out. Noble Dragon's honor." "Alright then … Derpy, do you want to tell him?" Shrugging she started the conversation, "You see I'm dating my daughter -" "You what!?" Spike yelled, his eyes turning to pin pricks. "Spike! You promised!" "Fine it's just, " Spike shuddered, "yeah go ahead." "Well Dinky had been saving up more money than any filly her age would normally save up for me, and she decided that she wanted to be my special somepony. And with Sweetie Belle's help, who told her that she was dating Twilight Sparkle, helped her woo me more than anypony has ever wooed me in all my life. I told Twilight, and to protect her relationship, and my own decided to form a herd. With me and her openly dating, and Sweetie Belle and my little muffin dating in public. This way we keep the ponies we love, and have it set up to protect them from public scrutiny. So that's basically what's up." "Okay … so you and your daughter are doing the do?" "Spike!" Twilight yelled. "What Twilight? It's a valid question." Derpy chuckled before answering, "No me and my daughter haven't gotten that far yet. I want to take things slow, well slower than Dinks wants, to make sure that everything's special. Rather than rushing into things. That wouldn't be right for her." "I agree … well I can't say that I agree with it. I mean that'd be like me and Twilight or Celestia bumping uglies." "Where did you hear these terms from Spike?" Twilight inquired. "Oh, from your porn stash under your bed, and I gotta tell you Twilight, you got some good taste," Spike teased. "Oh! My! Gosh! I think I'm going to die now," Twilight said hiding her face with her wings as curled into a ball. "Seriously though, if you all make each other happy, then at least one of us is getting happy, "Spike said wistfully. Peeking between her feathers Twilight asked, "What do you mean?" "Well lets face it, after all the time I spend with Rarity, and she's always talking about being in love with some other pony she never even met. Comes across them, and leaves empty hooved. Only to cry to me about unrequited love and how I'll never understand her pain. I'm never going to get a special somepony." "Awww! Spike, I'm sure you'll find yourself somepony special," Twilight said. Derpy's eyes wandered around as if looking for something before she nodded and both eyes shifted to look at Spike, "I know you'll find somepony special today. Hey! Why don't you go to Berry's Oasis Bar and Grill? I know that there's somepony nice for you there." "And how do you know that?" "Let's call it a special talent. Like Pinkie's Pinkie Sense, it's never been wrong." "Well alright, I guess I got nothing to lose. See you girls later, and don't worry your secret is safe with me." === Chapter 8 === Sweetie Belle and Dinky Doo were standing before the Carousel Boutique as the tranquil moon shone above them. Dinky nuzzled Sweetie Belle softly and said, "Tonight was fun. Did you have a good time? "I did. And again, thank you so much for being one of the ponies who helped me discover my Cutie Mark, other than my sister being a mule, today was the greatest day of my life so far," Sweetie said giving a light kiss on Dinky's cheek. Before Dinky could reply the door opened showing a tear stained Rarity, "Hello Dinky, won't you come in please?" Sweetie Belle walked in front of Dinky and took a defensive crouch. Any comment that would've come out of her mouth was interrupted by her sister, "Don't worry, I won't be as you put it, a mule I wish to apologize and it won't do good doing so outside where everypony can hear me." Sweetie looked at Dinky who gave a nod of confirmation before getting back to her side and walking beside her protectively. When they sat down Rarity poured them all tea and sat down in front of them. Taking a deep breath she began, "I firstly want to apologize for my barbaric behaviour today. It was uncalled for and there is no excuse for a lady to act so unbecomingly. That said, you two were right, I have been leading Spike along. I didn't mean for it to come across that way, but I remember how fillies like to do that when I was your age, and even know there are some ponies who act so basely. But it's too late for me to act on that," Rarity sighed, "Spike it turns out this evening has found him a special somepony, and I as a lady must acknowledge that it was my folly that lost him. So as for you too, can you ever forgive me? Especially you Sweetie Belle, today was supposed to be the greatest day of your life and I ruined it." "Well if Dinky can forgive you for tossing her out, then I can forgive you," Sweetie responded before throwing a foreleg over Dinky's withers. "I'm not the type of pony to hold a grudge. Mommy says that life's too short to waste on that, when you could be enjoying your life instead," Dinky commented. "Well your mother is a very wise mare, and she did a fantastic job raising such a kind hearted filly. Now I must make it up to you both, you both are going with Twilight to see the Princesses in a weeks time?" "Yep!" Dinky chirped, "My mommy was invited too." "That's lovely, I heard that she turned out to be Twilight's secret paramour." "Para-whatnow?" Dinky asked to which Sweetie whispered the answer to, "Oh! Yeah that thing. She is." "Well then I shall make all three of you dresses fit for royalty. As a way of making it up to you, will that suffice?" Rarity asked. "Of course. Thank you Missus Rarity," Dinky said cheerfully. "Quite. Now onto matters that in my rudeness I forgot to address. You are dating my little sister, and as such. While you seem like a good filly, you will be treating her with the utmost respect correct?" "Correct." "And you will be the very definition of a gentlemare for my darling little sister?" "I will." "And no using magic to get her pregnant before you slip her the ring?" "O-kay?" "I mean that until you both are married, you won't get her pregnant." "Oh! Then yes, I agree to that." "Lastly if you hurt her, you know that I know every part of Equestria to hide a body and nopony will ever find you?" "I do." "So then we are in agreement. Just make sure you treat her like the lady she is, and care for her, and we'll all be one happy family." "Okay, but isn't it the dad who usually has this talk?" "Well, that wouldn't really work in this family. And since I practically raise Sweetie Belle, I'm the one who gets to do all the 'talks' as it were." "Alright. So are we good now?" "Darling we couldn't possibly be better. Although I need to make an entry in our journal about letting good things slip through one's hooves. And let that be a lesson to you all as well. If you have something special in your life, seize it, and never take it for granted." Dinky replied by leaning over and passionately kissing Sweetie Belle, grinning as she kissed her at the cute squeaks that flowed out of her mouth. While answering in happy moans of her own. Rarity let out a sound between a moan and a squealgasm before shouting out, "I got to go, remember watch your hooves bye!" Dinky looked lovingly into Sweetie Belle's eyes and whispered huskily, "Your sister's weird." Going back in for a kiss Sweetie Belle mumbled, "You have no idea." Twilight was sitting on the white and red checkered blanket she threw out for the picnic date. The herd forming ... somewhat forming, and Spike being okay with Derpy dating her daughter as well as her own affair with a filly, eased a lot of the tension she had been carrying. It didn't hurt that the date itself had been rather enjoyable. "So tonight was fun," Twilight said softly, looking at the moon languidly. "It was, I think this herd idea of yours is going to work out well. Dinky has a pony her own age to date, as well as two older, more world experienced mares. Both of them I think will grow wonderfully from this experience." "I agree. Say Derpy?" "Hmmmmm?" "Well … no surprise here, but I don't know much about dating. Sweetie Belle's my first, and I don't know what I'm doing, so I don't think I'd be that great of an Alpha. Sure I have the political weight to throw around and financial strength to be a good protector and provider like an Alpha should, or at least what I've read about them. "But when it comes to love, and taking care of ponies … I don't know what I'm doing. So I thought that maybe you'd be the Alpha?" Twilight proposed hopefully. "Well I think you'd make a great Alpha, and sure you might need to learn a lot of things, but me, Dinky, and even Sweetie Belle will be beside you to make sure you make the right choices as well as be there when you need us. Heck not even Princesses Celestia and Princesses Luna knew what they were doing when they first started leading ponies, probably." "True, I think I remember Celestia telling me how confused and lost she was when she became Princess of Equestria, rather than just another pony who along with her sister happened to be an Alicorn. Okay, I'll do it, but I just don't want you to think I'm some great, all powerful and wise pony. I'm just … me." "Well 'you'," Derpy said pointing a forehoof at Twilight's chest near her heart, "are a good pony, and you've helped us more than you know. So at the very least we have faith in you, and as I said we'll help support and help you when you need it." Twilight grinned and nuzzled Derpy, "Thanks, you are great marefriend. I'm glad that Sweetie Belle helped get all of us together." Derpy nodded into Twilight's mane in affirmation and gently kissed Twilight's cheek, "I am to, and you're not that bad yourself." With that they sat and watched the moon. Cuddled together under its light. While occasionally giving each other light kisses and caresses of their wings. Derpy arrived slightly later that evening so she could meet up with Dinky and seeing how she enjoyed her evening. As she lighted down to the door steps and went inside she saw her little love muffin snoring gently on the futon. Trotting over she gave her a gentle shake to wake her up. The sleepy look Dinky gave her made her melt inside. "Hi Bright Eyes," Dinky mumbled. "Hi Love Muffin, so how was your date?" Derpy inquired. "Pretty good, I got there, and her sister got mad that I asked if she was leading Spike around since she said that she wasn't dating him. Even though everypony knows he loves her, so she made me stand outside of the house. Then Sweetie Belle was awesome and stood up for me and Twilight, well Twilight inadvertently. Then we went to the movies and saw You Got Mail, which was pretty romantic. After that we got to her place, Rarity apologized, mentioned that Spike found himself a special somepony tonight, and then me and Sweetie Belle kissed for an hour. I got home, and decided to take a nap till you got here. So … how was your date?" "I'll have to talk to Rarity about giving my daughter the horseshoe, but it's not polite that you asked if she was leading him on. There was probably a nicer way of asking. Although I'm glad that she apologized. As for me, well me and Twilight had a moonlight picnic. We talked about a cover story for us, well me and her. Then we decided that she'd be the Alpha of the herd. After than we kissed and cuddled for a while. Then I came here," Derpy recapped. "So we both had nice dates, I'm glad, hey mommy?" Dinky asked. "What love?" "Do you think we could have a moonlight picnic someday?" Dinky asked innocently. "Of course, after our date at the castle I'll make us a nice little picnic for the two of us." Yawning and leaning into Derpy as she fought to stay awake she asked, "So are you and Sweetie Belle and me and Twilight going on dates too? And what about group dates?" "We'll see. Probably," Derpy said as she gently picked up Dinky with her teeth and deposited Dinky on her back. "M'kay," Dinky mumbled falling back to sleep. === Chapter 9 === It was the following afternoon when Dinky saw herself in the Crusader Clubhouse being initiated into the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it was decided by Sweetie Belle that they'd hold off their Cute-cenera's until all of them had their Cutie Marks, and those who got them would help out those who didn't find their Special Talent. As the ceremony ended, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked admiringly at Sweetie's tight flank. More accurately the butt tattoo that was emblazoned on it. "So how did you get your Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo asked. Sweetie Belle looked nervously at Dinky and said, "We gotta tell them right? I mean they are our best friends," Sweetie asked nervously. "What do you mean you gotta tell us? Is there some big secret that we aren't supposed to know about getting a Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo asked defensively. "No, it's just that me and her have a secret that if other ponies knew about could hurt ponies that me and her love," Sweetie whispered sadly. "Oh! Sorry Sweets," Scootaloo said giving her an apologetic hug, "Tartarus, we've all been through so much. Well me, you and Apple Bloom here, that we're pretty much like blood sisters. No matter what you say, we'll keep it a secret right Bloom?" "Sure as honey!" Apple Bloom said joining the hug which Dinky joined up in as well burring Sweetie Belle in a ponypile. "Well I've been dating Twilight Sparkle for a few weeks after we started doing Twilight Time in private, and she started taking me aside for 'special training'. Was because I asked her out, and she said yes!" "But I thought you were dating Dinky?" Scootaloo asked looking confused. "I'm getting to that," Sweetie Belle said. "Okay, and I guess … congrats on landing a princess?" Scootaloo said halfway between a compliment and a question. "Yep, we're still together. Anyways, Dinky wanted to date her mom," Sweetie began before being interrupted by gagging from Apple Bloom. "Excuse me! Ya mean to tell me that yer bucking yer momma?" Apple Bloom asked as her face turned green. "Well we haven't gotten that far, but someday hopefully," Dinky said guardedly. "That's just icky, it'd be like me deepthroatin' Big Mac, or gettin' eatin' out by my sister," Apple Bloom stated before giving a sound halfway between throwing up and coughing. "Tell me this," Dinky said standing straight and trotting up aggressively to Apple Bloom, "Do you like your sister or your brother?" "Sure I do! There the nicest, bestest, most amazing ponies I know! What're ya gettin' at?" "Well what would you think about taking that to the next level? Not just saying you love them, but feeling and experiencing that love on every level? To knowing they don't just love you, but are in love with you? That you are important enough not to just be special to them, but their special somepony?" Dinky asked almost nose to nose with Apple Bloom now. She backpedaled and shook her head, "Listen I get what yer sayin', but I want no part of it. Now Sweetie, me and you are still friends. But I want nothin' to do with no family fucker. No offense Dinky, yer a nice filly. But I don't even know how to respond, I gotta go. See ya both later but the less I hear the better." After she left Scootaloo gave Dinky a hug and pulled her to where Sweetie Belle was, "Hey, don't listen to her. She'll come around eventually, especially after you asked those questions. But me, I'm here and I want to hear more. Especially what it'd be like to date your family or an older pony." Sweetie Belle chuckle sobbed onto Scoots, "We know you mean Rainbow Dash, and yeah I'll continue telling you the story." And with that told Scootaloo everything up till that day, and how Dinky and Twilight Sparkle help give her, her Cutie Mark. Dinky and Derpy sat inside the library after hours along with Sweetie Belle. Dinky smiled softly at the sight of Sweetie Belle snuggled up all nice and cozy with Twilight while she was nestled in the warm embrace of Derpy's wings. "So you think that we should get a few of our friends to have interpersonal relations with foals. So that they can be on our side if things go south?" Twilight asked. "Well me and Sweetie Belle were talking, and Scootaloo loves Rainbow Dash. But with current views on things, well it'd be hard to do that. But it'd be less manipulative than if things go south, and more like sharing the love we have with ponies we care for as friends," Dinky said happily while nuzzling closer into Derpy's warmth. "That actually isn't that bad of an idea," Twilight replied. Before nervously shuffling, "Well that brings me to another uncomfortable subject. What do you think Sweetie Belle about dating Derpy, and what do you Dinky think about dating me?" "Why do you ask?" Sweetie asked looking into Twilight's eyes with a hazy smile. "Well it's just … if we're going to do the herd thing, then it's all about sharing ourselves with each other. And if we're really going to give it a shot then we need to date one another." "Well for me, I'm liking Dinky, and if Dinky was raised by Derpy, then I think I'm really going to like her as well. Not as much as you Blue Stockings, but still like enough to try dating her. What about you Dinky?" Sweetie commented. "Sure, if Twilight wants to try it, and you're okay with it. Then I'd give a shot dating best princess," Dinky answered. "Okay that settles it then. This friday, the day before we go to Canterlot for the weekend, I'll date Dinky and Derpy will date Sweetie Belle," Twilight said. Dinky lay next to Derpy that night feeling the gentle ministrations of her wings along her body. Looking at her mother lovingly said, "You know you've been caressing me with your wings for a few days now. I think I should return the favor." Derpy cocked an eyebrow and hummed in acknowledgement. Dinky got up and placed moved down to Derpy's plush plot and focused her magic. She wasn't as great as Sweetie Belle yet, but she was had a large power pool to draw from. So that made up for power wastage in her spell casting. Picturing in her mind the massage spell she saw in Eros she cast the spell with more power than she intended. And watched her mother's body seize up and start shaking uncontrollably and just as she was about to scream in terror. Heard her mother let out a loud moan of pleasure followed by her screaming, "Celestia yes! OH MY LUNA YEEESSSSSS!" Followed by an explosion of marecum that threw Dinky onto the footboard of the bed and plastered her there. Derpy when after her explosive orgasm, shuddered up and licked the sticky substance from her daughter. As she got near Dinky she shuddered and took a deep calming breath, "Dinky, Love, Oh daughter of mine?" She said shakily. "Yes?" "What did you cast and where did you learn it?" "I tried casting an erotic massage spell I read from a book in Twilight's Library called, Eros and it had other parts in it, but I forgot everything but the spells and dating advice," Dinky said hanging her head low. Derpy pulled her off with a slick plopping sound coming from the cum holding her on, "You have no idea how hard it is not to jump your filly bones right now. We'll talk later but I need you to run us a cold bath alright you sexy, goddess of a filly you." "I can do that," Dinky said sliding out of her mother's grasp easily being as oiled up in marecum as she was. As she headed out she saw Derpy clopping furiously away at herself, "Oh my gosh that's sexy! Sorry I meant to say next time I'll be careful, my Bright Eyes!" Dinky trotted to the bathroom leaving a trail of cum behind her and all the while the sweet, candy musk of her fillyfriend built a tremendous pressure in her loins. That almost felt like fire about to explode out of her. The moans and shouts of sexual bliss her mother was giving off from the bedroom wasn't making it any easier. Man this is going to be a long night. I got to get Twilight to teach me magical control so I can enjoy making my mommy happy, rather than being sent out of the room while she gets busy on her fillybits. === Chapter 10 === It was the Friday evening before the trip to the castle and all that entailed. Dinky and Sweetie Belle dressed up in their respective dresses, Dinky in her flowing silver gown that she wore for her date with Derpy with Sweetie Belle wearing the dress she wore for her date with Dinky. They sat in the library giving each other gentle kisses and affectionate massages with their forehooves. Playfully exciting each other as they waited on their respective dates for the evening. A gentle cough roused them from their makeout session, they looked up to see Derpy in a light lilac dress, with golden embroidery lightly decorating the edges. While Twilight wore an indigo, dress made of a soft velvet. They looked to the fillies with a soft, happy gaze from watching their youthful expressions of love. Derpy gently fluttered to Sweetie Belle and nuzzled her as Sweetie stood up. She responded by giving a feminine coo while leaning into it. Dinky skipped to Twilight, giving a cute little bounce as she neared her. Her plush, graceful flank giving a sensual jiggle every time she landed. Which when Twilight noticed caused her to fall over coughing and blushing furiously enough to almost burst into flames. With their respective dates, and a recovering Twilight being licked by her date. They went their respective ways. Twilight knew it was going to be hard at least for her since her and Derpy had talked and said it was best to wait until tomorrow until they made love with their young lovers, and holding out both with Sweetie Belle's increasing insistence on getting laid, and her own growing sexual tension, she felt like she could explode. But given Derpy's large pool of wisdom, something Twilight would never have guessed at, was going to do her best. Especially if she wanted her first time to be just as magical as the ponies who had quickly became the loves of her life. Twilight smiled down at Dinky who was looking at her with uncontained admiration. Twilight leaned down and passionately kissed Dinky, that sexual tension that her herd had been building all week starting to fill her with a dull ache in her nethers. Just as she was about to lose herself in the sensation of her young lover she jolted back in surprise as she felt Dinky's tongue enter her mouth. "What are you doing?" Twilight shout whispered in surprise. "After I made Bright Eyes accidentally cum so hard it blasted me and plastered me to the bed. She's been teaching me how to use my tongue while kissing, and it's really hot. Sometimes we have to part ways for awhile while we clop away the tension. I don't think mommy knows that I know she waxes her pearl, but I can hear her moans through the walls," Dinky explained sultrily. "Wow! Um … I don't know if I'm ready for sex yet though. I want to hold off to tomorrow," Twilight replied blushing mightily. "Well we don't have to have sex now. I just want to feel that sexy tongue against mine as we enjoy ourselves," Dinky said while nuzzling the sensitive spot on Twilight's neck bringing an shudder of desire running through her. But Twilight wasn't anything if not the avatar of control over herself. Just as long as it didn't involve disappointing her mentor, her friends, or her lovers. And losing her virginity to anypony not Sweetie Belle, no matter how much she wanted it counted. "Alright, but no sex, I want to save my first time till tomorrow okay?" "Mmmhmm," Dinky purred as she went in for another kiss. When Dinky's tongue found hers, Twilight's mind was blown. The soft velvety, smoothness like the worlds finest silk reaching her own bigger tongue. The delicate massages, teasing rubs, and gentle pulls of Dinky's tongue caused Twilight's pussy to gush rivulets of desire down her thighs. In almost no time at all Twilight felt as if time stopped and there was nothing in the world but the gorgeous filly sharing this new experience with her, until her very consciousness narrow down to their dancing tongues. In the sweet eternity of their passionate embrace Twilight felt her heart flutter, and her body melt. Then just as she was about to explode with need Dinky pulled back. A trail of saliva connecting them, and her breath coming out in heady pants, "I promised no sex, but we can do what me and Sweetie Belle have been doing with one another?" With the need melting every part of her being she asked in a husky voice filled with desire, "What's that love?" She was shocked when she saw Dinky slide her dress off and toss it aside before laying on her back, "Let's watch each other clop ourselves. It's really fun," Dinky replied as her small hoof glided down her sensually built body. Twilight used her magic and practically ripped hers off before sliding down, letting Dinky seeing her nice sized pussy dripping with cum, mirroring Dinky's smaller, puffy snatch. Twilight used her magic to form a giant dildo and played with her pussy with it, egged on to go further as she saw Dinky's eyes grow wide at the dildo dripping with her fluids. Dinky still a beginner at magic decided to stay with what she was good at, and with the inner grooves of her hoof played with her outer lips. While occasionally flicking her engorged clit. Her soft moans answering Twilight's more ragged groans. As Twilight penetrated herself with the dildo, her back arching with pleasure. Dinky's filly-juice slicked hoof slid further into her pussy drawing out a gasp of pleasure that caused her body to shudder. Holding her clit with her frog, she rubbed that soft, velvety, padded goodness against it. Her breaths coming out in ragged, dainty pants. Only to be answered by Twilight's more throaty groans of pleasure. Their eyes rarely leaving each others as they slowly built up to orgasm. Dinky being as young as she was, had hit her third and final mini-orgasm when Twilight hit her big O. Picking the worn out filly with her magic Twilight brought Dinky into her arms and Prench kissed her, trying to convey all her love and desire through that kiss. When she pulled back she looked into the hooded, bedroom eyes of Dinky and whispered, "That was amazing Dinks, I can't wait for tomorrow." The only answer she got before Dinky passed out was a nod and a mumbled, "I love you Best Princess." Derpy laid beside Sweetie Belle under the stars at the park. Her wings brushing her flanks, and playing with her hair. Drawing out soft sighs of contentment. She had been hearing stories of her daughters exploits with Sweetie Belle, and a part of her was proud that she had not only two older mares to help her build a healthy sexual relationship, while helping her avoid pitfalls many younger ponies make in life. But a lover her own age that was able to help build and share the amazement and exploration of sexual joy that one had during youth. Before experience dulled the novelty and excitement of sexual adventures. Something that Derpy was glad her young herdmates were able to spark in her again after all those years where it had dulled. As she heard of all the times they had masturbated in front of each other. In public, where it was lucky there weren't caught. It filled her with excitement, but she knew she just had to wait a day longer before making a mare out of her daughter. While Twilight made a mare out of her own love. But that didn't mean she couldn't have a bit of fun after all those weeks starving her marely needs. With a flick of her wings she discarded her dress in a matter that made it look like was water flowing off of her body, and with a mischievous grin used her tongue to unhook the clasps of Sweetie's dress before undressing her in an excruciatingly slow manner. While using her wings to knock back Sweetie's hooves when she tried to get the clothes off faster. When she was done she was muzzle to tail with Sweetie's juice soaked thighs. Their sweet scent, bringing to mind the garden by Sugarcube Corner. That hint of flowery goodness, just before entering the candy district of Ponyville. Her wings flared outwards in a powerful wingboner. The soft, pristine feathers glowing radiantly in the moonlight. Derpy leaned forward and Prench kissed Sweetie Belle, and when their tongues touched. Sweetie learned how come Dinky was such an amazing kisser. But there were world of difference between Dinky's inexperienced motions, and the movements of a master. Sweetie was left a breathless puddle under Derpy's hooves, and when Derpy parted, Sweetie was left with a longing that she hadn't experienced. Sliding back Derpy extended one wing straight down as she laid on her side, legs spread in a triangle giving Sweetie a full view of her dripping marehood. With both wings she opened the lips of her sopping wet pussy and with the coverts of the wing she was laying on snatched her clit and pulled it out. Stretching it softly so Sweetie could have a look at it. As the Primaries diddled Derpy's bulb. Her other wings slid in like a cock and thrust deep into her own body. Sweetie seeing the dexterous wings in action imagined what it would be like to have Twilight's and Derpy's wings deep inside her pussy. Playing with her budding, filly clit. As she whacked off frantically she watched the smooth, and sexual action of Derpy's dual winged, pussy play. Sweetie feeling like she was going to explode switched from hooves to magic as she reached deep inside her to her special spot she discovered while her and Dinky watched each other masturbate like her mother and Sweetie were doing now. And with a burst of magic, vibrated her G-Spot. Just as Derpy climaxed, Sweetie did as well. Screaming each others names out loud as they orgasmed simultaneously. Derpy looked at Sweetie's worn out body and crawled to her, shivering as the feel of her clit being sucked back into her body, gave her a small mini orgasm upon her big one. Curling around Sweetie's prone form she whispered, "I'll get us a cloud later to clean up, and tomorrow's going to be glorious." === Chapter 11 === Twilight and Sweetie sat on one side the carriage snuggling with one another while Derpy and Dinky were on the other snuggled close. The royal carriage was brought to Twilight that afternoon with a Royal Guard escort. Dinky and Sweetie squealed with filly delight when their pimped out ride, and the two older mares blushed at their excitement. Even the usually stoic guards d'awwed at the combined weaponized cuteness of those two as the bounced about the carriage, checking out all the sights of their sweet ride. Now as they drew nearer to the castle they got as much affection as they could get before they had to hide their relationships from the two oldest rulers in Equestria. The near omniscient dream walker Luna, and her peeping tom, prankster of a sister Celestia. This could only end well. It was several hours later, and thirty cleaning spells later that they arrived at the castle. Their anticipation of that special evening, and left them soaking wet several times, and Twilight was convinced that the smell at any given moment would be smellable to everypony in a twenty trot radius. But with her OCD level of thoroughness, she kept the sex smell suppressed. As their carriage stopped they made a quick switch of positions seconds before the door opened revealing the smiling form of the royal sisters, "Hello Twilight, I see you brought your special somepony, what looks like her child, and your protege'," Celestia said with a smile. As she glanced at Derpy both her and Luna's eyebrows cocked. Before a mischievous smile split their faces as who they were seeing clicked, "Madame Derpy, it's been ages hasn't it?" Derpy blushed as everypony in the carriage looked at her in curiosity, "Not that long your highnesses." Luna gave a stallionly chuckle at that, "Oh-hohoho! That is quite the jest, it feels like forever since we last met." "Not really, it was shortly after you returned, and then on Nightmare Night," Dinky said her blush brightening. As it hit her that arriving was probably a mistake. Even if it was for a good cause. "The time sure does fly doesn't it, and Luna don't tease Twilight's paramor just yet, at least not until she's part of the family isn't that right Twilight," Celestia butted in before giving Twilight a playful bump on the shoulder with her wing. Twilight covered her face with her wings and groaned, "I wish I could die, please if there are any merciful deities, please take me now." "Sorry Twilight I didn't mean to embarrass you too much. It's just that I'm happy that you've found love at long last, and it really has felt like ages since I saw Derpy last," She looked at Derpy sadly, "We used to be close you know." "I know Celestia, it's just been that I've been happily busy being a mother. You know how that is," Derpy said sadly. "Yeah," Celestia whispered before cheering herself up, "But still there's no need to be a stranger. We can catch up while you tell us all about your recent adventures." "Yes, I also wish to hear about your exploits since we last met," Luna said giddily. As they walked off ahead of them Twilight and the rest of the herd gathered around Derpy, "What was that all about?" Twilight asked. "Well I promise to tell you shortly, just not right now," Derpy mumbled embarrassedly. "When then?" "Tonight, when we have our privacy I'll tell you all about it. All of you about it." "Alright, it's just, weird that of all the stories Celestia told me about her past and of history, she never mentioned you. And I never saw you in the castle when I was a filly." "Please Twilight, I know you're curious, and I do love that inquisitive mind of yours. But lets not go into this right now. For me?" Derpy added giving her biggest set of puppy dog eyes, with a cute little pout. Sighing she said, "Okay it can wait," lifting up a hoof regally she pointed it at Derpy, "But I better learn tonight, or you won't get any." Derpy laughed at that and nuzzled Twilight, "I promise, tonight." As they sat at the massive, ornate, mahogany table, filled with delectable foods. Dinky and Sweetie Belle sat on either side of their respective mates while Twilight and Derpy sat next to one another. Each party hoping that it wouldn't be conspicuous that their love sat next to them. Celestia sat next to Luna who was seated closer to the group. Looking to make sure everypony was seated gave an announcement, "For those of you who are new to this dining room I will give out the rules now. One, no formalities, all of those things are left at the door. This is a place to relax and forget the outside world while around friends. Two, there are no rules, just enjoy yourselves and do what you want. Everything here is replaceable, but good times are not." With that she sat down, as Luna who had been chugging a large mug of Apple Cider from Appleoosa let out a loud belch, "Exactly, in this we're only Luna and Celestia. So enjoy yourselves our honored guests and are to have lots of fun this night," she ended her speech with a knowing wink that brought blushes from the fillies and nervous coughs from the adults. "Anyways, Celestia, this here is Sweetie Belle the pony I've been telling you about," Twilight said flush with nervous embarrassment. "Sorry Twilight, it's just been we thought the crusader's would've ended up adults before you finally got around to finding a special somepony. And as an Alicorn you're family, and even before then, you've been like a daughter to me. It's my right to embarrass your dates to see if they have the guff needed to be part of the family," Celestia said with a graceful smile. "That's right," Luna said, "That and we're hopelessly deviant when it comes to having fun with family." Celestia coughed and blushed, "Sorry Luna is still learning modern language. Isn't that right sister?" Luna blushed and nodded, "We're sorry, it seems we have a bit more to learn about modern tongue after all," She said a halo appearing above her head. Although the light seemed to flicker as if the bulb lighting it was faulty. Twilight looked from one sister to the other before shaking her head viciously to shake out the images out of her head. While Derpy gave the first honest laugh of the night at the pairs antics. After Derpy finished laughing she said, "Yes modern language can be tricky can't it Luna?" Luna grasping the save nodded her head. Derpy looked at Celestia's blushing face and giggled, "It's alright, I am honored that you're teasing me to see if me and Twilight are good for each other." Luna blurted, "All she needs now is a marem, and we can give her a present for her first princessly milestone." Celestia poked her sister and gave her a knowing glance, "I told you Luna marem's are rare now in days, all types of herd relationships are, after monogamy became a thing." "Yes, yes, true. Sorry Derpy, I shouldn't have insinuated that you, Twilight and a group of other mares in your lives get together and have wild, happy sex. And carry each other babies. That was dated of me wasn't it Twilight?" Luna asked. Twilight at this moment was trying to sink beneath the table and disappear. Since her mind refused to release how to do the invisibility spell from the labyrinthian depths of her memory. She only let out a meep of affirmation before trying to sink lower. "Anyways even if she did form one, we wouldn't judge you Twilight, no matter what you do, or who you do it with. We're family, and we care for you. Now Back onto business. Derpy how did you two meet?" Celestia asked. Thankful for the shift of topic. She mentioned how her and Twilight first met when her and Raindrops dropped a piano on her head. Then the numerous times she 'ran' into Twilight on accident, finally ending with a few months before Heart and Hooves Day dating each other. Ending with how happy she was that Twilight knew that family came first and let her spend her Heart and Hooves Day with her daughter who had saved up for the occasion. Celestia and Luna looked admiringly at Dinky when they heard the slightly truthful version of how much Dinky saved up and for how long she did so to help her mother. Luna had a tear in her eye, "That is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. You truly must be a most magnificent daughter." Dinky blushed at the praise and shrugged which got a laugh from Celestia, "And she's modest too. You truly do well raising your daughters. Even young Amethyst Star is a model student in the Academy." "Thank you Celestia. I try," Derpy said with a proud grin. "You know, with Twilight having a student, I think that Luna could use a student. It might help her acclimate to the world better, and help her connect with ponies like you have Twilight," Celestia asked Twilight and Derpy. "You know that might not be a bad idea. My little muffin has lots of magical power, I think it's about 100 ++ SSMP Ponyville doesn't have the room or machines to test for higher than SSMP, but I know that she's at least half of what Twilight was at her age," Derpy said. "And that power only grows when a pony's trained properly," Luna said knowingly. Sweetie Belle looked the sisters in confusion, "It can? My sister said that a ponies magical pool doesn't grow much after they've hit their first estrus." "Well that's both true and not. You see working magic is just like working a muscle. If you don't push yourself, safely might I add, then it doesn't grow. But the more it's used, the more it needs, and the more bigger a ponies magical reserve and strength grow," Celestia lectured. "Hmmm … so you're saying I can be as powerful as Twilight when I get older?" Sweetie Belle asked. "You never know until you try, but Twilight's reserves were always insanely high. But just remember, practice makes perfect, and hard work always pays off in the end," Celestia said with a playful grin. As dinner wound down. Celestia rang her glass, "To the ponies special to Twilight I give a toast. And also I have a surprise on top of the surprises in store tomorrow." "What surprise?" Twilight asked. "This one," and with a flourish of her magic, Celestia opened the doors to reveal Cadance. With an easily overlookable shake Celestia signaled that what the sisters already knew and Cadance could tell from a mile away Twilight didn't admit to. "Well honored guests we bid you ado. Sleep well, and if you need anything let our staff know," Celestia said with a bow and together Celestia and Luna sauntered off. Cadance looked at each of the ponies before her, and her eyes lit up with glee as she pranced in place squealing like a school filly, "Twilight I'm so happy for you." Twilight looked flabbergasted, "You know?" "Twilight, you're talking about three ponies here. One has access to a dimension that sees every event in a ponies life and has prophetic dreams. One has near omniscience by access to memories of every dreaming pony. And then you have me who can see all forms, flavors, and types of love. Did you really think it you could keep it a secret?" "Oh no! Celestia and Luna must be so disappointed in me," Twilight moaned. "Silly filly, I know for a fact that they love, you. As well as are happy for you, very happy," Cadance said with a smile. Dinky nervously asked, "What about their feelings for me and Bright Eyes, they aren't going to take her away are they?" "No, never. Sure they came to me when they found out. Since a lot of times those relationships are formed by manipulation, need to dominate or control a pony, or are ponies would hurt another. But I can feel hearts and souls from the Crystal Heart, and I knew that your love was a pure one. "So no, you have nothing to fear. Although if I know Luna as I've been learning of her, she wasn't subtle about it at all was she?" Cadance asked playfully. Having leaned down and stroked Dinky's back compassionately. Dinky laughed at that, "Not at all. I knew they knew, I just didn't know until you told me that I was right." "Well me letting the cat out of the bag can be our secret. And when you feel like you can tell them, do so. Personally, I never had a lover as young as you two, and I don't think I'd love my foal when I have them that way. But I support true love, and I support my family which, Twilight, you should know by now you are. And if you love them, then I care for them as well." Twilight felt a huge weight lift off her back and glomped her sister-in-law, "Thank you Cadance, you have no idea how much that means to me. I don't know when a good time will be to tell them, but can you let them know that I'll try for tomorrow?" "Sure thing, oh! And even though I never had a lover that young, I've heard Luna say that her and her sister would take on lovers that age before." "Really!?" "They said something about when you hit their age, the age of a body is less important than the mind and soul that inhabit it," Cadance replied with a grin. "That's great! But how come the laws say that it's wrong if they've done it?" "Well that's the rub. They've always been private about their affairs. So it's not been common knowledge, but they seemed to be glad for you, and see in you something special that can fix things for ponies like you, or even like them." "Really, Celestia prophesied that you'd be the one to give birth to thousands of torches that filled the skies with a hidden love, made known. And two ponies whose marks were born of that loves destiny would give birth to the Great Plan." "Great Plan?" "I'm sorry Twilight that's all I can tell you. Otherwise it could change prophecy. Well good night, and congratulations," and with that Cadance left the ponies to their thoughts as they too left and made their way to the room they'd be in until sunday evening. === Chapter 12 === Derpy sat on the giant Alicorn sized bed, with her herdmates around her as she began her confession before they had sex. That is if they still wanted it after they found out the truth about her. Her wings shook with a nervous anticipation as she started, "Well you see there's more to me than meets the eye. I guess before I tell you girls everything I should show you first." With that she closed her eyes in concentration, and a liquid like shimmer like ripples in a pond flowed around her forehead as a horn slowly sprouted like the capture motion films of watching grass grow. In a matter of seconds an alicorn sat before them, the same height, the same everything. Except for a rather enviously, prominent horn that had sprouted from her head. Twilight looked at the horn, and feeling her own, shorter horn frowned slightly before asking, "Bwha hu! But … how … when … what?!" "I've always been an alicorn. Technically I'm Celestia and Luna's third cousin twice removed on her father's side. Although I'm several centuries younger than Luna," Derpy replied. "Several centuries?" Dinky asked, "So that means your super old right?" Derpy laughed at her daughter's innocent question, "Yes love, I'm super old. Do you still find me attractive?" "Yeah huh! This means that one dream with you being a Princess is real right?" "Well I don't know if our herd will include Luna, and I very much doubt that it'd include a giant gummy bear eating out her pussy. But other than those, yes I suppose that dream can be a reality," Derpy giggled. Dinky started bouncing around screaming "Yes!" Like Twilight Sparkle when she got excited. Derpy laughed at the sight and looked at Twilight and Sweetie, "So what are your thoughts?" "Why did you keep it a secret? And does this mean you're a princess as well?" Sweetie asked. "No I'm not a princess, I chose many millennia ago, or was it centuries? When you live in multiple points of space-time, or dimensions where time move differently your sense of time goes out the window. As for why I kept it a secret, well, it's just that I love living among normal ponies. "When you're at the top, it gets rather lonely, ponies put you on a pedestal so high they can never touch you. But as a normal pony I can see problems as they start up, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to stop it, other times all I can do is simply stand by and watch. But at least I have a sense of freedom. "My special talent is fate related. I see various points in time, other realities, even entire planes of existence and I can travel to those places. Bringing or taking things with me, or even manipulating fate by giving it gentle nudges. Like with what I did for Spike and him ending up with Cheerilee. "But the problem with that is, ponies think I'm omnipresent the few times I let my powers be known, or thought I could do anything I wanted. But the truth is, there are so many things that can or can not happen, are happening, or will happen all at once that things can slip my sight. "That and even though I can help start, or create journey by manipulating fate, which is what my special talent is. I can only do so much, so it's easier to pretend to be normal, and it accepted that I'm not perfect. Rather than be thought of perfect, and prove ponies wrong," Dinky related. It was a painful subject, and one that brought to mind many millennia of suffering and loss. As she ended that explanation tears had started forming around her eyes, slowly leaking as they grew to many to contain. Her herdmates gathered around her and hugged her tightly, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry," Sweetie said herself starting to tear up. "It's not your fault Sweetie, it's just a lot of memories," Derpy whispered before melting in the embrace of her fillyfriends. "Well. I understand what that's like. When I became an Alicorn it took a lot of convincing them that I wasn't perfect. Even know ponies still don't get that I'm just a pony," Twilight said. "Yeah, ponies are weird like that," Derpy said, "But I have all of you, and you've loved me for me. That means a lot more than I can ever say." "We'll always love you. We might've ended up in each other's lives through strange means. But it was destined that we ended up together as lovers," Twilight said. It didn't take much adjusting to get used to Derpy's newest appendage, while it was strange seeing it upon her head. It seemed to accentuate her natural beauty rather than make her seem strange. Even if it did make the three unicorns in the room slightly jealous of it's girth and size, Derpy looked at her lovers and said, "How about me and my muffin and you and your lover have sex. Then we can switch it up if you'd like?" Twilight looked into Sweetie's eyes and nodded her consent. As Twilight magiced Sweetie into her embrace and alternated between gentle kisses and deep Prench kisses. Derpy lay beside her daughter and looked lovingly into her eyes, "Are you ready for this love? We don't have to do this tonight if you aren't ready." Dinky shook her head and said, "I've been wanting to make love to you for ages, I want to make love to you tonight. If that's okay with you that is." Derpy answered by deeply kissing her. Derpy's wings grabbing Dinky's rearlegs and rubbing them sexually. Each time they rose up the tips of the primaries teasingly grazed Dinky's pussy eliciting a purr of pleasure. The shuddered moans and throaty hums from Twilight and Sweetie Belle adding onto the excitement. Derpy's experienced hoof kneaded the Dinky's muscles easing away the tension as she slowly moved from kissing Dinky to giving her tongue massages along her neck. Inch by tantalizing inch she moved lower and lower. Easing Dinky's body up with her wings with holding her closely with her forehooves. Twilight at this time had moved from kissing Sweetie's lips to sucking on her horn. The velvety fine hairs on the skin of her horn standing on end as Twilight traced Sweetie's horn's grooves with her tongue while taking the horn into her throat. Before pulling out while sucking greedily on the horn. Sweetie's mind had gone blank and was filled with a buzzing euphoria that erupted throughout her mind at Twilight's horn play. Soon she was flipped around just as Derpy was about to eat out Dinky. Sweetie found her head held between Twilight's thighs while Twilight's lips were hungrily lapping on her netherlips. Then she found herself lost in bliss as Twilight dropped her pussy onto Sweetie's horn. The moist, clenching tunnel, greedily trying to pull the horn deeper into Twilight's body. As Twilight's tongue lanced deep inside her pussy. Their hips bucking at each other. Twilight's to burry Sweetie's horn deeper into her, while Sweetie bucked to get more of Twilight's tongue as far into her pussy as possible. Within seconds both of the lovers had become lost to each others body and didn't know where one ended and the other began. Meanwhile Dinky was wondering if this is what Elysium was like as her mother's tongue targeted out her G-Spot and her wings grasped her horn. The wings methodically masturbating her horn while Derpy's tongue alternated between flicking her G-Spot and sucking as much of her clit into Derpy's mouth as she lapped up her gushing juices. Just as she was about to cum out both ends her mother pulled back and asked huskily, "Want to feel what it's like to have a colt bits deep inside you my love?" "YES! PLEASE YES! JUST FUCK ME!" Dinky yelled, her mind having long since lost any semblance at logical thought. All she knew was she trusted her mother, and she wanted to experience everything Derpy could give her. Dinky saw her mother's horn glow around the pussies of the three virgins in the room, and spread their pussies part before a golden ball fell into each of them. They let out a simultaneous orgasm as they felt every part of their pussies being stimulated, "That was a spell to break the hymen and work out the muscles so your first times being penetrated won't hurt. Now for you Dinks, I'm going to stuff my muffin's muffin." With the spell she read about and heard about in school Dinky saw Derpy's sexy filly bits morph into a well endowed piece of stallion hood. Derpy readied her cock into Dinky's folds and asked, "Are you sure you want this muffin?" "Yes mommy! I've never wanted anything so bad in my life!" Dinky yelled needily. "Say 'fuck me mommy! I want your delicious cock in me!'" Derpy said feeling her cock slide out of it's sheath and tease her daughter's slit. "Fuck me mommy please! I need your yummy colt meat in my pretty filly pussy!" Dinky cried passionately. Easing in slowly she saw her daughters abdomen bulge from Derpy's girth, "Just let me know if this uncomfortable okay?" Dinky nodded while mewling softly. Given the go ahead she slowly slid her massive cock until she grazed the cervix earning her a surprised yelp from Dinky who moaned, "Don't stop!" Mentally marking the spot where she needed to stop, she pulled out slowly and thrusted herself back in. As she slowly built speed to a comfortable rhythm Dink's body was pushed and pulled by the rocking motion as her pussy did everything it could to hang onto the cock filling her. She felt a strange mixture of fullness, raw euphoric joy, and need as her mother's cock pierced her and rocked her filly world. The feeling of her walls stretching as Derpy's head caressed every part of her inner walls, to the rocking motion Derpy's thrust gave her, was an indescribable experience of raw pleasure. Derpy on the other hoof was fighting to keep control. It had been several generations since she had a cock, and it was using all of her concentration and a bit of magic pinching the tip of the cock to keep her from busting her load into Dinky before Dinky could have her first real orgasm. Derpy was amazed at how soft, tender, and utterly bewitching her daughter's pussy was. It's sensual grabbing of her cock was the greatest sexual feeling Derpy had, had in a long time. Not even her the fathers of Amethyst Star and Dinky compared to Dinky's loving snatch. But she was pulled from her revelry as a primal scream of sexual release ripped from Dinky's throat as her pussy gripped viselike around the penis wedged deep within her. It was at that moment Derpy released her control and coated Dinky's womb with her seed. Twelve years of held back sexual need burst into Dinky filling her up with colt juice until her stomach bulged. Just as Derpy was about to pull out Dinky said, "Bright Eyes, mommy, don't pull out. Fuck me till I can't hold any more. Please?! I need more of you in me." With a grin Derpy complied, not bothering to keep herself from cumming, she thrust herself ever faster into daughter's pussy. The mixture of her cum along with Dinky's made the sensation around her cock that much more arousing making her rock hard instantly. Dinky let loose panted groans of lust and desire with each thrust of Derpy's cock. Over and over again Derpy orgasmed into Dinky until her stomach was expanded to it's limits, giving her to look of being eleven months pregnant. With her cock lodged within Dinky, holding herself in against the pressure threatening to blast the cock out she grinned at Dinky's sweat drenched body. "This is as much as you can hold honey how does it feel?" Derpy asked. "A-bucking-mazing!" Dinky moaned," mommy, is this what I'll look like when I have a baby?" "Yes it will. Although we don't need to rush into that right now sex muffin," Dinky cooed. Derpy looked at Sweetie Belle and Twilight who were looking at them with large, wonderfilled eyes, "Do you two want some of this in you?" Derpy asked saucily. To which they both nodded. Waving Sweetie Belle over she said, "You've been a good filly how would you like a little treat?" "YES!" Sweetie screamed hungrily looking at the sex drenched cock before her. "Okay love, put your mouth near Dinky's tasty pussy, and when I pull out put your mouth over it. And drink up as much as you want, me and Dinky's love is your love too after all," Derpy said stroking Sweetie's mane lovingly as Sweetie bent over. Sweetie licked Derpy's cock, giving it gentle kisses as she moved down to Dinky's waiting pussy. Sending shivers of delight up Derpy's body, which made Dinky shiver in response. As Sweetie made it to Dinky's pussy and wrapped as much of her mouth around where Dinky and Derpy met. Derpy pulled out, and giggled as Sweetie's mouth bulged from the amount of filly and stallion cum entering her mouth. She backed up and watched with adoration at the sight and sound of Sweetie greedily drinking as much as she could. Although it seemed all too soon before she pulled off and had a wave of cum coat her face. Which she used her forehooves to slather her coat with. As Sweetie Belle and Dinky started kissing, both Dinky and Derpy's combined taste mixed with Twilight's pussy flavor on their tongues as they explored one another's body as Derpy made her way to Twilight. Twilight looking at the cock before her felt her wings twitch in a way that made her shiver with anticipation. She reached at and longingly stroked it with her feathers. Derpy's cock still sensitive from Dinky's marvelous pussy twitched hungrily as her back arched from the soft, sensual caresses of Twilight's primaries fondling her. Twilight meanwhile guided the cock into her and gasped as she felt herself penetrated. It was a feeling so much better than a magic dildo or even the real dildos she had hidden in her room. The thick, meaty, warmth that filled her pussy and filled her grasping walls was something that she never imagined filling her body. As Derpy thrust into her a guttural moan escaped her, mixing to the melodious moans of Dinky and Sweetie Belle as they suckled each other's clits. Derpy gazed at her with lusty, bedroom eyes, as she rhythmically pounded Twilight's pussy. Able to get deeper into her than she was Dinky, what with her being the age she was. Cooing softly in reply to Twilight's ever building moans of sexual release. The repeated magaculation of Sweetie Belle had sensitized her walls to the point that each thrust was another brick of a massively building orgasm. As mini-orgasm, over mini-orgasm merged together into one seamless tidal wave of sexual bliss. While it was nowhere near as long a dicking as she gave Dinky, when they came together after only a few short minutes of rutting, it was just as satisfying seeing Twilight's afterglow from the mixture of Sweetie's magic coating her womb to her own seed coating it's luscious walls. Derpy finally spent of seed did the counterspell and felt the sexual joy of feeling her cock become a pussy while still deep within her lover's snatch. Laying next to Twilight she Prench kissed her, enjoying the taste of Sweetie's pussy still thick on Twilight's tongue, mixed with her natural flavor. Wings enlocked by their primaries they enjoyed each other's bodies while their younger mates were still in the throes of their sexual experiences. Dinky shivered as she heard Twilight's orgasm echo throughout the room. Moving her head from Sweetie's snatch, she heard Sweetie whimper as the warm tongue that had been so erotically fulfilling her moved away. Dinky gave her pussy a loving kiss before saying shudderingly as Sweetie Belle continued working away at her clit like a piece of candy, "Hey Sweets, want me to try having a penis to give you like Bright Eyes gave me?" Sweetie moved her muzzle out of Dinky's snatch, face coated with her fluid and grinned widely, "Heck yes!" Moving back she did the spell and was amazed as the tingling in her pussy gave birth to a cock every bit as well endowed as her mother's. Derpy looked languidly over and said with a laugh, "Like mother, like daughter, huh sex muffin?" "Mmmhmmm!" Dinky took her cock and rubbed it along the walls of Sweetie's outer lips, "Do you want it in you?" "Don't tease me," Sweetie cried, "you know I want that cock deep inside me!" With a teasing grin she slid herself into Sweetie Belle, "Holy Mother of Celestia! This is amazing!" Dinky screamed as she felt Sweetie's walls grasp her cock greedily. "Honey love, something I should tell you. Lightly pinch right beneath the head of your cock. That way you don't cum too early, and you give a nice blast of cum when you release it. At least for your first time, alright love?" Derpy told Dinky. "Kays," Dinky replied distractedly as Sweetie gave her plot a little shake drawing a surprised gasp from Dinky and a purr of happiness from herself. Quickly grasping her head with her magic she kept pressure on it as she copied what Derpy did and started with a slow tempo, and built up speed as she lost herself inside Sweetie's pussy. Sweetie Belle arched forward, wrapping her forelegs around Dinky's neck as she angled herself for deeper penetration. Her pussy only taking in a third of Dinky's cock before she could take any more. Each thrust of her lover's cock sent new waves of pleasure as just as with Twilight's her previous partners magaculation had sensitised her walls and made each thrust that much more magical. She was shocked when Derpy and Twilight joined them for a moment as they took to either side of Dinky and kissed each other around Dinky's dick. Alternating between masterbating her dick with their tongues and thrusting their tongues into Sweetie's cum drenched pussy bring both fillies to new levels of orgasm. At the height of Dinky's first orgasm from her colt bits her magic sputtered out filling Sweetie's womb with cum. Before passing out on top of her lover. Sweetie just laid there reveling in the warm, fiery goodness of Dinky's sperm inside her and the micro humping Dinky did as she breathed in slumber. Derpy carefully laid Dinky beside Sweetie Belle, as Twilight lay on her other side, and there they lay together happily. Their first act of sex as a couple truly was every bit as magical as they hoped and looking at bed thoroughly drenched in cum, with the smell of their sex hanging thickly in the air like incense those still awake laughed in pure joy at the evidence of their lovemaking. === Chapter 13 === One of the first things they all noticed when they woke up in a sexy pony pile was that there was no hiding the smell. It saturated into everything in the room bringing back vivid memories of what they did the night before. Their collective bodies felt everything they did together and along with that came body shuddering mini-orgasms. "Okay, if anypony asks why we had random orgasms. We tell them Derpy for me and Dinky for you Sweets are just that good to us. And no we didn't find having sex near one another weird. Although Sweets," Twilight said looking lustily at her lover, "You were amazing last night, and I didn't think it possible to love you anymore than I did, but I do." Sweetie Belle blushed heavily as another orgasm flooded her body, "Yeah that horn of yours is magical," giving a laugh at her punny pun she added, "and I feel the same. I loved you before last night, but after that mind blowing sex we had followed up with Dinky's tasty cock. I love all of you so much more." Dinky looked at her filly bits that were starting to drip down her thighs and asked, "Can we have more sex before we have to go? I'm feeling really horny for you all right now." "Sorry my love nugget, but we have to be at breakfast or we'll miss it," Twilight said, blushing at her spontaneous pet name for Dinky. "But that's alright, I just want you for breakfast," Dinky said licking her lips. Twilight blushed harder at that, and Derpy stepped in while she tried to collect her thoughts, "Honey muffin, pussy isn't a full meal." "But your cock got me pretty full is that a full meal?" Dinky asked innocently. Now it was Derpy's turn to get flabbergasted, which only got worse when Sweetie Belle chimed in, "Yeah when I drank that love juice you to made I got stuffed quick." "We-we-well you see," Derpy stuttered as another mini-orgasm flowed through her, "What I meant is that pussy, and cocks too, are more of a fluid and you need more than that if you want to stay healthy." "Oh! Well can I have it for a snack?" Dinky asked. "Not right now love muffin. I promise you though when we have more free time we'll all enjoy some more of each other's bodies. But just like waiting all that time made last night special. Waiting until the right moment, especially since we're in somepony else's house we need to respect their schedules. But at home, just us, we can eat pussy for a morning snack if we get in the mood," Derpy lectured. The group bath to clean them of their sex smell took forever, but eventually they got clean enough to be presentable, and in Derpy's case Pegasi looking, for breakfast. As they left their bedroom they were greeted by Luna who took a dainty sniff and ended up cracking a grin, "Sooooo had fun last night?" Twilight thought about Derpy's cock pounding away at her just moments after Sweetie's fifth horn cum, and let out a pleasurable moan, "May-ay-aybe!" "Thought so. I must say your groups dreams were quite amusing," Luna teased. "You know for a supposed sister, you're being really mean," Twilight mumbled embarrassedly. "It's not our fault that your screams could be heard through the hallways," Luna replied. "Oh no! How many ponies heard?" Twilight groaned, while Derpy looked absolutely mortified. "Tsk. Tsk. We put you in that room for a reason. Nothing gets out of the windows, and no sound leaves that corridor. As for somepony telling, all our guards are sworn to secrecy. All they know is that you and Derpy here, and Sweetie Belle and young Dinky had a wild night with their respective lovers. "It would be the first time family and lovers had sex near each other in the same room in these halls. Although it is a weird fetish, don't you think?" Luna said with a wink. Seeing the save for what it was, Twilight nodded. Luna gave another sniff and added, "Although I didn't know the lovers you and your protege took were so skilled. I must ask you to join me in my room for a spell. I have just the enchantment to hide if not the experience of said events last night at least that scent. No offense meant of course." "None taken," Sweetie replied, "So where is your room?" "Just a few doors down." So they trekked to Luna's room. Inside was filled with Star Charts, outlines for new ones, a massive book case filled with all sorts of books, and a giant bed in the center of the room. With several rooms off to the sides, "Now that we have some privacy. I really didn't mean offense, that smell is intoxicating," Luna said teasingly as she lay seductively on her bed, "alas I am alone with naught but the dreams and fantasies of my little ponies to live vicariously through." "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, it's just well ….," Twilight began before trailing off. "Worry not. We understand, my sister and I are seen as paragons of virtue and purity. If we were known to have illicit, forbidden affairs our little ponies would have priapisms," Luna joked, "But we're all family. When everypony else has passed, we're all that we have and we stand by each other. Even if I wasn't jealous of your affair, not Nightmare Moon jealous, still envious, and even if we weren't into that form of love. We'd still stand by you. No matter what." "Um … you're jealous of me?" Twilight asked. "Well all of your herd really. And I apologise to you in advanced. I've learned my lesson of hiding my feelings from others, and seeing the dreams and memories that leak through to the dreamscape. I can't help but feel as if I'm missing out on two relationships I've felt strongly for, but am as usual too late to have." "Two?" "Well first with you, and young Sweetie Belle. You Twilight were my first friend since my return. Got ponies to accept me, and even from time to time wrote to me as you would my sister. You're friendship and lessons inspired me and helped me grow accustomed to this strange time I find myself thrust within. "As for you Sweetie Belle, you remind me so much of my last mate before my fall. You even have her mane, and her laugh. And hearing of your adventures with your friends the Cutie Mark Crusaders fills me with glee at the adventures you get yourselves into. But with Celestia telling me repeatedly that herds are rare, in this day and age. I held my tongue. "And then the second. Scootaloo, she's a kindred spirit to me. Feeling invisible, forgotten, desperately seeking the attention of an older sister who rarely has the time for her. But she loves Rainbow Dash, and even though I never was the element of Generosity, it'd be disloyal to squander her dreams while she has a chance. So until now I bid my tongue, but if you formed a herd. Then there is a chance for me to earn a place in your hearts and Scootaloo's is there not?" Luna asked. Twilight looked at her mates, and they through unspoken understanding nodded. Twilight looked at Luna and sighed, "I honestly don't know about Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. That's something that you need to talk to them about. As for us. I'm not saying no, and I'm not saying definately. But we can try dating, all of us, and one on one. And we'll see how things work out. Is that good enough for now?" "All I can ever ask for is a chance. Truly destiny was grand when it chose for you to be ascended into the rank of Alicorn," Luna complimented. "Thank you, and are you sure you don't mind dating and having sex with your cousin and her daughter as well?" Twilight asked. "Of course not, it's not like we haven't had sex before," Luna blurted. Before hiding her face with her wings in embarrassment. "WHAT!?" Twilight yelled. "Cheap Daiquiris are my weakness, and Luna's is liquified moonlight forged Moonshine. And being as long lived as we are, from time to time we all got wasted and one thing led to another. And well you can guess the rest from there," Derpy said. "Okay, so that's good to know," Twilight said. "Yep! Imma give mommy some of that stuff when we get home," Dinky said happily. "Not until you're sixteen you aren't, and not without a doctorate in magic for the second one. Liquid Moonlight is no joke," Derpy scolded. "Awww! Alright. In four more years then?" Dinky asked. "Yes in four years you can buy alcohol." "What about to consume, I heard that you can do that at my age. Isn't that how Berry Punch got her cutie mark?" "Only with adult supervision. And I don't want you to get drunk with me because I do very foolish and embarrassing things when liquored up." Luna butted in with an anecdote at that, "Like putting on a toga and pretending to be a dancing, singing, cat!" "Luna, if we're going to be special someponies, you will never finish that story. It took me centuries to live that down," Derpy moaned embarrassedly. The vivid partial memory of thinking that'd distract the Monkey King from overthrowing Neighpon was something that she desperately wished she was sober to deal with. Rather than wasted on peach wine. "Deal, now about those enchantments." Thankfully the excuse that the sex of what was their legal partners were enough to deflect suspicion from their less legal partners. But that gave birth to looks of jealousy from ponies who envied the luck of getting such amazing partners of such sexual prowess. It was nearing lunch when the Princesses took them to an upscale restaurant called Divine Sensations. When they were sat at their table sitting on a terrace overlooking Canterlot the Princesses excused themselves to freshen up, as they left Dinky looked mischievously at Sweetie Belle and whispered conspiratorially, "I'm hungry for some pussy what about you?" "A little, do you think it'd be okay if I ate out Derpy and you can have some Twilight?" Sweetie asked. "Sure, lets go under the table, and have ourselves an appetizer." Sneakily they slid beneath the tables while Derpy and Twilight were discussing work back home. Under the tables they saw their respective targets with their legs fondling each others, while their twats glistened with drips of sex. Licking their collective lips they went in for their targets. Derpy and Twilight gasped as they felt muzzles burying themselves into their pussies. Looking under the tablecloth, they saw their lovers sucking their clits happily. Placing the cloth down Derpy said, "This is going to be interesting," as she shuddered sexually. Down below Sweetie Belle licked Derpy's slit like a lollipop, and every time she got up to Derpy's large, glistening clit drew it in, and gave it a gentle pull like she saw Derpy do with her wings during her picnic with her. Each lick drew a shudder and each pull a soft coo of encouragement. The enchantment Sweetie was happy about ended an inch from the body, allowing her to enjoy Derpy's unique flowery, candy smell, as Derpy's sex released a steady stream of fluids into her mouth. Dinky on the other hoof was using a different technique. Opting to get a mouthfull of clit, and suckle it like a hard candy. Humming happily into Twilight's pussy as more and more juices flowed into her mouth. Twilight's hoof under the table gentling massaging her mane while pushing her head deeper into her snatch. Tiny pits of mare cum drizzled down in her muzzle before she placed her lips over Twilight's netherlips and shoved her tongue into them. Wrapping around the clitoris and playing with it. Sweetie Belle hearing Twilight's stifled moans, focused more on Derpy's clit, and with a stream of magic vibrated it causing Derpy to jump in her seat before mashing Sweetie's face into her snatch as she orgasmed before lightening her grip. Waterfalls of mare cum flowed into Sweetie's mouth as she drank as much as she could get. Bits and pieces dripped out covering her dress with her prize. After their lovers came they moved back and kissed one another sharing their winnings with one another like the good fillyfriends they were, "Your mom was right, that wasn't a full meal, but it was one heck of a snack," Sweetie Belle whispered as they parted from their kiss. "Yeah, maybe if we ate a lot of it we'd get full?" "Maybe, but that'd take a long time probably. Still best snack ever, am I right?" "It is," Derpy said with a goofy grin splitting her face. As they got out from under the table they saw the bliss filled eyes of Twilight and Derpy looking satisfied. And the Princesses looking at them with cocked eyebrows. Dinky and Sweetie Belle looked sheepishly at each other before Dinky stepped in with an explanation, "We thought we dropped our spoons and were looking for them?" "Uhuh! And did you find what you were looking for?" Celestia asked mischievously. "Yep! Oh! Mommy, I'm good on appetizers," Derpy said teasingly. "Me too!" Sweetie added innocently. Derpy's comment sailing over her head. "You know, if you're looking for a nice quiet place to be together, later today you can go to the Royal Gardens. The Labyrinth has a lot of hidden nooks and crannies to offer privacy if you need it," Celestia said with her best troll face. Twilight knew that look well enough to snap out of her post-coital bliss and blush furiously, "Really Celestia? The Royal Gardens?" "Suuurrreee! Nopony uses them anyways, well not all that much anymore. Not after Ponyville Elementary accidentally released Discord, and Fluttershy released an adorable stamppeed. That and you're royalty so enjoy the perks of having unlimited access to anywhere in Equestria. That also includes your fillyfriend, if you're so inclined." Twilight could've sworn Tia's troll face got even more mischievous, but decided that it would be nice to take her up on her offer. It was a while later and rather bland chit chat about nothing that their talks centered around what brought them to Canterlot in the first place. "So Sweetie Belle, our Twilight as told us of all those ingenious inventions you created, and couldn't contain her nerdgasmic gushing of your achievements. I have to say that you've made plenty of major contributions to Equestria under her tutelage," Celestia praised. "It wasn't that ingenious," Sweetie blushed, "all I was did was see how a lot of the things she was teaching me fit together, and I made something that I thought would be fun to try." "And you're modest," Celestia said with a happy smile, "Don't sell yourself short. Those things that you put together were things that nopony thought of doing, and that's something special. It's also part of your special talent isn't it?" "Yep! My Special Talent is bringing things and ponies together. And connecting them," Sweetie Belle said swelling with pride. "Have you by chance already celebrated your Cute-Cenera?" "Nope, me and my friends are waiting until we all have ours and we'll be celebrating it at the same time." At that every mare at the table smiled with pride at her, "That's a very rare choice to make. I can say that Twilight did a very good choice in picking a filly of such good character as her protege' among other things," Celestia told Sweetie Belle giving her an affectionate ruffle of the mane. Looking at Twilight she beamed with motherly pride, "You've done so much good since moving to Ponyville, and I'm so, so, proud of you." Twilight gushed at the praise, "Thank you Celestia. That means a lot to me." "My pleasure. Now onto other matters, since you Sweetie Belle were those inventions creator. We'll be assigning you royalties, and will give you a sizeable research grant for any further things to experiment on that might tickle your fancy. Also tomorrow there will be small ceremony, where we'll announce the opening of a new branch in the Canterlot Library in your honor." Sweetie Belle upon hearing everything that was happening for her squealed and lept across the table, tackle hugging Twilight, "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" She said before weeping tears of joy onto Twilight. "Your welcome love," Twilight whispered into Sweetie's ear as she hugged her back. "It seems that this was more than she expected?" Celestia asked. Sweetie Belle nodded her head, "I didn't think I did anything special, and now all of this, Rarity is going to be so proud of me when I tell her! Oh! Mom and dad to I guess." "You guess?" "Well they usually leave me with Rarity since they're busy with adult things, but Rarity can be an awesome sister sometimes. And I've always wanted her proud with me." Sweetie commented off hoovedly. "They leave you?" Celestia's voice rose a few octaves. "Well sure, I mean it's not that unusual for adults to dump their children or ignore them for most of the time. At least in Ponyville, and from what I heard of the Element Bearers, and Cheese Sandwich said that he basically ran away from Manehatten. So … sure, I mean I want to be a mommy as awesome as Derpy is to her daughters. "But when Snips and Snails destroyed most of Ponyville because of Trixie, they didn't get more than mustaches," Sweetie's recollection of familial negligence common throughout modern Equestria was apparently news to Celestia and Luna who looked shocked before latching onto something they could logically digest. "Well that's definitely food for thought. Now what's this about Trixie?" "Well from what I heard from Rarity is that Trixie had a show, and Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack interrupted and were shown up. Rarity thought that was rude of her, and had her mane turned green. Then the lie she told Rainbow Dash when Rainbow Dash was being … uncouth? To her? Got Snips and Snails to go to Everfree Forest, even though she never told them to do it. At least that's what they said at school the next day, and got an Ursa, and it chased them from the Everfree to Ponyville. It broke a few houses, Trixie's home, and then Twilight kicked its butt but putting it to sleep and returning it. Then Trixie ran away." Sweetie recalled. "And of course they were punished right?" Luna asked incredulously. "Yep! They were given cool mustaches," Sweetie said happily. Celestia looked at Twilight and sighed, "Two youth are almost killed, the parents responsible aren't punished for not teaching their children truth from untruth, the Element Bearers heckle an entertainer whose Cutie Mark is entertainment and making ponies happy with her magic at least in part, she reacts, loses everything, and the only punishment ever seen on the guilty is praise and mustaches? "Twilight if I had to ask you where is Trixie now, could you answer?" Twilight looked dejectedly at the table, "No I can't." "She's here, trying to get cured of the Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome she was suffering from, as well as getting reformed for almost crippling Equestria's economy. When Luna goes to Ponyville, Trixie will be going with you for her reformation. And Rainbow Dash, yourself, and the others will be working on her reformation, rehabilitation, and more importantly making it up for what they did. "Yes, she made mistakes and big ones. But the Element Bearers need to be an example, and when they ruined a ponies life, and allowed negligence to go that far out of control under their gaze. They need to be the ones to make amends. And Sweetie?" "Um … yes?" Sweetie asked. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Yes ponies are mature at your age, but they still need guidance and help becoming all they can be. Letting children be forgotten by their kin, and left thinking there's no consequences to their actions has more negative consequences than positive ones." "Okay … um, Twilight, my parents, and Rarity aren't in trouble are they? They're good ponies!" Sweetie said in tears, thinking her actions were the wrong ones. "Nay Sweetie Belle," Luna said reassuringly, "You're parents, and those who'd let their children go unsupervised into the most dangerous places in Equestria, are products of the times. Times we as Princesses haven't been keeping tabs on. But we will soon, and I have the perfect plan for it as well. Everything shall be well. Even you Twilight aren't fully to blame, for it is how you were raised. But you can make things right with Trixie at the very least." "Okay, and Celestia, I'm sorry," Twilight said sadly. "Everything will be fine, I'm not mad at you, as much as I am that I let things go the way they have, you are forgiven," Celestia said giving Twilight a light hug, "Just make sure to make things right with Trixie, and make sure those who set her crimes in motion make amends as well." It was later in the gardens when Twilight and Sweetie Belle were in there part of the gardens, Sweetie Belle curled up against the warm, smooth, stomach of Twilight. Looking up she whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was that big a deal, are you mad at me?" Twilight wrapped her hooves around Sweetie's barrel and slowly lifted her so that they could look at each other face to face, leaning in she gave a soft, gentle kiss, "Does that answer your question my little Photinus?" "I think so my sexy scholar," Sweetie sighed. "Then let me make you know, the answer is no. For us, what is normal, to them is negligence I guess. We'll know when we see their plan on making things right I guess. But you have nothing to apologize for, and I'm not going to stop making love to you until you know that for certain," Twilight said softly as she kissed Sweetie again more deeply this time. Her wings cradled her lover, and gently grazed Sweetie's pussy. Each twitch they made, and each loving squeeze of her little love, stimulated Sweetie's puffy mounds and massaged her tiny pearl. Sending tiny rivulets of pleasure running through her body. Sweetie for her part grasped Twilight for dear life, as if she was afraid that if she let go she'd lose something precious. That same something precious that with each kiss, stroke and twitch was showing her that she had nothing to fear. Eventually between her clits stimuation and the deep, probing kisses, Sweetie's body became putty in Twilight's hooves. Kissing lower and lower, Twilight took time to savor every part of Sweetie's barrel, every knotted muscle she kissed smoothe, every ripple of Sweetie's hide as her lips and tongue suckled her body, and when she got near Sweetie's pussy. Enjoyed looking lovingly into her eyes, as she played with her just blooming udders. Those small little teats that were just starting to widen and mature into more bigger, more developed teats. Twilight licked the satin smooth skin of Sweetie's belly, before sucking in the skin and the teats with them. Feeling the tender, rippling muscles of Sweetie's breast, and the quickly hardening teats as her tongue played with them. Twilight alternated between one breast and the other, giving each her attention as she sucked and licked her way from one to the other, before bringing Sweetie's teats to rock hardness. Sweetie bucked and cooed as her body exploded to waves of excitement and pleasure of what her love was doing to her body. And just as she thought it couldn't get any better, Twilight dipped down and licked her sopping snatch. Twilight for her part loved how her mate's sex smelled lightly of strawberries, and a spring afternoon, drinking sensually from Sweetie's snatch. She stopped as she grasped Sweetie's clit with her magic and touched her G-Spot and vibrated them drawing a primal squeal of delight. Prench kissing Sweetie Belle letting her taste her delicious flavor, as Sweetie moaned from both her orgasms and her kiss Twilight echoed each one lovingly. Until Sweetie Belle's body clenched in one large orgasm that flooded Twilight's coat with her love juices. Cutting the flow of magic she pulled back and looked at Sweetie basking in her afterglow, "So now you know?" "Mmmmm," Sweetie responded incoherently, but happily. "I love you Sweetie, I admit I was scared when you confessed and showed me just how determined you were for me to be your fillyfriend. I was scared that I wasn't going to be good enough, that I'd mess up, of Celestia's disappointment. But from the moment we started dating. The moment I got to see the real you. None of that mattered because I love you. And I will never stop loving you, even if you sometimes make mistakes … I just want you to know that," Twilight said while hugging her fillyfriend tenderly, "you make every day special, and I'm glad that you made me your special somepony." "I love you too Twilight, with all my heart. Sure I was afraid of the herd thing at first, because I thought your leave me. But I know that our little herd, no matter how big or small, you'll love me as much as I love you. And the ponies we bring into our lives only show us how much love we have to give to each other and I love helping those ponies that come into our lives." After that they laid next to each other. Nothing more needed to be said, as their kisses and gentle caresses spoke volumes of their feelings for one another. And in that moment of bliss they never heard the rustling of leaves from a near by bush as they settled into one another's embrace. Dinky sat on a bench beside her mother as a few yards back to their side they heard the moans of Sweetie and Twilight's love making. Dinky nuzzled Derpy's barrel while using her closes forehoof to rub Derpy's thigh, "Thank you for last night bright eyes, I loved feeling your cock deep inside me." "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Dinky said small squirts of cum dribbling out of her snatch from the memories of her love making. "If how big my belly got was what I'll look like with a baby I can't wait to have yours," Dinky said her voice trembling with arousal. "Why's that love muffin?" "Because you are the world's best mommy, and I know that you'd be a great daddy. That and I want to prove to you that I can be as good a mommy as you are." "Hahaoh! Love that is so sweet, but you're young, you should enjoy your youth a while before you have a baby, but I'll tell you what sugar love," Derpy said huskily, "I'll have your baby first, and when she or he gets older you can have the next baby. Alright?" "Well okay, but only if I can have your baby someday," Dinky said before kissing Derpy lovingly. Derpy picked Diky up and laid on her back on the soft grass as they kissed. Dinky pulled back and gave a trail of dainty kisses down Derpy's neck. When she got down to Derpy's awaiting pussy, slick with anticipation, she backed her head up and angled her neck to aim her horn into Derpy's pussy. With a strong thrust her horn got sucked into Derpy's folds, and slightly penetrated the walls into Derpy's pussy. Dinky squealed in a mix of rapture and confusion. Derpy bent forward and purred, "Need help sex muffin?" "Mwha!" Was the only sound Dinky could make as she kept ramming her mother's pussy. Feeling the slick sucking feeling pulling on her horn as Derpy's clit rubbed along the sexual ridges of Dinky's velvety soft horn. Taking her forehooves onto the back of her daughter's head she helped pull Dinky even further into her. Her sensual nether lips opening to caress the top of Dinky's head as her horn slid deeper and deeper into her. Dinky 's mind went blank as a white humming filled her brain. The stimulation of her horn was almost as amazing as her first filly orgasm, and double the fun of the feeling of a nice moist pussy wrapped around her little, contextually well endowed, magical, futa cock. She felt her body turn to jelly as the pleasurable pressure in her skull built to a crescendo as Derpy hit one orgasm after another as tiny sparks of magic hit her clit and others traveled erratically through her walls. Ramming her daughter's horn as deep into her as she could manage. She felt her body begin to tense in her big O, when Dinky's horn magaculated inside her. Derpy forgot that warm tingling sensation of a good magaculation, how it permeated every cell, alighting the nerves with magic. That purely magical orgasm that hung with the body after the horn came that ectoplasmic cum. Derpy rolled over and bodily scooted down to lay next to Dinky who was a gibbering pile of orgasms. And lovingly kissed her as Dinky came down from her high. As they got lost in the afterglow of their sex, just as with Twilight and Sweetie Belle neither heard the rustling of the bushes, and with the air thick with their scent they didn't notice the thin hint of a male's splooge. === Chapter 14 === The next day was a blur. Ceremonies, press conferences, and awards filled their day, and as was night was about to rise and they were about to head out they were greeted with quite the sight. A filly Celestia and Luna stood before them, with an adorable little filly Trixie sat behind them looking at them with wide wonder filled eyes. "Hi," Trixie mumbled with Fluttershy like shyness, "I'm Trixie, Luna told me you'd be my friends?" "Um sure …," Twilight replied, "Do you remember me?" "Not really, I remember mean ponies preventing me from telling stories, and doing tricks to make ponies happy. Then other mean ponies destroyed everything that I owned, and then it all gets kind of hazy, and I'm forgetting other things. But I remember that I wanted to forget and start over because it was too painful not to," Trixie finished sniffling as tears flowed out of her eyes. The Fluttershy meter went through the roof and instinctively Twilight and Derpy wing hugged Trixie as everypony through themselves at the ponypile to comfort Trixie. Twilight sat back and nuzzled Trixie's head, "There, there, I'm sorry that we didn't see that we were hurting the old you. But I'm sure me and the girls will help you have a better one." "Okay … you promise?" Trixie asked throwing a pair of puppy dog eyes at her that could melt the heart of an ice dragon. "Of course," a chorus of affirmations came from around her. "And since you don't have a Cutie Mark you can become a Cutie Mark Crusader, and we can hang out, and my mommy will take care of you, right?" Dinky asked excitedly. "Of course muffin, of course she's going to be living with Luna and Twilight, but I don't see anything wrong with her sleeping over. I'm sure she could use all the friends she could get," Derpy said giving her daughter an affectionate nuzzle. Discreetly deflecting her daughter's attempt to move in for the kiss, "Later little love," Derpy whispered. Twilight looked at Filly Celestia and squee'd, "I always wondered what you'd like as a filly!" Celestia giving a more adorable form of her troll face turned about, and as her back was turned flicked her tail showing everypony present her luscious filly pussy, as she faced a blushing group of ponies she asked in her most realistic innocent voice, "Do you like what you see?" "Not fair! Fowl! Fowl!" Twilight yelled, as her herdmates fell over in a mixture of but gusting laughter and pure unadulterated shock. Celestia gave a coy giggle, "I don't know what you mean I was just wondering if you think I'm Adoooorrrraaablllee!" "It's nice to know my teacher was jailbait as a filly," Twilight mumbled. "Hey, I'm still a big pony, I'm just making up for lost time, while Cadance and Fleur De Lis, help the new government," Celestia pouted. "And yes you look adorable," Twilight said before what Celestia said clicked, "wait! Cadance and that one model are running Equestria? And what new government?" "Well it's simple, me and Luna aren't connected to ponies anymore. And if things have become so bad in the world we're going to make sure that things get fixed by doing what Derpy and Fleur have done for millennia. Except that we're going to still be ruling kinda." "Kinda?" "See the thing is," Celestia began as she wing grabbed Luna, "me and her are too little to have ruling authority, so we'll tell Cadance and Fluery stuffs, and then they choose what to do, and the government does what Cadance and Fluery tell them. Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy!" She said before nomming Luna's ear in public. "Sister you're embarrassing in front of everypony," Luna whinnied. "You never complained when I nommed you when we were fillies," Celestia jokingly said. "Um … Tia that's not really appropriate in todays now in age," Twilight said embarrassed at the perfect, infallible, eternal Princess of the Sun's foalish antics. "Awwww! But this is what I used to do as a filly, I think todays day and age needs to get their sticks out of their butts," Celestia said. "Celestia!" Twilight said getting more and more shocked. "What? I'm allowed to enjoy myself, that and I spent the last three thousand years not allowed to have a lot of fun without the aristocracy having an aneurysm. That and I should probably tell you becoming a filly in body makes you one in mind. And the princess you're used to is a bit different from me all hopped up on hormones and filly stuffing." "Filly stuffing," Twilight asked not sure she wanted to know. "Oh you'll find out," Celestia sang as she skipped away to the air chariot, the gathering of ponies having no idea how to respond to a filly Celestia who was for the first time in millennia allowed to put her mane down. As they touched down Luna said, " Before we became fillies Celestia planned on staying with Rarity and Sweetie Belle, while me and Trixie either stay with you Twilight, or we can use our where ever." Trixie at this point was dead asleep and hanging adorably off of Derpy's back and Celestia lay beside her holding her like a teddy bear. Twilight asked, "Um … should we wake them up?" "Don't you dare," Derpy whispered, "they're too adorable sleeping like this. I can carry them." "Alright, so Luna … anything we should know about Celestia as a filly?" Twilight asked. "She as you can guess loves teasing ponies, playing jokes, and messing around. But when it comes down to it she loves being to doting big sister, is compassionate, and very generous. Even though she can overly, physically affectionate. She was always like that until we had to rule Equestria and ponies told her it was 'uncouth' for her to do so." "Well that makes sense. Anything else?" "Yes if she either gives you that mischievous grin of hers, or a look of pure innocence run for your lives," Luna wailed in a loud whisper, "And never let her cook. I love my sister dearly, but her food is a war crime on the taste buds." "I'll keep that in mind. So okay … I have spare beds and what passes for a guest room in the basement. Derpy I'll take Trixie and you can carry Celestia to Rarities is that alright with you?" Twilight asked. "Surething hun," Derpy said. Twilight spot teleported Trixie from Celestia's clutches, onto her back. Trixie and Celestia made their view on this clear when Trixie shifting around for warmth thwacked Twilight repeatedly in the head until she was laying flat on her back with her filly hood exposed to the world. Her chest rising and falling as she gave adorable little squeal snores in her sleep. Celestia on the other hoof, having been robbed of a snuggle buddy, grasped onto one of Derpy's wings and nuzzled up on it letting out a happy squeal before falling back asleep. Derpy was caught between the wise adage, "let sleeping fillies lie," and the less used adage. "Holy balls of fire, she's got my wing in a deathlock!" In the end she took the middle ground and with a flex of her wing held a cradled Celestia slowly prying her from her wing she let her grab ahold of her neck, and fluttered gently as she held her in her arms. Derpy looked at Celestia and said, "She looks adorable." "She does, doesn't she?" The air chariot followed the from dropping of Luna, Trixie, and Twilight. And took them to Rarity's house / place of business. Carting Sweetie Belle and her mountain of accomplishments with them. It was Dinky who knocked on the door to announce their arrival. As Rarity opened the door the first thing she saw was the sleeping form of Celestia snuggled around Derpy's neck. Her eyes grew wide and sparkly as both hooves covered her mouth to hide her squeal of excitement. When she removed them she gushed, "Who is that?" "It's Princess Celestia, in a filly form. They're going to be living as normal ponies for awhile and she was thinking of staying with you and Sweetie Belle," Derpy whispered. "Pr-pr-princess Celestia? As in Princess Celestia - Princess Celestia?" "The one and the same?" "What happened?" "Well it came to their attention they aren't as close to ponies as they would hope so a secret Alicorn came out of hiding and alongside Princess Cadance will be ruling Equestria for an unknown amount of time." "Oh! Well she is most certainly welcome, and Sweetie Belle what's with all those things on the chariot? Is that Princess Celestia's things?" Rarity said turning her attention to Sweetie Belle. "Nope! They're all mine! I won so much stuff and have so much to tell you!" Sweetie shout whispered in glee. "Oh really?" Rarity said sneaking a glance at Derpy who gave an almost imperceptible nod, "well then good for you Sweetie, you must tell me all about it over breakfast tomorrow. You don't mind Celestia sleeping with you do you?" When Sweetie blushed at the wording Rarity misread her and said, "Now! Now! No need to be embarrassed about having Royalty over. It really is such an honor, after all you and your crusader friends sleep with each other all the time. This isn't any different." Blushing harder, Sweetie Belle only nodded and ran upstairs as fast as her filly legs could carry her. "Well I'll take her off your hooves Derpy, thank you for watching over my Sweetie Belle, she really is a gem isn't she?" Rarity said sadly, "fillies they grow up so quickly." "That they do, and she was the perfect little lady," Derpy replied as Celestia switched from Derpy to Rarity as her newest snuggle object. === Chapter 15 === Sweetie Belle woke up to a very warm something wrapped around her. She woke up to see Celestia staring at her with her deep magenta eyes. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she opened them again to show that yes, Celestia was staring at her intently before speaking up, "Sorry I woke up before the sun did, and I didn't know what to do so I've been snuggling like this for the last three hours. I didn't wake you did I?" "No, but um … what do I call you know?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Well since I'm not a princess for now, just Celestia." "Okay … Celestia it's not really polite to stare at ponies in their sleep," Sweetie mumbled tiredly while moving closer into Celestia's body heat. "Oh! Yeah I knew that, sorry." "It's okay, just a heads up … Soooo comfy!" Sweetie moaned which got a laugh from Celestia. "Oh! I kind of accidentally might've tried to prank Pinkie and I found out something really cool?" Celestia said. "Did you find her box of hoofmade sex toys? Because I already knew about those." "No! Wait! What?" "Oh, me and Scootaloo were hanging out and Pinkie said we could play in her room until she was done and then we could play together. So me and Scootaloo played explorers, and accidentally found her box of sex toys hidden in a secret compartment near her ceiling fan." "Okay then, but no. She's like the herd you're in!" Celestia whispered excitedly. "How do you know?" "Because she was muzzle deep in a filly's pussy at six thirty this morning," Celestia said with a grin. "Seriously? Did she catch you?" "No I teleported out before she could remove that sweet muzzle from that pony's hooch." "That's really cool. I wish I could've seen that," Sweetie said with a cheesy grin. "I have two new goals while here!" Celestia said puffing out her furry barrel, "First I'm going to bed your sister, fair warnings in all, second I'm going to form a herd with Pinkie and her lover." "But shouldn't you know ask Pinkie if she's looking for a pony to join, or even if she's interested in a herd? And trust me good luck with Rarity, if it doesn't come attached to a cock, and isn't famous, she's oblivious." "So I should appear to her with a glorious filly dick?" "No!" Sweetie shouted, blushing furiously, "no, you'd have to be male, older, and insanely famous. And then it'd tank, and she'd be a wreck. I mean Spike had the hots for her for four years, and dropped hints large enough to knock out an Ursa Minor and she was oblivious. I just don't want you getting your hopes up." "Very well," Celestia pouted, "I'll not get my hopes up, but that doesn't mean I won''t find a way to get a nice herd." Twilight found one thing about Alicorn fillies that morning. They were not fun to wake up, first Luna had threatened to cast the world in eternal night if it meant she'd get five more minutes of sleep. When Twilight told her that older Luna told her that she rarely slept since dreamwalking had the same effects. Filly Luna told her that rarely didn't mean never, and the sun was a ball of murderous evil that she wanted no part of. After finally enticing her out of bed with waffles and coffee. Luna made every showing of why she was the once the Princess of the Night, because she sure as Tartarus wasn't a day pony. But after copious amounts of sugar, caffeine, and promises that Rainbow Dash could show her the best napping spots. Luna woke up enough to barely be considered functional. As she left with Trixie, who strangely enough was quite the entire time she was there from the moment she woke up, Twilight sighed, "It's going to be so much fun when I pop one out someday." "Well I don't know I didn't turn out that bad," Spike said. "Spike, one, you're a dragon. Different neurology and mental development speeds than a pony. Second, you aren't a female. Trust me boys are so much easier to deal with." "But you could always have a boy." "Spike the chances are 1.85 to 1 against that Spike. Well with an equine. A dragon it'd be 5 to 1 for that, a griffon equal chance, and I have no idea about changelings. But I wouldn't want a bug dick in me anyways. So I'll never find out." "Okay, so yeah, well when you do have a baby. I'll be there to help you out, just like I always have alright?" "Thanks Spike you really are the best. Sooooo? How are things with you and Cheerilee? You've been strangely quiet about that is everything alright?" "Sure and you and Sweetie Belle were the bastions of openness," Spike joked, "But yeah things between me and Cheers are going marvelous. You know I'm actually glad I got over Rarity enough to listen to Derpy's sense thingie. Ha! Derpy Sense, that sounds pretty funny, but still cool. "Cheerilee is amazing, she's so smart, and kind, and she can be pretty funny at times, and she has the most amazing Special Talent. In a way she kind of reminds me of an Earth Pony you," Spike said with a dreamy smile. "Spike! That's sweet, and I'm happy for you. I'm just glad that you're still my number one assistant on top of dating your very first marefriend," Twilight congratulated. "Thanks I'm just lucky the same law that prevents you from being in an open relationship with me doesn't affect me since ponies don't know how to judge my age." "Yeah that is a plus, but how does she feel knowing she's dating a dragon that's old enough to be one of her students?" "Strangely enough, she's into that kind of stuff. Don't tell her I told you, but yeah, she says it's the mind that's most important and I work like a stallion and usually act as mature as one. So she doesn't see why she can't make this dragon feel like one." "Wait! Have you two had sex!" "Not yet, we're holding out till the timing's right. Right now we're just kissing and hoofish handholding. Sometimes we cuddle, but we're not ready for that yet. Jeeze." "Well that's good, But yeah, she seems like a good pony, I just hope she treats you right. For her sake." "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." "Alright, I love you Spike, not well you know." "I know and I love you too." Rainbow Dash like she always had since she adopted Scootaloo woke up early in the morning to get Scootaloo ready for school, and more importantly watch the sleeping filly nestled against her barrel. Like they promised each other they were taking it slow, and even though they had yet to even kiss. There was something beautiful and serene about sleeping with a pony you cared for. It was their third night together in their home, Rainbow Dash giggled at the revelation that it really was their home, that Scootaloo came to her bed and snuggled against her. She was hesitant when Scootaloo lay next to her, but that adorable look as she softly breathed in her sleep, and those cute little ear flicks she sometimes did. She just couldn't say no. And every morning since then, she looked forward to waking up early enough to watch Scootaloo before she had to wake her up. Giving her a nudge awake, just as those marvelous violet eyes opened up. A flash of indigo light and the bodies of two fillies landed on Rainbow Dash driving the breath from her body, "Hey! What gives?" She yelled in surprise. "Sorry Dame Dash, it was important to see you and Scootaloo. So I thought I'd drop by," Luna said as her wings protectively flared in front of Trixie. "Wait? Luna is that you? Then who's the … You! You have a lot -" Rainbow Dash began to say. "Silence!" Luna roared dramatically as bolts of lightning thundered outside, "Do you know what you and your friends put her through!" Rainbow thoroughly cowed shook her head. Luna asked, "Dame Dash, what do you do for a living other than act as a weather captain?" "Um … Aerial tricks." "So you entertain and inspire ponies right?" "Yeah, so?" "What would you do to a pony who would rudely heckle you, and ruin that inspiration and entertainment?" "Why are you being mean to Dash, Luna I thought you were cool!?" Scootaloo butted in. But Dash put her wing around her. "No it's cool I want to see where this is going," Dash said. "I'd probably deck them in the face, or prove that I'm awesome." "And is that not what Trixie did when you and Apple Jack so heckled a fellow showmare?" "Well … yeah … kinda," Dash said sheepishly, "But still its her fault that, that Ursa Minor came to Ponyville." "And did she tell those two colts to go do that?" "Nooooo." "Was it her fault that those two colts went unsupervised into the Everfree, when their parents should've been there to stop them?" Rainbow Dash's head sunk at that, "Not really." "She suffered Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome to such a serious degree. That her memories of those events had to be dissociated from her, and her cutie mark removed so she could start over," Luna ranted huffing irritably, "And rather than help her, as you've helped others, even Discord himself. You bearers never took the time to help this poor pony. So now by royal decree, You and Twilight are to help her make a fresh start. Rainbow Dash sighed sadly after getting royally chewed out, and not in the fun way, "Yeah me and the girls bucked up didn't we?" "You did, and it is never too late to make things right," Luna suddenly became very nervous, "Listen I didn't mean to sound so harsh there was another reason for me being here, and well … now you probably won't even listen to it." "Nah! Don't worry about it. You can ask what you like, and I get it. You and your sister are like superheroes or something, and don't like it when ponies get the shaft right?" Luna nodded, and Dash continued looking at Trixie who was doing her best to hide behind Luna, "Trixie?" Trixie looked up at Dashie, her eyes brimming with tears. Seeing that fragile, crying look kicked Rainbow Dash's defend a pony mechanism and she wrapped her in a wing hug, "Hey, don't cry. You look too much like Flutters when you cry." "I'm sorry that I made you mean to me, and that I messed up, and ponies hated me. I didn't mean for that to happen," Trixie cried. "What do you mean?" Dash asked confused. "I remember old Trixie had that stage persona to scare away mean ponies who would say and do mean things to her so she could make ponies happy with her show. And no pony messes with you if you're strong and brave, and show them up. But then those colts destroyed all of old Trixie's things, her home her dead daddy built for her, her show stubs of her first show where she got her Cutie Mark, everything that was important to her gone. "Then no pony wanted old Trixie's stories, and she heard that those who ruined everything she was and had were happy. And those who brought the Ursa weren't punished and she blamed Twilight for it. Even though she knew Twilight was a good pony. "Then everything spiraled down from there. I never wanted to lose everything. I just wanted to make ponies happy, to believe that they could be as great as my stage persona, that I could make them want to be more. Just like I always got letters saying that I did. But I don't want to lose everything again. I just want to be happy!" Trixie wept those bitter tears of heartbreak and utter despair that only the truly young can pull off. As she wept Scootaloo joined in the hug, and looked accusingly at Rainbow Dash saying fix this! With her eyes. That really hit it in for her. Sure she never meant for her heckling, which she admitted to herself years ago was what it was, to go that far. But for a pony to fall so far that they'd sacrifice everything one way or another. It made her feel every bit a bully as those who tormented Fluttershy as a filly. Stroking her with her wings she said, "Listen. Everythings going to be okay. You have friends now, you got Luna, and you now have me. You too right Scoots?" Scootaloo nodded her head, "Yeah I'll be your friend too. Sorry for being mad at you Luna. You're still Best Princess." It took a while for Trixie to get calmed down enough to go downstairs for breakfast. Rainbow Dash kept their affections to a minimum, as the fillies sat down and Rainbow Dash looked for something edible for breakfast she asked, "So Luna what was this thing that you wanted to ask me?" "Well you know me and my sister are Physical Goddesses right?" "Sure yeah. Everypony knows that." "Well with some of us, we are omnipresent to a degree. As Twilight has probably mentioned she has a dimension that can witness any point of a ponies life. And she did know until recently has prophetic dreams. "As for myself memories leak through on the dreamscape, and I gain a limited omnipresence through dreams." Luna explained. "Okay." "So we know about, and are alright with your affair with Scootaloo and Twilight with her herd. And me with the illicit affairs of most other ponies, as long as it is pure," Luna said, "So Twilight said that I might have spot in her herd, but knowing that you'd want to keep your affair small, would like to also be a part of yours. Just the three, possibly four if you count Trixie." "Wait! Wait! Wait! Hold your horses! You know about me and Scoots?" "Yes." "And you're like totally cool with it?" "Yes." "Okay well wow! Um … honestly it's up to Scoots." "I don't know … I mean me and you just started Dashie. But if it worked out for Sweets, and Dinky when they just started. Then yeah … I think we could try to give it a shot," Scootaloo said not used to making such a big decision. "Well then, alright, we can try it. But I'm telling you two the same thing I told Scoots. I want to take this slow. I don't want to mess up a good thing, and I definitely don't want an angry sister goddess after my flank," Dash told all the ponies involved to which she got nods from everypony but Trixie who just blushed and sunk deeper into her chair. Twilight was preparing herself for her favorite time of the day, the time school let their students out, so that she could enjoy some quality time with her fillyfriend. When the library doors burst in showing a disheveled, and highly nervous looking Pinkie Pie. "Can I help you Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked unphased by Pinkie's Pinkieness. "Have to make sure nopony's around!" Pinkie shouted as she zipped from one part of the library to the other. Pinkie Pie suddenly stood before Twilight and shook while yelling, "Is it true Twilight?! Is it true?!" "Is what true?" Twilight said between shakes. Pinkie sat her down and looked deep into her eyes as if she were a lifeline, "Is what Celestia told me in private about you and your herd true?" "What! Why would she tell you that?!" Twilight yelled. "Well she might've teleported into my bedroom this morning eating out my little blessing," Pinkie whispered. "Your little … oh! Oh! So when you came in here all freaking out?" "Yeah I was mixed. On one hoof Aura and I aren't alone in what we share, on the other I was afraid that it might've been her pulling my leg." "No, she wasn't pulling, so … how long?" Twilight asked magicing them a chair for them to sit on. "After Dashie rescued her from the well, before we did the whole Mare Do Well thing. I just brought her over to the Cake's place to cheer her up. Then almost everyday after that she'd come over to help me out, or if she needed somepony to cheer her up. Eventually she kissed me, and me to be her fillyfriend. "I…I admit a part of me felt like it was wrong, but she was my first kiss. And I liked it, and I thought about it, and everyday I saw her smile at me. It just made that day a bit brighter. Like my own personal ray of sunshine. So I agreed, and we agreed to keep it a secret between us. "Recently she's been wanting to add more ponies to our relationship, but I wasn't sure how that'd work until Celestia came. So Twilight?" Pinkie said. "Yes?" Pinkie rocketed out of her chair and glomped Twilight, pulling her in an almost bone crushing hug, "Thank you for letting me know my little blessing and me aren't alone anymore. I can't tell you how happy this makes me feel," Pinkie said shedding happy tears onto Twilight's coat. "It's alright. That's what friends are for," Twilight said as she secretly thanked her lucky stars that she inherited Earth Pony resistance when she became an Alicorn, and happy that her relationship had helped another pony like herself. === Chapter 16 === It was a few days later when things finally settled back down from their trip back from Canterlot and the new additions to Ponyville. But even though things had settled down for Twilight, things were still crazy for the rest of Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's decision to take a leave of the throne putting Cadance and Fleur De Lis, who to everypony's shock was a hidden alicorn, in their place. As well as a makeshift branch of the government making sure the words and decisions of those two happened, had sent Equestria into a state of shock. Rumors as to why they became children and stepped down from the throne, as well as their choices of Princess were numerous. But nowhere felt that sense of confusion as Ponyville. Their world turned not only upside down, but the former rulers living amongst them. It had taken lots of work to get most of the citizens to drop the formalities, and even more work to deflect questions on Trixie who was told to the general populace to be a relative of Trixie Lulamoon, but not that Trixie. As things finally calmed down, the relationships that had taken a backseat to the general chaos were finally starting back up again. Twilight sat in the dining room with Sweetie Belle cradled in her lap, her warm back filling Twilight with a sense of peace that radiated from that filly's back throughout her body. Derpy was across from Twilight with Dinky nestled in her wings. Derpy's soft, cozy wings, caressing Dinky's subtle flanks bringing happy coos from her daughter. Even if it wasn't sex, a nice, pleasant show of affection was just as good to Dinky. Luna and Trixie trotted in from the kitchen a tray of chocolate chip waffles towering above them. With Trixie using her fledgling magic to keep the waffles from falling over. Her mouth drooling in anticipation of the snack she was about to devour. Even if she did have to share it. When everypony was sitting and the waffles evenly distributed amongst them, Twilight began their conversation. "So Luna, how have things with you two and the rest of the girls been going?" "Well relationship wise, glacial, Rainbow Dash really is seemingly interested in taking things slow and that's okay. And we haven't had much time with you four, as for in general. They've been good to Trixie, helping her gain friends, working with her to develop into a pony she wants to be … although I will say that it's a little sad you don't want to be a showmare again Trixie I would've loved to see your shows," Luna replied. Trixie blushed and mumbled barely coherently around her waffle, "That's not for me anymore, I wanna try something new." "Still, I'm glad the Bearer's are standing up to the plate as it were, other than that. School is more boring than I remembered it, although Celestia seems to enjoy herself. Although that might because she has two filly friends, Well one that she can have in the open, and the other they share in secret." Twilight hummed at that as she wrapped her forelegs around Sweetie Belle, pulling her closer to her body, "I'm happy that she's found somepony, or well someponies." "Me too, she's been playing virgin for too long, it's about time she's able to let her mane down," Luna agreed, "Although I almost have pity for Rarity, my sister is very determined, and she's better at playing innocently coy than Rarity is." "I don't think Rarity will give in though," Sweetie replied, "as I told Celestia, my sister is willfully oblivious. That and she's dead set on not doing anything seen as improper. So … yeah, I still wish Celestia luck, but my sister is a tough nut to crack." Celestia along with Aura were caught in a whirlwind of activity trying to keep up with helping Pinkie Pie. While she had to admit that it was fun flirting with Rarity, that pony just as Sweetie warned was oblivious. But there was something amazing being around Pinkie Pie that made even something as ordinary as setting up decorations for a random holliday was made extraordinary. Celestia and Aura shared a smile as Pinkie finally slowed down and tilted her head at the paper mache puppy with giant thumbs and wondered aloud, "I do wonder what pets would be like if they had thumbs, don't you girls wonder that?" "That'd be cool if they did, although I think Lyra would steal all the pets if they did," Aura joked. "True," Pinkie laughed. Celestia was glad that she teleported in on Pinkie Pie and her lover, it had been centuries since she had a lover and when she was originally a filly she didn't lose her virginity until the later part of her adulthood. Now she was in a relationship where she could really give her fillybits a work out. Although she had five hundred years of pent up energy to spend, and waiting was filling her with an itch due to the hormones more than blue balls. She grinned as Pinkie rested an arm over her withers and nibbled her ear playfully, "So Celestia how are you enjoying being a filly? Can you make anypony a filly? Wouldn't that make a pony immortal or something? Is that boring?" Pinkie asked letting loose a barrage of questions. Laughing she said, "Don't you worry about a pony walking in on us?" "No not really, you just caught me off guard," Pinkie giggled, "That hasn't happened before." Aura sauntered up and joined her fillyfriends in their little pony pile, "Yeah, I'm glad she did though candy flanks," Aura whispered huskily as she pulled Pinkie in for a kiss, "it was kinda hot." Pinkie Pie burst out giggling into Aura's mouth which brought out a blush from Aura, Celestia chuckled as well, "I hope that Lulu can have this level of fun with her her filly friends, as for your questions Pinkie. Yes, yes, not really, and sometimes." Pinkie Pie nuzzled Celestia and whispered, "I'm glad that me and Aura can put a smile on that face of yours. You look really pretty when you're happy." With that she turned and gave Celestia a playful smack in the face with her tail, her pussy's sweet scent flowing into Celestia's nose leaving her dumbstruck as Pinkie Pie and Aura sauntered off to the kitchen. === Chapter 17 === Twilight got Rarity's permission for Sweetie Belle sleeping over for a late night study session, and talking it over with Dinky and Derpy decided that they'd all sleep together. The last time having went so deliciously well. As they sat on the balcony watching the moonrise. Derpy was in her alicorn form with her head resting on Twilight's lap, with Sweetie Belle tucked under Twilight's wing next to Derpy's head, stroking her mane, while Twilight's free wing fondled Derpy's wing. Dinky on the other hoof was behind her mother's tail, massaging her inner thigh, grinning more and more widely with each slight buck of Derpy's hips. Twilight looked at her collective lovers and let loose a contented sigh, "I'm so lucky you girls entered my life." "Awwwww! And I'm glad you let yourself be my fillyfriend," Sweetie said kissing the spot right above Twilight's wing, sending a shiver that flowed down her body. Derpy nuzzled Twilight's lap and said, "I agree, if it wasn't for that my little muffin and me never would've gotten together, then we never would've ended up being with you two as well." Dinky laid her head against Derpy's flank, as her hoof slid to under Derpy's flank, feeling it's smooth warmth as she pulled it to her head. Looking at Twilight with wide sparkly eyes she said, "I said it once, and I'll say it again. You are best princess." Twilight blushed and craned her head down to tenderly kiss Dinky, "You girls are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I love each and every one of you with all my heart." Dinky returned the kiss, her hoof sliding onto Derpy's slick snatch. Who in turn arched her back which gave her full access to Twilight's succulent pussy. Who returned the loop by purring into Dinky's mouth as they kissed. Not wanting any pony left unattended, Derpy's wings arched over and started caressing Sweetie's barrel, letting Sweetie angled herself as the wings dipped lower and lower, until they delicately fondled her pussy. Sweetie lifted herself slighting and tried impaling her pussy on Derpy's downy soft primaries. Mewling softly Sweetie said between gasps, "I know love is more important than sex," she said before letting loose a happy squeal, "but I missed making love to my special someponies!" Dinky parted from the kiss and positioned herself so she could bury her muzzle deep into Derpy's pussy, while giving Twilight full access to her fillyhood. Which Twilight took advantage of as Sweetie now seeing an opening suckled Twilight's now exposed clit while Derpy's wings worked out her pussy like noponies business. They were so lost in their sexual pony pile, and the wet, slick sounds of their lovemaking that they didn't even see the strange glint of light that appeared the second they started bucking each other from across the street. It was after they came together in one large orgygasm. That a flash of light appeared, looking down Dinky saw on her flank her Cutie Mark. In the center was a blue heart, with a blue unicorn horn, connecting itself to a golden, winged heart. In the background was a Twilight Sparkle purple, eight point magical star, with the top and bottom points connected with a light green vine that ended with three six pointed stars. Dinky squealed with delight more powerful than any orgasm she had yet to experience. Since the meaning of her Cutie Mark was loving her herdmates. Knowing they loved her, and were willing to show that love and affection, even after several days of limited interaction. Seeing her effect on them, and knowing the love she gave was returned. It was what completed her, and loving them is what she was good at. Twilight asked, "So what is your special talent love?" "Easy, my special talent is loving all of you," Dinky said with a giddy grin. Her answer drew out d'awwws from her collected lovers. Rainbow Dash and her fillyfriends sat at the kitchen table for dinner, a heaping plate of smoked salmon over a cream cheese bagel, with a side of caramelized apple slices. Rainbow Dash shuffled her food around for a second before asking, "Hey Luna?" "Yesh," Luna said around a mouthful of fishy bagel. "You've been around for a long time right? So you know stuff?" Rainbow Dash asked in as much of a nonchalant manner as she could pull off. Luna swallowed loudly and cocked her eyebrow, "In a manner of speaking," she replied in a questioning tone that told Rainbow Dash to continue. "Well the thing is … how long do you wait before it's right to kiss a pony?" Rainbow Dash asked with a light blush. "Do you mean it?" Scootaloo yelled before Luna could answer, and got a shrug from Rainbow Dash. "I said what I meant when we started. What me and you have Scoots, it's precious to me, and I don't want to mess it up like I have with my past relationships. Heck even dating Luna and Trixie, now that I've gotten to know them is feeling precious to me, and since Luna's really smart. I thought she'd know if I was moving to slow or what not," Rainbow Dash replied. "Well …," Luna began before stopping to compose her thoughts, "it depends. Do you feel like you're ready to kiss?" "Kinda," Rainbow Dash said with a shrug, hiding her nervousness, "I mean what we're doing so far has been really great and I don't really feel like we need to go further right now. But at the same time, well I don't want you all to get bored with me." Dashie blushed at showing this side of herself to her fillyfriends, but their positive influence on her helped bring that out. Scootaloo laughed, and seeing the wounded look in Dashie's eyes said, "Sorry, but trust me none of us are going to get bored with you. I don't know about Trixie and Luna, but I don't think any pony could get bored of your awesomeness." "You'd be surprised," Rainbow Dash said with a sad smile, "But that means a lot to me." "I won't get bored with you," Trixie said looking over her glass of apple juice, "you and the others have been really nice to me since I got here … other than that one time when you first saw me. But other than that … if you want to wait. I can wait." "Same here, the best answer I can give is when the time is right you'll know it in your heart of hearts," Luna stated regally. Puffing out her furry little chest, exuding as much confidence as she could for her marefriend. Sure she wanted things to hurry up and start, but she was immortal and could out wait anypony, especially if that pony mattered to her. As much as Rainbow Dash mattered to Scootaloo, and thus to her. The great and mighty ninja of ninjaness, Featherweight sat in the editing room his awesome big brother built for him. He was surprised that Princess Twilight would use big pony toys on herself while a filly diddled her filly bits, so he decided to film it. And he followed them to Canterlot where he used his ability to get anywhere undetected to get into their closet to satisfy his curiosity. Seeing a secret Princess that he'd known for ages was awesome, but when he saw her have sex with her daughter his mind went to thoughts of his big brother. It was then that this film was less about fulfilling curiosity, but showing the few ponies he knew were like him and Snowflake that even the Princesses were okay with it. Something that he knew from his pictures, and now documentary with Princess Celestia, Pinkie Pie, and Aura in them, supported and were like them. It was a huge bout of both relief and sexual excitement. With this film, he was going to make many ponies happy. Although just like their illicit affairs they'd have to keep this secret or all Tartarus would break loose. === Chapter 18 === Over the following two weeks things were getting progressively stranger for Twilight's and Celestia's herd. They seemed to amass a growing following of colts, and eventually some fillies who seemed to stalk them from a distance and bolted the second the respective herd members turned around. Then there were older ponies who'd stop them on the streets with a strangely thankful smile, would say some sort of thanks. Or even more strangely would offer them discounts at what ever services they provided, if any. When asked what that was about they'd get a mysterious wink before the ponies left. If that wasn't strange enough, Dinky heard a rumor in school of a secret tape that was for special ponies eyes only. But not being the type to gossip, barely paid it attention. After all what type of tape would be more awesome than the awesome ponies she was sleeping with on a steady basis. Although as more and more colts and fillies started to come up to her and school to befriend her and her filly friend, just the smallest part of her was starting to wonder. But that part was squashed under the feeling of awesomeness at having so many friends, and being popular. That night Twilight had finally set up a reasonable schedule for Sweetie Belle to sleepover without arousing suspicion. Although a part of her felt bad about being manipulative, she found that she could get even more time by offering to foalsit Sweetie Belle whenever Rarity was on a busy schedule with her dresses. Something she found out was rather often, not that she'd ever complain. The only complaint she had was that Sweetie seemed to be acting strangely compared to normal, but that thought was pushed aside and contributed to hormones. After all she was at that age that fillies, other than late bloomers, would be hitting the ovulation part of her first estrus cycle. Twilight's herd was laying in a ponypile, their hooves and lips a gently flowing dance of foreplay. With Trixie and Luna a distance away watching the lovers, something Trixie chose, having wanted to watch what it was like. As Twilight's herd made out Trixie's hoof wondered lower and lower, while it was true that Twilight was at least in her eyes gorgeous, she was luck that Twilight also had good taste. But more than anything, she wanted Luna and her new filly friends Scootaloo and Dashie to be loving her like she was seeing happening before her. As her hoof touched her slick clit she gasped in amazement at the zapping rush that spread from her lips and seemed to stroke a fire burning in her belly. Luna looked over at Trixie and grinned as she saw her reaction to playing with herself while her large, wonder filled eyes watched the show. Luna scooted over to Trixie and lovingly nibbled her neck, eliciting a surprised squeak from Trixie, Luna giggled at her reaction and whispered, "Trixie, I want to make love to you so bad right now." Trixie's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and she nodded, her eyes sparkling as she leaned head in for her first kiss since becoming a filly. Luna's forehooves wrapped around Trixie's neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Electric thrills of pleasure leaping from their lips, and as their horns touched, tiny sparks of magic lept between them, filling their brains with hormone saturated euphoria as they shared their very essence with one another. Dinky looked up from sucking Derpy's teets, and Sweetie lifted Twilight's head from her licking Sweeite's nether lips as the herd looked at the adorable sight of Trixie and Luna made out passionately, their forehooves fumbling about each other as they impulsively touched, squeezed, and caressed whatever their hooves touched at any given moment. Dinky felt her pussy twitch at the sight and looked lovingly into her mother's eyes. Dinky's horn lit with magic, and purred longingly, "Bright Eyes, I want to give you a good dicking." Derpy chuckled cutely at her daughter's still fledgling attempts at sex talk, and nodded as she moved her forehooves adoringly up to her mouth. With a release of the spell building within her horn, she felt her pussy shift once again into a well endowed colt cock. The feeling of her cock coming out of it's sheath, and gliding across Derpy's sex slicked pussy made her shiver in anticipation. Derpy's wing's longingly wrapped around the cock bringing a throaty gasp from Dinky as the cock was placed into Derpy's awaiting pussy. And with a thrust of Dinky's hips was pierced. Derpy let loose a moan of pleasure Dinky's dick repeatedly thrust inside her. Her pussy clenching the cock like a lifeline as the warm, throbbing member filled her with pleasure. Dinky on the other hoof had her little filly mind blown. Derpy's warm, exotic walls grasping her cock, wrapping lovingly around her meaty hammer as she pounded her mother with each thrust. Forgetting to grasp the head with her magic she came in seconds, her cum squirting into Derpy just as Derpy was getting hot and bothered. Dinky blushed embarrassedly and Derpy sat up and wrapped her with her wings, "It's okay honey muffin, it happens to everypony every now and then. Want to try again?" Dinky gave an embarrassed nod, and wrapped her cock that was twitching inside Derpy's pussy with her magic before it ran out of come. Derpy gave a devilish grin and purred, "Than dick me good, baby I want to be filled with your hot juicy cum till I burst," she wiggled her hips, grinning wider as she felt Dinky's cock grow rock hard within her. Dinky making sure to this time hold her cock's head with her magic, built a good speed, cooing as she heard each gasping moan leave Derpy's mouth as she rocked with the force of each thrust. Dinky's back arched in ecstasy and screamed, "I love you mo-o-ommy!" "I love you too baby!" Derpy yelled as she felt a hoof curling orgasm blast through her. As Dinky came with in her, she felt Dinky use her magic to ready her balls for more love making and felt it roll around Dinky's dick plugging Derpy's walls, keeping her colt juice trapped within her womb. By this time Twilight Sparkle was was thoroughly soaked, she thought it'd be weird to have a filly friend who was bonking her mother as a herd mate when she thought up having a herd to help and protect her Sweetie. And yeah hearing Dinky scream like that was a little weird. But seeing their love and that sexy cock thrusting into Derpy, she had never been so wet, as she was making love with her mates. Her tongue deep in Sweetie's snatch as Dinky and Derpy screamed their love for each other. A happy hum as out of the corner she saw Trixie's sparkling eyes wide as she Luna's muzzle was buried in her pussy little pants of pleasure escaping her mouth as she saw Dinky's massive rutting of Derpy. Twilight looked into Sweetie's bedroom eyes and purred, "Want to try something new love?" "Only if I can rut you like Dinky afterwards my lovely scholar," Sweetie huskily growled. Twilight squealed happily. With her magic she lifted Sweetie Belle and slathered her horn with Sweetie's filly juice, settling her down onto her horn she used her magic to spin Sweetie on her horn. She squealed as she felt Sweetie's pussy spin, squeeze, and tug at her horn. Her magic saturating her filly cum that was gushing out in bursts with each twitch of her pussy. Twilight had, had good experiences with drildos, but this was her first time using her own horn and magic as a drildo in somepony's pussy before. And with her horn stretching Sweetie's tight pussy, and the tight, utterly divine squeezes of her pussy around Twilight's horn was epic. Twilight's first magaculation was so strong that Sweetie started to physically glow as her magicum slicked up made her spinning even more powerful. Her horn erratically blasting magicum deep into Sweetie's womb. She laid Sweetie on her back and looked at her body in post coitial after glow as well as the real magical afterglow of horn cum flowing through her body. Sweetie's horn's lit with a bright green light as she spelled herself a giant cock. Twilight looking at it hungrily rose above Sweetie and started jumping her bones. Sweetie's velvety cock fitting her tight pussy perfectly. As Twilight bounced, thrusting the cock deeper and deeper into her body she couldn't help but think that it was like Twilight's pussy was made to fit Sweetie's cock perfectly. Dinky looked at her mother's belly that had bulged large enough that she couldn't see her mother's face over its bouncy bludgeness. Derpy craning her head up looked at her daughter through half focused eyes, which for her meant that she was seeing four of Dinky mounting her plot. She grinned wide and purred, "You did good honey muffin." "I-is this what you'll look like with my baby?" Dinky asked in amazement that she could magically make enough cum to inflate her like her mother had her only half a month ago. "It is, do you like the look?" "It's amazing, I can't wait for you to carry my baby," Dinky said with a husky whisper. Dinky looked at Derpy and asked, "Do you want to spread the love like I did last time?" Derpy nodded, "I'd be happy too love." Dinky looked at Sweetie whose lower body was soaked in the product of their lovemaking, "Hey Sweets want to do something like we did last time?" Sweetie Belle looked over at Dinky her eyes rolling in her head, "Sorry this sexy piece of flank fucked my brains out," she reached up and kissed Twilight deeply, their tongues passionately dancing. When she parted she looked at Dinky, "What did we do last time?" "Well Bright Eyes had the cock last time and gave me a baby, splooge belly. And she let you drink our sex when she popped out, and I got a cock and rutted you. But I was thinking this time Twilight can drink my mommy's sex. Then I can rut Twilight and you can rut mommy, how's that sound?" "Mmmmm, sounds delicious what do you think love?" Sweetie asked using her magic to pull Twilight's head close to kiss her. "Okay, but I need a breather before I get any more cock in me. Your magnificent cock filled me up, quite a bit," Twilight said crawling to Dinky. "It's okay Twilight, we can do it another time," Dinky said pulling out, only for Twilight to push her hips forward, drawing another moan from Derpy and another wiggle of her belly. "No I want to do this, but after I drink up your love, I need to recover a bit before I get another good rutting," Twilight said as she lowered her head to Derpy's lips that had swallowed all of Dinky's cock, even her balls were engulfed by those succulent grey mounds. Twilight slide her tongue under Dinky's balls and wiggled it around her twitching cock. Dinky squealed as she felt Twilight's tongue move around her filly cock. Dropping the magic holding her and Derpy's love cocktail within Derpy's womb. The pressure that had been inflating the womb rocketed Dinky past Twilight who pressed her mouth over Derpy's snatch getting bukakkaed a little by the love juice blasting onto her face as she formed the seal that quickly filled her mouth. Twilight's eyes opened wide by the delicate mix of flavors filled her tongue. The scent of Dinky's seed mixed with Derpy's marecum filled her nose as the released juices permeating the air like incense. Twilight guzzled the juices greedily, trying her best to down as much of the ambrosiac cocktail as she could. Dinky staggered up and leaned on Sweetie, they were both panting lightly from the workouts their lovers put them through and they laid next to Trixie and Luna were where clopping each other off furiously at the sight of their herdmates rutting their lovers like stallions, followed by Twilight's drinking of the mother-daughter lovesauce combo. Trixie sniffed Dinky's cock experimentally, her nose flaring at the pheromone rich scent and from base to tip licked Dinky's dick. While Luna slowly deep throated Sweetie Belle, her pussy mouth clenching Sweetie's meaty member until Sweetie arched back in pleasure letting loose a gratified moan as Luna hummed happily around the cock. Trixie emboldened by the move tried it herself, only for her unaccustomed throat getting it's gag reflex hit. Dinky suckled Trixies ear as her cock slid down her belly. And as it slid between her lips and tickled her plothole, whispered, "Don't feel bad, I still haven't given head yet. I'll love whatever you want to do with me, even if you only want to cuddle. Kays?" Trixie nodded onto Dinky's cheek and rolled her over, kissing down to Dinky's cock she suckled the side. Her tongue tracing the veins of the dick as she moved slowly upwards to the base. Her tongue drawing in the head to massage the meaty tip. Before sucking and tracing the otherside. Dinky's eyes rolled into the back of her head just as Twilight joined Trixie. Their tongues lapping up the sex soaked cock before meeting each other at the top where they Prench kissed around Dinky's tip. Dinky shuddered tightly and sensing she was about to burst wrapped their mouths over the tip to share in her cock milk that burst forth in a powerful orgasm that lifted Dinky's back off the bed. Twilight seeing that Dinky was spent cuddled next to her and whispered lovingly, "You did great tonight, next time you go futa you can fill me with your seed and Sweets can fill Derpy. Sweet dreams my love," Twilight bent down tenderly kissing Dinky's horn as Dinky passed off into sleep. Luna looked up from Sweetie Belle who was like ways passed out between Luna's and Derpy's affectionate tending of her cock and nodded, "They both will have very sweet dreams indeed." === Chapter 19 === Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo came to the library the next morning, as the entered they got a strong whiff of sex and let loose a hearty laugh together that woke up the lovers upstairs. As the sex tossled manes, and tails coated with dried sex that was apparent on the ponies as they trudged down the stairs Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo laughed harder. "What are you two laughing at?" Twilight asked. "Oh it hurts!" Rainbow Dash said clutching her barrel, "Twilight, take a sniff." She said before laughing so hard that she burst into tears of laughter. Taking a sniff she blushed heavily as did the others as it became apparent that their night of intense lovemaking had leaked out of the bedroom and into the rest of the library. Twilight's eyes shrunk into pinpricks as she started to panic, "Alright everypony game time! Everypony but me and Derpy shower and don't forget to scrub! Derpy, me and you are going to work together. I'm going to magic the scent particles here, and I need you to do that multiverse thingy to move it to another dimension. Somewhere far, far, far, from here!" Derpy chuckled, "Or we could you know use are pegasi magic. Turning from an Alicorn and back really takes it out of me, and turning it into a cloud would be easier than magicing it away." Twilight blushed, "Yeah … okay that'd work to. Still going to summon the particulates of sex into one place though." Charging her horn she released a purple fog that permeated the establishment, and brought all the sexual fluids and particulates into one spot. What sat before them in a sphere of magic was watery sex cocktail of all their collective lovemaking. It had a diameter as wide as an adult Celestia from horn to tail, and looking at it Twilight gasped, "I didn't know a pony could make so much sex!" Derpy chuckled, "Well the bed and floor were soaked by the time we were finished so I'm not too surprised." Sighing together they worked their pegasi magic transforming the massive amount of sex into several filly sized cloud chunks. Scootaloo looked at it, now that her laughter had died down felt a strange tingling in her nethers, as well as a small tinge of jealousy that felt weird to her. Looking at Rainbow Dash she walked up to her and nuzzled her lovingly, Rainbow Dash returned it and whispered, "What you are feeling right now is called 'being turned on', or 'being horny'. Trust me this smell makes me want to take you right now and rut you until you forget how to walk straight for a month." "But we have to take it slow right?" Scootaloo sulked. "Well yeah, I mean with as horny as we both are, I don't think I could stop at a kiss. And do you really want your first time to be in library?" Rainbow Dash replied giving her a loving suckle of the ear that made Scootaloo melt. "Ohhohoo! I want you so bad Dashie!" Scootaloo squealed. "I do to, trust me it won't be too much longer, I had something special planned for us tonight to make our first kiss really special." "Really special?" Scootaloo whimpered as the tingling under her tail grew more strongly. "Something that I as a filly would've killed for, rather than a drunken make out session with a griffon in a school locker room," Rainbow Dash laughed. "Wait you and Gilda?" Scoots asked. "Yep, I got me some poultry pussy when I was a filly, but we kinda drifted apart after we broke up and I left to help Flutters," Rainbow Dash replied. Any further reply was broken up by Twilight, "Um … Rainbow? Do you think you could use these clouds today? Somehow say they came from Cloudsdale rather than letting people know we did the doo?" At that expression Derpy laughed uproariously,"I remember when ponies invented that expression, and it's even funnier since last night you did, indeed, 'do the doo'." Twilight blushed at that and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo broke out into a fresh wave of gut busting laughter. All of Twilight's herd all squeaky clean and ready for school, other than Derpy and Twilight the only adults within the herd, the fillies went to school. Derpy staying with Twilight to help ease the burden of work off of Spike as she had been since they came back from Canterlot. While Rainbow Dash grinning at the best prank ever moved the sex clouds to that day's rain cloud distribution. Grinning at all the ponies who would be coated with cloud jizz, and being able to blame it on Cloudsdale would prank her bosses over there so hard. Scootaloo trotted next to Trixie and Luna and asked the greatest question on her mind, "So what's it like?" "Sex?" Luna asked. "Yes, what's it like?" "Well filly on filly is great, but we didn't get plowed by Sweetie's and Dinky's filly cocks last night. And it's been thousands of years since I had a dick in me," Luna replied. "Wow … that's like forever," Scootaloo said compassionately giving Luna a wing hug. Or as much of a wing hug as her wings could give. "It is, but don't worry about it, soon you'll be swimming in fillybits," Luna assured her, "I think it's really cute that Rainbow's willing to sacrifice her impulses to make sure that she does it right with you, and with us." Trixie blushed and nodded, "Yeah last night was amazing, but throughout all of it I was wondering what it'd be like when Luna, me, you, and Rainbow Dash get together … and get your meaty cocks buried in every hole of my body." "Wow … that's kinda hot." Luna whispered, "you're holding out for Rainbow Dash to be your first kiss aren't you?" Scootaloo nodded. Luna gave her a peck on the cheek and hugged Scoots, "Then don't worry, me and Trixie will hold off on your first true kiss, until after you kiss the love of your life." Scootaloo blushed and nodded even faster. Cheerilee was grinning from ear to ear as class started that day. It was no secret in Ponyville that she was dating Spike, but she was amused by the fact that everypony considered him an adult. Or at least legal age to be dating a mare, and the fact that they'd been getting closer and closer all these weeks had filled her with glee. Even him spending the night last night, on the couch thank you very much, was something that she treasured. Even knowing he was the same age as the wonderful, and even sometimes attractive foals in her class were. Not that she'd ever dream of intentionally ruining the sacred bond of teacher and student. Even though there were a few times when she'd been tempted in the past to take one of her students on as a 'special blossom'. That giddy glow continued throughout first period, when during the first part of the second something happened that would change the world forever. Even if at the moment she had no idea it would be that catastrophic. She saw Diamond Tiara slip three VHS tapes to her while she was giving her lessons and trotted up to her. A look of utter doom spread across her face. "Now Diamond Tiara if you know that we share what a pony thinks is important to interrupt class with, what do you think happens to films that are spread?" She asked as she quickly put the tapes in her mouth and flipped them onto her back. "Bu-bu-but you can't! That's illegal! I'll sue!" Diamond Tiara cried out in desperation. "It's not illegal if it's out in the open and about to pass hooves on school grounds, now let's pop these in here and see what's so important it couldn't wait until after class … now where is that blasted player?" She asked looking under her desk for the projector display for watching movies in class. Well educational films, that she sometimes to reward her little flowers bent the definition of educational. But still educational nonetheless, if only she realized the irony of those thoughts that were passing through her head as she plug and played. Trotting to her desk as the film prepared to start. The countdown to showtime began and when it did Cheerilee felt her heart metaphorically stop, and her brain tried its hardest to stop functioning. The shot was taken from a distance and the in and out zoom feature was used to get a better picture, but that didn't stop it from showing Twilight masturbating herself silly with a Dildo while Dinky played with herself. Just as her brain began to kick in, it shut down even harder as she saw Derpy morph into an Alicorn, then with an obvious edit. Her being cock fucked by her daughter while Twilight was sixty-nining Sweetie Belle. Horn style. When she got over her shock she was aware of a number of ponies other than a few missing students, whom given that the film target them and their close friends being with them, made sense. She saw that a good portion of the colts were fapping, while the rest were divided by either filling the air with the scent of sex, looked giddily at the screen, or were in an abject state of confusion. "Class, you're all dismissed for today and possibly the rest of the week. No homework," Cheerilee said in a zombie tone her body stiffly pulling the tape out. Dinky and crew arrived via teleport thanks to Luna who was in an almost blind fury over the sanctity of not only a secret relationship being ruined, but the sanctity and wards of the Royal Castle being bypassed and their guests privacy infringed. Dinky and Sweetie ran to their respective partners and fell into their arms in a gibbering, tear soaked mess. Repeating the phrase, "we're so sorry," over and over again. Between body wracking sobs. Twilight looked over to the fuming filly Luna and asked, "What in the tartarus happened?" "I'll tell you what happened!" Luna yelled, "What happened is somepony caught you and Dinky masturbating in front of each other, then when you all had sex in our castle, and the film was stopped before we could see more of the trainwreck that was that film. And worst of all we have no idea who made it!" Derpy and Twilight fell on their haunches, still holding their lovers, and simultaneously yelled, "What?!" "Diamond Tiara was hoofing over a tape that Cheerilee caught and showed to the class to see what was so important," Luna said through gritted teeth, "and from how there were two tapes, somepony must've taped all of Twilight's sexual exploits. Including somehow bypassing the wards and runes that protect the sanctity of our guests in the castle. Wards and runes might I add that were done to the degree that no assassin could get to anyone within the walls. At least not without alerting guards, ourselves, and numerous other failsafes. "I am so furious right now! But damage control needs to be done, I'm going to get my sister and her herdmates, you Twilight go get Rainbow Dash, she needs to be here with Scootaloo and us when this goes down, and Derpy, stay here. Ponyville knows you are an Alicorn, so there's no point hiding it right now. We shall be back shortly," Luna fumed. Derpy watched as they left, and transformed. The uncomfortable sensation of bones feeling like they're melting, the numbing stretching of the skin, the oddness of organs shifting themselves when one goes from one race to another filled her as she transformed into an Alicorn. All the while a feeling of dread filling every nerve in her body. In her arms was the wreck that her daughter had descended into, and the new addition of a crying Sweetie Belle that she wrapped her spare wing around. Throwing on her brave face she cooed, "Don't cry loves, this was in no way your fault." "But! But! If I didn't show you how much I love you, and I didn't do all the things to let you know how you were my world. Then we wouldn't be fillyfriends, and you wouldn't be in trouble," Dinky wailed heartbrokenly. Sweetie wailed beside her, "And if I didn't work so hard to be Twilight's fillyfriend, and work hard to bring you together to make a friend happy, none of this would've happened." Derpy nuzzled her little loves, "Listen both of you," She said lifting their faces to see her, "Yes, none of us ever expected to be in a relationship like this. There's so much taboo, and it's so forbidden, and its something that a lot of ponies never think about, but you know what?" "W-w-what?" They blubbered. "We've been the happiest mares in all of Equestria because of it. You two for both of us, have touched our hearts and lives that would've never happened otherwise, and no matter what, and I know that Twilight feels this way too, we will always love you. Forever and always. Do you two understand that?" They nodded, their cries still powerful, not as bad as it had been. Derpy threw up a Barrier to prevent the Earth Ponies and Pegasi with non-peaceful intent from entering, leaving only teleporting as a viable way to enter. As for Unicorns who might try to force their way in, she set up a small mirror shield to reflect aggressive spells. With that all set up all they could do was wait. Cheerilee saw the shield around the library that made it looked like it was trapped in a giant bubble. Cantering up to it she ran right through it and came to a stop outside the front door, knocking she yelled, "It's me Cheerilee, I'm coming in and you need to fix the shield I passed right through!" When she came inside she saw Derpy holding Sweeite Belle and Dinky Doo who were passed out, Derpy looked up and lifted one primary over her lips and whispered, "Things are going to tartarus soon, let's let the little ones rest for a while. Things are going to get hectic soon enough, as for the shield it keeps aggressive and those with ill intent from entering." Cheerilee nodded, trotting closer she whispered, "I got here as soon as I could, I'm so sorry you girls secret had to come out this way." "You aren't bothered by this?" Derpy asked. "Not really, I'm dating a dragon who's almost the same age as my little flowers, and I've fantasized about taking one of my students as a lover before, never did it. So I can't throw stones at that, and me and Berry Punch ever since we were fillies make out when one or the other of us gets lonely, so it's not too weird," Cheerilee shrugged, "that and Berry's been bonking her daughter for a while now. So mother-daughter WinCest isn't new to me." "Isn't she one of your little flowers though?" Derpy asked. "Nope she's my sister's precious gem," Cheers replied. "Well I'm glad that you're here to help, Twilight and my little love muffins need all the help they can get." "It's no problem, I know you girls would help me if me and Spike needed help," Cheerilee said giving Derpy light nuzzle. "You know it," Derpy said returning the nuzzle. In almost no time at all Twilight had returned with Rainbow Dash who seeked her fillyfriends. Luna and Trixie returned with Celestia, Pinkie Pie, and Aura. And just as they got together the ground started rumbling as word spread of what happened and the city stampeded for one reason or another to flock towards the Library. The group of Lovers, Cheerilee, and a recently woken up Spike trotted outside to see a growing mob of ponies. The cacophony of voices mixed from confused ponies who were at a loss as to what was happening, those who were there to support the ousted forbidden lovers, and those who made up the majority who were filled with righteous fury. The adults stood before their child lovers and flared their wings protectively before them, and Cheerilee who had Spike sitting on her back, stood beside Twilight is a show of support. As they stood there, the first voice of dissent rose above the rest, "Hey isn't that Rainbow Dash? What'd she do, fuck her way through all the adults that she has to start working her way through foals?" "Yeah! I bet Scootaloo isn't her first little buck toy I wonder when the Dash will get tired of her?" Another said. Rainbow Dash fell more and more into a curled possition as more voices joined the first. As another started harping on Pinkie Pie. "Hey we knew that Ponyville's Pink Party Slut , fucked her friends in her private parties, but to think she'd even be putting a smile on the faces of children is a new low!" "I agree! We all know she's a slut, but to think she'd be giving kids a ride in her loose pussy is something I'd never think I'd see," said another, laughing in self righteousness when the stallion saw Pinkie Pie bawl her eyes out. Scootaloo jumped over Rainbow Dash's prone, teared up form, her wings buzzing like an angry hornet, "Hey leave my fillyfriend alone! For your information we haven't even kissed yet, and she's the kindest, most awesome, most amazing fillyfriend, big sister, mother anypony could ask for." "Thanks Scoots," Dashie whispered. "Anything for best pony," Scoots replied with a smile. Feeling great with her fillyfriend on her side she wrapped Scootaloo with her wings and in front of everypony gave Scootaloo a passionate kiss, trying to convey her gratitude and love through her lips ministrations. Scootaloo cooed happily into Rainbow Dash's mouth as she felt her body melt into Dash's embrace. When Rainbow Dash pulled back she said tenderly, "No matter what happens, you are one amazing pony, I couldn't have asked for a better fillyfriend. I love you Scoots," looking over the dumbstruck ponies she said, "You hear that! I love her! And I'm never leaving her side." Meanwhile Celestia and Aura were were tearing up Pinkie Pie whose mane had flattened in sorry. Celestia lovingly nuzzled her while Aura showered her with kisses and sweet nothings. Just after Scootaloo's and Rainbow Dash's kiss Celestia flared her tiny wings in front of Pinkie Pie, just as she was about to admonish the assembly of ponies somepony beat her to it. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" A sophisticated and elegant Earth Pony yelled. The white unicorn DJ that played for Cadance's wedding stood beside her, "Yeah! All of you suck donkey balls!" "Vinyl! There are foals present!" The grey one responded. "Sorry Tavs, I meant to say, we should be thanking these ponies, not being a stinky bag of horse apples," Vinyl Scratch said sheepishly. Silver Spoon climbed on top of Octavia's back as they trotted next to Twilight and others, "I'm Octavia, and these loves of my life are Vinyl Scratch and Silver Spoon. That tape of yours and your public example have inspired my loves. And have made us feel better knowing we weren't alone." Berry Punch who was being ridden by her daughter Ruby Pinch walked up next to Octavia. Giving her daughter a loving kiss, she pulled back and looked at Derpy, "You've made me and my precious gem feel less alone as well. We'll be forever thankful Derpy." Lyra, Bonbon, and Tootsie Flute walked into the Shield and turned around facing the crowd, "How dare you talk down to these brave ponies who'd stand beside their lovers in their time of need. And everypony knows that Pinks never bucks any pony in her private parties. Those were reserved for ponies too shy to have big parties, or didn't have anypony to spend a special day with. "That and I know for a fact that Rainbow Dash is a loyal marefriend. Just because other ponies think of her as a cumbucket doesn't mean she is one," Looking over at Rainbow Dash she said, "You're a hero. You've saved ninety percent of everypony in Ponyville at least once personally. Not counting Elements of Harmony friendship blasting baddies in the face." Bonbon and Tootsie Flute lovingly nuzzled Lyra as Bonbon purred lovingly, "You're so brave honey pot, I'm going to give you a special present tonight." "Can I give momma Lyra a gift too?" Tootsie said. "Not tonight sugar lump, tonight momma Bons needs to work on getting you a little sister," Bonbon answered. Tootsie gave a cute pout and Lyra answered, "If things go well tonight, you can give me any gift you want my sweet adawwable baby." Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara joined the fray, "Me and my daughter are so sorry that it was from her sharing the films she was given by an acquaintance that this came to light. Even those ponies who don't come out in the open. You made a huge step in making those of us who felt that we were alone with our love, feel a lot less alone." At that they were swarmed with many ponies of all races, relationship statuses, and types of affairs who shared a forbidden affair. They were given thanks, condolences, and apologies from those who didn't tell them of the films. At the end of it, ten percent were part of the forbidden. Which still left a large group of ponies who were left. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Apple Jack came up afterwards. Looking at one another Apple Jack was the one who spoke up, "Listen y'all. I know most of you, and Twi, Dashie, Derps, we've been friends for ages. Although dang girl, I didn't know that Twilight's spell made other ponies Alicorns. Good for you. "But I can not condone what yer doin'. Family wasn't meant to be bedding family. We're meant to help raise our youngins to be the best ponies they can be. It just ain't natural beddin' family. As for y'all bedding foals. I can't believe ya'd corrupt innocent like that. The only one I could understand is Pinkie, she's basically a filly trapped in a mares body. "Now even though I can't condone yer actions. Flutters, Rares, and I, we're yer friends and will always be yer PFF's. And we'll be here if ya need us, although I can't let Bloom near y'all unsupervised, not with y'all being foal fiddlers and knocking yer families horseshoes." Fluttershy looked a Rainbow Dash and said in an almost unhearable tone, "I'm sorry Dash, but I just can't do this," She looked at Apple Jack, "I have to go take care of my animals. I hope they don't hate me for leaving." "I don't think they'd hold it against you darling, and Twilight," Rarity said, "Well I guess it could be worse, she's at least been dating royalty. And Celestia, Luna, you two approve of this relationship?" Seeing them both nod, she took a deep breath, "It wouldn't do any good taking her and if my parents and I took her away. You'd eventually find us. But I will support it, but I still feel as if you're being uncouth, and what you are doing is deviant, and I was raised to see such things as wrong." There was a cough and behind her stood Zippowhirl's, massive specimen of a father, Viola. He turned around and said, "Well said you three. I think a lot of us feel the same way but as for the rest," He said with his rich voice, "I'm ashamed of all of you. I grew up with alot of you, and I know your parents raised you better to spread such ugliness around foals. We were raised in the spirit of friendship, and tolerance. We don't have to accept, or condone what these ponies are doing. But they are sick and need our help rather than coming across as backwater tribalists. "Princesses, Ponies who are of that type of relationship, I've known most of you for ages and I know that you are good ponies. I want you to know that I don't hate you, or think you're disgusting, but I can't let you near my daughter until you get well. But if you need help, come and see me. And you *looks over crowd*, you should be ashamed at how you're acting around foals who need us to set an example," as he finished he glared down the crowd. Zippowhirl flew up to the assortment of forbidden lovers, "Please get better everypony! That way we can all play again." She said before flying back to her father, "I hope they get better soon. They're good ponies." "Yes they are, they're just sick at the moment and need help," He said nuzzling her. "Well that's all sweet and good, but that doesn't change that these ponies have violated the law and sanctity of a sacred trust entrusted upon them, the taking care of young ones, "Mayor Mare said as she trotted forward, "I'm sad I have to do this, but Ponyville entrusted me to uphold the regardless of personal feelings." "Wait!" Celestia yelled, "Technically Twilight is a Princess as is Luna and I although intermittent rulers. We request that these ponies come with us as we bring this up with the head rules of Equestria to see if the old laws still apply." "Old laws?" Mayor Mare asked while cocking an eyebrow. "Yes, my sister and I haven't dated in a long, long time, and we've never checked to see if laws pertaining to Princesses dating have changed. And until we find out we'll be taking these ponies into our protection for the time being," Celestia stated eloquently. Twilight went over the papers she received from Princess Cadance and Princess Fleur De Lis. Scanning it to make sure she got everything, it read. Dear Princess Twilight, We're sad to have heard that you got ousted, but knowing Celestia, it's what she meant by you lighting the torches of forbidden love and it would spread like a wild fire. Although this is only the beginning. Fleury and I combed through the tomes that Celestia mentioned and yes, a Ruler, or in their cases, Intermittent ruler may date whomever they want. Regardless of age, race, or species. So technically the application for Transient Herd status would work for all party's involved who wish imperial protection, although I'm going to be sending over ponies with my Special Talent, and blessing, to make sure all applicants are in a healthy relationship. If they are using that relationship and this application to control, dominate outside of a healthy BDSM actions, manipulate, or harm their young lovers. Then the application will be void and I'll personally punish them. I also agree that adding Fluery's and My own name to the application is approvable. Although I added a little bit that says that any pony adding us as Princess that they are with must be approved by us. Best of luck to you and your "herds", although in this letter, I guess I should approve you of creating a guild like set up to protect those ponies. Much Love, Cadance ♥ ♥ ♥ === Epilogue === Excerpt from The Equestrian Enquirer Equestria in Chaos! Sexual Predators Still in Gov.'t: It has come to this reporter's attention that their is indeed an application that not only permits, but gives imperial protection to sexual predators by allowing them to be in a "transient herd" status with them. This ploy, using archiac laws to subvert the legal system is in my personal opinion appalling. It was reported that Princess Twilight Sparkle, who was already subverting the legal system to allow a mother and daughter sexual relationship to happen with her blessing. Then after her arrival with her illegal lovers, Celestia and Luna themselves become Filly's to persue affairs with both filly's and mares. We the people can only ask what Empress of the Crystal Empire and HRH Princess Cadance of Equestria, and the newly dubbed HRH Princess Fleur De Lis are thinking allowing their names to be accepted onto this new legislator? And why they seem fit to not arrest ponies who are under Equestrian statutes sexually molesting children? [More on Page A4] Excerpt from Aristocratic Archivists: Princesses Dirty Secret Revealed in Class: Sources in Ponyville say that somepony recorded a tape from within the castle walls, showing acts of Foalconry and Incest, followed by later bits of Princess Twilight Sparkle's sexual depravity. It was said that the tapes, over ten hours of sexual activity, was sold by a private party for fourty thousand bits. Showings will be held privately to those who know who the buyer was. And lets face it if you aren't in the know you don't deserve to know. Now this film came to light of all places in Ponyville, which is mostly populated by the unclean masses, and mouth breathers. Where it was unfortunately handled by an Earth Pony, but the buyer did say that his staff cleaned the tape thoroughly so no need to worry about being contaminated by commoners. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The rest of article was torn to shreds by a very enraged Princess Twilight who wondered why the Aristocracy kept sending her their swill of a newspaper. Although she was more mad that Celestia told her she wasn't allowed to send the Aristocracy into the sun. Even if was funny that Cherrilee laughed at the article before turning it into a make shift boat for Sweetie to play with. Excerpt from letter to Twilight Sparkle from Tornado Bolt: So yeah, it was really cool that you and Misses Princess Derpy came out and showed that you loved your little ponies. My brothers and me were afraid that if our love came out then we would loose eachother, but Big Bro Thunderlane , Rumble, and me signed the paper that allowed us to be together. Oh! I forgot to tell you my name, I'm Tornado Bolt, I live in Ponyville too. Just like you do, so well ... thank you for helping me keep my brothers, they're the most important special someponies in my life. Well I got to go it's time for peanutbutter and honey sandwiches. ________________________________________________ Twilight and her lovers looked over the collection of newspaper clippings and letters sent there way over the last few days. Things while bad seemed in some spots, such as the pony's trying to boycott business owned by forbidden lovers, other's getting fired and sent out to the streets, or the Purification of Equestrian Society. The PoES were on the righteous warpath in all corners of Equestrian society from government, to economy. But there was good as well. Ponies standing up for those who came out of the closet. Ponies who lost jobs or homes having other Forbidden Lovers get them back on their hooves. The Princesses whom ponies were labled as the head of their "herd" helped bring them together to support and care for one another. Even in the darkest parts of their lives both then and coming up, the set up the Princesses set up, gave healing and hope through the various lovers. Lighting the flames of forbidden love throughout Equestria, and one thing was for certain. The world from the moment Twilight's herd was ousted would never be the same. ~Fin~ <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: The Summer Chronicles: Dinky's Daddy author: Leo Dane tags: genre:Adventure, genre:Comedy

=== Chapter 1 === THE SUMMER CHRONICLES: DINKY'S DADDY CHAPTER 1 Celestia's bright sun was raised high in the sky overlooking Ponyville. Much of the town was going about their usual business as the afternoon hours ticked away. Business ponies were selling products in their stores, and farmponies were selling food in the marketplace. Mailponies, including a certain gray and blonde pegasus mare, were delivering letters and packages throughout town. Other ponies were enjoying the sunlight. Lyra and Vinyl Scratch had teamed up for an impromptu concert in the park. Big Macintosh was strolling through town, having the day off from the farm, thinking about life while doing his best to ignore the multitude of mares and stallions trying to get his attention. Pinkie Pie and Colgate were engaging in a giant musical number, debating the importance of sugar consumption versus the importance of good dental hygiene via song and dance. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Applejack were attempting stop an angry, grape-jam covered Rarity from choking a somehow still laughing Rainbow Dash with a scarf, while Discord sat to the side and observed, eating a cucumber sandwich. All in all, another day in Ponyville. None of these things were noticed by a small purple unicorn filly as she cheerfully bounded into the Ponyville Elementary schoolhouse. All the other foals were loudly voicing their disappointment that their recess had ended, but eight-year old Dinky Doo was excited, especially when she saw an adult Earth pony stallion sitting patiently in the back of the classroom. Today was Family Appreciation Day, and it was Dinky's turn to bring in a family member to speak! Dinky quickly ran to the front of the classroom, and sat down in a seat in the front row. It was the first time in two months that it was Dinky's turn for Family Appreciation Day, and she couldn't wait to hear what the stallion waiting in the back of the room would say. Behind her, two fillies noticed how excited Dinky looked, and they collectively scoffed and shot her nasty looks. Dinky ignored them, and instead grinned as Cheerilee, the teacher, led the stallion to the front of the room. "Okay class," Cheerilee said. "For today's Family Appreciation Day, we are all very pleased to welcome Dinky Doo's uncle Time Turner!" She gestured to the brown-coated Earth pony who stood smiling in front of the class. He was wearing his usual attire, a green and white tie. On his flank was his Cutie Mark - an hourglass. Dinky immediately applauded with enthusiasm, but she didn't notice quite a few of her classmates look at each other in confusion. "Good afternoon, students of Ponyville," Time Turner said in his Trottish accent. "My name is indeed Time Turner, and some of you may know me as the owner of Clockwork's, the clock shop here in Ponyville. I'm also the assistant to Mayor Mare, and in charge of all things...let's say, timey-wimey here in Ponyville," Dinky giggled. Timey-wimey was one of her Uncle Time Turner's favorite things to say. Behind Dinky, a colt raised his hoof. "I heard my dad say that if Mayor Mare cannot fulfill her duties," the colt said, stumbling over the world fulfill. "Then that means you become acting Mayor of Ponyville. Is that true?" Time Turner smiled, happy that somepony in the class knew that already. "Why, yes, that is true! I have actually stepped in as the acting mayor several times over the years," "Anypony would be a better may than that lazy coon," Diamond Tiara, one of the scoffing fillies, piped up. "Diamond Tiara!" Cheerilee said sternly. The filly shut her mouth, and Cheerilee cleared her throat. "Everypony, please stop interrupting and allow our guest Time Turner to speak," "Oh, that's perfectly alright Cheerilee," Time Turner said. "I don't mind if they have questions. After all, a mind eager to learn is one of the most important things a little pony could have, in my opinion," Dinky beamed as Time Turner looked over at her and winked. He had often called her the most inquisitive pony he knew. Maybe she would get a Cutie Mark in it! ...What would a Cutie Mark in inquisitiveness look like?, she wondered, tapping her chin thoughtfully. She shook herself out of her thoughts and paid attention as Time Turner began describing his job as the town timekeeper, his experiences working as the Mayor's assistant, and even some of his early life in Trottingham and what moving to Ponyville was like. She knew that a lot of ponies assumed that those kind of things would be boring, but Dinky loved to listen to her Uncle Time Turner's stories. She was very happy to see most of the class was also listening quite intently. "...And then I came to Ponyville, opened up my shop, and the rest, as they say, is history," Time Turner concluded after he had finished his story. He accompanied his conclusion with a dramatic flourish of his hoof. Dinky began clapping her hooves enthusiastically once again, smiling proudly as her classmates also clapped. Hurray! Uncle Time Turner did so good! "That was wonderful, Time Turner," Cheerilee said, clapping along with her students. "Now, does anypony have any questions for Mr. Time Turner?" Applebloom, a yellow filly with a red mane, raised her hoof. "Is my Granny Smith's grandfather clock almost ready? She really wants to have it back as soon as possible," she asked. Time Turner chuckled. "Tell Granny Smith it'll be ready by tomorrow morning," he said. "Um...does anypony have any other questions for Mr. Time Turner?" Cheerilee asked after a pause. "Is it true you're secretly an alien from another planet who travels through time and space inside a time machine shaped like a gigantic blue box?" a younger Trottish accent spoke up. Everypony in the room turned and stared at the brown-and-white coated Pipsqueak. "...No," Time Turner answered after a long, awkward pause. He gave Pipsqueak a strange look and took a few steps back. Where in Equestria did THAT even come from? he thought. A pegasus filly with a dark blue coat raised her hoof. "Yes, dear?" Time Turner asked, pointing to her. "So...you're Dinky's uncle?" the filly asked. "Well, I'm not actually her biological uncle," Time Turner replied. "It's kind of an honorary title," "And he's the best honorary uncle ever!" Dinky cried, causing Time Turner to smile again. "Wait, you're not actually related to her?" an orange pegasus filly named Scootaloo demanded. "Isn't that kind of completely against the point of Family Appreciation Day?" "Family isn't always just who you're related to Scootaloo," Cheerilee reminded the little pegasus. "Family is also anypony whom you hold close to your heart," "Besides," Diamond Tiara suddenly spoke up, smirking meanly. "The only other family she has is that cross-eyed freak she's so unfortunate to call her mother," "HEY!" Dinky shouted, sitting up in her seat and pointing a hoof angrily over at Diamond Tiara. "Don't make fun of my mommy!" "Diamond Tiara, you just earned yourself another detention, young lady!" Cheerilee snapped at the filly. She looked over to Time Turner. "Mr. Time Turner, I am so sorry about that," "It's okay," Time Turner said, although the glare he was sending Diamond Tiara said otherwise. He looked back at the other filly who had asked the question. "I'm sorry dear, was there anything else you wanted to know?" The blue pegasus filly shrugged. "I just always thought that you were Dinky's dad," she said. Dinky froze in her chair. Time Turner laughed, but his laughter was a bit forced. "Did you really?" he asked. "Yeah, so did I," another colt said. "Me too!" "Me three!" "I always thought you were her pa too," Applebloom admitted. Time Turner looked around as almost every other colt and filly in the class nodded their heads in agreement. "Oh, did you really?" he asked again, feeling very awkward. "Well, you live with Dinky and her mom Derpy Hooves," Snips, a squat unicorn colt, said. "And me and Snails always see you and Derpy around town together!" "Well," Time Turner said, trying to collect himself after the shock. "That is because me and Dinky's mother Derpy are very dear friends. In fact, I was the first pony she and little Dinky met when they first moved to Ponyville eight years ago. Besides, I don't just live with Miss Hooves; I live with Miss Carrot Top as well," "So?" Snails, a lankier unicorn colt asked. "We thought you guys were a herd! That's what my Dad, my Papa, my Daddy, and my Pa are," Time Turner blushed. The very idea! Me and Carrot Top! "And since the Cakes had Pound and Pumpkin, we figured that it wouldn't be that weird if you and Miss Hooves had a unicorn foal," a white and purple unicorn filly named Sweetie Belle added with a shrug. "Well, I can assure you all, I am simply Dinky's honorary uncle," Time Turner said quickly. "Now-" "But, if you're not her daddy," Pipsqueak spoke up again. "Then who IS Dinky's daddy?" Time Turner opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. He looked over at the filly in question, who was sadly looking down at the floor, her hooves curled up on her desk. "Um..." "I don't have a daddy," Dinky said suddenly. She looked up, as the rest of the class looked back at her. "He died before I was born," The entire room fell into a silence. Dinky looked down at the floor again, knowing that the rest of the ponies in the class were staring back at her, some with shock, some with pity. After another moment of silence, Cheerilee once again cleared her throat, trying to get the rest of the classes attention. "Well, class, I think that was a...a lovely Family Appreciation Day presentation, but I believe our time is up for the day, so all of you please give Mr. Time Turner a-" "I bet your daddy got himself killed on purpose," Diamond Tiara's vile voice interrupted the teacher. "So he didn't have to get stuck with a stupid little blank flank like you for a daughter! Who would want to be your daddy, anyway?" "DIAMOND TIARA!" Cheerilee shouted as the rest of the class gasped. Time Turner, jaw dropped in horror, looked at Dinky, who was glaring at Diamond Tiara. "Dinky-" The unicorn filly let out a cry of rage as she launched out of her seat at the other filly. Time Turner sighed as he trotted through the streets of Ponyville. He looked over his shoulder, at the gloomy purple unicorn filly who was riding on his back. She had her hooves wrapped around Time Turner's neck, and was sadly looking off into the distance as they walked. Time Turner felt terrible for the filly who called him her honorary uncle. The day had been going so well, and then everything just went...south. After Diamond Tiara's astonishingly cruel statement about Dinky's father, Dinky had lost her temper and attacked the other filly. It took Time Turner and Cheerilee to pull the two fillies apart, but luckily neither had actually gotten hurt in the scuffle. Still, Time Turner was forced to stay with Dinky as the rest of the class was let out, to have a meeting with Diamond Tiara's father Filthy Rich. Time Turner was surprised when Filthy Rich did not hold Dinky's actions against her, and instead apologized to her for what Diamond Tiara said. The Earth pony felt very bad for the other stallion; he seemed to be at his wits end trying to find a way to get his daughter to behave. Dinky had not said a word since they left the schoolhouse. Sighing again, Time Turner stopped in his place, and hunched up his shoulders. Dinky was bounced by the movement, and she looked up to see Time Turner giving her a smile. "Come on, cheer up little one!" he said. "I know that a certain aunt of yours is preparing a special dinner of spicy garden soup just for you!" Dinky smiled a little at that, but her face was still sad. Time Turner leaned over and nuzzled Dinky's head. "I'm sorry for what Diamond Tiara said, Dinky," he said. "It's okay," Dinky muttered. "She's just a big, fat meanie," "I couldn't agree more," Time Turner said with a chuckle. He started trotting off again, and Dinky sat up on his back as they went. "Sometimes I wonder if she may or may not be a sociopath," "What's that?" "A pony who lacks any kind of social and moral conscience.. But I guess we can't know for sure until she reaches puberty," "What's that?" "...I am very sorry about what she said, Dinky," Time Turner said, choosing to ignore the question for the next...hundred years. Dinky sighed, and plopped her chin on top of Time Turner's mane. "It's okay, Uncle Time Turner," Dinky said. "Diamond Tiara is just a jerk, she doesn't bug me...it just makes me sad to think about my daddy," Time Turner nodded understandingly. However, his body language gave off a barely seen hint of nervousness. Luckily, the young filly did not notice. "It's just..." Dinky spoke up. "I wish...I wish I knew him," "So do I," Time Turner said comfortingly. "Because I'd like to meet the stallion who gave you that awful naughty side of yours - you certainly didn't get it from your mother," Dinky faux-gasped. "Uncle Time Turner, whatever do you mean?" she demanded, blinking her eyelashes innocently. "I totally got it from mommy!" Time Turner burst out laughing, and he was happy when Dinky started laughing as well. Eventually, Time Turner and Dinky Doo made it back to their house. It was a well-sized two-floor cottage, near the edge of Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres, big enough to house a pegasus, a unicorn filly, and two Earth ponies. Time Turner pushed the door open with his hoof. He knew that since both Derpy and Carrot Top would be home, the door would not be locked. "Oh, muffin, is that you!" a voice called from the kitchen. A gray pegasus mare with a blonde mane and tail trotted into the front hallway. When most ponies saw her, their attention was instantly drawn to her lopsided eyes, or her Cutie Mark consisting of bubbles. However, Time Turner's eyes went straight for the chef hat sitting on top of her head. "I thought I got rid of that after you and that jelly-obsessed stallion had a baking party?" the Earth pony questioned with a raised brow. Derpy Hooves scoffed playfully. "Oh, Time Turner, you know there is no stopping the hat!" She laughed as Dinky jumped off of Time Turner's back, and ran up to her mother and wrapped her in a hug. "Hello, muffin! How did the Family Appreciation Day go?" Dinky looked up at Derpy, and gave her mother a strained smile. "It was really...nice," Derpy frowned in confusion. "Just nice?" she asked. "You were so excited this morning. Did something happen?" "No!" Dinky exclaimed. "Nothing...Nothing happened! I'mgoingtogoplayinmyroomokaybye!" With that, Dinky escaped her mothers hooves and took off running down the hallway. Derpy stared after Dinky in bewilderment, then looked at Time Turner. "Uh...mind explaining what that was about? Did the presentation not go well?" she asked worriedly. Time Turner sighed. "No, the presentation went just fine, it was after the presentation that things went downhill. You see, it turns out that all of Dinky's classmates assumed that I was her father," Derpy's eyes widened. "Oh no," she said sadly, looking over her shoulder to wear her daughter had run. "You should go talk to her," Time Turner suggested. "I should," Derpy agreed. "Can you go help Carrot Top in the kitchen?" Time Turner nodded, and he started walking to the kitchen as Derpy lifted up with her wings, and flew in the direction of Dinky's bedroom. In the kitchen, he found Carrot Top, his best friend since they were both infant foals, busily preparing a large pot of soup. "Hey Time Turner!" Carrot Top greeted him. "How was the presentation?" She looked over at her friend, and was surprised to see his sullen expression. "Not very well," Time Turner said. "First off, did you know some ponies think you, Derpy, and I are a herd?" Derpy knocked on her daughter's door softly. "Dinky, are you alright in there?" she asked. "Yes I am!" Dinky called from behind the door. "I'm having a magical adventure, so please don't bother me!" Derpy would have just accepted that and gone on her way...if she wasn't a mother, and could tell just how upset Dinky was by her voice. Without asking again, she opened up the door. Derpy's heart broke as she saw Dinky was not playing. Instead, the little filly was lying on her bed, tucked up next to the fifty stuffed animals that shared the bed with her. Derpy trotted inside, and plopped up onto the bed next to Dinky. "Dinky," Derpy started, but the filly interrupted her. "I'm fine Mom!" Dinky said. "I promise!" "No you're not Dinky," Derpy said softly. After a pause, Dinky sat up, and leaned into her mother's side. Derpy wrapped her wing around Dinky, and rested her hoof on her head. "What happened?" Derpy asked. Dinky sighed. "All the other foals thought that Uncle Time Turner was my daddy. And then I had to tell them all the truth, which was stupid enough...But then Diamond Tiara said that my daddy died on purpose, just so he wouldn't have to be my daddy!" Derpy's eyes widened in shock. "She did what?! Oh, I am going to have a talk with Filthy Rich about this-" "It's okay, Uncle Time Turner and Mr. Rich talked at the classroom," Dinky said. "That's not what is making me sad..." Derpy tiled her head. "Well, then what is making you sad muffin?" Dinky let go of her mother and looked away with tearful eyes. "What made me sad was that the only thing I know about my daddy is that he died before he could meet me," she admitted. "Oh, Dinky..." Derpy said sorrowfully, knowing that this day was coming soon or later. "I mean," Dinky continued, tears leaking from her eyes. "I don't know anything about my daddy! I don't know what his name was, I don't know what he looks like, what kind of pony he was - I don't even know what happened to him!" Dinky looked up at her mother, now sobbing. "Can't you tell me anything about him mommy? Please?" Derpy bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She hugged her daughter, and shut her eyes. "Dinky...I'm sorry, but I don't think you're ready to hear about him," "Yes I am!" Dinky shouted, shoving her surprised mother away. "I am ready! I just want to know SOMETHING! Anything! Why won't you ever tell me about my daddy! I don't care if he was a bad pony or whatever! I just want to know something about him! AND YOU WON'T TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT HIM!" Derpy was stunned by her daughter's words. This was the first time she had reacted like this. "Dinky..." Derpy whispered. Dinky threw herself back onto the bed, burying her face in a pillow. "Can you please go away for a little bit?" Derpy heard Dinky mutter. "Um...okay, muffin," Derpy said, getting off the bed. She paused, then leaned in and kissed Dinky's head. "I love you," Derpy heard Dinky mutter the sentiment back. With a sad face, she trotted out of Derpy's room, shutting the door behind her. The pegasus sighed. She didn't realize why she found it so difficult to say anything about Dinky's father to her. It had been eight years, and yet... And yet... Derpy sighed as she approached the kitchen, entering through the open doorway leading into it. "How's Dinky?" Carrot Top asked once Derpy appeared. "She's....she's not okay," Derpy said, wiping at her eyes. Time Turner immediately left the stove (leading Carrot Top to yelp and run over to take his place) and walked up to Derpy, wrapping his hooves around her in a hug. Derpy hugged him back, trying to stop her sniffles as she leaned into his shoulder. "I don't understand what's wrong with me. All she wants to do is know about her father..." "It's okay Derpy," Time Turner said soothingly. "She'll be alright," "I know she will," Derpy replied, letting go of her friend. "But I don't know how many more times her father can be brought up before I have no choice but...but to tell her the truth," Derpy looked down at the floor. The very idea of telling her daughter the truth was one she couldn't bear. Not because Dinky wasn't ready to hear the truth... But Derpy didn't think she was ready to reveal the truth. Time Turner and Carrot Top shared a look, as the female Earth pony lifted the pot that was done cooking by the handle with her mouth, and set it down on the kitchen table. "Derpy," Carrot Top started after she had let go of the handle. "Would it really be such a bad thing if Dinky learns the truth about her father?" "I just..." Derpy stopped, groaning. "I just don't know how I would break it to her. I mean, how do you tell your daughter that her mother has been lying to her for her entire life?" "No question it would be hard," Time Turner said sympathetically. "Not just for Dinky. But for you. And for Carrot Top and I, since we kept the secret as well. But eventually you will have to accept the fact that Dinky has a right to know that her father is alive," There it was. The lie that had been hanging over Derpy's head for the past eight years, out in the open. Derpy couldn't help but flinch - the weight of the secret was so great on her heart. It was why she tried her hardest to keep any mention of Dinky's father out of conversation as much as possible. "But how could I ever tell her?" Derpy asked aloud. "How could I do that to her? How could I admit that I lied to her?" "Well..." Carrot Top spoke up, but trailed off. "Yes, Carrot?" Derpy turned to her friend. "Well...maybe it would help if you got into contact with her father? Let him know about Dinky?" Carrot Top ventured. Time Turner immediately shot Carrot Top a glare. Derpy, meanwhile, drooped her head farther, her wings now sagging in sadness as well. "Because that would be even worse," Derpy said. "To have to tell a stallion that he has a daughter he never knew anything about?" "You don't have to do that Derpy," Time Turner quickly said. "There is no need to bring her father into this," "But Time Turner-" Carrot Top started to speak, but the stallion interrupted her. "Doing that would just make the situation worse," Time Turner insisted. "At least not until after Dinky has learned the truth," "Maybe both of you are right," Derpy said with a sigh. "But I don't think I can do it tonight. Dinky has had such an exhausting day. Maybe I'll let her stay home from school tomorrow..." Derpy bit her lip, thinking. And maybe I'll finally work up the nerve to tell her the truth tomorrow as well. "That would be nice," Time Turner said. "I could take a day off and watch her," "No, you don't need to do that, I can watch Dinky," Carrot Top said. "Carrot sales have been good enough lately, I could afford it," The three adults continued their conversation, not noticing the small filly standing right outside the view of the kitchen's open doorway. She had been prepared to apologize to her mother for snapping at her...but was now standing in frozen shock. The things she had overheard...the secret that had been revealed to her without her mother's knowledge. My daddy...is alive? My daddy....doesn't know he's my daddy? Dinky turned on her hooves and rushed back to her bedroom before the adults noticed she was there. My daddy...my daddy is alive! === Chapter 2 === THE SUMMER CHRONICLES: DINKY'S DADDY CHAPTER 2 Derpy Hooves was worried. After her daughter snapped at her, Derpy was certain that Dinky wasn't going to let the subject go, and that she would be peppering her with questions about her father. She was one hundred percent convinced that tonight would end up being the night where she was forced to admit to Dinky the truth about her father, because there was no way her daughter wasn't going to stop asking. However, the exact opposite happened. When Time Turner had gone to get Dinky for dinner a few minutes after the three adults talked, Derpy had prepared herself for the worst - only to be confused when the little filly hadn't said a word about her father or the incident from school. Instead, Dinky had thanked Carrot Top for making the soup, and began helping herself to a bowl. She had been quiet ever since, even with Derpy, Time Turner, and Carrot Top trying to prod her into conversation. "So, how are you friends at school?" Carrot Top had tried. "Good," was Dinky's response. "Um...Did I tell you about the rude customer I had yesterday Dinky? It's a hoot!" Time Turner said after a moment of silence. "No," Dinky answered. Time Turner went on to tell the story, but Dinky only nodded along and ate her dinner. Finally, Derpy looked at her daughter sitting next to her with a concerned look. "Dinky..." she started. Her daughter looked up at her. Derpy blinked in surprise - Dinky was not looking her directly in the eyes. Oh, she was looking at her, but she was not meeting her eyes. Derpy couldn't recall a time where Dinky had never spoken to her without looking her in the eyes. It was unnerving, and it made Derpy worry that things were much worse than she initially thought. "Yes, mommy?" Dinky asked. Derpy hesitated. She glanced quickly at her housemates - both Time Turner and Carrot Top were watching her and Dinky. Time Turner gave her an encouraging nod, while Carrot Top made a "come on and do it" gesture with her spoon. "...Are you enjoying the soup?" Derpy finally asked. She saw the two Earth ponies at the table face-hoof at her question. Oh shut up you two, she thought to herself. "I am," was all Dinky said. "...Dinky, I...I want to know if you're still upset about earlier-" Derpy continued. "Mommy," Dinky interrupted her, looking down into her soup bowl. "I don't walk to talk about it anymore, okay?" Derpy bit her lip. It felt horrible to see her precious muffin so obviously upset, but she clearly wasn't going to get anything out of her tonight. She looked over at her friends again, seeing if they might have any answers. However, both Carrot Top and Time Turner gave her helpless shrugs. Derpy sighed. You'd think after eight years, I'd be good at knowing how to deal with my own child. "Okay Dinky..." Derpy sighed. The four ponies continued with their meal. Time Turner and Carrot Top kept chatting, and Derpy and Dinky would sometimes join in their talking, but for the most part both the mother and daughter were quiet. At the end of the dinner, Dinky hugged all three of them goodnight, then ran off to her room. "Do...do you think I should wait until tomorrow to talk to her?" Derpy asked her friends. "She still seems pretty angry at me," "Maybe-" Carrot Top started, only for Time Turner to interrupt her. "Whatever you think is best Derpy," Time Turner said, wrapping his hoof around her in a hug. Derpy nodded. "Okay. Good night everypony," she said, trotting off to her own bedroom. Carrot Top smacked Time Turner as soon as the pegasus was gone. "Ow!" Time Turner cried. "What was that for?" "I know you don't want Derpy to be more upset than she is, but you need to think about Dinky too!" Carrot Top said, poking Time Turner in the chest accusingly. "I am!" Time Turner insisted. "They both need some time away from each other before they can really talk about this. Everything will work out, Carrot Top!" Carrot Top sighed. "Fine," she said. "Good night Time Turner," The stallion bid her goodnight, and they both silently walked off to their own bedrooms. If only any of the three adults knew what was going through Dinky's mind throughout dinner. Then the giant mess that followed might have been prevented. It all started the next morning. "Carrot Top, are you sure you want to stay home?" Time Turner asked, checking the time on his watch. Carrot Top, reading a book on a sofa, looked up at her housemate and smiled. "Yes, I'm sure! I asked Soundspeed and Cobalt Sky to watch my stall in the market today," Time Turner raised an eyebrow at the mention of their next-door neighbors. "Those two snarky pegasi? How did you get them to agree to that?" Carrot Top smirked. "Let's just say that they owe me," "Why are we doing this again?" a gray pegasus stallion with a brown mane and tail and a music speaker cutie mark grumbled, standing behind a carrot stand. "Because we owe Carrot Top," a dark blue pegasus stallion with a blue mane and tail and a Hazard symbol cutie mark replied, standing next to his coltfriend. "It's not our fault that their window was broken!" "Um...yes it is," "Okay, but it was your idea to try doing it while flying!" "No it wasn't," "Shut up!" Time Turner shook his head in wonder, then looked up as another pony entered the room. It was Derpy, dressed in her usual mailmares uniform. She adjusted the hat on her head, and smiled at Time Turner and Carrot Top. "Good morning guys," Derpy said. "Thank you once again for agreeing to stay with Dinky, Carrot," "I keep telling you, it's no trouble at all!" Carrot Top insisted. "I'm going to make Dinky a special breakfast of carrot pancakes," "You mean carrot muffins," Derpy corrected. Carrot Top blinked in confusion. "Uh, actually, I do mean pancakes-" "MUFFINS," "Um...yes, muffins," Carrot Top agreed slowly...and fearfully. "Well, I got to get going to the shop," Time Turner said. He gave both Derpy and Carrot Top a goodbye hug, then trotted out the door. "Tell Dinky I said goodbye!" "I will!" Derpy called after him. She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Dinky's room, and sighed. "Do you think she's still upset?" she asked Carrot Top. Carrot Top shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was," The sad look on Derpy's face immediately made Carrot Top regret her words, but she knew that she couldn't lie to her dear friend about this of all things. "Look," she continued. "Just let her have this day to calm down, and we'll all sit down tonight after you and Time Turner get home from work, and just talk," "I...Are you sure we need to?" Derpy asked. "Derpy, I know that Dinky's father is a really sore subject for you, but PLEASE accept the fact that you just cannot keep this hidden from her anymore," Carrot Top said sharply. At Derpy's hurt look, Carrot Top added, in a softer tone, "I promise that me and Time Turner will be there for you when you tell her the truth," With a resigned breath, Derpy nodded. "You're right. I need to leave soon, so I'm going to go say goodbye to her," Carrot Top nodded, and headed into the kitchen to get breakfast started, while Derpy trotted down the hallway to Dinky's door. Once she was there, Derpy knocked. "Muffin?" She called. "Are you awake?" "Yes," Dinky's voice answered. Derpy pushed the door open, and found Dinky lying in her bed. The sight made the mailmare smile, and she walked over to her daughter and ran her hoof through her hair. "I'm going to work," Derpy said softly. "Time Turner says goodbye and that he loves you, and Carrot Top is getting breakfast started for you," "Muffins, right?" Dinky asked. Derpy nodded. "Made sure of it!" she said. She leaned down and hugged her daughter. "I love you Dinky," "I love you too mommy," Dinky said, hugging her mom tight around her neck. Derpy's heart warmed. While she could tell Dinky was still upset from yesterday, it was a relief to know that her love for her mother never waned. "Have a good day today Dinky," she said, kissing Dinky's forehead before trotting out of the room, closing the door behind her with her tail. As soon as her mother had left the room, Dinky jumped out of bed, and ran silently to the door. Pressing her ear against it, she waited until she could be certain her mother had left. I love you mommy, but...I'm not going to wait anymore. Derpy poked her head into the kitchen one last time before leaving for work. "Make sure those muffins are extra fluffy for my muffin!" she said. Carrot Top chuckled. "Pinkie Promise I will!" Derpy laughed as well, before exiting the kitchen. Carrot Top listened as Derpy shut the front door behind her, then the unmistakable sound of wings taking off the ground. The Earth pony turned herself back to the stove, humming to herself as she prepared the carrot panc-muffins, muffins is what she meant. As Carrot Top cooked in the kitchen, she did not notice the door to Dinky's bedroom slowly creak open. Dinky peered out into the hallway, trying her hardest to make sure that the door made no noise as she opened it. If Carrot Top saw her and asked what she was doing, then her plan would be ruined. Ever since the night before, when Dinky had overheard her mother and her aunt and uncle talking, she had been in a constant state of shock. For her entire eight-year long life, she had believed that her father had died in a terrible accident while she was still an unborn baby in her mom's tummy. Everytime she asked her mom, or her Uncle Time Turner or Aunt Carrot Top what had happened to her father, they all told her the same thing; she was too young to comprehend or understand, and they would tell her when she was older. But they underestimated Dinky. She had always been clever for her age. She understood death - she knew that everypony had to eventually pass on (except for alicorns, which Dinky did not think was fair at all, but nevermind that now), and she believed she could have handled knowing how her father had passed on. But they never told her - they just always used the same excuse. Still, she wasn't too bothered by that. She was more bothered by the fact that, no matter how many times she inquired about it, Derpy had never once told her anything about what her daddy was like. His name, his cutie mark, if he was an Earth pony, a unicorn, or a pegasus, what his interests were, what he did, how they met...Not a single thing. All Derpy had told her was that her father had loved both of them very much, and that he had been so excited to be Dinky's father. But that was a lie. Everything was a lie. She could hardly believe it. Her mother had been lying to her for her entire life! Her father was alive! Her father was somewhere out there! Her father...didn't know that he was her father. That was the part that hurt Dinky the most. Not only had her mother lied to Dinky, but she had kept her entire existence a secret from whoever her father was. Who cares if he was a bad pony? Dinky still deserved to know who he was! And her mother had kept him from her. For her entire life. Dinky felt tears begin to build in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. She had cried enough the night before, using her pillow to stifle her sobs so that her mother wouldn't hear. She was done crying. Now was the time to act. Dinky stealthily trotted to her mother's bedroom door. She glanced towards the kitchen one last time, and was relieved that Carrot Top was too busy baking the muffins. That gave Dinky at least half an hour to put her plan into motion. The plan, at the moment, consisted of nothing more than sneaking into her mother's bedroom. Using the stuff she had been learning with her frequent babysitter Amethyst Star, her horn lit up a bright pink, and Dinky started focusing her magic on the doorknob to her mom's room. Dinky almost let out a proud cheer when the door actually opened up, but she kept her cool. Pushing the door open slowly, Dinky slinked her body through the crack, then silently pushed it back into place. Turning around, she looked around her mother's bedroom. It was pretty simple as far as bedrooms go - a comfy bed in the center of the room, a dresser on the left of the bed, a lamp in the corner, a mirror, and pictures of Derpy, Dinky herself, as well as her aunt and uncle and several of their other friends. There was a closet next to the mirror, and a window looking out into the streets of Ponyville. Her favorite part of the bedroom was a giant muffin painted on the ceiling. "Focus, Dinky, focus," Dinky muttered to herself. She walked further into the room, trying to decide where to begin looking. She knew that the chances of her mother having anything left that could give her a hint of where her father might be after eight whole years were slim, but there wasn't much else the filly could do at this point. She walked to the closet, and opened the door. Extra mailpony uniforms were hung up, as well as a pretty green dress that Derpy liked to wear to parties. There were several boxes on the floor, but quickly looking through them showed that they were mostly just cookbooks, some accessories, and a really weird plastic cucumber thing. Dinky decided that there wasn't any evidence of her father in there, so she shut the closet door. "If I was evidence," Dinky whispered. "Where would I be hiding?" The unicorn filly dove beneath Derpy's bed. After a few seconds, she dove back out, coughing. "Ack!" Dinky hacked. "So...much...dust!" After recovering, she looked around in despair. There weren't a lot of places for her mother to keep stuff in her room. If she didn't find anything, she didn't know what she was going to do. This had been her only idea after all! All that was left was the dresser. As she walked up to it, Dinky realized that this was going to be an issue. Although she could use her magic to open the drawers on the top two shelves, she was still too small to actually reach them and search them. So, that left her with the drawers on the bottom. The filly sighed. "Oh, this was a stupid idea," she bemoaned. "I'm not gonna found out anything about my daddy now!" After another second of self-pity, Dinky stomped her hoof down. "No! Finish what you started Dinky!" Quickly pulling open the drawers in the dresser, she was immediately disappointed to see socks, more cookbooks, and more socks. "Why does my mommy have so many cookbooks and socks?" she muttered. Suddenly, something caught Dinky's eye. In one of the drawers filled with socks, Dinky could see a box. Eyes widening, Dinky pulled the box out, and opened it up. She gasped at what she saw. There were a lot of stuff in the box! Sifting through it, Dinky was surprised at some of the things she pulled out - a really pretty jewel necklace she had never seen her mother wear before; a medal that said "3rd place" on it; a bunch of knick-knacks and paddywacks; and several photographs. In one of the photographs was an older mare that Dinky didn't recognize. Another photo was Derpy standing with a group of ponies in what looked like a theater. But it was one photograph in particular that caught Dinky's attention. "Oh my Celestia..." Dinky whispered, clutching the photograph in her hooves. It was a picture of her mother. It was black and white, which was unusual. It showed Derpy Hooves standing in front of a cherry tree. There were a lot of cherry trees in the picture - it looked like an entire forest of them! And her mother was pregnant. Very, very pregnant. Carrot Top raised an eyebrow in surprise as Dinky came trotting into the kitchen, looking much happier then she had in the past two days. "Good morning Dinky," she said. "Fresh carrot muffins?" "Yes please!" Dinky said cheerfully, hopping onto one of the kitchen seats. Carrot Top smiled. "Well, somepony is in a good mood," she said, getting Dinky a plate. "I sure am!" Dinky said, smiling widely. Because I think I found just what I'm looking for. "Aunt Carrot Top?" Dinky asked after she had been given her muffin, and Carrot Top had sat down with her. "Can I ask you a question?" Carrot Top paused, a bit concerned about what kind of question she would want to ask, but nonetheless nodded. "Of course Dinky, what is it?" "Uh...would you mind if I went to school today after all?" Dinky asked, tapping her hooves on the table. Carrot Top's eyes widened in shock. "Dinky, what do you mean?" she asked. "Well, I feel bad that I'm taking a day off, when all of my friends are getting ready to go to school right now," Dinky said. "Oh, but Dinky," Carrot Top said consolingly. "You had a rough day yesterday. Miss Cheerilee understood when your mother told her you were staying home," "But I don't want to stay home anymore!" Dinky insisted. "Please, Aunt Carrot Top?" "What about Diamond Tiara?" Carrot Top asked. Dinky rolled her eyes. "I can deal with that stupid head," she said. "I just...I don't want to be cooped up in the house today, that's all!" Carrot Top pursed her lips, looking very unsure. However, Dinky's pleading eyes eventually won her over. "Oh, okay, if you truly want to go to school after all, then you go right ahead. But you better leave right after you finish that muffin, you else you'll be late!" "Oh, thank you Aunt Carrot Top! I promise I won't be late!" Dinky said, quickly eating her muffin. "Do you want me to walk you to school?" Carrot Top asked, getting up from the table to clean up breakfast. "No!" Dinky immediately shouted. Carrot Top stopped and looked at Dinky in surprise. Dinky quickly recovered. "Um...I mean, no thank you Carrot Top, I'll be fine! I always walk to school!" "Oh...kay," Carrot Top said slowly. She thought that Dinky was probably just a little frazzled out from the events of the past few days. As Dinky trotted out of the kitchen, muffin eaten and saddlebag already packed in her bedroom, she felt a little bit of guilt about the lie she just told Carrot Top. No! She thought to herself. They've been lying to you for your whole life! What's one little lie back going to do? Besides, I have a daddy to find! Dodge Junction, here I come! <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: How To Lose A Hero author: Queen Cookie tags: character:Rainbow Dash, character:Scootaloo, genre:Sad, genre:Slice of Life, genre:Tragedy, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== How To Lose A Hero === The rain pelted the orange filly's head, dulling her colors. It's okay, she didn't mind. It masked the tears, that just hadn't stopped, since she had heard for herself why her hero hadn't done one of her daily calls from the hospital. A knocking sound shocked Scootaloo. She had been so absorbed by her own thoughts, playing with her cereal, that she had lost track of just what she had been doing. Taking her time, the flightless pegasus slipped out of her chair, and opened the door, revealing a shy mare. "Hey Fluttershy," Scootaloo said, "Not to sound rude, but you don't like flying, and seeing as we live in a cloud house... Why are you here?" "Um, hi, Scootaloo," Fluttershy's voice seemed quieter than usual, "I was talking with Rainbow Dash, and, um, we both decided it would be best if I took care of you, while she's in the hospital. I mean, if that's okay with you..." "Sure, of course!" Scootaloo smiled, "I'll get my things real quick! Then I'll be right back, fast as Rainbow Dash!" As Scootaloo trotted away towards her room, the butter colored mare couldn't help but cast a worried glance at the filly. She just didn't know how serious this really was, and she might never. She passed many stones. Each one was unique, but they weren't the one she was looking for. When her search was over, she sighed, thinking of a promise that had been broken. The words that haunted her. "Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo exclaimed, running up to the cyan mare, and giving her a hug. "Hey, Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash said, "Hey, Fluttershy." "Oh, Rainbow Dash, it's so good to see you," Fluttershy grinned, "Can you believe it wasn't allowed until now? It feels as if it's been forever. How are you?" "I'm doing fine, Flutters," Rainbow said, "How're things outside the walls?" "It's really fun, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo said happily, "I really like helping her with her animals! The weather isn't getting done near as fast without you, though. When are you going to come back? We all really miss you." "Very soon, Scoots," Rainbow Dash said, "I promise." "Say it now," she said to the grave, "Say you'll come back, now. Now that I need you, you're gone." "Ha, look what we have here, Silver Spoon!" a mocking voice said, "A sad blank flank, all alone, who can't even fly!" "I see, Diamond Tiara," another said, "Who's gonna help you now? Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle aren't here, and Rainbow Dash won't be around any time soon, what with where she is now." "It was tragic, Silver," Diamond Tiara said, "She never found anypony who loved her, to settle down with. Never achieved her dreams, and let all those poor losers down." "Sh-shut up," Scootaloo said, "You don't-" "Save it, blank flank," Diamond said, "You're pathetic. From what I heard, when Rainbow Dash was your age, she was able to stick up for herself. Why can't you do that, if your so much like her? Why are you so lame?" "YOU DON'T KNOW HER!!!" Scootaloo suddenly shrieked, "YOU DIDN'T KNOW HER, AND NEVER WILL!!! BACK OFF, WILL YOU?!!! LEAVE ME ALONE, FOR ONCE IN YOUR SORRY LIVES!!!" "W-we all cried," she managed to say, "F-Fluttershy was a wreck. It was nothing compared to me, or so I've heard. I... didn't even t-talk to anypony. It... hit me, hard." Fluttershy sobbed into the little filly's shoulder. There wasn't anything either of them could do, but they comforted each other. That was all they needed, being some of the closest ponies, to... her. All Scootaloo could think, was "I'm back to square one." "I... remember ever single one of your phone calls," she sighed. The phone rang, and Scootaloo was quick to dive for it. Fluttershy warned her about being careful, as she carefully made their dinner. The filly, however, ignored it, and started the conversation. "Hello?" she asked, "Rainbow Dash?" "Hi, kid," Scootaloo heard the raspy voice she had missed. "Rainbow Dash, hi!!" Scoots exclaimed, "Are you feeling better?" "A lot, thanks for asking," Rainbow Dash replied, "Is Fluttershy actually letting you do things?" "Yeah, a lot!" Scootaloo smiled, "I get to ride my scooter, hang out with my friends. We tried to get our cutie marks in toy making today!" "How did it go?" Dash asked, "Am I going to come back to a filly with a cool cutie mark?" "Nothing, for all of us!" Scootaloo groaned in frustration, "It's close, I can feel it! Just a little more crusading, and we might actually pull it off!" "Sounds like you guys have a lot of fun together," Scootaloo could imagine Rainbow Dash smiling, "I wanna see you ASAP, when they let me have visitors, okay?" "Of course!" Scootaloo said, "And when you get out, you're gonna teach me to fly, ASAP, right?" "I said I would," Rainbow replied, "And I will." "A-and," she whimpered, "I c-can s-still remember the d-day you told me." "Scoots, can you sit down for a second?" Rainbow Dash asked, "There's something I need to tell you." "Sure," Scoots said, worriedly, "What's up?" "Well, you know how I've been feeling bad, lately?" Scootaloo nodded, and Dash continued, "Well, I went to the doctor, and when I described how I felt, he gave me a test, and..." The cyan mare found it hard to look at the filly, "I... have cancer. Blood cancer, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, to be exact. I'm going to be more... restricted, now. And busy." "D-don't worry, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo tried to be positive, "I'm sure you c-can beat it!" "I'm sure I can, too, kid," Rainbow Dash lied. "Then I remember the day the doctor told me," she said. Hello, are you Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash's sister?" a voice on the phone said. "Yes, who is this?" Scootaloo asked, an uncertain tone in her voice. "I'm Doctor Stable, Rainbow Dash's doctor," he said, "We've spoken a few times... I'm calling because of Miss Dash." "What about her?" Scootaloo said quickly, "What's wrong with my sister?!" "Well, today, March 25," Doctor Stable said, "Rainbow Dash... passed. Her body just, gave up. Worn out after the fight. It's a shame, considering her mind was so far from that state." "B-but Rainbow can't be..." Scootaloo said, "I talked to her yesterday... she promised..." "I know this is hard for you to take in," Doctor Stable sighed, "Just... give it some time. Now, I was informed you're under the care of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash's friend?" "And in all honesty, Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said, "I haven't gotten over it. I still miss you, so much. You were the only family I knew. My mom and dad weren't there, that's why I was in the orphanage. I don't know if they died, or just didn't want a foal. I wasn't treated too well there, either. So... I never had a family until I met you. "And I love my family. I love you, Rainbow Dash. The best big sister in the world." At that, Scootaloo left. To Fluttershy's house. <|endoftext|>

<|info|> title: One lazy morning author: Fedairkid tags: character:Rarity, character:Twilight Sparkle, genre:Romance, genre:Slice of Life, series:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

=== Of mistletoes and winter floof === Twilight's heart was thumping in her chest. She was sure everyone in Ponyville could hear it at this point, she had never been so excited in her life. She had overcome evil villains, saved Equestria from certain doom and ascended to being an alicorn. But somehow, none of those things had gotten her as excited, anxious and flustered as standing next to Rarity right now. Probably due to the mistletoe hanging above the two. Definitely because of the mistletoe. The princess' cheeks were bright red, and the heat wasn't helping her snap out of her trance. She had been waiting for something like this to happen for a long time now. She had always appreciated the white unicorn as a friend, ever since the day they had first met. But over time, she had felt herself more and more drawn towards the fashionista. She realized what her feelings meant a while ago, but alas, she never got to tell any of that to Rarity. Not that she hadn't tried, but whenever she approached the target of her affection with any such intentions, all of her strength left her body and her mind would become incapable of anything more than unintelligible nonsense. And it was no different now. This could be the moment where her love story began, this could be the start of something amazing. She kept telling herself that over and over again, trying to get her limbs or mouth to respond, to do anything at all. But her words got stuck in her throat, and her legs tensed up, unable to follow any of her commands. This could also be the moment where Rarity rejected her feelings, and their friendship fell apart. The familiar thought flooded Twilight's mind, fueling her anxiety. Being so close with Rarity but not being truly together was making every second of her life painful, but losing their friendship? It would rob it of all meaning. Inside of the alicorn's mind a battle was raging. Potential versus consequences. But the battle had been fought too many times by now, and Twilight was tired of the conflict. And with that, she decided to finally seize the moment. Moving her body took Twilight more willpower than any task ever had, not to mention finding the words to actually talk. But, somehow, she managed. Twilight looked her friends in the eyes, almost losing herself in that gorgeous ocean of blue. "Rarity, I…" Any intentions of talking were quickly interrupted when Twilight found her lips sealed. This time however, it wasn't because she couldn't muster up the courage. It was because Rarity's lips were on top of them. Confusion and surprise washed over Twilight, but she decided to quickly cast them aside and let joy take over. She pushed back against the unicorns mouth and leaned into the kiss. It wasn't a quick peck or some joke smooch merely because of the occasion. It was pleasure, fueled by the long suppressed emotions of both sides. Neither mare had to say anything, both knew what this meant. Everything was most certainly fine. Twilight groggily opened her eyes. A few sleepy glances around quickly told her that she was inside of her own bedroom within the castle of friendship. Really nothing out of the ordinary. The room was satisfyingly tidy and organized, just like she always kept it. Well, maybe except for when she was frantically searching a certain book or scroll hidden who knew where. The window panels were framed with a thin layer of ice, and the windowsill outside was covered in snow. Through them, the morning sun shone into the room, illuminating chambers in silvery rays. It was winter, so the sun lacked most of its welcoming summer warmth. Similarly, the temperatures outside were freezing cold. Despite that, Twilight was feeling comfortably warm under her blankets. It wasn't just because of her squishy, almost cloud-like mattress or her thick blanket made from only the finest of feathers; the perks that come with being a princess. It also wasn't because of the noticable amount of winter floof garnering on her chest due to her being part pegasus. And while her dream certainly had been a pleasant retelling of events that had happened a few days ago which had left her in a rather good mood, it still wasn't the source of her warmth either. No, what kept her warm was the white unicorn cuddled up next to her. Rarity's back was pressing against Twilight's chest, and there was practically no room between them. Twilight lovingly looked over her now special somepony. Her normally flawless purple mane was disheveled from the night. The mare's upper torso was sticking out from under the blanket. Her alabaster coat was still unkempt, and strands of white fur were sticking out at random angles. Something Rarity would tend to first thing in the morning, Twilight was sure. All of that together with the rhythmic sinking and heaving of the unicorn's chest and the innocent expression on her face were so incredibly adorable, Twilight could just stare at her for all eternity. Instead, Twilight opted to wrap her forelegs around her marefriend's barrel to pull her in even closer. Slowly of course, in order not to wake Rarity from her slumber. Once she snuggled closer to her love, Twilight let out a content hum. Feeling their furs mix together was pure bliss, and through their contact Twilight could feel Rarity's heartbeat. Slow, steady, and at peace. It made Twilight feel like there was no trouble in the world. No duties to take care of, and no business to attend… That, of course, couldn't be farther from the truth. With hearth's warming eve right around the corner, the princess' schedule was packed. Festivities all around Equestria required her to fill out some paperwork or other, and especially the local celebrations in Ponyville stole all of her free time away. And she would still need to finish decorating the castle, which was already a daunting task all on its own. Twilight technically couldn't afford any slacking off. But, considering everything she'd done for Equestria over the years, surely she could allow herself to take this morning off, right? The prospect of spending the next few hours dozing off next to her love was certainly far more compelling. In fact, it was pure bliss, and Twilight wouldn't have minded if time suddenly froze and this moment could last for all eternity. Actually, a spell came to mind that would achieve just that. Difficult to cast, but not impossible for an alicorn of Twilight's caliber. She lightly chuckled at the thought. Thinking about it now, messing with time probably wasn't a great idea. She'd had enough of that with Starlight. Twilight rested her head in the crane of Rarity's neck, the smell of her perfume's remains mixed with the mare's natural scent filling her nostrils. It sent Twilight right back to the realm of sleep. Her decision was made. If it meant that she could cuddle and sleep next to her partner for a few more hours, then Twilight could definitely allow herself this one lazy morning to enjoy the moment while it lasted. <|endoftext|>